This study examines what drives the increasing hostility towards Ahmadiyah in post-Suharto Lombok. Fieldwork was undertaken in three villages – Pemongkong, Pancor and Ketapang – where Ahmadiyah communities lived and experienced violent attacks from 1998 to 2010. The stories from these villages are analysed within the context of a revival of local religious authority and the redefinition of the paradigm of ethno-religious identity. Furthermore, this thesis contends that the redrawing of identity in Lombok generates a new interdependency of different religious authorities, as well as novel political possibilities following the regime change. Finally, the thesis concludes there is a need to understand intercommunal religious violence by reference to specific local realities. Concomitantly, there is a need for greater caution in offering sweeping universal Indonesia-wide explanations that need to be qualified in terms of local contexts.


Although it is a well known fact that hepatocytes are the primary source of plasma proteinase inhibitors, including alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, this protein has also been detected in lung epithelial cells, which may suggest its local production. We have demonstrated that lung-derived epithelial cells are capable of synthesizing high levels of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. In normal bronchial epithelial cells, as well as in the HTB55 human adenocarcinoma cell line, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin synthesis was under the control of inflammatory cytokines, of which oncostatin M was the most potent stimulator. This finding is consistent with a role for this inhibitor in protecting the lung epithelium from damage by chymotrypsin-like enzymes released from phagocytes such as neutrophils following pathogen invasion.


The purpose of this study is to determine whether burnout levels of special education teachers working with hearing, orthopedic and mentally impaired students in Bursa, Turkey differ according to some independent variables such as gender, family status, years of teaching experience, educational background and school type. A descriptive approach incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods was adopted in the present study to collect data. To analyse the quantitative data, t-tests and Mann WhitneyU test and descriptive analysis were used. A total of 67 teachers were selected from the seven special education schools in Bursa, Turkey. Each subject was given both the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Personal Information Form. Fourteen of the voluntarily participant teachers were interviewed. The results of the study revealed the fact that teachers working in special education schools had been experiencing burnout at very high levels. When burnout levels were investigated with respect to the type of the schools where the teachers work, significant differences were found in all subscales. To overcome burnout syndrome, it is necessary to train qualified teachers not only psychologically but also physiologically. For this reason, teachers both during pre-service and in-service education periods should take some courses, which will help them avoid burnout.


This study was undertaken to determine whether acute injection of the beta-adrenoceptor BRL 35135, which is known to activate thermogenesis, could correct the earliest detectable metabolic abnormalities that characterize brown (BAT) and white (WAT) adipose tissues of pre-obese Zucker rats. In 14-day-old pups, a single intraperitoneal injection of BRL (10 micrograms/g, 3 h before sacrifice) had no effect on uncoupling protein mRNA content in BAT of lean pups, whereas the low level of this mRNA was restored to normal in pre-obese rats. Both lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity and mRNA content, which were decreased in BAT of pre-obese compared to lean pups (-60%), were stimulated after BRL injection. However, this effect was more pronounced in fa/fa than in Fa/fa rats (+100% and +50%, respectively). In BAT, the increase in fatty acid synthetase (FAS) activity observed in fa/fa rats compared to their lean Fa/fa littermates was not reduced. In WAT, the stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors had no effect on lipid storage capacity, since FAS and LPL activities remained unchanged. In conclusion, pre-obese Zucker fa/fa rats are responsive to BRL 35135 treatment: acute administration of this drug was able to improve impaired thermogenesis and to correct temporarily other abnormalities of early emergence in BAT. This treatment had no effect in WAT. Taken together, our data reinforce the hypothesis that reduced sympathetic activity in BAT is one of the primary lesions of the obese rat which may play a key role in the development of this genetic obesity.


Background: The pharmacological study of mechanoreceptors embedded within tissue is hampered by tissue barriers to applied research drugs. Methods: Hyaluronidase increases the permeability of tissues and is used clinically to facilitate the distribution of injected drugs. An in vitro rat sinus hair preparation was used to determine whether hyaluronidase (1,500 or 3,000 IU/10 mL) had an effect on drug access to receptor sites on slowly adapting St I and St II mechanoreceptors. Electrical recordings were made from single mechanoreceptor units that were activated by trapezoid ramp stimuli. Cinnamaldehyde (500–1,500 μM) and capsazepine (100 μM) were used as test drugs. Changes in onset time and degree of depression of firing due to test drugs were compared to control experiments not employing hyaluronidase. Results: There were no statistical effects on any of the observed measures. Often the effects were opposite to those predicted. Using a likelihood approach, it was calculated that there was strong evidence (log-likelihood ratios from −0.5 to −6.5) to support a null effect over a facilitatory effect. There was no evidence of loss of integrity of mechanoreceptor mechanotransduction mechanisms following hyaluronidase applications. Comparison with Existing Method: The use of hyaluronidase does not facilitate drug access to receptors. Conclusions: In the in vitro sinus hair preparation, the addition of hyaluronidase does not allow easier access to slowly adapting mechanoreceptors within the follicle.


Many studies have shown that incumbent candidates have an electoral advantage over nonincumbents under single-member-district systems, but less is known about whether incumbents enjoy the same electoral bonus under other electoral rules. This article focuses on multimember-district systems that allow intraparty competition and contends that incumbents may have little advantage or even a disadvantage over nonincumbents of the same party under these systems, although the incentives to cultivate a personal vote—one of the main sources of incumbency advantage—are greater in these systems. I demonstrate my argument using electoral data from Japan during 1958–93 when the country used the single nontransferable vote system. Having applied an estimation of incumbency advantage immune to endogeneity bias due to strategic retirement, I find supportive evidence to my argument. The results suggest that there is an important variation in incumbency advantage across electoral systems.


This study was aimed at determining the antibacterial effects of the selected plant leaf extracts of Tagetes minuta, Aloe secundiflora, Vernonia lasiopus and Bulbine frutescens against clinical isolate of Escherichia coli. The plants materials were obtained from Kenyatta University arboretum and identified by University taxonomist and voucher specimen deposited in the University. Methanol was used as the solvent for the extraction process and the antimicrobial activity test carried out using the disc diffusion method. All the plants extracts analysed had antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli with Tagetes minuta extract being the most active at low concentrations (8.7 mg/ml). The standard antibiotic used for positive control was ciprofloxacin (5 μg/ml) while distilled water and dimethyl sulphoxide were used as negative control. Screening of phytochemical showed the presence of four phytochemicals; saponins, tannins, alkaloids and flavonoids.


The purpose of this study was to assess the differences in terms of age, gender and socioeconomic background in social behavior (social skills and behavior problems), focused attention, inhibitory control, positive and negative emotionality and regulation of positive and negative emotions in Argentinean children aged 3, 5 and 7 years. A developmental cross-sectional study was carried out where the parents and teachers of 623 children participated. Parents reported on socio-demographic issues, children's temperament and emotional processes, while teachers provided information on children's social behavior. Comparisons between groups were conducted by analysis of variance. The most marked differences were attributed, firstly, to children's age, and secondly, to gender. Overall, the children aged three showed a lower performance than the other groups, but development was not linear on all the processes, as the children aged five showed a similar or better performance than the children aged seven when considering several variables.


Background: Medical students feel a significant amount of stress due to a variety of factors. Few studies have explored the relative size of these various stressors to identify which are most important. This study was undertaken to quantify the magnitude of various sources of stress among students of a medical college at Kolkata, West Bengal, and also to assess the reliability of Medical Students′ Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ-40) in this context. Methods: We evaluated the degree of stress along various dimensions using the MSSQ-40, a scale to measure stress among medical students that has been validated in other countries. Differences in stress and its causal factors were analyzed across demographic subgroups. The reliability of the MSSQ-40 was evaluated using Cronbach′s alpha. Results: The overall prevalence of stress was 91.1% and the vast majority of students (94.9%) were stressed due to academic reasons. Academic related stress was found to be higher among students who are not conversant with the local language, experienced a change in medium of teaching from secondary school to medical school, and resided in a hostel. The MSSQ-40 in general, and its academic-related stress domain specifically, were found to be reliable in our setting. Discussion: Early detection and remedying stressors will help to build physical and mental health in medical students. Language training early during the medical course might reduce academic stress among our students. Further studies should relate individuals′ stress with their academic performance.


Over 20 years ago, when I was reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in school, I did not realise that Juliet's lament, "What's in a name? that which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet," would also conjure up such bittersweet experiences for me.

I was green and timid when I entered Aberdeen University Medical School straight from cosmopolitan Malaysia, petrified that I would have difficulty following the lectures and understanding the patients. Scottish names were new to me—like an entirely different language. And as I stumbled over the pronunciation of the names of fellow classmates, they equally had difficulty over my Chinese name.

"I'm Lee-Suan Teh," I volunteered again, without much hope that it would be remembered. "Yes, Suan, pronounced like swan and Teh, like the River Tay," I …


This paper reviews some of the important factors related to the impact of population bottlenecks, using the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostrus) as a case study for illustration. The northern elephant seal was hunted extensively in the 19th century and forced through a bottleneck of approximately 10–20 seals. All measures of molecular genetic variation show current levels for the northern elephant seal to be low. Levels of genetic variation were compared with expectations based on a simulation model that recapitulates demographic growth, based on age-specific data on reproduction and mortality. Predictions from the simulation model are then presented to illustrate the importance of differences in life-history strategy and skewed reproductive success. Either high reproductive skew (e.g. polygyny) or a low growth rate in a population can increase the impact of a bottleneck on molecular variation. Severe population bottlenecks can also disrupt aspects of developmental stability and thereby increase the fluctuating asymmetry and variability of quantitative traits. A comparison of skulls collected before and after the bottleneck showed this to have occurred for some elephant seal quantitative characters.


complex problem of controlling a system which is multi-input, multi-output, non-linear and time variant. In this paper some adaptive fuzzy, and a new hybrid fuzzy control algorithm have been comparatively evaluated through simulations, for manipulator control. The adaptive fuzzy controllers consist of self-organizing, self-tuning, and coarse/fine adaptive fuzzy schemes. These controllers are tested for different trajectories and for varying manipulator parameters through simulations. Various performance indices like the RMS error, steady state error and maximum error are used for comparison. It is observed that the self-organizing fuzzy controller gives the best performance. The proposed hybrid fuzzy plus integral error controller also performs remarkably well, given its simple structure.


Given the absence of comprehensive studies on market structure and haircuts for repo and securities lending transactions, this study provides a quantitative analysis of the subject using government bonds and equities transaction data covering most of the Japanese market. Specifically, we conducted a panel data regression analysis of government bond repo transactions, controlling for factors such as transaction entities and transaction types, and provided a detailed analysis of the haircut-setting mechanism. Accordingly, we determined that explanatory variables affecting credit risk, market risk, and liquidity risk, such as the credit quality of government bonds, the residual maturity of government bonds, and the presence of foreign exchange risk, significantly impact haircut setting. Furthermore, financial institutions closer to the center of the network, which engage in transactions with additional financial institutions, tend to set lower haircut rates through more efficient matching of borrowing and lending needs for cash and securities. Thus, the credit quality of government bonds transacted, exchange rate stability, and the presence of intermediaries important to the trading network significantly impact the degree of market functioning. The results were robust, paving the way for further discussions on trends and risk management of securities financing transactions, which are essential to financial markets.


The structural vibration due to earthquake or outside impact causes serious problem for building safety. A dynamic model of a friction damper which can be constructed and installed easily is needed to reduce the vibration of the building. In this paper, the experimental equation of a circular friction damper is derived and designed for reduction of a earthquake vibration of a building. The developed experimental equation is defined to simply design the capacity on design of the circular friction damper based on the results of the performance test. Finally this experimental equation can be used for the design of a circular friction damper.


Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common disease and is defined as the development of a blood clot in the major deep veins in the body, which might result in impaired venous blood flow, leg swelling, and pain. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of deep venous thrombosis, its risk factors, and therapeutic strategies among adult patients in Al-Madinah province. Methods: This analytical descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2017 to August 2020 and included all DVT cases in Al-Madinah governmental hospitals and those recorded from medical records and online questionnaire which was delivered by social media to Al-Madinah residence. Results: Out of 1,397 participants, 385 patients had DVT with a prevalence of 27.56%, including 65.2% of females and 34.8% of males. The most affected age was 40 years and older. Among the evaluated risk factors, immobility/long distance traveling was the most common risk factor (15.8%). Smoking showed a significant gender difference ( p = 0.001) in males when compared to females, and the oral antithrombotic medications were the most used therapeutic strategy. Conclusion: It was found that DVT is a common disease in Al-Madinah with a higher prevalence (27.56%) compared to the worldwide 1/1,000 population every year, with a higher frequency in females than males. In Al-Madinah province, the immobility is considered to be the most common contributing risk factor in developing DVT.


Fine-tuning pre-trained neural network models has become a widely adopted approach across various domains. However, it can lead to the distortion of pre-trained feature extractors that already possess strong generalization capabilities. Mitigating feature distortion during adaptation to new target domains is crucial. Recent studies have shown promising results in handling feature distortion by aligning the head layer on in-distribution datasets before performing fine-tuning. Nonetheless, a significant limitation arises from the treatment of batch normalization layers during fine-tuning, leading to suboptimal performance. In this paper, we propose Domain-Aware Fine-Tuning (DAFT), a novel approach that incorporates batch normalization conversion and the integration of linear probing and fine-tuning. Our batch normalization conversion method effectively mitigates feature distortion by reducing modifications to the neural network during fine-tuning. Additionally, we introduce the integration of linear probing and fine-tuning to optimize the head layer with gradual adaptation of the feature extractor. By leveraging batch normalization layers and integrating linear probing and fine-tuning, our DAFT significantly mitigates feature distortion and achieves improved model performance on both in-distribution and out-of-distribution datasets. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our method outperforms other baseline methods, demonstrating its effectiveness in not only improving performance but also mitigating feature distortion.


We explore a methodology for patterned copper nanoparticle paste for 3D interconnect applications in wafer to wafer (W2W) bonding. A novel fine pitch thermal compression bonding process (sintering) with coated copper nanoparticle paste was developed. Most of the particle size is between 10-30 nm. Lithographically defined stencil printing using photoresist and lift-off was used to apply and pattern the paste. Variations in sintering process parameters, such as: pressure, geometry and ambient atmosphere, were studied. Compared to Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) microsolder bumps, we achieved better interconnect resistivity after sintering at 260 °C for 10 min, in a 700 mBar hydrogen forming gas (H2/N2) environment. The electrical resistivity was 7.84 ± 1.45 μΩ∙cm, which is about 4.6 times that of bulk copper. In addition, metallic nanoparticle interconnect porosity can influence the electrical properties of the interconnect. Consequently, we investigated the porosity effect on conductivity using finite element simulation. A linear relationship between the equivalent conductivity and particle overlapping ratio was found.


Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), the most frequent complication of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) reactivation, is characterized by pain that persists for greater than 1 mo and often for years after zoster rash. To examine whether PHN might be related to reactivation of VZV, blood mononuclear cells of patients with PHN were tested for the presence of VZV DNA and proteins. VZV DNA was detected in the mononuclear cells of one PHN patient. VZV-specific proteins were detected in mononuclear cells of two acute-varicella patients, one acute zoster patient, and six elderly patients with PHN, but these VZV-specific proteins were not detected in three elderly zoster patients without PHN. Furthermore, pulse-chase experiments revealed further processing or degradation of VZV-specific proteins in the mononuclear cells. These findings strongly suggest that persistence, reactivation, and expression of VZV may result in PHN.


Spell checking andmorphological analysis are two fundamental tasks in text and natural language processing and are addressed in the early stages of the development of language technology. Despite the previous efforts, there is no progress in open-source to create such tools for Sorani Kurdish, also known as Central Kurdish, as a less-resourced language. In this paper, we present our efforts in annotating a lexicon with morphosyntactic tags and also, extracting morphological rules of Sorani Kurdish to build a morphological analyzer, a stemmer and a spell-checking system using Hunspell. This implementation can be used for further developments in the field by researchers and also, be integrated into text editors under a publicly available license.1


A hybrid test data compression technique is proposed to reduce the test application time while keeping test power low by assigning "don't cares" to reduce transitions. Initially, test data set is compressed by 0/1 prefix run-length codes. Then, the compressed data are chopped into fixed-length blocks and further encoded by Huffman algorithm. It is observed that the global compression is highly dependent upon the chopping size of initially compressed data upon run-length codes. Since the actual Huffman codes make use of a very small portion of the complete coding space, the decoding logic of our hybrid scheme can be implemented with a very small area penalty. The experiments show significant data compression compared with state-of-the-art techniques


Background The rising prevalence of Diabetes mellitus (DM) in high TB endemic countries has the potential to adversely affect sustainability of TB control since DM can lead to alterations in both innate and adaptive immune response constituting as a risk factor for development of active tuberculosis (TB). The impact of hyperglycemia on TB specific innate immune response in terms of macrophage functions remains poorly addressed. Material and methods Macrophage effector functions in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals with and without PTB infection as well as non-diabetic-uninfected controls (fifty individuals in each group) were assessed. Phagocytic capacity against BCG and surface expression of PRRs (CD11b, CD14, CD206, MARCO and TLR2) were measured via flow cytometry. Effector molecules (ROS and NO) were assessed via DCFDA and Griess reaction respectively. Results A systematic dysregulation in phagocytic capacity with concurrent alterations in expression pattern of key PRRs (CD11b, MARCO and CD206) and effector molecules (ROS and NO) was observed in diabetic individuals with PTB. These altered macrophage functions were positively correlated with increase in disease severity in diabetic individuals. Conclusion Our results highlight several key patterns of immune dysregulation against M.Tb under hyperglycemic conditions. A significant reduction in macrophage effector functions in infected diabetic individuals which further correlated with increase in disease severity reveals a negative impact of hyperglycemia with aetiology and pathological progression of TB.


Federated learning (FL) is a framework for machine learning across heterogeneous client devices in a privacy-preserving fashion. To date, most FL algorithms learn a"global"server model across multiple rounds. At each round, the same server model is broadcast to all participating clients, updated locally, and then aggregated across clients. In this work, we propose a more general procedure in which clients"select"what values are sent to them. Notably, this allows clients to operate on smaller, data-dependent slices. In order to make this practical, we outline a primitive, federated select, which enables client-specific selection in realistic FL systems. We discuss how to use federated select for model training and show that it can lead to drastic reductions in communication and client memory usage, potentially enabling the training of models too large to fit on-device. We also discuss the implications of federated select on privacy and trust, which in turn affect possible system constraints and design. Finally, we discuss open questions concerning model architectures, privacy-preserving technologies, and practical FL systems.


An efficient search procedure for CELP coders is described. Based on the phase spectra of the codevectors and the ideal excitation vector, a subset of the codebook is preselected. This subset is then exhaustively searched to find the best, perhaps optimum, codevector. Computational savings of the order of 30-40 are achieved while still maintaining good output speech quality. >


All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science has been peer reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing. □ Type of peer review: Double-blind □ Describe criteria used by Reviewers when accepting/declining papers. Was there the opportunity to resubmit articles after revisions? All submitted articles underwent double anonymous review. The reviewers were based on the assessment of the topic of the submitted materials, the relevance of the study, the scientific significance and novelty, the quality of the materials, and the originality of the work. Authors could revise the article and submit it again for review. Reviewers, program committee members and organizing committee members did not enter into discussions with the authors of the articles. □ Conference submission management system: 1. Sending materials to the organizers of the conference (firstname.lastname@example.com, managed by Gibadullin Arthur); 2. Verification of compliance with the subject of the conference; 3. Checking materials for plagiarism using two systems; 4. Submitting for double blind review; 5. Checking the quality of translation of the article into English; 6. Checking for the correct design of materials; 7. Submission of materials to the Publisher. □ Number of submissions received: 146 □ Number of submissions sent for review: 137 □ Number of submissions accepted: 69 □ Acceptance Rate (Number of Submissions Accepted / Number of Submissions Received X 100): 47,2% □ Average number of reviews per paper: 2 □ Total number of reviewers involved: 21 □ Any additional info on review process: To be accepted for publication, the material must have the following requirements: compliance with the conference theme; a high level of originality of the text (at least 80%); positive expertise of reviewers; good level of English and well-formed material. □ Contact person for queries: Gibadullin Arthur - Candidate of Sciences, State University of Management, Moscow, Russian Federation - Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee (email@example.com)


75 patients were randomized to be treated with either emepronium bromide (Cetiprin) 200 mg 4 times a day or placebo after transurethral resection of the prostate. The patients were evaluated urodynamically pre- and postoperatively, and further evaluated by micturition symptom charts. No significant differences in symptoms or objective findings were found between the patients treated with emepronium bromide and those treated with placebo.


The institutional discourse of the European Union (EU) is undergoing important changes that are also reflected by new initiatives in its communication policy. Against a background of widespread scepticism towards EU enlargement among the public, this change is driven by the need to promote the widening of its borders in a more effective way in order to prompt popular endorsement. Through the use of its textual and visual communicative strategies, the EU is thus finding new ways to buttress its legitimacy and raise consensus around its political actions. The node of interaction between citizens and institutions is represented by the informative publications of the EU (also made available on the europa website), which become a constitutive element in building Union-to-citizen communication. The analysis of textual and visual formulations of the European Commission's key booklets on EU enlargement in the period from 2004 to 2007 - in terms of their content and pragmatic aims - reveals the emergence of new consensus-building strategies. Results show that a sense of allegiance and belonging attributed to a deepening of European integration is now increasingly linked to the practical advantages of EU enlargement, as expressed through the use of 'promotional' and strategic discursive practices. Moving away from a merely informative content, communication modes 'migrate' towards a more direct and 'commodified' type of message, while an increase in visual elements plays a complementing role in promoting legitimacy and a feeling of mutual belonging between 'old' and 'new' members of the European family.


Providing expressing human variable λ (hV s) of the genetically modified mouse sequences, including expression of mouse hV s sequence from the endogenous mouse λ light chain locus, the expression of mouse hV s sequence from the endogenous κ light chain locus mice, and the mice from the mouse sequence to which hVλ constant sequence or episomal transgene expression hVλ sequence. Which provides for generating human antigen binding protein somatically mutated variable λ derived from mouse sequences. Provided for generating a variable λ comprising a human antigen binding protein comprises a sequence of compositions and methods of human antibodies.


The rate of glycogenolysis was measured using 13C-NMR in vivo in the rat heart following a glucagon bolus. Glycogen that had just been synthesized during a 50 min infusion of D-[1-13C]glucose and insulin was degraded at a rate of 2.5 mumol/min/g wet wt following a 250 micrograms bolus of glucagon. If a second 50 min infusion of unlabelled glucose followed the D-[-13C]glucose, the rate of mobilization of the labelled glycogen following glucagon was slower (0.52 mumol/min/g wet wt), indicating that the labeled glycogen was less accessible to the activated phosphorylase. Glycogen phosphorylase a (GPa) activity was measured in hearts freeze-clamped at intervals after the glucagon bolus. Activity rose rapidly to 6-fold basal and then returned to basal over 20-30 min (t1/2 decay of phosphorylase activity = 5.1 min). This time course paralleled the exponential fall in heart glycogen which followed glucagon (t1/2 = 4.3 min). Throughout the post-glucagon period the activity of phosphorylase exceeded the rate of glycogenolysis. These findings suggest that the activity of the phosphorylated form of glycogen phosphorylase (GPa) is an important but not the sole determinant of glycogen breakdown in the heart after a glucagon bolus.


As cancer cell populations evolve, they accumulate a number of somatic mutations, resulting in heterogeneous subclones in the final tumor. Understanding the mechanisms that produce intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) is important for selecting the best treatment. Although some studies have involved ITH simulations, their model settings differed substantially. Thus, only limited conditions were explored in each. Herein, we developed a general framework for simulating ITH patterns and a simulator (tumopp). Tumopp offers many setting options so that simulations can be carried out under various settings. Setting options include how the cell division rate is determined, how daughter cells are placed, and how driver mutations are treated. Furthermore, to account for the cell cycle, we introduced a gamma function for the waiting time involved in cell division. Tumopp also allows simulations in a hexagonal lattice, in addition to a regular lattice that has been used in previous simulation studies. A hexagonal lattice produces a more biologically reasonable space than a regular lattice. Using tumopp, we investigated how model settings affect the growth curve and ITH pattern. It was found that, even under neutrality (with no driver mutations), tumopp produced dramatically variable patterns of ITH and tumor morphology, from tumors in which cells with different genetic background are well intermixed to irregular shapes of tumors with a cluster of closely related cells. This result suggests a caveat in analyzing ITH data with simulations with limited settings, and tumopp will be useful to explore ITH patterns in various conditions. Author Summary Understanding the mechanisms that produce intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) is important for selecting the best treatment. Despite a growing body of data and tools for analyzing ITH, the spatial structure and its evolution are poorly understood because of the lack of well established theoretical framework. Herein, we provide a general framework for simulating ITH patterns, under which a simulator (tumopp) is developed. Tumopp offers many setting options so that simulations can be carried out under various settings. Simulations using tumopp demonstrate that dramatically variable patterns of ITH and tumor morphology can be produced depending on the model setting. The present work provides a guideline for future simulation studies of cancer cell populations.


Based on an extended Skyrme interaction that includes the terms in relative momenta up to sixth order, corresponding to the so-called Skyrme pseudopotential up to next-to-next-to-next-to leading order (N3LO), we derive the expressions of Hamiltonian density and single nucleon potential under general non-equilibrium conditions which can be applied in transport model simulations of heavy-ion collisions induced by neutron-rich nuclei. While the conventional Skyrme interactions, which include the terms in relative momenta up to second order, predict an incorrect behavior as a function of energy for nucleon optical potential in nuclear matter, the present extended N3LO Skyrme interaction can give a nice description for the empirical nucleon optical potential. We also construct three interaction sets with different high-density behaviors of the symmetry energy, by fitting both the empirical nucleon optical potential up to energy of 1 GeV and the empirical properties of isospin asymmetric nuclear matter. These extended N3LO Skyrme interactions will be useful in transport model simulations of heavy-ion collisions induced by neutron-rich nuclei at intermediate and high energies, and they can also be useful in nuclear structure studies within the mean-field model.


Axons from olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) expressing a specific odorant receptor (OR) project to specific subsets of glomeruli in the olfactory bulb (for review, see Mombaerts, 1999, 2001). The aim of this study was to examine the trajectories that subsets of axons from OSNs expressing the same OR follow within the olfactory nerve and olfactory nerve layer (ONL) of adult mice. Using confocal microscopy, we generated serial reconstructions of axons from M72-IRES-tauGFP-expressing OSNs as they coursed within the ONL and into glomeruli. GFP-expressing axons were loosely aggregated in the outer ONL; however, as they entered the inner ONL, the majority fasciculated with other GFP-expressing axons before entering the glomerular neuropil. Although the vast majority of axons entered the glomerulus from the directly apposed ONL, some followed tortuous courses through and/or around adjacent glomeruli before terminating in the target glomerulus. Similar observations were made on subpopulations of axons in M71-IRES-tauGFP and P2-IRES-tauGFP mice. Ultrastructural analyses of labeled M72 glomeruli showed no evidence of axodendritic synapses other than those with GFP-labeled axon terminals. These data are consistent with the notion that OSN axons are highly precise in targeting glomeruli and that glomeruli, in turn, are highly homogeneous with regard to the OR expressed by the innervating OSNs. Because some single axons could follow idiosyncratic trajectories to the target glomerulus, it appears that stable homotypic fasciculation is not a prerequisite for correct targeting.


This study was conducted to explore the entire spectrum of initiatives that have evolved globally over time in health care delivery mechanisms. The quality improvement initiatives that have been reviewed were undertaken at the department of radiology at a tertiary care teaching hospital in the developing world. This article reveals that conducting only clinical audits is not enough to bring about improvements in the health care delivery processes. It also illustrates examples of other initiatives that combine to enable sustainable, safe and high quality health care services for the patients whom we serve.


Increasing the bandwidth of speech signals from the classical telephone bandwidth of 300-3400 Hz to the wider bandwidth of 50-7000 Hz results in increased intelligibility and naturalness. This work presents a low complexity and low latency bandwidth extension approach for speech coding that is suitable for mixed asynchronous and synchronous transmission. At the encoder, the speech signal is sampled at a rate of 16 kHz and decomposed into two subbands of equal bandwidth. The lower subband signal is transmitted using a synchronous connection oriented link. The signal of the higher subband is analyzed resulting in signal parameters that are transmitted asynchronously. This technique can be used with communication links that provide simultaneous data and narrow band speech transmission as for example with Bluetooth.


The use of software in violation of applicable licensing agreements and copyright laws are reaching endemic proportions. One population cluster strongly linked to illegal software acts is the university student. While some research is available on patterns of illegal software use for non-monetary gain (softlifting) under residential student populations, a dearth of information exists on student populations at distance institutions.


During a long period, there have been a lot of switch problems between TD-SCDMA which is Chinese standard and GSM networks. How to keep their promises to provide users with seamless high-quality coverage, diversification, as well as high-speed business experience? This is the commercial problem that 3G network operators must to overcome in the future. By using K1205 signaling analyzer, the signaling in switch are traced, we found that the cause which led to switch failure was the ambiguity of protocol. Analyzing the related 3GPP protocol we proposed some solutions to this switch problem between TD-SCDMA and GSM.


Multiple myeloma diagnosis and follow-up are based on monoclonal protein measurement. The estimation of monoclonal immunoglobulin production requires serum protein electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis and free light chain assay. However these classical assays have some limitations. Hevylite™ IgA (Binding Site) is a new nephelometric/turbidimetric assay allowing the IgA κ and IgA λ measurement. The aim of this study was to determine the performance of this assay, for the diagnosis and follow-up of myeloma patients at different stages. Sixty seven frozen sera from 26 patients were assayed. Total IgA, IgA κ, IgA λ concentrations, serum protein electrophoresis and serum immunofixation were performed at diagnosis and during follow-up. All myeloma patients had an abnormal IgA κ/IgA λ ratio at diagnosis. During disease monitoring, the IgA κ or IgA λ concentrations correlated well with the electrophoretic estimation of the monoclonal spike and the values of total IgA. Hevylite™ test was more sensitive than serum protein electrophoresis and provided numerical and reproductible assessment of the monoclonal and non-monoclonal isotype. The IgA κ/IgA λ ratio allowed early prediction of disease relapse. Hevylite™ is an interesting assay especially when the monoclonal IgA comigrates on electrophoresis with normal proteins making impossible a reliable densitometric estimation. Hevylite™ might become an important assay in the biological exploration of gammopathies.


This chapter discusses the evolution of the definition of dietary fiber and the methodology to service this definition. Cereals are an important source of fiber in the human diet and therefore accurate analyses of the compounds that make up this dietary component are needed. The need to quantify the amount of carbohydrate that affects blood glucose levels led to methods to measure "available" carbohydrates and the recognition of the presence of "unavailable" carbohydrates, although no physiological role was assigned for this latter material. The term dietary fiber was introduced in 1953 and a physiological definition was introduced in 1976. A concerted effort was made to develop a method to service this definition through research. The outcome was the Prosky method (AOAC Method 985.29), which was accepted in 1985 as the gold standard method for the measurement of dietary fiber. As our understanding of the physiological importance of dietary fiber has advanced, it was realized that carbohydrates other than those measured by AOAC Method 985.29, namely resistant starch and non-digestible oligosaccharides, should also be included in the definition and measured and a new definition for dietary fiber was released by Codex Alimentarius. This definition includes resistant starch and the option to include non-digestible oligosaccharides. An integrated total dietary fiber (INTDF) method was developed in 2007 (AOAC Methods 2009.01 and 2011.25) and in 2015 was updated as a rapid integrated total dietary fiber method.


The diagnosis, management, and prevention of HIV infection in incarcerated populations were among the topics examined at the 21st National Conference on Correctional Health Care, held in San Antonio in November. The presence of HIV/AIDS in the prison system is examined in terms of barriers to prevention strategies, uses of compassionate release programs for terminally ill prisoners, and the accessibility and cost of treatment regimens for prisoners. Findings from two studies, one Canadian and the other from the Ninth National Survey of HIV/AIDS, STDs, and TB in Correctional Facilities, are presented. The Canadian study reveals that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS within the Canadian prison population was 2 percent in the general inmate population, 9 percent among inmates who were injection drug users (IDUs), and 14 percent among IDUs that shared needles. The American study shows an HIV-seropositivity rate in prisons four times greater than in the U.S. population, and the number of inmates living with AIDS is six times that in the total U.S. population. The current prevalence of HIV/AIDS among United States and Federal prison inmates is summarized in a table. Housing and segregation policies regarding HIV/AIDS inmates in U.S. prisons have decreased, although most correctional systems offer some discharge planning services. As of 1996, nearly all prison systems had policies that provide for HIV therapies; however, only 80 percent allow for viral load monitoring. The inmate population and the public at large are best served by a system in which the coordinated efforts of public health and correctional systems develop policies and programs to prevent HIV from spreading and help those who are infected.


Background: Plantar fibromatosis, known as Ledderhose disease, is a neoplastic disease characterized by a locally-aggressive bland fibroblastic proliferation. Although Pacinian corpuscles alterations are commonly described in palmar fibromatosis, there are still no references about Pacinian corpuscles alterations in the rarer plantar version. Methods: We present a case report where a wide cutaneous resection, including the plantar fascia was performed, allowing a detailed study of Pacinian corpuscles. Pacinian corpuscles were analyzed using immunohistochemistry for neurofilament proteins, S100 protein, CD34, vimentin, glucose transporter 1, epithelial membrane antigen, neural-cell adhesion molecule, actin, desmin, type IV collagen, and high-affinity neurotrophin Trk-receptors. Moreover, the density and the size of the corpuscles were determined. Results: A clear increase in the number (hyperplasia) of Pacinian corpuscles was evidenced in the Ledderhose disease plantar fascia in comparison with similarly aged normal subjects. Pacinian hypertrophy was not demonstrated, but a significant decrease in the number of corpuscular lamellae was noted, with a subsequent increase in the interlamellar spaces. Pacinian corpuscles from the pathological plantar fascia showed an abnormal structure and immunohistochemical profile, generally without identifiable axons, and also absence of an inner core or an intermediate layer. Moreover, other molecules related with trophic maintenance of corpuscles were also absent. Finally, a vascular proliferation was commonly noted in some corpuscles, which involved all corpuscular constituents. Conclusion: The observed Pacinian corpuscles hyperplasia could be considered a diagnostic clue of plantar fibromatosis.


Web application design requires the modeling of multiple, separate concerns, such as the navigational structure, the business logic and the data persistence. To this aim, several methodologies have been conceived. One of them, the Web Application Extension (WAE), extends the UML notation by means of stereotypes and tagged values intended to capture Web-specific concepts (e.g., the navigational structure). Although the WAE methodology is nowadays quite mature and ready for industrial adoption, the question whether it is able to actually facilitate the task of developers and maintainers has still to be empirically investigated. This paper reports and discusses the results from a controlled experiment on the benefits associated with the use of the WAE notation in the execution of comprehension tasks, carried out before maintenance. The WAE notation was compared against the use of pure unified modified language. Results indicate that the use of the WAE notation significantly improves the level of comprehension, although it does not increase the time needed to perform the comprehension task in a significant way. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Several lines of evidence support the presence of dosage-sensitive genes on chromosome 21 that regulate leukemogenesis and hematopoiesis. We report a detailed clinical and molecular characterization of 3 patients with chronic thrombocytopenia caused by distinct constitutional microdeletions involving chromosomal region 21q22.12. The patients exhibited growth restriction, dysmorphic features, and developmental delays. One patient developed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) at 6 years of age. All 3 deletions included the RUNX1, CLIC6, DSCR, and KCNE1 genes. Our data provide additional support for the role of RUNX1 haploinsufficiency in megakaryopoiesis and predisposition to AML. The leukemic clone had trisomy 21 resulting from duplication of chromosome 21 containing the RUNX1 deletion. This shows that genes other than RUNX1 must also play a role in AML associated with trisomy 21. We recommend that children with syndromic thrombocytopenia have clinical array-comparative genomic hybridization analysis and appropriate cytogenetic studies to facilitate our ability to provide a definitive diagnosis.


A potential endoradiotherapeutic drug, 6-211At-astato-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinol bis (diphosphate salt), incorporating the alpha-emitting radio-halogen astatine-211 of half-life 7.2 h, is shown to be valuable for localization studies by means of alpha-particle track autoradiography in malignant and normal cells and tissues in the mouse with transplanted adenocarcinoma of the rectum.


This essay deals, mainly, with a moral problem. The problem is that on the one hand no objective and dispassionate observer can fail to feel deeply uncomfortable about the role of Dutch politicians and militaries in the Srebrenica-drama. On the other hand, the paradox is that it is far from easy to single out individual agents to whom one can ascribe a moral responsibility for the drama having been possible. There is, thus, a perplexing discrepancy between moral guilt on, the one hand, and what individual agents can reasonably be said to be morally guilty of, on the other. This essay is an attempt to deal with this moral paradox. And, when trying to do so, it emphasizes the significance of the role of collective actors (in this case the Dutch army).


Abstract The use of risk maps is widespread and also mentioned in risk management standards. These visualizations display sets of risks by plotting each risk along two axes, representing the probability of occurrence and impact. Using an eye-tracking methodology, data on the cognitive processing of information from such risk maps were collected in order to examine why certain decisions are taken and what may influence their comprehension of this information. Data were collected from German and Indian participants. Those two countries are interesting for this study, as they differ greatly in several relevant domains like uncertainty avoidance or individualism. We found that individuals are generally able to perform a visual search task using a risk map but have more difficulty in making comparisons between two risks based on this type of visualization. The findings suggest that performance was related to cognitive reflection and that participants who reflected more on their decisions had a higher share of their fixations on target regions. In line with existing research, there seems to be evidence to support that cultural influences are at play when people work with risk maps, as Indians paid more attention to the context of the risk map's target region. The influence of familiarity with working with risk maps was unclear, as there were some differences in eye movements visible but not for all variants.


Near atomic-resolution structures have provided insights into the mechanisms by which the Piezo1 ion channel senses and responds to mechanical stimuli.


Detecting unknown worms is a challenging task. We propose an innovative technique for detecting the presence of an unknown worm based on the computer measurements extracted from the operating system. We designed an experiment to test the new technique employing several computer configurations and background applications activity. During the experiments 323 computer features were monitored. Four feature selection measures were used to reduce the number of features. We applied support vector machines on the resulting feature subsets. In addition, we used active learning as a selective sampling method to increase the performance of the classifier and improve its robustness in noisy data. Our results indicate that using the proposed approach resulted in a mean accuracy in excess of 90%, and for specific unknown worms accuracy reached above 94%, using just 20 features while maintaining a low false positive rate.


Purpose: The aim of the present study was to use finite elemental analysis (FEA) to evaluate bone stress near an implant placed at the border between the mandible and fibular graft in mandibular reconstruction. Materials and Methods: A fibular model (FM) and transplantation model (TM) were constructed for FEA. In TM, mandible was on the mesial side and the fibular graft was on the distal side. The implant was positioned at the center of both bone models. In TM, it was placed on the border between the mandible and fibular graft. A 10-mm implant was used in the monocortical model and a 15-mm implant was used in the bicortical model. The loading force was set at 100 N, the angle was set at 90°, and the loading position was set as center, mesial, or distal on the upper surface of the prosthesis. Von Mises equivalent stress values of the bone near the implant collar and apex at the middle line between buccal and lingual side were measured. Results: In all models, stress values were significantly lower with center loading was than with distal loading and mesial loading. In center loading, the stress values were significantly lower in the bicortical model than in the monocortical model. There were no significant differences in stress values between FM and TM in all conditions. Conclusions: Bone stress was least with the center loading position, which was further decreased by bicortical fixation. There was no increase in mechanical stress associated with placing an implant at the border between the mandible and the fibular graft.


Introduction Postgraduate training and research in the applications of Engineering in Medicine and Biology have been undertaken within the Imperial College since 1962. Internationally, in certain respects this activity has been unique and indeed our experience has provided a basis for a number of similar centres subsequently established in North America and elsewhere. At the present time, the Departments of Electrical, Mechanical and Chemical Engineering and Aeronautics contribute appreciably to post-graduate training or research in medical engineering.


A modular, multi-reactor power system and vehicle configuration for piloted nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) missions to Mars is presented. Such a design could provide enhanced system and mission reliability, allowing a comfortable safety margin for early manned flights, and would allow a range of piloted and cargo missions to be performed with a single power system design. Early use of common power modules for cargo missions would also provide progressive flight experience and validation of standardized systems for use in later piloted applications. System and mission analysis are presented to compare single and multi-reactor configurations for piloted Mars missions. A conceptual design for the Hydra modular multi-reactor NEP vehicle is presented.


Controversial data have been reported about HLA alleles and susceptibility to melanoma. The relationship between distribution of HLA alleles in patients with melanoma and susceptibility to tumour was analysed, to study the possible correlation between HLA class II DQA1, DQB1 and DRBI genes and melanoma in a Spanish population. Genomic DNA from 82 patients with melanoma and 367 random healthy donors, from the same geographic area, were typed by PCR-SSP (sequence specific primers). The patients were also divided into different groups according to the age and presence of cancer relatives, and compared with the controls. None of these HLA class II alleles showed significant positive or negative associations with either the overall population of patients with melanoma or the considered subgroups. Moreover, values for relative risk of DQB1*0301, DQB1*0302, DQB1*0303, DQB*05, DQA1*0401, DQA1*0101/0104 and DRB*08, which have been reported to be increased or decreased in patients with melanoma, were very low and of no statistical significance. Our results indicate that HLA class II alleles may not contribute to a strong susceptibility to melanoma in the Spanish population, although further studies on larger series are needed to corroborate this. Key words:


To improve the treatment of patients co-infected with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and the human immunodeficiency virus, we measured the relationship between treatment outcomes and hospital performance at four decentralised MDR-TB sites in South Africa. We describe hospital performance from the patient's perspective by the use of a graphic that visually represents a patient's treatment journey. The graphic was used to report study findings to study sites and as a catalyst for a quality improvement process.


Abstract Representations of the chemical structures of dyes and fluorochromes often are used to illustrate staining mechanisms and histochemical reactions. Unfortunately, inaccurate chemical structures sometimes are used, which results in problems for teaching and research in histochemistry. We comment here on published examples of inadequate chemical drawing and modeling. In particular, omission of hydrogen atoms can lead to misleading hydrogen-bonding interactions, and inaccurate drawing and modeling procedures result in a variety of implausible molecular structures. The examples and arguments given here are easily intelligible for non-chemists and could be used as part of a training approach to help avoid publication of misleading or puzzling dye structures and molecular models for illustrating biological staining and histochemical studies.


Primary subcutaneous cyst hydatid disease is an exceptional entity. We report a new case involving a 70-year-old woman hospitalized for a subcutaneous mass in the hypogastric area with no local inflammatory signs. Radiological examination was consistent with a partially calcified subcutaneous cyst in the hypogastric area. Complete surgical resection of the mass was performed with uneventful postoperative recovery. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen demonstrated multivesicular hydatid cyst.


Laser induced fluorescence (LIF) is a useful method for visualizing the distribution of the air-fuel ratio in the combustion chamber. The way this method is applied mainly depends on the fluorescent tracer used, such as biacetyl, toluene, various aldehydes, fluoranthene or diethylketone, among others. Gasoline absorbs light in the UV region, for example, at the 248-nm wavelength of broadband KrF excimer laser radiation. Therefore, when using this type of laser, iso-octane is employed as the fuel because it is transparent to 248-nm UV light. However, since the distillation curves of iso-octane and gasoline are different, it can be expected that their vaporization characteristics in the intake port and cylinder would also be different. The aim of this study was to find a better fuel for use with LIF at a broadband wavelength of 248 nm. Three tasks were undertaken in this study. First, a compound fuel was developed that has a distillation curve similar to that of gasoline and is more transparent to 248-nm UV light. Second, an effort was made to develop a new fluorescent tracer having a lower boiling point and suitable for use in observing gasoline vaporization and mixing characteristics. Third, the new compound fuel with andmore » without tracers was compared with different combinations of iso-octane and fluorescent tracers.« less


Thalassemia is a common hereditary anaemia in Southeast Asia which may also be found among healthy blood donors. The established screening method is less sensitive and can miss donors with clinically silent Thalassemia. The Thalassemia screening tests may help in selection of truly healthy blood donors, hence providing the most functional red cell concentrates for blood transfusion. This is an extension study from our previous work, aiming to detect thalassemia trait among clinically asymptomatic blood donors. We performed Thalassemia screening in 738 healthy blood donors who were allowed for blood donation using full blood count and haemoglobin (Hb) analysis. After screening analyses using high performance liquid chromatography, capillary zone electrophoresis and agarose gel electrophoresis, 85 samples were excluded from the study due to inadequate volume for DNA analysis. Five hundred twelve (512/653; 78.4%) samples were within normal limit and 74 (74/653; 11.3%) samples with Hb less than 12.5 g/dl. Thirty eight donors were found to have Thalassemia and/or haemoglobinopathies by Hb analysis. The remaining 105 blood donors samples with value of MCV less than 80 fl and/or MCH lower than 27 pg with no detectable abnormal pattern from Hb analysis subjected to multiplex PCR that was capable of detecting deletional and nondeletional of the α-globin gene. Majority (79/653; 2.1%) of them had no identified mutation while 23 (23/653; 3.5%) of them had heterozygous α-3.7 deletion, 2 (2/653; 0.3%) had heterozygous α--SEA deletion and only one (1/653; 0.1%) had heterozygous α-4.2 deletion. This data indicates that 74 (74/653; 11.3%) of our blood donors were anaemic, 64 (64/65; 39.8%) had haemoglobinopathies and 79 (79/653; 12.1%) were presumptively had iron deficiency anaemia based on red blood cell indices. Provision of best quality pack red cells should be selected for patients who require regular blood transfusion in order to maintain appropriate Hb level.


Despite its prominence, the mechanisms through which the tumor suppressor p53 regulates most genes remain unclear. Recently, the regulatory factor X 7 (RFX7) emerged as a suppressor of lymphoid neoplasms, but its regulation and target genes mediating tumor suppression remain unknown. Here, we identify a novel p53-RFX7 signaling axis. Integrative analysis of the RFX7 DNA binding landscape and the RFX7-regulated transcriptome in three distinct cell systems reveals that RFX7 directly controls multiple established tumor suppressors, including PDCD4, PIK3IP1, MXD4, and PNRC1, across cell types and is the missing link for their activation in response to p53 and stress. RFX7 target gene expression correlates with cell differentiation and better prognosis in numerous cancer types. Interestingly, we find that RFX7 sensitizes cells to Doxorubicin by promoting apoptosis. Together, our work establishes RFX7's role as a ubiquitous regulator of cell growth and fate determination and a key node in the p53 transcriptional program.


HEADINGS Early rectal cancer. Local excision. Transanal endoscopic microsurgery. Adjuvant treatment. ABSTRACT Background The total mesorectal excision is considered the standard operation in the treatment of rectal tumors, although there is no scientific proof that it should be used for all stages of the disease. It has been demonstrated that in selected cases of rectal tumors, promising results can be achieved with local treatment by transanal endoscopic microsurgery. These tumors, called early rectal cancer, T1 tumors, are less than 4 cm, well differentiated without angiolymphatic invasion pT1 SM1. As the risk of lymph node involvement in these tumors is approximately 3%, local resection would have a great chance to be curative. Aim To present the results of a nonrandom prospective series of patients with early rectal cancer treated by transanal endoscopic microsurgery. Methods Between 2002 and 2010, 38 patients evaluated by preoperative protocol as patients with early rectal cancer underwent endoscopic microsurgical resection of the entire rectal wall including the tumor when located between 2 and 8 cm from the dentate line. The preoperative evaluation consisted of digital rectal examination, rigid sigmoidoscopy macrobiopsies, barium enema and/or colonoscopy, endorectal ultrasound and abdominal computed tomography of the abdomen, chest radiography and serum CEA. Was conducted follow-up with endoscopy and endorectal ultrasound every three months during the first two years, and every six in the next three years, and CEA every six months during the same period of five years. Was evaluated the tumor recurrence, morbidity and mortality. Results – Pathologic evaluation considered 29 categorized as low risk and nine being high. The follow-up in the series ranged from one to seven years. Tumor recurrence was confirmed in two of the 38 cases (5.26%), in one the lesion was considered high and another low risk. Conclusion Transanal endoscopic microsurgery associated or not to adjuvant therapy, may be, currently, considered the gold standard in local rectal resection, with encouraging results in cases chosen with early rectal tumors at low risk. ABCDDV/774


A 50-year-old African American male with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) presented to the dermatology clinic for a rapidly enlarging left cheek mass. The mass failed to resolve with conservative measures. A biopsy revealed poorly differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). He was referred to Head and Neck Surgery and successfully underwent a resection with free flap reconstruction. Postoperatively he did well. Squamous cell skin carcinomas arising from lesions of Discoid Lupus are rare and aggressive tumors with greater likelihood of metastases. Cases have been reported among patients with different clinical characteristics; we present a rare case arising in an African American male on the face and involving the ear.


We present multicolor light curves for the W UMa-type eclipsing binary TU Boo for two epochs separated by 22 years. An analysis of the O − C diagram indicates the earlier observations took place right in the middle of a major period change, thus allowing for a unique study on mass transfer and period changes in this W UMa-type system. We compute model fits to our light curves, along with the only other published set, using the Wilson–Devinney program, and find temporally correlated changes in the size of the secondary component with anomalies in the O − C diagram. We investigate the cause of these changes and find support for the existence of rapid, large-scale mass transfer between the components. We postulate that this interaction allows them to maintain nearly equal surface temperatures despite having achieved only marginal contact. We also find support for the evolutionary scenario in which TU Boo has undergone a mass ratio reversal in the past, due to large-scale mass transfer so that what is presently the secondary component of TU Boo is in an advanced evolutionary state, oversized due to a helium-enriched core, with a total system age of ⩾10 Gyr.


ABSTRACT Macroautophagy/autophagy is critical for normal appressorium formation and pathogenicity of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, but the molecular base of autophagy linked to pathogenicity remains elusive in this or other pathogenic fungi. We found that MoHat1, a histone acetyltransferase (HAT) homolog, had a role in the regulation of autophagy through the acetylation of autophagy related proteins MoAtg3 and MoAtg9. We also found that MoHat1 was subject to regulation by the protein kinase MoGsk1 that modulated the translocation of MoHat1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm with the assistance of MoSsb1, a protein chaperone. The alternation of intracellular location affected MoHat1 in the modification of cytosolic autophagy proteins that maintained normal autophagy. Furthermore, we provided evidence linking acetylation of MoAtg3 and MoAtg9 by MoHat1 to functional appressorium development and pathogenicity. Together with the first report of MoAtg9 being subject to acetylation regulation by MoHat1, our studies depicted how MoHat1 regulated autophagy in conjunction with MoGsk1 and how normal autophagy was linked to appressorium formation and function and pathogenicity of M. oryzae. Abbreviations: A/Ala: alanine; AP: autophagosome; Atg genes/proteins: autophagy-related genes/proteins; BiFC: bimolecular fluorescence complementation; co-IP: co-immunoprecipitation; DAPI: 4ʹ, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; D/Asp: aspartic acid; GFP: green fluorescent protein; GSK3: glycogen synthase kinase 3; HAT: histone acetyltransferase; Hsp70: heat-shock protein 70; IH: invasive hyphae; K/Lys: lysine; MMS: methyl methanesulfonate; Mo: Magnaporthe oryzae; PAS: phagophore assembly site; PE: phosphatidylethanolamine; PtdIns3K: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; R/Arg: arginine; S/Ser: serine; T/Thr: threonine; TOR: target of rapamycin; WT: wild type; YFP: yellow fluorescent protein


The article is devoted to the history of Antwerp printed books, which, in the first half of the 17th century, underwent a profound transformation caused by the influence of the Baroque style emerging in the Netherlands, with its characteristic contrast, dynamism and intensity of images, and combination of reality and illusion. The author demonstrates the Baroque book development by the example of the sources that she first introduces into scientific circulation: books stored in the Research Department of Rare Books (Book Museum) of the Russian State Library (RSL). The article gives examples of the formation of a new allegorical thinking of the Baroque, in which allegory became the norm of artistic vocabulary. The new allegorical imagery is noted in the title pages and illustrations of books that characterize the printing of that period. The Antwerp printer Balthazar Moretus (1574—1641) was an excellent master of this new Baroque book. By using leading artists to design his books, he took an important step in the development of book design. There are well known publications by B. Moretus featuring beautiful title pages designed by his friend Peter Paul Rubens (1577—1640). The typical appearance of text sheets is also the result of the use of elegant fonts, rich design and abundance of decorative elements. The article analyzes the influence of Rubens on the Baroque book formation in Antwerp.


Islamic education institutions must have programs that can answer the psychosocial crises of students. In such institutions, these programs are arranged based on Islamic paradigms and values. Furthermore, these programs are operationally supported by the availability and capacity of teachers, the facilities and infrastructure, education funding, curriculum structure, learning strategies, educational supervision, counselling guidance, and family or community support. The purpose of this study was to investigate the programs of Islamic education institutions in overcoming the psychosocial crises of students. The author conducted a literature review. The results indicated that the main strength of Islamic education institutions in implementing programs to overcome the psychosocial crises of students is a comprehensive understanding of the psychological growth and development of students from the perspective of Islamic paradigms and values. Besides, this program must be supported by teachers who are skilled in implementing counselling guidance, with simultaneous supervision of educational institutions, and parental or family support. The programs used in addressing the psychosocial crises of students in Islamic educational institutions focus on good advice (mau'izhah hasanah), exemplary behavior (uswatun hasanah), practice to do one's best (ihsan), do good earlier (fastabiqul khairat), help each other in doing good (ta'awun), sholat and du'a. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that Islamic education institutions that have programs that answer the psychosocial problems of students will continue to exist and succeed in preparing tough generations in the future, especially in crises.
Keywords: Islamic education institutions, psychosocial crisis, students


OBJECTIVES:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising primarily of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is increasingly prevalent in racial and ethnic minorities. This study was undertaken to characterize racial differences in disease phenotype in a predominantly adult population.METHODS:Phenotype data on 830 non-Hispanic white, 127 non-Hispanic African American, and 169 Hispanic IBD patients, recruited from six academic centers, were abstracted from medical records and compiled in the NIDDK-IBD Genetics Consortium repository. We characterized racial differences in family history, disease location and behavior, surgical history, and extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) using standardized definitions.RESULTS:African American CD patients were more likely than whites to develop esophagogastroduodenal CD (OR = 2.8; 95% CI: 1.4–5.5), colorectal disease (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.1–3.4), perianal disease (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.03–2.8), but less likely to have ileal involvement (OR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.32–0.96). They were also at higher risk for uveitis (OR = 5.5; 95% CI: 2.3–13.0) and sacroiliitis (OR = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.55–10.1). Hispanics had higher prevalence of perianal CD (OR = 2.9; 95% CI: 1.8–4.6) and erythema nodosum (3.3; 95% CI: 1.7–6.4). Among UC patients, Hispanics had more proximal disease extent. Both African American and Hispanic CD patients, but not UC patients, had lower prevalences of family history of IBD than their white counterparts.CONCLUSIONS:There are racial differences in IBD family history, disease location, and EIMs that may reflect underlying genetic variations and have important implications for diagnosis and management of disease. These findings underscore the need for further studies in minority populations.


A novel adaptive output recurrent cerebellar model articulation controller (AORCMAC) is utilized to control wheeled inverted pendulums (WIPs) that have a pendulum mounted on two coaxial wheels. This paper focuses mainly on adopting a self-dynamic balancing control strategy for such WIPs. Since the AORCMAC captures system dynamics, it is superior to conventional CMACs in terms of efficient learning and dynamic response. The AORCMAC parameters are adjusted online using the dynamic gradient descent method. The learning rates of the AORCMAC are determined using an analytical method based on a Lyapunov function, such that system convergence is achieved. The variable and optimal learning rates are derived to achieve rapid tracking-error convergence. A WIP standing control is utilized to experimentally verify the effectiveness of the proposed control system. Experimental results indicate that WIPs can stand upright stably with external disturbances via the proposed AORCMAC.


This paper compares a quadcopter operating in the plus and cross configurations. Using mutli-rotor controls (Ω0 collective, ΩP pitch, ΩR roll, and ΩY yaw control), the plus-configuration generates a yaw moment when a pitch or roll control input is introduced; but for the cross-configuration, pitch and roll control is decoupled from yaw. While the collective control, pitch attitude, and power requirement versus flight speed are identical for both configurations, in forward flight the plus-configuration requires a larger pitch control input since it uses only two rotors, and a compensatory yaw control input. Quadcopters display two oscillatory modes in hover, a longitudinal phugoid mode (coupling longitudinal translation and pitch) and a lateral phugoid mode (coupling lateral translation and roll). Both these modes are stable and their poles are coincident in hover. In forward flight, these modes separate, and the frequency and damping of both modes increases. The nature of the lateral phugoid mode in forward flight is very similar to hover, but the longitudinal phugoid mode begins to include altitude changes (in addition to longitudinal translation and pitch attitude). Over a certain airspeed range, a couple of real poles (corresponding to heave and pitch subsidence) combine to result in an oscillatory short-period mode. No significant difference is seen in the autonomous flight dynamic characteriscs (pole locations) between the plusand cross-configurations. A comparison of the control authority available between the plusand cross-configuration quadcopters shows that while collective and yaw control authority is identical, pitch and roll control authority is up to about 30% greater for the cross-configuration since all four (as opposed to only two) rotors are used.


We have assessed the influence of albumin-bound thyroxin (T4) on apparent free T4 values obtained by two "unbound analog" free T4 methods (AmerlexR Free T4 and Clinical Assays one-step Free T4). We evaluated sera showing three different albumin anomalies: total hereditary analbuminemia, partially corrected analbuminemia, and familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia, where abnormal albumin-binding of analog tracer is associated with high apparent free T4 values by these methods. In hereditary analbuminemia, free T4 was almost undetectable by both assays; in contrast, free T4 by equilibrium dialysis was normal. After addition of T4-free human serum albumin, the apparent free T4 concentration in total hereditary analbuminemia became normal by the analog methods. Immunoprecipitation of [125I]T4 and the unidentified labeled kit analogs by antiserum to human albumin was negligible in untreated total hereditary analbuminemia and approximately twice normal in familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia. Therefore, alterations in tracer binding to albumin correlate with the apparent free T4 concentrations obtained by the analog methods. The interactions of the unidentified analog tracers and T4 with albumin are such that these techniques principally reflect the albumin-bound T4 moiety.


Ontology, Epistemology, and Axiology in the Philosophical Perspective of Da'wah in the Age of Digital Communication. The development of the era of globalization is forcing people to be technology literate. Coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing people to carry out digital communication for daily needs, including spiritual needs. This is what underlies the da'i to be able to transform da'wah into the digital realm. But before that, it is necessary for the da'i to explore the philosophy of da'wah in order to create valuable content in communicating in the digital realm. This paper aims to find out more deeply about ontology epistemology and axiology in order to better know the benefits of da'wah. This paper uses a qualitative approach with a literature study method (library review), namely the technique of collecting writings, readings and other literature, both physical and digital specifically, and then analyzing the content of the study based on the focus of the problems discussed. The results showed 1) ontology in the form of the essence of the existence of da'wah in communication between da'i and mad'u. 2) epistemology in Islamic da'wah, namely bayani epistemology, in the form of sources used in preaching on social media, irfani epistemology, in the form of intuition from da'i and burhani epistemology, in the form of intellectual activity. 3) In understanding axiology, the preacher must first master his knowledge. While mad'u must be selective in choosing their da'i, Da'i and mad'u both must realize that digital users are very diverse. When the da'i does da'wah, he must be ready to face all kinds of mad'u. for that it is necessary to create a dialogue space in digital.


The role of ethical rules and codes of conduct in the field of art law and international protection of cultural property, together with the adoption of the relevant international conventions, has constantly increased in the last decades. This article considers the main codes of conduct drafted by international organizations as well as international, national, public, and private institutions, federations, and associations. The focus is on their influence on international trade as instruments of art market regulation. Specific attention is paid to the interaction with the private international law approach and to a survey of both direct and indirect effects of these rules on the international circulation of cultural property.


A gas-loaded undulator is proposed as a method for the coupling of intense optical radiation and charged particles to achieve high-gradient acceleration of 100 MeV/m or more. The theory of the gas-loaded inverse free electron laser (IFEL) is the same as that of the vacuum IFEL, with the exceptions that the phase-matching condition between the optical field and the charged particle is changed, and that multiple scattering of the electrons by the gas molecules has been introduced. The new phase matching condition allows reasonable undulator magnetic fields while still maintaining good acceleration gradients for extremely relativistic beams. Synchrotron radiation losses can then be kept to acceptable values. A Monte Carlo simulation of the interaction has been done which includes elastic scattering, radiation losses, laser and electron beam characteristics, and gas and helix parameters. As with the conventional IFEL, tapering the undulator with an increasing magnetic field is found to affect both the maximum energy and population of the accelerated particles.


The effects of the Rhodiolae rosea extract on contractility of rat hearts isolated by the Langendorff's technique, creatine phosphokinase activity in the perfusate, and induction of myocardial stress protein synthesis (hsp-70) were studied after total ischemia and reperfusion. The adaptogen produces cardioprotector effects and prevents ischemia- and reperfusion-induced contractility aberrations. The possible role of inducible stress proteins (hsp-70) in these effects is discussed.


The authors of the article consider the criminal- legal characteristics of crimes against representatives of the authorities, in particular, encroachment with the purpose of causing harm to the health, personal integrity, honor and dignity of a representative of the authorities. The definition of the term "representative of the authorities"is given. The main characteristics of a representative of the government are analyzed. Statistical data on the number of convictions and types of punishments in accordance with the provisions of articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Articles 318, 319) are summarized. Examples of judicial practice are considered. The ways of improving the criminal legislation are proposed.


This article examines issues relating to the pain experienced by infants and the nursing care they receive in the context of universal ethical principles. The intention is to show that ethics is not a remote intellectual pursuit but has the potential to directly affect and enhance the care given to infants in pain. The author maintains that the consequence of using an ethical approach is that the relationship between infant and carer is infused with improved communication and greater self-awareness.


AIM
To determine the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a cohort of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and to compare risk factors.

METHODS
Multicenter retrospective study from infectious diseases department in Tunisia. We examined sera from HIV patients followed in these centers. Diagnosis of HCV infection was based on third generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test.

RESULTS
362 HIV-1 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 35,5 years. 272 patients (75.13%) were male. Sexual transmission of HIV was the main risk factor (56.3%). 144 patients (39.7%) had antibodies against HCV, mainly in patients with history of intravenous drug abuse (78.4%). Quantitative evaluation of hepatitis C virus RNA was done only in 3 patients.

CONCLUSION
HCV-HIV coinfection in tunisian patients occurs frequently, due to the same ways of transmission. More studies are needed to focus on sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus in order to prevent such infections rather than interferon-based therapies.


A special design, based on the Bridgman technique, was used in our laboratory for preparing single crystals of Ga2S3. The thermoelectric phenomenon was investigated in the temperature range from 180 to 500 K. The thermoelectric power decreases with increasing temperature up to 300 K and then increases slightly above 340 K. The sign of alpha remained positive throughout the whole temperature range investigated, indicating the p-type nature of the crystal. Different physical parameters were estimated. With the use of the electrical conductivity and the carrier concentration, the thermal properties of the compound were analysed.


This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of inclusive program in Public Elementary School 2 Klero (SD Negeri 2 Klero), Tengaran, Semarang. This study is an evaluation research with descriptive qualitative approach with CIPP model. The data source consisted of teachers, headmaster, and school committee. The data were collected through interview, observation and documentation. The results of this study: on Context evaluation showed that the school already has got the permission as well as the guidance in order to implement the inclusive program; on Input evaluation showed that the special infrastructures were inadequate, the curriculum had already been modified, special trainings had not been spread evenly, and there was no special assistant in school; on Process evaluation showed that the results of teachers' competency were acceptable in dealing with children with special needs, individual treatment, but BOS fund is the only financial support and there was no continual monitoring from government; and on Product evaluation the result showed that the academic and non academic achievements of children with special needs were average.


This paper explores the performance of model pipe piles driven into a silica sand deposit at the Water Authority Research Station in Perth, Western Australia. The principal aim of the research was to explore pile response over a range of conditions from fully closed-ended to fully open-ended. There has been some considerable debate of the relative capacity of closed and open-ended piles driven into similar deposits of sand. In many design codes, it is customary to assume lower radial stresses (and hence shaft friction) for open-ended piles, than for solid or closed-ended piles. The base capacity is often taken as the same for both pile types, provided it can be demonstrated that the pile will 'plug' under static loading conditions. Potentially lower shaft capacity of open-ended piles is compensated for by the ease of installation since, in principle, the base resistance only has to be overcome around the steel annulus, as a plug of soil moves up the inside of the pile. However, in some circumstances open-ended piles may plug during driving, which leads to increased driving resistance and possible refusal before the design penetration has been achieved. This tendency may be alleviated by the use of an appropriate internal driving shoe, which provides stress relief for the soil plug. The test results indicated a significant effect of season on the performance of the piles. The test programme included both dynamic and static testing of each pile, allowing a comparison between dynamic and static measures of capacity in tension and compression. Those tests carried out in the summer showed greater pile capacities in both tension and compression than those tests carried out in the winter. Equally the tests carried out in the summer showed a stiffer initial response than those carried out in the winter. The static test results were consistent when examined in conjunction with blow-records and the dynamic data. The test results indicated an optimum design for the driving shoe, which maximised soil plug penetration into the pile under hard driving. Of particular interest was the finding that the pile tip condition appeared to have little effect on the shaft capacity, but did influence the rate at which the end-bearing resistance was mobilised (due to compression of the internal soil plug). Thus, where the base resistance was defined at a fixed tip displacement, open-ended piles had a lower resistance than closed-ended piles. The test results are reviewed in the light of current design methods for driven piles in sand, and recommendations made for future design.


von Hippel Lindau (VHL) disease is caused by inactivation of the VHL tumor suppressor gene, resulting in formation of multiple systemic tumors. Juxtapapillary retinal capillary hemangioma (JRCH) is one of the major manifestations in VHL disease; however, treatments are challenging, especially in children. The present study reports the case of a 6-year-old girl with suspected VHL disease presenting with JRCH. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated marked dye leakage from the tumor. Retinal hemorrhage occurred around the tumor 7 months later. Laser photocoagulation of the tumor tissue was safely and successfully conducted without general anesthesia. The hemorrhage diminished after laser photocoagulation. Optical coherence tomography demonstrated mild resolution of an elevated lesion in JRCH with contraction of the vitreoretinal interface over the tumor. Laser photocoagulation may be considered the first-line treatment for young patients with JRCH, although the primary physicians must have the necessary skills and be able to establish good doctor-patient relationships, even with children.


A model system for the partitioning of peripheral membrane proteins into membranes by ligand binding has been examined experimentally. Both bovine serum albumin and lysozyme partition between water and 1-butanol by the addition of sodium p-toluene sulfonate at pH 2.4. The partitioning is characterized by high orders of reaction: 25 and 10, respectively. Theory indicates that these high orders of reaction need not result from cooperative ligand binding in either phase, but depend primarily upon the number N of protein sites at which the transfer-promoting ligant binds, and on the difference in free energy of formation delta F0s of the protein--ligand complexes in the two phases. From the reaction orders and the experimental values of N, 80 for albumin and 11 for lysozyme, delta F0s was calculated to be --0.5 kcal/mol (--2.1 kJ/mol) and --0.8 kcal/mol (--2.5 kJ/mol) per ligand bound, respectively. Experiments measuring the dependence on ligand concentration of the rate of protein electrophoresis across the water/butanol interface are described. These rates increase by more than two orders of magnitude as the ligand concentration approaches the critical value for partition and are inversely dependent on the number of ligant sites for the two proteins studied.


Abstract The Ulus Basin of the Western Black Sea of Turkey contains Upper Jurassic–Recent sediments. Mudstone-marl and turbiditic shales of the Lower Cretaceous Ulus Formation have moderate source rock potential because total organic carbon (TOC) contents range from 0.34% to 1.18%. HI values are between 20 and 259. T-max values have been measured between 438 and 457 °C. Thus, maturity of the shales of the Ulus Formation is ranging from early mature-to mature. The formation was produced oil and wet gas-condensate. The Ulus Basin has several reservoirs, seals and traps. Although three exploration wells were drilled by Turkish Petroleum Company, the wells were abandoned as dry because of not reach to reservoirs.


The proteoglycans in the submandibular salivary glands of castrated male Wistar rats were studied before and after the daily administration of testosterone propionate (TP) for one month. Castration decreased the weight of the glands and their uronic acid content. The administration of TP reversed these effects. Chromatographic separation of the uronic acid fractions was performed on cellulose microcolumns. The principal fractions were hyaluronic acid, heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate. There were also changes in the physical properties of the proteoglycans. Castration decreased the range of distribution of molecular weight and the density, while the lateral chains of smaller length disappeared. TP administration to castrated rats reversed these effects.


In this paper, a 60-GHz broadband 8-by-1 gap-coupled microstrip antenna array is presented and experimentally investigated. The proposed antenna array has been implemented using a Miniature Hybrid Microwave Integrated Circuits (MHMIC) fabrication process on a thin ceramic substrate with εr = 9.9 and h = 127μm. For a comprehensive characterization and to accurately evaluate losses, as well as manufacturing tolerances, the proposed antenna array structure has been implemented using two different feeding techniques. The first one adopts a grounded broadband via-hole less transition from coplanar to microstrip line (GCPW-to-MS), while the second one has involved a broadband waveguide (WR12) to microstrip transition, based on a ridged waveguide concept. The obtained results have demonstrated that the proposed gap-coupled array configuration provides an improved bandwidth (4.56%) and an enhanced gain (11.8 dBi), while maintaining a lower side-lobe level (13.4 dB). These outstanding performances make the proposed WR12 gap-coupled array structure a potential candidate for the future emerging 60-GHz short-range point-to-point wireless communication systems.


OBJECTIVE
The present study was designed to explore expression and prognostic value of miR-485-5p in patients with gastric cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We determined the expression level of miR-485-5p in 132 cases of paired GC and adjacent non-tumor tissues by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The relevance of miR-485-5p expression to the clinicopathological factors was assessed. Overall survival (OS) was examined using Kaplan-Meier curves and the Cox proportional hazards regression model.

RESULTS
The expression of miR-485-5p was significantly down-regulated in GC tissues compared with adja-cent normal tissues (p < 0.01). MiR-485-5p expression was positively correlated with larger tumor size (p = 0.003), deeper invasion depth, (p = 0.005), positive lymph node metastasis (p = 0.039), advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (p = 0.017). Patients survival analysis showed that a clear positive correlation between miR-485-5p expression level and survival time of gastric cancer patients (p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses confirmed that a low level of miR-485-5p expression was an independent predictor of poor prognosis in GC patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Expression level of miR-485-5p serves as a novel biomarker for the overall survival of patients with gastric cancer.


Respondents from post-communist countries have been found to systematically report lower levels of happiness and self-rated health. While the first welfare gap in happiness has closed recently, the second transition gap in self-perceived gap only started to close. Specifically, this paper shows that treating all transition countries as a homogeneous group may be misleading and divides 28 transition countries into three groups. As result, in the most recent 2016 round of 'Life in Transition' survey, transition countries in Southern Europe are no longer different from non-transition nations in terms of their self-rated health. Although the gap in self-perceived health for transition nations in Eastern Europe is present in a basic model, it becomes less statistically and economically significant when subjective beliefs and macro-level variables are added. Countries from the former Soviet Union and Mongolia remain the only group in which respondents report 16.5−29.1% lower probability of 'Good' or 'Very Good' health compared to other transition and non-transition countries. Controlling for communist party membership, ideological beliefs and macro-level variables somewhat reduces the gap for the former Soviet Union and Mongolia but it remains significant in multiple robustness checks. Although the gap in self-rated health now applies to only one group of transition countries, it remains an important empirical puzzle with far-reaching implications for health policy, demand for health care and the process of transition.


Monthly period oscillations in temperature and velocity in the vicinity of the North Equatorial Countercurrent along 140°W are examined using moored time series data collected during 1988–1989. These oscillations, which presumably derive their energy from instability of the large-scale shear of the zonal equatorial current system, are found to be energetic across a broad band of periods of about 15–50 days. Along 7°N, wavelike motions at these periods propagate westward with a phase speed of about 30–40 cm s−1 and a zonal wavelength of 750–1150 km. The oscillations are approximately in geostrophic balance with the thermal field, with the velocity vector rotating anticyclonically around westward propagating high sea level centers. Zonal volume transport variations associated with these waves between 5° and 9°N at 20–180 m depth have a standard deviation of about 4.1 Sv, with peak-to-peak changes in some instances approaching 20 Sv. Maximum temperature variance along 140°W occurs between 5° and 7°N at 100–150 m depth in a region of strong mean vertical and meridional temperature gradient associated with a thermocline sloping upward to the north. At the surface, maximum temperature variability occurs from 2° to 5°N in the vicinity of the strong sea surface temperature front north of the equator. Analysis of the upper ocean temperature balance at 7°N, 140°W reveals that meridional advection is important both in the surface layer and in the thermocline. Vertical advection, estimated using vertical velocity calculated from a simplified linear vorticity balance, is also important in the thermocline, where it contributes a variance comparable to that of meridional advection. Zonal advection is likely to be significant in the upper 80 m, below which it is probably of secondary importance compared to meridional and vertical advection. One consequence of advection in the temperature balance is that variance is shifted toward lower frequencies in temperature vis-a-vis velocity spectra. This "red shift" may account for the apparent difference between periods for instability waves inferred from near-equatorial meridional velocity spectra, and slightly longer periods reported for oscillations of the sea surface temperature front north of the equator based on satellite imagery.