We report here time-domain infrared spectroscopy and optical photometry of the HD 145263 silica-rich circumstellar-disk system taken from 2003 through 2014. We find an F4V host star surrounded by a stable, massive 1022–1023 kg (MMoon to MMars) dust disk. No disk gas was detected, and the primary star was seen rotating with a rapid ∼1.75 day period. After resolving a problem with previously reported observations, we find the silica, Mg-olivine, and Fe-pyroxene mineralogy of the dust disk to be stable throughout and very unusual compared to the ferromagnesian silicates typically found in primordial and debris disks. By comparison with mid-infrared spectral features of primitive solar system dust, we explore the possibility that HD 145263's circumstellar dust mineralogy occurred with preferential destruction of Fe-bearing olivines, metal sulfides, and water ice in an initially comet-like mineral mix and their replacement by Fe-bearing pyroxenes, amorphous pyroxene, and silica. We reject models based on vaporizing optical stellar megaflares, aqueous alteration, or giant hypervelocity impacts as unable to produce the observed mineralogy. Scenarios involving unusually high Si abundances are at odds with the normal stellar absorption near-infrared feature strengths for Mg, Fe, and Si. Models involving intense space weathering of a thin surface patina via moderate (T < 1300 K) heating and energetic ion sputtering due to a stellar super-flare from the F4V primary are consistent with the observations. The space-weathered patina should be reddened, contain copious amounts of nanophase Fe, and should be transient on timescales of decades unless replenished.


Smartphone users often find mobile security notifications (MSNs) to be annoying and intrusive. MSNs are security warnings displayed on mobile interfaces designed to protect mobile phone users from security attacks. Traditionally, users are forced to choose between "Yes" ("Accept") or "No" ("Ignore" or "Deny") decisions in response to MSNs. However, in practice, to make MSNs less intrusive, a new "Remind Me Later" button is often added to MSNs as a third option. Consequently, this "Remind Me Later" option causes new problems of deferred security coping behaviors. In other words, hesitant users do not take appropriate actions immediately when security threats take place. Grounding our theoretical basis on choice deferral and dual-task inference, we designed two experiments to understand the key factors affecting users' deferred security coping decisions in a three-option MSN scenario ("Yes", "No", "Remind Me Later"), to determine which MSN message and design features facilitate immediate security coping.


INTRODUCTION: The endoscopic placement of self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) emerges as a therapeutic option for neoplastic colonic obstruction in two situations: as palliative treatment and as a bridge to surgery. The latter can avoid emergency surgery, thus decreasing the rate of ostomies and the mortality and morbidity associated with them. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility, safety and benefits of SEMS placement for the treatment of neoplastic colorectal obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 2008 and June 2012, we included in this prospective, longitudinal, descriptive and observational study all the patients suffering from colorectal neoplasia who were subjected to SEMS placement by the same group ofendoscopists. Nitinol SEMS were inserted under endoscopic vision and radioscopic control. RESULTS: Twenty seven SEMS were inserted in 27 patients, 61% of them were male and the average age was 70 years old. Symptoms of colonic suboclussion or obstruction were found in 92% of patients, 88% of the lesions were located in the left-side colon, 41% of cases were performed on an ambulatory basis and 65% of stenting was carried out for palliative purposes. The average time of hospitalization was 6,46 days. Technical and clinical success were 93% and 100%, respectively. Minor complications were observed in 11% of patients. Colonic stenting was followed by elective surgery within one month, by a laparoscopic technique in most cases. CONCLUSION: The placement of SEMS arises as a safe and effective alternative to palliative surgery or as a bridge to elective surgery.


Osmolality was measured on 32 clear serum samples and on 23 urines, with dewpoint and with freezing point osmometers. The observed regression equation was dewpoint = 0.96 freezing point +7.6, with a correlation mean for 32 clear sera analyzed by both methods was not significantly different. However, when 14 lipemic sera were analyzed, the dewpoint measurements were higher: X dewpoint = 291.6; X freezing point = 284.1. The between-run standard deviation observed for a normal serum pool yielded a coefficient of variation of 1.04 with the freezing point and 2.38 with the dewpoint instrument. Results indicate that the dewpoint device should be used with caution for lipemic serum samples.


One of the most important outcomes during the last Conferences of the Parties was the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, which can be seen not only as a window of opportunity, but as a necessity to act. Our concern in the present paper is with the identification of an appropriate international climate-policy architecture in order to foster climate governance. The paper attempts to raise awareness towards the Soft landing commitment scheme which is proposed as an element of answer to the climate-policy dilemma. The scheme (REDEM for REDuction of Emissions) proposes a pathway to stabilize the emissions with a timing and a level of commitment, which are differentiated on the basis of capability (per capita income levels) and responsibility (per capita emissions). We present a couple of simulation examples which show different ways to conceive the shapes of the emissions and their rates of variation. The REDEM algorithm is designed as a tool for the benchmarking of supposed national emission reduction trajectories. The tool shows a practical way to guide the potential national trajectories, through a convergence mechanism into a comprehensible framework.


This paper investigates the influence of the control policy on translation in the Arab World and in Jordan particularly. It sheds light on the issues of the control policy, the raison d'etre behind applying it in the Arab world, the translators' role as decision makers (superiority or inferiority towards the language), its forms, and who controls what. Furthermore, this paper is an attempt to reach a better understanding of the circumstances of the influence of covert forms that led to resisting translating. Keywords: control policy, norms, translation, colonialism, conspiracy theory, the Other


Enhanced migratory potential and invasiveness of cancer cells contribute crucially to cancer progression. These phenotypes are achieved by precise alteration of invasion-associated genes through local epigenetic modifications which are recognized by a class of proteins termed a chromatin reader. ZMYND8 [zinc finger MYND (myeloid, Nervy and DEAF-1)-type containing 8], a key component of the transcription regulatory network, has recently been shown to be a novel reader of H3.1K36Me2/H4K16Ac marks. Through differential gene expression analysis upon silencing this chromatin reader, we identified a subset of genes involved in cell proliferation and invasion/migration regulated by ZMYND8. Detailed analysis uncovered its antiproliferative activity through BrdU incorporation, alteration in the expression of proliferation markers, and cell cycle regulating genes and cell viability assays. In addition, performing wound healing and invasion/migration assays, its anti-invasive nature is evident. Interestingly, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key mechanism of cellular invasion, is regulated by ZMYND8 where we identified its selective enrichment on promoters of CLDN1/CDH1 genes, rich in H3K36Me2/H4K16Ac marks, leading to their up-regulation. Thus, the presence of ZMYND8 could be implicated in maintaining the epithelial phenotype of cells. Furthermore, syngeneic mice, injected with ZMYND8-overexpressed invasive breast cancer cells, showed reduction in tumor volume and weight. In concert with this, we observed a significant down-regulation of ZMYND8 in invasive ductal and lobular breast cancer tissues compared with normal tissue. Taken together, our study elucidates a novel function of ZMYND8 in regulating EMT and invasion of cancer cells, possibly through its chromatin reader function.


Multiorgan failure (MOF) represents the leading cause of death in patients with sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) following severe trauma. The underlying immune response is highly complex and involves activation of the complement system as a crucial entity of innate immunity. Uncontrolled activation of the complement system during sepsis and SIRS with in excessive generation of complement activation products contributes to an ensuing dysfunction of various organ systems. In the present review, mechanisms of the inflammatory response in the development of MOF in sepsis and SIRS with particular focus on the complement system are discussed.


International Study of Asthma and Allergies of Childhood (ISAAC) phase one study had already been completed in two age groups in 156 collaborating centers of 56 countries involving a total of 721601 children. Bangladesh did not participate earlier in this worldwide study. To determine the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in school children of Dhaka district using ISAAC protocol. A school based cross sectional study done in 2000 by using both written questionnaires (WQ) and video questionnaires (VQ). Students of class-VIII (13-14 years) filled up both the WQ and VQ and the parents of class I (6-7 years) filled up only the WQ on behalf of the students. Sixty five (6)5 primary schools and 39 high schools were randomly selected from all 19 thanas to cover equally both the urban and rural schools of the entire area of Dhaka district. A total of 6260 written questionnaires were eligible for the analysis (3029 form 6-7 years of class I and 3231 from 13-14 years of class VIII). In addition, the validated international video questionnaires were used for the older age group (3231). The symptoms of atopic diseases in the previous 12 months or ever in all children, both age groups, both sexes and in both urban and rural areas. The life time (ever) and 12-month period (recent) prevalence of three allergic conditions with 95% CI were as follows : wheezing 13.8% (12.9-14.6), 7.6% (6.9-8.2); allergic rhinitis 25.0% (23.9-26.1), 20.0% (19.1-21.1) and eczema 8.7% (CI 8.0-9.4), 6.5% (5.9-7.2). respectively. The prevalence of wheezing and other atopic features in both age groups of 6-7 years and 13-14 years showed higher features of recent wheeze in the younger children than in the older children, recent wheeze 9.1% Vs 6.1%; but the other atopic features were found lower in younger age group, recent rhinitis 16.3% Vs 23.5%, 0.001; conjunctivitis 6.4% Vs 8.3%, 0.001; recent eczema 6.0% Vs 7.1% 0.001. Male children were found to be more suffering from all types allergic conditions than their female peers: recent wheeze 9.0% Vs 5.9%, recent rhinitis 21.9% Vs 17.9%, recent allergic conjunctivitis 8.7% Vs 6.7% and recent eczema 6.8% Vs 6.2%). Though the prevalence of asthma and atopic eczema was lower than those of developed countries but still appeared to be a major health problem for our children. Allergic rhinitis was the commonest of all atopic problems in children. The younger children (6-7 years) were more likely to suffer from wheeze (asthma) but other allergic problems were more in older group of children (13-14 years). Male children were more prone to all types of allergic problems, whether wheeze or other atopic conditions, than the female peers.


Do people always like to use more secured information systems? More restrictive measures protect information integrity and user privacy in a better way but they make the systems less convenient to use. This study tries to investigate this question by developing a construct so-called user information security readiness that measure how willing and prepared users are to adopt the security measures and study its relationship with the level of information security measures. It is hypothesized that the relationship is moderated by how important the information is to the user, or information criticality. Data were collected from a web-based experiment on security readiness towards different levels of user authentication measures for different types of information systems. The preliminary result suggests that only when the information is relatively critical to the users does the strengthening of security measures enhance their information security readiness.


Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) has a challenging and still unclear pathogenesis. A body of literature points to impaired maturation of the lesional dendritic cells, and to immune dysregulation in the form of increased FoxP3 cells. Various cytokine abnormalities such as expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β have been reported, as well as abnormalities in lipid content in LCH cells. Morphoproteomic techniques were applied to identify the signal transduction pathways that could influence histogenesis and immune regulation in osteolytic LCH. Five pediatric cases of osteolytic LCH were examined, using antibodies against CD1a, S100, CD68, CD8, FoxP3, phosphorylated (p)-STAT3 (Tyr705), protein kinase C (PKC)-α, phospholipase (PL)D1, fatty acid synthase (FASN), and zinc finger protein, Gli2. Positive and negative controls were performed. A FoxP3(+)/CD8(+) cell ratio was calculated by counting the FoxP3+ and CD8+ cells in 10 high power fields for each case. There is induction of sonic hedgehog (SHH) mediators consistent with TGF-β signaling pathway through Smad3-dependent activation of Gli2, findings supported by the plasmalemmal and cytoplasmic expression of PKC-α and PLD1, and nuclear expression of Gli2, in lesional cells. The FoxP3+/CD8+ cell ratio is increased, ranging from 1.7-7.94. There is moderate cytoplasmic expression of FASN in most of the Langerhans cells, a finding that supports previously published phospholipid abnormalities in LCH and is consistent with PKC-α/PLD1/TGF-β signaling. With our study, we strongly suggest that the TGF-β cell signaling pathway is a major player in the pathogenesis of LCH, leading to non-canonical induction of nuclear Gli2 expression, thereby contributing to osteoclastogenesis in LCH histiocytes. It could also cause a state of immune frustration in LCH, by inducing the transformation of CD4(+)CD25(-) cells into CD4(+)/FoxP3(+) cells. This coincides with the clinical evidence of a response to thalidomide in patients with osteolytic LCH, given its reported ability to reduce TGF-beta 1 and FoxP3 cells. Such TGF-β signaling in osteoclastogenesis and immune dysregulation, and the presence of FASN in the majority of cells, have additional therapeutic implications for osteolytic LCH.


Purpose: MRL-lpr/lpr mice, a model for various autoimmune diseases, were repeatedly irradiated with 0.5 Gy of γ-rays, and changes in their autoimmune manifestations were investigated. Materials and methods: MRL-lpr/lpr mice at 13 weeks of age were maintained in plastic cages and exposed whole-body to 0.5 Gy γ-ray irradiation from a 137Cs source 5 times per week for 4 weeks, from the time they were 13 weeks old until they reached 17 weeks old. Changes of autoimmune manifestations were examined 3 weeks later at the 20th week. Results: Splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, and proteinuria in MRL-lpr/lpr mice were clearly ameliorated by a total dose of 10 Gy (0.5 Gy/day×5 days/week for 4 weeks). Histologically severe disease-specific damage to the kidney and the salivary gland, i.e., glomerulonephritis and sialoadenitis, was also improved after irradiation. CD3+ CD4− CD8− CD45R/B220+ T cell numbers, which proliferate abnormally in MRL-lpr/lpr mice, were significantly decreased by the irradiation, possibly through induction of apoptosis. The elevated NO2− and NO3− (NOx−) production by macrophages of MRL-lpr/lpr mice was lowered by the irradiation. The irradiation also prolonged the life span of MRL-lpr/lpr mice. These phenomena may contribute to the amelioration of autoimmune manifestations in MRL-lpr/lpr mice exposed to repeated small-doses of γ-rays. Conclusions: Repeated small-dose γ-ray exposure ameliorates the autoimmune manifestations in MRL-lpr/lpr model mice.


Increasing the safety of vehicles is an important goal for vehicle manufacturers. These manufacturers often turn to simulations to understand how to improve a vehicle's design as real‐world safety tests are expensive and time consuming. Understanding the results of these simulations, however, is challenging due to the complexity of the data, which often includes both spatial and nonspatial data types. In this design study we collaborated with analysts who are trying to understand the vulnerability of military vehicles. From this design study we contribute a problem characterization, data abstraction, and task analysis for vehicle vulnerability analysis, as well as a validated and deployed tool called Shotviewer. Shotviewer links 3D spatial views with abstract 2D views to support a broad range of analysis needs. Furthermore, reflection on our design study process elucidates a strategy of view‐design parallelism for creating multiview visualizations, as well as four recommendations for conducting design studies in large organizations with sensitive data.


We report new P and S wave velocity models of the upper mantle beneath southern Africa using data recorded on seismic stations spanning the entire subcontinent. Beneath most of the Damara Belt, including the Okavango Rift, our models show lower than average velocities (−0.8% Vp; −1.2% Vs) with an abrupt increase in velocities along the terrane's southern margin. We attribute the lower than average velocities to thinner lithosphere (~130 km thick) compared to thicker lithosphere (~200 km thick) immediately to the south under the Kalahari Craton. Beneath the Etendeka Flood Basalt Province, higher than average velocities (0.25% Vp; 0.75% Vs) indicate thicker and/or compositionally distinct lithosphere compared to other parts of the Damara Belt. In the Rehoboth Province, higher than average velocities (0.3% Vp; 0.5% Vs) suggest the presence of a microcraton, as do higher than average velocities (1.0% Vp; 1.5% Vs) under the Southern Irumide Belt. Lower than average velocities (−0.4% Vp; −0.7% Vs) beneath the Bushveld Complex and parts of the Mgondi and Okwa terranes are consistent with previous studies, which attributed them to compositionally modified lithosphere resulting from Precambrian magmatic events. There is little evidence for thermally modified upper mantle beneath any of these terranes which could provide a source of uplift for the Southern African Plateau. In contrast, beneath parts of the Irumide Belt in southern and central Zambia and the Mozambique Belt in central Mozambique, deep‐seated low velocity anomalies (−0.7% Vp; −0.8% Vs) can be attributed to upper mantle extensions of the African superplume structure.


Relatively little is known about the interaction between genes and environment in the complex etiology of age‐related macular degeneration (AMD). This study aimed to identify novel factors associated with AMD by analyzing gene‐smoking interactions in a genome‐wide association study of 1207 AMD cases and 686 controls of Caucasian background with genotype data on 668,238 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) after quality control. Participants' history of smoking at least 100 cigarettes lifetime was determined by a self‐administered questionnaire. SNP associations modeled the effect of the minor allele additively on AMD using logistic regression, with adjustment for age, sex, and ever/never smoking. Joint effects of SNPs and smoking were examined comparing a null model containing only age, sex, and smoking against an extended model including genotypic and interaction terms. Genome‐wide significant main effects were detected at three known AMD loci: CFH (P = 7.51×10−30), ARMS2 (P = 1.94×10−23), and RDBP/CFB/C2 (P = 4.37×10−10), while joint effects analysis revealed three genomic regions with P < 10−5. Analyses stratified by smoking found genetic associations largely restricted to nonsmokers, with one notable exception: the chromosome 18q22.1 intergenic SNP rs17073641 (between SERPINB8 and CDH7), more strongly associated in nonsmokers (OR = 0.57, P = 2.73 × 10−5), with an inverse association among smokers (OR = 1.42, P = 0.00228), suggesting that smoking modifies the effect of some genetic polymorphisms on AMD risk.


The author presents his views as to why prepaid care is the best method of after care for contact lens patients. Detailed procedures are presented as to how to implement such a program. Legal justification for the use of prepaid care plans by the optometrist is given.


Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that threatens and reduces the quality of life. Eight hybrids (1ah) of thiosemicarbozone and triazole were screened for their effects on genes related to type 2 diabetes as well as their antioxidant activity. The influence of the hybrids on glucose transport genes (Glut-4, Mef2a and Nrf-1) was carried out using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antioxidant assays were carried out using established techniques. Hybrids 1b, 1d, 1e and 1g exhibited high expression of Glut-4 gene relative to insulin and control. All the hybrids tested except 1h and 1f expressed the Nrf-1 while only 1h did not express Mef-2a relative to control. Among all the compounds, 1b showed the highest 1-diphenyl-2-picryl- hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability and Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) values. In terms of Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), 1c and 1d had the highest values, respectively. In all the antioxidant assays carried out, 1a was shown to have the lowest antioxidant activities. Hybrids 1d and 1g showed consistent pattern of glucose transport pathway gene transcription with all the hybrids showing antioxidant potentials though at varying extents. These hybrids could be potential candidates eliciting antidiabetic and antioxidant effects.


Recent research carried out on kwashiorkor in Kampala, Uganda, is discussed. The first essential in both the treatment and the prevention of this disease being a diet rich in protein (preferably animal protein, to ensure an adequate intake of vitamin B12 and a satisfactory mixture of amino-acids), methods of incorporating sufficient protein into children's diets were investigated.

For the treatment of severe cases, two high-protein diets—one based on animal protein, the other on plant protein—gave good results. In the first, the protein was obtained from dried skimmed milk and a calcium caseinate preparation known as Casilan; in the second, it was supplied by soya. Some vitamin B12, which is lacking in the soya itself, was added to the second diet in order to ensure satisfactory weight gains.

With regard to prevention, the author points out that although it is theoretically simple there are serious practical difficulties. The best sources of protein—milk, meat, and fish—are unfortunately, at present, too expensive for general consumption in Uganda. Therefore, the best possible use of plant protein must be made for the time being. In this connexion, the author recommends investigating the value of sunflower, which grows more easily in Uganda than soya. He feels that soya, sunflower, and maize could probably be combined to provide a mixture of amino-acids which—though not as perfect as that found in animal proteins—would be very satisfactory.


We have synthesized a series of zirconium nitride--aluminum nitride multilayers with a reactive sputtering technique. Structure and elastic response of these multilayers are characterized by x-ray-diffraction and transient piezoreflectance measurements. We observe a systematic decrease of the longitudinal elastic response in the direction of film growth as the composition modulation wavelength decreases. This contradicts a recent model of elastic response which predicts the absence of elastic anomaly in metal-insulator multilayers.


Summary In this paper we give a formal definition of the notion of nominative data with simple names and complex values [15, 16, 19] and formal definitions of the basic operations on such data, including naming, denaming and overlapping, following the work [19]. The notion of nominative data plays an important role in the composition-nominative approach to program formalization [15, 16] which is a development of composition programming [18]. Both approaches are compared in [14]. The composition-nominative approach considers mathematical models of computer software and data on various levels of abstraction and generality and provides mathematical tools for reasoning about their properties. In particular, nominative data are mathematical models of data which are stored and processed in computer systems. The composition-nominative approach considers different types [14, 19] of nominative data, but all of them are based on the name-value relation. One powerful type of nominative data, which is suitable for representing many kinds of data commonly used in programming like lists, multidimensional arrays, trees, tables, etc. is the type of nominative data with simple (abstract) names and complex (structured) values. The set of nominative data of given type together with a number of basic operations on them like naming, denaming and overlapping [19] form an algebra which is called data algebra. In the composition-nominative approach computer programs which process data are modeled as partial functions which map nominative data from the carrier of a given data algebra (input data) to nominative data (output data). Such functions are also called binominative functions. Programs which evaluate conditions are modeled as partial predicates on nominative data (nominative predicates). Programming language constructs like sequential execution, branching, cycle, etc. which construct programs from the existing programs are modeled as operations which take binominative functions and predicates and produce binominative functions. Such operations are called compositions. A set of binominative functions and a set of predicates together with appropriate compositions form an algebra which is called program algebra. This algebra serves as a semantic model of a programming language. For functions over nominative data a special computability called abstract computability is introduces and complete classes of computable functions are specified [16]. For reasoning about properties of programs modeled as binominative functions a Floyd-Hoare style logic [1, 2] is introduced and applied [12, 13, 8, 11, 9, 10]. One advantage of this approach to reasoning about programs is that it naturally handles programs which process complex data structures (which can be quite straightforwardly represented as nominative data). Also, unlike classical Floyd-Hoare logic, the mentioned logic allows reasoning about assertions which include partial pre- and post-conditions [11]. Besides modeling data processed by programs, nominative data can be also applied to modeling data processed by signal processing systems in the context of the mathematical systems theory [4, 6, 7, 5, 3].


It is possible to define a particular wave dominated delta pattern in consideration of morphologic, sedimentologic and stratigraphic features of the four greatest tyrrhenian deltas. This pattern developed, after the sea level still stand (last 6 kyr), on gently sloping shelf of a passive continental margin. The delta body shows a composite geometry with a tabular inner part, few meters thick, and a lenticular outer part about 70 m thick. The delta body lies on a maximum flooding surface of the last glacial depositional sequence (Bellotti et alii, 1994) Morphologic features. The inner delta plain is very flat and there were, as far as 150 years B.P., ponds and marshes today reclaimed. The outer delta plain shows beach ridges and coastal dunes which locally include small and ephymeral brackish basins. The river present a single channel without levees which is somewhat steady, it is winding in the inner delta plain and more rectilinear in outer delta plain. The delta front shows a gently sloping flat bottom between 0 and -20 m; littoral bars are present only close to the beach. The pro-delta shows steep bottom (as far as 1.3 degrees ) with convex profile and sometimes synsedimentary creep (Bellotti et alii, 1989). Sediments distribution. Mud, muddy clay and organic clay are widely present in inner delta plain. Sand and muddy sand are present close to the river channel. In the outer delta plain, medium to Line sands constitute beach ridges and coastal dunes, mud and organic mud are present only into brackish ephemeral basins. Evolution. At high sea level still-stand, the river flowed directly into a coastal lagoon closed seaward by a barrier beach which represents the last beach of the transgressive system tract. In the first time (6-3 kyr B.P.), the lagoon was the depocenter of the system and lagoon infilling constituted a tabular body correspondents to actual inner delta plain. In the last 3 kyr the depocenter moved into the sea and a wave dominated delta developed. The fluvial load/wave power ratio, drives the delta progradation. In the first time the progradation occurs with development of parallel beach ridges. Successively due to an increased of the fluvial load/wave power ratio, delta progradation developed particularly in river mouth area and cuspate delta was generated. Due to a reduction of the fluvial load/wave power ratio, the apical part was eroded and progradation took place along the delta wings. Variations in the fluvial load/wave power ratio depends by secular climatic modifications and anthropic activity (Bartolini, 1983).


—The stone inscription is one type of written literature that recorded the history story and the manifestation of cultural identity in that era through a character engraving method on the stone with sharp metal material for each character until a sentence formed. To convey the message for the readers to understand the meaning. Therefore, the completeness of that sentence is of great importance natural language processing tasks. In particular, when transcription stone inscriptions, it is found that inscriptions' parts cannot interpret. As a result of the period that elapsed, those inscriptions may have suffered deterioration from various causes, resulting in scratches over the text or faded markings, destroyed from natural disasters that making it impossible to analyze which specific characters were damaged. To address enhance the completeness of the missing sentence, this research employs a method of generating predictive models for the missing characters from the text. It utilizes the technique of incorporating a masked language model to assist in processing the experimental data, utilizing 3 types of multilingual pre-trained models as following models are used: (1) XLM-RoBERTa, (2) Bert-base-multilingual-cased, and (3) DistilBERT-base-multilingual-cased. In each training round, random characters are masked using the token " < mask > " or "[MASK]" to prompt the model to predict the missing words at the masked positions. From the experimental results, it was found that the accuracy of prediction from the three types of pre-trained models is as follows: (1) 42, (2) 53, and (3) 50 percent respectively.


Screening for disease prior to the manifestation of clinical symptoms is a secondary method of disease prevention. Its use in clinical laboratory testing is based on disease prevalence, etiology, and physiology and on characteristics of the screening tests, including sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. An overview of the principles of screening is presented. Analytic evaluation methods, such as cost-effectiveness analysis, use data relevant to screening programs to examine new protocols. Results of studies reported in the literature are included in the discussion of screening with clinical laboratory tests for three diseases affecting women. Development of effective and appropriate screening protocols for specific diseases incorporate scientific data from randomized controlled trials and economic analytical evaluation methods in conjunction with societal perspectives and desires.


This paper introduces the dynamic aggregation of pages in Nautilus, which main features are: lockbased scope consistency, multithreaded and pagebased DSM system. The dynamic aggregation consists in considering a larger granularity's unit than a page, in a page-based DSM system. The first results show that this technique can improve the Nautilus's speedup up to 29%. The benchmarks evaluated in this study are SOR (from Rice University), LU and Water N-Squared (both from SPLASH-2).


Purpose: Recent evidence indicates that small noncoding RNA molecules, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), are involved in cancer initiation and progression. We hypothesized that genetic variations in miRNAs and miRNA target sites could be associated with the efficacy of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with prostate cancer. Experimental Design: We systematically evaluated 61 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) inside miRNAs and miRNA target sites in a cohort of 601 men with advanced prostate cancer treated with ADT. The prognostic significance of these SNPs on disease progression, prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) after ADT were assessed by Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox regression model. Results: Four, seven, and four SNPs were significantly associated with disease progression, PCSM, and ACM, respectively, after ADT in univariate analysis. KIF3C rs6728684, CDON rs3737336, and IFI30 rs1045747 genotypes remained as significant predictors for disease progression; KIF3C rs6728684, PALLD rs1071738, GABRA1 rs998754, and SYT9 rs4351800 remained as significant predictors for PCSM; and SYT9 rs4351800 remained as a significant predictor for ACM in multivariate models that included clinicopathologic predictors. Moreover, strong combined genotype effects on disease progression and PCSM were also observed. Patients with a greater number of unfavorable genotypes had a shorter time to progression and worse prostate cancer-specific survival during ADT (P for trend < 0.001). Conclusion: SNPs inside miRNAs and miRNA target sites have a potential value to improve outcome prediction in prostate cancer patients receiving ADT. Clin Cancer Res; 17(4); 1–9. ©2010 AACR.


This Article proposes that the Mendenhall-Royer standard, as presently interpreted, should be discarded because it is unworkable and fails to strike the appropriate balance between the liberty interests of citizens and the interest of the state in combatting crime. The test is unworkable because the outcomes of cases turn on subtle factual distinctions unrelated to an individual's actual freedom to end an encounter with a police officer, making it difficult for police officers to apply the standard in the field and adjust their conduct accordingly. Moreover, the standard provides insufficient protection for an individual's rights by failing to consider the purpose of the encounter. Next, the Article will examine the cases in which the Supreme Court has used the Mendenhall-Royer test. These cases serve as further illustrations both of the difficulty in applying the test and of the lack of guidance the Supreme Court has provided. The Article then will explore the results of this lack of guidance by examining the confusion lower courts are experiencing in deciding cases using the Mendenhall-Royer standard. Finally, the Article will examine possible alternatives to the Mendenhall-Royer test. It will show that some of these alternatives have been rejected without careful consideration, by overstating the perceived drawbacks to such tests and placing unfounded confidence in the courts' ability to modify' the Mendenhall-Royer test to yield appropriate results. The Article concludes that a per se rule based on the purpose for which a police officer initiates the encounter, although rejected by courts and commentators, is necessary. Such a test provides the appropriate balance between the liberty interest of citizens and the crime fighting interest of the state and is justified by experience with the Mendenhall-Royer test.


P atagonia evokes images of a remote, unpopulated frontier region endowed with a variety of undisturbed natural environments, including arid steppes, high mountains, fjords, forests, and ice fields. Despite idealized depictions, the expansive region, which encompasses the southernmost tip of the South American continent, faces many of the challenges related to development and conservation experienced across Latin America. Today, as the global economy and modern practices extend into its most isolated areas, financial and human flows are shaping Patagonia in familiar, yet novel, ways (Mendoza et al. 2017). New infrastructure, large hydraulic projects, the tourist industry expanding south, green grabbing, and rapid urbanization are some of the footprints of these processes. These conditions are reshaping the relationships between local people and the environment as Indigenous communities reclaim land and reassert their culture, tourists stream to natural attractions activating local economies, corporations and governments unleash their latest conservation plans, and dreamers and wonderers from around the world proclaim new lifestyles in remote locations. This special issue brings together articles that question mainstream representations of Patagonia to reveal a dynamic place where multiple stakeholders grapple with the profound consequences of globalization and colonization, both historic and recent. They do so from a uniquely Latin American perspective—all the authors are based at Chilean and Argentine universities. As such, they are influenced by and contribute to currents in Latin American thought in humanenvironment geography, Indigenous geographies, and environmental justice perspectives. The articles invite us to consider Patagonia from a territorial (territorio) perspective, which considers how territory is constructed through the encounter between local, place-based groups, and often global, power dynamics (López Sandoval et al. 2017). Many Latin American geographers use this territorial approach, giving the term a much broader understanding. It addresses the web of forces that shape the connections between culture and nature, involving how people dwell and establish relations with the surrounding environment. Thus, territory condenses culture, social and political relations in space, and is permeated by the processes of colonization and the expansion of capitalist modes of production.


OBJECTIVE
Tofacitinib (CP-690,550) is a novel JAK inhibitor that is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of tofacitinib in vitro and in vivo in RA, in order to elucidate the role of JAK in the disease process.

METHODS
CD4+ T cells, CD14+ monocytes, and synovial fibroblasts (SFs) were purified from the synovium and peripheral blood of patients with RA and were evaluated for the effect of tofacitinib on cytokine production and cell proliferation. For in vivo analysis, synovium and cartilage samples obtained from patients with RA were implanted in immunodeficient mice (SCID-HuRAg mice), and tofacitinib was administered via an osmotic minipump.

RESULTS
Tofacitinib treatment of CD4+ T cells originating from synovium and peripheral blood inhibited the production of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and interferon-γ (IFNγ) in a dose-dependent manner, affecting both proliferation and transcription, but had no effect on IL-6 and IL-8 production. Tofacitinib did not affect IL-6 and IL-8 production by RASFs and CD14+ monocytes. However, conditioned medium from CD4+ T cells cultured with tofacitinib inhibited IL-6 production by RASFs and IL-8 production by CD14+ monocytes. Treatment of SCID-HuRAg mice with tofacitinib decreased serum levels of human IL-6 and IL-8 and markedly suppressed invasion of synovial tissue into cartilage.

CONCLUSION
Tofacitinib directly suppressed the production of IL-17 and IFNγ and the proliferation of CD4+ T cells, resulting in inhibition of IL-6 production by RASFs and IL-8 production by CD14+ cells and decreased cartilage destruction. In CD4+ T cells, presumably Th1 and Th17 cells, JAK plays a crucial role in RA synovitis.


Magnesium borates are significant compounds due to their advanced mechanical and thermal durability properties. This group of minerals can be used in ceramic industry, in detergent industry, and as neutron shielding material, phosphor of thermoluminescence by dint of their extraordinary specialties. In the present study, the synthesis of magnesium borate via hydrothermal method from sodium borates and physical properties of synthesized magnesium borate minerals were investigated. The characterization of the products was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopies, and differential thermal analysis and thermal gravimetry (DTA/TG). The surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). B2O3 content was determined through titration. The electrical resistivity/conductivity properties of products were measured by Picoammeter Voltage Source. UV-vis spectrometer was used to investigate optical absorption characteristics of synthesized minerals in the range 200–1000 nm at room temperature. XRD results identified the synthesized borate minerals as admontite [MgO(B2O3)3·7(H2O)] with code number "01-076-0540" and mcallisterite [Mg2(B6O7(OH)6)2·9(H2O)] with code number "01-070-1902." The FT-IR and Raman spectra of the obtained samples were similar with characteristic magnesium borate bands. The investigation of the SEM images remarked that both nano- and microscale minerals were produced. The reaction yields were between 75.1 and 98.7%.


Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome consists of hypogonadism, diabetes mellitus, alopecia, ECG abnormalities, and dystonia. This condition is caused by the loss of function of the DCAF17 gene. Most of the patients have been reported from Greater Middle Eastern countries. We report a 38 male from southern India who presented with syncope and massive hemoptysis due to ruptured bronchopulmonary collaterals. He also had alopecia, cataracts, recently diagnosed diabetes and hypogonadism. Whole exome sequencing showed a novel homozygous truncating variant in the DCAF17 gene. Despite embolization of the aortopulmonary collaterals, the patient died of recurrent hemoptysis.


Inferring relational behavior between road users as well as road users and their surrounding physical space is an important step toward effective modeling and prediction of navigation strategies adopted by participants in road scenes. To this end, we propose a relation-aware framework for future trajectory forecast. Our system aims to infer relational information from the interactions of road users with each other and with the environment. The first module involves visual encoding of spatio-temporal features, which captures human-human and human-space interactions over time. The following module explicitly constructs pair-wise relations from spatio-temporal interactions and identifies more descriptive relations that highly influence future motion of the target road user by considering its past trajectory. The resulting relational features are used to forecast future locations of the target, in the form of heatmaps with an additional guidance of spatial dependencies and consideration of the uncertainty. Extensive evaluations on the public benchmark datasets demonstrate the robustness and efficacy of the proposed framework as observed by performances higher than the state-of-the-art methods.


The efficacy of eprosartan, a highly selective, orally-active non-biphenyl, non-tetrazole, type 1 angiotensin II (AT1) receptor antagonist, was compared with that of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, enalapril, with the addition of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) when necessary in patients with severe hypertension (sitting diastolic blood pressure [sitDBP] > or = 115 mmHg and or = 90 mmHg. If blood pressure remained uncontrolled on maximum doses of eprosartan or enalapril at week 6, HCTZ 25 mg o.d. was added to the treatment regimen. Patients whose blood pressure was deemed medically acceptable by the investigator at week 8 entered a 2-week maintenance phase on the final dose used in the titration phase. The primary efficacy measure was the difference between treatments of the mean reduction from baseline in sitDBP at the end of the study. Eprosartan and enalapril caused a similar reduction in sitDBP at study endpoint. The mean change in sitDBP at the end of the study for the eprosartan group was -20.1 mmHg vs -16.2 mmHg for the enalapril group. However, eprosartan produced significantly greater decreases in both sitting and standing systolic blood pressure (sitSBP and staSBP, respectively) than enalapril. The mean decrease in sitSBP was 29.1 mmHg for eprosartan compared with 21.1 mmHg for enalapril (p = 0.025). The mean reduction in staSBP was 27.8 mmHg for eprosartan compared with 20.0 mmHg for enalapril (p = 0.032). At the end of the study, the response rate (sitDBP < 90 mmHg or decreased from baseline by at least 15 mmHg) was 69.5% in the eprosartan group and 54.2% in the enalapril group. The proportion of patients in each treatment group who required addition of HCTZ was similar. Eprosartan was well tolerated; the overall incidence of adverse events was comparable to that in the enalapril group. These results demonstrate that in patients with severe hypertension, eprosartan is well tolerated and may be more effective than enalapril in reducing systolic blood pressure.


When large images are used for big data analysis, they impose new challenges in protecting image privacy. For example, a geographic image may consist of several sensitive areas or layers. When it is uploaded into servers, the image will be accessed by diverse subjects. Traditional access control methods regulate access privileges to a single image, and their access control strategies are stored in servers, which imposes two shortcomings: (1) fine-grained access control is not guaranteed for areas/layers in a single image that need to maintain secret for different roles; and (2) access control policies that are stored in servers suffers from multiple attacks (e.g., transferring attacks). In this paper, we propose a novel watermark-based access control model in which access control policies are associated with objects being accessed (called an in-situ model). The proposed model integrates access control policies as watermarks within images, without relying on the availability of servers or connecting networks. The access control for images is still maintained even though images are redistributed again to further subjects. Therefore, access control policies can be delivered together with the big data of images. Moreover, we propose a hierarchical key-role-area model for fine-grained encryption, especially for large size images such as geographic maps. The extensive analysis justifies the security and performance of the proposed model


This paper gathers some contributions concerning survey methodology in dental research, as discussed during the first Workshop of the SISMEC STATDENT working group on statistical methods and applications in dentistry, held in Ancona on the 28th September 2011.
The first contribution deals with the European Global Oral Health Indicators Development (EGOHID) Project which proposed a comprehensive and standardized system of epidemiological tools (questionnaires and clinical forms) for national data collection on oral health in Europe. The second contribution regards the design and conduct of trials to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of toothbrushes and mouthrinses. Finally, a flexible and effective tool used to trace dental age reference charts tailored to Italian children is presented.


The hierarchical nature of higher education, in which schools compete in small enclaves for the best students, and competition for higher rankings among private, non-profit liberal arts colleges has prompted some schools to drastically increase their tuition in order to correspond with the price changes of rival institutions. Since top liberal arts schools operate with sizable excess demand for enrollment spots, significant tuition alterations generally do not affect the quantity of enrolled students at these schools. However, the extent to which increases in tuition affect the quality of enrolled students has not been thoroughly examined. This study directly analyzes the sensitivity of student quality to a change in tuition. This analysis includes the development of a theoretical model that relates student quality to price by maximizing the educational reputation of a non-profit, liberal arts college subject to its tuition revenue minus its cost of operation. This model is used to derive an equation for the price elasticity of student quality and then is tested empirically by measuring the effect of tuition changes on student quality. The results show a more significant negative relationship between full tuition and student quality for lower ranked schools.


For a dilute two-dimensional Bose gas the universal equation of state has a logarithmic dependence on the s-wave scattering length. Here we derive non-universal corrections to this equation of state taking account finite-range effects of the inter-atomic potential. Our beyond-mean-field analytical results are obtained performing dimensional regularization of divergent zero-point quantum fluctuations within the finite-temperature formalism of functional integration. In particular, we find that in the grand canonical ensemble the pressure has a nonpolynomial dependence on the finite- range parameter and it is a highly nontrivial function of chemical potential and temperature.


Since the introduction of perpendicular recording on a floppy disc by IWASAKI in 1977 and its equivalent design on a rigid disc (SPH-like sensor + double-layer medium) in 1981, many tests have been carried out on different R/W sensors. For each test the main goal was the fci record or the improvement of the magnetic layer. Seen from the recording system point of view, the head and the medium are looked at as a unit through a specification, unchanging with increasing area density. For example, a minimum of 26 dB and 70 % must be achieved for the S/N ratio and the resolution respectively. By considering the noise of the best electronic channel (with a thin film head), and ignoring mechanical and medium noises, the output signal must be at least 250 μv pop. For a 50 Kfci application, however, a sensor does not yet exist. Using a ferrite head with a 1.2 μm gap length to write on FeTbGd, the level of the signal will not be high enough to be used. It is improved with a 0.6 μm gap head but then, the field doesn't allow us to write ! Such problems exist also with thin film heads or SPH like sensors on rigid discs. To improve the R/W process, the trend is to use a double layer medium e.g. CrCo/FeNi. The results show that this direction is not necessarily the best. For example, when erasing or over-writing with the head, some domains appear in the FeNi film which create noise from the track or its edge. Another example is the fact that the optimum parameters for a medium such as CrCo are not always compatible with the characteristics of the head (i.e. H c , the thickness, the crystallographic orientation, the bit stability compared to the write field, the signal, the noise...).


Microvesicles (MVs) are the smallest subclass of the extracellular vesicles (EVs) spontaneously secreted by the external budding from the cell membranes in physiologic and pathologic conditions. The MVs derived from leukemic cells (LCs) can be detected by the expression of specific cluster of differentiation (CD) markers indicating their cellular origin while they can transfer different agents such as microRNAs, cytokines, and chemokines. The secretion of these agents from MVs can affect the vital processes of LCs such as cell cycle, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. According to the effects of MVs components on the vital processes of LCs, it has been postulated that a change in the expression of MVs might be involved in the progression and prognosis of leukemia. However, further studies are needed to confirm the association between the presence of MVs and their components with the prognosis of leukemia. It seems that the identification of the prognostic values and the application of them for the detection of MVs in leukemia can provide new therapeutic targets for monitoring the status of patients with leukemia.


This chapter is a review of multiresolution source and channel coding techniques as applicable in wireless transmission. The focus is on image and video compression and transmission. Section 1 gives an introduction and a review of the separation principle and its limitations. Section 2 is an overview of multiresolution source coding techniques. Section 3 present multiresolution channel coding techniques. Section 4 develops multiresolution joint source and channel coding and Section 5 gives the conclusion.


This work proposes an emotion recognition system from multi-modal bio-potential signals. For emotion recognition, support vector machines (SVM) are applied to design the emotion classifier and its characteristics are investigated. Using gathered data under psychological emotion stimulation experiments, the classifier is trained and tested. In experiments of recognizing five emotion: joy, anger, sadness, happiness, and relax, recognition rate of 41.1% is achieved. The experimental result shows that using multi-modal bio-potential signals is feasible and that SVM is well suited for emotion recognition tasks.


Due to the short time constant of the spin-spin relaxation process, there is a limitation in the preparation of NMR sample solution for large proteins. To overcome this problem, reverse micelle systems are used. Here, molecular dynamics simulation was used to study the structure of flavodoxin in a quaternary mixture of 1-decanoyl-rac-glycerol, lauryldimethylamine-N-oxide, pentane and hexanol. Hexanol was used as co-solvent. Simulations were performed at three different co-solvent concentrations. The proportion of components in the mixture was selected according to experimental conditions. For comparison, simulation of flavodoxin in water was also performed. The simulation results show that the Cα-RMSD for the protein in water is less than for the surfactant mixture. Also, the radius of gyration of flavodoxin increased in the presence of surfactants. The distance between the two residues trp-57 and phe-94, as a measure of protein activity, was obtained from the simulations. The results showed that in the surfactant mixtures this distance increases. Analysis of the secondary structure of the protein shows that the N-terminal part of the flavodoxin is more affected by surfactants. The flavodoxin diffusion coefficient in the surfactant mixture decreased in relation to its diffusion coefficient in water.


Objective : The efficacy and safety of homeopathic treatment was investigated on children with recurrent tonsillitis justifying surgery.  Methods : Prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial that included 40 children between ages of 3 to 7 years old; 20 children were treated with homeopathic medication and 20 children with placebo. Follow up was 4 months per child. Assessment of results was clinical by means of a standard questionnaire and clinical examination on the first and last day of treatment. Recurrent tonsillitis was defined as 5 to 7 episodes of bacterial acute tonsillitis per year. Results: From the group of 18 children who completed homeopathic treatment, 14 did not present any episode of acute bacterial tonsillitis; from the group of 15 children who received placebo 5 patients did not present tonsillitis; this difference was statistically significant (p= 0,015). None of the patient exhibited side effects. Conclusions : Homeopathic treatment was effective in children with recurrent tonsillitis compared to placebo, 14 children (78%) were no longer indicated surgery. Homeopathic treatment was not associated with adverse events.


Copper(I)-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl halides is the subject of extensive interest in synthetic chemistry, but the related catalytic fluorination is unsuccessful. Herein, we have developed a novel copper-catalyzed fluorination of aryl bromides using AgF as the fluorine source. In this transformation a pyridyl directing group is essential for successful catalytic fluorination. A XANES/EXAFS study indicated that the presence of the pyridyl group is essential to stabilize the Cu(I) species and accelerate oxidative addition of the aryl bromide. Further mechanistic studies implicated a Cu(I/III) catalytic cycle in this Cu(I)-catalyzed fluorination, and final aryl C-F bond formation possibly proceeds through an irreversible reductive elimination of the ArCu(III)-F species. This rare report of catalytic fluorination by a copper catalyst provides a valuable foundation for further development of Cu(I)-catalyzed fluorination of aryl halides.


In this study, we demonstrate expression and examined the biologic sequelae of PI3K/p110 signaling in multiple myeloma (MM). Knockdown of p110 by small interfering RNA caused significant inhibition of MM cell growth. Similarly, p110 specific small molecule inhibitor CAL-101 triggered cytotoxicity against LB and INA-6 MM cell lines and patient MM cells, associated with inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. In contrast, CAL-101 did not inhibit survival of normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CAL-101 overcame MM cell growth conferred by interleukin-6, insulin-like growth factor-1, and bone marrow stromal cell coculture. Interestingly, inhibition of p110 potently induced autophagy. The in vivo inhibition of p110 with IC488743 was evaluated in 2 murine xenograft models of human MM: SCID mice bearing human MM cells subcutaneously and the SCID-hu model, in which human MM cells are injected within a human bone chip implanted subcutaneously in SCID mice. IC488743 significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged host survival in both models. Finally, combined CAL-101 with bortezomib induced synergistic cytotoxicity against MM cells. Our studies therefore show that PI3K/p110 is a novel therapeutic target in MM and provide the basis for clinical evaluation of CAL-101 to improve patient outcome in MM. (Blood. 2010;116(9): 1460-1468)


This paper describes a classroom game in which students make production and trade decisions. Each student represents a country and decides how much of two goods to produce, how much to exchange with a partner country, and whether to specialize in the production of one of the two goods. In introductory level classes, the game helps students understand the notion of comparative advantage in production and distinguish between gains from pure exchange and gains from specialization and trade. Class discussion focuses on the concepts of production possibility frontier, marginal productivity of inputs, and on the determination of the price ratio at which trade may occur. In advanced classes, the exercise facilitates comparisons among different models of international trade and serves as a platform from which to introduce and discuss key issues in current research and public debate.


Adiabatic shear band (ASB) is a typical response of materials under high strain rate loading. Based on the instability analysis of the thermo-viscoplastic constitutive model, a new rate-dependent failure criteria is proposed, which links dynamical evolution of ASB with macro mechanical critical conditions, and is successfully applied to account for the shear fracture mode of cylindrical structures subjected to explosive loading. Using finite element method, the transient failure procedure and shearing fragments induced by ASB is simulated, and the calculated fracture profile shows a good agreement with the experimental results. The failure analysis indicates that the rate-dependent failure criteria, as well as impulsive loading, govern the shear damage mode of the structures.


Between 1995 and 2005, a drastic increase in ethanol production in the United States led to increased production of corn and substantially increased shares of corn destined for ethanol plants. The objectives of this paper are to investigate/identify: 1) the changes in the volume of grain handled by the elevators in South Dakota, 2) the changes in the destinations and the type of buyers for South Dakota grains, 3) the impacts of the ethanol plants on corn and other grain handled by the elevators which are located close to ethanol plants. The results presented in this paper are mostly from a survey of grain elevators in South Dakota, completed in early 2008. The results from the survey are also compared to the results from a similar survey completed in 1996.


Background The incidence of RCC has drastically increased in recent years. The large intratumor heterogeneity of RCC, especially ccRCC, usually leads to treatment failure. In addition, single biomarkers have a limited ability to predict prognosis. Therefore, we performed this study to select variables and provided a simple but efficient way to predict prognosis. Method Three studies from the GEO database were involved in the selection of DEGs. A total of 840 RCC patients and 524 ccRCC patients from the TCGA database were involved in the prognostic analyses. Nomograms based on the Cox regression model were used to select variables to predict the prognosis, and GSEA was used to demonstrate the potential pathways altered by gene expression. Result Our study suggested that DEGs existed between metastatic and primary tumor tissues. Loss of GLS2 function was related to poor prognosis in RCC and ccRCC. These results revealed that GLS2 expression combined with basic characteristics, including age and TNM stage, could efficiently predict prognosis. GLS2 serves as a tumor suppressor in ccRCC, and loss of GLS2 function endows cells with oncogenic functions and is related to advanced disease. According to the GSEA results, loss of GLS2 function may alter the cell cycle by activating the E2F pathway. Conclusion GLS2 is a tumor suppressor in RCC. Loss of GLS2 function in ccRCC predicts a poor prognosis via the E2F pathway. Nomograms based on DEGs and clinical features provide doctors with a simple but efficient way to predict prognosis. Further studies are needed to verify the pathway in our study.


Abstract A geophysical survey has been made of the buried floor and infill of the Gilpin-Kent Valley, south Cumbria. The 18 km valley has been investigated using 50 seismic refraction spreads and 140 gravity stations. The survey has been integrated with data from boreholes and with the adjoining Morecambe Bay Barrage feasibility survey. Five geophysical cross-sections of the valley are given, together with one from a former site investigation near Arnside. Maximum depth to bedrock on each profile lies between 40 and 90 m. The rock floor is dissected by faulting into segments of Silurian and Dinantian (Carboniferous) strata; the softer Silurian rocks have been preferentially eroded to form subglacial tunnel valleys with relief of up to 40 m. In the south the strike of the Carboniferous beds and the trend of some of the faults swing from north-south into a NE-SW direction, which governs the course of the River Kent to its mouth at Grange-over-Sands. The valley fill consists mostly of silty clay, with some peat; beneath the clay is a horizon of gravel/cobbles that is up to 40 m thick in some of the tunnel valleys. Till has not been recognized in the survey; the gravel may be its reworked remains. The deep and irregular rock floor of the valley points to a glacial regime of vigorous erosion, both by ice and by melt water. Geotechnical data from boreholes have been correlated, where possible, with seismic velocities and density.


We present a new use of dynamic light scattering that permits the determination of the viscoelastic behavior of a complex fluid. By describing the motion of a scattering particle in a viscoelastic medium in terms of a generalized Langevin equation with a memory function, we relate the time evolution of its mean-square displacement to the frequency-dependent storage and loss moduli of the medium. The utility of this technique is illustrated through the application of diffusing-wave spectroscopy to probe the viscoelastic behavior of two complex fluids. The properties of a concentrated suspension of colloidal particles interacting as hard spheres are shown to be strongly influenced by the incipient colloidal glass transition, which leads to an extended range of frequencies over which they behave like an elastic solid. Similar elasticity is observed in a compressed emulsion, resulting in this case from the additional interfacial energy of the deformed droplets. In both cases diffusing-wave spectroscopy is used to measure the frequency dependence of the storage and loss moduli, and these results are compared with those from mechanical measurements. Besides providing a purely optical method for measuring mechanical properties, this technique provides new insight into the origin of the viscoelastic behavior.


Serum uric acid ,urea and creatinine were assessed in normal pregnant women in order to identify the association between these biochemical parameters and gestational periods (first and third trimester) compared to those of normal nonpregnant women as a control group. The study has been done on (53) normal pregnant women, but only (38) continued the follow up through out to third trimester, and a comparison was done with (37) normal non-pregnant women as a control group. The mean of serum uric acid, urea and creatinine showed a significant lower values in pregnant group during the 1st trimester of pregnancy than the control group. While the mean values of serum uric acid, urea and creatinine show a non significant decrease through out the 3rd trimester compared to the control group. There was a significant difference in serum uric acid and creatinine between the 1st and 3rd trimester which were higher in the 3rd trimester than the 1st trimester of pregnancy, but no significant difference in serum urea between the 1st and 3rd trimester.


Conducting and electroactive nanostructured poly(2, 5-dimethoxyaniline), PDMA, doped with anthracene sulphonic acid, ASA, and phenanthrene sulphonic acid, PSA, respectively, were prepared by oxidative polymerisation of 2, 5-dimethoxyaniline, DMA, with ammonium persulphate as oxidant. Scanning electron microscope, SEM, images of the polymers showed well defined nanotubes and fibrils with diameters of between 50 to 100 nm and 200 to 300 nm for PDMA-ASA and PDMA-PSA, respectively. Evidence of the incorporation of ASA and PSA into the PDMA backbone was provided by UV-Vis and FTIR analyses. Electrochemical interrogation of the sulphonic acid-doped polymers by cyclic voltammetry showed that both PDMA-ASA and PDMA-PSA exhibit quazi-reversible electrochemistry. The standard rate constant, ko, for the charge transfer reactions of PDMA-ASA and PDMA-PSA were 3.81 x 10-4 cm s-1 and 3.27 x 10-5 cm s-1, respectively. There was a relationship between the ko value and the formal potential, E0ʹ, of the polymeric nanomaterial. PDMA-ASA that had larger ko value gave an E0ʹ value of 134 mV which was lower than that of PDMA-PSA by 19 mV, indicating that PDMA-ASA has lower activation energy than PDMA-PSA for the electron transfer process Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy over a range of potentials showed that the polymeric nanotubues exhibited high conductivities, though the SA-doped polymer was more conducting.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Measurement of the main Proteus mirabilis virulence factors would increase our understanding of how the organism infects and colonizes the urinary tract. The purpose of this study was to quantify the virulence factors of twelve P. mirabilis laboratory strains and to determine whether expression of virulence factors of P. mirabilis depends on the presence of homoserine-lactone derivatives.

METHODS
Twelve P. mirabilis strains with defined lipopolysaccharide structures were used. The activity levels of urease, proteases, and hemolysins and the swarming abilities of P. mirabilis rods were tested by qualitative and quantitative methods. The effect of addition of acylated homoserine lactones (acyl-HSLs) was evaluated in order to determine their influence on the pathogenic features of the P. mirabilis strains.

RESULTS
The ureolytic, proteolytic, and hemolytic abilities and the swarming motility of P. mirabilis rods were strain-specific. The P. mirabilis strains which possessed a negatively charged O-polysaccharide demonstrated strong ureolytic and proteolytic properties and faster migration speed on solid media. There was no influence of acyl-HSLs on the process of urea decomposition. The acyl-HSLs inhibited the protease activity of five P. mirabilis strains. N-butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone accelerated the migration speed of the tested P. mirabilis strains.

CONCLUSIONS
The levels of tested virulence factors were strain-specific. The acetylated homoserine lactone derivatives modified the expression of some virulence factors of the P. mirabilis strains.


"Big house, little house, back house, barn"--this rhythmic cadence was sung by nineteenth-century children as they played. It also portrays the four essential components of the farms where many of them lived. The stately and beautiful connected farm buildings made by nineteenth-century New Englanders stand today as a living expression of a rural culture, offering insights into the people who made them and their agricultural way of life. A visual delight as well as an engaging tribute to our nineteenth-century forebears, this book has become one of the standard works on regional farmsteads in America.


Many animals develop indirectly via a larval stage that is morphologically and ecologically distinct from its adult form. Hundreds of lineages across animal phylogeny have secondarily lost larval forms, instead producing offspring that directly develop into adult form without a distinct larval ecological niche1–7. Indirect development in the sea is typically planktotrophic: females produce large numbers of small offspring that require exogenous planktonic food to develop before metamorphosing into benthic juveniles. Direct development is typically lecithotrophic: females produce a smaller number of larger eggs, each developing into a juvenile without the need for larval feeding, provisioned by yolk. Evolutionary theory suggests that these alternative developmental strategies represent stable alternative fitness peaks, while intermediate states are disfavored4,8–11. Transitions from planktotrophy to lecithotrophy thus require crossing a fitness valley and represent radical and coordinated transformations of life-history, fecundity, ecology, dispersal, and development7,12–16. Here we dissect this transition in Streblospio benedicti, the sole genetically tractable species that harbors both states as heritable variation17–19. We identify large-effect loci that act maternally to influence larval size and independent, unlinked large-effect loci that act zygotically to affect discrete aspects of larval morphology. Because lecithotrophs and planktotrophs differ in both size and morphology, the genetic basis of larval form exhibits strong maternal-by-zygotic epistasis for fitness20. The fitness of zygotic alleles depends on their maternal background, creating a positive frequency-dependence that may homogenize local populations. Developmental and population genetics interact to shape larval evolution.


Introduction The multisystem COVID-19 can cause prolonged symptoms requiring rehabilitation. This study describes the creation of a remote COVID-19 rehabilitation assessment tool to allow timely triage, assessment and management. It hypotheses those with post-COVID-19 syndrome, potentially without laboratory confirmation and irrespective of initial disease severity, will have significant rehabilitation needs. Methods Cross-sectional study of consecutive patients referred by general practitioners (April–November 2020). Primary outcomes were presence/absence of anticipated sequelae. Binary logistic regression was used to test association between acute presentation and post-COVID-19 symptomatology. Results 155 patients (n=127 men, n=28 women, median age 39 years, median 13 weeks post-illness) were assessed using the tool. Acute symptoms were most commonly shortness of breath (SOB) (74.2%), fever (73.5%), fatigue (70.3%) and cough (64.5%); and post-acutely, SOB (76.7%), fatigue (70.3%), cough (57.4%) and anxiety/mood disturbance (39.4%). Individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were 69% and 63% less likely to have anxiety/mood disturbance and pain, respectively, at 3 months. Conclusions Rehabilitation assessment should be offered to all patients suffering post-COVID-19 symptoms, not only those with laboratory confirmation and considered independently from acute illness severity. This tool offers a structure for a remote assessment. Post-COVID-19 programmes should include SOB, fatigue and mood disturbance management.


Studies have consistently shown that team behaviours differ from the sum of their parts, additionally reflecting complex interactions between team members and their environments. Computer simulation using agent-based modeling (ABM) explores how 'micro' behaviours affect 'macro' processes, and should therefore help elucidate such team behaviour. In ABM, behaviours are determined by bottom-up 'rules', enabling us to study how the individual parts affect the whole. Furthermore, time elapses during simulations, so relationships between variables feed back into each other, affecting the outputs. Such models therefore permit the incorporation of random elements which, when combined with this dynamism, enable unpredictable, realistic behaviours to emerge. Seemingly complex animal 'team' behaviours, such as foraging, have been simulated successfully, but the simulation of human behaviour and cognition remains in its infancy. Our research addresses this omission by using ABM to simulate team working processes within two large engineering organisations. The project seeks to integrate expertise in organisational psychology, engineering and computer science, to develop this capability and better understand organisations.


—We study two power allocation (PA) schemes for distributed transmit diversity systems. We first derive the performance of the instantaneous channel gain feedback-based PA (ICG-PA) scheme in the presence of channel variation during feedback delay. We then study channel gain variance feedback-based PA (CGV-PA) to mitigate the performance degradation of ICG-PA caused by feedback delay. Finally, we derive design rules for optimum CGV-PA from a compact and accurate performance expression derived.


We study the problem of embedding-based entity alignment between knowledge graphs (KGs). Previous works mainly focus on the relational structure of entities. Some further incorporate another type of features, such as attributes, for refinement. However, a vast of entity features are still unexplored or not equally treated together, which impairs the accuracy and robustness of embedding-based entity alignment. In this paper, we propose a novel framework that unifies multiple views of entities to learn embeddings for entity alignment. Specifically, we embed entities based on the views of entity names, relations and attributes, with several combination strategies. Furthermore, we design some cross-KG inference methods to enhance the alignment between two KGs. Our experiments on real-world datasets show that the proposed framework significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art embedding-based entity alignment methods. The selected views, cross-KG inference and combination strategies all contribute to the performance improvement.


Active source seismology provides a critical constraint on the global crustal structure. However, the heterogeneous data coverage means that interpolation is necessary to fill the gap between seismic profiles. This has the potential to cause large uncertainties especially if the data are interpolated over a large distance. In previous models, geological intuition was often employed to ensure reasonable results. To investigate crustal model uncertainty, we apply geostatistical analysis to a database of active seismic investigations. Unlike previous models, our workflow in the construction of the crustal model is completely transparent. Apart from the points from the database, we only use an a priori separation in oceanic and continental domains. We calculate global maps of Moho depth and average P wave velocity in the crystalline crust. Additionally, we obtain the interpolation error and error covariance. Overall, our results agree with previous global crustal models such as Crust1.0. Our uncertainty estimates show that the Moho depth uncertainty in the most well studied areas such as North America and Europe is less than 4 km but can reach 10 km or more in frontier regions such as most of Africa. P wave velocity shows the same pattern, but is less accurate overall, due to more small‐scale variation. We demonstrate the benefit of having a numerical estimate of uncertainty by propagating the uncertainty to the residual topography. We see two main uses for our crustal model in the geophysical research community: (1) as a starting model for inversions focusing on the crust and upper mantle and (2) as a starting point for including other pointwise information about crustal structure, for example, from passive seismology.


A stimulus given in the T-wave (a ULV stimulus) of a paced cardiac cycle can induce ventricular fibrillation (VF). However, if the ULV stimulus strength is increased, the probability of inducing VF drops in a dose-response fashion. This paper presents a hypothesis which explains this dose-response relationship. We hypothesize that the dose-response relationship arises from the variation in the location of the induction of rotating wavefronts. If the wavefronts are initiated near an anatomical obstacle, such as the A-V groove, they have a high probability of wandering into the obstacle and reducing to quiescence. If the wavefronts are initiated far from such an obstacle, they have a high probability of surviving long enough to disintegrate into VF. Since increasing the stimulus strength can reduce the distance between the A-V groove and the location of the wavefronts, the probability of inducing VF drops with increasing stimulus strength. Modeling results are presented to support a key aspect of this hypothesis. From the hypothesis, several theoretical predictions are made. It is shown that the experimental evidence supports several of these predictions.


Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in Western Europe and North America. In Austria 1,424 men and women died of pancreatic cancer in 2009, although it accounts for only 4% of all cancers diagnosed. This high lethality results from the fact that pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed at advanced stages, since it does not cause early symptoms. Paclitaxel, a natural mitotic inhibitor, blocks the progression of mitosis and triggers apoptosis or reversion to the G-phase of the cell cycle without cell division.
In September 2013, the FDA authorised Abraxane®, the albumin-bound formulation of paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel), in combination with gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. For Europe, approval was achieved in December 2013.
Publications reporting on one phase III trial and three phase II trials were identified, but to date results are only available for the phase III trial and two of three the phase II trials.
In the multicentre, open-label randomised controlled phase III trial (MPACT), nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine was compared to gemcitabine alone in 861 patients previously not treated for their metastatic disease. The study showed statistically significant improvements for the combination therapy regarding OS (8.5 vs. 6.7 months), PFS (5.5 vs. 3.7 months) and ORR (23 vs. 7%). However, more than 50% of the patients in the intervention group developed a peripheral neuropathy, with 17% of them being an AE of grade ≥ 3. In the control group this grade ≥ 3 AE occurred in only 1% of the patients. Other frequent AEs of grade ≥ 3 with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine were neutropenia, leukopenia and fatigue. Data on health-related quality of life were not available.
The regulatory approval of nab-paclitaxel in combination with gemcitabine means that a new therapy is available for metastatic pancreatic cancer, a disease for which therapeutic options are generally limited. This new treatment has demonstrated an increase in PFS and OS, but due to the study's inclusion criteria it is eligible only for patients with a good performance status and a bilirubin level within the normal range. Apart from the benefits, nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine is associated with higher rates of AEs, especially a strongly increased rate of peripheral neuropathy.
To date, data on QoL are missing and there are no studies comparing nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine to FOLFIRINOX -the other combination chemotherapy recommended for patients with metastatic pancreas carcinoma- and good performance status. Therefore, many unresolved questions regarding this therapy still remain.


On December 1, 1934, Sergei Mironovich Kirov, head of the Leningrad party organization of the Soviet Union, was shot dead outside his office in the former Smolny Institute. Kirov's murder would prove to be the catalyst that effectively launched General Secretary Joseph Stalin's Great Purge of the Communist Party from 1936 to 1938. In this two year period hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens were executed and millions more were sentenced to exile. Though an earthshaking start to an inexplicably dark period of Soviet history, the real intrigue in Kirov's assassination lies in the fact that, over 75 years later, the case remains inconclusive. This paper attempts to shed light on the various theories surrounding the possible culprits involved in the Kirov assassination as well as address the potential limitations involved in ultimately achieving the notion of historical truth.


The E-rosette-forming capacity of neutrophils and T-lymphocyte counts in the peripheral blood of 21 patients suffering from persistent giardiasis (PG) were found. A control group included 29 healthy persons. The patients with PG showed a significant increase in the count of early and late E-rosette-forming neutrophils along with a substantial decrease in the count of T-lymphocytes, which is indicative of an inflammatory process located mainly in the gallbladder. It is concluded that according to the neutrophil counts, immunodeficiency may not be regarded as a factor predisposing to PG.


Five different colon tumor-associated antigens (CTAA) were tested for their ability to induce an immune response in vivo and in vitro in ten colon carcinoma patients immunized with an irradiated autologous tumor cell/Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine (active specific immunization) after resection of the primary tumor. The CTAA were defined by two different human monoclonal antibodies (MCA 1688 and MCA 28A32) derived by immortalization of peripheral blood B-lymphocytes from an active specific immunization patient. Delayed-type cutaneous hypersensitivity responses against a mixture of CTAA 28A32-50K and -32K were positive in seven of ten patients tested. In vitro T-cell responses upon stimulation with CTAA 28A32-32K were found to be positive in seven of ten patients and correlated with delayed-type cutaneous hypersensitivity responses to the antigen mixture. These data suggest that CTAA 28A32-32K might contain an important tumor-related T-cell epitope. Moreover, this method is suitable to define potential future candidates for antitumor vaccine development.


For nearly the past two decades, significant effort has been devoted to pursuing an understanding of the glass transition temperature and associated dynamics of polymers confined to the nanoscale. Without question, we know more about the glassy properties of confined polymers today than we knew two decades ago or even a decade ago. Much of our understanding has been obtained via studies on thin polymer films, as they are facile to process and are of substantial technological importance. Nevertheless, studies on polymers confined to other geometries are becoming increasingly more important as we pursue questions difficult to address using thin films and as technology demands the use of confined polymers beyond thin films. In this feature article, we highlight the impact of nanoscale confinement on the glassy properties of polymer nanoparticles. Although the emphasis is placed on contributions from our work, a discussion of the related literature is also presented. Our aim is to elucidate commonalities or fundamental differences in the deviations of glassy properties from the bulk for polymers confined to different geometries. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013


PURPOSE
To evaluate a rapid and comprehensive MR protocol based on a T1-weighted sequence in conjunction with a rolling table platform for the quantification of total body fat.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
11 healthy volunteers and 50 patients were included in the study. MR data was acquired on a 1.5-T system (Siemens Magnetom Sonata). An axial T1-weighted flash 2D sequence (TR 101, TE 4.7, FA 70, FOV 50 cm, 205 x 256 matrix, slice thickness: 10 mm, 10 mm interslice gap) was used for data acquisition. Patients were placed in a supine position on a rolling table platform capable of acquiring multiple consecutive data sets by pulling the patient through the isocenter of the magnet. Data sets extending from the upper to lower extremities were collected. The images were analyzed with respect to the amount of intraabdominal, subcutaneous and total abdominal fat by semi-automated image segmentation software that employs a contour-following algorithm.

RESULTS
The obtained MR images were able to be evaluated for all volunteers and patients. Excellent correlation was found between whole body MRI results in volunteers with DEXA (r (2) = 0.95) and bioimpedance (r (2) = 0.89) measurements, while the correlation coefficient was 0.66 between MRI and BMI, indicating only moderate reliability of the BMI method. Variations in patients with respect to the amount of total, subcutaneous, and intraabdominal adipose tissue was not related to standard anthropometric measurements and metabolic lipid profiles (r (2) = 0,001 to 0.48). The results showed that there was a significant variation in intraabdominal adipose tissue which could not be predicted from the total body fat (r (2) = 0.14) or subcutaneous adipose tissue (r (2) = 0.04). Although no significant differences in BMI could be found between females and males (p = 0.26), females showed significantly higher total and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
This MR protocol can be used for the rapid and non-invasive quantification of body fat. The missing relationship between serum lipids and body fat masses suggests that the latter is an additional and independent hazard factor. Variations in body fat distribution, e. g. relationship between subcutaneous and intraabdominal fat, can be comprehensively assessed.


Despite being common, polyneuropathy remains a diagnostic challenge for most clinicians. Mononeuritis multiplex (MM) refers to involvement of several or many peripheral nerves at the same or different points in time by a disease process. This report describes a case of an atypical presentation of Hansen's disease (HD) as mononeuritis multiplex in the left lower limb with corresponding radiographic, electrodiagnostic, and histopathological data that confirmed pure neuritic leprosy (PNL). We reiterate that although the incidence of PNL is exceedingly low characterized by nerve involvement without the characteristic cutaneous stigmata, leprosy is still the commonest cause of MM in the Indian sub-continent.This report underscores the crucial need for a heightened multi-disciplinary awareness of this "forgotten and uncommon" presentation of PNL. It is imperative that the treating physician should also understand the various neurological presentations, both mimics and chameleons, of this treatable disease to prevent permanent neuropathic injury and disability.


The authors compare the efficacy of IR laser, a combination of magnetic laser radiation and UHF electric field followed dy calcium chloride electrophoresis on the course of mandibular fracture healing. With this purpose 114 patients with uni- and bilateral mandibular fractures were examined and administered a course of preventive treatment. Analysis of the clinical data, subjective sensations of the injured subjects, and data of functional diagnostic methods (rheography, polarography, echo-osteometry) brought the authors to a conclusion on a positive effect ot IR laser and, more so, of magnetic laser therapy on the recovery of regional hemodynamics and oxygen homeostasis of tissues at the site of injury, this being conducive to reduction of pyoinflammatory complications and a sooner rehabilitation of the patients. These results recommend IR laser combined with magnetic field exposure for multiple-modality treatment of patients with mandibular fractures, particularly for those with marked dislocation of bone fragments and regional blood flow disturbances.


This IbM program in collaboration with two partners, namely: (1) Breeders quail "Panjer Rino", and (2) Livestock Catfish "Dwipangga". Partner (1) is located in the hamlet of Gunung Sari, Ngringo village, district. Cork, Kab. Karanganyar, with a distance of about ± 3.5 km from Fak. Agriculture UNS. The problem faced by business partners (1) is the production of livestock waste quail (quail droppings) are very high, which is about 200 kg of waste per day (6 tons per month). Currently, the waste dumped directly into nearby rivers, contaminating the river water. Dirt quail very high in protein (17-21%). Natural nature catfish food is dirt ("telek"). The problem faced by partners (2) is a high cost to provide quality catfish feed. Catfish feed requirement per week reached 200-250 kg, with an average feed price Rp. 8.300, - per kg. Therefore we need an alternative feed supply, such as pellets of excrement quail that can be produced using animal manure quail. Azolla is the only genus of floating water fern. It can be used as green manure, Azolla is used to feed the fish because they contain high nutritional and floats that can be eaten fish or made pellets. The purpose of this activity is to address the key problems: Partner (1) ie quail livestock waste treatment technology that can be used to manufacture pellets. Partners (2) that address the high cost of feed catfish feed Azolla can use directly and make pellets of Azolla and dirt quail. The method used in this activity is to give guidance to partners and practice on: the use of quail dung to feed catfish; the practice of making pellets using quail dung mixed Azolla, Azolla maintain direct practice in catfish ponds and catfish farming. Outcomes that will result from the planned activities IbM are: pellets of excrement quail and Azolla for catfish feed and Azolla as catfish feed directly.


Falls are prevalent among those aged 65 years and older and may result in minor to debilitating injuries in this vulnerable population. Frailty, unsteady gait, and medication side effects all contribute to fall risk as well as dementia, a type of cognitive impairment that disrupts memory and judgment leading to an underestimation of fall risk. Fall prevention evidence suggests that interventions aimed at decreasing fall rates begin with a fall risk assessment and tailored fall prevention measures that promote safety. To examine the effectiveness of a fall prevention program in dementia care, an evidence-based pilot was conducted in a long-term care facility focused on dementia care. A convenience sample of 16 nurses received a fall prevention education intervention. A fall prevention knowledge instrument measured pre and post-fall prevention knowledge. There was a significant increase in fall risk knowledge from the pre-test (p < .001). The participants then conducted a fall risk assessment of 50 dementia patients using the Morse Fall Scale. Of the 50 dementia patients, 28 were identified as high risk for falls. The nurses then instituted tailored fall risk prevention measures for those high risk for falls. As a result of the pilot, 40 fall events were noted within a three-month time period, reflecting a significant reduction in falls (p < .001) from the previous year. The institution of a fall prevention program in dementia care incorporating nursing education, a fall risk scale, and measures to promote safety can reduce fall risk in dementia patients.


Objective Rho-GTPases play a pivotal role in a wide variety of signal transduction pathways and are associated with a great number of human carcinomas. STARD8, which is a Rho-GTPase-activating protein, has been proposed as a tumor suppressor gene, but its role in gastric cancer remains elusive. In this study, we investigate the expression of STARD8 in gastric cancer and its association with gastric cancer progression. Materials and methods One normal gastric mucosa cell line for example GES1 and six human gastric cancer cell lines such as AGS, MGC803, MKN45, SGC7901, HGC27 and BGC823 were utilized to analyze STARD8 mRNA and protein levels by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. A total of 70 paired gastric tissues including corresponding nonmalignant gastric tissues and cancer tissues were utilized to analyze the protein expression of STARD8 using immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between STARD8 level and clinicopathological features was also evaluated. Results STARD8 was found to be downregulated in primary gastric cancer cells and tissues compared with the normal gastric mucosa cell line, GES1, and corresponding nonmalignant gastric tissues, while its decreased expression was significantly associated with TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and differentiation (p<0.05). Conclusion There is significantly decreased expression of STARD8 in gastric cancer cells and tissues, and its expression may contribute to gastric tumorigenesis.


AIM
To identify whether time and risk preference predicts relapse among smokers trying to quit.

DESIGN
A cohort study of smokers who had recently started to quit. Time and risk preference parameters were estimated using a discrete choice experiment (DCE).

PARTICIPANTS
A total of 689 smokers who began quitting smoking within the previous month.

MEASUREMENTS
Time discount rate, coefficient of risk-aversion measured at study entry and duration of smoking cessation measured for 6 months.

FINDINGS
In the unadjusted model, Cox's proportional hazard regression showed that those with a high time discount rate were more likely to relapse [hazard ratio: 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.25]. A high coefficient of risk-aversion reduced the hazard of relapse (0.96, 0.96-0.97). When adjusted for other predictors of relapse (age, gender, self-efficacy of quitting, health status, mood variation, past quitting experience, the use of nicotine replacement therapy, nicotine dependence), the hazard ratios of time discount rate and the coefficient of risk-aversion is 1.17 (95% CI: 1.10-1.24) and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97-0.99), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
Those who emphasize future rewards (time-patient preference) and those who give more importance to rewards that are certain (higher risk-aversion) were significantly more likely to continue to abstain from smoking.


This paper studies the recessionary effects of sovereign default risk using firm-level data and a model of sovereign debt with firm heterogeneity. Our environment features a two-way feedback loop. Low output decreases the tax revenues of the government and raises the risk that it will default on its debt. The associated increase in sovereign interest rate spreads, in turn, raises the interest rates paid by firms, which further depresses their production. Importantly, these effects are not homogeneous across firms, as interest rate hikes have more severe consequences for firms that are in need of borrowing. Our approach consists of using these cross-sectional implications of the model, together with micro data, to measure the effects that sovereign risk has on real economic activity. In an application to Italy, we find that the progressive heightening of sovereign risk during the recent crisis was responsible for 50% of the observed decline in output.


Myasthenia gravis is a rare and invalidating disease affecting the neuromuscular junction of voluntary muscles. The classical form of this autoimmune disease is characterized by the presence of antibodies against the most abundant protein in the neuromuscular junction, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Other variants of the disease involve autoimmune attack of non-receptor scaffolding proteins or enzymes essential for building or maintaining the integrity of this peripheral synapse. This review summarizes the participation of the above proteins in building the neuromuscular junction and the destruction of this cholinergic synapse by autoimmune aggression in myasthenia gravis. The review also covers the application of a powerful biophysical technique, superresolution optical microscopy, to image the nicotinic receptor in live cells and follow its motional dynamics. The hypothesis is entertained that anomalous nanocluster formation by antibody crosslinking may lead to accelerated endocytic internalization and elevated turnover of the receptor, as observed in myasthenia gravis.