Received: 7 December 2014 Abstract Accepted: 10 January 2015 Eastern European companies have experienced various and radical transformations, as result of the economic crises and turbulences, which exposed structural weaknesses. In the meantime, long-term challenges – such as globalization, shift of power centers from the national level to international structures or scarcity of resources – intensify. Given this context, it is mandatory for companies to develop strategies aiming at being competitive. The paper aims to propose an exploratory analysis regarding a Swedish-Finnish owned company active in Romania – that was capable to build a strategic vision of its future, to define a plan for change and to implement the necessary measures for the project success. The author has conducted a study and developed a case along a project aiming at continuous improvement (Kaizen) in this company, emphasizing its main results. In order to analyze the project of implementing Kaizen methodology, the research initiative consisted both of primary and secondary research. The paper analyzes the project from the point of view of economic situation of the company and environment, time constraints, budget limitations, technical level/quality performance and risks. The central finding is that concept-oriented projects run by an advanced-country company could succeed in a less economically developed and culturally different country – even in turbulent periods and not even in highly dynamic and technologically advanced industries – if the top management is strongly committed and management team completely involved. The paper concludes with study results, as well as some lessons learnt and managerial implications – useful for future similar projects either within the company under debate or by other organizations in similar circumstances.


The musical landscape in Europe shows a complex picture. Societal change leads to
change in the careers of artists. We see an increasing number of unstable jobs in the
music profession. It no longer offers many opportunities for full-time, long-term contract
work, but is often more project-based, calling on musicians to contribute on a sporadic
basis or for specific activities. Many graduates employ themselves as freelance artists.
Rarely employed in one job for life, the musician is increasingly an entrepreneur
having a portfolio career, comprising simultaneous or successive, brief or part-time
periods of employment in different areas of the music profession. Having a portfolio
career does not mean that a musician is not employable; rather this reality reflects
societal change and also creates, sometimes exciting, challenges. Exact figures of
musicians holding a portfolio career are not known. We may assume that the increase of
portfolio careers is substantial through contacts held with alumni and alumni research
carried out by a number of European conservatories.
Holding a portfolio career with overlapping activities in the broad professional
practice requires the musician to have many roles at the same time.


Abstract Polyamines are essential cell constituents involved in growth processes. In Caenorhabditis elegans the polyamine synthetic pathway consists of three enzymes, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) and spermidine synthase. Their gene expression pattern was determined in C. elegans by microinjection of green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene constructs. All transgenic animals exhibited GFP expression in their intestinal cells. For the AdoMetDC promoter, fluorescence was additionally observed in dopaminergic neurons, while the ODC promoter also drives a male-specific GFP expression in the distal part of the reproductive system. The minimal promoter regions for intestine-specific expression of the AdoMetDC and spermidine synthase genes were determined by deletion mutants. Using the Seqcomp and Family Relation programs, a similar arrangement of putative cis-regulatory elements within these regions and also within the respective regions of the orthologous Caenorhabditis briggsae genes were found. The functional conservation of the latter was confirmed by heterologous transformation experiments. Moreover, the involvement of putative GATA- and initiator-(Inr)-like-elements in gene expression was determined by mutagenesis studies. RNase protection assay revealed that the Inr-like-element does not represent the main transcriptional start site, at least of C. elegans spermidine synthase. In conclusion, a similar minimal promoter architecture was found for C. elegans as well as C. briggsae AdoMetDC and spermidine synthase, two genes that participate in the same metabolic pathway.


BACKGROUND
Sickle cell anemia is now relatively frequent in France. Its clinical course is punctuated by acute episodes that threaten the life, specially during the first year of life.

POPULATION AND METHODS
The files of 26 children (14 boys, 12 girls) dead from sickle cell disease between 1985 and 1992 were retrospectively studied. These files concerned patients from the Ile-de-France area.

RESULTS
Their mean age at time of diagnosis was 13.7 months (0 to 3 years 4 months); mean age was 5.5 years at time of death. Infection was the cause of death in 15 patients (S pneumoniae in eight patients despite prophylactic penicillin and pneumococcal vaccine in the majority of them). Splenic sequestration crisis was the cause of death in three patients less than 5 years of age; vasocclusive crisis resulting in cerebral infarction was the cause in three patients aged 7.5 to 13 years. Mortality calculated from those patients followed since 1987 (total: 2,063 years) was 0.29% person/year.

CONCLUSION
Comfort of patients and risk of permanent disability become the main factors of choice for new treatments such as chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation.


A disk array architecture that generalizes the RAID (redundant arrays of inexpensive disks) level V data organization while providing excellent storage utilization, response times, and fault tolerance is discussed. A key feature of the approach is that reliability groups can contain several check data disks beyond the single parity disk. RAID response times for fault-free and failure recovery operations are presented.<<ETX>>


This paper is the continuation of previously published work, a review limited to studies on rats and mice. This paper makes an identical evaluation as before, but, restricting the species being evaluated to representative studies of smoke-exposed hamsters, dogs (both by tracheostomy and by direct inhalation), and nonhuman primates. As was seen previously, no statistically significant increase in the incidence of malignant tumors of the respiratory tract was found in any of the 3 species, even though very long exposures and high doses of smoke were used. All 5 of the species of laboratory animals commonly used to evaluate carcinogenic potential produce results with mainstream cigarette smoke that are at variance with the epidemiological evidence in smokers.


As in many other fossorial tetrapods, the most obvious adaptations to scratch‐digging in the subterranean tuco‐tuco (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae, Ctenomys) are found in the hands, which among other adaptations, present the mesaxonic condition; i.e. the central digits are more developed, and also their claws, which are curved and elongated. The thumb is atrophied and aligned with the rest of the digits, showing a small and flat claw. This configuration of digits and claws seems to be in accordance with what it is expected for rodents: rudimentary movements when handling food items. However, on the palmar side of the hand, tuco‐tucos have several pads, the thenar (located under the thumb) being the most developed. In this study, we investigated the functional morphology of the thenar pad through different approaches: musculoskeletal anatomy, histology and functionality. The analysis of radiographs and clarified and double‐stained hand samples of Ctenomys talarum and C. australis showed that the thenar pad is supported by a paddle‐shaped bone that articulates with a protrusion in the scapholunate bone. This bone, flat and long, continues in a flat cartilaginous structure, with a shape similar to a claw. Dissections showed that the thenar pad has several associated muscles: the m. palmaris longus, the m. abductor pollicis longus, and a massive muscular complex located between the thumb and the thenar pad. By topology it might be inferred that this complex is formed by the m. abductor pollicis brevis, the m. flexor pollicis brevis and the m. adductor pollicis brevis. Longitudinal histological sections of the thenar pad stained with hematoxylin‐eosin showed a thick layer of keratin at the distal end, external face. The observation of live specimens of C. talarum foraging on two food items of different size and filmed at 300 fps showed that the thenar pad acts as an opposable thumb, with digit‐like movements. Tuco‐tucos are able to perform more precise movements than expected, and to grasp and manipulate the food with one hand. In previous studies, it was suggested that the thenar pad was supported by a 'palmar ossicle', or 'prepollex' (= radial sesamoid bone). Our results suggest that this sesamoid underwent a radical change on its morphology, making the thenar pad a part of the food handling system in Ctenomys, so the thenar pad might be considered a 'false thumb', rather than a palmar pad. It is suggested to advance on the description and functional analysis of the thenar pad, redefining the structure, since the terms used so far to define it would not be accurate.


It has been heavy work that to find the related pictures form Internet without annotation. Therefore, the automatic image annotation was extremely important in image retrieval. The traditional method were translated image visual feature into keywords simply, but it ignored the image similarity problem between the low-level visual features and high-level semantic. That is image "gap" problem, so image annotation was very lower. This paper puts forward a classification of web based image content automatic tagging mixing technology, the first it will map visual feature of image to one or more rough images, then we will preprocess the web page text information, finally we select some keywords similarity as image annotation by using similar semantic processing module. So it realizes the image and text combining the automatic annotation and it achieve high precision of image annotation.


Objective: To find the frequency of destructive hip disease in post intra-articular corticosteroid hip Injection. Study Design: Retrospective study Place and Duration of Study: Department of Orthopaedic, Sahara Medical College Narowal from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021. Methodology: One hundred and twenty cases of corticosteroid injection in intra-articular region were analyzed. The radiological imaging within 6-12 months was used for finding frequency of rapidly destructive arthrosis. Narrowing of joint space greater than fifty percent with a loss of cartilage up to 2mm within a year was used for rapidly destructive arthrosis diagnosis. Kallgren and Lawrence scoring system ranged between 0-4 was used. Results: There were 73.3% and 26.7% males and mean was 53.1±3.3 years. The steroidal injection was placed as 40mg triamcinolone-acetonide with 4 mL 1% lidocaine in 77.5% of cases. 20.8% rapidly destructive arthrosis in all the patients who were injected with corticosteroid. The progression of total hip arthroplasty was noticeable in 22.5%. Conclusion: A high frequency of destructive hip disease is observed in intra-articular corticosteroid hip injections. Keywords: Frequency, Destructive hip disease, Intra-articular corticosteroid hip injection


Many states are adopting economic education standards for the K-12 curriculum, mandating economic education courses in rural and urban schools. We examine economic education outcomes for rural and urban students using test scores gathered during a national high school academic competition and by estimating a production function for economic education. We find only limited differences between the education production function in urban and rural settings and lower average scores for rural students. To close this gap, results suggest that rural schools should place economic content in the senior-year curriculum and provide teachers with increased postgraduate training in economics.


Author(s): Sousa, Sandra | Abstract: This article seeks to make a contribution to the literary criticism regarding the fiction of Joao Paulo Borges Coelho. It will show how his novel As Duas Sombras do Rio creates innovative forms to depict the harsh realities experienced by the Mozambican people. My approach includes the concept of marginality within literary theory and it moves toward an interdisciplinary treatment of marginality in Mozambique. Here societal marginality may be understood as that "by and large reflected in the underlying social conditions of people" (Gurung and Kollmair, 2005). These conditions are represented by poor living options (lack of resources, skills, and job opportunities), reduced or restricted participation in public decision-making, less use of public space, lower sense of community, and low self-esteem" (Gurung and Kollmair, 2005). In Mozambique, one cannot think of just one margin in relation to a center, but of several margins. The problem of marginality surfaces as variegated and complex, not only because the country's borders are a result of colonialism—self-identical ethnic groups live on different sides of the national border—but they are also an outcome of the colonial and civil war. Thus, we should consider that internal margins compose urban and rural spaces as much as postcolonial margins. All of these forms of marginality are defined by survival and resistance.


The purpose of the work is to investigate the effect of combined use of sorbilact and L-arginine on the kidneys' volume-regulatory function of patients with endogenous intoxication syndrome (EIS) of purulent-septic origin in the period of stabilization of secondary toxic autoagression. Methods . Indicators of kidney volume receptor function have been studied in patients of the following groups. The first group (І, control) consisted of 31 patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The second group (ІІ) consisted of 22 patients with EIS who were treated according to Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2016 (standard therapy) [9]. The third group (ІІ) consisited of 24 patients with EIS, who received sorbilact in addition to standard therapy. The fourth group (IV) included 21 patients with SEI who received standard therapy as well as Sorbilact and L-arginine. Sorbilact infusion to patients of III and IV groups was performed at a rate of 6-7 ml/kg body weight, intravenously dripping at a rate of 7-8 ml/min. After the end of infusion of sorbilact, patients of IV group were infused with 4.2% solution of L-arginine ("Tivortin" intravenous drip according to the instructions). Data was obtained and results gathered on the application of drugs in the period of stabilization of secondary toxic autoagresion (fourth day of drugs' application). Findings. In the period of stabilization there is a restoration of the volume-regulatory function of the kidneys under standard therapy of endotoxicosis of purulent-septic genesis. The use of sorbilact with standard therapy activates the volume-regulatory function of the kidneys (in terms of sodium clearance by 31%, p <0,05) in the period of stabilization of toxic autoaggression. The combination of sorbilact with L-arginine increases the activity of sodium clearance by 12% (p <0,05) induced by sorbilact. Conclusions. The investigated features of basic adjuvant therapy with L-arginine and sorbilact can be recommended for use in order to restore the volume-regulatory function of the kidneys in cases of endotoxicosis of purulent-septic genesis.


Background/Aim: Microtubule-associated scaffold protein 1 (MTUS1) acts as tumor suppressor in several cancer types. This study assessed the relationship between clinicopathological characteristics and expression of microRNA candidates based on MTUS1 expression in gallbladder cancer (GBC). Materials and Methods: MTUS1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays from 109 cases of GBC. The association of MTUS1 expression with clinicopathological factors was explored. Two microRNA candidates (miR-19a-3p, and miR-19b-3p), which were identified by a literature review and computational analysis, were assessed in GBC tissue samples by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Low MTUS1 expression in GBC was associated with high histological grade, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, high T-stage, advanced TNM stage, poorer disease-free survival, and poorer cancer-specific survival. No statistical association between MTUS1 expression and expression of microRNA candidates was observed. Conclusion: MTUS1 may act as tumor suppressor and might be a potential biomarker for predicting prognosis in GBC.


Abstract The performance of the arsenic resistance arsRCB operon of the ubiquitous bacterium Chromobacterium violaceum has been employed as a descriptor of the genomic persistence of traits for long-ceased environmental conditions. To this end, a reliable reference for arsenic resistance/sensitivity was created in the C. violaceum ATCC 12472-type strain by deleting its genomic ars operon. This allowed tracing all of the arsenic resistance of this bacterium to the ars gene cluster. A sample of 15 environmental C. violaceum strains isolated from pristine Amazonian sites (both rain forest and savannah) were then examined for the presence of arsRCB amplicons, for arsenic resistance, and for indications of decay of ars genes into pseudogenes. While the sites of origin of such strains have no record of industrial or geological exposure to arsenic, all of them bore the standard arsRCB cluster in their genome, but they did differ in their resistance to the metalloid. This ranged from complete sensitivity to tolerance levels above the reference C. violaceum ATCC12472. Inspection of relevant DNA sequences, phenotypic analyses and monitoring expression profiles of the ars genes in each strain exposed a distinct genetic drift of the system toward vestigialization, that is, accumulation of mutations leading to the loss of a non-used character. In particular, quantitative PCR revealed inducibility by arsenic to be the first trait to be lost in the route toward decaying and eventual nonfunctionalization. The data presented fit evolutionary predictions on elimination of non-used characters through a mere genetic drift accumulating neutral mutations.


The diagnosis of cutaneous tuberculosis poses a serious challenge due to many skin diseases of different etiology resembling the lesions caused by the TB (tuberculosis) bacillus, and difficulties in confirming the disease. The presented case concerns skin lesions in a hobby aquarist stung in the finger of the left hand by a fish. The resulting inflammatory infiltration was to be cutaneous tuberculosis or mycobacteriosis caused by MOTT (Mycobacterium other than tuberculosis). Laboratory, pathomorphologic, genetic and microbiologic tests of samples obtained from the patient, fish and water in the aquarium gave ambiguous results. A multidisciplinary discussion is presented on the difficulties in the differential diagnosis, problems with a clear interpretation of the results of various conducted tests, and possible ways of transmission of the infection, relevant to the described example.

http://www.aaem.pl/pdf-72382-9611?filename=_TB or not TB_ Problems.pdf


In this paper, we present a new method of digital steganography, entitled spread spectrum image steganography (SSIS). Steganography, which means "covered writing" in Greek, is the science of communicating in a hidden manner. Following a discussion of steganographic communication theory and review of existing techniques, the new method, SSIS, is introduced. This system hides and recovers a message of substantial length within digital imagery while maintaining the original image size and dynamic range. The hidden message can be recovered using appropriate keys without any knowledge of the original image. Image restoration, error-control coding, and techniques similar to spread spectrum are described, and the performance of the system is illustrated. A message embedded by this method can be in the form of text, imagery, or any other digital signal. Applications for such a data-hiding scheme include in-band captioning, covert communication, image tamperproofing, authentication, embedded control, and revision tracking.


where A,." is the Einstein coefficient of spontaneous transition to the lower state, m. Where collisions are involved, special knowledge of the type of interaction is .necessary and the problem, while theoretically soluble, is very complicated. Further work on this point is in progress. 1 See Fowler, Statistical Mechanics, page 17 et seq. 2 Astroph. Jour., in press. 3 See discussion by Fowler, Statistical Mechanics, page 345 et seq. 4 Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 49, 530 (1920); Nature, 109, 810 (1922).


Background: Trypanosomosis is affected sub-Saharan African countries which denied vast areas of land from livestock and crop production including Ethiopia. The problem prevails mainly in main Rivers like the Ghibe-Omo rivers. The study was conducted in Loma and Kindo Didaye near the Ghibe-III hydroelectric dam, from upstream and downstream, respectively; from January 2019 to June 2020. A standardized questionnaire survey was employed to collect relevant information. Two hundred questionnaires were administered.Results: A total of 189 questionnaires were returned. Each questionnaire contained 21 questions that include the biography, livestock species and population before and after dam construction, major livestock diseases, clinical signs, transmission, seasonality, susceptibility among species, control practice, type and cost of drugs, treatment frequency and wildlife population status were assessed. Data were analyzed using Mann Whitney U Test. The majority of the interviewee were male with an average age of 39.4+ 10.6 and livestock owners. Herd/flock sizes were non-significantly different before dam construction between the two districts; whereas, the large herd size above six cattle increased by 85% (77/90) in Loma but decreased by 33.3% (33/99) in the Kindo Didaye district after dam construction. Bovine trypanosomosis ranked first among major diseases. Knowledge on clinical signs, transmission, and seasonality of trypanosomosis was in agreement with the literature and experience was not significantly (p>0.05) different between the two districts. Diminazine and Trypamidium were the cheapest and frequently used trypanocidal, accordingly. The majority of the respondent (57.8%) treat animals twice per month per animal indicates the severity of disease, under-dosing or drug resistance problem in the area. 87.8% of respondents in Loma perceived the reduction of trypanosome prevalence and tsetse population; whereas 77% of Kindo Didaye respondents perceived no change in prevalence after dam construction. Reduction of wildlife population perceived on upstream than downstream. Health services improved, disease outbreaks and cattle deaths reduced, fishing started following dam construction.Conclusion: there was a change in health status and wildlife population upstream than downstream indicates the dam impact. The frequency of treatment was also reported. Therefore, monitoring of the disease prevalence and drug resistance study is recommended.


ABSTRACT Chagas disease represents one of the major health issue in Latin America. Epidemiological control is focused on disease vectors, so studies on the ecology of triatomine vectors constitute a central strategy. Recently, research at large spatial scale has been produced, and authors commonly rely on the assumption that geographical regions presenting good environmental conditions for most vector species are also those with high risk of infection. In the present work, we provide an explicit evaluation for this assumption. Employing species distribution models and epidemiological data for Chagas disease in Brazilian territory, our results show that species richness is a poor predictor for the observed pattern of Chagas disease occurrence. Species composition proved to be a better predictor. We stress that research on macroecology of infectious diseases should go beyond the analysis of biodiversity patterns and consider human infections as a central part of the focal ecological systems.


INTRODUCTION
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is an involuntary release of urine through the urethra during the increase of abdominal pressure in the absence of m. detrusor contraction. The exercise of pelvic floor muscles is recommended as the first line of cure. It is the least invasive and the only method without any undesirable side effects, which leads to either improvement or complete cure of SUI in 80-85% of cases.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to establish whether the strengthening of pelvic floor muscles using proprioceptive neural facilitation (PNF) spiral dynamic technique was more efficient in comparison to classical Kegel exercise.

METHODS
The research was carried out at the Centre for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Clinical Centre Kragujevac. Sixty-six female patients with the symptoms of SUI were monitored in the period of two years. Thirty-four patients did pelvic floor muscle exercises twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, with 15-20 contractions. Thirty-two patients used PNF spiral dynamic technique for strengthening pelvic floor muscles. The patients who used the spiral dynamic technique also did some exercises from the program; they exercised twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, following the prescribed schedule. Treatment outcome was assessed by measuring the pelvic floor muscles by a vaginal dynamometer.

RESULTS
The values of the pelvic floor muscle force that were measured using the vaginal dynamometer in both examined groups (PNF spiral dynamic technique or Kegel exercise) were statistically significantly higher after the implemented exercise program (t-test; p=0.000). No statistically significant difference in pelvic floor muscle values was found between the patients who applied PNF spiral dynamic technique and those who did Kegel exercise either before or after the exercise (two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measurements, factor of exercise type; p=0.899).

CONCLUSION
Strengthening of pelvic floor muscles by exercises results in a significant increase of pelvic floor muscle strength and reduction of SUI symptoms, regardless of the used exercise program, PNF spiral dynamic technique or Kegel exercise program.


We investigate whether insiders of bankrupt firms hold less stock or reduce their stockholdings compared to what we observed for insiders of similar firms that do not go bankrupt. We find little evidence of such time-series and cross-sectional differences in spite of the fact that the stock value of bankrupt firms falls by more than ninety percent in the five years preceding bankruptcy. One implication of our results is that the amount of stock owned and the magnitude of the trades undertaken by corporate insiders of both bankrupt and nonbankrupt firms appear to provide no information about firm value.


In this project I designed a table for the home, that you can live with through the life. It can easily be adapted to different needs and change when the life situation and needs change. The table should feel useful and get added value by telling personal stories and be something you want to keep and preserve. Meanwhile, the table intended to be a starting point to get people to start thinking about their approach to consumption, and which values that are important in their lives, and in the long run reduce the unnecessary consumption.


One of the effective ways to intensify heat exchange processes in the bulk tank is organization of gas filtration through the tank. However, it is necessary to compare the positive effect obtained by reducing the heating time and, hence, the required amount of heat input with the resistance of the bulk tank, which affects the choice of equipment. The existing formulas for determining tank layer resistance, as a rule, have a limited application range due to a number of structural parameteres. Thus, obtaining the value of the aerodynamic resistance of bulk tanks of different structures is an important task for determining the amount of energy consumed for the organization of the filtration process. The work employed the data obtained in the experimental study of fluid filtration through a porous medium in the range of porosity values. The method of nonlinear regression analysis was used to approximate the desired dependence. Based on the data on the resistance of bulk tanks of different porosity obtained in the experimental study, the authors have derived an empirical polynomial dependence of the resistance of bulk tanks on the fluid mass flow rate and porosity. This equation can be applied for the filtration rate values from 2 to 8 m/s and porosity values from 0,345 to 0,888 regardless of the structural parameters of the bulk tank layer. The authors carried out mathematical modeling of the air filtration process through the tank by replacing the real structure with a fractal-like model. The obtained results allow optimizing the operating parameters of the equipment in thermal heating furnaces, and the presented dependence can be used to determine the aerodynamic resistance of bulk tanks, affecting the choice of traction equipment in the reconstruction of furnaces. The accuracy of the obtained results is determined by the experiment error, which does not exceed 7 %.


The aphid Colophina monstrifica forms woolly colonies with sterile soldiers on the secondary host Clematis uncinata in Taiwan. However, the gall or primary-host generation of C. monstrifica has not been found to date. We successfully induced galls of the species on trees of Zelkova serrata through attaching its eggs onto the trees, and also found a few naturally formed galls on another Z. serrata tree. The identity of the aphids was confirmed by examining their morphology and mitochondrial DNA sequences. First- and second-instar nymphs in the galls exhibited attacking behavior toward artificially introduced moth larvae. Observations with a scanning electron microscope revealed that the gall inner surface was densely covered with minute trichomes. This indicates the water repellency of the inner surface, and strongly suggests that young nymphs of C. monstrifica dispose of honeydew globules outside the gall, as known in the congener C. clematis.


The purpose of this study is to examine the association between Return on Equity, a common measure of return to shareholders and long-term solvency, liquidity, efficiency, and risk in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) commercial banks. The sample comprises of twelve publically listed commercial banks and the data analysis period extends from 2008 to 2015. Panel data regression techniques are employed to estimate the association between the dependent variable, Return on Equity (ROE), and independent variables, Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Assets Quality (AQ), Earnings Ability (EA) and Liquidity Ratio (LR). The findings of the study highlight a statistically significant positive relationship between ROE and AQ as well as between ROE and EA, indicating that riskier assets returned higher profitability.  Interestingly, insignificant relationships are observed between ROE and CAR and ROE and LR. The results indicate that the returns to shareholders are highly dependent on efficient and effective use of resources by the management and the quality of assets that the banks carry on their balance sheets.


This article examines three different ways of establishing connections between political models and the realm of the family. It scrutinizes and criticizes the patriarchal homology between political and private father figures (Filmer vs. Locke), casts light on the political bearings of sympathetic rela- tions which are modeled based on maternal love (Adam Smith and Condorcet), and examines the revolutionary ideal of fraternity (Friedrich Schiller). The author distinguishes symbolic (paternal), synergetic (fraternal) and sympathetic relations and analyzes their bearings for modern democracies. He takes issue with the liberal separation between the private and the political, as it tends to lose sight of the marked correspondences between these spheres. He also questions the conservative idea of a family compensating for the discontent in the public realm. Gender concepts and generational issues turn out to be intertwined with theories of the political.


Safety and security are vital in providing quality in tourism. More than any other economic activity, the success or failure of a tourism destination depends on being able to provide a safe and secure environment for visitors. The presented paper examines the impact of the security situation on the tourism sector in selected countries of the former Yugoslavia. Methods which were used for completing the paper include the literature review, content analysis of documents published by UNWTO, UNDP, WEF and IEP. Case studies for selected countries of the former Yugoslavia are also presented.


A universal screening research study was conducted in six hospitals to identify the clinical sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on newborn dried blood spots (DBSs) versus saliva specimens for the diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV). CMV DNA positive results from DBSs or saliva were confirmed with urine testing. Findings of several false-positive (FP) saliva PCR results prompted an examination of a possible association with donor milk. Documentation of the frequency of positive saliva results, including both true-positive (TP) and FP status from clinical confirmation, occurred. The frequency of donor milk use was compared for TP and FP cases. Of 22,079 participants tested between 2016 and 2022, 96 had positive saliva results, 15 were determined to be FP, 79 TP, and 2 were excluded for incomplete clinical evaluation. Newborn donor milk use was identified for 18 (19.14%) of all the positive saliva screens. Among the 15 FPs, 11 (73.33%) consumed donor milk compared to 7 of the 79 TPs (8.8%) (OR 28.29, 95% CI 7.10–112.73, p < 0.001). While milk bank Holder pasteurization inactivates CMV infectivity, CMV DNA may still be detectable. Due to this possible association, screening programs that undertake testing saliva for CMV DNA may benefit from documenting donor milk use as a potential increased risk for FP results.


The electric properties of biological tissue provide important diagnostic information within radio and microwave frequencies, and also play an important role in specific absorption rate calculation which is a major safety concern at ultrahigh field. The recently proposed electrical properties tomography (EPT) technique aims to reconstruct electric properties in biological tissues based on B1 measurement. However, for individual coil element in multichannel transceiver coil which is increasingly utilized at ultrahigh field, current B1‐mapping techniques could not provide adequate information (magnitude and absolute phase) of complex transmit and receive B1 which are essential for electrical properties tomography, electric field, and quantitative specific absorption rate assessment. In this study, using a 16‐channel transceiver coil at 7T, based on hybrid B1‐mapping techniques within the human brain, a complex B1‐mapping method has been developed, and in vivo electric properties imaging of the human brain has been demonstrated by applying a logarithm‐based inverse algorithm. Computer simulation studies as well as phantom and human experiments have been conducted at 7T. The average bias and standard deviation for reconstructed conductivity in vivo were 28% and 67%, and 10% and 43% for relative permittivity, respectively. The present results suggest the feasibility and reliability of proposed complex B1‐mapping technique and electric properties reconstruction method. Magn Reson Med, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 is a new coronavirus described for the first time in China, with high capacity of propagation. Its most frequent clinical presentation is respiratory symptoms;however, others have been described as gastrointestinal. Transmission occurs by droplets, aerosols, oral fecal route, conjunctiva, fomites and by direct contact with body fluids of the patient. In this sense, the procedures performed in endoscopy rooms should be considered high risk. Objective: To describe and analyze preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2 for endoscopic-anesthesia practice or other procedures that require sedation, in order to reduce exposure and thus minimize contagion of health personnel. Results: The global response has focused on the use of personal protective equipment to try to reduce the risk to which health care personnel are exposed, but due to the urgency of the emergency, it has not been possible to generate high quality evidence to give definitive recommendations. Reflection: Health personnel should take all protective measures that can be considered effective, and also deconstruct protocols and encourage adherence to them.


BACKGROUND
To assess HIV burden in both acellular and cellular fractions of semen in men with different levels of blood plasma HIV RNA by a cross-sectional study.

PATIENTS
Fifty-two HIV-1-seropositive men (21 receiving antiretroviral therapy) with CD4 cell counts ranging from 1 to 1170 x 10(6)/l.

METHODS
Semen was separated into seminal plasma and fractions enriched in motile spermatozoa or non-spermatozoal cells. HIV RNA was quantified by the HIV-Monitor technique (Roche) in blood plasma, seminal plasma and spermatozoa fractions. HIV DNA or infectious virions in cellular fractions were detected by either PCR or qualitative viral culture.

RESULTS
HIV RNA was detected in 86.5% of seminal plasma specimens and in 14.6% of spermatozoa fractions; HIV DNA was detected in 57.1% of non-spermatozoal cell fractions. HIV RNA levels in blood plasma and seminal plasma were correlated (r5 = 0.56, P < 0.0001, Spearman's rank test). A majority of men had lower levels in seminal plasma than in blood plasma: one-third had HIV-positive seminal cell fractions. However, 20 men (38.5%) with HIV RNA levels in seminal plasma (median: 4.65 log10 copies/ml) comparable to or higher than those in blood plasma had all HIV-positive non-spermatozoal cells or spermatozoa fractions with a high frequency of positive cultures.

CONCLUSION
A high frequency of men had detectable HIV in semen. We identified a subpopulation demonstrating high levels of HIV RNA in seminal plasma, comparable to or higher than those in blood plasma, frequently associated with a substantial viral shedding in seminal cells, raising the possibility of viral production within the genital tract and suggesting heterogeneity in the potential of HIV sexual transmission among infected men.


The Green growth has been demanded in all industrial sectors due to environmental destruction and exhaustion of natural resources. Buildings have consumed 1/3 of the total energy and 40% of natural resources and have accounted for 50% of CO₂ emissions and 30-50% of waste materials. In 1991, BREEAM(Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) of the British BRE(Building Research Establishment) had begun reduction of CO₂ emissions and energy saving movements, in which all the countries around the world have participated. The Republic of Korea has taken part in this trend by declaring a "National Vision in the Green Growth" in 2008 and implementing regulations on "Low Carbon, Green Growth" in 2010. G-SEED(Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design) based on GBCS(Green Building Certification System) has been actively promoted for its application. This study has limited its scope to G-SEED office buildings. It has conducted surveys of problems and assessment items of the G-SEED identified in the preceding study by the AHP(Analytic hierarchy process) method. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparison analysis of problems and ranking of evaluation items recognized in the survey and to be presented as reference materials for G-SEED system improvements at its next amendments.


Bacitracin synthetase is an enzyme complex [ 1,2] composed of three complementary fractions called A, B and C [3] (see fig.1). F'hosphopantetheine which is covalently bound to the fractions [2,3,.5] is probably involved in the biosynthesis of bacitracin. Similar to gramicidin S and tyrocidine [6] its mechanism of synthesis has been described as a thiotemplate mechanism [7]. In the present work the bacitracin synthetase


Medical images require proper attention during the information embedding since the information which is to be embedded should not disturb the image quality. The remedy for the distortion caused by embedding data into medical images can be overcome by using lossless data hiding techniques. QR Code are consisting of relevant medical information that can be retrieved easily. In the present, information security become vital asset at the communication services, thereby concealing of information become a dilemma. For this issue, we employ a method known as Steganography in which the data is concealed in a medium like text, image etc., and appears to be normal, without affecting the quality of the hidden medium. Watermarking enables the protection of data format which is embedded with other data format and provides ownership access to the end user in unrecognizable format. Both steganography and watermarking techniques employ greater security to the information which can be embedded within a data format of any type.


Since China's reform and opening to the outside world,especially since the mid-1990s,China's social security system has undergone a number of reforms and adjustments.We can say that the basic framework of social insurance system had been established,but it is still facing many difficulties such as small coverage,high payment rates,"empty" individual accounts,etc.The question is whether China will choose the proper way from so many suggestions inside and outside China to solve the above issues.I will analyze some important issues on pension reform and old age security system construction and give my own view in this paper.


blast donors. The myoblasts were injected in normal or mdx muscles previously irradiated and injected with notexin. Twenty-eight days after myoblast transplantation, the percentage of muscle fibers p-galactosidase-positive was low in mice not immunosuppressed but was high (80%) in those treated with FK506. In mdx mice, muscle fibers expressing p-galactosidase were also dystrophin positive. Most of the mice not treated with FK506 produced antibodies against the donor myoblasts. These results indicate that FK506 is a very useful immunosuppressive drug for myoblast transplantation in mice. Irradiation and notexin injection used in our experiments are, however, not feasible in humans. Other manipulations capable of increasing the participation of donor myoblasts to regeneration will therefore have to be identified before new clinical trials are attempted.


Chemical vapors originating from the explosive charge within landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) form a chemical "signature" unique to these devices. The fact that canines can detect this signature was a primary motivation for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Dog's Nose Program. One goal of this program was to develop electronic chemical sensors that mimic the canine's ability to detect landmines. The sensor described here, developed under this program, utilizes novel fluorescent polymers to detect landmine signature vapors in air at ultratrace concentration levels (parts-per-trillion or less). Thin films of the polymers are highly emissive but undergo a dramatic reduction in emission intensity when molecules of target analytes bind to the polymer. Binding of a single explosive molecule can quench the fluorescence from hundreds of polymer repeat units, resulting in an amplification of the quenching response. The polymer structure contains receptor sites designed to interact specifically with nitroaromatic explosives, enhancing the selectivity of the polymers for target analytes. A man-portable sensor prototype, similar in size and configuration to metal detectors currently used for mine detection, has demonstrated performance comparable to that of canines during field tests monitored by DARPA at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.


Risk-reducing mastectomy is an established surgical option for patients with inherited high risk for breast cancer. At the Karolinska University Hospital, a structured care plan for this patient group has been developed over a 25-year period. This paper describes the gradual evolution of patient care and surgical technique at a single high-volume university hospital. The results presented are based upon multidisciplinary collaborative efforts, prospective and retrospective studies and the patients' and their partners' own experiences after approximately 700 risk-reducing mastectomies. For women at high risk for breast cancer, a multidisciplinary approach is considered crucial for both pre- and postoperative assessment. The importance of accurate and personalized preoperative counseling and patient participation in decision making is stressed, and different surgical techniques are described.


In recent years, significant improvements in survival and survival‐free of major morbidity in babies born at 23+0 to 24+6 weeks of gestation have led to a more pro‐active approach to resuscitation at these peri‐viable gestations. Antenatal counselling and interventions, intrapartum care and postnatal advice should be part of the package of care provided to optimise outcomes for these babies and their families. This observational study assesses the perinatal care provided to mothers and their babies who were born at 23 and 24 weeks of gestations over a two‐year period at a tertiary maternity hospital in New Zealand.


With the introduction of multi-core processors, motivated by power and energy concerns, parallel processing has become main-stream. Parallel programming is much more difficult due to its non-deterministic nature, and because of parallel programming bugs that arise from non-determinacy. One solution is automatic parallelization, where it is entirely up to the compiler to efficiently parallelize sequential programs. However, automatic parallelization is very difficult, and only a handful of successful techniques are available, even after decades of research.
Automatic parallelization for distributed memory architectures is even more problematic in that it requires explicit handling of data partitioning and communication. Since data must be partitioned among multiple nodes that do not share memory, the original memory allocation of sequential programs cannot be directly used. One of the main contributions of this dissertation is the development of techniques for generating distributed memory parallel code with parametric tiling.
Our approach builds on important contributions to the polyhedral model, a mathematical framework for reasoning about program transformations. We show that many affine control programs can be uniformized only with simple techniques. Being able to assume uniform dependences significantly simplifies distributed memory code generation, and also enables parametric tiling. Our approach implemented in the AlphaZ system, a system for prototyping analyses, transformations, and code generators in the polyhedral model. The key features of AlphaZ are memory re-allocation, and explicit representation of reductions.
We evaluate our approach on a collection of polyhedral kernels from the PolyBench suite, and show that our approach scales as well as PLuTo, a state-of-the-art shared memory automatic parallelizer using the polyhedral model.
Automatic parallelization is only one approach to dealing with the non-deterministic nature of parallel programming that leaves the difficulty entirely to the compiler. Another approach is to develop novel parallel programming languages. These languages, such as X10, aim to provide highly productive parallel programming environment by including parallelism into the language design. However, even in these languages, parallel bugs remain to be an important issue that hinders programmer productivity.
Another contribution of this dissertation is to extend the array dataflow analysis to handle a subset of X10 programs. We apply the result of dataflow analysis to statically guarantee determinism. Providing static guarantees can significantly increase programmer productivity by catching questionable implementations at compile-time, or even while programming.


In this paper we investigate the influence of fluid inertia on the settling of a finite assemblage of solid spherical particles in a constant gravity field at small Reynolds number, Re. We show that the first effect of fluid inertia on particle velocities scales as Re, for times much larger than the viscous–relaxation time. In this case the Eulerian acceleration terms associated with the unsteadiness of the stresslet in the far velocity field and the entire local fluid inertia (acceleration and advective terms) contribute at O(Re). As a particular example, Oseen velocities are calculated of two spheres falling along the line of their centres. The inertia–induced relative motion between the particles is in excellent agreement with previous experimental results.


Sector-field ICP-MS (SF-ICP-MS) was used for the quasi-simultaneous determination of selected trace and ultra-trace elements of occupational and environmental interest, such as Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pt, V and Zn, in human urine and serum. In the case of urine, Pb, Cd and Tl were additionally determined. Sample pretreatment was restricted to UV photolysis and to a subsequent moderate dilution with 0.5% HNO3 solution without using any chemical separation and enrichment. Contamination was carefully controlled at each step of the analytical procedure. Calibration was carried out by the standard addition procedure. Owing to spectral interferences, the determination of Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, V and Zn was performed in the medium resolution (MR) mode (m/Δm
≅ 3000), while the determination of non-interfered elements, such as Cd, Mn, Pb, Pt and Tl, was carried out at low resolution (LR) to gain a maximum of sensitivity. The accuracy of the procedure was checked by the analysis of commercially available quality control serum and urine samples, by comparison with electrothermal (ET-)AAS as a second independent method and by successful participation in an inter-laboratory comparison programme. The results obtained with both methods were in excellent agreement. Regarding the quality control materials, good agreement was also achieved between the found and assigned values. The described SF-ICP-MS multi-element method is thus suitable for the quasi-simultaneous determination of trace and ultra-trace elements in urine and serum covering a wide range of concentrations. It is especially valuable for rapid multi-element screening purposes in cases of unknown exposures (non-target screening) and for determinations at very low concentrations, which are not accessible to AAS techniques.


High-resolution ultrasonography (US) has made possible the detection of asymptomatic small thyroid nodules. Thyroid incidentalomas have created a clinical dilemma as to how to properly manage such incidental findings. We investigated the prevalence, the clinical and US characteristics, and optimal diagnostic approach to incidentally detected benign and malignant thyroid nodules < 1.5 cm. Retrospective review was done on 1475 patients who had visited Samsung Medical Center, Soul Korea from January 1999 to December 2000. The prevalence of thyroid incidentalomas was 13.4%. The malignancy rate within thyroid incidentalomas was 28.8%. There were no significant differences in age, nodule size and number, thyroid function test, and Tc99m thyroid scan between benign and malignant incidentalomas. US characteristics of solid echostructure, irregular margin, and calcification showed meaningful diagnostic value in detecting malignancy in thyroid incidentalomas (p < 0.05). Most malignant incidentalomas were low stage. In conclusion, occult thyroid cancers are a fairly common finding. There were no significant differences in clinical and laboratory parameters between benign and malignant thyroid nodules <1.5 cm; however, US findings can be used in the decision of optimal management strategies.


Abstract : This thesis explores the concept of Adaptive Joint Force Packaging (AJFP). Provided first is an overview of the concept itself, including the factors behind its development, the manner and scope of its implementation, and the benefits proponents claim it will bring. Also reviewed are the various concerns and criticisms that AJFP has created within the defense establishment. Among those are reservations about the concept's impact on unit integrity and doctrine, the role of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff; training budgets; and traditional combat capability. Operation to AJFP also involves perceptions that it will create an additional layer of bureaucracy, will conflict with other, uncoordinated, force packaging initiatives, will limit force-employment options to a fixed 'menu,' and, finally, will never come to fruition. The discussion of pros and cons on both sides of the AJFP debate is followed by an overall analysis and evaluation. It is concluded that, on balance, the AJFP concept has considerable potential for helping the U.S. military adapt to the post-Cold War international security environment and smaller force structure. In particular, AJFP promises to bring a greater degree of effectiveness to U.S. military operations at the lower-end of the conflict spectrum, and allows the peacetime forward presence mission to be addressed by a full range of joint forces.


This presentation will briefly summarize the requirements for bio-equivalence according to the European legislation (E.M.E.A.) The different requirements for systemic and non-systemic generics will then be clarified as well as their implications for topical ophtalmic medications. Six different elements that might interfere with therapeutic equivalence of brand and generic ophthalmic formulations are considered: inactive ingredients, bottle design and drop size, stabilizers, Ph stability, temperature stability, and presence of particulate matter. A number of studies comparing brand and generic opthalmic drugs will be presented. Finally, the cost saving aspect of generic ophthalmic drugs is analyzed with particular reference to the Belgian situation.


India has enormous potential for the development of ornamental fish business. Although the country has conducive environmental conditions for breeding and culture of ornamental fishes, its share in export of ornamental fishes is less than 1%. The present study was undertaken to address the constraints prevailing in ornamental fish farming. Study was carried out among 44 ornamental fish farms in Madurai District, Tamil Nadu by adopting random sampling technique. The selected farms were classified into small (<0.5 ha) and medium farms (0.5-2 ha) and the data were collected by personally interviewing the fish farmers. The study attempted to analyse the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, existing supply chain, constraints involved in ornamental fish farming, annual revenue loss due to major constraints, treatment cost and expected profit margin. Various constraints were classified as production, marketing and others and were ranked using Garrett ranking technique. Tabular and percentage analyses were used to estimate the cost of treatment, revenue loss and expected profit margin. Four types of marketing channels were observed in the study area. Disease outbreak was found to be the major constraint faced by the farmers and hence, the revenue loss was estimated for the same. The annual revenue loss was found to be higher for the small ornamental units when compared to medium farms, which showed higher profit margin than small ornamental fish farms.


Introduction: Vascular transformation of sinuses (VTS) is an uncommon and benign lesion, defined by conversion of lymph node sinuses into complex, anatomizing and endothelial-lined channels. Despite the name of VTS, which implies a change in differentiation from lymphatic to vascular endothelium, very few studies have systematically examined VTS with modern immunohistochemical markers commonly used in clinical laboratories. It is unclear whether endothelial cells in VTS display pure vascular or lymphatic differentiation, or both. Design: A total of 11 cases with a diagnosis of VTS (identified in the tissue archives of the Cleveland Clinic between 1992 and 2015) were reviewed and confirmed. Twenty cases of benign lymph nodes without specific diagnoses were used as control tissues. Immunohistochemical stains were performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lymph node tissue using an automated immunohistochemistry platform with antibodies against CD31, CD34, D2-40, and ERG. Positivity in the VTS lesions was defined as distinct expression in the appropriate cell compartment in ≥20% of cells. In control cases, staining was evaluated in both vascular and lymphatic channels—vascular structures were identified by presence of red cells or well-formed vascular walls and lymphatics by anatomic location and absence of vascular features. Results: In the VTS lesions, D2-40 expression was absent in the lesional endothelial cells of 5/11 (45%) cases. In the cases lacking D240 expression, uninvolved lymphatic endothelium maintained expression. CD34 expression was also seen in 6/11 (54%), CD31 was seen in 10/11 (90%), and ERG expression was seen in all cases. In all the control cases, D240 expression was exclusively seen in lymphatic endothelial cells and not seen in vascular endothelial cells (eg, vascular channels in the hilum). CD34 was weakly positive in the lymphatic endothelium of only 7/20 (35%) control cases, but expressed in 20/20 (100%) control cases in the vascular endothelium. 20/20 (100%) of control cases showed expression of CD31 and ERG in both vascular and lymphatic endothelium. Conclusion: VTS lesional endothelial cells demonstrate patterns of vascular markers that show mixed blood vascular and lymphatic features. There appears to be a degree of alignment toward endothelial differentiation with decreased expression of D2-40 in some cases.


I am pleased to submit the annual report on Federal participation in the development and use of voluntary consensus standards, in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-1l9 and as required by Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act Amendments of 1996 (NTTAA, P.L. 104-113). This report was prepared by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce based on input from 26 agencies. NIST and OMB staffs continue to work collaboratively with each other and with contributing agencies to improve the availability, accuracy, and relevance of this report.


Path completion is a critical and difficult task in the preprocessing phase of web usage mining. We mold the data preprocessing phase to accomplish our goal to mine websites designed using a content management system (cms). The data preprocessing phase includes data cleaning, user identification, session identification, site structure and link details formation, path completion and event generation. The paper includes work on path completion by considering different types of path generated in accessing the website designed using cms and gives a novel algorithm to form the path.


In this text, the authors introduce two powerful techniques and one developing one for Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS). The most fascinating feature of neutron as a scattering probe is its isotope effect in hydrogen. The first topic is concerning about recent progress on Contrast Variation Method: the author shows how to apply the contrast variation method to protein-mineral complex system and analyze the data. The second is concerning about deuteration-labeling: the author shows kinetics analysis in quaternary structure of homo-oligomeric protein with this technique. The final topic is concerning about the next generation analysis: an analysis method coupling SANS with neutron spin echo for dynamics of tertiary structure of protein.


In multi-inversion EPI (MI-EPI), each slice samples a distinct inversion time during each inversion recovery, providing an efficient method for estimating T1. MI-EPI is vulnerable to through-plane motion, which results in slices sampling a subset of the desired inversion times and wrong TIs will be attributed to the slices. This cannot be corrected retrospectively. We introduce prospective motion correction in MI-EPI using volumetric navigators (vNavs). vNavs are acquired at the beginning of the inversion recovery thus the effects of their excitation pulses must be modeled for T1 estimation. This provides improved T1 estimation accuracy in the presence of subject motion.


There are various methods for suppressing radio interference in communications. In particular, interference exceeding the useful signal level. However, these methods in most cases are based on the parameters of the interference in the spectrums' range, the occurrence's time, the action's direction, polarization, etc. It is known that radio systems with a single receiver do not have effective suppressions' means of powerful broadband interference. In addition, there are fundamental limitations of single-channel information transmission systems formulated in the Shannon-Hartley theorem. We have developed a digital signal processing algorithm. It suppresses radio interference and selects a narrowband useful signal. This algorithm is based on the method of spatially spaced two-channel synchronous reception. The research results show high efficiency. The theoretical model allows error-free transmission of information with a signal-to-noise ratio up to minus 26.5dB. This method will significantly improve information transmission systems for their key parameters. These include the frequency range used and noise immunity.


Lattice numerical simulations for planar closed random walks and their winding sectors are presented. The frontiers of the random walks and of their winding sectors have a Hausdorff dimension dH = 4/3. However, when properly defined by taking into account the inner 0-winding sectors, the frontiers of the random walks have a Hausdorff dimension dH≈1.77.


BACKGROUND
We examine the extent to which an existing sex work typology captures human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk in Karnataka and propose a systematic approach for devising evidence-based typologies.

METHODS
The proposed approach has four stages: (i) identifying main places of solicitation and places of sex; (ii) constructing possible typologies based on either or both of these criteria; (iii) analysing variations in indicators of risk, such as HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence and client volume, across the categories of the typologies; and (iv) identifying the simplest typology that captures the risk variation experienced by female sex workers (FSWs) across different settings. Analysis is based on data from 2312 participants in integrated biological and behavioural assessments of FSWs conducted in Karnataka, India. Logistic regression was used to predict HIV/STI status (high-titre syphilis, gonorrhea or chlamydia) and linear regression to predict client volume.

RESULTS
Our analysis suggests that the most appropriate typology in Karnataka consists of the following categories: brothel to brothel (i.e. solicit and have sex in brothels) (11% of sampled FSWs); home to home (32%), street to home (11%), street to rented room (9%), street to lodge (22%), street to street (9%) and other FSWs (8%). Street to lodge FSWs had high HIV (30%) and STI prevalence (27%), followed by brothel to brothel FSWs (34 and 13%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
The proposed typology identifies street to lodge FSWs as being at particularly high risk, which was obscured by the existing typology that distinguishes between FSWs based on place of solicitation alone.


The realization of the promise of personalized molecular medicine will require the efficient development and implementation of novel targeted therapeutics. The goal will be to deliver the right drug to the right patient at the right time at the right dose. This effort will require an integration of information from the DNA, RNA, and protein level into predictors of which patients are likely to benefit from particular therapies. The overall likelihood of response to particular drugs represents the interaction between predictors of sensitivity with predictors of resistance. This session will use examples with predictors from the DNA, RNA, and protein level to illustrate some of the opportunities and challenges to the implementation of personalized medicine. It will demonstrate the need to integrate information from multiple technological platforms into visualizable pathways and networks as a key step in the process.


Maize is a highly consumed staple food in developing countries and the demand is predicted to double in the coming years. Therefore, there is a need to improve production through the use of compost amendments for sustainability. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of three compost amendments (lemon peels, vegetable waste, and cooked food waste) on the germination and growth of maize (Zea mays). The results showed that the application of 17% (116 t/ha) of vegetable waste or lemon peel composts supported maximum maize growth. However, vegetable waste compost had the highest potassium content, which supported maximum root growth and biomass yield. Although the addition of 17% cooked food waste compost resulted in excess nitrogen supply, reducing its application to 7% (50t/ha) supplied the required level for maize germination.


Toxicity and behavioral effects of nootkatone and two of its derivatives, 1,10-dihydronootkatone and tetrahydronootkatone, to Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki were investigated on workers from two different colonies by using topical application assays, repellency assays, and sand barrier assays. The acute toxicity of the nootkatones on workers from both colonies increased as the saturation of the molecule increased, but the difference was significant for only one colony. The results of the repellency assays showed a similar trend of efficiency; the threshold concentration for significant repellency was four-fold higher in nootkatone treatments (50 ppm) than in the reduced derivatives 1,10-dihydronootkatone or tetrahydronootkatone (12.5 ppm). In sand barrier assays, a concentration of 100 ppm of any of the three chemicals significantly reduced termite survival, tunnel building, and food consumption after a 12-d exposure. Termites preexposed to 100 ppm nootkatone-treated sand and placed in containers without nootkatone for 15 d continued to exhibit abnormal feeding and digging behaviors; survivorship, tunneling, and feeding activities were significantly reduced by 83.5, 63.2, and 95.4%, respectively. Termites pretreated for 12 d at concentrations of 50 and 75 ppm nootkatone and tetrahydronootkatone returned to normal digging activity after they were removed from the treatments, but their feeding activity was significantly reduced.


Background: Plasma neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) level is increased in sepsis irrespective of renal dysfunction. We investigated the effect of sepsis on the plasma level of NGAL in neonates. Objectives: The aim of this study was to find whether serum NGAL is a reliable marker for early diagnosis of sepsis in neonates. Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in a university hospital neonatal intensive care unit. Serum NGAL was measured in 120 neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Neonates were classified according to the presence of sepsis. Fifty-two Patients had sepsis. Results: The NGAL levels were significantly higher in septic neonates compared with non-septic neonates (102.9 ± 69.9 ng/mL versus 29.2 ± 13.3 ng/mL, P value = 0.0001). An optimal cut off-point of 48 ng/mL for serum NGAL could potentially detect neonates with sepsis with a sensitivity and specificity of 92% and 91%, respectively. Conclusions: Sepsis enhances the production of plasma NGAL in critically ill neonates. Thus Plasma NGAL can help clinicians diagnose sepsis in critically ill neonates during early phases.


The problem of keyword spotting i.e. identifying keywords in a real-time audio stream is mainly solved by applying a neural network over successive sliding windows. Due to the difficulty of the task, baseline models are usually large, resulting in a high computational cost and energy consumption level. We propose a new method called SANAS (Stochastic Adaptive Neural Architecture Search) which is able to adapt the architecture of the neural network on-the-fly at inference time such that small architectures will be used when the stream is easy to process (silence, low noise, …) and bigger networks will be used when the task becomes more difficult. We show that this adaptive model can be learned end-to-end by optimizing a trade-off between the prediction performance and the average computational cost per unit of time. Experiments on the Speech Commands dataset [1] show that this approach leads to a high recognition level while being much faster (and/or energy saving) than classical approaches where the network architecture is static.


Introduction Biliary anastomotic strictures are among the commonest biliary complications following liver transplantation. Endoscopic therapy including balloon dilatation of stricture and maximal stent placement, is widely used as the preferred means of managing these patients.1 2 However, endoscopic therapy is not standardized and there is very limited prospective data to support the long-term efficacy of this approach. The aim of our study is to assess the safety and long-term efficacy of endotherapy in the management of biliary anastamotic strictures complicating liver transplantation. Methods This was a prospective observational study carried out at the liver transplantation unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom, between June 2000 and September 2010. In June 2000, the liver transplant unit in Birminghamintroduced a new protocol for managing biliary anastamotic strictures complicating orthotopic liver transplantation. The new protocol entailed a sequence of clearly defined clearly defined endoscopic interventions including balloon dilatations and stent insertions at regular intervals. A total of 1414 adult patients underwent liver transplantation. 81 (6%) patients were diagnosed with biliary anastomotic strictures during this period. Results Endoscopic therapy was successful in 61% of patients referred with anastomotic strictures with a median intervention/stent free follow-up of 54 months. Patients required a median of 3 endoscopic procedures and two 24 F balloon dilatations to adequately treat the stricture. Three patients (3%) had recurrent stricture and two of these were successfully retreated with endotherapy. A total of 261 endoscopic procedures were undertaken and complications included mild to moderate pancreatitis (n = 9), Cholangitis (n = 4) and stent migration (n = 2). The rate of pancreatitis per endoscopic procedure was 3%. Severe pancreatitis or death were not reported. Twenty patients underwent biliary reconstruction. Conclusion We report one of the very few prospective studies looking at the long-term efficacy and safety of endoscopic therapy in the management of anastamotic biliary strictures. Endoscopic balloon dilatation and stenting is a safe and efficacious means of treating biliary anastomotic strictures complicating liver transplantation.


Botulism is an acute neurologic disorder that causes potentially life-threatening neuroparalysis resulting in weakness and laccid paralysis. In addition to the autonomic nervous system, botulism may involve only the cranial nerves, thus posing special diagnostic problems. Almost all cranial nerves are not easily testable. The anatomical and physiological characteristics of the spinal accessory nerve makes it very suitable to electrophysiological diagnosis of cranial botulism. Although with a working diagnosis of botulism, treatment should not be delayed pending neurophysiological tests, electrophysiological studies including spinal accessory nerve may assist in diagnostic differentiation between cranial botulism and other disorders with similar clinical presentations such as Miller-Fisher and myasthenia gravis.


Decision makers must react in a prompt and appropriate manner in various emergency situations. The bases for decisions are often predictions produced with decision support systems (DSS). Actual radiation measurement data can be used to improve the reliability of the predictions. Data assimilation is an important link between model calculations and measurements and thus decreases the overall uncertainty of the DSS predictions. However, different aspects have to be taken into account for the optimal use of the data assimilation technique: different countries may have differing measurement strategies and systems as well as differing calculation models. The scenario and the amount and composition of radionuclides released may vary. In this paper we analyse the situation during and after an accident and draw up a list of recommendations that can help modellers to take into account the measurements that are best suited for data assimilation.


Erbium doped Al2O3 thin films were fabricated on quartz substrates in dip-coating process by sol-gel method, using the aluminum isopropoxide [Al(OC3H7)3]-derived AlOOH sols with the addition of erbium nitrate [Er(NO3)3 x 5H2O]. The as-deposited films, which erbium concentration was between 20 and 43 mol%, were annealed in air from 600 to 1200 degrees C. The phase structure was detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the PL spectra in the wavelength range of 1400-1700 nm were investigated by spectrophotometer, which was exited by a 760 nm semiconductor LD. The PL spectrum shows a broadband extending from 1.430 to 1.670 microm and centered at 1.55 microm, corresponding to the intra-4f transition between the first excited (4I(13/2)) and the ground state (4I(15/2)) of Er3+. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of PL peaks increase from 60 to 100 nm with temperature increased from 600 to 1200 degrees C.


Much of what we know about the large scale characteristics of the Okhotsk Sea ice cover comes from ice concentration maps derived from passive microwave data. To understand what these satellite data represents in a highly divergent and rapidly changing environment like the Okhotsk Sea, we analyzed concurrent satellite, aircraft, and ship data and characterized the sea ice cover at different scales from meters to tens of kilometers. Through comparative analysis of surface features using co-registered data from visible, infrared and microwave channels we evaluated how the general radiative and physical characteristics of the ice cover changes as well as quantify the distribution of different ice types in the region. Ice concentration maps from AMSR-E using the standard sets of channels, and also only the 89 GHz channel for optimal resolution, are compared with aircraft and high resolution visible data and while the standard set provides consistent results, the 89 GHz provides the means to observe mesoscale patterns and some unique features of the ice cover. Analysis of MODIS data reveals that thick ice types represents about 37% of the ice cover indicating that young and new ice represent a large fraction of the lice cover that averages about 90% ice concentration, according to passive microwave data. A rapid decline of -9% and -12 % per decade is observed suggesting warming signals but further studies are required because of aforementioned characteristics and because the length of the ice season is decreasing by only 2 to 4 days per decade. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20070038189 2019-05-30T03:52:58+00:00Z


Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a subset of adult stem cells that were initially found in the bone marrow along with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and endothelial stem cells [1]. Likewise any other stem cells, MSCs are able to undergo selfrenewal and differentiate into not only its mesodermal lineage such as osteocytes, adipocytes, chondrocytes [2-4] and connective tissues [4, 5] but also the endodermal and ectodermal lineages such as hepatocytes [6], cardiomyocytes [7], neurons [8] and astrocytes [9]. Unlike other main stream stem cells such as embryonic stem cells and HSCs, the feasibility of acquiring MSCs for clinical therapies become more readily available not only because of their lesser ethical cues but due to their existence in many other sources such as umbilical cord tissue [10], cartilage [11], amnions [12], adipose tissue [13], umbilical cord blood [14] and peripheral blood [15].


Ideology has great influence on the traits and behaviors of leaders. It is the vehicle by which we could understand our leaders and our leaders could understand us. The present paper is an endeavor to reveal the ideological dimension that is embedded in the discourse of Nelson Mandela, with special reference to his address No Easy Walk to Freedom which was delivered in 1953. It is conducted on the approach of Critical Discourse Analysis. Van Dijk's (2004) Political Ideological Strategies and Wodak's (2005) Discursive Strategies of Positive Self- and Negative Other-Presentation were accommodated to achieve the objective of the study. The findings demonstrated that Van Dijk's strategies of actor description, positive self-presentation and negative other-presentation and Wodak's two chosen strategies of argumentation and perspectivation were supportive in exploring the ideologies penetrated in Mandela's discourse. They five strategies proved to be helpful devices in exploring the fundamentally embedded ideologies in Mandela's discourse which are "white superiority" and "black inferiority". White superiority was the ideological foundation of the white minority to establish the apartheid system in South Africa for decades, whereas black inferiority was the ideological foundation of the black majority to sustain different forms of resistance against the white governments. Therefore, it could be perceived that the social acts of both the blacks and the whites were formed and structured in terms of these two ideological foundations.


Book synopsis: Rome stands today for an empire and for a city. The essays gathered in this volume explore some of the many ways in which the two were interwoven. Rome was fed, beautified and enriched by empire just as it was swollen, polluted, infected and occupied by it. Empire was paraded in the streets of Rome, and exhibited in the city's buildings. Empire also made the city ineradicably foreign, polyglot, an alien capital, and a focus for un-Roman activities. The city was where the Roman cosmos was most concentrated, and so was most contested. Deploying a range of methodologies on materials ranging from Egyptian obelisks to human skeletal remains, via Christian art and Latin poetry, the contributors to this volume weave a series of pathways through the world-city, exploring the different kinds of centrality Rome had in the empire. The result is a startlingly original picture of both empire and city.


The use of ribavirin in influenza treatment is a matter of debate. Due to adamantine- and oseltamivir-resistant strains of the current pandemic H1N1 (pdmH1N1) influenza viruses, the demand for alternative antiviral treatments has increased. This study demonstrated the potent antiviral effects of ribavirin in a mouse model of pdmH1N1 influenza infection (A/Mexico/4108/2009). It was found that treatment with 40 mg ribavirin kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ partially protected the animals if initiated immediately upon infection. Administration of similar concentrations on subsequent days or immediate therapy with lower doses efficiently delayed disease progression. Correlation studies showed a direct relationship between low viral titres in the lung during the early stages of infection with animal survival in ribavirin-treated animals. Reduced lung pathology in animals treated with ribavirin following infection also indicated the importance of immediate treatment. This study revealed the antiviral properties of ribavirin and these results justify comprehensive clinical studies for the use of ribavirin against influenza virus in future outbreaks.


In this Letter, we demonstrate that it is possible to form a two-dimensional (2D) silicene-like Si$_5$Ge compound by replacing the Si atoms occupying on-top sites in the planar-like structure of epitaxial silicene on ZrB$_2$(0001) by deposited Ge atoms. For coverages below 1/6 ML, the Ge deposition gives rise to a Si$_{6-x}$Ge$_{x}$ alloy (with $x$ between 0 and 1) in which the on-top sites are randomly occupied by Si or Ge atoms. The progressive increase of the valence band maximum with $x$ observed experimentally originates from a selective charge transfer from Ge atoms to Si atoms. These achievements provide evidence for the possibility of engineering the bandgap in 2D SiGe alloys in a way that is similar for their bulk counterpart.


Endosurgery has been used for assessment of fish celomatic cavity, as well as for obtaining biopsies for organic analysis. Such minimally invasive access may also be used for the analysis of environmental impact on biomarkers of pollution. In Brazil, studies and literature regarding the use of celioscopy in fish are sparse. The purpose of the current study was to develop a two-port celioscopy technique to obtain liver biopsy in silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen). Six adult female silver catfish were used. The animals were anesthetized and the inspection of the celomatic cavity were performed using a telescope and celioscopic-guided liver biopsy were taken using laparoscopic Kelly forceps. On the early postoperative period, the animals were released in a confined water reservoir where mortality could be checked. The liver samples were sent for histological assessment. There were no complications during surgery on early postoperative period. It was possible to visualize meticulously several organs (liver, spleen, stomach, pancreas, swim bladder, ovaries, bowel and transverse septum). In conclusion, the surgical technique and the anesthetic protocol proposed were suitable to perform liver biopsies in silver catfish and provided low morbidity.


Automatic license plate recognition system is used numerous applications such as: red light enforcement, parking entrance, highway toll fee collection ect. In this study automatic license plate recognition system is presented in a different method. First, Mean Value Algorithm is used in order to locate the plate. Then the characters of the plate are segmented. Finally, the characters are recognized by using a correlation method. The system is tested by a database which includes 128 images of different vehicles where the success rate varies 70%–97% according to the parts of the system.


Transformations of the low-energy vibrational spectra are associated with structural changes in an analyte and closely related to the instability of weak chemical bounds. Terahertz (THz)/far-infrared optical spectroscopy is commonly used to probe such transformation, aimed at characterization of the underlying solid-phase chemical reactions in organic compounds. However, such studies usually provide quite qualitative information about the temperature- and time-dependent parameters of absorption peaks in dielectric spectra of an analyte. In this paper, an approach for quantitative analyses of the solid-phased chemical reactions based on the THz pulsed spectroscopy was developed. It involves studying an evolution of the sample optical properties, as a function of the analyte temperature and reaction time, and relies on the classical oscillator model, the sum rule, and the Arrhenius theory. The method allows one to determine the temperature-dependent reaction rate V1(T) and activation energy Ea. To demonstrate the practical utility of this method, it was applied to study α-lactose monohydrate during its temperature-induced molecular decomposition. Analysis of the measured THz spectra revealed the increase of the reaction rate in the range of V1 ≃ ~9 × 10-4-10-2 min-1, when the analyte temperature rises from 313 to 393 K, while the Arrhenius activation energy is Ea ≃ ~45.4 kJ/mol. Thanks to a large number of obtained physical and chemical parameters, the developed approach expands capabilities of THz spectroscopy in chemical physics, analytical chemistry, and pharmaceutical industry.


Although most work teams use meetings as a tool for accomplishing their objectives, there is little research examining meeting-related variables in teams. In this article, we propose a new construct, team meeting attitudes (TMA), that involves individuals' thoughts, feelings, and evaluations of team meetings. We constructed a scale that measures individuals' TMA, and we report on the scale's psychometric properties, including test-retest reliabilities, over four measurement occasions. Using a sample of engineering project design teams, intraclass correlations of repeated measurements suggested that TMA appeared to emerge over time. Moreover, our TMA scale, aggregated to the team level using the mean, had direct effects on time spent in team meetings, perceptions of team meeting effectiveness, and team potency. Mean TMA were also indirectly related to team task performance through team potency. These findings were interpreted as supportive of activity regulation and action theories because teams with high means on TMA may have members who view team meetings as conducive to goal accomplishment and not as interruptive.


In this study, we have analyzed the antioxidant activity and compared species differences of antioxidant activity in pollens of four Quercus spp. in Korea. We used pollens of four species selected Korea, Q. acutissima, Q. mongolica, Q. serrata, and Q. variabilis. In this study, we also evaluated antioxidative capacity and reducing power of pollen extracts. The antioxidant activity was measured by the DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) method and the reducing power was determined according to the potassium ferricyanide method. The contents of total phenol and vitamin C of pollen extracts from Quercus spp. were also investigated. Among 4 species, the pollen extracts of Q. acutissima had the highest antioxidant activity (EC50= 166.13㎍/ml).


(2+n) 2-D REMPI spectra of CH3I were recorded for the excitation energy region 64880 cm -1 – 71480 cm -1 . Signals for individual ions were integrated to obtain 1D-REMPI spectra of C + , I + and CH3 + . The first two fragments displayed only sharp atomic lines that were compared to values provided by NIST. CH3 + showed broad molecular absorption peaks that were assigned to Rydberg states. Along with the Rydberg states observed, two vibrational band due to the CH3* radical were observed, one of which could not be found in previous experiments. I + signals were observed in every measurement, unlike other ion fragments. This suggests that CH3I readily breaks into CH3 and I fragments. This is explained via the dissociation schematic of CH3I which involves two pathways for forming I atoms.


Introduction It is widely recognised that the UK birth cohorts have generated important new knowledge through life course analyses. However a new data resource is needed to advance understanding of the complex interplay between biology, behaviour, and environment during early development, and its influence on future health and well-being. An innovative design for a new UK Birth Cohort Study (BCS) was developed by a UK-wide investigator network in response to an open call for proposals. The preparatory phase will start in 2012. Methods The new UK BCS will recruit over 90 000 pregnant mothers and their partners who will be seen during pregnancy and again, with their child, 4 months and 1 year after birth. Information, biological samples and biophysical assessments collected at these visits will be enhanced by linkage to obstetric records, environmental data collected from the home and a wide range of routine data sources. A further 20 000 pregnant women throughout the UK will be interviewed when their children are aged 4 months and again at 1 year to allow the larger sample to be related to the UK population as a whole. In contrast to earlier UK-wide birth cohorts, the UK BCS will: collect data and biological samples from children and their families before birth and in early childhood; capture the substantial demographic changes that have taken place in the UK in recent years; and have sufficient power to identify effects specific for different ethnic groups.


The brains of mice infected with Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus by intracerebral inoculation (IC), intraperitoneal inoculation with sham intracerebral inoculation (IP+sIC), and intraperitoneal inoculation (IP) were studied by light and electron microscopy. The mortality rates and mean survival days were 100% and 4.8 days for the IC group, 92% and 9.0 days for the IP+sIC group, and 58% and 13.4 days for the IP group. Accordingly, the brain samples of sick mice were examined by light and electron microscopy 4 days post-inoculation (p.i.) for the IC group, 7 days p.i. for the IP+sIC group and 12 days p.i. for the IP group. In light microscopy, the mouse brains in the IC group showed little inflammatory change with only mild generalized glial-cell proliferation and mononuclear cell infiltration. In electron microscopy, however, a majority of neurons in the brain were seen to be infected with virus that replicated exclusively in the neuronal secretory system, including rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and the Golgi apparatus. In contrast, light microscopic observation of the brains from the IP+sIC and the IP groups showed prominent inflammatory changes with leucocytic infiltration and perivascular cuffing. Neuronal degeneration and neuronophagia were also prominent. In electron microscopy, neurons were infected in the same manner as in the IC group, but showed more advanced degenerative changes with marked cytoplasmic rarefaction and frequent neuronal disintegration. Mononuclear cells were frequently found in direct contact with degenerating and disintegrating neurons. The results showed that (a) the basic process of JE virus replication in brain neurons was present in the three groups of mice, (b) in the peripherally inoculated mice the process was accompanied by inflammatory reaction with resultant neuronal destruction, and (c) breach in the blood-brain barrier at the time of peripheral viral inoculation played an important role in the viral invasion of the CNS.


Limited data suggest that extracapsular lymph node involvement (LNI) has a negative prognostic impact in gastrointestinal malignancies. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and prognostic impact of LNI in patients with primary resected rectal cancer. Between 1997 and 2007, 243 rectal cancer patients underwent surgical therapy without neoadjuvant treatment at our Department. Of these, 12 (5%) patients received transanal endoscopic microsurgery and were not included for further analyses. In the remaining patients, a (low) anterior resection was performed in 79% and an abdominoperineal rectal amputation in 21%. The total number of analyzed lymph nodes and the number of metastatic lymph nodes with/without extracapsular LNI were determined and the prognostic impact of LNI was assessed. The median number of analyzed lymph nodes was 14. In total, 59% of patients were node-negative, 18% of patients were node-positive without extracapsular LNI and 23% of patients were node-positive with extracapsular LNI. A positive lymph node status with extracapsular LNI was significantly correlated with a poorer T-, N- and M-category, grading and more frequent lymphatic vessel infiltration compared with node-negative or node-positive without extracapsular LNI patients (p<0.001). The overall 5-year survival rate of node-negative patients was 75%, for node-positive without extracapsular LNI patients 69% and for node-positive with extracapsular LNI patients 36% (p<0.001). By multivariate analysis, the N-category with extracapsular LNI was characterized as an independent prognostic factor. Extracapsular lymph node involvement reveals an independent negative prognostic impact in patients with rectal cancer undergoing surgical therapy. Staging systems for rectal cancer should include the implementation of extracapsular lymph node involvement.


Two proteins, alkaline phosphatase (AP) and cytochrome c (cyt c) which seem to be involved in the apoptotic cell death program were examined on their interaction. Intestinal AP affects ferricytochrome c (cyt c(FeIII)) by changing its optical properties, redox state and conformation. The effect proceeded over the course of hours with a gradual decrease in free cyt c(FeIII) as the AP concentration increased. A heme containing high molecular species was created in the first stage of interaction of the proteins in neutral, acidic (pH 2.6), alkaline (pH 8.3), low ionic strength (10 mmol/l phosphate), and high ionic strength (0.5 mol/l NaCl) media. Further complexation was favored by higher pH values and temperature. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed a decrease in enthalpy of the thermodenaturation temperature (Tm) of cyt c at 84.5 degrees C due to the AP addition. Increments of AP in the mixtures resulted in the appearance of Tm peaks at 68 degrees C and 61 degrees C. Electrophoretic analysis of the commercial samples of intestinal APs showed main fractions from 63.2 kDa to 72.9 kDa and from 172.9 up to 179.0 kDa. Changes in positions and intensities of the bands were detected upon longer incubation (24 h) with cyt c. The electrophoretic pattern of the bacterial AP was homogeneous with one fraction of 43.7 kDa showing no alteration due to the cyt c presence. Gel permeation chromatography of incubated mixtures of intestinal APs and cyt c confirmed the creation of new heme containing complexes.


The period of the change of the era of postmodernism to metamodernism (metamodern) has been considered. The features of metamodernism, as the ambiguous orientation of philosophical and worldview concepts and its impact on the economic space of different levels of the hierarchy have been revealed. It has been emphasized, that the consequences of the metamodern era especially sharply reflected in the Russian economy of the 1990s, since the systemic ties that developed during the modern and postmodern periods were destroyed due to political transformations and the import of liberal institutions into the country's economy. The level of a microeconomic agent on the example of enterprises in the agricultural sector has been reviewed. The stages of evolution of the development of agricultural enterprises have been identified. The transformation of the interaction model of agricultural enterprises with other microeconomic agents in the era of metamodernism has been traced.


The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with chemotherapy (chemoimmunotherapy) in the neoadjuvant setting have achieved favorable clinical benefits in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the mechanism of clinical responses remain unclear. To identify factors associated with the clinical outcome, we provide a rich resource of 186,477 individual immune cells from matched multiple immune-relevant tissue sites and peripheral blood of four treatment-naïve and eight neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy treated ⅢA NSCLC patients (responders versus non-responders) by single-cell RNA-seq and TCR-seq. We showed that the synergistic increase of B cells and CD4+ T cells are associated with positive therapeutic response of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy. B cell IgG subclasses IgG1 and IgG3 play a critical role in anti-tumor immune response in tumor lesion, and this process was driven by increased IL-21 protein secreted by infiltrated T follicular helper (Tfh) cells after neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy. Furthermore, we uncovered several critical events for positive clinical outcome, including the diminished activated TNFRSF4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), increased LAMP3+ dendritic cells (DCs), high pre-therapy peripheral blood T-cell diversity, and the expansion of intratumoral CD4+ T clones and peripheral CD8+ T clones. In total, our comprehensive study of the single-cell profile of immune cells provide mechanistic insight of clinical responses and identified novel predictive factors and potential therapeutic targets for improving the efficiency of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in NSCLC.


The control of dynamically stable hopping robots has made great progress in the last decades. This paper deals with modeling and control of Kangaroo hopping robot. It is a one-leg planar hopping robot which imitates the mode of displacement of kangaroos. Lagrangian dynamic model of the hopping robot is computed on the different phases of the jumping cycle. A new control scheme is proposed to control the leg thrust during stance phase for planar hopping. A nonlinear model predictive control has been combined with Raibert's approach which has improved significantly its performances. A simulator has been developed to simulate the behavior of the controlled robot. The proposed control approach is validated in simulation and is compared with Raibert's approach.