In a recent study by Mishra et al. the genetic background of 40 patients with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) from Northern India was investigated [1]. Eleven of the 40 patients (27.5%) were found to carry the primary LHON mutation m.11778G>A [1]. In one family, two primary LHON mutations, m.11778G>A and m.14484T>C, were found in the proband and his mother respectively [1]. The authors concluded that the m.11778G>A variant is more frequent among the Indian population than other primary LHON mutations [1]. We have the following comments and concerns. During recent years it turned out that Mitochondrial Disorders (MIDs) including LHON are not necessarily mono-organ diseases but rather progressive multisystem disorders [2]. Affected organs / tissues other than the retinal ganglion-cells and optic nerve include the Central Nervous System (CNS) (psychomotor delay, dementia, epilepsy, leukoencephalopathy, Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES), migraine, chorea, ataxia), the ears (hypoacusis), endocrine organs (diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, parathyroid dysfunction, pituitary adenoma), the heart (left ventricular hypertrabeculation / noncompaction, dilated cardiomyopathy, supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, syncope, angina, Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD)), the bone-marrow (anemia), arteries (aortic stiffness), the kidneys (renal insufficiency), or the peripheral nerves (neuropathy) [2]. Thus, we recommend prospectively investigating the 40 patients for subclinical or mild manifestations of a multisystem disease (Mitochondrial Multiorgan Disorder Syndrome (MIMODS)). Usually, a single, primary, homozygous LHON mutation is sufficient for phenotypic expression [3]. Interestingly, in one family two primary LHON mutations (m.11778G>A, m.14484T>C) were found. Were both variants present in the homozygous form, was there compound heterozygosity, and were both variants pathogenic? Was the phenotype more severe than in the other patients who carried only a single mutation? Which were the heteroplasmy rates of the mtDNA variants found in the 40 included patients? We recommend to investigate the cohort in a future study for the following points: how often were the mutations detected in the 40 patients de-novo and how often inherited; how many of the parents of those with a genetic diagnosis also carried a mutation; did any of the parents of the 40 included patients manifest with LHON or other clinical manifestations of a MID; were the parents systematically investigated for clinical or subclinical MID? There are indications that visual impairment spontaneously resolves in some LHON patients, particularly in those carrying the m. 11778G>A variant [4]. In a future study the authors could address the question in how many of the patients carrying the m.11778G>A variant resolution of visual impairment was observed over time. Recently, treatment with idebenone (Raxone®, 900 mg/d) has been approved by the European Medicine Agency (EMEA) for treating LHON patients with acute visual loss due to one of the three primary LHON mutations [5]. In a future study the authors could address the questions how many of the included patients were regularly taking idebenone, in which dosage they were taking idebenone, and if they profited from the treatment? This interesting study could be more meaningful if the included patients would be investigated in a future study for involvement of organs other than the eyes and the optic nerve, for heteroplasmy rates, for haplogroups, and for clinical and genetic manifestations in first-degree relatives. A more widespread discussion about the phenotype and the genetics may stimulate further research to answer at least some of the open questions.


ABSTRACT Lin, X.; Zhang, J.; Guan, D.; Zhang, J.; Zhang C., and Gan, M., 2020. Wake characteristics of a tidal stream turbine under combined wave and current. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 1558-1562. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Tidal stream energy has been considered as one of the most promising renewable and clean resources to ease energy shortage. This study experimentally investigates wake characteristics of a tidal stream turbine subject to combined wave and current, using an advanced acoustic Doppler velocimeter to measure its wake properties. The phase-space filter is used to remove spikes in raw data, and the phase-averaged method is adopted for further data analyses. The experimental results indicate that the mean wake characteristics under combination of wave and current share a similar trend with that under pure current. However, it's found that the wave-current interaction fastens the wake recovery and increases the turbulence intensity level. Besides, the supporting structure is found to play an important role in the near wake. A region with low velocity and high turbulence intensity is observed in the lee side of the supporting structure. Furthermore, the wake zone is found to shift upward to the free surface due to wake merging of the turbine rotor and the supporting structure.


PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to characterize the expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and HGF receptor proteins in lacrimal gland, tears, and cornea.

METHODS
The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method was used to detect HGF and HGF receptor messenger RNA in human lacrimal gland tissue. HGF and HGF (c-met) receptor monoclonal antibody specificity was demonstrated with fluorescent antibody sorting of cells engineered to express HGF or HGF receptor compared with control cell lines, enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA), immunoprecipitation, and immunohistology with preabsorption. Immunohistochemistry was applied to study the distribution of HGF and HGF receptor expression in rabbit lacrimal gland tissue and in wounded and unwounded rabbit cornea. An ELISA was used to detect HGF in pooled samples of human tears and individual aliquots of tears collected from patients 1 day after anterior segment surgery.

RESULTS
Amplification products of the expected size for HGF and HGF receptor mRNAs were detected in lacrimal tissue and were confirmed to be specific by hot blotting and nucleic acid sequencing. Hepatocyte growth factor protein was detected in interalveolar and interlobular connective tissue cells adjacent to glandular alveolar (acinar) cells and associated with the cells lining the interlobular ducts. Hepatocyte growth factor receptor protein was expressed in the glandular alveolar and interlobular ductal cells in the lacrimal gland and all three cell types of the cornea. It was detected in keratocyte and endothelial cells, and expression was increased in keratocytes after epithelial wounding. Hepatocyte growth factor was not present in corneal epithelial cells, but in the unwounded cornea a strong signal was associated with the epithelial cell surface. It was detected by ELISA in pooled normal tears at levels 186 to 290 pg/ml and in individual postoperative tear samples at 453 to 619 pg/ml. In some tear samples, HGF levels were below the sensitivity of the assay (97.5 pg/ml).

CONCLUSIONS
The distribution of HGF receptor protein expression in the lacrimal gland suggests that HGF secreted by interalveolar connective tissue cells traverses the acinar cells and modulates functions in acinar and ductal epithelial cells. Hepatocyte growth factor likely collects within the interlobular ducts and becomes a component in normal tears. Thus, lacrimal gland HGF probably modulates corneal epithelial cell proliferation, motility, and differentiation. Its expression in keratocytes is upregulated after corneal epithelial wounding and probably contributes to the epithelial wound healing process.


The acceleration of intense proton and ion beams by ultra-intense lasers has matured to a point where applications in basic research and technology are being developed. Crucial for harvesting the unmatched beam parameters driven by the relativistic electron sheath is the precise control of the beam. We report on recent experiments using the PHELIX laser at GSI, the VULCAN laser at RAL and the TRIDENT laser at LANL to control and use laser accelerated proton beams for applications in high energy density research. We demonstrate efficient collimation of the proton beam using high field pulsed solenoid magnets, a prerequisite to capture and transport the beam for applications. Furthermore we report on two campaigns to use intense, short proton bunches to isochorically heat solid targets up to the warm dense matter state. The temporal profile of the proton beam allows for rapid heating of the target, much faster than the hydrodynamic response time thereby creating a strongly coupled plasma at solid density. The target parameters are then probed by X-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) to reveal the density and temperature of the heated volume. This combination of two powerful techniques developed during the past few years allows for the generation and investigation of macroscopic samples of matter in states present in giant planets or the interior of the earth.


Wireless technologies have brought a rapid growth to digital video broadcasting and as such, has played (and still playing) a vital role in communication systems. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) has also become so popular in wireless communication systems reason been that it has high spectral efficiency, high throughput, high data capacity and resilience to multipath fading. In addition to these, it is very robust to channel impairment; a quality which has made it preferable and ideal in wireless communication systems. This paper evaluates DVB and compares its performance across three different channels (AWGN, Rayleigh and Ricean) and three different modulation techniques (QPSK, 16 QAM and 64 QAM) is employed. DTV_DVB in 2K Mode carriers is transmitted across AWGN, Rayleigh and Ricean and a comparison of BER performance of the different modulation schemes was considered. At the end of the simulation results and analysis, it was found that AWGN in 16QAM carrier modulation is considered the best modulation technique for DVB_T. Keywords: modulation, channel, digital television, digital video broadcasting.


The field of International Political Economy (IPE) has long theorized and studied phenomena which have inherent geographic elements. Either for the sake of parsimony or due to methodological constraints, few studies theorize or test arguments which explicitly account for the role of geography. In this dissertation, I introduce a number of key methodological and theoretical concerns with the assumptions based on geographic dispersion that are inherent in many of the standard IPE models. I argue that by accounting both for the geography of interests and the geography of institutions, I can explain a number of results which are puzzling for prior scholarship. To test these arguments, I introduce a framework to think for how the geography of interest and institutions interact. I present an original dataset on electoral boundaries which allows me to test the arguments. I illustrate the effect of geography primarily in the area of agricultural policy. Specifically, I focus on explaining Congressional support for reforming the American Food Aid program, broad policy support for agriculture as a whole, and crop-specific policies. This research leads to three key results. First, by aggregating our analysis of a geographically specific phenomenon to the level above the explicit political interaction, we can obscure important mechanisms and relationships. Second, by accounting for the geographic nature of this interaction, we can make sense of a number of empirical observations which are puzzling to current theories. Third, both the results for food aid and on crop specific supports suggest that advances in remote sensing of data and spatial analysis allow us to measure interests at a very fine-grained level, in this case down to the specific crops or commodity. All three of these findings suggest that the dataset of electoral boundaries produced here will help us to further refine and test theories looking at the role of special interests in foreign- focused economic policy


Background We attempted to develop a prognostic model and characterize molecular subtypes for gastric cancer on the basis of ribonucleic acid (RNA)-binding proteins (RBPs). Material/Methods RNA sequence data of gastric cancer were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Univariate Cox regression analysis was used to screen survival-related RBPs, followed by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox modeling. Overall and stratified survival analysis was carried out between high and low risk score groups, followed by receiver operator characteristic curve construction. Univariate and multivariate survival analysis was applied to assess its independent prognostic potential. A nomogram was constructed by combining age and the risk score, which was verified by calibration curves and decision curve analyses for 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival. Molecular subtypes were identified using nonnegative matrix factorization method. Clinical features of the identified subtypes were characterized on prognosis, drug sensitivity, and immune infiltration. An external Gene Expression Omnibus dataset was used to verify the above findings. Results On the basis of 44 survival-related RBPs, a robust prognostic 15-RBP signature was constructed. Patients with high risk score had a poorer prognosis than those with low risk score. The risk score had good performance in predicting clinical outcomes for 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival. The signature was effectively independent of other clinical features. The nomogram model combining age and the 15-RBP prognostic model exhibited better practicality and reliability for prognosis. RBP expression data were utilized to define 2 distinct molecular subtypes obviously related to survival outcomes, chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity, and immune infiltration. Conclusions Our study provides a nomogram model that consists of age and a 15-RBP signature and identifies 2 molecular subtypes for gastric cancer that possess potential value for preclinical, clinical, and translational research on gastric cancer.


The use of high-quality simulated sky catalogs is essential for the success of cosmological surveys. The catalogs have diverse applications, such as investigating signatures of fundamental physics in cosmological observables, understanding the effect of systematic uncertainties on measured signals and testing mitigation strategies for reducing these uncertainties, aiding analysis pipeline development and testing, and survey strategy optimization. The list of applications is growing with improvements in the quality of the catalogs and the details that they can provide. Given the importance of simulated catalogs, it is critical to provide rigorous validation protocols that enable both catalog providers and users to assess the quality of the catalogs in a straightforward and comprehensive way. For this purpose, we have developed the DESCQA framework for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Dark Energy Science Collaboration as well as for the broader community. The goal of DESCQA is to enable the inspection, validation, and comparison of an inhomogeneous set of synthetic catalogs via the provision of a common interface within an automated framework. In this paper, we present the design concept and first implementation of DESCQA. In order to establish and demonstrate its full functionality we use a set of interim catalogs and validation tests. We highlight several important aspects, both technical and scientific, that require thoughtful consideration when designing a validation framework, including validation metrics and how these metrics impose requirements on the synthetic sky catalogs.


A survey is made of the ability of various carbon compounds to support growth of Bact. ladis aerogenes. They are classified into those to which the cells (a) cannot become adapted, (6) become adapted by training, (c) are fully adapted on transfer from a glucose medium in which they are norm ally grown. With class (6) there is usually a long initial lag on the first transfer and an initial growth rate well below the optimum . Phenomena of 'cross-adaptation' appear, training to an earlier member of the series acetic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid entailing adaptation to a later member but not vice versa. With citric acid, aconitic acid and glycerol there is evidence of multiple growth mechanisms. Additions of certain carboxylic acids shorten the lag of ageing cultures in the glucose medium. The classes (a), ( b) and (c) bear no relation to the number of carbon atoms or the functional groups in the molecules of the various substances. They bear, however, certain relations to the 'tricarboxylic acid cycle' which are examined in part II.


Externally bonding carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) patches to the damaged elements to arrest the crack propagation can be used to extend the fatigue life of steel bridges. In this paper, a numerical study was performed to highlight the effect of bonded pre-stressed composite patches on the fracture parameters, such as stress intensity factors, crack tip opening displacement and the plastic zone. A threedimensional finite element model of the double sided CFRP patch-strengthened specimen is used to study the fracture behavior of an inclined edge crack under different combinations of loading modes I and II. The influence of different prestrain levels, 0.058, 0.1, and 0.2% on the fracture parameters are also investigated. It is found that the introduction of a compressive stress by pre-tensioning of the CFRP patch prior to bonding produced a significant reduction of up to 70% in SIFs for different crack lengths, which led to increasing the remaining fatigue life of the steel member. For a given level of pre-stressing, the SIF obtained is zero until a specific level of the external applied stress is reached. The pretension of the composite patch developed crack closure mechanism, which reduced the crack tip opening displacement and plastic zone size by 42% and 80% respectively for a/w=0.3 at 0.2% prestrain level. Based on these results, the pre-strain level needed to accomplish a complete crack arrest can be predicted using the crack length/plate width ratio (a/W) and the fatigue load.


Author(s): Pasquini, Sarah Cecilia | Advisor(s): Santiago, Louis S | Abstract: Trees and lianas are growth forms that account for the vast majority of the plant biomass in tropical forests. There is now compelling evidence that lianas are increasing in abundance relative to trees, particularly throughout Neotropical forests. The mechanisms that underlie this increase in lianas remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, I asked: 1) To what degree is the physiological performance of tree seedlings limited by soil macronutrients (N,P,K) within the deeply shaded habitats that characterizes tropical forest understories; 2) Are seedlings of lianas more limited by these macronutrients than seedlings of trees; and 3) Are photosynthetic and leaf trait differences that exist in trees versus lianas caused by inherent growth-form differences or are they due to phylogenetic relatedness? This research demonstrated that the addition of two key soil resources, nitrogen and potassium, increased the photosynthetic performance of seedlings of an abundant tree species, Alseis blackiana, even in deep shade. Surprisingly, while seedlings of lianas and trees were limited to a similar degree by soil nutrients, lianas always out-performed trees in terms of their photosynthetic performance, regardless of nutrient addition. Moreover, my analyses demonstrated that lianas, as a distinct growth form, had increased rates of photosynthesis and respiration versus trees. Nonetheless, a suite of other traits that were thought to clearly distinguish the liana growth-form from trees (low LMA and high foliar nitrogen), were determined to be due to phylogeny. Together, these findings provide a potential mechanistic basis for increases in liana abundance in the Neotropics.


: A patient with a permanent tracheostomy was seen and noted to have bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis. He was being investigated neurologically and was found to have several types of autonomic failure, specifically including postural hypotension. It was felt that he had Shy-Drager syndrome. A review of the literature showed that bilateral vocal cord paralysis is a recognized abnormality in this condition for which permanent speaking tracheostomy is the treatment of choice. Reflux esophagitis due to lax cardiac sphincter may be a factor in the laryngeal symptomatology.


Most newborns with Aicardi-Goutières syndrome do not show any signs or symptoms of the disorder. However, about 20 percent are born with a combination of features that include an enlarged liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly), elevated blood levels of liver enzymes, a shortage of blood cell fragments called platelets that are needed for normal blood clotting (thrombocytopenia), and neurological abnormalities. While this combination of signs and symptoms is typically associated with the immune system's response to a viral infection that is present at birth (congenital), no actual infection is found in these infants. For this reason, Aicardi-Goutières syndrome is sometimes referred to as a "mimic of congenital infection."


Animal feeds with added herb tested in in vitro, in sacco and in vivo techniques are the potential use combined with commercial pellets or PKE pellets to enhance the nutritive value of the feeds. Two types of herb mixture were tested. The mixture of local herbs (named as DD herbs): formulated in the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory University of Malaya (UM) and imported herb. The objective of the research was to compare DD herb potential in improving ruminant digestibility against imported herb. The experimental diets were formulated into 3 combination doses: 25 gm of herbs added to 975 gm of pallets (2.5% herbs added), 50 gm of herbs added to 950 gm of pallets (5.0% herbs added) and 75 gm of herbs added to 925 gm of pallets (7.5% herbs added). Each combination of mixed herb was tested separately but the same experimental procedures were employed. The highest digestibility of herbs in the in sacco and in vitro technique was tested using in vivo technique. In sacco experiments were conducted in the Institute Sciences of Biological Mini Farm (ISB), UM and the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory. Eleven replicates were tested in in sacco technique using six local goats with average age of 12 months fitted with rumen cannulae. The commercial pellet with DD herb animal feeds had the highest rate of digestion. The percentage of in sacco digestibility in 5.0% DD herb added commercial pellets and Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) was 67.47% at 24 hours, 69.61% at 48 hours, 69.83% at 72 hours and 74.63% at 96 hours. Same pellets and herb combination showed the highest rate of digestion results using in vitro digestibility technique. The 5.0% DD herb added commercial pellets and Napier grass in vitro digestibility was 68.39% at 24 hours, 73.50% at 48 hours, 78.29% at 72 hours and 80.22% at 96 hours. In the gas production experiments, the 5.0% DD herb gas production was higher than the other herb combination. The increase of DD herb produced a significant (p<0.5) increase in the digestibility percentage. However, increasing of the treatment to 7.5% DD herb had no significant effect on the percentage of digestibility. The laboratory findings of the in vitro and in sacco experiments were put to test in a field in vivo experiment using goats on a farm in Bidor, Perak to test digestibility of feeds and growth performance in goats. The experiment compared a group of kids fed diets containing DD herb versus fed control diets kids.


ICT can play significant role in the educational process as they bring important changes to the traditional way of teaching, using multimedia and internet technology. This paper presents the evaluation of the application of a Learning Management System, called ASDL (Asynchronous & Synchronous Distance Learning), in Greek private high-schools. ASDL was mainly implemented to be used by students. Pupils are called to use and evaluate such a system for their first time. Studying the questionnaires helped us to export useful conclusions about the pupil's available material infrastructure at home and the way they appreciated the system. Pupils were between 12 and 15 years old. The questionnaires have been integrated in an explicative "story" due to the particular age of the pupils. This method was a better way, in comparison to the traditional questionnaires, to express more clear and comprehensible questions and to get safer answers. It is concluded, through the data analysis and our experience that the participation in this project and the use of ASDL really appreciated and helped pupils. Nevertheless, approximately four out of five pupils could systematically meet asynchronous communication requirements and less than one out of three could participate to synchronous distance learning.


The widespread ownership of mobile devices such as cellphones, personal media players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones and wireless laptops means that 'mobile learning' is no longer in the preserve of technical experts and researchers with specialist knowledge. Teachers and learners have begun to integrate mobile technologies into everyday practices and there is evidence of efforts to invent exciting new scenarios of use. Language learning is one of the disciplines that looks set to benefit from these developments. Learners can make good use of the facilities to record and to listen to audio at any time, supported by the rising availability of podcasts and the 'always on' characteristics of portable devices which encourage spontaneous interactions. Mobile learning promises to deliver closer integration of language learning with everyday communication needs and cultural experiences.


Inflammasomes are multi-protein complexes that mediate the activation and secretion of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. More than half a decade ago, it has been shown that the inflammasome adaptor molecule, ASC requires tyrosine phosphorylation to allow effective inflammasome assembly and sustained IL-1β/IL-18 release. This finding provided evidence that the tyrosine phosphorylation status of inflammasome components affects inflammasome assembly and that inflammasomes are subjected to regulation via kinases and phosphatases. In the subsequent years, it was reported that activation of the inflammasome receptor molecule, NLRP3, is modulated via tyrosine phosphorylation as well, and that NLRP3 de-phosphorylation at specific tyrosine residues was required for inflammasome assembly and sustained IL-1β/IL-18 release. These findings demonstrated the importance of tyrosine phosphorylation as a key modulator of inflammasome activity. Following these initial reports, additional work elucidated that the activity of several inflammasome components is dictated via their phosphorylation status. Particularly, the action of specific tyrosine kinases and phosphatases are of critical importance for the regulation of inflammasome assembly and activity. By summarizing the currently available literature on the interaction of tyrosine phosphatases with inflammasome components we here provide an overview how tyrosine phosphatases affect the activation status of inflammasomes.


This paper presents the design and implementation of a closed-loop solar tracker system. The demand for clean energy sources has increased along with the rising demand for electrical energy and the increasing amount of environment pollution triggered by fuel consumption. Among these sources, solar energy is considered the most feasible given its wide availability and easy operation in different environments. The main purpose of this study is to maximize the generated photovoltaic power and reduce CO 2 emissions by designing an efficient and low-cost solar tracking system. An aligned closed-loop solar tracker is designed and constructed to achieve the best accuracy. The proposed system shows more freedom in its movement to overcome the problems associated with the tilt of the frame-holder. A PIC microcontroller based on the Flowcode programming language is used, the position feedback is detected by using a photo-sensor, and the H-Bridge driver is used to control two DC motors. According to the experimental results, the proposed system shows significant improvements in efficiency compared with stationary solar tracking systems.


Abstract Immunization is an indispensable mechanism for preventing infectious diseases in modern society, and vaccine safety is closely related to public health and national security. However, issues such as vaccine expiration and vaccine record fraud are still widespread in vaccine supply chains. Therefore, an effective management system for the supervision of vaccine supply chains is urgently required. As the next generation of core technology after the Internet, blockchain is designed to build trust mechanisms that can change current information management methods. Meanwhile, the development of machine learning technologies provides additional ways to analyze the data in information management systems. The main objective of this study is to develop a "vaccine blockchain" system based on blockchain and machine learning technologies. This vaccine blockchain system is designed to support vaccine traceability and smart contract functions, and can be used to address the problems of vaccine expiration and vaccine record fraud. Additionally, the use of machine learning models can provide valuable recommendations to immunization practitioners and recipients, allowing them to choose better immunization methods and vaccines. Abstract Immunization is an indispensable mechanism for preventing infectious diseases in modern society, and vaccine safety is closely related to public health and national security. However, issues such as vaccine expiration and vaccine record fraud are still widespread in vaccine supply chains. Therefore, an effective management system for the supervision of vaccine supply chains is urgently required. As the next generation of core technology after the Internet, blockchain is designed to build trust mechanisms that can change current information management methods. Meanwhile, the development of machine learning technologies provides additional ways to analyze the data in information management systems. The main objective of this study is to develop a "vaccine blockchain" system based on blockchain and machine learning technologies. This vaccine blockchain system is designed to support vaccine traceability and smart contract functions, and can be used to address the problems of vaccine expiration and vaccine record fraud. Additionally, the use of machine learning models can provide valuable recommendations to immunization practitioners and recipients, allowing them to choose better immunization methods and vaccines.


We characterize the climatological features of the double inter-tropical convergence zones (DITCZs) over the western Indian Ocean during November–December by a synergistic analysis of the Hamburg Ocean Atmosphere Parameters and Fluxes from Satellite (HOAPS III) data (1988–2005) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) A-Train data (2002–2009). We investigate rainfall, freshwater flux and cloud liquid water, cloud fraction and relative humidity over the DITCZs. In addition, the daily rainfall data from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) are used to document the DITCZs during the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) events. An analysis of the GPCP data shows that the DITCZs are clearly discernible during strong ENSO events (1997, 2002 and 2006), in sharp contrast to the DITCZs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, where they are absent during ENSOs. Further, these convergence zones on either side of the equator are of short duration, approximately 3–6 pentads during November and December. All satellite sensor data sets consistently capture the major features of DITCZs. As an accurate simulation of DITCZs in coupled global climate models remains a challenge, the results from the present study would provide a platform for evaluating these models.


The pathogenesis of dialysis related amyloidosis remains unresolved despite the identification of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) as the major protein constituent, as well as other proteins being present in the deposits. Among the latter we have assessed the serum concentrations of alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) both in the baseline stage and during the haemodialysis (HD) procedure. We have also assessed the influence of the membrane on alpha 2M kinetics. Fifteen HD patients with histologically proven dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA group) and 15 HD patients clinically and radiologically considered dialysis-related amyloidosis free (control group) were included in the baseline study. Blood was sampled the day before the second dialysis of the week and alpha 2M, beta 2M and alpha 1 antitrypsin were determined along with the routine biological analysis of these patients. Serum alpha 2M was greater in dialysis-related amyloidosis than in control patients (t = 2.35; P < 0.026). Serum beta 2M was similar in both groups. The serum alpha 2M and beta 2M correlated in patients with dialysis-related amyloidosis (r = 0.64; P < 0.01), while no correlation was found in controls (r = 0.17; NS). Stepwise analysis taking the presence of dialysis-related amyloidosis as the dependent variable retained the serum alpha 2M concentration as the first variable in the model (F = 4.4; partial r = 0.38; P < 0.046).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Microorganisms produce a range of chemical substances representing a vast diversity of fascinating molecular architectures not available in any other system. Among them, Streptomyces are frequently used to produce useful enzymes and a wide variety of secondary metabolites with potential biological activities. Streptomyces are preferred over other microorganisms for producing more than half of the clinically useful naturally originating pharmaceuticals. However, these compounds are usually produced in very low amounts (or not at all) under typical laboratory conditions. Despite the superiority of Streptomyces, they still lack well documented genetic information and a large number of in-depth molecular biological tools for strain improvement. Previous attempts to produce high yielding strains required selection of the genetic material through classical mutagenesis for commercial production of secondary metabolites, optimizing culture conditions, and random selection. However, a profound effect on the strategy for strain development has occurred with the recent advancement of whole-genome sequencing, systems biology, and genetic engineering. In this review, we demonstrate a few of the major issues related to the potential of "-omics" technology (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) for improving streptomycetes as an intelligent chemical factory for enhancing the production of useful bioactive compounds.


Two-phase flow on the shell side of a shell and tube
heat exchanger is complex. Several studies have
produced flow pattern maps that show surprising
differences in flow regime boundaries for data sets that
contain relatively small variations in fluid and flow
properties. Despite this, correlations for void fraction
and pressure drop are sufficiently accurate to allow the
thermal-fluid design of heat exchangers to be
completed. However, these correlations are based on
experimental data taken from tube bundles containing
tubes with diameters less than 20 mm. This study
examines their applicability to tube bundles containing
tubes with a diameter of 38 mm.
Results for void fraction and pressure drop are
presented for air-water flows near atmospheric
pressure. The results were obtained for flows through
a thin-slice, in-line tube bundle containing 10 rows. The
tube bundle contained a central column of tubes with
half tubes placed on the shell wall to simulate the
presence of other columns. The tubes were 38 mm in
diameter and 50 mm long with a pitch to diameter ratio
of 1.32.
Previous studies have shown that the void fraction in a
shell-side, gas-liquid flow becomes constant after only
a few rows. Thus, the void fraction was only measured
at one location. A single-beam, gamma-ray
densitometer was used to measure void fractions near
row 7 in the maximum gap between the rows.
Corresponding pressure drops were obtained between
rows 3 and 10. Data are presented for a mass flux
range of 25-688 kg/m2s and a gas mass fraction range
of 0.0005-0.6. The measurements are shown to
compare reasonably well with predictions from
correlations available in the open literature. This shows
that these methods can be used for tube-bundles
containing larger diameter tubes.
Some elements of a heat-exchanger design require a
more complex analysis. For example, tube vibration
calculations require the distribution of void and phase
velocity along the tube length. Such analysis can be
provided by multiphase computational fluid dynamic
(CFD) simulations. CFD approaches to modelling
these flows require empirical inputs for the drag
coefficient and the force on the fluid by the tubes.
These are deduced from the measured data. The wall
forces are shown to scale well with increased tube
diameter, however, caution is required when selecting
the drag coefficients.


This if the first time in the world that streptodecase has been used as a fibrinolytic drug during the first hours of clinical manifestations of myocardial infarction in 12 patients. The drug was given once, intravenously in the dose of 3,000,000 units. Favourable action of the drug on the clinical manifestations of the disease and its prolonged activating effect on the blood fibrinolysis have been established. The advantages of streptodecase over streptokinase in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction are discussed.


Drug‐induced (group 1) pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an important subgroup of PH involving dasatinib as a likely related agent, which is a second‐generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The mechanism of dasatinib‐induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is unclear. However, the occurrence of PAH with late onset in CML patients suggests a chronic pathological mechanism with an insidious onset rather than an acute inflammatory or cardiac aetiology. Dasatinib has a broader effect than other TKIs; the major known difference between dasatinib and other TKIs is the additional inhibition of Src family kinases. Therefore, Src inhibition was thought to play a role in the development of dasatinib‐induced PAH. However, recently, it was also speculated that chronic dasatinib therapy may cause pulmonary endothelial damage, attenuate hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction responses and increase susceptibility to PAH independently of the Src family kinase‐induced mechanism. Dasatinib‐induced PAH usually seems to be reversible with the cessation of the drug, and sometimes with PAH‐specific treatment strategies. Transthoracic echocardiography can be recommended as a routine screening prior to dasatinib initiation, and this non‐invasive procedure can be utilized in patients having signs and symptoms attributable to PAH during dasatinib treatment.


eLearning: This term was put into practice in 1998 by Jay Cross, the integrated Internet time group. Initially, elearningeuropa.info, a website of European e-learning programs that has been defined as the use of technologies, an Internet for improving the quality of learning by facilitating access to sources and services, was launched. The European Community also chose the "E-learning-Design for Tomorrow's Education" program on May 24, 2000, and has become a viable alternative to traditional education methods today, so it has been adopted by many universities, in particular due to the possibility of benefiting from continuous training or its benefits in various organizations.
From a historical point of view, courses, tutorials and labs are delivered through conventional methods of providing technical education. With the development of open and distance communication technology and information, learning for technical education becomes reality. This online environment offers an incredible number of opportunities and facilities for both students and teachers, leading to a prosperous relationship of communication and collaboration between both camps, thus assimilating knowledge becoming more accessible, students being intimately connected with technology. At the same time, this concept has greatly contributed to lowering the cost of education and improving the education system, which is why in this article I conducted an analysis among a target group of 120 students of higher education institutions in Romania, for to identify their attitudes towards the use of eLearning platforms in the learning process, and also to conduct a qualitative research among 13 teachers in higher education institutions to identify the usefulness of eLearning platforms from both perspectives.


The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different concentrations of anolyte on saprolegniasis in comparison with green malachite in rainbow trout hatcheries, in the northern part of Iran, Tonekabon. Nearly 5000 green eggs of Oncorhynchus mykiss (equivalent to 300 g) were obtained from a private farm in the north of Iran. The study was designed in 5 treatments, 0.25, 0.5, 30 and 100 ppm of neutral anolyte and 2 ppm of green malachite and two controls including positive control, meaning that the green eggs were purposely infected with saprolegnia but without any disinfectant, and negative control, which was implied to as the untreated group, all in triplicate. There was no significant difference (α>0.05) in hatchability percent between 2 ppm of green malachite and the group treated with 0.25 ppm of neutral anolyte, contrary to other anolyte concentrations. It is concluded that constant use of 0.25 ppm of neutral electrolyzed oxidized water (NEOW) is a more effective anti-fungal solution with the least side effects in comparison with 2 ppm of green malachite.


ABSTRACT A fundamental question in supply chain resilience is identifying its antecedents and investigating the relative importance of each antecedent in improving resilience to supply chain disruptions. In this paper, a comprehensive systematic literature review is conducted to assess the impact of each of the most widely known practices to enhance resilience (flexibility, agility, redundancy, and collaboration) on mitigating each type of supply chain disruption (demand, supply, process, control, and environmental disruptions). The literature review found that collaboration has been identified by the literature as the most important strategy to cope with control disruptions, and flexibility has been identified by the literature as the most important strategy to cope with demand, supply, process, and environmental disruptions. A framework is then developed for identifying the appropriate antecedents in improving resilience to different types of supply chain disruptions.


P cross-coupling reactions (CCR) of organometallic reagents with electrophiles are among the most important transformations in organic synthesis for the construction of natural products, pharmaceutical agents, and diverse functional materials, as noted by the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Heck, Negishi, and Suzuki. As one of the earliest organometallic reagents to be cross-coupled, organolithiums are among the most reactive and commonly used reagents in organic synthesis. They are cheap and either commercially available or readily accessible through metal-halogen exchange or via direct metallation. However, the direct use of organolithium reagents in CCR has remained a challenge, often hampered by low yields, limited substrate scope due to the very high reactivity, and/or yielding homo-coupled products. To overcome these issues, organolithium reagents are frequently converted to other less reactive organometallic reagents (e.g., organoborons, organozincs, organotins) to be employed in CCR. Thus, a concise method taking advantage of the direct use of organolithiums in CCR would eliminate the need for stoichiometric amount of toxic heavy metals (e.g., tin and zinc), as well as to avoid the extra manipulation and purification steps required to generate other organometallic reagents.Since 2012, the Smith group has reported a series of silicon reagents, termed siloxane transfer agents, which permit the direct use of organolithiums in CCR. Specifically, we have very recently successfully achieved the incorporation of the silicon coupling agents onto carefully designed polymer supports that significantly simplify both product purification and siloxane recycle. Pleasingly, the polymersupported siloxane transfer agents are highly effective in CCR, proceeding in high yield with excellent recyclability, rendering this tactic a powerful new tool in organic synthesis that could provide "greener" and more sustainable chemical processes.


In this paper we propose a simple yet effective method for sparsifying a posteriori linear models for large-scale text classification. The objective is to maintain high performance while reducing the prediction time by producing very sparse models. This is especially important in real-case scenarios where one deploys predictive models in several machines across the network and constraints apply on the prediction time. We empirically evaluate the proposed approach in a large collection of documents from the Large-Scale Hierarchical Text Classification Challenge. The comparison with a feature selection method and LASSO regularization shows that we achieve to obtain a sparse representation improving in the same time the classification performance.


Using mean-field theory, we study the equilibrium properties of boson-fermion mixtures confined in a harmonic pancake-shaped trap at zero temperature. When the modulus of the s-wave scattering lengths are comparable to the mixture thickness, two-dimensional scattering events introduce a logarithmic dependence on density in the coupling constants, greatly modifying the density profiles themselves. We show that for the case of a negative boson-fermion three-dimensional s-wave scattering length, the dimensional crossover stabilizes the mixture against collapse and drives it towards spatial demixing.


Break dancing was at its peak of popularity in the 1980s, but evidently is still part of today's youth culture. There have been several reports of injuries associated with this activity, although none recently. While mainly of an orthopaedic nature, the injuries reported are quite varied. This is a report of a previously fit and healthy 16 year old non-smoking young man who was 5 foot 5 inches tall. He developed a right sided pneumothorax during an evening spent break dancing. He ignored the discomfort for a few days, and then after a visit to his general practitioner, a chest x ray confirmed the diagnosis. He required an intercostal drain for 2 days before resolution. Six months later, while again break dancing, he developed another pneumothorax, this time on the left side. Again he ignored it for a few days before consutling his GP. On this occasion, it was treated conservatively and resolved after 2 weeks without a drain, at which stage he was referred to our centre. Examination and lung function were normal and a CT chest scan revealed tiny subpleural bullae at the apex of the left lung. He was advised to avoid break dancing, although the chance of adherence to this advice was small. Two months later he had a further recurrence on the left side (during sleep) which was treated conservatively and resolved after 2 weeks. He then underwent a left thoracotomy (which revealed multiple bullae up to 1 cm diameter over the surface of the lung) and a pleurectomy from which he made a good recovery. To my knowledge this is the first report of a spontaneous pneumothorax associated with any form of dancing. Presumably lying on his back with his legs fully flexed increased his abdominal pressure, and possibly combined with a Valsalva manouevre, this was enough to rupture one of the bullae. Although it was the presence of bullae that was responsible for the pneumothoraces, the risk (albeit small) of pneumothorax should now be added to the list of conditions associated with break dancing.


It is not frequent to find testimonies on legal cases in which electronic government has reality by means of the development of concrete applications. The article shows one of those cases, while exposing the essential features of the theory that has allowed its referral to the secure telematic transmission of notifications between the Tribunals and the Procurators in Spain. The theory is a communicative theory of the Law. The paper exposes that case and theory to demonstrate the virtue of the latter; both are coherent with the existence of agreements, consent or acceptance of the application, carried out by the participant institutions. Concerning the circumstance whwere professionals have intervened in the construction of the application that formed in an appropriate technical and legal curriculum, they have known how to put theory into action for solving a real case.


Scale deposit formation in drainage systems of railway tunnels represents a major challenge for their functionality and maintenance. The removal of these scale deposits causes high costs and restrictions of system availability. Effective measures to reduce scale deposit formation range from specification of the composition and structure of building materials to the application of tailored prevention and cleaning strategies. This requires advanced knowledge of the origin and type of scale deposits. The aim of this study is a systematic compilation, characterization, classification, and evaluation of scale deposits in relation to their formation mechanisms and the influence of variable environmental factors. The scale deposits from the 16 investigated tunnels mainly consist of the minerals calcite, aragonite, brucite as well as iron (hydr)oxides and detrital components. Four major types of scale deposits are distinguished: (i) unconsolidated‐particulate, (ii) shard‐like, (iii) porous, and (iv) compact scales. Types (ii) to (iv) show clear indications of microbial activity affecting the formation and appearance of individual deposits by various metabolic processes. The determining factors for the formation of scales – in addition to the geogenic composition of the aqueous solutions in the drainage system (groundwater / surface water) – are the variable interaction of these waters with the binding agents of the building materials used and the tunnel atmosphere. Geogenic conditions and technical‐operational specifications of a tunnel determine the type and character of scale deposits, which can be actively influenced based on the case‐specific reaction mechanisms by individual adaptations of environmental conditions.


ABSTRACT The Upper Jurassic to Eocene Apulia Platform margin and the eastward transition to the adjacent basinal deposits are well exposed in the Gargano Promontory (southern Italy), a carbonate block that is part of the slightly deformed foreland of the southern Apennine thrust belt. The long-term stratigraphy of this margin and slope transect is punctuated by five major dynamic phenomena that subdivide the succession into six second-order sequences. These events include (1) a Valanginian drowning unconformity, (2) an early Aptian-Albian drowning and demise of the platform, (3) late Albian-Cenomanian platform-margin failures, (4) a Santonian-Campanian retreat of the platform margin, and (5) Eocene uplift and platform-margin collapse. The first event is documented worldwide and is probably eustatic in origin. The second is concomitant with some oceanic anoxic events (OAE). The last three processes are probably related to foreland reaction to subduction and collision in the Dinarides and Hellenides thrust belts. The ultimate cause of the Albian-Cenomanian failures is more problematic. A worldwide eustatic regression is documented at this time, but regional geology seems to favor tectonic uplift.


Random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to study genetic variation within Oesophagostomum bifurcum in Ghana. Four different decamer primers were used for the amplification of DNA from individual O. bifurcum adults (n = 41) from humans and nonhuman primates (including the Mona monkey, Patas monkey and Olive baboon) from different geographical regions. Analysis of the amplicons from all 41 nematodes by high resolution, denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis defined a total of 326 informative RAPD bands. Cluster analysis of the RAPD data (based on pairwise comparison of banding profiles) showed that O. bifurcum from humans was genetically distinct from O. bifurcum from the Mona and Patas monkey, and from the Olive baboon. These findings clearly demonstrate the existence of population genetic substructuring within O. bifurcum from different primate hosts in Ghana, raising interesting questions about host specifity, epidemiology (e.g. zoonotic transmission) and ecology of the different genotypes of O. bifurcum.


At their core, markets are exchange structures between producers and consumers, and products are a key element that connects them together. Many new markets emerge in direct ideological opposition to incumbent industries. Yet, the ways in which ideology affects products in oppositional markets are not well understood. We propose that when audiences cannot easily differentiate between products based on physical attributes, they rely on ideological discourse about the production process. We argue that product names, by embodying linguistically the narrative of this discourse, shape the appeal of oppositional products to customers. When products have names that are congruent with the collective identity of an oppositional market, they have higher appeal. This beneficial effect is attenuated 1 when audience expectations about what type of product should have an oppositional name are violated and 2 when a firm develops a strong organizational identity and audiences rely on this identity to make inference about the firm's production process. We find support for this theorizing in the longitudinal analyses of product appeal in the U.S. craft beer industry, 1996-2012.


Rationale: Abnormal behavior of the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) has been linked to cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure (HF) after myocardial infarction (MI). It has been proposed that protein kinase A (PKA) hyperphosphorylation of the RyR2 at a single residue, Ser-2808, is a critical mediator of RyR dysfunction, depressed cardiac performance, and HF after MI. Objective: We used a mouse model (RyRS2808A) in which PKA hyperphosphorylation of the RyR2 at Ser-2808 is prevented to determine whether loss of PKA phosphorylation at this site averts post MI cardiac pump dysfunction. Methods and Results: MI was induced in wild-type (WT) and S2808A mice. Myocyte and cardiac function were compared in WT and S2808A animals before and after MI. The effects of the PKA activator Isoproterenol (Iso) on L-type Ca 2 (cid:1) current ( I CaL ), contractions, and [Ca 2 (cid:1) ] I transients were also measured. Both WT and S2808A mice had depressed pump function after MI, and there were no differences between groups. MI size was also identical in both groups. L type Ca 2 (cid:1) current, contractions, Ca 2 (cid:1) transients, and SR Ca 2 (cid:1) load were also not significantly different in WT versus S2808A myocytes either before or after MI. Iso effects on Ca 2 (cid:1) current, contraction, Ca 2 (cid:1) transients, and SR Ca 2 (cid:1) load were identical in WT and S2808A myocytes before and after MI at both low and high concentrations. Conclusions: These results strongly support the idea that PKA phosphorylation of RyR-S2808 is irrelevant to the development of cardiac dysfunction after MI, at least in the mice used in this study. ( Circ Res . 2012;110:831-840.)


To clarify the cooking losses of minerals (sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper), various food materials were analyzed before and after cooking, and the following results were obtained. (1) The mineral contents of cooked foods in mass cooking were on an average about 60-70 percent of those in raw or uncooked foods. (2) Cooking losses were particularly high in minerals of vegetables. (3) Among various cooking methods, loss of mineral was largest in squeezing after boil and in soaking in water after thin slice, followed by parching, frying and stewing. (4) Cooking losses of minerals in meals cooked in home brought about the similar results as those by the mass cooking procedures. (5) The measures to prevent cooking loss are (a) eating the boiled food with the soup, (b) addition of small amount of salt (about 1% NaCl) in boiling, (c) avoidance of too much boiling, (d) selection of a cooking method causing less mineral loss (stewing, frying or parching).


Background Visual impairment and blindness from diabetic retinopathy (DR), which can be reduced by early screening and treatment, is an emerging public health concern in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) owing to the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, no systematic screening exists in most LMIC settings. The Western province of Sri Lanka has the highest prevalence of DM (18.6%) in the country. A situational analysis identified a marked gap in DR screening (DRS) and treatment services uptake in this region; only opportunistic screening is practiced currently. Objective The aim of this protocol is to describe the methods of development and validation of a DRS intervention using a hand-held nonmydriatic digital camera by physician graders in a non-ophthalmological setting at a tertiary-level medical clinic to propose a valid and feasible modality to improve uptake. Methods DRS modality was developed after assessing barriers and identifying the most appropriate personnel, methods, and location for screening services, following formative research work. The validation will be conducted in a public sector tertiary care center in the Western province of Sri Lanka. The selected physicians will be trained on capturing and grading images according to a valid locally adopted protocol. Two physicians rated high on training will screen a sample of 506 people with DM at a medical clinic. They will use nonmydriatic and mydriatic 2-field imaging strategy. The validity of the proposed screening procedure will be assessed and compared with the mydriatic indirect biomicroscopic examination by a senior retinologist. Results The validity of screening by physician graders will be analyzed and the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values (with 95% CIs) calculated by the dilation status and for each grader. The diagnostic accuracy at each level of severity of DR will be assessed to define the most appropriate referable criteria. Data is currently being collected. Conclusions The outcome of this study will be useful for the detection of a defined level of DR at non-ophthalmological setting to filter the people with DM before referral to an eye clinic. This will be helpful to improve the uptake and identify risk groups in advance to prevent sight-threatening DR. Furthermore, evidence from this study will be useful for the implementation of a DRS program in this region and in similar communities. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/10900


The airways of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are often chronically colonised with a diverse array of bacterial and fungal species. However, little is known about the relative partitioning of species between the planktonic and biofilm modes of growth in the airways. Existing in vivo and in vitro models of CF airway infection are ill-suited for the long-term recapitulation of mixed microbial communities. Here we describe a simple, in vitro continuous-flow model for the cultivation of polymicrobial biofilms and planktonic cultures on different substrata. Our data provide evidence for inter-species antagonism and synergism in biofilm ecology. We further show that the type of substratum on which the biofilms grow has a profound influence on their species composition. This happens without any major alteration in the composition of the surrounding steady-state planktonic community. Our experimentally-tractable model enables the systematic study of planktonic and biofilm communities under conditions that are nutritionally reminiscent of the CF airway microenvironment, something not possible using any existing in vivo models of CF airway infection.


Moisture is one of the critical abiotic factors that can affect mould growth. Indoor humidity is typically fluctuating, which renders a transient water supply for mould growth. Understanding mould growth under water dynamics and its underlying mechanisms can help in the development of novel and sustainable mould prevention strategies. In this study, pre-germination and germinated spores of Cladosporium cladosporioides were exposed to daily wet-dry cycles with different combinations of wetting and drying duration. Afterwards, growth delay, cellular H2 O2 concentration and catalase (CAT) activity were measured and compared. We found that under wet-dry cycles, the longer the growth delay was observed, the higher the cellular H2 O2 concentration was detected, with the 12-12 wet-dry cycle (12-h-wet and 12-h-dry) showing the longest growth delay and highest cellular H2 O2 production. A positive correlation between cellular H2 O2 concentration and growth delay was suggested by Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis (p < 0.0001, R2 = 0.85). Furthermore, under wet-dry cycles, moulds derived from pre-germination spores generally exhibited shorter growth delay, lower cellular H2 O2 concentration and higher CAT activity than moulds developed from germinated spores. These results together suggest that the growth delay of C. cladosporioides under water dynamics is associated with oxidative stress.


The growing demand for ultra low power applications has drawn interest in low voltage digital circuits, operating in the near-threshold region. Asynchronous circuits, operating with near-threshold supply voltages, are more attractive than their synchronous counterparts due to higher resilience to PVT variations. This paper presents a novel ultra-low power C-element, which is a basic building block in common asynchronous circuits. The proposed C-element is based on a Supply Feedback concept, implemented in a cross-coupled inverter latch. Utilization of this concept enables functionality under local and global variations down to 0.3V. The cell was designed using a standard low-power 40nm technology. Simulation results show a 5.8X–24X leakage reduction at 300mV as compared to a conventional Weak Feedback C-element operating at its minimal VDD. Monte Carlo simulations prove that the proposed cell remains fully functional under global and local process variations.


What is the cause of death in high obstruction? Why is it that a simple obstruction of the large intestine is compatible with life for a long time, while obstruction of the small intestine is rapidly fatal? A tremendous amount of work has been done on this subject, which in turn has given rise to a multitude of theories, hardly two of which coincide. As in all problems for which a great number of explanations are offered, it is safe to assume that no one of them is entirely correct. Also, no theory has given rise to any practical means of preventing death after the condition has once fully established itself. In other words, no real advantage to the patient has accrued from this great mass of work. All medical and surgical research should have practical application as its ultimate goal. This goal is still in the dim distance as


Railway track stiffness is an important track property which can help with the identification of maintenance related problems. Railway track stiffness can currently be measured using stationary equipment or specialised low-speed vehicles. The concept of using trains in regular service to measure track stiffness has the potential to provide inexpensive daily 'drive-by' track monitoring to complement data collected by less-frequent monitoring techniques. A method is proposed in this paper for the detection of track stiffness variation through an analysis of vehicle accelerations resulting from the vehicle–track dynamic interaction. The cross-entropy optimisation technique is applied to determine the track stiffness profile, which generates a vehicle response that best fits the measured vertical accelerations of a railway carriage bogie. Numerical validation of the concept is achieved by using a two-dimensional half-bogie dynamic model, representing a railway vehicle, to infer a global track stiffness profile along a track. The track stiffness measurement algorithm is implemented in Matlab. This paper reports the results of the numerical simulations. The proposed method gives good estimates of the track stiffness. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time an optimisation technique has been applied to the determination of railway track stiffness.


Introduction: Nivolumab (nivo) is a fully human IgG4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1). Nivo has demonstrated clinical activity and an acceptable safety profile in a phase 1b study (NCT01592370; CheckMate 039) in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies. In pts diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), after a median 86 weeks of follow-up, 7/20 responders maintained a response for >1.5 years (Ansell S et al. Blood 2015;126:583), and after a median follow-up of 67 weeks, clinical activity (investigator-assessed objective response rate) was demonstrated in follicular lymphoma (FL; 40%), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL; 36%), mycosis fungoides (15%), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL; 40%) (Lesokhin AM et al. J Clin Oncol 2016;34:2698). CheckMate 039 also included a cohort of pts who had received nivo in combination with ipilimumab (ipi), a fully human mAb targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4). Combination of CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade has shown superior efficacy compared with nivo or ipi alone in preclinical studies and solid tumor malignancies (Wolchok JD et al. N Engl J Med 2013;369:122; Larkin JM et al. N Engl J Med 2015;373:22; Antonia SJ et al. Lancet Oncol 2016;17:883). The aim of this cohort study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined immune checkpoint blockade (nivo+ipi) in pts with the following hematologic malignancies: HL, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL; FL and DLBCL), T-cell NHL (T-NHL; cutaneous T-cell lymphoma [CTCL] and PTCL]), and multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: Nivo+ipi were given at 3 mg/kg IV and 1 mg/kg IV, respectively, every 3 weeks for 4 doses, followed by nivo monotherapy (3 mg/kg) every 2 weeks for up to 2 years. Pts with any of the above histologies, relapsed or refractory disease after ≥2 prior lines of therapy, and adequate organ function were included in the study. Prior systemic therapy may have included chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT). Prior anti-PD-1 therapy and allogeneic (allo)-HSCT were not permitted. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR), best overall response, duration of response (DOR), and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: In total, 65 pts were treated with nivo+ipi (31 HL, 15 B-NHL, 11 T-NHL, 7 MM, and 1 with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma [PMBL] who was included in the overall safety cohort only). Median (range) number of prior systemic therapies was 4 (2, 10; HL), 3, (1, 16; B-NHL), 4 (1, 11; T-NHL), and 5 (2, 20; MM). Among patients with HL, only 13% (4/31) had prior auto-HSCT. 2 pts with HL and 1 with T-NHL proceeded to allo-HSCT after stopping study therapy. Across all cohorts, median follow-up was 11.4 months. 5 pts (8%) discontinued due to a drug-related adverse event (AE). The most common drug-related AEs of any grade were fatigue (17 pts [26%]), pyrexia (15 [23%]), and diarrhea (12 [18%]). 19 pts (29%) had a drug-related AE of grade ≥3. 31 pts (48%) had a serious AE. 24 pts (37%) died: HL 2 pts, B-NHL 11, T-NHL 6, MM 4, PMBL 1. Among those pts, 22 (34%) were from disease progression (HL 2 pts, B-NHL 10, T-NHL 5, MM 4, PMBL 1); no deaths were due to an AE. Clinical outcome data are presented (Table) . Conclusions: These are the first reported data of combination checkpoint blockade therapy in hematologic malignancies. Overall, the combination of nivo+ipi in these heavily pretreated patients demonstrated a safety and efficacy profile similar to that previously reported for nivo monotherapy in HL, NHL, and MM. Additional follow-up may further clarify the role of ipi in this cohort of patients. In this predominantly transplant-naive group of patients with HL, the efficacy of nivo+ipi was similar to that seen in patients with relapsed/refractory HL treated with nivo alone. Funding: Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). Medical writing: S Addison, Caudex, funded by BMS Disclosures Ansell: BMS, Seattle Genetics, Merck, Celldex and Affimed: Research Funding. Gutierrez: Bayer Health Care Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Other: Traveling and Lodging- Food and Beverage; E.R. Squibb & Sons, LLC (Bristol Myers Squibb): Consultancy, Other: Travel and Lodging; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy; Pfizer Inc: Consultancy; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corporation: Consultancy, Other: Travel and Lodging; Pharmacyclics LLC, An AbbVie Company: Other: Food and Beverage. Shipp: Cell Signaling: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Merck, Gilead, Takeda: Other: Scientific Advisory Board. Moskowitz: Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics, Merck: Consultancy. Borello: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Popa-Mckiver: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Employment, Equity Ownership. Farsaci: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Employment. Zhu: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Employment. Armand: Sequenta Inc: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Roche: Research Funding; Merck: Consultancy, Research Funding.


Context. The role played by interaction on galaxy formation and evolution continues to be debated. Several questions remain open, among them whether, and to what extent, galaxy interaction induce nuclear activity, as theoretical predictions, so far, have not been adequately supported by observations. Part of the uncertainty affecting the observational results is likely to be due to the limited sizes and the inhomogeneity of the samples. Aims. Galaxy pairs are ideal sites in which to investigate the role of interaction on nuclear activity, since the proximity, in redshift and in projected separation, between members make interaction and encounters highly probable. For this reason we have undertaken a spectroscopic survey of a large homogeneous sample of galaxy pairs (UZC-BGP) selected applying an objective neighbour search algorithm to a 3D galaxy catalog (UZC). Methods. We present the results of the nuclear spectral classification, performed using standard diagnostic diagrams, of 48 UZC-BGPs, which represents more than half of the whole sample and has an excellent morphological match with it. Results. The fraction of emission line galaxies in our pair sample is large, especially among spirals where it reaches 84% and 95%, for early and late spirals. Star Burst (SB) is the most frequent type of nuclear activity encountered (30% of galaxies), while AGNs (Active Galactic Nuclei) make only 19%. The fractions increase to 45% and 22% when considering only spirals. Late spirals are characterized by both an unusual increase (35%) of AGN activity and high luminosity (44% have MB < −20.0 + 5l ogh). LLAGNs (Low Luminosity AGNs) are only 8% of the total number of galaxies, but this kind of activity could be present in another 10% of the galaxies (LLAGN candidates). If confirmed, these candidates would make LLAGNs constitute a significant fraction of the whole AGN (LLAGN + AGN) population, and raise the AGN population as a whole to 37%. Absorption line galaxies reside mostly (61%) in S0 galaxies and display the lowest B luminosity in the sample; only 18% of them have MB < −20 + 5l ogh, but together with LLAGNs (candidates included) they are the most massive galaxies in the sample. Intense-SB nuclei are found in galaxy pairs with galaxy-galaxy projected separation of up to 160 h −1 kpc suggesting that in bright isolated galaxy pairs interaction may be at work and effective up to that distance. Conclusions. AGNs are characterized by an advanced morphological type while the SB phenomenon occurs with the same frequency in early and late spirals. Whether and how these unusual characteristics relate to the pair environment needs to be further investigated. LLAGNs and LLAGN candidates do not always show similar properties; the former are more luminous in B, richer in early-type (E-S0s) galaxies, and half of them are hosted in galaxies showing visible signs of interaction with fainter companions. This last finding suggests that minor interactions might be a driving mechanism for a fraction of LLAGNs. The differences between LLAGNs and LLAGN candidates might confirm the heterogeneous nature of this class of objects.


The objective of this work was to study the sodium alkali(Na2S03) FGD process in a pilot-scale column packed column of diameter 0.4m. Main operating conditions affecting SO2 removal efficiency were investigated experimentally. These conditions include pH value of the absorption solution, liquid-gas ratio, superficial gas velocity, inlet SO2 concentration, temperature of absorption solution and initial Na2SO3 molar concentration. The relation between the ratio of desulfurization and every parameter was investigated. And the suitable operational conditions of SO2 absorption in lab are recommended. The experimental results show that SO2 removal efficiency may be over 80% under the following conditions: pH=6-7,L/G=1-2L/m3, gas superficial velocity is 1-1.5m/s, absorption solution temperature is under 50°C,initial [Na2SO3]≈0.3-0.5mol/L,and SO2 initial concentration is 4300 mg/m3. The experimental data can provide the necessary basic data for the design and operation of the practical desulfurization equipments.


The hospitalist model was founded on the premise that it could improve the quality and reduce the cost of hospital care. Many randomized studies have all but definitively proven this original assertion. Nevertheless, the hospitalist specialty raises lingering classical ethical issues: protecting the patient-physician relationship in an environment of increasing specialization and discontinuity of care, preserving patient autonomy and choice when structural changes are made in the provision of care, and ensuring that a model founded on efficiency and cost-effectiveness does not erode the public trust in hospitalists to always serve their patients' best interests. This work aims to serve as an update of these initial criticisms, showing how some questions have been answered, while some have not.


A polyvalent OH conjugate for Salmonella O groups A through I, K, L, and O was prepared and tested against pure cultures of salmonellae, nonsalmonellae, and a variety of food, fecal, and environmental specimens. Examination of pure cultures revealed that the conjugate gave negligible staining with representative strains of Shigella, Proteus, Providence, Serratia, and Pseudomonas. However, it stained 12% of the Escherichia coli and Citrobacter freundii strains and 36% of the Arizona strains. Over 1,200 specimens of various types were examined by both fluorescent-antibody (FA) and cultural procedures. Results indicate that, when used with discretion, FA screening can be a useful tool for rapid presumptive indication of the presence of salmonellae. The need for careful selection of strains used for preparing antisera and the importance of adequate evaluation of Salmonella FA reagents are discussed.


We performed a near-infrared spectroscopic survey toward an area of ∼10 deg2 of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with the infrared satellite AKARI. Observations were carried out as part of the AKARI Large-area Survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LSLMC). The slitless multi-object spectroscopic capability of the AKARI/IRC enabled us to obtain low-resolution (R ∼ 20) spectra in 2–5 μm for a large number of point sources in the LMC. As a result of the survey, we extracted about 2000 infrared spectra of point sources. The data are organized as a near-infrared spectroscopic catalog. The catalog includes various infrared objects such as young stellar objects (YSOs), asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, supergiants, and so on. It is shown that 97% of the catalog sources have corresponding photometric data in the wavelength range from 1.2 to 11 μm, and 67% of the sources also have photometric data up to 24 μm. The catalog allows us to investigate near-infrared spectral features of sources by comparison with their infrared spectral energy distributions. In addition, it is estimated that about 10% of the catalog sources are observed at more than two different epochs. This enables us to study a spectroscopic variability of sources by using the present catalog. Initial results of source classifications for the LSLMC samples are presented. We classified 659 LSLMC spectra based on their near-infrared spectral features by visual inspection. As a result, it is shown that the present catalog includes 7 YSOs, 160 C-rich AGBs, 8 C-rich AGB candidates, 85 O-rich AGBs, 122 blue and yellow supergiants, 150 red super giants, and 128 unclassified sources. Distributions of the classified sources on the color–color and color–magnitude diagrams are discussed in the text. Continuous wavelength coverage and high spectroscopic sensitivity in 2–5 μm can only be achieved by space observations. This is an unprecedented large-scale spectroscopic survey toward the LMC in the near-infrared. A large number of near-infrared spectral data provided by the survey possess scientific potential that can be applied to various studies. In this paper, we present the details of the spectroscopic survey and the catalog, and discuss its scientific applications.


We congratulate the authors (henceforth LSD) on a long overdue, detailed review of the connection between the AIPW estimators derived in the incomplete data context via semiparametric theory by Robins, Rotnitzky, and colleagues and the survey calibration estimators used widely in survey sampling. Although this connection has been noted previously (e.g. Robins & Rotnitzky, 1998; Rotnitzky, 2009), the present article appears to be the first in the statistical literature to offer a more comprehensive account. We had only a passing familiarity with this connection, and we are grateful to the editors for the opportunity to offer this discussion, whose preparation required us to acquire a deeper understanding. In what follows, we hope to complement the presentation of LSD by highlighting some further relationships and differences between the two perspectives. The paper by Lumley, Shaw, and Dai (LSD) provides insights into previous work on estimation in some problems with incomplete data. A variety of techniques exists in the survey sampling and general statistical literature for addressing missing data, or for "strengthening" estimation of a target parameter through the use of auxiliary data. These techniques include various methods of imputation, calibration, post-stratification, weighting, and modelling. A number of authors have previously discussed connections among methods. For example, Zhang (2000) considers calibration, post-stratification and regression estimation in survey contexts; Kang & Schafer (2007) and Robins et al. (2007) discuss doubly robust (DR) estimating functions, stratification and regression estimation. reveal bewildering of approaches, the performance of which can depend on many factors including the (approximate) validity of modelling the nature the parameters the strengths association among fully and incompletely observed variables, the pattern and nature of the missingness. we discern LSD convenient,


The use of equity crowdfunding as a source of financing has rapidly gained traction. The key motivation of funders on such equity crowdfunding platforms (ECPs) is high financial returns, which is also associated with greater risk for all stakeholders: creators, funders and ECPs. We explore legal risk mitigation by ECPs in this paper and develop a taxonomy of legally mitigated risks. Content analysis of Terms of Service and Privacy Policy contracts of 17 most popular ECPs each, results in 544 references of legally mitigated risks and a taxonomy of 12 first level items and 18 second level items. We find that platforms fear and mitigate for risks associated with Information Security and Third Party most. The importance attached to Third Party risks is especially interesting. This theory and experience based systematic and comprehensive taxonomy of legally mitigated risks would not only help users understand a rapidly evolving phenomenon but also will help regulators monitor compliance issues.


The study of students' entrepreneurial intentions and the influencing factors is especially relevant for the development of education programmes, as is the monitoring of those programmes to assess whether they are effective and what their impact has been. Building upon insights from Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour, a control-group longitudinal design was used to investigate the impact of participation in the "Entrepreneurs" programme, offered by  the University of Castilla-La Mancha, in Spain, with the sponsorship of regional institutions. The methodology involved the completion of a questionnaire at the end of the course and a follow-up questionnaire six months later to establish if the effect of the course had been maintained or not after this period. The study found that participants in the programme had higher levels of self-efficacy at the end of it, and that these levels had been maintained over time. They also displayed greater entrepreneurial intention after a period of time than non-participants. However, after six months, the participants perceived greater difficulties in the environment, thus reducing the feasibility of entrepreneurship as a career option. Despite this, entrepreneurial intention was higher than for the control group and increased over time with regard to creativity. The conclusions and implications of these results are discussed in the final section of this paper.


Because the reforms under the Affordable Care Act of 2010 will leave an estimated twenty million or more people still uninsured, some Americans will continue to seek care at low or no cost through existing safety-net systems. To identify appropriate care models, this comparative case study assessed the costs of care provided by four large, well-structured, comprehensive safety-net programs for the uninsured in Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, and Texas. The average monthly resource cost-including the value of referred, donated, and in-kind services-in these model programs was $141-$209 per adult in 2008. This was 25-50 percent less than the estimated cost of care for comparison groups covered by local Medicaid programs or by private insurance that provided similar services. Although these programs' services are somewhat less comprehensive than those of generous insurance plans, the findings suggest that these model safety-net programs could be adapted to provide an alternative type of coverage for the uninsured, including both low-income and middle-class people.


Studying the optimal subsection of distribution networks feeders, a subsection scheme synthesizing load and the length of subsections is presented. Hierarchical data envelopment analysis (DEA) method is proposed for multi-objective evaluation of subsection schemes. First, the scientific assessment system is established by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the weights of assessment criteria are derived from the judgment matrix. Secondly, the actual index data is used to structure DEA model, the schemes are evaluated quantificational with regard to different assessment criteria. Finally, each scheme is evaluated comprehensively. Using this method and the evaluation system to evaluate the subsection schemes, the evaluation results show that the assessment method is scientific and effective; the subsection method presented in this paper can better meet the economic and reliability requirements and is simple and practical.


We performed a survey of 109 patients with Wilson disease (male 57, female 52; mean age, 34 years [range, 8-67]; mean age of diagnosis, 12 years [range, 2-50]). Among these, 73 and 59 patients were diagnosed and currently seen by pediatricians, respectively, and 10 and 29 were diagnosed and currently seen by gastroenterologists, respectively. These numbers suggest that the number of patients currently being treated by pediatricians has decreased, while those currently being treated by gastroenterologists has increased, as compared with a diagnostician. Thirty-four percent (28/82) of patients aged (cid:2) 15 years have transitioned from pediatric to adult care; 10 were dissatisfied with their current physicians for reasons such as not having sufficient knowledge about Wilson disease. Sixty-six percent (54/82) of patients were still treated by their pediatricians (mean age, 33 years). These results suggest that problems at transition include independence support to the patients, pro-vision of disease information, and cooperation with Wilson disease-related organizations.


Salmonella is a Gram negative bacillus that behaves like a facultative intracellular pathogen. Its environment is the human and animal gastrointestinal tracts, it is never found like a normal microbiota. It is associated with gastrointestinal problems, septicaemic disease and abortion, due to its cellular invasion capacity and its intraphagocytic survival. Nowadays, it is known that Salmonella contains five pathogenicity islands. Several genes involved in the cellular invasion of nonphagocytic cells such as epithelial cells, apoptosis of macrophages, activation of routes of MAP kinases and transcription factors are located in centisome 63, constituting the pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1). The SPI-2 and SPI-3 islands control the intracellular survival and replication. The SPI-4 island encodes a putative type I secretion system and its believed that it participates in the intracellular survival. Finally, the SPI-5 island encodes for factors involved in the fluid secretion and inflammatory reaction in the intestinal mucosa. Due to a coordinated and precise regulation of the Salmonella genes, it allows for adaptation to environmental changes that occur during an inflammatory process.


Lactation records from 396,534 pedigree Holstein and Holstein-Friesian primiparous cows from 6,985 UK milk recorded herds, calving for the first time during the period between the 1st of January 2006 and the 31st of December 2008, were examined in order to determine the associations between age at first calving (AFC) and subsequent production, udder health, fertility and survivability parameters. Heifers were grouped by AFC into single month classes ranging from 21 to 42 months. Mixed effects multivariable regression modelling was used for data analysis. Mean and median AFC were 29.1 and 28 months respectively. Within the study, only 48,567 heifers (12.3% of the studied population) calved for the first time at 24 months of age or younger. 162,157 heifers (40.9%) were 30 months or older at their first calving. An increased AFC was associated with increased first lactation milk, fat and protein yields. The lowest predicted mean 305-day yield (6,617kgs; 95% confidence interval (CI): 6,546–6,687 kgs) was recorded for the 21 month AFC class, significantly lower than any other class. The 36 month AFC class had the highest predicted mean (7,774 kgs; 95% CI: 7,737–7,811 kgs). However, an increased AFC was also associated with increased calving interval and increased first lactation somatic cell count (SCC). Animals calving at 21 months had a predicted mean lactation SCC of 72,765 (95% CI: 68427–77378). Animals calving at 36 months of age had a predicted mean lactation SCC of 86,648 (95% CI: 84,499–88,853). Importantly, an increased AFC was also associated with decreased lifetime daily milk yield and decreased likelihood of calving for a second successive time. Animals calving at 22 months of age had a predicted mean daily lifetime milk yield of 15.24 kgs (95% CI: 15.06–15.35); animals calving at 36 months of age had a predicted mean daily lifetime milk yield of 12.83 kgs (95% CI: 12.76–12.91). Our results highlight the importance of achieving a lower age at first calving which was here associated with improved udder health, increased lifetime daily milk yield, improved reproductive performance and increased likelihood of calving for a second time.


Title: A comparative study of the diagnostic accuracy on Waters view with CT scan in detecting midface fractures Authors: Panjnoush M. Assistant Professor*, Shirani Gh. Assistant Professor**, Jozghanbari P. Assistant Professor*** Address: *Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences **Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences ***Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences Background and Aim: In recent years, CT scan has become available as an alternative to conventional radiography. To date, the utility of Waters view in detecting midface fractures has been rarely evaluated. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of Waters radiography with CT scan in detecting midface fractures. Materials and Methods: In this tests evaluation study, waters view and CT scan were performed for 42 patients with midface fracture admitted to maxillofacial surgery department of Shariati hospital. All images were observed and interpreted by an oral and maxillofacial radiologist and an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Sensitivity, specificity and reliability for Waters view in detecting midface fractures were assessed by Cohen's kappa test. Results: Sensitivity and specificity for Waters view in detection of midface fratures by the radiologist were 31.79% and 95.35% and by the surgeon were 29.59% and 93.75% respectively. The highest reliability in CT scan and Waters view (in nasal fractures) by the radiologist was 66.67% and was 58.33% by the surgeon in buttress of zygoma. The highest agreement rate between the radiologist and the surgeon for CT scan was in zygomatic arch (78.95%) and for Waters view was in nasal fracture (62.5%). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the specificity of Waters view is sufficient to diagnose fractures of lateral orbital wall, infraorbital rim, orbital floor, zygomatic arch, frontozygomatic suture, lateral wall of maxillary sinus and Lefort II fracture. The specificity is not sufficient to diagnose fractures of medial orbital wall and anterior, posterior and medial wall of maxillary sinus. Detection of these midface fractures needs other conventional radiographies or CT scan.


A sensitive, accurate and rapid analysis of major nutrients in aquatic systems is essential for monitoring and maintaining healthy aquatic environments. In particular, monitoring ammonium (NH(4)(+)) concentrations is necessary for maintenance of many fish stocks, while accurate monitoring and regulation of ammonium, orthophosphate (PO(4)(3-)), silicate (Si(OH)(4)) and nitrate (NO(3)(-)) concentrations are required for regulating algae production. Monitoring of wastewater streams is also required for many aquaculture, municipal and industrial wastewater facilities to comply with local, state or federal water quality effluent regulations. Traditional methods for quantifying these nutrient concentrations often require laborious techniques or expensive specialized equipment making these analyses difficult. Here we present four alternative microcolorimetric assays that are based on a standard 96-well microplate format and microplate reader that simplify the quantification of each of these nutrients. Each method uses small sample volumes (200 µL), has a detection limit ≤ 1 µM in freshwater and ≤ 2 µM in saltwater, precision of at least 8% and compares favorably with standard analytical procedures. Routine use of these techniques in the laboratory and at an aquaculture facility to monitor nutrient concentrations associated with microalgae growth demonstrates that they are rapid, accurate and highly reproducible among different users. These techniques offer an alternative to standard nutrient analyses and because they are based on the standard 96-well format, they significantly decrease the cost and time of processing while maintaining high precision and sensitivity.


In this paper, a nickel-based amorphous composite coating was obtained on the carbon steel surface by the laser cladding process. The thermal field and stress distribution were simulated by using ANSYS finite element software where the moving heat source and powder feeding were modelled by the "Element birth and death" method. The simulation results were verified by comparing the cross-sectional profile of fusion lines and X-ray stress measurements, respectively. The results on thermal field showed that the cooling rate of the coating could reach up to 10389.15 K/s and it gradually decreased from the outside surface to the interior, which promoted the formation of amorphous phase. The simulated stress field showed that the coating was in the state of tensile stress after cladding and the longitudinal stress was larger than the transverse stress. The coating was experienced with tensile plastic deformation along the laser scanning direction, which resulted in longitudinal residual stress. A higher stress concentration was occurred between the coating layer and substrate, which increased the susceptibility of crack formation. The test results on transverse residual stress were generally consistent with the simulation. On the contrary, the measured longitudinal stress was nearly close to zero, which was not in agreement with the model due to the formation of cracks.


Our knowledge of tropical ant fauna is mainly based on samples collected in forest understory or in the soil. In this study, we describe a low-cost trap which is easy to produce and install to sample arboreal ants in forest vertical strata. We also present empirical evidences of the usefulness and effectiveness of such trap providing an example from results obtained in Pantanal forest patches.


In hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) stained sections from liver biopsies, the destruction of bile ducts in the portal triads is regarded as an important histologic parameter in the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). In contrast, the bile ducts are not destroyed by chronic inflammation in chronic active hepatitis (CAH). Nevertheless, the differential histologic diagnosis between PBC and virus or autoinmune-induced chronic active hepatitis (CAH), is very difficult in 15% of cases. That difficulty is mainly due to the impossibility of identifying bile ducts in the portal triads with marked lymphocytic infiltration. In this investigation we report that bile ducts may be specifically stained by anti-human cytokeratin 7 (CK7). Sections from 16 liver biopsies (PBC = 6, CAH = 6 and fatty liver (FL) = 4) were stained with H and E and CK7. The results in H and E stained sections indicated that the mean number of bile ducts found in PBC was was 0.56 (range 0-2), in CAH 0.67 (range 1-3), and in FL 0.56 (range 1-3). In parallel CK7 stained sections, the mean number of bile ducts in PBC was 5.33 (range 2-35), in CAH 3.44 (range 4-18), and in FL 1.39 (range 2-6). The difference between H and E and CK7 stained sections was significant (p < 0.001) in all 3 groups. In the light of these preliminary results, it would appear that Cytokeratin 7 may be the stain of choice to detect bile ducts, an important parameter to histologically differentiate between PBC and CAH, as well as to classify PBC into its different stages.


The HCCI combustion process is highly reliant upon a favorable in-cylinder thermal environment in an engine, for a given fuel. Commercial fuels can differ considerably in composition and auto-ignition chemistry, hence strategies intended to bring HCCI to market must account for this fuel variability.To this end, a test matrix consisting of eight gasoline fuels comprised of blends made solely from refinery streams were run in an experimental, single cylinder HCCI engine. All fuels contained 10% ethanol by volume and were representative of a cross-section of fuels one would expect to find at gasoline pumps across the United States. The properties of the fuels were varied according to research octane number (RON), sensitivity (S=RON-MON) and volumetric content of aromatics and olefins.For each fuel, a sweep of load (mass of fuel injected per cycle) was conducted and the intake air temperature was adjusted in order to keep the crank angle of the 50% mass fraction burned point (CA50) constant. By analyzing the amount of temperature compensation required to maintain constant combustion phasing, it was possible to determine the sensitivity of HCCI to changes in load for various fuels.In addition, the deviation of fuel properties brought about variations in important engine performance metrics like specific fuel consumption. Though the injected energy content per cycle was matched at the baseline point across the test fuel matrix, thermodynamic differences resulted in a spread of specific fuel consumption for the fuels tested.Copyright © 2012 by ASME