Natural gas generation in the U.S. electricity sector has grown substantially in recent years, while the sector's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have generally declined. This relationship highlights the concept of natural gas as a potential enabler of a transition to a lower-carbon future. This work considers that concept by using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Renewable Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model. ReEDS is a long-term capacity expansion model of the U.S. electricity sector. We examine the role of natural gas within the ReEDS modeling framework as increasingly strict carbon emission targets are imposed on the electricity sector. In addition to various natural gas price futures, we also consider scenarios that emphasize a low-carbon technology in order to better understand the role of natural gas if that low-carbon technology shows particular promise. Specifically, we consider scenarios with high amounts of energy efficiency (EE), low nuclear power costs, low renewable energy (RE) costs, and low carbon capture and storage (CCS) costs. Within these scenarios we find that requiring the electricity sector to lower CO2 emissions over time increases near-to-mid-term (through 2030) natural gas generation (see Figure 1 - left). The long-term (2050) role of natural gas generation in the electricity sectormore » is dependent on the level of CO2 emission reduction required. Moderate reductions in long-term CO2 emissions have relatively little impact on long-term natural gas generation, while more stringent CO2 emission limits lower long-term natural gas generation (see Figure 1 - right). More stringent carbon targets also impact other generating technologies, with the scenarios considered here seeing significant decreases in coal generation, and new capacity of nuclear and renewable energy technologies over time. Figure 1 also demonstrates the role of natural gas in the context of scenarios where a specific low-carbon technology is advantaged. In 2030, natural gas generation in the technology scenarios is quite similar to that in the reference scenarios, indicating relatively little change in the role of natural gas in the near-to-mid-term due to advancements in those technology areas. The 2050 natural gas generation shows more significant differences, suggesting that technology advancements will likely have substantial impacts on the role of natural gas in the longer-term timeframe. Natural gas generation differences are most strongly driven by alternative natural gas price trajectories--changes in natural gas generation in the Low NG Price and High NG Price scenarios are much larger than in any other scenario in both the 2030 and 2050 timeframes. The only low-carbon technology scenarios that showed any increase in long-term natural gas generation relative to the reference case were the Low CCS cost scenarios. Carbon capture and storage technology costs are currently high, but have the potential to allow fossil fuels to play a larger role in low-carbon grid. This work considers three CCS cost trajectories for natural gas and coal generators: a baseline trajectory and two lower cost trajectories where CO2 capture costs reach $40/metric ton and $10/metric ton, respectively. We find that in the context of the ReEDS model and with these assumed cost trajectories, CCS can increase the long-term natural gas generation under a low carbon target (see Figure 2). Under less stringent carbon targets we do not see ReEDS electing to use CCS as part of its electricity generating portfolio for the scenarios considered in this work.« less


The diagnostic and differential-diagnostic necessities that result from an epileptic seizure are presented in synoptic form: the most common cause of an initial attack is alcohol withdrawal, inflammatory processes or tumors. In known epileptics, irregular use (non-compliance) of the drugs prescribed--or an infection (GI tract infection with disordered absorption) may be the triggering factor. Attention is drawn to the importance of the determination of serum levels (of anti-epileptic drugs). The establishment of day profiles in known epileptics can reveal inadequate or irregular ingestion of prescribed drugs to be the causal factor.


New magnetic Ap stars with split Zeeman components are presented. These stars were discovered from observations with the Fibre-fed Extended Range Optical Spectrograph (FEROS) spectrograph at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) 2.2-m telescope. 15 new magnetic stars are analysed here. Several stars with very strong magnetic fields were found, including HD 70702 with a 15-kG magnetic field strength, and HD 168767 with a 16.5-kG magnetic field strength measured using split Zeeman components of spectral lines and by comparison with synthetic calculations. The physical parameters of the stars were estimated from photometric and spectroscopic data. Together with previously published results for stars with strong magnetic fields, the relationship between magnetic field strength and rotation period is discussed.


Objective: To verify the effect of low energy laser irradiation (LELI) on the regeneration of injured sciatic nerve of the rat by showing the functional improvement and the elevated immunoreactivities (IRs) of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43). Method: Twenty rats, which had standardized compression injuries to the sciatic nerves, received the calculated LELI therapy immediately after the nerve injury and four consecutive days. The functional status was evaluated by sciatic functional index (SFI), and GAP-43-IRs was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Results: The SFI was recovered in LELI rats faster than in the control group. Although expression of GAP-43 in the injured sciatic nerve was increased both in the LELI and control groups, the intensities of GAP-43-IRs were much greater in LELI treated group at 1 and 3 weeks after nerve injury. Both SFI and GAP-43-IRs reached the same level at 5 weeks after the nerve injury. Conclusion: LELI enhanced the neural regeneration after experimentally induced sciatic nerve injury at the early stage of recovery. Considering the effect of LELI on nerve regeneration was not fully explained until now, this study could suggest the meaningful explanation on the mechanism of LELI effectiveness on neural regeneration.


BACKGROUND
Recently, single nucleotide polymorphisms were proposed as potentially new predictors for perioperative risks, such as myocardial infarction and organ dysfunction. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether IL-6 -572C/G, IL-10 -1082A/G, and TNF-alpha -308G/A were associated with acute lung injury after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

MATERIAL/METHODS
One hundred patients with acute lung injury at 24 hours after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and 112 patients without acute lung injury as controls were included. Genotyping assay was performed with real-time fluorescence-based allele-specific PCR. Serum levels of IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-alpha were also determined by ELISA. Associations between these polymorphisms and acute lung injury, as well as serum cytokine levels, were analyzed. All patients were genotyped for IL-6 -572C/G, IL-10 -1082A/G, and TNF-alpha -308G/A. Circulating level of these cytokines were also determined.

RESULTS
Acute lung injury after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass was associated with IL-6 -572C/G polymorphism, but not IL-10 -1082A/G or TNF-alpha -308G/A. This functional polymorphism was further confirmed by multivariate analyses. The ratio of circulating concentrations of IL-10/IL-6 was associated with IL-6 genotypes and incidence of acute lung injury as well.

CONCLUSIONS
The IL-6 -572 polymorphism was associated with acute lung injury after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory imbalance might be the clinical significance of IL-6 polymorphism (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00826072).


In large-scale emergency scenarios, massive content for searching, asking for help, and rescue will be generated and transmitted in intelligent Internet of vehicular things (IIoVT). However, IP-networks-based emergency systems make rescue decisions on remote emergency centers, leading to inefficient content dissemination and a high-latency response. Moreover, a few previous works address trust issues in the emergency systems, resulting in fake content and malicious emergency services. To address abovementioned challenges, we propose an emergent semantic-based information-centric fog system, which realizes trustworthy and intelligent emergency analysis and management. First, we design an efficient emergency content dissemination network for aggregating and analyzing emergency information. Besides, we propose a semantic-based trustworthy routing scheme that filters fake content from malicious entities. Moreover, we implement a real testbed and a simulator to evaluate the benefit and performance of the proposed system. The results show that the proposed system achieves a short average semantic analyzing time and a low failure rate of emergency services.


Phosphogypsum (CaS04), a by -product of phosphoric acid production from rock phosphate is a potential source of calcium and sulfur for plants, as well as an ameliorant for alkaline and sodic soils. Phosphogypsum production worldwide exceeds 150 million Mg annually, with only about 4 percent being used in agriculture and industry and the rest being dumped into the ocean or stock piled as a waste. Florida leads in the production of phosphogypsum in the United States with an annual production of 33 million Mg and about 600 million Mg in stacks, and a projection of 1 billion Mg by the year 2000. This paper will discuss the various agronomic uses of phosphogypsum (i.e. source of nutrients for plants, conditioner for sodic soils, hard-setting clay soils and subsoil hardpans, and the acidifying benefits on high pH soils to help alleviate micronutrient deficiencies). This paper will also discuss any potential environmental hazards to be concerned with from using phosphogypsum in agriculture


Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess, Calophyllaceae, is of great interest in folk medicine and is used in the treatment of various diseases such as diabetes. Granules containing the hydroethanolic extract from the stem bark of C. brasiliense were obtained. The polyphenol content was standardized, and the average weight, disintegration, and the dissolution profiles of the capsules were determined after encapsulation. The capsules had an average weight of 574.5±8.0 mg. In vitro tests showed that the most efficient disintegration profile was in hydrochloric acid buffer (pH 1.2), with a capsule disintegration time within 9 min. The dissolution analysis showed a better uniformity of capsule content release when the test was performed in a hydrochloric acid buffer (pH 1.2), with a maximal release rate at 15 min (giving a polyphenol content of 4.38%, which corresponds to a concentration of 0.0080 mg/mL). In distilled water, the maximal release was reached at 20 min (giving a polyphenol content of 5.41%, which is equivalent to 0.0105 mg/mL). In phosphate buffer, the maximal release of capsule contents was reached at the end of the dissolution assay (30 min), with the lowest amount of released polyphenols (3.61%, which corresponds to a concentration of 0.0070 mg/mL). The encapsulated form of the hydroethanolic extract of C. brasiliense was shown to have the necessary traits of a desirable delivery agent, and the dissolution test was an effective analysis of this material's polyphenol release profile for the specific dosage form.


Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the respective impacts of the surface energy and surface roughness of bare and coated steels on biofouling and sanitisation. Bioadhesion of Staphylococcus aureus CIP 53.154 was studied on two stainless steel surfaces with smooth or specific micro-topography. Two coatings were also studied: silicon oxide (hydrophilic) and polysiloxane (hydrophobic). On smooth surfaces, adhesion was reduced on an apolar coating and cell viability increased with the surface polarity. A specific micro-topography decreased the level of bacterial adhesion on bare surfaces by a factor ten. On this surface, only single adherent cells were observed, contrasting with cells in clusters on smoother surfaces. As a consequence, cell repartition influenced bacterial viability. Most isolated adherent cells were dead whereas cells in clusters were still alive. In addition, the quaternary ammonium chloride used in sanitisation, acted at once both as a tensio-active molecule and a biocide. It only displaced adherent cells but did not remove them.


The article deals with the conceptual model of state regulation of production and turnoverof alcoholic products based on the systemic and complex application of administrativeand legal forms and methods of regulation, as well as mechanisms of public control andself-regulation, with the interaction of state authorities with subjects not endowed withstate-power authorities, but fulfilling certain functions of public legal nature, namely withself-regulating organizations and public associations. Currently, the main tasks of stateregulation of production and turnover of alcoholic products are to reduce the shadowmarket segment, protect the morality and health of citizens, as well as reduce the levelof consumption of alcoholic beverages. In the current conditions of the development ofthe alcohol industry, the administrative bodies will not be able to solve these tasks andcompletely legalize the alcohol market without interacting with its participants and society,which will require further modernization of the system of state regulation of the industry.It is substantiated that the development of self-regulation and public control mechanismsis an objective necessity of introducing new forms of struggle against illegal turnover ofalcoholic products in the system of state regulation of the alcohol market. Public controland self-regulation will reduce the degree of excessive state interference in the alcoholindustry, increase efficiency and optimize state control, ensure the balance of state,public and private interests, take into account the position of the business community inmaking decisions on the regulation of the alcohol market. In order for self-regulation tobe an effective and effective tool in the mechanism of administrative and legal regulationof the turnover of alcoholic beverages, the state should create conditions for encouragingmarket participants to voluntarily unite in self-regulating organizations. Meanwhile, atpresent the legislator does not create mechanisms that motivate the development ofvoluntary self-regulation in the alcohol market. To develop this form of self-regulation,which is the most acceptable for the alcohol industry, it is necessary to introduce anadministrative-legal regime to stimulate market participants. In addition, the existinginstruments of public control do not allow fully exerting regulatory influence on legalrelations in the production and turnover of alcoholic beverages, since the legislation doesnot sufficiently define the legal basis for their activities. The necessity of establishing inthe law the procedure for exercising public control on the alcohol market is substantiated.


The management of NSCLC has undergone a paradigm shift in the last 5 years with the survival advantage demonstrated by the addition of bevacizumab to standard frontline platinum-based doublet specifically, paclitaxel and carboplatin. The increased toxicity observed in patients with squamous histology and in elderly patients treated with angiogenesis-targeting agents has led to even greater scrutiny of other subpopulations of patients. Although recently, several anti- angiogenetic agents have been developed and tested in clinical trials, bevacizumab remains the only vascular- targeted agents to show overall survival benefit when combined with a cytotoxic agent in the frontline setting. The realization of the potential promise of personalized medicine requires that the appropriate treatment be given to the most appropriate group of patients. Given the modest benefit and the significant toxicity associated with the use of anti- angiogenesis agents in NSCLC patients, it is highly desirable that predictive markers of response and or toxicity be established to assist in the optimal selection of patients. Although a number of plasma-, tissue- and genomic-based markers have been explored, none of these has been robust or sensitive enough to reproducibly discriminate responding from non-responding patients. The presence of squamous differentiation on histologic evaluation remains the only established marker that predicts for increased risk of hemorrhagic complications. In this review, we discuss data establishing the role of angiogenesis-targeting agents and the clinical value of putative markers of angiogenesis.


Purpose
Abdominal pain is the most common reason for surgical referral. Imaging, aids early diagnosis and treatment. However unnecessary requests are associated with increased costs, radiation exposure and increased length of stay. Pathways can improve the quality of the diagnostic process. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the current evidence for diagnostic pathways and their use of imaging and effect on final outcomes.

Data sources
A systematic search of Embase, Medline and Cochrane databases was performed using keywords and MeSH terms for abdominal pain.

Study selection
All papers describing a pathway and published between January 2000 and January 2017 were included.

Data extraction
Data was obtained about the use of imaging, complications and length of stay. Quality assessment was performed using MINORS and Level of Evidence.

Results
Ten articles were included, each describing a different pathway. Five studies based the pathway on literature reviews alone and five studies on the results of their prospective study. Of the latter five studies, four showed that routine imaging increased diagnostic accuracy, but without showing a reduction in length of stay, complication rate or mortality. None of the studies included evaluated use of hospital resources or costs.

Conclusion
Pathways incorporating routine imaging will improve early diagnosis, but has not been proven to reduce complication rates or hospital length of stay. On the basis of this systematic review conclusions can therefore not be drawn about the pathways described and their benefit to the diagnostic process for patients presenting with abdominal pain.


Previous investigators have reported that amount and quality of sleep are reduced in the shiftworker. The finding that night and morning shifts lead to shortened sleeping hours is replicated in this study. Overall sleeping time, however, was not found to be different for workers on different shift schedules or for shiftworkers and nonshiftworkers. The correlation between length and quality of sleep was very low. Length of sleep was not predicted well by factors such as stress at work, noisiness of sleeping room, drinking coffee, and smoking cigarettes, although these and similar predictors were strongly related to quality of sleep. Shiftwork was found to have a consistent effect on quality of sleep, even when other variables were controlled. quality of sleep, even when other variables were controlled.


: The percentage of E-rosette forming T-lymphocytes is considerably decreased in a number of patients with severe form of lung tuberculosis, particularly in those with tuberculous empyema of the pleura (28.5% to 38%). After in vitro incubation of lymphocytes from those patients with thymosin V fraction T-lymphocytes restored normal.


Universities in Latin America commonly gather much more information about their students than allowed by data protection regulations in other parts of the world. We have tackled the question of whether abundant socio-economic data can be harnessed for the purpose of predicting academic outcomes and, thereby, taking proactive actions in student attention, course planning and resource management. A study was conducted to analyze the data gathered by a private university in Ecuador over more than 20 years, to normalize them and to parameterize a Multi-Layer Perceptron neural network, whose best-performing configuration would be used as a benchmark for the comparison of more recent and sophisticated Artificial Intelligence techniques. However, an extensive scan of hyperparameters for the perceptron—exploring more than 12,000 configurations—revealed no significant relationships between the input variables and the chosen metrics, suggesting that there is no gain from processing the extensive socio-economic data. This finding contradicts the expectations raised by previous works in the related literature and in some cases highlights important methodological flaws.


Over the past three decades, technological advances for monitoring wild animals have expanded the ability of ecologists to study animal behavior and space use. Currently, researchers are deploying animal-borne video and environmental data collection systems (AVEDs), which enable researchers to see what the animal sees in the field. AVEDs record fine-scale movements as well as features of the surrounding environment and thus provide essential context for understanding animal decisions and interactions with other individuals. These fine-scale data are often crucial for understanding potential conservation threats to species of concern. Here, we discuss the development and research potential offered by AVEDs. The benefits of AVEDs are greatest in hypothesis-driven studies that require a fine-scale perspective that other technologies cannot offer.


Comment: The abstract is quite lengthly and maybe not very focused on the core content of the paper itself. For example the part about improving meteorological models, volcanic explosion detection is tool long and would better suit in the introduction than in the abstract. Same about the fact that the IMS is supposed to detect 1 KT explosions, information about waveguides, etc. I would suggest to move all this in the Introduction. The key message in the abstract should probably be that a high-quality dataset is made available to the scientific community. Then the authors could briefly describe the dataset and then list all the possible/foreseen applications of this dataset.


The authors present a successfully operated case of a Bochdalek hernia in an adult. This type of diaphragmatic hernia mostly occurs in infants, it is a rarity in adults. A 41-year-old woman was admitted with emergency because of right upper abdominal and dorsal pain. In her previous history, there was not any trauma or known congenital diaphragmatic defect. Her laboratory tests were normal except for anaemia. Chest X-ray was negative, abdominal X-ray showed dilated bowels between the liver and the diaphragm with suspicion of free abdominal air. Chest and abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a right dorsal diaphragmatic hernia with an incarcerated part of small intestine. Physical examination revealed no abdominal tenderness, but she had severe dorsal and upper abdominal pain. She underwent an urgent operation. An abdominal approach (upper horizontal laparotomy) was performed. No hernia sac was present. Approximately 40 cm incarcerated ileum was removed from the thoracic cavity. Due to the immediate expansion of the lungs, thoracostomy tube was not inserted. The diaphragm was sutured, the necrotised small bowel was resected and an end-to-end anastomosis was performed. During the post-operative period, small pneumothorax occurred, but no intervention was needed, it healed spontaneously. The patient was discharged on the 10th day after operation. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(26): 1047-1051.


Objective: To investigate physical activity among older people living alone in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, and key factors contributing to their physical activity. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered in nine communities in Shanghai, using a stratified random cluster sample: 521 community-dwelling older people living alone (aged 60 years and above) completed a structured questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. Their physical activity was measured using their self-reported frequency of engaging in different types of activities. Other data collected included self-rated health, number of chronic diseases, depression, functional ability, loneliness, social support and socio-demographic variables. Results: Only 16.7% of participants reported adequate physical activity, defined as performing at least 30 minutes of moderate/strenuous exercise on at least 5 days per week. A younger age, a lower level of education, better functional ability and walking outside the home 5 – 7 days per week increased the likelihood of adequate physical activity. Gender, self-rated health, number of chronic diseases, depression and social support also had relationships with physical activity levels. Conclusion: The prevalence of adequate physical activity in older people living alone in Shanghai was low. In this population, appropriate health education interventions to promote physical activity levels are needed.


The delivery of digital multimedia data over wireless networks enables many useful consumer applications such as home entertainment. However, there are many performance-related issues associated with the delivery of time-sensitive multimedia content over current wireless communication systems such as those using the IEEE 802.11 standards. Among the most significant issues are the high error rates, because of the media characteristics, and signal attenuation with distance. In this paper, we present a robust digital baseband processor using hybrid channel estimation for wireless home audio-video receivers operating on an IEEE 802.11g wireless local area network (WLAN). The proposed hybrid channel estimation is a combined decision-directed and pilot-assisted method for perfect channel state information (CSI). Experimental results show that the proposed method increases system performance by about 3 dB over the least squares (LS) scheme at 100-ns root mean square (RMS) delay.


Photon number squeezing of spectrally filtered optical solitons has been observed in the sub-picosecond regime, where the Raman effect changes the internal quantum structure of each pulse. 160 fs pulses were propagated down a 10 m optical fibre of anomalous group velocity dispersion. At energies below the soliton energy subsequent spectral filtering with an optical band-pass squeezed the directly detected photocurrent fluctuations to 3.2 ± 0.1 dB (52%) below the shot-noise limit. This implies 4.5 dB (65%) of soliton photon number squeezing, if detection losses are taken into account. Using a spectral edge filter the spectral components of the pulses are shown to contribute asymmetrically to the squeezing due to stimulated Raman scattering.


Y. Li Professor Department of Electromechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR 999078, China; School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China e-mail: email@example.com Modeling and Control Analysis of a 3-PUPU Dual Compliant Parallel Manipulator for Micro Positioning and Active Vibration Isolation


Photoionization efficiency curves for Bin (n ⩽ 4) in their threshold region (7.05 to 8.40 eV) have been measured by using synchrotron radiation, which crosses a molecular beam coupled with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Resonance lines due to autoionization are observed only for the monomer. The photoionization spectrum of Bi2 shows a depletion of intensity, which indicates a predissociation of Bi2 to Bi+ + Bi. Bi3 and Bi4 show only slowly varying profiles.


Cucurbits are major economically important species of plants; particularly those with edible fruits having nutritional significance. The present work was to investigate the polyphenolic content and antioxidant capacity of peels and pulps of four cucurbit fruits, namely pumpkin, ash gourd, watermelon and muskmelon. The solvent systems used were methanol, ethanol and acetone at three different concentrations in distilled water (50, 70, and 100%) and 100% distilled water. The extracts were analyzed for their total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant activities using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power assay (FRAP assay), DPPH free radical-scavenging assay and ABTS radical scavenging capacity. The result showed that the highest extraction was by 50% acetone in case of peels and 50% ethanol in case of pulp. The best solvent was 50% acetone as it gave highest yield as well as showed highest correlation between various assays. The polyphenolic content and the antioxidant activity were high in peels than pulps. The muskmelon fruit extracts (peel and pulp) showed highest antioxidant activity. High polyphenolic content showed significant correlation with high antioxidant activity. The result indicated that these cucurbit fruit are good source of natural antioxidants which can be utilized as an ingredient to functional foods.


Going far beyond your typical coffee-table book, art history tome, or balletomane's souvenir, Degas and the Dance explores a happy marriage, or better yet ménage à trois, among artist, art medium, and subject. Edgar Degas: sublime spokesman of Impressionism— momentary light, sensuous surface, passing sensations, the visual layer of experience. What better subject than the ballet to capture an ephemeral impression, a tentative step, a lost look, a milieu, to document the almost lost passage of time? But in the dance Degas sought something else as well, lasting imprints of the body, classical genotypes of the human form, ancestral spirits, something real beyond one's own impressions of it. This temporal paradox was ever at play in his work, only one of many paradoxes: realism and subjectivism engaged in a battle of wits; theatrically adorned bodies presented in unadorned poses; an anti-establishment artist depicting the danse d'école; anti-spectacle in the unprepared moment and the unpredictable asymmetry of bodies awaiting their turn in the sun. Was Degas after the sudden impulse? That would be too dramatic. More precisely, he recorded waiting. Watching, yawning, aching, scratching, bending, fixing—in the tedium of hours of training—practicing, rehearsing, striving, watching, waiting, shifting, adjusting, wondering what time it was. For what purpose? To initiate the viewer into the real regimen of art-making: to practice for hours in the studio, to exert infinite strokes to render the true


The displacements caused by the cardiac and respiratory motions cause smearing of the dose distribution that defeats the purpose of high precision radiotherapy. A phontom that holds a gel cylinder and radiochromic film, was designed and developed to simulate the respiratory motion in the superior and inferior directions. The effect of lung movement on dose distribution was studied by exposing gel as well as a radiochromic film using the phantom. The results obtained with Gel was comparable to those obtained with the radiochromic films.


Dens invaginatus is a developmental variation in the formation of a tooth that causes changes in the internal anatomy of the tooth. The presence of double dens invaginatus is extremely rare. Understanding the type, extension, and complex morphology of dens invaginatus is essential. Diagnosis of this condition using conventional radiographic techniques is not easy. Advanced imaging techniques, such as cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) are very helpful in diagnosis of these complex anatomic variations. In the present case report, we demonstrate the use of CBCT in the evaluation and treatment planning of bilateral maxillary dens invaginatus, of which one presented as a case of double dens.


The article examines the phenomenon of bullying among students in basic education (elementary-middle school and high school) in Minas Gerais' public schools. The empirical analysis relies on data obtained from 5,300 students and 243 teachers during 2012 and 2013. The data has been analyzed based on general linear hierarchical models. The probability of incidence of bullying was estimated based on a two-level structure, one looking at individuals and one at schools. The findings that show the distribution of bullying are explained, on an individual level, by the quality of the bond between student and school and by the practice of deviant behaviors; and on the school level, by contextual characteristics such as the general sense of satisfaction, quality of teacher-student relationships and methods of conflict restraint.


Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an intractable genetic muscular disorder characterized by the loss of DYSTROPHIN. The restoration of DYSTROPHIN is expected to be a curative therapy for DMD. Because muscle stem cells (MuSCs) can regenerate damaged myofibers with full-length DYSTROPHIN in vivo, their transplantation is being explored as such a therapy. As for the transplanted cells, primary satellite cells have been considered, but donor shortage limits their clinical application. We previously developed a protocol that differentiates induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to MuSCs (iMuSCs). To ameliorate the respiratory function of DMD patients, cell transplantation to the diaphragm is necessary but difficult, because the diaphragm is thin and rapidly moves. In the present study, we explored the transplantation of iMuSCs into the diaphragm. First, we show direct cell injection into the diaphragm of mouse was feasible. Then, to enhance the engraftment of the transplanted cells in a rapidly moving diaphragm, we mixed polymer solutions of hyaluronic acid, alginate and gelatin to the cell suspension, finding a solution of 20% dissolved hyaluronic acid and 80% dissolved gelatin improved the engraftment. Thus, we established a method for cell transplantation into mouse diaphragm and show that an injectable hyaluronic acid-gelatin solution enables the engraftment of iMuSCs in the diaphragm.


Robust high-fidelity parity measurment is an important operation in many applications of quantum computing. In this work we show how in a circuit-QED architecture, one can measure parity in a single shot at very high contrast by taking advantage of the nonlinear behavior of a strongly driven microwave cavity coupled to one or multiple qubits. We work in a nonlinear dispersive regime treated in an exact dispersive transformation. We show that appropriate tuning of experimental parameters leads to very high contrast in the cavity and therefore to a high efficiency parity readout with a microwave photon counter or another amplitude detector. These tuning conditions are based on nonlinearity and are hence more robust than previously described linear tuning schemes. In the first part of the paper we show in detail how to achieve this for two qubit parity measurements and extend this to $N$ qubits in the second part of the paper. We also study the QNDness of the protocol.


The backscattered electron signal (BSE) is widely used for investigation of specimen surfaces in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The development of multiple detector systems for BSE signal detection and the methods of digital processing of these signals have allowed for reconstruction of the third dimension on the basis of the two-dimensional (2-D) SEM image. A technique for simultaneous mapping of material composition (COMPO mode) and reconstruction of surface topography (TOPO mode) has also been proposed. This method is based on the measurements of BSE currents sensed by four semiconductor detectors versus the inclination angle of surface. To improve the separation of topographic and material contrasts in SEM, a correction of the TOPO and COMPO modes (resulting from a theoretical description of the system: electron beam, specimen, and detector) was applied. The proposed method can be used for a correct reconstruction of the surface image when the surface slope is <60 degrees. The measuring limit of the slope was closely connected with the detector setup. Next, the digital simulation of the colors was performed (after application of the method of linearization of BSE characteristic versus atomic number). This procedure to increase the SEM resolution for the BSE signal by use of digital image processing allows for a better distinction between the two elements with high atomic numbers.


ABSTRACT This paper briefly overviews my research in supporting children to learn number concepts by relating number words, research-based visual supports, and math symbols. I first outline my approach to helping children build relationships between the use of concrete materials and the building of abstract concepts. I then focus on two crucial early aspects of building meanings for numbers: (1) understanding break-apart partners such as 5=3+2 that support addition and subtraction with small numbers and children's moving on to Level 2 counting on and algebraic problem representations, and (2) the use of visual five-groups in understanding numbers 1–1000 and in drawings to support multi-digit computations. The research-based learning path of visual-spatio supports is shown and discussed for each topic, including examples of children's math drawings for representing word problems algebraically and for multi-digit computations. I have found math drawings to be a key visual support that helps children transition to working meaningfully with symbols and words alone. I close with a brief discussion of the difficulties children have with the number line. This overview can provide a framework within which future research on number learning by individuals with trisomy 21/Down syndrome can proceed.


Abstract This study compares the performance of cup vs. propeller anemometers from surface-following taut-line moorings in the equatorial Pacific. Vector wind components at 4 m above the sea surface were measured from a mooring instrumented with a cup anemometer and concurrently from a nearby mooring instrumented with a propeller anemometer. Mean wind conditions over the 115-day comparison period were typical of the southeast trade winds with a mean speed of 6.7 m s−1 and a steadiness factor of 0.96. Differences between the time series measured by the two wind sensors were small. Mean speed differed by 0.02 m s−1 and mean direction by 1.4°. Correlation coefficients for 2-hour vector-averaged zonal component, meridional component, speed and direction were 0.97 or above. The small differences in measurements imply that the two systems are equally suited for near-surface wind observations under typical tradewind conditions.


The differences between shame and guilt are explored, with a focus on experiential and developmental factors and on behavioral reactions to these emotions. The role of shame as a motive for suicidal behavior is illustrated with examples of suicidal behavior in Greek tragedy, Asian cultures, and jails, and among contemporary suicides, such as that in 1996 by Admiral Mike Boorda, Chief of U.S. Naval Operations.


Attachment insecurity is consequential for both personal and relationship wellbeing. Some research has documented that partner buffering can downregulate insecure individuals' immediate feelings of distress, allowing them to feel more secure at least temporarily. The benefits of partner buffering, however, may be limited by several contextual factors. In this article, we identify boundary conditions that may curb or amplify the benefits of partner buffering for both targets (those who receive buffering) and agents (those who enact buffering). We suggest that motivation, ability, and timing may all affect partner buffering outcomes for targets and agents. If partner buffering is delivered in an adaptive way that does not reinforce the target's insecure tendencies, it may help insecure targets learn that they can trust and depend on their partners (agents), which may facilitate greater security in targets. We recommend that future research consider these contextual factors and examine partner buffering as an inherently dyadic relationship process capable of enhancing attachment security.


Many important high throughput projects use in situ gene expression detection technology and require the analysis of images of spatial cross sections of organisms taken at cellular level resolution. Projects creating gene expression atlases at unprecedented scales for the embryonic fruit fly as well as the embryonic and adult mouse already involve the analysis of hundreds of thousands of high resolution experimental images. We present an end-to-end approach for processing raw in situ expression imagery and performing subsequent analysis. We use a nonlinear image registration technique specifically adapted for mapping expression images to anatomical annotations and a method for extracting expression information within an anatomical region. We also present a new approach for jointly clustering the rows and columns of a matrix and we relate clustered patterns to Gene Ontology (GO) annotations. Our approach should be applicable to a variety of in situ experiments but we focus here on imagery and experiments of the mouse brain – an application with tremendous potential for increasing our fundamental understanding of neural information processing systems.


To gain insights into the function of potential post-translational modifications on the activity of the Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)-encoded silencing suppressor protein 2b, one predicted phosphorylation site (S40) and two predicted ubiquitination/sumoylation sites (K22 and K39) in CMV-Q2b protein were individually or simultaneously mutated by site-directed mutagenesis methods. These Q2b mutants were inserted into plant expression vectors, expressed in plant leaves, and then analyzed for their silencing suppressor activities. The results showed that S40A mutation greatly impaired both the local and systemic silencing suppressor activity, and the K22R mutation has no significant effect on the suppressor activity, while the K22R/K39R double mutation reduced the systemic silencing suppressor activity. To test if the decrease of suppressor activity were due to protein accumulation changes, western blot were performed to monitor the protein level of Q2b mutants. The results indicated that mutations of both K22 and K39 to R or S40 to A all significantly reduced the accumulation of the Q2b protein in plants, while the single mutation of K22 to R did not alter the accumulation of Q2b protein, suggesting that two potential post-translational modification sites, K39 and S40, contribute to the suppressor activity and stability of 2b protein in plant cells.


Primary hypertension is associated with decreased performance on neurocognitive testing and a blunted cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia. Parents of 14 children with hypertension and prehypertension completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions. Children underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and transcranial Doppler with reactivity measurement using time-averaged maximum mean velocity and end-tidal carbon dioxide during hypercapnia-rebreathing test. Comparing the reactivity slope for the patients to historical controls showed a statistically significant difference (t = –5.19, df = 13, P < .001), with lower slopes. Pearson correlations of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions scores with the reactivity slopes showed a statistically significant inverse relationship with Behavioral Regulation Index (r = –.60, P = .02), Metacognition Index (r = –.40, P = .05), and the Global Executive Component (r = –.53, P = .05). Children with hypertension have decreased executive function, and this correlates to low transcranial Doppler-reactivity slopes, suggesting that the brain is a target organ in hypertensive children.


Lot of issues associated with grid-connected PV system have appeared. One of the issues is the variations of grid impedance. In the traditional real and reactive power calculations, the resistance of the transmission line is usually neglected. But, the resistance of the distribution line may not be negligible. In a distribution network, the R/X ratio varies between 0.5 and 7. The variations in the resistance may affect the system stability. This study presents two models of a gridconnected PV system to address the effects of the grid resistance on the system. A mathematical model is built to determine the power equations, and then, power is calculated. MATLAB is used to implement the mathematical model. Also, a Simulation model is designed and simulated in SIMPLIS to calculate the power. A set of studies is performed for both models to determine the grid resistance effects. The results from both models are plotted and compared.


The thesis revisits the innovations that have reshaped financial markets since the 1970s in order to access their contemporary efficacy in shaping the space-time of the market as well as those of politics and social relations.

The future emerges today within a derivative paradigm – the implementation of data-intensive, algorithmic processes based on scientific modelling and mathematical equations that allow the dynamic recalibration of contingent claims at present. Financial markets are exposed to volatility, which corresponds to uncertainty. Risk, defined as "measurable uncertainty" (Knight, 10921), is the powerful tool that keeps the complex circulation of leveraged capital operating (primarily by applying probability calculus to random or historic data).

The promise of history succumbs to a quantitative archive of data whose "sense" is to produce claims on probable futures at present. The thesis argues that the derivative paradigm by the power given to financial markets has effectively been re-orienting not only market relations but social relations as well. As this derivative condition includes every underlying and derivative (all expectations traded) in their complex and volatile interrelation, the market regime – both embodying and exceeding the neoliberal framework– expands the derivative paradigm into society and the contingent becoming of subjectivities.

While the thesis proposes a critique of the derivative condition, the practice part explores the "aesthetics of resolution." This postdisciplinary project works through the semantic field of the term – from visualization technologies to knowledge-production to decision-making – in order to propose an expanded and radical form of artistic engagement.

The question for both the theoretical and the practice part is whether derivatives are a technology and ultimately not confined to capitalism. Can they serve the needs and desires within complex societies? Can they help us decide which risks we should avoid and which risks we can embrace for the common good?


ABSTRACT The gonyaulacean family Protoceratiaceae is characterised by five precingular plates. It currently encompasses the type genus Ceratocorys and the fossil genus Atopodinium. Fourteen strains of Ceratocorys, Pentaplacodinium, and Protoceratium were established from Malaysian and Hawaiian waters, and their morphologies were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. Two new species, Ceratocorys malayensis sp. nov. and Pentaplacodinium usupianum sp. nov., were described from Malaysian waters. They share a Kofoidean plate formula of Po, Pt, 3ʹ, 1a, 6ʹʹ, 6C, 6S, 5ʹʹʹ, 1p, 1ʹʹʹʹ. Ceratocorys malayensis has a short first apical plate (1ʹ) with no direct contact with the anterior sulcal plate (Sa) whereas Pentaplacodinium usupianum had a parallelogram-shaped 1ʹ plate which often contacted the Sa plate. The genera Ceratocorys and Pentaplacodinium were emended accordingly to incorporate species bearing five or six precingular plates. The Protoceratium strain from Hawaii was morphologically similar to P. reticulatum, but differed in the lack of a ventral pore in plate 1′ and slight or lack of contact between plates 1′ and Sa, and is here designated as P. cf. reticulatum. The maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses based on SSU, LSU and ITS ribosomal DNA sequences revealed that these three genera are monophyletic and form a well-resolved group. Our results support Protoceratium and Pentaplacodinium as members of the family Protoceratiaceae, characterised by the presence of one anterior intercalary plate. Seven strains of Protoceratium cf. reticulatum, Ceratocorys malayensis and Pentaplacodinium usupianum were examined for yessotoxin production by LC-MS/MS but none produced a detectable amount of toxin.


South African forests provide a variety of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) ranging from building materials to food and medicinal products. Economically speaking, the NTFPs sustain the rural and peri-urban poor in meeting their subsistence needs; about 85% of households in rural South Africa use NTFPs in their daily lives. The shortage of NTFPs is bound to intensify the impacts on rural poor. It is to be noted that continual under-reporting of NTFPs from forests and woodlands has resulted into lesser importance being attached to them in the national accounting; consequently their role in supporting livelihoods and food security is also undermined at the policy formation stage. NTFPs can play a bigger role in South Africa by mitigating the effects of hunger and malnutrition and engendering rural development. The study highlights challenges that South Africa faces to develop the NTFP sector to leverage the rural development objective and suggests a policy framework which can attain it

 Key words: Non-timber forest products (NTFPs), South Africa, millennium development goal, policy, medicinal, forests.


This paper addresses the problem of structure and motion from silhouettes for turntable sequences. Previous works have exploited corresponding points induced by epipolar tangencies to estimate the image invariants under turntable motion and recover the epipolar geometry. In these approaches, however, camera intrinsics are needed in order to obtain Euclidean motion and reconstruction. This paper proposes a novel approach to precisely estimate the image invariants and the rotation angles in the absence of the camera intrinsics, and to perform auto-calibration. By exploiting a special parameterization of the epipoles, it is shown that the imaged circular points can be formulated in terms of the image invariants. A fixed scalar κ, introduced to account for the different scales in the homogeneous representations of the image invariants used in the parameterizations, is found crucial in both calibration and motion estimation. Given the image invariants, namely the horizon, the imaged rotation axis and its orthogonal vanishing point, this scalar can be determined from the epipoles in an image triplet. A robust method for estimatingκ is proposed and the rotation angles can be recovered using this estimated value of κ. All the estimated variables are then refined using bundle-adjustment and auto-calibration is performed using the imaged circular points, the imaged rotation axis and the associated vanishing point. This allows the recovery of the full camera positions and orientations, and hence Euclidean reconstruction. Experimental results demonstrate the simplicity of this novel approach and the high precision in the estimated motion and reconstruction.


Character fonts on raster scanned display devices are usually represented by arrays of bits that are displayed as a matrix of black and white dots. This paper reviews a filtering and sampling method as applied to characters for building multiple bit per pixel arrays. These arrays can be used as alternative character representations for use on devices with gray scale capability. Discussed in this paper are both the filtering algorithms that are used to generate gray scale fonts and some consequences of using gray levels for the representation of fonts including:
 1. The apparent resolution of the display is increased when using gray scale fonts allowing smaller fonts to be used with higher apparent positional accuracy and readability. This is especially important when using low resolution displays.
 2. Fonts of any size and orientation can be generated automatically from suitable high precision representations. This automatic generation removes the tedious process of "bit tuning" fonts for a given display.


In this issue, Chehadi and colleagues are presenting the results of a brain imaging study on the neural correlates of thought suppression (TS) in patients with chronic low back pain (Chehadi et al., 2018). Correlations between regional gray matter volume (GMV) and TS scores revealed a positive association in the right medial temporal gyrus (MTG) and negative associations in the left superior and middle temporal gyrii (STG/MTG), right postcentral gyrus, and left precuneus. This study adds onto an ever-growing body of studies examining brain characteristics associated with chronic pain, as well as chronic pain-related variables such as personality traits or attitudes towards pain. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Background Low birth weight (LBW) infants constitute a vulnerable subset of infants with impaired immunity in early life. In India, there is scarcity of studies that focus on immunization practices in such infants. This analysis aimed to examine immunization practices in LBW infants with the intention to identify areas requiring intervention. Methods Data on immunization status of LBW infants enrolled in an individually randomized, double–masked, placebo–controlled trial of neonatal vitamin A supplementation were analysed. Study outcomes were full immunization by one year of age and delayed vaccination with DPT1 and DPT3. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with the outcome(s). Findings Out of 10 644 LBW infants enrolled in trial, immunization data were available for 10 517 (98.8%). Less than one–third (29.7%) were fully immunized by one year of age. Lowest wealth quintile (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32–0.47), Muslim religion (AOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.35–0.48) and age of mother <20 years (AOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.52–0.73) were associated with decreased odds of full immunization. Proportion of infants with delayed vaccination for DPT1 and DPT3 were 52% and 81% respectively. Lowest wealth quintiles (AOR 1.51, 95% CI 1.25–1.82), Muslim religion (AOR 1.41, 95% CI 1.21–1.65), mother aged <20 years (AOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11–1.53) and birth weight <2000 g (AOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03–1.40) were associated with higher odds of delayed vaccination for DPT–1. Maternal education (≥12 years of schooling) was associated with high odds of full immunization (AOR 2.39, 95% CI 1.97–2.91) and low odds of delayed vaccination for both DPT–1 (AOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.49–0.73) and DPT–3 (AOR 0.57, 95% CI 0.43–0.76) Conclusion In this population, LBW infants are at a risk of delayed and incomplete immunization and therefore need attention. The risks are even higher in identified subgroups that should specifically be targeted


Considering service semantic association degree, service quality and service composition efficiency, we used bipartite graph optimal matching algorithm to calculate the degree of semantic association and gave QoS (Quality of Service) model. On this basis, we proposed a Web service automatic composition algorithm AL-CWS and proved its validity. The test simulation proved that AL-CWS can automatically realize Web service composition according to service request, and can assure the quality and efficiency of service composition by controlling threshold value. We designed and implemented the prototype system to demonstrate the feasibility of the service composition method proposed in this paper.


The concept and phenomenon of social capital has been identified as an organizing logic that can add value to project organizations. In this respect, social capital is conceptualized as both personal and impersonal linkages between individuals in project organization, the quality of these linkages, and the shared representations embedded within these linkages. Social capital provides a means of coordination and collaboration among project participants. However, given the novelty of the concept in construction settings and peculiarities of construction projects, key questions arise as to what represents and are the forms of social capital in project settings? We adopt a mixed methods approach to answer these questions. Data from a survey of 376 respondents and a case project converge into forming a coherent conceptualization of social capital in construction projects. The findings confirm the multi-faceted nature of social capital and reveal the mechanisms by which social capital facilitates project organizing. Social capital appears to be more acutely needed in construction projects. While structural capital provides the platform for information and influence transfer, relational capital provides psychological safety upon which cognitive capital is translated into task performance. We conclude by discussing both the theoretical and practical contributions of the study to the relational governance discourse in project management.


The nature of parent/child attachments is described and their effects on adolescent and adult intimacy and loneliness are outlined. Poor quality attachments are said to result in loneliness and deficits in intimacy, and these, in turn, make the individual vulnerable to those influences and circumstances that lead to sexual offending. These processes are one of the most important sets of factors in our more general theory of the etiology and maintenance of sexually offensive behavior. Implications for the assessment and treatment of sex offenders are derived.


A major arc batholith, the Western Fiordland Orthogneiss (WFO) in Fiordland, New Zealand, exhibits irregular, spatially restricted centimetre‐scale recrystallization from two‐pyroxene hornblende granulite to garnet granulite flanking felsic dykes. At Lake Grave, northern Fiordland, the composition and texture of narrow (<10–20 mm across) felsic dykes that cut the orthogneiss are consistent with an igneous origin and injection of melt to form orthogneiss migmatite. New U–Pb geochronology suggests that the injection of dykes and migmatization occurred at c. 115 Ma, during the later stages of arc magmatism. Recrystallization to garnet granulite is promoted by volatile extraction from the host two‐pyroxene hornblende granulite via adjacent dykes and the patchy development of garnet granulite is left as a marker adjacent to the melt migration path. New mineral equilibria modelling suggests that a two‐pyroxene hornblende assemblage is stable at <11 kbar, whereas a garnet granulite assemblage is stable at >12 kbar, suggesting that garnet granulite may have formed with <5 km crustal loading of the batholith. Although the garnet granulite assemblages signify that the WFO experienced high‐P conditions, the very local nature of these textures indicates widespread metastability (>90%) of the two‐pyroxene hornblende granulite assemblages. These results indicate the strongly metastable nature of assemblages in mafic lower arc crust during deep burial and demonstrate that the degree of reaction in the case of Fiordland is related to interaction with migrating melts.


The Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (SSMRP) is an NRC-funded, multiyear program conducted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Its goal is to develop a complete, fully coupled analysis procedure (including methods and computer codes) for estimating the risk of an earthquake-caused radioactive release from a commercial nuclear power plant. The analysis procedure is based on a state-of-the-art evaluation of the current seismic analysis and design process and explicitly includes the uncertainties inherent in such a process. The results will be used to improve seismic licensing requirements for nuclear power plants. This document is a progress report on the Seismic Safety Margins Research Program covering the period October 1, 1981 through March 31, 1982. The report gives a general description of the program, together with financial summaries and individual project details. Each project is summarized to show accomplishments, schedules, milestones and completion dates, budget and expenditures, and any concerns that may affect the project.


Objectives The purpose of this study was to develop a Web-based computer-tailored education program to promote self-care for patients with total hip replacement. Methods The program was developed in five phases. Results Phase 1: Program content was developed, including the educational needs of patients with total hip replacement, based on a review of previous research and literature. Phase 2: A computer-tailored algorithm written as a series of 'if-then' statements was developed to offer the appropriate type of intervention based on an individual's personal health characteristics. Phase 3: A professional Web programmer produced then the program for use on the Web. Phase 4: An expert evaluation was performed focusing on two aspects, Web contents and website design. SPSS ver. 16.0 was used for the analysis, and grade point averages were used to compare each evaluation item. Phase 5: Based on comments from the experts' evaluation, modifications and revisions were made, and the program was completed. Conclusions The developed program presented tailored messages using animations, video and flash considering the individual health status and characteristics of the primary target generation. In addition, the expert evaluation confirmed the validity of the program's content and design.


The magnetoresistance and magnetization of single crystals of the organic charge-transfer salt (where BEDT-TTF is bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene) have been studied in fields of up to 30 T and at temperatures as low as 20 mK. Five separate series of quantum oscillations have been observed in the low-temperature, low-field phase of this material and have been studied as a function of tilt angle of the field. It is proposed that two of these frequencies are the result of Stark quantum interference while the others are Shubnikov - de Haas (SdH) and de Haas - van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations due to closed Fermi surface pockets or conventional magnetic breakdown. The unconventional temperature dependence observed for some of these oscillations and the applicability of current models of the Fermi surface of are discussed.


Abstract. To advance the practical application of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the field of biomedical imaging, the imaging depth must be extended without sacrificing resolution while maintaining sufficient sensitivity. However, there is an inherent trade-off between lateral resolution and depth of field (DOF) in OCT. To address this shortcoming, this article proposes a multifocal Bessel beam spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (MBSDOCT) capable of increasing the DOF with unchanged lateral resolution and a high signal-to-noise ratio. The proposed technique is demonstrated by simulation and experiment. A three-focal MBSDOCT with an axicon lens theoretically achieved a DOF of ∼6  mm with a lateral resolution of ∼13  μm. In imaging experiments performed on the acinar cells of orange tissue, a measured DOF of ∼4  mm was demonstrated with a sensitivity penalty of ∼18.1  dB, relative to the Gaussian beam spectral-domain OCT, with a 9-mW light source.


Introduction/Background Surgical site infections (SSI) have substantial health and economic burdens on society by increasing morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay. The incidence of SSI after laparotomy are found to be amongst the highest in the surgical field. In gynaecological oncological surgery, this incidence has been reported to be as high as 27%. Thus, there is much interest in continuing to improve practice to minimise SSI. Here, we looked at the effect of using a closed-incision negative pressure wound therapy (ciNPWT) device, PREVENA PLUSTM, on the incidence of SSI in gynaecological oncology patients undergoing midline laparotomies. Methodology This was a prospective pilot case-control study, with a total of 14 patients who received the PREVENA PLUSTM dressing and 26 patients in the control group whose incisions were dressed with the traditional TegadermTM dressing. Inclusion criteria: Patients undergoing operations under the gynaecological oncology team with a midline laparotomy incision extending above the umbilicus. The vacuum dressing should have been applied directly after primary closure of the laparotomy wound. All patients were followed up for a period of 30 days after surgery and regular records were kept of the condition of the laparotomy site. The primary outcome was the incidence of SSI after 30 days postoperatively. Results The incidence of SSI at 30 days postoperatively was 21% (3/14) in the treatment group and 23% (6/26) in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P=0.7). There were 2 cases of deep wound infection with spontaneous dehiscence in the group who received Prevena PLUSTMcompared to no deep dehiscence in the control group (p=0.1). Conclusion The use of the PREVENA PLUSTM ciNPWT dressing for midline laparotomy wounds does not reduce the incidence of SSI at 30 days postoperatively. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.


Context: The study was undertaken to describe the clinical profile and visual outcome of ocular injuries in Goa, as there were no prior systematic data describing the same. Aims and Objectives: The aim is to study the clinical profile of ocular injuries at a tertiary care hospital, to describe pattern of ocular injuries, and identify at-risk groups and to study visual outcomes among such patients. Settings and Design: This was a prospective case series tertiary hospital-based study. Materials and Methods: Five hundred consecutive patients presenting with ocular injuries to the tertiary hospital between September 2014 and August 2015 were studied. Details of history, examination, investigations, and plan of action were noted. Statistical Analysis Used: Proportions and percentages were used for statistical analysis. Results: The most common victims were in the age group of 21–40 years (45%). Injuries among males were more common (88.8%) than females (11.2%). It was noted that 26.8% patients were under the influence of alcohol at the time of injury. The most common etiology was motor vehicle accidents (62.4%), followed by domestic accidents, occupational accidents, assault, and sports injuries. Most patients (77%) presented within 6 h of injury. Isolated anterior segment injuries were seen in 96.4%, 1.4% involved the posterior segment, whereas 2.2% involved both the segments. The final visual acuity of 87.4% patients was better than 6/12.


Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) comprise a group of conditions thought to be caused by a dysregulated host immune response to the gut microbiome. IBDs, which affect 1.3% of Americans, include Crohn disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and microscopic colitis. UC and microscopic colitis are limited to the colon, but CD can occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal symptoms typically predominate, including diarrhea and abdominal pain, along with systemic symptoms of weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, and fever. However, many patients have extraintestinal symptoms, often in the joints, skin, or eyes; extraintestinal symptoms can appear before gastrointestinal symptoms. Colonoscopy with biopsy is the test of choice for diagnosing UC and microscopic colitis. Diagnosing CD typically requires ileocolonoscopy and also may require esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Traditionally, therapy involved mesalamine for UC, thiopurines or methotrexate for CD, and budesonide for microscopic colitis. However, recently, biologic drugs targeting tumor necrosis factor alpha and other inflammatory drugs have revolutionized care of IBD. Surgery (complete resection of involved colon) can be curative in UC. In CD, surgery typically is only used for complications or refractory disease.


The mechanisation of sugarcane harvesting in Brazil has experienced significant growth. Mechanical sugarcane harvesters have been rapidly improving to meet the demands of the industry. Operating a harvester machine requires knowledge and competence. This article aims to demonstrate the role of the operator competence in carrying out their task and in the quality of their performance. By applying the Ergonomic Work Analysis (EWA), the activity in an actual work situation was described, and the basic competencies required for satisfactory operation were identified. The primary operator competencies consist of performing the adjustment of the machine; operating the machine on a slope and on uneven ground; harvesting different types of cane; operating at night; avoiding damage, diagnosing problems and performing repairs on the machine; and performing multiple tasks.

 Key words: Ergonomics, competence, harvester machine, mechanical harvesting, sugarcane.


ABSTRACT In enteric bacteria such as Escherichia coli, the transcription factor SgrR and the small RNA SgrS regulate the response to glucose phosphate stress, a metabolic dysfunction that results in growth inhibition and stems from the intracellular accumulation of sugar phosphates. SgrR activates the transcription of sgrS, and SgrS helps to rescue cells from stress in part by inhibiting the uptake of stressor sugar phosphates. While the regulatory targets of this stress response are well described, less is known about how the SgrR-SgrS response itself is regulated. To further characterize the regulation of the glucose phosphate stress response, we screened global regulator gene mutants for growth changes during glucose phosphate stress. We found that deleting dksA, which encodes a regulator of the stringent response to nutrient starvation, decreases growth under glucose phosphate stress conditions. The stringent response alarmone regulator ppGpp (synthesized by RelA and SpoT) also contributes to recovery from glucose phosphate stress: as with dksA, mutating relA and spoT worsens the growth defect of an sgrS mutant during stress, although the sgrS relA spoT mutant defect was only detectable under lower stress levels. In addition, mutating dksA or relA and spoT lowers sgrS expression (as measured with a PsgrS-lacZ fusion), suggesting that the observed growth defects may be due to decreased induction of the glucose phosphate stress response or related targets. This regulatory effect could occur through altered sgrR transcription, as dksA and relA spoT mutants also exhibit decreased expression of a PsgrR-lacZ fusion. Taken together, this work supports a role for stringent response regulators in aiding the recovery from glucose phosphate stress. IMPORTANCE Glucose phosphate stress leads to growth inhibition in bacteria such as Escherichia coli when certain sugar phosphates accumulate in the cell. The transcription factor SgrR and the small RNA SgrS alleviate this stress in part by preventing further sugar phosphate transport. While the regulatory mechanisms of this response have been characterized, the regulation of the SgrR-SgrS response itself is not as well understood. Here, we describe a role for stringent response regulators DksA and ppGpp in the response to glucose phosphate stress. sgrS dksA and sgrS relA spoT mutants exhibit growth defects under glucose phosphate stress conditions. These defects may be due to a decrease in stress response induction, as deleting dksA or relA and spoT also results in decreased expression of sgrS and sgrR. This research presents one of the first regulatory effects on the glucose phosphate stress response outside SgrR and SgrS and depicts a novel connection between these two metabolic stress responses.


Brain controlled vehicle refers to the vehicle that obtains control commands by analyzing the driver's EEG through Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). The research of brain controlled vehicles can not only promote the integration of brain machines, but also expand the range of activities and living ability of the disabled or some people with limited physical activity, so the research of brain controlled vehicles is of great significance and has broad application prospects. At present, BCI has some problems such as limited recognition accuracy, long recognition time and limited number of recognition commands in the process of analyzing EEG signals to obtain control commands. If only use the driver's EEG signals to control the vehicle, the control performance is not ideal. Based on the concept of Shared control, this paper uses the fuzzy control (FC) to design an auxiliary controller to realize the cooperative control of automatic control and brain control. Designing a Shared controller which evaluates the current vehicle status and decides the switching mechanism between automatic control and brain control to improve the system control performance. Finally, based on the joint simulation platform of Carsim and MATLAB, with the simulated brain control signals, the designed experiment verifies that the control performance of the brain control vehicle can be improved by adding the auxiliary controller.


The ambiguity of the use of the term 'laterite' to generally classify tropical soils especially for engineering purposes needed to be addressed. An attempt was made to analyze the silica-sesquioxide ratio of some Niger Delta soils to establish whether these soils which are formed in the tropic are indeed laterites. This ratio is used because it is generally accepted as a parameter in the classification and specification of laterites and can be measured with some degree of accuracy in the laboratory. This study revealed that these soils (except the ferralsols) which were soft when wet and significantly hard when air-dried could not be called laterite soils because of the high silica-sesquioxide ratios. It is envisaged that this study would help the engineers in the region to have a better understanding of the soils which are erroneously acclaimed and handled as laterite soils. Keywords: Laterite, Niger Delta soils, Silica-sesquioxide ratio


This paper presents a methodological approach used to assess the wearability of biotelemetry devices in animals. A detailed protocol to gather quantitative and qualitative ethological observations was adapted and tested in an experimental study of 13 cat participants wearing two different GPS devices. The aim was twofold: firstly, to ascertain the potential interference generated by the devices on the animal body and behavior by quantifying and characterizing it; secondly, to individuate device features potentially responsible for the influence registered, and establish design requirements. This research contributes towards the development of a framework for evaluating the design of wearer-centered biotelemetry interventions for animals, consistent with values advocated by Animal-Computer Interaction researchers.


Laboratory experiments have shown that thermal enhancement of radiation response increases substantially for higher thermal dose (approaching 100 CEM43) and when hyperthermia and radiation are delivered simultaneously. Unfortunately, equipment capable of delivering uniform doses of heat and radiation simultaneously has not been available to test the clinical potential of this approach. We present recent progress on the clinical implementation of a system that combines the uniform heating capabilities of flexible printed circuit board microwave array applicators with an array of brachytherapy catheters held a fixed distance from the skin for uniform radiation of tissue <1.5 cm deep with a scanning high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy source. The system is based on the Combination Applicator which consists of an array of up to 32 Dual Concentric Conductor (DCC) apertures driven at 915 MHz for heating tissue, coupled with an array of 1 cm spaced catheters for HDR therapy. Efforts to optimize the clinical interface and move from rectangular to more complex shape applicators that accommodate the entire disease in a larger number of patients are described. Improvements to the system for powering and controlling the applicator are also described. Radiation dosimetry and experimental performance results of a prototype 15 x 15 cm dual-purpose applicator demonstrate dose distributions with good homogeneity under large contoured surfaces typical of diffuse chestwall recurrence of breast carcinoma. Investigations of potential interaction between heat and brachytherapy components of a Combination Applicator demonstrate no perceptible perturbation of the heating field from an HDR source or leadwire, no perceptible effect of a scanning HDR source on fiberoptic thermometry, and <0.5% variation of radiation dose delivered through the CMA applicator. By applying heat and radiation simultaneously for maximum synergism of modalities, this dual therapy system should expand the number of patients that can benefit from effective thermoradiotherapy treatments.


The purpose of the present study is to explore the factors that influence arthritis among working women. A sample of 200
working women whose age more than 20 years is taken for the study. The data is collected through questionnaire method
using 5-point Likert scale. The objective of this paper is also to find the most prominent type of arthritis for different age
groups, awareness, cause and medication for arthritis among working women. Exploratory Factor analysis is performed
and five important factors that influence arthritis is extracted.The five factors are named as Personal stress, calcium
deficiency, obese, hereditary and age.


This chapter provides critical information on diabetes in children. Ideas for improving adherence to the child's medical regimen are reviewed. In addition, factors that may hin‐ der adherence are presented. Ideas for clinicians are presented in a case study.


Recently, air pollution monitoring emerges as a major issue of the development of smart cities and the well-being of citizens. Air pollution is traditionally monitored using some measuring stations that are accurate but expensive, big and inflexible. This leads to bad global estimations of pollution concentrations. The emergence of air quality sensors, which are less expensive, allows to consider a new pollution monitoring paradigm based on the wireless interconnection between these sensors. This allows to ensure a district-wide air pollution monitoring. In this paper, we tackle the minimum-cost node positioning issue for the detection of air pollution thresholds. We propose two models for wireless sensors deployment while taking into account the air pollution modelling and the probabilistic sensing of nodes. We evaluate our deployment models on a real data set of Greater London and conduct extensive simulations to study the impact of some parameters, among which sensors' height. Results show that the deployment cost depends on the dispersion of pollutants in the area of interest and can be minimized by placing sensors at a height close to the one of pollution sources.


The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of oregano essential oil (EO) at 0.015, 0.03 or 0.06%, nisin at 800 or 1600 IU/g, and their combination on Escherichia coli in tryptic soy broth (TSB) and in sheep natural sausage casings. At 0.015%, EO presented a weak antibacterial activity against the pathogen in TSB. Consequently, only the levels of 0.03 and 0.06% were examined in casings. EO at 0.03 or 0.06% showed an inhibitory activity against E. coli O157:H7, E. coli ATCC 25922 and E. coli cocktail during storage at 25°C and at 7° C in casings. Treatment of casings or in TSB with nisin at 800 or 1600 IU/g did not show any antibacterial activity against E. coli strains. Synergy between EO and nisin was observed in both TSB and natural casings. The combination of EO at 0.03 or 0.06% and nisin at 800 or 1600 IU/g presented an additive effect against the pathogen, during storage at 25°C and at 7°C. Key words : Oregano essential oil, nisin, natural casings, biopreservative, Escherichia coli


Deep neural networks have been widely adopted in recent years, exhibiting impressive performances in several application domains. It has however been shown that they can be fooled by adversarial examples, i.e., images altered by a barely-perceivable adversarial noise, carefully crafted to mislead classification. In this work, we aim to evaluate the extent to which robot-vision systems embodying deep-learning algorithms are vulnerable to adversarial examples, and propose a computationally efficient countermeasure to mitigate this threat, based on rejecting classification of anomalous inputs. We then provide a clearer understanding of the safety properties of deep networks through an intuitive empirical analysis, showing that the mapping learned by such networks essentially violates the smoothness assumption of learning algorithms. We finally discuss the main limitations of this work, including the creation of real-world adversarial examples, and sketch promising research directions.


Abstract : To fully exploit the effectiveness of different monitoring technologies, a large knowledge base is being built. A database encompassing basic geologic information such as bedrock geology, faults, and geophysical information needs to be collected and combined for many different regions. The specific regions that our study focuses on are the United States and the Middle East and North Africa. The interest in the United States is to develop a database that can be used in the CTBT to guide on-site inspections. For the Middle East and North Africa, improvement in monitoring to advance CTBT compliance and verification is desired. The objective is to collect, evaluate, and analyze geological, geophysical, and seismic data in a Geographic Information System database; and deliver files containing such data to DTRA. Currently, we have developed complete digital depth-to-Moho and depth-to-basement maps for the Middle East and North Africa region and evaluated them using 3-D gravity modeling. We have also made our first version of gridded depth-to-Moho and depth-to-basement maps of the United States. These data sets are now being evaluated and checked for accuracy and completeness. We have compiled an initial Lg attenuation map for the U.S. A first-order seismic velocity database consisting of Pn and Pg velocities in the U.S. is also being compiled along with geology and fault maps. Different types of databases are already collected and evaluated for the Middle East, North Africa, and the USA. An important component of our research is to develop complete metadata for all collected data sets. As we develop and finalize a data set, we are also developing a complete FGDC standard metadata files to accompany the digital data sets. These metadata files will be delivered along with the data sets to the R & D testbed at the Center for Monitoring Research. Most of the Cornell databases can be accessed via our web site: http://atlas.geo.cornell.edu/.


Nowadays, maintenance of wooden window frames strongly depends on the practical experience of the parties involved. To get a better understanding of the required maintenance period and maintenance actions, a model has been developed to predict durability. This model makes it possible to optimize maintenance in relation to the required quality, taking into account the current value of degradation and factors causing degradation, which reflect the building variables and its surrounding. Since degradation processes have a strong stochastic nature, a probabilistic approach is applied in the model developed. This approach takes the stochastic nature of all relevant parameters into account and combines physicochemical relationships, test results, expert opinions and inspection results. The outcome of the model is a prediction of the degradation process in time, taking into account uncertainty. The model is incorporated in a web-tool with a focus on practicality (suggesting maintenance actions, compare effects of maintenance). In this paper the principles of this probabilistic model are described.


The aim of this study focuses on knowing how many processes for the crime of Absence Food, based in the Local Food Truancy Unit located in the city of Bogota, have been given the benefit of the principle of opportunity. Knowing how many of these processes has operated the legal statute of limitations for criminal proceedings. Determine if the cause that led to these processes prescribed Food Absence was due to such grant, and / or establish other possible causes that led to the entity Accuser could not fulfill its constitutional and legal mandate. Also, generate some recommendations to that that figure does not continue to submit into the entity responsibility to progress criminal prosecution in this country.


Background: Malnutrition in children is frequently associated with an increased incidence of infection. Apoptosis of immune cells in undernourished organisms may cause an increase in the organism's susceptibility to diseases related to immune suppression. Lymphocyte apoptosis was described in malnutrition. The role of factor of apoptosis signal (fas,CD95) in apoptosis of lymphocyte populations in malnourished children is still unclear. Objective: This study investigated apoptosis in T lymphocytes in different types of malnutrition and the role of Fas in lymphocyte apoptosis and its relation to clinical and laboratory parameters of malnutrition. Study design: Sixty-three malnourished infants and children were compared to 27 healthy controls. Beside thorough history and clinical examination, laboratory investigations and flow cytometry assessment of T lymphocytes were done. The viability of T lymphocytes was determined by combination of fluorescence dye 7-amino actinomycin, CD95 and CD3. Results: There was significant increase in apoptotic T-cells in the patients compared to the controls. There was up-regulation of Fas expression in CD3 + cells. Furthermore CD3 + /CD95 + cells were less viable than CD3 + /CD95- cells of the patients and than CD3 + /CD95 + cells of the controls. All the clinical and laboratory parameters of the studied patients showed no significant correlations with any of the apoptotic indices. Conclusion: Increased apoptosis in T lymphocytes in malnourished children may be the cause of the decrease in lymphocyte count in their peripheral blood. This in turn may be the cause of decreased cell mediated immunity and the more common occurrence of infection in such patients. Upregulation of Fas may be the cause of apoptosis in T lymphocytes in these malnourished children. Keywords: Fas, apoptosis, malnutrition, flow cytometry, infection, T lymphocytes. Egypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010;8(1):27-33


Typhoon Goni crossed several provinces in the Philippines where agriculture has high socioeconomic importance, including the top-3 provinces in terms of planted coconut trees. We have used a computational model to infer coconut tree density from satellite images before and after the typhoon's passage, and in this way estimate the number of damaged trees. Our area of study around the typhoon's path covers 15.7 Mha, and includes 47 of the 87 provinces in the Philippines. In validation areas our model predicts coconut tree density with a Mean Absolute Error of 5.9 Trees/ha. In Camarines Sur we estimated that 3.5 M of the 4.6 M existing coconut trees were damaged by the typhoon. Overall we estimated that 14.1 M coconut trees were affected by the typhoon inside our area of study. Our validation images confirm that trees are rarely uprooted and damages are largely due to reduced canopy cover of standing trees. On validation areas, our model was able to detect affected coconut trees with 88.6% accuracy, 75% precision and 90% recall. Our method delivers spatially fine-grained change maps for coconut plantations in the area of study, including unchanged, damaged and new trees. Beyond immediate damage assessment, gradual changes in coconut density may serve as a proxy for future changes in yield.


Performance of asphalt pavements depends on the properties of its constituent materials, mixture volumetrics, and external factors such as load and environment. An important material property that influences the performance of an asphalt mixture is the surface free energy of the asphalt binder and the aggregate. Surface free energy governs the adhesive bond strength between the asphalt binder and the aggregate as well as the cohesive bond strength of the asphalt binder. These bond energies in turn influence the resistance of the asphalt mixture to distresses such as fatigue cracking and moisture induced damage. Asphalt binders undergo several types of engineering and natural modifications that influence their chemical and mechanical properties. Three common examples of modifications are the addition of polymers, addition of additives (e.g., antistrip agents), and oxidative aging of the asphalt binder. This paper is part of a study conducted to examine the effect of different types of modifications on the surface free energy components of the asphalt binder. The change in surface free energy was used to calculate parameters that are related to the performance of the asphalt mixtures. Results from this study demonstrate that the magnitude and nature of change to the surface free energy and concomitant performance-related parameters varied significantly among different asphalt binders. For example, certain modifications improved the performance of some binders while adversely affecting the performance of others. The experiment and analysis methods presented in this study can be used to examine the influence of modifications on performance and optimize the engineering properties of binders and asphalt mixtures.


Nowadays, the Health care industry is one of the fastest-growing industries. As we already know, health care has researched very widely, introducing many medical data that is not easy to mine. Data mining is an approach that helps to discover essential data from massive data or collection of data. So, in medical Science, there is a need for tools that help analyses the data, extract the significant result from massive data, and discover efficient use of information. Generally, three things are mandatory in medical for every patient. First is patient details, diagnosis and medications. Converting these data into a basic pattern for predicting the patient disease helps in early diagnosis. This research mainly focuses on the data mining approach, which is widely considered in the medical field.


Findings from a recent study suggest that intronic polyadenylation, a form of mRNA processing, is aberrant and widespread in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, targeting multiple genes. This results in truncated proteins that no longer function as effective tumor suppressors and, in some cases, are even oncogenic.


Islamic religion has given a very detailed attention on children,since the processes of conception, pregnancy, birth, to the education from a baby to adult. All stages get attention and careful guidance. It shows how important maintain, care for and educate children from the very beginning. In Islam, there are some manners or guidance in welcoming the birth of a baby in between hair clippers ceremony. Embodiments of the local language to a particular culture can be seen in various aspects ofthe culture. Hundingo, as one of the local cultures, uses Gorontalo language. It can be found on the application of the meaning of direct and indirect language or languages of verbal and nonverbal language. In hundingo ceremony, on the seventh day of the baby's birth, it is suggested to cut the hair of the baby. This is as exemplified by Rasululah SAW when his grandsons Hasan and Husain werevborn. Prophet orderedto cut their hair and weigh the size of silver, then give in charity to the poor.


Biologic and cellular treatment strategies aiming for curing intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) have been proposed recently. Given the convenient availability and expansion potential, adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) might be an ideal cell candidate. However, the interaction between ADSCs and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells still remains ambiguous, especially in direct cocultures of the two types of cells. Nevertheless, NP markers in ADSCs after co-cultures were unidentified. Here, we addressed the interaction of human ADSCs and NP cells in a direct co-culture system for the first time. As a result, ADSCs could differentiate to the NP cell phenotype with a significant up-regulated expression of multiple genes and proteins in extracellular matrix (ECM) (SOX9, COL2A1, ACAN, and COL6A2), relative NP markers (FOXF1, PAX1, CA12, and HBB) and pertinent growth factors (CDMP-1, TGF-b1, IGF-1, and CTGF). Moreover, the gene expression of COL2A1, ACAN, and COL6A2 of degenerate NP cells was also up-regulated. Collectively, these results suggest that direct co-cultures of ADSCs and NP cells may exert a reciprocal impact, that is, both stimulating ADSCs differentiation to the NP cell phenotype and inducing NP cells to regain functional phenotype. Accordingly, ADSCs might be a potential candidate in the development of cellular treatment strategies for IDD. 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:1804–1813, 2013


This essay reviews the development of approaches within the comparative capitalisms (CC) literature and points to three theoretical innovations which, taken together, define and distinguish these approaches as a group. First, national economies are characterized by distinct institutional configurations that generate a particular systemic 'logic' of economic action. Second, the CC literature suggests a theory of comparative institutional advantage in which different institutional arrangements have distinct strengths and weaknesses for different kinds of economic activity. Third, the literature has been interpreted to imply a theory of institutional path dependence. Behind these unifying characteristics of the literature, however, lie a variety of analytical frameworks and typologies of capitalism. This paper reviews and compares these different frameworks by highlighting the fundamental distinctions among them and drawing out their respective contributions and limitations in explaining economic performance and institutional dynamics. The paper concludes that the way forward for this literature lies in developing a more dynamic view of individual institutions, the linkages between domains, and the role of politics and power.


HIV-1 entry requires not only CD4 molecule but also CCR5 (CD 195) and CXCR4 (CD 184) coreceptors. A number of randomised controlled trials in Africa have reported that male circumcision (MC) reduces the risk of HIV-1 acquisition by up to 60%. Other studies have reported that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increase the risk of infection by HIV via an inflammatory  recruitment of more HIV target cells to the foreskin. Our aim was to compare the density of HIV-1 co-receptors (CCR5 and CXCR4) in naïve penile prepuce of neonates and penile prepuce of adults with and without history of ulcerative STIs at Male Circumcision Centres in Lusaka, Zambia. Twenty (20) fresh foreskin samples were included: five (5) from neonates, ten (10) from adult males without history of ulcerative STIs and five (5) from adult males with a history of ulcerative STIs. Immediately following MC, fresh foreskin specimens were fixed using 10% normal buffered formalin and transported to University Teaching Hospital (UTH) where tissues were processed and stained with anti-CD 195 and anti-CD 184 antibodies. Neonatal penile foreskin co-receptor mean density for CCR5 and CXCR4 was  13±5.148/mm2 and 7±1.581/mm2 respectively. CCR5 mean density of adults without past history of ulcerative STIs was 42.1±11.874/mm2 while those with history of ulcerative STIs was 78.6±13.520/mm2. Densities of CCR5 were all statistically  significant with both having Pvalue of 0.000. CXCR4 mean density was 18.6±4.812/mm2 in adults without past history ofulcerative STIs and 23.4±4.393/mm2 in those with history of ulcerative STIs giving an insignificant P-value of 0.084. It could be concluded that CCR5 co-receptors provide major entry route for HIV-1 in male adults and that CCR5 seemed to be mobilized more than CXCR4 to the prepuce during inflammation. This supports evidence that MC reduces CCR5 co-receptors for acquisition and transmission of R5 strains of HIV-1.Key words: HIV, CCR5, CD 195, CD 184.


The challenges associated with global contracting are becoming apparent as more experience is gained. Contracts held by an open medical staff hospital provide an ever-changing equation. High-cost physicians can join the staff and alter the cost and quality outcomes that the hospital and physicians may anticipate. Also, physicians want to have assurances on how fee distribution is determined. For these reasons, some physicians are developing private contracting vehicles that assure their future. Managed competition is encouraging these creative models to respond to the market demands of payers; in some markets, these vehicles are creating the demand. It is important for both physicians and hospitals to be open to new creative models. Hospitals that insist on controlling the situation decrease its potential success. Flexibility ensures the ability of both entities to respond to new market demands. From the payer perspective, global contracting represents predictability of price and dependability of service. It encourages an economic relationship of dependence between a hospital and its physicians. Utilization of service is no longer the payers' problem; instead, the provider is asking the questions and managing the situation to assure that both quality and economic efficiency outcomes are achieved.


Transient third-order optical nonlinearity χ(3) of ZnO microcrystallite thin films is measured at various temperatures by using femtosecond degenerate four-wave-mixing. Room-temperature excitonic enhancement of χ(3) is observed. The magnitude of χ(3) ranges between 10-4 to 10-6 esu from 4.2 K to room temperature. The measured χ(3) response time ranging from 200 to 300 fs is ultrafast for temperature down to 4.2 K.