Hair loss (HL) is a common chronic problem of poorly defined etiology. Herein, we explored the functionality of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) and conditioned medium (MSC-CM) as regulators of hair follicle proliferation and regeneration, and the mechanistic basis for such activity. BMSC were cultured and identified in vitro through the induction of multilineage differentiation and the use of a CCK-8 kit. The dorsal skin of mice was then injected with BMSC and MSC-CM, and the impact of these injections on hair cycle transition and hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) proliferation was then evaluated via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunofluorescent (IF) staining. We then conducted a tandem mass tags (TMT)-based quantitative proteomic analysis of control mice and mice treated with BMSC or MSC-CM to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) associated with these treatments. Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) was utilized as a means of verifying our proteomic analysis results. Herein, we found that BMSC and MSC-CM injection resulted in the transition of telogen hair follicles to anagen hair follicles, and we observed the enhanced proliferation of HFSCs positive for Krt15 and Sox9. Our TMT analyses identified 1,060 and 770 DEPs (fold change>1.2 or<0.83 and p < 0.05) when comparing the BMSC vs. control and MSC-CM vs. control groups, respectively. Subsequent PRM validation of 14 selected DEPs confirmed these findings, and led to the identification of Stmn1, Ncapd2, Krt25, and Ctps1 as hub DEPs in a protein-protein interaction network. Together, these data suggest that BMSC and MSC-CM treatment can promote the proliferation of HFSCs, thereby facilitating hair follicle regeneration. Our proteomics analyses further indicate that Krt25, Cpm, Stmn1, and Mb may play central roles in hair follicle transition in this context and may represent viable clinical targets for the treatment of HL.


The feeding behavior of Drosophila serido on the yeast communities of necrotic stem tissue of Pilosocereus arrabidae were studied in a sand dune ecosystem of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The prevalence of cactophilic yeasts including Pichia barkeri, Candida sonorensis and Geotrichum sp. in the crops and external surfaces of D. serido reflected its association with the cactus habitat. The effective number of yeasts vectored on the surface of flies was higher than that in the crops. Also overlap between the yeasts from stems and from crops was partial suggesting selective feeding by the flies in the substrates visited. The females had a higher effective number of yeast species and a lower similarity than males with the yeast community of P. arrabidae. This was probably related to the search for oviposition sites by females. The presence of Pichia thermotolerans-like and Pichia amethionina var pachycereana in the flies, but not in P. arrabidae stems, indicated that D. serido was not limited to this cactus species. The larvae and adults lived in different patches with the adults feeding in patches with higher yeast species richness. The larvae had a narrower feeding niche and higher overlap with P. arrabidae, and preferred P. barkeri and Pichia cactophila as food. Adult flies fed on patches with the most frequent yeasts except for P. cactophila. Pichia caribaea was found in higher frequency in the adult crops than in the stems. Our data suggested that there was food selection and diet partitioning between adult and larval stages of D. serido.


Importance
Continuity in primary care is associated with improved outcomes, but less information is available on the association of continuity of care in the hospital with hospital complications.

Objective
To assess whether the number of hospitalists providing care is associated with subsequent hospital complications and length of stay.

Design, Setting, and Participants
This retrospective cohort study used multilevel logistic regression models to analyze Medicare claims for medical admissions from 2016 to 2018 with a length of stay longer than 4 days. Admissions with multiple charges on the same day from a hospitalist or an intensive care unit (ICU) stay during hospital days 1 to 3 were excluded. The data were accessed and analyzed from November 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021.

Exposures
The number of different hospitalists who submitted charges during hospital days 1 to 3.

Main Outcomes and Measures
Overall length of stay and transfer to ICU or a new diagnosis of drug toxic effects on hospital day 4 or later.

Results
Among the 617 680 admissions, 362 376 (58.7%) were women, with a mean (SD) age of 80.2 (8.4) years. In 306 037 admissions (49.6%), the same hospitalist provided care on days 1 to 3, while 2 hospitalists provided care in 274 658 admissions (44.5%), and 3 hospitalists provided care in 36 985 admissions (6.0%). There was no significant association between the number of different hospitalists on days 1 to 3 and either length of stay or subsequent ICU transfers. Admissions seeing 2 or 3 hospitalists had a slightly greater adjusted odds of subsequent new diagnoses of drug toxic effects (2 hospitalists: odds ratio [OR], 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07; 3 hospitalists: OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.12).

Conclusions and Relevance
There was little evidence that receiving care from multiple hospitalists was associated with worse outcomes for patients receiving all their general medical care from hospitalists.


This paper proposes a new numerical method for pushover analysis.By using multiple point constraints,the lateral force distribution is maintained and displacement-controlled pushover analysis is achieved.The method is derived from the principle of virtual work and the rigidity of multiple point constraint.It is applicable to both elastic and inelastic structures.The proposed pushover analysis method can be implemented with user-defined subroutine interfaces of finite element software MSC.MARC.The outstanding performance of the method is then demonstrated using monotonic and cyclic pushover analysis of reinforced concrete structures.The evolution of deterioration from onset to eventual member and structural failure can be tracked,suggesting that the proposed method is a powerful tool offering complete pictures and considerable insight into pushover performance and collapse mechanism of structures.


An apparatus is described which enables 48 mice to be irradiated in batches of four, each container with animals being brought consecutively into the irradiation area by remote control. The apparatus also enables one to control the gas breathed by the animals during irradiation, its rate of flow and temperature.


This paper describes the analytical picture of client protection strategy. This is descriptive research design. Client's is an important part for instutional governace which interact different parties i.e. policy makers, political leaders, social leader/activist and gurdians of microfinance members. Responsible financing helps to Neplease microfinance institutions (MFIs) to retain clients in microfinance institutions. MFIs needs clear vision and policy regarding client's retention. MFIs need to create the healthy and favaurable environment of microfinance sector. Responsible financial inclusion focus on transprant in the pricing, terms and condition of all financial products. It works with clients so they do not borrow more money than they can repay or use products that they do not need. The conclusions of the study shows that an appropriate product design and delivery, preventation of over-indebtedness, transparency, responsible pricing, fair and respectful treatment of clients, privacy of client data and mechanisms for complaint resolution is best way for the operational and financial sustainability of microfinance institutions. The findings of the study will benefited policy makers and leader of microfinance institutions. Accodingly, this paper explores the state of responsible financial knowledge and practices, with a focus on client protection and client's satisfaction strategies on the basis of review of best practices.


The phenomenon of Islamophobia has now surfaced as a factor in American politics. While disturbing and damaging of people's lives and reputations, the phenomenon is not unique. It can be seen as but the latest eruption of paranoid political thinking that periodically arises in American history. In turn, seeing the fate of the nation threatened by conspiracies and anti-American elements is made easier and more destructive by high levels of ignorance and insularity among large numbers of Americans. This latest round of paranoid politics, coming now in the form of Islamophobia, was triggered by the attacks of 11 September 2001 and quickly exacerbated by American Zionist groups, both Jewish and Christian, whose dislike of Muslims also has a long history.


School strikes have become a problem to education system in Kenya. Purpose of study was to establish causes of school strikes in Murang'a North District. Study used descriptive research design. Stratified, random and purposive sampling methods were used to get appropriate sample of the study. Sample comprised 386 respondents. Questionnaires, interview guides, observation guides made up instruments of the study. Descriptive statistics in form of frequencies, percentages; and graphics like charts and graphs were used for reporting. Study found out school indiscipline cases ranged from drug and alcohol abuse, school strikes, stealing, fighting, bullying, truancy, homosexuality and membership to gangs. Other causes of indiscipline in schools included; peer pressure, examination pressure; apathy, poor social economic background of students and parents, inept school administration and influence of print and mass media. Study recommended closer monitoring of students, friendly schools, enactment of student participatory approaches to indiscipline, revamping of guidance and counselling programmes, peer counselling and establishment of mentorship programmes.


An empirically valid outcome in psychology may differ in the degree to which the outcome does or does not conform to human intuition. The author provides a brief history of three psychological outcomes violating human intuition, notes the resemblance to the common sense revolution, and then discusses how human intuition may be detrimental to behaviorism and evolutionary perspectives of human nature. The role of human intuition in supernatural beliefs is considered and, finally, possible methods to improve the plausibility of counterintuitive outcomes are suggested.


The X-ray emission K and L2,3 bands of sulphur and phosphorus as well as their X-ray K absorption spectra are obtained for the semiconductors TlAsS2, Tl3AsS3, Tl3AsS4, Tl3PS4 and Tl3TaS4. The upper part of the valence band in the compounds investigated is formed of the S p states mainly, but the S s states are localized near the bottom of the valence band and hardly take part in the bonding. Comparison of the X-ray spectra of S and P in the isoelectronic and isostructural compounds Tl3AsS4 and Tl3PS4 has made it possible to determine the energy position of the p states of arsenic in Tl3AsS4. The energy distributions of the valence electron states of sulphur and its neighbours in all the compounds investigated are analysed and the covalent-ionic mechanism of chemical bonding is proposed.


Alice Walker a black woman who won an award for her work in the novel Color Purple gives her perception on gender and sexuality in the novel. She uses various characters to engage in the topic of gender inequality and sexual orientation. The paper below pays close attention to the gender identity of the black women from the novel. From Judith Butler's book titled Gender trouble, the paper analyzes the sexual orientation and the argument by Judith on gender equality. The paper gives the stand point of Walker on the issues of sexuality and sexual orientation. The book by Walker ends by breaking down the traditional norms on gender and sexuality. She also urges for coexistence among people from the various sexual orientations.


Magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MA-TBG) features intriguing quantum phase transitions between strongly correlated states with superconducting, ferromagnetic or nematic order. Their emergence is triggered by enhanced electron-electron interactions when the flat bands in MA-TBG are partially filled by electrostatic doping. To date however, questions concerning the nature of these states and their connection to the putative non-trivial topology of the flat bands in MA-TBG are largely unanswered. Here we report on magneto-transport and Hall density measurements that reveal a succession of doping-induced Lifshitz transitions where discontinuous changes in the Fermi surface topology are accompanied by van Hove singularity (VHS) peaks10 in the density of states (DOS). The VHSs facilitate gapping-out the highly degenerate flat bands of MA-TBG, allowing to uncover the topological nature of the emerging minibands at doping levels corresponding to filled minibands. In the presence of a magnetic field the non-trivial topology of the minibands is revealed through well quantized Hall plateaus which signal the appearance of Chern insulators with integer Chern numbers, C=1,2,3. Surprisingly, for magnetic fields exceeding 5T we observe a new Lifshitz transition at a doping level of 3.5 electrons per moire cell, suggesting the emergence in higher fields of a topological miniband at a fractional moire filling.


Influenza viruses are responsible for up to 650,000 deaths per year through seasonal epidemics, and pandemics have caused tens of millions of deaths in the past. Most current therapeutics suffer from widespread resistance, creating a need for new drug targets against influenza virus. The virus encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which replicates and transcribes the vRNA genome. The polymerase interacts with vRNA and the complementary replicative intermediate cRNA using several specific binding sites; however, the functions associated with these binding sites remain unknown. Here, we functionally characterize a binding site for the 3′ vRNA and cRNA promoters. Our data offer insight into the mechanism of viral genome transcription by the influenza virus polymerase and may be applicable to other related viruses. ABSTRACT Influenza viruses encode a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (FluPol), which is responsible for transcribing and replicating the negative-sense viral RNA (vRNA) genome. FluPol transcribes vRNA using a host-capped mRNA primer and replicates it by synthesizing a positive-sense cRNA intermediate, which is copied back into vRNA. To carry out these functions, FluPol interacts with vRNA and cRNA using conserved promoter elements at the 5′ and 3′ termini. Recent structural studies have identified a new surface binding site for the 3′ vRNA and cRNA promoters on FluPol, referred to as the mode B site. However, the role of this binding site in FluPol function is unknown. In this study, we used a combination of cell-based and biochemical assays to show that the mode B site is important for both viral genome transcription and replication in influenza A virus. Furthermore, we show that the mode B site is not needed for initiating transcription in vitro but is required to synthesize a full-length product. This is consistent with a model in which the 3′ terminus of the vRNA template binds in the mode B site during elongation. Our data provide the first functional insights into the role of the mode B site on FluPol, which advances our understanding of FluPol function and influenza virus replication. IMPORTANCE Influenza viruses are responsible for up to 650,000 deaths per year through seasonal epidemics, and pandemics have caused tens of millions of deaths in the past. Most current therapeutics suffer from widespread resistance, creating a need for new drug targets against influenza virus. The virus encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which replicates and transcribes the vRNA genome. The polymerase interacts with vRNA and the complementary replicative intermediate cRNA using several specific binding sites; however, the functions associated with these binding sites remain unknown. Here, we functionally characterize a binding site for the 3′ vRNA and cRNA promoters. Our data offer insight into the mechanism of viral genome transcription by the influenza virus polymerase and may be applicable to other related viruses.


A review of 67 cases diagnosed as granulomatous, tuberculous or fungal mastitis revealed 5 cases which were similar, clinically and histopathologically, to the new entity of granulomatous mastitis described by Kessler and Wolloch. The 5 patients were young women of childbearing age, 4 with breast lesions clinically simulating carcinoma of the breast. Histopathological examination showed granulomata and abscess formation confined to the breast lobules. No acid-fast bacilli or fungi were demonstrated. Granulomatous mastitis may be caused by a chemical reaction associated with contraceptive pill therapy, or may have an auto-immune or infective aetiology.


Yeast cultures (YCs) are defined as promising feed additives that maintain the health of birds and improve growth performance by modulating gut microbiota. YCs contain effective metabolites such as glycine, fructose, inositol, galactose, and sucrose. This study investigated the effects of YCs and their effective metabolites on carcass traits and cecal microflora in broilers. A total of 280 one-day-old mixed-sex Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated to seven groups. The basal diet (control DZ) was supplemented with various proportions of glycine, fructose, inositol, galactose, and sucrose (Groups A, B, and C), 24-hour grown Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures (Group D) (YC), and a commercial yeast culture product (SZ) at concentrations of 0.1% and 1% (Groups E and F). Bodyweight of broilers was correlated positively with proportions of Proteobacteria in Group C and Lactobacillus and Roseburia in Group B (P <0.05). Broilers fed diets supplemented with YC or its active metabolites had the highest proportions of bacteria involved in nucleotide metabolism, and amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. These results suggested that the dietary addition of YC could alter the proliferation of beneficial bacteria in broilers.


In this thesis, the effect of molecular properties on the aggregation and flocculation behaviour is studied. The aggregation behaviour was thought to be mainly affected by the structural stability of the protein. A decreased structural stability results in unfolded proteins which are more prone to aggregation. The flocculation behaviour was shown to be affected by the adsorbed amount at saturation and the adsorption rate. These parameters have been combined in a surface coverage model, which describes the stabilization of emulsions away from the iso‑electric point (pI) to be affected by excess protein in the continuous phase. In addition, a model was proposed for the prediction of the adsorbed amount at saturation. This is influenced by the protein charge and radius and system conditions (i.e. pH and ionic strength). The adsorption rate, which is a measure for the affinity of the protein towards the adsorption to the interface, was shown to increase with increasing relative exposed hydrophobicity and a decrease of the electrostatic repulsion (i.e. decrease of ionic strength or the protein charge). Close to the pI, the applicability of protein-stabilized emulsions is limited. Hence, a steric interaction was introduced to stabilize the emulsion. It was shown that glycation of the protein with a trisaccharide was sufficient to sterically stabilize the emulsions against pH-induced flocculation.


Distinctions between rural and urban populations are well documented in environmental sociology literature. Rural and urban places may exert different influences on participation in environmentally supportive behavior (ESB) as well as on other forms of environmental concern (EC). The influence of these distinct geographies may be due to present circumstances or because of childhood socialization in these places. Using data from a national survey in Canada (n51 664), we use cognitive (basic values, environmental worldview, and environmental attitude) and behavioral indicators (public and private sphere) of EC to explore differences among rural and urban populations and we include analyses accounting for place of socialization. We extend the conventional private sphere category of ESB by including stewardship behaviors. Results showed few differences between rural and urban residents on indicators of EC. Rural residents, however, scored higher on altruistic values, placed a higher priority on the environment, and reported higher participation in recycling and stewardship behaviors. Analysis that included place of socialization showed differences on environmental worldview, basic values, and some ESB. In terms of ESB, we conclude that residence and place of socialization may be less of a factor than opportunity and highlight the importance of providing services and facilities. We recommend future research on residence and ESB include a variety of behaviors that reflect opportunities for both rural and urban residents.


Hypertension is the most frequent cardiovascular disease and is assuming epidemic proportions in developing countries as well. It affects nearly 26.4% of the population worldwide. Prevalence of hypertension in India, for the last three decades has increased by about 30 times among urban residents and by about 10 times among rural residents. In this regard a study was conducted in an urban area namely Rishikesh of Dehradun district in between Dec. 2008 to May 2009. The purpose of this study was to know the prevalence of hypertension in Rishikesh and also to find out the associated risk factors with hypertension in this area. For this voter list was used as sampling frame and persons aged 30 years and above were shortlisted. A total of 327 volunteers were included in this study. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information about the prevalence of hypertension. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure more than 140/90 mm Hg. Prevalence of hypertension was presented in percentage, and association of risk factors was done by using Chi square test. A p value < 0.05 have been considered statistically significant. The overall prevalence of hypertension in Rishikesh was 38.5%. Age, educational status, economicstatus, physical activity, alcohol consumption and body mass index were found significantly associated with hypertension. Thus, both prevalence and risk factor studies are needed to estimate the prevalence of hypertension as well as get at specific risk factors for Indian Population. Such studies will help in setting the baseline by which the risk factor can be ranked and specific control strategies planned to promote health of the middle age and elderly population.


Bert Swart passed away on 17 February 2011, at the age of 69. We lose in Bert a great and loving friend and colleague. Those who knew him personally will remember his kindness, generosity, and modesty. Bert spoke with a soft voice and was genuinely interested in and friendly to others.


Analogical reasoning is one of the fundamental mental processes. It is a multi-step procedure that involves retrieval and manipulation of stored information, and generation of new inferences. Presented here is a model neural network, that encodes and stores information, so that it can be easily accessed in analogical reasoning processes. Learning rules that the network uses for incorporating new inferences are formulated. The interactions between the network and an external controller, that controls the execution of the various steps of the analogical reasoning process, are described, and an example that illustrates how these principles operate in a typical analogical reasoning problem is given. Some of the learning rules that the network employs are different from those currently utilized in other connectionist models of the brain.<<ETX>>


Television microscopy was used to quantitate in vivo the responses of skeletal muscle small arterioles to acetylcholine. Five groups of rats were used: normotensive and one (1K1C)- and two (2K1C)- kidney one clip renovascular hypertensive Sprague-Dawley rats (SDR), as well as WKY normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats. Third-order arterioles dilated to acetylcholine with an EC50 of 3 x 10(-7) M in SDR and 10(-6) M in WKY animals. In contrast, the concentration-response curve to acetylcholine was shifted to the right (less reactive) by 100 fold in the 1K1C- and by 1000 fold in the 2K1C-hypertensives. The dose-responsive curve to acetylcholine was shifted 10-fold to the right in the SHR's compared to the WKY's. Because acetylcholine acts through endothelium-dependent mechanisms and because maximal vasodilation could be induced by an endothelium-independent vasodilator, Na-nitroprusside, in all but the 2K1C-group, we conclude that different forms of hypertension interfere to a variable degree with endothelium-dependent vasodilator mechanisms in the skeletal muscle microcirculation.


Ellipticine cytotoxicity to cancer cell lines - a comparative study Ellipticine is a potent antineoplastic agent exhibiting multiple mechanisms of action. This anticancer agent should be considered a pro-drug, whose pharmacological efficiency and/or genotoxic side effects are dependent on its cytochrome P450 (CYP)- and/or peroxidase-mediated activation to species forming covalent DNA adducts. Ellipticine can also act as an inhibitor or inducer of biotransformation enzymes, thereby modulating its own metabolism leading to its genotoxic and pharmacological effects. Here, a comparison of the toxicity of ellipticine to human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells, leukemia HL-60 and CCRF-CEM cells, neuroblastoma IMR-32, UKF-NB-3 and UKF-NB-4 cells and U87MG glioblastoma cells and mechanisms of its action to these cells were evaluated. Treatment of all cells tested with ellipticine resulted in inhibition of cell growth and proliferation. This effect was associated with formation of two covalent ellipticine-derived DNA adducts, identical to those formed by 13-hydroxy- and 12-hydroxyellipticine, the ellipticine metabolites generated by CYP and peroxidase enzymes, in MCF-7, HL-60, CCRF-CEM, UKF-NB-3, UKF-NB-4 and U87MG cells, but not in neuroblastoma UKF-NB-3 cells. Therefore, DNA adduct formation in most cancer cell lines tested in this comparative study might be the predominant cause of their sensitivity to ellipticine treatment, whereas other mechanisms of ellipticine action also contribute to its cytotoxicity to neuroblastoma UKF-NB-3 cells.


Niruha Basti (therapeutic decoction enema) is one of the important Panchakarma procedures (five internal bio-cleansing procedures) which is the best treatment modality in the diseases caused due to not only Vata, but also when associated with other Doshas as well. The preparation of Niruha Basti comprises of step wise mixing of ingredients as described in the Ayurveda classics. In the present study, simple Erandamoola Niruha Basti was prepared by adding Madhu (honey), Saindhava (rock salt), Moorchita Tila Taila (medicated sesame oil), Shatapushpa Kalka (paste of Athenum sowa) and Erandamoola Kwatha (decoction of root of Ricinus communis) in classical method to assess the changes in particle size distribution in each step of preparation at specific intervals. The changes taken place during the Bhavana of the ingredients was observed under microscope. The Erandamoola Niruha Basti was prepared in classical method as well as contemporary methods like churner, mixer, etc., to assess the emulsion stability. Another Erandamoola Niruha Basti was also prepared replacing Madhu (honey) with egg yolk to check for emulsion stability and particle size & distribution.


k-nearest neighbor graph is a key data structure in many disciplines such as manifold learning, machine learning and information retrieval, etc. NN-Descent was proposed as an effective solution for the graph construction problem. However, it cannot be directly transplanted to GPU due to the intensive memory accesses required in the approach. In this paper, NN-Descent has been redesigned to adapt to the GPU architecture. In particular, the number of memory accesses has been reduced significantly. The redesign fully exploits the parallelism of the GPU hardware. In the meantime, the genericness as well as the simplicity of NN-Descent are well-preserved. In addition, a simple but effective k-NN graph merge approach is presented. It allows two graphs to be merged efficiently on GPUs. More importantly, it makes the construction of high-quality k-NN graphs for out-of-GPU-memory datasets tractable. The results show that our approach is 100-250x faster than single-thread NN-Descent and is 2.5-5x faster than existing GPU-based approaches.


. The cement industry has remarked as an intensive consumer of energy. The amount of energy consumed in the cement manufacturing has a correlation to the increasing of CO2 emission. It is reported that the cement Industry has contributed to 5–7% of the total CO2 emission in the world. Thus, there is a need to make an innovation in order to overcome the environmental problem. One of effort can be made is by using chemical grinding aids (CGA) as an additive material in the cement production process. This study aimed to determine the optimal clinker factor of the cement production by the addition of chemical grinding aids (CGA). The experiments are conducted in PT Semen Padang consisting of four variable of the clinker factor without CGA and with CGA addition 300 ppm. The clinker factor varies from 78.3% to 72.9%. The results show that the optimal clinker factor is at 74.5% with the CGA addition 300 ppm. It can improve the cement fineness to 3848cm2/gr and decrease the sieving R45µ to 10%. In addition, the strength of the cement produced is higher than the standard. The findings show the chemical grinding aids (CGA) addition in the cement production process can reduce the clinker factor as well as reducing the CO 2 emissions. It can aid the cement industry to achieve the higher performance in green manufacturing and so as to increase the competitiveness.


The in vivo helper function of specific thymic inducer cells in anti-sheep hemolytic responses was retained after exposure to 1000 rads of γ-rays, but not after 3000 rads. A prerequisite for B-T cell interactions involving irradiated T cells was the residence (i.e., differentiation) of bone marrow-derived precursor cells outside the bone cavities, e.g., in the spleens of irradiated nonthymectomized mice. It is suggested that reproductive viability of T cells is not essential for inducing γM or γG responses in vivo, and that the properties acquired by B cells in the splenic environment confer susceptibility to the effects of nonantigen-specific T-cell mediators.


: The "cube method" [M. Yu. Pavlov, B. A. Fedorov, Biopolymers, 22, 1507, 1983] has been used to calculate the intensity of the large-angle X-ray scattering from the volumes of several globular proteins. In the logarithmic plots of the scattered intensity curves from three of these proteins, there is a linear region at scattering angles corresponding to Bragg distances of from about 6.3 A to 21 A. This linear region possibly may be due to the fractal properties of the surfaces of these proteins on length scoles from 6.3 A to 21 A, and the fractal dimensions corresponding to the power-law scattering at these scattering angles have been evaluated.


The aim of this study was to estimate normal jitter in voluntarily activated extensor digitorum communis (EDC) and orbicularis oculi (OOc) muscles using a disposable concentric needle electrode (CNE). The EDC of 67 normal subjects (22 males and 45 females, mean age 35.5 ± 10.2 years) and the OOc of 50 normal subjects (13 males and 37 females, mean age 37.9 ± 9.6 years) were studied. Jitter values were expressed as the mean consecutive difference (MCD) of 20 potential pairs. The mean MCD for EDC was 23.6 ± 3.1 μs (upper 95% confidence limit [CL]: 29.7 μs). The mean MCD of all potential pairs (n = 1340) was 23.5 ± 7.3 μs (95% CL: 38.2 μs). The mean MCD for the 18th highest value was 31.4 ± 4.9 μs (95% CL: 41.2 μs). The mean MCD for OOc was 24.7 ± 3.1 μs (95% CL: 31.0 μs). The mean MCD of all potential pairs (n = 1000) was 24.7 ± 7.1 μs (95% CL: 39.0 μs). The mean MCD for the 18th highest value was 32.7 ± 4.1 μs (95% CL: 40.9 μs). Our reported CNE jitter values obtained during voluntary activation represent the largest series currently available. The suggested practical limit in the EDC for mean MCD was 30 μs and for outliers was 42 μs, and in the OOc for mean MCD was 31 μs and 41 μs for outliers. The present study confirms that CNE can be used to assess jitter values, although certain precautions must be taken. Muscle Nerve 37: 694–699, 2008


The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all of humanity. It was the first time that virtually all human beings on earth felt concerned by a particular event: a Chinese allegedly ate pangolin infected with a virus, causing an epidemic that has spread to all mankind.
In the case of covid 19, virtually all humans have been informed by television and the internet. This made them stand together beyond any language, race or religion. However, this shared solidarity was based on the fear of illness and death. There was nothing to counterbalance this atavistic fear, other than, for some, a faith in a particular religion.
On the contrary, systemic sciences, through Cognitive and Systemic Relativity (CSR), shows that fundamentally, our consciousness is immortal because it is not subject to time; it is inspatiotemporal or eternal. It only depends on each one to awaken his social consciousness (his ego) to its dimension of eternity, which corresponds to his EGO which is the Relativist Observer, pilot of the body.
In addition, this individual awakening has the advantage of functioning as a positive pandemic, based on confidence in the source of life which is the Consciousness of Existing, the root of our EGO, and therefore also of our ego.
This positive pandemic is based on a particular functioning which is the systemic entanglement of all the systems on earth since the EGO of all living systems on earth are in communion at all times.
The conscious restoration of this communion of all EGO through trust in our individual EGO sets in motion the healing software of all systems on earth.
This corresponds to the entry of humanity into what we might call universal brotherhood and which Teilhard de Chardin calls the noosphere.


Normally, the distal forearm fracture is treated conservatively. The classic conservative therapy mostly obtains good results. Certain fracture-types cannot expect a good result for a long time by the treatment of conservative measures. So, they should be recommended to an operative therapy. In addition to the classical osteosynthesis the external fixator is currently used. The principle of the joint-reconciling fixator can be realized in many ways. Of common use is the small fixator of the AO and also the tube fixator is described in the literature. A real alternative to both treatments is the small extension machine of Wagner. This method has nearly been forgotten in the clinical training. We are talking in a few pages about our experiences and the advantages of that measures.


1. Patterns of mite egg consumption by the phytophagous thrips Frankliniella schultzei Trybom were investigated. Although F. schultzei predation is somewhat similar to that of F. occidentalis (Pergande), the understanding of predation by these two phytophagous thrips was extended, allowing the functional significance of flower thrips' predatory behaviour to be reinterpreted. 2. Second-instar larvae consumed significantly more eggs than any other life-stage, and the daily intake of eggs by second-instar larvae declined significantly with each successive day of the 4-day duration of instar two. 3. Mite eggs that had had their silken webbing removed were consumed at a significantly greater rate than those with their webbing intact. 4. Frankliniella schultzei immatures developed successfully both on diets containing cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) leaf tissue plus mite eggs and on cotton leaf tissue alone. Supplementing a leaf tissue larval diet with mite eggs lowered the developmental time from egg to adult significantly, as well as lowering the percentage mortality. Continuation of the mite egg supplement beyond adult eclosion increased fecundity significantly and extended life span over that achieved on a leaf diet alone. 5. In laboratory choice tests, mite eggs and pollen of Wax Mallow (Malvaviscus arboreus Cav.), the usual host of F. schultzei in Brisbane, were encountered with similar frequencies. Furthermore, the mean proportion of encounters with pollen grains that resulted in consumption of pollen did not differ significantly from the encounter: consumption rate for mite eggs. 6. Frankliniella schultzei, like F. occidentalis, does not seem to be specifically adapted for preying on mite eggs, even though such predation enhances performance and reproductive output of F. schultzei when constrained on cotton leaves. Comparison of performance results with those published for F. schultzei when reared on the floral parts of one of its primary hosts (M. arboreus) (Milne et al., 1996), indicates that mite egg predation dues not make up completely for a deficient adult or larval diet.


A discrete phase‐space Gaussian beam summation representation for electromagnetic radiation from a planar source is presented. The formulation is based on the theory of frames and removes the inherent difficulties of the Gabor representation for both monochromatic and ultra wideband (UWB) fields. For monochromatic fields the frame‐based representation leads to an efficient and flexible discrete Gaussian beam representation with local and stable expansion coefficients. For UWB fields a novel scaling of the frame overcompleteness parameter is introduced, leading to a new expansion that utilizes a discrete frequency‐independent set of beams over the entire relevant spectrum. It is demonstrated that the isodiffracting Gaussian beams provide the snuggest frame representation over the entire spectrum. The rules for choosing the "optimal" frame and beam parameters for a given problem are discussed and demonstrated on application examples.


In the absence of antiretroviral therapy, valacyclovir may reduce HIV viral load and increase CD4+ T-lymphocyte count. We sought to evaluate the impact of valacyclovir on HIV and HSV-2 in co-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy with previously unrecognised HSV-2 infection. A prospective, randomised-controlled, 24-week trial of valacyclovir 1000 mg was performed. Mean CD4+ T-lymphocyte count at 24 weeks compared to baseline CD4+ T-lymphocyte count was the primary outcome. HIV viral load suppression, HSV-2 outbreaks and asymptomatic HSV-2 shedding were secondary outcomes. Participants were randomised to valacyclovir (N = 66) or placebo (N = 35). Study completion was 64%. There was no change in 24 weeks compared to baseline CD4+ T-lymphocyte count in either group (valacyclovir p = 0.91, placebo p = 0.59) or the proportion with HIV viral load suppression (valacyclovir p = 0.75, placebo p = 1.0). Genital HSV and asymptomatic HSV-2 shedding were rare. Valacyclovir had no effect on CD4+ T-lymphocyte count or HIV viral load in this population. Valacyclovir may reduce clinical outbreaks and asymptomatic HSV-2 shedding, but the rarity of these events, along with its lack of benefit on HIV, does not support its use in this clinical setting.


While nascent oceanic lithosphere at slow to fast spreading mid‐ocean ridges (MOR) is relatively well studied, much less is known about the lithospheric structure and properties at ultraslow MORs. Here we present microearthquake data from a 1 year ocean bottom seismometer deployment at the amagmatic, oblique supersegment of the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. A refraction seismic experiment was performed to constrain upper lithosphere P‐velocities and results were used to construct a 1D velocity model for earthquake location. Earthquake foci were located individually and subsequently relocated relative to each other to sharpen the image of seismically active structures. Frequent earthquake activity extends to 31 km beneath the seafloor, indicating an exceptionally thick brittle lithosphere and an undulating brittle‐ductile transition that implies significant variations in the along‐axis thermal structure of the lithosphere. We observe a strong relation between petrology, microseismicity distribution, and topography along the ridge axis: Peridotite‐dominated areas associate with deepest hypocenters, vast volumes of lithosphere that deforms aseismically as a consequence of alteration, and the deepest axial rift valley. Areas of basalt exposure correspond to shallower hypocenters, shallower and more rugged axial seafloor. Focal mechanisms deviate from pure extension and are spatially variable. Earthquakes form an undulating band of background seismicity and do not delineate discrete detachment faults as common on slow spreading ridges. Instead, the seismicity band sharply terminates to the south, immediately beneath the rift boundary. Considering the deep alteration, large steep boundary faults might be present but are entirely aseismic.


Our research focuses on personalized virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) based on the Experience-Driven Procedural Content Generation (EDPCG) framework. There are existing approaches for personalized VRET; however, they are subjective and require hand-authored and predefined rules that may not generalize to all subjects. We propose a framework to personalize VRET based on predicting subjects' experiences via physiological sensors and machine learning algorithms. The framework then automatically adapts exposure parameters based on the subject's physiological response using a PCG method. We intend to conduct two human subject studies for arachnophobia and fear of public speaking.


A growing body of literature addressing the need for educational innovations has also stressed the value of interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate art into teaching and learning. This paper aims to extend educators' understanding of art–science interactions by presenting an empirical study that explores a unique art residency program created on the campus of a university that specializes in science and technology. The study reviews the art practices of three contemporary artists who participated in a program developed in conjunction with an interdisciplinary research project seeking ways to build an ecologically sustainable community and operated by a renewable energy resource-based economic system. Data that include observations, artist talks, and in-person interviews were collected from multiple sources during the residency to understand the distinguished processes involved in the development of individual art projects. A follow-up cross-case analysis revealed a few notable characteristics: connecting art with life through waste recycling, process-oriented practices highlighting resource circulation, and creating value using bricolage strategies. Regarding educational implications, discussions centered upon the potential transformational space identified from the creative art practices in the context of interdisciplinary research.


This research presents a methodological investigation on the design, modeling, and evaluation of two types of crowdsourcee-enabled urban parcel delivery systems. The first system couples the existing truck-delivery practice with the locally available crowdsourcees to minimize the cost of last mile delivery. The second system considers the delivery of parcels without the use of any intermediate relay point i.e. crowdsourcees are solely responsible for the pickup of parcels and delivering it to customers' doorsteps.
For the first system, we consider cyclists and pedestrians as crowdsourcees who are close to customers and interested in relaying parcels with a truck carrier and undertaking jobs for the last-leg parcel delivery and the first-leg parcel pickup. The crowdsourcees express their interests in doing so by submitting bids to the truck carrier. The truck carrier then selects bids and coordinates crowdsourcees' last-leg delivery (first-leg pickup) with its truck operations. The truck carrier's problem is formulated as a mixed integer non-linear program which simultaneously i) selects crowdsourcees to complete the last-leg delivery (first-leg pickup) between customers and selected points for crowdsourcee-truck relay; and ii) determines the relay points and truck routes and schedule. To solve the truck carrier problem, we first decompose the problem into a winner determination problem and a simultaneous pickup and delivery problem with soft time windows, and propose a Tabu Search based algorithm to iteratively solve the two subproblems. Numerical results show that this solution approach is able to yield close-to-optimum solutions with much less time than using off-the-shelf solvers. By adopting this new system, truck vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and total cost can be reduced compared to pure-truck delivery. The advantage of the system over pure-truck delivery is sensitive to factors such as penalty for servicing outside customers' desired time windows, truck unit operating cost, time value of crowdsourcees, and the crowdsourcee mode.
For the second system, a new mechanism design based model is proposed in which a Delivery Service Provider (DSP) solicits ordinary individuals, i.e., crowdsourcees, who walk, bike, or drive to do delivery in urban areas. As an essential part of the model, the DSP collects private information such as one's willingness-to-do-crowdshipping (WTDC) and available time window from crowdsourcees in order to assign shipments with the minimum cost. The mechanisms embedded in the crowdshipping model recognize that crowdsourcees may strategically misreport their private information to gain self-interest, and devises a joint shipment assignment-payment scheme that aligns the self-interest of the crowdsourcees with the objective of the DSP. Both static and dynamic cases are investigated. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed mechanisms will lead to reduced shipping cost compared to the state-of-the-practice crowdshipping. A case study of North Chicago is also presented to further demonstrate the promise of the proposed mechanism to the on-demand delivery in urban areas.


ABSTRACT Due to limited hectares and production in comparison to field corn, soybean, and wheat, commercial research and development efforts by major manufacturers for potential new peanut herbicides are minimal. Therefore, new herbicides developed for large hectare crops should be evaluated for potential use in peanut. Field trials were conducted in Ty Ty and Plains Georgia in 2007 and 2008 to evaluate the tolerance of peanut to PRE and POST applications of pyroxasulfone at five rates (0, 120, 240, 360, and 480 g ai/ha). Pyroxasulfone did not cause significant peanut injury at the Ty Ty location. In Plains, PRE applications of pyroxasulfone caused significant crop stunting, particularly at the 360 and 480 g/ha rates. In Ty Ty, PRE applications of pyroxasulfone also resulted in greater expression of tomato spotted wilt virus than POST applications. Peanut yields were not reduced by any rate or timing of pyroxasulfone. These results suggest that pyroxasulfone may have some potential to be utilized in peanut.


Early phase design phases of more and more complex systems enhance the need for a more interdependent decision-making process across design disciplines and processes. No clear system architecture design process in industry identifies support tools for system architects' need. In this paper, we conducted interviews and workshop with system architects in a major aerospace company in order to understand what system architecture design process is and what decision support tools are needed in this process. The analysis of the collected data has underlined 10 different decision domains that we define and link to the needs expressed by the systems architects interviewed.


Orientations of dikes and hydrothermal veins indicate that east-northeast compression occurred during the main pulse of volcanism in west Texas 39 to 32 m.y. ago. Direction of compression was essentially the same as that during Eocene Laramide deformation. The observations support a continental-arc tectonic setting. The beginning of extension between 32 and 30 m.y. ago coincides with a regional change in style of magmatism from intrusions and eruptions spanning a wide range in chemical composition to basaltic volcanism in Texas and to bimodal but dominantly rhyolitic volcanism in northern Mexico.


Powai lake, a monomictic shallow lake, presenting some characteristics typical of a progressive trophic state specifically the permanent turbid water, the recurrent occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms which occasionally leads to large fish kills and the reduction in biodiversity. The study was carried out to understand the ecological degradation of Powai lake by using the abiotic and biotic factors. Twenty-four fish species were recorded and the fish yield was found to be 98 kg ha yr where the actual -1 -1 potential lies about 363 kg ha yr . The diet composition of 10 of the most abundant fishes in the lake revealed that, there were -1 -1 about 13 major food items from the gut contents, includes phytoplankton green algae, phytoplankton blue-green algae, diatoms, cladocerans, copepods, benthic algae, benthic weeds, macrophytes, detritus, fish eggs and larvae, shrimps, fish scales and insects parts. The Food Richness index (N) varied from 12 (Heteropneustes fossilis) to 29 (Oreochromis mossambicus), Diet Breadth (D) from 0.12 (Heteropneustes fossilis) to 0.77 (Oreochromis mossambicus) and the Gut repletion index (GRI) as 100% for all the species. Most of the fish species in the lake were either planktivores or detritivores with high feeding avidity and trophic adaptability, hence are capable of altering diet according to availability. The estimated trophic level indicates that almost all the fishes in the lake depend on primary producers or consumers as their diet. The dominance of omnivores and planktivores and the submissive occurrence of carnivores in the lake indicates the rampant ecological degradation of the lake.


A detailed analysis concerning the effect of the exchange-correlation functional on a prototypical agostic niobium complex has been carried out, with particular attention to a fundamental property of the functional, namely, the recovering of the uniform electron gas limit. The obtained results allow for revisiting the role of this limit for a proper description of the beta-H agostic interaction. Starting from these results, a new criterion for the bond analysis based on the electron density behavior is proposed. Indeed, the density homogeneity between the metal and the involved hydrogen has been evaluated at the bond critical point, as defined in the framework of Bader's atoms in molecules theory, by calculating the average variation rates of the (reduced) density gradients. Such descriptors not only provide useful insights on the nature of such an interaction but also could be used as a starting point for a deep (and new) analysis of the chemical bond.


Stable radical cations of dimeric amino acid derivatives of tryptophan and tyrosine were generated by collision-induced dissociation of [Cu(II)(diethylenetriamine)(amino acid derivative)2]*2+. The yields of the dimer radical cations were dependent on both the auxiliary ligand and the tryptophan or tyrosine derivatives used. Amino acid derivatives with an unmodified carboxylic acid group did not generate dimer radical cations. For the amino acid derivatives Ac-Trp-OMe and Ac-Trp-NH2 (Ac is N-acetyl; OMe and NH2 are the methyl ester and amide modifications of the C-terminal carboxylic group), no auxiliary ligand was required for generating the dimer radical cations. Collision-induced dissociation of the [Cu(II)(amino acid derivative)4]*2+ precursor generated the dimer radical cation [(amino acid derivative)2]*+. Stabilizing interactions, most likely involving hydrogen bonding, between the two amino acid derivatives are proposed to account for observation of the dimer radical cations. Dissociation of these ions yields protonated or radical cationic amino acid derivatives; these observations are consistent with the expectation of proton competition between monomeric units, whose proton affinities were calculated using density functional theory.


We present a deep background-mismodeling-learned reconstruction framework for high-accuracy fluorescence diffuse optical tomography (FDOT). A learnable regularizer incorporating background mismodeling is formulated in the form of certain mathematical constraints. The regularizer is then learned to obtain the background mismodeling automatically using a physics-informed deep network implicitly. Here, a deep-unrolled FIST-Net for optimizing L1-FDOT is specially designed to obtain fewer learning parameters. Experiments show that the accuracy of FDOT is significantly improved via implicitly learning the background mismodeling, which proves the validity of the deep background-mismodeling-learned reconstruction. The proposed framework can also be used as a general method to improve a class of image modalities based on linear inverse problems with unknown background modeling errors.


north america a geography of canada and the united states is available in our digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly. Our book servers hosts in multiple locations, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Merely said, the north america a geography of canada and the united states is universally compatible with any devices to read.


The paper deals with the age identity of the so-called
transition generation, that is the subjective age of people
aged 55 to 65. In the Czech context, which our research is
based on, a very important group of respondents is involved,
including baby boom cohorts which are bearers of a range of
social changes in the ageing Czech population. The text
introduces the initial findings of an empirical representative
survey of this specific population (Transition 2006) and
addresses the question whether and how members of this group
define their subjective age. In the introduction we briefly
review foreign studies on the topic and then we use our data to
test whether subjective age is conditioned by significant
socio-demographic characteristics and whether and how it
influences softer measures such as subjective health, quality
of life and happiness.


Background: Chronic urticaria is a common disease affecting patients' quality of life, and leading to substantial burden to both patients and society. Many trials have shown that bloodletting therapy is effective in treating chronic urticaria. There are currently no systematic reviews of bloodletting therapy for chronic urticaria. This protocol aims to present the methods used to assess the effectiveness and safety of bloodletting therapy for patients with chronic urticaria. Methods: The following databases will be searched from their inception: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database), and Wan-Fang Database. Clinical randomised controlled trials related to bloodletting therapy for treating chronic urticaria will be included, regardless of publication status and languages. Study selection, data collection, and quality assessment will be independently conducted by 2 researchers. For data synthesis, we will select either the fixed-effects or random-effects model according to heterogeneity assessment. Disease activity control will be assessed as the primary outcomes. Response rate, recurrence rate and adverse events will be evaluated as secondary outcomes. If it is appropriate for meta-analysis, RevMan V.5.3 statistical software will be used. Otherwise, a systematic narrative synthesis will be conducted. The results will be presented as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous data and weight mean difference (WMD) or standard mean difference (SMD) 95% CIs for continuous data. Dissemination and ethics: The protocol of this systematic review will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences. It is not necessary for a formal ethical approval because the data are not individualised. Trial registration number: PROSPERO CRD42018111143.


The dynamics of a nucleate cell in shear flow is of great relevance in cancer cells and circulatory tumor cells where they dominate the dynamics of blood. Buoyed by the success of Giant Unilamellar vesicles in explaining the dynamics of anucleate cells such as Red Blood cells, compound vesicles have been suggested as a simple model for nucleate cells. In this work, a theoretical model is presented to study the deformation and dynamics of a compound vesicle in linear shear flow using small deformation theory and spherical harmonics with higher order approximation to the membrane forces. The results indicate that size of the inner vesicle does not affect the tank-treading dynamics of the outer vesicle. The inner vesicle admits a greater inclination angle than the outer vesicle. However, the transition to trembling-swinging and tumbling is significantly affected. The inner and outer vesicle exhibit identical dynamics in most of the modified viscosity-shear rate parameter space. At moderate size of the inner vesicle, a swinging mode is observed for the inner vesicle while the outer vesicle exhibits tumbling. The inner vesicle also exhibits modification of the TU mode to IUS-Intermediate Tumbling Swinging mode. Moreover, synchronization of the two vesicles at higher inner vesicle size and a capillary number sensitive motion at small inner vesicle size is observed in the tumbling regime. These results are in accordance with the few experimental observations reported by Levant and Steinberg2014. A reduction in the inclination angle is observed with an increase in size of the inner vesicle when the inner vesicle is a solid inclusion. Additionally a very elaborate phase diagram is presented in the modified viscosity-shear rate parameter space, which could be tested in future experiments or numerical simulations


Ultrafast lasers play an important role in a variety of applications ranging from optical communications to medical diagnostics and industrial materials processing. Graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) noncarbon materials, including topological insulators (TIs), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), phosphorene, bismuthene, and antimonene, have witnessed a very fast development of both fundamental and practical aspects in ultrafast photonics since 2009. Their unique nonlinear optical properties enable them to be used as excellent saturable absorbers (SAs) that have fast responses and broadband operation, and can be easily integrated into lasers. Here, we catalog and review recent progress in the exploitation of these 2D noncarbon materials in this emerging field. The fabrication techniques, nonlinear optical properties, and device integration strategies of 2D noncarbon materials are first introduced with a comprehensive view. Then, various mode-locked/Q-switched lasers (e.g., fiber, solid-state, disk, and waveguide lasers) based on 2D noncarbon materials are reviewed. In addition, versatile soliton pulses generated from the mode-locked fiber lasers based on 2D noncarbon materials are also summarized. Finally, future challenges and perspectives of 2D materials-based lasers are addressed.


A chemical modification of single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scu-PA) with phenylglyoxal under mild conditions resulted in the scu-PA derivatives with various numbers of the modified Arg residues. The study of properties of the resulting derivatives demonstrated that the modification of 4-12 Arg residues did not cause any loss of the activator, fibrinolytic, and potential amidase activities of the activator. The scu-PA with four modified Arg residues was found to be the most stable derivative in human blood plasma; it causes a more efficient lysis of plasma clots than the native activator. Three of four modified Arg residues are supposed to be within the 178RRHRGGS184 cluster, which was localized in the superficial loop of the scu-PA globule and was shown to interact with the complementary series of negatively charged residues in the molecule of the main plasma inhibitor PAI-1. The neutralization of positively charged Arg residues in this cluster decreases the affinity of scu-PA and the double chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator for PAI-1, which results in an enhancement of the stability in plasma and the fibrinolytic efficiency of the activator. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2002, vol. 28, no. 4; see also http://www.maik.ru.


Electron Tomography is shown to be applicable to problems of materials science if a contrast mechanism is used which provides a projection relationship for crystals not depending on lattice plane orientation. Energy filtered TEM (EFTEM) in its mode of electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) and STEM-EDX-Mapping are, subject to limitations, suitable image formation techniques. The spectroscopic operation not only allows to overcome Bragg scattering artefacts, but offers the possibility of recording 4-dimensional data (volume and energy) of a region of interest, otherwise only known from NMR and XAS/XANES tomography at larger length-scales and from field-ion microscopy (atom probe) under restrictive conditions.


Knowledge of genetic diversity facilitiates the judicious use of germplasm in crop improvement programs. The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique was employed to identify foliar diseases resistant accessions with distinct DNA profiles for mapping and genetic enhancement in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). This study revealed 93.3% polymorphic AFLP fragments and 7.2 unique AFLP markers per primer pair. Primer pairs E-ACA + M-CAG, E-AAC + M-CAT, E-ACA + M-CTG, E-AAC + M-CIT, and E-ACC + M-CTC detected between 11–12 unique markers. Accessions with distinct DNA profiles (ICG 6284 with ICGV 99001; TMV 2 with ICG 405, ICGV 1705, ICG 6284, ICGV 99004, and ICGV 99005) and with more number of unique markers (lCG 405, ICG 1705, ICG 6284, ICGV 9904, and ICGV 99005) were identified to diversify breeding populations and identify AFLP markers/quantitative trait loci linked with resistance to ELS, LLS, and rust in groundnut.


We introduce Text2Cinemagraph, a fully automated method for creating cinemagraphs from text descriptions - an especially challenging task when prompts feature imaginary elements and artistic styles, given the complexity of interpreting the semantics and motions of these images. We focus on cinemagraphs of fluid elements, such as flowing rivers, and drifting clouds, which exhibit continuous motion and repetitive textures. Existing single-image animation methods fall short on artistic inputs, and recent text-based video methods frequently introduce temporal inconsistencies, struggling to keep certain regions static. To address these challenges, we propose an idea of synthesizing image twins from a single text prompt - a pair of an artistic image and its pixel-aligned corresponding natural-looking twin. While the artistic image depicts the style and appearance detailed in our text prompt, the realistic counterpart greatly simplifies layout and motion analysis. Leveraging existing natural image and video datasets, we can accurately segment the realistic image and predict plausible motion given the semantic information. The predicted motion can then be transferred to the artistic image to create the final cinemagraph. Our method outperforms existing approaches in creating cinemagraphs for natural landscapes as well as artistic and other-worldly scenes, as validated by automated metrics and user studies. Finally, we demonstrate two extensions: animating existing paintings and controlling motion directions using text.


Background Physical exercise and cognitive training have been recommended to improve cognitive outcomes poststroke, but a multifaceted strategy including aerobic, resistance, and cognitive training to facilitate poststroke recovery has not been investigated. We aimed to assess the feasibility, adherence, and safety of a combined aerobic, resistance, and cognitive training intervention (CARET+CTI) after stroke. Methods and Results We prospectively randomized patients presenting with recent stroke to a comparison of a supervised 12‐week CARET+CTI program and a control group receiving sham CARET+CTI. Participants were scheduled for 3 weekly CARET and CTI sessions. All participants underwent pre‐ and postintervention assessments of strength, endurance, and cognition. The primary outcomes were feasibility and adherence, defined as the ratio of scheduled and observed visits, and safety. We enrolled 131 participants, of whom 37 withdrew from the study. There were 17 (20%) withdrawals in the CARET+CTI and 20 (44%) in the control group. The observed‐over‐expected visit ratio was significantly higher in the intervention than in the control group (0.74±0.30 versus 0.54±0.38; P=0.003). A total of 99 adverse events were reported by 59 participants, none of which were serious and related to the intervention. Greater gains in physical, cognitive, and mood outcomes were found in the CARET+CTI group than in the control group, but were not statistically significant after adjustments. Conclusions A CARET+CTI intervention, after stroke, is safe, feasible, and has satisfactory participant adherence over 12 weeks. REGISTRATION URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02272426.


The digestive system is an environmental frontline involving digestive secretions, intestinal cell metabolism, and gut microbiome that significantly modulate multiple functions in organisms. Understanding the 'gut-lung axis', where gut residential microbiota play important roles, may help in the development of better prophylactics and intervention strategies for diseases caused by respiratory viruses, including coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in COVID-19 patients and are generally indicative of disease complications. As we have learned so far, diarrhea and gut dysbiosis during SARS-CoV-2 infection should not be ignored, as they can be used to distinguish pathways of dysregulation of the immune system and the regulatory pathways upstream and downstream of viral primary binding receptors such as ACE2. This review presents evidence of microbiome signatures in the gut and respiratory system that may predict the severity and long-term outcomes of COVID-19. Understanding the factors (such as pro-inflammatory trends, modulation of metabolite availability, and impact on cell signaling and pathogenic properties) translating the effect of microbiome composition on the severity of respiratory infections should help in the development of
new approaches for health monitoring, disease prevention, and treatment.


The adjuvant effects of killed Bordetella pertussis organisms on the immune response to heterologous γ globulin was studied in normal, "T-cell-depleted" (thymectomized, irradiated, bone-marrow reconstituted) and thymus-marrow chimeric CBA mice.
 Incorporation of B. pertussis with alum-precipitated equine γ globulin (EGG) as antigen potentiated the anti-EGG antibody response in normal mice, but not in T-cell depleted animals.
 The draining lymph nodes of normal animals injected in the hind footpad with alum-precipitated bovine γ globulin (alum-BGG) showed a gradual rise in weight, followed by an increase in DNA synthetic activity as judged by uptake in the node of 125I-labeled 5-iodo-2-deoxyuridine (IUDR). Normal animals given pertussis-incorporated antigen showed an accelerated and augmented lymph node weight increase, and a higher peak of DNA synthesis. In T-cell-depleted animals, lymph node weight and IUDR uptake were only slightly increased after alum-BGG, and were not further enhanced by using alum-BGG-pertussis.
 Mitoses were more numerous in the draining nodes of CBA/HT6T6-CBA/H thymus-marrow chimeras given alum-BGG-pertussis than in such animals given alum-BGG only. At any given time during the response, however, the ratio of thymus-derived to marrow-derived mitoses was approximately the same in the two groups.
 Normal mice given alum-BGG-pertussis showed histologic hyperplasia of the paracortical regions of draining lymph nodes, with increased numbers of small lymphocytes. In T-cell-depleted animals, paracortical hyperplasia occurred without a significant increase in colonizing small lymphocytes.
 The data suggest that B. pertussis organisms act to augment the recruitment of recirculating thymus-derived cells to the paracortical regions of draining lymph nodes, and that subsequent cellular proliferation in the node is in part determined by the magnitude of this recruitment.


We proposed a new heating system (NHS) for an ECMO for children. This time we studied the heat retention effects and condensation prevention effects of the NHS with basic experiments. The experimental equipment consisted of three elements: the NHS, an experimental ECMO system, and an experimental heat exchanger. The NHS consisted of a convective air warming system and a vinyl sheet to cover the ECMO system. The first experimental method recorded the transitions in the circulating water temperature in the ECMO system for each of 8 types of ECMO management methods. Another test method studied whether condensation occurred in the NHS equipment and in the control equipment over 12 hours of ECMO operation. The results showed that the NHS has the heat exchange performance and the condensation prevention effect needed for ECMO management. This strongly suggested that the NHS most likely be put into practical use.


Abstract. Sea-level fingerprints define the spatially varying relative sea-level response to changes in grounded ice distribution. These fingerprints are a key component in generating regional sea-level projections. Calculation of these fingerprints is commonly based on the assumption that the isostatic response of the Earth is dominantly elastic on century time scales. While this assumption is accurate for regions underlain my mantle material with viscosity close to that of global average estimates, recent work focusing on the Antarctic region has shown that this assumption can led to significant error when the viscosity departs significantly from typical average values. Here we test this assumption for fingerprints associated with glaciers and ice caps. We compare output from a (1D) elastic Earth model to that of a 3D viscoelastic model which includes low viscosity mantle in three glaciated regions: Alaska, southwestern Canada and the southern Andes (Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) regions 1, 2 & 17, respectively). This comparison indicates that the error incurred by ignoring the non-elastic response is generally less than 1 cm over the 21st century but can reach magnitudes of up to several 10s of centimetres in low viscosity areas. This error can have large spatial gradients where crustal uplift in ice covered (or previously ice covered) areas changes into subsidence when moving away from the loading centres to areas peripheral to the mass loss. The existence of these large gradients indicates the need for loading models with high spatial resolution to accurately simulate sea-level fingerprints in these regions. We conclude that sea-level projections for Alaska, southwestern Canada and the southern Andes should not be based on elastic Earth models.


KISS Institute's Botball program is a national program, designed for middle and high school students, that uses the activities of robot building and programming to engage students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Botball puts robotics equipment into schools, then trains students and teachers in that equipment's use. The program is organized into spring regional tournaments and a national Botball tournament held at the Annual National Conference on Artificial Intelligence. This program is playing an important role in creating and inspiring the next generation of AI and robotics technologists, many of whom might very well be the engineers and computer scientists who design and build sophisticated, highly autonomous rovers and other space platforms for future NASA missions of exploration. The inspiration cuts both ways.


This work is a study of the impact of short-term strong cathodic polarization in a Ni|YSZ model system using Ni probes as working microelectrodes in a high temperature scanning probe microscope at 650◦C in humidified 9% H2 in N2. Impedance spectroscopy revealed one to three orders of magnitude decrease in the high frequency resistance and four to five orders of magnitude decrease in the low frequency impedance with polarization from −1.06 V to −3.06 V vs E◦(O2), indicating introduction of electronic conductivity and expansion of the reaction zone around the Ni microelectrode. The effect on the Ni|YSZ interface included formation of electronic conductance, reaction between Ni and YSZ and accumulation of impurities around the Ni|YSZ contact as verified by conductance scans of the polarized area. Cyclic voltammetry was used to compare three systems with different impurity levels and showed that the presence of silicates reduces the current, i.e. lowers the performance of the electrode reaction. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by ECS. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse of the work in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. [DOI: 10.1149/2.0141805jes]


With the present wide use of tincture of iodin for skin sterilization, the following case and deduction may prove of interest and value: 1 Mrs. N. applied for treatment for an infected right indexfinger, Oct. 3, 1912. The skin covering the linger and over the anterior and posterior surfaces of its metacarpal bone was disinfected with tincture of iodin. A three-quarter-inch incision over the distal phalanx evacuated a little pus; a small drain was inserted into the wound and the finger and hand were covered with gauze soaked in 1:1,000 mercuric chlorid solution. A gauze bandage covered the finger, hand and wrist. The patient was directed to pour 1:1,000 mercuric chlorid solution over the entire finger every three hours without disturbing the dressing. Because of the severe burning pain the dressing was renewed the following day. An intense dermatitis with many blisters, some fully an inch in diameter, covered the


Twoosh is a new block cipher with a 128 bit block, and a key length of 128, 192, or 256 bits, which has been submitted as an AES candidate. In this paper, we brieey review the structure of Twoosh, and then discuss the key schedule of Twoosh, and its resistance to attack. We close with some open questions on the security of Twoosh's key schedule.


The throughput of wireless networks is known to scale poorly when the number of users grows. The rate at which an arbitrary pair of nodes can communicate must decrease to zero as the number of users tends to infinity, under various assumptions. One of them is the requirement that the network is fully connected: the computed rate must hold for any pair of nodes of the network. We show that this requirement can be responsible for the lack of throughput scalability. We consider a two-dimensional (2-D) network of extending area with only one active source-destination pair at any given time, and all remaining nodes acting only as possible relays. Allowing an arbitrary small fraction of the nodes to be disconnected, we show that the per-node throughput remains constant as the network size increases. As a converse bound, we show that communications occurring at a fixed nonzero rate imply a fraction of the nodes to be disconnected. Our results are of information theoretic flavor, as they hold without assumptions on the communication strategies employed by the network nodes.


Abstract : Private industry and the Military both recognize the need to develop mobile applications (apps) to meet the growing demand for delivering content in a way that supports end-users needs and preferences. The U.S. Navy has been examining all the conceivable strategic, policy, and security issues surrounding mobile application development and deployment, but limited Navy commands have had success implementing a policy and development methodology for meeting widespread end-user needs. One exception has been the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Enterprise Information Systems (EIS), a U.S. Navy Program Executive Office whose mission is developing and sustaining business Information Technology (IT) systems for the Navy. One of their primary customers, the Chief of Naval Personnel, challenged PEO EIS to develop a strategy and development methodology for quickly developing mobile applications to meet a variety of Navy Human Resource (HR) needs. PEO EIS, through a designation to one of its Program Management Offices (PMOs)PMW 240, or the Sea Warrior Programemployed an innovative approach for design, development, and acquisition of mobile applications that has allowed it to field multiple mobile applications in just 812 weeks per application given strong customer engagement. To date, PMW 240 has fielded eight applications in the past year with dozens more in the planning and development phases.This paper will share the innovative methodology, Systems Engineering Technical Review (SETR) process, and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) insights that have allowed PMW 240 to field mobile apps rapidly. It will also discuss some of the challenges and next steps to expanding the Navy HR mobile application capabilities. Since PMW 240 is an acquisition executor, all processes, innovations, and insights will be presented from a practitioner perspective in hopes of benefiting other practitioner organizations that require mobile application deployment for their end-users.


Aim. To conduct a virological, PCR, PCR-RFLP and sequencing study of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV)
isolates obtained from sick and dead chickens at industrial and backyard poultry farms in the eastern region of Ukraine
collected over the years 2010–2019 and to establish their pathotype and relationship with internationally occurring strains.
Methods. Material for virological studies was collected in the framework of research program of the NSC IEСVM during
2010-2019 in the poultry farms in the North-Eastern region of Ukraine, where the birds with the respiratory clinical
signs were found. In total, 28 poultry farms were observed. ILTV isolates were obtained with conventional methods,
using 10–12-day-old chicken embryos. A 0,2 ml of 10–20 % suspension of pathological material in PBS was used for
inoculation. For in-depth studies, we used 4 isolates of ILTV obtained from sick and dead chickens from industrial
and backyard poultry farms in Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Sumy regions from 2010–2019. The identification of
ILTV isolates was performed via conventional PCR. The pathotype of ILTV strains was determined using PCR-RFLP
(polymerase chain reaction – restriction fragment length polymorphism) analysis. The PCR-RFLP was performed at
Royal GD, the Netherlands. The (partial) sequencing of the US8 gene was performed using Sanger sequencing method.
The phylogenetic analysis, using sequences of 2 Ukrainian strains (MZ323228, MZ333273) and 17 international gene
sequences present in GenBank, was performed using the Maximum Likelihood method. For comparative analysis,
sequences of vaccine ILT virus strains were used. Results. Over the years 2010-2019, 7 isolates of ILTV were obtained
from sick and dead poultry with typical clinical signs and internal lesions at industrial and backyard farms of the Kharkiv,
Donetsk, Luhansk and Sumy regions, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Other avian respiratory viral and bacterial
pathogens were not detected. Five isolates were obtained from poultry of industrial holdings where vaccination against
ILT is carried out. Using PCR-RFLP analysis of 4 isolates, we found that three of them (Sumy 6-11/19, A 04-12, B 2-10)
to belong to vaccine-type ILTV strains and only one, B 59-11strain, belongs to wild-type ILTV. Vaccine-type ILTV strains
circulated and possibly still circulate in Ukraine in industrial and backyard poultry farms among both vaccinated and non-
vaccinated poultry. An ILTV wild-type strain was obtained from non-vaccinated chickens from a backyard farm, which
may indicate an important role of backyard farms in maintaining the circulation of the virus. After partial sequencing and
phylogenetic analysis of the ILTV US8 gene the two Ukrainian strains studied were placed into two different clusters: The
vaccine-type B 2-10 strain, obtained from sick vaccinated chickens from an industrial farm, was close to vaccine-type
strains circulating in, China, Italy and the USA. The wild-type B 59-11strain, obtained from sick non-vaccinated backyard
chickens, was located in another cluster and closest to a the wild-type B 59-11 ILTV strain from Brazil. Conclusions. In
this article we describe for the first time the characterization of vaccine-type and wild-type isolates of ILTV in industrial
and backyard poultry farms, proving their relevance for the poultry production in Ukraine. The results obtained show the
need and prospects for further monitoring of ILTV circulation in small backyard poultry farms and in industrial poultry
farms, especially following the frequent use for vaccination of live attenuated wild-type ILTV strains in Ukraine. Further
molecular, phylogenetic and epidemiological characterization of the strains obtained should be performed in the near
future to further precise their attributes, epidemiology and origin.


Most of the mining
method of domestic oilfield is waterflood development, thus the water content
in the mid and late water flooding would rise faster, and the oil recovery rate
would decline relatively more rapid. So it is very important to research
profile control agent for stabilizing oil production resin-type profile control
agent, and focus on researching the themal stability, shear resistance,
gelation time and gelation strength and other properties of this profile
control agent [1]. Finally, the best ratio for synthesizing the high
temperature resistant phenolic resin-type profile control agent was obtained.


Videogames scholars rarely engage with concepts from political sciences to explain the presence of political themes such as gender within the medium. In this chapter, I intend to fill this gap and argue how videogames are "political", supported by an analysis of the videogame trilogy Mass Effect and interviews conducted with ME players in Brazil. I argue that videogames are often part of "scenes of dissensus" regarding societal debates, based in Jacques Rancière conceptualization of politics as defiant of the consensus created by the police order. In the first part, I will argue that videogames are political in three axes: production, content and consumption. At the production level, videogame politics of production are correlated to a shift in the industry after the crash of the 80s. The content axis derives from production choices and discusses the prevalence of physical and symbolic violence narratives. The consumption level unveils the dynamics of production and consumption as they affect gamers' experience of play and everyday political conversation. The second part of this chapter discusses a particular dimension of the political, namely gender. The discussion focuses on the core elements of this scene of dissensus within videogames, from its brief gendered history to the three phases of gender research in videogames (Richard, 2013) and its main points of contention. The third part of this chapter focuses on a case study to clarify the dissensus and the "political" within the boundaries of gendered gaming using the trilogy Mass Effect as a case in study. The analysis follows two axes: production-content, discussing game mechanics and in-game representation of female characters, and content-consumption, discussing the perceptions of gamers regarding Mass Effect gendered content in relation to their wider knowledge of videogames culture and informed by their personal experiences as gendered beings.


The area around the town of Northwich in Cheshire, U. K., has a long history of catastrophic ground subsidence caused by a combination of natural dissolution and collapsing abandoned mine workings within the underlying Triassic halite bedrock geology. In the village of Marston, the Trent and Mersey Canal crosses several abandoned salt mine workings and previously subsiding areas, the canal being breached by a catastrophic subsidence event in 1953. This canal section is the focus of a long-term monitoring study by conventional geotechnical topographic and microgravity surveys. Results of 20 years of topographic time-lapse surveys indicate specific areas of local subsidence that could not be predicted by available site and mine abandonment plan and shaft data. Subsidence has subsequently necessitated four phases of temporary canal bank remediation. Ten years of microgravity time-lapse data have recorded major deepening negative anomalies in specific sections that correlate with topographic data. Gravity 2D modeling using available site data found upwardly propagating voids, and associated collapse material produced a good match with observed microgravity data. Intrusive investigations have confirmed a void at the major anomaly. The advantages of undertaking such long-term studies for near-surface geophysicists, geotechnical engineers, and researchers working in other application areas are discussed.


This paper is focused on the determination of mechanics characteristics for tubular materials, using tube bulge process. A comparative study is made between two different models: theoretical model and finite element analysis. The theoretical model is completely developed, based first on a geometrical analysis of the tube profile during bulging, which is assumed to strain in arc of circles. Strain and stress analysis complete the theoretical model, which allows to evaluate tube thickness and state of stress, at any point of the free bulge region. Free bulging of a 304L stainless steel is simulated using Ls‐Dyna 970. To validate FE simulations approach, a comparison between theoretical and finite elements models is led on several parameters such as: thickness variation at the free bulge region pole with bulge height, tube thickness variation with z axial coordinate, and von Mises stress variation with plastic strain.


The clinical experience gained with the use of different modified methods of oxygenation is described. The use of the methods in the treatment of patients suffering from severe hepatopathy associated with hyperbilirubinemia and hyperfermentemia, grave encephalopathy till liver coma enabled the treatment results to be appreciably improved.


This experimental study was performed to investigate directly the local flame properties of turbulent propagating flames at the same weak turbulence condition, in order to clarify basically the influence of the addition of dilution gas to hydrogen mixtures on its local burning velocity. The mixtures having nearly the same laminar burning velocity with different dilution gas types and equivalence ratios were prepared. A two-dimensional sequential laser tomography technique was used to obtain the relationship between the flame shape and the flame displacement in a constant-volume vessel. The local flame displacement velocity SF, curvature and stretch of turbulent flames were quantitatively measured as some of the key parameters of local flame properties on turbulent flames. Additionally, the Markstein number Ma was obtained from outwardly propagating spherical laminar flames, in order to examine the effect of positive stretch on burning velocity. It was found that the trends of the mean values of measured SF with respect to dilution gas types and equivalence ratios corresponded well its turbulent burning velocity. The trend of the obtained Ma could explain the SF of turbulent flames only qualitatively. The local burning velocity at the part of turbulent flames with positive stretch and curvature due to the Ma, SLt , attempted to be estimated quantitatively. As a result, a quantitative relationship between the estimated SLt and the SF at positive stretch and curvature of turbulent flames could be observed only for mixtures with Le > 1 or Ma > 0, regardless of dilution gas types.


Women are underrepresented in philosophy. And pregnancy is under-researched in philosophy. Can a connection be made between the two? I will argue that whilst the counterfactual of 'had women historically been better represented in philosophy then pregnancy would have been too' may be true, it is not necessarily the case that we can now, in the present day, expect (or desire) a correlation. In order to understand the gap between these two areas of underrepresentation, one need only adopt a non- essentialist understanding of women so as to recognise that not all women experience pregnancy or are interested in pregnancy (philosophically or otherwise). Nevertheless, given the historical silence(ing) of women in philosophy on the topic of pregnancy, it is important now to redress that imbalance by tackling both issues of underrepresentation simultaneously. To demonstrate further I refer to the difference between representational diversity and substantive diversity (which is related to the more commonly known distinction between descriptive representation and substantive representation). This will be the topic of the first section of the paper. Then, in the second and third sections of the paper I will explore the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of women in philosophy, regarding not only the lack of women numerically speaking but also how women, as a general 'kind', are (misogynistically) described in philosophy historically. I will then apply the same treatment to pregnancy in the fourth and fifth sections of the paper, exploring both its underrepresentation as a topic of philosophical endeavour and misrepresentation within society at large. The analysis contains a review of the literature, and cites statistical quantitative data and qualitative grounded interviews, to provide evidence for my claims. I will end by hypothesising about the relationship between these under- and mis- representations, and will provide musings on the future for women and pregnancy in philosophy.


This paper aims to unveil the behavior of inequalities in health among the children population according to socioeconomic groups living in the same territory. The main purpose of the research is to determine if hospital admissions for respiratory diseases present evidence of unequal effects on morbidity of the resident population in the municipalities of the Metropolitan Area of Santiago de Chile (MAS). The entropy index is used in order to present socio-spatial inequalities, proportional differences between mutually exclusive groups, and redistribution potential. Simultaneous observation of the spatial distribution of multiple socioeconomic groups within a territory provides a new lens for approaching the recent studies of inequality in the MAS, and allows to overcome an analysis based only on two antagonistic groups. The main findings show inequality of health damage in residents of different municipalities in the Metropolitan Area of Santiago, Chile. The data shows how the place of residence influences the health inequalities experienced, finding the following configurations: territorial balance; territorial imbalance; territorial inequality; extreme territorial inequality. The differences found in the proportionality of hospital admissions, according to the socioeconomic group do not follow a uniform trend in favor of least vulnerable groups.


IT IS with real pleasure that I address you. I am cognizant of the honor you have conferred upon me as your president, and I wish to take this opportunity to express my deepest thanks and appreciation. The Western Surgical Association has had a long and honorable career. Its membership is drawn in large part from the West and Middle West. We elect a governor to the American College of Surgeons. We nominate a candidate to the American Board of Surgery every six years. Our membership represents a large percentage of the surgeons in certain parts of our country. Our purpose has been to present scientific programs with the most recent advances in surgery—primarily for the further education of our membership. With the tremendous changes in the status quo, I have been deeply concerned and greatly troubled. Have we as members of the Western Surgical Association been too much occupied


This paper develops a linear predictor for application to wind speed and direction forecasting in time and across different sites. The wind speed and direction are modelled via the magnitude and phase of a complex-valued time-series. A multichannel adaptive filter is set to predict this signal, based on its past values and the spatio-temporal correlation between wind signals measured at numerous geographical locations. The time-varying nature of the underlying system and the annual cycle of seasons motivates the development of a cyclostationary Wiener filter, which is tested on hourly mean wind speed and direction data from 13 weather stations across the UK, and shown to provide an improvement over both stationary Wiener filtering and a recent auto-regressive approach.


The abuse of process doctrine is a recognized principle of public international law that prohibits the exercise of a procedural right in contravention of the purpose for which that right was established. This doctrine has been applied in context of investment arbitration where investors manipulate their corporate structure to gain access to jurisdiction after a dispute has become foreseeable. However, while abuse of process has become synonymous with corporate restructuring in investment arbitration, the doctrine is by no means limited to that application. Indeed, more recently, the doctrine has gained momentum as a mechanism to address the problem of multiple and successive arbitrations filed by investors against Sovereigns. This trend culminated in the Orascom v. Algeria decision, recently affirmed by an ad hoc Committee on annulment, that dismissed an investor's claim 'in relation to the same investment, the same measures and the same harm'. The application of abuse of process in this context, however, remains unsettled. After review, this article concludes that when an investor initiates multiple arbitrations for the sole purpose of maximizing the chances of success, investment tribunals should consider abuse of process as a means to protect the legitimacy of their proceeding and the Investor-State Dispute Settlement system as a whole.
abuse of process, parallel proceedings, treaty interpretation, res judicata/collateral estoppel, lis pendens


Induction is a successful approach for verification of hardware and software systems. A common practice is to model a system using logical formulas, and then use a decision procedure to verify that some logical formula is an inductive safety invariant for the system. A key ingredient in this approach is coming up with the inductive invariant, which is known as invariant inference. This is a major difficulty, and it is often left for humans or addressed by sound but incomplete abstract interpretation. This paper is motivated by the problem of inductive invariants in shape analysis and in distributed protocols. This paper approaches the general problem of inferring first-order inductive invariants by restricting the language L of candidate invariants. Notice that the problem of invariant inference in a restricted language L differs from the safety problem, since a system may be safe and still not have any inductive invariant in L that proves safety. Clearly, if L is finite (and if testing an inductive invariant is decidable), then inferring invariants in L is decidable. This paper presents some interesting cases when inferring inductive invariants in L is decidable even when L is an infinite language of universal formulas. Decidability is obtained by restricting L and defining a suitable well-quasi-order on the state space. We also present some undecidability results that show that our restrictions are necessary. We further present a framework for systematically constructing infinite languages while keeping the invariant inference problem decidable. We illustrate our approach by showing the decidability of inferring invariants for programs manipulating linked-lists, and for distributed protocols.


In this paper,the multi-dimensional structural regression models with multi- dimensional covariates and the measurement errors under exchangeability condition are given.The models are studied to estimate the population-averaged treatment effects.When the measurement errors of the covariates in the treatment population and the control population have the same distributions,the quasi-maximum likelihood estimator of the population-averaged treatment effect and its characters are given.


Both prokaryotes and eukaryotes respond to a decrease in temperature with the expression of a specific subset of proteins. Although a large body of information concerning cold shock‐induced genes has been gathered, studies on temperature regulation have not clearly identified the key regulatory factor(s) responsible for thermosensing and signal transduction at low temperatures. Here we identified a two‐component signal transduction system composed of a sensor kinase, DesK, and a response regulator, DesR, responsible for cold induction of the des gene coding for the Δ5‐lipid desaturase from Bacillus subtilis. We found that DesR binds to a DNA sequence extending from position −28 to −77 relative to the start site of the temperature‐regulated des gene. We show further that unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), the products of the Δ5‐desaturase, act as negative signalling molecules of des transcription. Thus, a regulatory loop composed of the DesK–DesR two‐component signal transduction system and UFAs provides a novel mechanism for the control of gene expression at low temperatures.