The epilepsies are a heterogeneous collection of neurological conditions and syndromes characterized by recurrent, unprovoked, paroxysmal seizure activity. There are several types of epileptic seizures and syndromes that are unique to children, including infantile spasms, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and absence seizures. Febrile seizures and neonatal seizures, while not epilepsy, are relatively common types of seizures in infants and children and are likely markers of risk of later epilepsy. Thus, it is important to consider the epidemiological features of the epilepsies as they occur specifically in infants and children. The purpose of this review is to summarize what is currently known about the epidemiology of the childhood epilepsies and to identify promising areas for further population-based studies. The epilepsies are an important cause of neurological morbidity in children. The average annual rate of new cases (incidence) of epilepsy is approximately 5-7 cases per 10,000 children from birth to age 15 years, and in any given year, about 5 of every 1,000 children will have epilepsy. There is evidence that the incidence of the epilepsies in some populations of children may be decreasing over time, and this possibility merits further investigation. Factors that are known to increase risk of the epilepsies in children include congenital malformations of the central nervous system (CNS), moderate or severe head trauma, CNS infections, certain inherited metabolic conditions, and genetic factors. However, these account for only 25% to 45% of cases, and thus, the etiology of most cases of the epilepsies remains obscure. The paucity of well-controlled etiological studies is due largely to formidable methodological problems in conducting epidemiological studies of the epilepsies. The prognosis for seizure control is generally good, although children with remote symptomatic seizures and those with additional neurological disabilities do less well.


This paper highlights aspects of Production amongst Esan Women for Sustainable Economic Development and the Consolidation of Intra and Inter Group Relations between1850-1960: Lesson for Nigeria Still in Search of Economic Relations. This paper is timely due to the dearth of literature on women and their contributions to economic development in the pre-colonial and colonial Nigeria. However, with the use of primary and secondary sources, this paper examines the extent to which Esan women contributed to the sustenance and consolidation of intra and inter group relations and cooperation in the period under consideration. Some of the factors that facilitated the contributions made by women included the culture of the people, introduction of British colonial economy as well as contacts with neighbouring communities. The result of these was that, while the Esan women retained their cultural identity, they tried to diversify their economic basis to meet the challenges of the period between 1850 and1960 and even beyond.


It was found that orthotolidine and plastic test strips containing a mixture of syringaldazine and vanillinazine gave different results as to chlorine content of water samples containing urine or large amounts of bacteria while giving consistently similar results with water samples having only sodium hypochlorite added. Orthotolidine was found to give erroneously "safe" readings when in fact viable bacteria were observed on membrane filters after filtration.


Electrochemical capacitors – also called supercapacitors – represent a relatively new electricity storage system applied for harvesting energy and delivering high power pulses for short periods. The main developed technology is based on charging an electrical double-layer (EDL) at the electrode–electrolyte interface of high surface area carbons. The main disadvantages of the latter are a relatively low energy density and safety issues related to the use of organic electrolytes. This paper describes alternative solutions where pseudocapacitive contributions play together with the EDL capacitance in a protic aqueous electrolyte, giving rise to a possible enhancement of energy density. It first reviews traditional solutions by using materials that are able to undergo fast faradic redox reactions, e.g. oxides and electrically conducting polymers (ECPs). Since the surface of materials essentially plays in this case, the realized capacitance values are much lower than theoretically expected; additionally the working voltage is generally lower than 1 V and the stability of some of these materials, e.g. ECPs, is relatively low. The realization of composites with carbon nanotubes which play as three-dimensional conductive supports contributes to the enhancement of performance of oxides and ECPs. A new source of pseudocapacitance involving a redox electrolyte is demonstrated by high surface area carbons. The latter is based on the interface formed by species with a large variety of oxidation states, e.g. iodine, bromine and vanadium, and gives rise to capacitance values as high as 250 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 for 1 mol L−1 KI aqueous solution. The last pseudocapacitive phenomenon involves electrochemical hydrogen storage in the negative electrode of carbon–carbon capacitors in neutral aqueous electrolytes, e.g. alkali sulphates. The voltage (and consequently the energy density) is considerably enhanced by comparison with systems in basic or acidic electrolytes owing to an important overpotential for di-hydrogen evolution at the negative electrode; besides a pseudocapacitive contribution related to hydrogen storage appears at the highest voltage values.


ABSTRACT Dong, J.-H.; Zou, H.; Liu, H.; Li, Y., and Jiang, X.-W., 2019. The Mesozoic closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean: Constraints from zircon u–pb ages, hf and Nd isotopes of the granitic plutons in the Hoh-Xil-Songpan-Ganzi. In: Gong, D.; Zhu, H., and Liu, R. (eds.), Selected Topics in Coastal Research: Engineering, Industry, Economy, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 94, pp. 101–106. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The Hoh-Xil-Songpan-Ganzi (HXSG) complex is a large triangular fold located in the eastern part of the Tibet Plateau, which recorded of the Closure of Paleo-Tethys Ocean and recorded the tectonic activities of convergence between the three blocks of the Yangtze, North China and Qiangtang during early Mesozoic. This contribution combines geological and Hf-Nd isotopic data for igneous rocks from the HXSG complex, together with the salient features to gain insights into the crustal architecture and tectonic evolution. Two period tectonic-magmatism activities of sys-collision magmatism (ca. 243-227 Ma) and post-collision magmatism (ca. 219-185 Ma) have been recognized in the HXSG complex during Early Mesozoic. The large-scale intermediate-felsic magmatism include high Ba-Sr granite, adakite granitoids, I-type and A-type granitoids, strong aluminous leucogranites. The depth of the source region is different from the mantle, the crust and mantle transition zone, the lower crust and the upper middle crust. As for the closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean, the subduction of the Paleo-Tethys oceanic lithosphere leads to the convergence of the North China Block, the Yangtze Block and the Qiangtang Block, the HXSG complex shortened and thickened, the thickened lithosphere was delaminated, then the asthenosphere further upwelled to melting the thicken lower crust, the HXSG complex entered the intraplate extensional tectonic setting, the magmatism involved the partial melting of the lithospheric mantle and even the asthenosphere mantle.


A growing body of evidence suggests that β-amyloid (Aβ), the main component of senile plaques, induces abnormal posttranslational processing of the microtubule-associated protein tau. We have recently described that, in addition to increasing tau phosphorylation, Aβ enhanced calpain activity leading to the generation of a toxic 17 kDa tau fragment in cultured hippocampal neurons. How aging, the greatest Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk factor, might regulate this proteolytic event remains unknown. In this study, we assessed the susceptibility of cultured hippocampal neurons to Aβ-dependent 17 kDa tau production at different developmental stages. Our results revealed that mature neurons were more susceptible to Aβ-induced calpain activation leading to the generation of this fragment than young neurons. In addition, the production of this fragment correlated with a decrease in cell viability in mature hippocampal neurons. Second, we determined whether membrane cholesterol, a suspect player in AD, might mediate these age-dependent differences in Aβ-induced calpain activation. Filipin staining and an Amplex Red cholesterol assay showed that mature neuron membrane cholesterol levels were significantly higher than those detected in young ones. Furthermore, decreasing membrane cholesterol in mature neurons reduced their susceptibility to Aβ-dependent calpain activation, 17 kDa tau production, and cell death, whereas increasing membrane cholesterol in young neurons enhanced these Aβ-mediated cellular processes. Finally, fura-2 calcium imaging indicated that membrane cholesterol alterations might change the vulnerability of cells to Aβ insult by altering calcium influx. Together these data suggested a potential role of cholesterol in linking aging to Aβ-induced tau proteolysis in the context of AD.


Partially High Percentage Fiber Reinforced Concrete (PHPFRC) is a kind of cement composite in which fibers are concentrated with high volume fraction in the tension region of the component under bending. Therefore, PHPFRC possesses much higher load bearing capacity, rigidity, fatigue and fracture properties than conventional steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) while its cost is similar to that of SFRC. In this paper, the fatigue test of PHPFRC is carried out to gain its flexural fatigue damage evolution rule. It is found from the test that, PHPFRC have long post-crack fatigue life and its fatigue damage is tough damage. Based on the continuum damage mechanics and fatigue behavior of the specimens, a fatigue damage variable D for PHPFRC is defined and the elementary form of damage evolution function is determined. For the specimens in which average fiber volume fraction are 1.2% and local fiber volume fraction are 10%, the function parameters and the damage threshold value are given according to the test results.


We have created tRFdb, the first database of transfer RNA fragments (tRFs), available at http://genome.bioch.virginia.edu/trfdb/. With over 100 small RNA libraries analyzed, the database currently contains the sequences and read counts of the three classes of tRFs for eight species: R. sphaeroides, S. pombe, D. melanogaster, C. elegans, Xenopus, zebra fish, mouse and human, for a total of 12 877 tRFs. The database can be searched by tRF ID or tRF sequence, and the results can be limited by organism. The search results show the genome coordinates and names of the tRNAs the sequence may derive from, and there are links for the sequence of the tRF and parental tRNA, and links for the read counts in all the corresponding small RNA libraries. As a case study for how this database may be used, we have shown that a certain class of tRFs, tRF-1s, is highly upregulated in B-cell malignancies.


This is the first report on the phenomenon of syncyte manifestation through cytomictic transmigration in Papaver somniferum L. The occurrence characteristics and cytological depictions of cytomixis in the meiotic course of gamma-irradiated population reveal the mechanism leading to the origin of the cell fusions/syncytes. The event was more frequent in meiosis I and rare in meiosis II, indicating that the process atrophies at the end of the first meiotic division. The degree of occurrence of the phenomenon virtually concurred with the increase in the treatment dose of gamma irradiation. The phenomenon also affected the qualitative composition of postmeiotic products, i.e. tetrads and pollen grains. Heterosized pollen grains ranging from large to small size are also reported. In general, the occurrence of large-sized pollens is associated with unreduced gametes/syncytes and is an indication of the production of 2n pollens. Although occurring in low frequency, syncytes could play a decisive role in plant evolution as they can lead to the production of plants with higher ploidy levels. They may have potential applications in germplasm improvement in the sense of diversity and thus should be given more attention in future studies.


Wars are by and large man's creation and women voluntarily or involuntarily get dragged into it. In any war-torn society women always have to face the pitfalls doubly. They as mothers, wives, sisters and daughters have to negotiate space for their men folk and silently live a life of troubles in their own way. Women are the most vulnerable section of any conflict driven society. Violence against women in a conflict and attacks on women conducted by either of the marauding factions of militias across the world are a war tactic, and it is always universally acknowledged fact that while women are punished for the aggressions they have endured; their perpetrators are absolved from punishment. Women are vulnerable to widespread violence during a conflict and face conflict related violence doubly, as part of civilian population and due to their gender. Afghanistan a country bereft of peace for almost four decades has seen her people suffer the horrors of unending conflicts. Like any other conflict zone, in Afghanistan the most potent tool of repression, as used in the theatres of political conflict, are rape, sexual humiliation and sexual torture as a message of retribution to the resistance movement. The land ravaged by warfare, gender conflicts, and poverty for decades altogether has pushed its women to the wall and left them to suffer silently. It also shows that sexual abuse is used systematically to demean the women and their community. The impact of conflict on family life of the women leads to violence within the family. Conflict has impacted the lives of women by reinforcing the patriarchy which aggravates the women's social position. Stigma suffered due to sexual violence and detention in army camps also leads to change in the social positioning rendering women vulnerable to violence within family.


Chronic pelvic pain is a difficult handling medical and surgical condition and of transcendent importance to women who suffer from it. This condition has been associated to different diseases as endometriosis, adenomiosis, adnexal mass, pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic adhesive disease. The present study was carried out comparing two laparoscopic surgical methods in an randomized way; laparoscopic uterine nerve ablation and a presacral neurectomy, with 12 patients in each group and a follow up of 12 mont. Results demonstrate a similar resolution on both groups in the short term and a significant difference on pain's resolution within the presacral neurectomy group in the long term without post-surgery or trans-surgery complications. Concluding the presacral neurectomy is a safe and dependable method that allows a high success rate on chronic pelvic pain patients.


The goal of continual learning (CL) is to learn a sequence of tasks
without suffering from the phenomenon of catastrophic forgetting.
Previous work has shown that leveraging memory in the form of a replay
buffer can reduce performance degradation on prior tasks. We hypothesize
that forgetting can be further reduced when the model is encouraged to
remember the evidence for previously made decisions. As a first
step towards exploring this hypothesis, we propose a simple novel
training paradigm, called Remembering for the Right Reasons (RRR), that
additionally stores visual model explanations for each example in the
buffer and ensures the model has "the right reasons" for its
predictions by encouraging its explanations to remain consistent with
those used to make decisions at training time. Without this constraint,
there is a drift in explanations and increase in forgetting as
conventional continual learning algorithms learn new tasks. We
demonstrate how RRR can be easily added to any memory or
regularization-based approach and results in reduced forgetting, and
more importantly, improved model explanations. We have evaluated our
approach in the standard and few-shot settings and observed a consistent
improvement across various CL approaches using different architectures
and techniques to generate model explanations and demonstrated our
approach showing a promising connection between explainability and
continual learning. Our code is available at
\url{https://github.com/SaynaEbrahimi/Remembering-for-the-Right-Reasons}


The induction of retrotransposon 412 transpositions by stress was studied in detail. Males of an isogenic line carrying the radius incompletus (ri) mutation of the Mendelian gene were exposed to heavy heat shock (HHS). The procedure consisted of treatment at 37 degrees C for 1 h and at 4 degrees C for 1 h, with reciprocal changes of developmental temperature 3 times, sequentially; the males were then crossed with untreated females. The same males were crossed both on the fifth and ninth day after the HHS treatment. On the basis of in situ hybridization in 85 F1 larvae, 193 transpositions were identified. After treatment, the transposition rate increased by two orders of magnitude (compared to control) and amounted to 0.11 events per site of the original isogenic line per spermium per generation. Two hot sites (segments) of preferential transposition localization, 43B and 97CD, were detected after the first cross; these sites comprised more than 3/4 of all transpositions. Sperm from the first cross were exposed to HHS during the time period of 120 to 244 h after the appearance of the corresponding germline cells, probably at the stage of spermatid maturation. The overinduction of transpositions was shown to occur in these sites and at this stage. In the remaining sites, after the first cross, and in all sites, after the second cross, the rate of induced transpositions was (1.3-3.1) x 10(-2) events per site per spermium per generation, which is higher than in the control by an order of magnitude. This basic induction level was observed at all stages of spermatogenesis. The induction of transposition by heavy heat shock may be considered established.


Abstract Sheet sediment transport was modelled by artificial neural networks (ANNs). A three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network structure was constructed and a back-propagation algorithm was used for the training of ANNs. Event-based, runoff-driven experimental sediment data were used for the training and testing of the ANNs. In training, data on slope and rainfall intensity were fed into the network as inputs and data on sediment discharge were used as target outputs. The performance of the ANNs was tested against that of the most commonly used physically-based models, whose transport capacity was based on one of the dominant variables—flow velocity (V), shear stress (SS), stream power (SP), and unit stream power (USP). The comparison results revealed that the ANNs performed as well as the physically-based models for simulating nonsteady-state sediment loads from different slopes. The performances of the ANNs and the physically-based models were also quantitatively investigated to estimate mean sediment discharges from experimental runs. The investigation results indicated that better estimations were obtained for V over mild and steep slopes, under low rainfall intensity; for USP over mild and steep slopes, under high rainfall intensity; for SP and SS over very steep slopes, under high rainfall intensity; and for ANNs over steep and very steep slopes, under very high rainfall intensities.


The substitution of natural gas by a renewable equivalent is an interesting option to reduce the use of fossil fuels and the accompanying greenhouse gas emissions, as well as from the point of view of security of supply. The renewable alternative for natural gas is the so-called green natural gas, i.e. gaseous energy carriers produced from biomass comprising both biogas and Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG). Via this route can be benefited from all the advantages of natural gas, like the existing dense infrastructure, trade and supply network, and natural gas applications. To implement green natural gas in the Dutch energy infrastructure a phased approach is suggested. On the short term is started with the route of upgraded biogas produced by biological digestion of biomass materials like manure. The main source of green natural gas on the long term, however, will be synthetic natural gas (SNG) that is produced via gasification of biomass and subsequent methanation of the product gas. The potential for natural gas substitution by SNG is in fact 100%, a potential limitation might be set by the requirement for large amounts of biomass. In order to demonstrate that this bio-SNG can comply (at least after blending) with these specifications, an experimental bench-scale line-up for SNG production from biomass has been developed and implemented, consisting of a biomass gasifier and several gas cleaning and conditioning steps.


The number of people worldwide with diabetes mellitus has quadrupled in the past 30 years. Diabetes mellitus is present in 1 of 11 adults, of whom 90% have type 2 diabetes mellitus (1). Moreover, one third to one half of patients with diabetes mellitus remain undiagnosed (2). Further, diabetes mellitus is among the top ten causes of death (1). Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis is of major importance. Since diabetes mellitus represents an essentially curable disease (via life style changes and pharmacological intervention), the identification of early risk predictors is a major research goal.


Abundance of metazoan meiofauna and foraminifera, and biomass and community structure of nematodes, were investigated in the benthic zone along the Nazare Canyon and adjacent continental slope in relation to concentration of organic matter and its suitability as a food source for the meiobenthos. The Nazare canyon sediments were richer in organic carbon (Corg), total nitrogen, and phytopigments than the adjacent open slope. In addition, phytodetritus was fresher in the canyon sediment than on the slope (higher chlorophyll a: phaeopigments). Nevertheless, the abundance of polychaetes, copepods, bivalves, nematodes, total metazoans, and nematode biomass were not always higher in the canyon than on the adjacent open slope. Lower densities occurred in the upper and middle canyon, and living benthic foraminifers were significantly more abundant on the adjacent slope. The stations in the upper and middle canyon contained infinitesimal numbers of foraminifers. Reduced diversity and evenness and high K-dominance of the nematode assemblages in the upper part of the canyon indicated environmental stress, perhaps related to high Corg content and sedi- ment disturbance. Non-selective deposit-feeders dominated the nematode assemblages of the upper and middle parts of the canyon, whereas a more diverse trophic structure was found in the deeper parts and the open slope. Conditions in the upper and middle areas of the Nazare canyon are harsh, and only opportunistic organisms can survive there.


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a multifactorial disease whereby gene-gene and gene-environment interactions contribute to its development and progression. It is also polygenic in nature, hence a large number of genetic alterations, each conferring a small genotypic risk, determine the individual's susceptibility to this disease. Therefore, it is of clinical importance to identify potential CRC susceptibility gene candidates for improvement of future CRC screening and surveillance. This can be achieved by screening low-penetrant genetic variants via case-control studies across populations worldwide. Here, we investigated the association between several genetic variants and CRC susceptibility, i.e., the NOD2, XRCC1, EGF and VEGF genes, as well as the top-ranked GWAS-identified CRC-associated common variants. The genotyping of these genetic variants was performed via Real-Time PCR with TaqMan chemistry. Rs4939827 was the only common variant associated with CRC susceptibility with regards to our local population. We also attempted to characterise the CRC tumour-specific mRNA and proteomic profiles in our samples as both mRNA and protein expression patterns are more dynamic compared to the genetic codes. Hence, to investigate the differential gene expression in the primary CRC tumours, we used a two-step ACP-based PCR approach which was then followed by a confirmatory test with RT-qPCR. We successfully characterised distinctive gene expression signatures for both early- and advanced stage CRC tumours. The under-expression of ARPC2, together with the over-expression of RPL35, RPS23 and TIMP1, are the main features of early stage CRC tumours. In contrast, the advanced stage CRC group is characterised by the over-expression of C6orf173, RPL35, RPS23 and TIMP1. After performing comparison protein expression analysis using a combination of 2-D DIGE and LC-MS/MS platform, we identified 10 significantly over-expressed and 6 significantly under-expressed proteins in the Stage II CRC neoplasms, but none was reported for either Stage III or IV CRC tumours. For decades, CRC has been a constant threat to the well-being of the human population notwithstanding the fact that it can be treated if detected at an early stage. With the latest advances in the therapeutic management of metastatic CRC through the screening for KRAS mutation, we hope our findings may complement current CRC management efforts in the search of potential molecular markers for diagnostic, prognostic and treatment response predictive purposes.


Managers draw on many information sources to aid in corporate decision making. One source of information usually overlooked is the unintended, self-organized patterning of behaviour that spontaneously emerges in complex human systems.

Typically, managers ignore or misinterpret the unexpected behaviours and paradoxical occurrences that emerge, often repeatedly, in every workplace. However, such behaviours and occurrences reflect a dimension of unintended coherence – of self-organized patterning – within a corporation. Such coherence offers rich insights about previously unrecognized corporate goals, fears, weaknesses, and strengths. When managers fail to discern self-organized patterns in unintended organizational behaviour, such patterns fail to yield the wisdom they otherwise could. In order for managers to make use of this rich information source, they must possess skills in self-organized pattern identification and analysis. Drawing from a grounded theory study of managerial pattern identification and analysis, this article examines forms of evidence of self-organized dynamics that can help people begin to become conscious of these dynamics in the workplace. I also examine obstacles to consciousness of self-organized patterns, that result in managers ignoring or misinterpreting these patterns.

Failing to accurately discern unintended organizational coherence yields unfortunate consequences for corporations. Among them is a fracturing of the systemic relatedness possible between managers and the organizations in which they work. As long as managers fail to understand the language of systemic self-organization, they cannot relate effectively with the organizations in their care. By contrast, learning to discern the unintended coherence that emerges in organizations allows managers to engage in more effective relationships with organizations as the complex entities they are.


The responses of pial precapillary vessels were examined bilaterally using a closed cranial-window preparation in 11 anesthetized cats after chronic unilateral section of the trigeminal ganglia. During increases or decreases in arterial PCO2 or hypoxia, vasoconstrictor and vasodilator responses were symmetrical and appropriate on the two sides. The superfusion of vessels with norepinephrine (10 micrograms/ml) constricted large and small pial arterioles to a greater extent on the denervated side, and this difference persisted even after washing (P less than 0.02). After severe hypertension, small and large arterioles dilated on both sides, although to a greater extent on the innervated side. In 8 of 10 acutely hypertensive animals, extravasation of intravenously administered iodinated albumin was greater in the intact than deafferented hemisphere. These results suggest that the trigeminal nerve can modify the responses of cerebral arterioles and participate in the regulation of the cerebral vasculature.


In this article the authors analyse the extent to which an explicitly gendered issue such as the position of wo/men in political decision-making has been approached from a gender mainstreaming perspective. They do so by exploring how the issue has been framed in three countries, the Netherlands, Spain, and Greece, and in the European Union. The analysis enables them both to provide a state of the art of how gender in political decision-making has been dealt with throughout the last decade in the selected case-studies and to offer insights on the potential for a gender mainstreaming approach of topics in which sex-related inequality is explicit. The main argument is that such policy issues contain a benchmarking fallacy. The easiness with which they can be quantified opens the door for an analysis and solution of problems of gender inequality in terms of numbers, without tackling underlying structural problems


We consider the fundamental protocol of dense coding of classical information assuming that noise affects both the forward and backward communication lines between Alice and Bob. Assuming that this noise is described by the same quantum channel, we define its dense coding capacity by optimizing over all adaptive strategies that Alice can implement, while Bob encodes the information by means of Pauli operators. Exploiting techniques of channel simulation and protocol stretching, we are able to establish the dense coding capacity of Pauli channels in arbitrary finite dimension, with simple formulas for depolarizing and dephasing qubit channels.


This article attempts to discover possible reasons for the emergence of the boudoir in eighteenth-century France. It acknowledges that there was a general increase in the desire for privacy, but seeks to determine why a space designed specifically for primarily female occupation should have appeared. Drawing particularly on the work of feminist historians, it seeks to situate the development of the boudoir in specific attitudes toward women at the time. While noting that the boudoir later became associated with illicit sexual liaisons, it suggests that the original reasons behind its development were more complex than might have been imagined to date. It charts the appearance of the term boudoir and the boudoir9s apparently later arrival as a physical entity and raises questions as to why this particular name was used and what activities might originally have been envisaged for the room. The general aim is to situate the discussion of a concrete architectural entity in the context of a wider sphere to suggest that the boudoir emerged not simply as a result of changing style or architectural innovation, but as an intervention in a wider historical process.


In vascular tissues, angiotensin II is potentially cleaved from angiotensin I by chymase and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). In the normal state, vascular ACE regulates local angiotensin II formation and plays a crucial role in the regulation of blood pressure, whereas chymase is stored in mast cells and has no enzymatic activity. Chymase is activated immediately upon its release into the extracellular matrix in vascular tissues after mast cells have been activated by stimuli such as vessel injury by grafting or a balloon catheter. In dog grafted veins, chymase activity is increased, and the vascular proliferation is suppressed by either a chymase inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker. After balloon injury in dog vessels, chymase activity is significantly increased in the injured artery, and a chymase inhibitor is effective in preventing the vascular proliferation, but an ACE inhibitor is ineffective. Chymase plays an important role in the development of vascular proliferation via the induction of local angiotensin II formation in injured vessels.


The objective of this study is to validate the proof of concept of a 3-dimensional (3D)-printed temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) for use in mandibular distraction in patients with severe craniofacial microsomia (CFM). Patients with Pruzansky-Kaban IIB and III have severe condylar dysplasia and abnormal or absent TMJs, often resulting in upper airway obstruction during infancy. As these patients progress, they require subsequent surgeries to correct facial asymmetry and TMJ function. While studies have shown promising outcomes with costochondral grafting or mandibular distraction without a TMJ in the setting of patients with Pruzansky-Kaban IIB and III it is often unsuccessful in avoiding tracheostomy during infancy. Using an adult head and neck cadaver, the right condylar head was removed to emulate a Pruzansky-Kaban III mandible. A 3D model of an adult skull was obtained. The 3D TMJ was replaced into the cadaver and KLS distractor applied in the vertical orientation. The authors achieved adequate distraction using a 3D-printed TMJ. The 3D structure developed here can potentially be used for clinical application in CFM patients with absent or rudimentary TMJ for distraction and further avoidance of the need for tracheostomy for airway obstruction.


Mercury is considered the most important heavy-metal pollutant, because of the likelihood of bioaccumulation and toxicity. Monitoring widespread ionic mercury (Hg(2+)) contamination requires high-throughput and cost-effective methods to screen large numbers of environmental samples. In this study, we developed a simple and sensitive analysis for Hg(2+) in environmental aqueous samples by combining a microfluidic immunoassay and solid-phase extraction (SPE). Using a microfluidic platform, an ultrasensitive Hg(2+) immunoassay, which yields results within only 10 min and with a lower detection limit (LOD) of 0.13 μg/L, was developed. To allow application of the developed immunoassay to actual environmental aqueous samples, we developed an ion-exchange resin (IER)-based SPE for selective Hg(2+) extraction from an ion mixture. When using optimized SPE conditions, followed by the microfluidic immunoassay, the LOD of the assay was 0.83 μg/L, which satisfied the guideline values for drinking water suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (2 μg/L; total mercury), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) (6 μg/L; inorganic mercury). Actual water samples, including tap water, mineral water, and river water, which had been spiked with trace levels of Hg(2+), were well-analyzed by SPE, followed by microfluidic Hg(2+) immunoassay, and the results agreed with those obtained from reduction vaporizing-atomic adsorption spectroscopy.


We consider the theory for the high-dimensional generalized linear model with the Lasso. After a short review on theoretical results in literature, we present an extension of the oracle results to the case of quasi-likelihood loss. We prove bounds for the prediction error and $\ell_1$-error. The results are derived under fourth moment conditions on the error distribution. The case of robust loss is also given. We moreover show that under an irrepresentable condition, the $\ell_1$-penalized quasi-likelihood estimator has no false positives.


Background— Heart disease is a leading cause of mortality throughout the world. Tissue damage from vascular occlusive events results in the replacement of contractile myocardium by nonfunctional scar tissue. The potential of new technologies to regenerate damaged myocardium is significant, although cell-based therapies must overcome several technical barriers. One possible cell-independent alternative is the direct administration of small proteins to damaged myocardium. Methods and Results— Here we show that the secreted signaling protein stromal cell–derived factor-1α (SDF-1α), which activates the cell-survival factor protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) via the G protein–coupled receptor CXCR4, protected tissue after an acute ischemic event in mice and activated Akt within endothelial cells and myocytes of the heart. Significantly better cardiac function than in control mice was evident as early as 24 hours after infarction as well as at 3, 14, and 28 days after infarction. Prolonged survival of hypoxic myocardium was followed by an increase in levels of vascular endothelial growth factor protein and neoangiogenesis. Consistent with improved cardiac function, mice exposed to SDF-1α demonstrated significantly decreased scar formation than control mice. Conclusion— These findings suggest that SDF-1α may serve a tissue-protective and regenerative role for solid organs suffering a hypoxic insult.


Surfactant‐enhanced aquifer remediation is an emerging technology for aquifers contaminated with nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). A two‐dimensional micromodel and image capture system were applied to observe microscale NAPL mobilization and solubilization phenomena. In each experiment a common residual NAPL field was established, followed by a series of mobilization and solubilization experiments. Mobilization floods included pure water floods with variable flow rates and surfactant floods with variations in surfactant formulations. At relatively low capillary numbers (Nca < 10−3) the surfactant mobilization floods resulted in higher NAPL saturations than for similar Nca pure water floods. These differences in macroscopic saturations are explained by differences in microscale mobilization processes. Sqlubilization of the residual NAPL remaining after the mobilization stage was dominated by the formation of microscale dissolution fingers, which produced nonequilibrium macroscale NAPL solubilization. A macroemulsion phase also was observed to form spontaneously and persist during the solubilization stage of the experiments.


ABSTRACT This article applies Hirschman's model of exit, voice and loyalty to a Swedish case of housing renovation in a building with comparatively well-off tenants. Hirschman's framework is particularly well suited for understanding the housing market with its heterogeneity and high transaction and attachment costs, and accordingly strong loyalty and voice. Our study indicates that the exit-voice-loyalty framework is a useful tool for analysing renovation processes, since these trigger both voice and exit behaviour. We argue that renovations can be considered as critical junctures to an existing tenant–landlord relation, thereby exposing power relations on the housing market. In the case studied, tenants were not able to affect the scope of the renovation directly, but tenant voice did affect the process as well as the outcome in other respects. The capable tenant group makes this a "most likely case" for testing the limits of tenant influence in housing renovation processes.


A 62-year-old Hispanic male presented with decreased left eye vision secondary to long-standing, chronic cystoid macular edema as a result of venous stasis retinopathy. Treatment of venous stasis retinopathy is generally directed at reducing or eliminating the macular edema to avoid permanent visual acuity loss. There is still debate as to which forms of treatment are effective as well as which type of treatment is best. Argon laser photocoagulation, and to a certain extent steroid therapy, however, appear to give the best results. In the presented case, treatment was not initiated because of a poor prognosis for improvement due to a poor level of visual acuity and the chronicity of the cystoid macular edema.


An alternative solution is described regarding the phonetic labeling that compose a set of pronounced by an announcer, susceptible of being used in any language, according to the needs and characteristics associated with the proposal. The procedure is based on the monitoring of the dynamics of change of the cepstral vectors associated with the frequency of Mel (MFCCs) that make up the Book Code (LC), extracted from the word to be labeled. This dynamics of change analyzes where a transition from one vector (MFCC) of the LC occurs to another, as well as the disturbances that occur in the zone of change due to the phonetic concatenation. Metrics are established to consider coarticulation noise and define the location of the phonetic separation boundary. Two methods are used to evaluate the dynamics of vector change and deliver the most accurate labeling. The percentage of recognition and correct labeling obtained with this application is 97.9% lower by 1.06%, with respect to the percentage of recognition obtained on the same corpus of words, but using manual labeling. The more important are that, the time used in the labeling of the voice corpus automatically is significantly less than the estimate of being done manually, in addition to eliminating personal subjectivity in the labeling work.


Crying' is a common feature of infants among most primate species (Newman 1985). or, to be more accurate, most primate infants emit some specific types of vocalizations upon separation from their mother, or upon physical discomfort and/or injury. We might say that some species of nonhuman primate infants emit pain cries and discomfort cries, much like human infants. Crying in nonhuman primates is often thought of differently than crying in human infants. Recent books that include references to infant crying do not focus on crying per se but rather discuss crying in the context of aspects of nonverbal vocal communication. These other aspects include developmental and comparative approaches to the study of vocal communication (Papousek et al.l992),the evolution of communication (Hauser 1996), social influences on vocal development (snowdon and Hausberger 1997), and the influence of nature and culture on nonverbal communication (Segerstrale and Molnar 1997). One theme of importance in regard to primate vocalizations is the link with language in humans. This focus on discovering parallels between primate vocalizations and human verbalization includes research on the referential nature of certain vocalizations, such as calls to recruit help during agonistic encounters (e.g. Gouzoules et a|.1984) and alarm calls emitted by vervet monkeys to specific predators (Seyfarth et al. 1980'). Another theme witl.rin the area of primate vocalization is flexibility in the development of calls (e.g. Hopkins and Savage-Rumbaugh 1991). This includes research on cross-fostering experiments (e.g. Owren et al. 1993), operant conditioning of calls (e.g. Owren and Rendall 1997), and individual differences in calls (Mitani et al. 1996) and in 'dialects' (e.g.Mitani et al.1992).


In the interoperation among enterprises in Business, there is a big problem that different data models and information description are used in different enterprises' systems which blocking the ambient Semantic collaboration. Ontology is an important tool to overcome syntax and semantic misunderstanding. Our goal is to provide a user-friendly environment supporting syntax and neutral format data model for business information. In this paper, a unified description of data model which mapping from logical data of enterprise's information system is developed to solve the gap in interoperation. It provides the methods to realize the mapping among serious types of data or information. Firstly, database and other types of information are transformed into neutral format which described by OWL. Secondly, the neutral format can be mapped into the semantic entities and semantic linking through the process of extraction and annotation and added into ontology and been described in a standard method which makes the collaboration could be understood. Lastly, a prototype is described and realized as an integration platform.


On the eve of the Spanish conquest, and in the decades immediately thereafter, the indigenous population of Tlaxcala, in the Valley of Puebla, east of the Basin of Mexico, was grouped into four kingdoms (tlahtocayotl or altepetl, generally called cabeceras in Spanish) of pre-Hispanic origin. Within each cabecera, the basic social and political units were lordly houses (teccalli), each headed by a lord (teuctli) and including junior nobles and nonnoble commoners who worked the lands of the house and provided it with other services. The proceedings of a number of early colonial legal cases indicate that the lands of a teccalli were of two kinds: collectively held lands of the teccalli as a whole and individually held lands of particular nobles of the house. Collectively held lands were passed down over generations undivided and served to maintain the integrity and power of the house. Individually held lands, which were held by women as well as men, were frequently transferred from one house to another and recombined upon marriage, linking the noble houses; they served to maintain the unity and power of the state as a whole.


Cultivation system is one of the main parameters inherent to soil water dynamics. Studies indicate that in soil conservation systems, such as no-tillage and crop-livestock integration, soil quality is maintained and even improved due to higher input of organic matter and straw kept on the soil surface. Thereby, the aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the spatial variation of maize straw and organic matter content on soil moisture of an Oxisol at the municipality of Jatai, southwest of Goias. Nine soil-sampling points were used in 1 ha, allocated to three different types of soil management (No-Tillage, Crop-Livestock Integration and Conventional Tillage). For the study of organic matter, soil samples were collected in nine points and three depths (0 to 0.12 m, 0.12 to 0.24 m and 0.24 to 0.36 m) for each point. The dry mass of straw was determined by a stove at 65°C, after sampling in the area using a circle with internal area of 1.0 m², released randomly near the sampling point. Soil moisture was determined immediately after straw sampling at the same site, using a time domain reflectometry sensor. The results indicated good distribution of straw on both systems, but there was no correlation between straw and soil moisture. The organic matter content was highly correlated with soil moisture, especially in No-Tillage and Crop-Livestock Integration systems. The authors recommend the increase of organic matter of the soils for better maintenance of soil moisture.

 Key words: Soil physical properties, soil water content, soil management systems, no-tillage, crop-livestock integration.


Zinc Selenide nanoparticles were synthesized successfully by microwave heating process. The phase of the synthesized nanoparticle was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction analysis. The homogeneity and morphology of the synthesized nanoparticles was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy study. Further, the crystallite size was calculated by Scherer formula and found 32 nm. The average particle size of the synthesized nanoparticles was measured and found 45 nm, which is in close approximation with each other. The temperature and frequency dependence of dielectric constant and ac electrical conductivity measurements of the synthesized nanoparticles were carried out for the first time. Few anomalies in dielectric studies were observed near 200 and 375 oC, respectively. These points were related to glass and amorphous to crystalline phase transitions, respectively. The variation of activation energy and conduction behavior has been studied in the vicinity of transition temperatures in the ac conductivity measurements.


Tinea cruris and tinea corporis are common fungal infections. Most can be treated with a variety of topical antifungals. This review aimed to assess the evidence for the effectiveness and safety of topical treatments for tinea cruris and tinea corporis. Searches included the Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL in The Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, LILACS and ongoing trials registries (August 2013). One hundred and twenty‐nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 18 086 participants evaluated a range of interventions – mostly azoles. Pooling of data for several outcomes was only possible for two individual treatments. In five studies, terbinafine showed a statistically significant higher clinical cure rate compared with placebo [risk ratio (RR) 4·51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3·10–6·56]. Data for mycological cure could not be pooled owing to substantial heterogeneity. Across three studies, mycological cure rates favoured naftifine (1%) compared with placebo (RR 2·38, 95% CI 1·80–3·14) but the quality of the evidence was low. Combinations of azoles with corticosteroids were slightly more effective than azoles for clinical cure, but there was no statistically significant difference with regard to mycological cure. Sixty‐five studies were assessed as 'unclear' and 64 as being at 'high risk' of bias; many were over 20 years old, and most were poorly designed and inadequately reported. Although most active interventions showed sufficient therapeutic effect, this review highlights the need for further, high‐quality, adequately powered RCTs to evaluate the effects of these interventions, which can ultimately provide reliable evidence to inform clinical decision making.


Objective: To analyze the risk factors for pulmonary embolism stationed at high altitudes with high altitude as one of the determinants.
Study Design: Retrospective longitudinal study.
Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital Skardu Pakistan, from Jan 2016 to Jan 2020.
Methodology: A total of 25 consecutive cases with pulmonary embolism reported to this hospital during the study period were enrolled. Medical records of all patients were retrospectively analyzed to determine the risk factors. In addition, patient demographic data, clinical features, and laboratory and radiological findings were recorded.
Results: Mean age of the patient was 30.68±5.37 years with a range from 23 to 40 years, the mean height of deployment was 17223.00±3577.00 feet, while the mean duration of stay was 53.92±44.76 days. Dyspnoea (84%) was the commonest clinical presentation followed by palpitation, chest pain, headache and haemoptysis. Most patients (88%) were non-smokers, while no patient had known significant risk factors. Thrombophilia and vascultitic screening were negative for all patients. In the absence of any significant hereditary or acquired risk factor, high altitude remains the only thrombogenic risk factor patients deployed at heights.
Conclusion: Stay at a high altitude is a major risk factor for pulmonary embolism in young patients without any other known risk factor.


Purpose - Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) has long been recognised as a successful treatment option for alleviating the distress associated with gender dysphoria for the vast majority of its recipients. From an Australian context, little research has been undertaken on the experiences of trans* people pursuing SRS. Thus, in part, the purpose of this PhD project was to understand the psychosocial experiences of Australian trans* people who had undergone SRS, how they navigated that life changing event, and if they perceived that their needs were met. Materials and Methods - Based upon a theoretical framework based upon some key tenets of social constructionism, embodiment and narrative, fourteen trans* people (9 trans* men and 5 trans* women ranging in ages from 25-78) were interviewed. The interview was broken into two sections; firstly, participants were invited (voluntarily) to draw a picture or series of pictures depicting their SRS experience. From this, participants were asked to title their picture, note a few keywords that described their picture, and then were asked to explain the significance of the picture. An unstructured interview based upon the pictures followed and the pictures were used to supplement the narrative analysis of the interviews. Results - Twelve of the fourteen participants agreed to participate in the drawing activity, a novel approach to data generation. This gallery of work displayed here represents the visual and textual thoughts and feelings on how SRS was experienced by this cohort of Australian trans* people. The images demonstrate how SRS alleviated not only gender dysphoria, but also contributed to feelings of improved self worth, body image and a necessary step in identity development.

 Conclusion - Participants' visual accounts suggest that from a personal perspective, surgery as an act relieved their dysphoria and met their needs. New forms of masculinity and femininity were created and became normative. The unique bodily experiences of these twelve Australian participants, unanimous in their positive experiences of SRS, support previous studies on the effectiveness of SRS as an outcome. However, the novel way in which the data were generated placed a human aspect to SRS not normally depicted.


Neuroregression in infants has diverse aetiologies, and vitamin B12 deficiency is a rare one. Infantile vitamin B12 deficiency is usually secondary to maternal pernicious anaemia or maternal vegetarian diet. We report a 10-month-old infant with developmental regression secondary to vitamin B12 deficiency. Her mother was a strict vegetarian and the patient was exclusively breastfed. Clinical symptoms normalised after vitamin B12 supplementation.


This is a conceptual paper to study the effects of organizational stressors that may impede the psychological, physiological and behavioral-interpersonal wellbeing of an organizational member. The study reviews literatures on what effects will general stress alter and degrade the psychological, physiological and behavioral-interpersonal wellbeing of an individual exposed to stressors. The final part of this study's analysis is what constitutes as organizational stressors among studies that focuses specifically on higher education deans. The factors outlined in the paper were analyzed using the theoretical framework of Managerial Stress Cycle (Gmelch, 1991) and Administrative Stress Index (Gmelch, 1982). A conceptual integrative model was developed in regard to these two frameworks. Both these models are appropriate for this inquiry because, it allows the reader to understand what are the effects of organizational stressors towards psychological and physiological health and its consequences. A number of databases such as ebcohost, springer link, science direct, Jstor and emerald were used to acquire literature on the topics. Conclusions from the literature states that health ailments stemming from stressors are evident and may function as a catalyst towards more dangerous diseases. Higher education dean's experiences with organizational stressors also seem to be evolving, incorporating new contemporary issues not seen in the past.


In this two-part paper, a new class - first order homogeneous dynamical (FOHD) systems - of two-DOF conservative nonlinear dynamical systems has been explored. Theoretical formulation and significance of proposed theory have been presented in part-I. Using the proposed theory, the dynamical behaviour of the two-DOF cracked concrete beam has been predicted here. A new type of phase plot for MDOF dynamical systems has been proposed. Depending upon the loading details and system parameters, the vibration response of these essentially nonlinear systems can be linear, bilinear or nonlinear. Forced vibrations about the passive state have been predicted to resemble linear vibrations in some respects. Like other nonlinear dynamical systems, concrete beam response has also been found to be quite sensitive to initial conditions and system parameters, and to exhibit sub-harmonics and combination sub-harmonics. Feasibility of a nonlinear tuned mass vibration absorber has also been explored. Empirical validation and practical relevance of the proposed theory have been discussed.


Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique used to reversibly modulate the activity of cortical neurons using time-varying magnetic fields. Recently TMS has been used to demonstrate the functional necessity of human cortical areas to visual tasks. For example, it has been shown that delivering TMS over human visual area V5/MT selectively disrupts global motion perception. The temporal resolution of TMS is considered to be one of its main advantages as each pulse has a duration of less than 1 ms. Despite this impressive temporal resolution, however, the critical period(s) during which TMS of area V5/MT disrupts performance on motion-based tasks is still far from clear.

To resolve this issue, the influence of TMS on direction discrimination was measured for translational global motion stimuli and components of optic flow (rotational and radial global motion). The results of these experiments provide evidence that there are two critical periods during which delivery of TMS over V5/MT disrupts performance on global motion tasks: an early temporal window centred at 64 ms prior to and a late temporal window centred at 146 ms post global motion onset. Importantly, the early period cannot be explained by a TMS-induced muscular artefact. The onset of the late temporal window was contrast-dependent, consistent with longer neural activation latencies associated with lower contrasts. The theoretical relevance of the two epochs is discussed in relation to feedforward and feedback pathways known to exist in the human visual system, and the first quantitative model of the effects of TMS on global motion processing is presented.

A second issue is that the precise mechanism behind TMS disruption of visual perception is largely unknown. For example, one view is that the "virtual lesion" paradigm reduces the effective signal strength, which can be likened to a reduction in perceived target visibility. Alternatively, other evidence suggests that TMS induces neural noise, thereby reducing the signal-to-noise ratio, which results in an overall increase in threshold.

TMS was delivered over the primary visual cortex (area V1) to determine whether its influence on orientation discrimination could be characterised as a reduction in the visual signal strength, or an increase in TMS-induced noise. It was found that TMS produced a uniform reduction in perceived stimulus visibility for all observers. In addition, an overall increase in threshold (JND) was also observed for some observers, but this effect disappeared when TMS intensity was reduced. Importantly, susceptibility to TMS, defined as an overall increase in JND, was not dependent on observers' phosphene thresholds. It is concluded that single-pulse TMS can both reduce signal strength (perceived visibility) and induce task-specific noise, but these effects are separable, dependent on TMS intensity and individual susceptibility.


Stakeholder involvement is often a legally required activity for transit agencies. Optimally this process begins at the earliest stages of any given project and involves two-way communication and interaction that can be reflected in the resulting plans or project designs. Despite federal statutes and regulations mandating meaningful public input for federal capital funding consideration, approaches to fulfill these mandates successfully remain difficult, and stakeholder involvement practices often fail to have a deep impact on planning outcomes. A gap often exists between implementation plans and the satisfaction of stakeholders. Guided by prior research and applying cognitive mapping methods, this study uses a rail line reconstruction project of the Chicago Transit Authority in Illinois as a case study to systematically understand the gap in expectations and interpretations of success among stakeholders. Findings identify four important categories of goal nonalignment that act as barriers to optimal interaction that can lead to mistrust. Conclusions identify potential solutions for bridging the gaps.


According to the Ingroup Projection Model (Mummendey & Wenzel, 1999), people who belong to a group tend to generalize typical ingroup characteristics to the superordinate category. That is, they project ingroup features onto the inclusive category. As a consequence of this process, the more group members perceive their ingroup as prototypical for the inclusive category the more the attitudes towards an outgroup become negative (Waldzus & Mummendey, 2004). In my dissertation, evidence was found for a "spontaneous ingroup projection", that is, an association between a superordinate category prime and the ingroup instead of the outgroup prototype. In order to examine the process of ingroup projection at the implicit level, I decided to rely on sequential priming techniques. These techniques have been used in the context of research on implicit stereotyping precisely because they provide strong tests for the existence of an association between two concepts (Bargh & Chartrand, 2000). Specifically, I adapted a procedure from Wittenbrink, Judd and Park (1997). In Experiment 1 (N=95), it has been examined whether there was a spontaneous association between a superordinate category and the ingroup or the outgroup stereotypes. Concretely, it has been tested whether a superordinate category prime, namely European, facilitated the processing of ingroup rather than outgroup stereotypical attributes in two different populations, namely Italian and German undergraduate students. Research rooted in Self-Categorization Theory (Turner et al., 1987) highlighted that what is believed to be true of the ingroup depends on the particular frame of reference participants are embedded. With experiment 2 (N=42), 3 (N=81), and 4 (N=53), my goal was to investigate the process of spontaneous ingroup projection in the absence of an inter-group context and to compare this "solo" situation (i.e., intra-group context) with a situation in which the ingroup is compared with an other group i.e., inter-group context). Interestingly, research shows that stereotyping can be context-sensitive (Wittenbrink, Judd, & Park, 2001). Along similar lines, ingroup stereotypes have been shown to be determined by the frame of reference emerging from the context (Haslam & Turner; 1992). Different from Experiments 2, 3, and 4, in Experiment 5 two different inter- roup contexts were compared (e.g., Germans vs. Italians or Germans vs. British).


Capsular calcification was present clinically in 64 of 404 silicone gel breast implant capsules (15.8%) analyzed from 1981 to 1996. It presented as white-gray plaques on the inner surface of capsules in 62 of 64 capsules, and as massive heterotopic ossification in 2 capsules. Chi-squared analysis confirmed that calcification was related to the generation of the implant (i.e., year of manufacture;p<0.001). All 28 first-generation implants (1963-1972, with Dacron patches) were clinically intact and all demonstrated extensive calcification. Their mean duration in situ was 17.6 years (range, 14-28 years). Thirty-four of the 348 second-generation implants (9.8%; 1973-1987) were associated with capsular calcification. Their mean duration in situ was 16.0 years (range, 13-22 years). Because all first-generation implants demonstrated calcification, they were compared with the second-generation implants that had been in place for the same duration (>14 years). Only 42% of these 81 secondgeneration implants demonstrated calcification, compared with 100% of the first-generation implants (p<0.001). Thus, thicker first-generation implants with Dacron patches are more likely to calcify and the effect is not entirely due to their longevity. None of the 28 third-generation implants (1987-1991) demonstrated calcification. Their mean duration in situ was 4.2 years (range, 2-7 years). For second-generation implants, calcification was related to duration in situ (p<0.001). None of the 294 implants in place for less than 11 years were associated with significant clinical calcification. The percentages of capsules with calcification were 13 to 14 years, 33%; 15 to 16 years, 45%; and 17 to 22 years, 57%. Calcification with second-generation implants was not associated with patches on the envelopes. Of the 34 second-generation implants with calcification, only two had patches (composed of silicone, not Dacron). Among secondgeneration implants, calcification was related to implant integrity. Of implants in place for more than 12 years, 52.5% of those implants that were ruptured showed calcification, but only 10.0% of intact implants demonstrated calcification (p<0.001). Seventeen of the 64 calcified capsules were examined histologically. In all of these specimens, calcification existed in two forms: globular aggregates on the surface of the capsule (adjacent to the implant) and actual bone formation within the fibrous tissue of the capsule. All calcified capsules demonstrated both globular aggregates and true bone formation regardless of the implant generation, duration in situ, or integrity. Ultrastructural analysis was performed on four capsules from 2 women who had received first-generation Dow Coming gel implants 24 and 28 years previously, and on 2 capsules from one woman who had received Heyer-Schulte gel implants 21 years previously. These capsules were analyzed according to distribution, density, mineral nature, crystal phases, and elements within crystals by electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and electron diffraction. These analyses confirmed two types of calcification, each with hydroxyapatite crystals. In areas of heterotopic bone, crystals 40 × 10 nm were deposited in an orderly fashion on collagen fibers. In contrast, in areas of globular aggregates, spherulitic aggregates of much larger crystals were present, without any relationship to the collagen. Titanium was demonstrated in capsules of first-generation implants at areas of attachment of the Dacron patches. The calcification associated with saline implants revealed only one form of crystal: agglomerates, which were adherent to the elastomeric shell of the implants. A hypothesis is presented to explain the differences in calcification deposition properties between silicone gel-filled and saline-filled breast implants.


Despite having several procedural routes to bring actions in the court, public interest litigation seems to be the often-used tool used by the community groups in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to protect the environment. In recent years, the decisions of the courts integrate both social and ecological concerns with particular attention to questions of distributive justice, community empowerment and democratic accountability. While public interest litigation is sometimes criticized as nothing more than 'tokenism', the judiciary in these three South Asian countries has taken a forward-looking approach by relaxing standing of community groups and applying international environmental principles. With the increase of large infrastructure projects (e.g. dams) and privatization of natural resources (e.g. water, gas/oil), it is pertinent to examine the role of litigation in the protection of environment. This paper discusses three issues: the growth of public interest environmental litigation in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; human rights, environment and development discourse; and the approach of the judiciary. The paper concludes that access to courts may not ensure a just substantive outcome. The substantive right to a healthy environment, as interpreted by the judiciary, needs to be strengthened with adequate information and participation of affected communities to protect the environment. Participation of affected parties is crucial to make the linkages between social, environmental and developmental concerns, and examples from all three countries show that a strong procedural regime is lacking.


Online news platforms are often grouped together as "online news" or "social media," yet each delivers news in a distinctive way. This article examines different online news platforms—including legacy news organization website and news apps, instant messaging services (WhatsApp), Facebook, and YouTube—and observes that each contributes differently to civic engagement and political participation. Based on a cross-sectional survey of Singaporeans (n = 2,501), our study finds that watching news stories on social media platforms such as Facebook or YouTube is strongly correlated with engagement in civic or political life via information seeking and expressive behaviors online. Viewing news on traditional news websites or news apps was still impactful, but slightly less so. Viewing news through instant messaging apps had no impact on civic and political engagement. We discuss the implications of consuming news via different online platforms through the lens of technological affordances.


This paper assesses the potential solar power for the PV roof integration system using the Geographic Information System (GIS). The residential area of Seeb (Muscat-Oman) was investigated as a case study. The constraint of the roof optimization for the optimal design of solar photovoltaic fields consisting of multiple rows was analyzed and the optimal area of deployment of PV collectors was calculated taking into account orientation, shading and masking of adjacent rows. A MATLAB program was developed in order to estimate the total roof-PV power capacity and total annual energy generation. The program takes into account the different factors that affect the efficiency of the PV. The results show that, if we consider 10 hours as a daily average of sunshine, the total roof PV panels in the Seeb area will be equivalent to a 300MW power generation plant.


This paper assesses a gas turbine based parallel rotorcraft hybrid electric propulsion system in terms of overall performance and emissions. Three different electric power train technology levels and three different power management strategies are considered for identifying the potential benefits of hybridization in relation to technology advancements and quantifying the effect of PMS. For this analysis, a Passenger Air Transport of a twin-engine medium helicopter is used.
 The propulsion systems mission simulation and emissions calculation are performed in Simcenter Amesim. The assessment framework integrates a thermal power-plant model, an electric power plant model for the hybrid electric cases, a helicopter simulation model and suitable pollutant emissions calculation correlations.
 For establishing NOx emission correlations that can be used for turboshaft engine calculations, a systematic evaluation of different correlations available in the literature is performed. The correlations are compared for different operating points against a calibrated stirred reactor model. The suitable correlations are utilized in the framework. The propulsion system is sized according to the technology levels and power management strategy considered, updating the helicopter Take-Off Weight for each case.
 The results indicate that there is potential for efficiency betterment and CO2 emissions reduction. The benefits strongly depend on the power management strategy and energy and power density of the electric power train. For current technology level and for the cases examined herein no benefits in terms of overall performance and emissions accrue. If future technology level is considered, hybridization may offer benefits in terms of performance to the expense of NOx emissions for the case that the power train is used for boosting and the gas turbine is scaled down. Power splitting may offer block fuel, turbine life and NOx benefits to the expense of overall energy performance.


In this study, it refined by the vacuum distilling refining and the billet was produced for the obtained 99.99% or more of purity magnesium deposit by compression forming, extrusion process was performed and the corrosion resistance of extrusions and the tensile characteristic which were acquired were investigated. The specimen showed good corrosion resistance rather than commercial AZ91D magnesium alloy die-castings. The specimen has high ductility and it is good, and compared with 99.9% of purity magnesium.


There is an astounding amount of data generated every moment. While the use of data has always been essential for a well-functioning market economy, the current scale, scope, and speed at which data is collected, organized, and analyzed is unprecedented—leading to the apt label of "big data." Importantly, an entire infrastructure has been built around data including cloud computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the 5G wireless network.

In this chapter, we discuss the role of big data in antitrust with a particular focus on the rise and success of large digital platforms—as the importance of data has caught the attention of various reports on the digital economy and also raises issues involving privacy. We begin with an economic overview of data and what sets it apart from other firm assets. In this discussion, we will also assess the question of whether big data represents a sizeable barrier to entry that hinders the ability of entrants to compete on equal footing.

Next, we discuss data in the context of network effects. While network effects traditionally are associated with a network of people, some have hypothesized that the advantages that data confers to platforms can also be framed as type of network effect. The idea is that data creates a feedback loop of more data, which ultimately results in an impregnable bulwark against competition. We aim to demonstrate that, while there are commonalities between using data and network effects, there are important differences and distinctions worth highlighting.

We also explore a number of relevant legal considerations involving big data and antitrust. Generally, should courts administer cases that involve big data differently? Should there be a stronger presumption of market power when a large platform possesses big data? On the other side of the coin, can combining big data assets result in merger-specific efficiencies?

Finally, big data is increasingly discussed as a potential remedy for competition problems involving platforms. Proposals range from allowing users to more easily port their data across platforms to forced data sharing and interoperability. We examine the incentive effects from imposing such remedies and potential unintended consequences. Ultimately, these proposals are putting the cart before the horse, as remedies without an actual showing of an antitrust violation is not antitrust enforcement but sector regulation.


BACKGROUND
Friedreich's ataxia (FA), the most common inherited ataxia, is associated frequently with cardiac hypertrophy, and death is often cardiac related. Recently, the disease has been associated with a mutation that consists of an unstable expansion of GAA repeats in the first intron of the gene encoding frataxin on chromosome 9.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We studied 44 consecutive patients with FA, determined the size of GAA expansions in the frataxin gene, and examined the relation between the genotype and cardiac phenotype assessed by M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography. All the patients were homozygous for the mutation. The size of the GAA expansion on the smaller allele varied from 270 to 1200. We found a correlation between the size of GAA expansion and the left ventricular wall thickness (r = .51, P < .001) and the left ventricular mass index (r = .45, P = .002). Left ventricular hypertrophy was observed in 81% of patients with a number of GAA repeats above the median value of 770 compared with only 14% in the other group (P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate that in FA, the severity of left ventricular hypertrophy is related to the number of GAA repeats. These results suggest that abnormalities of the gene encoding frataxin, a protein of unknown function highly expressed in the normal heart, may play an important role in the modulation of cardiac hypertrophy.


Theodore H. Moran cites recent instances of the US government intervening to block foreign producers of information technology (IT) from selling goods and services to US firms and argues that such actions based on the nationality of the foreign firm is ineffective, discriminatory, and unfair. The dangers and risks of compromise of US national security are real. But in a world where supply chains of IT companies of every nationality are thoroughly globalized, a better way to protect national security would be to establish a multilateral nondiscriminatory system to ensure the integrity of equipment, software, patches, and upgrades from all sources. Much remains to be done to establish an appropriate regime to protect national security and also the rights of investors and companies doing business with foreign firms. The goal should be to strike a balance between protecting national security without discouraging foreigners from investing in and doing business with US firms.


Pyoderma gangrenosum is a neutrophilic skin disease that leads to extensive, painful, necrotic ulcerations, particularly at surgical sites. As obstetric cases with pyoderma gangrenosum are rare and, therefore, often misdiagnosed initially, it is important to raise awareness about this rare complication. Here, we describe a patient who presented with pyoderma gangrenosum at the surgical site 4 days after undergoing a caesarean section. The erythema was initially misdiagnosed as wound infection, and the patient, who was experiencing pain, underwent antibiotic treatment and surgical wound debridement. When the wound was unresponsive to these treatments, a dermatologist was consulted who suspected pyoderma gangrenosum and began a high-dose corticosteroids therapy, which led to a fulminant improvement of the local wound. In conclusion, the rare diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a suspected surgical wound infection. Early interdisciplinary treatment is essential to avoid further complications.


Although "mental models" are of central importance to system dynamics research and practice, the field has yet to develop an unambiguous and agreed upon definition of them. To begin to address this problem, existing definitions and descriptions of mental models in system dynamics and several literatures related to cognitive science were reviewed and compared. Available definitions were found to be overly brief, general, and vague, and different authors were found to markedly disagree on the basic characteristics of mental models. Based on this review, we concluded that in order to reduce the amount of confusion in the literature, the mental models concept should be "unbundled" and the term "mental models" should be used more narrowly. To initiate a dialogue through which the system dynamics community might achieve a shared understanding of mental models, we propose a new definition of "mental models of dynamic systems" accompanied by an extended annotation that explains the definitional choices made and suggests terms for other cognitive structures left undefined by narrowing the mental model concept. Suggestions for future research that could improve the field's ability to further define mental models are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In wireless networks, routing algorithms need to be tolerable to network dynamics. Existing route selection mechanisms suffer from a lack of considerations of stability and its induced routing overhead. Stabilities on route selection, traffic engineering and transmission schedule are fundamental issues in achieving a mobility-tolerable wireless network. In this study, the authors propose a mobility-tolerable paradigm (named 'MOTOROLA') in building a stable route level coordination algorithm for dynamic routing and scheduling. In MOTOROLA, mobility-awareness modules explore the mobility parameters and the link duration time, purely by adaptive beacon messages. Transitory links are mitigated based on threshold value of link duration. The route level resource allocation algorithm is also tolerable to network topology changes and the rescheduling costs are minimised in time scale. Analytical and simulation results show that because of mobility-awareness ability and route stability, MOTOROLA could improve network efficiency by transitory links' mitigation and coordinative route restoration.


The progression of atherosclerosis from fatty acid streaks to complex lesions involves regular communication between hematopoetic cells within the arterial wall and vascular cells via cytokine and chemokine networks. Recent evidence has demonstrated the presence of Interleukin-17A (IL-17A)-producing T cells within atherosclerotic Apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apoe-/-) aortas. IL-17A is a member of the IL-17 cytokine family, which consists of six related isoforms (IL-17A-IL-17F). While the functions of IL-17A, IL-17E, and IL-17F are the subject of ongoing studies, the roles and producers of IL-17B and IL-17C remain elusive. Recent studies have demonstrated a pro-inflammatory role for epithelial cell and keratinocyte-derived IL-17C in the context of experimental colitis, and psoriasis. In the present study, we sought to examine the expression of IL-17C within the aortas of atherosclerotic Apoe-/- and Il17a-/-Apoe-/- mice. We detected Il17c mRNA within the aortas of both 12-week western diet-fed Apoe-/- and Il17a-/-Apoe-/- mice. To further identify and characterize the cellular sources of aortic IL-17C, we examined aortic leukocytes and vascular cells by flow cytometry. We identified several major cellular producers of IL-17C in vivo, including a major population of smooth muscle cells (5±0.8% of Apoe-/- CD45-αSMA+ SMCs) and a population of CD45-αSMA- cells (5.8±0.8% of Apoe-/- CD45-αSMA- cells). Interestingly, the percentage of aortic IL-17C producing cells was elevated within 12 week western diet-fed Il17a-/-Apoe-/- mice in comparison to Apoe-/- littermates (6.16±0.24% of the Il17a-/-Apoe-/- aorta vs 3.6±0.1% of the Apoe-/- aorta), suggesting an inverse relationship between T cell derived-IL-17A and vascular-IL-17C. To examine the effects of IL-17C and the possibility of synergy between TNFα and IL-17C on aortic chemokine and cytokine production, we explanted and treated whole aortas with IL-17C or IL-17C and TNFα in vitro. IL-17C with and without TNFα broadly supported the expression of Ccl2, Ccl7, Cxcl1, Cxcl2, Cxcl5, and Il6 in explanted WD Apoe-/- aortas. Together, these results suggest that vascular smooth muscle cell-derived IL-17C may play a pro-inflammatory role in atherosclerosis via the production of chemokines and cytokines.


This article demonstrates how the revised assets indicator of the updated global Multidimensional Poverty Index (global MPI), launched in September 2018, consolidated and improved the measurement of assets deprivation at the global level. The revision combines normative and statistical methods to assess the validity of the 7-item assets schedule contained in the Original MPI, jointly designed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative and the UNDP Human Development Report Office (HDRO) in 2010, and an 11-item schedule of an Experimental MPI, which was developed by the UNDP HDRO in 2014. It also analysed whether the inclusion of additional items identified in a review of over 100 Demographic and Health Surveys, Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys and national surveys from which the global MPI is constructed, would add value to a revised assets indicator. Drawing on the analytical framework developed for the European Union material deprivation indicator, complemented by normative assessment, this paper applies tetrachoric exploratory factor analysis, multiple correspondence analysis, classical test theory, item response theory and alternative measures to identify a set of items that proxy assets deprivation globally. In using a set of 26 purposefully selected countries, test results were used to rule out infeasible assets, and finally to justify the addition of computer and animal cart to the assets schedule of the Original MPI. Based on this statistically validated expansion, and greater reliability of the items in the schedule, we conclude that the consolidated and revised indicator measures assets deprivation more accurately at the global level.


ABSTRACT This paper discusses research designed to determine the learning style preferences of students in a graduate class. The theoretical backdrop for the study was that learning styles impact on both the academic achievement of students and the teaching effectiveness of the instructor. Fifteen students, ranging in age from 23 to over 37, in a research methods in education course, participated in the study by completing a 10-item personal theory of learning inventory. Survey questions inquired as to the student's preference for informal teacher presentations, the provision of structure in learning, and attitudes toward note-taking, textbook reading, studying, norm-referenced grading, listening to other students' ideas, small group discussions, essay examinations, and independent investigation of topics. Results showed the class preferred an orderly presentation of materials interspersed with structure, drill, and practice. They did not like to read textbook type material or to study for tests, but they did like essay type questions and listening to the ideas of other students. Overall, the results showed that the learning style theory was useful in classroom practice at the graduate level because a knowledge of students' learning style empowered the instructor to modify teaching and adapt individual teaching style for the benefit of the individual students. Contains 21 references. (GLR)


The government contracts with a foreign firm to extract a natural resource that requires an upfront investment and which faces price uncertainty. In states where profits are high, there is a likelihood of expropriation, which generates a social cost that increases with the expropriated value. In this environment, the planner's optimal contract avoids states with high probability of expropriation. The contract can be implemented via a competitive auction with reasonable informational requirements. The bidding variable is a cap on the present value of discounted revenues, and the firm with the lowest bid wins the contract. The basic framework is extended to incorporate government subsidies, unenforceable investment effort and political moral hazard, and the general thrust of the results described above is preserved.


In this issue of Medical Humanities , Matharu discusses four plays about Aboriginal Australians from the 1980s that provide an indigenous perspective on the protracted process of official neglect that has had a disastrous impact on the health of their race.1 Matharu points out, "Within an Aboriginal context, acting represents an integral part of educating others on important cultural traditions and rituals." He cites as an example those song and dance performances under then recently enacted land claim legislation that were critical to eventually establishing indigenous legal ownership over large sections of northern Australia. Matharu notes that the dramatic works chosen for analysis are the products of this watershed moment in indigenous Australian history. "During this period", he notes, "issues of identity and sovereignty became more prominent with the right to vote and participate in government affairs after a long period of suppression."

Matharu highlights how in Jack Davis's The Dreamers (1980), the death of the Aboriginal elder Worru becomes symbolic of the perilous survival of Aboriginal culture. This resembles (as Bill Reed's plays depicted) how many once saw the death in the 19th century of the Tasmanian Aborigine Trucaninni (whose cultural group now has a thriving identity …


It is widely acknowledged that an arc flash hazard may exist when energized conductors are within equipment in an enclosed condition if a person is interacting with the equipment at close proximity in such a manner that could cause an electric arc fault. This paper presents the results of scouting tests of arc flash events within enclosed low-voltage equipment (internal arc faults). This testing was performed to see if the incident energy mitigation efforts of one company were adequate to prevent arc flash exposures to equipment operators should an arc fault occur within the equipment they interact with. Arc faults were initiated within low-voltage disconnect switches, industrial control enclosures, and motor control center (MCC) buckets. Only the possible severity of such events on nearby operators was investigated. No attempt was made to identify the likelihood of such events from operator interaction, nor all of the potential causes of internal arc faults.


We address the consensus-based distributed linear filtering problem, where a discrete time, linear stochastic process is observed by a network of sensors. We assume that the consensus weights are known and we first provide sufficient conditions under which the stochastic process is detectable, i.e. for a specific choice of consensus weights there exists a set of filtering gains such that the dynamics of the estimation errors (without noise) is asymptotically stable. Next, we provide a distributed, sub-optimal filtering scheme based on minimizing an upper bound on a quadratic filtering cost. In the stationary case, we provide sufficient conditions under which this scheme converges; conditions expressed in terms of the convergence properties of a set of coupled Riccati equations. We continue with presenting a connection between the consensus-based distributed linear filter and the optimal linear filter of a Markovian jump linear system, appropriately defined. More specifically, we show that if the Markovian jump linear system is (mean square) detectable, then the stochastic process is detectable under the consensus-based distributed linear filtering scheme. We also show that the optimal gains of a linear filter for estimating the state of a Markovian jump linear system appropriately defined can be used to approximate the optimal gains of the consensus-based linear filter.


The Central Africa region (CAfR), generally known as the Congo Basin, is an "eco-region" representing the World\'s largest rainforest after Amazonia. Its importance for biodiversity conservation, livelihoods, human well-being, research and policy-making is already well known. This paper documents given aspects of social and cultural dimensions of natural resource management (NRM) in the CAfR. It argues that these could be of scientific and strategic interest for researchers, practitioners and program designers, if relevantly taken into consideration. Since the mid 90s, countries in the CAfR are implementing profound reforms of their forest management systems. As such, natural resource manipulation is a burning issue here. Ultimately, the paper recommends that scientific and conventional knowledge should unify with local knowledge, sometimes qualified as infra-knowledge, in order to generate sustainable practices of natural resources management. Institute of African Studies: Research Review Vol. 20(2) 2004: 23-31


Flying creatures in animated films often perform highly dynamic aerobatic maneuvers, which require their extreme of exercise capacity and skillful control. Designing physics-based controllers (a.k.a., control policies) for aerobatic maneuvers is very challenging because dynamic states remain in unstable equilibrium most of the time during aerobatics. Recently, Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) has shown its potential in constructing physics-based controllers. In this paper, we present a new concept, Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), which is combined with DRL to address the aerobatics control problem. The key idea of SRL is to allow the agent to take control over its own learning using an additional self-regulation policy. The policy allows the agent to regulate its goals according to the capability of the current control policy. The control and self-regulation policies are learned jointly along the progress of learning. Self-regulated learning can be viewed as building its own curriculum and seeking compromise on the goals. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated with physically-simulated creatures performing aerobatic skills of sharp turning, rapid winding, rolling, soaring, and diving.


[1] During the climate regime/Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) phase shift of 1976–1977, changes of up to several Hadleys occurred in the friction, mountain, and gravity wave torques that maintain the axial angular momentum (AAM) balance of the atmosphere. As required to produce a substantially different but stable climate regime, however, the total torque showed little net change (0.2 Hadley), while the AAM showed a modest increase, between the pretransition and posttransition periods in our data (1968–1975 and 1978–1997). The east-to-west transfer of atmospheric mass that occurs during the cold-to-warm phase shift of the PDO produced positive mountain torque anomalies on the atmosphere resulting from lower (higher) surface pressure to the west (east) of the Andes and Rockies (Himalayas), which were largely compensated by negative friction torque anomalies generated over the equatorial Pacific. The timing of events during the 1976–1977 transition window suggests that changes in low-latitude (Pacific friction and Andes mountains) torques and the PDO index in early to mid-1976 preceded changes in the extratropical torques during 1977, consistent with the poleward propagation of atmospheric zonal flow anomalies documented in previous studies. An increase in the global mean surface temperature and its rate of rise after the regime shift suggest that the negative friction torque anomalies that developed during the transition may have acted to sustain the warmer posttransition regime by suppressing cold-water upwelling in the eastern equatorial Pacific and/or equatorial thermocline heat content recharge processes in the central and western Pacific.


This paper seeks to challenge the traditional solution offered against unilateral price fixing by a party, it is the effect of a non-existent contract or avoidable contract by absence of price. The problem, as will be shown, is not actually made by who determines the price (if one party or both), but to clarify the criteria under which to proceed to make that determination. Such criteria should follow the model of behavior from Roman law arbitrium boni viri, that requires a party behavior and judgment characteristics of a righteous man. Having thus proceeded, the contract is binding and the court may intervene in the event that there has been abuse in pricing. So while the old system solution is the voidance, the new solution should be the concept of abuse.


As scientists work to integrate the complex and vast information about cellular responses to the environment, new approaches are being developed to screen large, complex samples for changes that occur in response to cellular signal transduction cascades. Winssinger et al. describe a method for profiling multiple enzymatic activities from a cell lysate simultaneously. The method relies on creating a library of small molecule inhibitors and then being able to capture the ones that have interacted with the activated enzymes in the preparation and to visualize the abundance of the labeled small molecule inhibitor captured. They demonstrate a proof-of-principle experiment in which they can selectively detect the activation of caspase-3 during the initiation of apoptosis in Jurkat cells in response to granzyme B treatment. This methodology has several potential applications. First, small molecule inhibitors of known specificity can be used to determine the activity profile of defined targets. Second, in a cellular lysate, novel targets can be identified by changing the chemistry (linking the inhibitor to biotin, for example) such that the small molecule inhibitor and the activated enzyme can be copurified and the enzyme can then be subjected to sequence analysis. Finally, novel inhibitors can be discovered and then the small molecule inhibitor can be applied to cells to confirm its pharmacological activity. N. Winssinger, S. Ficarro, P. G. Schultz, J. L. Harris, Profiling protein function with small molecule microarrays. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99, 11139-11144 (2002). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Apo-transferrin (apo-hTf) and holo-transferrin (holo-hTf) were separately conjugated to 15-nm colloidal gold. Iron-restricted Neisseria meningitidis strain SD (B:15:P1.16) bound up to three-fold more holo-hTf than apo-hTf (p <0.001). The ability of meningococcal mutants lacking either transferrin-binding protein A (TbpA) or TbpB to discriminate between apo-hTf and holo-hTf was also investigated. There was no significant difference between the amount of gold-labelled apo-transferrin bound by the isogenic TbpA mutant (expressing TbpB) and the parent strain, whereas an isogenic TbpB mutant (expressing TbpA) bound significantly less gold-labelled apo-hTf. The isogenic TbpA and TbpB mutants and the parent strain all bound significantly more holo-hTf than apo-hTf, whereas the double 'knock-out' mutant failed to bind hTf irrespective of the iron-loading. In the isogenic mutants, TbpB was more effective in binding either apo- or holo-hTf than TbpA. Monoclonal antibodies against TbpA and TbpB were used to co-localise the transferrin-binding proteins on strain SD. The ratio of TbpA:TbpB was approximately 1:1. TbpA and TbpB were occasionally observed in close proximity to each other, but the two proteins were generally quite separate, which may indicate that they do not usually form a complex to act as a transferrin receptor.


Marketing of international banking services in the Asia Pacific region must proceed from understanding both the locational needs of international banks and of the financial centres in which they locate. Presents the findings of a detailed series of interviews in major financial centres and by major financial sector. These mesh with findings found in the surveyed location literature. Also explores the development of international financial centres as this is closely tied to location of financial firms. Concludes that the sort of sectoral locational analysis conducted here provides highly useful information for the location of international banking in the major Asia Pacific centres. Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo are, not surprisingly, the prime locations for marketing the broadest array of international banking services.