AbstractMetabolic syndrome (MS), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are related to cardiovascular diseases. Although MS is common in CKD subjects, the contribution of MS-associated risk factors and hs-CRP to arterial stiffness in CKD has not been well studied.In this cross-sectional cohort study, we enrolled 9903 subjects who underwent brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) measurements from our database of Health Care Center. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Comparing those grouped with and without CKD, multivariate linear regression analyses were used.Overall, baPWV was found to have an inverse relationship with eGFR (P for trend <0.001), which increased progressively with the presence of CKD, increasing number of MS-associated risk factors and hs-CRP (P for trend <0.001). In the non-CKD group, age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hs-CRP independently predicted baPWV, whereas in CKD, eGFR, age, gender, body mass index, SBP, DBP, and fasting glucose remained predictors.The number of MS-associated risk factors and hs-CRP remains a determinant of arterial stiffness in both CKD and non-CKD groups. The decline of renal function contributes to arterial stiffness only in CKD but not in non-CKD. Our findings suggest that for CKD subjects, renal function, BP, and glycemic control are potential targets for further interventional studies of arterial stiffness.


Exploratory testing (ET) is a powerful and efficient way of testing software by integrating design, execution, and analysis of tests during a testing session. ET is often contrasted with scripted testing and seen as a choice of either exploratory testing or not. In contrast, we pose that exploratory testing can be of varying degrees of exploration from fully exploratory to fully scripted. In line with this, we propose a scale for the degree of exploration and define five levels. In our classification, these levels of exploration correspond to the way test charters are defined. We have evaluated this classification through focus groups at four companies and identified factors that influence the choice of exploration level. The results show that the proposed levels of exploration are influenced by different factors such as ease to reproduce defects, better learning, and verification of requirements and that the levels can be used as a guide to structure test charters. Our study also indicates that applying a combination of exploration levels can be beneficial in achieving effective testing.


Two billion years ago, a naturally occurring nuclear reactor cycled on and off every 3 hours, according to clues from xenon isotopes.


Abstract Comfort, P. Within- and between-session reliability of power, force, and rate of force development during the power clean. J Strength Cond Res 27(5): 1210–1214, 2013—Although there has been extensive research regarding the power clean, its application to sports performance, and use as a measure of assessing changes in performance, no research has determined the reliability assessing the kinetics of the power clean across testing session. The aim of this study was to determine the within- and between-session reliability of kinetic variables during the power clean. Twelve professional rugby league players (age 24.5 ± 2.1 years; height 182.86 ± 6.97 cm; body mass 92.85 ± 5.67 kg; 1 repetition maximum [1RM] power clean 102.50 ± 10.35 kg) performed 3 sets of 3 repetitions of power cleans at 70% of their 1RM, while standing on a force plate, to determine within-session reliability and repeated on 3 separate occasions to determine reliability between sessions. Intraclass correlation coefficients revealed a high reliability within- (r ≥ 0.969) and between-sessions (r ≥ 0.988). Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in peak vertical ground reaction force, rate of force development, and peak power between sessions, with small standard error of the measurements and smallest detectable differences for each kinetic variable (3.13 and 8.68 N; 84.39 and 233.93 N·s−1; 24.54 and 68.01 W, respectively). Therefore, to identify a meaningful change in performance, the strength and conditioning coach should look for a change in peak force ≥8.68 N, rate of force development ≥24.54 N·s−1, and a change in peak power ≥68.01 W to signify an adaptive response to training, which is greater than the variance between sessions, in trained athletes proficient at performing the power clean.


A man in his 60s presented to the oral and maxillofacial surgery department with a 7-month history of a painless progressive swelling of the anterior mandible. The patient was completely edentulous. He reported numbness of the lower lip and difficulty on swallowing. There was no remarkable weight loss. His medical history was significant for hypertension and coronary artery bypass surgery. On intraoral examination, the mass was hard in consistency with relatively normal overlying mucosa. Computed tomographic (CT) images with bone window showed a grossly expansile, multilocular, low-attenuation lesion of the anterior segment of the mandible (Figure, A and B). The images demonstrated severe erosion of the facial and lingual cortices with a remarkable scalloping pattern, and multiple wispy, ill-defined intralesional septa. Soft-tissue CT images indicated a cystic and solid nature of the mass (Figure, C and D). Quiz at jamaotolaryngology.com Axial bone algorithm CT image A Coronal bone algorithm CT image B


Vitaceae (the grape family) consist of 16 genera and ca. 950 species primarily distributed in tropical regions. The family is well‐known for the economic importance of grapes, and is also ecologically significant with many species as dominant climbers in tropical and temperate forests. Recent phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses of sequence data from all three genomes have supported five major clades within Vitaceae: (i) the clade of Ampelopsis, Nekemias, Rhoicissus, and Clematicissus; (ii) the Cissus clade; (iii) the clade of Cayratia, Causonis, Cyphostemma, Pseudocayratia, Tetrastigma, and an undescribed genus "Afrocayratia"; (iv) the clade of Parthenocissus and Yua; and (v) the grape genus Vitis and its close tropical relatives Ampelocissus, Pterisanthes and Nothocissus, with Nothocissus and Pterisanthes nested within Ampelocissus. Based on the phylogenetic and morphological (mostly inflorescence, floral and seed characters) evidence, the new classification places the 950 species and 16 genera into five tribes: (i) tribe Ampelopsideae J.Wen & Z.L.Nie, trib. nov. (47 species in four genera; Ampelopsis, Nekemias, Rhoicissus and Clematicissus); (ii) tribe Cisseae Rchb. (300 species in one genus; Cissus); (iii) tribe Cayratieae J.Wen & L.M.Lu, trib. nov. (370 species in seven genera; Cayratia, Causonis, "Afrocayratia", Pseudocayratia, Acareosperma, Cyphostemma and Tetrastigma); (iv) tribe Parthenocisseae J.Wen & Z.D.Chen, trib. nov. (ca. 16 spp. in two genera; Parthenocissus and Yua); and (v) tribe Viteae Dumort. (ca. 190 species in two genera; Ampelocissus and Vitis).


We thank Drs. Chugh and Chugh for their interest in our work (1) and for their comments. We agree that access failure remains a limitation of transradial intervention (TRI). As demonstrated in SAFE-PCI for Women (Study of Access Site for Enhancement of PCI for Women) trial, radial artery spasm (RAS) is a major contributor to access site crossover from radial to femoral. Women generally have smaller radial arteries, and as the authors suggest, arterial-sheath size mismatch might cause RAS. Our protocol did not recommend sizes for sheaths/catheters, nor did we routinely collect this information, limiting our ability to explore this hypothesis in our female population. Data suggest that most U.S. operators use 5-F or 6-F sheaths for diagnostic catheterization and 6-F sheaths for coronary intervention (2). More slender equipment might reduce RAS in women. However, our access site crossover rate was consistent with that from the RIVAL (Radial versus Femoral Access for Coronary Intervention) trial, which studied a predominantly male population (3), suggesting that factors other than arterial diameter contribute to access site failure. We have demonstrated that a radial learning curve exists (4), and variables such as operator experience, catheter manipulation, multiple arterial punctures, catheter exchanges, and use of sedation/vasodilator therapy can all impact RAS and crossover rates. The authors propose using pre-procedural ultrasound to aid in access site decisions. Although not routinely used in the United States and not included in the SAFE-PCI for Women trial protocol, preprocedural ultrasound may provide valuable information using relatively inexpensive, portable, and noninvasive technology. Theoretically, ultrasound might also reduce access-related trauma. However, arterial size is dynamic and is affected by variables such as the degree of patient sympathetic tone and use of intra-arterial vasodilators. The timing of use of imaging and ultrasound-based triaging of patients to access site strategy should account for these factors. Furthermore, the risks/benefits of recommending a "femoral first" strategy to avoid risk of radial access failure should be weighed carefully against the added bleeding risk associated with femoral access. For example, in obese, short females with small radial arteries, one might still attempt TRI first. Further understanding of the correlation between radial artery size, spasm, and access failure should be pursued before routine use of ultrasound to guide access decisions. The use of imaging for preemptive crossover risk stratification and to optimize contemporary TRI should also be systematically investigated in future studies.


Motor proteins can organize posttranscriptional processes by transporting ribonucleoprotein complexes to specific locations. To investigate a possible role of myosin proteins in gene expression control, I have identified mRNAs associated with five myosin heavy chains in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, by purifying the proteins and identifying bound transcripts using DNA microarrays. Each myosin coimmunoprecipitated with 5–13 different mRNAs (~0.1–0.2% of all genes), including those encoding four different myosin heavy chains. Moreover, one of the myosins (Myol) interacted with mRNAs encoding components of the cortical actin cytoskeleton. These interactions were not observed in control immunoprecipitates. A myosin‐specific chaperone (Rng3) that interacts cotranslationally with myosin mRNAs was essential for the association between myosin proteins and transcripts but not between Myol and other mRNAs. Finally, proteins encoded by the Myo1‐associated mRNAs immunoprecipitated each other's transcripts, but not myosin mRNAs. These interactions suggest the existence of two distinct myosin‐containing ribonucleoprotein complexes: those containing myosin mRNAs and those associated with Myo1. They are distinguished by their mRNA composition, requirement for the Rng3 chaperone and the presence of nonmyosin cytoskeletal proteins. I propose that these complexes represent specialized sites for the production of myosin proteins and the assembly of cytoskeletal components, respectively.—Mata, J. Genome‐wide mapping of myosin protein‐RNA networks suggests the existence of specialized protein production sites. FASEB J. 24, 479–484 (2010). www.fasebj.org


The performance of a power plant can be known from the calculation of efficiency in the generating sector. Steam power plants utilize a series of energy conversion processes including: conversion of chemical energy into thermal energy when extracting heat from coal as fuel to heat boilers, conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy in turbines and conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy in generators. Like other steam power plants, the Teluk Sirih PLTU located in Bungus Teluk Kabung, West Sumatra has the same energy production process. it's just that the source of the water is taken from the sea so it requires special treatment to turn the water into water suitable for producing steam used in this power plant. The electricity production process will be explained in this study and an efficiency calculation process with a simple Rankine cycle is carried out to determine the efficiency of this power plant. From the calculation results, the thermal efficiency of PLTU Teluk Sirih is 29%. Based on the results of these calculations, it is known that the Telusk Sirih PLTU can be classified as a power plant with good efficiency.


This article is about the classification status of the language of the Chulym Turks. The authors conclude that the Chulym Turkic language is of the Kipchak Turkic language origin according to the Leipzig-Jakarta list. The data for the research consisted of the most resistant words (the Leipzig-Jakarta list) of the Turkic languages. In this study of Chulym Turkic, field dialectological materials of Valeriya Lemskaya were used. The most resistant words were selected out of the dictionaries of the Turkic languages and compared. The results revealed a 100-word Leipzig-Jakarta list of the Chulym Turkic words as a result of the comparison with the Oghuz and Kipchak languages. Previously, the Chulym Turkic language was considered to belong to the Siberian group of the Turkic languages that also included the Khakass, Shor and Saryg-Yughur languages. Disagreeing with this, the Chulym Turkic language is shown to be the Kipchak language origin than the Oghuz Turkic one.


The need for quantitative methods for assessment of tendon forces following tendon reconstructive surgery arises because of the side effects of current post-operative therapy. The classical therapy over the past 50 years has been to insulate the hand from potential injury in a cradle of bandages. This method was originally introduced because movement of the hand following surgery was felt to result in failures of the repaired tendons which have a very limited strength. The subsequent stiffening of the joints, and reduction in the gliding action of tendons is exacerbated by the swelling and inflammatory processes resulting from the surgery. In recent years, a new post-surgical therapy has been introduced that dramatically improves the range of motion and reduces the time to clinical release of the patient. This procedure is similar to that used prior to the current conservative therapy, but better analytical methods have allowed restrictions to be imposed on the active motion of the hand following surgery.
 The force analysis that has led to new guidelines for post-surgical hand therapy for flexor tendons is presented here. A graphical user interface is also presented which allows the user to study various external force loadings and obtain rapid feedback on the resulting tendon forces at user-defined joint angles. This is shown in Figure 1.


A means is proposed for attaining the twin goals of a rectangular power spectral density (PSD) and a constant-carrier envelope for direct-sequence code division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) waveforms. Mitigation bandwidth is shown to be an especially appropriate metric for CDMA waveforms. Shaping of the PSD structure is explored using the M-ary orthogonal CPFSK modulation format. An important consequence for this type of signal is that the Shannon channel capacity is maximized when the PSD is made rectangular. The results of this exploration highlight the steady decrease in out-of-band power as the number of bits per symbol is increased.


N an article by Ericsson, 1 extensive use is made of normal force coefficient data from wind-tunnel tests done at the Uni versity of Glasgow. We would like to comment on Ericsson's methodology. In addition, we are somewhat concerned that the author has not considered, except in passing, any of the argu ments put forward by ourselves in published work.2-4 A paper by ourselves, 2 which is referred to in Ericsson's work,1 clearly shows some serious anomalies with his own methodology and conclusions. In his article, Ericsson1 makes the assumption that incipient reattachment is indicated by the local minimum normal force. Fig. 7a of Ref. 2, however, clearly indicates that the flow may be as much as 50% attached at the minimum normal force condition. This would obviously have serious implications on the remainder of Ericsson's analysis.1 We would like to stress that the analysis carried out by Er icsson1 is of normal force coefficient data only, and has not been done with any reference to the behavior of individual pressure transducer traces. A great deal of work by our selves,2"4 however, has concentrated upon a detailed analysis of surface pressure data from a number of aerofoil models performing ramp-down motions (the data that Ericsson1 ana lyzed was derived from essentially the same tests). We have, therefore, been able to resolve the attachment information much more lucidly. Most importantly, we have come to the conclusion that attachment alone is not responsible for all of the phenomena observed on the CN ~ a data.2 We have pro posed that the dominant effect during the ramp-down motion is the convection of the wake fluid off the aerofoil surface, and our pressure data analysis and other experimental data give this suggestion very firm backing. In particular, the local min imum normal force (that Ericsson1 has taken as incipient reat tachment), in fact, coincides with the passage of a pressure wave over the trailing edge, and this wave is likely to be the result of wake fluid convection effects.3'4 Attachment mean while proceeds slowly up to x/c ~ 0.15, and then proceeds at a constant, but pitch-rate-dependent, rate along the rest of the chord. All of these data were available to Ericsson 1 before submission of his article. Ericcson1 has given great significance to a comment by Ranke5 in an International Council of the Aeronautical Sci ences paper that "flow reattaches uniformly" during the downstroke of an aerofoil oscillating in pitch. We stress that Ranke's paper5 contains next to no technical detail on the rate of reattachment. Ranke's5 comment is therefore wide open to interpretation, and it would be inappropriate to use this single comment in preference to a large body of highly detailed, pub


Pointing is a basic gesture performed by any user during human-computer interaction. It consists in covering a distance to select a target via the cursor in a graphical user interface (e.g. a computer mouse movement to select a menu element). In this work, a dynamic model is proposed to describe the cursor motion during the pointing task. The model design is based on experimental data for pointing with a mouse. The obtained model has switched dynamics, which corresponds well to the state of the art accepted in the human-computer interaction community. The conditions of the model stability are established. The presented model can be further used for the improvement of user performance during pointing tasks.


The present work was undertaken to provide information, lacking in the literature, on the lattice rotation, and the role of twinning during cold rolling of commercial purity titanium (T40). The proposed method consists of determining the individual rotation of the grains induced by low to intermediate deformation (up to 30% in thickness reduction) and following the rotation field using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) measurements in a high resolution FEG SEM at different steps of deformation (10 and 20%). We have especially studied the formation, the evolution, and the role of mechanical twins. According to the former research, during deformation at room temperature, three different types of twin systems were activated: ${\left\{ {10\overline {1} 2} \right\}}$ tensile twinning, ${\left\{ {11\overline {2} 2} \right\}}$ compression twinning, and – to a small extent – ${\left\{ {11\overline {2} 1} \right\}}$ tensile twinning depending on the grain orientation. Secondary twins (often ${\left\{ {10\overline {1} 2} \right\}}$ within ${\left\{ {11\overline {2} 2} \right\}}$ twins) were activated in the grains oriented favorably for this secondary twinning. This resulted in a heterogeneous microstructure in which grains were refined in some areas. It also induced reorientation of the c‐axes to stable orientations. No twins of higher order than the second order twins could be found. The rotation flow field was measured by following the rotation of 800 grains. It was possible to determine the individual grains rotations as well as the average flow field. For grains having twinned parts, the lattice rotation of the matrix is similar to that of the grains having a similar crystallographic orientation but without any twins. Twins form in grains having specific orientations with respect to the macroscopic stress field; they can grow in the grain with increasing strain and may consume almost the whole matrix.


Direct marrow cytogenetic preparations were examined in 14 cases of anemia associated with deficiency in vitamin B12 and/or folate. Seven cases showed distinct alterations in chromosome structure consisting of increased chromosome breakage, incomplete chromosome contraction and centromere spreading. These abnormalities were not present after vitamin replacement and were generally less distinct in cases with major medical complications or with only mild megaloblastic changes. No distinct aberrations in chromosome number or karyotype were found. The cytogenetic changes observed seem compatible with current concepts of megaloblastic cell division and with the role of folate and vitamin B12 in DNA metabolism.


This study assessed microbial contamination of water in sources (boreholes and open wells) and selected households in four Malawian villages (situated in Bangwe Township, Blantyre city) by analyzing the presence of faecal coliforms using membrane filtration. Additionally, pH, conductivity and temperature of the water sources were also determined. Conductivity ranged from 150.5 to 1575 μS/cm. About 70% of all water sources were above World Health Organization (WHO) and Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) limits for conductivity (indicating salty water in the area). Water temperature ranged from 21.5 to 24.7°C and pH from 5.28 to 6.95 with no significant difference (p > 0.05) for these physical parameters among the sampling points. Water pH was within MBS range while 60% of water sources were below WHO range. Faecal coliform levels exceeding WHO and MBS safe standards were observed in 79% of all samples analysed in this study. Mean household faecal coliform levels were as follows (village (mean)); Nalivata (437 CFU/100 mL), Mpingwe 1 (172 CFU/100 mL), Mpingwe (266 CFU/100 mL) and Salvation Army (15 CFU/100 mL). All mean faecal coliform counts were above WHO (0  CFU/100 mL) and MBS (0 CFU/100 mL) safe values. The results suggest that the quality of water in the villages often fails to meet one or more WHO and MBS recommended safe levels as such, poses a potential risk to the health of those individuals living in such villages. Local and National Governments should therefore target the provision of safe water to such populations. The findings of this study also highlight the need for improved dissemination of good hygienic practices amongst such communities. Key words: Boreholes, drinking water, faecal coliforms, health, pollution.


An electrochemical immunoassay for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) combining the concepts of the dual monoclonal antibody "sandwich" principle, the silver enhancement on the nano-gold particle, and the anodic stripping voltammetry is described. Four main steps were carried out to obtain the analytical signal, i.e., electrode preparation, immunoreaction, silver enhancement, and anodic stripping voltammetric detection. A linear relationship between the anodic stripping peak current and concentration of cTnl from 1 to 20 ng/ml and a limit of detection of 0.8 ng/ml were obtained. The established method was tested by determining cTnI in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) samples using enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) for comparison analysis, and good results were obtained.


Background Elevated body weight is associated with hip osteoarthritis (OA) and subsequently with total hip arthroplasty (THA). Patients with hip OA who are overweight often mention their restricted mobility as a factor that thwarts their attempts to be physically active and lose weight. There is some evidence that THA increases physical activity, but none for losing body weight after THA. Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze the short-term (1-year) and long-term (4.5-year) effects of a THA on body weight. Design This was an observational, multicenter cohort study. Methods For the short-term effect, all patients (N=618) were analyzed; for the long-term effect, a random subgroup (n=100) was analyzed. Preoperative and postoperative body weight and height were self-reported. Patients were categorized according to their preoperative body mass index (BMI <25 kg/m2=normal weight, 25–30 kg/m2=overweight, >30 kg/m2=obese). Clinical relevancy was set at a minimum of 5% weight loss compared with baseline. Results The mean age of the study group was 70 years (SD=8), 74% were women, and mean preoperative body mass was 79 kg (SD=14). One year after THA, a significant decrease in body weight of 1% and 3.4% occurred for the overweight and obese BMI categories, respectively. After 4.5 years, a significant decrease in body weight of 6.4% occurred for the obese BMI category. Limitations Height and weight—and thus BMI—were self-reported. Conclusion Patients in the overweight and obese groups showed a decrease, albeit not clinically relevant, in body weight after 1 year. After 4.5 years, a decrease that was relevant clinically was observed in the patients who were obese. It can be concluded that no clinically relevant reduction of weight occurred after THA, except in the long term for patients who were obese.


AIM
To translate and validate the Index of Professional Nursing Governance (IPNG) 2.0 and assess the state of professional nursing governance in Finland.

BACKGROUND
Raising and maintaining quality of care while retaining staff are common problems in healthcare globally. Professional governance is a modern way to tackle them, but a reliable instrument is needed to measure the state of nursing governance in Finland, and elsewhere.

METHODS
The IPNG that was translated into Finnish by forward-backward translation, culturally adapted and pilot tested with 20 nurses. A sample of 419 nurses was utilised in a cross-sectional study to assess the state of professional governance in Finland 2018.

RESULTS
Principal component analysis yielded six components with good Cronbach's α values. The results clearly indicate that the IPNG version developed and evaluated in this study has suitable psychometric properties for use in Finnish healthcare settings. The validated IPNG scores indicate that nursing governance in Finland is in the professional governance range. The staff have some input in the governance of Finnish healthcare organisations. However, this perception is strongest among the nurse leaders and experts; other groups do not perceive much change yet.

CONCLUSION
Participants, particularly nurse leaders in Finland, had self-reported impact in decision-making. The translated IPNG has acceptable internal consistency and can be used to assess healthcare organisations' governance models in Finland and broader in Nordic countries and Europe.


This article represents the computational model for spacial addresation of the sensors in the dynamically changing real-time internet of things system. The model bases on the Voronoi diagrams as a basic data structure. Problem - the correct data addresation without time delays in real-time processing and database indexation in distributed storages. Goal - to develop the real-time processing model of the object location identification in the Voronoi diagram data structure. Relevance - the research and development on the contemporary issues on the convergence (the N limit up to which the model presents the algorithm convergence), time-delay, correct indexation in the database transactions and adressation throughout wireless radio frequencies in the distribiuted sensor systems. Solution proposes the Voronoi diagram computational geometry data structure and the sweeping curve algorithm. Methods represents the following steps: simulation of the dynamically changing agent system using set of points that are based on a contemporary paths of the public transport routes, bykes, vehicles circulations; 3D map rendering on the SITG Canton of Geneva map; Voronoi diagrams calculation with the Fortune's algorithm.


Imbalanced data learning is one of the challenging problems in data mining; among this matter, founding the right model assessment measures is almost a primary research issue. Skewed class distribution causes a misreading of common evaluation measures as well it lead a biased classification. This article presents a set of alternative for imbalanced data learning assessment, using a combined measures (G-means, likelihood ratios, Discriminant power, F-Measure Balanced Accuracy, Youden index, Matthews correlation coefficient), and graphical performance assessment (ROC curve, Area Under Curve, Partial AUC, Weighted AUC, Cumulative Gains Curve and lift chart, Area Under Lift AUL), that aim to provide a more credible evaluation. We analyze the applications of these measures in churn prediction models evaluation, a well known application of imbalanced data Keywords: imbalanced data, Model assessment, accuracy , G-means, likelihood ratios, F-Measure, Youden index, Matthews correlation coefficient, ROC, AUC, P-AUC,W-AUC, Lift, AUL


Inflammatory bowel diseases as ulcerative colitis and Cohn's disease represent significant health problems in the western world. Colon cancer is a common consequence of those chron- ic inflammatory disorders, thereby it is essential to improve knowledge and research level of this area. AOM/DSS is a known and well-established chemically induced mice model of coli- tis associated cancer. In order to make research based on this model more efficient and relia- ble, improvements are desired. In vivo imaging with the use of specific fluorescent probes is a very convenient and recently strongly developed method worth exploiting in monitoring tumors development. Furthermore, introduction of knockout model enabling in depth exploration of colon cancer mechanisms shades light on the behavior of the disease. Particularly, due to the importance of insulin re- ceptor, as a key regulator of homeostasis, also involved in cancer pathology, it would be of high interest to explore it in terms of colon cancer. On the other hand, exploring physiology of the healthy colon is also essential in fighting this serious medical issue and culturing colon epithelium ex vivo gives a broad range of opportunities for this matter. 3D in vitro culture of colon crypts enables development of spherical organoids, imitating intestinal epithelium envi- ronment. In combination with mice of different genetic background, growing colon crypts raises a vast spectrum of exploration. The used methodology was based on a combination of Azoxymethane (AOM) with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) that allowed induction of colitis associated colon cancer mice model. Tumor development was confirmed with weights monitoring, colonoscopy and tumor counts. In vivo imaging system with the use of fluorescent probes was tested for imaging of tumors in AOM/DSS model. Two types of probes potent for emitting signal in near-infrared light were used: active IntegriSense 680 and activatable ProSense 750. Insulin receptor knock out mice were genotyped to confirm loss-of-function mutation. Colon crypts were taken from healthy mice donors and 3D matrigel-based culture was set up in order to induce organoids develop- ment and survival in vitro. As a result, AOM/DSS model was successfully obtained which was confirmed with numerous tumors developed in distal part of the colon. In vivo imaging with IntegriSens 680 did not give significantly strong signal either in vivo or ex vivo. Activatable probe ProSense 750 how- ever failed in vivo imaging of induced tumors, provided some specific distinguishable signal ex vivo. Colon crypts were successfully isolated from mouse donors. Culture was maintained for 9 days during which colonoids grown and developed into variously shaped spherical struc- tures. AOM/DSS model resembles human colitis associated colon cancer. Although utilized fluorescent probes did not give expected results in vivo, ProSense 750 due to positive ex vivo measurement sheds a light on potential use and future optimization of that method. (Less)


Localization of wireless micro-sensors which are non-uniformly scattered over a region is a challenging problem. Solutions relying on simple inter-node ranging and then summing up ranges between a node and reference nodes do not necessarily provide reliable position estimation. Besides, in multihop localization, error in distance estimation tends to accumulate with the increase of path length. This is because by increasing hop-counts, the disparity between the actual progressed distance and estimated progressed distance is accumulated. In view of this, a novel multi-hop localization scheme that incorporates density and path-length awareness is proposed for non-uniformly distributed wireless sensor networks. Also, we seek to reduce errors in position estimation introduced by long propagation path.


We develop the theory of anomalous elasticity in two-dimensional flexible materials with orthorhombic crystal symmetry. Remarkably, in the universal region, where characteristic length scales are larger than the rather small Ginzburg scale ∼10  nm, these materials possess an infinite set of flat phases. These phases corresponds to a stable line of fixed points and are connected by an emergent continuous symmetry. This symmetry enforces power law scaling with momentum of the anisotropic bending rigidity and Young's modulus, controlled by a single universal exponent-the very same along the whole line of fixed points. These anisotropic flat phases are uniquely labeled by the ratio of absolute Poisson's ratios. We apply our theory to phosphorene.


A new synthetic method for homopropargylic amines from alkyl azides is presented. A salient feature of this reaction is the involvement of N-unsubstituted imines as the key intermediates, which are generated from alkyl azides by Ru catalysis under photolytic conditions. Notably, this method avoids the use of a protective group strategy in the homopropargylic amine synthesis.


This book looks into how, why, and when people pursue those things in life that they desire, the things they do to make their existence attractive, worth living. Robert A, Stebbins calls this 'Positive Sociology', the study of what people do to organize their lives such that they become substantially rewarding, satisfying, and fulfilling. For most people in Western society, there is much more to life than eliminating or adequately controlling crime, drug addiction, urban pollution, daily stress, domestic violence, and overpopulation. Significant levels of success in these areas bring a noticeable measure of tranquility to people substantially affected by them, but they do not, in themselves, generate positiveness in daily life.The principal wellspring of "Personal Decisions in the Public Square" is, in large part, the sociology of leisure, a 'happy science'. It is focused on the attractive side of life. Among the basic concepts in the sociology of leisure are activity and human agency. The centrality of positive activity is one of its hallmarks and separates it from other social science specialties. The examination of Stebbins' new kind of positive sociology centers on conceptual roots found in the approach known as the serious leisure perspective. This theoretical framework synthesizes three main forms of leisure (serious, casual, and project-based) showing their distinctive features, similarities, and interrelationships. Notwithstanding the importance of leisure, positive sociology must also consider the two other domains of life: work and non-work obligation.This new approach focuses the pursuit of 'that which makes life worth living'. In this way, this project explores ideas which are important to all people, such as, negotiating the right work/family or obligation/leisure balance and the tricky relationship between money and happiness. For research scientists or the general public the arguments presented may lead toward a better understanding of negotiating situations in a way that would be more positive then approaching them as 'problems' which need to be solved.


Generally, performance of aircraft is optimized within the limits of adequate Handling Qualities. The dominant challenges in designing flying wings exist in their paradigm relating stability margin and the effectiveness of controls. The project, undertaken at Airbus Future Projects Office, provides a qualitative assessment of the Handling Qualities of the Flying V concept. The Flying V is an aerodynamically efficient tailless design, based on similar requirements as the Airbus A350-900. Relevant Handling Qualities criteria are selected and a 6 Degrees of Freedom Flight Mechanics Toolbox is set-up. Data was assembled from parametric models. These were utilized to create aero data based on a Vortex Lattice Method and lumped masses model providing the inertia estimation. The same methodology was repeated for a reference aircraft of conventional configuration based on the A350-900. Results revealed the characteristically lower centre of gravity range of flying wings in comparison to conventional configurations. The trivial effects of a shorter tail arm, emphasizing the need for a yaw damper and increased directional control for the Flying V were also reviewed. Lateral-directional controllability were however found to be limited but not insurmountable. Taking into account the limitations of the toolbox, this study concludes that the basic handling characteristics tested of the Flying V's design are favourable.


BACKGROUND
There is an increasing number of reports about the use of dexamethasone in the treatment of preterm infants at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The possibility of myocardial hypertrophy developing during this treatment has not been examined.

METHODS
As an example the course of one patient is described. We examined seven preterm infants (mean birth weight 791 g, mean gestational age 26 weeks) with eight treatments of dexamethasone retrospectively. The therapy was associated with a significant increase of the mean thickness of the interventricular septum and of the left ventricular posterior wall. After the termination of dexamethasone therapy the abnormal echocardiographic findings disappeared.

CONCLUSION
We suggest careful monitoring of preterm infants treated with dexamethasone by performing serial echocardiographic investigations.


A cognitive radio network where an incumbent primary operator and an entrant secondary operator compete for users is modeled using queueing and game theory. The economic viability of supporting the secondary operator service using an opportunistic access to the spectrum owned by the primary operator is assessed. Against the benchmark of the primary operator operating as a monopolist, we show that the entry of the secondary operator is desirable from an efficiency perspective, since the carried traffic increases. Additionally, for a range of parameter values, a lump sum payment can be designed so that the incumbent operator has an incentive to let the secondary operator enter. Additionally, the opportunistic access setting has been compared against a leasing-based alternative, and we have concluded that the former outperforms the latter in terms of efficiency and incentive.


In order to understand how the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis Patton exists in the extremely hot and arid environment (mean annual rainfall 21 mm) in Northern Province, Sudan, regular sampling from breeding places and resting sites was undertaken during 1978 and 1979 at four villages along the River Nile downstream (i.e. northwards) from Dongola. The population density of A. arabiensis was lowest during the flood season (July-October) and increased as the river flow decreased during NovemberJune. Thus there was an inverse relationship between the Nile water level and A. arabiensis production. Prolific breeding in riverside pools was the main source of A. arabiensis as the river receded. During the annual flood, when riverside pools were all inundated, A. arabiensis continued breeding at low densities in sheltered sites such as wells and pits. Breeding also occurred in all months in association with the weed Potamogeton crispus in slow reaches of the river. Adult females fed regularly on blood, with gonotrophic concordance in all months, and there was no evidence of aestivation. Outdoor biting activity occurred throughout the night, with a peak between 2100 and 0500 h. Daytime searches indoors and outdoors indicated that resting females A. arabiensis are almost entirely endophilic in the study area.


We are interested in finding deformations of the rigid wall of a two‐dimensional acoustic waveguide, which are not detectable in the far field, as they produce neither reflection nor conversion of propagative modes. A proof of existence of such invisible deformations has been presented in a previous paper. It combines elements of the asymptotic analysis for small deformations and a fixed‐point argument. In the present paper, we give a systematic presentation of the method, and we prove that it works for all frequencies except a discrete set. A particular attention is devoted to the practical implementation of the method. The main difficulty concerns the building of a dual family to given oscillating functions. Advantages and limits of the method are illustrated by several numerical results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


PURPOSE
To examine the cortical response under transient stimulus conditions in amblyopic children before and after eye patching. To determine whether improvement in acuity is associated with spatial-frequency-dependent changes in specific peaks of the cortical response.

METHODS
Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) to check reversal (163-18 arc min) and onset of sine wave gratings (0.5-4 cyc/deg) were measured in 24 amblyopic children (<7 years of age) before eye patching. VEPs were repeated in nine subjects with 20/40 or better acuity after patching. Age, severity of amblyopia, and VEP amplitudes of positive peak (P)100, P1, and negative peak (N)2 were analyzed by multivariate statistics.

RESULTS
Before patching, the amblyopic eye showed decreasing amplitude with increasing spatial frequencies (P < 0.05) when compared with the nonamblyopic eye. Reduced amplitudes occurred at frequencies well below acuity. Latencies were mildly prolonged. After patching, amplitudes increased in the amblyopic eye across all spatial frequencies (ANCOVA; P < 0.0001 for each peak). However, a spatial-frequency-dependent increase in amplitude was significant only for a late negative peak (N2). The patched eye showed no significant changes.

CONCLUSIONS
Recovery of acuity after eye patching is associated with an overall increase in cortical activation across a wide range of spatial frequencies below the acuity threshold. A spatial-frequency-dependent increase in a late negative peak suggests that the cortical generator of this peak demonstrates plasticity of acuity recovery.


AFTER ILLUSTRATING THE METHOD OF EXCAVATION FOR DEEP AND SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS WITH VERTICAL EXCAVATIONS WITHOUT SHUTTERING, AN INVESTIGATION IS MADE TO SHOW HOW FAR THIS METHOD CAN BE APPLIED IN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION WORK. WITH THE AID OF EDGE PROTECTORS IT IS POSSIBLE TO EXCAVATE FOUNDATION AREAS OF 4 X 15 M. FOR LARGER AREAS A SUBDIVISION INTO SINGLE AREAS IS POSSIBLE. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE ON THE FORM AND STIFFENING OF EDGE PROTECTORS, FOR SUSPENDING THE REINFORCING CAGE AND FOR THE PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL OF THE EDGE PROTECTORS IMMEDIATELY AFTER CONCRETING HAS TAKEN PLACE. A CONCRETE COVER OF >100 MM IS RECOMMENDED. AS IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ADHERE TO THE CURRENT REGULATIONS FULLY, SPECIAL DISPENSATIONS HAD TO BE OBTAINED. THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES ARE ENUMERATED: REDUCTION IN WORKING HOURS AND WORK FORCE, SAVINGS IN REINFORCING STEEL AND CONCRETE. FOLLOWING THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE APPLICATION OF THIS METHOD IN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION WORK, A WORK STANDARD IS DEVELOPED FOR PROJECT DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.


Nowadays, character education is a necessity for the people of Indonesia, but moral degradation which infects the public even among students. The campus mosque is a strategic quality building forum for the formation of student character. The purpose of this study was to study the management and role of campus mosques in shaping the character of students at the University of PGRI Madiun. This study uses descriptive qualitative research with data collection techniques using observation, interviews, and documentation. The results of the study show the role of the mosque campus in shaping the character of students; the first character is based on character education based on student activities; second is community-based character education; fourth as a means of learning intolerance between fellow mosque users; and strengthening character through campus culture. This research is expected to increase knowledge for educational institutions that support the role of mosques as centers of Islamic education.


Graphene-based capsules have strong potential for a number of applications, including drug/gene delivery, tissue engineering, sensors, catalysis and reactors. The ability to integrate graphene into carrier systems with three-dimensional (3D) geometry may open new perspectives both for fundamental tests of graphene mechanics and for novel (bio)technological applications. However, the assembly of 3D complexes from graphene or its derivatives is challenging because of its poor stability under biological conditions. In this work, we attempted to integrate a layer of graphene oxide derivative into the shell of biodegradable capsules by exploiting a facile layer-by-layer (LbL) protocol. As a first step we optimized the LbL protocol to obtain colloidal suspensions of isolated capsules embedding the graphene oxide derivative. As a following step, we investigated in detail the morphological properties of the hybrid capsules, and how the graphene oxide derivative layer influences the porosity and the robustness of the multilayer composite shells. Finally, we verified the uptake of the capsules modified with the GO derivative by two cell lines and studied their intracellular localization and biocompatibility. As compared to pristine capsules, the graphene-modified capsules possess reduced porosity, reduced shell thickness and a higher stability against osmotic pressure. They show remarkable biocompatibility towards the tested cells and long-term colloidal stability and dispersion. By combining the excellent mechanical properties of a graphene oxide derivative with the high versatility of the LbL method, robust and flexible biocompatible polymeric capsules with novel characteristics have been fabricated.


Field trial was conducted to study the seasonal incidence and influence of abiotic and biotic factors on Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata of brinjal during 2011-12.The incidence of H.vigintioctopunctata started during first week after transplanting with a mean population of 0.81 per planton brinjal crop. The peak incidence was observed during the third week of October with a mean population of 6.98 per plant and the incidence decreased gradually up to crop maturity. Data recorded on effect of abiotic and biotic factors on H.vigintioctopunctata population revealed that the incidence had non-significant relation with a biotic factors like minimum temperature, evening relative humidity and significant relationship with maximum temperature, morning relative humidity and rainfall. The pest population also shows positive and significant correlation with biotic factors like coccinellid beetles as well as spiders.


In 2008 astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured an image of sunlight as it passed through the Earth's thin atmosphere, described as the thin blue line of "all that stands between life on Earth and the cold, dark void of space." At the center of sustainability education is a discourse of climate change and life's demise on the planet. In this short article, the contributing role of the United Nations University's Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) for sustainability education is explored with respect to community-based climate change adaptation, notably through RCE Dhaka (Bangladesh) as an example of the challenges and opportunities for climate change adaptation in one of the most heavily populated megacities of the Global South.


Angiosarcoma is a rare endothelial derived soft-tissue tumor with an estimated incidence of 0.2/100,000 persons/year. Current treatment regimes include surgical resection followed by chemotherapy. Even after treatment, reoccurrence is likely and usually fatal. The canine equivalent of angiosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma (HSA), is a relatively common canine endothelial neoplasm with an overall incidence of 24/100,000. In addition, canine HSA is more prevalent in specific breeds suggesting a genetic component. Similar to human angiosarcoma, HSA present as two basic forms: visceral (spleen or cardiac) and dermal. Furthermore, canine HSA occur spontaneously making canine HSA a relevant model system to study human angiosarcoma. Interestingly, MEK/MAPK signaling cascade is activated in Kaposi9s Sarcoma, another human endothelial derived cancer. We hypothesize that the MEK/MAPK signaling cascade is vital for HSA and angiosarcoma growth and survival. We performed expression analysis supplemented by small molecule inhibitor studies utilizing canine primary cell isolates derived from visceral and dermal HSA. MAPK pathway expression signatures are elevated in HSA primary isolates compared to proliferating endothelial cells. Consistent with mRNA expression studies, ERK2 is constitutively phosphorylated in serum starved conditions. In addition, HSA cell viability is reduced by the MEK1/2 inhibitor CI-1040 compared to isolated canine endothelial cells. Other inhibitors targeting tyrosine kinase receptors (Sorafenib, EGFR Inhibitor, and SU11652) also decrease HSA cell viability. We conclude a network of tyrosine kinase receptors constitutively activate the MEK/MAPK signaling pathway in HSA. This work provides insights in the etiology and therapeutic potential for targeting both canine HSA and angiosarcoma. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2929. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2929


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of OASIS preloaded punctal plug versus Smart Plug punctal plug Retrospectively registered in the treatment of aqueous-deficient dry eye.

METHODS
47 patients were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group. The control group was treated with Smart Plug punctal plug treatment, and the experimental group was treated with OASIS preloaded punctal plug treatment. The ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire score, Schirmer I test and break-up time (BUT) results before and after treatment, and the incidences of postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS
This study showed that compared with before treatment, the OSDI scores of patients were significantly improved at six months after treatment in both the experimental group and control group. After treatment, there was no significant difference in OSDI score, Schirmer I test, and BUT level between the two groups. In addition, the Smart Plug punctal plug treatment group had a significant improvement in BUT at three months after operation compared with before treatment.

CONCLUSION
The OASIS preloaded punctal plug and the Smart Plug punctal plug can significantly improve dry eye symptoms. Furthermore, the OASIS preloaded punctal plug can facilitate intraoperative procedures, and the abnormal implantation due to the expansion of the embolic volume can be reduced.

KEY WORDS
OSDI questionaire, Dry eye, Embolisation implantation, Preloaded punctal plug, Smart Plug punctal plug.


In this paper, we extend the multiple Riccati equations rational expansion method by introducing a new ansatz. Using this method, many complexiton solutions of the (2+1)-dimensional Nizhnik–Novikov–Veselov equations are obtained which include various combination of hyperbolic and trigonometric periodic function solutions, various combination of hyperbolic and rational function solutions, various combination of trigonometric periodic and rational function solutions, etc. The method can be also used to solve other nonlinear partial differential equations.


Purpose of review The purpose of this article is to provide understanding of renal sarcoidosis, the different types of renal sarcoidosis, disease burden of renal involvement, and treatment options. Recent findings The frequency of renal involvement seems to be underestimated, but renal sarcoidosis represents a relevant group of organ manifestations and significantly adds to the patient's morbidity. Because histopathological analysis of renal biopsy specimens can reveal various entities, a diagnostic workup is necessary in every patient with sarcoidosis. Summary If systematically screened for renal manifestations are likely to occur in up to 25–30% of all sarcoidosis patients. The most common histological form of renal sarcoidosis is the granulomatous interstitial nephritis; however, granulomas can be absent. Furthermore, one can find various forms of secondary glomerulonephritis. In cases with dysregulated calcium homeostasis, nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis are commonly detectable kidney diseases. AA amyloidosis or renal masses because of granuloma formation are considered to be rare manifestations. In addition to glucocorticoids various immunosuppressive treatments such as tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors have proven to be effective based on case series.


In a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum in engineering, students work together as a project team. By doing that they have the opportunity to exercise teamwork competencies, like project management and communication skills while studying various engineering topics. In this process feedback is essential in order to stimulate the students. However, the lecturers do not witness all the interactions in the group and also it takes a lot of time to give extensive feedback. Peer review and Peer evaluation method enable teachers to assess teamwork competencies more completely and more time efficient. An extra benefit is that the students learn to take responsibility for assessing the value of contributions to the team efforts. Based on a research project at TU Delft in the Netherlands, this paper will present a variety of Peer evaluation and Peer review instruments and discuss their potential in supporting the PBL group process.


Background: Research has examined family functioning in relation to childhood chronic conditions; some findings suggest a detrimental impact of illness on functioning, others suggest no impact or instances of improved functioning. This review collated qualitative data, to understand the factors facilitating healthy functioning.

Method: Four electronic databases were searched: Web of Science, Medline, CINAHL and Psych INFO and ten papers were identified.

Results: A meta-ethnographic synthesis showed that families encounter a variety of potential stressors, such as distress following diagnosis. They manage these through various resources including contact with health services. The synthesis highlighted an appraisal process mediating the perception of stressors and resources. This process occurs on interconnected levels (individual, family and wider system) and it is this, rather than the specific stressors or resources encountered, that impacts functioning.

Discussion: The challenges commonly encountered by families managing childhood chronic conditions can be experienced very differently depending on their systems of appraisal. This has clinical implications as health services should not only offer holistic support to families but regularly review how this support is perceived. Research could be extended to investigate which factors promote a more positive appraisal of challenging situations.


Abstract A recent treatment of the dynamic behavior of anemometer hot wires is simplified and used to show that the response of the CSIRO liquid-water hot wire can be described by a second-order differential equation. This is confirmed by experiment, and it is shown that the inherent time scale is fully calculable in terms of the thermal properties of the wire and its support and the amplifier constants. For most clouds a response time of 0.005 s can be readily achieved.


Researchers propose a telephone availability and awareness network (TAAN) that could help businesses save time and money. The telephone is a cornerstone of modern life, giving nearly instant connections between friends, families, businesses and nations. Yet even modern systems consistently fail to enable users to make contact at the first attempt. A substantial proportion of business calls fail because the called party is unavailable and by the time a call is returned, the original caller is often unavailable. This imposes both a time and financial burden on the international business community, causing frustration and stress. Some in-house systems show when a colleague is engaged on a call, making it obvious when an internal call to that person would be pointless. This 'on-hook/off-hook' information could distributed more widely. Thus the idea of a telephone availability and awareness network was born. TAAN provides a solution to the problem of pointless telephone calls. The system is capable of indicating to a telephone user, in real time or substantially real time, the status or availability of a remote telephone line anywhere in the world. If necessary, it can function independently of the network being used for voice calls. The article outlines the concept behind TAAN.


Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMSs) are a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders affecting components of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Postsynaptic NMJ defects encompass up to 75% of CMS cases and comprise mutations in genes that encode different subunits of the acetylcholine receptor (CHRNA1, CHRNB1, CHRND and CHRNE) or proteins important to maintain the structure or function of the NMJ, such as MUSK, RAPSN or DOK7. Defects in the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) can be primary, resulting from a decreased expression of one of the subunits, or functionally subdivided into fast(FCCMS) and slow-channel (SCCMS) congenital myasthenic syndromes. Most cases of primary AChR deficiency involve mutations in the CHRNE gene, because the epsilon subunit can be substituted by the foetal gamma subunit, thus rescuing the phenotype. Compound heterozygous or homozygous null mutations in the CHRNA1, CHRNB or CHRND gene do not benefit from the gamma subunit rescue and are believed to be lethal. We herein present a nonlethal case of a severely affected CMS patient with a CHRNA1 homozygous null mutation. We describe a boy who was referred to our neuromuscular disorders outpatient clinic at the age of 6 years for evaluation with a diagnosis of severe congenital myopathy. He was born from unaffected first-degree cousins of mixed ancestry (Portuguese, African and native) out of an uneventful pregnancy with reduced foetal movements. The couple had a previous pregnancy of twins with foetal demise at 7 months. Immediately after caesarean section, the patient required orotracheal intubation due to respiratory insufficiency and was admitted to the neonatal ICU, where he stayed for a year and a half. He was discharged to continue home care with gastrostomy and tracheostomy, requiring continuous BiPAP support. Despite having gradually improved, he remained severely impaired, never having acquired head control or the ability to sit. At our first evaluation, he was able to move his arms and legs on a plane, with proximal greater than distal weakness in all four limbs. Physical exam demonstrated bilateral ptosis with complete ophthalmoplegia, absence of facial expression, high-arched palate and marked hypotonia without contractures (Figure 1A). His serum CK level has always remained within the normal range. Muscle biopsy performed at 10 months by another service in the deltoid muscle showed marked predominance and atrophy of type 2 fibres without disruptions of the intermyofibrillar network (Figure 1B). We opted for direct exome sequencing to reach a final molecular diagnosis. Analysis of sequencing data of the trio consisted of filtering variants for known genes implicated in neuromuscular diseases, discarding variants with a minimum allele frequency (MAF) >0.5% in different population variant frequency databases (EVS, ExAC) or with a low pathogenicity prediction score combining evaluations of the PolyPhen-2 and SIFT tools. No variants survived the filtering pipeline for the X-linked and de novo analysis scenarios. Compound heterozygous variants were identified fitting the segregation, but they occurred in genes unrelated to the phenotype of the patient (SYNE1 and SYNE2). BAM files were thoroughly checked for coverage of known genes. In the homozygous recessive analysis scenario, we found the variant c.1396G>A (p.Gly466Arg), in exon 10 of the CHRNA1 gene (NM_001039523) (Figure 1D–F). It has been previously implicated in primary AChR-deficiency CMS. A nerve conduction study was performed to demonstrate the NMJ impairment. Repetitive nerve stimulation of the ulnar and peroneal nerves, with recording in the abductor digiti minimi and tibialis anterior muscles, respectively, showed marked decrement of >70% in both the upper and lower limbs (Figure 2A,B). Concentric needle electromyography revealed instability of motor unit action potentials with increased jitter on voluntary contraction. The patient was then started on pyridostigmine and had an almost immediate improvement in limb movement, being able to raise his arms and legs against gravity, and gradual improvement in ventilatory function, reducing BiPAP support to the point where it was only necessary at night. The variant p.Gly466Arg gives rise to a primary AChR defect by way of reducing the expression of the AChR alpha subunit to a level of around 15% of normal. It was previously described in a 53-year-old man with myasthenic symptoms since birth who harboured the mutation (under a different notation, it was referred to as p.Gly421Arg) in a heterozygous state, compounded with an additional heterozygous splicing disrupting mutation. He had partial response to pyridostigmine and amifampridine. The patient we describe expands our understanding of the complex genetic picture of congenital myasthenic syndromes with the demonstration of a homozygous null mutation expected to give rise to a lethal phenotype but instead originating a severely affected progeny of asymptomatic carriers. The delay in diagnosis of a condition that benefits from immediate symptomatic treatment prompts one to emphasize the need to always consider a CMS diagnosis in severely hypotonic infants, even in patients with mild inconclusive muscle biopsies or suggestive of other diseases. In particular, type 2 fibre predominance or atrophy is not a common feature in CMS. Repetitive nerve stimulation may point to the diagnosis, and this is an important ancillary exam to order in these cases. On the other hand, the absence of decrement on repetitive nerve stimulation does not rule out NMJ defects. Single-fibre electromyography can be a technical challenge in young children, and normative values are not well defined. Molecular diagnosis and knowledge of the mutation effect in CMS is important to enable defining an effective and safe symptomatic treatment. Primary AChR deficiency and FCCMS may respond to pyridostigmine and amifampridine, cholinergic agents that must be avoided in SCCMS and in deficiency of Dok-7. Ideally, the choice of treatment should be withheld until a genetic diagnosis is reached, or done with close observation in a monitored setting. Of note, there are reports of NMJ involvement and myasthenic symptoms with response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in different forms of confirmed or nonspecific


Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if computer-based videos can successfully educate patients about the health benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet (WFPBD) during the clinic wait time. As physicians, we recognize the importance of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of a video-based educational model in increasing patient knowledge and confidence regarding diet.
Methods: Subjects (n = 77) were recruited from an outpatient clinic. An electronic survey was developed and administered to patients before and after watching a 5-minute educational computer-based video about the beneficial health effects of WFPBD. Responses to the survey's 10 knowledge-based (KB) questions were scoredon a dichotomous incorrect/correct scale, and the survey's 9 confidence-based (CB) questions were scored on a likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Paired pre- to post-video intervention difference scores (knowledge and confidence) were calculated for each patient and independently analyzed using a related-samples Wilcoxon signed rank test. one-way ANoVA tests were used to investigate survey questions demonstrating the greatest improvement post-video intervention.
Results: Statistically significant improvements in patient knowledge and confidence in their knowledge of nutrition after watching the brief educational video on nutrition were found. Patients scored significantly higher post-video intervention than pre-video intervention on KB survey questions (z = 5.748; P< .001) and CB survey questions (z= 6.605; P< .001). Statistical significance remained across all self-reported chronic condition groups, except for obesity (oB) and atherosclerosis (AS) groups for total knowledge and AS group for total confidence. one-way ANoVA tests confirmed that self-reported chronic conditions did not significantly predict baseline (pre-intervention) total KB or CB scores. The exploratory question-specific analysis demonstrated that the survey questions regarding average daily fiber consumption (P< 0.001) and the association of saturated fats with chronic disease (P= 0.001) were the most significant predictors of the increase in patient knowledge post-intervention.
Conclusion: Our findings indicate that providing patients with a short computer-based educational video during clinic wait time can significantly increase patient knowledge on the health benefits of a WFPBD. Future studies can test the model on a larger, more varied sample of patients and gauge the longevity of the knowledge gained from this educational model.


Accumulation of excess iron in tissues causes organ damage and dysfunction and may lead to serious clinical consequences including liver cirrhosis, diabetes, growth retardation and heart failure. Iron overload is a major health threat in iron loading anemias, like beta-thalassemia, myelodysplastic syndrome and in hereditary hemochromatosis. In patients with beta-thalassemia major, iron overload develops due to frequent blood transfusions to control the severe anemia. In addition, iron overload also occurs in patients with beta thalassemia intermedia (non-transfusion dependent beta-thalassemia). In the later cases, iron overload develops through gastrointestinal iron hyperabsorption due to stressed and ineffective erythropoiesis. Importantly, expression of the peptide hormone hepcidin, which is the key modulator in iron homeostasis, is abnormally low and unable to block ferroportin-mediated intestinal iron absorption. In hereditary hemochromatosis, gene defects in the hepcidin-ferroportin axis controlling iron homeostasis, lead to hepatic iron overload. Therefore, in these indications, iron overload is caused by dysregulation or dysfunction of the hepcidin-ferroportin axis. Hepcidin is predominantly produced by the liver and is induced by activation of the BMP/SMAD signaling pathway. Furthermore, hepcidin is under the negative control of the transmembrane protease matriptase-2, encoded by the TMPRSS6 gene.
 RNA interference is a natural mechanism and a powerful approach for inhibiting the expression of disease-associated genes. Silence Therapeutics has developed short interfering RNA (siRNA) conjugate technology for the selective inhibition of target gene expression in the liver. GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs bind efficiently to the asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptor expressed predominantly by hepatocytes thereby providing a highly specific, safe and efficient delivery technology to enable a new class of therapeutic use.
 Here we present the pharmacological characterization of SLN124, our GalNAc-siRNA conjugate targeting TMPRSS6 expression, in preclinical models. A single subcutaneous administration is sufficient to achieve significant modulation of target gene expression in mice and in non-human primates over several weeks. SLN124 treatment reduces systemic iron levels, transferrin saturation and tissue iron levels in a rodent model for hereditary hemochromatosis type 1. In addition, we report for the first time the therapeutic efficacy of iron restriction by SLN124 in mice with established iron overload both as monotherapy and in combination with an oral iron chelator - current standard of care- over an extended treatment period. The effects of these treatments on red blood cell parameters and tissue iron levels will be presented. In addition, we assessed the therapeutic effects of SLN124 in an animal model for beta-thalassemia intermedia, showing dose-dependent and long-lasting effects on target gene expression as well as on modulation of iron stores and normalization of erythropoiesis and anemia. Safety and tolerability studies in relevant preclinical models confirmed that SLN124 is well tolerated and shows promise as an effective and safe treatment for unmet medical need in iron loading anemias, such as beta-thalassemia. SLN124 is currently in preclinical development. The first in human study is planned to commence in 2019 in patients with beta-thalassemia and in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

 Muckenthaler: Novartis: Research Funding. Dames:Silence Therapeutics GmbH: Employment. Frauendorf:Silence Therapeutics GmbH: Employment. Schubert:Silence Therapeutics GmbH: Employment. Aleku:Silence Therapeutics GmbH: Employment. Zügel:Silence Therapeutics GmbH: Employment.


PURPOSE
There is evidence to suggest that muscle damage caused by resistance exercise (RE) may increase postprandial lipemia (PPL). This study examined PPL for two consecutive days after a protocol of low-volume eccentric RE that caused muscle damage.

METHODS
Nine healthy, untrained male volunteers aged 27.2 +/- 1.1 yr performed a session of eccentric RE consisting of eight sets of inclined leg presses at six repetition maximum with 3-min rest intervals. A high-fat meal (1.2 g fat, 1.2 g carbohydrate, 0.22 g protein, and 68.6 kJ kg(-1) body mass) was administered 16 h (day 1) and 40 h (day 2) after exercise as well as after an overnight fast with no prior exercise (control condition [C]). Venous blood samples were obtained before and hourly for 6 h after each meal.

RESULTS
The duration of the exercise session (including rest intervals) was 25.6 +/- 0.2 min, whereas net exercise time was 4.6 +/- 0.2 min. Total energy expenditure was 0.64 +/- 0.04 MJ. Serum creatine kinase and ratings of perceived muscle soreness were significantly elevated on day 1 and peaked on day 2. Triacylglycerol total area under the curve was 12.1% lower on day 1 compared with C (7.51 +/- 0.99 vs. 8.54 +/- 1.07 mmol L(-1) 6h(-1), P < 0.02), whereas no difference existed between C and day 2. Serum insulin incremental area under the curve was significantly elevated on day 2 compared with C, indicating transient insulin resistance.

CONCLUSION
These results show that low-volume eccentric RE is effective in reducing postprandial triacylglycerol concentration despite the low energy expenditure. Muscle damage does not have a detrimental effect on PPL.


We have ongoing projects that are developing New Approach Methods (NAMs) for systematic toxicology. One NAM is to develop the immunotoxicity evaluation with non-animal test methods for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)Test Guideline (TG). The development of this evaluation includes the following steps: 1) adverse outcome pathway (AOP), 2) detailed review paper, 3) test methods based on AOP, 4) validation study of test methods for developing TGs, and 5) integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA). I believe that the NAMs developed on these steps may enable risk assessment of a chemical with non-animal test methods in near future.


Dissection of the upper limb of a 67 year-old male cadaver revealed tortous bilateral brachioradial arteries; these originated in the proximal third of the arm. The left brachioradial artery originated from the brachial artery proper, while the right arose from the superficial brachial artery. The right median nerve was formed within the proximal 1/3rd of the limb from its unusually longer lateral and medial roots, the nerve coursing 3-4 cm distal to its formation passing through the brachial artery and the brachioradial artery forming an island pattern (an inselbildung). With an increased usage of the radial artery as a vascular access route over the femoral artery, Variants of the artery, its origin, morphology and topography are significant in selection of the artery for percutaneous transradial coronary catheterization. Such knowledge will minimize iatrogenic complications or vessel crossover rate. Combination of high-origin brachioradial artery together with tortuosity are uncommon; but known causative etiological factors of procedural complications. Pre-operative angiography, duplex scanning are preoperative studies that useful for candidate selection for coronary percutaneous transradial catheterization.


Rumors are regular features of crisis events due to the extreme uncertainty and lack of information that often characterizes these settings. Despite recent research that explores rumoring during crisis events on social media platforms, limited work has focused explicitly on how individuals and groups express uncertainty. Here we develop and apply a flexible typology for types of expressed uncertainty. By applying our framework across six rumors from two crisis events we demonstrate the role of uncertainty in the collective sensemaking process that occurs during crisis events.


: Parkinson disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, characterized pathologically by the presence of Lewy bodies and the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Currently, the diagnosis of PD is based on clinical criteria; that is, it is diagnosed when motor symptoms appear such as limb tremor, slowness of movement or muscle stiffness. However, by the time motor symptoms appear, more than half of the dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain have been lost. Furthermore, as clinical diagnosis of PD is challenging, misdiagnosis is common. This highlights the need for disease-specific and early-stage biomarkers. Lewy bodies are rich in α-synuclein protein, who plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of PD. Therefore, α-synuclein may be useful as a PD biomarker. Therefore, the objective of this review is to summarize the efficacy of body fluid α-synuclein and its proteoforms measurements in the detection of PD. In fact, the identification of specific, sensitive, and non-invasive biomarkers is essential especially in regard to existing and future disease modifying treatments. Although the main candidate has been the measurement of α-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), CSF collection procedure is quite invasive and unsuitable in most clinical settings. Consequently, the presence of this protein and its proteoforms in biofluids such as blood plasma, saliva and tears has been investigated. Based on the results of these studies, phosphorylated and oligo-meric α-synuclein are the best candidates for PD diagnosis. Until now, the measurement of α-synuclein has had multiple technical limitations, but the repeatability and reliability of immunoassays created in the last years has increased considerably. Therefore, it is expected that the potential of the main candidate biomarkers for PD diagnosis will be verified in the upcoming years.


The study of auditor client management negotiations dates back twenty years with the publication of the first analytical model of negotiations in 1991. However, that article made next to no impact until Gibbins, Salterio and their later collaborators began a research program on auditor-client management negotiations in 1996. The purpose of this paper is to review the fifteen years of research on auditor client management negotiation including publishing, for the first time, the theoretical model that underlay their research program. I then review the sequence of published papers focusing on Gibbins, Salterio and their co-authors that led to the acceptance of the premise that the auditor co-created the financial statements and related disclosures with client management. I call this "exposing the phenomena" part of the paper. I then examine the experimental research carried out over the last decade and relate it to both the underlying theoretical model and the descriptive model of auditor client management negotiating, identifying where research has been carried out and where important matters, both descriptively and theoretically, have received less research interest than their importance may warrant. Finally, I provide some thoughts as to how archival researchers may join into this research stream by suggesting the repurposing audit report delay construct as a measure of probability that auditor-client management negotiations took place during the year-end audit. Furthermore, I suggest how this delay measure might be improved by using the newly popular text analysis comparison software that has recently come back in vogue in capital markets research. I call these sections "exploring the phenomena." I conclude with a brief reminder about the practical significance of auditor-client management negotiations and I urge continued research on this important area; one that may threaten the future existence of audit firms more than any other.


THE US GOVERNMENT should apologize to hundreds of citizens who were used in ionizing radiation experiments conducted from the 1940s into the 1970s—often without their consent or even their knowledge. The government should also compensate those who were harmed by the experiments, or their survivors. These are the recommendations the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments has made in its final report, which is due to be released. The committee, which was established by an executive order of President Clinton in January 1994, was charged with investigating the ethical and scientific aspects of human radiation experiments carried out or sponsored by the US government. Find the Answers According to Stephen Klaidman, counselor to the committee and director of communications, the committee was charged with finding answers to several questions, including what ethical criteria should be used to evaluate human radiation experiments, what was the federal government's role in past human


Vertical and horizontal freezing effect in caprine semen quality. This work was carried out to study the vertical and horizontal freezing effect on the quality of Saanen caprine breed semen. The animals were fed on 1.5kg/day coast-cross (cynodon dactylon), 0.5kg/day feed-stuff containing ground corn (70%) and soybean bran (30%), and free access to mineral supplement and water. The semen was collected through manikin once a week for 5 weeks. Variance analysis showed that the progressive motility and the survival rate were higher (P<0.05) in the vertical freezing (31.3% and 29.01%) than in the horizontal freezing (28.0% and 26.86%) respectively. There was no influence of semen freezing methods (P<0.05) on the spermatozoa vigor which was of 2.46 points in the vertical and 2.26 in the horizontal freezing method. It was concluded that the vertical freezing method produced the best caprine semen quality to be used in artificial insemination.


Providing access to the benefits of additive manufacturing technologies in tissue engineering, vinyl esters recently came into view as appropriate replacements for (meth)acrylates as precursors for photopolymers. Their low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility as well as favorable degradation behavior are their main assets. Suffering from rather poor mechanical properties, particularly in terms of toughness, several improvements have been made over the last years. Especially, thiol–ene chemistry has been investigated to overcome those shortcomings. In this study, we focused on additional means to further improve the toughness of an already established biocompatible vinyl ester‐thiol formulation, eligible for digital light processing‐based stereolithography. All molecules were based on poly(e‐caprolactone) as building block and the formulations were tested regarding their reactivity and the resulting mechanical properties. They all performed well as toughness enhancer, ultimately doubling the impact resistance of the reference system. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 110–119


Thyroglobulin (Tg) is a high molecular weight glycoprotein located mainly in thyroid follicles, where thyroid hormones are synthesized and stored. In patients with differentiated thyroid cancer of follicular origin, serum Tg levels become undetectable following total thyroidectomy and iodine-131 remnant ablation. It is a key biomarker to follow-up patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, in combination with neck ultrasound monitoring. The measurement of Tg in the wash-out of the needle used for fine needle aspiration biopsy is a valuable aid to the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis. The presence of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies affects reliability of Tg results measured in serum or plasma. Systematic investigation of such antibodies is required to validate any Tg assay. Elevated or rising levels of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies can in turn be used as a surrogate tumor marker of thyroid cancer. The development of second-generation Tg assay (automated, highly sensitive) has enabled significant advances in the management of differentiated thyroid cancer: early detection of persistent or recurrent disease and follow-up care simplified in low-risk patients. Testing of serum Tg can also be useful in evaluating other clinical situations such as congenital hypothyroidism, endemic goiter and thyrotoxicosis factitia.


Indeed, there are many hydrology variables influence on the operating of dam and reservoir system. Thus, modelling of dam operation is a complicated issue due to the nonlinearity of such hydrological parameters. Hence, the identification of a modern model with a high capacity to cope with the operation of the dam is extremely important. The current research introduced good an optimization algorithm, namely Genetic Algorithm (GA) to find best operation rules. The main aim of the suggested algorithm is to minimize the difference between irrigation demand and water release value. The developed algorithm was applied to find operation rules for Timah Tasoh Dam, Malaysia. This research used significant evaluation indexes to examine the algorithms' performance. The results indicated that the GA method achieved low Vulnerability, high Resilience and Reliability. It has been demonstrated that the GA method will be a promising tool in dealing with the problem of dam operation.


The present study was carried out to set up quality control parameters for the Indigenous traditional preparation-Dhatri lauh by making the use of classical tests along with advanced analytical tools. Dhatri lauh prepared and has been characterized by determining various physicochemical parameters in comparison to marketed sample. X-ray diffraction techniques are proved to be useful in obtaining finger print profile of prepared sample. This is the first report of fingerprinting of Dhatri lauh using advanced analytical tool. This technique would be useful in studying qualitative and quantitative differences in inorganic as well as organic chemical constituents.


Background and objective Glycation is a common post-transcriptional modification of proteins. Previous studies have shown that advanced glycation end modified transferrin (AGE-Tf) levels in diabetic rat kidney tissues were increased; however, its role in diabetic nephropathy remains unclear. In this study, differences in glycation degree and Tf sites induced by differing high glucose concentrations in vitro and the effect on total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were observed. Moreover, the effect of AGE-Tf on human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) was investigated. Methods In vitro Tf was incubated with increasing glucose concentrations (0 mM, 5.6 mM, 11.1 mM, 33.3 mM, 100 mM, 500 mM, and 1,000 mM) for AGE-Tf. Differences in AGE-Tf glycation degree and TIBC level were analyzed via colorimetric method. The AGE-Tf glycation sites were identified with LC-MS/MS. HK-2 cells were treated with AGE-Tf prepared with different glucose concentrations (33.3 mM and 500 mM) in vitro. The effects of AGE-Tf on HK-2 cell viability, proliferation, oxidative stress index, and Tf receptor expression levels were then observed. Results With increasing glucose concentrations (100 mM, 500 mM, and 1,000 mM) in vitro, Tf glycation degree was significantly increased. The TIBC levels of AGE-Tf were decreased significantly with increasing glucose concentrations (33.3 mM, 100 mM, 500 mM, and 1,000 mM). Four glycated modification sites in Tf and 17 glycated modification sites were detected in AGE-Tf (500 mM) by LC-MS/MS. The structural types of AGEs were CML, G-H1, FL-1H2O, FL, and MG-H1. No significant differences were found in the survival rate of HK-2 cells among the AGE-Tf (500 mM), AGE-Tf (33.3 mM), and Tf groups (all p > 0.05). The apoptosis rate of HK-2 cells in the AGE-Tf (500 mM) group was significantly higher than that in the AGE-Tf (33.3 mM) group. Additionally, both of them were significantly higher than that in the Tf group (both p < 0.05). The MDA levels of HK-2 cells in the AGE-Tf (500 mM) and AGE-Tf (33.3 mM) groups were higher than that in the Tf group, but not significantly (both p > 0.05). The T-AOC level of HK-2 in the AGE-Tf (500 mM) group was significantly lower than that in the AGE-Tf (33.3 mM) and Tf groups (both p < 0.001). The GSH level of HK-2 cells in the AGE-Tf (500 mM) group was significantly lower than that in the Tf group (p < 0.05). The expression level of TfR in the AGE-Tf (500 mM) group was also significantly lower than that in the Tf group (p < 0.05). Conclusion The degree and sites of Tf glycation were increased in vitro secondary to high-glucose exposure; however, the binding ability of Tf to iron decreased gradually. After HK-2 was stimulated by AGE-Tf in vitro, the apoptosis of cells was increased, antioxidant capacity was decreased, and TfR expression levels were downregulated.


A study on electrochemical treatment of wastewater from flotation of phosphate ores and process test is carried out. A basic model of the potential change of particles in suspension is also introduced briefly. The results show that the wastewater after the treatment can reach the process standard; The recycling for processing uses of the wastewater is satisfied; the electrochemical treatment mentioned in this paper is a valuable way to recycle industrial wastewater.


The in-circuit test is performed by pushing a needle-type probe into the printed circuit board (PCB) and measuring the conductivity between the electronic components. To reduce the testing time and improve the test reliability, a swift and stable motion of the probe is required, especially when the probe touches the surface of the PCB. Instead of the conventional method involving the use of a force sensor, this study investigates the application of a micro electronical mechanical systems accelerometer to realize the quick contacting motion. The detection of the contact instant is evaluated by the jerk signal from this device. Subsequently, a negative force is added to the probe and the proposed force control based on acceleration aided Kalman filter and reaction force observer is applied. The experimental verification indicates that the settling time is reduced to approximately 10 ms and this corresponds to nearly 1% of the comparison data based on the existing technique.


ABSTRACT The local structure of undirected multigraphs under two random multigraph models is analyzed and compared. The first model generates multigraphs by randomly coupling pairs of stubs according to a fixed degree sequence so that edge assignments to vertex pair sites are dependent. The second model is a simplification that ignores the dependency between the edge assignments. It is investigated when this ignorance is justified so that the simplified model can be used as an approximation, thus facilitating the structural analysis of network data with multiple relations and loops. The comparison is based on the local properties of multigraphs given by marginal distribution of edge multiplicities and some local properties that are aggregations of global properties.


Intelligent vehicle (IV) is one of the core components of intelligent transportation system. From the view of pattern-covering & embedding, the robust improvement mechanism of noise-add is described, and then the controller design method based on noise-add is presented. Fuzzy logic is applied to partition and cover vehicle motion pattern space. The controller's ability to cover and embed vehicle motion patterns is improved by adding noise in the design. Thus the robustness of the control system is enhanced. Simulation results show that the designed controller can adapt to non-linear structure with time-variant parameters and measure noise.


The article described a new design of high-speed data transmission, used in BESIII trigger system, with optical fibre that was based on the on-chip serial/deserial transceiver in FPGA. A special custom protocol is defined to transfer the consecutive and real-time data, recover and process the data belongs to the same event at the same time. The design was tested for a long period run. A high level of confidence bit error rate was obtained, and all channels from different transmitters were re-aligned by using unfixed delay alignment method. The design was implemented in the trigger system and would meet the requirements of BESIII.


Abstract As of the 2014 reporting year, Bayou Chene and Lacassine Bayou in southwestern Louisiana are listed as impaired water bodies under the Clean Water Act. In both bayous, low dissolved oxygen is listed among the causes of impairment. In order to develop strategies for improving water quality, it is necessary to understand the influence of natural conditions on dissolved oxygen and other water quality parameters. Accordingly, a three-part study of the relationship between hydrology, geology, and surface water quality in Bayou Chene and Lacassine Bayou was proposed. First, a water quality study was conducted to ascertain seasonal and spatial variations in surface water quality. Second, a geological study was proposed to assess spatial variations in the properties of Pleistocene and Holocene sediment deposits. Third, a geospatial and statistical analysis was proposed to relate the results of the geological study and the water quality study; research results on this relationship will be presented. In addition, data on soils, climate, water depth, flow rate, and historical water quality were gathered from secondary sources. Regression analysis of these data, along with preliminary results from the water quality study, suggests influences on water quality from climate and agricultural activities.


Paper journals use a small number of trusted academics to select information on behalf of all their readers. This inflexibility in the selection was justified due to the expense of publishing. The advent of cheap distribution via the internet allows a new trade-off between time and expense and the flexibility of the selection process. This paper explores one such possible process, one where the role of mark-up and archiving is separated from that of review. The idea is that authors publish their papers on their own web pages or in a public paper archive, a board of reviewers judge that paper on a number of different criteria. The detailed results of the reviews are stored in such a way as to enable readers to use these judgements to find the papers they want using search engines on the web. Thus instead of journals using generic selection criteria readers can set their own to suit their needs. The resulting system might be even cheaper than web-journals to implement.


Vitiligo has been associated with various disorders including thyroid disease, type I diabetes, alopecia areatal and pernicious anemia. It has been purported to be caused by autoimmune response. Vitiligo and alopecia areata occurring in the same patient has often been found, but colocalization of these two diseases has been rarely reported. It is suggested that this concurrence can result from a nonspecific immune mechanism affecting not only the melanocyte but the epithelium of the hair follicle as well. Thus colocalization can occur due to costimulation of a helper T-cell-mediated immunologic response or through inactivation of a suppressor-mediated response and other composite mechanisms such as neurogenic factors, stress and infection. We report a 17-year-old Korean female who presented with a 1-year history of alopecia and depigmentation on the same site of the left eyebrow. We diagnosed this skin lesion as colocalization of vitiligo and alopecia areata by both clinical and histopathological findings. (Korean J Dermatol 2007;45(10):1115∼1117)


Between 1961 and 1980, 124 patients with Stages I and II nodular lymphocytic poorly differentiated (NLPD), nodular mixed histiocytic‐lymphocytic (NM), nodular histiocytic (NH), or diffuse well‐differentiated lymphocytic (DLWD) lymphoma according to the Rappaport classification were treated at Stanford University. Initial staging studies included lymphangiography in 91%, bone marrow biopsy in 93%, and diagnostic or staging laparotomy in 41% of patients. All patients were treated with megavoltage irradiation to either involved field (IF), extended field (EF), or total lymphoid fields (TLI) to a total dose of 3500–5000 rad. Median follow‐up was 5.5 years. Kaplan‐Meier actuarial survival at 5, 10, and 15 years was 84%, 68%, and 42%, respectively. Freedom from relapse at 5 and 10 years was 62% and 54%, respectively. In addition, there was a flattening of the relapse curve suggesting cure of approximately 50% of patients. Patients with NH had a significantly poorer survival (P = 0.03) while there were no differences among the other histologic groups. Freedom from relapse was higher in patients treated with TLI compared with those treated with IF or EF. However, a prospective study of 20 patients who all underwent staging laparotomy and were randomized to treatment with either IF or TLI revealed no significant difference in either survival or freedom from relapse. Utilizing multivariate analysis for the entire group, important prognostic factors included age, stage, histologic subtype, and treatment field. Cancer 52:2300‐2307, 1983.


Contractualism collapses two questions that should be kept distinct: Who are the basic principles of society designed by? Whom are they designed for? The contracting parties are understood as forming a single group with the citizens who will be living together and whose lives will be governed by agreed principles. No commitment other than moral, however, is conceivable as with non-contracting parties, who are therefore excluded from institutional or "political" justice. Then, as this paper seeks to show, it would not make sense to speak of global or cosmopolitan justice unless we set aside contractualism and the condition of mutual advantage it imposes.


To answer the demands of scientific and medical imaging issues, the family of nucleic acid fluorescent dyes is constantly enlarging. Most of the developed dyes reveal high qualities in bulk solution assays but are inefficient to produce a strong and sufficiently stable signal to enable the application of single-molecule techniques. Therefore, we tested 12 novel monomeric and homodimeric cyanine dyes for potential single DNA molecule imaging. Although their qualities in bulk solutions have already been described, nothing was known about their behavior on a single-molecule level. All 12 dyes demonstrated strong emission when intercalated into single DNA molecules and stretched on a silanized surface, which makes them the perfect choice for fluorescent microscopy imaging. A comparison of their fluorescence intensity and photostability with the most applicable dyes in single-molecule techniques, fluorescent dyes YOYO-1 and POPO-3, was carried out. They all exhibited a strong signal, comparable to that of YOYO-1. However, in contrast to YOYO-1, which is visualized under a green filter only, their emission permits red filter visualization. As their photostability highly exceeds that of similar spectrum POPO-3 dye, the studied dyes stand out as the best choice for a broad range of solid surface single-molecule applications when yellow to red DNA backbone fluorescence is needed.