Background: Scarce reports have been published worldwide on primary skin tumours in pet rabbits. Trichoblastoma is a rare benign neoplasm of animals and humans derived from or reduplicating the primitive germ of embryonic follicular development; it was previously classified as a basal cell tumor, meanwhile its malignant counterpart is referred to as malignant trichoblastoma or trichoblastic carcinoma. Neoplasms of domestic animals that once were lumped into the broad histologic diagnosis of basal cell tumors have since been split into distinct entities, dependent on evidence of differentiation, although a cytologic diagnosis of basal cell tumor continues to be used indistinctly to represent the large, heterogeneous group of epidermal, trichofollicular, and adnexal skin tumors with basal cell characteristics. Hereby, it is described the morphological and immunohistochemical findings of a case of spontaneous malignant trichoblastoma on a domestic companion rabbit from South America.Case: A 4-year-old, male black dwarf rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was brought to the Veterinary College when appeared with a sudden appearance of a grayish nodular subcutaneous mass measuring 3.0 x 2.0 cm and located on left tarsal zone, during march 2014. A case of malignant trichoblastoma with a predominance of trabecular architecture was diagnosed based on morphologic and microscopic results. Fine-needle aspiration, histopathology and immunohistochemistry were performed on the ulcerated mass. The mass was sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE), periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson trichrome stain. Replicate serial sections from the paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were immunostained for cytokeratin (AE1/AE3), smooth muscle actin, polyclonal nestin, desmin and myoglobin, using commercial kits. Mayer's hematoxylin solution was used as a counterstain. Negative controls were produced by substituting the primary antibody with 5% bovine serum albumin in phosphate buffered saline. To assess mitotic activity, mitoses count in 10 randomly selected high-power fields was done. Diagnoses was made in accordance with the recommendations for the histological classification of tumors of domestic animals. After surgical excision, the animal remains healthy.Discussion: Epithelial nonviral skin neoplasms are uncommon in rabbits and have been cited in sporadic case reports or few case series including basal cell tumors and squamous cell carcinomas. All these cases emphasized the need for cytologic criteria and nomenclature on rabbit tumors that better reflect potential variation in tissue differentiation. As a consequence, based on limited current knowledge, the practitioner is left to make decisions for diagnostics and therapeutics in these cases based upon current recommendations for other companion animals with adjustments for lagomorph physiology. This tumor, though variable in size (0.2 to 10 cm in diameter) in domestic animals (i.e., older dogs and cats), it most often appears as a solitary, well-circumscribed hairless mass in the skin, and occasionally ulcerated. The pathological data, that included tumor location, gross appearance, tumor size, growth pattern, cellular atypia, mitosis and immunohistochemistry studies, led to the malignant trichoblastoma diagnosis and these features concurred to those described in the literature. Increasing number of sporadic or induced tumors may be expected in pet rabbits in the veterinary clinic, as these animals have a high consideration among the people, and also they live longer (natural life span range: 5-10 years) than wild or farmed rabbits.


In Mitchell v. Forsyth (1985) the Court ruled that interlocutory appeals can be taken by government officials from denials of motions for summary judgment based on qualified immunity. Johnson v. Jones (1995) ruled that these interlocutory appeals are limited to legal questions, not matters of fact. This limited the effect of its holding in Anderson v. Creighton (1987) that some measure of factual similarity between prior reported cases and governmental wrongdoing is necessary to overcome qualified immunity. Hope v. Pelzer (2002) further cabined Anderson by rejecting the Eleventh Circuit's conclusion that government wrongdoing must be "materially similar" to conduct previously declared unconstitutional by the courts to support liability. Qualified immunity's success rate fell precipitously in the Eleventh Circuit following Hope, a decline that was attributable, in large part, to synergy between Hope and Johnson v. Jones. Hope allowed § 1983 plaintiffs to plead facts that more easily withstood qualified immunity. Johnson precluded the Eleventh Circuit from questioning these factual allegations. Together these developments made it difficult for appellate courts to award qualified immunity—at least at the interlocutory stage. The Supreme Court this past term in Scott v. Harris (2007) cast doubt over whether Johnson v. Jones remains sound—and whether qualified immunity will continue its post-Hope wane. In the course of holding that police officers' intentionally ramming a suspect's car did not violate the Fourth Amendment, the Court in Harris implicitly authorized interlocutory fact-finding by appellate courts in § 1983 cases. Specifically, the Court in Harris relied heavily on a videotape of the officers' actions to conclude that their force was reasonable. Because the same videotape was found to be inconclusive by the District Court and Eleventh Circuit, Harris can only mean that interlocutory appellate fact-finding is sometimes permissible. With this increased appellate scrutiny, qualified immunity rates are likely to increase—especially in the Eleventh Circuit.


People compare themselves to one another both offline and online. The specific online activities that worsen social comparison are partly understood, though much existing research relies on people recalling their own online activities post hoc and is situated in only a few countries. To better understand social comparison worldwide and the range of associated behaviors on social media, a survey of 38,000 people from 18 countries was paired with logged activity on Facebook for the prior month. People who reported more frequent social comparison spent more time on Facebook, had more friends, and saw proportionally more social content on the site. They also saw greater amounts of feedback on friends' posts and proportionally more positivity. There was no evidence that social comparison happened more with acquaintances than close friends. One in five respondents recalled recently seeing a post that made them feel worse about themselves but reported conflicting views: half wished they hadn't seen the post, while a third felt very happy for the poster. Design opportunities are discussed, including hiding feedback counts, filters for topics and people, and supporting meaningful interactions, so that when comparisons do occur, people are less affected by them.


Abstract Self-grooming in response to the odours of an opposite-sex conspecific may reflect sexual motivation on the part of the actor. We tested the hypothesis that meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus , and prairie voles, M. ochrogaster , both self-groom at different rates when exposed to the odours of their siblings as compared to those of nonsiblings. This prediction was studied under the context of social memory for siblings and the effects of isolation on memory for siblings. The hypothesis explains the self-grooming responses of meadow voles isolated from their siblings for 10 days and of prairie voles isolated from their siblings for 20 days. However, 20 days of isolation for male and female meadow voles, and 30 days of isolation for male prairie voles were sufficient to induce these animals to self-groom at a similar rate to both sibling and nonsibling odours, suggesting that after isolation these animals no longer recognized their opposite-sex siblings. Female prairie voles isolated for 30 days self-groomed more in response to the odours of male nonsiblings than to those of male siblings, suggesting that female prairie voles still recognize their male siblings after isolation. This study is the first to provide empirical evidence that, in the context of sibling recognition, self-grooming behaviour is directed at unfamiliar opposite-sex conspecifics, and that the communicative function of self-grooming (sexual motivation) is associated with social memory for siblings. Differences in the self-grooming behaviour of meadow voles and prairie voles may be associated with several aspects of their life history characteristics.


The presented analysis concerns the clinical and electrocardiographic data of dynamic examinations of 15 patients in whom ECG recorded a deep and wide ("gigantic") inverted T-wave. In 5 cases the clinical and electrocardiographic data were compared with the anatomic ones. It was demonstrated that a wide and deep inverted T-wave is common in ischaemic heart disease and inflammatory lesions. Focal myocardial lesions (predominantly in the ventricular septum) combined with atrioventricular conductivity disorders in the His-Purkinje system were found to play a definite role in the genesis of the "gigantic" T-wave. In some cases the wide T-wave may develop due to a fusion of T and U-waves. Patients with such ECG alterations suffer severe rhythm disorders in the form of frequent polytopic extrasystoles, paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation.


The magnetization induced by applied cyclic stresses on low carbon steel samples was studied through experiments by using a high sensitive magnetic sensor. The stress-magnetic coupling under cyclic tensile stress was researched during static, cyclic and fatigue loading process respectively. The results indicate the consistency and also some contradiction with existing conclusions of metal magnetic memory theory or magneto-mechanical researches. It is put forward that the stress induce magnetization is dependent on both applied stress and micro structure abnormality in ferromagnetic materials. Then the potential applications of the stress-magnetic coupling behavior were proposed.


Abstract Background Monitoring changes in pharyngeal carriage of pneumococcus in children following 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) introduction in the United Kingdom in 2010 informs understanding of patterns of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence. Methods Nasopharyngeal swabs from healthy children vaccinated with PCV13 according to schedule (2, 4, and 12 months) were cultured and serotyped. Results for children aged 13–48 months were compared between 2014–2015 and 2017–2019 and with children aged 6–12 months (2017–2020). Blood was obtained from a subset of children for pneumococcal serotype-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG). Results Total pneumococcal carriage at 13–48 months was 47.9% (473/988) in 2014–2015 and 51.8% (412/795) in 2017–2019 (P = .10); at age 6–12 months this value was 44.6% (274/615). In 2017–2019, 2.9% (95% confidence interval, 1.8%–4.3%) of children aged 13–48 months carried PCV13 serotypes (mainly 3 [1.5%] and 19A [0.8%]) and >20% carried the additional 20-valent PCV (PCV20) serotypes. Similar proportions of children had IgG ≥0.35 IU/mL for each serotype in 2014–2015 and 2017–2019. Serotype 7C carriage increased significantly (P < .01) between 2014–2015 and 2017–2019. Carriage of PCV20 serotypes 8 and 12F, both major causes of IPD, was rare. Conclusions Introduction of PCV20, if licensed for children, could significantly change the composition of pneumococcal serotypes carried in the pharynx of UK children. Clinical Trials Registration NCT03102840.


The purpose of this study was to examine the pupils' and teacher's perceptions and
learning experiences from a season of Sport Education that was conducted for the first
time at the research school. Two groups of Year 10 (age 14/15) pupils participated in
a nine week season (16 & 17 sessions per group) of badminton. Data collection
included questionnaire, lesson observation, group and individual interviews before,
during and after the season. Nine-month follow-up group interviews were carried out
to assess the sustainability of outcomes from Sport Education. All qualitative data
were transcribed and analysed using the constant comparison of emerging themes.
Quantitative data provided a psychological motivational profile and physical activity
levels of pupils before and after the intervention for both a Sport Education group and
a non-Sport Education (normative) group. The motivational profile was measured
using a validated questionnaire used in the Nike/YST multi-site study (Kirk,
Fitzgerald, Wang & Biddle, 2000). Physical activity was measured using a modified
form of the Self-Administered Physical Activity Checklist (Sallis, 1996). The results
indicated that Sport Education was viewed a success by the pupils and teacher at this
school. The pupils preferred this teaching model to their previous PE experiences.
The teacher felt the model held much potential to achieve their department aims and
continued to use Sport Education with his classes following this first time experience.
The emerging themes from the study were the competitions, changing power
hierarchies, team affiliation and persistent team membership, changes to the
motivational climate, and changes to traditional PE. These themes described the
positive perceptions from both pupils and the teacher while also revealing issues that
caused difficulties or that would require further attention before any subsequent
delivery of Sport Education. Quantitative findings showed no significant (p>0.05)
difference between all motivation variables. Physical activity levels increased pre- to
post-Sport Education for boys and girls in the activity 'racket sports' where both the
number of pupils participating and the number of hours per week increased (P<0.01)
following the season of Sport Education, where no change was shown for the
normative group. Recommendations are given for future research in Sport Education.
Finally, recommendations are given for future use of Sport Education that are
particularly relevant for teachers implementing the model for the first time.


A annular slot antenna with cross-shaped feedline has been investigated experimentally to obtain a large bandwidth enhancement. The voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), radiation pattern, and antenna gain of this configuration are presented. Although the use of a high relative permittivity (ɛr=4.3) substrate usually restricts the operation bandwidth, the radiation resistance also was a low value. The measured bandwidth is ∼108.4% (2.0≥VSWR).


Age-related changes in body composition in geriatrics coupled with increased prevalence of obesity because of immobility and reduced activity gives rise to excess weight and reduced muscle mass or strength; the condition is recently defined as Sarcopenic obesity (SO). The prevalence of sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity increases with age. Muscle and fat mass are strongly interconnected pathogenetically. A better understanding of the mechanisms which lead from loss of muscle mass to fat gain or vice versa from fat gain to muscle loss seems to be crucial. Recent data is suggestive that peptides produced by adipose tissue may play an important role in the pathophysiology of SO, however more research is needed to better characterize this new area. Obesity and Sarcopenia in the elderly may potentiate each other complicating their effects on frailty, morbidity and mortality. Identifying elderly subjects with SO and recommending weight-loss therapy along with a suitable dietary regime should be mandatory; this may improve physical function, quality of life, and the medical complications associated with this important geriatric syndrome by minimizing muscle and bone losses; therefore effective nutritional intervention and early diagnosis may help treat sarcopenia and attenuate its clinical impact. Hence this review aims to collate results from various studies, probe into the unplumbed areas and  evince a suitable dietary and lifestyle intervention that may help lessen the complications of SO. Keywords: sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity and nutrition, nutrition in sarcopenic obesity Cite this Article Poulami Dasgupta. A Review on Sarcopenic Obesity: A Rising Epidemic . Research and Reviews: Journal of Health Professions. 2015; 5(3): 1–5p.


This paper presents the recent achievements and main results of the optical packet switching node with label swapping capabilities that was developed in the framework of the IST-LABELS project. The implemented functionalities allows the routing and forwarding of optical packets at 10 Gb/s based on the information conveyed in the 18 GHz-subcarrier multiplexed (SCM) label at 155 Mb/s. Specific functions of the optical packet switching demonstrator such as label extraction and rewriting are based on high-performance fiber Bragg grating filters (FBG) whereas semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) based wavelength conversion allows payload 2R regeneration. Advanced aspects implemented in the high speed electronic control unit such as traffic shaping, multicast, and for the first time to our knowledge, a contention resolution algorithm with priority processing are thoroughly described in this paper. This paper also presents simulations exploring the effect of these advanced features in the global performance of an optical packet switched network. In particular, we found that the contention resolution algorithm based on parallel converters with 16 wavelengths contributes to improve up to four orders of magnitude the packet loss rate for low traffic loads whereas the improvement from traffic shaping policies was of 1 order of magnitude for both low and medium traffic loads. Along with the experimental results, the feasibility of the approach as the basis for the next generation internet networks is demonstrated.


To explore the feasibility of Near Infrared spectroscopy (NIR) for rapid and nondestructive qualitative identification of pesticide residues in vegetables, this paper presents a qualitative classification and discrimination method based on Support Vector Machine (SVM) with Gaussian Radial Basis Function (RBF). The cucumber with three kinds of pesticide residue levels (no pesticide, standard pesticide residue, severe excess) was used as the research object. The total reflectance NIR spectra of two groups of cucumber were collected after spraying 24 hours and 48 hours of pesticide respectively. First, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to dimensionality reduction of spectral data. Then normalize the spectrum. Next, the SVM training model based on RBF was established, and then SVM prediction was carried out. The correct recognition rate of the training set was 100%, and the correct prediction rate of the test set was 94.4444% and 95.5556%, respectively. Experiments show that this method is accurate and fast for qualitative classification and identification of pesticide residues in cucumbers with different concentrations, and provides a new idea for rapid non-destructive detection of vegetable pesticide residues.


In this paper, we propose a novel technique to implement an algorithm for unsupervised texture segmentation. Local
Binary Patterns (LBP) have been demonstrated to provide a robust and efficient framework for texture segmentation. The distribution of local binary pattern and the contrast measure is used to evaluate the similarity between the adjacent image regions during the segmentation operation. The algorithm uses a new data structure. The existing data structures such as trees and graphs are modified to construct a quadtree and mergegraph. Quadtree is used for splitting the image into blocks of roughly uniform textures and mergegraph is used for merging similar adjacent regions. The algorithm has been tested using mosaic images consisting of various textures, in addition to natural scenes. This approach proved to yield computationally effcient segmentation of images.


BACKGROUND
Approximately 40 percent of women smokers will stop smoking cigarettes during pregnancy; however, 70 percent of those who stop will resume smoking by 6 months postpartum. This exploratory pilot study prospectively examined the timing and predictors of returning to smoking after pregnancy in a group of inner-city women who stopped smoking cigarettes during pregnancy.

METHODS
We interviewed women who stopped smoking just before or during their pregnancies during their postpartum hospital stay and at their infants' 2-week health supervision visits. Urine cotinine levels were measured at each interview.

RESULTS
Forty-nine women were interviewed during the postpartum stay and 37 women at the 2-week follow-up. At follow-up, 40.5 percent (n = 15) of women had returned to smoking. Mothers more frequently returned to smoking if they had a lower level of education, that is, high school graduate/general equivalency diploma versus some college education (13/24 vs 2/13, p < 0.04); if they had someone else in the household who smoked (14/23 vs 1/14, p < 0.003); if they were formula feeding their infant at the time of interview (14/24 vs 1/13, p < 0.005); if they discussed smoking with a doctor or nurse during pregnancy (12/20 vs 3/17, p < 0.02); and if they were African American (10/15 vs 5/22, p < 0.02). Mothers reported the primary reasons for returning to smoking were stress (53%, n= 8) and being around another smoker (40%, n= 6).

CONCLUSIONS
Almost one-half of the women in this pilot study who stopped smoking cigarettes during pregnancy resumed in the days immediately after delivery. These data suggest that future studies should explore the initiation of postpartum relapse prevention during the prenatal and perinatal period. Interventions may be more effective if they include strategies aimed increasing breastfeeding rates and assisting household members to stop smoking.


Any explicit functional representation $f$ of a density is hampered by two main obstacles when we wish to use it as a generative model: designing $f$ so that sampling is fast, and estimating $Z = \int f$ so that $Z^{-1}f$ integrates to 1. This becomes increasingly complicated as $f$ itself becomes complicated. In this paper, we show that when modeling one-dimensional conditional densities with a neural network, $Z$ can be exactly and efficiently computed by letting the network represent the cumulative distribution function of a target density, and applying a generalized fundamental theorem of calculus. We also derive a fast algorithm for sampling from the resulting representation by the inverse transform method. By extending these principles to higher dimensions, we introduce the \textbf{Neural Inverse Transform Sampler (NITS)}, a novel deep learning framework for modeling and sampling from general, multidimensional, compactly-supported probability densities. NITS is a highly expressive density estimator that boasts end-to-end differentiability, fast sampling, and exact and cheap likelihood evaluation. We demonstrate the applicability of NITS by applying it to realistic, high-dimensional density estimation tasks: likelihood-based generative modeling on the CIFAR-10 dataset, and density estimation on the UCI suite of benchmark datasets, where NITS produces compelling results rivaling or surpassing the state of the art.


Stochastic diffusion models (Ratcliff, 1978) can be used to analyze response time data from binary decision tasks. They provide detailed information about cognitive processes underlying the performance in such tasks. Most importantly, different parameters are estimated from the response time distributions of correct responses and errors that map (1) the speed of information uptake, (2) the amount of information used to make a decision, (3) possible decision biases, and (4) the duration of nondecisional processes. Although this kind of model can be applied to many experimental paradigms and provides much more insight than the analysis of mean response times can, it is still rarely used in cognitive psychology. In the present paper, we provide comprehensive information on the theory of the diffusion model, as well as on practical issues that have to be considered for implementing the model.


Abstract Objectives Traditionally, summarization of research themes and trends within a given discipline was accomplished by manual review of scientific works in the field. However, with the ushering in of the age of "big data," new methods for discovery of such information become necessary as traditional techniques become increasingly difficult to apply due to the exponential growth of document repositories. Our objectives are to develop a pipeline for unsupervised theme extraction and summarization of thematic trends in document repositories, and to test it by applying it to a specific domain. Methods To that end, we detail a pipeline, which utilizes machine learning and natural language processing for unsupervised theme extraction, and a novel method for summarization of thematic trends, and network mapping for visualization of thematic relations. We then apply this pipeline to a collection of anesthesiology abstracts. Results We demonstrate how this pipeline enables discovery of major themes and temporal trends in anesthesiology research and facilitates document classification and corpus exploration. Discussion The relation of prevalent topics and extracted trends to recent events in both anesthesiology, and healthcare in general, demonstrates the pipeline's utility. Furthermore, the agreement between the unsupervised thematic grouping and human-assigned classification validates the pipeline's accuracy and demonstrates another potential use. Conclusion The described pipeline enables summarization and exploration of large document repositories, facilitates classification, aids in trend identification. A more robust and user-friendly interface will facilitate the expansion of this methodology to other domains. This will be the focus of future work for our group.


The paper is concerned with the unintended consequences of aid as a relation of governance: in this case, the failure of aid agencies to improve the lot of displaced Southerners living in North Sudan after more than a decade of engagement. It is argued that aid, as a governance relation, is complicit with wider forms of oppression to which Southerners are subject. The aid-based IDP (Internally Displaced Person) identity, for example, resonates with state forms of deculturation. At the same time, developmental ideas of self-sufficiency articulate with the commercial need for cheap agricultural labour. Developmental strategies have tended to reinforce the subordination of displaced Southerners rather than enhancing their autonomy. Examples of this collateral effect are examined in relation to share-cropping, food aid, debt and asset stripping. The paper ends by calling into question the appropriateness of aid as a vehicle for a shared duty of care.


This article examines how New Zealand activists in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community of the 1960s and 1970s worked to co-create their own media representation and production. Through the memories of 29 activists who were involved in the LGBT political movement of the time, this article explores how LGBT communities used potentially harmful media stereotypes to their own advantage and how they worked to purposefully manage their representation as well as media production. Activists depended on diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing to amplify, extend, bridge, and transform what it meant to be LGBTQ in New Zealand. At the time, the media represented a very mainstream, and conservative, vision of the LGBT community. The media frames and media representations used at the time were systematic processes to reaffirm intended realities of social, economic and political power. The early work of these activists managed to change their intended reality through dogged determination.


Aims. - The objectives of the study were to describe the circumstances surrounding the intiation of intravenous drug use, the role of the introducer and to evaluate intravenous drug users risk behaviors at the first injection of drug. Design.- In 1997, we conducted a cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire concerning the initiation process into intravenous drug abuse. IDUs were interviewed in four treatment drug abuse and psychosocial centers in Paris and in one prison. Participants.- Of the 152 consecutive IDUs interviewed, 143 completed the questionnaire, 83 were male. Findings. - The mean age at first opiate use and at first injection were 19 years (SD: 4.3) and 20 years (SD: 4.3). At first injection, heroin was the main used drug (91%), the subject was with others persons (91%), asked himself for injection (70%) albeit had not planned this injection (40%). The subject injected at a friend's home (31%). The introducer was an IDU (93%), mean age 23.4 (SD: 5.2). He or she was a friend (61%) or a sexual partner (14%). The preparation of the first injection and the injection were made by the introducer in 72% and 74% of cases. The injecting equipment had been borrowed (22%) from an IDU whose HIV status and HCV status were unknown in 83% and 85% of cases. Conclusion. - Our study shows novel results about the first injection, they are of prime importance for harm reduction. The introducer plays a major role in preventing risk-behavior at the first injection and for education about safe injecting practices.


OBJECTIVE
Potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser turbinectomy is an established treatment for hypertrophied inferior turbinates that do not respond to other medical treatments. KTP laser surgery is usually performed with the aim of reducing the size of hypertrophied inferior turbinates. We hypothesized that laser vaporation may also inhibit the allergic reaction in the nasal mucosa of inferior turbinates.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We examined the effect of KTP laser therapy on T-cell responses using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

RESULTS
Levels of T-cell proliferation after stimulation with Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB) were higher in post- than pre-surgery patients. Levels of interferon-gamma and IL-2 produced by PBMCs after stimulation with SEB appeared to be higher in post- than pre-surgery patients. Serum levels of house dust-specific IgE were lower in post- than pre-surgery patients. These results indicate that KTP laser therapy modulates T-cell responses and probably tilts the Th1/Th2 balance towards the Th1-dominant state.

CONCLUSION
KTP laser surgery eases or cures allergic rhinitis not only by reducing the volume of the inferior turbinates but also by modulating T-cell functions.


As an artist who has utilized lasers for light environments and reflection holograms, my review of this book is based on my practical knowledge of the medium. The book was first published in France in 1969. The English translation was printed in 1974. The final result is a compilation of the many aspects of holography. The author carries out a logical thought development, although there is some unevenness in the degree of extensiveness overall. One very good chapter is done on computer holography. The many good references to original research would be better placed at the end of each chapter rather than at the back of the book. The diagrams are visually difficult to comprehend due to the complex notation used. There are other holography books I find better diagramed for artists, such as Optical Holography by R. J. Collier, et al. (New York: Academic Press, 1971). Also there is an absence of photographic material. All in all, the format of the book falls somewhere between a journal and an advanced text. It is suitable for use as an intermediate college text in science. For artists who have no science background, this book will not suffice; but being used as class reading to back up the step-by-step process of making a hologram, the book would be useful.


In the present of paper, four experimental steel tubular columns with partial filled-concrete under reversed cyclic lateral load and constant axial load were numerically analyzed by finite element package ABAQUS. Under certain conditions of the radius-to-thickness ratio Rt and the slenderness ratio λ parameters, effect of filled-concrete height on ultimate strength and ductility of this type bridge pier was investigated. These numerical results of tubular columns with partial filled-concrete were compared with the previous experimental results. It was found that these numerical results agree with the experimental ones very well. And these load-displacement hysteretic curves, which were obtained from numerical model, indicated that filled-concrete height had greatly affected the ultimate strength and ductility of steel tubular bridge pier with partial filled-concrete.


The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is considering introducing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). According to studies, India's financial system plays a major role in the execution of the CBDC. India is at the forefront of technological advancements in digital payment methods. The central banks that support CBDC's design concept are susceptible to adaptations to the evolution of economic and financial systems. This study will highlight the potential of CBDC to boost financial inclusion. Quantitative regression analysis is being used to quantify the potential drivers of financial sector efficiency and stability to measure the impact of CBDC implementation on financial inclusion. The central bank should build the CBDC utilizing the Structural Vector Auto-Regression model while considering payment system visibility. The proposed study can help to identify the lags in attaining financial inclusion in India and to design CBDC. The proposed study can also establish the policymakers' role in maximizing benefits to the consumers. The study establishes the potential role of RBI in the smooth functionality of implementing CBDC. The study brings out the trend of the payment system in India that opens up the possibility of positive implementation of CBDC and its welfare to percolate among consumers.


The objective of this study was to investigate the role of lubricin in the lubrication of tendon fascicles. Lubricin, a glycoprotein, lubricates cartilage and tendon surfaces, but the function of lubricin within the tendon fascicle is unclear. We developed a novel method to assess the gliding resistance of a single fascicle in a mouse tail model and used it to test the hypothesis that gliding resistance would be increased in lubricin knockout mice. Thirty‐six mouse tails were used from 12 wild type, 12 heterozygous, and 12 lubricin knockout mice. A 15 mm long fascicle segment was pulled proximally after being divided distally. The peak resistance during fascicle pullout and the fascicle perimeter were measured. Lubricin expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The peak gliding resistance in the lubricin knockout mice was significantly higher than in the wild type (p < 0.05). Fascicles from heterozygous mice were intermediate in value, but not significantly different from either wild type or lubricin knockout fascicles in peak gliding resistance. No significant difference was found in fascicle perimeter among the three groups. No correlation was observed between fascicle perimeter and gliding resistance. While lubricin was detected by immunostaining on the fascicle surface in wild type and heterozygous mice, lubricin was not detectable in the tendons of knockout mice. We conclude that the absence of lubricin is associated with increased interfascicular friction and that lubricin may play an important role in interfascicular lubrication. © 2010 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 29:384–389, 2011


The effect on hardness and precipitate microstructure of elastically straining a 6060 Al-Mg-Si alloy during natural ageing or artificial ageing has been investigated. The elastic strain is here defined as 50 % of the material yield strength. All heat treatments where elastic straining was applied led to an increased hardness compared to the unstrained reference material. Quantitative investigations of the precipitate microstructure using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) did not indicate any significant difference in precipitate parameters as compared to the unstrained reference material. Therefore the increased strength in the elastically strained material is being linked to strain induced dislocations based on faster ageing kinetics compared to unstrained reference samples.


Irrigation has been identified as an important practice to achieving food security and socio-economic development in the face of rapid population growth and climatic uncertainties. In northern Nigeria, irrigation has long been identified as the key to achieving the much-desired increase in food production to meet the ever-increasing population. However, the existing irrigation schemes encountered several challenges coming from different dimensions including economic, social, environmental, institutional and technological. To attain sustainable crop production, this paper attempts to uncover the underline challenges confronting irrigation schemes in northern Nigeria that cut across sustainability pillars. The findings revealed that irrigation schemes contributed immensely toward achieving food security and improving the well-being of rural dwellers. However, the huge investment in large- and medium-scale irrigation schemes have resulted in massive economic losses. This could be attributed to their under-utilization, poor management and abandonment although few ones are performing remarkably well. The study recommends the need to adopt new water allocation and application methods that can improve water use efficiency, users-managers join approach (participatory), effective and competent institutions which include improved monitoring, evaluation and surveillance systems, frequent policy review to suit the situation, law enforcement, and timely sensitization and awareness campaigns.


The models of microbial system have a history that includes research in various fields of evolution, ecology and more recently optimization algorithms (we refer there especially the mimetic bacterial growth algorithm). The growth of bacteria population in bioreactors is made often using mathematical models as premises for optimization and control. Food webs and microbial food chains are subject of models by differential equations. The tool propose to use the most common representation of the microbial systems, a two layered mechanism as a cascade of two biological reaction where one substrate is the subject of consumer by one microorganism that serves a limiter substrate for the second microorganism. The system modeled by system of differential equations call the Matlab solver for numerical solutions. The user has the possibility to use predefined constants, user-defined constants or optimized ones for stability analysis. A second module that are implemented in the main program deals with more recent approach, the three-layered 'food-web', where a third organism is added to model. The model can test the influence of growth organisms as interaction between multiple species. The user has the possibility to create the system of equation using a Constructor Builder. The parser from this module will translate the text-code in an .m file callable from Matlab as system used be ODE solver. The visualization module display in a GUI (Graphic User Interface) the result of simulation. The tool is useful for understanding and prediction of microbial colony growth but also offer a perspective for future development of additional modules for microbial ecology.


There are few structured methods to assess a client's decisional ability, and none have been evaluated for use by Adult Protective Services (APS) workers. As part of a larger randomized-controlled trial to test the California APS Interview for Decisional Ability (IDA 3.0-CA), we sought to determine the reliability of the instrument. We assessed the extent to which trained APS personnel reached similar conclusions about a client's decisional ability (i.e., inter-rater reliability) when presented with a client vignette and a completed IDA 3.0-CA form. First, we developed 12 client vignettes based on common client risks. Consideration was given to diversity in gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography. Second, five content experts familiar with development of the tool reviewed completed IDA 3.0-CA forms for each case. Based on reported case difficulty and level of agreement between experts, eight cases were selected to formally test the instrument's reliability. Third, 39 APS personnel, who had trained to use the IDA 3.0-CA, reviewed completed IDA 3.0-CA forms and answered questions about the clients' decisional ability for two randomly-assigned cases. For each case, we calculated the percent correct and inter-rater reliability (Cohen's Kappa). The percent correct ranged from 67% to 100%, with an average of 87%. The inter-rater reliability for cases ranged from -0.01 to 1.00, with the average across cases of 0.66 (i.e., substantial inter-rater reliability). The results suggest that APS personnel using the IDA 3.0-CA have a high likelihood of reaching similar conclusions about a client's decisional ability when provided the same client responses.


To efficiently archive and query data in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), distributed storage systems, and multisink schemes have been proposed recently. However, such distributed access cannot be fully supported and exploited by existing routing protocols in a large-scale WSN. In this paper, we will address this challenging issue and propose a distributed geographic K-anycast routing (GKAR) protocol for WSNs, which can efficiently route data from a source sensor to any K destinations (e.g., storage nodes or sinks). To guarantee K-delivery, an iterative approach is adopted in GKAR where in each round, GKAR will determine not only the next hops at each node, but also a set of potential destinations for every next hop node to reach. Efficient algorithms are designed to determine the selection of the next hops and destination set division at each intermediate node. We analyze the complexity of GKAR in each round and we also theoretically analyze the expected number of rounds required to guarantee K-delivery. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the GKAP scheme in reducing the total duration and the communication overhead for finding K destinations, by comparing with the existing schemes, e.g., K 1-anycast [10].


Heterogeneous Graph Neural Networks (HGNNs) have drawn increasing attention in recent years and achieved outstanding performance in many tasks. The success of the existing HGNNs relies on one fundamental assumption, i.e., the original heterogeneous graph structure is reliable. However, this assumption is usually unrealistic, since the heterogeneous graph in reality is inevitably noisy or incomplete. Therefore, it is vital to learn the heterogeneous graph structure for HGNNs rather than rely only on the raw graph structure. In light of this, we make the first attempt towards learning an optimal heterogeneous graph structure for HGNNs and propose a novel framework HGSL, which jointly performs Heterogeneous Graph Structure Learning and GNN parameters learning for classification task. Different from traditional GSL on homogeneous graph, considering the heterogeneity of different relations in heterogeneous graph, HGSL generates each relation subgraph independently. Specifically, in each generated relation subgraph, HGSL not only considers the feature similarity by generating feature similarity graph, but also considers the complex heterogeneous interactions in features and semantics by generating feature propagation graph and semantic graph. Then, these graphs are fused to a learned heterogeneous graph and optimized together with a GNN towards classification objective. Extensive experiments on real-world graphs demonstrate that the proposed framework significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art methods.


Palaeontological studies on postglacial molluscan faunas from marine deposits located along the northern coast of the Beagle Channel (lat. 54°55'S, long. 68°34'-67°11'W) showed differences of various molluscan assemblages during a period of climatic stability after deglaciation. Oceanographic changes, different local environmental conditions and/or episodes of minor climatic fluctuations are pointed out as causes for the variations in faunal composition. Comparison with Quaternary molluscs from Antarctica showed that these palaeofaunas overlap slightly at the species level, but have a considerable number of genera (23%) and families (50%) in common. These affinities and relationships are better explained on the basis of more recent migrating taxa than by ancient connections when the two regions formed part of the Weddellian Province.


The increasing use of minimal access techniques for surgery has produced a need for imaging technologies that can be used during such interventions. Ultrasound imaging has the advantage that the probe itself can be interventional. Interventional ultrasound probes must be sufficiently small to gain access to the surgical site, and any rigid portion must be limited in length to permit adequate flexibility. In practice this means the ultrasound probes have to operate at high frequencies, and a set of design curves have been produced which relate the number of elements and the ultrasound frequency to the probe dimensions for both linear and cylindrical array configurations. Constructing high-frequency sub-miniature probes presents a number of technical challenges, in particular relating to interconnects and packaging. Solutions to these challenges are discussed using the fabrication of a 1 mm diameter intravascular probe as an example.


Abstract: T lymphocytes show a special affinity for the skin. Although the roles played by the CD4+ population of T lymphocytes in immunodermatology were so far actively investigated, much less is known about the roles played in the skin by CD8+ cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). The activity of CD8+ CTL in the immunodermatological context, however, is likely to be most important; the immuno‐biology itself of CD8+ CTL, moreover, although far from being fully understood, shows intriguing characteristics. Immunophenotype, function and cytokine profile of CD8+ CTL are overviewed in the first section of this review. Phenotypically, not only CD8+ CTL can be subdivided into CD8+ CD28+ CD11b+ and CD8+ CD28‐ CD11b+ subsets, but also an up‐to‐now undetected CD8+ CD28‐ CD11b‐ subset does exist. Functionally, not only "cytotoxic" but even "suppressor" subpopulations have been shown to exert cytolytic capabilities indeed, and "suppression" itself may be due to such a lytic capacity. According to cytokine synthesis, CD8+ CTL can be split into Tc1 and Tc2 subsets, each able to influence specific patterns of immune responses. The impact of CD8+ CTL in immunodermatology, overviewed in the second section of the current review, is crucial. The pathophysiology of inflammatory dermatoses is deeply influenced by the activity of CD8+ CTL: e.g., CD8+ CTL within psoriateic epidermis are possibly associated to the persistence of psoriatic lesions not undergoing resolution; on the other hand, in late lesions of lichen planus CD8+ CTL predominate, thus explaining presumably both the cytolytic attack against keratinocytes and the modulation of the inflammatory reaction up to the final resolution of the lesions; Tc1 cells are decreased in atopic dermatitis, and such a decrease can account both for IgE overproduction and for development of infections. Finally, CD8+ CTL can sustain against cutaneous viruses/tumors cytolytic immune responses not only of secondary but even of primary type, i.e. induced by Langerhans cells/dendritic cells either transfected or pulsed with skin virus/tumor‐associated antigens, thus allowing the production of vaccines against cutaneous viral/neoplastic diseases.


When the school decides to implement the RFID campus-safety system, the administrators always encounter internal and external risk items or difficulties which they know even they don't know. This study therefore proposes an analytic hierarchy model to help the administrators understand the critical risk factors influence the RFID campus-safety system initiation, and an aggregative risk degree is indicated which risk grade they are in. The importance weights of risk factors and possible occurrence ratings of four risk grade (high-risk, medium-risk, low-risk and none-risk) are determined by using consistent fuzzy preference relations. The relative priority weights of evaluators are taken into consideration at the same time and obtained by simple additive weighting method. By multiplying the importance weights of risk factors, possible occurrence ratings of risk grades and the relative priority weights of evaluators, the aggregative risk degree of implementing RFID campus-safety system.


APE1/Ref-1 (apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease-redox effector factor 1) is a multifunctional protein that has been shown to be overexpressed in multiple types of cancer. The overexpression of APE1/Ref-1 is linked to higher cancer cell survival and increased patient mortality. Furthermore, APE1/Ref-1 is a key regulator of transcription factors (TF) through redox signaling and protein-protein interaction. It is involved in proliferative and inflammatory signaling upregulated in cancer.
Transcription factor NF-kB is involved in inflammatory cytokine expression and has been shown to be regulated by Ref-1. My project investigated how Ref-1 regulates NF-kB, specifically Rel-A, in a model using K-rasLSL.G12D/+; Pdx-1-Cre (KC) pancreatic tumor cells (KC3590) derived from genetically engineered mice. Additionally, I explored other TFs within the APE1/Ref-1 signaling pathway, such as STAT3, in this model.
My work involved knocking down STAT3 levels within four variations of the KC3590 line. These were the KC3590/ΔNF-kB (parent) and KC3590/ΔNF-kB vector lines (vector) which contain exon deletions within the NF-kB gene rendering it nonfunctional. KC3590/13 and KC3590/15 are cell lines which are KC3590/ΔNF-B cells with functional full-length NF-kB added to the cells. Previous experiments demonstrated that the ΔNF-kB and ΔNF-kB vector lines are resistant to treatment by the specific Ref-1 inhibitors, including APX3330, which inhibit the redox signaling function of Ref-1.
Initial data demonstrated that adding back functional NF-kB to the NF-kB deficient cells reestablished sensitivity to APX3330, presumably due to the reintroduction of the Ref-1 target, NF-kB. Knockdown of STAT3 expression in the ΔNF-kB and ΔNF-kB vector lines demonstrated some sensitivity to APX3330, however, in the C13/15 cell lines, no enhanced sensitivity was observed. These data support the hypothesis that NF-kB is the major TF driving the growth of KC pancreatic tumor cells. Subsequent studies will clarify further the role of APE1/Ref-1 regulation in the KC model and the relative importance of APE1/Ref-1's target TFs.


Poly(ε-caprolactone-co-D,L-lactide) copolymers with 10, 30, and 50% by weight of silk particles (size range: 5-250 μm) derived from Bombyx mori were blended in acetone solution. After evaporation of the solvent, the morphology, thermal behavior, and mechanical properties of the composites were examined. The composites were transparent and the silk fibroin particles were homogeneously distributed within the composite structure. The particles appeared as bright reflected images under the optical microscope, suggesting that they were in a crystalline state. DSC thermograms of the composites revealed that the glass transition of the matrix was at ca. -18°C. Degradation of the silk fibroin occurred beyond 270°C. The decomposition temperatures and degradation rate decreased with increasing silk fibroin content as revealed by TGA analysis. FTIR spectra of the composites showed absorption bands at 1730 and 1088 cm-1 for the copolymer and at 3273 and 1617 cm-1 for the silk fibroin. Although the characteristic lines of poly(ε-caprolactone-coD,L-lactide) were independent of filler concentration, the absorption bands of the β-sheet form of the silk fibroin increased slightly due to the interaction of silk fibroin with the copolymer.


The existence of parallel universes may seem like something cooked up by science fiction writers, with little relevance to modern theoretical physics. But the idea that we live in a "multiverse" made up of an infinite number of parallel universes has long been considered a scientific possibility – although it is still a matter of vigorous debate among physicists. The race is now on to find a way to test the theory, including searching the sky for signs of collisions with other universes.


Although human-written summaries of documents tend to involve significant edits to the source text, most automated summa-rizers are extractive and select sentences verbatim. In this work we examine how elementary discourse units (EDUs) from Rhetorical Structure Theory can be used to extend extractive summarizers to produce a wider range of human-like summaries. Our analysis demonstrates that EDU segmentation is effective in preserving human-labeled summarization concepts within sentences and also aligns with near-extractive summaries constructed by news editors. Finally, we show that us-ing EDUs as units of content selection instead of sentences leads to stronger summarization performance in near-extractive scenarios, especially under tight budgets.


A critical appraisal of the role of the tradition of tragedy from the Aristotle classical period to modern times reveals that tragedy as a genre in respect of themes passed through a metamorphosis. This paper aims to look at how the French Neo-Classical period defined and practised the concept of tragedy. The paper provides content analysis of Phedre by Racine with a view to understanding the presentation of the heroine during the period. The portrayal of Phedre as a tragic heroine shares elements reminiscent of the classical concept of tragedy. The paper fulfils an identified need to study the concept of tragedy and shows the appendages of the classical thinking in the neo-classical period.


Abstract— Rock magnetic properties across several K‐T boundary sections have been investigated to reveal any possible magnetic signature associated with the remains of the impact event at the end of the Cretaceous. Studied sections' locations vary in distance to the Chicxulub structure from distal (Agost and Caravaca, Spain), through closer (ODP Hole 1049A, Blake Nose, North Atlantic), to proximal (El Mimbral and La Lajilla, Mexico). A clear magnetic signature is associated with the fireball layer in the most distal sections, consisting of a sharp increase in susceptibility and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM), and a decrease in remanence coercivity. Magnetic properties in these sections point to a distinctive ferrimagnetic phase, probably corresponding to the reported Mg‐ and Ni‐rich, highly oxidized spinels of meteoritic origin. At closer and proximal sections magnetic properties are different. Although there is an increase in susceptibility and SIRM associated with a rusty layer placed on top of the siliciclastic deposit in proximal sections, and with a similar limonitic layer on top of the spherule bed that defines the boundary at Blake Nose, the magnetic properties indicate a mixture of iron oxyhydroxides dominated by fine‐grained goethite. Based on previous geochemical studies at Blake Nose and new geochemical and PGE abundance measurements performed in this work at El Mimbral, this goethite‐rich layer can be interpreted as an effect of diagenetic remobilization and precipitation of Fe. There is not enough evidence to assert that this Fe concentration layer at proximal sections is directly related to deposition of fine meteoritic material. Magnetic, geochemical, and iridium data reject it as a primary meteoritic phase.


As a lightweight, fast, airtight, flexible foundation pit supporting structure, lasson steel sheet pile has obvious advantages of short-cycle and low-cost during the construction of double track railway abutment. However, the influence of insertion and extraction of steel sheet pile to original lines is also very big. Therefore, timely backfill grouting, settlement displacement observation and propermaintenance are needed.


Several scalable sample-based methods to compute the Kullback Leibler (KL) divergence between two distributions have been proposed and applied in large-scale machine learning models. While they have been found to be unstable, the theoretical root cause of the problem is not clear. In this paper, we study a generative adversarial network based approach that uses a neural network discriminator to estimate KL divergence. We argue that, in such case, high fluctuations in the estimates are a consequence of not controlling the complexity of the discriminator function space. We provide a theoretical underpinning and remedy for this problem by first constructing a discriminator in the Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS). This enables us to leverage sample complexity and mean embedding to theoretically relate the error probability bound of the KL estimates to the complexity of the discriminator in RKHS. Based on this theory, we then present a scalable way to control the complexity of the discriminator for a reliable estimation of KL divergence. We support both our proposed theory and method to control the complexity of the RKHS discriminator through controlled experiments.


A simple linear regression method is developed to retrieve daily averaged soil water content from diurnal variations of soil temperature measured at three or more depths. The method is applied to Oklahoma Mesonet soil temperature data collected at the depths of 5, 10, and 30 cm during 11-20 June 1995. The retrieved bulk soil water contents are compared with direct measurements for one pair of nearly collocated Mesonet and ARM stations and also compared with the retrievals of a previous method at 14 enhanced Oklahoma Mesonet stations. The results show that the current method gives more persistent retrievals than the previous method. The method is also applied to Oklahoma Mesonet soil temperature data collected at the depths of 5, 25, 60, and 75 cm from the Norman site during 20 30 July 1998 and 1-31 July 2000. The retrieved soil water contents are verified by collocated soil water content measurements with rms differences smaller than the soil water observation error (0.05 ma m-a). The retrievals are found to be moderately sensitive to random errors (±0.1 K) in the soil temperature observations and errors in the soil type specifications.


The study of developmental dyslexia was briefly reviewed through tracing its historical origin, addressing the issues in definitions, summarizing wellaccepted epidemiological findings, and highlighting some of the recent research on the neurological and cognitive basis of dyslexia. By introducing developmental dyslexia in different languages, including the Chinese language, it was recognized that different cognitive deficits might be differentially prominent in different language settings. The recent progress on studying the cognitive deficits of Chinese dyslexic children in Hong Kong and the development of assessment instruments for identification of dyslexia laid the foundation for further research. The need for translating research into evidence-based practice in developing interventions for dyslexic children was discussed.


Detailed information about the magnetic geometry, atmospheric abundances and radial velocity variations has been obtained for the magnetic standard star HD 94660 based on high-dispersion spectroscopic and spectropolarimetric observations from the UVES, HARPSpol and ESPaDOnS instruments.
We perform a detailed chemical abundance analysis using the spectrum synthesis code zeeman for a total of 17 elements. Using both line-of-sight and surface magnetic field measurements, we derive a simple magnetic field model that consists of dipole, quadrupole and octupole components.
The observed magnetic field variations of HD 94660 are complex and suggest an inhomogeneous distribution of chemical elements over the stellar surface. This inhomogeneity is not reflected in the abundance analysis, from which all available spectra are modelled, but only a mean abundance is reported for each element. The derived abundances are mostly non-solar, with striking overabundances of Fe-peak and rare-earth elements. Of note are the clear signatures of vertical chemical stratification throughout the stellar atmosphere, most notably for the Fe-peak elements. We also report on the detection of radial velocity variations with a total range of 35 km/s in the spectra of HD 94660. A preliminary analysis shows the most likely period of these variations to be of order 840 d and, based on the derived orbital parameters of this star, suggests the first detection of a massive compact companion for a main sequence magnetic star.
HD 94660 exhibits interestingly complex magnetic field variations and remarkable radial velocity variations. Long term monitoring is necessary to provide further constraints on the nature of these radial velocity variations. Detection of a companion will help establish the role of binarity in the origin of magnetism in stars with radiative envelopes.


In the classic novella "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Robert Louis Stevenson paints a stark picture of the duality of good and evil within a single man. Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), the most potent known toxin, possesses an analogous dichotomous nature: It shows a pronounced morbidity and mortality, but it is used with great effect in much lower doses in a wide range of clinical scenarios. Recently, tremendous strides have been made in the basic understanding of the structure and function of BoNT, which have translated into widespread efforts towards the discovery of biomacromolecules and small molecules that specifically modulate BoNT activity. Particular emphasis has been placed on the identification of inhibitors that can counteract BoNT exposure in the event of a bioterrorist attack. This Review summarizes the current advances in the development of therapeutics, including vaccines, peptides, and small-molecule inhibitors, for the prevention and treatment of botulism.


A series of side-chain liquid crystal polymers, the poly[ω-(4′-methoxybiphenyl-4-yloxy)alkyl methacrylate]s, have been synthesized in which the spacer length is varied from 3 to 12 methylene units. This is the first example of a poly(methacrylate)-based side-chain liquid crystal polymer series for which as many as 10 homologues have been prepared. The thermal properties have been characterised using differential scanning calorimetry and polarised light microscopy. All 10 homologues exhibit smectic behaviour; in addition, the butyl homologue is nematogenic. The clearing temperatures and associated entropy changes exhibit a distinct odd–even effect as the length and parity of the spacer is varied with the odd members exhibiting the higher values. This behaviour is rationalised in terms of the change in the average shape of the side chain on varying the parity of the spacer. The properties of the polymers are compared to those containing the same mesogenic group but different polymer backbones in order to consider the effect of flexibility on thermal behaviour. In general, these comparisons support the view that increasing backbone flexibility enhances the clearing transition while tending to decrease the entropy change associated with the transition. Exceptions to this rule are rationalised either in terms of molecular weight dependent effects or in the case of poly(norbornene)-based materials, are thought to arise from the complex microstructure of the polymer chains. Replacing the alkyl spacer by an oligo(ethylene oxide) chain reduces the clearing transition of the polymer. This is rationalised in terms of the flexibility and preferred conformations of an oligo(ethylene oxide) spacer.


OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to determine whether fast MR imaging using the half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo (HASTE) MR sequence is accurate for diagnosis of small-bowel obstruction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Forty-three nonconsecutive patients with suspected small-bowel obstruction were evaluated with HASTE MR imaging during a 12-month period. Images were retrospectively assessed for the presence, level, and cause of bowel obstruction. Data were compared with results of conventional radiography and findings at surgery when available.

RESULTS
Of the 43 patients imaged, 29 patients had small-bowel obstruction revealed by unenhanced or contrast-enhanced radiography or by CT. Surgical confirmation was available in 21 patients. Small-bowel obstruction was shown by HASTE MR imaging in 26 (90%) of these 29 patients. HASTE MR images showed the correct level of obstruction in 19 (73%) of the 26 patients and showed the cause of obstruction in 13 (50%) of the 26 patients.

CONCLUSION
With a high degree of accuracy, HASTE MR imaging can show the presence and level of small-bowel obstruction.


The concept of ordinary people plays a key role the analytical reflections about the genre of reality TV, in all its diversity and hybridity, where this concept is used to capture the presence of this virtually ungraspable category of human subjects that features so dominantly in these reality TV practices. This article focuses on the concept of ordinary people itself, and analyze its discursive construction. Apart from investigating the nature of the articulations of ordinary people in reality TV, this chapter poses the question how the articulation of the concept of ordinary people contributes to a set of power struggles in reality TV and in society in general, which are focussed on the (de-)validation of ordinary people as relevant societal actors. Behind this question lurks the idea that reality TV is one of the many symbolic battlegrounds for the democratic struggle about the (increased) equality between societal classes, and between societal elites and non-elites. Through this analysis we can see the simultaneity of the articulations of ordinary people-as-lower-class and ordinary people-as-non-elite offering two sets of repertoires which are invoked, sometimes one after the other, sometimes together, cross-feeding each other, contradicting each other, strengthening each other, in order to give meaning to the signifier ordinary people.


There has been a rapid increase in audio-visual information in digital form with the ever-increasing popularity of the Internet. The Moving Pictures Expert Group has recently presented a video compression and content manipulation standard, called MPEG-4 [1]. This was developed in response to the growing need for a coding method that can facilitate access to visual objects in natural and synthetic moving pictures in a wide variety of applications. In this paper, we propose a method for indexing the spatial content of Still Texture in MPEG-4 Video. There has been a number of approaches proposed recently [1],[3],[5],[6], which address content based indexing using features such as, color, shape and/or texture. We note that the still texture information is encoded using Wavelet Transform in MPEG-4. Since still texture can have an arbitrary shape, we propose to employ a combination of shape, color and texture features. The shape features are derived from the alpha plane and represented using Cubic B-spline approximation. The color and texture features are extracted directly from the wavelet compressed domain. An important attribute of the proposed approach is also the introduction of the novel concept of "containment" of spatial features for content based indexing.


In the United States today, alcoholism and obesity are increasingly becoming issues for a vast age group from young children to geriatric adults. Alcoholism and obesity have been extensively studied as separate entities that have been proven to change metabolism and cause over-lapping health issues, which prompted us to study them in conjunction with one another, especially in the lungs. One major link between these two alarmingly common problems is Krüppel-Like Factor 4 (KLF4), a cell regulatory protein crucial to cellular normality and monocyte differentiation. This particular study highlights the effects alcoholism and obesity have on the lung, specifically epithelial cells (L2) and macrophages (AM). The goal of this project is to measure the KLF4 expression in the L2 and AM cells subjected to high ethanol (EtOH) consumption, high glucose consumption, high EtOH and glucose consumption, as well as a healthy control lung in to explain the mechanism behind decreased immune function in these patients.


Lingual amylase and lingual lipase, two digestive enzymes that are secreted from lingual serous glands (von Ebner's), were simultaneously purified from rat lingual serous glands with hydrophobic chromatography used as the final step. This method, previously developed for the purification of lingual lipase, includes homogenization of rat lingual serous glands, 100,000 g centrifugation, ammonium sulfate precipitation of proteins, and extraction of lipids with acetone at -20°C, followed by hydrophobic chromatography on ethyl agarose or Agethane. Amylase was eluted after the elution of proteins that did not interact with the hydrophobic gel at pH 6.3. Lingual lipase was eluted with a solution containing micelles of taurodeoxycholate, monoolein, and oleic acid. Analysis of each of the purified enzymes by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed one band at M, = 59,000 for amylase and one band at M, = 51, 000 for lingual lipase. Isoelectric focusing of amylase indicated a strong band at pl = 5.0 and two very faint bands at pl = 4.9 and 4.8, possibly isozymes or deamidated protein. Amino acid and hexosamine analyses were performed on the enzymes after electroelution from SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Both lingual lipase and lingual amylase had a high content of dicarboxylic (free and amide) amino acids. For lingual lipase and lingual amylase, the % molar ratios of aspartic acid/asparagine were 15.35 and 15.10, and the % molar ratios of glutamic acid/glutamine were 7.07 and 7.20, respectively. Lingual amylase was very similar to rat parotid, pancreatic, and mouse salivary amylases, except that it contained more proline (11.03% molar ratio). Although no hexosamines were detected in lingual amylase, lingual lipase contained 14 moles of hexosamines/mole, 10 moles of GlcNAc, and 4 moles of GaINAc, indicating that the enzyme undergoes both N-linked and 0-linked glycosylation.


We welcome the contribution of Parry et al . (2011) concerning the age of the globally important Rhynie hot-spring system, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. However, although we accept that they have provided a valuable and robust U–Pb age constraint for the Milton of Noth Andesite and the Rhynie outlier stratigraphic succession, we do not accept that they have constrained the timing of hot-spring activity, as suggested.

The geophysical trace of the unexposed Milton of Noth Andesite indicates that it lies immediately adjacent to the Rhynie Fault Zone and runs parallel to it for some 2 km. It may even lie within the Rhynie Fault Zone (see discussion by Rice & Ashcroft 2004). Its stratigraphic position is therefore uncertain. Parry et al . (2011) stated that the exact stratigraphic position is not important because their preferred stratigraphic locations lie within the Tillybrachty Sandstone and Dryden Flags Formations, both of which have consistently yielded spores belonging to the polygonalis–emsiensis Spore Assemblage Biozone. This assertion is not valid. The polygonalis–emsiensis Spore Assemblage Biozone may have lasted several million years and thus, potentially, there could be a significant hiatus between eruption of the andesite and the onset of hot-spring activity.

They further assume that the andesite was linked to an andesitic magma chamber at depth, which powered the hydrothermal system. This remains speculation. Accepting the uncertainty in the stratigraphic position and by asserting a maximum thickness of sediment between the andesite and the Rhynie Cherts and a conservative deposition rate, Parry et al . (2011) attempted to temporally link the andesite to the cherts by calculating the time interval represented by the intervening sediment. The estimation of time depends on the absence of unconformities, disconformities and faulting, with such assumptions and uncertainties casting doubt on the thickness of the intervening sediments …


Fascinated by X-rays and medical imaging technology? Drawn to work that helps others? PRINCIPLES OF RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGING: AN ART AND A SCIENCE, 6th Edition reveals the inner workings of radiography careers, including radiologist assistants, radiologic technologists, ultrasound techs, CT and MRI techs, and other imaging roles in health care. Some books dump too much on you too fast, but this one moves at your pace, delivering the math and physics behind radiology before advancing to complex subjects. And it's designed around actual job skills like creating the beam, running scans and tests, and analyzing images--so you can pass accreditation exams and work in emergency rooms and hospitals. Reader-friendly yet packed with information, this text offers all you need to know about digital radiography systems, digital exposure factors, instrumentation and so much more!


In this paper, we report a reflexive case study of collaborative health research. The project we discuss (and are involved in) seeks to understand, evaluate, and eventually identify probabilities for the automation of work tasks in general practice medical services. This project is in two phases. The first is primarily qualitative, and is designed to gather data from observations, interviews, document collection, video, and ethnographic fieldwork in general practice surgeries. The second phase uses these qualitative data to develop models using quantitative data (from surveys and external data sources) that predicts the automation probability of various tasks. This research involves collaboration on multiple fronts: between different academic specializations, among academic researchers and healthcare clinicians and administrative staff, and coordinating academic analysis and technological development. While the only way to really do such a project is via collaboration, each point of collaboration also increases the complexity of the project and adds to the project's requirements. A key tension lies between quantitative engineering development and qualitative empirical research and theoretical development. We suggest this duality can be understood through frameworks from the field of computer supported cooperative work, where it is often discussed as the gap between social requirements and technological feasibility. Our collaboration between qualitative research and technological development embodies the notion that social activity is nuanced and fluid whereas technological development is precise, ridged, and brittle (following Ackerman, 2000). We explore the reproduction of this gap and its impact in sociotechnical research and development collaborations in health research.


The supreme goal of anticancer therapy is the induction of tumor cell death. Physiological cell death, which occurs as a continuous byproduct of cellular turnover, is non-immunogenic or even tolerogenic, thereby avoiding autoimmunity. However, cancer cell death elicited by radiotherapy and some chemotherapeutic agents such as anthracyclines and oxaliplatin can be immunogenic. Immunogenic death involves changes in the composition of the cell surface, as well as the release of soluble immunogenic signals that occur in a defined temporal sequence. This 'key' then operates on a series of receptors expressed by dendritic cells (DC, the 'lock') to allow for the presentation of tumor antigens to T cells and for the initiation of a productive immune response. Immunogenic cell death is characterized by the early cell surface exposure of calreticulin, which determines the uptake of tumor antigens by DC. The late release of the protein high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), which acts on toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), is required for the presentation of antigens from dying tumor cells. In addition, the release of ATP from dying cells causes the P2RX7 purinergic receptor-dependent activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in dendritic cells, thereby allowing them to release interleukin-1s and to polarize tumor antigen-specific CD8 T cells towards a Tc1 cytokine pattern. We postulate that the immune system determines the long-term success of anti-cancer therapies, and that this immune response is dictated by immunogenic tumor cell death. Hence, we formulate two predictions: First, therapeutic failure can result from failure to undergo immunogenic cell death (rather than cell death as such). Thus, agents that fail to induce immunogenic cell death cannot yield a long-term success in cancer therapy. Moreover, tumors that are intrinsically unable to undergo immunogenic cell death are incurable. Importantly, it appears that mitochondrial events determine whether cancer cells die or not in response to chemotherapy, while an endoplasmic reticulum stress response determines whether this cell death is perceived as immunogenic. Second, therapeutic failure may result from subtle immune defects that compromise the immune system9s capacity to perceive immunogenic cell death signals and/or to generate anti-cancer immune effectors. Indeed, we have found that loss-of-function alleles (that affect TLR4 or P2X7 receptors in the Caucasian population) can reduce the efficacy of conventional anti-cancer therapies, in anthracylin-treated breast carcinoma and oxaliplatin-treated colon cancer. In light of these postulates, the desirable death of a tumor cell is an immunogenic one. References Apetoh L, Ghiringhelli F, Tesniere A, Obeid M, Ortiz C, Criollo A, Mignot G, Maiuri MC, Ullrich E, Saulnier P, Yang H, Amigorena S, Ryffel B, Barrat FJ, Saftig P, Levi F, Lidereau R, Nogues C, Mira JP, Chompret A, Joulin V, Clavel-Chapelon F, Bourhis J, Andre F, Delaloge S, Tursz T, Kroemer G*, Zitvogel L* (equal senior and co-corresponding authors). Toll-like receptor 4-dependent contribution of the immune system to anticancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Nat Med. 2007 Oct;13(9):1050-1059. Casares N, Pequignot MO, Tesniere A, Ghiringhelli F, Roux S, Chaput N, Schmitt E, Hamai A, Obeid M, Coutant F, Metivier D, Pichard E, Aucouturier P, Pierron G, Garrido C, Zitvogel L, Kroemer G. Caspase-dependent immunogenicity of doxorubicin-induced tumor cell death. J Exp Med. 2005 Dec 19;202(12):1691-701. Green DR, Ferguson T, Zitvogel L, Kroemer G. Immunogenic and tolerogenic cell death. Nat Rev Immunol 2009 May; 9(5): 353-363 Ghiringhelli F, Apetoh L, Tesniere A, Aymeric L, Ma Y, Ortiz C, Vermaelen K, Panaretakis T, Mignot G, Ulrich E, Perfettin JL, Schlemmer F, Tasdemir E, Uhl M, Genin P, Civas A, Ruffer B, Kanellopoulos J, Tschopp J, Andre F, Liderau R, McLaughlin NM, Haynes NM, Smyth MJ, Kroemer G*, Zitvogel L* (equal senior and co-corresponding authors). The adaptive immune response against dying cancer cells is dictated by P2X7 purinergic receptor-mediated inflammasome activation. Nat Med 2009 Oct;15(10):1170-8 Obeid M, Tesniere A, Ghiringhelli F, Fimia GM, Apetoh L, Perfettini JL, Castedo M, Mignot G, Metivier D, Larochette D, van Edert P, Ciccosanti F, Piacentini F, Zitvogel L, Kroemer G. Calreticulin exposure dictates the immunogenicity of cancer cell death. Nat Med. 2007 Jan;13(1):54-61 Panaretakis T, Joza N, Modjtahedi N, Tesniere A, Vitale I, Durchschlag M, Fimia GM, Kepp O, Piacentini M, Froehlich KU, van Endert P, Zitvogel L, Madeo F, Kroemer G. The co-translocation of ERp57 and calreticulin determines the immunogenicity of cell death. Cell Death Differ. 2008 Sep;15(9):1499-509 Panaretakis T, Kepp O, Brockmeyer U, Tesniere A, Durchschlag M, Joza, N, Pierron G, van Endert P, Yuan J, Zitvogel L, Madeo F, Williams DB, Kroemer G. Mechanisms of pre-apoptotic calreticulin exposure in immunogenic cell death. EMBO J. 2009 Mar 4;28(5):578-90 Tesniere A, Schlemmer F, Kepp , Rero AL, Apetoh L, Michaud M, Boige V, Pignon JP, Puig P, Garrido C, Zitvogel L, Kroemer G. Immunogenic death of colon cancer cells treated with oxaliplatin. Oncogene in press Zitvogel L, Apetoh L, Ghiringhelli F, Kroemer G. Immunological aspects of anti-cancer chemotherapy. Nat Rev Immunol. 2008 Jan; 8(1): 59-73 Zitvogel L, Apetoh L, Ghiringhelli F, Andre F, Tesniere A, Kroemer G. The anticancer immune response: indispensable for therapeutic success? J Clin Invest. 2008 Jun;118(6):1991-2001. Citation Format: Laurence Zitvogel, Guido Kroeme. The desirable death of the cancer cell: Immunogenic cell death for optimal chemotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY03-01


Ontologies are widely used as a technique for representation and reuse of knowledge. This paper summarizes experiences and results of a project within ontology development, with wood-related industry as application sector. One major aspect of the project was the selection of a suitable methodology for ontology development. In a literature study existing methodologies were analyzed with respect to their suitability for small-scale application contexts. As no existing methodology was fully adequate, an improved methodology was proposed. The main intention was to reduce development time and effort to meet the demands of small-scale application contexts. The improved methodology was applied and evaluated in the project, i.e. in the development of an ontology for wood-related industry. The main conclusion is that the methodology was adequate for the project, but some aspects could be elaborated and further investigated, such as reuse of already existing ontologies.


This paper introduces self-manipulation as a new formal design methodology for legged robots with varying ground interactions. The term denotes a set of modeling choices that permit a uniform and body-centric representation of the equations of motion - essentially a guide to the selection and configuration of coordinate frames. We present the hybrid system kinematics, dynamics, and transitions in the form of a consistently structured representation that simplifies and unites the account of these, otherwise bewilderingly diverse differential algebraic equations. Cleaving as closely as possible to the modeling strategies developed within the mature manipulation literature, self-manipulation models can leverage those insights and results where applicable, while clarifying the fundamental differences. Our primary motivation is not to facilitate numerical simulation but rather to promote design insight. We instantiate the abstract formalism for a simplified model of RHex, and illustrate its utility by applying a variety of analytical and computational techniques to derive new results bearing on behaviors, controllers, and platform design. For each example, we present empirical results documenting the specific benefits of the new insight into the robot's transitions from standing to moving in place and to leaping.


We study the Fox coloring invariants of rational knots. We express the propagation of the colors down the twists of these knots and ultimately the determinant of them with the help of finite increasing sequences whose terms of even order are even and whose terms of odd order are odd.


Does device-orientation-based panning on mobile devices facilitate engagement? 20 users were asked to pan panoramas by turning around and changing the direction of the device, and by swiping with the finger on the touchscreen. The participants were also asked to rate how engaging they found it on the User Engagement Scale. It turned out that device-orientation-based panning was more engaging than drag-based panning. Moving your body to navigate information can pull you into an affective loop.


Analyses of migrants' economic circumstances typically use the native-born in the destination as a comparison group. We use the 1990 Census Public Use Microdata Samples for the United States and Puerto Rico to demonstrate the benefits of a comparative approach that includes data from both the origin and the destination. Specifically, the primary objective is to determine how and why the risk of child poverty is associated with migration from Puerto Rico to the United States. The results show that migration reduces the risk of child poverty, partly because better jobs are available on the mainland. Employment, human capital, family structure, and public assistance cannot completely explain observed differences. The results also show that the economic benefits of migration continue for the native-born on the mainland and that return migration to Puerto Rico is associated with impoverishment.


Abstract— This study is a continuation research of Sustainable Master plan Design in Residential Area Near the Airport which was previously conducted. In that study, it has been known that the angles of 135° and 180° towards the runway are the most effective angles which can reduce noise emitted from the airport. For reviewing the climate aspects, models are fitted in those angles, and then the observation of climatic aspects such as: temperature, humidity and wind speed should be conducted to review their influence to noise received by inhabitants. The research methods used were polynomial regressions of goniometric. And the results are correlation models of noise level to temperature, humidity and wind speed.


A case of supernumerary phantom limb is described after a haematoma within the right basal ganglia. The phantom, which persisted for many months, occurred in the context of severe left hemiplegia, sensory loss, hemianopia, and neglect. The subjective reality of this "third arm" caused the patient considerable distress, which was not ameliorated by his attempts to rationalise its existence. Although deeply confused by the phantom, the patient was otherwise fully oriented, with a high verbal IQ, and normal cognition. Two distinct formal interpretations of the phenomenon are discussed.


Violence among bullying, although not a new concept has increased steadily in the last period. This study, 9 and 10 in the grade of 1200 students applied to study through a survey of school violence prevention and inter-flow prevention was intended to put forward proposals for the solution in the center of Sivas. In determining the number of students included in the study stratified sampling method used and the selection of students was done with simple random sampling method. Questionnaire; sociodemographic characteristics and violence against the approach consists of containing the problem. Data SPSS (Ver: 10.0) were evaluated using the khi-square test. 722 of students (60.2%) men, 478 (39.8%) and girls, ages between 14-18 years and mean age 15.75 ± 0.85. Between gender differences in terms of violence and brute force is significant (p


The task of recognizing the bank cards on images is considered in this paper. This task is motivated by premoderation of images in social networks in order to avoid leakage of personal data. An example of such data is the number of bank card. Detection algorithm based on convolutional neural networks is applied for this task. A number of experiments were conducted to develop the most optimal neural network architecture, which took into account the speed and accuracy of recognition. In the course of the experiments, the recognition accuracy of 91% and the processing speed of 25 images per second were achieved.


FoxP3(+) confers suppressive properties and is confined to regulatory T cells (T(reg)) that potently inhibit autoreactive immune responses. In the transplant setting, natural CD4(+) T(reg) are critical in controlling alloreactivity and the establishment of tolerance. We now identify an important CD8(+) population of FoxP3(+) T(reg) that convert from CD8(+) conventional donor T cells after allogeneic but not syngeneic bone marrow transplantation. These CD8(+) T(reg) undergo conversion in the mesenteric lymph nodes under the influence of recipient dendritic cells and TGF-β. Importantly, this population is as important for protection from GVHD as the well-studied natural CD4(+)FoxP3(+) population and is more potent in exerting class I-restricted and antigen-specific suppression in vitro and in vivo. Critically, CD8(+)FoxP3(+) T(reg) are exquisitely sensitive to inhibition by cyclosporine but can be massively and specifically expanded in vivo to prevent GVHD by coadministering rapamycin and IL-2 antibody complexes. CD8(+)FoxP3(+) T(reg) thus represent a new regulatory population with considerable potential to preferentially subvert MHC class I-restricted T-cell responses after bone marrow transplantation.


If T:C(H,X)-->Y is a bounded linear operator then there exists a unique weakly regular finitely additive set function m:-->L(X,Y**) so that T(f) = ∫Hfdm. In this paper, bounded linear operators on C(H,X) are studied in terms the measure given by this representation theorem. The first chapter provides a brief history of representation theorems of these classes of operators. In the second chapter the represenation theorem used in the remainder of the paper is presented. If T is a weakly compact operator on C(H,X) with representing measure m, then m(A) is a weakly compact operator for every Borel set A. Furthermore, m is strongly bounded. Analogous statements may be made for many interesting classes of operators. In chapter III, two classes of operators, weakly precompact and QSP, are studied. Examples are provided to show that if T is weakly precompact (QSP) then m(A) need not be weakly precompact (QSP), for every Borel set A. In addition, it will be shown that weakly precompact and GSP operators need not have strongly bounded representing measures. Sufficient conditions are provided which guarantee that a weakly precompact (QSP) operator has weakly precompact (QSP) values. A sufficient condition for a weakly precomact operator to be strongly bounded is given. In chapter IV, weakly precompact subsets of L1(μ,X) are examined. For a Banach space X whose dual has the Radon-Nikodym property, it is shown that the weakly precompact subsets of L1(μ,X) are exactly the uniformly integrable subsets of L1(μ,X). Furthermore, it is shown that this characterization does not hold in Banach spaces X for which X* does not have the weak Radon-Nikodym property.


Purpose To describe the ophthalmic manifestations in a series of children with congenital lamellar ichthyosis. These cases presented with varying types of eyelid abnormality associated with the systemic disease. The clinical features and ophthalmic management were studied. Methods The case histories of three children presenting to the oculoplastic clinic were reviewed. All were diagnosed with congenital lamellar ichthyosis and under the care of the Dermatology department. Family history and pedigree analysis was performed to determine mode of genetic inheritance. Ocular examination for visual acuity, eyelid and eyelash malposition, lid function and closure were carried out. Corneal examination including tests for exposure was also done. Results All three patients had eyelid position abnormalities from the systemic disease. There was no clinical evidence of conjunctival involvement. One patient required full thickness skin grafts to treat corneal exposure secondary to lower lid ectropion. One had mild lower lid ectropion but without corneal exposure. The third case had the unusual finding of inward turning of the anterior lamella of the upper eyelid with a marked lash ptosis and only mild ectropion of the lower lid. Conclusions Congenital lamellar ichthyosis is a heterogeneous disorder with phenotypic variability. The most common eyelid abnormality is cicatricial ectropion of the upper and mainly lower eyelids. Most cases are managed conservatively although in severe cases secondary corneal exposure may require surgical correction. In this condition, to the best of our knowledge, the tendency for the eyelids to turn inwards has not previously been described.


In this paper, an efficient method for producing lactic acid from glucose with nickel as a catalyst under hydrothermal conditions has been developed. The addition of nickel can improve the lactic acid yield efficiently under alkaline hydrothermal conditions. The highest lactic acid yield of 35% was obtained under the optimum conditions, i.e., reaction temperature 300 °C, reaction time 60 s, 0.5 mmol nickel and 2.5 M NaOH.


Abstract A series of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments were made to determine the structure and stability of aqueous REE (La, Nd, Gd, and Yb) chloride complexes to 500 °C and 520 MPa. The REE3+ ions exhibit inner-sphere chloroaqua complexation with a steady increase of chloride coordination with increasing temperature in the 150 to 500 °C range. Furthermore, the degree of chloride coordination of REE3+ inner-sphere chloroaqua complexes decreases significantly from light to heavy REE. These results indicate that steric hindrance drives the reduction of chloride coordination of REE3+ inner-sphere chloroaqua complexes from light to heavy REE. This results in greater stability and preferential transport of light REE3+ over heavy REE3+ ions in saline hydrothermal fluids. Accordingly, the preferential mobility of light REE directly influences the relative abundance of REE in rocks and minerals and thus needs to be considered in geochemical modeling of petrogenetic and ore-forming processes affected by chloride-bearing hydrothermal fluids.


The promise of agricultural biotechnology has become reality. Foods produced through biotechnology will become increasingly common in the food production and distribution system. Consumer reaction to these foods will be an important factor in determining the ultimate success of the biotechnology enterprise. This paper reviews trends in U.S. consumers' awareness and acceptance of biotechnology. Results of several national surveys show that biotechnology has not been an issue for the vast majority of consumers. Most have a positive attitude about biotechnology. This paper also presents some implications for future research and educational programs.


Key Points TLR dimerization blockade impairs TLR2/1 and TLR2/6 signaling in macrophages. TLR2 dimer blockade ameliorates acute experimentally induced colitis. Treatment blunts monocyte activation and allows generation of tissue macrophages. Recruited blood monocytes contribute to the establishment, perpetuation, and resolution of tissue inflammation. Specifically, in the inflamed intestine, monocyte ablation was shown to ameliorate colitis scores in preclinical animal models. However, the majority of intestinal macrophages that seed the healthy gut are also monocyte derived. Monocyte ablation aimed to curb inflammation would therefore likely interfere with intestinal homeostasis. In this study, we used a TLR2 trans-membrane peptide that blocks TLR2 dimerization that is critical for TLR2/1 and TLR2/6 heterodimer signaling to blunt inflammation in a murine colitis model. We show that although the TLR2 peptide treatment ameliorated colitis, it allowed recruited monocytes to give rise to macrophages that lack the detrimental proinflammatory gene signature and reduced potentially damaging neutrophil infiltrates. Finally, we demonstrate TLR blocking activity of the peptide on in vitro cultured human monocyte-derived macrophages. Collectively, we provide a significantly improved anti-inflammatory TLR2 peptide and critical insights in its mechanism of action toward future potential use in the clinic.


Hepatitis B infection (HBV) infection is a serious public health problem worldwide and its co-infection with human immune deficiency virus (HIV) is common due to shared routes of transmission. An increased mortality due to accelerated hepatic disease progression and the frequent hepatotoxicity caused by antiretroviral therapy are the challenges in the clinical management of HIV. Epidemiological studies on HBV and HBV/HIV co infection are scarce in Ethiopia, particularly at the study area. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of HBV, its risk factors and co-infection with HIV among clients of a voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) center in Southern Ethiopia. A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st February 2016 to 15th March among clients of Nigist Eleni Memorial Hospital VCT Center. Data were collected by face-to-face interview and specific formula sheet as well recorded results of laboratory diagnosis of blood sample from each participant. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was done to identify predictors of HBV. Overall, 331 participants were included in the study. The prevalence of HBV was 8.8%, HBV/HIV co-infection was found in 3.6%. Individuals with a history of multiple sexual partner [AOR = 10.3; 95% CI, 3.71 - 28.83], previous history of invasive procedure [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 10.88; 95% CI, 3.84 - 30.86] and history of surgical procedure [AOR = 9.2; 95% CI, 3.1 - 27.88] were identified as in dependent predictors of HBV infection. High HBV infection and HBV/HIV co-infection was found in the study. Previous history of surgical procedure, invasive procedure and multiple sexual partners were identified as independent predictor of HBV infection.

 Key words: Hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immune deficiency virus, HBV-HIV co-infection, risk factors, Hosanna.