Background In 2017, an estimated 17.3 million adults in the United States experienced at least one major depressive episode, with 35% of them not receiving any treatment. Underdiagnosis of depression has been attributed to many reasons, including stigma surrounding mental health, limited access to medical care, and barriers due to cost. Objective This study aimed to determine if low-burden personal health solutions, leveraging person-generated health data (PGHD), could represent a possible way to increase engagement and improve outcomes. Methods Here, we present the development of PSYCHE-D (Prediction of Severity Change-Depression), a predictive model developed using PGHD from more than 4000 individuals, which forecasts the long-term increase in depression severity. PSYCHE-D uses a 2-phase approach. The first phase supplements self-reports with intermediate generated labels, and the second phase predicts changing status over a 3-month period, up to 2 months in advance. The 2 phases are implemented as a single pipeline in order to eliminate data leakage and ensure results are generalizable. Results PSYCHE-D is composed of 2 Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) algorithm–based classifiers that use a range of PGHD input features, including objective activity and sleep, self-reported changes in lifestyle and medication, and generated intermediate observations of depression status. The approach generalizes to previously unseen participants to detect an increase in depression severity over a 3-month interval, with a sensitivity of 55.4% and a specificity of 65.3%, nearly tripling sensitivity while maintaining specificity when compared with a random model. Conclusions These results demonstrate that low-burden PGHD can be the basis of accurate and timely warnings that an individual's mental health may be deteriorating. We hope this work will serve as a basis for improved engagement and treatment of individuals experiencing depression.


BACKGROUND: Despite high prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) substance use disorder (SUD) comorbidity, little is known regarding demographic characteristics associated with GAD in SUD treatment seekers. OBJECTIVE: To characterize demographic differences between inpatient SUD treatment seekers reporting varying levels of GAD symptomatology. DESIGN: General linear models, chi-square test, t test, and correlational analyses were utilized to assess group differences. Groups included those with no history of significant anxiety (No GAD; n = 256), subclinical anxiety (Subclinical; n = 85), and those meeting GAD diagnostic criteria (GAD; n = 61). RESULTS: The No GAD group differed substantially from Subclinical and GAD individuals. With the exception of polysubstance use, no differences were found regarding Subclinical and GAD groups. CONCLUSION: Individuals with subclinical GAD symptoms and those meeting diagnostic criteria were nearly identical regarding precursors to problematic substance use, severity of use, and key mental health indicators. Findings suggest subclinical levels of GAD should not be overlooked when assessing and treating SUDs.


Selection of alloys for components in industrial environments at high temperature is often based on long-term tests in environments that simulate as closely as possible the actual service conditions. However, particularly for alloys that rely on formation and retention of oxide scales for protection, such tests may not be sufficient for this purpose. Several nickel-base alloys have been exposed in an 80% CO-20% H2 gas mixture at 650oC for up to 5,000h, in order to give conditions similar to those that can occur in petrochemical plant where high carbon and low oxygen activities can lead to scale breakdown and the onset of metal dusting damage. The study has shown that small changes in test conditions, such as the introduction of contaminants, the addition of CO2, the proximity to alloy surfaces on which carbon deposition and metal dusting have already been initiated and the proximity to other surfaces that can initiate such deposition, can lead to very significant decreases in the induction period, prior to breakdown of the scale and the onset of dusting.


In a previous work, we showed that the differentiation-dependent expression of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) in Caco-2 cells, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, was controlled at the mRNA level (D. Darmoul et al. J. Biol. Chem., 1992, 267, 4824-4833). Whether post-translational events may contribute to the final control of DPP IV cell surface expression was explored here by studying the potential effect of forskolin (FK), a drug known to permanently stimulates adenylyl cyclase and to strongly perturbs glucose metabolism in fully differentiated Caco-2 cells. FK treatment reduces by about 50% the amount of active DPP IV present at the brush border membrane, whereas the total amount of active DPP IV remains unchanged. Biosynthesis and maturation of DPP IV were measured using [35S]methionine labeling and were shown to be essentially unaffected by FK treatment. Pulse-chase experiments demonstrate that up to 50% of the neosynthesized DPP IV do not appear at the apical membrane after FK treatment. To get further insight into this phenomenon, we have used confocal laser scanning microscopy. We demonstrate that the blockade of DPP IV transport is associated with the accumulation of this protein in intracellular vesicles. Double-staining experiments demonstrate that these vesicles are not labeled with a monoclonal antibody directed against the Golgi apparatus but display a strong staining with a polyclonal antibody raised against lamp-1, a lysosomal membrane protein. Using a newly developed image analysis procedure, we have been able to quantitate the relative distribution of lamp-1 and DPP IV labels in both control and forskolin-treated cells. We show that the overlap of the two labels dramatically increases in FK-treated Caco-2 cells. These results suggest that, beside the transcriptional level, post-translational events may be involved in the final control of the apical expression of a differentiation-dependent hydrolase.


BACKGROUND
Plant tannins as rumen modifiers are better than chemicals or antibiotic-based modifiers since these compounds are natural products which are environmentally friendly and therefore have a better acceptance with regard to feed safety issues. Tropical plants containing phenols such as tannins were found to suppress or eliminate protozoa from the rumen and reduce methane and ammonia production. The screening of these plants is an important step in the identification of new compounds and feed additives which might contribute to mitigate rumen methanogenesis. The present study was carried out to determine the efficacy of tannins from tropical tree leaves for their methane reduction properties.

RESULTS
Activity of tannins, as represented by the increase in gas volume with the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 as a tannin binder (tannin bioassay) was highest in Ficus bengalensis (555%), followed by Azardirachta indica (78.5%). PEG addition did not alter (P > 0.05) methane percentage in Ficus racemosa, Glyricidia maculata, Leucena leucocephala, Morus alba and Semaroba glauca, confirming that tannins in these samples did not affect methanogenesis. The increase (P < 0.05) in protozoa population with PEG was maximal in Ficus religiosa (50), followed by Moringa oleifera (31.2), Azardirachta indica (29.9) and Semaroba glauca (27.5). There was no change (P > 0.05) in the protozoa population in Autocarpus integrifolia, Ficus bengalensis, Jatropha curcus, Morus alba and Sesbania grandiflora, demonstrating that methane reduction observed in these samples per se was not due to defaunation effect of the tannin. The increase in total volatile fatty acid concentration in samples with PEG ranged from 0.6% to > 70%. The highest increase (%) in NH(3)-N was recorded in Azardirachta indica (67.4), followed by Ficus mysoriensis (35.7) and Semaroba glauca (32.6) leaves, reflecting strong protein binding properties of tannin.

CONCLUSION
The results of our study established that in vitro methanogenesis was not essentially related to the density of protozoa population. Tropical tree leaves containing tannins such as Autocarpus integrifolia, Jatropha curcus and Sesbania grandiflora have the potential to suppress methanogenesis. Therefore tannins contained in these plants could be of interest in the development of new additives in ruminant nutrition.


Because of its centimetre-level precision, SAR interferometry (InSAR) has been widely recognized as an effective tool for large-area deformation mapping. However, applications of InSAR technology are limited by temporal–geometric decorrelation and atmospheric disturbance. Large-field displacement could be underestimated as a result of these limitations. A point-like target offset tracking (PTOT) method that solely uses SAR pixel amplitude information through highly accurate image matching can measure 2D displacements in the azimuth and range directions. This method is minimally affected by decorrelation and weather, and it is more suitable for mapping large displacements. In this study, landslide-prone areas were identified using high-resolution TerraSAR-X InSAR data pairs with short normal baselines and temporal baselines covering Zigui County in the Three Gorges area, and the PTOT method was applied to study potential landslides using image pairs with long temporal baselines. An estimate of the cumulative deformation was given. Time series displacements measured at corner reflectors and point-like targets were analysed. The feasibilities of landslide detection using DInSAR and PTOT methods with high-resolution SAR images were then evaluated and summarized.


Coherent phonon transport is regarded as a promising strategy for controlling thermal properties in solids using the wave nature of phonons. However, no clear distinction between the spatial and temporal phonon coherence has been accounted for and a formalism that quantifies these two effects is still to be found. In this work, we propose a statistical approach for calculating the spatial and temporal coherence spectra using molecular dynamics simulations. We provide a microscopic assessment of these properties and we theoretically demonstrate that, while temporal and spatial coherence can be analytically related under specific conditions, they represent two characteristic lengths that set apart different physical effects. The former is associated with the phonon mean free path while the latter can be regarded as a measure of localization, representing the spatial extension of phonon wave packets. This provides a framework to engineer heat conduction in solids by quantitatively revealing the wave/particle nature of the vibrational modes.


Background Spontaneous surgical emphysema and pneumomediastinum is a rare and potentially serious intrapartum complication. It occurs in 1:100,000 deliveries with around 200 cases reported worldwide in the last century, although few have been published in the last decade. Management is often conservative with favourable outcome, however there is potential for poor outcome and appropriate management of subsequent pregnancies remains unclear. Case We present a case of a healthy 16 year old primiparous woman with an uneventful antenatal history who developed a spontaneous facial surgical emphysema, pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax during a prolonged first stage of labour. She had no past medical history of note, no underlying lung disease and had not smoked during the pregnancy. She laboured spontaneously at 38 weeks and 4 days and presented with insidious onset of facial swelling and chest tightness following intramuscular pethidine administration. She was treated unsuccessfully for anaphylaxis, xray findings were of a marked pneumo-mediastinum, bilateral face, neck and supraclavicular subcutaneous emphysema and a small left apical pneumothorax. Her airway remained patent throughout and she was managed successfully with conservative treatment. No abnormality was detected on follow up investigations. Conclusion This case raises awareness of a rare and potentially under reported intrapartum complication. Clinicians should have raised index of suspicion of pneumomediastinum with subcutaneous emphysema in their differential diagnosis of intrapartum facial swelling once medical emergencies, such as anaphylaxis, have been ruled out. Our findings add to the current literature and support the role of conservative management.


ABSTRACT For DNA viruses, genetic recombination, addition, and deletion represent important evolutionary mechanisms. Since these genetic alterations can lead to new, possibly severe pathogens, we applied a systems biology approach to study the pathogenicity of a novel human adenovirus with a naturally occurring deletion of the canonical penton base Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) loop, thought to be critical to cellular entry by adenoviruses. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a new highly recombinant species D human adenovirus (HAdV-D60). A synthesis of in silico and laboratory approaches revealed a potential ocular tropism for the new virus. In vivo, inflammation induced by the virus was dramatically greater than that by adenovirus type 37, a major eye pathogen, possibly due to a novel alternate ligand, Tyr-Gly-Asp (YGD), on the penton base protein. The combination of bioinformatics and laboratory simulation may have important applications in the prediction of tissue tropism for newly discovered and emerging viruses. IMPORTANCE The ongoing dance between a virus and its host distinctly shapes how the virus evolves. While human adenoviruses typically cause mild infections, recent reports have described newly characterized adenoviruses that cause severe, sometimes fatal human infections. Here, we report a systems biology approach to show how evolution has affected the disease potential of a recently identified novel human adenovirus. A comprehensive understanding of viral evolution and pathogenicity is essential to our capacity to foretell the potential impact on human disease for new and emerging viruses. The ongoing dance between a virus and its host distinctly shapes how the virus evolves. While human adenoviruses typically cause mild infections, recent reports have described newly characterized adenoviruses that cause severe, sometimes fatal human infections. Here, we report a systems biology approach to show how evolution has affected the disease potential of a recently identified novel human adenovirus. A comprehensive understanding of viral evolution and pathogenicity is essential to our capacity to foretell the potential impact on human disease for new and emerging viruses.


With the recent advent of genomic tools for cattle, several recessive conditions affecting fertility have been identified and selected against, such as deficiency of uridine monophosphate synthase, complex vertebral malformation, and brachyspina. The current report refines the location of a recessive haplotype affecting fertility in Jersey cattle using crossover haplotypes, discovers the causative mutation using whole genome sequencing, and examines the gene's role in embryo loss. In an attempt to identify unknown recessive lethal alleles in the current dairy population, a search using deep Mendelian sampling of 5,288 Jersey cattle was conducted for high-frequency haplotypes that have a deficit of homozygotes at the population level. This search led to the discovery of a putative recessive lethal in Jersey cattle on Bos taurus autosome 15. The haplotype, denoted JH1, was associated with reduced fertility, and further investigation identified one highly-influential Jersey bull as the putative source ancestor. By combining SNP analysis of whole-genome sequences aligned to the JH1 interval and subsequent SNP validation a nonsense mutation in CWC15 was identified as the likely causative mutation underlying the fertility phenotype. No homozygous recessive individuals were found in 749 genotyped animals, whereas all known carriers and carrier haplotypes possessed one copy of the mutant allele. This newly identified lethal has been responsible for a substantial number of spontaneous abortions in Jersey dairy cattle throughout the past half-century. With the mutation identified, selection against the deleterious allele in breeding schemes will aid in reducing the incidence of this defect in the population. These results also show that carrier status can be imputed with high accuracy. Whole-genome resequencing proved to be a powerful strategy to rapidly identify a previously mapped deleterious mutation in a known carrier of a recessive lethal allele.


Benthic macrofauna play important roles in coastal ecosystems through their impact on nutrient cycling and by serving as an important trophic link. This study investigated the influence of environmental stressors on macrofaunal community abundance, biomass and diversity and evaluated impacts of those benthic organisms on nutrient fluxes and denitrification capacity in Mobile Bay, a shallow subtropical estuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Between January and May 2016, 22 stations in the lower bay were sampled, and the distance from the sea and sediment characteristics were identified as the principal constraints for macrofaunal distribution and taxonomic composition. Higher diversity of macrofauna was found near the mouth of the bay, likely due to hydrological characteristics of the bay, in addition to distance from anthropogenic disturbances near coasts. Sediments comprised of 60-80% sand showed higher abundances, biomass and diversity compared to muddier or sandier sediments, potentially because these sediments were more stable. Although macrofaunal abundance, biomass and diversity differed across stations in the bay, we did not find a relationship between macrofaunal abundances or biomass and denitrification capacity. Both abundance and biomass of infauna were low in Mobile Bay (\textless4000 ind. m(-2) and \textless5 g DW m(-2) at most sites) compared to those in previous studies which showed a positive relationship between macrofaunal abundances and denitrification. The lack of the relation between macrofauna and denitrification suggests that a threshold of abundance, biomass and/or burrowing activity is necessary to increase bioturbation or irrigation to sufficient levels to affect denitrification.


The use of High Performance Computing (HPC) in commercial and consumer IT applications is becoming popular. They need the ability to gain rapid and scalable access to high-end computing capabilities. Cloud computing promises to deliver such a computing infrastructure using data centers so that HPC users can access applications and data from a Cloud anywhere in the world on demand and pay based on what they use. However, the growing demand drastically increases the energy consumption of data centers, which has become a critical issue. High energy consumption not only translates to high energy cost, which will reduce the profit margin of Cloud providers, but also high carbon emissions which is not environmentally sustainable. Hence, energy-efficient solutions are required that can address the high increase in the energy consumption from the perspective of not only Cloud provider but also from the environment. To address this issue we propose near-optimal scheduling policies that exploits heterogeneity across multiple data centers for a Cloud provider. We consider a number of energy efficiency factors such as energy cost, carbon emission rate, workload, and CPU power efficiency which changes across different data center depending on their location, architectural design, and management system. Our carbon/energy based scheduling policies are able to achieve on average up to 30% of energy savings in comparison to profit based scheduling policies leading to higher profit and less carbon emissions.


Little information is available on the ritualised display behaviour of Andean Flamingos. Observations were made on a captive flock of 51 Andean Flamingos from 28 March to 6 May 1989 at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire. A total of 14 ritualised displays were observed and described. The frequencies of these displays, display sequences, and their temporal variation within the day were examined. Many of these displays have not been described previously for Andean Flamingos. The Wing Flap Salute was the most common ritualised display observed followed by the Wing Leg Tail Stretches, Attempted Flights, Neck Swaying and Inverted Wing Salutes. Andean Flamingos were found to display throughout the entire day with bimodal activity peaks at 10:00 h and 16:00 h. Thirteen display sequences were observed with the Wing Flap Salute initiating the majority of display sequences. The two most common display sequences observed were a Wing Flap Salute followed by a Wing Leg Tail Stretch and a Wing Flap Salute followed by an Inverted Wing Salute. In general, Andean Flamingo ritualised displays were found to be similar to those of other flamingos, but some distinct differences were observed.


BACKGROUND
Organizational studies widely acknowledge the importance of the relationship between CEO's career histories and managerial performance. Although the health care management literature largely explores the role of CEOs, whether and how top managers' career histories affect their own performance remains still unknown in this industry.

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to investigate the career histories of health care CEOs and to explore their impact on managerial performance.

METHODOLOGY
Primary data were collected from a sample of 124 CEOs leading health care organizations in the Italian National Health Service in 2008. Biographic data were accessed to gather information about relevant CEOs' demographics and their career histories. The relevance of CEOs' prior experience was considered, taking into account the prominence of health care organizations in which they passed through in their career histories. Regression analyses were employed to assess the impact of CEOs' career histories on their managerial performance.

FINDINGS
Top managers already appointed as CEOs were more likely to achieve higher levels of performance. Careers with long tenure within the National Health Service appear to increase managerial performance. Those CEOs who accumulated prior experience in a large number of health care structures and who spent time working at the most prominent hospitals were also more likely to achieve higher levels of managerial performance.

IMPLICATIONS
In health care, a CEO's career history does impact his or her managerial performance. Specifically, patterns of career that imply higher mobility across health care organizations are important. Although interorganizational mobility is significant for CEO performance, the same does not hold for mobility across industries. These findings contribute to the current debate about the need for management renovation within health care organizations.


AIM: This study aimed to experimentally test the influence of a planktivorous filter-feeding fish (Tilapia rendalli) on the phytoplankton dynamics of a small and shallow tropical reservoir (Lake Monte Alegre, Brazil). Adults of T. rendalli of this lake feed preferentially on phytoplankton, and we hypothesize that: I) adults of T. rendalli will decrease the phytoplankton biomass and composition through direct herbivory, and II) as it is a eutrophic system, fish would not have strong influence on phytoplankton through nutrient cycling. METHODS: To evaluate these different effects on algae, a field experiment was performed in the summer period for 15 days, in mesocosms isolated from the sediment, using a control group (no fish) and a treatment group (with one fish in each mesocosm). Physical and chemical variables and phyto- and zooplankton were evaluated at the start, middle, and end of the experiment. RESULTS: At the end of the experiment, it was observed a significant increase in ammonium concentrations and total phytoplankton biomass, Cyanobacteria and Zygnemaphyceae and all size classes except class II (20-30 µm) in the treatment group (with fish). The biomass increase of the potentially toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermospsis raciborskii was also observed in the fish treatment at the end of the experimental period. CONCLUSION: This study did not support both initial hypotheses. It supports the assertion that in tropical water bodies, with similar characteristics to the environment studied, planktivorous filter-feeding fish, such as T. rendalli, are not effective in reducing phytoplankton biomass through direct grazing, even when phytoplankton is one of their main food items. T. rendalli can contribute to the increase of phytoplankton biomass and can promote or increase the eutrophication of aquatic systems.


Artemisinin and its derivatives are highly effective antimalarial drugs. These compounds combine potent and rapid antimalarial activity with a wide therapeutic index. An initiation of artemisinin resistance, described by a delayed parasite clearance time, is unlikely to cause high-level resistance. Artemisinins as a class demonstrate poor efficacy as monotherapy. This shortcoming can be overcome using oral artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT) and intravenous-artesunate (IV-AS) in combination with slow-acting partner drugs. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) evaluation demonstrates that the rapid efficacy of artemisinins is largely due to drug peak concentrations. Critical evaluation also demonstrates that AS is superior in PK/PD either following oral or intravenous administration when compared to the other rapid-acting artemisinins. This rapid efficacy and decreased mortality demonstrates that currently available artemisinins have a great advantage when combined with slow-acting antimalarial drugs for uncomplicated malaria or in sequential therapy with AS injection initially for severe and complicated malaria. Compared to other ACTs, dihydroartemisininpiperaquine (DP) demonstrates a superior in PK/PD profile, most likely due to the long half-life of piperaquine. These findings will help us better understand the PK/ PD profiles of rapid-acting (artemisinins) and slow-acting (piperaquine) drugs, and suggest how to best use ACTs in the future.


Abstract This paper explains the different trajectories of German and American competition policy and its permissiveness toward economic concentration in the last few decades. While the German political economy had moved to a stronger antitrust regime after 1945 and stuck to it even after the economic governance shifts of the 1980s, the traditional antitrust champion, the United States, has shed considerable parts of its basic governance toolkit against anticompetitive conduct since the 1960s. Drawing on theories of institutional change driven by bureaucratic and professional elites, the paper claims that different pathways of professional ideas in competition policy can account for the cross-country differences. In the 1960s and early 1970s, movements to strengthen competition policy enforcement emerged in both countries. While German as well as American professionals reacted to the seemingly increasing encroachment of societal concerns into antitrust with economized notions of the policies' goals, they did so in fundamentally different ways. Whereas US professionals proposed an effect-based approach in which consumer welfare and gains in efficiency may justify less competition, the more strongly law-based profession in Germany to a degree strengthened a form-based approach aiming at the preservation of competitive market structures. Such extrapolitical pathways of ideas, we argue, provide important guidelines for the implementation of competition policy by administrations and courts, whose decisions can have a far-reaching impact on industries and political economies as a whole.


Surgical methods and techniques continue to evolve. There is a transition of the surgical methods from open, conventional surgery, to more minimally invasive procedures. In current minimally invasive surgery methods such as laparoscopic surgery, surgical instruments are introduced through small incisions, reducing patient trauma and shortening the recovery time. To reduce the number of incisions, new techniques such as single port surgery or natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery has been proposed. The development of small robotic tools operable through a master-slave interface over a wireless protocol, has led to the concept of Robotics NOTES surgery, or R-NOTES. Such a conceived system requires a systems integration architecture that supports wireless protocols, serial interfaces, multidimensional human-computer interfaces, and intuitive applications for the end user (surgeons). Our research team has developed an integration architecture through the exploration of SysML and enterprise integration architecture patterns.


We provide a procedure to construct entanglement-assisted Calderbank–Shor–Steane (CSS) codes over qudits from the parity check matrices of two classical codes over <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbb {F}_q$</tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$q=p^k$</tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$p$</tex-math></inline-formula> is prime, and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k$</tex-math></inline-formula> is a positive integer. The construction procedure involves the proposed Euclidean Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization algorithm, followed by a procedure to extend the quantum operators to obtain stabilizers of the code. Using this construction, we provide a construction of entanglement-assisted tensor product codes from classical tensor product codes over <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbb {F}_q$</tex-math></inline-formula>. We further show that a nonzero rate entanglement-assisted tensor product code can be obtained from a classical tensor product code whose component codes yield zero rate entanglement-assisted CSS codes. We view this result as the coding analog of superadditivity.


In order to improve the control quality of the water level for steam generator, a fuzzy level controller for steam generator is designed based on the fuzzy logic principle. The fuzzy logic toolbox and Simulink module of Matlab software are used for the modeling of the water level control system of steam generator. The operating condition of reducing load is calculated. Simulation result shows that the fuzzy control has such virtues as smaller overshoot, shorter regulating time and stronger robustness than the conventional three-element PID control. Fuzzy control is especially effective for nonlinear system like steam generator with multivariable, large time lagged and strong coupling. It is a very effective control method with widely application prospect.


Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a membrane-bound protein that is preferentially expressed in the prostate gland and induced in many prostate cancers, making it an important target for new diagnostics and therapeutics. To improve the efficacy of nanoparticle formulations for the imaging and/or eradication of prostate cancer, we synthesized the PSMA-binding glutamic acid derivative DUPA and conjugated it to the external surface of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) particles. DUPA-targeted TMV was subsequently loaded with the antineoplastic agent mitoxantrone (MTO) or conjugated internally with the fluorescent dye cyanine 5 (Cy5). We found that TMV particles could be efficiently decorated with DUPA and loaded with MTO or Cy5 while maintaining structural integrity. DUPA-targeted TMV particles were able to bind more efficiently to the surface of PSMA+ LNCaP cells compared to non-targeted TMV; but there was little difference in binding efficiency between targeted and untargeted TMV when we tested PSMA− PC3 cells (both cell lines are prostate cancer cell lines). DUPA-targeted TMV particles were internalized by LNCaP cells enabling drug delivery. Finally, we loaded the DUPA-targeted TMV particles and untargeted control particles with MTO to test their cytotoxicity against LNCaP cells in vitro. The cytotoxicity of the TMV-MTO particles (IC50 = 10.2 nM) did not differ significantly from that of soluble MTO at an equivalent dose (IC50 = 12.5 nM) but the targeted particles (TMV-DUPA-MTO) were much more potent (IC50 = 2.80 nM). The threefold increase in cytotoxicity conferred by the DUPA ligand suggests that MTO-loaded, DUPA-coated TMV particles are promising as a therapeutic strategy for PSMA+ prostate cancer and should be advanced to preclinical testing in mouse models of prostate cancer.


Laparoscopic intracorporeal anastomotic techniques can confer benefits to patients undergoing laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery. Despite the widespread use of minimally invasive colon and rectal surgery, laparoscopic intracorporeal anastomosis is rarely employed. Intracorporeal anastomotic construction mirrors extracorporeal techniques but requires experience with advanced laparoscopic skills, including intracorporeal stapling and suturing.


The prospect of paying for nursing home care represents a significant financial risk for older Americans. Despite this risk, few individuals buy long-term care insurance and, since many lack the resources to pay out of pocket, they often turn to the means-tested Medicaid program. Concerned about growing Medicaid costs, many states have initiated "partnership" programs that offer a unique incentive for those who buy long-term care insurance: the state relaxes Medicaid's asset test so that, if the private insurance benefits run out, individuals can retain more of their assets while still being eligible for Medicaid. This brief, which is based on a longer paper, estimates whether these enhanced insurance policies are likely to reduce Medicaid spending on single men and women. The brief is organized as follows. The first section describes the long-term care cost challenge and introduces the partnership programs. The second section explains the methodology for analyzing the programs' impact on Medicaid outlays. The third section presents the results, which suggest that most of the buyers are those who would otherwise have purchased a traditional – unenhanced – policy. Thus, the final section concludes that, on balance, Medicaid will lose money on the partnership programs.


SIR,-The paper by Mr. I. McLennan and Mr. J. K. Watt (Journal, September 25, p. 736) entitled "Justification for Appendicectomy in Chronic Appendicitis" appears to be the product of confused reasoning. The authors commence by reporting the lack of correlation between the pathological and clinical findings in chronic appendicitis, and then they show that appendicectomy has cured the abdominal pain in about 80°,b of their patients. This leads them to conclude that " chronic appendicitis is a clinical entity." In fact, it merely proves that laparotomy is often followed by recovery, but it does not explain why. However, it is just as likely that the powerful suggestive effect of the operation is responsible for the relief of purely functional abdominal pain. Whether or not it is justifiable is open to doubt; for they have not compared a series of appendicectomy cases with a group of patients who have been fully investigated with negative findings and then confidently pronounced fit. They might well have found that the results were as good and the morbidity of the operation (about 12% in their series) would have been eliminated. The fact that females outnumbered males by 3.2: 1 and had a greater recovery rate (83.5% compared with 74.2%') lends support to the proposition that many of their cases were functional. Furthermore, it is difficult to explain why 15% of their " cured" patients should have had " minimal residual pain " when the alleged offending organ had presumably been completely removed.-I am, etc.,


Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) is an autonomous system of mobile hosts connected by wireless links. MANET can be formed without any preexisting infrastructure. It follows dynamic topology where nodes may join and leave the network at any time and the multi-hop routing may keep changing as nodes join and depart from the network. This paper proposes a fuzzy based routing protocol for MANETS that considers the following parameters as inputs: Hop count and Total Transmission power, data size and highest node speed. On the basis of the outputs of Fuzzy modules an optimal path is proposed. The proposed protocol is implemented in MATLAB-7.0 and our result also shows that our proposed protocol is better than other standard protocols such as shortest path routing and MTPR (Minimum transmission power routings).


Environmental context. The Fitzroy River Basin is a major source of suspended sediment and nutrients to the southern Great Barrier Reef lagoon. A reduction in sediment and nutrient loads is necessary to protect coastal reefs and this requires an understanding of the sediment sources. The present geochemical and modelling study provides a quantitative estimate of the spatial and temporal variations in the sources of sediment deposited in the Fitzroy River coastal zone. Abstract. Sediment sources to the Fitzroy River coastal zone have been identified and quantified using an integrated geochemical and modelling approach. The coastal sediments display little geochemical variation as a result of substantial homogenisation during hydrodynamic processes and indicate a sediment composition consistent with derivation from mixed catchment sources. A lack of substantial temporal geochemical variation in the sediment records indicates weathering regimes and hydrodynamic transport have been relatively consistent throughout the Holocene. Despite this apparent geochemical homogeneity, a modelling approach using a Bayesian statistical model revealed changes in catchment sediment sources over time. Variations in the occurrence and intensity of rainfall events in different parts of the catchment as well as land-use changes following European settlement are likely to have had a substantial effect on the relative contributions of the catchment sources delivered to and deposited in the coastal zone. Additionally, large variations in flow events and variable estuary hydrodynamics result in different catchment soil types being delivered and deposited under different conditions. The present study found that basaltic material is the dominant catchment source in the coastal surface sediments with an estimated enrichment of ~3 relative to catchment and estuary abundances. Basaltic soils present as a more recent and extensive, weathered surficial cover are more readily mobilised than other catchment soils and will be transported further within freshwater flood plumes. It is likely that in large flood events, this basaltic material may reach the coral-dominated outer shelf. Improved land management practices to reduce sediment loads can be targeted to the areas supplying the majority of sediment to the coastal zone.


were two uncooperative patients with upper airway The laryngeal mask was used as an emergency procedure obstruction due to the tongue falling back, but with nearly in these patients and appeared at the time to be a safer normal cough and swallowing reflexes. A nasogastric tube option than tracheal intubation. is always present in our ICU patients and the laryngeal masks were inserted as quickly as possible. Monitoring of Neurological Intensitre Care Unit heart and respiratory rates, end-tidal COz, Spo2 and blood Niguarda Ca Granda Hospital, pressure was continuous and would have warned of possible Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, aspiration. 201 62 Milan, Italy E.M. AROSIO F. CONCI


We have previously reported the cloning of cDNAs for a flavin-containing mono-oxygenase (FMO) of man, designated FMO1 [Dolphin, Shephard, Povey, Palmer, Ziegler, Ayesh, Smith & Phillips (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 12379-12385], that is the orthologue of pig and rabbit hepatic FMOs. We now describe the isolation and characterization of cDNA clones for a second human FMO, which we have designated FMO2. The polypeptide encoded by the cDNAs is 558 amino acid residues long, has a calculated M(r) of 63337, and contains putative FAD- and NADP-binding sites that align exactly with those described in other mammalian FMOs. Human FMO2 has 51-53% primary sequence identity with human FMO1, rabbit pulmonary FMO and rabbit liver FMO form 2, and thus represents a fourth, distinct, member of the mammalian FMO family. The corresponding mRNA is present in low abundance in adult human liver. Southern blot hybridization with single-exon probes demonstrated that human FMO2 and FMO1 are the products of single genes. The gene encoding FMO2 (designated FMO2) was mapped, by the polymerase chain reaction, to human chromosome 1, the same chromosome on which FMO1 is located.


Introduction Adolescence presents many challenges for young people (YP) with chronic medical conditions, including the transition from paediatric to adult healthcare services. Improving provision for this age group is a National Health Service priority. Qualitative research is important to understand the priorities of YP and their families; data are available for YP with a variety of chronic childhood conditions, but lacking for asthmatics. This study explored the experiences of YP transitioning from paediatric to adult asthma services, identifying aspects of the process which could be improved. Methods An interpretive, phenomenological approach was employed to identify emerging themes from individual semi-structured interviews, conducted between May-June 2017. Patients aged 16–19 years were eligible if they had transitioned from paediatric services in the previous 2 years. Parents and specialist asthma nurses were also included, facilitating triangulation of data. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and a coding-tree developed, using an inductive approach, with organisation of key issues into theme and sub-themes, illustrated by representative quotes. Results Interviews were conducted with 5 YP (mean age 17.4 years), 4 parents and 2 asthma nurses. Four key themes emerged, with consistency between YP and their parents; developing new relationships, emergency admissions, increasing responsibility and long-term management (see Table 1). YP described positive, personal relationships with the adult team, accessibility of hospital staff, and greater involvement in discussions and decision making. Families also appreciated the direct communication style, and new treatment options available in the adult-setting. Emergency care, particularly the unfamiliar A and E environment, was the major source of anxiety for all participants. Conclusion Despite expressing negative initial feelings, YP and their families talked positively about their new asthma team and the transition process. Increased opportunities to meet the adult team, while still in the paediatric setting would be appreciated and help establish a trusting relationship. Families appreciated the continuity of care provided by the asthma nurses from both teams. Information regarding the transition process, as well as the adult healthcare setting, may also help alleviate concerns. Additionally, a red-flag system in A and E could highlight priority patients, and instil confidence that the provision of acute care would be appropriate and timely. Abstract M18 Table 1 Themes expressed by patients and parents, relating to asthma transition


List of birds and locations contributed by Raymond L. Cummins. This item was used as supporting documentation for the Iowa Ornithologists' Union Quarterly field report of fall 1996.


Anxiety and depression are common mental health problems experienced by children in Australia. The impact of these internalizing disorders is pervasive, affecting many areas of life. By the time problems have been detected in children they can be severe in nature and harder to treat. Hence, early intervention is of utmost importance. Despite the existence of numerous prevention programs for children, there is limited empirical evidence for a program that has an impact on symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Physical activity and improved motor coordination have been indicated as having positive effects on children's mental health, although the impact of including these in a program targeting internalizing disorders has not been established. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Feelings and Friends (Year 3) program (FFY3), revised to include activities to build motor-coordination and encourage physical activity. Participants were 24 children from the Perth metropolitan area alongside one of each of their parents. Results indicated significant short-term intervention effects on one of the primary outcome variables; intervention group parents reported significant pre-post improvement in child depressive symptoms, which were maintained at 3-month follow-up (ηp2 = 0.10). There were also intervention effects observed for parent-reported separation anxiety (ηp2 = 0.10), externalizing symptoms (ηp2 = 0.19), and conduct problems (ηp2 = 0.16). An additional finding indicated the intervention students reported significant improvement from session one to session two in global distress (ηp2 = 0.22). No other significant intervention effects were evident. Findings from this study indicate that FFY3 is a promising intervention to address internalizing and externalizing symptoms in 8–9 year-old children.


OBJECTIVES
To investigate the effects of combined radiation and thermal burn injury on the survival of skin allografts and to analyze the relationship between the prolongation of allograft survival and the changes of immune functions of the thymocytes and splenocytes in rats.

METHODS
Wistar rats were irradiated with 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 Gy of gamma rays. Thirty minutes after radiation, 15% TBSA III-degree burn was inflicted to the rats. Twenty-four hours after the burn injury, allografts were used to cover the burn wounds. In the 8 Gy group, 1 hour before skin grafting, the bone marrow cells (4 x 10(8)) from the same donor were also transplanted. All rats were carefully observed after injury. The rats with single radiation injury of 5 Gy gamma rays, with single burn injury and with combined radiation-burn injury were killed 3, 7, 10, 15 and 30 days after skin grafting for immunological assay and pathological study.

RESULTS
All the allografts in the single burn group were rejected in 10 days. In the combined injury groups, the survival rates of the allografts in rats undergoing 3 and 4 Gy radiation were 20% and 30%, respectively. In the combined injury groups undergoing 5, 6 and 8 Gy radiation, the 10-day survival rates of the allografts were 69%, 88% and 100% respectively, and the 30-day survival rates in the three groups were 36%, 42% and 100% separately. The grafted allogenic skin, with normal epithelial cells and good vascularity, healed well with the recipient's skin. Hairs grew well from the allografts 30 days after grafting. Three, 7 and 15 days after allografting, in the single burn group, the proliferative activities of the thymocytes were 90%, 185% and 130% of the preinjury level, and the antibody forming capacities of the splenocytes were 200%, 171% and 300% of the preinjury level, respectively; in the combined injury groups, the proliferative activities were 6%, 99% and 91% of the preinjury level, and the forming capacities were 2%, 36% and 90% of the preinjury level.

CONCLUSIONS
The survival rate of allograft in rats undergoing combined radiation and thermal burn injury rises with the increase in radiation dosage. The allograft covering single bun injury is severely rejected by immune reaction. The prolongation of the survival of allograft in combined injury group mainly results from radiation that suppresses immune functions.


TiO2 nanorods (NRs) were synthesized on fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) pre‐coated glass substrates using hydrothermal growth technique. Scanning electron microscopy studies have revealed the formation of vertically‐aligned TiO2 NRs with length of ∼2 µm and diameter of 110–128 nm, homogenously distributed over the substrate surface. 130 nm thick Au contacts using thermal evaporation were deposited on the n‐type TiO2 NRs at room temperature for the fabrication of NR‐based Schottky‐type UV photodetectors. The fabricated Schottky devices functioned as highly sensitive UV photodetectors with a peak responsivity of 134.8 A/W (λ = 350 nm) measured under 3 V reverse bias. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Energy efficiency is a critical feature to be considered in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In recent studies, it was revealed that congestion is one of the main factors to provoke energy consumption in constrained environments. To alleviate congestion, several studies have been investigated, but mostly focused on the transport layer. In this paper, we propose a congestion-aware energy-efficient routing protocol in WSNs (CER), which considers the congestion and energy levels of nodes together to increase the network lifetime while maintaining the network throughput. Our experimental results show that there are improvements in the energy consumption, the network lifetime, and throughput as compared to the other energy-aware routing protocols.


Parasitic protozoa cause a number of devastating human and veterinary diseases, including malaria, toxoplasmosis, babesiosis and cryptosporidiosis. Protein kinases, a broad class of cellular signaling enzymes which have proven effective drug targets in human cancers, are promising targets in these parasitic diseases as well. In this work I develop and apply comparative computational techniques in analyses of the protein kinases in specific evolutionary groups of eukaryotic pathogens. First, I comprehensively examine conserved protein kinase families in the Apicomplexa, the phylum that includes the malaria parasites Plasmodium spp. and the opportunistic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, to identify conserved genomic and structural features that distinguish parasite kinases from those in their hosts and other eukaryotes. I then explore the structural and evolutionary divergence of the virulence-associated, coccidian-specific rhoptry kinase family. The novel findings presented here shed light on parasite phosphoryl signaling mechanisms as well as provide guidance on potential drug targets for parasitic diseases. INDEX WORDS: Apicomplexa, protein kinase, cell signaling, host-pathogen interactions, kinome, phosphorylation COMPUTATIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PROTEIN KINASE ADAPTATIONS IN EUKARYOTIC PATHOGENS


Thirty‐eight adults with allergic rhinitis have been treated with a new partially purified extract of house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) in a double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial. Patients were randomized to active (Pharmalgen®, D. pteronyssinus) and placebo (histamine) treatment by sensitivity to D. pteronyssinus on nasal challenge. In the actively treated group nasal symptoms, assessed by visual analogue score, improved (P <0.01), sensitivity on nasal challenge with allergen was reduced (P <0.05) and weal size on skin‐prick test with allergen was reduced (P <0.01), compared with the placebo group. These results occurred after 3 months of treatment. Reduction in target organ sensitivity occurred, while the serum level of D. pteronyssinus IgE rose in the active group from 14.2 to 22.5 PRU/ml (geometric mean) but did not change significantly in the placebo group. As anticipated, because of the treatment schedule used, a number of generalized allergic reactions were induced by injections, but all responded promptly and easily to treatment. These results suggest this is an effective form of therapy, which now offers us the opportunity to study the immunological mechanisms of hyposensitization and to devise a modified schedule causing fewer reactions.


Abstract The first three-dimensional properties of polar firn obtained by X-ray microtomography are used to study the microstructure of snow on a 15 m deep firn core from West Antarctica. The snow is found to undergo coarsening down to approximately 2.5 m depth before grain growth and densification become the prevalent mechanisms of microstructure change. In contrast to previous assumptions, distinct anisotropy of the ice and pore geometry is observed throughout the profile, with a maximum at 2.5 m depth. The air permeability and the degree of anisotropy vary with depth and can be linked to short-term changes in accumulation rate via the residence time for which a certain snow layer stays in the uppermost 2.5 m. Patterns of the degree of anisotropy and air permeability of buried polar firn are relative indicators of past accumulation rates.


OBJECTIVE
To identify current UK screening practices prior to contrast-enhanced CT. To determine the patient management strategies to minimize the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) risk in outpatients.

METHODS
An invitation to complete an electronic survey was distributed to the CT managers of 174 UK adult National Health Service hospital trusts. The survey included questions related to local protocols and national guidance on which these are based. Details of the assessment of renal function prior to imaging and thresholds for contrast contraindication and patient management were also sought.

RESULTS
A response rate of 47.1% was received. Almost all sites had a policy in place for contrast administration (n = 80/82; 97.6%). The majority of sites require a blood test on outpatients undergoing a contrast-enhanced CT scan (n = 75/82; 91.5%); however, some (15/75; 20.0%) sites only check the result in patients at high risk and a small number (7/82; 8.5%) of sites indicated that it was a referrer responsibility. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or serum creatinine (SCr) result threshold at which i.v. contrast was contraindicated varied and 19 different threshold levels of eGFR or SCr were identified, each leading to different prophylactic strategies. Inconsistency was noted in the provision of follow-up blood tests after contrast administration.

CONCLUSION
The wide variation in practice reflects inconsistencies in published guidance. Evidence-based consensuses of which patients to test and subsequent risk thresholds will aid clinicians identify those patients in which the risk of CI-AKI is clinically significant but manageable. There is also a need to determine the value of the various prophylactic strategies, follow-up regimen and efficient service delivery pathways. Advances in knowledge: This survey has identified that further work is required to define which patients are high risk, confirm those which require renal function testing prior to contrast administration and how best to manage patients at risk of CI-AKI. The role of new technologies within this service delivery pathway requires further investigation.


Objectives: To determine the effect of unknown exercise duration and an unexpected increase in exercise duration on rating of perceived exertion (RPE), affect, and running economy during treadmill running. Methods: Sixteen well trained male and female runners completed three bouts of treadmill running at 75% of their peak treadmill running speed. In the first trial, they were told to run for 20 minutes and were stopped at 20 minutes (20 MIN). In another trial, they were told to run for 10 minutes, but at 10 minutes were told to run for a further 10 minutes (10 MIN). In the final trial, they were not told for how long they would be running but were stopped after 20 minutes (unknown, UN). During each of the running bouts, RPE, oxygen consumption (ml/kg/min), heart rate (beats/min), stride frequency (min−1), affect scores (arbitrary units), and attentional focus (percentage associative thought scores) were recorded. Results: RPE increased significantly between 10 and 11 minutes in the 10 MIN compared with the 20 MIN and UN trials (p<0.05). The affect score decreased significantly between 10 and 11 minutes in the 10 MIN compared with the 20 MIN trial (p<0.05). Running economy, as measured by oxygen consumption, was significantly lower in the UN compared with the 20 MIN trial from 10 to 19 minutes (p<0.05). Conclusions: The change in RPE between 10 and 11 minutes in the 10 MIN trial suggests that RPE is not purely a measure of physical exertion, as treadmill speed was maintained at a constant pace both before and after the unexpected increase in exercise duration. The associated changes in affect score at similar times in the 10 MIN trial supports the hypothesis that RPE has an affective component.


The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been involved in the development of standards for microanalysis since the middle of the 1960s. Certification of "traceable" standards that can be sold to other laboratories is time-consuming and costly, especially when the extent of microheterogeneity within each specimen becomes part of the uncertainty assigned to the certified values. The process of certification of microanalysis standards and the improvements that have facilitated the process with the development of automation and computerization are reviewed.


Eukaryotic replication factor C is the heteropentameric complex that loads the replication clamp proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) onto primed DNA. In this study we used a derivative, designated RFC, with a N-terminal truncation of the Rfc1 subunit removing a DNA-binding domain not required for clamp loading. Interactions of yeast RFC with PCNA and DNA were studied by surface plasmon resonance. Binding of RFC to PCNA was stimulated by either adenosine (3-thiotriphosphate) (ATP S) or ATP. RFC bound only to primertemplate DNA coated with the single-stranded DNAbinding protein RPA if ATP S was also present. Binding occurred without dissociation of RPA. ATP did not stimulate binding of RFC to DNA, suggesting that hydrolysis of ATP dissociated DNA-bound RFC. However, when RFC and PCNA together were flowed across the DNA chip in the presence of ATP, a signal was observed suggesting loading of PCNA by RFC. With ATP S present instead of ATP, long-lived response signals were observed indicative of loading complexes arrested on the DNA. A primer with a 3 single-stranded extension also allowed loading of PCNA; yet turnover of the reaction intermediates was dramatically slowed down. Filter binding experiments and analysis of proteins bound to DNA-magnetic beads confirmed the conclusions drawn from the surface plasmon resonance studies.


This work presents an improved variant of the Direct Torque Control (DTC) for a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM). The improved DTC use a higher number of voltage space vectors by introducing a kind of Space Vector Modulation technique. The higher number of space vectors are tabulated in more precise switch tables which also take the emf induced in the stator windings into account. The emf voltage significantly affect the motor behavior from a given space vector. It is discussed how the switch tables are constructed. Experiments from the classical and improved DTC are compared and show that the torque, flux linkage and stator current ripples are significantly decreased with the improved DTC.


A sonic crystal is periodic array of scatterers in which scatterers are embedded on a material having low impedance. Applications of the sonic crystals have led to a growing interest in the periodic structures embedded in a material. These periodic arrangements of scatterers have ability to stop sound waves within certain frequency bands. In this paper, we studied a 2-D sonic crystal in which circular scatterers are placed in rectangular grid. An array of scatterers in a homogeneous material is analyzed here and its transmission loss is computed. Bloch Floquet theorem is used to analyze this periodic structure. Eigenvalue study is also done using periodic boundary conditions on a single unit cell and result shows that there is a great amount of sound transmission loss (18 dB) due to the presence of the band gap in the sonic crystal. The obtained results of band gaps and transmission losses are compared with previous literature.


Thapsigargin (TG) and A23187 were used to examine the regulation of cytosolic free calcium (Cai2+) in ovine large and small luteal cells. Thapsigargin (50 nM) induced a sustained increase of Cai2+ in fura 2-acetoxymethyl ester (AM)-loaded cells (large = 1.32 +/- 0.07-fold, small = 1.45 +/- 0.07-fold, P < 0.05). A23187 (1 microM) induced a rapid transient increase of Cai2+ (large = 1.37 +/- 0.07-fold, small = 1.46 +/- 0.10-fold, P < 0.05). In large cells, 0.5 microM prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) increased Cai2+ 1.54 +/- 0.11-fold. Pretreatment with 50 nM TG abolished the PGF2 alpha-induced calcium response. Pretreatment with PGF2 alpha attenuated (P < 0.05) the TG-induced Cai2+ increase. Progesterone secretion was significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited by incubation with 50 nM TG, 1 microM A23187, and 0.5 microM PGF2 alpha in large but not small cells. These data suggest that PGF2 alpha releases calcium from a TG-sensitive intracellular calcium pool in ovine large luteal cells.


The acute mitral regurgitation of the infants are believed to be very rare until recently. However, there have been increasing number of reports of acute massive mitral regurgitation attributable to rupture of the chordae tendaniae escecially in Japan. If undiagnosed or the optimal treatment including surgery is delayed, it may cause cardiogenic shock and death in infants. Thus pediatricians, pediatric cardiologists and pediatric caridiac surgeons should consider this diagnosis when previously healthy infant suddenly develop cardiorespiratory collapse. It is very important to diagnose early and if there is over moderate mitral regurgitation, the 1st choice will be the mitral valve repair if possible. Pediatric cardiac suregon should be skilled at the mitral valve repair and mitral valve replacement. There are several techniques which are different from the adult operation, so pediatric cardiac surgeon also has to be prepared for these techniques including supraannular mitral valve replacement.


In recent years merger and acquisition (M &A) activities have increasingly claimed the attention of government officials, company management and the public in Taiwan. The primary purpose of this study is to examine merger motives and methods of payment and to compare the preand posttransaction performance of Taiwanese enterprises. The samples of mergers and acquisitions in Taiwan analysed in this study are relatively comprehensive and are the largest which have ever been collected for academic reséarch. So the conclusions of this study have much greater validity than those found in previous work carried out on Taiwanese mergers. In brief, securing operational synergies is a very important merger motive for firms of all sizes. Large enterprises are motivated to take -over other firms by the desire to acquire market share while increasing corporate debt capacity or financing was more important for small acquiring enterprises than for large ones. Payment is made either by means of a cash offer or by an exchange of shares depending on tax and government regulations, the future prospects of the acquiring enterprise as perceived by the acquired enterprise's shareholders and the level of activity of the stock market. The results indicate that large and medium -sized acquiring enterprises achieve greater increases in their posttransaction operational and financial performance than do small and smallmedium sized acquiring enterprises. The results of logit analysis indicate that profitability and changes in profitability are important variables for discriminating between acquired and non -acquired firms. The findings mean that firms with lower profitability have a significantly increased probability of being taken -over, but that smaller firms do not see a significant increase in the likelihood of being acquired. This implies that take -over discipline is strong for low profitability firms but is not strong for small firms. The take -over threat forces firms to improve their profitability rather than to increase their size. The empirical evidence as to the nature of the take -over mechanism of acquired firms supports the traditional theory of the firm. MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS BETWEEN TAIWANESE ENTERPRISES


We provide first records for 108 weevils species sensu lato (Curculionoidea) to the fauna of Montenegro. During a field trip 203 weevil species were recorded and are listed here. The records of Archarius anatoliensis Voss, 1962 are the first ones from the Balkans and document a further spreading of this species towards Northwest. Echinodera bryneri spec. nov. is described and compared with the sympatrically occurring, morphologically similar species E. romanboroveci Stüben, 1998. The lectotypes of Sciaphobus paliuri Apfelbeck, 1908, and S. polydrosinus Apfelbeck, 1922 conserved in the Georg Frey collection are designated, and illustrated comments on their differentiation are provided. For Leiosoma komovicum Pedroni, 2018 habitat, images of both sexes, a description of the female genitalia, and the presumable host plants are presented.


Information Technology has become increasingly important in every aspect of an organization It is now evident that every part of the world is using it. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology which is charged with overseeing curriculum
development and implementation has noted the significance of Information Technology.
Consequently, computer studies, as an examinable subject was introduced some ten years ago
in Kenyan secondary schools. However, it is worth noting that Information Technology has
not quite taken off in secondary schools. It is with this in mind that the researcher was
compelled to prepare to investigate the factors that affect introduction of Information
Technology in secondary schools in Kenya and Kericho District in particular. The purpose
of the study was to find out why schools have not risen to the occasion as far as use and
adoptionof computer technology is concerned.
A quick comparison of tasks performed manually and electronically shows that the later are
quicker and more efficient. However, against this background of great advancement, the
secondary schools which are the foundation of human resources development have still not
done much about introducing and using computers. Objectives
The study will definitely benefit all the stakeholders in human resources development (HRD)
and other academicians. The researcher used questionnaires, interviews, journals, books as
well as searching in the website in a bid to address all the research questions.
Kericho District has a population of seventy schools and a sample of 80% was preferred. The investigation established that although information technology had been introduced in some
Secondary school, it is use in teaching and administrative tasks were very minimal.The study Identified various factors affecting the introduction of information technology and made
recommendations on how to overcome those challenges.


he most comprehensive introductory handbook on comparative Eastern manuscript studies existing today, "Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies" (COMSt), published under the Research Networking Programme, was funded by the European Science Foundation from June 2009 to May 2014. Under favour of the five - year project, hundreds of academicians exchanged ideas about manuscript studies and research. They discussed different approaches and the opportunity was found to meet on common ground. The work, consisting of 677 pages, includes codicology, paleography, textual criticism, scientific organization, cataloging, and preservation, taking into account the increasing importance of digitalization and positive sciences. In the book , manuscripts in various Eastern languages such as Turkish, Arabic, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Hebrew, and Slavic were analyzed with an interdisciplinary approach from a scientific perspective by myriad specialists such as linguists, historians, theologi ans, manuscript analysts, and analysts.


In a typical initial coin offering (ICO), an entrepreneur pre-sells digital tokens which will later serve as the medium of exchange on a peer-to-peer platform. We present a model rationalizing ICOs for launching such platforms: By transparently distributing tokens before the platform operation begins, an ICO overcomes later coordination failures during platform operation, induced by a cross-side network effect between transaction counterparties. Furthermore, a critical-mass requirement that arises from an endogenous same-side network effect during the ICO rationalizes several empirical patterns observed in ICO structures. Our model provides guidance for both regulators and practitioners to discern economically valuable ICOs.


Nanoparticle-polymer composite materials have widespread applications in fields such as: sensing, electronics, and biology, due to their desirable physical properties. However, many fabrication techniques render little control over nanoparticle incorporation, and homogeneity of the resulting material. This thesis focuses on the thermally induced embedding of silver nanocubes (AgNCs) into polymer surfaces. The AgNCs were deposited onto polymer films, through a Langmuir approach, which allows fine control over nanoparticle density in the monolayer. The AgNC monolayer was then heated above the glass transition temperature of the polymer, which facilitates the irreversible incorporation of the AgNCs into the polymer. Embedding of the AgNCs were monitored in real-time, through spatially separated hybrid plasmonic resonances supported by the AgNCs when deposited onto the polymer film, which allowed the determination of a surface layer on top of the bulk polymer with enhanced mobility as well as diffusion constants for the embedding process.


Knowledge of the ranging behavior and spatial requirements of a species is fundamental for establishing meaningful conservation strategies. Such information is lacking for the middle spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius), a species endangered throughout its westpalearctic range. By radiotracking, we studied spacing behavior of this habitat specialist in a lowland oak forest of northeastern Switzerland from 1992-1996. Home range and core area size decreased from winter to late spring, with males and females having home ranges of similar size. Overlap of male home ranges was highest in winter (up to 40%) and lowest in late spring, whereas core area overlap remained low. For both home ranges and core areas, overlapping parts were used randomly in winter but more often than expected in early spring. Overlap of female ranges and of core areas did not change from early to late spring, and the shared parts of these home ranges were used as expected in both seasons. Aggressive interactions were most common in March and April and occurred mainly between individuals of the same sex. Our results suggest that the middle spotted woodpecker is not territorial in winter but defends nearly exclusive territories during spring, with both sexes participating to similar degrees in territorial defense. Based on this seasonal territoriality, we propose consideration of core areas in early spring (Mar and Apr) as a reliable estimate of the area requirements of the species to be used in management plans.


Although the diagnosis of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) is traditionally made morphologically in tissue sections, it is now possible to diagnose CHL by flow cytometry (FC). In an effort to identify additional antigens on Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells that might be useful for immunophenotyping this lymphoma by FC, we examined the expression of CD123 (a chain of the IL-3R) on HRS cells and compared this with the expression of CD123 in other lymph node samples (372 tissue specimens, including 98 reactive and 274 neoplastic cases), using a nine-color FC reagent combination including anti-CD123. CD123 was found to be expressed on the majority of HRS cell populations (59% of 59 CHL lymph nodes examined), rarely on B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) (3 of 3 hairy cell leukemia cases, 3 of 29 chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) cases, 1 of 55 large B-cell lymphoma cases, but not on 95 other B-cell NHL examined), and in none of the 16 T-cell NHL cases examined. In reactive lymph nodes, CD123 expression was largely limited to plasmacytoid dendritic cells and rare histiocyte populations that can readily be distinguished from HRS populations. As the expression of this antigen is shown to be relatively limited in Band T-NHL and in reactive lymph node populations, assessment of CD123 expression is useful for supporting the FC diagnosis of CHL. VC 2010 International Clinical Cytometry Society


This study designed various 2-MW fully superconducting motors with the recently developed REBa2Cu3 O7-δ (RE: Rare Earth, Y, Gd, Eu, REBCO) superconducting tapes to determine an optimum structure. The ac loss and critical current properties of the REBCO tapes were investigated and adopted in the design and analysis of the motor. The motors were designed by setting the operating temperature and the magnitude of magnetic field at the gap as parameters, and the properties of each motor were evaluated through numerical simulations with commercially available two-dimensional analysis software. Various factors, such as ac loss in the windings, efficiency, and the length of the required REBCO tapes, were evaluated, and the dependence of these factors on the operating temperature <italic>T</italic>, magnetic loading <italic>B</italic>g, and diameter of motor <italic>D</italic> were analyzed. The ac loss induced in the armature windings could be reduced by our original technique, which involves scribing into a multifilamentary structure and special winding of the tapes. As a result, the motor could achieve an efficiency of 97.2% under optimum conditions, in which the REBCO tape is scribed into a 10-filament structure. Setting lower <italic>B</italic>g and higher <italic>T</italic> is more favorable for enhancing efficiency, whereas the condition of lower <italic>B</italic>g and <italic>T </italic> is more favorable for achieving compactness and lightness.


The volumetric positioning precision of CNC machine tools is the key factor to get high machining precision, so the analysis, measurement and compensation of the volumetric error is becoming more and more important. In this paper, the modeling results of 3-axes CNC machine tools with four different configurations are given based on rigid body theory and homogeneous coordination transformation matrices. An improved sequential step diagonal measurement method is proposed and analyzed because the current laser measurement methods are complex and time cost. At the final section of the paper, the measurement data was applied into the error compensation and the sequential step diagonal measurement method was validated efficient and convenient.


The location problem of treatment and service facilities in municipal solid waste (MSW) management system is of significant importance due to the socio-economic and environmental concerns. The consideration of waste treatment costs, environmental impact, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, social fairness as well as other relevant aspects should be simultaneously taken into account when a MSW management system is planned. Development of sophisticated decision support tools for planning MSW management system in an economic-efficient and environmental friendly manner is therefore important. In this paper, a general multi-objective location-allocation model for optimally managing the interactions among those conflicting factors in MSW management system is proposed. The model is comprised of a three-stage conceptual framework and a mixed integer mathematical programming. The inclusion of environmental impact and GHG emission objectives push the output of the model tightening towards more environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions in MSW management. The application of this model is demonstrated through an illustrative example and the computational efficiency of the programming is also tested through a set of incremental parameters. Latter in this paper, a comparison with previous case studies of MSW system design is presented in order to show the applicability and adaptability of the generic model in practical decision-making process, and the perspectives of future study are also discussed.


BACKGROUND
An advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs)-rich diet induces significant increases in inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction markers in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

OBJECTIVE
The aim was to investigate the acute effects of dietary AGEs on vascular function in T2DM patients.

DESIGN
Twenty inpatients with T2DM [x (+/-SEM) age: 55.4 +/- 2.2 y; glycated hemoglobin: 8.8 +/- 0.5%] were investigated. In a randomized crossover design, the effects of a low-AGE (LAGE) and high-AGE (HAGE) meal on macrovascular [by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD)] and microvascular (by Laser-Doppler flowmetry) function, serum markers of endothelial dysfunction (E-selectin, intracellular adhesion molecule 1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1), oxidative stress, and serum AGE were assessed. The meals had identical ingredients but different AGE amounts (15.100 compared with 2.750 kU AGE for the HAGE and LAGE meals, respectively), which were obtained by varying the cooking temperature and time. The measurements were performed at baseline and 2, 4, and 6 h after each meal.

RESULTS
After the HAGE meal, FMD decreased by 36.2%, from 5.77 +/- 0.65% (baseline) to 3.93 +/- 0.48 (2 h), 3.70 +/- 0.42 (4 h), and 4.42 +/- 0.54% (6 h) (P<0.01 for all compared with baseline). After the LAGE meal, FMD decreased by 20.9%, from 6.04 +/- 0.68% (baseline) to 4.75 +/- 0.48% (2 h), 4.69 +/- 0.51% (4 h), and 5.62 +/- 0.63% (6 h), respectively (P<0.01 for all compared with baseline; P<0.001 for all compared with the HAGE meal). This impairment of macrovascular function after the HAGE meal was paralleled by an impairment of microvascular function (-67.2%) and increased concentrations of serum AGE and markers of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress.

CONCLUSIONS
In patients with T2DM, a HAGE meal induces a more pronounced acute impairment of vascular function than does an otherwise identical LAGE meal. Therefore, chemical modifications of food by means of cooking play a major role in influencing the extent of postprandial vascular dysfunction.


Head-mounted displays (HMDs) have been available for several years now, but uptake has been slow so far. The objective of this study was to gain insight into preferences on anticipated use in the early phase of HMDs with augmented reality. A survey was conducted among Dutch students following a nursing or social work education (N=100). Results showed that almost nobody had ever used a HMD. The areas of high interest of anticipated use of HMDs lies especially in receiving information regarding emergencies via the HMD if something is happening close to people's physical location and news and general information about physical location. For potential use functionalities, the most interesting functions reported by respondents were using HMDs for hands-free calling and receiving information about their behavioral patterns with regard to movement. The attitudes towards receiving non-visible cues in social interaction such as detecting stress levels or mood were all reported with a negative attitude. More than half of the respondents reported to have an intention to use a HMD in the future.


This article argues that Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, a AAA First-Person Shooter, is not only politically themed, but presents in itself a critical engagement with the politics of its genre and its player base. Developed at the height of #Gamergate, the game is interpreted as a response to reactionary discourses about gender and ability in both mainstream games and the hardcore gamer community. The New Colossus replaces affirmation of masculine empowerment with intersectional ambiguities, foregrounding discourses of feminism and disability. To provoke its players without completely alienating them, the game employs strategies of carnivalesque aesthetics—especially ambivalence and grotesque excess. Analyzing the game in the light of Bakhtinian theory shows how The New Colossus reappropriates genre conventions pertaining to able-bodiedness and masculinity and how it "resolves" these issue by grafting the player character's head on a vat-grown Nazi supersoldier-body. The breaches of genre conventions on the narrative level are supported by intentionally awkward and punishing mechanics, resulting in a ludo-narrative aesthetic of defamiliarization commensurate to a grotesque story about subversion and revolt. Echoing the ritualistic cycle of death and rebirth at the heart of carnivalesque aesthetics, The New Colossus is nothing short of an ideological re-invention of the genre.


Between 1829 and 1833 the first complete edition of Scott's fiction appeared, in 48 volumes issued one a month, each illustrated with two engravings, and with introductions and notes by Scott himself. The Magnum Opus, as it was familiarly called, was a project which aimed to reduce the enormous debt of over 126,000 which landed on Scott during the financial crisis of 1825-26, but it was much more than an exercise in book-making. Scott's introductions are semi-autobiographical essays in which he muses on his own art and the circumstances which gave rise to each of his works of fiction. His notes illustrate his text, sometimes with simple glosses, sometimes by quotations from historical sources, but most strikingly with further narratives which parallel rather than explain incidents and situations in the fiction.These volumes constitute the first systematic representation of Scott's contributions to his last great edition, the edition which defined the final shape of Scott's fiction for the nineteenth century. They conclude the publication of the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels, and as they include addenda and corrigenda covering the whole 28 volumes of Scott's fiction in the EEWN, they are an indispensable conclusion to the set. But above all they illustrate the parabolic imagination of the man who made the historical novel an intellectual force."


ABSTRACT Residential mobility in a Sub-Saharan African (SSA) context is substantially different from in the Global North. This paper provides three position statements to substantiate this claim. The first relates to residential mobility dynamics and posits that in SSA they are characterized by a much more transient and mobile population who frequently move to, from, between and within urban areas. Secondly, formal mechanisms that enable access to decent living conditions in the city are largely absent as compared to most of the Global North context and, as a consequence, poor households have to resort to other options to find a place in the city. Thirdly, real estate markets in SSA are less transparent as social networks interplay with market mechanisms and markets often function on the edge of or outside formal regulatory frameworks. The second part of the paper reflects on the implications of these differences for the African city. It argues that (1) translocal living reduces place attachment to the city, (2) processes of residential sorting and ethnic exclusion aggravate spatial inequality, and (3) limited spatial governance leads to developments that go beyond the capacity to sustain the city.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder of aging. The pathological hallmark of PD is neuronal inclusions termed Lewy bodies whose main component is alpha-synuclein protein. The finding of these Lewy bodies in the intestinal enteric nerves led to the hypothesis that the intestine might be an early site of PD disease in response to an environmental toxin or pathogen. One potential mechanism for environmental toxin(s) and proinflammatory luminal products to gain access to mucosal neuronal tissue and promote oxidative stress is compromised intestinal barrier integrity. However, the role of intestinal permeability in PD has never been tested. We hypothesized that PD subjects might exhibit increased intestinal permeability to proinflammatory bacterial products in the intestine. To test our hypothesis we evaluated intestinal permeability in subjects newly diagnosed with PD and compared their values to healthy subjects. In addition, we obtained intestinal biopsies from both groups and used immunohistochemistry to assess bacterial translocation, nitrotyrosine (oxidative stress), and alpha-synuclein. We also evaluated serum markers of endotoxin exposure including LPS binding protein (LBP). Our data show that our PD subjects exhibit significantly greater intestinal permeability (gut leakiness) than controls. In addition, this intestinal hyperpermeability significantly correlated with increased intestinal mucosa staining for E. coli bacteria, nitrotyrosine, and alpha-synuclein as well as serum LBP levels in PD subjects. These data represent not only the first demonstration of abnormal intestinal permeability in PD subjects but also the first correlation of increased intestinal permeability in PD with intestinal alpha–synuclein (the hallmark of PD), as well as staining for gram negative bacteria and tissue oxidative stress. Our study may thus shed new light on PD pathogenesis as well as provide a new method for earlier diagnosis of PD and suggests potential therapeutic targets in PD subjects. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01155492


Intelligent mechanical fault diagnosis has developed very fast in recent years due to the advancement and application of deep learning technologies. Thus, there are many deep learning network models that have been explored in fault classification and diagnosis. However, there are still limitations in research on the relationship between fault location, fault type, and fault severity. In this paper, a novel method for diagnosis of bearing fault using hierarchical multitask convolution neural networks (HMCNNs) is proposed, taking into account the mentioned relationships. The HMCNN model includes a main task and multiple subtasks. In the HMCNN model, a weighted probability is used to reduce the classification error propagation among multitasks to improve the fault diagnosis accuracy. The validity of the proposed method is verified on bearing datasets. Experimental results show that the proposed method is very effective and superior to the existing methods.


The main thrust of this work is to treat the initial convective phase of a fluid heated from below as a statistical initial value problem. The advantage of the approach is that it allows a continuous bandwidth of modes to be represented in the initial spectrum. We show that if the initial disturbance field is small and has a sufficiently smooth spectrum, then a natural statistical selection process chooses from the initial disorder a perfectly ordered field of single rolls. The scale of this roll is the scale corresponding to the most critical wave-number obtained from the linear stability problem. We relate this solution to the optimal solution which would be obtained by the upper bound procedures of Howard, Malkus and Busse. Moreover, we show in addition, that if the initial disturbance field is weighted in favour of a particular single roll whose scale is close to critical, the final solution reflects the initial condition providing a certain stability criterion is met. In the two-dimensional case we analyze, this turns out to be the Eckhaus stability condition previously obtained by a discrete multimodal analysis.