The inexorable spread of antibiotic or antimicrobial resistance is a global problem, described by the UK Chief Medical Officer to be "as big a threat as terrorism". Due to uncontrolled, unnecessary overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture, bacterial resistance has evolved to even the antibiotics of last resort. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising class of organic molecule that have been proposed to exert a potent antimicrobial effect, which, directly or indirectly, involve complex interactions with cell membranes. Three broad mechanisms have been proposed for AMPs: carpet, barrel-stave and toroidal pore. However, the molecular basis for the mode of action of AMPs, and the relationship between primary structure and antimicrobial activity, remains poorly understood. In this thesis, interactions of membrane-active peptides and proteins with model lipid membranes are studied, to understand better the peptide-lipid interactions of two de novo AMPs and a functionally related protein puroindoline-b (pinB), which is implicated in antimicrobial plant defence. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and neutron reflectivity (NR) are used to achieve this. The two AMPs were designed rationally with their primary structure predicted to display specific peptide-lipid interactions. Tilamin (tilted antimicrobial insert) was designed by modifying amhelin (antimicrobial insert), a pore-forming AMP. The modified peptide was predicted to disrupt model membranes mimicking bacterial membranes via a different mode of action to transmembrane barrel stave pore formation. Chom (chopped cecropin mutant) was designed by shortening the length of a natural AMP, cecropin-B, and was predicted to operate via a carpet mechanism. To model the biophysical properties such as morphology, thickness and charge of native membranes, simplified phospholipid liposomes were used to better understand the membrane-perturbing influence of the AMPs, and whether this was correlated with antimicrobial activity. In the presence of anionic model membranes (mimicking Gram-negative inner membranes and Gram-positive membranes), tilamin and chom adopt amphipathic alpha helix conformations as determined by circular dichroism, while remaining unstructured in solution and in the presence of zwitterionic model membranes mimicking mammalian model membranes. Adoption of a folded conformation appears to be important for the lytic effect of the AMPs. Calcein leakage experiments performed show that the AMPs induce leakage of calcein from the interior of anionic liposomes, consistent with the proposal that membrane permeabilisation is important for antimicrobial activity. The peptide-lipid interactions of the AMPs were then probed using QCM and ssNMR, giving mechanistic evidence that chom operates via the carpet mechanism as predicted. The nature of the mode of action of tilamin remained uncertain. From order parameters of lipids in bilayers, obtained using ssNMR upon interaction with tilamin, a toroidal pore mechanism was proposed, along with a new mode of action that caused monoleaflet poration, though it was not possible to resolve the two mechanism based on data obtained from symmetrical vesicles alone. Adapting a newly established protocol to control the leaflet distribution of lipids in model membranes, an asymmetrically distributed nitroxide probe reveals for the first time leaflet-specific peptide-lipid interactions using cw-EPR. Tilamin shows changes in bilayer lipid order parameters that do not match those seen for either an all-surface or transmembrane control peptide, indicating more complex interactions. Unique QCM data, heterogeneous changes in order parameter profiles observed with acylchain 2H ssNMR, as well as a lack of interaction with the inner leaflets of anionic model membranes seen by cw-EPR taken in combination suggest tilamin operates via a more complicated mechanism. Supported by tilt angles obtained by geometric analysis of labelled alanines (GALA) of deuterium-labelled tilamin and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging performed with collaborators, the results are consistent with a new mechanism; monolayer poration. The puroindolines are also studied, due to their potential role as antimicrobial proteins in food safety, and in controlling wheat endosperm texture. The mode of insertion of wild-type puroindoline-B (pinB+) and a single-point mutant (pinBs) into bacterial model bilayers was probed for the first time with ssNMR, EPR and NR. In contrast to previous work on monolayers, pinBs does not cause changes in bilayer lipid order in the gel phase, while pinB+ forms a protein layer on the surface of a membrane. The results suggest that in more native-like model membranes, the tryptophan-rich domain (TRD) of pinBs and pinB+ greatly affects the membrane binding properties, with implications for the role of the proteins in vivo.


US municipalities are introducing bicycle lanes into their roadway infrastructure to promote bicycle use, increase roadway safety and improve public health. The aim of this study was to identify specific locations where bicycle lanes, if created, could most effectively reduce crash rates. Previous research has found that bike lanes reduce crash incidence, but a lack of comprehensive (e.g., city-wide) bicycle traffic flow data has limited researchers' ability to assess relationships at high spatial resolution and for all locations within a study region. Our unit of analysis was the street segment in Philadelphia, PA (n=37,673). We used Bayesian conditional autoregressive logit models to relate the odds that a reportable bicycle injury crash occurred on a street segment between 2011 and 2014 to characteristics of the street (street class, vehicle and bicycle traffic volume, one way, presence of streetcar tracks and bike lanes) and adjacent intersections (number of exits, stop type). Model 1 identified that crashes are 30% more likely to occur on segments with bicycle lanes (OR=1.30; 95 CI: 1.18, 1.51), perhaps due to unmeasured bicycle traffic through these locations. Model 2 included interaction terms between bicycle lanes and the other street and intersection characteristics, thereby addressing the problem of unknown bicycle traffic flows. In this model, bicycle lanes were associated with 45% reduced crash odds in streets segments adjacent to intersections with 4 exits (OR=0.55; 95% CI: 0.38; 0.80) and with 37% reduced crash odds in streets adjacent to intersections with one- or two-way stop signs (OR=0.63; 95% CI: 0.46; 0.88). The effectiveness of bicycle lanes appears to depend most substantially on the configuration of the adjacent intersections. Results also suggest locations at which the greatest absolute reduction in bicycle crash odds could occur by installing bicycle lanes.


We have examined the effects of a rapid bolus dose of pipecuronium 0.1 mg kg-1 or tubocurarine 0.5 mg kg-1 on plasma histamine concentration, heart rate and arterial pressure in 20 patients (n = 10 in each group). Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone 6 mg kg-1 i.v. and maintained with 70% nitrous oxide and halothane in oxygen. Neuromuscular blocking drugs were administered 4 min after administration of thiopentone. Venous blood samples were obtained before induction, 1 min after thiopentone and 1, 3 and 5 min after the administration of the neuromuscular blocking drugs. Tubocurarine caused 240% and 210% increases in plasma concentration of histamine at 1 and 3 min, respectively. These changes were significant (P less than 0.05) at 1 min and associated with a decrease in mean arterial pressure and an increase in heart rate. None of the 10 patients receiving pipecuronium had a significant change in plasma concentration of histamine or in haemodynamic variables.


INTRODUCTIONIt is a very well-known fact that alcoholism is a factor that encourages criminal acts. In literature, there are numerous attempts of finding an answer to the question what is critical for perpetration of criminal offence. As we can see from literature research there are numerous factors that define if a person is going to commit a criminal offence.1 There are numerous likely characteristics in alcoholics:1-4 psychopathic traits, antisocial behavior, hostility as a sign of weak impulse control, impulsivity, low frustration tolerance, satisfaction with short-term awarding, difficulties in maintaining adequate objective relationships, problems with sexual identity and negative self image.56Antisocial personality disorder is frequently connected with alcoholism. Cloninger7,8 has observed adopted sons of alcoholics. Patient's subgroup type 2 had personality characteristics that show great dependence on awarding, excessive injury avoidance and low desire for acquiring new experience. It has been shown that type 2: subgroup is characterized by early alcoholic behavior, depression, suicidal tendencies and unrestrained physical violence.7,8 Results from Von Knorring and associates9 showed that type 2 alcoholics are anxious, verbally aggressive; less socialized and inhibited on the level of aggression as opposed to type 1 alcoholics. Regarding the psychopathic factors, type 2 alcoholics are significantly different from both type 1 and from healthy volunteers.Kozaric Kovacic10 states that the group of aggressive alcoholics showed markedly lower psychosocial maturity in the latent phase in comparison with non-aggressive alcoholics with significantly higher level of outward hostility than non-delinquent alcoholics. In one research11 the »classic« alcoholic personality profile was obtained. It showed that there are no significant differences in the personality traits of alcoholic offenders and non-offenders, except considering the area of aggression. The generalization of these conclusions requires reviewing in future research.The aim of the study was to determine the psychopathological characteristics of alcoholic personality regarding the type of criminal offence. Hypothesis of the study is that alcoholic homicide offenders show more hostile, depressive and anxious personality characteristics.SUBJECTS AND METHODSThe study was conducted in the penal system, in Penitentiary in Lipovica and in Neuropsychiatrie hospital »Dr Ivan Barbot« in Popovaca. It included two groups of subjects.Experimental group (E) (N=96) consisted of individuals sentenced for homicide (N1=32), traffic offences (N2=32) and property offences (N3=32). Experimental group consisted of subjects who had been diagnosed with alcohol dependence through expert evaluation and were subjected to treatment of alcoholism in their penal institutions. The subjects had been drinking for at least 5 years and, with the clinical assessment of alcohol dependence, they met the diagnostic criteria according to MKB-10(12) and DSM-IV.13Control group (K) (N4=64) consisted of alcoholics who were subjected to treatment at the alcoholic ward of Neuropsychiatrie hospital Dr Ivan Barbot in Popovaca - they also met the diagnostic criteria.We have excluded alcoholics with severe physical illnesses, abuse of drugs or other psychotropic substances in the period of one year before the study, those with obvious organic disorders, schizophrenia or affective disorders not related to alcohol, antisocial personality disorder before alcoholism occurred and high primary intellectual dysfunctions. Schizophrenia, mania, depression and antisocial personality disorder were diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria.13 The study was implemented between 5th and 10th day after the admission.For each subject, following measuring instruments were applied:1. Structured questionnaire of general data.2. Structured questionnaire of alcohol history. …


We consider the problem of transporting a long object, such as a ladder, through a 90 degree corner in a corridor using two omnidirectional robots that do not necessarily have identical characteristics. A distributed algorithm is presented in which each robot computes its own motion based on the current and goal positions of the ladder, the locations of the walls, and the motion of the other robot observed indirectly through the link between the robot and the ladder. We evaluate the performance and robustness of the algorithm using extensive computer simulation by changing several parameter values that affect the key characteristics of the robots, including the maximum speed, the guide path through a corner, and the sensitivity and reaction to the motion of the other robot. The simulation results indicate that if the parameter values are chosen within certain reasonable ranges, then overall the algorithm works quite well even for robots having difficult characteristics. It is also shown that the robustness of the algorithm critically depends on the differences between the robots in the values of two parameters.


ABSTRACT Historical time series sometimes have missing observations. It is common practice either to ignore these missing values or otherwise to interpolate between the adjacent observations and continue with the interpolated data as true data. This paper shows that interpolation changes the autocorrelation structure of the time series. Ignoring such autocorrelation in subsequent correlation or regression analysis can lead to spurious results. A simple method is presented to prevent spurious results. A detailed illustration highlights the main issues.


With the increasing demand of the electricity, an efficiency improvement and thereby a reduced CO2 emission of the coal-fired plants are expected in order to reach the goal of the Kyoto protocol. In the medium term, increase of thermal efficiency of the steam cycle can be achieved by a rise of the process parameters. Currently, live steam pressures and temperatures up to 300 bar and 923 K are planned as a next step. This means an increase of 50–100 K in comparison to plants presently under operation. Such a large increase will only be possible, if all thermally high loaded components of the plant are made of new materials and/or new technologies for cooling and thermal insulation are applied. Closed circuit steam cooling of blades and vanes in modern steam turbines is a promising technology in order to establish elevated live steam temperatures in future steam turbine cycles. Due to the cooling of the components, materials can be used, which are common in todays application. In this paper, a steam-cooled test vane in a cascade with external hot steam flow is analysed numerically by applying a Conjugate Calculation Technique. The boundary conditions of the hot steam are derived from the planned inlet parameter of the HP steam turbine in a medium term and a long term in order to show the application potential of such a cooling technique. The supply steam parameters of the cooling are set equal to those of the outlet steam from the HP steam turbine. The results show that the steam cooling technique can reach necessary cooling effectiveness in the steam turbine by using only minor amounts of cooling steam. The internal part of the vane is cooled homogeneously in both investigated cases. Basic features and phenomena of the steam cooling technique in steam turbines are discussed in the paper with respect to future application. It has been found that the trailing edge region of the steam-cooled vane is less critical with respect to high thermal load than in gas turbine application with the same configuration. At the leading edge of the vane, high thermal load can be detected because of the direct impingement of the hot steam. Improvement of the leading edge cooling is recommended by increasing cooling steam amount for the leading edge channel. Thus, a larger diameter of the channel can increase internal cooling efficiency for the leading edge. Due to the different heat transfer characteristics on the suction side and pressure side, the suction side shows also a higher temperature distribution in the investigated cases.Copyright © 2005 by ASME


Nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB transcription factors play an evolutionarily conserved and critical role in the triggering and coordination of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Therefore, there is intense interest in understanding the regulation of this transcription factor in the context of various diseases. Studies investigated the suppression mechanism of NF-kappaB signaling pathways by a beta-carboline alkaloid (C-1) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. beta-Carboline alkaloid decreased the level of inducible nitric oxide sythase (iNOS) protein and NOS promoter activities in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect was accompanied by the reduction of NF-kappaB DNA binding activity as well as NF-kappaB nuclear translocation. In addition, beta-carboline alkaloid reduced the degradation and phosphorylation of IkappaB, and attenuated IKK activity in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Taken together, these results indicate that beta-carboline alkaloid has the capability to suppress NF-kappaB signaling pathway through inhibition of IKK activity in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.


Abstract This paper represents an attempt to develop a psychological attitude to Jung's The Red Book. Less about interpretation, it hints at a process that involves the whole person, ready to explore those interim realms of human existence that are veiled in unfamiliar mystery. Such an attitude might be ambivalent, cautious, and uncertain, yet ventures to discover the new horizons of a divine presence in the human soul. A psychological attitude that embraces the transpersonal might well appreciate four gifts present in The Red Book. Jung's adventure provides posterity with a beautiful illuminated manuscript; his harrowing of hell challenges the traditional split between the eternal bliss of heaven and damnation of hell; his submission to the dictates of the soul encourages humans to create new icons of transcendence; and he accesses a wisdom that provides the foundations of his unique contribution to depth psychology.


Over the past decade, major advances have been made on development of novel drug delivery systems (NDDS) form plant actives and extracts. Herbal medicines have been widely used all over the world since ancient old ages and have been recognized by physicians and patients for their better therapeutic value as they have fewer adverse effects as compared with modern medicines. Herbal therapeutics can be achieved by Drug Delivery systems. This herbal treatment helps to increase the therapeutic value by reduce the toxicity and side effects of drugs at the same time it also increase the bioavailability. The use of herbal formulations for novel drug delivery systems is more beneficial and has more advantages compared to others. The novel herbal formulations like liposomes, phytosomes, ethosomes microsphere, nanocapsules, transferosomes, polymeric nanoparticles, nanoemulsions and has been reported using bioactive and plant extracts. The main reason behind development of alternative drug delivery is to increase efficiency of drug delivery and safety in drug delivery and provide more convenience to the patient. Distribution, sustained delivery, and protection from physical and chemical degradation. The present work highlights the current status of the development of novel herbal formulations and summarizes their method of preparation, type of active ingredients, size, and entrapment efficiency, route of administration, biological activity and applications of novel formulations.


The utility of otolith elemental fingerprintsfor discriminating sub-regional stocks of Atlantic salmon was examined. Otoliths were removed from Atlantic salmon smolts collected from three individual river watersheds in the Canadian Maritimes during spring and analyzed for 27 elements using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-ES). Calcium and minor and trace elements were precisely measured in whole otoliths at concentrations well above detection limits. Six elements (Ba, Pb, Li, Mn, Rb, and Tl) were significantlydifferent among watersheds. Linear discriminate function analysis based on otolith elemental concentrations of Li, Mn, Rb, and Tl correctly classifiedsmolts to their river of origin with an average accuracy of 73%. At a slightly greater spatial scale of large watersheds, correct mean classificationrate was 92% based on a fingerprintof four elements (Ba, Li, Mn, and Rb). Results indicate that elemental fingerprintsof otoliths can be used to discriminate among river management stocks which may be important in the future since dried or frozen stored otoliths retain their signature indefiniely and otoliths are often available from previous studies. Otolith elemental fingerprintswould be effective as a natural tag of a river system or biogeoclimatic zone of origin when applied to the study and management of Atlantic salmon in the North Atlantic Ocean.


This paper presents the development of the digital acquisition chain for the upgrade of the Beam Position Monitor (BPM) system for the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) at CERN. The front-end electronics will be based on logarithmic amplifiers and, including the digitization, it will be located inside the accelerator tunnel, with optical latency deterministic transmission to surface back-end electronics, where the data stream is processed in a Field Programmable Gate Array. The paper focuses on the processing techniques for the position estimation out of beam data conditioned by logarithmic amplifiers. The elements of the acquisition chain have been tested in laboratory and with beam signals.


Background Nasal inverted papilloma (NIP) is defined based on its histological characteristic of inverted epithelium growth into the stroma. The inversion can result in epithelial growth in the underlying connective tissue stroma when the basement membrane completely separates from the epithelial layer. To date, such inversion mechanism underlying NIP's pathological phenomenon is unknown. Therefore, we hypothesized that mediators and soluble proteins released by neutrophils, the most predominant infiltrating cells in NIP, is vital in causing the epithelial changes and pathogenesis of NIP. Methods We collected 37 NIP tissues from patients who underwent surgical removal of NIP and performed hematoxylin–eosin (HE), immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescence staining to analyze in-depth the basic characteristics of NIP, including detecting the expression and distribution of MMPs and associated factors in NIP. Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR were further performed to analyze the protein and mRNA expression levels of specific factors including MMPs, HIF-1α, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Results We observed finger-like projections that insert into the epithelium in NIP tissue as its main characteristics. The projections contain fibroblasts, extracellular matrix, capillaries, and infiltrating inflammatory cells. We found abundant neutrophils clustered at the finger-like projection of NIP, and also noted MMP-1 and MMP-9 were up-regulated in NIP (p<0.05), whereas TIMP-1/3 was decreased. The expression level of HIF-1α was also found to be increased in NIP tissue. We further showed that MMP-9 and HIF-1α were mainly expressed by neutrophils and were predominantly observed in the finger-like projections that contribute to the NIP pathology. Conclusion Upregulation and release of MMP-9 and HIF-1α from infiltrating neutrophils may cause damage to the epithelial basement membrane and epithelial clefts, forming finger-like projections with angiogenesis and fibroblasts insertion, resulting in epithelial growth in the tissue stroma, a typical histo-pathological characteristic in NIP.


Optical oscillator strengths have been calculated for the electron impact excitation of the X 1 Sigma + g state of the N2 molecule to the b' 1 Sigma + u, c' 1 Sigma + u, b 1 Pi u, c 1 Pi u and o 1 Pi u electronic excited states using highly correlated configuration interaction wavefunctions, including up to quadruple excitations from the respective reference configurations. The results are compared with other theoretical calculations and with available experimental values.


We map the characteristic signature of the subducting Juan de Fuca and Gorda plates along the entire Cascadia forearc from northern Vancouver Island, Canada, to Cape Mendocino in northern California, USA, using teleseismic receiver functions. The subducting oceanic crustal complex, possibly including subcreted material, is parameterized by three horizons capable of generating mode‐converted waves: a negative velocity contrast at the top of a low velocity zone underlain by two horizons representing positive contrasts. The amplitude of the conversions varies likely due to differences in composition and/or fluid content. We analyzed the slab signature for 298 long‐running land seismic stations, estimated the depth of the three interfaces through inverse modeling and fitted regularized spline surfaces through the station control points to construct a margin‐wide, double‐layered slab model. Crystalline terranes that act as the static backstop appear to form the major structural barrier that controls the slab morphology. Where the backstop recedes landward beneath the Olympic Peninsula and Cape Mendocino, the slab subducts sub‐horizontally, while the seaward‐protruding and thickened Siletz terrane beneath central Oregon causes steepening of the slab. A tight bend in slab morphology south of the Olympic Peninsula coincides with the location of recurring large intermediate depth earthquakes. The top‐to‐Moho thickness of the slab generally exceeds the thickness of the oceanic crust by 2–12 km, suggesting thickening of the slab or underplating of slab material to the overriding North American plate.


The purpose of this article is to explore a territory that is widely contested in colonial and postcolonial studies. Home appears with particular intensity in the literary and critical narratives of empire, while postcolonial writers appropriate it as a site of contestation and rewriting. Although home is a standard topos in postcolonial research, my study focuses on a particular authorial position that reveals enticing new perspectives on the ways in which the domestic is both inscribed and subverted in the rhetoric of migration.


The thermal history of a material with initially filled trap states may be probed using thermoluminescence. Since luminescent microparticles are composed of robust oxides, they are viable candidates for sensing temperature under conditions where all other types of direct-contact sensors fail. Mg2SiO4: Tb, Co particles with two thermoluminescent peaks have been heated using micromachined heaters over a 232°C to 313°C range on time scales of less than 200 ms. The effect of maximum temperature during excitation on the intensity ratio of the two luminescent peaks has been compared with first-order kinetics theory and shown to match within an average error of 4.4%.


Since the dawn of humanity man tried to mimic several animals and their behavior be it in the age of hunting of while designing the aero plane. Human brain holds a significant amount of power in observing the species around him and trying to incorporate their behavior in several walks of life. This mimicking has helped human to evolve into beings which we are now. Some typical examples include navigation systems, designing several gadgets like aero planes, boats, etc. These days these inspirations are several, and their inspiration is being utilized in several fields like operations, supply-chain management, machine learning and several other fields. The similar kind of approach has been discussed in this paper where we tried to analyze different phenomenon in nature and how different algorithms were designed from these and how these can ultimately be used to solve different issues in cloud balancing. Essential component of cloud computing is load balancer which holds a crucial role of task allocation in virtual machines and several kinds of algorithms were developed on different ways of task allocation procedures each holding its significance here we tried to find the optimal resource allocation in terms of task allocation and rather than approaching through traditional methods we tried to solve this issue by using soft computing techniques. Specifically, nature-inspired algorithms as it hold the key to unlocking massive potential regarding research and problem-solving approach. The central idea of this paper is to connect different optimization techniques to load balancer and how could we make a hybrid algorithm to serve the purpose. We also discussed several different types of algorithms each bearing its roots from different natural procedures. All the algorithms in this paper can be broadly tabulated into three different types SO (Swarm optimization techniques), GO (Genetic-based algorithms), PO (Physics-based algorithms).


INTRODUCTION
sarcopenia and cachexia are syndromes that result in a reduction of skeletal muscle mass, being associated with the aging process and many chronic diseases.

OBJECTIVE
to assess the frequency of sarcopenia as well as of cachexia and their associated factors in patients in dialysis treatment.

METHODOLOGY
a cross-sectional study conducted in two dialysis treatment centers in Recife (PE) between March and September 2016. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was made according to the criteria issued by the Sarcopenia European Consensus, while that of cachexia was made in consonance with the Society for Cachexia and Wasting Disorders (SCWD). The association variables were demographic (age and sex), laboratory (C-reactive protein, serum albumin, hemoglobin, parathyroid hormone, serum creatinine), and anthropometric indicators (body mass index BMI, arm circumference AC, midarm muscular circumference MMC, triceps skinfold thickness TST).

RESULTS
The study involved 66 patients, 43.9 % men, 56.1 % women, with a mean age of 53.15 ± 15.24 years; 43.9 % were elderly subjects. Sarcopenia occurred in 59.1 % of patients; of these, 15.2 % presented with severe sarcopenia. Pre-sarcopenia was found in 4.5 %. With regard to cachexia, 15.2 % were diagnosed with this syndrome. The variables associated with sarcopenia were reduced serum albumin (p = 0.013) and cachexia (p = 0.039), and those associated with cachexia were female gender (p = 0.036) and BMI (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION
the main finding of the present study was the high frequency of sarcopenia found in patients on treatment with dialysis. In the patients studied, sarcopenia was significantly associated with a decrease in serum albumin. Reduced serum albumin is a predictor of mortality in patients on renal replacement therapy.

CONCLUSION
a high frequency of sarcopenia has been observed among study patients. Thus, the tools currently available to assess muscle mass and muscle strength should be implemented as much as possible in clinical practice to enable the incorporation of appropriate preventive and therapeutic interventions.


Perinatal asphyxia may lead to neurologic injury and death of the newborn infant. Hypothermia therapy seems to lower this risk. For the present retrospective study, the patient record data of both the mother and the child were collected for the newborn infants treated with hypothermia therapy in 2007-2010 in Helsinki University Central Hospital. Of the 61 children treated with hypothermia therapy, 12 died. Resuscitation response, severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, EEG and MRI findings may provide more information than the baseline condition about the prognosis of infants treated with hypothermia therapy.


The turn-off of IGBTs in hard- and soft-switching converters is analysed using nonquasi-static analysis. It is shown that while the turn-off current waveform for hard-switching is governed solely by the device for a particular value of on-state current and bus voltage, turn-off current waveform for soft-switching is strongly dependent on device-circuit interactions, so that a trade-off between turn-off loss and switching time can be made using external circuit elements. Models are developed to explain IGBT turn-off for both hardand soft-switching conditions. Hard-switching considers both inductive and resistive loads. Calculated results are validated by comparison with measurements and two-dimensional numerical simulations.


We propose to study the quality of CDS-based virtual backbones generated by fully distributed algorithms in mobile environments. As virtual-backbones may be used for different purposes, the importance of a characteristic may vary accordingly. In order to deal with this variety issue, we provide a set of quality criteria quantifying different suitable aspects for virtual backbones in mobile ad hoc networks. Distributed and localized algorithms are then compared through simulations with respect to these measures and criterion-specific optimizations are proposed for the Blackbone2 algorithm.


Background Hamstring muscle strain injuries are a prevalent non-contact injury incurred by field sport athletes. A low level of hamstring muscle strength has been reported to be a risk factor for hamstring muscle strain injury, whereby reliable, clinically-oriented assessments of hamstring muscle strength are required to assist clinicians to implement 'targeted' injury prevention strategies and make objective return-to-participation/sport decisions. Objective To evaluate the interrater reliability of five different clinically-oriented assessments of hamstring muscle strength. Design Interrater reliability study. Setting Sports clubs. Patients (or Participants) Twenty male field-sport athletes with no reported history of hamstring muscle strain injury within the previous 6 months participated. Interventions (or assessment of risk factors) Three sports physiotherapists independently assessed participants' hamstring muscle strength using the following clinically-oriented assessments: (1) supine mid-range maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC); (2) prone inner-range MVIC; (3) prone mid-range MVIC; (4) prone mid-range 'eccentric break'; (5) supine outer-range 'eccentric break'. Main outcome measurements Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to determine interrater reliability. We chose the ICC (2,3) model, which corresponds to a 2-way mixed model, with measurement of the mean of 3 raters and absolute agreement. Results Excellent interrater reliability was demonstrated for the supine mid-range MVIC (ICC=0.86; 95% CI=0.70–0.94) and prone mid-range MVIC (ICC=0.79; 95% CI=0.60–0.91). Good interrater reliability was demonstrated for the prone inner-range MVIC (0.72; 95% CI=0.44–0.88), prone mid-range 'eccentric break' (ICC=0.67; 95% CI=0.33–0.85), and supine outer-range 'eccentric break' (ICC=0.67; 95% CI=0.34–0.85). The highest and lowest force values were registered during the supine outer-range 'eccentric break' (310±57.8N) and prone inner-range MVIC (127±31.4N), respectively. Conclusions Clinically-oriented assessments of hamstring muscle strength are reliable. These assessments can be used as an integral part of injury prevention, rehabilitation progression and objective return-to- sport decisions.


Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has proven to accurately represent individual trees, while the use of TLS for plot-level forest characterization has been studied less. We used 91 sample plots to assess the feasibility of TLS in estimating plot-level forest inventory attributes, namely the stem number (N), basal area (G), and volume (V) as well as the basal area weighed mean diameter (Dg) and height (Hg). The effect of the sample plot size was investigated by using different-sized sample plots with a fixed scan set-up to also observe possible differences in the quality of point clouds. The Gini coefficient was used to measure the variation in tree size distribution at the plot-level to investigate the relationship between stand heterogeneity and the performance of the TLS-based method. Higher performances in tree detection and forest attribute estimation were recorded for sample plots with a low degree of tree size variation. The TLS-based approach captured 95% of the variation in Hg and V, 85% of the variation in Dg and G, and 67% of the variation in N. By increasing the sample plot size, the tree detection rate was decreased, and the accuracy of the estimates, especially G and N, decreased. This study emphasizes the feasibility of TLS-based approaches in plot-level forest inventories in varying southern boreal forest conditions.


This paper describes a series of research and development projects into teaching and learning practices in Higher Education which have been undertaken at the University of Cambridge under the auspices of the Pedagogy Programme of the Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI). These have involved a collaboration between groups of staff and students in participating departments and a team of education researchers based at the Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET). This collaboration has been marked by the evolution, over a period of about two years, of an organisation (CARET), of research processes, of educational practices and resources, and of roles and relationships within the research team. Most critically there has been a negotiation of norms and expectations on the part of participants and the legitimisation of discourses in a shared 'problem space'. The research and development process can be conceptualised as one of 'co-configuration' with continual renegotiation of requirements and solutions. Roles and approaches have developed as researchers have gained better understanding of the priorities and 'ways of thinking and practicing' of other participants and those participants have in turn become familiar with the techniques and theoretical perspectives of education researchers. The importance of 'boundary-crossing' objects which provide points of focus for discourse and development is discussed, and what these might be in the context of education research and development projects. The paper concludes with a description of a new initiative informed by this view of research and development as co-configuration: the Teaching for Learning Network (TfLN).


Introduction Injury is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among adolescent and alcohol is considered as major risk factor of injury. The alcohol related risk taking behaviour in adolescents are strong positive relations with exposure on injury, violence and crime etc. The objective of this study is to identify the associated factors of injury related risk taking behaviours due to alcohol among middle and high school students in Korea. Methods The data for analysis is from the Korean youth risk behaviour which is school-based national surveys. The sampling was implemented by multi-stage stratification. One class in each grade was selected as sample class in sample school. All students in sample class were surveyed. The descriptive analysis and multivariate Logistic regression were used to examine the associations between influencing factors of injury risk behaviour due to alcohol. Results The students who had experience of thinking on suicide, early exposure on alcohol and tobacco, feeling on stress, low socioeconomic status on parents, grade, low school performance and gender are higher on risky behaviours (p<0.05). And Also students who binge drinkers were more than to involve to other injury risk behaviours such as riding with a driver who had been drinking, being a victim of violence etc. Discussion and conclusion The more effective and tailored interventions which is considered these associated factors need to develop in school settings and should strengthen to educate for injury prevention program including alcohol prevention from early stage in life.


The objective of this research is to suggest new geometric possibilities in digital architecture by investigating the characteristics of hybridization in digital geometry. The research begins with theoretical background research such as defining hybridization, investigating hybrid thinking, and studying the theory the theory of digital geometry, along with the four conceptual characteristics of hybridization that could be drawn, such as temporality, liquidity, complexity, and connectivity. Based on these characteristics, the generative method of hybrid digital geometric languages such as Blob, Particle, Morph, Loft, and Boolean was analyzed with case research in contemporary digital architecture. As a result, diverse hybrid geometric keywords were extracted; these keywords suggest potential meanings of hybridization such as accidentality, mobility, diversity, and identity. Different elements represent the "mobility" in time by the force and wave, and they are "accidentally" combined in gradual change. The united species in "diverse" characters are seamlessly connected and emerge as a new "identity." The research maximizes the generative possibilities in digital geometry and provides a theoretical basis to apply the digital hybrid methods to architectural design by suggesting the potential meanings and possibilities in hybridization.


Delirium is a very common medical condition encountered throughout the world and, undoubtedly, is one of the most frequent reasons psychiatrists are consulted by primary care physicians. Recognizing delirium and treating the underlying medical cause are the first steps in the management of this potentially fatal syndrome. The selection of an appropriate medication to target the perceptual, behavioral, and cognitive abnormalities is crucial. In addition to several of the older, typical antipsychotics, which have been found to be effective for the treatment of delirium, some of the newer, atypical antipsychotic agents have been demonstrated to be efficacious. This paper will review both the typical and atypical antipsychotics with the best evidence for efficacy and safety in the treatment of delirium. Finally, environmental treatments are discussed to present the full armamentarium of therapeutic options available to the practicing clinician.


A significant increase in arthrosis and arthritis causes not only conservative but also other various methods of surgical treatment. Minimal invasiveness, less trauma compared to traditional surgical methods of treatment, the ability to carry out treatment on the principle of one-day surgery determine their greater demand. The paper presents a review of literature data on the features of anesthesia in elderly patients who underwent arthroscopic surgery on the lower extremities.


We consider caching of video streams in a cellular network in which each base station is equipped with a cache. Video streams are partitioned into multiple substreams and the goal is to place substreams in caches such that the residual backhaul load is minimized. We consider two coding mechanisms for the substreams: Layered coding (LC) mechanism and multiple description coding (MDC). We develop a distributed asynchronous algorithm for deciding which files to store in which cache to minimize the residual bandwidth, i.e., the cost for downloading the missing substreams of the user's requested video with a certain video quality from the gateway (i.e., the main server). We show that our algorithm converges rapidly. Finally, we show that MDC partitioning is better than the LC mechanism when the most popular content is stored in caches; however, our algorithm enables to use the LC mechanism as well without any performance loss.


Alveolar macrophages display an impairment in delayed bacterial killing in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that may contribute to an increased susceptibility to bacterial infection. Alveolar macrophages display an impairment in delayed bacterial killing in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that may contribute to an increased susceptibility to bacterial infection.


Power-related issues have become important considerations in current generation microprocessor design. One of these issues is that of elevated on-chip temperatures. This has an adverse effect on cooling cost and, if not addressed suitably, on chip reliability. In this paper we investigate the general trade-offs between temporal and spatial hot spot mitigation schemes and thermal time constants, workload variations and microprocessor power distributions. By leveraging spatial and temporal heat slacks, our schemes enable lowering of on-chip unit temperatures by changing the workload in a timely manner with Operating System (OS) and existing hardware support.


This study aimed to evaluate the effects of seed-furrow openers and soil compaction on parameters such as sowing quality and root growth of soybean. The experiment was conducted using a randomized blocks experimental design with split plots, with the plots arranged by compaction level (1.16, 1.20, 1.22 and 1.26 Mg m-3) and the subplots by type of furrow opener (double disk and shank type). Root growth was assessed at three depths (0.00-0.10; 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.30 m) in the sowing line and interrow. The sowing quality data means were compared using the Tukey test (p≤0.05), while the root growth data means were compared using the LSD test (p≤0.05). Penetration resistance increased with increasing soil compaction to a depth of 0.20 m. The sowing depth and mobilized soil area were not affected by soil compaction levels. The type of furrow opening mechanism only influenced the sowing depth, with greater depth achieved using the double disc. Neither the seed-furrow openers nor the level of soil compaction significantly influenced soybean root growth when evaluated in the sowing line. The type of furrow opening mechanism did not influence any of the evaluated parameters. Soil compaction altered soybean root growth in the interrow, but did not impede rooting. Regardless of the assessment depth in the interrow, there was a reduction in root volume, length, surface area and diameter with increased soil density.

 Key words: No-tillage, seeder, soil density, sowing depth, penetrometer resistance.


Abstract Xylella fastidiosa (Wells) is a xylem-limited bacterium that causes Pierce's disease of grapevines. The bacterium is transmitted by insect vectors such as the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar). Experiments were conducted to compare the role of selected X. fastidiosa genes on 1) bacterial acquisition and retention in GWSS foreguts, and 2) transmission to grapevines by GWSS. Bacterial genotypes used were: mutants Xf-ΔpilG, Xf-ΔpilH, Xf-ΔgacA, and Xf-ΔpopP; plus wild type (WT) as control. Results showed that Xf-ΔpilG had enhanced colonization rate and larger numbers in GWSS compared with WT. Yet, Xf-ΔpilG exhibited the same transmission efficiency as WT. The Xf-ΔpilH exhibited poor acquisition and retention. Although initial adhesion, multiplication, and retention of Xf-ΔpilH in GWSS were almost eliminated compared with WT, the mutation did not reduce transmission success in grapevines. Overall, Xf-ΔgacA showed colonization rates and numbers in foreguts similar to WT. The Xf-ΔgacA mutation did not affect initial adhesion, multiplication, and long-term retention compared with WT, and was not significantly diminished in transmission efficiency. In contrast, numbers of Xf-ΔpopP were variable over time, displaying greatest fluctuation from highest to lowest levels. Thus, Xf-ΔpopP had a strong, negative effect on initial adhesion, but adhered and slowly multiplied in the foregut. Again, transmission was not diminished compared to WT. Despite reductions in acquisition and retention by GWSS, transmission efficiency of genotypes to grapevines was not affected. Therefore, in order to stop the spread of X. fastidiosa by GWSS using gene-level targets, complete disruption of bacterial colonization mechanisms is required.


In spite of the advances made in orthodox medicine, there has been an increasing interest in herbal medicine. The leaves of Carica papaya and Pakia biglobosa have been reported to contain lots of beneficial medicinal compounds, hence their use in the traditional prevention, management and treatment of ailments/diseases. In this study, the effect of varied concentrations of the ethanol leaf extract of the plants on some biochemical parameters of albino rats was assessed. The phytochemical compositions of the leaves were determined using established standard laboratory methods. Fifty four male Albino rats weighing between 150g-200g were randomly distributed into nine groups of six animals each. A daily single dose of 500mg/kg, 1000mg/kg, 1500mg/kg and 2000mg/kg body weight of either of the extracts was respectively, administered to the eight test groups for fourteen days. The control group was given only feed and water. Biochemical parameters such as the serum activities of Aspartate Aminotransferase, Alanine Aminotranferase and Alkaline phosphatase as well as the serum concentrations of Bilirubin, Albumin, HCO3-, Urea, Creatinine and Na+ were assessed. Result of the analyses showed that the administration of the extracts did not significantly raise the serum activity of ALT. The decreases in serum concentrations of Urea and increase in the concentration of HCO3- were directly proportional to the concentration of the extracts. It can be deduced from this study, that 500mg, 1000mg 1500mg and 2000mg/kg bw of either C. papaya or P. biglobosa did not elicit any marked hepatotoxicological or renotoxicological effect on the experimental animals


Biochars from bamboo leaves as a potential energy resource were synthesized by annealing in the oxygen-free environment. Samples were characterized using proximate analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Heating temperatures are 250°C, 300°C, and 350°C and for each temperature, the time was varied between 30, 60, and 90 minutes. The heating time for 30 minutes results in FC 30.777% and calorific value 15 MJ/Kg at temperature 250°C and decreased to 4.004% and 6 MJ/Kg at temperature 350°C, respectively. EDS shows the time of heating is an important parameter which shows the carbon and nitrogen contents were decreasing with the increase in the heating time, and silicon and oxygen contents were increasing with increase in the heating time. XRD shows broad (002) reflections between 20° and 30°, which indicated disordered carbon with small domains of coherent and parallel stacking of the graphene sheets, which is consistent with surface morphology of the SEM image. The experimental results indicated that heating at 300°C for 30 minutes is an effective and efficient parameter for fabrication of low-cost carbon from bamboo leaves which is a source of useful energy.


Abstract STUDY QUESTION What is the cumulative live birth rate following a 'freeze-all' strategy compared with a 'fresh-transfer' strategy? SUMMARY ANSWER The 'freeze-all' strategy resulted in a similar cumulative live birth rate as the 'fresh-transfer' strategy among high responders (>15 oocytes retrieved) but did not benefit normal (10–15 oocytes) and suboptimal responders (<10 oocytes). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Frozen-thawed embryo transfer is associated with a decreased risk of adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes compared with fresh embryo transfer. It is unclear whether the 'freeze-all' strategy should be offered to all women undergoing ART treatment. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A population-based retrospective cohort study using data collected by the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority. This study included 14 331 women undergoing their first stimulated ART cycle with at least one oocyte fertilised between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2014 in Victoria, Australia. Demographic characteristics, type of ART procedures and resulting pregnancy and birth outcomes were recorded for the stimulated cycle and associated thaw cycles until 30 June 2016, or until a live birth was achieved, or until all embryos from the stimulated cycle had been used. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Women were grouped by whether they had undergone the 'freeze-all' strategy (n = 1028) where all embryos were cryopreserved for future transfer, or the 'fresh-transfer' strategy (n = 13 303) where selected embryo(s) were transferred in the stimulated cycle, and remaining embryo(s) were cryopreserved for future use. A discrete-time survival model was used to evaluate the cumulative live birth rate following 'freeze-all' and 'fresh-transfer' strategy. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 1028 women undergoing 'freeze-all' strategy and 13 303 women undergoing 'fresh-transfer' strategy had 1788 and 22 334 embryo transfer cycles resulting in 452 and 5126 live births, respectively. Most women (61.3%) in the 'freeze-all' group had more than 15 oocytes retrieved in the stimulated cycle compared with 18.1% of women in the 'fresh-transfer' group (P < 0.001). For high responders (>15 oocytes), the cumulative live birth rate in the 'freeze-all' group was similar to the 'fresh-transfer' group (56.8% vs. 56.2%, adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 0.90, 95% CI 0.77–1.04). However, the likelihood of a live birth was lower in the 'freeze-all' group compared with the 'fresh-transfer' group among normal responders (10–15 oocytes) (33.2% vs. 46.3%, AHR 0.62, 95% CI 0.46–0.83) and suboptimal responders (<10 oocytes) (14.6% vs. 28.0%, AHR 0.67, 95% CI 0.14–1.01). During the minimum follow-up time of 2 years, 34.1%, 24.4% and 8.4% of suboptimal, normal and high responders, respectively, in the 'freeze-all' group did not return for any embryo transfer after the stimulated cycle, whereas all women in the 'fresh-transfer' group had at least one embryo transferred in the stimulated cycle. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION A limitation of this population-based study is the lack of information available on clinic-specific protocols for the 'freeze-all' strategy and the potential impact of these on outcomes. Data were not available on whether the 'freeze-all' strategy was used to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study presents population-based evidence on clinical efficacy associated with a 'freeze-all' and 'fresh-transfer' strategy. The 'freeze-all' strategy may benefit some subgroups of patients, including women who are high responders and those who are at risk of OHSS, but should not be offered universally. Clinicians should consider the potential impact of electively deferring embryo transfer on treatment discontinuation in choosing the optimal embryo transfer strategy for couples undergoing ART treatment. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No specific funding was received to undertake this study. There is no conflict of interest, except that M.B. is a shareholder in Genea Ltd.


The efficient development of Abu Dhabi's giant stacked reservoirs is challenging due to the significant number of wells needed to produce these reservoirs through common surface production facilities. Historically the development planning was carried out based on individual, single reservoir, numerical simulation models that have been managed by applying independent boundary conditions such as rate and pressure constraints. with time this solution became inefficient due to other considerations such as production facilities size and cost, surface congestion affecting the area available to drill wells and lay down transfer lines, drilling and rigless operations. Recent advances in numerical simulation, sucha as the simultaneous implicit solution of pressure and other properties in ana asset model which includes both surface facilities and the subsurface reservoir, provide users with the ability to understand the flow of oil from the pore space of the reservoir through the surface network to the ultimate point of sale. The Nexus simulator extends this capability to multiple reservoirs with a shared surface network, while keeping the implicit solutions throughout the entire multireservoir complex. Reservoir engineers can now build field development plans based upon the results of simulations which address the entire complex, rather than assembling the results of separate simulations of individual fields and independent network models. Modelling the integrated asset allows the engineer to synchronize well phasing and planning, optimize production rates, and maximize surface facility utilization. This case study discusses and ADCO onshore field development plan combining several stacked reservoirs within a sequence of 18 stacked, independent reservoirs in the same field. All developed reservoirs within the sequence share common surface facilities. The integrated model construction is presented including gridding, fluid properties, surface network configuration and constraints. The economic value of different production and injection and injection scenarios and their impact on shared facilities is also discussed which led to optimizing the well phasing, plateau rate and length of the combined developments.


This article describes the collaboration between a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) community-based psychosocial rehabilitation center and a nonprofit legal center that primarily addresses the civil legal issues of veterans who have mental illness and/or are homeless. The legal center is located on-site at the VA psychosocial rehabilitation center and serves veterans who receive VA mental health treatment and other social services. Once veterans establish contact with the legal center and authorize the release of their health information, legal center staff members work closely with VA clinicians to help veterans address legal issues that may be obstacles to recovery. Development of this collaboration is described, along with the legal center's funding, clientele, and operations. The most common types of civil legal matters the legal center handles are also briefly described. Experiences of the legal center suggest that professional aid for civil legal problems provided within VA facilities may be beneficial for veterans and warrants empirical study.


Background Sodium thiosulfate (STS) is a recognized drug with antioxidant and H2S releasing properties. We recently showed that STS attenuated organ dysfunction and injury during resuscitation from trauma-and-hemorrhage in CSE-ko mice, confirming its previously described organ-protective and anti-inflammatory properties. The role of H2S in diabetes mellitus type 1 (DMT1) is controversial: genetic DMT1 impairs H2S biosynthesis, which has been referred to contribute to endothelial dysfunction and cardiomyopathy. In contrast, development and severity of hyperglycemia in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced DMT1 was attenuated in CSE-ko mice. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis whether STS would also exert organ-protective effects in CSE-ko mice with STZ-induced DMT1, similar to our findings in animals without underlying co-morbidity. Methods Under short-term anesthesia with sevoflurane and analgesia with buprenorphine CSE-ko mice underwent DMT1-induction by single STZ injection (100 μg⋅g–1). Seven days later, animals underwent blast wave-induced blunt chest trauma and surgical instrumentation followed by 1 h of hemorrhagic shock (MAP 35 ± 5 mmHg). Resuscitation comprised re-transfusion of shed blood, lung-protective mechanical ventilation, fluid resuscitation and continuous i.v. norepinephrine together with either i.v. STS (0.45 mg⋅g–1) or vehicle (n = 9 in each group). Lung mechanics, hemodynamics, gas exchange, acid–base status, stable isotope-based metabolism, and visceral organ function were assessed. Blood and organs were collected for analysis of cytokines, chemokines, and immunoblotting. Results Diabetes mellitus type 1 was associated with more severe circulatory shock when compared to our previous study using the same experimental design in CSE-ko mice without co-morbidity. STS did not exert any beneficial therapeutic effect. Most of the parameters measured of the inflammatory response nor the tissue expression of marker proteins of the stress response were affected either. Conclusion In contrast to our previous findings in CSE-ko mice without underlying co-morbidity, STS did not exert any beneficial therapeutic effect in mice with STZ-induced DMT1, possibly due to DMT1-related more severe circulatory shock. This result highlights the translational importance of both integrating standard ICU procedures and investigating underlying co-morbidity in animal models of shock research.


Coloured shade net is an effective tool for sustainable agricultural production. Shade nets of five colours (white, yellow, red, blue and black) in comparison to an open field conditions which were studied in a Keitt mango. The aim of the study was to explore the profitability of different coloured shade net (white, yellow, red, blue, black and control) on the Keitt mango yield during the period of 2016- 2020.
The results showed that white coloured shade net was better to increase the yield per 2000 m2. The average yield of the trees under white coloured shade net was about 7.3 kg/tree compared to about 6.3, 5.8, 5.1, 4.3, 4.3 kg/tree for "yellow, red, blue and black" coloured shade net and control respectively. The black coloured shade net had the lowest economical profit. Thus, growing mango under white coloured shade net is helpful to increase marketable, exportable yield and quality of mangoes compared to other treatments.
Keitt mango, ratio of revenues to costs, unit costs of production, coloured shade net.


This article aims to analyze work proposals concerning literary reading in a textbook for Early Childhood education considering aesthetic education proposed by Vigotski, by means of teacher mediation as a fundamental element for adult and children humanization. Through documentary analysis, the textbook proposals that use the literary texts were selected and numbered. Some examples for reflexion on didactic proposals based on the Historical-Cultural Theory principles were highlighted from specific sections about the work with literature. As a result, it is possible to infer that the proposals of the studied textbook show mainly fragments of literary texts, with the purpose of teaching some content or technical aspects of the mother tongue, disregarding specificities of teaching and learning in childhood. Therefore, it can be concluded that an education that is intended to be aesthetic requires an intentional teaching directed towards active child participation in pedagogical situations orientated towards access to the arts and its humanizing potential.


Background: The alumina ceramic femoral head was introduced for total hip arthroplasty approximately thirty years ago. One of its main drawbacks was the risk of implant fracture. The aim of this study was to examine the results of revision total hip replacement performed specifically to treat a fracture of a ceramic femoral head and to identify technical factors that affected the outcomes. Methods: One hundred and five surgical revisions to treat a fracture of a ceramic femoral head, performed at thirty-five institutions, were studied. The patients were examined clinically by the operating surgeon at the time of the last follow-up. The surgeon provided the latest follow-up radiographs, which were compared with the immediate postoperative radiographs. The success of the revisions was assessed with Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis, with the need for repeat revision as the end point. We evaluated the complication rate and radiographic changes indicative of implant loosening. The average duration of follow-up between the index revision and the last clinical and radiographic review was 3.5 years (range, six months to twenty years). Results: Following the revisions, radiographic evidence of cup loosening was seen in twenty-two hips (21%) and radiographic evidence of femoral loosening was seen in twenty-two (21%). One or several repeat revisions were necessary in thirty-three patients (31%) because of infection (four patients), implant loosening (twenty), osteolysis (eight), or fracture of the revision femoral head component (one). The survival rate at five years was 63% (95% confidence interval, 51% to 75%). The survival rate was significantly worse when the cup had not been changed, when the new femoral head was made of stainless steel, when a total synovectomy had not been done, and when the patient was less than fifty years old. Conclusions: Fracture of a ceramic femoral head component is a rare but potentially serious event. A suitable surgical approach, including total synovectomy, cup exchange, and insertion of a cobalt-chromium or new ceramic femoral ball minimizes the chance of early loosening of the implants and the need for one or more repeat revisions. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series [no, or historical, control group]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


The Bass model is widely used in the literature to capture the diffusion of innovations and shows excellent predictive power in the context of durable goods. However, the model's efficacy fades when services are the target of analysis. Services that users adopt and subsequently utilize regularly are regarded as a continuous process that entails the possibility of dis-adoption and re-adoption. These aspects are not accounted for in the traditional Bass model. Thus, this study extends the Bass model to information system (IS)-based services by taking into account the unique nature of service adoption: the possibility of dis-adoption and re-adoption.,The proposed hypotheses were empirically tested using a longitudinal study of mobile service usage over 18 months. The longitudinal design provides a stronger position than the typical cross-sectional survey to understand the dynamics and infer causality.,Results show that the inclusion of the dis-adoption and re-adoption rates in the Bass model significantly improves the explanatory power over the traditional Bass model.,Consumption of services delivered through IS has exponentially increased. However, understanding on the diffusion pattern of IS-based services is limited. Our study is the first to examine the effect of dis-adoption and re-adoption together in the innovation diffusion process. The study offers significant implications for researchers and practitioners. The extended Bass model can help service firms develop an accurate prediction about the number of adopters at different periods of time.


A strong edge-coloring of a graph $G$ is a coloring of the edges such that every color class induces a matching in $G$. The strong chromatic index of a graph is the minimum number of colors needed in a strong edge-coloring of the graph. In 1985, Erdős and Nešetřil conjectured that every graph with maximum degree $\Delta$ has a strong edge-coloring using at most $\frac{5}{4}\Delta^2$ colors if $\Delta$ is even, and at most $\frac{5}{4}\Delta^2 - \frac{1}{2}\Delta + \frac{1}{4}$ if $\Delta$ is odd. Despite recent progress for large $\Delta$ by using an iterative probabilistic argument, the only nontrivial case of the conjecture that has been verified is when $\Delta = 3$, leaving the need for new approaches to verify the conjecture for any $\Delta\ge 4$. In this paper, we apply some ideas used in previous results to an upper bound of 21 for graphs with maximum degree 4, which improves a previous bound due to Cranston in 2006 and moves closer to the conjectured upper bound of 20.


Dynamics of temporal and spacial parameters of set respiratory movements (in comparison with the movements of the hand) under conditions of progressive hypoxia, hypercapnia, hypoxic-hypercapnic interaction was investigated in 10 men aged from 19 to 30 years. Hypercapnia (especially in combination with hypoxia) is a specific factor preventing voluntary control of the respiratory movements. The certitude (exaggeration of the set respiratory volume) and the capacity to correction of the respiratory movements are mostly influenced by these factors. These facts are considered to be the result of chemoceptor stimulation of the respiratory center (imperative stimulus).


We report on an experimental investigation of high-Tc superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers of YBCO. These mixers were tested at 100 and 530 GHz LO for a range of temperatures around 77 K. The conversion gain of -32 dB was measured at an LO power of about 1 mW (530 GHz) and 0.3 GHz IF. The mixers were integrated with a logarithmic spiral antenna on a silicon lens, providing a broad frequency coverage (well above 1 THz). To measure the incident RF signal power we used the homodyne responsivity (see abstract "Terahertz response of YBCO HEB homodyne detectors") which is referenced to the input of the silicon lens where the bolometers were glued. Corrections were made for losses in the cryostat window and polarization losses between the signal and antenna. We made the measurements at different temperatures and different LO power levels which were measured using a quasi optical detector at room temperature. The 3 dB gain bandwidth was measured to be about 0.2 GHz. The bolometer bridges have nominal dimensions 1 μm x 2 μm x 50 nm and are fabricated on sapphire substrates using UV photolithography. Backward wave oscillators sources were used at 530 GHz and Gunn diodes at 100 GHz.


This article focuses on the experience of Daniel as participant in the visions that are told in Hebrew in the book of Daniel (chs 8–12). In doing so, it argues for a continuity of wise participation in the divine life that has characterized events told in Dan 1–6 and culminating in the throne room vision of ch. 7. Reading Dan 7 as the theological hinge of the book of Daniel, the article argues that the experience of Daniel as visionary in chs. 8–12 sheds further light on the nature of wise participation in the divine life. From the resulting conversation between chs. 8–12 and 1–6, mediated by the throne room vision, emerges a rich and variegated, and occasionally paradoxical picture of the nature of wise participation in the divine life as conveyed in the book of Daniel.


The osteoclast degrades bone in cycles; between cycles, the cell is motile. Resorption occurs by acid transport into an extracellular compartment defined by an αvβ3 integrin ring. NO has been implicated in the regulation of bone turnover due to stretch or via estrogen signals, but a specific mechanism linking NO to osteoclastic activity has not been described. NO stimulates osteoclast motility, and at high concentrations NO causes detachment and terminates resorption. Here we demonstrate that NO regulates attachment through the cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (PKG I) via phosphorylation of the intermediate protein VASP. VASP colocalized with the αvβ3 ring in stationary cells, but alternating bands of VASP and αvβ3 occurred when motility was induced by NO donors or cGMP. Redistribution of VASP correlated with its phosphorylation. Dependency of NO-induced motility on PKG I and on VASP was shown by siRNA knockdown of each protein. VASP knockdown also altered distribution of αvβ3 at the attachment site. We conclude that PKG I and VASP are essential for reorganization of attachment and cytoplasmic proteins in motility induced by NO or by cGMP.


In a yeast extract, glycerol and sheep serum containing medium, slow but abundant growth of mycobacteria occurred when media were inoculated with M. leprae isolated from leprous tissues of armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus Linn.). The lipid fraction of the serum was the essential factor for growth. Cholesterol not only replaced, but surpassed the growth promoting effect of the lipid fraction. However, growth of mycobacteria was observed only when media were enriched with serum. The relationship of the obtained strains of mycobacteria to leprosy is not yet clear. The following cholesterol medium, stabilized with lecithin, is proposed for primary cultivation of mycobacteria from leprous tissues: KH2PO4-8.2 gm, Na2HPO4-0.5 gm, yeast extract (Difco)-4 gm, and glycerol 30 gm, dissolved to make one liter basal medium in distilled water. Cholesterol (200 mg) dissolved in 4 ml warm acetone is injected with a syringe into the basal medium. The solution is autoclaved for ten minutes to evaporate the acetone. Lecithin, 200 mg dissolved in 20 ml of the basal medium is mixed to the medium cooled to room temperature. Nine milliliter aliquots are distributed into each of a series of 50 ml screw cap tubes and autoclaved for 25 minutes. One milliliter of filter sterilized sheep serum is added to each of the tubes containing 9 ml of the cholesterol-lecithin medium. Semisolid media are prepared the same way but 1.5% agar w/v is added to the cholesterol-lecithin medium before autoclaving. When cooled to 56 degrees C, 10% w/v sheep serum is mixed to the liquid. The medium is distributed into screw cap tubes and agar slants are poured and allowed to solidify in the inclined tubes at room temperature. Macrophages contain considerable amounts of cholesterol. Cholesterol is proposed as a possible growth factor for host grown M. leprae in the macrophages of the susceptible host and the same sterol as a growth factor for primary cultivation of mycobacteria from leprous tissues.


Because the integrity of an axon depends on the supply of proteins synthesized in the cell body, we examined the effect of axotomy on the transport of structural proteins in rat motor axons, and the effect of altered transport on the rate of outgrowth after a subsequent testing axotomy. To examine the axonal transport of structural proteins, we labeled newly synthesized proteins with 35S-methionine 7 days after a "conditioning" lesion of the sciatic nerve, and removed the nerve 7-21 days later for SDS-PAGE. Tubulin, actin, calmodulin, and the 68-kD light neurofilament protein (NF-L) were identified by fluorography and removed for liquid scintillation counting. The fastest moving structural proteins were carried by slow component b (SCb) of axonal transport, which advanced 20% faster in conditioned axons: 4.2 versus 3.5 mm/day (p less than 0.01). NF-L was not accelerated, indicating that the motor for subcomponent a (SCa) of slow axonal transport was unaffected by axotomy. To measure outgrowth distances, the testing lesions was made 7 days after the conditioning lesion, and growth cones were located by the fast transport method 3 or 9 days later. The regression analysis of outgrowth distance on time showed that sprouts elongated 25% faster in conditioned axons: 4.0 versus 3.2 mm/day (p less than 0.001). These accelerated sprouts were formed too far from the spinal cord to contain SCb proteins that were synthesized after axotomy. Because the rate of outgrowth correlated closely with the rate of SCb in outgrowing sprouts (McQuarrie and Jacob, J. Comp. Neurol. 305:139-147, 1991), we conclude that SCb is accelerated throughout the length of the axon by 7 days after axotomy.


required to complete PSYC 20200 Psychological Research Methods and one of the following courses: PSYC 20250 Introduction to Statistical Concepts and Methods or STAT 22000 Statistical Methods and Applications. It is strongly recommended that these courses be taken as early as possible in a student's training as they provide foundational concepts that facilitate understanding of subject area courses. These two courses cover the conceptual and methodological issues (PSYC 20200) and the statistical methods (PSYC 20250, STAT 22000) used in psychological science. PSYC 20200 is typically taught in the Autumn Quarter and PSYC 20250 in the Winter Quarter. We advise students to take PSYC 20200 Psychological Research Methods prior to taking statistics, but either order is acceptable. social psychology, social neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, and behavioral economics to illuminate the mechanisms behind feeling for and with others. Questions explored in this course include: What are the evolutionary roots of empathy? What are the neural and neuro-endocrinological mechanisms that facilitate empathy? How does empathy develop young children? a limited-capacity resource? How is empathy modulated by unconscious processing and implicit attitudes group dynamics, social status)? Is empathy necessarily a good thing for social decision-making? Why empathy can make us act unfairly? Why do some individuals (i.e., psychopaths) lack empathy and concern for the well-being of others? How does empathy improve the overall effectiveness of medical This introduces undergraduate students to current research and theories of empathy. The study of empathy serves the basis for integrating a variety of perspectives including evolutionary biology, behavioral economics, affective neuroscience, developmental psychology, social psychology, behavioral neurology and psychiatry. ways and converge in special attention to the role of changing empirical methods in basic questions in and the historical separation and division of these two areas as well as the paradigmatic differences in studying learning and memory. also basic research methods for investigating learning and memory and survey established and recent research findings, as well as consider several different kinds of models and theories of learning and memory. include skill acquisition, perceptual learning, statistical learning, working memory, implicit vs. episodic and some and drawn range of and contemporary sources in survey in the of language. on issues related to language comprehension, language production, and language acquisition. The students on how to read primary literature and conduct original research This explores how evolutionary biology and behavioral economics explain many different aspects of human behavior. Specific topics include evolutionary theory, natural and sexual selection, game theory, cost- benefit analyses of behavior from an evolutionary and a behavioral economics perspective, aggression, power and dominance, cooperation and competition, biological markets, parental investment, life history and risk- taking, love and mating, physical attractiveness and the market, emotion and motivation, sex and consumer behavior, cognitive biases that cause distress or interfere with adaptive life functioning, but does so in a non-stigmatizing manner. The course begins with a description and discussion of the nature of psychological problems. The course will survey what is known about the genetic, environmental, and epigenetic bases of such problems and the methods used to study genetic influences and gene-environment interactions. Next, students will review what is currently known about the neural and other biological mechanisms involved in maladaptive individual difference in emotion, motivation, and cognitive processes, with discussion of the methods of studying such mechanisms in humans and nonhumans. The pros and cons of the medical model of 'mental illness' will be discussed as the major contrast with the natural science view advocated by the instructor.


Study of the effect of adding aluminum powder to galvanize melt on the microstructure, thickness of the galvanize layer, behavior and nature of fracture in the total layer through the use of optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy. The addition of the aluminum component (4.5%, 5%, 5.5%) to molten is increase the total  thickness of the galvanize layer because it increases the thickness of the interlayer and the adhesive layer with the low carbon steel coupled with the increased dipping time in the molten which also increases the thickness of the total galvanize layer. The cracks that were obtained from the bending test were examined for the samples. The samples with the large thickness and the addition ratio (Al-5.5%) were more resistant to bending. The cracks did not penetrate the surface of the galvanize layer until the angle of bending with the horizon (30º). The erosion resistance was compared to the exposure time of the selection samples, and showed good resistance to erosion at average exposure time. These samples are good in the manufacture of high and medium voltage transmission towers.


Background and Objectives: Periodontitis is a multifactorial inflammatory disease associated with biofilm dysbiosis and is defined by progressive periodontium destruction. Genes largely regulate this entire process. SIRTs are a group of histone deacetylases (HDACs) intimately involved in cell metabolism and are responsible for altering and regulating numerous cell functions. Understanding SIRTs and their functions in periodontitis may be useful for therapeutic treatment strategies in the future. The aim of our study was to investigate the associations amid SIRT1 single-gene nucleotide polymorphisms (rs3818292, rs3758391, and rs7895833) and SIRT1 serum levels for patients affected by periodontitis in the Caucasian population. Materials and Methods: The study included 201 patients affected by periodontitis and 500 healthy controls. DNA extraction from peripheral leukocytes was carried out using commercial kits. The real-time PCR method was selected for the determination of the genotype of the periodontitis patients and the control group. The ELISA method was used to measure the SIRT1 concentration. A statistical data analysis was performed using "BM SPSS Statistics 27.0" software. Results: The SIRT1 rs3818292 AG genotype was associated with a 2-fold and 1.9-fold increase in the development of periodontitis under the codominant and overdominant models (OR = 1.959; CI = 1.239–3.098; p = 0.004; and OR = 1.944; CI = 1.230–3.073; p = 0.004, respectively). The serum SIRT1 levels were not statistically significantly different between subjects in the periodontitis and control groups (0.984 (5.159) ng/mL vs. 0.514 (7.705) ng/mL, p = 0.792). Conclusions: in our study, the genotypes and alleles of SIRT1 rs3818292, rs3758391, and rs7895833 statistically significantly differed between the periodontitis and control groups, exclusively in the male population and subjects older than 60 years.


Air Traffic Control is a job that aptitude is strongly needed. According to this, air traffic controllers have to be chosen and arranged by their duty characteristic. With the development of aviation industry, we need more capable air traffic controllers than before. However, it is true that there is no aptitude test for them in Korea. The world wide trend for air traffic control is changing that decision making and high ability with awareness for solving problem. Therefore the aptitude test is certainly required in order to select suitable people having basic abilities for the duty. This research inquires into the aptitude test which is globally taken because of the reason. And with result of that, inspection list is made for development of a tool for aptitude test which is suitable in Korea and additionally there are some special opinions of experts about the list. It is judged that this research will be based for the development of aptitude test in order to select air traffic controller.


The range of concentration of residual nitrogen in twenty-three specimens of cortical bone that had been extracted with ethylenediamine was found to be 0.0109 to 0.0173 per cent.

The concentration of nitrogen remaining in bone after fifty hours of extraction with ethylenediamine was not greatly reduced by more prolonged extraction; the concentration of the nitrogen does not appear to be a predictable function of extraction after fifty hours.

There was no evidence to indicate that nitrogen-free bone might be prepared by extraction with ethylenediamine without modifying the solvent.

Analyses of the acid hydrolysates of four specimens of ethylenediamine-extracted cortical bone by the Van Slyke method for the determination of amino-acid carbon dioxide indicated that 42 to 50 per cent of the residual nitrogen was present as amino acids. An analysis of the alkaline hydrolysate of one cancellous specimen of the ethylenediamine-extracted bone by an automatic amino-acid analyzer indicated that 39 per cent of the residual nitrogen was present as amino acids. The results of these two methods of analysis indicate that 40 to 50 per cent of the residual nitrogen present in bone after extraction with ethylenediamine is present as protein or protein fragments.


Purpose: One cyclic peptide named PLZ4 was identified that could selectively bind to bladder cancer cell lines and all of the 5 primary bladder cancer cells from human patients, but not to normal urothelial cells, cell mixtures from normal bladder specimens, fibroblasts, and blood cells. Beads coated with PLZ4 will have cancer cells bound on it when used for screen. It is labor intensive for human to read microscope images to make a diagnosis. A computer algorithm is developed to automate the segmentation and analysis. Methods: The computer algorithm has to complete two tasks. First, segment the image to isolate individual beads. Secondly, analysis each bead to determine whether it have cell binding. Various image processing algorithms were applied to pre‐process the image. A flood‐fill algorithm was used to isolate individual beads from background. A rejection mechanism was setup to throw away regions that are mis‐registered as beads to make the algorithm robust. The gradient magnitude of the image was used for deciding whether cell attachment exists. The regions around the edge and inside of the bead were analyzed. Scoring function was setup based on the training data. Results: The algorithm performed well in segmenting individual beads even when a lot of the beads are touching each other. Only about 1% of the beads failed to get detected. The algorithm assigns proper confidence level for cell attachment that is generally agreed by human. The result is improvable when more training data is provided. Conclusions: The automated detection and scoring algorithm for bladder transitional cell carcinoma screening with PLZ4 coated beads is promising for automatic imaging detection during diagnosis and follow‐up/surveillance of noninvasive and advanced bladder cancer.


Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the cannabinoids found in Cannabis sativa L. The action of CBD in the body is similar to that of neurotransmitters, thanks to which it regulates most of the biochemical processes taking place in the body. Research on CBD properties in equine veterinary medicine has begun relatively recently. It has recently been proven to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, stabilize the nervous system, and have a calming effect. Human studies suggest that, due to its effects on the endocannabinoid system, CBD will have a number of positive effects on equine homeostasis. Current research is focused on determining appropriate CBD doses for desirable therapeutic or heeling effects. The results of studies carried out so far have confirmed the effectiveness of CBD, which may lead to further research on the use of CBD in the treatment and health prevention of horses.


This review describes the state of the art of capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Properties of and interactions between stationary and mobile phases applied in CEC are described and discussed; developments in stationary phases, partly also monolithic stationary phases, are reviewed. Special attention is paid to the comparison of the behaviour of stationary and/or mobile phases under CEC versus HPLC conditions with respect to variables such as particle and pore size of the stationary phase, mobile phase composition, and temperature. These issues are discussed throughout the paper. A number of applications in CEC is presented as well.


BACKGROUND Tafenoquine, a single‐dose therapy for Plasmodium vivax malaria, has been associated with relapse prevention through the clearance of P. vivax parasitemia and hypnozoites, termed "radical cure." METHODS We performed a phase 3, prospective, double‐blind, double‐dummy, randomized, controlled trial to compare tafenoquine with primaquine in terms of safety and efficacy. The trial was conducted at seven hospitals or clinics in Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, and Thailand and involved patients with normal glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme activity and female patients with moderate G6PD enzyme deficiency; all patients had confirmed P. vivax parasitemia. The patients were randomly assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive a single 300‐mg dose of tafenoquine or 15 mg of primaquine once daily for 14 days (administered under supervision); all patients received a 3‐day course of chloroquine and were followed for 180 days. The primary safety outcome was a protocol‐defined decrease in the hemoglobin level (>3.0 g per deciliter or ≥30% from baseline or to a level of <6.0 g per deciliter). Freedom from recurrence of P. vivax parasitemia at 6 months was the primary efficacy outcome in a planned patient‐level meta‐analysis of the current trial and another phase 3 trial of tafenoquine and primaquine (per‐protocol populations), and an odds ratio for recurrence of 1.45 (tafenoquine vs. primaquine) was used as a noninferiority margin. RESULTS A protocol‐defined decrease in the hemoglobin level occurred in 4 of 166 patients (2.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9 to 6.0) in the tafenoquine group and in 1 of 85 patients (1.2%; 95% CI, 0.2 to 6.4) in the primaquine group, for a between‐group difference of 1.2 percentage points (95% CI, ‐4.2 to 5.0). In the patient‐level meta‐analysis, the percentage of patients who were free from recurrence at 6 months was 67.0% (95% CI, 61.0 to 72.3) among the 426 patients in the tafenoquine group and 72.8% (95% CI, 65.6 to 78.8) among the 214 patients in the primaquine group. The efficacy of tafenoquine was not shown to be noninferior to that of primaquine (odds ratio for recurrence, 1.81; 95% CI, 0.82 to 3.96). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with normal G6PD enzyme activity, the decline in hemoglobin level with tafenoquine did not differ significantly from that with primaquine. Tafenoquine showed efficacy for the radical cure of P. vivax malaria, although tafenoquine was not shown to be noninferior to primaquine. (Funded by GlaxoSmithKline and Medicines for Malaria Venture; GATHER ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02216123.)


This study aims to analyze Brazilian theses and dissertations, from 2005 to 2014, which deal with the identification of students with high skills / giftedness. We conducted a survey with the Bank of Theses and Dissertations of the Coordination of Personal Improvement of Higher Education, the Brazilian Library of Thesis and Dissertations, the Platform Sucupira and the main Graduate Programs with production in the area of Special Education in Brazil. The descriptors used were Identification, High Abilities, Giftedness, Precocity, Talent and Endowment. When analyzing the results we found that 20% of all publications deal with identification, with 2012 being the year with the highest number of publications. Regarding the place and type of publications, the dissertations and the Federal University of Sao Carlos stand out. Regarding the categorization of research, we highlight the identification of students in specific contexts, specific publics and the elaboration of identification instruments.


Introduction: The association between smoking and breast cancer prognosis has been investigated in several studies but remains unclear. To our knowledge, no study has investigated whether the response to different endocrine treatments differs between smokers and non-smokers. Smoking can suppress aromatase activity, but also increase inflammation, which may lead to higher activity. The aim was to investigate whether preoperative smoking was associated with risk of breast cancer events in endocrine-treated patients. Patients and methods: This population based cohort consisted of 1026 female breast cancer patients with invasive tumors and no preoperative treatment who were enrolled in an ongoing prospective cohort study at Skane University Hospital in Lund between October 2002 and June 2012. Pre- and postoperative questionnaires regarding lifestyle factors, including smoking status, and treatments were completed. Information on tumor characteristics, treatments, and dates for new breast cancer events or deaths was obtained from pathology reports, patients9 charts and population registers. A breast cancer event was defined as local or regional recurrence, contralateral breast cancer, or distant metastasis. Results: For the survival analyses, two patients were excluded due to missing information on smoking and eight patients were excluded due to metastatic spread within 0.3 years of inclusion, leaving 1016 patients of which 206 (20.3%) reported preoperative smoking. Less than 1% of the 810 preoperative non-smokers reported smoking at either the 3-6-months or 1-year postoperative visits, while about 10% of the patients who smoked preoperatively reported not to smoke during the follow-up visits. Thus, the majority of the patients did not switch smoking status. Patients were followed for up to 11 years (median 5.1 years for patients still at risk). Overall, there was no significant association between smoking and risk of breast cancer events (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.45: 95% CI 0.95-2.20; P=0.08) adjusted for patient and tumor characteristics. For the 408 tamoxifen-treated patients aged 50 years or older with estrogen receptor positive tumors, smoking was not significantly associated with risk for early events (adjusted HR 1.58: 95% CI 0.76-3.30; P=0.22). However, for the 309 aromatase inhibitor-treated patients aged 50 years or older with estrogen receptor positive tumors, smoking was significantly associated with a 3-fold increased risk of breast cancer events (adjusted HR 2.97: 95% CI 1.44-6.12; P=0.003). Some patients had been treated with sequential tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitor therapy. Conclusions: Preoperative smoking was associated with a significantly increased risk for breast cancer events among patients treated with aromatase inhibitors, but not among tamoxifen-treated patients. If confirmed, smoking status should be taken into consideration when selecting endocrine therapy. Citation Format: Jernstrom H, Persson M, Simonsson M, Markkula A, Rose C, Ingvar C. Tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors: Should smoking status impact on selection of endocrine therapy in breast cancer patients?. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-29.


Abstract Transposable elements are efficient DNA carriers and thus important tools for transgenesis and insertional mutagenesis. However, their poor target sequence specificity constitutes an important limitation for site-directed applications. The insertion sequence IS608 from Helicobacter pylori recognizes a specific tetranucleotide sequence by base pairing, and its target choice can be re-programmed by changes in the transposon DNA. Here, we present the crystal structure of the IS608 target capture complex in an active conformation, providing a complete picture of the molecular interactions between transposon and target DNA prior to integration. Based on this, we engineered IS608 variants to direct their integration specifically to various 12/17-nt long target sites by extending the base pair interaction network between the transposon and the target DNA. We demonstrate in vitro that the engineered transposons efficiently select their intended target sites. Our data further elucidate how the distinct secondary structure of the single-stranded transposon intermediate prevents extended target specificity in the wild-type transposon, allowing it to move between diverse genomic sites. Our strategy enables efficient targeting of unique DNA sequences with high specificity in an easily programmable manner, opening possibilities for the use of the IS608 system for site-specific gene insertions.


ABSTRACT The clutch size of the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) has been well studied across a range of latitudes and habitats and typically is 4 or 5 eggs. Neither polygyny nor brood parasitism has been reported for the species. I report here 3 instances of supernormal clutches, of 8 or 9 eggs, documented in kestrel nest boxes in north-central Florida and discuss 4 possible explanations for these observations. In 2 nests only 1 egg hatched, and in 1 nest none of the eggs hatched. Although I was unable to make a conclusive finding about the cause for supernormal clutches, it is likely that they were laid by more than 1 female, either cooperatively or non-cooperatively.


Platelet activation is critically regulated by an increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). Although Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ stores and subsequent store-operated Ca2+ entry are often thought to be the major contributors to increases in [Ca2+]i evoked by most agonists, high concentrations of thrombin activate a Ca2+ entry pathway that is independent of Ca2+ store depletion (known as 'non-capacitative cation entry'–NCCE). The channel that conducts NCCE has not previously been clearly identified, and the mechanisms that regulate its activation are also unknown. Here we have investigated NCCE using fura-2-loaded human platelets. To investigate NCCE independently of other Ca2+ signaling pathways, the intracellular Ca2+ stores were first rapidly depleted in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. Sr2+ was then added to monitor maximal store-operated cation influx. Thrombin was then added to stimulate NCCE. Flufenamic acid, which inhibits Ca2+ entry through most TRPC isoforms, but potentiates entry through TRPC6, was found to block store-operated cation entry. In contrast, thrombin-induced NCCE was increased, suggesting the possible involvement of TRPC6. Since TRPC6 is regulated by Src family tyrosine kinases in some cells, we investigated the possible role of this kinase family in NCCE. PP2, a Src family tyrosine kinase inhibitor, completely abolished thrombin-induced NCCE. Furthermore, NCCE was enhanced by phenylarsine oxide and could be directly induced by vanadyl hydroperoxide, both tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors. These data indicate that Src family tyrosine kinase activation is a required step in NCCE activation. In conclusion NCCE may be an important regulator of platelet activation when local thrombin concentrations are high.


A study was carried out to characterize the 20.3 ha of ex-mining land at Kg. Kepayang Baru,
Ipoh. The study shows that the ex-mining land can be classified into three groups i. e., sandy, clayey
and a mixture of sandy and clayey deposits. The bases, organic carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen contents
are very low. The cation exchange capacity is low, but pH is very high. The dominant minerals
in the clay fraction are kaolinite, mica and chlorite.