Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a disease-modifying treatment for respiratory allergies that has been used for many years in Europe and has also recently been approved for use in North America. Its use is thus likely to increase. There is more evidence available regarding SLIT efficacy and its good safety profile, making it an appealing treatment option. The majority of studies have mostly focused on grass pollens; however, there are now data available regarding efficacy for other allergens. This review will summarize recent findings from SLIT clinical trials for respiratory allergies, including efficacy, safety, post-discontinuation effects and use in different age groups. Grass pollen, tree pollen, house dust mite and ragweed SLIT studies will be evaluated.


The objective of this study was to assess genotype-year interaction and determine temporal stable genotypes across six years of rubber yield evaluation. Stability analyses were performed by Eberhart and Russell method for rubber yield. Twenty-five genotypes were analyzed in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The best genotype in one year was not same always in the other year. The genotype components were partitioned into linear (genotypes within year) and nonlinear (pooled deviations) components. Significant mean square for linear components was predictable. This indicated that the performance of genotypes across the years for rubber yield could be predicted. Among the analyzed genotypes the IAC 40 also was considered highly productive and vigorous, with suitable adaptation.


Abstract—Application of health risk assessment methods is important in order to comprehend the risk of human exposure to heavy metals and other dangerous pollutants. Four soil samples were collected at distances of 10, 20, 30 m and the control 100 m away from the dump site at depths of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 m. The collected soil samples were examined for Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Ni using standard methods. The health risks via the main pathways of human exposure to heavy metal were detected using relevant standard equations. Hazard quotient was calculated to determine non-carcinogenic health risk for each individual heavy metal. Life time cancer risk was calculated to determine the cumulative life cancer rating for each exposure pathway. The estimated health risk values for adults and children were generally lower than the reference dose. The calculated hazard quotient for the ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact pathways were less than unity. This means that there is no detrimental concern to the health on human exposure to heavy metals in contaminated soil. The life time cancer risk 5.4 × 10 was higher than the acceptable threshold value of 1 × 10-4 which is reflected to have significant health effects on human exposure to heavy metals in contaminated soil. Good hygienic practices are recommended to ease the potential risk to children and adult who are exposed to contaminated soils. Also, the local authorities should be made aware of such health risks for the purpose of planning the management strategy accordingly.


It is to investigate the effect of two kinds of Houttuynia Cordata Injection on preventing and treating H1N1 influenza virus infection in mice. Pneumonia model was set up by intranasal infection of the normal and immunocompromised mice with influenza virus FM1 and PR8. The two injections were administered before and after the administration of virus, separately, and the lung index was observed. The results showed that the two preparations have obvious therapeutic effect on normal mice infected with influenza virus FM1 and PR8. And to FM1, the new injection's effect is better at small dosage. The results also showed that the two preparations have obvious prophylactic effect on immunodepressed mice infected with influenza virus FM1 and PR8. And to PR8, the old injection's effect is better at small dosage. Houttuynia Cordata Injection can improve the mice pneumonia caused by influenza virus H1N1 and decrease the lung index markedly. It has a remarkable preventive and therapeutic effect on H1N1 influenza virus in mice.


Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and outcome of one-stage posterior sagittal anorectoplasty in cases of rectovestibular fistula. Background Rectovestibular fistula is the most common type of anorectal malformation in the female population. The standard treatment for rectovestibular fistula is the staged approach. In recent times, posterior sagittal anorectoplasty has revolutionized the management of anorectal malformation (ARMs). Materials and methods This study was conducted on 24 female patients with rectovestibular fistula who were divided into two groups: Group 1: This group comprised patients who underwent primary repair without colostomy (14 cases) prospectively. Group 2: This group comprised patients who underwent multistage repair (10 cases) retrospectively (the last 10 cases were operated upon in our hospital). Results A total of 24 patients were included in our study. All patients were more than 1 month old. Intraoperative complications included opening the posterior wall of the vagina (n = 2). Postoperative complications included the following: anal excoriations in seven patients in group 1 only; superficial wound inflammation in four patients in group 1 but only in one patient in group 2; partial dehiscence of the perineal skin in three patients in group 1 but only in one patient in group 2; anal stenosis in one patient in each group; and mucosal prolapse in one patient in group 1 only. Conclusion Primary repair of rectovestibular fistula is technically feasible and safe. It avoids the risk of complications related to colostomy and the risks of multiple anesthesia, and reduces the economic and psychological burden on the family.


Phytase and acid phosphatase activities were measured in extracts from roots of 14- to 22- day old seedlings of a range of temperate pasture species that were grown aseptically in sand culture. Phytase activity from roots of phosphorus- (P-)-deficient Trifolium subterraneum L. was characterised. Activity was enhanced by 40% when extracts were passed through Sephadex G-25, and increased by a further 20–30% with the addition of either 1 mМ EDTA or 5 mМ cysteine to assay solutions. The optimum temperature for phytase activity was 50°C and the optimum pH was 5.3. When compared with phosphatase activity measured in the roots of T. subterraneum, phytase activity exhibited narrower pH and temperature optima, and was also more strongly inhibited by Co2+, Zn2+ and AsO42− ions. Significantly, for the five pasture species examined, phytase activity was less than 5% of the total acid phosphatase activity in extracts of plant roots. Measured phytase activity ranged between 0.13 and 1.7 nkat g–1 root fresh wt and was enhanced under P-deficient relative to P-sufficient growth conditions in all of the pasture species with the exception of Trifolium repens L., for which the Km constant for activity was 50% lower in P-deficient plants. When expressed on a root fresh wt basis, increases in phytase activity of ~1.25-fold were observed for extracts from T. subterraneum and Medicago polymorpha L., and of up to 3.3-fold for Danthonia richardsonii A.B. Cashmore and Phalaris aquatica L. Increases in acid phosphatase activity with P deficiency were less evident. Between 3.1% and 4.3% only of the total phytase activity measured in root extracts was eluted from intact roots into 0.1 М NaCl.


A sequence of binary (/spl plusmn/1) random variables is generated by sampling a hard-limited version of a bandlimited process at n times the Nyquist rate. The information rate /spl Iscr/ carried by these binary samples is investigated. It is shown by constructing a specific nonstationary, bounded, bandlimited process (the real zeros of which are independent and identically distributed, isolated, and lying in different Nyquist intervals) that /spl Iscr/=log/sub 2/(n+1) bits per Nyquist interval is achievable. A more complicated construction in which L distinct zeros are placed in L consecutive Nyquist intervals yields achievable rates that approach (for L/spl rarr//spl infin/) /spl Iscr/ arbitrarily closely, where /spl Iscr/=log/sub 2/n + (n-1)log/sub 2/[n/(n-1)], n/spl ges/2 (and /spl Iscr/=1 for n=1 and L=1). By exploiting the constraints imposed on the autocorrelation function of a stationary sign (bilevel) process with a given average transition rate, the latter expression is shown also to yield an upper bound on the achievable values of /spl Iscr/. The logarithmic behavior with n (n/spl Gt/1) is due to the high correlation between the oversampled binary samples, and it is established that this trend is also achievable with stationary sign processes. This model may be used to gain insight into the effect of finite resolution on the information (in Shannon's sense) conveyed by the sign of a bandlimited process, and also to assess the limiting performance of certain oversampling-based communication systems. >


Abstract 4593 Background NOX-A12 is a novel, potent, L-aptamer inhibitor of CXCL12/SDF-1, a chemokine which attracts and activates immune- and non-immune cells. The signaling of CXCL12 has been shown to play an important role in the pathophysiology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), especially in the interaction of leukemic cells with their tissue microenvironment. The therapeutic concept of NOX-A12 is to inhibit such tumor-supporting pathways and thereby sensitizing the CLL cells towards chemotherapy. Methods The purpose of this phase IIa study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in combination with background chemo-immunotherapy of bendamustine and rituximab (BR) in patients with relapsed CLL. The described study is being performed in compliance with ethical principles based on the Declaration of Helsinki and ICH-GCP guidelines. The study population was split into a pilot and expansion group. In the pilot group, 3 cohorts of 3 patients each received escalating doses of single agent NOX-A12 two weeks prior to the combined treatment of NOX-A12 and BR. Interim data from these patients are reported. Based on previous Phase I studies in healthy volunteers, pilot patients received a dose of 1, 2 or 4 mg/kg body weight (BW) single agent NOX-A12 on day -14, followed by a 2-weeks period of safety, PK and PD assessments prior to the combined treatment with NOX-A12 and BR. To date, the first cohort of the pilot group already progressed to the 2nd cycle of combined treatment. Evaluation criteria included adverse events according to CTCAE V4, flow cytometry of peripheral blood CD34+ cells and CLL cells, pharmacokinetics of NOX-A12, plasma concentration of CXCL12 and tumor response (NCI-WG 1996 criteria, updated 2008). Results To date 3 patients (age range: 58 – 65 years) have been enrolled in the pilot group of this study. They had received 1 or 2 prior therapies, but no bendamustine. Single i.v. doses of 1 mg/kg BW NOX-A12 had no clinically relevant effects on vital signs, 12-lead ECG parameters and laboratory parameters. One patient reported grade 1 pain in the lower limbs two days after treatment with NOX-A12. This event was not dose-limiting and resolved spontaneously on the same day. Flow cytometry of CD34+ cells and CLL cells (CD19+/CD5+high) showed a rapid mobilization of these cells into the peripheral blood on day 1. Interestingly, return to baseline was not complete at the last assessment on day 3 (for details see Figure 1). The NOX-A12 pharmacokinetics in these 3 patients (for concentration-time profile see Figure 2) is very comparable to healthy volunteers receiving i.v. NOX-A12, with a maximum plasma concentration of 1.52 ± 0.14 μM after 1 h (t max ) and a plasma elimination half-life of about 50 h. As seen in healthy volunteers the plasma concentration of CXCL12 increased upon NOX-A12 treatment and reached a maximum of 0.434 ± 0.076 μM at 24 to 72 h p.a. without ever approaching the plasma concentration of NOX-A12 (Figure 2). Conclusion Single i.v. doses of NOX-A12 at 1 mg/kg BW were safe and well tolerated; the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. NOX-A12 induced a long-lasting mobilization of CD34+ cells and leukemic cells in patients with relapsed CLL, consistent with a mechanism of action based on CXCL12 inhibition. Patient accrual and identification of an optimal chemosensitization regimen of NOX-A12 combined with BR is being continued. Disclosures: Vauleon: NOXXON Pharma AG: Employment. Zollner: NOXXON Pharma AG: Employment. Dummler: NOXXON Pharma AG: Employment. Kruschinski: NOXXON Pharma AG: Employment. Fliegert: NOXXON Pharma AG: Employment.


The results of studies on the kinetics and mechanisms of reactions involving the transfer of an electron and a hydrogen atom to quinone molecules in triplet states are surveyed and the spectroscopic-kinetic characteristics of the triplet exciplexes of quinones and the role of the electron donor–acceptor interactions and hydrogen-bonded complexes in the photochemistry of quinonoid compounds are examined. Attention is concentrated on the experimental investigation of the kinetics and mechanisms of the primary photochemical processes by modern flash photolysis methods. The bibliography includes 276 references.


Some software faults, namely security vulnerabilities, tend to elude conventional testing methods. Since the effects of these faults may not be immediately perceived nor have a direct impact on the server's execution (e.g., a crash), they can remain hidden even if exercised by the test cases. Our detection approach consists in inferring a behavioral profile of a network server that models its correct execution by combining information about the implemented state machine protocol and the server's internal execution. Flaws are automatically detected if the server's behavior deviates from the profile while processing the test cases. This approach was implemented in a tool, which was used to analyze several FTP vulnerabilities, showing that it can effectively find various kinds of flaws.


A 63-year-old man with von Recklinghausen disease was transported to the emergency department for swelling and pain of his right neck. Chest X-ray and computed tomography scan showed displacement of the trachea to the left by a tumor mass. Urgent airway management was required and fiberoptic intubation in awake condition was planned. First we pre-scanned cricothyroid membrane by ultrasound in a case of emergency. Regardless of several trials, his trachea could not be secured by fiberscope because of narrow pharyngeal space. Suddenly, his consciousness level and Sp(O2) went down, therefore surgical airway was required. Due to pre-scanning, emergency cricothyroid membrane puncture could be performed immediately without any complications. We recommend ultrasound pre-scanning for cricothyroid membrane puncture in a patient with suspected tracheal displacement.


In this chapter, I present examples of my narratives on how I continue to attempt to navigate the obstacles I face as a racialized tenured faculty member in a faculty of education and my lessons learned in navigating my journey into the academy with my students. I present Ladson-Billings and Tate's (1995) concept of race as a powerful tool for explaining social inequity, and I will use Critical Race Theory to analyze those moments of tensions and conflict where my students will question or even challenge my role as either their seminar course instructor or practicum faculty advisor. I have found that students often wonder about my competency when they first meet me either in the university classroom or in their practicum placement. As a result, I feel that I have to prove myself initially to my students to establish my competence and to continually work to challenge those perceptions. In addition, as a faculty member who is racialized as being Black, my students often are uncomfortable in talking about race and claim that I "speak too much about race in class" and as such also claim that I push my agenda on race in my courses. Over the years, I anticipate students' initial perceptions and comfort level with race and use those as a way of first engaging in open dialogue about race with my students. I will explore these issues and also offer some strategic ways racialized academics, like myself, can anticipate and use those challenges to our advantage in teaching in higher education and particularly in a teacher education program.


In the last decade, the growing number of acts of terrorism that threaten world peace and security, as well as the fundamental values in every democratic society, in particular respect for fundamental human rights, have called for more active action by the international community in the struggle with terrorism. In this regard, the United Nations Security Council adopted a number of resolutions establishing sanctions regimes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (IDES), Al-Qaida and the Taliban, and other individuals, groups, and related entities and suspected terrorist suspects. Despite the social purpose of these regimes, they created serious preconditions for violations of the human rights of the affected subjects, in particular the right to a fair trial, the right to an effective remedy, the right to property, the right of the persons concerned to be informed of the charges against them, the right to be heard and other procedural rights. This circumstance calls for reforms to be made to the arrangements in place to ensure fundamental human rights in the fight against terrorism.


Research summary: We study how technological discontinuities generate first- and second-order effects on alliance formation and termination, leading to reconfiguration of firms' alliance portfolios. Following technological shocks, we argue that firms often seek alliances that provide new resources while also having incentives to form alliances for reinforced and challenged resources that complement the new resources. In parallel, alliance terminations, even involving resources otherwise unaffected by the discontinuity, increase due to limits in firms' alliance carrying capacity. We study biopharmaceutical firms between 1990 and 2000, which faced a technological discontinuity in 1995 in the form of combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput screening. We improve understanding of how technological discontinuities affect the value of resources and how firms reconfigure alliance portfolios in response.

Managerial summary: When firms form alliances to gain new resources during technological discontinuities that disrupt their industry, they cannot consider only the focal new partnerships. Instead, new alliances create complementarity and substitution pressures that lead to broader reconfiguration of the firms' alliance portfolios: (1) complementarity creates incentives to also form alliances for resources that the technological discontinuity reinforces or challenges in order to improve the collective value of co-specialized assets; (2) substitution creates incentives to terminate existing alliances, even if their value is otherwise unaffected by the discontinuity, in order to create carrying capacity for new alliances. Thus, one new alliance can generate a cascade of reconfiguration that challenges the balance between the benefits of stability and the need for change in an alliance portfolio. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Background Understanding movement patterns of anadromous fishes is critical to conservation management of declining wild populations and preservation of habitats. Yet, infrequent observations of individual animals fundamentally constrain accurate descriptions of movement dynamics. Methods In this study, we synthesized over a decade (2006–2018) of acoustic telemetry tracking observations of green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) in the Sacramento River system to describe major anadromous movement patterns. Results We observed that green sturgeon exhibited a unimodal in-migration during the spring months but had a bimodal distribution of out-migration timing, split between an 'early' out-migration (32%) group during May - June, or alternatively, holding in the river until a 'late' out-migration (68%), November - January. Focusing on these out-migration groups, we found that river discharge, but not water temperature, may cue the timing of migration, and that fish showed a tendency to maintain out-migration timing between subsequent spawning migration events. Conclusions We recommend that life history descriptions of green sturgeon in this region reflect the distinct out-migration periods described here. Furthermore, we encourage the continued use of biotelemetry to describe migration timing and life history variation, not only this population but other green sturgeon populations and other species.


This paper presents results from a project on phonetic convergence in German spontaneous speech. We used linear mixed models to examine 22 unimodal and 24 multimodal dialogs for articulation rate. We show that speakers' local articulation rates are influenced by the preceding rates of their interlocutors, and that the direction of this influence (i.e., divergence or convergence) depends on social factors, viz. interactants' mutual likeability scores. More specifically, we found that in general there was a "default" effect of divergence in articulation rates which was not mediated by social factors. However, this effect was weakened or reversed for higher mutual liking scores, i.e. the degree of convergence increased with the liking scores. Furthermore, while it has recently been suggested that convergence may be enhanced in multimodal settings, we did not find an effect of modality on convergence. However, there was an effect of modality on articulation rate in general.


Social development and educational innovation of university are calling for the entrepreneurship education in campus.This article studies on the actuality of entrepreneurship education in university and main courses.And then it discusses the way to advance the entrepreneurship education in university.


Dengue fever is endemic from Argentina to Mexico, where serotypes 1, 2 and 4 are in wide circulation. After an absence of almost 20 years, serotype 3 arrived in Central America in late 1994. Over the past decade dengue has become a major public health problem in many of these countries, with an increase in the prevalence of dengue haemorrhagic fever and in the number of fatal cases. The situation is not new; there is evidence of a least eight pandemics from the early 19th century until the initiation of the Aedes aegypti eradication campaign in 1947. The resurgence of serious disease was predicted in the early 1980's, and has followed a pattern of increasing severity observed 20 years earlier in Asia.


SOCIOLOGY description: Sociology is the scientific study of society and culture, including social interaction, and social relationships. Create a Plan


The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse develops diabetes as the result of spontaneous autoimmune insulitis and is widely used as a translational polygenic model of type 1 diabetes. Disease progression in the NOD mouse model is slow, involving a long prodromal phase of pancreatic islet infiltration before autoimmune β-cell destruction and manifestation of diabetic hyperglycemia, making the NOD mouse ideal for probing the effectiveness of potential disease prevention therapies. Improved understanding of the spatial dynamics of immune cell infiltration of the pancreas during the emergence and natural progression of autoimmune diabetes would permit further resolution of drug treatment effects in this model. The present study therefore aimed to image the spontaneous development and progression of autoimmune diabetes dynamically and at 3-dimensional cellular resolution in the NOD mouse. Female NOD mice were terminated before diabetes onset, at 14 and 18 weeks of age, and pancreata were isolated and divided into two alternating samples consisting of either the head and tail. One half was stained for insulin and CD45 using iDISCO whole-mount immunohistochemistry and subsequently scanned using a light sheet microscope. Islet infiltration was quantified using an in-house developed algorithm. The other half of each pancreas was simultaneously evaluated by flow cytometry to discriminate and quantify immune cells of lymphoid and myeloid lineage. Infiltrating CD45-positive leukocytes progressively increased in abundance over time, however, with highly variable distribution in the pancreas. Flow cytometry confirmed extensive leukocyte infiltration and revealed predominant changes in T-cell profiles. In conclusion, 3D imaging allows for visualization and unbiased quantitative analysis of the unsynchronized spreading of insulitis into different parts of the pancreas in NOD mice. Disclosure B.B. Boland: Employee; Self; Gubra, MedImmune. A. Manresa-Arraut: None. R.V. Gronlund: None. U. Roostalu: Employee; Self; Gubra. J. Hecksher-Sorensen: Employee; Self; Gubra. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. N. Vrang: Board Member; Self; Gubra. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Gubra. J. Jelsing: Stock/Shareholder; Self; Gubra. L.N. Fink: Employee; Self; Gubra. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S.


Abstract Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a serious condition characterized by a complex interaction of genetic, environmental, and inflammatory variables that affect the gut and other extragastrointestinal systems. Self-medication with steroids has become a major issue in light of the current pandemic situation in IBD patients. We observed a higher frequency of steroid self-medication (17.9%) and steroid overprescription (28.2%) by non-gastroenterologists during the pandemic. The use of telemonitoring tools can improve patient-IBD care provider communications in terms of drug compliance and better disease outcomes. How to cite this article: Vinay G. Increased Self-medication with Steroids in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients during COVID-19 Pandemic: Time to Optimize Specialized Telemonitoring Services. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2021;11(2):103–104.


Since its publication, Eichmann in Jerusalem has provoked a storm of controversy. With a few exceptions, critics reacted to the substance of Arendt's thesis with considerable bitterness and hostility. This article argues that her detractors badly misunderstood Arendt because they were insufficiently conversant with, or unaware of, her political theory. Fundamental to this theory, articulated at length in her The Human Condition, is the crucial distinction between the public and the private. None of her critics, including those who sympathized with Arendt, have understood that her critical analysis of Eichmann's conduct and of the response of the Jewish leadership to the tragic fate that befell their people makes sense on the peculiar terrain of her political theory and particularly in terms of the public-private distinction which lies at the core of this theory.


We present numerical results of pattern selection near the onset of convection for a water-ethanol mixture in a cylindrical container heated from below. Parameter values and boundary conditions relevant to experiments are used. The separation ratio of the mixture we consider is S = −0.09 and the radial aspect ratio of the cell is Γ = 11. The onset of convection occurs via a subcritical Hopf bifurcation. Slightly above the onset, in the linear regime, a m = 1 azimuthal mode consisting of radially travelling waves grows in amplitude. As convection evolves, the pattern focuses into one or several diameters of the cell. We do not observe a direct transition to a stable nonlinear state. Instead, collapses in the convection amplitude followed by subsequent growths take place. This behaviour resembles some experimental observations. The numerical results are obtained with an efficient time-evolution spectral code that solves the full convection equations in cylindrical coordinates.


Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), encompassing steatosis and progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are liver disorders of increasing clinical significance. Studies in our lab have shown that hepatic steatosis establishes a permissive microenvironment for metastatic tumor seeding and tumor progression in the liver. To understand the molecular factors influencing the initial survival and growth of tumors in the steatotic liver microenvironment, we adopted a candidate approach and performed microarray analysis to compare RNA from normal vs steatotic liver samples in mice. MMP12 (macrophage metalloelastase) was identified as an important proteinase associated with the microenvironments of hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis. MMP12 can influence immune-mediated injury response by processing latent TNF alpha and regulating neutrophil infiltration, cytokine release as well as macrophage recruitment. We hypothesize that increased MMP12 levels in the steatotic liver contribute to a more permissive microenvironment for primary tumor growth and establishment of metastases by alteration of inflammatory cell populations. Results: Realtime qPCR anlaysis verified a significant increase in MMP12 expression in murine steatotic livers compared to normal control livers. In a splenic injection model, hepatic metastases in steatotic MMP12 deficient livers were significantly reduced as compared to hepatic metastases in steatotic wildtype livers. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated an alteration in the level of Gr-1 positive inflammatory cell populations in the steatotic livers of both wildtype and MMP12 deficient livers when compared to normal nonsteatotic livers. Although no significant changes were observed in the percentage of F4/80 positive macrophage population, using immunohistochemistry we did observe accumulation of F4/80 positive macrophages into crown-like structures within steatotic MMP12 deficient livers. To determine whether the inflammatory cells in the liver microenvironment were contributing to survival of tumor cells, we performed an in vitro co-culture assay of syngeneic MC38 tumor cells with either CD90.2 cells (pan T cells) or CD11b cells (macrophages/monocytes). Fewer numbers MC38 cells were present 3 days after co-culture with CD11b cells from MMP12 deficient mice, which was corroborated with decreased luciferase measurements from MC38-luc tagged cells. Conclusions: These results suggest a role for MMP12 in mediating the inflammatory response accompanying tumor establishment in the steatotic liver microenvironment. The molecular mechanisms by which MMP12 influences a decrease in metastatic tumor burden in the setting of fatty liver disease are currently being investigated. 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 389. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-389


The representativeness of a biometric template gallery to the novel data has been recently faced by proposing ldquotemplate updaterdquo algorithms that update the enrolled templates in order to capture, and represent better, the subjectpsilas intra-class variations. Majority of the proposed approaches have adopted ldquoselfrdquo update technique, in which the system updates itself using its own knowledge. Recently an approach named template co-update, using two complementary biometrics to ldquoco-updaterdquo each other, has been introduced. In this paper, we investigate if template co-update is able to capture intra-class variations better than those captured by state of art self update algorithms. Accordingly, experiments are conducted under two conditions, i.e., a controlled and an uncontrolled environment. Reported results show that co-update can outperform ldquoselfrdquo update technique, when initial enrolled templates are poor representative of the novel data (uncontrolled environment), whilst almost similar performances are obtained when initial enrolled templates well represent the input data (controlled environment).


Abstract Background At least 30% of antibiotic courses prescribed in the outpatient setting are unnecessary, meaning that no antibiotic is needed at all. Specialty areas such as dental clinic are a common place for antibiotic use and a potential for antibiotic overuse. The duration and indications for antibiotic use in dental clinics have not been clearly defined, except in the setting of endocarditis prophylaxis. Antibiotics are often used and sometimes indicated for endodontic, periodontal, implant and surgical procedures. Our goal was to measure antibiotic usage and duration in the dental clinic at a large VA hospital. Methods Outpatient antibiotic prescriptions from 2010–2016 for VA Boston were extracted from the VA data warehouse. Prescriptions were classified by date, antibiotic, and duration. Dental clinic visits and associated CPT codes were extracted for visits within 7 days +/- prescription. Results Of 119,193 dental visits during the study period, 3.7% (4,358) were associated with a unique antibiotic prescription. CPT diagnoses included periodontal (17.1%), endodontic (5.1%), surgical (36.5%) and implant (26.2%) procedures. The antibiotics prescribed included amoxicillin (62.0%), clindamycin (17.7%), penicillin (10.5%), macrolides (4.3%), augmentin (3.4%), and in less than 1% other classes including fluoroquinolones (0.2%). Mean days of antibiotics were 7.6 +/- SD 5.2 days (7.4 +/- SD 4.0 days for the above CPT codes). Duration did not vary by diagnostic code or by antibiotic class. There were no temporal trends over time. Conclusion The majority of antibiotic use in dental clinic was for diagnostic codes that may warrant antibiotic use. The spectrum of activity of agents is in keeping with guidelines. However, the duration of antibiotics is longer than what might be anticipated for prophylaxis of dental procedures or treatment of dental infections. Limitations include lack of manual chart review to identify specific indication and potential for missing prescriptions by non-dental providers. Surveillance and stewardship activities can optimize antibiotic use in dental clinic. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


the other in a photophil phase, the inhibition caused by the interruption in the photophobe phase can only partially be overcome by a light interruption in a photophil phase either before or after the photophobe perturbation. Two-hour perturbations may initiate weak rhythms which interact with one another to some extent, however, they are not capable of altering the basic endogenous rhy.thm which is initiated by the 8-hour photoperiod.


What greater pay-off is there than to detect defects at the lowest level? One of the answers to that question is to have cost-effective component part screening. This paper provides both the premises and the results of a long term comprehensive parts screen program. Evidence is presented to prove its cost effectiveness. This program is active and continuing at present and has the full support of Litton management.


The article is devoted to the theoretical principles of building the integrated accounting of the company, in particular, its component – tax accounting. The reasons for choosing the integrated approach to building the accounting principles for large companies are explained. It is found that the need for reducing the complexity of tax accounting, preparation of information for making decisions on legal minimization of taxes, as well as the need for planning tax payment in the future based on actual and forecast indicators of production, cause an increased attention to organizing tax accounting in the integrated accounting system. The necessity of forming a separate center of responsibility in the system of integrated accounting – the tax center, the object of control of which is the correct calculation and timely payment of all taxes, is substantiated. Attention is paid to the need to take into account the socio-economic nature of taxes in developing accounting policies. The final procedure in the integrated accounting system in the sphere of tax accounting must be the internal control of timeliness, completeness and correctness of calculation and recalculation of taxes, and tax reporting reliability.


In two recent studies, clinical isolates in the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) were sequenced; one of the most common lineages was FSSC Group 1 (FSSC 1), a phylogenetic species that is synonymous with F. solani f. sp. cucurbitae race 2, a pathogen of cucurbit fruits. FSSC 1 was also identified in sink and shower drains in two hospitals. The environmental sources of FSSC 1 are important for understanding the epidemiology of both human and plant diseases caused by this organism. FSSC 1 was detected in sewage influent at all six tested urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in California with a concentration ranging from 75 to 413 colony-forming units (cfu) l(-1), a mean of 246 +/- 52 cfu l(-1) and a median of 254 cfu l(-1). During the treatment process, the concentration of FSSC 1 in the solid and liquid fractions diminished. FSSC 1 was detected in five and six of 14 community shower drains by culturing and polymerase chain reaction, respectively, whereas FSSC DNA was detected in all drains. FSSC accounted for 17 +/- 6% (n = 14) of the total fungal DNA in the drains. FSSC 1 was rarely isolated from post-harvest cucurbit fruits and was not found in cucurbit fields in California.


The Aswan reservoir seismicity is accepted as an example of reservoir- induced seismicity with the M 5.4 event of 1981, which occurred 15 years after the reservoir impoundment started. During the 1982-2001 period, the Aswan seismicity separates into shallow and deep seismic zones, between 0 and 15 and 15 and 30 km, respectively. These two seismic zones behave differently over time, as indicated by the seismicity rate, depth migration, b-value, and spatial clustering. For the deep events, the rate decreases with time, the depth remains at a constant or increasing depth, and the b-value is lower than for the shallow events, which migrate toward the surface with a close to constant seismicity rate. Of all the previous parameters, only the seismicity rate correlates with seasonal variations of the lake level. This is positive evidence for the Aswan reservoir seismicity to be reservoir triggered in the 1982-2001 period. Clustering over time and space expresses that numerous after- shock sequences are activated, that is, a minimum of 35% of the seismicity, similarly to tectonic seismicity. The observed decrease of the b-value with depth is also a property suggested for natural events. Our results suggest that the Aswan seismicity emerges both from the water-level loading and the interplay between induced earth- quakes themselves through numerous standard aftershock sequences. This latter pro- cess induces stochastic fluctuations in the seismicity patterns that inhibit a recovery of a simple seismic response to water-level changes. Even though aftershock se- quences dominate the temporal fluctuations of seismicity, this does not negate the importance of influence of the reservoir in sustaining this unusual long-lasting seis- mic episode. During the 1982-2001 period, the Aswan seismicity appears as a power- law relaxation response to the 1981 M 5.4 shock, this response being decorated by long-term (larger than 100 days) water-level changes.


Objective Accelerated atherosclerosis is a major source of morbidity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the cause of SLE-accelerated atherosclerosis remains unclear. Methods CD4+ T cells from C57/Bl/6 (B6) or SLE-susceptible B6.Sle1.2.3 (B6.SLE) mice were transferred into LDLr−/−, Rag−/− mice. T cells were examined for cytokine production and expression of interleukin-10 receptor (IL-10R) and functional markers. T cells were isolated based on FoxP3GFP expression and transferred to LDLr−/−, Rag−/− mice to establish a role for B6.SLE effector T cells (Teff) in atherosclerosis. Results Mice receiving whole B6.SLE CD4+ T cells displayed no other SLE phenotype; however, atherosclerosis was increased nearly 40%. We noted dysregulated IL-17 production and reduced frequency of IL-10R expression by B6.SLE regulatory T cells (Treg). Functional assays indicated resistance of B6.SLE Teff to suppression by both B6.SLE and B6 Treg. Transfer experiments with CD4+FoxP3− Teff and CD4+FoxP3+ Treg from B6.SLE and B6 mice, respectively, resulted in increased atherosclerosis compared with B6 Teff and Treg recipients. Treg isolated from mice receiving B6.SLE Teff with B6 Treg had increased production of IL-17 and fewer expressed IL-10R compared with B6 Teff and Treg transfer. Conclusions Transfer of B6.SLE Teff to LDLr−/−, Rag−/− mice results in accelerated atherosclerosis independent of the source of Treg. In addition, the presence of B6.SLE Teff resulted in more IL-17-producing Treg and fewer expressing IL-10R, suggesting that B6.SLE Teff may mediate phenotypic changes in Treg. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide direct evidence of the role of B6.SLE Teff in accelerating atherosclerosis through resistance to Treg suppression.


A new type of respirator for newborns allowing tracheal suction and ventilation simultaneously is presented. Additional characteristics are: a partly disposable air supply system, no apparatus deadspace and with one exception no moving parts. The performance of the respirator under varied conditions of lung mechanics was tested using a pneumatic lung thorax analogue. The procedure of tracheal suction was simulated and the effect on tidal volume and alveolar pressure investigated. Triggervolume and response time were also determined. Analysis shows that the respirator has qualities of flow- and pressure preset ventilators. Tracheal suction during ventilation does not impair the delivery of tidal volume. In mechanical ventilation with PEEP the alveolar pressure remains positive throughout the respiratory cycle despite suction.


This paper develops the first question answering dataset (DrugEHRQA) containing question-answer pairs from both structured tables and unstructured notes from a publicly available Electronic Health Record (EHR). EHRs contain patient records, stored in structured tables and unstructured clinical notes. The information in structured and unstructured EHRs is not strictly disjoint: information may be duplicated, contradictory, or provide additional context between these sources. Our dataset has medication-related queries, containing over 70,000 question-answer pairs. To provide a baseline model and help analyze the dataset, we have used a simple model (MultimodalEHRQA) which uses the predictions of a modality selection network to choose between EHR tables and clinical notes to answer the questions. This is used to direct the questions to the table-based or text-based state-of-the-art QA model. In order to address the problem arising from complex, nested queries, this is the first time Relation-Aware Schema Encoding and Linking for Text-to-SQL Parsers (RAT-SQL) has been used to test the structure of query templates in EHR data. Our goal is to provide a benchmark dataset for multi-modal QA systems, and to open up new avenues of research in improving question answering over EHR structured data by using context from unstructured clinical data.


Model-based reinforcement learning is a promising learning strategy for practical robotic applications due to its improved data-efficiency versus model-free counterparts. However, current state-of-the-art model-based methods rely on shaped reward signals, which can be difficult to design and implement. To remedy this, we propose a simple model-based method tailored for sparse-reward multi-goal tasks that foregoes the need for complicated reward engineering. This approach, termed Imaginary Hindsight Experience Replay, minimises real-world interactions by incorporating imaginary data into policy updates. To improve exploration in the sparse-reward setting, the policy is trained with standard Hindsight Experience Replay and endowed with curiosity-based intrinsic rewards. Upon evaluation, this approach provides an order of magnitude increase in data-efficiency on average versus the state-of-the-art model-free method in the benchmark OpenAI Gym Fetch Robotics tasks.


We have organized an extensive multiwavelength campaign on BL Lacertae in the second half of 2000. Simultaneous or quasi-simultaneous observations were taken at radio frequencies, in the optical - carried out by the WEBT collaboration -, in X-rays - using BeppoSAX and RXTE -, and at VHE gamma-rays with the CAT and HEGRA Cherenkov telescope facilities. In this paper, we are presenting first results from this campaign. The WEBT optical campaign achieved an unprecedented time coverage, virtually continuous over several 10 - 20 hour segments, and revealed intraday variability on time scales of ~ 1.5 hours. The X-ray observations of Nov. 1 - 2, 2000, revealed significant variability on similar time scales, and provided evidence for the synchrotron spectrum extending out to ~ 10 keV during that time. At higher energies, the onset of the hard power-law commonly observed in radio-loud quasars and radio-selected BL Lac objects is seen. From the energy-resolved X-ray variability patterns, we find evidence that electron cooling might not be dominated by one single radiation mechanism; rather, a combination of synchrotron and Compton cooling seems to be required.


The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM) is a paired catchment study investigating ecosystem effects of N and S deposition. Because of the decade long (NH4)2SO4 addition, the treatment catchment has higher stream NO3− and enriched foliar N concentrations compared to the reference catchment. We investigated how both stream N and foliar N affect stream detritus processing. Differences in litter processing were assessed by measuring mass loss, tissue softness, and shredder biomass. To examine both stream effects and leaf source, N-enriched and reference litter bags were prepared for 3 leaf species and placed in each stream. Red maple leaves were examined in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Sugar maple and American beech were examined in 1999. In all years, the only stream effects were increased mass loss for sugar maple and higher shredder biomass for red maple in 1998 in the treatment stream. Several leaf source effects were observed. N-enriched leaves of sugar maple, American beech, and red maple in 1998 had significantly higher microbial activity, as indicated by softer tissue, and had higher total mass loss. Further, shredder biomass tended to be highest in N-enriched litter bags. Although significant effects were detected, our results suggest that elevated dissolved N concentrations as a result of N deposition play a minimal role in regulating stream detritus processing at BBWM. Increased foliar N, however, did influence rates of stream detritus processing by increasing microbial activity, and possibly increasing shredder biomass. Our study shows how N deposited on entire catchments can affect litter processing in stream ecosystems.


ABSTRACT Little is known about personal exposure levels of black carbon (BC), a fraction of PM2.5, specifically in the transport microenvironments. In this study, real-time personal exposure to BC recorded by a portable microAeth AE51 was investigated in microenvironments in a round-trip from Hanoi (Vietnam) directly to Singapore. Personal exposure to BC was monitored in microenvironments at residential flat, in various surface modes of transport (taxi, bus, train), at the airports, and on the airplanes. The study found that personal exposure levels of BC in Singapore were higher than those in Hanoi for the same type of microenvironment in general for most of the microenvironments, except for smoking rooms. The highest exposures in each city were in smoking room in Noi Bai International Airport (NIA) and at bus station in Singapore, reached 98,709 ng/m3 and 44,513 ng/m3, respectively; the lowest personal exposure level was in-flight (approximately 250 ng/m3) for both trips. It is also remarkable that personal exposure to BC in indoor microenvironments was higher than outdoor levels. Implications: Real-time personal exposure to BC was investigated in microenvironments in a round trip from Hanoi (Vietnam) directly to Singapore. BC personal exposure levels in Singapore were higher than those in Hanoi for the same type of microenvironment except for smoking rooms. Personal exposure to BC levels in indoor microenvironments was higher than in outdoor microenvironments. The highest levels of exposure were 98,709 ng/m3 in the smoking room at Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) and 44,513 ng/m3 at the bus station in Changi (Singapore). The lowest BC level was in-flight for both trips, at approximately 250 ng/m3.


Carcinoembryionic antigen (CEA) a glycoprotein extracted from colonic cancer tissue (beta-globulin electrophoretic mobility, sedimentation coefficient 7 to 8S, and mol wt approximately 200,000) can be detected and measured by radioimmunoassay. Clinical evaluations of CEA determination have given the following results: In health: (1) Serum CEA level is not influenced by sex, age, blood type, time of blood sampling, or family history of cancer; (2) serum CEA level is influenced by a history of smoking or inflammatory disease of the bowel, lung, pancreas, and other organs (occasionally, a CEA level as high as 10 ng/ml is noted); and (3) currently, CEA positivity is defined as greater than 2.5 ng/ml, however, 5 ng/ml may be more realistic. In cancer: (1) CEA level may be increased in primary cancer of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract as well as in non-GI neoplasia; (2) the CEA test is not recommended for screening to detect early cancer; (3) serum CEA level depends on the stage of the neoplasia and usually is not influenced by the grade of differentiation; and (4) markedly increased (greater than 25 ng/ml serum CEA values are highly suggestive of metastatic cancer, particularly hepatic metastasis. In biological fluid: The CEA or CEA-like activity can be measured in gastrointestinal secretions. Quantitative studies of CEA levels in such fluids may yield more information than is obtainable from studies of serum. However, this possibility needs more study at present. Therefore, the currently available CEA tests cannot replace any of the now standard diagnostic methods for cancer detection. This use for assessment of therapy in selected patients or for following those known to be a high risk for cancer appears promising in preliminary studies, but clinical value, if any, remains to be determined.


I invite any reader who has knowledge of some area to contact me and arrange to write a column about open problems in that area. That area can be (1) broad or narrow or anywhere inbetween, and (2) really important or really unimportant or anywhere inbetween.


The Prime aim of Ayurveda is to maintain the positive health and to eradicate the illness in a diseased through holistic approach. Many patients are seen suffering from Pandu Roga (Iron deficiency anaemia) due to modern Stressful lifestyle, improper dietary habits and routine. There is loss of prabha (complexion) and kanti (glow) which is due to ras(plasma), rakta (blood) and ojakshaya (depletion of oja). Charakacharya has described some psychological etiological factors among which Chinta (worry), Shoka (grief) and Bhaya (fear) are three main factors, which play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of Pandu Roga (Iron deficiency anaemia). Anaemia is a disorder that develops when our blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is a main part of red blood cells and binds oxygen which refers to a decreased number of circulating red blood cells. Anaemia is a public health problem, although the primary cause is iron deficiency. More frequently it coexists with a number of other causes, such as nutritional deficiencies, malaria, parasitic infection, and haemoglobinopathies. In todays modernized lifestyle, we see many people in the community are suffering from psychological problems including stress, anxiety, depression etc. All these factors lead to mental illness and then Physical illness. According to the national mental health survey nearly 11% of Indians above 18 years are suffering from such disorders. The present paper aims to explore the scientific explanations for the above mentioned Psychological etiological factors in the causation of Pandu vyadhi (Anaemia). Key wordsPandu roga, Anaemia, Bhaya, Chinta, psychological stress, Shoka Psychological Aspects Of Pandu Roga (Anaemia) In Its Etiopathogenesis -A Review Dr Ganesh T. Aher, Dr Deepak K. Dobade


Rats use their facial vibrissae ("whiskers") to locate and identify objects. To learn about the neural coding of contact between whiskers and objects, we investigated the representation of single-vibrissa deflection by populations of cortical neurons. Microelectrode arrays, arranged in a geometric 10 × 10 grid, were inserted into the thalamo-recipient layers of "barrel cortex" (the vibrissal region of somatosensory cortex) in urethane-anesthetized rats, and neuronal activity across large sets of barrel-columns was measured. Typically, 5 msec after deflection of a whisker a 0.2 mm2 focus of activity emerged. It rapidly expanded, doubling in size by 7 msec, before retracting and disappearing 28–59 msec after stimulus onset. The total territory engaged by the stimulus ranged from 0.5 to 2.9 mm2 (2–11 barrels). Stimulus site dictated the domain of activity. To quantify the coding of whisker location, we applied the population d′ measure of discriminability. Activity patterns elicited by two whiskers were highly discriminable at the initial cortical response; peak discriminability typically occurred within 16 msec of stimulus onset. To determine how widely information about stimulus location was distributed, we measured population d′ while excluding response data from the on-center electrodes of the two tested whiskers. Response patterns remained discriminable, indicating that information about stimulus location was distributed across barrel cortex. Taken together, these results show that single-whisker deflections are represented in a multicolumn region constrained by barrel cortex map topography. The nature of this coding allows information about stimulus location to be coded extremely rapidly and unambiguously by one to two spikes per neuron.


Summary

The presence of the giant devil ray (Mobula mobular) in the Adriatic Sea was evaluated based on new records collected through field research, information from interviews with fisherman and marine biology experts, and a review of existing data from the literature and Internet sources. Presented are 14 new records of 20 individual giant devil rays collected between 2008 and 2011, doubling the number of animals recorded in the Adriatic in the previous 125 years. In total, 28 records of 42 giant devil rays exist for the Adriatic to date. The cryptic life history of the species, its pelagic distribution and lack of systematic data collection have resulted in a low number of historical records. The results suggest that the species is not as rare as previously considered. Occurring mainly in the central and southern Adriatic Sea from early spring to early autumn, its appearance coincides with the general increase in local prey abundance. Interaction with fisheries is identified as a source of potential mortality, and the monitoring of multi-gear schemes should be carried out at the regional level. Further research on the distribution and abundance of the giant devil ray is crucial for the elaboration of any effective conservation strategy for this endangered species.


This study analyzes the relationship between self-esteem, in secondary school students, mainly of rural origin, with the ethnic condition, taken into consideration for this purpose the use of the language, in which we compare the Mayan speakers and non-Mayan speakers of a region of Yucatan, Mexico, in men and women. Quantitative, cross-sectional study, with a simple random sample of 1452 Yucatan high school students, by means of a self-administered questionnaire. The main results are that 22% of the population has a low self-esteem level, with significant differences by age (p = 0.028) and in negative self-esteem score in the variable Maya-speaker and not Maya-speaker (p = 0.023). There were also differences between the condition of rural and urban. The prevention and care of mental health in adolescence must take into account the peculiarities of cultural contexts and gender determinants, to strengthen the autonomy and self-esteem of new generations, educational programs based on studies that take into account the determinants social gender and ethnicity, now blurred before the global communication processes.


Background Given increasing co-marijuana and tobacco use in the United States, this study aimed to explore the overlap between menthol cigarette use (MCU) and marijuana. Methods Data came from past month US cigarette smokers 12 years and older responding to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2005 and 2014 (N = 51 500). Prevalence, demographics and substance use characteristics from 2013 to 2014 were assessed across four groups, based on past month marijuana and tobacco use: cigarette smokers with marijuana and MCU, with marijuana but no MCU, with no marijuana but MCU, and with use of neither. Multivariable logistic regression explored the relationship between MCU, marijuana, and dependence. Linear and quadratic trends were assessed using logistic regression with orthogonal polynomials. Results Past month marijuana/MCU among cigarette smokers was 8.3% in 2013-2014. Overall, marijuana/MCU was significantly higher among blacks versus whites (20.8% vs. 5.8%, p < .0001), though among 12-25 year olds, prevalence was significantly higher among whites versus blacks (6.3% vs. 0.9% for 12-17-year-olds; 39.2% vs. 26.8% for 18-25-year-olds). Marijuana/MCU increased significantly between 2005 and 2014 overall, and among whites and blacks. No adjusted associations were found between marijuana, MCU and nicotine or marijuana dependence. Conclusions Past month marijuana/MCU among cigarette smokers is increasing in the United States, with specific racial and age-based disparities. Research about the implications of consuming both marijuana and menthol, and the potential overlap in consumption of flavors across the products is warranted to better inform future preventive and treatment approaches. Implications This is the first study to assess the overlap between MCU and marijuana use among a nationally representative sample of US current smokers ages 12 and older. Findings from this study suggest that past month marijuana and menthol use among cigarette smokers is increasing in the United States, with specific racial/ethnic and age-based disparities. More research about the implications of consuming both marijuana and menthol, and the potential overlap in consumption of flavors in marijuana and tobacco products is warranted to better understand what preventive and treatment approaches may be needed.


The development of encephalitis presents a dilemma to the clinician as during the early stages, when treatment would be most effective, the symptoms can be nonspecific with a broad differential. Imaging tests (e.g. magnetic resonance imaging and computed axial tomography scan), blood and urine tests as well as lumbar puncture are used to isolate and identify viruses, and together with careful and continuous neurological assessment provide data that may be suggestive of viral encephalitis. In the case of post-infectious or autoimmune encephalitis, a more intense investigation is needed to generate an accurate diagnosis. In addition to imaging tests and electroencephalography, blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) need to be analyzed for evidence of inflammation and the presence of antibodies against cellular antigens. In recent years clinicians and investigators have pursued biomarkers that can aid in the diagnosis as well as prognosis and monitoring of patients with encephalitis. These biomarkers are increasingly important in the recognition and treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disorders. This chapter will review the current literature of emerging biomarkers in the different types of encephalitis.


Objectives Given the changing understanding of overdiagnosis of screen detected cancers and advances in technology to detect and prevent cancer, updating and scaling back cancer screening programmes is becoming increasingly necessary. The National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) in Australia was recently deintensified, with the changes implemented in December 2017. This study examines women's understanding and acceptance of the renewed screening protocol and how such changes can be communicated more effectively. Design Focus groups structured around a presentation of information about the renewed NCSP, with discussions of the information facilitated throughout. Qualitative data analysis was conducted. Setting Australia Participants Six focus groups were conducted in November 2017 with a community sample of 49 women aged 18–74. Results Women demonstrated little or no awareness of the upcoming screening changes in the period just before they occurred. Women expressed most concern and fear that the increased screening interval (from 2 to 5 years) and later age of first screening (from age 18 to 25 years) could lead to missing cancers. Concerns about exit testing were less common. Understanding of the natural history and the prevalence of both human papillomavirus and cervical cancer, and the nature of the new test (catching it 'earlier') was key to alleviate concerns about the increased screening interval. Conclusions Deintensifying screening programmes should be accompanied by clear and coherent communication of the changes, including the rationale behind them, to limit concerns from the public and facilitate acceptance of renewed programmes. In this case, understanding the biology of cervical cancer was crucial.


An aim of the study was to develop microemulsion based intranasal delivery of venlafaxine HCl for effective treatment of depression by targeting brain. Saturation solubility studies were carried out to determine the solubility of drug in various oils, surfactants and co-surfactants. Microemulsions were prepared using eucalyptus oil as oil phase, tween 80 and ethanol as surfactant and co-surfactant respectively. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were plotted to determine the formation of microemulsion using water titration method. Drug loaded microemulsions were further characterized for in vitro and drug diffusion studies, zeta potential, polydispersibility index, pH, viscosity and stability studies at various temperatures. Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy were done to verify any drug excipient incompatibility. Microemulsion with Smix: oil ratio 1:1 (F1) was found to be stable having pH of 6.2 ± 0.2 with viscosity of 90.0 ± 2 cps. In vitro and ex vivo studies results showed 98.33 ± 0.39 and 81.58 ± 1.56 percent of drug diffusion respectively for a period of 6 h as compared to other formulations. The microemulsion (F1) showed a good average globule size of 218.9 nm, polydispersity index of 0.372 and zeta potential of -23.4 mV. Studies showed absence of interaction between drug and excipients. The above results indicated good difffusion properties of developed microemulsions for a period of 6 h. A polydispersity index and zeta potential value indicates uniform distribution of globules and good stability of microemulsions. Microemulsion based intranasal delivery of Venlafaxine HCl could be a potential delivery to treat depression.


Cancer subtype classification helps us to understand the pathogenesis of cancer and develop new cancer drugs, treatment from which patients would benefit most. Most previous studies detect cancer subtypes by extracting features from individual samples, ignoring their associations with others. We believe that the interactions of cancer samples can help identify cancer subtypes. This work proposes a cancer subtype classification method based on a residual graph convolutional network and a sample similarity network. First, we constructed a sample similarity network regarding cancer gene co-expression patterns. Then, the gene expression profiles of cancer samples as initial features and the sample similarity network were passed into a two-layer graph convolutional network (GCN) model. We introduced the initial features to the GCN model to avoid over-smoothing during the training process. Finally, the classification of cancer subtypes was obtained through a softmax activation function. Our model was applied to breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA), glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and lung cancer (LUNG) datasets. The accuracy values of our model reached 82.58%, 85.13% and 79.18% for BRCA, GBM and LUNG, respectively, which outperformed the existing methods. The survival analysis of our results proves the significant clinical features of the cancer subtypes identified by our model. Moreover, we can leverage our model to detect the essential genes enriched in gene ontology (GO) terms and the biological pathways related to a cancer subtype.


Simple and selective extractive spectrophotometric methods for the determination of quetiapine hemifumarate (QF) were developed and validated. The methods were based on the formation of yellow ion-pair complexes between QF and acidic dyes namely bromcresol purple (BCP) and bromcresol green (BCG) at room temperature in phosphate buffer (pH 3.0). The formed complexes were extracted with chloroform and the absorbances were measured at 406.5 nm for BCP and at 416 nm for BCG complexes. The compositions of the ion-pairs were found as 1:1 by mole-ratio method. The reaction conditions such as concentration, pH, color formation time, temperature and chromogen stability were optimized. Good linear relationship was obtained between the absorbance and the concentration of QF in the range of 0.5 20 Hg/mL for both BCP and BCG (r > 0.9974). LOD values were found as 0.12 and 0.16 \ig/mLfor BCP and BCG complexes, respectively. Intra-day precisions were found less than 1 % in the methods. The developed methods were applied successfully to the determination of QF in tablets marketed in Turkey.


Innogen (the UK ESRC Centre for Social and Economic Research on Innovation in Genomics) began its second five-year phase in late 2007. Innogen, a collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and the Open University, began in 2002. It belongs to the ESRC Genomics Network, made up of two other centres: Cesagen and Egenis and the ESRC Genomics Forum. From the beginning, Innogen's aim has been to research the big changes right across the life sciences. We study the new science but also the implications for new technologies and how genomics and post-genomics might change the life science industries – health, crop and animal. Thus, our aim has been to study genomics as an integral part of the life sciences.


Background Ultrasound (US)-guided-only insertion at the bedside is safe and improves the success rates of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC). However, PICC insertion procedures remain challenging for special cases. Purpose To show that fluoroscopically guided tip repositioning, for failed US-guided PICC placement, safely led to satisfactory positioning in difficult cases and, importantly, improved success rates of PICC placements. Material and Methods A retrospective study of 1560 patients who underwent US-guided PICC placement were performed. Patients who failed US-guided PICC placement were transferred to the interventional radiology department for fluoroscopically guided tip repositioning. Baseline characteristics as well as insertion-related factors were collected. All data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results In total, 37 (2.4%) patients who failed US-guided PICC placement accepted fluoroscopically guided adjustment or re-insertion. Of these 37 patients, 32 were enrolled. We observed no significant differences between right and left arm PICC access (P > 0.05), even though a higher percentage of PICCs were inserted into left arms (56.3%). The basilic vein (65.6%) was the most common insertion site. Only four patients experienced slight angiospasm (3.1%) and venous thrombosis (9.4%). US-guided PICC insertion failures were primarily due to line tip malposition (84.4%). All patients successfully underwent fluoroscopically guided tip repositioning, which resulted in optimal catheter tip positioning. PICC lines were adjusted in most patients (n=28, 87.5%) Conclusion Malposition was the primary issue causing US-guided PICC insertion failure. Fluoroscopically guided tip repositioning safely and efficaciously led to satisfactory positioning in difficult cases; thus, we recommend this method for patients failing US-guided PICC placement.


In choosing the title for these reflections, I have attempted to note not only a transition in the occupant of the Chair of New Testament Language, Literature & Theology in the University of Edinburgh, but also the historic period in which this transition takes place, in the closing years of one millennium, approaching the threshold of a new one. In an effort to engage the interests of a wide circle of readers in various scholarly specialities, I have also chosen to discuss (though only in very limited depth) several major questions, each of which could occupy us for much longer than space here permits. I hope at least to underline their importance, and to sketch a rationale for the positions I shall advocate. I cannot hope that this sketch will persuade anyone not already inclined to my views, but I can perhaps indicate that they are not without reason. If a thorough treatment is not possible here, I shall at least endeavour to be clear, and this may better stimulate the reflections of others.


The Tertiary rocks in North-East India rest unconformably on the granitic basement. They represent more or less a continuous sequence except a post Barail unconformity. The palynological assemblage is more or less known from all the formations. The assemblage by and large is dominated by the pteridophytic spores in all the formations followed by the angiospermic pollen. The gymnospermic pollen are rare in Palaeocene-Middle Eocene and are found in Late Eocene onwards and occur in good numbers in Miocene-Pliocene rocks. The index fossils for each formation have been marked. The Terminal Eocene events have been analysed. It has been observed that during that time India was enjoying a tropical climate and there was no cooling effect as has been advocated from the other parts of the world.


Twenty seven sorghum accessions/breeding lines possessing resistance to individual diseases were evaluated between 1984 and 1987 at Dharwar and Mysore (Karnataka) for downy mildew (DM), caused by Peronosclerospora sorghi, Patancheru, ICRISAT Asia Center (Andhra Pradesh) and Bhavanisagar (Tamil Nadu) for grain mould (GM), caused by a complex of Gibberella fujikuroi, Fusarium pallidoroseum, Curvularia lunata [Cochliobolus lunatus] and Phoma sorghina, Dharwar for rust (RU), caused by Puccinia purpurea, Udaipur (Rajasthan) for grey leaf spot (GL), caused by Cercospora sorghi, and Pantnagar (Uttar Pradesh) for anthracnose (AN), caused by Colletotrichum graminicola, zonate leaf spot (ZL), caused by Gloeocercospora sorghi and GL. IS 8283 and IS 8607 were resistant to all 6 diseases; IS 3547, IS 8185 and M 35610 were resistant to 4 diseases; IS 3443, IS 3546, IS 14332, IS 14387 and IS 22227 were resistant to 3 diseases and 13 genotypes were resistant to 2 diseases at all the locations. Some of these accessions are being used in crossing programmes to breed for multiple disease resistance.


Background Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still being administered to approximately a million people annually. There have been no ECT versus simulated ECT (SECT) studies since 1985. The five meta-analyses of ECT versus SECT studies all claim that ECT is more effective than SECT for its primary target, severe depression. This review assesses the quality of those meta-analyses and of the 11 studies on which they are based. Methods The meta-analyses were evaluated primarily in terms of whether they considered the quality of the studies they included, but also in terms of whether they addressed efficacy beyond end of treatment. The methodological rigor of the 11 studies included by one or more of the meta-analyses was assessed using a 24-point Quality scale developed for this review. Results The five meta-analyses include between 1 and 7 of the 11 studies. The meta-analyses pay little or no attention to the multiple limitations of the studies they include. The 11 studies have a mean Quality score of 12.3 out of 24. Eight scored 13 or less. Only four studies describe their processes of randomization and testing the blinding. None convincingly demonstrate that they are double-blind. Five selectively report their findings. Only four report any ratings by patients. None assess Quality of Life. The studies are small, involving an average of 37 people. Four of the 11 found ECT significantly superior to SECT at the end of treatment, five found no significant difference and two found mixed results (including one where the psychiatrists reported a difference but patients did not). Only two higher Quality studies report follow-up data, one produced a near-zero effect size (.065) in the direction of ECT, and the other a small effect size (.299) in favor of SECT. Conclusions The quality of most SECT–ECT studies is so poor that the meta-analyses were wrong to conclude anything about efficacy, either during or beyond the treatment period. There is no evidence that ECT is effective for its target demographic—older women, or its target diagnostic group—severely depressed people, or for suicidal people, people who have unsuccessfully tried other treatments first, involuntary patients, or children and adolescents. Given the high risk of permanent memory loss and the small mortality risk, this longstanding failure to determine whether or not ECT works means that its use should be immediately suspended until a series of well designed, randomized, placebo-controlled studies have investigated whether there really are any significant benefits against which the proven significant risks can be weighed.


The present dissertation, I litteraturens mittfara, deals with book trade, book clubs, and the fiction prose of the 1970s in Sweden. The background to the study is the radical change in Swedish book trade through a far-reaching deregulation of the trade in 1970. The book clubs expanded from a position where they held a 9% share of the market in 1970 to a market share of 30% in 1980.And the specific aim of the study has been to find out whether or not the subscription book clubs that started during the decade influenced contemporary literature and changed the book trade in general. Manadens bok arouses special interest as it was the most debated of all the book clubs, and through its particular position within the trade demonstrates particular connections between society, the book trade, and literature.

The first chapter describes the book trade during the 1970s ? focusing on the publishing houses, the distributors, the sales of books, and on the authors. The second chapter depicts the rise of the book clubs and their growth during the 20th century, and more explicitly the disposition and status of Manadens bok. A third more extensive chapter describes and analyses the 89 Swedish fiction prose that was offered in Manadens bok during the 1970s. The particular aspects discussed are realism, the reception of the particular texts, the prevalent ideology, an inheritance from the documentarist movement, and dominant themes. A fourth chapter briefly deals with the relation between the popular literature that was published and sold during the period and the selection of books that was sold in Manadens bok.

The dissertation confirms that the growth of book clubs was a result of social, financial, and political circumstances. It also claims that these clubs became important for the promotion of new literature, and thus for the consecration and canonizing of particular texts and authors. The status in the 1970s of the realistic fiction and authors such as Kerstin Ekman, Sven Delblanc, Lars Gustafsson and P. C. Jersild is closely tied in with the importance of Manadens bok for distributing and marketing their writing. And it can be claimed that the strong position of realistic fiction in Sweden during the 1970s was a result of the book club's emphasis on this kind of literature. The deregulation of the book trade in 1970 marked the beginning of a new era in the Swedish trade, and the dramatic development that followed gave rise to many new phenomena, of which the book clubs appear to have been the most significant one.


We experienced a case of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) treated successfully with low-dose dasatinib (20 mg/day). An 87-year-old man was diagnosed with CML in January 2003 and was given imatinib (200 mg/day). Although complete hematologic responses (CHR) were achieved, we replaced imatinib with hydroxycarbamide (HU) because of the renal dysfunction possibly due to imatinib. However, since the blood count was poorly controlled with HU, treatment with dasatinib, one of the second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors, was started at the accelerated phase (AP) in June 2009. Dasatinib was given in a daily dose of 20 mg, intending dose escalation after confirmation of its safety. White blood cells and platelets decreased rapidly, and after 18 days, CHR was achieved. Thereafter, daily dasatinib was reduced twice per week because of the cytopenia. However, the patient has continued CHR without developing AP for more than six months. Low-dose dasatinib might be a useful treatment in the control of selected patients with CML.


Abstract. This paper presents an approach frequency coordinated control of Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) applying in the Rotor Side Converter (RSC) using an order reference active power (Pref ). Pref is obtained from the frequency deviation, speed regulation and kinetic energy stored in the DIFG. The Pref is employed as a main controller parameter of the dq-axis currents in the RSC under two case studies. In case1 study, the Pref is used to regulate the q-axis reference current and the grid reactive power controlled d- axis reference current. Whilst in case2 study, the d- axis reference current is produced by Pref , and the rotormechanical speed responsible to generate the q-axis reference current. The modified vector control method is used to control the Grid Side Converter (GSC) in two case studies. The transient performance of two case studies is simulated by PSCAD/EMDTC program under constant, step and variable wind speeds. A comparative result between two case studies shown that the frequency coordinated control has an ability to control both rotor dq-axis currents, and it enhancing the system frequency as well as improved DFIG voltage stability.However, case2 study has a better response than case1 study during system operated under random wind speed.


This Article assesses the federal courts' analysis of conflicts between congressional statutes and Supreme Court Rules that incorporate state law. Currently, courts treat these conflicts either as conflicts between two statutes of the same lawgiver or as conflicts between federal and state law. This Article concludes that both analyses are flawed - the first because the rulemaking authority of Congress and the Supreme Court differ and the second because Supreme Court Rules constitute federal law even if they incorporate state standards. Instead, the Article emphasizes that statute-Rule conflicts should be analyzed as presenting separation or allocation of power issues. The Article then demonstrates that correct analysis matters by analyzing the apparent conflict between Fed. R. Civ. P. 17(b), which incorporates state law regarding the capacity of a dissolved corporation to be sued, and provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). When the CERCLA-Rule 17(b) conflict is viewed as a horizontal clash of the rulemaking authority of Congress and the Supreme Court, it becomes clear that federal courts should use a federal common lawmaking analysis, rather than an obstacle preemption analysis, to construe the CERCLA statute. Federal courts currently have less authority to construe federal statutes to serve congressional purposes that are unexpressed in statutory text under federal common lawmaking jurisprudence than they have under obstacle preemption analysis. Thus, when the CERCLA-Rule 17(b) clash is analyzed as creating a collision of congressional and Supreme Court rulemaking power, the decisions of the majority of courts to reach the issue would be overturned. The Article finally questions the validity of the different approaches to statutory construction under federal common lawmaking jurisprudence and obstacle preemption analysis.


The format as in previous editions is to present an overview of the most important reactions used in organic synthesis according to a number of broad reaction types. Plenty of specific examples are given to illustrate the most widely used transformations and there is a strong emphasis throughout on control of stereoselectivity and recent developments in catalytic processes. Two very welcome features are the inclusion of a number of general review references at the end of each chapter and an accompanying reference for all problems. Literature up to 1999 is covered, with some references in 2000.


Cecal endometriosis is uncommon and may mimic other tumors of the colon, making it difficult to safely diagnose preoperatively. We report a case of a 50- year-old female who was found to have a cecal lesion during an endoscopic examination, which was performed for the investigation of anemia. It was also confirmed by conducting a computed tomography (CT) scan. Due to the high possibility of this mass identification as a neoplasm, the patient underwent a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with an extracorporeal side-to-side isoperistaltic anastomosis. However, the postoperative histological diagnosis of the mass was cecal endometriosis, as the histopathology report noted endometrial tissues in the submucosa and muscolaris propria of the ileocecal region. Endometriosis of the cecum is a rare manifestation and can often be misdiagnosed as a malignant tumor. Further research is required, concerning preoperative characteristics of bowel masses in women, in order to provide optimal operative treatment and avoid unnecessary invasive procedures.


Purpose
This study aims to propose priority solutions for mitigating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic through the Social Safety Net (SSN) based on the Islamic objectives.

Design/methodology/approach
The analytic network process method is used in this study. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders were used to collect data and supplemented by a literature review to explore comprehensive information.

Findings
The findings indicate different opinions among experts, including regulators, practitioners, associations and academics regarding the most important priority solutions to the impact of Covid-19. However, experts agree that the highest priority solution is the SSN program in the lineage sector, specifically the distribution of the Family Hope Program. A program in the field of protecting the mind is the second priority solution. The program in the field of soul and wealth is the third priority solution.

Originality/value
This study contributes to the development of government policy to deal with the socioeconomic impact of Covid-19 based on the Islamic objectives by mapping the SSN through the five elements of protection, namely, faith, soul, mind, lineage and wealth protection based on priority solution.


Abstract China's educational leaders have long debated the pluses and minuses of decentralization of control and resources of China's vast educational enterprise. During various periods of post-1949 China, the central authorities have devolved control to the provinces, key cities, and rural communes, only to recentralize later usually due to political reforms. In this chapter various stages of the educational reform movement begun in 1985 will be considered and we will focus on what motivated the reforms in the context of China's unique political culture. Some specific features of educational decentralization will be examined such as finance, curriculum and management. We conclude that while the current leadership appears to be committed to decentralization, they remain conflicted over the need to maintain control while at the same time respond creatively to the needs of the new market economy.


Background: According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC 2013), a reliable statistical tendency of decreasing cervical cancer incidence and mortality caused by this disease has beenrecorded in the United States over the recent 40 years that isrelated tohigh rate coverage of the female population by Pap-test screening. This tendency is proved by American Cancer Society (ACS, 2012).According to Gold M.A. (2006), 7080% decrease of cervical cancer incidence has been achieved by Pap test screening in developed countries. According to the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Program (NCCSP, 2014), screening has contributed to 25% decrease of cervical cancer incidence and 50% decrease of mortality caused by this disease in Norway.According to Nanda K. et al. (2000) data, in case of cervical cancer CIN 2/3, Pap test sensitivity and specificity vary within the range 47% 62% and 60% 85% correspondingly.


. The aim of this article is to provide a holistic presentation of the genesis, intensity, and directions of movement, as well as the spatial and temporal distribution of the German national group which settled in Central Poland from the end of the 18th century to the 1820–1830 period. This paper analyses the determinants of the inflow of German immigrants, and their geographical origin, as well as the social and occupational structure. The settlers from German lands were a very diverse social group. In the case of first and second-generation immigrants who came to Central Poland, the social integration process was still quite slow. The colonists and settlers living in the diaspora developed a certain pattern of existence that focused on their immediate environment separating them from the outside world, while the retention of their mother tongue and religious tradition was more an expression of traditionalist consciousness than national identity.


OBJECTIVE
The aim: The aim of the present study was to establish a link between polymorphic variants of the microsomal epoxide hydrolase gene and the severity of COPD in patients with COPD and coronary heart disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Materials and methods: The study included 128 patients with COPD and IHD, who were divided into two groups: group 1 included 72 patients with in¬frequent exacerbations of COPD (0-1 per year) and group 2 included 56 patients with frequent exacerbations of COPD (exacerbation of COPD ≥2 per year). The control groups consisted of 15 smokers without COPD and IHD, 11 practically healthy non-smokers and 11 patients with IHD who do not smoke. All patients underwent DNA isolation and purification, followed by determination of the Tyr113His polymorphism of the EPHX1 microsomal epoxide hydrolase gene (rs1051740).

RESULTS
Results: There was a significant association of the carriage of the CC genotype of the EPHX1 gene in patients with COPD and IHD (RO = 21.326 [95.0% CI 4.217-107.846], p <0.001) with a more severe course of COPD compared with the TT genotype of the EPHX1 gene.

CONCLUSION
Conclusions: Patients with COPD and coronary heart disease who were carriers of a homozygous variant СС of the EPHX1 gene have a reliable association with a more severe course of COPD with frequent exacerbations (higher class according to GOLD classification and more severe symptoms of COPD according to the СAT questionnaire).


In the context of analytical geometry, this study considers the mathematical understanding and activity of seven students analyzed simultaneously through two knowledge frameworks: (1) the Van Hiele levels (Van Hiele, 1986, 1999) and register and domain knowledge (Hibert, 1988); and (2) three action frameworks: the SOLO taxonomy (Biggs, 1999; Biggs & Collis, 1982); syntactic and semantic elaborations (Kaput, 1987a, 1987b, 1989); and isomorphic, transcendent, and mixed connections (Adu-Gyamfi, Bossé, & Lynch-Davis, 2019). Along with producing a fuller analysis of student work and communication, the study found that for only the students with the lowest and highest scores regarding either their understanding or actions on the analytic geometry task might there be a predictive association between knowledge and action levels. For other students, a predictive association could not be determined. This may mean that the level of understanding a student possesses regarding a particular mathematical concept may not parallel the level of actions they use when working with an associated task.


Describes a systematic study of the performance of commercially available FADCs (flash analog-to-digital converter) in the 100-megasample/s range, which might be suitable for use at the Superconducting Super Collider. Performance characteristics are measured using a CAMAC-based test bench. Among the FADC performance characteristics reported are linearity, differential linearity, and the effective number of bits. >


SUMMARY

Carbon, Al and Fe (Cpyr, Alpyr and Fepyr) were extracted with 0.1 m Na4P2O7 from 26 A horizon samples of tropical Thai and temperate Korean soils (Ultisols, Alfisols, Oxisols and Inceptisols). The soils, except for one Thai Inceptisol, had similar total C (0.35–3.29%) and Cpyr/total C ratios (0.20–0.41). There were approximately linear relationships between total C or Cpyr and clay content; two groups of soils gave different linear relationships. A curvilinear relationship between Cpyr and (Al + Fe)pyr (milli-atom kg−1) that can be approximated by an equation: Cpyr= 53 (Alpyr+ Fepyr)1/2– 24 was also found for most Thai and Korean soils. The above relationships indicated that total C and Cpyr would be close to zero at zero clay or zero (Al + Fe)pyr. It was inferred that clay-humus interaction has a primary importance in the determination of humus content in red and yellow soils in tropical and temperate regions and that the main role of clay is to supply Al and Fe that complex and stabilize humus against microbial degradation.


Britain is unlike most other European countries in that cars that are owned or financed by companies make up a significant proportion of the total vehicle fleet, with over half of the new cars sold each year in this country being registered in the name of an organisation. The drivers of company cars are an important sub-group of the driving population, and it has been suggested that they make a disproportionate contribution to the total numbers of road accidents. The aim of this report is to examine the evidence for such a 'fleet driver effect', the factors contributing to it, and the measures that could be employed to reduce the effect. After defining and describing the area of study, the report reviews the literature on accident risk to compare 'company' and 'private' drivers, drawing upon the programme of accident liability studies carried out by TRL in the last decade, It then examines the various measures to improve safety that have been used in the past, with special reference to fleet driver training, and assesses the evidence for their effectiveness. Following this, the results are presented of some qualitative research carried out with fleet managers, trainers, drivers and fleet insurers. (A)


Objective To determine the feasibility of reduced field-of-view diffusion-weighted imaging (rFOV DWI) with multi-b values to detect functional variability in transplanted kidneys. Materials and Methods Using a 3T MRI scanner, multi-b rFOV DWI of transplanted kidney or native kidney was performed in 40 renal transplantation recipients and 18 healthy volunteers. The patients were stratified, according to an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): Group 1, eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2; Group 2, eGFR ≥ 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2; Group 3, eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2. Total apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCT), perfusion-free ADC (ADCD) and perfusion fraction (FP) of kidneys were calculated and compared among the four groups. Correlations between the imaging results and eGFR were assessed. Results All volunteers had eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, while 16, 16, and 8 patients were included in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In the renal cortex, ADCT was higher in Group 1 ([1.65 ± 0.13] × 10−3 mm2/s) than Group 3 ([1.44 ± 0.11] × 10−3 mm2/s) (p < 0.05), and the inter-group differences of FP values were significant (all p < 0.05) (0.330 ± 0.024, 0.309 ± 0.019, 0.278 ± 0.033, and 0.250 ± 0.028 for control group, Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Renal cortical ADCT, ADCD, FP, and renal medullary ADCT and FP correlated positively with eGFR (r = 0.596, 0.403, 0.711, 0.341, and 0.323, respectively; all p < 0.05). When using 0.278 as the cutoff value, renal cortical FP had a sensitivity of 97.1% and a specificity of 66.7% for predicting decreased renal function. Conclusion Multi-b rFOV DWI presents transplanted kidneys with high resolution, which is a promising functional tool for non-invasively monitoring function of transplanted kidneys.


En route to acquiring novel principles of temporal information organisation in the target language, second language (L2) learners exhibit a capacity to build temporal constructions of their own, which are not necessarily fixed in the principles of either their source or their target language system. This study surveys hitherto unattested interlanguage phenomena found in the phasal segmentation patterns of two intermediate-level learner groups with unrelated source languages, and identifies analogies of shared developmental patterns. Film verbalisations and acceptability judgements (AJ) were used to elicit responses from Czech and Hungarian intermediate learners of English, and their analyses yielded a threefold benefit. They generated representative degrees of granularity for each group who experiment with new segmentation techniques. They also showed that the ways in which learners partition events in production (pronounced digression from the target) do not directly replicate patterns in acceptability judgements (closer approximation to the target). And thirdly, overlaps and contrasts between learner and native control speaker preferences for phasal partitioning varied in close relation to specific aspectual properties inherent to the verbs used. The combination of production features and acceptability judgements from L2 groups with distant L1s provides an informative mosaic of how learners at intermediate L2 proficiency strive for an optimal fit when combining available linguistic elements to express specific event phases.


We combine our MEMS synthesis and test capabilities into a synthesis-for-test environment. A microresonator design meeting a variety of specifications is synthesized. The susceptibility of this design to particles is then measured using our MEMS contamination analyzer. The nature of each defective microresonator is determined and the deviation from nominal performance is correlated to the bounds and design constraints used in the synthesis process. Feedback from this analysis is formulated into additional design constraints for the synthesis tool with the object of minimizing the impact of spot contaminations. Re-synthesis of the same designs using these additional constraints indicates that a certain class of catastrophic and parametric faults can be reduced by 25% without sacrificing performance.


The main marble area in Spain, regarding its reserves and quality, is located in Almeria. Around the production, elaboration and trading of this produce, a relevant local production system has arisen. This paper analyzes the local development plans implemented in the region since mid 80's. It also shows the impacts on a higher productivity and sector competitiveness in the extraction, transformation, trading and technical fields.


This study was aimed to investigate the effects of sodium valproate (VPA) on the proliferation and regulation of histone acetylation of multiple myeloma cell line U266. U266 cells were treated with VPA. Cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8 assay, and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The expression level of HDAC1 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR, and the protein levels of HDAC1 and histone H3, H4 acetylation was detected by Western blot. The results showed that the VPA inhibited the proliferation of U266 cells in concentration-and time-dependent manners.After exposure to different concentrations of VPA for 48 hours, the proportion of G(0)/G(1) cells increased, while the proportion of S phase cells decreased. The cell cycle was arrested obviously in G(0)/G(1) phase (p < 0.05). The expression of HDAC1 mRNA was inhibited, and the protein level of HDAC1 was down-regulated, while the histone H3/H4 acetylation was up-regulated in U266 cells. It is concluded that the VPA can inhibit cell proliferation of U266 and induce G(0)/G(1) phase arrest. The increase of histone H3/H4 acetylation resulting from inhibiting HDAC1 by VPA might be considered as a possible mechanism.