When Cleveland's Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969, no environmental measurements were necessary to know the seriousness of the problem. Incidents like the Cuyahoga fire raise an important question: Can catastrophes-in-the-making be detected early enough to be prevented? For those in industry, such disasters point to the need for measures that can improve the environmental performance of processes, products, business practices, and linked industrial systems. In Measures of Environmental Performance and Ecosystem Condition, experts share their insights on environmental metrics. The volume explores the most productive relationship between measures of environmental performance and measures of ecosystem conditions. It reviews current approaches, evaluates structures for business decisionmaking, and includes a matrix for determining the environmental performance of industrial facilities. Case studies include: * Development and application of a water-quality rating scheme for streams and reservoirs in the Tennessee Valley. * Three years of successful experience with waste metrics at 3M. The book covers the range of environmental performance and condition metrics, from the use of material flow data to monitor environmental performance at the national level to the use of bioassays to measure the toxicity of industrial effluents. This book offers something for everyone--policymakers, executives, engineers, managers, and advocates--with a stake in the measurement of environmental performance and ecological conditions.


We establish existence and uniqueness for a wide class of Markovian systems of backward stochastic differential equations (BSDE) with quadratic nonlinearities. This class is characterized by an abstract structural assumption on the generator, an a-priori local-boundedness property, and a locally-Holder-continuous terminal condition. We present easily verifiable sufficient conditions for these assumptions and treat several applications, including stochastic equilibria in incomplete financial markets, stochastic differential games, and martingales on Riemannian manifolds.


1. REVERIE AMONG THE MACHINES I'm writing this essay on a computer. I'm even writing it on a laptop computer (though it's not positioned on my lap), which means that I'm writing this essay on a distillation of a computer, the most intensified, a-little-goes-a-long-way, grain alcohol of computers. Although I know better, I still associate laptops with hard-core computer junkies. To me, the laptop is the kind of machine that appeals to those who've uncritically embraced the laser-fast, connected world of information technology, and I don't over the course of an average day see myself as belonging to that particular group of people. There are times when I'm proud of having accomplished an arcane task with my word-processing program. But, as a computer jockey, I'm minor-league, double-A, particularly when I compare what I know about them to what my students know about them (who now, by the way, are occasionally asking me how to use the electric typewriter that we've exiled to the Xerox room in the office). I can tell, though, that my enthusiasm for having discovered another feature of my program exposes me in their eyes as an amateur, embarrassingly giddy and overly impressed by my newfound and ordinary knowledge. Still, here I sit with my laptop, delighted to feel a part of the younger generation, thankful that life hasn't passed me by; wondering, in fact, if I'm not a little cooler than my less-with-it, laptop-less colleagues. As Americans, we have a peculiar relationship to our pasts, because the older we get, or the farther our lives stretch back into the past, the less cool we become--or the more outdated, a label we're taught to fear deeply. America, as the elderly tell us, is no country for old men or for old women either. Robert Penn Warren, nearly a decade after he'd published Audubon, which charted one version of an American past, wrote: In a deep sense, the mission of America has been to make all things new. This continent was a new Eden in which man would miraculously assume his prelapsarian condition, and the movement west-ward was a perpetual baptism into a new innocence--or at least a movement into a territory where the sheriff couldn't serve his warrant. (Warren, Essays 32) How do you read a national history that wants to write itself as continually new? Continually reborn? Movement toward a new land and a new promise is an important theme in American writing, but one that has troubling undertones. Auden once remarked that Americans solve their problems by moving, a peripatetic solution to mental health. And it's true: there are no sheriffs in Audubon, only Regulators, the free-ranging representatives of an ad hoc system of justice. So, in Warren's Eden, there were no legal traditions in place because there were no legal precedents to cite; there was no legal history to consult. You don't have to know much about our past to see that American history suffers perpetually from a kind of mid-life crisis, because, as it continually reveres the new, the youthful, the innocent, it's yearly accumulating traditions, practices, and citizens that aren't new, that aren't youthful, that can't be innocent, and that are in fact historical, old, even venerable. But I'm an American, and I love my laptop because, when I have it by my side or in my lap, I feel new, youthful, innocent. Not so outdated. That's a blessing. My son, Samuel, who's ten now, has a natural facility with the computer, particularly with games that require a cartographer's sense of landscape. He never gets lost. What most impresses me is that he seems to understand the inner logic of the games. If we're looking for an object, a magic sword, say, and if it might be in one of several places--in a chest, behind a waterfall, stowed away in a boat, buried beneath the palm tree--he inevitably chooses the correct place first, while I'll waste time searching out the places that seem logical to me. …


This study aimed at investigating the various hydrogen-producing bacteria isolated from three different bovine manure samples (dairy cow, feedlot cow and free grazing cow manures). Methodology and results: Nutrient broth (NB) and Reinforced Clostridium medium (RCM) broth were used for the isolation of facultative and strict anaerobic bacteria. The isolates were subjected to batch fermentation to determine their capability to produce hydrogen (H2) using synthetic starch wastewater as substrate in 60 mL serum bottles. Biogases of interest (hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane) produced were analyzed using a Residual Gas Analyser (RGA), which is a mass spectrometry-based analytical system. A total of 52 isolates were obtained of which 13 of the isolates showed the ability to produce H2, with the NF6 isolate having the highest production of 6.85 × 10-4 % partial pressure [% (pp)]. Conclusion, significance and impact study: From this study, culturable hydrogen-producing bacteria were successfully isolated from the three bovine manures. The results give an insight on the types of H2 producing bacteria present in the manure samples. These isolates will be useful for the further studies of H2 production using waste sources as substrates. The production of H2 by NF6 isolate will be optimized by varying parameters during the batch fermentation


Pantoea ananatis accumulates gluconate during aerobic growth in the presence of glucose. Computer analysis of the P. ananatis SC17(0) sequenced genome revealed an ORF encoding a homologue (named gcd) of the mGDH (EC 188.8.131.52) apoenzyme from Escherichia coli and a putative pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) biosynthetic operon homologous to pqqABCDEF from Klebsiella pneumoniae. Construction of Δgcd and Δpqq mutants of P. ananatis confirmed the proposed functions of these genetic elements. The P. ananatis pqqABCDEF was cloned in vivo and integrated into the chromosomes of P. ananatis and E. coli according to the Dual In/Out strategy. Introduction of a second copy of pqqABCDEF to P. ananatis SC17(0) doubled the accumulation of PQQ. Integration of the operon into E. coli MG1655ΔptsGΔmanXY restored the growth of bacteria on glucose. The obtained data show the essential role of pqqABCDEF in PQQ biosynthesis in P. ananatis and E. coli. We propose that the cloned operon could be useful for an efficient phosphoenolpyruvate-independent glucose consumption pathway due to glucose oxidation and construction of E. coli strains with the advantage of phosphoenolpyruvate-derived metabolite production.


Background: In epidemiological and medical studies, sometimes researchers are faced for prediction of two response variables (simultaneously) based on a number of independent variables. When the response variable is mixed, according to established limits and absence of assumption, the classical statistical methods are not enough efficient for classification and prediction goals. The purpose of this study is using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to predict the mixed response variable in heart disease. Methods: A total of 276 cardiac patients who were discharged from Madani Hospital were studied as historical cohort, from October 2011 to March 2012. This sample was used to predict the cholesterol and also LDL levels of patients. Data was randomly divided into two sets: training (175 cases) and testing (91 cases) sets. Data analysis was made by ANN model with SCG algorithms in MATLAB software, version 7.11 and appropriateness of the model was assessed by the accuracy prediction. Results: The highest accuracy of prediction of mixed response variable was 51.76% for a four-layer ANN model. Conclusions: The ANN model is suggested to predict the mixed response variable in medical


Presenting students with a comprehensive and efficient approach to the modelling, simulation, and analysis of dynamic systems, this textbook addresses mechanical, electrical, thermal and fluid systems, feedback control systems, and their combinations. It features a robust introduction to fundamental mathematical prerequisites, suitable for students from a range of backgrounds; clearly established three-key procedures – fundamental principles, basic elements, and ways of analysis – for students to build on in confidence as they explore new topics; over 300 end-of-chapter problems, with solutions available for instructors, to solidify a hands-on understanding; and clear and uncomplicated examples using MATLAB®/Simulink® and Mathematica®, to introduce students to computational approaches. With a capstone chapter focused on the application of these techniques to real-world engineering problems, this is an ideal resource for a single-semester course in dynamic systems for students in mechanical, aerospace and civil engineering.


A directive ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna exhibiting a gain of more than 7 dBi in the whole FCC UWB frequency band is presented. The excitation of the so called dipole mode on the rod is achieved by a biconical dipole. Placing this configuration in some distance to a reflector results in a flat gain curve. Besides an input reflection of better than -10 dB from 3 up to 20 GHz, this novel antenna has an excellent transient behavior over a wide azimuth angle, whereas the dimensions can be kept very compact.


The Water Information System, WIS, has been developed at the Institute of Hydrology, Wallingford, as a four-dimensional database and GIS. TOPMODEL is a set of concepts for distributed rainfall-runoff modelling, that makes use of detailed DTM data but is computationally efficient. Incorporation of TOPMODEL into WIS raises a number of problems, the most critical of which is the generalization of the model structure to allow for varying topographic and hydrological conditions with different levels of data availability. One approach to this problem is the use of "on-line; sensitivity analysis, parameter calibration and estimation of predictive uncertainty for different possible model structures, with the graphical presentation of the results within WIS for direct visual evaluation by the user. -from Authors


Drought tolerance is an important agronomic trait but the genetic and physiological mechanisms that condition its expression are poorly understood. Molecular genetics and quantitative trait loci analysis provide a new and powerful approach to understand better the inheritance and expression of this trait. The purpose of this study was to use molecular markers to identify genetic loci associated with the expression of pre-flowering drought tolerance in sorghum [sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Two genotypes with contrasting drought reactions, TX7078 (pre-flowering tolerant, post-flowering susceptible) and B35 (pre-flowering susceptible, post-flowering tolerant), were selected as parents for a sample of recombinant inbred (RI) lines. Ninety-eight RI lines were evaluated in two different years under conditions of pre-flowering drought and full irrigation. This information was used to quantify the drought tolerance of each line. The population was also genotyped with 150 RAPD and 20 RFLP markers that mapped to 17 linkage groups. By means of these markers, six regions of the genome were found to be specifically associated with pre-flowering drought tolerance. Eight additional regions were more generally associated with yield or yield components under fully irrigated conditions. Several loci were associated with the expression of drought tolerance under both mild and severe drought stress conditions.


Abstract Facial discoid dermatosis (FDD) is a recently described condition comprising discrete facial papulo‐squamous lesions. We report three cases that clinically and histologically resemble FDD and demonstrate its resistance to treatment. Awareness of this new clinical entity will allow early diagnosis and the ability to make patients aware that there is unlikely to be a successful treatment. However, our study suggests that although FDD can persist for many years, it appears to remain stable.


It is expected that the wireless world will need to encompass more local/temporary structures which can be created for exploiting dynamically appearing opportunities. Such structures, which can be called Opportunistic Networks (ONs), may comprise various terminals/devices, potentially organized in an infrastructure-less (ad-hoc) network mode, and be terminated at a set of access points of the infrastructure-based network. In this context, an operator owning a wireless network infrastructure, can exploit ONs for complementing the infrastructure, e.g., in order to resolve coverage expansions or for achieving green targets. Given the existence of opportunities in terms of available nodes and spectrum, the suitability of creating an ON can be determined by the type of involved applications and mobility levels. In this respect this paper aims to evaluate the suitability of establishing an ON as an extension to the wireless infrastructure by considering the anticipated benefits that such integration will bring about. The evaluation is based on extensive simulations so as to increase validity of results and recommendations with respect to the investigated ON suitability conditions. Finally, the simulation results and recommendations extracted from this evaluation study are used to derive policies that can be used by the operator of the wireless infrastructure to control the decision upon creating the ONs.


The question of blackness has always featured the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality and class. Blackness as an ontological speciality has been engaged from both the social and epistemic locations of the damnés (in Fanonian terms). It has thus sought to respond to the performance of power within the world order that is structured within the colonial matrix of power, which has ontologically, epistemologically, spatially and existentially rendered blackness accessible to whiteness, while whiteness remains inaccessible to blackness. The article locates the question of blackness from the perspective of the Global South in the context of South Africa. Though there are elements of progress in terms of the conditions of certain Black people, it would be short-sighted to argue that such conditions in themselves indicate that the struggles of blackness are over. The essay seeks to address a critique by Anderson (1995) against Black theology in the context of the United States of America (US). The argument is that the question of blackness cannot and should not be provincialised. To understand how the colonial matrix of power is performed, it should start with the local and be linked with the global to engage critically the colonial matrix of power that is performed within a system of coloniality. Decoloniality is employed in this article as an analytical tool.Contribution: The article contributes to the discourse on blackness within Black theology scholarship. It aims to contribute to the continual debates on the excavating and levelling of the epistemological voices that have been suppressed through colonial epistemological universalisation of knowledge from the perspective of the damnés.


Through a series of short essays, Readings traces the consideration given to the act of close reading in literary criticism and theory over the last thirty years. Focusing on short passages from a number of critical works, including those by Barthes, Cixous, de Man, Derrida, Foucault, Kristeva, Lacan and J. Hillis Miller amongst others, the essays enact close readings of the trope of reading - its movements and performances in each of the passages in question - so as to offer a more detailed comprehension of the nature of reading, and the ways in which critical thinking has transformed our understanding of what it means to read. Readings addresses in a lively and engaging manner the varying rhythms and articulations made possible through the careful tracing of the process of critical reading which literary theory has made available.


Atomic motion in a pulsed evanescent wave, with a pulse duration on the order of the lifetime of the excited state, is calculated using the semiclassical Bloch-equation approach. The equations for the internal atomic motion are solved using two approximations based on high laser intensity and on slow atomic velocity. The center-of-mass motion in the field under the effect of the dipole force is subsequently determined by numerical integration. As an example, the calculations show that the maximum normally incident velocity allowing a sodium atom to be reflected is approximately 35 m/s when using a 10 MW/cm2 laser pulse of 7 ns duration. Our results also demonstrate that the velocity distribution of the reflected atoms may considerably differ from the distribution of the incident atoms due to different deceleration and acceleration times in a short laser pulse. This effect may lead to an average slowing-down of the reflected part of a thermal particle beam.


In LEMs (Lamina Emergent Mechanisms), LET (Lamina Emergent Torsion) is one of the commonest compliant joint, but the limit of its structure makes it ill afford the tensile stress. The LET is promoted under the condition of invariable rotational stiffness, in order to adapt it to the condition existing the axial load which means amplify the axial stiffness of the structure. Base on the above structure, it can be equivalent to a spring model. After developing the theoretical models of the spring, the closed-form solution would be obtained. Then the paper analyzes deformation of the rotating load and axial load through establishing the FEA model by ANSYS and compares with previous theoretical models. It is proved the equivalent stiffness solution of spring model is consistent with simulation results. In addition, under the nearly invariable rotation stiffness the small deformation of the LET is identical with expectation when tensile stress is applied.


Aims of this work were to examine lateral canals in extracted teeth, to propose a new technique to produce artificial lateral canals, and to compare two obturation techniques. Cleared roots were examined to record measure and shape of lateral canals. Artificial lateral canals were prepared on human demineralized teeth before final clearing. Specimens were divided in two groups: canals of group 1 were filled with Schilder's technique, canals of group 2 were filled with vertical compaction with apical backfilling. Stereomicroscopic analysis of lateral canal filling revealed lower filling rates in apical canals compared to coronal ones and higher filling rates with "vertical compaction with apical backfilling" compared to Schilder's group. The tested procedure appears to be a reliable technique to obtain standardized lateral canals and to compare filling procedures.


treatment area. The tube was inserted 'blind' and correct placement was confirmed by monitoring of expired carbon dioxide. This cause of difficult intubation is similar to that experienced by paramedics when attempting to intubate in bright sunlight. A tactic they frequently adopt is to allow a degree of dark adaption to occur by excluding external light with a coat or blanket. In our case intubation would probably have been easier had the room lighting been reduced for a few minutes prior to induction. In future we will be more wary of patients who require intubation after charcoal has been given, particularly those in whom oral staining is evident. It can be surprisingly difficult to intubate inside 'a black hole'.


In the context of community structure detection, we study the existence of a partition of the vertex set of a graph into two parts such that each part is a community, namely a \emph{$2$-community structure}. We use the definition of a community where each vertex of the graph has a larger proportion of neighbors in its community than in the other community. There are few results about this problem, and it was not known if there exist graphs without $2$-community structures, except stars. In this paper, we present a class of graphs without $2$-community structures and leave some interesting open questions about the problem.


The perfect companion to Merrell's bestselling Dream Gardens (Sunday Times Gardening Book of the Year), Dream Gardens of England is a beautifully designed sourcebook of 100 gardens of all styles in all parts of the country. It presents a wonderful variety of garden-design ideas, ranging from modern sophistication to lush romanticism, and from small city plots to large gardens in breathtaking rural locations. Each garden is photographed to show all its key features and essential details, while concise descriptions offer a rare insight into the aims and achievements of some of today's leading gardeners. With captions identifying the plants depicted, this book is an invaluable source of information and inspiration.


'Silent Cities' depicts the history of the 230 war cemeteries around Ypres, in the Salient and the rest of West Flanders. The most special graves are described and illustrated, sorted by cemetery. The stories of the most famous soldiers are highlighted in separate frameworks, giving the history of their origins and their lives.


Erythropoiesis is reduced to zero in the mouse by repeated homologous red cell transfusion.

Mating of transfusion-induced polycythemic mice was allowed, and observations were made on maternal and fetal erythropoiesis. It was observed that erythropoiesis in the pregnant, polycythemic mouse was suppressed throughout pregnancy, this observation suggesting that erythropoietin production was concomitantly suppressed.

Erythropoiesis in the fetuses of polycythemic mothers was initiated by 10 days and maintained in an active state throughout fetal life. Hematologic values of these fetuses at birth were higher than those of the newborn normal pregnant mice of the same strain.

It is possible that the fetus initiates and maintains erythropoietin independently of erythropoietin from the maternal circulation. The higher hematologic values of the newborn of polycythemic mothers are probably the result of the greater availability of iron from the breakdown of transfused cells, since it was found that comparable hematologic values were achieved in the newborn when iron-dextran (Imferon) was injected into the maternal tissues during pregnancy.


This work aims to provide a comprehensive, wall-to-wall analysis of land use/cover changes in the continental areas of Portugal and Spain between 1990 and 2012. This overall objective is developed into two main research questions: (1) Whether differences between the extent and prevalence of changes exist between both countries and (2) which are the hotspots of change (areas where a given land use/cover transition dominates the landscape) in each country. We used Corine Land Cover in three different points in time (1990, 2000, 2012) to explore eight characteristic land cover transitions and carried out a cluster analysis at LAU2 level (municipalities in Spain, parishes in Portugal) that allowed to identify the areas in which each transition was dominant. The main findings include the decline of agricultural area and the increase of urbanized and artificial covers in both countries, but different trends followed by forest cover, with an increase in Spain and a decrease in Portugal. At the same time, the spatial analysis provided an overview of the main gradients of change related to tensions between agricultural intensification–extensification, on the one hand, and deforestation–afforestation, on the other.


We present a preliminary measurement of the time-dependent CP-violating asymmetry in decays of neutral B mesons to the final states D*-+ pi+- using approximately 178 million BB events recorded by the BaBar experiment at the PEP-II e+e- storage ring. Events containing these decays are selected with a partial reconstruction technique, in which only the high-momentum pi+- from the B decay and the low-momentum pi-+ from the D*-+ decay are used. % We measure the amplitude of the asymmetry to be $-0.041 \pm 0.016 (stat.) \pm 0.010 (syst.)$ and determine bounds on $|\sin(2 \beta + \gamma)|$.


This study analyzed the sensitivities of three vegetation biochemical parameters [chlorophyll content (Cab), leaf water content (Cw), and leaf area index (LAI)] to the changes of canopy reflectance, with the effects of each parameter on the wavelength regions of canopy reflectance considered, and selected three vegetation indices as the optimization comparison targets of cost function. Then, the Cab, Cw, and LAI were estimated, based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm and PROSPECT + SAIL model. The results showed that retrieval efficiency with vegetation indices as the optimization comparison targets of cost function was better than that with all spectral reflectance. The correlation coefficients (R2) between the measured and estimated values of Cab, Cw, and LAI were 90.8%, 95.7%, and 99.7%, and the root mean square errors of Cab, Cw, and LAI were 4.73 microg x cm(-2), 0.001 g x cm(-2), and 0.08, respectively. It was suggested that to adopt vegetation indices as the optimization comparison targets of cost function could effectively improve the efficiency and precision of the retrieval of biochemical parameters based on PROSPECT + SAIL model.


While alcohol continues to be abused on university campuses around the world, the precise situation on South African campuses is unknown. This paper attempts to address this gap by reporting the results of two annual surveys of alcohol consumption amongst students at Rhodes University, the smallest tertiary institution in South Africa, with an annual intake of approximately 6000 students. The results of a survey using the Alcohol Use Disorders
Identification Test (AUDIT) suggests that alcohol consumption amongst these students is a public health concern, and likely to result in serious medical and social consequences.

KEYWORDS: Alcohol use, binge drinking, South Africa, university students, AUDIT


Clinical and experimental studies which have examined the neuropsychological bases of language processing in bilinguals are reviewed and evaluated. Evidence from case studies of polyglot aphasics suggests that the neuropsychological organization of their languages is the same for most bilinguals but that cases of dissociation do occur. Two main factors — language specific and language acquisitional — which might account for dissociation are defined and empirical evidence relevant to each is considered. It is argued that while clinical case studies of bilinguals suffering language disruption following brain damage have been significant in isolating these factors, they have failed to establish their explanatory power, due in part to inadequate data bases and in part to weak hypothesis-testing procedures. A review of the experimental studies provides preliminary evidence that such factors may influence the pattern of hemispheric involvement in the language processing of bilinguals. The variables of age, stage and manner of second language acquisition are discussed in some detail. A theoretical framework integrating the available evidence is proposed and guidelines for further research are suggested.


Your item on NMSA (National Minerals Security Act) [Eos, May 19, p. 497] makes depressing reading. According to Mr. Santini: '… the hands of a few foreign nations [hold those minerals without which] we cannot build jet aircraft, weapons, or other military hardware vitally important to our national security.' The implication in the superfluous adjective 'foreign' is tangible. Those non-American nations are set up as being a threat; but a threat to what? To a security in which there are several dubious ingredients, not least the means whereby what now needs guarding was itself secured? And, one can ask, to what extent does security form a solid-solution series with material aggrandizement when studied objectively?


Both the European Union and other countries analysed and searched effective instruments against the crisis. Currently, it takes not only a European debate on tax or bank charges. They have also taken action. Indeed, the EU published a draft directive on EU tax on financial transactions, as well as the adopted solutions that reduce high bonuses in the banking sector. However, in the countries considered there are (or have once been introduced) special taxes for large corporations and taxes on high salaries. Bank taxes can be an effective anti-crisis tool that will probably come permanently to the tax system of the European Union. This cannot, however, be the sole anti-crisis instrument, so it is necessary to analyse and search for additional and complementary of tools against the crisis.


Glenohumeral instability following total shoulder arthroplasty is a difficult problem. Rupture of the subscapularis tendon is a recognized cause of instability. The treatment options for irreparable subscapularis rupture are limited. We report a case of glenohumeral instability secondary to irreparable subscapularis rupture following total shoulder arthroplasty. This was successfully managed with allograft bone block–Achilles tendon tenodesis.


The number of group members in an animal society can have a major influence on group members' life history, survival, and reproductive success. Identifying the factors that limit group size is therefore fundamental for a complete understanding of social behavior. Here, I examined the relationships between resource availability, social conflict, and group size in the coral-dwelling fish, Paragobiogon xanthosomus (Gobiidae). The size of the largest (breeding) female and the minimum size difference required for hierarchy stability strongly but not perfectly predicted maximum group size, suggesting that social conflicts and hierarchy structure set the upper limit on group size. Deviations in group size around the predicted maximum were explained by variation in average body size ratios but not by variation in coral size, suggesting that coral size does not directly influence group size. In contrast, coral size was a significant predictor of body size ratios, and possible explanations for this relationship are discussed. Group size may be limited by the social conflicts that characterize size-based dominance hierarchies. Ecological factors, namely coral size, may in turn play an indirect role via an effect on body size ratios.


Amodiaquine (AQ) is a 4-aminoquinoline derivative which is intrinsically more active than the other 4- aminoquinoline, chloroquine, against Plasmodium falciparum parasites. The pharmacokinetic parameters of amodiaquine and its active metabolite following the administration of amodiaquine to healthy volunteers under fasted conditionS were compared with those when it was co-administered with food. In an open, two-way crossover study, 16 healthy volunteers fasted overnight and were randomized to receive a single oral administration of 600 mg (3 tablets) of amodiaquine in the absence or presence of a standardized high-fat breakfast, administered 30 min before drug administration. Blood samples were collected up to 192 h and amodiaquine and desethyl amodiaquine were assayed by a validated HPLC method. Relative to the fasting state, the administration of a single dose of amodiaquine after a high-fat breakfast resulted in delayed median Tmax values (20 min for amodiaquine and 3 h for desethylamodiaquine). The geometric mean ratios (GMR) of fed to fasting conditions indicated increased Cmax values for amodiaquine (GMR 1.40) (90% CI: 1.12- 1.48) and desethylamodiaquine (GMR 1.48) (90% CI: 1.09- 1.52) and increased AUC0-t values for amodiaquine (GMR 1.62) (90% CI: 1.42-1.86) and for desethylamodiaquine (GMR 1.26) (90% CI: 1.12-1.36). Intake of AQ with a high fat meal resulted in a statistically significant increase in blood levels of amodiaquine and desethylamodiaquine which may affect its safety and tolerability. The findings of this study suggest that amodiaquine should not be administered with a high-fat meal.


The majority of neonatal diabetes (NDM), defined by early onset of hyperglycemia due to impaired β-cell function, is caused by gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in the ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel genes (ABCC8 encoding SUR1 and KCNJ11 encoding Kir6.2). These GOF mutations lead to increased KATP channel activity, decreased β-cell excitability, and impaired insulin secretion. A zebrafish model of NDM can provide a high throughput platform for understanding mechanisms of NDM and testing potential therapeutic approaches. To create such a model, we used CRISPR mutagenesis to introduce the most common human Kir6.2 GOF mutation (R201H) into the equivalent zebrafish locus. Patch-clamp analysis demonstrates decreased ATP sensitivity in β-cells isolated from mutant fish (K1/2 for ATP inhibition = 17.21 ±1.66 mM in WT, 40.38 ± 7.6 mM in heterozygous R201H). Increasing [glucose] causes a robust increase of [Ca]i in WT islets expressing a GCaMP6s fluorescent reporter, but there is no glucose-dependent increase in R201H islets. R201H fish have smaller overall body size, indicative of failure to thrive, and β-cell density is reduced ∼50% in R201H compared to WT. Whole body glucose was measured from larval zebrafish using a fluorometric assay. Starting at 4 weeks of age, blood glucose was directly measured by glucometer from the transected cardiac cavity. While R201H animals are markedly hyperglycemic (BG > 250 mg/dl) at 4 weeks, blood sugar normalizes (BG In conclusion, R201H mutants demonstrate the expected KATP GOF, loss of glucose-dependence of [Ca]i, and marked hyperglycemia early in life, proving a viable model of the molecular and cellular consequences of NDM. Intriguingly, early hyperglycemia is followed by normalization of blood sugar in older fish. This resolution of hyperglycemia is an unexpected finding, and may provide further insight into physiologic differences between transient and permanent NDM. Disclosure J. Ikle: None. S.S. Singareddy: None. R.C. Tryon: None. N. York: None. L. Yin: None. W. Chen: None. C. Nichols: None. Funding National Institutes of Health (DK109407); Pediatric Endocrine Society; Endocrine Fellows Foundation


Abstract Whilst research on workplace bullying has substantially increased internationally, there appears to be a contention of whether individuals in hierarchical or individualistic societies are at higher risk of exposure to such behavior. This paper reports an investigation of relative exposure to workplace bullying between the two societies through a survey of Australians and Pakistanis. In so doing, this paper advances the cross-cultural workplace bullying literature in two main ways. First, by examining the methodological issue of equivalence, this paper shows that despite workplace bullying's constant meaning across cultures, there are stark differences in employee exposure and tolerance toward it between the assessed cultures. Second, it provides evidence of relative risks of workplace bullying in cross-cultural contexts by revealing a higher risk of exposure to such behavior in a hierarchical rather than an individualistic society. The paper concludes with a detailed discussion of the theoretical and international management practice implications of the research findings.


In the following review we intend to ascertain the optimal neoadjuvant therapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. In 2004, a study revealed that chemoradiotherapy (CRT) resulted in better local control when performed preoperatively rather than postoperatively, thus neoadjuvant treatment was established as a standard treatment. Subsequently, the Polish study and the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group showed no statistically significant difference between concomitant CRT over 5 wk vs short-course radiotherapy (RT). Therefore, both were established as standard neoadjuvant treatments. Later, the Stockholm III study demonstrated that short-course RT had a higher complete pathological response than long-course RT. It also showed that a delay between RT and surgery presented fewer complications. This opened a window of time to provide an early and effective systemic treatment to prevent distant metastases. Studies show that short-course RT plus oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy could achieve this. When comparing this total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) vs concomitant CRT, the former showed greater complete pathological response and lower acute toxicity. Studies presented during 2020 have also shown the benefits of TNT in terms of complete pathological response, as well as disease and metastasis-free survival. Our review suggests that probably TNT should be the new standard treatment for these patients. However, we will have to wait for the full text publications of these studies to confirm this statement.


Between 1999 and 2012 the EU intensified its trade relations with countries outside the European Union (third countries). However, the major part (about 60 %) of the EU member states' external trade consists of trade with each other (intra-trade). In past years, the EU has benefited from the catching-up process of the emerging economies - especially China and Russia - and the associated strong demand for capital goods and production facilities. Consequently, China and Russia became more important trading partners for the EU, whereas the US and Japan declined in importance. Unlike EU's foreign trade with countries outside the EU, the foreign trade among EU member states has not yet recovered from the massive slump due to the economic and financial crisis 2008/2009. This is mainly due to the fact that many European countries have followed a strict austerity policy which has severely depressed domestic demand. While it may have longer-run impacts, in the short run the proposed Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement will do little to reverse the relative decline in EU-US trade, much less can it be expected to serve as a stimulus for economic recovery.


Introduction: Hepatitis B is a viral infection that is potentially life-threatening and is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected one. Hepatitis B is, therefore, an important professional hazard for health care workers. This aim of this study was to assess the practical knowledge of hepatitis B among the patient porters of the training and treatment hospitals of Rafsanjan. Material and Methods: This descriptive study is a crosssectional study utilizing a self-made questionnaire comprised of four sections on demographic information, attitude towards hepatitis B, knowledge of hepatitis B, and practical measures against hepatitis B. Face and content validity and reliability of the questionnaire was performed. After the completion of the questionnaire, parametric and non-parametric tests were conducted to assess the relationship between the study variables. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In this study, 86 individuals filled the questionnaires (response rate =86%). Results showed that the most prevalent age was between 31 and 40 years old (60%), the dominant sex was male (62.4%), the majority had more than ten years of work experience (64.5%), and a high percentage had a middle school educational level (45.9%). Our results also showed that the majority of the respondents had received training about hepatitis B, and there was no significant relation between some demographic information such as work place and educational level and knowledge, attitude, and practice about hepatitis B. Conclusion: The degree of knowledge, attitude, and practice in regard to hepatitis B among the patient porters of the training and treatment hospitals of Rafsanjan was favorable. [GMJ. 2012;1(2):60-65]


An increasing penetration of EVs and their charging impose challenges to the energy grid stability. As a consequence, an optimal management of EV charging in parking lots becomes essential. This work presents an approach of a cooperative control of charging stations based on a stochastic optimization model for the energy management of a group of charging stations. Uncertainties regarding the number of charging EVs at each time step were modelled using a Markovian process, while the probability mass function was generated using a Monte Carlo simulation. Furthermore, the concept prioritizes the exploitation of local renewable resources and energy storage for EV charging. The stochastic optimization model was integrated into our own developed Stochastic Optimization Software Framework (SOFW), which deploys the application as Model Predictive Control (MPC) in the real-time scenario using dynamic programming. The cooperative control of charging stations presented in this work was evaluated succesfully with a variety of EV driving scenarios. The approach will be validated in the future on the field in a car park of a DSO company including renewable generation and energy storage system.


Human MOB2 (hMOB2) is a member of the highly conserved MOB protein family. MOBs have essential functions as regulators of diverse signalling pathways. In this regard, a recent genome wide screen for novel players in the DNA damage response (DDR) suggested hMOB2 as a potential candidate awaiting validation of its potential role in the DDR. Therefore, as the DDR is critical to maintain genomic integrity and to prevent tumorigenesis, my PhD project focused on understanding the involvement of hMOB2 in the DDR. Significantly, we found that in normal growth conditions hMOB2 is required to prevent the accumulation of unrepaired DNA doublestrand breaks (DSBs) in untransformed proliferating human cells. hMOB2 supports cell cycle checkpoint activation, DDR signalling, and cell survival upon exposure to exogenously induced DNA damage. Surprisingly, these novel functions of hMOB2 appear to be linked with the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex, since hMOB2 interacts with RAD50 and supports the recruitment of the MRN and activated ATM to damaged chromatin. Equally
important, hMOB2-deficient cells display impaired DSB repair by homologous recombination repair (HRR) as judged by GFP-recombination assays and RAD51 foci formation. Remarkably, hMOB2 knockdown compromises PLK1-mediated phosphorylation of RAD51, which is significant for ssDNA-RAD51 nucleofilament stabilisation. Strikingly, our research further revealed that defective HRR due to hMOB2 knockdown may provide a novel translational approach for future clinical studies. Notably, hMOB2 knockdown sensitises human tumour cells to inter-strand crosslinking (ICL) chemotherapeutics and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Considering further that the human MOB2 gene appears to display loss of heterozygosity in more than 50% of testicular, bladder, cervical, ovarian and lung carcinomas, our findings cumulatively propose that hMOB2 expression may be considered as a candidate biomarker in the evaluation for targeted therapies of cancer with defective HRR.


Epidermoid cyst of the external auditory canal (EAC) is rarely encountered in the clinical practice, but when it occurs, it may cause obstruction of the meatus that necessitates surgical excision. The aims of this study were to present 9 pediatric patients with epidermoid cysts of the EAC and to evaluate the outcome of the surgical technique that has been used in excision. Surgical removal of the cyst was carried out through a simple transmeatal approach, a medially based rectangular skin flap was elevated and the cyst was completely removed. No complications or recurrence have been reported. Epidermoid cyst should be listed in the differential diagnosis of EAC masses; it appears on computed tomography as a cystic mass in the outer cartilaginous part of EAC that is usually limited to the soft tissue with no bone erosion. It can be removed easily through simple transmeatal approach with high success rate and no morbidity.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate systematically the short- and long-term outcomes between laparoscope-assisted transanal total mesorectal excision (LA-taTME) and laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (L-TME) in the treatment of mid and low rectal cancer.

METHODS
Literatures comparing LA-taTME with L-TME published from January 2014 to January 2018 were systematically selected through searching PubMed, Ovid, EMbase, Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang databases. Literature screening and methodology quality evaluation were carried out by two surgeons independently. Randomized controlled trial (RCT) was evaluated by the modified Jadad rating scale, in which 1 to 3 and 4 to 7 were considered as low and high quality,respectively(total scores: 7). Non-randomized controlled trial (NRCT) was assessed by the modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS), in which 1 to 3, 4 to 6, and 7 to 9 were defined as low, moderate, and high quality, respectively (total score: 9). Ratio of incomplete mesorectum, positive rate of circumferential resection margin (CRM), number of harvested lymph node, distance of distal resection margin, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, morbidity of postoperative complication, conversion rate, hospital stay, recurrence, 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 2-year overall survival (OS) were compared and analyzed by using Stata/SE12.0 software.

RESULTS
Fourteen studies including 1 RCT and 13 NRCTs were enrolled finally. Among them, the RCT with a score of 6 was considered to be of high quality; all NRCTs (2 with 6 stars, 5 with 7 stars, and another 6 with 8 stars) were indicative of moderate to high quality; 450 patients underwent LA-taTME and 498 patients underwent L-TME. No significant differences were observed in terms of age, gender, tumor location and TNM stage between two approaches (all P>0.05). Compared to L-TME, LA-taTME had lower ratio of incomplete mesorectum (RR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.31 to 0.93, P=0.026), lower positive rate of CRM (RR=0.50, 95%CI: 0.29 to 0.86, P=0.012), lower conversion rate(RR=0.48, 95%CI: 0.26 to 0.86, P=0.014), lower morbidity of postoperative complication (RR=0.81, 95%CI: 0.67 to 0.99, P=0.036) and less intraoperative blood loss (SMD=-0.38, 95%CI:-0.68 to -0.08, P=0.013). While the differences between two groups had no statistical significance in terms of operative duration, number of harvested lymph node, distance of distal resection margin, hospital stay, overall recurrence, 2-year DFS and 2-year OS (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSION
The short- and long-term outcomes of LA-taTME and L-TME for the treatment of mid and low rectal cancer are comparable, while LA-taTME can reduce the ratio of incomplete mesorectum, positive rate of CRM, conversion rate, and morbidity of postoperative complication, and intraoperative blood loss.


Agri environmental schemes (the 'ANLb scheme' in Dutch) are implemented in order to conserve specific target species that are highly dependent on the agricultural landscape. In its core, these schemes are designed to improve habitat quality. In this project, we developed a methodology that can be used to identify the habitat quality for a certain species in a specific area, in order to identify which improvements with regards to the management could be made. First, the habitat requirements of 8 species were collected based on a literature review. Subsequently, the bottlenecks for conservation were identified. Finally, we developed a methodology for each habitat requirement with guidelines on how these habitat factors could be measured for a certain area. The system developed iswork in progress, and enabled us to identify important knowledge gaps. The system contributes to the development of a shared language with regards to habitat requirements of target species. It can be a helpful tool to learn from each other by comparing the efforts with regards to the management implemented, the habitat quality it resulted in and ultimately the conservation status of the target species. It is recommended to try this methodology in practice, in order to gain sight on the pros and cons of this method.


Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate nurses' knowledge and compliance to guidelines for safe handling of cytotoxic drugs and their exposure experiences. Methods: The data were collected from April to September 2013 by using questionnaires. The study participants were 177 nurses from a university hospital. The research tools were revised based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, t test, analysis of variance, and x2 test. Results: A significant difference in the nurses' compliance was observed in relation to their exposure experience with cytotoxic drugs (t=-3.41, p<.001).Furthermore, exposure experience with cytotoxic drugs was significantly higher in the nurses who had less than 2 years of career (F=2.87, p=.038) and worked at the oncology unit (x2=40.0, p<.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest the need to educate nurses about safe handling of cytotoxic drugs and the associated risk.


A dynamic model was developed to simulate complex interactions of mechanical stability, revascularisation and tissue differentiation in secondary fracture healing. Unlike previous models, blood perfusion was included as a spatio-temporal state variable to simulate the revascularisation process. A 2D, axisymmetrical finite element model described fracture callus mechanics. Fuzzy logic rules described the following biological processes: angiogenesis, intramembranous ossification, chondrogenesis, cartilage calcification and endochondral ossification, all of which depended on local strain state and local blood perfusion. In order to evaluate how the predicted revascularisation depended on the mechanical environment, we simulated two different healing cases according to two groups of transverse metatarsal osteotomies in sheep with different axial stability. The model predicted slower revascularisation and delayed bony bridging for the less stable case, which corresponded well to the experimental observations. A revascularisation sensitivity analysis demonstrated the potential of the model to account for different conditions regarding the blood supply.


Background: Contraception is a technique to prevent a conception; its usage is a central element of quality care in the provision of family planning services and an important dimension of women's reproductive rights. Barriers to use contraceptive is the factor that increase the likely hood of adverse mothers' sexual and reproductive health consequence such as unwanted pregnancy or poorly timed pregnancy, unsafe abortion, maternal death and others. The objective of this study was to determine the barriers of contraceptive use among child bearing women living in Ambo town, West Shewa zone, Oromia Regional state, Ethiopia.
Methodology: The study was conducted in Ambo town from February to March, 2015 G.C. Cross sectional study design was used& Participants were selected using systematic random sampling method. Data was collected by using structured questionnaires through face to face interviews & coded, entered and analyzed using EPI- INFO Version 3.5.1. The analyzed data was presented by using tables and graphs.
Result: Forty percent of the respondents were using at least one contraceptive methods; injectable (58.8%) was the most used ones. Fear of side effect (25.8%) and desire to have a children were the most mentioned barrier for non-use. Multiple logistic regression model revealed that Educational status of mother (AOR 7.3, 95% CI: 3.22-16.6), and husband educational status (AOR 4.9, 95% CI: 1.4-16.9), religious influence (AOR 9.15, 95% CI: 1.75-46.9) and marital status (AOR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.12-3.42) were positively associated with the use of contraceptives.
Conclusion and recommendation: Contraceptive use rate was low. Therefore, the community should be encouraged to continue and use contraceptive so as to space family size and also leaders of religions to be involved in the education of the community to use contraceptive.


We present the theoretical and experimental calibrations of a scanning thermal microscope (SThM) based on a hot anemometer wire probe. Under ac heating and due to the linear dependence of the probe electrical resistance to temperature, the third harmonic of the tip voltage is also linear to the temperature. This method called "3-ω" is currently used to estimate the thermal properties with a hot strip deposited on the sample surface. However, in this last technique, the sensor size allows one to reach the sample transient thermal behavior whereas the SThM tip does not. We propose a thermal model showing what information can in fact be obtained by using the microscope under the 3ω mode. We finally report an experimental calibration providing the tip/sample contact thermal parameters.


Proceedings of sessions of Geo-Denver 2000, held in Denver, Colorado, August 5-8, 2000. Sponsored by the Geo-Institute of ASCE. This Geotechnical Special Publication contains 17 papers introducing the most recent devices and improved means of assessing ground conditions. In situ testing provides a direct means for evaluating natural and man-made ground conditions for geotechnical site characterization. The variety of available field tests is particularly useful for designing different types of foundation systems, assessing soil liquefaction potential, and verifying soil improvement works. Many in situ tests cam provide continuous and real-time data with multiple independent readings taken within a single sounding. Topics include: in situ testing for liquefaction evaluation; novel and innovative devices; data processing and interpretation; ground improvement evaluation by in situ tests; and field tests for rock formations.


The evolving mobile cloud computing (MCC) paradigm enables mobile users to offload their computing tasks to cloud servers. In this paper, we study the following problems in MCC systems: 1) which tasks should be offloaded to cloud servers? 2) and what is the optimal price of cloud services? We jointly address these issues by formulating two levels of optimization problems. On the mobile users side, we formulate a utility maximization problem that takes the energy consumption, delay, and price of cloud services into account and obtain the optimal scheduling for both delay-sensitive and delay-tolerant applications. On the cloud service provider (CSP) side, we determine the optimal pricing strategy by formulating a profit maximization problem, which is non-convex in general. We further propose an algorithm using convexification and primal-dual methods to mitigate the non-convexity. Through numerical studies, we investigate the mobile users' behavior and the CSP's pricing strategy. Our results reveal that the proposed scheduler effectively balances the tradeoff between the energy consumption and delay in comparison with different schedulers proposed in the literature. Furthermore, we show that with the proposed pricing algorithm, the CSP can improve its profit by up to 25% compared with static and dynamic pricing strategies.


The article offers a comparative overview of the diverging courses of the canon debate in Anglophone and Germanophone contexts. While the Anglophone canon debate has focused on the politics of canon composition, the Germanophone debate has been more concerned with the malleability and mediality of the canon. In a development that has largely gone unnoticed outside German-speaking countries, new approaches to discussing current and future processes of canonization have been developed in recent years. One pivotal element of this process has been a thorough reevaluation of newmedia as a touchstone for both defining literature in the digital age and inquiring into the mechanisms of contemporary canon formation. The article thus aims at introducing the Germanophone approach to canon developed in recent years and its results to a larger scholarly community.


Heritage buildings present particular challenges since they comprise complex systems exhibiting a balance between several factors. Retrofit decisions should be derived from social, technical and behavioural data. However, it has been postulated that there is insufficient information about the individual and combined impact of those elements that influence a building's energy profile. Consequently, it is crucial to understand the perspectives of key stakeholders and decision-makers involved in the sustainable regeneration of cultural built heritage. As part of a wider study, the researchers carried out interviews with occupants of the Presidential Palace of San Anton in Malta, a 17th century building of heritage and cultural significance hosting a varied spectrum of uses. The survey was designed to assess users' perception of comfort, functionality, satisfaction and expectation in the context of the building's layout and use. The findings were then developed through a workshop organised to discuss the sustainable refurbishment of heritage buildings. During the sessions, issues arising from the occupant survey results were explored through debates with key players, namely: practising professionals, academics, industry stakeholders and policy-makers. The workshop methodology comprised of three main stages: A detailed presentation introducing the case study; a panel debate focusing on the main workshop themes; and specific topics addressed in more detail, by dividing participants into smaller target groups, with key conclusions from each group developed and presented by the leaders and rapporteurs. The workshop addressed two main themes: the heritage value, energy profile and retrofit potential of heritage buildings; and the implications of policy at European and National level. In this paper, the outcomes of the workshop are reported in the context of relevance to the climatic, energy demand, comfort and functionality challenges presented by heritage buildings in the international arena. Strategies to support behavioural change and recommendations for amendments to policy are proposed.


BACKGROUND Currently, the most precise way of predicting uterine receptivity is the histopathological study through endometrial biopsy. Endometrial morphology and thickness are the factors most strongly associated with better pregnancy rates. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prediction value of a numerical grade to predict pregnancy in patients exposed to assisted reproductive techniques. PATIENTS AND METHODS 22 cycles of in vitro fertilization were made at the Instituto para el Estudio de la Concepcion Humana in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, from June 2003 to January 2004. We evaluated and categorized: endometrial thickness and morphology, vascularity, miometrial ecogenicity, and uterine artery blood flow (including pulsatility and resistance indexes, presence of protodyastolic nicks, and telediastolic flow). The final numerical grade result from the sum of the individual values obtained for each factor. RESULTS We included 22 cycles of 20 patients. The general pregnancy and implantation rate was of 40 (8/20) and 26% (17/65) per cycle, respectively. The most common diagnosis was tube occlusion (28%), followed by masculine sex (24%), endometriosis (14%), anovulation (14%), and inexplicable (14%). There were no statistical differences among the pregnant and non-pregnant groups regarding: age, hormonal profile (FSH and estradiol, basal and at the tenth day), total of recombinant FSH unities, follicles > or = 14 mm the day of applying human chorionic gonadotropin, aspired eggs, fertilization index, and transferred embryos. CONCLUSIONS Endometrial maturity is essential for implantation during an assisted reproductive procedure.


[1] The Oslo chemical transport model (Oslo CTM2) is driven by meteorological data to model mineral dust during the Saharan Dust Experiment (SHADE) campaign in September 2000. Model calculations of the optical properties and radiative transfer codes are used to assess the direct radiative impact in the solar and terrestrial regions of the spectrum. The model calculations are compared to a wide range of measurements (satellite, ground-based, and aircraft) during the campaign. The model reproduces the main features during the SHADE campaign, including a large mineral dust storm. The optical properties and the vertical profiles are in reasonable agreement with the measurements. There is a very good agreement between the modeled radiative impact and observations. The strongest local solar radiative impact we model is around −115 Wm−2. On a global scale the radiative effect of mineral dust from Sahara exerts a significant negative net radiative effect.


Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after bariatric surgery. Methods: We designed a survey to study VTE after bariatric surgery in the Middle East & North Africa region (MENA). We used Survey Monkey and uploaded the survey in our PASMBS social media platforms. Results: Eighty-two surgeons (63%) responded, they performed 121,369 cases and encountered 230 VTEs (0.19%). VTEs included 13 upper extremity, 103 lower extremity, 57 pulmonary embolism (PE), and 57 portomesenteric venous thrombosis (PMT). There was 9 VTE related mortalities constituting 4% mortality rate. The most commonly performed procedure was Sleeve Gastrostomy (56%). It was followed by Adjustable Gastric band (13%), One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (10%), and Roux-en-Y Gastric bypass (9%). A scoring tool for VTE was used by 62% of surgeons and Caprini was the most commonly used tool and 62% of surgeons reported having at least one incident of VTE. Sequential compression devices were used by 57% of surgeons. Low molecular weight heparin was the most commonly used chemoprophylaxis. LMWH 40 mg once a day was used in 53% of the moderate risk group, 26% of the high-risk group and 6% in the highest risk group. Post-discharge, chemoprophylaxis was continued in the moderate, high and highest risk patients 82%, 95%, and 98% respectively. Conclusion: VTE risk assessment and the use of chemoprophylaxis for VTE is common in the MENA region. However, many patients continue to receive sub-therapeutic doses of low molecular heparin during the hospital stay and after discharge.


This study was carried out to determine the ichthyofauna of Kemer reservoir and Akcay stream. As a result of examining the samples collected between December 2004 and June 2006, it was revealed that 15 fish species, belonging to 6 families, were found in the basin of Kemer reservoir and Akcay stream. Among these, Lepomis gibbosus, Silurus glanis, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Carassius gibelio and hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops & Morone saxatilis) are alien species. Three species, Petroleuciscus smyrnaeus, Alburnoides bipunctatus, and Oncorhynchus mykiss were recorded for the first time from the Kemer reservoir and Akcay stream.


The behavior of iron hydride was studied by in situ X-ray observations at 6 GPa up to 700°C. When the iron-hydrogen system was heated, the dissolution of hydrogen into iron occurred, and bcc iron changed into iron hydride with a dhcp structure passing through a hcp structure, and then transformed into an fcc structure. The unit cell volumes per iron atom of these phases are much larger than those of bcc and hcp iron, which suggests that the iron hydride is formed. It was also found that the volume of the dhcp phase decreases with increasing temperature above 250°C, which indicates that the hydrogen concentration decreases at high temperatures.


High performance routers require substantial amounts of memory to store packets awaiting transmission, requiring the use of dedicated memory devices with the density and capacity to provide the required storage economically. The memory bandwidth required for packet storage subsystems often exceeds the bandwidth of individual memory devices, making it necessary to implement packet storage using multiple memory channels. This raises the question of how to design multichannel storage systems that make effective use of the available memory and memory bandwidth, while forwarding packets at link rate in the presence of arbitrary packet retrieval patterns. A recent series of papers has demonstrated an architecture that uses on-chip SRAM to buffer packets going to/from a multichannel storage system, while maintaining high performance in the presence worst-case traffic patterns. Unfortunately, the amount of on-chip storage required grows as the product of the number of channels and the number of separate queues served by the packet storage system. This makes it too expensive to use in systems with large numbers of queues. We show how to design a practical randomized packet storage system that can sustain high performance using an amount of on-chip storage that is independent of the number of queues.


Objective: To study the Inhibition of proteasome activity by the dietary flavonoid Quercetin associated with growth inhibition in cultured breast cancer cells and xenografts. Methods: MCF-7 breast cancer cell cultures and xenografts were treated with quercetin , carried out by following measurement of reduced cellular viability/proliferation, proteasome inhibition, and apoptosis induction. Inhibition of the proteasome was decided by levels of the proteasomal chymotrypsin-like activity, by target proteins, and by accumulation of proteasome target proteins in extracts of the treated cells or tumours. Apoptotic cell inhibition was measured by capase-3/caspase-7 activation, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, and immunohistochemistry for terminal nucleotidyl transferase. Results: This result is carried out for the first time by us that quercetin inhibits the proteasomal chymotrypsin-like activity and induces apoptosis not only in cultured MCF-7 cell lines but also in MCF-7 xenografts moreover, while quercetin has antibreast tumour activity and no toxicity was observed to the tested animals. Conclusion: We have shown that quercetin is an effective proteasome inhibitor in cultured breast cancer cells and in breast cancer xenografts. Furthermore, quercetin induces apoptotic cell death in human breast cancer cells and exhibits anticancer activities in tumours. The results suggest its potential benefits in breast cancer prevention and treatment. Key words: Breast cancer, MCF-7, Proteasome activity, Quercetin , Xenografts.


Summary. The effect of gonadotrophins on the secretion rate of gonadal hormones in sheep was investigated by perfusing the ovary in situ with luteinizing hormone (lh), luteotrophic hormone (lth) and follicle stimulating hormone (fsh). The gonadotrophins were infused through the side branch of the ovarian artery and the effluent blood was collected from the utero-ovarian vein. Perfusion of the ovary on the 8th day of the oestrous cycle with lh or lth resulted in the increase of the secretion rate of progesterone within 20 to 30 min after the beginning of the perfusion; when the perfusion of the ovary was terminated the rate of progesterone secretion reverted to the original level within 20 to 30 min. Unlike lh and lth, fsh infused on the 8th day of the oestrous cycle decreased the output of progesterone. On the 15th day of oestrous cycle progesterone could not be detected in the effluent blood from the ovarian vein. At that time, perfusion of the ovaries with gonadotrophic hormones produced no effect on the secretion rate of progesterone. Substances giving positive reaction with Barton's reagent and showing chromatographic characteristics of oestrone and oestradiol were detected in the ovarian venous blood in few animals only, and in very low concentrations. No relation was observed between the presence of these substances in the ovarian venous blood and either the phase of oestrous cycle or the type of gonadotrophin infused. Furthermore, perfusion of the ovary with fsh or lh resulted in the appearance in the ovarian venous blood of an unknown oestrogen-like substance of higher polarity than that of oestrone but lower than that of oestradiol.


Animal population imaging is a domain still in its infancy that requires a similar technical support as for human population imaging: technical solutions for storing and processing large volumes of data in a distributed scientific work environment. This challenge has been identified by the national French action FLI-IAM (https://portal.fli-iam.irisa.fr). IAM (Information Analysis and Management) is the computation science node of France Life Imaging (FLI). It provides access to multiple imaging databases and computation resources and takes care of the interoperability between databases 1 and processing pipelines (local or cluster-based platforms). The preclinical work group within FLI-IAM has especially worked on a solution for hosting preclinical imaging studies, that is called Shanoir 2 Small Animal.


As new information technologies have emerged, whether radio, television, or computers, advocates of those technologies hoped that each would have a radically transformative effect on education. However, in many ways, the scope of the resulting educational transformation was less than many had hoped for. In the last two decades, a wide range of new information technologies, such as personal computers, handheld computers, wireless networking, and the Internet, have emerged that again have a potential to transform education. Cuban (1986) noted some reasons why previous technologies have been less than successful for supporting learning. First, there is a failure to understand how technologies must be shaped to support the needs of learners. Second, there is a failure to understand how technologies can be effectively integrated into educational contexts in ways that truly support learning activities and goals. Therefore, if computers are to positively impact learning, educational software must be designed around learners' goals, needs, activities, and educational contexts. This approach to designing software is called learner-centered design (LCD) (Soloway, Guzdial, & Hay, 1994). Here we will provide an overview of learner-centered design and summarize how it is different from typical software design approaches. We will discuss both the critical role of scaffolding in learner-centered design and how software can serve a scaffolding function for learners. We will describe different design frameworks that can impact LCD by guiding designers and researchers in developing intellectual support in software.


The use of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) in structures with high physical-mechanical characteristics allows engineers to reduce the weight and costs of the structures, to simplify the technology of their production, to reduce or completely eliminate the manual labor needed for reinforcement, at the same time increasing reliability and durability. Commonly accepted technology is exploiting randomly distributed in the concrete volume fibers with random each fiber orientation. In structural members subjected to bending, major loads are bearing fibers located close to outer member surfaces. The majority of fibers are slightly loaded. The aim of the present research is to create an SFRC construction with non-homogeneously distributed fibers. We prepared layered SFRC prismatic specimens. Each layer had different amount of short fibers. Specimens were tested by four point bending till the rupture. Material fracture process was modelled based on the single fiber pull-out test results. Modelling results were compared with the experimental curves for beams. Predictions generated by the model were validated by 4PBT of 100 × 100 × 400 mm prisms. Investigation had shown higher load-bearing capacity of layered concrete plates comparing with plate having homogeneously distributed the same amount of fibers. This mechanism is strongly dependent on fiber concentration. A high amount of fibers is leading to new failure mechanisms—pull-out of FRC blocks and decrease of load-bearing capacity. Fracture surface analysis was realized for broken prisms with the goal to analyze fracture process and to improve accuracy of the elaborated model. The general conclusion with regard to modelling results is that the agreement with experimental data is good, numeric modelling results successfully align with the experimental data. Modelling has indicated the existence of additional failure processes besides simple fiber pull-out, which could be expected when fiber concentration exceeds the critical value.


The fashion industry has a very narrow approach to diversity of image and there is clear evidence that the industry continues to promote an unhealthy and generic view of body shape, beauty, race and age. We are entering an era where emotion and experience are increasingly important in both personal and professional development. People are looking for diversity, meaning and integrity in what they do and what they buy and are embracing individualism after a prolonged period of mass-market consumption. The Emotional Engagement project aims to explore how specific design elements such as colour, size and style affect consumer behaviour and whether psychological issues related to identity and wellbeing can be fused into fashion to satisfy and comfort the consumer. It also aims to transform current thinking about fashion education and consumption and add a new dimension to the way in which businesses engage with their products, markets and consumers. This project is unique in placing emotional consideration at its core in seeking to examine and question the methods currently adopted throughout the fashion supply chain, particularly those that involve image, such as design and marketing. It takes an inter-disciplinary approach by bringing together areas of science, design, technology, psychology and business. Further, it aims to disseminate best practice by engaging with relevant stakeholders and the wider community and takes an inclusive approach. It is the responsibility of fashion educators to develop in our future fashion designers and influencers, the importance of developing emotional consideration to consumers. The research will ultimately underpin and inform how we educate students to become more aware of the emotional impact of their design messaging and will develop, through creative and exciting educational methods, a sustainable approach to emotional engagement in fashion.


Nowadays, many robotic applications require an accurate model to perform tasks where dynamics is significant. The friction model discussed in this paper aims at improving the existing rigid robot model. The losses in joint transmission originate in friction between moving parts in contact or between moving parts and the ambient fluid. Commonly, robotic identification models represent joint transmission friction force as a viscous friction force, depending on the velocity, added to a constant dry friction force. However, the tribology science field teaches that friction in general depends on load (reaction force normal to the contact surface). It is important to consider this dependence when variable loads are applied on the joint transmission (external payloads, inertial load and gravity forces). Since these mechanisms are lubricated, it is appropriate to refer to the Stribeck curve (rather than Coulomb). This curve describes the friction coefficient as being dependent on a parameter (Hershey) combining the velocity and the load. This paper proposes a new expression of the load-velocity friction model, in order to identify a serial n degrees of freedom (DOF) robot. The friction force of this new inverse dynamic identification model is a linear function of both inertial and external forces. An experimental validation on an industrial manipulator used as a force feedback telerobot in nuclear plant concludes this paper.


Sensitivity of Herpes Simplex Virus type I (HSV-I) mutants carrying genetic defect in the DNA polymerase and thymidine kinase genes to the action of some drugs was studied. TK- mutant of HSV-I was resistant to Ara-T and ACG and sensitive to PAA, Ara-A as well as to ribavirin and ADEA. PAAr mutant of HSV-I was resistant to PAA, Ara-A, ACG and sensitive to Ara-T, ribavirin and ADEA. A double mutant of HSV-I-TK-, PAAr was resistant to all drugs, except for ribavirin and ADEA. To inhibit reproduction of HSV with genetic defect, it is important using drugs of independent mode of action on the function of defective viral gene.


We study the spherical collapse model in the presence of quintessence with negligible speed of sound. This case is particularly motivated for w < −1 as it is required by stability. As pressure gradients are negligible, quintessence follows dark matter during the collapse. The spherical overdensity behaves as a separate closed FLRW universe, so that its evolution can be studied exactly. We derive the critical overdensity for collapse and we use the extended Press-Schechter theory to study how the clustering of quintessence affects the dark matter mass function. The effect is dominated by the modification of the linear dark matter growth function. A larger effect occurs on the total mass function, which includes the quintessence overdensities. Indeed, here quintessence constitutes a third component of virialized objects, together with baryons and dark matter, and contributes to the total halo mass by a fraction ~ (1+w)ΩQ/Ωm. This gives a distinctive modification of the total mass function at low redshift.


A critical regulatory role of hematopoietic stem cell vascular niches in the bone marrow has been implicated to occur through endothelial niche cell expression of KIT Ligand. However, endothelial-derived KIT Ligand is expressed in both a soluble and membrane-bound form, and not unique to bone marrow niches and is also systemically distributed through the circulatory system. Here we confirm that upon deletion of both the soluble and membrane-bound form of endothelial-derived KIT Ligand hematopoietic stem cells are reduced in mouse bone marrow. However, deletion of endothelial-derived KIT Ligand was also accompanied by reduced soluble KIT Ligand levels in blood, precluding any conclusion as to whether the reduction in HSC numbers reflect reduced endothelial expression of KIT Ligand within HSC niches, elsewhere in the bone marrow and/or systemic sKIT Ligand produced by endothelial cells outside of the bone marrow. Notably, endothelial deletion specifically of the membrane bound form of KIT Ligand also reduced systemic levels of soluble KIT Ligand although with no effect on stem cell numbers, implicating a hematopoietic stem cell regulatory role primarily of soluble rather than membrane KIT Ligand expression in endothelial cells. In support of a role of systemic rather than local niche expression of soluble KIT Ligand, hematopoietic stem cells were unaffected in bones with deletion of KIT ligand when implanted in mice with normal systemic levels of soluble KIT Ligand. Our findings highlight the need for more specific tools to unravel niche-specific roles of regulatory cues expressed in hematopoietic niche cells in the bone marrow.


Experimental and analytical methods are presented which enable one to examine the local rheological properties of biological tissues which can be captured as flat sheets between matching pressure manifolds and deformed under experimentally prescribed hydrostatic loading conditions. In spite of the fact that most biological tissues, including arteries, are nonlinearly elastic when considered over wide ranges of strain, it was found that the deformation of swine and canine arterial wall specimens in the physiological range of wall strain can be approximated by an isotropic, linearily elastic membrane model. In view of this, the elastic behavior was characterized approximately by an incremental modulus over the range of 0.45 to 0.65 strain. The incremental modulus in both species was shown to increase by a factor of three along the descending thoracic aorta from the ductus scar to the celiac orifice.


This article offers an interpretation of late modern social imaginaries and their relationship to religion and violence. I hypothesize that the transition from the 'secular age' to a so-called 'post-secular constellation' calls on us to critically reconsider the modern trope that all too unambiguously ties religion and violence together. Discussing the fault lines of a secularist modernity spinning out of control today on various fronts, I argue that the narrative semantics of the so-called 'return of religion' is frequently adopted as an imaginative catalyst for confronting these contemporary discontents – for better and worse. In linking recent work on 'social imaginaries' with Paul Ricœur's discussion of the productive role of imagination in social life, I then explore the transformative potential of religious imagination in its inherent ambiguity. In conclusion I demonstrate that this quality involves a poietic license to start all over, one which can be used to expose both the violence of our beloved political ideals of freedom and sovereignty, as well as their repercussions on religious practice.


Queneau's language has been analysed many times, mostly from a linguistic point of view, with special attention being paid to such procedures as phonetic transcription, lexical and syntactic mistakes or vocabulary typical of colloquial speech. However, Queneau's aim is not simply to imitate spoken discourse. Underlining of the oral aspect of a literary text emphasises its ludic character, i.e., its being -- in a sense -- the author's intellectual game with the reader. Queneau's linguistic experiments are not just limited to the most frequently mentioned techniques, by means of which he introduces the spoken discourse into literature. Simultaneously, Queneau employs very sophisticated, precise or even technical vocabulary as well as varied stylistic figures, often very complex. The present article analyses this play of linguistic registers, which constitutes the originality of Queneau's style and demonstrates that it is the conscious strategy of the author, who, rejecting established linguistic norms and l...


The purpose of this study was to provide valuable insight regarding the use of Rhodamine WT (red) dye as a tracer for evaluating injected concentrations. More specifically, the effects of mixing the dye with glycerin to simulate the viscosity of a pesticide (e.g., glyphosate) or injecting the dye/glycerin mixture into deionized (DI) versus tap water on developing appropriate calibration equations were evaluated. Test results indicated that mixing the dye in a solution of glycerin and DI water significantly affected absorbance measurements compared to the dye mixed solely in DI water. The error in estimating absorbance was 7.4% between the two calibration equations. Therefore, any calibration curves must include a solution containing glycerin to compensate for this. Absorbance results also indicated that potable tap water could be used to simulate the spray carrier as opposed to the DI water. A calibration curve was developed for the simulated pesticide (dye/glycerin/DI water solution) injected into the carrier (tap water) for solutions ranging from 2,000:1 (carrier:pesticide) to 500,000:1; an overall dilution range of 250:1. This dilution range exceeded typical pesticide tank-mixed dilutions which were on the order of 11:1 for the application of glyphosate for corn or soybeans. The regression model standard error for predicting the dye concentration based on absorbance measurements was 5.3x10-6.


Abstract. Mountain snow and ice greatly influence the hydrological cycle of alpine regions by regulating both the quantity and seasonal variations of water availability downstream. This study considers the combined impacts of climate and glaciers changes due to recession on the hydrology and water balance of two high-elevation basins in the Canadian Rockies. A distributed, physically based, uncalibrated glacier hydrology model developed in the Cold Regions Hydrological Modelling platform (CRHM) was used to simulate the glacier mass balance and basin hydrology of Peyto and Athabasca Glacier basins in Alberta. Bias-corrected reanalysis data were used to drive the model. The model calculates the water balance of a glacierized basin, influenced by the surface energy and mass balance, and considering redistribution of snow by wind and avalanches. It was set up using hydrological response units based on elevation bands, surface slope and aspect, as well as changing land cover. Aerial photos, satellite images and Digital Elevation Models (DEM) were assimilated to represent the changing configurations of glacier area and the exposure of ice and firn. Observations of glacier mass balance, snow and glacier ice surface elevation changes at glacier and alpine tundra meteorological stations and streamflow discharge at the glacier outlets were used to evaluate the model performance. Model results indicated that both basins have undergone continuous glacier loss over the last three to five decades, leading to a 6–31 % reduction in glacierized area, a 78–109 % increase in ice exposure, and changes to the elevation and slope of the glacier surfaces. Diurnal temperature ranges are increasing, mainly due to increasing summer maximum daily temperatures. Annual precipitation is not changing much, but rainfall ratios are increasing. Basin hydrology was simulated over two periods, 1965–1975 and 2008–2018, using observed glacier configurations. The results show that changes in both climate and glacier configuration caused changes in melt rates and runoff, and a shift of peak flows from August to July. Glacier melt contributions increased from 27–61 % to 43–59 % of annual discharges. Recent discharges were 3–19 % higher than in the 1960s and 1970s. The results suggest that increased exposure of glacier ice and lower surface elevation due to glacier thinning were less influential in increasing streamflow than climate warming. Streamflow from these glaciers continues to increase.


Vicinal dithiol-containing proteins (VDPs) play fundamental roles in intracellular redox homeostasis and are responsible for many diseases. In this work, we report a far-red fluorescence turn-on probe MCAs for VDPs exploiting the pKa shift of the imine functionality of the probe. MCAs is composed of a merocyanine Schiff base as the fluorescent reporter and a cyclic 1,3,2-dithiarsenolane as the specific ligand for VDPs. The imine pKa of MCAs is 4.8, and it exists predominantly in the Schiff base (SB) form at physiological pH. Due to the absence of a resonating positive charge, it absorbs at a relatively short wavelength and is essentially nonfluorescent. Upon selective binding to reduced bovine serum albumin (rBSA, selected as the model protein), MCAs was brought from aqueous media to the binding pockets of the protein, causing a large increase in pKa value of MCAs (pKa = 7.1). As a result, an increase in the protonated Schiff base (PSB) form of MCAs was observed at the physiological pH conditions, which in turn leads to a bathochromically shifted chromophore (λabs = 634 nm) and a significant increase in fluorescence intensity (λem = 657 nm) simultaneously. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the salt bridges formed between the iminium in MCAs and the residues D72 and D517 in rBSA resist the dissociation of proton from the probe, thus inducing an increase of the pKa value. The proposed probe shows excellent sensitivity and specificity toward VDPs over other proteins and biologically relevant species and has been successfully applied for imaging of VDPs in living cells. We believe that the present pKa shift switching strategy may facilitate the development of new fluorescent probes that are useful for a wide range of applications.


Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is a mashfree method in that the interpolation points are the free-moving particles themselves. Each particle represents a volume of the fleuid carrying the properties of that region along with them. The typical properties associated with each particle include the mass, velocity, temperature, pressure, internal energy and entropy change. While often more computationally demanding than grid-based methods developed for specific phenomena. Its advantages include improved stability and the ability to deal with high velocities and free surface flow. It exceptionally handles cases with deformable and irregular boundaries/interfaces and provides ease of adding additional effects. This work reports our results in using SPH to study the flow behaviour of transforming van der Walls fluid. Both hydrodynamic and thermodynamic quantities are examined using various SPH Kernels


Background: Candida species are important nosocomial pathogens in the newborns, particularly among the preterms. Colonization of the neonatal skin and gastrointestinal tract is the first step in the pathogenesis of invasive Candidiasis. Colonization of the infant occurs early in life and this is affected by a variety of common practices in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Objective: To determine colonization of Candida species in neonates admitted to NICU in Mosul city, and to identify the possible risk factors for colonization. Patients and methods: A case series study was conducted in a Al Khansaa Teaching Hospital in Mosul city between September 2012 to March 2013. Fifty neonates who were admitted for several causes and stayed in the hospital for seven or more days were included in the study. Sterile cotton tipped swabs from oral, rectal and umbilical areas of each neonate were collected within 24 hours of admission, day five, day seven or thereafter when the neonate was discharged from hospital. Swabs were smeared on the surface of plates of Sabourauds glucose agar. Data was analyzed using Students "t" test, Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test wherever necessary. Results: Candida colonization was seen in 70% of patients at different sites and times of samples collection. Colonization was more common in males than females. From the colonized neonates, 60% were full term and 40% were premature, and 74% had normal birth weight and 26% had low birth weight. Acquisition of Candida occurred in 63% of neonates within the first 24 hrs and by day five 94% of neonates were colonized. The remaining 6% were colonized after fifth days of admission. Male sex, normal birth weight and signs of vaginal candidiasis in the mother were found to be significant risk factors for neonatal colonization. Conclusion: Candida colonization was seen in 70% of the study sample. Male neonates were colonized more often than females. Male sex, normal birth weight and signs of maternal vaginal candidiasis were significant risk factors for neonatal colonization with Candida.


Abstract Dynamic hyperinflation (DH) is a pathophysiologic hallmark of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of emphysema distribution on DH during a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) in patients with severe COPD. This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data among severe COPD patients who underwent thoracic high-resolution computed tomography, full lung function measurements and maximal CPET with inspiratory manouvers as assessment for a lung volume reduction procedure. ΔIC was calculated by subtracting the end-exercise inspiratory capacity (eIC) from resting IC (rIC) and expressed as a percentage of rIC (ΔIC %). Emphysema quantification was conducted at 3 predefined levels using the syngo PULMO-CT (Siemens AG); a difference >25% between best and worse slice was defined as heterogeneous emphysema. Fifty patients with heterogeneous (62.7% male; 60.9 ± 7.5 years old; FEV1% = 32.4 ± 11.4) and 14 with homogeneous emphysema (61.5% male; 62.5 ± 5.9 years old; FEV1% = 28.1 ± 10.3) fulfilled the enrolment criteria. The groups were matched for all baseline variables. ΔIC% was significantly higher in homogeneous emphysema (39.8% ± 9.8% vs.31.2% ± 13%, p = 0.031), while no other CPET parameter differed between the groups. Upper lobe predominance of emphysema correlated positively with peak oxygen pulse, peak oxygen uptake and peak respiratory rate, and negatively with ΔIC%. Homogeneous emphysema is associated with more DH during maximum exercise in COPD patients.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

It is well known that naive T cells transferred into lymphopenic hosts develop into memory like T cells and acquire some effector functions. We and others have been shown that transfer of naive T cells following sublethal whole body irradiation augmented antitumor immunity and inhibited tumor progression. Further analyses showed that antitumor effector T cells were primed from transferred naive T cells. Although the exact mechanism underlying this enhancement of antitumor immune responses remains unclear, possible explanations have been proposed; depletion of suppressor cells, improvement of tumor-antigen presentation, and elimination of lymphocytes competing activation cytokines. Combination of lymphodepletion by cytotoxic regimens, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and transfer of naive T cells seems to be a promising strategy. Although whole body irradiation induces lymphopenia to tumor-bearing animals and enhances antitumor immunity, it has not been routinely used in clinical settings. To test whether cytotoxic agents deplete lymphocytes and enhance antitumor immune responses, we infused cyclophosphamide (CPA), fludarabine, cisplatin and etoposide at the sublethal doses to mice. CPA treatment depleted 95% of lymphocytes in mice, and enhanced antitumor effects of transferred naive T cells. Other cytotoxic drugs failed to augment antitumor immunity in combination with transfer of T cells. Previously, we have demonstrated that CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) and CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) inhibited priming of antitumor effector T cells. Depletion of these suppressor cells increased the number of tumor-specific T cells and augmented antitumor immune responses. To examine the effect of sublethal doses of cyclophosphamide on immune suppressor cells, we injected cyclophosphamide into mice and harvested lymph-nodes and spleens for FACS analyses. Unexpectedly, we found a significant increase in the frequency of Treg and MDSC after CPA treatment. Magnetically isolated Treg and MDSC from cyclophosphamide treated mice suppressed tumor-specific responses of effector T cells in vitro. Depletion of Treg with anti-CD25 monoclonal antibodies following CPA administration and transfer of naive T cells increased the number of antitumor effector T cells. Further, the combination of Treg depletion, CPA treatment and transfer of naive T cells succeeded to cure 20-day established skin tumors in mice. We have also been testing whether inhibition of MDSC after CPA treatment augments antitumor immunity. Our results showed that CPA treatment efficiently depletes lymphocytes and enhanced antitumor immune responses despite an increase of immune suppressor cells. Further inhibition of suppressor cells after CPA administration successfully treated advanced tumors.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1550. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1550


In this paper we analyse the deformation zone that forms during cold welding of metal pairs by incremental rolling. The tool geometry has great influence on the forming behaviour and the overall shape of the metal part. In order to improve the process, an increase in surface exposure is aspired since it should lead to an increased weld strength. Six tool geometries were tested by means of FEA and analysed based on the surface exposure created between the surfaces in contact.


The purpose of this article is to study the impact of oxyfuel combustion applied to a rotary kiln producing lime. Aspects of interest are product quality, energy efficiency, stack gas composition, carbon dioxide emissions, and possible benefits related to carbon dioxide capture. The method used is based on multicomponent chemical equilibrium calculations to predict process conditions. A generic model of a rotary kiln for lime production was validated against operational data and literature. This predicting simulation tool is used to calculate chemical compositions for different recirculation cases. The results show that an oxyfuel process could produce a high‐quality lime product. The new process would operate at a lower specific energy consumption thus having also a reduced specific carbon dioxide emission per ton of product ratio. Through some processing, the stack gas from the new process could be suitable for carbon dioxide transport and storage or utilization. The main conclusion of this paper is that lime production with an oxyfuel process is feasible but still needs further study.