This dataset contains a unified ESRI Geotiff with 1x1 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of El Seco, a selected portion of seafloor east of Vieques Island, derived from data collected in March and April 2009. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Branch, in collaboration with NOAA vessel Nancy Foster and territory, federal, and private sector partners, acquired multibeam bathymetry data around Vieques Island from 3/26/09 to 4/2/09. Data was acquired with a hull-mounted Kongsberg Simrad EM 1002 multibeam echosounder (95 kHz) for water depths greater than 75 meters, and with a moon pool flange-mounted Reson 7125 multibeam echosounder (dual frequecy, 200/400 kHz) for water depths of less than 75 meters. It was processed by a NOAA contractor using CARIS HIPS software. Data has all correctors applied (attitude, sound velocity) and has been reduced to mean lower low water (MLLW) using final approved tides and zoning from NOAA COOPS. Data is in UTM zone 20 north, datum NAD83. The processed CARIS data was used to generate a CARIS BASE surface based on swath angle. An ASCII XYZ file was exported from the BASE surface and opened in ESRI ArcMap 9.x as an XY event. Then the ArcToolbox conversion tool 'Feature to Raster' was used to generate the final ESRI Geotiff. The project was conducted to meet IHO Order 1 and 2 accuracy standards, dependent on the project area and depth. All users should individually evaluate the suitability of this data according to their own needs and standards.


ABSTRACT There is increasing interest recently in developing intranasal vaccines against respiratory tract infections. The antibody response is critical for vaccine-induced protection, and T follicular helper cells (TFH) are considered important for mediating the antibody response. Most data supporting the role for TFH in the antibody response are from animal studies, and direct evidence from humans is limited, apart from the presence of TFH-like cells in blood. We studied the activation and induction of TFH and their role in the anti-influenza antibody response induced by a live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) in human nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT). TFH activation in adenotonsillar tissues was analyzed by flow cytometry, and anti-hemagglutinin (anti-HA) antibodies were examined following LAIV stimulation of tonsillar mononuclear cells (MNC). Induction of antigen-specific TFH by LAIV was studied by flow cytometry analysis of induced TFH and CD154 expression. LAIV induced TFH proliferation, which correlated with anti-HA antibody production, and TFH were shown to be critical for the antibody response. Induction of TFH from naive T cells by LAIV was shown in newly induced TFH expressing BCL6 and CD21, followed by the detection of anti-HA antibodies. Antigen specificity of LAIV-induced TFH was demonstrated by expression of the antigen-specific T cell activation marker CD154 upon challenge by H1N1 virus antigen or HA. LAIV-induced TFH differentiation was inhibited by BCL6, interleukin-21 (IL-21), ICOS, and CD40 signaling blocking, and that diminished anti-HA antibody production. In conclusion, we demonstrated the induction by LAIV of antigen-specific TFH in human NALT that provide critical support for the anti-influenza antibody response. Promoting antigen-specific TFH in NALT by use of intranasal vaccines may provide an effective vaccination strategy against respiratory infections in humans. IMPORTANCE Airway infections, such as influenza, are common in humans. Intranasal vaccination has been considered a biologically relevant and effective way of immunization against airway infection. The vaccine-induced antibody response is crucial for protection against infection. Recent data from animal studies suggest that one type of T cells, TFH, are important for the antibody response. However, data on whether TFH-mediated help for antibody production operates in humans are limited due to the lack of access to human immune tissue containing TFH. In this study, we demonstrate the induction of TFH in human immune tissue, providing critical support for the anti-influenza antibody response, by use of an intranasal influenza vaccine. Our findings provide direct evidence that TFH play a critical role in vaccine-induced immunity in humans and suggest a novel strategy for promoting such cells by use of intranasal vaccines against respiratory infections.


Several epidemiological and observational studies have investigated the role of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women. Within a few years, clinicians shifted from considering HRT as the panacea for everything to considering it a venomous poison with which women, in search of the fountain of eternal youth, could instead harm themselves. This debate is not yet settled and the unexplained discrepancy between basic science and some of the clinical trials has fueled the discussion. One of the hottest areas of discussion remains the role of progestins. For many years, progestins were considered only as necessary additions to estrogen to protect the endometrium. However, we now know that every progestin has its own specific activities on different tissues, which can vary significantly between progestins of different classes and even within the same class. Indeed, different progestins may support or oppose the effects of estrogen depending on the tissue, thereby supporting the concept that the clinical selection of progestins for HRT is critical in determining potential positive or detrimental effects. Newer progestins, such as dydrogesterone, show effects that are remarkably different from those of other agents; these actions might be particularly relevant in the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system. The aim of the present paper is to review the comparative effects of dydrogesterone and other progestins at these sites, supporting the idea that the progestin has to be clinically selected.


The residence time of water within the distribution system (DS) is a key parameter to characterize the extent of disinfectant loss and disinfectant by-product formation. While hydraulic models include calculation of a parameter referred to commonly as 'water age', the expense of development and calibration has restricted their availability. Chemical tracer studies provide a less expensive alternative way to estimate water age even if these may need to be repeated to capture the seasonal range of water demand. This research presents a technique to calculate the 'mean residence time' (MRT) from tracer studies by applying well-known principles from chemical reactor engineering. A numerical experiment was first performed using a pipe network from a case study. A negative step input of a conservative chemical to a case study DS was simulated using the EPANET model. The response curves at a series of nodes were predicted by the water quality sub model of EPANET from which the MRTmodel values were calculated. MRTmodel values were close to the average water age as predicted by the hydraulic sub model of EPANET. Actual tracer studies were conducted in the distribution systems of Raleigh (serving 250,000) and Durham (serving 190,000), North Carolina. MRTfield values were calculated from tracer response data at a series of sampling stations. A highly skeletonized hydraulic model was available for the Raleigh DS to generate a predicted average water age. The MRTfield values at 12 stations were consistently higher than average water age, most likely because the hydraulic model was too highly skeletonized. The tracer study in the Durham DS showed the use of two or more tracers to calculate an MRTfield that was weighted by the


In networks with locator/identifier separation, it is of critical importance to design an elegant mapping service to map identifiers onto locators. While there are many mapping services in the literature, how to support efficient host mobility is still an open issue. In this paper, we first borrow the idea of indirection from proxy mobile IPv6 and incorporate it into the design of a mapping service. In particular, we divide the network into many rendezvous domains (RDs) and assign a rendezvous point (RP) to a mobile node (MN) when it moves into an RD. In addition, the mapping registered into a mapping system for the MN is the mapping from the MN's identifier onto the RP's locator. When other nodes send packets to the MN, these packets are first sent to the MN's RP, which then sends packets to the attaching egress tunnel router. This way, the identifier-to-locator mapping for the MN remains unchanged as long as it roams within the same RD, thus supporting efficient host mobility. We then propose a method to build large RDs and handover processes to deal with host mobility. We also present numerical results to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approaches.


Exposure to high doses of radiation causes serious injuries in gastrointestinal tract, by affecting biomolecules of the tissue. To demonstrate the modulation of intestinal proteome by ionising radiations, we analysed changes in protein expression in 9 Gy irradiated C57BL/6 mice at 24 h and 72 h by using two dimensional electrophoresis technique. A total of 19 protein spots with statistical significance (fold change>1.5 and P<0.05) were found to be differentially expressed. Of these 07 spots were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and peptide mass fingerprinting techniques which matched with the known proteins documented in the online database. These proteins belong to biological-functional categories like cytoskeleton system, molecular chaperones, DNA damage response, and stress response. These identified radiation induced proteins can help in understanding the mechanisms behind the intestinal injuries and thus can become potential targets for therapeutics and also aid in drug development.


LUMBOSACRAL epidural anaesthesia is a useful technique for controlling pain in many animal species. In small ruminants, it is indicated for surgical procedures caudal to the umbilicus (Skarda 1996), because it reduces the requirement for anaesthetic agents and general anaesthesia and provides residual analgesia for up to 24 hours.

The migration of drugs injected into the epidural space can be influenced by various factors such as the injection volume, rate of infusion, patency of intervertebral foramina, posture, vascular absorption and anatomical variations between species (Lee and others 2004a, Gorgi and others 2006). Experimental and clinical studies of the migration of solutions in the epidural space are therefore necessary to evaluate the pharmacodynamics of epidural anaesthetics used in different species. Studies of the cranial spread of methylene blue (MB) into the epidural space of goats, cattle, calves, pigs, dogs and cats have been reported (Johnson and others 1996, Lopez and others 1997, Lee and others 2001, 2004a, b, Gorgi and others 2006). However, to the authors' knowledge, no studies to evaluate epidural migration of MB in sheep are reported in the literature This short communication describes a study to investigate epidural migration of MB in live, anaesthetised sheep.

The study protocol was approved by …


Breast cancers that are ''triple-negative'' for the clinical markers ESR1, PGR, and HER2 typically belong to the Basal-like molecular subtype. Defective Rb , p53 and Brca1 pathways are each associated with triple-negative and Basal-like subtypes. Our mouse genetic studies demonstrate that the combined inactivation of Rb and p53 pathways is sufficient to suppress the physiological cell death of mammary involution. Furthermore, concomitant inactivation of all three pathways in mammary epithelium has an additive effect on tumor latency and predisposes highly penetrant, metastatic adenocarcinomas. The tumors are poorly differentiated and have histologic features that are common among human Brca1 -mutated tumors, including heterogeneous morphology, metaplasia, and necrosis. Gene expression analyses demonstrate that the tumors share attributes of both Basal-like and Claudin-low signatures, two molecular subtypes encompassed by the broader, triple-negative class defined by clinical markers.


Fanani Z. M., Rauf A, Maryana N, Nurmansyah A, Hindayana D. 2019. Geographic distribution of the invasive mealybug Phenacoccus manihoti and its introduced parasitoid Anagyrus lopezi in parts of Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 3751-3757. Cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti Matile-Ferrero (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is an invasive pest detected for the first time in Indonesia in 2010. An exotic parasitoid Anagyrus lopezi (De Santis) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was introduced and released in 2014 to control the pest. Study was conducted with the objective to determine the geographic distribution of P. manihoti and spread of A. lopezi. Field surveys were conducted on cassava fields in various locations in Lampung, Java, and Nusa Tenggara. Our studies showed that P. manihoti was found to be widely distributed in Lampung, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara. In each location visited, symptoms of P. manihoti infestation as indicated by internode distortion and bunchy top were prominent. Three years following release, parasitoid A. lopezi has established and spread into several cassava growing areas, except East Nusa Tenggara. Parasitism rates varied from 1.50% in West Nusa Tenggara up to 59.18% in East Java. Logistic regression revealed that probability of severe damage by the cassava mealybug was significantly (P<0.05) increased with the increasing abundance of ants.


Large area high-current photocells have been made using sensitive photoconductive CdS powder, the CdS particles being held together with plastic on a supporting surface. The electrodes may either be in the form of an interdigital pattern on the insulating surface which supports the layer, or they may consist of conducting surfaces on opposite sides of the layer. In the latter case the transparent conductive coating of the glass plate on which the layer is supported serves as one electrode. In practice, the CdS powder can be applied to a surface by conventional techniques such as spraying or silk screening, or by mechanically spreading.Since such photoconductive cells can be fabricated in almost any size and since the powder is capable of a photosensitivity of approximately one ampere per lumen, cells can readily be made capable of carrying photocurrents of an ampere or more in room light. Cells made with present powders have time constants of buildup and decay of the order of 0.1 second. Devices of this type are thus ideally suited for operating relays or directly controlling, over a continuous range, high-current devices such as incandescent light bulbs or motors.


Graft coatings of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) are of considerable interest for the reversible control of bio-interfacial interactions. In this study, graft coatings were prepared by free radical polymerisation from surface-bound polymerisable groups, on silicon wafers and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors. QCM with dissipation monitoring showed a gradual, extended phase change as the temperature increased. Colloid probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM) revealed a marked change in the compressibility of the coating below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Force curves showed an approximate 9-fold reduction in thickness between 24 °C and 38 °C, yet the collapsed coating at 38 °C still had a thickness significantly higher than the ellipsometrically determined dry thickness, indicating a residual extent of hydration above the LCST. At all temperatures, interaction force curves showed steric repulsion, though over different distances. There was little hysteresis between approach and retract force curves, which is evidence for almost instantaneous relaxation of the coating upon decompression. CP-AFM using a probe coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) showed repulsive interactions with little approach/retraction hysteresis below the LCST, indicating lack of adhesion between the pNIPAM coating and the BSA-coated probe. In contrast, above the LCST the force curves on retraction were characteristic of adhesion, while the approach curves were still repulsive, and the adhesion increased in strength as the temperature was increased further beyond the LCST. Thus, QCM-D and CP-AFM data correlated well in showing a gradual nature of the phase transition and a concomitant gradual change in the interaction force with BSA.


Description: Stock management and control is a critical element to the success and overall financial well-being of an organization. Through the application of innovative practices and technology, businesses are now able to effectively monitor their operations and manage their inventory by evaluating sales patterns and customer preferences. Optimal Inventory Control and Management Techniques explores emergent research in stock management and product control within organizations. Features diverse perspectives on the implementation of various optimization techniques, genetic algorithms, and datamining concepts, as well as research on big data applications for inventory management. Readers: This publication is a comprehensive reference source for practitioners, educators, and researchers in the fields of logistics, operations management, and retail management.


AIM
To understand the potential harmful effects of dose escalation among patients with chronic, non-cancer pain (CNCP) on chronic opioid therapy.

DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING
United States Veterans Healthcare Administration.

PARTICIPANTS
Veterans with CNCP and on chronic opioid therapy were identified using data from fiscal years 2008-15. The Veteran sample was approximately 90% male and 70% white.

MEASUREMENTS
Dose escalators [increase of > 20% average morphine milligram equivalent (MME) daily dose] were compared with dose maintainers (change of ±20% average MME daily dose). A composite measure of subsequent substance use disorders (SUDs: opioid, non-opioid and alcohol use disorders) and opioid-related adverse outcomes (AOs: accidents resulting in wounds/injuries, opioid-related and alcohol and non-opioid medication-related accidents and overdoses, self-inflicted injuries) as well as the individual SUDs and AOs was examined. The primary analyses were conducted among a 1 : 1 matched sample of escalators and maintainers matched on propensity score and index date. Propensity scores were generated using demographic characteristics, medical comorbidities, medication and health-care utilization characteristics. Subgroup analyses were conducted by quartile of the propensity score. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using adjusted logistic regression, logistic regression using stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (SIPTW) and instrumental variable (IV) models using geographic variation in opioid dose escalation as the IV.

FINDINGS
There were 32 420 maintainers and 20 767 escalators resulting in 19 358 (93.2%) matched pairs. Composite AOs [odds ratio (OR) = 1.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23, 1.40], composite SUDs (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.22, 1.41) and individual SUD and AO subtypes were higher among dose escalators, except for opioid-related accidents and overdoses and violence-related injuries. Subgroup analyses within the propensity score quartiles found similar results. Sensitivity analyses with the adjusted and SIPTW logistic regressions found similar results to the primary analyses for all outcomes except for opioid-related accidents and overdoses, which were found to be significantly higher among escalators. Sensitivity analyses with IV models provided mixed results with SUDs and the individual types of AOs.

CONCLUSION
Escalating the opioid dose for those with chronic, non-cancer pain is associated with increased risks of substance use disorder and opioid-related adverse outcomes.


Phosphorus deficiency is a major problem on most organic farms in Saskatchewan. Phosphorus levels have been decreasing in soil due to crop removal without the use of amendments to resupply P to the soil. Rock phosphates are naturally occurring phosphorus minerals, generally accepted as phosphorus amendments in organic crop production. Penicillium bilaiae (JumpStart ® ) is a fungal inoculant originally isolated from southern Alberta soils. P. bilaiae is thought to solubilize phosphorus minerals in soil and to enhance phosphorus availability to plants. There are several hypothesized mechanisms by which microorganisms enhance the dissolution of phosphorus minerals. For calcium phosphorus minerals such as rock phosphates, two mechanisms are considered most likely: 1) acidification by the exuded protons and organic acids and by the production of carbon dioxide, and 2) the complexation of cation partners of phosphorus by the exuded organic acids. This paper reviews properties of rock phosphates and P. bilaiae, and discusses potential phosphorus-solubilization mechanisms of P. bilaiae. Finally, this paper introduces experiments that investigate phosphorus-solubilization mechanisms of P. bilaiae.


OBJECTIVES:Balloon dilation of a luminal narrowing is classically performed with a single-diameter balloon. A new multidiameter balloon that allows three progressively larger, controlled radial expansion diameters of a single-balloon catheter (controlled radial expansion, CRE) has been developed. The purpose of this study was to test the diameter consistency and dilating force at increasing pressure of the CRE balloon-dilating catheter and to compare these features with the conventional balloon-dilating catheters.METHODS:The CRE balloon catheter was compared with the Achiever, Eliminator, and Max Force using in vitro testing to determine their dilating diameters and dilating forces.RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:This in vitro study has shown that the new CRE balloon catheter with increasing diameter delivers consistently reproducible and progressively greater dilating force. This dilating force of the CRE balloon catheter at its third and maximum diameter inflation was similar to that of the Max Force TTS and significantly greater than that of the conventional balloon dilators, Eliminator and Achiever.


This is the first complete systematic treatment of the marine algae (seaweeds) of California. The 726 species treated are each illustrated by a detailed line drawing made from an actual specimen. 'This book has long been anticipated by the phycological world, and the wait has been rewarded by an outstanding and scholarly account of the fascinating marine algae flora of California. ' Phycologia 'Two phycologists whose research reputations are worldwide have produced a truly superb guide to the marine benthic algae of the entire California coast. ' Bulletin of Marine Science 'The phycological community has long awaited a definitive treatment of benthic marine algae for the California coast. With the publication of this handsomely executed volume, a monumental project of compilation, synthesis, and interpretation has been achieved. It is indeed worth the wait.' Plant Science Bulletin


Growth factors are natural molecules with a protein or steroid structure. These factors are involved in the growth and differentiation of many cells and are a type of cytokine. The main positive and negative role of growth factors in stimulating cell proliferation and in regulating cell growth has been increasingly evaluated in recent years. Growth factor release systems are designed to be extensively shaped and made from a variety of synthetic and natural materials. In this research, chitosan/alginate nanoparticles were optimized for recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) with the response surface methodology method with three variables; stirring rate=900-1300 rpm, chitosan/alginate molecular weight ratio=1-3, pH=4.8-5.5, and the responses included size, ζ-potential, polydispersity index, loading efficacy, cumulative release and morphological degradation time. Then, morphological properties of the optimum formulation and MTT assay for 24hrs and 48hrs were evaluated for NIH 3T3 cell line as post characterization. The findings showed that the optimum conditions for the mentioned variables were stirring rate =1100 rpm, pH=5.15, Cs/Alg Mw ratio=1.75 based on numerical optimization and average particle size and loading efficacy at optimum conditions were 253 nm and 67%, respectively. Other responses were as follows: cumulative release=66 %, ζ-potential=35mV, polydispersity index=0.5 and morphological degradation time =7 days. Finally, these nanoparticles can suggest as a good carrier for rhBMP-2 delivery


This paper is concerned with the control of Duffing chaotic system with uncertainty. Based on the stability theory and adaptive control approach, for the system with unknown bounded disturbance, we design an adaptive controller, whose parameters are in general conditions. Then we define the concept of signal synchronization. Combining adaptive control approach with the concept of signal synchronization, we give theoretical proofs to show the input and output can be synchronous. Several simulation examples also show the effectiveness of the proposed method.


It is seldom realised that with the nationalisation of British Railways, the world's largest catering undertaking has fallen under state control. Though representating but an auxiliary activity of the British Transport Commission, the Hotels and Catering Services employ a staff of more than fifteen thousand persons and attain a yearly turnover of eighteen million pounds. In their forty hotels (with a capacity of six thousand seven hundred beds), four hundred refreshment rooms, seven hundred fully equipped dining cars, all the minor catering installations such as trolleys, kiosks, mobile refreshment room units and automatic slot machines is invested a value of eleven million pounds. It must be pointed out that these figures do not include any of the catering facilities of the Pullman Car Company Limited whose undertaking forms a special part of the Transport Commission and of which the fixed assets alone amount to a sum of over four hundred and ten thousand pounds.


The European Union is developing an immigration policy being integration one of its aspects. The Lisbon Treaty has introduced a legal basis for doing it, but pointing out that the Union may only adopt measures to support actions of Member States which are the primary responsible for the integration of third country nationals. This legal basis reflects the method that has been used in integration policy by the European Union, whose peak was the adoption of eleven common basic principles in November 2004. These principles, although not binding, have become the guide to be followed by both the Union in its subsequent actions and thus in developing the integration policy, and the States that must take it as a reference. Monitoring is carried out through a method of coordination.  This article analyses the causes of the adoption of these common basic principles. It also pays attention to their monitoring and impact through various measures, particularly those taken the Commission, and its incorporation into the national law. We take Spain as example because it is a country receiving large numbers of immigrants from recently, reason by which is now defining its policy of integration.


Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) classified with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn Dis‐ ease (CD) is an idiopathic, life-long, destructive chronic inflammatory disease in gastrointes‐ tinal tract [1] and probably multi-factorial disease caused by interplay of the external and internal environment. Little is known about the mechanism of pathogenesis of the disease but it has been reported that immunological mechanisms are involved in etiology. Under normal situations, the intestinal mucosa is in a state of controlled inflammation regulated by a delicate balance of pro-inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha, interferon [IFN]gamma, interleukin [IL]-1, IL-6, IL-12 and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, IL-11), where particularly, IL-6 stimulates T-cell and B-cell proliferation and differentiation.


Aphids of the genus Amphorophora collected from European raspberry, Rubus idaeus , have a chromosome complement of 2n(♀)=18, whereas Amphorophora from R. fruticosus agg. (blackberry, brambles) have a basic chromosome complement of 2n(♀)=20. Canonical variates analysis based on eight characters measured on numerous samples of apterous virginoparae showed that Amphorophora on European Rubus can be separated morphologically into two groups consistent with the differences in host plant and karyotype, and these two groups are concluded to be separate species. The correct name for the aphid on raspberry that is a vector of European raspberry viruses is Amphorophora idaei (Born.), and the species on blackberry is A. rubi (Kalt.). Simple biometric methods of discriminating between A. idaei and A. rubi based on pairs of variables are suggested, and their reliability is discussed. Taxonomic problems in the European and North American Rubus -feeding species of Amphorophora are considered with particular reference to their importance in applied entomology.


This Note discusses the recent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, whether the vaccine should be mandated for minors and the vaccine's legal and medical implications. Presently, there exists a unique opportunity to significantly reduce the rate of HPV-associated cervical cancer through anti-viral vaccination strategies using the HPV vaccine. Despite the apparent public health benefits of the HPV vaccine, the desire of some law makers to mandate the vaccine for school girls has placed it at the center of political, medical, and moral jousting throughout the country. The multiple state and federal proposals as well as a state bill signed into law making the HPV vaccination a school requirement, have caused great furor and debate between health care advocates who prefer aggressive use of the injections for minors and social conservatives and parents who feel that readily available vaccines will encourage sexual activity. This article examines various factors regarding this topic, including the HPV disease and its nation-wide impact, United States history regarding mandatory vaccination laws and the current exemptions for mandatory vaccinations, arguments for and against mandating the HPV vaccination for female minors, and an effective approach to the mandatory vaccination issue.


Process simulation tools for sewer systems are built-up by modules for the simulation of flow, transport and chemical or biological reactions. Moreover, the coupling of the models for a single channel to a network is important. In this paper a splitting approach is presented for the suitable numerical treatment of the governing equations. The flow simulation is based on the one-dimensional Saint-Venant equations. These are combined with advection-diffusion-reaction equations for the transport of substances and their chemical or biological reactions. The Saint-Venant equations are splitted into quasi-linear and non-linear components which are semi-discretised in space separately. This approach is adapted to the equations for channels or rivers with strongly varying bottom elevation or cross sections and partial dry channels. The advection-diffusion-reaction equations are treated by an appropriate discretisation of the different parts. WENO-schemes are proposed for the space-discretisation of the advection terms. Numerical results of a case-study with eight chemical reactions are presented.


Hypereutectic Al-Co alloys of various Co contents (7–20 weight % (wt.%) Co) were prepared by vacuum arc melting, aiming at investigating the influence of the cobalt content on the microstructure and corrosion behavior. Quite uniform and directional microstructures were attained. The obtained microstructures depended on the Co content, ranging from fully eutectic growth (7 wt.% and 10 wt.% Co) to coarse primary Al9Co2 predominance (20 wt.% Co). Co dissolution in Al far exceeded the negligible equilibrium solubility of Co in Al; however, it was hardly uniform. By increasing the cobalt content, the fraction and coarseness of Al9Co2, the content of Co dissolved in the Al matrix, and the hardness and porosity of the alloy increased. All alloys exhibited similar corrosion behavior in 3.5 wt.% NaCl with high resistance to localized corrosion. Al-7 wt.% Co showed slightly superior corrosion resistance than the other compositions in terms of relatively low corrosion rate, relatively low passivation current density and scarcity of stress corrosion cracking indications. All Al-Co compositions demonstrated substantially higher resistance to localized corrosion than commercially pure Al produced by casting, cold rolling and arc melting. A corrosion mechanism was formulated. Surface films were identified.


Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have attracted a lot of notice as a platform in nanomaterials due to their specific properties such as large surface area, high pore size and volume, physical stability and uniform structures. The application of pure MSNs in various industries such as the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries has been developed. The incorporation of metals into MSNs can increase the catalytic activity of MSNs due to their specific properties such as pore size and volume. Modification of MSNs by iron atoms (Fe-MSN) was studied in this research. The Fe-MSN was prepared using a sol–gel method. Here a comprehensive study was conducted on its enzyme mimicking and biocatalytic activities toward the oxidase, peroxidase and catalase enzymes. Hence, the relevant biocatalytic parameters were obtained through the reliable enzyme kinetic models. The results showed that Fe-MSN has high catalytic activity for decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (catalase activity) and for oxidation of aromatic hydrogen donors such as 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). This activity can be carried out in the presence of oxygen as an oxidant (oxidase activity) and/or in the presence of a peroxide substrate, e.g. H2O2 (peroxidase activity) to produce the blue-colored product. Consequently, a colorimetric method was developed to determine H2O2 by Fe-MSN indicating a reasonable limit of detection (LOD) of 1.2 μM (3σ/slope) and a linear range over 7.2–100 μM. When Fe-MSN was coupled with glucose oxidase (a bienzymatic sequential detection system) glucose as a substrate can be detected at ≤1.2 μM over an experimental linear range of 4.1–100 μM.


In pursuit of assessing farmers' media preferences for designing agri-based distance learning courses for the hill region of Uttarakhand, the objectives of this study were twofold: (i) to study the personal, socio-economic and communication characteristics of farmers, and (ii) to find out preferences of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for agri-based distance learning courses. Data was collected from 120 vegetable growing farmers from four hill districts of Uttarakhand state using the census method. The results indicated that a majority of the vegetable growers were found to be of middle age group, married, had middle level of experience, marginal farmers, belonged to the general caste, and were involved in social and political institutions and had medium level of socio economic status. A majority of the farmers possessed television, radio, mobile phones and video cassette players. They preferred text and VCDs for getting information on agriculture in a distance learning setting. Amongst various blends of ICTs, combination of printed material and video CDs ranked first. Most of the respondents preferred demonstration and discussion format for educational programme on TV and VCDs; whereas, all the respondents preferred self-explanatory and auto-instructional text material with diagrams. The related implications of media preferences for designing agri-based distance learning courses are also discussed in the paper.


In this paper we study cellular access networks which solely rely on renewable energy. We consider a cellular network in which a mesh of base stations (BSs) that are powered with renewable sources, and interconnected with wireless backhaul links, cover the service area, and provide connection to few, typically remote, wired network accesses to the national and international backbone. In particular, we study how to dimension BS power generators and energy storage. We start by discussing the BS energy need, that depends on both the BS consumption model and the BS traffic profiles. Focusing then on some specific locations, we consider the use of photovoltaic (PV) panels, and dimension them based on the daily energy need of the BS and on typical radiative power of sun in the considered locations. Once the PV system has been dimensioned, we also evaluate the energy storage capacity that is needed to absorb energy production variability due to both daily and seasonal radiative power variations. Finally, we investigate the effectiveness of integrating the PV system with wind turbines, as well as the benefit induced on the system by base station sleep modes.


The influence of one teacher's scaffolding moves on children's performance in free-flowing child-led small-group discussions was investigated. Three moves were examined: prompting for and praising the use of evidence, asking for clarification, and challenging. Lag sequential analysis was applied to a corpus of over 5,300 speaking turns during 30 discussions to identify recurrent turn-by-turn patterns of teacher-child and child-child talk initiated by the teacher's moves. A complex system of influence among discussion participants was documented in which the teacher's moves had delayed effects as well as immediate effects, indirect as well as direct effects, and reciprocal instead of unidirectional effects. Some children appropriated scaffolding moves of the teacher and began to spontaneously employ the moves in later discussions.


Search-based software testing (SBT) is an effective and efficient approach for testing automated driving systems (ADS). However, testing pipelines for ADS testing are particularly challenging as they involve integrating complex driving simulation platforms and establishing communication protocols and APIs with the desired search algorithm. This complexity prevents a wide adoption of SBT and thorough empirical comparative experiments with different simulators and search approaches. We present OpenSBT, an open-source, modular and extensible framework to facilitate the SBT of ADS. With OpenSBT, it is possible to integrate simulators with an embedded system under test, search algorithms and fitness functions for testing. We describe the architecture and show the usage of our framework by applying different search algorithms for testing Automated Emergency Braking Systems in CARLA as well in the high-fidelity Prescan simulator in collaboration with our industrial partner DENSO. OpenSBT is available at https://git.fortiss.org/opensbt. A demo video is provided here: https://youtu.be/6csl\_UAOD\_4.


The molecular mechanisms of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) oxidation by peroxynitrite (ONOO-) was studied using ultra-weak chemiluminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and UV-visible diodearray spectrophotometry, and compared to BH4 oxidation by oxoferryl species produced by the myoglobin/hydrogen peroxide (Mb/H2O2) system. The oxidation of BH4 by ONOO- produced a weak chemiluminescence, which was altered by addition of 50 mM of the spin trap α-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert butylnitrone (POBN). EPR spin trapping demonstrated that the reaction occurred at least in part by a radical pathway. A mixture of two spectra composed by an intense six-line spectrum and a fleeting weak nine-line one was observed when using ONOO-. Mb/H2O2 produced a short-living light emission that was suppressed by the addition of BH4. Simultaneous addition of POBN, BH4 and Mb/H2O2 produced the same six-line EPR spectrum, with a signal intensity depending on BH4 concentration. Spectrophotometric studies confirmed the rapid disappearance of the characteristic peak of ONOO- (302 nm) as well as substantial modifications of the initial BH4 spectrum with both oxidant systems. These data demonstrated that BH4 oxidation, either by ONOO- or by Mb/H2O2, occurred with the production of activated species and by radical pathways.


Extracts prepared from tissue specimens of normal, non-tumourous human buccal mucosa, and cultured buccal epithelial cells and fibroblasts, exhibited O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) activity by catalysing the repair of the premutagenic O6-methylguanine lesion in isolated DNA with rates of 0.2 to 0.3 pmol/mg protein. An SV40 T antigen-immortalized buccal epithelial cell line termed SVpgC2a and a buccal squamous carcinoma line termed SqCC/Y1, both of which lack normal tumour suppressor gene p53 function, exhibited about 50 and 10% of the MGMT activity of normal cells, respectively. The normal, experimentally transformed and tumourous buccal cell types showed MGMT mRNA levels which correlated with their respective levels of MGMT activity. Exposure of buccal cell cultures to various organic or water-based extracts of products related to the use of tobacco and betel quid, decreased both cell survival (measured by reduction of tetrazolium dye) and MGMT activity (measured subsequently to the exposures in cellular extracts). Organic extracts of bidi smoke condensate and betel leaf showed higher potency than those of tobacco and snuff. An aqueous snuff extract also decreased both parameters, whereas an aqueous areca nut extract was without effect. The well-established sulph-hydryl-reactive agent Hg2+, a corrosion product of dental amalgam, served as a positive control and decreased MGMT activity following treatment of cells within a range of 1-10 microM. Taken together, significant MGMT activities were demonstrated in buccal tissue specimens and in the major buccal mucosal cell types in vitro. Lower than normal MGMT activity in two transformed buccal epithelial cell lines correlated with decreased MGMT mRNA and lack of functional p53. Finally, in vitro experiments suggested the potential inhibition of buccal mucosal MGMT activity by complex mixtures present in the saliva of tobacco and betel nut chewers.


Free-space optical (FSO) communication is a line of sight (LOS) technology and has significant advantages and attractive applications. Recently, spectrum slicing wavelength division multiplexing (SS-WDM)-based FSO systems provide improved link range, high capacity, and efficiency. In this chapter, the SS-WDM-based FSO system is proposed with four channels to increase the performance of communication under various wind speed and heights of the buildings. But, atmospheric turbulence fading, scintillation, and pointing errors (PE) are the main impairments affecting the performance of FSO commu- nication systems. Predominantly, the turbulence variation due to wind velocity, refractive index, and height of buildings has been majorly focused and analyzed for Vellore weather conditions. A case study has been experimented on how the height of buildings and the atmosphere around VIT, Vellore campus, affect the transmission of light in free space. The bit error rate of the proposed system is analyzed with distance, received power for various wind speed and different heights of the buildings.


This paper surveys, integrates, and extends research on estate and gift taxes. The paper begins with information on features of U.S. transfer taxes, characteristics of recent estate tax returns, the evolution of transfer taxes, the role of such taxes in other countries, and theory and evidence concerning why people give intergenerational transfers. The next sections examine the incidence, equity, and efficiency of transfer taxes. Subsequent sections cover administrative issues and the effects on saving, labor supply, entrepreneurship, inter vivos gifts, charitable contributions, and capital gains realizations. The paper closes with a discussion of policy options and a short conclusion.


Although the pathogenesis of acne has been elucidated, many patients do not notice improvement with standard treatments alone. Acne is a multifactorial disease, and although there are different aggravating factors such as diet, external stimuli, and stress that varies among individuals, the correct approach to tackling these factors has likely not been considered. Hence, we recommend using Kampo, a traditional Japanese medicine. Kampo examines a patient physically and mentally through unique concepts such as qi, blood, and fluid, and treats using Kampo medicines. With Kampo, both the illness and other aspects such as the general health and well being of the patient are examined and treated.

We believe that if Kampo is employed in identifying and treating the aggravating factors of acne of each patient, both the overall therapeutic effect and patients' motivation for treatment will be improved. This paper classifies the aggravating factors of acne into five categories, decreased barrier function of the skin, excessive secretion of sebum, exacerbation before menstruation, gastrointestinal symptoms, and stress, and introduces effective Kampo medicines in each case.


Herein, reduction-responsive disintegratable nanoclusters (NCs) were prepared as a novel nanovehicle for targeted drug delivery. The NCs, with a diameter of ∼170 nm, were self-assembled from hydrophobically modified and iRGD decorated hydroxyethyl starch (iRGD-HES-SS-C18). DOX was loaded into the NCs as a model drug. DOX@iRGD-HES-SS-C18 NCs can disintegrate into smaller ones and release DOX under reduction stimuli. Due to the ligand-receptor binding interactions between iRGD and integrin αV, DOX@iRGD-HES-SS-C18 NCs can specifically bind to the cell membranes of HepG-2 and 4T1 cells (integrin αV positive), resulting in enhanced cellular uptake as compared to DOX@HES-SS-C18 NCs. After cellular internalization, the NCs were transported to endosomes/lysosomes in which the reductive environment triggered the disintegration and DOX release. As a consequence, DOX@iRGD-HES-SS-C18 NCs exhibited an enhanced antitumor effect as compared to DOX@HES-SS-C18 NCs and free DOX, in an in vitro antitumor activity study. The reduction-responsive disintegratable NCs reported here were proved to be a safe and efficient nanoplatform, holding significant translation potential for tumor-targeted drug delivery.


Joseph Southall (1861-1944) was an artist distinguished in his field, a political activist of considerable stamina and a Quaker greatly loved and honoured by some Friends, albeit not by all. His political involvement as chairman of the Independent Labour Party in Birmingham from 1914 to 1931 afforded an opportunity for witness that was in harmony with his religious affiliation. But his profession as an artist was pursued against a climate of ambivalence toward the arts within the Quaker commu nity, which was diminishing in the early twentieth century but had not altogether disappeared. This paper illustrates the traditional disapprobation of the arts by Quakers and identifies elements of a Quakerly aesthetic (defined for the purpose of this paper as 'a set of moral principles constraining the production or appreciation of a visual image'). The paper is an attempt to trace the emergence of such an aesthetic in the art of Joseph Southall. In particular, this paper examines Southall's alignment of art with craft, observes moral restraint in the painting of portraits and explores Southall's use of narrative themes in art as ministry.


This article analyzes four Japanese folk tales (myths) using the unconscious structures approach pioneered by Levi-Strauss to uncover the connections between these myths and the unconscious structures of the society that holds them. The first step is to find the outer structures of the four analyzed myths and analyze them both synchronically and diachronically to find their component mythemes. The second step is to analyze and identify the inner structures of these mythemes. These inner structures can then be refined into a series of binary oppositions. Subsequently, the structures of these myths are connected to ethnographic data of the Japanese people, thus producing transformations which indicate the unconscious structures under investigatie. This analysis shows there are oppositional logics centered around the concept of duty, a fundamental part of Japanese morality – opposition between "willingness" and "reluctance" as well as between "gimu"and "giri". These oppositional logics are the unconscious structures of their reason for duty, rooted in the concept of "obeisance".


Engaging school students in wildlife research through citizen science projects can be a win-win for scientists and educators. Not only does it provide a way for scientists to gather new data, but it can also contribute to science education and help younger generations become more environmentally aware. However, wildlife research can be challenging in the best of circumstances, and there are few guidelines available to help scientists create successful citizen science projects for school students. This paper explores the opportunities and challenges faced when developing school-based citizen science projects in wildlife research by synthesising two sources of information. First, we conducted a small, school-based citizen science project that investigated the effects of supplementary feeding on urban birds as a case study. Second, we reviewed the literature to develop a database of school-based citizen science projects that address questions in wildlife ecology and conservation. Based on these activities, we present five lessons for scientists considering a school-based citizen science project. Overall, we found that school-based citizen science projects must be carefully designed to ensure reliable data are collected, students remain engaged, and the project is achievable under the logistical constraints presented by conducting wildlife research in a school environment. Ultimately, we conclude that school-based citizen science projects can be a powerful way of collecting wildlife data while also contributing to the education and development of environmentally aware students.


In our country, Intensive Care Units (ICU) for both adults and children include medical equipment of high technology that saves the lives of patients in critical condition. Many of these patients for different pathologies need the use of a mechanical ventilator which keeps the patient's respiration and allows the medical staff to assist them with other means. In practice, there are a lot of different situations that the medical staff have to face and make adequate decisions that will help save the patients' lives. In this case, the mechanical ventilator must be used, requiring a great deal of experience acquired along many years of work. The mechanical ventilator SERVO 900C made by Siemens Elema is available in all ICUs; this equipment is used for the treatment of more critical patients due to his reliability and technical features. Based on this fact, a simulator was designed to help train the less experienced staff in the use of the ventilator and to allow them to face real case simulations, making decisions that will be adequate or wrong with no risk to the patient's life. In this way, they would acquire the necessary knowledge on how to use the equipment in real-life situations. The created system displays the control panel of the ventilator allowing the user to interact. The control panel includes both analogical and digital devices that show different parameters and also the gases mixer which is connected to the equipment. During the work, the user can access a calculator to facilitate the adjustment of some parameters in case any calculation is needed. The system is divided into modules. The module "Exercises" permits you to choose one out of a set and solve it by means of the adjustment of the controls; this answer is analyzed and warning messages are displayed in case a control has been set incorrectly. The aim of these exercises is that the users learn how to handle the equipment by parts and are conceived for a sequence of question-answer. The module "Problems" describes the condition of a given patient which must be treated with the ventilator. The user will then simulate his performance in the adjustment of it. The sequence question-answer will change dynamically according to the evolution previously previewed for the patient by the professor. The simulator has a set of acoustic and visual alarms which are activated during the occurrence of different anomalies. These alarms work according to the professor's will at the moment of planning the lesson. The module "Information" gives the user the possibility of consulting topics about the equipment such as: functions, patient's safety, installation, clinical judgment and location of failures. In the last module "Options" the user defines the files (exercises or problems) he is going to use as well as the directory of work and the initialization file. The system uses pull-down menus, providing a context-sensitive on screen help with information about the function of each control and how to handle it. For the preparation of the files of exercises and problems only Servo editor can be used; this editor works independently from the simulator. The system requires a PC IBM Compatible with 640 kb RAM, MS-DOS operating system, and VGA color display. We consider that with the implementation this system the user can gain experience and knowledge about the use of the ventilator before he faces real situations.


Travelling wave wall used for Micro Air Vehicle flow control is studied to find out its drag reduction effect. Aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil with and without a streamwise travelling wave on its surface are calculated. The interrelationship is also analyzed among lift, drag and ratio of motion phase speed to the external flow velocity. The flexible airfoil that can generate streamwise travelling waves is realized via electromagnetic coil actuation. Thirty-six coils are placed streamwisely under heat shrink film and magnets producing magnetic field are placed under coils. Every single coil is controlled by current to move vertically in harmonic motion with 30 degrees phase difference between adjacent ones. So heat shrink film is actuated, and streamwise travelling wave is generated. Meanwhile, a prototype is designed and tested in wind tunnel. The experimental aerodynamic data proves that streamwise traveling wave airfoil can increase lift and reduce air drag.


In the search for high-performance anodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), germanium-based compounds are recognized as one of the most promising candidates due to their extremely high theoretical capacity. In this study, a facile TEOA-assisted technology is presented to successfully fabricate Co-doped Zn2GeO4 hollow microspheres. The shell of the hollow microspheres is constructed by the self-assembly of uniform 1D single-crystalline nanorods with a length and diameter of about 2 μm and 100 nm, respectively. The reaction mechanism of the Co-doped Zn2GeO4 and the formation mechanism of the uniquely hollow structure were discussed. When used as an anode material for LIBs, the optimized Co-doped Zn2GeO4 hollow microspheres deliver a high discharge capacity of 1419 mA h g−1 and a high charge capacity of 1063 mA h g−1 for the first cycle, corresponding to a very high initial coulombic efficiency of 75%. A high capacity of 882 mA h g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 after 100 discharge–charge cycles was maintained and a capacity of 464 mA h g−1 can be retained even at a high current density of 5.0 A g−1. The remarkable electrochemical lithium storage performance can be a result of the synergistic effect of the hierarchical hollow structure and unique chemical composition. The hierarchical hollow structure allows for easy diffusion of electrolytes and shortens the pathway of Li+ transport during repeated Li+ extraction/insertion. Meanwhile, the Co doping can effectively improve charge transport for enhanced reaction kinetics.


Context: Cyberspace covers many aspects of humans' life, and the tendency to cyberspace can be influenced by cognitive and emotional aspects. Aims: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of emotional processing in relation to self-efficacy on tendency to virtual networks in gifted students. Settings and Design: The present study was a correlational research with structural equation modeling. Materials and Methods: The statistical population of the present study was all 300 gifted students of Sampad High School in the 11th course of experimental field in the academic year of 2019 in Gorgan city, 300 students of which were selected as samples through census method and evaluated by virtual network questionnaire of Mojardi et al., emotional processing questionnaire of Baker et al., and self-efficacy questionnaire of Sherer et al. (1982). Statistical Analysis Used: The collected data were analyzed using structural regression equations using SPSS 18 and Amos 23 software. Results: The results showed that there is a significant negative relationship between self-efficacy and emotional processing with the tendency to virtual networks (P ≤ 0.01). Self-efficacy (β = −0.267, P ≤ 0.002) and emotional processing (β = −0.221, P ≤ 0.000) had a significant negative effect on tendency toward cyberspace. The research model was fitted and confirmed and 0.38 of the variance of tendency to virtual networks was explained by self-efficacy and emotional processing, and emotional processing had a mediating role in the relationship self-efficacy with tendency to virtual networks. Conclusions: Changes in tendency to cyberspace can be explained directly based on self-efficacy and indirectly based on emotional processing in gifted students, and this study has practical implications for school counselors.


The authors assess of three decades of struggle against Bancroftian filariasis in French Polynesia. Wuchereria bancrofti var. pacifica, aperiodic filaria, and Aedes polynesiensis, mosquito with high parasitologic output, set up a cycle very well adapted to the Polynesian environment; after numerous tests, the chemoprophylaxis with diethylcarbamazine (3 mg/kg/half-year) of all the exposed population has been decided, in association with methods of vector-control (use of predatory crustaceans). However, the achievement of this strategy is impeded by economical contingencies and the endemic comes up again particularly in areas close to eradication. Entomological clues show a high transmission over the greater part of French Polynesia.


QoS-aware web service composition intends to maximize the global QoS of a composite service with local and global QoS constraints while selecting the independent candidate services from different providers. With the increasing number of candidate services emerging from the Internet, the network delays often greatly affect the performance of the composite service, which are usually difficult to be collected beforehand. One remedy is to predict them for the composition. However, there are some new issues in network delay predictions for the composition, including prediction accuracy, on-demand measures to new services and runtime overhead. In this paper, we try to tackle these critical challenges by taking advantage of the geolocations of candidate services. We first describe a network-aware service composition problem. Then, we present a novel geolocation-based NQoS prediction and reprediction approach for service composition. Furthermore, a geolocation-based service selection algorithm is presented to make use of our NQoS prediction approach for the composition. We have conducted extensive experiments on the real-world data set collected from PlanetLab. Comparative experimental results demonstrate that our approach improves the prediction accuracy and predictability of the NQoS and reduces the runtime overheads in predicting the composition.


Abstract
The present review will present the most recent development in sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) regarding high concentrate diet and its interaction on gene expression. The SARA is a common disorder in high producing ruminants. In addition SARA is a big challenge for ruminant nutritionists, therefore, the subject has been extensively studied in recent decades. In current decade nutrigenomic has been used to understand the cellular response influenced by high concentrate diet in ruminants. For sustainability of higher growth and production, animals are force to feed on high concentrate and low fiber in diet. High concentrate diet leads to accumulation of higher concentration of VFA consequently ruminal pH decreases. Depression in pH for longer duration impaired ruminal epithelium tight junctions and hyperkeratosis. SARA is characterized by fewer tight junctions between cells, thinner cell layers, and an increased sloughing of the stratum corneum leading to a weakened permeability barrier.  Ruminal epithelium serves as barrier for microbes, damages to ruminal epithelium leads to translocation of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from compromised ruminal epithelium to blood circulation and different organs of the body. The LPS induce immunogenic response in ruminal papillae, epithelium, liver, and other organs. LPS induce a cascade mechanism of gene expression by binding with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) a receptor for LPS, binding of LPS with TLR4 activate nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) consequently genes for interleukin 6 (IL), IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and many more genes were up regulated or down regulated in rumen epithelium and other organs. In conclusion feeding high concentrate diets to ruminants' triggered local and systemic inflammation response at molecular level. By exploring the mechanism of SARA and its effects on gene up regulation or down regulation can be a value able tools for understanding the SARA and its adverse effects on animal health and production performance.


This paper examines research on the individual needs of giifed children, with a special focus on underachieving gifted student., and provides results of a study of students in a 10-week after-school enrichment program in Queensland, Australia. Over 300 gifted children (ages 5-8) attended the program, and five case studies are provided using information from parent and child interviews, tutor notes, classroom observations, and video recordings. Two of the students discussed conform to standard teacher expectations of gifted students, while the others show a variety of signs of low self-esteem, withdrawn or aggressive behavior, inability to concentrate, resistance to teacher efforts to motivate, and poor peer relationships. While such traits are often associated with low achievement, these students demonstrated performance on a level with or above that of high achievers, and demonstrated no negative behaviors. It is concluded that intervention needs to recognize the importance of identification strategies, careful nurturing, and programming which reinforces opportunities for students to become autonomous yet cooperative learners. (Contains 43 refetrences.)


The 1990s has been a decade of considerable socioeconomic change in the MENA region characterized by adoption of economic liberalization policies and a declining role of the state as an employer in the labor market. This paper explores some of the equity implications of this transition by examining changes in the distribution of returns to education and gender wage premia in the Egypt and Morocco market using joint models of educational choice and wage determination. Selectivity corrected returns to different levels of education indicate that a reduction in the role of the public sector lead to lower returns in the private sector and falling returns over time. Only at the university level, are returns higher in the private sector in Egypt indicating that employers place relatively little value on basic and secondary education. In Morocco there is some evidence of higher returns in the private sector by the end of the 1990, which might be indicative of better matching of educational credentials and productivity differences. Oaxaca-Blinder wages-differentials decompositions of sector and gender wage gap for Egypt and Morocco indicate that the unexplained component in public wage premia and gender gaps have declined in Egypt, but substantially increased in Morocco over the 1990s. Overall, economic liberalization and public sector retrenchment which were much more comprehensive in Morocco appear to have had a more dislocating effect also on labor market wage outcomes. The paper ends with some policy implications and suggests future directions of research in the areas of educational and public sector reform and policies to improve access of women to the private sectors in MENA.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the putative role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the aetiology of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in Belgium.

METHODS
The frequency of HPV infection was determined using HPV DNA PCRamplification with L1 consensus primers MY09-MY11, able to recognise about 40 different HPV types, on twenty-one formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded oesophageal squamous cells carcinomas. Nineteen samples of histologically normal epithelium from the surgical margins of the OSCC specimens and five samples from normal oesophagus obtained at autopsy served as negative controls.

RESULTS
We found only one HPV positive tumour (4.8%) out of the 21 OSCC cases. All the normal epithelium controls remained negative.

CONCLUSIONS
Our data are in agreement with those previously published, suggesting that HPV infection only plays a minor role in the pathogenesis of oesophageal squamous cells carcinoma in West-European countries.


Our postulate that opiate agonist and antagonist action is determined by the difference in the physicochemical properties between agonist-receptor complex and the complex formed with antagonist was tested using cerebroside sulfate as a model receptor. All of the drugs examined induced the [3H]cerebroside sulfate transfer from an aqueous phase to a nonaqueous phase. However, most of the agonists were more effective in inducing the transfer than most relatively pure antagonists and in a series of homologues, the maximum transfer induced by the agonists was larger than that induced by the antagonists. Moreover, the transfer induced by levorphanol was reversed by various opiate antagonists, but not by agonists. Both the transfer induced by the drugs used and the inhibition by various types of opiate antagonists correlated closely with their analgetic potencies in man and their antagonisms of the agonist effects in the isolated guinea pig ileum, respectively. Partial agonists and antagonists exhibited biphasic effects; at the low concentration, they antagonized the agonist-induced [3H]cerebroside sulfate transfer but at the higher concentration they induced their own transfer. When the [3H]cerebroside sulfate transfer induced by agonists and the inhibition by antagonists were compared to that induced by inorganic cations, the tightness of the ionic interaction between the cationic nitrogen atom of the drug and the anionic sulfate group of CS could serve to explain the agonist efficacy, while hydration of the ionic bond determines the antagonist efficacy. Based on the molecular mechanism of opiate-cerebroside sulfate interaction, an opiate receptor theory was proposed.


The main goal of this paper is to create a computer crash model (up to the level of the double mass-spring-damper model, which is described by a system of two differential equations and where the stiffness and damping coefficients - physical parameters are calculated using the Matlab function Y = solve (eqns) - Equations and systems solver) using measured real data obtained from a frontal impact of a vehicle into a rigid barrier. The vehicle crash modelling process can be performed in two ways. One of them, which is also applied in this article, is based on the System Identification Toolbox, which contains MATLAB® functions, Simulink® blocks and a special application for compiling models of dynamic systems from measured I / O data.


Exploring the long-term use of accounting practices and currencies by literate and numerate authorities contributes new information regarding the complexity of the political economy of ancient Maya society. Two forms of indirect, yet compelling, lines of evidence for accounting practices and currencies are presented in this article. First, we identify potential accounting devices (counting sticks and tokens) found in the tombs of royal scribes and nobles, based on the contextual associations and depicted uses of similar objects in Maya art such as polychrome vases and murals. Second, we argue that the long-term use and significant standardization of specific shell objects suggests their role as all-purpose monies, in addition to their complementary status as counting devices or numerical symbols. This paper addresses the intricate relationships between symbolism, value and multiple modes of exchange that have long been of interest to cross-cultural studies in anthropology.


Circadian control of gene expression is well-characterized at the transcriptional level, but little is known about diel or circadian control of translation. Genome-wide translation state profiling of mRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings grown in long day was performed to estimate ribosome loading per mRNA. The experiments revealed extensive translational regulation of key biological processes. Notably, translation of mRNAs for ribosomal proteins and mitochondrial respiration peaked at night. Central clock mRNAs are among those subject to fluctuations in ribosome loading. There was no consistent phase relationship between peak translation states and peak transcript levels. The overlay of distinct transcriptional and translational cycles can be expected to alter the waveform of the protein synthesis rate. Plants that constitutively overexpress the clock gene CCA1 showed phase shifts in peak translation, with a six hour delay from midnight to dawn or from noon to evening being particularly common. Moreover, cycles of ribosome loading that were detected under continuous light in the wild type collapsed in the CCA1 overexpressor. Finally, at the transcript level, the CCA1-ox strain adopted a global pattern of transcript abundance that was broadly correlated with the light50 dark environment. Altogether, these data demonstrate that gene-specific, diel cycles of ribosome loading are controlled in part by the circadian clock.


Abstract Most studies have reported negative carbon and nitrogen isotope fractionations between hosts and parasites, but isotope values have not yet been determined for many parasite species, such as trematodes, due to their relatively small body sizes. We investigated the carbon and nitrogen isotope values of freshwater snails and trematode parasites by using a method for organisms with very small body sizes. We found negative isotope fractionation values between host snails and trematode parasites, similar to published values for other parasite groups with larger body sizes, which suggest that the mechanisms for determining isotope fractionations between hosts and parasites provide similar results.


Abstract Tidewater lakes on Baffin Island in the eastern Canadian Arctic offer an excellent opportunity to study interannual to century-scale Arctic climatic change. Freeze-cores were analysed from three lakes in southeastern Baffin Island: Upper Soper Lake, Ogac Lake and Winton Bay Lake. The sediment record in each lake consists of massive sediments overlain by an organic-rich, finely laminated section which continues to the surface. The laminae in Ogac Lake were studied in detail and consist of two types. The light layers are composed almost entirely of intact diatom frustules, primarily Chaetoceros spp. The darker layers are dominated by clay and silt-sized terrigenous mineral grains, including abundant quartz and feldspars. These couplets are probably deposited as the result of diatom blooms in the late spring/summer growing season followed by settling of grains introduced by summer runoff. Sedimentation rates based on 210Pb dates agree well with rates based on laminae counts in both Ogac and Winton Bay Lakes, indicating that the laminae couplets are annually deposited varves. Our experience suggests that shallow-silled tidewater lakes with varved sediments may be relatively common along the coast of Baffin Island. It should thus be possible to create a network of sites with annually dated palaeoclimate records.


In this work, a colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent sensor based on a coumarin–rhodamine B hybrid for the sequential recognition of Cu2+ and arginine (Arg) via the FRET mechanism was designed and synthesized. With the addition of Cu2+, the solution displayed a colorimetric change from pale yellow to pink which is discernible by the naked eye. Additionally, the fluorescence intensities of the sensor exhibited ratiometric changes for the detection of Cu2+ at 490 and 615 nm under a single excitation wavelength of 350 nm, which corresponded to the emissions of coumarin and rhodamine B moieties, respectively. The fluorescence color change could be visualized from blue to pink. The limits of detection were determined to be as low as 0.50 and 0.47 μM for UV-vis and fluorescence measurements, respectively. More importantly, the sensor not only can recognize Cu2+ and form a sensor-Cu2+ complex but can also sequentially detect Arg with the resulting complex. The detection limits for Arg were as low as 0.60 μM (UV-vis measurement) and 0.33 μM (fluorescence measurement), respectively. A fluorescence imaging experiment in living cells demonstrated that the fabricated sensor could be utilized in ratiometric fluorescence imaging towards intracellular Cu2+, which is promising for the detection of low-level Cu2+ and Arg with potentially practical significance.


Suppose you are on a commercial airplane that is flying at 35,000 feet. Next to you sits a man who appears to be sleeping. In fact, this man has been drugged and put upon the plane without his knowledge or consent. He has never flown on a plane before and, indeed, has no idea what an airplane is. Suddenly the man awakes and looks around him. Terrified by the alien environment in which he finds himself, he searches for a door or window from which to make an escape. As luck would have it, he is seated right next to a window exit and he begins to pull the handle that will open the window. You are aware that opening the window exit at this altitude will cause the cabin to quickly depressurize and that this man, you, and probably several other passengers will be sucked out the window to your deaths. You desperately want to stop him from opening the window. Now assume that for some reason it is impossible to prevent him physically from performing the deadly act. Your only option is to rationally persuade him to leave the window exit alone. You cry out to him and, with both hands on the handles, he turns to face you and waits to hear what you have to say. What sort of argument would you make?


Epilepsy is a common nervous system disease. It has been found that the pathogenesis of epilepsy is associated mutations in various genes, including genes encoding voltage-dependent ion channel, genes encoding ligand-gated ion channel, and solute carrier family genes. Different types of epilepsy caused by different mutations have different responses to drugs, and therefore, diagnosis and medication guidance based on genes are new thoughts for developing therapies. With the application of next-generation sequencing technology, more and more genes will be determined, which helps to further study the pathogenic mechanism of mutant genes and provides a basis for precision drug therapy for epilepsy.


The capillary membrane technology has become one of the effective methods for producing drinking water. The membrane lifetime and permeability are significantly affected by operating and backwash conditions. To enhance the backwash process, the flow in the porous wall and the pressure drop inside the capillary membrane were investigated numerically. For this purpose, 3D model describing steady-state laminar flow inside the capillary membrane operated in dead-end mode was simulated. The influence of various boundary conditions on both the flow pattern inside the capillary membrane and the characteristic of the membrane were studied. Hereby, the pressure drop in the module and the axial as well as radial velocity profile were estimated with the consideration of the membrane fouling. The calculation of permeate flux contributes to increase the backwash performance and minimize energy consumption. The method of coupling Navier-Stokes equation for the free flow and Darcy-Forchheimer approach for the prediction of the flow in the porous membrane is proposed in the current study. The CFD model was validated by comparing the numerical results with the experimental data. A very good agreement was achieved.


The DIII–D neutral beam (NB) instrumentation and control (I&C) system provides for operational control and synchronization of the eight DIII–D neutral beam injection systems, as well as for pertinent data acquisition and safety interlocking. Portions of the system have been in use for as many as eighteen years. Over this time, equipment has aged, available technology has improved, and experimental requirements have changed. Recently, improvements were made to the I&C system to address these issues. With the replacement of the NB control computers, new signal interfacing was required to accommodate the elimination of physical operator panels, in favor of graphical user interface control pages on computer terminal screens. The program in the mode control (MC) programmable logic controller (PLC), which serves as a logic-processing interface between the NB control computers and system hardware, was modified to improve the availability of NB heating of DIII–D plasmas in the event that one or more individual beam systems suddenly become unavailable while preparing for a tokamak experimental shot sequence. An upgraded computer platform was adopted for the NB control system operator interface and new graphical user interface pages were developed to more efficiently display system status data. A failure mode of the armor tile infrared thermometers (pyrometers), which serve to terminate beam pulsing if beam shine-through overheats wall thermal shielding inside the DIII–D tokamak, was characterized such that impending failures can be detected and repairs effected to mitigate beam system down-time. A scheme for remote testing of the pyrometers was also developed. The hardware that controls gas flow to the beamline neutralizer cells was upgraded to reduce susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI), and interlocking was provided to terminate beam pulsing in the event of insufficient neutralizer gas flow, thereby preventing overheating of beamline internal components from excessive residual energetic ions. Ion source gas flow monitoring was also incorporated to aid in troubleshooting while conditioning beams. Finally, the beam pulse modulation system was upgraded to provide modulation while firing beam pulses into the calorimeters, allowing operators to optimize modulated beams before injecting them into the DIII–D tokamak. Motivation, implementation, and results of these improvements are presented.


A growing number of residency programs are preparing their graduates for the realities of managed care practice. In 1996, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, a private, nonprofit academic medical center, hosted a two-day conference on managed care education to develop innovative instructional and evaluative approaches that, where appropriate, would build on existing expertise. The conference was attended by invited national experts who had a stake in residents' education: clinical faculty, residents, medical educators, executives of managed care organizations, and representatives of other interested organizations. Participants spent much of their time in four small break out groups, each focusing on one of the following topics that were judged particularly relevant to managed care: preventive and population-based medicine, appropriate utilization of resources, clinician-patient communication, and interdisciplinary team practice. Participants shared existing materials, discussed teaching goals and objectives, and generated ideas for teaching methods, teaching materials, and evaluative methods for their respective topics. The authors summarize the recommendations from the four groups, with an overview of the issues that emerged during the conference concerning curriculum development, integration of managed care topics into existing curricula, staging of the curriculum, experiential teaching methods, negative attitudes and resistance, evaluation of trainees and profiling, program assessment, faculty development, and cooperation between academic medical centers and managed care organizations.


Antiaging medicine is nowadays an equivocal topic frequently used in geriatric medicine. It is, also, one of the most important sources of medical costs. With the words "antiaging medicine" we may express several different desires: a) to arrive at advanced age in the best possible physical and mental conditions, b) to act in order to slowing the aging process associated changes, c) to revert some of these negative changes. Prevention is the only positive successful way to achieve any of these possibilities. It means to emphasize any sort on interventions acting over health habits as physical activity, nutrition, to avoid toxic habits (tobacco) and to take primary and secondary diseases preventive measures. There is not medical evidence of effectiveness with any other measures, as hormonal therapies or reconstructive surgery.


Very-high-frequency (VHF) underwater acoustic communication is a relatively unexplored terrain, but its importance is expected to increase with the growing demands for larger bandwidths and higher data rates. Knowledge of VHF propagation channels is a prerequisite to achieve high data throughput. In this paper, we present time-variant angle-resolved impulse responses for a set of 250-kHz shallow-water channels. The measurements were performed at high resolution using 64 hydrophones arranged in a line array. The measured channels are characterized by delay spreads of several milliseconds, Doppler spreads of tens of hertz, and angular spreads up to $30 ^\circ$. The angular spread is not separable from the delay-Doppler spread, and the impulse response depends heavily on the direction of arrival. Different beamforming and multichannel equalizer strategies are compared for a single-input–multiple-output configuration. A method combining subarray beamforming and multichannel equalization delivers in both noise- and interference-limited scenarios, transferring data at 78.125 kb/s over ranges up to 770 m.


Abstract: Background/Objective: This study aims to investigate how complex visuospatial neglect behavioural phenotypes predict long-term outcomes, both in terms of neglect recovery and broader functional outcomes. Methods: This study presents a secondary cohort study of acute and 6 month follow up data from 400 stroke survivors who completed the Oxford Cognitive Screen Cancellation Task. At follow-up, patients also completed the Stroke Impact Scale questionnaire. These data were analysed to identify whether any specific combination of neglect symptoms is more likely to result in long-lasting neglect or higher levels of functional impairment, therefore warranting more targeted rehabilitation. Results: Overall, 98/142(69%) neglect cases recovered by follow-up and there was no significant difference in the persistence of egocentric/allocentric (X2(1)=0.66, p=0.418) or left/right neglect (X2(2)=0.781, p= 0.677). Egocentric neglect was found to follow a proportional recovery pattern with all patients demonstrating a similar level of improvement over time. Conversely, allocentric neglect followed a non-proportional recovery pattern with chronic neglect patients exhibiting a slower rate of improvement than those who recovered. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the initial severity of acute allocentric, but not egocentric, neglect impairment acted as a significant predictor of poor long-term functional outcomes (F(9,383)=3.96, p<0.001, R2=0.066). Conclusions: Our findings call for systematic neuropsychological assessment of both egocentric and allocentric neglect following stroke, as the occurrence and severity of these conditions may help predict recovery outcomes.


This dissertation aims to understand the multiple and yet interrelated formations of diaspora nationalism through the case study of an under-researched ethnic group in Turkey, Circassians. Based on semi-structured interviews with Circassian intellectuals and activists in Ankara and Istanbul, it aims to explore the dynamics and structures of Circassian diaspora nationalism in Turkey. To explore the formations of Circassian diaspora nationalism, there are four interrelated axes upon which this dissertation is based. Each of these axes is significant in the formation and as the formations of Circassian diaspora nationalism in Turkey. The first axis of this dissertation takes diaspora nationalism as a historical phenomenon with its ebbs and flows as the second axis regards the relationships of the diaspora with the host community, host state and the hegemonic nationalism of the host community. The third axis that this dissertation studies considers homeland as a dynamic construction, and the fourth axis concerns the gendered dimensions of diaspora in general and diaspora nationalism in particular. Through the exploration of these axes, this dissertation studies Circassian diaspora nationalism as a heuristic device through which diasporas, nationalism and ethnicity in a globalized world in general and Turkish politics in particular can be explored.


BACKGROUND
Sonothrombolysis is a promising but unproven tool for treating acute ischaemic stroke. There is an ongoing debate about the efficacy, safety, technical aspects of ultrasound administration and the possible potentiating effect of microbubbles.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the effectiveness and safety of sonothrombolysis in patients with acute ischaemic stroke.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (last searched in November 2011), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 12), MEDLINE (1950 to November 2011), EMBASE (1980 to November 2011), Database of Abstract and Review of Effects (DARE) (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 11), Stroke Trials Registry, Clinicaltrials.gov and Current Controlled Trials. We also searched the reference lists from relevant articles and reviews, and contacted colleagues, authors and researchers active in the field. Searching was completed in November 2011.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised trials of sonothrombolysis (any duration, any frequency of ultrasound, with or without microbubbles administration) started within 12 hours of symptom onset compared with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or conventional treatment.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors selected trials for inclusion, assessed trial quality and extracted the data independently. We contacted study authors for missing data.

MAIN RESULTS
We identified five eligible studies (233 patients). For the primary outcome (death or dependency at three months), five studies with a total number of 206 patients were available (four defined independence as a modified Rankin score of 0 to 2 and one used 0 to 1). Patients treated with sonothrombolysis were less likely to be dead or disabled at three months (odds ratio (OR) 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.27 to 0.91). For the secondary outcomes, failure to recanalise was lower in the sonothrombolysis group (230 patients) (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.50), no significant difference was found in mortality (206 patients) and in cerebral haemorrhage (233 patients).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Sonothrombolysis appears to reduce death or dependency at three months (although CIs are quite wide), and increases recanalisation without clear hazard. A larger clinical trial is warranted.


Objective: This study aimed to evaluate unsuccessful endodontic surgery cases for possible causes for treatment failure and evaluate if a nonsurgical retreatment (NSRTX) approach could have been a better alternative to resurgery. Methods: Analyses of clinical and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, periapical radiographs, and chart documentation determined study parameters. Preoperative factors were age, sex, tooth type, signs and/or symptoms, presence of periapical radiolucency, previous root canal treatment, timeline since previous endodontic surgery, presence of posts, cores, and restorations. The intra-operative factors were microsurgical classification, previous techniques, and current techniques utilized. Postoperative factors were signs and/or symptoms, time to follow-up, and healing status. The accessibility of the root canal system and the quality of the existing root filling were used to evaluate NSRTX as an alternative to resurgery. Results: A total of 1073 surgical cases from 2011-2019 were reviewed. In 14 patients, 20 cases matched the inclusion criteria and allowed for data extraction. The mean time since the previous surgery was 2.9±2.1 years, with a mean follow-up of 9.1±5.8 months after the resurgery. Possible reasons for failure identified were: insufficient root-end filling (leaking, off-axis preparation, lack of depth, overfill) n=12/20, 60.0%; missed anatomy (main and lateral canals, isthmus) n=9/20, 45.0%; incomplete resection n=6/20, 30.0%. In 18/20 cases (90.0%), resurgery appeared to be indicated for 2/20 cases (10.0%). Therefore, NSRTX may have been a potential alternative. Conclusion: Further evidence for possible causes of failure of endodontic surgery was provided, which were primarily iatrogenic. The evaluation of CBCT and high magnification intra-operative images proved beneficial for identifying critical issues for all investigated cases.


This letter presents a compact dual-band antenna with double L-slits for wireless local area network (WLAN) applications in IEEE 802.11a/b/g. The proposed antenna effectively covers both 2.4/5-GHz bands with three resonances that are caused by the double L-slits. The proposed antenna has compact size of 15 mm/spl times/9 mm/spl times/7 mm, which is only half size of the antenna using double U-slots. The parametric study is performed to understand the characteristics of the proposed antenna. The measured return loss and radiation patterns indicate the suitability of this antenna for the WLAN applications. The peak antenna gains of 1.3 dBi at 2.4-GHz band and 5.1 dBi at 5-GHz band are measured.


Damage to the central nervous system because of spinal cord injury (SCI) or stroke results in loss of motor function in various parts of the body, mainly these located below the area of injury. Some of the most common consequences include loss of mobility and continence, degrading the quality of life of anyone affected. Currently, conventional medicine does not offer any method for curing the damage and fully restoring function, and therapy is focused on rehabilitation. Neuroprostheses may assist in partial restoration of function and mobility using functional electrical stimulation (FES), which involves the process of passing pulses of electrical current into the muscle tissue of interest or into nerve branches, which cause the activation of the muscle. Fully implantable FES systems may use naturally occurring nerve signals (electroneurogram or ENG) as feedback or control inputs. However, the usefulness of ENG signals recorded from nerve cuffs depends on the amount of muscle signal (electromyogram or EMG) interference present. The EMG amplitude can be as large as three orders of magnitude greater than the V ENG and their spectra overlap. The cuff electrode, used for measuring ENG, is appropriate for chronic implantation and reduces interference when made tripolar. Tripolar cuff amplifier configurations include the "quasi tripole" (QT) and the "true tripole" (TT). However, as a result of parameters including cuff asymmetries and impedance irregularity due to tissue growth, cuff performance suffers from imbalance, which causes widely reported EMG contamination at the output of these amplifier configurations. Therefore, in order to avoid the use of high order filters for removing the EMG, a system has been developed to balance the cuff and remove EMG interference. This thesis describes the design, implementation and evaluation, both in-vitro and in-vivo, of an adaptive amplifier configuration, named the "adaptive tripole" (AT). The AT performs both tasks of imbalance correction and interference reduction simultaneously and the extracted ENG can be used in neuroprosthetic devices for the improvement of FES systems. The system has been built both in discrete-component and in integrated forms, the first one used to evaluate the principle and to form the specifications for the latter. Prior to the full description of the system, some limited research is presented on the causes of imbalance, to clarify the causes of the problem and to better define the specifications of the AT. The relationship between imbalance and cuff proximity to interfering fields is also examined. The results from experiments on the discrete AT indicated that it provides up to 60 times greater output signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) than the TT for high imbalance values (>20%). Also, even when disadvantaged by the presence of two imbalances due to proximity effects it performs better than both the TT and the QT in 60% of the cases. In-vitro experiments on the IC version demonstrated the output SIR of the AT to be up to 200 to 300 times greater than the QT and TT equivalent SIRs respectively, for 40% imbalance. The average AT output SIR achieved by the IC version was 2:1 and the highest was approximately 4:1. The system will be used in the Conditional Neuromodulation (CNM) implant developed in the departments of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and Medical Physics and Bioengineering in UCL, and will contain the AT as well as a stimulator and an RF power and signal transmission transcutaneous link.


Introduction During normal liver wound-healing, tissue injury causes inflammation and cell death, which in turn orchestrates compensatory cell proliferation and regeneration.1 If resolution of the injury cannot be obtained the resulting unchecked healing process can lead to cancer. Similar injury-induced repair mechanisms occur in response to chemotherapeutic treatments.1 We recently found that the use of pre-transplantation TACE for HCC promotes the development of a mixed cholangiocellular phenotype that is associated with the expression of CD133, a marker of hepatic progenitor cells (HPC). This phenomenon is associated with higher post-transplantation tumour recurrence.2 The molecular bases for the development of the cholangiocellular phenotype have not been investigated before. In this study we identified key oncogenic effectors involved with a "switch" from HCC to cholangiocellular phenotype resulting from liver injury induced by TACE treatment. Methods Ten cases of post-TACE (doxorubicin/lipiodol) treated HCC examined after transplantation at King's College Hospital were selected for the study. HCC patients not treated by TACE before transplantation were used as control group. Formalin-fixed section from main tumour mass embedded in paraffin blocks were used to perform immunohistochemistry in order to delineate which component of the MAPK signalling pathway is associated with the hepatocholangiocellular phenotype and expression of HPC markers (CD133 and CK19). Results Among the post-TACE liver explants, approximately 50% of the neoplastic cells resembling bile ductules (cholangiocellular differentiation) showed nuclear expression of a specific phospho-activated component of the MAPK cascade. Furthermore, half of the cells positive for activated-MAPK showed proliferative activity, as determined by Ki67 staining. Expression of activated-MAPK was not detected in the non-TACE treated group of liver transplant. Conclusion The development of the mixed hepato-cholangiocellular phenotype in HCC patients after TACE-inflicted liver injury relates to activation of a specific MAPK signalling pathway that promotes proliferation of HPC. Attenuation of this signalling pathway could be used to prevent the "uncontrolled" proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells before liver transplantation in HCC patients, and thus improving the tumour recurrence rate. Competing interests None declared. References 1. Papa S, et al. Biol Chem 2009;390:965–76. 2. Zen C, et al. Liver Transpl 2011;17:943–54.


Fixed-Base Exoskeleton applications have increased rapidly in the last few years, evidently as part of promising rehabilitation robotic programs of the robotics worldwide community, where in particular Human-Robot-Interaction (HRI) plays an important role in its design and control because they are tightly coupled to human-limbs. Exoskeletons embrace HRI as well as technological and theoretical challenges towards real and effective rehabilitation. In this realm, some questions arise, to name a few, what is the relationship between the exchanged energy between human and exoskeleton? How can we assess rehabilitation factors under HRI philosophy? This paper attempts to establish answers to these questions, which can be embodied into rehabilitation HRI using a Light-Exoskeleton. A compliant haptic guidance scheme for human arm subject to minimum-jerk-trajectories criterion is proposed. Preliminary experimental results provide further insight of a haptic guidance scheme taking into account decisive factors into the HRI such as human pose, haptic guidance control, reaching and tracking tasks, the complexity of the virtual environment, and muscles activity.