Purpose of reviewAction and metabolism of thyroid hormones are intracellular events, which require their uptake across the plasma membrane. Cellular uptake of thyroid hormone is mediated by transporters, and recently, some of these transporters have been identified at the molecular level. Here we review the biochemistry, molecular biology, and clinical relevance of these transporters. Recent findingsIodothyronine transporters have been identified among the members of different transporter families, including Na/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide, different (Na-independent) organic anion transporting polypeptides, the L-type amino acid transporters, and monocarboxylate transporter-8. Two transporters are particularly interesting: organic anion transporting polypeptide-1C1, which shows a high affinity for T4 and T3 and is almost exclusively expressed in brain, and monocarboxylate transporter-8, which is a very active iodothyronine transporter with a slight preference for T3 and is abundantly expressed in different tissues, including brain. Organic anion transporting polypeptide-1C1 is probably important for T4 transport across the blood-brain barrier and that monocarboxylate transporter-8 for T3 uptake in neurons. Recently, mutations in MCT8, which is located on the X chromosome, were identified in male patients with severe psychomotor retardation and elevated serum levels of T3. SummaryRecent studies have greatly increased our knowledge about the identity of thyroid hormone transporters and in particular their physiologic relevance. The dramatic consequences of mutations in monocarboxylate transporter-8 represent a novel mechanism of thyroid hormone resistance due to inhibited cellular entry of the hormone.


ABSTRACT Zalcitabine population pharmacokinetics were evaluated in 44 human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients (39 males and 5 females) in our immunodeficiency clinic. Eighty-one blood samples were collected during routine clinic visits for the measurement of plasma zalcitabine concentrations by radioimmunoassay (1.84 ± 1.24 samples/patient; range, 1 to 6 samples/patient). These data, along with dosing information, age (38.6 ± 7.13 years), sex, weight (79.1 ± 15.0 kg), and estimated creatinine clearance (89.1 ± 21.5 ml/min), were entered into NONMEM to obtain population estimates for zalcitabine pharmacokinetic parameters (4). The standard curve of the radioimmunoassay ranged from 0.5 to 50.0 ng/ml. The observed concentrations of zalcitabine in plasma ranged from 2.01 to 8.57 ng/ml following the administration of doses of either 0.375 or 0.75 mg. A one-compartment model best fit the data. The addition of patient covariates did not improve the basic fit of the model to the data. Oral clearance was determined to be 14.8 liters/h (0.19 liter/h/kg; coefficient of variation [CV] = 23.8%), while the volume of distribution was estimated to be 87.6 liters (1.18 liters/kg; CV = 54.0%). We were also able to obtain individual estimates of oral clearance (range, 8.05 to 19.8 liters/h; 0.11 to 0.30 liter/h/kg) and volume of distribution (range, 49.2 to 161 liters; 0.43 to 1.92 liters/kg) of zalcitabine in these patients with the POSTHOC option in NONMEM. Our value for oral clearance agrees well with other estimates of oral clearance from traditional pharmacokinetic studies of zalcitabine and suggests that population methods may be a reasonable alternative to these traditional approaches for obtaining information on the disposition of zalcitabine.


The "Arab Spring" uprisings have unexpectedly led to a strikingly fast and worldwide movement of opposition to governments and economic powers. This sudden and unpredictable outbreak of protest has given birth to a new form of political action, which may be called "gatherings", i.e. people taking to the streets and occupying squares to claim a radical change of the political order through demands for a better or renewed democracy. Gatherings are innovative as they arise outside traditional ways of expressing political grievances (i.e. through parties, trade unions, NGOs and associations), have neither leader nor program, advocate non violence and disavow the system of representative government. This new way to practice street politics opposes ballot box politics as it claims direct democracy (general assemblies, open meetings, no decision by a majority, equally shared responsibilities, transparency, etc.) while ardently endorsing non violence. This commitment is contentious: how can one pretend toppling the rule of the rich and the powerful who benefit from an entrenched system of domination without making use of violence to oust them from their privileged position? This article aims at clarifying the terms of this question by exploring the way resorting to violence has been debated in many of these gatherings.


A central aspect of type 2 diabetes disease progression is impaired functional β-cell mass. The hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic environment present in type 2 diabetes corresponds with impaired beta cell function. The orphan nuclear receptor Nr4a1 is critical for fuel utilization in various tissues, however little is known regarding its function in the β-cell. Nr4a1 expression is decreased in the β-cell of rodent models of type 2 diabetes, as well as in primary human islets from type 2 diabetics. Here we demonstrate sex specific effects of β-cell specific Nr4a1 deletion under high fat chow feeding. While female and male βNr4a1-/- mice were no different than wild type controls when fed a standard chow diet, a clear sex dependent difference is observed when fed a high fat diet. High fat fed male βNr4a1-/- have improved fasting and non-fasting blood glucose levels, high fat fed female βNr4a1-/- mice have impaired glucose tolerance as early as two months after beginning high fat feeding. Furthermore, female βNr4a1-/- mice have decreased β-cell mass and improved insulin tolerance. Given the sex specific differences in glucose tolerance, we demonstrated that female mice fed a high fat diet have increased circulating estrogen, and that treatment of INS-1 832/13 cells and primary mouse islets with estradiol resulted in increased expression of Nr4a1 and not the other two Nr4a family members. Our data suggest that Nr4a1 is critical for estrogen mediated maintenance of beta cell function and mass under obesogenic conditions, and that loss of Nr4a1 under conditions of obesity and overnutrition in females results in impaired beta cell compensation and function.

 J.S.Tessem: None. J.Herring: None.

 National Institutes of Health (1R15DK124835-01A1)


In many churches, Sunday worship is a theological quiltwork. The presider chooses either a Reformation rite or a Liturgical Movement rite. The ceremonial is an amalgam of congregational tradition, current fashion, and what the celebrant learned during his or her curacy. The music director chooses hymns from Isaac Watts, John Keble, Frederick Kaan, and Graham Kendrick. Scripture readings are chosen from the ecumenical lectionary. The sermon incorporates middle-class morality, some Biblical criticism learned in seminary, and Henri Nouwen. If the result threatens to require more than seventy-five minutes, elements are pared. The worship plays out in a gothic revival building or a post-war modernist building which is too large for the congregation. Here is Anglican diversity in action. It sends worshipers a bewilderingjumble of messages about God. By contrast, the anglo-catholic revival of the nineteenth century, once it gathered momentum, sought a thoroughgoing liturgical integrity by which ceremonial, architecture, music, preaching, and all other elements of worship would be conformed to a consistent theological vision. In later years, many churches calling themselves anglo-catholic lost this vision, and became museums for the preservation of elaborate ceremonial. But All Saints, Margaret Street, in London, one of the world's earliest anglo-catholic churches, continues to model liturgical integrity. At the Easter vigil mass of 2003, a visitor who usually makes his theological home elsewhere in the Anglican universe felt deeply drawn into and engaged by the profound wholeness liturgically ministered in this remarkable church. All Saints was founded in the conviction that the practice of ministry should grow out of theological conviction and scholarship. Frederick Oakeley (1802-1880), a fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and an early supporter of the catholic revival, saw the importance of trying the effect of tractarian principles upon a practical scale. In 1839 this almost stereotypical academic, short of stature, poor of eyesight, reticent, skilled in Latin, accepted an appointment as minister of a small proprietary chapel on Margaret Street, London, near Oxford Circus, in what was then a residential area. Oakeley launched into radical changes at Margaret Chapel which predictably landed him in serious controversies with a few long-time members of his congregation and with his bishop. He began dismantling symbols of protestantism, such as the three-decker pulpit, and importing symbols of Catholicism, such as tall altar lights. He wore a surplice in the pulpit, and celebrated the eucharist facing east. He introduced Gregorian chant into Matins, with the help of his up-and-coming organist, a young tractarian friend named Richard Redhead (1820-1901). Today Oakeley is chiefly remembered as the translator of "Adeste fideles", which he wrote for Margaret Chapel. In the year that Oakeley went to London, a group of undergraduates at Cambridge formed a study group in church art and gothic architecture, which they called the Cambridge Camden Society. An early member was an ultra-tory, very leisured Victorian gentleman named Alexander Beresford Hope (1820-1887), the heir to a large business fortune. He would soon increase his social influence by marrying a daughter of the marquess of Salisbury and securing a seat in Parliament, and would devote his life and wealth to two great causes, the gothic revival of church architecture and the southern confederacy in America. In 1845 the Cambridge Camden Society was reorganized with the name Ecclesiological Society, and Beresford Hope became chairman. He determined to build a model church to show how well the gothic style would suit the modern English townscape. His eye fell on Margaret Chapel. Oakeley had already begun to raise funds for a new church, but, hounded by his bishop, he became a Roman Catholic in 1845. Beresford Hope seized the initiative. He committed funds, gathered support, negotiated the purchase of the church, moved the proprietary chapel towards parish status (this required an order-in-council), and retained an architect associated with the Ecclesiological Society. …


tioner on the site, and how they can help to reduce tne possible 20% preventable deaths in transitIn my area the present policy of the accident service has produced a Gilbertian situadon. The police, who are the organizers of the medical care at an incident, have been advised by the Medical Officer of Health that it is undesirable to inform a local general practitioner of an accident near him if the patient is alive, as this would cause delay in treatment by the accident hospital unit. However, the. local doctor may well be informed if the patient is dead-to certify death. Factual evidence of saving life, when a doctor has attended on site at an accident by chance, has made no impression on this policy. In this practice three, possibly four, lives have been saved during the past few years in the small percentage of accidents attended. Admittedly there are pros and cons on the subject. But any local accident medical organization that has as its policy " call the local doctor if the patient is dead, but don't call him if he's alive" must be suspect. Some of us hope that a wind of change may start blowing through the opinions of ,the higher echelons of the accident service organizers as a result of Dr. Easton's talk.I am, etc.,


The global warming and the dangerous climate change arising from the massive emission of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels have motivated the search for alternative clean and sustainable energy sources. However, the industrial development and population necessities make the decoupling of economic growth from fossil fuels unimaginable and, consequently, the capture and conversion of CO2 to fuels seems to be, nowadays, one of the most promising and attractive solutions in a world with high energy demand. In this respect, the electrochemical CO2 conversion using renewable electricity provides a promising solution. However, faradaic efficiency of common electro-catalysts is low, and therefore, the design of highly selective, energy-efficient, and cost-effective electrocatalysts is critical. Carbon-based materials present some advantages such as relatively low cost and renewability, excellent electrical conductivity, and tunable textural and chemical surface, which show them as competitive materials for the electro-reduction of CO2. In this review, an overview of the recent progress of carbon-based electro-catalysts in the conversion of CO2 to valuable products is presented, focusing on the role of the different carbon properties, which provides a useful understanding for the materials design progress in this field. Development opportunities and challenges in the field are also summarized.


In 1978, the United States National Committee for Rock Mechanics organized a study to review the current state of knowledge and practice of rock mechanics, to identify deficient area in which research is required to advance understanding of the science of rock mechanics, and to provide a guide to federal and industrial funding of rock mechanics research. The ultimate objective was to disclose the optimal direction for research in the vital areas of energy and resource recovery, construction, and the mitigation of earthquake hazards. The study was focused on those needs affecting energy- and mineral-resource development, construction, and earthquake hazard reduction. The critical areas included: (1) the determination and prediction of porosity, permeability, and fluid flow in situ; (2) better methods of determining shallow and deep in situ stresses; (3) improvement of the ability to map fracture patterns, particularly major fractures and faults, at depth; (4) improvement of the understanding of rock fragmentation processes so as to increase the effectiveness of drilling and excavation systems; (5) increased understanding of the relation of laboratory-measured quantities to in situ conditions; (6) better determinative methods for thermal properties of rock, including fractured rock; and (7) development of numerical models to characterize rock behavior. (Author)


The factors that determine the efficiency of energy transfer in aquatic food webs have been investigated for many decades. The plant–animal interface is the most variable and least predictable of all levels in the food web. In order to study determinants of food quality in a large lake and to test the recently proposed central importance of the long-chained eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) at the pelagic producer–grazer interface, we tested the importance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) at the pelagic producer–consumer interface by correlating sestonic food parameters with somatic growth rates of a clone of Daphnia galeata. Daphnia growth rates were obtained from standardized laboratory experiments spanning one season with Daphnia feeding on natural seston from Lake Constance, a large pre-alpine lake. Somatic growth rates were fitted to sestonic parameters by using a saturation function. A moderate amount of variation was explained when the model included the elemental parameters carbon (r2 = 0.6) and nitrogen (r2 = 0.71). A tighter fit was obtained when sestonic phosphorus was incorporated (r2 = 0.86). The nonlinear regression with EPA was relatively weak (r2 = 0.77), whereas the highest degree of variance was explained by three C18-PUFAs. The best (r2 = 0.95), and only significant, correlation of Daphnia's growth was found with the C18-PUFA α-linolenic acid (α-LA; C18:3n–3). This correlation was weakest in late August when C:P values increased to 300, suggesting that mineral and PUFA-limitation of Daphnia's growth changed seasonally. Sestonic phosphorus and some PUFAs showed not only tight correlations with growth, but also with sestonic α-LA content. We computed Monte Carlo simulations to test whether the observed effects of α-LA on growth could be accounted for by EPA, phosphorus, or one of the two C18-PUFAs, stearidonic acid (C18:4n–3) and linoleic acid (C18:2n–6). With >99 % probability, the correlation of growth with α-LA could not be explained by any of these parameters.

In order to test for EPA limitation of Daphnia's growth, in parallel with experiments on pure seston, growth was determined on seston supplemented with chemostat-grown, P-limited Stephanodiscus hantzschii, which is rich in EPA. Although supplementation increased the EPA content 80–800×, no significant changes in the nonlinear regression of the growth rates with α-LA were found, indicating that growth of Daphnia on pure seston was not EPA limited. This indicates that the two fatty acids, EPA and α-LA, were not mutually substitutable biochemical resources and points to different physiological functions of these two PUFAs. These results support the PUFA-limitation hypothesis for sestonic C:P < 300 but are contrary to the hypothesis of a general importance of EPA, since no evidence for EPA limitation was found. It is suggested that the resource ratios of EPA and α-LA rather than the absolute concentrations determine which of the two resources is limiting growth.


The field of Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) is a very broad, interdisciplinary field that plays a critical role in civil engineering for controlling new structures (quality control) as well as for assessing the internal grout condition of prestressed pipes in post-tensioned concrete structures. Because it allows voids in grouted tendon ducts to be inspected and measured without damaging them, impact-echo based NDE provides an excellent balance between quality control and cost-effectiveness. This paper focuses on the nondestructive evaluation of internal injection quality in post-tensioned bridge ducts, and the developments in civil engineering NDE in China are also introduced.


Application of biostimulant in the form of a spraying requires appropriate selection of technical parameters. One of the key factors in ensuring that the liquid is sprayed correctly is the choice of suitable spray nozzles. This study investigated selected technical parameters of seaweed biostimulant spray applications as a factor for plant biometrics, crop quality and yield, and the economic viability of production. This objective was achieved by conducting a two-year field experiment involving spraying soybean plants with a biostimulant containing seaweed extract. The spraying was carried out with two types of nozzles (standard and air-injector), for which the droplet size and the degree of plant coverage were tested at 4.0 MPa. The surface tension of the spray liquid and the area and volume of the droplets were tested. The height of soybean plants, the height and the position of the first pod, the number of pods, seed yield, and the weight of 1000 seeds were measured. The physical properties of the liquid sprayed on the plants and the type of nozzles used were factors affecting the height of the first pods, plant height, and protein content. The application of biostimulants using standard nozzles is more economically advantageous compared to nozzles with an air-injector.


Positive behavioral support (PBS) is one of the positive approaches based on the principles of the applied behavior analysis in preventing inappropriate behaviors in the school environment. In the present study, systematic social skills training was included as a part of the intervention, and whether this caused any difference in the social skills performance of students in the second grade in which PBS was applied. Moreover, the students in the second grade in which routine teaching continued, and the implementation reliability in the PBS intervention of the teachers and practitioner were also investigated. The experimental design with the pre-test, post-test and control group was used in this study. There was an experimental group and a control group in the study. The findings of the study showed that class-wide PBS is effective on the skills of the second-grade students in the experimental group of acquiring the target skills in the category of complying with the rules, group working and starting a relationship, and the skills of maintaining the skills obtained 3 weeks after the end of the intervention. The social validity findings showed that the opinions of the students on the target skill, intervention and their performance were positive.


DevOps stands for Development-Operations. It arises from the IT industry as a movement aligning development and operations teams. DevOps is broadly recognized as an IT standard, and there is high demand for DevOps practitioners in industry. Since ACM & IEEE suggest that undergraduate computer science curricula "must adequately prepare [students] for the workforce", we studied whether undergraduates acquired adequate DevOps skills to fulfill the demand for DevOps practitioners in industry. We employed Grounded Theory (GT), a social science qualitative research methodology, to study DevOps education from academic and industrial perspectives. In academia, academics were not motivated to learn or adopt DevOps, and we did not find strong evidence of academics teaching DevOps. Academics need incentives to adopt DevOps, in order to stimulate interest in teaching DevOps. In industry, DevOps practitioners lack clearly defined roles and responsibilities, for the DevOps topic is diverse and growing too fast. Therefore, practitioners can only learn DevOps through hands-on working experience. As a result, academic institutions should provide fundamental DevOps education (in culture, procedure, and technology) to prepare students for their future DevOps advancement in industry. Based on our findings, we proposed five groups of future studies to advance DevOps education in academia.


Book synopsis: Under the New Labour government, breaking the apparent link between drug use and crime became one of the main aims of drug policy. A wide range of initiatives to tackle drug-related crime were introduced under the auspices of the Drug Interventions Programme and criminal justice agencies became key players in channelling drug users into treatment.

This book focuses on the range of drug interventions now available at all stages in the criminal justice process that have been put in place to reduce drug-related offending. It comprises of a series of eight chapters from eleven authors who were all actively engaged in researching these new initiatives from criminological and criminal justice perspectives. Each chapter brings together theory, policy and research (including the author's own research) to provide a thorough review and analysis of the operation, impact and effectiveness of one or more drug interventions. A further chapter is dedicated to researching drug interventions in criminal justice. The book also contains a further resources section.

Drug Interventions in Criminal Justice is a key text for students and academics in the fields of criminology and criminal justice, social policy and social work, health and social care, and addiction studies. It is essential reading for professionals and policy-makers working in for drug sector and criminal justice organisations.


Copper-containing low-alloy steel based on the ASTM A707 5L grade is widely used for structural parts of offshore wells. However, it is difficult to stably obtain good weld joint toughness. With this background, this paper focuses on the metallurgical factors controlling the heat-affected zone (HAZ) toughness of A707 modified steel. Potential factors considered are the grain size, the martensite–austenite constituent (M-A), and precipitates. Thus, the purpose was to clarify the effect of M-A and precipitates on HAZ toughness. Furthermore, Cu, Si, and Mn contents, which affect M-A and precipitates generations, were focused on and tried to improve HAZ toughness by optimizing their contents in ASTM A707 steel. The weld test results showed that the toughness of an intercritically coarsened grain HAZ (ICRCGHAZ) was remarkably lower than that of the other heat cycle pattern due to the formation of M-A. It is, therefore, essentially important to suppress the formation of M-A in order to improve toughness in the HAZ of the steel. Therefore, the chemical composition was optimized in an effort to improve HAZ toughness. Copper had no negative influence on the HAZ toughness. It was found that when the Mn and Si contents of the steel decreased, the area fraction of M-A decreased. Consequently, the ICRCG HAZ toughness is improved because the toughness increases with the decrease in the area fraction of M-A. The recommended amounts of Cu, Mn, and Si to ensure HAZ toughness are more than 1.0 wt%, less than 0.6 wt%, and less than 0.1 wt%, respectively.


Electroencephalogram (EEG) is used routinely for diagnosis of diseases occurring in the brain. It is a very useful clinical tool in the classification of epileptic seizures and the diagnosis of epilepsy. In this study, epilepsy diagnosis has been investigated using EEG records. For this purpose, an artificial neural network (ANN), widely used and known as an active classification technique, is applied. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) method, which does not need gradient calculation, derivative information, or any solution of differential equations, is preferred as the training algorithm for the ANN. A PSO-based neural network (PSONN) model is diversified according to PSO versions, and 7 PSO-based neural network models are described. Among these models, PSONN3 and PSONN4 are determined to be appropriate models for epilepsy diagnosis due to having better classification accuracy. The training methods-based PSO versions are compared with the backpropagation algorithm, which is a traditional method. In addition, different numbers of neurons, iterations/generations, and swarm sizes have been considered and tried. Results obtained from the models are evaluated, interpreted, and compared with the results of earlier works done with the same dataset in the literature.


Currently, ecological management systems are an important prerequisite for successful functioning and competitiveness of accommodation facilities. The article discusses the best practices of hotel chains which consider ecological changes introduced into the technological processes of hotel enterprises, as well as the practices of eco-certification. The authors highlight some benefits, including economic ones, from the introduction of waste reduction and recycling programs in hotels. Green activities in the post-coronavirus period, due to growing demand for more environmentally friendly services, is seen as the one of primary importance. The article shares the analytical results of the Russian experience in hotel resource saving management. Waste disposal programs should be implemented in a comprehensive manner though environmental initiatives of hotel enterprises can be challenged by the absence of processing enterprises in the regions. It is concluded that green trends of accommodation facilities in the Russian and Kaliningrad hospitality sectors are not dynamic enough, which requires further enhancement of the regulatory and legal framework in the hospitality industry, including the introduction of eco-technologies.


Mesenteric cysts are rare and are associated with heterogeneous pathological conditions. We describe an extraordinary case of mesenteric calcified cystic lymphangioma in a 10-year-old boy. To the best of our knowledge only 6 mesenteric calcified cystic lymphangioma have been reported. The patient was admitted with abdominal pain and vomiting. Abdominal X-ray and computed tomography scan documented a calcified cyst which dislocated and compressed the ileum. Laparatomy revealed that the cyst arose in the mesentery at 100 cm from the ileocecal valve. The cystic wall was composed of fibrosclerotic calcified tissue and had an endothelial lining. In the adjacent fibrofatty stroma there were distended hemolymphatics. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. At follow-up 6 months after surgery the patient is well. Calcified cystic lymphangioma of the mesentery should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an intra-abdominal calcified cyst in children.


Background Pelvic organ prolapses (POP) and overactive bladder (OAB) may coexist and both negatively impact quality of life in women. The correlation between POP and OAB remains unclear, but these patients may have the OAB resolution after the surgical treatment of POP. Aim of our study was to assess the anatomical results and the effect on OAB symptoms in women who underwent laparoscopic lateral suspension for POP. Materials and Methods This prospective study included all women with apical POP who underwent surgical repair with laparoscopic uterine lateral suspension from January 2016 to December 2017. The baseline and the 1-year follow-up included post-void residual measurement, urinalysis, vaginal examination, OAB symptoms evaluation, and administration of questionnaires (PFDI-20, UDI 6). Results 64 women underwent laparoscopic lateral suspension for uterine prolapse and 78.1% had concomitant anterior vaginal wall defect. At 1-year follow-up the anatomic success rates were 84.4% for the apical and 76.2% for the anterior compartment. The comparison between OAB symptoms before and after the surgical procedure showed the resolution of OAB in 76% of the women, while de novo OAB was present in 2.6%. With the questionnaires 95.3% (61/64) of our patients were satisfied after the POP repair. We documented a trend in ameliorating of OAB regardless of the POP-Q stage. However, the Pearson test showed this correlation as statistically significant only in women with anterior vaginal wall defect stage III and apical stage II. No patient had vaginal exposure of the polypropylene mesh. Conclusion Our data show how laparoscopic lateral suspension is an effective procedure for apical and anterior vaginal wall defects. This study provides further evidence for the concept that OAB in women with POP >II stage improves after a successful POP surgery. These women may benefit from a resolution of OAB and POP symptoms with the improvement of patient's quality of life.


The legalization of cannabis in Canada instantiates principles of harm-reduction and safe supply. However, in-depth understanding of values at stake and attitudes toward legalization were not part of extensive democratic deliberation. Through a qualitative exploratory study, we undertook 48 semi-structured interviews with three Canadian stakeholder groups to explore opinions and values with respect to the legalization of cannabis: (1) members of the general public, (2) people with lived experience of addiction and (3) clinicians with experience treating patients with addiction. Across all groups, participants tended to be in favor of legalization, but particular opinions rested on their viewpoint as stakeholders. Clinicians considered the way legalization would affect an individual's health and its potential for increasing rates of addiction on a larger scale. People with lived experience of addiction cited personal autonomy more than other groups and stressed the need to have access to quality information to make truly informed decisions. Alternatively, members of the public considered legalization positive or negative in light of whether one's addiction affected others. We elaborate on and discuss how scientific evidence about drug use impact values relates and how can different arguments play in democratic debates about legalization.


Sir .—In their study of serum cholesterol levels in prepubertal boys before and after a strength-training program, Weltman et al 1 concluded that "a concentric strength-training program in prepubertal boys results in a reduction in serum cholesterol levels while maintaining the HDL-C [high-density lipoprotein cholesterol] level." This interesting study appears to have several methodologic problems that make such a conclusion difficult to justify. Nineteen subjects were enrolled in a strength-training program while ten others were assigned to a control group. Nowhere is the reader told whether group assignment was randomized or whether such characteristics as body mass index, age, diet, and extracurricular habits of the two groups were similar. Prior to any intervention, the group assigned to the exercise program had a mean ( ± SD) serum cholesterol level substantially higher than that of the control group (5.09 ± 1.01 mmol/L [197.2 ± 39.3 mg/dL] vs 4.14 ± 0.56 mmol/L [159.9


Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) consist of a large number of relatively low-powered mobile nodes communicating in a network using radio signals. Clustering is one of the techniques used to manage data exchange amongst interacting nodes. Each group of nodes has one or more elected Cluster head(s), where all Cluster heads are interconnected for forming a communication backbone to transmit data. Moreover, Cluster heads should be capable of sustaining communication with limited energy sources for longer period of time. Misbehaving nodes and cluster heads can drain energy rapidly and reduce the total life span of the network. In this context, selection of best cluster heads with trusted information becomes critical for the overall performance. In this paper, we propose Cluster head(s) selection algorithm based on an efficient trust model. This algorithm aims to elect trustworthy stable cluster head(s) that can provide secure communication via cooperative nodes. Simulations were conducted to evaluate trusted Cluster head(s) in terms of clusters stability, longevity and throughput.


The regenerator is a key component of a pulse tube cryocooler, and is also a major contributor to irreversibility and losses in the cryocooler. In this study a method for the assessment of losses in cryocooler regenerators based on entropy generation is proposed. Pore-level CFD simulations are performed for woven mesh regenerator filler by defining periodically repeating unit cells. Simulations are performed for steady-state (uni-directional) as well as periodic flows. It is shown that entropy generation in periodic flow is higher than in steady flow, and is sensitive to operating parameters as well as small geometric irregularities. It is proposed that by optimization of the microstructure of regenerator fillers the entropy generation and losses can be minimized.


The analysis of creep-damage processes is becoming more and more important in engineering practice due to the fact that the exploitation conditions like temperature and pressure are increasing while the weight of the structure should decrease. In the same time the safety standards are increasing too. The accuracy of the mechanical state estimation (stresses, strains and displacements) mainly depends on the introduced constitutive equations and on the chosen structural analysis model. For the first purpose an improved generalized phenomenological creep model is introduced and extended to the case of creep-damage coupling. In addition, a micromechanical-based model is discussed. For thin-walled structures under creep-damage conditions the advantages and the problems of different approaches are briefly discussed.


Malignant melanomas are often infiltrated by T lymphocytes. It is postulated that the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) reflects ongoing immune responses against transformed cells. Such "responses" appear generally inefficient with the potential exception of infrequent clinical situations characterized by spontaneous tumor regression. We have characterized here the molecular structure of the T cell receptor beta chain expressed by TILs in a case of regressive melanoma. Advantage was taken of the PCR technology to study T lymphocytes directly without cell culture. Experimentally validated V beta subfamily specific primers were used to evaluate the V beta usage in TILs and control samples. Our results reveal that clonal T cell populations, precisely defined by their V-D-J junctional sequences, are amplified at the tumor site. The existence of such local antigen-driven selections support the hypothesis that antitumor responses may indeed take place in regressive melanoma.


Laurence Graffs passion for diamonds has been inspiring him to create the most fabulous jewels in the world for over three decades. This sumptuous book traces his story from his beginnings as an apprentice jeweler in the East End of London to his current position as the head of an empire of precious stones. Graffs clients are Kings and Queens, Presidents and Prime Ministers, Oligarchs and Taipans. For them he creates jewels of extraordinary vivacity and lightness which move and shimmer with the wearer. This beautifully illustrated book contains much archive material on the historic stones which are Graffs raw material as well as dazzling pictures of Graff jewels and those who wear them.


Unexpected Dramatic Change in Psychotherapy: Comparing Three Methods Joseph Horner Department of Psychology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy Unexpected dramatic changes in psychotherapy have been observed historically and tied to high recovery rates. Many different methodologies that identify these changes are assumed to be capturing similar or identical phenomena. This study compared three methods – Sudden Gains (SG), Percentage Increase – 50% (PI-50), and Rapid Response (RR) in a large database looking for similarities and differences. Results suggest that there are significant differences between SG, RR, and PI-50 as methods for operationally defining unexpected dramatic treatment response, and caution should be used when referring to SG, PI-50, and RR as the same phenomenon or interchangeable terms for unexpected dramatic treatment response. In particular, overlap in clients who experienced both a SG and RR was low. Experiencing any of the three phenomenon was associated with higher recovery rates, while differences abound in both which clients experience each of the phenomena and demographic characteristics of those clients. PI50 identified inconsequential amounts of clients suggesting under its current methodological construction it would have limited useability. These results tying SG, RR, and PI-50 to significant rates of recovery and positive treatment change suggest possible future use as a predictive feedback tool for clients and clinicians alike to be better able to examine the effectiveness of treatment components during treatment.


Abstract In this work, the influence of volcanic sand surface hydroxyl groups (Me-OH2+, Me-OH, Me-O-) on the catalytic ozonation of methylene blue contaminated waters is experimentally assessed. Single ozonation, pure adsorption, and combined processes were tested here at laboratory scale, using untreated and modified (with 2.44 M HCl) Chilean volcanic sand samples. Results show that the rate of MB removal by heterogeneous ozonation is much greater than the simple addition of single ozonation and adsorption. Pseudo-first order rate constants in the range 0.2 - 6.0 × 10-3 (s-1) were obtained at pH 8, and greater rates were observed in the case of modified volcanic sand. Surface hydroxyl groups on metal oxides of volcanic sand would act as active sites for the adsorption of reacting species, as well as initiators and/or promoters of ozone decomposition reactions. Finally, the process rate increased with pH, and maximum MB removal rates were observed at pH above the pH of the point of zero charge (pHPZC), suggesting that higher catalytic activity could be due to deprotonated hydroxyl groups.


This article explores the cultural logics underlying national digital sovereignty, defined here as statecraft relating to information and telecommunication technologies. Drawing on constructivist theories of national identity and technology, it proposes a relational approach to digital sovereignty that analytically centers national Self-Other dynamics in its development. To do this, the article traces how Estonian governing elites' constructions of Russia and the West as negative and positive Others have informed the state's digital institutions and discourses. It shows that Estonia's nationwide digitization, self-branded "e-Estonia," has been intrinsic to its existential goal of integrating into the Euro-Atlantic community and distancing itself from its Soviet past and the Russian state. Analyzed initiatives include e-government services of the 1990s, cybersecurity measures in the aftermath of the 2007 cyberattacks, and the e-Residency virtual citizenship program of the 2010s. By illuminating how sovereign powers wield digital technologies according to their national identity constructions, this study ultimately reveals the continued significance of nationalism in the digital age.


Background: Severe psychotic people have been subjected to shackling practice in Indonesia. This study aims at investigating the most dominant factors contributing to shackling practice suffered by severe psychotic people in Indonesia and deriving an overview of their family characteristics. Methods: Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) of 2013 was employed as data of the study. 1,655 households out of 11,896 census block were selected as samples for data analysis purposes. The data was collected by means of interview conducted by an enumerator towards the head of households. Other variables i.e. access to health facility, geographic location, settlement, and economic background of the family were also further analyzed. Bivariate analysis followed with multivariate logistic regression with complex samples method was conducted by using SPSS statistics version 21. Finding of the study shows significance if it has a significance level of ρ < 0.05 reflected in 95% confidence interval. Results: Economic status of households have been the most dominant variable towards the shackling practice. Households in the quintile 1 group have the highest probability (OR adj 2.32; 95% CI 1.24-;4.34). Households in quintile 2 group have nearly similar probability with that of quintile 1 (OR adj 2.15;95% CI 1.14-;4.40). Households with low economic characteristic show more ignorance regarding the availability of health facility and live in rural areas for nearly half part. Conclusion: According to Basic Health Research of 2013, the most dominant factor of shackling practice in Indonesia is economic status of the households in addition to ignorance towards health facility and far settlement off the cities. Recommendations: knowledge of the person's family, the availability of drugs and access to health facilities that will easily encourage medication adherence and reduce the tendency of deprivation of people with mental disorders.


The present paper is based mainly on material collected at the Canary Islands during the spring of 1947 by Dr. G. Thorson of Universitetets Zoologiske Museum at Copenhagen and Dr. C. O. van Regteren Altena of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie at Leiden. Most of the specimens were collected by Dr. Thorson, who devoted almost all of his time to the study of the litoral fauna, while Dr. Van Regteren Altena studied the inland fauna and only made occasional visits to the sea shore. The shrimp fauna of the Canary Islands is very poorly known. In 1839 Erulle, in the large work of Webb and Berthelot on the Natural History of the Canary Islands, listed 5 species of Caridea and since that time just two more species have been added to the list. The material collected by Dr. Thorson and Dr. Van Regteren Altena consists of 12 species, 9 of which have not been recorded previously from the Canary Islands, bringing the total number of Caridean species known from that archipelago up to 16. As the very few data about the carcinological fauna of the region are scattered over several publications, I thought it useful to give here a compilation of all the information about the Canary Islands Caridea known to me. The deep-sea forms, which are collected some distance off the islands are not included. One of the main reasons that the shrimps of the Canary Islands are so little known probably is the inaccessibility of the larger part of the shores, which makes collecting possible only at certain places and at certain times. In most places the rocky shore rises steep and high from the sea and is heavily pounded by the surf. Only at a few localities there are small protected beaches, where some collecting may be done.


Real-world visual recognition of an object involves not only its own semantics but also those surrounding it. Supervised learning of contextual relationships is restrictive and impractical with the combinatorial explosion of possible relationships among a group of objects. Our key insight is to formulate visual context not as a relationship classification problem, but as a representation learning problem, where objects located close in the feature space have similar visual contexts. Such a model is infinitely scalable with respect to the number of objects or their relationships. We develop a contextual visual feature learning model without any supervision on relationships. We characterize visual context in terms of spatial configuration of semantics between objects and their surrounds, and derive pixel-to-segment learning losses that capture visual similarity, semantic co-occurrences, and structural correlation. Visual context emerges in a completely data-driven fashion, with objects in similar contexts mapped to close points in the feature space. Most strikingly, when benchmarked on HICO for recognizing human-object interactions, our unsupervised model trained only on MSCOCO significantly outperforms the supervised baseline and approaches the supervised state-of-the-art, both trained specifically on HICO with annotated relationships!


Plants are constantly exposed to solar radiation. Thus, the observed raised levels of UV-radiation lead also to a raised exposure for plants. In the recent years, so-called 'non-parasitic leaf spots' (NPLS) have led to yield losses for barley of up to 40 %. It is assumed that this disease is caused by raised UV-radiation levels. For this reason a model has been developed to calculate UV-exposure within plant stands for longer periods. By use of plant-specific parameters this model can be applied for different plant types, for forests as well as for crops like barley. The model calculates the variation of irradiance due to different sun positions, and due to atmospheric parameters such as total ozone content, aerosol amount and properties, as well as clouds. The model takes into account the plant growth, which is important for annual plants like barley. As an example, the UV-exposure has been modelled for a real barley stand in southern Germany for the growing season of the year 2002. The plant-weighted UV-irradiances have been calculated on a hourly basis for 10 levels within the canopy, and from this the UV-exposure as the cumulative UV-radiation of all preceding days. Since plants have repair mechanisms for damage due to UV-radiation, additionally UV-impact was modelled by accounting mainly for UV-exposure during the most recent days under the assumption that its impact on the plant decays exponentially.


Background: The use of smartphone has increased over the past few years and is predicted to increase in future. The literature emphasizes the effect of smartphone usage on the neuromuscular activity and development of musculoskeletal disorders. The literature studying the effect of smartphone usage on hand function dexterity is limited. Hence, the study was formulated to find the effects of smartphone usage on hand dexterity using Purdue Pegboard Hand Dexterity Test and Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) as evaluation tools. Objectives: The research was designed to study the effect of smartphone use on bilateral hand dexterity in medical students. Design: An observational cross-sectional study design was chosen for the research. Methods: After institutional ethics committee approval, a sample of 220 medical students was recruited using convenient sampling for this observational cross-sectional study. SAS, a self-reporting scale, was administered to each medical student, and one-time assessment for hand dexterity on the standard Purdue Pegboard Hand Dexterity Test was performed. The scores of SAS were categorized as low (<86), moderate (86-106), and high (>106). The mean scores of the Purdue Pegboard Hand Dexterity Test were compared within the categories and with the available Indian norms using descriptive statistical methods, single sample t-test, and ANOVA analysis. Results: A positive correlation (r = 0.31, P = 0.00, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.18-0.42) was found between SAS scores and time spent on smartphone. Hand dexterity (Purdue Pegboard Hand Dexterity Test) scores did not show any statistically significant correlation with the time spent on the smartphone and SAS scores, except "dominant" and "total" scores of the test. The "Total" score correlated as weak negative with SAS scores (r = −0.16, P = 0.01, 95% CI: −0.14-0.11); on association analysis with the categories of SAS, statistically significant difference between the mean scores (P = 0.035, 95% CI: 40.33-41.47) was observed. The "Dominant" score correlated as weak negative with SAS scores (r = −0.155, P = 0.045, 95% CI: −0.149-0.116); the association analysis with the categories of SAS did not show any significant difference. Significant difference was observed between the mean hand dexterity test scores of our study sample and the available Indian norms of the Purdue Pegboard Hand Dexterity Test. Conclusion: This study concluded that the duration of active smartphone use (texting and scrolling) does not affect the hand dexterity. However, excessive smartphone usage (high SAS scores) may have a weak negative impact on dominant hand dexterity in medical students.


Let $\mathcal{F}\subseteq 2^{[n]}$ be a intersecting Sperner family (i.e. $A \not\subset B, A \cap B \neq \emptyset$ for all $A,B \in \mathcal{F}$) with profile vector $(f_i)_{i=0 \ldots n}$ (i.e. $f_i=|\mathcal{F} \cap \binom{[n]}{i}|$). We present quadratic inequalities in the $f_i$'s which sharpen the previously known linear $\mathrm{LYM}$-type inequalities.


Deregulation of cell death pathways contributes to tumor development and to the clinical course of cancer disease. In patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer, we have previously shown that an intact p53/BAX apoptotic pathway is a positive prognostic factor. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to determine the prognostic value of BAX protein expression and the mutational status of its upstream regulator p53 in primary colorectal adenocarcinoma. To this end, we analyzed retrospectively tumor samples of 116 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal adenocarcinoma and had a follow‐up for a minimum of 5 years or until death (UICC Stage III: 59 patients, UICC Stage IV: 57 patients). Tumors were screened for p53 mutations and investigated for BAX protein expression. Overall median survival was 17 months. As expected, patients with UICC III tumors survived longer than patients with UICC IV tumors: 69 months vs. 8 months (p < 0.0001). UICC III tumors with high BAX expression were associated with a significantly better prognosis (p = 0.009) than BAX low expressing tumors. The combined p53/BAX pathway analysis for the UICC Stage III group revealed the worst outcome for patients with a disrupted p53/BAX pathway (i.e., BAX low/p53 mutated; p = 0.004). In contrast, no significant effect of the p53/BAX status on survival was found in UICC IV tumors. Our study in primary adenocarcinoma of the colorectum shows for the first time that a disrupted p53/BAX pathway is associated with a poor clinical outcome in UICC III tumors. These data also confirm our previous report on the relevance of an intact p53/BAX pathway in liver metastasis of colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, we were not able to confirm this finding in the heterogenous subgroup of UICC IV tumors of the colorectum. Our study therefore provides the basis for the analysis of defects in p53/BAX (and additional genes) in a prospective trial that is the logical basis for future risk‐adapted therapies. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Abstract This study is an analysis of short story written by Aan Manshur entitled "Di Tempatmu Berbaring Sekarang" which is identical to postmodernist fiction. The analysis leads to identification that paving the way for repertoires on a strategy of ontological emphasis marking the starting point of postmodern fiction. Referring to the beginning of postmodernism, there are criteria of postmodern fiction, in form of words category, construction, words, and foundations. The literary text can be fully understood only through the application of a three-dimensional model: (1) the dimension of speech and position, (2) the dimension of meaning and reference, and, (3) the dimension of the organized text. In this case, the three sequences are reversed, the world categories inferred from an organized dimension of text; the categories of words inferred from dimensions of meaning and reference, and the construction categories inferred from a dimension of speech and position. Keywords: postmodernism, ontological, epistemological, Brian McHale.


In the framework of the HYTUNNEL-CS European project sponsored by FCH-JU, a set of preliminary tests were conducted in a real tunnel in France. These tests are devoted to safety of hydrogen-fueled vehicles having a compressed gas storage and Temperature Pressure Release Device (TPRD). The goal of the study is to develop recommendations for Regulations, Codes and Standards (RCS) for inherently safer use of hydrogen vehicles in enclosed transportation systems. In these preliminary tests, the helium gas has been employed instead of hydrogen. Upward and downward gas releases following by TPRD activation, has been considered. The experimental data describing local behavior (close to jet or below the chassis) as well as global behavior at the tunnel scale are obtained. These experimental data are systematically compared to existing engineering correlations. The results will be used for benchmarking studies using CFD codes. The hydrogen pressure range in these preliminary tests has been lowered down to 20MPa in order to verify the capability of various large-scale measurement techniques before scaling up to 70MPa, the subject of the second campaign.


Recently, the MPEG-4 committee has approved the MPEG-4 fine granularity scalability (FGS) profile as a streaming video tool. We propose novel techniques to improve further the temporal prediction at the enhancement layer so that coding efficiency is superior to the existing FGS. Our approach utilizes two parameters, the number of bitplanes, /spl beta/ (0/spl les//spl beta//spl les/maximal number of bitplanes), and the amount of predictive leak, /spl alpha/ (0/spl les//spl alpha//spl les/1), to control the construction of the reference frame at the enhancement layer. Parameters /spl alpha/ and /spl beta/ can be selected for each frame to provide tradeoffs between coding efficiency and error drift. Our approach offers a general and flexible framework that allows further optimization. It also includes several well-known motion-compensated FGS techniques as special cases with particular sets of /spl alpha/ and /spl beta/. We analyze the theoretical advantages when /spl alpha/ and /spl beta/ are used, and provide an adaptive technique to select /spl alpha/ and /spl beta/, which yields an improved performance as compared to that of fixed parameters. An identical technique is applied to the base layer for further improvement. Our experimental results show over 4 dB improvements in coding efficiency using the MPEG-4 testing conditions. Removal of error propagation is demonstrated with several typical channel transmission scenarios.


The paper deals with characterization of systems utilizing ethanol and reactions conjugated with its exchange in the brain tissue under chronic alcohol intoxication. The following is established: the absence of the alcoholdehydrogenase pathway of ethanol oxidation in rabbits, unbalanced splitting of carbohydrates under two-months ethanol load, disturbance of oxidative processes in the tricarboxylic acids cycle, a decrease in the pool of oxidized nicotin amide coenzymes.


We have investigated the stability and vibrational response of magnetic liquid columns held by Helmholtz coils. Theoretical resonance frequencies were derived from the linear potential theory prior to the experiment. During the experiment, a small quantity of a kerosene-based magnetic liquid was injected onto a lower pole plate. When the magnetic field was increased. a cylindrical column (height=9.78mm) was vertically formed between the two pole faces of the iron core Helmholtz coils. When the magnetic field was decreased, the column diameter exhibited hysteresis such that the column broke at a smaller diameter than that at formation. The coils holding the liquid column were then excited horizontally and the lowest mode (m=1, n=1) derived theoretically appeared in the measurements. The surface frequency response was measured optically using a CCD camera, a strobovision analyzer and a stroboscope for various magnetic field intensities and aspect ratios (mean diameter/height). We found that the resonance frequency of the mode (m=1, n=1) decreased with increse of the aspect ratio. The experimental resonance frequencies were in qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions.


Images of children and representations of childhood experience are ubiquitous in contemporary popular culture. Books, films, television shows, advertisements, magazines, posters, computer games, websites – to name but a few examples – construct and reiterate multiple ways through which childhood is to be understood and undergone, regulated and recuperated, managed and maintained. In this article, the authors consider how one textual form, that of popular magazines, constructs childhood as an economic category ideally characterised by what they term 'exemplary ordinariness'. The article analyses magazine cover images from Australia, the United States and Canada, and argues that images and written text together oblige parents to ensure that normative childhood experience is secured through exemplary parenting practices. Further, the authors argue that parents – and in particular, mothers – are incited to performatively produce their own exemplary ordinariness through attention to their own personal beauty, individual accomplishment and parenting practices. Their argument is informed by visual and cultural theories, and underpinned by the view that economic discourse formulates a gaze to which both childhood and parenthood are subjected. This is not to imply a reification of 'the economy', but rather it is to acknowledge the constitutive force of economic discourse and to interrogate its prominence in the images, rhetorics and practices of everyday life.


Understanding future changes in extreme temperature events in a transient climate is inherently challenging. A single model simulation is generally insufficient to characterize the statistical properties of the evolving climate, but ensembles of repeated simulations with different initial conditions greatly expand the amount of data available. We present here a new approach for using ensembles to characterize changes in temperature distributions based on quantile regression that more flexibly characterizes seasonal changes. Specifically, our approach uses a continuous representation of seasonality rather than breaking the dataset into seasonal blocks; that is, we assume that temperature distributions evolve smoothly both day to day over an annual cycle and year to year over longer secular trends. To demonstrate our method's utility, we analyze an ensemble of 50 simulations of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) under a scenario of increasing radiative forcing to 2100, focusing on North America. As previous studies have found, we see that daily temperature bulk variability generally decreases in wintertime in the continental mid- and high latitudes (>40°). A more subtle result that our approach uncovers is that differences in two low quantiles of wintertime temperatures do not shrink as much as the rest of the temperature distribution, producing a more negative skew in the overall distribution. Although the examples above concern temperature only, the technique is sufficiently general that it can be used to generate precise estimates of distributional changes in a broad range of climate variables by exploiting the power of ensembles.


Autonomous in-flight aerial refueling is an important capability for the future deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles, because they will likely be ferried in flight to overseas theaters of operation instead of being shipped unassembled in containers. A reliable sensor, capable of providing accurate relative position measurements of sufficient bandwidth, is key to such a capability. A vision-based sensor and navigation system is introduced that enables precise and reliable probe-and-drogue autonomous aerial refueling for non-micro-sized unmanned aerial vehicles. A performance robust controller is developed and integrated with the sensor system, and feasibility of the total system is demonstrated by simulated docking maneuvers with both a stationary drogue and a drogue subjected to light turbulence. An unmanned air vehicle model is used for controller design and simulation. Results indicate that the integrated sensor and controller enables precise aerial refueling, including consideration of realistic measurement errors and disturbances.


Tackling air pollution is an imperative problem in South Korea, especially in urban areas, over the last few years. More specially, South Korea has joined the ranks of the world's most polluted countries alongside with other Asian capitals, such as Beijing or Delhi. Much research is being conducted in environmental science to evaluate the dangerous impact of particulate matters on public health. Besides that, deterministic models of air pollutant behavior are also generated; however, this is both complex and often inaccurate. On the contrary, deep recurrent neural network reveals potent potential on forecasting out-comes of time-series data and has become more prevalent. This paper uses Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) with Long Short-Term Memory units as a framework for leveraging knowledge from time-series data of air pollution and meteorological information in Daegu, Seoul, Beijing, and Shenyang. Additionally, we use encoder-decoder model, which is similar to machine comprehension problems, as a crucial part of our prediction machine. Finally, we investigate the prediction accuracy of various configurations. Our experiments prevent the efficiency of integrating multiple layers of RNN on prediction model when forecasting far timesteps ahead. This research is a significant motivation for not only continuing researching on urban air quality but also help the government leverage that insight to enact beneficial policies


In recent years, many companies have allowed their employees to use individual mobile devices to manage company information and applications, which is called BYOD, namely Bring Your Own Device. Meanwhile, as smart devices become prevalent, almost every student has one smartphone. Therefore, it is a great challenge for current educational institutions to know how to apply BYOD to teaching so that students' mobile devices can serve as a help rather than an obstacle in their learning and how to make these devices, like smartphones, into a vehicle for students to communicate with teachers and enhance their learning outcomes. Hence, this study conducts in-depth interviews with teachers and students as well as an online questionnaire for students that have used their own devices in class, finding that the advantages of BYOD can be summarized into five factors, including "Learning Performance and Attitude", "In-Class Interaction and Atmosphere", "Easy Operation of Devices", "Instant Feedback and Tracking", and "Easy Access to E-Resources". Among them, the first three factors have an obvious impact on students' intention of using BYOD in learning. However, the disadvantages of BYOD could be summarized into three factors, including "Internet Impeding Performance", "Personal Devices Failing to Work Properly" and "Hindering the Course". Although students might encounter these problems when they use BYOD to help them study, these would not influence their intention of using in terms of the current situation. According to the results of this study, the advantages that BYOD has provided for companies in the workplace can also be applied to educational institutions, and the application of BYOD can effectively improve students' performance. Thus, the results of this study can serve as a reference for educational institutions, suppliers on education market and educators to promote policies like digital teaching or marketing promotion.


OBJECTIVE Patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Arterial distensibility and compliance are vessel wall properties of large arteries. Altered large artery wall properties can be an early feature of vascular dysfunction. This study investigates vessel wall properties in 30 patients with uncomplicated IDDM and 30 matched healthy control subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Vessel wall properties of the elastic common carotid (CCA) and the muscular femoral (FA) and brachial arteries (BA) were measured with a vessel wall movement detector system. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded simultaneously with a semiautomated device. Aortic pulse wave velocity was estimated from the carotido-femoral transit time. RESULTS Blood pressure (IDDM patients: 118 ± 10/69 ± 5 mmHg), pulse pressure (IDDM patients: 49 ± 8 mmHg), and heart rate (IDDM patients: 65 ± 9 beats/min) were similar in IDDM patients and control subjects. No statistically significant changes between IDDM patients and control subjects were found for diameter, distensibility, and compliance of the elastic CCA and the muscular BA. Distensibility (IDDM patients: 16.9 ± 6.4 10-3/ kPa; control subjects: 22.4 ± 11.8 10-3/kPa) of the muscular FA was decreased in IDDM (P < 0.05). However, FA compliance (IDDM patients: 0.80 ± 0.23 mm-2/kPa; control subjects: 0.94 ± 0.41 mm2/kPa) and FA diameter (IDDM patients: 7.87 ±1.10 mm; control subjects: 7.57 ±1.11 mm) did not differ statistically between IDDM patients and control subjects. Aortic pulse wave velocity was the same in IDDM patients and control subjects (IDDM patients: 5.1 ± 0.6 m/s). No relation was found between vessel wall properties and duration of disease, actual glucose level, and HbA1c for all three arteries (CCA, BA, and FA). But the groups might have been too small to draw conclusions. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study show that in this group of patients with uncomplicated IDDM, vessel wall properties of elastic and muscular large arteries were not obviously reduced when compared with healthy control subjects. However, distensibility of the FA was lower in IDDM patients. Early atherosclerotic changes in IDDM frequently occur at this site. A difference related to the duration of diabetes could not be excluded.


In this paper, we evaluate a new design of a previously presented (second order) tunable active X-band MMIC filter. By using a two-stage low noise amplifier in each filter section a higher filter gain and selectivity as well as a lower filter noise figure can be achieved at the expense of a smaller filter tuning range. The filter is tunable to eight different center frequencies between 7.6-8.6GHz. Typical measured data for all eight tuning states show a maximum gain that varies between 13-26dB, a 4-5dB noise figure and a spurious-free dynamic range of 58-67dB. The presented filter could potentially be utilized as an important building block to realize agile compact on-chip receiver front-ends for future adaptive X-band radar array antennas, for example.


Much attention and concern has been raised recently about bias and the use of machine learning algorithms in healthcare, especially as it relates to perpetuating racial discrimination and health disparities. Following an initial system dynamics workshop at the Data for Black Lives II conference hosted at MIT in January of 2019, a group of conference participants interested in building capabilities to use system dynamics to understand complex societal issues convened monthly to explore issues related to racial bias in AI and implications for health disparities through qualitative and simulation modeling. In this paper we present results and insights from the modeling process and highlight the importance of centering the discussion of data and healthcare on people and their experiences with healthcare and science, and recognizing the societal context where the algorithm is operating. Collective memory of community trauma, through deaths attributed to poor healthcare, and negative experiences with healthcare are endogenous drivers of seeking treatment and experiencing effective care, which impact the availability and quality of data for algorithms. These drivers have drastically disparate initial conditions for different racial groups and point to limited impact of focusing solely on improving diagnostic algorithms for achieving better health outcomes for some groups.


Since
1969 private, nonprofit hospitals have qualified for tax exemption as
charitable institutions and in exchange for the preferential tax treatment
were required to provide community benefits.
However, in the absence of mandatory reporting of community benefits
at the federal level and in the absence of a clear definition of community
benefits, the previous literature provides but ambiguous evidence regarding hospitals' supply of community benefits. Responding to policymakers' concerns,
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) mandates all private, non-profit
hospitals to report charity care at cost as well as unreimbursed Medicaid costs
starting with the tax year 2008. Using data from hospitals in California before
and after tax year 2008 (2009 filing), this study examines whether changes in
the IRS 990 Schedule H had a significant effect on the supply of community
benefits by non-profit hospitals relative to for-profit hospitals. Empirical
results suggest that nonprofit hospitals do not supply more community
benefits relative to for-profit hospitals for both definitions of community
benefits reported in Schedule H. Although the supply of community benefits
increased for all hospitals after 2008, the increase was not higher for nonprofits.
Moreover, nonprofits supplied significantly less community benefits according
to some definitions. Thus, minimum charity care standard is justified.


We present an ionothermal-based method for the simple and low-cost enrichment in 17O of oxide materials. This is demonstrated for the case of SIZ-4, an ionothermally-prepared aluminophosphate framework with the CHA topology. A preliminary study of unenriched samples of SIZ-4 highlights the importance of the careful choice of template in order to obtain an ordered structure. We then show how an ionothermal synthesis procedure incorporating microlitre quantities of 17O-enriched H2O enables as-prepared and calcined samples of SIZ-4 to be obtained with 17O enrichment levels that are sufficient to enable the recording of high-quality 17O solid-state NMR spectra. While second-order quadrupolar-broadened resonances are unresolved in 17O MAS NMR spectra, 17O double-rotation (DOR) and multiple-quantum (MQ)MAS NMR spectra reveal distinct resonances that are partially assigned by comparison with NMR parameters derived using first-principles calculations. The calculations also enable an investigation of the dependence of 17O NMR parameters on the local structural environment. We find that both the 17O isotropic chemical shift and quadrupolar coupling constant show clear dependencies on Al–O–P bond lengths, and angles and will therefore provide a sensitive probe of structure and geometry in aluminophosphate frameworks in future studies.


We assess cranial neural-crest cell migration and contributions to the larval chondrocranium in the phylogenetically basal and morphologically generalized anuran Bombina orientalis (Bombinatoridae). Methods used include microdissection, scanning electron microscopy, and vital dye labeling, in conjunction with confocal and fluorescence microscopy. Cranial neural-crest cells begin migrating before neural-fold closure and soon form three primary streams. These streams contribute to all cranial cartilages except two medial components of the hyobranchial skeleton (basihyal and basibranchial cartilages), the posterior portion of the trabecular plate, and the otic capsule, the embryonic origin of which is unknown. Chondrogenic fate is regionalized within the cranial neural folds, with the anterior regions contributing to anterior cartilages and the posterior regions to posterior cartilages. A neural-crest contribution also was consistently observed in several cranial nerves and the connective tissue component of many cranial muscles. Notwithstanding minor differences among species in the initial configuration of migratory streams, cranial neural-crest migration and chondrogenic potential in metamor-phosing anurans seem to be highly stereotyped and evolutionarily conservative. This includes a primary role for the neural crest in the evolutionary origin of the paired suprarostral and infrarostral cartilages, two prominent caenoge-netic features of the rostral skull unique to anuran larvae. Our results provide a model of the ancestral pattern of embryonic head development in anuran amphibians. This model can serve as a basis for examining the ontogenetic mechanisms that underlie the diversity of cranial morphology and development displayed by living frogs, as well as the evolutionary consequences of this diversity. Evolutionary developmental biology is emerging as a distinct field of research, asking such questions as " How do developmental processes and mechanisms evolve? " and " To what extent does development bias or constrain phenotypic evolution? " Although the intellectual roots of the field are ancient, it has experienced a renaissance in the last '92). Accompanying this rebirth and maturation is the widespread recognition that, as in any field of comparative biology , analyses of evolutionary pattern and process are conducted most effectively in a rigorous phylogenetic context, including explicit hypotheses of phylogenetic relationship and the identification of primitive vs. the consideration of " non-model " organisms , because the model systems of developmental biology are a biased sample of organisms generally not chosen with evolutionary questions in mind (Hanken, '93; Bolker, '95).


Despite increasing need for HIV prevention research and intervention programs, the voices and stories of Asian and Pacific Islander men who have sex with men (API MSM) have remained absent from HIV prevention literature. Five focus groups with API MSM (N = 38) were conducted to identify psychological, social, and cultural factors related to HIV risk and protection. Six themes were identified based on focus group discussion: (a) dual-identity status, (b) coming out and disclosure issues, (c) relationships and dating, (d) substance use, (e) sexual risk reduction strategies, and (f) health and social services. Narrative data indicate that multilevel HIV prevention intervention strategies are necessary for addressing the unique psychosocial and behavioral HIV risk factors among API MSM, such as dual stigma stemming from homophobia and racism, discomfort with sexuality, power dynamics and stereotypes in relationships with White men, substance use, and low utilization of health and social services.


The UK tariff for quality of life associated with the health states in the EQ-5D is probably not consistent with the preferences of Swedish health economists. This is worrying in view of the widespread use of the tariff values and the fact that health economists likely are better able than ordinary citizens to report their preferences for health states in a valid and reliable manner. We suggest this result is taken into account when the EQ-5D instrument is used, and that researchers should be cautious in using the UK (or any other) value sets. Our results also indicate that the variation across citizens in preferences for health may be a more complex issue than previously observed and deserves further study. An intriguing question for the future is to what extent health economists use methods and instruments that they themselves do not believe in. JEL classification: I10; I14; I18


Early Childhood Development (ECD) has emerged as a theme in international and African dialogue on education in recent years. UNESCO's Division of Basic Education Early Childhood promotes an integrated approach to Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy development and review. The study examines how this is implemented in three West African countries, with similar cultural groups in their diverse populations: The Gambia, Mali and Senegal. In The Gambia there is thus far a proposal on how indigenous knowledge should be included in early childhood programs. The clos d'enfants [children's groups], in Mali demonstrates similar ideas through an international partnership with a local initiative program, developed in Bamako using mothers, local materials and toys made by the participants. Senegal's program combining local traditions and European pedagogical philosophies, the case des tout-petits [children's huts], came from the President. Analysis of these three cases suggests that these programs and proposals may be a springboard for UNESCO and partners to further develop ECCE with indigenous knowledge and practice in Africa.


In packetized voice communication, speech packets are sometimes lost due to data transmission problems, e.g., signal fading, or interfering users and noise. For the recovery of missing speech packets, different methods are proposed. This thesis analyzes some recovery methods, and four variants of a waveform substitution method used during the objective analysis. This method is based on slow varying speech parameter estimates. These parameters include the short time energy (STE) and the zero crossing (ZC) measure. This technique is implemented in two different ways based on the slow varying parameters. These parameters are stored in the previous packet. If a speech packet is lost, it is recovered by the information stored in the previous packets. Both implementations differ only in the use of the zero crossing information. The short time energy estimation is the same in both implementations. A slight modification is made in these two implementations where the estimated speech parameters are stored in the previous and in future packets in order to recover two consecutive packets. This modification is applied only if the speech signal is already saved at the transmitter because it requires the future packets to store the information of previous packets, i.e., a non-causal solution. However, a causal solution is obtained if the signal is allowed to be delayed by one packet. The speech quality of the reconstructed speech signal is analyzed and compared between the four implementations. The implementation of these methods has been validated by subjectively observing the recovered speech packets, and by considering the improvement of the objective measures mean opinion score (MOS), mean square error (MSE) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The recovery of samples within the packets is also discussed. The recovery of samples within a packet is done by the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) block code method. The FFT block code method is implemented by an iterative algorithm. This method is validated by subjective observations and improvements in objective measures mean square error (MSE) and signal to noise ratio (SNR). The VAD is also used for the waveform substitution method and in the introduction of channel noise. After subjective observations and objective measures, it is concluded that modified method A provides better performance for the recovery of speech packets and the FFT block code method has been validated for recovering the samples within a packet.


High blood pressure (hypertension) is the most important factor in cardiovascular risk in the general population, affecting about a third of adults(1). Out of these, 30% have resistant hypertension, being comprised in a group of increased risk because of the potential target organ damage and cardiovascular complications(2). Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is represented by recurrent episodes of partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway(3). There is evidence that SAS is common among hypertensive patients, the percentage rising to 56%(4), being recognized as a secondary cause of hypertension. However, up to 80% of patients remain undiagnosed(5). SAS causes a cascade of side effects that influence blood pressure, including negative intrathoracic pressure, nocturnal hypoxemia, hypercapnia, which causes increased oxidative stress on the body, induction of inflammatory responses and endothelial damage. SAS treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) during the night can reduce blood pressure(6).


Extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumor (EGIST) is a special type of gastrointestinal stromal tumor, which has similar biological characteristics to its counterpart, and occurs outside the gastrointestinal tract. It was identified first by Miettinen et al. [1], and named by Reith et al. [2]. The incidence of EGIST is extremely low, and so far there is no detailed epidemiological figure. To the best of our knowledge, EGIST has been commonly reported in the mesentery, omentum or retroperitoneum [1–4], and sporadically in the pleura [5], pancreas [6–12], liver [13–17], gallbladder [18], adrenal gland [19], bladder [20–22], prostate [23] and vagina [24, 25]. Most existing studies of EGIST are case reports, lacking enough information to clarify the disease; thus it is very difficult to establish helpful guidelines for clinicians. It is very common that EGIST is misdiagnosed for other tumors. Herein, we report an extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the liver, which was diagnosed by ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (US-FNAC), and review the literature, so as to help understand EGIST better.

A 53-year-old Chinese man was admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College in July 2011 with the chief complaint of abdominal discomfort in the right upper quadrant for 1 month. The patient denied abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, hematemesis, hematochezia, fevers or chills. There was no loss of appetite or weight. He had an ultrasound scan three days previously in a local hospital, revealing a giant mass in the liver. He had had sub-total gastrectomy because of gastric ulcer in 2005.

Physical examination showed a well-developed man with abdominal distention; yellow pigmented lesions, hepatic palm and spider angioma were not seen; palpation indicated a large mass extending subcostally approximately 18 cm, moderately tender and non-pulsatile; percussion tenderness over hepatic region and shifting dullness were negative.

Contrast-enhanced computerized tomography of the upper abdomen was performed. It showed a giant irregular low-density mass almost occupying the full right lobe of the liver; it was encircled by rich blood vessels, and the maximum dimensions were about 17 cm × 20 cm; the pancreas and right kidney were dislocated (Figure 1). Chest X-ray showed no abnormal lesions. Tumor markers AFP, CA19-9 and CEA were all negative. Fecal occult blood test was also negative. Both glutamate alanine aminotransferase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase were in the normal range. HBsAg, HBeAb and HBcAb were positive in second liver two half-and-half tests.

Figure 1

Contrast-enhanced computerized tomography. Contrast-enhanced CT shows a large mass about 17 cm × 20 cm almost occupying the full right lobe of the liver, which was encircled by rich blood vessels. The pancreas and right kidney were dislocated ...

Due to the patient's condition, hepatectomy could not be performed, and a US-FNAB from the liver mass was taken. Histologically the tumor consisted of spindle cells with pleomorphic nuclei, commonly vacuoles beside the nuclei and abundant intercellular collagen (Figures 2A–B). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the spindle cells were positive for CD117 (Figure 3 B), CD34 (Figure 3 A), discovered on GIST1 (DOG-1) (focal) (Figure 3 D), SMA (Figure 2 C), and vimentin (Figure 2 D), while they were negative for CK (Figure 3 C) and S-100 (figure not shown). All these results indicated that the diagnosis was extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumor. The tumor's mitotic activity could not be evaluated because of the small amount of examined material. KIT gene mutation analysis was not performed due to its non-availability at our institute.

Figure 2

Histological and immunohistochemical findings of hepatic EGIST. A – The tumor is composed of spindle cells (hematoxylin and original magnification 200×).B – The spindle cells show pleomorphic nuclei, commonly vacuoles beside the ...

Figure 3

Immunohistochemical findings of hepatic EGIST. A – CD34 positive in tumor cells (original magnification 400×).B – CD117 positive in tumor cells (original magnification 400×).C – CK negative in tumor cells (original ...

We advised the patient to take imatinib mesylate (Glivec), but he refused because of financial problems, and was discharged 13 days later.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a common tumor of the gastrointestinal tract, which mainly occurs in the stomach. When this kind of neoplasm develops outside the gastrointestinal tract, it is defined as EGIST. Metastasis of GIST to the liver is very common, while primary GIST of the liver is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, only 5 cases of primary hepatic EGIST have been reported previously in English [13–17] (Table I). There is a distinct male predominance, and their age ranges from 17 to 79 years, average 47.7 years. The majority have a large tumor size, only one under 10 cm. Four of 6 cases have a spindle cell type. Both CD117 and CD34 have only one case that is negative. The mitotic rate and outcome are hard to analyze. Due to the particularity of hepatic EGIST, it should be diagnosed differentially with primary or metastatic poorly differentiated carcinoma, angiomyolipoma, leiomyosarcoma, or malignant melanoma. HMB-45 and PKCθ were recommended in immunohistochemical analysis, so as to exclude the mimics mentioned above [17].

Table I

Hepatic EGIST reported in the literature

US-FNAC is the quickest and least painful way to obtain an accurate tissue diagnosis of a lump anywhere in the body. There are three steps in US-FNAC: firstly, the position, size and adjacent structure of the lesion are evaluated by ultrasound; secondly, two or more samples are taken with a 23-gauge or 25-gauge needle; lastly, the obtained samples are stained and examined by a pathologist. It has multiple advantages compared to open biopsy, which is not only inexpensive and minimally invasive but is also performed simply and easily. Furthermore, it allows surgery or neoadjuvant treatment to be performed expeditiously with a confirmed preoperative diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis is made with the combination of clinical examination, radiology and FNAC. Although EGIST is rare, it also could be diagnosed by this technique. Rao et al. [26] reported a case and reviewed three cases of pancreatic EGIST, which were diagnosed by US-FNAC. Luo et al. [15] showed that there was no exception on hepatic EGIST. The present case revealed that the biopsy samples were enough for cytological analysis, although the mitotic rate could not be determined.

In order to understand EGIST more clearly, we have reviewed several quite large studies [1–4, 27–30] (Table II) published recently. When these data are summarized together, some similarities can be seen distinctly. The incidence of EGIST is 5%-7% of cases of GIST [4, 28], with a female predominance (64.9%, 98/151), and the most frequent lesion sites are the mesentery, omentum and retroperitoneum [1–4]. The median age is 58.5 years, which is similar to jejunal and ileal GISTs (59 years) [31]. Due to EGIST being outside of the gastrointestinal tract, there are no common symptoms such as bleeding or obstruction. Furthermore, the abdominopelvic cavity and retroperitoneum have enough room for a neoplasm to grow. Thus most of the cases presented a tremendous mass when first detected, with median size of 13.5 cm. Whether the tumor size is a prognostic factor or not, it should be taken into account. Reith et al. [2] found that there were no significant differences between large (> 10 cm) and small (≤ 10 cm) tumors in outcome. The cell morphological pattern of EGIST is predominantly spindle (71 cases) or epithelioid (54 cases). Three studies [1–3], in which the number of patients was more than 20, were in accord with the figure. Spindle cell EGIST should be diagnosed differentially with smooth muscle tumors, schwannoma, solitary fibrous tumor and sarcomatoid carcinoma, while epithelioid EGIST should be diagnosed differentially with metastatic melanoma, carcinoma, clear cell sarcoma and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma [32]. More than one third (55/135) of cases displayed a mitotic index more than 5 per high-power field (HPF). Yamamoto et al. [3] revealed that a high mitotic rate (≥ 5/50 HPF) had significantly shorter disease-specific survival than a low rate (< 5/50 HPF) (p = 0.015). Almost 100% were positive for CD117 [2–4, 29]. We think that it may be because most of them are retrospective studies. The patients were used to being easily misdiagnosed with other diseases. With this type of issue, CD117 was recommended as a selection criterion. CD117-negative tumors should be taken seriously; it still cannot exclude EGIST. Demetri et al. [32] recommended using DOG-1 as a candidate when CD117 immunostaining and mutation testing for KIT and PDGFRA were all negative. About 57.1% (84/147) of patients were CD34-positive, which was lower than GIST (81%) [33]. Other antibody markers were different in these studies; thus it was hard to analyze. Considering the follow-up data from different studies, it is very difficult to reach a persuasive conclusion. However, there is a trend that EGIST is an aggressive group with worse outcome.

Table II

Summary of clinicopathological features of seven case series of EGIST

In conclusion, we have presented a case of hepatic EGIST diagnosed by US-FNAC. The incidence of EGIST is low, and it has a younger age of diagnosis and large tumor size. The mitotic index can be a prognostic factor; however, tumor size still needs more proof. Furthermore, EGIST can be misdiagnosed for other diseases, and clinicians should take it seriously.


Novel vertical alignment (VA) mode is presented for fast response and wide viewing angle in the LCD panel. The key concept of the new mode is that the pre-tilt for fast response and multi-domain is generated in the surface of alignment layer composed of vertical alignment part and photo-reactive moiety. The UV treatment of the new alignment layer under applied voltage provides fast control of liquid crystal texture and wide viewing angle in liquid crystal display. Because of the uniform distribution of the reactive monomer (RM) and inherent prevention of the RM migration in the LC cell, the enhanced picture quality and reliability in the LCD TV panel are achieved.


Little is known about the ability of adult dragonfly individuals to survive into or over the winter in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), a significant biodiversity hotspot in South Africa. Dragonfly species richness and abundance were recorded throughout winter and into spring in Jonkershoek Nature Reserve. Several environmental variables were also measured. Individuals of eight dragonfly species (four in the Anisoptera and four in the Zygoptera) survived into the winter as adults, even though winter conditions would seem unfavourable (wet, windy and cold) for them in this area at this time of year. Five of these species were CFR endemic or national endemic species or subspecies, illustrating local adaptation. Of the remaining three, all of which are widely distributed species in Africa, only one, Trithemis arteriosa, clearly appeared as old, overwintering adults into spring, indicating its versatility both in its adaptation to winter conditions as well as its well-known tolerance of biotope variability. This may partly explain its success as one of South Africa's most common and widespread species. Although many environmental variables were measured and correlated with species richness and abundance, it was only air temperature and associated low relative humidity that were highly positively significant. This emphasizes that the species were opportunistic during the winter and only took to the air on clear, sunny and warm winter days during the cold season. Unlike some other local studies conducted in the summer, these winter results indicated that water flow was a less important variable than that of the seemingly critical variable of temperature during this season. In addition, the importance of emergent vegetation also played a role and appears important for shelter on cool, wet, windy days which precluded flight activity.


In an immune response, antigen-specific CD4 T cells proliferate and differentiate into effector cells capable to produce large amounts of cytokines upon restimulation. Most effector T cells are later eliminated through antigen-induced cell death (AICD), mediated through FasL/Fas interactions. A low percentage of effector T cells survive and differentiate into long-lived memory cells. Mechanisms must operate not only to destroy no longer needed and even potentially damaging T cells, but also to allow the survival of a small number of activated T cells. Little is known about the factors and mechanisms that regulate the shift from an apoptosis-sensitive to an apoptosis-resistant phenotype. VIP and the structurally related peptide, PACAP, synthesized and/or released in the immune organs act on both innate and adaptive immunity. Recently, VIP and PACAP were shown to inhibit AICD in peripheral CD4 T cells by down-regulating FasL expression. In view of these findings, VIP and PACAP are reasonable candidates for the generation of memory T cells. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the effects of VIP and PACAP in various models for effector and memory T cells. Our data demonstrate that both neuropeptides promote the in vivo effector function and memory phenotype of Th2, but not Th1 cells, by preferentially inhibiting the clonal deletion of Th2 cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the role of a neuropeptide present in the lymphoid microenvironment on the generation and maintenance of long-lived memory T cells.


The al-Naim and al-Murrah Bedouins are two different groups of nomadic peoples in modern Qatar. The al-Naim lived an almost stationary existence by the seacoast of northern Qatar, often moving by boat and engaging in pearl fishing. In complete contrast, the al-Murrah of South Qatar traversed the vast and sandy reaches of southem Arabia on camelback. This book is a product of The Carlsberg Foundation Nomad Research Project, which draws on the rich Middle Eastern and Central Asian ethnographic collections of the National Museum of Denmark, as well as on recent social and cultural anthropological studies of nomadic groups in Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf and North Africa. This volume incorporates fieldwork carried out amongst the Qatari Bedouins in 1959, just before their lives were radically altered by a rapid expansion of the oil industry. Its chief focus is on everyday life and adaptations to the natural and social environment as well as on these groups' material culture, especially the structure and function of the tent. A richly illustrated catalogue of artifacts is supplemented by a unique collection of photographs which document the lives of both groups during winter and spring. A record of fast disappearing customs and folk arts, "Bedouins of Qatar" also offers a striking example of a fragile way of life whose traditions may soon be lost under the pressures of development.


Abstract Tsoulou, E., Kalfas, C. A. and Sideris, E. G. Changes in DNA Flexibility after Irradiation with γ Rays and Neutrons Studied with the Perturbed Angular Correlation Method. Radiat. Res. 159, 33–39 (2003). Neutron and γ irradiation of buffered solutions of calf thymus DNA resulted in changes in the dynamics of the macromolecule. In the low-dose region (0.8–10 cGy of 239Pu-Be neutrons and 0.34–3 Gy of 60Co γ rays), the flexibility of DNA decreased as indicated by slower rotation of the molecules. Neutrons appeared to be approximately 35 times more effective than 60Co γ rays. The rotational correlation time, τC, was measured using the perturbed angular correlation (PAC) method. Its variation appears to follow a linear-exponential behavior. An attempt is made to formulate this behavior as a function of the energy deposited on the macromolecule (radiation dose), the average threshold energy (dose) required to form new lesions, and the available population of intact DNA sites.


Application of optimization technology of housing structural design has a very important role in promoting the improvement of optimization technology of construction enterprise structural design, upgrading optimization technology application ability of structural designer and quality of building products, as well as increasing the actual benefit of construction enterprises. Started from the definition of housing structural design optimization, the study will analyze the problems in optimization technology of housing structural design, in order to reduce construction costs, reflecting the value of structure optimization, making housing structural design function be more suitable for people living and life, and greatly enhancing the safety and seismic performance.