The Na+/proline transporter of Escherichia coli (PutP) is a member of a large family of Na+/solute symporters. To investigate the role of Arg residues which are conserved within this family, Arg40 at the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane domain (TM) II and Arg117 in cytoplasmic loop 4 of PutP are subjected to amino acid substitution analysis. Removal of the positive charge at position 40 (PutP-R40C, Q, E) leads to a dramatic decrease of the V(max) of Na(+)-coupled proline uptake (1-10% of PutP-wild-type). The reduced transport rates are accompanied by decreased apparent affinities of the transporter for Na+ and Li+ while the apparent affinity for proline is only slightly altered. Furthermore, single Cys PutP-R40C reacts with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), and this reaction is partially inhibited by proline and more efficiently by Na+ ions. Remarkably, NEM modification of Cys40 inhibits Na(+)-driven proline uptake almost completely while facilitated influx of proline into deenergized cells is stimulated by this reaction, suggesting an at least partially uncoupled phenotype under these conditions. These results suggest that Arg40 is located close to the site of ion binding and is important for the coupling of ion and proline transport. The observations confirm the functional importance of TM II described in earlier studies [M. Quick and H. Jung (1997) Biochemistry 36, 4631-4636]. In contrast to Arg40, Arg117 is apparently not important for function of the mature protein. The low transport rates observed upon substitution of Arg117 (PutP-R117C, K, Q) can at least partially be attributed to reduced amounts of PutP in the membrane. However, once inserted into the membrane, PutP containing Arg117 replacements shows a stability comparable to the wild-type as indicated by pulse-chase experiments. These observations suggest that Arg117 plays a crucial role at a stage prior to complete functional insertion of PutP into the membrane, i. e., by stabilizing a folding intermediate.


GENSINI, F., et al.; Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme and Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Polymorphisms in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation. Experimental studies have shown a significant increase in angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) expression in atrial tissue of AF patients. ACE regulates the synthesis of endothelial nitric oxide (NO), which modulates autonomic nervous activity involved in the development of AF. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of ACE insertion/deletion and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) T‐786C, G894T, and 4a/4b polymorphisms in 148 patients with persistent AF, compared with 210 control subjects. ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism genotype distribution and allele frequency were significantly different between patients and controls ( P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001 , respectively). ACE DD genotype was significantly associated with the risk of AF (OR DD/ID + II = 3.24, P < 0.0001) . Analysis of eNOS polymorphisms showed no significant difference in genotype distribution and allele frequency between patients and controls. The results suggest a possible role of ACE DD genotype as a predisposing factor to AF and a pathophysiological mechanism of ACE inhibition in reducing the incidence of AF in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. (PACE 2003; 26[Pt. II]:295–298)


The management of patients in the early period of craniocerebral trauma according to a psychotherapeutic program comprising reasonable psychotherapy, prolonged hypnotic sleep, psychotherapeutic passes, a mental hygiene complex, and a special variant of autogenous training increases essentially the efficacy of treatment of patients and the possibility of their return to work. The bordering neuropsychic disorders and inadequate personal reactions to the disease are deactualized.


Pentachlorophenol (PCP, Penta) got its foothold as a wood preservative in the United States because it extends the lifetime of wood products up to 40 years, even in adverse conditions. It is also an effective herbicide and biocide. Because of this effective nature against pests, it was applied as a protectant in many areas of agriculture and manufacturing. The site utilized in this study has been a receiver of penta wastewater from a wood product treating facility. To comply with mandated cleanup, injection wells for air injection were installed in 2000. These were used until 2011, when they upgraded the airsparging system and included enhanced biosparging. Shortly after this, 400 hybrid poplar and cottonwood trees were planted in the area for an added aspect of phytoremediation. The latest remediation protocol for the site utilizes in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) with dilute hydrogen peroxide, started in 2015. A set of nine wells were sampled monthly following ISCO treatment. Metabolites were extracted from water samples using a novel modified liquid microextraction protocol, followed by analysis on an Agilent GC 6890 to determine the presence of chlorinated compounds resulting from the degradation of penta (ongoing through April 2016). We expect to determine the concentration of chlorinated metabolites, analyze the spatial distribution of these compounds across the site, and make recommendations as to the future of remediation treatments for this location.


Multi supply in sensitive areas as an inverter based Microgrid is necessary for improving reliability and stabilizing the network in case of losing one or some of the electricity generation units. In addition, islanded mode of Microgrids is a guarantee of continuing operation during black out or failing stiff power system. In order to utilize variety types of distributed generations and renewable energies in Microgrid structure, usage of Power Electronic Interfaces (PEI) is inevitable. As a result, Frequency Tracking (FT) method with decentralized control in order to stabilizing inverter-based Microgrid is introduced. In the proposed novel method, all generation units follow the frequency of one generation unit as a Master and provide required power in network after deployment of Droop Control. The simulation results of proposed control system on two distinct networks in PSCAD confirm its proper functioning.


What does advertising do? Does it create needs and desires? Is it the faith of a secular society? If so, why does it inspire so little devotion? "Advertising, the Uneasy Persuasion" is a clear-eyed account of advertising as both a business and social institution. Instead of fuelling the moral indignation surrounding the industry, or feeding fantasies of powerful manipulators, Michael Schudson offers a balanced appraisal of how advertising really works, or fails to work. Encompassing a broad survey of academic debate about advertising, he presents a clear assessment of advertising in its wider sociological and historical framework, persuasively concluding that advertising is not nearly as important, effective, or scientifically founded as either its advocates or its critics imagine. Schudson evaluates not only advertising but consumer society generally, challenging the most common critiques of consumer society to argue that criticism of consumer capitalism is as old a tradition as consumer capitalism itself.


ABSTRACT MIC results for 115 Staphylococcus intermedius group isolates are presented. Of these, 33% were methicillin resistant, among which 51.4% were susceptible to doxycycline, 29.7% to clindamycin, and 21.6% to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. All of the isolates were susceptible to ceftaroline, daptomycin, linezolid, nitrofurantoin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, rifampin, tigecycline, and vancomycin. Of all the isolates, 82.6%, 67.8%, and 23.5% were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and penicillin, respectively. No isolates harbored mupA or qacA/B genes, which suggested a lack of resistance to mupirocin or chlorhexidine.


We have designed a high quality factor cavity that is based on a bound state in the continuum and harnessed its properties to demonstrate a novel type of surface emitting laser. We have experimentally demonstrated lasing action in this compact nanophotonic laser at room temperature with a very low threshold power.


The term 'Baba' is used to refer to the Straits-born Chinese or Peranakans. The Babas boast a unique culture and way of life that is an amalgamation of Chinese and Malay customs and etiquette. Their culture is perhaps best captured in the beautiful clothing, stunning jewellery, pretty porcelain and other artefacts used in daily living. Girls were taught, from a young age, how to cook a variety of elaborate meals as well as crafts such as beading and embroidery. The result is a rich legacy of splendid kebayas (embroidered blouses), beadwork and various other items. Through lavish, full-colour photographs of Peranakan artefacts and clothing, this book explains the origins of the various customs and traditions. While some customs are still practiced today, other more complicated ones have disappeared as modern babas adapted to contemporary lifestyles which are deemed more convenient and practical.


Abstract Remarkably few attempts have been made to estimate contemporary effective population size (Ne) for parasitic species, despite the valuable perspectives it can offer on the tempo and pace of parasite evolution as well as coevolutionary dynamics of host–parasite interactions. In this study, we utilized multi-locus microsatellite data to derive single-sample and temporal estimates of contemporary Ne for a cestode parasite (Schistocephalus solidus) as well as three-spined stickleback hosts (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in lakes across Alaska. Consistent with prior studies, both approaches recovered small and highly variable estimates of parasite and host Ne. We also found that estimates of host Ne and parasite Ne were sensitive to assumptions about population genetic structure and connectivity. And, while prior work on the stickleback–cestode system indicates that physiographic factors external to stickleback hosts largely govern genetic variation in S. solidus, our findings indicate that stickleback host attributes and factors internal to the host – namely body length, genetic diversity and infection – shape contemporary Ne of cestode parasites.


ABSTRACT Selected strains of nonpathogenic rhizobacteria can induce a systemic resistance in plants that is effective against various pathogens. In an assay with bean plants, we investigated which determinants of the rhizobacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7NSK2 are important for induction of resistance to Botrytis cinerea. By varying the iron nutritional state of the bacterium at inoculation, it was demonstrated that induced resistance by P. aeruginosa 7NSK2 was iron-regulated. As P. aeruginosa 7NSK2 produces three siderophores under iron limitation, pyoverdin, pyochelin, and salicylic acid, we investigated the involvement of these iron-regulated metabolites in induced resistance by using mutants deficient in one or more siderophores. Results demonstrated that salicylic acid production was essential for induction of resistance to B. cinerea by P. aeruginosa 7NSK2 in bean and did not exclude a role for pyochelin. A role for pyoverdin, however, could not be demonstrated. Transcriptional activity of salicylic acid and pyochelin biosynthetic genes was detected during P. aeruginosa 7NSK2 colonization of bean. Moreover, the iron nutritional state at inoculation influenced the transcriptional activity of salicylic acid and pyochelin biosynthetic genes in the same way as it influenced induction of systemic resistance to B. cinerea.


We started clinical research on local hyperthermia in breast cancer in 1979. In the first ten years, the research was aimed mainly on development of heating techniques, while at the same time, the clinical results were evaluated. The majority of the patients was treated with hyperthermia in addition to reirradiation. The contribution of hyperthermia to the treatment results was studied in a randomised fashion and appeared to be substantial. Since 1994, the combined treatment is applied standardly to patients with breast cancer recurring in previously irradiated areas. In this paper, some aspects of clinical application of superficial hyperthermia are described. The quality of the available equipment must be known and assured. Only patients should be selected in whom the whole volume to be treated with hyperthermia will receive sufficient energy. The patients need a detailed explanation of the treatment procedure and instructions concerning their own role in monitoring the temperature distribution. The staff should be well trained, well motivated and caring. Further, we find that evaluation of the temperature distribution achieved during each treatment session, before the next treatment is given, is helpful in improving the quality of a treatment series. When necessary, the application technique is adjusted to improve the temperature distribution. In our unit, we achieve 74% complete tumor response in patients with recurrent breast cancer following hyperthermia combined with reirradiation to a total dose of 32 Gy.


Purpose: Diabetes imposes a significant economic burden on employers, particularly when including productivity costs. Given the great interest on multicomponent lifestyle interventions in these individuals, we assessed the short-term and long-term efficacy of a structured lifestyle modification program, My Unlimited Potential, among employees with diabetes of Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a large non-for profit health-care system. Design: This is a pre- and post-effectiveness of a workplace health promotion program. Setting: Worksite intervention at BHSF. Participants: The study analyzed the data of 93 employees with diabetes involved in a worksite wellness program after completion of a year long program. Intervention: The intervention was an intense lifestyle modification program that was targeted to the individual needs of the participants. Measures: Cardimetabolic risk factors such as body mass index (BMI), weight, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and maximal oxygen consumption. Analysis: Paired 2-sample t tests for means and descriptive statistics were used. Results: A mean decrease of 0.6 percentage points was observed in HbA1c values from baseline to 12 months. Weight, BMI, blood pressure, and lipid profile improved significantly after 12 months. Conclusion: This study suggests worksites with existing health promotion programs, and health-care staff can effectively deliver a diabetes prevention program that appears to have a long-term impact on employee health.


The Su(f) protein of Drosophila melanogaster shares extensive homologies with proteins from yeast (RNA14) and man (77 kD subunit of cleavage stimulation factor) that are required for 3' end processing of mRNA. These homologies suggest that su(f) is involved in mRNA 3' end formation and that some aspects of this process are conserved throughout eukaryotes. We have investigated the genetic and molecular complexity of the su(f) locus. The su(f) gene is transcribed to produce three RNAs and could encode two proteins. Using constructs that contain different parts of the locus, we show that only the larger predicted gene product of 84 kD is required for the wild-type function of su(f). Some lethal alleles of su(f) complement to produce viable combinations. The structures of complementing and noncomplementing su(f) alleles indicate that 84-kD Su(f) proteins mutated in different domains can act in combination for partial su(f) function. Our results suggest protein-protein interaction between or within wild-type Su(f) molecules.


The purpose of this study was to determine the precise role of angiotensin subtype-1 (AT1) and -2 (AT2) receptors and the mechanisms by which they act to alter fluid transport in the rat jejunum. In rats on normal sodium intake, ANG II at low dose stimulated net jejunal fluid absorption, whereas at a high dose the peptide inhibited absorption. Low-dose ANG II-stimulated fluid absorption was blocked completely by the specific AT2 receptor antagonist PD-123319 (PD) but was unchanged by the AT1receptor antagonist losartan (Los). The AT2 receptor agonist CGP-42112A, caused an inversely dose-dependent increase in fluid absorption, which also was totally prevented by PD but was unaltered by Los. Conversely, high-dose ANG II inhibition of absorption was blocked by Los but not by PD. In animals receiving normal sodium intake, neither Los nor PD alone altered fluid absorption. In sodium-restricted animals, however, Los alone increased absorption and PD alone inhibited absorption. In rats on normal sodium intake, low-dose ANG II increased jejunal interstitial and luminal (loop) fluid concentrations of cGMP. These increases in cGMP were blocked with PD but not with Los. 8-Bromoguanosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate administered via the mesenteric artery or the submucosal interstitial space markedly increased absorption, but it inhibited absorption when administered into the loop. High-dose ANG II decreased jejunal interstitial and loop fluid cAMP and increased PGE2. The increase in PGE2 was blocked by Los but not by PD. The data demonstrate that ANG II mediates jejunal sodium and water absorption by an action at the AT2 receptor involving cGMP formation. The data also show that ANG II inhibits absorption via the AT1 receptor by a mechanism that is both negatively coupled to cAMP and increases jejunal PGE2 production.


Ethyl benzene is a volatile organic compound that is widely used in various industries. Ethyl benzene is a hazardous air pollutant not only for the environment but also for human health and hence there is a possibility of carcinogenesis in long-term exposure. Considering the fact that ethyl benzene is photo catalytic activity based in removal of VOCS vapors under visible light irradiation leading to serious health problems, the present study aimed to evaluate the gas-phase from airflow using photo catalytic property of titanium dioxide on 13X zeolite, in Ahvaz, Iran. In this experimental study, the characteristics of the catalysts were determined using BET method, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy scanning (FESEM). Ethyl benzene vapors were produced using a dynamical condenser system and the efficiency of removal of ethyl benzene vapor depletion was investigated using 13X/UV and13X/UV/TiO2 (5 wt. %). The obtained results of the images and spectra from XRD, and FESEM showed good signs of immobilization. The findings revealed that the removal efficiency decreased by increasing the concentration from 25 ppm to 125 ppm and increasing the flow rate from 0.5 to 1.00. The removal efficiency at concentrations of 25, 75, and 125 was 57.8%, 37/2 %, and 24/64, respectively. The results showed that the use of substrates increased the efficiency of photo catalytic removal, by about 60%. It is therefore suggested that these adsorption and photo catalytic combination systems be used to remove other volatile organic compounds in the gas phase.


The study of prevalence of Cx26 gene mutations in children suffering from congenital and prespeech non-syndromal hypoacusis was conducted in Russian population since 2001. The screening of this group of children showed that 35delG mutation occurred in 53%. This index depends on the region and clinical characteristics of the groups studied. Thus, in the family burden it increased to 65% and more. The article presents clinical characteristics of hearing problems caused by 35delG mutation in Cx26 gene. Clinical evidence was obtained on 197 patients with the affected genotype (146 homozygotes and 51 heterozygotes by deletion). Most of deletion homozygotes were diagnosed early (under 1 year) and had bilateral neurosensory hypoacusis with frequent severe hearing loss (75.7%). No family burden was seen in 47% patients with abnormal genotype. In the group studied only 24% cases had no familial burden. 20% children were born by mother with abnormal pregnancy and delivery, 2.5% had the history of severe infections except meningitis, 11.7% - of first year diseases. Cx26 gene mutations were diagnosed in half cases of hypoacusis in children whose parents attribute hearing loss to administration of antibiotics.


Higher levels of nitrated lipoproteins (NT-HDL and NT-LDL) were found in blood and atherosclerotic plaques of patients with coronary artery disease. We aimed to examine the relationship between plasma NT-HDL and NT-LDL and diabetic vascular dysfunction. The study included 125 African-American patients with T2DM. NT-HDL and NT-LDL were quantified by ELISA. Microvascular function was assessed by vascular reactivity index (VRI). Large artery stiffness was assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was assessed by B-mode ultrasound imaging. In univariate analysis, NT-HDL was associated with VRI in total population and in patients with HbA1c more than or equal to 7.0 percent (beta= -0.178, p= 0.034; beta = -0.265, p= 0.042; respectively). In contrast, NT-LDL was associated with CIMT in total population and in patients with HbA1c more than 7.0 percent (beta = -0.205, p= 0.022; beta = -0.244, p= 0.042; respectively). Multivariable-adjusted regression analysis demonstrated that NT-HDL independently predicted VRI outcome in total population and in well-controlled patients (beta = -0.282, p= 0.014; beta = -0.400, p= 0.035, respectively). These results suggest that NT-HDL could be used as marker to identify diabetic patients at risk of developing early microvascular complications.


Background: Given the characteristics of SARS-CoV2 in regard to transmission before the onset of symptoms and varying manifestation indices according to age, isolation and quarantine have limited efficacy in the current pandemic. Household quarantine in second degree contacts (Hh-Q2°) outside the case household was so far only addressed by modellers. There is no publication based on field data in the literature.Methods: In a retrospective cohort study on real field data from a county health department (CHD), all PCR-confirmed cases and related contact persons put into quarantine were analysed. Hh-Q2° was used in our CHD from the beginning of the pandemic.Results: From 9 March to 8 December 2020, 353 PCR-confirmed cases were registered in the CHD Ploen, Northern Germany: 225 (63.7%) primary, 107 (30.3%) secondary and 21 (5.9%) tertiary cases. The 107 secondary cases resulted out of 470 (22.8%) close or 1°contacts and 21 tertiary cases out of 179 (11.7%) indirect or 2°contacts put into quarantine. The efficacy of Hh-Q2° was 51.5% (11.7%/22.8%) of the efficacy of quarantine in 1°contacts; 16.4% of all converted cases in quarantined persons were ascertained by Hh-Q2°. One in ten 1°contacts in households with tertiary cases remained asymptomatic.Conclusion: The impact of Hh-Q2° in preventing further spread of SARS-CoV2 was considerable. With half the conversion rate in 2°contacts in comparison to 1°contacts, the efficacy of Hh-Q2° is substantial. Hh-Q2° should urgently be used routinely to control the spread of SARS-CoV2 more efficiently and national authorities should include it in their guidelines.


Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening condition characterized by compression of the heart due to pericardial accumulation of different types of fluid and requires prompt diagnosis and immediate therapeutic intervention. Echocardiography is the most useful imaging technique to diagnose the cardiac tamponade and to evaluate the size, location, and hemodynamic impact of the pericardial effusion. Emergency pericardiocentesis is the procedure used for the aspiration of the fluid from the pericardial space in patients with significant pericardial effusion which determines hemodynamic compromise (cardiac tamponade). Emergency pericardiocentesis in children is performed under local anesthesia and is echocardiographic-guided. The first step of echocardiographic-guided pericardiocentesis is to assess the dimension and distribution of the pericardial fluid and the optimal trajectory of the needle in order to efficiently evacuate the pericardial fluid. The transducer is situated 3–5 cm from the parasternal border and the trajectory of the needle is established by the angle of the transducer. The needle is positioned between the xiphoid process and the left costal cartilages and is advanced, while a continuous aspiration is performed. It is important to avoid the neighboring vital organs (heart, liver, lung, internal mammary artery, and the intercostal vascular bundle). Complications which can occur are as follows: dysrhythmias, puncture of coronary artery or mammary artery, hemothorax, pneumothorax, pneumopericardium, and hepatic injury.


Improving generalization in text-based games serves as a useful stepping-stone towards reinforcement learning (RL) agents with generic linguistic ability. Data augmentation for generalization in RL has shown to be very successful in classic control and visual tasks, but there is no prior work for text-based games. We propose Transition-Matching Permutation, a novel data augmentation technique for text-based games, where we identify phrase permutations that match as many transitions in the trajectory data. We show that applying this technique results in state-of-the-art performance in the Cooking Game benchmark suite for text-based games.


The emergence of Deaf culture and recent developments in identity research fueled by cultural diversity has ignited exploration of identity development in deaf people. The issue of how individuals go through the process of developing identities related to being deaf is now receiving much attention. Two major theoretical models in the literature, specifically racial identity development models and bicultural/acculturation models are presented and then discussed in terms of how they might apply to deaf people. Subsequently, we describe two separate measures that have been developed to empirically test the application of these models to deaf populations. While research on both measures indicates good psychometric properties, ongoing reconceptualization of social identity models that may explain how deaf people develop identities related to Deaf and hearing societies continues to be necessary. It is hoped that these measures will lead to better understanding of the relationship between aspects of identity and healthy psychological adjustment in deaf people.


The current study explored trainee therapists' experiences in alliance-focused training (AFT), a form of group supervision focused on training therapists to recognize and negotiate alliance ruptures. We analyzed interviews with 36 former trainees who received AFT during their predoctoral psychology internships. Findings centered on trainees' views of the central AFT tasks of videotape analysis, awareness-oriented role-plays, and mindfulness training; the supervisor's stance, including the provision of support and validation and the extent to which the supervisor served as a positive role model; and the impact of AFT on trainees' clinical skills. Many trainees reported that AFT increased their awareness, acceptance, and comfort with navigating ruptures, but some trainees reported that AFT supervisory tasks were anxiety-provoking and that AFT made them less comfortable in session. The findings underscore the challenges that AFT presents for trainees, who are asked to take risks in supervision, and for supervisors, who need to create a safe space for trainees and model sensitivity to supervisory ruptures. The findings also point to the potential benefits for trainees who feel safe and supported enough to explore the most challenging therapeutic moments in the context of a group supervision.


Total mesorectal excision (TME) is the gold standard for rectal cancer surgery since Heald standardised the technique, which required sharp dissection within the mesorectal plane to remove the primary tumour and the associated lymph nodes. This was shown to improve the oncological outcomes and allow preservation of the sphincter, with resultant good quality of life (1). In addition, a distance of 2 cm from the surgical margins was shown to be oncologically safe (2). This has allowed more sphincter saving operations to be performed for rectal cancer with less compromise of oncological outcomes.


Abstract 492 Background: The anti-CD20 antibody, rituximab, is increasingly being used as a treatment for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The concern about rare occurrences of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in this population and the reliance on vaccine responses in patients who ultimately require splenectomy calls for additional studies into the integrity of the immune system after rituximab treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate both the antibody and cellular responses to the Streptococcus pneumoniae polysaccharide vaccine and to the Haemophilus influenza type b ( Hib ) conjugate vaccine in rituximab-treated patients with ITP. Methods: Adults with primary ITP and a platelet count below 30 x10 9 /L who had participated in a randomized trial of rituximab or placebo were eligible for this prospective sub-study. Six months after the study intervention, patients were given the S. pneumoniae polysaccharide vaccine (Pneumovax-23®, Merck) and the Hib conjugate vaccine (ActHIB®, Aventis). Antibodies against the pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (anti-PCP) and Hib polyribosyl-ribitol phosphate (anti-PRP) were measured by EIA. A bactericidal assay was used to measure the ability to eradicate Hib in culture. An adequate antibody response was defined as a 4-fold increase in antibody concentration from baseline in the first month post vaccination. IgG anti-PRP ≥ 1 μg/mL was considered protective. For the bactericidal assay, a 4-fold increase from baseline was considered positive. CD3 + T-cells and total (CD19 + ), naive (CD19 + , CD27 − ), memory (CD19 + , CD27 + , CD38 − ) and pre-plasma (CD19 low , CD27 hi , CD38 hi ) B-cells were determined by flow cytometry before and after vaccinations. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) secreting T-cells were measured by elispot. Results: Patients who had been randomized to receive rituximab (n=14) or placebo (n=6) participated in this prospective study. Compared with placebo, fewer patients in the rituximab group achieved an adequate antibody response to S. pneumonia vaccine (21.4% versus 66.7%) or the Hib vaccine (28.6% versus 83.3%). These results correlated with a reduced bactericidal effect of anti-PRP antibodies observed in patients treated with rituximab compared with placebo (14.2% versus 83.3%). Two patients in the rituximab group demonstrated an adequate rise in antibody titer but with no functional bactericidal activity. In addition, 3 patients who did not mount an adequate antibody response, had IgG anti-PRP titers below protective levels and did not demonstrate bactericidal activity in vitro were considered Hib vaccine failures. There were no Hib vaccine failures in the placebo group. In the rituximab group, total number of B-cells declined rapidly after treatment (1.895 × 10 4 /mL) relative to the placebo group (5.65 × 10 4 /mL) and never fully recovered even 1 year post-treatment. Resting memory B-cells were significantly reduced after rituximab and remained at low levels even up to 1 year. Conversely, naive B-cells recovered to near normal levels within 6 months of treatment. Activated pre-plasma B-cells increased following vaccination in the placebo group; yet, this response was variable in patients who had received rituximab. CD3 + T-cell numbers were unaffected by rituximab and vaccination; however, the number of IFN-γ- secreting T-cells were lower in the rituximab group. Conclusions: Rituximab treatment was associated with an impaired antibody response to vaccination, which in some patients was only demonstrated by impaired bactericidal activity. The expected increase in B-cell subsets was not observed following vaccination in the rituximab group, and T-cells, while normal in number, demonstrated functional impairments. Our findings characterize subtle defects in immunity which may persist after rituximab treatment. Disclosures: Off Label Use: Rituximab is not licensed for use with ITP patient. Kelton: Amgen: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Hoffman-LaRoche: Research Funding. Arnold: Amgen: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Hoffman-LaRoche: Research Funding.


We introduce the concept of a sensitive E-approximation, and use it to derive a more efficient algorithm for computing &-nets. We define and investigate product range spaces, for which we establish sampling theorems analogous to the standard finite VC-dimensional case. This generalizes and simplifies results from previous works. We derive a simpler optimal deterministic convex hull algorithm, and by extending the method to the intersection of a set of balls with the same radius, we obtain an O(n log3 n) deterministic algorithm for computing the diameter of an n-point set in 3-dimensional space.


In this paper, we introduce FitMe, a facial reflectance model and a differentiable rendering optimization pipeline, that can be used to acquire high-fidelity renderable human avatars from single or multiple images. The model consists of a multi-modal style-based generator, that captures facial appearance in terms of diffuse and specular reflectance, and a PCA-based shape model. We employ a fast differentiable rendering process that can be used in an optimization pipeline, while also achieving photorealistic facial shading. Our optimization process accurately captures both the facial reflectance and shape in high-detail, by exploiting the expressivity of the style-based latent representation and of our shape model. FitMe achieves state-of-the-art reflectance acquisition and identity preservation on single "in-the-wild" facial images, while it produces impressive scan-like results, when given multiple unconstrained facial images pertaining to the same identity. In contrast with recent implicit avatar reconstructions, FitMe requires only one minute and produces relightable mesh and texture-based avatars, that can be used by end-user applications.


The health effects of intra-ethnic conflict include hatred and fear among neighbors and friends who have become enemies. The dehumanization of specific groups through concomitant stereotyping does not stop when conflicts end. The inability to see former enemies as real people impedes reconciliation. While much attention has been paid to the reconstruction of infrastructure and the establishment of rule of law, little thought has been given to what is required at the day to day level in order to restore a sense of interpersonal security. To reverse the destruction of social and familial networks that normally sustain health and well-being, a process of rehumanization must occur. We suggest that the promotion of empathy is a critical component of reconciliation.


Oral ulcers are generally painful lesions that are related to various conditions developing within the oral cavity. They can be classified as acute or chronic according to their presentation and progression. Acute oral ulcers are be associated with conditions such as trauma, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, Behçet's disease, bacterial and viral infections, allergic reactions or adverse drug reactions. Chronic oral ulcers are associated with conditions such as oral lichen planus, pemphigus vulgaris, mucosal pemphigoid, lupus erythematosus, mycosis and some bacterial and parasitic diseases. The correct differential diagnosis is necessary to establish the appropriate treatment, taking into account all the possible causes of ulcers in the oral cavity. In the first part of this two‐part review, acute oral ulcers are reviewed.


In this study, optimization of microwave (MW) pretreatment conditions for anaerobic digestion of green microalgae (Enteromorpha) is carried out by using response surface methodology (RSM). MW power, pretreatment time and liquid-solid ratio were selected as independent variables for optimization. The optimum conditions were achieved at MW power, pretreatment time and liquid-solid ratio of 656.92 W, 5.10 min and 33.63:1, respectively. From these optimum conditions, it was found that MW pretreatment power of about 600 W had better effect. An anaerobic digestion was carried out batch-wise with working volume, operating temperature and mixing rate as 250 ml, 37 °C and 150 rpm, respectively. Optimum conditions provide highest amount of COD and reducing sugar increase of 10,420 mg/L and 0.77-0.79 g/L respectively. The increase in COD and reducing sugar showed that the pretreatment has improved anaerobic digestion of microalgae. The peak biogas production amount of MW pretreated 20:1, 6 min group reached 244 mL whereas the control group only reached 188 mL in total.


Thermal camouflage technologies, which aim at blending the infrared (IR) signature of targets into the background to counter the IR detection, have witnessed increasing development. To achieve thermal camouflage, the rule of thumb is to balance the thermal radiation between the target and the background, and the corresponding conductive strategy is to tune the local temperature field while the radiative strategy is to tune the local emissivity. Following these two basic strategies, the thermal metamaterials and wavelength-selective emissivity engineering to achieve thermal camouflage are first introduced. Then the more advanced dynamic strategies are reviewed that can adapt to the varying environment under the external stimuli, like electricity, light, strain, chemical, wetting, temperature, etc. Particularly the phase-changing and bioinspired materials are presented and reviewed. Finally, critical considerations on the challenges and opportunities of next-generation thermal camouflage technologies are elaborated and four future directions are cast, including temperature-responsive emissivity engineering, soft materials, multispectral camouflage, and detection-feedback system. Overall, a detailed introduction to the working principle, the state-of-the-art progress, and the critical thinking on the future development on thermal camouflage technologies are presented.


It is a basic tenet of patent law that an invention must have utility in order to be capable of patent protection. This principle is recognised by the Patents Act 57 of 1978 (the current Act) as one of the essential requirements of patentability and thus a lack of utility is a ground of revocation of a patent. However, to date, this ground of revocation has not received much judicial attention. This has changed in a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Marine 3 Technologies Holdings (Pty) Ltd v Afrigroup Investments (Pty) Ltd and Another 2015 (2) SA 387 (SCA). Unfortunately the decision is based on what is, in my opinion, an erroneous interpretation of the provisions of the current Act.


A Middle or Late Triassic volcanic vent structure, named the Tioga Pass caldera, is exposed near the eastern boundary of Yosemite National Park, California. The caldera and related volcanic and plutonic rocks—part of an early Mesozoic continental-margin magmatic arc in east-central California—formed prior to or during an episode of contractional deformation in the arc. Field relationships show that a widespread 222 Ma rhyolitic ash-flow tuff was erupted as an extensive outflow sheet during the formation of the caldera. The Late Triassic Lee Vining Canyon pluton may represent the subvolcanic magma chamber that was partially evacuated during the eruption of the ash-flow tuff. The caldera wall is now exposed as a highly irregular boundary between prevolcanic basement and intracaldera rocks that formed by a combination of initial caldera collapse and subsequent intracaldera intrusive and extrusive events. Intracaldera rocks include a thick section of Triassic metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks on Gaylor Peak, together with the Dana sequence on Mount Dana. All of the Triassic rocks of the Saddlebag Lake pendant later underwent strong deformation and metamorphism involving folding and thrusting during Middle Jurassic time. The caldera fill is now exposed in the lower plate of an east-vergent Jurassic thrust, which emplaced lower Paleozoic through Jurassic(?) metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks structurally above the caldera fill. The results of this study indicate that caldera formation may occur in a contractional arc setting. Structural and stratigraphic relationships described here may also provide clues to recognition of other caldera and vent complexes in highly deformed metavolcanic sequences in the western United States and elsewhere.


This paper reports on a doctoral research project which examines the nature of the learning experience of
using an eportfolio and whether it enhances the development of critical thinking among online distance
learners. It aims to interrogate the process of the development of critical thinking rather than the product.
The project adopts a case study approach, following 24 online distance learners over the course of one
academic year in a Dublin based third level institution.
The research question for the study is: How can eportfolios enhance the nature of the learning experience
and the development of critical thinking among online distance learners? This study is using an exploratory
holistic single-case design where the "object of the study" is the of the learner experience of using an
eportfolio and the process of developing critical thinking are investigated.
The participants are intermediate online distance sociology learners studying a module called Soc3A- Power,
Social Order, Crime, Work and Employment as part of the BA (Hons) in Humanities which is a modular
humanities programme whereby learners can study a combination of history, sociology, literature,
psychology and philosophy. Participants have used their eportfolios to create a critical commentary of their
learning and completed five eportfolio entries over the course of one academic year at key points in their
learning journey. Eportfolio entries follow a prescribed structured template of critical questions intended to
encourage reflection about their learning.
Within this case study 37 interviews were conducted for an in-depth exploration of the learner experience of
using an eportfolio and the development of criticality. The participants were interviewed with their
eportfolios, written, visual and physical artefacts from the participant's eportfolios were used as stimulus
during the interviews using the technique of "photo elicitation".


Indexes of retinopathy and nephropathy were studied in a large population of diabetics using standardized methods. In each of 973 subjects, more than 100 other variables were also measured: this made It possible to take into account many confounding factors when we examined the relationships of these variables to microangiopathy. The most powerful risk factor for microangiopathy was duration of diabetes, but frequency of both retinopathy and nephropathy was impressively related to the level of plasma glucose at the time of examination. This latter relationship was independent of the effects of other variables. Risk of retinopathy was also related to factors that were probably associated with higher previous plasma glucose levels—need for insulin therapy, history of ketonuria, present level of plasma triglyceride, leanness, and younger age of onset of diabetes. In subjects with a systolic blood pressure of less than 170 mm Hg and who did not have proteinuria, no significant relationship was found between blood pressure and frequency of retinopathy, but, when the systolic pressure was greater than 169 mm Hg, rates of retinopathy were excessive, even In those subjects without proteinuria. Several other factors had no significant relationship to retinopathy or nephropathy: these included age, level of education, smoking, and plasma cholesterol. Rates of severe nephropathy were somewhat greater In men than in women, but this difference was not statistically significant. Rates of retinopathy and of mild proteinuria were similar in men and women. After adjustment for duration of diabetes, the risk of retinopathy was no higher in the 102 subjects with two diabetic parents than in the 254 who had no family history of diabetes.


Summary. To examine the characteristics of 'young'human red cells, we studied blood from seven healthy male volunteers who developed systemic reticulocytosis during a 3‐week blood donation period. Each of these subjects donated a total of 6 units (450 ml/unit) of blood (2 units/week for 3 weeks) with subcutaneous recombinant erythropoietin (SC rEPO; 200 U/kg daily for 3 weeks). Two of these subjects were also studied with a similar protocol in the absence of rEPO (4 · 5 · 0 · 5 units donated). SC rEPO administration was associated with an increased K content of the erythrocyte and with the appearance of hypochromic cells, which were initially normocytic and then became normochromic and microcytic. Measurements of cation transport revealed that, with the exception of the Na‐K‐Cl cotransport, all the systems studied increased their activities following blood donations with or without SC rEPO. The increase was highest in the K‐Cl cotransport (2‐ and 5‐fold for control and rEPO parts of the study, respectively), while the Na‐K pump increased slightly in control and 40% with rEPO. The Na‐Li countertransport increased 40% and 100% in the control and rEPO parts of the study, respectively. Concomitant with increased ion transport activity, electron microscopic studies of plasma and red cells of subjects receiving SC rEPO showed the presence of circulating exosomes and cytoplasmic multivesicular bodies. The transferrin receptor was detected in the circulating exosomes, thereby providing evidence that, as do nonhuman red cells, maturing human reticulocytes shed exosome‐associated transferrin receptors.


This paper presents a method for finding a median line or lines for a set of weighted points on a plane. This line is defined as the one that minimizes the sum of weighted perpendiculars from the points to the line. Among the possible applications is the design of transportation corridors.


[1] In recent times it has become increasingly clear that releases of trace gases from human activity have a potential for causing change in the upper atmosphere. However, our knowledge of systematic changes and trends in the temperature of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere is relatively limited compared to the Earth s lower atmosphere, and not much effort has been made to synthesize these results so far. In this article, a comprehensive review of long-term trends in the temperature of the region from 50 to 100 km is made on the basis of the available up-to-date understanding of measurements and model calculations. An objective evaluation of the available data sets is attempted, and important uncertainly factors are discussed. Some natural variability factors, which are likely to play a role in modulating temperature trends, are also briefly touched upon. There are a growing number of experimental results centered on, or consistent with, zero temperature trend in the mesopause region (80–100 km). The most reliable data sets show no significant trend but an uncertainty of at least 2 K/decade. On the other hand, a majority of studies indicate negative trends in the lower and middle mesosphere with an amplitude of a few degrees (2–3 K) per decade. In tropical latitudes the cooling trend increases in the upper mesosphere. The most recent general circulation models indicate increased cooling closer to both poles in the middle mesosphere and a decrease in cooling toward the summer pole in the upper mesosphere. Quantitatively, the simulated cooling trend in the middle mesosphere produced only by CO2 increase is usually below the observed level. However, including other greenhouse gases and taking into account a "thermal shrinking" of the upper atmosphere result in a cooling of a few degrees per decade. This is close to the lower limit of the observed nonzero trends. In the mesopause region, recent model simulations produce trends, usually below 1 K/decade, that appear to be consistent with most observations in this region.


The File Room began as an idea–an abstract construction which developed into a prototype of an interactive and open system, locating and addressing the concept of cultural censorship. The File Room is a social sculpture, first physically installed at the Chicago Cultural Center, but remains an open interactive system on the Internet for people to contribute information and dialogue as well as research censorship cases.


Background/Context The sustainability of change efforts continues to be an important and challenging question in educational research. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study By examining 13 programs aimed at increasing student voice in school reform, this article examines conditions that enable and constrain the sustainability of this challenging form of educational change. Population/Participants/Subjects The 13 high schools in this study all received grant funding from a local foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area to work on building a student voice initiative in their school. All the grant recipients and their schools in the sample were situated within an urban environment, either within an inner city or a bedroom community in the Bay Area that possessed urban characteristics of the region. These characteristics include an ethnically diverse population comprising students of Asian, Latin, African, and European descent, insufficiently funded public schools, and high concentrations of poverty. Intervention/Program/Practice When placed into practice, student voice initiatives provide youth with opportunities to participate in school decision-making that will shape their lives and the lives of their peers. Student voice can range from the most basic level of youth sharing their opinions of problems and potential solutions, to allowing young people to collaborate with adults to address the problems in their schools, to youth taking the lead on seeking change. Research Design This study consists of a multiple case study designed for the purpose of explanation building. Data Collection and Analysis Semistructured telephone interviews served as the primary data source for this article. Observations, documents, and external evaluations served as validity checks and sources of triangulation for this study. Findings/Results The data indicate that the persistence of a student-voice effort after the initial influx of funds and support disappeared requires support from an intermediary organization (IO)—an organization located outside the auspices of school walls. IOs can help with fostering a clear and long-term vision, providing a more stable source of leadership, identifying ongoing financial and collaborative resources, and building a network for knowledge generation and sharing. Conclusions/Recommendations Although they are a part of many reform initiatives, partnerships with IOs are usually considered to be short-term relationships during the implementation phase of an initiative. This research instead suggests that IOs might be better suited as long-term partners in many change efforts. An awareness of the important roles that IOs can play in the long-term work toward change could help researchers, practitioners, and policy makers think more intentionally about how to plan for stabilizing such partnerships as an avenue toward sustaining reform initiatives.


Background. In recent years, nocturnal enuresis (NE) has been classified into monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) and nonmonosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NMNE) on the basis of the absence or presence of daytime voiding symptoms. Identifying clinical features that differentiate MNE from NMNE would aid in quick diagnosis, which would foster the introduction of early and appropriate therapeutic care options. Objective. To identify distinguishing characteristics of MNE and NMNE in Nigerian children. Methods. The parents of children in public primary and secondary schools in Egor local government area, Edo State, were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Results. The total studied population included 1 221 parent/child pairs. Of the children studied, 228 were enuretic. There were 149 (65.4%) MNE and 79 (34.6%) NMNE children. Enuretic children with a history of multiple wetting per night or whose parents observed difficulty awakening them from sleep were significantly more likely to be in the NMNE group. Conclusion. MNE is twice as common as NMNE and the main distinguishing features between the two groups of enuretic children are multiple wetting at night and difficulty awakening the child from sleep. These were significantly more commonly observed among the NMNE group of children.


The aim of this paper is to consider the temporality of the photographic frame. The paradoxical nature of the photograph lies in a unique instant-moment when the image is transcribed onto the photographic frame. In order to open up this temporality, we must also situate the photographic act in its surrounding. Opening up the temporality of the photographic frame leads me to consider the meaning of pasearse. The nature of this instant is that at one moment (at the same time), it belongs to a plane of immanence (Spinoza) or the temporality of duree (Bergson). Pasearse is a self-reflexive active verb that opens up a temporality where immanence and being coincide. Pasearse can help to define the photographic instant, if instant is described as transference. It is a temporality that enfolds and incorporates the past whilst remaining open towards the present.


A nonlinear two time-scale dynamic inversion controller is designed. Actuator saturation in the spinning missile will limit the control commands responses. And the periodic motion and the physical limits of the actuator's angle and angular velocity would make the respondent pseudo fin deflection angles much different from the desired dynamics. So a kind of command shaping method which limits the fin deflection angle commands in the pseudo body coordinates before the actuator's limiter is proposed. Meanwhile, a feedback compensation method is applied to eliminate the cross coupling between the pitch and yaw channels in the actuator due to the spinning of the missile. Finally the performance of the controller with the command shaping and decoupling treatment is analyzed.


The objective of this study was to examine whether a 50% ethanolic extract (MCS-ext) of the seeds of Morinda citrifolia (noni) and its constituents have matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) inhibitory activity in UVA-irradiated normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). The MCS-ext (10 μg/mL) inhibited MMP-1 secretion from UVA-irradiated NHDFs, without cytotoxic effects, at 48 h after UV exposure. The ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of MCS-ext was the most potent inhibitor of MMP-1 secretion. Among the constituents of the fraction, a lignan, 3,3'-bisdemethylpinoresinol (1), inhibited the MMP-1 secretion at a concentration of 0.3 μM without cytotoxic effects. Furthermore, 1 (0.3 μM) reduced the level of intracellular MMP-1 expression. Other constituents, namely americanin A (2), quercetin (3) and ursolic acid (4), were inactive. To elucidate inhibition mechanisms of MMP-1 expression and secretion, the effect of 1 on mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) phosphorylation was examined. Western blot analysis revealed that 1 (0.3 μM) reduced the phosphorylations of p38 and c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK). These results suggested that 1 suppresses intracellular MMP-1 expression, and consequent secretion from UVA-irradiated NHDFs, by down-regulation of MAPKs phosphorylation.


People with disabilities are just one of the groups designated for special attention in relation to equity in postsecondary education. This paper explores the way in which policies that provide academic accommodation for students disabled by chronic illness unfold in practice. As part of the administrative regime of the university, these policies are typically designed to reconcile the interests and relevances of the law with the interests and relevances of the academy. When a disabled student "activates" the policy, regardless of whether or not services and assistance are provided or are useful, the student becomes situated within social relations that make disabled students' "needs" manageable in the organizational context. As applicants for the institution's privileges and services, students actively participate in the accomplishment of the institutional order of the university, i.e., they fulfil the university's legal obligation not to discriminate against students with disabilities. This, I will argue, constitutes an exercise of power and preserves the existing social organization of the university, although it is normally understood as the university acting "in the interests of students with disabilities." Specifically, I show how the individualization of accommodation--ostensibly to meet each student's unique needs--shifts the obligation for change to individual students and instructors and forecloses opportunities for the university to become more genuinely accessible and inclusive. ********** People with disabilities are just one of the designated groups that have been targeted for special attention in relation to educational equity (Fortin, 1987). At academic institutions across Canada this has entailed the creation of a social "disabilities apparatus" organized around the concepts of accessibility and accommodation. In postsecondary education, accessibility refers to the institution's legal obligation to create genuine opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in all aspects of university life. The duty to accommodate, as one aspect of the duty not to discriminate, requires the institution to take an active part in modifying those practices, facilities, or services that prevent the inclusion and participation of otherwise qualified students who are disabled (BCEADS, 1996). Improving accessibility includes making changes in the built environment and providing specialized adaptive equipment to disabled students. Accommodation usually involves procedural changes and modifications in teaching and academic evaluation practices that are individualized according to each disabled student's unique needs. Exactly what constitutes an accommodation is a matter of law: courts have the ultimate authority in Canada to define the meaning of the term and the extent of the responsibility of the institution to provide it (BCEADS, 1996). In this paper, I use an institutional ethnographic approach (Smith, 1987, 1999) to explore the more difficult procedures entailed by providing academic accommodation, especially in relation to students disabled by chronic illness. While chronic illness does not fit the more taken for granted understanding of disability--usually because it is less visible, or "invisible"--it still complies with the criteria set out by the United Nations definition of disability (Allbrecht, 1992; Wendell, 1996; Williams, 1998). In fact, people with chronic illnesses constitute a significant proportion of people with disabilities (Russell, 1989; Zola, 1994). And although many are reluctant to identify themselves as "disabled"(Charmaz, 1999; Gadacz, 1994; Gordon and Feldman, 1998; Linton, 1998; Russell, 1989; Wendell, 1996), most students with chronic illnesses depend on disability policies in order to take advantage of postsecondary educational opportunities. In this paper, I challenge the assertion that academic accommodation fulfils the university's moral and legal obligation to ensure the full inclusion of students disabled by chronic illness. …


This paper presents some biographical notes, both personal and professional, for Dr. Manuel Justo Dominguez Quintanar; a native of Queretaro, who over 80 years lived firsthand the historical stages in which Mexico turned into an independent country: from the First Federal Republic to the Porfiriato. He had an active participation in them all; either as a doctor, a teacher, administrator or politician. He was renowned for his charity work, especially in the Foundling House (The Cradle), which made him years later, to be considered as the founder of rational childcare and the creator of technical pediatrics in Mexico.


By means of a SQUID magnetometer, the irreversibility temperatures and magnetization transitions of an ITER-type internal-Sn Nb3Sn superconducting wire were measured during warming and cooling cycles at a fixed magnetic field. The results obtained show that the irreversibility temperature T*(H) is strongly dependent on A15 phase composition and can be used to optimize the heat treatment process for the internal-Sn Nb3Sn wire. The A15 phase composition in internal-Sn Nb3Sn wire is temperature independent for full-time reaction. From T*(H) and magnetization transition analysis, the heat treatment condition of our ITER use wire is optimized as 675 degC/128 h, which results in the best A15 phase composition suitable for high-field application


Producing high-quality software has been one of the greatest challenges of the development market in the last few years. The software testing is the essence of the quality assurance, but the implementation of this activity is still difficult due to many factors. This paper presents some factors that influence on the adoption of a testing process. Some of these factors were outlined in the literature, and others were selected empirically based on the work experience obtained in a large company. Besides, this paper presents the results of a survey carried out to identify factors that make difficult the implementation of software testing process in small-sized software organizations and a proposed approach of a testing process to them.


Objective: Postoperative sore throat and other airway morbidities are common and troublesome after endotracheal intubation general anesthesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dexamethasone added to intracuff lidocaine on decreasing the respiratory complications after general anesthesia. Materials and Methods: In a retrospective study, 207 patients that were under general anesthesia and scheduled for tracheal intubation, randomly divided to four groups based on endotracheal tube cuff filling (48 patients with air (group A), 52 patients with lidocaine 2% (group L), 54 patients with dexamethasone 4mg (group D) and 53 patients with lidocaine 2% plus dexamethasone 4mg (group LD)). Chi-square test used to compare two categorical variables or T-test for to compare the means in two variables. P-value


Muslim women have been caught in a tag- of- war between the forces of preserving Muslim family identity and advocates of its reform along the line of gender equality and International human rights. Given the current socio-political milieu at the global arena, the horizons for this tension to evaporate seem dim anytime soon. Reacting to Western human rights criticism of Islamic family law, the conservative camp regard any attempt at reforming Islamic family law as a naked invasion of Western imperialism on Muslim personal domain. Reform proponents, on the other hand, indict conservative interpretation of Islamic family law as the primary cause of women oppression in Muslim societies. Accordingly, they constantly endeavour to lobby for reform of Muslim family law using either international bills of rights or gender equality as the framework. Consequently, Muslim women`s rights in the family has become a matter of paradoxical exegeses. To break this deadlock, this paper argues for a mediated solution by using critical content analysis of the two trends as a way forward for Shari`ah-based reform in Malaysia.


Combinatorial procurement auctions are increasingly being employed in the private and public sector as an alternative to simultaneous single contract auctions. This mechanism has the advantage that it enables suppliers to express synergies across bundles of public contracts. This mitigates the exposure problem and also has the potential to both lower the price paid by the procuring authority and to enhance efficiency. This paper provides stylized facts of recently performed combinatorial public procurements in various markets in Sweden.


The objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate mortality and morbidity from asthma in Mexico by federative entity (state) of residence, age, and sex during the period between 1960 and 1988. Statistics published by the National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Information Science were reviewed, as were vital statistics and information from other sources. Data were selected on mortality, hospital admissions, and outpatient visits, as well as population by federative entity, age, and sex. Mortality and morbidity rates were adjusted for age using the direct method. From 1960 to 1987, mortality decreased for both sexes. The groups with the highest asthma mortality were those under 4 years of age and those over 50. From 1960 to the present, the state with the highest mortality was Tlaxcala. Hospitalizations increased from 10 to 140 per 100,000 population for the country as a whole. When both outpatient visits and hospitalizations were considered, the morbidity rates rose from 180 to 203.4 per 100,000 between 1960 and 1970. In 1970, hospital morbidity was higher among males than females. From 1960 up to the 1990s, the highest rates of hospitalization and outpatient visits were registered among those under 4 and those over 60. The states with the highest asthma hospitalization rates were Morelos, Baja California Sur, Nuevo León, Durango, and Tamaulipas. It is concluded that asthma mortality in Mexico is showing a downward trend, while morbidity is increasing considerably, especially among adolescents.


Five hundred years ago, on 22 May 1511, the architect, engineer, scholar, and Franciscan friar Fra Giovanni Giocondo of Verona published his edition of the Ten Books on Architecture of Vitruvius. Printed in Venice (by Giovanni Tacuino da Tridino), Giocondo's was the fourth edition of Vitruvius to emerge in this new medium; the first, edited by Giovanni Sulpizio da Veroli, had been published in Rome, probably between 1486 and 1487, followed by a Florentine edition in 1496 and a Venetian edition in 1497; evidently Vitruvius was beginning to command a growing interest, at least in Italy, by the end of the fifteenth century.1 Giocondo, however, took special pains to make his version of Vitruvius more useful to readers than any of its predecessors: he provided woodcut illustrations—136 of them, a glossary of architectural terms, and a key to the curious symbols that Vitruvius uses for units of measure in his tenth book. Furthermore, Giocondo took a much more aggressive approach to what an editor can or should do with an ancient text. Both for the merits of its ancient author and for those of its early modern editor, the Fra Giocondo Vitruvius would turn out to be one of the most influential books of the sixteenth century. It served as a fundamental basis for the practice of architecture in early modern Europe, and through its circulation among European merchants, colonists, and missionaries, for the rest of the world.2

The book may also have been influential for more subtle reasons. Vitruvius wrote his Ten Books for the emperor Augustus as a demonstration that architecture should be included among the liberal arts. Made broadly accessible by printing, illustration, study, and a more intelligible Latin text in 1511, the ancient architect's philosophical statements about liberal education, aesthetics, and the status of …


Essays on the Economics of Technological Change and the Environment Eugenie Dugoua Technological change bears the promise of addressing environmental problems without reneging on economic development. However, taping its full potential requires an understanding of its drivers and barriers. The three chapters of this dissertation are a modest attempt at casting light on some of the factors that can foster technological change towards more environmental-friendly technologies. In Chapter One, I provide the first quantitative evidence that the Montreal Protocol, and its following amendments to protect the ozone layer, triggered a large increase in research and innovation on alternatives to ozone-depleting molecules. To do this, I use the full text of patents and scientific articles and implement a difference-in-differences strategy and a synthetic control method. To compare molecules' chemical and industrial characteristics, I construct descriptive variables by applying machine learning techniques to the documents' text. In Chapter Two, I investigate barriers to adopting solar lanterns in the context of rural Indian households. I design and implement a randomized controlled trial on people's willingness to pay for such lanterns, and find that, despite the relative simplicity of the product, information barriers to adopting solar lanterns remain high. Chapter Three theoretically investigates firm-level barriers to green technological change. I outline a mechanism that explains why coordination at the industry level might be necessary. I argue that radical innovations (such as electric cars) require complementary innovations in interdependent components, and show that, when technological change requires investment by both suppliers and producers, coordination within an industry is needed and can be difficult to obtain.


ABSTRACT This Special Editorial on the Climate Emergency makes the case that although we are living in the time of Global Climate Emergency we are not yet acting as if we are in an imminent crisis. The authors review key aspects of the institutional response and climate science over the past several decades and the role of the economic system in perpetuating inertia on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Humanity is now the primary influence on the planet, and events in and around COP24 are the latest reminder that we live in a pathological system. A political economy has rendered the UNFCCC process as yet a successful failure. Fundamental change is urgently required. The conclusions contain recommendations and a call to action now.


Adolescents' obesity is a major concern in our modern life that could lead to significant increase in the rate of obese future generations and consequently in the health budget. The ASSO (Adolescence Surveillance System for Obesity prevention) project in Italy is tackling this new pandemic using the new e-technology through a multi facets monitoring system on life style including food consumptions, meal patterns and habits, alcohol, smoking, physical activity, fitness and sedentariness, and biological/genetic, and socio-cultural/environmental characteristics of adolescents. The project has been recently piloted in the South of the country. This chapter summarizes the design and structure of the ASSO system, its implementation and the results of an evaluation process for its possible extension to the whole Italian territory and to other European realities as a national surveillance system.


Autoencoders are a deep learning model for representation learning. When trained to minimize the distance between the data and its reconstruction, linear autoencoders (LAEs) learn the subspace spanned by the top principal directions but cannot learn the principal directions themselves. In this paper, we prove that $L_2$-regularized LAEs are symmetric at all critical points and learn the principal directions as the left singular vectors of the decoder. We smoothly parameterize the critical manifold and relate the minima to the MAP estimate of probabilistic PCA. We illustrate these results empirically and consider implications for PCA algorithms, computational neuroscience, and the algebraic topology of learning.


The proliferation of online and digital data in our world yields unprecedented opportunities for connecting physical and digital parametric models with live data input and feedback. Tangible interfaces and augmented displays provide theatrical settings for designers to visualize real-world data and experience realtime feedback while manipulating physical and digital models on the table. This paper proposes a new approach to design workflow, where physical model and virtual model can be interconnected and informed in realtime by multiple analytical datasets and live data streams. Using 3D scanning, blob detection, and multi-touch techniques, multidimensional tangible interfaces and augmented displays presented in this paper demonstrate a powerful new approach for designing and interacting with physical models, materials, and environmental data.


Summary Lactoferrin, an iron-binding glycoprotein that is abundant in milk of some species, has been suggested to play a key role in the absorption of iron in human infants. This hypothesis is based on the dominant role of lactoferrin as an iron-binding component in human milk and on the occurrence of lactoferrin receptors in brush-border membranes in infants' intestines. The piglet may be a useful model to evaluate the biological activity of lactoferrin because we have previously found the presence of a lactoferrin receptor in brush-border membranes from suckling piglets. In this study, viable enterocytes were isolated from 6− to 20-day-old suckling piglets. Binding studies were performed at 4°C using 125I-labeled porcine lactoferrin. Scatchard analysis of equilibrium binding data showed an apparent binding constant (Kd) of 2 x 10-6 M (SD = 0.6 x 10-6). This affinity is in close agreement with previous results obtained using isolated brush-border membrane vesicles. Bovine lactoferrin inhibited the binding of porcine lactoferrin. Porcine transferrin, however, did not affect porcine lactoferrin binding significantly. Thus, lactoferrin binding is highly specific. When enterocytes were incubated with 125I-labeled lactoferrin at 37°C, the amount of cell-associated radioactivity exceeded the surface binding capacity of the cells by almost fivefold. This finding agrees with the continuous binding and subsequent internalization of 125I-labeled lactoferrin. The isolated piglet enterocyte seems to provide a useful model for further studies of the mechanism of receptor-mediated absorption of lactoferrin.


Each subunit in a homopentameric Cys-loop receptor contains a specialized coupling region positioned between the agonist binding domain and the ion conductive channel. To determine the contribution of each coupling region to the stability of the open channel, we constructed a receptor subunit (α7-5-HT3A) with both a disabled coupling region and a reporter mutation that alters unitary conductance, and coexpressed normal and mutant subunits. The resulting receptors show single-channel current amplitudes that are quantized according to the number of reporter mutations per receptor, allowing correlation of the number of intact coupling regions with mean open time. We find that each coupling region contributes an equal increment to the stability of the open channel. However, by altering the numbers and locations of active coupling regions and binding sites, we find that a coupling region in a subunit flanked by inactive binding sites can still stabilize the open channel. We also determine minimal requirements for channel opening regardless of stability and find that channel opening can occur in a receptor with one active coupling region flanked by functional binding sites or with one active binding site flanked by functional coupling regions. The overall findings show that, whereas the agonist binding sites contribute interdependently and asymmetrically to open-channel stability, the coupling regions contribute independently and symmetrically.


A matching pursuit method based on Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transform (DT-CWT) is proposed for extracting feature. Many new orthogonal wavelet bases formed Hilbert transform pairs is constructed by the method which is based on the sufficient and necessary condition on constructing wavelet, via the flat delay filter, and translated the problem into resolving algebraic equations. And taking these wavelets as choice object, a matching pursuit method based on DT-CWT is used for extracting feature. The matching pursuit method is based on series expansion of the signal by a set of elementary functions of orthogonal wavelets formed Hilbert transform pairs to match feature more effectively. Simulation testing and field experiments confirm that the proposed method is effective especially in extracting impulsive feature on high intensity noise, which matching pursuit method based on Discrete Wavelet Transform and other wavelet de-noising methods based on threshold and frequency-band, etc cannot do it completely.


Eastern and Southern Africa Centre of International Parasite Control (ESACIPAC) conducted stool examinations for soil transmitted helminthiases (STH) and Schistosoma mansoni, among school children in Mwea Division, Central Kenya where both infections are endemic. Mass drug administrations (MDAs) were then conducted in 2004 and 2005 using schoolteachers trained on how to administer treatment, physically and psychologically prepare the children to take the medication, have them eat before treatment, handle minor and refer serious side effects to local health facilities. Local health workers were on standby to help manage severe side effects. This study examined side effects of the drugs and the teachers' preparedness to handle the children when such effects occurred. No serious side effects requiring referral to the health centre occurred and the minor ones observed were temporal. In 2005 children in Mwea schools were treated with albendazole 400mg and praziquantel 40mg/kg body weight while those of Ndia, a neighboring division treated with only albendazole 400mg since there was low S.mansoni prevalence. Monitoring of side effects was done in two schools of Ndia and in three of Mwea through a questionnaire distributed to grade three pupils a week after treatment. Of 73 pupils from Mwea, 49.7% reported incidences of stomachache, vomiting/nausea, headache and dizziness whereas 39.2% of 186 from Ndia experienced incidences of cough, stomachache and headache. This shows that more pupils from Mwea, (albendazole and praziquantel) than from Ndia (albendazole alone) experienced minor side effects. These results show that both drugs have temporary, minor side effects, which can be managed by trained schoolteachers by ensuring that the school children do not swallow the drugs on an empty stomach and rest immediately after swallowing the drugs but should be closely monitored by health personnel. In this study, one trained schoolteacher could administer treatment to three hundred children in one day, which makes the approach cost effective and should be adopted nationally. Keywords : albendazole, praziquantel, soil transmitted helminthiasis, schistosomiasis


The influence of composite additives, 2,2′-bipyridine (BPY) and potassium antimonyl tartrate (PAT), on the electrochemical behavior of a 5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DMH)-based cyanide-free silver plating bath was investigated by experiments and quantum chemical calculations. The cathodic discharge process of the cyanide-free silver plating bath was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. CVs with different sweep rates and cathodic polarization measurements performed on a glassy carbon rotating disk electrode (GC-RDE) were employed to investigate the influence of composite additives on kinetic features of the discharge process of electroactive species. Without and with additives, the nucleation processes of silver deposition from these two electrolytes both exhibit three-dimensional progressive nucleation according to the chronoamperometry (I–t) measurements. In order to reveal the relevance between the inhibitive influence of additives and their molecular structures, the electronic properties of BPY and PAT were studied by quantum chemical calculations. The adsorption behaviors of BPY and PAT on the silver surface were further investigated by theoretical calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results are in good agreement with each other, which confirms that BPY and PAT are effective additives for DMH based silver plating baths due to their ability to strongly adsorb on silver surfaces.


The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is the main element upon which the sustainable biophysical and socio-economic organizations of the oasis ecosystem are based. The present study was carried to understand the phenology and the architecture of the date palm female inflorescence. The vegetal material was composed of two Tunisians cultivars of Phoenix dactylifera L. 'Kenta' and 'Rochdi'. The observations are taken place in Gabes. Generally the inflorescence development is acrotone. The opening of date palm spathes follows a 4-steps gradient during 3 to 6 weeks after the beginning of his emergence. The inflorescence rachis is bilateralized with one ramification order corresponding to the spikelets which are organized in pseudoverticils. The measurement of the descriptive parameters shows some differences between the two varieties and allows executing realistic models.


Abstract This paper reports the findings of a scoping review designed to identify research which has explored the relationship between cognitive impairment and homelessness. A systematic search of databases for articles published between 2007 and 2017 was conducted using keywords relating to cognitive impairments and homelessness. Sources were expanded using manual searches of citations and grey literature. Forty studies represented in 45 papers were selected for review using predefined inclusion criteria. Sources were subject to quality appraisal and data were extracted in line with review questions. Prevalence studies were over‐represented in the review, while qualitative data were lacking. Aetiology of impairments was delineated by acquired and developmental causes. A variety of measures were employed by studies which were not validated in homeless populations. Studies did not give sufficient consideration to co‐occurring disorders and overlapping symptoms between aetiologies. Because of these factors, it was difficult to conclude that all studies had accurately measured what they set out to; however, the evidence suggested that cognitive impairment was disproportionately over‐represented in homeless populations. Cognitive impairment was found to be both a risk factor to and perpetuator of homelessness. Risk factors for homelessness were similar to those of the general population, though exaggerated by sequelae of certain cognitive impairments. The results of this review suggest that more attention needs to be paid to the underlying socioeconomic disadvantages, persons with cognitive impairments face which may lead to homelessness. Further research should prioritise the voice of homeless persons with cognitive impairments, to better understand both causes of homelessness and effective methods of rehabilitation.


For obvious reasons a number of historians have looked back to Europe in the 1920s to see what lessons can be learned from the rise of fascism during that time. Some, such as Timothy Snyder, have drawn powerful lines of connection to the period, while others, like Enzo Traverso, have cautioned that the two situations are too dissimilar to be productively compared. At issue, fundamentally, is the old principle of historia magistra vitae (history as the teacher of life), which assumes, as Reinhart Koselleck has demonstrated, a basic constancy in human experience over time and across culture—an assumption that is dubious for many of us, to say the least. Already before the rise of fascism one hundred years ago there were intimations of "the fascist personality," and even though characterological types are subject to the same objections as historical lessons (how can any such transcendental category be valid?), some of these speculations might still be instructive, if for no other reason than they can point to differences in the present. As Koselleck suggests, the recognition of incomparability is a historical lesson in its own right.


The in vitro survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 at 15°C under two experimental conditions (sterile soil and sterile natural water) was examined. DNA microarrays of the entire set of E. coli O157:H7 genes were used to measure the genomic expression patterns after 14 days. Although the populations declined, some E. coli O157:H7 cells survived in sterile stream water up to 234 days and in sterile soil for up to 179 days. Cells incubated in soil microcosms for 14 days expressed genes for antibiotic resistance, biosynthesis, DNA replication and modification, metabolism, phages, transposons, plasmids, pathogenesis and virulence, antibiotic resistance, ribosomal proteins, the stress response, transcription, translation, and transport and binding proteins at significantly higher levels than cells grown in Luria broth. These results suggest that E. coli O157:H7 may develop a different phenotype during transport through the environment. Furthermore, this pathogen may become more resistant to antibiotics making subsequent infections more difficult to treat.


Brown, red and green algae from the Southeastern coast of Brazil were successively extracted with chloroform/methanol 2:1 and 1:2 (v/v). The crude lipid extract was partitioned according to Folch and the lower phase enriched in glycolipids was fractionated on a silica gel column chromatography eluted with chloroform, acetone and methanol. Three major orcinol-reactive bands present in the acetone and methanol fractions were detected by thin-layer chromatography with chromatographic mobilities corresponding to sulfoglycolipids and glycosyldiacylglycerols. These fractions exhibited potent antiviral activity against HSV-1-ACVs and HSV-1-ACVr and present low toxicity for cell cultures. Purification and identification of these bioactive glycolipids will be necessary in order to elucidate their primary structures and mechanism of action.


Product DescriptionAmazon Cloud Computing With C#/.Net providesA comprehensive look at the emerging Amazon Web Services Platform and a peep into the emerging paradigm of cloud computing from the perspective of the leading Cloud vendors offerings. It will enable you to plan migration efforts from enterprise softwares to ones operating from the cloud. The book is technical in nature and walks the reader through development of tools and programs which work with AWS. The book is accompanied by the complete source code to the excercises covered in the book, which can be downloaded from the authors website. 'A no fluff just stuff' approach to utilizing AWS.Amazon Cloud Computing With C#/.Net covers- EC2- CloudWatch- Elastic LoadBalancing- AutoScaling- S3- Virtual Private Cloud- SimpleDB- RDS- CloudFront- SQS- Elastic MapReduce- Agile Continous Integration with AWS


An analytical solution of the two-group diffusion equations is derived for multiregion source-driven subcritical systems in spherical geometry. An analytical formulation for the calculation of the effective multiplication factor is also presented. Using typical two-group cross sections characterizing source, buffer, and blanket regions, parameters such as neutron amplification, source efficiency, and blanket fast flux peaking factor are calculated. The criticality solution is utilized to calculate the effective multiplication factor and the neutron source efficiency. The dependency of the calculated global parameters on design variables like the source, buffer, blanket thicknesses, and subcriticality level is studied. Thin source regions result in very high neutron amplification, at the expense of high blanket fast flux peaking factors. If a buffer region is put between the source and the blanket regions, flux peaking could be reduced at the expense of reduced neutron amplification. If the subcriticality level can be reduced without jeopardizing safety, the neutron amplification increases and the fast flux peaking is reduced.


Thin films are increasingly used to improve the wear resistance of structural materials. The increased number and diversity of thin film coatings applied in industry arises an increased demand for practical and reliable characterization of surface coatings itself. A variety of tribological and mechanical testing procedures have been developed and used to evaluate different aspects of film quality. This work shows the test results of surface modified HS 6-5-2C tool steel substrates coated by physical vapor deposited (PVD) TiN layer. Two different commercially available PVD technologies were used for producing the test samples. The aim of this work was to analyze and evaluate the correlations between the surface morphology, plasticity, hardness and wear properties (during dry friction) of the coatings. Atomic force microscopy was used for characterizing the roughness of the surfaces, a dry friction ball-cratering test equipment for the wear tests and microhardness tests and nanoindentation for characterize the mechanical properties of the samples produced by different technologies.


BACKGROUND
As antiretroviral therapy is increasingly used in settings with limited resources, key questions about the timing of treatment and use of diagnostic tests to guide clinical decisions must be addressed.

METHODS
We assessed the cost-effectiveness of treatment strategies for a cohort of adults in Côte d'Ivoire who were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (mean age, 33 years; CD4 cell count, 331 per cubic millimeter; HIV RNA level, 5.3 log copies per milliliter). Using a computer-based simulation model that incorporates the CD4 cell count and HIV RNA level as predictors of disease progression, we compared the long-term clinical and economic outcomes associated with no treatment, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis alone, antiretroviral therapy alone, and prophylaxis with antiretroviral therapy.

RESULTS
Undiscounted gains in life expectancy ranged from 10.7 months with antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis initiated on the basis of clinical criteria to 45.9 months with antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis initiated on the basis of CD4 testing and clinical criteria, as compared with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis alone. The incremental cost per year of life gained was 240 dollars (in 2002 U.S. dollars) for prophylaxis alone, 620 dollars for antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis without CD4 testing, and 1,180 dollars for antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis with CD4 testing, each compared with the next least expensive strategy. None of the strategies that used antiretroviral therapy alone were as cost-effective as those that also used trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis. Life expectancy was increased by 30% with use of a second line of antiretroviral therapy after failure of the first-line regimen.

CONCLUSIONS
A strategy of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy, with the use of clinical criteria alone or in combination with CD4 testing to guide the timing of treatment, is an economically attractive health investment in settings with limited resources.


Labor scholars have highlighted the predicament of "precarization" besetting the working class everywhere in the twenty-first century. Beneath the "proletariat" now stands the "precariat," for whom exploitation seems like a privilege compared to constant exclusion from the labor market. Amidst worldwide employment informalization and decimation of workers' collective capacity, media reports and academic writings on Chinese workers in the past several years have singularly sustained a curious discourse of worker empowerment. Strikes in some foreign-invested factories have inspired claims of rising working-class power. Finding little empirical support for the empowerment thesis, this article spotlights the Chinese peculiarity of the global phenomenon of precarization and the dynamics of recent strikes, suggesting the need for Chinese labor studies to rebalance its prevailing voluntarism and optimism with more attention to institutional and political-economic conditions.


This study demonstrates simultaneous measurement of three parameters viz. refractive index of surrounding medium, temperature, and strain using etched-core fiber Bragg grating sensors. Simultaneous measurement is achieved by exciting higher order modes in the sensor using an asymmetric nonadiabatic taper and measuring difference in their Bragg wavelength shifts due to different parameters. In order to simultaneously measure three parameters, three different order modes were excited in the sensor. The ability to measure multiple parameters is useful in bio-chemical measurements as it allows us to compensate for the change in Bragg wavelength with respect to change in temperature or strain. Thus, the sensors do not need to be stabilized.


Comparing to cloud computing, fog computing performs computation and services at the edge of networks, thus relieving the computation burden of the data center and reducing the task latency of end devices. Computation latency is a crucial performance metric in fog computing, especially for real-time applications. In this article, we study a peer computation offloading problem for a fog network with unknown dynamics. In this scenario, each fog node (FN) can offload its computation tasks to neighboring FNs in a time slot manner. The offloading latency, however, could not be fed back to the task dispatcher instantaneously due to the uncertainty of the processing time in peer FNs. Besides, peer competition occurs when different FNs offload tasks to one FN at the same time. To tackle the above difficulties, we model the computation offloading problem as a sequential FN selection problem with delayed information feedback. Using the adversarial multiarm bandit framework, we construct an online learning policy to deal with delayed information feedback. Different contention resolution approaches are considered to resolve peer competition. Performance analysis shows that the regret of the proposed algorithm, or the performance loss with suboptimal FN selections, achieves a sublinear order, suggesting an optimal FN selection policy. Besides, we prove that the proposed strategy can result in a Nash equilibrium (NE) with all FNs playing the same policy. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed policy.


Large plasmid (more than 100 MDa) plays a significant role in Escherichia coli virulence as many virulent genes including the ipaH are encoded by large plasmids. Characterization of such large plasmid of E. coli from different sources based on ipaH gene has not yet been reported with success and credible reproducibility in Bangladesh. Forty E. coli isolates of environmental, clinical, avian, and mammalian sources were examined to detect the presence of large plasmids. Among them, plasmids recovered from 32 isolates were found to range between 100 and 145 MDa in size. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates against 17 different  antibiotics showed that most of them were resistant to more than 6 antibiotics and thus were designated multiple antibiotic resistant (MAR) strains. Out of 32 isolates, 10 were (3 clinical, 5 environmental, 1 avian and 1 mammalian source) found to possess a gene product of 423 bp size after PCR assay from plasmid DNA. Southern hybridization was carried out with ipaH probes and the results revealed the presence of band of correct size in both large plasmid DNA and in chromosomal DNA. Presence of the appropriate gene product in newly discharged environmental E. coli strains questions the credibility of using these bacteria as an indicator of water pollution in tropical countries like Bangladesh. The innovative approaches employed in this investigation regarding characterization of large plasmid based on the presence of ipaH gene in E. coli isolates from environmental, clinical, avian and mammalian sources opened up avenues for challenging research in future. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjm.v28i2.11822 Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 28, Number 2, December 2011, pp 84-87