For a variety of reasons, voluntary and involuntary, some non-citizens find themselves in the United States criminal justice system accused of a myriad of federal, state, or municipal criminal law violations. A criminal conviction for a non-citizen can affect their very existence in the United States. As criminal defense attorneys, we have an affirmative duty to advise our clients about immigration consequences, namely the risk of deportation, for potential criminal convictions. There are many resources and sources of funding available to criminal defense attorneys and legal advocates in their education and provision of immigration legal services. The inscription at the base of the Statue of Liberty welcomes immigrants to the U.S. with the promise of a golden entry way to freedom. For the non-citizen criminally accused, who have no right to court-appointed counsel in immigration proceedings, their last stop before being pushed out of the golden door often lies with a Public Defender office. Despite great strides as a result of relentless self-advocacy, these offices across the U.S. remain over-burdened. Adding an imperative duty such as advisement of immigration consequences upon the already buckling backs of Public Defenders may seem like the ultimate straw. But our backs are strong and with the assistance of others in the legal and public interest community, we can provide our non-citizen clients with the justice they deserve.


The following note, prepared for the NACA, contains several remarks on the possible improvement of the experimental determination of the aerodynamic properties of wing sections. It shows how errors of observation can subsequently be partially eliminated, and how the computation of the maxima or minima of aerodynamic characteristics can be much improved.


: Wasting remains an important, yet often overlooked, condition in HIV-infected patients receiving HAART. Successful office-based management depends on early diagnosis by bioelectric impedance analysis and on a multifaceted approach to treatment. Immediate goals include controlling viral load, correcting any immediate causes of wasting, and improving nutritional intake. Should wasting persist despite these measures, various therapies may be initiated. These include testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadal patients, recombinant human growth hormone, anabolic steroids, progressive resistance exercise, and experimental therapies. Early treatment of HIV-associated wasting restores body cell mass, improves quality of life, and reduces the frequency of opportunistic infections and hospitalizations.


Abu 'Abdillāh Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Shaybānī (166-241 AH/780-855 CE) [1] is the founder of one of the four schools of Sunni jurisprudence and his book al-Musnad [2] is considered among the most comprehensive and early collections of hadīth. It contains some 30,000 sayings attributed to the Prophet and the period of its writing makes it among the foremost of the sihāh al-sittah (six authentic books) of the Sunni sect. One of the characteristics of this work is the wide space given to hadīth concerning the merits of the Prophet's Ahl al-Bayt, most of which are confirmed from the viewpoint of Shi'ite Muslims as well. Compared to the other hadīth compendiums of the Sunnis, the Musnad's emphasis on this subject is so pronounced that it has attracted the attention of orientalists and other researchers. The writer of this article has attempted to focus on this particular point of the Musnad and its author by selecting some of the hadīth mentioned in this bulky compendium with a short explanation wherever necessary. The key words of this brief article are Tashayyu', Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Hadīth Compendiums, Merits of the Ahl alBayt ('a), Hadīth al-Ghadīr, Hadīth al-Thaqalayn, Hadīth al-Manzilah. Notes: [1] He is popularly known as Ibn Hanbal. Born in Baghdad or in Merv in Khurāsān (presently the city is in the Republic of Turkmenistan), he started learning hadith at the age of 16 and travelled to different places in collecting from scholars the sayings attributed to Prophet Muhammad (S). Among his prominent teachers, mention could be made of Sufyān bin 'Uyaynah, 'Abd al-Razzāq bin Hammām al-San'ānī and Muhammad bin Idrīs al-Shāfi'ī. He left behind many works, the most famous of which is the hadith compendium titled al-Musnad. His biographers have credited him with such characteristics as sharp memory, patience, purity of heart and thought, sincerity, courage and intellect. For further familiarity on his life, viewpoints and bases of thought, refer to the contemporary Egyptian scholar Shaykh Muhammad Abu Zuhrah's work titled: Ibn Hanbal – Hayātuhu wa 'Asruhu, Arā'uhu wa Fiqhuh (Ibn Hanbal – His Life and Times, His Views and His Fiqh), Egypt, Dār al-Fikr al-'Arabī, 1367 AH/1947 CE. [2] Musnad (pl. Masānīd) is the name given to works where the hadith are arranged in order of the names of the companions who after the Prophet are regarded as the prime source by the Sunnis. Several books were compiled under this title, of which Ahmad bin Hanbal's Musnad is the most famous one.


In the fall 1982 semester, engineering report writing was integrated into the structure of a junior-level electrical engineering course at Howard University. The required homework consisted of engineering reports instead of the traditional textbook problem sets. A follow-up analysis of grades on examinations, on reports, and in later courses showed that 1) student understanding of engineering subject matter was not compromised by the course structure; 2) writing skills improved over the course of the semester; and 3) the correlation of student writing skills to problem solving skills was approximately 0.5.


AIM
To evaluate the impact of cardiac surgical procedures on cardiac and renal functions within 12 months after surgery in patients with a history of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
A total of 875 patients (464 men and 411 women) aged 32 to 68 years (62.3±5.2 years), including 396 patients who had undergone heart valve replacement under extracorporeal circulation, 422 who had aortocoronary and/or mammary coronary artery bypass, and 57 who had a combination of these operations, were examined. According to the baseline glomerular filtration rate (GFR), the patients were divided into 2 groups: 1) 508 patients with preserved kidney function (GFR, higher than 90 ml/min/1.73 m2); 2) 367 with CKD (GFR, 89 to 60 ml/min/1.73 m2). Results. In Group 2, early postoperative cardiovascular events were noted significantly more frequently and mortality proved to be higher than in Group 1. By the end of the first year of a follow-up, CKD was diagnosed in 5.4% of the patients in Group 1. In Group 2, CKD regressed in 54.1 % of the patients and, on the contrary, progressed in 9.5%. In Group 2, programmed hemodialysis was performed in 15 (4.4%) patients. Overall mortality was significantly higher in patients with a postoperative glomerular filtration fall in both Groups 1 and 2 (7.5 and 8.4%, respectively). Long-term cardiovascular events were significantly more common in patients with progressive CKD and postoperative kidney dysfunction.

CONCLUSION
A slight decrease in glomerular filtration makes the immediate prognosis of cardiac surgery poorer. The late cardiorenal prognosis mainly depends on changes in kidney function; regression of CKD is noted in 50% of the cases.


Metals are pivotal elements in our daily life and industrial processes, to produce electronic devices, catalysts, smart materials and so on. However, they are mostly present as a mixture in the environment that makes their separation challenging over the past decade. Host-guest chemistry principle thoroughly has been used to design and synthesize thousands of organic receptors with high complexation ability and selectivity to certain metal ions. On the other hand, the droplet microfluidic device is well-known for its unique characteristics of fluid dynamics, such as large specific surface area and short diffusion distance making the process robust and efficient. Therefore, many reports of research employ host-guest chemistry of the droplet microfluidic system for the effective metal separation process. This chapter deals with up-to-date examples of the droplet microfluidic system application for separation of base and alkali metals, recovery of rare-earth and precious metals and removal of heavy metals either from the competitive metal system or from the real waste solution sample through solvent extraction techniques utilizing host-guest chemistry principle.


Severo Perez's 1995 film,  …and the earth did not swallow him , is adapted from Tomas Rivera's classic 1971 Chicano novel,  …y no se lo trago la tierra . It beautifully evokes the substance and spirit of Rivera's work, and has won international critical acclaim, including top honors at film festivals worldwide. An online exhibit built on the Omeka platform was created from clips of the director discussing the making of the film and materials from the production archive for the film housed in The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University.


SUMMARY: Submerging leaves in water soon after they are inoculated with viruses can prevent infection, and for studying factors that affect the rate of virus multiplication leaves should not be placed in solutions until a day after inoculation.
The rate at which viruses multiply in tobacco leaves is decreased by spraying with solutions of thiouracil, but less so than by floating leaves in the solutions. The physiological state of floated leaves affects the extent to which thiouracil impedes virus multiplication; least virus is produced in the presence of thiouracil when the condition of leaves otherwise most favours virus formation. Multiplication of virus can be checked at any time by thiouracil, but is most affected when leaves contain little virus; multiplication is resumed when thiouracil is removed. Thiouracil impedes the multiplication in tobacco of all viruses tested, but not of a tobacco necrosis virus in French bean or broad bean mottle virus in Vicia faba.
When mixed with inocula, thiouracil can prevent infection from occurring, both in tobacco and French bean. It also affects the growth and appearance of both plants. These effects, unlike the impedance of virus multiplication in tobacco, are not counteracted by an excess of uracil. Tobacco leaves in which tobacco mosaic virus is multiplying develop necrotic spots and rings when treated with thiouracil, and local lesions can be made evident by spraying inoculated leaves. Necrotic lesions also occur on V. faba infected with broad-bean mottle virus and treated with thiouracil.


Exploring the Influences of Intergenerational Pregnancies on Teenage Girls, Ages 16 19 by Tynika Cosey Greensberry MA, University of Cincinnati, 2009 BS, Southern University and A&M College, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human Services Administration Walden University November 2018 Abstract Generational cycles of teenage pregnancy trend among many families create economic, social, and health problems on teen parents and their families. Scholarly literature includes quantitative studies addressing the issue of teenage pregnancy but there is notGenerational cycles of teenage pregnancy trend among many families create economic, social, and health problems on teen parents and their families. Scholarly literature includes quantitative studies addressing the issue of teenage pregnancy but there is not many qualitative studies about the family cycle of teenage pregnancy among a highlyconcentrated area of African American females in the Southern region of the United States. The life history theory and the socialization and social control theories of the intergenerational transmission of early childbearing served as the theoretical framework.. A qualitative case study is designed to identify factors that contributed to generational cycles of teenage pregnancy among families in the Southern region of the United States. Data were collected using questionnaires from 3 family triads of teenage mothers. Data were analyzed and display tables were created. The results indicated that participants had a lack of knowledge of proper contraceptive use and experienced peer pressure to engage in sexual behaviors. Teenagers looked at their mothers and sister's pregnancy in a favorable way making their pregnancy acceptable within families. Most participants felt teenagers should wait before becoming pregnant. Participants felt teenage mothers could overcome obstacles associated with teenage pregnancies. Pregnancy prevention programs may benefit from the results of this study through parenting programs to teach mothers, who were pregnant in their teen age, how to communicate with their teenage daughters about their sexual experiences. Exploring the Influences of Intergenerational Pregnancies on Teenage Girls, Ages 16 19 by Tynika Cosey Greensberry MA, University of Cincinnati, 2009 BS, Southern University and A&M College, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Human Services Administration


The rise and popularity of Social media technologies has created an interactive and communicative global phenomenon that has enabled billions of users to connect to other individuals to not just Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn; but also with media sharing platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest.
The aim of the research is to provide an overview of the evolution of online social media in order to contribute to current literature for a better understanding of this technological phenomenon. In this context, the study examine questions that help define social media and Web 2.0 applications, the functionalities, characteristics, usage, classifications, the history and development and challenges surrounding social media technologies as well as the value and impact in egovernment services.
Based on a number of nationwide surveys of more than 2000 American citizens, the study explored several characteristics of social media use. The results of the quantitative analysis show that there are considerable differences in the communication activities on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram which includes the extent, purpose and classification of social media usage as well as social media users general attitudes towards the technologies. The results present the differences in the demographic groups particularly in terms of gender, age, education and income and the factors that determine the use of social media platforms.
The findings revealed that there is a strong relationship between age and gender and social media technologies and that the variables have a significant impact on how social media is used for social purposes. Age and gender was also strong predictors of social media use and the future usage of the tools. The results also showed that women, the younger generation, college graduates and those with higher incomes were dominant users of social media. The findings also indicated that media sharing platforms are becoming popular, for example, respondents who used YouTube are also more likely to use Instagram, due to the rise of video and photo tools dominating social activities. Future implications of social media technologies for social networking activities are also discussed.


Background: Kidney exchange has become a very common and important treatment alternative for patients suffering from serious kidney diseases with incompatible donors. Factors such as blood type, HLA matches and PRA existence are considered to determine compatibility. In a paired exchange, two incompatible patient-donor pairs switch their donors who are compatible with the other recipient. Currently, each hospital in Turkey operates individually in a decentralized manner using its own list. This list may contain patients having more than one incompatible donor, which differentiates the current work from those existing in literature. Methods: In this study, mathematical models are developed to propose an easy and practical approach for the paired kidney exchange problem in Turkey. Data are generated by e mploying a real data set provided by a hospital specialized in kidney transplantation. Results: The optimal solutions are obtained by using GAMS/CPLEX, and different scenario analyses are performed to measure the impact of "gender differences" and "age" on the solution. Furthe rmore, the original patient-donor list provided by the hospital is used to compare the model's solution with the planned transplantations. The study also evaluates a centralized approach which integrates all hospitals performing paired kidney exchange in Istanbul. Conclusions: As the optimal solution of the model is obtained in a basis of seconds, the developed approach offers an easy and applicable procedure for paired kidney exchange. Comparison of decentralized and centralized approaches reveals that the centralized approach is more favorable in terms of HLA compatibility and number of transplantations.


The mechanical behaviour of a C-Mn steel is investigated under different thermomechanical paths, in order to determine its constitutive equation in industrial hot rolling conditions. Compression tests were performed and the maximum admissible strain level so that friction remains negligible was determined by numerical simulation. The limited maximum total strain requires selecting the key features of the thermomechanical path. It is shown that the austenitising temperature has a great influence on the mechanical and microstructural evolution of the steel. The influence of recrystallization in the roughing mill on the mechanical behaviour has been investigated by double compression tests, and seems not to be very important. The influence of strain and austenitising temperature on the phase transformation has also been studied. The austenitising temperature strongly affects the grain size, and the kinetics of phase transformation can be well understood using this parameter. But the strain raises the transformation start temperature up to a point at which the grain size is not a relevant parameter.


As humans, we experience the profound biological necessity to form social bonds from the moment of birth. These bonds are imperative for normal development and impact our health and well-being, with strong social networks acting as a primary predictor of longevity. The lack of or disruption of such bonds can be debilitating, as shown by increased rates of mental and physical illnesses. Our understanding of social bonds has been limited because commonly used laboratory model organisms, such as rats and mice, do not form partner-specific social bonds. To study complex social behaviors, the monogamous rodent, the prairie vole (M. ochrogaster), has provided a valuable model as they form life-long pair bonds. Studies looking at hormonal and peptidergic regulation of pair bonding have identified candidate genes in the formation and maintenance of pair bonds, but little is known about the global transcriptional changes that accompany pair bond formation. Here, I pioneer in voles translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) with the aim of purifying actively translating mRNA from genetically defined cell types within the nucleus accumbens. I show that the TRAP transgene is highly expressed in a Cre recombinase-dependent manner. Further optimizations are required in order to obtain more highly intact actively translating mRNAs. We propose combining TRAP with an activity dependent labeling system in voles, allowing for the isolation of actively translating mRNA in cells active during mating and evidence for the first time of the global changes in transcription that accompany pair bond formation.


Abstract. A long term data acquisition effort of profile soil moisture is currently underway at 13 automatic weather stations located in Southwestern France. In this study, the soil moisture measured in-situ at 5 cm is used to evaluate the normalised surface soil moisture (SSM) estimates derived from coarse-resolution (25 km) active microwave data of the ASCAT scatterometer instrument (onboard METOP), issued by EUMETSAT for a period of 6 months (April–September) in 2007. The seasonal trend is removed from the satellite and in-situ time series by considering scaled anomalies. One station (Mouthoumet) of the ground network, located in a mountainous area, is removed from the analysis as very few ASCAT SSM estimates are available. No correlation is found for the station of Narbonne, which is close to the Mediterranean sea. On the other hand, nine stations present significant correlation levels. For two stations, a significant correlation is obtained when considering only part of the ASCAT data. The soil moisture measured in-situ at those stations, at 30 cm, is used to estimate the characteristic time length (T) of an exponential filter applied to the ASCAT product. The best correlation between a soil water index derived from ASCAT and the in-situ soil moisture observations at 30 cm is obtained with a T-value of 14 days.


The current approaches aiming at collective intelligence modelling often rely on traditional methods (ontologies, graphs). Even if those traditional methods may have reached their limitations in front of demanding emerging practices, the major conceptual tools enrolled for current and future Web are deeply rooted in the information storage and retrieval practices. The focus is on developing more original technologies for capturing, analyzing, exploiting and visualizing data. The age cements/arrangements provide the appropriate epistemological context of our contribution. The simplicial complexes are the mathematical support of the methodology. The result is a shift from networks studied towards graph theory to higher dimensional networks structures. The representation is more than graphs, or even hyper graphs. A geometric perspective shows the arrangement as assembling polyhedra of all sizes. Their contacts can form chains of adjacencies. It does not only generalize the notion of path graphs but it also makes available a range of quantitative and qualitative tools on the structure. Thus, separate parts, which can be more or less strongly linked, length of paths to traverse, and even loops or "missing parts", are meaningful metadata representations.


3D applications appear in every corner of life in the current technology era. There is a need for an ubiquitous 3D input device that works with many different platforms, from head-mounted displays (HMDs) to mobile touch devices, 3DTVs, and even the Cave Automatic Virtual Environments. We present 3DTouch, a novel wearable 3D input device worn on the fingertip for 3D manipulation tasks. 3DTouch is designed to fill the missing gap of a 3D input device that is self-contained, mobile, and universally works across various 3D platforms. This paper presents a low-cost solution to designing and implementing such a device. Our approach relies on a relative positioning technique using an optical laser sensor and a 9-DOF inertial measurement unit. The device employs touch input for the benefits of passive haptic feedback, and movement stability. On the other hand, with touch interaction, 3DTouch is conceptually less fatiguing to use over many hours than 3D spatial input devices. We propose a set of 3D interaction techniques including selection, translation, and rotation using 3DTouch. An evaluation also demonstrates the device's tracking accuracy of 1.10 mm and 2.33 degrees for subtle touch interaction in 3D space. We envision that modular solutions like 3DTouch opens up a whole new design space for interaction techniques to further develop on. With 3DTouch, we attempt to bring 3D applications a step closer to users.


In this paper, the proposed estimator for the unknown nonparametric regression function is a Nadarya-Watson (Nadarya, 1964; Watson, 1964) type kernel estimator. In this estimation procedure, the censored observations are replaced by synthetic data points based on Kaplan-Meier estimator. As known performance of the kernel estimator depends on the selection of a bandwidth parameter. To get an optimum parameter we have considered six selection methods such as the improved version of Akaike information criterion (AICc), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), generalized cross validation (GCV), risk estimation with classical pilots (RECP), Mallow's Cp criterion and restricted empirical likelihood (REML), respectively. In addition, we discuss the behavior of the estimators obtained by these selection methods under different configurations of the censoring level and sample sizes. Simulation and real lifetime data results are presented to evaluate and compare the performance of the selection methods. Thus, a optimum criterion is provided for smoothing parameter selection.


A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium, capable of producing poly-β-hydroxyalkanoate, designated DP3N28-2T, was isolated from the sediment collected from Daya Bay, Guangdong, PR China. Optimal growth occurred at 37–40 °C, pH 6.0 and in the presence of 4 % NaCl. The 16S rRNA gene sequences analysis revealed that DP3N28-2T showed highest similarities with Mameliella alba DSM 23384T (98.3 %), Antarctobacter jejuensis 13–2-B6T (97.2 %), Antarctobacter heliothermu s El-219T (96.8 %), Maliponia aquimaris MM-10T (96.7 %), Ponticoccus litoralis CL-GR66T (96.4 %) and Aquicoccus porphyridii L1 8-17T (96.1 %). The predominant fatty acids (>10 %) were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω6c and/or C18 : 1ω7c; 72.1 %) and C16 : 0 (11.0 %). The polar lipids contain phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, one aminophosphlipid, one phospholipid and three unidentified lipids. The respiratory quinone was Q-10. The DNA G+C content was 63.0 mol% (data from the genome sequence). The estimated genome size was 5.12 Mb. The average nucleotide identity values between the DP3N28-2T genome and the genome of M. alba was 81.1 %, while the digital DNA–DNA hybridization value was 23.4 %. The phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic differences between DP3N28-2T and its phylogenetic relatives indicates that DP3N28-2T should be regarded as representing a novel species of the genus Mameliella , for which the name Mameliella sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DP3N28-2T (=MCCC 1K06218T=KCTC 82804T).


Author(s): Clark, Jerry P. | Abstract: There are five species of meadow voles found in California. The two that are most economically important are Microtus californicus and Microtus montanus. Meadow vole populations are extremely cyclic, reaching a peak every four to six years. During these periods when the vole population is increasing in numbers, damage to crops like alfalfa, artichokes, potatoes, and sugar beets can occur. The best time to survey for vole activity is before the crop is planted. The grower or farm operator should look for vole activity in grassy borders around the crop or along roadsides and ditch bank areas. Snap-trapping may also be used to confirm the presence of voles. Clean cultivation and weed control on grassy borders adjacent to crops will help reduce potential harborage for voles. A small or localized vole population on a crop border is much easier to control than if the voles become established in the crop. Rodenticide-treated baits are very effective in reducing vole populations. Bait distribution may be done by spot-baiting, placing bait by hand, or by broadcasting, scattering bait over the entire infested area.


This Ph.D. thesis in Economics consists of three self-contained chapters in Applied Microeconomics that use Swedish registry data and data on prices collected at restaurants."Salience on the Income Tax Return: Effects of Specifying the Swedish Church Tax on Church Membership" explores if there is an effect of how taxes are communicated on the income tax return. In 2001 a separate line was introduced which specified the church taxes on the income tax return. I study how this change affected membership to the Church of Sweden."The Impact of Paychecks on Expenditures – How Large is the Share of Rule of Thumb Consumers?" evaluates whether households smooth consumption between time periods by considering whether the timing of consumption, responds to the arrival time of the predictable monthly paycheck."The Effect of Lower Value Added Tax on Restaurant Prices: Cheaper Food – More expensive Wine?" evaluates how prices of meals and complementary alcoholic beverages responded to a VAT reduction on restaurant food services.


BACKGROUND
Arachidonic acid metabolites have been suggested to play an important role in carcinogenesis. We have recently reported that the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 (CysLT1) and 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LO-1) are expressed by the malignant Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin lymphoma and certain Hodgkin lymphoma cell lines, and that these cells convert arachidonic acid to the novel proinflammatory eoxins.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The expression of the CysLT1 receptor and 15-LO-1 was investigated in a broad range of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) by immunohistochemistry. The functionality of the CysLT1 receptor in primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) cell lines was studied by calcium mobilization assays.

RESULTS
Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma was the only NHL entity showing tumor cells positive for the CysLT1 receptor (9 of 10 tumors), and the PMBCL cell line Med-B1 expressed functional CysLT1 receptors, responding with a robust calcium signal upon cysteinyl leukotriene challenge. Furthermore, the tumor cells in 1 of 4 T-cell-derived anaplastic large-cell lymphomas, in contrast to all other studied NHLs, strongly expressed 15-LO-1.

CONCLUSION
Among the NHL entities included in this study, the CysLT1 receptor was exclusively expressed by the tumor cells of PMBCL. Thus, this further corroborates the pathologic overlap between PMBCL and classical Hodgkin lymphoma.


The Chinese government, based on its commitment to carbon reduction in the Paris Climate Agreement,laid out its intention to achieve peak CO₂ emissions by 2030, and to make its best effort to peak as early as possible. It committed to lowering CO₂ emissions per unit of GDP by 60–65 percent of their 2005 levels, and to increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to about 20 percent. Although these targets were set up for the country as a whole, it is essential for decision makers and practitioners to understand the contribution the transport sector can make if its development path is aimed at sustainability.


consultant involvement. An analysis of the work performed shows an impressive potential, 77 per cent of day hospitals taking more than 101 new patients per annum and 80 per cent having more than 50 attendances per week. It will interest psychiatrists that in general a negative attitude prevails towards psychogeriatric patients with emotional and behavioural problems. Staffing norms are also discussed and will be of interest to anyone planning day care for the elderly. Transport merits and receives considerable atten tion.Problemsrangingfromthebesttypeoftransport, and its availability to the views and value judgments of ambulance drivers are given the consideration they deserve and don't often get. Costing day hospitals is another difficult exercise which receives serious attention and an examination of a sub-sample of 15 hospitals gives costs ranging from £l5-f60 per patient per attendance with an average cost of about £10.However, these costs are, of course,much cheaperthan inpatient carein any type of hospital.


In owl monkeys, elevation of intracranial pressure to 500 mm. saline for 4 to 7 hours failed to cause an accumulation at the optic nerve head of protein carried by rapid axonal transport. This suggests that the block of rapid transport observed by others during papilledema may be the result of axon swelling, not its cause. Alternatively, more than 8 hours may be required for intracranial pressure to show an effect, only the slow transport may be affected initially, or other factors than simple hydrostatic pressure may be operative in papilledema. In addition, the elevated intracranial pressure did not prevent the block of axonal transport at the lamina cribrosa produced by elevated intraocular pressure, even though the elevated intracranial pressure reduced the pressure gradient to which the axon is subjected as it crosses the lamina cribrosa. Perhaps the block produced by intraocular pressure is not due to a simple mechanical or hydrostatic mechanism.


Introduction: Compared to older adults, emerging adults treated for substance use disorders (SUDs) are more likely to have unfavorable outcomes. However, few studies have investigated the baseline characteristics and treatment outcomes of emerging adults in inpatient SUD treatment. Aims: This study investigated differences in demographic and clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes (relapse or treatment discontinuation) among emerging adult and adult inpatients. Prospective associations between baseline characteristics and unfavorable treatment outcomes were also analyzed across both patient groups. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted among inpatients (n = 499) at 4 SUD treatment centers in Norway. The sample included emerging adult patients aged 18–25 years (n = 149) and adult patients above 25 years (n = 350). Medical records provided data on sociodemographic variables, substance use characteristics, diagnoses, and treatment completion status. Self-reported measures, including age of onset of substance use, motivation, and mental distress, were completed within 2 weeks of admission to treatment. A telephone interview 3 months after discharge provided information about relapses. Results: Emerging adults had a more adverse risk profile in terms of demographic characteristics, clinical variables, and treatment outcomes. Multivariable results showed that polysubstance use and an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis were the strongest predictors of unfavorable treatment outcomes for emerging adults. For older adults, only baseline mental distress was a significant predictor of unfavorable treatment outcomes. Conclusions: Treatment and follow-up initiatives could be better tailored for emerging adults. Identification of treatment needs among emerging adults manifesting polysubstance use and ADHD may reduce the likelihood of unfavorable treatment outcomes in this patient group.


OBJECTIVE
Until recently there were no validated tools to assess and measure dactylitis, but a quasi-objective measure of dactylitis (the Leeds Dactylitis Index, LDI, and a simplified version, the LDI basic) has now been developed. We undertook an open-label observational trial to test the responsiveness of the LDI and other measures previously used in clinical trials.

METHODS
Twenty-eight patients with a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (as defined by the new ClASsification criteria for Psoriatic ARthritis, CASPAR) and active disease including new-onset dactylitis were enrolled. The patients underwent clinical assessment at baseline, 2 weeks, and 1, 3 and 6 months after change of disease modifying therapy, usually to methotrexate. Comparator dactylitis tools were taken from the literature and denoted IMPACT1 (Infliximab Multinational Psoriatic Arthritis Controlled Trial), Clegg, and Salvarani.

RESULTS
All 5 measures of dactylitis showed significant change from baseline and a large effect size (effect sizes first to last clinic visit: LDI 0.99, LDI basic 0.9, IMPACT1 1.63, Clegg 0.77, Salvarani 1.27). The correlation with clinical measures was strongest for the IMPACT1 score, but all the indices except Clegg had a significant positive relationship with tender joint counts, swollen joint counts, Disease Activity Score 28, and patient and physician global measures. When considering the 5 measures of dactylitis within the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology [Clinical Trials] filter, the LDI and the LDI basic showed the best overall fit for the domains of truth, discrimination, and feasibility.

CONCLUSION
With the important points in its development examined, the LDI is now ready to be used in larger randomized controlled trials both as an outcome measure and to allow further assessment of its utility.


Back-contact crystalline-silicon photovoltaic solar cells and modules offer a number of advantages including the elimination of grid shadowing losses, reduced cost by use of thinner silicon substrates, simpler module assembly, and improved aesthetics. While the existing method for interconnecting and stringing edge-connected back contact cells is acceptably straight-forward and reliable, there are further gains to be exploited when you have both contact polarities on one side of the cell. In this work, we produce 'busbarless' emitter wrap-through (EWT) solar cells that use about 65% less gridline Ag metallization mass compared to the edge tab design. Further, series resistance power losses are reduced by extraction of current from more places on the cell rear leading to a fill factor improvement of about 6% (relative) on the module level. Series resistance and current-generation losses associated with large rear bondpads and bus bars are eliminated. Use of thin Si wafers is enabled because of the reduced Ag metallization mass and by interconnection with conductive adhesives leading to reduced bow. The busbarless cell design interconnected with conductive adhesives passes International Electrotechnical Commission damp heat and thermal cycling tests.


Over the last decade, the explosion in research and Development associated with nanoscalar materials has continued apace. In parallel with this has been the rapid rise of both sustainable materials and, as a consequence, Natural, Cellular and Responsive material systems. Many of these originate from inorganic, inorganic-organic hybrid composites and polymeric and bio-nano polymeric systems which exhibit intrinsic physico-chemical properties that can be classed as 'soft'. That is flexible, malleable, lightweight, transparent or semi-transparent and stretchable in character and which can also offer both biocompatible and bioresorbable characteristics essential to useable and sustainable material systems. This paper describes some of the ways in which we are beginning to understand, explain and exploit 'soft' technology. In particular the interactive role of creative design and innovative material science linked through new fabrication methodologies that have, as their common purpose, a focus on compelling Human centred needs. Examples are health, wellness, ambient assistance and urgent improvements in cleanliness, hygiene and nutrition.


Despite great advances in the treatment of paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), disease in the central nervous system (CNS) continues to pose challenges. Current diagnostic tests are insensitive and risk factors for CNS relapse are poorly understood. This results in all children receiving intensive CNS-directed therapy which may be associated with acute and/or chronic neurotoxicity. A better understanding of the mechanisms of CNS engraftment is a necessary pre-requisite for diagnostic and therapeutic advances. To investigate if primary cells infiltrate the CNS, and whether this property resides in any particular sub-clonal compartment we undertook a comprehensive analysis of the CNS engrafting potential of primary ALL cells in immunodeficient NOD.Cg-Prkdc scid Il2rg tm1Wjl /SzJ (NSG) mice. In addition, we used this model to investigate whether chemokine receptor expression drives CNS infiltration in pre-B ALL, as previously shown for T-ALL. CNS engraftment was seen in 18/23 pre-B ALL samples (78%). A consistent pattern of engraftment was observed with plaques of disease in the leptomeninges, relative sparing of the ventricles and complete absence of parenchymal infiltration. This implies ALL transit across the blood-CSF barrier rather than the blood-brain barrier – an important distinction, as leucocytes utilise distinct physiological trafficking mechanisms to cross these two barriers. To examine the frequency of cells with CNS-engrafting potential, intra-femoral transfer of 10 to 10,000 cells was performed. CNS engraftment was seen with as few as 10 initial cells. In addition, the ability to engraft the CNS was not restricted to any particular immunophenotypic compartment and was seen in CD19 + CD10 high , CD19 + CD10 low , CD19 + CD20 low , CD19 + CD20 high , CD19 + CD34 high , CD19 + CD34 low fractions. These data suggest that CNS engraftment potential is present at high-frequency in the bulk leukaemic population at diagnosis. To examine candidate trafficking molecules governing CNS entry, we investigated chemokine receptor expression on pre-B ALL blasts using quantitative PCR and flow cytometry. The chemokine receptors CXCR3, CXCR4 and CXCR7 were expressed by pre-B ALL but were not up-regulated in cells retrieved from the CNS compared to the bone marrow (BM). In conclusion, in xenograft models of pre-B ALL, CNS engrafting potential is present at high frequency in patient diagnostic BM specimens and does not appear to be restricted to sub-clonal compartments. These findings have important implications for the design of risk-adapted CNS therapy. Firstly, our studies indicate that CNS entry is a common property of leukaemic blasts and therefore the current dogma of CNS-directed therapy for all patients appears to have a rational scientific basis. Secondly, it is unlikely that chemokine receptor expression profiling will be a useful biomarker for CNS disease in pre-B ALL. Finally, identifying factors that facilitate long-term survival of cells in the CNS (which may also enhance long-term survival in the bone marrow) may be a better therapeutic strategy than attempts to block cell entry. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Based on the modal superposition and dynamic programming theory, a method is proposed to identify bidirectional moving forces from orthotropic plate bridge responses in time domain. The bridge deck is modeled as an orthotropic plate and the moving vehicle loads are modeled as two groups of axle loads moving cross the bridge deck in two opposite directions. The equation of motion is formulated in state space and the resulting damped least-square identification problem is solved using the dynamic programming method with regularization on the solution. Some numerical simulations show that the proposed method is effective, accurate and suitable for the bidirectional moving vehicle load identification. Some parameter effects of measurement noise and of eccentricity of moving loads on the identification accuracy are discussed as well.


This study aimed to examine the types of Tagalog-English code-switching used in mathematics classroom discourse. Four purposively selected tertiary level math teachers in a college situated in a rural area in the Philippines were part of the study. Using a qualitative approach, data were gathered through non-participant class observations and interviews with selected math teachers and students. Syntactic analysis of code-switching types was done to categorize the Tagalog-English utterances. The findings showed that Tagalog-English intrasentential code-switching, which accounts for 58% of the codeswitched utterances, was the most dominant type present in math teachers' spoken discourse, and this was evident when math teachers had to explain math concepts and solutions, or provide examples, among others. Intersentential code-switching made up 38% of code-switched utterances, while tag switching was used very sparingly. It is recommended that the use of Tagalog-English intrasentential code-switching for math lesson delivery and content knowledge explanation be considered.


Freshwater ecosystems have long been neglected as an important part of the global carbon cycle. However, research shows that most of the world's lakes are net-heterotrophic and consequently emitters of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. In many boreal and north-temperate lakes, most of the yearly emissions usually occur in spring, shortly after ice-thaw. The aim of this study was to quantify the flux of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in three boreal lakes, during this annual event. In order to do this, water samples were collected before and after ice-thaw, and the flux was estimated as the difference in mass of carbon between the two sampling occasions. The results showed that the lakes had accumulated high amounts of carbon over the winter, with higher concentrations generally at higher depths. The fluxes during ice-thaw ranged from 234–380 (mean: 302) and -1.15–15.12 (mean: 8.64) mmol m-2 y-1 for CO2 and CH4, respectively. Given their small sizes, the lakes emitted less carbon, per unit area, than expected. This was assumed to be due to the lakes' rather isolated locations and since the heating of the water rapidly caused them to become highly stratified, thus preventing the wind from releasing deeper stored carbon. Presumably, this holds true for other similar boreal lakes as well, which suggests that attention – in such ecosystems – also needs to be brought to other mixing periods.


It is well known that the role of leptin in the body is to regulate food intake and energy expenditure but the process of leptin secretion by adipose tissue and the components involved in this process are still obscure. Carbonic anhydrase III (CA III) is the most abundant protein of the rat adipose tissue and its amount decreases with obesity. The effect of the inhibition of CA III on leptin secretion by rat epididymal adipose tissue was examined. Dorzolamide, a CA inhibitor, caused a decrease in dexamethasone and insulin-induced leptin secretion suggesting a possible role for CA III in the mechanism of leptin secretion.


Introduction Physiological changes of the preterm heart during the transitioning period are a challenging area to assess. Colour Tissue Doppler derived longitudinal strain (LS) and strain rate (SR) as well as tricuspid annulus plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and fractional area change (FAC) are novel echocardiographic techniques for the assessment of left (LV) and Right (RV) ventricular function. We aimed to assess the feasibility and reliability of measuring these indices in preterm infants less than 29 weeks gestation during the transitioning period. Methods A prospective study was conducted on 54 preterm infants, with a mean (SD) gestation and birth weight of 26.7 (1.4) weeks and 954 (231) grams. LS, SR, conventional markers and novel RV markers were measured at a mean of 10 and 45 h of life. Reliability was assessed by using intra class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman Analysis. Results Despite no significant change in conventional markers such as shortening fraction or ejection fraction, there was a significant increase in septal SR(-1.6 to -1.8, p = 0.002) and SRE(1.7 to 2.2, p = 0.002) across the two time points. RV function parameters including SR, SRA, TAPSE, and FAC demonstrated a significant increase across the two time points. Septal and RV function and dimension parameters demonstrated excellent reliability results. Conclusion Myocardial deformation including strain, strain rate was as well as RV markers and dimensions were feasible in infants less than 29 weeks gestation. Significant changes were seen using novel echocardiographic markers over the transitional period.


Immunodominant, conserved and type-restricted external epitopes of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) major (L1) capsid protein have been identified using BPV particles and synthetic peptides. Antisera to disrupted BPV-1 recognized BPV-1 and BPV-2 particles in immune electron microscopy (IEM) studies and inhibited BPV-2-induced focus formation of NIH/3T3 cells. Thus BPV-1/BPV-2 cross-reactive epitopes occur on the surface of virions. The L1 protein appeared to be immunodominant as the antisera reacted with three dominant BPV-1/BPV-2 conserved B cell epitopes (amino acids 111 to 125, 131 to 145 and 191 to 205) in Pepscan assays of BPV-1 L1, whereas no common epitopes and less frequent antibody binding to peptides were detected in Pepscans of the L2 protein of BPV-1. Four discrete variable regions were identified in the sequences of L1 proteins of BPV-1 and BPV-2. Antisera against synthetic peptides corresponding to three of the four variable regions (amino acids 42 to 56, 435 to 449 and 485 to 499) of BPV-2 L1 caused clumping of BPV-2, but not of BPV-1, particles as examined by IEM, and antisera to one peptide (amino acids 485 to 499) inhibited BPV-2-induced focus formation of NIH/3T3 cells. These data suggest that these regions are type-specific BPV-2 L1 epitopes and that they occur on the virion surface. Although conformation-dependent epitopes remain to be identified on papillomaviruses, the linear epitopes identified in this study may be worthy of further study as constituents of experimental prophylactic vaccines.


In this paper, the target localization problem using multiple sensors based on the time difference of arrival (TDOA) data is investigated under the assumption that the target is far off from the sensors. We examine the geometric features of the problem and compute the Fisher information matrix (FIM) and the Cramér-Rao lower bounds by using the power series expansion to analyze the variability of the angle and the range estimates. We found a relationship between sensor formation and tracking performance through the formula of the FIM.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the perinatal outcome with the abnormal umbilical cord coiling index.

STUDY DESIGN
This prospective study was carried out in the department of OBG at Adichunchangiri Institute of Medical Sciences, B.G.Nagara, Mandya, Karnataka, India from January 2008 to August 2010. 200 patients who were in active labour with term gestations, irrespective of their parities, who had singleton pregnancies with live babies who were either delivered by vaginal or LSCS were included in the study. Umbilical cord coiling index was calculated and it was correlated with various perinatal parameters like birth weight, meconium stained liquor, Apgar score, ponderal index and foetal growth restriction. Chi square and Fisher exact tests were used to find the significance of study parameters.

RESULTS
There was a significant correlation between the hypercoiled cords (UCI >90(th) percentile) and IUGR of the babies (p value of < 0.001) and low ponderal indices (a p value of 0.022) Hypocoiled cords ( UCI which was < 10(th) percentile) were significantly associated with meconium staining (p < 0.001), Apgar score at 1 min of <4 and at 5 min of <7 (p value 0.065), LSCS rates (p value of 0.008) and NICU admissions (p <0.001).

CONCLUSION
Hypercoiled cords or UCI which was > 90(th) percentile was associated with IUGR and low ponderal indices. Hypocoiled cords or UCI which was <10th percentile was associated with meconium staining, Apgar score at 1 min of <4 and at 5 min of <7, more LSCS rates and more NICU admissions.


ABSTRACT This paper examines two key dimensions of the impact of immigration for Australia and related policy aspects. One is sub-national and the other is national. They are, first, the regional location aspects of immigration and, second, the aggregate unemployment implications of immigration. These are chosen so as to focus on two important issues that condition public attitudes towards immigration. In relation to the first, there is a common positive view that channelling migration towards regional areas assists regional development and reduces pressure on metropolitan areas. The paper reviews regional concepts embodied in Australian immigration policy and the ways in which visa arrangements have implemented policies geared towards the regional dispersal of immigrants. Using official data, it discusses the demographic impacts of these policies and, in particular, considers the extent to which immigrants to regional Australia remain there over the longer term. In relation to unemployment, a common concern is that immigrants take jobs from local workers. The paper examines—using statistical regression methodology—the relationship between immigration and national aggregate unemployment in Australia. It evaluates the net consequences of immigration for both existing residents and new arrivals together. The paper concludes that, with good policy design in each case, regional location encouragement can be effective for immigrants and that immigrants need not take more jobs than they create. The analysis demonstrates that mixed-methods approaches to important social science issues can be productive, and helpful also for policy. Evidence, such as that presented in this paper, offers a powerful basis from which to counter negative public and political discourses surrounding immigration in contemporary Australia.


During the last months of 2000, administrators at the Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, Calif., convened a steering committee to plan the Mercy Center for Breast Health. The Steering Committee was composed of the director of ancillary and support services, the oncology clinical nurse specialist, the RN manager of the oncology nursing unit, the RN surgery center manager, and me, the manager of imaging services. The committee was responsible for creating a new business with five specific objectives: to position the Center as a comprehensive diagnostic and resource center for women; to generate physician referrals to the Breast Center through various vehicles; to create awareness of the Breast Center's capabilities among area radiologists; to create awareness of the Breast Center among employees of six sister facilities; to create "brand awareness" for the Mercy Center for Breast Health among referring physicians and patients who could use competing centers in the area. The Steering Committee's charter was to design a center with a feminine touch and ambience and to provide a "one-stop shopping" experience for patients. A major component of the Breast Center is the Dianne Haselwood Resource Center, which provides patients with educational support and information. The Steering Committee brought its diverse experience and interests to bear on arranging for equipment acquisition, information and clerical systems, staffing, clinic office design, patient care and marketing. Planning the Mercy Center for Breast Health has been a positive challenge that brought together many elements of the organization and people from different departments and specialties to create a new business venture. Our charge now is to grow and to live up to our vision of offering complete breast diagnostic, education and support services in one location.


NK cells play a central role in mediating innate immune responses. Activation of NK cells results in cytotoxicity, cytokine, and chemokine secretions. In this study, we show that in mice with targeted deletion of phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ)2, one of the key signal transducers, there are profound effects on the development and terminal maturation of NK cells. Lack of PLCγ2 significantly impaired the ability of lineage-committed NK precursor cells to acquire subset-specific Ly49 receptors and thereby terminal maturation of NK cells. Overexpression of isozyme, PLCγ1, in PLCγ2-deficient NK cells resulted in the successful Ly49 acquisition and terminal maturation of the NK cells; however, it could only partially rescue NKG2D-mediated cytotoxicity with no cytokine production. Furthermore, PLCγ2-deficient NK cells failed to mediate antitumor cytotoxicity and inflammatory cytokine production, displaying a generalized hyporesponsiveness. Our results strongly demonstrate that PLCγ1 and PLCγ2 play nonredundant and obligatory roles in NK cell ontogeny and in its effector functions.


Palms are one of the most common tropical plant groups. They are widespread across lowland tropical forests, but many are found in higher altitudes have more constrained environmental ranges. The limited range of these species makes them particularly useful in paleoecological and paleoclimate reconstructions. Palms produce phytoliths, or silica structures, which are found in their vegetative parts (e.g., wood, leaves, etc.). Recent research has shown that several palms in the lowland tropical forests produce phytoliths that are diagnostic to the sub-family or genus-level. Here we characterize Andean palm phytoliths, and determine whether many of these species can also be identified by their silica structures. All of our sampled Andean palm species produced phytoliths, and we were able to characterize several previously unclassified morphotypes. Some species contained unique phytoliths that did not occur in other species, particularly Ceroxylon alpinium, which is indicative of specific climatic conditions. The differences in the morphologies of the Andean species indicate that palm phytolith analysis is particularly useful in paleoecological reconstructions. Future phytolith analyses will allow researchers to track how these palm species with limited environmental ranges have migrated up and down the Andean slopes as a result of past climatic change. The phytolith analyses can track local-scale vegetation dynamics, whereas pollen, which is commonly used in paleoecological reconstructions, reflects regional-scale vegetation change.


ABSTRACT We present a facile method to produce silica nanoparticles as a superhydrophobic material which has been successfully synthesized by mechanical milling and the sol–gel method. The powder obtained was characterized using scanning electronic microscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, particle size distribution, and zeta potential. The effects of alcohol solvents on synthesis, such as on particle size, particle size distribution, and zeta potential, were examined thoroughly. To evaluate the surface modification of silica nanoparticles from hydrophilic to hydrophobic properties, IR spectra was applied. Surface modification was conducted prior to the evaluation of the superhydrophobic properties of silica nanoparticles on the glass substrate. In this study, silica nanoparticles in the ethanol solvent achieved optimum results with a particle size of 170.3 ± 14.3 nm and the highest zeta potential of −50.4 ± 0.3 mV, which is the best superhydrophobic effect on the glass substrate. In addition, the superhydrophobic effect of the silica nanoparticles was also applied to the bitumen, as both coating and mixing with the water contact angle was increased to 149.2° and 148.1° compared to the bitumen without silica nanoparticles. Due to their simplicity and low-cost, modified silica nanoparticles show great potential for industrial applications as superhydrophobic material on the bitumen.


This paper demonstrates synthesis of gold nanocubes with uniform size about 30 nm by a simple electrochemical method. The surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and tetradodecylammonium bromide (TTAB) were used as the stabilizer and micelle template to control the size and shape of gold nanocubes. In this study, acetone solvent was injected to the electrolyte solution with surfactant, changing the surfactant micelle-template, leading to the formation of gold nanocubes. The gold nanocubes have a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at a wavelength of about 530 nm. The gold nanodumbbells have been determined to be single-crystalline with a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis.


Two novel materials, SF2BCz and SF3BCz, which combine spirobifluorene (SF) and carbazole units by meta- and para-bonding, have been designed and synthesized by a straightforward process as hosts in phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs), and their thermal and electronic absorption and photoluminescent properties investigated. The meta-linkage of SF enables SF3BCz to possess high triplet and energy levels and good thermal stability. Blue PhOLEDs featuring SF3BCz as a host give high performance and low roll-off, with an efficiency of 41.4 cd A−1 (39.8 lm W−1) at 100 cd m−2 and 39.7 cd A−1 (29.8 lm W−1) at 1000 cd m−2. In addition, SF3BCz has been adopted as a universal host for white PhOLEDs, with a maximum external quantum efficiency of 21.3% for two-color and 19.8% for three-color-based white devices. By adopting tandem technology, a four-color-based white PhOLED was also successfully constructed, achieving 40% external quantum efficiency and a stable color spectrum.


Developments in microscopy techniques have brought about a demand for new protein labelling methods. Labelling tags should be small and ideally compatible with live-cell imaging. An elegant protein labelling technique that fulfils these criteria is based on genetic code expansion and bioorthogonal click chemistry. Genetic code expansion allows incorporation of clickable UAAs into proteins of interest which are subsequently directly labelled with small fluorescent dyes using click chemistry. While previous work has mainly focused on easy-to-transfect standard cell lines, recent publications have described applications of this technology in primary neurons. Here, we report a detailed protocol for transfections and bioorthogonal click chemistry-based labelling of intracellular proteins in living primary neurons.


We describe a case of intraneural metastasis of a synovial sarcoma, the first published case of a metastasis of a soft-tissue sarcoma to a peripheral nerve.


Nowadays, a large-scale information system is advanced. The effective disaster support system, providing precious information to aware and support the emergency situation when disaster occurs, is expected. In centralized management system, when disaster occurs, some points of failure in the system could stop the entire system from working properly. Thus autonomous decentralized community system has been adopted to solve this problem. Based on autonomous decentralized system, the online property can be achieved. However, there are some specific requirements in this application. Firstly, different support operations are needed in each area. Secondly, the damaged area cannot inform others in order to start forming the community itself. Therefore, this paper proposes Autonomous Surrounding Community Construction Technology (ASCoCT), in which multi-level support area is defined. Moreover, multi-surrounding nodes around the damaged area simultaneously start forming small communities, and finally integrate all into one community like a donut shape covering the damaged area. With the coordination among members in the community, the precious information is quickly shared and the appropriate rescue operations can immediately decide. As a result, timeliness and accuracy can be achieved.


As it is known, only specialists with high-level proficiency in informational culture and competence, are in demand in the intellectual labour market. A specialist of XXI century must be able to obtain, process and use information by means of computers, telecommunications and other tools. Therefore, nowadays we face the challenge of training a personality, who has skills to select the necessary information, systematize and acquire it at a high level. Such person needs to be current in the dramatically growing flow of information, and ready for life-long learning. As a result, under the rapid increase of informational flows and their large-scale use as a powerful means of communication, high priority is given to such challenges as educating intelligent people and implementing new technologies, based on the effective use of knowledge as a resource of the development of society. The paper focuses on the issues of building informational competence of higher school teachers for active use of information and telecommunication technologies, enabling them to work in the informational field more efficiently. The goal of the research is to identify approaches to building and enhancing sustainable informational competences of higher school teachers. To achieve this goal, the authors gave the definitions of such notions as 'professional competence' and 'informational competence'. The authors examine goals and objectives of the concept of economy and education development, which determine the need for personnel training to work in the sphere of digital economy in the Russian Federation. It is shown that due to their ability to work in the informational field, higher school teacher can significantly improve the level of students' training. It is assumed that the built basic informational competences, described in the paper, contribute to enhancing the level of higher school teacher professional competence.


Current understanding of the pathogenesis of colonic diverticulosis and its complications has certain implications for current therapy concepts, which are summarised here. Colonic diverticula in the Western world are pseudodiverticula predominating in the sigmoid colon. Pathogenesis is multifactorial and includes low-fibre diet, dysmotility, increased intraluminal pressure and morphological changes. Uncomplicated diverticulitis results from microperforations, contradicting the hypothesis of the "abscessed diverticulum". Administration of antibiotics for treatment is controversial. Complicated sigmoid diverticulitis is characterised by an intensive inflammatory infiltrate with macrophages. Immunosuppression and especially steroid intake are identified as risk factors. Nowadays, elective or emergency resection is generally recommended as therapy of first choice. However, contrary concepts with merely conservative treatment or drainage--even for perforated diverticulitis--are emerging. The pathogenesis of chronically recurrent diverticulitis is poorly understood and concepts are changing. Resection after the second episode is replaced by a risk-adapted strategy. Diverticular bleeding occurs due to rupture of a vas rectum at the fundus of the diverticulum. Conservative and endoscopic management is the first line and surgical resection plays a role as salvage-strategy in case of recurrent and life-threatening bleeding. Localising the bleeding, i.e., with angiography, is crucial prior to surgery. The pathophysiology of colonic diverticulosis is complex and incompletely understood and linked with several controversial issues, regarding treatment strategies.


This paper describes the methodology developed and the experience gained in the creation of a dynamic and interactive electronic scholarly
journal in an environment with shortage of resources. The work described is based on the concept of extensive communication drew from the
theoretical thought in both, communication and information sciences, as well as a hybrid model of the scholarly communication process and the socalled parallel publishing model. The main aim of the project is to provide a prototype, which could be used by existing print journals in humanities and social sciences in similar environments, for conversion into electronic
versions. The methodology and strategies developed are an integral part of
the prototype.


We propose a novel approach for the temporal interpolation of city maps. The input to our algorithm is a sparse set of historical city maps plus optional additional knowledge about construction or destruction events. The output is a fast forward animation of the city map development where roads and buildings are constructed and destroyed over time in order to match the sparse historical facts and to look plausible where no precise facts are available. A smooth transition between any real‐world data could be interesting for educational purposes, because our system conveys an intuition of the city development. The insertion of data, like when and where a certain building or road existed, is efficiently performed by an intuitive graphical user interface. Our system collects all this information into a global dependency graph of events. By propagating time intervals through the dependency graph we can automatically derive the earliest and latest possible date for each event which are guaranteeing temporal as well as geographical consistency (e.g. buildings can only appear along roads that have been constructed before). During the simulation of the city development, events are scheduled according to a score function that rates the plausibility of the development (e.g. cities grow along major roads). Finally, the events are properly distributed over time to control the dynamics of the city development. Based on the city map animation we create a procedural city model in order to render a 3D animation of the city development over decades.


Background: One of the prime causes of illness and premature death is smoking. Almost 50% of smokers attempt to quit the habit; however, at most, 2%–3% achieve success. The rationale is that innumerable withdrawal attempts are unplanned, and the most effective cessation aids are unacquainted. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is the most common cessation aid. Furthermore, motivation from dental and medical professionals can be effective for patients to quit smoking. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the implementation of NRT among dental and medical interns in Davangere city. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted, which included 442 dental and medical interns from two dental and two medical colleges in Davangere city, Karnataka. The questionnaire included multiple-choice questions regarding knowledge, attitude, and implementation of NRT. The response rate of interns was 93.67%. Results: Among dental and medical interns, there was no statistically significant difference in knowledge about NRT with P = 0.976 (P > 0.05). However, a statistically significant difference existed regarding attitude and implementation in the interns about NRT among dental and medical interns with P = 0.001 (P < 0.05). Among dental and medical interns, dental interns had a positive attitude and implementation toward NRT than medical interns. Conclusion: The overview implicated that the dental interns had better vision than medical interns; however, both the groups' comprehension concerning NRT is scanty and advocates education about the fundamentals of NRT either via workshop or by continuing dental education programs.


This article examines the phenomenon of backyard housing in Gauteng, a prominent driver of urban spatial change in South Africa's housing market. Backyard housing in South Africa increasingly attracts the attention of policymakers because of the large number of households that this sector accommodates. Moreover, the role played by backyard housing in the overall small-scale rental-housing sector is significant, particularly in Gauteng where a large proportion of households rent their primary dwelling. Drawing on quantitative geo-demographic data from GeoTerraImage (GTI) (2010), Knowledge Factory's Cluster Plus (2010) as well as StatsSA Census 2011, this article documents the spatial footprint of backyard housing in Gauteng and examines the implications of the findings for infrastructure service planning at the municipal scale.


We consider a non-monotone activation process $(X_t)_{t\in\{ 0,1,2,\ldots\}}$
on a graph $G$, where $X_0\subseteq V(G)$, $X_t=\{ u\in V(G):|N_G(u)\cap
X_{t-1}|\geq \tau(u)\}$ for every positive integer $t$, and $\tau:V(G)\to
\mathbb{Z}$ is a threshold function. The set $X_0$ is a so-called non-monotone
target set for $(G,\tau)$ if there is some $t_0$ such that $X_t=V(G)$ for every
$t\geq t_0$. Ben-Zwi, Hermelin, Lokshtanov, and Newman [Discrete Optimization 8
(2011) 87-96] asked whether a target set of minimum order can be determined
efficiently if $G$ is a tree. We answer their question in the affirmative for
threshold functions $\tau$ satisfying $\tau(u)\in \{ 0,1,d_G(u)\}$ for every
vertex~$u$. For such restricted threshold functions, we give a characterization
of target sets that allows to show that the minimum target set problem remains
NP-hard for planar graphs of maximum degree $3$ but is efficiently solvable for
graphs of bounded treewidth.


PURPOSE
When central nervous system axons are injured, regeneration is partly inhibited by myelin-associated inhibitors (MAIs). Following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the rat, pharmacological neutralisation of the MAIs Nogo-A and myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) resulted in improved functional outcome. In contrast, genetic or pharmacological neutralization of the MAI receptors Nogo-66 receptor 1 (NgR1) or paired-immunoglobulin like receptor-B (PirB) showed an unaltered or impaired outcome following TBI in mice. The aim of the present study was thus to evaluate the MAI expression levels following TBI in mice.

METHODS
Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to measure total RNA isolated from brains of young adult male C57BL/6 mice at one, three or seven days following controlled cortical impact TBI or sham injury. Hippocampal and neocortical tissue ipsi- and contralateral to the injury was analyzed for Nogo-A, oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp), MAG, and the MAI receptors PirB and NgR1, including its co-receptor Lingo1.

RESULTS
Compared to sham-injured controls, PirB neocortical expression was significantly upregulated at one day and NgR1 expression downregulated at seven days post-TBI. In the hippocampus, transcriptional upregulation was observed in Nogo-A (one day post-injury), MAG and PirB at seven days post-injury. In contrast, the hippocampal transcripts of NgR1 and Lingo1 were decreased at seven days post-injury. The expression of OMgp was unaltered at all time points post-injury.

CONCLUSION
These results suggest that early dynamic changes in MAI gene expression occur following TBI in the mouse, particularly in the hippocampus, which may play an inhibitory role for post-injury regeneration and plasticity.


Sorrel, Hibiscus sabdariffa, has autogamous flowers that self-pollinate prior to flower opening resulting in inbred varieties. Cross pollination of inbred plants normally results in hybrid with vigor that out-perform both parents. Two varieties of red sorrel, 'TTB', which is deep crimson and open, and a 'KDN', which is day neutral and red, were use as parents. 'TTB' was late flowering with a crimson fruit and 'KDN' was day-neutral with red fruit. The objective was to study two parental sorrel lines and the F1 and F3 progeny to evaluate plant vigor for production, floral initiation, fruit color and shape. Selection of plants from the F2 population were used to obtain seed for the F3 progeny. Plant vigor was determined by measuring plant height and number of branches at two week intervals as well as recording when floral buds became visible. Though the F1 population of 'TTB' χ 'KDN' had a trend of being taller than the parents, it wasn't significant for plant height and branch development. The F3 populations were significantly taller than the F1 and parent varieties. The F1 and F3 'TTB'x'KDN' plants initiated flowers at the same time as 'TTB' which was two weeks later than 'KDN'. However, the F3 line of 'KDN'x'TTB' initiated flowers at the same time as 'KDN' indicating a new day neutral variety. Hybrid vigor can be obtained from specific controlled crosses in sorrel. The day neutral characteristic can be recovered in F3 population where 'KDN' was the female parent. This research was funded through USDA-NIFA- Insular Tropical Grant funds and USDA-NIFA-SCBG from the VI Department of Agriculture.


The control parameters of the removal of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, which was irradiated by low frequency ultrasonic, is optimized by using single factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM). First of all, the approximate ranges of the ultrasonic frequency, the ultrasonic power and the irradiation time were estimated with single factor experiments for the further experiments. And then the optimized values of the three control parameters were determined, which were analyzed by using central composite design (CCD) and RSM. The results showed that the removal rate of chlorophyll-a could reach to 64.1% after the irradiation for 6.34min by using ultrasonic of 77.7 kHz and 250W. Ultrasonic technology can remove Chlorella pyrenoidosa cells in water quickly and effectively, so as to achieve the purpose of water purification.


Due to COVID-19, numerous new technologies are being implemented in education, with a growing interest in the metaverse. The term "metaverse" refers to an immersive digital environment where one can interact with virtual avatars. This study aims to analyze the experiences and attitudes of the metaverse for learner-centered education from a constructivist perspective to determine how closely related this virtual environment is to the lives of elementary school students. This study also examined how students are becoming the focal point of new educational technologies. After reviewing the literature on this topic, a survey of 336 elementary school students in Korea was conducted using 18 items for measuring each factor in the metaverse, followed by statistical analyses that included a difference of means and an independent sample t-test. The results revealed that, on average, 97.9% of elementary school students had experiences with the metaverse, with 95.5% of them considering it closely related to their everyday life. In addition, various conclusions according to each metaverse factor and each participant's gender are provided.


Introduction: The incidence of breast cancer in the female population of reproductive age is rising. Surgery is the primary approach, and other treatment options can be adopted in certain circumstances. In the surgical field, lately, there has been a growing interest for nipple–skin-sparing mastectomy (NSSM). This study aims to emphasize the effect of incision types and patient characteristics (demographics, concomitant disease, smoking, history of radiotherapy, and chemotherapy) on complication rates. Patients and Methods: The subjects included 184 breasts in 92 female patients who underwent the NSSM procedure at our clinic from January 2010 to May 2019. Patients who underwent bilateral NSSM and immediate reconstruction with prosthesis were included in the study. Results: The most commonly used incision pattern was the inverted T-scar. Seven patients who had a contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (7.6%) were found to have atypical proliferative lesions or occult breast carcinoma in the clinically healthy contralateral breast on pathological examination. Complications were seen in 36 patients (39.1%). Skin–nipple–areolar complex necrosis was the most frequent complication. A previous history of radiation therapy was associated with higher rates of complications. Conclusion: NSSM and immediate single-stage implant reconstruction is a procedure with high morbidity and complication rates. The incision type and smoking have the main effect on complication rates. Although most complications are manageable, the surgical approach and patient-related risk factors should be taken into consideration for avoiding them.


OBJECTIVES: To describe the ERICO study (Strategy of Registry of Acute Coronary Syndrome), a prospective cohort to investigate the epidemiology of acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: The ERICO study, which is being performed at a secondary general hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is enrolling consecutive acute coronary syndrome patients who are 35 years old or older. The sociodemographic information, medical assessments, treatment data and blood samples are collected at admission. After 30 days, the medical history is updated, and additional blood and urinary samples are collected. In addition, a retinography, carotid intima-media thickness, heart rate variability and pulse-wave velocity are performed. Questionnaires about food frequency, physical activity, sleep apnea and depression are also applied. At six months and annually after an acute event, information is collected by telephone. RESULTS: From February 2009 to September 2011, 738 patients with a diagnosis of an acute coronary syndrome were enrolled. Of these, 208 (28.2%) had ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), 288 (39.0%) had non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and 242 (32.8%) had unstable angina (UA). The mean age was 62.7 years, 58.5% were men and 77.4% had 8 years or less of education. The most common cardiovascular risk factors were hypertension (76%) and sedentarism (73.4%). Only 29.2% had a prior history of coronary heart disease. Compared with the ST-elevation myocardial infarction subgroup, the unstable angina and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients had higher frequencies of hypertension, diabetes, prior coronary heart disease (p<0.001) and dyslipidemia (p = 0.03). Smoking was more frequent in the ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with other hospital registries, our findings revealed a higher burden of CV risk factors and less frequent prior CHD history.


A very wide variety of biological processes are regulated by alternative splicing. By this means, a gene can be transcribed in several different tissues but in each tissue the RNA transcript is spliced in a particular way to produce a different mRNA and hence a different protein. It is now clear that alternative splicing is regulated by factors which are expressed in a tissue-specific manner and which are necessary for the splicing events to occur. This review will discuss the evidence for the existence of these factors, their nature, and the mechanisms by which they regulate splicing by interacting with sequences in the RNA.


Soil compaction is a great problem since it affects crop growth and yield. The causes of soil compaction are the management practices in agricultural production. A common practice is to implement subsoiling at a few centimeters below the hardpan. Management practices, field traffic, and variations of the soil?s physical and chemical properties throughout the field cause variations in the soil compaction degree and depth. Subsoiling at certain depths can cause excessive energy consumption at a high cost. Therefore, agricultural tillage equipment could be improved by varying the tillage depth. Soil strength is the main indicator that depends on several soil properties such as bulk density, moisture, and organic soil texture content for determining the compaction level. The goal of this study was to develop an on-the-go sensor. It measured soil strength at multiple depths in order to determine the depth of the compacted soil layers. The mechanical frame of the sensor (body) was designed using Solidworks 3D CAD Design Software. Depth measurements were based on the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) system. The data-gathering algorithm was developed with Phoenix Contact PC WORX software. It recorded the data flowing from the load cells, calculated the depth of the hardpan, and altered the depth of the chisel. In order to calibrate the load cell and compensate for differences among the load cells, static tests were conducted in a laboratory. The consistency of the sensing tips in terms of the input load - output load harmony was in linear format with higher R2 values ranging between 0.98 and 0.99. Consequently, the on-the-go soil sensor was developed for variable depth subsoiling. Dynamic tests revealed that the sensor was capable of monitoring the soil strength through the profile in order to determine the compaction level and hardpan depth. Moreover, the sensor was capable of adopting itself to crop varieties that have different critical compaction levels for root penetration.


We propose a new method of resonant enhancement of optical Kerr nonlinearity that uses multilevel atomic coherence. The enhancement is accompanied by suppression of the other linear and nonlinear susceptibility terms of the medium. We show that the effect results in a modification of the nonlinear Faraday rotation of light propagating in an 87Rb vapor cell by changing the ellipticity of the light.


We present optical and near-infrared observations of Swift GRB 080325 classified as a "dark gamma-ray burst (GRB)." Near-infrared observations with Subaru/MOIRCS provided a clear detection of afterglow in the Ks band, although no optical counterpart was reported. The flux ratio of rest-wavelength optical to X-ray bands of the afterglow indicates that the dust extinction along the line of sight to the afterglow is AV = 2.7–10 mag. This large extinction is probably the major reason for the optical faintness of GRB 080325. The J − Ks color of the host galaxy, (J − Ks = 1.3 in AB magnitude), is significantly redder than those for typical GRB hosts previously identified. In addition to J and Ks bands, optical images in B, Rc, i′, and z′ bands with Subaru/Suprime-Cam were obtained at about 1 year after the burst, and a photometric redshift of the host is estimated to be zphoto = 1.9. The host luminosity is comparable to L* at z ∼ 2 in contrast to the sub-L* property of typical GRB hosts at lower redshifts. The best-fit stellar population synthesis model for the host shows that the red nature of the host is attributed to a large dust extinction (AV = 0.8 mag), and that the host galaxy is massive (M* = 7.0 × 1010 M☉), which makes it one of the most massive GRB hosts yet identified. By assuming that the mass–metallicity relation for star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2 is applicable for the GRB host, this large stellar mass suggests the high-metallicity environment around GRB 080325, consistent with inferred large extinction.


A novel mathematical framework to support industrial digitization of shipping is presented in this study. The framework supports a data flow path, i.e. from Industrial IoT (i.e. with Big Data) to Predictive Analytics, where digital models with advanced data analytics are introduced. The digital models are derived from ship performance and navigation data sets and a combination of such models facilitates towards the proposed Predictive Analytics. Since the respective data sets are used to derive the Predictive Analytics, this mathematical framework is also categorized as a reverse engineering approach. Furthermore, a data anomaly detection and recover procedure that is associated with the same framework to improve the respective data quality are also described in this study.


Although REDD+ is approaching its 10th anniversary, major impacts in terms of reduced forest loss are hard to document. Conservation practitioners and scholars are therefore increasingly asking why REDD+ has not delivered more tangible results. A recent Comment in Conservation Biology by Fletcher et al. (2016) addresses this question. We agree with Fletcher et al. that REDD+ has been hyped in some circles, which has created unrealistic expectations among policy makers and forest dwellers alike. Yet, we argue that Fletcher et al. put forward an incomplete interpretation of the evolving REDD+ concept and practice and wrongly place the responsibility for lack of progress on the principles of payment for environmental services (PES) and on reliance on market-based instruments (MBIs), in part based on their misunderstanding of the PES concept.Potential answers to the question of why REDD+ has not delivered more tangible results fall into 4 categories: REDD+ has not yet been implemented at the scale needed to make a difference, REDD+ has evolved from the initial PES vision to a modified version of previous and largely ineffective conservation efforts, REDD+ has been blocked by powerful actors interested in maintaining the status quo, and REDD+ is conceptually flawed in its design as a PES and MBI scheme. Fletcher et al. fail to fully appreciate the first 3 problems, overemphasize the presumed flaws in REDD+ as a PES design, and prepare the ground for the rise and fall of the next conservation fad (Redford et al. 2013). We believe that REDD+, although troubled, is not dead.


Fibrinogen and albumin are two of the most important plasma proteins that relate to blood coagulation caused by engineered surfaces. In this paper, the adsorption behavior of albumin and fibrinogen on single-walled carbon nanotubes nonwoven (SWNT nonwoven) was investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), near edge X-ray adsorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) respectively. It was concluded that SWNT nonwoven displayed strong adsorption preference of fibrinogen to albumin. In addition, the immune activity of fibrinogen adhered to the SWNT nonwoven surface was found remained and showed a linear response to the concentration in a certain range.


In this paper we describe a message server facility for handling large organizational archives of messages in an office information system environment. Messages can be retrieved according to attribute values specified and to some pattern of words appearing in the text of the message. We discuss design decisions and performance considerations in this environment and we derive analytic formulas for the optimal choice of the parameters of the message file organization.


This paper describes theoretical and experimental work undertaken to obtain a structural model for assessment of historical Latin-American vertically laminated planked timber arches, as built by the Spanish, mainly in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Many such arches still stand, and represent an important historical heritage. Following initial historical and construction studies, a structural analysis is being undertaken; the first stage is described here. Two wire frame analysis models are developed and assessed: a finite-element model using elasto-plastic constitutive equations (implemented in SAP2000), and another model using limit analysis. An experimental programme is also conducted. The structure presents elasto-plastic behaviour with an important plastic range, which is a relevant and favourable property for a structure. The numerical elasto-plastic model shows good agreement with experimental results for the elastic range and deviations around 60% for the plastic range. The plastic model shows a deviation of around 40%, which is an important outcome at this stage. The models show the key problem of the structure: the transference of the bending moment along planks is poor, restricting its overall load-bearing capacity. Additional tests and more complex material models (including failure in tension perpendicular to the grain), using two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite elements, are now under development to recalibrate the models presented. (Less)


Background and Purpose— Serologic evidence of infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae has been associated with cardiovascular disease, but its relationship with stroke risk remains uncertain. The objective of this study is to determine whether serological evidence of C pneumoniae infection is associated with risk of ischemic stroke. Methods— A population-based case-control study was performed in an urban, multiethnic population. Cases (n=246) had first ischemic stroke, and controls (n=474) matched for age, sex, and race–ethnicity were derived through random-digit dialing. Titers of C pneumoniae–specific IgG and IgA antibodies were measured using microimmunofluorescence, and positive titers were prospectively defined. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs adjusting for medical, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors. Results— Mean age among cases was 72.3±9.7 years; 50.8% were women. Elevated C pneumoniae IgA titers were associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke after adjusting for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, current cigarette use, atrial fibrillation, and levels of high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein (adjusted OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0 to 2.2). Elevated IgG titers were not associated with stroke risk (adjusted OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.8 to 1.8). There was a trend toward an association of elevated IgA titers with atherosclerotic and lacunar stroke but less so cardioembolic or cryptogenic subtypes. Conclusions— Serologic evidence of C pneumoniae infection is associated with ischemic stroke risk. IgA titers may be a better marker of risk than IgG. This association is independent of other stroke risk factors and is present for atherosclerotic, lacunar, and cardioembolic subypes. Further studies of the effect of C pneumoniae on stroke risk are warranted.


A technique for identifying and characterizing staphylococcal hemolysins by first separating them electrophoretically in barbital-buffered agar gel (pH 8.4) at 5 ma/cm for 2 hr and then determining their hemolytic activities by exposing them to human, horse, rabbit, and sheep erythrocytes is described. The α-hemolysin produced by a White variant of the Wood 46 strain of Staphylococcus aureus migrated 18 mm towards the cathode, and it lysed horse, rabbit, and sheep erythrocytes, whereas a Clear variant of the Wood 46 strain of S. aureus produced a lysin which migrated similarly to the α-hemolysin but lysed only rabbit cells. This latter lysin was tentatively named α1-lysin. This strain of S. aureus also produced β-hemolysin which migrated 36 mm towards the cathode and lysed sheep cells. β-Hemolysin produced by some strains of S. aureus showed considerable tailing during electrophoresis, whereas β-hemolysin produced by other strains of S. aureus migrated as a well-defined peak. A lysin migrating 11 mm towards the anode was probably δ-lysin. It was, however, not produced in sufficient concentration when the cultures were grown in semisolid medium.


Project IMPAACT, which stands for Improving Marine Protected Areas on the Andaman Coast of Thailand, is a project of the Marine Protected Areas Research Group at the University of Victoria, acknowledges the following sources of funding: the Social Sciences and Human Research Council of Canada, the Trudeau Foundation, and the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem project.


The design and conduct of a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter, phase III study of recombinant interferon beta-1a (IFN-beta-1a) as treatment for exacerbating-remitting MS are described, as are baseline characteristics of the study population. The purpose of the study was to determine if 6.0 x 10(6) IU (30 micrograms) of IFN-beta-1a, administered by weekly intramuscular (i.m.) injections, was effective in delaying the onset of sustained disability. The primary outcome measure was time to onset of treatment failure, defined as a worsening on the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) of greater than or equal to 1.0 point compared with baseline, persisting for at least 6 months. An intent-to-treat design was used. The primary outcome measure was analyzed using the Mantel-Cox log-rank statistic and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Secondary outcomes included quantitative measures of upper and lower extremity function, neuropsychological test performance, functional and quality of life assessments and several measures derived from annual brain MRI studies. Entry criteria included prestudy exacerbation rates of at least 0.67 per year and EDSS scores of 1.0-3.5. A total of 301 MS patients were randomly assigned to receive weekly i.m. injections of IFN-beta-1a or placebo. The average age of the study population at entry was 37 years; 92% were Caucasian and 73% were women. The mean prestudy disease duration was 6.5 years, mean prestudy exacerbation rate was 1.2 per year and the mean EDSS score was 2.3. The randomization yielded well-balanced treatment arms. Various aspects of the study are discussed, including: (1) the decision to focus study design on sustained disability; (2) the rationale for the treatment regimen; (3) measures taken to assure the reliability of the primary outcome measure; and (4) a description of the secondary outcome measures.


Bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP) is a rare and unusual paraneoplastic ocular syndrome with generally poor prognosis. The authors present a case of BDUMP in a patient with bladder cancer, examined with current multimodal imaging. In the clinical setting with drusen and exudative macular detachments, the fundus simulated neovascular age-related macular degeneration, warranting standard-of-care therapy. The imaging actually showed the typical manifestations of BDUMP, but also newly recognized, associated manifestations, including the bacillary layer detachment, a gravitating retinal detachment, and multifocal choroidal hyperpermeability, but no evidence of neovascularization. Recognition of these associated manifestations is of value in appreciating the pathophysiology of this paraneoplastic disorder. Based on the imaging, the correct diagnosis was possible along with a better understanding of the nature of the clinical features in the posterior fundus. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2020;51:413-417.].


In bacteria, a structurally simple type III polyketide synthase (PKS) known as 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxynaphthlene synthase (THNS) catalyzes the iterative condensation of five CoA-linked malonyl units to form a pentaketide intermediate. THNS subsequently catalyzes dual intramolecular Claisen and aldol condensations of this linear intermediate to produce the fused ring tetrahydroxynaphthalene (THN) skeleton. The type III PKS-catalyzed polyketide extension mechanism, utilizing a conserved Cys-His-Asn catalytic triad in an internal active site cavity, is fairly well understood. However, the mechanistic basis for the unusual production of THN and dual cyclization of its malonyl-primed pentaketide is obscure. Here we present the first bacterial type III PKS crystal structure, that of Streptomyces coelicolor THNS, and identify by mutagenesis, structural modeling, and chemical analysis the unexpected catalytic participation of an additional THNS-conserved cysteine residue in facilitating malonyl-primed polyketide extension beyond the triketide stage. The resulting new mechanistic model, involving the use of additional cysteines to alter and steer polyketide reactivity, may generally apply to other PKS reaction mechanisms, including those catalyzed by iterative type I and II PKS enzymes. Our crystal structure also reveals an unanticipated novel cavity extending into the "floor" of the traditional active site cavity, providing the first plausible structural and mechanistic explanation for yet another unusual THNS catalytic activity: its previously inexplicable extra polyketide extension step when primed with a long acyl starter. This tunnel allows for selective expansion of available active site cavity volume by sequestration of aliphatic starter-derived polyketide tails, and further suggests another distinct protection mechanism involving maintenance of a linear polyketide conformation.