Knowledge concerning the variations of chest wall musculature is imperative for Surgeons, Radiologists and Anatomists. Rectus sternalis is a variant chest wall muscle found in the anterior thoracic wall along the side of sternum. The presence of this muscle may be mistaken for tumor on mammogram, and causes implications during mastectomy, implant reconstruction surgeries of mammary gland and may necessitate modifying the approach during mammoplasty. The early detection of this variant muscle is necessary for assessing proper dissection planes in breast surgeries and radiological examination. Hereby, we report a case of unilateral rectus sternalis muscle. The muscle originated from the fascia covering external oblique muscle inserted in to the sternum at the manubrio sternal joint; the muscle belly was 10 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width.


Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease with variable symptoms, including neuropsychiatric manifestations. A 26-year-old man was reported with classic symptoms of WS and repetitive psychiatric hospitalizations and at least 16 suicidal attempts. The genetic study demonstrated a novel homozygous stop-codon mutation on the WFS1 gene. This special type of mutation may be related to repetitive suicidal behaviors in this case of WS. Psychological support should be a routine practice in patients with WS.


In the context of the global energy crisis, environmental pollution, and the booming "Internet +" technology, smart grids and energy networks are deeply integrated to form energy Internet. Therefore, it is urgently needed for energy system, information technology and artificial intelligent technology with further research. In view of this, this paper briefly discusses the artificial intelligent techniques and its application in the energy networks. Firstly, it shows artificial intelligence's developing process, core technologies and importance. And then taking the application of neural network technology in analyzing and forecasting wind power, it points out that AI techniques can be applied to energy Internet research on power system scheduling and the user side of electricity market. Finally it outlooks the future development of energy Internet and raises issues of concern that AI technology deserves attention in the energy Internet.


Abstract. The Three Gorges Dam (TGD), located in the main stream of the Yangtze River,
is the world's largest hydroelectric station in terms of installed power
capacity. It was demonstrated that the TGD had caused considerable
modifications in the downstream freshwater discharge due to its seasonal
operation mode of multiple utilisation for flood control, irrigation, and
power generation. To understand the impacts of the freshwater regulation of
the TGD, an analytical model is adopted to explore how the operation of the
TGD may affect the spatial–temporal patterns of tide–river dynamics in the
Yangtze River estuary. We evaluated the effect of the TGD by comparing the
changes in major tide–river dynamics in the post-TGD period (2003–2014)
with those in the pre-TGD period (1979–1984). The results indicate that the
strongest impacts occurred during the autumn and winter, corresponding to a
substantial reduction in freshwater discharge during the wet-to-dry
transition period and slightly increased discharge during the dry season. The
underlying mechanism leading to changes in the tide–river dynamics lies in
the alteration of freshwater discharge, while the impact of geometric change
is minimal. Overall, the results suggest that the spatial–temporal pattern
of tide–river dynamics is sensitive to the freshwater regulation of the TGD,
so that the ecosystem function of the estuary may undergo profound
disturbances. The results obtained from this study can be used to set
scientific guidelines for water resource management (e.g. navigation, flood
control, salt intrusion) in dam-controlled estuarine systems.


Advances in research have transformed our understanding of breast cancers and have altered the daily practice of pathology. Theranostic evaluations performed by pathologists are now critical in triaging the patients into appropriate treatment groups, as are new guidelines that were recently established for the evaluation of HER2/neu gene amplification. Emerging molecular classifications of breast cancers bring novel perspectives to the assessment of individual cases, and opportunities for better treatments. Molecular studies have particularly shed light on distinct biological subsets of triple-negative breast cancers, for which new targeted therapies are being developed. The prognostic and therapeutic utility of new histopathologic parameters, such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, are also being elucidated, and new protocols have been devised for the pathologic evaluation of breast specimens that have undergone neoadjuvant treatment. Novel clinical practices, such as radioactive seed localization, also affect the way breast specimens are processed and evaluated. In this brief review, we highlight the developments that are most relevant to pathology and are changing or could potentially impact our daily practice.


SIR,-The following method is used for giving electroconvulsive therapy at Cork Mental Hospital. The patient receives 1/100 gr. (0.65 mg.) atropine sulphate ten minutes before stimulus, followed by thiopentone sodium,O0.15-0.25 g. intravenously. The syringe is disconnected, but the needle remains intact, and through it is injected succinylcholine, 50 mg. As soon as fibrillation ceases the patient's lungs are inflated 3-4 times with oxygen, using a mask and rebreathing bag. The headpiece is then applied and the electrical stimulus is given. We would like to record the following observation which may be of interest. If the pupil contractsimmediately after the stimulus we have noticed that a convulsion very rarely occurs. Owing to the short time factor involved before the succinylcholine wears away, we now feel it safe to give another stimulus straight away, as there seems to be little danger of a delayed convulsion. We have found this sign very useful and wondered if other readers have had any similar experience.-We are, etc., E. THOMAS.


ABSTRACT The timing and extent of cratonic destruction are crucial to understanding the crustal evolution of the North China Craton (NCC). Zircon U–Pb–Hf isotope data and the whole-rock major and trace element characteristics of the Huyu igneous rocks in northwestern Beijing, China, provide possible new evidence for the initial destruction of the NCC. The igneous rocks occur as several sills and dikes, including lamprophyre, monzonite porphyry, and aplite. The lamprophyres have high Mg# and K2O contents. The monzonite porphyries have high Mg#, high K2O contents, and negative εHf(t) values with zircon U–Pb ages of 225.5–227.7 Ma. These two types of rocks are both enriched in large ion lithosphere elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) but are depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs) and high rare earth elements (HREEs) and have almost no Eu anomalies and relatively high total rare earth element (ΣREE) contents. In contrast, the aplites exhibit high silica and K2O contents, low MgO contents, and more negative εHf(t) values with a zircon U–Pb age of 206.2 Ma. The aplites are also enriched in LILEs and LREEs but are depleted in HFSEs and HREEs, with strongly negative Eu, Ti, P, La, Ce, and Sr anomalies and relatively low ΣREE contents. These results indicate that the lamprophyres and monzonite porphyries represent a continuous cogenetic magma evolution series after melt derived from an enriched metasomatized lithospheric mantle experienced crust assimilation and fractional crystallization. The aplites were produced by the fractional crystallization of low-Mg parental magma derived from melting of the ancient Archaean crust. The occurrence of the Huyu intrusive rocks with many other plutons of similar ages on the northern margin of the NCC suggests that the northern NCC entered an intraplate extensional tectonic environment in the Late Triassic.


The structure and function of the N-linked carbohydrate chains in laccase III, one of the ligninolytic glycoenzymes from the white-rot fungus Coriolus versicolor, have been partially characterized using endoglycosidases (Endo F and Endo H) and the N-asparagine-specific inhibitor, tunicamycin. In the presence of 10 μg tunicamycin ml-1 laccase and proteinase activities in culture filtrates of C. versicolor were measured over 3 weeks. Laccase activity was slightly decreased by the addition of tunicamycin, whereas proteinase activity was increased. The N-linked carbohydrate chains were not necessary for laccase secretion and activity. Endo-glycosidase digestion showed that laccase III contained at least four N-linked carbohydrate chains, of which two were high-mannose type or hybrid type and two were complex type. Judging from the differences in the resistance of the native and the carbohydrate-depleted laccase to proteolytic digestion and high temperature, the four N-linked carbohydrate chains have important protective functions against proteolytic attack and elevated temperature.


Abstract During late Cenozoic time, the San Joaquin basin was an inland sea that was connected to the Pacific Ocean through a relatively narrow strait west of Coalinga, California. The San Joaquin sea became progressively restricted in late Miocene and Pliocene time due to the northwestward migration of the Salinian block and uplift of the Temblor and Diablo Ranges, and by the beginning of Pleistocene time, the sea had completely withdrawn from the San Joaquin basin. The upper Miocene and Pliocene (∼7 to ∼2.2 Ma) Etchegoin Group forms the basis for the interpretation of the late Neogene regressive history of the San Joaquin basin. The Etchegoin Group is comprised of the Jacalitos, Etchegoin, and San Joaquin Formations, that together attain a maximum thickness of 8100 ft (2470 m). These formations consist of siltstone, sandstone, conglomerate, and rare tuff beds that are arranged in the following facies associations: low-energy tide-dominated, high-energy tide-dominated, low-energy shelf, and storm-dominated shelf facies associations. These facies associations include middle to outer shelf deposits, and tidal channel, tidal flat, intertidal shoal, and sand-wave deposits formed in estuarine environments. The Jacalitos Formation (maximum thickness of 2477 ft; 755 m) is composed of sandstone that was derived dominantly from the Coast Ranges and a granitic terrane west of the San Andreas fault. The Jacalitos Formation records the shallowing of the San Joaquin basin that began during deposition of the underlying Reef Ridge Shale in the late Miocene. Marine invertebrate macrofaunal assemblages suggest that water depths during deposition of the upper part of the Jacalitos Formation reached a maximum of 121 ft (37 m). The Etchegoin Formation (maximum thickness of 5485 ft; 1672 m) consists of sandstone that is rich in andesitic detritus, and was mainly derived from the Sierran magmatic arc, the Quien Sabe volcanics, and uplifted Franciscan-Coast Range source terranes. Deposition of this formation occurred largely in bay and estuarine environments. Sandstone of the San Joaquin Formation (maximum thickness of 2232 ft; 680 m) was derived from the dissected Sierran magmatic arc, the Coast Ranges, and possibly the Gabilan Range west of the San Andreas fault. Brackish-water conditions periodically existed during deposition of the San Joaquin Formation and were associated with restriction of the San Joaquin sea. Well-log cross sections of the lower Etchegoin Group that are correlated with measured surface sections are presented in order to illustrate typical well-log signatures of the Etchegoin Group and to show that the depositional environments and geometry of the sandstone beds interpreted from outcrop exposures are manifested in the subsurface. The Jacalitos Formation is characterized by relatively flat Spontaneous Potential (SP) curves, representing siltstone, and by serrated SP and resistivity curves, representing interbedded siltstone and sandstone. The Etchegoin Formation in the study area is marked by a sharp-based, fining-upward sandstone unit at its base, and is dominated by fining-upward sandstone units, interpreted as tidal channel deposits, and blocky to coarsening-upward sandstone units, interpreted as intertidal shoal and sand-wave deposits. The channels and shoals are generally elongate in the northwest-southeast direction. Many of the sandstone units are lenticular and encased in finer grained sedimentary deposits, suggesting that the Etchegoin Formation sandstone units could form good petroleum reservoirs. The principal factor controlling the late Miocene and Pliocene sedimentary history of the San Joaquin basin was tectonism. Tectonic subsidence of the San Joaquin basin clearly kept pace with sedimentation in order to allow for the accumulation of up to 8100 ft (2470 m) of sediment deposited at intertidal to neritic water depths. During the middle to late Pliocene, rates of sediment accumulation exceeded rates of basin subsidence, leading to the regression of the San Joaquin sea.


In Europe, the DIRECTIVE 2010/31/EU requires increasing the number of nearly zero energy buildings. The existing building stock needs to be included in order to achieve the 2020 EU environmental targets. The main barriers of energy neutral refurbishment of existing non-residential buildings appear to be financial rather than technical, next to a number of other extrinsic factors that do not stimulate such an investment. While a business case for new energy neutral buildings is believed to exist, controversial opinions can be found with respect to refurbishment of existing large buildings. Let properties, in particular, have a harder-to-justify business case because of contractual agreements between landlord and tenant: the former is usually accountable for renovation and the latter for energy bills. The present study aims at providing an overview of the barriers and benefits of energy neutral refurbishment according to relevant stakeholders. Through interviews with real estate investors, energy service companies and tenants, the main interests and risks encountered today to undertake deep energy retrofit as well as technical constraints were investigated. Subsequently, a roundtable discussion was organized with the interviewed real-estate investors. During the roundtable, the investment needed to refurbish an existing office building, meeting the zero energy target was presented and different strategies to improve the financial attractiveness of energy retrofitting were discussed. The study has shown that combining different benefits in the renovation is fundamental to convince investors. When the design provides additional benefits, such as increasing the rent, or allocating an energy budget to the tenant, the refurbishment can become feasible. Ultimately, a screening-checklist is proposed for a qualitative estimation of the potentials offered by a given building for a feasible energy neutral refurbishment.


Summary Chronically catheterized specimens of the toad Bufo marinus (L.) were given single bolus injections, periodic bolus injections, and continuous infusions (via peristaltic pump) of the neuropeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT). Urine flow and glomerular filtration rates (GFR) were monitored to quantify the antidiuretic response of the toad to AVT under these conditions. The response to single bolus injections was dissipated after lh , despite the continued presence of AVT, whereas continuous infusion of AVT at levels as high as 100 ng kg" 1 was ineffective in lowering flow rates, suggesting that pulsatile Increases in the hormone might be required to effect a more prolonged response. In toads which were 'primed' with AVT via continuous infusion with the pump, additional pulses of AVT were able to lower flow rates for lh , with sensitivity to the hormone decreasing with an increase in primed concentration of AVT. Pulses of AVT given to unprimed toads significantly lowered flow for over 2h. This study is the first to show that phasic bursts of AVT are more effective in regulating the renal response of the toad than are continuous, nonpulsatile infusions.


Theory suggests that rejection sensitivity, a social cognitive processing style characterised by anxious and angry expectations of rejection, develops from experiences of rejection or acceptance by others. The purpose of this study of 417 children and early adolescents (age 9 to 13) was to examine how relationship experiences are directly and interactively associated with their rejection sensitivity. In a multivariate analysis, there was an association of rejection by parents and by peers with rejection sensitivity, with a stronger association between peer rejection and sensitivity than between parent rejection and sensitivity. Regarding interactive effects, peer rejection was found to have a strong association with rejection sensitivity among participants with low or high parent acceptance, and among those with high friendship satisfaction. Yet, there was evidence of a stronger association between peer rejection and rejection sensitivity among those with low parent acceptance or high friendship quality. This was because rejection sensitivity was highest when peer rejection was high and parent acceptance was low, and sensitivity was lowest when peer rejection was low and friendship quality was high. Findings show how young people's relationships in different domains uniquely covary with rejection sensitivity and interact in accounting for angry and anxious expectations of rejection by others.


In this study, I developed operational versions of Hirsch's H index that can be applied to each researcher's curriculum vitae (CV) to allow cross-disciplinary comparisons. The revised indices account for anomalies that potentially arise from tactical or opportunistic citation and publication behaviours by authors and editors, and can be calculated from readily available information. I split the original H index into nested indices to isolate networking activity, distinguish scientific production and productivity, and used nested Gini indices to identify intentional and successful inter-topical and inter-disciplinary research. I applied the most popular normalisations (i.e., per author and per year) using simple methodologies (i.e., least-squares linear and cubic interpolation fitting, whole-career vs. sub-periods, two-dimensional graphs) to solve empirical problems (e.g., sensitivity to citations, the "fashion" effect, attribution to disciplines, life cycle of articles) as well as open questions (e.g., the attribution of an article to a given discipline) associated with the original H index. I provided three numerical examples based on a representative heterodox, a representative orthodox multi-disciplinary, and a representative orthodox uni-disciplinary CV: the first CV includes 17 Scopus publications, and shows a highly heterodox (i.e., 5.8%), but no interdisciplinary research career, with a tiny networking component (i.e., 0.9%); the second CV includes 24 Scopus publications, and shows a slightly heterodox (i.e., 0.3%), but highly interdisciplinary (i.e., 53.9%) research career, with a small networking component (i.e., 14.3%); the third CV includes 16 Scopus publications, and shows slightly heterodox (i.e., 0.1%) and no interdisciplinary research career, with no networking component.


Abstract. Nudging as an assimilation technique has seen increased use in recent years in the development and evaluation of climate models. Constraining the simulated wind and temperature fields using global weather reanalysis facilitates more straightforward comparison between simulation and observation, and reduces uncertainties associated with natural variabilities of the large-scale circulation. On the other hand, the forcing introduced by nudging can be strong enough to change the basic characteristics of the model climate. In the paper we show that for the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5), due to the systematic temperature bias in the standard model and the sensitivity of simulated ice formation to anthropogenic aerosol concentration, nudging towards reanalysis results in substantial reductions in the ice cloud amount and the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on long-wave cloud forcing. In order to reduce discrepancies between the nudged and unconstrained simulations, and meanwhile take the advantages of nudging, two alternative experimentation methods are evaluated. The first one constrains only the horizontal winds. The second method nudges both winds and temperature, but replaces the long-term climatology of the reanalysis by that of the model. Results show that both methods lead to substantially improved agreement with the free-running model in terms of the top-of-atmosphere radiation budget and cloud ice amount. The wind-only nudging is more convenient to apply, and provides higher correlations of the wind fields, geopotential height and specific humidity between simulation and reanalysis. Results from both CAM5 and a second aerosol–climate model ECHAM6-HAM2 also indicate that compared to the wind-and-temperature nudging, constraining only winds leads to better agreement with the free-running model in terms of the estimated shortwave cloud forcing and the simulated convective activities. This suggests nudging the horizontal winds but not temperature is a good strategy for the investigation of aerosol indirect effects since it provides well-constrained meteorology without strongly perturbing the model's mean climate.


The mathematic model for polymer extrusion has been established by using the penalty finite element method, and the analysis program has been coded. The driven and pressure flow of power-law fluid in compound shaped part of co-extrusion process of polymer with metal insert has been simulated. The velocity field and temperature field of polymer flow in die cavity are obtained though solving the momentum equation and energy equation, and the influence of various metal insert velocity on the polymer flow is studied. The potential defect is forecast, and the improved measure has been given further. It shows that the common rule of the compound shaped part of co-extrusion process of polymer with metal insert is given by the analysis of the example. The simulation results are very important for the process and die design of the polymer co-extrusion with metal insert.


Objective. Assess the prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism among Hispanic parents of children with acanthosis nigricans (AN). Methods. Hispanic families (n = 258) were evaluated for metabolic and anthropometric parameters including fasting glucose levels and AN status. Results. Mothers with AN+ children had IFG (17.3%) and 4% had glucose levels ≥126 mg/dL (P = 0.028) compared to 7.1% and 1.8% of mothers with AN− children, respectively. Mothers of AN+ children also had greater odds of having impaired fasting glucose levels (OR: 3.917, 95% CI: 1.475–10.404; P < 0.004) but this was not the case for fathers (OR: 1.125, 95% CI: 0.489–2.586; P = 0.781). Mothers of AN+ children were also more likely to be AN+ (OR: 5.76, 95% CI: 2.98–11.13, P < 0.001). Screening discovered glucose levels >126 mg/dL in 9% of fathers with AN+ children. Conclusions. Hispanic mothers of AN+ children are at higher risk of carbohydrate metabolism abnormalities. AN in children can be a marker for prevention and delay programs aimed at identifying adults at risk for diabetes.


The multifunctional AdhE protein of Escherichia coli (encoded by the adhE gene) physiologically catalyzes the sequential reduction of acetyl-CoA to acetaldehyde and then to ethanol under fermentative conditions. The NH(2)-terminal region of the AdhE protein is highly homologous to aldehyde:NAD(+) oxidoreductases, whereas the COOH-terminal region is homologous to a family of Fe(2+)-dependent ethanol:NAD(+) oxidoreductases. This fusion protein also functions as a pyruvate formate lyase deactivase. E. coli cannot grow aerobically on ethanol as the sole carbon and energy source because of inadequate rate of adhE transcription and the vulnerability of the AdhE protein to metal-catalyzed oxidation. In this study, we characterized 16 independent two-step mutants with acquired and improved aerobic growth ability on ethanol. The AdhE proteins in these mutants catalyzed the sequential oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde and to acetyl-CoA. All first stage mutants grew on ethanol with a doubling time of about 240 min. Sequence analysis of a randomly chosen mutant revealed an Ala-267 --> Thr substitution in the acetaldehyde:NAD(+) oxidoreductase domain of AdhE. All second stage mutants grew on ethanol with a doubling time of about 90 min, and all of them produced an AdhE(A267T/E568K). Purified AdhE(A267T) and AdhE(A267T/E568K) showed highly elevated acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activities. It therefore appears that when AdhE catalyzes the two sequential reactions in the counter-physiological direction, acetaldehyde dehydrogenation is the rate-limiting step. Both mutant proteins were more thermosensitive than the wild-type protein, but AdhE(A267T/E568K) was more thermal stable than AdhE(A267T). Since both mutant enzymes exhibited similar kinetic properties, the second mutation probably conferred an increased growth rate on ethanol by stabilizing AdhE(A267T).


The photochemical properties of nitric oxide on a mixed oxide single crystal surface was examined in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), photon stimulated desorption (PSD) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). The mixed oxide was a 75% Fe and 25% Cr corundum (0001) oxide film prepared on an α-Al2O3(0001) crystal, however its surface became terminated with a magnetite-like (111) structure after sputter/anneal cleaning, leading to a surface designated of (Fe,Cr)3O4(111). TPD of NO from the (Fe,Cr)3O4(111) surface revealed three chemisorbed states at 220, ~315 and 370 K assigned to NO binding at Fe3+, Cr3+ and Fe2+ sites, respectively. No significant thermal chemistry of NO was detected. NO photodesorption, the primary photochemical pathway in UHV, was sensitive to the adsorption site, with rates at the three adsorption sites following the trend: Fe3+ > Fe2+ > Cr3+. Multiexponential rate behavior seen in the overall NO PSD spectra was linked directly to site heterogeneity being manifested as a convolution of the individual NO photodesorption rates at the three types of surface sites. The photodesorption rate with UV light (365 nm) was ~10 times greater than that in the visible, but the per-photon rates across the visible spectrum (from 460 tomore » 630 nm) were independent of the wavelength, which is suggestive of localized photon absorption at the adsorption site. Results in this study demonstrate that the adsorption site plays a critical role in determining photochemical rates on complex oxide surfaces. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a multi-program national laboratory operated for DOE by Battelle. The research was performed using EMSL, a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.« less


In the United States, federal, state, and local governments are involved with the regulation of the safety of the food supply. Food safety regulations that set standards for food processors usually include inspection policies for monitoring performance and penalties for processors who do not comply with regulatory standards. In this analysis, we examine how penalties and inspection policies interact to influence processor behavior. We distinguish between internal penalties (imposed by the regulator) and external penalties (imposed by the market or by the court). Using a model of the processor's expected annual cost, we find that under a given inspection policy internal penalties are only relevant under specific conditions. For cases in which internal and external penalties can be influenced, we use comparative statics to discover that internal penalties are more economically efficient for motivating processors than external penalties. These results imply that regulators should utilize internal penalties for noncompliance rather that rely on market or court-imposed penalties.


We present a novel solution to automatic semantic modeling of indoor scenes from a sparse set of low-quality RGB-D images. Such data presents challenges due to noise, low resolution, occlusion and missing depth information. We exploit the knowledge in a scene database containing 100s of indoor scenes with over 10,000 manually segmented and labeled mesh models of objects. In seconds, we output a visually plausible 3D scene, adapting these models and their parts to fit the input scans. Contextual relationships learned from the database are used to constrain reconstruction, ensuring semantic compatibility between both object models and parts. Small objects and objects with incomplete depth information which are difficult to recover reliably are processed with a two-stage approach. Major objects are recognized first, providing a known scene structure. 2D contour-based model retrieval is then used to recover smaller objects. Evaluations using our own data and two public datasets show that our approach can model typical real-world indoor scenes efficiently and robustly.


Endothelial activity reflects the balance of endogenous factors regulating vasoconstriction and vasodilation. Among these factors, nitric oxide (NO) is the most important contributor to the acute regulation of vascular tone. Altered nitric oxide synthesis by the vascular endothelium plays several important roles in the pathogenesis of neonatal disease through its effects on vascular homeostasis. However, the role of NO in the pathogenesis of perinatal brain injury has not been fully investigated. The present chapter explores how NO synthesis is regulated under physiological and pathological conditions, the impact of acute and chronic hypoxia on NO synthase activity in the vascular endothelium, and the role of perinatal endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders later in life.


Most academic studies in marketing have focused on advanced economies and fast-developing, large emerging markets (Sharma & Lascu, 2018). Until recently, only a few marketing studies have addressed subsistence markets; yet, there are over 4 billion bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) consumers living below less than 1.25 dollars a day in underserved areas worldwide (Kaplinsky, 2011; Sharma & Lascu, 2018). The present study attempts to bridge the gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive review of the theory and practice addressing the subject of marketing at the bottom of the pyramid, focusing on marketing approaches to BOP consumers that both efficiently sell products to this market and enrich their quality of life. The study suggests that selling products to the bottom of the pyramid may be profitable, but companies must be creative in their approach to formulating marketing strategies in order to engage BOP consumers and earn a profit. Marketers should also cater to BOP consumers' needs in order to foster strong and enduring relationships.


Two decades have passed since the first detection of arsenic above allowable limits in groundwater of Bangladesh. A good number of scientific research and mitigation projects have so far been completed but still today more than 22 million people are exposed to arsenic leaves of 50 μg L-1 or more. As there are many untested new wells, it is not precisely known how many people are exposed to what level. Scientific knowledge about occurrences, distribution and release mechanisms have enhanced significantly. Although deep tube wells have emerged as the most effective mitigation measure over most of the country, still there are areas where this does not work. Recent studies reported effectiveness of alternative options like intermediate deep wells and subsurface arsenic removal. There has been a major paradigm shift in the policy arena regarding arsenic mitigation.


Bring People Together!
 Strong communities help people support one another, share their passions, and achieve big goals. And such communities aren't just happy accidents—they can be purposefully cultivated, whether they're in a company, in a faith institution, or among friends and enthusiasts. Drawing on 3,000 years of history and his personal experience, Charles Vogl lays out seven time-tested principles for growing enduring, effective, and connected communities. He provides hands-on tools for creatively adapting these principles to any group—formal or informal, mission driven or social, physical or virtual. This book is a guide for leaders seeking to build a vibrant, living entity that will greatly enrich its members' lives.


The study examined the distinct and synergistic effects of hypoxia and bed rest on the erythropoietin (EPO) concentration and relative changes in plasma volume (PV). Eleven healthy male lowlanders underwent three 21‐day confinement periods, in a counterbalanced order: (1) normoxic bed rest (NBR; PIO2: 133.1 ± 0.3 mmHg); (2) hypoxic bed rest (HBR; PIO2: 90.0 ± 0.4 mmHg, ambient simulated altitude of ~4000 m); and (3) hypoxic ambulation (HAMB; PIO2: 90.0 ± 0.4 mmHg). Blood samples were collected before, during (days 2, 5, 14, and 21) and 2 days after each confinement to determine EPO concentration. Qualitative differences in PV changes were also estimated by changes in hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration along with concomitant changes in plasma renin concentration. NBR caused an initial reduction in EPO by ~39% (P = 0.04). By contrast, HBR enhanced EPO (P = 0.001), but the increase was less than that induced by HAMB (P < 0.01). All three confinements caused a significant reduction in PV (P < 0.05), with a substantially greater drop in HBR than in the other conditions (P < 0.001). Thus, present results suggest that hypoxia prevents the EPO suppression, whereas it seems to exaggerate the PV reduction induced by bed rest.


Rationale Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a novel clinical disease entity characterized by an elevated serum IgG4 concentration and tumefaction or tissue infiltration by IgG4-positive plasma cells. Pathological changes are most frequently seen in the pancreas, lacrimal glands, and salivary glands, but pathological changes in the lung also exist. Linker for activation of T cell (LAT)Y136F knock-in mice show Th2-dominant immunoreactions with elevated serum IgG1 levels, corresponding to human IgG4. We have reported that LATY136F knock-in mice display several characteristic features of IgG4-RD and concluded that they constitute an appropriate model of human IgG4-RD in salivary glands, pancreas, and kidney lesions. Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate whether lung lesions in LATY136F knock-in mice can be a model of IgG4-related lung disease. Methods Lung tissue samples from LATY136F knock-in mice (LAT) and wild-type mice (WT) were immunostained for IgG1 and obtained for pathological evaluation, and cell fractions and cytokine levels in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analyzed. Results In the LAT group, IgG1-positive inflammatory cells increased starting at 4 weeks of age and peaked at 10 weeks of age. The total cell count and percentage of lymphocytes increased significantly in BALF in the LAT group compared to the WT group. In BALF, Th2-dominant cytokines and transforming growth factor-β were also increased. In the LAT group, marked inflammation around broncho-vascular bundles peaked at 10 weeks of age. After 10 weeks, fibrosis around broncho-vascular bundles and bronchiectasis were observed in LATY136F knock-in mice but not WT mice. Conclusions LATY136F knock-in mice constitute an appropriate model of lung lesions in IgG4-RD.


ABSTRACT The activities of 28 6-substituted 2,4-diaminoquinazolines, 2,4-diamino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinazolines, and 2,4-diaminopteridines against Plasmodium falciparum were tested. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of six compounds were <50 nM, and the most potent compound was 2,4-diamino-5-chloro-6-[N-(2,5-dimethoxybenzyl)amino]quinazoline (compound 1), with an IC50 of 9 nM. The activity of compound 1 was potentiated by the dihydropteroate synthase inhibitor dapsone, an indication that these compounds are inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase. Further studies are warranted to assess the therapeutic potential of this combination in vivo.


OF DISSERTATION IMPACT OF A HIGH OIL AND PROTEIN ON AGRONOMIC TRAITS AND OVERALL SEED COMPOSITION IN SOYBEAN New soybean lines have been developed with significantly higher oil, protein + oil and higher meal protein. These soybeans contain a VgD1 gene (highly active acylCoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase, DGAT from Vernonia galamensis (VgDGAT1A) produces much higher oil synthesis and accumulation activity in soybean. Soybean with active DGAT from Vernonia galamensis (VgDGAT1A) has active TAG biosynthesis relative to other DGATs including from soybeans and Arabidopsis. DGATs catalyze the final step of TAG synthesis: DAG (diacylglycerol) + acyl-CoA  TAG + CoASH (Coenzyme A is notable for its role in the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids, and the oxidation of pyruvate in the citric acid cycle). A thorough analysis of the major components in VgD1 lines, especially those of nutritional or anti-nutritional value including what else changed (decreased); and what remained at normal levels was conducted. A field study was conducted in Spindletop and Princeton KY, reviled no reduction in yield nor protein, and about 4 % (DW) more oil was obtained in Princeton and 2% (DW) in Spindeltop. No consistent reduction in the other seed composition.VgDGAT1A soybean lines indicated noticeably early maturation compared to the parental line. This is associated with higher expression of the flowering genes FT2 (FLOWERING LOCUS T2) and FT5 (FLOWERING LOCUS T5), for the high oil lines. A single recessive mutation in soybean (MIPS) myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase, confers a seed phenotype of increase inorganic phosphate (Pi) crossed with high oil lines expressing a DGAT from Vernonia galamensis (VgDGAT1A) (VgD). The oil and protein were maintained compart to VgD. VgD X MIPS (VM), had 21.2, and 22 % oil in 2015, and 23.3 and 24.0 oil in 2016, and protein 46, 49 in 2015, and 37 and 39 % in 2016. Phosphate results suggesting the cross MV is still segregating for MIPS and more selection and planting are needed. Measurement of seed phosphate levels is an established technique for screening for low phytate mutants but to date, it has not been performed non-destructively from single soybean seeds. A protocol was developed greatly reducing the sample size thereby reducing the cost and time and saving a generation in the selection of low phytate mutant seeds based on the high Pi phenotype. Genotyping single seeds are useful in breeding and genetics while maintaining high germination rates. Nondestructive single-seed genomic DNA extraction protocols using 12 mg cotyledon tissue with a modified cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) technique and a commercial seed DNA extraction kit using 1 mg cotyledon tissue were developed for dry soybean seeds and cross-verified with leaf DNA analysis.


This paper proposes an effective particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based memetic algorithm (MA) for the permutation flow shop scheduling problem (PFSSP) with the objective to minimize the maximum completion time, which is a typical non-deterministic polynomial-time (NP) hard combinatorial optimization problem. In the proposed PSO-based MA (PSOMA), both PSO-based searching operators and some special local searching operators are designed to balance the exploration and exploitation abilities. In particular, the PSOMA applies the evolutionary searching mechanism of PSO, which is characterized by individual improvement, population cooperation, and competition to effectively perform exploration. On the other hand, the PSOMA utilizes several adaptive local searches to perform exploitation. First, to make PSO suitable for solving PFSSP, a ranked-order value rule based on random key representation is presented to convert the continuous position values of particles to job permutations. Second, to generate an initial swarm with certain quality and diversity, the famous Nawaz-Enscore-Ham (NEH) heuristic is incorporated into the initialization of population. Third, to balance the exploration and exploitation abilities, after the standard PSO-based searching operation, a new local search technique named NEH_1 insertion is probabilistically applied to some good particles selected by using a roulette wheel mechanism with a specified probability. Fourth, to enrich the searching behaviors and to avoid premature convergence, a simulated annealing (SA)-based local search with multiple different neighborhoods is designed and incorporated into the PSOMA. Meanwhile, an effective adaptive meta-Lamarckian learning strategy is employed to decide which neighborhood to be used in SA-based local search. Finally, to further enhance the exploitation ability, a pairwise-based local search is applied after the SA-based search. Simulation results based on benchmarks demonstrate the effectiveness of the PSOMA. Additionally, the effects of some parameters on optimization performances are also discussed


Anthocyanin accumulation specifically depends on sucrose (Suc) signaling. However, the molecular basis of this process remains unknown. In this study, in vitro pull-down assays identified ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3), a component of both sugar signaling or/and metabolism. This protein interacted with YDA, and the physiological relevance of this interaction was confirmed by in planta co-immunoprecipitation, yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation. Ethylene insensitive3-like 1 (eil1) ein3 double-mutant seedlings, but not ein3-1 seedlings, showed anthocyanin accumulation. Furthermore, ein3-1 suppressed anthocyanin accumulation in yda-1 plants. Thus, EMB71/YDA-EIN3-EIL1 may form a sugar-mediated gene cascade integral to the regulation of anthocyanin accumulation. Moreover, the EMB71/YDA-EIN3-EIL1 gene cascade module directly targeted the promoter of Transparent Testa 8 (TT8) by direct EIN3 binding. Collectively, our data inferred a molecular model where the signaling cascade of the YDA-EIN3-TT8 appeared to target TT8 via EIN3, thereby modulating Suc signaling–mediated anthocyanin accumulation.


Over the last few decades in Sweden, the proportion of older people living in the community who receive public home-help services has decreased, even amongst the oldest old. At the same time, the abilities of older people in the activities of daily living have on average improved. This paper reports a study of the changes between 1988/89 and 2002/03 in the allocation and utilisation of public home-help services and in the support and care needs of older people (aged 65 or more years). The aims were to analyse whether the reduction in the percentage of home-help recipients could be explained by a reduction in needs among the older population, whether public home-help services had been targeted at people with greater needs, and whether informal care had increased. It was confirmed that over the 15 years, even after taking needs factors into account, the likelihood of an older person being a recipient of public home care had declined. Home help had clearly been targeted at more needy individuals. Among older women (aged 80+ years) with limitations in the activities of daily living and who lived alone, the proportion that received home help declined and the proportion that received informal care increased, which suggests that informal care had substituted for formal care. The findings indicate that the Swedish welfare system had reduced its commitment to the support of older people who require less intensive care and that, in effect, the concept of need for public social care support had been redefined.


Traditionally, the potential benefits of a particular investment strategy are explored using relatively simple risk and return ratios. In fact, a more complete look at the relative performance of the entire return distribution may be offered through the use of stochastic dominance. In this "academic presentation" the authors use stochastic dominance to provide further evidence of the benefits of equity REITs and the existence of a "January effect."


High oxygen (O2) consuming organs such as the brain and the heart are easily affected by carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication. The most frequent changes are bilateral ischemic lesions and necrosis in the grey substance of brain tissue, particularly in the globus pallidus. Depending on the severity of intoxication, cerebral and cardiac findings may occur as well as visual impairment, although rare. Visual disorders may develop in patients recovering from coma. In this case report, we present a case with severe loss of vision consequent to CO intoxication, who demonstrated a complete response to long-term hyperbaric oxygen treatment.


Objective: To study multi-center variability of medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) recruited in a European observational study of AD. Methods: 117 mild to moderate AD patients from 5 European centers (Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Brescia and Genova, Italy; Mannheim, Germany; Pamplona, Spain) had magnetic resonance imaging scans performed as part of the routine diagnostic examination. MTA was assessed with the visual Scheltens scale. Results: AD patients from Brescia, Genova, Pamplona, and Mannheim had a mean 32% prevalence of no or borderline MTA vs. 62% of patients from Amsterdam (p = 0.002 for the difference between Amsterdam and all the other centers). The peculiar distribution of MTA in the Amsterdam patients may be attributable to younger age (70.7 ± 8.4 vs. 75.3 ± 6.8 years, p = 0.002), milder dementia severity (score 0.5 on the clinical dementia rating scale: 52 vs. 23%, p = 0.003), and less frequent depression (14 vs. 49%, p < 0.0005 in Amsterdam vs. all the other centers, respectively). Conclusion: Patients with probable AD recruited in different centers of Europe generally have similar MTA distribution, even if peculiar demographic and clinical findings might explain occasional differences. These results have implications for clinical trials in AD with biological markers as outcome measures.


Purpose: Most colorectal cancers that have high levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H) show loss of immunohistochemical expression of proteins that participate in the DNA mismatch repair process, most often involving MLH1 and MSH2. Less commonly, a third DNA mismatch repair protein, MSH6, may also be lost as the primary event. Rarely, tumors with MSI-H show normal expression of these three proteins. The genetic deficiency leading to the MSI-H phenotype in such cases is unknown. PMS2 is another member of the DNA mismatch repair complex. Its expression is generally lost in tumors with MLH1 loss of expression. Rarely, there is selective loss of PMS2 expression. We sought to describe the frequency and clinical correlates of selective loss of expression of PMS2 with the MSI-H tumor phenotype. Experimental Design: Two thousand seven hundred nineteen colorectal cancers from both clinic- and research-based ascertainment were studied. Tumor MSI testing and immunohistochemistry for MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 were conducted. Medical records were abstracted for age at diagnosis, gender, colorectal cancer site, and family history. Results: Five hundred thirty-five of the 2,719 tumors were MSI-H. Of these, 93% showed loss of expression of MLH1, MSH2, and/or MSH6. Thirty-eight showed normal expression for these proteins. PMS2 immunohistochemical staining was successful in 32 of 38 of these tumors. Of the 32, 23 showed selective loss of expression of PMS2. This was associated with young age of diagnosis and right-sided location but not with a striking family history of cancer. Conclusions: Overall, 97% of the MSI-H tumors showed loss of expression for one or more of these four mismatch repair proteins. Selective loss of expression of PMS2 was present in 72% of cases in which colorectal cancers had an MSI-H phenotype but no alteration of expression of MLH1, MSH2, and MSH6. The underlying mechanism involved cannot be determined from this study but could involve point mutations in other DNA mismatch repair genes with retention of immunohistochemical expression, somatic inactivation of PMS2, or germ line mutation of PMS2.


Three genotypes of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.), which were identified as resistant to the vascular wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis, were subjected to a rigorous selection process under conditions of low temperatures (av. 17.5°C). High disease incidence and breakdown of general resistance were observed in all the genotypes at this temperature. A few plants which survived this screening at the 28-day stage were carried forward through shoot-tip culture on semisolid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3% sucrose, 2 ppm kinetin, and 0.5 ppm indole-3-acetic acid. The pathogen was found to be present in latent form in 77.8, 26.3, and 16.7% of these plants of the genotypes Chittidar, Harela, and IC 540, respectively, as evidenced by the growth of F. oxysporum on the MS culture medium. The remaining shoot-tip cultures, devoid of the latent pathogen, were carried forward and established ex vitro. This approach, comprising the several stages outlined, resulted in the selection of individual plants possessing higher levels of resistance to the pathogen than those of the base population.


This paper presents an experimental study of NK landscapes with the main focus on the relationship between (1) problem parameters, (2) various measures of problem difficulty of fitness landscapes, and (3) performance of hybrid evolutionary algorithms. As the target class of problems, the study considers two types of NK landscapes: (1) Standard, unrestricted NK landscapes and (2) shuffled NK landscapes with nearest-neighbor interactions. As problem difficulty measures, the paper considers the fitness distance correlation, the correlation coefficient, the distance of local and global optima, and the escape rate. Experimental results are presented, analyzed and discussed. Promising avenues for future work are also outlined.


The use of transgenic crops is steadily increasing around the world, led by soybean (based on total area) and maize (in terms of total number of countries). Transgenic maize is grown in at least 17 countries across four continents: Africa, America, Asia and Europe. The comprehensive global spread of transgenic maize has significant implications for organizations involved in germplasm conservation and genetic enhancement; particularly as some countries require a GMO-free declaration when receiving shipments of maize germplasm. This article describes the protocol used by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) for monitoring unintentional transgene flow in maize genebank and breeding plots. The protocol is based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) markers for detecting specific recombinant DNA sequences in bulked samples collected from sentinel plots. To date, no unintentional transgene flow has been detected in CIMMYT fields of maize genebank accessions or breeding materials.


Objective: The objective of study is to examine the relationships between health status and changes in cognition over time among middle to older aged Blacks. Method: Data come from the Baltimore Study of Black Aging—Patterns of Cognitive Aging. At baseline, 602 Black participants, ranging from ages 48 to 95 years, were enrolled. At follow-up, approximately 3 years later, 450 participants were re-interviewed. Results: After accounting for baseline cognition, age, sex, and education, a greater number of health conditions was associated with slower perceptual speed (b = −5.099, p = .022). Average peak expiratory flow was also associated with improvements in working memory (b = 0.029, p = .019) and perceptual speed (b = 0.026, p = .026), controlling for model covariates. Discussion: Study findings demonstrate that greater disease burden is associated with declines in specific fluid cognitive abilities in middle to later life among Blacks. This finding highlights the importance of reducing health disparities that disproportionately affect Blacks.


La1-xPbxMnO3 thin films were prepared by off-axis pulsed laser deposition from stoichiometric targets on SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 substrates using KrF excimer laser radiation (248nm). Thin film deposition was performed at substrate temperatures between 650 degrees C and 850 degrees C and an oxygen pressure of 0.4mbar. Thin films prepared at 750 degrees C were single phase and (001)-oriented. Epitaxial film growth was confirmed by x-ray pole figures and RHEED. Magnetic properties were studied by SQUID magnetometry. Ferromagnetic behavior with Curie temperatures between 200 degrees C and 300 degrees C was observed to be dependent on deposition parameters. Magnetoresistance was examined by standard 4-point measurements in fields up to 8T. As an example, a film with T-c = 193K shows a resistance change ((rho(0) - rho(H)) / rho(0)) of about 25% at T = 300K. For T = 220K and 180 K the changes are 70%.


The alpha(v)beta(3) integrin is expressed on proliferating endothelial cells such as those present in growing tumors, as well as on tumor cells of various origin. Tumor-induced angiogenesis can be blocked in vivo by antagonizing the alpha(v)beta(3) integrin with small peptides containing the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) amino acid sequence. This tripeptidic sequence, naturally present in extracellular matrix proteins, is the primary binding site of the alpha(v)beta(3) integrin. Because of selective expression of alpha(v)beta(3) integrin in tumors, radiolabeled RGD peptides are attractive candidates for alpha(v)beta(3) integrin targeting in tumors. We studied the in vivo behavior of the radiolabeled dimeric RGD peptide E-[c(RGDfK)](2) in the NIH:OVCAR-3 s.c. ovarian carcinoma xenograft model in BALB/c nude mice. Conjugation of the 1,4,7,10-tetraazadodecane-N,N',N",N"'-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) and hydrazinonicotinamide (HYNIC) chelators enabled efficient radiolabeling with (111)In/(90)Y and (99m)Tc, respectively. The radiolabeled peptide was rapidly excreted renally. Uptake in nontarget organs such as liver and spleen was considerable. Tumor uptake peaked at 7.5% injected dose (ID)/g ((111)In-DOTA-E-[c(RGDfK)](2)) or 6.0%ID/g ((99m)Tc-HYNIC-E-[c(RGDfK)](2)) at 2 and 1 h postinjection, respectively. Integrin alpha(v)beta(3) receptor binding specificity was demonstrated by reduced tumor uptake after injection of the scrambled control peptide (111)In-DOTA-E-[c(RDKfD)](2) (0.28%ID/g at 2 h p.i.) and after coinjection of excess nonradioactive (115)In-DOTA-E-[c(RGDfK)](2) (0.22%ID/g at 2 h p.i.). A single injection of (90)Y-DOTA-E-[c(RGDfK)](2) at the maximum-tolerated dose (37 MBq) in mice with small s.c. tumors caused a significant growth delay as compared with mice treated with 37 MBq (90)Y-labeled scrambled peptide or untreated mice (median survival of 54 versus 33.5 versus 19 days, respectively). In conclusion, the radiolabeled RGD peptides (111)In-DOTA-E-[c(RGDfK)](2) and (99m)Tc-HYNIC-E-[c(RGDfK)](2) demonstrated high and specific tumor uptake in a human tumor xenograft. Injection of (90)Y-DOTA-E-[c(RGDfK)](2) induced a significant delay in tumor growth. Potentially, these peptides can be used for peptide receptor radionuclide imaging as well as therapy.


The phylogenetic relationships of Glossiphoniidae, a leech family characterised by its high degree of parental care, were investigated with the combined use of morphological data and three molecular datasets. There was strong support for monophyly of most accepted genera in the group, many of which are consistent with eyespot morphology. The genera Desserobdella Barta & Sawyer, 1990 and Oligobdella Moore, 1918 are suppressed as junior synonyms of Placobdella Blanchard, 1893 and thus recognising each of Placobdella picta (Verrill, 1872) Moore, 1906, Placobdella phalera (Graf, 1899) Moore, 1906, and Placobdella biannulata (Moore, 1900), comb. nov. The species Glossiphonia elegans (Verrill, 1872) Castle, 1900 and Helobdella modesta (Verrill, 1872), comb. nov. are resurrected for the North American counterparts to European non-sanguivorous species. Glossphonia baicalensis (Stschegolew, 1922), comb. nov. is removed from the genus Torix Blanchard 1898 and Alboglossiphonia quadrata (Moore, 1949) Sawyer, 1986 is removed from the genus Hemiclepsis Vejdovsky, 1884. The biogeographic implications of the phylogenetic hypothesis are evaluated in the context of what is already known for vertebrate hosts and Tertiary continental arrangements.


This study was carried out to assess the performance of the Viroseq HIV-1 genotyping
system v2.0 (Celera, Alameda, California, USA) on Zimbabwean samples at the National
Microbiology Reference Laboratory (NMRL) in Harare and to compare the results obtained
with those obtained at a World Health Organization accredited genotyping laboratory in
Entebbe, Uganda, which genotyped the same samples using an in-house method.
Study samples: Thirty eight (38) plasma samples were used in this study. They were selected
from samples stored at NMRL, which had been collected from patients eligible for
commencement on antiretroviral therapy just prior to taking antiretroviral drugs at sentinel
sites for the National HIV Drug Resistance Monitoring Survey in Zimbabwe.
Results: Viral RNA extraction and RT-PCR reactions were successful at first attempt for all
the 38 study samples. The success rates of cycle sequencing reactions using the 7 proprietary
Viroseq sequencing primer mixes on the 38 samples, at first attempt were: Primer A (81.6%),
primer B (86.8), primers C and G (84.2%), Primer D (10.5%), Primer F (73.7%) and Primer
H (94.7%). Thirty seven out of the 38 samples (97.4%) were successfully genotyped.
However, 14 (37.8%) of these pol region consensus sequences obtained were unidirectional.
Thirty two out of the 37 (86.5%) Viroseq genotyped samples clustered in pairs with their
corresponding sample sequences generated in Uganda with bootstrap support values ≥70
(median bootstrap support value, 97.5: range 31-99) on neighbour joining tree phylogenetic
analysis. All of the genotyped study samples were found to be HIV-1 subtype C (n=37).
Nineteen of the 37 (48.6%) genotyped samples had at least one drug resistance mutation
detected by either Viroseq or the Ugandan in-house assay. The detected mutations as reported
by the two genotyping systems were fully concordant in 11/19 (57.9%), partially concordant
in 2/19 (10.5%) and discordant in 6/19 (31.6%) of these specimens with drug resistance
mutations. Overall, all the reports generated by the two systems with or without any
mutations were 78.4% fully concordant, 16.2% partially concordant and 5.4% discordant.
Conclusions: The Viroseq system can be reliably used to genotype Zimbabwean samples by
adequately trained operators at NMRL. Sequencing Primer D is not suitable for sequencing
Zimbabwean subtype C isolates due to its high sequencing reaction failure rate.


Electrification of the vehicle drivetrain is a viable technical alternative to the internal combustion engine (ICE) and has been identified as a key technology in reducing the energy consumption and emissions from the transport sector. The focus of this article is to evaluate the impact upon energy consumption and emissions of differing strategies for electrification of the vehicle drivetrain. The technical structure of an electric drivetrain is described, clarifying that it is a relatively simple compared to an ICE. Measurements of the energy consumption and emissions show a threefold increase in energy efficiency is possible, whilst revealing a significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions advantage based on the current UK electricity generation mix (with benefits to air quality also noted). It is also noted that improvements in energy efficiency and GHG emissions in the electricity-generating sector can be achieved through controlled vehicle charging. The one issue is that regulation has failed to keep step with changes in policy and diversification of vehicle drivetrain strategies. A proposal for a standardised test and measurement procedure is being developed by the international community to address this, although intrinsic differences in intensity and type of use of vehicles nationally may ultimately slow such activity.


Objectives— To provide pharmacists' perspectives on medication adherence barriers for patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to describe pharmacists' strategies for promoting adherence to antiretroviral medications. Design— Multisite, qualitative, descriptive study. Setting— Four midwestern U.S. states, from August through October 2009. Participants— 19 pharmacists at 10 pharmacies providing services to patients with HIV. Intervention— Pharmacists were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide. Main outcome measures— Barriers to medication adherence, pharmacist interventions, challenges to promoting adherence. Results— Pharmacists reported a range of adherence barriers that were patient specific (e.g., cognitive factors, lack of social support), therapy related (e.g., adverse effects, intolerable medications), and structural level (e.g., strained provider relationships). They used a combination of individually tailored, patient-specific interventions that identified and resolved adherence barriers and actively anticipated and addressed potential adherence barriers. Pharmacist interventions included medication-specific education to enhance patient self-efficacy, follow-up calls to monitor adherence, practical and social support to motivate adherence, and patient referrals to other health care providers. However, the pharmacists faced internal (e.g., lack of time, lack of trained personnel) and external (e.g., insurance policies that disallowed patient enrollment in automatic prescription refill program) challenges. Conclusion— Pharmacists in community settings went beyond prescription drug counseling mandated by law to provide additional pharmacy services that were tailored to the needs of patients with HIV. Given that many individuals with HIV are living longer, more research is needed on the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of pharmacists' interventions in clinical practice, in order to inform insurance reimbursement policies.


Integral three-dimensional (3D) imaging provides full-motion parallax, unlike other conventional stereoscopy-based techniques. To maximize this advantage, a 3D system with a wide view along all directions is required. We propose and demonstrate a new integral imaging (InIm) method to enhance the viewing angle along both horizontal and vertical directions. Elemental lens switching is performed by a combination of spatial and time multiplexing by use of double display devices and orthogonal polarizations. Experimental results show that the viewing angle of the system is enhanced along all directions without any mechanical movement or any cross talk between afterimages. We believe that the proposed method has the potential to facilitate practical use of the wideviewing InIm system.


BACKGROUND Pseudoarthrosis is a complication of spinal fixation. Risk factors include infection, larger constructs, significant medical comorbidities, and diabetes. The authors present a case report of dilated pedicle screw pseudoarthrosis salvaged with moldable, settable calcium phosphate–based putty. OBSERVATIONS The patient presented with back pain and radiculopathy in the setting of poorly controlled diabetes. He was taken to the operating room for laminectomy and fusion complicated by postoperative infection requiring incision and drainage. He returned to the clinic 6 months later with pseudoarthrosis of the L4 screws and adjacent segment degeneration. He was taken for revision with extension of fusion. The L4 tracts were significantly dilated. A moldable, bioabsorbable polymer-based putty containing calcium phosphate was used to augment the dilated tract after decortication back to bleeding bone, allowing good purchase of screws. The patient did well postoperatively. LESSONS There are several salvage options for clinically significant pseudoarthrosis after spinal fixation, including anterior or lateral constructs, extension, and revision of fusion. The authors were able to obtain good screw purchase with dilated screw tracts after addition of moldable, bioabsorbable polymer-based putty containing calcium phosphate. It appears that this may represent an effective salvage strategy for dilated pseudoarthropathy in select settings to support extension of fusion.


Previous studies of sound-colour associations identified some common trends in synaesthetes and non-synaesthetes (e.g., Marks, 1974,1987; Ward, Huckstep, & Tsakanikos, 2006). While most of the past research utilised static stimuli – singles notes or vowels, the rich synaesthetic experience that music can induce in some individuals is obviously evoked by a more dynamic stimulus. I will discuss sound-colour matching experiments using dynamic sounds with changing pitch and spectral brightness generated using FM synthesis. These experiments were a part of a large scale online survey (which we will report here for the first time). I will also describe an interactive audio-visual installation making use of similar methods to let users manipulate sound and visual animation through the use of sensors.


Study Design. Reliability study of guidelines development. Objective. To compare criteria for low back surgery between two expert panels. Background. Reliability of expert panels for determining appropriateness of indications for surgical procedures has heretofore received little attention. Methods. Two multidisciplinary expert panels of similar composition were convened, in the United States and in Switzerland, to evaluate the appropriateness of 720 distinct clinical scenarios involving sciatica. Each indication was assigned to a category of appropriate, uncertain, and inappropriate. The appropriateness of the 720 theoretical scenarios were compared between the two panels, and both sets of criteria were applied to two series of actual cases. Results. Seventy-nine percent (n = 566) of the 720 theoretical indications were assigned to identical categories of appropriateness by both panels (&kgr; = 0.63;P < 0.001). Only 2 of the 720 scenarios elicited frank disagreement. The percentage of the 720 indications that were considered appropriate differed between the two panels (U.S.: 3%; Swiss: 11%, P < 0.001), as did the percentage of intrapanel agreement for indications (U.S.: 51%, Swiss: 64%, P < 0.001). When the same theoretical scenarios were matched with two series of actual cases (n = 181 and 149) agreement was moderate (&kgr; = 0.46) to fair (&kgr; = 0.30). Conclusion. There was substantial agreement on the appropriateness of surgery for theoretical cases of sciatica between independent expert panels from two countries. A better understanding of discordant ratings, especially for actual cases, should precede attempts at transposing recommendations emanating from a panel in one country to another.


There is currently great interest in using fixed arrays of FPGAs for logic emulators, custom computing devices, and software accelerators. An important part of designing such a system is determining the proper routing topology to use to interconnect the FPGAs. This topology can have a great effect on the area and delay of the resulting system. Tree, Bipartite Graph, and Mesh interconnection schemes have all been proposed for use in FPGA-based systems. In this paper we examine Mesh interconnection schemes, and propose several constructs for more efficient topologies. These reduce inter-chip routing costs by more than 50% over the basic 4-way Mesh.


In this paper we have developed a Geographic Information Systems based model to support cellulosic ethanol plant least-cost location decisions by integrating geographic distribution of biomass in the study area with associated transportation costs. As an initial step of a multi-factor spatial optimization problem, including both feedstock transportation and ethanol distribution cost, the study investigated the influence of feedstock transportation costs on optimal location decisions. To achieve that purpose, the feedstock resources, in this analysis forest biomass and agricultural crop residue, were spatially investigated relative to the road network and potential cellulosic ethanol plant locations in the state of Washington. The flexibility of the model allows spatial manipulation of the data for the least-cost location identifications considering both cumulative and separate types of feedstock utilization scenarios. Study results show that the ethanol plant transportation cost-minimizing location decisions are significantly influenced by the type of the feedstock utilized, and vary depending on the processing plant capacities.


We present the first constant factor approximation algorithm for network design with multiple commodities and economies of scale. We consider the rent-or-buy problem, a type of multicommodity buy-at-bulk network design in which there are two ways to install capacity on any given edge. Capacity can be rented, with cost incurred on a per-unit of capacity basis, or bought, which allows unlimited use after payment of a large fixed cost. Given a graph and a set of source-sink pairs, we seek a minimum-cost way of installing sufficient capacity on edges so that a prescribed amount of flow can be sent simultaneously from each source to the corresponding sink. Recent work on buy-at-bulk network design has concentrated on the special case where all sinks are identical; existing constant factor approximation algorithms for this special case make crucial use of the assumption that all commodities ship flow to the same sink vertex and do not obviously extend to the multicommodity rent-or-buy problem. Prior to our work, the best heuristics for the multicommodity rent-or-buy problem achieved only logarithmic performance guarantees and relied on the machinery of relaxed metrical task systems or of metric embeddings. By contrast, we solve the network design problem directly via a novel primal-dual algorithm.


Referring expressions (such as the red chair facing right ) of- ten show evidence of preferences (Pechmann, 1989; Belke & Meyer, 2002), with some attributes (e.g. colour) being more frequent and more often included when they are not required, leading to overspecified references. This observation underlies many computational models of Referring Expression Generation, especially those influenced by Dale & Reiter's (1995) In- cremental Algorithm. However, more recent work has shown that in interactive settings, priming can alter preferences. This paper provides further experimental evidence for these phe-nomena, and proposes a new computational model that in- corporates both attribute preferences and priming effects. We show that the model provides an excellent match to human ex- perimental data.


The aim of this paper is to investigate the long-term relationship between the forward prices of crude oil and domestic fuel (FOD) on the period from August 2003 to April 2010. To this end, we rely on a panel data setting by considering a sample of 36 maturities for the forward prices. Using panel cointegration tests, our results show that oil and fuel prices are characterized by a strong homogeneous long-term equilibrium relationship for several maturities. Estimating a panel error correction model, we find that FOD prices are influenced by oil prices variations on both the short and the long run. The existence of a unique equilibrium model for all maturities may have important implications for financial arbitrage strategies based on energy prices relationships.


A literature review of publically available information was undertaken to summarize current understanding and gaps in knowledge about Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), including its origin, transmission, effective control measures and management. Major databases were searched and relevant published papers and reports during 2012-2015 were reviewed. Of the 2520 publications initially retrieved, 164 were deemed relevant. The collected results suggest that much remains to be discovered about MERS-CoV. Improved surveillance, epidemiological research and development of new therapies and vaccines are important, and the momentum of recent gains in terms of better understanding of disease patterns should be maintained to enable the global community to answer the remaining questions about this disease.


Lifetime analyses in heavy flavour systems can provide excellent opportunities to make precision measurements of Standard Model (SM) parameters that probe for new physics. This thesis presents lifetime measurements from the Bd and Bs mesons to the charmless two-body hadron family of decays, known as B->hh, where h can be either a kaon or a pion. A particular interest is given to the Bs->KK decay channel.
The Bs->KK channel is interesting as it decays into a CP even final state, with a small amount of CP violation predicted by the Standard Model.
This can be quantified using the decay rate asymmetry parameter A Delta Gamma. The decay is also loop dominated, and thus sensitive to New Physics (NP) that could enter in these processes. These effects can be studied by constraining the values of the decay rate difference, Delta Gamma s, and A Delta Gamma from a lifetime measurement of the Bs->KK.
A method used to measure the effective lifetime of the B->hh channels, which removes the acceptance bias induced by the event selection, is described. This includes fits to the invariant mass and reconstructed lifetime spectrums, together with the methods employed to determine the per-event acceptance functions from data and treatment of non-parametric backgrounds.
The application of this method to two datasets is then presented. Both datasets are collected using a centre of mass energy sqrt{7 Tev} with the first dataset from the 2010 run comprising a total integrated luminosity of 37 inverse pb, and the second from the 2011 run comprising a total integrated luminosity of 1.0 inverse fb. The fit methods are verified using various techniques, primarily using a simplified MC simulation and full LHCb Monte Carlo (MC). The fit to the mass spectrum of the Bd->Kpi from the 2011 dataset is used both for the lifetime measurement, and for the normalisation in a search for the Bds->ppbar decay.
As the details of the lifetime analysis methods are subtly different between datasets, the sources of uncertainty differ between the analyses. The lifetime measurement resulting from the 2010 dataset is found to be

 tau_{Bs->KK} = 1.440 +/- 0.096 ps stat +/- 0.008 ps syst.

The resulting B->hh lifetimes, measured from the 2011 dataset are found to be

 tau_{Bs->KK} = 1.407 +/- 0.016 ps stat +/- 0.007 ps syst,

 tau_{Bd->Kpi} = 1.524 +/- 0.011 ps stat +/- 0.004 ps syst,

 tau_{Bs->piK} = 1.597 +/- 0.056 ps stat +/- 0.012 ps syst.

These measurements are consistent with previous measurements, with the value of tau_{Bs->KK} measured from the 2011 dataset having a greater precision than the current world average. From this, we are able to directly measure the quantity A Delta Gamma for the first time, with the value evaluated found to be

 A Delta Gamma = -0.87 +/- 0.17 stat +/- 0.13 syst.

Particle IDentification (PID) of the family of B->hh decays is crucial for distinguishing the many different final states that are kinematically similar. These final states tend to overlap in mass when reconstructed, providing considerable difficulties when making measurements with them. The Ring Imaging CHerenkov (RICH) detectors provide the experiment with PID capability, which allow high precision measurements from these channels to be made. During data taking periods, it is important to monitor the performance of the many subsystems that allow the RICH operations to run smoothly. Two studies are presented in this thesis that pertain specifically to RICH 2. The first studies the stability of the spherical and flat mirrors, using the Laser Alignment Monitoring System (LAMS). A direct correlation between observed movement and temperature is found, which is in the order 10-70 micro rad/K and agrees with estimates based on the expansion coefficients of materials and the mirror supports. This is an order of magnitude lower than the angular resolution of RICH 2, so does not affect the resolution or performance of the detector.
The second study suggests an alternative method to constrain the refractive index of the RICH gas. This method allows for continuous monitoring of the refractive index, with a greater frequency in time than is currently available. The method is purely data driven and is found to be in agreement with the currently employed RICH method to within 1%.


SUMMARY "In vitro" activity of ten antimicrobial agents against anaerobic bacteria. A collaborative study, 19992002. The antimicrobial activity of ampicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, imipenem, piperacillin, piperacillin-tazobactam, clindamycin, metronidazole, and azitromycin was assesed against 166 strains of anaerobic bacteria recovered from eight hospitals in Buenos Aires. The strains studied were Bacteroides fragilis group (65), Fusobacterium spp. (26), Prevotella spp. (21), Porphyromonas spp. (10), Clostridium difficile (10), other clostridia (12), and gram-positive cocci (22). The MICs were determined by the agar dilution method according to NCCLS document M11-A5. Metronidazole and piperacillin-tazobactam were the most active antimicrobial agents tested and exhibited MIC90 values of ≤ 2 µg/ml and ≤ 4 µg/ml against gram-negative organisms, and ≤ 2 µg/ml, and ≤ 8 µg/ml against gram-positive organisms, respectively. Among β-lactams the activity against gram-negative rods was in the following order: imipenem> piperacillin > cefoxitin > ceftriaxone > ampicillin. Among the gram-positive bacteria the decreased activity was: piperacillin> imipenem> cefoxitin > ceftriaxone > ampicillin. The majority of the species studied showed different degrees of resistance to clindamycin and azitromycin. Ne vertheless, 90% of Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas spp. isolates were inhibited by 0.125 mg/ml of clindamycin and azitromycin, respectively.


The research field of my PhD concerns mathematical modeling and numerical simulation, applied to the cardiac electrophysiology analysis at a single cell level. This is possible thanks to the development of mathematical descriptions of single cellular components, ionic channels, pumps, exchangers and subcellular compartments. Due to the difficulties of vivo experiments on human cells, most of the measurements are acquired in vitro using animal models (e.g. guinea pig, dog, rabbit). Moreover, to study the cardiac action potential and all its features, it is necessary to acquire more specific knowledge about single ionic currents that contribute to the cardiac activity. Electrophysiological models of the heart have become very accurate in recent years giving rise to extremely complicated systems of differential equations. Although describing the behavior of cardiac cells quite well, the models are computationally demanding for numerical simulations and are very difficult to analyze from a mathematical (dynamical-systems) viewpoint. Simplified mathematical models that capture the underlying dynamics to a certain extent are therefore frequently used.
The results presented in this thesis have confirmed that a close integration of computational modeling and experimental recordings in real myocytes, as performed by dynamic clamp, is a useful tool in enhancing our understanding of various components of normal cardiac electrophysiology, but also arrhythmogenic mechanisms in a pathological condition, especially when fully integrated with experimental data.


Lac is a non-timber forest product derived from the secretion of Laccifer lacca insects that are cultivated in kesambi tree (Schleicera oleosa Merr). Low lac production in Indonesia due to poor conditions of host plant indicated by poor growth symptoms, yellowing, and falling leaves. The aim of this research was to study the effect of molasses injection on the growth and vitality of kesambi tree. Molasses were injected into the plant using passive liquid injection methods. Pre-research activities were carried out by the tree trunk injection in 0.5, 1.5, and 2 meters above the ground using gentian violet to determine the best stem injection position, while the main research activity was performed by injection of the kesambi tree trunk using molasses in concentrations of 5, 10, 15% and water as control. The parameters measured at the pre-study was translocation length of gentian violet whereas at the main research were the volume uptake, the increase of branch diameter growth, total sugar content and chlorophyll content. Pre-research results showed that 1.5 meters above the ground is the best injection position. The main research results indicated that the highest volume uptake was water followed by others treatments. Molasses injection at concentration of 10% gives better effect on the increase of branch diameter growth (4.3 mm), obtained sugar content in 18.46%. The vitality of kesambi tree also increased by the molasses injection at concentration of 10%. It was shown by thein creased of chlorophyll a (1.117 mg/g), b (0.416), carotene (0.365), and Anthocyanin (0.094 mg/100g).


Abstract Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) identify the genomic variations that are statistically associated with a particular phenotype (e.g., a disease). The confidence in GWAS results increases with the number of genomes analyzed, which encourages federated computations where biocenters would periodically share the genomes they have sequenced. However, for economical and legal reasons, this collaboration will only happen if biocenters cannot learn each others' data. In addition, GWAS releases should not jeopardize the privacy of the individuals whose genomes are used. We introduce DyPS, a novel framework to conduct dynamic privacy-preserving federated GWAS. DyPS leverages a Trusted Execution Environment to secure dynamic GWAS computations. Moreover, DyPS uses a scaling mechanism to speed up the releases of GWAS results according to the evolving number of genomes used in the study, even if individuals retract their participation consent. Lastly, DyPS also tolerates up to all-but-one colluding biocenters without privacy leaks. We implemented and extensively evaluated DyPS through several scenarios involving more than 6 million simulated genomes and up to 35,000 real genomes. Our evaluation shows that DyPS updates test statistics with a reasonable additional request processing delay (11% longer) compared to an approach that would update them with minimal delay but would lead to 8% of the genomes not being protected. In addition, DyPS can result in the same amount of aggregate statistics as a static release (i.e., at the end of the study), but can produce up to 2.6 times more statistics information during earlier dynamic releases. Besides, we show that DyPS can support a larger number of genomes and SNP positions without any significant performance penalty.


We studied the properties of calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) and its regulation by inhibitors (caffeine, ryanodine, ruthenium red and procaine) in a multicellular atrial preparation that lacks T-tubules. CICR was elicited by application of brief (2-3 sec) calcium pulses (pCa 6.0-6.5). The transient contractions induced by these brief pulses were used to monitor the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in saponin-permeabilized chick atrial fibers. Prolonged (3-10 sec) calcium pulses produced contractions with a phasic CICR-mediated component followed by a tonic component due to direct activation of the myofilaments by calcium. Ryanodine (1 microM) suppressed the phasic but not the tonic contraction. CICR-mediated contractions are suppressed not only by ryanodine (IC50 = 23 nM), but also by ruthenium red (270 nM), procaine (8.1 mM) and millimolar caffeine. Ryanodine inhibits contractions mediated by CICR in a use-dependent manner, due to a strong requirement to act on the activated state of the calcium release channels. However, the blocking action of ryanodine does not require the presence of elevated myoplasmic calcium. A transient contraction occurs upon removal of procaine, which we attribute to unblocking of calcium release channels. Our previous studies of Ins(1,4,5)P3- and caffeine-induced calcium release together with the present work with CICR allow us to propose a model of SR calcium release mechanisms in avian atrial muscle in which corbular sarcoplasmic reticulum may participate.


Compressive Sensing (CS) combines sampling and compression into a single sub-Nyquist linear measurement process for sparse and compressible signals. In this paper, we extend the theory of CS to include signals that are concisely represented in terms of a graphical model. In particular, we use Markov Random Fields (MRFs) to represent sparse signals whose nonzero coefficients are clustered. Our new model-based recovery algorithm, dubbed Lattice Matching Pursuit (LaMP), stably recovers MRF-modeled signals using many fewer measurements and computations than the current state-of-the-art algorithms.


We investigate the influence of SiO2, Au, Ag, Cu, and Pt substrates on the Raman spectrum of graphene. Experiments reveal particularly strong modifications to the intensity, position, width, and shape of the Raman signal of graphene on platinum, compared to that of suspended graphene. The modifications strongly depend on the relative orientation of the graphene and platinum lattices. These observations are theoretically investigated and shown to originate from hybridization of electronic states in graphene and d-orbitals in platinum. It is expected that, quite generally, hybridization between graphene and any material with d-orbitals near the Fermi level will result in an imprint on the graphene Dirac cone which depends sensitively on the relative orientation of the respective lattices.


Updated 6/29/20. This paper dissects section 2304 of the CARES Act, which temporarily suspends § 461(l), a limitation on deducting certain business tax losses. Enacted by Congress less than three years ago as part of the 2017 Tax Act, § 461(l) prevented individuals from deducting business losses from pass-through entities against more than $500,000 of other ordinary income. The suspension of this provision in the CARES Act, which I refer to as the unlimited pass-through deduction, allows taxpayers with extremely high incomes to deduct tax losses and thus to reduce or even totally zero out their income tax liability, including retroactively. Combining distributional estimates of other provisions of the CARES Act with estimates from the unlimited pass-through deduction, I show that the unlimited pass-through deduction inverts the perceived progressivity of the cash rebates that were the primary individual-focused element of the federal government's response to the COVID-19 crisis. I detail how the deduction operates, including how it interacts with other provisions of the CARES Act and other provisions of the Tax Code, in particular bonus depreciation. I also examine the legislative backstory of how the limitation came to exist as part of the 2017 Tax Act and how it came to be repealed in the CARES Act.

The context explored here sheds light on the current political economy of federal tax legislation generally, and in particular on the political economy of hastily enacted tax legislation, which should perhaps be viewed as a regular mode of tax legislating. The high-income beneficiaries of the unlimited pass-through deduction will receive cash rebates in 2020 based on losses they realized long before the COVID-19 crisis hit, as detailed below, and there are no particular indicators that these taxpayers have faced particular challenges due to COVID-19 or are in any current need regardless of the cause. Further, the deduction payouts are not conditioned on taking any future actions or using the funds received in a way that might have positive spillover effects for the broader economy or for populations that are particularly vulnerable to suffer negative economic consequences of COVID-19. Thus, the unlimited pass-through deduction cannot be justified as a targeted response to circumstances created by the spread of COVID-19. And, it is definitively not a minor technical fix that should be accepted as necessary or ignored as inevitable given the circumstances.


The authors discuss the results of endoscopic removal of concrements from the gallbladder of 18 patients with acute cholecystitis through a gallbladder fistula established by operation or after drainage with a wide catheter during laparoscopy. Endoscopic manipulators were used for removal of the concrements, small stones were removed by forced washing off, large concrements were crushed by means of the "Urat-I" device. The concrements were removed in all cases. Recurrent attacks of acute cholecystitis were not registered for a period of one year. The method of fistulocholecystoscopy is described. Therapeutic fistulocholecystoscopy makes it possible to abandon the performance of the traditional operative interventions in patients suffering from severe concomitant diseases.


Nickel-based alloy is an important class of magnetic materials that have high permeability, large saturation and remnant magnetization, low hysteresis loss and low coercivity. These properties vary with the grain size, shape, magnetic domains and orientation. As the grain approaches nanoscale, an important averaging of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy over many grains coupled within an exchange length results in a significant increase of the magnetic softness and the effect of the internal thermal energy becomes more pronounced. The crystalline Ni-Fe-Cu-Cr system processed by high-energy ball milling (HEBM) and metal injection moulding (MIM)were investigated using TEM and SEM. The average grain size of the HEBM samples was found to be in the order of several tens of nanometers while those of the MIM are in the order of tens of micrometers. The magnetic properties of the HEBM and MIM samples were also investigated. The magnetic properties of the HEBM samples are significantly 'softer' magnetically when compared to the MIM samples. The coercivity (Hc) of MIM sample is 37.5 Oe while the HEBM sample is 17.5 Oe. More remarkably, the initial permeability (µi) of the HEBM sample is an order higher than the MIM sample 2184 and 225 Oe respectively.


The present urban-economic and spatial- functional changes in metropolitan regions are both, the outcome of a restructuring process induced by ICT-technologies in all economic sectors, as well as the consequences of globalisation and the growing importance of the tertiary sector at the end of the 20th century. The process of chance in metropolitan regions in conjunction with the question about the production and structure of a new metropolitan type is discussed in the "global-city" research. Nowadays, services are seen to have an own, separate effect on spatial structure. Especially the producer-orientated services, which are very differently distributed in metropolitan regions, have become the decisive criteria for economic success due to their productivity. Important factors in agglomerations are: proximity to customers and to high-level infrastructure, as well as the potential disposal over specific urban relocation conditions and soft regional relocation factors. Apart from that, spatial differences in the relocation profiles in the service economy can be put down to the distinction into back offices, simple to medium, highly requested as well as highly specialised, and international services. Are these spatial-functional classifications adequate, nowadays? Our economy and society has become increasingly based on information and knowledge since the close of last century, so that questions have been raised about the changing character of classic attributes of producer-orientated services as well as to the attached relocation requirements and the changing connectivity to space in and around metropolitan regions. In the research of the Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning (IRS) on the restructuring of the service economy of metropolitan regions, new types of producer orientated informational services were developed by analysing the change induced by ICT-technologies. Neither is their spatial association be assumed to follow the branch logic, nor can their spatial-functional interconnections be assigned to different types of metropoles. The metropoles conceived as a "global-city" or "world-city" is constituted through highly specialised services (global services) offered to headquarters of transnationals companies and international financial markets in connection with a social class who controls the process of globalisation. Although the service complex is spatially and to a large degree also functionally separated from the industrial production locations of metropolitan regions where it is physically rooted, it is crucial for the international division of labour and the ranking of cities in the global hierarchy. Will those global service economies stay partly connected to metropolitan regions through their highly ranked customers, their complex connection with other strategic producer-orientated services and the demanded urban relocation qualities? A metropolitan region can be characterised as 'technopole', when it can be related to knowledge-intensive producer-orientated services in context of reorganised value chains of the secondary sector (servindustrial economy). Modern information- and communication technologies in connection with flexible or project-orientated forms of production and distribution of goods and commodities support both, the shaping of networking technologies as well as new processes of product creation. Do informational services in those services complexes have a strong functional and spatial connection to modern decentralised production structures of metropolitan regions, and are they also embedded into innovative milieus? Related to modern ICT-technologies, the conception of an informational city conceives networks as a new structure of service economies as well as of metropolitan spatial structures. An 'informational industry' is determined by the development and location of this service complex. Does accessibility and affiliation to the 'Space of Flows' abolish traditional identity relations to real places? Can a selective connection to place of a metropolitan region be kept by knowledge holders who contribute to the informational industry? A research approach will be presented to give some answers to these questions. It is part of a interdisziplinary research project at the IRS which is called: "Metropolitan regions under the impact of the service economy: organisation, mobility and communication". The empirical base is a survey conducted in 2002 in companies working in the informational service sector in different metropolitan regions.


A number of antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) like sulfonamides, tetracyclines and streptomycin are used for the treatment of bacterial diseases in beehives. Yet, the finding of sulfanilamide residues in some 15 Swiss honeys out of some 350 samples could not be explained by such apicultural practice. Bees occasionally collect nectar from meadows treated with the herbicide asulam. Such honey is not only contaminated by asulam, but also by its degradation product sulfanilamide. This is the first report that the use of a herbicide causes the appearance of residues of an antibacterial active metabolite belonging to the category of sulfonamide drugs in food. The relevance of this finding lies in the fact that the use of the herbicide asulam might cause unacceptable residue levels of sulfanilamide in a product for human consumption.


The T6P/SnRK1 mechanism of growth regulation responds to sink growth restriction and recovery following low-temperature limitation. Trehalose 6-P (T6P) is a sugar signal in plants that inhibits SNF1-related protein kinase, SnRK1, thereby altering gene expression and promoting growth processes. This provides a model for the regulation of growth by sugar. However, it is not known how this model operates under sink-limited conditions when tissue sugar content is uncoupled from growth. To test the physiological importance of this model, T6P, SnRK1 activities, sugars, gene expression, and growth were measured in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings after transfer to cold or zero nitrogen compared with sugar feeding under optimal conditions. Maximum in vitro activities of SnRK1 changed little, but T6P accumulated up to 55-fold, correlating with tissue Suc content in all treatments. SnRK1-induced and -repressed marker gene expression strongly related to T6P above and below a threshold of 0.3 to 0.5 nmol T6P g−1 fresh weight close to the dissociation constant (4 µm) of the T6P/ SnRK1 complex. This occurred irrespective of the growth response to Suc. This implies that T6P is not a growth signal per se, but through SnRK1, T6P primes gene expression for growth in response to Suc accumulation under sink-limited conditions. To test this hypothesis, plants with genetically decreased T6P content and SnRK1 overexpression were transferred from cold to warm to analyze the role of T6P/SnRK1 in relief of growth restriction. Compared with the wild type, these plants were impaired in immediate growth recovery. It is concluded that the T6P/SnRK1 signaling pathway responds to Suc induced by sink restriction that enables growth recovery following relief of limitations such as low temperature.


We report the successful increase in performance of a fuel cell based on organometallic catalysis. An organometallic [NiIIRuIV] peroxo complex functions as cathode catalyst and was designed following mechanistic consideration of the cell. It was confirmed that the organometallic [NiIIRuIV] peroxo catalyst could function in the fuel cell with a 240 % increase in power output over our previous systems. This organometallic catalyst can act in both solid and solution phases and allows observation of the mechanism, hence providing us further opportunity for future improvement.