Background Infectious disease hospitals (IDHs) play very important roles in the battle against the infectious disease. The present study aims to systematically analyze the development trends and possible problems of IDHs in China. Methods Most of the data came from the China Health Statistics Yearbook 2003–2019. Joinpoint Regression Model was used to analyze the development trends of IDHs between 2002 and 2018. Results From 2002 to 2018, the number of IDHs in China increased from 126 to 167, with an average annual percent change (AAPC) of 1.82%. The ratio of nurses to beds increased from 0.38 to 0.46 with the AAPC of 0.88%, and average business housing area per bed increased with an AAPC of 1.97%. The percentage of liabilities to total assets increased year by year and the percentage of medical business costs to total expenditure decreased. The segmented trend of daily visits per physician from 2014 to 2018 was stable, and the segmented trend of daily inpatients per physician from 2012 to 2018 decreased significantly. In 2017, the rates of surgical inpatients leaving the hospital without the doctor's advice and surgical inpatients mortality were higher than 2016. Conclusion Although the development of IDHs was generally good in China, the scale of IDHs was generally small, the ability to respond to major emergencies was weak, the problem of irrational resource allocation was still prominent, and the operation of IDHs was facing a dilemma.


A DNA sequence stabilizes the expression of a gene that may affect muscle development and lead to muscular dystrophy. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), the third most common muscular dystrophy, is characterized by progressive weakness that starts in the facial muscles, proceeds to the upper back (scapula) and shoulder-upper arm regions (humeral), and eventually affects the trunk and lower extremities. Since 1992, this disorder has been associated with an array of repeated DNA sequences (called D4Z4) on chromosome 4 (1). An unaffected chromosome 4 has between 11 and more than 100 repeat units within D4Z4, but when this is shortened to 1 to 10 units, disease develops (see the figure). How this contraction leads to disease has been a mystery. Over the past 3 years, analyses of chromosome 4q35 have identified a combination of DNA sequences (haplotype 4A161) associated with susceptibility to FSHD, suggesting that specific sequence variations are coupled to disease pathogenesis in conjunction with D4Z4 contraction (2). On page 1650 of this issue, Lemmers et al. (3) provide an intriguing unifying model for FSHD pathogenesis based on very high resolution haplotype mapping and sequence analyses and careful study of exceptional pedigrees.


Abstract
The author and his wife, both psychologists, have worked half time for the past six years, while each has spent half time at home with their two young daughters. Factors influencing the choice of part-time work are reviewed. It is concluded that this arrangement for shared parenting, while still rare, is one of many increasingly viable options for child care, and that it has many benefits for parents, children, and employers. People who enjoy some professional autonomy in their work, such as physicians, may be particularly suited to such arrangements.


Visual perception, difficulty distinguishing objects, judging distance and determining color or contrast are common problems contributing to weight loss and nutritional decline in dementia clients. Mealtime burdens and challenges for individuals with dementia can be minimized or eliminated by some simple, inexpensive alterations in the physical environment that can profoundly influence how patients feel, behave, and function; as well as ease frustration and promote more independent functioning. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effect of table setting contrast on residents' weight, oral intake, arm circumference, and feeding behaviors during meals in an assisted living facility serving individuals with dementia. A threeday calorie count, weight and arm circumference measurements were administered at baseline, two and four months post intervention, along with the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia Questionnaire at baseline and post intervention four months later. This study demonstrates why the application of table setting contrast should be implemented as a noninvasive means of accommodating residential quality of life and minimizing weight loss, confusion, and frustration associated with eating among individuals with dementia. This article discusses implications for nursing practice innovations and further research. Running head: IMPROVING CALORIC 3 Table of


This paper presents an architecture and an implementation of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based Ethernet fronthaul testbed. The system exploits the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol for clock synchronization and is capable of transporting radio data from one baseband unit to two or more radio units, while allowing the evaluation of clock synchronization impacts on the actual radio-frequency signals. This work, then, focuses on its hardware setup and the adopted FPGA design. It emphasizes how the clocks recovered at the radio equipments are used both within their digital and analog domains, particularly for synchronization of the carrier frequency, sampling frequency and for steady occupancy levels at ingress elastic buffers. Some preliminary measurement results on synchronization performance are presented and show that the developed testbed is capable of achieving sufficiently high clock accuracy for packetized fronthaul investigations.


Xeroderma pigmentosum, also known as Kaposi's disease or lentigo maligna, was first described in 1870. It is a rare, progressive, precancerous disease of the skin and mucous membranes and frequently displays ocular complications. Mental deficiency has been noted in some patients. It tends to occur in the children of consanguineous marriages, being transmitted as a simple recessive character, and several siblings may have the disease. The pathogenic factor underlying the condition is considered to be a reaction of the surface epithelium to an abnormal organic or chemical disturbance within the body. Sunlight is the precipitating agent of this disease. The patients usually have normal skins at birth. Xeroderma pigmentosum usually appears before the second year of life as a persistent erythema of the face, neck, and arms after exposure to sunlight but differing from ordinary sunburn in that it takes longer to disappear. This is followed by the gradual appearance


Background The study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of (1R,4r)-4-((R)-1-aminoethyl)-N-(pyridin-4-yl) cyclohexanecarboxamide (Y-27632) and (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the proliferation and migration of PANC-1 cells. EGCG, found in green tea, has been previously shown to be one of the most abundant and powerful catechins in cancer prevention and treatment. Y-27632, a selective inhibitor of rho-associated protein kinase 1, is widely used in treating cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and cancer. Material/Methods PANC-1 cells, maintained in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium, were treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (control) as well as different concentrations (20, 40, 60, and 80 μg/mL) of EGCG for 48 h. In addition, PANC-1 cells were treated separately with 60 μg/mL EGCG, 20 μM Y-27632, and EGCG combined with Y-27632 (60 μg/mL EGCG + 20 μM Y-27632) for 48 h. The effect of EGCG and Y-27632 on the proliferation and migration of PANC-1 cells was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 and transwell migration assays. The expression of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and Caspase-3 mRNA was determined by Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results EGCG (20–80 μg/mL) inhibited cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Y-27632 enhanced the sensitivity of PANC-1 cells to EGCG (by increasing the expression of PPARα and Caspase-3 mRNA) and suppressed cell proliferation. PANC-1 cell migration was inhibited by treatment with a combination of EGCG and Y-27632. Conclusions Y-27632 increases the sensitivity of PANC-1 cells to EGCG in regulating cell proliferation and migration, which is likely to be related to the expression of PPARα mRNA and Caspase-3 mRNA.


Using the method based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery, two kinds of data can be obtained: the digital elevation model (DEM) for the digital expression of terrain, and the digital surface model (DSM) for the digital expression of the surface of the ground, including trees. In this research, a 3D topography model with a horizontal spatial resolution of 1 m was reproduced using DEM. In addition, using the differences between the DEM and DSM data, we were able to obtain further detailed information, such as the heights of trees covering the surface of the ground and their spatial distribution. Therefore, the surface roughness model and the UAV imagery data were directly linked. Based on the above data as input data, a high-resolution 3D numerical flow simulation was conducted. By using the numerical results obtained, we discussed the effect of the existence of surface roughness on the wind speed at the height of the hub of the wind turbine. We also discussed the effect of the differences in the spatial resolution in the horizontal direction of the computational grid on the reproductive precision of terrain-induced turbulence. As a result, the existence and the vortex structure of terrain-induced turbulence occurring near the target wind turbine was clearly revealed. It was shown that a horizontal grid resolution of about 5 m was required to reproduce terrain-induced turbulence formed from topography with an altitude of about 127 m. By the simulation using the surface roughness model, turbulence intensity higher than class A in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) turbulence category was confirmed at the present study site, as well as the measured data.


Semiconductor spintronics provides a framework for hybrid devices combining logic, communication and storage, circumventing limitations of the current electronics, especially with respect to the energy efficiency. Enormous efforts have been invested worldwide into the development of spintronics based on Si, the mainstream semiconductor platform. Notwithstanding remarkable pace, Si spintronics still experiences a technological bottleneck – creation of significant spin polarization in nonmagnetic Si. An emerging approach based on direct electrical spin injection from a ferromagnetic semiconductor – EuO being the prime choice – avoids problems inherent to metallic injectors. The functionality of the EuO/Si spin contact is controlled by the interface band alignment. To be competitive with charge electronics, the EuO/Si interface should exhibit a band offset which falls within the 0.5–2 eV range. We employ a soft-X-ray ARPES technique, using synchrotron radiation with photon energies around 1 keV, to probe the electronic structure of the buried EuO/Si interface with momentum resolution and chemical specificity. The band structure reveals a conduction band offset of 1.0 eV attesting the technological potential of the EuO/Si system.


Author(s): Renner, Tanya | Advisor(s): Specht, Chelsea D | Abstract: Phylogenetic relationships among carnivorous plants of the angiosperm order Caryophyllales are explored using Bayesian statistics and maximum-likelihood based searches of phylogeny. Nuclear ribosomal (ITS) and chloroplast intergenic spacer (PY-IGS) regions, along with previously- sequenced DNA are utilized for phylogenetic reconstructions. Taxonomic relationships across genera are refined and three strongly supported clades are identified: monophyletic Droseraceae, Nepenthaceae, and a third clade containing Ancistrocladaceae, Dioncophyllaceae, and Drosophyllaceae. In combination with phylogenetic reconstruction, stochastic character mapping is utilized to assess evolutionary changes in the morphology of glands found on the lamina and involved in the digestion of prey. Adaptive changes resulting in the evolution of the carnivorous gland are discussed, which may have occurred either by emargination of the leaf blade or homologous transformation of pinnae.A variety of enzymes are excreted from the carnivorous gland that aid in prey digestion. Within the carnivorous plants of the Caryophyllales, two subclasses of class I chitinases have been identified to play a role in the digestion of prey. Proteins produced by the large and diverse chitinase gene family are involved in the hydrolyzation of glycosidic bonds in chitin, a polymer of N-acetylglucosamines. Members of these subclasses, depending on the presence or absence of a C-terminal extension, can be secreted from specialized digestive glands found within morphologically diverse traps that develop from plant leaves. Homology among carnivorous plant class I chitinases and the method by which these enzymes have been adapted for the carnivorous habit are investigated. Novel class I chitinase homologs are recovered from Ancistrocladus, Dionaea, Drosera, Nepenthes, and Triphyophyllum, in addition to class I chitinases available from sequenced angiosperm genomes. Substitutions specific to carnivorous plant class I chitinases are revealed by detecting sites under positive selection, which may confer functional differences as indicated by protein structure homology-modeling.To study gene function in non-model organisms, a virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) method was developed. VIGS has been shown to be effective for transient knockdown of gene expression in plants to analyze the effects of specific genes in development and stress related responses. It is demonstrated that the barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) is able to infect two species within the Zingiberaceae, and that BSMV-VIGS can be applied to specifically downregulate phytoene desaturase in the culinary ginger Zingiber officinale. BSMV-VIGS is likely to be effective in other angiosperms susceptible to BSMV infection. This should enable targeted studies for identifying gene function to be carried out in ecologically and evolutionarily important groups.


During land planning activities risks arise, the negative impacts of which can affect the quality of life of residents in a municipality over both the short-and long-term. Territorial planning is therefore of great importance when putting forward relevant proposals and coordinating activities that affect the environment, the cultural-historic values of a territory, territorial development and the creation of a landscape in accordance with the principles of permanently sustainable development. The implementation of risk management, with an emphasis on the objective assessment of identified risks, combined with the use of quantitative methods of mathematical statistics – analysis of variance and the characteristics of the variability of risk assessment – in the process of preparing and creating a land plan for incorporation into strategic area management documents, can substantially increase the security of a territory as a whole. Land planning authorities project specific objectives onto the municipal territory and coordinate the public interest. The results of thorough research show differentiation in the assessment of identified risks according to the number of inhabitants in a municipality by the competent land planning authorities. Through the generalization of the results of a case study, appropriate preventive measures are put forward in the conclusion for incorporation into the land planning documentation of a municipality.


Switched-current elliptic decimators and interpolators based on bilinear-transformed low-sensitivity ladder structures are proposed. The combination of polyphase networks and doubly terminated ladder structures preserve low passband sensitivity and maximizes time for settling by operating at the lower sampling frequency. The decimators are derived via a z-domain multirate transformation procedure. Two different types of decimator architectures, finite-impulse response (FIR)-infinite-impulse response (IIR) cascade (FIC) and multiple feed-in (MFI) are presented and compared. The complementary IIR-FIR cascade (IFC) and multiple feed-out (MFO) interpolator structures are obtained by direct transposition, which avoids the need for redesign. A third-order elliptic low pass filter is used as prototype for deriving the decimators and interpolators. The circuits are verified by SCNAP4 and HSPICE simulations.


Aluminium in the food supply comes from natural sources including water, food additives, and contamination by aluminium utensils and containers. Most unprocessed foods, except for certain herbs and tea leaves, contain low (< 5 micrograms Al/g) levels of aluminium. Thus most adults consume 1-10 mg aluminium daily from natural sources. Cooking in aluminium containers often results in statistically significant, but not practically important, increases in the aluminium content of foods. Intake of aluminium from food additives varies greatly (0 to 95 mg Al daily) among residents in North America, with the median intake for adults being about 24 mg daily. Generally, the intake of aluminium from foods is less than 1% of that consumed by individuals using aluminium-containing pharmaceuticals. Currently the real scientific question is not the amount of aluminium in foods but the availability of the aluminium in foods and the sensitivity of some population groups to aluminium. Several dietary factors, including citrate, may affect the absorption of aluminium. Aluminium contamination of soy-based formulae when fed to premature infants with impaired kidney function and aluminium contamination of components of parenteral solutions (i.e. albumin, calcium and phosphorus salts) are of concern.


Heterocystous filamentous cyanobacteria are regarded as the main N2 -fixing organisms (diazotrophs) in the Baltic Sea. However, some studies indicate that picoplankton may also be important. The aim of this study was to examine the composition of putative diazotrophs in the picoplankton (< 3 µm) and to identify links to environmental factors. Nitrogenase (nifH) genes were amplified from community DNA by nested PCR, followed by cloning and sequencing. Clone libraries from nine environmental samples collected from the central Baltic Sea (April-October 2003, 3 m depth) and a negative control yielded a total of 433 sequences with an average clone library coverage of 92%. The sequences fell within nifH Clusters I, II and III and formed 15 distinct groups (> 96% amino acid similarity). Most of the sequences (77%) fell into nifH Cluster I (cyanobacteria and α-, β- and γ-Proteobacteria). However, only 26 sequences were related to cyanobacteria (e.g. Pseudanabaena) and among these no unicellular phylotypes were found. Sequences clustering with alternative nitrogenases (anfH) and Archaea were found in one sample while sequences related to anaerobic phylotypes were found in six samples distributed throughout the season. The identified phylogenetic groups showed covariance with several environmental factors but no strong links could be established. This suggests a variable and complex regulation of diazotrophic groups within Baltic Sea picoplankton.


Simulated single-cell data is essential for designing and evaluating computational methods in the absence of experimental ground truth. Existing simulators typically focus on modeling one or two specific biological factors or mechanisms that affect the output data, which limits their capacity to simulate the complexity and multi-modality in real data. Here, we present scMultiSim, an in silico simulator that generates multi-modal single-cell data, including gene expression, chromatin accessibility, RNA velocity, and spatial cell locations while accounting for the relationships between modalities. scMultiSim jointly models various biological factors that affect the output data, including cell identity, within-cell gene regulatory networks (GRNs), cell-cell interactions (CCIs), and chromatin accessibility, while also incorporating technical noises. Moreover, it allows users to adjust each factor's effect easily. We validated scMultiSim's simulated biological effects and demonstrated its applications by benchmarking a wide range of computational tasks, including cell clustering and trajectory inference, multi-modal and multi-batch data integration, RNA velocity estimation, GRN inference and CCI inference using spatially resolved gene expression data. Compared to existing simulators, scMultiSim can benchmark a much broader range of existing computational problems and even new potential tasks.


The authors in this collection of essays address the largely neglected but significant economic aspects of the national question in its historical context during the course of the twentieth century. There exists a large gap in our understanding of the historical relationship between the 'national question' and economic change. Above all, there is insufficient knowledge about the economic dimension of the historical experience with regard to the former multi-national states, such as the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia; and equally too little is known about the economic component of national tensions and conflicts in bilingual Belgium or Finland, or the multilingual Spain or Switzerland. At the same time as emphasis is placed on the complex relationships between the economy and society in individual European countries, questions of state, identity, language, religion and racism as instruments of economic furtherance are at the centre of the contributors' attention.


The caseins were phosphorylated by sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), and then were hydrolyzed by trypsin. The effect of phosphorylation treatment on enzymatic hydrolysis characteristics of casein was investigated with sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE), high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and ultraviolet absorption. The results showed that phosphorylation treatment improved the degree of hydrolysis of casein. TheMWof phosphorlysated casein was decreased at different degrees, and it reached the highest degree for 3h. WhatÂ's more, compared with the control, the contents of peptide (molecular weight between 20 ku and 35 ku) were significantly increased. However, the ultraviolet absorption spectra of solution did not changed obviously among the phosphorlysated caseins.


Research on the impact of quality of relationships between primary caregivers and their care recipients on burden and satisfaction with caregiving is still rare. The sample included 335 dyads of primary caregivers and care recipients who were cognitively intact. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at the respondents' homes using structured questionnaires. No significant correlation between caregiving burden and caregiving satisfaction was found. Quality of relationship was the most significant variable in explaining both caregiving burden and caregiving satisfaction, yet different sets of additional variables were found to explain each of the outcomes. Interventions should address quality of relationships in order to reduce burden and increase caregiving satisfaction.


Abstract
Increasing litigation in recent years makes it more and more necessary for the surgeon to be on his guard against actions or omissions that might be construed as professional negligence. Some of the more common causes of such negligence and their avoidance are discussed. If the current tendency of the courts to interpret mistakes and errors of judgment as negligence continues some change in the law will be essential if the practice of defensive medicine is to be avoided.


Unsignalized marked crosswalks are problematic locations from pedestrians' safety perspective. Although the priority rule at such locations is clear; pedestrians have the absolute right of way over vehicles, driver often compete with pedestrians over the right of way which risks pedestrian safety and impose extra delays on pedestrians. In developing countries, as concluded in many previous studies, vehicles usually do not give right of way to pedestrians, leaving them with the only choice to wait until an accepted gap is available. In Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries where vehicles are the predominant mode of travel, pedestrians are receiving lesser priority. Drivers usually hijack the right of way from pedestrians which often causes safety threats. Therefore, pedestrians loose the reason for crossing at these designed locations pushing them to cross at arbitrary locations increasing their safety risk. This paper investigates influencing factors on the crossing behavior of pedestrians at marked crosswalks located on dedicated right-turn lanes. A study site from Doha, Qatar was selected for video recording and data analysis. A sample of 235 pedestrian observations was used for waiting behavior, crossing speed, accepted gaps, and driver yielding behavior analysis. The results showed that the waiting behavior was independent of pedestrian characteristics and relied only on the traffic characteristics. In addition, the average crossing speed was 1.43m/s and the gender, distraction, and group significantly affected the crossing speed. Beside, the distracted pedestrians and pedestrians crossing in groups accepted significantly larger gaps compared to undistracted and individual pedestrians. Moreover, about 15% of drivers yielded for pedestrians, yielding was irrespective of gender and mainly affected by the crossing direction. Consequently, innovative strategies in terms of engineering measures and awareness are needed to improve pedestrian safety at these locations. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Peer-review under responsibility of the Conference Program Chairs.


An active contemporary discourse on YouTube revolves around the idea that the Earth is flat instead of round, and how Flat Earth cosmology is related to contemporary political, religious and cultural issues. Thousands of such videos have been produced, gathering multiple millions of views. Flat Earth discourse sometimes crosses into other public discourse, but YouTube remains singularly important in promoting Flat Earth belief and encouraging development of its supporting arguments. The videos at the source of this stir are highly ambiguous. I argue that this phenomenon represents fusion of multiple influences unique to YouTube, including conspiracy theory, climate change denial, science documentaries, clickbait, viral videos, trolling, Russian propaganda, and young-Earth religious fundamentalism. The phenomenon cannot be properly understood without recognizing the distinct contribution of all of these elements.


The vibration characteristics on the vertical axis of a four cylinder 1.4 L Otto engine was investigated under partial throttle opening rates and different engine speeds, in the study. In the first part of the study, vibration measurements were made in terms of acceleration on the top of engine block. The vibration data were determined in 5 partial throttle opening rates (%10, %20, %30, %40, %50) and for 4 engine speeds (1400 RPM, 2000 RPM, 3000 RPM and 4000 RPM) as RMS (Root mean square) and illustrated with graphs. With polynomial regression method, the characteristics equations for each throttle opening have been formed. In the second part, the measurements were made by changing engine speeds for each throttle opening and the obtained results were compared with the results determined from the equations.


The aim of the present study was to investigate the modulations in amplitude of H reflexes elicited in a hand muscle, the flexor pollicis brevis, during the performance of a choice reaction time (RT) task in which this muscle was directly involved. Ten subjects were to choose between a left- or a right-thumb key-press according to the lateral location of a flash of light. The stimulus-response mapping was either compatible or incompatible. Hoffman reflexes were elicited at different times during the RT by stimulation of the median nerve. Twenty-five milliseconds before the voluntary response, the amplitude of the H reflex suddenly increased when the muscle was involved in the response and decreased symmetrically when the muscle was not involved in the response. Mapping compatibility exerted no detectable influence on the changes in spinal excitability. The latter result supports the assumptions that are at the core of Sternberg's additive factor method.


Reticular design is a highly attractive concept, but coordination chemistry around the tectonic units of metal– organic frameworks (MOFs) and additional interplay with anionic and solvent species provide for dazzling complexity that effectively rules out structure prediction. We can however study the chemistry around pre-existing clusters, and assemble novel materials correspondingly, using a priori information about the connectivity of an investigated metal cluster. Studies, often spectroscopic of nature, have in recent years solved many puzzles in MOF crystallization. The obtained knowledge opens new doors in crystal engineering, but more research on MOF coordination chemistry has to be carried out.


MOTIVATION
There is a need for effective automated methods for profiling dynamic cell-cell interactions with single-cell resolution from high-throughput time-lapse imaging data, especially, the interactions between immune effector cells and tumor cells in adoptive immunotherapy.

RESULTS
Fluorescently labeled human T cells, natural killer cells (NK), and various target cells (NALM6, K562, EL4) were co-incubated on polydimethylsiloxane arrays of sub-nanoliter wells (nanowells), and imaged using multi-channel time-lapse microscopy. The proposed cell segmentation and tracking algorithms account for cell variability and exploit the nanowell confinement property to increase the yield of correctly analyzed nanowells from 45% (existing algorithms) to 98% for wells containing one effector and a single target, enabling automated quantification of cell locations, morphologies, movements, interactions, and deaths without the need for manual proofreading. Automated analysis of recordings from 12 different experiments demonstrated automated nanowell delineation accuracy >99%, automated cell segmentation accuracy >95%, and automated cell tracking accuracy of 90%, with default parameters, despite variations in illumination, staining, imaging noise, cell morphology, and cell clustering. An example analysis revealed that NK cells efficiently discriminate between live and dead targets by altering the duration of conjugation. The data also demonstrated that cytotoxic cells display higher motility than non-killers, both before and during contact.

CONTACT
firstname.lastname@example.com or email@example.com

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


Proliferative disorders of mast cells exhibit a range of clinical behavior from benign cutaneous forms to aggressive systemic mastocytosis and mast cell leukemia. While these disorders are rare in people, they are among the most common malignancies in the dog, a circumstance that provides a useful model for an orphan disease. Growth of both normal and neoplastic mast cells is driven by c-kit (CD117), a tyrosine kinase receptor for stem cell factor. Ligand-independent, constitutive activation of c-kit via mutation is a common feature of mastocytic neoplasia. Therefore, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that target c-kit have activity in aggressive mastocytosis in people and in dogs. However, resistance to c-kit targeted TKIs is common in both species, highlighting a need for other therapeutic targets. Our data indicates that chromatin modification may be important in mast cell biology. Specifically, we have shown that the JmjC domain lysine 36 specific histone H3 demethylase, NDY1/KDM2B, supports the proliferation and immortalization of bone-marrow derived mast cells. It is well known that NDY1/KDM2B is a driver of hematopoietic transformation and is associated with malignant progression in certain solid tumors (breast, pancreatic and urothelial carcinoma). Therefore, we investigated the effects of knockdown of NDY1/KDM2B in neoplastic human and canine mast cells in vitro and in xenografts. Our data demonstrate that this knockdown inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in vitro and inhibits tumor growth in vivo. Therefore, targeting therapy of NDY1/KDM2B or downstream effectors in mast cell tumors could be a beneficial addition to the existing therapeutic modalities. Supported by grants from the Morris Animal Foundation (D14CA) and NIH (R01CA109747). Citation Format: Parthena Foltopoulou, Raymond Pfau, Monica Betancur-Boissel, Manar AbdelMageed, Philip N. Tsichlis, Elizabeth A. McNiel. Histone demethylase NDY1/KDM2B as a driver of survival and proliferation of normal and neoplastic mast cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3635. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3635


In this study, Bi2Te3 was selected as a matrix material and an immiscible semiconductor material CdTe with a wider energy band gap was precipitated to form microstructures in it. For this purpose, a series of two-component composites (Bi2Te3)1-x/(CdTe)x, with x = 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 were prepared by melting, high speed rocking and quenching technique. The composition and microstructure of these two-component composites were examined by X-ray and SEM. Thermoelectric properties including Seebeck coefficient, electric resistivity, and thermal conductivity were measured from 30 K to 400 K. The compositional and temperature dependence of the microstructure and thermoelectric properties of (Bi2Te3)1-x/(CdTe)x composites were discussed. It is found that (Bi2Te3)0.99/(CdTe)0.01 exhibits a better thermoelectric performance than that of Bi2Te3 at elevated temperatures. The figure of merit (ZT) of (Bi2Te3)0.99/(CdTe)0.01 is about 0.64 at 400 K.


Background: The process of giving birth to a baby who has died is a significantly traumatic experience for the mother and her family and also for health professionals. support, or even the perceived lack of support, from professionals often influences whether or not the parents choose to see and hold their baby. Psychosocial clinical care may also affect long-term psychiatric sequelae. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of mothers following the death of a baby and their interaction with healthcare professionals. Methods: Through a web-based survey, a content analysis of this open-ended question was conducted: 'Do you currently feel sad, hurt, or angry for something health professionals did in connection to the birth of your baby?' Results: Mothers reported feeling sadness when they perceived too little support from professionals, particularly related to bonding time with the baby. They reported feelings of disappointment when health professionals neither acknowledged nor validated their motherhood. Mothers reported anger in response to professionals they perceived to be indifferent or callous toward their loss. They also reported that they felt hurt when health professionals lacked respect and when they felt abandoned by the personnel. conclusions: There are crucial implications for practice; it is important for women who experience a stillbirth to have their motherhood actively acknowledged and validated and to have the humble, empathic presence of their health professionals.


Soft connective tissue calcification is still an intriguing problem due to the high number of genes, proteins, and enzymes involved in the process. Numerous epidemiological and experimental studies of the ectopic calcification associated with metabolic, inflammatory, and degenerative disorders have been performed. Moreover, in the last decade, great efforts have been made in studying the genetic disorders leading to soft connective tissue calcification, trying to understand the imbalance between pro and anti-calcifying factors in the different disorders, and why calcification occurs only in certain body regions (which often differ between the various genetic defects). The rare, inherited disorder pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), which is caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene, is an interesting model because the gene responsible is mainly expressed in the liver, whereas calcification affects peripheral soft connective tissues. It has been suggested that liver deficiency of the protein encoded by ABCC6 directly induces peripheral calcification, although, in contrast, several studies both in humans and in transgenic mice indicate that peripheral mesenchymal cells might be permanently involved in PXE calcification. In this review, the author suggests that early in development PXE cells may undergo epigenetic changes and acquire a permanent pro-calcific signature. However, given the complexity of the calcification process and the metabolic inter-exchanges among the different calcific genetic disorders, a bioinformatic approach analysing data ranging from genes to functional proteins and clinical features may complete the puzzle and provide new therapeutic perspectives in PXE, as well as in other calcific disorders.


This paper proposes detection and recognition algorithm for restricting, warning and information road signs. Sign detection is based on color analysis. In actual, traffic signs have specific color information like red border for warning and restricting signs or blue background for information signs. However in images obtained by camera mounted in the car color information was changed due to lighting and weather conditions such as dark illumination, rainy and foggy weather etc. To solve that problem we use RGB color segmentation with two restriction rules: first rule is bounding constraints for each color component which provides good detection results in images with good lighting condition; second rule is using normalized color information and allows sign detection in dark images. Structure of information signs is differs from structure of warning and restricting signs hence recognition process is also different. The meaning of traffic sign lies in shape of symbols inside of it. Recognition process is based on shape analysis. For warning and restricted signs recognition process consists of two stages. We extract sign candidate from image and classify sign as a circle or triangle using background shape histograms. Then we convert the inner part of sign into binary mask and apply template matching algorithm. To understand the meaning of information sign we separate it into basic components: arrows and text, and then analyze positional relationship between those segments. Detection of arrowheads is based on morphological operations such and analysis of spatial features like area and direction. Result of recognition is name of sign for warning and restricting signs and set of pairs direction - place for information signs


Feeding behaviour of Cerastoderma edule fed diets with different organic contents was studied under conditions that induced production of pseudofaeces. Cockles were fed suspended mat- ter composed of cells of Tetraselmis suecica and inorganic particles of ashed sediment, and we mea- sured the rates and efficiencies with which phytoplankton but also overall organic matter was processed both at pre- and postingestive level. Preferential ingestion of microphytoplankton was observed and derived benefits computed, under a framework whose main objective was to quantify the mucus involved in pseudofaeces rejection and its effect on selection processes. Energy losses in the form of mucus depended on the rate of pseudofaeces production but also on the organic content of filtered matter. Under feeding conditions characterised by high rates of rejection of filtered matter of low organic content, the production of endogenous organic matter in the pseudofaeces repre- sented the main organic component. Consequently, lack of quantification of this term would defini- tively bias all calculations derived from computing the organic fraction of rejected matter. In particu- lar, the reduction in the efficiency with which organic matter from the diet is selected under low seston organic content, reported in previous studies, was found to be a consequence of the presence of increased mucus in pseudofaeces and not an indicator of loss of efficiency in the sorting process. We have calculated that underestimation of 'true' rates of organic ingestion and absorption of dietary organic matter may be as high as 46 and 98.6%, respectively, as a result of the assumption that the presence of mucus in the pseudofaeces is negligible. Finally, taking into account the energy loss in the form of mucus when pseudofaeces are produced, it is concluded that this energetic investment may be a major determinant of the feeding strategy of cockles.


The amount of video data has increased dramatically with the advent of digital imaging. Most of the video captured these days originates from a mobile phones and handheld video cameras. Such videos are shaky compared to videos that are shot with a tripod mounted camera. Stabilizing this video to remove the shaky effect using software is called Digital video stabilization which results in a stable and visually pleasant video. In order digitally stabilize the image, we need to (1) Estimate the motion of camera, (2) Regenerate the motion of camera without the undesirable artifacts and (3) Synthesize new video frames. This dissertation is targeted at improving the last two steps of stabilizing the video. Most of the previous techniques of video stabilization produce a lower resolution stabilized video output and clip portions of frames to remove the empty area formed by transformation of the video frames. We use a Gaussian averaging filter to smoother the global motion in the video. Then the frames are transformed using the new transformation matrices obtained by subtracting the original transformation chain from the modified transformation chain. For the last step of synthesizing new video frames, we introduce an improved completion technique which can produce full frame video by using the pixel information from nearby frames to estimate the intensity of the missing pixels. This technique uses motion inpainting to ensure that the video frames are filled in both the static image area and dynamic image area with the same consistency. Additionally, the quality of the video is improved by using a deblurring algorithm which further improves the smoothness of video by eliminating undesirable motion blur. We do not estimate the PSF, in its place, we transfer and interpolate the sharper pixels from nearby frames to improve the sharpness and deblur current frame. Completing the video with motion inpainting and deblurring technique allow us to construct a full frame video stabilization system with good image quality. This is verified by implementing the technique on different video sequences.


The present study examined the link between words and their semantic representations in two modalities, namely, the visual modality vs. the auditory modality. It compared the reaction times (RTs) of native vs. advanced-level non- native speakers of English on a word-picture matching task. The goal was to examine in which of the two modalities an L2 word can more quickly activate the target semantic representation. The participants were presented with one word at a time, each followed by either a matching or mismatched image. The task consisted in using a key on the keyboard to respond as quickly as possible to indicate whether or not the presented image matched the previously presented image. Word stimuli were presented either in auditory format (using a headset) or visually (a string of letters on the screen). The time taken from the word recognition phase to the matching image represents the time that it takes the perceptual system to activate the sematic representation of a given word. The results show that the link between an L1 word and its semantic representation is not significantly different in these two modalities. However, there is a statistically significant difference between the two modalities when a word is presented in the L2 (RT after the auditory modality was slower). The observed result might be due to the difficulty in matching an auditory-presented L2 word to its L2 phonological representation. This factor would cause a slower activation of the related semantic representation compared to the visually-presented words.


1. The site and mechanism of initiation of the rhythmic action potentials controlling the somatic musculature of Ascaris have been reinvestigated.

2. Polarization of the muscle syncytium by direct current injection revealed little accommodation. Action potentials are generated continuously at this region at a frequency which depends on the membrane potential.

3. Excitatory and inhibitory nerve fibres control the membrane potential of the syncytial membrane and, therefore, the frequency of spike firing. The effects of stimulation of these fibres are described.

4. The resumption of electrical activity when cooled, quiescent preparations were warmed up was studied. The first signs of activity are slow rhythmic depolarizations on which bursts of abortive spikes are superimposed. When the amplitude of the transients in each burst increases sufficiently they unite into a large, single action potential.

5. Evidence is presented suggesting that each of the abortive spikes represents the separate, subthreshold excitation of one of the terminal branches of the muscle arm, due to a low safety margin for the conduction of impulses towards the muscle belly.

6. Small (1-2 mV.) spontaneous, apparently random, depolarizations and hyperpolarizations have been recorded with microelectrodes inserted into the syncytial region. Their possible synaptic origin is discussed.


Susceptibility to the gag reflex may render insertion of removable dentures very difficult. The use of intravenous sedation in such cases allows for the fabrication of dentures with decreased discomfort to the patient. When the completed dentures are inserted, however, discomfort may still occur as the effects of the gag reflex will again be felt. We report a case of an edentulous maxillary patient who was unable to insert his dentures due to the gag reflex. A denture with a smaller than usual plate area was created so as to prevent anxiety occurring during insertion with subsequent triggering of the gag reflex. The dentures reached as far as the premolars. At first, long-term wear was difficult due to gagging at immediately after insertion. Full-time wear became possible, however, after approximately one and a half months. Hereafter, masticatory function will be enhanced through extension of the denture base and addition of artificial teeth in stages.


Abstract. Continuous monitoring of glaciers is of key importance to understand their morphological evolution over time and monitor the impact of climate change. Recently, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have proven to be ideal candidates for glacier monitoring thanks to their flexibility and ease of processing with software packages. Traditionally, for high-accurate and geodetically relevant results, Ground Control Points (GCPs) need to be homogeneously distributed over the area of interest and manually identified in the imagery to guarantee accurate reconstructions. However, the GCP setup is always time consuming and, in many cases, a difficult operation due to logistic constraints. Nowadays, many UAVs offer GNSS Real Time Kinematic (RTK) capabilities that usually highly improve 3D reconstructions. However, there are circumstances in which an RTK solution cannot be directly achieved in the field. This is particularly frequent in challenging mountain environments such as glaciers. In such cases, post-processing UAV GNSS kinematic tracks could represent a powerful approach for improving the quality of 3D models. The goal of this work is to investigate the potential of UAV track post-processing combined with direct georeferencing for accurate 3D reconstructions without the need for GCPs in a complex environment of an Alpine glacier. The study area is Forni Glacier in the Rhaetian Alps, Italy. The data were acquired during two campaigns performed in August 2020 and August 2021 and include UAV images captured using a DJI Phantom 4 RTK and target positions measured with Leica GS18 I receivers. The data were processed using a pipeline entirely implemented in the Leica Infinity software that combines GNSS post-processing, a standard photogrammetric pipeline and a new tool to post-process GNSS kinematic tracks of UAVs. The approach based on UAV track post-processing and direct georeferencing was assessed using the acquired targets as Check Points (CPs) and compared to a standard photogrammetric approach in terms of glacier height loss computation. The results show Root Mean Square Errors (RMSEs) of the CPs below 4 cm for both the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. As for glacier height loss computation, the DPCs generated from the two surveys using a standard photogrammetric approach and a workflow based on UAV track post-processing and direct georeferencing were differentiated to compute the height differences of the glacier surfaces over one year. The two investigated approaches show similar results with an average height loss of 5 metres measured on the glacier tongue and demonstrate that UAV track post-processing can compensate for the RTK signal loss allowing accurate 3D reconstruction and eliminating the need for GCPs, especially if pre-calibration is performed.


Somatic embryogenesis was initiated in C. sativus L. from shoot meristems on LS medium containing BAP (2×10 -5 M)+NAA (2×10 -5 M). Various stages of somatic embryogenesis were observed in the same medium and the development was asynchronous. Somatic embryo development proceeded through well recognized sequences (globular to embryoids) with clearly discernible bipolar regions. Matured embryos could be germinated on half-strength MS medium containing GA3 (25 mg/l). Complete plantlets with well developed root system and corm formation were obtained on transferring germinated embryos to half strength MS medium supplemented with BAP (5×10 -6 M)+NAA (5×10 -6 M).


The records of 3,056 orthodontic patients, for whom adequate orthopantomogram radiographs were available, were examined to assess the prevalence of hypo-hyperdontia. The level of 0.45% was in line with previous studies. However, only 131 patients were eligible to be assessed for congenital absence of third molars. It may be that if a more mature sample were examined, the actual prevalence might be higher than the quoted figure.


Purpose: This research analyzes the maturity of environmental management as well as the degree of to which the Circular Economy has been implemented in Basque SMEs. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 17 case studies were carried out in industrial SMEs companies in the Basque Country. Findings: The main results show that companies are limited to complying with the law and in many cases are worried about the image of the company, although they are not committed to environmental issues. There is still a lot to do in SMEs, as they are the companies that face the biggest challenges due to a lack of resources. Originality/value: Circular Economy aims to change a linear economy into promoting sustainability of the economy while also engaging in sustainable environmental protection. This research has focused on small and medium enterprises as they represent a 99% of companies in Europe and they are the ones that have the most difficulty reaching a stage of environmental excellence due to their limited resources.


Cities are critical actors in reducing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; the level of knowledge, skills, and capacity, especially regarding innovative project planning such as sustainable energy (SE) projects, is fundamental for cities to meet their untapped potential. A range of indicator-based frameworks have been developed, focusing on general city economic competitiveness, yet these are often disconnected from the actual city operation and processes relevant to the investment cycle of SE projects. This paper proposes an integrated methodology for developing a City Capability Assessment Framework focusing on city planning, financing, and implementation capacity for SE projects. A principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the results of a European city-survey to uncover areas highly relevant for the successful implementation of local SE projects. The insights gained aid policymakers to better understand implementation barriers, leading to the development of more effective actions and policy interventions towards the implementation of SE projects. The proposed framework can further enhance cities' efforts with the implementation of local SE projects and guide potential investors to properly evaluate city capabilities and potential, when choosing local investment projects.


An X-tolerant multiple-input signature register (MISR) compaction methodology that compacts output streams containing unknown (X) values was described in [Touba 07]. Unlike conventional approaches, it does not use X-masking logic at the input of the MISR. Instead it uses symbolic simulation to express each bit of the MISR signature as a linear equation in terms of the X's. Linearly dependent combinations of the signature bits are identified with Gaussian elimination and XORed together to cancel out all X values and yield deterministic values. This new X-canceling approach was applied to some industrial designs under the constraints imposed by an industrial test environment. Practical issues for implementing X-canceling are discussed, and a new architecture for implementing X-canceling based on using a shadow register with multiple selective XORs is presented. Experimental results are shown for industrial designs comparing the performance of X-canceling with X-compact.


The yellow fever mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti is the main vector of dengue arbovirus and other arboviruses. Dengue prevention measures for the control of A. aegypti involve mainly the use of synthetic insecticides. The constant use of insecticides has caused resistance in this mosquito. Alternative studies on plant extracts and their products have been conducted with the aim of controlling the spread of the mosquito. Dillapiole is a compound found in essential oils of the plant Piper aduncum (Piperaceae) which has been effective as a biopesticide against A. aegypti. Isodillapiole is a semisynthetic substance obtained by the isomerization of dillapiole. In the present study, isodillapiole was evaluated for its potential to induce differential expression of insecticide resistance genes (GSTE7 and CYP6N12) in 3rd instar larvae of A. aegypti. These larvae were exposed to this compound at two concentrations (20 and 40 μg/mL) for 4 h during four generations (G1, G2, G3, and G4). Quantitative RT-PCR was used to assess the expression of GSTE7 and CYP6N12 genes. GSTE7 and CYP6N12 relative expression levels were higher at 20 than at 40 μg/mL and varied among generations. The decrease in GSTE7 and CYP6N12 expression levels at the highest isodillapiole concentration suggests that larvae may have suffered from metabolic stress, revealing a potential alternative product in the control of A. aegypti.


Abstract: Drawing on McCraw's (2007) biography, this paper assesses the character of Joseph Schumpeter. After a biographical summary of Schumpeter's life and career as an economist, the paper considers a thread of deliberate posturing and pretense in Schumpeter's grandiose ambitions and claims about himself. It also takes account of his ambiguous political and moral stance in both his personal, public and scholarly lives, in particular his tenure as finance minister in the short-lived German Socialist government after World War I and his famous prediction of the ultimate demise of capitalism in his celebrated Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. Although he emigrated to the US in the 1930s Schumpeter was suspected of harboring pro-German or even pro-Nazi sympathies during World War II, sympathies that are at least partially confirmed by the letters and papers discussed at length by McCraw. Moreover, despite Schumpeter's support for his student Paul Samuelson, when Samuelson, owing to anti-Semitic prejudice, was rejected for a permanent appointment at Harvard, Samuelson himself judged Schumpeter to have been antisemitic. Nevertheless, despite his character flaws, Schumpeter exhibited a generosity of spirit in his assessments of the work of other economists in his last and greatest work The History of Economic Analysis, a work also exhibiting uncharacteristic self-effacement by its author. That self-effacement may be-attributable to Schumpeter's own tragic and largely unrealized ambition to achieve the technical analytical breakthroughs to which he accorded highest honors in his assessments of the work of other economists, notably, Quesnay, Cournot and Walras.


Assessment plays a critical role in learning and teaching and its power to enhance engagement and student outcomes is still underestimated in tertiary education. The current project considers the impact of a staged redesign of an assessment strategy that emphasized relevance of learning, formative assessment, student engagement, and feedback on student performance, failure rates and overall engagement in the course. Significant improvements in final grades (p < 0.0001) and written performance (p < 0.0001) in the final examination were noted that coincided with increased lecture attendance and overall engagement in the course. This study reinforces the importance of an integrated approach to assessment that includes well developed formative tasks and a continuous summative assessment strategy. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):412–420, 2016.


This report describes the clinical and laboratorial findings as well as the therapeutic protocol performed in a three-year-old mongrel female intact dog, referred to the Veterinary Hospital of FAMEZ/UFMS. The animal had a previous history of recurrent gastrointestinal signs (such as lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, melena and abdominal pain), acute crisis episodes, bradycardia, hypotension, hypothermia and increase of capillary refill time, recognized as addisonian crisis due to primary hypoadrenocorticism. Laboratorial findings included anemia, eosinophilia, neutrophilia, lymphocytosis, sodiumpotassium ratio of 14,02 mEq/L and prerenal azotemia. Based on that, it was confirmed the diagnosis of primary hypoadrenocorcitism. Thus, it was recommended supplementation therapy with mineralocorticoid (aldosterone) and glucocorticoid (cortisol) corresponding respectively, fludrocortisone acetate of 0.2 mg per kg of BW, by mouth, once daily and prednisone 0.2 mg per kg of BW, by mouth, twice daily until further recommendations. The prognostic was excellent, since the animal significantly improved body condition, andclinical signs disappeared after therapy which lead the sodium-potassium ratio to 35.11 mEq/L. Thus, the clinician must always suspect of primary hypoadrenocorticism in dogs with intermittent nonspecific signs that get better with support therapy. Presumably, hypoarenocorticism must be under diagnosed in veterinary medicine, reinforcing the need to require specific exams in patients that show this wax and wane feature of clinical signs.


In this paper we address the issues of timeliness and transmission reliability of existing industrial communication standards. We combine a Forward Error Correction coding scheme on the Medium Access Control layer with a lightweight routing protocol to form an IEEE 802.15.4-conformable solution, which can be implemented into already existing hardware without violating the standard. After laying the theoretical foundations, we conduct a performance evaluation of the proposed solution. The results show a substantial gain in reliability and reduced latency, compared to the uncoded transmissions, as well as common Wireless Sensor Network routing protocols.


Abstract. The oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS; CH3SCH3), emitted from the surface ocean, contributes to the formation of Aitken mode particles and their growth to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) sizes in remote marine environments. It is not clear whether other, less commonly measured marine-derived, sulfur-containing gases share similar dynamics to DMS and contribute to secondary marine aerosol formation. Here, we present measurements of gas-phase volatile organosulfur molecules taken with a Vocus proton transfer reaction high resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer during a mesocosm phytoplankton bloom experiment using coastal seawater. We show that DMS, methanethiol (MeSH; CH3SH), and benzothiazole (C7H5NS) account for on average over 90 % of total gas-phase sulfur emissions, with non-DMS sulfur sources representing 36.8 ± 7.7 % of sulfur emissions during the first nine days of the experiment in the pre-bloom phase prior to major biological growth, before declining to 14.5 ± 6.0 % in the latter half of the experiment when DMS dominates during the bloom and decay phases. The molar ratio of DMS to MeSH during the pre-bloom phase (DMS : MeSH = 4.60 ± 0.93) was consistent with the range of previously calculated ambient DMS to MeSH sea-to-air flux ratios. As the experiment progressed, the DMS to MeSH emission ratio increased significantly, reaching 31.8 ± 18.7 during the bloom and decay. Measurements of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), heterotrophic bacteria, and enzyme activity in the seawater suggest the DMS : MeSH ratio is a sensitive indicator of the bacterial sulfur demand and the composition and magnitude of available sulfur sources in seawater. The evolving DMS : MeSH ratio and the emission of a new aerosol precursor gas, benzothiazole, have important implications for secondary sulfate formation pathways in coastal marine environments.


In the past few years, wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have drawn significant attention from academia and industry as a fast, easy, and inexpensive solution for broadband wireless access. In WMNs, it is important to support video communications in an efficient way. To address this issue, this paper studies the multipath routing for multiple description (MD) video delivery over IEEE 802.11 based WMN. Specifically, we first design a framework to transmit MD video over WMNs through multiple paths; we then investigate the technical challenges encountered. In our proposed framework, multipath routing relies on the maximally disjoint paths to achieve good traffic engineering performance. However, video applications usually have strict delay requirements, which make it difficult to find multiple qualified paths with the least joints. To overcome this problem, we develop an enhanced version of Guaranteed-Rate (GR) packet scheduling algorithm, namely virtual reserved rate GR (VRR-GR), to shorten the packet delay of video communications in multiservice network environment. Simulation study shows that our proposed approach can reduce the latency of video delivery and achieve desirable traffic engineering performance in multipath routing environment.


1. History of the investigation of the Region. —This branch of the enquiry is by no means devoid of interest, and might almost form a subject of itself, independent of the others. Of course we could go back as far as the days of the Crusades, for even then the fossil fish of the Lebanon were not unknown, since Richard Cœur de Lion is said to have noticed them; but for our purpose it will suffice to begin with the present century.

What we must now term the first occupation of Egypt by the British forces, in the early part of the present century, drew particular attention to the East, but such was the disturbed state of affairs during the period of the revolutionary wars that travelling was for the most part suspended, though some of the Royal Engineers about this time made short surveys in portions of Palestine. It is evident, however, that the occupation of Egypt had drawn attention to the East, for there was a meeting held of the Palestine Association, as it was then called, on the 24th of April, 1805. What they did is not known to me, though there is a tradition that agents were sent out, who got no further than Malta. Anyhow no active steps were taken by this body after the year 1809, and the Association may be deemed to have led a suspended existence up to 28th January, 1834, when a meeting was called, Mr. Bartle Frere in the chair, ...


Despite its tenure, mobile computing continues to move to the forefront of technology and business. This ever expansive field holds no shortages of opportunity for either party. Its benefits and demand are abundant but it is not without its challenges. Maintaining both data consistency and availability is one of the most challenging prospects for mobile computing. These difficulties are exacerbated by the unique ability of mobile platforms to disconnect for extended periods of time while continuing to function normally. Data collected and modified while in such a state poses considerable risk of abandon as there exists no static algorithm to determine that it is consistent when integrated back to the server. This thesis proposes a mechanism to improve transaction acceptance without sacrificing consistency of the related data on both the client and server. Particular consideration is placed towards honoring data which a client may produce or modify while in a disconnected state. The underlying framework leverages merging strategies to resolve conflicts in data using a custom tiered dynamic merge granularity. The merge process is aided by a custom lock promotion scheme applied in the application layer at the server. The improved incoherence resolution process is then examined for impacts to the fate of such transactions and related bandwidth utilization.


In the last years, epigenetic processes have emerged as a promising area of complex diseases research. DNA methylation measured in Long Interspersed Nucleotide Element 1 (LINE-1) sequences has been considered a surrogate marker for global genome methylation. New findings have suggested the potential involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) as a crucial interface between the effects of genetic predisposition and environmental influences. Our study evaluated whether global DNA methylation predicted increased risk from T2DM or other carbohydrate metabolism disorders in a cohort study. We used a prospective cohort intervention study and a control group. We collected phenotypic, anthropometric, biochemical, and nutritional information from all subjects. Global LINE-1 DNA methylation was quantified by pyrosequencing technology. Subjects that did not improve their carbohydrate metabolism status showed lower levels of global LINE-1 DNA methylation (63.9 ± 1.7 vs. 64.7 ± 2.4) and they practiced less intense physical activity (5.8% vs. 21.5%). Logistic regression analyses showed a significant association between LINE-1 DNA methylation and metabolic status after adjustment for sex, age, BMI, and physical activity. Our study showed that lower LINE-1 DNA methylation levels were associated with a higher risk metabolic status worsening, independent of other classic risk factors. This finding highlights the potential role for epigenetic biomarkers as predictors of T2DM risk or other related metabolic disorders.


The architecture for a mobile service robot is discussed. The paper covers aspects related to overall design and implementation. The robot architecture is of the hybrid deliberative/reactive behavioral type. The strategy is selection where planning is viewed as configuration. The architecture can be divided into three layers, one for deliberation, one for task execution, and one reactive layer. Scalability and a high degree of flexibility have been primary design goals, making it easy to reconfigure the system. The system has been built in an object oriented fashion. An application of the architecture has been tested in a significant number of missions in our lab, where one room has been setup as an ordinary living room.


The dynamics of an open quantum system, consisting of three superconducting qubits interacting with independent reservoirs, is investigated to elucidate the effects of the environment on a unitary generation scheme of W states (Migliore R. et al. (2006) Phys. Rev. B 74 ,1 04503). To this end am icroscopic master equation is constructed and its exact resolution predicts the generation of a Werner-like state instead of the W state. A comparison between our model and a more intuitive phenomenological model is also considered, in order to find the limits of the latter approach in the case of structured reservoirs.


Internet protocol (IP) traffic follows rules established by routing protocols. Shortest path‐based protocols, such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), direct traffic based on arc weights assigned by the network operator. Each router computes shortest paths and creates destination tables used for routing flow on the shortest paths. If a router has multiple outgoing links on shortest paths to a given destination, it splits traffic evenly over these links. It is also the role of the routing protocol to specify how the network should react to changes in the network topology, such as arc or router failures. In such situations, IP traffic is rerouted through the shortest paths not traversing the affected part of the network. This article addresses the issue of assigning OSPF weights and multiplicities to each arc, aiming to design efficient OSPF‐routed networks with minimum total weighted multiplicity (multiplicity multiplied by the arc length) needed to route the required demand and handle any single arc or router failure. The multiplicities are limited to a discrete set of values, and we assume that the topology is given. We propose an evolutionary algorithm for this problem, and present results applying it to several real‐world problem instances. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 49(1), 51–64 2007


Knowledge acquisition may help maritime operators to maximise maritime logistic value. The operators can acquire knowledge through being embedded in a coopetitive (viz. mixture of cooperation and competition) network. This paper aims to examine how effectively maritime logistics operators coordinate the inter-organisational coopetitive relationships in order to acquire knowledge. The paper also diagnoses the effectiveness of the acquired knowledge on the improvement of maritime logistics value. A theoretical framework is established to show the relationships among factors and is empirically examined through both an explorative interview method and a Delphi survey analysis. The findings show that (i) a high level of cooperation in a coopetitive network facilitates knowledge acquisition, (ii) competition in the network has, to some extent, promoted the positive impact of the cooperation on knowledge acquisition, and (iii) the acquired knowledge has a positive influence on the improvement of maritime logistics value.


African American students are particularly at risk for academic underachievement, and research has demonstrated that parenting practices have a huge impact on student academic performance. The Parent Proficiencies Questionnaire for African Americans (PPQ-AA) is a novel diagnostic tool that was designed to assess parenting practices among low-income African American parents/caregivers in relation to their child's academic performance, using a culture-centered strength-based approach. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of the PPQ-AA for assessing academic achievement, as measured by attendance, grade point average (GPA), and mathematics, science, as well as reading scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), in low-income African American parents of fifth grade students. Correlation analyses and exploratory multiple regression analyses were conducted in a sample of 10 African American parents. Findings showed that the only attendance and PPQ-AA score was correlated. Perhaps, even though African American students are attending classes, educational hegemony negatively impacts their GPA, and mathematics, science, as well as reading scores on the FCAT. Implications and recommendations for counselors are discussed.


Determining the best way to utilize on-line media for advertising purposes is a critical question. This research, based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), incorporates consumer goal-directedness and involvement as moderators influencing when a particular advertising strategy (i. e., variation strategy vs. appeal strategy) will be appropriate for Web advertisements. The results of a laboratory experiment supported the use of ELM in the Web environment and showed how advertising strategies should be designed and implemented in accordance with consumer goal-directedness and involvement to achieve Web advertising effectiveness. The results demonstrated the uniqueness of the Web media and the importance of goal-directedness and consumer involvement in the Web advertising context.


A model that relates the characteristic diffusion length and average cooling rate to peak temperature was developed for chemical diffusion in spherical geometries on the basis of geospeedometry principles and diffusion theory. The model is quantitatively evaluated for cation diffusion profiles in garnet. Important model parameters were calibrated empirically using diffusion zoning of Ca in garnet from the Pikwitonei Granulite Domain, a terrane for which the thermal history has been well characterized. The results are used: (i) to empirically test diffusion parameters for Mg and Fe(II) and (ii) to develop a tool that uses the diffusion zoning of these cations in garnet to constrain peak temperature conditions for garnet‐bearing rocks. The thermometric approach was externally tested by applying it to garnet crystals from various metamorphic terranes worldwide and comparing the results to published peak temperature estimates. The results overlap within uncertainties in all cases, but result that are based on Fe(II) and Mg chemical‐diffusion profiles are up to three times more precise than those acquired by conventional methods. The remarkable consistency of the results implies that the model is robust and provides a reliable means of estimating peak temperatures for different types of high‐grade metamorphic rock. The tool could be of particular advantage in rocks where critical assemblages for conventional thermometry do not occur or have been replaced during retrogression.


For the manual semantic markup of documents to become wide-spread, usersmust be able to express annotations that conform to ontologies (orschemas) that have shared meaning. However, a typical user is unlikelyto be familiar with the details of the terms as defined by the ontology authors. In addition, the idea to be expressed may not fit perfectly within a pre-defined ontology. The ideal tool should help users find apartial formalization that closely follows the ontology where possiblebut deviates from the formal representation where needed. We describe animplemented approach to help users create semi-structured semantic annotations for a document according to an extensible OWL ontology. In our approach, users enter a short sentence in free text to describe allor part of a document, and the system presents a set of potential paraphrases of the sentence that are generated from valid expressions inthe ontology, from which the user chooses the closest match. We use a combination of off-the-shelf parsing tools and breadth-first search of expressions in the ontology to help users create valid annotations starting from free text. The user can also define new terms to augmentthe ontology, so the potential matches can improve over time.


Time series modeling analysis is one of the methods to forecast based on past data and conditions. The analytical tool that is commonly used to forecast multivariate time series data is the Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model. However, when the variables have cointegration and stationary at the first difference value, then the VAR model is modified into the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). In VECM, all variables can be used as endogenous variables. If exogenous variables are involved in the VECM model, then the model is called as Vector Error Correction Model with Exogenous variables (VECMX). In the present study, a time series modeling analysis was used to analyze the price of gasoline, the money supply in a broad sense (M2), oil and gas exports, and consumption imports over the years from 2012 to 2020. By using information on the criteria of Akaike Information Criterion Corrected, Hannan–Quinn Criterion, Akaike Information Criterion, and Schwarz Bayesian Criterion, the best VAR(p) model is obtained with order 3, or lag 3. Based on the VAR(3) model, the cointegration test is conducted, and the result shows that there is a long-term relationship among variables, namely, there is a cointegration relationship between variables with rank = 1. Based on the cointegration rank = 1 and the smallest value of the information criteria and comparison of some candidate best models, namely, VECMX(2,1), VECMX(2,2), VECMX(3,1), VECMX(3,2), and VECMX(4,1), we found that the best model is VECMX(3,1) with lag 3 for endogenous variables and lag 1 for exogenous variables. Based on this best model, further analysis of Granger causality, Impulse Response Function (IRF), and forecasting is discussed.


Many classes of data are composed as constructive combinations of parts. By constructive combination, we mean additive combination that does not result in subtraction or diminishment of any of the parts. We will refer to such data as compositional data. Typical examples include population or counts data, where the total count of a population is obtained as the sum of counts of subpopulations. To characterize such data, various mathematical models have been developed in the literature. These models, in conformance with the nature of the data, represent them as nonnegative linear combinations of parts, which themselves are also nonnegative to ensure that such a combination does not result in subtraction or diminishment. We will refer to such models as compositional models.


Novelty pruning is a simple enhancement that can be added to most planners. A node is removed unless it is possible to find a set of n literals which are true in the current state and have never all been true in any of that plan's previous states. Expanding on the success of the Iterated Width algorithm in classical planning and general game playing, we apply this technique to narrative planning. Using a suite of 8 benchmark narrative planning problems, we demonstrate that novelty pruning can be used with breadth-first search to solve smaller problems optimally and combined with heuristic search to solve larger problems faster. We also demonstrate that when many solutions to the same problem are generated, novelty pruning can produce a wider variety of solutions in some domains.


Over the last few decades, the approach that the United Kingdom has taken to climate policy has undergone a dramatic evolution, from a fierce opponent of climate policy at any level to a strong supporter of such policy at both the domestic and international level. That shift—which took place under both Labour and Conservative administrations—was driven primarily by two factors: increased public opinion in favor of climate regulation and a shifting judgment about the value of such policy to the British economy. This evolution holds four main lessons for advocates of sustainable development: 1.) Durable cross-party support for climate change policies is possible, provided that politicians view supporting climate policy to be in their interest; 2.) Public pressure after elections is as important as pressure during elections to ensure that politicians' campaign promises match policies they enact in office; 3.) The business community can have a transformational effect on the policy debate when it recalculates the value of climate policies into its bottom line; and 4.) Ambitious governmental action on climate change is easiest when accomplished in steps, rather than in an overnight, all-or-nothing period.


One of the most common gamification techniques in education is the use of badges as a reward for making specific student actions. We propose two indicators to gain insight about students' intentionality towards earning badges and use them with data from 291 students interacting with Khan Academy courses. The intentionality to earn badges was greater for repetitive badges, and this can be related to the fact that these are easier to achieve. We provide the general distribution of students depending on these badge indicators, obtaining different profiles of students which can be used for adaptation purposes.


There has been no question that some strings do provide a better grip than others, but that did not guarantee that the ball will produce more spin. Furthermore, experiments with hand-held rackets has been needed to solve the difficult question of how players can tell the difference between different strings when laboratory tests indicate that they should play the same. The previous paper performed an experiment measuring the spin rates of used, notched strings in both their natural condition and after applying a lubricant to the string intersections to facilitate tangential string movement. It found that the lubricated notched strings produced 30% more spin than the unlubricated notched strings. The lubricant materials are effective to the notched strings, because the lateral movement and snap-back of the main strings increase spin. It also showed that the more spin results in the reduction of shock vibrations of the wrist joint during impact. Furthermore, it was shown that the used natural gut with notches decrease 70 % of spin rate compared to the new natural gut without notches in the another experiment, which has remained to be seen whether the same results will be obtained. Recently, International Tennis Federation researchers reported that the same movement that was observed with lubricated strings occurs with copoly as well. Copoly strings—slippery and stiff—generate more spin not because of more friction, but because of less. The old argument was that the better the grip between the strings and the ball, the more spin we would get, but that was not true. Many experiments has started to investigate whether the lateral movement and snap-back of the main strings increase spin, which strings generate the most spin, and so on. The research has also started to investigate the effect of a inter-string friction upon the main strings movement against the cross strings. Furthermore, the research has started to investigate how tennis strings "Go Dead". This paper clarified a mechanism for impact that is able to account for the wide range of string performance seen in the literature.


This paper proposes a new location-awareness system ALTAIR (automatic location tracking system using active IR-tag) that automatically detects and tracks the location of the mobile PC (personal computer) users. IR-tag (infrared) is a small electrical device to indicate its location by emitting IR light and reliable detected by a camera with IR-pass filter. IR-tag is installed on a mobile PC, which has wireless LAN (local area network) connection so that ALTAIR controls lighting pattern and activating time of individual IR-tag through the network. ALTAIR identifies visually detected position of the IR-tag with the IP (Internet protocol) address whom the system requires to change the lighting pattern. Utilizing DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) service, ALTAIR stars to aware the position of the mobile PC user when he/she enters the area within ALTAIR's coverage. Prototype ALTAIR shows the effective performance for tracking and recognizing multiple users' positions in an office environment.


This thesis examines the use of multi-spectral remotely sensed data in the management of the North York Moors, an upland area of heather moorland in northern England. A series of ground radiometer surveys and airborne simulations are analysed to determine the relative importance of spatial, spectral and temporal resolution as characteristics of earth resources satellites in this environment. Particular reference is made to the potential for selecting and combining data from the Landsat MSS, TM and the SPOT HRV sensors. The results show that spectral resolution can be critical in isolating and recognising elements of the moorland community by their spectral response, especially at the most detailed levels of vegetational description. Temporal resolution has little effect on the discrimination of targets within the heather dominated areas but affects the separability of the major communities of heather, bracken and sedges. Change in spatial resolution has no clear effect on the spectral uniformity and spectral separation of the elements of the heather dominated areas. The interaction between spectral and spatial resolution is more important in isolating the major communities, where the requirement for spatial precision is balanced against the need to suppress spectral variation within the moorland. The hypothesis that multi-spectral remotely sensed data can provide critical information on the distribution and status of moorland vegetation is not refuted in this thesis. Remotely sensed data would make the greatest contribution to management if linked to other spatial data as part of a Geographical Information System. In the absence of such a formal structure satellite imagery can still provide a regular and unique inventory of the moorland habitat which will increase the efficiency of management.


This paper describes experimental results aiming at analyzing lithium-ion batteries performances with aging, for different state of charge and temperatures. The results are provided from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on new and aged cells. A climatic test chamber is used during experiments to simulate the conditions of the temperature. Experimental data are plotted over a broad spectrum of frequencies on Nyquist diagrams. We will also inspect the impact of the presence of a DC current during the EIS measurement. Finally, obtained results will be processed in a way to be used in a fuzzy logic system (FLS), to assess either the state of charge (SOC) or the state of health (SOH) of cells.


Oil and gas production in Canada's west has led to the need for a significant increase in pipeline capacity to reach export markets. Current proposals from major oil and gas transportation companies include numerous large diameter pipelines across the Rocky Mountains to port locations on the coast of British Columbia (BC), Canada. The large scale of these projects and the rugged terrain they cross lead to numerous challenges not typically faced with conventional cross-country pipelines across the plains. The logistics and access challenges faced by these mountain pipeline projects require significant pre-planning and assessment, to determine the timing, cost, regulatory and environmental impacts.The logistics of pipeline construction projects mainly encompasses the transportation of pipe and pipeline materials, construction equipment and supplies, and personnel from point of manufacture or point of supply to the right-of-way (ROW) or construction area. These logistics movement revolve around the available types of access routes and seasonal constraints. Pipeline contractors and logistics companies have vast experience in moving this type of large equipment, however regulatory constraints and environmental restrictions in some locations will lead to significant pre-planning, permitting and additional time and cost for material movement. In addition, seasonal constraints limit available transportation windows.The types of access vary greatly in mountain pipeline projects. In BC, the majority of off-highway roads and bridges were originally constructed for the forestry industry, which transports logs downhill whereas the pipeline industry transports large equipment and pipeline materials in both directions and specifically hauls pipe uphill. The capacity, current state and location of these off-highway roads must be assessed very early in the process to determine viability and/or potential options for construction access. Regulatory requirements, environmental restrictions, season of use restrictions and road design must all be considered when examining the use of or upgrade of existing access roads and bridges. These same restrictions are even more critical to the construction of new access roads and bridges.The logistics and access challenges facing the construction of large diameter mountain pipelines in Western Canada can be managed with proper and timely planning. The cost of the logistics and access required for construction of these proposed pipeline projects will typically be greater than for traditional pipelines, but the key constraint is the considerable time requirement to construct the required new access and pre-position the appropriate material to meet the construction schedule. The entire project team, including design engineers, construction and logistics planners, and material suppliers must be involved in the planning stages to ensure a cohesive strategy and schedule. This paper will present the typical challenges faced in access and logistics for large diameter mountain pipelines, and a process for developing a comprehensive plan for their execution.© 2014 ASME


When does a person who has been trusted reciprocate that trust? Kiyonari, Yamagishi, Cook, and Cheshire (2006) compared behavior in trust games and faith games and showed that in one-shot games, players who were trusted did not reciprocate that trust. In an experiment using trust games and dictator games, we examined what type of trust would elicit reciprocation of that trust by the trustee. In the experiment, information about the reason to trust the truster was manipulated to separate trust types into "trust attributable to the trustee" and "trust attributable to the truster." We determined how much reciprocation was elicited by each of these types of trust. The results showed that trustees are more likely to reciprocate trust for "trust attributable to the trustee" than for "trust attributable to the truster."


Effective promotion of artificial insemination (AI) by private providers in pastoral areas requires stakeholders' opinion in shaping the direction of their adoption. A structured questionnaire was administered to 384 pastoralists in Kajiado and Narok counties, Kenya to elicit data on willingness to pay for AI services. Double bounded contingent valuation methodology was adapted in computing their willingness to pay for AI services. Results revealed that 90% of farmers were aware of AI of which 51.7 and 50.5% were willing to pay for the services in Kajiado and Narok counties respectively, for an average of Kenya Shillings 1, 853, reflecting a premium of 23.6% placed on AI by pastoralists with reference to the base price of Kenya Shillings (KES) 1,500 offered for exotic breeds in Kenyan highlands. Awareness, herd size and access to extension services significantly increase farmers' willingness to pay unlike farm income. The study recommends utilization of existing extension networks of community animal health workers to ensure relevant information about AI is disseminated among pastoralists and perform free AI trials on lead pastoralists' animals to earn others' confidence.

 Key words: Artificial insemination, willingness to pay, pastoralists, adoption, contingency valuation, awareness, Maasai.


We demonstrated a new strategy for the preparation of highly stable mesoporous molecular sieves (TZM) by the desilication of ZSM-5 zeolite and self-assembly of the zeolite subunits in a Na2O·(3.3–3.4) SiO2 aqueous solution. Na2O·(3.3–3.4) SiO2 in the aqueous solution plays two roles in the synthesis, one is providing a moderate alkaline medium with a buffering effect for the desilication of ZSM-5 zeolite, and the other one is supplementing the silica source. The desilication of ZSM-5 zeolite was optimized by the adjustment of reaction temperature and time, and pH of the solution. TZM were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption (BET), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The characterization results show that the characteristics of ZSM-5 zeolite, such as double six-membered or five-membered ring subunits, were still preserved in TZM, and TZM possessed the well-ordered mesostructure of ZSM-5 zeolite crystals. Compared with the pure silica mesoporous molecular sieve (Si-MCM-41, 4 days), the hydrothermal stability of TZM (8 days) was increased by 100% in refluxed water. The significant improvement of TZM hydrothermal stability was due to an increase of the surface hydrophobicity and the ratio of 5-rings or 6-rings, and a remarkable decrease in the number of hydrophilic silanol groups. After hydrothermal treatment for 8 days, TZM also exhibited a more efficient catalytic activation than Si-MCM-41 treated for 4 days in the CO2 reforming of methane reaction at 1023 K (750 °C). The 5% Ni/TZM-8-Glu (5 wt% Ni, loading) catalyst prepared by a glucose modified impregnation method exhibited excellent catalytic activity, which provided 73% CH4 and 72.5% CO2 conversion at 1023 K (750 °C).


Though twinning rates have been rapidly increasing in Japan, the problem of zygosity misclassification at birth has been paid little attention. By analysing four independent samples, the authors found that at a constant rate about 25-30% of monozygotic twins were misclassified as dizygotic twins at birth. This percentage is in very good accordance with that of monozygotic twins having dizygous placenta. Generally the obstetricians informed twins' parents about their children's zygosity. The number of placentas, as informed by obstetricians, was very strongly associated with zygosity. Concluding, even now many monozygotic twins in Japan may be misclassified as dizygotic at birth by obstetricians based solely on the number of placenta.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the therapeutic efficacy of dexamethasone administered topically to the round window niche, following acoustic trauma induced by intensive impulse noise, in guinea pigs.

METHODS
Adult, male, albino guinea pigs with a normal Preyer's reflex were exposed to 80 impulse noises (peak value 167 dB, duration 0.5 ms, interval 2 s). Dexamethasone (40 mg/ml) or saline was then topically applied to the round window niche. Each animal's auditory brainstem response was measured before and one day after exposure, and three weeks after topical treatment. Cochlear morphology was examined to assess hair cell loss and spiral ganglion cell damage. To assess oxidative activity, cochlear malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase concentrations were determined three weeks post-treatment. Following topical application, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of dexamethasone in cochlear perilymph were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTS
Animals receiving dexamethasone showed reduced noise-induced outer hair cell loss (three weeks post-treatment), and significant attenuation of noise-induced auditory brainstem response threshold shifts (one day post-exposure and three weeks post-treatment), compared with controls. There was no difference in spiral ganglion morphology. Animals receiving dexamethasone also showed a significantly lower malondialdehyde concentration and a higher superoxide dismutase concentration, post-exposure. Following topical application, the perilymph dexamethasone level peaked at 5330.522 µg/ml (15 minutes post-treatment), and was 299.797 µg/ml 360 minutes later.

CONCLUSION
Topical application of dexamethasone to the round window niche has protective effects against intensive impulse noise induced trauma in the guinea pig cochlea. This drug can diffuse into the inner ear through the round window membrane and persist in the perilymph for a relatively long period. The mechanism of protection may involve an anti-oxidant effect.


The paper discusses how the meaning 'appearance, figure' of the Latin word filum was developed in the pre-classical writers' works and how the meaning in question was revived in the texts of later authors, especially in the writings of Apuleius. The present meaning is typical of Lucretius, as in his poem On the Nature of Things he regards bodies as an interweaving of atoms and describes them with terms from the weaving field. It was Lucretius whom Apuleius referred to speaking about the nature of daemons: fila corporum (De deo Soc. 11). The use of the word filum regarding human appearance could have developed as a metaphorical transfer from clothing to its owner. For the post-classical period writers this meaning was already unusual, and the word filum was often supplemented by the explicative words corporis or oris. The author makes an assumption that the word filum in reference to the human appearance enjoyed popularity in the post-classical literature due to its archaic color. A significant number of the same type expressions with the word filum in the given meaning (bono filo, decente filo, filo virginali etc.) are also pointing to the fact that these expressions were idiomatic.