In recent years, the study of cuprate superconductors has been dominated by the investigation of normal state properties. Of particular interest is the nature of interactions between superconductivity and other incipient orders which emerge above the superconducting transition temperature, Tc. The discovery of charge density wave (CDW) correlations in YBa2Cu3O6+x (YBCO) and HgBa2CuO4+d (Hg-1201) has established that some form of charge order is ubiquitous in the cuprates. In this work, we explore the non-equilibrium dynamics of systems which sit near the boundary between superconductivity and competing orders.Ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy is ideally suited to the study of competing order. Exciting the sample with an optical pulse perturbs the system from equilibrium, altering the balance between the co-existing orders. The return to equilibrium is then monitored by a time-delayed probe pulse, revealing multiple decay processes as well as collective excitations. We first apply this technique to Hg-1201, conducting a detailed study of the phase diagram. At temperatures near Tc, the pump pulse induces a non-equilibrium quasiparticle population. At Tc we observe a doping-dependent peak in the relaxation time of these quasiparticles which we associate with a divergence in the coherence time of the fluctuating CDW. Using heterodyne probing in the transient grating geometry, we are able to disentangle the transient reflectivity components associated with superconductivity and the pseudogap, domonstrating competition across the phase diagram. We also discuss the observation of a sharp transition in the nature of the pseudogap signal at s 11% doping.In YBCO, we explore the temperature and doping dependence of coherent oscillations excited by the pump pulse. We associate these oscillations with the excitation of the CDW amplitude mode, and model their temperature dependence within the framework of a Landau model of competing orders.We conclude with an investigation of pseudogap dynamics in the electron doped compound Nd2-xCexCuO4+d as a function of temperature and doping. Near optimal doping, we observe the impulsive excitation of a critically damped mode, with time-temperature scaling consistent with quantum-critical fluctuations. This mode competes with superconductivity in a dynamical fashion, such that the suppression of this mode below Tc can be lifted via photo-evaporation of the superconducting condensate.


To succeed at developing a nationwide Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), stakeholders in academia, government, and industry must forge and maintain strategic partnerships. The South Florida Ocean Measurement Center (SFOMC) is such a partnership model and mutually beneficial collaboration that is conducting year-in and year- out major at-sea operations, sustaining the operation of a complex array of sub sea sensors, and providing the maintenance and the shore-based infrastructure to support both. The transformation of a longstanding, narrowly focused, and somewhat antiquated (but highly capable) Navy test and evaluation facility is described. Formerly plagued with a decreasing customer base and increasing operational costs, the Center's transformation into this now fully integrated coalition has mitigated these forerunners of extinction while answering both Navy and academic needs. The successful partnership has resulted in modern facilities, a broad customer base, and steadily decreasing costs of operation. Examples are provided that demonstrate the ability of the Navy's South Florida Testing Facility (SFTF) to realize user cost savings and to aid in the convergence of interest and capabilities among a variety of user groups toward the solution of problems of national concern, including naval research, homeland security, and environmental stewardship.


Phenotypic characters are traditionally the main information for species discrimination in taxonomic studies of invertebrates. However, the presence of interand intraspecific polymorphism makes it difficult to identify species in many groups such as Neotropical social wasps. Herein, we examined different sources of biological information such as adult morphology, male genitalia, nest architecture, and genetic data applying an integrative taxonomic approach to study pinned museum specimens belonging to the social wasp genus Pseudopolybia de Saussure, 1863. Based on multiple independent lines of evidence, we described a new Neotropical swarm-founding social wasp, Pseudopolybia cryptica sp. n. Moreover, we proposed a phylogenetic hypothesis for Pseudopolybia including this new species. Our taxonomic findings applying an integrative approach reinforce that the social wasp diversity in the Neotropics may be underestimated due to morphological similarity.


The present paper assesses the social and economic situation of people living in Chhattisgarh and the factors responsible for their migration to other towns and cities in search of better livelihood and better quality of life. The study of internal migration assumes special importance in any state in the process of development. By its very nature internal migration, that is the movement of people across smaller units within the state, is related to a process of change occurring within the social system. Migration is an important feature of human civilization. It reflects, human endeavor to survive in the most testing conditions both natural and manmade. Migration in India is in existence historically. In Chhattisgarh, counter insurgency measures such as the creation of a popular movement to resist naxalist groups, Salwa Judum, has led to the forcible displacement of people throughout Bhairamgarh, Geedam Bijapur areas, under police and administrative supervision. According to official estimates approximately 15,000 people from 420 villages are living as refugees in temporary camps. People have left behind their cattle and most of their household goods.


Counterfactual computation (CFC) exemplifies the fascinating quantum process by which the result of a computation may be learned without actually running the computer. In previous experimental studies, the counterfactual efficiency is limited to below 50%. Here we report an experimental realization of the generalized CFC protocol, in which the counterfactual efficiency can break the 50% limit and even approach unity in principle. The experiment is performed with the spins of a negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy color center in diamond. Taking advantage of the quantum Zeno effect, the computer can remain in the not-running subspace due to the frequent projection by the environment, while the computation result can be revealed by final detection. The counterfactual efficiency up to 85% has been demonstrated in our experiment, which opens the possibility of many exciting applications of CFC, such as high-efficiency quantum integration and imaging.


This study provides empirical evidence on the impact of a minimum wage increase on employment of workers in the formal sector who have wages below the minimum level in Vietnam. Using the difference‐in‐differences with propensity score matching and the Vietnam Household Living Standard Surveys of 2004 and 2006, the article finds that the minimum wage increase in 2005 reduced the proportion of workers having a formal sector job among low‐wage workers. Most workers who lost formal sector jobs became self‐employed.


Cardiac PET has been evolving over the past 30 years. Today, it is accepted as a valuable imaging modality for the noninvasive assessment of coronary artery disease. PET has demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy for the detection of coronary artery disease compared with single-photon emission computed tomography, and also has a well-established prognostic value. The routine addition of absolute quantification of myocardial blood flow increases the diagnostic accuracy for three-vessel disease and provides incremental functional and prognostic information. Moreover, the characterization of the vasodilator capacity of the coronary circulation may guide proper decision-making and monitor the effects of lifestyle changes, exercise training, risk factor modification or medical therapy for improving regional and global myocardial blood flow. This type of image-guided approach to individualized patient therapy is now attainable with the routine use of cardiac PET flow reserve imaging.


Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) is an abundant and renewable by-product of the cashew nut industry. It appears to be a valuable raw material for generating semiconductive polyaniline (PAni) nanomaterial with enhanced thermal stability and well-defined nanofiber morphology following a polymerization dispersion process. This study confirms that CNSL acts as a soft template during PAni synthesis, leading to an improvement in the nanofiber aspect. CNSL also improves the thermal stability of the PAni nanomaterial. Moreover, CNSL is an effective surfactant that promotes and stabilizes the dispersion of PAni nanofibers within water, allowing the more ecofriendly preparation of PAni nanomaterial by substituting the commonly used organic solvent with aqueous media. Finally, although CNSL promotes the formation of the conductive emeraldine salt form of PAni, increasing CNSL concentrations appear to plasticize the PAni polymer, leading to reduced electrical conductivity. However, this reduction is not detrimental, and PAni nanofibers remain semiconductive even under high CNSL concentrations.


Enhancement of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and increased intraneuronal acetylcholine (ACh) may explain the convulsant activity of some inhaled compounds. Enflurane, for example, enhances such activity. Accordingly, we measured choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in rat cortical synaptosomes in the presence of two inhaled convulsants, flurothyl (CF3CH2OCH2CF3) and 1,2-dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane at partial pressures below and greatly exceeding those which produce convulsions in vivo. Neither agent changed the kinetic parameters, maximum velocity (vmax) or Michaelis constant (Km). The vmax for controls in the flurothyl series was 016 (0.06) nmol mg-1 min-1 and the Km was 0.23 (0.11) mmol litre-1. For the 1,2-dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane series of experiments the results for the controls were vmax 0.23 (0.10) nmol mg-1 min-1 and Km 0.20 (0.08) mmol litre-1. Modification of ChAT activity did not contribute to the excitatory effects of these agents.


Although occupational data has been collected in the United States since the 1850 Census of Population, the modern Standard Occupational Classification ( SOC) system was not introduced until 1977. The SOC is intended to include all occupations for which work is performed for pay or profit. As with any new taxonomy, there were flaws and omissions in the original SOC, and the system was revised in 1980, in time to be used for tabulations from the 1980 decennial census. Despite plans for frequent review, it was not until the mid-1990s that the validity and usefulness of the 1980 SOC for current needs was examined. To determine how accurately the 1980 SOC reflected the world of work 15 years later, the Office of Management and Budget ( OMB) chartered the Standard Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee ( SOC Committee). This article provides a description of the SOC revision process. For background, it begins with a brief summary of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) revision process and the work of the Economic Classification Policy Committee (ECP Committee), much of which was emulated by the SOC Committee. The article then details why the SOC was revised and describes its key characteristics.


AIM
To analyze the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (EPS8) expression status and role in colorectal carcinogenesis given that EPS8 has a conserved actin barbed-end capping function that is required for proper maturation in intestinal cells.

METHODS
We studied 8 colon cancer cell lines and 58 colorectal tumors (19 adenomas and 39 carcinomas). We performed expression microarray analysis of colon cancer cell lines followed by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis and immunohistochemistry for EPS8 expression in colon tumors. Subsequently, we performed mutation analysis by direct sequencing and methylation analysis by bisulfite sequencing and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assays.

RESULTS
Expression microarray analysis of colon cancer cell lines showed overexpression of EPS8 transcript in all lines but RKO. Genome wide loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis of colon tumors, showed considerable LOH at the EPS8 gene locus. Immunohistochemically, EPS8 was constitutively expressed in normal colonic mucosa with a dot-like supranuclear localization with accentuation at the luminal surface supporting its proposed role in epithelial maturation. Nineteen colon tumors (4 adenoma, 15 carcinoma) out of 51 (37%) showed strikingly tumor specific EPS8 protein loss. Of the remaining tumors, 5/51 (2 adenoma, and 3 carcinoma, 10%) showed marked overexpression, while 27/51 tumors (53%) showed retained expression. Mutation analysis revealed a missense mutation (c.794C>T, p.R265C) in exon 8 in RKO. The EPS8 promoter was also methylated in RKO, but there was no significant methylation in other cell lines or carcinoma specimens.

CONCLUSION
The loss of EPS8 expression in colorectal adenomas and carcinomas suggests that down regulation of this gene contributes to the development of a subset of colorectal cancers, a finding which could have applications in diagnosis and treatment.


Despite the theoretical relevance of gender influences and a body of gender and feminist literature demonstrating the importance of changing gender relations on social policy, quantitative analyses have been slow to incorporate their impact. Thus, little is known about the importance of gender-specific measures in comparison to more established influences, or about the relative impact of the differing potential gendered pressures themselves. To address this gap, I theorize gender-relevant measures in economic, family, and political arenas, and appraise them alongside established influences. Though influences from each sphere emerge as consequential, the effects are not equal. Results across twenty years and twelve industrialized democracies show that women's legislative presence has the strongest overall effect, but spending outcomes are the most generous when all gender influences work in conjunction. Implications of these results for extending welfare state theory and research are discussed.


INTRODUCTION The forced swimming test (FST) is considered one of the most widely used and reliable animal models of depression for the assessment of antidepressant activity and for examining the pathophysiology of depression pre-clinically [1]. The impaired synaptic efficacy due to the FST procedure involving severe physical and emotional stress has been reported in the rat hippocampus, and the synaptic efficacy shows significant improvement after being treated with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) [2]. We recently reported a significantly increased Cho/Cr ratio in the dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex (DLPFC) of rats exposed to the FST compared with control animals [3], which is similar to results obtained from investigations of patients with depression [4]. To extend our previous findings and characterize the variation of the hippocampal Cho/Cr ratio in an animal model of depression, we systematically examined the Cho/Cr ratio in the hippocampus of rats exposed to the FST and controls by using relatively small volume-of-interest (VOI) compared with our previous study that specifically focused on the homogeneous hippocampus tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experimentally naive male Sprague-Dawley rats (Charles River, Japan) weighting 160–180g were used as subjects. The FST was executed to induce a depressed mental status and was performed on each rat just a single time according to an original version of the FST [1]. MR experiments were conducted using a 4.7T BIOSPEC scanner (Bruker Medical GmbH, Ettlingen, Germany) with a 400 mm bore magnet and 150mT/m actively shielded gradient coils. To execute the MRS measurements, rats were initially anesthetized by inhalation of isoflurane at a 4–6% concentration in a 5:5 mixture of N2O and O2, and this was maintained by inhalation of a 1.5–2% concentration of isoflurane in a 5:5 mixture of N2O and O2. A scout image was initially obtained to verify the position of the subject and the image quality. The position of the volume-of-interest (VOI) was carefully selected from multislice axial T2-weighted MR images obtained using rapid acquisition with a relaxation enhancement (RARE) sequence (TR = 5000 ms, TE = 22 ms, slice thickness = 1.0 mm, NEX = 2, matrix size = 256 x 192) and a rectangular VOI was placed in the left and right dorsal hippocampus of the rat brain (Figure 1). As a single technique, H MR spectra were obtained with use of a point resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) localization sequence performed according to the following parameters: repetition time, 2500 ms; echo time, 144 ms; 512 average; 2048 complex data points; voxel dimensions, 1.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 mm; acquisition time, 25 min. Adjustment of all firstand second-order shim terms was accomplished with the fast automatic shimming technique by mapping along the projections (FASTMAP). Water suppression was accomplished by variable power RF pulses with optimized relaxation delay (VAPOR) by controlling the transmit gain to maximize water suppression. Raw data were processed using the TOPSPIN data analysis program (Bruker) by an unbiased analyzer who was experienced in MRS data processing. Statistical analysis was performed with commercial SPSS software (SPSS 15.0 for Windows, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL USA). The paired samples t-test was used to test for the significant FST effect, that is, before and after exposing the same rats to the FST. RESULTS The typical proton MR spectra obtained after exposing the rats to the FST from the left hippocampus exhibited a marked reduction in the relative intensity for the Cho signal as compared with the spectra obtained before the FST (Figure 2). The paired samples t-test for metabolite signals before vs after the FST revealed that NAA/Cr ratio remained stable (p = 0.819), Cho/Cr ratio was significantly decreased (p = 0.037), and Cho/NAA ratio was also significantly decreased (p = 0.048) in the left hippocampus (Figure 3). However, no significant differences in the Cho/Cr ratio (p = 0.754), Cho/NAA ratio (p = 0.936) and NAA/Cr ratio (p = 0.349) were observed between the control animals and rats subjected to the FST in the right hippocampal region.


The impurity level in the central plasma of fusion devices can be almost entirely controlled by the properties of the edge plasma. Progress on better understanding and control of the impurity problem requires improved diagnosis of the edge, including probes. The impurity fraction in the edge plasma is likely to be substantially greater than in the central plasma. The influence of high impurity levels on the interpretation of the probe data is examined. It is found that: (a) measurements of ne and Te using a Langmuir probe are not very greatly affected even by high levels of the type of impurities likely to be present in the edge plasma; (b) measurements of ion temperature using the combined Langmuir probe/heat flux probe technique can be compromised by the presence of impurities; (c) measurements of ion and electron temperature using a gridded energy analyser usually should not be compromised by the presence of impurities; (d) the measurement of hydrogenic density nDT, using a trapping probe should not be greatly affected by even large impurity levels provided that the hydrogen is not released during exposure by sputtering or surface heating; (e) increased sputtering due to the presence of impurity ions can pose practical problems.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Key words: HSF1, cancer cells, HSP90 inhibitor, Melanoma, HCC, DEDD2.

The molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) facilitates the appropriate folding of various oncogenic proteins and is necessary for the survival of some cancer cells. HSP90 is therefore an attractive drug target, but the efficacy of HSP90 inhibitor may be limited by HSP90 inhibition induced feedback mechanisms. To identify genes that modulate the efficacy of HSP90 inhibition on tumor cell growth, we performed a large-scale RNA interference (RNAi) genetic screen with a collection of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) vectors targeting 1,000 human genes in A375. A barcoding technique was used to identify genes whose suppression caused resistance or sensitivity to two separate concentrations of NVP-AUY922. 163 and 360 shRNA constructs were significantly depleted form either low- or high-dose NVP-AUY922 treated samples (FDR<=0.15). Among those shRNA hits, 84 hits (including 81 genes) were common shRNA hits as shown in Venn diagram and sensitizing genes or rescuing genes were also shown. Among of these shRNA hits, HSF1 and heat shock protein 90 alpha, class B member 1(HSP90AB1) knockdown scored as the most top sensitizers to HSP90 inhibition in A375 cells, and are known to regulate the cell response to heat shock conditions, which may reflect the potential feedback mechanism of HSP90 inhibition. Taking together, HSF1 is identified as a sensitizer of HSP90 inhibitor through pooled shRNA screening. A striking combinational effect was observed when HSF1 knockdown plus with HSP90 inhibitors treatment in various cancer cell lines: A375, A2058 and HCT116 and tumor mouse models. Interestingly, HSF1 is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patient samples and HCC is sensitive to combinational treatment, indicating a potential indication for the combinational treatment. To understand the mechanism of the combinational effect, we identified that a HSF1-target gene DEDD2 is involved in attenuating the effect of HSP90 inhibitors. Thus, the transcriptional activities of HSF1 induced by HSP90 inhibitors provide a feedback mechanism of limiting the HSP90 inhibitor's activity, and targeting HSF1 may provide a new avenue to enhance HSP90 inhibitors activity in human cancers.

Citation Format: Yaoyu Chen, Jinyun Chen, Alice Loo, Margaret Mclaughlin, Raymond Pagliarini, Wenlai Zhou. Identification of HSP90 inhibitor sensitizers through pooled RNA interference screen. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 682. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-682


Over the last decade, Brigham Young University has developed over a dozen interactive videodisc programs for personalized foreign language instruction. From the early prototypal projects to the current HyperCard and ToolBook packages, each of these programs has explored a different emphasis in interactivity. This article is a broad description of these different models, their variations and their implementation.


— Fluorescent light is used as the medium to transmit information, which is encoded by using a pulse frequency modulation technique. The user receives the encoded light information through a LDR receiver. The information is passed into the wearable or mobile computer after the data are decoded. This information allows positioning information to be given to indoor mobile and wearable computers. It is one of the cheapest methods for indoor tracking used for applications such as navigation and guidance. More functional area compared to IR Lowest tracking performance.


The dinuclear Au(I) amidinate complex Au2(2,6-Me2Ph-form)2 (1) is isolated in quantitative yield by the reaction of (THT)AuCl and the potassium salt of 2,6-Me2Ph-form in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio. Various reagents such as Cl2, Br2, I2, CH3I, and benzoyl peroxide add to the dinuclear Au(I)amidinate complex Au2(2,6-Me2Ph-form)2 to form oxidative-addition Au(II) metal-metal-bonded complexes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The Au(II) amidinate complexes are stable as solids at room temperature. The structures of the dinuclear Au2(2,6-Me2Ph-form)2 and the Au(II) oxidative-addition products Au2(2,6-Me2Ph-form)2X2, X=Cl, Br, I, are reported. Crystalline products with an equal amount of oxidized and unoxidized complexes in the same unit cell, [Au2(2,6-Me2Ph-form)2X2][Au2(2,6-Me2Ph-form)2], X=Cl, 2m, or Br, 3m, are isolated and their structures are presented. The structure of [Au2(2,6-Me2Ph-form)2X2][Au2(2,6-Me2Ph-form)2], X=Cl has a Au(II)-Au(II) distance slightly longer, 0.05A, than that observed in the fully oxidized product Au2(2,6-Me2-form)2Cl2, 2. The gold-gold distance in the dinuclear complex decreases upon oxidative addition with halogens from 2.7 to 2.5 A, similar to observations made with the Au(I) dithiolates and ylides. The oxidative addition of benzoyl peroxide leads to the isolation of the first stable dinuclear Au(II) nitrogen complex possessing Au-O bonds, Au2(2,6-Me2Ph-form)2(PhCOO)2, 6, with the shortest Au-Au distance known for Au(II) amidinate complexes, 2.48 A. The structure consists of unidentate benzoate units linked through oxygen to the Au(II) centers. The replacement of the bromide in 3 by chloride, and the benzoate groups in 6 by chloride or bromide also occurs readily. The unit cell dimensions are, for 1, a=7.354(6) A, b=9.661(7) A, c=11.421(10) A, alpha=81.74(5) degrees, beta=71.23(5) degrees, and gamma=86.07(9) degrees (space group P, Z=1), for 2.1.5C6H12, a=11.012(2) A, b=18.464(4) A, c=19.467(4) A, alpha=90 degrees, beta=94.86(3) degrees, and gamma=90 degrees (space group P21/c, Z=4), for 2m.ClCH2CH2Cl, a=16.597(3) A, b=10.606(2) A, c=19.809(3) A, alpha=90 degrees, beta=94.155(6) degrees, and gamma=90 degrees (space group P21/n, Z=2), for 3m, a=16.967(3) A, b=10.783(2) A, c=20.060(4) A, alpha=90 degrees, beta=93.77(3) degrees, and gamma=90 degrees (space group P21/n, Z=2), for 4.THF, a=8.0611(12) A, b=10.956(16) A, c=11.352(17) A, alpha=84.815(2) degrees, beta=78.352(2) degrees, and gamma=88.577(2) degrees (space group P, Z=1), for 5, a=16.688 A, b=10.672(4) A, c=19.953(7) A, alpha=90.00 (6) degrees, beta=94.565(7) degrees, and gamma=90.00 degrees (space group P21/n, Z=4), for 6.0.5C7H8, a=11.160(3) A, b=12.112(3) A, c=12.364(3) A, alpha=115.168(4) degrees, beta=161.112(4) degrees, and gamma=106.253(5) degrees (space group P, Z=1).


As global trade continues to recover from the recent economic recession, US container port congestion experienced in the last decade will likely re-emerge. Yet there is limited research that examines network-wide port capacity in support of solutions for minimizing such congestion. To address this gap, we simulate the US West Coast container port network, quantifying the costs and benefits of different options to better utilize current port capacity across the entire network. We specifically assess both efficiency improvement and operational coordination options on historical and future container volumes. The results demonstrate the strength of efficiency as a means to alleviate future port congestion. However, the results also portray inequitable savings across different stakeholders as well as difficulty among these stakeholders in perceiving actual benefits. We discuss the impacts of these challenges on implementation of the capacity utilization options.


Presents a method for computing the shape skeleton of planar objects in presence of noise occurring inside the image regions. Such noise may be due to poor control of lighting conditions, incorrect thresholding or image subsampling. Binary images of objects with such noise exhibit sparseness (lack of connectivity), within their image regions. Such non-contiguity may also be observed in thresholded images of objects which consist of regions having varying albedo. The problem of obtaining the skeletal description of sparse shapes is ill posed in the sense of conventional skeletonization techniques. We propose a skeletonization method which is based on obtaining the shape skeleton by evolving an approximation of the principal curve of the shape distribution. Our method is implemented as a batch mode Kohonen self-organizing map algorithm and involves iterating the following two steps: (1) Voronoi tessellation of the data, (2) kernel smoothing on the Voronoi centroids. Adjacency relationships between the Voronoi regions are obtained by computing a Delaunay triangulation of the centroids. The Voronoi centroids are connected by a minimum spanning tree after each iteration. The final shape skeleton is obtained by joining centroids which are disjoint in the spanning tree, but have adjacent Voronoi regions. The skeletal descriptions obtained with the method are invariant to translation, rotation, and scale changes of the shape. The potential of the method is demonstrated on industrial objects having varying shape complexity under different imaging conditions.


Abstract This paper investigates the seismic capacity and collapse mechanism of dry-joint masonry towers built with different ancient construction techniques at the Caria and Pamphylia regions in Turkey. A discontinuum type of analysis is performed, where masonry towers are represented as a system of individual rigid blocks based on the discrete element method (DEM). The dimensions and the morphology of the masonry towers are obtained in-situ and then utilized in the computational models. Therefore, the wall cross-section morphologies reflected in the numerical models are accurate and authentic. The motion and mechanical interaction of blocks are computed by integrating the equations of motion and point contact approach based on the relative contact displacement, respectively. The seismic capacity and behavior of masonry towers are analyzed by subjecting them to increasing horizontal forces applied in different orientations. Once the modeling strategy is validated, it is further utilized to better understand the local and global failure mechanisms of ancient masonry towers constructed with different masonry bond patterns. The results of this study highlight the importance of workmanship for the dry-joint masonry structures and underline the significance of the geometrical properties in ancient constructions that influence both the capacity and collapse mechanism.


In Ethiopia there is no mortgage valuation framework or a regulatory valuation institution. Due to this, financial institutions may value mortgage securities without any clear and consistent basis; resulting in confusion among experts and parties dependent on valuations for their business. Further, there is no previous empirical evidence on how banks or financial institutions value mortgage securities. This study is therefore intended to examine the practice of mortgage valuation adopted by Ethiopian banks by looking at valuation bases and their corresponding approaches. To meet this objective the researchers adopted a qualitative research approach where primary data were collected using key informant interviews from experienced valuers at four Ethiopian banks. The collected data were analysed and interpreted using clustering and the data were categorised into relevant themes. The study found that banks undertake mortgage valuation without any valuation basis, and they consider the cost approach as the only recognised valuation approach. Moreover, property valuers do not have sufficient professional competence in valuation and have no discretion to choose the appropriate valuation approaches. Based on the findings of this research, it is suggested that banks apply market value as a basis of valuation. The market value basis is compatible with the property market context of Ethiopia and international practices. The constitution of Ethiopia also supports it. Furthermore, banks should also adopt either the income, market or cost approaches depending on the nature and type of properties. But the cost approach can be applied as a check and balance on the reasonableness of the value determined using another approach and in cases where the two approaches are inappropriate. Valuers should also be able to use their discretion in selecting valuation approaches. These can be realised by establishing an independent national institution responsible for valuation regulation and certification.


Education corruption displays ample evidence that warrants inefficiencies and absenteeism among teachers. Teachers are the transmitters of knowledge who help to ensure that children learn, they are role models and in most rural communities they are the most educated and respected personages. High teacher absenteeism can exist when teachers have very low levels of motivation to work and little commitment to the profession, and when there is lack of accountability in the education sector. Because of the importance of education to society, international bodies emphasize the need for attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers. It is necessary to state that reducing official corruption in the education sector, promoting teacher welfare, designing better systems for monitoring and reducing invalid absences are among the critical measures of combating teacher absenteeism. The survey research design was used for the study and the result supports that education corruption has significant positive relationship with teacher absenteeism


882C87 is a nucleoside analog with potent, specific activity against varicella-zoster virus. It is approximately seven times as potent as acyclovir with an in vitro 50% inhibitory concentration of 1 to 2 microM. The tolerability and pharmacokinetics of single doses of 882C87 have been investigated in a series of studies with healthy young and elderly adult volunteers. The young received 50 to 1,600 mg, and the elderly received 50 and 100 mg. Concentrations of 882C87 and its main metabolite, the pyrimidine base 5-(1-propynyl)uracil (5PU), in plasma and urine were assayed by an automated sequential trace enrichment of dialysate-high-performance liquid chromatography procedure, and noncompartmental pharmacokinetic parameters were derived from the data. Concentrations of 882C87 in plasma increased proportionally for doses of up to 400 mg, but after higher doses the increase was less than dose proportional. In young adults, after 200, 400, and 1,600 mg, the maximum concentrations of the drug in plasma were 9.0, 16.3, and 34.7 microM, respectively, and the areas under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from 0 h to infinity were 166.6, 333.7, and 822.9 microM.h, respectively. Elimination half-life was 11.3 to 13.0 h after 50 to 400 mg, increasing to 15.3 h after 1,600 mg, associated with a small decrease in renal clearance. In healthy elderly volunteers concentrations of 882C87 in plasma after 50 and 100 mg were similar to those in young adults after twice the dose; apparent clearance and renal clearance were significantly reduced, and half-life was significantly longer at 15 h. Administration of 882C87 with food produced a small, nonsignificant reduction in mean AUC from 0 h to infinity, but in subjects with a low fasting AUC there was an increase after food and in subjects with a high fasting AUC there was a decrease. Concentrations of 5PU in plasma were one-third to one-half those of 882C87 and, in most subjects, were not dose proportional. There was a lag of at least 5 h after dosing with 882C87 before 5PU was detectable in plasma.


Pulmonary gas exchange was studied on members of the American Medical Research Expedition to Everest at altitudes of 8,050 m (barometric pressure 284 Torr), 8,400 m (267 Torr) and 8,848 m (summit of Mt. Everest, 253 Torr). Thirty-four valid alveolar gas samples were taken using a special automatic sampler including 4 samples on the summit. Venous blood was collected from two subjects at an altitude of 8,050 m on the morning after their successful summit climb. Alveolar CO2 partial pressure (PCO2) fell approximately linearly with decreasing barometric pressure to a value of 7.5 Torr on the summit. For a respiratory exchange ratio of 0.85, this gave an alveolar O2 partial pressure (PO2) of 35 Torr. In two subjects who reached the summit, the mean base excess at 8,050 m was -7.2 meq/l, and assuming the same value on the previous day, the arterial pH on the summit was over 7.7. Arterial PO2 was calculated from changes along the pulmonary capillary to be 28 Torr. In spite of the severe arterial hypoxemia, high pH, and extremely low PCO2, subjects on the summit were able to perform simple tasks. The results allow us to construct for the first time an integrated picture of human gas exchange at the highest point on earth.


Bloemmen, M.H.I., H. Fransen, T.C. Hoogerwerf, A. Ligtenberg, R.J.A. van Lammeren, , 2005. Report Literature Research Geo-visualization and Participative Planning. Wageningen, Alterra, Alterra-rapport 1147. 31 blz.; 2 figs.; 7 tables.; 3 refs. The use of geo-visualization for participatory planning purposes is a challenging field of research. Reason for this is that researchers involved with the subject currently lack a common rationale for the integration of the two complementary domains: participatory planning and geo-visualization. Consequently existing knowledge still needs to be extracted from various relevant sub-domains of research. Therefore a literature research was conducted to make an inventory of aspects that influence the application of visualization and communication tools in (generic) participative planning processes. This report describes the literature search, including a selection of subdomains and literature sources, a discussion of the search strategy and the search results. Furthermore the report includes a discussion on the set-up and maintenance of an article repository in conjunction with an Endnote database in which the bibliographical information of the retrieved literature is stored. Finally some recommendations are provided.


A Mach-Zehnder interferometer whose half-wave voltage is about 4 V and a YAG laser pumped by a laser diode whose output power is 25 mW are used to improve the sensitivity of a LiNbO/sub 3/ electromagnetic field sensor. The resulting frequency response is almost flat from 100 Hz to 300 MHz and the minimum detectable electric field strength is 1 mV/m at 50 MHz and 0.14 mV/m at 750 MHz. The frequency response of the sensor is analyzed using the moment method, and the calculated results agree with the measured results. The improved sensor can measure an electromagnetic impulse whose peak value is larger than 10 V/m and width is wider than 5 ns.<<ETX>>


Antioxidant responsive element (ARE) mediated gene expression is a pivotal cellular defense mechanism against the toxicity of electrophiles and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nrf2 belongs to the Cap-N-Collar family of basic region-leucine zipper transcription factors and has emerged as an essential signal transducer that responds to electrophiles and ROS by regulating transcription via the ARE. The ARE-regulated gene battery consists of detoxification enzymes and antioxidant genes and confers protection against oxidative insults such as hyperoxic lung injury and benzo[a]pyrene-induced tumorigenesis in the forestomach. Recent investigations indicated that the ARE gene battery also plays significant roles in the regulation of inflammation. Indeed, many natural or synthetic substances activating the ARE-mediated transcription pathway inhibit pro-inflammatory gene expression. On the other hand, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) exerts anti-inflammatory roles in the protection against inflammation by certain stimuli. Downstream effectors of the COX-2 pathway include cyclopentenone prostaglandins (cyPGs) such as 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2). We recently demonstrated that the Nrf2 pathway is activated by endogenous 15d-PGJ2 during carrageenin-induced inflammation. Thus, cyPGs may act as physiological regulators of Nrf2.


In the nonlinear interaction between three waves described by coupled-mode equations, the waves interact by continuously transferring energy between themselves, resulting in bounded periodic solutions for the individual wave envelopes.However, when three waves interact with pulse widths sufficiently narrow so that their pulse durations are commensurate with the characteristic time for the interaction, steady state pulse profiles result and the three wave envelopes propagate as solitons. This latter aspect of nonlinear wave propagation is studied. Starting with the couple-mode equations, these soliton solutions are derived and the theory is applied to the nonlinear interactions between upper- and lower-hybrid waves and electron and ion Bernstein modes propagating in a warm magnetized plasma. Half widths for the solitons are calculated together with estimates of their speed of propagation which are computed for some typical laboratory plasmas.


BACKGROUND
The use of laparoscopy in blunt abdominal trauma is gaining popularity as a useful diagnostic tool to avoid unnecessary laparotomies where there is diagnostic dilemma. But the feasibility of using laparoscopy for therapeutic intervention in these patients has been debated. Even though recent case reports seem to suggest that these patients can be managed using laparoscopy, the practice is not yet wildly adopted.

METHOD
A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected data was done. All adult patients who presented with abdominal trauma and were offered laparoscopic surgery at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital (DGMAH) from 2012 to 2015 were reviewed. Data was retrieved from our departmental database and analysed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS
A total of 318 patients were reviewed and 35 patients had blunt abdominal trauma and were included in the study. All the patients were offered laparoscopy. The median age was 30, with 91% of our patients males. The highest injury severity score calculated was 38. At least 77% of the patients were managed using laparoscopy. This includes 43% who had both diagnostic and therapeutic intervention and 34% who had only diagnostic laparoscopy. Eight patients were converted to open surgery mainly due to active bleeding and complex injuries. We did not have any non-therapeutic laparotomies. There was no documented procedure‑related morbidity and mortality.

CONCLUSION
The positive outcomes seen from the study suggest that laparoscopy can be safe and feasible in both diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in carefully selected blunt abdominal trauma patients. A conversion to open surgery should not be regarded as a failure but rather as a sign of mature and sound clinical judgement acknowledging the limitations of laparoscopy and/or the surgeon.


A study of heavy N=Z nuclei including t=1, t(z)=+/-1 pairing only clearly reveals the shortcoming of that model in T-z=0 nuclei. We present a simple model in which we study the response of isoscalar t=0 and isovector t=1 pairing correlations to rotational motion. In particular, we address the role played by the t=1 and t=0 pair gaps with respect to the band crossing frequency. We argue that the t=1 neutron-proton pair field is of limited importance in even-even nuclei. For the t=0 pair field, we introduce two different pairing modes. One is invariant with respect to signature symmetry and one is not. The signature conserving mode results in a delay of the band crossing frequency, whereas the signature breaking part enhances the rigidity of the moment of inertia.


Energy consumption has become one of the greatest challenges in the field of High Performance Computing (HPC). Besides its impact on the environment, energy is a limiting factor for the HPC. Keeping the power consumption of a system below a threshold is one of the great problems; and power prediction can help to solve it. The power characterisation can be used to know the power behaviour of the system under study, and to be a support to reach the power prediction. Furthermore, it could be used to design power-aware application programs. In this article we propose a methodology to characterise the power consumption of shared-memory HPC systems. Our proposed methodology involves the finding of influence factors on power consumed by the systems. It is similar to previous works, but we propose an in-deep approach that can help us to get a better power characterisation of the system. We apply our methodology to characterise an Intel server platform and the results show that we can find a more extended set of influence factors on power consumption.


The use of polarized lasers for Raman spectroscopy provides a powerful tool in chemical physics as it allows a precise differentiation of the vibration modes of the crystals according to their crystallographic symmetry and local spatial orientation. In this paper we analyze the possibility of efficiently using the polarization information in Raman spectroscopy by taking into account the relationships between the two polarized spectra (parallel and orthogonal). New signal processing models for the polarized Raman spectroscopy data are introduced and algorithmic solutions are proposed.


Background Although male prisoners are five times more likely to die by suicide than men of a similar age in the general population, the contribution of psychiatric disorders is not known. Aims To investigate the association of psychiatric disorders with near-lethal suicide attempts in male prisoners. Method A matched case–control study of 60 male prisoners who made near-lethal suicide attempts (cases) and 60 prisoners who had never carried out near-lethal suicide attempts in prison (controls) was conducted. Psychiatric disorders were identified with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), and information on sociodemographic characteristics and criminal history was gathered using a semi-structured interview. Results Psychiatric disorders were present in all cases and 62% of controls. Most current psychiatric disorders were associated with near-lethal suicide attempts, including major depression (odds ratio (OR) = 42.0, 95% CI 5.8–305), psychosis (OR = 15.0, 95% CI 2.0–113), anxiety disorders (OR = 6.0, 95% CI 2.3–15.5) and drug misuse (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.3–6.4). Lifetime psychiatric disorders associated with near-lethal attempts included recurrent depression and psychoses. Although cases were more likely than controls to meet criteria for antisocial personality disorder, the difference was not statistically significant. Comorbidity was also significantly more common among cases than controls for both current and lifetime disorders. Conclusions In male prisoners, psychiatric disorders, especially depression, psychosis, anxiety and drug misuse, are associated with near-lethal suicide attempts, and hence probably with suicide.


We provide an updated analysis of instrumental Greenland monthly temperature data to 2019, focusing mainly on coastal stations but also analysing ice‐sheet records from Swiss Camp and Summit. Significant summer (winter) coastal warming of ~1.7 (4.4)°C occurred from 1991–2019, but since 2001 overall temperature trends are generally flat and insignificant due to a cooling pattern over the last 6–7 years. Inland and coastal stations show broadly similar temperature trends for summer. Greenland temperature changes are more strongly correlated with Greenland Blocking than with North Atlantic Oscillation changes. In quantifying the association between Greenland coastal temperatures and Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) mass‐balance changes, we show a stronger link of temperatures with total mass balance rather than surface mass balance. Based on Greenland coastal temperatures and modelled mass balance for the 1972–2018 period, each 1°C of summer warming corresponds to ~(91) 116 Gt·yr−1 of GrIS (surface) mass loss and a 26 Gt·yr−1 increase in solid ice discharge. Given an estimated 4.0–6.6°C of further Greenland summer warming according to the regional model MAR projections run under CMIP6 future climate projections (SSP5‐8.5 scenario), and assuming that ice‐dynamical losses and ice sheet topography stay similar to the recent past, linear extrapolation gives a corresponding GrIS global sea‐level rise (SLR) contribution of ~10.0–12.6 cm by 2100, compared with the 8–27 cm (mean 15 cm) "likely" model projection range reported by IPCC in 2019 (SPM.B1.2). However, our estimate represents a lower limit for future GrIS change since fixed dynamical mass losses and amplified melt arising from both melt‐albedo and melt‐elevation positive feedbacks are not taken into account here.


In this paper, we propose advanced screen detector as a tool for selecting the object for tracking and estimating its distance from a screen using fuzzy logic in vision based pointing device. Our system classifies the line component of the input image into horizontal and vertical lines and applies the fuzzy rule to obtain the best line pair which constitute peripheral framework of the screen. The proposed system improves the detection ratio for detecting the screen in relative to the detector used in the previous works for hand-held type vision based pointing device. Also it allows to detect the screen even though a small part of it may be hidden behind other object.


Stevia rebaudiana B. extract as a low-calorie sweetener has gained worldwide approval. Synthesized nanoparticles by plant have been used in different programs such as medical, pharmaceutical and agricultural fields. Here, we report the increase of the main glycosides of stevia plant with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) treatment. This fact has stimulated research on the analysis and comparison of different concentrations of commercial and synthesized AgNPs on the glycosides of stevia plant by highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After AgNPs synthesis, spectrum absorption of extracts was analyzed in different ranges from 300 to 700 nm and the maximum peak was observed at 420 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph of synthesized AgNPs from Stevia rebaudiana extract showed spherical shape with the size of 25 nm. A comparison between quantities of glycoside by HPLC under both treatments of AgNP exhibited that synthesized AgNPs were more effective than commercial AgNPs on stevioside and then rebaudioside. On the other hand, results showed that increasing AgNP concentration in both treatments will lead to glycoside content enhancement. Overall, significant changes were observed in the glycosides in plants under synthesized and commercial AgNP treatment that could be used to create plants with higher quality of glycosides for pharmaceutical approaches.


We study the outburst of the newly discovered X-ray transient 3XMM J185246.6+003317, re-analyzing all available XMM-Newton observations of the source to perform a phase-coherent timing analysis, and derive updated values of the period and period derivative. We find the source rotating at P = 11.55871346(6) s (90% confidence level; at epoch MJD 54728.7) but no evidence for a period derivative in the seven months of outburst decay spanned by the observations. This translates to a 3σ upper limit for the period derivative of Ṗ < 1.4×10−13 s s−1, which, assuming the classical magneto-dipolar braking model, gives a limit on the dipolar magnetic field of Bdip < 4.1×1013 G. The X-ray outburst and spectral characteristics of 3XMM J185246.6+003317 confirm its identification as a magnetar, but the magnetic field upper limit we derive defines it as the third "low-B" magnetar discovered in the past 3 yr, after SGR 0418+5729 and Swift J1822.3−1606. We have also obtained an upper limit to the quiescent luminosity (<4 × 1033 erg s−1), in line with the expectations for an old magnetar. The discovery of this new low field magnetar reaffirms the prediction of about one outburst per year from the hidden population of aged magnetars.


AIM
To evaluate the effect of MTA and Biodentine on viability, osteogenic differentiation and BMP-2 expression in osteogenic cells.

METHODOLOGY
Saos-2 cells were used as a model of osteoblastic cells. Overexpression of BMP-2 was induced by transfection of a CMV-driven plasmid construct including the human BMP-2 coding sequence, and stably transfected cells were selected. Cell viability was assessed by the mitochondrial dehydrogenase enzymatic (MTT) assay. The bioactivity of the materials was evaluated by the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay and detection of calcium deposits with alizarin red staining (ARS). The gene expression of BMP-2 and ALP was quantified with real-time PCR. Statistical analysis was performed with analysis of variance and Bonferroni or Tukey post-test (α = 0.05).

RESULTS
Viability tests revealed that MTA and Biodentine were not cytotoxic at the higher dilution (1 : 8) to BMP-2-transfected cells. MTA and Biodentine exhibited the highest ALP activity when compared to the Saos-BMP-2-unexposed control group (P < 0.05). Cell exposure to Biodentine and MTA had a significant stimulatory effect on the formation of mineralized nodules (P < 0.05). The highest increase in BMP-2 gene expression was observed after 3 days of BMP-2-transfected cells exposure to MTA and Biodentine in non-osteogenic medium in relation to Saos-BMP-2-unexposed control cells (P < 0.05). Exposure of cells to MTA in osteogenic medium for 1 day increased ALP gene expression by approximately 1.3-fold in relation to Saos-BMP-2-unexposed control cells (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Both MTA and Biodentine showed biocompatibility and bioactivity in Saos-BMP-2 overexpressing cells. Biodentine had a significantly greater effect on mineralization than MTA. Both MTA and Biodentine enhanced BMP-2 mRNA expression in the transfected system. Both MTA and Biodentine are suitable materials to improve osteoblastic cell mineralization.


Important components of the study of ancient technologies are their experimental reproduction and use of the methods of natural sciences. Information on the composition of raw materials, formulations of paints and angobs of painted pottery of Trypillian Culture of the Dnieper region gave the possibility to search for the evidences concerning its local origin, according to the researchers. An important component of the study is investigating the process of manufacturing the ceramics from local raw materials, as well as its firing in a pottery ciln built for this purpose. The obtained results allow us to consider quite reasonable previous assumptions about the possibility of local production of a wide range of painted hand-drawn utensils by the Trypillia population of the Dnieper region in the second half of the 4 millennium BC.


Gaming technology is a popular application for physical rehabilitation. However, the key problem with a considerable group of patients is that their muscle function is extensively compromised, which significantly narrows the population eligible for video game-based rehabilitation. We designed a training system to integrate gaming and functional electrical stimulation for the lower leg muscles. Such a system is expected to motivate individuals to exercise more, to assist muscle control, and to promote muscle strengthening. In our previous study, we demonstrated that the training improved the lower leg muscles' strength and increased the range of motion of the ankle joints. Here we discuss some issues associated with a video game-based approach in rehabilitation, which need to be addressed. In particular, one of the biggest challenges is in maintaining a proper balance between flexibility of the game application to allow adaptation to the patient's needs from physiological and functional perspectives, and attractiveness of the game interface, all while assuring the most efficient and motivating rehabilitation. As the next step, we decided to design different types of game-based exercises and to expand the variety of game strategies in order to promote and maintain activity of peripheral and central structures of the neuromuscular system, and to avoid the monotony of repetitive tasks. Our ultimate goal is to transfer re-training of movement skills practiced during video game-based interventions to the ability to complete real world tasks and participate in functional activities outside of therapy.


ABSTRACT:This article tracks the evolution of the US indie film sector in the 2010s by examining as case studies two newly formed film companies, Amazon Studios and A24. Through historiographic and industrial analyses, I reveal how the companies simultaneously embraced new streaming technologies, thus destabilizing long-standing notions of indie film culture, and established brand identities around the culture's traditional hallmarks, auteur filmmaking and theatrical exhibition. This examination of the separate but intersecting trajectories of A24 and Amazon Studios provides insight into a decade of indie filmmaking marked by the incredible rise in global importance of streaming services.


Moving towards more communication intensive organizations where work tends to become more mobile there is a growing need to support learning among knowledge workers. This paper reports on a study of a group of knowledge workers, working both closely together and sometimes geographically separated was carried out in order to find out how and when learning took place and when the need for learning was obvious and perhaps not satisfied. The interviews and observations indicated that the need for more flexible learning possibilities exceeds the ones provided. The results from the study are analyzed and discussed, after which we suggest pointers for design divided into the categories: walking around, around meetings, formalizing intuition and sharing feelings.


Urban green infrastructure provides multi-functional socio-economic and environmental benefits and promotes physical, relaxation, and the social activities of the urban residents. This paper analyses the pattern of utilization of urban green infrastructure in Southern Ethiopia. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, key informant interview and focus group discussion. The collected data also analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. The majority (78%) of the respondents visit green corridors in Hawassa. 68% of respondents visit parks in Wolayita Sodo, while, 62% of the respondents visited home garden in Bodity town. There is an overall significant (0.000) variation in the utilization of green infrastructures among urban centres. Based on Post-Hoc Test there is a statistically significant ( p = 0.017) difference in the utilisation of green infrastructure in between Hawassa city and Wolayita Sodo as well as between Hawassa and Bodity town ( p = 0.000), but there was no significant ( p = 0.113) difference between Wolayita Sodo and Bodity town. Majority (34.6%, 31.6% and 32.4%) of respondents visit Lakeshore, Junior Park, and Bodity Stadium in Hawassa, Wolayita Sodo and Bodity town respectively. Green corridors in Hawassa, urban parks in Wolayita Sodo and Bodity Stadium in Bodity town was the most frequently visited GI types. Recreational, physical and social activities were the main reasons for visiting urban green infrastructure in the study area. The pattern of utilization of green infrastructure types varies significantly among the three urban centres. Urban planners, designers, and ecologists, therefore, need to focus on urban green infrastructure planning, strategies to promote the utilization of green infrastructure in the urban environment sustainably. Keywords: Pattern of Utilization, Urban Green infrastructure, Visitors, Green /parks


The importance of conducting studies on the use of hydroponic green corn fodder (HGCF) is because, the productive and economic impact on the feeding of pigs in the region of the Coast of Oaxaca has been poorly evaluated. The objective of the study was to evaluate the productive behavior in growing pigs with HGF as a supplement, with diets based on commercial feed and including HGCF. The research was conducted during the months of August to November 2017. Four treatments were evaluated [T1: control, T2: 85/15%; T3: 70/30% and T4: 55/45% of food trade and HGCF respectively], under a completely randomized design with four repetitions per treatment. 16 dewormed and vaccinated pigs were used, with an initial weight of 10.41 kg. Total feed consumption (TFC), feed conversion (FC), total weight gain (TWG), and cost-benefit ratio (CBR) were evaluated. The data obtained were analyzed by Proc. SAS GLM. The averages were compared with the Tukey test. Differences (p˂ 0.05) were found in the TFC, where the highest value was 110 kg. The highest TWG was 42.67 kg. As for CBR, the productive parameters are improved as the HGCF percentage increases (45%) In the diet of pigs. It is concluded that the inclusion of 30% of HGCF in the diet of growing pigs improves their productive behavior.


A simple, rapid and sensitive multiresidue method has been developed for the determination in vegetables of organophosphorus pesticides commonly used in crop protection. Pesticide residues are extracted from samples with a small amount of ethyl acetate and anhydrous sodium sulfate. No additional concentration and cleanup steps are necessary. Analyses are performed by large volume GC injection using the through oven transfer adsorption desorption (TOTAD) interface. The calculated limits of detection for each pesticide injecting 50 microL of extract and using an NPD are lower than 0.35 microg/kg which is much lower than the maximum residues levels (MRLs) established by European legislation. Repeatability studies yielded a relative standard deviation lower than 10% in all cases. The method was applied to the analysis of eggplant, lettuce, pepper, cucumber, and tomato.


In a laminated iron core of a rotating electrical machine, a core block (12) is divided into a core-block body comprising a back-yoke section (13), and a core-block divided section comprising at least a portion of a magnetic pole teeth section (14). Space is made to be formed between the core-block divided section and the back-yoke section, by separating the core-block divided section from the back-yoke section. The core-block body is composed by laminating a plurality of main-portion core pieces. The core-block divided section is composed by laminating a plurality of divided-portion core pieces.


Dear Editors: WE READ with great interest the ICNIRP Statement on Diagnostic Devices Using Non-ionizing Radiation: Existing Regulations and Potential Health Risks, published in the March 2017 issue of Health Physics (ICNIRP 2017). Our interest concerned in particular the evaluation of potential health risks related to exposure to (stray) static magnetic fields resulting from diagnostic MRI procedures in patients. Given that ICNRIP is recognized as an official collaborating NGO by international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization, and that ICNIRP is consulted by the European Commission, its statements are considered as authoritative. We therefore expected that their hazard evaluation would be based on a systematic and up-to-date review summarizing the complete available evidence in a balanced and unbiased way. To our surprise, however, the authors of the ICNIRP Statement pointed out their assessment of possible adverse effects from diagnostic use of MRI was based on "a nonsystematic review of the literature for relevant epidemiological studies and clinical reports and by hand-searching references of key reports." Furthermore, it is unclear what period is covered in the ICNIRP Statement. The WHO, HPA, and ICNIRP review reports that were cited covered only the years up to 2009, while the reference list included a few more recent papers. The potential for biases of such a non-systematic reviewing of the scientific literature are well recognized, and to mitigate this, protocols for transparent reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) (Moher et al. 2009), as well as for the assessment of remaining biases (ROBIS) (Whiting et al. 2016), have been developed and the Cochrane Collaboration (http:// www.cochranelibrary.com/) has been established. Although a full assessment of potential biases and missed research is beyond the scope of this letter, it became obvious to us that the readers are unfortunately withheld relevant available literature (published in the past few years). The results of several experimental studies have not been included. For example, several (double-blind) randomized controlled trials provided convincing evidence of effects on neurocognitive performance and postural body sway as a result of exposure to MRI-related stray fields (de Vocht et al. 2003, 2007a and b; van Nierop et al. 2012, 2013, 2015). Also, a study byHeinrich et al. (2014), which reported dizziness among volunteers exposed to homogeneous static magnetic fields (SMF) inside bores of MRI-scanners with different magnet strengths, was not discussed. This work has been supported by experimental studies that examined the effect of a strong SMF on vestibular responses in human subjects and found an effect on involuntary eye movements and vertigo, both of which were associated with the direction of the SMF in relation to the vestibular organ (Roberts et al. 2011; Mian et al. 2013; Ward et al. 2014). ICNIRP did report that "A meta-analysis of 5 studies published during 1992–2007 found the only neuropsychological effect relating to static magnetic field exposure to be visual impairment," but no reference was presented. It most likely refers to a paper by Heinrich et al. published in 2011. However, this paper suffered from methodological flaws (de Vocht et al. 2012). Another example of available research not included in this ICNIRP statement relates to realistic occupational scenarios of workers in MRI production and MRI technicians in health care and scientific research. This research has been indicative of exposure-dependent associations between exposure to (stray) SMFs and transient symptoms (de Vocht et al. 2006, 2015; Wilen and de Vocht 2011), which was also confirmed in patients (Heilmaier et al. 2011). An observational study among MRI technicians reported an association between vertigo and measured exposure toMRI-related SMF in an exposure-dependent manner (Schaap et al. 2016). Finally, with regard to potential health effects from long-term occupational exposure to SMF from MRI scanners, ICNIRP highlights that "well-defined MRI worker cohorts would be useful," yet the ICNIRP statement (2017) does not present the available results from a cohort study among workers from an MRI manufacturing facility (Bongers et al. 2016). Analyses in this cohort study are ongoing, but as yet an association was found between MRIrelated occupational SMF exposure and an increased risk of accidents leading to injury, and for commute-related (near) accidents during the commute from home to work. This finding needs confirmation and merits follow-up. Given the examples above, it is clear to us that ICNIRP, by performing a non-systematic review, has unfortunately provided the readership ofHealth Physicswith an incomplete,


Due to coating disbondment long corrosion grooves can develop in line pipe. For simple corrosion geometries current methods of assessing the residual strength of the pipe are adequate but conservative, particularly if only the nominal material strength is considered. In the case of long corrosion grooves which contain pits the application of current assessment procedures can lead to a variation in the degree of conservatism, depending on the importance applied to the pitting. This paper reviews existing methods of assessing long corrosion and describes the result of a finite element study of pits within long corrosion grooves.Copyright © 1996 by ASME


Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among women worldwide. There are several recommended methods of breast cancer prevention, including chemoprevention. There are several approved drugs used to prevent breast cancer occurrence or recurrence and metastasizing. There are also a number of new substances undergoing clinical trials and at the stage of initial study. Studies suggest that dietary factors play a crucial role in breast cancer etiology. Epidemiological studies indicate that in particular vegetables from the Brassicaceae family are a rich source of chemopreventive substances, with sulforaphane (SFN) being one of the most widely studied and characterized. This review discusses potential applicability of SFN in breast cancer chemoprevention. A comprehensive review of the literature on the impact of SFN on molecular signalling pathways in breast cancer and breast untransformed cells is presented. The presented results of in vitro and in vivo studies show that this molecule has a potential to act as a preventive molecule either to prevent disease development or recurrence and metastasizing, and as a compound protecting normal cells against the toxic effects of cytostatics. Finally, the still scanty attempts to develop an improved analog are also presented and discussed.


General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact firstname.lastname@example.com providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Knowledge of genetic influences on cognitive aging can constrain and guide interventions aimed at limiting age-related cognitive decline in older adults. Progress in understanding the neural basis of age-related cognitive change will also depend on a better understanding of the neurogenetics of cognition and of neurobiological mechanisms underlying normal and pathological aging. Recent studies have pointed to considerable plasticity and capacity for reorganization in aging brains, both at behavioral and neuronal An important challenge for future research, and a focus of this review article, is to determine how knowledge of genetic influences can be used to develop or modify interventions aimed at limiting age-related cognitive decline through a better understanding of the neural impact of genetic variants relevant to cog-nitive aging. The central role of genetics in cognitive aging is supported by empirical evidence from twin studies that point to a high degree of heritability of both general cognitive ability (McClearn et al., 1997; Deary et al., 2006, 2009a,b) and specific cognitive functions (Fan et al., 2001; Swan and Carmelli, 2002). Heritability estimates for cognitive traits tend to increase with age from early childhood to adolescence and young adulthood, and the additive genetic contribution to general cognitive ability and broad cognitive traits remains high (greater than 50%) in middle and old age. High estimates of heritability are also found for global brain morphomet


Substantial progress has been made in determining the mechanism of mitochondrial RNA editing in trypanosomes. Similarly, considerable progress has been made in identifying the components of the editosome complex that catalyze RNA editing. However, it is still not clear how those proteins work together. Chemical compounds obtained from a high-throughput screen against the editosome may block or affect one or more steps in the editing cycle. Therefore, the identification of new chemical compounds will generate valuable molecular probes for dissecting the editosome function and assembly. In previous studies, in vitro editing assays were carried out using radio-labeled RNA. These assays are time consuming, inefficient and unsuitable for high-throughput purposes. Here, a homogenous fluorescence-based "mix and measure" hammerhead ribozyme in vitro reporter assay to monitor RNA editing, is presented. Only as a consequence of RNA editing of the hammerhead ribozyme a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) oligoribonucleotide substrate undergoes cleavage. This in turn results in separation of the fluorophore from the quencher thereby producing a signal. In contrast, when the editosome function is inhibited, the fluorescence signal will be quenched. This is a highly sensitive and simple assay that should be generally applicable to monitor in vitro RNA editing or high throughput screening of chemicals that can inhibit the editosome function.


Our simulations of particle-surface dynamics use the molecular dynamics codes that we have developed over the past several years. The initial state of a molecule and the parameters defining the incoming trajectory can be specifically described or randomly selected. Statistical analyses of the states of the particles and their trajectories following wall collisions are carried out by the code. We have carried out calculations at high center-of-mass energies and low incidence angles and have examined the survival fraction of molecules and the dependence upon the incoming trajec tory. We report also on preliminary efforts that are being made to simulate sputtering and recombinant desorption processes, since the recombinant desorption of hydrogen from typical wall materials may be an important source for vibrationally-excited hydrogen in volume sources; for surface sources the presence of occluded hydrogen may affect the concentration of atomic species.


Ovule culture is one of the techniques currently used to introgress desirable traits from Gossypium arboreum germplasm into G. hirsutum cultivars. Twenty-six (26) G. hirsutum breeding lines were used as female parents in crosses with five G. arboreum accessions to determine if the G. hirsutum parent influenced the germination and recovery of plants from ovule culture. Variation in boll weight and the number of ovules per boll was observed for crosses with the G. hirsutum lines, but heavier bolls and a greater number of ovules per boll were not associated with a higher germination rate. Ovules derived from crosses with 16 G. hirsutum lines showed germination. Plants were recovered for seven of these lines (Acala GLS, DES 56, DES 119, Deltapine 50, Stoneville 132, Stoneville 506 and Stoneville 825) with vigorous growing plants derived from four crosses (DES 119 x PI 408763, Stoneville 506 x PI 408763, Acala GLS x PI 529779, and DES 119 x PI 615699). The breeding line DES 119 showed a better success rate and typically produced smaller bolls with fewer ovules. However, results would suggest the G. arboreum accessions had a greater influence on the success rate compared to the G. hirsutum lines.

 Key words: Cotton, germplasm, immature embryo, tissue culture, wide-hybridization.


The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of n-hexacosanol (hexa) on nerve regeneration. Hexa, a long chain fatty alcohol has been shown to possess neurotrophic properties on cultured neurons and to attenuate the degeneration of cholinergic neurons after injury. The effects of daily intraperitoneal injections of hexa (1 mg/kg) on regeneration of nerve fibers were studied in mice following a sciatic nerve crush. Measurement of axonal regeneration using the pinch test 7 days postlesion showed a 40% increase of the regeneration rate of sensory fibers in hexa-treated mice compared to controls (1.67 +/- 0.15 mm/day and 1.09 +/- 0.03 mm/day, respectively). The recovery of neuromuscular function was significantly improved, as shown by quantitative electromyography and and sensorimotor tests. Clinical signs of recovery evaluation with toe spreading reflex appeared earlier in hexa group than in control animals. Electrophysiological recordings were performed each 3 days during 34 days following nerve injury. Higher values of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) were obtained in hexa-treated animals that correspond to an improved regeneration. Moreover, hexa induced a significantly faster regeneration rate (hexa: 2.87 +/- 0.15 mV/day; control: 2.00 +/- 0.06 mV/day), as measured by the slope of CMAP increase (44% enhancement). A morphometric analysis performed 7 days following crush showed an increased number of regenerating fibers, as well as increased diameter and thickness of the myelin in hexa-treated mice. Thus, hexa increased the regeneration of both sensory and motor axons in lesioned nerve, leading to an improved functional recovery.


Guanfacine (Estulic, Tenex), a centrally acting antihypertensive, was investigated for its effects on the heart using isolated cardiac preparations and in patients for antiarrhythmic properties. The tachycardic effects of sympathetic nerve stimulation in spontaneously beating atria were concentration-dependently suppressed by guanfacine. A 50% inhibition was observed in atria from Syrian hamsters, guinea-pigs and rabbits with 1, 5.4 and 20 nmol/l, respectively. In guinea-pig atria the concentration-response curve of guanfacine was shifted to the right in a parallel manner by rauwolscine (pA2 8.58) but was not displaced by prazosine 1 mumol/l. In rabbit right papillary muscles guanfacine 1 to 10 mumol/l increased force of contraction by 13 to 91%. The positive inotropic effect was antagonized by prazosine 1 mumol/l but was not influenced by cimetidine 1 mumol/l or rauwolscine 1 mumol/l. It is concluded that guanfacine activates cardiac postsynaptic a1- and neuronal presynaptic a2-adrenoceptors with a preference to the latter of about 2 orders of magnitude. Direct membrane stabilizing effects in guinea-pig atria were negligible. In 4 patients with coronary heart disease associated with arrhythmia guanfacine 1 mg per day during 10 days decreased ventricular premature contractions, couplets and abolished appearance of ventricular tachycardias. These preliminary clinical results indicate that guanfacine may reduce cardiac risk factors.


: The ability to pre-process information from the parafovea, a hallmark component of skilled reading (Blythe, & Joseph, 2011), refers to the fact that readers visually and linguistically analyse upcoming words prior to their direct fixation. Previous findings regarding depth of pre-processing effects that are based on alphabetic language reading are mixed. One very important reason is that there is considerable variability in the length of target words in those studies conducted on alphabetic reading scripts. By contrast it is possible to conduct such studies in Chinese to allow for parafoveal processing of text to be operationalized over characters without length variability. Chinese is a language with characteristics that are optimal for investigating parafoveal processing. The present project will take advantage of Chinese text characteristics to examine three aspects of parafoveal processing by using the eye tracking technique: (1) the first study aims at exploring how parafoveal load affects the spatial extent of pre-processing, (2) the second study attempts to examine whether and how foveal load influences the spatial extent and depth of pre-processing; On the basis of the first two studies, (3) the third study will investigate how reading skill modulates the spatial and depth effects of parafoveal processing, and also how reading efficiency interacts with spatial extent and depth of pre-processing. The findings of the current project will seek to illuminate currently controversial issues on parafoveal processing, and will be beneficial for examining and extending the current reading models of eye movement control (e.g., E-Z reader model, SWIFT model).


Lack of finance has been mentioned as a major reason which tends to paralyse women MSE's in Tanzania and in Arumeru district in particular. In investigating this situation, a field research was conducted in Arumeru District between January and July 2012, with the aim of identifying microfinance institutions operating in the district and investigating the main challenges facing women (micro and small entrepreneurs) in accessing financial services. A sample of 150 respondents was selected, whereby 100 women entrepreneurs were involved in an interview and focus group discussion and while another sample of 50 respondents drawn from different stakeholders was included in focus group discussions and other research methods utilized in the study. From the research it was discovered that women face a lot of challenges including discrimination by the institutions, small loan sizes, strict unfavourable conditions, lack of collateral and property rights, high interest rates, lack of financial confidence and presence of cultural norms which stereotype against women in accessing and controlling any financial means. It is from these challenges that the study recommends to the financial institution to redesign their products to suit their clients' needs and the government to re-evaluate the interest rate charged by the financial institution to be fair according to the level of the enterprise the client owns. Key words : entrepreneurship, financial services, gender, women,


PURPOSE
To reduce the cost of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning systems, image reconstruction algorithms for low-sampled data have been extensively studied. However, the current method based on total variation (TV) minimization regularization nested in the maximum likelihood-expectation maximization (MLEM) algorithm cannot distinguish true structures from noise resulting losing some fine features in the images. Thus, this work aims to recover fine features lost in the MLEM-TV algorithm from low-sampled data.

METHOD
A feature refinement (FR) approach previously developed for statistical interior computed tomography (CT) reconstruction is applied to PET imaging to recover fine features in this study. The proposed method starts with a constant initial image and the FR step is performed after each MLEM-TV iteration to extract the desired structural information lost during TV minimization. A feature descriptor is specifically designed to distinguish structure from noise and artifacts. A modified steepest descent method is adopted to minimize the objective function. After evaluating the impacts of different patch sizes on the outcome of the presented method, an optimal patch size of 7×7 is selected in this study to balance structure-detection ability and computational efficiency.

RESULTS
Applying MLEM-TV-FR algorithm to the simulated brain PET imaging using an emission activity phantom, a standard Shepp-Logan phantom, and mouse results in the increased peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM) as comparing to using the conventional MLEM-TV algorithm, as well as the substantial reduction of the used sampling numbers, which improves the computational efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS
The presented algorithm can achieve image quality superior to that of the MLEM and MLEM-TV approaches in terms of the preservation of fine structure and the suppression of undesired artifacts and noise, indicating its useful potential for low-sampled data in PET imaging.


To determine the involvement of calpains in human cataractogenesis, studies in aged animal models are needed. Aged, male WBN/Kob rats spontaneously develop cataract along with severe, persistent diabetes with hyperglycemia and nephropathy. The purpose of present experiments was to provide a biochemical mechanism for the involvement of ubiquitous calpains in cataractogenesis in WBN/Kob rats. Serum and urinary glucose were measured to confirm diabetes, and cataracts were observed by slit lamp biomicroscopy. Calcium determinations were performed on lens samples from several ages of WBN/Kob and Wistar rats. Casein zymography, immunoblot analysis for alpha-spectrin, calpain 2, and calpain 10 were performed to detect activation of calpain in lens samples. Serum glucose levels increased and cortical cataract developed in male WBN/Kob rats within 1 year, indicating diabetic cataract. Cataract was accompanied by several presumptive biochemical indicators of calpain activation, including increased calcium, proteolysis of alpha-spectrin, and decreased caseinolytic activity for calpains suggesting calpain activation followed by autolytic degradation. Activation of ubiquitous calpains may contribute to biochemical mechanism of cataractogenesis in spontaneously diabetic WBN/Kob rats. The WBN/Kob model may be useful for elucidating the roles of calpain 2 and calpain 10 in human cataractogenesis.


Thoracic splenosis is rare, with fewer than two dozen reported cases. Patients uniformly have a history of splenectomy with combined abdominal and thoracic trauma. Clinical signs and symptoms are usually absent, and the condition is most often discovered on routine chest radiography. The interval between trauma and clinical discovery has ranged from 2.7 to 42 years. There is no documented benefit to removal of the splenic nodules unless the patient is symptomatic.


In most cases, transfer of chemical‐vapor‐deposited 2D materials from metallic foil catalysts onto a target substrate is the most necessary step for their promising fundamental studies and applications. Recently, a highly efficient and nondestructive electrochemical delamination method has been proposed as an alternative to the conventional etching transfer method, which alleviates the problem of cost and environment pollution because it eliminates the need to etch away the metals. Here, the mechanism of the electrochemical bubbling delamination process is elucidated by studying the effect of the various electrolytes on the delamination rate. A capacitor‐based circuit model is proposed and confirmed by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results. A factor of 27 decrease in the time required for complete graphene delamination from the platinum cathodes is found when increasing the NaOH ratio in the electrolyte solution. The opposite trend is observed for delamination at the anode. The surface screening effect induced by nonreactive ions in the vicinity of the electrodes plays a key role in the delamination efficiency. The analysis is generic and can be used as a guideline to describe and design the electrochemical delamination of other 2D materials from their metal catalysts as well.


With the continuing increase of the cost of electrical energy, motor manufacturers and consumers became increasingly concerned with the energy conservation available from highly efficient electrical motors. Motor cost and efficiency are interrelated; therefore, the effect of motor cost on the maximum obtainable efficiency is of interest both to the motor manufacturer and to the consumer. The relation between the power factor and the maximum efficiency of a motor is another aspect of energy conservation. The optimal motor design, with respect to the maximum efficiency, and with respect to the minimum motor cost (by means of a mathematical optimization method described in Part I), was used in Part II to investigate the above-mentioned motor relations. Three motor-cost functions were investigated: production cost, capitalized cost, and annual cost. The motor that was used in the study was a 100 hp, three-phase, squirrel-cage induction motor.


Urethral stones in adults are rare and usually encountered with urethral stricture or diverticulum. We report a 54 years old gentleman who presented with urinary retention due to a large urethral calculus impacted in bulbar urethra with multiple stones in anterior and posterior urethral diverticulum. On examination a mass of size 5.5cmx4cmx3cm was palpable at anterior perineum with a fistulous tract from which pus was oozing out. On retrograde urethrogram a large urethral calculus with bulbar diverticulum and multiple radio opacity in prostatic area were revealed. Patient was managed by suprapubic cystostomy initially and later on by external urethrotomy, diverticulectomy, urethroscopic removal of multiple stones in prostatic urethral diverticulum and urethroplasty. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal,2012,Vol-8,No-2, 46-48 DOI:  http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v8i2.6838


It is well known that cyber criminal gangs are already using advanced and especially intelligent types of Android malware, in order to overcome the out-of-band security measures. This is done in order to broaden and enhance their attacks which mainly target financial and credit foundations and their transactions. It is a fact that most applications used under the Android system are written in Java. The research described herein, proposes the development of an innovative active security system that goes beyond the limits of the existing ones. The developed system acts as an extension on the ART (Android Run Time) Virtual Machine architecture, used by the Android Lolipop 5.0 version. Its main task is the analysis and classification of the Java classes of each application. It is a flexible intelligent system with low requirements in computational resources, named Smart Anti Malware Extension (SAME). It uses the biologically inspired Biogeography-Based Optimizer (BBO) heuristic algorithm for the training of a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) in order to classify the Java classes of an application as benign or malicious. SAME was run in parallel with the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) and it has shown its validity.


In this article, we develop a republican framework for relational animal ethics, recently popularized in Donaldson and Kymlicka's Zoopolis. This republican framework departs from the focus on negative rights that dominate liberal animal rights theories, especially as concerns our relations to wild animals. Our proposed framework appeals to a republican standard of non-arbitrariness, or non-domination, for human interferences with such animals. This legitimation framework is more attentive to relations of care and of dependency between the species, which we contend fits the growing field of relational animal ethics. At the same time, it requires rigorous criteria be met to legitimate relations as non-dominating. We apply this framework to the morality of the supplementary feeding of wildlife, using a case study of wild boars as fed by hunters. Weakening of the concept of domination to fit the predicament of boars, we show how the republican framework can provide a principled justification for legitimate interference with a wild animal population.


Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) is a relatively new construction material with superior mechanical properties. The addition of fibers in UHPFRC has been recognized to significantly enhance its tensile strength, post-cracking ductility and energy absorption capacity. This study investigates the influence of fiber content on the mechanical properties of UHPFRC with coarse aggregates. By applying the Brouwers design method, UHPFRC with a maximum particle size of 8 mm is achieved. The incorporation of coarse basalt aggregates reduces the powder volume fraction in the matrix, and hence brings economic and environmental benefits. Experiments are conducted to investigate the effects of fiber content on the tensile and compressive strengths, as well as the flexural behavior of the UHPFRC. The results show that the compressive strength of the UHPFRC is almost independent on the fiber content. On the contrary, the tensile and the flexural strengths are significantly increased with the increase of the fiber content, and consequently the toughness of the UHPFRC composite has a prominent enhancement with the addition of the steel fibers as well.


The intergenic sequence (IS) cDNA of Potato Leafroll Virus (PLRV) Chinese isolate was constructed into transformation binary vector pROK2 in positive or negative direction, then introduced into the commercial potato cultivar Desiree via Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated gene transfer. Kanamycin resistance, PCR amplification of transgenic lines showed that intergenic sequence of PLRV Ch was integrated into the genome of potato plants. The transgenic lines were transplanted into the screen house, then inoculated with PLRV by viruliferous Myzus persicae Sulz. After inoculation, the symptom development was observed and the virus titer was detected by ELISA. Results showed that the transgenic plants displayed slight or no symptom. The average PLRV titer in the transgenic lines was lower than the untransformed plants. The transgenic lines expressing sense RNA reduced PLRV titers about 43%~72% in comparison with untransformed plants, while the transgenic lines expressing antisense RNA reduced about 72%~86%. It


Study Design. Survival analyses of a large cohort of published lumbar spine compression fatigue tests. Objective. To produce the first large-scale evaluation of human lumbar spine tolerance to repetitive compressive loading and to evaluate and improve guidelines for human exposure to whole-body vibration and repeated mechanical shock environments. Summary of Background Data. Several studies have examined the effects of compressive cyclic loading on the lumbar spine. However, no previous effort has coalesced these studies and produced an injury risk analysis with an expanded sample size. Guidelines have been developed for exposure limits to repetitive loading (e.g., ISO 2631-5), but there has been no large-scale verification of the standard against experimental data. Methods. Survival analyses were performed using the results of 77 male and 28 female cadaveric spinal segment fatigue tests from 6 previously published studies. Segments were fixed at each end and exposed to axial cyclic compression. The effects of the number of cycles, load amplitude, sex, and age were examined through the use of survival analyses. Results. Number of cycles, load amplitude, sex, and age all are significant factors in the likelihood of bony failure in the spinal column. Using a modification of the risk prediction parameter from ISO 2631-5, an injury risk model was developed, which relates risk of vertebral failure to repeated compressive loading. The model predicts lifetime risks less than 7% for industrial machinery exposure from axial compression alone. There was a 38% risk for a high-speed planing craft operator, consistent with epidemiological evidence. Conclusion. A spinal fatigue model which predicts the risk of in vitro lumbar spinal failure within a narrow confidence interval has been developed. Age and sex were found to have significant effects on fatigue strength, with sex differences extending beyond those accounted for by endplate area disparities.


Little is known about whether type 1 (IFNγ), 2 (IL-4/IL-13), or 3 (IL-17A/IL-22) cytokines affect the susceptibility of keratinocytes (KC) to viruses. These immune pathways predominate in various skin diseases: lupus, atopic dermatitis (AD), and psoriasis, respectively. Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) are approved to treat both AD and psoriasis, and are in clinical development for lupus. We evaluated whether these cytokines alter viral susceptibility of KC and determined if this effect is modulated by treatment with JAKi. Viral susceptibility to vaccinia virus (VV) or herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) ± JAKi was assessed in immortalized and primary human KC pretreated with cytokines. Exposure to type 2 (IL-4 + IL-13) or the type 3 (IL-22) cytokines significantly increased KC viral susceptibility. Specifically, there was a peak increase of 12.2 ± 3.1-fold (IL-4 + IL-13) or 7.7 ± 2.8-fold (IL-22) in VV infection as measured by plaque number. Conversely, IFNγ significantly reduced susceptibility to VV (63.1 ± 64.4-fold). The IL-4 + IL-13-induced viral susceptibility was reduced (44 ± 16%) by JAK1 inhibition, while the IL-22-enhanced viral susceptibility was diminished (76 ± 19%) by TYK2 inhibition. IFNγ-mediated resistance to viral infection was reversed by JAK2 inhibition (366 ± 294% increase in infection). Cytokines expressed in AD skin (IL-4, IL-13, IL-22) increase KC viral susceptibility while IFNγ is protective. JAKi that target JAK1 or TYK2 reversed cytokine-enhanced viral susceptibility, while JAK2 inhibition reduced the protective effects of IFNγ.


To investigate a possible role of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in the respiratory burst in bovine eosinophilic and neutrophilic leukocytes dependent on GTP-binding protein (G-protein), we permeabilized these cells with Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin and induced NADPH oxidase activity with the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue GTP[S] or the aluminium tetrafluoro complex AlF4-. Under same experimental conditions, cells responded with different onset times. The onset time for eosinophils was 50-200 s, for neutrophils it was only a few seconds. GTP[S] stimulated in neutrophils only 5% of the respiratory burst compared to eosinophils, whereas AlF4(-)-induced comparable responses (neutrophils 120% of eosinophils). GDP inhibited these responses with an IC50 value of 2.4 mM. Arachidonic acid showed, with the exception of AlF4- stimulated neutrophils, on both stimuli and cell types an enhancing effect (150%) that reached its maximum at 0.1-1 microM. The PLA2 inhibitor 4-bromophenacylbromide reduced the GTP[S]- and AlF4(-)-induced response almost completely (10 microM) and the inhibition was not significantly different for eosinophils and neutrophils (IC50 1-3 microM). If the respiratory burst was reduced with 4-bromophenacylbromide to 1-4% of the original value, 10% of the basal NADPH oxidase activity could be restored by addition of only 20-100 nM arachidonic acid. In addition, the PLA2 activator adriamycin enhanced the response in a dose-dependent manner and in the same order as arachidonic acid did. The results presented above suggest that the respiratory burst may be regulated by different low-molecular-mass and/or heterotrimeric G-proteins and an active role for arachidonic acid or its metabolites in the activation and the maintenance of the direct G-protein-stimulated respiratory burst in bovine eosinophils and neutrophils.


Saproxylic beetles have been shown to be vulnerable to within-forest fragmentation expressed as large distances between single dead wood pieces (low spatial connectivity of dead wood). From samples of a two-year study of saproxylic beetles, species that were characteristic of sites with high dead wood connectivity were identified by Canonical Correspondence Analysis, the method of Dufrene and Legendre (IndVal) and by considering the species occurring exclusively in sites with high dead wood connectivity. These species differed mainly from the other species by their high habitat specificity. Hence, there arc species-specific responses of saproxylic beetles to the spatial arrangement of dead wood. High dead wood connectivity must be achieved in managed forests to sustain species which are particularly vulnerable to fragmentation.