Porphyromonas gingivalis cells coaggregated with Prevotella intermedia cells. The coaggregation was inhibited with L‐arginine, L‐lysine, Nα‐p‐tosyl‐L‐lysine chloromethyl ketone, trypsin inhibitor, and leupeptin. Heat‐ and proteinase K‐treated P. gingivalis cells showed no coaggregation with P. intermedia cells, whereas heat and proteinase K treatments of P. intermedia cells did not affect the coaggregation. The vesicles from P. gingivalis culture supernatant aggregated with P. intermedia cells, and this aggregation was also inhibited by addition of L‐arginine or L‐lysine and by heat treatment of the vesicles. The rgpA rgpB, rgpA kgp, rgpA rgpB kgp, and rgpA kgp hagA mutants of P. gingivalis did not coaggregate with P. intermedia. On the other hand, the fimA mutant lacking the FimA fimbriae showed coaggregation with P. intermedia as well as the wild type parent. These results strongly imply that a heat‐labile and proteinous factor on the cell surface of P. gingivalis, most likely the gingipain‐adhesin complex, is involved in coaggregation of P. gingivalis and P. intermedia.


Low-income communities and communities of color often lack access to fresh food from large food retailers within the traditional food system. Growing public concern for these and other food inequalities across the U.S. has generated interest in alternate food outlets such as community gardens as solutions. However, recent scholarly work suggests that community gardens may be more prevalent in predominately white or higher-income communities. This research further suggests that the primary goals and ideology that drive the development of community gardens may resonate more with white higher-income participants than lower-income or racial minorities. As a result, the participants in these programs are often primarily white, high-income individuals. By using negative binomial and spatial regression techniques to examine data from New York City and Minnesota, the current research project aims to clarify to what degree communities of color and low-income communities face a lack of access to community gardens. Further, this research investigates variation in the ideology or framing associated with community gardens with different demographic profiles. Findings suggest low-income communities and communities of color do not lack access to community gardens at a higher rate than white and high-income communities. However, findings show that the goals and ideology of community gardens vary across communities with different demographics. This research develops a more nuanced understanding of the race and class-based barriers to participating in community gardens. It adds to the literature on food access by revealing the degree to which community gardens as alternative, local food programs are accessible and welcoming to low-income, black, and Latino individuals, who have historically experienced barriers to accessing healthy food. Findings suggest that more work could be done to ensure accessibility to community gardens in less educated communities, and that gardens in more diverse communities could focus more on the benefits valued by black Americans and Latinos to ensure these groups feel welcome in the gardens.


In our program, we were required to complete a course entitled Leadership for Team Development. This course was a flipped course with readings, videos, an ignite presentation and other materials we completed for ourselves. In class we completed a variety of exercises collaboratively with an intact team. For our final team project in this 400 level course we were tasked with creating games that would teach at least two topics that were important to teams to know and use and yet these concepts were often misunderstood by team members and their leaders. Nine teams completed this assignment, and the class played nine very different games. Feedback from the professor and from the gamers indicated that students in the class were thinking, laughing, and engaging in the learning process. After the games, we were required to write an individual paper that included metacognition and extension to the workplace. In this session we have two student teams presenting results. The games we will showcase are low tech, but could be developed into electronic games with some code and some creativity. The first game includes game pieces that are familiar to most of us: Lego blocks. With this game many areas could be explored including the importance of avoiding role ambiguity and assumptions. Clearly defining individual roles within a team has been shown to correlate with improved team effectiveness, yet many assume that holding vague roles allows members to more readily share information and ideas (Gratton, Erikson, 2007). We aim to prevent this common misconception by examining the disadvantages of leaving individual team member roles undefined. We also explore possible consequences of making assumptions and the value of asking questions. This game illustrates problems with relying solely on the task‐ related information that has been provided to a team while conveying the importance of taking additional factors into account. The second game, Empower Tower, is also low tech but is played with materials that may be familiar to freshman engineering courses. Two presenters will discuss how their game helps give students a deeper insight into three concepts important to teams: hidden agendas, empowerment and devil's advocates. Student Poster Contest American Society for Engineering Education 2015 ASEE Illinois‐Indiana Section Conference Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) 16 Hidden agendas are something many leaders and managers are either unaware of or fail to account for in a professional setting. Hidden Agendas are basically what people actually want, not what they say they want. Not all hidden agendas should be surfaced. Empowering members of the team can yield more diversified and complete decisions and projects. Empowered teams decide "how to do it" but also whether the tasks should be done at all (Ford & Fottler, 2001). Finally, with 'Devil's Advocacy' a common misconception is that a devil's advocate is the person who argues just for the sake of arguing. When enacted correctly, a devil's advocate proposes questions to fill in holes or gaps in the idea or decision. Devil's Advocates can be are very helpful for a team, particularly if the role is purposefully passed around to different members. Employers are expecting that engineers and students from related disciplines know how to work collaboratively. We also know that increasing knowledge of team design and team development issues enhances that collaboration and ultimately increases the success of projects they complete. Creating physical, board games or online games to teach concepts insures that we understand the concepts. Holding a 'Game Night' with a debrief for students should be an engaging learning experience that is remembered for a long time.


Pulmonary functions at rest and cardiorespiratory responses to low speed treadmill walking were investigated in 24 patients (P), (mean age, 38 years; range, 20 to 56 yr) with multiple sclerosis and compared with a control group (C). The following parameters were significantly (p less than 0.01) different in P from those in C. At rest in P, the residual volume to TLC ratio was 21% greater, respiratory muscle strength index was 28% lower, and heart rate (HR) was 11 beats/min-1 higher. During treadmill walking at a given speed, HR, minute ventilation (VE), and O2 consumption (VO2) were all elevated (37 to 119%). In addition, the energy cost of walking, per unit distance, above resting, was 2 to 3 times greater, with mean +/- SEM values for P of 0.299 +/- 0.019 and C of 0.147 +/- 0.006 at 2 km/h and 0.275 +/- 0.042 and 0.110 +/- 0.005 (for P and C, respectively) ml O2 kg-1 m-1 at 4 km/h; the HR and VE/VO2, also when referred to a given VO2, were higher. We conclude that a high energy cost of walking may be an important contributing factor to breathlessness and leg fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis. Poor conditioning, altered cardiovascular control, and respiratory muscle weakness may play additional roles.


eparation of low viscous oil from water has attracted immense attention in recent times due to the ever-increasing amount of oily industrial wastewater discharge and frequent oil spill accidents. Hence, there is a persistent demand for the fabrication of robust oil–water separation membranes. Herein, robust oil–water separation membranes are successfully fabricated by direct electrospinning of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and fluorinated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane composite mixture. These hybrid membranes exhibit differential wetting (highly hydrophobic/superoleophilic) behavior for water and oil. The contact angle made by water and low viscous oil (hexane) with the membrane are measured to be 145 and 0° respectively. The nanofiber membranes efficiently separate low viscous oil from water in a single-step with separation efficiency of nearly 100%. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the membranes are robust and durable exhibiting differential wettability even after several oil–water separation cycles. The results reveal the potential of their use for real-time industrial wastewater treatment applications.


BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Surgical management of retraction pockets of tympanic membrane is still controversial. In patients with no predisposing cause , the course cannot be predicted. In some patients it progresses towards cholesteatoma & in some it remains asymptomatic. Hence dilemma arises in surgically managing the retraction pockets as the hearing acuity remains normal until later in the disease course & we are not able to predict the course towards cholesteatoma.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
1. To find out whether early intervention of retraction pockets can prevent progression to cholesteatoma.
2. To compare the efficacy of myringotomy and grommet insertion and medical measures in the management of pars tensa retraction pockets.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study titled "An interventional study of Pars tensa retraction pockets - A comparison between grommet insertion and medical management" was done in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Coimbatore Medical College Hospital from September 2011 to Novenber 2012. Patients attending the outpatient department who had Pars tensa retraction pockets of grades II and III according to Sade's classification and having no predisposing nasopharyngeal and paranasal sinus pathologies were selected and divided randomly into two groups. Each group comprised 25 patients each. Pre operative evaluation was done using Video-otoscopy , Pure tone audiometry , Impedence audiometry , Diagnostic nasal endoscopy and in selected patients CT scan of Paranasal sinuses.
Patients in one group were managed conservatively by using antihistamines , nasal decongestants, topical steroids , and were asked to perform regular Valsalva manouvre . Patients in second group were treated by myringotomy and grommet insertion. Both the groups were followed up for 6 months by regular videootoscopy and pure tone audiometry for reversal or progression of retraction and improvement or worsening of hearing. The results were compared at first month , third month and sixth month postoperatively for significant difference between the two lines of management.
OBSERVATIONS AND RESULTS
From our study it was found out that there was definite improvement in the grade of tympanic membrane retraction and hearing thresholds by early intervention. During follow up examination for a period of 6 months ,there was definite improvement in the grade of tympanic membrane retractions by reversal of retraction pockets (86.9%) in group managed by grommet insertion with a definite improvement in hearing levels as suggested by reduction in air – bone gap in pure tone audiograms (87%). In the group of patients treated medically , there was reversal of retraction in 63.9 % of patients with improvement in hearing for 40.9% of patients. The results were analysed and compared using Chi-square testing and found to be statistically significant suggesting that there is a definite advantage of myringotomy and grommet insertion over medical measures in the early management of retraction pockets of tympanic membrane.
CONCLUSION
From our study it was inferred that progression of retraction pockets was significantly reduced by early intervention whether it is in the form of medical measures or surgery. By comparing the efficacy of the two lines of management it was found out that surgically managed group showed better outcomes both with respect to the status of retraction as well as degree of hearing improvement. The incidence of complications following surgery was not much significant as compared to the favourable outcomes. Early intervention was shown to definitely arrest the progression of retraction pocket to cholesteatoma and thus a 'safe' ear to 'unsafe' ear. Thus we conclude that management of pars tensa retractions by myringotomy and grommet insertion is a safe, effective and simple procedure and should be always considered ahead of conservative medical management and extensive tympanoplasty in appropriate cases.


In data mining, the association rules are used to find for the associations between the different items of the transactions database. As the data collected and stored, rules of value can be found through association rules, which can be applied to help managers execute marketing strategies and establish sound market frameworks. This paper aims to use Fuzzy Frequent Pattern growth (FFP-growth) to derive from fuzzy association rules. At first, we apply fuzzy partition methods and decide a membership function of quantitative value for each transaction item. Next, we implement FFP-growth to deal with the process of data mining. In addition, in order to understand the impact of Apriori algorithm and FFP-growth algorithm on the execution time and the number of generated association rules, the experiment will be performed by using different sizes of databases and thresholds. Lastly, the experiment results show FFPgrowth algorithm is more efficient than other existing methods. Keywords—Data mining, association rule, fuzzy frequent pattern growth.


We characterized physical growth and sexual maturation in 2,579 boys, ages 10 through 16.99 years, residing in Chapaevsk, Russia in order to establish region-specific reference data. Age-specific norms were established for height, weight, and BMI, and compared to US reference data by z-score analysis, while mean heights and weights by age were compared to published national Russian data. Compared to US boys, height was slightly lower (overall z-score -0.18) at all ages except the oldest (16-16.99 yr), while weight and BMI were moderately lower (overall z-score -0.52 and -0.61, respectively). Chapaevsk boys were significantly taller (1.15 cm) and thinner (-1.28 kg) than the broader Russian sample. The median ages of stage 2 genitalia and pubic hair development were 11.9 and 12.7 years, respectively. In conclusion, Chapaevsk boys are thinner than both US and Russian boys, and have a later onset of puberty and attainment of sexual maturity than boys from other countries.


With the emergence of new metal AM (additive manufacturing) methods, rapid IC (investment casting), a variation of conventional investment casting has been a popular topic of research in the fields of: aerospace, dentistry and biomedical engineering. RIC (Rapid investment casting) takes advantage of the additive nature of 3D printing for pattern making which allows for more complex castings than traditional investment casting. RIC is a manufacturing process that combines the casting knowledge accumulated over five thousand years with relatively novel AM knowledge. The result is a process that can compete with newer metal AM methods with the added benefits of excellent surface finish, fatigue strength and the ability to create parts from almost any metal or metal alloy. This article will focus on research advancements in investment casting, AM and all the topics that are closely related to optimizing these two processes. Beyond that, aerospace, dentistry and biomedical engineering advancements using investment casting will be reviewed.


This study investigated the impact of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) student engagement with co-curricular services in 2020. With limited institutional data, it is often not possible to gauge the cumulative impact of all retention and teaching activities, and while any one support activity cannot carry the weight of improving student outcomes, it is important to consider the impact of each as a contributing factor. We asked ourselves: How exactly do we determine how students' connection to services is impacting learning? How do they connect to wider university expectations such as widening participation initiatives or retention activities? And how do we use evaluative strategies productively to mature our service design so that we can move beyond "satisfaction" to "impact"? Despite methodological constraints, converging lines of evidence indicate that engagement with services in 2020 had a small, but statistically significant, positive impact on grade point average (GPA), progression, and retention.


A 3-D seismic survey provides a volume of closely spaced accurate three-dimensionally migrated data. From this data volume, the seismic interpreter has a wide variety of display options available: two-dimensional slices, both vertical and horizontal, and three-dimensional displays of the data volume itself. Thus the interpreter can study a subsurface feature on a two-dimensional section of chosen orientation or in three dimensions. He has, however, a very large quantity of data to examine before arriving at a final interpretation of the prospect. Interpretation of Seiscrop (trademark of Geophysical Service, Inc.) horizontal sections provides a fast, convenient, and effective way of interpreting the data volume. Seiscrop sections displayed every 2 or 4 msec and made into a motion picture are used in conjunction with the Seiscrop Interpretation Table to build horizon contour maps directly. Seiscrop sections are an easy and successful means of delineating flat spots or small structures. In "flat" spots which are not quite flat because of lateral velocity gradients, composite Seiscrop sections from more than one record time are used. Seiscrop sections are also used for stratigraphic interpretation. Seismodel (trademark) Display Unit is a means of viewing many vertical slices through the data volume simultaneously. This permits the interpreter to see structural and stratigraphic features in three dimensions. Each vertical section is on a separate demountable transparent plate. The interpreter removes and marks each plate in turn to develop his interpretation in three dimensions. Reflection holography is also used to display a 3-D data volume. Many vertical seismic sections are stored on a single holographic plate. The data are then reconstructed End_Page 424------------------------------ in three dimensions by illuminating the plate with white light or light rich in the wavelength to which the hologram is tuned. End_of_Article - Last_Page 425------------


BACKGROUND
Spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) occurs in approximately 25% of individuals.

METHODS
To better understand the characteristics associated with clearance, the present study evaluated HCV clearance in a community-based cohort study. The Community Health and Safety Evaluation project recruited 3553 individuals via community organizations and door-to-door canvassing of a random sample of single occupancy hotels in the community to monitor uptake of health services and to estimate the incidence of communicable infections. Cohort data were linked with longitudinal laboratory databases, including HCV antibody and polymerase chain reaction assay results.

RESULTS
Overall, 762 individuals had HCV antibody and RNA testing performed between 1999 and 2005. Spontaneous HCV clearance was observed in 179 individuals (23.5%), while HCV persistence was observed in 583 individuals (76.5%). The ability to develop protective immunity against HCV, as demonstrated by viral clearance, occurred more often in individuals of Aboriginal ethnicity (adjusted OR [AOR] 2.9, 95% CI 2.0 to 4.3; P<0.001) and female individuals (AOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.4; P=0.01). The rate of spontaneous HCV clearance was reduced in individuals using any type of illicit drugs (AOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.00; P=0.05) and those with HIV coinfection (AOR 0.58, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.88; P=0.01). Of 218 HIV-infected subjects, 48 of 51 (94%) in whom the order of HCV and HIV infection was established were infected with HCV a median of 2.4 years (range 0.2 to 10 years) before becoming infected with HIV.

CONCLUSIONS
Aboriginal ethnicity and female sex were associated with increased rates of HCV clearance, while HIV coinfection and illicit drug use were associated with increased HCV persistence.


The aim of study is determine the effect of concentration and a longer reaction time and the best treatment on the quality of biodiesel from yellowfin tuna fish offal. Biodiesel processing using a two step of esterification and transesterification reactions are graded with KOH catalyst in the treatment of each catalyst concentration of 1.0%; 1.5% and 2.0% with a reaction time of 90 and 120 minutes. Analysis of biodiesel quality that using methods of FT-IR (ester functional group), 1H-NMR (conversion of methyl ester), GC-MS (fatty acid composition) and physical quality. Based on statistical analysis, it is known that the treatment concentration and reaction time did not significantly affect on the biodiesel quality. FFA content of oil extracts of yellowfin tuna innards of 4.415%. Treatment KOH 2% on a long reaction time of 90 minutes to produce the best biodiesel (with yield biodiesel esterification reaction yield of 89.5% and a transesterification reaction amounted to 84.71% has a compound with a functional group of  alkanes, alcohols and esters of saturated and unsaturated. The chemistri composition of fatty acid of biodiesel contains three main types of compounds, respectively: methyl palmitate (19.45%),  methyl oleate (17.37%) and methyl eicosa (7.56%.) Based on the analysis of physical properties of biodiesel, it was only pour point parameter that meets of the standard quality biodiesel (9oC) with a flash point is 64oC compliant 48 diesel oil. The specific density and kinematic viscosity not meet quality standards. Keywords : KOH catalyst concentration, reaction time, esterification, transesterification, tuna offal, biodiesel


The immediate post-partum period offers a valuable opportunity for parental education on various health topics. The aim of this study was to pilot test the feasibility in a tertiary referral center for neonatal care of a post-natal educational intervention (the Diary) designed to provide mothers with basic information concerning newborn care and breastfeeding. Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate its effect on exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge and at 48 h post-discharge, and on maternal perceived support during hospital stay, compared to standard care. A single-center two-phase interventional study was carried out from 1 December 2018 to 2 June 2019. The Diary was given to mothers enrolled in Phase 2, together with the Nurse–Parent Support Tool (NPST). The Diary–NPST couples analyzed were 269. The Diaries filled out and returned were 62.2%. Overall, mothers rated the information received through the Diary as "clear and comprehensive". Exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge resulted in being higher in Phase 1 than in Phase 2 (80.6% vs. 72.5%, p = 0.04), whereas no difference emerged in terms of exclusive breastfeeding rates at 48 h. In both phases, the median NPST total score (4.05) was high. In conclusion, we propose a new instrument of in-hospital post-natal maternal education and, in line with the current literature, we support well-designed written educational materials to promote mothers' knowledge and satisfaction with post-partum hospital assistance. Further studies that are multicentric and with a longer follow-up period are needed to evaluate the potential impact of the Diary on exclusive breastfeeding duration.


THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, AHMADU BELLO
UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE AWARD FOR THE DEGREE OF:
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (N.B.A)
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS Administration
FACULTY OF ADMINISTRATION
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
JULY, 1994


With the aging of the workforce, and the increasing number of people who work shifts, understanding the experiences of older shiftworkers is becoming increasingly important. To improve such understanding, a model of adaptation to shiftwork was developed and tested in a group of older (over age 35) shiftworkers. The model hypothesized that individual difference variables (e.g., morningness, flexibility, languid&y) strongly influence the onset of social and domestic disturbances. Such disturbances, in turn, elicit certain coping behavior. Disengagement (i.e., passive) coping efforts, as well as unsuccessful engagement (i.e., active) coping behaviors, were expected to lead to fatigue and decreased job satisfaction. In turn, these strains were predicted to influence the reduction of emotional well-being. The model was tested using data collected from older nurses who worked rotating shifts in Great Britain and was generally supported. Implications of the present study are discussed, including potential interventions for older shiftworkers and future avenues for research.


While nutrient enrichment increases herbivory rates on highly palatable species of tropical algae, it is unclear how nutrient enrichment affects species with differing initial palatabil- ities. We determined that there was a wide range in relative palatability among 5 perennial and common species of Caribbean coral reef algae in a cafeteria-style choice experiment, with overall preference for Acanthophora spicifera the highest, Dictyota dichotoma and Caulerpa sertulari- oides intermediate, and Turbinaria turbinata and Sargassum polyceratium the lowest, although there were significant differences in grazing rates among algal species between the 2 fringing reef sites tested. We then tested the hypothesis that increased nutrient content in algae increases palatability using choice experiments between enriched and ambient algal samples for each of 3 species along this palatability gradient: A. spicifera, D. dichotoma, and S. polyceratium. For all species, herbivores selected enriched over ambient samples across the 2 sites despite contrasting herbivore guilds (i.e. dominated by sea urchin Diadema antillarum versus herbivorous fishes). However, despite increased palatability of enriched S. polyceratium, overall herbivory on this spe- cies was still relatively low compared to other studies, suggesting that S. polyceratium in this sys- tem may have stronger chemical defenses, or that a specialist herbivore guild may be missing on this Caribbean reef. Regardless of the mechanism, our study implies that anthropogenic or natural events that result in high supplies of nutrients in coral reef seawater will increase overall seaweed palatability, even of unpalatable species.


Anti-sparse coding aims at spreading the information uniformly over representation coefficients and can be naturally expressed through an ℓ∞-norm regularization. This paper derives a probabilistic formulation of such a problem. A new probability distribution is introduced. This so-called democratic distribution is then used as a prior to promote anti-sparsity in a linear Gaussian inverse problem. A Gibbs sampler is designed to generate samples asymptotically distributed according to the joint posterior distribution of interest. To scale to higher dimension, a proximal Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is proposed as an alternative to Gibbs sampling. Simulations on synthetic data illustrate the performance of the proposed method for anti-sparse coding on a complete dictionary. Results are compared with the recent deterministic variational FITRA algorithm.


Today, natural law theory offers the most common intellectual defense for the differential treatment of gays and lesbians. Leading natural law theorists, such as John Finnis,2 Robert George,3 and Richard Duncan,4 have eagerly inserted themselves into debates about law and sexuality. If their arguments are sound, it is permissible to treat gays and lesbians differentially as a matter of law. Natural law theorists defend a range of policies in this regard, from antisodomy laws, to allowing persons to discriminate against gays and lesbians in employment and housing, to a fierce opposition to same-sex unions or, in their watered-down version, civil unions. In general, natural law theorists believe that it is rational for the state to 'discourage' homosexuality through such policies. Furthermore, they believe that other laws regulating sexuality are permissible and potentially beneficial, such as forbidding the sale of contraceptives to unmarried persons.


The fun way to improve English grammar and vocabulary and to improve standardized test scores! The humorous, irreverent style makes these programs perfect for getting students back into the swing of school. Laugh-out-loud examples, reviews, monologues, and short quizzes make the information easy to absorb.


Objectives Surveys of the psychosocial work environment are widely used for diagnostic and preventive purposes. Both the survey in itself and subsequent changes may contribute to improve the work environment but the evidence is circumstantial. This study examines if conducting surveys of the psychosocial work environment and subsequently acting to improve those conditions has an effect on sickness absence. Methods 5023 employees from 328 public service work units participated in psychosocial work profile surveys from 2002 to 2005. Satisfaction with psychosocial work conditions was measured by self-reports and each employee was assigned the average value of the work unit scores. Telephone interviews were conducted to gather information about actions taken in response to results from the surveys. Sickness absence was measured as short-term and medium-term absence spells during 6 months before and after the survey. A reference population comprised employees from similar workplaces who had not (yet) participated in the psychosocial work survey. Results Comparing post-survey sickness absence with pre-survey levels we observed a marginal reduction of sick leave in the survey relative to the reference group: 0.08 days per employee during 6 months (95% CI 0.00 to 0.16) for short term absence and 0.05 (95% CI -0.10 to 0.21) for medium term absence. Conclusions A large and comprehensive psychosocial work profile survey did not alter sick leave rates materially.


Packet drops caused by congestion are a fundamental problem in network operation. Yet, it is difficult to detect where drops are happening, let alone which flows are most affected. Detecting the small-timescale drops caused by short bursts of traffic is even more challenging, and traditional monitoring techniques can easily miss them. To uncover packet drops as they occur inside a switch, the analysis must be real-time, fine-grained, and efficient. However, modern switches have distributed packet-processing pipelines that see either the arriving or departing traffic, but not the packet drops. Additionally, they do not have enough memory to store per-flow state. Our MIDST system addresses these challenges through a distributed compact data structure with lightweight coordination between ingress and egress pipelines. MIDST identifies the flows experiencing loss, as well as the bursty flows responsible, across different burst durations. Our evaluation with real-world traces and TCP connections shows that MIDST uses little memory (e.g., 320KB) while providing high accuracy (95% to 98%) under varying loss rates and burst durations. We evaluate a low-rate DDoS attack and demonstrate the potential use of our measurement results for attack detection and mitigation.


Twenty-four new enamines [(Z)-4–15 and (E)-4–15] were synthesized for the first time. Their chemical structures were determined by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. All of the compounds were assayed for antibacterial (Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Escherichia coli ATCC 35218, Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 13525, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538) and antifungal (Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, and Trichophyton rubrum ATCC 10218) activities by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazole-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Four compounds, (E)-ethyl 3-(4-fluorophenylamino)-2-(3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate ((E)-6), (E)-ethyl 3-(4-chlorophenylamino)-2-(3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate ((E)-9), (E)-ethyl 3-(4-bromophenylamino)-2-(3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate ((E)-12), and (E)-ethyl 3-(2,4-dibromophenylamino)-2-(3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate ((E)-13) showed considerable antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas fluorescens with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 12.5, 12.5, 3.12, and 6.25 μg mL–1, respectively. Structure–activity relationship analyses revealed that, in general, an (E)-isomer exhibited higher antibacterial activity than the corresponding (Z)-isomer.


PURPOSE
- To assess the association between cannabis consumption and sport practice.

METHODS
We randomised a representative sample of 1,506 girls and 1,420 boys from the third to the last year of school in the French Midi-Pyrénées region, excluding classes reserved for children practising high level sport. Information was collected by self-answer questionnaire.

RESULTS
More than 90% of boys and 70% of girls declared they practised sport outside physical education at school (athletic students). Among boys, sport practice mainly concerned activities in clubs or competitions (respectively 66% and 60%, against 35% and 27% among girls; p<0.001). Twenty-eight percents of boys and 19% of girls declared they had consumed cannabis (at least occasionnally, during or outside sport). Among athletic students, such potential consumption concerned 28.6% of boys and 19.6% of girls (p<0.001). Moreover, 1.2% of athletic students (n=7) declared they had already consumed cannabis during the practice sport with clubs or competitions. Among boys, this potential consumption increased with age, was lower among non-athletic students and the most athletic students, but was highest among those practising an individual "X-treme" sport (50% in this group versus 26% among athletes practising collective or non- "X-treme" sport; p<0.001). Potential cannabis consumption was also highest among athletes who declared they practiced sport for seeking emotions, who did not practise sport for health benefits but who considered that sport could involve taking risks.

CONCLUSION
It seems more important to consider how sport is practised rather than its intensity when assessing the association between sport and cannabis consumption. Indeed, sport appears to be more favourable for cannabis consumption when associated with ideas of emotion and risk and when practised outside of an organisation.


Sorghum grains were germinated for 24, 48 and 72 hours with a view to determining the effect of germination on some functional properties and degree of starch gelatinization of the flour. Flour from non-germinated grains served as control. In order to measure the effect of germination on degree of starch gelatinization, the flours were processed into cookies. Germination of sorghum grains for 48 hours and above significantly (p<0.05) decreased both loose and packed bulk densities from 0.59 g/ml and 0.77 g/ml to 0.56 g/ml and 0.70 g/ml respectively. The water absorption capacity of the sample germinated for 72 hours was 1.38 g/g which was significantly (p<0.05) higher than the other samples. The oil absorption capacity of the samples germinated for 48 and 72 hours (1.16 and 1.18 g/g respectively) were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of the control sample and 24 hour germination (1.03 and 1.04g/g respectively). Germination also significantly (p<0.05) increased the swelling power (22-23.2 ml/g), foaming capacity (14-16.2%) and emulsion capacity (58.6-65.5%). The degree of starch gelatinization increased with increasing germination time but decreased with increasing temperature. Generally, germination had a beneficial effect on the functional properties measured. Flour obtained from sorghum grains germinated for 72 hours had the best results.


Background: Present treatment of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, includes surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In spite of radical treatment, only about 70% of patients survive. Also side effects of the treatment are severe, mostly due to applied radiotherapy. Objective: The following review highlights potential molecular targets for pharmacotherapy of medulloblastoma, as well as the directions in which, in the authors' opinion, the field will evolve in near future. Methods: Present literature on pathways engaged in formation of medulloblastoma is summarized in the context of their available pharmacological modulators. Results: The quest for a better treatment modalities includes better risk stratification methods, including molecular profiling of individual tumors and a search for new small molecules capable of inhibiting hyperactive signaling pathways. Several candidates for such agents are being tested presently.


In the past decades, ubiquitous learning (u-learning) has been the focus of attention in educational research across the world. Majority of u-learning systems have been constructed using ubiquitous technologies such as RFID tags and cards, wireless communication, mobile phones, and wearable computers. There is also a growing recognition that it can be improved by utilizing ubiquitous learning logs collected by the u-learning system to enhance and increase the interactions among a learner, contexts, and context-based knowledge. One of the issues of analytics based on u-learning is how to detect or mine learning logs collected by u-learning systems. Moreover, it is necessary to evaluate whether the recommendations detected by analysis are appropriate in terms of learning levels, contexts and learners' preference. To tackle the issues, we developed a system that could recommend useful learning logs at the right place in the right time in accordance with personalization of learners. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the system's performance and the recommendations' usefulness for learning. In the evaluation experiment, we found important criteria for recommending in the real-world language learning. In addition, the participants were able to increase their learning opportunities by our recommendation method.


MgO and AI203 were sintered by two types of processes: a conventional isothermal sintering, and a two-step sintering consisting of an initial low temperature pre-coarsening treatment before conventional isothermal sintering. The final microstructure from two-step sintering is more uniform and finer than that of compacts sintered conventionally. The differences between two-step and conventional processing are clarified by experiments in pre-coarsened and as-received ZnO powders. These compacts were pre-coarsened at 45ooc for 90 hours with virtually no increase in the overall density. The resulting grain size was 1. 7 times the starting one, but the standard deviation of the pre-coarsened powder size distribution was narrower than that of the as-received powder. The sintering stress of the pre-coarsened ZnO is approximately 0.8 that of the as-received one. A computational model has been used with two components of coarsening to describe the differences in pore spacing evolution between the pre-coarsened and the as-received system. The benefit of two-step sintering is attributed to the increase in uniformity resulting from pre-coarsening. The increased uniformity decreases sintering damage and allows the system to stay in the open porosity state longer, delaying or inhibiting additional coarsening (grain growth) during the final stage of densification. Two-step sintering is especially useful for non-uniform powder systems with a wide size distribution and is a simple and convenient method of making more uniform ceramic bodies without resorting to specialized powders or complicated heat schedules. Supported by the Division of Materials Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy, under contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098. * Member, the American Ceramic Society ** Permanent address: Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, P.O. Box 3-314, Long-Tan Tan-Yen 32500, Taiwan, A. 0. C.


The term 'lipids' refers to a class of biological molecules primarily composed of hydrocarbons such as fatty acids, glycerolipids, sphingolipids and sterol lipids. Lipids take part in a variety of physiological functions and have specific roles depending on their chemical structure and localisation within or outside cells. For example, glycerolipids (e.g. triglycerides) are often used as energy stores, sterol lipids (e.g. cholesterol) and glycerophospholipids as structural components of cell membranes (e.g. the lipid bilayer), and sphingolipids as part of a signalling cascade. Since lipids are a source of energy and basic building block of all living cells, it is not surprising that development of cancer (i.e. uncontrolled proliferation of cells) is closely tied to the metabolism of lipids. This notion is supported by studies into the reprogrammed metabolic machinery in cancer cells, and also cell and animal model experiments showing that cancer growth and metastasis can be induced or inhibited by the exogenous addition of lipids. Here, we review how cancer cells can alter their lipid metabolism to meet their metabolic requirements, and the potential tumorigenic and tumour-suppressive mechanisms in which lipids are involved.


In this paper, a SOS-based prefilter-blind equalizer for MIMO-OFDM system which can equalize FIR-MIMO channel at the receiver is proposed. The proposed scheme uses a set of orthogonal prefilters at the transmitter such that the transmitted signal can be colored temporally thereby satisfying the identifiability condition previously proposed by Hua and Tugnait. The scheme is shown to outperform previously proposed schemes in terms of BER and computational complexity. Simulation results have shown that the BER performance is close to that of a least-squares zero-forcing equalizer with perfect channel knowledge.


Infection with the protozoan parasite Leishmania major induces a state of concomitant immunity wherein secondary immunity is dependent upon the persistence of the original pathogen. Our lab has described two populations of L. major-induced CD4+ T cells that contribute to immunity: CD62Lhigh central memory T (TCM) cells and CD62Llow effector T (TEFF) cells. To determine if the prosurvival cytokine interleukin-7 (IL-7) contributes to maintaining these T cells, we examined IL-7 receptor (IL7R) expression on CD4+ T cells activated during L. major infection. We found that TCM cells present in chronically infected mice expressed high levels of the IL7R. However, we also found that CD62Llow cells responding to L. major infection expressed the IL7R. A large percentage of the IL7Rhigh CD62Llow cells were Th1 cells, based on transcription at the IFN-γ locus and upregulation of the Th1 transcription factor T-bet. The upregulation of T-bet did not prevent IL7R expression by L. major-responding CD4+ T cells nor did the absence of T-bet result in increased IL7R expression. Finally, blockade of IL7R signaling inhibited delayed type hypersensitivity responses in immune mice challenged with L. major, indicating that IL7R signaling contributes to the maintenance of Teff cells. Thus, both TCM and Th1 effector cells can express the IL7R during chronic L. major infection, which provides a potential means for their long-term survival.


The full-length cDNA of an IAA-responsive gene was cloned from Gossypium barbadense L. (designated as Gbiaa-Re) by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Gbiaa-Re gene was 1043-bp long and contained a 573-bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 190 amino acid residues. Homology analysis revealed that Gbiaa-Re strongly resembled known plant IAA-responsive genes. The conserved integrated domain "AUX_IAA, AUX/IAA family" resided within the region from L11 to V190 of GbIAA-RE, and the 4 typically conserved domains of IAA-responsive gene family were all found in GbIAA-RE. The secondary structure of GbIAA-RE consisted of 20.53% alpha helix, 13.68% extended strand and 65.79% random coil. In total, 12 phosphorylation sites, 1 N-glycosylation site and 4 O-beta-GlcNAc attachment sites were predicted. Southern blot analysis indicated that Gbiaa-Re belonged to a low-copy gene family. Semi-quantitative PCR analysis indicated that the expression of Gbiaa-Re gene was inducible by IAA. Our studies suggested that Gbiaa-Re was a new member of plant AUX/IAA gene family.


Fifty years ago Kloos (1933) described the species of the Alchemilla vulgaris i agg. for the Netherlands. He based his work on a publication by Lindberg (1908). Since then much more material of the genus was collected and several comprehensive treatments of it have appeared in neighbouring countries. A new revision was needed especially for the 20th edition of the 'Flora van Nederland' and the second part of the 'Atlas van de Nederlandse Flora'. With the help of all new data the key has been redrawn and the descriptions of the species are completed or when needed a new description has been made. A new species for the Netherlands, A. gracilis. was discovered, the adventitious A. mollis is added to the key and A. glaucescens is abandonned. A. mollis and A. glabra can always be distinguished form the other species. A. xanthochlora IS sometimes very similar to A. acutiloba, but with the characters of table 1 at least an indication of the identity can be obtained. A. gracilis also resembles A. acutiloba. The taxonomic characters given in the key do not separate these species clearly, one specimen even showed characteristics of both. The other species occurring in the Netherlands, A. filicaulis, A. monticola and A. subcrenata, did not give any problem in identification.


Digital sensors are increasingly being used to monitor the change over time of physiological processes in biological health and disease, often using wearable devices. This generates very large amounts of digital sensor data, for which, a consensus on a common storage, exchange and archival data format standard, has yet to be reached. To address this gap, we propose Time Series Data Format (TSDF): a unified, standardized format for storing all types of physiological sensor data, across diverse disease areas. We pose a series of format design criteria and review in detail current storage and exchange formats. When judged against these criteria, we find these current formats lacking, and propose a very simple, intuitive standard for both numerical sensor data and metadata, based on raw binary data and JSON-format text files, for sensor measurements/timestamps and metadata, respectively. By focusing on the common characteristics of diverse biosensor data, we define a set of necessary and sufficient metadata fields for storing, processing, exchanging, archiving and reliably interpreting, multi-channel biological time series data. Our aim is for this standardized format to increase the interpretability and exchangeability of data, thereby contributing to scientific reproducibility in studies where digital biosensor data forms a key evidence base.


Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the uterus (uIMT) is rare. However, it has been increasingly recognized in recent years, largely due to more awareness of its occurrence in the gynecologic tract and the characterization of features that help distinguish it from more common lesions in the differential diagnosis, particularly smooth muscle neoplasms. One of these features is expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK, also known as CD246), which has been documented in most uIMTs described in the literature. This review concentrates on the role of ALK testing in the diagnosis and management of uIMT. In terms of immunohistochemistry, an emphasis on antibody selection, sensitivity/specificity, interpretation and quality control is given. Regarding molecular analysis for ALK alterations, this review appraises fluorescence in situ hybridization and RNA sequencing technologies. Lastly, the role of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in patients with uIMT is discussed, highlighting the importance of a correct diagnosis of this entity.


In this study the nodal staging sensitivity of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) with detailed pathological and molecular biological examination has been investigated and compared to that of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) with routine histological evaluation. Sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) were removed by the dual-agent injection technique in 68 patients with primary, clinically node-negative breast cancer. Forty-seven patients had negative SLNs according to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. These H&E-negative SLNs were serially sectioned and examined at 250 μm levels by anticytokeratin immunohistochemistry (IHC). In 14 patients the SLNs were also investigated by cytokeratin 20 (CK20) reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). SLNB with IHC increased the node-positive rate by 26% (by 40% in tumors less than or equal to 2 cm in size (pT1) and by 9% in tumors more than 2 cm but less than or equal to 5 cm in size (pT2)). The sensitivity of SLNB with IHC was superior to that of ALND with routine histology in pT1 tumors and identical in pT2 tumors. The concordance between histology and RT-PCR was only 21%, and in two of three cases with positive histological results RT-PCR was negative. In conclusion, SLNB with detailed pathological and/or molecular biological evaluation can improve the sensitivity of regional staging. ALND can probably be abandoned in patients with pT1 SLN-negative breast cancer. Further prospective studies are required to determine the clinical significance of these detailed SLN evaluation techniques, but at present these methods are still investigational.


Over the last two decades, the historiography of poverty and welfare has moved decisively away from considerations of either black letter or case law, in favour of the study of the socio-cultural experiences of the poor themselves. This article uses a large corpus of pauper letters and other correspondence for a number of Midland counties to argue for a reconsideration of the place of the law in shaping pauper entitlements and beliefs. It argues that paupers had a keen appreciation of both black letter and case law and could rhetoricize this knowledge, bringing it to bear in their attempts to establish deservingness in a poor law system that offered no legal guarantees of relief. Even more importantly, paupers came to have detailed knowledge of the grey areas of the law, a territory on which they could exercise their own agency vis-a-vis officials. The article also tries to trace the genealogy of this legal knowledge, suggesting for instance that paupers shared a common linguistic and knowledge platform with officials and advocates.


In this paper, a method of pitch tracking based on variance minimization of locally periodic subsamples of an acoustic signal is presented. Replicates along the length of the periodically sampled data of the signal vector are taken and locally averaged sample variances are minimized to estimate the fundamental frequency. Using this method, pitch tracking of any text independent voiced signal is possible for different speakers over any database.


Accumulating evidence confirms wide-ranging benefits of effective services for young children and families, along with longer-term social and economic benefits for communities. While a strong theoretical case has recently emerged for the development of responsive and integrated child and family services to build social capital and community capacity, there is scant Australian research to inform and support the process. Furthermore, research in this area has largely overlooked the views of children.

This paper reports on data collected from young children in rural and suburban Queensland schools. 138 children aged four to eight years of age were asked, in informal conversations with their teachers, a series of questions reflecting six social capital dimensions. These dimensions were participation in local community, family and friend's connections, neighbourhood connections, feelings of trust and safety, proactivity in a social context, and tolerance of diversity. In addition, children were asked to comment on their positive and negative experiences of school, to consider possible advice they might give to newcomers and to reflect on why they attended school. Theoretical perspectives from social capital and the sociology of childhood are used to examine children's responses.


The main purpose of this study is to investigate a relationship between information asymmetry and earnings management in mutual funds (short term and long term). Therefore, earnings management is determined as a dependent variable while the monitoring effect and information asymmetry are specified as independent variables. Concentration of ownership and the percentage of non-executive members of the board of directors are also specified as control variables of the research. In this survey, the method of collecting information includes library method and documents mining of financial statements of companies in the site of Tehran Stock Exchanges. The research statistical society consists of mutual funds (Tehran Stock Exchange ) during 2010 -14. Since the number of investment funds are limited, so the census rule has been used and all the members of the statistical society have been selected as a statistical sample. The statistical sample size is 80 mutual funds. The research method is a descriptive-correlation one by a practical approach and the data analyzing method using panel data is including descriptive analyzing, the normality test, the correlation test and the multiple regression test. The study results indicated that the average of earnings management variable of sample companies was 0.2024 and its minimum and maximum values were -0.9936 and 2.9233, respectively. The study of skewness and kurtosis of the variable, that should be 0 and 3 respectively to encompass a normal distribution, indicated that the variable was not normally distributed. According to presented descriptive statistics, the average of the information asymmetry variable and the monitoring effect of sample companies during the period of the research have been positive and 0.2671, 0.3936, respectively. The numbers of observations in a descriptive statistics related to companies are 400 cases (80 funds during 5 years). According to descriptive statistics, the diffusion index of these variables is low in different companies. The highest and lowest standard deviations are respectively related to the monitoring effect and information asymmetry. Also, assumption test results showed each of the three hypotheses is approved and there is a positive and significant relationship between information asymmetry and degree of earnings management in mutual funds. The monitoring effect on earnings management in long term investment funds is stronger than short term ones and the monitoring effect on earnings management in long term investment funds is stronger when information asymmetry is low.


Partial label (PL) learning aims to induce a multi-class classifier from training examples where each of them is associated with a set of candidate labels, among which only one is valid. It is well-known that the problem of class-imbalance stands as a major factor affecting the generalization performance of multi-class classifier, and this problem becomes more pronounced as the ground-truth label of each PL training example is not directly accessible to the learning approach. To mitigate the negative influence of class-imbalance to partial label learning, a novel class-imbalance aware approach named CIMAP is proposed by adapting over-sampling techniques for handling PL training examples. Firstly, for each PL training example, CIMAP disambiguates its candidate label set by estimating the confidence of each class label being ground-truth one via weighted k-nearest neighbor aggregation. After that, the original PL training set is replenished for model induction by over-sampling existing PL training examples via manipulation of the disambiguation results. Extensive experiments on artificial as well as real-world PL data sets show that CIMAP serves as an effective data-level approach to mitigate the class-imbalance problem for partial label learning.


In recent years, information and communication technology (ICT) is used in every sphere of life, from business to services, education to culture, infrastructure to transportation, and art to entertainment. The current study aims to assess the impact of ICT, economic growth, and globalization on CO2 emission in the context of Pakistan. For empirical estimation, the current study applied an innovative methodological approach called generalized linear model (GLM) and robust least square (ROBUSTLS) technique for the years 1990–2019. The key finding of this study shows that economic growth has a positive and significant effect on CO2 emission, which confirm that economic growth accelerates the rate of CO2 emission, while the study also reveals that ICT usage (more specifically ICT-internet and ICT-mobilesubscription) has a negative but significant effect on CO2 emission, which confirms that the usage of ICT (more specifically ICT-internet and ICT-mobile subscription) does not contribute positively to CO2 emission. Furthermore, the coefficient of globalization has a positive and significant effect on the CO2 emission, which confirms that globalization accelerates the CO2 emission in the country. Also, the results indicate that ICT usage (more specifically ICT-internet and ICT-mobile subscription) could boost economic growth and mitigate climate change. Based on the policy perspective, the government of Pakistan needs to strategically focus on the ICT sector and more specifically on technological innovations to promote sustainable economic growth in the country.


Mammalian cells tightly regulate their cholesterol content and the intracellular disposition of cholesterol. Most cellular free cholesterol resides in the plasma membrane, where it exists in lateral domains. Mechanisms governing cellular cholesterol levels and compartmentation are still largely unknown. In this review, we highlight recent studies documenting the compartmentation of cholesterol, especially those that have relevance to the regulation of cholesterol content.


Background Epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue (EAT and PAT) surround and protect the heart, with EAT directly sharing the microcirculation with the myocardium, possibly presenting a distinct macrophage phenotype that might affect the inflammatory environment in coronary heart disease (CHD). This study aims to investigate the expression of genes in different AT compartments driving the polarization of AT macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory (L-Galectin 9; CD206) or pro-inflammatory (NOS2) phenotype. Methods EAT, PAT, and subcutaneous (SAT) biopsies were collected from 52 CHD patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, and from 22 CTRLs undergoing aortic valve replacement. L-Galectin9 (L-Gal9), CD206, and NOS2 AT gene expression and circulating levels were analyzed through RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. Results L-Gal9, CD206, and NOS2 gene expression was similar in all AT compartments in CHD and CTRLs, as were also L-Gal9 and CD206 circulating levels, while NOS2 serum levels were higher in CHD (p = 0.012 vs. CTRLs). In CTRLs, NOS2 expression was lower in EAT vs. SAT (p = 0.007), while in CHD patients CD206 expression was lower in both SAT and EAT as compared to PAT (p = 0.003, p = 0.006, respectively), suggestive of a possible macrophage reprogramming toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype in EAT. In CHD patients, NOS2 expression in SAT correlated to that in PAT and EAT (p = 0.007, both), CD206 expression correlated positively to L-Gal9 (p < 0.001) only in EAT, and CD206 expression associated with that of macrophage identifying markers in all AT compartments (p < 0.001, all). In CHD patients, subjects with LDL-C above 1.8 mmol/L showed significantly higher NOS2 expression in PAT and EAT as compared to subjects with LDL-C levels below (p < 0.05), possibly reflecting increased cardiac AT pro-inflammatory activation. In SAT and PAT, CD206 expression associated with BMI in both CHD and CTRLs (p < 0.05, all), and with L-Gal9 in EAT, however only in CTRLs (p = 0.002). Conclusion CHD seems to be accompanied by an altered cardiac, and especially epicardial AT macrophage polarization. This may represent an important pathophysiological mechanism and a promising field of therapy targeting the excessive AT inflammation, in need of further investigation.


In a preprint from 1982, John Milnor formulated various fundamental questions concerning infinite-dimensional Lie groups. In this note, we describe some of the answers (and partial answers) obtained in the preceding years.


The long-distance transport of dust around the planet has important implications for ecosystem stability and global climate dynamics. In some cases, most prominently the vast Amazon rainforest, travelling dust is the primary source of iron and phosphorous to otherwise nutrient-limited regions. Wind-swept sediments can affect the planetary albedo and sully the surface of icy regions driving increased melting. Therefore, understanding how ongoing climate change may affect the wind circulation patterns in major dust-generating regions is particularly important. Unfortunately, hostile environmental conditions in many of the important sources of dust mean that long-term wind speed and direction records from on-the-ground anemometers are nonexistent.


Background: Philadelphia chromosome, t(9;22), positive (Ph+) chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) accounts for only 2-2.5% of childhood leukemia cases or about 60 cases per year in the US. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have dramatically changed the prognosis and treatment of CML in adults and children. Failure of TKIs is often due to mutations. In adult CML, the F317i mutation has been implicated in resistance to first and second line TKIs (imatinib/dasatinib) without affecting sensitivity to the third line TKI, nilotinib. The F317i mutation has been documented a handful of times in adult CML and in childhood Ph+ALL cases. We describe what we believe to be a first report of F317i mutation in a child with Ph+ CML who, after initial major molecular responses, rapidly developed resistance to first, second and third line TKIs. The current Childrens Oncology Group trial of oral nilotinib (COG AAML1321) does not recognize F317i as a mutation associated with nilotinib resistance. Case: An 11-year old female with classic chronic phase (CP) CML was found to have the F317i mutation after initially achieving an MMR during the first 3 months of treatment while on dasatinib. After results of the F317i mutation were received, the patient was switched to nilotinib and again achieved an MMR in the first 2 months before rapidly decompensating with a pre B cell ALL blast crisis. The child was then treated with ALL induction and consolidation and allogeneic stem cell transplant and again achieved an MMR which has been sustained for 5 months. Methods: Cases of the F317i mutation have been documented in adults, however, we did an extensive literature search of PubMed, Ovid, and Google Scholar using keywords "F317" as well as F317i, " and we were unable to find another report of this mutation in a child. Discussion: CML in children is rare and to our knowledge the F317i mutation in children has not been previously reported. In contrast to how the F317i mutation is expected to behave in adult Ph+ CML, our patient developed resistance to nilotinib. Conclusion: Our CML patient failed nilotinib. The F317i mutation in a child may warrant closer molecular monitoring and the consideration of early stem cell transplantation. Citation Format: Heidi Tucker, Paul Kent. F317i mutation-associated nilotinib resistance in a child with CML: A first report. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(17 Suppl):Abstract nr B38.


Tilapia is the second most farmed fish group worldwide and over the past decade has quadrupled in production, largely due to their many characteristics conducive to aquaculture conditions as well as to the high marketability and relatively stable market prices. To keep pace with this rapid expansion, tilapia aquaculture will rely increasingly on more sustainable practices, but this must not be at the expense of decreased productivity, increased cost or compromised product quality. Since feed constitutes the major operating cost of tilapia farming, understanding their nutritional requirements, factors that may influence these requirements and implementing the most appropriate feeding management strategy is essential for the continued sustainability and scalability of the global tilapia industry. This review addressed these concerns by providing an overview of published nutrient requirement data and offered practical recommendations to the nutrition and feeding management of farmed tilapia, from broodstock to finishing feeds. The first section of this review extensively discusses the dietary protein/amino acids, lipids/fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamin and mineral requirements of tilapia. Alternatives to marine-based ingredients, which are used increasingly in tilapia feeds, are also discussed. This is followed by discussing practical feed management aspects at the commercial farm level including feed formulations, feed types and feeding rates/frequency throughout the culture cycle. Recent research indicating significant differences in nutrient requirements and utilization efficiencies of improved tilapia strains versus non-improved strains are highlighted. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of tilapia nutrition and thus contributes to the continued global expansion of tilapia farming and the demand for their products.


A great challenge facing explorationists is identification of potential intervals of reservoir quality sand in areas with little well control. This is especially acute in deep water where reservoir presence can be elusive and well costs are considerable.

Substantial evidence suggests the occurrence of transversely isotropic (TI) anisotropy in the subsurface associated primarily with shales, while intervals of clastic material show greatly reduced and/or near-zero TI anisotropy. Although this has been demonstrated conclusively on core samples, the need exists to translate these concepts into a geologic framework on a basinwide and prospect scale. This article presents a method for estimating interval anisotropy from nonhyperbolic moveout on common midpoint gathers and relating these values to subsurface geology.

Alkhalifah and Tsvankin (1995) demonstrated that for TI media with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI media), only two parameters are sufficient for performing all time-related processing, such as NMO correction (including nonhyperbolic moveout correction, if necessary), DMO correction, and prestack and poststack time migration. One of these parameters, η, is dimensionless; its departure from zero implies anisotropy. The other parameter, Vnmo, is the short-spread NMO velocity for horizontal reflectors. These two parameters can be obtained solely from surface P -wave data, using estimates of stacking velocity for reflections from interfaces having two distinct dips (Alkhalifah and Tsvankin, 1995). VTI media induce nonhyperbolic moveout of reflections that depends on Vnmo and η at large offsets. Alkhalifah (1997) showed that these parameters can be obtained by analyzing the moveout at far offsets. The direct output from such an inversion (or velocity analysis) is the effective values of Vnmo and η that include the combined (average) influence of the overburden. These effective values are converted to interval values using layer-stripping techniques.

Using data from offshore Africa, Alkhalifah et al. (1996) showed that anisotropic …


Studies were conducted in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia (16°S, 69°W, 3810 m a.s.l.) to determine the effects of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR; 280‐400 nm) and the protective role of mycosporinelike amino acids (MAAs) in the calanoid copepod Boeckella titicacae (Harding). Zooplankton samples were taken from two different radiation environments: Lake Titicaca and a tank with running lake water, which was covered with layers of neutral-density screen for over a year, receiving ~10% of incident radiation. Samples collected from the lake had significantly higher amounts of MAAs compared with those from the tank. During short-term experiments (6‐8 h incubations; six radiation treatments using sharp cut-off Schott filters), significantly higher mortality was observed in B. titicacae from the tank than from the lake. The higher sensitivity of B. titicacae containing low amounts of MAAs (compared with specimens collected from the lake) was assessed through the determination of biological weighting functions (BWFs). A 3-day-long experiment performed with specimens collected from the lake indicated an increase in mortality as a function of UVR exposure, reaching values as high as 70% at the end of day 3 for those individuals that received full radiation compared with <10% for those that received only photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; 400‐700 nm). Concomitantly, a reduction in the concentration of UV-absorbing compounds as a function of UVR dose and decreasing wavelength was determined. The relatively high UVR dose threshold for mortality (~300 kJ m ‐2 ), as well as a comparison with related species, demonstrated the high resistance of B. titicacae to UVR. Our results indicate that this resistance is provided by the presence of protec


Pax genes encode for transcription factors important in cell differentiation and embryonic development. These genes are very much conserved in vertebrates and homologous genes are also present in lower eukaryotics. Pax genes are defined by the presence of the paired box, a sequence encoding for a protein domain able of sequence-specific DNA recognition. Full-length Pax protein control a large variety of developmental decisions. Mutations of Pax genes give rise to abnormal phenotypes both in human and mouse. Recently, various studies have revealed the role that Pax genes may have in human tumours. Both "in vitro" and "in vivo" assays demonstrate that these genes possess an oncogenic potential. Moreover, misexpression or structural alterations of these genes have been detected in several human tumours. Together with studies that have revealed the critical biochemical and biological properties of Pax proteins, in this review we focus on their relevance in human cancer and, in particular, on target genes that may mediate their biological effects. A systematic identification of genes which are targets of Pax proteins may have a great impact in understanding molecular basis of neoplastic disease.


A numerically efficient method for the evaluation of wide band scattering characteristics is presented. This approach, which is based on the characteristic basis function method (CBFM), utilises the characteristic basis functions (CBFs) that are derived for the highest frequency in the range of interest. These CBFs, once generated, also capture the electromagnetic behaviour of the lower frequencies as well. The use of these bases, which will be referred to as ultra-wide band characteristic basis functions (UCBFs), enables one to solve the scattering for any frequency sample in the band without going through the time-consuming process to generate the CBFs anew. Numerical results shown validate the accuracy and the time efficiency of this method.


The main feature of the malignant schwannoma matrix studied by means of monospecific polyclonal antibodies and method of indirect immunofluorescence is the presence of focally distributed deposits of type IV collagen. Besides this, collagen of types I, III, V and fibronectin are also found. Qualitatively, the extracellular matrix of both benign and malignant schwannoma is similar. The focal localization of type IV collagen is probably associated with areas of the anaplastic lemmocytes proliferation. It is suggested to use the obtained data for the differential diagnosis of malignant schwannoma and fibrosarcoma.


In this paper, a procedure is presented that will allow (i) the power and (ii) the energy of a pulsed and tuneable TEA CO2 laser to be optimized. This type of laser represents a significant improvement in performance and portability. Combining a pulse mode with a grating tuning facility, it enables us to scan the working wavelength between 9.2 and 10.8 µm instead of the typical 1064 nm for other infrared lasers. Along the way, the study proved that there are many factors which could be improved in order to get even better results. Following an adequate procedure, the energy values could be optimized in intensity and stability, and therefore indirectly laser power. In addition, the same procedure allowed us to check the wavelengths of the laser emission lines in the absence of a spectrometer, using a previously established conversion table of the grating position versus line designation. This work is mainly intended for graduate and experimental physicists. This experimental work is being performed in our Physics Group at the New University of Lisbon, targeting physics students at the graduation level, in the aim of Bologna Master's degree.


Background: Lateral hinge fracture (LHF) is a major complication of opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) and may result in poor outcomes. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to develop preventive strategies by identifying factors that affect LHFs. We hypothesized that (1) each LHF type would have different affecting factors and that (2) specific operative strategies that can contribute to the prevention of each LHF type can be developed. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 261 consecutive knees treated with biplanar OWHTO between March 2014 and December 2017. Perioperative radiological variables that can affect LHFs were measured and divided into 2 categories: unmodifiable and modifiable. A regression model was developed, and subgroup analyses involving comparisons between the non-LHF group and each LHF group were performed. The weightbearing line (WBL) ratio was measured at 2 weeks and 1 year after surgery to determine the serial changes in each LHF type. Results: A total of 66 knees (25.3%) were diagnosed with LHFs. From these, 26 (39.4%), 13 (19.7%), 15 (22.7%), and 12 (18.2%) showed type I, II, III, and I-variant LHFs, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, a larger posterior gap and distance X and a smaller fibular height (FH) were significant unmodifiable factors, while the retrotubercular thickness was a significant modifiable factor, for type I LHF. For type II LHF, a smaller lateral condylar slope and a larger distance X were significant unmodifiable factors, while the lateral distal fragment thickness and the osteotomy-condylar angle were significant modifiable factors. For type III LHF, a larger lateral condylar width and distance X and a smaller FH were significant unmodifiable factors, while the lateral proximal fragment thickness and the retrotubercular angle (RA) were significant modifiable factors. A smaller FH and a larger distance X were significant unmodifiable factors for type I-variant LHFs, while the lateral thickness ratio and the RA were significant modifiable factors. Between postoperative week 2 and 1 year, the WBL ratio decreased in cases with type I LHFs (P < .001) and increased in those with type II (P = .001) and type I-variant (P = .006) LHFs. Conclusion: Unmodifiable and modifiable factors for the development of LHFs after OWHTO differ among LHF types. To prevent LHFs, the causes of each LHF must be identified, the patient's specific geometry be considered in the preoperative planning, and the surgical technique be modified according to the modifiable factors. In addition, during the rehabilitation period after OWHTO, specific caution and close observation are necessary for alignment changes related to each LHF type.


OBJECTIVE
24.1% of COVID-19 cases reported in Spain from the start of the COVID-19 alert until 29 May 2020 were in healthcare workers. The aim was to describe the demographic, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of Primary Care professionals notified for suspected or contact COVID-19 and to know the factors associated with the severity of the disease. This will allow the development of risk prevention strategies in Primary Care professionals.

METHODS
We included all Primary Care professionals of the Territorial Management of Barcelona (GTBCN) notified as suspicion or contact with COVID-19 between March 15 and June 15, 2020. Demographic, clinical and epidemiological variables of the professionals and episodes reported were collected, as well as possible risk factors associated with severity. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS
1,511 episodes corresponding to 1,427 professionals (31.3% of the GTBCN staff) were reported. 76.4% were women, with a mean age of 45.32 years. Of the professionals reported, 28.5% presented COVID-19 in some episode, and of these 18.2% presented severe symptomatology. Risk factors associated with severity were: respiratory pathology (OR: 2.54, 95%CI: 1.16-5.56) and neoplasia (OR: 4.48, 95%CI: 1.38-14.55).

CONCLUSIONS
The proportion of professionals notified due to suspicion or contact with COVID-19 is similar to that observed in other studies, being mostly concentrated in the care categories of primary care teams. The factors associated with symptom severity were previous respiratory disease and neoplasia.


Intervention effectiveness does not only depend on fidelity of intervention delivery, but also the enactment, or use, of behavior change techniques (BCTs) by the participants. For example, it is not sufficient that intervention provider prompts an intervention participant to self-monitor their physical activity, but crucially, the participant enacts self-monitoring. Theoretical and conceptual work integrating various strands of research into 'what a person can do for oneself' to change behavior is needed. This paper argues how this would aid in designing for, assessing, and promoting the use individuals' self-management techniques, and ultimately, our understanding of sustained behavior change. The recently published, integrative compendium of self-enactable techniques to change and self-manage motivation and behavior can act as a useful starting point for this work. An increased focus on the enactment of BCTs would help clarify intervention processes, help explain trial outcomes, and potentially enhance intervention effectiveness.


This study aimed to describe the improvement in the learning of appreciative short-story listening through a cooperative learning strategy. It employed an action research design. The data were those of the implementation of the learning of appreciative listening, which included pre-listening, listening, and post-liste ning stages. The data collecting instruments consisted of an observation guide, accompanied by a tape recorder and field notes, and a rubric for the analysis of the appreciative listening results. The findings showed that the cooperative learning strategy was effective in the whole learning process of listening. The students attained a mean of 91.6 (very good) at the end of Cycle I and a mean of 93 (very good) at the end of Cycle II.


Vehicle suspension optimisation is a complex and difficult task, as there are a variety of factors influencing the dynamic performance of a vehicle. During suspension development, the optimisation of a selected few of these factors is often to the detriment of others, as they are all inter-related. In addition, expertise in vehicle setup and suspension tuning is scarce, and is limited to experienced racing teams and large automotive manufacturers with extensive research and development capabilities. With the onset of digital data acquisition, it has become feasible to take real-time measurements of tyre temperatures, to provide information on how a tyre is performing at a specific point on the track. Measuring the tyre surface temperature can provide a useful indication on whether the tyre is loaded equally or not, and what suspension adjustments should be made to improve tyre load distribution. In this research project, the authors focussed on four crucial areas, namely the analysis of tyre operating temperatures, tyre camber settings, tyre pressures and tyre dynamic load distribution. This test data was then used to experimentally determine optimum values for the above parameters, in order to ensure that the vehicle made the best use of the available tyre grip and therefore maximised dynamic performance.


Photonic-crystal fibers provide a high efficiency of frequency upconversion of regeneratively amplified femtosecond pulses of a Cr: forsterite laser, permitting the generation of subpicosecond anti-Stokes pulses with a smooth temporal envelope and a linear positive chirp, ideally suited for femtosecond coherent nonlinear spectroscopy. These pulses from a photonic-crystal fiber were cross correlated in our experiments with the femtosecond second-harmonic output of the Cr: forsterite laser in toluene solution, used as a test object, in boxcars geometry to measure the spectra of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) of toluene molecules (XFROG CARS).


Economists broadly agree on many key economic policy issues, but economics as a discipline has provided much less guidance on why and how economic policy reform occurs and how to develop institutional mechanisms that enable governments to adopt "good" economic policy. Political scientists are adept at identifying coalitions, constituencies, institutions, and interest groups, but they less commonly examine the implications for economic policy. Thus, work at the intersection between economics and politics—of why and how policy reform takes place—remains relatively unexplored territory. This is especially so in developing countries where political processes are more personalistic, institutions often less well established, outcomes more fluid, and the detailed case study literature on economic policy making still in its infancy. This paper provides an analytical survey of economic policy reform in Southeast Asia. It ranges across the major policy U-turns and the incremental reforms, with special reference to macroeconomic management and trade policy. On the basis of several case studies and set against the broader international literature, we advance nine conclusions on the political economy of reform.


Solar system objects with perihelia beyond the orbit of Jupiter (q > 5 au) are too cold for water ice to generate an appreciable coma via sublimation. Despite this, numerous high-perihelion objects (HPOs) including many comets and recently escaped Kuiper Belt objects (Centaurs) are observed to be active out at least to the orbit of Saturn (q ∼ 10 au). Peak equilibrium temperatures at 10 au (∼125 K), while far too low to sublimate water ice, are sufficient to sublimate supervolatiles such as CO and CO2 ice. Temperatures at 10 au are also high enough to trigger the rapid crystallization of exposed amorphous ice, thus constituting another possible driver of distant activity. While supervolatile ices can sublimate strongly (as ) to at least Kuiper Belt (30 au) distances, crystallization is an exponential function of temperature that cannot be sustained much beyond ∼10 au. The heliocentric dependence of the activity thus suggests an observational test. If activity in high-perihelion objects is triggered by crystallization, then no examples of activity should be found with perihelia of q ≫ 10 au. If, on the other hand, activity is due to free sublimation of exposed supervolatile ices, or another cause, then distant activity might be detected. We obtained sensitive, high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope observations of HPOs to search for activity beyond the crystallization zone. No examples of activity were detected in 53 objects with q > 15 au, consistent with the crystallization trigger hypothesis. However, sensitivity limits are such that we cannot reject the alternative hypothesis that mass loss is driven by the sublimation of supervolatile ices. We also searched for binary companions in our sample, finding none and setting an empirical 3σ limit to the binary fraction of <8%.


The object of this paper is to explore the operation of s. 14(3) of the Sale of Goods Act of 1896(Qld) and its effect upon the buyer's right to reject goods under a sale of goods contract. Part 1 examines severable contracts and the circumstances in which a buyer may reject goods under such a contract. Part 2 — the pith of the paper — examines contracts for sales of specific goods and the buyer's right to reject such goods. Conjunctively, some attention will be given to inducement into contracts as a result of innocent misrepresentation. Queensland's Sale of Goods Act maintains in s. 14(3), in contracts for the sale of specific goods, the notorious provision terminating the right of rescission (and rejection) upon the passing of property in the goods. Some scrutiny of cases involving misrepresentation will, it is submitted, amplify the shortcomings of that section. In Part 3 a brief comparison with the English and United States positions will provide a basis for arguing for the reform of s. 14(3). It is submitted that reform of s. 14(3) is necessary because, although the Trade Practices Act, 1974 (C'wth) provides, by way of rescission, a wider remedy for breach of contractual condition than does the Sale of Goods Act, the former Act is inapplicable unless a transaction falls within its qualifying provisions. Thus, for example, the Sale of Goods Act remains highly relevant where the contracting parties are two consumers or sole traders or partnerships contracting with consumers or each other.


Hannah Arendt And Education: Renewing Our Common World is the first book to bring together a collection of essays on Hannah Arendt and education. The contributors contend that Arendt offers a unique perspective, one which enhances the liberal and critical traditions' call for transforming education so that it can foster the values of democratic citizenship and social justice. They focus on a wide array of Arendtian concepts-such as natality, action, freedom, public space, authority and judgment-which are particularly relevant for education in a democratic society. Teachers, educators, and citizens in general who are interested in democratic or civic education would benefit from reading this book.


Pressure effects on both the curvature and phase behavior of water-in-oil microemulsions (swollen reverse micelles) are predicted with a unified classical and molecular thermodynamic theory developed by Peck et al. (this issue). The theory is used to identify quantitatively the roles of the intramicellar interfacial interactions and micelle-micelle interactions. A supplementary molecular model is used to calculate the strength of attractive intermicellar interactions over a wide range of conditions, based on previous small-angle neutron-scattering data. An important distinction is made between systems with a small water-to-oil ratio and those where the water-to-oil ratio is much larger, on the order of unity. In the latter the micelle radius is controlled primarily by intramicellar interfacial interactions, specifically the enthalpic propane-surfactant tail interactions. For a small water-to-oil ratio, the micelle radius is limited by attractive micelle-micelle interactions. As pressure increases, the radius increases but eventually reaches a maximum governed by the intramicellar interfacial interactions. There is good agreement between the predictions and experiments over a wide range of water-to-oil ratios.


The X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM) is the second cornerstone mission of the ESA Horizon 2000 Science Programme. When launched in late 1999 it will provide a world-class Observatory facility for X-ray astronomers. This paper describes the overall concept of the mission, including the spacecraft bus, the instruments and the innovative replicated optics that produce images of better than 20 arcsecs Half Energy Width, and a total geometric collection area of more than 4500 cm 2. The observatory is unique in that it will provide simultaneously, high throughput non-dispersive spectroscopic imaging (EPIC instrument), medium resolution dispersive spectroscopy (Reeection Grating Spectrometer) and op-tical/UV imaging and timing from a co-aligned instrument (Optical Monitor). We describe some of the operational aspects and provide a brief description of the scientiic potential of the payload.


Abstract Displays of eye movements may convey information about cognitive processes but require interpretation. We investigated whether participants were able to interpret displays of their own or others' eye movements. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants observed an image under three different viewing instructions. Then they were shown static or dynamic gaze displays and had to judge whether it was their own or someone else's eye movements and what instruction was reflected. Participants were capable of recognizing the instruction reflected in their own and someone else's gaze display. Instruction recognition was better for dynamic displays, and only this condition yielded above chance performance in recognizing the display as one's own or another person's (Experiments 1 and 2). Experiment 3 revealed that order information in the gaze displays facilitated instruction recognition when transitions between fixated regions distinguish one viewing instruction from another. Implications of these findings are discussed.


In this paper we analyze the relationship between income and health expenditure in 31 OECD countries. We focus on the difference between short and long term multipliers and we also check the adjustment process of health care expenditure to changes in per capita GDP and its main components. In both cases we test if results differ in countries with a higher share of private expenditure on total health expenditure. Econometric results show that the long-run multiplier is close to unity, that health expenditure is more sensitive to per capita income cyclical movements than to trend movements, and that those countries with a higher share of private health expenditure fit faster and following a different pattern.


An acute abdomen is a clinical condition characterized by severe abdominal pain that develops suddenly over several hours or less [1]. Abdominal tenderness and rigidity, either generalized or localized, usually are severe and indicate an urgent need for prompt diagnosis and treatment. The underlying cause of acute abdomen varies, and some cases require immediate surgical treatment, whereas for others, surgery is unnecessary or contraindicated. This need for prompt diagnosis and treatment should not preclude an appropriate investigation to establish the precise diagnosis before undertaking surgery [1, 2].


Introduction : The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dovitinib (TKI258), a small-molecule dual inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) in mouse models of human breast cancer. Molecular epidemiological studies have implicated that FGFR1 and FGFR2 gene amplification plays a critical role in breast cancer tumorigenesis. FGFR1 gene amplification correlates with gene expression and is associated with poor prognosis in patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumors. Dual FGFR/VEGFR inhibitory activities of dovitinib make it an attractive molecule for targeting breast cancer. Experimental Design : Dovitinib was evaluated in 3 primary human breast carcinoma xenograft models with different histological and molecular profiles: a triple-negative breast cancer model (HBCx-15), a HER2+ model (HBCx-5), and an ER+ model (HBCx-3). Dovitinib was administered orally at 20- and 40-mg/kg dose levels (n = 8–10/group), once daily for 21 consecutive days. Results : At a dose of 40 mg/kg, dovitinib demonstrated strong antitumor efficacy as a single agent, particularly in the ER+ HBCx-3 and the HER2+ BCx-5 tumor models (ΔT/T0 = −26.42% and ΔT/ΔC = 5.09%, respectively), whereas the response was less significant in the triple negative breast cancer HBCx-15 model (ΔT/ΔC = 31.7%). Conclusion : Dovitinib showed significant antitumor effect in human breast cancer xenograft mouse models. This study provides a strong rationale for clinical investigation of dovitinib in patients with advanced breast cancer, particularly in patients with ER+ and HER2+ disease. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-17-11.


DNA damage response (DDR) pathways have been extensively studied in cancer cell lines and mouse models, but little is known about how DNA damage is recognized by different cell types in nonmalignant, slowly replicating human tissues. Here, we assess, using ex vivo cultures of human prostate tissue, DDR caused by cytotoxic drugs (camptothecin, doxorubicin, etoposide, and cisplatin) and ionizing radiation (IR) in the context of normal tissue architecture. Using specific markers for basal and luminal epithelial cells, we determine and quantify cell compartment-specific damage recognition. IR, doxorubicin, and etoposide induced the phosphorylation of H2A.X on Ser(139) (gH2AX) and DNA damage foci formation. Surprisingly, luminal epithelial cells lack the prominent gH2AX response after IR when compared with basal cells, although ATM phosphorylation on Ser(1981) and 53BP1 foci were clearly detectable in both cell types. The attenuated gH2AX response seems to result from low levels of total H2A.X in the luminal cells. Marked increase in p53, a downstream target of the activated ATM pathway, was detected only in response to camptothecin and doxorubicin. These findings emphasize the diversity of pathways activated by DNA damage in slowly replicating tissues and reveal an unexpected deviation in the prostate luminal compartment that may be relevant in prostate tumorigenesis. Detailed mapping of tissue and cell type differences in DDR will provide an outlook of relevant responses to therapeutic strategies. TSC model presented can also be used for functional genomic studies, cellular and tumor biology as well as for drug response testing. Citation Format: Taija M. af Hallstrom, Sari Jaamaa, Anna Sankila, Tuomas Mirtti, Ville Rantanen, Hannu Koistinen, Ulf-Hakan Stenman, Zhewei Zhang, Zhiming Yang, Angelo M. De Marzo, Kimmo Taari, Mirja Ruutu, Leif C. Andersson, Marikki Laiho. DNA damage responses in different cell types of nonproliferating human prostate tissue. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 626. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-626


Describes an interactive dynamic simulator for virtual environments which allows user interaction via a haptic interface. The interactive simulation is performed in our testbed dynamic simulator I-GMS (Interactive Generalized Motion Simulator), which has been developed in an object-oriented framework for simulating motions of free bodies and complex linkages such as those needed for robotic systems or human body simulation. User interaction is achieved by performing push and pull operations via the PHANToM haptic device which runs as on integrated part of I-GMS. We demonstrate the user interaction capability of I-GMS through online editing of trajectories for a 6-DOF robot manipulator.


Significant decline of biodiversity in farmlands has been reported for several decades. To limit the negative impact of agriculture, many agro-environmental schemes have been implemented, but their effectiveness remains controversial. In this context, the study of economic drivers is helpful to understand the role played by farming on biodiversity. The present paper analyzes the impact of risk aversion on farmland biodiversity. Here "risk aversion" means a cautious behavior of farmers facing uncertainty. We develop a bio-economic model that articulates bird community dynamics and representative farmers selecting land uses within an uncertain macro-economic context. It is specialized and calibrated at a regional scale for France through national databases. The influence of risk aversion is assessed on ecological, agricultural, and economic outputs through projections at the 2050 horizon. A high enough risk aversion appears sufficient to both manage economic risk and promote ecological performance. This occurs through a diversification mechanism on regional land uses. However, economic calibration leads to a weak risk-aversion parameter, which is consistent with the current decline of farmland birds. Spatial disparities however suggest that public incentives could be necessary to reinforce the diversification and bio-economic effectiveness.