ERp57 is a thiol oxidoreductase of the endoplasmic reticulum that appears to be recruited to substrates indirectly through its association with the molecular chaperones calnexin and calreticulin. However, its functions in living cells have been difficult to demonstrate. During the biogenesis of class I histocompatibility molecules, ERp57 has been detected in association with free class I heavy chains and, at a later stage, with a large complex termed the peptide loading complex. This implicates ERp57 in heavy chain disulfide formation, isomerization, or reduction as well as in the loading of peptides onto class I molecules. In this study, we show that ERp57 does indeed participate in oxidative folding of the heavy chain. Depletion of ERp57 by RNA interference delayed heavy chain disulfide bond formation, slowed folding of the heavy chain α3 domain, and caused slight delays in the transport of class I molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. In contrast, heavy chain-β2-microglobulin association kinetics were normal, suggesting that the interaction between heavy chain and β2 -microglobulin does not depend on an oxidized α3 domain. Likewise, the peptide loading complex assembled properly, and peptide loading appeared normal upon depletion of ERp57. These studies demonstrate that ERp57 is involved in disulfide formation in vivo but do not support a role for ERp57 in peptide loading of class I molecules. Interestingly, depletion of another thiol oxidoreductase, ERp72, had no detectable effect on class I biogenesis, consistent with a specialized role for ERp57 in this process.


Short-term sprint cycling performance recovery was investigated, with consideration to the Match Sprint. Fifteen strength-trained men (age: 24 ± 6 years; height: 1.81 ± 0.08 m; body mass: 83.4 ± 8.4 kg) were first familiarised with an 18 s sprint. During the baseline trial, blood lactate concentration, tissue saturation index, and oxygen uptake were monitored following a single sprint. In the remaining trials, the recovery duration (45, 90, 135, 180, 360, and 720 s) between two sprints was varied. Peak (PPO) and mean (MPO) power output were computed for each sprint. The recovery percentage of MPO and the recovery time-course of the physiological variables were modelled using one- and two-phase exponential functions. Statistical significance was set a priori at p < 0.05. Effects of sprint number, recovery time, and a sprint number × recovery time interaction were found for both PPO and MPO. Post hoc tests revealed significant differences between sprints at all time-points for both variables. The time constant (τ), 130.6 ± 95.6 s, of the one-phase exponential function (asymptotic amplitude [A0] = 97.4 ± 2.5%), suggested that performance recovery had stabilised within 12 minutes. However, the parameters of the two-phase function indicated that recovery was incomplete (A0 = 87.7 ± 6.4%, A1 = 11.9 ± 5.2%, τ0 = 56.3 ± 33.3 s, τ1 = 458.2 ± 283.3 s). The τ for MPO recovery was not significantly correlated with any of the physiological variables. The reduction in sprint cycling performance throughout the tested time-period could be meaningful for athletes competing in the Match Sprint.


Single-crystal high-pressure X-ray diffraction studies on the protein crystals of orthorhombic and tetragonal hen egg-white lysozyme polymorphs were carried out using a Merrill-Bassett diamond-anvil cell, image-plate detector and synchrotron radiation. The orthorhombic crystal has been squeezed to 85.5% of its ambient pressure volume at about 1.0 GPa; the crystal compresses anisotropically, and neither a glass transition or denaturation was observed. The tetragonal polymorph of lysozyme undergoes amorphization at pressures about 0.2 GPa.


Chemical bonding between the constituent phases of composite materials is necessary to ensure that the mechanical reinforcement of the dispersed phase is transferred to the bulk properties of the composite. At a chemical structural level of a polymer composite, the interfacial region is comprised of molecules of the polymer matrix bonded to the surface of the filler particle. This interfacial-bonding region is termed the "interphase" and results from the confining effect that the rigid filler particles have on the mobility of the polymer molecules in the matrix. In composite systems containing a large concentration of filler particles or a high filler surface area, the properties of the interphase region may have a pronounced effect on the bulk properties of the composite. In this paper, a microstructural model called the interphase power law model (IPL Model) is described in which the physical, chemical and electrical characteristics of the interphase region may be determined. The IPL Model is based on a simple extension of a general power law model in which a composite system containing filler, interphase and matrix regions may be treated as a unique three-component composite system comprising two primary components (matrix and filler) and an interphase region that is inextricably dependent upon the characteristics of the filler and matrix components. The IPL Model provides a means to determine the interphase properties and volume fraction of the overall composite system. The cause and effects of the interphase region on a variety of complex composite systems is investigated. Effects of the composite filler types and filler surface areas as well as the dielectric characteristics of the interphase region are explored.


Abstract Mylabris mongolica Dokhtouroff, 1887 is a traditional medicine material and an important predator in China. The mitochondrial genome of M. mongolica is presented for the first time in this study. The mitogenome is 15,034 bp in length and comprises 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and partial control region. The nucleotide composition of M. mongolica was 36.7% of A, 18.1% of C, 11.1% of G, and 34.1% of T. The phylogenetic results divide all Meloidae species into two clades. The genus Mylabris was retrieved as a paraphyletic group, with Mylabris having a closer relationship with Hycleus than other genera within Meloidae. This study provides useful genetic data for future studies on the phylogeny and evolution of Meloidae species.


Summary In some biomedical studies involving clustered binary responses (say, disease status), the cluster sizes can vary because some components of the cluster can be absent. When both the presence of a cluster component as well as the binary disease status of a present component are treated as responses of interest, we propose a novel two‐stage random effects logistic regression framework. For the ease of interpretation of regression effects, both the marginal probability of presence/absence of a component as well as the conditional probability of disease status of a present component, preserve the approximate logistic regression forms. We present a maximum likelihood method of estimation implementable using standard statistical software. We compare our models and the physical interpretation of regression effects with competing methods from literature. We also present a simulation study to assess the robustness of our procedure to wrong specification of the random effects distribution and to compare finite‐sample performances of estimates with existing methods. The methodology is illustrated via analyzing a study of the periodontal health status in a diabetic Gullah population.


Kangshen granule, containing 12 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine, has complex composition. A new method for the determination of puerarin in Kangshen granule was developed using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled with matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry and ultraviolet detection (RP-HPLC/MALDI-TOF MS/UV). The sample was separated by RP-HPLC with a non-linear gradient elution, and then was qualitatively detected by mass spectrometry to identify the puerarin peak. The chromatographic process was performed on a YMC-ODS column under the optimized conditions with a mobile phase consisting of methanol, water and 0.1% TFA, and detected at 250 nm. The linear range of puerarin was from 0. 132 to 1.32 microg (r = 0.9997). The recovery was higher than 103% and the relative standard deviation was lower than 2.0% (n=6). The puerarin content in Kangshen granule sample was determined and the puerarin content was 3.09 mg/g. The method is simple and feasible for the determination of puerarin with a good repeatability. The method can be used for quality control of Kangshen granule.


Decision making is used for the selection oriented process. But can we use it in the field of healthcare is the biggest question. The answer is yes here also we can have with machine learning (ML) classifiers like Decision Tree (DT), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and neural network (NN). In the case of breast cancer (BC) disease, we can predict using machine learning classifiers. For this, original BC samples experiment. Our model named clustering based feature selection (CFS) intends to increase the accuracy and to reduce the feature dimension. We experiment the classifiers in three stages: 1. all features of BC, 2. DT based cluster, and 3. Feature selection. In all feature, RF achieves 99.10% accuracy, in DT based cluster RF, achieves 99.37% accuracy, and finally in cluster-based feature selection (CFS) with only four features the RF achieves 99.50% accuracy. The experimental results of our CFS approach along with DT, RF, SVM, and NN classifier along with its performance are presented.


BACKGROUND
In this part of the study, where we determined the causes of preeclampsia and other obstetric complications, we focused on the role of tissue factor (TF) in the activation of these pathophysiological processes. Recent findings attribute a significant part of the activation of coagulation creation of autoantibodies. Once this mechanism is activated, the antibodies induce expression of tissue factor (TF, CD142) on monocytes and vascular endothelial cells.

METHODS
We have proposed a monitor activation model of the coagulation system in preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications using TF expression on monocytes by flow cytometry and simultaneous determination the TF-induced thrombin generation in plasma. To determine expression of tissue factor (CD142) on monocytes, we proposed a method of multicolor flow cytometry using anti CD45 PerCP, anti CD14 APC, anti CD16b FITC, and anti CD142 PE antibodies and the corresponding isotype controls.

RESULTS
We verified the model on patients with severe antiphospholipid syndrome, which is a high expression of antibodies, in particular against beta-2GPI.

CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated complete inhibition of TF expression on monocytes and a significant reduction of thrombin generation in plasma.


Scour is a natural phenomenon that is created by the rivers streams or the flood which brings about transferring or eroding of bed materials. To have accurate and safe erosion control structures design, maximum scour depth in downstream of the structures gains specific significance. In the current study, M5 model tree as remedy data mining approaches is suggested to estimate the scour depth around the abutments. To do this, Kayaturk laboratory data (2005), with different hydraulic conditions, are used. Then, the results of M5 model were also compared with genetic programming (GP) and pervious empirical results to investigate the applicability, ability, and accuracy of these procedures. To examine the accuracy of the results yielded from the M5 and GP procedures, two performance indicators (determination coefficient (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE)) were used. The comparison test of results clearly shows that the implementation of M5 technique sounds satisfactory regarding the performance indicators (R = 0.944 and RMSE = 0.126) with less deviation from the numerical values. In addition, M5 tree model, by presenting relationships based on liner regression, has good capability to estimate the depth of scour abutment for engineers in practical terms.


Hydrogen peroxide is suspected of being highly implicated in mushroom nutrition and in substrate bleaching during cultivation. The parameters for measuring H2O2 in compost samples were examined and the methodology was applied to samples from both compost colonized by cultivars and wild isolates of Agaricus bisporus, and wheat straw or coffee pulp colonized by Pleurotus spp. Laccase and peroxidase activities were also measured. H2O2 concentration measured after heating at 80 °C for inactivating laccases and peroxidases was probably both H2O2 pre-existing in the compost and H2O2 generated from quinones and active oxygen species. This potential H2O2 concentration increased during the vegetative growth for all the strains, in agreement with a direct relationship between H2O2 concentration and active biomass of A. bisporus or Pleurotus spp. in their cultivation substrates. Correlations were observed between H2O2 concentration and manganese peroxidase activity in cultivation substrates at the stage of primordia formation. At this stage of development, H2O2 generation via biotic or abiotic mechanisms should be an important physiological trait of mushrooms. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry


Objective: To assess the bioequivalence of single dose trazodone hydrochloride USP 100 mg tablets administered as an oral dose under fed condition. Methods:This study was an open-label, balanced, randomized, two-sequence, two-treatment, two-period, single oral dose, crossover bioequivalence study in healthy, adult, human subjects under fed conditions. After an overnight fast of at least 10 h, the subjects were served a high fat and high calorie vegetarian breakfast, which they were required to consume within 30 min. A single oral dose (100 mg) of either the test or the reference product was administered to the subjects. The primary pharmacokinetic parameters, maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) from time zero to last measurable concentration (AUC0−t) and extrapolated to infinity (AUC0−∞) were compared by an analysis of variance using log-transformed data. Bioequivalence was concluded if the 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the adjusted geometric mean (gMean) ratios for Cmax and AUC were within the predetermined range of 80–125%, in accordance with regulatory requirements. Results:For the test formulation, the trazodone gMean Cmax was 1480.9 ng/mL (vs. 1520.2 ng/mL for reference), AUC0−t was 18193.0 ng·h/mL (vs. 18209.8 ng·h/mL) and AUC0−∞ was 19346.3 ng·h/mL (vs. 19393.4 ng·h/mL). The 90% CIs for the ratio (test/reference) were 93.0–102.0% for Cmax, 96.7–103.2% for AUC0−t and 96.1–103.5% for AUC0−∞. There were no deaths or serious adverse events during the conduct of the study. Conclusion:Test product when compared with the Reference product meets the bioequivalence criteria with respect to the extent of absorption of trazodone under fed condition.


We present novel voltage stimulation buffers with controlled output current, along with recording circuits featuring adjustable high-pass cut-off filtering to perform efficient stimulation while actively suppressing stimulation artifacts in high-density microelectrode arrays. Owing to the dense packing and close proximity of the electrodes in such systems, a stimulation through one electrode can cause large electrical artifacts on neighboring electrodes that easily saturate the corresponding recording amplifiers. To suppress such artifacts, the high-pass corner frequencies of all available 2048 recording channels can be raised from several Hz to several kHz by applying a "soft-reset" or pole-shifting technique. With the implemented artifact suppression technique, the saturation time of the recording circuits, connected to electrodes in immediate vicinity to the stimulation site, could be reduced to less than 150 μs. For the stimulation buffer, we developed a circuit, which can operate in two modes: either control of only the stimulation voltage or control of current and voltage during stimulation. The voltage-only controlled mode employs a local common-mode feedback operational transconductance amplifier with a near rail-to-rail input/output range, suitable for driving high-capacitive loads. The current/voltage controlled mode is based on a positive current conveyor generating adjustable output currents, whereas its upper and lower output voltages are limited by two feedback loops. The current/voltage controlled circuit can generate stimulation pulses up to 30 μA with less than ±0.1% linearity error in the low-current mode and up to 300 μA with less than ±0.2% linearity error in the high-current mode.


Abstract
The principle of alternate possibilities (PAP) says that you are morally praiseworthy or blameworthy for something you do only if you could have done otherwise. Frankfurt examples are putative counterexamples to PAP. These examples feature a failsafe mechanism that ensures that some agent cannot refrain from doing what she does without intervening in how she conducts herself, thereby supposedly sustaining the upshot that she is responsible for her behavior despite not being able to do otherwise. I introduce a Frankfurt example in which the agent who could not have done otherwise is God. Paying attention to the freedom requirements of moral obligation, the example is commissioned, first, to assess whether various states of affairs that are unavoidable for God can be obligatory for God and for which God can be praiseworthy. The example is, next, used to unearth problems with conventional Frankfurt examples that feature human agents. I argue that conceptual connections between responsibility and obligation cast suspicion on these examples. Pertinent lessons that the divine Frankfurt example helps to reveal motivate the view that divine foreknowledge and determinism, assuming that both preclude freedom to do otherwise, may well imperil obligation and responsibility.

ssuming that both preclude freedom to do otherwise, may well imperil obligation and responsibility.


The State and University Library Bremen (SuUB) is dedicated to the digitization of its historical collections. Digitization is an important instrument for improving the accessibility of valuable information contained in fragile historical documents. It facilitates academic research and teaching and is indispensable to the digital humanities. Especially the research of digital serial publications benefits from 'recent systematic digitization efforts, often initiated by libraries […]. More and more historical periodicals and other serial publications are now digitally available in full, i.e., all of their issues' [Piotrowski, this volume]. The historical journal presented in this article is one of these and the final section will discuss why it can be considered a complete corpus. Usually, digitization projects produce digital images, metadata for cataloguing and web-navigation purposes and OCR full text for searching. This information is made available through the library's web portal for digital collections. However, digital humanists need high-quality full texts enriched with metadata in the appropriate format to analyse them with powerful software tools.
The historical journal Die Grenzboten serves as an exemplary model to bridge the gap between digitization projects in libraries and research infrastructures. Die Grenzboten is a long running serial publication (1841 – 1922). It can be classified as a literary journal that also covered politics and arts. We demonstrate that OCR post correction and a page-wise structuring are prerequisites for the creation of a high-quality TEI version of a full text. The TEI version was created in cooperation with the Deutsches Textarchiv (DTA) at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW). A fully automated OCR post correction developed at the SuUB Bremen is freely available on GitHub.
To enable scientists to work with powerful software tools the transfer of high-quality full texts to research infrastructures is a necessary step. We describe transfers of full text and the experience we have made, but still some general questions persist: What has to be done to prepare raw OCR output for this purpose in a reasonable and cost-effective manner? What quality is needed or expected? Which metadata and file formats are needed? Should there not be a closer cooperation between research infrastructures and libraries handling the digitization? OCR full texts, even post corrected, are not perfect but character recognition rates around 99% certainly provide more options than just being used as a search index. There is a vast amount of textual resources available ready to be made fully accessible for scientific research! Finally, some suggestions for scholars and the researchers working on digital serial publications are given.


An algorithm for updating the linear and quadratic weights of a second-order Volterra filter (SVF) is proposed. This al- gorithm uses a fast Kalman filter algorithm to calculate the Kalman gain vector used in updating the linear and quadratic weights of the SVF. The convergence of the algorithm for the quadratic weights is established. A simulation is then performed in which a fast Kalman filter implementation of an SVF is compared to an LMS implementa- tion in a system identification problem. The fast Kalman filter imple- mentation is shown to converge to the unknown system parameters considerably faster than the LMS implementation.


The Data Rate Theorem that establishes a formal linkage between real-time linear control theory and information theory carries deep implications for the study of embodied cognition and its dysfunctions across human, machine, and composite man-machine cockpit entities. The stabilization of such cognition is a dynamic process deeply intertwined with it, constituting, in a sense, the riverbanks directing the flow of a stream of generalized consciousness. The fundamental role of culture in human life has long been understood. Here we argue that, not only is culture, in the words of the evolutionary anthropologist Robert Boyd, 'as much a part of human biology as the enamel on our teeth', but that it is an important part of the disorders of embodied cognition that different communities socially construct as mental illness. A shift in perspective on such illness is badly needed, from naive geneticism and a simplistic 'biomarker' focus to a broad cognitive theory that recognizes the central roles of culture, socioeconomic structure, their histories and their dynamics, in human development. Unfortunately, stabilizing analogs to cultural influence are unavailable to high-order real-time machine and cockpit systems that, increasingly, will be tasked with control of critical enterprises ranging from communication, power, and travel networks to nuclear and chemical reactors, organized deadly force, and so on.


Some engineering (physical and mechanical) properties of white kidney bean grains ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were determined as a function of moisture content in the range of 10.01 to 25.00% dry basis (d.b.). The average length, width and thickness were 8.638, 16.747 and 4.958 mm, at a moisture content of 10.01% d.b., respectively. Nonetheless, the thousand grain mass increased from 472.5 to 696.2 g, the projected area from 128.13 to 198.83 mm 2 , the true density from 1128.05 to 1290.85 kgm -3 , the porosity from 39.79 to 56.38% and the terminal velocity from 5.51 to 8.50 ms -1 in the moisture range from 10.01 to 25.01% d.b. The static coefficient of friction of white kidney bean grains increased linearly against surfaces of six structural materials, namely, rubber (0.501 to 0.727), stainless steel (0.384 to 0.468), aluminium (0.345 to 0.499), galvanized iron (0.346 to 0.489), medium density fibreboard (MDF) (0.325 to 0.426) and glass (0.287 to 0.345) as the moisture content increased from 10.01 to 25.00% d.b. The shelling resistance of white kidney bean grains decreased as the moisture content increased from 105.18 to 71.44 N. Key words: Engineering (physical and mechanical) properties, white kidney beans, moisture content, thousand grain mass, static coefficient of friction.


Introduction Autonomic disorders have been recognized as important Parkinson's disease (PD) components. Some vulnerable structures are related to the central autonomic network and have also been linked to autonomic function alterations. The aims of the study are to evaluate the severity of the autonomic dysfunction and the cortical hypoperfusion using arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI. And then, possible relationships of significant between-group differences in perfusion pattern to clinical variables and autonomic functions were examined to determine the pharmaceutical effects of dopaminergic treatment on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in patients with PD. Methods Brain ASL MRI was carried out in 20 patients with PD (6 men and 14 women, mean age: 63.3 ± 6.4 years) and 22 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers to assess whole-brain CBF and the effects of dopaminergic therapy on perfusion. All subjects underwent a standardized evaluation of cardiovagal and adrenergic function including a deep breathing, Valsalva maneuver, and 5-min head-up tilt test. Perfusion MRI data were acquired on a 3.0 T scanner with a pulsed continuous ASL technique. The CBF, autonomic parameters, and clinical data were analyzed after adjusting for age and sex. Results Patients exhibited a decline in autonomic function (rapid heart rate in response to deep breathing, low baroreflex sensitivity, high systolic and diastolic pressure, and altered tilting test response), widespread low CBF, and robust response to dopaminergic therapy. Lower perfusion in the middle frontal gyrus was associated with increased clinical disease severity (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale I score, P < 0.001). Lower perfusion in autonomic control areas, such as the frontal lobe and insula, were significantly associated with autonomic impairment (P < 0.001). Conclusions Our study indicates that PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that changes the perfusion of central nervous system and is associated with variable autonomic dysfunctions. Neuronal loss and sympathetic activation may explain the interaction between cortical autonomic region perfusion and cardiovascular autonomic function.


In
this study we used molecular docking method to test 248 drugs related
to the virus research against spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. For
ten top-ranked drugs the binding sites and interactions with spike
glycoprotein were analyzed in detail. The
best-scored ligand is the natural biflavonoid amentoflavone. Nine of
twelve top-ranked ligands are drugs used for hepatitis C treatment.
Among them are ledipasvir, paritaprevir, elbasvir, simeprevir,
velpatasvir, glecaprevir and pibrentasvir. The
two first-ranked ligands (amentoflavone and ledipasvir) have
different binding
sites,
so their combined use may be effective, but the careful testing is
required. We
encourage other researchers
to explore the combination of amentoflavone and ledipasvir against
SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in vivo.


Mucosal vaccines constitute an advantageous immunization approach to achieve broad immunization against widespread diseases; however, improvements in this field are still required to expand their exploitation. As gold nanoparticles are biocompatible and can be easily functionalized with antigens, they have been proposed as carriers for the delivery of vaccines. The study of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in vaccinology has been of interest for a number of research groups in recent years and important advances have been made. This review provides a summary of the AuNPs synthesis methodologies and an updated overview of the current AuNPs-based vaccines under development. The implications of these advances for the development of new mucosal vaccines as well as future prospects for the field are discussed.


This article is a study of three major metaphors organizing nationalistic discourse about Cyprus in two online forums for Turkish university students. The analysis suggests that discussants symbolically warranted their constructions of the future of Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots with metaphors of blood and heroism that emphasized their personal and collective memory of sacrifice. Sports metaphors were used predominantly to convey a sense of the strategic importance of Cyprus. In addition, discussants employed gender and sexual metaphors to structure the tension between nationalist feelings associated with motherland Turkey as a pure, virgin female, and the geopolitical demands of the nation-state, portrayed as a father faced with uneasy choices.


A trans-azobenzene derivative with a long alkyl chain and a TEMPO radical showed photo-induced isomerization to become the corresponding cis-isomer with a significant change of its intermolecular magnetic interaction from a weak ferromagnetic one based on the CW model to a relatively strong antiferromagnetic one based on the ST model with the J-value of 36.7 K.


The diffusion model has shown remarkable success in computer vision, but it remains unclear whether ODE-based probability flow or SDE-based diffusion models are superior and under what circumstances. Comparing the two is challenging due to dependencies on data distribution, score training, and other numerical factors. In this paper, we examine the problem mathematically by examining two limiting scenarios: the ODE case and the large diffusion case. We first introduce a pulse-shape error to perturb the score function and analyze error accumulation, with a generalization to arbitrary error. Our findings indicate that when the perturbation occurs at the end of the generative process, the ODE model outperforms the SDE model (with a large diffusion coefficient). However, when the perturbation occurs earlier, the SDE model outperforms the ODE model, and we demonstrate that the error of sample generation due to pulse-shape error can be exponentially suppressed as the diffusion term's magnitude increases to infinity. Numerical validation of this phenomenon is provided using toy models such as Gaussian, Gaussian mixture models, and Swiss roll. Finally, we experiment with MNIST and observe that varying the diffusion coefficient can improve sample quality even when the score function is not well trained.


OBJECTIVE
Robotic adrenalectomy is one of the minimally invasive surgical methods gaining wide acceptance due to the three-dimensional imaging system and ergonomics of the equipment. We aimed to present the early data on patients who underwent robotic adrenalectomy due to adrenal masses in our hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The records of eight cases, in which a unilateral robotic trans-peritoneal adrenalectomy was conducted due to an adrenal mass between 2011 and 2013, have been evaluated. Demographic characteristics of cases, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, preoperative diagnosis, diameter and localization of the adrenal mass, operative time, blood loss, conversion rate to open surgery, morbidity and mortality rates, length of hospital stay, total hospital charges and postoperative pathologic results were considered.

RESULTS
The female to male ratio was 6:2, the median age was 49.5 (26-71) and the median BMI was 29.7 (21.7-38.5). An adrenalectomy was performed in six cases for a right adrenal mass and in two cases for a left adrenal mass. The mean tumor diameter was 53.6 mm (20-90). The average surgical time (including docking) was 98 min. (55-175 min.) and the average blood loss was 50 mL. The only complication was a diaphragm injury which was repaired robotically. There were no conversions to traditional laparoscopic or open surgery and there have not been any mortality in the series. The median length of hospital stay was 4.1 days (range 2-11) and the average cost was 3617.12 TL ($1808.56).

CONCLUSION
Robotic adrenalectomy is an effective and safe surgical alternative to laparoscopic adrenalectomy. However its high cost has emerged as its main disadvantage.


The diagnosis of IM is usually based on the evaluation of characteristic clinical, hematological, and serological changes. In most cases of IM, clinical diagnosis can be made from the characteristic triad of fever, pharyngitis, and cervical lymphadenopathy, lasting for 1 to 4 weeks. IM may be complicated by splenomegaly, hepatitis, pericarditis, or central nervous system involvement. Rare fatal primary infections occur in patients with histiocytic hemophagocytic syndrome or with a genetic X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome. Hematologic features of IM include lymphocytosis with prominent atypical lymphocytes. Because other diseases may mimic the clinical and hematological symptoms of IM, serological testing is essential for the most accurate diagnosis. Serological diagnosis of IM is demonstrated by the presence of heterophile and EBV antibodies in the sera of patients. 6, 7


Both Aestheticism and Ritualism were sites of conflict in late Victorian culture. Opponents of both movements had little doubt that they were connected and both were characterised as superficial rather that sincere, visual rather than textual and effeminate rather than manly. Despite the links made by contemporary critics, recent scholars normally treat the Aesthetic Movement as a secular trend. This paper will question this assumption by examining the common ground between the two movements through an examination of the designers and material culture associated with them.
Much of the literature that urged people to beautify their homes can be connected to the Anglican Church: William Loftie, editor of the Art at Home series, was a clergyman and Mrs Haweis, famous for her descriptions of Aesthetic homes, was married to a flamboyant cleric who had served as a curate in a well known Ritualist church. Ritualists and Aesthetes were often supplied by the same manufacturers and many objects and media developed for ecclesiastical interiors were adapted to suit more secular settings. Both areas were served by innovative retailers: the department stores, which had developed the capacity to sell entire interior schemes, were paralleled by church furnishing companies whose increasingly elaborate catalogues offered everything that could be desired for a church. At the top end of the market some companies supplied both sectors. Morris and Co., the best known example, initially relied heavily on the ecclesiastical market before moving in a more secular direction. It is likely that many people who lived in aesthetic interiors also frequented Ritualist churches, many of which were sited in the affluent suburbs commonly associated with the Aesthetic Movement.


We are currently using caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) infection in goats as a model to understand changes in some clinical parameters and host response to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The objective of this study was to measure changes in serum antioxidant activities in various age groups of goats infected with CAEV. Serum from CAEV-infected goats had significantly higher catalase activity (105.47 +/- 5.96 kU/l) than serum from healthy control goats (79.92 +/- 17.06 kU/l). Moreover, serum catalase activity increased with increase in the time after infection with CAEV. No change was observed in total superoxide dismutase (SOD) or glutathione peroxidase activity although CuZn SOD levels were elevated in infected goats. There was a positive correlation between serum catalase activity and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging activity (r = 0.70, p < 0.05). In order to investigate cell membrane integrity, we determined lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in infected goats. Although there was a transient increase in LDH no correlation was observed between increased serum catalase activity and LDH activity (r = 0.16, p > 0.05). We have earlier observed decreased oxyradical production in CAEV infected goats. This observed increase in serum catalase, a scavenger of endogenous free radicals such as H2O2 may be partly responsible for the observed decrease in oxygen radicals found in vivo.


Levcromakalim, a potassium channel activator reduces blood pressure and hence used in the management of hypertension, known to co-exist with diabetes mellitus; hence its effect on creatinine, urea and 24 hour urine output was investigated in streptozotocin- induced diabetic rats.
The rats were given levcromakalim (75 μg/kg/day) for 4 consecutive weeks, thereafter experimental diabetes mellitus was induced using streptozotocin (60 mg/kg).The rats were randomly placed into groups of 5 each and transferred to metabolic cages after treatment with glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), metformin (350 mg/kg) and insulin (5, 10, 20 and 40 i.u/kg).
The following parameters were investigated 24 hours after drug administration: plasma creatinine and urea, urine creatinine and urea, creatinine clearance and the 24 h urine volume.
The result points to a significant reduction (p<0.05) in the 24 h urine volume on treatment with levcromakalim in diabetic rats in comparison with those diabetic not treated with levcromakalim.
A significant reduction (p<0.05) of the plasma creatinine was also noted on treatment with levcromakalim in the diabetic rats, while an increase in urine creatinine was observed when compared with those not treated. Levcromakalim also significantly (p<0.05) increased the creatinine clearance of normal rats, those of the diabetic rats were not significant.
In conclusion treatment with levcromakalim affords a renoprotective effect to diabetic and normal rats as evident from its effect on plasma creatinine and the creatinine clearance. Secondly it also corrects polyuria a known symptom of diabetes mellitus.


We reanalyzed the seismic and deformation data corresponding to the preeruptive unrest on El Hierro (Canary Islands) in 2011. We considered new information about the internal structure of the island. We updated the seismic catalog to estimate the full evolution of the released seismic energy and demonstrate the importance of nonlocated earthquakes. Using seismic data and GPS displacements, we characterized the shear‐tensile type of the predominant fracturing and modeled the strain and stress fields for different time periods. This enabled us to identify a prolonged first phase characterized by hydraulic tensile fracturing, which we interpret as being related to the emplacement of new magma below the volcanic edifice on El Hierro. This was followed by postinjection unidirectional migration, probably controlled by the stress field and the distribution of the structural discontinuities. We identified the effects of energetic magmatic pulses occurring a few days before the eruption that induced shear seismicity on preexisting faults within the volcano and raised the Coulomb stress over the whole crust. We suggest that these magmatic pulses reflect the crossing of the Moho discontinuity, as well as changes in the path geometry of the dyke migration toward the surface. The final phase involved magma ascent through a prefractured crust.


We study the problem of propagating longitudinal waves in an elastic rod connected to a locally damaged foundation through a thin elastic layer. The motion of the rigid foundation blocks is considered predetermined. We formulated the initial-boundary problem for the Klein?Gordon equation with a discontinuous right-hand side. The nonstationary fields of displacements, velocities, and deformations were investigated by the Laplace integral transformation method. Examples of sudden divergence of fragments of the foundation by a given value and their mutual separation at a constant speed are considered.


This paper investigates the relationship between personality traits and female labor force participation. While research on the role of cognitive skills for individual labor market success has a long tradition in economics, comparatively little is known about the channels through which non-cognitive skills affect individual labor market behavior. There is striking evidence that personality traits play a major role in explaining individual differences in school attendance and school performance. However, comparatively little is known about how and which personality traits effect labor supply decisions. In this paper, we relate personality traits to preference parameters using a conventional structural framework of labor force participation. This allows us to separate the direct effects of personality traits affecting the individual participation decision through different individual preferences from the indirect effects through wages. We can show that personality traits play an important role in the female labor force participation decision. The channels through which personality traits effect labor force participation are manifold and depend on the specific trait. Aggregation of traits to a single index is therefore a suboptimal strategy.


The recruitment and retention of Natural Killer (NK) cells in the liver are thought to play an important role during hepatotropic infections and liver cirrhosis. The aims of this study were to determine differences between liver-derived and peripheral blood-derived NK cells in the context of liver inflammation and cirrhosis. We conducted a prospective dual-center cross-sectional study in patients undergoing liver transplantation or tumor-free liver resections, in which both liver tissue and peripheral blood samples were obtained from each consenting study participants. Intrahepatic lymphocytes and PBMCs were stained, fixed and analyzed by flow cytometry. Our results showed that, within cirrhotic liver samples, intrahepatic NK cells were particularly enriched for CD49a+ NK cells when compared to tumor-free liver resection samples. CD49a+ liver-derived NK cells included populations of cells expressing CD25, CD34 and CXCR3. Moreover, CD49a+CD25+ liver-derived NK cells exhibited high proliferative capacity in vitro in response to low doses of IL-2. Our study identified a specific subset of CD49a+CD25+ NK cells in cirrhotic livers bearing functional features of proliferation.


The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters of mutant O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) from Salmonella typhimurium LT-2 has been determined in order to obtain information on the chemical mechanism. The initial velocity pattern obtained by varying the concentrations of OAS at several fixed concentrations of TNB, shows an intersection on the left of the ordinate at pH 7.0, indicating that the kinetic mechanism is a sequential mechanism in which substrate inhibition by OAS is observed while the wild type enzyme showed a ping pong mechanism. The values of V/E_t, V/K_(OAS)E_t and V/K_(TNB)E_t decreased by about 68%, 14% and 16% as compared with the wild type enzyme. The V/K_(OAS) is a pK of 6.5 on the acid side of the pH profile, and the V/K_(TNB) is pH independent. As compared with the wild type enzyme, the pKs in the V/K profiles are shifted, reflecting that binding of the cofactor in free E:OAS is less asymmetric.


Lens culinaris Medik. ssp. culinaris is the only cultivated species in the genus Lens. Intensive selection pressure to develop new cultivars, a narrow genetic base, co-evolution of pathogens to partially resistant cultivars and other factors have accelerated susceptibility to different fungal diseases in this species. Few sources for resistance to stemphylium blight (SB) caused by Stemphylium botryosum Wallr. exist among commercial lentil cultivars. A total of 70 accessions were selected from seven species of the genus Lens to screen for SB resistance. The L. culinaris accessions were screened in four different environments, and the accessions of Lens ervoides, L. culinaris ssp. orientalis, Lens tomentosus,Lens nigricans, Lens odemensis and Lens lamottei in growth chamber or greenhouse experiments to identify resistance sources for potential use in lentil breeding. A highly aggressive isolate of SB was used as an inoculum to screen them under controlled conditions. Lentil cultivars 'Eston' (resistant) and 'CDC Glamis' (susceptible) were used as checks with consistent results in all experiments. Most of the L. culinaris accessions were susceptible to SB, whereas more than 70% of the wild lentil accessions had disease severity scores equal to or significantly lower than that of the SB-resistant check 'Eston'. Some wild species accessions previously identified with resistance to anthracnose (Colletotrichum truncatum) and ascochyta blight (Ascochyta lentis) were also highly resistant to SB. The highest frequency of resistance to SB was found in L. lamottei followed by L. ervoides of the secondary gene pool. These sources can potentially be used to develop new commercial cultivars with multiple or single disease resistance.


Mixed results have been published on the impact of the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its associated lockdown periods on academic functioning, mood, and health correlates such as alcohol consumption. Whereas a number of students report an impaired academic performance and increased alcohol intake during lockdown periods, other students report no change or an improvement in academic functioning and a reduced alcohol consumption. This data descriptor article describes the dataset of a study investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic functioning. To investigate this, an online survey was conducted among Dutch pharmacy students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers (postdocs) of Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey assessed possible changes in self-reported academic functioning, mood and health correlates such as alcohol consumption, perceived immune functioning and sleep quality. Retrospective assessments were made for four periods, including (1) the year 2019 (the period before COVID-19), (2) the first lockdown period (15 March–11 May 2020), (3) summer 2020 (no lockdown) and (4) the second lockdown (November 2020–April 2021). This article describes the content of the survey and corresponding dataset. The survey had a response rate of 24.3% and was completed by 345 participants.


Microtubules (MT), composed of a protein tubulin (TN) alpha,beta-heterodimer with concomitant other proteins, microtubule associated proteins (MAPs and tau), are known to be the main component of spindles in a mitotic apparatus of eucaryotic cells, and are also involved in many other basic and essential cell functions. There are a number of natural and synthetic compounds that interfere with MT function to cause the mitotic arrest of eucaryotic cells. Such antimitotic agents show a broad biological activity, and can be used for medicinal and agrochemical purposes. On the other hand, they are also important as the biochemical tools for understanding the dynamics of MT network. Most of such antimitotic agents, with a few exceptions, bind to beta-TN. Among them, colchicine (CLC), vinblastine (VLB) and taxol have been of major importance in biochemical studies of MT and in studies of their intracellular functions. The former two both inhibit MT assembly but their binding sites on beta-TN are different; CLC-site and VLB-site, and many MT inhibitors bind to either sites. Taxol bind to TN at a site other than CLC-site and VLB-site, and promote MT assembly. We have worked on a variety of antimitotic agents that bind to CLC, VLB or taxol-site, in discoveries, structures, biological actions and/or interactions with TN. In this paper, I summarized the results of our studies on VLB-site ligands; (1) rhizoxin (RZX), isolated as a phytotoxin produced by a plant pathogenic fungus, and its related compounds, (2) derivatives of ansamitocin P-3 (ASMP3) (maytansinoid: MAY), isolated as a cytotoxic metabolite of an Actinomycete, (3) phomopsin A (PMSA), isolated as a mycotoxin produced by a plant parasitic fungus, (4) dolastatin 10 (DLS10), isolated as a cytotoxic metabolite of a see animal, (5) ustiloxins (USL) A-F, isolated as a mycotoxin produced by a plant pathogenic fungus, (6) arenastation A (ARSA), isolated as a cytotoxic metabolite of a sponge, and its synthetic analogs. From our studies on interactions of these VLB-site ligands with TN, we showed that the presence of a distinct RZX/MAY-binding site which only partially overlap with VLB-site, and that PMSA, DLS10, USLs and ARSA bind to the RZX/MAY site. RZX, ASMP3 and ARSA inhibit the growth of a variety of fungi, including Aspergillus nidulans. In order to obtain information as to the drug-TN interaction at the RZX/MAY site, RZX-resistant beta-TN gene mutants were isolated from RZX-sensitive wild-type A. nidulans. In all the beta-TN gene mutants, single amino acid (100th) alteration, asparagine-to-isoleucine, was observed. Sequence displacement experiments confirmed that this alteration conferred resistance to RZX and ASMP3, and also to ARSA. This resistance mechanism was further verified with yeasts Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces serevisiae. All the natural ligands mentioned above show potent cytotoxicity against human and murine tumor cells, but VLB, PMSA, DLS10 and USLA are inactive to both RZX-sensitive and -resistant fungal strains.


Aim: To review the efficacy and safety of regimens containing anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and bevacizumab for patients with advanced nonsquamous, non-small-cell lung cancer. Methods: Sixteen eligible trials were assessed. Clinical outcomes and adverse events were integrated. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to PD-L1 expression and liver metastases. Results: For the PD-L1 high population, a PD-1 inhibitor plus platinum-doublet provided significant progression-free survival (PFS) benefit versus bevacizumab. While for patients harboring PD-L1 <50%, anti-PD-1/PD-L1-containing regimens performed comparably to bevacizumab. With regard to the liver metastatic population, there existed a trend that anti-PD-1 plus chemotherapy brought about PFS benefits. Conclusion: The preference for chemoimmunotherapy lacks sufficient evidence in patients harboring PD-L1 <50%. Direct head-to-head clinical trials are warranted to identify optimal therapeutic regimens for specific patients.


We present a probability-based model for estimating fire risk. Risk is defined using three probabilities: the probability of fire occurrence; the conditional probability of a large fire given ignition; and the unconditional probability of a large fire. The model is based on grouped data at the 1 km2-day cell level. We fit a spatially and temporally explicit non-parametric logistic regression to the grouped data. The probability framework is particularly useful for assessing the utility of explanatory variables, such as fire weather and danger indices for predicting fire risk. The model may also be used to produce maps of predicted probabilities and to estimate the total number of expected fires, or large fires, in a given region and time period. As an example we use historic data from the State of Oregon to study the significance and the forms of relationships between some of the commonly used weather and danger variables on the probabilities of fire. We also produce maps of predicted probabilities for the State of Oregon. Graphs of monthly total numbers of fires are also produced for a small region in Oregon, as an example, and expected numbers are compared to actual numbers of fires for the period 1989–1996. The fits appear to be reasonable; however, the standard errors are large indicating the need for additional weather or topographic variables.


Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based decision support is becoming a growing issue in manufacturing and logistics. Users of AI-based systems have the claim to understand the decisions made by the systems. In addition, users like workers or managers, but also works councils in companies, demand transparency in the use of AI. Given this background, AI research faces the challenge of making the decisions of algorithmic systems explainable. Algorithms, especially in the field of AI, but also classical algorithms do not provide an explanation for their decision. To generate such explanations, new algorithms have been designed to explain the decisions of the other algorithms post hoc. This subfield is called explainable artificial intelligence (XAI). Methods like local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME), shapley additive explanations (SHAP) or layer-wise relevance propagation (LRP) can be applied. LIME is an algorithm that can explain the predictions of any classifier by learning an interpretable model around the prediction locally. In the case of image recognition, for example, a LIME algorithm can highlight the image areas based on which the algorithm arrived at its decision. They even show that the algorithm can also come to a result based on the image caption. SHAP, a game theoretic approach that can be applied to the output of any machine learning model, connects optimal credit allocation with local explanations. It uses Shapley values as in game theory for the allocation. In the research of XAI, explanatory user interfaces and user interactions have hardly been studied. One of the most crucial factors to make a model understandable through explanations is the involvement of users in XAI. Human-computer interaction skills are needed in addition to technical expertise. According to Miller and Molnar, good explanations should be designed contrastively to explain why event A happened instead of another event B, rather than just emphasizing why event A occurred. In addition, it is important that explanations are limited to only one or two causes and are thus formulated selectively. In literature, four guidelines to be respected for explanations are formulated: use a natural language, use various methods to explain, adapt to mental models of users and be responsive, so a user can ask follow-up questions. The explanations are often very mathematical and a deep knowledge of details is needed to understand the explanations. In this paper, we present design guidelines to help make explanations of algorithms understandable and user-friendly. We use the example of AI-based algorithmic scheduling in logistics and show the importance of a comprehensive user interface in explaining decisions. In our use case, AI-based shift scheduling in logistics, where workers are assigned to workplaces based on their preferences, we designed a user interface to support transparency as well as explainability of the underlying algorithm and then evaluated it with various users and two different user interfaces. We show excerpts from the user interface and our explanations for the users and give recommendations for the creation of explanations in user interfaces.


The noise perception model proposed by Dooley and Shawl includes an experimental function decreasing monotonically with average density. The sample patches they used did not include any periodic structure such as a halftone screen. To establish a similar model for digital images having periodic structures, we first tried to obtain the visual sensitivity function for graininess detection using a noise-free halftone test-chart distributed by the Society of Electrophotography of Japan (SEPJ). The chart consists of halftone tints with 65 to 200 lpi rulings and area coverage ranging from 5% to 95%, Among each patch group of constant area coverage, three observers were asked to choose the threshold patch at which the halftone structure or, in other words, graininess, can be detected. The result shows that human vision has a sensitivity peak at area coverage of about 20%, Because this result must be closely associated with the density dependence of noise detectivity of human vision, we will assume that the threshold patches represent equivalent graininess. Next, similar to the treatment adopted by Dooley and Shaw, the graininess index without the density dependence function was calculated for every patch in the test chart. Our approach is different from theirs in that we use fluctuations of lightness to calculate the Wiener spectrum instead of reflection density. Finally, we calculated our graininess index using a new sensitivity function based on a model describing our observations. To confirm our approach, we made subjective assessments for the patches including selected patches from the test chart, and obtained good relationship between our graininess indexes and subjectively evaluated levels. Furthermore, we applied our model to hardcopies of gray scales made by some digital copiers on the market. The hardcopies have their own specific screens depending on the model of copier. Our results reflected the subjective judgments reasonably well.


Polymer nanomedicine is an attractive approach for the delivery of anticancer drugs. Firstly designed to increase drug bioavailability, polymer conjugates and polymer nanoparticles have rapidly emerged in the field of cancer therapy after the discovery of the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect. The leaky and disordered tumor neovascularization provides opportunities to guide the accumulation of polymer nanomedicines to the tumor tissue therefore enhancing therapy selectivity and reducing off-target-associated side effects. However, since many chemotherapeutics act on targets that are located in well-defined subcellular compartments, controlling the intracellular fate of polymer nanomedicines and/or their payload is another important factor that contributes to therapy efficiency. Polymer conjugates and polymer nanoparticles generally access the cell interior via endocytosis. The physiochemical and biochemical parameters that distinguish the endolysosomal compartments from the extracellular environment have been widely exploited to trigger intracellular drug release from the polymer carriers. Amongst a range of other polymers and polymer nanoparticles that have been investigated over the past 30 years, poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide) (PHPMA)-based conjugates have been extensively explored for the endolysosomal release of anticancer drugs. While the modern polymer chemistry toolbox provides many opportunities to tailor the molecular weight and functionality of PHPMA and to introduce features that allow the polymer to respond to the different endolysosomal environments, the development of tools and methods to monitor these processes is also crucial for the future development of advanced delivery systems. The aim of this Thesis is to design dual-functional PHPMA polymers that offer the possibility to control the endolysosomal release of anticancer drug combinations as well as to monitor the PHPMA endolysosomal trafficking. Chapter 1 of this Thesis provides an overview of the different approaches that have been described in literature to control and monitor the intracellular delivery of polymer nanomedicines. Chapter 2 describes a synthetic approach to prepare alpha- and alpha,omega-fluorine labeled pentafluorophenyl methacrylate (PPFMA) polymers via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. In Chapter 3 post-polymerization modification of the alpha-fluorine labeled PPFMA precursor will be used to prepare a series of PHPMA conjugates carrying either the anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox) or the P-glycoprotein inhibitor zosuquidar (Zos) or both drugs at the polymer side chains. The ability of the conjugates to overcome doxorubicin efflux and therefore reverse P-gp-mediated multidrug resistance in resistant ovarian carcinoma cells will be assessed. Finally, Chapter 4 will study the cellular internalization and endolysosomal trafficking of PHPMA. The synthesis of a dual-labeled PHPMA polymer containing both a fluorescent as well as a fluorinated label will be used for flow cytometry and confocal fluorescence microscopy studies and to demonstrate the potential of nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) to map and localize fluorine-containing polymers in cells.


This study was mainly conducted to empirically investigate the determinants of e-library end users acceptance and use in academic libraries. The introduction of new information and communication technologies in libraries during the last two decades has altogether changed the concepts of libraries where library patrons need not necessarily go to the library physically since the library services and resources are no longer confined to the walls of the physical library. However, for these e-library services to be utilized effectively and efficiently, library end users must accept and use them. The study had applied the SO-UTAUT (Services Oriented Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) technology acceptance model which is appropriate in a library context. In this paper, we assess the acceptance and use of e-library services in academic libraries of the different universities and identify the determinant factors that affect the acceptance and use of elibrary services in academic libraries.


In this paper, we have an aim developing the next-generation-type airship for resolving airworthiness problems especially for mooring condition. For this purpose, we propose the TORUS-TYPE AIRSHIP. The torus-type airship will have the advanced characteristics of airworthiness especially at mooring condition, and have advanced maneuverability especially for movement of any direction( forward, backward, left, right, rotation), but some instability at flight condition are considered. At first, we designed a simplified torus-type airship model, and carried out towing experiments about aerodynamic characteristics of the model in upper water space of our huge towing tank instead of carrying out experiments in a wind tunnel. By introducing torus-type airship, we will be able to minimize the mooring area, reduce the maximum mooring forces, and in the result prevent the body damage at mooring. In the second, we developed a 3D Flightsimulation program using the data from the experiment. By using the numerical simulation, we can evaluate the performance of the torustype airship from various viewpoint including mooring.


Within hematopoiesis, C/EBPalpha is expressed only in myeloid cells, and PU.1 is expressed mainly in myeloid and B-lymphoid cells. C/EBPalpha-deficient mice lack the neutrophil lineage and retain monocytes, whereas PU.1-deficient mice lack monocytes and have severely reduced neutrophils. We expressed a C/EBPalpha-estrogen receptor ligand-binding domain fusion protein, C/EBPalphaWT-ER, in 32D cl3 myeloblasts. 32D cl3 cells proliferate in interleukin-3 (IL-3) and differentiate to neutrophils in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). In the presence of estradiol, C/EBPalphaWT-ER induced morphologic differentiation and the expression of the myeloperoxidase, lactoferrin, and G-CSF receptor mRNAs. C/EBPalphaWT-ER also induced a G1/S cell cycle block, with induction of p27 and Rb hypophosphorylation. bcr-ablp210 prevented 32D cl3 cell differentiation. Activation of C/EBPalpha-ER in 32D-bcr-ablp210 or Ba/F3 B-lymphoid cells induced cell cycle arrest independent of terminal differentiation. C/EBPalphaWT-ER induced endogenous PU.1 mRNA within 8 hours in both 32D cl3 and Ba/F3 cells, even in the presence of cycloheximide, indicating that C/EBPalpha directly activates the PU.1 gene. However, activation of a PU.1-ER fusion protein in 32D cl3 cells induced myeloperoxidase (MPO) RNA but not terminal differentiation. Thus, C/EBPalpha acts downstream of G-CSF and upstream of PU.1, p27, and potentially other factors to induce myeloblasts to undergo granulocytic differentiation and cell cycle arrest.


Objective: To analyze the efficacy of capecitabine (referred to as Cap) single-agent maintenance therapy in the advanced breast cancer. Methods: The subjects of the study were 50 patients with advanced breast cancer who were admitted to the hospital between March 2016 and March 2019. They were divided into groups A and B with 25 cases each. The subjects of these two groups were treated with Cap and conventional method, respectively to compare the efficacy. Results: The efficacy of group A was 96.0% compared to that of group B was 76.0%. The complication rate of group A was 12.0% compared to that of group B was 40.0% (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The patients with advanced breast cancer who received Cap maintenance therapy were benefited from better curative effect and controllable complications, which has high promotion value.


This study focuses on assessing the ability of accountants in Jordanian banks to reflecting the requirement of IFRS 9 in financial matters. So we focus on the classification and measurement of financial assets and liability, impairment methodology, hedge accounting, insurance and lease under the standard and how the accountant deal with each of them. The survey methodology was adopted and questionnaires were drawn to elicit information from financial accountants in Jordanian banks. Forty (40) accountants were sampled. The mean scores of the accountant's perceptions were analyzed and the test statistics was explored to test the hypotheses. The study found that the accountant within Jordanian banks have a sufficient overall knowledge regarding IFRS 9 and this mean that Jordanian banks can easily transform financial statement based on IFRS 9 when it start. Our results suggest that Jordanian banks should understand the changes between current IAS 39 and the ED for IFRS 9 by design, deliver tailored presentations and facilitating workshops for accountants also they can prepare in earlier period for transition and evaluate the impact.


Integrating multiple sensors into manufacturing systems enables adaptive and flexible automation and increases process adaptivity and quality control. The design of an optimum configuration must be based on a systematic analysis relative to operational and economic considerations. This design should include an evaluation of sensor performance, a decision on how many sensors, of which type they should be, and where to locate them, modes of sensor interaction, and the influence on overall performance based on a cost/benefit analysis. In most real-world applications it is impossible to develop an accurate model to predict sensor performance and therefore, performance must be derived empirically but in a systematic manner. This paper presents research and development of integrated sensor economy principles and selection procedures in addition to a performance assessment model. A systems engineering approach is applied for empirical investigations for assessment of alternative guidance systems. The outcome of this research is a set of general design guidelines for integrating multiple sensors into robotic manufacturing systems.


The build-up of soil phosphorus (P) beyond plant requirements can lead to a long-term legacy of P losses that could impair surface water quality. Using a database of ∼4,50,000 samples collected from 2001–2015 we report the level of soil P enrichment by soil type, land use and region and the time it would take for Olsen P to decline to agronomic targets (20–0 mg L–1) if P fertilizer was stopped. We also modeled the time it would take for water extractable P (WEP), an indicator of P losses in surface runoff, to decline to an environmental target (0.02 mg L–1). Some 63% of the samples were enriched beyond agronomic targets. The area-weighted median time to reach the agronomic target was predicted to occur within a year for 75% of samples but varied up to 11.8 years in some land uses. However, the area-weighted time to reach an environmental target was 26–55 years for the 50th and 75th percentile of areas. This indicates that while an agronomic target can be easily met, additional strategies other than stopping P fertilizer inputs are required to meet an environmental target.


'Unexpected artistic creativity' SIR–The following two examples suggest that the human brain can have surprising and hidden potentials for creative functions. Nadia was an autistic child described by Selfe1. Between 3 years 6 months and 6 years 6 months, with severe learning disabilities and little use of language, Nadia showed an amazing ability to draw horses, other animals, and latterly humans. Nadia started at a school for autistic children at 7 years 6 months, where her language function improved. At 9 years old, she could use simple sentences, but seldom drew spontaneously. Her drawings of people were recognizable, which is still unusual, but no longer an extraordinary talent at this age. Why did the acquisition of one talent, that of language, lead to the diminution of another, the child's drawing ability? There may be similarities to so-called idiot-savants, but it is not only the development of a particular talent in a child with severe learning difficulties that needs to be emphasized, but also the alteration of two different ones. At the other end of life it has been shown that the onset of dementia may result in the development of new artistic skills2 (Miller et al. 1998). Sixty-nine patients with frontotemporal dementia were interviewed and five were found to have developed these new talents. Examination with single photon emission computed tomography, or histology, showed that four of them had the temporal variety of this type of dementia in which the anterior temporal lobes are involved but the dorsolateral frontal cortex is preserved. As a result, visual skills were spared but language and social skills were severely affected. As Gombrich3 suggests, children draw what they know, not what they see; and it may be that Nadia, with her very delayed language development and severe learning disorders, drew what she saw uncontaminated by language and intellect, and that her internal visual imagery was further developed by her drawing. Perhaps as her use of language increased and developed, her mental imagery was supplanted; as language is a way of describing reality1. In both incidences, it is interesting to speculate on the reasons for the loss and gain of artistic skills. Is it a question of the brain only being able to cope with a certain number of skills at one time? This seems very unlikely in view of the brain's adaptability. There is definite evidence that Nadia suffered damage to the left side of her brain, and therefore there may well have been compensatory development of intact areas in the right hemisphere, particularly those involved in visuospatial functions. In patients with dementia it may be that, as suggested by Miller et al.2, degeneration of the anterior temporal and orbital frontal cortices decreases inhibition of the more posteriorly located visual systems involved with perception, thereby enhancing artistic interests and abilities. Inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms seem to be the most likely explanation of these phenomena. Talent in one area may be accompanied by dysfunction in other areas such as social skills, and if one part of the brain is damaged, inhibition of another may be lessened so that a different function is facilitated; as normally underlying various brain functions, there seems to be a delicate balance between inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms. Kapur4 uses the term, paradoxical functional facilitation. The results of a lesion in the brain are not just the loss of a function in a particular area, but the efforts of the rest of the brain to re-establish its maximum potential.


Stereoscopic technologies have developed significantly in recent years. These advances require also more understanding of the experiental dimensions of stereoscopic contents. In this article we describe experiments in which we explore the experiences that viewers have when they view stereoscopic contents. We used eight different contents that were shown to the participants in a paired comparison experiment where the task of the participants was to compare the same content in stereoscopic and non-stereoscopic form. The participants indicated their preference but were also interviewed about the arguments they used when making the decision. By conducting a qualitative analysis of the interview texts we categorized the significant experiental factors related to viewing stereoscopic material. Our results indicate that reality-likeness as well as artificiality were often used as arguments in comparing the stereoscopic materials. Also, there were more emotional terms in the descriptions of the stereoscopic films, which might indicate that the stereoscopic projection technique enhances the emotions conveyed by the film material. Finally, the participants indicated that the three-dimensional material required longer presentation time, as there were more interesting details to see.


Sir, We read with great interest the review article by B. M. Hibbard (April 1993) concerning folate and fetal development. We agree that it is difficult to mount clinical trials likely to provide a conclusive answer to the possible protective effect of folic acid and that the Medical Research Council Trial in 1991 has shown an association but not causation between folate status and neural tube defect (NTD). We wish to point out that, in addition to the MRC study showing a 72% protective effect of NTD with folate supplement, studies on Hong Kong Chinese also provide evidence for the association. It is known that Chinese have a lower incidence of NTD when compared with Caucasians. In Hong Kong, the incidence of NTD in 1961 to 1980 was 1:1020; the incidence of anencephaly, spina bifida and encephalocele was 1:1260, 1:8232, and 1:15436, respectively (Ghosh, 1981). These results showed a lower incidence of NTD compared with rates in Western countries: the incidence rate in the United Kingdom was 1:313; in continental Europe and Malta it was 1:835 (Dolk et al. 1991). Nothing definite is known about the aetiology, but it appears that both environmental and genetic factors are involved. The Department of Psychiatry of The Chinese University of Hong Kong has collected 92 samples of serum folate level (mean 28.6 f 12.7 nmolll in control, 28.3 k 10.8 nmol/l in psychiatric patients) and these levels are within the normal range (7-39 nmolll). None of the subjects has serum folate deficiency in this study (Sing Lee et al. 1992). In another study in the elderly Chinese in Hong Kong, the serum folate levels in 191 elderly subjects living in three types of institutions and 252 elderly subjects living in the community are again within the normal ranges (Woo et al. 1991). These data revealed that there is a very low incidence of folate deficiency in Hong Kong Chinese, probably due to higher consumption of leafy vegetables. With this evidence, it is very likely that the relatively low incidence of NTD can be related to the folate status. Wai-ming Wong Allan Chang Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Prince of Wales Hospital Shatin Hong Kong


Most of scheduling optimization problems is NP-hard problems,many heuristic algorithms are developed in the search of best results.Cultural Evolutionary Algorithm,based on the mechanism of cultural evolution and Cultural Algorithms,guide the direction and step of individuals in the search,by using the knowledge of cultural space.At the same time,the top cultural space is evolving and updating.Then CEA are applied to Job shop problems.The algorithm is tested with Matlab simulation,and the result shows that CEA is effective in scheduling optimization problems and much better than simple genetic algorithm(SGA)and improved particle swarm optimization(IPSO).


The oral administration of proteic antigens, like ovalbumin, may result in the induction of oral tolerance or immunization. The aim of this work was to label a protein antigen with 99mTechnetium, encapsulate it in liposomes and investigate its absorption and tissue distribution after oral administration in mice. Ovalbumin was labeled with 99mTechnetium and encapsulated in small unilamellar vesicles. 99mTc-OVA encapsulated or not in liposomes was administrated to mice that were sacrificed after different times. The radioactivity was measured in various organs of the animals. Differences concerning the biodistribution of 99mTc-OVA were noticed. The technique may represent alternatives for the induction of immunization or oral tolerance.


Background: Leprosy or Morbus Hansen is a chronic skin disease, caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The prevalence is still high, especially in developing countries like Indonesia. Its disfigurement and deformities outcomes tend to draw stigma from community that can decrease the life quality of person affected by leprosy.
Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the current level of knowledge and attitude towards leprosy among students in medical setting and non-medical setting in Indonesia.
Method: This study was conducted using the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue Community Stigma Scale (EMIC-CSS) and Social Distance Scale (SDS). The questionnaires were administered to a voluntary participating sample of 271 students from medical faculty and non-medical students of Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
Results: It was found that 97.4% of medical students had heard about leprosy, while 13.9% of non-medical students never received information regarding leprosy. Using Pearson correlation test, it was found that knowledge and EMIC scores had no correlation, while knowledge and attitude based on SDS scores have a weak correlation.
Conclusion: The results suggest that knowledge and attitude towards leprosy were generally positve in medical students rather than non-medical students. Knowledge of leprosy is important in medical students since it influence the attitudes that will be practiced in becoming healthcare workers. Nevertheless, there is still a need to improve certain knowledge and understanding of leprosy among both medical students and non-medical students.


Quantitative trait locus (QTL) models can provide useful insights into trait genetic architecture because of their straightforward interpretability but are less useful for genetic prediction because of the difficulty in including the effects of numerous small effect loci without overfitting. Tight linkage between markers introduces near collinearity among marker genotypes, complicating the detection of QTL and estimation of QTL effects in linkage mapping, and this problem is exacerbated by very high density linkage maps. Here we developed a thinning and aggregating (TAGGING) method as a new ensemble learning approach to QTL mapping. TAGGING reduces collinearity problems by thinning dense linkage maps, maintains aspects of marker selection that characterize standard QTL mapping, and by ensembling, incorporates information from many more markers-trait associations than traditional QTL mapping. The objective of TAGGING was to improve prediction power compared with QTL mapping while also providing more specific insights into genetic architecture than genome-wide prediction models. TAGGING was compared with standard QTL mapping using cross validation of empirical data from the maize (Zea mays L.) nested association mapping population. TAGGING-assisted QTL mapping substantially improved prediction ability for both biparental and multifamily populations by reducing both the variance and bias in prediction. Furthermore, an ensemble model combining predictions from TAGGING-assisted QTL and infinitesimal models improved prediction abilities over the component models, indicating some complementarity between model assumptions and suggesting that some trait genetic architectures involve a mixture of a few major QTL and polygenic effects.


Abstract Vertical and horizontal structure of near-bottom currents at two locations in the eastern tropical Pacific (9°26′N, 151°17′W; 14°38′N, 125°29′W) have been studied. Low-frequency currents at these sites, located in a region of abyssal hills, increased between 500 m and 50 m above bottom and had small horizontal scale. Below 50 m frictional boundary-layer effects which were consistent with a simple, steady-state Ekman-like layer were apparent. Total veering within the boundary layer was, 10° counterclockwise (looking down) at both locations. High-frequency internal wave motions were consistent with a modified Garrelt and Munk internal wave spectrum. Energy correspondence calculations for several high-frequency bands showed some evidence for benthic internal wave generation by means of mean flow topography interaction. At the western site the near-inertial energy-time dependence and near-bottom enhancement both indicated local production in this band. Below 50 m frictional effects were again importa...


Induction motor drives are widely used in industries for its simple and easy control. Variable structure controller (VSC) for an induction motor drive is an effective method of control in case of non linearities and uncertainties to enhance robustness. Dynamic performance of Induction motor drives is an essential characteristic for many industrial applications. Quality of the product is an industry and the profit of the industry are mainly depends on the performance of the induction motor drive. Transient state performance of the VSC based an induction motor drive to be improved. Since conventional VSC based induction motor drive has PI controller based speed controller. To enhance the performance of the system this paper proposes Fuzzy logic controller and Fuzzy Gain Scheduling controller as speed controller in VSC. The design is simple and easy to be implemented. The entire system is simulated using Matlab / Simulink to analyse the performance of a drive. Performance of a drive using Fuzzy Gain Scheduling VSC is analysed and compared with conventional Proportional and Integral VSC. To analyse the dynamic performance of the system machine is subjected to constant and variable load in this paper.


The impact of North American and European (NAEU) anthropogenic aerosol emissions on Eurasian summer climate during the twentieth century is studied using historical single- and all-forcing (including anthropogenic aerosols, greenhouse gases, and natural forcings) simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Intermodel agreement on significant linear trends during a period of increasing NAEU sulfate emissions (1900–74) reveals robust features of NAEU aerosol impact, supported by opposite changes during the subsequent period of decreasing emissions. Regionally, these include a large-scale cooling and associated anticyclonic circulation, as well as a narrowing of the diurnal temperature range (DTR) over Eurasian midlatitudes. Remotely, NAEU aerosols induce a drying over the western African and northern Indian monsoon regions and a strengthening and southward shift of the subtropical jet consistent with the pattern of temperature change. Over Europe, the temporal variations of observed temperature, pressure, and DTR tend to agree better with simulations that include aerosols. Throughout the twentieth century, aerosolsare estimatedto explain more than a third of the simulatedinterdecadalforced variabilityof European near-surface temperature and more than half between 1940 and 1970. These results highlight the substantial aerosol impact on Eurasian climate, already identifiable in the first half of the twentieth century. This may be relevant for understanding future patterns of change related to further emission reductions. ensembles of and for so that the results from the different ensembles are comparable. Results from the trend analysis are shown for the multimodel mean (MMM), obtained by first averaging the individual ensemble members for each model and successively averaging these ensemble means. Given the different ensemble sizes—ranging from one to five—this ensures that each model is given equal weight.


Abstract–  We report Si concentrations in the metal phases of iron meteorites. Analyses were performed by secondary ion mass spectrometry using a CAMECA 1270 ion probe. The Si concentrations are low (0.09–0.46 μg g−1), with no apparent difference in concentration between magmatic and nonmagmatic iron meteorites. Coexisting kamacite and Ni‐rich metal phases have similar Si contents. Thermodynamic calculations show that Fe,Ni‐metal in equilibrium with silicate melts at temperatures where metal crystallizes should contain approximately 100 times more Si than found in iron meteorites in this work. The missing Si may either occur as tiny silicate inclusions in metal or it may have diffused as Si‐metal into surrounding silicates at low temperatures. In both cases, extensive low‐temperature diffusion of Si in metal is required. It is therefore concluded that low Si in iron meteorites is a result of subsolidus reactions during slow cooling.


Water quality index is like a grade which represents overall water quality of a location and time based on several water quality parameters. To achieve the aim, the Weighed Arithmetic Index method was applied on the analytical results of the parameters to obtain a single value that was used to rank the river at each of the sampling station.  An exertion has been made to develop water quality index (WQI), using eight physicochemical parameters of  water including pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, electrical conductivity, nitrate, chloride, turbidity, total dissolved solid(TDS) measured at five different location along the Halda river. Halda river is the one and only carp breeding ground in Bangladesh. It is also one of the major sources of water supply in Chittagong city . The WQI of Halda River during Monsoon period found (15 – 38.5) and during Non-Monsoon period (6 – 13). Which shows some interesting result, generally the water quality in Monsoon period is good but here is not good rather than Non-Monsoon period. It was observed from the study that the effect of industrial waste disposal without any treatment and human activities in the river was severe on most of the parameters.


Non-convex optimization problems are challenging to solve; the success and computational expense of a gradient descent algorithm or variant depend heavily on the initialization strategy. Often, either random initialization is used or initialization rules are carefully designed by exploiting the nature of the problem class. As a simple alternative to hand-crafted initialization rules, we propose an approach for learning"good"initialization rules from previous solutions. We provide theoretical guarantees that establish conditions that are sufficient in all cases and also necessary in some under which our approach performs better than random initialization. We apply our methodology to various non-convex problems such as generating adversarial examples, generating post hoc explanations for black-box machine learning models, and allocating communication spectrum, and show consistent gains over other initialization techniques.


The supersymmetric action of a type IIA D = 10 superstring in a N = 2a, D = 10 supergravity background can be derived by double-dimensional reduction of the action of a supermembrane coupled to D = 11 supergravity. We demonstrate that the background Ramond - Ramond fields appear in the resulting superstring action with an extra exponential factor of the dilaton.


It is now established in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) that the law pursuant to which the effects of a recognised judgment are determined is that of the Member State where the judgment was rendered. In Case C-456/11 (Gothaer), however, the CJEU deviated from this rule and developed an autonomous (EU) concept of res judicata. The potential for this concept to extend to other jurisdictional determinations by Member State courts has therefore created additional layers of complexity in the area of recognition of judgments. This article seeks to shed light on this topic by drawing conclusions from the Court's rationale in Gothaer and considering whether a more broadly applicable autonomous concept of res judicata can be consistent with the general system of Regulation 1215/2012 and the CJEU's previous case law.


Abstract : The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) regime has increasingly become a global threat since the end of the Korean War. Their nuclear arms violations and human rights infringements have drawn the concern of the international community. The closed economy, tightly-controlled international borders, and indoctrinated population make it extremely difficult for the international community to influence or persuade the regime in Pyongyang to cease its problematic behavior. To change the government of the DPRK, North Koreans must remove the regime, and the most feasible way is to remove it from within. North Koreans are so heavily indoctrinated ideologically that it would be impractical to attempt to coerce them to reject it and oust their leader, whose reign rests on the direct lineage of the father of the DPRK. North Koreans lack the knowledge, skill, and reason to revolt against the DPRK regime, but a select group of North Korean defectors and the assistance of a special operations element could facilitate a social revolution through the means of unconventional warfare. In the event of a social revolution gaining popularity and becoming effective in the removal of the DPRK regime, several states with different political and economic goals would likely conduct unconventional warfare (UW) in support of that particular state s interest. This research explores ways special operations forces could remove the DPRK regime by way of unconventional warfare through an existing resistance element. This is not to imply that the US is planning or would conduct such operations; it is only meant as a way of offering a look at what such operations conducted by any external actor might look like.


Publisher's Note: This conference presentation, originally published on 9 March 2020, was withdrawn on 25 March 2020 per author request.


Gravitational instantons, solutions to the euclidean Einstein equations, with topology $R^3 XS^1$ arise naturally in any discussion of finite temperature quantum gravity. This Letter shows that all such instantons (irrespective of their interior behaviour) must have the same asymptotic structure as the Schwarzschild instanton. Using this, it can be shown that if the Ricci tensor of the manifold is non-negative it must be flat. One special case is when the Ricci tensor vanishes; hence one can conclude that there is no nontrivial vacuum gravitational instanton. This result has uses both in quantum and classical gravity. It places a significant restriction on the instabilities of hot flat space. It also can be used to show that any static vacuum Lorentzian Kaluza-Klein solution is flat.


15.s.875.00 Purpose: world population is aging and the number of seniors in need of care is expected to surpass the number of young people capable of providing it. It is then quintessential to develop instruments to support doctors at the task of diagnosing and monitoring the health status of seniors 1-3. Methods to assess autonomy and functional abilities of seniors currently rely on rating scales 4. The subjective character of these scales and their dependence on human observations tend to jeopardize the timely diagnosis of deteriorations in cognitive health. We propose a probabilistic model (PM) to objectively classify a person's performance in executive functions into three classes of cognitive status: Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy control (HC); and into different levels of autonomy: good, intermediate or poor. Material & Methods: the proposed PM relies on Naive Bayes model for classification and takes as input automatically extracted parameters about a person's performance at activities of daily living (event monitoring system, EMS, Fig. 1). To evaluate our approach participants aged 65 or older were recruited within the Dem@care project protocol, at the Memory Center of the Nice university hospital: n=49; 12 AD (5 male), 23 MCI (13) and 14 HC (5). They were asked to carry out a set of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL, e.g., medication preparation; talking on the telephone) in an observation room equipped with everyday objects. Results & Discussion: EMS recognized targeted IADLs with a high precision (e.g., 'prepare medication': 93%, 'talk on the telephone': 89%). The proposed PM achieved average classification accuracy of 73.5 % for cognitive status classes and of 83.7% for autonomy classes. Moreover, the proposed PM displayed a higher accuracy when inputted with EMS data than with human annotations of daily activities. This finding is explained by the stability of EMS recognition which permits to relate subtle deviations from activity norms to characteristic traits of target classes. Conclusion: The proposed framework provides clinicians with diagnostic relevant information to support autonomy assessment in ecological scenarios by decreasing observer biases and facilitating a more timely diagnosis of frailty patterns in senior. Further work will extend the proposed framework to other clinical sites and seek for novel cues about autonomy decline in seniors.


CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP), alpha (CEBPA) is a master regulator of adipogenesis and, together with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), plays a critical role in adipocyte differentiation. Previous studies have demonstrated that CEBPA is regulated by DNA methylation and involved in the osteogenesis and adipogenesis of mouse C3H10T1/2 and bone marrow stromal cells. However, it is unclear whether CEBPA is regulated by DNA methylation in adipose tissues. Thus, the objectives of the present study were to investigate CpG site methylation in a 357-bp CEBPA promoter region and to assess the correlation between promoter CpG site methylation and CEBPA gene expression in the abdominal adipose tissues of Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content. The results showed that the methylation percentage of the analyzed CEBPA promoter region was significantly higher in lean broilers than in fat broilers at 2 weeks (80.3% vs. 43.4%, P < 0.0001), 3 weeks (95.4% vs. 74.0%, P < 0.0001) and 7 weeks of age (82.6% vs. 57.2%, P < 0.0001). Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that CEBPA expression was significantly higher in the fat vs. the lean line at 2 weeks of age (P = 0.0013) but not at 3 or 7 weeks of age. The correlation analysis showed that only at 2 weeks of age was the methylation percentage negatively correlated with CEBPA expression (Pearson's r = -0.8312, P = 0.0029). Of all seven tested CpGs, only two, the CpGs at -1494 and -1478 bp, displayed a significantly negative correlation with CEBPA mRNA expression. These results suggest that the CEBPA is methylated in adipose tissue and may regulate chicken early adipose development.


The discussion in this issue basically follows the process on how drugs from marine sources are isolated and produced. Exception is made, however, for processes totally biomedical in nature. Folk medicine in the Philippines is highlighted. Ditto with research at SEAFDEC/AQD and the University of the Philippines - Visayas. An overview of the Philippines' Bureau of Food and Drugs is included.


Current exploration strategies generally focus on trap identification and the organic richness and maturity of source rocks. Yet, examination of producing basins worldwide commonly indicates a non-uniform distribution of production in basins, which is not related just to trap and source location. Clearly, exploration based on such a strategy may focus efforts on an area where traps End_Page 635------------------------------ and source rocks may appear conducive to hydrocarbon accumulation but where there are no hydrocarbons. A more effective strategy can be developed by first understanding the factors which control the path hydrocarbons take during migration. By determining the timing of hydrocarbon migration, the stratigraphy of carrier beds, and the paleostructural configuration of a basin at and since the time of migration, the pattern of hydrocarbon migration can be modeled. From this it is possible to make a reasonable prediction of the present distribution of hydrocarbons in a basin on a regional scale and to form an effective exploration program for prospect generation. This model is successfully applied in a test case to the middle Cretaceous D and J sands of the Dakota Group in the Denver basin. Most production in the basin is from these sands and is located in a 75-mi (121 km) wide fairway stretching from Denver east and north into western Nebraska. Hydrocarbon migration appears to have begun some time between the Late Cretaceous and middle Tertiary; hydrocarbons migrated a distance of up to 100 mi (161 km). Combination of paleostructural and stratigraphic maps indicates hydrocarbons were focused into the fairway mainly by the stratigraphy of the sands. This strategy works well in an already productive basin and can be particularly useful in frontier areas to make exploration programs more effective. End_of_Article - Last_Page 636------------


This document is addressed to policy-makers, legislators, and their advisors in countries that are embarking on revising their land governance where it deals with government-owned land. The document suggests a well-balanced policy and regulatory framework for managing government land and other real estate (buildings, structures), building upon a generalization of relevant international experiences to date. This framework does not consider the issue of codifying property rights, property restitution, and other issues of general property reform.


There is increasing scientific understanding and growing public awareness of the influence of genetics on the development of cancer. It is known that up to ten percent of cancers are associated with a genetic predisposition. This study asks 'How does the family history of cancer affect the care needs of palliative care patients?' in this context. This question is addressed using the principles of phenomenology to explore the meaning of a family history of cancer for palliative care patients and nurses. Data was collected through recorded, semi-structured interviews with purposively sampled participants. The information obtained was analyzed using Miles and Huberman's (1994) framework, where data is displayed, reduced, and conclusions drawn. Emergent themes were organized around Van Manen's (1990) schema for existential reflection, which considers the relationship between phenomena and four universal themes: lived-body, lived-relationship, lived-time and lived-space. Findings describe how the physical, social, emotional and cultural dimensions of care are modified when viewed through the genetic lens. Patients' poor understanding of cancer and novice nursing practice (Benner 1984) were barriers to appropriately meeting the needs of this patient group. A new approach to the care of palliative patients with a family history of cancer is proposed.