Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric abnormalities. Currently, matched analyses of structural and functional differences in the brain from the same study cohort and, specifically, in HD patients from an ethnically diverse Indian population are lacking. Such findings aid in identifying noninvasive and sensitive imaging biomarkers. Objective: The aim of the study was to understand the structural and functional differences between HD and control brain, and presymptomatic and symptomatic HD brain in the Indian population. Materials and Methods: Seventeen HD (11 symptomatic HD [S-HD] and six presymptomatic HD [P-HD], with comparable CAG repeats), and 12 healthy controls were examined. Macrostructural (volume), microstructural (diffusivity), and functional (neurochemical levels and glucose metabolism) imaging of the brain was done along with the determination of visual latencies. Results: HD brain showed increased intercaudate distance; significant subcortical volumetric loss; reduced fractional anisotropy; increased mean, axial, and radial diffusivity; lower levels of total N-acetyl aspartate; elevated total choline levels; and reduced glucose metabolism compared with control brain. Interestingly, compared with P-HD, S-HD patients demonstrated a strong inverse correlation between age at onset and CAG repeat length, and prolonged P100 latency. In addition, caudate and putamen in S-HD brain showed significant volumetric loss and increased diffusivity compared with P-HD brain. Conclusions: HD brain showed distinct macrostructural, microstructural, and functional differences compared with control brain in the Indian population. Interestingly, patients with S-HD had a significant volumetric loss, increased diffusivity, altered neurochemical profile, and delayed P100 latency compared with P-HD patients. Examining these alterations clinically could aid in monitoring the progression of HD.


Abstract Under climate change many species may need to shift polewards to track suitable bioclimatic conditions. This movement is likely to be impeded by intensively modified landscapes, but little is known in practice about how species undergo range expansion in these conditions. Using biological record data, this paper explores the occurrence of five butterfly species undertaking range expansion in the UK through an urbanised landscape to better understand the 'pathways' or landscape features used to expand their distributions. The findings demonstrate that the two most adaptable species were able to navigate well through the urban matrix. Significantly, the remaining three species used more rural pathways, with two using stepping stones of habitat patches and landscape corridors and the final, most specialised species using near-connected chains of woodland habitat. These findings emphasise the importance of retaining corridors of open land around hostile matrices and in this instance, a planning designation 'Green Belt' proved to be particularly effective in providing broad pathways of open land for range expansion through a heavily urbanised landscape.


This paper reviews histological studies of cambium activity in South American woody species and provides future research prospects. The majority of the studies almost exclusively describe radial increment and/or its periodicity. There are 15 papers concerning the cambial activity of 17 woody species from the South American flora and 3 exotic species in 4 countries that were published to date. Despite endogenous factors affecting the radial meristem, the seasonality of rains has been identified as the main factor influencing cambial activity in the tropics and subtropics. There is a lack of standardization and a need for improvement and discussion concerning the methods used. Moreover, radial growth studies conducted by monitoring cambium cell production are still scarce in South America, especially when considering the high diversity of the continent's flora and ecosystems.


We report on climate projections generated by a simple model of climate change. The model captures the effects of variations in surface solar radiation, using information over the period 1959–2002 available from observational records from the Global Energy Balance Archive (GEBA), as well as increases in greenhouse gases on surface temperature. The model performs well with respect to observational data, and is simple enough to admit a rigorous statistical analysis. This allows us to quantify the uncertainty associated with estimated parameter values using observational data only. Our method immediately leads to estimates with associated confidence intervals, which can be translated into confidence intervals for climate projections. In particular, we construct probabilistic climate projections using standard scenarios for carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions.


We present experimental results and theoretical analysis of two-photon ionization of He by a superposition of the 7th to the 13th harmonic of a Ti:sapphire laser. Solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for He in a coherent polychromatic field, the He+ yield is calculated. From this yield the number of He+ ions produced has been estimated and found in reasonable agreement with its measured value. The present results establish the feasibility of a second-order autocorrelation measurement of superposition of harmonics, and thus they represent the precursor towards the direct temporal characterization of attosecond pulse trains.


Urodele amphibians such as the newt can regenerate their limbs even as adults. We have focused on the expression of sonic hedgehog, a gene that plays an important role in pattern formation during limb development, in regenerating limbs. Our in situ hybridization experiments showed that the sonic hedgehog gene was expressed in mesenchymal cells of the posterior region of regenerating limb blastemas, strongly suggesting the presence of a zone of polarizing activity (ZPA) in blastemas. Experiments with axially reversed grafts of blastemas further supported this suggestion. Axial reversal of blastemas leads to the regeneration of supernumerary limbs. The sonic hedgehog gene, which was used as a posterior marker, was expressed not only in the original region (new anterior side) of the graft, but also ectopically in the other region (new posterior side) of the same graft. The formation of supernumerary limbs was closely related to the duplication of sonic hedgehog expression on axially reversed grafts of blastemas. This duplication of sonic hedgehog expression could represent the presence of two ZPAs in axially reversed grafts. Thus, we suggest that the limb‐regeneration blastema employs a ZPA as the signaling center for anterior‐posterior patterning, as is the case in the developing limb bud.


Wage gaps between documented (including natives) and undocumented workers may reflect employer exploitation, endogenous occupational sorting and productivity losses associated with lack of legal status. Identification of the undocumented productivity penalty is crucial to estimate the aggregate economic gains from legalization. This paper presents a new identification strategy based on the interplay between educational attainment and occupational barriers. Our main finding is that lack of legal status reduces the productivity of undocumented workers by about 12%. We also find that Dreamers are positively selected compared to similarly skilled natives, as one would expect if they face occupational barriers (Hsieh et al., 2013). Our estimates also imply that the degree of employer exploitation is likely to be small, suggesting that employer competition bids up the wages of undocumented workers and aligns them with their productivity. Last, we also find evidence suggesting that the occupational choices of undocumented workers are heavily influenced by licensing requirements and by the degree of exposure to apprehension by immigration enforcement agencies. In sum, our results strongly suggest that occupational barriers associated with lack of legal status lead to misallocation of talent and negatively affect economic growth.


Cell mechanical forces play fundamental roles in regulating cellular responses to environmental stimulations. The shortcomings of conventional methods, including force resolution and cellular throughput, make them less accessible to mechanical heterogeneity at the single-cell level. Here, a DNA tensioner platform is introduced with high throughput (>10 000 cells per chip) and pN-level resolution. A microfluidic-based cell array is trapped on "hairpin-structured" DNA tensioners that enable transformation of the mechanical information of living cells into fluorescence signals. By using the platform, one can identify enhanced mechanical forces of drug-resistant cells as compared to their drug-sensitive counterparts, and mechanical differences between metastatic tumor cells in pleural effusion and nonmetastatic histiocytes. Further genetic analysis traces two genes, VEGFA and MINK1, that may play deterministic roles in regulating mechanical heterogeneities. In view of the ubiquity of cells' mechanical forces in the extracellular microenvironment (ECM), this platform shows wide potential to establish links of cellular mechanical heterogeneity to genetic heterogeneity.


We prove a semiample generalization of Poonen's Bertini Theorem over a finite field that implies the existence of smooth sections for wide new classes of divisors. The probability of smoothness is computed as a product of local probabilities taken over the fibers of the morphism determined by the relevant divisor. We give several applications including a negative answer to a question of Baker and Poonen by constructing a variety (in fact one of each dimension) which provides a counterexample to Bertini over finite fields in arbitrarily large projective spaces. As another application, we determine the probability of smoothness for curves in Hirzebruch surfaces, and the distribution of points on those smooth curves.


Background: Glioblastomas (GBMs) are grade IV central nervous system tumors characterized by a poor prognosis and a median overall survival of 15 months. The glioblastoma cell population is more genetically unstable, resistant to chemotherapy, more angiogenic, and more malignant. Because ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs) remove ubiquitin from oncogenic protein substrates, effective inhibition of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7), which is highly expressed in GBMs, is a potentially critical therapeutic approach. Methods: Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to detect high expression of USP7 in GBM. in vitro studies were performed by Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry to detect apoptosis following inhibition of USP7. Anti-apoptotic substrates of USP7 were defined by Co-IP and TMT proteomics. Nude mouse intracranial xenograft models were constructed to verify whether inhibition of USP7 inhibited the proliferation rate of tumours.Results: USP7 is significantly upregulated in glioblastoma samples. Interfering with USP7 in GBMs induced significant apoptosis, which also occurred after treatment with P5091, a novel small molecule inhibitor of USP7. Mechanistically, apoptosis of GBMs after interference with USP7 function is achieved by stabilizing a key anti-apoptotic protein, ADP-ribosylation factor 4 (ARF4).Furthermore, USP7 interacts directly with ARF4 and catalyzes the removal of the K48-linked polyubiquitinated chain that binds to ARF4, thereby stabilizing the protein. In in vivo experiments, P5091 significantly inhibited tumor growth and promoted the expression of apoptotic genes. Conclusion: Targeted inhibition of USP7 enhances the ubiquitination of ARF4 and ultimately mediates the apoptosis of GBM cells. In a clinical sense, P5091 as a specific inhibitor of USP7 may be an effective approach for the treatment of GBM.


The conflict in Mindanao, Philippines, is widely presented as a religious one, often within a wider Southeast Asian context. Yet many of the underlying disputes and tensions are the result of local issues revolving around ownership, use and access to land and natural resources and the resultant impact upon livelihoods. At the local level in Mindanao peacebuilding activities need to address these livelihood issues. A number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the area already have separate peacebuilding and natural resource management activities, yet they seem unable to link the two, both within their programmes and at a conceptual level. This paper argues that at the practical level these management activities have the potential, when used together, to reduce communal conflict and address basic human needs. The paper is based primarily on interviews with local NGO practitioners, and though not exhaustive, it provides a number of interesting lessons that have significance beyond Mindanao.


The changing global climate is having profound effects on coastal marine ecosystems around the world. Structure, functioning, and resilience, however, can vary geographically, depending on species composition, local oceanographic forcing, and other pressures from human activities and use. Understanding ecological responses to environmental change and predicting changes in the structure and functioning of whole ecosystems require large‐scale, long‐term studies, yet most studies trade spatial extent for temporal duration. We address this shortfall by integrating multiple long‐term kelp forest monitoring datasets to evaluate biogeographic patterns and rates of change of key functional groups (FG) along the west coast of North America. Analysis of data from 469 sites spanning Alaska, USA, to Baja California, Mexico, and 373 species (assigned to 18 FG) reveals regional variation in responses to both long‐term (2006–2016) change and a recent marine heatwave (2014–2016) associated with two atmospheric and oceanographic anomalies, the "Blob" and extreme El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Canopy‐forming kelps appeared most sensitive to warming throughout their range. Other FGs varied in their responses among trophic levels, ecoregions, and in their sensitivity to heatwaves. Changes in community structure were most evident within the southern and northern California ecoregions, while communities in the center of the range were more resilient. We report a poleward shift in abundance of some key FGs. These results reveal major, ongoing region‐wide changes in productive coastal marine ecosystems in response to large‐scale climate variability, and the potential loss of foundation species. In particular, our results suggest that coastal communities that are dependent on kelp forests will be more impacted in the southern portion of the California Current region, highlighting the urgency of implementing adaptive strategies to sustain livelihoods and ensure food security. The results also highlight the value of multiregional integration and coordination of monitoring programs for improving our understanding of marine ecosystems, with the goal of informing policy and resource management in the future.


Abstract The effect of habitat transformation on dung beetle assemblages in the north-western Free State was investigated by comparing the fauna of a nature reserve with that on neighboring farms. Dung beetle sampling was done in four different localities within two different habitat types, a grassveld area and a bushveld (savanna) area. In these two habitat types, dung beetle assemblages in Sandveld Nature Reserve (27° 37′ S, 25° 46′ E) and on farms were compared. Eighty-three species belonging to 26 genera were captured in the study area. Doube's classification was used to divide the dung beetles into functional groups according to the manner in which they use and disturb dung. The grassveld habitats were dominated by larger dung beetles belonging to functional groups I and II, whereas in the bushveld habitats smaller dung beetles belonging to functional groups IV and V were dominant. There were definite habitat preferences, with the larger dung beetles belonging to functional group I and II preferring the grassveld habitats and having higher abundance in the natural rather than the disturbed habitats. The smaller dung beetles, belonging to functional group V, preferred the bushveld habitats. The better competitors (the larger dung beetles) occurred more abundantly in the grassveld habitats and also more abundantly in the natural grassveld habitat than in the disturbed habitat. None of the indices measuring species richness nor dominance showed significant differences between the four habitats. The dung beetle assemblages in all four habitats showed a log series pattern, with high abundance of a few dominant, highly effective competitors and a large number of 'rare' species, which were assumed to be less effective competitors. This does not, however, imply that the dung beetles were similarly affected by the different habitats, because the biomass of dung beetles was higher in the grassveld than the bushveld habitats and also higher in the natural habitats. A change in vegetational ground cover caused by overgrazing and trampling has a greater effect on the larger, more effective competitors in the assemblage, whereas the smaller less effective competitors do not seem to be affected by this change.


We report on comparative experimental study of FRET efficiency in two different systems: organic dye molecules (donors) and CdSe-ZnS core-shell nanodots or nanorods (acceptors). Fluorescein isothiocyanate was bound chemically to the surface of nanocrystals using cysteine as a linker and the conjugates were embedded into the polymeric films. Contrary to intuitive presumptions based on the order of magnitude larger molar absorption coefficient for nanorods, the experiment demonstrated almost equal efficiency in the energy transfer from FITC to nanorods and nanodots. This effect is attributed to a distance-limited region of nanorod to which an efficient FRET from dye molecule can be achieved. These results may pave the way to hybrid materials with FRET efficiency controlled by the geometry of nanocrystals.


Older adults are among the most vulnerable to adverse cognitive effects of psychotropic medications and, therefore, the personalization of psychotropic treatment based on adverse drug reactions in this demographic is of great importance. We examined changes on neuropsychological tests of attention attributable to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment in anxious older adults. We also examined whether variation in serotonin receptor genes was associated with reduced attentional performance with SSRIs. We examined change from pre- to post-treatment in two attention measures - digit span and coding - in 133 adults aged ≥60 yr with generalized anxiety disorder in a 12-wk trial of escitalopram vs. placebo. We also examined attentional change in relation to genetic variability in four central serotonin receptors: the serotonin transporter and serotonin 1A, 2A and 1B receptors. Digit span scores were significantly lowered in patients receiving escitalopram relative to placebo, indicating reduced attentional performance attributable to the SSRI. Individuals with high-transcription variants in the receptors 5-HTR2A rs6311 and 5-HTR1B rs11568817 had greater reductions in attention with SSRI treatment compared to placebo. We conclude that SSRIs reduce attention in older adults, particularly in those with high-expression genetic variants at the serotonin 2A and 1B receptors. Analysing neuropsychological changes with SSRIs in relation to genetic variation in the serotonin system may be a useful strategy for detecting subgroups of older adults who are more susceptible to side-effects of SSRIs. These results, if confirmed, could lead to the personalization of SSRI use to reduce adverse neurocognitive effects.


Three diiron complexes (1-Ph, 2-OH, and 3-OCOFc) as mimics of the diiron subunit of [FeFe]-hydrogenase were electrochemically investigated in 0.1 mol L(-1) [NBut(4)]BF(4)-acetonitrile (MeCN) under CO and Ar atmosphere. Complex 3-OCOFc was prepared from the reaction of complex 2-OH with ferrocenylacyl chloride (FcOCCl). The complex was fully characterised using a variety of spectroscopic techniques. Its structure was established using X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis. In addition to the well-established ECE (E for electrochemical and C for chemical) mechanism, it was revealed that a further reversible reduction at a potential more negative by ca. 600 mV was observed under CO atmosphere. It was further proposed based on the analysis of electrochemical and infrared spectroscopic data that the second redox was due to a two-electron process of supposedly a tetrairon cluster. This product was formed in situ from the reaction between the dianion generated from the ECE process and its parent complex (1-Ph, 2-OH, and 3-OCOFc) and is supposedly of a core "Fe(4)(II)". This reaction occurred only when CO was presented. Under Ar atmosphere, bulk electrolysis led to fully-reduced products, that is, with the iron at the oxidation state of zero, but complex was an exception. An overall mechanism to describe the electron transfer and coupled chemical reactions under CO atmosphere was proposed.


This study was designed to consider effects of age, sex, intelligence, lateral usage, and lateral awareness on young children's performance of spatial organization tasks. The sample consisted of 79 Caucasian, middle socioeconomic status nursery school children (mean C.A. 57.80, S.D. 4.47 months), 44 boys and 35 girls. Spatial organization was operationally defined as ability to copy patterns by drawing and walking in an expanded spatial field and to identify by verbal response the correct spatial positioh of objects in relation to each other and to self. No association of lateral awareness or lateral usage measures and the spatial organization tasks was identified. A clear sex difference favoring boys was found in pattern copying in an expanded spatial field. Boys had significantly higher objective scores in pattern walking than did girls; they also appeared markedly more task oriented. Findings were consistent with the field dependenceindependence construct, and suggest that sex differences in styles of field organization are identifiable by the late preschool age period. Differences in task orientation, cue selection, and cue organization may well be keys to understanding children's strategies of problem solving; these warrant further study. '_:patial Organization of Young Children' Barbara K. Keogh University of California, Los Angeles Visuo-motor organization has been shown to be a rapidly accelerating developmental function during the preschool years. Such development is marked by change in consistency and coordination of fine and gross movement, including organization of motor action in threedimensional space. Dramatic improvement in visual-spatial organization of movement may be observed during the middle preschool years; comparison of two-year-old and four-year-old children's efforts to seat themselves on a small chair or to copy simple designs are cases in point. Controlled "cluntary action requires motoric coordination under some perceptual organization or system, in most cases visual organization (Birch & Lefford, 1967; Howard & Templeton, 1966). It seems likely that organization of visuo-motor functions underlies !Tigre complex educational and behavioral tasks. In this regard, it is of interest to note that delay and/or disturbance of visuo-motor organization have been associated with learning and developmental problems of atypical children (DeHirsch, 1957; DeHirsch, Jansky, & Langford, 1966; Kephart, 1960). Recognition of the importance of visual-spatial organization has led to an increasing number of theoretical formulations and empirical research by investigators from various disciplines. Visual acuity and visual discrimination skills of infants have been clearly documented (Fantz, 1961). Interaction of visual-perceptual and motor functions have been demonstrated with human infants by White (1965, 1967) in studies of the effects of enriched visual stimulation upon infants'


The complementation pattern of certain question‐embedding predicates, such as know and agree, presents a puzzle for the compositional semantics of clausal complementation, as the predicates seem to be able to combine with two distinct types of semantic objects: propositions and questions. The traditional approach to the semantics of these predicates, where embedded questions are reduced to propositions, faces two problems. First, it cannot account for the observation that know‐wh sentences require the subject not to believe any false answer to the embedded question. Second, it makes a problematic prediction concerning the interpretation of Predicates of Relevance, such as care and matter. We review three alternative approaches to the semantics of question‐embedding predicates, i.e., the proposition‐to‐question reduction, the uniform approach and the ambiguity approach, and argue that only the Proposition‐to‐Question reduction and the uniform approach can deal with the interpretation of the Predicates of Relevance. The paper concludes with a remark on how lexical denotations of question‐embedding predicates are constrained in general.


We present the results from exploratory (12–23 ks) XMM-Newton observations of six optically selected, radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs), together with new radio data and a reanalysis of their archival SDSS spectra. The sources were selected in an effort to expand the current sample of radio-loud AGNs suitable for detailed X-ray spectroscopy studies. The sample includes three broad-line and three narrow-line sources, with X-ray luminosities of the order of L2–10 keV ∼ 1043 erg s−1. The EPIC spectra of the broad-lined sources can be described by single power laws with photon indices Γ ∼ 1.6 and little to negligible absorption (NH ≲1021 cm−2); on the contrary, significant absorption is detected in the narrow-lined objects, NH ∼ 1023 cm−2, one of which displays a prominent (equivalent width ∼2 keV) Fe Kα emission line. Studying their location in several luminosity–luminosity diagrams for radio-loud AGNs, we find that the sources fall at the lower end of the distribution for bright, classical radio-loud AGNs and close to LINER-like sources. As such, and as indicated by the ratios of their optical emission lines, we conclude that the sources of our sample fall on the border between radiatively efficient and inefficient accretion flows. Future deeper studies of these targets at X-rays and longer wavelengths will expand our understanding of the central engines of radio-loud AGNs at a critical transition region.


Inflatable wings are of interest for applications where low weight, compact transport volume, and easy set-up are important. Examples are unmanned aerial vehicles with inflatable wings, paragliders and softkites for sport or airborne wind-energy applications. In this paper, a new method of designing and fabricating conformable inflatable wings by Jacquard three-dimensional weaving is presented. Depending on the weaving pattern, plane-parallel, tapered, or even curved structures can be produced. An analytical framework was developed to determine the shapes of pressurized structures produced by Jacquard weaving. Based on this theory, several design patterns suitable for inflatable wings are proposed. It is shown that the structural efficiency of the woven structure is identical to the structural efficiency of a cylinder. To validate the concept, different wing prototypes were built with the methods used for the mass production of airbags. The new method allows for the cost-efficient fabrication of inflatable structures, pressure vessels, and liquid containers with applications in the automotive, aerospace, and leisure industries.


This article discusses the shift in the representation of the family through a case study of Lost City (2012–2013). The programme challenges the dominant representations of the family on Turkish television that are mostly framed by a particular neighbourhood culture and are characterized by organic solidarity. As outsiders in Turkish society, a prostitute, a Kurdish family and a Black illegal immigrant challenge the unity of the Toptas family that has moved to Istanbul from the Black Sea region of Turkey and who are trying hard to survive against poverty and the 'cosmopolitan culture' of the city. The series problematizes the borders of the family as different members of the Toptas family develop new relationships extending the family to include the outsiders of Turkish society. Drawing on Turkish family dramas such as Super Dad (1993–1997), Father's Home (1997–2002), The Falling Leaves (2005–2010) and Lost City, this article examines the discursive shift in the representation of the family on Turkish television.


A 9.5-year-old, male castrated European Short-haired (ESH) cat was presented with bilateral glaucoma associated with pectinate ligament dysplasia and an open iridocorneal angle (ICA) upon gonioscopy. The right eye (OD) was avisual and slightly enlarged; the left eye (OS) was still visual. Intraocular pressure (IOP) had been controlled with medical therapy over a 1.5 year-period in both eyes (OU). Eventually IOP could not be adequately controlled medically and the painful and blind right eye was enucleated and transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation was performed twice in the left eye with less than optimal results and progressive loss of vision. Histopathology of the right eye showed goniodysgenesis characterized by failure of differentiation of the pectinate ligament, which existed as a solid sheet of uveal tissue at the entrance of a hypoplastic ciliary cleft, which contained loose mucoid mesenchymal tissue. The trabecular meshwork was hypoplastic and the scleral venous plexus could not be identified. Other findings of chronic glaucoma were inner retinal atrophy, optic nerve atrophy with disc cupping, scleral thinning, peripheral corneal vascularization and pigmentation, and mild focal iridal mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate.


A new photonic approach of microwave waveform generator based on time-domain synthesis is proposed and experimentally demonstrated, in which two single-drive Mach-Zehnder modulators biased at quadrature point are severed as optical pulse carvers and various microwave waveforms can be generated by carving and overlapping optical field envelopes. The theoretical analysis and simulation are developed. In experiment, a square waveform with 50% duty cycle, triangular waveform with full duty cycle, and sawtooth (or reversed-sawtooth) waveform with 50% duty cycle are generated. Furthermore, a frequency doubling sawtooth (or reversed-sawtooth) waveform with full duty cycle is also obtained.


The daily functioning and overall well-being of people with ASD depends largely on understanding how the wider public views ASD. Indeed, an increased level of ASD knowledge in the general population may result in earlier diagnosis, earlier intervention, and better overall outcomes. The present study aimed to examine the current state of ASD knowledge, beliefs, and sources of information in a Lebanese general population sample, to identify the factors that could influence this knowledge. A total of 500 participants were involved in this cross-sectional study, which was conducted in Lebanon between May 2022 and August 2022 using the Autism Spectrum Knowledge scale, General Population version (ASKSG). Overall, the participants' understanding of autism spectrum disorder was low, with a mean score of 13.8 (6.69) out of 32, or 43.1%. The highest knowledge score was found for items related to knowledge of the symptoms and associated behaviors (52%). However, the level of knowledge regarding the etiology and prevalence, assessment and diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, and prognosis of the disease was low (29%, 39.2%, 46%, and 43.4%, respectively). Moreover, age, gender, place of residence, sources of information, and ASD case were all statistically significant predictors of ASD knowledge (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.012, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). The general public in Lebanon perceive a lack of awareness and insufficient knowledge regarding ASD. This results in delayed identification and intervention, leading to unsatisfactory outcomes in patients. Raising awareness about autism among parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals should be a top priority.


This Order is designed to promote equality of opportunity for men and women in the private sector. It provides that equal opportunity plans can be established by employers with the cooperation of worker representatives. These plans should include a description of the plan's objective with respect to equal opportunity; a description of affirmative actions to be taken; and the date of the implementation of the plan and the dates on which intermediary steps in the plan should be attained. The plans should also contain procedures for periodical evaluation.


Physicians whose interests in health problems of the elderly extend beyond the clinical specialty of geriatrics and into the broader interdisciplinary aspects of social gerontology should greet this new handbook with choruses of praise. As a companion volume to the Handbook of the Biology of Aging and the Handbook of the Psychology of Aging (all recently published under the guidance of a single project-advisory board with James E. Birren as editor-in-chief), this is a work of singular breadth, depth, clarity, and incisiveness. One of its distinguishing features is an extensive bibliography of previous work in the field of aging, with excellent subject and author indexes. Thirty-two contributors from a variety of disciplines have assembled 25 chapters that, as stated in the preface, are "designed as a compendium of what is now known about the social aspects of aging and of suggested central issues for further research." In general there is


Abstract Triethylaminoethyl cellulose column chromatography was used to separate the multiple forms of aminopeptidase and arylamidase from human normal and cancer tissues. Aminopeptidase and arylamidase from normal liver were separated into three fractions: Li.I, Li.II, and Li.III. The activity of Li.III, which showed very low values in normal liver, increased remarkably in hepatic cancer. Normal stomach contained three fractions: S.I, S.II, and S.III. Stomach cancer contained an additional fraction, S.IV, between S.I and S.II. Normal lung contained four fractions: Lu.I, Lu.II, Lu.III, and Lu.IV. Lung cancer contained three fractions, Lu.II being absent. On the other hand, normal kidney, small intestine, and serum had only one major fraction (K.II, S.In.I, and Se.I, respectively). Immunological studies using antibodies of purified Li.I and Li.II showed that the antigenicities of Li.I and Li.II were different, and aminopeptidases and arylamidases in normal and cancer tissues were classified into three immunologically different types: Li.I type (Li.I, S.I, and Lu.I), Li.II type (Li.II, Li.III, S.II, S.IV, Lu.II, Lu.III, Lu.III′, K.II, S.In.I, and Se.I), and the third type (S.III and Lu.IV). After neuraminidase treatment, Li.II, Li.III, S.II, Lu.III, Lu.III′, and Se.I of Li.II type were eluted in the position of S.IV, Lu.II, and K.II on triethylaminoethyl cellulose column chromatography. However, the elution positions of the Li.I type and the third type were not affected by neuraminidase treatment. From these results, it was suggested that the difference between the column patterns in normal and cancer tissues was due to the amount of sialic acid present in the enzyme molecule.


The chlorine activation and subsequent ozone loss of the northern winter lower stratosphere have been modelled using different schemes for type I polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and sulphate aerosols. Type I PSCs were assumed to consist of either nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) at equilibrium, supercooled ternary solutions (STS) at equilibrium, or to follow a hysteresis cycle between frozen and liquid particles depending on the temperature history. The sulphate aerosol was assumed to be present as either liquid binary H2SO4/H2O aerosol (LBA) or as solid sulphuric acid tetrahydrate (SAT). Our box model integrations show that NAT and STS, representing the upper and lower limits of lower stratospheric chlorine activation, respectively, appear to destroy ozone equally efficiently after a cold PSC event (Tmin ≤ 190K at 50 mbar). For higher minimum temperatures, up to the equilibrium NAT point, there is significantly more ozone loss in the NAT scheme than in the STS scheme. On NAT, chlorine is activated directly by ClONO2 + HCl → 2Cl + HNO3, whereas on STS, indirect activation by ClONO2 + H2O → HOCl + HNO3 followed by HOCl + HCl → 2Cl + H2O, dominates. During the processing period, the indirect activation on STS will produce a temporary peak in HOCl. Box model integrations also show that direct chlorine activation is faster on SAT than on LBA, yielding significantly more ozone loss in air parcels which remain below the SAT melting point (215–220 K). Our single-layer chemical transport model simulations (θ = 465K) of the lower stratospheric chlorine activation during Arctic winter 1994/1995 show that chlorine is activated more quickly on NAT than on STS. However, in mid December 1994, when temperatures are low enough for substantial STS particle growth, maximum active chlorine becomes similar in both schemes and remains similar until the end of January 1995. A model integration which includes SAT produces up to 200 parts per trillion by volume more ClOx, inside the polar vortex during Arctic winter 1994/1995, than a model integration which includes LBA. The high melting point of SAT means that it may contribute to midlatitude ozone loss when filaments of processed air are shed by the vortex. For example, a model integration shows that air peeling off the Arctic vortex on February 14, 1995, contains 10% more ClOx at middle latitudes in an integration that includes SAT formation in a hysteresis scheme, than in an integration that includes LBA. The major differences in ozone loss predicted by the model PSC schemes occur inside the polar vortex. The largest differences in ozone at 465 K inside the vortex at the end of March 1995, up to 500 parts per billion by volume, are found between the equilibrium NAT and STS schemes. Ozone values in the hysteresis schemes are intermediate between those of the NAT and STS schemes. The inclusion of SAT in a hysteresis scheme des not have a major global effect.


A nonvolatile fully programmable processing-in-memory (PIM) processor named Liquid Silicon (L-Si) is demonstrated, which combines the superior programmability of general-purpose computing devices (e.g. FPGA) and the high power efficiency of do-main-specific accelerators. Besides the general computing applications, L-Si is particularly well suited for AI/machine learning and big data applications, which not only pose high computational/memory demand but also evolves rapidly. L-Si is fabricated by monolithically integrating HfO2 resistive RAM on top of commercial 130nm Si CMOS. Our measurement confirmed the fabricated chip operates reliably at low voltage of 650 mV. It achieves 60.9 TOPS/W in performing neural network inferences and 480 GOPS/W in performing content-based similarity search (a key big data application) at nominal voltage supply of 1.2V, showing >$3\times $ and ∼$100\times $ power efficiency improvement over the state-of-the-art domain-specific CMOS-/RRAM-based accelerators. In addition, it outperforms the latest nonvolatile FPGA in energy efficiency by ∼$3\times $ in general compute-intensive applications.


Abstract Background: Many men have limited knowledge about reproductive health and fertility. The aim of the study was to evaluate if Reproductive Life Plan (RLP)-based counselling during a sexual health visit could increase men's fertility awareness. Material and methods: The study was a randomized controlled trial including 201 men aged 18–50 who visited either of two participating sexual health clinics in Sweden for sexually transmitted infection testing during 2014–2016. All men received standard care, and men in the intervention group (IG) also received oral and written RLP-based information about lifestyle and fertility. Awareness about fertility and lifestyle-related factors were the main outcomes, measured through a questionnaire before the intervention and through a telephone survey after three months. Impressions from the counselling were also assessed at follow-up. Results: A majority (71%) of men wanted children in the future. General fertility awareness increased from a mean score of 4.6 to 5.5 out of 12 (P = 0.004) in the IG. The mean number of accurate lifestyle factors (that could affect fertility) mentioned increased from 3.6 to 4.4 (P < 0.001) in the IG. There were no improvements in the control group. Among the men in the IG, 76% had a positive experience of the counselling, and 77% had received new information. Conclusion: The intervention managed to increase different aspects of men's fertility awareness. In the future, the format for preconception care for men needs further development. Including men in preconception health policy guidelines and identifying suitable actors for care provision would be important first steps.


Tunneling through quantum dots is determined by the interplay between charging effects and the discrete energy-level spectrum originating from the three-dimensional confinement. We have performed spectroscopic measurements of many-particle ground and excited states in a single quantum dot by studying the linear and nonlinear transport. The occupation of excited states can lead to the appearance of negative differential conductance and to a suppression of transport via the ground states of the system. In a double-quantum-dot system consisting of two quantum dots of different sizes the measured conductance through the system is influenced by the charging energies of the individual dots and the coupling between the two dots.


ABSTRACT. Victor Turner's anthropological reading of pilgrimages in terms of communitas is of utmost relevance in the case of Hinduism: indeed, Hindu pilgrimages produce a relative and temporal obliteration of social cleavages – particularly caste divisions – allowing the emergence of a sense of group belonging. Moreover, the geography of pilgrimage sites maps out the sacred land, marking the area of extension of Hindu civilisation in space. Hindu nationalists have tried to exploit this particular alchemy to offer an ethnic definition of the nation (and its territory) and thereby gather a following by lending some of their demonstrations the appearance of a pilgrimage. This approach asserted itself in the early 1980s thanks to the Ekatmata Yatra (Unity March) in 1983, and was confirmed in 1990 during the Rath Yatra (Chariot festival). Nevertheless, the instrumentalist interpretation of such movements comes up against an issue that is already at the core of subaltern studies' historiography, i.e. that masses do not always mobilise for the reasons put forth by political leaders. More specifically, if women march massively in the streets during these Yatra pilgrimages, it is both because they feel concerned by the reason for demonstrations and because these demonstrations have legitimised their entry into the public space, which still remains relatively closed to them.


Silicon nitride (Si3N4) subwavelength medium contrast gratings (MCGs) directly integrated with CMOS photodetectors are a promising option for on-chip label-free biosensing. The narrow spectral features required for sensing are often realized in Si3N4 nanostructures by weakly corrugated gratings which limit design flexibility. We numerically investigate the optical properties of asymmetry-engineered MCG gratings and predict the formation of ultra-sharp spectral features via the excitation of quasi-bound states in continuum (QBIC) resonances. Systematic investigation of the design parameter space shows that sharp spectral features are obtained for a wide range of parameters without requiring ultrathin grating profiles. Transmission-mode refractive index sensing simulations for bulk and surface sensing, considering both wavelength-shift and intensity-shift modalities, indicate performance gains using these structures.


The location of different materials in the network of irrigation has a great importance. In our previous works, we have illustrated the major role of water containing cuprous ions in local destruction of mobile material of irrigation(MMI). The origin of these ions comes from the attacked of irrigation network caused during stream water that's contain sulphides ions. Therefore, our study deals the effect of irrigation water polluted by these sulphides ions on the corrosion resistance of copper. In fact, the microbiological analyses that we have made show that this water is infected by sulfito-reductrice bacterium. These later are responsible of the reduction of the sulphates to sulphides. The results obtained by electro-chemical method show that a weak concentration of a sulphide as one ppm provokes a strong dissolution of copper in the studied environment. This active process is caused by the formation of a porous layer based on sulphides compounds and on copper oxide naturally formed in the non-polluted environment.


Molecular epidemiology, a branch of epidemiology, combines the theories and methods, both in epidemiology and molecular biology. Molecular epidemiology mainly focuses on biological markers, describing the distribution, occurrence, development and prognosis of diseases at the molecular level. The completion of Human Genome Project and rapid development of Precision Medicine and Big Data not only offer the new development opportunities but also bring about a higher demand and new challenge for molecular epidemiology.


ABSTRACT Yield and profitability levels in sugarcane crops demonstrate the importance of the agricultural practices adopted, especially for soil preparation and planting systems. This study evaluated the costs involved in 40 alternative methods for the establishment of sugarcane crops resulting from the combination of eight soil preparation systems and five planting options, followed by an assessment of the economic viability of sugarcane production for suppliers and sugar mills. Data were collected from 31 sugar mills and 42 suppliers in Sao Paulo State, Brazil, from the 2016/17 season. The cost analysis and discounted cash flow analysis were used to calculate economic viability. Localized soil preparation with a fixed application rate of inputs (soil amendments) and mechanized planting with a variable application rate of fertilizers were the least costly systems to establish the sugarcane crop. Regarding the sugarcane establishment system, the medium–sized sugar mills were the most economically viable when compared to independent sugarcane producers. There was no significant difference in cost to establish sugarcane crops across the various sized groups of suppliers and we identified that costs rose as the size of the sugar mills increased.


Sesame, Sesamum indicum L. is one of the oldest and important oil seed crop in the world. The sesame seed apart from providing edible oil is also rich in protein. This study was carried out to evaluate the chemical composition and oil quality of seeds of 13 accessions of sesame grown in the Nsukka plains of South eastern Nigeria. The treatments which comprised of the 13 accessions were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) experiment in three replications. At maturity, samples of seeds were taken to the laboratory for chemical analysis. The result revealed significant variation in chemical composition and oil quality of the seeds of the sesame accessions. Percentages moisture, protein, fibre, fat, carbohydrate and ash in the seeds ranged from 5.0 to 8.0, 17.08 to 20.90, 1.40 to 2.40, 28.0 to 46.0, 27.63 to 44.85 and 1.10 to 2.90, respectively. The ranges of iodine value, peroxide value, acid value and free fatty acid were 76.14 to 130.07 g/100 g, 1.01 to 7.61 meq (H2O2), 0.67 to 2.85 mg/g and 0.34 to 1.43 mg/g, respectively. Highest percentage fat was recorded in the accession Yobe gadaka while Parchequeno had the highest percentage protein among the accessions.


ABSTRACT Oyster culture has benefited traditional coastal communities along the Amazon macrotidal mangrove coast of Pará state in Brazil since 2006. Currently, seven oyster culture units in five municipalities are expanding production, but with no environmental monitoring, which is important for the control of the impacts of oyster culture on waters as well as for oyster management and conservation. Seasonal variation in environmental characteristics of the water was evaluated at all oyster culture units in Pará, from September to November 2013 (dry season) and February to April 2014 (wet season), to generate baseline data to evaluate future impacts and aid strategic planning, such as diversifying seed production. Salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, oxidation-reduction potential, depth, temperature, and chlorophyll-a concentration were measured during flooding and ebbing tides, and compared between seasons and among culture units using uni- and multivariate statistics. All variables were significantly higher in the dry season, except depth, which was significantly greater in the wet season. Mean salinity, which varied from 2.4 to 46, explained most of the variation among culture units in relation to season, sampling date within each season and tidal state. However, dissolved oxygen, pH and depth were also important. Oyster culture units in Pará may be suitable for sustainable harvesting of seed/spat from the wild (lower salinity and pH), or for on-growing (higher salinity, higher pH, and greater depth). Seasonal variation is sufficient to allow both activities at most units at appropriate times of the year, which would help increase oyster production in Pará.


A method, system, and apparatus are provided for establishing trust without revealing identity. According to one embodiment, values in a first proof corresponding to a first statement are precomputed, a request for a second proof is received from a challenger, and the first and second proofs are completed.


Cloud computing these days is here. Running applications on machines in an internet accessible data center can bring plenty of advantages. Yet to run an application we always need a platform. For many applications this platform usually includes an operating system, some way to store data and more. Applications running in the cloud also need some foundation.
 Cloud Computing is a foundation for running applications and storing data in the cloud. Cloud Computing applications run on machines in the data centers. Rather than providing software that customers can install and run themselves on their own computers, thus it is a service; customers use it to run applications and store data on internet accessible machines owned by the service provider. Those applications might provide services to businesses, to consumers, or both. The applications that could be built like, If an independent software vendor (ISV) could create an application that targets business users, an approach that's often referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS). ISV's can use Cloud computing framework as a foundation for a variety of business-oriented SaaS applications.
 An ISV might create a SaaS application that targets consumers. Cloud computing framework is designed to support very scalable software, and so a firm that plans to target a large consumer market might well choose it as a platform for a new application.
 Enterprises might use Cloud computing framework to build and run applications that are used by their own employees.


We introduce a unified wcet analysis and scheduling framework for real-time applications deployed on multicore architectures. Our method does not follow a particular programming model, meaning that any piece of existing code (in particular legacy) can be re-used, and aims at reducing automatically the worst-case number of timing interferences between tasks. Our method is based on the notion of Time Interest Points (tips), which are instructions that can generate and/or suffer from timing interferences. We show how such points can be extracted from the binary code of applications and selected prior to performing the wcet analysis. We then represent real-time tasks as sequences of time intervals separated by tips, and schedule those tasks so that the overall makespan (including the potential timing penalties incurred by interferences) is minimized. This scheduling phase is performed using an Integer Linear Programming (ilp) solver. Preliminary results on state-of-the-art benchmarks show promising results and pave the way for future extensions of the model and optimizations.


Background To date, there has not been a practical evaluation of patient sleep in critical care units, where sleep disturbance is commonly found. This study aimed to validateฎ a portable electroencephalography monitor, as a sleep monitoring device, against polysomnography (PSG) for objective sleep evaluation and the Richards − Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) for subjective sleep quality in critically ill patients.Methods In this observational study, the sleep pattern of 10 adult patients staying in an ICU for at least 72 hours was evaluated for 24 hours using PSG and the Patient State Index (PSI) from SedLine. Additionally, their nighttime sleep was subjectively scored using the RCSQ to compare with the objective parameters.Results Sleep architecture from PSG showed an increase in light sleep and a prominent decrease in restorative sleep, despite preserved quantity of nocturnal sleep. Based on PSG results, PSI was distributed in accordance with sleep depth. Subjective quality of nocturnal sleep from the RCSQ was correlated with the PSI (r = -0.816, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.955 to -0.383), as well as with the nighttime stage N2 ratio from PSG alone (r = 0.741, 95% CI: 0.209 to 0.935) or combined with restorative sleep (r = 0.801, 95% CI: 0.347 to 0.951). The cutoff value of PSI to distinguish between the stage N1 and N2 was 67.0 (specificity, 0.641; sensitivity, 0.845 with area under curve [AUC] of 0.818).Conclusion SedLine is considered a feasible and valid instrument for sleep quality assessment in ICU patients.Trial registration: This investigation was part of an interventional trial registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Individual Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR000026350, http://www.umin.ac.jp/icdr/index-j.html) on March 1, 2017.


With the increasing demand for precise condition monitoring and diagnosis of 11 gas-insulated switchgears (GIS), it has become a challenge to improve the detection sensitivity of 12 partial discharge (PD) induced in the GIS spacer. This paper deals with the elimination of the 13 capacitive component from the phase resolved partial discharge (PRPD) signal generated in GIS 14 spacer based on the discrete wavelet transform. Three types of typical insulation defects were 15 simulated using PD cells. The single PD pulses were detected and were further used to determine 16 the optimal mother wavelet. As a result, the bior6.8 was selected to decompose the PD signal into 8 17 levels and the signal energy at each level was calculated. The decomposed components related 18 with capacitive disturbance were discarded whereas those associated with PD were de-noised by a 19 threshold and a thresholding function. Finally, the PRPD signals were reconstructed using the 20 de-noised components. 21


ABSTRACT Though William Godwin and Walter Scott stated politically opposite goals in their differently historical novelistic projects, they shared an underlying investment in personal judgment as a corrective provided by the implicit suggestion that the novel itself is more capable of solving certain problems than is the courtroom. This essay examines moral and legal justice in Godwin's Caleb Williams (1794) and in Scott's Guy Mannering (1815) alongside their authors' involvement in real cases, from Godwin's role in the treason trials of the 1790s to Scott's decisions as rural magistrate in Selkirkshire. Godwin's and Scott's emphasis on a backward-looking, historical understanding of personal judgment over modern legal principles and procedures appears to be philosophically conservative, yet they theorize social justice as a function of a legal system properly sensitive to the individuality of the accused's character. The casuistry of Romantic individualism underlies and ultimately resolves the tensions between Godwin's and Scott's approaches to justice in their novels and in their overt politics, and I track both authors' experiments with creative jurisprudence to conclude that they were not nearly as different from one another as is generally assumed.


The authors report two pregnancies that occurred within a brief period of time in the same woman, who suffered from a histologically diagnosed membranous glomerulonephritis. The good final result is to be related to the active cooperation among obstetrists and nephrologists specialists. Moreover, they point out the full unsuitability of the schemes for the evaluation of the obstetric risk in women with chronic pathologies.


To determine three-dimensional structure of protein molecules using X-ray diffraction method and neutron diffraction method, various protein crystals are grown. In particular, large protein crystals (~2 mm) are required for neutron diffraction method since the brilliance of neutron radiation is weak. Moreover, the characterization of crystal defects, especially dislocations, in protein crystals is important for an understanding of their crystallization. Therefore, it is important to establish synchrotron white-beam topography of protein crystals, which is one of the most powerful methods for characterization of dislocations in the large protein crystals. The application of X-ray topography to protein crystals has been carried out by some groups. However, the topographic contrasts observed in protein crystals were poor compared with those in organic crystals of small molecules reported previously. We found that the thickness of protein crystals should be more than 0.4 ( : the extinction distance) to observe the clear images. Thus, we have succeeded in observing clear topographic contrasts not only in tetragonal hen egg-white (HEW) lysozyme crystals [1] but also orthorhombic HEW lysozyme crystals using large protein crystals (~2 mm). These dislocations structures will be discussed at the conference.


The economies of Central East European and former Soviet states have experienced catastrophic downturns in the first years of transition to the market economy and moderate recovery in the aftermath of the crisis. Previous studies, however, do not clarify the reasons why the transition economies followed a J-shaped path of macroeconomic decline and growth without exception. Aiming to illustrate the mechanism, we conducted a meta-analysis of the transition literature that empirically examined the determinants of macroeconomic growth in transition economies. The results of meta-synthesis of collected estimates indicate that hyperinflation and regional conflicts were strong factors causing the economic crisis during the initial period of transition, while the changes in socio-economic structure and the transformation policies had weaker effects on economic growth. We also found that the economies with heavier socialist legacies were forced to face deeper economic decline, if other conditions are equal.


Background Performing biopsy for intermediate lesions with PI-RADS 3 has always been controversial. Moreover, it is difficult to differentiate prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) nodules in PI-RADS 3 lesions by conventional scans, especially for transition zone (TZ) lesions. The purpose of this study is sub-differentiation of transition zone (TZ) PI-RADS 3 lesions using intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), stretched exponential model, and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) to aid the biopsy decision process. Methods A total of 198 TZ PI-RADS 3 lesions were included. 149 lesions were BPH, while 49 lesions were PCa, including 37 non-clinical significant PCa (non-csPCa) lesions and 12 clinical significant PCa (csPCa) lesions. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine which parameters could predict PCa in TZ PI-RADS 3 lesions. The ROC curve was used to test diagnostic efficiency in distinguishing PCa from TZ PI-RADS 3 lesions, while one-way ANOVA analysis was used to examine which parameters were statistically significant among BPH, non-csPCa and csPCa. Results The logistic model was statistically significant (χ2 = 181.410, p<0.001) and could correctly classify 89.39% of the subjects. Parameters of fractional anisotropy (FA) (p=0.004), mean diffusion (MD) (p=0.005), mean kurtosis (MK) (p=0.015), diffusion coefficient (D) (p=0.001), and distribute diffusion coefficient (DDC) (p=0.038) were statistically significant in the model. ROC analysis showed that AUC was 0.9197 (CI 95%: 0.8736-0.9659). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 92.1%, 80.4%, 93.9% and 75.5%, respectively. FA and MK of csPCa were higher than those of non-csPCa (all p<0.05), while MD, ADC, D, and DDC of csPCa were lower than those of non-csPCa (all p<0.05). Conclusion FA, MD, MK, D, and DDC can predict PCa in TZ PI-RADS 3 lesions and inform the decision-making process of whether or not to perform a biopsy. Moreover, FA, MD, MK, D, DDC, and ADC may have ability to identify csPCa and non-csPCa in TZ PI-RADS 3 lesions.


Neoplastic angioendotheliomatosis (NAE) is a rare and fatal disorder and has been regarded as a multifocal in situ neoplastic change of endothelial cells. This report describes a case of NAE from whom a biopsy specimen was obtained and studied immunohistologically using several monoclonal antibodies against lymphocyte-associated antigens. The tumor cells occluding luminal space express both T and B cell markers such as Leu-1, Leu-3, Leu-10, Leu-M3, HLA-DR, and HLA-DQ, whereas they do not express Leu-2, Leu-4, lymphocyte-common antigen, and immunoglobulins. Factor VIII as a marker of vascular endothelial cell is false positive in the present case. Since immunoglobulins as a definitive B lymphocyte marker are negative in this case, there is no direct evidence indicating that NAE is a tumor of B lymphocytic lineage as previously reported. These results suggest the two possibilities that NAE is a unique variant of T cell lymphoma or true vascular endothelial tumor sharing the common histogenesis with malignant lymphoma. As it stands the former possibility is more likely than the latter in our case.


Abstract The electrification accompanying the breakup of large drops falling in air in the absence of an electric field has been studied. A closed circuit vertical tunnel has been used, and the chemical composition of the drops has been carefully controlled. The results obtained for the average charge separation between the large and small fragments are non-specific regarding the nature of the ions present (except for surface-active species), but strongly dependent on the electrolytic conductivity. The magnitude of the effect goes from about +10−2 esu per breakup (5 × 10−2 esu cm−3) for pure water to −10−2 esu for concentrated solutions, reversing sign at about 10−5 Ω−1 cm−1 (concentrations ∼10−4 N). It was shown that these results can be interpreted on the basis of two competing processes, one of which is the shelling of the electrical double layer on the water–air interface while the air develops the characteristic liquid film bag or bubble.


Background: In light of evidence from previous work, we identified the overlaps and gaps between six prominent theoretical frameworks of successful aging and lay conceptualizations of the same. It has formerly been suggested that considering complex phenomena from the bottom up and from the top down allows one to get to the root of an issue that warrants inquiry; namely the discrepancy between researcher‐generated theories and lay conceptualizations of successful aging. Methods: In the present study we approached this issue from the bottom up and top down, using the saturated Manitoba Follow‐up Study coding system (the 'MFUS‐SA‐CM v.1') as a template. Results: The overlaps we found depicted aspects of successful aging that were well represented by theories in the field. The gaps highlighted aspects of successful aging that were underrepresented by the theories. The gaps were particularly important, since they flagged theoretical areas that could be expanded upon via lay conceptualizations. Conclusions: By broadening the existing theoretical 'take' on successful aging to include aspects of lay definitions that have thus far been downplayed, we aim to provide the research community with a much‐needed tool with which to consistently inform their successful aging research.


This paper analyses the evaluation of the relative performance of a set of groups when their outcomes are defined in terms of categorical data and the groups' members are heterogeneous. This type of problem has been dealt with in Herrero and Villar (2012) for the case of a homogenous population. Here we expand their model controlling for heterogeneity by means of inverse probability weighting techniques. We apply this extended model to the analysis of compulsory education in the OECD countries, using the data in the PISA. We evaluate the relative performance of the different countries out of the distribution of the students' achievements across the different levels of competence, controlling by the students' characteristics (explanatory variables regarding schooling and family environment). We find that differences in reading ability across OECD countries would lower by 35% if their endowment of students' characteristics would be that for the OECD average.


A circadian rhythm of egg hatching in the moth Pectinophora gossypiella can be initiated with a brief light pulse. The action spectrum for this effect has a peak in the blue and near ultraviolet region of the spectrum with a sharp cutoff above 500 nanometers and a more gradual cutoff below 390 nanometers.


We introduce the distributed energy-aware node activation (DEANA) channel access protocol for power-constrained networks. Conventional channel access protocols waste energy during periods of idle listening and collisions. In DEANA, the radio is switched to a low-power, stand-by mode when a node is not transmitting or receiving, which makes DEANA very attractive for sensor networks. Using an analytical model, we show that the proposed approach can achieve significant energy savings (up to 95%).


The authors studied the impact of a rural development project on household food security and nutrition. A quasi-experimental study design was used to compare the experience of members of thirteen Honduran small-holder farmers groups which had already received a year of credit and technical assistance, with another thirteen groups which had just joined the project, and thirteen control communities. All these communities were followed-up for one year (March/April 1997-March/April 1998). Farmers participating in the project showed a greater increase in maize stores than farmers in the control communities (p = 0.01), but did not increase their dietary energy consumption. There was, however, a small improvement in their dietary diversity (p = 0.01). The impact of the project on the nutritional status of under 5's was complex. The study underlined the importance of monitoring the impact of programs which may affect food and nutrition.


We evaluated renal function in early childhood in 48 very low birthweight (VLBW) ex-preterms and correlated the perinatal risk factors for acute renal failure (ARF) and postnatal growth course to abnormal renal findings at children-age. Nineteen boys and 29 girls (6.3 to 8.2 years of age) had a physical examination, exploration of renal function, and ultrasound. Cases were compared with age-matched controls that were born full term. All patients had normal blood pressure, renal ultrasound, and kidney length to body height. Plasma creatinine and clearance were normal, and no differences were observed with controls. No correlation was found between childhood renal parameters and perinatal variables. Versus controls, 8.3% had pathological microalbuminuria (ACR > 20 mg/g; P = 0.19). Analysis of risk factors for ARF showed that hypotension during neonatal life had a significant independent association with ACR > 20 mg/g at children-age ( P = 0.009). Microalbumin excretion and ACR > 20 mg/g strongly correlated with weight z score at 12 months (R, 0.48; 0.21 < R < 0.68) and weight catch-up growth at 6 months (R, 0.38; 0.09 < R < 0.61) and 12 months (R, 0.56; 0.32 < R < 0.74) of corrected age. In conclusion, in VLBW infants, acute conditions such as hypotension and early catch-up growth correlate in childhood to subtle changes in renal function, which can provide early information about the risk of kidney disease in this population.


To the Editor.— The pronounced effect of urine pH on the renal clearance of salicylate is well known. Renal excretion is, however, only one of several pathways by which salicylate is eliminated from the body. The recently accomplished total characterization of the pharmacokinetics of salicylate elimination in man 1,2 has made it possible to carry out computer simulations of the time course of salicylate levels in the body during long-term drug administration under different conditions. These simulations predicted that relatively small changes in urine pH can cause a very marked change of salicylate concentrations in the plasma when relatively large doses of salicylate are used. We carried out a clinical study which confirmed this prediction. One gram of aspirin was given four times a day for seven days to 13 normal ambulatory adult volunteers, either with or without sufficient sodium bicarbonate ( about 4 gm/day) to increase urine pH somewhat (without


This volume continues the publication of the series of biblical Dead Sea Scrolls that were discovered in Cave 4 at Qumran. It contains forty-two manuscripts of the Writings or Wisdom Books, from Psalms to Chronicles. These Hebrew texts antedate by a millennium what had previously been considered the earliest surviving biblical manuscripts in the original language. They document a pluriformity that characterized the ancient biblical textual tradition before the text became uniform later in the Rabbinic period. The Book of Psalms was the most widely copied book at Qumran, and the manuscripts display some alternate arrangements. The Song of Songs also displays a version that contrasts in arrangement of contents with the edition found in the traditional Massoretic Text. Superior textual variants from these manuscripts have been adopted in recent revised translations of the Bible.


A number of Jewish medical students from Berlin went in for the formalities for taking a doctor's degree at Halle university in the 18th century. Among them there were several physician-personalities whose names are held in high esteem in the history of medicine up to now. In particular Marcus Herz who graduated in Halle in 1774 came into prominence by outstanding achievements in teaching and research. Under his management at that time a whole generation of Jewish medical students in the Jewish hospital found the occasion to a practice-relevant preacademic education.


South Australia has warmed since 1950 and further temperature increases are forecast this century. We explore the implications of climatic warming for individual plant species and the State's plant biodiversity, which is significant and includes 418 endemic taxa. Environmental constraints and interspecific interactions operate on species to determine which survive in which environment, with resulting compositional signatures. Climate change influences such 'filtering' processes via mechanisms such as altered mortality or recruitment rates and indirectly through fire regimes. While modest environmental changes can be absorbed within a given ecological community, significant change will eventually drive species turnover. We use the Hopbush, Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustissima (DC.) J.G.West as a case study that shows morphological adaptations to arid conditions (narrower leaves and higher stomatal densities), observed in more northern populations in South Australia. Leaves of this species have narrowed through time in conjunction with climatic warming, matching predictions from the spatial cline. Genomic sequencing has also revealed genetic correlations with temperature and aridity, suggesting key climate change variables are impacting the selection of functional genes including those linked to leaf characters. Despite such adaptations in individual species, plant community composition is sensitive to small changes in climate. As a result, predicted climatic changes may ultimately drive complete species turnover, if the more severe scenarios are realised. Spatial analysis highlights a climatic transition zone, between desert and Mediterranean South Australia, where community composition changes more rapidly with climate and this area is therefore likely to be more vulnerable to climate change. Notwithstanding potential evolutionary adaptation, significant climate change will influence ecophysiology, leading to changes in primary productivity and water stress and is predicted to ultimately lead to lower species richness, altered species composition and more uneven abundances. Although we have an empirical understanding of climate sensitivity for South Australian plant communities, we need sophisticated ecological forecasting that considers complex interactions with fire, habitat configuration and evolutionary adaptation.


Global software development (GSD) is struggling with issues related to globally distributed work, such as coordination, maintaining awareness, and knowledge sharing. Open Source Software, however, appears to have overcome these issues and can be a source of knowledge for advancing GSD. This position paper examines existing CSCW literature related to collaborative practice in OSS to identify areas for further investigation that have potential to improve the conduct of invisible work in GSD. Author


1. The relation between chemical constitution and chemotherapeutic action in staphylococcic infections has been investigated by the synthetic method. This has consisted in introducing a bactericidal element, mercury, into the benzine ring, and then systematically modifying the molecule by substitutions in the other positions in the ring. 2. An exact relation has been found to exist between chemical constitution and chemotherapeutic action. 3. Two factors are essential in the chemical constitution of chemotherapeuticals effective in staphylococcic infections, toxophore and chemophore groups. 4. The toxophore group may be either a toxic metallic element, like mercury, or a structural arrangement of non-toxic elements in the molecule, as the quinonoid structure in the dyes. 5. The eutherapeutic chemophore groups may be divided into primary and accessory. 6. The primary chemophore groups are radicals which, introduced alone into the mercuribenzine ring, form chemotherapeutically active compounds. These primary chemophore groups for staphylococcic infections include N(CH 3 ) 2 , N(C 2 H 5 ) 2 , OH and COOH. 7. The accessory chemophore groups are elements or radicals which alone are inactive, but when introduced into the benzine ring with and in definite position to a certain primary eutherapeutic group enhance the chemotherapeutic action of the primary group. These accessory-primary groups for staphylococcic infections include SO 3 H para to OH, Cl ortho to COOH and NH 2 ortho to COOH. 8. Other chemical groups substituted in the mercuribenzine ring have been found inactive or definitely dystherapeutic for staphylococcic infections. 9. The relative position in the carbocyclic ring of the toxophore and the primary and accessory chemophore groups to one another is an essential factor in the chemotherapeutic activity of the compound. 10. The chemotherapeutic efficiency of our series of mercuribenzine derivatives, as measured by the percentage of fatally infected mice saved by a single dose, varies from 0 to 100 per cent, when the chemicals are brought into immediate contact with the infecting staphylococci. 11. The therapeutic efficiency of chemotherapeuticals is greatly reduced by indirect contact through the tissues and blood with the infecting staphylococci. 12. Toxicity, like chemotherapeutic activity, is strictly a function of the chemical constitution of the molecule. 13. It is possible simultaneously to increase chemotherapeutic activity and decrease toxicity by chemical manipulation of the molecule. On this fact rests the future possibilities of bacterial chemotherapy. 14. The purpose of this investigation has been, not to synthesize superior chemotherapeuticals, but to establish fundamental principles for chemotherapeutic research.


OBJECTIVES
Loop B is important for low-level quinolone resistance conferred by Qnr proteins. The role of individual amino acids within QnrS1 loop B in quinolone resistance and gyrase protection was assessed.

METHODS
qnrS1 and 11 qnrS1 alleles with site-directed Ala mutations in loop B were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and proteins were purified by affinity chromatography. Ciprofloxacin MICs were determined with and without IPTG. Gyrase DNA supercoiling was measured with and without ciprofloxacin IC50 and with various concentrations of QnrS1 proteins.

RESULTS
Wild-type QnrS1 and QnrS1 with Asn-110→Ala and Arg-111→Ala substitutions increased the ciprofloxacin MIC 12-fold in BL21(DE3), although QnrS1 with Gln-107→Ala replacement increased it 2-fold more than wild-type did. However, QnrS1 with Ala substitutions at His-106, Val-108, Ser-109, Met-112, Tyr-113, Phe-114, Cys-115 and Ser-116 increased ciprofloxacin MIC 1.4- to 8-fold less than wild-type QnrS1. Induction by 10-1000 μM IPTG increased ciprofloxacin MICs for all mutants, reaching values similar to those for wild-type. Purified wild-type and mutated proteins differed in protection of gyrase from ciprofloxacin action. Wild-type QnrS1 produced complete protection of gyrase supercoiling from ciprofloxacin (1.8 μM) action at 0.05 nM and half protection at 0.5 pM, whereas QnrS1 with Ala replacements that conferred the least increase in ciprofloxacin MICs also required the highest QnrS1 concentrations for protection.

CONCLUSIONS
Key individual residues in QnrS1 loop B affect ciprofloxacin resistance and gyrase protection from ciprofloxacin action, supporting the concept that loop B is key for interaction with gyrase necessary for quinolone resistance.


A 43-year-old otherwise healthy female patient presented with mild pancreatitis. Her family history revealed that her only son had cystic fibrosis. Genotyping of the patient demonstrated CFTR compound heterozygosity CFTRdele2,3(21 kb) and R117H and wild type alleles of the poly-T-tract in intron 8 (7T/7T). No mutations were detected in the cationic pancreatic trypsinogen (PRSS1) and the pancreatic secretory trypsinogen inhibitor (SPINK1) genes. CFTRdele2,3(21 kb) has only been described in 2000 and is the second most frequent severe CFTR mutation after ΔF508 in central and eastern Europe. This haplotype should be included in the genetic panel when evaluating patients of central or eastern European genetic background for possible CFTR related pancreatitis.


Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) affects cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and other ruminants, as well as some wild animals. BVDV causes considerable economic losses every year and many countries have developed programs aimed at the eradication of this disease. The genetic diversity of BVDV in diseased goats has never been described in southwestern China. Thus, in this study, we applied antigen-capture ELISA and RT-PCR to survey the infection rate of BVDV in diseased goats in this region. Our results demonstrated that the average BVDV infection rate in goats was 17.51%, with all positive samples indicating infection by BVDV-1 and not BVDV-2, BVDV-3, or Border disease virus. The molecular characteristics of the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of BVDV-1 were recognized as belonging predominantly to the BVDV-1a, 1b, 1c, 1m, and 1p subtypes. BVDV-1b and 1m were the most abundant subtypes identified in this region, similar to the BVDV epidemics in cattle in other regions of China. This is the first study that describes the genetic characterization of BVDV in sick goats from southwestern China and is important for future studies and control programs.


BACKGROUND
Bronchial asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, producing the highest absenteeism among children and adults.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the relation between respiratory function in asthmatic children and contaminant and climatic environmental factors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
It was performed a study with 26 asthmatic patients, from the Immuno-Allergies Department of the Specialties Hospital no. 71 of the Centro Medico Nacional Torreon, with an 8-month-follow-up. By a home monitoring, subjects determined their peak expiratory flow (PEF) twice a day: PEF1: in the morning, at getting up without or before medication, and PEF2: at night, before sleeping without or before medication.

RESULTS
From June to August 1995, as well as from September to November 1995, a relation between pulmonary function, measured by PEF1 and PEF2, and some of the palinologic families or species studied was not found. On the other hand, from December 1995 to February 1996 a significant relation between the concentration of pollen's particles of Chenopodiaceaes and Amaranthaceaes and the difference between PEF1 and PEF2 (Difpef), with a p value < 0.05.

CONCLUSIONS
Environmental Chenopodiaceaes' and Amaranthaceaes' pollen is related to a variability of 0.0075 L/min of Difpef for each grain of pollen/m3 in the environment during winter, after rain time of the Comarca Lagunera.


A very important aspect of personalized healthcare is to continuously monitor an individual's health using wearable biomedical devices and essentially to analyse and if possible to predict potential health hazards that may prove fatal if not treated in time. The prediction aspect embedded in the system helps in avoiding delays in providing timely medical treatment, even before an individual reaches a critical condition. Despite of the availability of modern wearable health monitoring devices, the real-time analyses and prediction component seems to be missing with these devices. The research work illustrated in this paper, at an outset, focussed on constantly monitoring an individual's ECG readings using a wearable 3-lead ECG kit and more importantly focussed on performing real-time analyses to detect arrhythmia to be able to identify and predict heart risk. Also, current research shows extensive use of heart rate variability (HRV) analysis and machine learning for arrhythmia classification, which however depends on the morphology of the ECG waveforms and the sensitivity of the ECG equipment. Since a wearable 3-lead ECG kit was used, the accuracy of classification had to be dealt with at the machine learning phase, so a unique feature extraction method was developed to increase the accuracy of classification. As a case study a very widely used Arrhythmia database (MIT-BIH, Physionet) was used to develop learning, classification and prediction models. Neuralnet fitting models on the extracted features showed mean-squared error of as low as 0.0085 and regression value as high as 0.99. Current experiments show 99.4% accuracy using k-NN Classification models and show values of Cross-Entropy Error of 7.6 and misclassification error value of 1.2 on test data using scaled conjugate gradient pattern matching algorithms. Software components were developed for wearable devices that took ECG readings from a 3-Lead ECG data acquisition kit in real time, de-noised, filtered and relayed the sample readings to the tele health analytical server. The analytical server performed the classification and prediction tasks based on the trained classification models and could raise appropriate alarms if ECG abnormalities of V (Premature Ventricular Contraction: PVC), A (Atrial Premature Beat: APB), L (Left bundle branch block beat), R (Right bundle branch block beat) type annotations in MITDB were detected. The instruments were networked using IoT (Internet of Things) devices and abnormal ECG events related to arrhythmia, from analytical server could be logged using an FHIR web service implementation, according to a SNOMED coding system and could be accessed in Electronic Health Record by the concerned medic to take appropriate and timely decisions. The system focused on 'preventive care rather than remedial cure' which has become a major focus of all the health care and cure institutions across the globe.


With increasing demand for computing power, multiprocessing computers will become more common in the future. In these systems, the growing discrepancy between processor and memory technologies will cause tightly integrated message interfaces to be essential for achieving the necessary efficiency, which is especially important in light of the growing interest in software-distributed, shared memory systems. The authors conduct a performance evaluation of several primitive messaging mechanisms-dispatch mechanisms (how the processor reacts to message arrivals), memory mapped versus register mapped interfaces, and streaming versus buffered interfaces-baselining these results against the MIT M-Machine and its tightly integrated message interfaces. They find that a message can be dispatched up to 18 times faster by reserving a hardware thread context for message reception instead of an interrupt driven interface. They also find that the mapping decision is important, with integrated register mapped interfaces as much as 3.5 times more efficient than conventional systems. To meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities presented by emerging multithreaded processor architectures, low overhead mechanisms for protection against message corruption, interception, and starvation must be integral to the message system design. The authors hope that the simple messaging mechanisms presented can help provide a solution to these challenges.


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common form of malignant tumor and is characterized by high rates of proliferation and metastases. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a form of noncoding and closed loop RNA molecules and play vital roles in the progression of various types of cancer in humans. Here, we used circRNA microarray sequencing technology to analyze the different circRNAs between CRC tissues and normal tissues and explore the role of circIFT80 in progression of colorectal cancer. In this present study, we found that circIFT80 was abnormally overexpression in colorectal cancer tissues and tumor cells. While knockout circIFT80 in HT29 cell or SW480 cells, the proliferation, and migration of the cells were inhibited, the cell cycle was arrested in G2/M phase, and the cell apoptosis was increased. And then, we found circIFT80-positive correlation with CTNNB1 (β-catenin) by sponging miR-142, miR-568, and miR-634 upregulated the gene expression. These miRNAs which targeted β-catenin mRNA were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter system and RNA-pulldown. In addition, xenograft tumor experiments showed that circIFT80 accelerated the tumorigenesis of CRC in vivo. In conclusion, our work reveals the impacts of circIFT80 as ceRNA in the progression of CRC, by which sponging miR-142, miR-568, and miR-634 enhanced the expression levels of β-catenin and activation Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Collectively, our data indicate that circIFT80 serves as an oncogene in CRC and represents a novel candidate for diagnosis and treatment.


A 45-year-old-man presented with the abrupt onset of a fever over 30 years after surgical splenectomy. He presented with symptoms and findings that seemed consistent with influenza. He rapidly developed fulminant meningitis that resulted in his death.


The Supreme Court of Appeal's judgment in Withok Small Farms (Pty) Ltd v Amber Sunrise Properties 5 (Pty) Ltd (2009 2 SA 504 (SCA) ("Withok")) raises two important issues for property practitioners, the one relating to auction sales and the other to the formation of contracts. The dispute arose largely because of a badly drafted agreement of sale document, but the import of the judgment is such that it may be prudent for practitioners to revisit even their well-drafted standard form sale and lease documents. The facts were straightforward. Certain properties owned by the first and second appellants ("the sellers") were put up for sale at a public auction on 13 June 2006. The respondent, represented by one A, put in the highest bid, which the auctioneer accepted. Both A and the auctioneer signed a document entitled "Agreement and Conditions of Sale" ("the conditions of sale"), which set out the conditions relating to the auction. On 20 June 2006 the sellers' representative confirmed the sale in writing by adding his signature in the allotted space on the final page of the document. However, the confirmation of the sale was not communicated to the respondent within the time contemplated in clause 1. In fact, the respondent did not receive notice of the confirmation until some time early in July 2006.The respondent did not wish to be bound by the sale and in due course applied for an order declaring the agreement to be of no force and effect. Its case was that the confirmation of the sale had not been communicated to it within the seven-day period contemplated in clause 1 of the conditions of sale, with the result that no agreement came into existence. The sellers, in turn, contended that the conditions of sale signed by the respondent and the auctioneer at the time of the auction constituted an agreement of salesubject to a suspensive condition, namely the confirmation of the sale by the sellers; the condition was fulfilled immediately upon the confirmation of the sale and without any need for it to be communicated to the respondent. The only issue in dispute was whether or not the confirmation of the sale had to be communicated to the respondent within the seven-day period.


Looks at the stiffness matrix of some simple but very general systems of springs supporting a rigid body. The stiffness matrix is found by symbolically differentiating the potential function. After a short example attention turns to the general structure of the stiffness matrix and in particular the principal screws introduced by Ball (1900).


The electrical transmission lines from an electrical power source to a remote space station must be designed to transmit the required power without overheating. The power losses in the conductors are conducted through the insulation to the surface and at the surface radiated to space. A steady-state analysis is made which considers the line to be continually exposed to the sun's rays. This results in a two dimensional analysis with nonlinear equations. Finite difference equations are used to approximate the equations in a computer program named THERM. The program considers the resistance of the conductor to be a function of the conductor temperature. The general equations used in the program are included.<<ETX>>


Qudit toric codes are a natural higher-dimensional generalization of the well-studied qubit toric code. However, standard methods for error correction of the qubit toric code are not applicable to them. Novel decoders are needed. In this paper we introduce two renormalization group decoders for qudit codes and analyse their error correction thresholds and efficiency. The first decoder is a generalization of a 'hard-decisions' decoder due to Bravyi and Haah (arXiv:1112.3252). We modify this decoder to overcome a percolation effect which limits its threshold performance for many-level quantum systems. The second decoder is a generalization of a 'soft-decisions' decoder due to Poulin and Duclos-Cianci (2010 Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 050504), with a small cell size to optimize the efficiency of implementation in the high dimensional case. In each case, we estimate thresholds for the uncorrelated bit-flip error model and provide a comparative analysis of the performance of both these approaches to error correction of qudit toric codes.


Research has indicated that maladaptive appraisals of cognitions and cognitive experiences (such as intrusive thoughts and auditory hallucinations) can maintain distress. Theories suggest this mechanism can explain why such experiences can fall on a continuum from unproblematic to distressing. This thesis focused on three involuntary cognitive experiences prevalent in nonclinical and clinical populations where this mechanism of distress has been hypothesised: tinnitus; obsessive intrusive thoughts (OITs); and involuntary musical imagery (INMI). Evaluation of the effectiveness of psychological interventions to reduce tinnitus distress, and investigation into appraisals of OITs and INMI and what might have influence over these was conducted.
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted on 21 studies to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions for reducing tinnitus distress in adults. Large treatment effects emerged for cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in both therapist-delivered and self-help formats. A very large treatment effect emerged for 'other' approaches including multidisciplinary combinations of sound therapy techniques with psychological intervention, mindfulness, and psychoeducation. It was concluded that cross-disciplinary combined interventions and those aimed at addressing maladaptive appraisals of tinnitus could facilitate a reduction in distress. Study limitations and clinical implications were discussed.
The empirical chapter investigated OITs and INMI. Ninety-one UK university staff and students completed measures of OIT and INMI appraisal, perceived thought control and self-reported thought suppression. Additionally, the predictive influence of working memory on these measures was also explored. Participants completed a computerised operation span task to test working memory capacity (WMC). Significant relationships emerged between both negative OIT and INMI appraisal. Negative appraisal for both OITs and INMI were significantly associated with low perceived thought control, but this was weak for INMI. Negative OIT appraisal was significantly related to higher self-reported thought suppression. WMC did not significantly explain the variance in these variables. Study limitations and implications for clinical practice were discussed.
In conclusion, the literature review highlighted effectiveness of interventions which challenge maladaptive appraisals in reducing tinnitus distress; and the empirical chapter drew associations between negative appraisals of involuntary cognitions, and beliefs about thought control. Together, the findings suggest commonalities in mechanisms of distress which may be extended across a range of experiences, including those traditionally considered to be unproblematic and which have only recently started to be explored (such as INMI). It is recommended that appraisals of other experiences which can cause distress, and potential interventions which target such appraisals, continue to be explored in future research.


Isothermal-isobaric (NPT) molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate the structure, morphology, and energetics of polymer organoclay nanocomposites based on seven nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), two biocompatible polymers, and hydrotalcite as the clay mineral, both in an anhydrous and in a solvated environment. The results of our theoretical computations show that nanoconfined conformations of smaller NSAIDs are more affected by the presence of water molecules in the clay gallery with respect to their larger counterparts. Moreover, the presence of water in the mineral interlayer space decreases the interaction energy between the NSAID molecules and the clay, and this detrimental effect is further enhanced by the presence of polar moieties onto the NSAIDs. Finally, from the thermodynamics standpoint, the best intercalation results in a solvated environment could be obtained with PVA in the case of less polar drugs, while PHB could be the polymer of choice in the case of highly polar NSAIDs.


The three mixed anesthesia (MMB), which is mixed with medetomidine (Med), midazolam (Mid) and butorphanol (But) has been recommended as an injectable anesthesia in mice. But, MMB has several adverse effects including hypothermia. To establish the methods for preventing hypothermia induced by MMB in mice, thermal support period and application of antagonistic drugs were examined in the present study. Adult male ICR mice were used in this study and it has been approved by Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University. The device for measuring body temperature was implanted intraperitoneally under MMB anesthesia. Over 2 weeks later, the mice were received thermal supports for 1, 2, 3, and 5 h, and administered with 0.3 mg/kg atipamezole (Ati) at 40 min after injection of MMB (Med/Mid/But=0.3/4.0/5.0 mg/kg). In the comparison of antagonistic drugs, the mice anesthetized with MMB were reversed by intraperitoneal injection of Ati 0.3, 0.6, 1.2, and 2.4 mg/kg, and two mixed antagonist drugs (Ati+Flu) which combined with Ati 0.3 mg/kg and flumazenil 0.008, 0.08, and 0.8 mg/kg. As the results of thermal supports periods, the mice caused hypothermia in the short periods (1-3 h) groups although it was perfectly blocked in the 5 h support group. In the antagonistic effects, high-dose of Ati and Ati+Flu treatments attenuated hypothermia by MMB in mice. Taken together, it might be blocked hypothermia by MMB to treat higher dose of Ati and thermal support over 5 h in mice. The 66th Annual Meeting of Japanese Association for Laboratory Animal Science


At present, the nucleoside analogues are the cornerstone of therapy for HIV infection. Of the three that have been approved for clinical use, AZT is the only one that has clearly proved to prolong survival. ddI is indicated for patients who develop toxicity or resistance to AZT. Current data do not support ddC monotherapy as first-line treatment.