The murine Nramp1 (natural-resistance-associated macrophage protein) locus, formerly known as Ity/Lsh/Bcg, was isolated previously on the basis of chromosomal location, and as conferring natural resistance to infection against intracellular macrophage pathogens. The gene encodes a transporter molecule of unknown function. We have prepared polyclonal antisera against the C-terminal 35 amino acids of murine Nramp1. This serum is reactive towards a 65 kDa protein, expressed in murine macrophage cells from resistant or susceptible mice stimulated with interferon-gamma and lipopolysaccharide, but not in non-macrophage cells. Evidence indicates that Nramp1 is localized in a subcellular membrane rather than at the cell surface. This evidence includes: the identification of conserved endocytic targeting motifs following inspection of human and murine Nramp sequences; the enrichment of Nramp1, following magnetic selection of phagolysosomal vesicles from activated macrophages that were allowed to phagocytose magnetic, IgG-coated beads; confocal microscopy. These studies place Nramp1 on a membrane in close proximity to obligate intracellular pathogens. A link between Nramp1 and divalent-cation transport is suggested by sequence similarity with yeast SMF1. Evidence showing modulation of Nramp1 protein levels by iron chelation provides a direct link with Nramp1 function and divalent-cation metabolism.


Abstract The measurement of single parameters of oxidative stress in biological fluids can often give results difficult to interpret as to the real involvement of oxidative processes in a given disease condition. In the present study we propose a novel integrated parameter, called "redox compensation index", obtained by combining the results of two established and convenient procedures, i.e. the Fox-2 assay for plasma lipid hydroperoxides and the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay for total antioxidant potential of plasma. These procedures were employed for the evaluation of oxidative stress in a group of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a condition in which oxidative processes are implicated in the development of complications. In type 2 diabetic patients, plasma lipid hydroperoxides were directly correlated with levels of glycated hemoglobin. On the other hand, a significant inverse correlation was o b s e rved between levels of glycated hemoglobin and redox compensation values. The data reported suggest that the redox compensation index could represent a convenient parameter for the direct appraisal of oxidative status in clinical subjects, and are in support of the proposed role of protein glycation in production of oxidative alterations during type 2 diabetes mellitus.


Quebec's breastfeeding rates are in a deplorable state, and even more so for smoking mothers. Public health providers are trying to increase breastfeeding rates and decrease smoking in this specific target group. Should they prioritise tobacco cessation interventions, or breastfeeding promotion interventions, or give equal priority to both goals at the same time? The authors attempt to scientifically answer this question, through a comprehensive literature review over the last ten years. In general, women who smoke have the tendency be younger, be less educated and more underprivileged than mothers who do not smoke and to breastfeed less often. Smoking mothers who do breastfeed usually wean off breastfeeding earlier than those who do not smoke. Pregnancy is considered an ideal moment to stop smoking, but relapse after giving birth is very high. In light of the range of difficulties faced when trying to quit smoking, health professionals should encourage smoking mothers to breastfeed since the benefits of breastfeeding could actually serve to reduce some of the harmful effects related to tobacco. Nicotine patches can be prescribed to increase the chances for successful tobacco cessation amongst these mothers. To date, few studies have been carried out on nicotine replacement therapies and breastfeeding smokers. More research is needed to evaluate the risks and benefits of nicotine substitutes for this sub-group, in both the short and long term.


We study photopolymerization with high-order Bessel light beams with phase singularities on-axis. Self-trapping and self-focusing of propagation-invariant light beams in a photopolymer allow the fabrication of extended helical microfibers with a length scale of a centimeter, which is more than an order of magnitude larger than the propagation distance of the Bessel light beams. We show the evolution of microfibers rotating at a rate proportional to the incident optical power, while the periodicity of the helical structures remains constant, irrespective of the laser power. This suggests that optical momentum transfer plays a predominant role in the growth and rotation of such fiber structures.


Research indicates that the use of Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM) as a screening and formative assessment tool in school settings increases student academic performance across subject areas. Still, many teachers harbor resistance towards using it in the classroom. In schools that have implemented CBM, teachers may use it sparingly or not at all. Few studies have examined the individual teacher factors that might influence this resistance to the implementation of CBM. This study examined three individual teacher variables (teacher burnout, self-efficacy, CBM acceptability) hypothesized to influence teacher implementation of CBM in their teaching. Data were collected from a rural public elementary school located in the Southeastern U.S. Fifty-seven classroom teachers and other faculty were administered surveys measuring the variables. Results indicated: educators who reported higher ratings of CBM acceptability were more likely to use CBM in more varied ways, and that educators who had a higher sense of self-efficacy in their instructional strategies were less likely to find CBM an acceptable educational practice. Educators who reported higher ratings of feelings of personal accomplishment (a subset of burnout) used CBM for more hours per week. Teachers of higher grades reported using CBM in fewer ways and for fewer hours each week.


Disagreements over responsibility for human suffering frequently stern from disparate understandings of what it means to be responsible. In such disputes, parties often talk past one another. They do not simply disagree; rather, they fail to communicate meaningfully. This essay examines two distinct notions of responsibility and how they shape different ways people think about injustice. This essay attempts to clarify these distinct understandings of responsibility and employ them to illuminate current conflicts in political discourse and tort law. Part I examines in detail the paradigms of awareness and participation. Part II offers examples of how the disparity between the paradigms often leads to miscommunication in contemporary disagreements about moral responsibility for various forms of human suffering. Part III considers how this conflict of paradigms manifests itself in tort doctrine.


The electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) offers improved quantum efficiencies (40 to 95%) over a broader range of wavelengths (400 to 900 nm) and a higher intrinsic resolution (<100 mum using photon counting) when compared to photomultiplier tubes. The electron gain achieved in the multiplication register of an EMCCD effectively reduces the readout noise to less than 1 electron/pixel, making them sensitive to single photoelectrons. Our prototype camera uses the Texas Instruments Impactrontrade EMCCD model TC253SPD-B0 (7.4 mum square pixels) which is cooled under vacuum to -50degC using a four stage Peltier and liquid heat exchanger. Shuttered lens-coupling is used to image the optical light from a 3 mm thick monolithic CsI(Tl) crystal. Precise clocking for the EMCCD is provided by a National Instruments FPGA controller (PCI-7811R) and LabVIEW FPGA module (version 8.0). A custom built electronics box contains the clock driver circuitry and 16-bit video board for digital conversion of the video signal. Our optical coupling method differs from other EMCCD SPECT systems by using lenses rather than fiber optic bundles for transfer. TC253 characterization tests measured a maximum gain just over 1000times, dark current rate of 0.14 e/p/s, read noise of 18.2 e/p, and spurious charge generation of 4 e/p. A light integration intrinsic resolution of 110 mum FWHM was measured. Light integration images of a line phantom using a single pinhole collimator were used for SPECT reconstruction. We found the relative high spurious charge generation and low quantum efficiency of the TC253 made it incapable of photon counting for low energy sources using lens coupling.


A simple scheme by which any spectrometer is readily converted to a direct ratio-recording spectrophotometer is described. The optics consist of a double-beam "slit illuminator" which passes light from a common source area alternately over two identical paths to the spectrometer entrance slit. The optical arrangement allows great flexibility in the use of samples since it includes foci for small samples and sufficient space for low temperature cells, gas cells, etc. Common paths make the use of filters, polarizers, etc., convenient and accurate. Spectrometer optics, detector and amplifier are common to both signals and hence non-critical. The electrical signals from the two beams are amplified, "sorted" and rectified by synchronous switches, compared potentiometrically and their ratio recorded. Details of the amplifier and ratio circuits are included. A simple method is described by which errors in the ratio caused by the frequency characteristics of the detector, input transformer, or amplifier are eliminated. The energy in the comparison beam is kept constant at any predetermined level while a spectrum is scanned by means of a simple servo slit-width control. This arrangement is much more convenient and flexible than cams, particularly when interchangeable prisms are used.


We report the discovery of a circumplanetary disk (CPD) candidate embedded in the circumstellar disk of the T Tauri star AS 209 at a radial distance of about 200 au (on-sky separation of 1.″4 from the star at a position angle of 161°), isolated via 13CO J = 2−1 emission. This is the first instance of CPD detection via gaseous emission capable of tracing the overall CPD mass. The CPD is spatially unresolved with a 117 × 82 mas beam and manifests as a point source in 13CO, indicating that its diameter is ≲14 au. The CPD is embedded within an annular gap in the circumstellar disk previously identified using 12CO and near-infrared scattered-light observations and is associated with localized velocity perturbations in 12CO. The coincidence of these features suggests that they have a common origin: an embedded giant planet. We use the 13CO intensity to constrain the CPD gas temperature and mass. We find that the CPD temperature is ≳35 K, higher than the circumstellar disk temperature at the radial location of the CPD, 22 K, suggesting that heating sources localized to the CPD must be present. The CPD gas mass is ≳0.095 M Jup ≃ 30 M ⊕ adopting a standard 13CO abundance. From the nondetection of millimeter continuum emission at the location of the CPD (3σ flux density ≲26.4 μJy), we infer that the CPD dust mass is ≲0.027 M ⊕ ≃ 2.2 lunar masses, indicating a low dust-to-gas mass ratio of ≲9 × 10−4. We discuss the formation mechanism of the CPD-hosting giant planet on a wide orbit in the framework of gravitational instability and pebble accretion.


Elevation gradients correlate with changes in several environmental conditions and are known to be related to animal abundance. Animals in regions with a naturally limited extent of lowland rainforest are expected to have evolved adaptations to intermediate elevations that provided a stable environment during their evolution. Since the lowland rainforest of Madagascar has a limited extent and suffers from increasing anthropogenic pressure, it is essential to understand how well species tolerate intermediate and high elevations. In this study, we aim to quantify the relationship between lemur abundance and elevation in the eastern rainforest of Madagascar. We correlated abundance data on 26 lemur species (10 genera), including 492 records from 26 studies, with elevation. We analysed the consistency of correlations across species with a meta‐analytical approach. We controlled for species' body mass, elevational range and median elevation. We then ran generalised linear mixed models to determine whether lemur abundance was related to elevation, body mass, plant productivity and anthropogenic disturbance. Overall, the abundance of lemur species in Malagasy rainforests was negatively correlated with elevation, and species occupying broader elevational ranges showed stronger correlations. Body mass was not related to species' tolerance of high elevations. Even though several lemur species are able to occupy the entire elevation gradient, the few remaining patches of lowland rainforests host lemur species at greater abundances than other sites. Abundance across species was negatively related to body mass, elevation and seasonality in plant productivity and positively related to plant productivity. Despite the ecological flexibility of many lemur species, the remnant patches of lowland rainforests host the highest levels of lemur abundance and are key to lemur conservation. It is crucial to preserve this priority habitat both for biodiversity conservation and for our understanding of lemur adaptations.

https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/04fd000c-5bab-461e-b410-0520c058b5d8/1/Elevation gradients of lemur abundance - 2019 - Campera Santini Balestri Nekaris Donati.pdf


Abstract All of the hydrogeologic subdivisions within the Edwards aquifer outcrop in Comal County have some porosity and permeability. The most porous and permeable appear to be hydrogeologic subdivision VI, the Kirschberg evaporite member of the Kainer Formation; hydrogeologic subdivision III, the leached and collapsed members, undivided; and hydrogeologic subdivision II, the cyclic and marine members, undivided, of the Person Formation. The two types of porosity in the Edwards aquifer outcrop are fabric selective, which is related to depositional or diagenetic elements and typically exists in specific stratigraphic horizons; and not fabric selective, which can exist in any lithostratigraphic horizon. Permeability, the capacity of porous rock to transmit water, depends on the physical properties of the rock such as pore size, shape, distribution, Assuring, and dissolution. Two faults, Comal Springs and Hueco Springs, completely, or almost completely, offset the Edwards aquifer along much of their respective traces across Comal County. Porous and permeable Edwards aquifer limestone is juxtaposed against the impermeable upper confining unit in these areas. These faults completely, or almost completely, offset the Edwards aquifer and are thought to be barriers or partial barriers to groundwater flow where the beds are juxtaposed. In Comal County, the Edwards aquifer is probably most vulnerable to surface contamination in the rapidly urbanizing areas on the Edwards aquifer outcrop. Possible contamination can result from spills, leakage of hazardous materials, or runoff onto the intensely faulted and fractured, karstic limestone outcrops characteristic of the recharge zone.


Efficiency in routing and security are two competitive design issues in wireless sensor networks. The most efficient and least secure routing protocol is shortest path routing. On the other hand, the most secure and least efficient routing protocol is random routing. In this paper, we propose the controlled routing protocol, a mixture of these two routing protocols that maintains a good balance between security and efficiency. Our proposed protocol is based on two principles: if all the messages do not follow the same path, then backtracking to the source node is not possible and when an adversary is very far away from the source and destination locations, then efficiency is more important than security. Based on these principles, we proposed the controlled routing protocol, in which the forwarding node forwards the message either to the node on the shortest path or a random neighbour with a variable probability. The probability of taking the shortest path increases by distance from the source and the destination node. In this paper, we also present our simulation results compared to other routing protocols.


ABSTRACT Infestation of food crops by fungi has led to serious economic losses in the international market. There is a paucity of information on the multi-mycotoxin profile of cashew nuts from different geographical locations in Nigeria and South Africa. This work aims at comparing the fungal metabolite profile of cashew nut from two African countries using HPLC-FLD and LC-MS/MS. The differences in distribution of the fungal metabolites across the two countries were also examined. A total of 75 (39; Nigeria, 36; South Africa) roasted cashew nuts were purchased from 14 different locations in Nigeria and 10 major supermarkets in South Africa. The samples were subjected to HPLC analysis for aflatoxin and zearalenone and LC-MS/MS analysis for multiple metabolite profiling. Total aflatoxins (0.03-0.77 µg/kg and 0.01-0.28 µg/kg) and zearalenone (123.2 and 788.6 µg/kg) were quantified in nut samples from South Africa and Nigeria, respectively. In contrast, LC-MS/MS analysis showed that none of the major fungi metabolites except for one (citrinin) was present in detectable amount in Nigerian cashew nuts (31.3 μg/kg). Other microbial metabolites present in the nuts were; Aspergillus metabolites (< LOD to 398 × 104 μg/kg and < LOD to 1760 μg/kg); flavoglaucin (5.4-177.4 μg/kg and 45.5-18,368 μg/kg), 7-hydroxykaurenolide (5.5-45.8 μg/kg and 3.5-33.7 μg/kg), chloramphenicol (0.3-4.5 μg/kg) for South African and Nigerian cashew nuts, respectively. The incidence rate of the fusarium toxins beauvericin and bikaverin were higher in Nigerian cashew nut (100% and 17%) than the South African nuts (8% and 8%), 7-Hydroxykaurenolide and chloramphenicol were found in all the cashew nut samples. A total of 15 unspecific metabolites (17-100%) were recorded in the nuts from both countries. Information on the metabolite profile of cashew nuts will provide useful information for policy makers, border agencies and other health-related Institutes. Graphical abstract Fungi metabolites profile of Cashew nut from selected locations in Two African Countries. *Roasted cashew nut image-www.gettyimages.com


Abstract. Mass loss from glaciers and ice sheets currently accounts for two-thirds of the observed global sea-level rise and has accelerated since the 1990s, coincident with strong atmospheric warming in the polar regions. Here we present continuous GPS measurements and satellite synthetic-aperture-radar-based velocity maps from Basin-3, the largest drainage basin of the Austfonna ice cap, Svalbard. Our observations demonstrate strong links between surface-melt and multiannual ice-flow acceleration. We identify a hydro-thermodynamic feedback that successively mobilizes stagnant ice regions, initially frozen to their bed, thereby facilitating fast basal motion over an expanding area. By autumn 2012, successive destabilization of the marine terminus escalated in a surge of Basin-3. The resulting iceberg discharge of 4.2±1.6 Gt a−1 over the period April 2012 to May 2013 triples the calving loss from the entire ice cap. With the seawater displacement by the terminus advance accounted for, the related sea-level rise contribution amounts to 7.2±2.6 Gt a−1. This rate matches the annual ice-mass loss from the entire Svalbard archipelago over the period 2003–2008, highlighting the importance of dynamic mass loss for glacier mass balance and sea-level rise. The active role of surface melt, i.e. external forcing, contrasts with previous views of glacier surges as purely internal dynamic instabilities. Given sustained climatic warming and rising significance of surface melt, we propose a potential impact of the hydro-thermodynamic feedback on the future stability of ice-sheet regions, namely at the presence of a cold-based marginal ice plug that restricts fast drainage of inland ice. The possibility of large-scale dynamic instabilities such as the partial disintegration of ice sheets is acknowledged but not quantified in global projections of sea-level rise.


There is a growing debate about whether new housing units increase rents for immediately surrounding apartments. Some argue new market-rate development produces a supply effect, which should alleviate the demand pressure on existing housing units and decreasing their rents. Others contend that new development will attract high-income households and new amenities, generating an amenity effect and driving up rents. In this paper, I contribute to this debate by estimating the impact of new high-rises on nearby residential rents, residential property sales prices, and restaurant openings in New York City. To address the selection bias that developers are more likely to build new high-rises in fast-appreciating areas, I restrict the sample to residential properties near approved new high-rises and exploit the plausibly exogenous timing of completion conditional upon the timing of approval. I provide event study evidence that for every 10% increase in the housing stock, rents decrease 1% and sales prices also decrease within 500 feet. In addition, I show that new high-rises attract new restaurants, which is consistent with the hypothesis about amenity effects. However, I find that the supply effect is larger, causing net reductions in the rents and sales prices of nearby residential properties.


The role of a sharp autocorrelation phase mask, called the bleached uniformly redundant array, for improving the spatial coherence in the far-field of partially coherent light sources is studied. It is shown both theoretically and experimentally that the input source correlation plays an important role in determining the amount of enhancement introduced by the phase mask.


The study reviews the literature relating to the influence of television on children of primary school age. An account is then given of an investigation into the viewing habits and preferences of two consecutive classes of 8 - 9 year old school children, mainly from a socially deprived area. 87% came from homes with more than one TV set, 59% had a VCR - above the national average, as were the term-time viewing hours of 69% of these pupils; 60% of them spent more time watching television than in school and 26% watched for more than a quarter of each entire week. The results revealed a developing dichotomy between the increasingly private viewing of 'live' television and the family togetherness experienced during a hired video screening. Most children in multi-set households were able to watch anything they wished. Possession of a VCR enabled transmissions after the 9 p.m. 'watershed' to be watched at a more convenient time. Favourite programmes included cartoons and adult shows (especially situation comedies and violent programmes considered unsuitable for children). Reasons for these preferences were investigated and, in general, children used television as a means of escapism and thus tended to dislike those programmes which made demands on them. In view of their popularity, the content and appeal of cartoons were further examined. Cartoons provided fantasy, excitement, fun and laughter. Although often containing more acts of violence than a 'real' programme, they were enjoyable because, in reality, no-one was hurt. In school, the heaviest viewers tended to be the least attentive and the most aggressive, but other causative factors made it difficult to directly correlate such behaviour. Although television provided a commonality of experience for these children's conversation and play, it appeared to contribute little to their language, their knowledge and their perception of social reality.


Previous studies on cold-triggered events leading to Ca2+ influx during cold acclimatization have been conducted on either unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis or plant cell suspensions, and used transcript levels of cold-induced genes as end-point markers. Whether the results of these studies are valid for intact plants or their organs is not known. Here we examine cold signaling in transgenic Brassica napus seedlings carrying, in addition to the endogenous cold-inducible BN115 gene, the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene placed under control of the BN115 promoter. The activity of BN115 promoter was monitored at the transcriptional and translational levels by determining accumulation of BN115 transcripts and by histochemical assay of GUS activity. Cold-activation of BN115 was strongly inhibited by the membrane fluidizer benzyl alcohol, but mimicked at 25 degrees C by the membrane rigidifier dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The cold induction of BN115 was also inhibited by stabilizers of microtubules and actin microfilaments, taxol and jasplakinolide, respectively, but was mimicked at 25 degrees C by microtubule destabilizer oryzalin or colchicine, or by microfilament destabilizer latrunculin B. Gd3+ or ruthenium red prevented the cold activation of BN115, but Ca2+ ionophore A23187 or cyclic ADP-ribose activated it at 25 degrees C. Inhibitors of tyrosine kinases, protein kinase C and phosphoinositide kinases prevented the cold activation of BN115, but inhibitors of protein phosphatases (PP) 1 and 2 A activated BN115 at 25 degrees C. Constitutively expressed GUS activity in another transgenic line of the same cultivar of B. napus, was not affected by cold or any of the chemical treatments used in the experimentation. Activation of BN115 at 25 degrees C by DMSO, Ca2+ ionophore, cADPR, and by inhibitors of PP1 and 2A was accompanied by an increased freezing tolerance. It was concluded that the cold-activation of BN115 requires membrane rigidification, cytoskeleton reorganization, Ca2+ influx and action of several types of protein kinases.


STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE
To compare patterns in opioid usage and prescriptions between patients who undergo cervical laminectomy with instrumented fusion (LF) vs cervical laminoplasty with reconstruction (LP) within single surgeon and national database cohorts.

METHODS
We identified patients with cervical myelopathy undergoing primary LF or LP in both a single-surgeon series cohort (2004-2018) and a nationally representative cohort drawn from the IBM® Marketscan® database (2014-2016). We recorded opioid usage within 6 months of surgery and identified differences in unadjusted opioid use rates between LF and LP patients. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between procedure type and postoperative opioid use.

RESULTS
Without adjusting for covariates, LF patients had a higher rate of 6-month opioid use in the single-surgeon cohort (15.7% vs 5.1%, P = .02). After adjusting for covariates, LF patients had higher odds of 6-month postoperative opioid use (OR 2.8 [95% CI 1.0-7.7], P = .04). In the national cohort, without adjusting for covariates, there was no significant difference in 6-month opioid use between LF and LP patients. Even after adjusting for covariates, we found no significant difference in odds.

CONCLUSIONS
Findings from a single-surgeon cohort reveal that LF is associated with a higher rate of 6-month opioid use than LP. This is at odds with findings from a national database cohort, which suggested that LP and LF patients have similar rates of opioid usage at 6-months postoperatively. To prevent overuse of narcotics, surgeons must consider the distinct pain requirements associated with different procedures even in treatment of the same condition.


Every two years, IUPAC holds an election for its officers and committee members. About 120 individuals are to be elected or reelected either as Titular Members, Associate Members, or National Representatives. Information concerning the voting process and the role of each kind of member is contained in the Union bylaws (see https://iupac.org/who-we-are/organizational-guidelines/)


Infertility is a potentially life-changing diagnosis for couples who are trying to conceive. A diagnosis of infertility and the associated management plan can lead to psychological stress, anxiety, and depression for one or both partners. Infertility affects 6% of married women of reproductive age in the United States. Once a couple is determined to be infertile, prompt referral to a specialist is indicated. Treatment varies according to the cause and may include medication, surgical intervention, or assisted reproductive technology.


The cumbersome process of construction and incremental update of large indoor maps can be simplified by semantic maps. A novel semantic mapping method for indoor environments is proposed which employs a flash-n-extend strategy for constructing and updating the map. At the exposure of every flash event, a 3D snapshot of the environment is taken which is extended until flash event reoccurs. A flash event occurs at a motion state transition of a mobile robot which is detected by the decomposition of motion estimates. The proposed method is evaluated on a set of image sequences and is found to be robust in building indoor maps which are suitable for robust autonomous navigation. The constructed maps provide simplistic representation of the environment which makes it ideal for high-level reasoning tasks.


Video scene detection is the task of temporally dividing a video into its semantic sections. This is an important preliminary step for effective analysis of heterogeneous video content. We present a unique formulation of this task as a generic optimization problem with a novel normalized cost function, aimed at optimal grouping of consecutive shots into scenes. The mathematical properties of the proposed normalized cost function enable robust scene detection, also in challenging real-world scenarios. We present a novel dynamic programming formulation for efficiently optimizing the proposed cost function despite an inherent dependency between subproblems. We use deep neural network models for visual and audio analysis to encode the semantic elements in the video scene, enabling effective and more accurate video scene detection. The proposed method has two key advantages compared to other approaches: it inherently provides a temporally consistent division of the video into scenes, and is also parameter-free, eliminating the need for fine-tuning for different types of content. While our method can adaptively estimate the number of scenes from the video content, we also present a new non-greedy procedure for creating a hierarchical consensus-based division tree spanning multiple levels of granularity. We provide comprehensive experimental results showing the benefits of the normalized cost function, and demonstrating that the proposed method outperforms the current state of the art in video scene detection.


Understanding what a person is experiencing from her frame of reference is essential in our everyday life. For this reason, one can think that machines with this type of ability would interact better with people. However, there are no current systems capable of understanding in detail peoples emotional states. Previous research on computer vision to recognize emotions has mainly focused on analyzing the facial expression, usually classifying it into the 6 basic emotions [11]. However, the context plays an important role in emotion perception, and when the context is incorporated, we can infer more emotional states. In this paper we present the Emotions in Context Database (EMCO), a dataset of images containing people in context in non-controlled environments. In these images, people are annotated with 26 emotional categories and also with the continuous dimensions valence, arousal, and dominance [21]. With the EMCO dataset, we trained a Convolutional Neural Network model that jointly analyzes the person and the whole scene to recognize rich information about emotional states. With this, we show the importance of considering the context for recognizing peoples emotions in images, and provide a benchmark in the task of emotion recognition in visual context.


Although liver transplantation has become standard therapy in the treatment of patients with liver failure, several problems should be considered in the management of these patients. Other approaches have been proposed, in particular cellular-based procedures. Isolated hepatocytes may be used instead of whole organ transplantation or integrated within the bioartificial devices, in order to replace the missing synthetic and metabolic liver functions. Moreover patient's own hepatocytes may be ex vivo genetically modified to provide the function of a mutant gene. However, new cell sources alternative to adult hepatocytes are actually under investigation, on the basis of recent advances in the field of liver repopulation. Xenogenic primary cells, human hepatoma cells, immortalized hepatocytes and stem cells have been testing in several experiments, even if up to now none of them represent a "gold-standard" for cell-based treatment of liver diseases. In the next future, it is possible that different clinical situations will require different therapeutic approaches, that will be finally defined from the concomitant advances in the development of artificial devices and liver cell biology.


Persian art and architecture have a rich heritage that stretches far beyond the borders of modern-day Iran, from the Abbasid monuments of Baghdad to the splendid Timurid buildings of Samarqand and Bukhara. This book follows a historical path across the Iranian world and examines the artistic legacies of great rulers and their dynasties, from the rebirth of Persian art under the Seljuqs to the magnificent structures built by Timur-i Lang in Samarqand and the cultural flowering that occurred under the Safavid dynasty and beyond. Palaces, mosques, madrasas and mausoleums display a mesmerizing decorative complexity, with form and ornament combining to create an indivisible whole. Spectacular polychrome tiles, intricate brickwork, curling arabesque motifs and calligraphic inscriptions attain a transcendent beauty, designed to reflect both the temporal power of the rulers who commissioned them and the heavenly glory of creation.


The U.S. traditionally markets upland cotton with a high volume instrument (HVI) upperhalf mean length (UHML) of 27 mm (34 staple) although international trade requires a minimum of 27.8 mm (35 staple). Genotypes have been developed that exhibit UHML of approximately 30 mm (-38 staple) that are referred to as near-long-staple uplands (NLSU). The objective of this research was to determine gene action and heritability for near-long-staple length in a unique set of upland cotton genotypes. TAM 94L-25, an NLSU, was crossed with three programmatically diverse NLSU phenotypes and a short-staple upland (SSU) to produce the F 1 , F 2 , BCP 1 , and BCP 2 generations for generation mean analysis (GMA). Generations were grown in a randomized complete block design at College Station, TX in 2001 and 2002. Seedcotton was ginned on a laboratory gin and advanced fiber instrument system (AFIS) fiber properties were determined. Additional improvement in fiber length is possible by crossing TAM 94L-25 with the other NLSU phenotypes included in this study. Environment affected genetic expression with narrow sense heritability (h 2 ) for fiber length generally lower in the TAM 94L-25/NLSU families. Transgressive segregates were found in all families.


Iron-based amorphous and nano-crystalline alloys have attracted a growing interest due to their potential in the application of magnetic coil production. However, fundamental understanding of the nano-crystallization mechanisms and magnetic features in the amorphous structure are still lack of knowledge. In the present work, we performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulation to clarify the ionic and electronic structure in atomic scale, and to derive the origin of the good magnetic property of Fe85Si2B8P4Cu1 amorphous alloy. The simulation gave a direct evidence of the Cu-P bonding preference in the amorphous alloy, which may promote nucleation in nano-crystallization process. On the other hand, the electron transfer and the band/orbital features in the amorphous alloy suggests that alloying elements with large electronegativity and the potential to expand Fe disordered matrix are preferred for enhancing the magnetization.


In the future vision of an Internet of Services, users take an active role in service selection and composition. In this context, web services are mostly interfaces to real services and can be classified as coordination services with respect to the latter. To enable users to perform service composition, the effect of the coordination services must be described in such a way that users are not only able to discover services but also to detect and prevent possible conflicts in their composition. To meet these requirements, a service description language for coordination services is proposed based on the REA business ontology.


Lipodystrophy is the acquired or inherited metabolic disorder sophisticated by complete or partial loss of fat in the body. The disorders of lipodystrophy are differentiated by degrees of severity, and by areas or organ systems of the body affected. The pathogenesis remains unestablished, but chiefly it is associated with adipose tissue as well as genetic and other host factors. Genetic and molecular researches help to improve underlying mechanism of the lipodystrophy. Magnetic resonance imaging, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography, ultrasonography and other laboratory tests are helpful to assess the fat content and other related disorders at regular intervals. It is combined with a number of complications mostly diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and other metabolic abnormalities. The proper usage of diet, exercise, nutrition and therapeutic usage of growth hormones, anti-diabetic drugs, hyper-lipidemic drugs, changes in HIV medications are helpful in controlling lipodystrophy to an extent. Hormones of adipose tissue, leptin and adiponectin enhance the circulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ agonists, for therapeutic usage. The novel therapeutic approaches include laser and other potential applications in surgery which guide to therapeutic armamentarium. The new insights from the research and clinical trials could potentially strategize the management of lipodystrophy.


This paper discusses a pragmatic and innovative approach to the data analysis of oral testimonies when used within a methodological framework of Historiography. Oral testimony is increasingly perceived as an exciting research method within the nursing discipline. However, the availability of a clear method to guide the researcher in their analysis of oral testimonies as the primary data for a Historiography is limited. A practical approach to the interpretation of oral testimony is needed to ensure the continued and successful use of Historiography as a valued research methodology in nursing science. The primary discussion revolves around the explication of a four-stage method proposed as a pragmatic tool for the analysis of oral testimonies. Theoretical literature from the Historian, Paul Thompson and Pragmatist Philosopher, Richard Rorty is drawn upon to bring validity and reliability to the proposed method of analysis. This new technique can be easily used by nurses and many other disciplines in their efforts to efficiently analyse the qualitative data obtained from oral testimonies.


The Human Genome Project modeled its open science ethos on nematode biology, most famously through daily release of DNA sequence data based on the 1996 Bermuda Principles. That open science philosophy persists, but daily, unfettered release of data has had to adapt to constraints occasioned by the use of data from individual people, broader use of data not only by scientists but also by clinicians and individuals, the global reach of genomic applications and diverse national privacy and research ethics laws, and the rising prominence of a diverse commercial genomics sector. The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health was established to enable the data sharing that is essential for making meaning of genomic variation. Data-sharing policies and practices will continue to evolve as researchers, health professionals, and individuals strive to construct a global medical and scientific information commons.


Mixing of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes in aqueous solutions may result in the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC). Phase separation and complex coacervation of polypeptides are investigated in this study. Polypeptides have identical backbones and differ only in their charged side groups, making them attractive model systems for this work. All experiments are conducted using equal chain lengths of polycation and polyanion in order to isolate and highlight effects of the interactions of the charged groups during complexation. Complex coacervation is strongly affected by the polypeptide mixing ratio (stoichiometry), ionic strength (salt concentration), total polymer concentration, pH, and temperature. To examine the effect of these parameters on complex formation we use sample turbidity as an indicator, and optical microscopy to discriminate between coacervate and precipitate. We establish phase diagrams as a function of polybase content and salt concentration using the critical salt concentrations required to reach the coacervate to solution boundary. Additionally, we examine the effect of molecular weight on the complex formation for the P(L-Lysine) (PLys)/P(L-Glutamic acid) (PGlu) system and establish a phase diagram. By determining the water content of the coacervate phase under various conditions we find that the salt content and stoichiometry of the mixed polyelectrolytes have a significant effect on the coacervate composition.


In this extended abstract, I reflect on the design motivations for a system called WOLFGANG that composes tonal monodies. The investigated problem concerns the definition of the evaluation criteria guiding Wolfgang's compositional processing and learning. The thesis of this work is derived from the hypothesis that a system's innate sense of (musical) sound strongly influences the development of its perception, as well as composing habits. As the system develops its musical skills, it also develops a subjective use of a musical language biased by its sense of musical sounds, and its adaptation to the cultural musical grammar of its environment.


The continuing decrease of power requirements of electronic circuits offers the potential to deploy wireless systems as embedded sensors for cars or industrial tools, and implanted medical devices. Harvesting ambient vibrations by an appropriate energy harvesting (EH) device allows to avoid an undesirable battery replacement. At the scale of micro-electromechanical systems, where severe size constraints must be met, microfabricated EH devices with piezoelectric thin films offer the best energy density. Ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films with interdigitated electrodes (IDE) appear as the most promising device design for this purpose. Accurate characterization of the thin film response is necessary to determine the PZT composition and doping, the electrode geometry, and the stack design for maximum EH efficiency. Unfortunately, there is no rigorous description of the physical behavior of the IDE system to date. One goal of this thesis was thus to provide a better understanding of the experimental observations made by previous researchers. In addition, only a limited PZT composition and doping range has been investigated in this configuration. It was the second goal of this thesis to widen this range in order to determine the combination that yields the best EH efficiency. Finally, the risk of partial or total depoling over the device lifetime is always present in ferroelectric materials. The phenomena of aging and self-poling are of great interest to ensure proper retention of the poled state and, thus, the reliability of the harvesting device. Neither of the two are well understood. It was the third goal of this thesis to investigate the aging behavior and methods to promote self-poling. In this thesis work, we have have proposed a description of the physical behavior of the IDE system, and we have developed an analytical model for extracting the effective material properties from standard characterization measurements, which is well supported by both finite element (FE) simulations and experimental data. We found that if the substrate is conductive enough, a parasitic capacitance is present in parallel to the material response. We have provided a method to subtract the contribution of the parasitic capacitance, which has an accuracy of better than 4% in a wide range of IDE geometries as determined by FE simulations. We have investigated the performances of doped PZT thin films with IDE for several combinations of dopant and composition. We have improved an existing fabrication route to obtain textured PZT films on an insulating MgO layer. We found that dopants systematically reduced the piezoelectric response and retention capability, and increased the dielectric constant. All three are detrimental for EH. Undoped compositions should be chosen. We have studied methods to improve the stability of the poled state through aging and self-poling. Introducing the latter into the IDE configuration did not provide sufficiently strong effects to be of practical interest. On the contrary, the aging process may allow to tune the extrinsic contributions to the dielectric and piezoelectric response. It is likely caused by polarization discontinuities at grain boundaries. Further work is needed for fully optimizing this phenomenon. Finally, from the previous investigations, we could deduce and propose golden rules for the design of IDE structures, and discuss typical applications where they are advantageous.


This article explores the dynamic field of children's participation and provides fresh insight into its construction within professional frameworks as well as within the social policy process. Protectionism, developmentalism, rights and managerialism are identified as significant discourses and this article explores their articulation and negotiation through policies. The argument is that the settlement reached represents a new configuration within policy frameworks relating to children where a version of children's rights is appropriated and mainstreamed. The interaction between children's rights, managerialism and professional discourses are illustrated with reference to policy and legislation.


This paper deals with the problem of synthesizing feedforward control to aid the regulation of output of a nonlinear system in the presence of partially known exogenous inputs. The problem appears in many engineering applications including Roll-to-Roll (R2R) manufacturing systems. Currently known methods for this problem either require the solution of a constrained partial differential equation or the preview information of the signal to be tracked. The novelty of this paper lies in synthesizing feedforward control as the solution of a system of differential-algebraic equations, which is considerably less complex and suitable for practical implementation. In this paper, we consider the problem of regulating the output while rejecting the disturbances and apply it to R2R manufacturing systems. The problem of tracking reference signals can also be handled with the suggested technique. We assume that the disturbance signal is the output of a known exogenous system with unknown initial conditions. A parameter identification scheme to estimate the unknown initial conditions is developed. The proposed technique is successfully applied to control of web tension in a large R2R machine which mimics most of the features of industrial R2R machines and contains real-time hardware and software that is used in industrial practice. Extensive experiments were conducted to evaluate the proposed scheme for web tension control under various experimental conditions, including different web speeds and materials. We will present and discuss the representative experimental results with the proposed technique and provide a comparison with an industrial PI control scheme to highlight the benefits of using the proposed scheme.


Food risks may be caused by moral hazard, i.e. by opportunistic behaviour of upstream sellers who exploit the fact that many food product qualities remain uncertain to downstream buyers in the course of conventional market transactions (credence qualities). Due to this lack of market transparency buyers run the risk to pay premium prices for inferior products (quality risks); furthermore, they run the risk to use or consume substances which are harmful (health risks). Therefore, they will want to design optimal contracts and controls preventing opportunistic behaviour. Usually, however, buyers cannot contract contingent on the actions of upstream sellers because they cannot observe them directly (information asymmetry). Motivated by the obviously game-theoretic nature of the problem, we investigate the potential of principal-agent-models for the analysis of food risks induced by opportunistic behaviour. We identify a binary stochastic moral hazard model which is able to represent the microeconomic situation of buyers (principals) and sellers (agents) adequately. On the one hand, the model considers the remuneration costs which are needed to induce compliance. On the other hand, it accounts for direct costs and benefits of control as well as a limited traceability caused by the multiple agents setting of most food risk problems. If we know the costs of compliance, the stochastic relationship between the agent's action and the product quality, and the traceability coefficient, we are able to determine the optimal control intensity and price for any cost of control function and predefined upper limit of the imposable sanction. For practical applications the main problem will be how to procure empirical data. The manageable data requirements of the binary model qualify it as a ready to use model for future applications: first, it can be used in positive analyses of food chains in order to detect the hot spots where food risks induced by opportunistic behaviour are to be expected for economic reasons. Secondly, it can be used in normative analyses in order to identify contractual designs which induce compliance at minimum costs. Thirdly, it can be used in order to compare the efficiency of different system structures taking into account the costs of change.


Background: Alcohol is considered to be a co-carcinogen as well as a tumor promoter, with several studies showing a linear dose-dependent association. However, moderate alcohol consumption has been found to be protective as far as cardiovascular diseases are concerned. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of alcohol intake with breast cancer. Design: It is a case – control study. Patients: Two hundred and fifty consecutive newly (within six months) diagnosed breast cancer patients with first developed breast cancer (56±12 years) and 250 age-matched controls were studied. Main Outcome Measures: A special questionnaire assessing various socio-demographic, clinical, lifestyle and dietary characteristics, was applied through face-to-face interviews. Moreover, frequency of alcohol intake (i.e., never, rarely, 3-4 times/month, 1-2 times/week, 3-4 times/week, daily) and type (i.e., red or white wine, beer, whisky, other beverages) of alcoholic beverages consumed were also recorded. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated using the MedDietScore (theoretical range 0-55). Results: Alcohol drinking on a weekly basis (i.e., 3-4 times/week) was associated with lower likelihood of having breast cancer (OR=0.16; 95%CI 0.03, 0.80), while higher consumption showed opposite results. Moreover, it was revealed that wine drinking was associated with lower odds of breast cancer (OR=0.60; 95%CI 0.35, 1.00) with no significant differences between red or white wine. Limitations: The major limitation of this study was the potential recall bias. Conclusions: Moderate alcohol intake, and especially wine consumption, seem to be associated with breast cancer prevention.


ABSTRACT The present study explored the influences of semantic features in immediate serial recall in order to further examine the involvement of semantic knowledge in short-term memory. The number of semantic features (NoF) was found to have a positive effect on short-term recall where high NoF words were remembered better than low NoF words (Experiment 1). This effect was replicated in a second experiment and was found to persist even after controlling for a potential confound (number of distinguishing features). It was further found that having more distinctive features facilitated recall performance of words whose representation was semantically poorer (Experiment 3). These results provide additional evidence of semantic influences in short-term memory and demonstrate that the organisation of semantic knowledge is reflected in short-term memory performance.


Almost all scientific research that investigates how exercise training affects the circulatory system estimates main arteries, like brachial artery and few focus on the cutaneous microvascular function. The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of 25 Programmed Aerobic/Anaerobic/Accommodating Circuit Exercise (PACE) training sessions on changes in vasomotor reactions (microvascular beds of the skin) in healthy untrained women. PACE training is a short duration (∼30 min), intense physical activity that includes both aerobic and anaerobic states, that changes after every 30 s. 20 women participated in this study (age 35±10 years; body mass index 26.7±4.2). The laser Doppler flow technique (MoorLDI2) was used to estimate the regional blood flow changes on the upper part of the palm induced by local acetylcholine (1% Ach) and sodium nitroprusside (1% SNP) iontophoresis; assessment of concentrations of C reactive protein and cortisol were made with the Immulite 2500. There was an increase in endothelium-dependent vasodilatation after 25 PACE training sessions, that was estimated by laser dopplerography test with 1% Ach iontophoresis (292±80 PU vs 335±88 PU, p<0.01). 25 PACE training sessions did not cause any significant changes in endothelium-independent vasodilatation (1% SNP iontophoresis). There was a negative correlation between 1% Ach-induced vasodilatation and C reactive protein (p<0.05; r=−0.38), but there was a positive correlation between 1% SNP-induced vasodilatation and cortisol (p<0.01; r=0.53), when data from pre and post 25 PACE training sessions are taken together (n=40). In conclusion, 25 PACE training sessions improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation, but have no effect on endothelium-independent vasodilatation. Inflammatory processes (higher C reactive protein level) reduce the capacity of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.


The present study draws on corpus stylistics (cf. Semino, Short 2004; Hoover 2007; Mahlberg 2014; Hoover, Culpeper, O'Halloran 2014, to name a few) to investigate the narrative style in Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Saga (2005-2008). In particular, it focuses on keywords generated using Wordsmith Tools version 7 (Scott 2017), and the BNC as reference corpus. Qualitative and quantitative analyses show that the most frequent lexical words (nouns, adjectives, and verbs) reflect the writer's focus on carefully selected physical elements of the characters. More specifically, the nouns preferentially denote specific physical attributes of the characters, the adjectives provide a general description of the protagonists and the setting, while the verbs used present the actions of all the characters, their interaction with the other protagonists, and their position in the narrative situation.


We present a numerical method for solving Poisson's equation, with variable coefficients and Dirichlet boundary conditions, on two-dimensional regions. The approach uses a finite-volume discretization, which embeds the domain in a regular Cartesian grid. We treat the solution as a cell-centered quantity, even when those centers are outside the domain. Cells that contain a portion of the domain boundary use conservative differencing of second-order accurate fluxes on each cell volume. The calculation of the boundary flux ensures that the conditioning of the matrix is relatively unaffected by small cell volumes. This allows us to use multigrid iterations with a simple point relaxation strategy. We have combined this with an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) procedure. We provide evidence that the algorithm is second-order accurate on various exact solutions and compare the adaptive and nonadaptive calculations .


The existence of honeybees within the ecosystem is crucial in worldwide agricultural production. Exposure of these insects to residues of many contaminants or poisonous materials like plant protection products (pesticides) causes death or reduces their activity. This study aims to assess the status of pesticide application, its use and possible impacts on bee communities in East Wollega Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. A simple structure questionnaire and key informant interviews were conducted to generate qualitative and quantitative data. A pre-developed model called Pesticide Risks In the Tropics for Man, Environment and Trade (PRIMET) was used to determine risks to bees when beehives are in the in-crop and off-crop situations. Results of the analysis indicated that pesticides, particularly carbaryl, malathion, diazinon, fipronil, chlorpyrifos and profonefos are highly risky to bees when used in the in-crop situations (ETRs 3254-120000); while they are possibly risky when used in the off-crop scenario (ETRs 91-335). The result also revealed that farmers are not aware of how to protect bees while applying pesticides. Developing proper risk communication strategies (selecting time of application when honey bees are inactive, covering hives during application, notifying beekeepers before pesticide application) and awareness creation are recommended to avert damage.


The effect of activation of liver X receptor by N-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-N-[4-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-hydroxy-1(trifluoromethyl)ethyl]phenyl] benzenesulfonamide (T0901317) on high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and insulin resistance was examined in C57BL/6 mice. When on HFD continuously for 10 weeks, C57BL/6 mice became obese with an average body weight of 42 g, insulin resistant, and glucose intolerant. Twice weekly intraperitoneal injections of T0901317 at 50 mg/kg in animals on the same diet completely blocked obesity development, obesity-associated insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that T0901317-treated animals had significantly higher mRNA levels of genes involved in energy metabolism, including Ucp-1, Pgc1a, Pgc1b, Cpt1a, Cpt1b, Acadm, Acadl, Aox, and Ehhadh. Transcription activation of Cyp7a1, Srebp-1c, Fas, Scd-1, and Acc-1 genes was also seen in T0901317-treated animals. T0901317 treatment induced reversible aggregation of lipids in the liver. These results suggest that liver X receptor could be a potential target for prevention of obesity and obesity-associated insulin resistance.


Multidecadal variability of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) has been reconstructed by various proxies, simulated in climate models, and linked to multidecadal Arctic salinity variability. Here we construct a simple conceptual model to understand the two‐way interactions of the Arctic with multidecadal AMOC variability through a delayed oscillator mechanism. We revise Stommel's Two‐Box Model by including an advective time delay for the Arctic density/salinity anomalies to reach the subpolar North Atlantic and a coupled negative feedback between the AMOC and the freshwater flux entering the Arctic through atmosphere and/or sea ice responses. Self‐sustained multidecadal AMOC oscillations exist in the revised Stommel's Two‐Box model if the oceanic advective time delay is longer than the oscillation threshold, and the periods of the AMOC delayed oscillator depend crucially on this advective time delay. The coupled freshwater feedback provides additional delayed negative feedback and reduces the advective time delay threshold required for the oscillations.


The π electron cloud above and below the honeycomb structure of graphene causes each carbon atom to carry a permanent electric quadrupole moment which can attach any cation to impart interesting physical properties. We have synthesized Fe intercalated graphene structures to investigate tunable magnetic properties as a result of this chemical modification. An interesting antiferro quadrupolar ordering is observed which arises due to a coupling between magnetic dipole moment of Fe and electric quadrupole moment on graphene surface. In contrast to antiferromagnetic Neel temperature (TN), here the ordering temperature (TQ) increases from 35.5 K to 47.5 K as the magnetic field is raised upto 1 Tesla.


The need to recover high-dimensional signals from their noisy low-resolution quantized measurements is widely encountered in communications and sensing. In this paper, we focus on the extreme case of one-bit quantizers, and propose a deep detector entitled LoRD-Net for recovering information symbols from one-bit measurements. Our method is a model-aware data-driven architecture based on deep unfolding of first-order optimization iterations. LoRD-Net has a task-based architecture dedicated to recovering the underlying signal of interest from the one-bit noisy measurements without requiring prior knowledge of the channel matrix through which the one-bit measurements are obtained. The proposed deep detector has much fewer parameters compared to black-box deep networks due to the incorporation of domain-knowledge in the design of its architecture, allowing it to operate in a data-driven fashion while benefiting from the flexibility, versatility, and reliability of model-based optimization methods. LoRD-Net operates in a blind fashion, which requires addressing both the non-linear nature of the data-acquisition system as well as identifying a proper optimization objective for signal recovery. Accordingly, we propose a two-stage training method for LoRD-Net, in which the first stage is dedicated to identifying the proper form of the optimization process to unfold, while the latter trains the resulting model in an end-to-end manner. We numerically evaluate the proposed receiver architecture for one-bit signal recovery in wireless communications and demonstrate that the proposed hybrid methodology outperforms both data-driven and model-based state-of-the-art methods, while utilizing small datasets, on the order of merely $\sim 500$ samples, for training.


The objective of this work was to analyze social and environmental information through an artificial neural network-self-organizing map (ANN-SOM), in order to provide subsidy to ecologicaleconomic zoning (EEZ) as a tool to reduce the subjectivity of the process. The study area comprises 16 municipalities in the northeast of the state of Pará, Brazil, representative of the agricultural development in the state. Data processing involved three steps: preparation of the data in a geographic information system (GIS) environment; mathematical processing (ANN-SOM) of the data; and visualization and interpretation of the processing results, allowing the spatial planning of northeastern Pará. The results comprised 13 classes, regrouped according to behavioral similarity criteria into four categories, which represent the main areas of sustainability proposed for the state of Pará, according to existing EEZ. The proposed methodology allows individualizing areas in the region that EEZ had not defined, mainly due to the greater possibility of combining and integrating a large number of physical, social, and economic variables through the SOM.


Plasma waves with frequencies close to the particular gyrofrequencies of the charged particles in the plasma lose energy due to cyclotron damping. We briefly discuss the gyro-resonance of low frequency plasma waves and ions particularly with regard to particle-in-cell (PiC) simulations. A setup is outlined which uses artificially excited waves in the damped regime of the wave mode's dispersion relation to track the damping of the wave's electromagnetic fields. Extracting the damping rate directly from the field data in real or Fourier space is an intricate and non-trivial task. We therefore present a simple method of obtaining the damping rate {\Gamma} from the simulation data. This method is described in detail, focusing on a step-by-step explanation of the course of actions. In a first application to a test simulation we find that the damping rates obtained from this simulation generally are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. We then compare the results of one-, two- and three-dimensional simulation setups and simulations with different physical parameter sets.


Creativity is for the gifted few : the rest of us are compelled to live in environments const r ucted by the gifted few, listen to the gifted few's music, use gifted few's inventions and art, and read the poems, fantasies and plays by the gifted few. This is what our education and culture conditions us to believe, and this is a culturally induced and perpetuated lie. Building upon this lie, the dominant cultural elite tell us that the planning, design and building of any part of the environment is so difficult and so special that only the gifted few - those with degrees and certificates in planning, engineering, architecture, art, education, behavioural psychology, and so on - can properly solve environmental problems.


With the recent technological advancement, the field of cardiac imaging is riding the tide of change not only for the long-standing traditional imaging procedures like echocardiography and nuclear cardiology, but also for the emerging cardiac computed tomography (CCT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Among them, CCT and CMR are already entering the early phase of the technology being adopted for use by the majority of hospitals and physicians, and a period of rapid growth awaits as users better understand and acquire the technology. In this review, we tried to summarize the recent technical advancements, the altered recommendations and potential risks of imaging procedures with focusing to CCT and CMR, and we speculate on how change will happen in our field in the near future. With the progress that's happened in the past generation, the development of these new technologies has brought with them new roles for the cardiovascular specialist, and this has changed the pattern of clinical practice. Unfortunately, the appropriateness of performing cardiac imaging is still extraordinarily low. Imaging specialist, therefore, should be aware of the elementary physical basis, the evolving clinical indications, the differential costs, the radiation doses and the long term risks of different imaging modalities. (Korean Circulation J 2006;36:717-722)


A cooperative clinical investigation was undertaken in 17 Veterans Administration Hospitals to determine the effects of long-term therapy with conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin) in prevention of recurrent cerebral infarction or death due to atherosclerotic vascular disease. To date, 582 men with cerebral infarction have been assigned on a random basis to either the treatment or control groups and observed for periods as long as 34 months. Initial treatment consisted of 1.25 mg. of Premarin daily and was increased to 2.5 mg. after the first year.Estrogenic therapy failed to reduce the incidence of either cerebral or myocardial infarction developing during the period of follow-up observation. There was likewise no significant change in the mortality rate following onset of therapy. Of the 63 deaths in the study, 34 occurred in patients receiving treatment and 29 among those receiving the placebo preparation. Approximately 40 per cent of patients developed mild side reactions to the estrogenic agent, usually consisting of breast tenderness or enlargement, or both.These preliminary observations failed to demonstrate that treatment with conjugated equine estrogenic hormones in small and moderate dosages for an average period of 16.7 months had any value in lowering the recurrence of cerebral infarction or reducing the mortality rate subsequent to this disorder.


As follows from the analysis of the collected experimental material of long-term field trials of the Kursk Federal Agricultural Research Centre and generalization of the activities results of leading domestic research and educational institutions, as well as the practical results of many agricultural enterprises of the eastern part of Europe, we have identified the most effective conditions for the use of basic agricultural methods in wheat cultivation technologies as well as spring and winter barley, seed peas, buckwheat, grain maize, oats, millet and winter rye cultivation technologies of different levels of intensity which contribute to the rational use of available resources of agricultural producers based on the prevailing soil and climatic conditions. The technologies made it possible to prepare scientific-methodological approaches and a mathematical model to solve the problems of selecting an adaptive technology of crops cultivation. A normative-reference database for different types of crops cultivation technologies has also been made, including a list of zoned recognized varieties and hybrids of crops under study, necessary technology methods taking into account conditions of their effective use. Currently, an algorithm and the corresponding software are being developed to choose the most expedient technology of crop cultivation for specific soil and climatic conditions depending on a set of defining factors. There has been created software (in the form of a complex of programs for stationary computers and mobile electronic devices with the Android operating system. A specialized website has been developed. It provides a scientifically well-grounded selection of crops varieties and hybrids for the eastern part of Europa on the basis of user-specified conditions.


Discussions concerning patenting of pharmaceutical products require a particularly careful selection of postulates as they affect the fundamental area of human functioning — the issue of health and life. Both supporters of maintaining exclusive rights and their adversaries, therefore, reach for arguments that justify the validity of their position. These arguments are very diverse, but both sides of the ongoing debate mention primarily those of an economic and legal nature. The first of these are related to emphasizing the amount of necessary financial effort and the need to motivate entities to undertake research. Postulates of the second type point to the possibility of applying exceptions to generally applicable regulations. The purpose of the publication is to picture arguments of one of the parties — those that sanction the maintenance of existing solutions within the scope of exclusive rights for pharmaceutical products. The research method is a critical analysis of the source literature in the fields of economics and law as well as jurisprudence study of cases. The conclusions point to the need for further, compatible problem-taking, both on the literature level and through specific solutions of jurisprudence practice, without which a consensus seems impossible.


Fractional scaling analysis (FSA) is demonstrated at the system level. The selected example is depressurization of nuclear reactor primary systems undergoing large- and small-break loss of coolant accidents (LOCA), specifically in two integral test facilities of different sizes and shapes, namely LOFT and Semiscale. The paper demonstrates (1) the relation between pressure and volume displacement rates in analogy to generalized "ef fort" and "flow" in interdisciplinary analysis of complex systems and (2) using experimental data that a properly scaled depressurization history applies to both large- and small-break LOCA in two different facilities. FSA, when applied at the system, component, and process levels, serves to synthesize the worldwide wealth of results from analyses and experiments into compact form for efficient storage, transfer, and retrieval of information. The demonstration at the system level shows that during LOCAs the break flow dominates for break sizes between 0.1 % and 200% of cold-leg flow cross-sectional area, and that FSA ranks processes quantitatively and thereby objectively in the order of their importance. FSA supersedes the hereunto subjectively implemented phenomena identification and ranking table. FSA readily quantifies scale distortions. FSA reduces significantly the need for and current cost of experiments and analyses.


High-power LEDs with high luminous efficacies, compact sizes, long lifetimes and a wide colour range, are rapidly taking the place of conventional light sources in general lighting applications. But these properties of high-power LEDs are dependent on temperature and driving current. In this study, 24 samples of commercially available, high-power, white LEDs were measurement for their electrical, optical and thermal characteristics as well as their efficiency, luminous flux, luminous efficacy, correlated colour temperature and colour rendering index over six temperature steps at three different driving currents. LED manufacturers' catalogues including such information will allow consistency between the design and application stages of an installation. Also, it will make the technical and economic optimization of luminaires using high-power LEDs easier.


Recognition of the condition of diabetes mellitus and speculation as to its dietary treatment spans the period from its earliest mention in the Papyrus Ebers, before Christ, to the most recent publication of the American Diabetes Association. The relationship of carbohydrates to protein, fats, and total calories has consistently engaged the minds of clinicians over the centuries. Various combinations have been used, some highly unpalatable and some bordering on starvation; but to date our knowledge regarding the metabolic consequences of various dietary regimens is incomplete and in need of further research. The composition of a diet that will result in the best blood glucose control for diabetic persons is uncertain and controversial. Whether dietary changes can significantly delay or prevent long-term complications of diabetes has also been questioned. The insistence that a diabetic person rigidly adhere to a specific diet cannot be defended scientifically.


Background Hypertension has been recognized as a health concern for developing countries. However, there are no current nationwide surveys on the prevalence of hypertension in China (the latest nationwide survey was ten years ago). The goal of this study was to estimate the pooled prevalence of hypertension in Chinese cities. Methods We systematically reviewed published epidemiologic studies on the prevalence of hypertension in Chinese cities through meta-analysis. We searched for studies published between January 2002 and June 2012 using PubMed and two Chinese electronic publication libraries. The keywords 'hypertension' and 'prevalence' were used. Before pooling prevalence of hypertension, all raw prevalence data was age adjusted to the 2010 China standard population. Prevalence estimates were stratified by sex and geographic area. Results 27 studies were identified with of a total of 195,027 study participants. The overall pooled prevalence of hypertension was 21.5% (19.4%, 23.6%). Subgroup analyses showed the following results north 25.8% (21.6%, 30.0%), south 20.4% (18.6%, 22.2%); male 22.2% (19.3%, 25.1%), female 19.9% (17.6%, 22.1%); large cities 18.9% (15.7%, 22.1%), medium-sized cities 24.6% (19.9%, 29.4%), small cities 20.6% (17.5%, 23.7%); study years in 2002–2006, 21.9% (18.9%, 24.8%), and study year in 2007–2011, 20.6% (17.3%, 23.9%). Conclusions Comparing data from several previous national hypertension surveys, the prevalence of hypertension is higher in cities than the Chinese national average. Subgroup studies also found a higher prevalence of hypertension in northern cities and among males. Also, the prevalence of hypertension in medium-sized and small cities is likely to increase faster than in large cities.


The enhanced development of information and communication technologies in government has created new opportunities for agencies to collect, share and re-use data. At the same time, the commercial worth of governmental data sets and value-added information products/services have increased. Government agencies are finding that data they have routinely collected to fulfil their statutory and business functions can now more easily be re-used for commercial purposes. The prospect of increasing revenue through the commercial re-use of public sector information (PSI) is clearly appealing for governments and their agencies. Examples of PSI that have been re-used commercially include residential property transaction details, land title information, ordanance survey data and street address registers. This article examines those shifting boundaries, particularly in light of information privacy and national security concerns arising from governmental commercialization of PSI that includes personal information. I seek to show that information privacy laws can be subverted in the face of overt commercialization by government agencies; that commercialization can have a negative impact on individuals; and can also give rise to societal concerns relating to privacy, security, and the open governance of the information society.


Systemic neo-adjuvant therapy plays a primary role in the management of locally advanced breast cancer. Without having any negative effect in overall survival, induction chemotherapy potentially assures a surgery approach in unresectable disease or a conservative treatment in technically resectable disease and acts on a well-vascularized tumor bed, without the modifications induced by surgery. A specific issue has a central function in the neo-adjuvant setting: lymph nodes status. It still represents one of the strongest predictors of long-term prognosis in breast cancer. The discussion of regional radiation therapy should be a matter of debate, especially in a pathological complete response. Currently, the indication for radiotherapy is based on the clinical stage before the surgery, even for the irradiation of the loco-regional lymph nodes. Regardless of pathological down-staging, radiation therapy is accepted as standard adjuvant treatment in locally advanced breast cancer.


In the Large Helical Device (LHD), evident electron Bernstein wave (EBW) heating was successfully performed. The experiment was carried out using the electron cyclotron heating (ECH) system that was upgraded by installation of high-power, long-pulse 77 GHz gyrotrons. The EBW heating was achieved by a mode conversion from injected EC wave to EBW, by the so-called slow-XB technique where an X-mode wave is injected to the plasma from the high magnetic field side. The specific magnetic configuration of LHD provides a good opportunity to realize the slow-XB technique, which is generally difficult for tokamaks. With the slow-XB technique, increases in kinetically evaluated electron energy Wpe and electron temperature Te were observed in overdense plasmas. An electron heating in the so-called super dense core plasma in LHD, which is characterized with an internal diffusion barrier and a steep density gradient at the plasma core, was successfully demonstrated in the plasma core region where the central electron density ne0 of 17 × 1019 m−3 was about 1.2 times higher, at the beginning of the EC-wave injection, than the left-hand cut-off density of applied 77 GHz EC waves.


Indonesia faces an infrastructure crisis. The infrastructure crisis is part of a broader challenge of mobilising investment capital to support overall development. The basic arguments of this article are as follows. First, long-term development in Indonesia will be held back unless increased amounts of priority infrastructure can be provided. Second, the required infrastructure projects will not be constructed unless bottlenecks holding back the investments can be overcome. Third, bottlenecks appear to fall into two main types: financial and real constraints to growth. Fourth, more emphasis on a commercial approach to the provision of infrastructure in Indonesia which emphasises competition and responsiveness to stakeholders is needed. Keywords: infrastructure; finance; markets; prices


The cities of Graz in Austria and Freiburg in Germany have been perceived as ecological model cities since the late 1980s.This is shown by various international awards, press coverage and many visitors from other municipal administrations. Both cities have been well known for their attempts to bring about transitions towards more sustainable and low-carbon energy systems. The comparison of Graz and Freiburg over a period of two decades enables us to study how differing contexts, actor constellations and historic developments shape the transformation of energy systems towards greater sustainability. It is argued that understanding the role of cities for energy transitions requires a detailed examination of the coupled dynamics of socio-technical interactions across the levels of niches, regimes and landscapes on the one hand, and multilevel systems of governance on the other. At these intersections new, although spatially confined, socio-technical constellations of sustainable energy provision may emerge and be stabilised. Nevertheless, empirical evidence shows that it is misleading to conclude that true socio-technical transitions are taking place in these cities, even though a number of foundations for long-term change processes have been laid.


Lean manufacturing system has been infiltrated in manufacturing sectors across the world. In fact, Lean manufacturing system is a practice which regards the use of the resources, creation of value for the end customers, and as the ways to eliminate the waste. There are several tools that can be used to eliminate the waste within industry. This research is study for the implementation of 5S in manufacturing industry. Despite this, the research study will be focus in manufacturing industry which has been implemented 5S system in Melaka State. Although there are a number of tools and technique available to help in improve the manufacturing process, however there is only a few industries could implement the tools successfully. In this research, foreign workers play a main role in implement the 5S systems as the manufacturing industry in Malaysia adopt large amount of foreign workers to work as employees. Therefore, it is important to ensure the foreign workers truly understand the concept of 5S system and adopt the best ways to implement it in order to have better performance. This research study has been proposed with the research model of the successful implementation of 5S in manufacturing industry among foreign workers. A several research method has been adopted to do the research such as descriptive research design with quantitative method, survey questionnaire and cross-sectional studies.


Coastal environments such as the Chesapeake Bay have long been impacted by eutrophication stressors resulting from human activities, and these impacts are now being compounded by global warming trends. However, there are few studies documenting long‐term estuarine temperature change and the relative contributions of rivers, the atmosphere, and the ocean. In this study, Chesapeake Bay warming, since 1985, is quantified using a combination of cruise observations and model outputs, and the relative contributions to that warming are estimated via numerical sensitivity experiments with a watershed–estuarine modeling system. Throughout the Bay's main stem, similar warming rates are found at the surface and bottom between the late 1980s and late 2010s (0.02 ± 0.02°C/year, mean ± 1 standard error), with elevated summer rates (0.04 ± 0.01°C/year) and lower rates of winter warming (0.01 ± 0.01°C/year). Most (~85%) of this estuarine warming is driven by atmospheric effects. The secondary influence of ocean warming increases with proximity to the Bay mouth, where it accounts for more than half of summer warming in bottom waters. Sea level rise has slightly reduced summer warming, and the influence of riverine warming has been limited to the heads of tidal tributaries. Future rates of warming in Chesapeake Bay will depend not only on global atmospheric trends, but also on regional circulation patterns in mid‐Atlantic waters, which are currently warming faster than the atmosphere.


the work of Hedley Wright on the fate of living bacteria injected into the blood stream. In some instances common diseases receive disproportionately short treatment. Peptic ulceration, for instance, is dismissed in two and a half pages, while leprosy and trypanosomiasis, both of which are remarkably well described, occupy seven and nine pages respectively. .Opportunities for instructive clinico-pathological and morbid physiological discussions are sometimes lost. The fascinating and supremely important story of fluid balance might have been told in the chapter on diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract. In too many instances the causation of a disease is dismissed by a brief description of its aetiology and no attempt made to discuss the fundamental and instructive problem of pathogenesis. In the light of recent bacteriological discoveries the account of gas gangrene, for example, would clearly be of far greater value if this approach had been attempted. This criticism does not apply to. many of the chapters dealing with major pathological problems-the articles on the general pathology of tuberculosis and diseases of the lungs by Francis D. Gunn are models of lucid expression and skilful marshalling of fact and evidence. There is no question that Anderson's book will establish itself as an important contribution to pathological literature. It is far too large and exhaustive to be recommended as a companion for the undergraduate medical student, but it will prove of the greatest assistance to him for reference purposes, especially if the subject attracts him. In spite of the devalued pound, it will shortly be found on the bench or in the study of every keen pathologist. GEOFFREY HADFIELD.


1SUMMARY In the lack of a satisfactory formulation for the two-stanza growth curve of yellowfin (Thunnus albacares), estimates of growth rate by size class can be an alternative as an input for integrated models. From tagging data collected in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, we show however that for growth rate that does not follow a classical linear decreasing trend over size, simple estimates of length increments by size are biased due to an averaging effect of the time spent at liberty. We simulate length at recapture to illustrate the magnitude of the bias which can be expected depending on the duration of the time at liberty. Our results suggest that for large time at liberty growth rates by size are smoothed in such a way that the Von Bertalanffy model could erroneously be considered as a good alternative. With the aim of removing this bias we used a generalized additive model (GAM) to calculate an instantaneous growth rate by size (i.e., fixing time at liberty at 1 day at sea). The predicted growth rates by size are lower than the apparent growth rates but are similar in magnitude and in shape with observed growth rates for moderate times at liberty (< 90 days at sea). In the light of our findings, we suggest that hard part reading analyses, which in general reject the two-stanza growth assumption, could have been affected by the same type of bias.


Summary Observations with the electron microscope have shown that 4 major layers can be distinguished in the cyst wall: (a) an outer tanned-protein layer, consisting of a meshwork of irregular bodies made up of cigar-shaped particles; (b) a predominantly mucopolysaccharide, finely-fibrous layer, closely adherent to the tanned layer; (c) an inner, mainly mucopolysaccharide layer, which can be resolved into two layers differing in fine texture; (rf) a dense, compact layer, composed of numerous protein sheets stabilized by disulphide linkages. This layer is formed from tightly wound scrolls, developed in intracellular vacuoles, which are unrolled at the surface of the animal after secretion.


There has been a resurgence in applying bioassessment techniques for evaluating and monitoring the biological integrity of stream ecosystms. In all cases biological metrics have been refined to account for regional variation in aquatic habitats and fauna. This study evaluated environmental and macroinvertebrate properties for wadable streams in 3 major ecoregions of Idaho: Northern Basin and Range, Snake River Plain, and Northern Rocky Mountain. These 3 ecoregions constitute > 80% of the land area in Idaho. Reference streams were delineated from test streams in each ecoregion using standard habitat assessment protocols. (Plafkin et al. 1989). Multiple discriminant analysis effectively determined habitat (quantified measures) and macroinvertebrate differences between reference and test streams within ecoregions, although the results suggested that quantifiable habitat measures (e.g., water chemistry and nutrients) and biotic measures based on taxonomic groups (e.g., % Elmidae) improved the discriminatory power of evaluation procedures. Our results support the contention of a multi-metric approach for assessing differences among streams within an ecoregion. Lastly, individual metrics differed in their importance for evaluating stream condition among ecoregions, further emphasizing the importance of regionally stratifying metric selection or scoring procedures.


Infections with Salmonella serotypes are a major cause of food-borne diseases worldwide. Animal models other than the mouse have been employed for the study of nontyphoidal Salmonella infections because the murine model is not suitable for the study of Salmonella-induced diarrhea. The microbe has developed mechanisms to exploit the host cell machinery to its own purpose. Bacterial proteins delivered directly into the host cell cytosol cause cytoskeletal changes and interfere with host cell signaling pathways, which ultimately enhance disease manifestation. Recently, marked advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular interactions between Salmonella serotypes and their hosts. Here, we discuss the molecular basis of the pathogenesis of Salmonella-induced enteritis.


: In the structure of cancer morbidity of the female genitalia in Azerbaijan SSR within a ten-year period (1957-1966) cervical cancer occupies the first place--86.6%, it is observed more frequently among Russian female population (46.4 per 100 000 wives) and more rarely among aboriginal female population (7.1 per 100 000 wives). Of 2488 patients with cervical cancer 24.5% showed previous lesions against which background cancer would arise. Patients with cervical ruptures, advanced erosions, polyps should be identified as high-risk groups of cervical cancer.


To isolate and analyse the phytochemical constituen ts of Adiantum incisum forks using GC-MS . The present study was carried out for the preliminary phytochemical a nalysis of the ethanolic extract of Adiantum incisu m forks. GC- MS analysis was performed on the ethanolic extract of Adiantum incisum forks to find out the bioactive compounds. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of a lkaloids, carbohydrates, phenols, flavonoids, sapon ins where present .In the GC-MS analysis 26 no of compounds were identified viz.,17-Pentatriacontene - (26.44%) , Neophytadiene -(10.68%), Hexadecanoic acid –(10.07 %), 2-Hexadecen-1-ol,3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-(6.08%), 2-[3- Carbethoxypropionamide]-3,4-dicarbethoxy-1-benzylox ymethyl pyrrole (5.62%) etc. The presence of variou s bioactive compounds confirms the application of Adi antum incisum for various diseases by traditional u se. However, isolation of individual phytochemical cons tituents may proceed to find a novel compound.


This article is an exploration of the political satire of Shimen Dzigan and Yisroel Shumacher and traces the careers of these two comedy superstars in Poland before the war and then in Israel, thereafter. It places them in the context of the history of Jewish entertainment and makes a particular claim for the innovative nature of Yiddish comedy, namely that it was an entirely modern form of Jewish expression. Dzigan and Shumacher performed in what was called in Poland, literary cabaret. It emphasized politics and current events and in the case of Yiddish cabaret, internal Jewish politics and the subject of antisemitism. Once in Israel the comedy duo continued in this vein, proving to be astute observers of local politics and watchdogs, of sorts, closely eyeing the country's political and bureaucratic culture. After their split in 1960, Dzigan continued to perform solo to huge audiences until his death in 1980. Whether together with Shumacher or alone, exquisitely crafted sketches and monologues were of a Kafkaesque nature, the subject often being the absurdity of bureaucracies and the powerlessness of the average person in the face of them. Particular emphasis is given to Yiddish, the language in which Dzigan and Shumacher performed, and the particular qualities of their Lodzer dialect of Yiddish. The article then reflects upon the place of Yiddish in the Yishuv and the early years of Israeli statehood and addresses the particular troubles that confronted the Yiddish performer, given the official rejection of the language by the new, Hebrew nation.


The success of banking institutions in providing excellent service to the customer was inseparable from theperformance of employees. This research aimed to study the influence of organizational citizenship behaviorand empowerment to organizational commitment and the influence to employee performance. Primary datawas taken by using questionnaires given to 128 employees by using Slovin formula. Path analysis model wasused to test the research hypothesis. The results showed that the level of employee performance positivelyinfluenced by organizational citizenship behavior, and employee empowerment and also comitment organizationalhad significant influence to employee performance. Improving the performance of employees was achallenge for banking institutions because employees were the important assets for the company.


Importance
Adding carboplatin to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) likely benefits a subset of patients; however, determinants of benefit are poorly understood.

Objective
To define the association of molecular subtype, tumor proliferation, and immunophenotype with benefit of carboplatin added to NAC for patients with stages II to III TNBC.

Design, Setting, and Participants
This was a prespecified secondary analysis of a phase 3, double-blind, randomized clinical trial (BrighTNess) that enrolled 634 women across 145 centers in 15 countries. Women with clinical stages II to III TNBC who had undergone pretreatment biopsy were eligible to participate. Whole transcriptome RNA sequencing was performed on the biopsy specimens. The prespecified end point was association of pathologic complete response (pCR) with gene expression-based molecular subtype, with secondary end points investigating established signatures (proliferation, immune) and exploratory analyses of immunophenotype. Data were collected from April 2014 to March 2016. The study analyses were performed from January 2018 to March 2019.

Interventions
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel followed by doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, or this same regimen with carboplatin or carboplatin plus veliparib.

Main Outcomes and Measures
Association of gene expression-based molecular subtype (PAM50 and TNBC subtypes) with pCR.

Results
Of the 634 women (median age, 51 [range, 22-78] years) enrolled in BrighTNess, 482 (76%) patients had evaluable RNA sequencing data, with similar baseline characteristics relative to the overall intention-to-treat population. Pathologic complete response was significantly more frequent in PAM50 basal-like vs nonbasal-like cancers overall (202 of 386 [52.3%] vs 34 of 96 [35.4%]; P = .003). Carboplatin benefit was not significantly different in basal-like vs nonbasal-like subgroups (P = .80 for interaction). In multivariable analysis, proliferation (hazard ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.21-0.61; P < .001) and immune (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.49-0.79; P < .001) signatures were independently associated with pCR. Tumors above the median for proliferation and immune signatures had the highest pCR rate (84 of 125; 67%), while those below the median for both signatures had the lowest pCR rate (42 of 125; 34%). Exploratory gene expression immune analyses suggested that tumors with higher inferred CD8+ T-cell infiltration may receive greater benefit with addition of carboplatin.

Conclusions and Relevance
In this secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial, triple-negative breast cancer subtyping revealed high pCR rates in basal-like and immunomodulatory subsets. Analysis of biological processes related to basal-like and immunomodulatory phenotypes identified tumor cell proliferation and immune scores as independent factors associated with achieving pCR; the benefit of carboplatin on pCR was seen across all molecular subtypes. Further validation of immunophenotype with existing biomarkers may help to escalate or de-escalate therapy for patients with TNBC.

Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02032277.