[ANGLES] The Discrete Element Method is a relatively new technique that has nowadays and intense
research in the field of numerical methods. In its first conception, the method was designed
for simulations of dynamic system of particles where each element is considered to be an
independent and non deformable entity that interacts with other particles by the laws of the
contact mechanics and moves following the second Newton's law. This first approach for the
DEM has obtained excellent results for granular media simulations or another discontinuouslike
case. The existing challenge nowadays for the DEM is to be able to simulate the behaviour
on a continuous media discretized by a mesh of particles ruled by the equations of the DEM.
Although there exist more adequate methods to solve the continuous problem as they are the
different variants of the Finite Element Method, the DEM is expected to have a better
behaviour when the failure of the media occurs; in terms of tracking the evolution of the
fracture locally between the elements of the discretization and also the post-fractural
behaviour of the material.
Nowadays, there are several DEM codes that try to solve this problem although there is no one
which can assure an accurate solution applicable universally to any case. The objective of the
present work is to develop calculation software for the Discrete Element Method included in
the platform for numerical methods KRATOS, which is developed in CIMNE. One of the goals
of the so-called DEM-Application is to be able to reproduce a wide set of engineering
problems; not only the discrete ones such as the excavation or agroalimentary applications but
also to reproduce the continuous media, simulating compression test for concrete or asphalt
samples for instance. In addition it is desired that the application permits the coupling with
another methods, particularly the Finite Element Method.


Ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) has gained increasing attention due to its high prevalence, atypical clinical presentations, difficult diagnostic procedures, and poor prognosis. There are two endotypes of INOCA—one is coronary microvascular dysfunction and the other is vasospastic angina. Diagnosis of INOCA lies in evaluating coronary flow reserve, microcirculatory resistance, and vasoreactivity, which is usually obtained via invasive coronary interventional techniques. Non-invasive diagnostic approaches such as echocardiography, single-photon emission computed tomography, cardiac positron emission tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging are also valuable for assessing coronary blood flow. Some new techniques (e.g., continuous thermodilution and angiography-derived quantitative flow reserve) have been investigated to assist the diagnosis of INOCA. In this review, we aimed to discuss the pathophysiologic basis and contemporary and novel diagnostic approaches for INOCA, to construct a better understanding of INOCA evaluation.


The magnetic field of long, straight conductors of arbitrary polygonal cross section, carrying current of given volume density, is modeled in terms of a distribution of fictitious magnetization inside each conductor and a distribution of fictitious surface current, using the Amperian model for magnetized media. Subsequently, this magnetization is replaced by an equivalent distribution of fictitious magnetic surface charge. As a result, the field calculation is reduced to that of the field due to a long strip of finite width, with simple distributions of surface charge and current. An elementary formula is derived for the field produced by a conductor of arbitrary polygonal cross section carrying a uniformly distributed current. The amount of computation is subsequently reduced compared to that needed for other methods, since a Laplacian scalar potential can be used in the absence of volume current density in these models. >


In this paper we investigate the connection between closed Newton-Cotes formulae, trigonometrically-fitted differential methods, symplectic integrators and efficient solution of the Schrodinger equation. Several one step symplectic integrators have been produced based on symplectic geometry, as one can see from the literature. However, the study of multistep symplectic integrators is very poor. Zhu et. al. has studied the symplectic integrators and the well known open Newton-Cotes differential methods and as a result has presented the open Newton-Cotes differential methods as multilayer symplectic integrators. The construction of multistep symplectic integrators based on the open Newton-Cotes integration methods was investigated by Chiou and Wu. In this paper we investigate the closed Newton-Cotes formulae and we write them as symplectic multilayer structures. We also develop trigonometrically-fitted symplectic methods which are based on the closed Newton-Cotes formulae. We apply the symplectic schemes to the well known one-dimensional Schrodinger equation in order to investigate the efficiency of the proposed method to these type of problems.


We present a detailed study of a three-level quantum heat engine operating at maximum efficient power function, a trade-off objective function defined by the product of the efficiency and power output of the engine. First, for near equilibrium conditions, we find general expression for the efficiency and establish universal nature of efficiency at maximum power and maximum efficient power. Then in the high temperature limit, optimizing with respect to one parameter while constraining the other one, we obtain the lower and upper bounds on the efficiency for both strong as well as weak matter-field coupling conditions. Except for the weak matter-field coupling condition, the obtained bounds on the efficiency exactly match with the bounds already known for some models of classical heat engines. Further for weak matter-field coupling, we derive some new bounds on the the efficiency of the the engine which lie beyond the range covered by bounds obtained for strong matter-field coupling. We conclude by comparing the performance of our three-level quantum heat engine in maximum power and maximum efficient power regimes and show that the engine operating at maximum efficient power produces at least $88.89\%$ of the maximum power output while considerably reducing the power loss due to entropy production.


This study aimed to assess the relationship between market anomalies and investors' decisions. To this end, using correlation and regression analyses, the impact of market anomalies indices in a prevailing approach, the stock price to earnings(P/E) ratio, operating cash flow to price ratio and accruals to investors' decisions ratio were assessed and measured in six hypotheses based on two criteria of investment in workforce and investment in capital assets. The results obtained from testing the hypotheses by investigating75companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange during 2009-2013 revealed that there was no relationship between P/E ratio and accruals indices with investing in the workforce; but presence of a relationship between operating cash flow to price ratio and investment in workforce was confirmed. Also, the association between two indices of stock price to earnings ratio and operating cash flow to price ratio with investments in capital assets was confirmed. However, no significant relationship was found between accruals and investment in capital assets.


The effect of stretching on the thermal behavior of acrylic fibers was investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In air atmosphere, the peak temperature of the dynamic DSC thermogram was significantly lowered from 289 to 273 °C when the gel fibers (undrawn) were drawn to a draw ratio of 11.2. However, the initiation temperature was unchanged at 202 °C. The shoulder in the region of 310–380 °C was gradually converted to a sharp peak during the drawing process. However, the dynamic DSC in nitrogen atmosphere did not change in all cases. In air atmosphere the total heat liberated, ΔH, for gel fiber was 851 J g−1. However, upon drawing to 11.2, ΔH increased to 1580 J g−1 showing an increase in the total chemical changes. An intimate relationship of chemical changes during the heating process was observed with FTIR of heated samples at various temperatures. The initiation of a DSC exotherm in air begins with nitrile cyclization, and subsequently dehydrogenation was initiated between 220 and 260 °C. An increase in the X-ray orientation factor and sonic modulus gave a correlation between the stretching draw ratio and crystalline/overall molecular orientation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2949–2958, 2003


Inhibition of erythropoiesis in vitro by uremic serum is well established. The role of parathyroid hormone (PTH) as inhibitor of erythropoiesis is uncertain. To further elucidate this effect we correlated the in vitro growth of red cell progenitors (BFU-E) in the presence of uremic serum from 26 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis with levels of immunoreactive PTH in the serum. The patients had a mean hemoglobin level of 100 +/- 20.1 g/l. The BFU-E growth was 98.8 +/- 28.3% of control. No correlation between BFU-E growth and hemoglobin was found. A significant negative correlation between levels of immunoreactive PTH and BFU-E growth was found (p = 0.05). These results support the notion that PTH or PTH fragment(s) might be responsible for the in vitro inhibition of erythropoiesis by uremic serum in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.


Introduction Malignant tumours involving the small intestine are among the rarest types of cancer. They present difficulties in early diagnosis and management. We analysed the records of all such patients at our hospital over the last 7 years to address the challenge in early recognition and diagnosis. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the case notes of all patients with operated small intestine tumours identified from histopathology records from 2004 to 2011. Clinical records, discharge summaries and imaging reports were reviewed for demographics, presenting symptoms, diagnostic workup, histopathology and outcome. Results 255 patients were identified of which 32 (13%) were malignant tumours. Mean age was 71 years (range 59 to 88). Male to female ratio was 3:5. There were 15 (47%) metastatic tumours involving the small intestine (14 adenocarcinomas). Of the 17 primary tumours, there were 4 (13%) adenocarcinomas, 5 (16%) carcinoid, 4 (13%) gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), 3 (9%) lymphomas and 1 (2%) sarcoma. Of the patients with metastases, 9 presented with bowel obstruction, 4 with perforations and 2 with chronic abdominal pain. Of the 17 patients with primary tumours, the presenting symptoms were chronic abdominal pain (5 patients), systemic symptoms (5), bowel obstruction (3), small bowel perforation (2), gastro-intestinal bleeding (1) and 1 patient was diagnosed at surgery. In the metastases group, 6 were diagnosed on computerised tomography (CT) and 1 on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 2 of the 6 diagnosed on CT had recent normal abdominal ultrasound (US). The remaining 8 patients were diagnosed at the time of surgery. 7 of the 8 patients had recent cross sectional imaging which did not pick up the tumour. In the primary tumour group, 1 case was diagnosed on US and 7 on CT (2 of these patients had previous US which did not reveal the tumour). The remaining 9 patients were diagnosed at the time of surgery. 7 of these 9 patients had recent imaging (including CT, Barium meal, US and MRI) which did not pick up the tumour. In the metastases group, 9 were treated with palliative surgery, 4 had surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy and 2 had curative surgery. In the primary tumours group, 8 had curative surgery, 4 had surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy, 2 patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery, 1 had surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy and 2 were treated with palliative intent. 60% of those with metastases to the small bowel died within 2 years of diagnosis and 18% with primary tumours died within 2 years. Conclusion Most patients with metastatic disease present as emergencies while those with primary tumours present with more non-specific symptoms. We require a high index of suspicion and various imaging and endoscopic modalities (including wireless capsule endoscopy) for early diagnosis. Disclosure of Interest None Declared.


Wolbachia bacteria are maternally transmitted intracellular microbes that are not only restricted to the reproductive organs but also found in various somatic tissues of their native hosts. The abundance of the endosymbiont in somatic tissues, usually a dead end for vertically transmitted bacteria, causes a multitude of effects on life history traits of their hosts, which are still not well understood. Thus, deciphering the host-symbiont interactions on a cellular level throughout a host's lifecycle is of great importance to understand their homeostatic nature, persistence and spreading success. Using fluorescent and transmission electron microscopy, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of Wolbachia tropism in somatic and reproductive tissues of six Drosophila species at the intracellular level during host development. Our data uncovered diagnostic patterns of infections to embryonic primordial germ cells and to particular cells of somatic tissues in three different neotropical Drosophila species of the willistoni and saltans groups that have apparently evolved in both independently. We further found that restricted patterns of Wolbachia tropism are already determined in early fly embryogenesis. This is achieved via selective autophagy, and the restriction of infection is preserved through larval hatching and metamorphosis. We further uncovered tight interactions of Wolbachia with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, which might play a scaffolding role for autophagosome formation and subsequent elimination of the endosymbiont. Finally, by analyzing D. simulans lines transinfected with non-native Wolbachia, we uncovered that the host genetic background regulates tissue tropism of infection. Our data demonstrate a peculiar and novel mechanism to limit and spatially restrict bacterial infection in somatic tissues during a very early stage of host development.


A tree-structured wavelet transform has been developed for texture classification in our previous work. The new transform, which offers a non-redundant representation, is able to zoom into dominant frequency channels containing significant information of textures and can be interpreted as the decomposition of a 2-D function with the wavelet packet basis. In this research, we extend our work to the texture segmentation problem. A new multiscale texture segmentation algorithm based on the tree-structured wavelet transform and hierarchical fuzzy clustering technique is proposed. Numerical experiments are given to demonstrate the performance of our new algorithm.


This study reports results from a new analysis of 17 survey experiment studies that permitted assessment of racial discrimination, drawn from the archives of the Time-sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences. For White participants (n=10 435), pooled results did not detect a net discrimination for or against White targets, but, for Black participants (n=2781), pooled results indicated the presence of a small-to-moderate net discrimination in favor of Black targets; inferences were the same for the subset of studies that had a political candidate target and the subset of studies that had a worker or job applicant target. These results have implications for understanding racial discrimination in the United States, and, given that some of the studies have never been fully reported on in a journal or academic book, the results also suggest the need for preregistration to reduce or eliminate publication bias in racial discrimination studies.


This paper compares two flagship policies in the area of energy efficient building refurbishment, the German CO2-Building Rehabilitation Programme and the Green Deal in the UK. Although both policies are essentially loan programmes to finance energy efficiency measures, the nature of the two policies is very different regarding scope, financial architecture, integration with other policies, and carbon reductions. The paper draws out the main differences of the programmes as well as similarities.


One of the key variables that have been used for identifying objects in two-dimensional imagery is shape. Humans have the ability to discriminate between shapes and can perceive an imperfect shape as belonging to a particular object class. Each object class has a boundary where a human perceives an object as belonging to one class or the other. Perceptual classification boundaries define the human perception that classifies a shape as belonging to a particular object class. In this paper, the perceptual difference between several primitive two-dimensional object shapes is examined. Unlike the human, computer recognition algorithms are typically designed to recognize a finite number of classes of objects. This paper focuses on two-class and three-class recognition problems using simple primitive shapes consisting of a single-filled, closed loop contour. To determine the perceptual classification boundary, one primitive shape is morphed into another, and a group of persons are used to quantify where the perceived boundary is located between objects. Various shape measures are then applied to the primitive shapes to determine how well some current measures can quantify the perceived classification boundary. The addition of gaussian noise to the primitive two-dimensional shapes is also examined along with quantitative and perceived human results. The results suggest that the tested quantitative measures do not provide results similar to human perception. Some measures are better than others at achieving perceptual classification. The paper demonstrates that an approximate perceptual classification measure can be achieved by using human observer perceptual thresholds along with a quantitative measure.


We present the results of a large number of careful numerical experiments carried out to investigate the way that the solution of the integrable focusing nonlinear Schroödinger equation with fixed initial data, when taken to be close to the semiclassical limit, depends on analyticity properties of the data. In particular, we study a family of initial data that have complex singularities at an adjustable distance from the real axis. We also make use of a simple relation that provides the exact solution, at the centre of the wave field, of the elliptic quasilinear system that appears formally as a leading–order model for the semi–classical dynamics. Among other things, we conclude that the semi–classical limit cannot be expected to be continuous with respect to the initial data, even for real analytic data, if there are certain complex singularities present. We argue that, in order to have well–posedness of the semiclassical limit, the correct setting is a physically relevant space of functions with compactly supported Fourier transforms.


The low level of primary commodity prices since 1985 is examined in the context of the behavior of those prices relative to prices of manufactured goods since 1854. The Prebisch-Singer hypothesis of a secular decline in relative commodity prices is sustained, but the recent decline is shown to be well outside the realm of historical experience. Commodity and manufactures prices are found to be cointegrated, conditional on the negative trend and a number of unexplained short-term swings. The earlier finding of a Gibson paradox is explained in terms of the difference between short- and long-run relationships.


The horizontal salinity gradient Estuaries show a great diversity of size, shape, depth, and forcing characteristics, but a general characteristic of estuaries is the presence of a horizontal salinity gradient (Fig. 2.1). Normally the salinity decreases from the ocean toward the head of the estuary due to freshwater input; in the case of inverse estuaries, the salinity increases in the landward direction due to excess evaporation (seeChapters 1 and 9). This salinity gradient is the key dynamical variable that makes estuaries different from any other marine or lacustrine environment. The horizontal salinity gradient is the key driving force for the estuarine circulation, which in turn plays a key role in maintaining salinity stratification in estuaries. The combined influence of the estuarine circulation and stratification determines the fluxes of salt and freshwater within the estuary, and their intensity varies with the strength of the freshwater inflow. Because of these dynamics, estuaries are often the most strongly stratified aquatic environments, but they also tend to have vigorous water and salt exchange, due to the estuarine circulation. This chapter explores the coupled equations involving the estuarine circulation, stratification, salt flux and freshwater inflow. A major outcome of this analysis is to reveal the essential importance of horizontal salinity gradient in the estuarine circulation, stratification, and salt balance, but also to find that the horizontal salinity gradient ultimately depends on the strength of the freshwater outflow and the intensity of mixing by tidal currents.


We suggest and realize experimentally dielectric metasurfaces with high transmission efficiency for quantum multi-photon tomography, allowing for full reconstruction of pure or mixed quantum polarization states across a broad bandwidth.


The Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) method focuses on teaching the main subject through a foreign language. This method is already successfully used in various around the world no specific formula or textbook exists so far. Based on the study of the existing literature, the possibility of using CLIL at Universities of Georgia and its anticipated results are analyzed in the present thesis. Target language of CLIL is mostly English. In our country English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is successfully taught in many Universities. For example, at the Faculty of Economics and Business our students are taught Business using a special English textbook to learn some issues of economics and business. Teaching any curricular subject using CLIL will be twice as effective and convenient for both the student and the university than teaching English and this particular subject separately. CLIL ensures a comprehensive study of a specific subject and a high level of English language proficiency. CLIL has a significant positive impact on the growth of the students' language competence. It helps them to achieve significant success in terms of various linguistic aspects, such as: vocabulary, terminology, academic English, etc. However, the assessment is made not in terms of language competence, but in terms of subject matter proficiency. Indeed, CLIL does not only mean language teaching - it is a complex method of using a foreign language to study a major subject. Consequently, knowledge is assessed within the competence of the main subject and thereby the language proficiency as well. With no database of textbooks for CLIL, everything is upon the teacher training, as a result of which the teacher must be able to compile a lesson plan based on different subject materials. We propose to use CLIL to teach different curricular subjects to the students of the Faculty of Economics and Business. To begin with economics, famous economists, e.g., Marshall, Robbins, Sandmo, etc. have different answers to the question "What is economics?" Therefore, the goal of the lecture course we suggest within CLIL will be to find the answer to this question.


Background: Recently presented minimally invasive endoscopic surgical techniques demonstrated the feasibility of implanting standard osteosynthesis plates for pelvic fractures. The reconstruction and internal fixation of complex acetabular fractures is still challenging. The goal of this study is to introduce a divisible implant, with a positive-locking in situ linking mechanism for plate osteosynthesis, making it possible to stabilize large and complex acetabular fractures with involvement of the quadrilateral surface.
 Method: Standard implants were used to recreate a base design. Using computer aided design (CAD), a three-dimensional standard implant was divided into two parts, so they could be re-allocated in situ. A critical objective was to reduce the cross-section of each part (clearance gauge). To connect the separated parts in situ, a new linking mechanism (cone in cone) was created. The new construct also features self-stabilization, self-centering, reinforced positional movement and preloading effects.
 Results: A linking system for plate osteosynthesis was developed entitled PEGASOS ("Percutaneous Endoscopic Guided Acetabulum-Stabilizing Osteosynthesis System"). Endoscopic implantation and in-situ-linking could be performed in a human cadaver. Therefore, we could demonstrate, that buttressing the quadrilateral surface of the acetabulum could be performed minimally invasive using a divisible suprapectineal buttress plate.
 Conclusion: We created a linking mechanism to couple two plates in situ. This mechanism enables an extremely strong, positive-locking connection, whereas its geometric shape allows for different relative movements during the locking procedure, with a single screw.


Cause-of-death diversity captures the variability of deaths across causes and is an important marker of heterogeneity in a population's health. We contribute to the debate of cause-of-death diversity dynamics by following a novel multiple causes of death (MCOD) approach and applying it to the U.S. context between 2003 and 2018 and across education groups. Results show that cause-of-death diversity increased over this period, especially up to 2012. These trends were mainly driven by increases in the groups aged 65 years or more. The inclusion of MCOD resulted in higher increases in cause-of-death diversity over time compared with merely using underlying causes of death, except for the 85 or more age group, where no difference was observed for males and a reverted gradient was observed for females. Results by educational attainment reveal lower diversity among the highest educated groups and widening differences across groups from around 2012 onward. The clear educational gradient observed at ages 30-64 diminished at older ages. The observed increases in cause-of-death diversity should be monitored to better understand mortality dynamics in aging populations. Our new MCOD diversity measures suggest that traditional approaches relying on single causes of death might be underestimating cause-of-death diversity dynamics, particularly for males.


Abstract Cave‐dwelling animals evolve distinct troglomorphic traits, such as loss of eyes, skin pigmentation, and augmentation of senses following long‐term adaptation to perpetual darkness. However, the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying these phenotypic variations remain unclear. In this study, we conducted comparative histology and comparative transcriptomics study of the skin of eight Sinocyclocheilus species (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) that included surface‐ and cave‐dwelling species. We analyzed four surface and four cavefish species by using next‐generation sequencing, and a total of 802,798,907 clean reads were generated and assembled into 505,495,009 transcripts, which contributed to 1,037,334 unigenes. Bioinformatic comparisons revealed 10,629 and 6,442 significantly differentially expressed unigenes between four different surface‐cave fish groups. Further, tens of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) potentially related to skin pigmentation were identified. Most of these DEGs (including GNAQ, PKA, NRAS, and p38) are downregulated in cavefish species. They are involved in key signaling pathways of pigment synthesis, such as the melanogenesis, Wnt, and MAPK pathways. This trend of downregulation was confirmed through qPCR experiments. This study will deepen our understanding of the formation of troglomorphic traits in cavefishes.


Objectives To evaluate the clinical value of cardiovascular function in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus by wave intensity and Tissue Doppler Imaging. Methods According to the course of disease, 30 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided in to two groups: T2DM group 1, the course of disease between 1 year to 5 years, T2DM group 2, the course of disease was longer than 5 years. 30 healthy volunteers were considered as control group. The parameters of accelerating wave intensity (W1), decelerating wave intensity (W2), negative area (NA), time interval between the R-wave of ECG and the first peak (R-W1), the first and second peaks (W1-W2), elasticity modulus (Ep), stiffness index (β), arterial compliance (AC), pulse wave velocity (PWVβ) and intima media thickness (IMT) were calculated by wave intensity. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular ejection time (LVET), early diastolic peak speed (E), late diastolic peak velocity (A), E / A and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) were detected by two dimensional echocardiography. Mitral annular early diastolic peak speeds (Em), late diastolic peak velocity (Am) and Em / Am were detected by Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI). Then recorded three groups data and compared. Results Compared with the control group, β, PWVβ, Ep in T2DM group were increased significantly (P < 0.01or P < 0.05), while AC was decreased significantly (P < 0.05). IMT in T2DM group 2 was thicker significantly than control group (P < 0.01). PWVβ, Ep, IMT in T2DM group 2 were significantly higher than those of T2DM group 1 (P < 0.05). W2 in T2DM group 2 were significantly higher than those of T2DM group 1 and control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). E/A, Em and Em/Am in T2DM group were significantly lower than those of the control group(P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with T2DM group 1, Em in T2DM group 2 was decreased significantly (P < 0.05). In T2DM group, there were positive correlation between IMT and Ep, β, PWVβ (r = 0.48, r = 0.385,r = 0.478, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); positive correlation between Em and E (r = 0.404, P < 0.05), positive correlation between Em / Am and E / Em, E / A (r = 0.602, r = 0.559, P < 0.01);negative correlation between Em and IVRT (r = -0.653,P <0.01); positive correlation between W1 and LVEF (r = 0.627, P < 0.01);positive correlation between W1-W2 and LVET (r = 0.847, P < 0.01); no correlation between W2 and E/A, E/Em, Em/Am, IVRT(P > 0.05). Conclusions The elasticity of carotid artery and the diastolic function of left ventricular were decreased in T2DM patients, while the systolic function of left ventricular was normal.


The research focuses on the application of an active force control (AFC) strategy with iterative learning control (ILC) algorithms to compensate for the various introduced road profiles or 'disturbances' in a quarter car suspension system as an improvement to ride comfort performance. ILC algorithm is implemented into AFC-based control scheme to reduce its complexity and hence faster response, by replacing the use of artificial intelligence (Al) method as proposed by previous researcher. The new control scheme named active force control with iterative learning control algorithm (AFCIL) is complemented by the classic proportionalintegral-derivative (PID) control incorporated and designed as the outermost control loop. The PID controller was first designed and tested prior to developing the AFC which was directly cascaded with the YIDdoop. A number of ILC algorithms were explicitly employed to compute the estimated mass in the AFC loop that is necessary to trigger the control action. The AFC with ILC (AFCIL) suspension system was experimented both through simulation and practical experimentation considering various ILC learning parameters, differenti operating conditions and a number of external disturbances to test and verify the system robustness. The simulation was conducted using MATLAB/Simulink software package whilstthe experimental study utilized the existing experimental rig with a hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) configuration with the proposed ILC algorithms incorporated as the new research contribution. The results obtained, via various control schemes in, the form of PID, AFCIL and passive systems were rigorously, compared and analyzed.to ascertain the system performance in terms of its, ability, to improve riding comfort characteristics. The results imply that the proposed AFC-based scheme produces the best response with an approximately 50% improvement I in comparison to the 'PID and passive counterparts.


Chemical disinfectants represent one of the commonly used practice in minimally processed vegetables food-chain. However, the scarce safety and sustainability of these agents force food industry to move toward more sustainable "green washing solutions." Among the latter, while the application of plant derivates for the control of several pathogens is already well-known, the potential anti-Salmonella activity of Coriandrum sativum seeds derivates is still unexplored and was therefore investigated in this study. In detail, Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of different coriander seed derivates (i.e., essential oil, hydrosol, and ethanolic extract) were determined by broth dilution against six Salmonella enterica strains isolated from fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Only the essential oil (EO) was effective in vitro with strain-dependent results. In addition, when mixed in co-culture, the strains were more sensitive to the essential oil treatment. Chemical investigations allowed to define (s)-(+)-linalool as major compound in the essential oil, and to underline interesting phenolic content with correlated antioxidant capacity. A cocktail of three strains of different serovars was selected and employed for a preliminary in situ trial on stick carrots. The obtained results allowed to establish that the application of coriander seed EO at concentrations of 5 μL mL−1 was able to reduce and contain the growth of the Salmonella cocktail up to 24 h at 10°C. Good sensory evaluation results were obtained by applying this EO concentration as washing treatment, especially in terms of color parameter. Further studies should be undertaken to emphasize the upstream activity, improving the formulation or exploiting a combined effect with other sanitizers or treatments (e.g., physical treatments). The present study contributes to the knowledge on coriander derivates activity against Salmonella spp. and on the potential application as sustainable washing treatment in removing this pathogen from fresh cut carrots.


It has been hypothesized that certain consumers tolerate untreated cow's milk, but react to processed (i.e. homogenized and pasteurized) cow's milk although they do not suffer from IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy or lactose intolerance. The aim of the study was to compare the tolerance of unhomogenized and homogenized cow's milk in lactose tolerant adults who had repeatedly experienced better tolerance of unhomogenized than homogenized milk. Forty-four subjects were challenged with homogenized and unhomogenized cow's milk for five days in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study. No differences in the symptoms during the challenges were found. Roughly half the subjects tolerated the homogenized milk better and the other half tolerated the unhomogenized milk better. The results of this study show no difference in the tolerance of homogenized and unhomogenized milk in adults with self-reported symptoms suggestive of hypersensitivity to homogenized milk.


Background: Fieldwork education is a core part of all occupational therapy curriculums around the world to enable the students meet minimum competencies required for their professional life. Student experience is a valuable source to explore the nature of fieldwork training and plan more efficient curriculums in the future. This study aimed to explore the students' experiences in the first fieldwork education. Methods: Data were collected through a focus group and series of semi-structured interviews with 16 occupational therapy students who had passed the first semester of fieldwork education at three occupational therapy departments in Iran. The interviews were transcribed line by line and analyzed according to inductive content analysis. Results: Following the analysis of the data, three main themes were identified including the importance of supervisors' management, deficits in the current curriculum and challenges in the educational environment. Each theme included different categories to show students' concerns and challenges in the first fieldwork education experience and their suggestions for more efficient trainings. Conclusion: The research argues that several combined key factors determine the nature and utility of occupational therapy (OT) fieldwork experiences of the students. However, further studies are needed to clarify the experiences of the supervisors, department managers and others involved in the fieldwork education.


To determine the superconducting gap function of YNi2B2C, the c-axis thermal conductivity kappa(zz) was measured in H rotated in various directions. The angular variation of kappa(zz) in H rotated within the ab plane shows a peculiar fourfold oscillation with narrow cusps. The amplitude of this fourfold oscillation becomes very small when H is rotated conically around the c axis with a tilt angle of 45 degrees. These results provide the first compelling evidence that the gap function has point nodes located along the a and b axes. This unprecedented gap structure challenges the current view on the pairing mechanism.


The fate of any given mRNA has remained difficult to experimentally follow and has left mechanisms of unexpected gene expression phenomena in the dark. Examples are differential stability of mRNA expression from different promoters, and inhibition of expression in trans from co-transfected plasmids encoding N1-spermidine/spermine, acetyltransferase and a second unrelated gene. Recent advances in single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smRNA FISH) now bring such central aspects of cellular mRNA metabolism into view. Streamlining both the design and synthesis of probe sets of multiple tiled singly labeled 20-mer oligonucleotides with balanced GC content have made most mRNAs targetable. In contrast to traditional cell-disruptive RNA analyses - northern blotting, QPCR, and microarrays - that yield average and relative information on the content of the probed mRNA, smRNA FISH affords discrete and cell-specific copy numbers. That added spatial dimension can be applied to provide cell-to-cell variability and the actual range of mRNA numbers in a given cell within the field of focus, or to examine defined subsets of cells. The hypusine pathway genes (EIF5A1, EIF5A2, DHPS, DOHH, and SAT1) are essential with deep evolutionary conservation. The gene products are tightly linked to the growth of the cell with aberrant expression in cells that have lost proliferation control, and in several cancers. SAT1, encoding N1-spermidine/spermine, acetyl-transferase, in particular plays a pivotal function in regulating polyamine levels and in turn determining the cells' proliferative state. Recently, vectors episomally expressing SAT1 were found to inhibit the expression from co-transfected plasmids. Inhibition only occurred with enzymatically active SAT1. To gain a better understanding of how the expression of the hypusine pathway genes may contribute to the transformed phenotype, the fate of these mRNAs and those of unrelated reporter genes was examined by smRNA FISH. Single cell expression data for the hypusine pathway genes is presented and compared with previous results from northern analyses. Data is also presented on the further use of the probe sets to examine changes in the numerical and spatial expression in cells after manipulation of the hypusine status. Lastly, data on the expression - mRNA and protein - in cells co-transfected with vectors for SAT1 and unrelated reporter genes is presented, distinguishing between post-transcriptional events that may cause the inhibition. In summary, we show smRNA FISH as a suitable tool to disseminate post-transcriptional events for genes relevant to polyamine homeostasis and regulated protein synthesis in normal and aberrant cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4209. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4209


Abstract Although the effectiveness of vegetative filter strips (VFS) for reducing herbicide runoff is well documented, a comprehensive review of the literature does not exist. The objectives of this article are to denote the methods developed for evaluating herbicide retention in VFS; ascertain the efficacy of VFS regarding abating herbicide runoff; identify parameters that affect herbicide retention in VFS; review the environmental fate of herbicides retained by VFS; and identify future research needs. The retention of herbicide runoff by VFS has been evaluated in natural rainfall, simulated rainfall, and simulated run-on experiments. Parameters affecting herbicide retention in VFS include width of VFS, area ratio, species established in the VFS, time after establishment of the VFS, antecedent moisture content, nominal herbicide inflow concentration, and herbicide properties. Generally, subsequent transport of herbicides retained by VFS is reduced relative to adjacent cultivated soil because of enhanced sorption and degradation in the former.


Because of the growing number of information sources available through the internet there are many cases in which information needed to solve a problem or answer a question is spread across several information sources. For example, when given two sources, one about comic books and the other about super heroes, you might want to ask the question {open_quotes}Is Spiderman a Marvel Super Hero?{close_quotes} This query accesses both sources; therefore, it is necessary to have information about the relationships of the data within each source and between sources to properly access and integrate the data retrieved. The SIMS information broker captures this type of information in the form of a model. All the information sources map into the model providing the user a single interface to multiple sources.


Fluorescence vision using indocyanine green is a surgical tool with increasing applications in colorectal cancer surgery. This tool has received acceptance in several disciplines as a potential method to improve visualization of the surgical field, improve lymph node resection and decrease the incidence of anastomotic leaks (ALs). In colorectal surgery specifically, some studies have shown that intraoperative fluorescence imaging is a safe and feasible method to evaluate anastomotic perfusion, and its use could affect the incidence of anastomotic leaks. Currently, controlled trials are carried out to validate these conclusions, as well as new indications for indocyanine green such as detection and guidance in the management of hepatic colorectal metastases, visualization of ureters and even as tumor marking and improvement the lymph node harvest of early tumors. These advances could offer great value to surgeons and patients, by improving the accuracy and results of cancer resections.


Seabed mining is approaching the commercial mining phase across the world's oceans. This rapid industrialization of seabed resource use is introducing new pressures to marine environments. The environmental impacts of such pressures should be carefully evaluated prior to permitting new activities, yet observational data is mostly missing. Here, we examine the environmental risks of seabed mining using a causal, probabilistic network approach. Drawing on a series of interviews with a multidisciplinary group of experts, we outline the cause-effect pathways related to seabed mining activities to inform quantitative risk assessments. The approach consists of (1) iterative model building with experts to identify the causal connections between seabed mining activities and the affected ecosystem components, and (2) quantitative probabilistic modelling to provide estimates of mortality of benthic fauna in the Baltic Sea. The model is used to evaluate alternative mining scenarios, offering a quantitative means to highlight the uncertainties around the impacts of mining. We further outline requirements for operationalizing quantitative risk assessments, highlighting the importance of a cross-disciplinary approach to risk identification. The model can be used to support permitting processes by providing a more comprehensive description of the potential environmental impacts of seabed resource use, allowing iterative updating of the model as new information becomes available.


Iron limits phytoplankton productivity and biomass in significant portions of the global ocean. A number of studies over the past decade have shown that iron's primary role in phytoplankton is as a cofactor in photosynthetic light processing and electron transport proteins, linking its availability directly to primary productivity. Multiple consequences of this localization were explored in this thesis. Because photosynthetic iron demands dominate phytoplankton iron requirements, it has been suggested that primary productivity may be co-limited by iron and light when the availability of both factors is reduced. Support for this hypothesis had been previously obtained in iron limited regions with deep mixed layers, but the possibility that iron-light co-limitation may occur outside areas conventionally thought to be iron limited was explored in Chapter II of this thesis. Phytoplankton, particularly larger diatoms, displayed responses indicative of iron-light co-limited at subsurface chlorophyll maxima in the Southern California Bight and the eastern tropical North Pacific. In these water columns, lack of iron availability limits the growth of larger organisms with consequences for carbon export efficiency and ecosystem structure. The distribution and speciation (redox and organic) of iron in one of these regions, the eastern tropical North Pacific, is discussed in Chapter IV. Photosynthetic physiology is strongly impacted by iron limitation, due to the high iron content of the photosynthetic apparatus. Assessment of variability in photosynthetic physiological states has proven useful as a diagnostic of iron stress in laboratory cultures and mesoscale iron addition experiments. In Chapter III, changes in photosynthetic physiology across a gradient in iron stress are examined in relation to experimental responses to iron addition. It was determined that in a region of natural iron fertilization in the southern Drake Passage, photosystem II characteristics were correlated with responses to iron addition, and could serve as good indicators of the degree of iron stress in a system. microbial ecosystems. The cycling of heme in the ocean is not well understood, but because it is hydrophobic and photosensitive, direct uptake by bacteria from particulates may be an important pathway of recycling. In Chapter V, the ability of a particle associated bacterium, Microscilla marina, to take up heme is discussed and a potential heme transport system is identified in its genome. The putative heme transport system is expressed and upregulated under iron stress and when growing on heme as an iron source. The genomes of many diverse marine bacteria were searched for similar uptake systems and genes with strong similarity to known heme transporters were identified in alpha- and gamma- proteobacteria. However, no putative heme transporters were identified in cyanobacteria or oligotrophic bacteria such as Pelagibacter ubique, suggesting heme is primarily available on particles or in rich environments, in agreement with its chemistry. Further investigations into the uptake capabilities of marine microorganisms may provide additional insights into trace metal cycling


Assessing the strength of hard soils and soft rocks is a pressing issue in geotechnical investigations, since high quality core samples recommended by testing standards for strength determinations cannot always be achieved. As a solution, a lightweight, non-destructive testing device, Needle Penetrometer (NP), was developed in Japan. It is not well known and standardized in other parts of the world. No sample preparation is required, and it is applicable both in the field and laboratory with minimum surface conditioning. This study aims to provide some new contributions to previous works on the NP test, including new rock types and stabilized soils. For these purposes, unconfined strength (UCS) and needle penetration resistance (NPR) values were determined for compacted clays, lime and cement stabilized clays, micritic tufa, microdetrital tufa and pumice. A database consisting of a total of 108 UCS–NPR data pairs was established. Regression analyses reveal that, there is a significant relationship between UCS and NPR. It is concluded that the NP tests can be applied to stabilized soils and soft rocks with UCS of up to 30 MPa to predict the UCS from NPR.


A new resource from the University of Technology Sydney Centre for Local Government (UTS:CLG) provides local government in Tasmania with a practical approach to developing strategic workforce plans. Workforce planning in the local government sector is essential to meet the needs of communities and deliver a growing, prosperous Tasmania. These guidelines were developed to improve Tasmanian councils' understanding of the benefits of workforce planning and build capacity to better plan for a changing workforce. The project was funded by a grant from Skills Tasmania (Tasmanian Department of State Growth) and developed in partnership with the Local Government Association of Tasmania and Burnie, Circular Head and Waratah-Wynyard Councils. The guidelines cover six steps and include case studies and various tools. Working through the guidelines and populating the supporting templates should help councils develop their own workforce plan.


User profiles are increasingly used for sharing standard information about users among context-aware agents. User profiles allow agents to offer users personalized content and services. However, the entities and contextual information used by these agents must have same meaning in order to share a common understanding about user related personal information, context and preferences. The contribution of this paper is to present a general user metadata model which is integrated within a generic metadata model (CAM Meta-model) that covers altogether information about content, services, physical and technical environment. This new user profile meta-model has been designed with a view of using it in conjunction with content and service recommender systems. It brings new opportunities to reason over user context data with the main purpose of increasing user experience in ubiquitous environments and satisfying their desires depending on the circumstances.


OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ODN) to apoptotic suppress gene bcl-2 on apoptosis of lung carcinoma cells induced by cisplatin.

METHODS
The lung carcinoma cells expressing bcl-2 were chosen to participate in this experiment. Cultured cells were divided into 7 groups: ODN, nonsense, ODN + cisplatin, nonsense + cisplatin, cisplatin, lipofectin and control. Bcl-2 antisense or nonsense mixed with lipofectin was added into above corresponding cultured cells. After cultured for 6 hours, cisplatin was added into corresponding groups. The cells were cultured again for 16 hours. And then, the cells were smeared on slides. Apoptotic cells were labeled with TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method on cell smears. Apoptotic index (AI) was counted to show the percentage of apoptotic cancer cells. The immunocytochemistry was used to detect the expression of bcl-2 in carcinoma cells.

RESULTS
The bcl-2 expression of cancer cell in ODN group was significantly decreased compared to the control and nonsense groups. The AI of ODN + cisplatin group was 16.4 +/- 1.7, cisplatin group 4.1 +/- 0.8, antisense group 5.9 +/- 0.2, nonsense group 3.3 +/- 0.7, nonsense + cisplatin 7.6 +/- 1.1, lipofectin 5.1 +/- 0.9, control group 3.6 +/- 0.6. The AI of antisense + cisplatin group was significantly higher than that of other groups.

CONCLUSION
Antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide to bcl-2 can inhibit significantly the expression of bcl-2 of lung cancer cells and increase apoptosis of cancer cells induced by cisplatin.


Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006

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Epidemiological and experimental studies have suggested that bile acids, particularly secondary bile acids, may be involved in the development of colorectal cancer. The ileal sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ISBT) plays an important role in the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. Previously, we reported a possible association between two sequence variations in SLC10A2 , the gene encoding ISBT, and colorectal adenomas, particularly for the C→ T nucleotide transition in codon 169 of exon 3. These original results were based on the first phase of a case-control study of adenomas. The second and final phase of this study has been completed and we report here results from the second phase that essentially confirm our earlier report (e.g. among all subjects, the C→T transition is associated with adenomas,odds ratio (OR) = 1.62 (0.69-3.82), and among AA homozygotes for the 171S mutation, the OR for the C→T transition = 1.81 (0.73-4.48). Considering data from both phases of the study, the odds ratios for the C→T transition overall and among AA homozygotes for the 171S mutation are 1.86 (1.13-3.07) and 2.16 (1.28-3.66), respectively. Dietary fat increases biles acid levels. Combining data from both phases of the study also enabled us to explore the possibility that effects of SLC10A2 genotype are modified by intake of fat. Among subjects with a low intake of saturated fat (less than median intake), the OR for the C→T transition is 1.32 (0.66-2.64), whereas the corresponding OR among subjects with a saturated fat intake above the median was 2.60 (1.23-5.48). Confirmation of our original observation and the suggestion of a modifying effect of fat intake lend support to the validity of the association between the SLC10A2 gene and risk of adenomas and, by implication, the bile acid hypothesis.


The debate over sustainable intensification has hinged on private incentives to abate land degradation. Largely missing is the role of social capital in both creating incentives and removing barriers to soil conservation. Yet soil conservation embodies the externality problem that bedevils so many aspects of natural resource management. Action by one farmer to reduce water or wind erosion may benefit neighboring fields by slowing the rate of water or wind movement across those lands. Yet these benefits are not fully captured by the farmer making the conservation investment. However, when economic agents care for one another, these externalities can be internalized, reducing the individual's disincentive to perform a socially level of natural resource conservation. Likewise, community organizations may provide collective capital and labor to overcome adoption barriers faced by individuals. The twin hypotheses that 1) farming practices influence soil erosion and 2) social capital influences the adoption of sustainable farming practices are tested with data from a 1999 survey of 197 farms in the Peruvian Altiplano around Lake Titicaca. The survey used cluster sampling of farms in villages to represent each of three arable agro-ecological zones in the Ilave-Huenque river basin. Relative asset levels were used to stratify resident households within villages. Personal interviews collected a wide range of data on farm household assets, management practices, and status of agricultural natural resources.


OBJECTIVE. We sought to identify the initial MR findings of herpes simplex encephalitis in infants and young children.CONCLUSION. MR imaging findings of herpes encephalitis in infants and young children appear to differ from those seen in neonates, older children, and adults. Appreciation of this MR imaging pattern coupled with a strong clinical suspicion of herpes helps to ensure the correct diagnosis is made.


The lung is a complex organ comprising a branched airway that connects the large airway and millions of terminal gas-exchange units. Traditional pulmonary biomedical research by using cell line model system have limitations such as lack of cellular heterogeneity, animal models also have limitations including ethical concern, race-to-race variations, and physiological differences found in vivo. Organoids and on-a-chip models offer viable solutions for these issues. Organoids are three-dimensional, self-organized construct composed of numerous cells derived from stem cells cultured with growth factors required for the maintenance of stem cells. On-a-chip models are biomimetic microsystems which are able to customize to use microfluidic systems to simulate blood flow in blood channels or vacuum to simulate human breathing. This review summarizes the key components and previous biomedical studies conducted on lung organoids and lung-on-a-chip models, and introduces potential future applications. Considering the importance and benefits of these model systems, we believe that the system will offer better platform to biomedical researchers on pulmonary diseases, such as emerging viral infection, progressive fibrotic pulmonary diseases, or primary or metastatic lung cancer.


An experimental study on the performance and instability development characteristics of a centrifugal compressor equipped with a cambered variable diffuser has been performed with varying diffuser vane angles. The test was conducted at the design speed of 20,800 rpm and the 80% design speed of 16,640 rpm for 5 diffuser angles: 65o, 70o, 75o, 77.5o, 80o. The steady performance test results showed that choking mass flow rate decreases and total pressure ratio increases with a narrowed surge margin as the diffuser vane angle increases. Unsteady pressures were measured using high-frequency pressure transducers at the inducer and the diffuser throat to investigate the instability phenomena such as rotating stall and surge inside the compressor, from the unsteady measurements, it is found that the transient process from rotating stall to surge was mainly affected by diffuser angles. The results of the present study can be applied to the instability control of the centrifugal compressors using a variable diffuser.


The challenges facing UK higher education are both well documented and controversial; however, pitted against this context is the requirement for psychology departments to provide an increasingly rich and diverse university experience for students, whilst ensuring progression and retention remain centralto undergraduate provision. Despite the recognition that induction is of upmost importance in ensuring a successful transition from pretertiary to higher education, many universities are faced with changing budgets in the post-Browne era (Browne, 2010) across all aspects of academic life. Such a challenge presents departments with a unique paradox since student expectations continueto rise as the dominance of consumerism reaches fruition, whilst budgets continue to decrease. In acknowledging the importance of induction for both the overall student experience and for retention, the University of Worcester designed and successfully implemented an induction programme on a considerably reduced budget. A satisfaction questionnaire was completed by 136 undergraduatestudents inducted in 2011 and the results compared to those of 87 students from 2010 (where the induction budget was considerably higher). The results indicate similar levels of satisfaction and engagement with induction activities and whilst an off-site activity remains key to the success of induction, suchan activity doesn't have to present considerable expense. This paper providesan overview of designing an induction programme on a reduced budget, presentssatisfaction results from undergraduate students who completed induction in both 2010 and 2011, and presents suggestions for best practice in the design of induction events for psychology undergraduates.


N-[[4-[[[(2-ethylphenyl)amino]carbonyl]amino]phenyl]acetyl]-Nε-6-[(2E)-1-oxo-3-(3-pyridinyl-2-propenyl)]-l-lysyl-l-2-aminohexanedioyl-(1-amino-1-cyclohexane)carboxamide (LLP2A) is a high-affinity, high-specificity peptidomimetic ligand (inhibitory concentration of 50% = 2 pM) that binds the activated α4β1 integrin found on a variety of malignant lymphoid cell lines. To better determine whether this ligand holds promise for imaging and therapy in lymphoid malignancies, 6 LLP2A derivatives, as LLP2A-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″,N‴-tetraacetic acid (LLP2A-DOTA) and LLP2A-DOTA-polyethylene glycol (LLP2A-DOTA-PEG), were designed, synthesized, and radiolabeled with 111In. Comparative pharmacokinetic studies in mice with Raji B-cell lymphoma xenografts were then complemented by small-animal PET of the lead molecular LLP2A format using 64Cu-LLP2A-11-bis(carboxymethyl)-1,4,8,11-tetraazabicyclo[6.6.2]hexadecane (64Cu-LLP2A-CB-TE2A). Methods: LLP2A-DOTA and LLP2A-CB-TE2A were prepared using solid-phase synthesis; LLP2A-DOTA-PEG2,000, LLP2A-DOTA-PEG5,000, LLP2A-DOTA-PEG10,000, (LLP2A-DOTA)2PEG10,000, and (LLP2A-DOTA)4PEG10,000 were prepared by PEGylation. 111In radiolabeling of DOTA and 64Cu radiolabeling of CB-TE2A conjugates yielded 370–1,850 and 3,700–7,400 kBq/μg (10–50 and 100–200 μCi/μg), respectively. The pharmacokinetics of the six 111In radioconjugates were studied in vivo using biodistribution data (4 and 24 h) and whole-body autoradiography (24 h) in mice with Raji tumor xenografts. 64Cu-LLP2A-CB-TE2A was imaged (4 and 24 h) on a small-animal PET scanner in the same mouse model. Results: The highest tumor uptake in pharmacokinetic studies was obtained with LLP2A-DOTA and (LLP2A-DOTA)4-PEG10,000. For 111In-LLP2A-DOTA (1 nM) at 4 and 24 h after injection, ratios of tumor to blood and tumor to nontumor (normal) organ (T/NT) were 8 to 35:1 for all organs or tissue except the spleen, marrow, and kidney, which were between 2:1 and 1:1. Tetravalent (LLP2A-DOTA)4-PEG10,000 (1.1 nM) had tumor uptake similar to the univalent LLP2A-DOTA but higher liver, marrow, and kidney uptake. The excellent T/NT of LLP2A was also demonstrated by small-animal PET with 64Cu-LLP2A-CB-TE2A at both 4 and 24 h after injection; obvious spleen targeting was apparent, but little kidney or liver activity was observed. Conclusion: Of the conjugates investigated, the univalent, non-PEGylated ligand 111In-LLP2A-DOTA exhibited the best T/NT ratios and showed the greatest potential for imaging of α4β1 in human lymphoma. Furthermore, this univalent non-PEGylated LLP2A format, as 64Cu-LLP2A-CB-TE2A, demonstrated excellent tumor targeting by small-animal PET and warrants further investigation as an agent for the study of α4β1 expression in human lymphoid malignancies.


Brands are entering an era where brand activism and corporate social responsibility strategies are holding a large influence on consumer purchase decision making, rather than the traditional brand product marketing. A major distribution outlet for the rising brand activism strategy is through social media, where users can directly interact with brands and other users surrounding major issues. Higher engagement with such activism campaigns suggests more consumer support for the brand, leading to higher sales performance potential. This study examines the influence of brand activism campaign qualities on social media engagement, specifically on the Twitter platform. Tweets for 8 different brands – Nike, Reebok, Under Armour, Puma, Always, Yoplait, Procter & Gamble, and Airbnb – were collected using RStudio and Twitter APIs and dissected based on their association to the brand's activism campaign. A survey was also distributed to gather data on several characteristics for each campaign. A Poisson regression was used to analyze the relationship between social media engagement metrics – favorites and retweets – and the characteristics of tweets and campaigns. Brands that are looking to contribute to the activism space, particularly on Twitter, should produce content that is geared towards individuals, rather than society as a whole. Higher engagement will be generated by campaigns that focus on causes with longer-term impact, in addition to campaigns that target both genders rather than being gender specific.


Practically applicable approach for the fabrication of ABO3 perovskites with high rates of ionic transport is developed. The ionic transport in perovskites with transition metals at B – site is considered in terms of the theory of coordination compounds. It is shown that the structure of these materials is sensitive to the values of the effective charge of the ions of transition metals (Z*) and to the electronegativity (χ) of the surrounding cations. The magnitudes of Z* and χ can be varied by choosing the appropriate elements at sites A and B to induce a distortion of the short range order. This leads to reduction of potential barriers for formation and migration of structural defects including oxygen vacancies. In typical perovskites a correlation between the rates of the ionic transport and the estimated values of Z* and χ is found. Copyright © 2013 VBRI press.


Introduction Post-stroke anxiety (PSA) is hugely under-diagnosed (Rafsten, Danielsson, &Sunnerhagen, 2018). As it can have a significant negative impact on both short- and long-term clinical outcomes, it is essential to have an accurate screening measure specific to stroke populations. While a considerable number of anxiety-screening instruments have been developed, there is wide variation in their applicability when used after stroke. The heterogeneity across these measures produces challenges for clinicians when selecting a reliable and valid measure for PSA. Aim The purpose of this review is to identify tools that have been used to screen for anxiety after stroke and to systematically review their usefulness and validity in this population. Method The literature on PSA was reviewed until 1969 using Medline (OVID version), PsychINFO and PubMed databases. Literature searches were conducted using the following keywords in multiple combinations: Post, stroke, anxiety, assessment, screening, tool, measure. Additionally, the literature search included reference lists in publications that measured anxiety in stroke populations and articles that reported the development and psychometric properties of instruments designed to measure PSA. Publications reporting measures assessing specific anxiety subtypes were excluded. All measures were reviewed individually with emphasis on the population demographic they were initially developed for, anxiety subtype they were most sensitive to, the psychometric data and advantages and disadvantages relevant to each measure. Results A review of the articles reporting the following six measures of anxiety was conducted i.e. The Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Behavioural Outcomes of Anxiety scale (BOA), the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Preliminary data indicated that while the clinical utility of all the screening tools with regards to case-finding was tolerable, the BOA and the GAI were viewed as the most satisfactory tools for screening PSA. Conclusions While there are several existing screening tools for anxiety, they do not show potential as suitable measures in stroke populations. Preliminary data suggests that although they are not without limitations, the GAI and the BOA serve as adequate measures of anxiety in stroke populations. Overall the literature review suggested an unmet need to develop an anxiety screening measure specifically for this population. Reference Rafsten L, Danielsson A, Sunnerhagen KS. Anxiety after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 2018;50:769–778. https://doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2384


Internationally, there is increasing interest in the value of incorporating core practices into second language (L2) teacher education programs. This article reports on a research project that investigated how a set core practices are integrated into the Methods courses and practicums in Chilean language teacher education programs for English as a foreign language (EFL). The study was framed by a two-stage, sequential data collection strategy based on a questionnaire ( n = 48) and semi-structured interviews ( n = 21) to university-based, Chilean English teacher educators. The questionnaire identified teaching practices in use, whilst the interviews sought to understand how teacher educators taught these identified teaching practices, as well as the rationale for these choices. Two practices – facilitating target language comprehensibility and building discourse communities – emerged as the most prominent practices. Primarily, these practices were taught through modelling, decomposing, planning and simulations. However, potentially more complex issues around translanguaging, inclusion strategies and cultural practices tended to be framed using more directive and teacher-centred pedagogies. The outcomes of the study highlight several critical issues for L2 teacher education: the relative balance between theoretical and practical domains often compounded by the lack of meaningful opportunities for authentic classroom practice; and the significant challenges faced by teacher educators by engaging in 'practice' in a crowded program structure.


Electrochemical and spectroscopic investigations were performed in order to clarify the mechanism of 4nitrobenzene diazonium reduction on glassy carbon in protic medium. The number and nature of the electron transfer processes were found to be strongly correlated to the electrode surface state. On polished electrode two different reduction peaks were observed. Selective electrolyses realized at the corresponding potential definitely proved that the grafting process actually occurs at a potential distinct from NO2 electroreduction, this latter inducing the presence of the quasi-reversible NO/NHOH redox couple at the electrode surface. These results were confirmed by XPS analyses. Furthermore, voltammetric experiments using FeðCNÞ 6 showed that the electrochemical properties of the modified electrode strongly depend on the potential applied for grafting, which modulates the nitro group oxidation state. All the results suggested that the electrode functionalization was more efficient when grafting and NO2 reduction were performed separately.


Introduction/Background Following publication of the LACC trial, laparoscopic radical hysterectomy for the treatment of cervical cancer is now debated. We aimed to measure outcomes in our own population.This review aims to compare overall survival and risk of recurrence among women who underwent open versus laparoscopic radical hysterectomy for early cervical cancer at the largest provider of gynaecological cancer care in the Republic of Ireland over 10 years. Methodology All cases of cervical cancer diagnosed from January 2005 until January 2016 were reviewed. Patient characteristics, disease stage, histology, node status, method of treatment including surgery, adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy were recorded. Intervals to death and/or recurrence were calculated. Inclusion criteria were: Stage 1A1, 1A2 or 1B1 adenocarcinoma, squamous cell or adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix without node involvement; radical hysterectomy (open or laparoscopic). Results Of 608 new cases of cervical cancer, 476 were excluded (not treated surgically [n=392]; treated with surgery other than RH [n=18]; histology other than SCC/AC/ASC [n=14]; stage beyond IB1 [n=26]; node positive histology [n=11]; death but no recurrence [n=4]; lost to follow-up [n=11]). For the laparoscopic (n=54) and open (n=78) RH groups respectively, baseline characteristics were similar: mean age at diagnosis was 38.2 vs 43.9 years, histology was SCC in 64.8% vs 66.7%, adenocarcinoma in 7.4% vs 5.1% and adenosquamous in 29.6% vs 28.2%. Death occurred in 13.0% (n=7/54) vs 6.4% (n=5/78) [p=0.19]; recurrence was diagnosed in 13.0% (7/54) vs 9.0% (n=7/78) [P=0.46]. Conclusion Our findings showed no statistical significance between open versus laparoscopic surgery in terms of recurrence rates and overall survival. However, numerically there were more deaths within the laparoscopic group. A further sub-analysis will be conducted on tumour volume, multimodal treatment with regards to risk of recurrence. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.


This paper deals with action learning for communication of a partner robot interacting with a human. Fuzzy inference rule sets are used as temporal behavior knowledge for the partner robot, while modular neural networks are used for learning action rules through interaction with the human. Consequently, the robot extracts action rules from behavior knowledge. Finally, we discuss the communication of the partner robot with the human through navigation experiments.


Recent development in the optical scintillation theory has been adapted to the ionospheric geometry in order to study the ionospheric scintillation phenomenon in the presence of multiple scattering. Under approximations well satisfied in typical ionospheres for a frequency above about 20 MHz, the first through fourth moment equations have been derived and some analytic solutions given. The fourth moment equation has also been solved numerically. The numerical results show clearly the occurrence of focussing and saturation phenomena. In this paper the new multiple-scatter effects are emphasized.


We propose and study a new action for three-dimensional massive gravity. This action takes a very simple form when written in terms of connection and triad variables, but the connection can also be integrated out to obtain a triad formulation. The quadratic action for the perturbations around a Minkowski background reproduces the action of self-dual massive gravity, in agreement with the expectation that the theory propagates a massive graviton. We confirm this result at the non-linear level with a Hamiltonian analysis, and show that this new theory does indeed possess a single massive degree of freedom. The action depends on four coupling constants, and we identify the various massive and topological (or massless) limits in the space of parameters. This richness, along with the simplicity of the action, opens a very interesting new window onto massive gravity.


The historical research on Italian Americans have so far mainly focused on the great migration and the following integration in the United States. Two recently published books adopt a new chronological approach. One takes in account the five centuries long relationship between Italians and America. The second focus on Italian immigration to the US in the second half of the Nineteenth century and on its impact on american arts and culture. These two new approaches mark the end of a longlasting separation between the historical traditions of the two countries. That separation was also the result of the difficult relationship between Italian and Italians Americans, marked by negative biases and resentment on each side. The character of the latest arrivals from Italy and the glamorous image that Italy has developed in the last decades, based on fashion, design and a worldwide appreciated cooking, have helped to build a new mutual interest and consideration on both the sides.


We present and empirically analyze a machine-learning approach for detecting intrusions on individual computers. Our Winnow-based algorithm continually monitors user and system behavior, recording such properties as the number of bytes transferred over the last 10 seconds, the programs that currently are running, and the load on the CPU. In all, hundreds of measurements are made and analyzed each second. Using this data, our algorithm creates a model that represents each particular computer's range of normal behavior. Parameters that determine when an alarm should be raised, due to abnormal activity, are set on a per-computer basis, based on an analysis of training data. A major issue in intrusion-detection systems is the need for very low false-alarm rates. Our empirical results suggest that it is possible to obtain high intrusion-detection rates (95%) and low false-alarm rates (less than one per day per computer), without "stealing" too many CPU cycles (less than 1%). We also report which system measurements are the most valuable in terms of detecting intrusions. A surprisingly large number of different measurements prove significantly useful.


Abstract Hand-foot-mouth Disease (HFMD) is an acute, self-limited, and highly contagious disease caused by a virus and generally affects children under 10 years old. The etiology of this disease is enterovirus 71 or coxsackievirus A16 which usually causes symptomatic infection or mild disease. Immunocompetent adults are rarely affected. However, recently the incidence of HFMD in immunocompetent adults has increased. We report a 41-year-old woman with severe oral lesions and painful papulovesicular eruption on the palms of her hands and feet.


The article aims to present a theoretical and practical experience in the teaching of organizational theories in bachelors training in Public Health. The answer to the question that introduction to the theories of the organizations Sanitarian need in their training in the context of a universal system of health and protection of social rights, requires an approach to critical thinking in the curriculum of the course, to steer the learning a policy management for social change and organizational changes in the health services. The syllabus of the course provides thematic discussions using concepts such as leadership; self-management, critical ethnography, vertical and horizontal organizational practices, managerial and societal management models, and historical and multidimensional perspective in the analysis of organizations. These reflections contribute in strengthening the democratization process of the management of public policies, the organization of public services and the reconstruction of the terms of the policy area, Health Planning and Management in the field of knowledge and practices of Public Health. Including, for consistency with the epistemological framework of the own field of Public Health.


Abstract There is currently much interest in ascribing outcomes to Masters (M) level programmes. It is particularly difficult to define M level outcomes in bioinformatics for students on non-specialist programmes. An approach is described that attempts to discriminate undergraduate from M level in a data-mining exercise. Differentiation of level is based upon the taxonomic origin of a DNA sequence, the relative increase in gene complexity from lower to higher eukaryote and the initiative required to use a wider range of databases and analytical tools.


Breathing is so natural that the "best way to breathe" has never been identified or promoted as such.  Having episodes of  life-threatening laryngospasm prompted research and study on breathing, resulting in the discovery that nasal inhaling is "best" by shutting one's mouth and concentrating on getting more oxygenation.  "SAM More Oxygen" describes the "best way to breathe:   SHUT your mouth.  AIR in thru nose.  MOUTH exhale or stay shut or cough harshly to clear throat and lungs" (but when doing a series of SAMs, cough harshly every third and fourth time to help clean your lungs and larynx)."  The discovery occurred while in laryngospasm.  Intensely aware of the miserable duration of previous barely effective horrible mouth clearing trying-to-breathe efforts, a conscious decision of "I am not going to go thru this again because it is torture", the mouth was shut against all natural impulses to use mouth breathing to clear my choking laryngospasm; and, amazingly, air inhalation thru the nose occurred enabling a strong cough which opened the airway; repeating the sequence many times enabled calmer more efficient return to normal breathing. The process was quickly called "SAM" and it worked every time ever since. It went into medical publication and many grateful letters were received from people who found it giving relief never before as fast or effective. Since then, research and study of breathing clearly shows the SAM More Oxygen will help many medical problems and maintain good health.   But you need to practice it over and over to remember to do it.  Regular breathing automatically returns but it is not "best breathing." When relaxing watching T.V. or on your computer, best breathe by gentle SAMs.  Do a few when you wake up every morning--get a little more oxygen to help wake up and energize for the day.  Remind each other too to SAMMO.


New exosome-laden scaffolds shed light on the immune cell activities that benefit tissue repair. Designing scaffolds capable of inducing and guiding appropriate immune responses holds promise for tissue repair/regeneration. Biofunctional scaffolds were here prepared by immobilizing mesenchymal stromal exosomes onto fibrous polyester materials and allowed cell-mediated delivery of membrane-bound vesicles. Quantitative cell-level analyses revealed that immune cells dominated the uptake of exosomes from scaffolds in vivo, with materials and exosomes acting as the recruiter and trainer for immune cells, respectively, to synergistically promote beneficial macrophage and regulatory T cell responses in skin wounds in mice. Adaptive T helper cell responses were found active in remote immune organs, and exosome-laden scaffolds facilitated tissue repair in large skin injury models. This study demonstrated important mechanisms involved in local and systemic immune responses to biological implants, and understanding tissue-reparative immunomodulation may guide the design of new biofunctional scaffolds.


In Chinese ancient history,the imperial civil examination system changed greatly and became comprehensive between the Tang and Song dynasties.This transition has profoundly political,economic,and cultural background,and a significant influence on the society.But it was a quantitative change rather than a qualitative change during the Tang and Song dynasties.It is better to say that the qualitative change happened between the Southern and Northern dynasties and the Sui and Tang dynasties.


Narrow regions of intense, banded snowfall present hazardous travel conditions due to rapid onset, high precipitation rates, and lowered visibility. Despite their importance, there are few verification studies of snowbands in operational forecast models. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model to predict snowbands in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. An automated band-detection algorithm was applied to a 3-yr period of simulated and observed radar reflectivity to compare snowband climatologies. This algorithm uses the distributions of reflectivities in contiguous precipitation regions to determine a band intensity threshold. The predictability of snowbands on a case-by-case basis was also evaluated using an object-oriented approach. The distribution of HRRR forecast banding resembles that of the observations, but with a significant positive frequency bias. This may partially be due to underrepresentation of observed bands in our verification dataset due to limited radar coverage in portions of the central United States. On a case-by-case basis, traditional skill metrics indicate limited predictability, but allowing for small timing discrepancies dramatically improves scores. Object-oriented verification yields mixed results, with 30% of forecasts receiving a score indicative of a well-predicted event. However, 69% of cases have at least one forecast lead demonstrating skill, suggesting the HRRR is successful in depicting environments conducive to band formation. These results suggest adopting a probabilistic, ensemble approach, and indicate that the deterministic HRRR is best suited for the identification of regions of elevated snowband risk and not precise timing or location information.


Practical use of the new high transition temperature (T d superconductors demands that they be capable of carrying a large transport current. At the critical value (Ie) of current, the sample is full of flux; additional current creates additional flux and forces the flux line lattice, which was trapped in the material microstructure, to move continuously, which causes dissipation. The value of the magnetic field strength at the sample surface when full field penetration occurs is called H*. This paper describes noncontacting AC measurements of H* in ribbons of Pb-BiSrCaCuO coated with silver layers. The results can be described in terms of the single parameter H*, which is a function of both the ribbon thickness and sample temperature. The way in which these results can be used to develop a practical method of determining H* and Ic with spatial resolution is described.


This study provides qualitative and quantitative evidence of how an emotion explanation task can reflect African American preschoolers' pragmatic skills. We used an emotion explanation task to assess pragmatic skills among 19 children (aged 3–5 years) related to (1) engaging in conversational turn-taking, (2) answering Wh- questions, (3) engaging in communicative perspective-taking, (4) producing coherent discourse for exposition, and (5) demonstrating an understanding that emotions can be attributed to interpersonal interactions and situational events. The majority of children were capable of demonstrating their pragmatic skills during this task. Children's responses to the task were independent of their performance on standardized receptive vocabulary or expressive language assessments but not their performance on assessments of prosocial skills. There was a strong, positive significant association between children's ability to explain a puppet's happiness and their prosocial skills, even after controlling for age. Practical and clinical implications of this work are discussed.


Background The gastrointestinal tract is involved in nearly all patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and is a source of significant morbidity and even mortality. Objectives To assess whether there is correlation between upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy findings and mortality in SSc patients. Methods The records of 256 SSc patients seen in our rheumathologic clinic between 2003-2013 were reviewed. 140 patients who had at least one detailed upper endoscopy report and at least 6 months follow-up were included in the study. Patient data included demographics, type of SSc, disease duration, modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS), lung, cardiac, renal or musculoskeletal involvement, hemoglobin at endoscopy and type of antibodies. Endoscopic findings that were included in the analysis were esophagitis, ulcerations, tumors, gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), gastric erosions, submucosal hemorrhages and lumenal blood. The statistical methods used included descriptive statistics, T test, bivariable analysis, cox regression analysis Results Forty seven patients (16 diffuse SSc) had evidence of GAVE or antral erosions and hemorrhage. The mortality rate in this group, during the follow up was 37% vs. 25% in the group of 93 (39 diffuse) SSc patients without GAVE or UGI bleeding (p=0.001). There were no statistical differences between the groups regarding mean ages (55) or Hb (10.87 in the group with the UGI bleeding vs 11.77). The mean mRSS score was higher in the group with UGI bleeding 8 vs.5.6 (p=0.019). Mean (median) disease duration was 6.9 (4.5) years in the group with UGI bleeding vs 10.4 (10) (p<0.001). Esophagitis was found in 90% of patients, despite use of PPI. Co-morbidity of myositis had a negative impact on survival. The mortality hazard ratio (95% CI) for UGI bleeding, myositis and interstitial lung disease were 5.9 (2.7-13.2), 4.9 (2-12.4) and 2.7 (1.3-5.8) respectively. Conclusions A diagnosis of GAVE or UGI bleeding on upper endoscopy was associated with significantly higher mortality. In our cohort of SSc patients, myositis was associated also with increased mortality. The long-term survival of patients with GAVE/UGI bleeding was similar to the patients with myositis that were free of such GI complications. The patients with both myositis and GI bleeding had a very poor prognosis. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.3613


We report on the simulation of the current distribution in Nb3Sn strand subjected to pure bending strain, obtained by resolving the implicit diffusion equations with finite difference algorithm in Mathworks environment. The critical current dependence on bending, temperature, and magnetic field is modeled by the Improved Deviatoric Scaling Law and is used in the power law electric field dependence across the superconductor. The strand is discretized in elements representing groups of twisted filaments embedded in the stabilization matrix and a distributed constant circuit model is applied for current transfer among filament bundles. The code is preliminarily validated by comparison with analytical solutions for different simplified situations, each one corresponding to a proper boundary condition. Transverse matrix resistivity and twist-pitch values are crucial elements for matching numerical results with experimentally measured critical currents.


Abstract Topological Data Analysis (TDA) network models can represent continuous variation in the shape of disease pathology. We generated a TDA network model of asthma using 498 gene expression profiles of peripheral blood from asthma and healthy participants. The TDA network model was characterised by a core region with increased prevalence of healthy participants and connected routes to increased prevalence of severe asthma associated with increases in circulating inflammatory cells and modulated expression of inflammatory genes. However, stratified medicine requires discretisation of disease populations for targeted treatments. Therefore, a discrete Morse theory algorithm was developed and applied, identifying nine clusters, BC1-9, representing molecular phenotypes with discrete profiles of immune cell populations and activation of Type-1, 2 & 17 cytokine inflammatory pathways. The TDA network model was also characterised by differential activity of glucocorticoid receptor signalling associated with different expression profiles of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), according to microarray probesets targeted to the start or end of the GR mRNA's 3' UTR; suggesting differential GR mRNA processing as a possible driver of asthma phenotypes including steroid insensitivity.


Abstract While distance to markets is a key determinant of market participation for households that are dependent on natural resources, the distance to the resource stock is also essential. Thus, a household's location with respect to markets and the resource stock determines household market participation and associated resource degradation. Applying a discrete‐choice framework for fuelwood collection in a developing country, we characterize the spatial pattern of market participation regimes and forest use. All else being equal, autarkic households are closest to the forest and furthest from the market, buyer households are closest to the market and furthest from the forest, and seller households are at intermediate distances. Empirical tests based on survey data from northern Uganda support the predictions from our theoretical model. Our findings have important implications for understanding the spatial patterns of forest degradation and determining the control group when designing impact evaluations of the effectiveness of development and conservation interventions. JEL codes: O13, Q23, Q50.


The azole antifungal voriconazole and the echinocandin caspofungin have recently become available for the treatment of invasive mycoses. Fluconazole remains the drug of choice for candidemia, except for infections with one of the resistent species such as Candida krusei and some strains of Candida glabrata. In these cases, as well as in patients who cannot tolerate azoles in connection with side effects or drug interactions, caspofungin is an attractive alternative. Voriconazole has become the drug of choice for severe invasive aspergillosis. Itraconazole is a good alternative for milder and chronic forms of aspergillosis. The use of conventional amphotericin B will be limited by the availability of the new drugs. In view of their high costs, the lipid-bound forms of amphotericin B will usually be given only as salvage therapy in case of failure, in patients who are unable to tolerate either conventional amphotericin or one of the newer agents, and for the treatment of zygomycosis.


Many parts of the public sector coexist with private provision of similar services and in such circumstances we may expect to find interaction between public and private choices. Quality of publicly provided services will be a central influence on decisions whether to make use of private substitutes and use of private substitutes will feed back into attitudes towards the level of public spending. In this paper we present evidence using the British Social Attitudes Survey to show that individual take up of private medical insurance inhibits support for spending on the public health sector. Such effects have been shown to be appreciable and allowance for the joint determination of insurance decisions and attitudes magnifies the size of the estimated effects.


Abstract : Lymphatic metastasis is a major prognostic factor for breast cancer patients. Despite its importance, the mechanisms underlying lymphatic metastasis are poorly understood and the question of how cancer cells access the lymphatics i.e. whether they primarily induce lymphangiogenesis (sprouting of new lymphatic vessels) or invade preexisting lymphatics is debated in the literature. We challenge the notion of tumor lymphangiogenesis as the major mechanism for tumor entry into the lymphatics and suggest that the biophysical and biochemical factors induced or produced by the tumor, including VEGF-C, act to promote tumor cell migration towards lymphatics, not vice-versa. In real mammary carcinomas (as opposed to subcutaneously xenografted), blood vessels are leaky, interstitial fluid pressure is high, and fluid exudes from the tissue into the surrounding stroma and eventually into the lymphatics. This biophysical environment promotes the transport of any tumor-secreted factors, including VEGF-C, from the tumor towards the lymphatics. In light of these factors, we hypothesized that tumor-secreted factors can be delivered to the lymphatics by natural biophysical forces, where it stimulates the production of tumor cytokines by the activated lymphatics, in turn promoting tumor cell invasion into surrounding lymphatics. In this one-year project, we proposed to first develop a novel tissue engineered tumor extracellular matrix (ECM)-lymphatic environment and then use it to answer questions relating to this novel hypothesis.


Evidence has been mounting (over the centuries) that the interest based debt financing regime is under ever increasing distress. All of the earlier crises whatever label they carried exchange rate crisis or banking crisis – have been debt crises in essence. At the present, empirical research suggests that the debt-to-GDP ratio of the richest members of the G-20 threatens to touch 120% mark by 2014. Moreover there is also evidence that out of securities worth $200 trillion in the global economy, no less than three-fourth represent interest based debt. It is difficult to see how this massive debt volume can be validated by the underlying productive capacity of the global economy. This picture becomes more alarming when it is realized that the growth of the global economy is anemic at best while the interest rate on debt is sure to exceed the rate of growth of global GDP for the foreseeable future. This paper argues that the survival of the interest based debt regime is becoming less tenable, as is the process of financialization that has accompanied the growth of global finance over the last four decades. It further argues that Islamic finance, with its core characteristic of risk sharing, may well be a viable alternative to the present interest based debt financing regime.


Objective: HIV-1 infection is associated with an increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Advanced glycation end products are formed as stable markers of glycaemic and oxidative stress. Skin autofluorescence (SAF) as marker of accumulated advanced glycation end products is increased and predictive of CVD events in diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and preexisting CVD. We determined SAF levels in HIV-1 infected patients, testing the hypothesis that SAF predicts CVD events in HIV infection. Design: Single-centre prospective cohort study. Methods: In 2010–2011, SAF was measured in 91 patients. Development of CVD events was monitored during a median follow-up of 4.8 years. SAF values of the patients were expressed as a ratio (rSAF) to expected SAF levels in age-matched healthy volunteers. Results: Seventy-nine men and 12 women were included, mean age 47 years; 81 patients were on combination antiretroviral therapy. With a mean rSAF of 1.155, SAF levels in patients were 15.5% higher than predicted for their age (95% confidence interval, 10.0–20.0; P < 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, rSAF was associated with nadir CD4+ cell count less than 200 cells/&mgr;l (&bgr; −0.274; P = 0.01), smoking (&bgr; 0.240; P = 0.03), and men who have sex with men (MSM) (&bgr; 0.202; P = 0.07). CVD events occurred in six patients (7%). In Cox regression analysis including age, SAF, smoking, diabetes, hypertension and CKD, SAF (P = 0.01), and (Wet Medisch-wetenschappelijk Onderzoek met mensen; WMO) CKD (P = 0.03) remained as independent predictors of CVD events. Conclusion: SAF is increased in HIV-infected patients, and related with smoking, low nadir CD4+ cell count, and MSM. Larger studies are needed to confirm whether SAF is an independent predictor of CVD events.