In this paper, the concept of perceived trust was adopted to investigate the relationship between brand crisis type and brand attitude; what's more, the paper considered the moderating effect of consistency of negative word of mouth on the relationship between the aforementioned two. Empirical study results showed that compared with values-related brand crisis, performance-related brand crisis had a more significant effect on consumers' perceived competence-based trust and there were no significant differences in the negative effects of two types of brand crisises on consumers' perceived benevolence-based trust. In addition, consumers' perceived competence-based and benevolence-based trust had a positive effect on brand attitude and consistency of negative word of mouth played a moderating role in the relationship between brand crisis type and brand attitude.


A manufacturer and a retailer coexist in a dual channel supply chain, where the retailer has a traditional channel and the manufacturer owns an online channel. In the dual channel, the manufacturer is also responsible for recycling remanufactured products. When the supply chain system is in a stable state, we calculate the optimal price, the sales quantity and the recovery rate. However, when demand disruption happens, the manufacturer does not need to adjust production planning within a certain range. In addition, the recovery rate and the change of demand disruption are negatively correlated. Under this circumstance, revenue-sharing contract in the stable state is no longer appropriate to coordinate the supply chain. Instead, an improved revenue-sharing contract is designed to coordinate the dual-channel closed-loop supply chain with the consideration of demand disruption


Patient: Female, 78 Final Diagnosis: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome Symptoms: — Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Endovascular embolectomy Specialty: Neurology Objective: Unknown ethiology Background: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (cHS) is a well known but rare complication after carotid endarterectomy, carotid angioplasty with stenting, and stenting of intracranial arterial stenosis. The clinical presentation may vary from acute onset of focal oedema (stroke-like presentation) and intracerbral hemorrhage to delayed (>24h hours after the procedure) presentation with seizures, focal motor weakness, or late intracerebral hemorrhage. The incidence of cHS after carotid endarterectomy ranges from 0–3% and defined as an increase of the ipsilateral cerebral blood flow up to 40% over baseline in ultrasound. Case Report: We present a case of a 78-year-old woman with an acute ischemic stroke due to left side middle cerebral artery territory with right sided hemiparesis and aphasia (NIHSS 16). After systemic thrombolysis embolectomy using a retractable stent (Solitaire® device) was performed and resulted in complete and successful recanalization of MCA including its branches about 210 minutes after symptom onset but, partial dislocation of thrombotic material into the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). Conclusions: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome should be considered in patients with clinical deterioration after successful recanalisation and the early diagnosis and treatment may be important for neurological outcome after endovascular embolectomy


Three-year-old field-grown 'Concord' (Vitis labruscana Bailey) grapevines were destructively harvested at eight growth stages during 1998 to quantify growth, carbohy- drate distribution, and nutrient concentrations of different organs. The roots were the major storage organ for carbohydrates and nutrients, accounting for 84% of the starch and 75% of nitrogen stored in the vines at the beginning of the season. About 78% of the reserve starch in the vine was used for prebloom root and shoot growth. Early-season fine- root growth was a sink for stored vine nitrogen; however, the fine roots quickly became a nitrogen uptake source, providing at least 84% of the spring growth nitrogen. Total root biomass increased from bloom to leaf fall, but reserve carbohydrates and nutrients lost in the prebloom period did not begin to recover in roots until the end of rapid shoot development in late July. Crop removal at harvest, and a late-season root flush, further increased vegetative carbohydrate and nutrient reserves in the short postharvest period.


BACKGROUND
In patients with heart failure, beta-adrenergic blocking agents reduce overall and cardiovascular mortality. This meta-analysis aimed at clarifying their effect on sudden death, the magnitude of their benefit according to the cause of heart failure, and whether there is any difference between vasodilating and nonvasodilating agents.

METHODS
Randomized, clinical trials were included if they evaluated a beta-adrenergic blocking agent without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, included a control group receiving placebo or standard treatment, evaluated mortality on an intention-to-treat basis, and lasted at least 8 weeks.

RESULTS
Twenty-one trials with 5,849 patients (3,130 receiving beta-blockers) were included. Median length of treatment was 6 months. Most patients had mild or moderate heart failure and were treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, and digitalis. The beta-blockers significantly reduced overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and mortality due to pump failure and sudden death by 34% to 39%. The decrease in overall mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) (30%) was no different from that among patients with non-IHD (26%) (P = .08). The reduction in overall mortality was greater with vasodilating than with nonvasodilating agents (45% vs 27%; P = .007), particularly in patients without IHD (62%), compared with those with IHD (22%; P =.03).

CONCLUSIONS
In patients with heart failure, beta-blockers reduce total and cardiovascular mortality at the expense of a decrease in mortality due to pump failure and sudden death. The magnitude of the benefit is similar in patients with IHD and in those with non-IHD. Vasodilating beta-blockers have a greater effect on overall mortality than nonvasodilating agents, particularly in patients with non-IHD.


Total knee arthroplasty has become an acceptable method of surgical management for severe, disabling gonarthropathy. The three major biomechanical classifications of total knee prostheses are minimally constrained, partially constrained, and fully constrained. The major indication for total knew arthroplasty is pain, followed in a much lower frequency by instability, loss of motion, and deformity. The principal contraindications for the various types relate solely to the residual or restorable ligamentous stability of the knee and the degree of bone loss. In general, the greater the instability and bone loss, the more constrained the prosthesis must be Theoretically, loosening rates increase with increasing shear stresses, which are generally highest with the most constrained prostheses. The major complications are sepsis, loosening, and instability. Various prostheses have incorporated patellofemoral resurfacing as the final dimension in producing a total knee arthroplasty. Knee arthroplasty is very effective in preserving functional knee motion, with relief of pain as an alternative to arthrodesis.


The effect of artificial ventilation on duodenal alkaline secretion and blood flow was studied in sodium pentobarbital-anaesthetized rabbits. A duodenal segment (approximately 3 cm) was cannulated in situ and continuously perfused with isotonic saline, and the bicarbonate secretion was titrated by pH-stat. Compared with the spontaneous breathing state, artificial ventilation improved the respiratory status of the animal, increasing Po2 and decreasing both Pco2 and plasma bicarbonate. Duodenal blood flow as measured with laser-Doppler flowmetry was not altered but the alkaline secretion was reduced. Pretreatment with the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine (0.5 mg kg-1 i.v., followed by 0.5 mg kg-1 h-1 i.v.) or the ganglionic blocker hexamethonium (10 mg kg-1 i.v.) did not affect the decline in duodenal alkaline secretion in response to artificial ventilation. Nor did these pretreatments affect the changes in plasma bicarbonate and Pco2 or significantly alter the blood flow. Increasing Pco2 in the respirator air increased the plasma Pco2 and bicarbonate concentration as well as the duodenal bicarbonate secretion. Pretreatment with the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide (80 mg kg-1 i.v.) reduced the bicarbonate secretion, and artificial ventilation induced a further reduction. Increasing Pco2 in the respirator in the animals pretreated with acetazolamide did not affect the bicarbonate secretion. Duodenal alkaline secretion was thus always reduced on artificial ventilation. The mechanism for this reduction does not seem to involve the sympathetic nervous system or the blood flow, but appears to be the consequence of alterations in the plasma concentration of bicarbonate and the plasma Pco2.


Purpose: Typically, athletic trainers (ATs) have relied on external support networks to debrief after a critical incident (CI). ATs report focusing on improving work-related processes after a CI rather than their emotional response to the CI. The purpose of this study was to identify both the short-term emotional impacts of CIs and what coping strategies ATs use to address their emotional response to CIs. Methods: We used a cross-sectional, web-based survey, distributed to a random sample of NATA members to explore the perceived effects of CIs on ATs. Participants (n=73, 36±11y) were primarily women (n=53, 72.6%), working in the college/university practice setting (n = 40, 54.8%), with 7±3y of experience. All participants experienced a CI within the previous 12 months. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for demographic variables and multi-analyst inductive coding for the open-ended items amongst a 4-person team. We used a modified consensual qualitative research (CQR) process to review and analyze the open-ended questions and identify domains and core ideas. Trustworthiness was established with multi-analyst triangulation and auditing. Results: Participants most commonly reported feelings of thinking too much (71%, n=52), anxiety (63%, n=46), sadness (60%, n=44), fatigue (53%, n=39), and sleep disturbance (49%, n=36) resulting from CIs. Common coping strategies used were exercise (63%, n=46), humor (44%, n=32), interacting with pets (41%, n=30), expressing oneself through crying (40%, n=29), and peer support (34%, n=25). Sixty-two participants (86%) responded to open-ended questions related to the outcomes of CIs. Four domains were identified from the open-ended responses. Those domains included 1) dissociation, 2) deteriorated emotional state, 3) disruption of daily activities, and 4) improved event or post-event processes. Conclusion: Various strategies are used by ATs to cope with CIs; however, the only ways in which ATs expressed that coping helped was with care delivery, not the emotional impact of the CI. The lack of responses relative to coping strategies that improve quality of life is potentially alarming. To build resilience and persistence, organizations should consider requiring support beyond process improvement that addresses the emotional impact of CIs.


Background/Purpose: Reports on cardiovascular (CV) disease in hyperuricemia and gout show conflicting results. Some studies show hyperuricemia to be an independent risk factor for CV events and death, others find no such associations or only with gouty arthritis. Gout and hyperuricemia have also been associated with individual CV risk factors such as increasing age, male sex, overweight, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes and inflammation. Studies evaluating the complex associations between serum uric acid, inflammation, gouty arthritis and CV risk are lacking. This study was done to investigate the associations between serum uric acid and cardiometabolic risk factors and estimated CV risk in patients with gouty arthritis, non-gouty arthritis, and degenerative joint disease. To explore the effect of uric acid lowering therapy (ULT) on CV risk. Methods: Analysis of the relation between serum uric acid and estimated 10-year risk of CV death (SCORE risk calculation, low risk version corrected for diabetes by increasing age with 15 years) and individual CV risk factors, i.e. systolic blood pressure (SBP), TC/HDL ratio (TC/HDL), diabetes and smoking in patients with osteoarthritis (OA, n197), rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n675) and gouty arthritis (GA, n201) in a cohort of consecutive patients attending the Arthritis Center Twente in 2009. Subanalysis of the effect of uric acid lowering therapy (ULT; allopurinol or benzbromarone, target serum uric acid 0.36 mmol/L) on estimated 10-year CV risk in GA patients. Differences between groups and associations between CV risk variables and tertiles of serum uric acid were tested with ANOVA (for continuous cardiovascular risk factors) or Chi squared statistics (for nominal cardiovascular risk factors), adjusted for differences by age and sex. Results: mean estimated 10-year CV risk was significantly higher in GA (GA 9.5% vs 5.7% in OA and RA, p0.05). In RA and OA mean estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk as well as individual cardiometabolic parameters (OA: mean SBP, mean TC/HDL; RA: mean SBP, mean TC/HDL, prevalence diabetes. p0.05) correlated with serum uric acid values. None of these correlations were present in GA. In GA plasma uric acid was lower in patients on ULT (0.32 mmol/l ULT vs 0.47 mmol/l non-ULT, p0.05), age and frequency of CV events did not differ from non-ULT users. ULT did not affect mean estimated 10-year CV risk (9.7% ULT vs 8.9% non-ULT, p0.05). Conclusion: Gouty arthritis is a red flag for increased CV risk, as shown by higher prevalence of previous CV events and increased metabolic parameters of CV risk. Serum uric acid is associated with metabolic parameters of CV risk and 10-year risk of CV death. Effective ULT does not affect 10-year CV risk. Increased serum uric acid is therefore probably secondary to a high cardiometabolic risk profile.


This thesis is a study of how Norse religion and early Christianization is presented in three Swedish museum contexts. Empirical studies of the exhibitions relating to religion have been conducted at The Historical Museum in Stockholm, The Museum of Gotland and Ostergotlands Museum and interviews with the museum staff compliment the empirical data. The concept of religion has been problematized to facilitate the analysis. The result of the study is that there are tendencies to make a hierarchical order between the different religions and that Christianity is an organized religion while the Norse religion is semi-organized.


Abstract Human–bear conflicts resulting from livestock depredation and crop use are a common threat to the brown bear Ursus arctos throughout its range. Understanding these conflicts requires the recording and categorization of incidents, assessment of their geographical distribution and frequency, and documentation of the financial costs and the presence of any preventative measures. Damage compensation schemes can help mitigate conflicts and, in some cases, improve acceptance of bears. This study aims to elucidate the major factors determining the patterns of damage caused by bears, examine the effectiveness of preventative measures in reducing such damage, and identify bear damage hotspots in Croatia. Our analysis is based on damage reports provided by hunting organizations to the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture during 2004–2014. The highest number of claims were made for damage to field crops and orchards. Damage to livestock, agricultural crops and beehives resulted in the highest total cost to farmers. Damage to beehives and to automatic corn feeders for game species incurred the highest cost per damage event. We identified a hotspot for bear damage claims in Croatia, located near Risnjak National Park and the border with Slovenia. Damage appears higher in areas that have more villages closer to protected areas and a greater per cent of forest cover, indicating a synergistic effect of protected environments that facilitate bear movements and the presence of human activities that provide easily accessible food for bears.


The three-dimensional magnetic structure of solar filament channels and filaments is considered. A simple analytical potential model of a filament channel is setup with line sources representing the overlying arcades and point sources the flux of the filament. A possible explanation of the distinct upper and lower bounds of a filament is given. A more detailed numerical force-free model with discrete flux sources is then developed and the effect of magnetic shear on the separatrix surface explored. Dextral channels are shown to exist for a wider range of negative values of the force-free alpha and sinistral channels for positive values of alpha. Potential models of a variety of coronal structures are then considered. The bending of a filament is modelled and a method of determining the horizontal component of a filament's magnetic field is proposed. Next, the observed opposite skew of arcades lying above switchbacks of polarity inversion lines is shown to be produced by a local flux imbalance at the corner of the switchback. Then, the magnetic structure of a particular filament in a filament channel is modelled using observations from a photospheric magnetogram. It is shown that dips in the filaments magnetic field could result from opposite polarity fragments lying below the filament. Finally, the formation of a specific filament channel and filament is modelled. The formation of the channel is shown to be due to the emergence of new flux in a sheared state. It is shown that convergence and reconnections between the new flux and old remnant flux is required for the filament to form. The field lines that represent the filament form a thin vertical sheet of flux. The changing angle of inclination of the sheet gives the appearance of twist. The method of formation is then generalised to other cases and it is shown that a hemispheric pattern consistent with the results of Martin et al. (1995) can be obtained.


Sediments associated with hydrothermal venting, methane seepage and large organic falls such as whale, wood and plant detritus create deep-sea networks of soft-sediment habitats fueled, at least in part, by the oxidation of reduced chemicals. Biological studies at deep-sea vents, seeps and organic falls have looked at macrofaunal taxa, but there has yet to be a systematic comparison of the community-level attributes of sediment macrobenthos in various reducing ecosystems. Here we review key similarities and differences in the sediment-dwelling assemblages of each system with the goals of (1) generating a predictive framework for the exploration and study of newly identified reducing habitats, and (2) identifying taxa and communities that overlap across ecosystems. We show that deep-sea seep, vent and organic-fall sediments are highly heterogeneous. They sustain different geochemical and microbial processes that are reflected in a complex mosaic of habitats inhabited by a mixture of specialist (heterotrophic and symbiont-associated) and background fauna. Community-level comparisons reveal that vent, seep and organic-fall macrofauna are very distinct in terms of composition at the family level, although they share many dominant taxa among these highly sulphidic habitats. Stress gradients are good predictors of macrofaunal diversity at some sites, but habitat heterogeneity and facilitation often modify community structure. The biogeochemical differences across ecosystems and within habitats result in wide differences in organic utilization (i.e., food sources) and in the prevalence of chemosynthesis-derived nutrition. In the Pacific, vents, seeps and organic-falls exhibit distinct macrofaunal assemblages at broad-scales contributing to ß diversity. This has important implications for the conservation of reducing ecosystems, which face growing threats from human activities.


Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is defined as an acute kidney failure following iodine-based contrast medium administration determining relevant health and socio-sanitary implications. Knowledge of pathophysiology, early diagnosis, and prevention in patients at risk are critical points in CI-AKI management. Determination of risk and functional kidney evaluation must precede every iodine-based contrast medium (CM) administration in order to eventually introduce medical prophylaxis. Furthermore, early laboratoristic evaluation after iodine-based CM exposure should be performed for a prompt identification of acute kidney injury. Therefore, clinicians must know and strictly follow valid recommendations to minimize the development of complications.


The present study investigated the intrinsic blastogenic reactivity within T and non-T lymphocyte populations as well as between these populations in the autologous and allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR). T cell-depleted lymphocytes exhibited after 6 days in culture, high levels of intrinsic blastogenic activity that were sensitive to irradiation and in vitro hydrocortisone. Depletion of adherent cells shifted the peak T cell-depleted intrinsic blastogenesis from 6 days in culture to 2 to 3 days after initiation of culture. T cellenriched cells displayed low intrinsic blastogenic responses that were relatively unaffected by irradiation and in vitro hydrocortisone. The removal of adherent cells from T cell-depleted suspensions (stimulators) augmented both the autologous and allogeneic MLR, whereas irradiation of cells had no effect on these reactions. In vitro hydrocortisone suppressed the autologous MLR and, to a much lesser extent, the allogeneic MLR. I.V. administration of hydrocortisone to normal volunteers suppressed the autologous MLR at 4 hr after injection. The responsiveness of T cells obtained at 4 hr to autologous and allogeneic non-T cell stimulation was markedly diminished. Non-T cells obtained 4 hr after i.v. hydrocortisone had greater stimulatory capacity for both the autologous and allogeneic MLR than did T cell-depleted cells obtained before hydrocortisone administration. These studies demonstrate that autologous and allogeneic intercellular interactions between lymphoid cells are susceptible to a variety of in vitro and in vivo influences and that such interactions may reflect relevant immunoregulatory events occurring in vivo.


Cross-cultural research on personality has often led to surprising and countertheoretical findings, which have led to concerns over the validity of country-level estimates of personality (e.g., Heine, Buchtel, & Norenzayan, 2008). The present study explores how cross-cultural differences can be indexed via revealed trait estimates, which index the personality traits of individuals or groups indirectly through their likelihood of responding in particular ways to particular situations. In two studies, we measure self-reports of personality, revealed traits, and revealed preferences for different expected effects (e.g., experiencing excitement) of two cultural groups (U.S. and Singaporean participants). We found typical East–West differences in personality using self-report scales, such as lower levels of Conscientiousness- and Extraversion-related characteristics among Singaporean participants relative to U.S. participants. We found evidence of scale use extremity differences in self-report personality scales but not in revealed trait estimates. Using revealed traits, we found evidence of strikingly high levels of similarity in terms of overall action endorsement, revealed trait estimates, and revealed preferences. However, this was qualified by consistent differences in revealed trait estimates of Extraversion-related characteristics and less consistent differences in revealed trait estimates of Conscientiousness-related characteristics. We also found consistent differences in preferences for different expected effects; for example, Singaporean participants reported lower likelihood of performing actions expected to result in experiencing stimulation or excitement than U.S. participants. Results suggest that similarities in action endorsements and revealed traits may be driven by common preferences for social inclusion and benevolence, and differences may be driven by differing preferences for expending effort, experiencing stimulation, and social attention.


Neural networks are easier to optimise when they have many more weights than are required for modelling the mapping from inputs to outputs. This suggests a two-stage learning procedure that first learns a large net and then prunes away connections or hidden units. But standard training does not necessarily encourage nets to be amenable to pruning. We introduce targeted dropout, a method for training a neural network so that it is robust to subsequent pruning. Before computing the gradients for each weight update, targeted dropout stochastically selects a set of units or weights to be dropped using a simple self-reinforcing sparsity criterion and then computes the gradients for the remaining weights. The resulting network is robust to post hoc pruning of weights or units that frequently occur in the dropped sets. The method improves upon more complicated sparsifying regularisers while being simple to implement and easy to tune.


The article investigates the internationalist activities of a Turkish nationalist during his Swiss exile at the outset of the postwar settlements in early 1919. Resit Saffet, a devoted Young Turk and Ottoman diplomat on leave, moved in the internationalist milieus in Berne while his agenda remained utterly nationalist. Drawing on pan-Turkic, pan-Islamic, anti-imperialist, socialist, and Wilsonian ideas, he adapted his rhetoric to the internationalist conferences he attended; he thus sought to disguise and to defend his otherwise discredited nationalist cause on these global stages. The article traces Resit Saffet's internationalist activities as a strategy to engage with the 'Paris moment' and the Ottoman question beyond official politics and governmental discourse. In a time when Ottoman diplomacy was in deadlock as a result of the Empire's exclusion from the peace conference and Resit Saffet's career faced an unknown future in the face of the Ottoman collapse, internationalism seemed a promising option. The case illustrates the increasingly blurred border between state diplomacy and non-governmental influence, and thus questions exclusively state-centered approaches. It reveals the appeal and potential held by civil society internationalism, not only for Western pacifists and socialists, but also for anti-imperialist nationalists confronted with the disappointment of the 'Wilsonian moment'.


Abstract Objective Evidence suggests that cervical screening intervals can be extended and lifetime cervical screening for human papillomavirus (HPV)‐vaccinated women could be reduced. This study examines UK women's attitudes to extending screening intervals and assesses associations between knowledge, risk perception and HPV vaccination status, and acceptability of changes. Methods Using a convenience sampling strategy, an anonymous mixed‐methods online survey was used and data recorded from 647 women (mean age = 28.63, SD = 8.69). Results Across the full sample, 46.1% of women indicated they would wait 5 years for their next cervical screening, while 60.2% of HPV‐vaccinated women would be unwilling to have as few as three cervical screens in a lifetime. Multivariate analysis revealed those who are regular screened, those who intend to attend when invited, and those who perceive greater personal risk of cervical cancer are less likely to accept a 5‐year screening interval. Qualitative findings relating to benefits of extending intervals included convenience of less tests, less physical discomfort, and psychological distress. Concerns identified included the likelihood of developing illness, increased psychological distress relating to what may be happening in the body, and worries about increased risk of cervical cancer. Conclusion Women need clear and specific information about HPV timelines, their relationship with cancer risk, and the rationale for extending screening intervals.


The authors use Canadian data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study to examine six instructional methods that mathematics teachers use to introduce new topics in mathematics on performance of eighth-grade students in six mathematical areas (mathematics as a whole, algebra, data analysis, fraction, geometry, and measurement). Results of multilevel analysis with students nested within schools show that the instructional methods of having the teacher explain the rules and definitions and looking at the textbook while the teacher talks about it had little instructional effects on student performance in any mathematical area. In contrast, the instructional method in which teachers try to solve an example related to the new topic was effective in promoting student performance across all mathematical areas.


Considers how the terms of gender are embodied in technologies, and conversely, how technologies shape our notions of gender. The contributors explore the complex territory between the lust for, and the fear of, technology, commenting on the ambivalence women experience in relation to machines. Discussing topics such as embryonic fertilization, the virtual female, networking women, the sexuality of computers, surveillance systems, UFOs, and the emancipation of Barbie, rocessed Lives offers a provocative, visually rich critical approach to th multifaceted relationships between masculinity, femininity and machines. Contributors: Barbie Liberation Organization, Ericka Beckman, Lisa Cartwright, Gregg Bordowitz, Sara Diamond, Judith Halberstam, Evelynn Hammonds, Kathy High, David Horn, Ira Livingston, Bonita Makuch, Margaret Morse, Soheir Morsy, Liss Platt, B Ruby Rich, Connie Samaras, Joya Saunders, Julia Scher, Andrea Slane, Mary Ellen Strom, Christime Tamblyn, Nina Wakeford.


Intramolecular double proton transfer of 3,6-dihydro-3,6-diiminosiline-2,5-diamine (A) and 3,6-dihydro3,6-diiminopyridine-2,5-diamine (B) at DFT (B3LYP) level of theory has been investigated. Two mechanisms, stepwise (TS1) and concerted (TS2), are proposed for the process of proton transfer. The stepwise mechanism itself includes two pathways, the pathway (1) and pathway (2), which involve the resonance forms from side of N-C-C-C-N and N-C-X-C-N atoms (X = Si-H or N), respectively. These results show that for both the compounds the process of proton transfer is through the stepwise mechanism. The results indicate that in the case of compound (A) the process is through pathway (1), while for compound (B) the pathways (1) and (2) were almost similar to each other. In addition, aromaticity of the two compounds has been evaluated based on the nucleus independent chemical shift values to predict dominant resonance structures and the charge distributions in the ring.


Title of Dissertation: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO TELEVISED SPORTS VIOLENCE: A TEST OF SENSATION SEEKING THEORY Shu-Chen Lee, Doctor of Philosophy, 2006 Dissertation Directed By: Professor Bradley D. Hatfield Department of Kinesiology Purpose: To test sensation-seeking theory as an explanation for individual differences in emotional and physiological responses to violence in televised sports and account for sex differences in those responses. Methods: One hundred ten non-smoking subjects prescreened for the personality trait of sensation seeking were selected for the experiment. Subjects viewed two videos of plays from professional football games; one featuring violent action, the other showing little or no violence, and a video of natural scenery (neutral content) as a distraction between the two treatment videos to minimize any carry-over effects. Participants' emotional responses (levels of pleasure and arousal) were subjected to two separate 2 (sensation seeking) x 2 (biological sex) x 3 (video treatment) x 2 (order of video treatment) ANOVAs, while participants' physiological reactions (heart rate, skin conductance, and respiration) were subjected to three separate 2 (sensation seeking) x 2 (biological sex) x 3 (video treatment) x 2 (viewing period) x 2 (order of video treatment) ANOVAs to test the study's main hypotheses. Results: Emotional (self-reported levels of pleasure and arousal) and physiological responses (heart rate, skin conductance, and respiration) were not different between high and low sensation seekers for either highor low-violence televised sports. However, high sensation seekers did report higher levels of pleasure (for both sexes) and exhibit faster mean respiration (for males only) when watching high-violence televised sports than neutral content, and the pleasure level was significantly higher for high sensation seekers (for both sexes) when watching low-violence televised sports than neutral content. Significant sex differences in self-reported levels of pleasure and arousal were observed; males reported higher levels of pleasure than females when watching highviolence televised sports, and males reported less arousal than females when watching low-violence televised sports. Sex differences in physiological responses were also found; however, the direction of the effect was inconsistent. In addition, viewers' selfreported pleasure and arousal increased with the degree of violence; nevertheless, this relationship was more pronounced in males than in females. Conclusions: Sensation-seeking theory failed to account for individual and sex differences in emotional and physiological responses to sports violence; however, the data support the notion that high sensation seekers enjoyed arousing and exciting media content (both highand low-violence football plays) more than milder themes (neutral content). Although previous studies have found that the preference for violent televised sports, such as football, is associated with sensation seeking, the results indicated there might be other characteristics besides violent content that account for sensation seekers attraction to football. Biological sex was found to be a strong predictor of spectators' responses to sports violence. In addition, this study provides support for previous research suggesting that violence contributes to viewers' arousal and enjoyment of televised sports, especially for male viewers. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO TELEVISED SPORTS VIOLENCE: A TEST OF SENSATION SEEKING THEORY


THE TREATMENT of peripheral arterial aneurysms dates back to the time of Antyllus, over 1,600 years ago. Since that time, and particularly since the recent great war, there have been many important advances in this field of surgery. Again, within one decade, large scale warfare is in progress and the added danger of blasts and burns from atomic missiles hangs over our heads. It is therefore timely to review the management of peripheral arterial aneurysms due to injury or disease. Such a discussion must include preventive as well as definitive treatment. PREVENTION In World War I, Matas 1 reported that 20 to 25% of injuries involved the vascular system but that aneurysms developed in only 1 to 2% of the casualties. This low occurrence rate was due largely to early death from other causes, such as hemorrhage, sepsis, or gangrene. Today, as a result of our improved methods of emergency


ABSTRACT A new method is presented for the 3‐D forward modelling of the magnetic effects (induced magnetization) of a hexahedral (trilinear) prism using the Gauss–Legendre quadrature method. The 3‐D forward modelling provides an improved application to geological problems. The magnetic effect has been evaluated via the summation of the effects of the point dipole that fills the volume. The 3‐D volume is divided into smaller prisms using an appropriate number of nodes. The algorithm is tested on two synthetic examples, and the results are compared against calculated data from a common program developed at the University of British Columbia–Geophysical Inversion Facility, with both tests showing positive results. The results of testing the algorithm against two synthetic slab models are also given. Finally, the program is applied to a field data set from Aynak‐Logar Valley region in Afghanistan. Using this program, complex 3‐D model bodies may be constructed from hexahedral prisms to facilitate the calculation of their magnetic anomalies and magnetic susceptibility. Interpretation of the results shows that 3‐D constructed models are successful in recovering the shape and location of the true model.


Abstract. A comparison of the lightning activity in the two most active areas (Area_max for the main maximum and Area_sec for the secondary maximum) of the Congo Basin is made with data obtained by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) during 2012 and 2013. Both areas of same size (5°  ×  5°) exhibit flash counts in a ratio of about 1.32 for both years and very different distributions of the flash rate density (FRD) with maximums in a ratio of 1.94 and 2.59 for 2012 and 2013, respectively. The FRD is much more widely distributed in Area_sec, which means the whole area contributes more or less equal to the lightning activity. The diurnal cycle is much more pronounced in Area_max than in Area_sec with a ratio between the maximum and the minimum of 15.4 and 4.7, respectively. However, the minimum and maximum of the hourly flash rates are observed roughly at the same time in both areas, between 07:00 and 09:00 UTC and between 16:00 and 17:00 UTC, respectively. In Area_sec the proportion of days with low lightning rate (0–1000 flashes per day) is much larger (∼  45 % in 2013) compared to Area_max (∼  23 % in 2013). In Area_max the proportion of days with moderate lightning rate (1001–6000 flashes per day) is larger (∼  68.5 % in 2013) compared to Area_sec (∼  46 % in 2013). The very intense convective events are slightly more numerous in Area_sec. In summary, the thunderstorm activity in Area_sec is more variable at different scales of time (annually and daily), in intensity and in location. Area_max combines two favourable effects for thunderstorm development, the convergence associated with the African easterly jet of the Southern Hemisphere (AEJ-S) and a geographic effect due to the orography and the presence of a lake. The location of the strong convection in Area_sec is modulated by the distance of westward propagation/regeneration of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) in relation to the phase of Kelvin waves.


Background A major challenge for medical undergraduates is the application of theoretical knowledge to the management of acutely ill patients1. It is essential for medical students to develop appropriate clinical and non technical skills, however opportunities are limited in the undergraduate training and simulation is underutilised1. We aimed to assess final year medical students' clinical and non technical skills through simulated scenarios. Method Students were divided into groups and received the same medical emergencies scenarios. Students were marked for their clinical and non technical skills using the Anaesthetics Non Technical Skills scoring system. A scoring system was designed to assess clinical skills for patient initial assessment. Mean value was calculated for the clinical and non technical skills. Medical students were also asked to provide the number of the simulation sessions that they received during their training. Feedback was also obtained for the simulation sessions. Results Between April 2014 – May 2014, 20 final year medical students have received simulation sessions so far. Medical students demonstrated a mean score of 13.3/16. With regards to non technical skills medical students demonstrated acceptable non technical skills in each of the four domains: Task management (mean: 3.18 ± 0.23), Team working (mean: 3.1 ± 0.5), Situational Awareness (mean: 3 ± 0.5), Decision making (mean: 3.1 ± 0.25). Medical students during their overall training have received a mean number of 4.35 simulation sessions (range 1–7). 50% of them were delivered at Croydon University hospital. 100% of students found the simulation sessions extremely useful and they addressed descriptively the need for more simulation sessions. Potential impacts According to our observations, final year medical students demonstrate acceptable clinical and non technical skills. However the number of simulation sessions that they receive during their undergraduate training is remarkably low and therefore consideration must be given in implementing simulation curriculum in the final year of undergraduate training.2 References Weller J, Simulation in undergraduate medical education: bridging the gap between theory and practice, Med Ed 2004; 38: 32–38 Weller J, Nestel D, Marshall S et alet al. Simulation in clinical teaching and learning, Med J Aust 2012; 196 (9): 594


Background: Gallstone disease is one of the most common abdominal conditions for which patients are admitted in surgical wards of hospitals. Aim & Objective: The study was conducted to understand the association between behavioral and personal factors and gall stone disease among study subjects. Settings & Design: a case-control study conducted in a tertiary care hospital of New Delhi. Material & Methods: 120 each of cases and controls of over 20 years, matched for age and sex were recruited in the study. Data collection was done on a self-designed pretested "interview schedule." Statistical analysis: The observations have been described in terms of mean and standard deviation for continuous data. To measure the strength of association simple Odd's Ratio (OR) was calculated and McNemar's test was used for matched pair analysis. Binary logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis to find out different correlates and analyses the independent effects of these correlates on GSD. Results: weight (59.20±9.57), height (159.67±6.25), BMI (23.20±3.15), waist circumference (75.79±7.07) and W/H ratio (0.80±0.06) were significantly higher [as seen by applying student t test] in cases as compared to controls 54.84±7.02, 156.58±4.93, 21.95±2.81, 73.49±6.09 and 0.77±0.05 respectively. High parity [OR-5.75, 95% CI 1.99-16.63] had the strongest association followed by high W/H ratio [OR-5.25, 95% CI 1.80-15.29], sedentary physical activity [OR-4.75, 95% CI 2.22-10.18], smoking [OR-3.4, 95% CI 1.25-9.21], consumption of smokeless tobacco [OR-2.36, 95% CI 1.17-4.78] and high BMI [OR-1.71, 95% CI1.03-2.83]. Conclusion: High parity, High W/H ratio, Physical inactivity, Current smoking, Smokeless tobacco and high BMI were found to be risk factors for the development of gallstone disease.


Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies. This paper will show how biomimicry can be implemented in the built environment to improve its current situation in terms of sustainability and to reduce energy consumption by examining the current situation of a chosen location. It will then compare the improvements proposed through biomimicry by analysing the suggested design methods. Black-lip oysters were chosen as the inspirational concept to be implemented in this study, as they have been very important creatures for the economy in the gulf region due to their pearl production. The built environment location chosen is 'The Women's Museum', a well-known cultural project located in the old area of Dubai. It is an area in which pearl diving and pearl trading was once the most important source of income. In this study, new design methods are suggested for the environmental strategies focused on and based on the use of black-lip oysters. The proposed design methods are then studied and examined through simulation software analysis, showing and discussing the differences each design method will make on the specified location. The examined built environment in this study can then be used as a model in order to improve the area on an urban level through biomimicry in the future.


The legend of the lost city of Atlantis has captivated the human imagination for centuries. Did this city actually exist, and, if so, what happened to it? Was it destroyed in the greatest cataclysmic event of the Add this article to private library Remove from private library Submit corrections to this record View record in the new ADS Bronze Age? While the truth behind the legend of Atlantis may never be known, Fire in the Sea tells the story of one of the largest and most devastating natural disasters of classical history that may also hold vital clues to the possible existence and fate of the lost city. In vivid prose, author Walter L. Friedrich describes the eruption of the Greek island of Santorini, or Thera, sometime in the 17th or 16th century BC. This eruption, perhaps one of the largest explosions ever witnessed by humankind, sent a giant cloud of volcanic ash into the air that eventually covered settlements on the island. Friedrich relates how this event forever altered the course of civilization in the region, and inspired a mystery that has fired humanity's imagination ever since. More than 160 elegant, fullcolor photographs and vivid prose capture the beauty, the geology, archaeology, history, peoples and environmental setting of Santorini. Fire in the Sea will readily appeal to the general reader interested in natural catastrophies as well as the beauty of the region. It will also enchant anyone who has ever dreamt about uncovering the mystery of the legend of Atlantis. Walter Friedrich is currently an associate professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark. He has visited Santorini at least 35 times since 1975 and has published numerous scientific articles in such international journals as Nature, Lethaia, Spektrum der Wissenschaft, and other publications. Bibtex entry for this abstract Preferred format for this abstract


Over the last few decades, the number of patients susceptible to invasive filamentous fungal infections has steadily increased, especially in populations suffering from hematological diseases. The pathogens responsible for such mycoses are now quite well characterized, such as Aspergillus spp. - the most commonly isolated mold -, Mucorales, Fusarium spp., Scedosporium spp. or melanized fungi. An increase in the incidence of this category of 'emerging' fungi has been recently highlighted, evoking a shift in fungal ecology. Starting from these medical findings, taking a step back and adopt a wider perspective offers possible explanations of this phenomenon on an even larger scale than previously reported. In this review, we illustrate the link between emerging fungi in medicine and changes in ecology or human behaviours, and we encourage integrative approaches to apprehend the adverse effects of progress and develop preventive measures in vast domains, such as agriculture or medicine.


Monitoring the status and future trends in biodiversity can be prohibitively expensive using groundbased surveys. Consequently, significant effort is being invested in the use of satellite remote sensing to represent aspects of the proximate mechanisms (e.g., resource availability) that can be related to biodiversity surrogates (BS) such as species community descriptors. We explored the potential of very high resolution (VHR) satellite Earth observation (EO) features as proxies for habitat structural attributes that influence spatial variation in habitat quality and biodiversity change. In a semi-natural grassland mosaic of conservation concern in southern Italy, we employed a hierarchical nested sampling strategy to collect field and VHR-EO data across three spatial extent levels (landscape, patch and plot). Species incidence and abundance data were collected at the plot level for plant, insect and bird functional groups. Spectral and textural VHR-EO image features were derived from a Worldview-2 image. Three window sizes (grains) were tested for analysis and computation of textural features, guided by the perception limits of different organisms. The modelled relationships between VHR-EO features and BS responses differed across scales, suggesting that landscape, patch and plot levels are respectively most appropriate when dealing with birds, plants and insects. This research demonstrates the potential of VHR-EO for biodiversity mapping and habitat modelling, and highlights the importance of identifying the appropriate scale of analysis for specific taxonomic groups of interest. Further, textural features are important in the modelling of functional group-specific indices which represent BS in high conservation value habitat types, and provide a more direct link to species interaction networks and ecosystem functioning, than provided by traditional taxonomic diversity indices.


Abstract— Marine impacts are one category of crater formation in volatile targets. At target water depths exceeding the diameter of the impactor, the zones of vaporization, melting, and excavation of the standard land‐target cratering model develop partially or entirely in the water column. The part of the crater that has a potential of being preserved (seafloor crater) may to a great extent be formed by material emplacement and excavation processes that are very different from land‐target craters. These processes include a high‐energy, water‐jet‐driven excavation flow. At greater water depths, the difference in strength of the target layers causes a concentric crater to evolve. The crater consists of a wide water cavity with a shallow excavation flow along the seabed surrounding a nested, deeper crater in the basement. The modification of the crater is likewise influenced by the water through its forceful resurge to fill the cavity in the water mass and the seafloor. The resurge flow is strongly erosive and incorporates both ejecta and rip‐up material from the seabed surrounding the excavated crater. A combination of field observations and impact experiments has helped us analyze the processes affecting the zone between the basement crater and the maximum extent of the water cavity. The resurge erosion is facilitated by fragmentation of the upper parts of the solid target caused by a) spallation and b) vibrations from the shallow excavation flow and, subsequently, c) the vertical collapse of the water cavity rim wall. In addition, poorly consolidated and saturated sediments may collapse extensively, possibly aided by a violent expansion of the pore water volume when it turns into a spray during passage of the rarefaction wave. This process may also occur at impacts into water‐saturated targets without an upper layer of seawater present. Our results have implications for impacts on both Earth and Mars, and possibly anywhere in the solar system where volatiles exist/have existed in the upper part of the target.


While most animal behavior researchers have mastered the process of knowledge creation, generating knowledge that can readily be applied requires a different set of skills. The process and timeframe of fundamental scientific knowledge production is often not relevant to those who might apply it, such as conservation or wildlife managers. Additionally, the complex challenges that policy makers, managers and practitioners face are often not adequately communicated to and among scientists. This mutual disconnect in discourse, relationships, common terms, and practices is especially apparent when animal behavior researchers seek to have applied impact. We argue that bridging the complex implementation gap in animal behavior requires a formalized vision for change. We turn to change model theory, a tool commonly used in other fields for identifying the links between actions and outcomes necessary for enacting large-scale change. We focus on the subfield of conservation behavior with a change model that outlines specific ways to improve collaboration and coordination between animal behavior science and conservation practice. We present this targeted change model, review each strategy the model outlines, and highlight pressing actions that people from various career stages and backgrounds can take. We encourage researchers to further the alignment of science with management needs by developing the proper communication mechanisms for improved cultural exchange and plan future change model efforts directly targeting managers. Beyond the conservation behavior change model we present, we also discuss the broad applicability of change models to enhance the application of academic research to other fields. Fundamental science researchers are increasingly required to show impact of their work on society; the change model process we describe here can enable further impact.


The morphology of cotton leaves varies considerably. Phenotypes, including okra, sea-island, super-okra, and broad leaf, are controlled by a multiple allele locus, L2. Okra leaf (L2°) is an incomplete mutation that alters leaf shape by increasing the length of lobes with deeper sinuses. Using a map-based cloning strategy, we cloned the L2 locus gene, which encodes a LATE MERISTEM IDENTITY 1 (LMI1)-like transcription factor (GhOKRA). Silencing GhOKRA leads to a change in phenotype from okra to broad leaf. Overexpression of GhOKRA in Arabidopsis thaliana greatly increases the degree of the leaf lobes and changes the leaf shape. Premature termination of translation in GhOKRA results in the production of broad leaves. The sequences of OKRA from diploid progenitor D-genome species, and wild races and domesticated allotetraploid cottons in Gossypium hirsutum show that a premature termination mutation occurred before and after the formation of tetraploid cotton, respectively. This study provides genomic insights into the two interspecific hybridization events: one produced the present broad leaf and another formed okra leaf phenotype with complete OKRA, that occurred during allotetraploid cotton formation.


ETIC and CILT are both concerned with collecting, collating and disseminating information: ETIC is concerned with all aspects of teaching English as a second or foreign language overseas, and CILT with modern languages (including English as a second language) and their teaching in Britain. The services of both centres are available to all who are professionally concerned students, teachers, trainers of teachers, research workers, administrators or writers.


Context: Globally, there are 366 million patients living with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), of which, 62.4 million are living in India alone. Thus, diabetic keratopathy is an important entity for all ophthalmologists. Aims: The study aims to identify variables associated with Type 2 DM, which correlate well with specular microscopy parameters. Settings and Design: This is a population-based case–control study aimed at determining the correlation between severity of DM Type 2 and corneal morphology. Subjects and Methods: After obtaining informed consent, detailed history of onset, duration, and treatment of Type 2 DM was ascertained. A comprehensive eye examination was done including specular microscopy using noncontact technique. Blood investigations were performed by the endocrine department for documenting whether disease was controlled or not. Statistical Tests: Unpaired t-test and linear regression analysis were used to determine the effects of multiple variables on the various specular microscopy parameters. Results: There were 100 eyes of diabetic patients with the mean age of 52.02 years, and 100 eyes of nondiabetic subjects with the mean age of 54.76. Short-term glycemic control parameter such as fasting blood sugar (FBS) and postlunch blood sugar (PLBS) showed no correlation with three specular microscopy parameters. However, HbA1c and severity of diabetic retinopathy influenced those parameters significantly. Conclusions: Corneal endothelium in diabetic patients was compromised, and it correlated well with the long-term glycemic control (HbA1c) but not with the short-term glycemic control (FBS, PLBS) or the duration of disease.


Abstracts: Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research 2008

CN05-02

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process whereby cellular organelles and bulk cytoplasm are targeted to lysosomes for degradation. Autophagy is a survival pathway required for cell viability during starvation; however, if it proceeds to completion, autophagy can lead to cell death. Autophagy also plays a role in tumorigenesis, as the essential autophagy regulator beclin 1 is monoallelically deleted in many human ovarian, breast, and prostate cancers, and beclin 1+/- mice are tumor-prone. Thus, autophagy likely suppresses tumorigenesis, but the mechanism has been unknown. We recently showed that allelic loss of beclin 1 compromises the autophagy potential of immortalized mouse mammary epithelial cells (iMMECs) in vitro and in mammary tumors in vivo, sensitizes iMMECs to metabolic stress and accelerates lumen formation in mammary acini. Autophagy defects also activate the DNA damage response in vitro and in mammary tumors in vivo, promote gene amplification, and synergize with defective apoptosis to accelerate mammary tumorigenesis.

We investigated the mechanism by which autophagy mitigates metabolic stress and limits genome damage in mammary epithelial cells, so as to gain insight into how autophagy suppresses mammary tumorigenesis. A proteomic analysis was performed to determine how autophagy-competent mammary epithelial cells respond successfully to metabolic stress as compared to cells with autophagy defects. Protein extracts from apoptosis-defective beclin 1+/+ and beclin 1+/- iMMECs exposed to metabolic stress for 0, 4 and 7 days were analyzed by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). More than a hundred proteins with differential expression under metabolic stress were sequenced and mostly represented members of the GRP chaperone system, cellular metabolism, mitochondrial and cytoskeletal proteins. The 2D-DIGE results were validated for a subset of the sequenced proteins on beclin 1+/+ and beclin 1+/- iMMECs under metabolic stress in vitro and on beclin 1+/+ and beclin 1+/- iMMEC-generated mammary tumors in vivo. Expression of several proteins upregulated under metabolic stress was also examined in 3D-morphogenesis assays. For most proteins, expression was higher in the central acinar cells, indicating that the acinar center is a physiologic area of increased metabolic stress. Differential protein expression between wild-type and autophagy-defective iMMECs under conditions of metabolic stress is currently being validated on mammary tissues from beclin 1+/+ and beclin 1+/- female mice.

Therefore, failure of autophagy-deficient mammary tumor cells to effectively manage metabolic stress is associated with increased unfolded protein load and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which may in turn play a pivotal role in promoting genome damage and instability, and thus cancer progression, especially when apoptosis is concurrently inactivated. These studies identify new therapeutic targets and provide valuable clues into how to best modulate autophagy for cancer prevention and treatment.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):CN05-02.


We review recent progress for control of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and R. (B.) annulatus. Outbreak infestations in the U.S. have reached alarming levels, due to increased populations of deer and other ungulates serving as alternative hosts. GIS mapping of infestations and deer habitat aids in utilizing methods and equipment designed for acaricide treatment of wild ungulates. Investigations include deer immunology, tick molecular genetics, acaricide resistance, and host-parasite interactions with deer or cattle, ticks, and pathogens. Acaricide resistance is widespread in Mexico and U.S. dipping vats depend on organophosphate (OP) inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Three cDNAs putatively encoding acetylcholinesterases (AChE, E.C. 188.8.131.52) in R. (B.) microplus were expressed in the baculovirus system and exhibited Km values for acetylthiocholine of approx. 5, 50, or 90 µM, for rBmAChE1, rBmAChE2, and rBmAChE3, respectively. The rBmAChEs exhibited substrate preference for acetylthiocholine over butyrylthiocholine, and inhibition by eserine, paraoxon, and the AChE-specific inhibitor, BW284C51, confirming biochemical identification as AChEs. Expression of specific mutations from OP-resistant strains exhibited decreased sensitivity of rBmAChE1 and rBmAChE3 to OP inhibition. Each of the BmAChEs was expressed in synganglion as indicated by qRT-PCR. Multiple transcripts from individual ticks for each of the BmAChEs suggested alternative splicing or gene duplication. Quantitative real time PCR with genomic DNA supported the gene duplication hypothesis. Long dsRNA specific for BmAChE1, BmAChE2, and BmAChE3 was introduced by microinjection of unfed adult females and subsequent gene silencing was monitored by qRT-PCR and phenotypic effects. Specific physiological roles for BmAChE1, BmAChE2, and BmAChE3 remain to be elucidated.


Adaptive optimization algorithms such as Adam (Kingma and Ba, 2014) are widely used in deep learning. The stability of such algorithms is often improved with a warmup schedule for the learning rate. Motivated by the difficulty of choosing and tuning warmup schedules, recent work proposes automatic variance rectification of Adam's adaptive learning rate, claiming that this rectified approach ("RAdam") surpasses the vanilla Adam algorithm and reduces the need for expensive tuning of Adam with warmup. In this work, we refute this analysis and provide an alternative explanation for the necessity of warmup based on the magnitude of the update term, which is of greater relevance to training stability. We then provide some "rule-of-thumb" warmup schedules, and we demonstrate that simple untuned warmup of Adam performs more-or-less identically to RAdam in typical practical settings. We conclude by suggesting that practitioners stick to linear warmup with Adam, with a sensible default being linear warmup over 2 / (1 - β₂) training iterations.


This paper analyses the effects of climate change and trade liberalization on Turkish Economy between 2008 and 2099 by using a recursive dynamic CGE model. Results of a crop-irrigation requirement model are used to generate climate change shocks. The results suggest that the effects of climate change will be effective especially after 2030s with acceleration after 2060s. GDP loss gets as high as 3.5 percent. Main drivers of the loss in GDP are the significant decline in private consumption and up to two percent increase in imports. A trade liberalization scenario where tariffs on imports from EU are eliminated unilaterally by Turkey is also simulated to investigate the interaction between climate change and trade liberalization. Trade policy alleviates the negative effects of climate change only marginally for Turkey, as suggested by the literature for many other regions in the world. Trade liberalization with EU causes a trade diversion effect and decreases imports from other trading regions. The main adjustment mechanism of the economy under trade liberalization works through the substitution of factors for intermediate goods, imported consumption goods and intermediate inputs for domestic goods. Maize, oilseeds, fruits and processed food benefit from trade liberalization while production of other crops generally decline.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of long-term (1-week) oral hydration on amniotic fluid volume in women with an amniotic fluid index (AFI) < 10th percentile.

STUDY DESIGN
This prospective, nonrandomized, interventional study was conducted on 30 women with AFI < 10th percentile. Study inclusion criteria were singleton pregnancy, well-established gestational age, intact membranes, no maternal complications (e.g., hypertension, cardiovascular disease, hyperthyroidism), no evidence of preeclampsia, no fetal structural malformations and no evidence of fetal distress. The women were instructed to drink at least 2L of water daily; their AFI was evaluated before and 1 week after the initiation of oral hydration. The study group was compared to a control group of 30 women matched for age and gestational age, with AFI > 10th and < 90th percentile.

RESULTS
AFI increased from 8.1 +/- 0.73 (mean +/- SD) to 11.8 +/- 2.4 1 week later (P < .01) in 25 (83%) of the study subjects. The AFI was similar before and 1 week after oral hydration in all the controls.

CONCLUSION
Long-term maternal oral hydration seems to significantly increase the AFI in selected women with reduced fluid and possibly prevents oligohydramnios.


Current photocatalytic systems must meet numerous very demanding features such as being non-noble, high-performance, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Herein, an active and cheap photocatalyst was constructed by combining graphene with a naphthylbisimide-core based organic photosensitizer on TiO2. This synergistic photocatalyst displayed enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation by splitting water in the presence of methanol as the electron donor. A one-step soft template directed solvothermal synthesis process has been developed to prepare the crystalline mesoporous TiO2 materials. Electrochemical characterization of the sensitizer showed that naphthyl core has the ability to act as an electron acceptor, which has been further supported by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The as-prepared photocatalysts were thoroughly characterized by FESEM, TEM, AFM, XPS, UV-vis DRS, Raman and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. Graphene sheets, with desirable electronic properties, acted as good support for TiO2 to enhance the photocatalytic activity. Surface adsorption of the sensitizer on TiO2 extended the light absorption over the visible region (400–510 nm). High surface area (76.66 m2 g−1) and morphological changes in the as-synthesized TiO2 and graphene reinforcement play a vital role in the enhancement of photocatalytic activity. Hydrogen generation reached up to TON 4790 with the rate of 10 mmol g−1 h−1 after 6 h irradiation with a light intensity of ∼0.2 W cm−2 under the conditions of 10% v/v CH3OH, sensitizer concentration of 2.5 × 10−5 mol g−1, 5 wt% graphene and pH 7.0. The photocatalyst showed remarkable long term stability and reproducibility of H2 evolution without any appreciable deactivation. This study provides an inexpensive means of harnessing solar energy to achieve highly efficient H2 evolution without noble metals.


What I have illustrated with this research is that the role of education and learning is not unproblematic. Western science and scientific knowledge is still holding a hegemonic position when looking at educational and developmental initiatives. Indigenous culture and indigenous knowledge were for a long time ignored from educational discourses and have been characterized as old-fashioned, not scientific and not relevant. However, increasingly there are calls that more attention should be paid to indigenous views. The Zambian government is now taking a step into this direction and integrated the new "Localized Curriculum" into the formal school curriculum. This thesis brought to light that the way education and learning is organized can have significant influence on persons and their lives in various ways. Knowledge, and specifically local knowledge, can be an essential tool in creating sustainable development, decreasing poverty and increasing self-respect. This book is aimed at students and persons working in the areas of education, anthropology and culture as well as at anybody who is interested in Africa and its culture.


We consider here the problem of testing the effect of a subset of predictors for a regression model with predictor dimension fixed but ultra high dimensional responses. Because the response dimension is ultra high, the classical method of likelihood ratio test is no longer applicable. To solve the problem, we propose a novel solution, which decomposes the original problem into many testing problems with univariate responses. Subsequently, the usual residual sum of squares (RSS) type test statistics can be obtained. Those statistics are then integrated together across different responses to form an overall and powerful test statistic. Under the null hypothesis, the resulting test statistic is asymptotically standard normal after some appropriate standardization. Numerical studies are presented to demonstrate the finite sample performance of the test statistic and a real example about paid search advertising is analyzed for illustration purpose.


Enteric methane (CH4) represents about half of the climatic footprint of milk production in Finland. Methane is generated from the surplus hydrogen produced during the anaerobic feed digestion process in the rumen. Methane intensity per liter of energy corrected milk (g CH4 kg-1 ECM) is a function of the number of cows, milk yield (MY), replacement rate (RR), and the diet composition. This study aimed to model and report the inventory of CH4 from milk production in Finland between 1960 and 2020. Furthermore, we report the potential future scenarios of CH4 mitigation strategies based on the further development in MY and feed efficiency with constant or changing BW of cows. The diet composition of cattle was formulated for 5-year periods according to feed consumption statistics (ProAgria 2021) and the current metabolizable energy (ME) requirements for dairy cattle (Luke 2021a). The CH4 production from cattle was simulated using the formulated diets with the Nordic dairy cow model Karoline. The future CH4 mitigation scenarios of increased MY and improved feed efficiency were simulated using Lypsikki® dairy farm model. During the inventory period, the number of cows (1000) decreased from 1150 to less than 258, and MY increased three-fold. The total milk and CH4 production peaked in 1965 being 3650 and 110 million kg per year and decreased to 2300 and 48 million kg per year in 2020, respectively.
Consequently, decreased number of cows and increased MY reduced the total CH4 production by 56%. In addition, CH4 intensity improved by 36% during the inventory period. Of the future scenarios, increased MY and improved feed efficiency had a substantial potential to improve CH4 intensity. In both scenarios maintaining the current BW of cows resulted in higher mitigation potential. We conclude that selecting more efficient animals has a significant CH4 mitigation potential.


Abtract Central serous chorioretinoopathy is not uncommon condition. It has good prognosis. This condition normally resolve spontaneously in most patients but in some cases further treatments are needed. The laser photocoagulation has been widely accepted as the treatment method for such condition. Although, other lasers have been suggested for central serous chorioretinopathy, argon green laser has been the most widely studied and accepted modality. Laser photocoagulation is a safe and efficient treatment. Since the availablity of laser machines in Thaland is rather limited, physicians should refer patients, who have indications for laser photocoagulation, to institutes or hospitals that have the laser machine and retinal specialist. Keywords : Central serous chorioretinopathy, laser photocoagulation


Tropical diabetic hand syndrome (TDHS) encompasses an acute symptom complex found in patients of diabetes mellitus primarily in the tropical regions. The syndrome usually follows a minor trauma to the hand, may rapidly progress to gangrene, fulminant sepsis and may even be life threatening. The syndrome is less recognized and thus reported less often. The authors present here a case of Tropical diabetic hand syndrome (TDHS) in a middle aged female with a poor glycemic control. The patient was managed meticulously both by surgical debridement and proper, culture evidenced antibiotic therapy apart from routine diabetic management.


Abnormalities in proteoglycan metabolism have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Whether hyperglycemia plays a direct role in these events is unknown. To evaluate the effects of high glucose concentrations and insulinlike growth factor I (IGF-I) on kidney proteoglycan and protein metabolism, we incubated quiescent, subconfluent human fetal mesangial cells for 24 h in serum-free media containing either physiological (5.6-mM) or elevated (25-mM) glucose concentrations with or without 1.3 × 10−9 M IGF-I. In the presence of physiological glucose concentrations, IGF-I stimulated incorporation of [3H]leucine into protein and [35S]sulfate or [3H]glucosamine into proteoglycans. High glucose concentrations significantly amplified IGF-I–mediated stimulation of protein synthesis but totally abolished IGF-I–induced proteoglycan synthesis. The hydrodynamic size and proportions of heparan-35SO4 and chondroitin/dermatan-35SO4 proteoglycans in all experimental media were the same. However, high glucose concentrations decreased the iduronic acid content of dermatan-35SO4. In separate experiments, quiescent cells were cultured for 7 days in media supplemented with 2% fetal calf serum. IGF-I had no effect on mesangial cell proliferation, but as cells reached confluence, high glucose concentrations significantly inhibited cell proliferation. This inhibition was not mimicked by isosmolar concentrations of mannitol. After 7 days, uptake of radioactive precursors into proteoglycans and proteins over 24 h was similar under all culture conditions. However, IGF-I decreased the ratio of [35S]sulfate to [3H]glucosamine in proteoglycans and their glycosaminoglycan side chains. This difference persisted in disaccharides derived by chondroitin ABC lyase digestion of dermatan-35SO4. A higher specific activity of [3H]glucosamine without a change in [35S]sulfate uptake or proteoglycan structure indicated that IGF-I treatment of confluent mesangial cells altered the glucosamine pool size. Thus, in subconfluent human mesangial cells, high concentrations of glucose amplified IGF-I–stimulated protein synthesis but abrogated IGF-I–stimulated proteoglycan synthesis, resulting in a relatively proteoglycan-depleted state. This effect was not seen in cells that had been confluent for several days.


Background: Hong Kong is at the cross-road between Eastern and Western cultures. Increasing globalisation allows students to gather experiences from various educational contexts. While internationalisation has been promoted in higher education worldwide, the focus was often put on students from Chinese cultures integrating into Westernised education systems. Not much is known about how students from Chinese background with exposures to Western cultures, reintegrate into a Hong Kong university, characterised by a highly competitive system that potentially affects students' well-being. Aim: To identify learning preferences by Hong Kong physiotherapy students who have been exposed to educational contexts in the USA, Australia or Canada, and to explore their subjective experiences regarding different educational approaches during their studies. Methods: Ten students participated in this phenomenological study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in English, transcribed 'ad verbatim' and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings: Three themes emerged from the data: (1) Interaction between students and teachers, (2) past experiences that help with future dreams, and (3) obstacles and opportunities in learning. Conclusion: Physiotherapy students with globalised experience rely on their past educational exposure to give meaning to their future. They believe that a student-centred approach is crucial for learning. Their experiences shed light on consideration factors for optimally internationalising the physiotherapy curriculum.


This research investigates how the adoption of new high-tech consumer products can be stimulated by communicating product-related information in launch messages. In an initial pilot study, the authors find that for making an adoption decision, consumers require different types of product-related information, i.e., technical information, financial information, and personal/social information. In three experiments, the authors then examine how adoption intention and behavior is affected by communicating these information types. The first experiment shows that communicating personal/social information results in the highest adoption intention. This effect is moderated by the way in which the information is represented in the message. Adoption intention is highest when personal/social information is communicated in an abstract manner, while financial and technical information are most effective when communicated in a concrete manner. The second experiment shows that the effects hold for actual adoption behavior. In addition, visual imagination is found to mediate these effects. In the last experiment, visual imagination is directly manipulated by thematic priming and has a direct effect on adoption behavior. The results emphasize that activating the imagination in a product-relevant situation stimulates adoption behavior.


Fiber polarizers, based on side-polished single-mode fibers covered with a deposited thin metal film and index overlay, were investigated by us. By modeling their interaction region as a layered planar structure and using the quasi-ray-optic method, we theoretically examined the resonant absorption of light in this structure. In such an approach, the characteristics of fiber polarizers can be found without solving the refractive index of any surface plasmon mode. Fiber polarizers with different liquid overlays were presented by us and polarization extinction ratio about 60 dB was achieved. Our theoretical analyzes agreed with experimental results. The advantages of our approach are discussed.


In the scientific literature, a close relationship between cognitive biases and schizophre‐ nia disorder has been widely demonstrated. Cognitive biases would be a pattern of deviation in judgment, in which the inferences we make about other people and/or situations can be illogical. Throughout this chapter will be analyzed how some cognitive biases are greatly related and are involved in the onset, maintenance, relapse and recovery of this disorder. Specifically, we will discuss five biases [need for closure, overconfidence bias, bias against confirmatory evidence (BACE), bias against discon‐ firmatory evidence (BADE) and above all jumping to conclusions (JTC)] that have been extensively studied and shown in patients with schizophrenia, especially with delusions. In this chapter the importance of studying in depth these cognitive biases in schizophrenia in order to understand, reduce and avoid them will be seen. The reduction and avoidance of these biases will result in an improvement in symptoms of schizophrenia. Therefore, it will lead to a faster, effective recovery. Moreover, the patient with schizophrenia will have an active role in his recovery. As a result, nowadays we can find several behavioral cognitive therapies, which are working on the reduction and avoidance of these cognitive biases and are demonstrating their effectiveness.


Aim and Objective: The main objective of this study was to formulate extended release pellets of torsemide, a pyridine–sulfonyl urea type loop diuretic. Materials and Methods: The preparations of torsemide pellets were prepared by extrusion-spheronization method. The prepared pellets were then coated with ethyl cellulose of different grades and Eudragit L30 D 55 and Eudragit NM 30 D grades at different concentrations as release retardant polymers using fluid bed processor, in this formulation hydroxypropyl methylcellulose used as a pore former and binder, microcrystalline cellulose PH101 as diluents and water used as a solvent. Results: The prepared pellets were evaluated for drug content, in vitro dissolution, differential scanning caloriemetry (DSC), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The drug release was extended up to 24 h and drug release was depended on polymer grade and polymer proportion. The optimized formulation showed 99 ± 0.11 release in 24 h. The DSC and FTIR studies were showed the compatibility of the drug with a polymer, i.e., no drug-polymer interaction. Using SEM, it was shown that the torsemide pellets were porous and spherical in shape. Accelerated stability studies showed good similarity with the initial formulation indicated good stability for 6 months. In vivo, pharmacokinetic studies were conducted in rabbits by parallel design and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. Conclusion: By the above results, it can be concluded that the above-prepared pellets of torsemide could be able to extend the drug release by avoiding problems such as dose dumping, more gastric residence time, and improve the patient compliance. In vivo studies in rabbits were shown the increased half-life and bioavailability for a long duration.


3D samples of NH4Cl-H2O solutions were solidified under defined experimental conditions. The occurring melt convection was investigated by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The occurrence of NH4Cl crystals was observed optically and first attempts were made to quantitatively measure its number density, size distribution and sedimentation rate by PIV and Particle Tracking (PT). In order to prove the reproducibility of the results several experimental runs with equal and slightly modified conditions were analyzed.


BACKGROUND
Sleep fragmentation and periodic leg movement syndrome (PLMS) have been reported in adults with iron deficiency anemia. Little is known about sleep function and daytime sleepiness in children with chronic anemia such as beta-thalassemia or congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type 1 (CDA-1).

OBJECTIVES
To investigate if children and adolescents who have beta-thalassemia (major or intermedia) or CDA-1 experience sleep fragmentation and objective daytime sleepiness and also to investigate if children and adolescents with beta-thalassemia have obstructive sleep apnea.

METHODS
Ten patients (7 males and 3 females) with beta-thalassemia (mean [SD] age, 10.4 [7.3] years), 10 patients (7 males and 3 females) with CDA-1 (mean [SD] age, 13.5 [5.1] years), and 13 healthy volunteer control children(7 males and 6 females) (mean [SD] age, 10 [4] years) underwent nocturnal polysomnographic studies. A multiple sleep latency test was performed for 6 patients who had beta-thalassemia and 8 patients who had CDA-1.

RESULTS
Both patient groups, that is, those who had beta-thalassemia and those who had CDA-1, had multiple arousals during sleep (mean [SD], 27.8 [11.4] events per hour and 23.8 [11.8] events per hour, respectively) compared with the control subjects (12.1 [6.6] events per hour) (P<.002). Thirty-eight percent (10.6 events per hour) of the arousals in patients with beta-thalassemia and 25% (6.0 events per hour) of the arousals in patients with CDA-1 were induced by periodic limb movements during sleep. In the control group, most (98%) arousals were spontaneous and unrelated to any definable event. The multiple sleep latency test average was 7.8 minutes for patients with beta-thalassemia (n = 6) and 10.7 minutes for patients with CDA-1 (n = 8). Five patients with beta-thalassemia and 4 patients with CDA-1 underwent a second polysomnographic study on the next night to confirm reproducibility. There was no significant change in the total number or index of arousals and no difference in the severity of the periodic limb movements during sleep compared with the results of the first polysomnographic study.

CONCLUSION
Children and adolescents with beta-thalassemia or CDA-1 have evidence of impaired sleep function that is partially due to periodic limb movements during sleep and arousals that result in objective diurnal sleepiness.


Background: Although the incidence of colorectal cancer is steadily increasing, screening for colorectal cancer with conventional approaches is not routinely performed in China. Noninvasive screening methods are attractive options to resolve this issue. Syndecan-2 (SDC2) is frequently methylated in colorectal cancer. However, the value of a stool test of methylated SDC2 for the detection of colorectal cancer is unknown. Methods: Methylation status of SDC2 was tested in cell lines and 398 colorectal tissue samples and further evaluated with 497 stool samples, including 196 from colorectal cancer patients, 122 from adenoma patients, and 179 from normal individuals, using real-time methylation-specific PCR. The impacts of one quantitative partial stool sampling device and 17 potentially interfering substances on the performance of fecal methylated SDC2 were also analyzed. SDC2 expression was also measured. Results: SDC2 methylation level was higher in 96.8% (120/124) of colorectal cancer tissues compared with paired adjacent normal epithelia. Stool test of methylated SDC2 detected 81.1% (159/196) of colorectal cancer and 58.2% (71/122) of adenomas at a specificity of 93.3% (167/179). No significant difference was found between partial and whole stool collection on colorectal cancer detection (P > 0.05, R2 = 0.80). Among 17 interfering substances, only berberine at high concentrations inhibited fecal detection of methylated SDC2. SDC2 was overexpressed in colorectal cancer tissues compared with normal epithelia. Conclusions: Fecal methylated SDC2 is a valuable biomarker for the noninvasive detection of colorectal neoplasms. Impact: Stool DNA test of methylated SDC2 would serve as an alternative method for screening colorectal neoplasms. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(9); 1411–9. ©2017 AACR.


Polystyrene injected concrete (PIC) is a type of lightweight concrete that internationally has a number of different applications, ranging from thermal insulation to shallow ground improvement (PIC Raft). Due to the lightweight character of this material, several benefits arise from its use in buildings and infrastructure. The engineering community has significant understanding of the strength characteristics for PIC. However, less is known about the durability characteristics of this material. The intention of this paper is to provide some insight into the durability of PIC in conjunction with its onsite engineering performance under static and dynamic loading when used as a shallow ground improvement method. This paper presents the engineering properties that have been measured on site and in the laboratory. The onsite engineering properties have been assessed by means of static plate load testing (PLT) and light weight deflectometer (LWD) undertaken on a 4m trial PIC pad that was constructed at a low soil modulus site in Christchurch. Laboratory results of the engineering and durability properties are also presented which were undertaken with the respective AS/NZS standards. These test methods include: unconfined compressive strength (UCS) testing, breaking load testing, moisture content, ambient density, dry density, cold and boiling water absorption and hydraulic permeability. The testing also included cycles of soaking and drying PIC specimens in sodium chloride and sodium sulphate solutions. This was carried out to model PIC's resistance to salt attack, as well as degradation from chlorides and sulphates. A discussion of both the onsite and the laboratory performance of PIC is presented with useful observations that were carried out.


Abstract The human dimension of development processes in high mountain regions regularly escapes appropriate assessment due to a lack of applicable methods. Comparative data are lacking, and it is difficult to substantiate the position of mountain societies within nation-states. In view of the International Year of Mountains, consideration should be given to the focus of research and the need for comparative approaches. Using examples from case studies in South Asian high mountain regions, this article introduces an approach that applies widely known human development indicators to different regional levels. Evaluating the results and interpreting the dimensions of these indicators reveal pressing problems in mountain research as well as fields for further investigation.


Chronic illness is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity among the elderly. To determine the prevalence and factors associated with chronic illness among the elderly in a rural community setting. A cross sectional study design was used. Stratified proportionate cluster sampling method was used to select respondents in Mukim Sepang, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. Out of 263 elderly residents (6.2% of the total population), 223 agreed to participate in the study giving a response rate of 84.8%. The prevalence of chronic illness among the elderly in Mukim Sepang was 60.1 %. Out of 223 respondents,134 were diagnosed as having chronic illness such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischaemic heart disease, bronchial asthma or gout. Chronic illness was found to be significantly associated with functional dependence among the elderly (χ2=6.863, df=1,p<0.05). The prevalence of chronic illness among the elderly in the rural community is very high. Problems facing this age-group should be addressed comprehensively in order to formulate appropriate programmes for the health care of the elderly. Asia Pac J Public Health 2004; 16(2): 109-114.


Objective: To investigate the impact of coding variations on 'hospital standardized mortality ratio' (HSMR) and to define variation reduction measures. Design: Retrospective, descriptive. Method: We analysed coding variations in HSMR parameters for main diagnosis, urgency of the admission and comorbidity in the national medical registration (LMR) database of admissions in 6 Dutch top clinical hospitals during 2003-2007. More than a quarter of these admission records had been included in the HSMR calculation. Admissions with ICD-9 main diagnosis codes that were excluded from HSMR calculations were investigated for inter-hospital variability and correct exclusion. Variation in coding admission type was signalled by analyzing admission records with diagnoses that had an emergency nature by their title. Variation in the average number of comorbidity diagnoses per admission was determined as an indicator for coding variation. Interviews with coding teams were used to check whether the conclusions of the analysis were correct. Results: Over 165,000 admissions that were excluded from HSMR calculations showed large variability between hospitals. This figure was 40% of all admissions that were included. Of the admissions with a main diagnosis indicating an emergency, 34% to 93% were recorded as an emergency. The average number of comorbidity diagnoses varied between hospitals from 0.9 to 3.0 per admission. Conclusion: Coding of main diagnoses, urgency of admission and comorbidities showed strong inter-hospital variation with a potentially large impact on the HSMR outcomes of the hospitals. Coding variations originated from differences in interpretation of coding rules, differences in coding capacity, quality of patient records and discharge documentation and timely delivery of these. (aut.ref.)


Abstract Constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is frequently observed and closely linked with proliferation, survival, metastasis and angiogenesis of various cancer cells, and thus its inhibition can be considered a potential therapeutic strategy. We found that 3-formylchromone (3FC) inhibited both constitutive and inducible STAT3 activation in multiple myeloma (MM) cells. Besides the inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation, 3FC also abrogated constitutive activity and nuclear translocation of STAT3. This suppression was mediated through the inhibition of phosphorylation of Janus-activated kinase (JAK) 1/2 and Src. Furthermore, 3FC induced the expression of the protein inhibitors of activated STAT3 (PIAS3), and gene silencing of the PIAS3 by small interfering RNA abolished the ability of 3FC to inhibit STAT3 activation, suggesting a critical role for PIAS3 in the action of 3FC. 3FC also downregulated the expression of STAT3-regulated gene products such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Mcl-1, Survivin, inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1 (IAP-1), Cyclin D1, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9) in MM cells. This correlated with induction of substantial apoptosis as indicated by an increase in the sub-G1 cell population and caspase-3 induced poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Overall, these results suggest that 3FC is a novel blocker of STAT3 activation pathway thus may have a potential in therapy of MM and other cancers.


This thesis introduces a multi-Bayesian framework for detection and classification of features in environments abundant with error-inducing noise. The approach takes advantage of Bayesian correction and classification in three distinct stages. The corrective scheme described here extracts useful but highly stochastic features from a data source, whether vision-based or otherwise, to aid in higher-level classification. Unlike many conventional methods, these features' uncertainties are characterized so that test data can be correctively cast into the feature space with probability distribution functions that can be integrated over class decision boundaries created by a quadratic Bayesian classifier. The proposed approach is specifically formulated for road crack detection and characterization, which is one of the potential applications. For test images assessed with this technique, ground truth was estimated accurately and consistently with effective Bayesian correction, showing a 33% improvement in recall rate over standard classification. Application to road cracks demonstrated successful detection and classification in a practical domain. The proposed approach is extremely effective in characterizing highly probabilistic features in noisy environments when several correlated observations are available either from multiple sensors or from data sequentially obtained by a single sensor. Multi-Bayesian Approach to Stochastic Feature Recognition in the Context of Road Crack Detection and Classification John Josiah Steckenrider GENERAL AUDIENCE ABSTRACT Humans have an outstanding ability to understand things about the world around them. We learn from our youngest years how to make sense of things and perceive our environment even when it is not easy. To do this, we inherently think in terms of probabilities, updating our belief as we gain new information. The methods introduced here allow an autonomous system to think similarly, by applying a fairly common probabilistic technique to the task of perception and classification. In particular, road cracks are observed and classified using these methods, in order to develop an autonomous road condition monitoring system. The results of this research are promising; cracks are identified and correctly categorized with 92% accuracy, and the additional "intelligence" of the system leads to a 33% improvement in road crack assessment. These methods could be applied in a variety of contexts as the leading edge of robotics research seeks to develop more robust and human-like ways of perceiving the world.


In this paper, we raise the questions: how could sound influence the usability of simulations? How could sound influence the learning of simulation creation? How could sound support processes like verification? We argue that sound can support learning by relying on music/sound cues' emotional engagement on users and verification by providing insight into the correctness of simulation execution during runtime. For instance, sound cues could indicate when certain events occur and if processes in a simulation are operating within their specifications. We explore potential benefits and challenges posed by incorporating sound into DES models. Many perceived challenges of this incorporation overlap with known visualization challenges for conveying information during runtime, as both cases deal with conveying sensory stimuli. We present conceptual examples and report on ongoing efforts to integrate sound into a DES simulation environment.