BACKGROUND
There is increasing interest in the incorporation of nonbiomedical outcomes into cancer research.

OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to review the use of nonbiomedical outcomes in research on breast cancer care.

DATA SOURCES
We conducted a MEDLINE search of all studies on breast cancer quality of life, preferences, satisfaction, and economics that were published during the period from January 1, 1990, through December 31, 2000. We also searched bibliographies of published articles.

STUDY SELECTION
We included original primary research and excluded reviews, methods papers, studies conducted outside the United States and Western Europe, or studies with fewer than 100 subjects.

DATA ABSTRACTION
Data were abstracted by using a structured tool.

DATA SYNTHESIS
There were 1089 articles identified; 230 were included. The greatest proportion of research focused on survivorship followed by screening. The most frequently reported outcomes were health-related quality of life (54%) followed by economic analyses (38%) and patient satisfaction (14%); only 9% measured patient preferences. Few studies included more than 10% nonwhite populations or focused on the elderly. No single instrument was used in more than 10% of the studies, and many authors developed de novo tools for use in their study. Methodologic flaws were prevalent and included use of nonstandard economic methods, insufficient power, low or differential response rates, and lack of control for baseline status.

CONCLUSION
At present, outcomes measurement is variable in its approach and application to breast cancer care. More research is needed to develop practical approaches that are reliable, valid, and feasible in routine practice, that are applicable to diverse populations, and that can inform interventions to improve the quality of care across the full spectrum of services.


Employment Relations: theory and practice is an ambitious book that provides a balanced view of employment relations in Australia. The authors, Bray, Waring and Cooper, are scholars in the field of Industrial Relations in Australia. Mark Bray is a Professor in Employment Studies at the University of Newcastle, Peter Waring is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle's Singapore Campus and Rae Cooper is a Senior Lecturer in Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney. The book appears to be written to provide a historical perspective of the employment relationship in Australia, introduce key concepts, explain the legal framework of employment relations and to muse about the future of employment relationship in Australia.


This analysis of previous research and data is designed to explore the idea of teacher retention issues that are a major area of concern within the K-12 educational system. This paper will offer a new direction to studying the issue of teacher retention by exploring whether the resiliency in teachers is a part of the nature versus nurture argument. The findings suggest that teacher resiliency is a personal, internally developed characteristic that fosters an optimistic view of teaching and learning that results in a teacher "sticking with it" regardless of the challenges faced each academic year. It is anticipated that this paper will impart new knowledge to the reader and initiate subsequent research that will aim at identifying the specific personality trait that one may need to exhibit perseverance in the field of K-12 education.


Tumor microenvironment is a complex ecosystem composed of tumor extracellular matrix, fibroblasts, blood vessels, and immune cells, promoting tumor development by secreting various growth factors, hydrolase, and inflammatory factors. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute the largest number of immune cells in the TME, and they have a "double-edged sword" effect on tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression. Under the regulation of different cytokines in the TME, the bidirectional TAMs can switch their phenotypes between tumoricidal M1-like and pro-tumorigenic M2-like macrophages. TAM polarization suggests that scientists can use this property to design drugs targeting this regulation as a promising immunotherapy strategy to enhance tumor therapy efficiency. In this review, we summarize a brief introduction of TAMs and their implications for tumorigenesis. Next, we review recent advances in designing various functionalized nanomedicines and their applications in nanomedicine-based cancer therapies that target TAMs by killing them, inhibiting macrophage recruitment, and repolarizing them from pro-tumorigenic M2-like to tumoricidal M1-like macrophages. Simultaneously, the regulation of nanomedicines on the signaling pathways accounting for these effects is also summarized. This review will not only provide background scientific information for the understanding of TAMs and their roles in cancer treatment but also help scientists design nanomedicines based on tumor TAMs, which can help achieve better clinical treatment outcomes for tumors.


ABSTRACT A set of procedures called referential mapping has been used to assign meaning to spontaneous vocalizations of an African Grey parrot. These spontaneous vocalizations were combinations and phonological variations of specific vocal English labels that the bird had previously acquired in a study on interspecies communication. These recombinations were not necessarily intentionally used to describe or request novel objects or circumstances, even though our earlier data demonstrated that the bird could use vocalizations referentially and intentionally to identify, request, refuse, and categorize various objects. The procedures for dealing with this bird's spontaneous modifications neither attempted to nor needed to evaluate the intentionality of his behavior. Rather, the procedures instructed his trainers to respond to the novel speech acts as though he were intentionally commenting about or requesting objects, actions, or information. The success of such procedures in attaching functional significance to his spontaneous vocalizations and in encouraging subsequent innovation suggests that the technique might be applicable to intervention programs for humans with specific communicative deficits.


An algorithm is presented for the reconstruction of PET images using prior anatomical information derived from MR images of the same subject. The cross-entropy or Kullback-Leiber distance is a measure of dissimilarity between two images. We propose to reconstruct PET images by minimizing a weighted sum of two cross-entropy terms. The first is the cross-entropy between the measured emission data and the forward projection of the current estimate of the PET image. Minimizing this term alone is equivalent to the ML-EM reconstruction. The second term is the cross-entropy between the current estimate of the PET image and a prior image model which incorporates anatomical information derived from registered MR images. A weighting parameter determines the relative emphasis given to the emission data and the prior model in the reconstruction. Details of this algorithm are presented as well as test reconstructions for real and simulated data. The performance of the algorithm was evaluated with respect to errors in prior anatomical information. The algorithm provided significant improvement in the quality of reconstructed images as compared with the ML-EM reconstruction technique. The reconstructed images had higher resolution as compared with the images obtained from MAP-like reconstructions which do not utilize anatomical information. The algorithm displayed robustness with respect to errors in prior anatomical information.


"Starting from the gas kinetic model, a new class of schemes for hyperbolic systems of conservation laws is presented. The flow solvers are based on the Boltzmann equations. The numerical discretization is based on the upwind cell vertex fluctuation-splitting model. The method is truly multidimensional in the sense that the splitting is independent of a particular normal direction; the geometry of the mesh does not influence the upwinding. Numerical results for inviscid flow test cases are presented to indicate the robustness and accuracy of the schemes. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd."


Infection after shoulder arthroplasty remains one of the most common postoperative complications. Treatment options range from debridement, appropriate antibiotic regimen, and retaining the implant to resection arthroplasty in the elderly medically challenged patient. We review the diagnostic challenges and treatment options for periprosthetic infections involving the shoulder. It appears that early detection, isolation of the infecting organism, and aggressive debridement with appropriate antibiotic treatment is the most important component of a successful treatment program designed to eradicate the infection. This early treatment which in most cases is combined with a two-stage approach (with an interim antibiotic spacer) provides the best opportunity to obtain a reasonably painless and functional shoulder arthroplasty.


Congenital bilateral microphthalmos is a rare malformation of the eye, which ranges from extreme to mild reduction of total axial length. Microphthalmos may occur as an isolated ocular abnormality or as part of a systemic disorder, and different classifications of the condition have been attempted. We describe a large pedigree with 14 persons in four generations affected with bilateral microphthalmos without other ocular or systemic signs. An autosomal dominant trait with complete penetrance is proposed. Five subjects underwent a complete ophthalmological evaluation. The total axial length was measured by A scan ultrasonography in all persons. Ultrasonography showed a reduction of the total axial length (range 18.4-19.7 mm) and a reduced vitreous cavity length (range 11.4-13.5 mm) in all investigated patients. All the patients had microcornea (range 8-9.7 mm). No other ocular anomalies or associated systemic malformations were found. A review of published reports also suggests that simple, partial, posterior, pure microphthalmos and nanophthalmos are similar clinical entities sharing total axial length and vitreous cavity length reduction. Therefore, the term simple microphthalmos is proposed to identify these clinical conditions.


The extension of the progressive form to stative verbs is a widely discussed feature of Outer Circle varieties of English. This paper examines the semantics of the stative progressive in three corpora, representing spoken and written Indian (IndE), Kenyan (KenE) and Black South African English (BSAfE). The results reveal that the progressive form is used more frequently in spoken than written data, and most frequently in BSAfE, followed by KenE, and then IndE. All three Outer Circle varieties use the progressive form proportionally more often with stative verbs than British English. The main use of the progressive form is to convey a sense of extended duration. This Outer Circle prototype is termed an on-going state, and clearly differs from the sense of a temporary state, which is prototypical for Inner Circle varieties. There are nevertheless a substantial minority of limited duration (temporary state) uses, especially in the written data, but at the same time, a number of examples where the progressive conveys the sense of states with unlimited duration, especially in BSAfE and the spoken data. The main conclusion is that the progressive is not simply extended to stative verbs, as is argued by many previous researchers, but rather that of a different prototype, of extended duration, sanctions a wider range of uses of the progressive form with dynamic verbs and stative verbs alike.


Polycrystalline sulfides are promising thermoelectric materials because of their abundance, non-toxicity, and low cost. However, their low thermoelectric performance hampers their possible large-scale industrial application. In this work, Cu self-doping in Cu2+xZn1−xSnS4, prepared using a simple processing route, realizes the decoupling of thermal and electric transport as follows. The additional copper ions occupy Zn sites and provide more carriers, which leads to excellent hole conductivity. Moreover, when x is above 0.125, the content of Cn/Zn disordered sites is beyond the percolation threshold (∼0.3) of thermal diffusivity. A maximum power factor (450 μW m−1 K−2) is obtained for Cu2.125Zn0.875SnS4. Combined with ultra-low specific heat below the theory predicted minimum for structural disordering on the copper and zinc sites, the κ of the material reduces to 0.22 W m−1 K−1 at 773 K, which is minimum in thermoelectric materials up to now. Moreover, hot forging (deformation strain ∼64% and maximum of displacement rate ∼18 mm min−1), a dynamic plastic deformation process, was employed to produce defects on different length scales (point defects, dislocations, stacking faults and deformation twins), that optimize the power factor and lattice thermal conductivity. Based on the above synergistic effects, a high ZT value of 1.1 has been achieved in Cu2.125Zn0.875SnS4 ceramics, and there is 18-fold increase in ZT value compared with that of conventionally processed intrinsic Cu2ZnSnS4.


Surgical correction of spinal deformity has shown good results in terms of pain reduction, but it is uncertain why some patients continue to have chronic pain following surgery. With the true prevalence and etiology of chronic back pain following posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation (PSF) for Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) unknown, we sought to review the prevalence and potential causes of chronic back pain following PSF for AIS. After a thorough literature review, the true prevalence of chronic pain following surgery remains difficult to quantify. Definitions of chronic pain include severe pain within 6 months of surgery, pain at least one time in the two years following surgery, "persistent pain," moderate to severe pain two years post-operatively, pain in the five years following surgery defined as often or very often, and many more. Given the lack of a cohesive definition, true prevalence of chronic pain remains unknown but ranged in previous studies from 16%-64.4% two years post-operatively. Many patients did not have an obvious etiology of pain identified. Potential causes included mechanical back pain, adjacent segment disease, pseudoarthrosis, implant-related failures, infection, and Proximal junctional failure. Common risk factors for these causes of chronic pain include high pre-operative pain levels and the degree and type of curve pre-operatively.


This paper describes the interaction between two spatial modes of the optical fields with a single atom trapped inner coupled double-cavity. Theoretical derivation and numerical simulation with the experimental available parameters show that photon-photon switching and π phase shift of single photons may be achieved with current experimental technology. As the probe and control fields are in different spatial modes, the system is superior for implementing cavity QED-based photonic quantum networks.更多还原


The regulation of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) and dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) concentrations in new-make grain spirit in the Scotch whisky industry are important because these polysulfides are significant flavor congeners. Methional could be a precursor in the pathway of DMDS and DMTS formation; therefore, the relationship between wash methional concentrations at the end of fermentation and DMDS and DMTS in spirit from two stills operating in parallel was investigated. Methional from wash and DMDS and DMTS from spirit were measured by purging them onto Tenax adsorbent and then injecting the volatiles onto a GC column using thermal desorption and cryogenic focusing. Sulfur compounds eluting from the column were quantified using a sulfur-specific Sievers chemiluminescence detector. Methional added as a spike to wash and DMDS and DMTS added as spikes to spirit had recoveries of 104.5, 103.9, and 98.3% respectively. This established the validity of the analytical technique. Concentrations of methional varied in wash from 50 to 710 μg/L. There was a linear positive correlation between wash methional and DMDS during two periods of distillery production (P < 0.01 for period 1 and P < 0.001 for period 2) investigated. Linear correlations between wash methional and DMTS were also found during period 2 (P < 0.001); however, correlations were only significant during period I (P < 0.1, still 1 and P < 0.05, still 2). In conclusion, DMDS and DMTS concentrations in new-make spirit are related to the concentration of methional in wash, although operation of stills can in particular modulate the final DMTS -concentrations.


The introduction of doping substances and methods in sports triggers noticeable effects on physical performance in metric sports. Here, we use time series analysis to investigate the recent development in male and female elite sprinting performance. Time series displaying the average of the world's top 20 athletes were analyzed employing polynomial spline functions and moving averages. Outstanding changes in performance over time were statistically analyzed by Welch's t-test and by Cohen's measurements of effect. For validation we exemplarily show that our analysis is capable of indicating the effect of the introduction of in- and out-of-competition doping testing on women's shot put as well as the effects of the market introduction of erythropoietin (EPO) and the introduction of EPO and continuous erythropoiesis receptor activator (CERA) testing on 5000 m top 20 male performances. Time series analysis for 100 m men reveals a highly significant (p < 0.001) drop by more than 0.1 s from 2006 to 2011 with a large effect size of 0.952. This is roughly half of the effect size that can be found for the development of the 5000 m performance during the introduction of EPO between 1991 and 1996. While the men's 200 m sprinting performance shows a similar development, the women's 100 m and 200 m sprinting performances only show some minor abnormalities. We will discuss here why the striking sex-specific improvement in sprinting performance is indicative for a novel, very effective doping procedure with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) being the primary candidate explaining the observed effects.


The spent Isopropyl Alcohol(IPA)is a schedule waste from electrical and electronic manufacturing industries which is also abundance in our country.The IPA waste containing high concentration of electronic waste mainly comprises a few heavy metals whichhas the potential of purifying and reusingthe waste by removingheavy metals from it.The aim of the study was tofind optimum adsorption parameter for Zink removal from the spentIPAby utilizingthegranular activatedcarbon (GAC).Investigation was carried out by studying the influence of the initial solution pH value ranging from 4 to 10, different temperature value ranging from 25 to 35oC and also agitation speed using incubator shaker that operated for 50,100 and 150rpm in thebatch reactor.Theadsorption capacityon the molar basis of heavy metal from spent IPA was analyzed by using Atomic Adsorption Spectrometer (AAS).The heavy metal Zink(Zn)were able to be stripped from the IPA.The maximum and most significant of zinc removal percentage is89.7% with is from 1.4621mg/L to 0.1506 mg/L at parameter of 30.8oC,98rpm and pH4.The colour of waste samples were able to change from grey to colourless and strong odor of waste IPA became less at the end of the experiment.


The present study focuses on the high temperature oxidation of a AISI 304 chromiaforming nitrided alloy. Isothermal oxidations were performed in air, at 800°C. The effect of nitridation on the steel surface depends on the temperature of the treatment. It leads whether to a γN solid solution formation or to CrN formation. In situ X-ray diffraction has been used to follow the oxides formation. Results show the concomitant growth of CrN and Fe2O3 at the beginning of the test. Then, Cr2O3 quickly appears which leads to the formation of a protective oxide scale (a parabolic rate law is observed). Our conclusions suggest that nitridation increases the high temperature oxidation resistance of 304 steels at 800°C.


Cytoplasmic structures showing a selective concentration of both polyubiquitinated proteins and proteasome have been described in various epithelial, hematopoietic, mesenchymal and neural cells in vitro or in fetal tissues, as well as in chronically-infected, mutated preneoplastic and neoplastic tissues. These cytoplasmic structures differ from other ubiquitin-reactive cytoplasmic bodies, like sequestosomes, aggresome-like-induced structures in dendritic cells (DALIS)/non-dendritic cells (ALIS) and aggresomes in showing distinctive ultrastructural organization (particle-rich cytoplasmic structure or PaCS), a cytochemical pattern and a functional profile. Their formation can be induced in vitro in dendritic or natural killer cells by trophic factors and interleukin treatment. They originate in close connection with ribosomes, while, as a result of their growth, the cytoskeleton and other surrounding organelles are usually dislocated outside their core. Interestingly, these particulate cytoplasmic structures are often found to fill cytoplasmic blebs forming proteasome- and polyubiquitinated protein-discharging vesicles, called ectosomes, which are found to detach from the cell and freely float in the extracellular space. To clearly point out the importance of the polyubiquitinated proteins and proteasome containing cytoplasmic structures, their role in cell biology and pathology has been carefully analyzed.


The theoretical and practical concerns regarding the analysis of economic activity in regional profile are not new, the regional economy, part of regional science, lasting since the beginning of the 19th century. The regional development is a current subject, as the problem of development gaps is still the in EU attention, the communitarian strategies aiming at reducing them. Given that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, that joined the EU since 2004, included regions that had a low level of development, the disparities become more pronounced in the EU. Therefore, the regional policy took on greater importance and have been allocated to increasing funding. Regional disparities exist not only between eastern and western EU, but also between regions of the same country. In this article we want to analyse how these disparities have evolved in Central and Eastern Europe countries of the EU. We relate at the same time at the EU average. We will use the values of GDP/capita expressed in Purchasing Power Standard, indicator also used by the EU in allocating funds for regional policy. Generally, the region that includes the capital city registers values significantly higher than the other regions, reaching above the EU-28 average and the differences among the region containing the capital city and the others remain. In most cases, the values of GDP/capita at regional level tend to approach the EU-28 average, but the development gaps remain high and the years 2013 and 2014 have witnessed insignificant increases.


In order to ensure the good ecological status of a range of waterbodies, as set out in the EU Water Framework Directive, a clearer understanding of nutrient sources and delivery mechanisms is required. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the quantity and distribution of phosphates in Cam Brook, downstream from Paulton sewage treatment works (STW). Nine sites along a 2.6 km stretch of the river were surveyed; including one upstream of the STW, in October 2008 and the following February to determine whether there is seasonal variation in phosphorus concentrations. Water samples taken from each site were analysed for orthophosphate although sediment samples were analysed for orthophosphate and total phosphate. In February, water samples were further analysed for total phosphorus. Other variables such as dissolved oxygen (DO), water velocity, substrate, width, depth and land use were also surveyed to determine whether they influence the distribution of phosphorus. The water orthophosphate concentrations in Cam Brook significantly increased downstream from the STW in both October and February, rising from mean concentrations of 0.07-0.23 mg l −1 . This suggests that the STW was the major contributor to water orthophosphate concentrations. There was also strong negative correlation between water orthophosphate and DO concentrations in October (r-value −0.414) which could be due to the high biological oxygen demand of decomposers in the Autumn. There were large concentrations of total phosphate in the sediment which can be attributed to the small particle size of the substrate (clay) which increases its adsorption capacity. There were no seasonal variations in the water orthophosphate or sediment total phosphate concentrations although sediment orthophosphate concentrations were significantly higher in February (p-value < 0.001). However, orthophosphate still only accounted for a small proportion, at 3.47%, of the total phosphate concentrations in the sediment. The orthophosphate entering Cam Brook from the STW appears to be subject to a complex set of storage and transformation mechanisms which results in its storage as the non-bioavailable fraction of the total phosphate. Further research needs to be undertaken to determine the phosphorus cycling mechanisms that cause seasonal variation in sediment orthophosphate concentrations.


Abstract Potential trap crops for the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), were evaluated through a series of ovipositional preference and larval survival experiments in outdoor screenhouses in 2002 and 2003. Hosts examined as trap crops were glossy and waxy collards, Brassica oleracea L. variety acephala; Indian mustard, Brassica juncea (L.) Czern; and yellow rocket, Barbarea vulgaris (R. Br.) variety arcuata. More eggs were laid on the potential trap crops, with the exception of waxy collards, than on cabbage. When P. xylostella was offered multiple hosts at the same time, numbers of eggs laid on glossy collards, Indian mustard, and yellow rocket were 3, 18, and 12 times greater than on cabbage, respectively. Similarly, when P. xylostella was offered a single trap crop host and cabbage, numbers of eggs laid on glossy collards, Indian mustard, and yellow rocket were 300, 19, and 110 times greater than on cabbage, respectively. Our studies suggest differences in oviposition between the potential trap crops and cabbage were likely due to host volatiles, leaf morphology and color, or a combination of these factors, rather than to total leaf areas, leaf shape, or plant architecture. Two-choice tests with a Y-tube olfactometer indicated that plant volatiles were major factors in P. xylostella host preference. The percentage larval survival from egg to pupation was 22.2% on cabbage, 18.9% on waxy collards, and 24.4% on Indian mustard, whereas survival was significantly lower on glossy collards (6.7%) and yellow rocket (0%). Based on our tests, it seems that yellow rocket may be the best candidate for use as a trap crop for P. xylostella because it is highly attractive for oviposition, but larvae do not survive on it.


Bryophytes have until now been absent from all hypotheses regarding the origin of insect pollination of seed plants. The discovery that both springtails and mites are able to transfer sperm in mosses makes it possible to suggest a 'Bryophyte precursor hypothesis of plant pollination' stating that animal-mediated fertilization in mosses and insect pollination in seed plants is historically linked by homologous or analogous evolution of structures responsible for attraction and reward aimed at a pool of fertilization vectors originally co-evolved with bryophytes and subsequently co-opted by seed plants. The earliest point in time when animal-mediated fertilization of bryophytes, involving springtails and mites, could have arisen is Late Silurian/Early Devonian, ca 280 Myr before the evolutionary radiation of angiosperms. Soil-dwelling microarthropods and wingless insects are assumed to have been the primary vectors transporting sperm in ancient mosses and possibly other groups of bryophytes. These animals may later have secondarily expanded to transfer pollen in gymnosperms and angiosperms, similar to the frequent pollinator shifts observed among angiosperm groups. Several ancestral traits pointed out by recent studies of early angiosperms are in favour of this hypothesis, such as small size of flowers, small and non-sticky pollen, adaptations for growth in moist and shaded habitats close to running water, and weedy growth forms with rapid life-cycles in disturbed habitats. It is also possible to envisage a link from sexual attractants excreted by oogonia in charophyte algae and archegonia in bryophytes to guide sperm, via sugar released to attract insects in pollination drop mechanisms in gymnosperms to more advanced structures specialized for insect attraction such as nectaries and nectar discs in angiosperms.


OBJECTIVE
1) To evaluate the effect of a single oral dose of hexyl-insulin monoconjugate 2 (HIM2) on the rate of whole-body glucose disposal (Rd) and endogenous glucose production (EGP) in healthy nondiabetic subjects, 2) to examine the reproducibility of HIM2 on glucose metabolism, and 3) to compare the results obtained with HIM2 with those using a bioequivalent dose of subcutaneous lispro insulin.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Six healthy subjects ([means +/- SE] aged 31 +/- 5 years and BMI 23.1 +/- 3.9 kg/m2) participated in four studies performed in random order on separate days. Subjects ingested a single dose of HIM2 (0.125, 0.5, and 0.75 mg/kg) or received subcutaneous lispro insulin (0.1 units/kg). Studies were performed with [3-3H]glucose, and plasma glucose concentration was maintained at basal levels for 4 h with the euglycemic clamp technique. After 6 weeks, subjects participated in two repeat studies to examine the reproducibility of HIM2 (0.5 mg/kg) and lispro insulin (0.1 units/kg).

RESULTS
Fasting plasma insulin (7 muU/ml) increased to a maximum of 102, 321, and 561 muU/ml at 60 min after all three HIM2 doses (0.125, 0.5, and 0.75 mg/kg, respectively). A dose-related decrease in basal EGP was observed as the HIM2 dosage was increased from 0 to 0.125 to 0.5 mg/kg (P <0.05 vs. each preceding dose). Suppression of EGP was similar with the 0.5- and 0.75-mg/kg HIM2 doses. A dose-related stimulation of basal Rd was observed as the HIM2 dosage was increased from 0 to 0.125 to 0.5 (P <0.05 vs. each preceding dose) to 0.75 mg/kg (P <0.10 vs. preceding dose). Rd (0-240 min) was increased by 0.5 mg/kg oral HIM2 to a value similar to 0.1 units/kg lispro insulin. The 0.125-mg/kg HIM2 dose reduced EGP (0-240 min) to a value that was similar to 0.1 units/kg lispro insulin. The variability in the effect of HIM2 and lispro on Rd (25 +/- 7 vs. 27 +/- 1%, respectively) and on suppression of EGP (19 +/- 1 vs. 19 +/- 0.7%, respectively) was similar.

CONCLUSIONS
Oral HIM2 suppresses EGP and increases tissue Rd in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of HIM2 on EGP and Rd persisted at 240 min, even though plasma insulin concentration had returned to basal levels. Oral HIM2 may provide an effective and reproducible means of controlling postprandial plasma glucose excursions in diabetic patients.


ray forming was employed to refine the microstructures of AZ91 and AZ91-3.34wt%Si Mg alloys during solidification by means of rapid solidification generated at atomization and droplet flight stages. The process parameters of spray forming were varied to reduce the porosity level and improve the morphology of the billet preforms. As-spray-formed microstructures were characterized using OM, SEM/EDS, and XRD, which were compared with as-cast microstructures. The significant differences of grains, Mg2Si and Mg17Al12 in morphology and in size between as-spray-fromed and as-cast materials are mainly due to fast cooling and solidification rates of spray forming process. Supersaturated matrix is found in as-spray-formed materials due to rapid solidification generated by spray forming. Overall, spray-formed materials are shown to have four characteristics, which are much finer microstructures, uniformly distributed phases, equiaxed-shaped phases, and supersaturated matrix.


This study assessed the applicability to medical professionals in Ethiopia of an abortion stigma assessment tool developed for community members, and examined the relationship between stigma and willingness to provide safe abortion care (SAC). The Stigmatizing Attitudes, Beliefs and Actions Scale (SABAS) was fielded to a convenience sample of 397 Ethiopian midwives. Scale reliability and validity were assessed, and associations were examined using multivariate linear and logistic regression. Levels of stigma were low compared to those reported elsewhere, and 49% of midwives were willing to provide SAC. The revised SABAS was reliable (alpha = 0.82), but items did not group into SABAS' conceptual categories, and some had limited face validity. SABAS scores had a small but significant negative association with willingness to provide SAC (OR=0.95, p < 0.05), with negative stereotyping subscale items most predictive. SABAS' limitations found here suggest the need for an adapted scale for medical professionals.


From September 1985 to December 1992, 160 cases of reconstruction of the esophagus with the whole stomach through the esophageal bed after resection of the upper esophageal carcinoma were performed with neither operative mortality nor intrathoracic complications. The leakage rate of the cervical anastomosis with Gambee's single layer methodwas 1.2%. The main steps of the operative procedure consisted of: (1) making a right thoracotomy for dissecting and removing the entire thoracic esophagus; (2) laparotomy for mobilizing the whole stomach, constricting it to tube shape and doing a pyloroplasty; and (3) pulling up the mobilized tube-like stomach through the posterior mediastinal space(i.e, the esophageal bed) out of the left neck incision and then the esophagogastrostomy with Gambee's single layer anastomosis was performed.


Recent advancements of microelectronics and network protocol research enable the vast applications of wireless sensor network in industry and home environments. For example, the research in this paper is part of a NASA hydrogen detection to provide early detection of hydrogen leaks in storage facilities and transportation processes. Reliability issues play a vital role to ensure the quality of service of these applications, as well as to maintain the detection and response capabilities. In this paper, we provide a reliability analysis of a wireless sensor network based on the MIL-HDBK-217 reliability prediction model, and we examine the tradeoffs of enhancing the reliability of the network through redundancy of sensor network sleep sets, versus maximizing the energy-based lifetime of the network. An optimal number of sleep sets can be found, based on the given functional failure and the battery power expense models


Designing ergonomic interfaces for man-machine interaction is a major task for today's computer design engineers. A new type of tangible man-machine communication interface which is based on acoustics is presented in this paper. The proposed new approach is the use of pattern recognition to match the pattern of a received signal's feature with a template, acquired during a learning stage, associated with a predefined location. Theoretically this method, referred as Location Patten Matching (LPM) can work on heterogeneous medium of any shape or material using one or two sensors. Therefore they overcome the limitations of the more widely used approaches based on Time Delay Of Arrival (TDOA).


The existence of various geo-location applications and their accuracy requirements enhance the necessities for suitable processing techniques to solve the indoor geo-location problems. Since, Impulse Radio Ultra-Wideband (IR-UWB) signals have very short duration pulses; they can provide very accurate ranging and geo-location capability in short range indoor radio propagation environments. Our research puts emphasis on indoor geo-location using UWB signaling considering both of non line-of-sight (NLOS) and LOS radio propagation environments. In this paper, we introduce and investigate a noble approach which makes a hybrid combination of Channel Impulse Response (CIR)-based finger-printing (FP) method with polygonal arrangement of reference nodes (or tags) and an iterative-TOA based real-time geo-location method using UWB signaling for wireless ad hoc networks. The proposed hybrid approach assures significant improvement in positioning accuracy compared to TOA only, FP only and conventional iterative-TOA geo-location methods by mitigating NLOS errors effectively in the indoor environment. Besides, this hybrid approach minimizes the calculation complexity of the FP method while maintaining improved geo-location accuracy in the dense multipath propagation environment.


Introduction: Inter Trochanteric fractures are seen in elderly patients. The choice of implant for the surgical fixation is dynamic hip screw and side plate for stable fractures and intramedullary nail for unstable fractures. But today most of the hospitals and surgeons are using intramedullary devices for the both stable and unstable fractures. Angelen et al (2008) found that dramatic increased rate of 3% in 1999 to 67% in 2006 in the use of intramedullary for intertrochantric fractures irrespective of the type. Materials and methods: Thirty stable intertrochantric fractures were operated with closed reduction and internal fixation with dynamic hip screw and side plate between May 2009 and November 2012 were studied. Post operative follow up done at intervals of 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks and final results were evaluated using Kyle's criteria at 24 weeks. Results: We achieved excellent results in 80% of the cases and good in 20%.


In this paper, reconstruction of spectrum from recurrent nonuniform sampling using FFT is described. Nonuniform sampling occurs in a very high-speed waveform digitizing system with interleaved A/D converters. We developed a reconstruction algorithm by deriving the relationship between the DFT of a uniformly sampled signal and the DFT of a nonuniformly sampled signal. Some spectra were reconstructed using the proposed algorithm and the results are compared to two existing algorithms: one uses an alternative DFT and the other uses a filter bank technique. The proposed method performed well at lower computational complexity.


Obstetric haemorrhage was the third most common cause of maternal death in South Africa for the triennium 2008 to 2010, increasing from the rate in 2005 to 2007. The major causes of death from haemorrhage remained similar during 2005 to 2010. Provincial assessments assert that 80.1% of these deaths were avoidable. Patient-related avoidable factors, mostly delay in seeking care, were present for only a third of the total deaths. A worrying 30.7% of deaths were due to lack of appropriately trained doctors or nurses. At least at the primary care level, midwives are expected to be able to recognise, manage and refer cases of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). National management protocols inform practice in this area, since professional regulations are lacking. The primary objective of this study was to assess the clinical practices of midwives in managing postpartum haemorrhage and to report on the quality of care during this process. A quantitative design was utilised in this exploratory, descriptive study. The results of the analysis showed that the general quality of care was poor and basic lifesaving measures were only performed in half of the cases. In view of the maternal deaths caused by postpartum haemorrhage, poor quality of care by midwives should be urgently addressed.


With the intensification of aging population, a growing number of elderly people have to live alone due to domestic and social reasons. Falling becomes one of the most crucial factors in threatening the elderly's lives, which is always difficult to be detected as it is instantaneous and easy to be confused with other motions, such as lying down. In this paper, a new method is proposed for accurate falling detection and activities recognition. It applies hierarchical classifiers to the time series data set including eleven activities of daily living (ADLs), collected by four wearable sensors. The new method combines two machine learning algorithms, performs concrete analysis on the original outcome and then obtains several scarcely-confused groups separately. The experiment indicates that the new method improves the accuracy of classification to a larger extent, reached to more than 90%. Furthermore, the matched algorithm for applying these classifiers, called Hierarchical Classifier Algorithm (HCA), is proposed as well.


Mobile-enabled social networks applications are becoming increasingly popular. Most of the current social network applications have been designed for high-end mobile devices, and they rely upon features such as GPS, capabilities of the world wide web, and rich media support. However, a significant fraction of mobile user base, especially in the developing world, own low-end devices that are only capable of voice and short text messages (SMS). In this context, a natural question is whether one can design meaningful social network-based applications that can work well with these simple devices, and if so, what the real challenges are. Towards answering these questions, this paper presents a social network-based recommender system that has been explicitly designed to work even with devices that just support phone calls and SMS. Our design of the social network based recommender system incorporates three features that complement each other to derive highly targeted ads. First, we analyze information such as customer's address books to estimate the level of social affinity among various users. This social affinity information is used to identify the recommendations to be sent to an individual user. Second, we combine the social affinity information with the spatio-temporal context of users and historical responses of the user to further refine the set of recommendations and to decide when a recommendation would be sent. Third, social affinity computation and spatio-temporal contextual association are continuously tuned through user feedback. We outline the challenges in building such a system, and outline approaches to deal with such challenges.


Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that can cause a debilitating disease that is primarily characterized by persistent joint pain. CHIKV has been emerging globally, while neither a vaccine nor antiviral medication is available. The anti-parasitic drug suramin was previously shown to inhibit CHIKV replication. In this study we aimed to obtain more detailed insight into its mechanism of action. We found that suramin interacts with virions and can inhibit virus binding to cells. It also appeared to inhibit post-attachment steps of the infection process, likely by preventing conformational changes of the envelope glycoproteins required for fusion and the progression of infection. Suramin-resistant CHIKV strains were selected and genotyping and reverse genetics experiments indicated that mutations in E2 were responsible for resistance. The substitutions N5R and H18Q were reverse engineered in the E2 glycoprotein in order to understand their role in resistance. The binding of suramin-resistant viruses with these two E2 mutations was inhibited by suramin like that of wild-type virus, but they appeared to be able to overcome the post-attachment inhibitory effect of suramin. Conversely, a virus with a G82R mutation in E2 (implicated in attenuation of vaccine strain 181/25), which renders it dependent on the interaction with heparan sulfate for entry, was more sensitive to suramin than wild-type virus. Using molecular modelling studies, we predicted the potential suramin binding sites on the mature spikes of the chikungunya virion. We conclude that suramin interferes with CHIKV entry by interacting with the E2 envelope protein, which inhibits attachment and also interferes with conformational changes required for fusion.


This investigation examined using heart rate (HR), central rating of perceived exertion (C-RPE) and peripheral rating of perceived exertion (P-RPE) values obtained during a graded exercise test (GXT) for monitoring intensity during a 5000 m field run. Ten trained runners performed a GXT to determine HR, C-RPE and P-RPE values at a blood lactate concentration ([La]) > or = 4.0 mM. Three randomly assigned 5000 m runs were performed on an outdoor track using the HR, C-RPE and P-RPE values from the GXT. [La] was assessed at 1000 m, 3000 m and 5000 m and running velocity (RV) at each 1000 m interval. No significant interaction effect was observed for [La] or RV among trials. A significant time effect was found among trials for [La] and RV. The 5000 m [La] was significantly different from the GXT for the C-RPE and P-RPE trials, but not the HR trial. The 1000 m RV for each trial was significantly different from the RV of the GXT. The 2000 m and 5000 m RV for P-RPE were significantly different from the RV of the GXT. The data indicate that using HR values from a GXT were better than using RPE values for maintaining exercise intensity at a [La] of 4.0 mM during a 5000 m field run in trained runners.


In this study, we explored a wide range of green solvents to process the semiconductor layer TIPS-PEN (6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene), as well as to demonstrate potential generality, using several p- and n-type organic semiconductors, for the fabrication of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). Our data demonstrate that several different solvents enable good semiconductor film-forming morphologies and optimized TIPS-PEN TFT mobilities of ∼0.5–2 cm2 V−1 s−1, thus surpassing those of toxic chlorinated options. Furthermore, we utilized a green cellulose cinnamate-gate dielectric to fabricate TIPS-PEN OTFTs, where both the semiconductor and the dielectric were processed using green solvents demonstrating the feasibility of a more sustainable OTFT technology.


New Zealand has one of the highest incidences of campylobacteriosis in the developed world, which leads a global trend of increasing notifications of Campylobacter infections over the last decade. Foodborne and waterborne transmission have been implicated as significant mechanisms in the complex ecology of the disease in New Zealand. We examined both regional and temporal variation in notification rates to gain some insight into the role of the New Zealand environments in modifying disease incidence. Firstly, there is a marked difference in the seasonality of campylobacteriosis between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The Far North and much of the rural North Island were found to display relatively low summer incidence and small inter-seasonal variation. Secondly, there appears to be a dispersed grouping of North Island urban areas, including Auckland, Hamilton, Napier and their hinterlands as well as a few areas on the South Island that exhibit higher summer incidence and more seasonality than the first group. Thirdly, Christchurch, Dunedin, much of the South Island and the lower North Island cities of Wellington and Upper Hutt appear to experience the highest summer incidence and strongest inter-seasonal variation in New Zealand. These three broad groupings of campylobacteriosis seasonality, constructed using a principal components analysis, suggest that the importance of transmission routes may vary regionally in New Zealand. The observed variation in seasonal incidence indicates a complex ecology that is unlikely to be explained by a single dominant transmission route across these three groupings.


HcRNAV, a novel single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) virus specifically infecting the bivalve- killing dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama, was isolated from the coastal waters of Japan. HcRNAV strains were divided into 2 types based on intra-species host-range tests. The 2 types showed complementary strain-specific infectivity. In the following experiments, typical strains of each type (HcRNAV34 and HcRNAV109), were characterized. Both virus strains were icosahedral, ca. 30 nm in diameter, and harbored a single molecule of ssRNA approximately 4.4 kb in size. Thus, in morphology and nucleic acid type, HcRNAV is distinct from HcV, the previously reported large double-stranded DNA virus infecting H. circularisquama. Virus particles appeared in the cytoplasm of the host cells within 24 h post-infection, and crystalline arrays or unordered aggregations of virus particles were observed. The burst size and latent period were estimated at 3.4 × 10 3 to 2.1 × 10 4 infec- tious particles cell -1 and 24 to 48 h, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a ssRNA virus infecting dinoflagellates that has been isolated and maintained in culture. Although HcRNAV is considered to have some similarities with plant viruses belonging to genera Sobemovirus and Luteovirus, further genomic analysis is required to discuss the detailed classification and nomencla- ture of HcRNAV. The finding of RNA viruses infecting microalgae such as HaRNAV (Heterosigma akashiwo RNA virus) and HcRNAV emphasizes the diversity of algicidal viral pathogens.


Recombinant bacterial plasmids have been constructed that contain complementary DNA prepared from rat islets of Langerhans messenger RNA. Three plasmids contain cloned sequences representing the complete coding region of rat proinsulin I, part of the preproinsulin I prepeptide, and the untranslated 3' terminal region of the mRNA. A fourth plasmid contains sequences derived from the A chain region of rat preproinsulin II.


In this research, an enhanced force control unit is proposed and implemented on a hydraulic tension-compression fatigue test machine. In this regard, different sensory data, such as force, hydraulic pressure, displacement and oil temperature is acquired and conditioned for controlling different subsystems of the machine. First, the transfer function of the system is identified. Then, a control strategy for applying cyclic force on the specimen with prescribed amplitude and frequency is proposed. The performance of the whole system is examined for the working range of the excitation frequency. In addition, the developed open-architecture controller can be used for testing the real parts found in various branches of industry. It can also be upgraded to be used on a universal fatigue test machine. It is shown that the designed controller can improve the performance of the machine significantly.


Machine learning technology has become ubiquitous, but, unfortunately, often exhibits bias. As a consequence, disparate stakeholders need to interact with and make informed decisions about using machine learning models in everyday systems. Visualization technology can support stakeholders in understanding and evaluating trade-offs between, for example, accuracy and fairness of models. This paper aims to empirically answer "Can visualization design choices affect a stakeholder"s perception of model bias, trust in a model, and willingness to adopt a model?' Through a series of controlled, crowd-sourced experiments with more than 1,500 participants, we identify a set of strategies people follow in deciding which models to trust. Our results show that men and women prioritize fairness and performance differently and that visual design choices significantly affect that prioritization. For example, women trust fairer models more often than men do, participants value fairness more when it is explained using text than as a bar chart, and being explicitly told a model is biased has a bigger impact than showing past biased performance. We test the generalizability of our results by comparing the effect of multiple textual and visual design choices and offer potential explanations of the cognitive mechanisms behind the difference in fairness perception and trust. Our research guides design considerations to support future work developing visualization systems for machine learning.


Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a consequence of an underlying chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that is usually progressive and causes dysregulation in the metabolism of collagen. Prolidase has an important role in the recycling of proline for collagen synthesis and cell growth. Objective: We measured and compared prolidase activity in healthy individuals with COPD patients to find out that whether its activity might reflect disturbances of collagen metabolism in the patients. We also investigated oxidative–antioxidative status and its relationship with prolidase activity in this disease. Methods: Thirty voluntary patients with COPD and 30 healthy control subjects with similar age range and sex were included into the study. Plasma prolidase activities, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were measured in the patient and control groups. Results: Plasma prolidase activity and TAC levels were significantly lower, and LPO levels were significantly higher in the patients than those in the control subjects (P<0.05, P<0.001, and P<0.001, respectively). Significant correlations were detected between plasma prolidase activity and TAC and LPO levels in the patients group (r=0.679, P<0.001; r=−426, P<0.05, respectively). Conclusions: The results suggest that oxidative–antioxidative balance and collagen turnover are altered by the development of COPD in human lungs, and prolidase activity may reflect disturbances of collagen metabolism in this pulmonary disease. Monitoring of plasma prolidase activity and oxidative–antioxidative balance may be useful in evaluating fibrotic processes and oxidative damage in the chronic inflammatory lung disease in human. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 25:8–13, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Sequential antibiotic therapy against Helicobacter pylori may result in a better eradication rate than standard triple-drug therapy, an Italian randomised controlled trial has shown. A total of 295 patients with proven H. pylori infection underwent endoscopy, biopsy, and bacterial culture of biopsy specimens. One group of patients received a 10-day sequential regimen of pantoprazole, amoxycillin, clarithromycin, and tinidazole. The other group was given standard 10-day therapy of pantoprazole, clarithromycin, and amoxycillin, each given twice daily. After treatment, patients underwent a second diagnostic 13C-urea breath test to detect presence of H. pylori. Sequential therapy resulted in a greater eradication rate and was significantly more effective in the treatment of clarithromycinresistant strains.


This paper reports on the results of an intensive application development workshop held in the summer of 2015 during which a group of thirteen researchers came together to explore the use of machine-learning algorithms in technical communication. To do this we analyzed Amazon.com consumer electronic product customer reviews to reevaluate a central concept in North American Genre Theory: stable genre structures arise from recurring social actions ([1][2][3][4][5]). We discovered evidence of genre hybridity in the signals of instructional genres embedded into customer reviews. Our paper discusses the creation of a prototype web application, "Use What You Choose" (UWYC), which sorts the natural language text of Amazon reviews into two categories: instructionally-weighed reviews (e.g., reviews that contain operational information about products) and non-instructionally-weighed reviews (those that evaluate the quality of the product). Our results contribute to rhetorical genre theory and offer ideas on applying genre theory to inform application design for users of information services.


This paper describes the method and findings of a survey designed to explore the economic benefits of the adoption of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton for smallholder farmers in the Republic of South Africa. The study found reason for cautious optimism in that the Bt variety generally resulted in a per hectare increase in yields and value of output with a reduction in pesticide costs, which outweighed the increase in seed costs to give a substantial increase in gross margins. Thus, these preliminary results suggest that Bt cotton is good for smallholder cotton farmers and the environment.


Introduction: In this paper we describe a new policy tool to support innovation management and increase the innovation impact of research and innovation programs. With nearly 80 billion Euro over a period of 7 years (2014-2020), Horizon 2020 is the largest ever publicly funded research and innovation program in the European Union. Cutting-edge technologies are being developed within the program and a significant part of these technologies could be commercialized. But not all technologies and innovation with commercial potential actually reach the market. The questions are why, and what additional actions are needed on the part of the policy makers to address this problem? To this effect the European Commission developed and successfully tested an "Innovation Radar" in the part of the program that focuses on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and their applications. The Innovation Radar focuses on the identification of high-potential innovations and the key organizations developing these innovations in the program. Our paper presents the Innovation Radar (IR) methodology which was developed by our team jointly with the team from European Commission's Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content & Technology that manages the ICT part of Horizon 2020. The paper then presents the results of its pilot application.
Approach and Data: The IR methodology is based on assessment of innovation and new technology ventures. The IR uses two composite indicators aiming at capturing the heterogeneity in innovation activities and innovators across projects. First, the "Innovation Potential Indicator" provides a holistic view of the innovation potential of projects. Second, the "Innovator Capacity Indicator" is capturing the innovator's capacity in conducting innovation activities. Each of these two indicators includes several sub-indicators. The IR characterizes innovations with respect to their technical readiness, innovation management and market potential. For innovators - usually researchers - it delivers information on their ability to innovate and their environment. We applied the OECD/JRC methodology to construct composite indicators.
The data used in the paper was collected via a structured questionnaire during the IR pilot phase from May 2014 to January 2015 on the occasion of annual projects reviews conducted by external experts (projects typically run for 3 years).
Results overview: Out of the 2600 projects running at the time, the IR scanned 280 projects. Over 500 innovations with market potential were identified, or on average nearly two new or substantially improved products or services within each project. The IR pilot phase provided in particular evidence that while innovators demonstrate high levels of technological expertise, they usually pay less attention to the business-related dimensions. The most common needs expressed by innovators are partnerships with other companies, business plan development and expanding to more markets. They less frequently mention needs for incubation, investment training, or participation in accelerators. More than 40% of the innovators mention lack of financing as a major external bottleneck to innovation exploitation, although interestingly only 5% have sought or are planning to seek private or public funding. Regulation and IPR issues are also considered important bottlenecks.
Impact of the IR covers 3 main dimensions:
1. Providing structured and quantified intelligence on innovations and innovators in publicly funded projects and use this intelligence to design customized support to those projects and organizations.
2. Creating bridges between innovative organizations/projects and external stakeholders such as venture capitalists.
3. Providing feedback on the effectiveness of the program in funding innovation, thereby enabling the policy makers to improve its impact.
Having completed the IR pilot phase and analyzed the collected information, it can be concluded that, for the first time, policy makers and project participants can obtain up-to-date structured information on the innovative output of the projects, and that the IR demonstrated its real potential as a policy tool to support innovation management.


This paper identifies conditions for the rapid diffusion of what may be part of the solution for global sustainable energy – hydrogen – by drawing a comparison with the contemporary history of the Internet. The Cold War drove the take-off of the Internet and state regulation ensured that the market on which its rapid diffusion came to depend was not controlled by corporations. To take-off and start to diffuse, hydrogen energy could similarly have to be considered a "public good". However, the comparison with the Internet reveals differences too. The Internet diffused rapidly among the public at low cost to individual users, starting in the mid 1980s and kicking off in the 1990s. To achieve affordable hydrogen transport in the long term, many drivers might have to forgo cars for public transport. Moreover, global sustainable energy demands cooperation between nations rather than the conflict that spurred the Internet.


In order to test the usefulness of the in vitro HRP-labeling technique in the brains of small lizards, the fasciculus retroflexus was labeled in isolated brains of young specimens of the lizard Gallotia galloti by means of HRP applied with the tip of a micropipette located approximately midway along the descending course of the tract. Cells in the medial and lateral habenular nuclei were labeled retrogradely. Anterograde transport showed the course of the fasciculus retroflexus, first dorsoventrally into the paramedian prerubral tegmentum and then longitudinally into the isthmic nucleus interpeduncularis. Some fibers spread dorsally into the mesencephalic and isthmic tegmental fields. A substantial bundle continues caudally into nucleus raphe parvocellularis. Other fibers diverge rostral-wards from the point of inflexion of the fasciculus, coursing longitudinally in the medial forebrain bundle into the basal telencephalon. Some fibers course rostrally from the nucleus habenularis lateralis in the stria medullaris and could be followed to the dorsal septum.


Abstract Background and study aim Leakage of the surgical suture is the main complication of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and is amenable to endoscopic therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a specifically designed self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) to seal the leakage. Patients and methods Over a 2-year period, patients referred for the treatment of post-LSG fistulas underwent placement of a fully covered esophagogastric SEMS with a specific design. Results A total of 10 patients were treated after a mean time of 50.9 days from the diagnosis of post-LSG leakage. A total of 11 SEMSs were placed. After stent removal, the leakage was seen to have healed in eight patients. Two patients who were treated with an SEMS with different mesh design, experienced stent migration, which required alternative endoscopic treatment such as the insertion of double-pigtail stents. After a mean follow-up period of 13.4 months, all patients were asymptomatic. Conclusions: Placement of a specifically designed SEMS for the treatment of post-LSG fistulas seems a promising first-line therapy according to this small series.


Sodium-dependent high-affinity uptake of glutamate is thought to play a major role in the maintenance of very low extracellular concentrations of excitatory amino acids (EAA), and may modulate the actions of released transmitter at G-protein-coupled receptors and extrasynaptic receptors that are activated over a longer distance and time course. We have examined the effects of the recently developed uptake inhibitor L- trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate (L-trans-PDC) on monosynaptically evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in very-low-density cultures of hippocampal neurons. L-Trans-PDC produced a decreased amplitude of both the non-NMDA and NMDA receptor-mediated components of monosynaptically evoked EPSCs. Examination of miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs) indicated that changes in the sensitivity of postsynaptic non-NMDA receptors did not underline the decrease in evoked EPSC amplitudes. The metabotropic receptor agonist (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3- dicarboxylic acid (1S,3R-ACPD) also depressed both components of the EPSC. The competitive metabotropic receptor antagonist (RS)-alpha- methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG) blocked the depression of EPSC amplitude induced by 1S,3R-ACPD and also blocked the effects of L-trans- PDC. Finally, low concentrations of L-glutamate (2 microM) mimicked the effects of L-trans-PDC on EPSC amplitude. From these results we conclude that the application of L-trans-PDC to cultured hippocampal neurons results in the activation of presynaptic metabotropic receptors, leading to a decrease in synaptic transmission. We propose that this effect is due to an increase in ambient glutamate concentrations following inhibition of glutamate uptake, resulting in presynaptic inhibition of excitatory synaptic transmission.


This thesis is the first study of second generation Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who took part in left-wing political theatre groups in the first half of the twentieth century. Much activity was centred in London's East End and this thesis will explore how seeds were sown there. Although there has been research on Jewish participation in traditional theatre, little has been done on Jewish involvement in ground breaking theatre. A background will be given on Jewish history in the East End, Yiddish theatre and Jewish interest in East End theatres and music halls. This, together with Jewish involvement in left-wing politics, will explain the attraction to join Unity. Unity provided an entrance for Jewish actors into the entertainment industry, including Lionel Bart, Alfie Bass, David Kossoff and Warren Mitchell, who will form the heart of this thesis. They became famous for their 'Cockney' persona without denying their Jewishness. They have been chosen to show their different pathways out of the East End and Unity. Their biographies will not stand alone but looked at as a collective biography. The study will consider their families' background to see if this impacted their Jewish identity and political involvement, and how they defined themselves in order to be portrayed as Cockneys . On the surface, in spite of their common background and time at Unity, they had little in common. Their political affiliations ranged from radical to non-involvement and there were differences in the portrayal of their masculinity. Yet they were unified by identifying themselves and being identified as Jewish Cockneys by both Jews and non-Jews. The thesis will look at changes that occurred during the interwar period resulting in their confidence to be able to identify as Jewish Cockneys in the post-war era, and to be accepted as such in non-Jewish society.


The objective of this study is to investigate the quality differences and visual characteristics between cultured gilthead sea bream obtained from earthen ponds and net cage habitats. No significant differences from obtained in two different habitats are determined cultured gilthead sea bream in terms of chemical and microbiological quality. It has been determined that it is a safe food for consumption since it does not contain pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. that negatively affect food safety. Visual quality differences are distinguished like the skin color, reddish color on the operculum cover, the head shape and the tail transparency from each other. Having unique sensorial characteristics fishes from two different habitats do offer valuable nutrient sources for consumers. Thanks to the controlled aquaculture conditions, safe production of cultured gilthead sea bream is carried out according to food safety in Turkey. Therefore owing to their delicious food source of cultured gilthead sea bream it is preferred for consumption in Turkey and all ower the world.


The abundance of collapsed objects in the universe, or halo mass function, is an important theoretical tool in studying the effects of primordially generated non-Gaussianities on the large scale structure. The non-Gaussian mass function has been calculated by several authors in different ways, typically by exploiting the smallness of certain parameters which naturally appear in the calculation, to set up a perturbative expansion. We improve upon the existing results for the mass function by combining path integral methods and saddle point techniques (which have been separately applied in previous approaches). Additionally, we carefully account for the various scale dependent combinations of small parameters which appear. Some of these combinations in fact become of order unity for large mass scales and at high redshifts, and must therefore be treated non-perturbatively. Our approach allows us to do this, and also to account for multi-scale density correlations which appear in the calculation. We thus derive an accurate expression for the mass function which is based on approximations that are valid over a larger range of mass scales and redshifts than those of other authors. By tracking the terms ignored in the analysis, we estimate theoretical errors for our result and also for the results of others. We also discuss the complications introduced by the choice of smoothing filter function, which we take to be a top-hat in real space, and which leads to the dominant errors in our expression. Finally, we present a detailed comparison between the various expressions for the mass functions, exploring the accuracy and range of validity of each.


The southwest Guizhou Province, China, contains numerous sediment-hosted Au deposits with Au reserves greater than 700 tonnes. To date, the source of ore fluids that formed the Guizhou sediment-hosted Au deposits is controversial, hampering the formulation of genetic models. In this study, we selected the Shuiyindong and Jinfeng Au deposits, the largest strata-bound and fault-controlled deposits in Guizhou, respectively, for detailed research on pyrite chemistry and S isotope composition using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and laser ablation-multicollector-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS), respectively.
 Petrography and pyrite chemistry studies distinguished five generations of pyrite. Among these, pre-ore pyrite 2 and ore pyrite are the most abundant types in the deposits. Pre-ore pyrite 2 is anhedral to euhedral and with ~2,639 ppm As and wider ranges of Cu, Sb, and Pb (<~22–4,837 ppm, <~6 to 532 ppm, and <~4 to 1,344 ppm, respectively). Gold in pre-ore pyrite 2 is below the detection limit of LA-ICP-MS (~2 ppm). Pre-ore pyrite 2 is interpreted to have a sedimentary (syngenetic or diagenetic) origin. Ore pyrite commonly rims the four identified pre-ore pyrites or occurs as individual, anhedral to euhedral crystals. Ore pyrite is enriched in Au (~641 ppm), As (~9,147 ppm), Cu (~1,043 ppm), Sb (~188 ppm), Hg (~43 ppm), and Tl (~22 ppm) in both deposits. Ore pyrite formed mainly by sulfidation of Fe in Fe-bearing host rocks, mainly Fe dolomite, and As, Cu, Sb, Hg, and Tl, also in ore fluids, were incorporated into ore pyrite.
 In situ δ34S isotope ratios for pre-ore pyrite 2 and ore pyrite were measured by LA-MC-ICP-MS. Pre-ore pyrite 2 from Shuiyindong and Jinfeng deposits resulted in δ34S values ranging from −0.8 to +3.4‰ and from 5.1 to 10.5‰, respectively. Analyses of ore pyrite from the Shuiyindong have δ34S values that vary from −3.3 to +2.5‰, with a median of 0.7‰; analyses of ore pyrite from the Jinfeng range from 8.9 to 11.2‰, with a median at 10.3‰. Available bulk and in situ δ34S data in the literature for pre-ore pyrites 1 and 2 and ore-related sulfide minerals including ore pyrite, arsenopyrite, and late ore-stage stibnite, realgar, orpiment, and cinnabar from several Guizhou sediment-hosted Au deposits were compiled for comparison. Pre-ore-stage pyrites from Guizhou sediment-hosted Au deposits have a broad range of δ34S values, from −33.8 to + 17.9‰ (including in situ and available bulk δ34S data). Ore-related sulfide minerals in all Guizhou sediment-hosted Au deposits, except Jinfeng, have very similar δ34S values, and most data plot between ~−5 and +5‰. In the Jinfeng deposit, the ore-related sulfide minerals exhibit δ34S values ranging from 1.9 to 18.1‰, with most data plotting between 6 and 12‰.
 The broad range of S isotope compositions for the sedimentary pyrites (pre-ore pyrites 1 and 2) indicate that S in these pre-ore pyrites was most likely generated by bacterial reduction from marine sulfate. The narrow range of δ34S values (~−5–+5‰) for ore-related sulfide minerals in all Guizhou sediment-hosted Au deposits, excepting the Jinfeng deposit, suggests that the deposits may have formed in response to a single widespread metallogenic event. As the S isotope fractionation between hydrothermal fluids and sulfide minerals in a sulfide-dominated system is small (<2‰) at ~250°C, the initial ore fluids that formed the Guizhou sediment-hosted Au deposits would have had δ34S values similar to the ore-related sulfide minerals, between ~−5 and +5‰. At Jinfeng, initial ore fluids may have mixed with local fluids with heavier δ34S, possibly basin brine (δ34Sbasin brine >18‰), resulting in elevated δ34S values of ore-related sulfide minerals and especially late ore-stage sulfide minerals.
 Although few igneous rocks are exposed in the mining area around these deposits, there is evidence of magmatic activity ~20 km away. Furthermore, gravity and magnetic geophysical investigations indicate the presence of a pluton ~5 km below the surface of the Shuiyindong district. Based on in situ S isotope results and recent data indicating proximal intrusions, we interpret a deep magmatic S source for the ore fluids that formed the Guizhou sediment-hosted Au deposits. However, as the age for Au mineralization of Guizhou sediment-hosted Au deposits is still debated, the mineralization-magma connection remains hypothetical. Identifying an ore fluid source and time frame for Guizhou Au mineralization continues to be a critically important research goal for this district.


The traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur and the high demand for urban space would inevitably lead to an underground transit system. The underground works will be posed with all the constraints and challenges in both design and construction that is unique to Kuala Lumpur's geology, land use and social-economic structure. The successfully completed underground section of the Sg. Buloh to Kajang (SBK), Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) Project between Semantan and Maluri was based on a design and build contract by MMC Gamuda Joint Venture. This paper presents the engineering challenges related to deep excavation and tunnelling in the different geology encountered along the SBK line which include but not limited to the topics highlighted hereafter. The design of deep excavation, temporary retaining systems and other associated works for stations and its performance in Kenny Hill and Kuala Lumpur Limestone. The tunnelling works connecting all the underground stations including the innovative variable density tunnel boring machine, the risk management process, building damage assessment/protection and monitoring particularly to verify the performance of unconventional construction sequence. This paper also make reference to the efforts made to develop the human resource in order to meet the tight construction program. The successful completion of the project is only possible with the dedication and commitment of the client, the management and the support of the many dedicated staff who had laboured tirelessly to complete the project on time and in a safe manner. The valiant effort and cooperation of various parties are gratefully acknowledged without which the subject matter of this lecture would not have been possible.


Fatigue test of titanium single crystals with different crystallographic orientations has been carried. To investigate fatigue fracture behavior of small single crystals, plain bending fatigue test method for thin sheet specimen was developed. One end of the sheet specimen is fixed at a voice coil of the loudspeaker and the other end is set free. A bending mode resonance occurs in the specimen due to forced vibration at the fixed end. In A-specimen, a notch plane and the direction are (11 20) and [1100], respectively, the crack propagates parallel to {1100} plane and striation-like markings are observed on the fatigue surfaces. In B-specimen with a notch of (1100) [1120], the crack also propagates parallel to {1100} plane as similar to A-specimen. These cracks are deduced to extend by alternating shear on two intersecting prismatic slip systems at the crack tip. In F-specimen with a notch of (0001) [11 20], the crack propagates parallel to (0001) and some trace of pyramidal slip was observed on the fatigue surface. As a result, S-N curves of each specimen showed strong orientation dependence. Fatigue strength of F-specimen is higher than that of A- and B-specimen.


Abstract Normalization is a widespread neural computation in both early sensory coding and higher-order processes such as attention and multisensory integration. It has been shown that during decision-making, normalization implements a context-dependent value code in parietal cortex. In this paper we develop a simple differential equations model based on presumed neural circuitry that implements normalization at equilibrium and predicts specific time-varying properties of value coding. Moreover, we show that when parameters representing value are changed, the solution curves change in a manner consistent with normalization theory and experiment. We show that these dynamic normalization models naturally implement a time-discounted normalization over past activity, implying an intrinsic reference-dependence in value coding of a kind seen experimentally. These results suggest that a single network mechanism can explain transient and sustained decision activity, reference dependence through time discounting, and hence emphasizes the importance of a dynamic rather than static view of divisive normalization in neural coding.


Guava (Psidium guajava L.) belonging to the family Myrtaceae is grown widely in
the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and America. In Malaysia, pink guava fruits are
used mainly for production of juices meant for export market. After production of
juice, guava seeds are discarded without any productive use. The possibility of using
guava seed for oil recovery, however, still remains unexplored in Malaysia.
Therefore, the aim of this study was to extract and characterise pink guava seed oil
and use it in combination with palm stearin to formulate lard alternative fat
substitutes to be applied in products. Hence, the blends can be permissible to be used
as a replacement for lard by Muslims, Jews and vegetarians. In this study, oils of
pink and white guava seeds were extracted and analysed. The oil recoveries of pink
guava (PGO) and white guava (WGO) seeds were 8.44% and 6.85%, respectively.
The color of WGO was light yellow while that of PGO was dark yellow. The iodine
value for PGO and WGO were 123.78 and 125.73, respectively. The blends were
prepared by mixing pink guava seed oil with palm stearin (PGO/PS) in different
ratios: PGO-1, 40:60; PGO-2, 45:55; PGO-3, 50:50; PGO-4; 55:45. The blends and
lard were compared in terms of their basic physicochemical parameters, fatty acid
and triacylglycerol (TAG) compositions, melting, solidification and polymorphic
properties. The slip melting points (SMP) of the fat blends were found to range from
43.63 to 50.30oC. Among the four blends, PGO-1 and PGO-2 showed better
compatibility to lard at most temperature. According to x-ray diffraction analysis, the
diffractogram of all blends display beta and beta prime polymorphic forms which is
the same as lard. The potential of the modified blends to be as lard alternative were
proposed in the range of 40% to 55% with the addition of PGO. Then, the four
blends were applied in the cookies as shortening to compare their performance with
lard in the end products. The rheology for PGO-2 and lard looked closer to each
other based on tan δ value which were 0.54 (PGO-2) and 0.53 (lard). For the test
hardness, PGO-2 gave the nearest value to the lard which was 13.43N and 14.48N
respectively. Thickness and width were taken to measure the dimension of cookies
where PGO-2 had almost the same value with 13.68mm (PGO-2) and 13.94mm
(lard) for the thickness and 66.37mm (PGO-2) and 66.54mm (lard) for the width. Appearance were tested by observing the surface island on the top of cookies where
PGO-1 and PGO-2 showed less cracking which were similar to lard surface. Among
the four cookies, PGO-2 showed the similarities to lard at most test. Therefore, blend
of PGO-2 could be a potential blend to lard substitute.


Phosphatidylcholine (PC) production is accelerated by glucocorticoid, such as dexamethasone (DEX), which enhances fetal lung maturation, promotes differentiation of alveolar type II (ATII) cells, and increases production of both lipid and protein components of lung surfactant. We previously demonstrated that inhibition of choline uptake by ATII cells leads to a decrease of PC synthesis. Since choline uptake may play a critical role in PC production and lung surfactant homeostasis for normal breathing, it is of interest to characterize transporters controlling the disposition of choline in ATII cells. Therefore, we studied the gene regulation and activity of choline transporters in A549 cells, a human ATII cell line. A549 cells were exposed to DEX for 24 h, and mRNA expression levels of choline transporters-like protein 1, (CTL1) and CTL2, were measured using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. CTL1 and CTL2 mRNAs were strongly induced by DEX treatment of A549 cells, and the DEX-treated cells showed a significant increase in initial uptake rate of [(3)H]choline, which was assessed under ATP-depleted conditions to block the influence of consumption of choline by choline kinase. Transfection of A549 cells with either CTL1- or CTL2-small interfering RNAs significantly decreased [(3)H]choline uptake. In conclusion, choline transport in A549 cells is increased by treatment with DEX, and the increase is mediated by induction of functional choline transporters CTL1 and CTL2.


This work presents data toward the development of a new zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) system, the aim of which is to concentrate a liquid effluent thereby recovering process water. The crystallization technology used in this work is clathrate hydrate crystal formation. A screening of clathrate hydrate formers was performed and three were chosen, propane, carbon dioxide, and a 30-70 mol% propane carbon dioxide mixture. Experiments were carried out with these substances in a vessel that was immersed in a temperature controlled bath. The effluent samples used in this study were generated at four pulp mills, an unbleached and a bleached thermo-mechanical pulp mill (TMP1, TMP2), a bleached chemi-thermo-mechanical pulp mill (BCTMP), and a combined bleached BCTMP/TMP mill (CTMP). The aim of this work was two-fold. The prime objective was to study experimentally the formation of clathrate hydrate crystals in these effluents. Experiments were designed to measure: (1) The temperature and pressure conditions at which hydrates form in mechanical pulp mill effluent; (2) The induction time and the growth rate of crystal formation; and (3) The ability of this apparatus to concentrate the effluents in-situ. In addition, effluent characteristic tests were performed, and qualitative process characteristics were noted. A secondary objective was to perform a survey on the liquid effluents generated at TMP and CTMP mills. This survey focused on the type, concentration, source, and environmental impacts associated with the contaminants typically present in these effluents, on the current discharge regulations, and on the available treatment options. It was determined that hydrate crystals can form in these effluents at temperatures above the normal freezing point of water. The measurements were compared with similar hydrate formation data in pure water. It was also found that the presence of impurities did not cause any appreciable change in the hydrate crystal pressure and temperature formation conditions with the TMP and CTMP effluent samples, but that the BCTMP effluent, which had a high electrolyte and organic content, did affect these conditions. It was found that the induction period and growth rate of hydrate crystals are dependent on the driving force and the prior history of the effluent. And finally, that some level of in-situ concentration was attainable with our apparatus.


The C preprocessor is widely used to handle variability and solve portability issues in program families. In this context, developers normally use tools like GCC and Clang. However, these tools are not variability-aware, i.e., they preprocess the code and consider each family member individually. As a result, even well-known and widely used families, such as Linux and Apache, contain bad smells and bugs related to variability. To minimize this problem, we propose an approach to safely evolve C program families. We develop a strategy to detect bugs related to variability and define refactorings to remove bad smells in preprocessor directives. Our supporting tool, Colligens, implements our strategy to detect bugs and applies our refactorings automatically. By using our approach in 40 program families, we detect 121 bugs related to variability, and developers accepted 78% of the patches we submit. Also, we remove 477 bad smells in 12 C program families without clone code as in previous studies.


Differences in river and waste-water inflow and wind stress create contrasting environments and dissimilar distributions of properties between the northern and southern reaches of the San Francisco Bay system. A conceptual framework describing the physical processes which control these distributions, although still incomplete, is outlined. The northern reach receives 90% of the mean annual river inflow and 24% of the waste-water inflow. It changes from a partially mixed estuary, with a vertical salinity gradient of 10 ‰ during high river inflow, to a well-mixed estuary with a vertical salinity gradient of 3 ‰ during low summer inflow. The southern reach also has seasonally varying water properties. There the variations are determined by water exchange from the northern reach and the ocean and by direct waste inflow (76% of total Bay waste inputs). Salinity stratification is present during winter, whereas during summer the water is nearly isohaline because of wind and tidal mixing. Our knowledge of transport mechanisms is fragmentary. The northern reach has a permanent estuarine circulation cell that is largely maintained by the salinity-controlled density differences between river and ocean waters. Although wind variations alter this circulation, it is largely modulated by the timing and magnitude of the highly seasonal river inflow. This nontidal circulation is nearly equivalent to tidal diffusion in controlling the water-replacement rates in the channels, which vary from weeks (winter) to months (summer). The southern reach, in contrast, has seasonally reversing but sluggish near-bottom and surface nontidal currents that are generated by prevailing summer and episodic winterstorm winds and by winter flows of Delta-derived lowsalinity water from the northern reach. Although the diffusion of substances by the strong tidal currents is notable, the relative importance of diffusion by strong tidal currents and the episodic advective processes in controlling water replacement mechanisms and rates has not yet been fully determined. Studies of transport processes in San Francisco Bay, an estuary surrounded by a heavily urbanized area, could now most profitably focus on water-replacement mechanisms and rates because inflowing water dilutes unfavorable anthropogenic substances and flushes them from the system. Of greatest importance are studies defining the effects of river inflow in modulating water residence time, not only because inflow is perhaps the dominant agent in this modulation but also because man is able to control the inflow through massive river diversions.


This paper investigates the factors associated with foreign direct investment"surges"and"stops,"defined as sharp increases and decreases, respectively, of gross foreign direct investment inflows to the developing world and differentiated based on whether these events are led by waves in greenfield investments or mergers and acquisitions. Greenfield-led surges and stops occur more frequently than mergers and acquisitions-led ones and different factors are associated with the onset of the two types of events. Global liquidity is the only factor significantly associated with a surge, regardless of its kind, while decline in global economic growth and a surge in the preceding year are the only predictors of a stop. Greenfield-led surges and stops are more likely in low-income and resource-rich countries than elsewhere. Global growth, financial openness, and domestic economic and financial instability enable mergers and acquisitions-led surges. These results differ from those in the literature on surges and stops and are particularly relevant in countries where foreign direct investments dominate capital flows.


1. Objectives and Tools of World Regional Geography. 2. Physical Processes that Shape the World. 3. Human Processes that Shape World Regions. 4. A Geographic Profile of Europe. Module 4.1: The European Core. Module 4.2: The European Periphery. 5. A Geographic Profile of Russia and the Near Abroad. Module 5.1: Fragmentation and Redevelopment in Russia and the Near Abroad. 6. A Geographic Profile of the Middle East and North Africa. Module 6.1: The Middle East and North Africa: Modern Struggles in an Ancient Land. 7. A Geographic Profile of Monsoon Asia. Module 7.1: Complex and Populous South Asia. Module 7.2: Southeast Asia: From Subsistence Farming to Semiconductors. Module 7.3: China: The Giant. Module 7.4: Japan and the Koreas: Adversity and Prosperity in the Western Pacific. 8. A Geographic Profile of the Pacific World. Module 8.1: Australia and New Zealand: Prosperous and No Longer So Remote. 9. A Geographic Profile of Sub-Saharan Africa. Module 9.1: The Assets and Afflictions of Sub-Saharan Countries. 10. A Geographic Profile of Latin America. Module 10.1: Middle America: Land of the Shaking Earth. Module 10.2: South America: Stirring Giant. 11. A Geographic Profile of the United States and Canada. Module 11.1: Canada: From Sea to Sea. Module 11.2: The United States: Out of Many, One.


Abstract Upon sensing cytosolic- and/or viral double-stranded (ds)DNA, absent-in-melanoma-2 (AIM2)-like-receptors (ALRs) assemble into filamentous signaling platforms to initiate inflammatory responses. The versatile yet critical roles of ALRs in host innate defense are increasingly appreciated; however, the mechanisms by which AIM2 and its related IFI16 specifically recognize dsDNA over other nucleic acids remain poorly understood (i.e. single-stranded (ss)DNA, dsRNA, ssRNA and DNA:RNA hybrid). Here, we find that although AIM2 can interact with various nucleic acids, it preferentially binds to and assembles filaments faster on dsDNA in a duplex length-dependent manner. Moreover, AIM2 oligomers assembled on nucleic acids other than dsDNA not only display less ordered filamentous structures, but also fail to induce the polymerization of downstream ASC. Likewise, although showing broader nucleic acid selectivity than AIM2, IFI16 binds to and oligomerizes most readily on dsDNA in a duplex length-dependent manner. Nevertheless, IFI16 fails to form filaments on single-stranded nucleic acids and does not accelerate the polymerization of ASC regardless of bound nucleic acids. Together, we reveal that filament assembly is integral to nucleic acid distinction by ALRs.


Gamification in engineering education has been applied with success in the last years. Also, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are recognized as a good strategy to enhance engineering education. Nevertheless, MOOCs have two main weaknesses: first, lack of addressing personal goals; and second, low completion rates in comparison to the number of registrations to the MOOCs. To improve learning experiences in MOOCs and to strengthen self-regulated personalized learning we propose the application of gamification in MOOCs. Our assumption is that MOOC learners will better succeed in achieving their goals if they can individually personalize and plan their learning paths through gamification. This assumption is based on the implementation intention theory which claims that people who foster their goal intentions with implementation intentions are comparatively more successful in their personal goal achievements. Based on a preliminary literature review this article presents and arguments on our research idea on how to apply gamification to enhance MOOC users' goal achievement. Besides, it introduces a new perspective on MOOC completion rates based on the user intention and a new way of measuring it via the Personal Goal Achievement Ratio (PGAR) and the Overall Goal Achievement Ratio (OGAR).


A new class of 3D displays uses a digital projector and a cloud of passive optical scatterers etched in a glass cube with laser-induced damage.These inexpensive devices can be used to display simple 3D objects, extend videogames to three dimensions, and create 3D avatars. Over the past century, researchers have worked vigorously to create a device that can display realistic high-resolution 3D content. As an offshoot of that, we are developing an inexpensive class of volumetric displays that can present certain types of 3D content, including simple 3D objects, extruded objects, and 3D surfaces that appear dynamic when projected with time-varying images, at relatively low resolution. Our displays use a simple light engine and a cloud of passive optical scatterers. The basic idea is to trade off the light engine's 2D spatial resolution to gain resolution in the third dimension. One way to achieve such a tradeoff is to use a stack of planar grids of scatterers where no two stacks overlap each other with respect to the light engine's projection rays.


Existing models for nearest neighbor search in multidimensional spaces are not appropriate for query optimization because they either lead to erroneous estimation or involve complex equations that are expensive to evaluate in real-time. This paper proposes an alternative method that captures the performance of nearest neighbor queries using approximation. For uniform data, our model involves closed formulae that are very efficient to compute and accurate for up to 10 dimensions. Further, the proposed equations can be applied on nonuniform data with the aid of histograms. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the model by using it to solve several optimization problems related to nearest neighbor search.


Background: The relevance of ASXL2 to the function of the histone H2A deubiquitinase BAP1 remains unknown. Results: ASXL2 promotes the assembly by BAP1 of a composite ubiquitin-binding interface (CUBI) required for DUB activity and coordination of cell proliferation. Conclusion: Cancer-associated mutations of BAP1 disrupt BAP1-ASXL2 interaction and function. Significance: We provide novel insights into BAP1 tumor suppressor function. The deubiquitinase (DUB) and tumor suppressor BAP1 catalyzes ubiquitin removal from histone H2A Lys-119 and coordinates cell proliferation, but how BAP1 partners modulate its function remains poorly understood. Here, we report that BAP1 forms two mutually exclusive complexes with the transcriptional regulators ASXL1 and ASXL2, which are necessary for maintaining proper protein levels of this DUB. Conversely, BAP1 is essential for maintaining ASXL2, but not ASXL1, protein stability. Notably, cancer-associated loss of BAP1 expression results in ASXL2 destabilization and hence loss of its function. ASXL1 and ASXL2 use their ASXM domains to interact with the C-terminal domain (CTD) of BAP1, and these interactions are required for ubiquitin binding and H2A deubiquitination. The deubiquitination-promoting effect of ASXM requires intramolecular interactions between catalytic and non-catalytic domains of BAP1, which generate a composite ubiquitin-binding interface (CUBI). Notably, the CUBI engages multiple interactions with ubiquitin involving (i) the ubiquitin carboxyl hydrolase catalytic domain of BAP1, which interacts with the hydrophobic patch of ubiquitin, and (ii) the CTD domain, which interacts with a charged patch of ubiquitin. Significantly, we identified cancer-associated mutations of BAP1 that disrupt the CUBI and notably an in-frame deletion in the CTD that inhibits its interaction with ASXL1/2 and DUB activity and deregulates cell proliferation. Moreover, we demonstrated that BAP1 interaction with ASXL2 regulates cell senescence and that ASXL2 cancer-associated mutations disrupt BAP1 DUB activity. Thus, inactivation of the BAP1/ASXL2 axis might contribute to cancer development.