Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an extremely contagious and cognitive disease that could cause immense hypoxemia. The rise in critically ill patients in epidemic regions has put enormous pressure on hospitals. There is a need to define extreme COVID-19 clinical determinants to optimize clinical diagnosis and the management system is strong. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is linked to a rapidly increasing risk of death rates in population pneumonia. In this research, a network of protein-protein interaction (PPI) was developed using constructed datasets of COVID-19 and COPD genes to define the interrelationship between COVID-19 and COPD, how it affects each other, and the genes that are responsible for the process. The PPI network shows the top 10 common overlapping genes, which include IL10, TLR4, TNF, IL6, CXCL8, IL4, ICAM1, IFNG, TLR2, and IL18. These are the genes that COVID-19 and high-risk COPD patients are known to be expressed. These important genes shared by COVID-19 and COPD are involved in pathways such as malaria, African trypanosomiasis, inflammatory bowel disease, Chagas disease, influenza, and tuberculosis.


Since the 1991 publication of the first Journal of Management special issue devoted to resource-based inquiry, resource-based theory (RBT) has evolved from a nascent, upstart perspective to one of the most prominent and powerful theories for understanding organizations. Indeed, 20 years after that landmark issue, RBT appears to have reached maturity as a theory. One implication of this maturity is that RBT lies at a critical juncture, one that will be followed either by revitalization of the theory or by its decline. In this introductory article, the authors provide a brief overview of the contributions provided by the commentaries and articles contained in this third Journal of Management special issue on RBT. These contributions center on five themes: interlinkages with other perspectives, processes of resource acquisition and development, the micro-foundations of RBT, RBT and sustainability, and method and measurement issues. Their view is that the commentaries and articles collectively offer a foundation for extending RBT in meaningful new directions and steering clear of decline. They also offer their thoughts about some key opportunities within each of the themes for further revitalizing research involving the RBT.


Drawing on historical sources and interviews, this paper discusses several key forces that have shaped the development of the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery in Newfoundland. Once commonly discarded as a pest, snow crab has emerged as the economic foundation of many rural coastal communities since the cod moratorium of the early 1990s. While this fishery has brought unprecedented prosperity to some commercial fishers, it has also been prone to significant price fluctuations and the benefits accruing from it have not been widely shared. Accordingly, it has also been marked by frequent and often bitter conflicts between different crab fishing fleet sectors and between crab fishers, processing companies, and processing plant workers. These tensions reflect fundamentally different visions of how to sustain the fishery into the future and which priorities should decide who benefits most from the crab resource.


That disorder can induce nontrivial topology is a surprising discovery in topological physics. As a typical example, Chern topological Anderson insulators (TAIs) have been realized in photonic systems, where the topological phases exist without symmetry protection. In this Letter, by taking transverse magnetic and transverse electric polarizations as pseudospin degrees of freedom, we theoretically propose a scheme to realize disorder-induced symmetry-protected topological phase transitions in two-dimensional photonic crystals with a combined time-reversal, mirror, and duality symmetry T_{f}=TM_{z}D. In particular, we demonstrate that the disorder-induced symmetry-protected topological phase persists even without pseudospin conservation, thereby realizing a photonic Z_{2} TAI, in contrast to a Z-classified quantum spin Hall (QSH) TAI with decoupled spins. By formulating a new scattering approach, we show that the topology of both the QSH and Z_{2} TAIs can be manifested by the accumulated spin rotations of the reflected waves from the photonic crystals. Using a transmission structure, we also illustrate the trivialization of a disordered QSH phase with an even integer topological index caused by spin coupling.


Haze removal or dehazing is a challenging ill-posed problem that has drawn a significant attention in the last few years. Despite this growing interest, the scientific community is still lacking a reference dataset to evaluate objectively and quantitatively the performance of proposed dehazing methods. The few datasets that are currently considered, both for assessment and training of learning-based dehazing techniques, exclusively rely on synthetic hazy images. To address this limitation, we introduce the first outdoor scenes database (named O-HAZE) composed of pairs of real hazy and corresponding haze-free images. In practice, hazy images have been captured in presence of real haze, generated by professional haze machines, and O-HAZE contains 45 different outdoor scenes depicting the same visual content recorded in haze-free and hazy conditions, under the same illumination parameters. To illustrate its usefulness, O-HAZE is used to compare a representative set of state-of-the-art dehazing techniques, using traditional image quality metrics such as PSNR, SSIM and CIEDE2000. This reveals the limitations of current techniques, and questions some of their underlying assumptions.


Total quality improvement (TQI) advocates that all staff members in an organization develop their own ideas on job improvement about their own specific jobs. This process helps to improve staff performance and to build continually on those improvements. This article will describe how the TQI process was used successfully by quality management staff members at a federal medical center to investigate a problem with linen.


This study addresses sensor allocation by analyzing exponential stability for discrete-time teleoperation systems. Previous studies mostly concentrate on the continuous-time teleoperation systems and neglect the management of significant practical phenomena, such as data-swap, the effect of sampling rates of samplers, and refresh rates of actuators on the system's stability. A multi-rate sampling approach is proposed in this study, given the isolation of the master and slave robots in teleoperation systems which may have different hardware restrictions. This architecture collects data through numerous sensors with various sampling rates, assuming that a continuous-time controller stabilizes a linear teleoperation system. The aim is to assign each position and velocity signals to sensors with different sampling rates and divide the state vector between sensors to guarantee the stability of the resulting multi-rate sampled-data teleoperation system. Sufficient Krasovskii-based conditions will be provided to preserve the exponential stability of the system. This problem will be transformed into a mixed-integer program with LMIs (linear matrix inequalities). These conditions are also used to design the observers for the multi-rate teleoperation systems whose estimation errors converge exponentially to the origin. The results are validated by numerical simulations which are useful in designing sensor networks for teleoperation systems.


Introduction For a region of such geologic interest the Wichita Mountain belt has been but little studied. Rising, as these mountains do, through the latter sedimentaries of the prairie region midway between the Rocky mountains and the crumpled paleozoics of western Arkansas, they afford a key to many of the geological problems of the great plains. A detailed study of the region is of the first importance, if we are ever to know the geology of the plains region. While the present study is far from being sufficiently detailed to answer many of these problems, it is believed that important information worthy of permanent record has been obtained. The survey was made within the present year, the month of May being devoted to the task. In the course of the work the author had the constant and valuable assistance of Mr J. W. Finch, to whom he is indebted for . . .


This study was carried out to investigate the effi ciency of lumber recovery among selected sawmills in Akure metropolis. Measurements were carried out before and after log conversion to estimate the volume of sawn timber and wood residues generated from the selected sawmills. The outcome of the research revealed that 56.08 % of the log input was recovered as sawn timber while 43.92 % was left as wood residues. From the 43.92 % of wood residue, 34.39 % was left as slab while 9.53 % was left as saw dust. This fi nding showed that the effi ciency of these mills was comparably higher than the results from earlier studies. It is believed that the yield could still be improved by channeling the residues in the form of slabs to other valuable products.


Temperature anomalies noted in ozone generators using DC high-voltage supplies and low air-flow rates led the authors to the study of energy transfer in a wire-to-cylinder corona discharge and to propose a simple explanation for the anomalies noted.


This paper presents the synthesis of a non-uniform linear array for two-dimensional Range-Bearing underwater acoustic imaging based on the multiple beam, measurement vectors (MMV) Compressive Sensing (CS) method. This method considers multiple steering directions in the mathematical model and exploits the sparsity of the oversampled linear aperture to obtain a thinned array structure. In this paper, a simulation study to synthesise the sparse linear array (SLA) for a Forward Looking Sonar system considering multiple beams in the field of view (FOV) was conducted. The comparison of the array synthesised using single measurement vector compressive sensing (SMV CS), which considers only the broadside beam in the mathematical model, is also presented. From the imaging point of view, when the SMV CS synthesised SLA is steered in a direction other than broadside, spurious/unwanted lobes appear in the beam pattern (BP). To overcome this problem, the MMV method and demonstrate its performance efficacy with a simulation study are proposed. The design of SLA for 37.5, 75, 150, 300, and 600 kHz with angular resolution 6.4°-0.4° with 11-149 beams in the FOV keeping the aperture fixed are presented, as is a design keeping angular resolution fixed at 1.5° to generalise a design of SLA for the above mentioned interested frequencies.


Background:The main reasons for admission to the medical wards in high –income countries are non communicable diseases While communicable diseases are the main reasons for admission to the medical wards in low and middle income countries. However, the reasons for admission are changing from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases in some low and middle income countries. Objective: To assess the frequency and the pattern of medical diseases for patients admitted to the medical wards of Sulaimani Teaching Hospital during the year 2015. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in Sulaimani Teaching Hospital for 26700 medical records of the patients who were admitted to the medical wards during the year 2015 (started from 1st January to 31th December), All the patients that had been admitted to the medical wards of Sulaimani Teaching Hospital during the year 2015 were referred from medical emergency department and outpatient clinics in addition to the private clinics. The data were obtained from medical records of the patients in statistic unit of the hospital. The variables involved in the study included age of the patients, gender, residency and final diagnosis. Results: This study included 26700 patients that have been admitted to Sulaimani Teaching Hospital, 14853 (55.62%) were females and 11847(44.38%) were males. Most admitted age groups were between 5160 years (18.16%) followed by 61-70 years (17.52%) ,71 years and more (16.58%) , 41-50 years (14.92%) ,21-30 years (13.36%) , 31-40 years (12.79%) while the least admitted age group was less than 20 years (6.67%), 62.85% of the patients were from urban areas and 37.15% were from rural areas. Gastroenteritis was the most common medical illness (6.45%), followed by CerebroVascular Accidant CVA (6.27%),Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease COPD (5.52%),Hypertension HT (4.25%),Diabetes Mellitus DM (4.23%),Bronchial Asthma (2.80%),Heart Failure HF (2.60%),Pneumonia (2.28%),Urinary Tract Infection UTI(1,92%),Anaemia (1.86%) ,Miscellaneous diseases(35.78%) and finally the diseases that not diagnosed (26.04%).The highest number of admissions were in Summer comprising (26.96%) of all admissions followed by in Autumn (25,10%) then in Spring (24,34%) and the lowest in Winter comprising (23.60%) of all admissions.The highest number of admission were in July comprising (9.42%) of all admissions followed by June(8.87%), October(8.72%),August(8.68%),May(8.43%),September(8.36%) December(8.30%),April(8.15%),November(8.02%),January(7.97%),March(7.76%) and the lowest in February(7.32%) of all admissions. Conclusion: The commonest age group for admission is 51-60 year. Admission rate more common in females than in males and it is more common in Summer than in Winter. There is a seasonal variation in the hospital admission. The non-communicable diseases represent the main causes for medical admission than the communicable diseases.


In this paper, we develop a non-uniform sampling approach for fast and efficient path planning of autonomous vehicles. The approach uses a novel non-uniform partitioning scheme that divides the area into obstacle-free convex cells. The partitioning results in large cells in obstacle-free areas and small cells in obstacle-dense areas. Subsequently, the boundaries of these cells are used for sampling; thus significantly reducing the burden of uniform sampling. When compared with a standard uniform sampler, this smart sampler significantly 1) reduces the size of the sampling space while providing completeness and optimality guarantee, 2) provides sparse sampling in obstacle-free regions and dense sampling in obstacle-rich regions to facilitate faster exploration, and 3) eliminates the need for expensive collision-checking with obstacles due to the convexity of the cells. This sampling framework is incorporated into the RRT* path planner. The results show that RRT* with the non-uniform sampler gives a significantly better convergence rate and smaller memory footprint as compared to RRT* with a uniform sampler.


Hyperlipidaemia accompanies chronic renal disease either as a consequence of the renal dysfunction or as part of generalized metabolic derangements. Under both situations, the lipid profile is characterized by accumulation of triglyceride‐rich lipoproteins (TGRLs). This lipid profile is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular complications. Whether it may pose a risk for renal injury as well remains unclear. A hyper‐TGRL state was generated in C57BL/6 mice using poloxamer‐407 (P‐407) and immune complex‐mediated renal injury was triggered using the accelerated nephrotoxic nephritis (ANTN) model. The hyper‐TGRL animals were hypersensitive to ANTN demonstrated by greater haematuria and glomerular cellularity. These changes were accompanied by increased glomerular accumulation of CD68+ macrophages. The hypersensitive response to ANTN was not seen in low‐density lipoprotein receptor knock‐out mice fed with a high fat diet, where triglyceride levels were lower but cholesterol levels comparable to those obtained using P‐407. These data indicate that a hyper‐TGRL state might be more detrimental to the kidneys than low‐density lipoprotein‐driven hypercholesterolaemia during immune complex‐mediated nephritis. We speculate that the hyper‐TGRL environment primes the kidney to exacerbated renal damage following an inflammatory insult with increased accumulation of macrophages that may play a key role in mediating the injurious effects.


The transcription factor Nrf2 modulates the initiation and progression of a number of diseases including liver disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether Nrf2 mediates hepatic adaptive responses to cholestasis. Wild-type and Nrf2-null mice were subjected to bile duct ligation (BDL) or a sham operation. Various assessments were performed at different days after surgery. Significant genotype-dependent changes in liver size, biliary ductular reaction, hepatocyte proliferation, and fibrotic response were not observed. However, as cholestasis progressed to Day 15 post-BDL, hepatocytes in the wild-type mice exhibited a tendency to dedifferentiate, indicated by the very weak expression of hepatic progenitor markers: CD133 and fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14). During the same period, Nrf2 deficiency augmented this tendency, manifested by higher CD133 expression, earlier, stronger, and continuous induction of Fn14 expression, and markedly reduced albumin production. Remarkably, as cholestasis advanced to the late stage (40 days after BDL), hepatocytes in the wild-type mice exhibited a Fn14+ phenotype and strikingly upregulated the expression of deleted in malignant brain tumor 1 (DMBT1), a protein essential for epithelial differentiation during development. In contrast, at this stage, hepatocytes in the Nrf2-null mice entirely inhibited the upregulation of DMBT1 expression, displayed a strong CD133+/Fn14+ phenotype indicative of severe dedifferentiation, and persistently reduced albumin production. Collectively, our studies revealed that Nrf2 maintains hepatocytes in the differentiated state potentially via the increased activity of the Nrf2/DMBT1 pathway during cholestasis. These findings enable us to gain novel insight into how hepatocytes respond to cholestasis. New and Noteworthy We found that, when hepatocytes are exposed to cholestasis, they exhibit a tendency of dedifferentiation. In this case, Nrf2 is highly activated to markedly up-regulate the expression of epithelial differentiation gene DMBT1, which potentially prevent hepatocytes from dedifferentiation. Our findings revealed a plastic property of hepatocytes in response to cholestasis and demonstrated a novel Nrf2/DMBT1 pathway likely controlling this property of hepatocytes.


Determining sources of voltage unbalance (VU) and quantifying their individual contributions in an interconnected network is a complex task due to multiple interactions that take place between them. Post-connection VU emission assessment techniques in relation to customer installations are important not only in compliance assessment according to IEC/TR 61000-3-13:2008 Limits - Assessment of emission limits for the connection of unbalanced installations to MV, HV and EHV power systems, but also in determining the various emission contributors in the power system being considered. This paper presents a case study on the application of a recently developed post-connection VU emission assessment methodology to a 66 kV interconnected sub-transmission network owned and operated by an Australian network service provider. The study incorporates the evaluation of constituent components of the resultant VU factors at busbar levels, identification of the dominant emission contributors and a methodology for ranking of the emission contributions made by the asymmetrical transmission lines in the network. Outcomes obtained through the VU emission assessment methodology are validated using three-phase, unbalanced load flow analysis.


Patients with pre-existing chronic diseases are more susceptible to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), yet the underlying causes of increased risk are of infection remain unclear. Angiotensin-converting- enzyme 2 (ACE2), the cell surface receptor that recognizes the coronavirus spike protein has protective effects against inflammation and chronic hyperglycemia in animal models. The roles of ACE2 in severe SARS-CoV-2 infections remains ambiguous due to contradictory findings. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between human plasma ACE2 levels in diabetics and the high risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. First, the medical records of 245 patients with SARS-CoV-2-positive who have chronic diseases were analyzed. We also recruited 404 elderly subjects with comorbid chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension and obesity, and investigated the ACE2 plasma levels. Plasma concentrations of ACE2 were much lower (2973.83±2196.79 pg/mL) in diabetics with chronic disease than in healthy controls (4308.21±2352.42 pg/ml), and the use of hypoglycemia drugs was associated with lower circulating concentrations of ACE2 (P=1.49E-08). Diabetics with lower plasma levels of ACE2 may be susceptible to severe COVID-19. Our findings suggest that the poor prognosis in patients with diabetes infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be due to low circulating ACE2 levels.


This paper looks at leadership communication in the context of multiplayer computer games and the groups that operate within them. In multiplayer games promoting teamwork and long-term cooperation, issues of management and leadership are prevalent. The paper explores the experiences that members of multiplayer communities have towards leadership communication in multiplayer games by looking at one specific case of organized team play within the framework of a turn-based online strategy game. The data utilized in this study consists of themed player interviews conducted via e-mail. The analysis proposes three central dimensions that emerged from the data. These were labeled: 1) the leader as a primus motor, 2) the necessity of authority, and 3) the discourse of leadership as work. At the end of the article, directions for future research are outlined.


The aim of the study was to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and its effect on adverse clinical outcomes, parameters of immune function and mortality due to a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Method: Hospital medical records were analyzed from inpatient database of Sina Hospital COVID-19 Registry (SHCo-19R). The data include demographics, laboratory measurements and computerized tomography results. Vitamin D sufficiency was defined a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level of at least 30ng/mL.

Results: The hospital data of 235 patients infected with COVID-19 were analyzed. The mean age was 58·7 years ± 15·2 SD. Based on CDC criteria, among our study patients, 74% had severe COVID-19 infection and 32·8% were vitamin D sufficient [25(OH)D≥30 ng/mL]. After adjusting for confounding factors, there was a significant association between vitamin D sufficiency and reduction in clinical severity, inpatient mortality, serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)and an increase in lymphocyte percentage Only 9·7% of patients older than 40 years who were vitamin D sufficient succumbed to the infection compared to 20% who had a circulating level of 25(OH)D< 30 ng/mL.

Discussion: The significant reduction in serum CRP, an inflammatory marker, along with increased lymphocytes percentage suggest that vitamin D sufficiency also may help modulate the immune response possibly by reducing risk for cytokine storm in response to this viral infection. Therefore, it is recommended that improving vitamin D status in the general population and in particular hospitalized patients has a potential benefit in reducing the severity of morbidities and mortality associated with acquiring COVID-19.

Funding Statement: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors for trial design, data collection, or analysis.

Declaration of Interests: MFH former consultant for Quest Diagnostics, speakers Bureau for Abbott Inc., consultant Ontometrics Inc., all other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics Approval Statement: The current study was approved by the ethics review board at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (IR.TUMS.VCR.REC.1399.338).


Three-dimensional (3D) brain organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), have become a powerful system to study early development events and to model human disease. Cerebral organoids are generally produced in static culture or in a culture vessel with active mixing, and the two most widely used systems for mixing are a large spinning flask and a miniaturized multi-well spinning bioreactor (also known as Spin Omega (SpinΩ)). The SpinΩ provides a system that is amenable to drug testing, has increased throughput and reproducibility, and utilizes less culture media. However, technical limitations of this system include poor stability of select components and an elevated risk of contamination due to the inability to sterilize the device preassembled. Here, we report a new design of the miniaturized bioreactor system, which we term Spin∞ that overcomes these concerns to permit long-term experiments.


This paper presents the application of Fractional Order PID controller as a supplementary controller to improve the dynamics of LFC in multi area deregulat ed power system. FOPID is a PID controller whose de rivative and integral orders are of fractional rather than integer. The extension of derivative and integration order from integer to fractional order provides more flexibility in design of the controller, thereby controlling the wide range of dynamics of a system. Using ITAE as performance criteria to be op timize, the FOPID controller parameters: proportional (Kp), Integral (K i), Derivative (Kd), integral order (λ), and the derivative order (μ) operators are optimized using Evolutionary Real coded Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Firefly algorithm (FA) as a hybrid algorithm (GA-FA). The feasibility and robustness of the controller is investigated on a three-area i nterconnected power system consisting of Thermal-Th ermal unit in areaI, Hydro-Thermal unit in the area-II and Thermal-Ga s unit in area-III. The dynamics of frequency deviations and tie-line power deviations were investigated by considering t he possible contracts between various GENCOs and DI SCOs of multi area deregulated power system using DISCO participa tion matrix (DPM). The simulation results show the proposed FOPID controller tuned by the proposed Hybrid Genet ic-Firefly algorithm (GA-FA) exhibits improved dynamic performance over conventional PID controller.


It has become a major goal of molecular biologists, biochemists, and immunologists to be able to modulate the structure of proteins, in order to increase their antigenicity, alter their biological properties and/or explore their function. Based on the concept of bacterial phage display, by which proteins are being selected and analyzed in conjunction with their genetic information, eukaryotic systems have been investigated for their use in generating biomolecular diversity. The advantage of posttranslational modification and the possible harbouring of structural complex proteins has lead scientists to include eukaryotic systems in the wide field of molecular design. The ideal expression vectors for surface display are eukaryotic viruses, that allow large gene insertions, efficiently present foreign proteins on the particle surface, are easy to propagate and, if possible, not pathogenic to humans. By inserting peptides into a native virus coat protein or by expressing foreign proteins as coat protein fusion proteins or linked to specific anchor domains it becomes possible to display polypeptides of interest on the surface of replicating particles. A variety of different strategies are currently under investigation in order to utilize the baculovirus insect cell expression system for efficient display on the surface of virus particles as well as on the surface of virally infected insect cells. Increasing the transfection efficiency, optimizing cloning procedures, and establishing applicable selection methods have lead to the development of a powerful tool for drug screening and ligand screening.


Irrigation, together with improved crop varieties and substantial growth in fertiliser use in the late 1960s through the early 1980s, was a key factor in stimulating strong agricultural growth in much of the Asia‐Pacific region. New sources of water are increasingly expensive to exploit, but irrigation continues to be a major catalyst for agricultural growth. In the face of increasing degradation, the maintenance of the water resource base must be a high priority policy objective. This paper reviews the management of water resources in the Asia‐Pacific region, for countries with significant irrigated area: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Korea‐DPR, Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.


: The study included 110 men suffering from sexually transmitted infections. Clinical diagnosis was made using modern hardware and instrumental methods of examination. It is shown that the combined preparation "Safocid" is a high-effective drug for the etiotropic treatment of specific and non-specific urethritis, with elimination of causative microorganisms of sexually transmitted infections in 96.4% of cases.


One of the key limitations on using CUT (Capacitive Ultrasonic Transducers) and cMUTs (Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers) in air is their relatively narrow bandwidth which although superior to that of current piezoceramic devices could be improved. Most air coupled capacitive devices could benefit hugely through the use of selective networks for bandwidth expansion, resonance reinforcing, or a combination of both. This work has investigated the application of pole/zero manipulation techniques to modify and enhance the transmission characteristics of capacitive transducers through front end mounted components. The main objective was to positively enhance the performance characteristics of capacitive transducers. A modified electrical equivalent circuit for CUTs to include the selective networks used was developed. The work assessed the effects of a tuned amplifier on the passband of the devices studied and then focused on more complicated network designs for enhancement. Simulations of the effects of the networks on the devices using equivalent circuit models were carried out and the response curves to pulsed operation were calculated and compared to experimental measurements from a pair of fixed CUTs with a combined centre frequency of 280kHz and 3dB bandwidth of 160kHz. Increases in centre frequency of 25% and 3dB bandwidth of 77% using a single tuned amplifier were obtained. Resonance reinforcing, resonance shifting and ripple suppression were also studied through the manipulation of the q factor and pole location of such an amplifier. Performance enhancements were studied for a number of CUT aperture sizes and membrane thicknesses and a comparative study of the theoretical and experimental effect of these variations was conducted. With the appropriately designed network, enhancement of peak resonance with a simultaneous bandwidth expansion was obtained at the expense of other operating parameters such as stopband ripple. Simulations of more complicated circuit designs using equivalent circuit models of capacitive devices showed that the maximum level of passband ripple observed for the bandwidth expansion method using a single tuned amplifier was reduced while achieving simultaneously the same 3dB results. The implication for bandwidth expansion of a capacitive transducer through selective network design is significant, allowing increased resolution in imaging systems, ultrasonic ranging and non destructive evaluation. Significant improvements have been observed without additional signal manipulation, through digital means or otherwise, in certain transmission properties of the devices. Future work will expand on the enhancement of capacitive transducers through the use of hybrid resonator circuits and other related methods. Keywords-Air Coupled Ultrasound, Resonator Circuits, Bandwidth Expansion, CUT


The optical characteristics of LCDs, e.g. their brightness, contrast ratio and response time, are sensitive to the structural parameters of the liquid crystal cells. This study develops a phase retardation measurement system using a laser interferometer, a liquid crystal cell and a function generator. When the liquid crystal particles are subjected to an electric field effect, their orientation changes, causing a corresponding change in the optical path length through the liquid crystal cell. By relating the optical path length difference to the change in the particle angle, the relationship between the phase retardation and the applied voltage can be obtained.


The nucleophilic attack of lithiated pyrimidines to a suitably-protected 3-ketosugar, afforded the 3-branched sugar stereospecifically, followed by intramolecular glycosylation to give 6,3'-methano-cyclo-pyrimidine nucleosides. The 2'-deoxygenation was achieved by sequential protection, deprotection and radical reduction.


To capture a realistic and pleasing full-color two-dimensional representation of a scene, we propose and analyze stacked color sensors that incorporate a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) with a phase-compensation layer between a blue absorption layer and a green absorption layer. Because incident light on color sensors is not coherent, photosensitivity is calculated for partially coherent light. In the blue absorption region, it is found that the peak wavelength mainly depends on the thickness of the blue absorption layer, and the spectral width is dominantly controlled by the Bragg wavelength λB of the DBR when λB > 0.4 µm. It is also revealed that the phase-compensation layer plays an important role in controlling the spectral shape of the photosensitivity. From the viewpoint of a measure of the goodness, the Bragg wavelength λB and the thickness of each absorption layer are optimized for bare color sensors and color sensors capped with an IR cutoff filter.


Responsive core-shell latex particles are used to prepare colloidosome microcapsules using thermal annealing and internal cross linking of the shell, allowing the production of the microcapsules at high concentrations. The core-shell particles are composed of a polystyrene core and a shell of poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]-b-poly[methyl methacrylate] (PDMA-b-PMMA) chains adsorbed onto the core surface, providing steric stabilization. The PDMA component of the adsorbed polymer shell confers thermally responsive and pH-responsive characteristics to the latex particle, and it also provides glass transitions at temperatures lower than those of the core and reactive amine groups. These features facilitate the formation of stable Pickering emulsion droplets and the immobilization of the latex particle monolayer on these droplets to form colloidosome microcapsules. The immobilization is achieved through thermal annealing or cross linking of the shell under mild conditions feasible for large-scale economic production. We demonstrate here that it is possible to anneal the particle monolayer on the emulsion drop surface at 75-86 °C by using the lower glass-transition temperature of the shell compared to that of the polystyrene cores (∼108 °C). The colloidosome microcapsules that are formed have a rigid membrane basically composed of a densely packed monolayer of particles. Chemical cross linking has also been successfully achieved by confining a cross linker within the disperse droplet. This approach leads to the formation of single-layered stimulus-responsive soft colloidosome membranes and provides the advantage of working at very high emulsion concentrations because interdroplet cross linking is thus avoided. The porosity and mechanical strength of the microcapsules are also discussed here in terms of the observed structure of the latex particle monolayers forming the capsule membrane.


In view of the role of immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the local host defenses of the gut and biliary tract, and the association of IgA deficiency with various intestinal disorders, an ultrasonographic study was performed to determine the prevalence of gallstones in selective IgA deficiency. Eight of 13 children (three girls and five boys) with selective IgA deficiency had abnormal biliary sonograms. Four had cholelithiasis, and four had biliary sludge only. IgA deficiency may predispose to gallbladder infection, and thus to the development of gallstones. Decreased bile acid pool due to intestinal losses, and biliary stasis due to reduced hormonal gallbladder stimulation may also play a role in some cases, but further studies are needed. This association adds a new gastrointestinal abnormality to those known to be associated with selective IgA deficiency.


At a time when information technology has become a regular tool of specialised translators in all aspects of their work, it is useful to place the activity of technical translation into its appropriate environment and to describe it from the point of view of its role in the broader context of communication in which it occurs. The advent of automated alternatives to human translation has fundamentally affected the profession, its products and the relationship between translators and their clients.This book presents and discusses the process of translation against this background. The context in which translation is normally studied is widened in order to re-examine the process of translation as part of interlingual text production and to analyse the manner in which the new tools affect the product of translation.This book is of particular relevance in modern translator training courses. Contents 1. The language industry and translation, 2. Aspects of language, 3. Elements of communication theory, 4. A theory of text types and messages, 5. The nature of translation, 6. Specifications: Factors influencing the translation, 7. Preparation for translation, 8. Steps in translation, 9. Human and Machine Translation, 10 Pragmatic circumstances of automation, 11. Translation in an information technology environment. Bibliography + Index.


Empire-building has been a little-discussed topic in Anatolian circles, and when discussed it is generally viewed from the perspective of the imperial capital and its major settlements. This article examines Hittite imperialism and its expansion into the Kanak Su basin of central Turkey from the viewpoint of Alișar Höyük, a medium-sized settlement located at the center of this important part of central Anatolia. The article focuses on the means of discerning the integration process on the Anatolian plateau in the second millennium B. C. with special reference to the apparent lack of fortification walls at Alișar during most of the Hittite period. Both archaeological materials and Hittite sources are utilized to provide an explanation of the puzzling ambiguities associated with a critical site originally excavated by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago between 1927 and 1932.


Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the self-esteem of women with and without breast cancer regarding their body image. Methods A quantitative, case-control study in which 90 women with breast cancer were evaluated in the case group, and 77 women without breast cancer in the control group. For data collection, the body satisfaction scale (BSS), a scale adapted and validated in Brazil, and the Rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire were used. For the statistical analysis of the data, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (IBM-SPSS, Chicago, Il, US), version 16.0 was used. Results Compared with the women without breast cancer, those with breast cancer were more dissatisfied with body image related to appearance. Women undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy were more dissatisfied with their appearance compared with those with cancer who were not undergoing this treatment. Mastectomy also accounted for more dissatisfaction concerning appearance among women who underwent the procedure compared with the women who were submitted to breast-conserving therapy. Conclusion Women with breast cancer were more dissatisfied with their body image compared with those without breast cancer, particularly following mastectomy or during chemotherapy. The self-esteem was found to be negatively affected in patients who were dissatisfied with their body image.


Digital addiction among China's rural juveniles escalates and hampers the harmony and stability of families and society. This paper investigates digital addiction among rural juveniles in China. Semi-structured interviews selected six relevant respondents in rural Shaanxi Province as samples. The study explores the degree, characteristics, causes, effects, and prevention and control of rural juveniles' digital addiction. The findings reveal the importance of digital literacy education, parent-child cognitive dislocation, and the complexity of rural juveniles' digital addiction. The study has limitations, including its limited research perspective and the need for more typical cases for analysis and discussion.
Keywords: Digital addiction; Rural juveniles; Social work; Digital literacy
eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2023. The Authors. Published for AMER & cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
DOI:


Abstract The published properties of M1-78 are discussed with the purpose of resolving the object's classification as either a planetary nebula or an ultracompact HII region. A classification as a planetary nebula is rejected primarily because of the high luminosity of the object, but because of the chemical composition and expansion velocity of the nebula, a novel classification is proposed instead: that of an ultracompact HII region with a post-main sequence central star (possibly a WN star). It must therefore follow that observable ultracompact HII regions persist beyond the main sequence lifetimes of at least some massive stars, and so cannot be transient phenomena that are seen only during pre-main sequence or early main sequence evolution.


We present a general method of constructing a test of multivariate normality using any given test of univariate normality of complete or randomly incomplete data. A simulation study considers multivariate tests constructed using the univariate versions of the Shapiro-Wilk, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Cramer-Von-Mises, and Anderson-Darling tests.


Until recently, the only sustained AIDS activity in India has been alarmist media attention complemented by occasional messages calling for comfort and dignity. Public perception of the AIDS epidemic in India has been effectively shaped by mass media. Press reports have, however, bolstered awareness of the problem among literate elements of urban populations. In the absence of sustained guidance in the campaign against AIDS, responsibility has fallen to voluntary health activists who have become catalysts for community awareness and participation. This voluntary initiative, in effect, seems to be the only immediate avenue for constructive public action, and signals the gradual development of an AIDS network in India. Proceedings from a seminar in Ahmedabad are discussed, and include plans for an information and education program targeting sex workers, health and communication programs for 150 commercial blood donors and their agents, surveillance and awareness programs for safer blood and blood products, and dialogue with the business community and trade unions. Despite the lack of coordination among volunteers and activists, every major city in India now has an AIDS group. A controversial bill on AIDS has ben circulating through government ministries and committees since mid-1989, a national AIDS committee exists with the Secretary of Health as its director, and a 3-year medium-term national plan exists for the reduction of AIDS and HIV infection and morbidity. UNICEF programs target mothers and children for AIDS awareness, and blood testing facilities are expected to be expanded. The article considers the present chaos effectively productive in forcing the Indian population to face up to previously taboo issued of sexuality, sex education, and sexually transmitted disease.


This short study aims to consider how educators might help students to develop metacognitive skills in their writing. Many studies demonstrate that metacognitive skills – in other words, the ability to think about thinking – are strongly correlated with academic success. Yet often, such studies understand metacognition reductively, as a student's general awareness of the overall quality of their work, as reflected by a grade. How can educators help students to develop metacognitive awareness of their writing process in their own terms, by paying attention to the singularities and subtleties of their thought, and their creative process as writers? A structured interview of rst year Goldsmiths BA (Hons) Fine Art students aimed to identify what factors impacted how, and whether, students were able to develop student-centered metacognitive parameters to understand their writing processes. The interview revealed how excellent writers make the essay material their own, trust their instincts as to what is important, and consciously enter into dialogue with other thinkers as they engage in the writing process. It also revealed that students' self-assessment of their strengths and weaknesses in academic writing was coloured by their self-perception as classed subjects. In other words, students who may have had a harder time believing that they belonged in higher education, perhaps due to their self-perceived class position, tended to underestimate their writing abilities; and this had the potential to hinder their writing experience. These findings support an approach to teaching metacognitive writing skills that emphasizes how a student might understand their writing process according to the experience of immersing oneself in – and contributing to – a rich dialogue of ideas and debates that extends beyond their own thinking.


Background: A new type of coronavirus, 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), is causing an increasing number of cases of pneumonia and has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization on 30 January 2020. The virus first appeared in Wuhan, China in late December 2019 and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is being used for its treatment. This systematic review and meta-analysis will assess studies of the effects of TCM in 2019-nCoV-infected pneumonia (NCIP).Methods: We will search electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) and Wanfang database using keywords related to NCIP and TCM. Reference lists of relevant trials and reviews will be searched. We will manually search grey literature, such as conference proceedings and academic degree dissertations, and trial registries. Two independent reviewers will screen studies, extract data and evaluate risk of bias. Data analysis will be conducted using Review Manager software (version 5.3.5) and R software (version 3.6.1).Discussion: This study will provide a high-quality synthesis of the effects of TCM for NCIP. The use of TCM for treatment or prevention of these novel viral infections affecting the respiratory tract will be investigated.Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020168004


Purpose. There are global concerns on the quality of anti-tuberculosis (TB) fixed dose combination (FDC) products, a matter receiving attention from the World Heath Organisation (WHO). The bioavailability of rifampicin (RIF) has been found to reduce when in combination with other anti-tubercular agents due to the formation of insoluble complexes. The availability of a combination liquid dosage form for the treatment of TB in children is limited by both solubility and stability issues. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of selected cyclodextrins (CDs) such as Captisola sulfobutylether-?-CD) and 2-hydroxypropyl-?-CD (HPB) on the solubility of RIF alone and in combination with the other anti-tuberculosis agents, namely; isoniazid (INH) and pyrazinamide (PZA). Methods. A stability-indicating HPLC method was developed and validated for the quantitation of these three drugs in combination. Sample preparation involved the addition of excess drug candidate, alone and in combination, to aqueous cyclodextrin solutions of varying concentrations. The resulting suspensions were agitated at room temperature (25 + 0.5ꃩ for 12 hours and the supernatant analysed for the drug candidate. Results. The solubility of RIF and PZA was enhanced in the presence of Captisol0.092 M) from 1.236 to 7.700 mg/ml and 20.331 to 23.460 mg/ml respectively while for HPB (0.141 M) increases in solubility of RIF and PZA from 1.611 to 4.757 mg/ml and 18.116 to 23.959 mg/ml were achieved. These results demonstrate the superior solubilising ability of Captisolver that of HPB especially for RIF whose inclusion in liquid dosage forms in adequate concentrations has proved to be problematic. Conclusions. Captisolas enhanced the solubility of RIF and PZA, providing new formulation opportunities for FDC products for the treatment of TB in the paediatric population.


Despite decades of reform and foreign aid, the quality of public institutions in most African countries remains poor. Colonial powers did not leave behind strong, indigenous institutions that could tackle the development challenges of a modern state. Economic crises, wars and political instability have also taken their toll. Yet, Taxation which is one entry point for improving governance on the continent has received little attention. The paper highlights the problems of taxation in Africa, reviews some relevant literature and make some suggestions. These include well-designed tax systems to consolidate stable institutions, increase revenues, refocus government spending on public priorities and improve democratic accountability.


We report here a novel approach for rapid sensing of oxygen in solution. Dissolved oxygen is measured using an ultramicroelectrode array (UMEA) (36 UMEs; 2μm Ø 20μm spacing) fabricated from Pt in an oxide-nitride-oxide insulating layer on glass. The oxygen concentration is determined in the short time measurement mode using the slope of the measured current I as a function of 1/√t (-0.4V applied), t being the measurement time (Cottrell equation). Specifically, the dissolved oxygen concentration is measured within less than 10ms in the solution. At the same time, the concentration in dissolved oxygen is monitored using an external optical sensor, for calibration purposes. A linear relationship (R2=0.96) is found between the responses of the two sensors. By implementing a conditioning step (0.1V applied for 10ms), only a 2% change is observed in the UMEA response over a 2h period. The proposed sensing approach will be very valuable to monitor in situ the respiratory activity of microtissues in nL volumes, as the amount of oxygen consumed by the sensor is dramatically decreased using short measurement times.


Probabilistic models based on Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs) imply the evaluation of normalized Boltzmann factors, which in turn require from the evaluation of the partition function Z. The exact evaluation of Z, though, becomes a forbiddingly expensive task as the system size increases. This even worsens when one considers most usual learning algorithms for RBMs, where the exact evaluation of the gradient of the log-likelihood of the empirical distribution of the data includes the computation of Z at each iteration. The Annealed Importance Sampling (AIS) method provides a tool to stochastically estimate the partition function of the system. So far, the standard use of the AIS algorithm in the Machine Learning context has been done using a large number of Monte Carlo steps. In this work we show that this may not be required if a proper starting probability distribution is employed as the initialization of the AIS algorithm. We analyze the performance of AIS in both small- and large-sized problems, and show that in both cases a good estimation of Z can be obtained with little computational cost.


The Alpine Fault is an 850-km-long, continental dextral strike-slip fault that accommodates some 60%–90% (∼20–30 mm/yr) of the obliquely convergent motion between the Pacific and Australian Plates in South Island, New Zealand. The southern 230 km of the fault traverses the continental margin off Fiordland and intersects the subduction thrust at the northern end of the Puysegur Trench. Marine seismic reflection profiles and bathymetric data are used to evaluate the late Quaternary structure and 3 m.y. evolution of the fault and five sedimentary basins. The fault offshore is more complexly segmented than its onshore counterpart, and at sedimentary basins has substantial (>1 km) bathymetric relief. Three right-stepping and overlapping active sections are identified on the basis of structural continuity and geomorphic expression. The northern, Milford-Caswell section, is 90 km long and continuous with the southern Westland section on land. The southern, Resolution section is 150 km long and developed from initially discontinuous, right-stepping segments. These sections overlap by 35 km at the large Secretary-Nancy Basin, which is currently being dissected longitudinally by the Nancy section, resulting in a straighter, almost fully linked principal displacement zone. The average strike of the fault differs from the azimuth of Pacific-Australian Plate motion by 11°–25°. Nevertheless, on the whole, the structure, tectonic geomorphology, and lateral displacements indicate predominantly dextral strike-slip displacement. The basins have the structural characteristics of pull-apart and releasing-bend basins. They commonly initiated at step-overs in the fault and evolved by development of very oblique cross- and along-basin faults that linked the principal displacement zone, resulting in longer, through-going surface traces. Localized transpressional features are developing contemporaneously with the basins and may relate to constrictional fault geometries and/or a 10° rotation of part of the fault within the last 3 m.y., rather than to changes in plate motions. The absence of significant regional contraction across the fault indicates that obliquely convergent plate motion is strongly partitioned. The convergence normal to the boundary is accommodated largely on thrust and reverse faults offshore and onshore, to the northwest and southeast of the Alpine Fault, respectively. The position of the Alpine Fault is clearly associated with the position of inherited Eocene rift structures carried in the subducting Australian Plate. Our observations and kinematic model imply a spatial-temporal evolution where the position of the southwestern end of the fault trace is transitory on a time scale of 10 5 –10 6 years, and the fault matures toward the northeast. The data are consistent with models invoking dextral reactivation of the subducting rift structures and tearing of the Australian Plate in the approximate direction of plate convergence, and/or the loading of shear stresses and strike-slip deformation on the Alpine Fault in response to spatial differences in surface roughness and interplate coupling. Several potential earthquake scenarios on the Alpine Fault are considered, ranging from rupture of individual structural sections associated with earthquakes of magnitude M 7.0–7.8, to larger, onshore-offshore composite ruptures of up to M 8.1.


In this work we introduce a cross modal image retrieval system that allows both text and sketch as input modalities for the query. A cross-modal deep network architecture is formulated to jointly model the sketch and text input modalities as well as the the image output modality, learning a common embedding between text and images and between sketches and images. In addition, an attention model is used to selectively focus the attention on the different objects of the image, allowing for retrieval with multiple objects in the query. Experiments show that the proposed method performs the best in both single and multiple object image retrieval in standard datasets.


The molecular mechanisms that enable cancer cells to metastasize are poorly understood, although emerging evidence indicates that transcriptional networks required for stem cell properties during embryogenesis are co-opted by cancer cells during metastatic progression. To elucidate the molecular underpinnings of "stemness" in cancer and normal development, we investigated transcriptional networks and epigenetic alterations during the induction of pluripotent stem cells. Our focus is the high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) gene, which encodes proteins that bind to AT-rich regions of DNA and orchestrate the assembly of transcription factor complexes to alter chromatin structure and modulate gene expression. Our group first discovered that HMGA1 functions as a potent oncogene in cultured cells and causes aggressive tumors in transgenic mice. Recent studies also identified HMGA1 as a key transcription factor enriched in human embryonic stem (hESCs) cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), refractory leukemia, and high-grade/poorly differentiated cancers arising from diverse tissues. Together, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that HMGA1 drives an undifferentiated, stem cell-like state during malignant transformation and normal development. To further investigate the role of HMGA1 in the stem cell state, we assessed its function in the derivation of iPSCs using multiple approaches. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that HMGA1 significantly enhances the reprogramming of somatic cells (bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, fetal lung cells, or mononuclear blood cells) into iPSCs together with OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and cMYC (OSKM) using a retroviral or episomal, non-integrating approach. When hESCs are induced to differentiate, HMGA1 expression falls and parallels that of other pluripotency factors, such as OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2. We also found that forced expression of HMGA1 blocks differentiation of hESCs. To determine how HMGA1 induces a stem cell state, we assessed gene expression and epigenetic changes. During the reprogramming process, HMGA1 induces the expression of pluripotency and cancer genes, including SOX2, LIN28, and cMYC, while in hESCs, knock-down of HMGA1 results in repression of these genes. In addition, NANOG and OCT4 are repressed in hESCs following knock-down of HMGA1. By chromatin immunoprecipitation, HMGA1 binds to the promoters of SOX2, LIN28, and cMYC in vivo in hESCs. Moreover, HMGA1 is associated with decreased promoter methylation of select stem cell genes early in reprogramming. These findings uncover a key role for HMGA1 as a regulator of the stem cell state through transcriptional networks and epigenetic remodeling that induce pluripotency and an undifferentiated state. Further studies are needed to determine if HMGA1 pathways could be targeted in poorly differentiated, stem-like cancers or exploited in regenerative medicine. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 429. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-429


Tamerlane (1336-1405)-the tartar successor to Genghis Khan-ranks with Alexander the Great as one of the worlds greatest conquerors. His armies were ferocious, feared throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. They blazed through Asia like a firestorm, razing cities, torturing captives, and massacring enemies. Anyone who dared defy Tamerlane was likely decapitated, and towers of bloody heads soon became chilling monuments to his power throughout Central Asia. By the end of his life, Tamerlane had imposed his iron rule, as well as a refined culture, over a vast territory-from Syria to India, from Siberia to the Mediterranean. Justin Marozzi traveled in the footsteps of this infamous and enigmatic emperor of Samarkand (in modern Uzbekistan) to tell the story of this cruel, cultivated, and powerful warrior.


Under new assumptions, which do not contain any information about the
solution set, the upper and lower semicontinuity of the solution mapping to a class of parametric
generalized weak Ky Fan inequality are established by using a nonlinear scalarization technique.
These results extend and improve the recent ones in the literature. Some examples are given to
illustrate our results.


To examine whether proteases are possibly involved in cellular migration and/or spermiation when developing germ cells translocate across the seminiferous epithelium during spermatogenesis, in situ hybridization was used to localize messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts of cathepsin L, D, and S in the epithelium at different stages of the spermatogenic cycle in the rat. Cathepsin L mRNA was found to localize almost exclusively near the basal lamina of the epithelium. At stages VI and VII of the cycle before spermiation, the signal of cathepsin L mRNA was so intense that it formed a complete dark precipitate near the basal lamina encircling the entire tubule. At stage VIII, the expression of cathepsin L was completely abolished, and no staining of cathepsin L mRNA was seen in the epithelium. The mRNA of cathepsin D and S was found near the basal lamina, a finding consistent with their localization in Sertoli cells and possibly primary spermatocytes in almost all stages, but peaked at stages VII-IX and VII-VIII of the cycle, respectively, at the time before and during spermiation. These results illustrate the possible involvement of these proteases in facilitating germ cell movement and spermiation. To examine whether germ cells express any of these cathepsin genes, spermatocytes with a purity of greater than 95% were isolated from 15-day-old rat testes by Percoll gradient centrifugation for reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. It was found that primary spermatocytes expressed multiple cathepsin genes, including cathepsin B, C, D, H, L, and S. Furthermore, the expression of cathepsin L by germ cells isolated from 15-day-old rats (largely spermatocytes and spermatogonia) can be stimulated by Sertoli cell-enriched culture medium in a dose-dependent manner, but not by germ cell-conditioned medium. These results reveal that germ cell function can be regulated by Sertoli cells. Moreover, these results suggest that germ cells may play an active role in the overall testicular protease expression. Also, we present evidence suggesting there is cross-talk between Sertoli and germ cells, since the expression of cathepsin L in each cell type is regulated by one another via either soluble factors or cell-cell contact.


This paper describes a method combining symbolic and numerical techniques for annotating brain Magnetic Resonance images. The goal is to assist existing automatic labelling methods which are mostly statistical in nature and do not work very well in certain situations such as the presence of lesions. The system uses existing statistical methods for generating ABox facts that constitute a set of initial information sufficient for fruitful reasoning. The reasoning is supported by an OWL ontology extended with rules, and the facts extracted by the statistical component


Although physical and genetic mapping studies assigned the X-linked ocular albinism gene to Xp22.3, the exact gene order in this region is still unclear. We present additional genetic mapping data concerning X-linked ocular albinism that suggests the consensus order Xpter-STS-DXS237-KAL-(OA1, DXS143)-DXS85-DXS16-Xcen.


ABSTRACT Photodynamic inactivation of Leishmania spp. requires the cellular uptake of photosensitizers, e.g., endocytosis of silicon(IV)-phthalocyanines (PC) axially substituted with bulky ligands. We report here that when substituted with amino-containing ligands, the PCs (PC1 and PC2) were endocytosed and displayed improved potency against Leishmania tropica promastigotes and axenic amastigotes in vitro. The uptake of these PCs by both Leishmania stages followed saturation kinetics, as expected. Sensitive assays were developed for assessing the photodynamic inactivation of Leishmania spp. by rendering them fluorescent in two ways: transfecting promastigotes to express green fluorescent protein (GFP) and loading them with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE). PC-sensitized Leishmania tropica strains were seen microscopically to lose their motility, structural integrity, and GFP/CFSE fluorescence after exposure to red light (wavelength, ∼650 nm) at a fluence of 1 to 2 J cm−2. Quantitative fluorescence assays based on the loss of GFP/CFSE from live Leishmania tropica showed that PC1 and PC2 dose dependently sensitized both stages for photoinactivation, consistent with the results of a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell viability assay. Leishmania tropica strains are >100 times more sensitive than their host cells or macrophages to PC1- and PC2-mediated photoinactivation, judging from the estimated 50% effective concentrations (EC50s) of these cells. Axial substitution of the PC with amino groups instead of other ligands appears to increase its leishmanial photolytic activity by up to 40-fold. PC1 and PC2 are thus potentially useful for photodynamic therapy of leishmaniasis and for oxidative photoinactivation of Leishmania spp. for use as vaccines or vaccine carriers.


Abstract Simultaneous use of numerous events in the multiple lapse time window analysis (MLTWA) method is the most effective way to obtain and values. Such simultaneous use of numerous events normally shows a large observational scatter, which may be caused by different radiation pattern and focal depth of each earthquake, and regional alteration of the local structure. To avoid these scattering factors, the current study attempted to use single event source as the input data in MLTWA for South Korea. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method was used to simulate the observations, which showed realistic results when the number of recorded stations was eight or more. The obtained values of seismic albedo ( B 0 ) were less than 0.5, which were in accordance with the same in the previous results. Three envelopes constructed by combination of three regional values of at 1 Hz produced regional variations, of which the ones at high frequencies of and at low frequencies of were remarkable. This result, showing the local variation indicated an advantage of the study using single source event over the previous studies in South Korea that involved extensively distributed data. Because DSMC was known to be applicable to 3D structure due to its simple algorithm, the current study also tried to correct radiation pattern of the observations by inserting focal mechanism algorithm to the code of the DSMC method. Such insertion, however, generated extremely low values of because the geometrically shrunk receiver could not capture most of the scattered particles. This receiver problem is most likely to be a major obstacle of the 3D study of DSMC. In addition, the significant depth effect of Q −1 was identified for the prior MLTWA studies resulting from different measurement range and focal depth.


This article examines the possibility of establishing a Department of Peace (DOP) as a Department of the Government of Canada. The topic has been introduced in Parliament twice, as Bill C-447 in 2009 and as Bill C-373 in 2011, without any further actions beyond the formal First Reading. The introduction of the bills could only happen on the basis of significant support among Canadians. At present efforts to introduce the DOP continue, although in somewhat muted form. Based largely on oral interviews, this article assesses the potential for establishing a DOP in the context of the Canadian peace tradition as well as global developments. It concludes that a DOP has great potential to move the peace agenda forward but that, in view of the priorities of the current government and the general mood in Canadian society, it is not realistic to expect a DOP to be implemented at present.


Objectives: To evaluate sexual function in Iranian pregnant women in different trimesters. Materials and methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in a women's hospital between August 2013 and August 2014. Four hundred pregnant women were asked to answer the valid and reliable Persian version of Beck depression inventory (BDI) and valid FSFI (Female sexual function index) questionnaires. Results: Forty five subjects were in the first trimester of pregnancy, 170 in the second trimester and 185 in the third trimester. Except BDI and desire subscale of FSFI, all scores were significantly different between the three groups. By considering 26.55 as the cut off point for FSFI, 38 (84.4%) women in the first trimester, 138 (81.2%) in the second trimester, and 156 (84.3%) in the third trimester had sexual dysfunction. Logistic regression analysis showed that BDI was an independent predictor of sexual dysfunction among participants. Conclusions: As sexual life is an important aspect of marital life, physicians should pay more attention to it in pregnant women.


AmpliBASE MT is an online databank of high-resolution DNA fingerprints representing fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP) profiles or amplitypes developed for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains from 48 different countries. AmpliBASE MT is based on a relational database management system that is hyperlinked to visualize genotyping results in the form of DNA fingerprint images for individual strains. A flexible search system based on systematic comparisons of fragment sizes in base pairs allows inter-laboratory comparison of FAFLP profiles. Besides this, the database also displays previously published data on IS6110 profiles, spoligotypes, MIRU-VNTRs and large sequence polymorphisms along with the FAFLP records that will give the overall comparisons. Being the first of its kind, AmpliBASE MT is expected to be a very helpful tool in strengthening the concept of 'geographic genomics' and will be very helpful to molecular epidemiologists and those interested in diagnostic development for tuberculosis.


Cyanogen, C2N2, affords a means to drive intramolecular conversion of ammonium salts to amides. Unlike other carboxyl activating agents, such as carbodiimides, used in peptide syntheses expressly to drive intermolecular condensations to form amide (peptide) bonds, C2N2 appears restricted to driving only intramolecular condensations. Rates decreased as a function of solvent composition as follows: organic much greater than 70%-80% aqueous organic much greater than 50% aqueous organic greater than H2O. Temperature dependence was also a function of solvent composition. Rates did not strongly reflect steric constraints with beta-lactams and epsilon-lactams forming at comparable rates to rates for gamma- and delta-lactam formation; likewise L-Leu-L-Leu cyclized at about the same rate as L-Leu-D-Leu. Pro-Pro is well documented as having a salt-bridged structure in a variety of solvents where it cyclized extremely rapidly. The reaction is proposed to be dependent on reaction of C2N2 with salt-bridges on the basis of 1) its preponderant if not exclusively intramolecular nature, 2) its solvent dependence, 3) its temperature dependence and 4) the conversion of known salt-bridged structures to amides. This reaction is a model for the observed rapid reaction of salt bridges in proteins.


This Article proposes that Congress amend the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to remove its definitional exclusion of agricultural laborers as employees. When Congress created this exclusion in 1935, it gave this matter only passing thought while focusing on industrial employment. It justified this exclusion on the premise that collective bargaining would be too burdensome for the typical farm, which was small and family-run. This Article presents data showing that family farms are in steep decline, while "factory farms" are increasing. These large-scale farms are similar to industrial firms in their scale and organizational mode, and therefore, should not be exempted from the national collective bargaining law. In addition, this Article presents data showing that farm workers earn poor wages; moreover, data presented here show that wage increases for farm workers have consistently trailed gains for non-farm workers. Thus, this Article concludes that farm workers fit the profile of an employee that Congress intended to benefit from collective bargaining. This Article also shows that, in the absence of federal collective bargaining for farm workers, states have entered this regulatory field. The result is a conflicting array of laws. Conflict among the states is aggravated by the fact that many farm workers migrate across state borders for their work, and are therefore subjected to conflicting duties and rights. This Article's proposal to include farm workers under the NLRA would provide these laborers a voice in determining their pay and working conditions and would create more uniform policies for this important sector of the American economy. This proposal would protect agricultural employers, too. This Article presents data showing that two-thirds of all farm employment involves family members. Since the NLRA also excludes family employment from coverage, small family farms would continue to be shielded from the burdens of collective bargaining. In addition, under current policies, farm-worker boycotts are not subject to the NLRA's strict prohibitions against secondary boycotts; thus, inclusion of farm workers and their unions would insulate large agricultural employers from this potent economic weapon.


Exploratory surveys were carried out in the Andamans and Nicobar group of islands during 2006 and 2014 to locate wild species viz. Mangifera andamanica King, Mangifera camptosperma Pierre and Mangifera griffithii Hook. Not much variation was observed for fruit shape and size for the species Mangifera andamanica, which was endemic to this region. The species M. griffithii has been reported to be only in Mt. Harriet. However, another plant of M. griffithii in the Shoalbay region was found during the second survey. The foliage & fruit characteristics of the two specimens were similar, with a slight difference in the morphological features, which could be attributed to their origin from seeds. The DNA finger printing carried out showed minor changes in the species. The phylogenetic relationships amongst five Mangifera species viz. M. indica, M. griffithii, M. camptosperma, M. odorata and M. andamanica were analyzed by employing chloroplast markers viz., petB-petD intergenic spacer, rps16 gene, trnL-trnF intergenic spacer and nuclear marker—External Transcribed Spacer (ETS). The nuclear markers and chloroplast markers based on phylogenetic analysis showed that the common mango M. indica L. was closely related to M. griffithii and M. camptosperma, which belonged to subgenus Mangifera. However, M. odorata that belonged to subgenus Limus was grouped separately along with M. andamanica. The above results are in congruent with the accepted classification of genus Mangifera reported by Kostermans and Bompard with the exception of M. andamanica, which has been earlier classified under subgenus Mangifera. Results clearly indicated that classification of M. andamanica under subgenus needed to be reconsidered.


Subjective countertransference can sharply limit any group leader's effectiveness. However, a therapist can use the group itself to identify such a bias and to remove it as an influence. A five-step method for doing this is presented. These steps begin with introspection but hinge upon the analyst's turning to the group for the vital information that, in the end, clarifies the analyst's own perceptions and helps him or her free the group from the harmful effects of any bias.


Rechargeable Li–CO2 batteries are gaining increasing popularity for reversible electrochemical energy conversion and storage by utilization of the reactions between CO2 and Li metal. However, a high charging voltage (>4.0 V) should be applied to drive the electrochemical decomposition of the discharged products Li2CO3 and C, which results in a high charge overpotential and electrolyte decomposition. Therefore, low-cost and highly effective cathode catalysts are particularly desirable. Herein, porous-structured Mn2O3 was prepared via a facile sol–gel method and carefully characterized by SEM, TEM, XPS and Raman spectroscopy. As a cathode for Li–CO2 batteries, Mn2O3 shows superior catalytic activity and durable cycling stability (2000 h) at a current density of 50 mA g−1. Furthermore, the discharge products, Li2CO3 and C, were obtained and systematically studied using several experimental techniques. The C products obtained on the discharged Mn2O3 cathode exhibit highly graphitized features, as revealed by Raman spectroscopy and XPS. We believe that this study will promote the understanding of the Li–CO2 battery reaction mechanism and the development of highly effective low-cost cathode catalysts for Li–CO2 batteries.


Even without formal training, humans experience a wide range of emotions in response to changes in musical features, such as tonality and rhythm, during music listening. While many studies have investigated how isolated elements of tonal and rhythmic properties are processed in the human brain, it remains unclear whether these findings with such controlled stimuli are generalizable to complex stimuli in the real world. In the current study, we present an analytical framework of a linearized encoding analysis based on a set of music information retrieval features to investigate the rapid cortical encoding of tonal and rhythmic hierarchies in natural music. We applied this framework to a public domain EEG dataset (OpenMIIR) to deconvolve overlapping EEG responses to various musical features in continuous music. In particular, the proposed framework investigated the EEG encoding of the following features: tonal stability, key clarity, beat, and meter. This analysis revealed a differential spatiotemporal neural encoding of beat and meter, but not of tonal stability and key clarity. The results demonstrate that this framework can uncover associations of ongoing brain activity with relevant musical features, which could be further extended to other relevant measures such as time-resolved emotional responses in future studies.


The Bacillus subtilis dciA operon, which encodes a dipeptide transport system, was induced rapidly by several conditions that caused the cells to enter stationary phase and initiate sporulation. The in vivo start point of transcription was mapped precisely and shown to correspond to a site of transcription initiation in vitro by the major vegetative form of RNA polymerase. Post‐exponential expression was prevented by a mutation in the spo0A gene (whose product is a known regulator of early sporulation genes) but was restored in a spo0A abrB double mutant. This implicated AbrB, another known regulator, as a repressor of dciA. In fact, purified AbrB protein bound to a portion of the dciA promoter region, protecting it against DNase I digestion. Expression of dciA in growing cells was also repressed independently by glucose and by a mixture of amino acids; neither of these effects was mediated by AbrB.


The complex [Mo(CO)4(PN)] 1 was synthesized by refluxing [Mo(CO)6], with 2-(diphenylphosphinomethyl)-1-methylimidazole (PN) in ethanol in the presence of NaBH4. The co-ordinated PN is selectively deprotonated to afford a carbanion [Mo(CO)4(MeImCHPPh2)]– 1a when 1 is treated with strong bases such as methyllithium or n-butyllithium at room temperature. The carbanion 1a readily reacted with deuterium oxide, methyl iodide, ethyl iodide, allyl bromide, and trimethylsilyl chloride to give [Mo(CO)4(MeImCHRPPh2)] (R = D 2, Me 3, Et 4, CH2CHCH2 5 or SiMe3 6). Treatment of 1a with chlorodiphenylphosphine and benzoyl chloride gave the corresponding derivatives [Mo(CO)4{MeImCH(PPh2)2}]·0.5H2O 7 and [Mo(CO)4{MeImCH(COPh)PPh2}]·H2O 8 respectively, both containing an additional free donor site. However, slow addition of acetyl chloride to a tetrahydrofuran solution of 1a gave the O-acetyl enolate derivative [Mo(CO)4{MeImCCMe(OCOMe)PPh2}]·0.5H2O 9 instead of an acetyl derivative. The 1H and 31P NMR spectra indicated the presence of two geometric isomers (Z and E) for complex 9. All of these complexes were fully characterized by IR, 1H and 31P NMR. The molecular structures of complex 1 and its ethyl substituted derivative 4 have also been studied by single crystal X-ray analyses.


At present, there is no established diagnostic method by which the metastatic ability of an individual human cancer can be accurately predicted. We used chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) to predict the metastatic ability of three B16 murine melanoma variant lines and also of human giant-cell carcinoma of the lung. Tumor cells were deposited on the CAM of eggs 10 days after fertilization. On day 7 after the tumor inoculation, the embryos were killed, and the lungs removed, minced and implanted on the CAM of other 10-day-old embryos. On day 7 after this inoculation, the tumors on the CAM were inspected under a surgical microscope, and were also checked histologically. The results accurately reflected the differing metastatic abilities of the B16 melanoma variant lines. Metastases were observed in the lungs of the embryo bearing human giant-cell carcinoma of the lung on the CAM. Using CAM seems to be a suitable way of predicting the malignancy of tumors with metastatic ability.


Abstract: We tested some responses of white spruce (Picea glauca) to fertilization, browsing, size of tree, and the season in which browsing took place. We collected leaf samples from trees that had been more or less fertilized and more or less browsed by snowshoe hares, for 9 y. We also used 3 levels of simulated browsing that removed approximately 10%, 30%, and 85% of all green biomass. We measured growth rate, camphor, and nitrogen concentrations in leaves, sampling monthly for 15 months. Camphor was induced by both natural browsing and clipping, and the response was influenced by plant resource status; camphor concentration increased with browsing pressure. At high browsing levels, both camphor concentration and growth rate declined. Seasonal camphor concentrations were highest in small trees that have a high risk of attack and during the winter, when trees are both slow growing and more heavily browsed. Nomenclature : Cody, W. J., 2000.


In this study, we fabricated and characterized uniform multi-cation perovskite FAxMA1−xPbI3 films. We used the dynamic spin-coating method to control the cation ratio of the film by gradually increasing the FA+, which replaced the MA+ in the films. When the FA+ concentration was lower than xFA ~0.415 in the films, the stability of the multi-cation perovskite improved. Above this concentration, the film exhibited δ-phase FAPbI3 in the FAxMA1−xPbI3 films. The formation of δ-phase FAPbI3 disturbed the homogeneity of the photoluminescence spatial distribution and suppressed the absorption spectral bandwidth with the increasing bandgap. The precise control of the cation ratio of multi-cation perovskite films is necessary to optimize the energy-harvesting performance.


The effect of sodium butyrate on various bodily parameters of broilers such as performance, gut microflora, gut morphology, and immunity is reviewed in order to highlight its importance as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. Sodium butyrate is used as a source of butyric acid, which is known for its beneficial effects in the gut in monogastrics. Sodium butyrate is available in uncoated and enteric-coated forms protected with fat or fatty acid salts. Varying results in productive performance, gut microbes, and gut morphology have been reported in the literature in response to supplementation of broiler diets with uncoated and fat-coated types of sodium butyrate. However, sodium butyrate has shown pronounced effects on immunity of chickens that are not fully understood yet. Although there are contrasting results of sodium butyrate in chicken, further research is needed using the sodium butyrate coated with the salts of fatty acids.


The starting point of this work is the gap between two distinct traditions in information en- gineering: knowledge representation and data-driven modelling. The first tradition emphasizes logic as a tool for representing beliefs held by an agent. The second tradition claims that the main source of knowledge is made of observed data, and generally does not use logic as a modelling tool. However, the emergence of fuzzy logic has blurred the boundaries between these two traditions by putting forward fuzzy rules as a Janus-faced tool that may represent knowledge, as well as approximate non- linear functions representing data. This paper lays bare logical foundations of data-driven reasoning whereby a set of formulas is understood as a set of observed facts rather than a set of beliefs. Several representation frameworks are considered from this point of view: classical logic, possibility theory, belief functions, epistemic logic, fuzzy rule-based systems. Mamdani's fuzzy rules are recovered as belonging to the data-driven view. In possibility theory a third set-function, different from possibility and necessity plays a key role in the data-driven view, and corresponds to a particular modality in epistemic logic. A bi-modal logic system is presented which handles both beliefs and observations, and for which a completeness theorem is given. Lastly, our results may shed new light in deontic logic and allow for a distinction between explicit and implicit permission that standard deontic modal logics do not often emphasize.


Several biological properties are attributed to the Pimenta dioica plants that are native to Central America. Given the possible variabilities in both the morpho-anatomical and chemical aspects of the species that grow in different locations, this study aimed to contribute to the pharmacognostic study of P. dioica leaves from Brazil. Therefore, we morpho-anatomically described the plants, performed a phytochemical screening, analyzed the chemical composition of the essential oil and determined the quality parameters of P. dioica leaves that were collected in Goiás State. The leaves are simple and exhibit a camptodromous-brochidodromous venation pattern. The blades exhibit anomocytic stomata on the abaxial side, a dorsiventral mesophyll, secretory cavities on both sides, and a uniseriate epidermis. Trichomes can be observed in the petiole. The tests revealed the presence of phytochemical saponins, tannins and flavonoids in the samples. The major components of the essential oil were eugenol (60.8%) and myrcene (19.3%). The results regarding the moisture content (7.87% w/w), total ash (8.84% w/w), HCl-insoluble ash (1.74% w/w) and total flavonoids (1.88% w/w) can be used as parameters for quality control of botanical material. Additionally, the results of this study indicates strong similarities between the chemical compositions of the leaves of P. dioica plants that were grown in Goiás, Brazil and those from other parts of Brazil and the world.


The female body has long been the subject of awe, shame and controversy. 'Sexual profiling' in all cultures, cast assumptions about women who use their bodies to express themselves. Social stereotypes regarding 'morality' are generally used to evaluate women's behaviours and justify sexual profiling. An analysis of the effects of sexual profiling on female bodily expression reveals that laws and social constructs conspire to restrict women's autonomy and freedom of expression, and has even impacted on feminist jurisprudence's view of female bodily expression. This impact is evidenced by the fact that, thus far, feminist jurisprudence has neglected to embrace the female body as a tool for redemption and liberation. Such an omission, however, has not derailed female bodily expression. In all cultures, there are women who use their bodies to fight patriarchy and resist gender-biased laws and assumptions. Comparing and contrasting U.S. based concerns with those of Trinidad and Tobago, this article argues that feminist jurisprudence must identify women's bodies as tools for redemption against sexual profiling, sexism and patriarchy.


Naphthalene is a natural component of fossil fuels such as petroleum, diesel, and coal. is used widely as moth repellent,  insecticides and as a deodorant in lavatories worldwide. It is it is a toxic ,volatile, forming an inflammable vapour and sublimes at room temperature, producing its characteristic odour. This report presents a 29year-old male, Commercial tricycle driver, Ibo by tribe, Christian and single and was admitted with fatigue , severe abdominal pain , vomiting , yellowish coloration of the eyes and passage of dark urine (cocacola colored) following the use of  naphthalene ball for the purpose of repelling mosquitoes and other insects and as an air freshener for 5days .There was no history of similar illness in the past .There were features of severe   intravascular hemolysis ; elevated Lactate dehygrogenase enzymes (2320 IU/L) , elevated Bilirubin level (12.8mg/dl) , elevated Aspartate transaminase ;AST (71IU/L) and Alanine transaminase ;ALT (257IU/L) levels with decreased Hemoglobin (8mg/dl) and Haptoglobin (30mg/dl). Granulocytosis was also 143 detected. His Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity  (1.5 IU/gm Hb) was found to be below normal and was diagnosed as G6PD  deficiency disorder. The patient was treated with bed rest, with adequate rehydration with intravenous fluid 3L/day, Antibiotics (Cefuroxime), Folic acid and fesolate and vitamin C and the mothballs in his room were removed before he was discharged home . The aim of this case report is to highlight the toxicity of this common  household naphthalene mothball especially in G6PD deficient patient. Keywords : Intravascular hemolysis, Naphthalene moth ball, G6PD deficiency, Red blood cell.


Ceria based solar thermochemical cycle is a high-temperature based redox chemical reactions to split H2O or CO2to produce hydrogen and/or syngas. The redox reactions are carried out in a reactor cavity thus the analysis and optimization of design as well as thermal analysis is a crucial factor to improve the solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency. This paper proposes the hybrid design of cylindrical and hemispherical cavity and its effects of geometrical parame-ters such as reticulated porous ceria (RPC) thickness (15 mm, 20 mm, and 25 mm) and gas flow gap (5 mm&10 mm) on temperature and flux distribution and solar-to-fuel efficiency for both steady-state and transient condition. A numerical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is carried out to study heat and mass transfer as well as geometrical design consid-eration of the STCR cavity under SolTrace generated Gaussian distributed concentrated solar flux. Two-step water-splitting reaction in the Solar Thermochemical cavity reactor (STCR) using ceria (CeO2) has been modeled to explore the oxygen evolution/reaction rate and to estimate solar-to-fuel efficiency and its relationship with geometrical factors. The RPC of 25 mm thickness yields the highest oxygen evolution rate of 0.34 mL/min/gCeO2 and solar-to-fuel efficiencies are 7.82%, 12.07% and 16.18% for 15 mm, 20 mm and 25 mm of RPC thickness, respectively without heat recovery. The operating conditions and optimized geometric factors, based on result analysis and comparison, are discussed in detail.


Abstract. Sharing mobility systems have become part of a sociodemographic trend that has pushed shared modes from the fringe to the mainstream of the transportation systems. Carsharing is a mode of shared transport, where a service is offered in which several people share the access and use of a set of vehicles. This is a relatively new mode of urban transport, which gives users access for short periods of rental, thus providing the benefits of using private vehicles, while avoiding the inherent property charges of a vehicle. The objective of the article searches for the identification and selection of preferred areas in the São Paulo City (Brazil) to implement a prototype of a carsharing system. The adopted methodology of demand analysis identifies the spatial patterns of the intervening variables of socioeconomic information, transportation and land use, in order to understand the current panorama of the demand for transport in São Paulo. The analysis made it possible to identify and select preferred areas in São Paulo for the implementation of a prototype. The study indicated the most favorable places to receive the service stations to operate a carsharing system.


Gliomas are the most common type of brain tumor in both children and adults. Several low-grade gliomas (LGG) have the ability to progress into more aggressive tumors -high-grade gliomas (HGG) including glioblastoma (GB). Although patients harboring a LGG may survive for years, after the tumor transforms to HGG, life expectancy rapidly declines to 12 to 15 months in adults and 40 months in children. Thus, inhibiting this process of malignant transformation (MT) is an attractive therapeutic strategy because of the more indolent course associated with LGGs. Immune response plays a critical role in surveillance against malignant transformation. Our previous study shows that fibrinogen-like protein 2 (FGL2) is a key hub of tumor-mediated immune suppression. Hence, we investigated the role of FGL2 in promoting tumor progression from LGG to HGG in glioma. Analysis of TCGA expression data showed that increased FGL2 expression is associated with poorer survival in LGG and GB patients. And there is a positive correlation of expression level between FGL2 and mesenchymal glioma marker CD44, and a negative correlation between FGL2 and proneural glioma marker OLIG2. Engineered expression of FGL2 in a PDGFB-dependent mouse model of oligodendroglioma, a common glioma subtype, yielded a significantly higher rate of HGGs (72% vs 29%, p=0.034) and poorer-symptom free survival (63 vs 90 days, p=0.003) than PDGFB expression alone. And HGGs from FGL2 + PDGFB expressing mice exhibited a distinct mesenchymal phenotype validating TCGA data. Further, FGL2 induced high numbers of CD4+FoxP3+ cells from an early time point of tumor formation underscoring its role in tumor progression. And FGL2 overexpression educated M2 skew in the tumors characterized by high expression of Iba1 and Arginase1 in macrophages. Finally, treatment with anti-FGL2 antibody significantly improves survival in mice, shifts the phenotype from mesenchymal HGG to proneural LGG, and rescues M2 macrophage skewing. Our results show that FGL2 is critical for malignant progression of glioma by inducing immunosuppression in tumor microenvironment, and raise the potential of FGL2 to be a promising target to suppress/reverse glioma progression and provide survival benefit in clinical. Citation Format: Khatri Latha, Jun Yan, Yuhui Yang, Loyola V. Gressot, Lingyuan Kong, Ganiraju Manyam, Ravesanker Ezhilarasan, Qianghu Wang, Erik P. Sulman, Jingda Xu, Richard E. Davis, Suyun Huang, Gregory N. Fuller, Arvind Rao, Amy B. Heimberger, Shulin Li, Ganesh Rao. Fibrinogen-like protein 2 drives malignant tumor progression in glioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5606. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5606


We present a systematic study of the dc conductivity of solid polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) of type xPSS PSS·(1 - xPSS) PDADMA as a function of temperature, and of PSS and water content, respectively. PSS stands for poly(styrenesulfonate) and PDADMA for poly(diallyldimethylammonium). Apart from these polyions, small ions like Na+ and Cl- can be incorporated into the complexes. The amount of small ions and its type (Na+ or Cl-) depend on the PEC composition. We show that, in contrast to dried polyelectrolyte complexes where the chloride ions are macroscopically immobile, Cl- ions become mobile if water is absorbed into the PEC. In PEC with an excess of PDADMA (xPSS < 0.5), hydrated Cl- ions govern the ionic conductivity. On the other hand, in PEC with an excess of PSS (xPSS > 0.5), the conductivity is determined by the sodium ions. For the first time we show that the dependence of the conductivity on composition can be described by power-laws as derived within the framework of the dynamic structure model originally developed for glassy ion conductors by Bunde, Ingram and Maass (J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 1994, 172-174, 1222). This power-law behavior is found in PEC with an excess of Cl- ions as well as in those with an excess of Na+ ions. Also the model predictions concerning the temperature dependence of the power-law exponents on the one hand and the composition dependence of the activation enthalpy on the other hand, are found to be valid. These findings indicate that in polyelectrolyte complexes ions travel via pathways of ion specific sites through the polyelectrolyte matrix. The results on hydrated PEC are compared to those of dry PEC where the dynamic structure model is only applicable for PEC with an excess of PSS (xPSS > 0.5).