Expression recognition is a branch of face recognition. This paper describes how a 3D model is rebuilt from 2D static face image through specific algorithm and how the principle component better representing face characteristics is obtained by collecting geometrical characteristic information manifesting emotional variations through false geodesic distance in 3D space and eliminating the relativity of the characteristics extracted through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). At last the emotional mode of the samples to be tested shall be identified through distance test method by computing the Mahalanobis Distance between the test sample to be tested and the training sample.


A binary product lattice is generated from two binary component lattices of lower dimensions by employing the Kronecker product. This work focuses on codes carved from binary product lattices. Defined as such, an intriguing problem is that of effectively mapping independent data sequences onto a selected subset of lattice points. A novel approach is disclosed yielding an explicit connection between source bits and lattice points. Decoding methods typically used for binary product codes do not apply for product lattices. Several alternative decoding approaches are discussed. In particular, a provably bounded-distance decoder is presented. It relies on the fact that a product lattice code point may be regarded as a two-dimensional array whose rows and columns are points in the component lattices. The obtained results are compared with classical lattices known in the art


We present a new method for few-shot human motion transfer that achieves realistic human image generation with only a small number of appearance inputs. Despite recent advances in single person motion transfer, prior methods often require a large number of training images and take long training time. One promising direction is to perform few-shot human motion transfer, which only needs a few of source images for appearance transfer. However, it is particularly challenging to obtain satisfactory transfer results. In this paper, we address this issue by rendering a human texture map to a surface geometry (represented as a UV map), which is personalized to the source person. Our geometry generator combines the shape information from source images, and the pose information from 2D keypoints to synthesize the personalized UV map. A texture generator then generates the texture map conditioned on the texture of source images to fill out invisible parts. Furthermore, we may fine-tune the texture map on the manifold of the texture generator from a few source images at the test time, which improves the quality of the texture map without over-fitting or artifacts. Extensive experiments show the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods both qualitatively and quantitatively. Our code is available at https://github.com/HuangZhiChao95/FewShotMotionTransfer.


In this paper, an Expectation-Maximization (EM) based iterative data detection method for downlink of a multicarrier system is proposed. The proposed method has low computational cost when compared with the other iterative ones since it does not require any matrix inversion if the requirements on users' data are met. The performance of  the resulting algorithm is compared with Minimum Mean Squared Error (MMSE) estimator in terms of Symbol Error Rate (SER) for downlink of a Multi Carrier-Code Division Multiple Access (MC-CDMA) system in the presence of frequency selective channels using computer simulations. It is illustrated that the proposed algorithm outperforms the MMSE.


A linker-attached tetrasaccharide corresponding to the linkage region of proteoglycans was synthesized via one-pot procedures from the silylated monosaccharide derivatives. Regioselective one-pot protection protocols were applied in generating the requisite monosaccharide building blocks whereas stereoselective one-pot glycosylation approaches were utilized to assemble the tetrasaccharide skeleton.


Background and aim: There is an ongoing trend of advanced care 'moving out' from hospitals and into patients' homes. In Sweden, caregivers with limited training, employed by municipalities or private agencies take 24-hour responsibility for patient care with limited support from healthcare professionals. The aim of this thesis was to explore and gain new and broadened understanding of 24-hour home care for patients in need of advanced care and technology. Material and methods: A multi method approach was used. Studies I and II resulted from a field study using grounded theory methodology. Interviews and observations were performed in the homes of four adult patients in 24-hour home care (study I) and their 19 caregivers (study I and II). Participants in study III and IV were caregivers (n=128) caring for adult patients in 24-hour care with home mechanical ventilation (HMV). A study-specific questionnaire, including questions in accordance with the Demand-Control model, was used. Caregivers' socio-demographic and workplace data, perceived competence and responsibility (study III), and their perceived working conditions (study IV) were investigated. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed. A comparison was conducted with a population-based survey including caregivers in general home care (n= 585). Results: In the qualitative studies, patients and caregivers were found using compensatory processes when care and work were not suited to their needs, illustrated in two theoretical models: 1. The patients strived for control and safety by taking control, seeking safe hands and navigating in the care system. In their strivings, they selected caregivers they could trust, instructed unskilled caregivers and coordinated their care themselves. 2. The caregivers compensated by day-by-day learning, balancing relations with the patient, self-managing and navigating the patient care system in their strivings to combine safe care with good working conditions. Actively employing compensatory processes, some caregivers adopted an 'inclusive approach', compensating for their own barriers as well as those of their colleagues, and taking overall responsibility for their workplace. Among the caregivers in HMV care (n=128) investigated, 55% (n=70) lacked formal health care training. 27% (n=34) reported shorter courses, and 19% (n=24) had training equivalent with a licensed practical nurse exam (LPN). Regardless, 80% the caregivers rated their competence as high, and 59% rated their responsibility as high. On-the-job training was significantly associated with high ratings on perceived competence, responsibility and control. Being clinically supervised was associated with high ratings on responsibility and psychological demand. Seventy-six of caregivers intended to stay in their jobs for the next two years, and 29% experienced bullying and/or discrimination at their workplace. Female caregivers had more healthcare training and felt more competent and stimulated than males. Compared to the population-based survey group, no differences in perceived working conditions were found except for psychological demand, where the caregivers in HMV care rated lower. Conclusion: Despite a general lack of formal healthcare training and support, patients and caregivers managed 24-hour home care by compensating, on-the-job training, one-patient care, and including caregivers. However, the results suggest that improved training, support and quality control are needed to ensure safe patient care and good working conditions for caregivers. These results can contribute to continued development of the caregiver role in HMV care.


Long-distance international trade for hundreds of years stemmed primarily from differences in climate. Generally free-trade policy and reduced transport cost superimposed another pattern by 1914; one of greater international specialization based upon land and labor abundance or scarcity. The broadly open trading world of the beginning of 1914 broke down first under the impact of war and then of the Great Depression. By 1945 the United States had emerged as the most powerful nation, committed to establishing a world order that would not make the mistakes of the preceding decades. The promotion of more liberalized trade among the wealthier nations, over the following decades hugely expanded the volume of trade. Trade in manufactures—based on skill endowments and preference diversity—came to dominate that in primary product. Services strongly increased in importance, especially with the rise of e-commerce. Oil displaced coal as the world's principal fuel, redistributing income to those countries with substantial oil deposits. The greatest threat to the continuing expansion of world incomes and trade came from the Great Recession of 2008–2009, but the World Trade Organization regime discouraged the mutually destructive trade wars of the earlier period. However, the WTO was less successful 10 years later in restraining the damaging United States–China trade conflict.


BACKGROUND
Exercise improves the physical and psychological well being of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). However, exercise interventions for patients with FMS have suffered from poor adherence. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of exercise for people with FMS.

METHODS
Participants were 444 patients with FMS who were part of a larger study. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted examining exercise behavior at multiple time points. Discriminant analyses were also used to identify predictor variables.

RESULTS
Engaging in regular exercise and having higher exercise self-efficacy significantly predicted continued engagement in exercise behavior in people with FMS. Age, employment status, depression, education level, self-efficacy for managing FMS, and the size of one's social network also demonstrated predictive qualities.

CONCLUSION
Exercise self-efficacy and continued participation in regular exercise most strongly predicted present and future exercise behavior in patients with FMS. Interventions designed to train FMS patients in initiating exercise programs while addressing exercise self-efficacy, depression, and social support are warranted.


Introduction Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) associated hemolytic anemia is a potentially serious complication that is often overlooked. Here we describe a case of Kawasaki disease (KD) who recurrently developed coombs positive hemolytic anemia following IVIG administrations. Case report A three-years-old girl admitted with the complaint of fever, swelling of the hands and feet with palmar erythema. Investigations revealed the diagnosis of KD and she was treated with IVIG (2 gr/kg) and aspirin. The fever subsided within a day but restarted after 6 days. A second course of IVIG was administered. On day 4 after second course of IVIG, laboratory evaluation revealed hemoglobine level of 8.3 gr/dL. Her red blood cells became positive on polyclonal IgG Coomb's testing (DAT). Aspirin was stopped and steroid was started. Her original signs had resolved and hemoglobine level gradually increased up to 11.7 gr/dL. Eight months later, she readmitted with significantly enlarged servical lymph nodes in parallel with previuos symptoms consistent with the diagnosis of recurrent KD. Hemoglobin level was 11 gr/dL and DAT was negative. Following single dose of IVIG treatment, hemoglobine level gradually decreased and became 6.6 gr/dL on 30th day of treatment with DAT positivity. Within first week of steroid treatment, hemoglobine level incresaed to 8.9 gr/dL. The patient is now free of any symptom with an hemoglobine level around 11.5 gr/dL. Conclusion It is important that physicians using high dose IVIG are aware of the risk of hemolysis. Careful monitoring of hemoglobin levels during IVIG treatment may provide proper diagnosis and early intervention.


This paper investigates Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple-Access (OFDMA) resource-allocation schemes for two-hop relays in a home Powerline Communication (PLC) network. Unlike wireless channels, which can have noticeable path loss and shadow effects to bring a substantial relay gain, the powerline channel usually observes a quality of the relay channel on par with the direct link so that simple fixed relay configurations often lose performance instead of gaining any. Besides, the quasi-cyclostationary powerline channel benefits little from diversity combining, a scheme often found in cooperative wireless relay protocols to obtain performance improvements on fast fading channels. To address these special and challenging features of the powerline channel, Home-PLC relay protocols that jointly allocate subchannels and power to the source and relay nodes are proposed. Simulation results show that significant improvements of data rates can be achieved by jointly optimizing the subchannel and power allocation of Home-PLC relay networks.


Complex multi-stage relaxation and reaction pathways after the optical excitation of molecules makes the disentanglement of the underlying mechanisms challenging. We present four examples that a new transient spectrometer with excitation fully tunable from the deep UV to the IR and 225 to 1700 nm probing allows for an analysis with greatly reduced ambiguity. The temporal resolution of about 50 fs allows us to resolve all relevant processes. For each example there is a new twist in the sequence of relaxation steps that had previously been overlooked. In malachite green it appears that the importance of the phenyl twisting has been overemphasized and rather a charge transfer state should be considered. In TINUVIN-P the predicted twisting as the driving motion for the ultrafast IC is confirmed and leads to a resolution of the earlier puzzle that the sub-5 ps regime shows kinetics deviating from a pure cooling process despite the sub-ps proton transfer cycle. For the bond cleavage of Ph2CH-Cl and Ph2CH-Br the degree of electron transfer within the radical pair can now be determined quantitatively and leads to a profound understanding of the long-term cation yield. For the first time coherent wavepacket motion in the photoproducts is reported. Last but not least the measurement of the GSB recovery in the deep UV allows for the surprising result, that even after S2 excitation of cyclopentenones the triplet states are reached with near unity probability within a few picoseconds.


A novel polyamide-paraffin microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) was prepared by interfacial polymerization technique using 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl chloride (TMC) and ethylenediamine as monomers and 30# paraffin as core material. Morphology, chemical composition, thermal properties of the MEPCM were studied by scanning electron micrograph, FT-IR spectrum, differential scanning calorimeter analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The solvent resistances of the MEPCM were also studied by observing the morphology changes of the MEPCM under optical microscope. Results indicate that the MEPCMs prepared under optimal conditions have spherical shape with average diameter of 6.4 µm, and the polyamide shell has successfully packaged the paraffin core. The MEPCM has a high efficiency in storing and releasing heat. The latent heat is 121.7 J/g and the microencapsulation ratio is 87%, 5% weight loss temperature is 260°C. The MEPCM is stable in H2SO4 solution (ω = 0.98), NaOH solution (ω = 0.40), ethanol, acetone, ether, dimethylformamide while can be destroyed by ZnCl2 solution (ω = 0.60). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci, 2013


Chondromas are rare benign tumors that commonly originate from the base of the skull, while those arising from the dura mater are less common. Although the molecular mechanism underlying its pathogenesis remains largely unknown, 12q13-15 rearrangements followed by the activation of HMGA2, which is associated with cell proliferation, have been reported in soft tissue chondromas. A recent comprehensive analysis of mesenchymal tumors identified an IDH1/2 mutation in cartilaginous tumors. However, these alterations have not yet been examined in dural chondromas. We here described clinical and pathological features in a new case of convexity dural chondroma with the wildtype IDH1/2 and expression of HMGA2 and reviewed the relevant literature.


In this study, we evaluate the values of lattice thermal conductivity κL of type II Ge clathrate (Ge34) and diamond phase Ge crystal (d-Ge) with the equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) method and the Slack's equation. The key parameters of the Slack's equation are derived from the thermodynamic properties obtained from the lattice dynamics (LD) calculations. The empirical Tersoff's potential is used in both EMD and LD simulations. The thermal conductivities of d-Ge calculated by both methods are in accordance with the experimental values. The predictions of the Slack's equation are consistent with the EMD results above 250 K for both Ge34 and d-Ge. In a temperature range of 200–1000 K, the κL value of d-Ge is about several times larger than that of Ge34.


Current DNA and mRNA co-isolation methods proposed for the analysis of forensic casework
samples involve the physical separation of the DNA and mRNA phases. Whilst this separation is
useful, it does lead to increased opportunities for contamination as there are now two down-stream
work processes. Also, the scientist's opinion as to the attribution of a DNA profile to a particular
body fluid would not be particularly robust. Furthermore, these methods often use hazardous
chemicals such as phenol/chloroform and are time costly.
The use of silica-coated and oligo-dT coated magnetic beads offers a co-isolation method that delays
the separation of the DNA and the mRNA phases, thus reducing the opportunities for down-stream
contamination. The magnetic beads method does not use any hazardous chemicals, thus offering
safer and faster co-isolation. The aim was to develop a novel co-isolation technique that was at least
comparable to the single isolation methods of DNA and mRNA.
Saliva and blood stains were collected using buccal swabs and the finger prick method, respectively.
The DNA/mRNA was extracted by a combination of silica coated magnetic beads and oligo-dT coated
magnetic beads. The isolated and purified sample underwent nucleic acid quantification using a
Nano-drop spectrophotometer. Analysis of the DNA phase was carried out using the Qiagen ESSPlex
investigator on an ABI 310 genetic analyser. The mRNA phase underwent reverse transcription
before undergoing PCR targeting body fluid specific mRNA markers. The mRNA amplicons were
visualised using a 2% agarose gel. The DNA results acquired from this co-isolation method were then
compared to the DNA results obtained from using single isolation method. A successful co-isolation
method is one that does not adversely affect the quality of the DNA result.


COVID-19 death rates vary strikingly across Europe. The death rate in Spain, for example, is greater than the death rate in Germany by more than a factor of ten. Few if any epidemiological indicators distinguish the countries of Europe by such a vast margin. Evidence on age-specific case-fatality rates (deaths over observed infections) and age-specific death rates (deaths over population) indicate that COVID-19 disproportionately afflicts the elderly and frail, suggesting that the share of elderly population (≥ 65 years of age) in a country ought to be a strong predictor of the COVID-19 death rate. However, the COVID-19 death rate and the share of elderly population are statistically uncorrelated (r = 0.163, p = 0.399). Share of population ≥ 65 years of age is confounded by mortality selection, as well as other demographic dynamics. By contrast, elderly longevity or life expectancy at 65 more effectively captures population survival and the accumulation of age-related frailty in society. We find a strong statistical relationship between the COVID-19 death rate (r = 0.839, p < .001) and elderly longevity, and a moderately strong relationship between the date of epidemic timing and elderly longevity (r = −0.634, p < .001). These relationships are robust to the inclusion of statistical controls for international tourism inflow and hospital bed capacity. While the countries of Europe vary meaningfully in healthcare system capacity and in the timing and intensity of non-pharmaceutical interventions, the striking variation in COVID-19 death rates across these countries is statistically and intuitively associated with elderly survival and consequent frailty.


Detecting sarcasm and verbal irony from people's subjective statements is crucial to understanding their intended meanings and real sentiments and positions in social scenarios. This paper describes the X-PuDu system that participated in SemEval-2022 Task 6, iSarcasmEval - Intended Sarcasm Detection in English and Arabic, which aims at detecting intended sarcasm in various settings of natural language understanding. Our solution finetunes pre-trained language models, such as ERNIE-M and DeBERTa, under the multilingual settings to recognize the irony from Arabic and English texts. Our system ranked second out of 43, and ninth out of 32 in Task A: one-sentence detection in English and Arabic; fifth out of 22 in Task B: binary multi-label classification in English; first out of 16, and fifth out of 13 in Task C: sentence-pair detection in English and Arabic.


The aim of this study was to identify common bean cultivars which can grow/yield better under rhizobial inoculation and at limited water condition. To attain the goal, two seasons field experiment and one season screen house experiment were conducted at Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA) in Arusha Tanzania in the year 2014 /2015 and 2016. The experiment was a split-split plot with three replications, two levels of rhizobia, two stress levels and five cultivars of P. vulgaris (L.) (KAT B9, KAT B1, F9 Kidney Selection, F8 Drought line and JESCA). Stress periods of 10 days were imposed at vegetative and flowering stages of plant growth. Results showed that proline content was high in inoculated and water stressed plants. Concentrations of flavonoids and anthocyanins were higher in non-inoculated water stressed treatments. Leaf chlorophyll content, relative leaf water content and electrolyte leakage were higher in rhizobial inoculated and non-water stressed treatments. The nutrients uptake was higher in rhizobial inoculation and non-water stressed treatments. Rhizobial inoculation significantly increased growth parameters and seed yields while water stress significantly reduced growth parameters at both growth stages. F8 Drought Line and JESCA varieties significantly recorded higher proline content in field experiment and KAT B1 in the screen house experiment. Varieties F8 Drought line, JESCA and F9 Kidney Selection significantly recorded higher flavonoids and anthocyanins content in both experiment. Leaf chlorophyll content was significantly higher in F9 Kidney Selection and KAT B1 than in F8 Drought Line and JESCA. Cultivars F9 Kidney Selection, F8 Drought Line and JESCA had significantly higher relative leaf water content than other cultivars. However, varieties KAT B9 and KAT B1 significantly increased percentage in electrolyte leakage.Varieties F9 Kidney Selection, F8 Drought Line and JESCA significantly recorded higher uptake of N, P, K, Ca and Mg. Varieties F9 Kidney Selection, F8 Drought Line and JESCA had significantly superior measurements reflected in increased plant height, shoot and root dry weight and seed yields. Significant interactions were observed between rhizobial inoculation, water stress and bean varieties. Cultivars F9 Kidney Selection, F8 Drought line, JESCA and KAT B1 showed highest level of tolerance against the water stress. With these observations, cultivars F9 Kidney Selection, F8 Drought line, JESCA and KAT B1 can be promoted for production especially in drought prone areas.


A set of errors known to have led to security breaches in computer systems was analyzed. The analysis led to a categorization of these errors. After examining several proposed schemes for the categorization of software errors a new scheme was developed and used. This scheme classi es errors by their cause, the nature of their impact, and the type of change, or x, made to remove the error. The errors considered in this work are found in a database maintained by the COAST laboratory. The categorization is the rst step in the investigation of the e ectiveness of various measures of code coverage in revealing software errors that might lead to security breaches.


Previously presented data (Braun, 1946b) proved the existence of a heatstable, filtrable factor in the normal serum or plasma of cows, man, rabbits, and guinea pigs which selectively suppresses the establishment of nonsmooth Brucella abortus variants. The activity of this factor was clearly demonstrated in beef extract broth cultures containing 2 per cent normal serum. After inoculation with a smooth clone these cultures failed to show any variant types (dissociation) after 10 days of growth at 37 C, whereas after the same period of growth control cultures without serum consistently showed between 20 and 30 per cent rough and mucoid types in the originally smooth population. It was also shown that the growth rates of smooth types were not affected by the addition of serum in amounts that proved to be sufficient for this suppression of nonsmooth types. In order to identify the factor responsible for this selective suppression of nonsmooth types the effect of various plasma fractions upon dissociation2 of Brucella abortus was investigated. The results of these studies are reported in this paper.


Abstract. A known adverse side effect of stratospheric aerosol modification (SAM) is the alteration of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), which is caused by the stratospheric heating associated with an artificial aerosol layer.
Multiple studies found the QBO to slow down or even completely vanish for point-like injections of SO2 at the Equator.
The cause for this was found to be a modification of the thermal wind balance and a stronger tropical upwelling.
For other injection strategies, different responses of the QBO have been observed.
A theory which is able to explain those differences in a comprehensive manner has not yet been presented.
This is further complicated by the fact that the simulated QBO response is highly sensitive to the used model even under identical boundary conditions.
Therefore, within this study we investigate the response of the QBO to SAM for three different injection strategies (point-like injection at the Equator, point-like injection at 30∘ N and 30∘ S simultaneously, and areal injection into a 60∘ wide belt along the Equator).
Our simulations confirm that the QBO response significantly depends on the injection location.
Based on the thermal wind balance, we demonstrate that this dependency is explained by differences in the meridional structure of the aerosol-induced stratospheric warming, i.e., the location and meridional extension of the maximum warming.
Additionally, we also tested two different injection species (SO2 and H2SO4).
The QBO response is qualitatively similar for both investigated injection species.
Comparing the results to corresponding results of a second model, we further demonstrate the generality of our theory as well as the importance of an interactive treatment of stratospheric ozone for the simulated QBO response.


Abstract This article assesses the difference between the concepts of 'open data' and 'FAIR data' in data management. FAIR data is understood as data that complies with the FAIR Guidelines—data that is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable—while open data was born out of awareness of the need to democratise data by improving its accessibility, based on the idea that data should not have limitations that prevent people from using it. This study compared FAIR data with open data by analysing relevant documents using a coding analysis with conceptual labels based on Kingdon's theory of agenda setting. The study found that in relation to FAIR data the problem stream focuses on the complexity of data collected for research, while open data primarily emphasises giving the public access to non-confidential data. In the policy stream, the two concepts share common standpoints in terms of making data available and reusable, although different approaches are adopted in practice to accomplish these goals. In the politics stream, stakeholders with different objectives support FAIR data and from those who support open data.


The volume of data collected by side-scan sonar during seafloor surveys has become larger and larger as the resolution of these systems has improved. As a result, new image processing techniques need to be developed to partly automate the interpretation of this increasing wealth of data. The first two steps in the geological analysis of a new image usually are the mapping of linear structures, and of morphologic units. These maps are then used in tectonic and geological interpretations. Linear features are detected by adaptive filtering. Their properties (length, direction, sinuosity, ...) are computed and quantified by the new structure tracking algorithm. Mapping of morphologic units is addressed by a textural analysis method, based on grey-level co-occurrence matrices. The authors have applied these techniques to high-resolution sonar images of the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge. Separation of geologically meaningful regions can be easily attained using the authors' textural analysis method. Some regions fan be distinguished by numerical methods, whereas visual interpretation had to rely on supplementary data (photos, dives).<<ETX>>


A PLL clock-extraction and data-regeneration circuit (CEDAR) for 10 Gb/s optical transmission system was realized in a hybrid IC form. The jitter characteristics satisfied the recommendations of ITU-T. The CEDAR compensated against the temperature was tested for the temperature from -10/spl deg/C to 60/spl deg/C and showed no increase of error.


Introduction: The association between oxidative Deoxy Ribonucleic Acid (DNA) damage and diabetes is well established. Increased glucose levels can stimulate free radical production. However, data regarding DNA damage in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) patients and healthy individuals are controversial and scarce in Iraq. Aim: To assess the DNA damage among patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and healthy individuals and to analyse its relationship with oxidative stress biomarkers. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was conducted at the Duhok Diabetes Center, Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, from September 2016 to March 2018. In this study, biomarkers of both oxidative stress and DNA damage including Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), Malondialdehyde (MDA) and serum 8-Hydroxy-2-deoxiguanosine (8-OHdG) were measured in 297 patients with type 2 diabetes and 188 healthy individuals. Selection of cases and healthy individuals was done using random sampling technique. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18.0 and a p-value <0.05 was set as a cut off value of statistical significance. Results: The mean age, sex and Body Mass Index (BMI) were similar between patients and healthy individuals. Significantly higher 8-OHdG and MDA levels (p<0.001 and p<0.010, respectively) together with lower TAC levels (p=0.010) were found in diabetics compared to healthy individuals. In diabetic patients, a positive correlation of 8-OHdG was observed with MDA (r=0.220), and a negative correlation was observed with TAC (r= -0.47). Based on the estimated cut-off point of DNA damage (8-OHdG of 4.0 ng/mL), 84.51% of patients had high levels of DNA damage compared with healthy individuals (28.7%). Conclusion: Oxidative DNA damage increased in diabetic patients, and was associated with lower antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant supplementation may be an effective public health intervention to reduce DNA damage and oxidative stress.


OBJECTIVE
Utilization of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as diclofenac, can produce gastrointestinal ulceration. Thus, cyclooxygenase-2-selective inhibitors, such as celecoxib, and protective agents (e.g. rebamipide) have been employed to alleviate harmful NSAID effects. This study sought to explore the influence of rebamipide on the hepatic outcomes following administration of two commonly prescribed NSAIDs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Rats were given either vehicle or rebamipide (30 mg/kg) orally twice daily for two days, then on the third day respective groups were dosed with either vehicle, celecoxib (40 mg/kg), or diclofenac (10 mg/kg) in addition to a respective dose of vehicle or rebamipide. Livers were collected on day 4 following euthanasia. Hepatic tissue was examined via histopathology and assayed for oxidative stress and specific NSAID concentration.

RESULTS
The liver sections were found to be free from structural changes. Oxidative stress biomarkers, reduced glutathione and malondialdehyde, were discovered to be unaltered among the groups tested. The hepatic NSAID concentrations were not significantly affected by the presence of rebamipide.

CONCLUSIONS
The concomitant administration of rebamipide does not influence the hepatic condition of rats administered either celecoxib or diclofenac at the dosages and over the time course examined.


Objective: To evaluate the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) and quantitative parameters in early prediction of tumor response to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (LAPC). Patients and Methods: In this prospective study, patients with biopsy-proved and histopathologically proved LAPC who underwent regular CRT were recruited. DCE-US evaluations were performed before and four months after CRT. SonoVue-enhanced contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed by an ultrasound system (ACUSON Sequoia; Siemens Medical Solutions, USA) equipped with a 5C1 MHz convex array transducer. Time–intensity curves were created by VueBox software (Bracco, Italy), and various DCE-US quantitative parameters were obtained. Taking Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) based on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the gold standard, DCE-US parameters were compared between the treatment responder group (RG) and non-responder group (NRG). The correlation between the DCE-US parameters and the serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) level was also analyzed. Results: Finally, 21 LAPC patients (mean age 59.3 ± 7.2 years) were included. In comparing the RG (n = 18) and NRG (n = 3), no significant change could be found among the mean size of the lesions (31.2 ± 8.1 mm vs. 27.2 ± 8.3 mm, p = 0.135). In comparing the TICs between the two groups, the LAPC lesions in the RG took a longer time to reach peak enhancement and to wash out. Among all the DCE-US parameters, RT (rise time), WiAUC (wash-in area under the curve), WoAUC (wash-out area under the curve) and WiWoAUC (wash-in and wash-out area under the curve) decreased significantly after CRT in the RG (p < 0.05). The RT ratio, WiAUC ratio, WoAUC ratio and WiWoAUC ratio were closely correlated with the change in serum CA 19-9 level in the RG (p < 0.05). Conclusion: DCE-US might be a potential imaging method for non-invasive follow-up for early response in LAPC patients treated by CRT.


Women are key instrument in the society and their role is very important in the world because they act dual role both in the family as well as society. The microfinance has an important role in empowering women in developing countries as well as in Sri Lanka by accessing credit facilities for their income generating activities to empower the rural women. With the conflict situation in Northern part of Sri Lanka, most of the men left from that area and they were unable to withstand by political condition. In this situation, many men were killed and women had to take the responsibility of the family as leaders. The Sri Lankan government has a responsibility to rehabilitate and revitalize the situation under post war development. MFIs provide their members with financial and social intermediation services to help improve their income generating activities. The aim of this study is to examine the challenges faced by women when accessing loans for income generating activities. This concept paper focuses on a review of academic literature on Challenges when accessing loans in empowering women through micro finance in Sri Lanka. For this purpose previous studies from developed and developing countries on this regards have been examined and then found out the solutions from the literatures. Finally, the conclusion of their studies has been analyzed and then provided a comprehensive literature by seeing the experiences and usefulness of the activities about the solutions for the challenges in accessing the loan facilities for income generating activities to empower poor women. Therefore it has been strongly feel that a look into empowering women and developing them with the support of the microfinance and the monitoring and creating awareness are important to eliminate the challenges facing by them in accessing credit from Microfinance Institutions.


The haptics-based virtual reality surgical simulator project focuses upon the research and development of a tool for training in percutaneous renal access. By the use of virtual reality and haptics technology, the application allows trainees to learn how to correctly puncture a kidney under fluoroscopy guidance, by exploring a 3D virtual human body and experiencing real tactile sensations while touching the surface of skin, bones, kidneys and collecting system, lungs and vessels with a virtual needle.
Since physicians rely mainly on tactile feedbacks to execute surgical procedures, the integration of haptics is indisputably essential for a realistic simulator, along with an accurate reproduction of the human anatomy.
The haptics-based virtual reality simulator may represent an important tool for the basic training of the urologists in obtaining percutaneous renal access: practicing on this simulator is also likely to support trainees in the improvement of hand-eye coordination, in the C arm management in the operative room, in processing 2D radiographic images into 3D mind images, which is crucial for a good access, and in avoiding unnecessary X-ray exposure during the learning process.


This paper presents an experimental study to strengthen flexure-deficient reinforced concrete beams using textile-reinforced mortars (TRMs). A set of seven reinforced concrete beams were strengthened using basalt and carbon TRMs. The current study utilised textiles with almost similar physical properties to strengthen reinforced concrete (RC) beams. All the studied beams were strengthened at their soffit to evaluate the effectiveness of textile fibres, the number of layers and the strengthening configuration. The experimental results showed that beams strengthened using carbon and basalt textile-reinforced mortar performed equally better in terms of overall performance with inherent textile slippage after the peak load. The flexural load capacities of the beams were strengthened with one layer, and three layers were higher when compared to the control beam. For the basalt TRM one, three and five layers registered an increment of 8.3%, 20.7% and 30.3% of ultimate strengths over the unstrengthened specimen. Similarly, for the carbon TRM one, three and five layers recorded an increment of 14.2%, 15.3% and 32.3% of ultimate strengths over the control specimen. Five-layered specimens with end U-wraps successfully mitigated premature debonding, along with registering maximum load capacity, and digital image correlation (DIC) was performed to monitor real-time crack width, crack patterns and spacing and to compare the load and displacement responses from all the tested specimens.


Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam A Life in Physics. John Archibald Wheeler with Kenneth Ford. Norton, New York, 1998. 380 pp. $27.95, C$39.99. ISBN 0-393-04642-7. Wheeler, who coined such terms as "black hole" and "wormhole," tells the story of his lengthy and influential career, which included substantial contributions to nuclear physics, quantum electrodynamics, and general relativity.


Clone ZF388 was identified during the course of expressed sequence tag analysis of human adult testis cDNAs as being a member of the C2H2 zinc finger gene family. Northern blot analysis of a range of 16 different human tissues has shown that clone ZF388 detects a single 2.2-kb transcript and that the expression of this mRNA species is strictly specific to the testis. Sequence analysis of ZF388 and other clones isolated by rescreening a testis cDNA library has defined a transcript with an extensive N-terminal acidic domain containing 17% aspartic and glutamic acid residues and a C-terminal domain composed of five zinc finger motifs linked through the highly conserved sequence TGE-KPYE. This gene has been designated ZNF165. Analysis of somatic cell hybrids containing single human chromosomes shows that ZNF165 maps to chromosome 6. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of cDNA insert probes to male metaphase spreads shows that the ZNF165 transcript maps to 6p21 close to the human MHC region. Human 6p21 is homologous with the distal inversion of the mouse t-complex, which has been shown to contain a cluster of genes expressed specifically in the testis.


Supervised learning has been very successful for automatic segmentation of images from a single scanner. However, several papers report deteriorated performances when using classifiers trained on images from one scanner to segment images from other scanners. We propose a transfer learning classifier that adapts to differences between training and test images. This method uses a weighted ensemble of classifiers trained on individual images. The weight of each classifier is determined by the similarity between its training image and the test image.
We examine three unsupervised similarity measures, which can be used in scenarios where no labeled data from a newly introduced scanner or scanning protocol is available. The measures are based on a divergence, a bag distance, and on estimating the labels with a clustering procedure. These measures are asymmetric. We study whether the asymmetry can improve classification. Out of the three similarity measures, the bag similarity measure is the most robust across different studies and achieves excellent results on four brain tissue segmentation datasets and three white matter lesion segmentation datasets, acquired at different centers and with different scanners and scanning protocols. We show that the asymmetry can indeed be informative, and that computing the similarity from the test image to the training images is more appropriate than the opposite direction.


A 16-element phased-array transmitter based on 4-bit RF phase shifters is designed in 0.18-mum SiGe BiCMOS technology for Q-band applications. The phased-array shows 12.5plusmn1.5 dB of power gain per channel at 42.5 GHz for all phase states and the 3-dB gain bandwidth is 40-45.6 GHz. The input and output return loss is less than -10 dB at 37.5-50 GHz. The transmitter also results in les8.8deg of RMS phase error and les1.2 dB of RMS gain error for all phase states at 30-50 GHz. The maximum saturated output power is -2.5plusmn1.5 dBm per channel at 42.5 GHz. The RMS gain variation and RMS phase mismatch between all 16 channels is les0.5 dB and les4.5deg, respectively. The chip consumes 720 mA from a 5 V supply voltage and overall chip size is 2.6times3.2 mm2. To our knowledge, this is the first implementation of a 16-element phased array on a silicon chip with the RF phase shifting architecture at any frequency.


In order to encourage individuals to adopt more sustainable behaviors, it is crucial to know their current levels of consumption in specific domains (e.g., mobility) before exposing them to personalized incentives. Although various theoretical models exist, there is currently no technological solution that automatically estimates individuals' consumption sustainability levels. This short paper aims at addressing this gap and presents the design of a framework that enables to estimate these levels based on multiple features (e.g., demographics). It also presents a preliminary validation of a part of the framework through two empirical comparative studies related to the mobility consumption domain. These studies evaluate the performance of six classifiers using a large-scale survey of approximately 3000 representative individuals living in Switzerland. The results highlight that the gradient boosting trees and the multinomial logistic regression models are promising, and accommodation, habits and demographic variables are the most decisive features to estimate mobility behaviors.


Hyperinsulinemia and impaired insulin secretion are potential contributors to the development of diabetes-related heart failure. Interference with ventricular myocardial mitochondria might play a key pathogenic role, but human data confirming these connections are limited. We hypothesized that ventricular myocardial mitochondrial function is impaired in hyperinsulinemia but is positively related to insulin secretion capacity. We recruited 32 heart transplant recipients without heart failure or antihyperglycemic treatment (age: 53.5±13.3years; BMI: 24.8±2.9kg/m²; HbA1c: 5.9±0.7%). We measured serum insulin levels and blood glucose every 30 minutes for three hours after an oral 75g glucose uptake. Seven patients were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and six had impaired glucose tolerance. High-resolution respirometry was performed on transcatheter ventricular endomyocardial biopsies to determine mitochondrial oxidative capacity, coupling efficiency (respiratory control ratio, RCR) and intrinsic uncoupling (leak control ratio, LCR). Fasting serum insulin, a marker of insulin resistance, was inversely associated with ventricular myocardial mitochondrial RCR (r=-0.39; p=0.02) and positively with LCR (r=0.42; p=0.02), but not with oxidative capacity (p=0.34). Maximum increase of insulin in proportion to fasting levels strongly related to ventricular myocardial mitochondrial RCR (r=0.62; p=0.0001) and inversely to LCR (r=-0.46; p=0.01). This insulin secretory response related to fatty acid-dependent respiration (r=0.35; p=0.05) and tended to relate to combined oxidative capacity from fatty acid and glycolytic substrates (r=0.31; p=0.09). Maximum insulin response following glucose ingestion relates to cardiac mitochondrial efficiency and oxidative capacity, while insulin resistance might affect cardiac energy metabolism. These data suggest a pathogenic role of hyperinsulinemia as well as beta cell failure in diabetes-related heart failure. Disclosure E. Zweck: None. D. Scheiber: None. S. Albermann: None. J. Borger: None. T. Jelenik: None. D. Pesta: None. P. Horn: None. U. Boeken: None. P. AKhyari: Research Support; Self; Abbott, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Medtronic. M. Kelm: None. M. Roden: Advisory Panel; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Poxel SA, Servier. Board Member; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Research Support; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc. R. Westenfeld: None. J. Szendroedi: None. Funding German Research Foundation (CRC1116); Heinrich-Heine University


The collision-free Boltzmann equation is used in the context of brane-$f(R)$ gravity to derive the virial theorem. It is shown that the virial mass is proportional to certain geometrical terms appearing in the Einstein field equations and contributes to gravitational energy and that such a geometric mass can be attributed to the virial mass discrepancy in a cluster of galaxies. In addition, the galaxy rotation curves are studied by utilizing the concept of conformal symmetry and notion of conformal Killing symmetry. The field equations may then be obtained in an exact parametric form in terms of the parameter representing the conformal factor. This provides the possibility of studying the behavior of the angular velocity of a test particle moving in a stable circular orbit. The tangential velocity can be derived as a function of the conformal factor and integration constants, resulting in a constant value at large radial distances. Relevant phenomenon such as the deflection of light passing through a region where the rotation curves are flat and the radar echo delay are also studied.


Information leaflet giving examples of sustainable organic farming practices and presenting problematic aspects of genetic engineering. It concludes with answers to 12 most relevant questions, which show how organic farming addresses food quality, biodiversity and equity aspects. It states the reasons why IFOAM movement opposes genetic engineering.


The present study was conducted to know the effect of extracts from parts of papaya and pomegranate fruits containing enormous amount of antioxidants on the seed quality parameters of blackgram (Vigna mungo L.). Blackgram seeds were soaked in papaya peel, pulp, seeds and pomegranate peel, seeds extracts viz., 2.5 %, 5 %, 7.5 % and 10 % concentration for 1 hour. The physiological parameters were evaluated under laboratory conditions. The results revealed that seeds treated with 2.5 % papaya seed extract recorded high physiological and biochemical changes in terms of field emergence, germination percentage, seedling length, dry matter production, vigour index and ?- amylase activity when compared to rest of treatments and control.


A hybrid finite-element-modal-expansion procedure for the three-dimensional analysis of passive microwave devices exploiting higher order vector basis functions and an innovative class of curved elements is presented. If modal expansions on ports are not analytically known, they can be numerically obtained via a preliminary two-and-one-half-dimensional finite-element analysis; curved triangular and tetrahedrical elements are defined by a rational Bezier mapping, which provides a remarkable increase in accuracy and flexibility over the conventional polynomial mapping without a significant increase in computational burden. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed technique.


We developed a hybrid fluorescent material using amino functional mesoporous hollow silica microspheres (MHSM) encapsulated with CdTe quantum dots (QDs). The amino group plays a key role in immobilizing both QDs and formaldehyde in the inner mesoporous hole of MHSM. The present QDs-MHSM shows good fluorescence property and excellent photostability after ultrasonic irradiation in water for several times or stewing for more than 30 days. Its fluorescence intensity is quenched rapidly in the presence of formaldehyde but not by interference with commonly organic solvents. Under the optimal experimental conditions, such as the response time and pH of the solution, a sensitive fluorescence method was developed for the analysis of formaldehyde in seafood based on fluorescence quenching of QDs-MHSM. The linear response range of formaldehyde (R2 = 0.9997) ranged from 0.2 to 15.5 mg L−1 and the detection limit (S/N = 3) was as low as 0.07 mg L−1. The recovery was 99.5% with a relative standard deviation less than 5.0%, which was consistent with that obtained by the China National Standard colorimetric method, suggesting the potential application of this sensitive and simple method in food quality monitoring or other relative fields.


High-altitudelong-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are employed in a variety of fields because of their ability to fly for a long time at high altitudes, even in the stratosphere. Two paramount concerns exist: enhancing their safety during long-term flight and reducing their weight as much as possible to increase their energy efficiency based on analytical redundancy approaches. In this letter, a novel deep-learning-aided navigation filter is proposed, which consists of two parts: an end-to-end mapping-based synthetic sensor measurement model that utilizes long short-term memory (LSTM) networks to estimate the angle of attack (AOA) and sideslip angle (SSA) and an unscented Kalman filter for state estimation. Our proposed method can not only reduce the weight of HALE UAVs but also ensure their safety by means of an analytical redundancy approach. In contrast to conventional approaches, our LSTM-based method achieves better estimation by virtue of its nonlinear mapping capability.


We consider the dynamics of share price, that is, upward and downward movement of share price at time t . We made use of binomial derivative pricing process of stochastic processes. Our aim is to also determine investor's cash flows valuation generated from the investment. The investor invested her short position into N number of investment firms. The firms in turn invest the short position of the investor into the stock and bond markets in order to hedge out the risks associated with the investor's portfolio. We determine the value of the cash flows at time, t = 0 by finding the value of the discounted cash flows using a suitable discount rate. We assume that the discount rate is deterministic. We found out that with different values of the investment at the initial time from the investment firms over time yield almost the same percentage change (not the same value at time t) with the same interest rate. In this paper, we assume that there is no transaction costs. Journal of the Nigerian Association of Mathematical Physics , Volume 15 (November, 2009), pp 265 - 276


Metal nanoparticles are being actively explored for applications that use localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance for optical sensing. Here we report an electrostatic field sensing technique which has been applied to detection of mammalian brain cell activity, by optically measuring the cellular potential induced shift in the SP resonance mode of an adjacent planar gold nanoparticle array. An experimental scheme was first devised which enables a quantitative calibration of the field-induced plasmon resonance modulation in air. Hippocampal (brain) neural cells were then grown onto the nanoparticle template and cellular level individual transient signals were detected optically when the chemically triggered neurons switched their potential. Experimental data are compared with calculations using the Drude model for the dielectric response of gold and the Stern model for the metal-electrolyte junction, with good agreement.


We develop a numerical approach to find asymptotically flat black hole solutions coupled to anisotropic fluids, described by generic density profiles. Our model allows for a variety of applications in realistic astrophysical scenarios, and is potentially able to describe the geometry of galaxies hosting supermassive black holes, dark matter environments and accretion phenomena. We apply our framework to a black hole surrounded by different families of dark matter profiles, namely the Hernquist, the Navarro-Frenk White and the Einasto models. We study the geodesic motion of light and of massive particles in such spacetimes. Moreover we compute gravitational axial perturbations induced by a small secondary on the numerical background, and determine the changes in the emitted gravitational wave fluxes compared to the vacuum case. Our analysis confirms and extend previous studies showing that modifications of orbital frequencies and axial fluxes can be described in terms of gravitational-redshift, regardless of the halo model.


OBJECTIVE
To treat heel pain with small needle-knife according to its classification,so as to improve the therapeutic effects.

METHODS
From August 2005 to December 2008, 200 patients with 266 heel pain were treated according to the author's classification standards. There were 83 males and 117 females, ranging in age from 26 to 72 years, with a mean age of 46 years; the course of the disease ranged from 3 to 36 months, averaged 6.8 months. According to the classification:67 heels with plantar fasciitis type, 61 heels with calcaneal bursitis type, 36 heels with plantar fat pad inflammation-based type, 6 heels with calcaneus high pressure-type, 21 heels with nerve compression type, 75 heels with mixed type. All the patients were treated with small needle-knife by using different methods according to its classification.

RESULTS
After 1 month treatment, among the patients with plantar fasciitis-type, 31 heels got an excellent result,36 good;among the patients with calcaneal bursitis type, 32 heels got an excellent result, 29 good; among the patients with plantar fat pad inflammation-based type, 9 heels got an excellent result, 20 good, 4 poor and 3 bad; among the patients with calcaneus high pressure-type, 1 patient got an excellent result, 3 good and 2 poor; among the patients with nerve compression type, 11 heels got an excellent result, 8 good, 1 poor and 1 bad; among the patients with mixed type, 16 heels got an excellent result, 46 good, 5 poor and 8 bad. At the 6th month after treatment, among the patients with plantar fasciitis-type, 21 heels got an excellent result, 40 good,5 poor and 1 bad; among the patients with calcaneal bursitis type, 30 heels got an excellent result, 28 good and 3 poor; among the patients with plantar fat pad inflammation-based type, 15 heels got an excellent result, 18 good, 2 poor and 1 bad; among the patients with calcaneus high pressure-type, 0 patient got an excellent result, 3 good and 3 poor;among the patients with nerve compression type,7 heels got an excellent result, 11 good, 1 poor and 2 bad; among the patients with mixed type, 10 heels got an excellent result, 45 good, 11 poor and 9 bad.

CONCLUSION
The causes of heel pain can't be explained by using single pathogenesy,and also can't be treated with one method. The patients with calcaneal pain should be treated with different methods according to classification of heel pain, and thus the therapeutic effects can be improved.


Problems with infrastructure have received considerable attention but not much has been written about implications for research and education. Education and research should be aimed at needed changes. The main need in engineering education is added emphasis on management. An effective course in management for civil engineers is needed, including the principles of maintenance, operations research, value engineering, economics, finance, policy analysis and the practical application of computer-based information systems. The MS degree is becoming accepted as an entry level professional degree, and offers an opportunity for engineers to take more management. More research aimed at managing the water infrastructure is needed.


- Sleep apnea is a common problem with health implications ranging from excessive daytime sleepiness to serious cardiovascular disorders. The method for detecting and measuring sleep apnea is through breathing monitoring (polysomnography), which is time consuming and relatively expensive. Cardiovascular which is closely related to heart performance activities allows the use of electrocardiogram (heart rate variability) features to detect sleep apnea. This study aims to compare the results of sleep apnea detection using several machine learning algorithms. A total of 2,445 data were divided into 1,834 data as learning sets and 611 data as test sets. Evaluation of 10-fold cross-validation using all HRV features shows that neural network algorithm has the best performance compared to decision tree algorithm, k-nearest neighbor, and support vector machine with an accuracy rate (82.44% in the learning set, 79.21% in the test set consecutively), precision (85.54% and 82.70%), f-measure (87.70% and 85.67%), and AUC (0.867 and 0.832). Based on the results of performance testing using only selected HRV features (CVRR, HF, SD1/SD2 Ratio, and S-Region), the K-Nearest Neighbors, Support Vector Machine, and Neural Network algorithms experienced a decrease in performance. The use of all HRV features is recommended compared to only using selected HRV features, so it can help detect the presence/absence of sleep apnea much better.


— This paper presents an A rtificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm based method for solving the economic load dispatch (ELD) problem. The objective is to minimize the nonlinear function, which is the total fuel cost of thermal generating units, subject to the usual constraints. The proposed ABC method has been examined for Crete Island system consisting of 18 thermal generating units having quadratic (Convex) cost function, standard IEEE 30 bus system consisting of six generating units and a 15 generating unit system with emission constraints. Results obtained with proposed method are compared with other techniques presented in literature. ABC algorithm is easy to implement and capable of searching near global optimum solution at fast convergence and efficiency.


In Thermal systems, Heat transfer fluids play a significant role. But conventional temperature transfer fluids have poor temperature transfer features. Many researches are created in order to improve the thermal properties of regular fluids. The improvement of thermal conductivity of regular fluids by micro-sized solid particles will not result in a valuable change. Therefore, Nanoparticles are put into it to create sizeable heat transfer liquids. Metal oxide nanoparticles i.e. Al2O3 is confusing with water and thermal conductivity of the blend is certainly investigated at different temperature ranges. It is discovered that the thermal conductivity boosts by 5%. The evaluation summarizes that the effective thermal conductivity of the Nano fluids boosts beyond 55°C.


Pneumococci remain the most important cause of bacterial pneumonia with a considerable morbidity and mortality. The characteristic features of pneumococcal pneumonia are fever, shivering, productive cough, and radiographic detection of an infiltrate. Penicillin is still the cornerstone of therapy for pneumococcal infections. With the HIV-epidemic and worldwide emergence of resistant strains particularly the invasive pneumococcal infections became a growing therapeutic problem.


Image Processing is an important technology for performing image operations. The analysis and manipulation on a digitized image helps to improve its quality. Image Processing offers a number of techniques to process an image such as Image Resizing, Image Enhancement etc. Image resizing is a key process for displaying visual media on different devices, and it has attracted much attention in the past few years. This paper defines preserving an important region of an image, minimizing distortions, and improving efficiency. Image Resizing can be more effectively reached with a better interpretation of image semantics. A new image importance map and a new seam criterion for image retargeting is presented. Content-aware image resizing is a promising theme in computer vision and image processing. The seam carving method can effectively achieve image resizing which needs to define image importance to detect the salient context of images.


In this article, the author researches and analyses the legal thinking created by Senators A. Lēbers and M. Čakste, aspects of interdisciplinary interaction of subsidiary sources and branches of law in the interwar Latvian Senate. The findings made by the senators of interwar Latvia (in the capacity of rapporteurs on a case, members of the court's composition) help to explore the historical events and the legal culture of the respective age by reading the primary sources. In the conditions of contemporary legal system, the described cases and legal institutions mostly have similar regulation and could be useful for the development of the case law on the respective matter. Interaction of subsidiary sources, in particular, the used findings of the doctrine build bridges across ages and promote the continuity of uniform case law and understanding of law. The range of resolved legal matters pertained to a broad area of law – branches of law, interdisciplinary aspects of the legal system. The scientific contribution by Senators A. Lēbers and M. Čakste is universal and significant in the context of European and global thinking. Notwithstanding the circumstances, they remained loyal to democratic Latvia.


Introduction: BAY 94-9027 is a rationally designed B Domain Deleted (BDD) FVIII (Mei , B. et al Blood 2010). A single 60 kDa PEG molecule was attached to amino acids 1804 to increase its circulating half-life, reduce the exposure to epitopes reported to cause immunogenicity in the A3 domain (Shima M. Int. J. Haematol. 2006), while preserving full biological function. The PEGylation technology allows for an extended duration of action with the goal of reducing the number of infusions needed while maintaining protection from bleeds. In a recent clinical trial the molecule has shown significant efficacy for prophylactic treatment in hemophilia A patients (NCT01775618). The objective of this study was to further characterize in vitro BAY 94-9027 using Xase kinetics, activated protein C-dependent inactivation of FVIIIa, and thrombin generation assays. Methods and Results: Biochemical assays to determine apparent binding of the Factor IXa and Factor VIIIa complex and the Factor X activation kinetics revealed identical in vitro properties of BAY 94-9027 to the BDD FVIII comparator, Refacto AFO. The molecules also performed similarly in activated protein C (aPC) FVIIIa inactivation studies. BAY 94-9027 was further characterized by thrombin generation assay (TGA) in human hemophilic plasma. The TGAs were triggered using 1pM TF or 100pM XIa to simulate extrinsic and intrinsic activation. With XIa activation no differences were seen in peak thrombin, ETP or lag time between BDD FVIII and BAY 94-9027. The lag time, peak and ETP values also remained similar using TF activation. The XIa initiated TGA gives a more potent thrombin generation response compared to TF and is more sensitive to FVIII activity as judged by the left shift of the dose response curves. The TGAs were repeated while titrating thrombomodulin (TM) to generate aPC. Both BAY 94-9027 and BDD FVIII showed similar inactivation profile in the TM-TGA. Conclusion: The data demonstrates that the rationally designed site specific PEGylation of FVIII in BAY 94-9027 does not alter the in vitro coagulation properties, tested by the ability of BAY 94-9027 to generate thrombin, activate FX or inactivation by aPC. BAY 94-9027 represents the next generation of treatment in hemophilia, using PEGylation technology to reduce the number of infusions while maintaining FVIII activity. Disclosures Yegneswaran:Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Jiang:Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Yesantharao:Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Kim:Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Leong:Bayer Healthcare: Employment. Sim:Bayer Healthcare: Employment. Patel:Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Kauser:Bayer Healthcare: Employment.


Information systems age over time and become legacy information systems which often embed business knowledge that is not present in any other artefact. The embedded knowledge must be preserved to align the modernised versions of the legacy systems with the current business processes of an organisation. Modernisation efforts to preserve business knowledge typically consider different software artefacts as knowledge sources (e.g. code, databases, documentation etc.). Usually, the business knowledge needed to modernise a respective legacy system is statically recovered by reverse engineering techniques. Unfortunately, there is much knowledge that is only known during system execution. This study provides a semi-automatic technique based on dynamic analysis, combined with static analysis to instrument the source code for obtaining event log models. The event log represents a mapping between the pieces of source code executed and the business activities that they support. The obtained event log can then be used to mine the business processes embedded in legacy systems. In addition, the feasibility of the technique is validated by means of a formal case study, using a real-life legacy information system. The case study reports that the technique makes it possible to obtain event logs to effectively and efficiently discover business processes.


Assisting code evolution (refactoring, adaptation, parallelisation, etc.) can be handy for improving code quality and execution speed. Generally, tools assisting developers are tailored to some language, making analyses approaches hard to be applied in practice when using a different language. In this paper, we propose a cross-language framework for implementing analyses on object-oriented code. By separating the logic for computing metrics, or detecting code smells, that lets us identify the need for improvements, from code exploration, we enable developers designing high-level recommendation tools that can be effectively applied on the most common object-oriented languages, such as e.g. Java and C++. Code exploration components will provide inspection and data commonly needed for representing the details of the code, such as control and data dependencies, or object and method lists. These will be language-specific and provided by the framework itself.


[1] In this paper we analyze the prompt solar flare effect (SFE) associated to a strong X-ray flare that occurred on 5 December 2006 by using spherical cap harmonic analysis applied to the variations recorded in the European magnetic observatories network. The regional model allows the simultaneous modeling in space and time of the ionospheric equivalent current system responsible for the SFE, as well as for the regular diurnal variation SR on that day. It is found that the SFE equivalent current system does not form as an enhancement of the SR system. Its focus is distinct from that of the SR, and it is located between 3 and 10° higher in latitude and circa 40 min later in local time.


High-power magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters are an attractive option for providing primary propulsion on flagship-class spaceflight missions beyond the Low Earth Orbit (LEO), such as piloted Mars and Mars cargo, and more near-term cargo missions supporting a crewed lunar outpost due to their unique ability to process large amounts of power in a relatively small footprint size. This results in significant savings in system mass and volume over competing propulsion options such as ion or Hall-effect thrusters. This paper presents a partial summary of data from recent research at the University of Southern California, in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, investigating several concerns of the mechanisms influencing the performance and lifetime of high-current single-channel hollow cathodes (SCHCs), the central electrode, and the primary life-limiting component in MPD thrusters. The overall objective of such research is to extend the operational lifetime of the cathode to mission-enabling lengths, generally considered to be in the range of 5-10 000 h. Specifically covered are the trends seen in the discharge efficiency and power, the size of the plasma attachment to the cathode (the active zone), the cathode exit plume plasma density and energy, and the plasma property distributions of the internal plasma column of an SCHC.


The article investigates the detrimental effect of nonuniform and uniform crack distributions over a solar cell in terms of open-circuit voltage (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{\bm{V}}_{{{\bf oc}}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>), short-circuit current density (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{\bm{J}}_{{{\bf sc}}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>), and output power, the latter under a wide range of irradiance conditions. The experimental procedure to detect the cracks relies on electroluminescence (EL) imaging, which is nondestructive and requires a relatively low amount of time. The Griddler software is adopted to translate the EL-taken image into <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{\bm{V}}_{{{\bf oc}}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{\bm{J}}_{{{\bf sc}}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> maps. The main findings can be summarized as follows: the nonuniformly and uniformly cracked cells are both jeopardized in terms of output power; the loss corresponding to the cell with nonuniform distribution of cracks is increasingly higher than the uniformly cracked counterpart as the irradiance hitting the cells grows; and all cells affected by nonuniform cracks are severely damaged in terms of fingers and rear busbar, which concur to limit the maximum output current.


e-MODYUL: Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Support Learning Management System is a mobile and web-based application running on Android and IOS platforms and other operating systems. This application would serve as an aid to help the students in accessing their lessons and answering their tests and examinations regardless of the type of operating system that they are going to use. Students can also use the application using different types of computers. Upon using the application, students will enjoy learning and accessing resources of the application at their own pace. e-MODYUL TVL application is designed for students to help them understand their lessons with the same objectives and for schools to achieve their goals of providing quality education using a blended type of learning. This application will help teachers and students find the balance in delivering learning to every Filipino learner. Using paper and pen and financial problems in going to school are just some of the problems encountered by the students. Watching relevant tutorial videos related to TVL are also needed. Based on these problems and challenges presented, the proponent develops this e-MODYUL Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Support Learning Management System with these features; a progress tracking system, interactive, user-friendliness, secured, and cross-platform dynamic environment. The e-MODYUL mobile app has six functions, namely, sign-in / out, log-in/out, TVL learning resources, assessments, settings, and progress tracking. Users, both the students and the teachers, can Log-in and Log-out of the system by using their credentials. PHP Hypertext Preprocessor language was used to develop the application and to break down modules in this application. The rapid application development (RAD) model was used in this capstone project up to the completion of the final product. Different stages were needed as a primary requirement for user description and planning. Users were provided with sample screen images for the application for them to familiarize the different interfaces, whether web-based or mobile. These interfaces were designed to be responsive regardless of any platform. All interfaces were user-friendly and easy to use and navigate. Respondents described the mobile learning resource application as an excellent innovation since all of the attributes are said to be "Excellent". Attributes described are accuracy, user-friendly, operability, consistency, conciseness, compatibility, and simplicity. Thirty respondents were selected to test the application, whereas 10 were teachers and 20 were students. After the data were gathered, the proponent used frequency distribution to determine if the purpose of the mobile learning resource app had been achieved. Then the average results were generated, and the percentile rank and mean scores were computed. The development of the application helps students and teachers provide quality education while using technology, particularly paperless technology. It was revealed in this research that we could innovate education with the aid of application. The application can be more accessible if uploaded to Google Play Store, where everyone can download it.


Emotion recognition from electroencephalogram (EEG) data has been a research spotlight in both academic and industrial communities, which lays a solid foundation to achieve harmonic human–machine interaction. However, most of the existing studies either directly performed classification on primary EEG features or employed a two-stage paradigm of "feature transformation plus classification" for emotion recognition. The former usually cannot obtain promising performance, while the latter inevitably breaks the connection between feature transformation and recognition. In this article, we propose a simple yet effective model named semisupervised sparse low-rank regression (S3LRR) to unify the discriminative subspace identification and semisupervised emotion recognition together. Specifically, S3LRR is formulated by decomposing the projection matrix in least square regression (LSR) into two factor matrices, which complete the discriminative subspace identification and connect the subspace EEG data representation with emotional states. Experimental studies on the benchmark SEED_V dataset show that the emotion recognition performance is greatly improved by the joint learning mechanism of S3LRR. Furthermore, S3LRR exhibits additional abilities in affective activation patterns exploration and EEG feature selection.


The present study demonstrates an economical and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the wild mushroom Ganoderma sessiliforme. The synthesis of AgNPs was confirmed and the products characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis was performed to identify the viable biomolecules involved in the capping and active stabilization of AgNPs. Moreover, the average sizes and morphologies of AgNPs were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The potential impacts of AgNPs on food safety and control were evaluated by the antimicrobial activity of the synthesized AgNPs against common food-borne bacteria, namely, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus faecalis, Listeria innocua and Micrococcus luteus. The results of this study revealed that the synthesized AgNPs can be used to control the growth of food-borne pathogens and have potential application in the food packaging industry. Moreover, the AgNPs were evaluated for antioxidant activity (DPPH), for biocompatibility (L-929, normal fibroblast cells), and for cytotoxic effects on human breast adenosarcoma cells (MCF-7 & MDA-MB231) to highlight their potential for use in a variety of bio-applications.


Background: the early lung cancer (LC) screening strategy significantly reduces LC mortality. According to previous studies, lung cancer can be effectively diagnosed by analyzing the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human exhaled breath and establishing a diagnosis model based on the different VOCs. This method, called breath analysis, has the advantage of being rapid and non-invasive. To develop a non-invasive, portable breath detection instrument based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS), we explored the feasibility of establishing a model with acetone, isoprene, and nitric oxide (NO) exhaled through human breath, which can be detected on the CRDS instrument. Methods: a total of 511 participants were recruited from the Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin Medical University as the discovery set and randomly split (2 : 1) into training set and internal validation set with stratification. For external validation, 51 participants were recruited from the General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University. Acetone and isoprene from exhaled breath were detected by proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS), and NO was measured using CRDS. The model was constructed using the ensemble learning method that set eXtreme gradient boosting and logistic regression as the basis model and logistic regression as the senior model. The model was evaluated based on accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results: the model achieved an accuracy of 78.8%, sensitivity of 81.0%, specificity of 70.0%, and area under the receiver operating curve (ROC, AUC) of 0.8341 (95% CI from 0.8055 to 0.8852) in the internal validation set. Furthermore, it attained an accuracy of 66.7%, sensitivity of 68.2%, specificity of 65.5%, and AUC of 0.6834 (95% CI from 0.5259 to 0.7956) in the external validation set. Conclusion: the model, established with acetone, isoprene, and NO as predictors, possesses the ability to identify LC patients from healthy control (HC) participants. The CRDS instrument, which simultaneously detects acetone, isoprene, and NO, is expected to be a non-invasive, rapid, portable, and accurate device for early screening of LC.


Received: Revised: Accepted: Published online: December 30, 2018 February 20, 2019 April 16, 2019 May 25, 2019 Neoplastic testicular lesions are diagnosed increasingly frequently in dogs and humans. In rats, spontaneous testicular tumours, particularly Leydig cell tumours, are very rare. The aim of the study was to carry out a histological and immunohistochemical analysis of a Leydig cell tumour in a rat as well as to present the similarities and differences in the expression of the proteins used to diagnose this type of tumour in dogs and men. Following the histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis (including antibodies against vimentin, calretinin, inhibin-α, β catenin and E-cadherin), significant similarities were found in the level of expression of the studied cell markers of the rat, dog and male leydigoma This indicates their usefulness as diagnostic markers of testicle tumours both in humans and animals. ©2019 PVJ. All rights reserved


This paper presents new sufficient conditions, involving limsup and lim inf , for the oscillation of all solutions of differential equations with several non-monotone deviating arguments and nonnegative coefficients. Corresponding differential equations of both delay and advanced type are studied. We illustrate the results and the improvement over other known oscillation criteria by examples, numerically solved in MATLAB. Mathematics subject classification (2010): 34K11, 34K06.


The king scallop fishery is the fastest growing fishery in the UK and currently the second most valuable. The UK is also home to the largest queen scallop fishery out of all of Europe. However, concerns have been raised about the effects of this recent growth of UK scallop fisheries among scientists and conservation bodies, as well as amongst the public following recent media campaigns (e.g. Hugh's Fish Fight). This is because the majority of scallop landings (95%) are made by vessels towing scallop dredges, a type of fishing gear known to cause substantial environmental impacts. In addition, several scallop stocks are showing signs of overexploitation and there is concern over future impacts of ocean warming and acidification. Although, there have been several recent improvements in the management of scallop fisheries in parts of the UK, information on many scallop stocks around the UK is still lacking. This report therefore proposes that better monitoring and stock assessments are needed for these scallop fisheries and stocks. With recent legislation soon to result in the development of a new network of marine protected areas (MPAs) around the UK, and improved management of fisheries in European Marine Sites, now is a crucial time to review the UK scallop dredge fishery and its impacts on the wider environment so that this new legislation can support a sustainable future for the UK scallop fishery. This report was therefore commissioned by the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust with the aim of collating existing knowledge on the management and environmental impacts of scallop fisheries around the UK.


Given the importance of the global environmental agenda, never before has it been so important to understand the determinants of industrial energy demand in the developed world to aid international policy makers in their deliberations. They need sound and dependable models to support their projections of future industrial energy demand to underpin policy; for example to grant emission trading permits. Therefore, never has it been more important to obtain 'good' estimates for energy demand as well as of the best way to specify and understand technical change. Previous research has attempted to resolve the debate on finding the appropriate way to measure technical progress in energy demand models without a definite consensus. Arguably more recent research has narrowed the debate to two competing methodologies - Asymmetric Price Responses (APR) and Underlying Energy Demand Trends (UEDT) - as a means of accounting for technical progress in energy demand models. This research has therefore used these competing methodologies within a panel data and time series modelling context. The time series methodology attempts to uncover the UEDT using the structural time series modelling (STSM) framework, while the panel data methodology seeks to uncover technical progress through the use of APR and fixed time dummies. This thesis, as part of this debate, uses both methodologies to investigate OECD industrial energy demand, with a view to obtaining an 'appropriate' model for energy demand in the industrial sector. In order to achieve this objective, three models are used to evaluate OECD industrial energy demand in a panel data context and a time series context. These are the asymmetry model without stochastic trend, the symmetric model with stochastic trend, and the asymmetric model with stochastic trend. Results from the time series analysis indicate that the data on OECD industrial energy demand strongly support the inclusion of a stochastic trend in the models. Although it is very difficult to obtain consistent estimates across different data sets, the results and tests from the panel data modelling framework supports the use of APR in explaining technical progress in the OECD industrial sector in the longer data sets while it incorporates an exogenous trend in the shorter data sets.


Supra-pubic cystostomy, often done to relieve urinary retention or protect a bladder outflow reconstructive surgery, is often considered a "simple" procedure by all standards. The complications following this procedure are few, being limited to haemorrhage and bladder collapse with difficulty in identifying intra-operatively, especially in closed cystostomy. Uncommon complication includes bowel injury. We report on a patient who presented with entero-cutaneous fistula following supra-pubic cystostomy (SPC). He had right hemicolectomy with ileo-transverse anastomosis and repair of cysto-cutaneous fistula. Nigerian Journal of Surgical Research Vol. 7(1&2) 2005: 199-200


Background

There is suggestive evidence that the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) are related to the severity of fracture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of PLR and SII in predicting fracture severity in young and middle-aged patients with tibial plateau fractures (TPFs).
Methods

The retrospective cohort study involving 229 isolated TPFs was performed between January 2015 and December 2019. Medical records of hospitalized patients were extracted from the electronic case system. Three experienced orthopedic surgeons classified the imaging data according to the Schatzker classification. All the patients were divided into two groups: group1 consisted of fractures of mild to moderate severity (Schatzker types I-IV), and group2 consisted of fractures of severe severity (Schatzker types V-VI). Platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte values at admission were obtained. The PLR = platelet/lymphocyte counts and the SII = platelet × neutrophil/lymphocyte counts were noted. Patients in groups 1 and 2 were statistically compared in terms of PLR and SII value on hospital admission.
Results

There were significant differences in the blood PLR, SII, Na+ and K+ levels, and neutrophil count between the two groups. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the cut-off of PLR and SII were 157.9 and 923.9, respectively. Our results showed that high PLR and SII were remarkably associated with the severity of TPFs. The sensitivity was 60% and the specificity was 86.9% when using the PLR ≥ 157.9 to predict the severity of the TPFs whereas the sensitivity was 63.3% and the specificity was 74.4% to predict the severity of TPFs at SII ≥ 923.9. In the multivariate analyses, the high preoperative PLR and SII were identified as independent predictors of severe TPFs.
Conclusions

The PLR and SII are simple and economical biomarkers that can be calculated from routine blood tests and can be used to predict the severity of tibial plateau fractures.


Benign vascular tumors arising primarily in lymph nodes are rare. The importance of identifying these entities is to avoid misdiagnosing them as malignant vascular tumors, which occur more often in lymph nodes. Hemangioma is a benign nodal vascular tumor, but its occurrence in lymph nodes is extremely rare. Hemangiomas can occur at any age, mostly in females. It is usually asymptomatic, affects only one node, and does not recur. Four histologic types of hemangioma have been identified: capillary/cavernous, lobular capillary, cellular, and epithelioid. This review highlights the key features of previously reported cases and discusses the differential diagnosis.


Protein domain architectures (PDAs), in which single domains are linked to form multiple-domain proteins, are a major molecular form used by evolution for the diversification of protein functions. However, the design principles of PDAs remain largely uninvestigated. In this study, we constructed networks to connect domain architectures that had grown out from the same single domain for every single domain in the Pfam-A database and found that there are three main distinctive types of these networks, which suggests that evolution can exploit PDAs in three different ways. Further analysis showed that these three different types of PDA networks are each adopted by different types of protein domains, although many networks exhibit the characteristics of more than one of the three types. Our results shed light on nature's blueprint for protein architecture and provide a framework for understanding architectural design from a network perspective.


A uniform Evansblue-loaded biodegradable amphiphilic poly(lactide-co-glycolide-b-ethylene glycol-b-lactide-co-glycolide)(PLGE) porous microsphere prepared by a synergy effect between the hydrophilic PEG and rapid solvent evaporation is reported. Our approach is based on the double emulsion (W/O/W) in which solvent evaporates rapidly. We show the introduction of hydrophilic PEG and rapid solvent evaporation play an important role in the formation of biodegradable porous microspheres. The microsphere size, pore size and distribution as well as drug loading efficiency can be well controlled by varying the polymer compositions. Meanwhile, the drug release behaviors of PLGE porous microspheres are also discussed.


This paper presents an architecture for a future electric power distribution system that is suitable for plug-and-play of distributed renewable energy and distributed energy storage devices. Motivated by the success of the (information) Internet, the architecture described in this paper was proposed by the NSF FREEDM Systems Center, Raleigh, NC, as a roadmap for a future automated and flexible electric power distribution system. In the envisioned "Energy Internet," a system that enables flexible energy sharing is proposed for consumers in a residential distribution system. The key technologies required to achieve such a vision are presented in this paper as a result of the research partnership of the FREEDM Systems Center.


Objective: to present a methodological proposal of evaluation of users' of a Psychosocial Attention Center (CAPS), developed in a wider research of evaluation of CAPS of the South Area of Brazil (States of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana). Method: it is a  case study, with evaluative approach, accomplished in a CAPS of the State of Santa Catarina. It was developed with the methodology of Fourth Generation Evaluation, constructivist, responsive and with hermeneutic-dialectic approach. The evaluation of families was accomplished with the aid of Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM), with the genogram and ecomap. Results: CFAM provided the understanding of the family organization, to visualize the potentialities and fragilities of the family and this social network. Conclusion: the used methodology contributes to the qualification of the interventions, especially the care of the person with psychic disorders and his family.


CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2008 Abstracts

Abstract #3031

Background Growth factor (GF) signaling is frequently upregulated in hormone resistant breast cancer (BC) and provides the rationale for using the dual EGFR/HER2 inhibitor, lapatinib (LAP) in an effort to overcome endocrine resistance. Hormone resistant BC can also vary in its degree of continued ER dependence. We previously demonstrated potent synergy between LAP and TAM in cell models of acquired endocrine resistance to tamoxifen (TAMR cells), and to estrogen deprivation (LTED cells)1. This study aimed to characterize the phenotype of these two models with a focus on the ER pathway, and to determine the biological basis for the observed synergy between LAP and TAM. Methods LTED cells and TAMR cells were both derived from hormone-sensitive MCF7 parental cells as previously described1. The differential effects of LAP, TAM, estrogen deprivation (ED) or the combination were assessed by proliferation assays, ERE reporter assays, quantitative PCR and western blot analyses. Results In LTEDs: Increased ER expression and ERE transactivation were seen in LTEDs compared to MCF7 cells, as well as continued sensitivity to the ER downregulator, fulvestrant (FUL), indicating that in LTEDs, ER activity is not only enhanced but is also a significant driver of growth. In LTEDs, LAP alone suppressed ER activity as measured by both ERE transactivation and ER phosphorylation at Ser118; the most effective suppression of ER activity was achieved with a combination of LAP+TAM/ED where the effects were additive. In TAMRs: In contrast, TAMRs demonstrated decreased ER activity (low basal ERE transactivation and loss of PgR) and ER independent proliferation (FUL had minimal growth inhibitory effects despite ER downregulation). In TAMRs, neither LAP nor TAM had significant antiproliferative effects on their own: LAP alone decreased pMAPK/pAkt but increased basal ERE transactivation and transcription of the ER-responsive gene pS2. TAM alone inhibited ERE activation but increased HER2 gene and protein expression. Inhibiting both HER2 and ER pathways with LAP+TAM resulted in synergistic growth inhibition. Conclusions In LTED cells with enhanced ER function attributable in part to GF receptor activation, the synergistic antiproliferative effects from LAP and TAM or ED may be largely due to enhanced inhibition of ER signaling. In contrast in TAMR cells with suppressed ER activity, LAP alone appears to enhance ER signaling, while TAM alone inhibits ER activity but increases HER2 expression. In TAMRs, the combination of TAM+LAP is required to interrupt both ER and GF signaling. These results suggest that the basis for synergy between LAP and endocrine therapy in hormone resistant BC may vary depending on the nature of the cross-talk between the ER and GF pathways. 1SABCS, 2006 Abs 303.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 3031.


PPARG, a ligand-activated transcription factor plays a critical role in the regulation of blood pressure and vascular function. We hypothesized that smooth muscle cell (SMC) PPARG protects against hypertension (HT) and resistance vessel dysfunction. Transgenic mice expressing dominant negative PPARG (S-P467L) in SMC or non-transgenic controls (NT) were implanted with DOCA pellet and allowed ad libitum access to 0.15 M NaCl for 21 days in addition to regular chow and water. Blood pressure was monitored by telemetry and mesenteric arterial (MA) function was assessed by pressurized myograph. At baseline, 24-hour mean arterial pressure (MAP) was similar between NT and S-P467L mice, while the transgenic mice were tachycardic. DOCA-salt increased MAP to a much greater degree in S-P467L mice (Δ MAP; S-P467L: +34.2±6.0, NT: +13.3±5.7, p<0.05 vs NT). Heart rate was similarly decreased in both groups after DOCA-salt. Vasoconstriction to KCl, phenylephrine and endothelin-1 did not differ in MA from DOCA-salt treated NT and S-P467L, while the response to vasopressin was significantly reduced in S-P467L after DOCA-salt (% constriction at 10-8 M, S-P467L: 31.6±5.6, NT: 46.7±3.8, p<0.05 vs NT). Urinary copeptin, a surrogate marker for arginine vasopressin was similar in both groups regardless of treatment. Vasorelaxation to acetylcholine was slightly impaired in S-P467L MA compared to NT at baseline whereas this effect was further exaggerated after DOCA-salt (% relaxation at 10-5 M, S-P467L: 56.1±8.3, NT: 79.4±5.6, p<0.05 vs NT). Vascular morphology at luminal pressure of 75 mmHg showed a significant increase in wall thickness (S-P467L: 18.7±0.8, NT: 16.0±0.4, p<0.05 vs NT) and % media/lumen (S-P467L: 8.4±0.3, NT: 7.1±0.2, p<0.05 vs NT) in S-P467L MA after DOCA-salt. Expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-4 and regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS)-5 transcript were 2- and 3.5-fold increased, respectively, in MA of NT with DOCA-salt compared to NT baseline. However, this induction was markedly blunted in S-P467L MA. We conclude that interference with PPARG function in SMC leads to altered gene expression crucial for normal vascular homeostasis, thereby sensitizing the mice to the effects of DOCA-salt induced HT and vascular dysfunction.