Introduction. Cost-effectiveness models for infectious disease interventions often require transmission models that capture the indirect benefits from averted subsequent infections. Compartmental models based on ordinary differential equations are commonly used in this context. Decision trees are frequently used in cost-effectiveness modeling and are well suited to describing diagnostic algorithms. However, complex decision trees are laborious to specify as compartmental models and cumbersome to adapt, limiting the detail of algorithms typically included in transmission models. Methods. We consider an approximation replacing a decision tree with a single holding state for systems where the time scale of the diagnostic algorithm is shorter than time scales associated with disease progression or transmission. We describe recursive algorithms for calculating the outcomes and mean costs and delays associated with decision trees, as well as design strategies for computational implementation. We assess the performance of the approximation in a simple model of transmission/diagnosis and its role in simplifying a model of tuberculosis diagnostics. Results. When diagnostic delays were short relative to recovery rates, our approximation provided a good account of infection dynamics and the cumulative costs of diagnosis and treatment. Proportional errors were below 5% so long as the longest delay in our 2-step algorithm was under 20% of the recovery time scale. Specifying new diagnostic algorithms in our tuberculosis model was reduced from several tens to just a few lines of code. Discussion. For conditions characterized by a diagnostic process that is neither instantaneous nor protracted (relative to transmission dynamics), this novel approach retains the advantages of decision trees while embedding them in more complex models of disease transmission. Concise specification and code reuse increase transparency and reduce potential for error.


In this paper, we propose a new technique of case-base maintenance. The weighted association-based case reduction technique (WACRT) can reduce the size of the case-base in order to enhance the efficiency while maintaining or even improving the accuracy of the CBR. The weighted association rules do not use the property "all subsets of a frequent item set are frequent". It is pruned by the "k-support bound". The experiments on the engine design system have shown superior generalization accuracy for CBR with WACRT as well as a greater solving efficiency.


Minimally Invasive Surgery(MIS), although advantageous compared to open cavity surgery in many aspects, is not widely accepted by surgeons for clinical application. This is due to cost and required complex training of the currently practiced technology. The main challenges in reducing cost and amount of training is to have an accurate inner body navigation advisory system along with the use of a flexible robot arm to safely perform such surgery. As a first step in making minimally invasive surgery affordable and easy to use, quality images inside the patient body as well as accurate position of the surgical tool should be provided in real time. An array of asynchronous sensors is required to successfully and safely perform real time inner body navigation. Furthermore, it is necessary to have flexible surgical arm capable of following curved paths to avoid damaging patient organs when moving the surgical tools inside the body. In this work, three asynchronous sensors are calibrated and information were fused together in real-time spatially and temporally in such a way that the fused information will be useful to perform successful MIS.  Furthermore, a complete design of the flexible surgical arm system is proposed. It is believed that the result of this work will have practical impacts on making MIS more affordable, and flexible surgical arms more accurate and user friendly than existing counterparts.


A healthy lifestyle with sufficient physical activity (PA) can contribute to weight management. Yet, many people do not maintain a healthy lifestyle. To explain PA, we propose a model that incorporates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with weight-related self-stigma. We recruited 325 young adults to complete questionnaires regarding their physical activities, weight-related self-stigma, and TPB factors. We used structural equation modeling to examine the model fit and the path invariance across weight groups. The model showed excellent model fit, but path invariance was not supported. Weight-related self-stigma significantly explained the perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention, and engagement of PA. People without overweight and people with overweight have different considerations for PA. Weight-related self-stigma is important for PA as well. To promote a healthy lifestyle, healthcare providers should provide different suggestions or interventions that suit their patients' weight-related concerns.


Gabapentin is one of the most used drugs to treat postoperative pain with antihyperalgesic properties and has a unique mechanism of action, which differentiates it from other commonly used drugs. Various studies have shown that the perioperative use of gabapentin reduces postoperative pain. In our study, fragments of gingival tissue of healthy volunteers were collected during operation. Gene expression of 29 genes was investigated in gingival fibroblasts cell culture treated with gabapentin, compared with untreated cells. Of the different chemokines and interleukins studied, only 10 were statistically significant (CCL1, CCR1, CCR4, CCR5, CCR6, ILI1A, ILI1B, IL5, IL6R, TNFSF10). The overexpression of these cytokines, obtained in many studies, leads us to think that gabapentin can interact and cause post-inflammatory gingival hyperplasia, but, probably, in our study the gabapentin has not the same effect, because we used gingival fibroblasts of healthy people.


Depth estimation features are helpful for 3D recognition. Commodity-grade depth cameras are able to capture depth and color image in real-time. However, glossy, transparent or distant surface cannot be scanned properly by the sensor. As a result, enhancement and restoration from sensing depth is an important task. Depth completion aims at filling the holes that sensors fail to detect, which is still a complex task for machine to learn. Traditional hand-tuned methods have reached their limits, while neural network based methods tend to copy and interpolate the output from surrounding depth values. This leads to blurred boundaries, and structures of the depth map are lost. Consequently, our main work is to design an end-to-end network improving completion depth maps while maintaining edge clarity. We utilize self-attention mechanism, previously used in image inpainting fields, to extract more useful information in each layer of convolution so that the complete depth map is enhanced. In addition, we propose boundary consistency concept to enhance the depth map quality and structure. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of our self-attention and boundary consistency schema, which outperforms previous state-of-the-art depth completion work on Matterport3D dataset.


It is shown that a matrix model with SO(d,d) global symmetry is derived from a generalized Yang-Mills theory on the standard Courant algebroid. This model keeps all the positive features of the well-studied type IIB matrix model, and it has many additional welcome properties. We show that it does not only capture the dynamics of spacetime, but it should be associated with the dynamics of phase space. This is supported by a large set of classical solutions of its equations of motion, which corresponds to phase spaces of noncommutative curved manifolds and points to a new mechanism of emergent gravity. The model possesses an additional symmetry that exchanges positions and momenta, in analogy to quantum mechanics. It is argued that the emergence of phase space in the model is an essential feature for the investigation of the precise relation of matrix models to string theory and quantum gravity.


The products of laser diode have been widely used, creating high profits. As there are only semi-auto-focus machines to do the focusing-jobs for the products of laser diode, it takes much work and increases the products' cost. Therefore we developed a fully auto-focus machine for the products of laser diode to promote the quality of products and reduce the cost of the products. The AC servomotor was adopted to control the focus length. The image of the well-focused laser diode point can present more accurate information than the blurred laser point. It is helpful to get precise focus of laser diode. We adjusted the focus length of laser diode products by a fuzzy algorithm according to the feedback image information. The feedback image of laser diode spot was processed to distinguish the background, blurred region and bright region by a three-value thresholding method. The image information of the laser diode spot, the area of the bright region and the ratio between the blurred area and the bright area, were used as the criterion for the autofocusing job and to judge whether the focusing-job was well-done. In the meantime, we could also get the offsets in the x- and y- direction of the laser diode from the image of laser diode spot. Finally, we adjusted the focus length and the offsets of the laser diode products by a fuzzy imaging control algorithm to get the optimal focusing condition.


Little is known about prospective applicants' perspectives on the required content (e.g., public disclosure data) of doctoral program websites in health service psychology, despite that they are one of the primary audiences of this information. Eighty-seven undergraduate students considering doctoral study in health service psychology reviewed the public disclosure data (PDD) of two hypothetical doctoral program websites. Participants rated the clarity, helpfulness, and sufficiency of the information as well as the likelihood that they would apply to the hypothetical doctoral program. Results indicated that PDD in most, but not all, areas are clear, helpful, and sufficient to undergraduate students, although they are not particularly relevant to their application decisions. In addition, the amount of information included along with required PDD influenced the clarity of some aspects of the PDD. Participants were more likely to want to apply to more selective programs in the presence of additional information, but there were no differences in likelihood of applying to less selective programs. Implications for revision of the PDD requirements as well as ways that undergraduate programs and the larger training community can facilitate prospective applicants in researching graduate programs are discussed.


Continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) is known to be one of the most effective treatments for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Non-adherence to CPAP, however, is often observed among CPAP-treated patients, and it contributes to significant health-related issues, leaving OSA untreated or sub-optimally treated. In this paper, we explore usage data obtained from CPAP devices to identify patterns in adherence trends. For this, we employ a variety of sequential data mining techniques, such as the sequence classification approach to identify any usage patterns from the data, and a sequence clustering approach to identify any sub-group trends. Furthermore, we build and suggest a classifier to predict a patient's adherence to CPAP during the pre-intervention stage. Through the analyses, we reveal that early intervention is crucial in order to prevent nonadherence to CPAP and effectively treat OSA. In particular, we observed that monitoring patients during their first week of treatment is sufficient to identify their CPAP usage patterns and to provide adjusted and tailored intervention according to the prediction. Characterizing treatment-adherence trend patterns will enable effective early preventive interventions to be developed in order to improve CPAP treatment adherence.


This research aims to determine student learning outcomes by applying Quantum Learning method of prism and pyramid by eight grade students of SMP Negeri 2 Sipoholon in academic year 2017/2018. This type of research is Class Action Research (CAR). The subjects in this study were eight grade students of SMP Negeri 2 Sipoholon in academic year 2017/2018 were 28 student . The objective of this research is improving student learning outcomes. Instruments used were: description tests, observation sheets and interviews. Descriptive tests use to find out student learning outcomes, observation sheets use to find out ability of the teacher to apply learning and interviews to find out where the students are wrong. The average initial test score was 35.46 and the classical completeness was 0%. The average value of the first cycle was 59.78. Students who completed were 11 students (39.29%), 17 students (60.71%) were not finished, and the implementation of learning was in a less category (value 2.00). The increase in classical completeness was 39.29% and the average increase was 24.32 from the results of the initial tests. The average value of the second cycle was 76.04 and 25 students (89.29%) from 28 students had achieved mastery learning while the other 3 students (10.71%) had not yet completed, and the learning went well (average 3, 00). Cycle II has achieved classical completeness. Classical completeness has increased by 50% and the average has increased by 16.25 from cycle I. Thus the Quantum Learning method can improve student learning outcomes on the Prism and Piramid by eight grade students of SMP Negeri 2 Sipoholon in academic year 2017/2018. Keywords—Quantum Learning Method, improving learning outcomes.


Background and Objectives To study the clinical and laboratory features of antineurofascin-155 (NF155)–positive autoimmune nodopathy (AN). Methods Patients with anti-NF155 antibodies detected on routine immunologic testing were included. Clinical characteristics, treatment response, and functional scales (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] and Inflammatory Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale [I-RODS]) were retrospectively collected at baseline and at the follow-up. Autoantibody and neurofilament light (NfL) chain levels were analyzed at baseline and at the follow-up. Results Forty NF155+ patients with AN were included. Mean age at onset was 42.4 years. Patients presented with a progressive (75%), sensory motor (87.5%), and symmetric distal-predominant weakness in upper (97.2%) and lower extremities (94.5%), with tremor and ataxia (75%). Patients received a median of 3 (2–4) different treatments in 46 months of median follow-up. Response to IV immunoglobulin (86.8%) or steroids (72.2%) was poor in most patients, whereas 77.3% responded to rituximab. HLA-DRB1*15 was detected in 91.3% of patients. IgG4 anti-NF155 antibodies were predominant in all patients; anti-NF155 titers correlated with mRS within the same patient (r = 0.41, p = 0.004). Serum NfL (sNfL) levels were higher in anti-NF155+ AN than in healthy controls (36.47 vs 7.56 pg/mL, p < 0.001) and correlated with anti-NF155 titers (r = 0.43, p = 0.001), with I-RODS at baseline (r = −0.88, p < 0.001) and with maximum I-RODS achieved (r = −0.58, p = 0.01). Anti-NF155 titers and sNfL levels decreased in all rituximab-treated patients. Discussion Anti-NF155 AN presents a distinct clinical profile and good response to rituximab. Autoantibody titers and sNfL are useful to monitor disease status in these patients. The use of untagged-NF155 plasmids minimizes the detection of false anti-NF155+ cases. Classification of Evidence This study provides Class IV evidence that anti-NF155 antibodies associate with a specific phenotype and response to rituximab.


The Data Display Debugger (DDD) is a novel graphical user interface to GDB and DBX, the popular UNIX debuggers. Besides "usual" features such as viewing source texts and breakpoints, DDD provides a graphical data display, where data structures are displayed as graphs. A simple mouse click dereferences pointers or reveals structure contents. Complex data structures can be explored incrementally and interactively, using automatic layout if preferred. Each time the program stops, the data display reflects the current variable values. DDD has been designed to compete with well-known commercial debuggers; however, it is free software, protected by the GNU general public license. In this paper, we give a quick presentation of DDD and describe its architecture and basic functionality from a technical point of view.


Posttraumatic dacryostenosis represent a troublesome sequela for patients who have sustained centrofacial trauma and can determine complexity in diagnosis and treatment. This article, based on a retrospective analysis of 58 patients with naso-orbitoethmoidal (NOE) trauma, reports the incidence of posttraumatic dacryostenosis and the evolution of such impairments in consideration of fracture type. Experience in diagnosis and treatment is illustrated, and surgical outcomes 6 months after external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) are reported. Posttraumatic epiphora was observed in 27 patients with NOE fractures (46.5%). In 10 cases, temporary epiphora was encountered and spontaneous recovery of lacrimal drainage within 5 months was observed. In the remaining 17 cases, permanent epiphora was registered and a frequent association with delayed treatment of facial fracture repair or bone loss in the lacrimal district was found. Surgical reconstruction of lacrimal pathways was performed 6 months after primary surgery, with external DCRs in all 17 patients with epiphora and the presence of nasolacrimal duct obstruction observed with dacryocystorhinography. External DCR with a large rhinostomy achieved a success rate of 94% in the reconstruction of lacrimal drainage. Such a technique proved to be effective in the treatment of posttraumatic dacryostenosis, although patients considered the temporary presence of external scars and stenting material to be a major problem.


This paper compares costs and revenues of two modes of provision of pay-television by cable and satellite providers. The two modes are bundling and A la carte, both of which are subscription-based services. Results of this research show that on average A la carte is more expensive to deliver than bundling, while revenues of both are comparable. The paper also deals with the economics of urban agglomeration and regional networks. It shows that im-provement in technology makes it possible to simulate agglomeration in metropolitan areas with networks, which makes it possible for small urban regions and rural regions to share in network outputs.


In this paper, we deal with layered predictive compression of animated meshes represented by series of 3D static meshes with same connectivity. We propose two schemes to improve the prediction. First improvement is using weighted spatial prediction rather than averaging neighbor vertices. The second improvement is a novel predictor based on rotation angle of incident triangles in current and previous frames. The experimental results show that around 6–10 % bitrate reduction can be achieved by replacing the spatial prediction in the reference coder with the proposed weighted spatial prediction and 9–18 % bitrate reduction is possible with the proposed angle based predictor using weighted spatial prediction, depending on the content and quantization level.


A technique for demonstrating the substrate specificities of bacterial beta-lactamases is presented. Enzymatic degradation of beta-lactam antibiotics can be detected by cutting a wall of inoculum into the agar 3 mm from an antibiotic disc. Inactivation of the drug as it diffuses through the wall of inoculum results in distortion of the resulting inhibition zone. This procedure can be applied to the Stokes, Bauer-Kirby, International Collaborative Study (ICS) and Calibrated Dichotomous Sensitivity Test (CDS) methods so that they provide information about any detrimental effect of a pathogen on beta-lactam antibiotics, in addition to the effect the antibiotics have on the pathogen. The additional information generated by this simple procedure should increase the predictive value of in-vitro tests.


A study of Mg iv between 80 and 2100 A has led to the classification of 243 lines. A total of 23 odd and 64 even levels have been identified as belonging to the 2s22p5, 2s22p6, 2s2p53s, 2s22p43p, 2s22p4ns, and 2s22p4nd (n = 3, 4, 5) configurations. Matrix diagonalizations and least-squares fits to the observed levels lead to well-defined radial integrals and verify the level assignments. On the basis of comparisons in the F i isoelectronic sequence, designation changes are suggested for some 2p4(3P)3d levels of Na iii, Al v, Si vi, P vii, and S viii. New levels are given for Na iii and Al v, and some previously listed levels in Na iii and S viii are rejected as unreal. An ionization energy of 880 800 cm−1 is given for Mg iv.


This paper reports on the first comprehensive qualitative audience study of the community media sector in Australia and responds to a need within the sector, from policy bodies and the broader Australian community, to better understand community broadcasters and their diverse audiences. Internationally, this project, in both scale and approach, is unprecedented. Thus, it heralds an exciting and pioneering stage in community broadcasting research. This paper outlines the aims and objectives of the project and our methodology for accessing Australian community media audiences. A qualitative engagement with the diversity of audiences characteristic of the community media sector has demanded new ways of doing audience research. This paper discusses some of the methodological hurdles we have crossed in our attempts to negotiate the research terrain and we raise some of the questions associated with the qualitative method and assert its validity and portability as a tool for better understanding and knowing the nature and composition of community media audiences in Australia.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age‐associated disease. Mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) may be causative or protective of AD. The presence of two functionally redundant APP‐like genes (APLP1/2) has made it difficult to unravel the biological function of APP during aging. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans contains a single APP family member, apl‐1. Here, we assessed the function of APL‐1 on C. elegans' lifespan and found tissue‐specific effects on lifespan by overexpression of APL‐1. Overexpression of APL‐1 in neurons causes lifespan reduction, whereas overexpression of APL‐1 in the hypodermis causes lifespan extension by repressing the function of the heterochronic transcription factor LIN‐14 to preserve youthfulness. APL‐1 lifespan extension also requires signaling through the FOXO transcription factor DAF‐16, heat‐shock factor HSF‐1, and vitamin D‐like nuclear hormone receptor DAF‐12. We propose that reinforcing APL‐1 expression in the hypodermis preserves the regulation of heterochronic lin‐14 gene network to improve maintenance of somatic tissues via DAF‐16/FOXO and HSF‐1 to promote healthy aging. Our work reveals a mechanistic link of how a conserved APP‐related protein modulates aging.


In this paper we show a result of existence of solution for a boundary problem using the method of upper and lower solutions. Under apropiates conditions, we prove the existence of solutions of the periodic problem using the Schauder's
fixed point theorem.


Background. As video game usage continues to rise, it is important to understand why people choose and continue playing a game. Purpose. This research presents a theoretical framework to explore the relationships between gameplay motivations, satisfaction, continuance intention and gameplay. Methods. To examine these relationships, survey data was collected from 353 participants who played different types of online games, including League of Legends, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone, for at least 10 hours in the past three months. A series of structural equation models were tested to identify the model with the best validity and fit. All constructs were from previously validated measures. Motivations were measured by the Trojan Player Typology, which assessed story-driven, completionist, competitor, escapist, smarty-pants, and socializer motives. Satisfaction was measured using the game user experience satisfaction scale (GUESS), which assessed satisfaction with usability/playability, narratives, play engrossment, enjoyment, creative freedom, audio aesthetic, personal gratification, social connectivity, and visual aesthetics. Continuance intention was measured using a 4-item scale. Results. The final model suggested that motivations were positively related to satisfaction, while satisfaction was positively related to continuance intention and weekly play time. Motivations accounted for 20% of the variance in satisfaction, and the story-driven motivation was the strongest predictor. Further, satisfaction accounted for 47% of the variance in continuance intention and 8% of the variance in weekly play time. Conclusion. Individual differences in gameplay motivation are an important component of a player's satisfaction. Further, satisfaction appears to be central to a player's intention to continue using a game.


Chronopharmacology aims at the use of biological rhythms in the clinical treatment so as to enhance both effectiveness and tolerance and minimize the side effects of a drug by determining the best biological time for its administration. Chronopharmacology is useful to solve problems of drug optimization. In the human organs, the metabolic fate of a pharmacologic agent as well is not constant as a function of time. Thus, the chronobiological approach of drug administration involves a lesser risk of errors than the conventional homeostatic approach. Chronopharmacology is now used as a routine to treat various disorders like hypertension, angina, cancer and various psychotic disorders. The newer drug delivery systems that are designed with the chronopharmacological approach hold great scope for delivering better patient care in terms of efficacy, tolerance and safety parameters of the drug. This review aims at introducing chronopharmacology, the role of the regulatory system of biological clock in pharmacotherapy and the benefits it has conferred in various clinical conditions.


Rills caused by run‐off concentration on erodible hillslopes have very irregular profiles and cross‐section shapes. Rill erosion directly depends on the hydraulics of flow in the rills, which may differ greatly from hydraulics of flow in larger and regular channels. In this paper, a recently theoretically deduced rill flow resistance equation, based on a power–velocity profile, was tested experimentally on plots of varying slopes (ranging from 9% to 26%) in which mobile and fixed bed rills were incised. Initially, measurements of flow velocity, water depth, cross‐section area, wetted perimeter, and bed slope, carried out in 320 reaches of mobile bed rills and in 165 reaches of fixed rills, were used for calibrating the theoretical flow resistance equation. Then the relationship between the velocity profile parameter Γ, the channel slope, and the flow Froude number was separately calibrated for the mobile bed rills and for the fixed ones. The measurements carried out in both conditions (fixed and mobile bed rills) confirmed that the Darcy–Weisbach friction factor can be accurately estimated using the proposed theoretical approach. For mobile bed rills, the data were supportive of the slope independence hypothesis of velocity, due to the feedback mechanism, stated by Govers. The feedback mechanism was able to produce quasicritical flow conditions. For fixed bed rills, obtained by fixing the rill channel, by a glue, at the end of the experimental run with a mobile bed rill, the slope independence of the flow velocity measurements was also detected. Therefore, an experimental run carried out by a rill bed fixed after modelling flow action is useful to detect the feedback mechanism. Finally, the analysis showed that, for the investigated conditions, the effect of sediment transport on the flow resistance law can be considered negligible respect to the grain roughness effect.


Disabled women as well as those without disability have the right to receive reproductive health care services. Since women with mobility impairment face diverse obstacles in receiving reproductive health care, reviewing these services received by them is of grate importance. Determining the reproductive health care services received by women with mobility impairment during disability period, we conducted a descriptive study in which questionnaires were used to collect the data, and the investigation was done on 241 handicapped women, ranged in age from 15-49 and all, members of Iranian handicapped society. The results revealed that 2.9% of the sample group had received sexual counseling before and after marriage, and less than half of them had participated in the family planning care service with all elements (except weight measuring and first visit pelvic exam). All elements of prenatal care (except blood and urine tests) were done for less than 40% and for 35% of the participants prenatal recommendations (except nutrition and breast feeding) were considered, Furthermore, all periodical prenatal care (except dentist visit) were done for about 60% -75% of disabled women and those who had Pap smear tests, breast self exam instructions, and breast physical exam by health staff were respectively 14%, 4.6% and 6.2%, besides, mammography was done for nobody in the group of more than 40 years old. Overall, according to the results it is estimated that only a small percentage of women with mobility impairment received reproductive health care. Therefore, further studies to explore obstacles faced by disabled women are recommended. Also it is suggested that available necessary services for cited citizens to be provided.


This Information and Communication Technology (ICT) works as a catalyst in development for its tremendous potential to increase efficiency, productivity, and service quality in agriculture and allied sectors. A village development plan is a written document. It identifies issues of concern to that village. Opportunities, strengths, threats and weaknesses of a village are defined. It also provides practical actions that will result in an improved condition of the village. It provides opportunities for resource mobilization, a vision of what you would like your village to look like, sets out clear goals to achieve that vision, and gives you an action plan to reach out those goals. For preparing of village development plan, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) exercises, Gram-Sava Meetings etc. have been organized. In this way a lots of information have been gathered for each and every villages. It's very difficult to work on village development for the government departments at state, district and block level through written document. Keeping view of the above facts…the present study has been conceived using Information System (IS) concept which will be effectively used after making of the village development plan in an integrated and holistic manner. This project focuses on a dynamic web-based data input and monitoring system which support holistic Village Development Plan (VDP). Through this system different village level information will be stored in all villages. System will also analyze and show district and block wise different domains (i.e., health, education, electrification etc.) and their present status. System will also provide geo-information regarding village boundary, present status of major land and water resources. In this way this system will be very helpful for proper decision making, implementation of different development schemes and effective monitoring.


Repairers may play a substantial role in the shift from a linear (make, use, dispose) to a more circular economy, where resources are continually reused and waste is minimized, which is therefore by definition more sustainable. Repaired defective products are usually reused by their owners or may be traded in a second-hand market. A barrier commonly associated with trading is the endowment effect, which is caused by the difference between the maximum amount buyers are willing to pay for a product and the minimum amount sellers are willing to accept for a product. The present study examined whether second-hand market exchanges face an endowment effect, including in situations where the products are broken and repairers are recruited to repair possible defects in the product. An online survey that randomly assigns participants to one of eight experimental conditions (four product types × two buyer/seller statuses) was used for this study. The results show significant endowment effects for intact products and defective products with a repairer involved, but not for defective products. Furthermore, endowment effects occur for different product types. This suggests that sellers may be reluctant to sell their products in terms of the value that buyers would want to pay for them when repairers are easily accessible, which may impede transactions from taking place. The transaction of broken products may be facilitated by designing a system whereby sellers sell broken products to repairers and buyers buy repaired products from repairers.


The precise mechanism behind treatment resistance in cancer is still not fully understood. Despite advances in precision oncology, there is a lack of tools that help to understand a mechanistic picture of treatment resistance in cancer patients. Existing enrichment methods heavily rely on quantitative data and limited to analysis of differentially expressed genes, ignoring crucial players that might be involved in this process. In order to tackle treatment resistance, the precise identification of deregulated flow of signal transduction is critical. Here, we introduce a bioinformatics framework that is capable of inferring deregulated flow of signal transduction given evidence-based knowledge about pathway topology and patient-specific mutations. While testing the proposed pipeline on a case study, our algorithm was able to confirm findings from biological experiment, where KRAS mutant cells developed treatment resistance to MEK inhibitor. Our model provides a framework for mechanistic understanding of acquired treatment resistance, thus, equipped clinicians with tool for searching more accurate diagnostic clues in patients with non-trivial disease representations.


The evaluation of 3D face reconstruction results typically relies on a rigid shape alignment between the estimated 3D model and the ground-truth scan. We observe that aligning two shapes with different reference points can largely affect the evaluation results. This poses difficulties for precisely diagnosing and improving a 3D face reconstruction method. In this paper, we propose a novel evaluation approach with a new benchmark REALY, consists of 100 globally aligned face scans with accurate facial keypoints, high-quality region masks, and topology-consistent meshes. Our approach performs region-wise shape alignment and leads to more accurate, bidirectional correspondences during computing the shape errors. The fine-grained, region-wise evaluation results provide us detailed understandings about the performance of state-of-the-art 3D face reconstruction methods. For example, our experiments on single-image based reconstruction methods reveal that DECA performs the best on nose regions, while GANFit performs better on cheek regions. Besides, a new and high-quality 3DMM basis, HIFI3D++, is further derived using the same procedure as we construct REALY to align and retopologize several 3D face datasets. We will release REALY, HIFI3D++, and our new evaluation pipeline at https://realy3dface.com.


Assessing the well-being of an animal is hindered by the limitations of efficient communication between humans and animals. Instead of direct communication, a variety of parameters are employed to evaluate the well-being of an animal. Especially in the field of biomedical research, scientifically sound tools to assess pain, suffering, and distress for experimental animals are highly demanded due to ethical and legal reasons. For mice, the most commonly used laboratory animals, a valuable tool is the Mouse Grimace Scale (MGS), a coding system for facial expressions of pain in mice. We aim to develop a fully automated system for the surveillance of post-surgical and post-anesthetic effects in mice. Our work introduces a semi-automated pipeline as a first step towards this goal. A new data set of images of black-furred laboratory mice that were moving freely is used and provided. Images were obtained after anesthesia (with isoflurane or ketamine/xylazine combination) and surgery (castration). We deploy two pre-trained state of the art deep convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures (ResNet50 and InceptionV3) and compare to a third CNN architecture without pre-training. Depending on the particular treatment, we achieve an accuracy of up to 99% for the recognition of the absence or presence of post-surgical and/or post-anesthetic effects on the facial expression.


Contouring is an indispensable step in Radiotherapy (RT) treatment planning. However, today's contouring software is constrained to only work with a 2D display, which is less intuitive and requires high task loads. Virtual Reality (VR) has shown great potential in various specialties of healthcare and health sciences education due to the unique advantages of intuitive and natural interactions in immersive spaces. VR-based radiation oncology integration has also been advocated as a target healthcare application, allowing providers to directly interact with 3D medical structures. We present VRContour and investigate how to effectively bring contouring for radiation oncology into VR. Through an autobiographical iterative design, we defined three design spaces focused on contouring in VR with the support of a tracked tablet and VR stylus, and investigating dimensionality for information consumption and input (either 2D or 2D + 3D). Through a within-subject study (n = 8), we found that visualizations of 3D medical structures significantly increase precision, and reduce mental load, frustration, as well as overall contouring effort. Participants also agreed with the benefits of using such metaphors for learning purposes.


This chapter describes the atmospheric chemistry governing the behaviour of reactive inorganic halogen compounds in the marine boundary layer (MBL). Particular emphasis is placed on the influence of the halogens on ozone and oxidising processes. The introduction indicates the lifecycle of reactive halogen species, their sources and sinks, as well as the chemical interactions with the background photochemistry of the troposphere. The gas-phase chemistry of the chlorine, bromine and iodine species is then described, indicating their differences in reactivity. The reactions which lead to ozone loss and coupling reactions with NO x and HO x species present in the MBL are also discussed. The next section deals with the heterogeneous reactions involving halogen species, in particular those which lead to activation of Cl - and Br - contained in sea-salt aerosols. A brief description of the properties of marine aerosols is given. The processes involved in chemical modification ('ageing') of sea-salt aerosol are described. The chemical mechanisms for halogen release by acid displacement, redox reactions involving NO x and redox reactions involving HOX (X = halogen) are then discussed in detail. A brief description of the evidence for halogen catalysed ozone loss and VOC degradation from atmospheric measurements and modelling studies is given.


A survey involving 3418 faecal samples collected from three areas of heavy human and animal activities in Jos, Nigeria showed that 2354 (68.9%) of the samples harboured various parasitic nematodes of man and animals. Altogether, twelve species of parasitic nematodes were encountered. Five of these, namely: Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale, Necator americanus, Trichuris trichiura and Strongyloides stercoralis infect man while five others: Trichostrongylus probolurus, T. colubriformis, Haemonchus contortus, Cooperia pectinata and Strongyloides papillosus are parasites of ruminants. Ancylostoma caninum and Trichuris suis parasitic in dogs and pigs, respectively, were also recorded. Generally these nematodes fluctuated with changes in ecological factors, especially rainfall and temperature. Whereas most of the human parasitic nematodes were encountered in the shaded areas, the open areas harboured more animal parasites, an indication that most human parasitic nematodes are more susceptible to deleterious environmental conditions. Aspects of zoonotic and public health significance are stressed.


Summary

Ecologists have long studied the effects of disturbance on species diversity. More recently, researchers have become interested in understanding how the various aspects of disturbance interact to influence community diversity. While the effects of temporal autocorrelation have also received some attention, the potential for manipulating disturbance autocorrelation to achieve management goals has not been theoretically explored.
We consider the interactions between temporal autocorrelation of disturbance occurrence and disturbance intensity at varying disturbance frequencies. Using an annual plant model, we show that when intensity and frequency are kept constant, changing the temporal autocorrelation of disturbance occurrence can also affect competitive outcomes. Additionally, we show that when species coexist, the degree of autocorrelation can affect which species reaches higher densities.
We describe several examples (including prescribed burning, grazing and mowing) that outline how manipulation of temporal autocorrelation may be used to achieve conservation and eradication goals at no additional cost.
Synthesis and applications. Our results provide important insights into, and have potential application to, land management and conservation. While changing the intensity and frequency of human-induced disturbances can be costly, adjusting the temporal autocorrelation of disturbance occurrence may be considered a 'no-cost manipulation'. In instances where a land manager lacks the funds or resources to manipulate other aspects of disturbance, such as intensity and frequency, changing the temporal autocorrelation may provide an effective, economical alternative.


Abstract Objective To assess the association between food insecurity and depression symptom severity stratified by sex, and test for evidence of effect modification by social network characteristics. Design A population-based cross-sectional study. The nine-item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale captured food insecurity. Five name generator questions elicited network ties. A sixteen-item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist for Depression captured depression symptom severity. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between food insecurity and depression symptom severity while adjusting for potential confounders and to test for potential network moderators. Setting In-home survey interviews in south-western Uganda. Subjects All adult residents across eight rural villages; 96 % response rate (n 1669). Results Severe food insecurity was associated with greater depression symptom severity (b=0·4, 95 % CI 0·3, 0·5, P<0·001 for women; b=0·3, 95 % CI 0·2, 0·4, P<0·001 for men). There was no evidence of effect modification by social network factors for women. However, for men who are highly embedded within in their village social network, and (separately) for men who have few poor contacts in their personal network, the relationship between severe food insecurity and depression symptoms was stronger than for men on the periphery of their village social network, and for men with many poor personal network contacts, respectively. Conclusions In this population-based study from rural Uganda, food insecurity was associated with mental health for both men and women. Future research is needed on networks and food insecurity-related shame in relation to depression symptoms among food-insecure men.


Introduction Discourse on the rights of women in Africa has been a major focus of contemporary scholarship in Africa. Many scholars of feminist studies have been largely unanimous that aspects of African culture are hostile to women, hence the need for a paradigm shift so that the supposed hitherto marginalised woman will be emancipated, this paper discusses the right of African women in a Yoruba context with emphasis placed on two divides of culture as possible agents of women oppression and therefore, its relevance in promoting rights of women. Hence, this is a way of correcting misconception about culture in relation to the gender question. Culture has been variously defined; it is understood as a way of life of a people. Thus, culture is made up the customs, traditions, beliefs, behaviour, dress, language, works of art and craft, attitude to life among others, which varies from society to society and suggests that cultural values are largely relative. And similarly, E.B. Tylor has acceptingly defined culture as "That complex whole, which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habit acquired by man as a member of society". (Edo 2005:2) The Woman in Yoruba Culture The Yoruba people predominantly belong to the Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Lagos States. Theyequally formparts of Edo, Kwara and Kogi states; (Awolalu and Dopamu1979:3) and some parts ofRepublic of Benin and Togo. The question of their origin is debatableand in the present state of knowledge,not much is categorically known about it. (Idowu 1996:4) However,two different answers are found in oral traditions.The first holds that their founding fathers were immigrants from a northern source variously identified as Egyppt,Meroe,Yemen or Arabia while it is claimed in the second body of traditions that Ile-Ife was the the first habitable place created on earth,from which all earthly creation began.For this reason,Ile-Ife is referred to as the cradle of the Yoruba race. (Akintoye2004:1) In this paper, emphasis is on the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The Yoruba nation like many other African societies is essentially patriarchal; hence men are understood to be more privileged than women. Such a society is described by (Ubrurhe 1999:82) as that which is characterized by male super ordination and female subordination. Men show superiority over their women counterparts, who are usually relegated to the background. Therefore, socially, politically, economically and religiously women are to a very large extent, disadvantaged since decision were taken mostly by women the males. This has consistently manifested in various way as shall be established in this section. According to Adetunji, (2001 :106) the cultural and gender problem, which African women have been facing dates back to their birth as in many homes the birth of a baby girl does not receive the kind of enthusiastic reception that is usually given to that of a baby boy. Thus is somebody is treated with inferiority right from birth, it may be difficult for such a person not to be perpetually caught in the web of such a treatment. Olabode (2009:136) is also affirmative that: Immediately a child is born, the question that will be posed will centre on sex, not minding of health of the mother. If the baby is a female, the mother will be scolded and treated as a lazy, good for nothing woman. On the other hand if the child is a male, praise will be showered on the mother, not considering the fact that Biology has shown that it is the father who determines the sex of an offspring. Oduyoye 's view is that African culture is replete with language that enables the community to diminish the humanity of women.(Oduyoye 2001:3) While Akintunde believes that African culture has been a long tale of discrimination and injustice to women as there has not been equity in the opportunity, dignity and power between men and women. Her reason is that there are various aspects of African culture which restrict them from attaining equal status with men. …


Background: Tobacco-use shows a clear and continual increase with decreasing wealth quintiles. Street vendors are an integral part of the Indian economy, offering potpourri of readily available, inexpensive goods or services in public spaces since time immemorial. Aim: The current study explores tobacco-related knowledge, attitude, and behavior among street food vendors in New Delhi. Materials and Methods: An interview-based questionnaire survey was conducted among food vendors, using prevalidated tool. Apart from demography, 15-item assessed knowledge, attitude, and awareness on tobacco use and control for 2 months. Tobacco usage history was assessed on a 9-item checklist for the users. A total of 147 vendors around a tertiary care public hospital in Central Delhi, who agreed to participate in the study constituted the study sample. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Gender differences for the same were ranked and tested for a significant difference using the Mann–Whitney test. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The majority of the subset of this sample (n = 127) were found to be tobacco users in either forms (smoke, smokeless, or both). Eighty-seven (68.5%) of the vendors reported the initiation of tobacco use between 18–25 years and 61 (48.03%) participants admitted the morning smoke/dip as most difficult to give up. All of them were aware about the harmful systemic effects of tobacco. Around 66% of the study participants were aware of the existing tobacco legislations in relation to minors and public places. Conclusions: In the current study, most of the food vendors, although aware, were found to be tobacco users. This group constitutes as important socially relevant spot that need rigorous monitoring. Further studies need to collect nationwide data and take effective steps in defining these sites as tobacco-free.


Within planning theory a new paradigm has been introduced: discursive planning. In this paper we want to elaborate how this concept can be applied to urban development projects. A discursive perspective on real estate development implies that there is a continuous debate about the content of specific real estate development projects, its meaning, its resources and its connections with urban policies. Especially the way connections are made between abstract urban policy programmes on the one hand and specific urban development projects on the other hand, is the central focus of our paper. We have selected two case studies in the Netherlands in our empirical data set: the case of 'Brainport Eindhoven' in relation to the 'High Tech Campus' and the case of 'Mainport Rotterdam' in relation to the 'Stadshavens project' (waterfront developments at former port areas). This study focused on the connections and disconnections between the development of strategic urban area development projects (so-called micro-narratives) and the cities' and regions' larger social, cultural and spatial development policies (so-called master narratives). In addition to Minzberg, Ahlstrand & Lampel (1998) we will introduce a model for 'emerging strategy'. Urban development projects are a combination of strategy and emerging developments (even coincidence) as chance events that occur within the context of the project. In the first paragraph of our paper we will introduce our research topic and outline. In the second paragraph we will describe theoretically the shift from traditional planning to deliberative and collaborative planning and we will introduce our ideas about an emerging strategy for urban development and real estate projects. In paragraph three we will explain which cases are selected and why. Based on desk research (vision documents, planning reports, notes of meetings, et cetera) and in-depth interviews with key players, we've collected al lot of empirical data which we will present in paragraph four (Brainport case) and five (Mainport case).In paragraph six we will make a comparison between the two in-depth cases studies and we will show how an emerging strategy model can be implied in the practice of urban development. In the final paragraph seven we will present our conclusions in general for theory building as well as some application for development practices in a highly complex and interdependent world of urban development projects.


Alternatives have become an important asset for institutional investors, and more recently also for individual investors. Many alternatives are easily investable nowadays, and the focus of this article is on two of the most widely used, namely, gold and real estate investment trusts (REITs), representing exposure to commodities and real estate. The evidence in this article shows that these alternatives 1) belong to the optimal portfolios of investors under very different optimization criteria, 2) generally increase risk-adjusted returns given three different definitions of risk, and 3) are more effective at reducing risk than they are at enhancing returns.


Conceptual models have been often used in short- or mid- term hydrologic forecasting. In this paper a framework for combining two conceptual climatic and hydrologic models is used in order to generate long-lead Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (ESP) of streamflow to Zayandeh-rud reservoir. In the proposed approach, two models based on a Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) for seasonal rainfall forecasts and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for mapping hydroclimatic variables to streamflow data are used. Illusions such as clustering of rainfall and streamflow data, a proper calibration procedure as well as using a stopped training approach in ANN calibration, improve the accuracy of the forecasts. The results of the proposed approach are assessed by various criteria. Further, the results are compared with an ANN-based streamflow forecast, which uses the observed hydroclimatic data in monthly streamflow forecasting. The results show that using the proposed approach has the advantage of generating proper long-lead point and ensemble forecasts, which could be potentially used to reflect the uncertainty of future available water resources.


Based on the nonlinear theory of von Karman plate, axisymmetric nonlinear vibration of a functionally graded circular plate with clamped boundary condition is investigated under thermal loading. It is assumed that the mechanical and thermal properties of functionally graded materials vary continuously through the thickness of the plate and obey a simple power law related to the volume fraction of the constituents. Motion equations for the problem are derived. Existence of harmonic vibrations is assumed and then Ritz-Kantorovich method is used to convert the dynamic Von Karman equations to a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Finally a shooting method is employed to numerically solve the resulting differential equations. Effects of amplitude A, thermal load parameter λ and material constant n on the vibration behavior of FGM plate are discussed in details.


Three years have now passed since publication of the book Quasars and Pulsars in which a detailed explanation of the existence and properties of the quasars was derived by pure reasoning from the properties of space and time as postulated in what is known as the Reciprocal System of physical theory. In the meantime further observations of these objects have been made, hypotheses and conjectures of all sorts and descriptions have been proposed, tested and discarded, and the astronomers and others concerned have had additional time to assess the significance of the various bits of knowledge that have been accumulated, and to weigh the attempts at explanation of the phenomena more carefully. It would appear, therefore, that it is now in order to take a look at the question as to how well the theory outlined in Quasars and Pulsars has been able to cope with the new information developed during the three year period, and where this theory now stands in comparison with the more conventional views of the subject matter.


Human erythrocyte 'ghosts' were solubilized in 0.5% (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulphate at pH 4.0(I = 0.012 mol/I). At a loading of 1-2 mg of protein/ml of column volume, all of membrane proteins were adsorbed to a column of CPAD [N-(3-carboxypropionyl)-aminodecyl]-Sepharose at pH 4.0 (I = 0-012 mol/1) and room temperature (22 degrees C). Many proteins were subsequently desorbed by raising the pH or by including sodium dodecyl sulphate continuously in the eluting buffer. Experiments with a series of adsorbents homologous with CPAD-Sepharose, in which the length of the hydrocarbon chain was varied, provided strong evidence of hydrophobic interactions, in addition to ionic interactions, in the binding of these proteins to CPAD-Sepharose. Elution with increasing-pH gradients at different concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulphate showed that glycophorin (the major sialoglycoprotein) was eluted in the void volume, at recoveries close to 100%, when the detergent concentration was greater than or equal to 0.3% (w/v). Protein E, the major protein, was desorbed late in the pH gradient even at a high (0.5%, w/v) concentration of the detergent, and was always incompletely desorbed, the maximum recovery recorded being 40%. Spectrin (the high-molecular-weight polypeptide pair) did not behave in a well-defined manner, and was found widely distributed among the effluent fractions under all the conditions that were tested.


: Two-step water splitting thermochemical cycle with CeO 2 foam device was investigated by using a solar simulator composed of 2.5 kW Xe-Arc lamp and mirror reflector. The hydrogen production of CeO 2 foam device depending on reaction temperature of Thermal-Reduction step and Water-Decomposition step was analyzed, and the hydrogen production of CeO 2 and NiFe 2 O 4 /ZrO 2 foam devices was compared. As a result, the amount of reduced CeO 2 considerably varies according to the reaction temperature of Thermal-Reduction step. and hydrogen production was not much when the amount of reduced CeO 2 decreased even if the reaction temperature of Water-Decomposition step was high. Therefore, it is very important to keep the reaction temperature of Thermal-Reduction step high in two-step thermochemical cycle with CeO 2 .


Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the earth's near-surface atmosphere and oceans that has occurred since the mid-20th century and is projected to continue. Climate model projections summarized in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report indicate that the global surface temperature will probably rise a further 1.1~6.4 during the 21st century. Mitigation of global warming can be accomplished through reductions in the rate of anthropogenic greenhouse gas release. The main influence on the surface temperature of the earth is solar radiation. Sustainability is realized by considering harmony between the environment and society. The consumption of energy will be reduced if the temperature of rooms can be controlled without any air conditioning, and heat island effects will be reduced. Assuming that electromagnetic waves with a certain range of frequencies are scattered to shield the radiated heat energy in the insulation, the intensity of scattered light for a set of packed spheres can be calculated using the Mie theory. As a result, the heat shield coating, AdgreencoatEX, and the energy saving glass coat, Glass Coat, were developed based on the reflection and permeability of scattered light in a set of packed spheres. AdgreencoatEx is a high-reflection coating that effectively reflects the near infrared range of solar radiation and suppresses the buildup of heat on roof surfaces. Glass Coat is effective for windows of commercial buildings and private houses. This protective coat is directly applied to a windowpane to shut out heat and ultraviolet rays. Infrared rays are reduced and ultraviolet rays are almost completely shut out to prevent deterioration of objects inside rooms. www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3533 (on-line) WIT Transactions on Engineering Sciences, Vol 68, © 2010 WIT Press Advanced Computational Methods and Experiments in Heat Transfer XI 99 doi:10.2495/HT100091


The Role of Leadership in the Formation of Cross-Sector Social Partnerships: Mobilizing Leadership in Collaborative Social Enterprise Kevin McDermott Advisor: University of Guelph, 2016 Dr. Elizabeth C. Kurucz When faced with complex social and environmental issues, some organizations participate in Cross-Sector Social Partnerships (CSSPs) to attempt to improve the issue through collaboration. Some of these CSSPs are facilitated by formal convening organizations that enable the active participation of stakeholders. This research study contributes to our understanding of the role of leadership in these organizations by exploring the question: what are the intentional leadership activities of convening organizations in the formation of CSSPs? Aligned with the process approach to leadership represented in Relational Leadership Theory, narratives drawn from a variety of CSSP stakeholders are interpreted as social constructions of the intentional leadership activities of convening organizations in the formation of CSSPs. Data was collected from seven CSSP research sites that were in their formation stage and were facilitated by enterprising convening organizations. Data gathering methods included conducting semi-structured interviews, engaging in participant observation and collecting organizational documents. A rigorous process of data interpretation and analysis was undertaken and theoretical coding was informed by insights from Social Movement Theory (SMT). Findings indicate that the intentional leadership activities of convening organizations involve three broad categories: i) identifying political opportunity; ii) creating mobilizing structures and; iii) engaging in framing activities. These activities are conceptualized in terms of a new construct called 'mobilizing leadership' that is associated with the fostering of collective action of stakeholders in the CSSP. Mobilizing leadership involves opportunity recognition and creation, which is linked to the mobilization of stakeholders' tangible and intangible resources without the expectation of monetary reciprocity. The contributions of this research are both theoretical and empirical. Concepts from the SMT literature were used to further develop themes on the leadership of convening organizations inductively identified through empirical analysis. This grounded interpretation of leadership at the formation stages of CSSPs is intended to initiate a scholarly discourse related to 'mobilizing leadership' in the CSSP literature. The research findings also constitute a novel empirical examination of intentional leadership activities in the formation of CSSPs that are facilitated by enterprising convening organizations. Practitioners may benefit from this as it will inform a deeper understanding of the intentional leadership activities they need to engage in to catalyze the formation of CSSPs. These insights may be particularly useful to those practitioners interested in mobilizing the collective action of stakeholders in CSSPs in the context of limited financial resources.


Large models for complex systems can be decomposed in separate pieces corresponding to different perspectives on the system. This decomposition allows the modeller to check properties locally on some aspects of the system before considering the global complexity of the model. In this paper we consider two types of decomposition: according to the concerns identified in the requirements and according to structural and behavioural perspectives. Once the separate models are available and have been checked separately, they have to be composed to check global properties. In this work, we propose automatic composition operators for symmetric and asymmetric concern models, each concern being modelled from a structural and behavioural point of view.


This paper discusses a simulation obtained with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory ''SKYHI'' troposphere‐stratosphere‐mesosphere general circulation model run at very high horizontal resolution (;60-km grid spacing) and without any parameterization of subgrid-scale gravity wave drag. The results are for a period around the austral winter solstice, and the emphasis is on the simulated Southern Hemisphere (SH) winter circulation. Comparisons are made with results obtained from lower horizontal resolution versions of the same model. The focus in this paper is on two particularly striking features of the high-resolution simulation: the extratropical surface winds and the winter polar middle atmospheric vortex. In the extratropical SH, the simulated surface westerlies and meridional surface pressure gradients in the high-resolution model are considerably stronger than observed and are stronger than those simulated at lower horizontal resolution. In the middle atmosphere, the high-resolution model produces a simulation of the zonal mean winter polar vortex that is considerably improved over that found with lower resolution models (although it is still significantly affected by the usual cold pole bias). Neither the improvement of the middle atmospheric polar vortex simulation nor the deterioration of the simulation of surface winds with increased model resolution shows a clear convergence, even at the ;60-km grid spacing employed here.


Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is an opportunistic pathogen with a high mortality and morbidity rate. It has many mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics, which makes it hard to treat. Pyocin is a protein that is produced by P.aeruginosa that kills related strain bacteria. pyocin type S bind to ferrisiderophore receptors that uses the TonB system to translocate into the bacterial cell. The aim of this study was to express and purify receptor and translocation (R+T) domains of pyocin S1, S2 and S3 plus the TonB1 receptor and ToLAIII receptor of P.aeruginosa to determine if pyocins S uses these to transverse the inner membrane of target cells. IPTG was used to induce the protein in the expression and analyzed by SDS-PAGE gel, giving fragment size of 11 kDa (ToLAIII), 23 kDa (TonB1), 45 kDa (S2 R+T) and 79 kDa (S3 R+T). Protein purification was cried on the four proteins using affinity chromatography technique by His-tag in C-terminal of S2 and S3 R+T domain, N-terminal of TonB1 and ToLAIII proteins. In addition, Gel Filtration chromatography was used to further purify the proteins so that the interaction between them could be tested. This study confirmed that the proteins used is expressed and purified, so in the future study the gel filtration would be carried out for R+T domains of the other S pyocins and TonB1 protein so that the interaction would be tested between the proteins in the study.


Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) are known to enhance recovery from ischemic insults by secreting angiogenic factors and inducing the expression of angiogenic factors from host tissues. Therefore, the transplantation of BMMCs is considered a potential approach to promoting the repair of ischemic damaged organs. Here, we investigated the influence of BMMCs on progressive hair cell degeneration after transient cochlear ischemia in gerbils. Transient cochlear ischemia was produced by extracranial occlusion of the bilateral vertebral arteries immediately before their entry into the transverse foramen of the cervical vertebra. An intravenous injection of BMMCs prevented ischemia-induced hair cell degeneration and ameliorated hearing impairment. A tracking study showed that BMMCs injected into the femoral vein were limited in the spiral artery of the cochlea, suggesting that, although transplanted BMMCs were retained within the spiral ganglion area of the cochlea, they were neither transdifferentiated into cochlear cells nor fused with the injured hair cells and supporting cells in the organ of Corti to restore their functions. We also showed that the protein level of neurotrophin-3 and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in the organ of Corti was upregulated after treatment with BMMCs. These results suggested that BMMCs have therapeutic potential possibly through paracrine effects. Thus, we propose the use of BMMCs as a potential new therapeutic strategy for hearing loss.


The structure of the experimental set-up for electromagnetic ring expansion and its electric properties are presented in the paper. While earlier expanding ring apparatuses were usually equipped with shaped-charge, thyratron or ignitron switches, we propose to use the impulse high-voltage thyritor as a switch to discharge capacitor bank. Furthermore, the preliminary results of the copper ring fragmentation properties are presented for different initial charge of capacitor bank (0,5 ÷ 2 kV). On the basis of our calculated and preliminary experimental data of the ring motion for expansion at 2 kV, we estimated the radial ring velocity, which was close to 250 m/s.


Background: Breast cancer cell intravasation and dissemination occurs specifically at microanatomical structures that we call tumor-microenvironment of metastasis (TMEM), representing direct physical contact between a tumor cell expressing the actin-regulatory protein Mammalian-enabled (Mena), a perivascular Tie2 hi /Vegf hi -expressing macrophage, and an endothelial cell (Harney et al. Cancer Discovery 2015). TMEM sites have been identified in mouse and human mammary carcinomas, and both TMEM density (Rohan et al. JNCI 2014) and invasive Mena isoform expression (Agarwal et al. Breast Cancer Res, 2012; Forse et al. BMC Cancer, 2015]) correlates with metastasis in early stage breast cancer. Since cytotoxic agents such as PTX induce influx of bone marrow-derived progenitors that differentiate into Tie2 hi /VEGF hi macrophages in the primary tumor, we hypothesized that PTX may potentiate tumor cell invasion and metastasis by inducing the formation of TMEM sites and/or function. Methods and Results in humans: We analyzed the effect of chemotherapy on TMEM and invasive Mena isoforms in 10 patients with localized breast cancer who had residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC: weekly paclitaxel followed by dose-dense doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide [AC]), of whom 7 had more than 2-fold increase in TMEM density in residual disease compared with pretreatment. In a separate cohort of 5 patients, NAC produced an acute increase of up to 150-fold in invasive Mena isoforms after 1-2 doses of NAC. Methods and Results in mice: After our preliminary data in humans, we evaluated effects of PTX in 4 different models, including 2 mouse models (PyMT-spontaneous & transplantation) and 2 patient-derived xenograft (PDX) triple negative models (HT17, HT33). Although PTX delayed primary tumor growth, tumors in PTX-treated mice had significantly more TMEM sites, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and metastatic foci when compared to vehicle-treated animals. Using intravital imaging of MMTV-PyMT-Dendra2/Cfms-CFP mice, PTX induced influx of macrophages into primary tumors and intravasation of cancer cells at TMEM sites. Furthermore, PTX treatment significantly increased expression of Mena at the gene and protein levels, including invasive Mena isoforms. Deletion of the Mena gene completely abolished dissemination and metastasis in all cases, including those treated with PTX. Conclusions: We show in mammary carcinoma mouse models and PDX models that although PTX delays tumor growth, it induces invasive Mena isoform expression and significantly increases the density of TMEM sites that are responsible for cancer cell intravasation, dissemination and metastasis. Thus, our data indicate that PTX paradoxically induces dissemination of breast cancer cells by promoting invasive Mena isoforms and TMEM-mediated cancer cell intravasation, suggesting that blockade of TMEM assembly and/or function could enhance the effectiveness of PTX and possibly other cytotoxic agents commonly used to treat early and advanced stage breast cancer. Citation Format: Karagiannis GS, Pastoriza JM, Wang Y, Harney AS, Entenberg D, Pignatelli J, Jones JG, Anampa J, Sparano JA, Rohan TE, Condeelis JS, Oktay MH. Paclitaxel induced mena- and TMEM-mediated pro-metastatic changes in the breast cancer microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD5-02.


Patients' styles of adaptation to the institutional demands posed by psychiatric hospitalization were conceptualized and assessed in terms of patients' reputations held by the staff. Day nurses', evening nurses' and doctors' ratings of 133 shortterm patients were each factored. Three reputations consistently emerged among all staff groups: Critical Manipulators, Involved Helpers, and Model Patients. A factor analysis of day nurses' ratings of 50 long-term patients produced three similar reputations. The Critical Manipulator reputation was particularly replicable. Although role orientation and setting differences among the staff did not appreciably effect the conceptual generality of the reputations, they did exert a substantial effect on staff consensus in ascribing reputations to individual patients. The latter is consistent with a growing body of data concerning the importance of both person and situation variables to the prediction of behavior.


Phytoplankton composition and the range of seasonal patterns of abundance are presented for the tidal freshwater regions in two Virginia rivers based on data accumulated monthly from 1986 through 1999. Diatoms dominated the flora during sprir).g, summer, and fall, whereas, other taxonomic categories were more representative when the river flow rates decreased, allowing for a more stable water system and increased residency time within this tidal region during summer and early fall. This summer/fall period was associated with increased water temperatures, higher productivity rates and chlorophyll levels, increased total phytoplankton abundance and species diversity. The major components of the summer flora were autotrophic picoplankton, chlorophytes, and cyanobacteria. Mean, maximum, and minimum monthly abundance figures are given for the different phytoplankton categories, and total phytoplankton biomass and abundance, over this 13-year period. Although one station showed considerable influx of oligohaline water into its tidal freshwater region during sampling, no significant relationships were associated with phytoplankton biomass or productivity to these changing salinities.


SUMMARY: Carbohydrate mutants were isolated from Rhizobium meliloti L5-30 using the translocatable drug-resistance element Tn5. Enzyme assays with cell-free extracts of four mutants showed that they lacked mannitol dehydrogenase, ribose kinase, xylose isomerase and fructose kinase, respectively. An l-arabinose mutant was also isolated. Uptake studies showed that the ribose, xylose and fructose mutants still utilized the sugars on which they were unable to grow, possibly indicating that R. meliloti possesses alternative metabolic routes which do not result in growth. All the mutants were able to nodulate alfalfa plants, but the fructose kinase mutant was unable to fix nitrogen and the l-arabinose mutant showed either late or no nitrogen-fixing ability.


Tubal sterilization is a highly effective, permanent, and safe method of contraception. Many women who desire postpartum sterilization do not obtain the procedure due to barriers. We performed a retrospective cohort study examining patients from a single obstetrics practice who delivered between 1/1/07 and 6/30/07 at Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, RI. During the study period, 626 women in the practice delivered. Of these subjects, 87 (14%) desired postpartum sterilization. Of these 87, 45 (51.7%) underwent sterilization as planned. In multivariable analysis controlling for age, BMI, delivery mode and marital status, older age (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.12, 4.12, p=0.02) and cesarean delivery (OR 19.65, 95% CI 3.75, 103.1, p < 0.001) were associated with completion of postpartum sterilization and being married (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.02, 0.56, p=0.009) and having a higher BMI (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39, 0.91, p=0.02) were associated with incompletion. Only half of women who request postpartum sterilization antenatally end up obtaining the procedure.


Next generation wireless systems will be required to support heterogeneous services with different transmission rates that include real time multimedia transmissions, as well as non-real time data transmissions. In order to provide such flexible transmission rates, efficient use of system resources in next generation systems will require control of both data transmission rate and power for mobile terminals. In this paper we formulate the problem of joint transmission rate and power control for the uplink of a single cell CDMA system as a non-cooperative game. We assume that the utility function depends on both transmission rates and powers and show the existence of Nash equilibrium in the non-cooperative joint transmission rate and power control game (NRPG). We include numerical results obtained from simulations that compare the proposed algorithm with a similar one which is also based on game theory and it also updates the transmission rates and powers simultaneously in a single step.


We consider the EBT algorithm (a particle method) for the non-local equation with a discontinuous interaction kernel. The main difficulty lies in the low regularity of the kernel which is not Lipschitz continuous, thus preventing the application of standard arguments. Therefore, we use the radial symmetry of the problem instead and transform it using spherical coordinates. The resulting equation has a Lipschitz kernel with only one singularity at zero. We introduce a new weighted flat norm and prove that the particle method converges in this norm. We also comment on the two-dimensional case which requires the application of the theory of measure spaces on general metric spaces and present numerical simulations confirming the theoretical results. In a companion paper, we apply the Bayesian method to fit parameters to this model and study its theoretical properties.


This paper contributes to solve effectively stochastic resource allocation problems known to be NP-complete. To address this complex resource management problem, the merging of two approaches is made: The Q-decomposition model, which coordinates reward separated agents through an arbitrator, and the Labeled Real-Time Dynamic Programming (LRTDP) approaches are adapted in an effective way. The Q-decomposition permits to reduce the set of states to consider, while LRTDP concentrates the planning on significant states only. As demonstrated by the experiments, combining these two distinct approaches permits to further reduce the planning time to obtain the optimal solution of a resource allocation problem.


Objectives:To develop and evaluate a fast, objective and standardized method for image processing of dynamic contrast enhanced MRI of the prostate based on principal component analysis (PCA). Materials and Methods:The study was approved by the institutional internal review board; signed informed consent was obtained. MRI of the prostate at 3 Tesla was performed in 21 patients with biopsy proven cancers before radical prostatectomy. Seven 3-dimensional gradient echo datesets, 2 pre and 5 post-gadopentetate dimeglumine injection (0.1 mmol/kg), were acquired within 10.5 minutes at high spatial resolution. PCA of dynamic intensity-scaled (IS) and enhancement-scaled (ES) datasets and analysis by the 3-time points (3TP) method were applied using the latter method for adjusting the PCA eigenvectors. Results:PCA of 7 IS datasets and 6 ES datasets yielded their corresponding eigenvectors and eigenvalues. The first IS-eigenvector captured the major part of the signal variance because of a signal change between the precontrast and the first postcontrast arising from the inhomogeneous surface coil reception profile. The next 2 IS-eigenvectors and the 2 dominant ES-eigenvectors captured signal changes because of tissue contrast-enhancement, whereas the remaining eigenvectors captured noise changes. These eigenvectors were adjusted by rotation to reach congruence with the wash-in and wash-out kinetic parameters defined according to the 3TP method. The IS and ES-eigenvectors and rotation angles were highly reproducible across patients enabling the calculation of a general rotated eigenvector base that served to rapidly and objectively calculate diagnostically relevant projection coefficient maps for new cases. We found for the a priori selected prostate cancer patients that the projection coefficients of the IS-2nd eigenvector provided a higher accuracy for detecting biopsy proven cancers (94% sensitivity, 67% specificity, 80% ppv, and 89% npv) than the projection coefficients of the ES-2nd rotated and non rotated eigenvectors. Conclusions:PCA adjusted to correlate with physiological parameters selects a dominant eigenvector, free of the inhomogeneous radio-frequency field reception-profile and noise-components. Projection coefficient maps of this eigenvector provide a fast, objective, and standardized means for visualizing prostate cancer.


In our previous publication a model for series wound direct current (SWDC) motors was described and a simulation program was presented which is based on the above model and was developed in MATLAB environment. In the publication mentioned above, the measurement process of the parameters (bearing resistance torque, electric resistances, dynamic inductances) of the SWDC motor was also described. From the parameters the program calculates the current intensity, rpm and torque of the motor as a function of time. The recent publication is about the realization of the above program applying the Control Design and Simulation Module of NI LabVIEW. This module enables the adjustment of input parameters (e.g. supply voltage) during the running of the program, thus the realization of real time driving simulation. In addition, among others, it can be applied with data acquisition, GPIB, CAN, and FPGA (field-programmable gate array) hardware platforms of National Instruments.


An efficient location-based query algorithm of protecting the privacy of the user in the distributed networks is given. This algorithm utilizes the location indexes of the users and multiple parallel threads to search and select quickly all the candidate anonymous sets with more users and their location information with more uniform distribution to accelerate the execution of the temporal-spatial anonymous operations, and it allows the users to configure their custom-made privacy-preserving location query requests. The simulated experiment results show that the proposed algorithm can offer simultaneously the location query services for more users and improve the performance of the anonymous server and satisfy the anonymous location requests of the users.


Most software for multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) implement a small set of compatible methods as a closed monolithic program. With such software tools, the decision models have to be input by hand. In some applications, however, the model can be generated using external information sources, and thus it would be beneficial if the MCDA software could integrate in the comprehensive information infrastructure. This article motivates for the need of model generation in the methodological context of stochastic multicriteria acceptability analysis (SMAA), and describes the JSMAA software that implements SMAA-2, SMAA-O and SMAA-TRI methods. JSMAA is an open source and divided in separate graphical user interface and library components, enabling its use in systems with a model generation subsystem.


We perform an empirical study of the preferential attachment phenomenon in temporal networks and show that on the Web, networks follow a nonlinear preferential attachment model in which the exponent depends on the type of network considered. The classical preferential attachment model for networks by Barabási and Albert (1999) assumes a linear relationship between the number of neighbors of a node in a network and the probability of attachment. Although this assumption is widely made in Web Science and related fields, the underlying linearity is rarely measured. To fill this gap, this paper performs an empirical longitudinal (time-based) study on forty-seven diverse Web network datasets from seven network categories and including directed, undirected and bipartite networks. We show that contrary to the usual assumption, preferential attachment is nonlinear in the networks under consideration. Furthermore, we observe that the deviation from linearity is dependent on the type of network, giving sublinear attachment in certain types of networks, and superlinear attachment in others. Thus, we introduce the preferential attachment exponent β as a novel numerical network measure that can be used to discriminate different types of networks. We propose explanations for the behavior of that network measure, based on the mechanisms that underly the growth of the network in question.


Pangola grass pastures on sloping lands in the humid mountain region of Puerto Rico responded in terms of beef production and carrying capacity, as well as economically, to applications of up to 2,400 pounds of 14-4-10 fertilizer per acre yearly, but there was no further significant increase due to heavier fertilization over 2 years of experimentation. At the 2,400-pound rate of fertilization, Pangola grass pastures carried the equivalent of two 600-pound steers per acre and produced an average of 871 pounds of gain in weight per acre yearly with average daily gains per head of 1.2 pounds.


ABSTRACT Background: Research is urgently needed to understand health care workers' (HCWs') experiences of moral-ethical dilemmas encountered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and their associations with organizational perceptions and personal well-being. This research is important to prevent long-term moral and psychological distress and to ensure that workers can optimally provide health services. Objective: Evaluate associations between workplace experiences during COVID-19, moral distress, and the psychological well-being of Canadian HCWs. Method: A total of 1362 French- and English-speaking Canadian HCWs employed during the COVID-19 pandemic were recruited to participate in an online survey. Participants completed measures reflecting moral distress, perceptions of organizational response to the pandemic, burnout, and symptoms of psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results: Structural equation modelling showed that when organizational predictors were considered together, resource adequacy, positive work life impact, and ethical work environment negatively predicted severity of moral distress, whereas COVID-19 risk perception positively predicted severity of moral distress. Moral distress also significantly and positively predicted symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and burnout. Conclusions: Our findings highlight an urgent need for HCW organizations to implement strategies designed to prevent long-term moral and psychological distress within the workplace. Ensuring availability of adequate resources, reducing HCW risk of contracting COVID-19, providing organizational support regarding individual priorities, and upholding ethical considerations are crucial to reducing severity of moral distress in HCWs. HIGHLIGHTS We sought to evaluate associations between workplace experiences during COVID-19, moral distress, and the well-being of Canadian health care workers. Organizational variables predicted severity of moral distress. Moral distress predicted symptoms of mental health conditions.


Analytical relationships between the dynamic properties of a deposit-forming turbidity current propagating across a sea floor with small slope and the geometry of the resulting deposit have been confirmed experimentally for a wide range of particle sizes, initial concentrations, and volumes of the driving suspension. These simple expressions provide a basis for inferring the dynamics of natural flows from their deposits. We surmise that the turbidity current responsible for depositing the Black Shell turbidite in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean had an initial sediment concentration on the order of 100 g of silt per litre and a volume on the order of 1000 km 3 .


Despite the fact that green buildings have become an important architectural trend in the 21st century, they still constitute a tiny subset of existing buildings in developing countries. Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of the total world annual energy consumption. Most of this energy is for the provision of lighting and air conditioning. Developing countries are still facing unprecedented environmental and financial challenges in their pursuit of achieving rapid urban growth. The combined effect of the business model of "growing at any cost" adopted by these countries has resulted in the deterioration of their environment, manifested in the forms of depleting eco-systems and increasing climate vulnerability. There is growing realization of the urgency to move away from the current situation towards green buildings. This research argues that green buildings have much to learn from the buildings of the past. The research methodology of this paper adopts an analytic approach to environmental solutions in traditional architecture. The key emphasis on the design of greens building lies in energy-saving and nature conservation. The findings of this research reveal that the traditional architecture approach can be used as the main base for green buildings in developing countries. Furthermore, a reconsideration of a traditional architecture approach can provide crucial solutions towards achieving green buildings in developing countries.


In normal pregnancy, uterine artery resistance index (UARI) decreases as pregnancy progresses to accommodate the increased blood supply to the growing fetus. In preeclampsia, increased UARI impedes the utero-placental blood flow. Recent studies in our lab indicate that the Dahl salt sensitive (S) rat spontaneously develops a preeclamptic phenotype, characterized by increased blood pressure and proteinuria as pregnancy progresses and a decrease in litter and pup size. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the phenotype in the Dahl S rat is due to decreased placental blood flow, causing the placenta to become hypoxic, resulting in increased production of TNF-α. Female Dahl S and Sprague Dawley rats were mated with males of their same strain, and pregnancy was confirmed by presence of sperm (D1). UARI was measured during mid and late pregnancy (D14 and 18, respectively) via Doppler ultrasound in anesthetized animals (n= 4-12). Rats were sacrificed on D20, and placentas were harvested for further analysis. TNF-α and HIF-1α were measured in homogenized placentas via commercially available ELISA (n= 5) and Western Blot analysis (n= 9-11), respectively. UARI decreased in the Sprague Dawley rat between D14-18, but increased in the Dahl S rat (Table). HIF-1α was significantly increased in the Dahl S placenta vs Sprague Dawley (Table), and TNF-α also showed a tendency to increase in the Dahl S placenta (p=0.08). These data suggest that the relative decrease in blood flow to the placenta during pregnancy in the Dahl S rat causes a hypoxic environment, leading to the release of vasoactive factors that contribute to the development of the preeclamptic phenotype observed in this strain.


The process of the transfer of the Ti-plasmid vector pGV3850 with the plasmid pBR322 inserted into the T-DNA region from Agrobacterium tumefaciens to a non-plasmid strain of Escherichia coli was studied. The transferred Ti-plasmid was found to be exposed to deletions and formed a wide range of derivatives with a size ranging from 3-4 kb to 50 kb, maintained in E. coli due to ColE1-replicon. The Ti-plasmid is also inserted into the chromosome of the recipient bacterium with at least a 100-fold lower frequency than the formation of deletional derivatives. It was shown that the induction of vir genes controlling the transfer of T-DNA into plants has no appreciable effect on the efficiency of obtaining transconjugates in mating with E. coli. The deletion of the genetic material of megaplasmids with the inserted functional site OriV ColE1, as a result of the conjugative transfer from cells of different bacteria to the cells of E. coli, was proposed for molecular cloning.


The electrophysiological effects of L 9394 (benzoyl-indolizine), a substance chemically related to amiodarone, but devoid of iodine atoms, were investigated by programmed electrical stimulation of the heart in 12 patients with various forms of tachycardia. Four subjects had electrocardiographic evidence of the WPW syndrome and episodes of circus movement tachycardia. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, confined to the atrioventricular (AV) node, was found in 3 patients. In 2 cases, where a short PR interval was present, the main complaint was the occurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. In the remaining 3 instances, the arrhythmia consisted of slow ventricular tachycardia (1 case), supraventricular tachycardia of the focal type (1 case), and episodes of primary ventricular fibrillation, not related to acute myocardial ischaemia (1 case). L 9394 injected intravenously was seen to lengthen the transnodal conduction time as well as the effective and functional refractory periods of the node. Similar effects were found on the retrograde VA pathway. The drug had no action on the infra-Hisian conduction system, on the refractory periods of ventricular muscle, or on the refractory periods of accessory bypasses. The drug was injected during an episode of tachycardia in 6 cases with reproducible supraventricular re-entrant tachycardia. Three had a tachycardia circuit confined to the node. In those instances, the drug had beneficial effects (slowing and interruption of tachycardia, decrease or abolition of echo zone; loss of ability to induce tachycardia). In the other 3 cases, an accessory pathway was incorporated in the circuit. L 9394 interrupted the tachycardia in 2 instances (by anterograde AV block), but failed to protect all 3 patients against reinitiation of tachycardia by premature stimuli. It is concluded that L9394 does not share all the pharmacological properties of amiodarone and will not replace it in all its indications.


Background: This
retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine
plus carboplatin (GC regimen) and paclitaxel plus carboplatin (PC regimen)
combination chemotherapy administered as an adjuvant therapy after complete
resection of non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: Forty-four
patients (GC regimen, n = 29; PC regimen, n = 15) received gemcitabine at a
dose of 1000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, and carboplatin with the target
dose of area under the curve (AUC) of 4 on day 8 every 28 days and paclitaxel
at a dose of 70 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15, and carboplatin with the target
dose of AUC of 5 on day 1 every 28 days. Results: A
total of 130 cycles of the treatment were administered (averaged, 3.1 in GC arm and 2.7 cycles in PC arm).
Forty-three patients (97.7%) completed the scheduled cycles. One patient (2.3%)
was discontinued due to grade 4 pneumonia. The dose was reduced in 2 patients (4.5%) due
to grade 4 thrombocytopenia. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was significantly observed in the PC group (GC: 12/29, 41.4%; PC: 11/15,
73.3%, p = 0.0443). The
nonhematological toxicities were mild. Grade 1/2 alanine
aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in the GC group was significantly observed
higher compared to those of the PC group (GC: 20/29,
69.0%; PC: 4/15, 26.7%, p = 0.0076). Grade 1/2 alopecia was significantly observed
in the PC group (GC:
0/25, 0.0%; PC: 13/15, 86.7%, p 0.0001). There was no treatment-related death.
The median survival time (MST) of the entire GC group was 784 days, the 3-year overall survival (OS) was
75.9%, and 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 65.5%. The MST of the
entire PC group was 963 days, the 3-year OS was 80.0%, and the 3-year RFS was 60.0%. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the GC and PC combination chemotherapies
are efficacious and feasible regimens, which should be considered as one of the
standard therapies for adjuvant therapy.


We previously identified associations with ovarian cancer outcome at five genetic loci. To identify putatively causal genetic variants and target genes, we prioritized two ovarian outcome loci (1q22 and 19p12) for further study. Bioinformatic and functional genetic analyses indicated that MEF2D and ZNF100 are targets of candidate outcome variants at 1q22 and 19p12, respectively. At 19p12, the chromatin interaction of a putative regulatory element with the ZNF100 promoter region correlated with candidate outcome variants. At 1q22, putative regulatory elements enhanced MEF2D promoter activity and haplotypes containing candidate outcome variants modulated these effects. In a public dataset, MEF2D and ZNF100 expression were both associated with ovarian cancer progression-free or overall survival time. In an extended set of 6,162 epithelial ovarian cancer patients, we found that functional candidates at the 1q22 and 19p12 loci, as well as other regional variants, were nominally associated with patient outcome; however, no associations reached our threshold for statistical significance (p<1×10-5). Larger patient numbers will be needed to convincingly identify any true associations at these loci.