Efficient and stable lead-free halide double perovskites (DPs) have attracted great attention for the future generation of electronic devices. Herein, we have developed a doping approach to incorporate Fe3+ ions into the Cs2NaBiCl6 crystal unit and reveal a crystallographic and optoelectronic study of the Cs2NaBi1-xFexCl6 double perovskite. We report a simple solid-state mechanochemical method that has a solvent-free, one-step, green chemistry approach for the synthesis of Cs2NaBi1-xFexCl6 phosphor. The analysis of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data determines the contraction of the lattice due to the incorporation of Fe3+ cations, and this effect is well supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (ss-NMR). The band gap is reduced with increasing Fe content owing to the strong overlap of the Fe-3d orbitals with Cl-3p orbitals and shift of the valence band maxima (VBM) toward higher energies, as confirmed by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and density functional theory (DFT) analyses. Photoluminescence (PL) studies of Cs2NaBi1-xFexCl6 phosphors exhibit a large Stokes shift, broadband emission, and increased PL intensity more than ten times for 15% of Fe content phosphor with enhancement in the average decay lifetimes (up to 38 ns) compared to pristine Cs2NaBiCl6 DP. These results indicate that the transition of dark self-trapping of excitons (STEs) into bright STEs enhances yellow emission. XRD, UV, and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed that the Cs2NaB1-xFexCl6 DPs have good structural and thermal stabilities. Our findings indicate that the doping of Fe3+ cations into the Cs2NaBiCl6 lattice is a constructive strategy to enhance significantly the optoelectronic properties of these phosphors.


Objectives To examine depression as a potential negative health effect of long work hours. An exposure-response relationship was anticipated. Methods A prospective cohort study of 4520 Danish senior medical consultants was conducted. Average weekly work hours >40 defined long work hours. Redemption of antidepressive drug prescriptions defined depression. Control variables were gender, age, marital status, medical specialty, decision authority at work, work social support, quantitative work demands and previous redemption of antidepressive drug prescriptions. By means of Proportional Hazards Cox Regression Analyses adjusted hazard ratios (HR) were computed. Results Among Danish senior medical consultants long weekly work hours were associated with a reduced adjusted risk of redeeming antidepressive drug prescriptions at all times during follow-up compared to reference work hours of 37–40 (41–44 h: HR 0.95, CI 0.5 to 1.8; 45–49 h: HR 0.88, CI 0.4 to 1.8; 50–54 h: HR 0.83, CI 0.3 to 2.1; 55–59 h: HR 0.67, CI 0.2 to 2.9; >60 h: HR 0.48, CI 0.1 to 3.7). Conclusions Long work hours decrease the risk of developing depression when measured as redemption of antidepressive drug prescriptions among Danish senior medical consultants. Whether this is explained by the healthy worker effect, an unexpected protective effect of long work hours or chance remains to be explored. Study strengths and limitations should be taken into account.


We developed a hybrid deep learning network combining convolutional neural (CNN) and long short-term memory (LTSM) networks to predict slice-to-slice consistent responses to neoadjuvant systematic therapy (NAST) in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients using multislice quantitative SyntheticMR images. We demonstrated that neural networks originally developed for video feature classification can be adapted to predict treatment response of cancer patients using MR images. Our hybrid network was able to overcome the slice-to-slice inconsistency that would have resulted if a 2D network is applied directly, therefore providing higher prediction accuracy.


We construct polynomial models for germs of real submanifolds in complex space. It was shown earlier that the properties of models of degree 3 (for appropriate values of the codimension) are similar to well-known properties of tangent quadrics. In this paper we construct models of arbitrarily high degree. They have all these properties with one exception: from degree 5 onwards, they are not completely universal.


In this study, bacterial strains, capable of using TNT as a nitrogen source, were isolated from TNT-contaminated soil samples collected from military region in Kirikkale, Turkey. We selected three strains that showed the highest TNT degradation capacity and according to 16S rRNA sequence analysis, the strains were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae (designated SC1 K1, showed 99% homology), Raoultella planticola (designated SC1 K4, showed 99% homology) and Pseudomonas putida (designated SC1 K5, showed 99% homology). These strain were cultured in medium containing 100 mg L-1 TNT, SC1 K1 degraded 90 % of the initial TNT, SC1 K4 degraded 95 % of the initial TNT, and SC1 K5 degraded 84 % of the initial TNT after 24 h of incubation. Then, to remove TNT more efficiently, we constructed a bacterial consortium with these strains. The developed consortium was cultured in medium containing 100 mg L-1 TNT and the consortium removed 97.2 % of the initial TNT after four-hour incubation period. According to HPLC analyses, The consortium transformed TNT to 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene and an unknown metabolite. The isolates showed high TNT degradation capacity compared to many previous studies and the developed bacterial consortium can be used to remediate the TNT-contaminated environments.


Algorithmic fairness is typically studied from the perspective of predictions. Instead, here we investigate fairness from the perspective of recourse actions suggested to individuals to remedy an unfavourable classification. We propose two new fair-ness criteria at the group and individual level, which—unlike prior work on equalising the average group-wise distance from the decision boundary—explicitly account for causal relationships between features, thereby capturing downstream effects of recourse actions performed in the physical world. We explore how our criteria relate to others, such as counterfactual fairness, and show that fairness of recourse is complementary to fairness of prediction. We study theoretically and empirically how to enforce fair causal recourse by altering the classifier and perform a case study on the Adult dataset. Finally, we discuss whether fairness violations in the data generating process revealed by our criteria may be better addressed by societal interventions as opposed to constraints on the classifier.


Morphine was administered to 56 advanced cancer patients; of that number spinal metastases had induced bone pain in 28 and malignant tumors had induced sciatica in 28. The sciatica was caused in 16 patients by direct invasion of the sacral plexus, in four by lumbar bone metastases, and in eight by pelvic bone metastases. Spinal bone pain was controlled adequately with morphine. However, sciatica required larger dosages of morphine than did bone pain. Among the group with sciatica, rectal cancer patients needed larger dosages of morphine than the other cancer patients. Even with high doses of morphine, it was occasionally difficult to control neuropathic pain of the sciatic nerve caused by intrapelvic cancer.


Lipoprotein(a) is a macromolecular complex consisting of a low-density lipoprotein-like particle with an additional glycoprotein, apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)], linked to apolipoprotein B-100 via a disulfide bond. Apo(a) is highly homologous to plasminogen. We have cloned the sequence corresponding to the kringle V domain of apo(a) from human liver cDNA using an experimental approach involving use of the polymerase chain reaction. The protein product of this clone was expressed in the cytoplasmic compartment of Escherichia coli as a MalE fusion protein. Fusion apo(a) Kr V was isolated from cytoplasmic extracts and purified by amylose-agarose affinity chromatography by eluting with 10 mM maltose. The fusion protein was injected into sheep in order to generate a polyclonal anti-apo(a) Kr V antibody. The antibody raised reacted against both reduced Lp(a) and the C-terminal domain of apo(a), corresponding to a sequence extending from Kr 33 to the C-terminal residue, but did not react with the N-terminal domain containing the repeated Kr IV sequences. The presence of the Kr V sequence was detected in every human apo(a) size isoform tested but only in apo(a) from human and chimpanzee among a panel of apo(a) proteins derived from different animal species.


It is shown that the density and bulk modulus profiles of a layered fluid half-space are uniquely determined from the vertical component of the particle velocity on the surface due to an impulsive point source on the surface. In addition, an estimate of the highest acoustic wave velocity in the layered half-space is required as well. The necessary conditions for the existence of the solution are discussed and a direct (noniterative) inversion algorithm is developed which constructs the density and bulk modulus profiles of the half-space from the surface data. The main limitations of this theory to real seismic data are briefly discussed.


The design and fabrication of a novel plasmonic cavity, intended to allow far-field recovery of signals arising from near field magneto-optical interactions, is presented. Finite element modeling is used to describe the interaction between a gold film, containing cross-shaped cavities, with a nearby magnetic under-layer. The modeling revealed strong electric field confinement near the center of the cross structure for certain optical wavelengths, which may be tuned by varying the length of the cross through a range that is compatible with available fabrication techniques. Furthermore, the magneto optical Kerr effect (MOKE) response of the composite structure can be enhanced with respect to that of the bare magnetic film. To confirm these findings, cavities were milled within gold films deposited upon a soluble film, allowing relocation to a ferromagnetic film using a float transfer technique. Cross cavity arrays were fabricated and characterized by optical transmission spectroscopy prior to floating, revealing resonances at optical wavelengths in good agreement with the finite element modeling. Following transfer to the magnetic film, circular test apertures within the gold film yielded clear magneto-optical signals even for diameters within the sub-wavelength regime. However, no magneto-optical signal was observed for the cross cavity arrays, since the FIB milling process was found to produce nanotube structures within the soluble under-layer that adhered to the gold. Further optimization of the fabrication process should allow recovery of magneto-optical signal from cross cavity structures.The design and fabrication of a novel plasmonic cavity, intended to allow far-field recovery of signals arising from near field magneto-optical interactions, is presented. Finite element modeling is used to describe the interaction between a gold film, containing cross-shaped cavities, with a nearby magnetic under-layer. The modeling revealed strong electric field confinement near the center of the cross structure for certain optical wavelengths, which may be tuned by varying the length of the cross through a range that is compatible with available fabrication techniques. Furthermore, the magneto optical Kerr effect (MOKE) response of the composite structure can be enhanced with respect to that of the bare magnetic film. To confirm these findings, cavities were milled within gold films deposited upon a soluble film, allowing relocation to a ferromagnetic film using a float transfer technique. Cross cavity arrays were fabricated and characterized by optical transmission spectroscopy prior to floating, reve...


This paper is presented primarily for the purpose of bringing to the attention of physicians the fact that the use of bacteriophage is meeting undeniable success. This subject is too little known among physicians, although numerous papers concerning it have been published within the past ten years. The story of the discovery of bacteriophage by d'Herelle 1 in 1916 follows. In August, 1916, an adult suffering from a severe form of Shiga dysentery came to the hospital of the Pasteur Institute. During the course of the patient's illness, d'Herelle made bouillon cultures of the stools daily. These cultures were incubated overnight and filtered through a Chamberland filter. A few drops of the filtrate were then added to a young bouillon culture of dysentery bacilli, and the mixture was placed in the incubator. Throughout the course of the disease, the tubes so prepared yielded normal cultures of dysentery bacilli. One


An original equipment market (OEM) in Thailand mainly imports thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) from abroad that leads to a high manufacturing cost. To reduce the cost and to create value-added products from a plastic scrap, therefore, this research aim is to observe a possibility of using TPV and recycled polypropylene (rPP) blends as a raw material for OEM. The blends with various rPP loadings were successfully prepared through a traditional twin-screw extruder. Proportions between TPV and rPP were adjusted to determine the optimal flow and mechanical properties for productions of different auto parts. The blends were tested for studying rheology and mechanical properties: tensile; hardness; flexural; and creep behavior. All tests resulted in discussions about the feasibility of using TPV/rPP blends with respect to auto part specifications in real applications. Test results suggested that the TPV/rPP blends meet the requirements of specific automotive applications. Thermal property and morphological analysis were also carried out to have more understanding about changes in mechanical properties.


Recently, due to the possibility of thinning down to the atomic thickness to achieve exotic properties, layered materials have attracted extensive research attention. In particular, PbI2, a kind of layered material, and its perovskite derivatives, CH3NH3PbI3 (i.e., MAPbI3), have demonstrated impressive photoresponsivities for efficient photodetection. Herein, the synthesis of large‐scale, high‐density, and freestanding PbI2 nanosheets is demonstrated by manipulating the microenvironment during physical vapor deposition. In contrast to conventional two‐dimensional (2D) growth along the substrate surface, the essence here is the effective nucleation of microplanes with different angles relative to the in‐plane direction of underlying rough‐surfaced substrates. When configured into photodetectors, the fabricated device exhibits a photoresponsivity of 410 mA W−1, a detectivity of 3.1 × 1011 Jones, and a fast response with the rise and decay time constants of 86 and 150 ms, respectively, under a wavelength of 405 nm. These PbI2 nanosheets can also be completely converted into MAPbI3 materials via chemical vapor deposition with an improved photoresponsivity up to 40 A W−1. All these performance parameters are comparable to those of state‐of‐the‐art layered‐material‐based photodetectors, revealing the technological potency of these freestanding nanosheets for next‐generation high‐performance optoelectronics.


Control of pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis is difficult because 30.0% to 50.0% of patients still experience persistence or recurrence of pain even after surgery. So a combined approach of surgery and coeliac plexus neurolysis was carried out in this study to see the relief of pain and reduce the requirement of analgesics in these patients. This prospective observational comparative study was carried out in the Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Liver Transplant Surgery in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh from November 2017 to October 2018. Forty one (41) study participants with the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis were included consecutively in this study. The participants were divided into two groups. Group I (n=18) underwent pancreatic surgery with coeliac plexus neurolysis by infiltration of 20ml of 100% alcohol in the loose areolar tissue 10ml each into right and left para-aortic space at the level of coeliac trunk and Group II (n=23) underwent pancreatic surgery only. Participants' preoperative data were collected from patient record file. Number, frequency and intensity of pain and requirement of amount of analgesics for the last 3 months were recorded from patients' history. The intensity of pain was categorized by visual analog scale (VAS) preoperatively. The participants of both groups were followed up at 1, 2 and 3 months interval and asked for disappearance or reduction of pain, frequency of attack and requirement of analgesics. Again visual analog scale was used for categorization of pain. Pain free period was recorded after the end of follow up period. Pain reduction occurred after surgery in both groups. But when pain relief was compared on the basis of VAS (Visual Analogue Scale), it was significantly better in Group I after 1 month of surgery than Group II (p=0.05). But 2 and 3 months after surgery this difference became insignificant (p=0.246 and 0.264). No statistical difference was found in terms of analgesic usage, severe acute attack or hospital admission (p=0.511, 0.439 and 0.495) at the end of 3 months follow up. Participants in Group I had significantly longer pain free period than Group II (p=0.025). Regarding complications, postural hypotension developed in 5.6% (1) patients. Diarrhea developed in 11.1% (2) patients in Group I and wound infection developed in 2 patients in each groups respectively. No patients developed any major complications like anastomotic leakage, deep or organ or space infection. Intraoperative coeliac plexus neurolysis reduces pain immediately after surgery and provides longer pain free period in patients with chronic pancreatitis after surgery.


This article presents an investigation of the energy migration dynamics in intact cells of the unicellular photosynthetic cryptophyte Chroomonas CCMP270 by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. By kinetic modeling of the fluorescence data on chlorophyll and phycocyanin 645 excitation (at 400 and 582 nm respectively), it has been possible to show the excited state energy distribution in the photosynthetic antenna of this alga. Excitation energy from phycocyanin 645 is distributed nearly equally between photosystem I and photosystem II with very high efficiency on a 100-ps timescale. The excitation energy trapping times for both photosystem I ( approximately 30 ps) and photosystem I (200 and approximately 540 ps) correspond well to those obtained from experiments on isolated photosystems. The results are compared with previous results for another cryptophyte species, Rhodomonas CS24, and suggest a similar membrane organization for the cryptophytes with the phycobiliproteins tightly packed in the thylakoid lumen around the periphery of the photosystems.


Abstract Background: Huntington disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant late-onset neurodegenerative disease caused by an unstable cytosine-adenine-guanine trinucleotide repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is a diagnostic procedure available for these individuals, because they carry a high risk of transmitting this genetic condition to their offspring. Methods: Information about 15 HD couples referred for PGT and 21 cycles performed from 2009 to 2018 was collected retrospectively. PGT provide direct testing of embryos obtained after intracytoplasmic sperm injection, using polymerase chain reaction multiplex as the genetic testing protocol. Results: PGT for HD was performed in 15 couples, with no history of previous attempts, in a total of 21 cycles. The mean number of biopsied embryos per cycle was 4.9. The amplification efficiency in blastomeres was 87.4%. From the 90 amplified embryos, 32 were normal and suitable for transfer. The mean number of transferred embryos per couple was 1.2. Overall, 3 positive human chorionic gonadotropin tests were obtained in 3 couples, resulting in 2 clinical pregnancies. The 2 ongoing clinical pregnancies had normal evolution, and culminated in 2 deliveries, resulting in the birth of 2 healthy children. Conclusions: PGT for HD is considered an effective and safe reproductive option for couples who are at risk of transmitting HD, when proper genetic and reproductive counseling is warranted.


This paper is concerned with the influence of additives such as lime byproduct-lime kiln dust and lime on the stabilisation of fine-grained soil commonly found in Narrogin area in Western Australia. The effect of lime kiln dust or lime on the engineering properties of the fine-grained soil, with the clay fraction of 41 percent of the weight of the soil are discussed. It was found that the addition of both lime or lime kiln dust greatly improves the engineering properties of the soil. Lime kiln dust exhibited the same characteristics as the lime; however, it did not have the same degree of effectiveness as the lime. For the covering abstract of the proceedings, see IRRD 490713.


Using nationwide Danish registries, we conducted a population-based case-crossover study evaluating the association between switching from a vitamin K antagonist (VKA) to a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC), and vice-versa, and 30-day risks of bleeding and arterial thromboembolism in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. The case-crossover population was identified among oral anticoagulant users during 2011-2018 (n = 123,217), as AF patients with (a) a case-defining outcome and (b) an anticoagulant switch during the 180 days preceding the outcome. Odds Ratios were estimated using conditional logistic regression by comparing the occurrence of switching during the 30-day window immediately preceding the outcome to that in reference windows in the same individual 60-180 days before the outcome. The case-crossover populations for switching from VKA to DOAC and DOAC to VKA counted 1,382 and 287 cases, respectively. Switching from VKA to DOAC, but not from DOAC to VKA, was associated with an increased short-term risk of bleeding (Odds Ratio 1.42; 95%CI 1.13-1.79 and 1.06; 95%CI 0.64-1.75, respectively) and ischemic stroke (Odds Ratio 1.74; 95%CI 1.21-2.51 and 0.92; 95%CI 0.46-1.83, respectively). Our findings suggest that switching from VKA to DOAC is an intermittent risk factor of bleeding and ischemic stroke in AF patients.


We examine several methods for evaluating resource acquisition decisions under uncertainty. Traditional methods may underestimate equipment benefit when part of this benefit comes from decision flexibility. We develop a new, practical method for resource planning under uncertainty, and show that this approach is more accurate than several commonly used methods. We successfully applied our approach to an investment problem faced by a major firm in the aviation information industry. Our recommendations were accepted and resulted in estimated annual savings in excess of $1 million (US). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2003


Based on mental model theory, we expect individuals to construct a mental representation of the system they interact with which tends to be a strong reduction of reality and is tailored to the specific situation and task at hand. Such reductions may be particularly significant in complex decision situations involved in local spatial choice behavior. In this article, we develop a method to model and measure mental representations of decision problems involving individual spatio-temporal choice behavior in different situations. The so-called CNET method consists of an interview protocol to elicit the structures at the individual level as a causal network. We test the proposed method in a case study involving 180 respondents and an experimental shopping-trip planning task. The results indicate that the method is an adequate way of eliciting mental representations. We show how the networks revealed can be used to model and simulate reasoning and decision-making processes.


The microscopic origin of High critical Temperature Superconductivity is
still an open issue in condensed matter physics. In these complex oxides
electrons self-organize in ways qualitatively different from those of conventional
metals and insulators. The study of these materials at the nanoscale
can help to shed light on various ordering and phase transitions giving new
hints into the origin of high critical temperature superconductivity.
In this thesis a systematic study of the transport properties of nanowires
made of High critical Temperature Superconductor (HTS) YBa2Cu3O7−δ
(YBCO) is presented. A soft nano-patterning technology for the fabrication
of these nanowires has been implemented to preserve a homogeneous
character of YBCO nano-structures. Two interesting observations are reported
regarding the critical current density Jc carried by the nanowires:
1) Its value increases by reducing the nanowire width w.
2) For the smallest wires with w ≃ 40 nm the value of Jc approaches for
the first time the theoretical depairing limit indicating nanostructure with
properties very close to as grown films.
The behavior of the critical current density as a function of width has
been explained in terms of current crowding at the inner corners at the
connection between the nanowires and the wide electrodes .
YBCO nanowire based nanoSQUIDs have been also fabricated. The
nano-SQUIDs can work in the whole temperature range from 300mK to
80K. Critical current modulation as a function of an externally applied magnetic
field at different temperatures has been studied and the screening parameter
βL has been extracted. The experimental and simulated values of
βL are in good agreement indicating a Josephson-like behavior in the whole
temperature range.


This evaluation of one aspect of the political thought of Lucas Alaman proposes that Alaman always favored an absolute monarchy in Mexico, although he occasionally modified his expressed opinion for practical reasons. In making this proposition, the author places himself in disagreement with some contemporary evaluations of Alaman, notably with that of Jose C. Valades, who contends that Alaman never desired a monarchy, his only wish being the preservation of the customs and religion of his forbears. Gurria Lacroix believes that the family and social position of Alaman furnished a perfect setting for the development of a monarchist. He shows that Alaman desired the strength of monarchy for the establishment of order, the protection of traditional rights and privileges, and the organization of force to secure the territorial integrity of Mexico against the advances of the United States. Alaman thought the Mexican monarch should be from a European royal house. He favored the Plan de Iguala, but hated the Tratados de Cordoba, which opened the way for the coronation of Iturbide.


Recent food listeriosis outbreaks confirm that more faithful isolation and identification methods for Listeria monocytogenes or other potentially pathogen microorganisms are required. Furthermore, the human and animal reservoir role in the ecology of this disease must be established. Listeria spp. in the vizcacha intestinal content was determined by two isolation procedures, starting from 10 g of homogenized samples in 40 ml of PBS. I)0.1 ml was stripped on phenylethanol agar, selective agar for Listeria and acryflavin ceftazidin agar, then incubated at 37 degrees C for 48 h, suspected colonies were identified by preliminary tests (Gram, hemolysis, catalase, esculin hydrolisis and motility at 22 degrees C) and confirmatory tests (indol, methyl red, Voges Proskauer, nitrate and carbohydrate fermentation) (Table 1). Antibiotic susceptibility, protein profile by PAGE and pathogenic power in mice were determined. II) The remaining homogenate was incubated at 4 degrees C in 100 ml of Donnelly and Baigent enrichment broth, weekly or monthly with subcultures until 30 days or 6-8 months, respectively. The subcultures were followed up as in I). A L. seeligeri strain, susceptible to antibiotics suggested for L. monocytogenes and exhibiting resistance to some second and third generation cephalosporins, was isolated (Table 2). The protein profile of both species was coincident, but L. seeligeri was not virulent for mice. The finding of L. seeligeri in an animal (4.0%) used as human feeding source is of interest due to its potential pathogen power.


Simulation and its variants (e.g., bisimulation and degree-preserving simulation) are useful in a wide spectrum of applications. However, all simulation variants are coarse "yes-or-no" indicators that simply confirm or refute whether one node simulates another, which limits the scope and power of their utility. Therefore, it is meaningful to develop a fractional χ-simulation measure to quantify the degree to which one node simulates another by the simulation variant χ. To this end, we first present several properties necessary for a fractional χ-simulation measure. Then, we present FSimχ, a general fractional χ-simulation computation framework that can be configured to quantify the extent of all χ-simulations. Comprehensive experiments and real-world case studies show the measure to be effective and the computation framework to be efficient.


Many nerves of the lumbar plexus provide sensation to the thigh, including the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN). The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is usually derived from the dorsal branches of the L2 and L3 ventral rami. It appears from under the lateral border of the psoas major and travels towards the notch on the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS), exiting the lesser pelvis by passing under the inguinal ligament. The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve branches into anterior and posterior divisions and provides sensation to the anterolateral and lateral thigh, respectively. The pathology associated with the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is meralgia paresthetica, also known as Bernhardt-Roth syndrome, which is characterized by loss of sensation on the anterolateral and lateral thigh and has numerous etiologies, including obesity, diabetes, and tight clothing.


Abstract The proliferation of digital legal resources over recent years has profoundly changed the way in which lawyers carry out legal research. Law librarians have had to adapt rapidly to these new 'disruptive technologies' and have had to develop new ways to train their users in how to carry out the most effective legal search. As a consequence, training has become an increasingly important role of a law librarian. The literature shows that these issues have been much discussed, but often confined to either the academic sector, or to the role of the law librarian in a law firm. Over the past few years, the concept of information literacy has increasingly been seen as a way of developing more effective legal research training programmes. This study, conducted by Steve Mishkin*, examines the views of law librarians working in both the academic and non-academic sectors, regarding how to deliver legal research training most effectively. The study concludes by recommending greater cooperation between academic and non-academic law librarians and suggests that both need to make the case for the benefits of legal research training, in order to win support from their management for better resourced programmes. It also suggests that the quality of legal research training will be improved if law librarians themselves are provided with training, on how to deliver it most effectively.


This paper describes the design methodology used to build an experimental 1.0 GigaHertz PowerPC integer microprocessor at IBM's Austin Research Laboratory. The high frequency requirements dictated the chip composition to be almost entirely custom macros using dynamic circuit techniques. The methodology presented will cover design and verification tools as well as circuit constraints and microarchitecture philosophy. The microarchitecture, circuits and tools were defined by the high frequency requirements of the processor as well as the aggressive design schedule and size of the design team.


In the last few decades, a tremendous increase in the mobile data traffic was observed and the number of mobile subscribers will reach to 9.038 billion in 2020. In order to cope with extensive increase in the mobile data traffic, a spectrally efficient communication technique such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a suitable candidate to be employed at the physical layer. In OFDM, the deterioration in bit error rate (BER) performance is caused by the multipath fading channel along with channel noise. Therefore, the channel estimation technique needs to be employed to minimize the degradation caused by the fading channel. A Least Square (LS) estimation is a type of estimation that does not utilize the statistics of the channel and can be employed to cancel out the degradation effects of the wireless channel. The deterioration in performance due to fading channel is proportional to the channel order. The performance of the LS estimation is susceptible to degradation proportional to the rise in order of the channel. This paper aims at making the performance of the LS estimator robust against the increase in channel order. Simulation results confirmed our modifications regarding the robustness of the LS estimation in OFDM system.


Using new gauge-based gridded daily precipitation climatology over monsoon Asia (5-60°N, 65-155°E) with a grid resolution of 0.05°, we validate the precipitation climatology simulated by a global 20-km resolution atmospheric model of the Meteorological Research Institute of the Japan Meteorological Agency. The new gauge-based precipitation climatology explicitly expresses orographic precipitation over the East Asia. The model has the highest resolution of all atmospheric general circulation models currently in use to study global warming. It successfully simulates orographically enhanced precipitation patterns presented in the East Asia climatology (hereafter, EA clim). The model overestimates precipitation averaged over land areas of monsoon Asia, and bias is larger over India and central China. Difference in annual precipitation between the model and EA clim exceeds those between other well-known grid precipitation climatological datasets. EA clim can be used to validate seasonal changes in monsoon precipitation over the domain, including mountainous regions. The 20-km resolution model reproduces seasonal cycles in precipitation over northern China and the Himalayas. However, large biases and seasonal cycle differences occur over India and central and southern China. As the model resolution improves, gridded daily precipitation datasets based on dense rain-gauge networks should be prepared to validate the model results.


Designing spaces between buildings and streets as spaces have emerged as a key consideration in city urban planning and design. Cities like Melbourne, Australia have experienced urban
revitalisation through the transformation of its street precincts, laneways, arcades, promenades and micro open spaces. A feature in the design of these urban outdoor spaces is microclimate. The evaluation of urban microclimates by means of comfort sensation and physiological temperature generally quantify the effects of urban environments with the use of thermal environmental indices. However, these outdoor comfort indices are underpinned by steady state models primarily developed for indoor applications and have been modified for outdoor use to account for outdoor effects such as solar radiation. This paper is a proof of concept study via continuous monitoring of microclimate conditions and usage patterns of an urban outdoor space located at an inner city university campus. Preliminary analysis of results of the pilot study show observations of the usage patterns of the university outdoor space pointing to a pronounced relationship between the thermal sense of people using the space and the environmental elements of thermal radiation, convection, and contact thermal conductivity not considered by the widely used outdoor thermal comfort indices.


Three variations of Thomas-Fiering log normal 3-parameter(TFLN3) model are fitted to the unregulated south-west monsoon-dependent monthly streamflows measured at Krishnarajasagara (KRS) on Cauvery, river in Southern India. The variations arise from the method of parameter estimation used in fitting the LN3 distribution. The validation is based on the preservation of the over-year drought characteristics using aggregated annual flows. It is observed that TFLN3 model with the moment estimator(MOM) is able to preserve the severe historical deficit volumes. However, none of the three estimators is able to preserve severe historical drought durations (at 90% truncation level). Further, the influence of monthly carry-over effects on drought characteristics is also investigated using historical flows.


Rapid growth in the number of kidney transplant recipients along with improved viability of transplanted organs and increased patient survival have all led to the need for effective long-term management of these patients. The increasing numbers of transplants and the duration of posttransplant medical care can overwhelm the resources of a transplant center. These factors highlight the need for optimizing the relationship between the transplant center and the community nephrologist. There are several factors that affect the timing for transitioning patients from the transplant center to the community nephrologist and no standard timing has yet been established. Continued management of pretransplant comorbid conditions is important as are monitoring for adverse effects of failure of immunosuppressive therapy and the development of posttransplant complications. An array of testing that can be useful in monitoring these patients as well as the suggested frequency for their use are reviewed. Guidelines for the optimal interaction between the transplant center and the community nephrologist are provided to include circumstances concerning adjustment or conversion of immunosuppressive medications, evidence of allograft dysfunction, and the development of malignancy.


Increased numbers of immature/low ploidy MKs are a hallmark feature of myelofibrosis (MF). MF MKs produce pathological amounts of pro-fibrotic factors including TGFβ causing a severe bone marrow (BM) fibrosis. Isolating MKs in MF is difficult as the fibrosis prevents BM aspiration. Also, the cellular hierarchy of normal megakaryopoiesis remains unclear, complicating any in-depth study of abnormal MK development in MF. Using a single-cell approach, we recently identified CD41 as a marker of a novel, rare population of MK-primed progenitors within peripheral blood (PB) immunophenotypic megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors (MEP) of mobilized, healthy donor controls (Psaila et al, 2016). However, our analysis did not include MF patients and we did not analyze earlier hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), which may also include MK-biased subsets that might be disrupted in MF. To examine the abnormalities in MF hematopoiesis more comprehensively and without bias from pre-selected surface markers/gene expression assays, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing on ~50,000 individual CD34+ Lineage- PB cells of healthy mobilized donors (n=2, 18,500 cells) and 4 JAK2V617F+MF patients (n=4, 32,500 cells, 10X Genomics platform). The data were analyzed using Seurat (Sajita et al, 2015) to perform dimensionality reduction and unsupervised cell clustering and to identify differentially expressed genes. Individual cells from control and MF samples were grouped into distinct 9clusters9 of cells with similar transcriptional profiles. Identities of the different clusters were determined by unsupervised gene ontology enrichment analyses and manual inspection of top differentially expressed genes for known lineage-specific identifiers. We observed striking differences in the cellular architecture of HSPCs in the controls and patients with MF (Fig 1A). Increased expression of MK-associated genes (incl. VWF, ITGA2B /CD41) was observed throughout HSPC populations in MF (Fig 1B). Similarly, we observed prominent clusters of CD34+ progenitors expressing PF4, a more mature MK marker, and high levels of TGFβ only in MF samples and not in controls (Fig 1B). Analyses to determine the molecular basis for the bias towards MK lineage specification in MF are now underway. As our single cell analysis showed increased expression of CD41 across a number of different HSPCs in MF patients, we compared the frequencies of CD41+, MK-primed populations in PB samples of 11 controls and 15 patients with JAK2V617F+ MF, both within more differentiated CD38+ MEP/CMP as well as primitive, CD38-neg HSPC. A selective expansion of MK-primed populations in MF was observed, with a >5-fold increase in both MK-primed MEP as well as MK-primed HSC/MPP populations, suggesting an expansion of the MK lineage and biased commitment from the apex of the HSPC hierarchy. To study more differentiated MKs, we next carried out RNA-sequencing of immature (CD41+42-) and mature (CD41+42+) MKs cultured in vitro from CD34+ HSPC from controls and patients with JAK2V617F+MF and moderate-severe BM fibrosis. The mRNA signature of immature CD42- MKs was highly distinct for MF patients vs. controls, whereas mature CD42+ MKs were not significantly different. IPA analysis identified tissue fibrosis as the most highly dysregulated pathway. The expression of genes encoding extracellular matrix proteins e.g. elastin were also markedly increased in JAK2V617F+ MKs, suggesting that MKs may themselves produce extracellular matrix factors as well as stimulating their deposition by fibroblasts. Increased expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was also observed in MF MKs. Treatment of fibroblasts in vitro with HGF or PF4 was found to inhibit TGFβ-mediated collagen deposition (P9s In summary, we demonstrate that a single-cell approach enables a much finer dissection of HSPCs compared to "bulk" assays and allows proper comparison of normal and malignant cellular differentiation pathways, as well as the ability to uncover rare cell types. Our data constitute a rich and unique dataset, illustrating how transcriptomic analysis of HSPCs in MF can identify novel regulators of fibrosis with potential for therapeutic development. Disclosures Milojkovic: Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; ARIAD: Consultancy, Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Mead: BMS: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.


This thesis discusses a general approach to hybrid powertrain control based on
optimisation and optimal control techniques. A typical strategy comprises a high level
non-linear control for optimised energy efficiency, and a lower level Linear Quadratic
Regulator (LQR) to track the high-level demand signals and minimise the first torsional
vibration mode. The approach is demonstrated in simulation using a model of the Toyota
Prius hybrid vehicle, and comparisons are made with a simpler control system which
uses proportional integral (PI) control at the lower level.
The powertrain of the Toyota Prius has a parallel configuration, comprising a motor,
engine and generator connected via an epicyclic gear train. High level control is
determined by a Power Efficient Controller (PE C) which dynamically varies the
operating demands for the motor, engine and generator. The PEC is an integrated nonlinear
controller based on an iterative downhill search strategy for optimising energy
efficiency and battery state of charge criteria, and fully accounts for the non-linear nature
of the various efficiency maps. The PEC demand signals are passed onto the LQR
controller where a cost function balances the importance of deviations from these
demands against an additional criterion relating to the amplitude of driveline vibrations.
System non-linearity is again accounted for at the lower level through gain scheduling of
the LQR controller.
Controller performance is assessed. in simulation, the results being compared with a
reference system that uses simple PI action to deliver low-level control. Consideration is
also given to assessing performance against that of a more general, fully non-linear
dynamic optimal controller.


Correctional facilities have become collection and containment centres for HIV-seropositive individuals. This is due to factors that affect incarceration in general: past criminal behaviour, age and crime type. In addition, the sex trade industry, intravenous drug use and community instability are likely factors affecting this particular population. The objective of this study was to determine whether HIV-positive offenders have higher rates of rearrest than HIV-negative offenders. A sample of HIV-positive offenders ( n = 57) were seen for mental health evaluation at the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in Seattle Washington. They were compared to a historical sample ( n = 254) of HIV-negative individuals also from the KCCF. After three months, 50% of both samples had been rearrested. Using the log rank test in Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, statistical difference in the relative risk of rearrest occurred for the HIV-positive group (logrank = 0.03). Statistical adjustment for mental illness, age, race, ethnicity, substance abuse history and past criminal history did not affect rearrest significantly. Nonetheless, HIV-positive individuals who presented with mental health needs appeared to be significantly more vulnerable to rearrest after the first three months of release into the community.


We discuss whether, and under which conditions, it is possible to realize a heat engine simply by dynamically modulating the couplings between the quantum working medium and thermal reservoirs. For that purpose, we consider the paradigmatic model of a quantum harmonic oscillator, exposed to a minimal modulation, that is, a monochromatic driving of the coupling to only one of the thermal baths. We demonstrate, at any order in the system/bath coupling strength, that in this setup non–Markovianity of the bath is a necessary condition to obtain a heat engine. In addition, we identify suitable structured environments for the engine to approach the ideal Carnot efficiency. Our results open up new possibilities for the use of non–Markovian open quantum systems for the construction and optimization of quantum thermal machines.


It is established that, depending on the amount of the basic elements of carbon and phosphorus nutrition in the cultivation medium, Bacillus subtilis IMV B-7023 can use glycerophosphate as a source of carbon, carbon and phosphorus, or phosphorus. The found differences in bacterium physiology correlate with the change of cell surface properties.


Micro-scale energy harvesting has become an increasingly viable and promising option for powering ultra-low power systems. A power converter is a key component in micro-scale energy harvesting systems. Various design parameters of the power converter, most notably the number of stages in a multi-stage power converter, play a crucial role in determining the amount of electrical power that can be extracted from a micro-scale energy transducer such as a miniature solar cell. Existing stage number optimization techniques for switched capacitor power converters, when used for energy harvesting systems, result in a substantial degradation in the amount of harvested electrical power. To address this problem, this paper proposes a new stage number optimization technique for switched capacitor power converters that maximizes the net harvested power in micro-scale energy harvesting systems. The proposed technique is based on a new figure-of-merit that is well suited for energy-harvesting systems. We have validated the proposed technique through circuit simulations using IBM 65nm technology. Our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed stage number optimization technique results in an increase of 60%–290% in net harvested power, compared to existing stage number optimization techniques.


The life cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum provides a striking example of the transition from single cell behavior to multicellular cooperativity. In this paper the status of the attempts at making semiquantitative models of the aggregation phase of this cycle is reviewed. Specifically, it is discussed how the propagation of cAMP waves is a typical example of excitable signaling, which is then rendered unstable by coupling to cell chemotaxis. To investigate the streaming pattern that emerges from this clumping instability, we next turn to a new simulation strategy, which couples dynamical cell-like entities ("bions") to continuum chemical concentration fields. Finally, we discuss two directions for further research: One is the study of the robustness with respect to the variation of system parameters (such as the cell density) exhibited by the biological system, but not by any simple model. The other concerns going beyond the aggregation phase to tackle the three-dimensional problem of slug formation and motion.


Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) are the important business strategies for the growth and development of the companies. M&A have been racked up over the years, both in volume and value. There are different types of M&A deals and each deal is unique in nature. So, the motives behind each deal differ one from the other. Thus, a single theory is not enough to explain the motives for mergers, acquisitions or takeovers. The literature suggests various theories of mergers that explain different motives for which an M&A deal can take place. The motives can subsequently lead to increase, decrease or status quo in value. This paper discusses the theoretical foundations of M&A by making a detailed analysis of prior studies for each and every type of theories of M&A and its impact on the performance of companies in the post M&A period. The research method to carry out the study is that the study is made by revisiting reviewing and synthesising the academic literature on diverse theories of M&A and have reassessed various past studies to know various motives for which companies go for the M&A strategy. The analysis of various studies is made to get a direction to look into empirical evidence of pre and post M&A performance in Indian M&A cases to know whether managers are going for value enhancing mergers or motivated by hubris taking practical examples from real corporate world. The review results show that different companies have different motives to go for M&A. Very few cases of M&A were found on hubris motive. Companies mainly go for M&A to have synergy gain through the combined firm. The practical implication of this study is that managers can know M&A as a financial and investment decision is worthy or not to achieve their M&A goals and then reassess and redefine their strategic alternatives to achieve growth.


We examined bird diversity in relation to land use and socioeconomic indicators in Leipzig, Germany. We used neighborhood diversity (ND) and bivariate correlation to show that the potential to experience biodiversity in a city is associated with population density, household income, unemployment, and urban green space. People living in urban districts with high socioeconomic status experience the highest species richness around their homes, whereas lower social status increases the chance of living in species-poor neighborhoods. High-status districts are located along forests, parks, and rivers that have a high quantity and quality of green space. However, green space in general does not guarantee high bird diversity. We conclude that bird diversity mirrors land use and socioeconomic patterns within the compact European city of Leipzig. Therefore, urban planning should focus on decreasing these patterns and protecting the remaining species-rich green spaces.


The study examines the determinants of dividend payout of consumer goods companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The Nigerian Stock Exchange has 28 listed consumer goods companies. Purposive sampling technique was used and a sample of nine consumer goods companies for a duration of ten years from 2006 to 2015 was selected. Secondary data were collected from audited financial statements of the companies from the websites of the selected companies. Dividend payout ratio was the dependent variable while the independent variables were market value, profitability, financial leverage, company size and previous year dividend payout. Descriptive statistics and multiple regressions were used. Results showed that company market value has significant positive effect on dividend payout; company profitability has positive, but insignificant effect on dividend payout; company leverage has negative and insignificant effect on dividend payout; company size has negative and insignificant effect on dividend payout; and previous year's dividend has significant positive effect on dividend payout. The study thus concluded that market value and previous year's dividend are the major determinants of dividend payout in consumer goods sector in Nigeria


Summary Edoxaban is an oral, direct, once-daily, factor Xa inhibitor developed for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation and for the treatment and secondary prevention of recurrent thromboembolism in patients with acute symptomatic venous thromboembolism. Among elderly patients who require anticoagulation therapies, some may have end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This open-label, phase 1, randomised, two-way crossover study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of edoxaban in 10 subjects on haemodialysis. Eligible subjects with ESRD on chronic haemodialysis received a single, oraldose of edoxaban 15 mg 2 hours (h) prior to (on-dialysis) or in between (off-dialysis) haemodialysis sessions. Haemodialysis resulted in a minor decrease in mean total exposure (AUC0-∞; 676.2 ng⋅h/ml) as compared with that observed in subjects off-dialysis (691.7 ng⋅h/ml). Mean maximum observed plasma concentration (Cmax) values were comparable between on-dialysis and off-dialysis treatments (53.3 vs 56.3 ng/ml, respectively). Mean apparent total body clearance (CL/F) values were 24.1 and 22.5 l/h during the on-dialysis and off-dialysis treatment periods, respectively. Dialyser clearance was 5.7 l/h and haemodialysis clearance was 6.1 l/h. Haemodialysis clearance was only 6.1 l/h, suggesting that it only accounts for one-fourth of the total clearance in these subjects. A single, oral dose of 15 mg of edoxaban was well tolerated by subjects with ESRD. In conclusion, based on these single-dose PK data, a supplementary dose of edoxaban may not be required following a haemodialysis session. Importantly, haemodialysis is not an effective mechanism for removal of edoxaban from the blood.


In-office needle arthroscopy has seen a rebirth of interest in the past several years amongst orthopedic surgeons. While the idea of in-office intra-articular evaluation spans almost 30 years, recent advances in optics, platform portability, and disposable instrumentation has allowed for a surge of interest. While the benefits of direct visualization of intra-articular pathology, time and cost savings, and allure to patients are all attractive; introducing needle arthroscopy into a busy clinic setting without disturbing work-flow can be challenging. The purpose of this editorial is to share real life learned knowledge from my own clinical experience to help safely and effectively integrate needle arthroscopy into your practice without destroying in-office work-flow.


Logic-based probabilistic models (LBPMs) enable us to handle problems with uncertainty succinctly thanks to the expressive power of logic. However, most of LBPMs have restrictions to realize efficient probability computation and learning. We propose an EM algorithm working on BDDs with order encoding for LBPMs. A notable advantage of our algorithm over existing approaches is that it copes with multi-valued random variables without restrictions. The complexity of our algorithm is proportional to the size of a BDD representing observations. We utilize our algorithm to make a diagnoses of a logic circuit which contains stochastic error gates and show that restrictions of existing approaches can be eliminated by our algorithm.


Now a days in Service Provider's core network we do not use IP forwarding rather we go for MPLS because it gives more efficient switching of packets. MPLS is the combination of layer-3 routing and layer-2 switching because every network prefix is assigned a particular Label. In this paper I am going to do testing and implement scalability over MPLS L3 VPN. This testing and implementation are to proof the scalability is the one important thing when design MPLS L3 VPN technology. This Topology of MPLS L3 VPN also provides the secure tunnel between two customer sites. By this implementation we show that there is a transparent tunneling over SP network. We are also avoiding the BGP implementation In SP core. So we call it as BGP free core. This implementation also saves the routing table space on provider routers. We have used the concept of Route Reflector (RR) to avoid more BGP sessions and to make it more scalable.


Drosophila olfactory neurons have long been thought to express only one chemosensory receptor modality. Using a new genetic knock-in strategy, we targeted the four co-receptors representing the chemosensory modes in Drosophila (Orco, Ir25a, Ir8a, Ir76b). Co-receptor knock-in expression patterns were verified as accurate representations of endogenous expression. We find extensive overlap in expression among the different co-receptors. As defined by innervation into antennal lobe glomeruli, Ir25a is broadly expressed in 88% of olfactory neuron classes and is co-expressed in 64% of Orco+ neuron classes, including all neuron classes in the maxillary palp. Orco, Ir8a, and Ir76b expression patterns are also expanded. Single sensillum recordings from Orco-expressing Ir25a mutant antennal and palpal neurons identify significant changes in olfactory responses. These results suggest polymodal expression and function of chemosensory receptors is common in olfactory neurons. We present a new map of the olfactory system reflecting this polymodal expression.


Drawing upon theories that reconceptualize toys and artifacts as identity texts, this study employs mediated discourse analysis to examine children's videotaped writing and play interactions with princess dolls and stories in one kindergarten classroom. The study reported here is part of a three-year ethnographic study of literacy play in U.S. early childhood classrooms. The specific focus here is on young girls who are avid Disney Princess fans and how they address the gendered identities and discourses attached to the popular films and franchised toys. The study employs an activity model design that incorporates ethnographic microanalysis of social practices in the classroom, design conventions in toys and drawings, negotiated meanings in play, and identities situated in discourses. The commercially given gendered princess identities of the dolls, consumer expectations about the dolls, the author identities in books and storyboards associated with the dolls, and expectations related to writing production influenced how the girls upheld, challenged, or transformed the meanings they negotiated for princess story lines and their gender expectations, which influenced who participated in play scenarios and who assumed leadership roles in peer and classroom cultures. When the girls played with Disney Princess dolls during writing workshop, they animated identities sedimented into toys and texts. Regular opportunities to play with toys during writing workshop allowed children to improvise and revise character actions, layering new story meanings and identities onto old. Dolls and storyboards facilitated chains of animating and authoring, linking meanings from one event to the next as they played, wrote, replayed, and rewrote. The notion of productive consumption explains how girls enthusiastically took up familiar media narratives, encountered social limitations in princess identities, improvised character actions, and revised story lines to produce counternarratives of their own.


This study aims to analyze the impact of technology adoption on students' satisfaction with the higher education system in Vietnam. With the continuous development of information and technology, the education sector in particular and many economic sectors in Vietnam have witnessed an explosion of applications and interventions in teaching-learning. However, these innovations have also received a lot of criticism regarding their effectiveness and feasibility. Although the numerous benefits that technology adoption has brought to education are apparent, many practitioners have not adjusted to this transition, resulting in lower learner satisfaction. Through a survey of more than 2472 university students in Vietnam, the results find a positive relationship between technology adoption and student satisfaction in higher education. We also test how nine contingent factors including gender, income, major, self-study time, learning methods, technology administration, self-ability in adopting technology, technology accessibility, and purpose of using technology can moderate that relationship. Indeed, technology adoption acts as a facilitator to make learning more convenient, effective, and accessible, rather than completely affecting learning outcomes and satisfaction. This result suggests that self-motivation is an important and decisive factor in improving satisfaction through choosing and applying technology effectively and appropriately.


In 2014, ISO 55000s has been enacted and the power plant asset management is becoming a hot issue for all over the world. The asset management system is being developed as a combination of CBM(Condition Based Maintenance) and RCM(Reliability Centered Maintenance). Therefore, the research on the calculation of the failure rate which is the most basic index of RCM is actively carried out. The failure rate calculation has been going on for a long time, and the most widely used probability distribution is the Weibull distribution. In the Weibull distribution, the failure rate function is determined in three types according to the value of the shape parameter. However, the Weibull distribution has a limitation that it is difficult to apply it when the trend of failure rate changes-such as bathtub curves. In this paper, the failure rate is calculated using the mixture Weibull distribution which can appropriately express the change of the shape of the failure rate. Based on these results, we propose the necessity and validity of applying mixture Weibull distribution.


Chambers and Quiggin (2000) have used state-contingent production theory to establish important results concerning economic behaviour in the presence of uncertainty, including problems of consumer choice, the theory of the firm, and principal-agent relationships. Empirical application of the state contingent approach has proved difficult, not least because most of the data needed for applying standard econometric methods are lost in unrealized states of the world. O'Donnell and Griffiths (2006) show how a restrictive type of state-contingent technology can be estimated in a finite mixtures framework. This paper shows how Bayesian methodology can be used to estimate more flexible types of state-contingent technologies.


ABSTRACT Background: Serodiscordant couples are faced with many social, sexual and relationship challenges in all aspects of their lives. The sources of conflicts could be disease acquisition, transfer of HIV to the uninfected partner, and fertility decisions. The current qualitative study was designed to explore the challenges faced by HIV negative women in serodiscordant relationships. Methods: This qualitative description was conducted in Mashhad, Northeast of Iran, between October 2018 and June 2019. 15 HIV-negative women who were living with their HIV-positive husbands were selected through purposive sampling method. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis adopted by Graneheim and Lundman. MAXQDA version 12, was used for data organization. Components of rigor including credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability were considered. Results: The main overarching theme which emerged from the qualitative study was "threats to family life", consisting of five categories along with their subcategories. These categories included stigmatic reactions followed by disclosure of the status, social misconceptions and limitation of information sources, psychological disruptions, hard decision making for fertility, and role conflict in the family. Conclusion: This study provides an insight into different aspects of challenges faced by Iranian women in HIV-serodiscordant relationships. Also, our study supports the view of other investigators who believe that there is an urgent need for provision of counseling and empowerment interventions for HIV- serodiscordant couples.


This volume contains the proceedings of the Fourth Workshop on Programming Languages and Operating Systems (PLOS 2007). The PLOS workshop series brings together people from the programming language and operating system communities to discuss emerging work at the intersection of these fields. It is a venue for discussing new visions, experiences, problems, and solutions arising from the application of advanced programming and software engineering concepts to operating systems construction, and vice versa.

The program committee for PLOS 2007 received nineteen short papers for consideration, and of these, ten were selected for presentation at the workshop. Each submitted paper was assigned to four members of the program committee for review. In total, 76 reviews were written, many of which contained long and detailed comments. Once all the reviews were in, the program committee met by teleconference to decide upon the workshop program. The discussions during the many-hour teleconference were thoughtful and often intense! Papers were evaluated based on technical quality, originality, relevance, and presentation.

The PLOS workshops are highly interactive forums where researchers present their work in development, and in return, receive feedback from their peers. As such, the publication of a paper in the PLOS workshop proceedings is not intended to replace future conference publication.


Abstract Mosses of the genus Sphagnum are the main components of peatlands, a major carbon-storing ecosystem. Changes in precipitation patterns are predicted to affect water relations in this ecosystem, but the effect of desiccation on the physiological and molecular processes in Sphagnum is still largely unexplored. Here we show that different Sphagnum species have differential physiological and molecular responses to desiccation but, surprisingly, this is not directly correlated with their position in relation to the water table. In addition, the expression of drought responsive genes is increased upon water withdrawal in all species. This increase in gene expression is accompanied by an increase in abscisic acid (ABA), supporting a role for ABA during desiccation responses in Sphagnum. Not only do ABA levels increase upon desiccation, but Sphagnum plants pre-treated with ABA display increased tolerance to desiccation, suggesting that ABA levels play a functional role in the response. In addition, many of the ABA signalling components are present in Sphagnum and we demonstrate, by complementation in Physcomitrium patens, that Sphagnum ABI3 is functionally conserved. The data presented here, therefore, support a conserved role for ABA in desiccation responses in Sphagnum.


UVC-induced apoptotic symptoms such as morphological changes, DNA fragmentation, Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression were examined in primary splenocyte cultures from young (3 months) and old (24 months) rats. The activities of AP-1 and CRE transcription factors in UVC-irradiated splenocytes were also assessed. At 24 h after UVC irradiation 40% of cells derived from young rats were found to be apoptotic, which was twice as much as in splenocytes from old rats. Apoptosis in cells from old rats did not give typical symptoms like a "DNA ladder" and Bcl-2 protein downregulation, in contrast to splenocytes from young rats. No AP-1 transcription factor activity was found in UVC-irradiated splenocytes from old animals and only a trace activity in splenocytes from young animals. This indicates that, UVC-induced apoptosis in rat splenocytes is practically AP-1 independent and that cells from old rats are less sensitive to UVC irradiation than splenocytes from young rats.


E3 ubiquitin ligase gene, WWP2, is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). This research was conducted to explore the role of WWP2 in AKI. AKI cell model was produced in human renal proximal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2) by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. CCK8 and flow cytometry assay were performed to explore the influence of WWP2 overexpression on cell proliferation and apoptosis of IR-induced HK-2 cells. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblotting (IB) were performed to assess the gene and protein expression. Then, the influence of WWP2 on p53 ubiquitylation and degradation was estimated by immunoprecipitation assay. Our data indicated that WWP2 was down-regulated and p53 was up-regulated in IR-induced HK-2 cells. WWP2 overexpression promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of IR-induced HK-2 cells. And WWP2 interacted with p53 and regulated p53 ubiquitylation and degradation. Furthermore, the influence of WWP2 on cell proliferation and apoptosis was rescued by MG132 (proteasome inhibitor) treatment. In conclusion, our work described for the first time the role of WWP2 in AKI, showing that WWP2 ameliorated AKI by mediating p53 ubiquitylation and degradation. Moreover, the study offers some important insights into the occurrence of AKI and WWP2 may be a novel target of AKI treatment. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: Our data elaborates that WWP2 has protective effect against AKI by mediating p53 ubiquitylation and degradation. Thus, WWP2 might be a therapeutic target for AKI.


Due to the diversity of biological activities that can be found in aquatic ecosystems, marine metabolites have been an active area of drug discovery for the last 30 years. Marine metabolites have been found to inhibit a number of enzymes important in the treatment of human disease. Here, we focus on marine metabolites that inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which is the cellular target for treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Currently, development of anticholinesterase drugs with improved potency, and drugs that act as dual acetylcholinesterase and amyloid-β aggregation inhibitors, are being sought to treat Alzheimer's disease. Seven classes of marine metabolites are reported to possess anti-cholinesterase activity. We compared these metabolites to clinically-used acetylcholinesterase inhibitors having known mechanisms of inhibition. We performed a docking simulation and compared them to published experimental data for each metabolite to determine the most likely mechanism of inhibition for each class of marine inhibitor. Our results indicate that several marine metabolites bind to regions of the acetylcholinesterase active site that are not bound by the clinically-used drugs rivastigmine, galanthamine, donepezil, or tacrine. We use the novel poses adopted for computational drug design of tighter binding anticholinesterase drugs likely to act as inhibitors of both acetylcholinesterase activity and amyloid-β aggregation inhibition.


Background

The effects of overweight and obesity on blood pressure in children may differ by sex. Previous studies have only shown the association between overweight and obesity and elevated blood pressure (EBP). The objective of this study is to further explore the association between elevated pulse pressure (EPP) and elevated mean arterial pressure (EMAP) and obesity in Chinese school-age children by gender.
Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study of 935 children between seven and twelve years old. Overweight and obesity were defined by body mass index and body composition. The adjusted population attributable risk was used to assess the effects of obesity on EBP, EPP and EMAP.
Results

The interaction of height or age and obesity was used to identify the effect of obesity on blood pressure independent of age and height. Boys with overweight and obesity had higher EBP, EPP and EMAP (P < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that overweight and obesity had a greater impact on BP and MAP than PP, especially in boys [Odds ratio (OR) > 1]. EBP in 79% of boys and 76% of girls could be attributable to the visceral fat level. The interaction between blood pressure and height or age was modestly increased in children with overweight and obesity, especially in boys.
Conclusions

Independent of age and height, the effect of obesity on blood pressure was greater in boys than girls. Moreover, the effect was mainly on small arteries rather than large arteries.


Awareness of air pollution impacts on public health is quickly increasing, especially in urban areas where legal air quality (AQ) limits are often exceeded. This awareness has driven policymakers to minimize citizens' exposure not only by direct legislative control in emissions (i.e., the application of a Low Emission Zone), but also by applying mobility restrictions to modify traffic patterns, and by the use of forecasted warnings to alert citizens of air pollution episodes. The European AQ directives encourage the use of numerical models to support the design and evaluation of such strategies.

In this framework, we present a versatile AQ model, CALIOPE-Urban (Benavides et al., 2019), able to address the threefold objectives to (i) compute urban air quality forecast at the street-scale resolution; (ii) to perform reanalysis studies of historical periods using a bias correction methodology that preserves the model spatial variability; and (iii) to simulate the traffic flow response to the application of different traffic restrictions and their effect on urban AQ.

In this contribution, we discuss two specific applications. On the one hand, CALIOPE-Urban is used to estimate the NO2 levels in the city of Barcelona (Spain) during the entire year of 2019. To do so, we report accurate maps of NO2 levels during the whole year by consistently integrating the AQ model data with publicly available observations from the official monitoring network in Catalonia (XVPCA) available in Barcelona by means of a bias correction method. On the other hand, the macroscopic traffic simulator BCN-VML (Rodriguez-Rey et al. 2021) coupled with CALIOPE-Urban is used to assess the AQ impact of the traffic flow-induced changes after the application of a traffic restriction policy.

References

Benavides, J., Snyder, M., Guevara, M., Soret, A., Pérez García-Pando, C., Amato, F., Querol, X., and Jorba, O.: CALIOPE-Urban v1.0: coupling R-LINE with a mesoscale air quality modelling system for urban air quality forecasts over Barcelona city (Spain), Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 2811–2835, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-2811-2019, 2019.

Rodriguez-Rey, D., Guevara, M., Linares, MP., Casanovas, J., Salmerón, J., Soret, A., Jorba, O., Tena, C., Pérez García-Pando, C.: A coupled macroscopic traffic and pollutant emission modelling system for Barcelona, Transportation Research Part D, accepted for publication.


Recently I was consulted by a man, married, aged 35, who said that for the past four or five weeks he had been troubled with stuffiness in his nose and a slight nasal discharge; that for the past two or three weeks he had occasionally noticed a little blood on his handkerchief after blowing his nose, and that for the past week, while applying an ointment to the mucous membrane of his nose with a piece of cotton, he had been able to pass the cotton from one nostril to the other through the septum. He desired confirmation of his diagnosis of a perforation of the septum. Examination disclosed a hole through the cartilaginous septum, about 1 cm. in diameter, not involving the bony septum. The edges of the hole were everted, hyperemic and edematous, while the raw surfaces presented a blackened worm-eaten appearance. There were no granulations suggestive of


PURPOSE
Spinal cord injuries (SCI) cause motor, sensory and autonomic dysfunctions as well as neuropathic pain. We investigated plastic changes occurring in cord segments caudal to the lesion to assess their potential contribution to pain states after SCI.

METHODS
Different thoracic SCIs were performed in adult rats. Functional and algesimetry tests were performed along 3 months. Several elements of the spinal nociceptive circuitry were assessed by immunohistochemical analyses of lumbar segments.

RESULTS
Injured animals manifested mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. Wind-up responses and spinal reflexes were enhanced, indicating spinal hyperexcitability. We found an increase in density of nociceptive sensory afferences and in GABA inhibitory activity in dorsal horns, and increased glial reactivity. Serotoninergic descending fibers and contacts on ventral horn motoneurons were reduced. Motoneurons presented more abundant inhibitory inputs, identified by gephyrin. Not all the changes kept direct relationship to the severity of the injury.

CONCLUSION
The existence of hyperalgesia despite the boost of inhibitory elements in the spinal cord confirms the dysbalance between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms, leading to a general disinhibition. Widespread dysfunctions in remote segments after central injuries contribute to the appearance of pain, and they may be new targets for therapies aimed to modulate spinal dysfunctions after injury.


Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) ankylosis is a disabling condition resulting from trauma, infection or surgical treatment. Different treatment techniques have been used and described so far but none of them gave successful outcome. However, interpositional arthroplasty and physiotherapy immediately after treatment have been method of choice of agreement by many authors. A dentigerous cyst is a common developmental cyst which is frequently noted during radiographical analysis. Enucleation is considered as a definitive therapy and marsupialization provides a less extensive but safe surgical procedure. We report a case of TMJ ankylosis with dentigerous cyst in a patient who has been treated successfully without any post operative complications


The genetic relationship of 96 palmyrah palms, consisting of 24 indigenous accessions from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, was investigated using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Hundred and eighty primers were used initially to identify the polymorphic primers in six random samples and 10 polymorphic primers were selected to amplify the 96 palms. These 10 primers produced a total of 112 reproducible bands and out of them, 41 fragments (36.6 %) showed polymorphism.  The number of bands produced with each primer varied from seven to 15 with an average of 11.2 bands per primer.  The percent polymorphism ranged from 7.7 to 71.4 with an average of 37.4 per cent when all the primers were taken collectively.  UPGMA grouped all the accessions into two major clusters at 0.85 similarity value. The highest similarity value (0.96) was observed between the accessions KLKM-8 and THY-54 and the lowest similarity value (0.782) was obtained between ANBI-17 and RCML-11. The relatively low polymorphism suggests a narrow genetic diversity of palmyrah populations from which the present accessions have been derived and maintained over the years.


he RdRp gene of Foot-and-mouth disease virus was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using pfuultraTM High-Fidelity DNA polymerase, and was then cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a (+). E.coli BL-21 cells were transformed with the recombinant plasmid and the target protein was expressed in soluble form. The purified recombinant protein was confirmed to be expressed correctly by Western-blotting. The RNA in vitro replication assay was used to determine the high activity of purified RdRp. The product of replication system was quantified by strand-specific real-time RT-PCR. These results suggested that the purified RdRp could initiate the de-novo RNA synthesis but was mainly in a primer-dependent manner, which shows high activity of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The Vpg protein primer can dramatically improve the capacity of RNA synthesis.


Eds Laurence B McCullough, James W Jones, Baruch A Brody

Oxford University Press, £35, pp 416

ISBN 0 19 510347 5

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Rating: ★★★★

Ethics govern the morality and code of conduct of surgeons in clinical practice. Recent astonishing advances in medical technology have opened up new frontiers and created options for surgical treatment that have often led to vigorous debate about what constitutes right and wrong. What is achievable has to be limited by what is acceptable.

Surgeons have always tried to limit the harm that they do to their patients in extending the healing power of their craft, but historically they have commonly taken unilateral decisions on the acceptability of risks, and patient choices. Current practice must entail sharing the right to make clinical choices with patients, with families, with other physicians, and with the managers of necessary resources. Surgeons, surgical trainees, and medical students in a changing world need a reliable scholarly source to help them chart the shifting terrain of surgical ethics so that they can conduct themselves in a morally responsible fashion in patient care, surgical research, and education.

This book provides the first detailed text that discusses ethical issues as they concern surgeons in every sphere of clinical practice. The core concepts that relate to the surgeon-patient relationship—such as informed consent, confidentiality, and advance directives—are well discussed. Seven chapters tackle the ethical issues in surgical practice covering a wide range of surgical patients, including emergency, acute, high risk, and the terminally ill. The relationship between a surgeon and patients who are family members or friends is also considered. Many of the ethical arguments are based on North American systems of health care and legal practice, but they can easily be extrapolated by surgeons practising elsewhere to fit their own circumstances. The discussion of informed consent as it relates to a surgeon's personal operative record, specific survival figures for a centre, and surgical risks is important to every practising surgeon.

Transplantation surgery receives special attention for fairly obvious reasons: the increasing shortage of organs and the new ways being proposed to solve the problem. The use of live human donors for lung and liver, marginal donors, the proposed use of pig organs, and the cloning of organs are all creating ethical problems that need to be addressed. The problems for transplant surgeons posed by the process of informed consent, which often has to be carried out quickly before a transplant, will increase as science continues to change the theoretical into the possible.

The ethical analysis of the issues of organ allocation—age related criteria, exclusion based on recipient's habits such as alcoholism, changing financial environment, and re-transplantation—is all highly relevant. However, I question the morality of listing only patients who have health insurance on the transplant waiting list but not imposing similar restrictions on live organ donors.

This book has succeeded in each of its chapters in discussing ethical principles relevant to modern surgical practice. I am particularly impressed by the emphasis on the clinical relevance of the ethical theories. The scope of the ethical issues discussed and the direct relation to the everyday concerns of practising surgeons makes this book interesting reading.


The article analyzes the legal regulation of overtime and night work time in Uzbekistan and foreign countries in terms of establishing certain restrictions and payment in an increased amount compared to work in normal conditions, as well as providing additional rest time, since, according to legislators, economists, sociologists and doctors, such types of work negatively affect the health of the worker or lead to an imbalance in his family or social life.
The scientific publication analyzes the problems of establishing overtime and night work time. Based on the analysis of the current legislation in the sphere of labor, the author formulates the criteria that allow distinguishing between these types of working time.


IN the early 1910s, researchers at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, might have wondered why a colleague, Thomas Hunt Morgan (Figure 1), began shipping fruit flies from his Columbia University lab to the MBL each summer. After all, the Woods Hole currents supplied the MBL with a rich variety of marine organisms and Morgan, an avid practitioner of experimental embryology, made good use of them. Yet those who knew Morgan well would not have been surprised by his insect stocks. A keen naturalist, Morgan studied a veritable menagerie of experimental animals—many of them collected in Woods Hole—as a student and later researcher at the MBL from 1890 to 1942. Moreover, Morgan always had a diversity of investigations going on simultaneously. ''This was the way Morgan worked: he wasn't happy unless he had a lot of different irons in the fire at the same time,'' wrote A. H. Sturtevant, Morgan's long-term collaborator (Sturtevant 2001, pp. 4–5). In Morgan's first 3 decades at the MBL, for instance, he studied at least 15 different species, including the now-famous fruit fly, while investigating a variety of problems related to his central interests in development and heredity (Morgan 1888– 1937; Marine Biological Laboratory 1909). Morgan was also a vocal proponent of experimentalism, and at the MBL he (quite successfully) joined with Jacques Loeb in arguing for a quantitative, predictive foundation for biological studies (Allen 1969). Morgan was interested only in scientific problems that could be experimentally tested. Deeply wary of ungrounded hypotheses, he sought not overarching theories, but experimental methods that would allow him to identify proximate causes. This stance would triumph in Morgan's work with the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Morgan initially began breeding this animal in his search for an experimental approach to evolution: he was testing an alternative to the theory of natural selection, which he felt was insufficient to explain the origin of new species. But when a sex-linked mutation appeared in his Columbia University stocks in 1910, Morgan's attention was diverted to analyzing the material basis of sex determination and inheritance. By 1912, he and his colleagues were mapping the location of genes on chromosomes. These epoch-making studies launched the field of experimental genetics. Morgan's penchant for maintaining multiple, diverse lines of investigation paid off in important ways, as this review of his work at the MBL up through the mid-1920s shows. First, Morgan was able to synthesize his research on many different organisms in his book Regeneration (Morgan 1901), which today provides a useful and insightful perspective on regenerative medicine. Second, evidence from originally distinct studies conceptually converged for Morgan. An example is his post1910 work at the MBL on the insects phylloxeran and aphid, which confirmed his early Drosophila results on the relationship of the chromosomes to sex determination and inheritance. Morgan's dual characteristics as a ''naturalist and experimentalist'' (Figure 2) place him historically in an era when biology was transitioning from a descriptive and often speculative field to an experimental one (Allen 1969). Yet they may indicate also why Morgan was a successful scientist, one who received the first Nobel Prize ever awarded in genetics in 1933 and became the first in a now-long list of Nobel Laureates affiliated with the MBL. Morgan's appreciation of natural diversity and his wide-ranging investigations, coupled with his skepticism toward a priori theories, could have left him flailing in a biological wilderness. What anchored him was his strict experimentalism, his insistence on choosing problems that could be analytically tested. Corresponding author: Office of the Director, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St., Woods Hole, MA 02543. E-mail: email@example.com


Background Major lower-limb amputation (LLA) predisposes patients post-operatively to a significant decline in daily-life functioning. The physical condition of amputee patients prior to surgery is significantly deteriorated due to chronic peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and diabetes, which accounts for the majority of LLAs in the adult population. A common strategy called pre-rehabilitation has been used in multiple patient populations to prepare the patient for undergoing a surgical event and to improve post-operative patient outcomes. Pre-rehabilitation might enhance the outcome of dysvascular LLA patients and reduce the high post-operative mortality rates. However, experience of experts with pre-rehabilitation and feasibility of a pre-rehabilitation program in this group remains unknown. Objective To investigate the experiences of medical professionals and researchers in the field of LLA with the use of pre-rehabilitation in general and in particular PVD patients. Additionally, the study examines their opinions regarding need for and feasibility of a pre-rehabilitation program for dysvascular patients at risk for an LLA. Methods Two explorative focus group discussions were organized with in total 16 experts in the field of treatment and research of LLA. Transcribed data were coded using the Atlas.ti software package. Thematic analysis with inductive approach was opted to arrange and interpret codes. Results The experiences of the experts with pre-rehabilitation in dysvascular patients were scarce. The experts described dysvascular patients at risk for an LLA as a difficult group for pre-rehabilitation due to short time window prior to surgery, older age, multiple co-morbidities and lack of motivation for behavioral change. The experts concluded that a pre-rehabilitation program should focus on patients who have sufficient time in advance before the amputation for pre-rehabilitation and who are motivated to participate. Conclusion Although in general the effects of pre-rehabilitation are promising, pre-operative rehabilitation in dysvascular patients at risk for an LLA seems not feasible. Future research could focus on a better monitoring of dysvascular patients and the development of pre-rehabilitation in subgroups of younger dysvascular LLA patients.


There is an intensive debate about old-age poverty in Germany that has induced political parties to develop proposals for higher pensions of poor pensioners in light of the federal elections of September 2013. In addition, several proposals from economists aim at reforming the pension system in a way that mitigates oldage poverty. In this paper, we consider these proposals in a computable general equilibrium model in order to derive their effects on the income distribution, on employment, on the capital stock and on GDP. Our results indicate that negative employment, capital and GDP effects are induced by such reforms as compared to the alternative of basic means-tested social welfare in old-age. Moreover, the strongest beneficiaries would be the currently higher age employees with low income and much less the respective younger employees, while younger and higher age employees with high and medium incomes will lose.


Interagency Coordination Team, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Texas A&M University Department of Oceanography, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department


Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an intense fibrotic reaction termed tumor desmoplasia, which is in part responsible for its aggressiveness. Endothelial cells have been shown to display cellular plasticity in the form of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) that serves as an important source of fibroblasts in pathological disorders, including cancer. Angiogenic co-receptor, neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) actively binds TGFβ1, the primary mediator of EndMT and is involved in oncogenic processes like epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). NRP-1 and TGFβ1 signaling have been shown to be aberrantly up-regulated in PDAC. We report herein a positive correlation between NRP-1 levels, EndMT and fibrosis in human PDAC xenografts. Loss of NRP-1 in HUVECs limited TGFβ1-induced EndMT as demonstrated by gain of endothelial and loss of mesenchymal markers, while maintaining endothelial cell architecture. Knockdown of NRP-1 down-regulated TGFβ canonical signaling (pSMAD2) and associated pro-fibrotic genes. Overexpression of NRP-1 exacerbated TGFβ1-induced EndMT and up-regulated TGFβ signaling and expression of pro-fibrotic genes. In vivo, loss of NRP-1 attenuated tumor perfusion and size, accompanied by reduction in EndMT and fibrosis. This study defines a previously unrecognized role of NRP-1 in regulating TGFβ1-induced EndMT and fibrosis, and advocates NRP-1 as a therapeutic target to reduce tumor fibrosis and PDAC progression.


Inbred mouse strains differ in susceptibility to intracorneal challenge with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Genetic studies indicate that resistance to corneal infection is dominant over susceptibility and is controlled by autosomal genes, at least one of which is located outside of the H-2 locus. On the basis of genetic complementation studies, the susceptible strains BALB/c and C57BL/6 each bear one resistance gene, since the F1 hybrid (BALB/c X C57BL/6) was uniformly resistant to infection.


The codelet parsing algorithms were proposed for lossy compression. The algorithms sequentially parse a given source sequence into phrases, say, sourcelets, and map each sourcelet to a distorted phrase, say, a codelet, such that the pre-letter distortion between the two phrases does not exceed the desired distortion. The algorithms adaptively maintain a codebook, and do not require any a priori knowledge of the source statistics. The algorithms use approximate string matching and, at each epoch, carefully select one of the many approximately matching codewords to balance between the code rates in the current epoch versus the code rate from the resulting codebooks in future epochs. The algorithms are quadratic-time in the length of the source sequence and output a distorted sequence that can be naturally losslessly compressed using the Lempel-Ziv algorithm.


The Bible, the Boundaries and the Christian Missionary Initiatives in the Caucasus During the Nineteenth Century: General Remarks. The article presents the main missionary organizations both Protestant and Orthodox working in the Caucasus in the nineteenth century. By presenting them in a rather general and brief form, the article is intended to emphasize the importance of the Bible translations in the missionary projects. The Bible itself constitutes a text which influences the missionary approach, as well as the cultural and social practices of the people to whom the Bible and its translation is addressed. The main assumption of the text is, however, that the changing attitudes to the Bible among the Christians living in the Caucasus were related to the appearance of the Protestants and their understanding of


The increase in the number of nontraditional aged undergraduate students (25 yrs. and older) and students transferring between post-secondary institutions has raised the question of whether effective instruction is viewed the same by these different groups of students. This study addressed this question by analyzing the responses of these different groups to 23 instructional questions on a standard faculty evaluation form.


Abstract. The thermal-based Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model has successfully simulated energy fluxes in a wide range of landscapes. However, tree-grass ecosystems (TGE) have notably complex heterogenous vegetation mixtures and dynamic phenological characteristics presenting clear challenges to earth observation and modeling methods. Therefore, the TSEB model was adapted here to consider these significant seasonal changes. To ensure this and understand model dynamics, sensitivity analyses (SA) were conducted on both inputs (local SA) and parameters (global SA). Furthermore, a more physically based wind attenuation sub-model was applied and compared against the classical exponential wind attenuation law. The model was subsequently modified (TSEB-2S) and evaluated against eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements and lysimeters over a TGE experimental site in central Spain. TSEB-2S vastly improved modeled fluxes decreasing the mean bias and RMSD of LE from 34 and 77 W m-2 to 4 and 56 W m-2, respectively during 2015. TSEB-2S was further validated for two other EC towers and for different years (2015, 2016 and 2017) obtaining similar error statistics. The results presented here demonstrate the important role that vegetation, through its structure and phenology, has in controlling ecosystem level energy fluxes, which become important considerations for the modeling procedure. Additionally, TSEB showed to be more sensitive to correctly partitioning incoming radiation, such as characterizing vegetation clumping, compared to accurately modeling the wind profile through the canopy or the aerodynamic roughness.