Soft nanotechnology involves both understanding the behavior of soft matter and using these components to build useful nanoscale structures and devices. However, molecular scale properties such as Brownian motion, diffusion, surface forces, and conformational flexibility dominate the chemistry and physics in soft nanotechnology, and therefore the design rules for generating functional structures from soft, self-assembled materials are still developing. Biological motors illustrate how wet nanoscale machines differ from their macroscopic counterparts. These molecular machines convert chemical energy into mechanical motion through an isothermal process: chemical reactions generate chemical potential and diffusion of ions, leading to conformational changes in proteins and the production of mechanical force. Because the actuation steps form a thermodynamic cycle that is reversible, the application of mechanical forces can also generate a chemical potential. This reverse process of mechanotransduction is the underlying sensing and signaling mechanism for a wide range of physiological phenomena such as hearing, touch, and growth of bone. Many of the biological systems that respond to mechanical stimuli do this via complex stress-activated ion channels or remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton. These biological actuation and mechanosensing processes are rather different from nano- and microelectromechanical systems (NEMS and MEMS) produced via semiconductor fabrication technologies. In our group, we are working to emulate biological mechanotransduction by systematically developing building blocks based on polymer brushes. In this soft nanotechnology approach to mechanotransduction, the chemical building blocks are polymer chains whose conformational changes and actuation can be investigated at a very basic level in polymer brushes, particularly polyelectrolyte brushes. Because these polymer brushes are easily accessible synthetically with control over parameters such as composition, chain length, and chain density, brushes provide a robust platform to study the coupling of mechanical forces with conformational changes of the chains. This Account provides an overview of our recent research in the design of mechanosensitive polymer brushes starting with the demonstration of nanoactuators and leading to our first attempts toward the creation of artificial mechanotransduction elements. As the brushes collapse in response to external triggers such as pH and ion concentration, polyelectrolyte brushes provide stimuli-responsive films. These collapse transitions lead to the generation of mechanical forces, and by reversing the chain of events, we designed a mechanically responsive film with a chemical output. Having reported an initial proof-of-principle experiment, we think that the stage is set for the preparation of more elaborate mechanosensitive surfaces.


The Open Mathematical Engine Interface(OMEI) aims to establish a uniform application programming interface (API) for heterogeneous mathematical computation engines. A common API such as OMEI can make mathematical engines easily accessible by front-ends, tools, and servers. It also enables the development of individual applications that can serve or utilize different engines. The motivation, application framework, specification, and usage scenarios for OMEI are described. The OMEI interface is applied to implement an API for ELIMINO, a symbolic system specialing in polynomial chareristic sets computations. With the OMEI API, ELIMINO becomes a compute engine that is compliant to the Internet Accessible Mathematical Computation(IAMC) framework. Thus, ELLIMINO gains the Dragonfly GUI for local and remote users as well as the ability to provide computational services over the Web/Internet.


We conducted a case–control study to identify risk factors for the 2014 cholera outbreak in Juba County, South Sudan. Illness was associated with traveling or eating away from home; treating drinking water and receiving oral cholera vaccination were protective. Oral cholera vaccination should be used to complement cholera prevention efforts.


Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) and synchronous scanning fluorescence (SF), coupled with parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) methods were used to differentiate 49 lager beer samples and monitor the effects of temperature and sunlight exposition on their composition. EEMs were decomposed into independent fluorescent components. The beer samples were characterized by the presence of excitation/emission (exc/em) peaks at 290/350, 315/345, 340/410, 375/455, 360/420, 400/460, and 437/525 nm, which were ascribed, according to the known beer fluorescent components, respectively to aromatic amino acids, vitamin B6 (pyridoxal), vitamin B6 (pyridoxic acids), vitamin B3, iso-α-acids, vitamin B1, and vitamin B2. The variation of the relative concentration of iso-α-acids in the different beer brands presented the same trend with that of their relative IBU, thus revealing the potency of our method in the assessment of beer bitterness. The impact of temperature and sunlight was assessed by separately monitoring the modifications of the EEMs after 5 h exposition to 40°C temperature and sunlight respectively. Noticeably a variation of the peaks intensity of the iso-α-acids, carbonyl and polyphenols compounds were observed, accompanied by a decrease of the alcohol content, thus indicating beer aging. This method can be useful for the identification and monitoring of beer state during the technological production cycle and storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The present work demonstrates the potency of the fluorescence technique used together with chemometric methods to give valuable information on beer bitterness. Development of rapid quantitative methods for beer bitterness assessment is of great importance for brewing industries.


Designers are increasingly aware of the influences that affect the way people emotionally engage with products. These include previous experiences, society and culture, and the situation in which the product will be used. Whilst recently developed generative techniques usefully provide insight into consumers' contexts, it remains useful to determine the interaction of product features at a more fundamental level. If one cannot examine the influence of a product feature separately from its broader context, then can one determine the extent to which any particular sensation contributes to the consumers' emotional engagement? The experiment described in this paper explores the influence of graphic design on peoples' emotional engagement with surface textures. The semantic differential technique was used to identify adjectives to describe touching transparent surface textures that had been screen printed onto clear acetate and shown against a plain, white background. Then, the same technique was used to characterise peoples' emotional engagement when looking at 'smileys', small graphical representations of faces, or emoticons, depicting various emotions. The first experiment with the surface textures was repeated but with the smileys behind and showing through the surfaces and finally by asking respondents to look at, but not touch, the smileys. Comparison of the principal components of the semantic differential experiments gave an objective evaluation of the influence of the graphics on peoples' engagement with the surfaces. Whilst the results of the experiment are themselves to some extent context dependent, the experiment demonstrates a process for making decisions about product packaging at a product type or brand level.


trol and vascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2008;358(24):25602572. 7. Duckworth W, Abraira C, Moritz T, et al; VADT Investigators. Glucose control and vascular complications in veterans with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(2):129-139. 8. Ismail-Beigi F, Moghissi E, Tiktin M, Hirsch IB, Inzucchi SE, Genuth S. Individualizing glycemic targets in type 2 diabetes mellitus: implications of recent clinical trials. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154 (8):554-559. 9. Kirsh SR, Aron DC. Choosing targets for glycaemia, blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in elderly individuals with diabetes mellitus. Drugs Aging. 2011;28(12): 945-960. 10. Montori VM, Fernández-Balsells M. Glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: time for an evidencebased about-face? Ann Intern Med. 2009;150 (11):803-808. 11. Budnitz DS, Lovegrove MC, Shehab N, Richards CL. Emergency hospitalizations for adverse drug events in older Americans. N Engl J Med. 2011; 365(21):2002-2012. 12. Moore TJ, Cohen MR, Furberg CD. Serious adverse drug events reported to the Food and Drug Administration, 1998-2005. Arch Intern Med. 2007; 167(16):1752-1759. 13. Holstein A, Patzer OM, Machalke K, Holstein JD, Stumvoll M, Kovacs P. Substantial increase in incidence of severe hypoglycemia between 1997-2000 and 2007-2010: a German longitudinal population-based study. Diabetes Care. 2012;35(5):972-975. 14. Little RR, Rohlfing CL, Sacks DB; National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) Steering Committee. Status of hemoglobin A1c measurement and goals for improvement: from chaos to order for improving diabetes care. Clin Chem. 2011;57(2):205-214. 15. The A1C Test and Diabetes: NIH publication 117816. September 2011. US Department of Health and Human Services website. www.diabetes.niddk .nih.gov/dm/pubs/A1CTest/A1C_Test_DM-508 .pdf. Accessed July 25, 2012.


Despite various spectacular therapeutic properties, curcumin has low bioavailability mainly due to its poor solubility in water. In this paper, we encapsulated curcumin by nanoliposomes prepared from salmon purified phospholipid and coated with chitosan. Various techniques were used in order to study the interactions among phospholipid, chitosan and curcumin. FTIR results showed both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions as well as hydrogen bonding between chitosan and phospholipid, while hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonding dominated the interactions between curcumin and phospholipid as well as between curcumin and chitosan. Shear viscosity measurements demonstrated a flow behavior change from Newtonian to shear thinning after liposome coating. The increase/decrease stress ramp showed that the addition of chitosan layer decreased significantly the hysteresis loop area (thixotropic behavior) and therefore increased significantly the liposomal dispersion stability. The viscoelastic properties investigated by small-amplitude oscillatory shear rheology demonstrated improvement of mechanical stability after chitosan addition. Small-angle X-ray scattering experiments revealed that the liposome membrane structure was not affected by the chitosan layer or the encapsulated curcumin.


This paper describes a novel electronic scheme for speed control of an induction motor driving a pump or fan. The low-slip motor used in the test program was given a flat torque-speed curve and a low starting current by locating bars of Alnico 9, which has a large hysteresis loop, in the rotor leakage flux paths. Motor voltage and, therefore, motor speed was varied by delayed firing of SCRs, or thyristors, which were connected full wave delta in the neutral of the wye-connected stator winding. The control loop uses an analog signal to hold a desired speed, or torque, or power.


Traditionally, the typical educational strategies used in Mexico's classrooms limit the incorporation of tactile and multisensorial experiences in the teaching of people with visual impairment. With this challenge in mind, the prototype here described was developed to be used as an innovative tool for the teaching-learning of any subject within the curriculum. With the incorporation of low-cost technology, it was feasible to combine tactile and auditory stimuli that consider the diversity of students and their contexts. By using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles during the elaboration of this prototype, we aimed to facilitate learning for the visually impaired students in an inclusive environment, by producing a multisensorial learning experience that is also attractive for sighted students. In addition, and to support diversity in the classroom, the auditory information can be displayed in different spoken languages. The prototype was elaborated with common Makerspace machinery such as laser cutters and 3D printers, so that it can be easily replicated in any part of the world at a low cost. Also, the programming is designed so that teachers can easily upload audio files to adapt the material to their specific needs and incorporate into the lessons of any given subject.


Snow is one of the most limiting environmental factors for large wildlife of temperate and arctic zones during winter. Snow depth may limit space use, increase energy expenditure related to movement, limit resource availability, and ultimately affect individual survival. Most of the studies on the effect of snow on animal space use have used cumulative snow depth. The amount of recently fallen snow, however, could be more relevant for wildlife, especially in alpine and northern environments, where wind shifts and hardens the snow cover constantly. From 2011 to 2013, we studied space use of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816)) within Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. During winter, daily and weekly movements decreased with the amount of recently fallen snow, but not with cumulative snow depth. These results indicate that recently fallen snow should be included in wildlife space-use studies during winter. Limited movement and range size of mountain goats also highlight the energy-s...


Natural disasters are conditions that cannot be predicted with certainty. Everyone hopes to avoid any disaster. Without exception, either natural disasters or other disasters that can make people suffer both physically and psychologically. Humans can prepare to be able to anticipate various events that will occur at any time. Anticipation can be done on a small scale/family or mass/regional scale, starting from the preparation of infrastructure, preparing an emergency system, what to do in the event of a disaster and so on. Operations of facilities and infrastructure, human resources and systems for anticipating / dealing with natural disasters are carried out by local and central governments in this case BPBDs such as the Rapid Response Team in Gunung Kidul must be in sync and optimally. The Rapid Response Team (TRC) has a large role in disaster management activities. The Rapid Response Team (TRC) carries out various activities, one of which is disaster mitigation. Disaster mitigation is carried out with the aim of minimizing the risk of a disaster occurring. In addition to disaster mitigation, the Rapid Response Team (TRC) conducts a rapid study of the ongoing disaster so that further action can be taken to overcome the disaster. To improve the performance of the Rapid Reaction Team (TRC), several efforts were made in accordance with the explanation given by the resource coordinator for the Rapid Reaction Team (TRC). The existence of disaster management equipment is able to assist the Rapid Response Team (TRC) in carrying out their duties to be more optimal, effective, and efficient. Keywords: Logistics management, disaster, performance, management


The developing ovarian oocyte of Bombus terrestris has been studied using electron-microscopical, histochemical and autoradiographical techniques. In this publication only the events taking place in the peripheral ooplasm and in the surrounding follicular epithelium are described.

During vitellogenesis three forms of yolk arise. Most of the lipid yolk, together with large numbers of cytoplasmic organelles, is derived from the accompanying trophocyte cells during the earlier phases of yolk synthesis. Later, the larger albuminous yolk spheres which form the major part of the yolk arise at the oocyte periphery as a result of micropinocytotic activity. Yolk precursor materials taken up in this way are probably derived from the haemolymph. Glycogen yolk particles appear in the ooplasm in large numbers during the later phases of yolk synthesis and arise from groups of small vesicles that have been derived largely from the trophocytes.

Two kinds of follicular epithelial cells occur. All the evidence suggests that the larger, more common form is extremely active during synthesis of albuminous yolk, although its precise role remains unclear. The narrower, less common form of follicular epithelial cell occurs only before albuminous yolk synthesis when its protein secretion is probably transferred to the oocyte.

After yolk synthesis the vitelline membrane is laid down in the intercellular space between the follicular epithelium and the oocyte, both of which contribute towards its formation. Next the chorion is laid down. Although only the earlier stages of its formation have been studied, it is apparent thatthe chorion is laid down in the intercellular space immediately adjacent to the vitelline membrane, and that it is formed by the follicular epithelium alone.


Jacob Viner's The Customs Union Issue, published in 1950, is the one undeniable classic in its field. The first part of this paper traces the development of Viner's thinking on preferential trading arrangements, places his work in context, and clarifies his position on disputed issues. The second part considers the reception of his work, from the enthusiastic early reviewers to the international economists who further developed the theory of customs unions, to contemporary practitioners. While practitioners consistently misread Viner, these misreadings were scientifically fruitful, and there are reasons why fruitful science might flow from poor contextual history. Among contemporary international economists, the book has become a classic, marking off and justifying a field of enquiry.


High-field NMR spectroscopy of synthetic heparin-like di- and trisaccharides has afforded a complete set of inter-proton-coupling data on α-L-idopyranosyluronic acid, which have been used for conformational analysis. These data lead to the conclusion that α-L-iduronic acid may display considerable conformational freedom including 1C4, 4C1 and 2S0 (e.g. compound 1) conformers.

The 2-O-sulphate substituent at iduronic acid tends to stabilize the 1C4 conformation (e.g. compounds 2 and 4). In addition carbohydrate substituents at position 4 hinder the 4C1 conformation (e.g. compound 3a,b versus 1).

Furthermore, the conformation of α-L-idopyranosyluronic acid 2-sulphate is affected seriously by the substituent at position 2 of the non-reducing glucosamine residue. Thus the presence of an ammonium group (i.e. compound 7) leads to unexpected deformation of the 1C4 form of iduronic acid, whereas a sulphamino substituent at this position (e.g. compound 5a,b) brings about the 2S0 skew boat conformation.

The iduronic acid moiety of a trisaccharide (compound 6), which represents a part of the anti-thrombin III-binding site of heparin, shows conformational preference for the 2S0 form in aqueous solution under low ionic conditions. However, increasing the ionic strength (e.g. 3 M NaCl) causes the conformational equilibrium to incline towards the 1C4 chair conformer. This feature may be indicative for the mechanism of conformational control as exerted by the AT-III protein upon heparin binding.

Several molecular models of preferred conformers have been constructed; Nuclear Overhauser Enhancement data, exo-anomeric effect and Van der Waals interactions have been taken into account.


The present study aimed at investigating the influence of the time interval between injection of regular insulin and meal ingestion on postprandial glucose changes and overall blood glucose control in patients with type 1 diabetes on intensive insulin therapy. Fifteen C-peptide negative subjects were submitted, in a randomized order, to two 6-week treatment periods in which regular insulin was injected either 5 minutes or 30 minutes before each of the three main meals, in combination with a bedtime NPH insulin injection. The changes in plasma glucose excursions following a breakfast test (Cmax, Tmax, Cmin, Tmin, AUC0-240 min) were similar in the two experimental protocols. Furthermore, no significant changes were observed in daily insulin dosages nor in glucose profiles obtained using home blood glucose monitoring. Only a tendency to a greater 90-minutes postprandial increase in blood glucose levels was observed when regular insulin was injected 5 minutes rather than 30 minutes before meal. Glycated haemoglobin levels were similar after each treatment period (7.6 +/- 0.2% versus 7.5 +/- 0.2%; NS) and no differences in the incidence or severity of hypoglycaemic episodes were noticed between the two insulin schemes. In conclusion, in type 1 diabetic patients who are rather well controlled with a basal-bolus insulin scheme, the injection of regular insulin 30 minutes before each main meal provides no significant advantage as compared to the injection of regular insulin 5 minutes before meal.


Sperm usage was investigated in an instrumentally inseminated honeybee queen. Her progeny were examined in the first 3 months of the egg‐laying period using a microsatellite marker. Frequencies of different subfamilies differed significantly from one month to another. However, there was no evidence for sperm displacement or sperm precedence of a specific male in the worker progeny. The variance of subfamily proportions decreased over time suggesting that sperm admixture in the spermatheca was incomplete at the beginning of the egg‐laying period of the queen and improved progressively during the first months after mating.


Magnetic fields play an important role in shaping the structure and evolution of the interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies, but the details of this relationship remain unclear. With SKA1, the 3D structure of galactic magnetic fields and its connection to star formation will be revealed. A highly sensitive probe of the internal structure of the magnetoionized ISM is the partial depolarization of synchrotron radiation from inside the volume. Different configurations of magnetic field and ionized gas within the resolution element of the telescope lead to frequency-dependent changes in the observed degree of polarization. The results of spectro-polarimetric observations are tied to physical structure in the ISM through comparison with detailed modeling, supplemented with the use of new analysis techniques that are being actively developed and studied within the community such as Rotation Measure Synthesis. The SKA will enable this field to come into its own and begin the study of the detailed structure of the magnetized ISM in a sample of nearby galaxies, thanks to its extraordinary wideband capabilities coupled with the combination of excellent surface brightness sensitivity and angular resolution.


PURPOSE
To generate a mouse model in which the Lrat gene is selectively disrupted in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). To evaluate the effects on the synthesis of retinyl esters and on the expression of other proteins involved in the continuation of the visual cycle.

METHODS
A mouse line in which part of the first exon of the Lrat gene has been flanked by loxP sites, was generated and used in the study (Lrat(L3/L3) mice). Heterozygous mice (Lrat(+/L3)) were crossed with mice expressing Cre-recombinase under control of the tyrosinase-related protein-1 (Tyrp1) promoter, which is active selectively in melanin-synthesizing cells such as RPE cells. Accordingly, mice obtained from these crosses should display an RPE-specific disruption of the Lrat gene (Lrat(rpe-/-)). In addition, by crossing CMV-Cre transgenic mice with Lrat(L3/L3) animals, a germline null Lrat knockout (Lrat(L-/L-) mice) was generated. RNA and protein expression, endogenous retinoid levels, and electroretinogram (ERG) analyses were performed on Lrat(rpe-/-) and Lrat(L-)/(L-) mice, to determine the effects of Lrat disruption. Retinoid levels in nonocular tissues were also analyzed for comparison.

RESULTS
Analysis of RPE tissues from Lrat(rpe-/-) mice showed absence of Lrat message, lack of Lrat protein expression and consequently a reduced light response in ERG recordings. In addition, RPE cells from Lrat(rpe-/-) showed a strong reduction in their ability to synthesize all-trans retinyl esters, whereas Lrat activity in other tissues known to process retinol was comparable to control Lrat(L3/L3) animals. The Lrat(L-/L-) mice showed no detectable Lrat message, lack of protein expression, and barely detectable ester formation in RPE cells or several other relevant tissues analyzed.

CONCLUSIONS
Three Lrat mouse lines with genetic modifications were generated. The Lrat(L-)/(L-) mice displayed features similar to equivalent models previously reported by others. The second mouse line (Lrat(rpe-/-)) displayed loss of Lrat function only in the RPE. The third line possesses functional Lrat in all tissues, but part of the Lrat coding gene was flanked by loxP sites (Lrat(L3/L3)). This feature allows the disruption of this gene in any tissue of choice, by intercrossing with mice in which Cre-recombinase expression is driven by an appropriate tissue-specific promoter.


Surface treatments, such as immersion, brushing, spraying, dipping, and steeping have been extensively used to treat wood for use in low hazard class areas or as an on-site remedial/supplemental treatment of in-service wooden structures to extend their service life. In the present study the wood was subjected to steeping with three preservative formulations, i.e., copper azole type C (CA-C), alkaline copper quat type C (ACQ-C), and tebuconazole-propiconazole combo (TP), and the effect of surface treatment on fungal decay and termite resistance was evaluated. The results showed that the depth of chemical penetration into the wood and the surface absorption primarily depends on the permeability of the wood species. The efficacy of decay and termite resistance was determined by surface retention per unit area of the surface-treated wood. The surface treatment with CA-C, ACQ-C, and TP significantly enhanced the decay and termite resistances of the wood. But for low-permeability wood species such as Picea asperata, a higher concentration of preservatives or periodic re-surface-treatment is necessary to maintain resistance to decay and to termites.


ABSTRACT Gong, C.; Yang, X.; Liu, Y., and Xiong, H., 2020. China's Port-Hinterland Coordinated Economic Development under 'Maritime Silk Road' Initiative. In: Li, L. and Huang, X. (eds.), Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions: A Perspective of Environment, Economy, and Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 112, pp. 465-471. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. China's 'Maritime Silk Road' initiative is getting increasing attention worldwide and this study examines how well China coordinates its ports and hinterlands to boost its economic growth under the initiative. Our empirical analysis reveals that: i) China's all five major ports demonstrate some port-hinterland economic synergy, though with varying structures and levels. Specifically, Fuzhou Port's development is mainly driven by the hinterland economy while Haikou Port's development by the port economy, and the economic coordination is much more balanced as Beihai Port, Quanzhou Port, and Guangzhou Port are concerned. ii) Measures like optimizing industrial structures, increasing value added for products and services, and perfecting infrastructure can facilitate port-hinterland coordinated development greatly.


Background Following the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in 1991, trans-border mobility increased within the former Soviet Union (FSU) countries. In addition, drug-trafficking and injection drug use began to rise, leading to the propagation and transmission of blood-borne infections within and across the FSU countries. To examine the transmission of blood-borne infections within this region, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationship of publically available sequences of two blood-borne viruses, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), from FSU countries. Methods We analysed 614 and 295 NS5B sequences from HCV genotypes 1b and 3a, respectively, from 9 FSU countries. From 13 FSU countries, we analysed 347 HIV gag and 1282 HIV env sequences. To examine transmission networks and the origins of infection, respectively, phylogenetic and Bayesian analyses were performed. Results Our analysis shows intermixing of HCV and HIV sequences, suggesting transmission of these viruses both within and across FSU countries. We show involvement of three major populations in transmission: injection drug user, heterosexual, and trans-border migrants. Conclusion This study highlights the need to focus harm reduction efforts toward controlling transmission of blood-borne infections among the abovementioned high-risk populations in the FSU countries.


Poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (FEP) film surfaces were chemically surface modified to introduce one of three laminin adhesive peptides: GYIGSR, GRGDS, or SIKVAV. FEP film surfaces were first reduced with sodium naphthalide to introduce surface carbon-carbon double bonds at two reaction conditions: 20 min at -78 degrees C, and 3 h at 25 degrees C. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy indicated that surface topography was unaffected by the reaction conditions. Reduced FEP film surfaces were further modified to introduce hydroxyl groups via hydroboration/oxidation or carboxylic acid groups via oxidation. The hydroxyl (FEP-CHxOH) and carboxylic acid (FEP-COOH) functionalized surfaces provided reactive handles for peptide coupling using tresyl chloride. Surface elemental composition data, determined from X-ray protoelectron spectroscopy, indicated that equivalent amounts of GYIGSR, GRGDS, and SIKVAV were introduced. Two additional coupling reagents, SMCC and TSU, were compared to tresyl chloride for the coupling of radio-labeled tyrosine of GYIGSR. Between 8 and 150 fmol/cm2 of peptide was introduced to the hydroxyl and carboxylic acid functionalized surfaces, with the tresyl coupling reagent showing the greatest amount of peptide incorporated. The tresyl-coupled peptide-modified surfaces were compared in terms of the response of primary, embryonic hippocampal neurons plated from serum-free medium for 4 days. The number and length of neurites extending from the cell bodies were averaged over 50 cells after 1 and 4 days FEP-CHxO-peptide surfaces had either a greater or equivalent hippocampal neuron interaction than the corresponding FEP-COO-peptide surfaces. All peptide-functionalized surfaces had a greater hippocampal neuron interaction than the corresponding FEP-CHxOH, FEP-COOH, and FEP controls after 4 days underlying the importance of the peptides over hydrophilic or hydrophobic surfaces. After 4 days differences in neurite extension were evident among the peptide-functionalized surfaces, with the longest neurites observed on the SIKVAV-functionalized surfaces.


More accurate alternatives to the widely used harmonic mean interblock transmissivity are proposed for block-centered finite-difference models of ground-water flow in unconfined aquifers and in aquifers having smoothly varying transmissivity. The harmonic mean is the exact interblock transmissivity for steady-state one-dimensional flow with no recharge if the transmissivity is assumed to be spatially uniform over each finitedifference block, changing abruptly at the block interface. However, the harmonic mean may be inferior to other means if transmissivity varies in a continuous or smooth manner between nodes. Alternative interblock transmissivity functions are analytically derived for the case of steady-state one-dimensional flow with no recharge. The second author has previously derived the exact interblock transmissivity, the logarithmic mean, for onedimensional flow when transmissivity is a linear function of distance in the direction of flow. We show that the logarithmic mean transmissivity is also exact for uniform flow parallel to the direction of changing transmissivity in a twoor three-dimensional model, regardless of grid orientation relative to the flow vector. For the case of horizontal flow in a homogeneous unconfined or water-table aquifer with a horizontal bottom and with areally distributed recharge, the exact interblock transmissivity is the unweighted arithmetic mean of transmissivity at the nodes. This mean also exhibits no grid-orientation effect for unidirectional flow in a two-dimensional model. For horizontal flow in an unconfined aquifer with no recharge where hydraulic conductivity is a linear function of distance in the direction of flow the exact interblock transmissivity is the product of the arithmetic mean saturated thickness and the logarithmic mean hydraulic conductivity. For several hypothetical twoand three-dimensional cases with smoothly varying transmissivity or hydraulic conductivity, the harmonic mean is shown to yield the least accurate solution to the flow equation of the alternatives considered. Application of the alternative interblock transmissivities to a regional aquifer system model indicates that the changes in computed heads and fluxes are typically small, relative to model calibration error. For this example, the use of alternative interblock transmissivities resulted in an increase in computational effort of less than 3 percent. Numerical algorithms to compute alternative interblock transmissivity functions in a modular three-dimensional flow model are presented and documented.


Objective: Physiological uptake sites and secretion of 131 1 are potential causes of misleading images. This case report demonstrates 131 1 accumulation in the nose as a hot spot. Methods: A 40-year old woman with papillary thyroid carcinoma was scanned following the oral administration of 185 MBq 131 1, 6 mo after surgery and 131 1 therapy. Results: Whole-body and spot images of the head and neck revealed localized tracer uptake in the nasal region and in the thyroid bed due to residual thyroid tissue. The lateral view showed soft tissue accumulation in the distal portion of the nose. Static images were acquired after the patient scoured her nose and mouth of secretions. Marked decrement of the activity confirmed the presence of radioactive mucus. Conclusion: Nasal secretion of 131 1 may cause nasal hot spot appearance that can lead to false positive interpretations in thyroid cancer patients. This case report emphasizes the importance of evaluation of physiological uptake sites. Key Won1s: iodine-131 whole body scan; nasal secretion; thyroid cancer


Effect of Spatially-Varying GDL Properties and Land Compression on Water Distribution in PEM Fuel Cells Modeling and high-resolution-imaging studies of water-content profiles in a polymer-electrolyte-fuel-cell membrane-electrode assembly A multidimensional mathematical model is presented for simulating the coupled phenomena of gaseous fuel/reactant flows, species (cid:1) including liquid water (cid:2) transport, heat transfer, hydrogen oxidation, and oxygen reduction reactions in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (cid:1) PEFC (cid:2) . The present work focuses on elucidating water distribution in the through-plane direction, in particular across the membrane electrode assembly (cid:1) MEA (cid:2) and gas diffusion layer (cid:1) GDL (cid:2) . Two-dimensional model predictions are computed numeri-cally and compared with available experimental data from neutron radiography or imaging. Using the same set of model param- eters, reasonably good agreements are obtained quantitatively between the computed water profile in the MEA–GDL component and the neutron-imaging data reported by two separate research groups, and qualitatively between model prediction and the data from another (cid:1) third (cid:2) group. Case-study simulations are carried out for PEFC operation at various temperatures, relative humidities, and current densities. It is found that liquid-water content is lower at higher cell temperatures due to greater water evaporation and stronger water diffusion in the vapor phase, as expected. Without strong water diffusion in the vapor phase, the liquid-water profiles are found to increase with current density in the cathode GDL but indicate a complex trend in the anode. Effect of varying GDL thermal conductivity on water distribution is also examined. 2D simulation results were computed using the model. We found that liquid-water content may be lower at higher cell temperatures due to greater water evaporation and stronger water diffusion in vapor phase. At 40°C operation where water diffusion in vapor phase is relatively weak, the liquid-water content was found to increase monotonically with current density in the cathode GDL but a complex trend was observed in the anode. It was also found that changing the RHs in the anode and cathode profoundly affects the liquid-water profile in the PEFC. Moreover, reducing the GDL thermal conductivity may shrink the size of two-phase region in the PEFC. Results from the present study also show that 2D (cid:1) through-plus in-plane dimension (cid:2) fuel cell simulation is required to be able to predict the water distribution across the MEA–GDL. Lastly, pre- dictions computed from the present model were compared with the neutron-imaging data reported by two separate groups in terms of the water through-plane profiles and reasonably good agreement was obtained. Qualitative comparison with neutron imaging data from a third group was also made and good agreement was achieved.


A model-based methodology for the estimation of both lateral and vertical track irregularities is presented. This methodology, based on Kalman filter techniques, was developed for an independent and compact measuring system comprising an instrumented axle equipped with a limited set of low-cost sensors: a 3D gyroscope, a Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT) distance sensor and an encoder. The instrumented axle can be used on any railway vehicle travelling at moderate forward speed to provide measurements in real-time. The proposed methodology, combined with the instrumented axle, enables precise and prompt measurement of track irregularities. An experimental campaign carried out on a 1:10 scale track facility at the University of Seville validated both the system and the methodology. In the testing, 80 meters of scaled track was measured at an operational speed of V = 0.65 m/s in just two minutes. Simulation estimates for track irregularities compared against the measured data from the testing showed a good performance of the proposed methodology, with maximum errors of 0.45 mm in the short wavelength range D1, the range most influential to vehicle dynamic behavior.


We review the status of Bell's inequalities in quantum information, stressing mainly the links with quantum key distribution and distillation of entanglement. We also prove that for all the eavesdropping attacks using one qubit, and for a family of attacks of two qubits, acting on half of a maximally entangled state of two qubits, the violation of a Bell inequality implies the possibility of an efficient secret-key extraction.


This paper studies how to apply differential privacy to constrained optimization problems whose inputs are sensitive. This task raises significant challenges since random perturbations of the input data often render the constrained optimization problem infeasible or change significantly the nature of its optimal solutions. To address this difficulty, this paper proposes a bilevel optimization model that can be used as a post-processing step: It redistributes the noise introduced by a differentially private mechanism optimally while restoring feasibility and near-optimality. The paper shows that, under a natural assumption, this bilevel model can be solved efficiently for real-life large-scale nonlinear nonconvex optimization problems with sensitive customer data. The experimental results demonstrate the accuracy of the privacy-preserving mechanism and showcase significant benefits compared to standard approaches.


The Streptomyces lividans KcsA potassium channel, a homotetramer of 17.6 kDa subunits, was found to contain two nonproteinaceous polymers, namely, poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and inorganic polyphosphate (polyP). PHB and polyP are ubiquitous cellular constituents with a demonstrated capacity for cation selection and transport. PHB was detected in both tetramer and monomer species of KcsA by reaction to anti-PHB IgG on Western blots, and estimated as 28 monomer units of PHB per KcsA tetramer by a chemical assay in which PHB is converted to its unique degradation product, crotonic acid. PolyP was detected in KcsA tetramers, but not in monomers, by metachromatic reaction to o-toluidine blue stain on SDS-PAGE gels. A band of free polyP was also visible, suggesting that polyP is released when tetramers dissociate. The exopolyphosphatase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae degraded the free polyP, but tetramer-associated polyP was not affected, indicating it was inaccessible to the enzyme. PolyP in KcsA was estimated as 15 monomer units per tetramer by an enzymatic assay in which polyphosphate kinase is used to transfer phosphates from polyP to [(14)C]ADP, yielding [(14)C]ATP. The experimentally determined isoelectric point of KcsA tetramer was 6.5-7.5, substantially more acidic than the theoretical pI of 10.3, and consistent with the inclusion of a polyanion. The results suggest that PHB is covalently bound to KcsA subunits while polyP is held within tetramers by ionic forces. It is posited that KcsA protein creates an environment in which PHB/polyP is selective for K(+). The basic amino acids attenuate the negative charge density of polyP, thereby transforming the cation binding preference from multivalent to monovalent, and discrimination between K(+) and Na(+) is accomplished by adjusting the ligand geometry in cation binding cavities formed by PHB and polyP.


This article is a reading of The Witcher 3 in relation to postcolonial approaches to Polish culture. It departs from an analysis of an online debate on racial representation in the game as a possible act of epistemic disobedience, and moves on to a consideration of three narrative aspects of the game itself: its representation of political struggle, the ideological stance of the protagonist, and ethnic inspirations in worldbuilding. By referring those three issues to postcolonial analyses of Polish culture, as well as Walter D. Mignolo's concept of decolonization through epistemic disobedience, this article aims to demonstrate paradoxical qualities of the game, which tries to simultaneously distance itself from the established, West-oriented ways of knowledge production and gain recognition as an artifact of modern Western pop culture. Moreover, it employs the tradition of Polish Romanticism to establish itself as a bridge between Slavdom and Western culture, and strengthen the colonial idea of Poland being the proper ruler over Slavs.


Agricultural terraced landscapes, which are important historical heritage sites (e.g., UNESCO or Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) sites) are under threat from increased soil degradation due to climate change and land abandonment. Remote sensing can assist in the assessment and monitoring of such cultural ecosystem services. However, due to the limitations imposed by rugged topography and the occurrence of vegetation, the application of a single high-resolution topography (HRT) technique is challenging in these particular agricultural environments. Therefore, data fusion of HRT techniques (terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and aerial/terrestrial structure from motion (SfM)) was tested for the first time in this context (terraces), to the best of our knowledge, to overcome specific detection problems such as the complex topographic and landcover conditions of the terrace systems. SfM–TLS data fusion methodology was trialed in order to produce very high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) of two agricultural terrace areas, both characterized by the presence of vegetation that covers parts of the subvertical surfaces, complex morphology, and inaccessible areas. In the unreachable areas, it was necessary to find effective solutions to carry out HRT surveys; therefore, we tested the direct georeferencing (DG) method, exploiting onboard multifrequency GNSS receivers for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and postprocessing kinematic (PPK) data. The results showed that the fusion of data based on different methods and acquisition platforms is required to obtain accurate DTMs that reflect the real surface roughness of terrace systems without gaps in data. Moreover, in inaccessible or hazardous terrains, a combination of direct and indirect georeferencing was a useful solution to reduce the substantial inconvenience and cost of ground control point (GCP) placement. We show that in order to obtain a precise data fusion in these complex conditions, it is essential to utilize a complete and specific workflow. This workflow must incorporate all data merging issues and landcover condition problems, encompassing the survey planning step, the coregistration process, and the error analysis of the outputs. The high-resolution DTMs realized can provide a starting point for land degradation process assessment of these agriculture environments and supplies useful information to stakeholders for better management and protection of such important heritage landscapes.


Mutations in the mitochondrial protein CHCHD2 cause autosomal-dominant PD characterized by the preferential loss of substantia nigra dopamine (DA) neurons. Therefore, understanding the function of CHCHD2 in neurons may provide vital insights into how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to neurodegeneration in PD. To investigate the normal requirement and function of CHCHD2 in neurons, we first examined CHCHD2 levels, and showed that DA neurons have higher CHCHD2 levels than other neuron types, both in vivo and in co-culture. We then generated mice with either a targeted deletion of CHCHD2 in DA neurons, or a deletion in the brain or total body. All three models were viable, and loss of CHCHD2 in the brain did not cause degeneration of DA neurons. Mice lacking CHCHD2 in DA neurons did display sex-specific changes to locomotor activity, but we did not observe differences in assays of muscle strength, exercise endurance, or motor coordination. Furthermore, mitochondria derived from mice lacking CHCHD2 did not display abnormalities in OXPHOS function. Lastly, resilience to CHCHD2 deletion could not be explained by functional complementation by its paralog CHCHD10, as deletion of both CHCHD10 and CHCHD2 did not cause degeneration of DA neurons in the midbrain. These findings support the hypothesis that pathogenic CHCHD2 mutations cause PD through a toxic gain-of-function, rather than loss-of-function mechanism.


Development, validation, and implementation of an analytical model to extract biologically and diagnostically relevant parameters from measured cervical tissue reflectance and fluorescence spectra are presented. Monte Carlo simulations of tissue reflectance are used to determine the relative contribution of the signal from the epithelium and stroma. The results indicate that the clinical probe used collects a majority of its reflectance signal from the stroma; therefore, a one-layer analytical model of reflectance is used. Two analytical approaches to calculate reflectance spectra are compared to Monte Carlo simulations, and a diffusion theory-based model is implemented. The model is validated by fitting spectra generated from Monte Carlo simulations and comparing the input and output parameters. Median agreement between extracted optical properties and input parameters is 10.6%. The reflectance model is used together with an analytical model of tissue fluorescence to extract optical properties and fluorophore concentrations from 748 clinical measurements of cervical tissue. A diagnostic algorithm based on these extracted parameters is developed and evaluated using cross-validation. The sensitivity/specificity of this algorithm relative to the gold standard of histopathology per measurement are 8551%; this is comparable to accuracy reported in other studies of optical technologies for detection of cervical cancer and its precursors.


China's strong growth in the midst of the Asian crisis is striking. We explore features of China's financial system that helped insulate it from the crisis, and then try to assess whether China has avoided crisis or simply deferred it. We argue that regardless of whether the Asian crisis resulted from weak fundamentals or from "country runs" by investors, it is not surprising that China has survived so far. In a market-oriented system, pressures generally force rapid adjustment when institutions are, or are perceived to be, insolvent; these mechanisms do not operate fully in China. In addition, China's external accounts remain strong. Even in the absence of capital controls, the strength of these external fundamentals would plausibly preclude a self-fulfilling "country run" on China. Whatever their other effects, capital controls may have played a role in preventing Chinese financial institutions from borrowing excessively abroad, and hence may have helped keep China's external fundamentals strong. Clear risks remain for China's outlook.


Coeliac disease is a common disorder worldwide but its impact in Pakistan is unknown. We reviewed the literature to investigate what is published on coeliac disease and gluten-free diet in Pakistan. Search engines including Medline, Embase, Google were used to retrieve information. Only articles published in a medical journal were included. A total of 34 articles were retrieved, 28 of which were clinical. Of these, 14 pertained to adults and 14 described paediatric patients. Most consisted of descriptions of small series of patients or individual case reports. Five articles addressed treatment issues including gluten-free diet. Most (65%) were from Pakistani journals. All publications were from Sindh or Punjab. For a common disorder, there is a paucity of high quality scientific literature on coeliac disease from Pakistan. Systematic, prospective research studies are needed to investigate the impact of coeliac disease in Pakistan including prevalence, clinical presentations and challenges of gluten-free diet.


InGaN-based green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with different growth temperatures of superlattice grown on Si (111) substrates are investigated by temperature-dependent electroluminescence between 100 K and 350 K. It is observed that with the decrease of the growth temperature of the superlattice from 895°C to 855°C, the forward voltage decreases, especially at low temperature. We presume that this is due to the existence of the larger average size of V-shaped pits, which is determined by secondary ion mass spectrometer measurements. Meanwhile, the sample with higher growth temperature of superlattice shows a severer efficiency droop at cryogenic temperatures (about 100 K–150 K). Electron overflow into p-GaN is considered to be the cause of such phenomena, which is relevant to the poorer hole injection into multiple quantum wells and the more reduced effective active volume in the active region.


Despite the significance of effective risk management practices in deepening prudent financial management in Ghana's Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) there appear to be a paucity of empirical studies highlighting the various kinds of risks faced by RCBs. Such studies will enhance RCBs understanding of the extent to which Ghana's RCBs operations are affected by ineffective risk management practices. The purpose of this paper therefore is to examine the extent to which Ghanaian Rural and Community Banks deploy risk management practices in addressing the types of risk affecting their operations using data through a survey involving respondents from Rural and Community Banks and Bank of Ghana/ARB Apex bank. The study uses primary data collected through survey questionnaire from respondents sampled from the RCBs and the Bank of Ghana/ARB/Apex Bank. The research also uses secondary data collected from the ARB/Apex Bank quarterly reports on Rural and Community Banks operations in Ghana. Our empirical findings indicate that credit risk, liquidity risk, operational risk and legal /regulatory risk are the major forms of risk affecting rural and community banks in Ghana. The paper recommends the enforcement of risk management regulations by the ARB Apex Bank and the Bank of Ghana. On the other hand, Rural and community banks should create risk management department and recruit qualified and experience personnel to ensure effective and efficient risk management practices. The research focused on Rural and Community Banks in Ghana and as such the results may not necessarily represent RCBs in other countries.


Background: Traditional Chinese medicine Taraxacum officinale has been widely used to treat various inflammatory diseases. Taraxasterol is one of the main active components isolated from Taraxacum officinale. Recently, we have demonstrated that taraxasterol has the in vitro anti-inflammatory effects. This study aims to determine the in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of taraxasterol against animal models. Materials and Methods: Anti-inflammatory effects were assessed in four animal models by using dimethylbenzene-induced mouse ear edema, carrageenan-induced rat paw edema, acetic acid-induced mouse vascular permeability and cotton pellet-induced rat granuloma tests. Results: Our results demonstrated that taraxasterol dose-dependently attenuated dimethylbenzene-induced mouse ear edema and carrageenan-induced rat paw edema, decreased acetic acid-induced mouse vascular permeability and inhibited cotton pellet-induced rat granuloma formation. Conclusion: Our finding indicates that taraxasterol has obvious in vivo anti-inflammatory effects against animal models. It will provide experimental evidences for the traditional use of Taraxacum officinale and taraxasterol in inflammatory diseases.


The COVID-19 pandemic forced the change from face-to-face learning to distance learning, namely in initial teacher training. Another form of teaching, learning and student evaluation was created, using technological tools. In this context, we questioned the perceptions of professors in the initial teacher training courses at the University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) about teaching, learning and assessment of students in the context of distance learning. To answer this question, we conducted a questionnaire, with closed questions, to these professors. From the data that was collected and analyzed, we could conclude that, for professors, teaching was carried out through synchronous classes and asynchronous moments of interaction on social networks, in which students' autonomous work and learning took on a relevant role. Additionally, for these professors, more structured formative evaluation was encouraged with distance learning.


Euthanasia has long been debated for the ethical,
legal, social, and religious implications associated with it. The
present research was conducted to study the perceptions of doctors
and nurses about ethical and legal aspects of Euthanasia in Indian
scenario. The study was carried out at three tertiary care hospitals of
Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Mangalore, India. Practicing
doctors and nurses working in the hospitals associated with KMC
were included in the study after taking written informed consent from
the participants. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 11.5.
Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the responses of doctors
and nurses. P-value of <0.05 was taken as statistically significant. A
total of 144 doctors and nurses participated in the study. Both doctors
and nurses agreed that if a terminally ill patient wishes to die, the
wish cannot be honored ethically and legally. A significantly larger
number of nurses agreed that patient's wish for euthanasia cannot be
honored ethically and legally when compared to the doctors. Though
the doctors and nurses were broadly in agreement with the existing
legal and ethical views on the issue, their knowledge on the issue
with regard to the legal status of Euthanasia in India and ethical
aspects relating to it needs to be strengthened.


The U.S. Congress continues to debate a potential cap-and-trade program for the control of greenhouse gas emissions. The economic effects of such a bill remain in dispute, with some arguing that a cap-and-trade program would create jobs and improve economic growth and others arguing that the program would shift jobs overseas and hit households with large energy price increases. This report applies a state-of-the art global economic model to the question and offers insights to policymakers about how to the design the program to achieve long run environmental goals at minimum cost and with low risk to the economy.


The authors report an angle-resolved UV photoemission study of the clean (0001) surface of the rare-earth metal terbium. Normal emission spectra were recorded in the photon energy range 12-50 eV using synchrotron radiation. A number of well-defined features were observed which showed negligible dispersion with photon energy. Close similarity is found between these spectra and those from the (0001) surfaces of Y, Gd and Ho. The binding energy of the Gamma 4- critical point is determined to be 1.5(+or-0.1) eV. They suggest that the apparent shift of the Tb Delta 1 band to higher binding energy reported by previous workers was a result of the significant Fe contamination of their sample.


Recently, many gesture-based interactive devices have been developed. Gesture is one of the most intuitive and natural ways to communicate each other, so gesture recognition technology is becoming huge issues in interaction design. Wrist wearable devices such as smart watches, Nike FuelBand, and Samsung Galaxy Gear are vitalized on the market, and there are attempts to control the wrist wearable devices with gestural interaction. In order to design more user-centered devices, development of gesture standards which gesture is appropriate for which operation becomes very important. In particular, there are two different situations gesture interaction is required: 1) people control objects that exist around then such as TV and vehicle, and 2) people control objects put on their body such as smart watch. This paper assumes that the two different situations may require different gesture interactions. The goal of this paper is to reveal preferred gesture interaction for wrist wearable devices. The function of playing music is selected for the experiment because it is most common and popular function on almost all digital devices. This paper consists of three parts: 1) collect existing gesture signal conventions and categorize them, 2) conduct a survey to find out preferred gestures for each function of playing music in two different situations, and 3) analyze the result for defining the most preferred gesture interactions and considering rationales for designing gesture interaction for wrist wearable device.


In this chapter the impact of corpus-based vocabulary teaching/learning on vocabulary retention among EFL learners with different levels of language proficiency is studied. Four groups of students (two experimental and two control) participated in the study. The experimental groups received vocabulary instruction based on the techniques and procedures of the lexical approach. The control groups were taught with conventional techniques of vocabulary teaching. Vocabulary learning and retention were assessed by two vocabulary tests taken immediately after the treatment and with a 2-month delay respectively. The result showed that the lower proficiency experimental group outperformed other groups in the first vocabulary test, while in the second vocabulary test no significant difference was found between the experimental groups with different language proficiencies.


Candida albicans is the main causative agent of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), a common mycosis in women, relapses of which are difficult to manage due to biofilm formation. This study aimed at developing novel non-toxic compounds active against Candida spp. biofilms. We synthesised analogues of natural antifungal peptides LL-III (LL-III/43) and HAL-2 (peptide VIII) originally isolated from bee venoms and elucidated their structures by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The haemolytic, cytotoxic, antifungal and anti-biofilm activities of LL-III/43 and peptide VIII were then tested. LL-III/43 and VIII showed moderate cytotoxicity to HUVEC-2 cells and had comparable inhibitory activity against C. albicans and non-albicans spp. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) of LL-III/43 was observed towards Candida tropicalis (0.8 µM). That was 8-fold lower than that of antimycotic amphotericin B. Both peptides can be used to inhibit Candida spp. bio film f ormation. Biofilm inhibitory concentrations (BIC50) ranged from 0.9 to 58.6 µM and biofilm eradication concentrations (BEC50) for almost all tested Candida spp. strains ranged from 12.8 to 200 µM. Als o pro ven were the peptides' abilities to reduce the area colonised by biofilms , inhibit hyphae formation and permeabilise cell membranes in biofil ms . LL-III/43 and VIII are promising candidates for further development as therapeutics against VVC.


Purpose of the Study:The purpose of study was to measure the diagnostic utility of interocular retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) symmetry and interocular RNFL thickness comparison. Methods:Both eyes of 103 normal subjects and 106 glaucoma patients (31 patients with early glaucoma and 75 patients with moderate to severe glaucoma) received comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation including visual field testing and optic disc scanning using optical coherence tomography. RNFL thickness values for 256 measurement points were rearranged according to a new reference line connecting the optic disc center and the foveola. The interocular RNFL thickness symmetry value and absolute and fractional interocular difference in RNFL thickness were calculated and compared between groups. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) were calculated and compared. Result:Among the parameters reflecting whole RNFL status, the corrected interocular RNFL thickness symmetry exhibited the largest AUROCs at all glaucoma stages. RNFL thickness and absolute and fractional interocular difference in RNFL thickness exhibited largest AUROC in the inferotemporal area, regardless of glaucoma stage. In the early glaucoma group, absolute and fractional interocular RNFL thickness differences in the temporal and superotemporal areas exhibited equal to or larger AUROCs than RNFL thickness. The AUROCs for RNFL thickness were greater than those for absolute and fractional interocular RNFL thickness differences in the moderate to severe glaucoma group except in the nasal and temporal area. Conclusions:The corrected interocular RNFL thickness symmetry value is an effective diagnostic tool for glaucoma. Interocular comparison of RNFL thickness has good diagnostic performance and gives information about the RNFL beyond just the RNFL thickness itself.


SMEs constitute an important basis for economic growth, entrepreneurial network creationand employment generation in any country. From the onset of the twenty-first century, severalinstitutional policy amendments have been consolidated in Colombia to strengthen the SMEssector and to integrate it to the export competitiveness and growth goals. The objective of this research was to determine how exporting SMEs from Antioquia havestructured proper planning and financial management processes that could provide solid basisfor entrepreneurial growth. An empirical approach was applied to study 39 regional enterprises,the results allow concluding that the so analyzed enterprises are still characterized by theirchallenges in financial decision making related to investment, financing sources and profitdistribution.


We consider source coding over Aref networks. In particular we consider the following two problems: (i) multicasting correlated sources to a set of receivers, (ii) broadcasting sources to their respective receivers. For the first problem we show necessary and sufficient conditions for reliable multicast. For the second problem we show sufficient conditions for reliable broadcast. We further show that these conditions are also necessary when the sources are independent.


This paper presents a high linearity and wide bandwidth driver/power amplifier MMIC, which covered entire Q-band. The MMIC amplifier was designed for 38GHz point-to-point radio application using TriQuint's 0.15 mum power GaAs PHEMT technology. This balanced three-stage power amplifier, with chip size of 2.9 mm2 on 100 mum GaAs substrate, achieved 27 dBm P1dB output power with nominal 18 dB small signal gain over 33-40 GHz. The RF performance of this power amplifier can be further extended to cover frequencies of 33-48 GHz. Meanwhile, high output linearity was measured with lower than -34 dBc third order intermodulation (IM3) at 19 dBm per tone output power level. This state-of-the-art millimeter wave power amplifier sets the benchmark of linearity and bandwidth for a single MMIC chip reported to date among Q-band medium power amplifiers


ABSTRACT Objectives: To explore the clinical value of minimally invasive aspiration and drainage of intracranial hematoma in the treatment of cerebral hemorrhage. Methods: Seventy-eight patients with cerebral hemorrhage who were treated in the Taian City Central Hospital and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University between June 2018 and December 2019 were selected. The patients were randomly numbered and divided into two groups by drawing lots, 39 in each group. The control group was treated with the traditional internal medicine conservative therapy, and the observation group was treated with minimally invasive intracranial hematoma aspiration and drainage. The indexes of the two groups were compared. Results: The efficacy rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the good recovery rate of the observation group was higher compared to the control group, and the difference had statistical significance (P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the observation group was lower than that of the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Conclusion: In the treatment of cerebral hemorrhage, minimally invasive intracranial hematoma aspiration and drainage facilitates the recovery of patients, promotes the improvement of neurological function, and has a high safety profile and an ideal prognostic quality.


Background/Aims: Frail patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased hospitalisation and mortality rate. However, many popular frailty screening methods have not been validated in patients with CKD. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of several frailty screening methods in patients with CKD G4–5 and those established on haemodialysis (G5D). Methods: Ninety participants with CKD G4–5D were recruited from Nephrology Outpatient Clinics and 2 Haemodialysis Units between December 2016 and December 2017. Frailty was diagnosed using the Fried Frailty Phenotype. The following frailty screening tests were evaluated: Clinical Frailty Scale, PRISMA-7, CKD Frailty Index, CKD FI-LAB, walking speed, hand grip strength and Short Physical Performance Battery. Results: The mean age of participants was 69 years (SD ±13). One-third of participants were dialysis-dependent. Nineteen (21%) patients were categorised as frail, 42 (47%) as pre-frail and 29 (32%) as robust. Overall, walking speed was the most discriminative measure (AUC 0.97 [95% CI 0.93–1.00], sensitivity 0.84 [95% CI 0.62–0.94], specificity 0.96 [95% CI 0.88–0.99]). The Clinical Frailty Scale had the best performance of the non-physical assessment frailty screening methods (AUC 0.90 [95% CI 0.84–0.97], sensitivity 0.79 [95% CI 0.57–0.91], specificity 0.87 [95% CI 0.78–0.93]). Conclusions: Walking speed can be used to accurately screen for frailty in CKD populations. If it is not practical to perform a physical assessment to screen for frailty, the Clinical Frailty Scale is a useful alternative.


Motivation: Since long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have involved in a wide range of functions in cellular and developmental processes, an increasing number of methods have been proposed for distinguishing lncRNAs from coding RNAs. However, most of the existing methods are designed for lncRNAs in animal systems, and only a few methods focus on the plant lncRNA identification. Different from lncRNAs in animal systems, plant lncRNAs have distinct characteristics. It is desirable to develop a computational method for accurate and robust identification of plant lncRNAs. Results: Herein, we present a plant lncRNA identification method ItLnc-BXE, which utilizes multiple features and the ensemble learning strategy. First, a diversity of lncRNA features is collected and filtered by feature selection to represent RNA transcripts. Then, several base learners are trained and further combined into a single meta-learner by ensemble learning, and thus an ItLnc-BXE model is constructed. ItLnc-BXE models are evaluated on datasets of six plant species, the results show that ItLnc-BXE outperforms other state-of-the-art plant lncRNA identification methods, achieving better and robust performances (AUC>95.91%). We also perform some experiments about cross-species lncRNA identification, and the results indicate that dicots-based and monocots-based models can be used to accurately identify lncRNAs in lower plant species, such as mosses and algae. Availability: source codes are available at https://github.com/BioMedicalBigDataMiningLab/ItLnc-BXE. Contact: email@example.com (or) firstname.lastname@example.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


This research investigates the ways in which cities leverage Olympic bids for
positive outcomes. Recent Olympic bid cycles have seen a decline in interest
in hosting the Games and so the IOC is seeking to encourage bidders to
consider how a bid can benefit a city. This is not necessarily a new concept,
with case studies including Lyon 1920 (Benneworth and Dauncey, 2010),
Manchester 2000 (Cook and Ward, 2011), Berlin 2004 (Alberts, 2009), and
Toronto 2008 (Oliver, 2011), yet research into this area is still emerging. This
present research contributes to the existing literature, through considering the
leveraging strategies employed as part of the bid, rather than post bid legacies.
To answer the research question of how cities can leverage Olympic bids, two
stages of data analysis were conducted. A content analysis was conducted of
16 bid cities' answers to the question 'what will be the benefits of bidding for
the Olympic Games for your city/region, irrespective of the outcome of the
bid?' (IOC, 2009: 66). Second, qualitative case studies were developed using
Cape Town and Toronto's bids for the 2004 and 2008 Games respectively; 31
interviews were conducted with various stakeholders across both bids.
The data collection identified three key leveraging objectives: urban
development, sports development and raising the city's global profile. The key
finding is that the Olympic bid provided cities with the opportunity to leverage
national government funding. The leveraging strategies for sports
development and the raising of the profile were less successful as these
strategies were implemented solely by the city and did not appear to have the
same level of planning as the urban development goals. This research has
contributed to the burgeoning literature surrounding Olympic bidding, but
perhaps the practical implications are more significant. This research provides
bidders with information regarding how an Olympic bid can benefit a city,
irrespective of the bid's success. In particular, cities should view a bid as an
opportunity to catalyse or contribute to already existing plans. Without this
level of strategic planning forethought, it is unlikely that the leveraging plans
will be successful.


Known for its advantages in preventing geological and environmental hazards, cemented paste backfill (CPB) has become a topic of interest for scientists and mining engineers in recent decades. This paper presents the results of a study on the use of cemented super-fine tailings backfill (CSUTB) in an underground mine for control of surface subsidence. An analytical solution is developed based on the available model to calculate the required strength of backfill when in contact with non-cemented tailings (NCT). The effect of solid contents on the rheological properties of CSUTB is investigated. A reasonable mix proportion (RMP) of CSUTB is determined for Zhongguan Iron Mine (ZGIM) based on laboratory experiments. The validity of RMP in surface subsidence control is verified by a 3D numerical model. The obtained results show that CSUTB requires higher strength when in contact with NCT than when in contact with orebody. Rheological characteristics, e.g., slump, fluidity, and bleeding rate of fresh CSUTB, decrease with higher solids content, of which values with a certain solids content can be determined by quadratic polynomial regression equations. RMP with a cement to tailings (c/t) ratio of 1:10 and a solids content of 70% is recommended for ZGIM, as it shows favorable mechanical and rheological abilities. The deformation parameters (curvature, inclination, and horizontal deformation rate) obtained from numerical modeling are acceptable and lower than critical values, meaning CSUTB can feasibly be used with RMP in subsidence control.


The internal temperatures of fragments produced by an excited nuclear source are investigated using the microcanonical version of the Statistical Multifragmentation Model, with discrete energy. We focus on the fragments' properties at the breakup stage, before they have time to deexcite by particle emission. Since the adopted model provides the excitation energy distribution of these primordial fragments, it allows one to calculate the temperatures of different isotope families and infer on the sensitivity to their isospin composition. It is found that, due to the functional form of the nuclear density of states and the excitation energy distribution of the fragments, proton rich isotopes are hotter than neutron rich ones. This property has been taken to be an indication of earlier emission of the former from a source that cools down as it expands and emits fragments. Although this scenario is incompatible with the prompt breakup of a thermally equilibrated source, our results reveal that the latter framework also provides the same qualitative features just mentioned. Therefore they suggest that this property cannot be taken as evidence for non-equilibrium emission. We also found that this sensitivity to the isotopic composition of the fragments depends on the isospin composition of the source, and that it is weakened as the excitation energy of the source increases.


The presented study summarizes the results of the implementation of liberal market reforms in Russia and reviews tools of the market economy that could solve the problem of distrust within Russian society.Aim. The study aims to define the underlying problems that stem from the peculiarities of the historical development of the Russian Federation and now hinder the advancement of our country to a new level of development, and to propose directions for solving these problems.Tasks. The authors summarize the socio-economic consequences of the implementation of liberal market reforms; define the problems of the implementation of a rent-based economy in modern Russia; prove that Russia cannot advance to a new level of development without solving the problem of social distrust; review the tools that could change the current situation of global social distrust (publicprivate partnership, proactive budgeting, clusters, territorial marketing, Far Eastern Hectare program, smart cities, incident management).Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition to examine the results of the implementation of liberal market reforms, identify the problems of modern Russia, and determine the possible directions and tools of development.Results. Russia's development is historically based on finding and living off the natural rent. This perspective significantly narrows the range of ideas about the potential development directions for the Russian Federation. The rent-based development options proposed today expose another common Russian trait — uncertainty, lack of risk appetite, pessimism, and fear of "things getting worse". Implementation of democratic reforms in the context of rent-based economic institutions, lack of mutual trust within society, poor performance of courts — all this aggravates the current situation.Conclusions. Nowadays, Russia needs an economy that would create a demand for human capital and inclusive political institutions that would make people engaged in the life of the nation, allowing them to capitalize on their creativity without leaving their homeland.


The Finite-pointset method (FPM) is a mesh-free Lagrangian method. In this article, we discuss issues in parallelizing the FPM on distributed memory architecture. The Message Passing Interface (MPI) standard library is used for communication. We have developed algorithms to achieve fine-grained parallelism. Issues relating to Load Balancing and communication between processors have been addressed. A parallel version of the BiCGSTAB linear solver is implemented. The efficiency and speedup results for the parallel linear solver, used in conjunction with our load-balancing technique, are presented.


Neurotrauma in the form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) afflicts more Americans annually than Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease combined, yet few researchers have used neuroproteomics to investigate the underlying complex molecular events that exacerbate TBI. Discussed in this review is the methodology needed to explore the neurotrauma proteome-from the types of samples used to the mass spectrometry identification and quantification techniques available. This neuroproteomics survey presents a framework for large-scale protein research in neurotrauma, as applied for immediate TBI biomarker discovery and the far-reaching systems biology understanding of how the brain responds to trauma. Ultimately, knowledge attained through neuroproteomics could lead to clinical diagnostics and therapeutics to lessen the burden of neurotrauma on society.


The information concerning to the knowledge and use of the mushrooms from three communities of the Aeambsy'a municipality, State of Mexico, during the rainy seasons of 1984 and 1985 is presented. 139 lo cal common names (40 names in Otomian language) are recorded, corres-ponding with 55 species of maerofungi, of which 50 are Basidiomycetes , 4 Ascomycetes and one is a lichen. The studied mushrooms belong to 5 anthropocentric categories: edible mushrooms (28 species); toxic species (12); medicinal sp ecie s (9); insecticide species (1) and dyeing fungi (1).


A retrospective study of needle biopsy of the kidney of 163 dogs and 34 cats was performed to evaluate its clinical value and postbiopsy complications. Complications included microscopic hematuria (41 of 53 cases in which urinalyses were performed within 48 hours following the biopsy), gross hematuria (4 dogs), and hydronephrosis (3 of 82 dogs and 1 of 19 cats necropsied). Satisfactory needle biopsy specimens were obtained by use of Franklin-Silverman, Metcoff, and true-cut needles. The necropsy diagnosis matched the biopsy diagnosis in 80 of 82 dogs necropsied and in 17 of 19 cats necropsied.


The probability of a high roll is larger for the biased dice than for the fair dice. Suppose that you draw a die at random from the box and roll it twice, observing a four on the first roll and a six on the second roll. What is the probability that the die is biased? A Bayesian analysis combines ones prior beliefs about the probability of a hypothesis with the likelihood. The likelihood is the vehicle that carries the information about the hypothesis contained in the observations. In this case, the likelihood is simply the probability of observing a four and a six given that the die is biased or fair. Assuming independence of the tosses, the probability of observing a four and a six is


In the past several years in particular, intra-military sexual assault and rape in the U.S. armed forces have been the focus of frequent media attention and intense congressional debate. Despite reforms, the rate of intra-military sexual crimes continues to remain high, as does soldiers' wariness to report instances of sexual violence to military commanders. These problems and others have invigorated the position taken by some that outside judicial review of intra- military sexual crimes is necessary to provide justice to victims and lower the rate of intra-military sexual assault and rape. This Note argues that one of the primary contributors to intra-military sexual assault and rape is the gendered nature of the military itself. Given the nature of these acts, intra-military sexual assault and rape can be properly qualified as "gender crimes." This Note also points out that this problem is not unique to the United States, as other militaries around the world struggle with intra-military sexual violence. Due to this widespread occurrence and international human rights laws prohibiting rape and gender-based violence more generally, this Note argues that intra-military sexual assault and rape should be viewed as international gender crimes in violation of international customary law. It is theorized that recognizing intramilitary sexual assault and rape in this manner can bring greater attention to these crimes and help push for independent judicial review of intra-military sexual crimes on the domestic level worldwide.


Background Systemic inflammatory responses play important roles in tumor progression, including metastasis tendency. A high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with poor prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been reported to be involved in the recruitment of pro-angiogenic neutrophils in tumor metastasis progress. Therefore, we focused on the correlations among NLR, neutrophil count, and VEGF during metastasis and explored the reasons for changes of NLR in advanced NPC.Methods Consecutive patients who had been investigated with magnetic resonance imaging and irradiated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) from November 2011 to December 2012 were studied retrospectively. Clinical parameters (NLR, neutrophil count) were measured and their association with NPC stage advancement and VEGF were assessed using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Survival curves were created using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test.Results NLR was elevated in advanced N stage (P < 0.0001) and M stage disease (P = 0.0034), but not T stage disease (P = 0.7049). Changes to the NLR in advanced N stage and M stage disease were affected most strongly by neutrophil count (P = 0.0074 and P = 0.0064, respectively) and higher NLR levels were associated with higher neutrophil count (P < 0.0001). NLR > 2.26 and positive VEGF expression (+++) correlated significantly with distant metastasis-free survival (P = 0.0340 and P = 0.0023, respectively). Neutrophil counts correlated positively with VEGF expression (P = 0.0024) in NPC tissue.Conclusion Our results demonstrate a positive correlation between NLR, neutrophil count, and VEGF expression in NPC. Higher NLR and VEGF expression are associated with distant metastasis-free survival among patients with NPC, which implies that they set a basis of immune activation in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.


We present a novel framework to generate images of different age while preserving identity information, which is known as face aging. Different from most recent popular face aging networks utilizing Generative Adversarial Networks(GANs) application, our approach do not simply transfer a young face to an old one. Instead, we employ the edge map as intermediate representations, firstly edge maps of young faces are extracted, a CycleGAN-based network is adopted to transfer them into edge maps of old faces, then another pix2pixHD-based network is adopted to transfer the synthesized edge maps, concatenated with identity information, into old faces. In this way, our method can generate more realistic transfered images, simultaneously ensuring that face identity information be preserved well, and the apparent age of the generated image be accurately appropriate. Experimental results demonstrate that our method is feasible for face age translation.


Subunit dissociation and unfolding of dimeric rabbit muscle triose phosphate isomerase (TIM) induced by hydrostatic pressure were investigated. Changes in fluorescence emission of TIM (both intrinsic and of covalently attached probes) indicated that pressure ranging from 1 bar to 3.5 kbar promoted subunit dissociation and unfolding. Instrinsic fluorescence changes upon unfolding by pressure included a 27 nm red-shift of the emission, a decrease in fluorescence anisotropy from 0.14 to about 0.01, and a 1.5-fold increase in fluorescence quantum yield, similar to that observed in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride. Kinetics of pressure-induced fluorescence changes were slow (t 1/2 approximately 15 min) and little dependent on pressure. In order to selectively monitor subunit dissociation, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements were carried out with TIM that was separately labeled with 5-((((2-iodoacetyl)-amino)ethyl)amino)naphthalene-1-sulfonic acid (1,5-IAEDANS) or fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC). FRET measurements indicated that subunit dissociation and unfolding took place concomitantly, both under equilibrium conditions and in kinetic experiments in which dissociation/unfolding was triggered by a sudden increase in pressure. Release of pressure caused monomer refolding and dimerization. Contrary to what would be expected for a process involving subunit dissociation, pressure effects on TIM were not dependent on protein concentration. Experiments involving a series of pressure jumps demonstrated persistent heterogeneity in sensitivity toward pressure in the ensemble of TIM dimers. This kind of deterministic behavior is similar to that exhibited by higher order protein aggregates and indicates that not all individual dimers are energetically identical in solution. The heterogeneity of native TIM revealed by sensitivity to pressure could not be detected by traditional means of protein separation, such as polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (under both native and denaturing conditions) and size exclusion gel chromatography. This suggests that energetic heterogeneity originates from conformational heterogeneity of the protein. The possible biological relevance of the deterministic character of stability of TIM is discussed.


ABSTRACT Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex syndrome with a high incidence and considerable morbidity in critically ill patients. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) remains the mainstay of treatment for AKI. There are at present multiple disparities in uniform definition, diagnosis, and prevention of AKI and timing of initiation, mode, optimal dose, and discontinuation of RRT that need to be addressed. The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) AKI and RRT guidelines aim to address the clinical issues pertaining to AKI and practices to be followed for RRT, which will aid the clinicians in their day-to-day management of ICU patients with AKI. How to cite this article Mishra RC, Sodhi K, Prakash KC, Tyagi N, Chanchalani G, Annigeri RA, et al. ISCCM Guidelines on Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Replacement Therapy. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(S2):S13–S42.


This paper describes a computer program developed for the study of the growth of corona streamers from a lightning rod. The basic physical processes of electrical discharge are applied in the model. From results of computer studies, it was found that the determination of striking distance cannot rely solely on the state of growth of the upward streanier. The attractive effect of the lightning rod should be measured in terms of the rate of descent of the leader stroke with respect to the growth of the upward streamer. Additional studies were also made to determine the effect of structure height on striking distance.


Capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) are the largest rodents found in South America. The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in 170 free-living capybaras in a residential park area in Itu Municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil. Serum samples were tested by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for T. gondii (IFAT ≥ 1:16) and N. caninum (IFAT ≥ 1:50). Among the 170 samples analyzed, 10% (17/170) and 0% (0/170) were seropositive for T. gondii and N. caninum, respectively. This study confirms the widespread presence of T. gondii and reinforces the role of capybaras in the life cycle of this parasite. Capybaras may not be important as intermediate hosts of N. caninum in the studied environment.


This paper proposes a new approach and coding scheme for solving economic dispatch problems in power systems through simulated annealing like particle swarm optimization (SA-PSO). This novel coding scheme could effectively prevent obtaining infeasible solutions through the application of stochastic search methods, thereby dramatically improving search efficiency and solution quality. Many nonlinear characteristics of power generators, and their operational constraints, such as generation limitations, ramp rate limits, prohibited operating zones, transmission loss, and nonlinear cost functions, were all considered for practical operation. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method were demonstrated by four system case studies and compared with previous literature in terms of solution quality and computational efficiency. The experiment showed encouraging results, suggesting that the proposed approach was capable of efficiently determining higher quality solutions addressing economic dispatch problems.


Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has the most extensive geographic distribution of the medically significant tick-borne viruses. Its causative agent is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family Bunyaviridae, genus Nairovirus. The virus can be transmitted mainly through direct contact with blood or tissues from infected livestock or through bites of Hyalomma ticks. Moreover, nosocomial and community outbreaks have been already described. Although in Greece serologic evidence of the virus has been observed, no case of CCHF has been reported until 2008; however, on June 2008 a case of CCHF was reported in Greece and phylogenetic analysis showed that the causative agent of CCHF was a virus strain similar to other strains detected or isolated in the Balkan Peninsula, Russia and Turkey which are associated with severe and sometimes fatal disease in humans. This case identification raised many concerns on the emerging potential and the changing epidemiology of CCHF. The present article reviews on the epidemiological and clinical features of CCHF; moreover, prevention and control strategies are being described in detail.


This paper argues that the image of the computer geek that took shape around the turn of the twenty-first century borrowed elements from earlier American constructions of the wildman. In particular, the geek, like prior wildmen, compressed ideas about four conflicting values: liberty and danger, authenticity and fakery.


A growing body of survey research shows that the European Union (EU) has a relatively benign image around the world, except among Arab populations. What informs Arab citizens' sceptical attitudes toward the European Union (EU)? Combining literature on Arab public opinion and perceptions of the EU, we argue that Arab citizens' feelings about the EU are influenced most prominently by their desire for sovereignty. Moreover, traditional utilitarian and cue-taking mechanisms should also impact Arab EU attitudes. We empirically test our argument using data from the third wave of the Arab Barometer (AB). Our findings confirm that Arab citizens' EU views seem to be informed by their desire for sovereignty, as well as economic considerations and trust in domestic elites. Having provided evidence on Arab opinions about the EU, we discuss relevant theoretical and methodological directions for future research.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between mannose-binding protein(MBP) gene codon 54 (GGC/GAC) polymorphism and the patterns of glomerular immune deposition in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and explore its functional significance.

METHODS
IgAN patients were divided into two groups according to the pattern of glomerular immune deposition. Group A included 77 patients with glomerular IgA and C3 deposits. Group AGM consisted of 70 patients with glomerular IgA, IgG, IgM, C3 and Clq deposits. One hundred and forty healthy adults were used as normal controls. MBP genotypes were investigated by PCR-RFLP. Serum MBP levels of some subjects with different genotypes were also assayed by ELISA simultaneously.

RESULTS
The genotype frequency of GAC heterozygotes was significantly higher in group AGM than in group A (41.4% vs. 19.5%, P<0.01) or normal subjects (41.4% vs. 26.4%, P<0.05), while no difference was found in the distribution of MBP genotypes between group A and normal subjects. The allele frequency of GAC mutation was also higher in group AGM than in group A (0.236 vs. 0.136, P<0.05) or normal subjects (0.236 vs. 0.146, P<0.05). The variant allele (GAC) was markedly associated with group AGM (OR=1.95, 95%CI: 1.06-3.58). In both group A and group AGM, more patients carrying the variant allele had episodes of upper respiratory or gastrointestinal infections prior to the onset or exacerbation of IgAN than wild homozygotes. In addition, a significant difference in serum MBP level was also observed among the three genotypes (GGC/GGC>GGC/GAC>GAC/GAC) (P<0.0001) for all groups, while there were no differences in serum MBP levels for subjects with the same genotypes among the three groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION
The above findings provide evidence that IgAN patients with abundant immune deposits in glomeruli show a higher frequency of MBP gene variation which is associated with a high frequency of infection and a low serum MBP level. This genetic deficiency may lead to an impaired first-line defense and a less effective clearance of immune complex than those without this mutation and thereafter accelerate glomerular immune deposition during the process of disease.


Shipboard Operation Human Reliability Analysis (SOHRA) method is recognized as a practical tool to predict human error probability (HEP) of operators engaging marine operations. Identifying the generic task types (GTTs) and marine specific error producing conditions (m-EPCs), the tool successfully derives HEP value distribution of critical operations in maritime environment. However, the real-time applications of SOHRA to prioritize and implement the suitable recovery actions have still open for development due to the limited time and expertise at pre-operation stage. This paper adapts SOHRA into lifeboat and davits inspection process as a critical marine safety service. Considering the tasks conducted by marine safety service engineers in routine and remote support modes, the GTTs and m-EPCs are assigned to estimate HEP values. In this context, a remote assistance system, is alternatively extended to involve standardization, camera tracking, and advisory support to enhance human reliability through inspection stages. The findings spotlight the deviation in HEP between routine (8.26E + 00) and remote support (4.04E-01) modes. A set of recovery actions (i.e. instructional materials) to remedy the HEP values in routine mode are suggested while it is not required at the remote mode assistance. The application illustrates that remote supporting to the marine service might reasonably reduce service engineers' error rates. Consequently, the study is expected to enhance SOHRA applications in inspection period, particularly added value to marine service engineers in duty. The further studies on the proposed remote assistance concept as new generation solution will contribute to the service quality of marine safety companies.


Addition of uncoupler at the background of concentration gradient of the salts of weak acids and bases (sodium acetate and ammonium chloride) brought about formation of the positive potential on the BLM part with high sodium acetate concentration and of the negative potential on the BLM part with high ammonium chloride concentration. It was shown that the potential formation was conditioned by the initiation of pH gradient in unstirred layers. The effects observed are described by means of the earlier developed [7] model of the transfer of weak acids and bases through BLM. The results obtained show that with the existence of gradients of weak acids and bases potentials may appear on the membrane, biological ones included, in the presence of protonophor.