The constant monitoring of blood glucose level is necessary for maintaining health of patients and to alert medical specialists to take preemptive measures before the onset of any complication as a result of diabetes. The current clinical monitoring of blood glucose uses invasive methods repeatedly which are uncomfortable and may result in infections in diabetic patients. Several attempts have been made to develop non-invasive techniques for blood glucose measurement. In this regard, the existing methods are not reliable and are less accurate. Other approaches claiming high accuracy have not been tested on extended dataset, and thus, results are not statistically significant. It is a well-known fact that acetone concentration in breath has a direct relation with blood glucose level. In this paper, we have developed the first of its kind, reliable and high accuracy breath analyzer for non-invasive blood glucose measurement. The acetone concentration in breath was measured using MQ 138 sensor in the samples collected from local hospitals in Pakistan involving one hundred patients. The blood glucose levels of these patients are determined using conventional invasive clinical method. We propose a linear regression classifier that is trained to map breath acetone level to the collected blood glucose level achieving high accuracy. Keywords—Blood glucose level, breath acetone concentration, diabetes, linear regression.


We studied dry grassland vegetation on southern Oland, both within and outside the Great Alvar, using the Braun-Blanquet approach. We were able to distinguish 15 associations or equivalent units belonging to three major syntaxa. Dry grasslands on sandy soils (class Koelerio-Corynephoretea; subclass Koelerio-Corynephorenea) occurred along the east and west coasts. Weathered rock and outcrop communities (class Koelerio-Corynephoretea; subclass Sedo-Scleranthenea) inhabited shallow skeletal soils, mainly on the Great Alvar. Semi-dry basiphilous grasslands of the class Festuco-Brometea occurred on moraine soils, which were the least extreme in terms of soil moisture and nutrient availability. Whereas the first category comprises impoverished variants of widely distributed syntaxa, all Sedo-Scleranthenea and Festuco-Brometea communities lack direct counterparts in central Europe. The alvar communities proved to be floristically well separated from the others. Species density on 4 m2 was highest in the Sedo-Scleranthenea (that of the Gypsophilo fastigiatae-Globularietum vulgaris with 80 taxa being one of the highest known), intermediate in the Festuco-Brometea, and lowest in the Koelerio-Corynephorenea. Harsh and variable conditions, small plant sizes, and a large local species pool are considered possible causes.


Mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is one of the most important and unique network in wireless network which has brought maximum mobility and scalability. High efficient routing is an important issue in the design of limited energy resource MANETs. Many research work have been conducted by the researchers in the field of routing protocols for MANETs for making it energy efficient as the nodes are with limited resources in terms of battery supplied energy, storage and processing capability. In this paper we have proposed a new technique of routing protocol which utilizes the concept of swarm intelligence in which bee inspired routing is chosen as the ultimate routing protocol for energy efficient MANETs. To make the system more energy efficient we have chosen the clustered based approach as Bee-AdHoc-C. Bee-AdHoc-C is an evolution from Bee-AdHoc which is a bee inspired routing protocol for MANETs. This method provides parallel routing by which it reduces the overhead and improves the scalability of the system. We have also proposed a Stable Cluster Maintenance Scheme which focuses on minimizing the CH changing. By the proposed method the MANET routing can be properly balanced in terms of energy consumption with a stable cluster network. The results are shown for analysis of clustering overhead, cluster member and cluster head change for different speed and pause time. Keywords— MANET;Energy Efficiency; Swarm Intelligence; Bee-AdHoc-C; Cluster; Improved Clustering Scheme; Routing Overhead)


In this paper, a technique to estimate the effective bandwidth of the asymptotic waveform evaluation (AWE) method is presented, which guarantee the reliable application of the AWE technique. Firstly, we worked out the coefficients of the AWE model through the normal AWE process. Then, with these coefficients, we got an analytical expression of the model error, and constructed the inequation between the model error and required accuracy. Finally, by solving the inequation we obtained the bandwidth of the AWE method. Numerical results of an example of the parameter extraction of the microwave structures show the validity of the proposed technique.


We propose a strategy to obtain through a facile one-pot synthesis a large variety of supramolecular materials that can behave as differently as associating low-viscosity liquids, semicrystalline or amorphous thermoplastics, viscoelastic melts or rubbers. Such versatility is achieved thanks to simultaneous synthesis of branched backbones and grafting of associating units. This contrasts with usual synthetic pathways that rely on grafting functional groups on preprepared backbones. We use oligocondensation of fatty di- and triacids with diethylenetriamine and finely tune the molecular weight and degree of branching by end-capping some acid groups before condensation by reaction with aminoethylimidazolidone. Supramolecular assembly is formed thanks to complementary and self-complementary associations of amide, imidazolidone, and dialkylurea groups, and the stoichiometry directly controls the mesoscopic structure and properties.


High-resolution cryogenic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to measure the variation of the unit cell volume of ethylene-octene copolymers (EG) in this study. It was found that both the comonomer content and thermal history have great influence on the crystal lattice structure of ethylene polymers. With the increase of the octene content, the unit cell volume of EG copolymers expand, and quenching treatment favors the increase of distance between two molecular chains in orthorhombic crystals and causes more crystal lattice deformation. Compared with traditional wide-angle X-ray diffraction method, high-resolution cryogenic FTIR spectroscopy, as a powerful technique for measuring the changes of crystal lattice structures of polyethylene and ethylene copolymers, can provide more accurate information on the characterization of the changes of crystal lattice structures of semicrystalline polymers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011


The aim of the present study was to test for a possible association between two brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) polymorphisms (rs11030101 and rs61888800) and the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) [change in Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)]. So far, there are no studies investigating an association between these polymorphisms and the efficacy of ECT. The patient sample included 119 patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder who were treated with ECT. BDNF polymorphism rs11030101, but not rs61888800, was associated with a change in the MADRS score. Patients with the TA genotype of rs11030101 were less likely to benefit from ECT compared with patients with the TT genotype (P=0.041). The finding suggests an association between BDNF polymorphism rs11030101 and the efficacy of ECT. Further studies with larger samples will be required to confirm this finding.


AIMS
The general clinical profile of European pacemaker recipients who require predominant ventricular pacing (VP) is scarcely known. We examined the demographic and clinical characteristics of the 1808 participants (out of 1833 randomized patients) of the ongoing Biventricular Pacing for Atrio-ventricular Block to Prevent Cardiac Desynchronization (BioPace) study.

METHODS AND RESULTS
BioPace recruited patients between May 2003 and September 2007 predominantly in European medical centres. We analysed demographic data and described clinical characteristics and electrophysiological parameters prior to device implantation in 1808 enrolled patients. The mean age ± standard deviation (SD) of the 1808 patients was 73.5 ± 9.2 years, 1235 (68%) were men, 654 (36%) presented without structural heart disease, 547 (30%) had ischemic, 355 (20%) hypertensive, 146 (8%) valvular, and 102 (6%) non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 55.4 ± 12.3%. The main pacing indications were (a) permanent and intermittent atrioventricular (AV) block in 973 (54%), (b) atrial fibrillation with slow ventricular rate in 313 (17%), and (c) miscellaneous bradyarrhythmias in 522 (29%) patients. Mean QRS duration was 118.5 ± 30.5 ms, left bundle branch block was present in 316 (17%), and atrial tachyarrhythmias in 426 (24%) patients.

CONCLUSION
To the best of our knowledge, this sample is a representative source of description of the general profile of European pacemaker recipients who require predominant VP. Patients' characteristics included advanced age, predominantly male gender, preserved left ventricular systolic function, high-grade AV block, narrow QRS complex, and atrial tachyarrhythmias, the latter being present in nearly one-fourth of the cohort.


235 Anesthetic Management for Cesarean Delivery of a Parturient with Ehlers-Danlos Type III Syndrome associated with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review Abstract Type: Case Report/Case Series Thomas Quach Hon, B.Sc., M.D.; Paidrig M.J. Armstrong, M.D., F.R.C.P.C.; Sudha I. Singh, M.D., F.R.C.P.C. University of Western OntarioType: Case Report/Case Series Thomas Quach Hon, B.Sc., M.D.; Paidrig M.J. Armstrong, M.D., F.R.C.P.C.; Sudha I. Singh, M.D., F.R.C.P.C. University of Western Ontario Purpose: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) consists of a group of inherited connective tissue disorders. Type III mainly involves joint hypermobility and is commonly associated with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), an autonomic disorder that manifests as orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia. We report the anesthetic management of a parturient with EDS Type III associated POTS having repeat cesarean delivery. Clinical Features: A 37 year old woman, G2P1, presented at 37 weeks gestational age for repeat cesarean section. Her medical history was significant for EDS Type III associated with POTS, mitral valve prolapse, and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. She previously had an urgent cesarean delivery for oligohydramnios and breech presentation, where airway management was complicated by failed intubation by two anesthesiologists and maintained by laryngeal mask airway. Pulse oximetry, non-invasive blood pressure, ECG, and fetal heart rate monitoring were established. A preload of 1L Ringer's Lactate solution was administered, and a radial arterial line was placed. An epidural catheter was placed at the L2-3 interspace, and used to administer Fentanyl 100mcg and 20mL of 0.5% Bupivicaine (without Epinephrine) in small increments and slowly over 15min to achieve a T4 level block bilaterally. The patient remained hemodynamically stable, and a healthy baby was delivered uneventfully with APGARs 9 and 9. An infusion of Oxytocin 0.5U/min was started after delivery, and Epidural Morphine 3mg was administered. She was monitored in the PACU for 12 hours, and her recovery period was uneventful with good pain management. Discussion: Only two cases with details about anesthetic management of cesarean delivery for parturients with POTS have been described in literature [1, 2]. Corbett described a case using an epidural technique that required conversion to a general anesthetic [1]. Jones described an attempt to use a titrated epidural that was complicated by poor sensory block, requiring conversion to a spinal anesthetic. Their patient required a total of 8mg of Phenylephrine to maintain hemodynamic stability, and experienced episodes of orthostatic intolerance during her recovery period [2]. Our case report highlights the successful use of a carefully titrated epidural technique for a parturient with EDS Type III associated with POTS and a history of difficult intubation. We were able to use epidural anesthesia as our sole anesthetic technique without the requirement to convert to general or spinal anesthesia, and thus avoided hemodynamic instability in our patient. References 1. Corbett WL, Reiter CM, et al. Anaesthetic management of a parturient with the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: a case report. Br J Anaesth. 2006; 97: 196-199. 2. Jones TL, Ng C. Anaesthesia for caesarean section in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome associated with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Int J Obstet Anesth. 2008; 17: 365-369.


Pollution is an important problem in human and aquatic life that leads to a miserable condition. There are many kinds of pollution but textile industry is mainly by the release of wastewater containing dyes and chemicals, coming out from wet processing like de-sizing, scouring, bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing, printing and finishing. In present investigation, the physicochemical analysis and heavy metals concentration are pH, TDS, TSS, BOD5, COD, Total alkalinity, sodium, sulfate, phosphate, chloride, chromium, cadmium, copper, iron, nickel, lead and zinc were found within the permissible limits. Concentrations of all these metal ions in the effluent were above the recommended NEQS. The effluent samples were evaluated to ascertain the efficiency of industries wastewater treatment process. Conventional methods were employed for determination of physico-chemical parameters while; heavy metals in the textile effluent sample were analyzed using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS).


Background: Noroviruses are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis across all age groups in Australia. We explored the epidemiology of symptomatic and asymptomatic norovirus infection and assessed risk factors and the related healthcare burden in Australian children during their first 2 years of life. Methods: Participants in the Observational Research in Childhood Infectious Diseases birth cohort provided weekly stool swabs, daily gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting and loose stools) observations and healthcare data. Swabs were batch-tested for norovirus genogroups (GI and GII) using real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. Results: Overall, 158 children returned 11,124 swabs. There were 221 infection episodes, of which 183 (82.8%) were GII. The incidence rate was 0.90 infections per child-year [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.74–1.09]. The symptomatic infection incidence rate was 0.39 per child-year (95% CI: 0.31–0.48), peaking between ages 6 and 11 months [0.58 (95% CI: 0.41–0.81)]. Incidence increased significantly with age and childcare attendance. Of 209 episodes with symptom diary data, 82 (39.2%) were symptomatic; of these 70 (85.4%) were associated with vomiting and 29 (35.4%) with diarrhea. Forty-one percent of symptomatic episodes required healthcare, including 4 emergency department presentations and 1 hospitalization. Children with initial infections had almost twice the risk of seeking primary healthcare compared to subsequent infections (adjusted risk ratio 1.92; 95% CI: 1.01–3.65). Conclusions: Norovirus infections, particularly GII, are common in Australian children 6–23 months of age. Estimates of norovirus incidence, including symptomatic infections and healthcare utilization in community settings in young children, are crucial for planning norovirus vaccine programs and determining vaccine effectiveness.


Yeast one-hybrid screening is widely used for the identification of transcription factors (TFs) that interact with specific DNA sequences. However, screening a whole cDNA library is not efficient for the identification of TFs because TF genes represent only a small percentage of clones in a cDNA library. Here, we present the development of an efficient yeast one-hybrid screening system using a prey library composed only of approximately 1,500 TF cDNAs of Arabidopsis thaliana. This library enabled us to isolate a TF that binds to a specific promoter sequence with high efficiency, even when the promoter region of the gene of interest was directly employed as bait. Furthermore, this library was also successfully applied as a yeast two-hybrid library to find TFs that interact with specific proteins. This efficient system will contribute to the elucidation of gene regulatory networks in plants.


Introduction: The echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( EML4 - ALK ) gene fusion occurs in 2%-7% of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is typically identified by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Patient/Methods : We present two patients with NSCLC who carried unique, previously unpublished ALK rearrangement. Both were presented as advanced adenocarcinomas of the lung, who were wild type for EGFR and ALK rearrangement. Thanks to a high clinical suspicious for gene abnormality, further study was performed including comprehen-sive genomic profiling using a next-generation sequenc-ing (NGS) assay and ALK protein expression through IHC. Results: In both cases, we noticed high expression of the ALK protein. NGS analysis of genomic DNA revealed a complex rear-rangement of ALK, involving breakpoints in at least five dif-ferent genomic loci without a clear fusion product. The cDNA sequence showed that the expressed product of the complex rearrange-ment was the canonical EML4 - ALK fusion gene. We hypothesized that at the genomic level the fused EML4 and ALK genes were sepa-rated by other small genomic shards. Based on these results, crizotinib was begun. The first patient showed an immediate benefit and is still a complete responder for 16 months. The other patient died before he was treated. Conclusions: This is the first report associated intron abnormality with ALK rearrangement abnormality. Further, we provide a tremendous clinical benefit from ALK related therapy that turned a metastatic patient to a complete responder. We recommend performing advanced molecular analysis through crossing technologies in any all patients.


Herschel Island (Qiqiktaruk in Inuvialuktun) in the southern Canadian
Beaufort Sea was formed as an ice push moraine by the advance
of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum in the
late Wisconsinan. In the vicinity of the island the Herschel Basin
was formed contemporarily by that process. Nevertheless we are
still lacking evidence for the basin generation and its evolution after
creation and the ice sheet retreat. To gain new information about
the depositional history and the conditions during and after generation
of the basin, I studied seismic two-dimensional profiles from
parametric echosounding that were recorded in the basin during expeditions
in 2006 and 2013. A big part of the work of this thesis was
constituted of the processing and enhancement of these profiles using
the programs OpendTect and SeiSee to guarantee high quality
datasets. The interpretation of those data together with older geohphysical
and borehole logs improved our knowledge of the basin history.
The structures and facies that were discovered by this analysis
were formed in different states of the basin evolution and provide
sufficient new data to reconstruct its generation and development
as a depositional centre afterwards. The interpretation supports the
hypothesis that the basin was formed as the Laurentide Ice Sheet advanced
to its maximum extent, was exposed to the atmosphere after
its retreat and became part of the Beaufort Sea after flooding subsequently.
Additionally to its interpretation, the echosounding data
was used to enhance the existing bathymetric data for the basin as
the former maps were not convenient enough for future tasks.


This paper is a preliminary essay on the theory of Afro-Asian societies from the viewpoint of political sociology. The study of developing nations is important for two reasons. One is practical ; the other is theoretical. What shall Afro-Asian people do to modernize their societies? How might we settle the north-south problem? Can established western theories be used to analyze the various phenomena in Afro-Asian societies? What concepts or framework could we develop for this analyses? One of the basic problems in sociology is interest diversification and integration in society. Starting with this basic premise some concepts and a suitable framework were developed to analyze political societies. In addition the problem of political integration was attacked. It was necessary to analyze the kind of political integration pursued by different people and means in each society. From empirical studies theories of political systems and analyses of the relationships between interest diversification and political integration could be developed. Using the political thoughts and idologies of African political leaders as case studies, the relationships between interest diversification and and integration, specifically political participation and mobilization, was considered.


Behavioral manifestations of processing deficits associated with auditory processing disorder (APD) have been well documented. However, little is known about their anatomical underpinnings, especially cochlear processing. Cochlear delays, a proxy for cochlear tuning, measured using stimulus frequency otoacoustic emission (SFOAE) group delay, and the influence of the medial olivocochlear (MOC) system activation at the auditory periphery was studied in 23 children suspected with APD (sAPD) and 22 typically developing (TD) children. Results suggest that children suspected with APD have longer SFOAE group delays (possibly due to sharper cochlear tuning) and reduced MOC function compared to TD children. Other differences between the groups include correlation between MOC function and SFOAE delay in quiet in the TD group, and lack thereof in the sAPD group. MOC-mediated changes in SFOAE delay were in opposite directions between groups: increase in delay in TD vs. reduction in delay in the sAPD group. Longer SFOAE group delays in the sAPD group may lead to longer cochlear filter ringing, and potential increase in forward masking. These results indicate differences in cochlear and MOC function between sAPD and TD groups. Further studies are warranted to explore the possibility of cochlea as a potential site for processing deficits in APD.


Road network segmentation from high resolution satellite imagery have profound applications in remote sensing. They facilitate for transportation, GPS navigation and digital cartography. Most recent advances in automatic road segmentation leverage the power of networks such as fully convolutional networks and encoder-decoder networks. The main disadvantage with these networks is that they contain deep architectures with large number of hidden layers to account for the lost spatial and localization features. This will add a significant computational overhead. It is also difficult to segment roads from other road-like features. In this paper, we propose a road segmentation architecture with an encoder and two path decoder modules. One path of the decode module approximates the coarse spatial features using upsampling network. The other path uses Atrous spatial pyramid pooling module to extract multi scale context information. Both the decoder paths are combined to fine tune the segmented road network. The experiments on the Massachusetts roads dataset show that our proposed model can produce precise segmentation results than other state-of-the-art models without being computationally expensive.


AIM
To investigate whether the biological process of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-labeled human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) may be monitored non-invasively by using in vivo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with conventional 1.5-T system examinations in corpus cavernosa of rats and rabbits.

METHODS
The labeling efficiency and viability of SPIO-labeled hMSCs were examined with Prussian blue and Tripan blue, respectively. After SPIO-labeled hMSCs were transplanted to the corpus cavernosa of rats and rabbits, serial T2-weighted MR images were taken and histological examinations were carried out over a 4-week period.

RESULTS
hMSCs loaded with SPIO compared to unlabeled cells had a similar viability. For SPIO-labeled hMSCs more than 1 X 10 (5) concentration in vitro, MR images showed a decrease in signal intensity. MR signal intensity at the areas of SPIO-labeled hMSCs in the rat and rabbit corpus cavernosa decreased and was confined locally. After injection of SPIO-labeled hMSCs into the corpus cavernosum, MR imaging demonstrated that hMSCs could be seen for at least 12 weeks after injection. The presence of iron was confirmed with Prussian blue staining in histological sections.

CONCLUSION
SPIO-labeled hMSCs in corpus cavernosa of rats and rabbits can be evaluated non-invasively by molecular MR imaging. Our findings suggest that MR imaging has the ability to test the long-term therapeutic potential of hMSCs in animals in the setting of erectile dysfunction.


This work reports, for the first time, an effective synthesis of CoCl2 doped graphene quantum dots (COCl2-GQDs). Excellent results were obtained by using CoCl2 powder and graphene oxide (GO) as source materials in a facile hydrothermal process. The prepared materials were characterized by using high resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Raman Spectroscopy, U-V Visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD) and Photoluminescence (PL). HRTEM images suggest that the majority of the CoCl2-GQDs are in the narrow range of 2.5-7 nm in diameter, much smaller than that of GQDs which are approximately 15 nm. By using different excitation energy in PL, the appearance of peak introduces additional energy level between pi and pi*, reinforcing the COCl2 doping process. We observed that CoCl2 electrodes can exhibit a reversible redox reaction of Co2+ Co4+ on the electrode and show specific pseudocapacitance of similar to 300F/g. The new charge storage mechanism by using CoCl2 electrodes are easily scalable and highly economical for future pseudocapacitors which can be extended for a large variety of commercial inorganic salt electrodes.


Granular cell tumors of the tracheobronchial tree are rare benign lesions of neurogenic origin. These benign tumors mostly involve the skin, oral cavity, or esophagus. There is no consensus regarding treatment of granular cell tumors. Treatment varies from simple observation to different bronchoscopic interventions, such as laser therapy or fulguration to surgical resection.


One common complaint in the National Student Survey is perceived lack of adequate feedback to students on their learning and exam performance. In part this may be due to misunderstandings by students as to what constitutes feedback. However, it is also due in part to the daunting task of providing individualised feedback to large numbers of students when staff-student ratios are falling.

We have explored the use of Audience Response Systems in providing immediate feedback in learning situations. This technology employs portable individual key pads which communicate through wireless signals with hardware and software which is readily installed in any learning environment. Questions are created through PowerPoint, and can be addressed to students at any point during the teaching session. This can be used to check and reinforce understanding, and any problems can be addressed immediately. Students can make an interactive choice, yet retain the security of anonymity.

The technology can be used to study the decay of knowledge at different time points after delivery of the learning experience, and we have found that retention is better than by conventional teaching and assessment methods. The low cost and flexibility of this approach makes it ideal in a number of teaching settings.


Chapter 1. Embryonic Stem Cells (Crystal L. Sengstaken, Eric N. Schulze and Qi-Long Ying). Chapter 2. Adult Stem Cells (Lief Fenno and Chad A. Cowan). Chapter 3. Genome-wide expression analysis technologies (John R. Walker). Chapter 4. Genomic cDNA and RNAi Functional Profiling and its Potential Application to the Study of Mammalian Stem Cells (Jia Zhang, Myleen Medina, Genevieve Welch, Deanna Shumate, Anthony Marelli, and Anthony P. Orth). Chapter 5. Chemical Technologies: Probing Biology with Small Molecules (Nicolas Winssinger, Zbigniew Pianowski, and Sofia Barluenga). Chapter 6. Protein Characterization by Biological Mass Spectrometry (Venkateshwar Reddy and Eric C. Peters). Chapter 7. Large scale genomic analysis of stem cell populations (Jonathan D. Chesnut and Mahendra S. Rao). Chapter 8. Exploring stem cell biology with small molecules and functional genomics (Julie Clark, Yue Xu, Simon Hilcove, and Sheng Ding). Chapter 9. Regeneration Screens in Model Organisms (Chetana Sachidanandan and Randall T Peterson). Chapter 10. Proteomics in stem cells (Qiang Tian and W. Andy Tao).


The mechanical function and perfusion in ischaemic and non-ischaemic myocardium after coronary occlusion was studied in 10 cats using pressure-length loop analysis and radiolabelled microspheres. Measurements in three regions--ischaemic, adjacent normal and remote normal myocardium--all showed different responses to coronary occlusion. In the ischaemic region loop area, segment shortening and tissue flow were markedly reduced. In the adjacent normal region, both loop area and segment shortening as well as flow increased. In the remote normal region, neither loop area, segment shortening nor flow showed consistent changes. End-diastolic segment length increased in all regions, most in the ischaemic region and least in the remote region. The increased end-diastolic segment length in all regions after coronary occlusion indicates activation of the Frank-Starling mechanism as an attempt to maintain stroke volume. However, the end-diastolic segment length did not increase uniformly for all normal myocardium: it depended on the proximity to the ischaemic region. Increased contractile function in the adjacent normal myocardium due to non-uniform distribution of the Frank-Starling effect is the most likely mechanism behind the left ventricle's ability to partially compensate for loss of contractile mass during acute regional ischaemia in anaesthetized cats.


Imatinib and nilotinib are inhibitors that selectively target a set of protein tyrosine kinases, including abelson kinase (Abl), together with the chimeric oncoprotein, breakpoint cluster region-abelson kinase (Bcr-Abl), as well as stem cell factor receptor (KIT), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), discoidin domain receptor (DDR), and colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether imatinib or nilotinib was effective against arthritis in the glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI)-induced arthritis mouse model. Imatinib or nilotinib was administered orally to the arthritic mice at different time points. Efficacy was evaluated by visual scoring and by determining the production of anti-GPI antibody. Splenocytes from the arthritic mice were cultured with GPI in the presence of imatinib or nilotinib in vitro, and cytokine levels in the culture supernatants were analyzed. To investigate the effects of imatinib and nilotinib on T-cell proliferation, lymph node cells from the arthritic mice were cultured with GPI in the presence of imatinib or nilotinib in vitro. Interleukin (IL)-17 mRNA expression in the arthritic ankle joints from the onset of arthritis was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The administration of imatinib from day 0 showed suppression of arthritis (P < 0.05), the administration of nilotinib from day 0 resulted in pronounced suppression of arthritis (P < 0.01), and that from day 7 showed significant inhibition of the progression of arthritis (P < 0.05). A reduction in anti-GPI antibodies was correlated with the therapeutic efficacy of imatinib, but not with that of nilotinib. Imatinib dose-dependently inhibited tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-6, interferon (IFN)-γ, and IL-17 production by splenocytes in vitro, while nilotinib inhibited only IL-17 and IFN-γ production in a dose-dependent fashion. Imatinib at 3 μM exerted a mild antiproliferative effect on CD4+ T cells (P < 0.05), whereas imatinib at 10 μM and nilotinib at 3 and 10 μM demonstrated a marked antiproliferative effect (P < 0.01). The IL17 gene expression level on day 7 tended to be higher than that on day 14. These findings suggest that imatinib and nilotinib could prevent autoimmune arthritis, essentially via distinct mechanisms, in that imatinib inhibits both inflammatory and T-cell-derived cytokine production, whereas nilotinib suppresses T-cell-derived cytokine production. Imatinib and nilotinib could have therapeutic potential for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory diseases.


The parastatal sector in Tanzania grew at a tremendous pace in the last three decades. An inventory of the sector done by the Parastatal sector Reform Commission in the early 1990s came up with a figure of 425 firms. The large number of firms is also reflected in the large proportion of gross capital formation and high share in waged - employment. The strength in numbers and level of investment has not been matched with a positive fiscal impact on the government sector. The parastatals have consumed a disproportionately huge portion of the government's financial resources. Apart from failing to generate surplus to be transferred to the government as dividends, it continued to receive subsidies and grants to extend is survival. Furthermore, it continued to enjoy high tax exemptions thus accentuating further the government budgetary problems. On the external sector, the parastatals have left the government with huge external debts that are yet to be settled. The study has basically established the magnitude of the net fiscal transfers from the government to the sector. The findings tend to provide a further justification on the action taken by the government to either privatize the solvent commercial firms or liquidate the insolvent ones or restructure and rationalize the quasi-government firms. It is concluded that the pace of closing the parastatals has to be expedited to avoid further depletion of the remaining resources. African Journal of Finance and Management Vol.9(1) 2000: 59-69


In recent years, states have adopted numerous anti-terrorism laws based on concerns for national security, aimed at keeping persons with connections to terrorist networks out of the respective countries, or facilitating the forced return to their country of origin. While keeping the homeland safe represents a legitimate objective, the occasional stringent laws enacted have often had the side-effect of negatively affecting persons in need of protection. As a result of anti-terrorism provisions such as the so-called material support bar included in the USA PATRIOT Act and similar legislative approaches in other countries, even refugees have been prevented from receiving asylum or protection from refoulement, often in direct contravention of the provisions of the Refugee Convention and other applicable international law. The trouble with anti-terror legislation is that there neither seems to be a generally agreed-upon definition of terrorism, nor of what constitutes "material support" to acts of terrorism. As a result, some legislation based on concerns for national security includes language that excessively broadens the scope of what may constitute terrorism, thus, leading to exclusion from refugee status of numerous persons who otherwise would have a legitimate claim to protection under the Refugee Convention. Furthermore, in some jurisdictions, the legislative concept of "material support" has assumed an ever-expansive posture, as also exemplified by the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project. This article seeks to identify the core provisions contained in various European and U.S. national security and asylum laws leading to exclusion from refugee status, and compare the various approaches taken with a view to definitions of "being involved in terrorism" and "providing material support to terrorism," and the legal consequences attached to either finding, that is, the level at which the exclusion from refugee status bar is set.


Bacterial vaginosis is a change of vaginal flora in which the normal lactobacilli florais replaced by an overgrowth of Gardnerella vaginalis and anaerobic bacteria. Bacterial vaginosis is the most common cause of vaginal infection in women during their reproductive age. The relationship between bacterial vaginosis and increase of vaginal pH is suggested by the use of intravaginal acidification substances as a way for normalization of vaginal flora and treatment of bacterial vaginosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of vitamin C vaginal tablet and metronidazole vaginal gel in treatment of bacterial vaginosis in patient referring to Ahwaz Amir Al Momenin hospital in Ahwaz city, Iran. In this randomized clinical trial 60 non-pregnant women aged between 15 - 45 years with confirmed diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis by Amsel criteria were randomly assigned to receive either 250 mg vitamin C tablet via vaginal route once daily for 6 days (n = 30) or 5 gm of 0.75% vaginal gelmetronidazole once daily for 5 days (n = 30). The results of both groups compared for demographic characteristic, contraceptive and education level. The cure rate evaluated in both groups after two (1st and 2nd weeks) follow up visits. For statistical analysis, descriptive statistics, χ2 and Fisher's exact test performed. The study shows that cure rate after 1 week in vitamin C vaginal tablet group was 76.7% and in metronidazole vaginal gel group was 80% and after 2 weeks, cure rate was 9.5 and 5% respectively. Vitamin C vaginal tablet 250 mg is as effective as metronidazole vaginal gel for treatment of bacterial vaginosis.

 Key words: Bacterial vaginosis, vitamin C, metronidazole.


Osteoporosis is a major public health problem characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) that presently has no biochemical test useful for its diagnosis. The cytokine TGF-beta has been postulated to play a role in controlling bone density by regulating the fine balance between bone matrix deposition by osteoblasts and its resorption by osteoclasts. We explored whether measurement of serum levels of different TGF-beta isoforms could be useful as a clinical tool in osteoporosis. We measured the concentration of TGF-beta1 antigen using the BDA19 capture sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), TGF-beta2 antigen concentration using a Quantikine sandwich ELISA kit and TGF-beta3 antigen concentration using a modified version of the TGF-beta1 Quantikine sandwich ELISA kit. Subjects were 41 women with osteoporosis (with nontraumatic vertebral fracture or lumbar spine BMD Z-score <-1.5 SD) and a total of 199 control women from different sources. Serum concentrations of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 were similar in all groups. However, detectable levels of TGF-beta3 (>0.2 ng/ml) were found in 35 of 41 patients with osteoporosis (median 7.2 (5.2-8.9) ng/ml) compared with 11 of 36 controls or 24 of 89 healthy women of unknown bone density. Differences among the groups could not be accounted for by age, weight, medications, use of hormone replacement therapy or the presence of osteoarthritis. Using the optimal cut-off of >/=2 ng/ml, the test was able to detect an individual with low spine BMD (Z-score <-1.5) with a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 53%, with similar results for the femoral neck. The odds ratio for osteoporosis associated with a positive test at this level was 5.93 (95% CI 2.41-11.59), and 4.1 (95% CI 1.66-10.11) using the WHO cut-off of T-score <-2.5. Serum TGF-beta3 concentration is raised in osteoporotic women and the test appears to have potential as a marker for osteoporosis. The underlying mechanisms and the relationships between TGF-beta3 and bone turnover and fractures remain to be explored.


Abstract The value of propolis as a disinfectant agent in the bee hive is considerable. We investigated the fungistatic effect of cinnamic acid and pinocembrin on the pathogen Ascosphaera apis causing chalkbrood disease in bee colonies in the laboratory with an agar diffusion test on malt extract agar. The minimal fungicide inhibitory concentration was 0.5% for cinnamic acid and 1.5% for pinocembrin (MIC -values). Both substances were tested by individual application for adult bee tolerance in a range of dosages and for brood tolerance (L1 - L5) referring to the MIC values. The dermal toxicity of adult bees for cinnamic acid and pinocembrin was low, a maximum of 3.3% even in the highest dosage of 1000 μg (concentration 20%) and 250 μg (concentration 5%) per bee, respectively. The mortality rates showed no significant differences to the controls (z-test, p≤0.05). First results on brood tolerability after application of test substances resulted in larval mortality but primarily in the group of young larvae. The mortality reduced simultaneous with the increasing larval weight. The total larval mortality 72 hours after the application over all stages was 28.7% for cinnamic acid and 13.1% for pinocembrin (positive control group 24.8%; negative control group 15.4%). The test groups showed no significant increased mortality compared to the control groups (z-test, p≥0.05). Both substances have in vitro fungicide potential and can be considered as potential active agents against A. apis in honey bee drugs. The results provide high tolerance of adult bees and an indication for larval tolerability most notably in elder larvae.


BACKGROUND
Olive oil and table olive biophenols have been shown to significantly enrich the hedonic-sensory and nutritional quality of the Mediterranean diet. Oleuropein is one of the predominant biophenols in green olives and leaves, which not only has noteworthy freeradical quenching activity but also putatively reduces the incidence of various cancers. Clinical trials suggest that the consumption of extra virgin olive oil reduces the risk of several degenerative diseases. The oleuropein-based bioactives in olive oil could reduce tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β and nitric oxide. Therefore, the quality of olive biophenols should be preserved and even improved due to their disease-fighting properties.

OBJECTIVE
Understanding the molecular dynamics of oleuropein is crucial to increase olive oil and table olive quality. The objective of this review is to provide the molecular dynamics and computational mapping of oleuropein.

METHOD
The oleuropein molecular bond sequential breaking mechanisms were analyzed through unimolecular reactions under electron spray ionization, collision activated dissociations, and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.

RESULTS
Oleuropein is a biophenol-secoiridoid expressing different functionalities such as two π-bonds, two esters, two acetals, one catechol, and four hexose hydroxyls within 540 mw. The oleuropein solvent-free reactivity is leading to glucose loss and bioactive aglycone-dialdehydes via secoiridoid ring opening.

CONCLUSION
Oleuropein electron distribution revealed that the free-radical non-polar processes occur from its highest occupied molecular orbital, while the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital is clearly devoted to nucleophilic and base site reactivity. This molecular dynamics and computational mapping of oleuropein could contribute to the engineering of olive-based biomedicine and/or functional food.


Restoration success in degraded rangelands often depends on a site's resilience to disturbance and resistance to invasive plants. Because it is more difficult to restore plant communities after they are dominated by invasive species, a potential approach is proactive restoration in sites at risk of crossing degradation thresholds (e.g. initiating restoration prior to invasive grass dominance). When developing a new restoration approach, it is important to consider operational feasibility, including social, budgetary, and environmental factors. Accordingly, we studied influences within land management agencies on the adoption of a specific proactive restoration approach: out‐planting native grass and forb seedlings into sagebrush stands before they are dominated by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Managers from federal and state land management agencies across the Great Basin, U.S.A, were interviewed regarding perceived feasibility of these practices. Twelve in‐depth interviews were conducted, and responses were analyzed using a qualitative method, causal layered analysis, not previously applied in a land management context. In the most superficial (litany) layer, cost and scale were prominent. The next (systemic) layer was framed by policy and bureaucracy limitations as well as technical barriers to implementation. In the third (worldview) layer, lack of a proactive management tradition within agencies represented a principal barrier. In the deepest (myth/metaphor) layer, the central belief is that human intervention should be used to protect ecosystem services only after they are disrupted due to human activity. Based on the different obstacles found at each level, we suggest ways to overcome the barriers detected.


Introduction : Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B-cell neoplasm that has a characteristic immunophenotype of being positive for CD5, B-cell antigens and cyclin D1. A small subset of cases of MCL can be negative for CD5, approximately 5% in the literature. The clinicopathologic features and prognosis of patients with CD5-negative MCL are poorly characterized. Here, we study a group of patients with CD5- MCL and compare them with a group patients with CD5+ MCL. Methods: From a total of 270 cases of MCL accessioned from 2004-2015, 58 CD5- cases (study group) and 212 CD5+ cases (control group) were identified. All cases of MCL were positive for cyclin D1 by immunohistochemistry and, in most patients, CCND1-IGH was shown FISH. Cases negative for CD5 were assessed by flow cytometry and/or immunohistochemistry. Fisher exact test was utilized to analyze differences between the CD5- and CD5+ groups. Patient survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analyses for OS and PFS were performed (SPSS 22 software). A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results : The CD5- group included 39 men and 19 women with a median age of 66 years (range, 36- 88 years) at time of diagnosis. The CD5- and CD5+ groups shared overlapping clinicopathological features, but CD5- cases showed a lower percentage of men ( P =0.006) than CD5+ cases. Treatment information was available for 50 patients. Twenty-nine (58%) patients were treated initially with R-Hyper CVAD therapy (rituximab, fractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone alternating with high dose methotrexate and cytarabine). Seventeen (34%) patients were treated initially with less aggressive therapy: 7 with R-CHOP; 8 had other rituximab-based chemotherapy regimens; 2 received rituximab as a single agent. Four patients (8%) were observed without therapy. After induction, 34 patients achieved complete remission (CR), 5 patients achieved partial remission (PR), 6 patients showed no response (NR) or progressive disease (PD), and 5 patients lost follow-up. Ten patients also underwent stem cell transplantation (SCT): 5 patients received allogeneic SCT, the other 5 autologous SCT. With a median follow-up of 45.7 months (range, 2.0-174.3 months), 13 of 56 (23.2%) patients died, 43 of 56 (76.8%) patients were alive at last follow-up, and the rest of 2 patients lost follow up. The induction chemotherapy regimens and CR and PR rate were not significantly different between the CD5- and CD5+ groups (p>0.05). Survival analysis showed patients with CD5- MCL had a tendency for longer OS (Figure 1A, P =0.078). Further analysis showed that lack of CD5 expression predicted a superior OS in a few subsets of MCL patients defined with 1) normal WBC count (p=0.049); 2) Stage I/II disease (p=0.046); 3) Low/intermediate MIPI (p=0.041) and 4) Ki67≥30% (at a borderline p value of 0.05). Patients with CD5- MCL also showed a significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) (Figure 1B, P =0.01). Absence of CD5 expression was associated with a better PFS in MCL patients with advanced disease (stage III-IV) ( P =0.035), a normal leukocyte count ( P =0.018), a normal serum lactate dehydrogenase level ( P =0.046), classical morphology ( P =0.029), and low/intermediate MIPI (p=0.0004). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that MIPI was the only independent prognostic factor for both OS and PFS ( P =0.026 and P =0.001 respectively) and CR/PR also predict a better OS ( P =0.004) in CD5- MCL patients. Conclusion : The clinicopathologic features were similar between patients with CD5- MCL and those with CD5+ MCL, except that less men in the CD5- MCL group. Lack of CD5 expression was associated with a favorable PFS in MCL patients. Recognizing this subgroup of CD5- MCL has not only a diagnostic significance, but also a prognostic significance. Disclosures Wang: Acerta Pharma: Consultancy, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Research Funding; Asana BioSciences: Research Funding; BeiGene: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Onyx: Research Funding.


In the Biot [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 28, 168–178 (1956); 28, 179–191 (1956)] theory, the effect of frequency on the viscous forces within a porous medium is treated by replacing the kinematic viscosity ν by an oscillatory viscosity νF, in which F is a function of angular frequency ω, the kinematic viscosity ν, and the single pore size a. The mathematical expression of F for arbitrary distribution of pore sizes that can be used in the Biot theory without modification is presented. It is shown that porous media with a given permeability and porosity may be represented by an infinite number of pore size distributions. The velocities and attenuation of acoustic waves through such porous media are independent of the pore size distribution at the low‐frequency limit and at the high‐frequency limit, while they are strongly dependent on the pore size distribution in the intermediate frequency range. Comparisons between Hamilton's [Geophysics 37, 620–646 (1972)] data of attenuation coefficient of compressional waves t...


Objectives: The aim of urodynamic testing is to obtain objective information regarding urinary bladder storage and voiding function. This investigation provides information of the underlying causes depending on the individual situation and findings. Materials and Methods: This Retrospective study of the UDS was conducted at Urology department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka from January 2012 to April 2017. A total of 403 cases of urodynamic studies done. Patient age range was 10-85 years. Female Patient was only 41 and post operative cases was only six. Bladder dairy, Ultrasonography of Kidney, ureter, bladder with maximum cystometric capacity (MCC)and post void residue (PVR), Urine culture were done for most of the patient. Patient with indwelling catheter was remove and clean intermittent catheterization was demonstrated. There was no patient with pace maker or valve replacement. We didn't use routine prophylactic antibiotics, Patients was advice to contact to UDS room physically or over telephone if they feel fever, retention, and other complications. Urodynamic tests include uroflowmetry, postvoid residual measurement, cystometric test, leak point pressure measurement, pressure flow study, and few cases with electromyography. Results: Among them most cases are equivocal and obstructive cases are ranked second about 68 cases (16.87 These were Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), stricture urethra, atonic bladder, and dysfunctional voiding. Only five patients had urinary tract infections (1.2%) with rise of temperature but only two had cultural positive and treated with sensitive antibiotics. Organism were streptococcus aureus and pseudomonus. One female and one male patient develop retention and relived by continuous catheterisation and after 7 days removed catheter. Conclusions: Urodynamics could help most diagnosis of LUTSs in most of the cases. We are not yet in using video urodynamics instead urethrocystoscopy may help in assessing the urethra and bladder neck.


We demonstrate the operation of C60 fullerene nanowhisker (FNW) field-effect transistors (FETs), realized by dissolving C60 powder in either m-xylene or chlorobenzene solvents and performing liquid-liquid interface precipitation. There exists a clear dependence on solvent species for the FET performance. In contrast to prior studies, in which the FETs were investigated under vacuum conditions to avoid introducing crystalline disorder, we achieve comparable transistor operation for FETs under a N2 atmosphere. The finding that solvate FNWs may be used to implement FETs could have important technological implications, by allowing practical applications of these materials to be developed.


Twenty years ago, the Food and Nutrition Board issued its landmark report, Maternal Nutrition and the Course and Outcome of Pregnancy . Since that time, both the amount and sophistication of research in maternal nutrition have grown rapidly and have provided clear evidence of the link between perinatal nutrition and pregnacy outcome. During these same years, national attention has turned away from high-technology solutions to the problems of low birth weight and preterm delivery and has focused on the potential therapeutic effects of traditional modalities such as nutrition. The emergence of maternal nutrition as a pivotal factor in the outcome of pregnancy has recently been underscored by the recognition of its central role in the prevention of prenatal mental retardation in patients with maternal phenylketonuria and its potential effect in the prevention of neural tube defects. This latest National Academy of Sciences report provides a balanced and indepth presentation of research


In data communication system, the outdoor of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology can be implemented in bridge connection. It allows LANs in separated buildings to be connected over the distance ranging in several hundred meters. In RF system design level, the performance of the WLAN bridge also relies on the RF receiver system where it must be well designed to minimize distortions in the system. This paper presents a RF receiver system design for WLAN bridge at 5725 - 5825 MHz based on IEEE 802.11a standard. At 54 Mbps data rate, the receiver can receive minimum input power of -69.1 dBm with 19.84 dB SNR and 47.3 dB dynamic range which is comply with the standard. Beside that, the prototype of the RF receiver has been measured to verify with the simulation results in terms of gain compression and spurious responses.


Deprescribing is the intentional dose reduction or discontinuation of a medication. The development of deprescribing interventions should take into consideration important organizational, interprofessional, and patient-specific barriers that can be further complicated by the presence of multiple prescribers involved in a patient's care. Patients who receive care from an increasing number of prescribers may experience disruptions in the timely transfer of relevant healthcare information, increasing the risk of exposure to drug-drug interactions and other medication-related problems. Furthermore, the fragmentation of healthcare information across health systems can contribute to the refilling of discontinued medications, reducing the effectiveness of deprescribing interventions. Thus, deprescribing interventions must carefully consider the unique characteristics of patients and their prescribers to ensure interventions are successfully implemented. In this special article, an international working group of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, epidemiologists, and researchers from the United States Deprescribing Research Network (USDeN) developed a socioecological model to understand how multiple prescribers may influence the implementation of a deprescribing intervention at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal level. This manuscript also includes a description of the concept of multiple prescribers and outlines a research agenda for future investigations to consider. The information contained in this manuscript should be used as a framework for future deprescribing interventions to carefully consider how multiple prescribers can influence the successful implementation of the service and ensure the intervention is as effective as possible.


Galena is the most important mineral for lead production, as it is the main source of lead in the world. Currently, the concentrates of this mineral are mainly treated using pyrometallurgical methods, creating several environmental problems, such as the generation of toxic and greenhouse gases. In addition, these processes involve high energy consumption, which limits their applicability. Hydrometallurgical routes are proposed as alternative processes for obtaining some metals such as silver, copper, gold, etc. The drawback of these processes is that the minerals tend to be passive in aqueous media. To mitigate this issue, researchers have used extreme conditions of pressure and temperature (6 atm. and 155 °C) or the use of very corrosive conditions. In this sense, the use of complexing agents that dissolve the metals of interest has been proposed. Citrate ion is one of the most promising complexing agents for galena leaching, obtaining high percentages of dissolution in relatively short times. Unfortunately, there has not been enough investigation about the concentration optimization of the complexing in the pH range from 5 to 9. In this sense, thermodynamic diagrams, such as the Pourbaix diagrams, are very useful for this purpose. Therefore, in this work, the effects of pH and temperature on the leaching of galena in citrate ion solutions are studied thermodynamically and experimentally. The experimental work was carried out with pure galena samples with a particle size of +149 − 74 µm (−100 + 200 mesh). The results show that higher recoveries were obtained working at a pH of 8 and at temperatures of 30 and 40 °C. The thermodynamic and experimental data demonstrated that the existence of an optimal concentration of citrate ion, due the extraction of lead from galena, has a greater reaction rate at a relatively low initial concentration of 0.3 M. This is due the formation of the complex lead citrate 1 (Pb(cit)−).


We numerically integrate the equations of motion of a large number of GeV protons, released impulsively near the Sun, in order to study their time–intensity behavior at the location of an observer at 1 au. This is relevant to the interpretation of Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs) detected by neutron monitors on Earth. Generally, the observed time–intensity profiles reveal a single sharp rise, followed by slow decay. However, in the 1989 October 22 GLE event, there was an initial sharp spike followed by a secondary smaller spike in the particle intensity. We consider whether the propagation of the high-energy protons in a large-scale turbulent interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) can lead to this unusual time–intensity profile. The IMF model includes large-scale magnetic turbulence and a heliospheric current sheet. Ad-hoc scattering is used to mimic the effect of smaller-scale fluctuations resulting in pitch-angle scattering. Proton fluxes as a function of time and location for an observer are determined for various turbulence parameters, IMF polarities, and the size of the particle source near the Sun. We find that the fluctuating IMF leads to considerable variation in the arrival location of the particles crossing 1 au, and the time–intensity profile depends significantly on the observer's location and can have multiple peaks. An alternate explanation for the unusual structure in the 1989 October 22 GLE event is provided. Our findings show that the large-scale turbulent IMF enhances the access of the high-energy protons to the HCS at the early time of the event, which leads to efficient cross-field transport.


Objectives: To explore factors associated with the provision of diabetes-monitoring practices among older Latinos with type 2 diabetes. Method: Data from 547 Latinos (≥55 years) were analyzed from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey. Multivariate logistic regression modeled the relationship between health status and sociodemographic factors and the receipt of semiannual HbA1c tests, annual foot exams, and annual retinal exams. Results: The majority of older Latino diabetics received foot exams (87%) and retinal exams (77%), but the provision of semiannual HbA1c tests (30%) was low. Higher English-language proficiency and health insurance coverage were associated with the provision of HbA1c tests and foot exams, but not retinal exams. Insulin therapy was positively associated with semiannual HbA1c testing, but negatively associated with foot exams. Discussion: There are considerable missed opportunities in the provision of diabetes monitoring for older Latinos, particularly those with limited English proficiency, less comprehensive insurance, and noninsulin therapy.


Abstract This paper critically aims to enhance English vocabularies among EFL young learners of the fifth grade students through picture-word inductive model at elementary school Zainul Hasan Genggong Probolinggo in the academic year of 2019-2020. The research problem is How is the effective picture-word inductive model to enhance vocabulary among young learners of elemantary school Zainul Hasan Genggong Probolinggo? The type of the research is classroom action research. It was conducted in two cycles. The subjects of the research were 20 students of fifth grade. The data were collected from the test, interview, documentation and observation. The result showed that the students had increased their English vocabulary mastery which can be seen from the test result provided by the researcher. This is the evident from the test result that overall there was an increase in the English vocabulary mastery of 5 grade students as much as 50.70 % in the first cycle and 85.54 % in the second cycle. Meanwhile, the observation result showed that the students seemed more enthusiastic during the learning process.  In reference to the actions conducted in two cycles, the use of the picture-word inductive model enhances the students' vocabulary by practicing words into sentences and more attention on mechanical aspects such as spelling and pronunciation. Keywords : Young Learners, Vocabulary Mastery, Picture-word inductive model .


The response of semiconductor devices at low temperatures to changes in the voltage across the depletion region is limited by the dielectric relaxation time of the majority carriers in the bulk region. This results in a dispersion of the C-V curves at low temperatures. In this paper, we report a study of the dispersion seen in the accumulation and depletion regions of the C-V curve in n- and p-channel MOS transistors as well as in reverse biased one-sided abrupt junctions. From the admittance measured as a function of temperature and frequency, the dopant energy level is determined. The values of the activation energy measured using the diodes agree well with the corresponding values obtained using MOS devices. >


Bacteroides multiacidus fermented glucose to lactate and succinate as major products and produced small amounts of acetate and pyruvate. During nitrate reduction cell growth increased slightly and the formation of succinate and lactate decreased while acetate increased.The level of nitrate reductase activity in the extracts was several times higher in cells grown on nitrate, while the fumarate reductase level was lowered compared with cells not grown on nitrate. In extracts, nitrate reductase and fumarate reductase occurred mainly in a particulate fraction, whereas nitrite reductase was mostly in a soluble fraction. Addition of tungstate to the culture medium decreased the nitrate reductase activity as well as nitrite formation, suggesting that the enzyme is a molybdoprotein. Ferredoxin from Clostridia and viologen dyes served as electron donors for nitrate reduction. A c-type cytochrome with peaks at 557.5, 527, and 423nm in the extract was partly reduced by NADH and oxidized by fumarate, and to a lesser extent also by nitrate, even in extracts from cells grown in the presence of nitrate. Km′s for substrates and pH optima were also reported for the reductases in crude extracts.


The uptake of glutamate by astrocytes actively shapes synaptic transmission, however its role in the development and plasticity of neuronal circuits remains poorly understood. The astrocytic glutamate transporter, GLT1 is the predominant source of glutamate clearance in the adult mouse cortex. Here, we examined the structural and functional development of the visual cortex in GLT1 heterozygous (HET) mice using two-photon microscopy, immunohistochemistry and slice electrophysiology. We find that though eye-specific thalamic axonal segregation is intact, binocular refinement in the primary visual cortex is disrupted. Eye-specific responses to visual stimuli in GLT1 HET mice show altered binocular matching, with abnormally high responses to ipsilateral compared to contralateral eye stimulation and a greater mismatch between preferred orientation selectivity of ipsilateral and contralateral eye responses. Furthermore, the balance of excitation and inhibition in cortical circuits is dysregulated with an increase in somatostatin positive interneurons, decrease in parvalbumin positive interneurons, and increase in dendritic spine density in the basal dendrites of layer 2/3 excitatory neurons. Monocular deprivation induces atypical ocular dominance plasticity in GLT1 HET mice, with an unusual depression of ipsilateral open eye responses; however, this change in ipsilateral responses correlates well with an upregulation of GLT1 protein following monocular deprivation. These results demonstrate that a key function of astrocytic GLT1 function during development is the experience-dependent refinement of ipsilateral eye inputs relative to contralateral eye inputs in visual cortex. SIGNIFICANCE We show that astrocytic glutamate uptake via the transporter GLT1 is necessary for activity-dependent regulation of cortical inputs. Dysregulation of GLT1 expression and function leads to a disruption of binocular refinement and matching in visual cortex. Inputs from the ipsilateral eye are stronger, and monocular deprivation, which upregulates GLT1 expression in a homeostatic fashion, causes a paradoxical reduction of ipsilateral, non-deprived eye, responses. These results provide new evidence for the importance of glutamate transport in cortical development, function, and plasticity.


HIS French study aimed to assess whether litter size and longevity in seven dog breeds are affected by the degree of inbreeding.

Phenotypic and genealogical data on dogs registered by the French Kennel Club were assessed. The seven breeds were: Bernese mountain dog, bassett hound, cairn terrier, Epagneul Breton, German shepherd dog, leonberger and West Highland white terrier.

The number of dogs assessed per breed ranged from 1775 (Bernese mountain dog) to 39,080 (German shepherd dog). Average litter size ranged from 3.5 (West Highland white terrier) to 6.3 (leonberger). Mean longevity ranged from 7.7 years for the Bernese mountain dog to 12.2 years for the cairn terrier. In all breeds, litter size was significantly reduced when the offspring were more inbred. Litter size was reduced when dams were more inbred in all breeds except the bassett hound and Epagneul Breton. Inbreeding had a negative impact on longevity in all breeds studied except for the bassett hound and cairn terrier.


The purpose of this study was to determine if indicators of cardiopulmonary function identified critically ill patients who tolerate enteral feeding. Medical records of 149 patients (age, 24 to 100 years) admitted to the medical intensive care unit who had a pulmonary artery catheter placed and were started on enteral feeding were reviewed retrospectively. Of 118 patients with cardiac index 60% and with > 5 cm positive end-expiration pressure, 79 (67%) did not tolerate enteral feedings. Sensitivity was 17% and specificity was 78%. In conclusion, with the aforementioned cutoffs, cardiac index, mean arterial pressure, and oxygen saturation may identify critically ill patients likely to be intolerant of enteral feeding.


Author(s): Riestra, Angelica Montenegro | Advisor(s): Johnson, Patricia | Abstract: Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated, protozoan parasite that causes trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection in the world. While T. vaginalis infection is usually asymptomatic, long-term effects include associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes, cervical cancer and aggressive prostate cancer, and increased risk of HIV infection. Therefore, the public health threat posed by this parasite is high, yet little is known about its pathogenic mechanisms. As an obligate, extracellular parasite, T. vaginalis needs to attach to epithelial cells in order to gain a foothold in its host and maintain infection. However, only a few specific molecular players that contribute to these interactions have been reported. Given the roles of rhomboid proteases in cell signaling, modification of the cell surface, and contribution to pathogenesis in other protozoan parasites, we were interested in studying whether T. vaginalis also has functionally active rhomboid proteases. In this study, we demonstrate that two T. vaginalis rhomboids are proteolytically active and named them TvROM1 and TvROM3. We also report that TvROM1 has a role in promoting T. vaginalis attachment to host cells and lysis of host cells. Furthermore, we have begun to unravel the mechanism of action for TvROM1 by the identification of two substrates also located at the cell surface. In our desire to discover additional factors that contribute to pathogenesis, we characterized various proteins that had been previously identified in the T. vaginalis cell surface proteome. We found that one protein, called TSP6, plays a sensory role based on striking relocalization of the protein upon contact with host cells, and a role in promoting parasite migration. We also identified another protein, TVAG_393390, which can increase both attachment to host cells and cytolysis of host cells and may function as a cadherin-like protein. Overall, the results from these studies have allowed us to gain insight about the contribution of rhomboid proteases and several surface proteins to host: parasite interactions-opening up a larger window of potential targets for therapeutic intervention to combat this widespread human pathogen.


The mobilization of tax revenue continues to be a major challenge in Togo and the composition of this revenue reveals that the Value Added Tax (VAT) is its essential driver. However, there is a lack of targeted research or studies on the VAT gap. This paper evaluates and analyzes the difference between the VAT total tax liability and the amount of VAT actually collected through a top-down approach by distinguishing policy gap and compliance gap and identifying the sectors and branches of activity concerned. The results indicate that the VAT gap in Togo remains relatively large, although it has significantly improved in recent years to reach 45.9% of the amount of potential revenue (8.3% of GDP) in 2015, after 63.2% (11.4% of GDP) in 2007. Moreover, there is flexibility to improve VAT revenue through a more targeted tax administration for some branches, namely the products of extraction, wood, publishing and printing products, construction work, accommodation and food services, real estate and business services, and repair services.


BACKGROUND
Many older persons with advanced dementia receive terminal care in nursing homes, others remain in the community with home care services.

OBJECTIVES
To describe and compare the end-of-life experience of persons dying with advanced dementia in the nursing home and home care settings.

DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING/SUBJECTS
Persons 65 years or older with advanced dementia who died within 1 year of admission to either a nursing home in Michigan between July 1, 1998 until December 31, 2000 (n = 2730), or the state's publicly funded home and community-based services from October 1, 1998 until December 31, 2001 (n = 290).

MEASUREMENTS
Data were derived from the Minimum Data Set (MDS)-Nursing home Version 2.0 for the institutionalized sample, and the MDS-Home Care for the community-based sample. Variables from the MDS assessment completed within 180 days of death were used to describe the end-of-life experiences of these two groups.

RESULTS
Nursing home residents dying with advanced dementia were older, had greater functional impairment, and more behavior problems compared to home care clients. Few subjects in the nursing home (10.3%) and home care (15.6%) cohorts were perceived to have less than 6 months to live. Only 5.7% of nursing home residents and 10.7% home care clients were referred to hospice. Hospitalizations were frequent: nursing home, 43.7%; home care, 31.5%. Pain and shortness of breath were common in both settings. End-of-life variables independently associated with nursing home versus home care included: hospice (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16-0.43), life expectancy less than 6 months (AOR 0.31; 95% CI, 0.20-0.48), advance directives (AOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.11-1.96), pain (AOR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.29-0.50), shortness of breath (AOR 0.20; 95% CI (0.13-0.28), and oxygen therapy (AOR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.51-4.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Persons dying with advanced dementia admitted to nursing homes have different characteristics compared to those admitted to home care services. Their end-of-life experiences also differ in these two sites of care. However, palliative care was not optimal in either setting.


Recent innovations in vacuum arc deposition have resulted in the development of the filtered arc source as a deposition tool for a range of technologically important materials. The vacuum arc was recognized early on as a potentially useful source of energetic, ionized material and a practical high rate method for depositing thin films with bulk properties and the deposition of new materials. The inherent problem of microdroplet contamination was overcome by several approaches, the toroidal magnetic duct being the most prevalent. The present state-of-the-art of filtered arc deposition is discussed in terms of the current understanding of the emitted fluxes, the properties of the materials deposited by these devices and new applications.


Simulations of 222Rn and other short-lived tracers are used to evaluate and intercompare the representations of convective and synoptic processes in 20 global atmospheric transport models. Results show that most established three-dimensional models simulate vertical mixing in the troposphere to within the constraints offered by the observed mean 222Rn concentrations and that subgrid parameterization of convection is essential for this purpose. However, none of the models captures the observed variability of 222Rn concentrations in the upper troposphere, and none reproduces the high 222Rn concentrations measured at 200 hPa over Hawaii. The established three-dimensional models reproduce the frequency and magnitude of high-222Rn episodes observed at Crozet Island in the Indian Ocean, demonstrating that they can resolve the synoptic-scale transport of continental plumes with no significant numerical diffusion. Large differences between models are found in the rates of meridional transport in the upper troposphere (interhemispheric exchange, exchange between tropics and high latitudes). The four two-dimensional models which participated in the intercomparison tend to underestimate the rate of vertical transport from the lower to the upper troposphere but show concentrations of 222Rn in the lower troposphere that are comparable to the zonal mean values in the three-dimensional models.


Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are disproportionately represented in the criminal legal system, yet ASD-specific training is rarely provided to frontline clinical staff or legal professionals. This column describes a collaboration between university researchers and a state mental health department to promote ASD awareness, knowledge, and intervention skills among clinical and legal professionals working with autistic individuals with criminal legal involvement. Descriptions of how specific needs were identified, how tailored educational workshops were developed, and how workshop efficacy was assessed are provided. Lessons learned and recommendations for researchers and health care systems interested in similar collaborations are offered.


Kinetics and thermodynamics of isobutene protonation in H-FAU, H-MOR, H-ZSM-5, and H-ZSM-22 have been studied in a temperature range of 300–800 K, combining PW91-D//PW91 periodic density functional theory calculations with statistical thermodynamics. At temperatures relevant for industrial zeolite-catalyzed processes (500–800 K), the tert-butyl carbenium ion is more stable than the tert-butoxy in H-MOR, H-ZSM-5, and H-ZSM-22. Entropy contributions govern the standard Gibbs free energy stability of the chemisorbed intermediates. Due to the absence of a C–O covalent bond, formation of the tert-butyl carbenium ion is accompanied by a lower entropy loss and, consequently, has a higher stability than the tert-butoxy in H-MOR, H-ZSM-5, and H-ZSM-22. At 800 K, the protonation toward tert-butoxy in H-FAU, H-MOR, and H-ZSM-5 and to the tert-butyl carbenium ion in H-ZSM-22 is 5 to 7 orders of magnitude faster than the protonation toward isobutoxy. Among the four zeolites, the lowest activation energy is found in H-...


The capacitance and the dielectric breakdown voltage in a polycrystalline system are investigated by adopting the Voronoi network model. In the present model the grain and the grain boundary are regarded as a perfect conductor and a capacitor, respectively. It is found that the capacitance of the system scales as C ∼ N -1/2 ∼ ξ, where N and ξ are the number of grains and the mean linear size of grains, respectively. The distribution function of the breakdown voltage obtained in the simulation has the same functional form as the Duxbury form which describes the distribution of the breakdown voltage in the percolation model. The relations among the breakdown voltage, the number of grains and the mean grain size are clarified.


Background/Objective: Nausea and vomiting (N&V) remain the main side effects associated with cancer chemotherapy. This study determines the effect of acupressure on the control of N&V among children with leukemia receiving chemotherapy.Methods: This quasi-experiment study was conducted at two Pediatric Oncology Departments in South Egypt. Two groups of children with leukemia aging 6-18 years were included from October 2017 till March 2018. The study group (n = 60) received acupressure, while the control group (n = 60) didn't. All were subjected to socio-demographic and clinical interview questionnaire and Rhodes Index for N&V Likert scale for assessment of frequency, duration, stress and severity of nausea and vomiting.Results: Both groups had similar demographic data, were similar in diagnosis, disease severity, family history of neoplasia, and experienced similar chemotherapy-related side effects. Significant reduction of frequency, distress and severity of nausea and frequency, duration and severity of vomiting in addition to mean scores N\&V scale among children of the study group after application of acupressure when compared to children in the control group.Conclusions: The application of acupressure at P6 in children with acute leukemia who were receiving chemotherapy led to significant reduction in the mean scores of N&V in addition to their frequency, duration and severity within 48 hours from the beginning of chemotherapy in comparison to the control group. Therefore, acupressure techniques showed be used to reduce chemotherapy induced N&V in children with leukemia.


This paper gives an overview of the latest developments in closed soilless growing systems in the Netherlands, where growers are obliged to invest in environmently friendly cropping systems, in order to comply with new legislation. Subjects of discussion will be the reasons for regulation, the growers' reaction to the proposed legislation, the methods to comply with legislation and related problems such as the availability of good water, the systems applied and the developments in the disinfection of nutrient solutions. For the latter, the interest of growers in the possibilities of slow sand filtration to disinfect the nutrient solution will be mentioned. In the last ten years there has been an awakening of environmental consciousness in society. Agriculture and horticulture have had to face their polluting aspects, too, such as the leaching of nutrients, the emission of pesticides and the waste of materials such as plastics and substrates. Initial legislation was rather rough ("all growers should change to closed systems") and not based on research. Later, forced by court judgements and social pressure, new regulations (the Waste Water Disposal Decree) have set a timetable for all nurseries to adopt specific measures in order to decrease the leaching of water and fertilizers to the environment. The recirculation of drain water and the collecting of rainwater have become compulsory for substrate growers. On the other hand, recirculation via the soil and the traditional drainage system has been approved as a "closed" substrate system. For soil-bound crops, maximum water supply and collecting rainwater will be compulsory. In the last few years, low market prices have shown very clearly which closed systems were profitable and which were not. As a consequence, a discussion arose about the benefits for the environment of the new regulations and the costs for the growers. There were few new developments in growing systems, as the growers' first point of attention was economic survival. This year, 1996, prices have been better and the growers are again looking for possibilities to improve the quality of their systems. In the Netherlands, it has always been said that disinfection of the recirculating nutrient solution is a must for long-term crops to avoid a disaster due to an outbreak of root diseases. However, existing sterilizing systems are not always applied, mainly because of the high costs. Now, developments in disinfection equipment focus on the removal of pathogens without a complete sterilization of the nutrient solution. Investigations of the prospects of slow sand filtration as a cheap, robust disinfection method have proved its feasibility only on a small scale. Now, it can be seen that the development and application of closed soilless growing systems is approaching maturity in the Netherlands. On the other hand, developments in


The methodological tool chest available to those who study digital technologies ranges from those that are uniquely digital methods to approaches that are well established in the social sciences. This domain of work includes the application of methods to answer questions about the relationship between digital technologies and the social world, as well as the use of digital methods to answer questions about the offline world. New or old, quantitative or qualitative, the methods used to study the digital have strengths and weaknesses unique to this area of research. These issues include questions about the scope of cyberethnography, the validity of trace data, and the analytical division between on- and offline interaction. This review focuses on an overview of different methods, their history, and their strengths and weaknesses as applied to the study of digital technologies, including ethnographic approaches, interviews, surveys, time and media diaries, trace data, and online experiments.


Mechanical cotton harvesters, i.e. strippers and pickers are commercially available, but these cannot be used for cotton harvesting from varieties presently grown in India due to design constraints and agronomic practices. Higher initial cost and field capacity make cotton harvesters unsuitable and unaffordable for small and medium farms. Hence, a comprehensive review of cotton harvesting mechanisms developed till date was carried out. Different attributes relating to problem have been expressed in matrix form to identify of crop and machine parameters which could be utilized by Researchers, Engineers and Manufacturers for development and refinement of mechanical cotton harvesters for small and medium farms. The matrix depicts on academic work of each paper and each attribute. Coding/grading of these attributes was done according to their importance in the research publications. Summation of coded attributes has been done publication-wise as well as category-wise so that the value of each attribute and each publication gets identified for the development of a need based mechanical cotton harvester. For publication-wise attribute coding, a t otal of 19 publications with 21 attributes were reviewed and related with the mechanical cotton harvesters. A publication with all the 21 selected attributes had been discussed in detail and was assigned a score of 105. Under the category-wise attribute coding, attributes such as crop variety, yield, row spacing, plant height and plant population were considered and assigned grade more than 20 as most of the authors discussed these attributes in their studies. Other parameters like limb length, plant canopy (spread width) along and across the rows, height of lower and upper boll were accorded less importance as their grade was less than 10 out of a total 95 score. Defoliant attributes were discussed in 14 out of 19 papers reviewed and had 28 grade points as compared to desiccant, which was discussed in only 2 papers and assigned a grade of 5 only. Under the machine parameters, type of mechanism was assigned a grade point i.e. 66 as mechanical harvester performance was mainly dependent on this attribute. So far, as the performance of harvester was concerned, various parameters like picking efficiency, trash content, lint turnout and losses were discussed in different studies.


Summary A 50-year-old Japanese man who had experienced recurrent episodes of venous thrombosis was found to have a hereditary protein S deficiency. The amount of total protein S antigen in plasma was reduced by approximately 50% in the patient and his two sons. DNA sequence analysis revealed a novel nonsense mutation, TAG for Gin 522 (CAG), in exon 14 of the protein S gene. Family studies performed by mutagenic PCR followed by restriction enzyme digestion showed that the proband and his two sons were heterozygous for this mutation. An mRNA-based analysis indicated that transcripts of the mutated allele were markedly reduced in the platelets of the affected individuals. Immunoblot analysis failed to detect the truncated mutant of protein S in the plasma or platelets of affected members. Our results demonstrated that this novel nonsense mutation was responsible for the quantitative deficiency of protein S.


Context: MGMT , is a DNA repair protein involved in removing the mutagenic and cytotoxic adducts from O 6 -guanine in DNA, which otherwise can lead to the mutation, primarily due to the tendency of O 6 -methylguanine to pair with thymine during replication, resulting in the conversion of GC to AT pairs, if left unrepaired due to epigenetic silencing of its promoter. Aims: To study the status of MGMT in Kashmiri lung cancer patients Materials and Methods: In this study we analyzed the promoter status of this gene in 50 lung cancer patients using methylation specific-PCR and confirmed by restriction digestion. Results: The promoter was found to be methylated in 52% of the cases, more in male patients (54.2%) than in female patients (46.6%). When stratified according to smoking status, current smokers showed a strong association with methylation (OR = 6.0, P = 0.005) than former and never smokers. We also compared the promoter methylation of the MGMT gene with pesticide exposure, and found that patients with pesticide exposure had statistically significant (OR = 7.7 and P = 0.003) association with promoter methylation. Conclusions: Our results indicate that MGMT promoter methylation is associated with smoking exposure and there appears to be an association of MGMT promoter methylation with pesticide exposure in Kashmiri lung cancer patients.


The recent developments in the medical treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma have raised the question of the neoadjuvant use of targeted therapies in locally advanced renal tumours. Evidence at the level of case reports suggests that down-sizing of large renal carcinomas is feasible and small surgical series have so far shown that later surgical tumour removal is not impaired by neoadjuvant treatment. It is at present, however, far too early to fully assess whether such neoadjuvant treatment has an impact on patient survival or quality of life.


Erythranthe trinitiensis Nesom, sp. nov. , is endemic essentially to the Trinity Alps of northwestern California (Humboldt, Siskyou, and Trinity cos .). It has been identified as E. pulsiferae but differs most consistently in corolla color and in ha ving inflated calyces. The two species apparently are closely sympatric at least in some areas. Erythranthe taylori Nesom, sp. nov. , apparently is narrowly endemic to limestone habitats in nor thwestern Shasta County. It is distinctive in its petiolate leaves with ovate blades, strongly herkoga mous flowers with distinctly 2-lipped corollas, and papillose calyx vestiture.


Oil and gas reservoirs in the Cowley Formation (upper Osagean to lower Meramecian) are within a thick (up to 400 ft [122 m]) section of spiculite-dominated rocks, derived from demosponges, deposited in a low-latitude setting. These rocks are present in the subsurface for 325 mi (523 km) along paleostrike in southern Kansas and some adjoining states. They represent a stratigraphically significant lithosome that markedly contrasts thin and areally restricted spiculitic rocks present in some Mississippian reservoirs elsewhere in the mid-continent. Cowley lithologies represent a low-gradient ramp, whereon (1) bedded spiculites were deposited in moderate-energy, shallow-water, inner-ramp settings; (2) lenticular-, nodular-, or flaser (L/N/F)-bedded spiculite and shale were moderate- to low-energy, progressively deeper-water medial-ramp deposits; and (3) dark shales are deepest-water, outer-ramp facies. The internal stratigraphic architecture of the unconformity-bounded Cowley identifies it as a depositional sequence with component deepening-upward basal strata (transgressive systems tract) overlain by shallowing-upward, progradational clinoforms (highstand systems tract). Sequence deposition was punctuated by several unconformities attending short periods of subaerial exposure. Suppression of otherwise warm, shallow-water carbonate production, and instead spiculite deposition, in this low-latitude setting was likely a consequence of elevated concentrations of dissolved silica and nutrients in the ambient marine environment. Three successive generations of silicification are recognized in the rocks. Early partial silicification is presumed to have begun in the marine environment, and ensuing silicification and attendant porosity formation were likely coincident with falling sea level as pore fluids evolved from being of mixed marine-meteoric to meteoric composition. Petroleum reservoirs mainly with vuggy porosity are present in relatively high-porosity bedded spiculites and less porous L/N/F-bedded rocks. Traps commonly are developed in structurally modified, subunconformity buried-hills and truncated, gently dipping strata. Reservoirs in the L/N/F-bedded rocks locally extend considerable distances downdip within individual clinoformal parasequences in the section, thereby locally creating thick gas-saturated reservoir columns. Because of its great subsurface extent, the Cowley section, commonly bypassed during drilling, offers considerable potential for as-yet discovered fields in the mid-continent.


In this modern world of 21st century our environment is struggling for endurance and survival and we human beings suffer from more and more physical and psychological stress and strains. We cannot always control them, but can find out the ways to face them and to this end Yoga is a good creation. The aim of yoga is achievement of physical, mental and spiritual harmony. Yoga is an internal expedition that creates an awareness and understanding of yourself and leads you to self transformation. It is a primordial science of self-development that filters your mind and body and sustains perfect balance and harmony between them. In other words, it is an art of controlling your mind, body and breath and unlocking the hidden potential energies. Yoga can be in meditation form and it could also be a form of physical exercise. Many human beings are so busy with their personal lives that they have even forgotten the correct way to breathe. Yoga is a way of life for good living and for the benefit of the body. Yoga is the only technique through which the body of any human being can be healthy without any trainer, equipment and medicine. Thus, my purpose of this paper makes an attempt to analyse the role and importance of Yoga in Modern times of 21st century as well as its effect on human beings in this contemporary times.


This article discusses the need to demystify the ethnographic investigation un - dertaken among indigenous groups who reside in the Mexican northwest, in semi-desert regions. The particularities of the ethnographic method, including the construction of the data, use of thick description, the need for a comprehensive attitude and the ethical-politi - cal-theoretical-ideological positioning of the investigator are explained. Furthermore the author describes, from her own personal experience in the ?eld, the importance of gender, willingness, and the physical resistance of the researcher, as well as the socio-political context of the investigation, all of which are important elements of good ethnographic observation in the Yaqui communities.


Background The pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccine RTS,S/AS02A has shown to confer protection against clinical malaria for at least 21 months in a trial in Mozambican children. Efficacy varied between different endpoints, such as parasitaemia or clinical malaria; however the underlying mechanisms that determine efficacy and its duration remain unknown. We performed a new, exploratory analysis to explore differences in the duration of protection among participants to better understand the protection afforded by RTS,S. Methodology/Principal Findings The study was a Phase IIb double-blind, randomized controlled trial in 2022 children aged 1 to 4 years. The trial was designed with two cohorts to estimate vaccine efficacy against two different endpoints: clinical malaria (cohort 1) and infection (cohort 2). Participants were randomly allocated to receive three doses of RTS,S/AS02A or control vaccines. We did a retrospective, unplanned sub-analysis of cohort 2 data using information collected for safety through the health facility-based passive case detection system. Vaccine efficacy against clinical malaria was estimated over the first six-month surveillance period (double-blind phase) and over the following 12 months (single-blind phase), and analysis was per-protocol. Adjusted vaccine efficacy against first clinical malaria episodes in cohort 2 was of 35.4% (95% CI 4.5–56.3; p = 0.029) over the double-blind phase and of 9.0% (−30.6–36.6; p = 0.609) during the single-blind phase. Conclusions/Significance Contrary to observations in cohort 1, where efficacy against clinical malaria did not wane over time, in cohort 2 the efficacy decreases with time. We hypothesize that this reduced duration of protection is a result of the early diagnosis and treatment of infections in cohort 2 participants, preventing sufficient exposure to asexual-stage antigens. On the other hand, the long-term protection against clinical disease observed in cohort 1 may be a consequence of a prolonged exposure to low-dose blood-stage asexual parasitaemia. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00197041


Abstract Sound symbolism is a non‐arbitrary correspondence between sound and meaning. The majority of studies on sound symbolism have focused on consonants and vowels, and the sound‐symbolic properties of suprasegmentals, particularly phonation types, have been largely neglected. This study examines the size and shape symbolism of four phonation types: modal and creaky voices, falsetto, and whisper. Japanese speakers heard 12 novel words (e.g., /íbi/, /ápa/) pronounced with the four types of phonation and rated the size and roundedness/pointedness each of the 48 stimuli seemed to represent on seven‐point scales. The results showed that phonation types as well as consonantal and vocalic features influenced the ratings. Creaky voice was associated with larger and more pointed images than modal voice, which was in turn associated with larger and more pointed images than whisper. Falsetto was also associated with roundedness but not with smallness. These results shed new light on the acoustic approaches to sound symbolism and suggest the significance of phonation types and other suprasegmental features in the phenomenon.