Golgi-Associated Plant Pathogenesis-Related protein 1 (GAPR-1) is a mammalian protein that belongs to the superfamily of plant pathogenesis related proteins group 1 (PR-1). It is a peripheral membrane protein that strongly associates with the cytosolic leaflet of Golgi membranes and is enriched in lipid rafts. Although the majority of GAPR-1 is localized to the Golgi membranes, some recent evidence suggests that it may also localize to other membranes. The determinants of GAPR-1 membrane binding and cellular localization are unknown. It has been suggested that GAPR-1 membrane binding may be regulated by a combination of factors including a myristoyl anchor, interactions with lipids, and protein-protein interactions. By use of a liposome binding assay and a protein-lipid overlay we show that non-myristoylated GAPR-1 binds to negatively charged lipids with highest affinity for phosphoinositides. Although phosphoinositide binding of GAPR-1 shows some degree of promiscuity, the binding efficiency to different phosphoinositides did not correlate with negative charges of the lipid, implying that GAPR-1 recognizes other features of the phosphoinositide molecules. Interestingly, GAPR-1 binds to phosphatidylinositol with unusual characteristics. Denaturation or organic extraction of GAPR-1 does not result in dissociation of phosphatidylinositol from GAPR-1, which may indicate that GAPR-1 binds to phosphatidylinositol with a covalent bond. Mass spectrometric analysis showed that up to 3 molecules of phosphatidylinositol can bind to GAPR-1. We also found factors that inhibit membrane binding of GAPR-1. Phosphorylation may be involved in membrane localization as a small but distinct pool of highly phosphorylated GAPR-1 could be identified in cytosol. Furthermore, we show that phytic acid is a potent inhibitor of membrane binding of GAPR-1 to liposomes. Previously, we suggested that dimerization plays a role in the function of GAPR-1 and therefore the effect of phytic acid on the dimerization characteristics was investigated. By size-exclusion chromatography, it was found that phytic acid promotes dimer formation of GAPR-1 in solution. Elucidation of the crystal structure of GAPR-1 in the presence of phytic acid revealed that the GAPR-1 dimer differs from the GAPR-1 dimer formed in the absence of phytic acid. In the presence of phytic acid, the monomeric subunits of the dimer appear to be rotated by 28.3 relative to each other. As a consequence the dimer interface displays a different geometry with different amino acids stabilizing the dimer conformation. Mutation of alanine 68 to a lysine (A68K), an interface contact site unique to the rotated dimer structure, did not prevent the induction of dimer formation by phytic acid. This indicates that mutant GAPR-1 is still capable of binding to phytic acid. However, phytic acid did not inhibit the membrane binding of A68K GAPR-1 to liposomes anymore. The existence of different GAPR-1 dimer conformations may be an important regulatory mechanism of GAPR-1 function. The results obtained in this study suggest that multiple signals act in concert and that changes in each signal may determine membrane binding and subcellular localization of GAPR-1. As binding of GAPR-1 to membranes is multi-factorial, this allows cells to regulate GAPR-1 at multiple levels.


Virtualization technology has revolted the computer technology. In the paper, we present our virtual computer cluster. The components of computer cluster have been improved by virtualization technology from the actual computer server to virtual server instance. Virtual computer cluster includes front-end machine and the cluster nodes. The front-end machine can be physical machines or virtual machines; the cluster node can also be virtual or physical machine node. The front-end machine of the cluster communicates with the cluster nodes through physical or virtual network adapter. The front-end machine connects with the cluster management software in each node so as to monitor and control every physical or virtual node within the cluster. A single virtual computer cluster extends its resources with adding physical or virtual resources including computing resources, storage resources and etc. within secure and stabile occasions with special needs. The technology can be widely applied to cluster and parallel computing demand but with lower-cost system design scenarios.


In this paper, a geometric approach to the synthesis of a residual generator for fault detection and isolation in state affine systems is considered. A necessary and sufficient condition to solve the so-called fundamental problem of residual generation is obtained. The proposed approach resorts to extensions of the notions of (C, A)-invariant and unobservability subspaces, and it yields a constructive design method.


From a globalization and glocalization lens, this article has examined two interdependent communication traditions (socio-cultural and rhetorical), outlined by Robert Craig in his magnum opus 'Communication theory as a field' published in Communication Theory in 1999; and how African thought and, to an extent, emotion can be repositioned through the local and international legal system, more specifically in the popular Bhe Case in South Africa. African thought can effectively and efficiently be explained through a theoretical binocular of what Molefi Asante has aptly called 'Afrocentricity.' The African thought on which this article is anchored is what Karenga also called 'Maat,' which means 'rightness in the spiritual and the moral sense in three realms: the divine, the natural and the social.' We conclude that yoking globalization influences on the socio-cultural and rhetorical traditions of the African and Black people can create uncomfortable bedmates.


Crosslink density is a valuable property that affects the functional performance of a vulcanized rubber. It is generally determined by the solvent swelling method. The presence of filler can affect the results of crosslink density determination. While the information on the total crosslink density is useful, when more than one type of crosslinks are present in a vulcanized rubber, further characterization work is necessary to understand the contribution of these crosslinks to the performance properties of the rubber. Therefore, the ionic and covalent crosslinks of carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber and natural rubber can be quantified individually using solvents of different polarities. By using suitable chemical probes, such as thiolate ion, this technique also allows the separate determination of the monodiand polysulphidic crosslinks in vulcanized rubbers. The crosslink density can also be determined using the Mooney-Rivlin equation based on stress-strain data of vulcanized rubbers. By swelling vulcanized rubbers in styrene, polymerizing the styrene, and observing the microtomed rubbers under a transmission electron microscope, crosslinks that formed within a latex particle, or intra-particle crosslinks, and those of inter-particle crosslinks can be visualized and determined semi-quantitatively. This characterization technique is useful for one to understand the extent of inter-particle and intra-particle crosslinking reactions.


The inco rpo ra tion of Spanish military fo rces in intern a tional opera tions has
i n cre a sed the need for tra n s l a tion servi ces in ord er to ach i eve pre ci se and
i n d i s pen s a ble co m mu n i c a tion betwe en the mem bers of d i f ferent arm i e s . W h i l e
there exist a few dictionaries which translate military vocabulary from English into
Spa n i s h , t h ere are none from Fren ch into Spa n i s h . The military are , t h erefo re ,
forced to resort to bilingual general dictionaries when they struggle to translate and
to make themselves understood.
In this paper we analyzed the lexicographic treatment given to military vocabulary
in this kind of d i cti o n a ry, its inclusion and tra n s l a ti o n , and we eva l u a ted the
proposed equivalences.


The most typical alteration of membrane phospholipids in rat tissues in acute hyperthermia was an increase in content of sphingomyelin and phosphatidylinositol. The increase in phosphatidylinositol appears to occur as a result of unspecific effect of hyperthermia on the cells, while the increase of sphingomyelin is apparently important for stabilization of membrane structure. Indirect data were obtained on increase in membrane liquidity during thermic shock.


Forests deliver a number of important ecosystem services, including clean water. When forests are disturbed by wildfire, the timing, quantity and quality of runoff are altered. A modelling study was conducted in a forested watershed in California, USA, to determine the risk of wildfire, and the potential post-fire sediment delivery from ~4-ha hillslope polygons within a 1500-km2 basin following a wildfire event. Wildfire intensity was estimated with fire spread models. The estimation of soil burn severity was based on predicted flame length. Sediment delivery was estimated from each hillslope polygon using a Geographic Information System erosion model. Polygons that generated the greatest amount of sediment, affected other values at risk in the basin, or were critical for reducing fire spread were 'treated' by reducing the amount and type of fuel available for a wildfire. The fire and erosion models were run a second time for treated conditions to see whether the treatment resulted in a reduced fire intensity and probability, and hence a reduced erosion rate. The estimated erosion rates the first year after the fire dropped from 46 Mg ha–1 before treatment to 26 Mg ha–1 for polygons that had received fuel treatments.


Abstract In the Framework of the IEA EBC Annex68 Subtask 1 working subject, we aimed at defining an indoor air quality index for residential buildings based on long- and short-term exposure limit values. This paper compares 8 indoor air quality indices (IEI, LHVP, CLIM2000, BILGA, GAPI, IEI Taiwan, QUAD-BBC and DALY) by using the French IAQ Observatory database that includes pollutant concentration measurements performed in 567 dwellings between 2003 and 2005. This comparison allows to make a relevant analysis of each index and determines their pros and cons i.e. the calculation method, selected pollutants, threshold concentrations, sub-indices and their aggregation. From this analysis, a new index is proposed in order to be as consistent as possible in regards of health impacts by taking both long-and short-term exposure limit values into account.


the new novel from the Nobel Prize-winning author of international bestseller Soul Mountain The unnamed narrator of this book recalls his Beijing boyhood, his tenth birthday, the death of his grandfather, the accidental drowning of his mother and the effect all this trauma had on the frail, sensitive young boy he was then. He then pulls us forward in time to view the sexually active adult he has become, engaged in a series of difficult relationships, in constant trouble with the Chinese authorities, and in danger of being marked out as a 'counter-revolutionary'. The book moves between the nightmare of the Cultural Revolution insanities of the late 1960s and early 1970s to the tentative, limited liberations of the 1990s, and the narrator moves between China, Hong Kong, Paris and Frankfurt. Through it all throbs an overwhelmingly powerful sense of the past, distant and near, and a moving and unprecedented insight into the character of modern China. * Gao has his narrator say of the book's purpose: 'Your writing is not in the cause of pure literature, but you're also not a fighter using your pen as a weapon to promote right, moreover you don't know what's right. You know you're certainly not the embodiment of right and you write simply to indicate that a sort of life worse than a quagmire, more real than an imaginary hell, more terrifying than the judgement of the last day has existed. Furthermore, it's highly likely that after people have forgotten about it, it will make a comeback, and people who've never gone crazy will go crazy again, and people who've never been oppressed will oppress or be oppressed. This is because madness has existed since the birth of humanity.'


Summary

1. Invasion biologists use two main approaches to evaluate the effects of non-native species (NNS) on diversity of native species (DNS), namely space-for-time and time approaches. These approaches have pitfalls related to lack of controls: the former lacks pre-invasion data, while the latter often lacks data from non-invaded sites.

2. We propose a framework that combines space-for-time and time approaches and which should result in more focused mechanistic hypotheses and experiments to test the causes of invasibility and the effects of NNS on DNS. We illustrate the usefulness of our framework using two case studies: one with the submersed macrophyte, Hydrilla verticillata, in reservoir and the other with the fish, Geophagus proximus, in a large river–floodplain system.

3. Hydrilla verticillata invaded sites with DNS similar to that found in non-invaded sites, indicating that biotic and/or abiotic factors did not influence invasion success; however, DNS increased over time in invaded sites compared with non-invaded sites, suggesting that H. verticillata facilitated natives. In contrast, G. proximus invaded sites with higher DNS than non-invaded sites, suggesting that biotic and/or abiotic factors favouring natives were important for invasion success, but DNS increased in invaded and non-invaded sites over time, indicating that an independent factor contributed to DNS increases.

4. Conclusions from both studies would have been inaccurate or incomplete if the space-for-time and time approaches had not been used in combination as proposed in our framework.


The aim of this study is to decrease a fishing boat's roll motion, which is adversely affected by disturbing hydrodynamic forces, by applying fin roll stabilizer. It is ensured that roll motion with nonlinear damping and restoring moment coefficients reaches the desired level by means of classical PID and modified PID algorithms. By Lyapunov's direct method, the key issuestability which is needed during the course of sailing was examined considering initial conditions, and it was realized that the system was generally stable. Besides, NACA 0015 model was utilized for the fin roll stabilizer, and flow analysis was conducted by CFD method. According to the simulation results, when the same gains were practiced, modified PID controller algorithms were rather more efficient than conventional PID in the roll fin stabilizer system.


Abelacimab is a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that has dual activity against the inactive zymogen Factor XI (FXI) and the activated Factor XI (FXIa). Clinical trials for this investigational product are ongoing.
 As part of the initial assessment of abelacimab safety and efficacy, an anti-drug antibody (ADA) assay was validated and implemented in two single ascending dose studies conducted in the United States and Japan in healthy subjects. In those studies, ADA positive results were detected in up to 31.1% of subjects. There was no apparent impact on PK, PD, or development of immunogenicity-adverse events in study subjects who were ADA positive relative to those who were ADA negative in either study. Further, the rates of ADA positive subjects seemed inconsistent with a single administration of a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody therapeutic. Given the homodimeric structure of FXI, it appeared that the ADA assay was returning false positive results due to cross-linking through FXI. To address this issue, a novel ADA assay, following the 3-tiered approach of screening, confirmation, and titer determination was developed and validated. The assay was shown to be sensitive, specific, and did not show false positive interference by FXI. Two subsequent clinical trials (ANT-003 A randomized, subject- and investigator-blinded, placebo-controlled study conducted in healthy subjects and in obese, but otherwise healthy, subjects aged 18 to 60 years of age and ANT-004 A randomized, subject- and investigator-blinded, placebo-controlled, multiple ascending dose study in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter aged 18 to 85 years old with a CHA 2DS 2-VASc risk score of 0-1 for men and 1-2 for women and in whom the use of an anticoagulant for stroke prevention was not planned for the duration of the trial) showed no treatment-emergent ADA responses from either trial. The screen positive rate from the two studies was approximately 5% with no screen positive samples confirmed as positive indicating that the new assay format successfully addressed the false positive issue, and that the sensitivity was appropriately set to achieve the FDA-recommended 5% false positive rate for ADA assays.

 Cullen: Anthos Therapeutics, Inc: Consultancy. Freedholm: Anthos Therapeutics, Inc: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company.


This paper shows the experimental results of the control of the heat exchanger working as a part of the laboratory heat exchange and distribution pilot plant. Two control strategies are considered: PI + gain scheduling (PI+GS) technique and Balance-Based Adaptive Control (B-BAC) methodology. In both cases, simplified modeling of different type is required and the results of the comparative tests show the control performance of both strategies when the flow rate of the heating medium is the manipulated variable.


The Islamic Republic of Iran, as an Islamic and independent country on the original ideology of Islam, announced freedom of political parties within the Constitution (Act, 26). After the Islamic Revolution victory in 1979, two main political fronts formed, "Principlism Front and Reformism Front." Reformism seems a challenging issue to the Iranian nation as it may appear adopted on the Western ideology. The present study aimed to remove any ambiguity on this issue to help politicians, scholars, and ordinary people. To this aim, the following question should answer: what are Ayatollah Khamenei's criteria for Reformism in Iran? Moreover, the research hypothesis was that Ayatollah Khamenei approves of Reformism in Iran based on some defined criteria. For the analysis, the political thoughts of Ayatollah Khamenei were recorded as written texts which contained the word Reformism and selected and obtained from the following official Website. The collected documents analyzed through Discourse Analysis to elicit and specify the criteria for Reformism in Iran. The results indicated that: Reformism is essential and required, and has to implement in the country; Reformism should be value directed and comply with principles of Islam and the Revolution; the exact definition of Reformism is needed to specify the goals; the Reformism should be organized and controlled from a powerful and aware center according to Constitution foundation; comprehensiveness and concordance, reforms have to implement in all areas in the society synchronically; a tolerable and influential center should control the Reformism to avoid immethodically, and the structure of the Constitution has to protect in Reformism issues.


We study auction-theoretic scheduling in cellular networks using the idea of mean field equilibrium (MFE). Here, agents model their opponents through a distribution over their action spaces and play the best response. The system is at an MFE if this action is itself a sample drawn from the assumed distribution. In our setting, the agents are smart phone apps that generate service requests, experience waiting costs, and bid for service from base stations. We show that if we conduct a second-price auction at each base station, there exists an MFE that would schedule the app with the longest queue at each time. The result suggests that auctions can attain the same desirable results as queue-length-based scheduling. We present results on the asymptotic convergence of a system with a finite number of agents to the mean field case, and conclude with simulation results illustrating the simplicity of computation of the MFE.


: Three self-concepts of competence are investigated with a new instrument measuring different aspects of achievement in a total of 1983 subjects. Empirical data of 430 subjects aged 50 to 95 are presented pertaining to three self-concepts of competence and achievement in total and arranged into 4 chronological age groups. The new instrument employed for measuring self-concepts--FSKN--permits a priori the definition of marginal values for "positive" and "negative" concepts of achievement. Results of the cross-sectional study have failed to falsify the hypothesis (1): Elderly people (including those in retirement) have "positive" or "favourable" self-concepts of achievement--i.e. self-concepts characterized by socially desirable attributes. The three concepts of competence of elderly persons investigated (including individuals aged 80 to 95) show a favourability similar to those of 568 schoolchildren, 504 students and 481 persons aged 18 to 50. Correlation studies investigating the relationship of on the one hand elderly persons' cognitive capacity determined by nine different instruments and on the other hand the subjective self-concepts of competence and achievement failed to falsify the hypothesis (2): The higher the objectively measured degree of elderly persons' cognitive capacity, the more "favourable" or "positive" are also the subjective concepts of achievement. In the light of empirical data we may postulate an influence of the current objectively determined cognitive capacity of elderly persons on their subjective (positive) self-concepts of competence and achievement.


Evidence is presented for the activation of serum complement by contrast media, in vitro and in vivo. Activation as a function of concentration was measured and the increasing order of effectiveness was found to be metrizamide, iothalamate, diatrizoate, acetrizoate, iodipamide and iopanoate. This order is the same as for protein binding and enzyme inhibition. The activation mechanism for iodipamide, and by inference for the other compounds, does not involve gamma-globulin aggregation. Serial daily injections in normal dogs resulted in substantial declines in serum complement over several days. Guinea pigs which were depleted of serum complement with cobra venom factor were found to be no less sensitive to lethal doses of iodipamide than those with normal complement. Implications of these findings are discussed.


Purpose
The aim of this study is two-fold. Firstly, to examine the outcomes of co-creation from a customer perspective using well-recognised customer management variables (customer satisfaction, loyalty and word-of-mouth (WOM). Secondly, to assess potential cross-cultural differences that may exist within the context of co-creation.

Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was completed in the banking services industry, and the final valid sample comprised individuals from the UK and Spain. Multi-sample analysis was carried out using PLS software.

Findings
Co-creation has a direct influence on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and WOM; co-creation activities lead to cumulative customer satisfaction, which also affects customer loyalty and positive WOM. Furthermore, the results show that the direct relationships between co-creation and loyalty and WOM are more powerful for British consumers than Spanish consumers, who need to feel satisfied prior to demonstrating loyalty and engaging in positive WOM.

Practical implications
Firms can use co-creation as a strategic tool if they provide trustworthy collaboration spaces. Furthermore, firms need to adapt the way they interact, listen and respond to customers in different cultural contexts. Trustworthy collaboration spaces and adapting to cultural differences can result in customers who are more satisfied, loyal to the company and more likely to carry out positive WOM, which can ultimately lead to future business.

Originality/value
This study provides insights into co-creation from a customer perspective. Although much service research has examined the drivers of customer co-creation, literature that analyses the consequences of customer co-creation is still scarce. Moreover, this is the first study to provide empirical evidence of cross-cultural differences within the context of co-creation.


The effective air-filled porosity and the gas diffusion coefficient are important soil parameters determining the success of soil bioremediation projects such as (bio)venting and (bio)sparging methods in combination with soil vapor extraction. We have developed a new method to sequentially measure the effective air-filled porosity and the soil gas diffusion coefficient of a soil sample. During the purging of the sample, a fast and accurate measurement of the effective air-filled porosity can be obtained. The subsequent diffusion measurement does not require a zero-O 2 concentration in the soil sample. The procedure further allows the calculation of the soil gas diffusion coefficient before an equilibrium O 2 concentration has been reached. The results are obtained by combining the data of the inlet and outlet compartment in a single equation. A stable reading is reached when the results for the inlet and outlet compartment coincide with the results from the combined equation. The analysis time is reduced by 89 to 96% compared with methods that run until an equilibrium concentration has been reached. Moreover, combining data from inlet and outlet compartments increases the accuracy of the diffusivity measurement by a factor of two compared with previous methods.


Musculoskeletal (MS) models should be able to integrate patient-specific MS architecture and undergo thorough validation prior to their introduction into clinical practice. We present a methodology to develop subject-specific models able to simultaneously predict muscle, ligament, and knee joint contact forces along with secondary knee kinematics. The MS architecture of a generic cadaver-based model was scaled using an advanced morphing technique to the subject-specific morphology of a patient implanted with an instrumented total knee arthroplasty (TKA) available in the fifth "grand challenge competition to predict in vivo knee loads" dataset. We implemented two separate knee models, one employing traditional hinge constraints, which was solved using an inverse dynamics technique, and another one using an 11-degree-of-freedom (DOF) representation of the tibiofemoral (TF) and patellofemoral (PF) joints, which was solved using a combined inverse dynamic and quasi-static analysis, called force-dependent kinematics (FDK). TF joint forces for one gait and one right-turn trial and secondary knee kinematics for one unloaded leg-swing trial were predicted and evaluated using experimental data available in the grand challenge dataset. Total compressive TF contact forces were predicted by both hinge and FDK knee models with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) and a coefficient of determination (R2) smaller than 0.3 body weight (BW) and equal to 0.9 in the gait trial simulation and smaller than 0.4 BW and larger than 0.8 in the right-turn trial simulation, respectively. Total, medial, and lateral TF joint contact force predictions were highly similar, regardless of the type of knee model used. Medial (respectively lateral) TF forces were over- (respectively, under-) predicted with a magnitude error of M < 0.2 (respectively > -0.4) in the gait trial, and under- (respectively, over-) predicted with a magnitude error of M > -0.4 (respectively < 0.3) in the right-turn trial. Secondary knee kinematics from the unloaded leg-swing trial were overall better approximated using the FDK model (average Sprague and Geers' combined error C = 0.06) than when using a hinged knee model (C = 0.34). The proposed modeling approach allows detailed subject-specific scaling and personalization and does not contain any nonphysiological parameters. This modeling framework has potential applications in aiding the clinical decision-making in orthopedics procedures and as a tool for virtual implant design.


Abstract Background Septic shock (SS) is associated with high morbidity and mortality rate. Early antibiotic therapy administration in septic patients was shown to reduce mortality but its impact on mortality in a prehospital setting is still under debate. To clarify this point, we performed a retrospective analysis on patients with septic shock who received antibiotics in a prehospital setting. Methods: From April 15th, 2017 to March 1st, 2020, patients with septic shock requiring Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) intervention were retrospectively analyzed to assess the impact of prehospital antibiotic therapy administration on a 30-day mortality. Results: Three-hundred-eight patients with septic shock requiring MICU intervention in the prehospital setting were analyzed. The mean age of the study population was 70 ± 15 years. Presumed origin of SS was mainly pulmonary (44%), digestive (21%) or urinary (19%) infection. Overall 30-day mortality was 29%. Ninety-eight (32%) patients received antibiotic therapy. Using Cox regression analysis, we showed that prehospital antibiotic therapy significantly reduces 30-day mortality for patients with septic shock (hazard ratio = 0.56, 95%CI [0.35-0.89], p = 0.016). Conclusion: In this retrospective study, prehospital antibiotic therapy reduces 30-day mortality of septic shock patients cared for by MICU. Further studies will be needed to confirm the beneficial effect of prehospital antibiotic therapy in association or not with prehospital hemodynamic optimization to improve the survival of septic shock patients.


David Ban, MD, Junior Assistant Resident in Medicine, the Jewish Hospital of St Louis: A 70-year-old woman was seen at our hospital in December 1980, complaining of a weight loss of 23 kg during a one-year period. Her medical history was notable for multiple hospital admissions caused by pneumonia and for hypertension that she had had for 15 years. She denied having had diabetes mellitus or renal disease, and her family history did not disclose either of these conditions. She had smoked cigarettes until one year before this hospital admission. A physical examination disclosed a thin, elderly woman who appeared older than her stated age. Her vital signs were normal. She was found to have had an enlarged thyroid gland, with a palpable nodule in the left lobe. There was evidence of muscle atrophy. Findings from the rest of the physical examination were normal. Laboratory studies disclosed the following values:


In this paper, an explicit expression of the peak electric-field strength in the cavities of Chebyshev direct-coupled-cavity waveguide filters is derived. It is shown that the electric-field strength can be predicted from the analysis of the time-averaged stored energy in the lumped low-pass prototype, from which the cavity filter was derived. This simplifies the analysis and study of the power-handling capability of these types of filters considerably, as the stored energy in the prototype filters is easily computed. The analysis of the field distribution in the cavities of an example third-degree Chebyshev direct-coupled-cavity filter shows that the explicit expression for the peak electric-field strength derived in this paper agrees closely with results obtained from a TE/sub 10/ circuit model of the filter, from a full-wave electromagnetic solver and from measurements.


We employ the simulated annealing method in order to restore signals that may contain peaks we wish to preserve but, otherwise, are smooth and buried in colored noise. The problem is formulated as a global optimization one. We propose a piecewise linear model for the noise-free signal that is appropriate for preserving peaks that are often encountered in biomedical or industrial signals. An iterative algorithm is proposed. The restored signal is used to estimate the model parameters that are subsequently used to improve the signal estimation. The algorithm stops when self-consistency has been achieved, i.e., the estimated values of the noise model parameters agree to within the accuracy of their estimation with the parameters used to restore the signal. Application of the method to simulated data with various levels of noise showed that the underlying signal can be restored sufficiently well. The algorithm is also applied to some evoked-response magneto-encephalographic data, as well as to some signals from an automatic industrial inspection problem. Our results are compared with those obtained by using the iterative conditional modes algorithm and shown to be better in terms of preserving the peaks in the signals.


The Silurian–Ordovician Southern Uplands terrane occupies a key position in the Caledonian orogen, yet its genesis is controversial. Marginal-basin, backarc, and forearc tectonic regimes have all been invoked as operative at the Laurentian margin of the Iapetus Ocean. Fresh andesitic detritus within turbidite sandstones has, until now, been assumed to provide evidence for an Ordovician suprasubduction volcanic arc, a central feature of most models. However, high-precision thermal-ionization mass spectrometer U-Pb and laser-ablation data for detrital zircons from the sandstone prove Neoproterozoic volcanism at 557 ± 6 Ma (2σ) and probably also at 613 ± 12 Ma (2σ). The complex crystallization history recorded by the zircons shows assimilation of 1043 ± 7 Ma (2σ) Grenvillian basement into the andesite magma. The fact that no zircons have been found having ages that overlap the Caradocian depositional age of the host sedimentary rocks undermines all extant terrane models. The age profile of the detrital zircons is typical of Gondwana and Avalonia. This finding has important implications for the paleogeography of the Iapetus Ocean during the Ordovician, because the zircon data require the introduction of Avalonian detritus into a sedimentary basin marginal to Laurentia.


An investigation using questionnaires was conducted to find clues to determine the existence of a hierarchical structure for descriptive adjectives having timbre. One hundred sixty‐six subjects rated frequency of use for 114 adjectives having timbre on a seven‐point scale. Based on the results of the subjective ratings, 50 descriptive adjectives were selected. One hundred sixty subjects then rated their subjective impressions of these adjectives by the following four scales: (1) concrete–abstract, (2) simple–complex, (3) objective–subjective, and (4) difficulty in recalling the expressed timbre. Similarity of the expressed timbre was also measured using a sorting method. The results were analyzed by MDS and clustering techniques. A hierarchical structure for the descriptive adjectives having timbre was interpreted from the results of the analyses. This research should form a basis for further investigation of a human timbre perception mechanism.


Global warming potentials (GWPs) are the metrics currently used to compare emissions of different greenhouse gases under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Future changes in greenhouse gas concentrations will alter GWPs because the radiative efficiencies of marginal changes in CO2, CH4 and N2O depend on their background concentrations, the removal of CO2 is influenced by climate–carbon cycle feedbacks, and atmospheric residence times of CH4 and N2O also depend on ambient temperature and other environmental changes. We calculated the currently foreseeable future changes in the absolute GWP of CO2, which acts as the denominator for the calculation of all GWPs, and specifically the GWPs of CH4 and N2O, along four representative concentration pathways (RCPs) up to the year 2100. We find that the absolute GWP of CO2 decreases under all RCPs, although for longer time horizons this decrease is smaller than for short time horizons due to increased climate–carbon cycle feedbacks. The 100-year GWP of CH4 would increase up to 20% under the lowest RCP by 2100 but would decrease by up to 10% by mid-century under the highest RCP. The 100-year GWP of N2O would increase by more than 30% by 2100 under the highest RCP but would vary by less than 10% under other scenarios. These changes are not negligible but are mostly smaller than the changes that would result from choosing a different time horizon for GWPs, or from choosing altogether different metrics for comparing greenhouse gas emissions, such as global temperature change potentials.


Istanbul has always been a flourishing metropolis with regard to the qualified cultural accumulation resulting from the traces of its historical stratification and the combination of these traces. With the advent of the 20th century, the modern architectural products are also a part of this accumulation. However, despite being involved under the definition of cultural heritage, they are perceived as elements destroying the historical environment. This situation resulted in the loss of modern architectural heritage through the misinterpreted practices of urban transformation. The protection of Turkey's modern architectural heritage is also on the agenda as a problematic issue discussed at different scales because of the transformation-oriented decisions. This study focuses on Talimhane, a modernist project designed and implemented in the first half of the 20th century. Within the scope of the article, Talimhane, which was an urban open space used as the military training place of Taksim Artillery Barracks in the past, is introduced with regards to its formation in the 1930s as a holistic residential area and its development in the 1940s. Then, the social, physical and functional transformation of the area, which has been under evolution since the 1950s, is emphasized and this transformation is documented with the help of current situation analyses. The conclusion part, which critically evaluates the destructive impacts of urban transformation on the modern architectural heritage, aims to draw attention on the existing potentials in the preservation of modern architectural heritage not limited to Talimhane case. OPEN ACCESS This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Anahtar sözcükler: İstanbul; kentsel dönüşüm; modern mimarlık mirası; Talimhane.


Interview in three sessions in 1982 with Jesse L. Greenstein, DuBridge Professor of Astrophysics, emeritus. Greenstein discusses his early career at the Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago, under Otto Struve (1937-1948), and his arrival at Caltech in 1948 to build an astronomy department in the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy. He discusses the early partnership between Caltech and the Carnegie Institution of Washington in running Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories, the interactions between observational astronomy and theoretical astrophysics, and the rise of radio astronomy. Besides his discussion of his work on stellar composition, the interview contains his recollections of such twentieth-century pioneers of astronomy and astrophysics as Struve, Grote Reber, Gerard Kuiper, Edwin Hubble, Fritz Zwicky, Walter Baade, Rudolph Minkowski, H. P. Robertson, Richard Tolman, and Fred Hoyle--and of various Caltech principals including Lee DuBridge, Earnest Watson, Arnold Beckman, and Robert Christy. He also discusses his service in the 1960s as chairman of Caltech's Faculty Board and member of its Aims and Goals Committee. He speculates about the scarcity of women astronomers and the difficulties they face. In an addendum to his interview, he discusses in more technical detail latter-day changes in instrumentation, the impact of new and improved detectors, and their contributions to his work on white dwarfs.


Recent studies have shown that reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) can help in extending the wireless coverage. However, no work has quantitatively analyzed the coverage. In this letter, we present the coverage analysis for an RIS-aided communication system. For comparison, the coverage analysis for relaying systems and direct-link transmission systems are also derived. Furthermore, we provide the analysis for the probability of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain of the RIS over the direct link transmission. Finally, we analyze the delay outage rate of the RIS in achieving ultra-reliable low-latency transmissions. The results show that using the RIS can expand the coverage, increase the SNR gain, and reduce latency of the links.


Embryo implantation represents the most critical step of the reproductive process in many species, to be successful requires a receptive endometrium, functional embryo at a stage of embryonic development and proper dialogue between embryonic and maternal tissues. Hatching is the process in which the blastocyst gets rid of the zona pellucida to be implemented. The failure in this factor can lead to reproductive problems, even under assisted reproduction techniques. Assisted hatching is a technique used in assisted reproduction laboratories to improve performance in the process of fecundation or in vitro fertilization. This technique is based on impairment or section of the zona pellucida using different techniques. In this review, the most common indications and techniques used to perform this procedure and improve success rates in assisted reproduction techniques are synthesized.


Firms in the last decade have faced a turbulent environment, characterized by increasing complexity in relationships, changes in the needs of customers, and increased uncertainty in decision making. Some companies respond to this situation using the same strategies of industry leaders, leading to a convergence process, which affects the profitability of the sector. This paper presents a methodology that allows a better way to see what happens in one sector and determine the degree of convergence.


Drug eruption is defined as an adverse cutaneous eruption secondary to drug intake. The most frequent variation is a morbilliform exanthema, although the clinical presentations may vary widely. The diagnosis is clinical, why thorough medical history and assessment are essential for the risk stratification of possible adverse cutaneous reaction. In Western hospitals, the prevalence is estimated to be 2-3% of the patients. Identification of the condition is therefore important for all healthcare professionals.


A time division multiplexing of polarization-insensitive fiber-optic Michelson interferometric sensors (TDM-PIMI's) with a 3 x 3 directional coupler is presented. The elimination of polarization-induced fading and the output intensities of the TDM-PIMI system are described and demonstrated. The output intensity of each sensor of the system can be demodulated by a passive homodyne method to increase the sensor bandwidth significantly. The sensor cross talk of the system having an optical gate with a finite extinction ratio is analyzed. The use of a laser source with an adequate coherence length to reduce the sensor cross talk is suggested. The delay-fiber cross talk of the system by Rayleigh backscattering is analyzed and demonstrated. We further suggest some methods that could possibly reduce the effect of the Rayleigh backscattered light. Finally a sophisticated design of a TDM-PIMI system with a 3 x 3 directional coupler is described.


Immune regulation is an essential feature of immune responses. The failure of such regulation results in allergic reactions and debilitating autoimmune diseases that can be fatal. Furthermore, the recent increase in the prevalence of the latter as well as the medi - cal severity makes this a subject of great medical interest. Autoimmunity results from a breakdown in or the failure of the self-tolerance mechanisms. Many genes have been identified in which mutations cause the predisposition to autoinflammation and autoim munity in human and in animal models. The relatively small number of genes explored to date unquestionably shows the challenges of identifying the associated genes in outbred populations of humans. One chief contributing gene family to both autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases is the nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) family. Ever since their discovery, NLRs have drawn considerable atten - tion for their ability to form multiprotein complexes called inflammasomes and also for their roles as NLRs, independent of inflammasome complexes. We herein first revisit gen - eral characteristics of NLRs and inflammasomes. We then couple this knowledge with the most recent findings related to autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases, while high - lighting some unanswered questions and future perspectives in elucidating NLR roles in health and disease. connections between the innate and adaptive immune system.


Abstract This article presents a description of the proficiency level of a group of English teachers who participated in the study about the conditions of implementation of the National Bilingual Program in Santiago de Cali. To offer a view of teachers' proficiency beyond tests results, and in an effort to understand the make-up of this proficiency, focus group interviews and survey data were also used. Findings were analyzed following the models of teacher development of Richards (1998) and Roberts (1998), as well as theory about language proficiency from different authors. The results show that teachers from both public and private sectors are still in the process of building the proficiency levels sought by the Ministry of Education. The study also found that the elementary level, especially in the public sector, provides a frail basis for teaching and learning English at the secondary level. Key words: Proficiency, English teaching, National Bilingual Program, conditions of implementation, standards, tests results.


In order to make the prediction of land surface heat fluxes more robust, two improvements were made to an operational two-layer model proposed previously by Zhang. These improvements are: 1) a surface energy balance method is used to determine the theoretical boundary lines (namely 'true wet/cool edge' and 'true dry/warm edge' in the trapezoid) in the scatter plot for the surface temperature versus the fractional vegetation cover in mixed pixels; 2) a new assumption that the slope of the Tm – f curves is mainly controlled by soil water content is introduced. The variables required by the improved method include near surface vapor pressure, air temperature, surface resistance, aerodynamic resistance, fractional vegetation cover, surface temperature and net radiation. The model predictions from the improved model were assessed in this study by in situ measurements, which show that the total latent heat flux from the soil and vegetation are in close agreement with the in situ measurement with an RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) ranging from 30 w/m2∼50 w/m2, which is consistent with the site scale measurement of latent heat flux. Because soil evaporation and vegetation transpiration are not measured separately from the field site, in situ measured CO2 flux is used to examine the modeled λEveg. Similar trends of seasonal variations of vegetation were found for the canopy transpiration retrievals and in situ CO2 flux measurements. The above differences are mainly caused by 1) the scale disparity between the field measurement and the MODIS observation; 2) the non-closure problem of the surface energy balance from the surface fluxes observations themselves. The improved method was successfully used to predict the component surface heat fluxes from the soil and vegetation and it provides a promising approach to study the canopy transpiration and the soil evaporation quantitatively during the rapid growing season of winter wheat in northern China.


Abstract The Cave Bear, Ursus spelaeus (sensu lato), was one of many megafaunal species that became extinct during the Late Pleistocene in Europe. With new data we revisit the debate about the extinction and paleoecology of this species by presenting new chronometric, isotopic and taphonomic evidence from two Palaeolithic cave bear sites in northeastern Italy: Paina Cave and Trene Cave. Two direct radiocarbon dates on well-preserved collagen have yielded ages around 24,200–23,500 cal yr BP, which make them the latest known representatives of the species in Europe. The carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic values of bone collagen exhibit values similar to those of older cave bears from Swabian Jura and France, suggesting that the feedings preferences of cave bears remained unchanged until the disappearance of this species in Europe. Several bear remains preserved traces of human modification such as cut marks, which enables a reconstruction of the main steps of fur recovery and the butchering process. The broad range of plant types available and the favorable location of Berici Hills may have played an important role in the range expansion of cave bears and their interaction with the Paleolithic hunters settled the same area.


Considerable evidence suggests that malnutrition affects human performance, health and survival, including physical growth, morbidity, mortality, cognitive development, reproduction, physical work capacity and risks for several adult-onset chronic diseases. In recent decades, development agencies and governments have emphasized selective interventions to improve health and nutritional status, such as immunizations, oral rehydration, antibiotics and micronutrients, with child survival as a major motivation and justification. Although the efficacy of these approaches for improving child survival has been amenable to study, providing some of the rationale for using these approaches, it has not been possible to test directly the effects of improvements in general malnutrition. The present study quantified the effects of changes in general malnutrition, as measured by child weight-for-age (WA), on changes in child survival in 59 developing countries, using aggregate, longitudinal data at national and subnational levels from 1966 to 1996. Mixed model analysis (in SAS) was used, to take advantage of the multilevel and longitudinal nature of these data sets. Changes in WA have a statistically significant effect on changes in child mortality, independent of socioeconomic and policy changes represented by the secular trend. The secular trend in mortality began earlier and leveled off at higher mortality rates in populations with a higher prevalence of malnutrition. Gaps in coverage of selective interventions are more likely and more serious in the more malnourished populations. Continued reduction in mortality will require improved targeting of selective interventions and general nutritional improvement to the most marginal populations.


OBJECTIVE
To assess validity and reliability for a visual analogue scale (VAS) used by owners to measure chronic pain in their osteoarthritic dogs.

SAMPLE
68, 61, and 34 owners who completed a questionnaire.

PROCEDURES
Owners answered questionnaires at 5 time points. Criterion validity of the VAS was evaluated for all dogs in the intended-to-treat population by correlating scores for the VAS with scores for the validated Helsinki Chronic Pain Index (HCPI) and a relative quality-of-life scale. Intraclass correlation was used to assess repeatability of the pain VAS at 2 baseline evaluations. To determine sensitivity to change and face validity of the VAS, 2 blinded, randomized control groups (17 dogs receiving carprofen and 17 receiving a placebo) were analyzed over time.

RESULTS
Significant correlations existed between the VAS score and the quality-of-life scale and HCPI scores. Intraclass coefficient (r = 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.57 to 0.82) for the VAS indicated good repeatability. In the carprofen and placebo groups, there was poor correlation between the 2 pain evaluation methods (VAS and HCPI items) at the baseline evaluation, but the correlation improved in the carprofen group over time. No correlation was detected for the placebo group over time.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Although valid and reliable, the pain VAS was a poor tool for untrained owners because of poor face validity (ie, owners could not recognize their dogs' behavior as signs of pain). Only after owners had seen pain diminish and then return (after starting and discontinuing NSAID use) did the VAS have face validity.


An important criterion for a clinical outcome measure, such as the Graded and Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility and Prehension (GRASSP), is its sensitivity to detect changes in upper limb function over time. This facilitates the evaluation of recovery patterns and treatment efficacy of experimental interventions in cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). However, responsiveness has not yet been investigated and is therefore one of the aims within this thesis. In general, little has been published on prediction of functional outcome following SCI, and in particular, data on prediction and stratification of upper limb function and self-care after incomplete cervical SCI is lacking. The overall aim of this PhD thesis has been therefore to study the assessment, evaluation and prediction of upper limb function up to one year post injury using the GRASSP in individuals with cervical SCI.
The GRASSP showed excellent responsiveness within the first year after cervical SCI. It detected distinct changes in strength and prehension relating to the severity of cervical SCI. GRASSP detected clinically significant changes complimentary to the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) and Spinal Cord Indepence Measure self-care subscale (SCIM-SS) assessments. The GRASSP at 1 month accurately predicted upper limb function and self-care outcomes at 6 and 12 months after cervical SCI. Unbiased recursive partitioning conditional inference tree (URP-CTREE) revealed the distribution of outcome categories and can be used to predict cohorts with homogenous outcomes.

The work contained in this thesis provides advanced insights and useful data regarding upper limb function outcome in cervical SCI. Evidence was presented that the GRASSP provides information on multifaceted domains (e.g. strength, sensation and prehension) and allows to detect both subtle and clinical meaningful changes in upper limb function. Furthermore, the GRASSP can accurately predict upper limb function and activities of daily living (ADLs), even in a heterogeneous group of individuals across a wide spectrum of neurological recovery. This supports the use of the GRASSP in the assessment of rehabilitation outcome as well as in clinical studies and trials.


It is a well‐known fact that, sustainability is very important issue in the field of energy production of any kind. Wind speed persistence, as a climatological indicator, is one of the most important components of wind phenomenon which is closely related with sustainability of wind energy production. The most suitable areas for wind energy production are the areas with high wind speed persistence. On the other hand, there are a few studies on how to measure persistence of wind properly. In this study, two novel methods used to investigate persistence characteristics of a given area were applied to Turkey's wind speed data. The results have revealed some important characteristics of persistence throughout Turkey. According to these results western parts of Anatolia have highest persistence. The second region that has high persistence is inner parts of Anatolia because the topography of the Aegean region which enables wind to penetrate along long distances from the coast to the inner parts of Anatolia. All of the results obtained from the study are in accordance with the observations.


Addition of p-substituted styrenes, XSty (X = H, Me, MeO, or Cl) to the solutions of o-chloranil, oCA, in dichloromethane resulted in the transient formation of the charge-transfer complexes, [XSty, oCA], followed by the Diels-Alder reaction. At low temperatures, these reactions led to formation of essentially pure endocycloadducts. As expected for the inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction, the rate constants of the cycloaddition rose with the increase of the donor strength. However, while facile cycloaddition took place in the neat mixtures of the o-chloranil with p-methyl, p-chloro-, or unsubstituted styrenes at low temperatures, a similar system involving the strongest MeOSty donor was surprisingly persistent. X-ray structural measurements and quantum-mechanical computations indicated that this anomaly is related to the fact that the diene/dienophile orientation in the charge-transfer [MeOSty, oCA] complex is opposite to that in the endocycloadduct and in the lowest-energy transition state leading to this isomer. Thus, the proceeding of the cycloaddition requires dissociation of the (dead-end) complex. For the systems involving the oCA diene and either the HSty, ClSty, or MeSty dienophile, the donor/acceptor arrangements in the charge-transfer complexes apparently are consistent with that in the corresponding products, and the formation of these complexes does not hinder the Diels-Alder reaction.


Low rates of unilateral renal arterial infusion with isotonic saline (154 mM NaCl) produce a natriuresis in both kidneys in anesthetized rats, with the involvement of a blood-borne factor. We investigated whether this response was modulated by known renal or adrenal hormones. The response to saline infusion at 0.05 ml/min was tested after acute adrenalectomy (n = 7), in the presence of various blocking agents [captopril (3 mg.kg-1.h-1, n = 7), indomethacin (5 mg/kg, n = 8), aprotinin (25 KIU/min, n = 8), propranolol (1 micrograms/min, n = 6), or benserazide (15 micrograms/min, n = 6)], and after lignocaine infusion around the renal artery (12.5 micrograms/min, n = 5). In all cases, the overall increase in sodium excretion by both kidneys was not significantly less (alpha < or = 0.01) than that in untreated rats; it was increased by aprotinin, renal nerve blockade, and propranolol. Plasma levels of angiotensin II, aldosterone, and atrial natriuretic peptide were unchanged by renal arterial saline infusion. We conclude that the saline-induced natriuresis is not reduced by inhibition of the production of angiotensin II, prostaglandins, kinins, dopamine, or adrenal hormones, or by factors released by the renal nerves, indicating that none of these is directly responsible for the saline-induced natriuresis.


Within Vietnam's higher education system, traditional norm-referenced approaches to student assessment continue to be widely adopted. Though the system is progressively being reformed with a view to achieving comparability with leading higher education systems globally, student assessment policies and practices have so far proven to be resistant to change. This article addresses the challenge of achieving change in these policies and practices. It is informed by an ethnographic investigation of experiences with student assessment for a selected sample group of academic staff members at three significant teacher training universities in Vietnam. A framework for achieving change is proposed in light of these experiences and having regard to insights from the relevant conceptual literature.


This article examines the temporality of interlinear translation through a case study of the rendering of Friedrich Hölderlin's poetry into Persian. We argue that, in its adherence to the word order of the original, the interlinear crib prioritizes the temporality of the instant (kairos) over the temporality of the linear sequence (chronos). Kairos is made manifest in the literalist translations of Hölderlin by the modernist Iranian translator-poet Bijan Elahi (d. 2010). This inquiry advances our understanding of the role of syntax in constituting literary form and in shaping translation, and exposes the contingency of the translator's decisions in every given literary juncture.


Earth Dam stability can be affected significantly by the existence of excessive leakage. This is due to decreasing of shear strength of the dam material and additional overturning moment. In such scenario, the non-destructive soil investigation method is needed to analyze the stability of earth dam in current condition. This paper examines the use of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to investigate soil layers and to measure parameters of soil shear strength indirectly. First survey was carried out at dam crest and downstream using Wenner Configuration along profile lines at electrode spacing of 5 m. There were 5 profile lines of 180m long each and 10m distance of spacing. Furthermore, two profiles lines at weak cross-section based on its resistivity soil values were undertaken. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine relationship between resistivity value, moisture content, cohesion and angle of friction for each type of dam materials. From the ERT results and lab testing, a model dam can be obtained using current material parameters to perform stability analysis of dam subjected to earthquake. The lowest FOS was found at the upstream side about 1.15 and at the downstream side about 1.14 after applying seismic load of 100 years return period.


In recent years, the number of older people living alone has increased rapidly. Innovative vision systems to remotely assess people's mobility can help healthy, active, and happy aging. In the related literature, the mobility assessment of older people is not yet widespread in clinical practice. In addition, the poor availability of data typically forces the analyses to binary classification, e.g. normal/anomalous behavior, instead of processing exhaustive medical protocols. In this paper, real videos of elderly people performing three mobility tests of a clinical protocol are automatically categorized, emulating the complex evaluation process of expert physiotherapists. Videos acquired using low-cost cameras are initially processed to obtain skeletal information. A proper data augmentation technique is then used to enlarge the dataset variability. Thus, significant features are extracted to generate a set of inputs in the form of time series. Four deep neural network architectures with feedback connections, even aided by a preliminary convolutional layer, are proposed to label the input features in discrete classes or to estimate a continuous mobility score as the result of a regression task. The best results are achieved by the proposed Conv-BiLSTM classifier, which achieves the best accuracy, ranging between 88.12% and 90%. Further comparisons with shallow learning classifiers still prove the superiority of the deep Conv-BiLSTM classifier in assessing people's mobility, since deep networks can evaluate the quality of test executions.


In 46 patients 63 nerves of upper extremities were sutured and clinico-electroneuromyographic investigations performed. The restitution of motor and sensory functions ran slowly over 7 to 36 months depending on the level injured. Full restoration of motor functions surpassed the restoration of sensory functions in the autonomic zone of the nerve lesioned. Electroneuromyographic investigation showed that clinical healing provides no real indices of the final nerve regeneration as the nervous condition velocity remained altered. This allows recommending nonsurgical treatment for several months after surgery under electroneuromyographic control.


Background Untreated pain is common for patients at the end of life. Informal caregivers, often family or friends of patients, are responsible for working with hospice staff to provide pain management. Interdisciplinary team meetings conducted in hospices every 2 weeks provide an opportunity for hospice staff to communicate about pain management with informal caregivers of hospice patients. Purpose We present challenges, solutions, and keys strategies for carrying out a randomized trial in the hospice setting. Methods We are conducting the Assessing Caregivers for Team Intervention through Video Encounters (ACTIVE) study to determine whether regular videoconferencing between hospice patients' informal caregivers and the hospice care team alters caregivers' perceptions of pain management and patients' pain. Participants must be primary caregivers for a hospice patient, at least 18 years of age, capable of providing informed consent, and have access to a computer with a high-speed Internet connection or a telephone. We randomized caregivers to participate in biweekly team meetings through video or phone conferencing (intervention) or to receive usual care from the hospice. All patients receive standard hospice care regardless of the group assignment of their informal caregiver. Results As of 1 July 2012, there have been 1038 new admissions to the participating hospices. Of 391 cases in which no contact was made, 233 patients had died or had life expectancy less than 14 days. Home visits were made to 271 interested and eligible caregivers; 249 caregivers of 233 patients were randomly assigned to the usual care or intervention arm. Enrollment is on pace to meet recruitment goals. Lessons Learned Thorough pilot testing of instruments and procedures helped us overcome barriers to conducting research in this vulnerable population. Keys to success included obtaining support from hospice medical directors, including hospice staff in study preparation, minimizing the burden on hospice staff, housing research staff in each participating hospice, using newsletters to enhance communication, developing and maintaining a detailed procedural manual, producing regular data quality reports, developing a secure site to facilitate coding videos for qualitative studies, and holding regular teleconferences with key staff. Limitations Late enrollment of many patients in hospice left little to no time for their caregivers to take part in the intervention. Assisting caregivers of patients with very short life expectancy may require different methods. Conclusions The challenges of conducting randomized trials with hospice patients and caregivers can be addressed with appropriate study design, well-tested research methods, and proactive monitoring of any issues or problems.


Growing up in South Africa where only 5.6 million people are white out of a population of 37.9 million, Nadine Gordimer became increasingly conscious of her whiteness. The colour of her skin instantly signalled 'oppressor' to black South Africans. Her whiteness imposed upon her a social and political identity that she rejected; yet, it was like a face she could not wash off, a mask she could not take off. As she said in a 1978 interview, 'In South Africa one wears one's skin like a uniform. White equals guilt' (Bazin & Seymour 1990:94). She often sought to separate her personal identity from that of her racial group in order to be welcomed rather than be shut out (or even shot) by those for whom whiteness signified 'enemy'. Must she go into exile, or would she eventually feel 'at home' in her native country? Writing helped to clarify her thinking on these matters, because in her fiction she could imagine a variety of probable scenarios in which an array of fictional selves could act out possibilities.


Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been ascribed significant roles in both hematopoiesis and the immune response, although its contribution to host defence as a whole is poorly understood. Because short-term IL-6 treatment was previously shown to stimulate megakaryocytopoiesis, we investigated the effect of long-term administration of IL-6 on megakaryocytopoiesis and other systemic parameters in nonhuman primates. We chose a small primate, the marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), which enabled long-term administration at high doses. Recombinant human IL-6 (rhIL-6) administered at doses of up to 1,000 micrograms/kg/d over 4 and 9 weeks caused a sustained twofold to threefold increase of thrombocyte counts, peaking at 4 weeks. Thrombocyte counts declined thereafter, despite continuing IL-6 administration. The number of bone marrow megakaryocytes at 4 and 9 weeks was not increased compared with controls, but the ploidy grade was augmented, suggesting that IL-6 effects are restricted to mature megakaryocytes in vivo. An acute-phase protein response was observed within 24 hours after the first IL-6 administration and reached a maximum after 1 week of IL-6 administration at 25 micrograms/kg. Serum C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, and ceruloplasmin were increased, whereas albumin and transferrin levels declined. The acute-phase protein response was not associated with any morphologic evidence of hepatocellular damage. The increased levels of Ig and soluble IL-2 receptor in the serum levels reflected systemic immunostimulation. There was no evidence of renal mesangioproliferative pathology. Antibodies against rhIL-6 developed within 2 weeks, continuously increasing during the course of the study. High titers of neutralizing antibodies appeared concomitantly with the decrease in platelet counts and decline in acute-phase proteins. Therefore, despite the pleiotropic effects of IL-6 observed in vitro, long-term administration of IL-6 caused a selective and sustained stimulation of thrombopoiesis in marmosets that was only ablated by the appearance of neutralizing antibodies, and high doses were well tolerated in marmosets. A long-term targeting of IL-6 to cells of the megakaryocytic lineage, without evoking general toxicity, confirms the potential therapeutic usefulness of rhIL-6 for the chronic treatment of thrombocytopenic patients.


Global communities and cultures have been greatly shaped because of river systems. Rivers often shape several aspects of a community, some of which include settling patterns and industry. The Duck River has been shaping the lives of those living in Maury County for centuries. I conducted my research by examining how the Duck River has impacted three groups of people in Maury County. I examined the Duck River's sociological and historical impact on Native Americans, early European settlers, and modern day Maury Countians. I found that Native Americans who lived in the Maury County area prior to European settlement used the Duck River for fishing. The Duck River was highly respected by the indigenous population living in the area. Early Europeans in Maury County settled near the Duck River so they could take advantage of the Duck River's resources. Early European settlers built dams, mills, and shops along the Duck River. The Duck River was also used as a way to transport materials and goods. Today, the Duck River is the water source for those living in Maury County. The Duck River is also used for recreational purposes like canoeing and kayaking.


ABSTRACT Background The use of prediction can aid language comprehension through preactivation of relevant word features. However, predictions can be wrong, and it has been proposed that resolving the mismatch between the predicted and presented item requires cognitive resources. Older adults tend not to predict and instead rely more on passive comprehension. Here, we tested, using an intraindividual approach, whether older adults consistently use this less demanding processing strategy while reading or whether they attempt to predict on some trials. Methods We used a cross-task conflict paradigm. Younger and older participants self-paced to read sentences that ended with either an expected or unexpected word. Each sentence was then followed by a flanker stimulus that could be congruent or incongruent. We examined responses within and across the two tasks. Results Unexpected words were in general read as quickly as expected words, indicating that typical processing of these words was similar. However, for both younger and older adults, there was a greater proportion of very slow trials for unexpected words, revealing different processing on a subset of trials. Critically, in older adults, these slowly read unexpected words engaged control, as seen in speeded responses to incongruent flanker stimuli. Conclusion Using a cross-task conflict paradigm, we showed that older adults are able to predict and engage cognitive resources to cope with prediction violations, but do not opt to use these processes consistently.


Pressure pipes may be externally damaged in different ways: corrosion or notch due to diving machines. These defects may initiate a fatigue crack, which will be first part-through, then through the thickness. This results in a weakened region of the tube, then in leak of the pressure fluid contained in the pipe. There are several ways to repair the tube: changing the portion of tube, welding of extra metal in the defect, putting a welded metal sleeve or gluing a composite sleeve. This last solution seems to be the easiest and the cheapest. The advantage is that the repairing sleeve is made on site and can be put with a given pre-tension. The work presented here is the numerical study of the fracture mechanics parameters of a part-through crack in a tube submitted to internal pressure and repaired with a composite sleeve. As there is a transfer of loading from the cracked tube to the repairing sleeve, the fracture mechanics parameters of the crack such as J-integral or opening of the crack lips will be modified. The study can be used as a design procedure for such repairing sleeves.


Individual antral follicles from 11 horse mares were studied at three stages of the oestrous cycle to determine the characteristics of the presumptive ovulatory follicle. Mares were ovariectomized (ovex) during the late luteal phase on Day 14 after ovulation (Group 1) and on the 1st (Group 2) or 4th (Group 3) day of oestrus. Every follicle greater than 5 mm in diameter was dissected from each ovary; follicles greater than or equal to 15 mm in diameter were analysed separately while others were pooled by size for subsequent analyses. The presumptive ovulatory follicle possessed the following characteristics: in Groups 2 and 3 they were the largest in size; in all groups they contained the largest amount of protein in the granulosa cell component; they were the most vascular; they contained the highest follicular fluid oestradiol concentration; and they possessed the highest granulosa cell LH/hCG receptor content. In 9 mares, there was one such follicle present. In 2 mares, there were 2 such follicles present and one of these mares had a history of repeated double ovulations. The presumptive ovulatory follicle of Group 1 mares contained more thecal LH receptor than did non-ovulatory follicles. There were no differences in granulosa FSH receptor content amongst follicles, although smaller follicles tended to have increased FSH receptor content. Follicular fluid FSH and LH reflected peripheral hormone concentrations with follicular fluid LH being highest in presumptive ovulatory follicles of Group 3 mares. Follicular fluid progesterone concentrations tended to be higher in presumptive ovulatory follicles when compared with small follicles. Within a class of follicle, follicular fluid androstenedione and testosterone concentrations were lower in follicles of Group 1 mares than in follicles from Group 2 and 3 mares, reflecting endogenous stimulation of androgen biosynthesis by LH. Elevated follicular-fluid oestradiol occurred only in the presumptive ovulatory follicle with concentrations at least 30-50-fold higher than in non-ovulatory follicles. These results demonstrate that the presumptive ovulatory follicle in horse mares has been selected by at least Day 14 after ovulation and can be identified at this time by its various biochemical characteristics. Only after the first day of oestrus were physical characteristics such as size accurately able to predict ovulatory follicle status. These results clearly demonstrate the relationship between LH stimulation of androgen biosynthesis in vivo regardless of follicle size or status (ovulatory or non-ovulatory).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


In this paper, we studied a planning and scheduling of production system considering demand changes. In the proposed system, planning part determines lot-size and amount of jobs in production. On the other hand, scheduling part determines the production sequence of jobs. In order to treat with the demand changes, both planning and scheduling should work well simultaneously. In the proposed system, preset and real time production control system is newly constructed from the view point of adaptive control. In the system, production planning is modified when the difference between production amount and demand becomes large. Moreover, production schedule is regenerated when the determined schedule is deviated from the prospected one. The scheduling system is characterized as the autonomous decentralized optimization system where each job works as agent and agent searches its appropriate starting time of processing. The effectiveness of the proposed system is confirmed by numerical examples.


The paper discusses the concept of technological transitions and theories of how they might come about. It then relates this concept to current policy concerns about climate change and energy and presents research results about what a low-carbon energy system might look like and how it could be achieved. It then briefly explores the policy implications and possible macro-economic costs of moving to a low-carbon energy system. Technological transitions are relevant to climate change and energy because the energy system is a major technological system in society, and to reduce its carbon emissions dramatically, as is required if dangerous anthropogenic climate change is to be avoided, will require a full technological transition. There are many low-carbon technologies with the potential for large-scale deployment. Simulations suggest that the decarbonisation of the electricity system, involving any or all of carbon capture and storage, nuclear power and renewables, with increasing use of electricity in the residential and transport sectors, will be required. There may also be a role for bioenergy and hydrogen. In all cases strong public policies will be required to achieve large cuts in carbon emissions, involving carbon pricing, technology support and removing barriers to lifestyle and behaviour changes. Currently, while many different policies have been implemented, they have not been strongly enough applied to achieve sustained emissions reduction. Most models suggest that the macroeconomic costs of substantial cuts in carbon emissions are relatively small (1-4% GDP by 2050) compared to the costs of unabated climate change. However, the political costs of implementing the required policies may mean that politicians are unable in practice to prevent runaway climate change.


Daya Krishna was a man of many parts: a brilliant philosopher, gifted administrator, bold and challenging thinker, universal gadfly. . . . I first met Daya some forty years ago when he was a fellow at the East-West Center at the University of Hawai'i. Many of the leaders of the Center, however, were not certain that he was really in residence, for Daya had the habit of walking everywhere in Honolulu and talking with anyone—be it a shopkeeper, an old woman sitting on a park bench, a young man about to go surfing in the ocean—about their life stories, their aspirations, and hopes and fears. He was not doing sociological research, he assured me. He just found these folks more interesting philosophically than his academic brethren at the Center. Some years later, when I was traveling in India, Daya invited me to come to his university in Rajasthan to meet with his colleagues and graduate students and present a paper. It came as quite a surprise when I discovered then that he now occupied a top administrative position in the university. Watching him in action in this unexpected role, it was evident that he was highly organized, efficient, and admired for his wit and wisdom and the gracious respect he offered to one and all. Philosophically he was now embarked on new adventures steeped in traditional Indian thought. Daya organized a number of interviews with traditional Sanskrit(non-English) speaking pundits, masters of many obscure texts that were being translated and recorded as an oral history project that would preserve the expertise these pundits enjoyed. In the late 1980s Daya returned to Hawai'i to participate by invitation in an EastWest Philosopher's Conference, sponsored by the Department of Philosophy, which I had the privilege to direct. Among the 150 or so participants in this two-week-long conference, Daya stood out for the sharp, but civil, challenges he offered to both Asian and Western scholars regarding what he perceived to be their fundamental misunderstandings of Indian philosophical traditions. This was further made evident in his controversial book Indian Philosophy: A Counter Perspective, published in 1991 by Oxford University Press. In this work he questioned just about every standard reading of Indian thought regarding its alleged ''spirituality,'' its ''schools'' (he believed there were none, only different styles of Indian philosophy), its supposedly overriding concern with moks ̇ a (liberation), and so on. He had now become the Socrates of India, uncovering philosophical pretense wherever it was to be found. I have benefited a great deal from the frequent correspondence I had with Daya Krishna over the many years of our friendship. I have valued highly the originality of his thought and the boldness of his quest to attain a kind of enlightenment in his own special way, and if he fails to realize it we shall wholeheartedly welcome him back with joy and wonderment as he undertakes his next karmic tasks.


Background: In recent years, it has become common to publish a level of evidence grading for orthopaedic journal publications. Our primary research question is: is there an improvement in levels of evidence of articles published in pediatric orthopaedic journals over time? In addition, what is the current status of levels of evidence in pediatric orthopaedic journals? Methods: All articles in Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics-A (JPO-A) and Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics-B (JPO-B) for 2001, 2002, 2007, and 2008 and those in Journal of Children's Orthopaedics (JCO) for 2007 and 2008, were collected by an independent reviewer. Of the 1039 articles identified, animal, cadaveric and basic science studies, expert opinion and review articles were excluded. Seven hundred fifty remaining articles were blinded and randomized with respect to journal, title, publication date, author, and institution. According to the currently accepted grading system, study type and level of evidence was assigned to each article. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were investigated. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in study type or levels of evidence in articles published before and after 2003. Of articles published during 2007/2008, 3.0% were graded as level I, 5.0% as level II, 24.1% as level III, and 58.0% as level IV. Analysis of the separate journals for all 4 years revealed that JPO-A published 2.6% (13 of 503) level I studies, whereas JPO-B published 4.3% (7 of 163) and JCO published 1.2% (1 of 84). The intraobserver reliability was high for study type (, 0.842) and substantial for level of evidence (, 0.613).The interobserver reliability for study type and level of evidence was high ( 0.921 and 0.860, respectively). Conclusions: Since the introduction of levels of evidence to orthopaedic journals in 2003, there has been minimal change in the quality of evidence in pediatric orthopaedic publications. We note a modest increase in level III articles and a corresponding decrease in level IV articles. Articles can be reliably graded by nonepidemiologically trained individuals. Level of Evidence: Not applicable.


Eye movement circuitry involved in saccade production offers a model for studying cognitive control: visually-guided prosaccades are reflex-like, while goal-driven antisaccades rely upon complex control processes. By manipulating the relative proportion of these saccade types, this study sought to illuminate differences in cognitive load and corresponding behavioral responses. Results indicated that prosaccade percent correct decreased when there was a smaller ratio of prosaccades in the run, yet antisaccade percent correct was constant across runs. Increasing probability of antisaccades in a run led to slower reaction times for both saccade types, particularly after a previous antisaccade trial. The effects of saccade type probability were investigated further by modifying the stimulus timing. With a shorter cue, the proportion of antisaccades in the run modulated antisaccade response characteristics. These findings suggest that residual inhibition from antisaccades alters performance based on the cognitive load, task switching demands, and stimulus timing within a run. INDEX WORDS: Cognitive Control, Antisaccade, Cognitive Load, Inhibition, Task Switching, Stimulus Design SACCADE TRIAL TYPE PROBABILITY AND ITS EFFECTS ON RESIDUAL INHIBITION AND TASK SWITCHING COSTS


Compressive deformation behaviors of low carbon steels with different Nb contents were investigated in the temperature range 900oC to 1100oC and strain rates from 0.05s-1 to 2s-1 by single pass deformation. Multi-pass compressive deformation processes were also carried out to examine strain accumulation under different Nb contents. In single pass deformations, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) can be observed in the case of low strain rate and high temperature, and the higher Nb steel exhibits higher deformation activation energy (Qdef) and critical strain value (εc) for the onset of DRX. However during multi-pass compression process (interval time of 3-4s), the higher Nb steel has larger strain accumulation between passes, so it is easier for high Nb steel that DRX happens during hot strip rolling process, which starts at relative high rolling temperature.


A fully-automated algorithm is developed able to show that evaluation of a
given untyped lambda-expression will terminate under CBV (call-by-value). The
``size-change principle'' from first-order programs is extended to arbitrary
untyped lambda-expressions in two steps. The first step suffices to show CBV
termination of a single, stand-alone lambda;-expression. The second suffices to
show CBV termination of any member of a regular set of lambda-expressions,
defined by a tree grammar. (A simple example is a minimum function, when
applied to arbitrary Church numerals.) The algorithm is sound and proven so in
this paper. The Halting Problem's undecidability implies that any sound
algorithm is necessarily incomplete: some lambda-expressions may in fact
terminate under CBV evaluation, but not be recognised as terminating.
 The intensional power of the termination algorithm is reasonably high. It
certifies as terminating many interesting and useful general recursive
algorithms including programs with mutual recursion and parameter exchanges,
and Colson's ``minimum'' algorithm. Further, our type-free approach allows use
of the Y combinator, and so can identify as terminating a substantial subset of
PCF.


ABSTRACT The rise of social media platforms has changed human communication once and forever and consequently, has triggered an array of emotions such as fear of missing out (FoMO). In two different studies, this paper investigated individual differences, psychological and social media motivational variables as predictors of FoMO. The paper also sought to test whether FoMO will have a negative impact on academic performance above and beyond social media engagement and social media addiction. Using a structural equation modelling (SEM) along with multiple mediation analysis, the results indicated that perceived excessive social media content generation, attention seeking, and personality variables significantly predicted FoMO controlling for individual differences and social media activity such as Instagram followers, Twitter followers, as well as WhatsApp engagement level. Furthermore, the biological sex of the individual was found to moderate the relationship between attention seeking and FoMO. Findings also indicated that FoMO had a positive impact on both social media engagement and social media addiction. Parallel mediation analysis revealed that FoMO had a negative effect on academic performance above and beyond social media addiction.


Over the last 2 decades, pharmacogenetics and, subsequently, pharmacogenomics have generated a highly prolific literature with thousands of promising markers that may be associated with diverse aspects of treatment response (efficacy or harms) of many different drugs. Initial expectations that have been continuously fueled by more editorials and opinion pieces have insisted that research in this area can become the frontrunner and catalyst of personalized, individualized, precision medicine, as drug choice, schedule, dosage, and combination with other drugs could be guided by pharmacogenomics.

Response by Aslibekyan et al on p 418

Despite these promises, it is currently recognized that the large majority of proposed genetic associations (including pharmacogenetics) made in the past, mostly with candidate gene approaches, have not been replicated with larger-scale evidence and stringent statistical criteria.1,2 The old proposed associations were based on weak statistical rules, which are currently considered to select almost entirely false-positives. Certainly, the large majority of them have failed to reach stringent genome-wide significance ( P <5×10−8), and most of them have effect sizes close to the null when tested in larger studies. Even with the advent of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), extending also into whole-genome sequencing in the last few years, the yield of new replicated pharmacogenomic markers has been very limited. Is this a sign of failure of pharmacogenomics or simply a reflection of the lack of large-scale evidence with stringent replication in the field?

In a recent review3 of the literature of GWAS until June 15, 2012, there were 139 meta-analyses of GWAS on diverse phenotypes where the total discovery sample exceeded 10 000 participants. None of them pertained to a pharmacogenomic phenotype. An evaluation of the National Human Genome Research Institute catalog of GWAS4,5 as of March 20, 2013, shows that among the most …


Building Information Modeling/Management (BIM) is an emerging technological and procedural innovation within the Architectural, Engineering, Construction and Operation (AECO) industry. Adoption of BIM has increased significantly over the last few years and BIM adoption is an active research area that aims to construct a better understanding of the spread of BIM and factors that may explain the speed of BIM adoption and its diffusion. Unfortunately, in this literature, the factors that influence the adoption process are unclear: those who influence the decision to adopt (Decision Factors or DFs) are confused with those that influence the success of the implementation (Implementation Factors or IFs). IFs are very rarely studied, although they could make it possible to produce recommendations to help firms to implement BIM. This paper aims to identify the elements that can influence the BIM adoption process. The main findings of this paper is a classification model of innovation adoption influencing factors, a critical view of methods used to study BIM adoption factors, and an overview of factors that can influence the adoption of BIM, including DFs and IFs.


ABSTRACT Criteria for the evaluation of the effectiveness of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) have evolved internationally from the requirement for mere procedural effectiveness, to include criteria such as substantial and incremental effectiveness. This paper provides an overview of the international evolution of effectiveness evaluation for SEA and its parallel progression in South Africa. Within this context, the effectiveness of the two SEA case studies conducted in support of national-scale renewable energy planning in South Africa was reviewed against internationally recognised effectiveness criteria to test their ability to influence decision making for renewable energy projects in the country. The evaluation was informed by the role of the first author as the project director in the case studies. The review found the SEAs to be partially effective, mainly through the introduction of new legislation, processes and systems at the national level that operationalise the outcomes of the SEA. A fundamental limitation emerged in determining whether incremental effectiveness had been achieved as it is too soon to evaluate the effectiveness of the recently promulgated legislation and instruments. The paper builds on previous work on effectiveness evaluations and provides the perspective of an administrative implementer.


Abstract : The objective of this report is to present a set of computational tools which can be used to process large quantities of observations of auroral electron and ion fluxes to yield estimates of the likelihood of spacecraft charging. The tools and procedures would be tested on the DMSP observations of environments and spacecraft charging, and then be used to predict the levels of charging for the shuttle in polar orbits. We have presented two approaches. The first approach, the subject of Section II, is to fit the observed spectra to analytic functions which can then be manipulated to find the charging potential. The analytic functions proposed by Fontheim, et al., (1985), to represent electron flux spectra, are parameterized by a set of observable physical parameters. The second approach, described in Section III, is to numerically integrate the observations directly. The second approach is more appropriate for large numbers of spectra, while the first provides physical parameters which give insight to the nature of the precipitating electron environment. The appendix of this report is a user's manual for the computer programs which perform these tasks.


To compare the efficacy and safety of radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy of pegaspargase, gemcitabine, cisplatin and dexamethasone (DDGP) combined with RT in newly diagnosed stage I‐II natural killer/T‐cell lymphoma (NKTL), we designed a randomized, controlled, open‐label, multicenter clinical trial. Data from 65 stage I‐II NKTL patients whose diagnoses were confirmed using immunohistochemistry were enrolled from January 2011 to December 2013 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Patients were randomly divided into the RT group (n = 35) and the DDGP combined with RT group (n = 30). There was a difference between the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score in the two arms (P = .013). The complete response rate (CRR) and objective response rate (ORR) of DDGP combined with RT group were superior to those in the RT group (CRR: 73.3% vs 48.6%; ORR: 83.3% vs 60.0%, respectively). The 5‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) rate and overall survival (OS) rate in the DDGP combined with RT group were higher than those in the RT group (82.9% vs 56.5% for PFS, P = .023; 85.7% vs 60.4% for OS, P = .040), and treatment methods and lactate dehydrogenase were independent risk factors. Myelosuppression (P < .001), gastrointestinal reactions (P < .001), abnormal liver function (P = .007), coagulation abnormalities (P < .001) and baldness (P < .001) were more likely to occur in the DDGP combined with RT group. In conclusion, DDGP combined with radiotherapy obviously obtained great efficacy and prolonged the survival time of patients, also the side effects were mild for stage I‐II NKTL. This trial was registered at https://register.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01501136.


We propose a theory of the dynamics of polymers in dilute solution, in which the popular Zimm and Rouse models are limiting cases of infinitely large and small draining parameter. The equation of motion for the polymer segments beads) is solved together with Brinkman's equation for the solvent velocity that takes into account the presence of other polymer coils in the solution. The equation for the polymer normal modes is obtained and the relevant time correlation functions are found. A tendency to the time-dependent hydrodynamic screening is demonstrated on the diffusion of the polymers as well as on the relaxation of their internal modes. With the growing concentration of the coils in solution they both show a transition to the (exactly) Rouse behavior. The shear viscosity of the solution, the Huggins coefficient and other quantities are calculated and shown to be notably different from the known results.


The process of extension in the Massif Central Rift (MCR) is discussed through the synthesis of available geological data. The MCR is 200 km wide and its overall geometry is best described as two opposite half-grabens arranged on both sides of a smaller symmetrical graben. This striking mirror symmetry is thought to result from the Oligocene extension during which sedimentation took place. Volcanism occurred later during the Miocene and is restricted to the west of the whole extensional province. Analogue modelling reveals that the geometry of the sedimentary basins may be interpreted in term of failure of the brittle upper-part of the lithospheric mantle during passive rifting. The most significant data strongly suggest that the initiation of the rift is due to farfield stresses acting on the lithosphere (i.e. stress-generated or passive rift) and does not result from an ascending mantle plume (i.e. plume-generated or active rift).


Abstract. The photophysical properties of six types of carbazole benzonitrile (CzBN) derivatives are investigated in different solvents to examine the thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) activation via reducing the energy gap between the singlet charge-transfer and triplet locally excited states, ΔEST(LE). Relative to the ΔEST(LE) values for the CzBN derivatives in the low polarity solvent toluene (ϵ∼2), a reduction of ΔEST(LE) for the CzBN derivatives in the polar solvent acetonitrile (ϵ∼37) was confirmed while maintaining fairly constant ΔEST values. Notably, TADF activation was observed in acetonitrile for some CzBN derivatives that are TADF inactive in toluene. A numerical analysis of various rate constants revealed the cause of TADF activation as an increase in the reverse intersystem crossing rate and a suppression of the non-radiative decay rate of the triplet states. The positive effect of ΔEST(LE) was limited, however, as an excessive decrease in ΔEST(LE) facilitates the nonradiative deactivation of the triplet states, leading to a loss of the TADF efficiency. This paper shows that ΔEST(LE) provides a measure of TADF activation and that appropriate regulation of ΔEST(LE) is required to achieve high TADF efficiency.