A optic method to measure the density of gas is put forward. That is, by using the optical Wedge structure to build air chamber and chamber for gas under test, and by measuring the differences of the optical Wedge interference fringes of the two rooms, the density of gas has been measured. The interference theory of Wedge has been theoretical analyzed, and a formula which can be used to measure the refractive index of gas is put forward, and the uncertainty of the measurement has been analyzed. The parameters of gas density, refractive index and gas thickness have been used in the formula. The results show that the method of optical Wedge interference is practical, and high measurement accuracy is achievement when the density of gas is high.


This research explores the socio-cultural issues, identity formation and ideological pressures presented in the writings of exiled writer Fadia Faqir's My Name is Salma. There is a vibrant evidence of cultural diasporic predicament and alienation with the postcolonial perspective. Protagonist of this novel tries to know her identity at a new place and struggles to gain a new multicultural identity. This research sets out to examine how identity is formed by a Muslim subject in a postcolonial Western context. Edward Said's Orientalism, provides a solid stage to know about the west's patronizing and fictional depictions of the East. Theories of hybridity, liminal space, mimicry and ambivalence presented by Homi K. Bhabha also provide a major ground to analyze the selected text. Issues related to Islamic ideology, new culture and the attitude of the new society in the modern era have also been brought under discussion and analysis. This research not only provides a basic knowledge about the culture and norms of Middle East but also about Islamic ideology and Islamic practices; it also provides an account off information about the pressures and ideology clashes on the basic of East and West. The research concludes that a Muslim character living in the West will form for themselves a hybrid identity that encompasses both their Muslim heritage and that of the modern, secular culture of the West.


This paper proposes a Random Frequency PWM synchronized for a three phase inverter implemented with use of FPGA and applied to a 1-hp induction motor drive system for the reduction of harmonics and improvement of fundamental peak voltage. For providing alternating output voltage with a specific magnitude and frequency to industrial applications, three-phase inverter is preferred. The gating signals to the inverter are produced by means of Random Frequency PWM to significantly reduce harmonics in comparison to currently used PWMs. FPGA is used to produce gating signals to the switches in a three-phase bridge inverter since a faster speed of operation is needed. The simulation is carried on VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) using ModelSim. Then, this VHDL model is imported into Matlab environment and co-simulated using HDL Cosimulation toolbox. The simulation and experimental results are presented with a view to determine whether Random Frequency PWM performs better in terms of fundamental voltage and Total Harmonic Distortion.


This study presents a numerical investigation of the effect of decrease in water saturation of host rocks with dehydration reactions on the reconstruction of the thermal evolution of igneous-intrusions-bearing basins based on complex heat conduction models. The Bena 3 dike of Gippsland Basin (Australia) is selected as an example in this study. Results indicate: (1) the consideration of decrease in water saturation of host rocks (sandstone) with dehydration reactions in the models can obviously increase the predicted peak temperature Tpeak of host rocks. The corresponding maximum deviation of Tpeak occurs at the contact and reaches ~270 °C; (2) if water saturation of host rocks vary with dehydration reactions, the Tpeak can also be influenced by the quartz content of host rocks. The predicted Tpeak is higher for the host rocks with low quartz content. The maximum deviation of Tpeak caused by the quartz content can attain 115 °C. However, the deviation of Tpeak above 20 °C only occurs in a narrow region which is near the intrusion. Out of this region, the quartz content of sandstone has only a slight effect on Tpeak.


The Cours de linguistique générale (1916), which became the master text for structuralist linguistics and semiotics, is characterized by a series of dichotomies. Some of them, e.g. langue and parole, signified and signifier, arbitrary and motivated, are very well known, others less so. This paper looks at Saussure's semiotics in terms of these dichotomies, and considers how later critiques, such as Voloshinov's (1929), and reformulations, particularly Hjelmslev's (1935, 1942) and the concept of enunciation which emerged conjointly in the work of Jakobson, Lacan, Dubois, Benveniste and others, were shaped as responses to the Saussurean dichotomies. Also examined in terms of its contrast with Saussure is Bally's stylistics. The aim is a fuller understanding of the shapes taken by structuralist semiotics, in view of the heritage on which they were based and the broader intellectual climate, including phenomenology and Marxism, in which they developed.


Background: In the late 1990s and the early part of this decade, the major US cigarette manufacturers admitted, to varying degrees, that smoking causes cancer and other diseases. Objective: To examine how tobacco manufacturers have defended themselves against charges that their products caused cancer in plaintiffs in 34 personal injury lawsuits, all but one of which were litigated between the years 1986 and 2003. Methods: Defence opening and closing statements, trial testimony, and depositions for these cases were obtained from the Tobacco Deposition and Trial Testimony Archive (http://tobaccodocuments.org/datta/). All available defence-related transcripts from these cases were reviewed and a content analysis was conducted to identify common themes in the defendants' arguments. Results: After review of the transcripts, defendants' arguments were grouped into seven categories: (1) there is no scientific proof that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer; (2) the plaintiff did not have lung cancer as claimed; (3) the plaintiff had a type of lung cancer not associated with cigarette smoking; (4) the plaintiff had cancer that may have been associated with cigarette smoking or smokeless tobacco use, but tobacco products were not to blame in this particular case; (5) the plaintiff had cancer that may have been associated with cigarette smoking, but the defendant's cigarette brands were not to blame; (6) the defendant's cigarettes (or smokeless tobacco) may have played a role in the plaintiff's illness/death, but other risk factors were present that negate or mitigate the defendant's responsibility; and (7) the defendant's cigarettes may have been a factor in the plaintiff's illness/death, but the plaintiff knew of the health risks and exercised free will in choosing to smoke and declining to quit. Use of the argument that smoking is not a proven cause of lung cancer declined in frequency during and after the period when tobacco companies began to publicly admit that smoking causes disease. Corresponding increases occurred over time in the use of other arguments (namely, presence of other risk factors and "free will"). Conclusions: Despite the vast body of literature showing that cigarette smoking causes cancer, and despite tobacco companies' recent admissions that smoking causes cancer, defendants used numerous arguments in these cases to deny that their products had caused cancer in plaintiffs. The cigarette companies, through their public admissions and courtroom arguments, seem to be saying, "Yes, smoking causes lung cancer, but not in people who sue us".


BACKGROUND
Freediving is defined as an activity where athletes repetitively dive and are exposed to long efforts with limited oxygen consumption. Therefore, anaerobic features are expected to be an important facet of diving performance. This study aimed to investigate differences in anaerobic capacity and local muscle oxygenation in spearfisherman and freedivers.

METHODS
The sample of participants included 17 male athletes (nine freedivers, and eight spearfishermen), with an average age of 37.0±8.8 years, training experience of 10.6±9.5 years, body mass of 82.5±9.5 kg and height of 184.2±5.7 cm. Anthropometric characteristics included: body mass, body height, seated height, and body fat percentage. Wingate anaerobic test was conducted, during which local muscle oxygenation was measured with a NIRS device (Moxy monitor). Wingate power outputs were measured (peak power [W/kg] and average power [W/kg]), together with muscle oxygenation variables (baseline oxygen saturation [%], desaturation slope [%/s], minimum oxygen saturation [%], half time recovery [s], and maximum oxygen saturation [%]).

RESULTS
The differences were not obtained between freedivers and spearfisherman in power outputs (peak power (9.24±2.08 spearfisherman; 10.68±1.04 freedivers; P=0.14); average power (6.85±0.95 spearfisherman; 7.44±0.60 freedivers; P=0.15) and muscle oxygenation parameters. However, analysis of effect size showed a moderate effect in training experience (0.71), PP (0.89), AP (0.75), Desat slope mVLR (0.66), half time recovery mVLR (0.90).

CONCLUSIONS
The non-existence of differences between freedivers and spearfishermen indicates similar training adaptations to the anaerobic demands. However, the results show relatively low anaerobic capacities of our divers that could serve as an incentive for the further development of these mechanisms.


Defruited cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants were grown hydroponically for 28 days in containers with 4.5 liters of capacity, in which constant solution depths of 1, 5, 50, and 170 mm were maintained. The plants grown in the 1- and 5-mm-deep solutions grew more slowly than those in the deeper solutions. Both root and shoot growth were reduced at the shallow depths, but shoot growth was affected more than root growth. Thus, the shoot : root ratios were considerably smaller in the shallower than in the deeper solutions. The root systems in the shallower solutions, initially, were relatively more branched than in the deeper solutions. The shallow solutions caused the plants to allocate a higher proportion of their photosynthetic resources to the root at the expense of leaf growth. In the shallow solutions, a progressively higher proportion of this root growth became exposed above the solution, and, therefore, could not contribute to the absorption of water and nutrients. Control of solution depth may be a useful tool for controlling the vigor of the shoots of cucumber and the data presented may explain why growth problems have been experienced with this crop, particularly where a very thin film of nutrient is used, as in nutrient film technique.


ABSTRACT A retail store's layout affects a shopper's visual experience and correspondingly the time spent in the store, navigation through the aisles, and allocation of attention and money across departments and categories. We show that alternate rack layouts allow for more of a rack's facing to appear in the shopper's visual field. To this end, we introduce a set of visual–spatial statistics comprised of visual measures (exposure and intensity) and spatial measures (space and aspect ratio) as a way to quantify the effect a retail layout has on a shopper's visual experience. We present both analytical and algorithmic approaches to capture the dynamics of a travelling shopper's field of regard with respect to a static rack layout. Results for the case of unidirectional shopper travel suggest that racks oriented at 30° from the direction of travel exhibit nearly 250% increase in exposure when compared to 90° racks; for bidirectional traffic, acute orientations still provide up to 150% higher exposure. Interestingly, rack orientations amenable to higher visual measures are not necessarily the best with respect to spatial measures. We illustrate the use of our approach to analyse a real-store layout from a nearby mass merchandiser.


John Foster Dulles, then Secretary of State under the presidency of Eisenhower, once said there are two ways to conquer: by the clash of arms or through the economic control. The motto of the former WWII British SBS Commandos (Special Boat Service)used to be "United we conquer" and the one from the SAS (Special Air Service) used to be "Who dare win ", both of these commando troops or irregulars were in tactical competition framed by strategic cooperation where the light forces overcame heavier and overnumbering forces. Unity and daringness seem to be their secret weapon, but neither so secret nor so exclusive, comparatively to the recipe of tactical competition framed by strategic co-operation and coordination. "Superior numbers on the battlefield are an undoubted advantage, but skill, better organization, and training, and above all a firmer determination in all ranks to conquer at any cost, are the chief factors of success. Half-hearted measures never attain success in war and lack of determination is the most fruitful source of defeat" wrote Anthony Wilden1. The Chinese "Chii" (close to the latin "anima": heart, mind, courage) may be translated to "determination" and not by "energy" as it uses to be with the western obsession and compulsion of matter, energy and big power at the expense of high determination or "Tai Chi". The Chinese "Lii" - though its primal senses are "Law", "Rationality" and "Reason", "Rite" and "Harmony" - may be viewed as "Skill". Here, Asia is the Far East and mainly Japan, the "mother tiger" and her "baby tigers ", namely Korea (South), Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. The ride of the dragon is oriented elsewhere and devastated Viet Nam (the smaller dragon) - by its independence wars and communist insulation and isolation - is not yet in the game. Strategy is both an organizational level of action and a type of action based on disguise, deception, uncertainty, flexibility and adaptation.


1. Muscle electrolyte (Na, K, Cl, P) concentrations and fluid compartments of six children with Bartter9s syndrome were compared with those of 17 control children. From four of the patients biopsies were taken twice, before and after treatment with potassium chloride and spironolactone. Muscle electrolytes were determined by neutron activation in tissue sampled by needle biopsy. Results were expressed in relation to fat-free dry solids. Trapped extracellular fluid was calculated from the chloride space, a normal resting membrane potential being assumed. 2. In hypokalaemic patients total muscle potassium (K m ) (33·0 ± 2·1 sem) was below the normal range (43·8 ± 0·7 mmol/100 g of fat-free dry solids) in all cases. When plasma potassium was corrected, total muscle potassium returned to normal. There was a significant correlation between plasma potassium concentration and total muscle potassium ( r = 0·87; P m ) was increased: 18·7 ± 2·9 mmol/100 g in hypokalaemic patients (11·3 ± 0·6 mmol/100 g of fat-free dry solids in control subjects). A negative relationship was found between K m and Na m ( r = —0·85; P 3. These data suggest that sodium replaces potassium in muscle of patients with Bartter9s syndrome. The low intracellular potassium concentration in the binephrectomized sister of one child and in all treated children suggests that there are generalized anomalies in the handling of cations in Bartter9s syndrome.


PURPOSE
Primary blast injury (PBI) mostly affects air-filled organs, although it is sporadically reported in fluid-filled organs, including the eye. The purpose of the present paper is to explain orbit blast injury mechanisms through finite element modeling (FEM).

METHODS
FEM meshes of the eye, orbit, and skull were generated. Pressure, strain, and strain rates were calculated at the cornea, vitreous base, equator, macula, and orbit apex for pressures known to cause tympanic rupture, lung damage, and 50% chance of mortality.

RESULTS
Pressures within the orbit ranged between +0.25 and -1.4 MegaPascal (MPa) for tympanic rupture, +3 and -1 MPa for lung damage, and +20 and -6 MPa for 50% mortality. Higher trinitrotoluene (TNT) quantity and closer explosion caused significantly higher pressures, and the impact angle significantly influenced pressure at all locations. Pressure waves reflected and amplified to create steady waves resonating within the orbit. Strain reached 20% along multiple axes, and strain rates exceeded 30,000 s(-1) at all locations even for the smallest amount of TNT.

CONCLUSIONS
The orbit's pyramidlike shape with bony walls and the mechanical impedance mismatch between fluidlike content and anterior air-tissue interface determine pressure wave reflection and amplification. The resulting steady wave resonates within the orbit and can explain both macular holes and optic nerve damage after ocular PBI.


Abstract Social media have transformed traditional configurations of how risk signals related to an infectious disease outbreak (IDO) are transmitted from public health authorities to the general public. However, our understanding of how social media might influence risk perceptions during these situations, and the influence of such processes on ensuing societal responses remains limited. This paper draws on key ideas from the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF), Socially Mediated Crisis Communication (SMCC) model and a case study of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) social media management of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic to propose a new conceptual model. The Risk Amplification through Media Spread (RAMS) model brings clarity to the new complexities in media management of IDOs by delineating the processes of message diffusion and risk amplification through communication channels that are often highly integrated due to social media. The model offers recommendations for communication priorities during different stages of an IDO. The paper concludes with a discussion of the RAMS model from theoretical and applied perspectives, and sets the direction for future conceptual refinement and empirical testing.


The discovery and design of compounds with intrinsically low thermal conductivity, especially compounds with a special bonding nature and stable crystal structure, is a new direction to broaden the scope of potential thermoelectric (TE) materials. This study revealed unambiguously the origin of the impact of the lone pair electrons on lattice thermal conductivity in Cu–Sb–S compounds by correlating the special bonding on the Sb site with the phonon dispersion spectrum and density of states. By substitution of Sb with the transition metal Fe and group IIIA element Ga without s 2 electrons, lone-pair electrons on some of the Sb sites were removed, which created a scenario with opposite influences on lattice thermal conductivity from the loss of lone-pair electrons and gain of alloy scattering. We investigated the competition between the alloy phonon scattering and the extra phonon scattering mechanism linked to lone-pair electrons on trivalent Sb sites in chalcostibite CuSbS2, which is a model system for benchmarking and quantifying the impact of lone-pair electrons on the lattice thermal conductivity of Cu–Sb–S compounds. A significant deviation from the classic alloy model was observed. Along with the impact of the lone-pair electrons on the bonding arrangement and crystal structure, the role of lonepair electrons in the phonon transport of the TE compound CuSbS2 was well demonstrated and quantified. Two Sb-related quasi-single-frequency vibration modes behaving like localised Einstein harmonic oscillators were discovered and correlated with the bonding circumstance around Sb sites. These results give unequivocal evidence that the trivalent VA atom creates special bonding and vibration modes because of its nonbonding 5s lone-pair electrons.


Kathleen Eckert: A Mass Census of the Nearby Universe with the RESOLVE Survey (Under the direction of Sheila Kannappan) The galaxy mass function, i.e., the distribution of galaxies as a function of mass, is a useful way to characterize the galaxy population. In this work, we examine the stellar and baryonic mass function, and the velocity function of galaxies and galaxy groups for two volume-limited surveys of the nearby universe. Stellar masses are estimated from multi-band photometry, and we add cold atomic gas from measurements and a newly calibrated estimator to obtain baryonic mass. Velocities are measured from the internal motions of galaxies and groups and account for all matter within the system. We compare our observed mass and velocity functions with the halo mass function from theoretical simulations of dark matter, which predict a much more steeply rising low-mass slope than is normally observed for the galaxy mass function. We show that taking into account the cold gas mass, which dominates the directly detectable mass of low-mass galaxies, steepens the low-mass slope of the galaxy mass function. The lowmass slope of the baryonic mass function, however, is still much shallower than that of the halo mass function. The discrepancy in low-mass slope persists when examining the velocity function, which accounts for all matter in galaxies (detectable or not), suggesting that some mechanism must reduce the mass in halos or destroy them completely. We investigate the role of environment by performing group finding and examining the mass and velocity functions as a function of group halo mass. Broken down by halo mass regime, we find dips and varying low-mass slopes in the mass and velocity functions, suggesting that group formation processes such as merging and stripping, which destroy and lower the mass of low-mass satellites respectively, potentially contribute to the discrepancy in low-mass slope. In particular, we focus on the nascent group regime, groups of mass ∼1011.4−12 M with few members, which has a depressed and flat low-mass slope in the galaxy mass and velocity function. We find that nascent groups are at the peak baryonic collapse efficiency (group-integrated cold


Abstract. The use of organic soils by agriculture involves drainage and tillage, and the resulting increase in C and N turnover can significantly affect their greenhouse gas balance. This study estimated annual fluxes of CH4 and N2O, and ecosystem respiration (Reco), from eight organic soils managed by agriculture. The sites were located in three regions representing different landscape types and climatic conditions, and three land use categories were covered (arable crops, AR, grass in rotation, RG, and permanent grass, PG). The normal management at each site was followed, except that no N inputs occurred during the monitoring period from August 2008 to October 2009. The stratified sampling strategy further included six sampling points in three blocks at each site. Environmental variables (precipitation, PAR, air and soil temperature, soil moisture, groundwater level) were monitored continuously and during sampling campaigns, where also groundwater samples were taken for analysis. Gaseous fluxes were monitored on a three-weekly basis, giving 51, 49 and 38 field campaigns for land use categories AR, PG and RG, respectively. Climatic conditions in each region during monitoring were representative as compared to 20-yr averages. Peat layers were shallow, typically 0.5 to 1 m, and with a pH of 4 to 5. At six sites annual emissions of N2O were in the range 3 to 24 kg N2O-N ha−1, but at two arable sites (spring barley, potato) net emissions of 38 and 61 kg N2O-N ha−1 were recorded. The two high-emitting sites were characterized by fluctuating groundwater, low soil pH and elevated groundwater SO42− concentrations. Annual fluxes of CH4 were generally small, as expected, ranging from 2 to 4 kg CH4 ha−1. However, two permanent grasslands had tussocks of Juncus effusus L. (soft rush) in sampling points that were consistent sources of CH4 throughout the year. Emission factors for organic soils in rotation and with permanent grass, respectively, were estimated to be 0.011 and 0.47 g m−2 for CH4, and 2.5 and 0.5 g m−2 for N2O. This first documentation of CH4 and N2O emissions from managed organic soils in Denmark confirms the levels and wide ranges of emissions previously reported for the Nordic countries. However, the stratified experimental design also identified links between gaseous emissions and site-specific conditions with respect to soil, groundwater and vegetation which point to areas of future research that may account for part of the variability and hence lead to improved emission factors or models.


Objective: To investigate the preventive and curative role of ascorbic acid on doxorubicin (dox)-induced myocardial toxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: Animals were divided into five groups of six animals each. Group I served as normal control and received saline 5 ml/kg/day intraperitoneal (i.p.) for a period of 15 days. Group II animals received ascorbic acid 20 mg/kg per oral (p.o.) for 15 days as a pretreatment control (PR). Group III animals received dox 2.5 mg/kg body weight (b.w.), i.p., in six equal injections for two weeks for a total cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg b.w. Group IV animals received ascorbic acid 20 mg/kg p.o. for 15 days as a pretreatment followed by dox 2.5 mg/kg b.w., i.p., in six equal injections for two weeks for a total cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg body weight. Group V animals received dox 2.5 mg/kg b.w., i.p., in six equal injections for two weeks for a total cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg b.w. followed by ascorbic acid 20 mg/kg p.o for 15 days as post-treatment control (CR). The biochemical parameters such as tissue glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and enzyme biomarkers such as creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were monitored. Results: Pretreatment with ascorbic acid (20 mg/kg p.o.) significantly protected the myocardium from the toxic effect of dox (PR), by increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes such as GSH, SOD, and CAT toward normal and decreased the levels of MDA, CPK, LDH, AST, and ALT as compared with dox-treated rats. Post-treatment with ascorbic acid to dox-treated group (CR) significantly increased the levels of tissue GSH, SOD, CAT and significantly decreased the level of MDA as compared with dox-treated group. It also reduced the severity of cellular damage of the myocardium as confirmed by histopathology. The restoration of the endogenous antioxidant system clearly depicts that ascorbic acid produced its protective effect by scavenging the reactive oxygen species. Conclusion: The results obtained in this study provide evidence for the usefulness of the ascorbic acid as a cardioprotective agent.


It is well established that when E. coli 30S ribosomal subunits are irradiated with ultraviolet light under mild conditions a specific cross-link is formed between protein S7 and the 16S RNA. Methodology is presented for the analysis of the single nucleotide residue concerned in this cross-link. Firstly, the identity of the ribonuclease T1 octanucleotide attached to S7 is confirmed by a new method, which involves isolation and analysis of S7-polynucleotide complexes containing 30 -- 40 nucleotides. Secondly, the isolated S7-octanucleotide complex is digested successively with ribonuclease A, proteinase K and ribonuclease T2, and the nucleotides liberated are identified. The results show unambiguously that uridine residue number 1239 in the 16S RNA sequence is cross-linked to protein S7.


Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the primary cause of space environment induced failures and malfunctions. As mission lifetimes and the sensitivity and complexity of instrumentation increase, so does the need for describing the influence of the electrical aging processes on ESD. This research studies the electrostatic field strength (FESD) of polymeric insulators as a function of applied field and the time-to-breakdown for F < FESD. A dynamic physics-based model for time-to-breakdown is much more valuable than an empirical static model, since it provides the ability to predict the statistical lifetime of dielectric materials subjected to prolonged stress from sub-critical electric fields. We present experimental results for two prototypical polymeric materials with different types of trap state densities, low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyimide (PI or Kapton HNTM). ESD tests were conducted by applying a high voltage across the material in parallel plate geometry, using a modified ASTM D149-99 method. FESD was determined as a sustained rise in I-V curves measured in a custom high vacuum chamber (<10Pa). Ramp rates of ~20V steps at 4s intervals resulted in substantially lower FESD values than tests conducted with the maximum ramp rate of 500V/s recommended in ASTM D375597 standards. This suggests that values of FESD from standard handbooks or cursory measurements that have been historically used by the spacecraft charging community can substantially overestimate FESD in common spacecraft situations. In addition, for these polymers very short duration, unsustained arcing—termed pre-breakdown arcing—was observed at sub-critical fields well below FESD in these tests. Data were taken over temperatures from ~120K to ~300K. Time-dependent breakdown was studied with different tests, by applying a static field stress < FESD across the material and measuring the endurance time. Endurance times were measured from 10s to 10s, at voltages from near the nominal breakdown voltage down to < 50% of FESD at ~300K. These experimental results are compared with thermodynamic mean field multiple trapping models of the electric field aging process and with limited available prior measurements. Numerous studies have shown that electrical aging can be characterized by defect creation within the material from bond stress due to local and applied electric fields and by the Gibbs free energy, bond destruction energy, or cohesion energy associated with creation of these defects. We introduce a first order approximation to develop an extended dynamic temperature-dependent electrostatic discharge model that both repairable and irreparable defect mechanisms. Repairable defect mechanisms such as bond bending have energies less than or comparable to thermal energies, so that they can be readily repaired through thermal annealing; irreparable defects such as bond breaking have higher energies. In the proposed mean field theory, each mechanism is characterized by a mean spatial separation of sites and a mean activation energy. The model predicts the observed measurements, which show a negative logarithmic decay of endurance time to electrostatic breakdown field. This is consistent with thermodynamic models, with FESD asymptotically approaching a constant value as the time-to-breakdown goes to infinity. Our studies of short unsustained arcs at sub-critical fields are also consistent with the repairable defect part of the theory. We also discuss these ESD results in terms of a more comprehensive unified theory for electron transport in highly disordered insulating materials, which allows a correlation between fitting parameters and more fundamental materials properties such as atomic scale structure and bonding, mobility, transition probabilities, and spatial and energetic distributions of trap states beyond the energy mean field approximation. *Supported through funding from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and a USU Blood Fellowship.


Introduction Cellular therapies including γδ T cells, NK-92 cells, and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells have shown modest anti-tumor activity against multiple hematological and solid malignancies in preclinical and phase I/II clinical trials. We investigate whether the antitumor activity of these cellular therapies can be augmented by using a novel method that rapidly affixes tumor-targeting antibodies directly to cell surface proteins. Methods Monoclonal antibodies including rituximab and daratumumab were conjugated to the cell surface proteins using a three step approach. First, we conjugate single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs) to the therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, as previously described (ref below). Next, we conjugate complementary ssDNAs to surface proteins of cells being used for cellular therapy. Finally, the modified antibodies are attached to the modified cells via hybridization of the complementary DNA strands. Results We demonstrate that multiple anti-neoplastic monoclonal antibodies including rituximab and daratumumab can be conjugated to the surface proteins on a variety of cell including γδ T cells, NK-92 cells, CIK cells, and primary human T cells. Then we evaluated the killing activity of these conjugated cells in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo . In vitro, Rituximab-armed γδ T cells and NK-92 cells demonstrated increased cytokine production (IFN-γ and granzyme B) and enhanced cytotoxic killing against of multiple human B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma cell lines. Similar enhanced anti-tumor activity was seen with rituximab-armed or daratumumab-armed CIK cells, as well as increased CD107a expression (a marker of cytotoxicity activity) by the antibody-armed CIK cells. Rituximab-armed primary T cells also show enhanced cytotoxic killing against Raji cells, although not as pronounced as autologous rituximab-armed CIK cells. We next evaluated the therapeutic potential of antibody-armed cell therapies in vivo in a disseminated xenograft mouse model using SCID-beige mice. Rituximab-armed γδ T cells exhibited potent anti-lymphoma activity against Raji cells, which lead to improved overall survival; whereas unarmed γδ T cells alone or with rituximab co-infusion demonstrated limited anti-lymphoma activity. We also evaluated the therapeutic activity of antibody-armed cell therapies against a primary lymphoma target ex vivo. Rituximab-arm CIK cells demonstrated enhanced cytolytic activity against primary follicular lymphoma freshly collected from a patient via fine needle aspiration biopsy. Discussion We have demonstrated a novel approach to create tumor-specific cellular immunotherapies without the need for genetic engineering. The antibody to cell conjugation method is straight forward. The modified antibodies can be made and stored until needed. It takes approximately 1 hour to attaching these modified antibodies to the cell surface and is performed in standard aqueous buffers, such as phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). This method is also flexible being able to conjugate multiple different antibodies to the surface proteins of a variety of different cell types. We also see enhanced cell killing across multiple hematological targets using multiple cell populations including γδ T cells, NK-92 cells, CIK cells, and primary human T cells. Overall, our data demonstrate existing monoclonal antibodies can be used to "antibody program" cell therapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies. Ref Hsiao et al Langmuir 2009,25(12), 6985-6991 Disclosures Hsiao: Acepodia, Inc: Employment.


Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is the major cause of septicemia and meningococcal meningitis. During the course of infection, it must adapt to different host environments as a crucial factor for survival. Despite the severity of meningococcal sepsis, little is known about how Nm adapts to permit survival and growth in human blood.
A previous time-course transcriptome analysis, using an ex vivo model of human whole blood infection, showed that Nm alters the expression of nearly 30% of ORFs of the genome: major dynamic changes were observed in the expression of transcriptional regulators, transport and binding proteins, energy metabolism, and surface-exposed virulence factors. Starting from these data, mutagenesis studies of a subset of up-regulated genes were performed and the mutants were tested for the ability to survive in human whole blood; Nm mutant strains lacking the genes encoding NMB1483, NalP, Mip, NspA, Fur, TbpB, and LctP were sensitive to killing by human blood.
Then, the analysis was extended to the whole Nm transcriptome in human blood, using a customized 60-mer oligonucleotide tiling microarray. The application of specifically developed software combined with this new tiling array allowed the identification of different types of regulated transcripts: small intergenic RNAs, antisense RNAs, 5' and 3' untranslated regions and operons. The expression of these RNA molecules was confirmed by 5'-3'RACE protocol and specific RT-PCR.
Here we describe the complete transcriptome of Nm during incubation in human blood; we were able to identify new proteins important for survival in human blood and also to identify additional roles of previously known virulence factors in aiding survival in blood.
In addition the tiling array analysis demonstrated that Nm expresses a set of new transcripts, not previously identified, and suggests the presence of a circuit of regulatory RNA elements used by Nm to adapt to proliferate in human blood.


subtitles of cardiopulmonary resuscitation was low, and after pediatric Advanced Cardiac Life Support course, their knowledge enhanced. References: 1 Working Party on Resuscitation. Resuscitation from cardiopulmonary arrest. Training and organisation. J. R. Coll. Physicians Lond. 1987; 21: 175–82. 2 Advanced Life Support Group. Advanced Paediatric Life Support. The Practical Approach, 2nd edn. BMJ Publishing Group London, 1997.


In ballistic injuries, contamination can be carried from the environment, clothing, and skin surface into the wound track. Bacteria and contaminated debris can be introduced into the wound by several means, including physical transport by the projectile or by the suction caused by the formation and collapse of the temporary wound cavity. In this paper, the relationship between initial bacterial concentration on the surface and resultant bacterial distribution along the wound channel is examined using a leg surrogate. Escherichia coli strain K-12 was used to represent skin surface contamination. In order to reduce the possibility of contamination by outside bacteria and assist in colony visualization, the E. coli first underwent a transformation protocol to express Green Fluorescent Protein and to be resistant to the antibiotic ampicillin. Different concentrations of bacteria were pipetted onto circular filter paper and placed onto the surface of a ballistic gelatin leg surrogate, and an 11.43-mm (0.45-in) caliber projectile was shot through the contaminated area into the gel. The "wound track" was sliced into small, evenly spaced samples and the permanent cavity was removed using a biopsy punch, liquefied, and grown on selective lysogeny broth media containing ampicillin. Examination of a normalized bacterial colony count and normalized area covered per segment allowed comparison of variations in the initial concentration, and confirmed that within a range the normalized contamination distribution trend along the "wound track" remained similar. This verification allowed additional confidence in results obtained using this bacteria distribution methodology by eliminating concerns over small variations in initial bacterial concentration.Copyright © 2011 by ASME


This research aimed to 1) to develop the product design process of community participation 2) to evaluate the product design process of community participation. The method of this research compose of 3phases; Preresearch phase, Research phase and Monitoring and Evaluation Phase.The pre-research phase was composed of community selection, the integration of researcher with community, basic data community surveying, The Research phase were analysis and study of community product , define problem, the research design and data collection, the data analysis and presentation to community . The last phase was monitoring and evaluation Phase. The research tools were participatory observation form, project evaluation and activity evaluation, product design evaluation and the model of product design process. The results of this research found that the model of product design process named " 3P Model" for the development of product design with community participation . There were 3 parts; 1.Planning 2. Product development and 3.Public relation of community. The results of the monitoring and evaluation process shown that the " 3P Model" was suitable for 20 communities of 7 provinces in lower northern part of Thailand; Phitsanulok, Phichit, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, KamphaengPhet, Phetchabun and Tak in helping of learning organization in community between local people and researcher. The benefits of this model were the improve of the product development in product design, production, product retailing and more public relation in community.


Ethiopia is the center of origin for Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata). The crop is one of the oldest oil crops and farmers in the highlands of the country grow as a leafy vegetable in their gardens. However, no attempt has been made to assess the association of characters and path analysis in Ethiopian mustard leaf. This study was conducted to assess association of traits among leafy vegetable yield and yield related traits and to determine the direct and indirect effects of the traits. A total of 36 Ethiopian mustard genotypes were evaluated at Holleta in 2017/2018. The results from correlation study showed that the genotypic correlation coefficient among edible vegetable leaf yield as well as all of agro-morphological qualities was positive and significant apart from leaves per plant and leaf width ratio to length. Length of leaf petiole, leaf length, leaf width, petiole width and plant height had positive and highly significant correlation with edible vegetable leaf yield both at levels of genotypic and phenotypic. These traits also had indirect positive effect on yield either though each other or via other traits at genotypic level. The strong association of these traits with leaf yield, the high to low effects of direct and indirect through other traits at level of genotypic for these traits is an indication of the importance of the traits to use in Ethiopian mustard genotypes for high edible vegetable leaf yield selection.


Cellular materials have two important properties: structures and mechanisms. This property enables one to design structures with proper stiffness and flexibility. Recent advance in 3D printing technologies enable engineers to manufacture complex cellular structures. In addition, use of smart materials, e.g., shape memory polymers (SMPs), for 3D printing enables us to construct mesostructures actively responsive to environmental stimuli with a programmable function, which may be termed '4D Printing' referring to additional dimension on time-dependent shape change after 3D printing. The objective of this study is to design and synthesize active reconfigurable cellular materials, which enables the advance of technology on intelligent reconfigurable cellular structures with 4D printing. A two-layer hinge of a CPS functions through a programmed thermal expansion mismatch between two layers and shape memory effect of an SMP. Starting with thermo-mechanical constitutive modeling of a compliant porous hinge consisting of laminated elastomer composites, macroscopic behaviors of a reconfigurable compliant porous structure (CPS) will be constructed using the strain energy method. A finite element (FE) based simulation equipped with a user subroutine will be implemented with ABAQUS/Standard to simulate time-dependent thermo mechanical behaviors of a CPS.The designed CPS with polymers shows an extremely high negative Poisson's ratio (∼ −120) and negative thermal expansion coefficient (−2,530 × 10−6/C). When programmed with an appropriate thermo-mechanical procedure, the hinge of the CPS bends either in positive and negative sign, which enables to tailor the CPS into desired intermediate and final configurations, ending up with achieving a reconfigurable CPS. This paper demonstrates that actively reconfigurable compliant cellular materials (CCMs) with CPSes can be used for next-generation materials design in terms of tailoring mechanical properties such as modulus, strength, yield strain, Poisson's ratios and thermal expansion coefficient together with programmable characteristics.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


The emergence of multimedia and wireless applications as growth leaders has created an increased demand for embedded systems. Examples of such applications range from digital cellular telephones to high-performance avionics systems. Along with the increased market share of these products, however, has come an increase in system complexity and cost. For example, the complexity of embedded avionics systems has quickly grown from millions to billions of operations per second. These systems, formerly implemented in hardwired or uniprocessor architectures, now must consist of programmable-multiprocessor arrays to meet performance requirements. Time-to-market and life-cycle costs are key factors in the success of these products in the competitive electronics marketplace. These costs, therefore, should have a dominant influence on the design of embedded microelectronic systems. In addition, these systems must meet rigid form factor (such as size, power, and weight) constraints, which further complicate the design task. For designers of high-end embedded microsystems or large-volume consumer products, rapidly prototyping cost-effective implementations that meet stringent performance, functional, timing, and physical requirements is a formidable challenge.


In order to achieve a sustainable development of aluminum industry, aluminum flow analysis for the life cycle of aluminum products in China was necessary. Aluminum flow in the aluminum products life cycle of 2003-2007 in China has been analyzed, from which the following data were resulted. Resources self-support ratio in alumina production, aluminum production and the aluminum industry dropped, increased and leveled off in the period 2003-2007, respectively. Self-produced aluminum scrap use ratio was in the range 5-7%, and the situation of the aluminum scrap lacking state can't be settled in case of fast increment of aluminum production. Proposals for the sustainable development of aluminum industry in China were put forward.


Background Following the identification of alleles that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), models have been developed to identify high-risk subjects. The authors hypothesise that these risk alleles affect the treatment response to oral antidiabetic drugs. Purpose To investigate whether genetic risk factors for T2DM are associated with response to sulfonylurea (SU) treatment. Materials and methods Patients starting treatment with SUs (tolbutamide, glibenclamide, glimepiride, gliclazide) with T2DM were recruited from 4 primary care centres. Data were retrieved from the electronic patient records. Primary end point was achieving stable SU dose defined as the 1st period of ≥270 consecutive days without dose adjustment, initiation of other SU, insulin or metformin. Secondary end points were stable dose of prescribed SU, and time to stable SU dose. 20 SNPs (Single nucleotide polymorphs)consistently associated with T2DM in 19 genes were selected: TCF7L2, KCNJ11, HHEX/IDE, SLC30A8, CDKAL1, CDKN2A/CDKN2B, IGF2BP2, KCNQ1, PPARG, FTO, NOTCH2, WFS1, JAZF1, THADA, CDC123/CAMK1D, TSPAN8/LGR5, ADAMTS9, HNF-1β, MTNR1B. A genetic risk score per patient was calculated based on the number of risk alleles. The χ2-test was used to compare the primary end point between groups scoring differently for genetic risk. Results The mean genetic risk score was 19.0 (95% CI 18.7-19.4) in our T2DM population (n=207). The genetic risk score was negatively associated with achievement of stable SU dose: 84.7% of the patients in the low risk group (n=59) achieved a stable dose versus 74.1% and 62.3% of the patients in the intermediate risk (n=81) and high risk group (n=62; p=0.004). No significant effect of the genetic risk score on the stable SU dose achieved during this study was found. Carriers of more than 17 T2DM risk alleles showed a marginally significant increased time to stable dose (hazard ratio: 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75-1.01, P=0.058). Conclusion Patients with an increased genetic risk of T2DM are less responsive to SUs.


: One of the most impending drawbacks of modern information technology and communication devices is the problem of user interfacing. The focus of the research community to tackle this problem is almost exclusively set to the concept of personalization based on user modeling procedures. The major difficulty of user modeling procedures is the required input data about the modeled user. Studies and practical experiences show that, on one hand, the efficiency of user modeling relies on acquired data about the user, and on the other hand, it is extremely irritating for user to constantly provide such data about her or his feelings and behavior. Therefore there is a need for non-intrusive and non-irritating data collection about the user. There are several approaches such us distributed sensors and real time analysis of video capturing the user's behavior with the intention of identifying specific information about user's behavior. The problem statement of noninvasive data acquisition for user modeling along with a typical system architecture will be presented in the paper. A set of unavoidable information processing techniques in this context will be introduced. The proposed approach will be further detailed by data acquisition based on a real time video analysis and higher order post processing of gathered user data. A major part of the paper is focused on post processing of user data in terms of geometrical, topological and logical analysis with the aim of achieving an effective user model.


If fables are characterized as talking animals dispensing moral wisdom through allegory,1 then the moral wisdom dispensed through the legal fable is inevitably understood to comprehend allegories relating to power, sovereignty and in/justice, as exemplified by La Fontaine's seventeenth-century fable "The Wolf and the Lamb,"2 and its contemporary amplification by Derrida in The Beast and the Sovereign.3 These exemplars animate law in the abstract, and through the form of the animated figures acting as proxies for law,4 seem to bar the possibility that the fabular might also extend to the realities of law and its actors. This legal fable of power, sovereignty and in/justice reiterates through the force of its narrators; how Derrida construes La Fontaine, or at least how Derrida is understood to construe La Fontaine, forecloses other ways in which fables of the law might be seen to manifest themselves. In common law jurisdictions (England, Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand), the realities of law and its manifestations function in the material and everyday, nesting within the decisions of the courts. These decisions and their associated reasoning becomes law, but the legal fable of la Fontaine or Derrida seems to say little about this kind of law. Disciplines Arts and Humanities | Law Publication Details M. Leiboff, 'Fabulous law: legal fables' in M. Leiboff & D. Carpi(eds), Fables of the Law: Fairy Tales in a Legal Context (2016) 33-46. This book chapter is available at Research Online: https://ro.uow.edu.au/lhapapers/2665


The objective of this study was to estimate and compare the growth curve parameters for live weight of standard black, brown, mahogany, Hedlund white and sapphire minks. The data were collected from five colour types in the period from seven days to 24 weeks of age. Three hundred mink (about 60 of each colour types) were used. Six different non-linear models, namely Logistic, Gompertz, Brody, Richards, Bridges, and Janoschek were used to define the growth curves of the mink. Models were compared using coefficients of determination (R 2 values), the Akaike's information criterion (AIC) and the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). The R 2 were high for all models, ranging from 0.923 to 0.985 for different breeds of mink. Comparing the models by AIC, BIC values and the residuals showed the following results. Three of the models fitted the growth curves very well. Colour type differences were observed in the growth parameters of mink. The brown, mahogany and sapphire was observed to be late maturing and lighter at maturity, while the standard black and Hedlund white had a higher growth rate, reached maturity earlier and attained a heavier mature weight. Keywords: Body weight, growth curve, logistic, Gompertz, Brody, Richards, Bridges, Janoschek


An immunologic adjuvant, which enhances the magnitude and quality of immune responses to vaccine antigens, has become an essential part of modern vaccine practice. Chemicals and biologicals have been typically used for this purpose, but there are an increasing number of studies that are being conducted on the vaccine adjuvant effect of laser light on the skin. Currently, four different types or classes of laser devices have been shown to systemically enhance immune responses to intradermal vaccination: ultra-short pulsed lasers, non-pulsed lasers, non-ablative fractional lasers and ablative fractional lasers. Aside from involving the application of laser light to the skin in a manner that minimizes discomfort and damage, each type of laser vaccine adjuvant involves emission parameters, modes of action and immunologic adjuvant effects that are quite distinct from each other. This review provides a summary of the four major classes of "laser vaccine adjuvant" and clarifies and resolves their characteristics as immunologic adjuvants. These aspects of each adjuvant's properties will ultimately help define which laser would be most efficacious in delivering a specific clinical benefit with a specific vaccine.


Abstract We review most of the modelling studies performed to date to understand the initiation and melting of a Snowball Earth, as well as to describe the glacial environment during the glaciation itself. All the described scenarios explaining the onset of glaciation rely on a sufficient decrease in the concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs), typically resulting from the equatorial palaeogeography of the late Proterozoic. It is still heavily debated whether or not the oceanic ice cover was thick during the glaciation itself. However, a consensus has arisen that the most climatically stable scenarios imply the existence of a globally frozen ocean, with a thick ice cover caused by the flowing of high-latitude sea-ice glaciers towards the equator. Depending on the characteristics of the ice, a thin ice layer may have persisted along the equator, but this numerical solution is rather fragile. During the snowball event itself, model results suggest the existence of wet-based continental glaciers. Some parts of the continents may have remained ice-free. From the modelling perspective, the most significant problem in the snowball hypothesis, particularly in its 'hard snowball' version (the most stable numerically), is the melting phase. With improved modelling, the CO2 threshold required to melt the snowball is much higher than initially thought, significantly above 0.29 bar. Indeed, because of the very cold conditions prevailing at the surface of the Earth during the glacial event, the atmosphere becomes vertically isothermal, strongly limiting the efficiency of the greenhouse effect. This melting problem is further highlighted by geochemical modelling studies that show that weathering of the oceanic crust might be an active sink of CO2 during the glacial event, limiting the rise in atmospheric CO2. The solution might be found by considering the input of dark dust from catastrophic volcanic eruptions that would efficiently decrease the albedo of the ice. Finally, modelling studies also explore the aftermath of the glaciation. The world might have been drier than initially anticipated, resulting in the persistence of the supergreenhouse effect for at least one million years after the melting phase.


Pregabalin exhibits robust activity in preclinical assays indicative of potential antiepileptic, anxiolytic, and antihyperalgesic clinical efficacy. It binds with high affinity to the α2-δ subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels and is a substrate of the system L neutral amino acid transporter. A series of pregabalin analogues were prepared and evaluated for their α2-δ binding affinity as demonstrated by their ability to inhibit binding of [3H]gabapentin to pig brain membranes and for their potency to inhibit the uptake of [3H]leucine into CHO cells, a measure of their ability to compete with the endogenous substrate at the system L transporter. Compounds were also assessed in vivo for their ability to promote anxiolytic, analgesic, and anticonvulsant actions. These studies suggest that distinct structure activity relationships exist for α2-δ binding and system L transport inhibition. However, both interactions appear to play an important role in the in vivo profile of these compounds.


Don W. King explores Warren Lewis's involvement in World War I by reviewing his years of military service from 1914 to 1918, including which branch in the British Army he served in, his ambitions for promotions, his everday duties as an officer, how his attitude toward the war changed over time, how the war may have influenced his later alcoholism, and when he was under active fire and how he responded. In addition, King examines how Warren reacted to his brother, C.S. Lewis's, decision to join in the fight, what his fears were once Jack was directly involved in battlefield action, and, perhaps most significantly the critical things he took away from his service during The Great War.


We analyze the competitive effects of mergers in markets with buyer power. Using mechanism design arguments, we show that without cost synergies, mergers harm buyers, regardless of buyer power. However, buyer power mitigates the harm to a buyer from a merger of symmetric suppliers. With buyer power, a merger increases incentives for entry, increases investment incentives for rivals, and can increase investment incentives for merging parties. Because buyer power reduces the profitability of a merger, it increases the profitability of perfect collusion relative to a merger. Cost synergies can eliminate merger harm but also render otherwise profitable mergers unprofitable.


In this paper I attempt to show that mathematical economics is unreasonably ineffective. Unreasonable, because the mathematical assumptions are economically unwarranted; ineffective because the mathematical formalizations imply non-constructive and uncomputable structures. A reasonable and effective mathematization of economics entails Diophantine formalisms. These come with natural undecidabilities and uncomputabilites. In the face of this, I conjecture that an economics for the future will be freer to explore experimental methodologies underpinned by alternative mathematical structures. The whole discussion is framed within the context of the celebrated Wignerian theme: The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences.


AIM
Comparative study of the effect of endotoxin tolerance of mice to the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS37) and complex of lipopolysaccharide with mice toxin (LPS37-MT) of a virulent Yersinia pestis 231 strain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Preparations of LPS of highly virulent strain Y. pestis 231 obtained by phenol method from cells cultivated at 37 degrees C as well as commercial preparations of S-LPS and R-LPS of Escherichia coli were used. Mice toxin was isolated from vaccine strain Y. pestis EV76. Effect of endotoxin tolerance was determined in mice treated with aminosugar D-galactosamine.

RESULTS
The effect of initial LPS37 and modified form LPS37-MT of Y. pestis 231 was established to significantly differ from each other. When Y. pestis LPS37 is combined with heterologous forms--E. coli LPS or Y. pestis LPS37-MT, the inflammatory response of the organism differs and varies from complete or partial tolerance to complete lack thereof. For LPS37-MT complex only the sequence of administration to bioassay animals of LPS preparations is principal. In the case when primary activation is carried out by LPS37-MT and secondary--by Y. pestis LPS37 or S- and R- forms of E. coli LPS--the tolerance effect is absent. On the contrary, if LPS37-MT is used for recurrent activation against the background of all the other LPS forms including Y. pestis 231 LPS37 the inflammatory response is completely suppressed.

CONCLUSION
Tolerance of mice to effect of LPS and LPS-MT complex of virulent Y. pestis 231 strain was shown to be different.


The subtitle of this volume indicates the intended outcome of the surgical procedure, but is not descriptive of its major content. The text consists of papers given at a symposium marking the inauguration of the Department of Heart Surgery at the Rehabilitation Center in Bad Krozingen, Germany, in March 1978. The nearly 50 papers are well organized, and address patient selection, surgical techniques, and the functional and rehabilitation outcomes of coronary artery grafting. The book should be useful to all physicians concerned with the medical and surgical aspects of coronary artery disease. Controversial topics are emphasized, although in the time since their initial presentations some have become less controversial. For instance, three manuscripts deal directly with the Veteran's Administration Cooperative Study, the limitations of which are now well appreciated. Several other authors discuss the mixed results of surgery in reducing ventricular arrhythmias, also a generally accepted conclusion among most cardiac


Glioma is the most common primary tumor in the central nervous system, characterized by rapid progression, aggressive behavior, frequent recurrence and poor prognosis. In the present study we demonstrated that chondroitin polymerizing factor (CHPF) is highly expressed in human glioma tissues and 4 glioma cell lines. To explore the role of CHPF in glioma, a lentiviral vector expressing CHPF shRNA was constructed and transfected into the glioma U251 cells, which stably downregulated the expression levels of the CHPF gene in U251 cells in vitro. U251 cell proliferation inhibition rates were determined by MTT assay. The effect of survivin shRNA on U251 cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Compared to the shRNA‑Ctrl group of cells, the shRNA-CHPF group of cells exhibited decreased proliferation and a significant increase in the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase. In addition, we found that knockdown of the expression of CHPF increased apoptosis in glioma U251 cells. Therefore, our results confirmed that CHPF promotes growth and inhibits apoptosis in glioma U251 cells. Thus, by in vivo and in vitro data, the present study suggests that CHPF could be a new potential therapeutic target for glioma.


Visual perspective taking (VPT) – people's ability to represent the physical world from another person's viewpoint – plays a fundamental role in social cognition. However, little is known about whether and when VPT can be triggered spontaneously without any explicit verbal prompting. In six studies, we measured spontaneous VPT as the tendency to read an ambiguous number from another agent's imagined perspective ("6") rather than from one's own default visual perspective ("9"). We found that the likelihood of spontaneous VPT varied systematically with the target agent's behavior. The strongest trigger for spontaneous VPT was the agent's goal-directed reaching, followed by object-directed gaze, and lastly the agent's mere presence in the scene. Furthermore, observing an agent's reaching or gaze toward an object triggered viewers' spontaneous VPT even for objects with which the agent was currently not engaged.


The article highlights comparatively several major steps in producing national master narratives within museums of ethnography and folklore heritage in East Central and Southeastern Europe. Drawing references to different countries since the end of the nineteenth century, it analyzes the role of ethnographic museums in the production of narratives about ethno-cultural specificity of national communities and in organizing the visions of national pasts along the notions of the "authenticity" and "uniqueness" of folklore traditions. The author points out the various initiatives in establishing such museums (imperial projects, nation-building agendas, cases of transferring examples from Western Europe, etc.) and outlines the influence that Herder's ideas of the "Volk" had for the people of East Central and Southeastern Europe in pursuing ideas of national identity through representations of folklore heritage. Tracing the main points in the appearance of ethnographic museums in this region, the latter are regarded as closely related to the symbolic construction of nations and as core elements of imagining national communities until today. In the context of newly emerging nation states in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the interest in folklore traditions as repositories of national values appeared to be both an element of reasserting national specificity and an anchor of intransient cultural characteristics at the face of the evolving modernities and rapid social change. After a detailed attention to this function of ethnographic museums at the turn of the twentieth century, the article dedicated a separate attention to their input in maintaining policies of national representation during and after the communist regimes in the countries of East Central and Southeastern Europe – with an emphasis on the ideological appropriation of the ideas of the "Volk" in communist times and the revived interest in folklore heritage in contemporary world.


Previous studies exploring the potential of developing mangrove oyster fisheries in Ghana have suggested that this approach could provide both financial gain (Obodai and Yankson, 1999a) and nutritional value (Yankson 2004) to the Ghanaian people, supplementing a historically low-protein diet as well as augmenting local economies. However ,information on the basic ecology of the West African mangrove oyster (Crassostrea tulipa) is limited. This study aimed to build preliminary knowledge of this species by investigating the precise relationship between environmental salinity and filtration rates The oyster is a euryhaline organism that thrives in the coastal lagoons of the Ghanaian shoreline. Oysters gathered from two types of coastal lagoons (closed and open) were exposed to salinities varying from 0‰ to 35‰ in intervals of ~7‰; filtration rates at each salinity level were measured hourly. The results showed that a significant difference (p<0.001) did exist between the filtration rates of oysters collected from the two sites: the ones collected from the closed lagoon had a greater mean filtration rate at all salinity levels in comparison with those from the open lagoon (6.567 ppm/min, closed lagoon; 3.485 ppm/min, open lagoon).This may be due to either an environmental adaptation or a genetic variation promoting increased filtration capacity, and subsequently, could indicate the presence of two distinct subspecies of C. tulipa. Regardless, the higher filtration capacity of the closed lagoon population could indicate greater resistance and superior suitability for industrial cultivation in Ghana, and future fishery development work should focus on the in situ husbandry of this closed lagoon subtype.


Mangrove flora and habitat have immeasurable importance in marine and coastal ecology as well as in the economy. Despite their importance, they are constantly threatened by oil spill accidents and environmental contamination; therefore, it is crucial to understand the changes in gene expression to better predict toxicity in these plants. Among the species of Atlantic coast mangrove (Americas and Africa), Laguncularia racemosa, or white mangrove, is a conspicuous species. The wide distribution of L. racemosa in areas where marine oil exploration is rapidly increasing make it a candidate mangrove species model to uncover the impact of oil spills at the molecular level with the use of massive transcriptome sequencing. However, for this purpose, the RNA extraction protocol should ensure low levels of contaminants and structure integrity. In this study, eight RNA extraction methods were tested and analysed using downstream applications. The InviTrap Spin Plant RNA Mini Kit performed best with regard to purity and integrity. Moreover, the obtained RNA was submitted to cDNA synthesis and RT-PCR, successfully generating amplification products of the expected size. These results show the applicability of the RNA obtained here for downstream methodologies, such as the construction of cDNA libraries for the Illumina Hi-seq platform.


Somatic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) are genomic events with increasing implications in cancer treatment. The clinical standard for SNVs detection is whole genome/exome sequencing (WGS/WES) in matched tumor-normal samples. Yet, this is a very costly approach both economically and biologically and very often only tumor samples are sequenced. On the other hand, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is the most popular technology to study gene expression, and has also the potential for a cost-effective identification of SNVs as an alternative to tumor-only WES. Here we present a method for the identification of SNVs in tumor-only RNA-Seq data putting a special focus on a small panel of clinically relevant SNVs. For evaluation purposeswe analyzed matched tumor-normal WEStumor-only RNA-Seq data from 14 cancer patients. We compared SNVs detected in i) RNA-Seq by our method, ii) WES tumor-only by Mutect2 and iii) WES matched tumor-normal by Mutect2. We did a detailed evaluation for a reduced panel of clinically relevant SNVs and reliably identified in RNA-Seq data a subset of mutations for which we had pathological annotation. Hence, RNA-Seq rises as a cost-effective option to detect in parallel gene expression as well as a small panel of clinically relevant SNVs in research.


The clinical diagnoses of a series of 400 patients dying in hospital were compared with the pathological findings at autopsy. The clinical diagnoses were precisely confirmed in only 46.75% of cases (average age 65.3 y). Potentially treatable disease was missed in 13% of patients (average age 72.7 y). The most frequent errors, both of under-diagnosis and over-diagnosis, were for pulmonary embolus, pneumonia and myocardial infarction. Over-diagnosis increased with length of hospital stay. Peritonitis and other deep-seated sepsis were surprisingly frequently missed in life. The findings closely parallel those from other units both in Britain and overseas, and suggest that there is currently a high diagnostic error rate, which varies remarkably little from one institution to another.


Oribatid mites are predominantly soil-living organisms reaching densities of up to 400,000 individuals per square meter in forest soils, where they contribute to decomposition processes and nutrient cycling. In acidic forests they are the main decomposer taxon, together with collembolans. Despite their outstanding importance for soil processes knowledge about their trophic ecology and factors structuring their communities is low.
About ten percent of the 10,000 described species are thelytokous (i.e., they reproduce via female parthenogenesis); locally up to 80 % of all individuals in temperate forest soils are parthenogens. Oribatid mites likely originated in Cambrian or Precambrian times and include old thelytokous species-rich groups indicating an ancient origin of asexuality as well as parthenogenetic radiations. Sexual and parthenogenetic species coexist in forest soils and in agricultural soils; in temperate, tropical and arctic regions and also on the bark of dead and living trees. This makes oribatid mites a unique group for studying patterns of parthenogenetic reproduction and for studying factors influencing the relative frequency of sexual and parthenogenetic species (see Chapter 1).
The present thesis focuses on oribatid mite reproductive mode and ecology and is divided into two parts. The first part investigates the trophic ecology of oribatid mites in soil and on bark analysed with stable isotope measurements (Chapter 2) and abiotic and biotic factors influencing oribatid mite density, diversity and community structure in soils of different forest types (Chapter 3). In the second part oribatid mites were used as model organisms to investigate the distribution of sexual and parthenogenetic individuals in forest soils in two regions in Germany and in different habitats worldwide in relation to food availability (Chapter 4). Further we investigated the effects of nutrient availability on oribatid mite density and the frequency of parthenogenetic individuals on tree trunks (Chapter 5).
In Chapter 2 we used two stable isotopes (15N; 13C) for uncovering the trophic ecology of soil- and bark-living oribatid mites. The isotope 15N is usually used to detect the trophic level in food webs since it is enriched by about 3.4 delta units per trophic level, whereas 13C can be a marker for different food sources since different food source s can differ in their 13C signatures (e.g., lichens, C4 and C3 plants), but those signatures are not enriched per trophic levels. It could be shown that oribatid mites span over four trophic levels, which was surprising since usually oribatid mites are treated in food webs as a single functional group, i.e., decomposers. However, our data clearly show that oribatid mites are a trophically diverse group and should not be aggregated in food webs. Additionally, 13C signatures separated lichen feeders as well as species that burrow inside leaves and needles as juveniles (endophagous taxa) from the other species.
In Chapter 3 we investigated the importance of regional versus local factors on oribatid mite community structure. Therefore, we studied oribatid mites in four differently managed forest types (coniferous 70y old age class forests; 30y old and 70y old beech age class forests, unmanaged beech forests mature with trees ~120y old) (local effects) at three different sites in Germany (Swabian Alb, Hainich, Schorfheide) (regional effects) in the framework of the DFG project "Biodiversity Exploratories". We also measured environmental factors (litter mass, soil pH, C and N content of litter and fine roots, C content of soil) which might potentially explain oribatid mite density and community structure. Oribatid mite density was positively correlated with litter mass supporting the hypothesis that the litter serves as a habitat and also as a food resource for many oribatid mite species. Oribatid mite diversity was little affected by forest type indicating that in most forest types the number of niches for oribatid mites is similar. Overall, differences of oribatid mite communities were more pronounced between the three regions than between the four forest types within a region indicating that regional factors (mainly pH, litter mass and C content of litter) are more important than local factors for oribatid mite community structure. Overall, the predictability of density, diversity and community structure of oribatid mite communities in different regions indicates that oribatid mite communities are not randomly assembled.
In Chapter 4 we investigated the hypothesis that parthenogenetic species should dominate in habitats with a good food supply where resources are not a limiting factor. In contrast, in habitats where resources are in short supply or strongly structured sexual reproduction should dominate since mixis processes potentially allow a better use of underutilized resources ("Structured Resource Theory of Sexual Reproduction" (SRTS); Scheu and Drossel 2007). Our data show a strong positive relationship between parthenogenetic reproduction and density (which we used as an indirect measurement for resource availability) supporting the hypothesis that availability of food in ample supply triggers parthenogenesis and allows the long-term maintenance of parthenogenetic reproduction.
In Chapter 5 we experimentally investigated the hypothesis that increased resource availability increases the density of oribatid mites and also the prevalence of parthenogens. For this study we added nutrients in the form of cane sugar as a carbon source (C) and ammonium nitrate as a nitrogen source (N) on the tree trunks of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica). Oribatid mite density increased after C addition supporting the view that oribatid mites on the bark of trees are resource limited. However, the number of parthenogenetic individuals did not increase after resource addition (neither C or N) which was mainly due to the fact that the bark is a habitat where sexual taxa dominate (~95 %). Migration of parthenogens from soil obviously was too low to affect community sex ratios.
Reference
Scheu, S., Drossel, B. (2007) Sexual reproduction prevails in a world of structured resources in short supply. Proceedings of the Royal Society B – Biological Sciences 274, 1225-1231.


Purpose: This study examined the impact factors of cesarean section based on the ecological approach in Korea. Methods: Population-based data (Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs) were used from 2,849 delivery cases during 2003~2009. Data were analyzed using geographic statistics with STATA 10.0 and hierarchical logistic regression with SPSS/WIN 12.0. Results: The range of cesarean section rate was 28.8~44.7% with geographic distribution. The proportion of mother`s problem was increasing in choice of cesarean section. According to the ecological model, age of mother (OR=1.08), time of birth (OR=0.79), delivery in hospital (OR=1.83), delivery in clinic (OR=1.46), and education of mother (OR=2.61) had significant impact on cesarean section. Conclusion: This study contributes to provide the impact factors of the high cesarean rate in Korea ecologically. Policy maker and health care provider can consider these results to reduce cesarean section rate.


In this research numerical simulations of the flow-induced vibrations in a hexagonal tube array were compared to experimental results. Due to the presence of the tube walls, a significant velocity difference between the inter-cylinder gap and sub-channel center exists and a vortex street is generated. As this instability originates from velocity-shear, it is of the Kelvin-Helmholtz type. The fluctuating pressure associated with the vorticial flow can cause structural vibrations of the cylinders. The computational domain was constructed such that the geometry matches an experimental setup. The central tube in the bundle of 7 tubes contains a flexible segment made of silicone, which is at both extremes clamped to the steel part of the cylinder. All other tubes are made of steel. As first step, it was checked whether the vortex street also appears for this particular geometry, using unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) simulations, with the structure considered completely rigid. As second step, the flexible segment was taken into account and coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations were performed. Finally a comparison between the numerical and experimental results was made.


Tunnel construction, a common byproduct of rapid economic growth and transportation-system development, carries inherent risks to life and various kinds of property that operations and management professionals must take into account. Due to various and complicated geological conditions, tunnel construction projects can produce unexpected collapses, landslides, avalanches, and water-related hazards. Moreover, damage from such events can be intensified by other factors, including geological hazards caused by natural disasters, such as heavy rainfall and earthquakes, resulting in huge social, economic, and environmental losses. Therefore, the present research conducted multiple linear regression analyses on financial-loss data arising from tunnel construction in Korea to develop a novel tunnel-focused method of natural-hazard risk assessment. More specifically, the total insured value and actual value of damage to 277 tunnel-construction projects were utilized to identify significant natural-disaster indicators linked to unexpected construction-budget overruns and construction-scheduling delays. Damage ratios (i.e., actual losses over total insured project value) were used as objective, quantitative indices of the extent of damage that can be usefully applied irrespective of project size. Natural-hazard impact data—specifically wind speed, rainfall, and flood occurrences—were applied as the independent variables in the regression model. In the regression model, maximum wind speed was found to be correlated with tunnel projects' financial losses across all three of the natural-hazard indicators. The present research results can serve as important baseline references for natural disaster-related risk assessments of tunnel-construction projects, and thus serve the wider purpose of balanced and sustainable development.


The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States have broadened the public sector's role in providing "protective goods and services" to include homeland security in addition to national security and public safety (e.g. police and fire protection). Although it is acknowledged that the federal government has a clear responsibility for taking the lead in shaping homeland security policies, the provision of greater homeland security involves significant participation by state and local governments, and the private sector, in addition to the national government. This paper briefly summarizes why private markets are likely to under-invest in homeland security, leading to a need for public action. It provides an overview of both the range of budgetary and non-budgetary tools used by the United States (U.S.) federal government to "finance" the provision of homeland security, and the budgetary and non-budgetary cost of these federal actions. The paper also identifies and discusses some of the principle challenges faced in ensuring federal homeland security dollars are "well-spent." While the analysis focuses on the United States, the tools of government employed are applicable to all sovereign nations.


Abstract

Findings:
This conceptual paper introduces practice theory as a potential alternative to the traditional ways that littering is conceptualised and tackled, and considers the strengths and pitfalls of the theoretical approach for the expensive, pervasive and environmentally dangerous littering problems faced by Glastonbury Festival.

Implications:
The study of littering has yet to embrace practice theory, despite the theory being considered the cutting edge of sustainable consumption research. This paper is an exploratory starting point, opening up a potential future research and intervention agenda for festival organisers and
researchers alike to consider littering as a by-product of a range of different bundled practices rather than the result of particularly attitudes and behaviours.

Limitations:
Practice theory has yet to move authoritatively out of a theoretical domain and be used in the process of intervention planning and implementation, although some early efforts are beginning to emerge. As such, the applicability of the theory to a real world setting is untested. Relatedly, it is not fully clear how evaluation can capture the full extent of a multi-disciplinary culture change programme inspired by practice theory.

Contribution:
The paper offers the first practice theoretical examination of littering and introduces the theory to the practical challenges faced by Glastonbury and other festival organisers as well as introducing the problem of littering to the practice theory field, already central to the study of other issues in sustainable consumption.


In this paper, we show that the total downlink interference in heterogeneous wireless DS-CDMA networks follows an asymptotically self-similar (as-s) process. The as-s model is valid for the interference under certain conditions on channel variations and traffic characteristics that cover a range of practical situations. We derive these conditions and generalize earlier results, obtained for data-centric cellular networks, to heterogeneous cellular networks. Simulation results for actual cases confirm analytical results, and show that non-uniform spatial distribution of users and their soft-hand-off status do not affect the nature of this self-similar process. Furthermore, we discuss the impact of the analysis developed in this paper in designing appropriate mechanisms for controlling radio resources in such networks.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how value co-creation in the Indonesian Organic Community overcomes the resource limitations of small enterprises through the integration of collective resources to drive innovation. A framework is derived and developed from service-dominant logic (SDL) and supported by consumer culture theory (CCT). It also offers a specific strategy that is required for the growth and sustainability of the organic-products entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach
Applied thematic analysis was performed by combining observation and in-depth interviews to multi-actors in the community.

Findings
The result shows that a collaboration network with external actors and the dynamic interaction within the community drive resource integration forming value co-creation platform and lead to innovation in product, process, marketing and organization.

Originality/value
A combination of SDL and CCT provides a new marketing perspective of value co-creation concept. SDL offers an understanding of multi-actor value co-creation that is built from the knowledge and skills-based resources. CCT unveils the roles of the community in developing the positive perception of organic products in the market ecosystem.


Background/Aims: Decorin has been shown to have antiangiogenic properties. In this study, we evaluate the involvement of membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), a proangiogenic enzyme, in decorin cleavage in the cornea. Methods: MT1-MMP expression was confirmed immunohistochemically in keratocytes and immortalized corneal fibroblast cell lines. Corneal micropockets of bFGF were used to assess the expression of decorin and MT1-MMP. Western blotting was used to evaluate decorin degradation by MT1-MMP. Aortic ring tube formation assays were used to assay the inhibitory effect of decorin and stimulatory effect of MT1-MMP on vascular endothelial cells in vitro. Results: We show that MT1-MMP expression is upregulated following bFGF pellet implantation in the cornea in vivo, and that MT1-MMP cleaves decorin in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in vitro. Furthermore, the addition of MT1-MMP reduces the inhibitory effects of decorin on aortic ring tube formation in vitro. Cleavage of decorin by MT1-MMP-deficient corneal cell lysates is diminished relative to that by wild-type corneal cell lysates, and an MT1-MMP knockin restores decorin processing in vitro. Conclusion: The proangiogenic role of MT1-MMP in the cornea may be mediated, in part, by facilitated cleavage of corneal decorin.


Insulin treatment of streptozotocin-diabetic rats restores the depressed palmitoyl-group oxidation observed in brown-adipose-tissue mitochondria from diabetic rats. A relatively rapid effect of insulin (5 h) to increase carnitine-dependent oxidation of palmitoyl-CoA and to increase overt carnitine palmitoyltransferase activity is differentiated from a slower effect of the hormone (1 day) to increase palmitoylcarnitine oxidation.


In this paper, a two-dimensional Winograd CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) chip for COVID-19 and pneumonia detection is proposed. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many studies have led to a dramatic increase in the effects of the virus on the lungs. Some studies have also pointed out that the clinical application of deep learning in the medical field is also increasing, and it is also pointed out that the radiation impact of CT exposure is more serious than that of X-ray films and that CT exposure is not suitable for viral pneumonia. This study will analyze the results of X-rays trained using CNN architecture and convolutional using Winograd. This research will also set up a popular model architecture to realize four kinds of grayscale image prediction to verify the actual prediction effect on this data. The experimental data is mainly composed of chest X-rays of four different types of grayscales as input material. Among them, the research method of this experiment is to design the basic CNN operation structure of the chip and apply the Winograd calculus method to the convolutional operation. Finally, according to the TSMC 0.18 μm process, the actual chip is produced, and each step is verified to ensure the correctness of the circuit. The experimental results prove that the accuracy of our proposed method reaches 87.87%, and the precision reaches 88.48%. This proves that our proposed method has an excellent recognition rate.


Abstract Objectives To characterize the 10 year relationship between anti-transcriptional intermediary factor 1 antibody (anti-TIF1-Ab) positivity and cancer onset in a large UK-based adult DM cohort. Methods Data from anti-TIF1-Ab-positive/-negative adults with verified diagnoses of DM from the UK Myositis Network register were analysed. Each patient was followed up until they developed cancer. Kaplan–Meier methods and Cox proportional hazard modelling were employed to estimate the cumulative cancer incidence. Results Data from 263 DM cases were analysed, with a total of 3252 person-years and a median 11 years of follow-up; 55 (21%) DM cases were anti-TIF1-Ab positive. After 10 years of follow-up, a higher proportion of anti-TIF1-Ab-positive cases developed cancer compared with anti-TIF1-Ab-negative cases: 38% vs 15% [hazard ratio 3.4 (95% CI 2.2, 5.4)]. All the detected malignancy cases in the anti-TIF1-Ab-positive cohort occurred between 3 years prior to and 2.5 years after DM onset. No cancer cases were detected within the following 7.5 years in this group, whereas cancers were detected during this period in the anti-TIF1-Ab-negative cases. Ovarian cancer was more common in the anti-TIF1-Ab-positive vs -negative cohort: 19% vs 2%, respectively (P < 0.05). No anti-TIF1-Ab-positive case <39 years of age developed cancer, compared with 21 (53%) of those ≥39 years of age. Conclusion Anti-TIF1-Ab-positive-associated malignancy occurs exclusively within the 3 year period on either side of DM onset, the risk being highest in those ≥39 years of age. Cancer types differ according to anti-TIF1-Ab status, and this may warrant specific cancer screening approaches.


The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the use of Search-based Procedural Content generation (SBPCG) to help a designer create levels for different game styles. I show how SBPCG can be used for level generation in different game genres by surveying both paper and released commercial solutions. I then provide empirical data by using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to evolve levels in two different game types, first one being a space puzzle game, and the second a platform game. Constraints from a level designer provide a base to create fitness functions for both games with success. Even though difficulties with level representation make it hard for a designer to work with this technique directly, the generated levels show that the technique has promising potential to aid level designers with their work.


Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death among men worldwide. In this study, using transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice, the effect of diet enriched with 1% w/w ursolic acid (UA) was investigated to evaluate the stage specific chemopreventive activity against prostate cancer. We found that TRAMP mice fed with UA diet for 8 weeks (weeks 4 to 12) delayed formation of prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). Similarly, mice fed with UA diet for 6 weeks (weeks 12 to 18) inhibited progression of PIN to adenocarcinoma as determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Finally, TRAMP mice fed with UA diet for 12 weeks (weeks 24 to 36) demonstrated markedly reduced tumor growth without any significant effects on total body weight and prolonged overall survival. With respect to the molecular mechanism, we found that UA down-regulated activation of various pro-inflammatory mediators including, NF-κB, STAT3, AKT and IKKα/β phosphorylation in the dorsolateral prostate (DLP) tissues that correlated with the reduction in serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6. In addition, UA significantly down-regulated the expression levels of cyclin D1 and COX-2 but up-regulated the levels of caspase-3 as revealed by immunohistochemical analysis of tumor tissue sections. Finally, UA was detected in serum samples obtained from various mice groups fed with enriched diet in nanogram quantity indicating that it is well absorbed in the GI tract. Overall, our findings provide strong evidence that UA can be an excellent agent for both the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.


This paper analyses the developmento of the normative on human beings' development in  Chile since 1990 onwards considering the context of the human rights' treaties. Scientific investigation is analysed from the investigatior's point of view and that of people serving as subjects. It focalizes its attentions on the one that employs pharmaceutical products that are not commercially autorized in the country. It also examines the normatives' evolution regarding the investigation's  protections towards its subjects, and the attributions to develop these essays inside the health-care institutions. The work ends with a critical analysis of today's guidelines and with a glance at its challenges.


The authors present a scheme that uses a feedforward neural network for the learning and synthesis task. Neural networks consist of a collection of interconnected processors that compute in parallel. The parallelism allows the network to examine various constraints simultaneously during the learning phase and enables reductions in computing time that are attractive in real-time applications. The learning abilities of these networks in a tuning operation are discussed. The network learns by observing the effect of the input variables of the operation (such as feed rate, depth of cut, and cutting speed) on the output variables (such as cutting force, power, temperature, and surface finish of the workpiece). The learning phase is followed by a synthesis phase during which the network predicts the input conditions to be used by the machine tool to maximize the metal removal rate subject to appropriate operating constraints. >


The relationship between the Surface Mass Balance (SMB) of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is examined from numerical simulations performed with a new atmospheric stretched grid configuration of the Centre National de Recherches Meteorologiques – Coupled Model (CNRM-CM) version 5.2 under three periods : preindustrial climate, a warm phase (early Eemian, 130 ka BP) and a cool phase (glacial inception, 115 ka BP) of the last interglacial. The horizontal grid of the atmospheric component of CNRM-CM5.2 is stretched from the tilted pole on the Baffin Bay (72° N, 65° W) in order to obtain a higher spatial resolution on Greenland. The correlation between simulated SMB anomalies averaged over Greenland and the NAO index is weak in winter and significant in summer (about 0.6 for the three periods). In summer, spatial correlations between the NAO index and SMB display different patterns from one period to another. These differences are analysed in terms of the respective influence of the positive and negative phases of the NAO on accumulation and melting. Accumulation in South Greenland is significantly correlated with the positive (negative) phase of the NAO in a warm (cold) climate. Under preindustrial and 115 ka climates, melting along the margins is more correlated with the positive phase of the NAO than with its negative phase, whereas at 130 ka it is more correlated with the negative phase of the NAO in North and North-East Greenland.


ABSTRACT This paper proposes a simplified proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) temperature model for the purpose of estimating PEMFC temperatures with high accuracy using air-cooling systems. Besides knowing that most of the existing models were designed for specific systems, the proposed model also focuses on generalizing the conventional temperature model for easy adoption by other PEMFCs. The proposed model is developed based on the first-order exponential equation to avoid the limitations of complex mechanistic temperature models. The model uses only the information available from typical commercial PEMFCs, the main inputs of which are the current, elapsed time, and ambient temperature. In addition, the PEMFC area, number of cells in the stack, and high/low operating currents were incorporated in the proposed model to ensure its generalizability and applicability to different PEMFC technologies with air-cooling systems under various ambient conditions. The required model parameters were optimized using the Harris hawks optimization method. The proposed model was validated using experiments conducted on the Horizon-500 W and NEXA-1.2 kW PEMFC systems equipped with air-cooling mechanisms under different ambient temperatures and load currents. The root mean square error of all the examined cases was less than 0.5. The proposed model is helpful for simulations, dynamic real-time controllers, and emulators because of its fast response and high accuracy.