This manual represents a review of the potential sources and methods to be applied when providing prior information to Bayesian stock assessments and marine risk analysis.
The manual is compiled as a product of the EC Framework 7 ECOKNOWS project (www.ecoknows.eu).
The manual begins by introducing the basic concepts of Bayesian inference and the role of prior information in the inference. Bayesian analysis is a mathematical formalization of a sequential learning process in a probabilistic rationale. Prior information (also called "prior knowledge", "prior belief", or simply a "prior") refers to any existing relevant knowledge available before the analysis of the newest observations (data) and the information included in them. Prior information is input to a Bayesian statistical analysis in the form of a probability distribution (a prior distribution) that summarizes beliefs about the parameter concerned in terms of relative support for different values.
Apart from specifying probable parameter values, prior information also defines how the data are related to the phenomenon being studied, i.e. the model structure. Prior information should reflect the different degrees of knowledge about different parameters and the interrelationships among them.
Different sources of prior information are described as well as the particularities important for their successful utilization. The sources of prior information are classified
into four main categories: (i) primary data, (ii) literature, (iii) online databases, and (iv) experts. This categorization is somewhat synthetic, but is useful for structuring the process of deriving a prior and for acknowledging different aspects of it.
A hierarchy is proposed in which sources of prior information are ranked according to their proximity to the primary observations, so that use of raw data is preferred where possible. This hierarchy is reflected in the types of methods that might be suitable – for example, hierarchical analysis and meta-analysis approaches are powerful, but typically require larger numbers of observations than other methods. In establishing an informative prior distribution for a variable or parameter from ancillary raw data, several steps should be followed. These include the choice of the frequency distribution of observations which also determines the shape of prior distribution, the choice of the way in which a dataset is used to construct a prior, and the consideration related to whether one or several datasets are used. Explicitly modelling correlations between parameters in a hierarchical model can allow more effective use of the available information or more knowledge with the same data. Checking the literature is advised as the next approach. Stock assessment would gain much from the inclusion of prior information derived from the literature and from literature compilers such as FishBase
(www.fishbase.org), especially in data-limited situations. The reader is guided through the process of obtaining priors for length–weight, growth, and mortality parameters from FishBase. Expert opinion lends itself to data-limited situations and can be used even in cases where observations are not available. Several expert elicitation tools are introduced for guiding experts through the process of expressing their beliefs and for extracting numerical priors about variables of interest, such as stock–recruitment dynamics, natural mortality, maturation, and the selectivity of fishing gears. Elicitation of parameter values is not the only task where experts play an important role; they also can describe the process to be modelled as a whole.
Information sources and methods are not mutually exclusive, so some combination may be used in deriving a prior distribution. Whichever source(s) and method(s) are chosen, it is important to remember that the same data should not be used twice. If the 2 | ICES Cooperative Research Report No. 328 plan is to use the data in the analysis for which the prior distribution is needed, then the same data cannot be used in formulating the prior.
The techniques studied and proposed in this manual can be further elaborated and fine-tuned. New developments in technology can potentially be explored to find novel ways of forming prior distributions from different sources of information. Future research efforts should also be targeted at the philosophy and practices of model building based on existing prior information. Stock assessments that explicitly account for model uncertainty are still rare, and improving the methodology in this direction is an important avenue for future research. More research is also needed to make Bayesian analysis of non-parametric models more accessible in practice. Since Bayesian stock assessment models (like all other assessment models) are made from existing
knowledge held by human beings, prior distributions for parameters and model structures may play a key role in the processes of collectively building and reviewing those
models with stakeholders. Research on the theory and practice of these processes will
be needed in the future.


ABSTRACT Purpose: We conducted this study to understand the interpretations of elder mistreatment (EM) in multiethnic older adults. Design and Methods: Focus group sessions were held with three ethnically homogenous groups (n = 18) and a group of eldercare professionals (n = 6) eliciting responses to vignettes depicting various types of elder mistreatment. Qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts was performed to define EM occurrence, its severity, and to identify the perpetrator and victim. Results: Four main categories emerged: social expectations, caregiver expectations, victim characteristics, and characteristics of the interaction. Themes included issues of gender roles, filial obligations, martial commitments, and ageism as features of the vignette discussions. Professional and lay caregiver issues were features of the caregiver expectations. Mental capacity, physical dependency, physical attributes, and complicity were the victim characteristics discussed. The characteristics of the interaction that were identified included resistance to care, retaliation, habitual occurrence, and perpetrator intent. Implications: Older adults identify multiple factors influencing the interpretation of elder mistreatment. These factors may determine strategies for future EM intervention.


Abstract. E region ionospheric modification experiments have been performed at HAARP using pump frequencies about 50 kHz above and below the second electron gyroharmonic frequency. Artificial E region field-aligned plasma density irregularities (FAIs) were created and observed using the imaging coherent scatter radar near Homer, Alaska. Echoes from FAIs generated with pump frequencies above and below 2Ω e did not appear to differ significantly in experiments conducted on summer afternoons in 2008, and the resonance instability seemed to be at work in either case. We argue that upper hybrid wave trapping and resonance instability at pump frequencies below the second electron gyroharmonic frequency are permitted theoretically when the effects of finite parallel wavenumbers are considered. Echoes from a sporadic E layer were observed to be somewhat weaker when the pump frequency was 50 kHz below the second electron gyroharmonic frequency. This may indicate that finite parallel wavenumbers are inconsistent with wave trapping in thin sporadic E ionization layers.


Euthanasia of small numbers of birds in case of injury or other illness directly on the farm may be necessary for welfare reasons. This should be done without transportation of the moribund animals in order to minimize pain and distress. Blood loss has to be avoided to minimize the risk of contaminating the environment. Cervical dislocation in combination with a blunt trauma may be an appropriate way to achieve this aim but the bird's age and body weight may influence the practicability of this method in the field. In this study, we evaluated broilers, broiler breeders, and turkeys of different age groups and weights up to nearly 16 kg for the efficacy of blunt trauma to induce unconsciousness, allowing subsequent killing of the bird without pain. The effect of blunt trauma on the brain was determined by electroencephalography (EEG). Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) were recorded for each animal. Convulsions or tonic seizures were observed in all investigated animals after blunt trauma, including strong wing movements, torticollis, and stretching of legs. The EEG results demonstrate that the blunt trauma induced by a single, sufficiently strong hit placed in the frontoparietal region of the head led to a reduction or loss of the AEP in all groups of birds. These results clearly indicate a loss of sensibility and induction of unconsciousness, which would allow painless killing of the birds immediately after the induction of the blunt trauma.


Objectives To assess the performance of the (1,3)-β-D-glucan (BDG) detection assay in a large cohort of patients with suspected candidemia who were admitted to non-intensive care unit hospital wards. Methods This observational, retrospective cohort study was conducted in a 1,100-bed university hospital in Rome, where an infectious disease consultation team has been operational. Two groups of patients were included in the analysis: Group 1, patients with Candida bloodstream infection (BSI) who had at least one BDG test performed ±48 hours from the first positive blood culture (Candida BSI Group) and Group 2, patients with risk factors for candidemia who had at least one BDG test but had negative blood cultures (Control Group). Both Group 1 and Group 2 did not receive prior antifungal therapy. Different BDG cutoff values were considered: 80, 200, 300, 400, and ≥500 pg/mL. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated. Results A total of 1,296 patients were studied. Of them, 100 patients (candidemic) were in Group 1 and the remaining 1,196 patients (controls) were in Group 2. There were no differences in demographic characteristics between patients of the two groups. According to the above cutoff values, sensitivity (%) and specificity (%) of the BDG assay ranged from 91 to 60.7 and 87.7 to 97.8, respectively, whereas the PPV (%) and NPV (%) ranged from 38.2 to 68.3 and 99.1 to 97.0, respectively. Conclusion Serum BDG has a very high NPV in a population witĥ10% prevalence of candidemia. This NPV may support decisions to discontinue antifungal therapy in those patients who were empirically treated because of the suspect of candidemia.


We study the generation of density perturbations in the ekpyrotic scenario for the early universe, including gravitational backreaction. We expose interesting subtleties that apply to both inflationary and ekpyrotic models. Our analysis includes a detailed proposal of how the perturbations generated in a contracting phase may be matched across a 'bounce' to those in an expanding hot big bang phase. For the physical conditions relevant to the ekpyrotic scenario, we re-obtain our earlier result of a nearly scale-invariant spectrum of energy density perturbations. We find that the perturbation amplitude is typically small, as desired to match observation. Typeset using REVTEX


The investigation of planets around other stars began with the study of gas giants, but is now extending to the discovery and characterization of super-Earths and terrestrial planets. Motivated by this observational tide, we survey the basic dynamical principles governing the atmospheric circulation of terrestrial exoplanets, and discuss the interaction of their circulation with the hydrological cycle and global-scale climate feedbacks. Terrestrial exoplanets occupy a wide range of physical and dynamical conditions, only a small fraction of which have yet been explored in detail. Our approach is to lay out the fundamental dynamical principles governing the atmospheric circulation on terrestrial planets--broadly defined--and show how they can provide a foundation for understanding the atmospheric behavior of these worlds. We first survey basic atmospheric dynamics, including the role of geostrophy, baroclinic instabilities, and jets in the strongly rotating regime (the "extratropics") and the role of the Hadley circulation, wave adjustment of the thermal structure, and the tendency toward equatorial superrotation in the slowly rotating regime (the "tropics"). We then survey key elements of the hydrological cycle, including the factors that control precipitation, humidity, and cloudiness. Next, we summarize key mechanisms by which the circulation affects the global-mean climate, and hence planetary habitability. In particular, we discuss the runaway greenhouse, transitions to snowball states, atmospheric collapse, and the links between atmospheric circulation and CO2 weathering rates. We finish by summarizing the key questions and challenges for this emerging field in the future.


An automatic method for the reduction of chemical kinetic mechanisms under specific physical or thermodynamic conditions is presented. The method relies on the genetic algorithm search logic to gradually reduce the number of reactions from the detailed mechanism while still preserving its ability to describe the overall chemistry at an acceptable error. Accuracy of the reduced mechanism is determined by comparing its solution to the solution obtained with the full mechanism under the same initial and/or physical conditions. However, not only the chemical accuracy and the size of the mechanism are considered but also the time for its solution which helps to avoid stiff and slow converging mechanisms, thus preferring the fast solutions. The reduction method is demonstrated for a detailed mechanism for methane combustion, GRI-Mech 3.0, which was reduced from 325 reactions and 53 species to 58 reactions and 26 species, and for an iron oxide formation mechanism from iron pentacarbonyl doped flames by Wlokas et al. (Int J Chem Kinet 2013, 45(8), 487–498), originally consisting of 144 reactions and 34 species, which was reduced to 37 reactions and 24 species. The performance of the reduced mechanisms is shown for homogeneous constant pressure reactors and for burner-stabilized flames. The results show a good agreement between reduced and full mechanisms for both the reactor and flame cases. The presented method is flexible and can be easily adjusted to either yield more accurate (but bigger) or smaller (but less accurate) reduced mechanisms, depending on the user's preference.


Introduction: Hypertension is the leading risk factor as well as component of cardiovascular diseases which is on rise and emerging as a major public health problem. Due to the paucity of studies among postmenopausal women on pre hypertension and hypertension this study was taken up in urban slums of Hyderabad.
Aim and Objectives: 1. To determine the prevalence of pre hypertension and hypertension among post menopausal women and; 2. To assess their relationship with risk factors.
Materials and Methods: A community based cross sectional study was undertaken in urban slums of Hyderabad among four hundred and thirty post menopausal women. Detailed history on dietary, lifestyle, personal habits, reproductive and socio demographic variables was taken to relate with pre hypertension and hypertension which was graded using Joint national committee (JNC 7).
Results: The prevalence of pre hypertension was 29% and hypertension was 35% among post menopausal women. Significant association was found with increasing age, duration of menopause, family history of hypertension, extra salt intake and sedentary lifestyle.
Conclusions: Hypertension among post menopausal women poses a major threat due to complications associated with it and these are much amenable by primordial and primary preventive strategies.

Keywords: Pre hypertension, Hypertension, Modifiable risk factors, JNC7, Primordial prevention, Post menopause.


The study of the socio-economic profile of shrimp farmers of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh
and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu revealed that 40% of the shrimp farmers had collegiate
level of education, and they had medium levels of farming experience, information seeking
behaviour, extension contact~ economic motivation and risk orientation. The resu lts of
correlation analysis revealed that of the seventeen independent variables studied eleven
independent v'ariables had positive and significant relationship with the extent of adoption
of shrimp culture technologies by shrimp farmers of Nellore. Among the shrimp farmers of
Nagapattinam, seven independent variables had positive and significant relationship with
the extent of adoption. The results of step• wise multiple regression analysis revealed that
variables such as information seeking behaviour, credit orientation and material possession
expfained 48(10 of the variation in the extent of adoption by shrimp farmers of Nellore and
variables like extens ion contact, risk orientation, farming experience, type of ownership,
annual income and material possession explained 84 percent of the variation in the extent
of adoption by shrimp farmers of Nagapattinam .


Abstract This study was aimed to test statistically the relationship between gender bias and teacher's attribution towards student's successes and failures, to measure the strength of influence of the aforementioned variable on the dependent variable, and to explore empirically the existence of such bias in teacher's attribution. Three hypotheses rose from theoretical analyses to the problem. Firstly, there are relationship between gender bias and teacher's attribution towards student's successes and failures. Secondly, there are significant difference between teacher's attribution toward male and female students in which achievement of male students more attributed to their internal capability, whereas female student's achievement attributed to external factors, which are degree difficult of the task and luckiness. Thirdly, there are significant differences between teacher's perception, in respect to their sexes, about suitable areas of career for male and female students. This research was based on quantitative approach, where correlation and difference tests are used. The sample was 68 teachers of Senior High Schools in Yogyakarta, which was chosen according to predetermined criteria. Results showed that level of gender bias among the respondents was low, there was no significant correlation between gender bias and teacher's attribution towards student's successes and failures. Moreover samples tended to attribute internal factors as the causes of student's achievement, in other words, factors found not to be favorite in teacher's attribution. In addition, this research found that there were differences in their perception about suitable field of career for students, in respects to their sexes, in which those required physical strength and mobility perceived as more suitable for male, such as technical works. On the other hand, fields which require artistry and laboratory works perceived as more suitable for male students. Keywords: gender bias, teacher's attribution towards student's successes and failures


This paper identifies trends in development evaluation that emerged during the last decade, such as the use of randomized control trials, the renewed emphasis on complexity, the creation of national, regional and global evaluation networks and associations, the increasing diffusion of ICTs in monitoring and evaluation practice and the interest in using evaluation to inform scaling-up decisions. The paper considers opportunities and risks associated with these trends, proposing ways to deal with them, including a key role for knowledge management.


White root fungus (Rigidoporus microporus) is a major pathogen in the rubber plant that is difficult to control because it has a structure that survives in plant tissue. Biological control of endophytic fungi is very potential to control Mushrooms JAP. This research was conducted at Plant Disease Laboratory of Agriculture Faculty of Riau University and Photomikografi Laboratory, FMIPA Organic Chemistry Laboratory Department of Biology, University of Riau, Simpang Baru Campus Tampan District, Pekanbaru. Starting from March to June 2017 with the aim of Identification of morphological cultivation of endophytic fungi and In-Vitro microbial test on Rigidoporus microporus in rubber plant. The study consisted of site survey, sampling, tool sterilization, PDA & PDB media manufacture, fungi isolation, rubber plant tissue incubation, purification and observation. Based on the results of isolation and identification of endophytic fungi from plant tissue obtained 3 isolates where there are 2 types of Aspergilus SP fungus and 1 type of Trichoderma sp. All three isolates are potential endophytic fungi to control JAP disease in rubber. Hypovirulensi test results did not produce symptoms of chlorosis or necrosis after inoculated Trichoderma 48 hours after incubation. Observation of secondary metabolite Trichoderma sp endophytes after 14 days incubated in a petridish showed metabolite results with a mean of 0.75 cm clear zone.


We have generated mutant mice for epidermal-type fatty acid binding protein by the gene targeting technique and examined the phenotype in detail. Despite a lack in the expression of epidermal-type fatty acid binding protein mRNA and its protein in the skin and other tissues of the mutant mice, the animals appeared normal in gross and histologic examination. Northern blot analysis of other fatty acid binding proteins revealed a distinct elevated gene expression of heart-type fatty acid binding protein in the skin of the homozygous mice. In analyses of the skin, no differences were observed in contents of major fatty acids, electron microscopic appearance as well as inflammatory responses in ear skin between the mutant and wild-type mice. Basal transepidermal water loss of homozygous mice was lower than that of the wild mice. When acetone was applied to the skin for disruption of the water permeability barrier, recovery in transepidermal water loss was delayed, although maximum transepidermal water loss upon acetone treatment was similar between homozygous and wild-type mice in terms of size and time course. The molecular mechanism by which epidermal-type fatty acid binding protein contributes to the water barrier function of the skin remains to be elucidated.


ABSTRACT Lee, J.; Kim, D.H.; Lee, S., and Lee, J.L., 2016. Lagrangian Observation of Rip Currents at Haeundae Beach Using an Optimal Buoy Type GPS Drifter. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 1177 - 1181. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. In this study, we designed a new buoy type GPS drifter that is capable of measuring the rip current pattern in the surface layer particularly at Haeundae Beach, Korea. Our field test performance in August 2012 was successful using this new GPS drifter. Our GPS-tracked surf zone drifter can not only be easily affected by physical forces below the surface on the equipment's movement, but also unaffected by breaking waters. In this study, the design for a small, low-cost buoy type GPS drifter for collecting accurate Lagrangian data in the coastal zone is described.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC) is a very aggressive and invasive neoplasm that arises from the thyroid follicular cells and is characterized by a poor prognosis due to its resistance to current therapeutic modalities, including radioiodine and chemotherapy. Therefore, targeted therapy for this type of cancer is an area of high interest and several kinase inhibitors are currently in clinical trials. However, these inhibitors present certain limitations due to intrinsic or acquired drug resistance. Thus, targeted therapy using drug combinations to increase efficiency and prevent resistance is an attractive strategy. However, one major obstacle to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to tumor aggressiveness and drug resistance in PDTCs has been the relative rarity of this disease and the absence of relevant mouse models. By simultaneously activating Kras and deleting p53 in thyroid follicular cells, we have generated a novel mouse model that develops papillary thyroid cancer invariably progressing to PDTC. These tumors are morphologically and functionally similar to their human counterparts and depend on MEK/ERK signaling for proliferation. Driver pathway inhibition in primary mouse carcinomas as well as carcinoma-derived cells, using the FDA approved MEK inhibitor, Trametinib, shows that these tumors are intrinsically resistant to cell death, due at least in part to their high levels of expression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl2 family members Bcl2a1 and Mcl1. Similar overexpression of anti-apoptotic molecules is observed in a large subset of human thyroid carcinomas. Our in vitro and in vivo studies show that Obatoclax, a small molecule pan inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic Bcl2 family members, induces cell death in mouse PDTC cell lines as well as in human thyroid cancer cells. This effect is even greater when combining Obatoclax with Trematinib. Furthermore, Obatoclax also synergizes with chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorubicin and paclitaxel, currently used in the treatment of thyroid cancer. Therefore, our study, using a new PDTC mouse model as well as human thyroid cancer cell lines, shows that overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl2 family members marks aggressive thyroid carcinomas which can be targeted by inhibitors such as Obatoclax, alone or in combination with other therapeutic approaches. These data support the development of novel effective treatment options for aggressive thyroid carcinomas, which can be rapidly translated to the clinical setting.

Citation Format: Devora Champa, Ronald Ghossein, Antonio Di Cristofano. Aggressive thyroid carcinomas are intrinsically resistant to apoptosis but can be effectively targeted by a Bcl2 family inhibitor. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2755. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2755


Unaccounted Economy in India A Critical Review of Some Recent Estimates Shankar Acharya During the last two years a number of writers have attempted to estimate the size of the black economy in India and gauge its trend over time, Some of these estimates have been in the nature of 'informed guesses'. Others have attempted to articulate and deploy analytical methods which have the advantage of facilitating discussion and assessment of the techniques used, and not just the results obtained. A third category of writers present estimates which purport to be based on the application of analytical techniques, but do not delineate their methods in sufficient detail to permit adequate assessment.


Cattle was introduced in Papua a long time ago. However, it was unpredictable to adapt to raise cattle. An explorative field study was performed in fifteen villages using participatory research to better understand the dynamics of cattle performances. Cattle farming system has been categorized in three types, i.e. smalland medium-sized systems. They used ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis to analyze data. The finding of this research was that the three sizes of cattle farming in many components of good farming practices were similar (p>0.05). No large gap was found along the lines of farmers, cattle, and economic performance. West New Guinea's Tropical Livestock Unit was low and has the potential to increase due to agribusiness potential. Better government services and other related stakeholders should narrow the lack of good agricultural practices.


The integration of wind power in Europe is steadily increasing, with more than 106 000 MW installed in the European Union at the end of 2012. At the same time, Norway had installed 703 MW, but through the recently established joint electricity certificate market with Sweden, the ambitions are to increase the annual generation from renewable energy significantly. One of the regions with large plans for wind power is Mid-Norway, and in order to realize a large part of the planned 1 900 MW of wind power along the coast, several projects for new and upgraded transmission lines have been initiated in the region. The impact from wind power on the power system is significantly different from conventional energy sources, and because of its intermittent nature there is an overwhelming amount of possible input combinations for power system simulations. A simulation program has therefore been developed during the work with this thesis, to run a large number of simulations of a power system with random input, a concept better known as Monte Carlo simulation. The ambition has been to create a program that, together with a conversion script for PSS®E-files, can serve as a complement to traditional power system analysis methods with PSS®E, for assessment of short-term uncertainty of wind power with focus on its impact on the power system. The simulation program is developed around the open-source power system simulation package Matpower, which is run in MATLAB®. Different modules are implemented for simulation of variable wind power, variable load, distributed slack and randomly disconnected branches, and a range of tools have been integrated for analysis of the results. The utility of the resulting program has been demonstrated with a simplified model of the Mid-Norway power system in several cases with different wind power and grid configurations. The results support the need for a strengthened grid in order to facilitate large amounts of wind power along the coast. If not done, bottlenecks are likely to arise together with significantly increased losses, in addition to a considerable risk for wind farm owners of lost production due to disconnections by TSO for system protection. The results show that the program returns meaningful results in accordance with the expectations, and has a potential for further development and testing with real cases. However, the model used for case studies is based on unknown presumptions, and the results serve mainly as a demonstration and verification of the developed program's functionality.


Small, resting human peripheral blood T cells are able to mediate anti-CD3 redirected lysis against murine P815 cells transfected with human B7, a ligand of CD28. We demonstrate that cytotoxicity is mediated by preexisting cytotoxic effectors within the small, resting "memory" T cell population and by the de novo generation of additional CTL within both the "memory" and "virgin" T subsets. This conclusion is based on analysis of the kinetics of the response and the effects of metabolic inhibitors on the generation of CTL function. Memory CD45RO+ T cells demonstrated cytotoxicity within 4 h of coculture with anti-CD3 mAb and B7+ P815 cells and cytolysis was only partially prevented by inhibitors of protein synthesis. By contrast, virgin CD45RO- T cells demonstrated anti-CD3-induced lysis against B7+ P815 targets only after 6 or 8 h of coculture and cytotoxicity was completely prevented by inhibiting protein synthesis. Induction of cytotoxicity was B7 dependent in that parental P815 cells and P815 cells transfected with CD72 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, ligands for T cell-associated membrane receptors CD5 and very late activation antigen-4, respectively, did not initiate cytotoxicity. Our studies also revealed cooperation between the CD28/B7 and lymphocyte function-associated Ag-1/intercellular adhesion molecule-1 pathways in the generation of CTL from small, resting T cells. However, after CTL generation, the CD28-B7 interaction was not required for cytotoxic effector cell function. These observations may have important physiologic implications because this would permit activated CTL to lyse targets in vivo that do not express B7, after the CTL were generated by APC that do express B7 or possibly other costimulatory molecules.


The efficacy of different treatments on soil inhabiting and aerial natural enemy fauna in chickpea crop was studied at ICRlSAT. Patancheru, India during 1998–99 post rainy season. Endosulfan 0.07 per cent had profound effect on soil inhabiting and aerial natural enemies to a tune of 40 and 45 per cent over control respectively followed by neem, which recorded 8 and 15 per cent respectively. IPM is adjudged as the best treatment in conserving the natural enemy fauna, apart from effective management of Helicoverpa armigera.


Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are ubiquitously found at the centers of most galaxies. Measuring SMBH mass is important for understanding the origin and evolution of SMBHs. However, traditional methods require spectral data which is expensive to gather. To solve this problem, we present an algorithm that weighs SMBHs using quasar light time series, circumventing the need for expensive spectra. We train, validate, and test neural networks that directly learn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Stripe 82 data for a sample of $9,038$ spectroscopically confirmed quasars to map out the nonlinear encoding between black hole mass and multi-color optical light curves. We find a 1$\sigma$ scatter of 0.35 dex between the predicted mass and the fiducial virial mass based on SDSS single-epoch spectra. Our results have direct implications for efficient applications with future observations from the Vera Rubin Observatory.


Large scale decentralized communication systems have motivated a new trend towards online routing where routing decisions are performed based on a limited and localized knowledge of the network. Geometrical greedy routing has been among the simplest and most common online routing schemes. While a geometrical online routing scheme is expected to deliver each packet to the point in the network that is closest to the destination, geometrical greedy routing, when applied over generalized substrate graphs, does not guarantee such delivery as its forwarding decision might deliver packets to a localized minimum instead. This letter investigates the necessary and sufficient conditions of greedy supporting graphs that would guarantee such delivery when used as a greedy routing substrate.


Introduction: Bacterial resistance to antibiotics, the first major concern in the 1960s, has reappeared worldwide over the past 20 years. Because these bacteria are not resistant to various conventional therapies, the medicinal and herbal plants used in different countries should be evaluated for their therapeutic potential. These valuable biological resources are a repository of complex active molecules. Therefore, in this study, we tried to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plant extracts on Staphylococcus aureus isolated from humans. Methods: Rhazya stricta was collected and their species were identified in the botanical laboratory of University of Zabol. To prepare plant extract, 40 g of dried leaves were used in 400 cc of solvent (aqueous, ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, and hydro-alcoholic). The various strains of Staphylococcus aureus used in this study were isolated from the human nose and identified by biochemical, bacteriological and growth tests as well as standard tests. Antimicrobial effects were investigated by well diffusion method in Muller Hinton agar medium. Statistix ver10 software was used for statistical calculations. Mean comparison was performed using the LSD at the level of one percent and Excel software was also used to draw the shapes. Results: Rhazya stricta extracts had different inhibitory zone diameters against Staphylococcus aureus at 100 ppm dilution (p <0.01). R. stricta ethanolic extract had the greatest effect (average 8.3 mm) on inhibiting the growth of 6 strains of S. aureus. Then aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts with an average of 7 mm were in the next ranks. The ethyl acetate extract had the lowest effect on the inhibition of S. aureus. The lowest MIC of R. stricta ethanolic extract against S. aureus samples was 3.1 ppm, which was inhibited by four strains. The lowest MBC was 6.2 ppm. Conclusion: Considering the side effects of chemical drugs and antibiotics as well as the potential effect of ethanolic extract of Rhazya stricta on Staphylococcus aureus, it is recommended to use ethanol solvent to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of R. stricta.


Vitamin A (VA) metabolism in neonates is virtually uncharacterized. Our objective was to develop a compartmental model of VA metabolism in unsupplemented and VA-supplemented neonatal rats. On postnatal day 4, pups (n = 3/time) received 11,12-[3H]retinol orally, in either oil (control) or VA combined with retinoic acid (VARA) [VA (∼6 mg/kg body weight) + 10% retinoic acid]. Plasma and tissues were collected at 14 time points up to 14 days after dose administration. VARA supplementation rapidly, but transiently, increased total retinol mass in plasma, liver, and lung. It decreased the peak fraction of the dose in plasma. A multi-compartmental model developed to fit plasma [3H]retinol data predicted more extensive recycling of retinol between plasma and tissues in neonates compared with that reported in adults (144 vs. 12–13 times). In VARA pups, the recycling number for retinol between plasma and tissues (100 times) and the time that retinol spent in plasma were both lower compared with controls; VARA also stimulated the uptake of plasma VA into extravascular tissues. A VARA perturbation model indicated that the effect of VARA in stimulating VA uptake into tissues in neonates is both dramatic and transient.


Abstract 3032 Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a pathogen associated with bronchiolitis in infants and small children. However, immunocompromised adults might also be at risk for severe lower respiratory tract involvement induced by RSV. We report the rapid control of an outbreak of nosocomial RSV infections in an institution with special focus on allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantations. Between November 2011 and March 2012 56 patients were diagnosed with RSV infection by RT-PCR at our institution. In order to identify possible risk factors for lower respiratory tract involvement in RSV infected patients, clinical course of infection as well as radiological and laboratory findings were evaluated. Characterization of RSV strains in respiratory specimens was achieved by sequence analysis of part of the RSV glycoprotein G gene and phylogenetic comparison of outbreak and community strains was performed. Out of 56 patients with RSV infection, 39 patients showed signs of lower respiratory tract involvement. 14 fatal outcomes were observed. In most of the lethal cases coinfections with other pathogens such as Aspergillus spp. or Pseudomonas aeruginosa were present. Therefore the exact impact of RSV on the fatal outcome remains difficult, if not impossible, to assess. Age, sex, underlying disease, disease control or transplant status did not differ significantly between severe and non-severe cases. However, hypogammaglobulinemia was associated with a higher risk for fatal infection (p = 0.03) in univariate analysis, whereas therapy with oral ribavirin might show a protective effect (p = 0.02). Prolonged viral shedding was frequently observed (median 22.5 [1 – 143] days), most pronounced in patients folllowing allogeneic transplantation (p = 0.04). The major mode of RSV transmission seemed to be direct patient-to-patient contact as suggested by evaluation of patient movements on the wards. Sequence analysis on respiratory specimens obtained from 46 patients revealed the presence of a particular outbreak strain in 40 patients, characterized by an identical nucleotide sequence of RSV GA2 subtype. Phylogenetic analysis showed low prevalence of the outbreak strain in the community. By implementation of rigorous isolation measures containment of outbreak was achieved. Highly contagious viral pathogens such as RSV are able to cause rapidly spreading outbreaks among immunocompromised patients. Hypogammaglobulinemia might be a risk factor for severe lower respiratory tract infection. Treatment with oral ribavirin might have a positive effect on outcome. Rigorous isolation measures are essential to the containment of outbreak. Disclosures: Off Label Use: ribavirin aerosol is FDA approved for severe cases of RSV in infants and young children.


ABSTRACT In order to evaluate writer control of global coherence under various contexts, writer texts produced by 13 college freshmen enrolled in a basic skills section of a composition course were collected as a natural part of the ongoing instruction. The texts examined were written on five different topics: misuse of power, a personal experience of the writer, schooling, a writer-selected topic, and discrimination. Each assignment required different types of cognitive, linguistic, and textual manipulations on the part of the students; demanded the use of different background knowledge; and were produced under various time constraints. The written texts were then given to three readers and ranked in terms of their overall or global coherence. Results showed that as ranking conditions varied for the students, so did their ability to control global coherence. For almost all writers, rank within one writing condition was not predictive of rank within another. Furthermore, different writers were affected differently by different tasks and sensitive to different aspects of each writing condition. Just as a writer's control of coherence within one writing condition was not predictive of control within another, overall writer control of coherence was not always predictive of control from one task to another. These results suggest that growth in writing is a process that involves the writer's ability to use and control strategies within an ever widening range of contexts. (HOD)


The structure and the assembly of tris-(2,2'-dioxy-binaphthyl)cyclotriphosphazene [(+)-[NP3(O2C20H12)3], DBNP, in the solid amorphous state was studied using molecular dynamics (MD) including ad hoc quantum mechanically derived force field (FF) parameters, in combination with the energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXD) technique. The atom-atom radial distribution function (RDF) curve obtained through the EDXD experiment revealed low intensity peaks not attributable to the intramolecular distances of the single molecule, but clearly featuring a low energy state of long-distance three-dimensional assembly. The radial distribution functions (RDF) were calculated for various models of DBNP submitted to theoretical MD simulations. Based on the comparison of theoretically calculated RDFs and those obtained from the EDXD experiment, the predominant structural motif of the material in the bulk was found to have DBNP molecules laid one upon the other to form tubular nanostructures. These contain eight DBNP units each (length ca. 46 A) with two and three of these units aligned in parallel and held together. The material can be represented as a bulk of tubular snake-like chains undergoing distortions with a step of eight DBNP units. The bending angles, that vary randomly, attain limited values sufficient to induce disorder and thus nonperiodic structure. The present application of MD simulations combined with EDXD data appear to be a general approach to solve for the first time otherwise intractable issues concerning structural features and assembly of molecular materials in the bulk.


To broaden the adoption of cloud computing, it is necessary to provide efficient security mechanisms for authorisation update, which is a core component of cloud security. In this paper, we propose an efficient and secure authorisation update mechanism, which is achieved using a double-layer encryption: inner-layer encryption and outer-layer encryption. The inner-layer encryption is performed on an original plaintext to generate ciphertext, while the outer-layer encryption is performed on a part of the inner-layer ciphertext taking a ciphertext as output. The inner-layer encryption enforces the initial authorisation policy, while the outer-layer encryption reflects the updated authorisation policy. Based on the double-layer encryption, we deal with the operations related to authorisation update including user update and data update. In addition, we implement the proposed mechanism and conduct extensive experiments. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and practicality of the proposed mechanism.


The primary purpose of the report is to inform and encourage professional discussion regarding the health of women and their babies. This report will assist policy makers
and health planners to provide better services to the community. In addition, this report aims to provide feedback to midwives, Aboriginal Health Workers, community health
nurses and medical practitioners involved with maternal and child health.


Experiment 1 was conducted to characterize the concentrations of prolactin, growth hormone (GH), cortisol, insulin, glucagon, glucose, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea N, and 10 indispensable amino acids in the plasma of mares (n = 8) and stallions (n = 8) during the last 4 h of a 19-h period of feed deprivation and for 8 h after a noon meal. Experiment 2 was similar to Exp. 1 except that only stallions (n = 8) were used, and they were either fed (n = 4) or not fed (n = 4) at noon in a 2 x 2 Latin square design conducted over two sampling days 7 d apart. In Exp. 1, increases (P < .01) after feeding were observed for plasma concentrations of prolactin, cortisol, insulin, glucagon, glucose, urea N, and all amino acids except methionine; NEFA concentrations decreased (P < .01) after feeding. Episodic increases in GH concentrations were observed for most horses but were not associated with either feeding or gender (P > .1). Plasma urea N concentrations were higher (P < .025) overall in stallions than in mares, and the rise in prolactin concentrations after feeding was greater (P < .01) in stallions than in mares. In Exp. 2, meal-associated increases (P < .01) were observed for plasma concentrations of prolactin, insulin, glucagon, and glucose; NEFA concentrations decreased (P < .01). Except for cortisol, no hormone or metabolite varied with time across days when the stallions were not fed (P > .1), indicating that there was no inherent diurnal or feeding schedule-associated fluctuations in their concentrations. Cortisol concentrations varied (P < .02) over time but did not differ (P > .1) between fed and nonfed stallions. Again, GH concentrations were episodic but did not differ (P > .1) between fed and nonfed stallions. The lack of feeding effects on GH secretion in horses is similar to the response in pigs but differs from that in ruminants, in which GH concentrations generally decline after feeding.


Osteochondral lesions of the talar dome are relatively common causes of ankle pain and disability. Trauma is the most common cause, but ischemic necrosis, en-docrine disorders, and genetic factors may have etiologic significance. Medial lesions are usually located posteriorly on the dome of the talus, whereas lateral lesions are most frequently located anteriorly. Although the staging system described by Berndt and Harty remains popular, it may not accurately reflect the integrity of the articular cartilage. Small lesions of the talar dome may be present despite a normal appearance on plain radiography. Bone scintigraphy may show increased radionuclide uptake in the talar dome. Magnetic resonance imaging is also sensitive for identifying intraosseous abnormalities in the talus and has the added benefit of revealing other types of soft-tissue lesions not visible on routine radiographic studies. Computed tomography remains the imaging technique of choice when delineation of a bone fragment is desired. Nonoperative management of osteochondral lesions, including restricted weight-bearing and/or immobilization, is recommended unless a loose fragment is clearly present. Surgical options include drilling (usually reserved for intact lesions), debridement of the lesion with curettage or abrasion of the bone bed, internal fixation of the fragment, and bone grafting. Recent technical advances allow these procedures to be performed arthroscopically, with potential reduction of surgical trauma, length of hospital stay, and complication rates.


RDF stream processing (RSP), which aims to query data streams and linked datasets using common data model and query languages extended from RDF and SPARQL, is gaining popularity. However, most of the existing RSP engines do not provide any optimisation techniques for shared join operators among query plans from concurrent queries. Many number of shared join operators can incur the waste of a lot of CPU resources like a processing memory. Moreover, queries on shared operators cause a slow response time because they must be re-evaluated without reusing intermediate results. To solve these problems, we propose an efficient method of optimising query plans on multiple queries. First, the proposed method evicts some data that get notified from the streams in order to maintain an efficient memory usage. Second, the proposed method optimises query plans to maximise the reuse of shared join results. Experimental results show that the proposed method has significant improvements in terms of memory consumption and latency, compared to the state-the-of-art methods.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Solitary adrenal glands, bilateral adrenal tumors or hereditary syndromes are indications of partial adrenalectomy to avoid the need for lifelong corticosteroid replacement. Laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy (LPA) is a safe and effective method in order to provide complete removal of small adrenal lesions, as well as preservation of normal glandular parenchyma. Our objective is to describe a LPA using a linear stapling device in a hereditary pheochromocytoma. METHODS: We present the case of a 29-year-old male with hypertension, anxiety and heart palpitations due to pheochromocytoma caused by multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B. Urinary catecholamine levels were four times higher than normal. CT scan revealed a 33 mm hypermetabolic right adrenal mass. Transperitoneal LPA was performed with the patient in left lateral decubitus. Four trocars were placed as the described technique parallel to the costal line. Right adrenal tumor was resected using a vascular linear stapling device. To preserve the blood supply of the remnant adrenal gland, it was not extensively dissected and the main adrenal vein was totally preserved. RESULTS: The patient had uneventful postoperative recovery. Surgical time was 90 minutes. Patient was discharged on the 2nd day. Pathology con fi rmed a 3.5 cm benign composite pheochromocytoma-ganglioneuroma with negative surgical margins. After surgery the patient achieved a complete clinical and biochemical response. During a follow-up of 6 months, no biochemical or radiological recurrence was observed. CONCLUSIONS: LPA using a linear stapling device is a valid alter-native to total adrenalectomy when normal adrenal tissue has to be preserved. Funding: No source of fundings of new single-port has enabled surgeons to now perform traditional procedures through new approaches in hopes of decreasing pain, faster recovery, and improved cosmesis. While previous studies have demonstrated the feasibility of such surgery for adrenalectomies; we present here a case of a single port adrenalectomy via mini Pfannenstiel incision. METHODS: A 23-year old female with a 1 year history of amenorrhea was diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome by her endocrinologist after complete endocrine workup. She ultimately was referred for surgical management after MR imaging demonstrated a 2.7 cm left sided adrenal adenoma. RESULTS:Withthepatient positioned ina left modi fi ed fl ank position, surgical steps were similar to standard assisted laparoscopic adrenalectomy except for the observed more caudal vantage point given the orientation of the robotic trocar through the mini Pfannenstiel incision. The adrenal gland and tumor were resected in entirety and extracted using a 10mm EndoCatch bag. The patient was discharged post-operative day 3 with no complaints of pain with hydrocortisone and prednisone for one month. The pathology report was consistent with a 3.5cm adrenal cortical adenoma with negative margins. CONCLUSIONS: We present here the feasibility of mini Pfannenstiel incision for single port upper tract urologic surgery. The robotic port placement through a mini Pfannenstiel incision provides a less visible incision which may be used for a variety of procedures. Care must be taken to avoid disorientation as this vantage point does have some alterations in tissue orientation when compared to standard port placement. With increasing prevalence of single-port robotic systems, surgeons should begin to imagine novel approaches for surgical cases in order to bring about the most ideal patient outcome.


The SCN5A gene encodes a voltage-sensitive sodium channel expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle. Coding region mutations cause cardiac sudden death syndromes and conduction system failure. Polymorphisms in the 5′-sequence adjacent to the SCN5A gene have been linked to cardiac arrhythmias. We identified three alternative 5′-splice variants (1A, 1B, and 1C) of the untranslated exon 1 and two 3′-variants in the murine Scn5a mRNA. Two of the exon 1 isoforms (1B and 1C) were novel when compared with the published human and rat SCN5A sequences. Quantitative real time PCR results showed that the abundance of the isoforms varied during cardiac development. The 1A, 1B, and 1C mRNA splice variants increased 7.8 ± 1.7-fold (E1A), 6.0 ± 1.0-fold (E1B), and 20.6 ± 3.7-fold (E1C) from fetal to adult heart, respectively. Promoter deletion and luciferase reporter gene analysis using cardiac and skeletal muscle cell lines demonstrated a pattern of distinct cardiac-specific enhancer elements associated with exons 1A and 1C. In the case of exon 1C, the enhancer element appeared to be within the exon. A 5′-repressor preceded each cardiac enhancer element. We concluded that the murine Na+ channel has both 5′- and 3′-untranslated region mRNA variants that are developmentally regulated and that the promoter region contains two distinct cardiac-specific enhancer regions. The presence of homologous human splicing suggests that that these regions may be fruitful new areas of study in understanding cardiac sodium channel regulation and the genetic susceptibility to sudden death.


Abstract. Estimates of the direct radiative effect (DRE) from absorbing smoke aerosols
over the southeast Atlantic Ocean (SAO) require simulation of the
microphysical and optical properties of stratocumulus clouds as well as of
the altitude and shortwave (SW) optical properties of biomass burning
aerosols (BBAs). In this study, we take advantage of the large number of
observations acquired during the ObseRvations of Aerosols above Clouds and their
intEractionS (ORACLES-2016) and Layered Atlantic Smoke
Interactions with Clouds (LASIC) projects during
September 2016 and compare them with datasets from the ALADIN-Climate
(Aire Limitée Adaptation dynamique Développement
InterNational) regional model. The model provides a good representation of the liquid water
path but the low cloud fraction is underestimated compared to satellite
data. The modeled total-column smoke aerosol optical depth (AOD) and above-cloud
AOD are consistent (∼0.7 over continental sources and
∼0.3 over the SAO at 550 nm) with the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for
Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2), Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)
or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. The
simulations indicate smoke transport over the SAO occurs mainly between 2 and 4 km,
consistent with surface and aircraft lidar observations. The BBA single
scattering albedo is slightly overestimated compared to the Aerosol Robotic
Network (AERONET) and more significantly when compared to Ascension Island
surface observations. The difference could be due to the absence of internal
mixing treatment in the ALADIN-Climate model. The SSA overestimate leads to
an underestimation of the simulated SW radiative heating compared to ORACLES
data. ALADIN-Climate simulates a positive (monthly mean) SW DRE of about
+6 W m−2 over the SAO (20∘ S–10∘ N and
10∘ W–20∘ E) at the top of the atmosphere and in all-sky
conditions. Over the continent, the presence of BBA is shown to significantly
decrease the net surface SW flux, through direct and semi-direct effects,
which is compensated by a decrease (monthly mean) in sensible heat fluxes
(−25 W m−2) and surface land temperature (−1.5 ∘C) over
Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, notably. The surface
cooling and the lower tropospheric heating decrease the continental planetary
boundary layer height by about ∼200 m.


The remarkable increase in migration across the world is one of the effects of globalisation. Its by-product is the materialisation of Cross Culture People (Pollock & Van Reken, 1999, p. 6). Research has revealed that in the process of migration, Cross Culture People may struggle to form a strong sense of identity and belonging as a result of experiencing a number of cultures throughout their lives.
Research has shown that, the heritage architecture of the host nation can act as a setting to help ground Cross Culture People in their new surroundings and form a collective identity. This thesis will explore such opportunity and as a result will ultimately propose a new building typology for heritage architecture.
The outcome of this thesis is a two-part design framework: The first part considers a careful site selection that helps select the right heritage building for the programme. The second, a design tactic framework which focuses on cultural wellbeing through cultural vitality and vibrancy. The design tactics emerging from this research develops solutions such as using unique public places that are adaptable, personal and evokes a transcultural narrative.
The framework is tested and developed to include theories such as Third Place and Biophilic Design and implemented towards a final design of a 'mixed used' public building. The final iteration reveals the need to consider the intangible aspects of heritage that help construct cross cultural identity and enhances a sense of belonging.


Abstract Cephinae is traditionally divided into three tribes and about 24 genera based on morphology and host utilization. There has been no study testing the monophyly of taxa under a strict phylogenetic criterion. A molecular phylogeny of Cephinae based on a total of 68 sequences of mtDNA COI gene, representing seven genera of Cephinae, is reconstructed to test the traditional limits and relationships of taxa. Monophyly of the traditional tribes is not supported. Monophyly of the genera are largely supported except for Pachycephus. A few host shift events are suggested based on phylogenetic relationships among taxa. These results indicate that a more robust phylogeny is required for a more plausible conclusion. We also report two species of Cephus for the first time from Turkey.


A scheme to generate entanglement in a cavity optomechanical system filled with an optical parametric amplifier is proposed. With the help of the optical parametric amplifier, the stationary macroscopic entanglement between the movable mirror and the cavity field can be notably enhanced, and the entanglement increases when the parametric gain increases. Moreover, for a given parametric gain, the degree of entanglement of the cavity optomechanical system increases with increasing input laser power.


Hereditary thrombophilias are a group of inherited conditions that predispose to thrombosis. Mutations like factor V Leiden, prothrombin gene variant 20210A, and hereditary hyperhomocysteinemia are associated with an increased risk for thromboembolism as compared to mutations in natural inhibitors of coagulation. There is also evidence that multiple defects co‐exists in persons with a tendency for thrombosis. We studied prothrombotic determinants, namely protein C, protein S, and AT along with factor V Leiden (1691G→A), prothrombin gene mutation (20210G→A), CBS 844ins68 mutation, and MTHFR mutation (677C→T) in consecutive ethnic Omani patients with first episode of a thrombophilic event, namely, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and/or pulmonary embolism (PE) or thrombosis at an unusual site. Fasting plasma homocysteine was also analyzed. Factor V Leiden and the prothrombin gene mutation were not seen in any patient nor in any control subject studied. The thermolabile MTHFR mutation (677C→T) was present in 14 patients (35.89%) whereas the CBS 844ins68 mutation was documented in 6 patients (15.38%); 3 patients were common in both groups. Six patients had low protein C (15.38%), two patients had low protein S (5.12%), but none had low AT levels. Interestingly, one patient had triple abnormality, namely, PC deficiency with both CBS 844ins68 mutation as well as the MTHFR mutation (677C→T) whereas another two patients had the latter two mutations together. This data set, although small, reflects the importance of multiple screening strategies. The yield appears high, emphasizing the referral pattern to a tertiary health center. Of these patients, 43.58% had either or both the hyperhomocysteinemic mutations studied, whereas in 38.46% of these patients, no underlying cause for thrombophilia could be documented. Am. J. Hematol. 81:101–106, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Purpose of reviewThere has been an increase in the prevalence of food allergy, asthma and severe reactions to foods in the past decade. The reason for this increase is unknown and despite the potential for a lethal outcome, no treatments or therapies are available. Many areas are being explored to understand the increase in food allergy and the role of modern processing techniques is one of them. Recent findingsThe fact that processing influences allergenicity is not a new concept, but due to some definitive studies in the last few years the topic has been revitalized. Not only is the processed form of a particular allergen important in assessment of allergenicity, but the role of the food matrix in which an allergen is processed must also be evaluated. The issue of allergenicity of particular foods is therefore highly complex, and even with our existing knowledge we have just begun to understand some of the contributions of processing to allergenic properties of proteins and foods. SummaryResearchers and medical personnel have begun to weigh the benefits and potential disadvantages of assessing the allergenicity of foods in unprocessed forms. In this review, the known effects of processing on the allergenicity of various foods will be discussed along with the implications of the most recent studies on the future direction of research in this area.


We are affected greatly by power, and often do not understand what power is, how it is used, and its many other facets. Power and communication are interrelated, but how they relate to each other has been hard to understand. The model presented in this thesis explicates the relationship between the two critical variables. Power is portrayed as a hierarchical structure that is based on influence (communication) where the intensity and likelihood of success of power attempts increase as the level of power increases. The hierarchical structure has four levels, including influence at its base, and prominence, authority and control at the higher levels.


Introduction: The aging of the upper third of the face is characterized by ptosis of the eyebrow, glabellar wrinkles and frontal transverse wrinkles. Treatment can be performed through coronal frontoplasty, temporal frontoplasty with limited incisions and endoscopic frontoplasty. The aim of this study is to describe the technique of subperiosteal endoscopic frontoplasty with myotomy of the muscles of the glabellar region and fixation of the flap in the deep temporal fascia, evaluating its applicability and effectiveness. Methods: Twenty-four female patients who underwent endoscopic frontoplasty associated with upper blepharoplasty, aged between 37 and 72 years old, over a 10-year period were evaluated. Measurements between the distance from the inter-pupillary line and the upper portion of the eyebrow were performed through photographic analysis using the Mirror 6.0 digital image system, in the medial, central and lateral regions on each side, in the preoperative period, and in the 6 month postoperative period. Results: The average age was 52 years. There was statistical significance ( p <0.05) in all evaluated eyebrow areas, the mean was 0.3 cm higher. Complications were: 1 case of wire extrusion, 1 case of asymmetry, 2 cases of insufficient correction of the eyebrow and 2 cases of recurrence of glabellar wrinkles. Conclusion: Subperiosteal endoscopic frontoplasty with myotomy of the muscles of the glabellar region and fixation of the flap in the deep temporal fascia with stitches, proved to be effective in the treatment of aging of the upper third of the face, with statistically proven results, low morbidity and good aesthetic results.


Thesis (Ph.D.)--Georgetown University, 2008.; Includes bibliographical
 references. This dissertation focuses on the performance of restructured electricity markets
 in the United States. In chapter 1, I study bidder-specific offer caps
 ("BSOCs") which are used to mitigate market power in three wholesale
 electricity markets. The price of electricity is determined through multi-unit uniform price
 auctions and BSOCs impose an upper limit, which is increasing in marginal cost, on each
 generator's bid. I apply BSOCs in both the uniform and discriminatory price auctions and
 characterize the equilibria in a two firm model with stochastic demand. BSOCs unambiguously
 increase expected production efficiency in the uniform price auction and they can increase the
 expected profit of the generator with the lower cap.; Chapter 2, coauthored with Ramteen
 Sioshansi, Ph.D., compares two types of uniform price auction formats used in wholesale
 electricity markets, centrally committed markets and self committed markets. In centrally
 committed markets, generators submit two-part bids consisting of a fixed startup cost and a
 variable (per MWh) energy cost, and the auctioneer ensures that no generator operates at a
 loss. Generators in self committed markets must incorporate their startup costs into their one
 part energy bids. We derive Nash equilibria for both the centrally and self committed
 electricity markets in a model with two symmetric generators with nonconvex costs and
 deterministic demand. Using a numerical example, we demonstrate that if the caps on the bid
 elements are chosen appropriately, the two market designs are equivalent in terms of generator
 revenues and settlement costs.; Regulators and prominent academic experts believe that
 electric restructuring polices have stifled investment in new generation capacity. In chapter
 3 I seek to determine whether these fears are supported by empirical evidence. I examine both
 total investment in megawatts and the number of new investments across regions that adopted
 different electric restructuring policies to determine whether electric restructuring is
 associated with lower levels of investment in new generation capacity. The estimation results
 do not prove that total investment levels are lower in regions with restructured electric
 systems, but I cannot rule the possibility out.


Attempts to improve substance use disorder (SUDs) treatment outcomes have been made by identifying subgroups of clients with psychoactive comorbidities and tailoring treatment approaches accordingly. This study sought to determine the prevalence of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among admittees to a 28-day, residential program. It was hypothesized that ADHD screening and assessment would result in a higher prevalence rate when compared to the clinical record. It was further hypothesized that clients with ADHD would have higher, earlier unsuccessful terminations and higher overall unsuccessful terminations than non-ADHD clients. The differences in the prevalence rates (3.44% clinical record and 43.68% study psychologist) were statistically significant (p<.OOI). Analysis of treatment outcomes for the two groups was not statistically significant.


The APA Awards for Distinguished Scientific Contributions are presented to persons who, in the opinion of the Committee on Scientific Awards, have made distinguished theoretical or empirical contributions to basic research in psychology. Anthony G. Greenwald is a recipient of the 2017 award for his work in collaboration with Mahzarin R. Banaji. Greenwald "identified prejudice against the null hypothesis among researchers and unintended prejudices toward social groups among everyone." Greenwald's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record


Regulation of the expression of the growth‐related nucleolar p120 protein was examined in serum‐deprived and stimulated nontransformed and SV40‐transformed WI‐38 human fibroblasts. In quiescent cells, transcriptional activity of the p120 gene was very low or undetectable, and the steady‐state levels of the p120 mRNA and the p120 protein were also negligible. The transient expression of the p120 gene in the cell cycle was detected in middle G1‐phase after the expression of the early response genes and before the expression of the DNA‐synthesis genes. Protein synthesis was required for the induction of p120 expression in serumstimulated cells. The increased level of p120 mRNA in middle G1‐phase was attributed to an increased transcription rate of the p120 gene, and not to a change in p120 mRNA stability. The calculated half‐life of p120 mRNA was unchanged (1.8 ± 0.2 hr) in all four cell conditions tested; i.e., in middle G1‐ or S‐phase cells and in exponentially growing normal or transformed cells. Transcription rate of the p120 gene was correlated with the steady‐state levels of either p120 protein or p120 mRNA. A sharp increase in p120 mRNA level occurred in both normal and transformed cells treated with actinomycin D used to examine p120 mRNA stability. This induction of p120 mRNA expression was seen in early G1‐phase, but not in quiescent cells, or in middle to late G1‐phase when cells expressed the highest level of p120 mRNA. The same expression pattern was seen by treatment with chlorambucil, another DNA‐damaging agent. The conclusions of these studies are that the expression of p120 (1) is serum inducible in a fashion characteristic of the delayed early response gene products, (2) requires the presence of newly synthesized proteins, (3) is regulated transcriptionally, and (4) can be induced by DNA‐damaging agents. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Gastric morphology, function, and immunology was studied in 68 patients with pernicious anemia (PA), 183 of their first-degree relatives, and 354 control subjects. The PA relatives and controls were comparable in age and sex distribution. In both groups, mean gastric acid output decreased and mean fasting serum gastrin levels and the prevalence of atrophic gastritis increased with age. The total prevalence of chronic gastritis was similar in the two groups, but severe atrophic gastritis of the body of the stomach (AGB), achlorhydria, parietal cell antibodies, and a raised fasting serum gastrin level were significantly more common in PA relatives than in controls. Of the PA relatives 23 had severe AGB which was indistinguishable from the gastric mucosal lesion found in PA probands and was, as a rule, accompanied by several other characteristics of type A gastritis. These included a normal antrum (78%), slight or absent inflammatory cell infiltration in the gastric mucosa (70%), achlorhydria (91%), high fasting serum gastrin level (83%), parietal cell antibodies (65%), and intrinsic factor antibodies (22%). The mean age and the proportion of subjects with slight and moderate AGB of all AGB subjects was significantly lower in PA relatives than in controls. This suggests an early onset and a rapid progression from mild to severe AGB in PA relatives. Thus, the PA relatives appear to consist of two populations, one with a high and one with little or no proneness to severe AGB. This bimodal distribution suggests the participation of a single major factor, probably genetic, in the pathogenesis of severe AGB in PA relatives.


The aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive study of prehistoric pottery throughout the region of Kent. Research will focus specifically on middle Bronze Age through to early/middle Iron Age pottery, a date range of approximately 1500 to 400 BC. The study of pottery offers a wealth of information relating to many aspects of the past and yet despite this, prehistoric pottery has been under-researched in Kent. A growing number of important pottery assemblages have been excavated and recent development-led archaeology has produced a great deal of new evidence from excavation and evaluation. This offers an important key to understanding the chronology and interpretation of settlement and burial sites. The basis of this study is to analyse pottery assemblages in order to develop an understanding of the societies who produced and consumed the ceramics, and to provide the foundation for a ceramic typological and chronological framework. This was undertaken through the study of some 77,000 pottery sherds from 66 sites across the region. The data was collected from personally recording and illustrating large assemblages of pottery sherds and by using data from 'grey literature', published reports and research by a number of pottery specialists. A form type series was devised, which demonstrates the range of pottery types present in Kent from the middle Bronze Age to early/middle Iron Age. A chronological sequence has been tentatively suggested, which is in need of refinement when more radiocarbon dates are available. A fabric series has been created and presents a brief summary of the types of fabrics used to make the vessels. Key areas were studied, namely, the production and distribution of the ceramics across Kent and how this compares to surrounding regions. Changes in both pottery form types and fabrics over 1000 years of potting history are evident and offer insights into the changing nature of social practises and settlement patterns. Consideration of how the ceramics have been deposited may also offer glimpses into the past, and also serve to highlight the complexities of site formation. This study contributes to a growing body of research on the prehistory of Kent. The limitations are also addressed and the scope for further research.


The amount of trust we, as human-beings, place in each other or an object (e.g., online information) is typically guided by several trust factors and antecedents. These factors can vary in importance depending on the individual making the trust decision and also on the situation - such is actually the subjective nature of trust. In this paper, we explore this notion of factors' importance by delving into detail on some of our recent user experiments and subsequent findings, partly described in previous work. These experiments used radar graphs to communicate trustworthiness as a function of five trust factors, namely competence, popularity, recency, corroboration and proximity. Here, we expand that work by further considering the importance of each of the factors to participants, while also investigating the correlations between individuals' perceptions of trust, and aspects such as graph area or size and expected scores as calculated by linear regression analysis. More specifically, we focus on outliers and endeavour to understand what is the cause of their existence. This research contributes to the field of communicating trustworthiness now, but is also meant to act as a platform for future, more directed research on visuals intended to communicate trustworthiness.


Introduction: Stem cells (SCs), known as cells with characteristics such as self-renewal and multilineage differentiation, are generally obtained from two sources: Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and adult stem cells (ASCs). SC research is expected to play a pivotal role in future medicine. The aim of the present review was to introduce dental and nondental SCs, examining the general characteristics, in vivo and in vitro differentiation capacities, immunosuppressive properties as well as the application of SCs in dentistry and regenerative medicine. Methods: In October 2015, PubMed, Scopus were searched by experienced researchers with the query stem cells and dentistry and a focus on SC and dental journals. Results: In the field of dentistry, ASCs, isolated from different structures, are divided into different subpopulations: Dental SCs, population of SCs isolated from different components of immature and mature teeth and nondental SCs, and those isolated from oromaxillofacial tissues. Conclusions: It appears that dental and nondental SCs are popular resources of SCs because of easier accessibility and fewer ethical problems. In addition, they have a high differentiation capacity into different cell lineages. Different studies have introduced dental and nondental SCs as suitable SC sources for SC therapy in dentistry and regenerative medicine.


ABSTRACT EUS has become an increasingly used diagnostic and therapeutic modality in the armamentarium of endoscopists. With ever-expanding indications, EUS is being used in patients with liver disease, for both diagnosis and therapy. EUS is playing an important role in providing additional important information to that provided by cross-sectional imaging modalities such as computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Domains of therapy that were largely restricted to interventional radiologists have become accessible to endosonologists. From liver biopsy and sampling of liver lesions to ablative therapy for liver lesions and vascular interventions for varices, there is increased use of EUS in patients with liver disease. In this review, we discuss the various diagnostic and therapeutic applications of EUS in patients with various liver diseases.


The paper investigates how dominant epistemic frames backed by the methods of materialist science appropriate a translated text, thus changing its imagery and patterns of meaning. It discusses the language / culture determinants in the process of translation and relates the findings to the tendency towards hegemony in understanding what constitutes legitimate knowledge representation. Employing the tools of the cognitive approach to translation, the analysis is based on a case study of a translation of a Slovak historical text into English. More specifically, the paper explores translation of verbs related to the historical agents and their symbols. The cognitive framework accommodating the analysis shifts the perspective to the imagery invoked, and it is shown that the original imagery is significantly reduced in the target text. The analysis tracks the reductionist processes down to schematization, or what could be called abstractification, with an effect of disengaging the reader from the scene, as well as renormalization of agency, whereby semantic relationships are conventionalized. It is argued that such reduction is not a 'natural' process, nor is it necessitated by the variation in the target language structure, and it ultimately serves ideological ends.


Natural isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp), the causative agent of melioidosis, can exhibit significant ecological flexibility that is likely reflective of a dynamic genome. Using whole-genome Bp microarrays, we examined patterns of gene presence and absence across 94 South East Asian strains isolated from a variety of clinical, environmental, or animal sources. 86% of the Bp K96243 reference genome was common to all the strains representing the Bp "core genome", comprising genes largely involved in essential functions (eg amino acid metabolism, protein translation). In contrast, 14% of the K96243 genome was variably present across the isolates. This Bp accessory genome encompassed multiple genomic islands (GIs), paralogous genes, and insertions/deletions, including three distinct lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-related gene clusters. Strikingly, strains recovered from cases of human melioidosis clustered on a tree based on accessory gene content, and were significantly more likely to harbor certain GIs compared to animal and environmental isolates. Consistent with the inference that the GIs may contribute to pathogenesis, experimental mutation of BPSS2053, a GI gene, reduced microbial adherence to human epithelial cells. Our results suggest that the Bp accessory genome is likely to play an important role in microbial adaptation and virulence.


Background: Herbal treatment has paid much attention in the world over the past decades. Nelumbo nucifera is used all over the world as a medicinal plant. It is an aquatic perennial plant belonging to the Nelumbonaceae family. The protective effects of Nelumbo nucifera are due to the active ingredients present in it. The study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of Nelumbo nucifera seeds against hepatotoxicity caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats.
Methodology: Eighteen Wistar Albino rats were allotted into three groups (n=6), control group, CCl4 treated group given CCl4 0.8 ml/kg body weight subcutaneously twice a week, CCl4 + N. Nucifera treated group given CCl4 0.8 ml/kg body weight 2 times a week subcutaneously and also given Nelumbo nucifera extract (200 mg/kg body weight) orally through gavage daily. After 28 days of the experiment, serum samples were taken for estimation of enzyme activities and liver tissue samples were collected for evaluation of antioxidant enzyme levels.
Results: It was observed that liver weight increased in the CCl4 treated group while liver weight decreased in CCl4 + N. Nucifera treated group. CCl4 administration significantly raises the transaminase levels such as Aspartate transaminase (AST) (p<0.01), Aspartate transaminase (ALT) (p<0.05), and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p<0.05) whereas CCl4 + N. Nucifera treated group serum transaminases are reduced. Antioxidant activities such as Catalase (p>0.05), Glutathione (GSH) (p>0.05) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) (p=0.05) decreased in the CCl4 treated group. Significant elevation of antioxidant enzymes; Catalase (p<0.05), GSH (p<0.05) and SOD (p>0.05) in CCl4 + N. Nucifera treated group. Serum Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (p<0.05) significantly raised in the CCl4 hepatotoxic group compared to the control group. A decreased MDA levels were observed in the CCl4 + N. Nucifera treated group, indicating its potential to counteract the harmful effects of CCl4.
Conclusion: This study suggests that Nelumbo nucifera seeds have overcome CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity by their antioxidant effects.


Reaching exceptionally long times up to 500 ns in equilibrium and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations studies, we have attained a fundamental molecular understanding of the correlation of ionomer clusters structure and multiscale dynamics, providing new insight into one critical, long-standing challenge in ionic polymer physics. The cluster structure in melts of sulfonated polystyrene with Na^{+} and Mg^{2+} counterions are resolved and correlated with the dynamics on multiple length and time scales extracted from measurements of the dynamic structure factor and shear rheology. We find that as the morphology of the ionic clusters changes from ladderlike for Na^{+} to disordered structures for Mg^{2+}, the dynamic structure factor is affected on the length scale corresponding to the ionic clusters. Rheology studies show that the viscosity for Mg^{2+} melts is higher than for Na^{+} ones for all shear rates, which is well correlated with the larger ionic clusters' size for the Mg^{2+} melts.


BACKGROUND

The application of controlled postharvest abiotic stresses in carrots induces the production of phenolic compounds, mainly chlorogenic acids, which present diverse biological functions. Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) is a liquid–liquid extraction technique that has demonstrated its potential for the fractionation and recovery of bioactive compounds. ATPS have the advantages of using environmentally friendly constituents, ease of scale-up and process integration capability. This experimental work addresses for the first time the recovery of bioactive compounds (mainly hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives) from abiotically stressed carrot tissue using ATPS strategies, including in situ extraction, in alcohol–salt and ionic liquid–salt systems.

RESULTS

The partitioning of chlorogenic acid was favored in the ethanol–potassium phosphate system achieving a recovery yield of 81.9%. Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives fractioning was favored in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIM-Ac)–potassium phosphate ATPS, where recovery yields up to 85.4% were achieved. The in situ extraction strategy not only demonstrated potential for merging extraction and recovery in the same system but also, depending on ATPS used, allowed differential phenolic profiles to be obtained.

CONCLUSION

ATPS strategies (either solid–liquid extraction followed by ATPS or in situ extraction) were shown to have great potential for the recovery of bioactives from stressed carrot tissue. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry


Do you ask for contract or purchase terms prior to completing your everyday purchases? Do you first read the pizza box before paying the pizza delivery guy or gal? Typical consumers do not ask for or read their contracts prepurchase, and companies have become accustomed to burying purchase terms in product packaging or Internet links. These postpurchase, rolling, or "pizza-box" contracts have therefore become the norm in the consumer marketplace, and courts generally enforce them as legitimate contracts. This Article discusses varying theoretical perspectives on enforcement of these pizza-box contracts, and explores the available empirical data bearing on the legitimacy of post-purchase consent. It also adds some relevant results from the recent e-survey I conducted of consumers' contracting behavior. The Article concludes by inviting further study and debate regarding enforcement of postpurchase terms. Further study and consideration of the meaning of contractual consent is especially important in light of the increasing prevalence of postpurchase terms with respect to online/e-contracts.


PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, particularly the preeclampsia/eclampsia syndrome, remain the leading causes of worldwide pregnancy-related maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. This group of conditions are a 'riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma' to quote Winston Churchill. We are fortunate to have contributions from leading clinical experts who have devoted many years of their professional careers attempting to solve this conundrum.

RECENT FINDINGS
Dr Jack Moodley has provided us with a perspective on clinical management in underresourced countries. Referral to experts, aggressive treatment of hypertension and use of magnesium sulfate improves care. Dr Shennan focuses on the assessment of risk, close antenatal surveillance and timely delivery. Dr Uzan continues to champion the use of aspirin for prevention of preeclampsia, even though the evidence is contradictory. Dr Sibai addresses the lack of evidence for calcium, vitamin C and E in prevention of preeclampsia. Dr Von Dadelszen is developing a new paradigm for the classification of these disorders and emphasizes the importance of evidence-based intervention.

SUMMARY
Evidence suggests that treatment of severe hypertension, seizure prophylaxis with magnesium sulfate, and management by experienced healthcare professionals will improve maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes. Well designed studies will lead to evidence-based improvement in caring for mothers and babies worldwide.


In this research two Turkish crude oils (medium and heavy) were separated into their saturate, aromatic, resin, and asphaltene (SARA) fractions by column chromatographic techniques, and combustion experiments were carried out on whole crude oils and their fractions by thermogravimentric analysis (TD/DTG) under air atmosphere at a 10 °C/min heating rate. Investigation of SARA fractions allows quantitative determination of the temperature intervals at which evaporation, oxidation, and combustion effects operate for each fraction. In the course of this research, the kinetic parameters of SARA fractions were determined according to the Coats and Redfern technique. By using the data and findings of this research, one can take advantage of studying the kinetics of SARA fractions instead of those of the complex whole oil for modeling of the overall process to accurately predict combustion.


A major barrier to the clinical use of erythrocytes generated in vitro from pluripotent stem cells or cord blood progenitors is failure of these erythrocytes to express adult hemoglobin. The key regulators of globin switching KLF1 and BCL11A are absent or at a lower level than in adult cells in K562 and erythroid cells differentiated in vitro from induced pluripotent stem cells and cord blood progenitors. Transfection or transduction of K562 and cord blood erythroid cells with either KLF1 or BCL11A-XL had little effect on β-globin expression. In contrast, transduction with both transcription factors stimulated β-globin expression. Similarly, increasing the level of BCL11A-XL in the induced pluripotent stem cell-derived erythroid cell line HiDEP-1, which has levels of endogenous KLF1 similar to adult cells but lacks BCL11A, resulted in levels of β-globin equivalent to that of adult erythroid cells. Interestingly, this increase in β-globin was coincident with a decrease in ε− and ζ−, but not γ-globin, implicating BCL11A in repression of embryonic globin expression. The data show that KLF1 and BCL11A-XL together are required, but sufficient to induce adult levels of β-globin in induced pluripotent stem cell and cord blood-derived erythroid cells that intrinsically express embryonic or fetal globin.


A newly developed model for the U.S. livestock industry provides quarterly forecasts of livestock prices and quantities and is used in impact analysis where I alternative scenarios are simulated and compared with the model's base forecast. The model incorporates both behavioral and biological equations to project beef, pork, and broiler quantities and prices used by outlook and situation I analysts. The model is estimated over the period 1970-81 using OLS (ordinary I least squares) estimation procedure. The model is also evaluated for the period 1982-84 to test its performance outside the data base. The model's performance I was acceptable given the conditions affecting the livestock sector during the periods studied.


T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) accounts for about 15% of pediatric ALL and is characterized as a high-risk disease with frequent relapse, chemotherapy resistance, and a poorer prognosis. LIM domain only protein 2 (LMO2) is a regulator of hematopoiesis and an oncogene that is overexpressed in about 10% of T-ALL. The IKZF1 gene encodes a zinc finger protein called Ikaros which is a master regulator of lymphoid development and a tumor suppressor. In pediatric ALL, Ikaros alteration is considered independent prognostic marker for poor outcome. Pro oncogenic Casein Kinase II (CK2) is overexpressed in various malignancies including leukemia. CK2 directly phosphorylates Ikaros in vivo and inhibits its function as transcriptional regulator. Inhibition of CK2 restores Ikaros tumor suppressor function and results in anti-leukemic effect. Objective of this study is to understand the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of LMO2 in T-cell ALL. Global chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) coupled with the next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) studies in primary human ALL cells and in cell lines, demonstrated Ikaros occupancy of the promoter of LMO2 gene. We hypothesize that Ikaros negatively regulates expression of LMO2 at transcriptional level and CK2 impairs Ikaros mediated repression of LMO2 in T-cell ALL. Results: qChIP in primary leukemia cells confirmed that Ikaros binds to the promoter region of LMO2. Using gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments we dissected the role of Ikaros in regulation of LMO2 transcription in T-ALL. Ikaros silencing using shRNA transfection revealed increase in LMO2 expression as measured by qRT PCR. Conversely, overexpression of Ikaros was associated with strongly reduced transcription of LMO2. T-ALL cells that are derived from Ikaros-knockout mouse models express high level of LMO2. Retroviral transduction of these cells with Ikaros, resulted in significant reduction of LMO2 expression. Next we investigated how CK2 affects the regulatory functions of Ikaros towards LMO2. Molecular and pharmacological inhibition of CK2 resulted in reduced expression of LMO2 in primary human T-ALL. Ikaros binding at promoter of LMO2 was noted to be significantly increased following CK2 inhibition. This effect was not seen when cell were subjected to CK2 inhibition after Ikaros silencing. Further, we analyzed changes in the histone markers at the heterochromatin at the LMO2 promoter following Increased Ikaros binding such as reduced histone H3K9ac and H3K4me3 markers. This suggests that Ikaros regulates LMO2 transcription via chromatin remodeling. Conclusion: This data reveals new regulatory mechanism for oncogene LMO2 in pediatric T-ALL. New evidence suggests that repression of LMO2 expression in T cell ALL via Ikaros can be potentiated using CK2 inhibitors. Findings provide the rationale for the use of CK2 inhibitors in T-ALL with LMO2 overexpression. Citation Format: Chandrika S. Gowda, Yali Ding, Chunhua Song, Malika Kapadia, Kimberly J. Payne, Sinisa Dovat. Signaling pathways that regulate LMO2 oncogene expression in pediatric high risk T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5533. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5533


The article is prepared on the basis of the research on the development of enterprise social responsibility (ESR) initiatives in Lithuania. The object of the research – factors influencing ESR initiatives in Lithuania. The topicality of the theme of the research is grounded on the tendencies of strategic changes of commercial activity connected with the implementation of Global agreement principles. The purpose of the article is to reveal factors influencing ESR initiatives when characterizing their influence upon the tendencies of commercial sector development. The methodology of the research is grounded on the holistic approach towards ESR initiatives treating them as a constituent of the solid determined public system influenced not only by general globalisation factors but by the local ones as well. For the identification of factors influencing ESR initiatives the methods of phenomenography and phenomenology were used. For the naming of the significance of factors the methods of the filing, ranking and generalization of features were used. The system of factors influencing the application of ESR principles in the activity and management of enterprises is presented in the article. Special systematic groups of the European business improvement model as well as their significance for the results of enterprise activity well as for the management of human resources are described in the article.


Purpose

This study aims to report the results of a survey of diners' behavior during production and consumption of dining services with three objectives. The first objective is to create customer segments that represent distinct patterns of customer participation in hospitality service encounters. The second objective is to profile these identified customer segments in terms of demographics, attitudes and behaviors. The third objective is to evaluate the relationship between customer participation segments and service outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through an online survey of American casual dining customers. The data were analyzed using principal components factor analysis, cluster analysis on the factor scores, discriminant analysis that validated the group differences among clusters and multivariate analysis of variance on the cluster variables to determine the source of differences between groups.

Findings

The evidence showed that restaurant customers can be segmented into meaningful groups according to their reported behaviors and that level of participation is related to perceived service outcomes.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that service providers can use customer participation segments to understand those customers' service needs and wants. They can then design service strategies tailored to the needs of target customer groups.

Originality/value

This study is the first to identify distinct segments based on hospitality customers' roles and behaviors in service delivery. This study makes a significant contribution to the hospitality marketing literature by advancing the trend to improve service quality through a non-traditional approach, that is, by building partnerships with customers.


A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES,
ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY AS PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN
EPIDEMIOLOGY


Ageism is one of the global problems of contemporary world. This article is an attempt to look at it from a point of view of mentality. A few of the main manifestations of ageism including prejudice and openly demonstrated discrimination against seniors are discussed. On the basis of a survey, some conclusions are made about the negative consequences from ageism for the mentality of older people. The survey was conducted among 27 people between the ages of 20 - 35 and 36 people between the ages of 65 - 80 (mean age of 73.5 years). Language: English