Magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MMSNPs) are being widely investigated as multifunctional novel drug delivery systems (DDSs) and play an important role in targeted therapy. Here, magnetic cores were synthesized using the thermal decomposition method. Further, to improve the biocompatibility and pharmacokinetic behavior, mesoporous silica was synthesized using the sol-gel process to coat the magnetic cores. Subsequently, sunitinib (SUN) was loaded into the MMSNPs, and the particles were armed with amine-modified mucin 1 (MUC-1) aptamers. The MMSNPs were characterized using FT-IR, TEM, SEM, electrophoresis gel, DLS, and EDX. MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis, ROS assessment, and mitochondrial membrane potential analysis evaluated the nanoparticles' biological impacts. The physicochemical analysis revealed that the engineered MMSNPs have a smooth surface and spherical shape with an average size of 97.6 nm. The biological in vitro analysis confirmed the highest impacts of the targeted MMSNPs in MUC-1 overexpressing cells (OVCAR-3) compared to the MUC-1 negative MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, the synthesized MMSNP-SUN-MUC-1 nanosystem serves as a unique multifunctional targeted delivery system to combat the MUC-1 overexpressing ovarian cancer cells.


We propose and design photonic crystal cavities (PCCs) in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) for diverse photonic and quantum applications. Two dimensional (2D) hBN flakes contain quantum emitters which are ultra-bright and photostable at room temperature. To achieve optimal coupling of these emitters to optical resonators, fabrication of cavities from hBN is therefore required to maximize the overlap between cavity optical modes and the emitters. Here, we design 2D and 1D PCCs using anisotropic indices of hBN. The influence of underlying substrates and material absorption are investigated, and spontaneous emission rate enhancements are calculated. Our results are promising for future quantum photonic experiments with hBN.


In 260 patients with intracranial aneurism hemorrhages long-term results were estimated according to Rankin scale 2,5 years after operation. Long-term results by Rankin 0-2 were considered to be "good", 3-5 were considered to be "bad" ones. Two years after operation 53% of all patients had "good" long-term outcome. Factors negatively influencing long-term outcomes are to be the following: intra-operational aneurism rupture, temporary arterial clipping in the process of operation, complications in the post-operational period, angiospasm according to the transcranial Doppler sonography, angiospasm prevalence, clinicopathologic hemorrhage characteristics "subarachnoid hemorrhage+others", critical condition according to H-H>1, feminine sex, aneurism location in the forebrain arteria, subarachnoid hemorrhage lesion according to Fisher> II, ischemic heart disease, pathological comorbitidy, ABO blood group III or IV. "Good" treatment results 2,5 years after treatment are prognosticated in patients with severe invalidity by Glasgo scale (GOS=3) on hospital discharge, in those who didn't experience ischemic stroke after operation and with severity of condition I or II according to H-H on admission. In patients with GOS-3 on hospital discharge the best long-term results according to Rankin were observed in those treated under hypothermia conditions. Hypertensive disease worsens long-term results according to Rankin even in patients with GOS-5 on hospital discharge. With positive renovation results by Rankin 0 or 1 in the post-operation period (GOS = 5) excellent long-term results are prognosticated, but the best results could be obtained in patients without hypertensive disease under prophylactic hypothermia.


From understanding the relevance of constitutional determinations of tasks to the State, it is essential to formulate public policies to satisfy the Constitution. Public policies, despite their controversial sense, are understood in this paper as a process that expresses power relations and intends to resolve problems or conflicts related to the public interest. Within the proposedclassification of state functions, which seeks support in the Constitution, the judicial function is uncharacterizes as able to designing and implement public policies. However, the Judiciary duty of deciding on subjective rights violation is not taken off, because these rights shold be attended by public policies.


Virtualized infrastructure providers demand new methods to increase the accuracy of the accounting models used to charge their customers. Future data centers will be composed of many-core systems that will host a large number of virtual machines (VMs) each. While resource utilization accounting can be achieved with existing system tools, energy accounting is a complex task when per-VM granularity is the goal. In this paper, we propose a methodology that brings new opportunities to energy accounting by adding an unprecedented degree of accuracy on the per-VM measurements. We present a system -which leverages CPU and memory power models based in performance monitoring counters (PMCs)- to perform energy accounting in virtualized systems. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we show that PMC-based power modeling methods are still valid on virtualized environments. And second, we introduce a novel methodology for accounting of energy consumption in virtualized systems. In overall, the results for an Intel® Core™ 2 Duo show errors in energy estimations below the 5%. Such approach brings flexibility to the chargeback models used by service and infrastructure providers. For instance, we show that VMs executed during the same amount of time, present more than 20% differences in energy consumption even only taking into account the consumption of the CPU and the memory.


An experimental dictator game has been conducted to examine whether subjects modify their allocation choices when information about the actions of others is provided. Experimental results show that (a) information on their own rank or absolute earnings of other dictators modestly reinforces subjects' selfishness, (b) the frequency of a zero transfer increases with the knowledge of other subjects' choices, (c) lower ranked subjects are more likely to give more or less in a new round, (d) the effects of information on rank are not different from those of information on absolute amount, (e) the stronger subjects' altruism motive and fairness preference, the more they give, while the stronger subjects' money-seeking motive, the less they give, and (f) money-seeking motive positively contributes to the likelihood of giving constantly zero in every round. The results have implications for future research focusing on distributional choices and social information.


Abstract The evolution of thinking about energy is discussed. When the authors began collaborating 20 years ago, energy was typically considered from a growth-oriented, supply-side perspective, with a focus on consumption trends and how to expand supplies to meet rising demand. They were deeply troubled by the environmental, security and equity implications of that approach. For instance, about two billion people lack access to affordable modern energy, seriously limiting their opportunities for a better life. And energy is a significant contributor to environmental problems, including indoor air pollution, urban air pollution, acidification, and global warming. The authors saw the need to evolve a different perspective in which energy is provided in ways that help solve such serious problems. They argued that energy must become an instrument for advancing sustainable development—economically viable, need-oriented, self-reliant and environmentally sound development—and that the focus should be on the end uses of energy and the services that energy provides. Energy technological options that can help meet sustainable development goals are discussed. The necessity of developing and employing innovative technological solutions is stressed. The possibilities of technological leap-frogging that could enable developing countries to avoid repeating the mistakes of the industrialized countries is illustrated with a discussion of ethanol in Brazil. The role foreign direct investment might play in bringing advanced technologies to developing countries is highlighted. Near- and long-term strategies for rural energy are discussed. Finally, policy issues are considered for evolving the energy system so that it will be consistent with and supportive of sustainable development.


Currently, medium and small businesses face a significant change in the way consumers purchase their services, products, or goods. This change is fundamentally due to the pandemic caused by the 2019 coronavirus disease, during which people were forced to use information and communication technologies to satisfy their needs and interact with other people. After the pandemic, people's dependence on technology increased exponentially, to such an extent that the Internet has become the channel through which any product can be purchased in an agile and varied way, from the comfort of home, and regardless of schedules. Therefore, for companies, moving from the traditional market to eCommerce is a necessity, but the change must take place efficiently. Therefore, identifying the factors that influence consumers to access a brand, a service, or a product is a characteristic of eCommerce. This paper presents an analysis of the factors that influence the use of electronic commerce. For this, a review of similar works was carried out for the design of surveys and the identification of the critical points considered by consumers. These data were analyzed in a granular way with tools used in business intelligence to improve decision making in the migration to a digital market.


The number of refugees around the world has increased substantially in the last decade. To cope with refugee flows, many countries have built refugee centers (RCs) for refugees to await the outcome of their asylum procedure. The opening of such centers often leads to considerable opposition from the local population. Using detailed housing transactions data from the Netherlands over the period 1990-2015, we examine locals' attitudes towards immigration by investigating households' willingness to pay (WTP) to avoid living near RCs. Comparing the price developments of opened RCs and those that are planned, we show that the opening of an RC decreases house prices within 2km by 3-6%. Using micro-data on home buyers' characteristics and employing a non-parametric hedonic pricing method, we identify households' individual preferences. We show that attitudes of higher income households towards RCs tend to be more negative, while those of foreign-born households are more positive. The WTP is also more negative for larger RCs. These results imply that when opening RCs, it is advisable to keep them relatively small and locate them in more ethnically diverse areas.


X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), resistivity, and thermoelectric power have been measured on Pr 1 − x Ca x Ba2Cu3O7. These data reveal an intriguing electronic structure in Pr-doped cuprates. The absorption peak in XANES associated with the Fehrenbacher-Rice (FR) band has been identified. The Ca-doped holes in Pr 1 − x Ca x Ba2Cu3O7 go to both the Zhang-Rice (ZR) and FR bands. Comparative studies on the related samples suggest that the FR band is partially filled and highly localized. Implications of these results on other recent experiments, such as the observation of superconductivity in PrBa2Cu3O7 single crystals, are discussed.


Many rate control algorithms focus on the adjustment of quantisation values to retain a certain buffer level, and arbitrary frame-skipping is often needed to keep the buffer from overflow at very low bit-rates. A content adaptive rate control is proposed to optimise the balance between spatial and temporal quality via active frame-skipping. The occurrence of frame-skipping is jointly dependent on the temporal and spatial quality of the video, and on the fullness of the buffer. This helps to achieve a consistent spatial and temporal quality and to enhance the overall perceptual quality. Experimental results show that the new scheme is simple but very effective, with large average PSNR gains and consistently improved visual quality, and the improvement in perceptual quality is much more significant than that in average PSNRs.


Recent improvements in Fourier descriptor (FD) shape analysis enable rapid identification of three-dimensional objects using FD feature vectors derived from their boundaries. In three-dimensional shape analysis, it is essential to preserve all information to achieve good performance. In the real-time situation it is, of course, equally important to use a computationally efficient method. The method of three-dimensional shape analysis using normalized Fourier descriptors is information preserving, yet is as fast as previous suboptimum methods. In addition, the feature vector has a linear property, allowing to interpolate between library projections and effectively define a continuum of library projections rather than a finite set. This method is applied to the analysis of sequential data varying in resolution and orientation relative to the camera. Computational considerations are discussed, and it is seen that real-time implementation of the method is feasible.


The correlation between a keylight and food in a discrete-trials, interresponse-time-greater-than 6-sec (IRT>6-sec) procedure was varied by manipulating the rate of response-independent food presentation in the intertrial interval. When the correlation was positive, the rates of pecking in the IRT>6-sec condition were high and food was obtained on only about 5% of the trials. Likewise, responding was maintained at a high rate in yoked birds that received the same presentations of the light and food as the birds in the IRT>6-sec condition. When the rate of reinforcement between trials was equated to or made greater than the rate of reinforcement within trials, the response rate decreased for all birds, and those decreases were considerably larger for the yoked birds. However, the percentage of trials in which reinforced responses occurred under the IRT>6-sec procedure did not increase substantially when the light and food were either uncorrelated or negatively correlated. The percentage of trials in which a reinforcer was obtained increased when the keylight was left on continuously and the discriminative stimulus was not presented on the key. The results show that the stimulus-reinforcer correlation affects responding in the discrete-trials IRT>6-sec procedure, but that the effects of the stimulus-reinforcer correlation vary as a function of whether reinforcement is response-dependent or response-independent. The differences between the effects of response-independent and response-dependent pairings and nonpairings of the light and food are best accounted for in terms of differences in the control of responding by background stimuli.


Genome-scale metabolic models for new organisms include thousands of reactions that are generated automatically: by inferring them from databases of reactions and pathways, existing models for similar organisms, etc. This process includes several iterations of the draft model analysis, error detection, and improvement; starting from more general issues and going deeper into details. Especially in the first iterations model evaluation by a human expert is important. But genome-scale models are targeted for computer simulation and analysis, and are too detailed and complicated to be easily understood by a human. For example, in the beta-oxidation of fatty acids pathway, a reaction missing for a particular fatty-acyl-CoA type (e.g. decanoyl-CoA) is a more specific issue than missing a whole enoyl-CoA hydratase step (which could happen if the corresponding enzyme is not found). But the abundance of reactions in the model (e.g. those corresponding to other beta-oxidation steps and presented for each of the different types of fatty-acyls-CoA) may hide this fact from the human. That is why we developed a method for knowledge-based scaling of metabolic models, providing a higher-level view of a model, keeping its essential structure and omitting the details.


Evolved Open Clusters (OCs) are excellent tracers of the formation and evolution of the galaxy, as well as an ideal laboratory to test theories of star formation and evolution. In particular, nearby OCs are commonly used as benchmark objects to assess the determination of physical properties of field stars. We have designed a project to perform an in-depth study of the physical properties of a sample of benchmark evolved clusters inside a radius of 500 pc around the Sun. We aim to determine shape, radii, extinction, galactic velocity, age and chemical composition, using recent data from Gaia DR2, and complementary ground-based high resolution spectroscopic data. Here we present the first results of this project after the release of Gaia DR2 concerning the Hyades, the most nearby open cluster. We do a membership selection around a large region from the cluster center. And we perform a spectroscopic analysis of the cluster using HARPS spectra of main sequence stars and red giants. We obtain chemical abundances for 11 species with a typical precision of 0.01 dex.


Abstract Pantoea agglomerans (formerly Enterobacter agglomerans) is a ubiquitous Gram-negative rod found in the soil. Historically, it was considered a contaminant in intravenous fluids, Propofol, and total parenteral nutrition. Recently, it has been described as a cause of suppurative arthritis after penetrating injuries with thorns. We describe a unique series of Pantoae spp infections occurring in cancer patients at an academic cancer hospital. We conducted a retrospective review of all cases of Pantoea species infection at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Ten patients with positive culture of P. agglomerans were identified from blood, sputum, and wound culture specimens. Our case series indicates that infections due to P. agglomerans are rare but notable in patients with both hematologic and solid-tumor malignancies. Generally, the clinical course of Pantoea infection is mild and proper antibiotic treatment leads to full recovery.


It is well recognized that context plays a significant role in all human endeavors. All decisions are based on information which has to be interpreted in context. By making the information systems context-aware we can have systems that significantly improve the human capabilities to handle situations. Further, most of the time, we react to events that take place. We organize activities, and gather information and resources, in response and handle the event in the context in which it takes place. The challenge comes up when we design systems that support our abilities to handle events, anticipated as well as unanticipated.
 In this tutorial be discuss the current state of the art for Context-aware Systems, Event-driven Systems and present some ideas towards the design and implementation of Context-aware, Event-driven Systems. Some examples of the systems being developed and deployed at the University of Maryland will also be presented.


3 beta-(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-, 3 beta-(4'-hydroxybutoxy)-, 3 beta-(6-hydroxyhexyloxy)-, 3 beta-(9-hydroxynonyloxy)-, and 3 beta-(2-hydroxy-2-[3H]ethoxy)cholest-5-enes were synthesized. By means of a spin probe, the influence of the synthesized compounds on the phase transition of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine were estimated. Time and dose dependences of the incorporation of 3 beta-(2-hydroxy-2-[3H]ethoxy)cholest-5-ene into rabbit hepatocytes (the primary culture) were studied. 3 beta-(2-Hydroxyethoxy)- and 3 beta-(4-hydroxybutoxy)cholest-5-enes were shown to inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis from [14C]acetate in rabbit hepatocyte cultures upon a 24-hour preincubation.


Purpose
Most of 823,000 ethnic Chinese people are living in Southern Vietnam among distinct dialectical groups. Each maintains its own pantheon of gods; the majority worships standardized Thien Hau. The Hakka in Buu Long are the only group that worships the craft-master gods. This difference creates a challenging gap between the subgroups and reveals the unorthodox nature of the Hakka's traditions. The purpose of this paper is investigate the continuous efforts to achieve "evolving standardization" and solidarity through the charismatic efforts of the local Hakka elites in Buu Long by their liturgical transformation.

Design/methodology/approach
The study further discusses the multilateral interaction and hidden discourses by applying Watson's (1985) theory of standardization and orthodoxy as well as Weller's (1987) concept of context-based interpretation.

Findings
Truthfully, when facing pressures, the Hakka in Southern Vietnam decided to transform their non-standard worship of the craft masters into a more integrative model, the Thien Hau cult, by superimposing the new cult on the original platform without significant changes in either belief or liturgical practice. The performance shows to be the so-called "the caterpillar's spirit under a butterfly's might" case.

Research limitations/implications
The transformation reveals that the Hakka are currently in their endless struggles for identity and integration, even getting engaged in a pseudo-standardization.

Social implications
This Hakka's bottom-up evolutionary standardization deserves to be responded academically and practically.

Originality/value
The paper begins with a setting of academic discussions by western writers in this area and then moves on to what makes the practical transformation, how does it happen, and what discourses are hidden underneath.


Abstract The Miocene Cabo de Gata volcanic arc in SE Spain comprises a wide variety of volcanic facies and eruptive styles in subaqueous to subaerial environments. In the SW sector of the area, 5–100 m-thick, NNW–SSE-orientated dykes feed and intrude submarine hyaloclastite deposits. We analysed the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of six dykes and five hyaloclastite sites from three volcanic units: the Cerro Cañadillas, Los Frailes, and El Barronal formations. The main magnetic minerals are primary low-Ti titanomagnetite and magnetite. The AMS ellipsoids in the dykes are generally oblate-triaxial in shape, with magnetic foliations subparallel to the dyke walls. Kinematic field evidence supports the inferred flow directions deduced from magnetic lineation and imbrication of magnetic foliation. The geometric relationships between dyke margins and AMS axes indicate that dykes at El Barronal were emplaced via prevalent subvertical upward magma flow. The inferred flow directions are reproduced well by analogue models of AMS simulating magma migration in dykes with a diapiric geometry. The other dykes were emplaced by lateral magma propagation. Conversely, hyaloclastite shows a large scatter of the AMS axes reflecting different degrees of fragmentation. We observe a gradual increase in scatter in the AMS from confined dykes to fragmented hyaloclastite.


Psycholinguistics encompasses the psychology of language as well as linguistic psychology. Although they might sound similar, they are actually distinct. The first is a branch of linguistics, while the latter is a subdivision of psychology. In the psychology of language, the means are the research tools adopted from psychology and the end is the study of language. However, in linguistic psychology, the means are the data derived from linguistic studies and the end is psychology. This chapter focuses on the first of these two components; that is, the psychology of language. The goal of this chapter is to give a state-of-the-art perspective on the small but growing body of research using psycholinguistic tools to study Persian with a focus on two areas: presenting longstanding debates about the mental lexicon, language impairments and language processing; and introducing a source of data for the linguistic analysis of Persian.


Development of deep learning models to assess the degree of cognitive impairment on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans has high translational significance. Performance of such models is often affected by potential variabilities stemming from independent protocols for data generation, imaging equipment, radiology artifacts, and demographic distributional shifts. Domain generalization (DG) frameworks have the potential to overcome these issues by learning signal from one or more source domains that can be transferable to unseen target domains. We developed an approach that leverages model interpretability as a means to improve generalizability of classification models across multiple cohorts. Using MRI scans and clinical diagnosis obtained from four independent cohorts (Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI, n = 1, 821), the Framingham Heart Study (FHS, n = 304), the Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of Ageing (AIBL, n = 661), and the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC,n = 4, 647)), we trained a deep neural network that used model-identified regions of disease relevance to inform model training. We trained a classifier to distinguish persons with normal cognition (NC) from those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) by aligning class-wise attention with a unified visual saliency prior computed offline per class over all training data. Our proposed method competes with state-of-the-art methods with improved correlation with postmortem histology, thus grounding our findings with gold standard evidence and paving a way towards validating DG frameworks.


The findings is computed tomography (CT) and other radiological examinations in nine histologically proven cases of intracranial pearly tumors are presented. The CT findings include a low density lesion with no enhancement after contrast medium injection and in some cases a lesser degree of mass effect than would be expected from the size and site of such lesions. Pneumoencephalography is superior to CT in detecting suprasellar pearly tumors when they are isodense with the cerebrospinal fluid.


This multidisciplinary study demonstrates the utility of the biophysical model approach to assess biological activity of anthelmintics in light of drug-delivery principles. The relationships between drug absorption and efficacy for a set of structurally disparate anthelmintics were determined in cultures of Haemonchus contortus, a nematode that parasitizes the ruminant gastrointestinal tract. Uptake, parameterized by the permeability coefficient, Pe, was shown to occur by absorption across the cuticle. Rates of drug appearance in nematode carcasses paralleled rates of drug disappearance from the medium, and absorption reached an apparent equilibrium within a few hours. The parasite/medium partition coefficient, K, was derived from the ratio of drug concentration in the parasite vs the medium at equilibrium. Pe and K values for each anthelmintic were correlated with lipophilicity (as measured by the partition coefficient (PC) in n-octanol/water) and both parameters plateaued at log PC approximately 2.5, with maximum Pe approximately 8 x 10(-4) cm/min and log K < or = 2.0. Absorption kinetics were related to in vitro potency by monitoring motility of H. contortus. The time required to reduce motility by 50% (t* 50) and Pe were used to calculate Cn*, the drug concentration in the parasite at t* 50, as an indicator of intrinsic potency. The quantitative interplay of apparent biological activity expressed as t* 50, dose, and intrinsic potency highlights the important contribution of drug-uptake kinetics.


Animal models have suggested that anogenital distance (AGD) at birth reflects androgen levels during in utero development and predicts adult AGD. A recent study showed an association between perineal length and androgen levels in men, suggesting that serum testosterone levels in adulthood will depend on factors involved during the fetal period. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between AGD measures and reproductive hormone levels in women.


The losses and spatial mode characteristics of a wide-aperture Fabry — Perot resonator are studied upon a periodic spatial perturbation of the radiation-field phase in a thin layer adjacent to one of the resonator mirrors. It is shown that two regions with different perturbation scales, which affect the losses and distortions of the spatial characteristics of the first modes, are formed for a given perturbation amplitude in the general case.


Five structurally dissimilar ganglioplegic drugs used in the diagnosis and treatment of human hypertension were investigated in normotensive, trained dogs under conditions of profound, uniform, ganglionic blockade. Slow, continuous intravenous infusion did not lower the blood pressure of the conscious dog, and even induced a slight elevation. In a model experiment with tetraethylammonium chloride, the effect on the blood pressure depended on the rate of administration of the drug and on the state of consciousness of the animal. Rapid intravenous injection of a massive dose into an anesthetized dog, induced a profound fall of blood pressure. The pressor action of sympathomimetic amines, whether administered in a single dose or by continuous slow infusion, was greatly enhanced by the administration of ganglionic blocking agents, but the activity of other pressor agents, such as angiotensin and renin, was not enhanced under identical conditions. It is concluded that the potentiation of pressor agents cannot be ascribed to the blockade of compensatory, autonomic reflexes or to the considerable increase in heart rate which was observed in conscious dogs in all the experiments with ganglionic blocking agents.


Recent studies in molecular biology and proteomics have identified a significant number of novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic disease markers. However, validation of these markers in clinical specimens with traditional histopathological techniques involves low throughput and is time consuming and labor intensive. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) offer a means of combining tens to hundreds of specimens of tissue onto a single slide for simultaneous analysis. This capability is particularly pertinent in the field of cancer for target verification of data obtained from cDNA microarrays and protein expression profiling of tissues, as well as in epidemiology-based investigations using histochemical/immunohistochemical staining or in situ hybridization. In combination with automated image analysis, TMA technology can be used in the global cellular network analysis of tissues. In particular, this potential has generated much excitement in cardiovascular disease research. The following review discusses recent advances in the construction and application of TMAs and the opportunity for developing novel, highly sensitive diagnostic tools for the early detection of cardiovascular disease.


Introduction Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and cervical disc herniation (CDH) represent a relevant public health problem. Patients with symptomatic tandem herniations of the cervical and lumbar spine are rare and not described in the literature. In these patients, certain variables may predispose the development of disc herniation which could increase the understanding of the development of disc herniations. Our aim is to present the first case series of tandem disc herniation, and to elucidate whether tandem herniation is attributable to a certain propensity for disc herniation or not. Methods From a prospective registry, patients with symptomatic tandem disc herniations were included, and the literature was reviewed on the comparative pathophysiology, genetics, and epidemiology of disc herniation and disc degeneration. Results Out of 3,156 patients with disc herniations in our registry, 16 presented with symptomatic tandem LDH and CDH that required discectomy. Therefore, we estimate the incidence of tandem disc herniation at 0.51% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26% - 0.75%) in the surgical population. The mean number of degenerated lumbar discs was 2.1 ± 1.1. Compared to the 1,241 patients with isolated LDH, no investigated factors were significantly associated with tandem herniations. Conclusion From a genetic, pathophysiological, and epidemiological position, disc herniation is not commonly a consequence of disc degeneration. Rather, degeneration and herniation seem to exist as two separate and distinctly different processes. Based on the literature, it is tenable that tandem disc herniation does not deviate from the normal pathophysiology, but rather occurs in the rare case that two individual herniated discs coincide.


Sanguinarine (Sang) - a benzophenanthridine alkaloid extracted from Sanguinaria canadensis - exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, proapoptotic and growth inhibitory activities on tumor cells of various cancer types as established by in vivo and in vitro studies. Although the underlying mechanism of Sang antitumor activity is yet to be fully elucidated, Sang has displayed multiple biological effects, which remain to suggest its possible use in plant-derived treatments of human malignancies. This review covers the anticancer abilities of Sang including inhibition of aberrantly activated signal transduction pathways, induction of cell death and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. It also highlights Sang-mediated inhibition of angiogenesis, inducing the expression of tumor suppressors, sensitization of cancer cells to standard chemotherapeutics to enhance their cytotoxic effects, while addressing the present need for further pharmacokinetic-based studies.


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Background. Patients who experienced leukemia relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have a dismal prognosis. Strategies to prevent or overcome post-transplant disease recurrence are limited and their efficacy still remains unclear. Recently, HSCT using haploidentical T-replete source has found increasing feasibility and acceptance thanks to new transplant platforms (Luznik L. et al., Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 2008; Peccatori J. et al., Leukemia, 2014), allowing lower rates of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and non-relapse mortality (NRM). We evaluated the outcome of haploidentical transplant approach performed as second transplant (HSCT2) for patients who suffered of acute leukemia (AL) relapse after a first allogeneic HSCT (HSCT1).

Methods. We analyzed 42 consecutive patients (median age 48 years) who underwent HSCT2 from a haploidentical donor, different from the previous one, between 2007 and 2013 in our Institute. Patients suffered of acute myeloid leukemia (n=31), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n=9) or biphenotypic AL (n=2) relapsing after HSCT1 (matched related: 21; unrelated: 17; mismatched related: 4; umbilical cord blood: 4). Thirty-seven patients (88%) received re-induction therapy before HSCT2: 13 of them achieved complete remission (CR), 16 did not respond and 8 patients were transplanted directly in aplasia. In 5 cases HSCT2 was performed without re-induction therapy, in active disease (AD). Median Hematopoietic Cell Transplant-Co-morbidity Index was 2 (range 0-6) at time of HSCT2.

All patients received treosulfan (14 g/m2 for 3 days) and fludarabine (30 mg/m2 for 5 days) as part of preparative regimen for HSCT2; conditioning was intensified with total body irradiation (4 Gray) in 18 (43%) or with melphalan (70 mg/m2 for 2 days) in 6 patients (14%). GvHD prophylaxis consisted of mycophenolate mofetile and sirolimus combined with pre-transplant anty-thymocyte globuline (n=36) or with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (n=6). Unmanipulated peripheral blood stem cells were used as graft source in all cases.

Results. Three out of 42 patients (7%) experienced early death in aplasia, while all the others achieved neutrophil engraftment (n=39, 93%), with no primary graft rejection. Complete remission of disease at day +30 was reached in 37 out of 39 evaluated cases (95%). Estimated overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) (± SE) rates at 1 year from HSCT2 were 37% (± 8%) and 35% (± 7%), respectively ([Figure 1][2]A). One-year relapse incidence (± SE) amounted to 32% (± 7%) and NRM (± SE) to 31% (± 7%) ([Figure 1][2]A) (7 patients died for infectious, 5 for GvHD and 1 for central nervous system toxicity). Sixteen patients (38%) experienced of acute GvHD grade II-IV and 20 (47%) of chronic GvHD. Disease status at HSCT2 (AD vs CR) had no impact on OS (HR:1.26, 95% CI 0.58-2.76, p=0.564) and relapse (HR:1.35, CI 95% 0.46-3.76, p=0.61). Conversely, time of remission from HSCT1>6 months provided the better outcome in terms of estimated OS (±SE) at 1 year (50% ± 10%) compared to patients with shorter duration of remission (18% ± 9%) (HR:0.49, 95% CI 0.24-1.02, p=0.05) and reduced risk of relapse (HR:0.28, 95% CI 0.11-0.75, p=0.011) ([Figure 1][2]B). After a median follow-up time of 22 months (range 6-68), 11 patients (26%) were alive with sustained leukemia remission.

Conclusions. These results demonstrate the feasibility of HSCT2 from a haploidentical donor as treatment for AL relapse after initial allogeneic transplant, showing rates of OS, LFS and NRM comparable to the reported in literature for HSCT2 from matched related or unrelated graft, using the same or different donor (Christopeit M. et al., J Clin Oncol, 2013). Interestingly, disease status at HSCT2 did not influence the outcome of transplant. While, in accordance with previous reports, duration of remission after HSCT1 is the major factor involved in predicting outcome of a second transplant due to an increased relapse incidence after HSCT2 in patients with shorter HSCT1 remission, reflecting diseases biologically different. If confirmed in a larger cohort, these data could be useful in decision making after HSCT1 failure for disease recurrence.

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Disclosures Bonini: MolMed S.p.A.: Consultancy.

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 [2]: #F1
 [3]: pending:yes


Oil palm development has been recognized in the province of East Kalimantan very rapidly in recent decades. Although nationwide, Indonesia has been known as a the world's largest producer of crude palm oil, but its productivity is still very low when compared to Malaysia. By considering the availability of land and favorable climate, Indonesia remains a great opportunity to increase the productivity of oil palm. Moreover, with the government policies continue to be improved (including vision 36:25), it is expected to accelerate the development of upstream and downstream sectors of the oil palm. This study aims to determine the achievement level of productivity of oil palm in East Kalimantan Province and positioning these achievements at regional and national level. Research carried out for about five months in the province of East Kalimantan. This study is a combination of a literature review with observations directly to the field. The data collected were analyzed descriptively, then compared the achievements of East Kalimantan against other provinces in Kalimantan and Sumetera, and look at the performance of East Kalimantan oil palm on national level. The results revealed that the total area of oil palm plantations in East Kalimantan by July 2013 has reached 1,002,284 hectares, with a production of 6,538,743 tonnes of FFB and CPO 1,438,523 tons, as well as the productivity of 13.24 tonnes FFB/ha/year and CPO yield 21.70%. Position of oil palm performance achievements of East Kalimantan province on Kalimantan regional level for the planting area still under the Central Kalimantan province and West Kalimantan. For CPO yield performance still under West Kalimantan but above the South Kalimantan. Compared to Sumetera, achievements palm plantation acreage is still below the three provinces, but already above the other seven provinces. For CPO yield performance, still under the three provinces in Sumetera. Position of oil palm acreage achievement on national level accounted for about 7.56% of the total area of oil palm plantations nationwide, but in term of performance for productivity is still far below the national vision.


We present a general method of handling constraints in genetic optimization, based on the Behavioural Memory paradigm. Instead of requiring the problem-dependent design of either repair operators (projection on the feasible region) or penalty function (weighted sum of the constraints violations and the objective function), we sample the feasible region by evolving from an initially random population, successively applying a series of diierent t-ness functions which embody constraint satisfaction. The nal step is the optimization of the objective function restricted to the feasible region. The success of the whole process is highly dependent on the genetic diversity maintained during the rst steps, ensuring a uniform sampling of the feasible region. This method succeeded on some truss structure optimization problems, where the other genetic techniques for handling the constraints failed to give good results. Moreover in some domains, as in automatic generation of software test data, no other technique can be easily applied, as some constraints are not even computable until others are satissed.


This article describes and reviews the findings of several well-designed and controlled outcome trials of HIV prevention interventions that have been undertaken with men who have sex with men. The interventions reviewed have been of two types: face-to-face group or workshop interventions and community-level programs undertaken in gay communities. Both have shown robust effectiveness in promoting risk reduction behavior change among gay men and young people at risk for contracting HIV infection. Conclusions can now be reached about the benefits of these types of interventions. However, there remains an urgent need to develop and tailor HIV prevention approaches that can promote the maintenance of behavior change; to reach community segments that remain vulnerable, especially young and minority men who have sex with men; and to address the changing context of the epidemic.


Light emission induced by chemical reactions, known as chemiluminescence (CL), has been widely used for bioassays, biosensors, imaging and illumination applications. Most known CL systems exhibit flash-type single-color light emissions, which limit their applications. Long-lasting multicolor CL in aqueous solutions is highly desirable, especially for biological applications, but remains a challenge. Herein, we report a simple strategy of achieving highly efficient cascade Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) in the dynamic nanoassembly of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), CL reagents and fluorophores in aqueous solution, which emits intensive multicolor CL with adjustable wavelength within 410-610 nm. β-CD can bind CL reagents and fluorophores to form dynamic nanoassembly. These nanoassembly can bring the included luminescent intermediate and fluorophores into close proximity and proper alignment, which should greatly enhance the FRET efficiency between luminescent intermediate and fluorophores. Indeed, the cascade FRET efficiency in this supramolecular nanoassembly reaches up to 92%, which is comparable with the cascade FRET systems based on covalently linked donors and acceptors. By using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as the thickener to slow down the diffusion (to elongate the CL emission), and using Ca(OH)2 solid (a low solubility strong base) as buffer to maintain the pH in the optimal range for the CL reaction, this nanoassembly system has been further developed to achieve slow-diffusion-controlled catalytic CL reactions, which enables long-lasting multicolor CL in aqueous solution that is visible to naked eyes and lasts for more than 20 h. The multicolor CL systems can be used to prepare transformable two-dimensional multicolor codes for encryption application.


We report a long-term survival case of hepatocellular carcinoma with lymph node metastasis that was successfully treated with multidisciplinary therapy. The patient was a 52-year-old man. He underwent right lobe liver resection with lymph node sampling at the hepatic portal section for hepatocellular carcinoma. Histopathological examination revealed hepatocellular carcinoma with lymph node metastasis. Residual liver recurrences were treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy, and lymph node recurrences were treated by radiation therapy and lymph node dissection combined with systemic chemotherapy. The patient has been in good health without recurrence for 10 years and 9 months after the first surgery.


Introduction: Digital breast tomosynthesis allows identification of impalpable lesions in three-dimensions. We have devised a technique for wire placement using a gridded plate that allows localisation of such lesions for subsequent surgical excision. Method: 81 consecutive cases were studied prospectively between Jan 2012 and May 2014. The localisation is usually performed by the operating surgeon under local anaesthetic shortly before the patient is transferred to the operating theatres. Our surgeons consider the optimal position for the tip of the wire to be 1 cm beyond and 1cm to the side of the lesion placed using only the CC or lateral projection. The patient is positioned with the aperture of a gridded plate over the lesion needing to be surgically removed. A single DBT is acquired and the volumes reviewed. The lesion is identified and the depth in the breast recorded (Z coordinate). The ideal position for the wire is then marked in that plane and the volume scrolled through to bring the calibrated plate into focus. This identifies the X and Y coordinates, which are then recorded. The wire is then placed freehand in the line of the beam and a further DBT performed to check the position of the wire without needing to reposition the patient. A specimen x-ray is performed immediately following excision to confirm the target lesion is included. The results are verified at the subsequent multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting. Results: Once the target is identified, the average time for the localisation procedure and check DBT was 4 minutes. This series included both diagnostic (N=24, 30%) and therapeutic excisions (N=57, 70%). Patients presented both from screening (N=64, 79%) and symptomatically (N=17, 21%). The age range of the patients was 42-79y (mean 59y). 54 (67%) cases were undergoing excision for calcifications, 15 (19%) for impalpable masses, 11 (13%) for radial scars or distortions and 1 for glandular asymmetry. The final diagnoses following excision were IDC 34 (42%), DCIS 29 (36%), benign 13 (16%) and 1 case each of ILC, spindle cell tumour, mucinous carcinoma, phyllodes and pleomorphic LCIS. In all cases the target lesion was shown to be present in the specimen x-ray, confirmed on histology and ratified by the MDT. Conclusions: Wire localisation using DBT is a quick and accurate method of localising impalpable lesions for surgical excision. Citation Format: Simon DH Holt, Khaldoun MY Nadi, Amrita Gurung, Helen R Williams, Anita M Huws, Yousef M Sharaiha. A review of the accuracy of wire localisation using digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in a prospective series of 81 patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-02-02.


Abstract Assessment results from rural schools have shown little improvement in over a decade, mainly because many of the barriers to learning, such as poverty and limited resources, still prevail. Without the necessary English language skills, language can become another barrier to learning. The assessment results of Progress in International Reading Literacy Studies (PIRLS) in 2011 and 2016 reinforce the need for instructional practices to address the difficulties learners' experience with English in primary school. The aim of our study was to provide a detailed analysis of how English as a second language is taught, to guide policy makers in developing the instructional skills of teachers in rural settings, and consequently to improve the educational outcomes of the learners. A comparative case study was used to provide evidence-based descriptions of the teachers' instructional practices from three Grade 3 classes. Findings indicated that language instruction appeared to focus on the structural components of language, compromising the development of the independent academic language skills needed to make the transition in Grade 4 to English as the language of learning and teaching. The results of this research can inform the planning and monitoring of future literacy development initiatives, and thereby, improve assessment results of learners.


1School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China 2Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China 3Department of Micro/nanoelectronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China 4Frontier Institute of Chip and System, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China 5Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546, Singapore 6Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China


Thermal modelling shows that a cycle of crustal thickening and erosion reproduces many of the characteristics of medium-pressure metamorphic terranes. In contrast, the structural and metamorphic features of high-pressure terranes suggest rapid exhumation, possibly tectonically as fault-bounded blocks. Low-pressure metamorphism requires an augmented heat supply. Such terranes are characterized by granite—gneiss domes, and evidence of crustal extension, and hence may be the result of the mechanically likely orogenic sequence of early thickening followed by extension. Whether earlier isograd sequences are extended, condensed, or reset depends upon the relative rates of deformation and thermal relaxation, and when the deformation occurs relative to the thermal peak of metamorphism. Detailed determinations of relations between deformation events and metamorphism is made difficult by the contrast between continuous metamorphic evolution and short time-span deformation events. Combined microstructural and geochronological studies, together with a consideration of the distribution of isograds will give most information on complex, polymetamorphic histories, and allow distinction between regional and local features, especially those due to differential uplift.


The levels of beta 2-microglobulin in urine and serum were determined in 34 patients with urinary bladder carcinoma. In 22 patients (64%) serum beta 2-microglobulin was elevated and in 11 patients (32%) urinary excretion of the protein was increased. It was also found that all but 1 patient with elevated serum beta 2-microglobulin or urinary beta 2-microglobulin had WHO grade-II or grade-III tumors. In contrast, all patients with grade-I tumors, except 1, displayed normal levels of urine and serum beta 2-microglobulin.


Uniform and adherent Zn1-xMnxO films have been deposited by using spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrates. The optical properties and dispersion parameters of zinc oxide have been studied as a function of doping concentration with Mn. Changes in direct optical energy band gap of cobalt oxide films were confirmed after doping, The optical energy gap Eg increased from 3.13 eV for the undoped ZnO to 3.39 eV with increasing the doping concentration of Mn to 4%. The changes in dispersion parameters and Urbach tails were investigated. An increase in the doping concentration causes a decrease in the average oscillator strength. The single-oscillator parameter has been reported.


Electrolytes (NaCl) and fluid malabsorption cause diarrhea in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Coupled NaCl absorption, mediated by Na+/H+ and Cl−/HCO3− exchanges on the intestinal villus cells brush border membrane (BBM), is inhibited in IBD. Arachidonic acid metabolites (AAMs) formed via cyclooxygenase (COX) or lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways are elevated in IBD. However, their effects on NaCl absorption are not known. We treated SAMP1/YitFc (SAMP1) mice, a model of spontaneous ileitis resembling human IBD, with Arachidonyl Trifluoro Methylketone (ATMK, AAM inhibitor), or with piroxicam or MK-886, to inhibit COX or LOX pathways, respectively. Cl−/HCO3− exchange, measured as DIDS-sensitive 36Cl uptake, was significantly inhibited in villus cells and BBM vesicles of SAMP1 mice compared to AKR/J controls, an effect reversed by ATMK. Piroxicam, but not MK-886, also reversed the inhibition. Kinetic studies showed that inhibition was secondary to altered Km with no effects on Vmax. Whole cell or BBM protein levels of Down-Regulated in Adenoma (SLC26A3) and putative anion transporter-1 (SLC26A6), the two key BBM Cl−/HCO3− exchangers, were unaltered. Thus, inhibition of villus cell Cl−/HCO3− exchange by COX pathway AAMs, such as prostaglandins, via reducing the affinity of the exchanger for Cl−, and thereby causing NaCl malabsorption, could significantly contribute to IBD-associated diarrhea.


The chapter presents a discussion of the financial literature on Islamic private equity (PE) financing modes under moral hazard. We focus on Mudarabah and Musharakah financing methods based on a contractual approach and analyze how and when profit and loss sharing (PLS) financing methods can solve asymmetric information problems under moral hazard relying on agency models. The models show some interesting results. First, Mudarabah financing provides powerful incentive schemes to the entrepreneur. As the Islamic PE fund is not actively involved in the project and the project success depends on the entrepreneur's effort, it leads to the first best solution. Second, Musharakah financing cannot solve the moral hazard problem. One explanation could be the fact that the project is jointly funded by the two parties and that both of them provide non-contractible efforts. Accordingly, they have to concede a share of their revenue to increase the effort incentive of the other party, which diminishes their own incentive to provide effort.


Background Phenotypic and genotypic diversity of vaginal bacteria Gardnerella vaginalis resulted in its classification into genotypic subgroups. The virulence potential of these subgroups was evaluated. Methods G. vaginalis clinical isolates were subtyped on the basis of subgroup-specific genes by PCR. The virulence-related phenotypic characteristics of the isolates were evaluated assessing their in vitro ability to grow as biofilm on abiotic surfaces, produce the toxin vaginolysin, and express sialidase activity. Vaginolysin in the supernatant of the cultures was quantified using toxin-specific antibodies by sandwich ELISA. Sialidase activity was tested using fluorogenic substrate. Cloning and expression of the sialidase gene of G. vaginalis in E. coli was performed. Differences in the expression of phenotypic properties of the isolates were evaluated by agglomerative hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis. Results Thirty-five clinical isolates of G. vaginalis were subtyped into three subgroups 1, 2 and 4. Analysis of sialidase activity indicated statistically significant differences among the subgroups. All isolates were grouped into three clusters by the methods of statistical analysis. The distinct profile of each cluster was based on the phenotypic characteristics of isolates. Subgroup 4 was the most homogenous group, as all isolates were found in the same cluster, which was characterized by the low production of all studied virulence factors. Subgroup 2 isolates were mainly distributed between two clusters, whereas subgroup 1 isolates were found in all three clusters. Conclusion G. vaginalis subgroups with different virulence potential might play distinct roles in vaginal microbiota.


Many chronic heart failure (CHF) patients experience skeletal muscle wasting which has been shown to be associated in part with the elevated catecholamines (Anker et al. 1997). We have previously observed both myocyte necrosis and apoptosis in the heart and soleus muscle of the rat following a single injection of the synthetic catecholamine, isoprenaline (Ellison et al. 2002). This raises the possibility of catecholamine involvement in the progressive functional deterioration of the skeletal and cardiac musculature in CHF. Here we describe the regeneration of the soleus muscle, following damage inflicted by a single injection of isoprenaline.


Inorganic nanoparticles have become a research focus in numerous fields because of their unique properties that distinguish them from their bulk counterparts. Controlling the size and shape of nanoparticles is an essential aspect of nanoparticle synthesis. Preparing inorganic nanoparticles by using block copolymer templates is one of the most reliable routes for tuning the size and shape of nanoparticles with a high degree of precision. In this Review, we discuss recent progress in the design of block copolymer templates for crafting spherical inorganic nanoparticles including compact, hollow, and core-shell varieties. The templates are divided into two categories: micelles self-assembled from linear block copolymers and unimolecular star-shaped block copolymers. The precise control over the size and morphology of nanoparticles is highlighted as well as the useful properties and applications of such inorganic nanoparticles.


Dextrocardia is a rare congenital anomaly of development characterized by a mirror- image position of the heart. Unlike dextrocardia with situs solitus or ambiguus, the coincidence of congenital heart disease is relatively low among dextrocardic patients with situs inversus. However, patients with dextrocardia may suffer from coronary heart disease as do people with normally positioned hearts. Few cases of coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with dextrocardia have been reported. This is a case of a 48-year-old male patient with dextrocardia who developed unstable angina and was able to undergo diagnostic catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention. We successfully performed percutaneous coronary angioplasty followed by coronary stenting to the left circumflex artery (LCX) and described our experience in the selection of the guiding catheters (standard preformed catheters), angiographic image acquisition (mirror image views with subtle modification) and coronary catheter engaging techniques (opposite-direction catheter rotations). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/uhj.v8i2.16089 University Heart Journal Vol. 8, No. 2, July 2012


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Synthetic additives are used in food industry to prevent contamination of food and reduction of microbial growth, while special attention have been paid to the use of natural anti-bacterial products because of higher food safety. Since plants are potential sources of anti-infective agents, the present study was conducted to study the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of ethanolic extract of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill) seeds. METHODS: In this experimental study, the ethanolic extract was prepared after obtaining the fennel seeds. To analyze the antimicrobial effect of the extract, the Micro dilution method was used based on 9 concentrations of 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, 3.12, 1.56, 0.78 and 0.39% on food isolates (kept in microbial bank) and standard strains of Escherichia coli 1270 PTCC, Salmonella enterica 1709PTCC, Bacillus cereus 11778ATCC and Staphylococcus aureus 1112PTCC. To change the antioxidant effect of the ethanolic extract of fennel, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method was used in 7 concentrations of 1000, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100 and 50 ppm. FINDINGS: Salmonella enterica food isolates showed highest level of resistance (2.3 of isolates grew at concentrations above 12.5%) while Staphylococcus aureus isolates showed highest level of sensitivity (without growth at concentrations above 12.5%) against ethanolic extract of fennel (p>0.05). In all the examined concentrations, the antioxidant effect of the ethanolic extract of fennel seed was reported to be less than synthetic antioxidants BHA (Bytalyted Hydroxy Toluene) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, the ethanolic extract of fennel seed benefits from appropriate antibacterial and antioxidant properties and thus can be used in combination with other preservatives to preserve food against various oxidative systems and microorganisms that cause infection and intoxication.


Background: The incidence and prevalence of malignant nasopharyngeal cancers (NPC) are different in each part of the world. The prevalence of this malignancy is about 0.5 in every 1000 people in the USA, while it is about 20 in every 100 people in China. this difference is due to nutritional, environmental, and genetic factors, especially for endemic regions. This malignancy is more common in men and is often seen in the sixth decade of life. We decided to do this study from the point of epidemiologic, clinical, and radiologic findings in patients with nasopharyngeal cancers. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of patients who were admitted to the ENT ward with the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma from 2004 to 2014. Thirty-two patients were studied from the point of age, gender, risk factors, clinical and radiologic findings. Results: Of 32 patients, 26 patients (%81) were male, and six patients (%19) were female. The mean age of the patients was 50.28 years old. Nineteen patients were self-employed, 4 were farmers, 3 were staffers, and 6 were house worker women. %84 of the patients had a negative family history of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. %66 of the patients had neck mass, and the second most common clinical finding was nasal obstruction. The most common site of tumor origin was the right lateral wall (%37), and the second was the left lateral wall (%28). Eight patients had erosion of the skull base, and 14 patients had tumor expansion to the paranasal sinuses and orbital cavity. Conclusion: In patients complaining of a neck mass, nasal obstruction, and headache, nasopharyngeal cancer should be highly suspected. Nasal endoscopy and biopsy of the suspected lesion are needed for correct diagnosis and treatment.


Near-field and resonance effects have a strong influence on the nanoscale electromagnetic energy transfer, and detailed understanding of these effects is required for the design of new, optimized nano-optical devices. We provide a comprehensive microscopic view of electromagnetic energy transfer phenomena by introducing quantum Langevin heat baths as local noise sources in the equations of motion for the thermally fluctuating electric dipoles forming dielectric bodies. The theory is, in a sense, the microscopic generalization of the well-known fluctuational electrodynamics theory and thereby provides an alternative and conceptually simple way to calculate the local emission and absorption rates from the local Langevin bath currents. We apply the model to study energy transfer between silicon carbide nanoparticles located in a microcavity formed of two mirrors and next to a surface supporting propagating surface modes. The results show that the heat current between the dipoles placed in a cavity oscillates as a function of their position and distance and can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude as compared to the free space heat current with a similar interparticle distance. The predicted enhancement can be viewed as a many-body generalization of the well-known cavity Purcell effect. Similar effects are also observed in the interparticle heat transfer between dipoles located next to a surface of a polar material supporting surface phonon polaritons.


Background. Patients undergoing joint replacement remain at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared to other types of surgery, regardless of thromboprophylactic regimen. The pathophysiologic processes rendering this group of patients at risk for VTE are multifactorial. Procedure-specific and patient-specific exposures play a role in the postoperative development of VTE, including the development of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL). Methods. We measured three aPL (anti-cardiolipin, anti-β 2 glycoprotein, and lupus anticoagulant) in 123 subjects undergoing total knee or hip arthroplasty to describe the presence of these antibodies preoperatively and to describe the rate of postoperative seroconversion among those people who were negative preoperatively. Postoperative antibodies were measured at day 7, 14, and 21. Results. The prevalence of aPL antibodies in the preoperative period was 44%, positive subjects were more likely to be smokers (P = 0.05) and were less likely to have undergone a previous arthroplasty procedure (P = 0.002). Subjects seroconverted in a 21 day postoperative period at a rate of 79%. Conclusions. These pilot data suggest that the prevalence of aPL in this population both preoperatively and postoperatively is higher than previously expected. Further studies are needed to describe aPL in a larger population and to establish their clinical significance in populations undergoing joint replacement surgeries.


The Constitution of India provides for freedom to assemble and the freedom to associate. Article 19 (1)(b) provides that all citizens shall have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms. While Article 19 (1)(c) accords all citizens the right to form associations or unions or cooperative societies. This article examines both rights in the context of Indian constitutionalism. The freedom to assemble is of special interest within the realm of constitutional law, since it is enabled and restricted by an intersection of the constitutional text and the criminal procedure code. The freedom of association is not curtailed by any procedural code. It character and breadth is shaped only by the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court, and the limitations imposed by the Constitution. The reasoning of the Court is superficial when it comes to appreciating the freedom of association. The Court has not considered the need to provide for greater conceptual clarity on the two necessity of the two freedoms. Nor has the Court engaged in a discussion of principles that must guide it when interpreting these freedoms. Instead the Court has engaged in a case by case analysis -- while crafting jurisprudence as it sees fit based on categories or classes of bearers of these freedoms. For instance, instead of engaging in a discussion on strikes, it creates classes of citizens who cannot strike- lawyers or government employees or members under the essential services regimes.


Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder; lifestyle changes may slow its onset. Mental and physical activities have been related to better cognitive function in older adults. Cognitive engagement and physical activities have been associated with decreased risk of AD. Social isolation refers to a complete absence of or insufficient contact with other members of society and can exacerbate memory deficits.
Objective: To study the influence of mental and physical activities in normal socialized conditions as well as to evaluate their role in social isolated conditions on normal and AD rat models.
Methods: Rats were divided into two main groups; Group I socialized and Group II isolated. Both socialized and isolated groups were subdivided into four subgroups; two received saline and served as control, while two served as AD subgroups and received ALCl3 (70 mg/kg IP) every day for four weeks. One of the control and AD subgroups was exposed to mental and physical activities but the other not exposed. Mental and physical activities were performed using Swimming test and Y-maze (each for one time/week) during four weeks. Isolated rats were housed individually in cages covered with black plastic while socialized rats randomly paired and housed in transparent covered cages. Histopathological changes in different brain regions and biochemical changes in Aβ, ACHE, brain monoamins (DA, NE, 5-HT), inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β), oxidative parameters; (MDA, SOD, TAC) as well as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were also measured for all groups.
Results: Brain neurological damage characterizing isolation was more pronounced in isolation-associated AD rats. Mental and physical activities significantly decreased Aβ, ACHE, MDA, TNF-α, IL-1β together with increased SOD, TAC, DA, NE, 5-HT and BDNF. The protective effect of mental and physical activities against brain neuronal degenerations was more marked in isolated rats especially in isolated-associated AD rats. These results were confirmed by histopathological examinations of different brain regions.
Conclusion: Mental and physical activities can protect from brain neuronal degenerations either induced by isolation or that associated with AD in both socialized and isolated rat models. The protection using mental and physical activities is more pronounced in isolation-associated AD model.


This paper presents the tribological behaviour of aluminum 2124 alloy reinforced with 10 wt.% Al 2 O 3 particles, produced by powder metallurgy (PM) method. A comparison is made between MMCs and its coated MMCs generated by anodic oxidation method under the similar condition. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation of the microstructure shows that dispersion of Al 2 O 3 particles within Al2124 alloy is uniform for the larger particle-reinforced composite, but increased amount of agglomerations among particles is observed for the smaller particle-reinforced composite. Hardnesses of both MMCs increased with increasing the particle size and coating process, but the coating was more effective for the alloy than that of particle-reinforced composite. The experimental results exhibited that the lower wear rate is obtained for the coated composite, the wear rate increased linearly with increasing loads and decreased with increasing particle sizes. Moreover, SEM examination of worn surfaces showed that adhesion, abrasion, and delamination of mechanically mixed layer were dominant for the matrix and its composites under high loads. Craters wear with a slight abrasion and delamination was effective for the lower size of the coated composite, but abrasive grooves and delamination were found to be responsible for material removal of the coated larger particle composite.


Observations were made over two years in a small colony of starlings to look at possible changes in the songs of each male, taking into account its life-history and breeding status. Each male sings two categories of song: warbling, a long, complex and mainly individual song, and loud and simple whistles. Within the latter, some are species-specific whereas others characterize the individual in its colony. Over two years very few changes were observed for the species-specific whistle themes and all birds shared the same variant. But the birds changed their individual whistle types almost completely from one year to the next. Changes in warbling song may depend on age: one bird changed his repertoire of motifs completely between his first and second year of life, whereas other older males merely added some new motifs to their repertoire of the previous year. Such results show that adult starlings in the wild, even older birds (7 years old), may still be able to acquire new structures. The new elements appeared in the fall and were kept at least until the following breeding season. All songs were very stable throughout a given breeding season. Although individual repertoires increased with age, large differences in repertoire size were found in same age individuals. First data suggest that breeding status (e.g. polygyny) and repertoire size may be related.


Underprivileged but highly multilingual Indian children often show low literacy performance. As a complicating factor, these children are often expected to develop literacy not just in the regionally dominant language but also in English. As good literacy skills are crucial for later academic development, it is important to identify factors that could support these children's literacy development. We, therefore, investigated whether cognitive abilities are associated with literacy development and whether they are so in the same way for both of these children's languages. In a longitudinal design (Std. 4 and Std. 5), literacy data in Hindi and English were collected from 336 children in Delhi, India. In addition, three cognitive tasks (Raven's, 2-back, Flanker) were performed. We found that bilingual literacy development is evident across children, although the starting point is low in some cases. Fluid intelligence (Raven's) and working memory capacity (2-back) significantly positively related to literacy performance in Std. 4 and Std. 5 in both Hindi and English. Literacy improvement from Std. 4 to Std. 5 also related to cognitive abilities—working memory capacity (2-back) for Hindi and inhibitory skills (Flanker) for English—but in the opposite direction: Children who had lower scores on these cognitive tasks show more improvement, indicating that they are in the process of catching up with their higher-performing peers—although they have not fully managed to do so by Std. 5.


Recently, histologic subtypes of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) corresponding to the human classification scheme have been proposed for dogs. A papillary squamous cell carcinoma subtype is characterized by dominant exophytic architectural growth with limited invasion, a lower metastatic rate, and better overall survival compared with conventional SCC. Whereas most canine oral conventional SCCs are easily diagnosed by histologic examination, the diagnosis of canine oral papillary squamous cell carcinoma (COPSCC) can be challenging since the exophytic portion lacks histologic features of malignancy and appears similar to oral nonviral papillomas. In contrast, the invasive portion of COPSCC has morphologic similarities to conventional SCC and canine acanthomatous ameloblastoma. The goals of this study were to immunophenotype these 3 entities and to potentially identify discriminating markers. A panel of 17 immunohistochemical markers was investigated in tissue microarrays that included 25 COPSCCs, 10 conventional SCCs, and 10 canine acanthomatous ameloblastomas. Additionally, COPSCCs were screened for papillomavirus as a potential cause using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. COPSCC had immunophenotypical similarities with conventional SCC and acanthomatous ameloblastoma, but the combined differences in immunolabeling for AE1/AE3, 34βE12, p63, and calretinin discriminated between the entities. Papillomavirus was not detected in any COPSCC, making a viral pathogenesis unlikely. A better understanding of the immunophenotype of COPSCC will aid in a more accurate diagnosis and potentially improve therapeutic approaches.


Overall performance of the data mining process depends not just on the value of the induced knowledge but also on various costs of the process itself such as the cost of acquiring and pre-processing training examples, the CPU cost of model induction, and the cost of committed errors. Recently, several progressive sampling strategies for maximizing the overall data mining utility have been proposed. All these strategies are based on repeated acquisitions of additional training examples until a utility decrease is observed. In this paper, we present an alternative, projective sampling strategy, which fits functions to a partial learning curve and a partial run-time curve obtained from a small subset of potentially available data and then uses these projected functions to analytically estimate the optimal training set size. The proposed approach is evaluated on a variety of benchmark datasets using the RapidMiner environment for machine learning and data mining processes. The results show that the learning and run-time curves projected from only several data points can lead to a cheaper data mining process than the common progressive sampling methods.


H133A050008. The opinions contained in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of CIRRIE or the Department of Education.


© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved. This chapter reveals the author's discussion with Adrian Forty about non-standard biological thinking and his work on the geopolitics of concrete and the politics of the commons. And, while Adrian does not personally express himself through these particular vocabularies, the role of the historian in 'taking care' of understanding the co-mutual relationship between the individual and his/her environmental, cultural and technological contexts, and the consequent impact of these for human and non-human relations are, for the author, vibrant throughout his work. The author also see his work as contributing to the 'care of the self and others' that defines those thinkers and practitioners who also, perhaps more explicitly than Adrian, examine their ethical, poetic and ecological architectural relations. The discussion here also follows Alison Stone's helpful identification of Irigaray's later work as 'realist essentialism' in which male and female sex differences are real, naturally existing expressions that are independent of a society's particular cultural expression of sexual difference, and which consequently also construct relations between women and men, and their respective environments.


The lack of vaccines against several important viral diseases necessitates the development of therapeutics to save lives and control epidemics. In recent years, therapeutic antibodies have received considerable attention due to their good safety profiles and clinical success when used against viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus, Ebola virus and Hendra virus. The binding affinity of these antibodies can directly impact their therapeutic efficacy. However, we and others have also demonstrated that the subtype of Fc-gamma receptors (FcγRs) engaged influences the stoichiometric requirement for virus neutralization. Hence, the development of therapeutic antibodies against infectious diseases should consider the FcγRs engaged and Fc-effector functions involved. This review highlights the current state of knowledge about FcγRs and FcγR effector functions involved in virus neutralization, with emphasis on factors that can affect FcγR engagement. A better understanding of Fc-FcγR interactions during virus neutralization will allow development of therapeutic antibodies that are efficacious and can be administered with minimal side effects.


This work proposes a method for the evaluation of the effectiveness of adopting dynamic spectral management (DSM) algorithms in different DSL scenarios. In the last years several DSM algorithms emerged in the literature but their comparison has been typically conducted within few scenarios and considering specific operating points. This work proposes the adoption of the DSM effectiveness factor (DEF) as a figure of merit capable of comparing the volumes of the whole rate regions, which expresses the set of operating points in the Pareto front. A random scenario generator was used to obtain four hundred DSL scenarios and compared flat power backoff (PBO) and DSM algorithms of levels 1 and 2. Besides confirming well-known facts, such that the effectiveness of DSM is significant in near-far scenarios, the results based on the proposed DEF allow to quantify the gains in bit rate that DSM can bring. Keywords— Dynamic spectral management, digital subscriber line, discrete multitone modulation.


To study how phosphate fertilizer regulates the photosynthetic of summer soybeans in low light environment, this study used Qihuang 34 as the test variety, two light treatments[ambient sunlight (L1) during the whole growth period and 40% shade (L2) from 40 days after sowing to 24 days after flowering] with two phosphate fertilizer treatments including non-phosphate fertilizer application (P0), conventional phosphate fertilizer application (P1) in each light treatment was set up to measure the gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence differences of photosynthetic performance as well as the yield and its components in Qihuang 34. The results showed that phosphorus significantly increased chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, and grain yield in shading treatment. The yield of soybean was significantly reduced after shading treatment, which was 29.9%, but compared with L2P0, L2P1 treatment yield increased by 36.7%, which was significantly higher than the 27.1% under L1 treatment. The photosynthetic rate under saturated light (Asat) under L2 treatment decreased by 31.5% and 15.6% in R1 and R3 periods, respectively, and average increased by 27.4% and 45% after phosphorus application under two light condition. Furthermore, photosynthetic measurements demonstrated a more significant increase in the maximum efficiency of CO2 fixation, maximum rates of RUBP-carboxylation (Vcmax) in phosphorous treatment under shading conditions. Moreover, further analysis of OJIP curves revealed that phosphate fertilizer significantly improved the electron transfer and light energy absorption performance of the PSII reaction center in shading. The above results demonstrate that phosphate fertilizer contributes to light energy utilization efficiency, increase the low light utilization efficiency by improving PSII performance, promote RUBP regeneration, ensure the source of carboxylates substrates, and coordinate the balance of the photochemical reaction and the Calvin cycle, then alleviate the reduction of photosynthetic efficiency under shading, increase the rate of dry matter accumulation, and greatly increase yield.


Given the growing interests on using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) devices to implement Visible Light Communication (VLC) systems, there is a call for filling the gap between VLC standards and practical deployments. In particular, since LED-Camera VLC systems have shown a strong potential in covering large indoor areas due to the increasing pervasiveness of LED lighting systems and smartphones, providing roaming support to such a system has become an impending need. To this end, we propose RoCLight as a lightweight solution to this call. In order to have a proper feedback channel for roaming support, we innovate in converting part of the LED luminaires (already used as the VLC transmitters) into light sensors. By sensing the disturbance to the ambient diffuse reflection caused by user presence and mobility, RoCLight is able to adaptively handoff its transmissions from one luminaire to another, so as to keep up with user mobility and hence to offer an adequate roaming support. We implement RoCLight as a small-scale testbed with five LED luminaires spanning a length of 7.5 meters, and we conduct various evaluations on the roaming support capability of RoCLight based on this testbed; all our experiment results strongly demonstrate its promising performance.


This study was performed by questionnaire to investigate viewpoints regarding menu excavation and development of native local foods of adults in the Gyeongju area, classified by gender and age. The subject population consisted of 253 citizens(108 males and 145 females) living in Gyeongju. The findings are summarized as follows: The residents highly desired the 'enrichment of service and clean hygiene of local food restaurants', 'active marketing', 'necessity of excavation and development at the present time', and 'development with regional unique characteristics' with regard to the development of the local food choices in Gyeongju, whereas they did not particularly desire 'excavation development of cooking that often is served at family event(birth, marriage, death etc..)', nor 'guidance and enlightenment for many citizens'. The most influential obstacle hindering the development of Gyeongju local food was 'administration support deficiency of connection group agency', followed by 'interest deficiency about local food of restaurant business managers and citizens, different taste of each restaurant', and 'tradition cooking itself is insufficient in Gyeongju'. The most reasonable development menu for native local foods of the Gyeongju area was 'mushroom & beef hot pot(beoseothanu-jeongol)', 'glutinous barley bread(chalborippang)', 'mushroom & bulgogi hot pot(beoseot-bulgogi-jeongol)', 'grilled beef(hanu-sutbul-gui)', and 'grilled minced beef ribs(hanu-tteok-galbi)' in that order. On the other hand, the excavation and development validity scores for 'black goat soup(heukyeomso-tang)', 'gulfweed soup(mojaban-guk)', and 'parboiled octopus(muneo-sukhoe)' were very low.


High-Frequency signal propagation occurs by a number of different mechanisms. Together with ionospheric  effects these propagation mechanisms cause the signal to undergo various distortions. Although these effects  occur more severely in the trans-equatorial path, little data exists that provides information on the size and rate at which they occur over these paths. An opportunity has arisen to set up a transequatorial HF link between Europe and Mauritius. In this paper, the initial purpose of setting up this link, the techniques  employed, the early results obtained and further works are presented.


In this paper, the authors provide a general overview on the methodological framework behind the monitoring and evaluation strategies of Mobistyle project that are used as reference for the demonstration cases. The strategies identify parameters that need to be evaluated during several phases regarding the impact (energy, IEQ, health, behavioural patterns) and the strategy (effectiveness of the process) of the project, and how these parameters can be numerically evaluated. In particular, the paper focuses on the graphical visualization method for behavioural patterns analysis in relation to indoor environment quality and energy use. The proposed approach is illustrated based on measured data from one Mobistyle Project case study i.e. a hotel for long term stay located in Turin, Italy.


Objectives:Disability among long-term methamphetamine (MA) users is multifactorial. This study examined the additive adverse impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, a common comorbidity in MA users, on functional dependence. Methods:A large cohort of participants (N = 798) stratified by lifetime MA-dependence diagnoses (ie, MA+ or MA−) and HIV serostatus (ie, HIV+ or HIV−) underwent comprehensive baseline neuromedical, neuropsychiatric, and functional research evaluations, including assessment of neurocognitive symptoms in daily life, instrumental and basic activities of daily living, and employment status. Results:Independent, additive effects of MA and HIV were observed across all measures of functional dependence, independent of other demographic, psychiatric, and substance-use factors. The prevalence of global functional dependence increased in the expected stepwise fashion across the cohort, with the lowest rates in the MA−/HIV− group (29%) and the highest rates in the MA+/HIV+ sample (69%). The impact of HIV on MA-associated functional dependence was moderated by nadir CD4 count, such that polysubstance use was associated with greater disability among those HIV-infected persons with higher but not lower nadir CD4 count. Within the MA+/HIV+ cohort, functional dependence was reliably associated with neurocognitive impairment, lower cognitive reserve, polysubstance use, and major depressive disorder. Conclusions:HIV infection confers an increased concurrent risk of MA-associated disability, particularly among HIV-infected persons without histories of immune compromise. Directed referrals, earlier HIV treatment, and compensatory strategies aimed at counteracting the effects of low cognitive reserve, neurocognitive impairment, and psychiatric comorbidities on functional dependence in MA+/HIV+ individuals may be warranted.


Correct determination of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) as an indicator of kidney function bears great importance because clinical decision-making depends on it at many occasions. During the last years, a huge body of literature has been published on estimation and measurement of GFR. The increasing pace with which novel estimation formulae, current and newer biomarkers, assay standardization procedures as well as invasive measurement methods of GFR were published, has been overwhelming for many clinicians. This concise review summarizes central issues in determining kidney function by listing some of the most important publications. It explains fundamental principles in GFR estimation and measurement, the influence of clinical characteristics on endogenous biomarkers, and obstacles in biomarker assessment. Thus, it is thought to be a guide for clinicians through the confusing jungle of GFR determination.


Skeletal muscle regeneration is essential for restoring muscle function upon injury and for the maintenance of muscle health with aging. ARHGEF3, a Rho-specific GEF, negatively regulates myoblast differentiation via mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2)-Akt signaling in a GEF-independent manner in vitro. Here, we investigated ARHGEF3's role in skeletal muscle regeneration by creating ARHGEF3 KO mice. These mice exhibited no discernible phenotype under normal conditions. Upon injury, however, ARHGEF3 deficiency enhanced the mass, fiber size and function of regenerating muscles in both young and aged mice. Surprisingly, these effects were not mediated by mTORC2-Akt signaling, but by the GEF activity of ARHGEF3. Furthermore, ARHGEF3 KO promoted muscle regeneration through activation of autophagy, a process that is also critical for maintaining muscle strength. Accordingly, in old mice, ARHGEF3 depletion prevented muscle weakness by restoring autophagy flux. Collectively, our findings identify an unexpected link between ARHGEF3 and autophagy-related muscle pathophysiology.


With its hallmarks of unregulated cell proliferation and compromised differentiation, cancer represents a derangement of normal tissue homeostasis. A common set of pathways are activated in the transformed state, through either mutation or altered epigenetic regulation, and both heritable effects sustain the tumor. Classical views of cancer have invoked tissue dedifferentiation in the oncogenic process, whereas modern views embodied in the cancer stem cell hypothesis hold that cancer emerges from primitive tissue stem cells or specific progenitor populations that through mutations assume the self-renewal properties of stem cells. Recently, somatic tissues have been reprogrammed to a pluripotent state resembling embryonic stem (ES) cells by ectopic expression of a cocktail of transcription factors. The factors that drive reprogramming are oncogenes or have been linked to cellular transformation, suggesting that tumorigenesis and somatic cell reprogramming might indeed share common mechanisms of dedifferentiation.


Geographical Assessment of Factors for Sasa Expansion in the Sarobetsu Mire, Japan To determine the factors that promote the expansion of dwarf bamboo (Sasa palmate), an indicator of mesic vegetation, into bogs, a landscape-based approach was used to assess the geographical factors that are associated with, and contribute to, the propagation of Sasa in the Sarobetsu Mire, northern Japan. Using the "Sasa frontline" data obtained from aerial photographs taken during 2 different periods, the area expanded by Sasa in the past 23 years was determined. Next, distribution maps associated with geographical parameters, such as topography, hydrology, vegetation and soil, were created using remote sensing data (airborne LiDAR, ALOS/AVNIR-2, and ALOS/PALSAR). Using these geographical parameters as explanatory variables, the causes for Sasa expansion were analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis. It was shown that distance to natural ditches, gradient of ground surface, elevation, and carbon content are the largest contributors and that the hydrological factor is the one most associated with Sasa expansion. By using the landscape approach, 60% of the Sasa expansion factors could be explained. The analysis of the vegetation near the Sasa frontlines showed that the dynamics of sedge vegetation may serve as an indicator of potential Sasa expansion.


Despite their strong societal impact, systematic documentation of mountain risks remains poor. Thus, snow avalanche chronologies exceeding several decades are exceptional, especially in medium-high mountain ranges where activity can still be significant. This article implements a combination of historical and geographical methods leading to the 10 reconstruction, at the scale of the entire Vosges Massif (north-east of France), of more than seven hundred avalanches that have occurred since the late eighteenth century on 128 paths. The clearly episodic nature of the derived geo-chronology can be explained by three interrelated factors that have changed together over time: the body and reliability of sources, social practices conditioning the vulnerability, and the natural hazard itself. Finally, the geo-chronology primarily reflects the evolution of the meaning of the hazard in the social space. Specifically, the event which could be retrieved from the 15 historical sources is an aspect of the interaction between society and its environment. These results confirm the role of the historian in contextualizing and evaluating such data, transforming them into information relevant for risk changes understanding and mitigation. They also highlight the importance of constructing an original database from a diverse suite of historical data, and testing its fidelity using field investigations at an appropriate spatial scale. This general approach is of great utility for investigating other risk phenomena in the frequent situation where conventional sources are sparse and 20 problematic to assemble


Background
Musculoskeletal injuries can be debilitatingly painful, with long recovery times and activity-limiting prognoses. While numerous studies and case reports illustrating the benefits of acupuncture in treating various musculoskeletal conditions are available, more studies specific to acute injury are needed.

Case
A 45-year-old male presents ∼48 hours post a severe injury to his R hamstring while walking in his neighborhood. He has a history of musculoskeletal disorders, which may be due to an undiagnosed hypothyroid condition. A combination of acupuncture, myofascial release techniques, and kinesiology taping (KT) was administered in 7 treatments over 28 days postinjury.

Results
This patient was back to normal functionality, strength, and ROM within 4 weeks of this injury, more than 5 weeks ahead of his orthopedic physician's estimated recovery time. At 28 days postinjury, after 7 treatments, visual analog scale had decreased from 9/10 to 0/10, Tenderness To Palpation Scale decreased from grade IV to I, and Lower Extremity Functional Scale increased from 0/80 to 74/80.

Conclusion
Using a combination of acupuncture, myofascial release techniques, and KT may greatly reduce the healing and recovery time in patients with acute musculoskeletal injuries.


It is necessary that a new power, which I will call the fifth power, becomes integrated in the institutional structure of the constitutional state, for the following purposes: a) Protecting the "common interest": that which community members decide is in the interests of "everyone", which nowadays public powers are not in a position to guarantee; b) "Democratizing democracy": overcoming the shortcomings of representative democracy by creating new institutions of counter-democracy and participatory democracy which better articulate the relations between civil society, the public domain and representative institutions. The principles of a rule-of-law governed state – division of powers, legality, etc. – are no longer sufficient to organize a democratic system of government that defends the general interest, guarantees rights and promotes processes of democratization in the current constitutional states. Globalization and neoliberal politics have brought to light weaknesses and shortcomings of the institutional structure of a rule-of-law governed state inherited from the Enlightenment and developed by liberalism during the 19th century.


A 50 years old male with a history of alcoholism was admitted to the Department of Surgery. He was diagnosed with acute abdomen secondary to ileal perforation. A laparotomy was carried out, and a Central venous pressure catheter (CVP) was inserted through the right femoral approach post-operatively. The procedure was complicated by CVP guide wire loss in the femoral vein, which was embolized in all the possible ways from the Inferior Vena cava to the left subclavian vein. The patient was subtly shifted to the cardiac catheterization lab to manage this unusual common procedure complication effectively. The 8 French sheaths through the right femoral vein were passed, and the snare of the guide wire from the same right femoral vein was done with the help of a JR catheter and endovascular snare. The patient was shifted back to the surgical ward in stable condition.


A large number of commercial steganographic programs use the Least Significant Bit (LSB) embedding as the method of choice for message hiding in 24-bit, 8-bit color images and grayscale images or non-zero DCT coefficients (compressed images-JPEG images) and DWT coefficients of high subbands (compressed images – JPEG2000 images). It is commonly believed that changes to the LSBs of colors (or DCT coefficients) cannot be detected due to noise that is always present in digital images. In this paper, we introduce two novel methods of steganalysis that can detect LSB embedding reliably in both spatial domain and frequency domain. Methods of statistical estimation and statistical hypothesis test are applied for our problem