Histamine H2 receptor (HRH2) was previously suggested to affect the proliferation of breast cancer cells and disease-free survival of breast cancer patients. Furthermore, a common polymorphism, rs2067474, was identified in an enhancer element of the HRH2 gene promoter and was reported to be associated with various diseases including cancer. However, the relationship between this polymorphism and breast cancer risk and malignant degree remains unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical association of rs2067474 polymorphism with breast cancer. A total of 201 unrelated Chinese Han breast cancer patients and 238 ethnicity-matched health controls were recruited and rs2067474 polymorphism was genotyped. Logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) as a measure of association of genotype with breast cancer according to 3 genetic models (dominant, recessive, and additive). Although the percentage of hormone receptor negative cases tended to be higher in AA genotypes, we did not find any significant associations of rs2067474 polymorphism with breast cancer risk or with related clinicopathological parameters in the present study, which indicates that rs2067474 polymorphism of HRH2 gene might not be a risk factor in the development of breast cancer in Chinese Han population.


A novel method for fabricating tin nanoparticle thin film electrodes that show good performance in lithium ion batteries during cycling is reported. The vacuum filtration method has the advantage of affording a high degree of dispersion of the electrode components, thereby providing good electrical contacts between the tin nanoparticles and the conductive carbon or current collector. The reversible capacity and initial Coulombic efficiency are 726 mA h g−1 and 85.3%, respectively, with this thin film electrode. Cycle life performance tests under real battery conditions show that the battery capacity and reaction peaks remained stable for up to 50 cycles. SEM shows that the uniform morphology of the vacuum filtered film was maintained throughout the cycle life test. This novel vacuum filtration method for providing nanoparticle-based film electrodes has further potential applications for use in various devices such as high power, thin film batteries, supercapacitors and organic–inorganic hybrid photovoltaic cells.


AES and EELS are used to study the effect of oxygen on the FeS2 surface. The main Auger Fe M2.3VV attenuates with increased oxygen exposures and shifts to lower kinetic energy while the high kinetic energy feature due to an 'autoionization process' remains unaltered in energy. The EELS spectra measured as a function of oxygen exposure clearly indicate the formulation of iron oxide similar to that of alpha -Fe2O3. For the FeS2+O2 system, the authors show that Ueff is negligibly small and is in good agreement with the estimated Ueff for Fe2O3. A slight change in the S L2.3VV Auger peak is observed on adsorption of oxygen and the formation of sulphur oxides is ruled out.


By analyzing the data on patients (n = 17295) who were discharged from 5 regional tuberculosis hospitals of Central Russia, the authors defined and assessed the major factors showing a steady-state strong correlation with early treatment termination through a patient's fault. Descriptive and univariate analyses and multifactor modeling were made to determine interfering factors and systematic errors (logistic regression modeling). For inpatient treatment at a tuberculosis hospital, a logistic regression model was used to develop a predictive decision rule that would determine the probability of treatment discontinuation, the quality control of the predictive rule on the basis of the bootstrap method. The rule makes it possible to form high and very high discontinuation risk groups in order to organize target measures to enhance the efficiency of tuberculosis control.


Tarsal coalition is an abnormal connection between tarsal bones, caused by an embryogenic failure. Its most common forms are calcaneonavicular and talocalcaneal coalition, which are present in 53% and 37% of the cases, respectively. The onset of symptoms is related to tarsal bone ossification, and mean age for this event is estimated at 16 years for calcaneonavicular coalition. Surgical treatment is indicated for patients who did not improve symptoms with conservative treatment. The aim of this study is to present a surgical technique as a treatment option for resection of calcaneonavicular coalition associated with abnormal cuboid-navicular joint. Level of Evidence V; Therapeutic Studies; Expert Opinion.


Restrictions on the cancer care in an epidemic are observed in the most countries of the world The first small publications gave information of the increased susceptibility of cancer patients to a new infection which led to the postpone of elective surgery, initiation of adjuvant therapy, and the transfer of specialist consultations to telemedicine The cases of infections of medical personnel, as well as the reassignment of clinical units and clinics that previously assisted cancer patients to the treatment of patients with COVID-19, also contributed This article presents the experience of treating viral infections in cancer patients from different countries On the example of colon cancer, treatment approaches are considered that, in conditions of increased epidemic danger, will allow our patients to provide effective antitumor treatment We recommend to use short course of radiotherapy with chemotherapy in patients with locally-advanced rectal tumors;short course of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage 3 colon cancer;rational decisions for choosing regimen in 1st and subsequent lines of systemic therapy in patients with metastatic disease © 2020, Remedium Group Ltd All rights reserved


1 Vail, A. L., Manica, A., & Bshary, R. (2014). Fish choose appropriately when and with whom to collaborate. Current Biology, 24, R791-R793. Notes: Collaborative abilities are integral to human society [1] and their evolutionary origins are of great interest. Chimpanzees are capable of determining appropriately when and with whom to collaborate in a rope-pull experiment [2] the only non-human species known to possess both abilities. Chimpanzees are thought to share these abilities with humans as a result of common ancestry [2]. Here, we show that a fish the coral trout Plectropomus leopardus has partner-choice abilities comparable to those of chimpanzees in the context of its collaborative hunting relationship with moray eels [3]. Using experiments analogous to those performed on chimpanzees [2], but modified to be ecologically relevant to trout, we showed that trout recruit a moray collaborator more often when the situation requires it and quickly learn to choose the more effective individual collaborator. Thus, these collaborative abilities are not specific to apes and may be more closely linked to ecological need [4] than brain size or relatedness to humans


—Managing spatial reservoirs of malaria infection plays a crucial role in effective disease control. In this paper, a reservoir of infection refers to one or more interconnected subpopulations that sustain the epidemic at the level of the metapopulation to which applying a (linear) control strategy suffices to eradicate the disease in the whole system. We propose a numerical method to explain the steps for identifying reservoirs of malaria infection within n connected regions with the explicit movement of human population from the previous theoretical results in order to design an efficient computational tool. Furthermore, we determine the minimal percentage (critical vaccination fraction) of susceptible individuals in the reservoirs that should be protected to eliminate malaria. The costs and cost-effectiveness of malaria control interventions were analysed considering two strategies of control. (i) protecting the minimal fraction of susceptible individual; (ii) protecting any fraction greater than the minimal fraction. Cost-effectiveness analysis shows that the less cost and more effective strategy is to vaccinate (or protect) the minimal fraction of susceptible human in the reservoir of infection to halt outbreak. A numerical example provides insight into the efficiency of this approach.


There are diverse, however mostly negative views as well as different regulations to adhere to within the tobacco industry. Given the controversy around the tobacco industry and the latest tendency of investors to move to more reputable investments, the research project explored to what extend a tobacco company can adhere to the criteria to be a socially responsible corporate citizen and therefore still attract socially responsible investors. The research identified and discussed the concerns that put the reputation of the tobacco industry for socially responsible behaviour at risk. Furthermore, the research investigated corporate governance and reporting frameworks to evaluate the tobacco industry's corporate citizenship behaviour to be able to conclude if a tobacco company can be regarded a good corporate citizen. This study was based on a literature review and critically discussing the findings. The information obtained in this research assignment was based on secondary data collected through analysing the company's records, corporate governance codes and socially responsible investment indices in South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States of America. The research focused on information already in the public domain so there was no need to consider the confidentiality of the information. The research identified what it entails to be a socially responsible corporate citizen in the modern era. The definition of corporate governance was discussed with special reference to the corporate governance codes within the jurisdictions of South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Furthermore, the background to the development of the different socially responsible investment indices was investigated, together with the selection criteria for inclusion on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Socially Responsible Investment, FTSE4Good and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The FTSE4Good is the only index, which specifically excludes tobacco producers. The assignment identified some conflicting views when looking at social responsibility within the tobacco industry. It can be argued that corporate social responsibility is nothing other than a "marketing" tool for business to gain respect within the market and from government. Companies gain legitimacy and the right to do business; thus to be profitable and grow economic value. When reviewing steps taken by the industry case study it is evident the company focused a lot on addressing their consumers' expectations to grow economic value. This seems to be a very onesided approach, but also a very reactive approach, as the company's sustainability agenda appears to be driven due to external pressures than being part of the core strategy of the company. It can therefore be argued that the company uses corporate social responsibility as a form of promoting the use of tobacco products and not due to being socially responsible corporate Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za


Living microorganisms in confined systems typically experience an affinity to populate boundaries. The reason for such affinity to interfaces can be a combination of their directed motion and hydrodynamic interactions at distances larger than their own size. Here we will show that self-propelled Janus particles (polystyrene particles partially coated with platinum) immersed in droplets of water and hydrogen peroxide tend to accumulate in the vicinity of the liquid/gas interface. Interestingly, the interfacial accumulation occurs despite the presence of an evaporation-driven flow caused by a solutal Marangoni flow, which typically tends to redistribute the particles within the droplet's bulk. By performing additional experiments with passive colloids (flow tracers) and comparing with numerical simulations for both particle active motion and the fluid flow, we disentangle the dominating mechanisms behind the observed interfacial particle accumulation. These results allow us to make an analogy between active Janus particles and some biological microswimmers concerning how they interact with their environment.


This book chapter contemplates whether we need to rethink sustainability in an age of climate change. Climate change does not change our view of sustainability; it heightens the importance of sustainability thinking. We see that in all the various ways people conceptualize sustainability, climate change complicates goal fulfillment. This chapter considers three approaches to sustainability: (1) sustainable development, (2) sustainable management, and (3) popular sustainability. Climate change fundamentally alters how we approach sustainable development and sustainable management. Trying to help developing countries improve living conditions is even harder when we also have to deal with both climate change adaptation and mitigation. Assessing and planning for sustainable management of resources is so affected by climate change that integration of adaptive management principles and resilience thinking become imperative. With our popular concept of sustainability as being eco-friendly, climate change implications demonstrate that merely minimizing environmental harm is inadequate. Instead, we need to work actively toward environmental improvement. Instead of slowing degradation, we need to reverse the process. The conclusion that climate change should affect sustainability efforts is inescapable. Whether it actually does so is questionable.


This article explores the discursive uses of a self-quotation in adolescent talk. The self-quotation uses the quotative marker be + like to convey or project bold statements as part of a larger narrative. We will demonstrate how the preface leading up to the self-quotation is designed as hard to counter, and instructs the hearer how to understand what comes next. The self-quotation, on the other hand, constitutes the assessment as a `mere characterization' that provides the speaker with a number of opportunities for testing the proposed view. Speakers are thus able to bolster potentially controversial views against refutation while also giving them a preliminary status. These features make for an interesting conversational resource that enables speakers and recipients to engage in a collaborative process of putting potentially bold statements to the test.


In this paper, a technique is presented for selecting signals to observe during silicon debug. Internal signals are used to analyze, understand, and debug circuit misbehavior. An automated procedure to select which signals to observe is proposed to facilitate early detection of circuit malfunction and to enhance the utilization of hardware resources for storage. Signals that are most often sensitized to possible errors are observed in sequential circuits. Given a functional input vector set, an error transmission matrix is generated by analyzing which flip-flops are sensitized to other flip-flops. Relatively independent flip-flops are identified and a set of signals that maximally cover the possible error sites with given constraints are identified through integer linear programming. Experimental results show that the proposed approach can rapidly and precisely identify the nonconforming chip behavior and thereby can speed up the post-silicon debug process.


The favourable haemodynamic effects of vasodilator drugs in refractory cardiac failure sometimes alter rapidly after the initial dose. This tachyphylactic phenomenon was looked for during captopril therapy in 14 patients with chronic cardiac failure resistant to digitalo-diuretic therapy and conventional vasodilator drugs. The average age of the patients was 64,4 +/- 3,8 years. Eleven patients had signs of congestive cardiac failure while the remaining three patients had only left ventricular failure. Four patients were classified as Stage III and the other ten Stage IV of the NYHA classification. Right heart catheter studies were performed with a Swan Ganz catheter and systemic pressures were measured by femoral artery catheterisation. Right and left pressures and cardiac output were measured under basal conditions, and 1 and 5 hours after a single dose of captopril (early and late periods). Captopril was given in between meals in 3 to 6 daily doses; in 10 of the 14 cases the dose was 50 mg 6 hourly. The haemodynamic parameters were recorded again during the early and late periods after the dose of captopril 24 and 48 hours after starting therapy. Captopril is a mixed vasodilator and is effective from the first hour of administration. It preferentially lowered pulmonary capillary pressure (PCP) from 29,6 +/- 0,92 mmHg to 21,4 +/- 1,04 mmHg (delta PCP: -27,7%, p less than 0,01). Mean systemic blood pressure (MBP) fell less from 92,4 +/- 3,51 mmHg to 76,6 +/- 3,4 mmHg (delta MBP: -17%, p less than 0,01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Mud acid, which is a mixture of hydrochloric (HCl) and hydrofluoric (HF) acids, is typically used to stimulate sandstone formations. The success rate of mud acid is limited mainly because of its high spending rate, high corrosion rate, and incompatibility with HCl sensitive minerals; i.e., illite. Organic (acetic, formic and citric) HF acid mixtures, in comparison, have a retarded nature and a low corrosion rate, and are compatible with sensitive sandstone formations; therefore, they can be used as an effective stimulation fluid alternative to regular mud acid.
In this study, dissolution tests of kaolinite, illite or chlorite in acetic, formic and citric with 3 wt% HF acid was conducted. A coreflood was conducted to investigate the ability of organic acids, when combined with HF acid, to remove carbonaceous and siliceous minerals from Berea sandstone plugs at 250 °F. The core effluent samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The core plugs were analyzed using the X-ray diffraction (XRD).
All of the tested organic acids were effective in dissolving calcium during the coreflood preflush stage without any indication of precipitation; however, only citric acid extracted aluminum during the preflush, while formic and acetic acids were not effective in leaching aluminum. Additionally, low amounts of aluminum were detected in the effluent of acetic-HF during the main flush and severe damage to the core plug was noticed. Although formic-HF acid extracted a significant amount of calcium and aluminum, there was no change in permeability before or after the treatment. Citric-HF acid dissolved a significant amount of calcium and aluminum, and an apparent increase in permeability was subsequently observed. In addition, a higher permeability ratio was obtained with low HF acid concentrations. This work provides new insights into the applications and potential limitations of organic-HF acids.


In multiagent systems that require coordination, agents must learn diverse policies that enable them to achieve their individual and team objectives. Multiagent Quality-Diversity methods partially address this problem by filtering the joint space of policies to smaller sub-spaces that make the diversification of agent policies tractable. However, in teams of asymmetric agents (agents with different objectives and capabilities), the search for diversity is primarily driven by the need to find policies that will allow agents to assume complementary roles required to work together in teams. This work introduces Asymmetric Island Model (AIM), a multiagent framework that enables populations of asymmetric agents to learn diverse complementary policies that foster teamwork via dynamic population size allocation on a wide variety of team tasks. The key insight of AIM is that the competitive pressure arising from the distribution of policies on different team-wide tasks drives the agents to explore regions of the policy space that yield specializations that generalize across tasks. Simulation results on multiple variations of a remote habitat problem highlight the strength of AIM in discovering robust synergies that allow agents to operate near-optimally in response to the changing team composition and policies of other agents.


This study presents the Ni-ion-directed self-assembly of a C(2)-symmetric homodimeric enzyme into nanowires. A genetically introduced His-tag arm stretches out of the central structure of a C(2)-symmetric homodimer of glutathione S-transferase, which is used as a linker to recruit a second building block through interprotein metal coordination, forming self-assembled one-dimensional nanostructures with excellent enzymatic activity.


Ant based routing protocols for MANETs have been widely explored, but most of them are essentially of single-path which tends to have heavy burden on the hosts along the shortest path from source to destination. The robustness of these protocols is comparatively not good which is further weakened by the positive feedback mechanism of ant. Node-disjoint multi-path routing is more robust and can support QoS better than single-path routing in MANETs. In this paper we combine swarm intelligence and node-disjoint multi-path routing to solve the problem mentioned above. A novel approach named Ant colony based Multi-path Routing (AMR) is proposed. AMR establishes and utilizes multiple routes of node-disjoint paths to send data packets concurrently and adopts pheromone to disperse communication traffic, thus it can adapt to the dynamic changes of the network and support QoS better. The simulation results show that the proposed approach outperforms other pertinent algorithms


To estimate the seroprevalence of HCV infection among HIV-infected haemophiliacs and to demonstrate the most prevalent HCV genotype, 47 HIV-infected haemophilia patients were screened for anti-HCV antibodies. By performing polymerase chain reaction and DNA enzyme immunoassay, HCV-RNA was detected with subsequent genotyping. Seroprevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 66.0%. Of 31 HCV/HIV co-infected patients, 21 (67.7%) had no history of blood transfusion. We detected 4 HCV genotypes: 1a, 1b, 4 and 4 mixed with 3a, HCV-1b being the most frequent. Contaminated factor VIII (clotting factor) could be responsible for disease acquisition.


Purpose: To provide a comprehensive study on the accuracy of many commonly used Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy(IMRT)treatment planning systems using the Radiological Physics Center's (RPC) anthropomorphic thorax phantom. Method and Materials:Treatment planning systems (TPSs) from Corvus, Eclipse, Pinnacle, and Tomotherapy were evaluated using the RPC anthropomorphic phantom. Treatment plans were designed using the same clinical constraints and prescriptions so that 96% of the planning target volume (PTV) was covered by the prescription dose. The phantom is equipped with TLD located in the tumor,heart, and spinal cord and radiochromic film located in three anatomical planes intersecting the tumor center and extending into the lung.IMRT QA was performed to adjust the calculated dose distributions in order to isolate the effects of heterogeneity. Comparisons were made between each TPS calculation and measurement. In two instances, re‐calculations of the original correction based pencil beam (PB) plans were performed using the superposition convolution (SC) method. Results: TPSs employing superposition convolution algorithms predicted dose within 3.6% of the target TLD, while TPSs using correction based pencil beam algorithms predicted dose within 5.0% of the target TLD. Both algorithm types showed variations (2% to 38% in the cord and heart) in predicting low dose to normal structures. The dose distributions within the PTV and penumbra lung regions showed good agreement when using an SC algorithm. However, TPSs using the PB type algorithm overestimated dose in the PTV and underestimated the extent of penumbra broadening corresponding to the surrounding lung.Conclusion: This work demonstrated that superposition convolution algorithms found in widely used IMRTtreatment planning systems are able to calculate the dose accurately to the PTV and penumbra regions when low density heterogeneities are involved. Conflict of Interest: This work supported by PHS CA010953 and CA081647 awarded by NCI, DHHS.


The present invention provides a composition comprising a nucleic acid molecule and a buffer solution, said composition being characterized in that (a) the composition is in the form of a solution at ambient temperature and (b) the content of the nucleic acid molecule in the composition after the composition is stored at 25oC and a relative humidity of 60% for 4 weeks is 80% or more relative to that in the composition at the time of starting the storage.


In this paper the author presents a new cryptographic technique to exclude the repetitive terms in a message, when it is to be encrypted, so that it becomes almost impossible for a person to retrieve or predict the original message from the encrypted message. In modern world, cryptography hackers try to break a code or cryptographic algorithm or try to retrieve the key, which is needed to encrypt a message, by analyzing the insertion or presence of repetitive bits / characters (bytes) in the message and encrypted message to find out the encryption algorithm or the key used for it. So it is must for a good encryption method to exclude the repetitive terms such that no trace of repetitions can be tracked down. For this reason we apply SD-AREE cryptographic method to exclude repetitive terms from a message, which is to be encrypted. In SD-AREE method the repetitive bits / characters are removed and there is no trace of any repetition in the message.


The presence of the chunky graphite is unwanted in the cast iron with the spheroidal graphite for this significantly lowers the properties of the ductile iron. This shape of the graphite is formed as the result of the slow cooling rate of the castings with large thermal point and also due to the presence of the elements which suppress the formation of the spheroidal graphite and support formation of the chunky graphite. The spheroidal graphite present in the ductile iron assures the excellent mechanical properties, while the chunky graphite significantly reduces those properties of the ductile iron. Therefore it is of importance to assume conditions under which prevented is the formation of the chunky graphite. The casts were carried out under the conditions of the regular operation of the foundry and tested were various types of modifiers and inoculators and also pre-inoculators containing the elements suppressing the formation of the chunky graphite (Al, Sb a Ba). Applied were also the chromium breaker core to suppress the formation chunky graphite which was present in the structure in the places after the feeders elimination. As whole, executed were eight casts with various types of the modifiers and inoculators.


In September 2006, preliminary to the IWA biofilm conference, a second workshop about aerobic granular sludge was held in Delft, The Netherlands, of which a summary of the discussion outcomes is given in this paper. The definition of aerobic granular sludge was discussed and complemented with a few additional demands. Further topics were formation and morphology of aerobic granular sludge, modelling and use of the aerobic granular sludge in practice.


Wildlife trade is big business and threatens extinction for many species. It is also rife with uncertainty. For the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) every decision concerning a traded species has to navigate this uncertainty. This article addresses how the parties to CITES have dealt with uncertainty by analyzing their approach to precaution and adaptive management in the context of key operations of the treaty: listing criteria, guidance on non-detriment findings, and listing decisions for sharks, polar bears, and the African elephant.This article concludes that the parties to CITES have implemented precaution through adaptive management and monitoring, rather than explicitly endorsing a precautionary principle or precautionary approach. The parties thereby emphasize uncertainty arising from data gaps. However, while monitoring and adaptive management are necessary for decision-making on wildlife trade, they are not sufficient because they do not fully acknowledge the multiple sources of uncertainty. This article urges a dual role for precaution in wildlife trade decision-making – a procedural role that incorporates it within monitoring and adaptive management and a substantive role that builds in an additional layer of protection even in the face of uncertainty. The article applies these roles to the specific context of CITES decision-making.The complex mix of uncertainty and value debates is not unique to wildlife trade. Understanding how decision-makers can navigate this complexity and uncertainty without abandoning science-based decision-making is critical for conservationists and natural resource managers everywhere.


The technique of photofragment spectroscopy is used to study photodissociation in an effusive sodium iodide molecular beam at a wavelength of 355 nm. The transition is measured to be 28%+or-5% parallel in character; this result is discussed with respect to previous results at different wavelengths.


In vitro synergism of sulbenicillin and dibekacin was investigated with 19 strains of E. coli, 20 strains of Enterobacter and 20 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on agar plates. As the results, sulbenicillin and dibekacin were found to be synergistically bacteriostatic against all these organisms, though the synergistic effects were somewhat less potent against E. coli. The concentrations of dibekacin required for assuming a clear synergism were 0.78 approximately 1.56 mug/ml.


A recent demonstration of nonvolatile resistive switching in monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has paved the way for the development of the thinnest memory devices feasible. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism of such remarkable resistive switching has remained obscure, which may hinder the optimization of such attractive technology. Here, we present the first dynamic description of the resistive switching process in a Ni/monolayer h-BN/Ni device at an atomistic level by employing reactive molecular dynamics simulations. We show that with the application of a suitable bias, the h-BN layer moves vertically and peels off Ni ions from the electrode, which gets adsorbed in the N vacancy center. From density-functional-theory based electron-localization-function calculations, we confirm that N vacancy generates highly delocalized electrons around the vacancy location resulting in the adsorption of Ni ions, though such a phenomenon is not likely in case of B vacancy due to the absence of electronic states around the defect center. We demonstrate the restoration of Ni ions with the application of reverse bias in case of bipolar switching, and by rising temperature in case of unipolar switching, which agrees with the experimental observations. Finally, we conduct ab initio quantum transport calculation to find an increase in zero-bias conductivity of about 7.4 times after the Ni ion adsorption. This atomistic insight enables precise defect-engineering in 2D materials for the realization of h-BN based high-performance memristive crossbar array.


Amyloids are complex tissue deposits and each type is identified by one of 22 different proteins or peptides which become re-folded into non-native conformational intermediates and then assemble into fibrils of a highly regular structure. All amyloid deposits also contain apolipoprotein E (apoE) as well as the basement membrane (BM) components, serum amyloid P und heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG), perlecan or agrin. These BM components likely contribute to the overall organization of amyloid fibrils and HSPG has been further implicated in the genesis of amyloid. A growing body of evidence, summarized in this review, suggests that heparan sulfate (HS) promotes fibrillogenesis by associating with the amyloid precursors and inducing the conformational change required for their assembly into fibrils. HS also remains associated with the nascent fibrils contributing to its stability. These activities of HS are likely mediated through specific binding sites on the precursor proteins which appear to have sequence characteristics that are unique to amyloid.


In 12 patients with acute myocardial infarction we have studied the behavior of the red blood cell filterability using polycarbonate membranes of 13 mm diameter with pores of 5 mu diameter according to the Reid's method. The samples were drawn soon afterwards the admission and successively every 48 h for a period of about 12 days. In the meantime, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen, leukocyte, platelet and alpha 2-macroglobulin changes have been determined. The average initial filterability values in patients with infarction were 0.84 +/- 0.20, while in control subjects were 0.58 +/- 0.15. During the observation period, a statistically significant increase of filterability after 48 h (1.06 +/- 0.24) and after 96 h (0.88 +/- 0.21) was observed. Using the statistical analysis we have noticed a strong correlation among filterability and leukocytes and ESR. The effect of leukocytes is due to the reduction of membrane pores through which red blood cells filter. The correlation with the ESR shows the presence of a plasma factor different from fibrinogen and capable of transforming the red blood cell aggregation by reducing their filterability.


It has been observed that with Masugi nephritis in Wistar rats the initiation of endocapillary proliferative changes with macrophage accumulation is usually followed by glomerular sclerosis without extracapillary extension. In the present study, the provocation of an extracapillary lesion was attempted using accelerated Masugi nephritis in Wistar–Kyoto rats. In order to accelerate the accumulation of monocyte/macrophages, the administration of methylcellulose was added in an additional group. The development and fate of extracapillary lesions were analyzed histopathologically and immunohistochemically. As a result, the formation of extracapillary proliferation of granulomatous lesions could be initiated in this model. Granulomatous lesions were composed of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells and monocyte/macrophages including multinucleated giant cells. These inflammatory cells had seemingly escaped from the capillary lumen through the injured glomerular basement membrane and formed cellular and granulomatous crescents. In addition, tenascin was strongly expressed in cellular crescents and was a unique extracellular matrix at this cellular stage. The cellular crescents then progressed to sclerosis with the formation of increased collagenous extracellular matrix. These results suggest that a delayed‐type hypersensitivity plays a role in granulomatous crescent formation, even though the initial glomerular injury was evoked by a humoral antibody.


Landscape analysis and genetics can allow a better understanding of grasshoppers for which ecology is not very well known. We analysed landscape changes between 1990 and 2006 at two areas from southern France where three grasshopper species (Calliptamus italicus (L., 1758), Calliptamus wattenwylianus Pantel, 1896, and Calliptamus barbarus (Costa, 1836)) occur. We then applied microsatellite markers to the study of 1200 georeferenced samples collected over both areas. We used a recent Bayesian clustering method with correlated allele frequencies to detect weak population genetic structure. We found evidence of breaks in gene flow only in C. wattenwylianus, thought to be sedentary relative to its congenerics. By using different allele frequency models and prior information to different levels of genetic differentiation for our six real data sets, our study also informs on the ability of the newly available Bayesian clustering methods model to detect weak genetic structure in natural field populations.


PurposeFamily dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve is the most important and most ritualized feast for families in China. It is the time for the entire family to reunite. Families gather together to reflect their past and talk about the future. Through the lens of consumer culture theories, this study explores how Chinese consumers construct family identity.Design/methodology/approachBased on constant comparative analysis of primary data including in-depth interviews and participant observation, and secondary data including historical archives, cultural tracing, documentary reports and essays, the authors deconstruct the consumption rituals of family dinner on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve. The authors focus on four aspects, including participants, place, time and related activities, and analyze Chinese consumers' ritual experiences.FindingsThe authors' findings show how young consumers construct and strengthen individual self-identity, relational identity and family identity in various ways through consumption and ritual practices during Chinese Lunar New Year celebration.Originality/valueThe study of family dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve helps the authors understand contemporary consumer culture in three aspects. First, it helps the authors understand the relationship between consumption and culture. Second, the study shows the changes and continuities of consumption rituals. Third, the research highlights the experience of "home" among contemporary Chinese consumers.


This study investigates the influence of classroom management on students' academic achievement in science and mathematics in Oju Local Government Area of Benue State. Two Research Questions and Two Null Hypotheses guided the study. The descriptive survey Design was adopted for the study. A structured four point scale questionnaire titled influence of classroom management on students' academic achievement in science and mathematics was constructed by the Researchers and used to collect data for the study. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the Research Questions while chisquare (X) was used to test the Null Hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that classroom discipline and motivation significantly influence students' academic achievement in science and mathematics. Based on the findings, it was recommended that teachers should always maintain discipline in their classroom; Teachers should endeavour to introduce innovative ideas to motivate learning so that students' behavior and academic achievement can be positively influenced.


CONTENTS 3.1 Temperate Region Soil Differences 28 3.2 Challenges to Soil Fertility and Management 29 3.2.1 Soil Organic Matter Restoration and Conservation 30 3.2.2 High Nutrient-Use Efficiency 32 3.3 Solutions to the Major Soil System Challenges in Temperate Regions 34 3.3.1 Restoration of Soil Organic Matter 34 3.3.2 Improving Nutrient Efficiency 36 3.4 Discussion 37 References 38


Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is an aggressive form of endometrial cancer. Up to 35% of USC may overexpress the HER2/neu oncogene at strong (i.e., 3+) levels by IHC while an additional 40% to 50% express HER2/neu at moderate (2+) or low (1+) levels. We investigated the efficacy of SYD985, (Synthon Biopharmaceuticals), a novel HER2-targeting antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) composed of the mAb trastuzumab linked to a highly potent DNA-alkylating agent (i.e., duocarmycin) in USC. We also compared the antitumor activity of SYD985 in head-to-head experiments to trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), a FDA-approved ADC, against multiple primary USC cell lines expressing different levels of HER2/neu in in vitro and in vivo experiments. Using antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), proliferation, viability, and bystander killing assays as well as propidium iodide–based flow cytometry assays and multiple in vivo USC mouse xenograft models, we demonstrate for the first time that SYD985 is a novel ADC with activity against USC with strong (3+) as well as low to moderate (i.e., 1+/2+) HER2/neu expression. SYD985 is 10- to 70-fold more potent than T-DM1 in comparative experiments and, unlike T-DM1, it is active against USC demonstrating moderate/low or heterogeneous HER2/neu expression. Clinical studies with SYD985 in patients harboring chemotherapy-resistant USC with low, moderate, and high HER2 expression are warranted. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(8); 1900–9. ©2016 AACR.


We report a surface-emitting terahertz source based on intracavity difference-frequency generation in dual-wavelength midinfrared quantum cascade lasers with integrated giant second-order nonlinear susceptibility. The terahertz light is coupled out of the waveguide by a second-order grating etched into the laser ridges. In contrast to sources where the difference-frequency radiation is extracted from the facet, this approach enables extraction of the terahertz emission from the whole length of the device even when the coherence length is small.


In modern days a vehicle anti-theft system is of prime importance. Currently public having an own vehicle, theft is finding on parking and sometimes during insecurity places. The safe of vehicle is extremely essential for public vehicles. The first layer of protection in the system is a Fingerprint recognition, based on which the locks are opened. The Fingerprint matching is done by utilizing the minutiae based Fingerprint recognition scheme. The vehicle is became on only with the bike key. One turned on the user should keep them finger to the fingerprint sensor. If the finger ridges match, Solenoid value is opened for fuel supply and also a message is sending to the user by using GSM [Global System for Mobile Communication]. If finger matches failed, it will result in vehicle getting immobilized and an alert message is sent to the mobile number of the owner. The seized vehicle can be tracked using a GSM which is also being attached. If the vehicle (or) bike is stolen by some person. The place of vehicle is identified by GPS tracker, when the theft identified. The responsible person send SMS to the ARM, then ARM issue the control signals to stop the engine motor. Authorized person want to send the password to controller to restart the vehicle and open the solenoid valve and Keil μ-vision software is used for program coding. This is more secured, reliable and low cost. The experimental results proved the functionality of the anti-theft system in working environment.


Twenty‐four consecutive patients with the tetralogy of Fallot underwent repair from March 25, 1985 to March 24, 1986. Correction was achieved without a ventriculotomy in 8 patients, necessitated a minimal ventriculotomy in 8, and a formal right ventriculotomy incision was required in the other 8. There were no early or late phase deaths‐0% (70% C.L. 0%‐7%). Post repair right ventricular to left ventricular pressure ratios were not significantly different between the three groups (p = 0.85). The 16 patients (66%) who underwent repair without a formal ventriculotomy were found to have severe hypertrophy of the infundibular septum as the primary etiology for right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The other 8 patients (34%), who required a transventricular approach to the repair, were all found to have predominantly hypoplasia of the outflow tract and not hypertrophy. We conclude that repair of the tetralogy of Fallot can frequently be accomplished with no or a minimal ventriculotomy, and the results are satisfactory. Herein is described the operative approach to this procedure.


Co-doped Zn2SnO4–graphene–carbon nanocomposites have been prepared for the first time through a convenient one-step hydrothermal method. The size of Co-doped Zn2SnO4 nanoparticles is about 3–5 nm and they are well dispersed on graphene nanosheets and carbon layer. L-Ascorbic acid is introduced to serve as a reductant for GO and carbon sources. The doping of Co can enhance the crystalline degree of Zn2SnO4 nanoparticles. When evaluated as anode materials for lithium ion batteries, the Co–ZTO–G–C nanocomposites exhibited a significantly higher reversible capacity of 699 mA h g−1 after 50 cycles at 100 mA g−1 and an improved cycling stability of 461 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at 500 mA g−1 compared with Co–ZTO–G and ZTO–G–C nanocomposites. Moreover, even at a high current density of 1000 mA g−1, the reversible capacity of 418 mA h g−1 still remained. The improved electrochemical performance can be attributed to the synergy of the graphene substrate, the protective carbon layer, the uniform ultrafine Zn2SnO4 nanoparticles and Co doping. Therefore, Co–ZTO–G–C nanocomposites show great prospect as anodes for lithium-ion batteries.


Many academic and practitioners' studies have shown that misalignment or lack of alignment between information technology (IT) and business strategies is one of the main reasons why enterprises fail to exploit the full potential of their IT investments. Furthermore, organizations that have accomplished a high degree of alignment are often associated with better business efficiency and effectiveness performance. Consequently, strategic business and IT alignment (SBITA) has consistently been one of the top concerns of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in an enterprise. Despite these facts, there is little consensus on what SBITA really is; there are few documented theories, concepts and operational approaches for identifying, measuring, improving and maintaining the SBITA level in an enterprise. This paper is based on the strategic alignment model (SAM) proposed by Henderson & Venkatraman in 1993, which is considered one of the most widespread and accepted models among the alignment community. Basically, all later alignment models and consulting practices start from this model. The SAM consists of a set of alignment sub-topics presented partially in figure #3, which have been used for prioritizing the SBITA topic. An extensive literature survey has been carried out and the most relevant and cited references in the field have been categorized according to the sub-topics of the SAM. Doing so provided an indication of how important the alignment community finds the different aspects of SBITA


The mechanism of West Nile (WN) virus-induced cell death is determined by the initial infectious dose. In Vero cells infected with WN virus at an m.o.i. of 10 or greater, morphological changes characteristic of necrosis were observed as early as 8 h post-infection (p.i.). Pathological changes included extensive cell swelling and loss of plasma membrane integrity, as revealed by optical and electron microscopy. High extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was observed together with leakage of the high mobility group 1 (HMGB1) protein into the extracellular space. When cells undergo necrosis, they release the HMGB1 protein, a pro-inflammatory mediator cytokine. At high infectious doses, loss of cell plasma membrane integrity was due to the profuse budding of WN progeny virus particles during maturation. When this profuse budding process was disrupted using cytochalasin B, LDH activity was reduced dramatically. In contrast, WN virus-induced cell killing occurred predominantly by apoptosis when cells were infected with an m.o.i. of </=1; the process of apoptosis observed was much later after infection (32 h p.i.). Fragmentation of DNA, chromatin condensation and formation of apoptotic bodies were all observed. This WN virus-induced apoptosis pathway was initiated by the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and was accompanied by the formation of apoptosomes. In turn, this led to the activation of caspase-9 and -3, and to the cleavage of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.


Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between abnormal visual evoked potential (VEP) findings and different clinico-radiological parameters in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Seventy-two CP children (age range 18–96 months, mean age 36 months) was participated in this study. Data were collected retrospectively regarding patient's age, type of CP, pre-, peri- and postnatal events, and history of epilepsy. Evaluation of developmental quotient, and visual function, VEP, brainstem evoked potentials, electroencephalogram and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, were performed in all patients. Forty-three (59.7%) patients demonstrated abnormal VEP. Abnormal VEP were statistically correlated with motor deficit (spastic tetraplegia 86.4%; P = 0.006), abnormal electroencephalogram (62.7%; P < 0.001), abnormal MRI findings (periventricular leukomalacia alone 60.4%; P < 0.001 or with hypoxic-ischemic lesions 22.2%; P = 0.038, retrospectively), poor visual acuity (44%; P = 0.018) and low developmental quotient < 40 (79%; P = 0.020). We conclude that abnormal VEP in children with bilateral spastic CP demonstrate a statistically significant correlation with the presence of spastic tetraplegia, epilepsy, periventricular leukomalacia with or without hypoxic-ischemic lesions in brain MRI, low visual acuity, and moderate to severe developmental delay. Since VEP constitute a non-invasive neurophysiological procedure, it should be incorporated in the diagnostic work-up of children with bilateral spastic CP.


The design and manufacture of electrical vehicles is becoming important with the rising cost of petrol, and therefore the effect of emissions from petrol powered vehicles on our surroundings. Operating A battery electric automobile will eliminate emissions inside our cities and reduce our dependence on oil. the amount of electrical vehicles on the roads is increasing per annum as people become more environmentally conscious and gasoline prices are volatile. This study produces a design and manufacture A battery electric vehicle, and describes the method of constructing and testing of an electrical vehicle. This design comprises many steps from choosing the automobile design, sizing a motor, and therefore the sort of batteries used.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the biochemical metabolic changes detected by phosphorus-31 MR spectroscopy ((31)P MRS) with pathologic changes in the liver of fasting rabbits.

METHODS
A total of 22 rabbits were under the starvation up to death to establish animal models. Hepatic (31)P MRS was performed in different period of 10 rabbits including normal condition, over-starvation, agonal condition and death after 30 min. Other 9 rabbits were divided into three type including over-starvation, agonal condition and death group with 3 rabbits in each group, and 3 healthy rabbits served as controls. All the 12 rabbits were sacrificed for the hepatic pathological examination. The MR examination was performed on a 1.5 T imager using a 1H/31P surface coil by the 2D chemical shift imaging technique. The relative quantities of phosphomonoesters (PME), phosphodiesters (PDE), inorganic phosphate (Pi) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were measured.

RESULTS
All the relative quantification of phosphorus metabolites were changed significantly from starvation to death (X(2)=23.13-35.41, P<0.01). The relative quantifications of ATP of normal condition, over-starvation, agonal condition and death were 2.54 +/-0.53, 1.73 +/-0.14, 0.88 +/-0.23 and 0.05 +/-0.08, respectively (rs=1.0, P<0.01). The relative quantifications of PDE from normal to death were 1.25 +/-0.54, 2.76 +/-0.23, 3.33 +/-0.49 and 3.87 +/-0.43, respectively, and those of Pi were 0.42 +/-0.02, 0.65 +/-0.05, 0.89 +/-0.15 and 0.99 +/-0.08, respectively (rs=1.0, P <0.01). The relative quantifications of PME were also significantly changed (rs=0.4, P=0.6). The pathologic changes of normal condition, over-starvation, agonal condition and death: decreased size of hepatocytes, loss of cell number, cellular swelling, degeneration and cell necrosis or hepatic hemorrhage became more and more pronounced.

CONCLUSION
(31)P MRS can monitor dynamic changes of relative quantification of phosphorus metabolites, which are correlated with the pathological severity of acute hepatic injury by fasting.


This continuing feature will inform readers about the process of implementing, maintaining, and supporting prescriber computer order entry (PCOE) at the Ohio State University Medical Center. (By "prescribers," we refer to health care professionals authorized to prescribe medications by their states.) Practical information on what worked and what failed will be provided, along with current updates on the status of PCOE at the Medical Center. Questions or suggestions should be addressed to Alicia S. Miller, Department of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University Medical Center, 368 Doan Hall, 410 West 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


1. By keeping pieces of mantle cavity wall in Hedon Fleig saline it is possible to make cultures which grow out for about five days. After that time the bacteria have increased so enormously that growth is checked, though the cultures will live for several weeks longer in a suspended condition.

2. The main type of cell which grows out is an amoeboid element, identical, it is believed, with the general connective elements of the normal tissue of the snail.

3. Neutral red stains, is segregated, or is deposited in thevarious categories of cells, in various ways. For example, in spermatocytes it appears almost always inside the Golgi apparatus, thus forming with the dictyosomes a 'zone de Golgi' of Parat. In the pulmonary epithelial cells the neutral red at once stains the pre-formed granules which are visible in unstained living cells. These granules are not directly related to the Golgi bodies. In amoebocytes the neutral red appears principally as large segregated globules, anywhere in the cytoplasm. Finally, into the mantle epithelial cells it is difficult to get neutral red, when other cells are already well stained.

4. The only homologous bodies in the cytoplasm of these various categories of cells are the Golgi bodies and mitochondria.

5. In no case has a mitotic figure been found in any Helix culture. Cells suggesting division by amitosis are commonest when the cultures are growing out fastest.


Objective: To establish a stable model of VX2 breast carcinoma in rabbit and select the optimal way. Methods: Thirty female New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups with 10 in each. Tumor cell suspensions or tumor mass suspensions were injected into breast tissues of rabbits of group A and B, respectively. Tumor blocks were surgically implanted in rabbit breasts of group C. Tumor formation rate, tumor growth rate, and tumor-bearing survival time was compared, and the histological feature of tumor was observed. Results: Models were established conveniently and successfully in rabbits received injection of tumor mass suspensions. Tumor proliferated rapidly with the biological feature of squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion: VX2 breast carcinoma model in rabbit was established successfully. Intramammary injection of tumor mass suspension is the best method.


Approximate convex decomposition aims to decompose a 3D shape into a set of almost convex components, whose convex hulls can then be used to represent the input shape. It thus enables efficient geometry processing algorithms specifically designed for convex shapes and has been widely used in game engines, physics simulations, and animation. While prior works can capture the global structure of input shapes, they may fail to preserve fine-grained details (e.g., filling a toaster's slots), which are critical for retaining the functionality of objects in interactive environments. In this paper, we propose a novel method that addresses the limitations of existing approaches from three perspectives: (a) We introduce a novel collision-aware concavity metric that examines the distance between a shape and its convex hull from both the boundary and the interior. The proposed concavity preserves collision conditions and is more robust to detect various approximation errors. (b) We decompose shapes by directly cutting meshes with 3D planes. It ensures generated convex hulls are intersection-free and avoids voxelization errors. (c) Instead of using a one-step greedy strategy, we propose employing a multi-step tree search to determine the cutting planes, which leads to a globally better solution and avoids unnecessary cuttings. Through extensive evaluation on a large-scale articulated object dataset, we show that our method generates decompositions closer to the original shape with fewer components. It thus supports delicate and efficient object interaction in downstream applications.


Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a pluripotent lipid mediator that transmits signals through a family of G protein-coupled receptors to control diverse biological processes. Here, we investigated the effects of S1P on the levels of intracellular calcium and cAMP in differentiated rat white adipocytes and two important aspects of adipocyte-specific physiology, lipolysis and leptin production. In adipocytes, S1P signaling pathway was functionally linked to phospholipase C via pertussis-toxin-sensitive G protein. Interestingly, at higher S1P concentration (1-30 microM), it also induced cAMP generation in a concentration-dependent manner, which was pertussis toxin insensitive and was mimicked by dihydro-S1P and sphingosylphosphoryl-choline but not by its related metabolites, ceramide and sphingosine, or by its structural analogs, phyto-S1P and lysophosphatidic acid. Suramin, a known inhibitor of ligand-receptor interactions, reduced S1P-induced cAMP generation by 60% of control, whereas forskolin-induced cAMP increase was not affected by treatment with suramin. The S1P-induced cAMP generation was functionally linked to cAMP response element-binding protein phosphorylation. Finally, S1P significantly reduced insulin-induced mRNA of ob gene and leptin secretion, whereas S1P increased glycerol release from adipocytes. Both effects of S1P were reversed by a selective adenylyl cyclase inhibitor, SQ22536, without significantly affecting basal values. In conclusion, extracellular S1P elicits the elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ and cAMP with a distinct concentration dependency, and S1P-induced cAMP generation may be mediated by S1P-selective receptors rather than intracellular targets, and the activated adenylyl cyclase-cAMP signaling pathways subsequently increase lipolysis and decrease insulin-induced leptin production in rat white adipocytes.


Contemporary mainstream macroeconomics tends to ignore the phenomenon of K-waves in dynamic economic modelling. The relevance of this article lies in the fact that it describes the conditions in which it is possible to implement K-waves in macro- and meso-economic modelling. The purpose of the study is to show that K-waves manifest themselves not in the dynamics of output (as macro-economists think) but in the behavior of technical, economic, and socio-economic indicators, reflecting the interaction of the two forces. The first force is the radical technological changes that accompany the transition from one technological mode to another and that trigger K-waves of technical and economic indicators, such as capital productivity. The second force is generated by the countercyclical response of the state and market to radical technological changes. The statistical analysis was used to identify the sinusoidal dynamics of the US capital intensity based on the data for 1946–2019. The research also applied a SMR model, which differs from orthodox macro-models in that it captures the effects of the coexistence of different generations of fixed capital. This model was used to calculate various variants of the interaction between the two above-mentioned forces. The calculations showed that the regulator has sufficiently powerful instruments to dampen the fluctuating dynamics of technical and economic indicators caused by shifts in technological modes at the GDP level. Thus, it is possible to use K-waves in macroanalysis. Moreover, such a possibility can be successfully implemented with the help of a heterodox model of switching reproduction mode. This fact signifies a noticeable advantage of heterodox economics, which recognizes K-waves, over mainstream macroeconomics.


Ape language research has typically employed cognitive descriptions of ape competencies. Recently, Epstein, Lanza, and Skinner (1980) attempted to simulate some of the ape findings with pigeons. They also used cognitive terms to describe their results, but with "tongue-in-cheek." In the hope of bringing about a better understanding of the ape research, this paper describes the main aspects of one ape language project, using a behavior-analytic framework. It then briefly compares and contrasts, from that perspective, the training programs used with pigeons and with apes. It is concluded that the behavior-analytic framework, and the procedures devised to produce language skills in apes, provide strong support for several of the major positions set forth in Skinner's (1957) Verbal Behavior.


The internet has been found to be a popular source for human health information. However, there is a lack of information on pet owners' use of the internet to source pet health information and implications for the owner–veterinarian relationship. Therefore, the aim of this study was to address this gap in knowledge by focusing on UK pet owners' general use of the internet to find online pet health information and the impact of this behaviour on the owner–veterinarian relationship. An online survey targeting UK pet owners resulted in 571 respondents. Respondents reported the most frequently used source for pet health information was the internet (78.6 per cent), followed by their veterinarian (72 per cent). Veterinarians and other pet owners, however, were rated as the most trustworthy sources. The topics searched for most often online were specific medical problems (61.3 per cent) and diet/nutrition (58.5 per cent). Regarding the owner–veterinarian relationship, 42.1 per cent of participants reported discussing information they found online 'sometimes' with their veterinarian. When asked if their veterinarian recommended specific websites, nearly half (49.6 per cent) stated that their veterinarian 'never' made such recommendations, yet over 90 per cent said they would visit veterinarian-recommended websites.


For spark ignition engines, the fuel-air mixture preparation process is known to have a significant influence on engine performance, exhaust emissions and fuel economy. In this work, a one-dimensional, unsteady, multicomponent, multiphase flow model has been developed to study the mixture formation process in the intake manifold for a port-injected gasoline engine. The model consists of three major parts: a gas-phase model, a multicomponent droplet vaporization model and a liquid-film model. Three subsets of equations are solved by a hybrid Eulerian-Lagrangian, explicit-implicit scheme. The model not only quantitatively identifies the effects of each parameter on the final mixture but also shows the interactive influences of three phases of the mixture during the process. As a development and calibration tool, the model helps to understand the behavior of multiphase flow in the intake port, and can give guidelines toward achieving more efficient, clean and smooth engine operation.


The paper presents a new architecture, called photonic burst switching (PBS), with variable time slot provisioning, supporting high-speed bursty data transmission within hop and span-constrained networks. First, the edge and switching node architecture for in-band and out-of-band signaling is defined with optical switch fabric performance parameters. Second, the edge router regions of operation for burst assembly are studied via simulations. Third, we introduce: (i) a GMPLS-based PBS software architecture in terms of control and data plane operations that is extended to enable the PBS optical interfaces with software building blocks for edge and switching nodes; (ii) an adaptive PBS MAC layer functionality and framing of multiple generic payloads. The integration of the proposed PBS network architecture with low-cost optical switching fabrics and GMPLS-based software architecture should provide the means for robust and efficient optical transport of bandwidth-demanding applications within enterprise networks.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the proximate and lipidic compositon of lamb meat from tropical sheep reared in Northeastern Brazil. Twenty-one rams, ten ½ Somalis Brasileira ½ ´  Crioula (SB-C) and 11 ½ Santa Ines ´  ½ Crioula (SI-C) were used. Two feeding regimes were utilized during weaning: grass hay (Cynodon dactylon) + leucena hay (Leucaena leucocephala) ad libitum (D1) and grass hay + leucena hay + 20% crude protein concentrate ad libitum (D2). It was not observed effect of crossbreed or feeding regime on proximate and lipidic composition of the meat. Moisture, protein, ash and fat values varied from 76.12 to 76.19%, 19.19 to 19.46%, 1.08 to 1.10% and 2.01 to 2.39%, respectively. Cholesterol content ranged from 54.43 to 60.05mg/100g of meat. The more abundant fatty acids in lamb fat were oleic, palmitic and stearic. Based on these results, it can be concluded that lamb meat from Notheastern Brazil has proximal and lipidic compositions similar to that animals from temperate regions of the World.


Most of cassava grown in Palas, South Lampung District is sweet type cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) utilized as raw materials for cassava-based snack production. However, their characteristic had never been reported. The aims of the research were to determine the effect of varieties, harvesting age, and interaction between varieties and the harvesting age on morphology and chemical characteristics of sweet type cassava planted in Palas District, South Lampung. The experiment was factorial and arranged in a Complete Randomized Block Design (CRBD) with two factors and four replications. The first factor was cassava variety, i.e., manalagi (V1), mentega (V2), and krembi (V3). The second factor was the harvest age (U) i.e., 7-8 months (U1) and 8-9 months (U2). Morphology data were reported descriptively, while data for other characteristics were tested for homogeneity and additivity using Barlett and Tuckey test, then subjected to ANOVA, and further tested using Duncan test at the level of 5%. The results showed that the variety and harvest age significantly affected of water content, starch yield, starch content, amylose, and amylopectin. There was a significant interaction between varieties and age of harvest on moisture content, starch yield, and starch content, but there was no significant interaction effect on amylose and amylopectin. The highest value of moisture content was found in manalagi aged at 7-8 months (67.28% wb), the highest value of starch yield was found in manalagi age at 8-9 months of (16.34%), the highest value of starch content was found in mentega aged at 8-9 of months (17.52 % wb), the highest value of amylose was found in mentega aged at 8-9 of month (10.35% db), the highest value of amylopectin was found in krembi aged at 7-8 of month (92.78% db). Overall, krembi, manalagi, and mentega can be categorized as lowamylose cassava which has potential to be developed as raw material for crispy cassava-based snack.


The mammary microbiome is a newly characterized bacterial niche that might offer biological insight into the development of breast cancer. Together with in-depth analysis of the gut microbiome in breast cancer, current evidence using next-generation sequencing and metabolic profiling suggests compositional and functional shifts in microbial consortia are associated with breast cancer. In this review, we discuss the fundamental studies that have progressed this important area of research, focusing on the roles of both the mammary tissue microbiome and the gut microbiome. From the literature, we identified the following major conclusions, (I) There are unique breast and gut microbial signatures (both compositional and functional) that are associated with breast cancer, (II) breast and gut microbiome compositional and breast functional dysbiosis represent potential early events of breast tumor development, (III) specific breast and gut microbes confer host immune responses that can combat breast tumor development and progression, and (IV) chemotherapies alter the microbiome and thus maintenance of a eubiotic microbiome may be key in breast cancer treatment. As the field expectantly advances, it is necessary for the role of the microbiome to continue to be elucidated using multi-omic approaches and translational animal models in order to improve predictive, preventive, and therapeutic strategies for breast cancer.


The introduction of thrombolysis for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke has increased the importance of prompt and accurate diagnosis. Research has shown a high rate of misdiagnosis of acute stroke in the community by paramedics and primary care doctors (PCDs). In this study, referral letters for presumed acute stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) were audited to assess the diagnostic accuracy of PCDs and the quality of the referral letters. In 30 % of cases, the diagnosis of stroke was correct. Important stroke mimics included sepsis, delirium and functional disorders. PCDs may benefit from a stroke recognition tool to increase diagnostic accuracy.


In the present scenario, dental implants have proven to be a very reliable and popular treatment option for partial and completely edentulous arches. The biological, chemical, local, clinician, and implant related factors determine sequence of bone turnover that eventually enhances the success of implant therapy. The positioning of implant is followed by an inflammatory process that results in de novo bone formation and deposition on the implant surface. Pure titanium is commercially the prime material of choice for an implant. The implant surface can be chemically altered by a change in manufacturing, finishing, thermal treatment, blasting etching, coatings, and even sterilization procedures. These techniques have led to major innovations in implant dentistry as they roughen the surface, promoting bone deposition and stability. The current paper gives a comprehensive review of the diverse topographical characteristics of an implant surface and the altered techniques offered to create appropriate roughness to enhance osseointegration starting from fundamental to the latest techniques.


The use of videos to analyze teaching practices or initial teacher training is aimed at helping build professional skills by establishing more explicit links between university education and internships and practical work in the schools. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the English-speaking community with French research via a study of the use of videos in preservice teacher education. The scientific research trend called "course of action" is presented, along with a brief summary of several studies conducted in the context of initial teacher education in France, which point out the respective contributions of four distinct video-based approaches to professional development for educating new teachers. Last, the authors' conceptual contribution is presented based on a few scientific studies conducted between 1965 and 2017 that exemplify the different approaches to the use of video-based training for new and experienced teachers. This conceptualization is designed to help the field rethink the various ways of conceiving of video resources in education, of providing guidance during video viewing, and of organizing the various goals of video viewing and the different objects of analysis into a step-by-step teacher-training program.


This paper examines whether firms engage in earnings management activities in the context of workforce reductions. We assume that firms use income-decreasing accruals before workforce reduction announcements to show that the operation is necessary and thus to avoid incurring political costs. Based on 120 workforce reduction announcements for 104 French listed companies over the period 2007-2012, our results confirm that firms manage earnings downward in the year before workforce reduction announcements (approximately 4% of total assets). Overall, the results validate the political cost hypothesis in the context of workforce reductions.


A systemic immune related response (SIME) of radiotherapy has been occasionally observed on metastatic tumors, but the clinical outcomes remain poor. Novel treatment approaches are therefore needed to improve SIME ratio. We used a combination of hypo-fractionated radiation therapy (H-RT) with low-dose total body irradiation (L-TBI) in a syngeneic mouse model of breast and colon carcinoma. The combination therapy of H-RT and L-TBI potentially enhanced SIME by infiltration of CD8+ T cell and altering the immunosuppressive microenvironment in non-irradiated subcutaneous tumor lesions. The frequency of IFN-γ, as a tumor-specific CD8+ T cells producing, significantly inhibited the secondary tumor growth of breast and colon. Our findings suggest that L-TBI could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for metastatic breast and colon cancer and, together with H-RT, their therapeutic potential is enhanced significantly.


The doctrine of election lies at the heart of Reformed theology. This essay offers a review of Matthias Gockel's recent comparison between two of Reformed theology's greatest voices: that of Friedrich Schleiermacher and Karl Barth. Gockel outlines Schleiermacher's contribution to the doctrine before turning to consider its modifications in Barth's work. The advance of these two thinkers on this issue has significant implications for the ongoing questions of universal election and universal salvation. Consequently, the possibility of an apokatastasis panton arises naturally from their theology. This possibility is briefly explored.


This review of the literature is presented to familiarize the reader with the available measures as they relate to assessing the basic capacity for social interaction in infants and preschool children. A review of the literature revealed that broad concepts of social interaction that overlap with other aspects of social development have been included in the assessment of social interaction. Only those measures that included assessment of the basic capacity for social interaction, either as the main goal or as part of assessing different aspects of social development, were considered. The identified measures are grouped in this review by the main area of social development for which they were established. Brief descriptions of the measures are provided in a table format.


The shear banding is explored in a granular suspension driven by electric field and shear flow. We find that, given an imposed electric field, there is a critical shear rate determining whether shear banding emerges. A phase diagram of shear banding and fluidization is constructed by using the present experimental data. The evolution in different shear banding phases constitutes an apparent shear thinning phenomenon, probably reflecting an underlying perspective of shear banding. Using the two-phase model, combining with mean field approach and the Onsager least dissipation principle, we give a qualitative explanation of our experimental findings. The results suggest that the stress heterogeneity plays a crucial role for the physical origin of shear banding in this system.


This article presents a framework for practitioners who may be interested in maintaining adaptive stability of sociotechnical networks. The framework is developed from assembling several concepts that are useful for assessing and for drawing on appropriate moral reasoning strategies as sociotechnical networks are designed, constructed, and adapted. One such strategy involves the ability to assess degrees of perspective sharing and trading relationships in networks using moral imagination. The article uses the case of the design of an environmentally sustainable fabric to illustrate these strategic concepts. The framework also draws on other examples of cases in which sociotechnical networks have become destabilized to illustrate instances in which the framework may have been useful for decreasing a tendency for destabilization.


ABSTRACT The present article gives a detailed account of previously unknown documentary sources of Leskov's short story "Episcopal Justice." This story bears the subtitle "True story. From recent recollections," which seems to suggest an autobiographical basis for the narrative. The ultimate aim of the study is to determine whether the story's central incident – a Christian bishop comes to the rescue of a Jewish boy – may have been based on real events. My analysis of recently discovered archival materials, as well as of the historical circumstances surrounding the writing of the tale, shows that "Episcopal Justice" may well have been based on real-life events. Moreover, we consider this story in the context of Leskov's other writings addressing the "Jewish question" and trace the evolution of his position as it shifts, in his later years, toward one of equality of the Christian and Jewish faiths.


Background Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is associated with higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. Recently, the levels of extracellular heat shock protein 72 (eHSP72) were found to be elevated in ALL, and its elevation associated with poor prognosis. Therefore, considering the possible role of eHSP72 as a modulator of the immunological system and metabolism, the aim of this study was to describe the response of eHSP72 to the induction phase of chemotherapy, along with metabolic, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, in children and adolescents newly diagnosed with ALL. Methods Nineteen patients were recruited and analysed before and after the induction phase of chemotherapy (with 28 days of duration). Blood samples were taken for the analysis of C-reactive protein (CRP), levels of lipoperoxidation, insulin (and HOMA-IR), cortisol, glucose, lipid profile and eHSP72. Results We found that induction phase of chemotherapy leads to a drop in glucose levels (from 101.79±19 to 75.8±9.7 mg/dL), improvements on inflammation (CRP levels, p<0.01) and oxidative stress (TBARS levels, p<0.01), reduction on eHSP72 (p=0.03) and improved insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR, p=0.02). Conclusion Our results indicate that eHSP72 may have an immune and metabolic role and could be used as a marker of the treatment success and metabolic changes in children with ALL.


Polycrystalline NiZn ferrite doped with a small amount of Y ions and having the composition of Ni0.42Zn0.58YxFe2−xO4, where x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10, was analyzed. Specimens were prepared by the ceramic method. Thermo-magnetic analysis and evaluation of hysteresis loops parameters were chosen as main examination methods in this study. Various parameters, such as Curie temperature TC , coercive eld Hc, remanent magnetic ux density Br, hysteresis loop area and amplitude/initial permeability were studied at low frequencies.


GW170817 is the first binary neutron star (NS) merger detected in gravitational waves (GWs) and photons, and so far remains the only GW event of its class with a definitive electromagnetic counterpart. Radio emission from the structured jet associated with GW170817 has faded below the sensitivity achievable via deep radio observations with the most sensitive radio arrays currently in operation. Hence, we now have the opportunity to probe the radio re-brightening that some models predict, which should emerge at late times from the interaction of the dynamically stripped merger ejecta with the interstellar medium. Here we present the latest results from our deep radio observations of the GW170817 field with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), 4.5 yr after the merger. Our new data at 3 GHz do not show any compelling evidence for emission in excess to the tail of the jet afterglow (<3.3 μJy), confirming our previous results. We thus set new constraints on the dynamical ejecta afterglow models. These constraints favor single-speed ejecta with energies ≲1050 erg (for an ejecta speed of β 0 = 0.5), or steeper energy–speed distributions of the kilonova ejecta. Our results also suggest larger values of the cold, nonrotating maximum NS mass in equal-mass scenarios. However, without a detection of the dynamical ejecta afterglow, obtaining precise constraints on the NS equation of state remains challenging.


Antimony Sulfide (Sb2Se3) Solar Cells are considered a promising emerging photovoltaic devices technology. However, the best reported experimental efficiency (9.2%) is well below the theoretical limit of 30%. In this research is demonstrated, by numerical simulation, that using different buffer or electron transport layers (ETL) and device structures (n-p or n-i-p) can significantly increase the solar cell performance. The study is based on two underlying considerations: the use of inorganic materials to facilitate the manufacturing process and the analysis of the simulation parameters that adjust to the experimental conditions in which the cells can be processed. In the n-p structures, the use of single layers and bilayers as ETL was evaluated and the possible mechanism that explain the electrical parameters of the solar cell were discussed. Especial attention was made in the role of interfacial state density and band alignment in the ETL/Sb2Se3 interface. In addition, the n-i-p structure was studied by adding a hole transport layer (HTL). An improvement in open circuit voltage (Voc) is observed compared with n-p structure. Finally, the behavior of Voc and efficiency vs thickness of the ETL and Sb2Se3 layers was analyzed. The results show that using alternative ETLs a significant improve in Voc and efficiency could be achieved for n-p and n-i-p structures. After thickness optimization and taking account a moderate interface defect density, values of Voc and efficiency higher than 600 mV and 15 % were respectively obtained.


overlook other potential audiences who might benefit from this book, including college and university administrators needing to evaluate the activities of their faculty and assess the quality, rigor, and relevance of their dance program, and any dance students interested in the context behind their dance classes. In teaching dance technique in my college setting, I try to help my students make sense of the role of training in their liberal arts education. The struggle is as much mine as theirs, as I encounter the many associations and epistemological implications of the words "technique" and "training." Dance training— and technique class—is in many ways the least examined and the least understood aspect of our art from the perspective of liberal arts education. In the few months since first encountering this book, I have found occasion to assign it in courses ranging from Dance Composition to Introduction to Dance, and to share it with administrators and faculty in fields outside my own who are eager to understand the state of contemporary dance. It is a valuable addition to the academic discourse around dance. It is also a rich resource for personal investigation that not only encourages but also offers a generative framework for developing ones personal agency and artistry during challenging times. Katja Kolcio Wesleyan University


WHAT ARE Finnish heroes made of? The answer seems obvious: war, of course. If the questionnaires of the Swedish Literature Society in Finland (1) are to be believed, the Marshal of Finland, General Mannerheim, is still the hero par excellence of the Finnish people. (2) Let me, therefore, phrase the question differently: of what discursive material are Finnish heroes made today, and what can the principles guiding their construction tell us about Finnish people's images of themselves? Or the other way round: what can these images convey about Finland when this nation attempts to observe itself from the outside? These are the questions that will be posed and, I hope, answered in this article. In order to do so, I shall trace a cluster of images Finns have created of themselves by closely reading some turn-of-millennium Finnish texts addressing the world in the languages of technology, history, and commerce. Going back to the 1930s, I shall be guided by some earlier texts in identifying influential and problematic oriental national imagery that was emerging during that decade. I will argue that such imagery still forms the problematic base for Finnish national subjectivity today as it is continually enunciated in political, technological, and commercial discourses at the national level. In this exploration of national heroic imagery, I shall also build on Margery Hourihan's deconstructive analysis of the image of the Western hero. I shall use the image of the screen heuristically as a major trope to dismantle the construction of twenty-first-century Finnish national subjectivity. Screen in this context means the computer screen, the TV-screen, and the screen on the cell phone, etc. and should be understood as a synecdoche of that technological performance that Finland wants other countries to acknowledge and that Finns themselves like to observe. The screen in this technological sense thus becomes both that space where an ideal national self is produced as well as the means of producing it. In Lander och folk i ord och bild: Natur och liv i fem varldsdelar, a popular cultural geography edited in Stockholm but published in Helsinki in 1937, the following introduction to the chapter on Finland appears under the heading "Finland: Europe's Outpost in the North-East": Inom det europeiska statssystemet intar Finland inte nagon betydande stallning, men att det over huvud hor dit ar markligt nog. Landets naturforhallanden ha fran begynnelsen varit i hog grad ogynnsamma for odling, och det har behovts ett folk av mer an vanlig kraft och hardighet for att besegra vildmarken och det harda klimatet. Posterat vid det kulturhistoriska begreppet Europas nordostra grans har Finland under hela sin historia lopt fara att bringas under ryskasiatisk inflytande, och att denna fara avvarjts ar jamte uppodlingen av det karga och frostharjade landet dess befolknings storsta bragd. An i dag ar Finland i stor utstrackning ett odemarksland, men i de storre staderna och i de relativt tatt befolkade sodra och vastra kusttrakterna harskar den internationella vasterlandska kulturen pa gott och ont, och den moderna kommunikationstekniken ar i fard med att snabbt bryta aven de avlagsna skogsbygdernas isolering. (65; emphasis reine) (In the European polity, Finland does not have an influential position, but the fact that Finland belongs there at all is remarkable. The natural conditions of the country have always been highly unsuitable for cultivation of the soil, and it has taken a people of more than usual strength to conquer the wilderness and the hard climate. Situated at the north-eastern border of Europe, Finland has continuously been in danger of being brought under Russo-Asian influence. The fact that this danger has been averted is, together with the cultivation of the harsh and frost-hardened land, the greatest victory of this nation. …


Background: The Middle East Lower Limb Score (MELLS) is an adaptation of the WOMAC questionnaire, specifically adjusted according to the cultural issues of the middle eastern patients with Knee or hip disabilities. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to verify if the translation and adaptation of the MELLS into Arabic could be used with ease and consistency by Arab-speaking patients suffering lower limb disabilities. Material & Methods: 110 participants were involved in this study. We performed the internal consistency tests with Cronbach's alpha. We also calculated floor effects, ceiling effects, as well as test-retest reliability (intra-correlation coefficient). To estimate the validity of MELLS, we used two validated questionnaires – WOMAC and OHS. We confirmed the validity of MELLS questionnaire using Spearman's correlation. Results: MELLS had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.88 in the first assessment and 0.92 in the second assessment, which was very high and reliable. Both subscales of MELLS had an internal consistency higher than 0.85. No relevant ceiling and floor effect were observed among the responses. Furthermore, strong significant correlation with WOMAC subscales and OHS was observed, which suggested good construct validity. Responsiveness of MELLS, however, proved to be lower (but not considerably) than other two questionnaires. Conclusion: The Arabic Middle East Lower Limb Score (MELLS) is a useful and reliable diagnostic tool for Middle eastern patients with knee and hip problems.


When a database is defined as views over autonomous sources, inconsistencies with respect to global integrity constraints are to be expected. This paper investigates the possibility of using simplification techniques for integrity constraints in order to maintain, in an incremental way, a correction table of virtual updates which, if executed, would restore consistency; access can be made through auxiliary views that take the table into account. The approach employs assumptions about local source consistency as well as cross-source constraints whenever possible


Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by the production of antibodies to nuclear antigens, in particular antibodies to double stranded DNA (dsDNA). The etiology of these autoantibodies is unknown but one theory suggests that viruses may play a role. One virus that has been shown to have an association with SLE is the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). We previously demonstrated that mice immunized with an EBNA-1 expression vector or with purified EBNA-1 protein develop antibodies to dsDNA as well as to the viral antigen. We have recently demonstrated that these antibodies are pathogenic and deposit in the kidney and induce moderate proteinuria. We hypothesized that since EBNA-1 is a dsDNA binding protein, it could complex with chromosomal dsDNA in order to render it immunogenic and elicit an anti-dsDNA response. To test this hypothesis we generated recombinant EBNA-1 protein that lacks the 3 known chromosomal binding sites and immunized mice with it. We observed that mice immunized with this mutated EBNA-1 protein still develop an anti-dsDNA response. We have now generated hybridomas producing anti-EBNA-1 antibodies from these mice and observed that 10 out of 18 monoclonal anti-EBNA-1 antibodies actually cross-react with dsDNA. These results suggest that a viral protein determinant can mimic chromatin and elicit an anti-dsDNA response that can lead to autoimmunity. Future studies will analyze the molecular basis of this cross-reactivity.


According to the international electrotechnical commission issued IEC61000-4-2 testing standards, through the electrostatic discharge current waveform characteristics analysis and numerical experiment method, using exponential pulse signal and the damped sinusoidal signal to construct a new the ESD current expression. Using Laplace transform, established the ESD system mathematical model. According to the mathematical model, construct four-order circuit model of the ESD system, and the simulation is carried out. The simulation results meet the IEC61000-4-2 standard, and verify the consistency of the ESD current expression, the mathematical model and the circuit model.


Abstract Objectives Mass vaccination is the most effective strategy for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the 6-month immunogenicity after BNT162b2-COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents with JIA on TNFi treatment. Methods This single-centre study included adolescents with JIA treated with TNFi for at least 18 months. Patients received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) from 15 April to 15 May 2021. Quantitative measurement of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2-spike-protein-1 was performed at 1, 3 and 6 months post-vaccination. Results Overall, 21 adolescents with JIA in clinical remission at the time of vaccinations were enrolled. None of them discontinued TNFi/MTX treatment at the time of vaccine administration or during the follow-up period. All patients developed a sustained humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 at 1 and 3 months after vaccination (P < 0.05). The antibody levels decreased significantly at 6 months post-vaccination (P < 0.01). The type of JIA did not reveal any differences in the humoral response at 3 (P = 0.894) or 6 months post-vaccination (P = 0.72). No difference was detected upon comparison of the immunogenicity between the different treatment arms (adalimumab vs etanercept) at 3 (P = 0.387) and 6 months (P = 0.526), or TNFi monotherapy vs combined therapy (TNFi plus methotrexate) at 3 (P = 0.623) and 6 months (P = 0.885). Conclusions Although mRNA vaccines develop satisfactory immunogenicity at 1 month and 3 months post-vaccination in adolescents with JIA on TNFi, SARS-CoV-2 antibody titres decrease significantly overtime, remaining at lower levels at 6 months. Further collaborative studies are required to determine long-term immunogenicity, real duration of immune protection and the need for a booster vaccine dose.