A number of notable contributions to our knowledge of long-period fluctuations of the geomagnetic field have been made since 1967 through studies of the paleomagnetism of igneous and sedimentary rocks. The highlights of this research include the following: (1) A more accurate radiometric time scale of geomagnetic reversals has been developed for the past 5 m.y., with the result that during this time all polarity intervals with durations longer than 50,000 years have probably been recognized. (2) An intensive study of deep-sea sedimentary cores has served to define this time scale more accurately and to extend it back in time well beyond 5 m.y. (3) Marine magnetic anomalies have been analyzed by using the theory of sea-floor spreading to yield a reversal time scale extending back 70 m.y. (4) Long-period geomagnetic secular variation within individual polarity intervals has been investigated paleomagnetically by studying paleointensities and by measuring variations in angular dispersion of directions of the earth's field as a function of latitude. In the present report all these subjects are reviewed with the exception of marine magnetic anomalies, which are discussed in a separate report. In addition to the references cited specifically in the text, numerous important papers relevant to these subjects are listed in the bibliography.


Many pattern recognition methods rely on statistical information from centered data, with the eigenanalysis of an empirical central moment, such as the covariance matrix in principal component analysis (PCA), as well as partial least squares regression, canonical-correlation analysis and Fisher discriminant analysis. Recently, many researchers advocate working on non-centered data. This is the case for instance with the singular value decomposition approach, with the (kernel) entropy component analysis, with the information-theoretic learning framework, and even with nonnegative matrix factorization. Moreover, one can also consider a non-centered PCA by using the second-order non-central moment.
The main purpose of this paper is to bridge the gap between these two viewpoints in designing machine learning methods. To provide a study at the cornerstone of kernel-based machines, we conduct an eigenanalysis of the inner product matrices from centered and non-centered data. We derive several results connecting their eigenvalues and their eigenvectors. Furthermore, we explore the outer product matrices, by providing several results connecting the largest eigenvectors of the covariance matrix and its non-centered counterpart. These results lay the groundwork to several extensions beyond conventional centering, with the weighted mean shift, the rank-one update, and the multidimensional scaling. Experiments conducted on simulated and real data illustrate the relevance of this work.


The data sequence compressed using the Lempel-Ziv-77 (LZ77) algorithm comprises a series of fixed-length tuples. To decompress this data, it is essential to know the encoding parameters such as the tuple length used for the compression. If this essential information becomes unavailable owing to conditions such as loss of the header, it is difficult to accurately determine the parameters using the compressed data. In this study, we investigate the blind estimation of tuple length from the LZ77-compressed data when the header is unavailable. To this end, we propose a novel idea of utilizing the LZ77 image generated from the LZ77-compressed data. The LZ77 image exhibits unique patterns based on the image size. The correlation between the image size and tuple length is indicated by different patterns of vertical lines in the LZ77 image. By exploiting a convolutional neural network (CNN), we develop an iterative algorithm while generating LZ77 images with different size. The results of the experiment on a public database show that the LZ77 image plays the role of an extremely powerful visual feature descriptor, and the proposed iterative algorithm estimates the tuple length with 100% accuracy.


Both natural and synthetic nanoparticles have been proposed as drug carriers in cancer treatment, since they can increase drug accumulation in target tissues, optimizing the therapeutic effect. As an example, extracellular vesicles (EV), including exosomes (Exo), can become drug vehicles through endogenous or exogenous loading, amplifying the anticancer effects at the tumor site. In turn, synthetic nanoparticles (NP) can carry therapeutic molecules inside their core, improving solubility and stability, preventing degradation, and controlling their release. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in nanotechnology applied for theranostic use, distinguishing between passive and active targeting of these vehicles. In addition, examples of these models are reported: EV as transporters of conventional anticancer drugs; Exo or NP as carriers of small molecules that induce an anti-tumor immune response. Finally, we focus on two types of nanoparticles used to stimulate an anticancer immune response: Exo carried with A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease-10 inhibitors and NP loaded with aminobisphosphonates. The former would reduce the release of decoy ligands that impair tumor cell recognition, while the latter would activate the peculiar anti-tumor response exerted by γδ T cells, creating a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity.


Twenty first century demands present unprecedented challenges upon education. The connection between education and practice and the issue of preparedness of graduates for future practice are central to this. This study is about student practical experience and its relevance to formal architecture education. It seeks to better understand student learning experiences in practice along with the involvement of practices with a view towards the development of a work-integrated learning framework for architecture. An interpretative and qualitative research approach and methodology utilising semi-structured questionnaires and individual in-depth interviews were conducted for data collection. Student experiences in diverse practice environments involving Australian and Malaysian contexts were documented and analysed. Three thematic propositions relating to students personal development, professional development and cultural perspectives were identified and determined to be of significant learning value.


OBJECTIVE To investigate whether Sjögren's syndrome (SS) with anti-HTLV-I antibodies is aetiopathologically distinguishable from SS without these antibodies, the study compared prevalence of autoantibodies in serum samples of SS patients with or without anti-HTLV-I antibodies. METHODS The test group included 135 patients with primary SS and 97 patients with secondary SS. Serum samples of the patients were examined for the presence of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-SS-A/Ro antibodies, anti-SS-B/La antibodies, anti-centromere antibodies (ACA), and anti-HTLV-I antibodies. RESULTS Anti-HTLV-I antibodies were detected in 25.0% of primary SS patients and in 29.2% of secondary SS patients. There were no significant differences in the mean age, sex, values of asparate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, serum complements and IgG between HTLV-I seropositive and seronegative SS patients. The rheumatoid factor, ANA, anti-SS-A/Ro, and anti-SS-B/La antibodies in serum samples of SS patients were detected in 60.0%, 84.0%, 51.9%, and 12.0%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of these antibodies between HTLV-I seropositive and seronegative SS patients. Using the indirect immunofluorescence test, 14.2% showed a discrete speckled staining pattern. All serum samples contained significant amounts of ACA determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. These antibodies were detected in only 4% of HTLV-I seropositive SS patients but were present in 19.9% of HTLV-I seronegative SS patients. Furthermore, the prevalences of anti-SS-A/Ro and anti-SS-B/La antibodies in serum samples of ACA positive patients were significantly lower than those in ACA negative SS patients. CONCLUSION These results suggest that SS patients with anti-SS-A/Ro or anti-SS-B/La antibodies, or both, might be aetiopathologically distinct from SS patients with ACA. HTLV-I might be involved in the pathogenesis of SS in a subset of patients with anti-SS-A/Ro or anti-SS-B/La antibodies, or both, but not SS patients with ACA.


The U.S. Military Academy (USMA) is concerned about how to meet present and future energy demands as the existing generating equipment and distribution facilities age. To help the installation develop an energy supply plan, the USMA asked the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories to determine options for future energy supply, taking into consideration both the projected increases in energy demands and the Army`s energy conservation goals. Researchers considered 68 separate plans based on plant location; type of distribution system; cogeneration; steam, hot water, and chilled water technologies; coal, gas, and fuel oils; and environmental constraints. Based on this study, the lowest cost plan is to refurbish the existing power plant with new high pressure gas/oil boilers and new steam turbine generators. If the USMA decides to build a new plant, non-cogeneration using gas/oil-fired boilers or cogeneration using gas turbine generators with heat recovery boilers should be used. The existing steam distribution system should be maintained with repairs as needed. A new central chiller plant is not recommended. The USMA should assess fuel costs, electrical energy costs, and capital costs for the top five economically ranked plans before proceeding with an energy construction project.


Few will find fault with the recent statement of Burnet3that "the understanding and control of cancer is the most urgent problem in medicine today." Yet it is discouraging to realize that over 50 years have elapsed since the first exciting experimental discovery that it was possible to transplant a mammary tumor from one animal to another. Although the patient with breast cancer is assured of receiving treatment which combines the cumulative experience of over half a century, both in surgery and in radiotherapy, nonetheless, in many instances the patient's survival is brief despite the best efforts of the most skilled surgeon. Ultimately the problem must be solved by the continual pooling of knowledge from both clinical and biological fields. As an organ prone to cyclic changes and to enlargement on physiological demand, the breast is endowed with a copious blood supply, derived from the subclavian and axillary vessels.


The possibility of engineering well‐defined pores into liquid materials is fascinating from both a conceptual and an applications point of view. Although the concept of porous liquids was proposed in 2007, these materials had remained hypothetical due to the technical challenges associated with their synthesis. Over the past five years, however, reports of the successful construction of porous liquids based on existing porous scaffolds, such as coordination cages, organic cages, metal–organic frameworks, porous carbons, zeolites, and porous polymers, have started to emerge. Here, the focus is on these early reports of porous liquids as prototypes in the field, classified according to the previously defined types of porous liquids. Particular attention will be paid to design strategies and structure–property relationships. Porous liquids have already exhibited promising applications in gas storage, transportation, and chemical separations. Thus, they show great potential for use in the chemical industry. The challenges of preparation, scale‐up, volatility, thermal and chemical stability, and competition with porous solids will also be discussed.


Objective: To describe a rare sign of unilateral brain injury as a form of unwanted blink-associated contralateral eccentric saccades. Methods: A 62-year-old patient who underwent an ischemic stroke affecting the entire right middle cerebral artery territory came to our attention 1 year after stroke, manifesting with transient contralateral conjugate gaze deviations associated with spontaneous blinking. We complemented the regular neurologic evaluation with brain MRI, study of evoked potentials, electroneurography of the facial nerve, and infrared video-oculoscopy. Results: The patient had left-sided hemiparesis, hypoesthesia, hemianopia, and hemispatial neglect. He also showed the occurrence of a rapid leftward conjugate deviation of the eyes, followed by a corrective movement to the primary ocular position. MRI showed a wide malacic area spanning the right frontal, temporal, and parietal cortical and subcortical regions, with signs of wallerian degeneration of the descending right corticospinal tract. Motor and somatosensory evoked potentials were centrally altered on the right side. Electroneurography of the facial nerves was normal. Infrared video-oculoscopy indicated persistence of the same blink-related saccades even in darkness. Conclusions: It is known that unilateral cerebral lesions may manifest with a contralateral conjugate gaze deviation evoked by closure of the lids. This sign, known as spasticity of conjugate gaze, may be due to the suppression of the fixation reflex. In our case, the persistence of this sign in the darkness allowed us to exclude this diagnosis. We hypothesized that the blink-related neural pathways may improperly activate the oculomotor circuitry at both the cortical and subcortical levels.


Previous studies showed that interstitial inflammation was more prevalent among CaOx stone formers (SF), indicating interstitial inflammation might be an important component part of pathologic processes in CaOx formation. However, contribution of genetic variants in interstitial inflammation-related CD44 and CSF-1 towards the risk of nephrolithiasis has not been reported. In this study, 582 patients and a group of 499 stone-free controls were enrolled in a case-control study. Four SNPs in CD44 and CSF-1 were selected to probe associations with nephrolithiasis. Significant differences were observed in the distribution of the genotype and allele frequencies of rs13347 and rs2050462 between the nephrolithiasis patients and control subjects. Our study suggested that the CSF-1 rs2050462 C allele and CD44 rs13347 T allele were associated with susceptibility of nephrolithiasis. Through stratification analyses, we probed that the associations between CSF-1 rs2050462 and CD44 rs13347 with nephrolithiasis risk were more prominent in some specific subgroups. Individuals carrying ≥2 risk alleles were more susceptible to nephrolithiasis. In conclusion, our study proved that the genetic variants in interstitial inflammation-related genes CD44 and CSF-1 played an important role in the susceptibility of nephrolithiasis.


OBJECTIVES This scoping review aimed to explore and synthesize current literature to advance the understanding of how to design clinical reasoning (CR) curricula for students in health professions education. METHODS Arksey and O'Malley's 6-stage framework was applied. Peer-reviewed articles were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and manual searches, resulting in the identification of 2932 studies. RESULTS Twenty-six articles were included on CR in medical, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, midwifery, dentistry, and speech language therapy education. The results describe: features of CR curriculum design; CR theories, models, and frameworks that inform curricula; and teaching content, methods, and assessments that inform CR curricula. CONCLUSIONS Several CR theories, teaching, and assessment methods are integrated into CR curricula, reflecting the multidimensionality of CR among professions. Specific CR elements are addressed in several curricula; however, no all-encompassing CR curriculum design has been identified. These findings offer useful insights for educators into how CR can be taught and assessed, but they also suggest the need for further guidance on educational strategies and assessments while learners progress through an educational program.


Abstract Epidemiology. Intracranial germ cell tumours (icGCTs) represent 3–15% of primary paediatric intracranial neoplasms with a considerable geographical variation in incidence. Ninety percent of patients diagnosed with icGCTs are under 20 years of age. Pathology. Histologic characteristics and investigation of the tumour markers β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) help define the different categories of icGCTs. The tumours are divided into two major groups called germinomas and non-germinomatous GCTs (NGGCTs). Clinical presentation. The clinical symptoms depend on the size and location of tumour in the brain, which is most commonly in the pineal or suprasellar region. Pineal GCTs often present with neurological symptoms because of their tendency to cause increased intracranial pressure. Suprasellar GCTs are often accompanied by endocrine abnormalities such as diabetes insipidus (DI), growth retardation and precocious or delayed puberty. Diagnosis. A combination of clinical findings, endocrine and tumour marker evaluation, spinal fluid cytology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biopsy helps verifying the diagnosis of an icGCT. A summary of published data (n = 97) revealed that >90% of patients at diagnosis had at least one endocrine abnormality, DI being the most common (>80%). Treatment. Classification of tumour is important for choice of treatment and for prognosis. A combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is often used, since most icGCTs have a great sensitivity to these treatment modalities. Conclusion. Endocrine symptoms are very frequently appearing in patients with icGCTs and they can present long before neuroimaging verification of tumour is possible. It is of the outmost importance to have the diagnosis of icGCTs in mind when children, adolescents and young adults are presenting with endocrine irregularities, because most icGCTs are very sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and early onset of treatment is important in order to minimize morbidity and mortality.


Telomerase is expressed in the majority of lung cancers and functions to extend telomeres allowing for unlimited replication potential. Telomerase may also be essential in maintaining a cancer stem cell population making it an attractive therapeutic target. A new telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat (GRN163L), is currently in clinical trials for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Imetelstat, a lipidated 13-mer oligonucleotide N3′ P5′-thio-phosphoramidate, binds the functional RNA template of telomerase preventing telomerase from extending telomeres and thus potentially leading to telomere loss associated cancer cell death. In the present studies we treated multiple NSCLC cell lines (representing the full spectrum of oncogenotypes and chemotherapy drug response phenotypes) with imetelstat (1 μM, a concentration achieved in patients) continuously over several months and all tumor lines showed loss of telomerase activity and shortening of telomeres. NSCLC lines with initially short telomeres (NCI-H2073-initial telomere length (ITL) 2.7 Kb, Calu-3 (ITL 1.5 Kb), and NCI-H2087 (ITL 3 Kb)) either suffered massive apoptotic associated cell death (H2073) within one week, or developed very short telomeres and ceased proliferating at 2.5 weeks (Calu-3) or 20 weeks (H2087) of treatment, demonstrating primary sensitivity. However, a small subpopulation in H2073 continues to grow in culture in the presence of drug and is being tested for telomere length and sensitivity to higher concentrations of imetelstat. NSCLC lines with long telomeres (NCI-H1819 (ITL 15Kb) and NCI-H157 (ITL 14.5Kb)) treated with 1 µM imetelstat twice weekly for 32 weeks showed reduction of telomeres to 1.8 and 2 Kb respectively with no effect on mass culture proliferation but, in some cases, showed inhibition of colony formation. Removal of imetelstat resulted in return of telomerase activity and telomere re-growth. With continued 1 μM treatment, however, H1819 telomere length stabilized at 1.8Kb while H157 cells showed re-growth of telomeres to parental length and now requires >5 μM imetelstat to robustly inhibit telomerase. In summary, we have found a panel of NSCLC lines demonstrate several imetelstat response phenotypes: extreme initial sensitivity, maintenance of shortened telomeres with inhibition of colony formation, and acquired resistance to imetelstat therapy. We conclude that NSCLCs exhibit a diverse spectrum of responses to telomerase targeted therapy emphasizing the need to have tumor biomarker signatures for personalizing imetelstat therapy in NSCLC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3577.


This study empirically examined the impact of capital market development on economic growth in Nigeria for the period 1981-2008. The major tool we employed for empirical analysis is a multiple regression analysis model specified on the basis of hypothesized functional relationship between capital market development and economic growth. For capital market development indicators, we considered ratios of value of shares traded, market capitalization, gross capital formation and foreign private investment, to gross domestic product, as explanatory variables, while we used growth rate of gross domestic product as the dependent variable. We introduced an error correction term to capture the flexibility in adjustment to long-run equilibrium. We estimated the model via the ordinary least squares (OLS) techniques. Further, we evaluated the model using relevant statistics. The results showed that while market capitalization, gross capital formation, and foreign private investment individually exerted statistically significant impact on growth of the economy, value of shares traded exerted positive but statistically insignificant impact during the review period. However, the variables jointly exerted statistically significant impact on growth of the economy. In addition, the model exhibited a very high explanatory power and high flexibility in adjustment to long-run equilibrium. The variables time series were stationary at second difference, showed existence of long-run relationship between the two sets of variables, and exhibited stability for the study period. Based on the findings, the study recommended, among others, sustainable development of the capital market to enhance faster rates of capital accumulation for greater productivity gains and economic growth as well as the need to complement market development with real sector macroeconomic policy thrust like significant reduction in lending rates to stimulate investment and manufacturing activities in the real sector and translate capital market gains to real sector output growth. Keywords: Capital Market; Development; Economic Growth DOI: 10.3860/ber.v20i2.1915 DLSU Business & Economics Review 20.2 (2011), pp. 79-96


The small moving parts in acoustic and vibration microsensors are especially susceptible to mechanical noise resulting from molecular agitation. For sensors designed for small-signal applications, this mechanical-thermal noise is often one of the limiting noise components. Several techniques for calculating the mechanical-thermal noise in acoustic and vibration sensors in general, and in micromachined sensors in particular, are reviewed. >


BACKGROUND
The laboratory component of any science course is a long established way of teaching students more than just concepts. Laboratories provide ways to not only visualise and strengthen theories learned in the classroom, but to gain agility in handling laboratory equipment.

The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a regional university owned by 12 member countries, supported through 14 campuses spread over an area of 30 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, with 20,000 students enrolled. At USP, CH102 (Reactions/Principles of Organic Chemistry) is delivered as a compulsory first year course for those who wish to complete a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree Program, with a major or minor in chemistry.

AIMS
In this investigation, we seek to analyse and rationalise the thoughts, experiences and perceptions of chemistry practicals by undergraduate students at USP.

DESIGN AND METHODS
This study involved using a questionnaire based survey (with ethics approval) that involved a mix of qualitative and quantitative responses. It contained 10 questions as described by Naiker, Wakeling and Aldred (2013), with the key changes being: in question 5 the weighting was 20 % not 32% and the Chemistry course being CH102; in question 9 the 'other assessable components' referred to were tutorials and tests. The questionnaire was given to first year chemistry students from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji, who were recruited to complete the survey (hard-copy) during their second week of Semester 2 in 2012. Descriptive statistics were formulated and qualitative results were grouped by theme, with quantitative data analysed using a Likert scale (1 lowest -5 highest).

RESULTS
The response rate for the survey was 58% (121/209 students) and there was overwhelming agreement (95%) by the students that laboratory practical work is essential for their learning. The key reasons noted were the benefit of seeing things for 'real' and skills development, particularly observational, teamwork and specific laboratory and safety skills. Students felt practical activities were more important (88%) to them than tutorial classes and tests. The students disliked having to write practical reports (45%) and would prefer a greater range of topics were covered. Regarding a weighting of 20% for the practical activity, there was a 50:50 split between it being 'about right' and students feeling it should be more. While 50% of students saw no barriers to successfully completing laboratory work, the main barrier was related to time management and completing reports. The key area where students felt their practical experience could be improved was in providing in-depth pre-laboratory explanations to better prepare the students and also interactive guidance in the laboratory environment to ensure students gained the most from the experience.

CONCLUSIONS
Laboratory work is considered to be essential to students studying chemistry at USP, with a key reason being that it allows a clear link between theory and practice to be made. The high regard students place on laboratory work should be balanced by an assessment weighting that reflects its importance. Importantly, students see laboratory work as providing key skills vital to their overall success.

REFERENCES
Naiker, M., Wakeling, L., Aldred, P. (2013). The relevance of chemistry practicals – first year student's perspective at a regional university in Victoria, Australia. Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Australian National University, September 19th to September 21st, page 169-173.


Abstract Why has there been no jihadist civil war in Southeast Asia? Although there has been a global surge in armed conflicts where at least one side fights for self-proclaimed Islamist aspirations, the region of Southeast Asia stands out by not having experienced a single jihadist civil war after 1975. Yet, so far, there have been no systematic comparisons of the frequency and nature of the Islamist violence in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. This study therefore contributes by exploring the empirical trajectories in the region and situating Southeast Asia to global developments, utilizing new and unique data on religiously defined armed conflicts 1975–2015. We find that whereas the number of people killed in Islamist violence has increased in the rest of the world, it has decreased in Southeast Asia. We argue that Southeast Asia has prevented outbreaks of jihadist civil wars, and contained and partially resolved ongoing Islamist conflicts before they have escalated, due to three interrelated factors: the lack of internationalization of Islamist conflicts in the region, the openness of political channels for voicing Islamist aspirations, and government repression. This article suggests insights from the region that can be valuable from a global perspective.


The acute handling hazards of several alkylalkanolamines were determined by investigating their potential acute toxicity and primary irritancy. Materials studied were N-methylethanolamine (MEA), N, N, -dimethylethanolamine (DMEA), N, N, -dimethylisopropanolamine (DMIPA), N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), and tertbutyldiethanolamine (BDEA). All these alkylalkanolamines were of comparable acute peroral toxicity in the rat (LD50 range 1.48-2.83 ml/kg). By 24 h occluded epicutaneous contact in the rabbit, MEA, DMEA and DMIPA were of moderate acute percutaneous toxicity (LD50 range 1.13-2.0 ml/kg), MDEA was of slight acute percutaneous toxicity (LD50 male 9.85 ml/kg, female 10.90 ml/kg), and BDEA of intermediate toxicity (LD50 6.4 ml/kg). Due to differences in vapor pressure the acute vapor exposure toxicity of the alkylalkanolamines to rats varied; MEA, MDEA and BDEA were of a low order of acute toxicity, and DMIPA was moderately toxic with an LT50 of 3.2 h for a saturated vapor atmosphere exposure. A 4 h-LC50 (rat combined sex) of 1461 ppm was determined for DMEA. All alkylalkanolamines studied, except MDEA, were moderately to markedly irritating and caused variable degrees of skin corrosivity; MDEA caused only transient minor skin irritation. In accord with the skin irritancy results, the eye irritancy from 0.005 ml MEA, DMEA, DMIPA and BDEA was severe, and that from MDEA was slight. Exposure to these compounds has implications for occupational health procedures.


Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a genetically inherited disorder characterized by the presence of multiple central nervous system tumours, most pathognomonic being bilateral vestibular schwannomas with or without peripheral manifestations in the form of cataract or cutaneous neurofibromas. NF2 is an uncommon disorder compared to NF1. We describe a classical case of neurofibromatosis type 2 with florid clinical manifestations and characteristic neuroimaging features. We also briefly describe the literature pertaining to this rare disorder. The case also emphasizes the fact that NF2 should be considered in the list of differentials for ataxia especially when it is associated with sensory neural hearing loss.


Anemia associated with chronic renal disease remains a major concern for nephrologists as it significantly increases the morbidity and mortality in this patient group. The introduction of erythropoietin has dramatically changed the treatment of anemia in uremic patients. However, some patients showed hyporesponsiveness to erythropoietin because of inadequate iron supply to the erythroid bone marrow. Patients undergoing chronic intermittent hemodialysis are especially vulnerable to iron deficiency due to blood loss during the hemodiaylsis sessions, gastrointestinal bleeding and compromised gastrointestinal absorption. Demand for iron is also increased by the treatment for anemia with erythropoietin. Intravenous administration is more effective than oral iron supplemantation in renal failure patients. Some studies have raised concerns of the potential serious side effects associated with intravenous iron administration. Besides anaphylactic reactions that were reported to occur in less than 1% of patients treated with iron dextran and have not been associated with other iron formulations, concerns about the long-term use of iron include the increased risk of infections and oxidative stress with consequent cardiovascular disease. Therapy with dextran-free iron formulations is an essential part of anemia treatment protocols, and was not found to be associated with either short- or long-term serious side effects.


Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common childhood genetic disease, affecting one in 3,500 newborn boys and, causing progressive muscle weakness, heart and respiratory failure and premature death. This disease is caused by the mutations in the dmd gene, that disrupt the open reading frame in the dmd gene, leading to the absence of the spectrin-like cytoskeletal protein, dystrophin. Although a number of promising new molecular therapies are being studied intensively, none of them has been established. Exon skipping by antisense oligonucleotides (AOs), a molecular manipulation of pre-mRNA splicing engineered to yield a genetic correction, is a novel method for restoring the reading frame of the mutated dmd gene, and for rescuing dystrophin expression. We have recently reported that the systemic delivery of AOs, targeting exons 6 and 8 of the canine dmd gene, efficiently recovered functional dystrophin at the sarcolamma of dystrophic dogs, CXMDJ and improved the performance of the affected dogs without serious side effects. To optimize therapeutic AOs for more frequent mutations in the dmd gene, we designed AOs targeting exon 51 of the mouse dmd gene, and injected these separately or in combination into the muscles of mdx52 mice, whose exon 52 was deleted. A combination of two AOs, targeting the acceptor and the donor splice sites of exon51, demonstrated excellent restoration of sarcolemmal dystrophin in injected muscle. We, therefore, injected these same two AOs into mdx52 mice via weekly intravenous injections. Two weeks after the final injection, dystrophin was expressed throughout the body at the sarcolemma, at about 10-40% of normal levels. This was accompanied by attenuation of the dystrophic pathology, and improvement of skeletal muscle function without side effects. This study provides a proof of concept for exon51 skipping in the DMD animal model that can be applicable in up to 15% of DMD deletion patients. It is important to verify the effectiveness and side effects of AOs in experimental animal models such as dystrophic dogs or mdx52 mice, before clinical trials in DMD patients. There has also been rapid progress in understanding how splice-correction therapy could be applied to the treatment of other neuromuscular diseases where splicing is closely related to the disease mechanism.


In this paper, we ask whether interviewers influence the answers to a standard set of survey questions on financial literacy. We study data from Germany's wealth survey, the Panel on Household Finances (PHF). We have access to extensive auxiliary data, including interviewer identifiers, background characteristics of interviewers and measures of interviewer activity through the survey. We find that interviewer effects explain a significant fraction of the variance of the financial literacy score, and intra‐interviewer correlations are notably larger for the financial literacy score than for other survey variables. We explore how accounting for interviewer effects can improve estimates of the effects of financial literacy on financial behaviours and outcomes.


This is an ambitious effort attempting to present as many aspects as possible in a review article on asparaginases (ASNase), and their use against acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and T-cell lymphomas. In the process, the modes of drug resistance are described both of the host and in the leukemia cells themselves. These modes of drug resistance, developed by the ALL cells, are an attempt to overcome the toxic insult this class of anti-leukemic drugs causes to them. It is expected that by reading this article one would obtain a better understanding of the initial events in the leukemia development, its microenvironment, and the many issues that a leukemia specialist has to deal with, especially in the treatment of refractory and relapsed patient populations. The specific issues addressed in this review deal with the importance of nutrients in tumor growth and progression of malignancies; the cytogenetics of ALL, as well as its chemotherapy, are also briefly presented. The emphasis will turn to ASNase, their mechanisms of action, the immune responses they cause in a significant percentage of the ALL patients, the significance of the up-regulation of glutamine synthetase and asparagine synthetase and the complexity of the elucidation of the mechanisms of action of ASNase. Additional details on the ASNase epitope mapping of anti-ASNase antibodies, the degradation of the protein, and the unmet needs in producing an optimal ASNase protein, will be also presented. Finally, a brief description of the toxicity, as well as the correlative factor of ALL treatment with ASNase is given.


Aim: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is commonly seen in the general population. Mechanisms proposed as the underlying pathogenesis include visceral hypersensitivity, alteration in bowel motility, psychological status and abnormal intestinal barrier. It has been observed that circadian rhythms and sleep are altered by shift work, which may ultimately increase stress and worsen health problems. The aim was to determine the prevalence of IBS among nurses and evaluate the relationship between shift work and IBS. Method: One hundred and twenty four nurses at different cadres volunteered to take part in the study. Questionnaires were administered to collect demographic data and all the subjects also completed the IBS module from Rome III diagnostic questionnaire. Results: A total of 124 female nurses participated in the study. The mean age was 38.5±7.7 years with a range between 21 and 57 years. Using Rome III criteria, irritable bowel syndrome was observed in 56 (45.2%) of the subjects. According to subtypes, diarrhoea predominant IBS (IBS-D) was observed in 30.4%, constipation predominant (IBS-C) was observed in 8.9%, while mixed subtype (IBS-M) was seen in 60.7% of the subjects. Using logistic regression analysis; age group 20-29 years, length of practice less than five years, multiple qualifications and involvement in shift duty have the highest risk of developing IBS. Conclusion: Rotating shift work could increase the risk of developing IBS and as such, individuals with IBS or other gastrointestinal symptoms should be educated on the possible negative effect of their work schedule on such symptoms or disorder.


Military aircrews are beginning to experience the benefits of having GPS quality navigation information available in the cockpit. Aircraft integrated in accordance with the Navy GPS integration guidance received a two-frequency military receiver with precise positioning service accuracy, a MIL-STD-1553B digital navigation data bus, electronic data transfer capability, and area navigation capability displayed on the flight instruments. There are several upgrades for military GPS being developed but the biggest change will come when the operators start to apply this new level of platform navigation accuracy in their tactical operations. A significant improvement in situational awareness and tactical effectiveness is possible when friendly military aircraft self-report their accurate position and identification.


To investigate the impact of respiratory movement to determine the target volume on cone beam CT (CBCT) for lung tumor, we used CIRS dynamic thorax phantom (Model-CIRS008) to simulate the sinusoidal motion of lung tumor. With a constant amplitude, the ratio of the time of near-end-expiratory and near-end-inspiratory (E/I) changed when it was scanned with CBCT. We analyzed the contrast changes of target by extracting the CT value of each pixel on the center line of the target movement direction. The targets were contoured with region growing method and compared with the motion volume generated by the tumor trajectory method. The result showed that the contrast of near-end-expiratory increased and the contrast of near-end-inspiratory decreased with increasing E/I. The contoured volume generated by region growing method decreased with increasing E/I. When E/I = 4, the amplitude A = 1 cm, diameter of 1 cm and 3 cm target volumes were reduced by 48.2% and 22.7%. The study showed that CBCT was not suitable to be used to accurately determine the range of lung tumor movement. The internal target volume (ITV) may be underestimated in CBCT images.


Abstract Bogner, J.: Zomicarpella maculata (Araceae) rediscovered, with notes on the tribe Zomicarpeae. — Willdenowia 37: 523–534. — ISSN 0511-9618; © 2007 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. doi:10.3372/wi.37.37210 (available via http://dx.doi.org/) Zomicarpella maculata was described from Colombia in 1881 and never found again until recently, when three new collections from Peru were made. A detailed, revised description and illustrations of this interesting species are provided, and its history, identity and relationships are discussed. Keys to the four genera of the tribe Zomicarpeae and the two species of the genus Zomicarpella are included.


. An advanced coupling between a three-dimensional ocean circulation model (CROCO) and a spectral wave model (WAVEWATCH-III) is presented to better represent wave-current interactions in coastal areas. In the previous implementation of the coupled interface between these two models, some of the wave-induced terms in the ocean dynamic equations were computed from their monochromatic approximations (e.g., Stokes drift, Bernoulli head, near-bottom wave orbital velocity, wave-to-ocean energy flux). In the present study the exchanges of these fields computed from the spectral wave model are 5 implemented and evaluated. A set of numerical experiments for a coastal configuration of the circulation near the Bay of Somme (France) is designed. The impact of the spectral versus monochromatic computation of wave-induced terms significantly affects the hydrodynamics at coastal scale in the case of storm waves and winds opposed to tidal flows, reducing the wave-induced deceleration of the vertical profile of tidal currents. This new implementation provides current magnitudes closer to measurements than those predicted using their monochromatic formulations, particularly at the free surface. The spectral 10 surface Stokes drift and the near-bottom wave orbital velocity are found to be the most impacting spectral fields, respectively increasing advection towards the free surface and shifting the profile close to the seabed. In the particular case of the Bay of Somme, the approximation of these spectral terms with their monochromatic counterparts ultimately results in an underestimation of ocean surface currents. Our model developments thus provide a better description of the competing effects of tides, winds


Cataloging the complex behaviors of dynamical systems can be challenging, even when they are well-described by a simple mechanistic model. If such a system is of limited analytical tractability, brute force simulation is often the only resort. We present an alternative, optimization-driven approach using tools from machine learning. We apply this approach to a novel, fully-optimizable, reaction-diffusion model which incorporates complex chemical reaction networks (termed"Dense Reaction-Diffusion Network"or"Dense RDN"). This allows us to systematically identify new states and behaviors, including pattern formation, dissipation-maximizing nonequilibrium states, and replication-like dynamical structures.


In paraplegics, gait can be restored by means of functional electrical stimulation (FES). Because the electrophysiological responses of the lower limbs to the neuromuscular stimulus are not completely deterministic, several stimulation strategies have been reported in an attempt to refine stepping motion. In open-loop (OL) systems, the electrical stimulation sequences applied over the leg muscles are often tuned for each patient in order to improve the quality of gait. Our aim was to contrast this traditional technique against variable stimulation sequences based on motion sensors (MS) data feedback. Both strategies were tested over 240 stepping trials in three complete paraplegics. In comparison to OL, which used a customised stimulation sequence for each subject, the same MS strategy was as functional for all three subjects. Despite MS producing a lower variability on step lengths, the toe clearances had a similar pattern of variability regardless of the strategy applied. Although the novel MS showed promising results, the reliability of OL was also demonstrated. Therefore, we still recommend the use of OL mainly due to its faster donning and doffing, since this is a matter of importance for the user acceptance of any rehabilitation systems.


We present alignment problems in current forecasting platforms, such as Good Judgment Open, CSET-Foretell or Metaculus. We classify those problems as either reward specification problems or principal-agent problems, and we propose solutions. For instance, the scoring rule used by Good Judgment Open is not proper, and Metaculus tournaments disincentivize sharing information and incentivize distorting one's true probabilities to maximize the chances of placing in the top few positions which earn a monetary reward. We also point out some partial similarities between the problem of aligning forecasters and the problem of aligning artificial intelligence systems.


Assortment-distortion with respect to the X and NOR activity of a rare mitotically stable B chromosome (BN), was examined in 16 males of Dichroplus pratensis (Acrididae: Melanoplinae) from Argentine populations. In 1B individuals, the X and B associate preferentially during prophase I reaching a maximum level of association at zygotene. Frequency of X/B association remains relatively high up to diplotene-diakinesis and decreases steeply towards metaphase I. The percent X/B association at each stage is positively influenced by association at the previous stage, and interindividual variability in X/B association decreases as the frequency of association increases. Both chromosomes tended to preferentially orientate toward the same pole at MI (mean ratio of 16 individuals, 1.50:1) which determined an excess of XB and 00 second spermatocytes over X0 and 0B ones (1.39:1). No significant differences occurred between the MI, AI and MII assortment ratios. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) confirmed that the B chromosome carries ribosomal genes and helped to establish that, during spermiogenesis, both the B and the normal NOR-bearing chromosome (S8) are clustered near the centriole adjunct region of spermatids. However, FISH failed to reveal the existence of inactive ribosomal cistrons in the X chromosome, as previously suggested, thus providing no support to a simple origin of the B from the X.


Objective Quality of life measures can provide an important source of medical information for promoting the health status of chronically ill patients. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate health related quality of life in psychiatric veterans of the Iraq- Iran war of the 1980s. Methods They were out patients diagnosed with various psychiatric symptoms. The present study used a cross sectional design, in which 971 psychiatric veterans were selected by Systematic-randomized sampling and evaluated using the SF36 questionnaire. Results Findings revealed that veterans who suffered from one or more chronic conditions/illnesses reported significantly more bodily pain and significantly less vitality, mental and general health compared to those veterans without chronic conditions. Moreover, specific aspects of poor quality of life were more salient in specific chronic conditions/illnesses than others. Conclusion Based on these findings, chronic conditions, especially respiratory problems, can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life in psychiatric war veterans.


The paper gives an overview of micronutrients deficiency effects and the recent maiden steps taken for food fortification in Tanzania. Tanzania is commended for starting a food fortification program. In 2013 a pilot project was introduced for grain fortification with iron, zinc and folic acid. It has been implemented in Manzese and Tandale Wards of Dar-es- Salaam. The project is aligned to the Scaling Up of Nutrition initiative (SUN) launched by President Jakaya Kikwete in 2012. This means the President declared a war against malnutrition and food fotification as one of the strategies. It is expected that the food fortification pilot project will succeed and will be emulated in the rest of Tanzania, Africa and in the whole developing world. Thus Food fortification is not too late. KEY WORDS: Food fortification, Tanzania, Nutrition


Research Summary As firms mature, their founders are often replaced with seasoned executives. When founders are retained, the surrounding top management team (TMT) members are viewed as critical resources in helping compensate for the founder's managerial deficiencies. Surprisingly, however, little is known about how TMT members affect a founder‐led firm's performance later in a firm's life. Using novel methods and a sample of over 2,000 firms, we address this gap. We find that although team structure has a significant impact on the performance of nonfounder‐led firms (consistent with past literature), it has little to no effect on the operating performance of founder‐led firms, suggesting that founder chief executive officers (CEOs) may exert too much control. Thus, the irony is that founders are retained to propel progress but their very retention may prevent progress. Taken together, our findings add to the entrepreneurship, team, and research methods literatures. Managerial Summary Although founders have the entrepreneurial skills to successfully grow a startup, they generally lack the managerial skills required to lead a large, public firm. As a result, many founder CEOs are replaced before a firm goes public. When founders do stay as CEO, the prevailing belief is that they require a strong TMT to help compensate for the founder's managerial deficiencies. However, given founders' desire to retain control, there is a question of whether they will rely on that team, or if they will simply continue to follow their own intuition. We find evidence that founder CEOs are much less likely to listen to and benefit from their teams relative to nonfounder CEOs.


Objective: To describe the associations between dietary patterns with nutrient intakes differentiated by sex and race. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 71751 subjects (mean age 59 years, 65% female, 76% white) from the Adventist Health Study 2. Participants completed a 204-item validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Five dietary patterns were established: non vegetarian, semi vegetarians, pesco vegetarians, lacto ovo vegetarians and strict vegetarians. ANCOVA and linear regression analysis were used to determine differences of nutrient intakes by dietary patterns. Non-dietary variables, such as age, smoking and physical activity were taken into account and associations between dietary pattern and BMI were compared. Analysis was repeated by stratifying for sex and race. Results: Strict vegetarians had the lowest BMI, with graded higher BMI levels for dietary patterns with greater fractions of animal plant protein, total fat and saturated fatty acids but similar total caloric intakes. Mean nutrient intake was more dissimilar across dietary pattern than between the sexes or blacks and whites. In general nutrient intakes were more similar between males and females than between blacks and whites with blacks revealing a strikingly higher percentage of non vegetarians than whites. Supplement intakes were often markedly higher in females than in males and higher in whites than in blacks with mean micronutrient intakes for all dietary patterns being well above the estimated average requirements for American adults in both sexes and blacks and whites. Conclusions: All groups met current American nutrient requirements. Nutrient intakes varied more markedly between dietary pattern than between sex or race. Lower BMI levels were associated with dietary patterns characterized by higher plant food intake despite generally similar caloric intake across dietary patterns warranting further investigation.


In this paper, we propose a new feature extraction algorithm for brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). This algorithm is based on inverse models and uses the novel concept of fuzzy region of interest (ROI). It can automatically identify the relevant ROIs and their reactive frequency bands. The activity in these ROIs can be used as features for any classifier. A first evaluation of the algorithm, using a support vector machine (SVM) as classifier, is reported on data set IV from BCI competition 2003. Results are promising as we reached an accuracy on the test set ranging from 85 % to 86 % whereas the winner of the competition on this data set reached 84%.


At present, Alzheimer disease has no effective treatment due to its complex pathophysiology, which is not yet completely understood. However, abnormal cholinergic function has been shown to play an important role in the many types of brain neurotransmitter dysfunction found in Alzheimer patients. Accordingly, cholinesterase inhibitors that strengthen cholinergic neurotransmission, including galantamine, donepezil, and rivastigmine, are considered first-line drugs for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer disease. We present the first reported case of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) following the administration of galantamine. An 81-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, spondyloarthropathy, and recently diagnosed Alzheimer-type degenerative dementia was brought to our department for emergency examination. She presented with a generalized itchy skin rash that had developed 5 days earlier, associated with a sensation of poor temperature regulation and no measurable fever. The physical examination showed large erythematous, edematous plaques on the trunk and limbs with multiple nonfollicular monomorphic pustules. The lesions on the limbs were more isolated and had a target morphology (Fig. 1). Small isolated areas of superficial epidermal detachment were also observed. No involvement of the oral or genital mucosa or ocular discomfort was observed. Palpation did not reveal visceromegaly or enlarged lymph nodes. The only relevant recent change in medication was the addition of galantamine, which had been prescribed by the neurologist in the preceding month to treat the patient's


Biological databases are an important resource for the life sciences community. Accessing the hundreds of databases supporting molecular biology and related fields is a daunting and time‐consuming task. Integrating this information into one access point is a necessity for the life sciences community, which includes researchers focusing on human disease. Here we discuss the Ensembl genome browser, which acts as a single entry point with Graphical User Interface to data from multiple projects, including OMIM, dbSNP, and the NHGRI GWAS catalog. Ensembl provides a comprehensive source of annotation for the human genome, along with other species of biomedical interest. In this unit, we explore how to use the Ensembl genome browser in example queries related to human genetic diseases. Support protocols demonstrate quick sequence export using the BioMart tool. Curr. Protoc. Hum. Genet. 69:6.11.1‐6.11.34 © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Summary
A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) separation on C8 column and quantitative method were developed to analyse hydroxyl derivatives of benzoic and cinnamic acid and flavonoids in horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) extracts. Total phenolic content of n-butanol, ethyl acetate and water extracts, determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, was 96.4, 26.4 and 15.4 mg g−1 of dry extracts, respectively. The antioxidative activity of horsetail extracts was tested by measuring their ability to scavenge stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reactive hydroxyl radicals by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the free radical scavenging activity (versus both DPPH and hydroxyl radicals) depended on the type and concentration of applied extracts; the highest DPPH (EC50 = 0.65 mg mL−1) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities (EC50 = 0.74 mg mL−1) were obtained in the case of n-butanol extract. The radical scavenging activity of extracts significantly correlated with total phenolic content. The antimicrobial tests showed that ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts inhibited the growth of tested bacteria.


Circular RNA without a stop codon enables rolling circle translation. To produce circular RNAs, we carried out one-pot chemical synthesis of circular RNA from RNA fragments with the use of an EDC/HOBt-based chemical ligation reaction. The synthesized circular RNAs acted as translation templates, despite the presence of unnatural phosphoramidate linkages.


OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of iron status on cadmium dose among pregnant women.

METHODS
Iron status and cadmium concentration in blood, urine, and placenta were determined among women followed for 2 years from early pregnancy.

RESULTS
Blood cadmium and urinary cadmium were correlated with iron status throughout the study period. Urinary cadmium increased longitudinally among women with exhausted iron stores during their pregnancy. The increase in urinary cadmium with age was more pronounced in multiparous than in nulliparous women.

CONCLUSIONS
Iron deficiency during pregnancy leads to increased cadmium absorption and body burden. Multiparous women exhibit additional increases with increasing age.


PURPOSE
The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a dentifrice containing Brazilian Red Propolis (BRP) against salivary Lactobacillus spp. and plaque formation.

METHODS
This was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Forty-two participants were randomized into two groups according to the dentifrice employed: G1 (fluoridated BRP dentifrice) and G2 (fluoridated common dentifrice). Saliva was collected and the visible plaque index (VPI) was recorded at the baseline (D0) and 4 weeks after day 0 (D28). Microbiological analysis was performed using two dilutions. Lactobacillus spp. isolates were identified and their abundance was expressed as log (CFU/mL).

RESULTS
For the first dilution, the counts of Lactobacillus spp. in G1 was 1.15 ± 0.41 at D0 and 0.68 ± 0.15 at D28 (P < 0.05) and in G2 it was 1.33 ± 0.52 at D0 and 1.84 ± 0.39 at D28 (P < 0.05). For the second dilution, the corresponding values in G1 and G2 were 0.87 ± 0.34 and 0.64 ± 0.37, respectively (P = 0.1547), and 1.54 ± 0.47 and 1.62 ± 0.37, respectively (P = 0.9999). The corresponding VPI values for G1 and G2 were 38.10 ± 17.95 and 20.60 ± 16.44, respectively (P < 0.05), and 38.38 ± 19.65 and 27.40 ± 14.63, respectively (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION
The dentifrice containing BRP showed antimicrobial activity against Lactobacillus spp. and decreased the VPI for up to 4 weeks.


ABSTRACT Francisella tularensis is a gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of tularemia. Little is known about the immunopathogenesis of oral infection with this pathogen. Here, for the first time, we examined the susceptibility of mice to intragastric inoculation with virulent type A F. tularensis and characterized the course of infection and the associated host responses. Both immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice were relatively susceptible to intragastric inoculation of type A F. tularensis with a 50% lethal dose (LD50) of 106 organisms, which was 100,000-fold higher than the LD100 for intradermal or respiratory routes of infection. Mice deficient in gamma interferon or tumor necrosis factor receptors 1 and 2 were more susceptible than wild-type controls to oral infection with a high dose of the pathogen. After oral inoculation, F. tularensis appeared first in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and then rapidly spread to the livers and spleens, where the organism multiplied to high numbers and induced marked neutrophilic infiltration and severe tissue necrosis. Infected mice showed rapid increases in tissue cytokine mRNA expression, which peaked in the MLN at 2 days postinfection (dpi) and in the liver and spleen at 3 dpi. The levels of gamma interferon, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α, KC, interferon-inducible protein 10, and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 were elevated from day 2 postinoculation onward. Moreover, mice intradermally immunized with the live vaccine strain of F. tularensis showed little survival advantage over naive mice after oral challenge with type A F. tularensis. These results suggest that type A F. tularensis is an effective oral pathogen that can cause fatal systemic infection and could pose a public health concern, particularly to immunocompromised individuals, if ingested in contaminated water and food.


Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the evolving epidemics in cardiovascular medicine. AF is projected to develop in 25% of currently 40-year-old adults,1 ,2 provokes many, often severe strokes, is associated with increased mortality and often leads to heart failure or sudden death even in well-anticoagulated patients.3 ,4 The last few years have seen the development of new approaches to detect and treat patients with AF, from ECG screening to surgical procedures to prevent recurrent AF. While these improvements provide tools to improve outcomes and quality of life in affected patients, they often need multidisciplinary input into patient management. It therefore seems timely that the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has issued new AF guidelines in August 2016.5

Reflecting the need for multidisciplinary input, the 2016 ESC AF guidelines task force consisted of cardiologists with different degrees of sub-specialisation, cardiac surgeons, a stroke neurologist and a specialist nurse, nominated by the ESC and its constituent bodies including the European Heart Rhythm Association, the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons and the European Stroke Organization. All recommendations were discussed and voted upon in a predefined process, accepting only recommendations supported by at least 75% of the Task Force members after a structured consultation. Thirty-three general reviewers reviewed the entire guideline in three iterations, while 49 additional reviewers nominated by the ESC National Societies focusing on the class I and III recommendations provided further valuable comments.5

ECG screening can help detect asymptomatic AF, allowing timely initiation of therapy, especially oral anticoagulation. This has the potential to prevent complications of AF, especially ischaemic strokes. The ESC guidelines recommend opportunistic ECG screening whenever a person aged 65 years or older is seen by a healthcare professional.6 In addition, and beyond prior guidelines, systematic ECG monitoring for at least 72 hours …


This study was conducted to assess and compare the cardiovascular risk and to explore the demography of CV risk of nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitors (COX-Is) and selective COX-2-Is in arthritic patients. In this comparative matched case control study adult arthritic patients of either sex taking COX-Is for > 1 yr; were included. Arthritic age and sex matched individuals with no history of COX-Is treatment were the controls. Patients those with history of any other disease (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, stroke, IHD etc.) were excluded. Patients were grouped into Control, nonselective COX-I and selective COX-2-I groups. The CV risk factors like blood pressure, blood sugar level( BSL) , lipid profile, BMI(body mass index) etc. were assessed and compared; demography of CV risk factors i.e. age, sex, smoking, alcohol, heredity was also studied. Qualitative data was analyzed using Chi-square and quantitative data was analyzed by student's't'-test. Study clearly revealed that all NSAIDs exhibit significant CV risk when taken over a period of time as in arthritis. However selective COX 2-Is found to exhibit more CV risk in this regard. Odds ratio (OR) for CV risk=10.3 ( 95% CI: 1.45, 3.31) and OR for CV risk=5.2 ( 95%CI: 1.05, 2.57) for nonselective COX-I s. BMI, BSL and lipid profile; the potential CV risk factors, showed significant impairment in selective COX 2-Is group; P <0.05, P <0.05 and P <0.01 (HDL), P<0.001 (cholesterol), respectively compared to controls and P <0.05 compared to nonselective COX-Is. This study portrays the potential CV risk of selective COX 2-Is and confirms and re-evaluate the results of earlier studies in this regard. Keywords : Anti-arthritic agents; BMI; COX-Is; CV risk; Lipid profile. © 2014 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsr.v6i2.17039 J. Sci. Res. 6 (2), 328-338 (2014) Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE


Chromatin affects many, if not all aspects, of nuclear organization and function. For this reason, we have focused our attention on elucidating some of the basic mechanisms regulating the formation and maintenance of chromatin, specifically concerning Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and PR-Set7. PRC2 is responsible for catalyzing trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 and thus has a critical role in the formation of facultative heterochromatin. PR-Set7 is responsible for catalyzing monomethylation of lysine 20 of histone H4 and is required for proper cell cycle progression and DNA damage response. We have also expanded our work to establish novel techniques and approaches to determine how chromatin is spatially regulated within the nuclear landscape.


In this paper an original experimental device is presented. It allowed to obtain, for the first time, the total amount of liquid and vapour of metal created on the electrode surface by a non stationary electric arc (600 A/20 ms) burning in air at atmospheric pressure. The results are presented for two different materials Ag and AgSnO 2 and for electrode gap values in the range 1–10 mm. The amount of liquid and vapour created under the arc action is compared with usual erosion rate in the same experimental conditions. In the case of Ag electrodes the amount of liquid metal created on the anode may be 3 to 5 times higher than on the cathode although the usual erosion rates are more important at the cathode. For the anode, the usual erosion may represent a very low percentage ( 10%) of the total amount of metal liquid created showing then that a very small part of the liquid created during the arc is ejected. In the case of AgSnO 2 electrodes the amount of liquid metal is smaller. The usual erosion rates at the cathode are higher than for the anode and the usual erosion represent 10 to 50% of the amount of liquid and vapour created.


Two meta-analyses were performed quantifying the effectiveness of hypnosis as an intervention for obesity and the impact of adding hypnosis to cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) in producing weight loss. The primary meta-analysis comparing hypnosis with a control condition produced large effect sizes of 1.58 (p ⩽ .001) for 14 trials at the end of active treatment and 0.88 (p ⩽ .001) for 6 trials at the longest follow-up. The average participant receiving some form of hypnosis lost more weight than about 94% of control participants at the end of treatment and about 81% of controls at follow-up. The secondary meta-analysis comparing CBT with the same intervention augmented by hypnosis generated a small effect size of 0.25 (p ⩽ .05) for 11 trials at the end of active treatment and a large effect size of 0.80 (p ⩽ .001) for 12 trials at the longest follow-up in favor of the blended intervention. The average participant receiving CBT plus hypnosis lost more weight than about 60% of participants receiving only CBT at the end of treatment and about 79% of participants receiving only CBT at follow-up. Our findings suggest hypnosis is very effective in producing weight loss over a relatively short span of time, but more research is needed on the long-term benefits in follow-up periods of 1 to 5 years. Clinicians should view hypnosis as a promising treatment option for obesity, especially when used in conjunction with CBT techniques for weight loss.


An approach which closely maintains the non-dissipative nature of classical fourth- or higher-order spatial differencing away from shock waves and steep gradient regions while being capable of accurately capturing discontinuities, steep gradient, and fine scale turbulent structures in a stable and efficient manner is described. The approach is a generalization of the method of Gustafsson and Olsson and the artificial compression method (ACM) switch of Harten. Spatially non-dissipative fourth- or higher-order compact and non-compact spatial differencings are used as the base schemes. Instead of applying a scalar filter as in Gustafsson and Olsson, an ACM switch is used to signal the appropriate amount of second- or third-order total variation diminishing (TVD) or essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) types of characteristic based numerical dissipation. This term acts as a characteristic filter to minimize numerical dissipation for the overall scheme. For time-accurate computations, time discretizations with low dissipation are used. Numerical experiments on 2-D vortical flows, vortex?shock interactions, and compressible spatially and temporally evolving mixing layers showed that the proposed schemes have the desired property with only a 10% increase in operations count over standard second-order TVD schemes. Aside from the ability to accurately capture shock?turbulence interaction flows, this approach is also capable of accurately preserving vortex convection. Higher accuracy is achieved with fewer grid points when compared to that of standard second-order TVD, positive, or ENO schemes.


Uremia is associated with a state of immune dysfunction. Dysregulation of homeostasis may be directly related to abnormal apoptosis regulation in uremia, which is crucial for the maintenance of the biological system. We demonstrated that plasma from three groups of uremic subjects, i.e. hemodialysis (HD) patients, peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and patients with predialysis chronic renal failure (CRF), has different apoptotic potential on U937 monocytes. The plasma of HD and CRF subjects when incubated with U937 cells induced higher levels of apoptosis compared with that of PD and control subjects (HD 26.08 ± 11.39, CRF 24.87 ± 9.07, PD 12.13 ± 4.51, controls 11.69 ± 4.02). Furthermore, the phagocytic ability of U937 cells incubated with the various plasma demonstrated an impaired response in the HD and CRF subjects (HD 27.56 ± 6.67, CRF 30.24 ± 9.08, PD 36.55 ± 9.80, controls 40.04 ± 6.98). These results suggest that continuous blood purification, such as in PD, may have advantages over intermittent therapies in removing uremic apoptotic molecules and potentially maintaining biological function and homeostasis.


Abstract. The algorithm presented in this paper was developed to retrieve ice water
content (IWC) profiles in cirrus clouds. It is based on optimal estimation
theory and combines ground-based visible lidar and thermal infrared (TIR)
radiometer measurements in a common retrieval framework in order to retrieve
profiles of IWC together with a correction factor for the backscatter
intensity of cirrus cloud particles. As a first step, we introduce a method
to retrieve extinction and IWC profiles in cirrus clouds from the lidar
measurements alone and demonstrate the shortcomings of this approach due to
the backscatter-to-extinction ambiguity. As a second step, we show that TIR
radiances constrain the backscattering of the ice crystals at the visible
lidar wavelength by constraining the ice water path (IWP) and hence the IWC,
which is linked to the optical properties of the ice crystals via a realistic
bulk ice microphysical model. The scattering phase function obtained from the
microphysical model is flat around the backscatter direction (i.e., there is
no backscatter peak). We show that using this flat backscattering phase
function to define the backscatter-to-extinction ratio of the ice crystals in
the retrievals with the lidar-only algorithm results in an overestimation of
the IWC, which is inconsistent with the TIR radiometer measurements. Hence, a
synergy algorithm was developed that combines the attenuated backscatter
profiles measured by the lidar and the measurements of TIR radiances in a
common optimal estimation framework to retrieve the IWC profile together with
a correction factor for the phase function of the bulk ice crystals in the
backscattering direction. We show that this approach yields consistent lidar
and TIR results. The resulting lidar ratios for cirrus clouds are found to be
consistent with previous independent studies.


This paper presents a truly integrated antennas in mm and sub-mm wave regimes can be realized by printing planar radiating elements in the focal plane of elliptical or extended hemispherical lens antennas. The elliptical shape of the lens gives high focusing properties provided that its eccentricity is properly related to its dielectric constant (e=1/epsiv1/2 r). In the frame of cooperation activity between TNO and SRON, the main purpose of this contribution is to present a new way to increase the directivity of the focal plane feeds typically used to excite such lenses. The driving reason for this effort is the desire to diminish the impact of the reflections at the dielectric air interface when these structures are proposed as focal plane imagers.


The reaction of 5,5'-dibromo-2,2'-bithiophene with diarylamines in the presence of palladium acetate/tris-(t-butyl)phosphine as catalyst or by a titanium tetrachloride mediated oxidation of 2-(N,N-diarylamino)thiophenes has yielded a series of new N,N'-perarylated 5,5-diamino-2,2'-hithiophenes. These are electron-rich compounds with a low oxidation potential and have a high tendency to form amorphous glasses.


We report a case of ossification of the posterior atlantoaxial membrane associated with an os odontoideum in a 46-year-old woman. She developed myelopathy following a minor motor vehicle accident. The patient underwent posterior atlantoaxial arthrodesis and resection of the ossified lesion and recovered uneventfully. Long-standing atlantoaxial instability might have played a role in ectopic ossification of the posterior atlantoaxial membrane.


Ghrelin is an enteric peptide that is the only known circulating appetite stimulant. This feature of the hormone has garnered widespread attention, as reflected by more than 1000 scientific papers featuring ghrelin that have been published since the first reports of its orexigenic actions, approximately four years ago. In this review, we discuss data that support roles for ghrelin in the short-term regulation of pre-meal hunger and meal initiation, functioning as a unique orexigenic counterpart to short-acting gastrointestinal satiation factors, such as cholecystokinin (CCK). We also highlight evidence indicating that ghrelin satisfies recognized criteria to be viewed as a participant in long-term body-weight regulation--a potential anabolic counterpart to the traditional adiposity hormones, leptin and insulin. We then discuss the following controversial questions in ghrelin research and offer our opinions regarding these debates. (1) Is ghrelin synthesized within the brain? (2) How does ghrelin increase food intake? (3) Does des-acyl ghrelin have a physiologic function? (4) Are there receptors for ghrelin other than GHS-R1a? (5) Does ghrelin regulate insulin secretion? (6) Does ghrelin regulate gastrointestinal motility? (7) Can ghrelin or ghrelin-receptor agonists be used to treat wasting conditions? Finally, we offer a speculative model of ghrelin as a thrifty gene product that evolved to help animals consume and store fat well, thereby increasing their chances of survival during times of famine. We suggest that ghrelin is a "saginary" hormone, from the Latin, saginare, which means, "to fatten".


At a multinational company, daily written communication between staff, supervisors, customers, and suppliers is frequently conducted using digital tools (e.g., emails, smartphones, and texting applications) often across multiple nationally, linguistically, and conceptually defined borders. Determining digital tools' impact on intercultural encounters in professional environments like these is difficult but important given the sheer volume of digital contact in technical and professional environments and the ongoing global struggle to broker peace and productivity amid communities' many perceived differences. Using examples drawn from a case study of binational manufacturing sister companies, I build on recent work in professional, networked written communication to analyze two WhatsApp exchanges, one between a central study participant and his customer, another between the participant and an employee. This study shows how asynchronous digital communication tools created complex "silences" in writing between participants. In these silences (e.g., a lack of or delayed response to a text) individuals try to explain others' actions for themselves. Drawing on a combination of third-generation activity theory and Latourian actor-network theory, I show that while explaining others' actions in writing with whatever cultural shorthand is available may remain a common part of everyday life and research, it can be a poor guide for explaining others' actions, especially in digital writing. My study shows how research of, and instruction in, digital tool use in intercultural writing contexts requires attention to the material conditions and objectives potentially shaping one's own as well as others' composition choices.


The purposes of this research were to 1) compare the effects of self-correction, paper-pencil peer feedback, and online peer feedback on the students' writing achievement; 2) compare the effects of the students' levels of general English proficiency (high, moderate and low) on writing achievement; 3) investigate the interaction effect between the types of feedback and levels of general English proficiency on the students' writing achievement; and 4) survey the students' attitudes toward the use of feedback activity they experienced in terms of its efficiency, affective and cognitive aspects, and Thai cultural dimensions. The study was conducted with 72 engineering students having different levels of general English proficiency. They were randomly selected and assigned into three groups. Two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), descriptive statistics, and content analysis were used to analyze the data. The questionnaire and interview were used to gain more in-depth data. The results revealed that the different types of feedback and levels of English proficiency had a significantly different effect on the students' writing achievement, and the interaction effect was also found.


The success of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) relies on complex microbial processes. Nevertheless, the contribution and mechanism of in-situ denitrification to microbial oil recovery remain unclear. In this study, eight denitrifying bacterial strains, designated T1, D1, D44, D46, D15, S1, S2 and S6, were isolated from the produced water of Xinjiang Oilfield, China, by a double layered plate method. The16S rDNA gene sequences of these denitrifying strains shared 100% similarity with Pseudomonas stutzeri (T1, D1, and D44), Pseudomonas putida (D46 and D15), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (S1, S2, S6), respectively. The N2O production effects of these strains on the physical properties of crude oil were evaluated with batch experiment. Results showed that the highest total gas yield was observed with sucrose as carbon source, and the maximal concentration of N2O occurred with glycerol as carbon source. The denitrification process by these bacterial strains led to volume expansion and viscosity reduction of crude oil. Crude oil expansion rate was positively correlated with the concentration of N2O, with a correlation coefficient of 0.983, but not correlated with the volume of total gas production. Strain S1, S2, and S6 produced 530-730 mg·L-1 of surfactant using glycerol as ole carbon source, which could reduce surface tension and emulsify crude oil. However, these surfactant-producing strains produced less N2O, exhibited weaker effects on oil swelling and viscosity reduction, compared to the none-surfactant-producing denitrifying strains. Our results suggested that more attention should be paid to the ability of N2O production by denitrifying bacteria when exploiting microbial resources towards enhancing oil recovery.


We report herein the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation into the British language of the parent's version of two health related quality of life instruments. The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) is a disease specific health instrument that measures functional ability in daily living activities in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) is a generic health instrument designed to capture the physical and psychosocial well-being of children independently from the underlying disease. A total of 440 subjects were enrolled: 219 patients with JIA (17% systemic onset, 41% polyarticular onset, 33% extended oligoarticular subtype, and 9% persistent oligoarticular subtype) and 221 healthy children. The CHAQ clinically discriminated between healthy subjects and JIA patients, with the systemic, polyarticular and extended oligoarticular subtypes having a higher degree of disability, pain, and a lower overall well-being when compared to their healthy peers. Also the CHQ clinically discriminated between healthy subjects and JIA patients, with the systemic onset, polyarticular onset and extended oligoarticular subtypes having a lower physical and psychosocial well-being when compared to their healthy peers. In conclusion the British version of the CHAQ-CHQ is a reliable, and valid tool for the functional, physical and psychosocial assessment of children with JIA.


Waterborne polyurethane-ureas (pristine WBPUs: WBPU-19 and WBPU-24, fixed soft segment content: 60 wt %) containing dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA)/ethylene diamine (EDA) contents (19/16.8 and 24/11.4 mol %) were prepared. The polyaniline (PANI)-graft-WBPU (PANI-graft-WBPU) films were prepared by oxidative graft polymerization of aniline on the surface layer of WBPU films. This study focused on the effects of reaction conditions (concentrations/treating times/temperatures of aniline and APS) and DMPA content on the %grafting, conductivity, and mechanical properties of PANI-graft-WBPU films. To obtain the maximum %grafting (PANI-graft-WBPU-19: 6.2, and PANI-graft-WBPU-24: 7.4) and conductivity (PANI-graft-WBPU-19: 3.6 × 10−2S/cm, and PANI-graft-WBPU-24: 4.7 × 10−2S/cm), the optimum concentrations/treating times/temperatures of aniline and APS, were found to be 0.35M/10 min/25°C and 0.2M/10 min/0°C, respectively. The tensile strength of film samples was found to be increased in the order of PANI-graft-WBPU-19>pristine WBPU-19>PANI-graft-WBPU-24>pristine WBPU-24. The PANI-graft-WBPU-19 (%grafting: 6.2) films on exposure to 0–10,000 ppm phenol solutions showed a well-defined response behavior, demonstrating high promise for application in aqueous phenol sensors. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013


Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, most universities worldwide are forced to shift to distance learning and online learning. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of information quality (IQ), system quality (SYQ) and service quality (SEQ) on perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usability (PU), the impact of PEOU on PU, and the impact of PEOU and PU on behavioural intention to use e-learning. Questionnaires were distributed to the undergraduate students of Cihan University Erbil, and 238 valid questioners were returned. The results indicated the system characteristics, namely SYQ and IQ, significantly impacted PU. In contrast, SYQ and IQ had an insignificant effect on BI to use e-learning. Besides,  SEQ had a significant impact on PEOU and an insignificant impact on PU. Additionally, PEOU significantly impacted PU, while PEOU and PU significantly impacted BI to use e-learning. The current research has shown that the intention of implementing an e-learning system for university students is to investigate the student's intentions and objectives.


Prognosis and survival outcomes of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) strongly depend on age at diagnosis. In fact, long-term survival rates range from 60% in children and adolescent/young adults (AYA-AML: aged 15-39 years) to 10-15% in elderly patients (E-AML: aged >70 years). The currently available classification and prognostication models incorporate genomic features that include cytogenetics and molecular mutations based on adult AML clinical trials that mainly enroll patients outlying these two age categories. Consequently, prognostication models might still not account for the invariant genomic background of each subgroup. In this study, we aimed to dissect the genomic landscape of AYA-AML and E-AML cases in order to uncover patterns of distinct genomic features of important pathogenetic information, knowing how fundamental it is for the development of novel treatment approaches and more importantly for providing opportunities of individualization therapies.
 We studied the clinical and genomic characteristics of fully annotated sets of 198 AYA-AML and 414 E-AML cases from the Cleveland Clinic and publicly available data. Median age at diagnosis was 31 years for AYA-AML (range: 16-39 years) and 76 years (range: 71-100 years) for E-AML patients with a significant male preponderance noted in the latter cohort (65% vs 46%, P<0.0001). Based on the 2016 WHO classification, AML subtypes were differently distributed within the two subgroups. Low-risk AML (PML-RARA AML, core-binding factor AML, and CEBPA biallelic AML) was more prevalent among AYA cases while a higher odd of secondary AML (sAML) was found in E-AML. Compared to AYA-AML, E-AML were more typically presenting with a less proliferative disease phenotype, as outlined by a lower bone marrow blast infiltration (median: 34% vs 51%, P=0.04) and a higher frequency of leukopenia at baseline (66% vs 27%, P=0.009). In terms of cytogenetic abnormalities, when compared with AYA-AML, E-AML cases harbored more complex karyotype (32% vs 13%, P=0.002) and other cytogenetic abnormalities e.g., -5/del(5q) (14% vs 2%, P<0.0001), -7/del(7q) (14% vs 5%, P=0.001), -17/del(17p) (5% vs 1%, P=0.02), del(20q) (4% vs <1%, P=0.01) and trisomy 8 (14% vs 5%, P=0.0007) while a significantly lower odd of -9/del(9q) (<1% vs 4%, P=0.006).
 A total of 1092 somatic mutations were identified by next-generation sequencing of common myeloid genes. The AYA-AML cohort had a total of 249 mutations (ratio 1.25) while 843 mutations were reported in E-AML patients (ratio 2.04). Older patients, as compared to AYA-AML, had more mutations in age-related myeloid genes linked to clonal hematopoiesis, including mutations in DNMT3A (15% vs 6%, P=0.001), ASXL1 (14% vs 4%, P=0.0005), and TET2 (19% vs 7%, P=0.0002). As inferred from the cytogenetic comparisons, TP53 mutations were more frequently detected in E-AML (10% vs 2%, P=0.002) compared to AYA-AML, as they carried more chromosomal 5 and 17 abnormalities which are commonly associated with this genomic lesion. On the other hand, AYA-AML had a higher frequency of mutated WT1 gene (9% vs 2%, P=.0009). Multivariate Cox-Proportional hazard was performed to identify group-specific genomic lesions associated with survival in each cohort. In AYA-AML, normal karyotype (HR:0.59, P=0.02), t(15;17) translocation (HR:0.24, P=0.0001), inv(16)/t(8;21) (HR:0.52, P=0.02) and CEBPA biallelic (HR:0.50, P=0.02) were favorable lesions while complex karyotype had an adverse impact on survival (HR:3.0, P=0.0003). Moreover, while normal karyotype and t(15;17) translocation had a favorable impact in E-AML (HR:0.73, P=0.0001 and HR:0.28, P<0.0001, respectively), mutations in RUNX1 (HR:1.2, P=0.4), TET2 (HR:1.2, P=0.01), and TP53 (HR:1.97, P<0.0001) lead to worse outcomes.
 In conclusion, we demonstrated that E-AML cases are typically characterized by mutations belonging to the genomic subgroups of DNA methylation and chromatin modifiers, which have been reported to occur in age-related hematopoiesis or CHIP. Moreover, the complexity of aberrations (including cytogenetics) emphasizes that in this group of patients AML arises from a stepwise mutation acquisition model. In contrast, AYA-AML are typically characterized by favorable cytogenetic translocations and less clonal instability, dominated by the enrichment in myeloid leukemia driver gene mutations such as WT1.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


We present field and analytical results from the Tashkurgan and Waqia valleys in the southeastern Pamir that shed new light on the tectonic evolution and terrane architecture of the region. Field mapping of metasedimentary and igneous units along the Tashkurgan and Waqia valleys in the Southeast Pamir, integrated with metamorphic petrology, garnet-biotite thermometry, and zircon U/Pb isotopic analysis, help identify major structures and terrane boundaries in the region, as well as compare structural units across the Miocene Muztaghata gneiss dome. South of the Muztaghata dome, the gently northwest-plunging synformal Torbashi thrust klippe juxtaposes amphibolite facies Triassic Karakul-Mazar terrane schist and gneiss structurally above (1) greenschist facies Triassic Karakul-Mazar terrane metasedimentary rock in the north, and (2) lower-amphibolite facies schist in the south that are interpreted to be Gondwanan-derived crust (Central or South Pamir terrane). Farther south, the Rouluke thrust fault imbricates the Gondwanan crust, placing early Paleozoic schists over Permian marble and slate. Exposure of the Torbashi thrust sheet terminates in the southeast, and with it the surface exposure of the Triassic Karakul-Mazar terrane, leaving the Paleozoic Kunlun terrane juxtaposed directly against Gondwanan terrane crust. Based on lithologic and isotopic similarities of units north and south of the Muztaghata gneiss dome, we document the existence of a regionally extensive thrust nappe that stretched across the northern and eastern Pamir, prior to being cut by Miocene exhumation of the Muztaghata dome. The thrust nappe links the Torbashi thrust in the southeast Pamir with the Tanymas thrust in the northern Pamir, and documents regionally extensive exposure of lithologically continuous units across the northeast Pamir. While timing of emplacement of the Torbashi thrust klippe and displacement on the Rouluke fault to the south is not well constrained, we interpret shortening to be Cretaceous in age based on previously published cooling ages. However, a component of Cenozoic shortening cannot be ruled out.
 A key observation from our mapping results is that the surface exposures of the Karakul–Mazar–Songpan Ganzi terrane are not continuous between western Tibet and the Pamir, which indicates tectonic and/or erosional removal, likely sometime in the Mesozoic. Furthermore, our documentation of the Jinsha suture in the southeast Pamir on the eastern side of the Karakoram fault shows deflections of terranes across the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen were not primarily accommodated along discrete, large displacement faults (>400 km) faults. Instead, oroclinal bending of the northern Pamir, and dextral shear along the Pamir margins, may be largely responsible for the northward deflection of terranes.


Abstract An important, 2.4 km-thick Triassic succession is exposed at Nakhlak (central Iran). This succession was deformed during the Cimmerian orogeny and truncated by an angular unconformity with undeformed Upper Cretaceous sediments. This integrated stratigraphic study of the Triassic included bed-by-bed sampling for ammonoids, conodonts and bivalves, as well as limestone and sandstone petrographic analyses. The Nakhlak Group succession consists of three formations: Alam (Olenekian–Anisian), Bāqoroq (?Upper Anisian–Ladinian) and Ashin (Upper Ladinian). The Alam Formation records several shifts from carbonate to siliciclastic deposition, the Bāqoroq Formation consists of continental conglomerates and the Ashin Formation documents the transition to deep-sea turbiditic sedimentation. Petrographic composition has been studied for sandstones and conglomerates. Provenance analysis for Alam and most of the Ashin samples suggests a volcanic arc setting, whereas the samples from the Bāqoroq Formation are related to exhumation of a metamorphic basement. The provenance data, together with the great thickness, the sudden change of facies, the abundance of volcaniclastic supply, the relatively common occurrence of tuffitic layers and the orogenic calc-alkaline affinity of the volcanism, point to sedimentation along an active margin in a forearc setting. A comparison between the Triassic of Nakhlak and the Triassic succession exposed in the erosional window of Aghdarband (Koppeh Dag, NE Iran) indicates that both were deposited along active margins. However, they do not show the same type of evolution. Nakhlak and Aghdarband have quite different ammonoid faunal affinities during the Early Triassic, but similar faunal composition from the Bithynian to Late Ladinian. These results argue against the location of Nakhlak close to Aghdarband.


Using fuzzy sets for reasoning is what we mean when we talk about fuzzy logic. Contradictory natures are prevalent phenomena in the medical field. Guidelines are used by anesthesiologists when taking care of patients. After gauging the patient's vitals, he may make adjustments to the flow of medication and fluids, or even the ventilator settings. Knowledge about the real world is typically sketchy, inaccurate, and inconsistent. Due to the inherent representation of subjective human conceptions used in much medical decision making, fuzzy logic seems well-suited for use in anaesthesia. We have developed a fuzzy expert system using fuzzy methodology for the aim of fluid management during general anaesthesia. The desired intravenous fluid rate (IFR) is the defuzzified value that is output by the fuzzy expert system. Fuzzy inputs serve as antecedent parts of rules for a fuzzy expert system, and some examples of such inputs are mean arterial pressure (HUO), hourly urine output (HUO), and central venous pressure (CVP). It would only cost a little sum to have a human operator sometimes enter MAP, HUO, and CVP values into a personal computer for this purpose. The study's overarching goal was to devise a method for approximating IFR by making use of a linguistic description of MAP and HUO. Fuzzy sets, including decreasing, constant, and growing MAP and HUO rates of change, would assist to illustrate the trend in a patient's fluid state. To regulate fluid levels more precisely would be possible. Expert guidance in addition to the calculated use of fuzzy methods are essential for achievement of the desired outcome. Patients must be in generally good health before this mode may be used on them, and they must be undergoing minimally invasive surgery. Moderate to severe blood loss after surgery need more complex modalities involving more factors.


The author substantiates the necessity of taking into consideration teacher training university students' ordinary representations of identity as a component of intensive way of professional-pedagogic training in shaping different kinds of social and cultural identity in schoolchildren. Use of ordinary representations ensures providing continuity, strength, personal significance of acquired scientific and professional knowledge. The research methodology involves socio-cultural approach, intersubjective approach towards interpretation of identity, as well as approach focused on personal activity in the analysis of pedagogic practices. The author determines the peculiarities of "framework theories" spontaneously formed in world outlook of students of the teacher training university in the process of their professional training, using materials of empirical research (questioning techniques, as well as association and cinquain techniques). The differences between senior students' ordinary-professional representations of identity and younger students' ordinary representations of it are revealed. Typical (invariant) and singular (variational) characteristics, used by students for describing identity on conceptual, associational, and systemic-descriptional level, are defined. Unidimensionality of perceiving identity as sameness, similarity, belonging; the use of this concept for characterizing the human being, her self-determination; the presence of a certain share of statements with negative connotations in which identity is regarded as antipode of singularity, originality, unique personality; abstractedness, isolation from professional practice are all referred as the typical characteristics. The conclusion is drawn that unsystematic approach towards giving professional knowledge to future educators in the field of identity studies is invalid.


Maintenance of genomic integrity is an essential cellular function. We previously reported that the transcription factor and tumor suppressor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein δ (C/EBPδ, CEBPD; also known as "NFIL-6β") promotes genomic stability. However, the molecular mechanism was not known. Here, we show that C/EBPδ is a DNA damage-induced gene, which supports survival of mouse bone marrow cells, mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF), human fibroblasts, and breast tumor cells in response to the DNA cross-linking agent mitomycin C (MMC). Using gene knockout, protein depletion, and overexpression studies, we found that C/EBPδ promotes monoubiquitination of the Fanconi anemia complementation group D2 protein (FANCD2), which is necessary for its function in replication-associated DNA repair. C/EBPδ interacts with FANCD2 and importin 4 (IPO4, also known as "Imp4" and "RanBP4") via separate domains, mediating FANCD2–IPO4 association and augmenting nuclear import of FANCD2, a prerequisite for its monoubiquitination. This study identifies a transcription-independent activity of C/EBPδ in the DNA damage response that may in part underlie its tumor suppressor function. Furthermore, we report a function of IPO4 and nuclear import in the Fanconi anemia pathway of DNA repair.