Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Transcriptional silencing of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) gene, MLH1, is one of the main causes of microsatellite instability in sporadic cancers of the colon and other sites. We and others have shown that hypoxia, a key microenvironmental stress in solid tumors, causes reduced expression of MLH1via transient transcriptional repression mediated by both HIF-dependent and independent pathways. Here, we further investigated whether hypoxia-induced down-regulation of MLH1 is associated with epigenetic modifications that may mark the locus for long-term silencing. We find that hypoxia drives epigenetic repression of the MLH1 promoter with decreased H3K4 methylation as a key repressive modification. We find that this is mediated by the H3K4 demethylases, LSD1 (lysine-specific histone demethylase 1) and PLU-1/JARID1B. In RKO cells containing a reporter construct consisting of the MLH1 promoter driving selectable thymidine kinase (TK) and blasticidin resistance (BlastR) genes, long-term silencing of the MLH1 promoter was produced by exposure of the cells to hypoxia as compared to minimal silencing under normoxia. Importantly, knockdown of LSD1 blocked the hypoxia-induced MLH1 promoter silencing in this reporter system.

In RKO cells, the endogenous MLH1 promoter is constitutively silenced by DNA hypermethylation at CpG sites. MLH1 re-expression can be induced by 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC), a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, accompanied by increased levels of H3K9 acetylation and H3K4 methylation at it promoter. But the promoter rapidly becomes re-silenced after removal of 5-Aza-dC. However, we find that knockdown of LSD1 or its corepressor, CoRest, blocks MLH1 resilencing in the RKO cells. Consistently, ChIP analyses revealed that the control RKO cells (with a GFP knockdown vector) showed return of both H3K9 acetylation and H3K4 methylation back to pre-treatment levels coupled with MLH1 re-silencing upon removal of 5-Aza-dC, but intriguingly, high levels of H3K9 acetylation and H3K4 methylation were also observed at MLH1 promoters in RKO LSD1sh cells. Analysis of DNA methylation revealed that MLH1 promoter methylation levels were reduced by 5-Aza-dC treatment, as expected. However, after removal of 5-Aza-dC, promoter methylation levels returned back to the pre-treatment levels only in the control RKO cells. In the RKO cells with shRNA mediated knock down of either LSD1 or CoRest, the promoter re-methylation process was blocked. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the LSD1/CoRest repressive complex is essential for the MLH1 silencing and that hypoxia is a critical driving force for stable transcriptional silencing of MLH1 through a concerted pattern of chromatin and DNA modifications, thereby promoting genetic instability and tumor progression.

Citation Format: Yuhong Lu, Narendra Wajapeyee, Mitchell S. Turker, Peter M. Glazer. MLH1 silencing is caused by hypoxia through epigenetic regulation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1513. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1513


Multiresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from three patients in the same intensive care unit were more resistant to ceftazidime than to cefotaxime and aztreonam but remained susceptible to moxalactam and imipenem. Resistance to beta-lactams, kanamycin, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines was transferable to Escherichia coli by conjugation and was lost en bloc after treatment with ethidium bromide. Agarose gel electrophoresis of wild types and transconjugants indicated that these resistances were mediated by a 150-kilobase plasmid, pCFF14. The strains constitutively produced a beta-lactamase with isoelectric point close to 5.6 and which had a higher Vmax for ceftazidime and cephalothin than for cefotaxime. The substrate profile and isoelectric point of this enzyme thus differ from those of other known plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases, including the broad-spectrum enzyme CTX-1. Hybridization studies support the derivation of the novel enzyme from a TEM-type beta-lactamase.


The pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the development of sporadic idiopathic hypoparathyroidism are currently under investigation. Although autoantibodies against the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) have been implicated to play a role, these could be demonstrated in only 49% of a group of 51 patients with sporadic idiopathic hypoparathyroidism that we previously studied. Therefore, we investigated 49 of these patients further, regardless of their antibody status, and looked for mutations in the section of the PTH gene sequence that coded for prepro-PTH as well as the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the gene, which is believed to be involved in the stability of its mRNA. We also examined the relationship between the clinical manifestations of the disease and the occurrences of two commonly observed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PTH gene. In 49 of the patients with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism and in 55 healthy controls, the SNPs were characterized by restriction analysis using DraII and BstBI enzymes. In a subset of these patients, exons 2 and 3 of the PTH gene (n = 37) and its 3'-UTR region (n = 40) were also sequenced. No mutations were observed in the segment of the PTH gene coding for the signal peptide, prohormone, or the 3'-UTR region. However, three well described SNPs were observed: 1) an A-->G substitution in intron 1 in 35.1% of the patients; 2) a G-->A substitution in intron 2, characterized by BstBI, in one or both alleles in 27%; and 3) a C-->A substitution at codon 52 (CGA) of exon 3, characterized by DraII, in one or both alleles in 59.7% of the patients. There was no significant difference in the frequency of occurrence of these SNPs between the patient and the control groups. Furthermore, the mean age at onset of symptoms, body mass index, frequency of cataract, tetany, convulsion, basal ganglia calcification, serum calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and intact PTH were not significantly different between patients with and without the above-described SNPs. Thus, the data from this report demonstrate that in patients with sporadic idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, neither the clinical manifestations nor the biochemical indexes of the disease are related to the occurrence of mutations or SNPs in the PTH gene. Because neither patient nor control samples exhibited any variations in the sequence of their 3'-UTR regions, it is unlikely that mRNA instability is a factor in the pathogenesis of the disease. Additional studies are required to investigate the role of other genes and autoantigens that may be involved in the genesis of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism.


This issue of the Review contains three papers from the February conference on agribusiness structures and market behaviour. This introduction serves to introduce the papers and sets out a review of recent literature contributions in the marketing and agribusiness area. The review identifies the characteristic market structure of agribusiness as a transformation of farm-based commodities to many differentiated and finished products in consumer markets. This market channel or chain exhibits many of the features of competitive markets due to the many firms involved but also has features which cut across competitive theory such as monopoly buying, lack of full information, and backward integration. In the wider view, agricultural industries interact with other institutions and polities, and must take account of these forces in management and planning. The papers, which follow, analyse the government agribusiness interface from a public choice point of view, marketing structure and information from a market failure point of view, and marketing structure and alliances from a product development point of view.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of food insecurity in Korean elderly and to analyze the health status as well as food and nutrient intakes according to food insecurity status. Methods: A total of 939 elderly subjects (over 65 years old) were used in our analysis from the fifth 2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V-1). The variables consisted of general characteristics, physical and mental health, nutrient intake, rate of deficient intake of energy and nutrients compared with Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) and food quality and diversity according to the status of food insecurity. Food insecurity status was measured using a self-reported food security questionnaire on the dietary situation in the previous year, and participants were classified according to three groups: food secure group, mildly food insecure group, and moderately/severely food insecure group. Results: The proportion of the food insecure group was approximately 67% and the food insecure group had lower income and educational status than the food secure group. Food insecurity was associated with worse physical and mental health status after adjusting potentially confounding variables. The results showed that food insecurity in Korean elderly significantly affected mental health (including stress cognition, depression experience, and suicide thoughts) which exceeded stages of physical health. In addition, food insecurity showed significant association with low nutrient intake and high rate of deficient intakes of energy and nutrients compared with KDRIs, and a reduction of dietary quality and diversity was indicated in the food insecure group. Conclusion: This study concludes that the prevalence of food insecurity may affect the physical and mental health as well as dietary intake of the elderly Korean population. Therefore, food insecurity should be considered as an important public health issue in Korea.


A novel packet multiplexing technique, called rotating-priority-queues (RPQ), is presented which exploits the tradeoff between high efficiency, i.e., the ability to support many connections with delay bounds, and low complexity. The operations required by the RPQ multiplexer are similar to those of the simple, but inefficient, static-priority (SP) multiplexer. The overhead of RPQ, as compared to SP, consists of a periodic rearrangement (rotation) of the priority queues. It is shown that queue rotations can be implemented by updating a set of pointers. The efficiency of RPQ can be made arbitrarily close to the highly efficient, yet complex, earliest-deadline-first (EDF) multiplexer. Exact expressions for the worst case delays in an RPQ multiplexer are presented and compared to expressions for an EDF multiplexer.


The periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), the midbrain region made up of neuronal columns encircling the cerebral aqueduct, plays a key role in nociception. As the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) 1 and 2 are activated after noxious stimulation, we analyzed the distribution of ERK-activated neurons in the PAG after visceral noxious stimulation. Ether- and urethane-anesthetized rats received an intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid or were left untreated and were perfused after 2 hr. Serial sections immunoreacted with an antibody selective for the activated ERKs. Significant ERK activation occurred only in the ether-anesthetized noxious stimulated rats. In these rats, we evaluated the number of ERK-activated neurons and their density as the ratio of the number of immunolabeled neurons to the extension of the region where they were located. ERK-activated neurons were more numerous in the lateral (LPAG) and ventrolateral (VLPAG) columns, but without significant differences. No ERK activation was seen in neurons of the most rostral PAG. The ERK-activated neurons were significantly denser at the intermediate level of the PAG. At the caudal level, they were denser in the LPAG and VLPAG columns, and in the DPAG column at the intermediate and rostral level. These findings suggest that noxious stimulation activates ERKs in neurons involved in the different functional activities related to nociception, overlapping in the PAG columns, and strengthens the role of PAG in integration.


Biomass from M. × giganteus has great promise for use within the bioeconomy sectors, but to maximise environmental benefits, crops must produce high yields while minimising energetically costly inputs. Complex interactions between soil conditions, climatic variations, plant maturity and genotype influence yields and nutrient dynamics, which in turn impacts crop sustainability. To investigate the flux of growth and nutrients in response to a changing environment, M. × giganteus was grown in southwest Poland and sampled monthly (June–November) from 2010 to 2012. Measurements examined the interaction between plant growth and leaf development, and nutrient (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) concentrations of rhizomes, stems and leaves. The three growth years studied were markedly different for growth and meteorological conditions. Between 2010 and 2011, above ground biomass yield increased significantly from 16.5 ± 0.4 t ha−1 to 20.1 ± 0.5 t ha−1. The 2012 rhizome weights at the beginning of the growth season were halved due to extreme frost; however, resulting yield was similar (19.9 ± 0.6 5 t ha−1). Final yield from all three years were successfully predicted using MISCANFOR, and modelling indicated crop yield was water-limited. The seasonal flux of N and K from rhizome to stems and leaves then back to the rhizome at the onset of senescence was as expected in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, no such trend was evident especially for N suggesting different macronutrient sources from rhizome and soil improves the resilience of perennial crop yield across a range of diverse growth conditions.


Lanolin has the reputation of being an important contact sensitizer. The market place abounds with products that are labeled "lanolin free". In fact, lanolin is at most a weak contact allergen. The supposed hazards of sensitization to lanolin products are a resultant of faulty science and failure to appreciate the limitations of patch testing. Lanolin allergy is a myth created mainly by overzealous professional patch testers. No one has succeeded in sensitizing animals or humans to lanolin or wool wax alcohols. Most of the case reports are false positives, in association with the angry back syndrome.


This study was designed to investigate the relationships of depressed mood with obesity, blood and urinary compositions, and dietary habits in Koreans at the age of 40, a critical transition to the middle adulthood stage. A total of 27,684 people who have taken the Life Transition Period Health Examination at the Korea Association of Health Promotion in 2011 were divided into two groups; the depressed mood group (DG) and the non-depressed group (NG) according to results of the primary questionnaire for mental health. The results were analyzed using the health examination criteria of the National Health Insurance Corporation. Women and medicaid recipients showed higher incidence of depressed mood than men and health insurance subscribers. People with underweight in BMI or abdominal obesity showed correlation with depressed mood, while there was no significant relationship with metabolic syndrome. Regarding blood and urinary compositions, DG was related to a higher level of hemoglobin and lower levels of HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride, although the relationships diminished after adjustment for other confounder effects. According to dietary habits, more people in DG were categorized as a group for "Needs Much Improvement", and the odds ratio of the depressed mood showed a significant increase. Significant difference regarding the frequency of food items such as milk products, animal proteins, Kimchi, and fruits was observed between DG and NG. In addition, a higher portion of subjects in DG did not consume regular meals and various kinds of food. In conclusion, the depressed mood of 40 year-old adults was significantly related to underweight, higher waist measurement, and undesirable dietary habits. Results of our study can be applicable as a basic resource for development of effective nutrition counseling and education programs for improvement of mental health promotion during the critical transition to the middle adulthood stage.


Although mirrors, photographs and proprioceptive information are widely used for feedback about our
own faces, surprisingly little is known about self-face recognition thresholds (SFT) for facial features
or their spatial relationship (Felisberti, 2009 Perception 38 ECVP Supplement, 80). Here SFT was
investigated using digital photographs of participants' faces. Eyes, nose, mouth or chin areas were
manipulated either individually or simultaneously. In study 1 (N=16), participants had to choose which
of two images (original vs. chimeric) was the original one. In study 2 (N=30), videoclips were created
showing sequences of features increasing and decreasing in area. Participants had to stop the videoclips
when their original self appeared. Results revealed that SFT was not as good as many individuals
expected. SFT was easier when features were made larger (F(1,15)= 44.74, p= 0.001, n2= 0.75) and for
simultaneous changes in eyes, mouth and nose (F(4,60)= 6.10, p= 0.001, n2= 0.29). SFT for eyes (high
contrast region) was usually lower than for mouth, nose and chin. The same pattern of results was found
with videoclips, although SFTs in the latter case were overall lower. Most females were more accurate
in self-face recognition than males. Further research is needed to uncover the reasons underpinning the
strong individual variations in SFTs.


Maintaining modern software requires significant tool support. Effective tools exploit a variety of information and techniques to aid a software maintainer. One area of recent interest in tool development exploits the natural language information found in source code. Such Information Retrieval (IR) based tools compliment traditional static analysis tools and have tackled problems, such as feature location, that otherwise require considerable human effort. To reap the full benefit of IR-based techniques, the language used across all software artifacts (e.g., requirements, design, change requests, tests, and source code) must be consistent. Unfortunately, there is a significant proportion of invented vocabulary in source code. Vocabulary normalization aligns the vocabulary found in the source code with that found in other software artifacts. Most existing work related to normalization has focused on splitting an identifier into its constituent parts. The next step is to expand each part into a (dictionary) word that matches the vocabulary used in other software artifacts. Building on a successful approach to splitting identifiers, an implementation of an expansion algorithm is presented. Experiments on two systems find that up to 66% of identifiers are correctly expanded, which is within about 20% of the current system's best-case performance. Not only is this performance comparable to previous techniques, but the result is achieved in the absence of special purpose rules and not limited to restricted syntactic contexts. Results from these experiments also show the impact that varying levels of documentation (including both internal documentation such as the requirements and design, and external, or user-level, documentation) have on the algorithm's performance.


OKT3, a mouse anti-human CD3 mAb, is a potent immunosuppressive agent used in clinical transplantation to prevent or treat allograft rejection. Associated with this therapy is the systemic release of several cytokines that result in a series of adverse side effects. This release of cytokines is dependent on the cross-linking mediated by OKT3 between T cells and the Fc gamma R-bearing cells. To generate an anti-human CD3 mAb with reduced activating properties as compared with OKT3, we have transferred the complementary determining regions of OKT3 onto human IgG frameworks and then performed point mutations that reduce the affinity of the "humanized" anti-CD3 mAbs for Fc gamma Rs. Initial, in vitro, studies showed that whereas OKT3 and the parental humanized anti-CD3 mAbs activated T cells similarly, a humanized Fc variant failed to do so. Both the Fc variant and the activating anti-CD3 mAbs induced comparable modulation of the TCR and suppression of cytolytic T cell activity, in vitro. In the current study, we exploited an experimental model in which human splenocytes from cadaveric organ donors were inoculated into severe combined immunodeficient mice (hu-SPL-SCID mice) to test the activating and immunosuppressive properties of these anti-human CD3 mAbs in vivo. Unlike injection of OKT3 or of the parental humanized mAb, administration of the Fc variant did not result in T cell activation in vivo, as evidenced by the lack of induction of surface markers of activation, and of systemic human cytokines, including IL-2. Importantly, similar prolongation of human allograft survival was achieved with all anti-CD3 mAbs, indicating that the nonactivating anti-CD3 mAbs retained significant immunosuppressive properties in vivo. Thus, the use of an Fc variant in clinical transplantation should result in fewer side effects than observed with OKT3, while maintaining its clinical efficacy.


BACKGROUND
Targeted therapies directed at specific driver oncogenes have improved outcomes for individuals with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Approximately 5% of lung adenocarcinomas, the most common histologic subtype of NSCLC, harbour rearrangements in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene leading to constitutive activity of the ALK kinase. Crizotinib was the first tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) demonstrated to be effective in advanced NSCLC. Next-generation ALK TKIs have since been developed including ceritinib, alectinib, brigatinib, ensartinib, and lorlatinib, and have been compared with crizotinib or chemotherapy in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). These ALK-targeted therapies are currently used in clinical practice and are endorsed in multiple clinical oncology guidelines.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ALK inhibitors given as monotherapy to treat advanced ALK-rearranged NSCLC.

SEARCH METHODS
We conducted electronic searches in the Cochrane Lung Cancer Group Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, and Embase. We also searched conference proceedings from the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), and International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World Conference on Lung Cancer, as well as the reference lists of retrieved articles. All searches were conducted from 2007 until 7 January 2021.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included RCTs comparing ALK inhibitors with cytotoxic chemotherapy or another ALK inhibitor in individuals with incurable locally advanced or metastatic pathologically confirmed ALK-rearranged NSCLC.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently assessed studies for eligibility, extracted study characteristics and outcome data, and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for each included study. We assessed the certainty of evidence using GRADE. Primary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse events (AE); secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS), OS at one year, overall response rate (ORR) by RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours) criteria, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We performed a meta-analysis for all outcomes, where appropriate, using the fixed-effect model. We reported hazard ratios (HR) for PFS, OS, and a composite HRQoL of life outcome (time to deterioration), and risk ratios (RR) for AE, ORR, and one-year OS. We presented 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) and used the I² statistic to investigate heterogeneity. We planned comparisons of 'ALK inhibitor versus chemotherapy' and 'next-generation ALK inhibitor versus crizotinib' with subgroup analysis by type of ALK inhibitor, line of treatment, and baseline central nervous system involvement.

MAIN RESULTS
Eleven studies (2874 participants) met our inclusion criteria: six studies compared an ALK inhibitor (crizotinib, ceritinib, and alectinib) to chemotherapy, and five studies compared a next-generation ALK inhibitor (alectinib, brigatinib, and lorlatinib) to crizotinib. We assessed the evidence for most outcomes as of moderate to high certainty. Most studies were at low risk for selection, attrition, and reporting bias; however, no RCTs were blinded, resulting in a high risk of performance and detection bias for outcomes reliant on subjective measurement. ALK inhibitor versus chemotherapy Treatment with ALK inhibitors resulted in a large increase in PFS compared to chemotherapy (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.52, 6 RCTs, 1611 participants, high-certainty evidence). This was found regardless of line of treatment. ALK inhibitors may result in no difference in overall AE rate when compared to chemotherapy (RR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.03, 5 RCTs, 1404 participants, low-certainty evidence). ALK inhibitors slightly improved OS (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.97, 6 RCTs, 1611 participants, high-certainty evidence), despite most included studies having a significant number of participants crossing over from chemotherapy to receive an ALK inhibitor after the study period. ALK inhibitors likely increase ORR (RR 2.43, 95% CI 2.16 to 2.75, 6 RCTs, 1611 participants, moderate-certainty evidence) including in measurable baseline brain metastases (RR 4.88, 95% CI 2.18 to 10.95, 3 RCTs, 108 participants) when compared to chemotherapy. ALK inhibitors result in a large increase in the HRQoL measure, time to deterioration (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.60, 5 RCTs, 1504 participants, high-certainty evidence) when compared to chemotherapy. Next-generation ALK inhibitor versus crizotinib Next-generation ALK inhibitors resulted in a large increase in PFS (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.46, 5 RCTs, 1263 participants, high-certainty evidence), particularly in participants with baseline brain metastases. Next-generation ALK inhibitors likely result in no difference in overall AE (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.01, 5 RCTs, 1263 participants, moderate-certainty evidence) when compared to crizotinib. Next-generation ALK inhibitors likely increase OS (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.90, 5 RCTs, 1263 participants, moderate-certainty evidence) and slightly increase ORR (RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.25, 5 RCTs, 1229 participants, moderate-certainty evidence) including a response in measurable brain metastases (RR 2.45, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.54, 4 RCTs, 138 participants) when compared to crizotinib. Studies comparing ALK inhibitors were conducted exclusively or partly in the first-line setting.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Next-generation ALK inhibitors including alectinib, brigatinib, and lorlatinib are the preferred first systemic treatment for individuals with advanced ALK-rearranged NSCLC. Further trials are ongoing including investigation of first-line ensartinib. Next-generation inhibitors have not been compared to each other, and it is unknown which should be used first and what subsequent treatment sequence is optimal.


Four methods of managing the radio spectrum are considered as possible solutions to the problem of a shortage of useful spectrum, which has arisen with the growth of demand due to rapid developments in electronics. The objectives of the solution to this problem and the choice between the methods are analysed by a six-step methodology defined by Sir John Hoskyns. The constraints arising from technical limitations, international obligations and social factors are included in the analysis. The first method is the current method in the UK; it was criticised in the Merriman Report in 1983. The second would be based on cost-benefit analyses, but the conceptual and economic bases are too indefinite for it to be applied. The other two invoke the disciplines of price mechanisms to induce the users to adopt technical and operational improvements to reduce their demands, either in a free market or under a continuing central authority charging rents for spectrum assignments, depending on the amount of spectrum demanded and the strength of competing demands. The renting method is less hampered by the technical and international constraints than a free market. Publication of the rents and the method of calculation are essential features.


The main purpose of this study is to analyze the main challenges and opportunities in the context of the use of innovative technologies in the management of talent in small and medium-sized craft enterprises. The systematization of literary sources and approaches has shown that the complexities of talent management processes in the personnel management system are related to the consequences of socio-economic, demographic and climatic changes in society, the activation of globalization processes, and the rapid development of information technologies. The article analyzes the impact of digitization on the talent management process, as well as identifies the main factors that impede the transition of small and mediumsized enterprises to the use of HR software solutions. The study used methods of bibliometric analysis and predictive analytics and selected the activity of small and medium-sized craft enterprises in Germany. Literature research has shown that in most small and medium-sized craft enterprises, the decision to use innovative technology approaches to the process of talent management in small and medium-sized enterprises is the sole responsibility of the company owner. The results of data analysis using software products play an important role in reducing the risk of making wrong decisions, especially in the talent management process. In the course of the research it is established that the use of information technologies of data processing allows to determine the level of qualification of employees, their psychophysiological parameters, as well as to monitor the dynamics of changes of certain professional characteristics. The main threats and challenges arising from the use of information systems with elements of artificial intelligence of data processing, when managing talents, are highlighted in the work. The results presented in this article may be useful for small and medium-sized business leaders to promote the practice of using innovative technology approaches in the enterprise talent management process.


Using the D-InSAR technology, we have analyzed the Japanese satellite ALOS/ PLASAR data before the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and obtained four zones of ground deformation which cover the Yingxiu town, Maoxian county, Beichuan county, Pingwu and Qingchuan county in Sichuan Province. The result shows that before the Wenchuan event, the deformation field was a symmetric convex-shaped pattern around the fault. Vertical uplift appeared nearby the seismogenic fault, while subsidence took place far on its both sides away from the fault which increased in amplitude with increasing distance from the fault. Around Pingwu, Beichuan, Anxian and Jiangyou, a large area of uplift was present on the both sides of the fault with amplitude 5~10 cm. Nearby the Yingxiu town and the epicenter of the main shock, small scale spot-like swelling of 10~15 cm occurred separately, which coincides with the location of the epicenter as well as the most obvious rupture section. In the areas far away from the fault on both sides, there was dominantly subsidence, which was measured 0~-10 cm around Mianyang and Chengdu City and -5~-10 cm from Songpan to Wenxian, respectively. Our study indicates that along the locked thrust fault, vertical uplift is its primary characteristic before the quake. Although the derived deformation before the Wechchuan event from this work probably contains errors of 5 cm related with DEM and the atmospheric delay in the troposphere, such an abnormal change in the vertical deformation field indeed existed which can serve as a line of evidence for earthquake prediction.


Child participation is considered crucial for the authorities' ability to protect children from violence – yet children's actual participation is limited, and participation and protection rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are often understood as opposites. This article aims to explore children's rights to participation and protection against violence in Swedish social services' handling of violence against children. Child welfare reports, investigations and child social records, were analysed using quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis. Insufficient conditions for child participation and poor access to protection and support were indicated. Upon closer analysis of cases that did not lead to protection or support, different aspects of an overarching theme, The Protection Paradox, were identified, which meant protection against participation or unprotected autonomy.


The Greek War of Independence, being a Greek Text for Beginners. By CHARLES D. CHAMBERS. London: Swan Sonnenschein and Co., 1906. Pp. x+204. 35. An excellent idea, well carried out, in spite of some doubtful points of scholarship. The plan adopted is that of Prof. Sonnenschein's Ora Maritima: a historical story (and one of importance) is retold in simple Greek, the chapters being progressive in difficulty. The vocabulary and phrasing are modelled on Thucydides. Grammar and vocabulary are added.


Annotation graphs (AGs) provide an efficient and expressive data model for linguistic annotations of time–series data [Bird and Liberman, 2001]. The term annotation here refers to the association of structured symbolic information with an extent of signal data. This paper demonstrates that AGs also provide an excellent framework for annotating time–series animal bioacoustic data. The AG model has several desirable properties for annotating animal bioacoustic signals. Partial or incomplete annotations can be represented naturally. Hierarchical structures, such as internal structures of animal communicative signals, can be stored and manipulated effectively. The model permits efficient query using the relational database technology. The spreadsheet‐like editor component described in the paper provides an intuitive user interface for creating annotations of bioacoustic signals, such as monkey vocalizations, as AG data. The paper describes the tool used for annotating the vocalization of vervet monkeys, and the preliminary findings of the project are presented. Finally, the paper lays out a complete infrastructure for supporting the rapid development of annotation tools for animal bioacoustic data [S. Bird and M. Liberman, ''A Formal Framework for Linguistic Annotation,'' Speech Commun. 33, 23–60 (2001)].


In order to maintain the synchronization between the development of total control system of product line and the manufacturing of hardware devices, virtual designs and simulation technologies have been utilized and virtual product line has been built, which was used for developing the total control system that was based on EtherCAT technology and was for distributed processing. First, according to the characteristics and structures of hardware devices, mathematical models were built up. Then, device simulation system and total control system according to the mathematical models of devices have been developed, and also discussions have been made on the synchronous control of product line and the dynamic setup of working procedures in the total control system. Finally, the characteristics of the system have been tested and analyzed in the following two aspects: data acquisition and system response.


I appreciate so much the invitation to contribute to this debate, and before I gently chide my colleagues for what they have been doing for the last few years, I want to offer some words of praise. First, as to Professor Randy Barnett, who was described as the "intellectual godfather" of the health care challenge, (1) he is also the person right now who is making law professors relevant again to the real world. It is a wonderful example that he has set for the legal academy. Second, let me say a word about my dear friend Paul Clement, who was described by Judge Sykes at the outset of this panel as "one of the finest Supreme Court advocates." I actually think he is the finest Supreme Court advocate practicing today. For anyone who did not hear those three days of the health care argument and listen to him, I have not heard a more marvelous set of arguments in my life, and it was quite a spectacular thing to see. The timing of this convention is auspicious. I suspect that I am much happier than most members of the Federalist Society at this particular moment, but I am not here to gloat. (2) I am really here to say that members of the Federalist Society should be happy, particularly if you take seriously the notion that the Federalist Society stands for taking the law back and returning government to the people. From that vantage point, I suggest that the 2012 election will serve those principles well. The reason is not the trite notion that "Obama is better," but goes back to what Professor Barnett noted about the two essential strands in the Federalist Society. (3) One is the strand that he called "judicial conservatism," the tradition of judicial restraint. The other, which he embraces, he labels "constitutional conservatism"--the idea that the third branch of government must robustly enforce constitutional principles, apart from any tradition of deference to the elected branches. (4) When I was in law school, it seemed that the Federalist Society had won the argument by standing for the first principle, the tradition of judicial restraint. That principle deeply influenced my generation of lawyers: Judges are unelected, and if there is doubt as to whether a law is unconstitutional, those judges should defer to political processes. I believed that was what the Federalist Society stood for. It was a deeply held and powerful belief, and it influenced my entire generation of law students and what we wound up doing afterwards. I see today a total breakdown in that basic philosophy, and it is visible even in Professor Barnett's eloquent work. In his books on the Ninth Amendment, (5) which are marvelous (and marvelously wrong), or in his celebration of the Supreme Court's refusal to accept the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act on Commerce Clause grounds--even though that Act regulated seventeen percent of the gross domestic product--one begins to wonder what is left of the tradition of judicial restraint. Indeed, the arguments in Professor Barnett's book are not much different from those sometimes advocated by the last Carmack Waterhouse Professor at Georgetown, Mark Tushnet. There is a deep similarity in the structure of the argument that the constitutional conservatives and many traditional liberals have been making about the role of the judiciary in policing state and federal boundaries. There is a sense that everyone has lost their bearings a little bit. Even the Chief Justice's opinion in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius suffers from these problems. Its first pages begin with the point that Professor Barnett discusses: the idea that there is no precedent for the health care legislation and it is therefore presumptively unconstitutional. (6) Call this doctrine the antinovelty canon. The Chief Justice says, "Sometimes 'the most telling indication of [a] severe constitutional problem ... is the lack of historical precedent' for Congress' action. …


RFID technology is considered as an advanced identification system because it can communicate through wireless communication. However, the unprotected wireless communication channel opens up many possibilities of these tags being tracked by illegal reader which violates data privacy. Past works revealed that RFID tags would be the easy target of attacks related to system security and data privacy. The more advanced RFID technology can embed its applications in hand-held devices such as NFC type of mobile phones and biometric devices. This would again become vulnerable to attacks on its RFID components. Past works on RFID with anonymizers have dealt with lots of issues regarding system integrity and availability. However, the corresponding solutions have focused solely on the RFID tag. In this paper, we propose a trusted anonymizer-based RFID system integrity verification with emphasis on using mutual attestation process to provide system integrity to the whole system including every other component within RFID system.


Background There are few studies on the relationship between the severity of bicycle-related injury in children and characteristics of the built environment. Methods Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 9–1–1 calls completed between 2010–2013 in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for bicycle injury events in children <18 years old were identified. These data containclinical pre-hospital variables and were linked to administrative health outcome data using a deterministic linkage strategy. Events that required hospital admission were considered severe injuries. ArcGIS software was used to identify the EMS injury locations. Virtual environmental audits were done using the Pedestrian Environmental Data Scan (PEDS) with Google Maps. The personal characteristics of the injured bicyclists and the environmental characteristics of the injury locations were examined. Results Among all paediatric EMS calls that were linked to a health care database, 575 involved bicycle injuries. To date, we have completed 157 location audits using the PEDS instrument with Google Maps. Analysis of audits completed to date indicates 83% of the subjects were male. Almost half (45%) of all injuries occurred on road segments with intersections. Two-thirds of injuries occurred at locations with a lack of street crossing aids. Conclusions We have made progress toward profiling the individual and environmental characteristics of bicycle injuries. Next steps involve completing this process for the remaining injury locations. Injuries requiring hospital admission (i.e., severe injuries) will be compared with the ones that did not (i.e., non-severe injuries) for personal (e.g., age, sex) and location (e.g., presence of intersection) variables.


The recent disaster of Fukushima in Japan combined with the high demand to enhance nuclear safety and to minimize personal exposure to radioactive materials has a significant impact on research and development of radiation detection instrumentation. Currently, there is ample effort worldwide in the pursuit of radiation detection to maximize the accuracy and meet international standards in terms of size and specifications to enable radiation protection decision making. Among the requirements is the development of a portable, light-weight gamma-ray isotope identifier to be used by first responders in nuclear accidents as well as for radiation security and identification of illicit material isotopes. From nuclear security perspective, research into advanced screening technologies has become a high priority in all aspects, while for occupational safety, and environmental radiation protection, the regulatory authorities are requiring specific performance of radiation detection and measuring devices. At the applied radiation laboratory of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, UOIT, the development of a high resolution spectrometer for medium and high energy gamma ray has been conducted. The spectrometer used a newly developed scintillator based on a LaBr3(Ce) crystal. The detector has been modeled using advanced Monte Carlo code (MCNP/X code) for the response function simulation and parameter characterization. The simulation results have been validated by experimental investigations using a wide range of gamma radiation energies. The developed spectrometer has been characterized in terms of resolution and response in different fields. It has also been compared with other crystals such as NaI(TI) and LiI(Eu).


Background Poland has experienced one of the most dramatic declines in coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates in recent decades. This decline reflects the use of evidence based treatments and, crucially, population wide changes in diet. Our aim is to explore the potential for further gains in Poland by achieving population wide reductions in smoking, dietary salt and saturated fat intake and physical inactivity levels. Methods A validated and updated policy model was used to forecast potential decreases in CHD deaths by 2020 as consequence of lifestyle and dietary changes in the population. Data from the most recent Polish risk factor survey was used for the baseline estimates (2011). We modelled two different policy scenarios regarding possible future changes in risk factors: A) conservative scenario: reduction of smoking prevalence and physically inactivity rates by 5% between 2011 and 2020, and reduction of dietary consumption of energy from saturated fats by 1% and of salt by 10%. B) ideal scenario: reduction of smoking and physically inactivity prevalence by 15%, and dietary reduction of energy from saturated fats by 3% and of salt by 30%. We also conducted extensive sensitivity analysis using different counterfactual scenarios of future mortality trends. Results Baseline scenarios: by assuming continuing declines in mortality and no future improvements in risk factors the predicted number of CHD deaths in 2020 would be approximately 13,600 (95% CI 9838, 18184) while if mortality rates remain stable, the predicted number of deaths would approximate 22,200 (7792, 26688). Conservative scenario. Assuming continuing declines in mortality, small changes in risk factors could result in approximately 1500 (688, 2490) fewer deaths. This corresponds to an 11% mortality reduction. Under the ideal scenario, our model predicted some 4,600 (2048, 8701) fewer deaths (a 34% mortality reduction). Reduction in smoking prevalence by 5% (conservative scenario) or 15% (ideal scenario) could result in mortality reductions of 4.5% and 13.8% respectively. Decreases in salt intake by 10% or 30% might reduce CHD deaths by 3.0% and 8.6% respectively. Replacing 1% or 3% of dietary saturated fats by poly-unsaturates could reduce CHD deaths by 2.6% or 7.7%. Lowering the prevalence of physically inactive people by 5-15% could decrease CHD deaths by 1.2-3.7%. Conclusion Small and eminently feasible population reductions in lifestyle related risk factors could substantially decrease future number of CHD deaths in Poland, thus consolidating the earlier gains.


The optical properties of composites, formed by filling the high density polyethylene (HDPE) with carbon black (CB), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and fullerene (C60), respectively, in the frequence region from 0.3 to 2.0 terahertz (THz) were characterized with THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). It is found that the optical parameters and the details of their variation with frequence and filler concentration are significantly different for different kinds of carbon materials. The MWNTs filled composites have the biggest absorption coefficient value, refractive index and real conductivity. The C60/HDPE composite shows very little changes in absorption and refractive index compared to that of the HDPE even at a filler-content of 12.3% in volume fraction. These phenomena are related to the special properties of the fillers as well as their particulate structures, such as aspect ratio, particle size, and aggregate structure, etc. The results are analyzed by using Cole-Cole theory of dipole relaxation under the assumption that carbon particles dispersed in the matrix behave like dipoles.


During World War II, many women in Japanese colonies, mostly young and unmarried, were reportedly abducted, drafted, lured, recruited for sexual slavery, and forced into prostitution corps. The Japanese military sexual slavery not only devastated enslaved women's life but also significantly changed general women's behaviors in the colonies. A widespread fear of being drafted for sexual slavery stimulated early marriage, which they believed would reduce the risk of being drafted for sexual slavery considerably. An analysis of the 1975 Korea Census data reveals that the threat of sexual slavery reduced Korean women's average age at first marriage by about 1.11 years in the late colonial period. Using the colonial threat as an instrument for age at first marriage, a causal effect of the age at first marriage on women's childbirth and schooling can be estimated. Indeed, the resurgence of early marriage raised a woman's average lifetime childbirths by 0.31 and reduced her average years of schooling by 0.29.


Nationalist superheroes-such as Captain America, Captain Canuck, and Union Jack-often signify the "nation-state" for readers, but how do these characters and comic books address issues of multiculturalism and geopolitical order? In his engaging book Captain America and the Nationalist Superhero, geographer Jason Dittmer traces the evolution of the comic book genre as it adapted to new national audiences. He argues that these iconic superheroes contribute to our contemporary understandings of national identity, the righteous use of power, and the role of the United States, Canada, and Britain in the world. Tracing the nationalist superhero genre from its World War II origins to contemporary manifestations throughout the world, Captain America and the Nationalist Superhero analyzes nearly one thousand comic books and audience responses to those books. Dittmer also interviews key comic book writers from Stan Lee and J. M. DeMatteis to Steve Englehart and Paul Cornell. At a time when popular culture is saturated with superheroes and their exploits, Captain America and the Nationalist Superhero highlights the unique relationship between popular culture and international relations. Copyright © 2013 by Temple University. All rights reserved.


The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of GDP per hour worked, total hours worked and labor force on GDP growth in advanced countries. The broad objective of the paper is to find out the relationship among variables. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate has been selected as dependent variable and GDP per hour worked, total hours worked and labor force is independent variables. We have collected our data for the period of 1870-2006. We used EViews 9 for data analysis. Different statistical tests were performed to fulfill the objectives of the paper. We used Augmented Dickey Fuller Test for testing unit root. For testing cointegration Johansen Test for Co-Integration has been used. We also used Error Correction Model (ECM), QUSUM and QUSUM square test for testing stability of the model. Paper shows that there has relationship between variables. GDP hour worked total hours worked are negatively correlated with GDP growth rate. Labor force is positively correlated with GDP growth rate.


Abstract Federal arrangements have been considered by some thinkers as a panacea for containing ethnic nationalism in the ethnically defined regions. This article challenges this view by arguing that federal institutions may enable ethnic nationalists in the ethnically defined regions to consolidate their power through the guarantees that they receive from the federal centre. Although the post-Soviet Russian leadership under Boris Yeltsin sought to use federalism as a tool for containing ethnic nationalism, Russia's this experiment with federalism demonstrates that federalism may serve not to contain but to strengthen ethnic nationalism. Disillusioned with Yeltsin's failed use of federalism in containing ethnic nationalism, the overwhelming majority of the Russian people supported Vladimir Putin's anti-federalist reforms since 2000 which made federalism redundant in Russia. While undermining the basis for Western style democracy in Russia, Putin's centralism proved to be more effective than Yeltsin's federalism in containing ethnic nationalism.


Airway management and intubation skills are essential for in-hospital as well as out-of-hospital health care. However, these skills are difficult to learn and maintain. We tested the hypothesis that novice endoscopists (medical students) could rapidly learn intubation skills, and achieve success in routine as well as difficult intubations using an indirect video laryngoscope. Following the success of the students, we believe that indirect laryngoscopy could become a valuable technique in disaster medicine and personnel hampered by chem.-bio suits.


The nutritious stems and leaves of broccoli often go to landfills as byproducts after harvesting and processing of the florets. The stems and leaves contain specific carotenoids that are noted to have anti-allergic, anti-cancer and anti-obesity bioactivity. Research has shown the stems and leaves could be made into a meal, small amounts of which could be added to poultry diets to increase the nutrients in eggs and also deepen the color of the yolks. We studied adding a relatively high percentage (15%) of broccoli stem and leaves meal to the corn-soy diets of White Leghorn inbred crosses. Compared to the control group of hens, fed the unenhanced corn-soy diet, feed consumption, body weight, feed conversion, egg production, egg weight, albumen height, Haugh units and eggshell thickness were statistically similar. No harmful effects of the glucosinolates in broccoli were observed. Yolk color scores were significantly higher with the addition of the meal. The results justify larger studies with various commercial lines of laying hens and various levels of meal added to the diets.


In the Dutch armed forces clothing sizes are determined using 3D body scans. To evaluate if the predicted size based on the scan analysis matches the best fit, 35 male soldiers fitted a combat jacket and combat pants. It was shown that the predicted jacket size was slightly too large. Therefore, an adjustment was proposed. The predicted and preferred pant size matched rather well. We further investigated discrepancies between predicted and preferred sizes using virtual fitting analysis. Colour maps showing the difference between garment and body circumference illustrated that some soldiers selected a garment size that was obviously too small or too large. In order to minimize the effect of personal preference and maximize standardize ease, we recommend to maintain the current size prediction (with minor corrections for jackets) and use virtual fitting selectively as a control measure.


This study aimed to explore the effect of genre analysis activities in promoting writing competence of the "Results & Discussion" Section (RD) in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) thesis-writing class. At class, a series of genre-based activities were carried out to help students understand and analyze the move/step structure of RD of SSCI journal articles. Students' academic research articles were collected at the beginning and end of the semester, namely marked as the first versions and the second versions, which were analyzed in two separate corpora. In addition, questionnaires and interviews were conducted to investigate students' attitudes towards genre analysis activities. Research findings suggested that genre analysis helped enhance students' writing competence of RD in their thesis writing. This study also contributed to providing guidance for academic writing teaching in postgraduate education.


Attaining good performance on graph analytics applications on modern day many-core processors is challenging, because these processors have complex pipelines to manage out of order execution of hundreds of instructions in flight. These pipelines have been optimized for high performance computing (HPC) applications, not for graph analytics. It is preferable to leave the task of attaining good performance to the system developers, and to separate the performance concern from the application programmer's concerns. In this paper, we show that the linear algebra formulation of graph-analytics effectively handles the aforementioned separation of concerns. This formulation is a better fit for many-core processors as the many-core processors are optimized for HPC applications which have a substantial linear algebra component. We show that on POWER8, a many-core processor, an eightfold performance advantage can be attained on the Graph500 benchmark by adopting the linear algebra formulation. We also present the CPI stack analysis of three graph analytics kernels, and show that the linear algebra implementations of these kernels make efficient use of the POWER8 core. Inhibitors to still better performance are discussed.


A rapid increase in oil palm plantations has been evident in the low country wet zone of Sri Lanka as it is an economically profitable crop. Nevertheless, oil palm receives an immense resistance by the public claiming diminution of the water table and biodiversity wealth. Rubber plantations, which are often replaced by oil palm are claimed to be more environmentally friendly than oil palm plantations. The current study was designed to reveal the faunal wealth of selected oil palm plantations (OPP) and rubber plantations (RP) with reference to microclimatic conditions. It was hypothesized that there is no difference in faunal wealth of OPP and RP as measured by species richness, abundance and diversity indices. Three OPP and two RP in Agalawatta (N 6o 32' 50" E 80o 14' 01"-N 6o 32' 50" E 80o13' 55") were selected for the study. Species richness and abundance of selected faunal groups were determined with reference to environmental factors (ambient temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture, litter depth, light intensity and canopy cover) from March to September 2018. Species richness and abundance of invertebrates (butterflies and dragonflies) and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) were studied using line transects, circular plot counts, visual encounter survey technique, quadrate cleaning technique, live trapping and hair tube sampling. Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H) was determined for different faunal groups inhabiting OPP and RP. Soil moisture content in OPP was significantly higher than that of RP (t-test p<0.05) while litter depth was significantly higher in RP (p<0.05). Ambient temperature, relative humidity, light intensity and canopy cover did not differ significantly between the two plantations. Species richness of fauna of OPP and RP were 54 (Endemic 16) and 30 (Endemic 5) respectively. Vertebrate diversity did not differ significantly between OPP (H=2.68) and RP (H=2.53), however, invertebrate diversity of OPP (H=2.26) was significantly higher than that of RP (H=0.95) (t-test p<0.05). Diversity of birds and reptiles were higher in RP than OPP while diversity of amphibians and small mammals were higher in OPP. Rare point endemic bush frog Polypedates ranwellai was found in oil palm plantations, which is considered as a range extension. This preliminary study revealed that overall faunal wealth of oil palm plantations is slightly higher than that of rubber plantations and this could be attributed to the availability of microhabitats. Keywords: Oil palm cultivations, Biological diversity, Microclimatic parameters, Herpetofauna


BACKGROUND: Estrogen metabolites, sex-steroid hormones, and breast density are associated with breast carcinogenesis. OBJECTIVE: Complete a systematic study of the contribution of two biological measures (breast density and hormone metabolism) to an endocrine-based model of breast cancer risk.METHODS: The study groups included breast cancer-free participants (N=282) in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF), and participants in the Mammogram and Masses Study (MAMS), inclusive of 176 cases (55 pre-menopausal, 121 post-menopausal) and 380 controls (124 pre-menopausal, 256 postmenopausal). Sex-steroid hormones, percent breast density, serum concentrations of 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OH) and 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone (16alfa-OH), and breast cancer risk factors were evaluated to determine associations.RESULTS: In SOF,16alfa-OH was positively associated with body mass index (BMI) (r=0.162); however, this association was not significant in multivariate analyses that controlled for the serum sex-steroid hormone concentrations (total estradiol, total testosterone, SHBG). Women who reported a surgical menopause were significantly more likely to have higher levels of 16alfa-OH (OR=(tertile 3 vs tertile 1) 7.37, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 2.20-24.70), but there was no type of menopause difference with respect to 2-OH tertile. In all MAMS control subjects (N=380), breast density correlated weakly with log-transformed serum concentrations of 16alfa-OH (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.10, p-value < 0.1). Stratification according to menopausal status substantially reduced or eliminated associations between breast density and the estrogen metabolite concentrations. Logistic regression analyses showed a 3-4 fold increased risk of breast cancer among pre-menopausal women in the highest tertile of breast density compared with those in the lowest tertile of density, even with adjustment for the estrogen metabolites. A statistically non-significant 1.5-fold increased risk of breast cancer in high vs. low tertile of density was observed among post-menopausal women taking hormone therapy (HT) after adjusting for estrogen metabolites, BMI, and age. Breast density did not appear to substantially increase breast cancer risk among post-menopausal women not taking HT. CONCLUSION: In SOF, results did not show consistent associations between risk factors and estrogen metabolites except for a positive association between BMI and 16alfa-OH and surgical menopause and 16alfa-OH. With respect to MAMS, menopausal status may influence substrate estrogen hormone levels primarily, and, estrogen hormone levels may influence breast density secondarily, through pathways not involving the estrogen metabolites. The breast density-breast cancer association remains significant even with adjustment for the estrogen metabolites, at least in pre-menopausal women, suggesting that breast density may relate to breast cancer risk through pathways not involving estrogen metabolism.PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE: Understanding factors that affect breast density and their underlying mechanism is an important public health issue. Such an understanding will help us improve breast cancer screening and may help us identify women who are at an increased risk of breast cancer and for whom prevention strategies may be useful.


Although much has been written about digital protection technologies, the greatest vulnerability in any system is invariably the person behind the keyboard. In our one-semester course at the US Military Academy in New York, we educate roughly 800 undergraduates from nontechnical fields each year on intermediate-level IT skills. We place our students in an isolated virtual-computing environment, give them hands-on experience with a variety of attack vectors that hackers use to exploit vulnerabilities, and provide them with a multidimensional framework for understanding and mitigating risks. As a result of this educational experience, our students are better able to internalize the concepts we teach and end up with an increased realization of the actions required to protect crucial resources. To achieve our goal of reducing the potential vulnerabilities nontechnical users introduce, we've integrated three major components into our course: 1) a broad overview of key IT topics; 2) lessons directly targeting information assurance (IA); and 3) a recurring thread of ethical and security considerations that's explicitly injected into lessons throughout the semester


CC chemokines are important mediators of immune responses, orchestrating the differential recruitment of various leukocyte populations. Despite the large number of known CC chemokines in other species, no cDNA encoding ovine CC chemokines have been isolated. A homology cloning strategy was utilised to isolate the cDNA of ovine CC chemokines. Full-length monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1alpha and -2 cDNA have been isolated. The predicted ovine MCP-1alpha amino acid sequence shares 87 and 75% identity with bovine MCP-1alpha and porcine MCP-1, respectively. The predicted ovine MCP-2 amino acid sequence shares 92 and 85% identity with bovine and porcine MCP-2, respectively. Northern blot analysis of MCP-1alpha revealed that it is strongly expressed in cells isolated from mammary lavage fluid (MAL) of ewes given intramammary infusions of Haemonchus contortus. Weak signals were detected in mammary and abomasal tissue. Southern blot analysis of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) products indicates that MCP-1alpha mRNA levels increase in abomasum after challenge with H. contortus. MCP-1alpha mRNA levels were also increased in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells and lung tissue after house dust mite extract (HDME) challenge. Similarly, MCP-2 mRNA was detected by Northern blot analysis at high levels in MAL cells after H. contortus intramammary infusion, and increased in BAL cells and lung tissue in HDME-challenged sheep. MCP-2 mRNA was not detected by Northern blots in whole mammary or abomasal tissue, but Southern blot analysis of RT-PCR products also indicates that MCP-2 mRNA increases in abomasal tissue after challenge with H. contortus. Hence, two ovine CC chemokine mRNA have been isolated that are up-regulated in response to parasite infection and allergen challenge. Ultimately the isolation of these and other ovine CC chemokines will help elucidate a wide variety of immune responses in sheep.


Moss et al. (2005) describe, in a recent paper, a filter that they use to detect lines. We noticed that the wavelet on which this filter is based is a difference of uniform filters. This filter is an approximation to the second‐derivative operator, which is commonly implemented as the Laplace of Gaussian (or Marr–Hildreth) operator. We have compared Moss' filter with (1) the Laplace of Gaussian operator, (2) an approximation of the Laplace of Gaussian using uniform filters and (3) a few common noise reduction filters. The Laplace‐like operators detect lines by suppressing image features both larger and smaller than the filter size. The noise reduction filters only suppress image features smaller than the filter size. By estimating the signal‐to‐noise ratio and mean square difference of the filtered results, we found that the filter proposed by Moss et al. does not outperform the Laplace of Gaussian operator. We also found that for images with extreme noise content, line detection filters perform better than the noise reduction filters when trying to enhance line structures. In less extreme cases of noise, the standard noise reduction filters perform significantly better than both the Laplace of Gaussian and Moss' filter.


The Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011 is a law of general application. Section 45 of the Act empowers a SARS official to enter, without a warrant, premises where a trade or enterprise is reasonably believed to be carried on in order to conduct an inspection aimed at gathering information that will aide SARS in determining whether the business operator is compliant with tax obligations. In a constitutional democracy, the enjoyment of fundamental rights has a high premium. Accordingly, every lawful exercise of the power conferred by s 45 must take place in an orderly fashion, with decency and respect for taxpayers and their privacy. The state may not unduly interfere with this right, whether by withdrawing it altogether, abridging it, or diminishing its scope and ambit. This article hypothesises that inspections undertaken in terms of s 45 limit taxpayers' privacy in a manner that may not pass muster under s 36(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. On this basis, it is argued that, to cure its deficiencies, s 45 ought to be amended by the introduction of the provisions proposed in this article.


Changes in immune activity are widely reported in individuals with psychotic disorders. These findings, in conjunction with epidemiological data and recent research demonstrating the influence of the immune system in modulating brain activity and behavior, suggest that these alterations may be related to symptom development and exacerbation. Peripheral immune cells, particularly monocytes and macrophages, are proposed to contribute to increased levels of inflammation in psychosis. While activation of the JAK-STAT1 pathway by IFN-γ is understood to induce the myeloid cell proinflammatory phenotype, there a scarcity of data on this pathway and its relation to clinical measures in the psychosis literature. Measurement of a JAK-STAT1 transcriptional signature (IFNG, CXCL10, IRF1, STAT1 and TLR4) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from participants with psychosis (n=89) and non-psychiatric controls (n=44) revealed suppressed JAK-STAT1 activity earlier in illness and with increased illness acuity. This decrease did not appear to be related to antipsychotic treatment, and further analyses in participants treated with risperidone monotherapy as well as monocyte and macrophage cell culture experiments indicated a potentiating effect of risperidone on the JAK-STAT1 transcriptional signature, potentially contributing to the increase, or normalization, of the signature in participants with a longer illness duration. To further characterize the monocyte phenotype in relation to illness duration, monocytes were isolated from an independent sample of participants with psychosis (n=14) and controls (n=14) followed by RNA sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis. Participants with a shorter illness duration once again had decreased enrichment of the IFN-γ mediated JAK-STAT1 signature (IFN-γ signature). Interestingly, there was a corresponding increased enrichment of transcriptional signatures related to anti-inflammatory and tissue remodeling phenotypes (including the IL-4 signature), but also of another canonical proinflammatory signature (LPS acute signature). Conversely, in participants with a longer illness duration the was enrichment exclusively of interferon response genes (both IFN-γ and IFN-α signatures). These findings highlight the complexity of immune alterations in psychosis across the course of the illness, demonstrating the need to isolate specific cell types and consider illness context as research continues to uncover the role of circulating immune cells in mediating central nervous system function in health and disease.


Current legal frameworks for data protection have a number of flaws. The notion of informed consent does not work in practice. Leg- islation only covers personal data, but it doesnt cover data about groups and it doesn't cover conditions on usage of data for certain purposes. Supervision is largely based on self-regulation. Regulatory agencies have little capacity. On the other hand, we observe that many business models are based on data about users. Users pay with their data. Access to data should therefore be seen as a counteroffer in a contract. In this paper we will therefore suggest a different approach to data protection, based on the idea of accountability. In this short paper, we propose a dialogue framework to facilitate such accountability, in the application domain of data protection. The idea is to empower users to negotiate better terms and conditions in their contracts, monitor compliance, and chal- lenge the organization in case of breaches of contract. That means that in addition to the current legal framework for data protection, which is generally based on public law, we suggest to make more use of private law as the legal framework of preference. To enable accountability over data protection, we foresee two kinds of functionality. Tools that may help users negotiate sensible contracts that take data protection aspects into account. An infrastructure that monitors actual usage of data, detects possible breaches of contract and allows users to challenge the organi- zation. In addition, we discuss the necessary elements of a governance structure to enable effective enforcement.


The present study was conducted to investigate the prognosis and survival of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer who underwent distal subtotal gastrectomy with modified D2 (D1+) and D2 lymphadenectomy, under 70 years of age. The five-year overall survival rates of 390 patients were compared between those receiving D1+ and D2 lymphadenectomy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors that correlated with prognosis and lymph node metastasis. Tumor size (P=0.039), pT stage (P=0.011), pN stage (P<0.001), and lymphadenectomy (P=0.004) were identified as independent prognostic factors. Furthermore, tumor size (P=0.022), pT stage (P=0.012), and lymphadenectomy (P=0.028) were proven as independent factors predicting lymph node metastasis. In conclusion, cancers of larger size, higher pT stage, and with D1+ lymphadenectomy had a higher risk of lymph node metastasis. Standard D2 lymphadenectomy removes sufficient lymph nodes to improve staging accuracy and survival. Therefore, D2 lymphanectomy is recommended in distal subtotal gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer, especially for cancers of larger size and higher pT stage.


In 2011 van Dijk and Fias with an innovative working memory paradigm showed for the first time that words to-beremembered, presented sequentially at the center of a screen acquired a new spatial dimension: the first words of the sequence acquired a left spatial value while the last words acquired a right spatial value. In this article, we argue that this spatialization which putatively underpins how order is coded in immediate memory 1 allows bridging the domain of memory expertise with classic immediate memory studies. After briefly reviewing the mechanisms for coding order in immediate memory and the recent studies pointing toward spatialization as an explanatory mechanism, we will pinpoint similar mechanisms that are known to exist in memory expertise, particularly in the method of loci. We will terminate by analyzing what these similarities can tell us about expertise.


This paper focuses on the analysis of dynamic characteristics of structural systems, maximum response of acceleration and maximum inter-story displacement angle etc. so as to study the seismic performance, yielding mechanism and seismic resistance capacity of the structure under the circumstance of constructional measures of seismic intensity VII through an earthquake shake table test on a model of a six-story reinforced masonry structure with small-sized concrete hollow blocks. In view of the whole test process, the integral deformation of the reinforced masonry structural model under the influence of seismic vibration is predominantly bending deformation. While inputting different earthquake intensity, the transverse peak average of maximum input acceleration that can be sustained by the structure is lower than that of the vertical peak average. Meanwhile, transverse deformation is more severe than vertical deformation, indicating that vertical seismic resistance capacity is stronger than transverse seismic capacity. The test result shows that the effect of the constraint system consisted of ring beam, constructional column as well as horizontal tie reinforcement is quite obvious, the structure possesses comparatively strong resistance of failure under the influence of moderate and strong earthquakes, which can completely meet the requirement specified in the Seismic Codes, that is, standing erectly when it is subjected to great earthquakes in the area of seismic intensity VII. When the structure is subjected to rare earthquakes, it also possesses considerable seismic resistance capacity.


Most of the 50 largest organizations in Finland have undertaken business process re‐engineering (BPR) projects during the last five years. This study concentrated on business process re‐engineering projects in 21 large Finnish organizations. Of the 21 organizations interviewed, six represent manufacturing industry, seven large public institutions or enterprises, and eight belong to the trade and services sector. The objectives of the study were to shed light on BPR projects in large Finnish organizations in terms of their scope, focus and adopted change management practices. Respectively, a threefold conceptual framework was developed for the study. The findings of the study show that the firms in the trade and services sector have undertaken very comprehensive BPR initiatives. BPR projects in the public sector have been slightly more limited. Manufacturing companies seemed to have the most limited approach to BPR. In change management, all studied organizations identified questions related to change navigation as the most important problem area in the actual management of the BPR projects. On the other hand, management involvement was clearly perceived as the area where the organizations' capabilities were the strongest. As to the preconditions for a successful BPR project, four major conclusions can be drawn on the basis of the study. First, the broader the projects are in terms of scope and focus, the better the overall results. Second, strong management involvement is a basic requirement for a BPR project to succeed. Third, change navigation is the most critical area of concern, clearly differentiating successful BPR projects from the less successful ones. It is also the area where organizations encounter the greatest problems in BPR project implementation. Fourth, personnel involvement, as well as training and development projects, play a supportive role in BPR and are usually handled quite well in the organizations.


This qualitative exploration was designed to examine strategy-based reading instruction using science expository text in grades 2-5. This study centered on case studies of six elementary teachers and how they used reading strategies during science instruction. Findings revealed that although the teachers' use of expository text was limited, teachers utilized particular reading strategies that extended and elaborated the students' oral discussions during science instruction. The classroom conversations about science topics extended the students' background knowledge of the science concepts that related to science expository text materials in grades 2-5. Further research could include alignment of reading strategy instruction with science instruction using print materials that are matched with the students' instructional reading levels.


Objectives To estimate the risk of surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) in relation to occupational exposures, lifestyle factors and diabetes mellitus. Methods We conducted a case–control study nested in a register-based cohort study of the Danish working population. For each of 3000 first-time cases of surgery for SIS, two age-matched and sex-matched controls were drawn. Cases and controls received a questionnaire on job history and other factors. Job histories were combined with a psychosocial job exposure matrix (JEM) and the updated Shoulder JEM, which provided exposure intensities on measurement scales. Ten-year cumulative exposures to upper arm elevation >90°, repetitive shoulder movements, forceful shoulder exertions and hand–arm vibrations (HAVs) were estimated. We used conditional logistic regression. Results There were 5396 persons (60%) who answered the questionnaire. For occupational mechanical exposures, the adjusted OR (ORadj) ranged from 1.9 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.5 for HAVs) to 2.5 (95% CI 1.9 to 3.5 for force) among men and 1.7 (95% CI 1.2 to 2.5 for HAVs) to 2.0 (95% CI 1.3 to 2.9 for force) among women. No statistically significant associations were found for occupational psychosocial factors. Body mass index (BMI) and pack-years of smoking showed ORadj up to 2.0. Diabetes mellitus showed ORadj of 1.5 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.2) for men and 2.2 (95% CI 1.4 to 3.4) for women. Conclusions Our findings add to the evidence of an increased risk of surgery for SIS in relation to occupational cumulative mechanical exposures, even when an increased risk in relation to BMI, smoking and diabetes mellitus is taken into account.


As various researchers have discovered, the hard way, it is not easy to impose static type systems into dynamically typed languages, especially to those for which a significant amount of code already exists. Still, using types for documenting programmer intentions and for catching some programming errors early is widely recognized as important. This summer marked the fifteen year anniversary of the publication of the "Success Typings" paper [Lindahl and Sagonas, 2006], which described the basic idea and first version of the type inference algorithm that Dialyzer defect detection tool is based on. The optimistic, 'never-wrong for defect detection', approach to type inference that success typings advocate has been key in Dialyzer's successful adoption not only by Erlang programmers but also more recently by the Elixir community. At various points during the same time period, other approaches to typing Erlang and Elixir code have not managed to gain similar levels of adoption. In this invited talk, I will present the history behind success typings, their use and evolution within Dialyzer, and some reflections on what in my opinion were the key ingredients for Dialyzer's success within the communities of Erlang and Elixir programmers. I will also share some thoughts on what could have done better and/or differently, and where to go from here.


Introduction Road traffic injury (RTI) was the second leading cause of injury mortality and fourth leading of injury morbidity in Bangladesh. For both mortality and morbidity most the vulnerable age group was 5–9 years. Objectives To gain an in-depth understanding of people's perception of causes and their concepts of prevention of childhood RTIs in rural Bangladesh. Method Focus Group Discussions were conducted with seven groups: mothers and fathers of children aged 5–12 years; adolescents; students and non-school going children aged 6–12 years, teachers and local leaders. Out of 79 participants 40 were female. The study was conducted in Raiganj rural community in Bangladesh. Results Most respondents considered that children, aged 5–10 years are at risk of road traffic injuries in rural community, with school going boys being particularly vulnerable. Most of the RTIs were reported to occur on school journey particularly returning home. Key sources of risk identified by participants included: risk taking behaviour, poor supervision, lack of road skills, untrained drivers, unauthorised vehicles, and poorly implemented traffic law. Preventive interventions suggested included supervision, training in road skills, law enforcement by government, increase awareness in the community, and improvement of the road infrastructure. Conclusions Community people could identify the causes of childhood RTIs and suggest ways of preventing them; but knowledge is not translated into preventative actions. Appropriate community based intervention programmes need to be multi-facet and include practical road safety education for children.


We did not find any study, besides a few event studies, in the environmental literature that has estimated the effect of the regulatory cost on the financial value of individual firms in the United States. Cost-benefit methodology does not deal with the impact on the stock value of a firm. To fill this gap, time series models are used to establish a functional relationship between stock price and prices of the SO2 allowance, coal, natural gas and electricity. Stock prices and the SO2 price are found to be non-stationary. For most of the firms, using the generalized conditional heteroscedasticity model we find that the exogenous variables (natural gas, coal and electricity prices) are largely insignificant in affecting the stock prices of firms. Hence, we dropped these variables from the functional specification for the relationship between the stock price and the SO2 allowance price. We find that the regulatory cost represented by the SO2 price is neutral in affecting the stock price of electric generation firms. We speculate or theorize that the public is indirectly paying for the environmental protection cost, otherwise SO2 price would have dampened the stock prices of firms. Mathematics Subject


: The effect of bath application of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (HT) was studied in the isolated perfused dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of 30-36 days old rats by means of intracellular technique. 92% of investigated cells responded to the application of DA and 87%--to HT. DA and HT evoked depolarization in most of cells (64.6 and 73.7% of cells, respectively). Responses were dose-dependent and reversible. Depolarization caused by the DA and HT application was accompanied by a decrease in the input resistance (Rm) and alteration of the action potential shape. Hyperpolarization was followed by an increase of Rm. It was demonstrated that both DA and HT influenced predominantly DRG neurons with membrane biophysical characteristics inherent in small cells. Possibility of modulation of the afferent impulsation on the level of the primary sensory neurons is supposed.


Cold-flow spray researchers have an array of diagnostic tools to extract meaningful information on spray characteristics. The efficacy of many of these tools, however, depends heavily on calibration, alignment, and human operation. This can lead to large discrepancies in data values for seemingly identical setups between workers. The application of experimental data to numerical models is thereby hindered due to inconsistencies in results caused by experimental error. Previously, an attempt was made to produce a "standard spray" through the use of a research simplex atomizer (RSA). As manufacturing processes and diagnostic tools have improved, the research simplex atomizer is being revisited.
 Here, a new research simplex atomizer has been investigated. Fundamental datasets captured from detailed test conditions are presented to provide benchmark data with the intention of other workers testing the reproducibility of the results. Preliminary findings between laboratories show good agreement in droplet size measurements.
 Further, emphasis is placed on the sensitivity of laser diagnostics used and the effect their operation can incur. To satisfy the requirements of a measurement standard, it is paramount that all workers adhere to similar diagnostic configurations and detail their operating parameters.


Single-photon detection with high efficiency, high time resolution, low dark counts, and high photon detection rates is crucial for a wide range of optical measurements. Although efficient detectors have been reported before, combining all performance parameters in a single device remains a challenge. Here, we show a broadband NbTiN superconducting nanowire detector with an efficiency exceeding 92%, over 150 MHz photon detection rate, and a dark count rate below 130 Hz operated in a Gifford-McMahon cryostat. Furthermore, with careful optimization of the detector design and readout electronics, we reach an ultra-low system timing jitter of 14.80 ps (13.95 ps decoupled) while maintaining high detection efficiencies (>75%).


Reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly alter cell function. We examined the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) on isolated intestinal muscle cells. We assessed cell viability with the exclusion dye trypan blue and assayed the effects of H2O2 and X/XO on the intracellular redox state with the fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein. Intracellular calcium concentration was measured in cells loaded with fura 2-acetoxymethyl ester, and we recorded whole membrane currents with conventional patch-clamp methods. Cells remained viable after a 5-min exposure to H2O2 and X/XO. H2O2 and X/XO led to a significant rise of the intracellular concentration of ROS. H2O2 (270 microM to 2.7 mM) as well as X/XO (0.25-16 mU; 0.5 mM xanthine) significantly increased intracellular calcium concentrations. Depletion of intracellular calcium with ryanodine or thapsigargin did not abolish the effect of ROS on the intracellular calcium concentration. In the absence of external calcium or in the presence of the calcium channel blocker nifedipine, H2O2 and X/XO still increased the intracellular calcium level. Thus calcium influx and calcium release from internal stores contributed to this rise in cytosolic calcium. Catalase and superoxide dismutase blunted or completely abolished the changes in calcium concentration elicited by H2O2 and X/XO. Exposure to ROS resulted in a rapid decline of the membrane resistance without significant changes in voltage-sensitive ion currents. We conclude that ROS disrupt the calcium homeostasis of cells at concentrations that do not lead to immediate cell death. The resulting elevation in cytosolic free calcium will activate a variety of biochemical reactions and may thus contribute to the cytotoxicity of reactive oxygen molecules.


This research presents a design of "architecture and protocols" for the LAN security preventing the process of MAC Address spoofing, ARP Spoof and MITM. Each Network Card is designed to have a Certificate, a Private Key and a Public Key, all of which are issued by the product vendor. A certificate is in a form of software-data which may be available in the Card Network package, or can be downloaded from a vendor websites. A Certificate will certify MAC Address value. DHCP is re-designed to authenticate Network Cards before delivering IP Addresses. DHCP Server also assigned to be the "MAC-IP database center" which stores the data about matching between MAC Address and IP Address. When any Hosts want to request MAC Address value, (for interested IP Addresses) they must send "DHCP Request-MAC" to DHCP Server instead. Moreover, the designed system will not use ARP Protocol because the new DHCP (which co-works with Certificates) will cover all functions.


This study evaluated the effects ofacute-intense exercise on visual and auditory reaction time.
Materials and Methods: Study included 40 males in the age group of 18- 22 years. Participant's blood pressure and resting heart rate was measured using the sphygmomanometer and Pulse Ox (heart rate monitor), respectfully. Pulse Ox was placed on non-dominant index finger of the participant.
PC 1000 reaction timer was used for the measurement of VRT for red, blue & green light & ART. After the baseline measurements, subject started to exercise on the stationary bike till heart rate was doubled and subject maintained exercise for 5 more minutes. Immediately after the exercise, post exercise heart rate & post exercise blood pressure were measured, & VRT for all 3 colours& ART were retested.
Results were analysed statistically using Wilcox paired't' test comparing pre & post exercise measurements.
Results: The mean values of VRT for red, blue & green & ART was faster after exercise when compared to before exercise values & the difference was statistically significant. There was significant increase in heart rate & systolic BP & decrease in diastolic blood pressure after exercise compared to baseline values.
Conclusion: Results of the study can be associated to many people in improving their health in everyday life especially athletes & senior citizens.

Keywords: Visual reaction time, Auditory reaction time, Heart rate, Blood pressure.


We present state-to-state differential cross sections (DCSs) for rotationally inelastic scattering of HDO by normal- and para-H(2) at collision energies of 580 cm(-1) and 440 cm(-1). (2+1) resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization is used to detect rotationally cold HDO molecules before collision and as scattering products, which occupy higher rotational states due to collision with H(2). Relative integral cross sections of HDO are obtained by integrating its DCSs measured at the same experimental conditions. Experimental and theoretical DCSs of HDO scattered by normal- and para-H(2) are in good agreement in 30°-180° range of scattering angles. This partial agreement shows the accuracy of the recently tested potential of H(2)O-H(2), but now by using a completely different set of rotational transitions that are (unlike in H(2)O), not forbidden by nuclear spin restrictions. Similar results are presented for D(2)O scattered by normal-H(2) at collision energy of 584 cm(-1). The agreement between experiment and theory is, however, less good for forward scattering of HDO/D(2)O. A critical analysis of this discrepancy is presented.


Previous research has indicated that bottlenose dolphins alternate activity levels between hemispheres while at rest. This rest strategy allows dolphins to maintain continuous vigilance of their external environment. Dolphins in the care of humans exhibit different behaviors while presumably at rest, including floating at the surface, lying at the bottom, and swimming at very slow speeds in stereotyped patterns. Dolphin mothers in the care of humans have been reported to "not rest" and swim continuously for extended periods of time (weeks or even months) when their calves are first born. The current study examined the night-time rest patterns and vigilance of five female bottlenose dolphins before and after parturition. By differentiating between two types of resting behaviors (floating and slow swimming), we found that mothers altered their rest strategy depending on the parturition state. Floating was only observed at high levels preparturition. In contrast, mothers primarily exhibited active swims (a vigilant state) the first two weeks, post-parturition. The remaining six weeks were characterized by a steady increase in slow swimming (a resting, vigilance state). This change in swim behavior may be associated with neonatal development and may allow mothers to sustain high levels of vigilance for extended periods of time. The results of a behavioral test of vigilance indicated that the mothers also increased their vigilance level post-parturition. Mothers sustained their increased response rate over the eight-week post-parturition period, demonstrating that dolphin mothers maintain high levels of vigilance for an extended period of time.


Introduction:
 As restoration of blood flow is critical for improved functional recovery following ischemic stroke, enhancing cerebral angiogenesis might be immensely helpful. Galectin-3 (gal-3) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin that plays key roles in inflammation, survival, and angiogenesis.

 Methods:
 We used transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model, western blot analysis, RT-PCR, Immunofluorescence staining.

 Results:
 We currently report that intra-cerebroventricular infusion of recombinant gal-3 in rats subjected to transient MCAO increases the post-ischemic functional recovery. We further show that gal-3 mRNA and protein expression is up-regulated in vitro when activated microglial BV2 cells were subjected to either oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) or LPS (lipo-polysaccharide) stimulation. Immunofluorescence staining showed increased cytoplasmic gal-3 that is known to have pro-survival function. This increase in gal-3 is associated with increased number of pro-angiogenic structures in a 3D human vein umbilical cord endothelial (HUVEC) and microglia co-culture model. The pro-angiogenic effect of gal-3 was suppressed by treatment with gal-3 siRNA indicating the specific role of gal-3 in promoting angiogenesis. Exogenous gal-3 treatment further augmented the angiogenic potential of BV2 microglia cells. In addition, gal-3 increased survival of microglial BV2 cells, HUVEC, and neuro-progenitor cells. Gal-3 levels were also directly correlated with increased levels of Integrin-linked kinase 1(ILK1), pro-survival factor AKT and their down stream effector pro-angiogenic factors bFGF and MMP2.

 Conclusion:
 Taken together, our studies emphasize the importance of gal-3 in enhancing angiogenesis that is critical for neuron survival and neurogenesis in the post-stroke brain.


ABSTRACT Several exposure surfaces (D1 to D6) underlain by paleosols, paleokarstic surfaces, and subsurface paleokarsts were identified in the Middle to Upper Bathonian Calcaires a Stipites and Dolomies II Formations in southern France. Two kinds of paleosols with different degrees of maturity were recognized: simple ferruginous crusts, capping very irregular bed surfaces, and a rooted horizon. The paleokarstic surfaces are marked by nodular horizons and paleocaves. On the Cevennes shoal, the paleokarsts discontinuities are associated with synsedimentary tectonic processes, which did not extend into the overlying Dolomies II Formation. Subsurface paleokarsts were observed in the Cirque du Bout du Monde (on the Cevennes shoal) within the Calcaires a Stipites Formation, just beneath surface D5. They are characterized by stronger brecciation of the beds. Most of the paleokarstic discontinuities described in this study correspond to the boundaries of four third-order depositional sequences, Bt 1 to Bt 4 (D1 at the base of Bt 1; D2, D3, D4, and D5 capping Bt 1, Bt 2, Bt 3, and Bt 4, respectively; D6 at the top of the Dolomies II Formation). D1, D2, and D3 paleokarsts are geographically limited to the Grands Causses Graben, whereas D4, D5, and D6 are present only on the Cevennes shoal. Geographic trends of paleokarsts confirm the transgressive trend of sequences Bt 3 and Bt 4, and of the overlying Dolomies II Formation towards the shoal. D6 paleokarstic features were also observed within the uppermost part of the Dolomies II Formation in the Horst de Saint-Bresson. The latter transgressive process provides evidence for subaerial exposure of this paleostructure during the latest Bathonian-Callovian interval, induced by tectonic uplifts.


Inter-religious dialogue, specifically the engagement between Shi'a Islam and Catholic Christianity, is an example in practice of the encounter between different world-views. The dialogue explores difficulties in interpretation of the fundamental tenets of the religions since the existence of common language conceals divergence of meaning. What possibilities of argument exist in this context, if any? Help is found in the related field of political philosophy. John Rawls in his late essay 'The Idea of Public Reason Revisited' (1997, '99) discusses three forms of argument outside of public reason which might be useful in the encounter of comprehensive doctrines seeking an overlapping consensus. He calls these Declaration, Conjecture and Witnessing. This paper will explore the possible usefulness of these argument forms in the dialogue between religious world-views. In particular, conjecture is found to be particularly fruitful for the self-correcting dynamic of a world-view.