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doses a pulmonary vasodilatation during HPV in the pig. This pulmonary vasodilatory effect was also evident when ET-3 or S6c was infused. The pulmonary vasodilatory effect of ET-1 infusion was abolished following administration of the selective ETB receptor antagonist BQ-788, indicating that the pulmonary vasodilatory effect of ET in HPV in the pig is mediated by ETB receptors. Higher doses of ET-1 infusion during HPV resulted in systemic and pulmonary vasoconstriction. 5. Both combined ETA and ETB blockade using bosentan and selective ETA receptor inhibition using BMS-182874 or TBC-11251 reduced the development of HPV in the pig. In addition, bolus injection of TBC-11251 reversed already established HPV. Selective ETB receptor antagonism had no effect on HPV. These findings suggest that ETA receptor activation contributes to HPV in the pig. 6. The concentration-dependent contraction evoked by ET-1 in human vessels in vitro (LAD, IMA, PA, SV) was reduced after incubation with BQ-123 and bosentan. Inhibition of NO- and prostaglandin-synthesis enhanced the contractions in the LAD and IMA, but not in the PA and SV. These findings are in concord with a predominance of ETA receptors in the investigated vessels. Nitric oxide and prostacyclin seem to be important determinants of the functional response to ET in human LAD and IMA, but of less importance in the PA and SV. 7. In the human vessels investigated, the tissue content of ET-1 was higher than that of ET-3 and resembled the distribution of the perivascular C-fiber peptide CGRP. Tissue content of ET-1 was considerably lower than that of sympathetically stored

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NPY. In human plasma, the arterial and venous concentration of ET-1 was higher in patients with chronic hypoxemia and borderline hypertension than in the venous samples drawn from healthy subjects. The arterial and venous levels of ET-1 did not differ significantly either at rest or during ET-1 infusion, indicating that the pulmonary circulation does not extract ET-1 in these patients. 8. The study in patients with borderline pulmonary hypertension and chronic hypoxaemia showed no pulmonary vasodilatory effects of intrapulmonary ET-1 infusion but rather systemic vasoconstriction and decreased CO. The AVO2 difference increased markedly during ET-1 infusion. 9. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

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Influence of HLA-DRB1 genes and the shared epitope on genetic susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis in Taiwanese. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of predisposing and protective HLA-DRB1 alleles with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its clinical markers in a Taiwanese population. METHODS A total of 273 patients with RA and 480 healthy controls, all of Taiwanese origin, were genotyped for HLA-DRB1 alleles by polymerase chain reaction and sequence-based typing assays. The associations between RA and HLA-DRB1 alleles and genotypes were investigated by chi-squared test. RESULTS The DRB1*0405 and *1001 phenotypes showed the most significant associations with RA (OR 4.04, 95% CI 2.84-5.77, pc = 3.2 10(-14); OR 5.25, 95% CI 2.10-13.06, pc = 3.0 10(-3), respectively). Individuals carrying single or double doses of the shared epitope (SE/non-SE or SE/SE) had higher risks of RA. The compound heterozygote of DRB1*0405/*1001 showed the largest increase in RA risk (OR 15.8, 95% CI 2.48-100.7, pc = 0.004). Single or double doses of SE alleles were significantly associated with a higher bone erosion rate. Rheumatoid factor positivity and bone erosion were more frequent in patients with at least one copy of DRB1*0405. CONCLUSION Our results show that SE-encoding HLA-DRB1*0405 and *1001 are associated with RA in a Taiwanese population; this is the first time DRB1*1001 has been described in persons of Asian ethnicity. Heterozygotes of DRB1*0405 and *1001 predicted the strongest susceptibility to RA, suggesting that this genotype enhances susceptibility to RA in Taiwanese.

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Conformance of Social Media as Barometer of Public Engagement There have been continuously a number of expectations: Social media may play a role of indicator that shows the degree of engagement and preference of choices of users toward music or movies. However, finding appropriate software tools in the market to verify this sort of expectation is too costly and complicated in their natures, and this causes a number of difficulties to attempt technical experimentation. A convenient and easy tool to facilitate such experimentation was developed in this study and was used successfully for performing various measurements with regard to user engagement in music and movies.

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Monitoring Land Cover Changes in the Tropics using Satellite Remote Sensing Data Changes in land cover are inevitable phenomena that occur in all parts of the world. Land cover changes can occur due to natural phenomena that include runoff, soil erosion and sedimentation besides man-made phenomena that include deforestation, urbanization and conversion of land covers to suit human needs. Several works on change detection have been carried out elsewhere, however there were lack of effort in analyzing the issues that affect the performance of existing change detection techniques. The study presented in this paper aims to detect changes of land covers by using remote sensing satellite data. The study involves detection of land cover changes using remote sensing techniques. This makes use satellite data taken at different times over a particular area of interest. The data has resolution of 30 m and records surface reflectance at approximately 0.4 to 0.7 micrometers wavelengths. The study area is located in Selangor, Malaysia and occupied with tropical land covers including coastal swamp water, sediment plumes, urban, industry, water, bare land, cleared land, oil palm, rubber and coconut. Initially, region of interests (ROI) were drawn on each of the land covers in order to extract the training pixels. Landsat satellite bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 were then used as the input for the three supervised classification methods namely Support Vector Machine (SVM), Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Neural Network (NN). Different sizes of training pixels were used as the input for the classification methods so that the performance

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can be better understood. The accuracy of the classifications was then assessed by analyzing the classifications with a set of reference pixels using a confusion matrix. The classification methods were then used to identify the conversion of land cover from year 2000 to 2005 within the study area. The outcomes of the land cover change detection were reported in terms quantitative and qualitative analyses. The study shows that SVM gives a more accurate and realistic land cover change detection compared to ML and NN mainly due to not being much influenced by the size of the training pixels. The findings of the study serve as important input for decision makers in managing natural resources and environment in the tropics systematically and efficiently.

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Are Consumers Aware of Sustainability Aspects Related to Edible Insects? Results from a Study Involving 14 Countries In recent years, edible insects have been suggested as an alternative food that is more sustainable compared with other sources of animal protein. However, knowledge about the sustainability aspects associated with this source of food may play a role in convincing consumers to adopt insects as part of their diet. In this context, the present study investigated the level of knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects in a group of people originating from 14 countries, with some naturally entomophagous and others not. To measure the knowledge, 11 items were selected and the scores obtained were tested with statistical tools (t-test for independent samples, analysis of variance—ANOVA) to search for differences according to sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, geographical origin, and consumption habits of edible insects. The obtained results showed that, in general, knowledge is moderate, with the values of the average scores for the 11 items investigated ranging from 0.23 ± 0.99 to 0.66 ± 1.02, on a scale ranging from –2 (=very low knowledge) to 2 (=very high knowledge). The highest scores were found for items relating to the lower use of animal feed and lower emission of greenhouse gases required for the production of insects compared with beef. When investigating the differences between groups of participants, significant differences were generally found, revealing a trend for higher knowledge among males and young adults, for participants residing in urban areas and in countries such as Spain, Mexico, and Poland,

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and for participants with higher education levels and higher incomes. When testing the influence of consumption variables on the level of knowledge, the results showed a higher knowledge for participants who had already consumed insects or are willing to consume them. Finally, it was observed that higher knowledge was found for participants whose motivation to consume insects related to curiosity, a wish to preserve the planet, the gastronomic characteristics of insects, and their nutritional value. In conclusion, these results clearly indicate a very marked influence of a number of variables on the knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects, and this may be helpful to delineate strategies to effectively raise knowledge and eventually increase the willingness to consider insects as a more sustainable alternative to partially replace other protein foods, even in countries where this is a not a traditional practice.

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A Gaussian process based prognostics framework for composite structures Prognostic algorithms indicate the remaining useful life based on fault detection and diagnosis through condition monitoring framework. Due to the wide-spread applications of advanced composite materials in industry, the importance of prognosis on composite materials is being acknowledged by the research community. Prognosis has the potential to significantly enhance structural monitoring and maintenance planning. In this paper, a Gaussian process based prognostics framework is presented. Both off-line and on-line methods combined state estimation and life prediction of composite beam subject to fatigue loading. The framework consists of three main steps: 1) data acquisition, 2) feature extraction, 3) damage state prediction and remaining useful life estimation. Active piezoelectric and acoustic emission (AE) sensing techniques are applied to monitor the damage states. Wavelet transform is used to extract the piezoelectric sensing features. The number of counts from AE system was used as a feature. Piezoelectric or AE sensing features are used to build the input and output space of the Gaussian process. The future damage states and remaining useful life are predicted by Gaussian process based off-line and on-line algorithms. Accuracy of the Gaussian process based prognosis method is improved by including more training sets. Piezoelectric and AE features are also used for the state prediction. In the test cases presented, the piezoelectric features lead to better prognosis results. On-line prognosis is completed sequentially by combining experimental and predicted features. On-line damage state prediction and remaining useful life estimation shows good correlation with experimental data at later stages of

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fatigue life.

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The Research on Brittleness Simulation of Electric Grid Systems Based on Chart Theory Brittleness source identification is the work of finding every brittle source. The key of analysis of the brittleness of system is to build the brittle model. The chart theory can describe the direction and weigh of the brittle spread model. In this paper, bring forward the method and step of building the brittle model based on the chart theory, build a model of 7 nodes electric power system and analyze it and then obtain the hierarchy electric power system brittle model and the brittle source, and at last verify this method is valid to network system.

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Effect of a LAT1-inhibitor on T cell-mediated allergic inflammation Activated T cells are crucial for the development of allergic diseases. We have recently clarified that L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) plays a functional role in activated T cells. Here, we comparatively investigated the effect of a LAT1 inhibitor, JPH203, on allergic inflammation induced in multiple organs, such as the skin, lungs, and nose of antigen-specific Th2 cell-transferred mice. The local antigen provocation to those mice evoked tissue-specific eosinophilic inflammation, especially accompanied by bronchial and nasal hyperresponsiveness (BHR and NHR) in the lungs and nose, respectively. Antigen-induced ear thickness, BHR, and NHR were significantly suppressed by the administration of JPH203, though the attenuation of eosinophil accumulation was only seen in the skin and nose. The infiltration of antigen-specific T cells determined in the lungs and nasal-associated lymphoid tissue was not affected by the JPH203 treatment. Activation-induced amino acid incorporation, oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, cyclinrelated protein expression, and resulting cytokine synthesis in Th2 cells were suppressed by JPH203. JPH203 is potentially effective for treating allergic diseases through attenuating the function of activated T cells. However, the mechanisms may not involve the suppression of eosinophil or T cell infiltration in some target organs. Oral Sessions

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Direct effect of alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide on human vasculature in vivo and in vitro. 1. The effect of a alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide (1-28) (ANP) on human vasculature was investigated in vivo and in vitro. Possible involvement of vascular dopamine receptors and the renin-angiotensin system in the response to ANP was also studied in vivo. 2. Forearm blood blow was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. Isolated human blood vessels were studied using conventional organ bath techniques. 3. ANP (0.1-1 microgram/min, intra-arterially) produced a dose-dependent increase in forearm blood flow, corresponding to a 163% increase in net forearm blood flow in the study arm. This action of ANP was not antagonized by (R)-sulpiride (100 micrograms/min, intra-arterially), a selective vascular dopamine receptor antagonist, or 50 mg of oral captopril, an inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme. 4. ANP (1 nmol/l-1 mumol/l) produced concentration-dependent relaxation of isolated human arteries, including brachial artery, but was without effect on isolated human saphenous vein. 5. ANP produces vasodilatation in vivo and relaxes isolated human arterial smooth muscle. This action of ANP may contribute to its reported hypotensive effects in vivo.

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Interpreting the Regulatory Perspective on Adaptive Designs ABSTRACT The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) released a draft guidance (DG) on adaptive clinical trials (ACT) for drugs and biologics in February, 2010. In May, 2016, FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Heath (CDRH) and CBER issued the final guidance (FG) on adaptive medical device trials. The purpose of the FG is to provide clarity on how to plan and implement adaptive designs (AD) for clinical studies used in medical device development and to further encourage companies to use AD. While both the device FG and drug and biologics DG provided positive review of ACT, the FG position was stronger, stating that the FDA centers “further encourage companies to consider the use of AD in their clinical trials.” Both guidances emphasize the importance of preplanning to avoid Type I error inflation, strict following of the plan to minimize operational bias, and frequent and early interactions with the FDA to ensure the success of the planned ACT. Both guidances emphasize the utilities of clinical trial simulations in design of ACT and in analysis of adaptive trial data. In this article, we present our understanding the guidances.

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Inhibitory Effects of Crude Salts on the Induction and Development of Colonic Aberrant Crypt Foci in F-344 Rats Given Azoxymethane The present study was designed to investigate the modifying effects of dietary exposure to NaCl and four kinds of crude salts on the induction and development of aberrant crypt foci in Fischer 344 rats. A total of 57 male rats were divided into five groups at six weeks of age, and all were given weekly injections of azoxymethane (15 mg/kg body wt sc) for three weeks. Group 1 was fed a normal diet throughout the experiment as control group. Groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 were fed diets containing 4.4% pure NaCl, 4.4% cooking salt, 4.4% rock salt, and 4.4% beach salt, respectively, from one week before the first azoxymethane dosing. The mean numbers of aberrant crypt foci and aberrant crypts per colon were significantly lower in Groups 3-5 than in Group 1 (p < 0.01). The present results suggest that the other mineral components (e.g., calcium and magnesium) of these crude salts, rather than pure NaCl, may be chemopreventive agents for colonic tumorigenesis.

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Oncogenic association of the Cbp/PAG adaptor protein with the Lyn tyrosine kinase in human B-NHL rafts. B-non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs) use a raft-associated signalosome made of the constitutively active Lyn kinase, the tyrosine phosphorylated Cbp/PAG adaptor, and tyrosine phosphorylated STAT3 transcription factor. No such "signalosome" is found in rafts of ALK(+) T lymphoma and Hodgkin-derived cell lines, despite similar Cbp/PAG, Lyn, and STAT3 expression and similar amounts of raft sphingolipids. Stable association of the signalosome with B-NHL rafts requires (1) a Lyn kinase (auto)phosphorylated in its regulatory and active site tyrosines, (2) a Cbp/PAG adaptor phosphorylated at tyrosine 317 and bound to Lyn SH2 via phosphotyrosine 299 and neighboring residues, and (3) a tyrosine phosphorylated STAT3 linked via SH2 to the regulatory, C-terminal tyrosine of Lyn. No Csk appears to be part of this B-NHL signalosome. An oncogenic role for Lyn was shown after exposure of B-NHL lines to Lyn inhibitors that prevented Lyn and Cbp/PAG phosphorylation, dissociated the signalosome from rafts, and eventually induced death. Cell death followed decreases in Lyn or Cbp/PAG expression levels in one mantle cell lymphoma line, but not in a Hodgkin-derived one. The Lyn-Cbp/PAG signalosome appears to control proliferation and survival in most B-NHLs and constitutes a therapeutic target in B-NHL cells that exhibit oncogenic "addiction" to the Lyn kinase.

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Compact Microstrip Bandpass Filter using Stepped-Impedance Resonators and Stepped-Lumped Resonators for 5G Wi-Fi and WLAN Applications This article presents a novel and compact microstrip bandpass with enhanced upper stopband characteristics to fulfil the requirements of the WLAN/5G Wi-Fi. The proposed bandpass filter (BPF) uses the stepped-impedance resonators and the stub-loaded resonators to achieve the desired BPF response for 5G Wi-Fi and WLAN applications. The rectangular slots on both sides of the microstrip are used to improve the stopband performance and eliminates the spurious response. The designed BPF covers the frequency band of sub-band 6 GHz that is useful for released FCC’s band for WLAN/ 5G Wi-Fi and the free use of the microwave spectrum in the range of 5150-5250 MHz band, 5250-5350 MHz, 5470-5725 MHz, and 5725-5875 MHz permitted by the Indian government. The proposed BPF is designed on an RT/Duroid 5880 Substrate with the thickness of 0.508 mm and surface area of 31×27 mm2.

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The Distributed Pipeline Due to the crossbar organization of typical multiprocessors, their cost grows as the square of the number of processors. The distributed pipeline (DP) is a concept which allows the construction and operation of very large multiprocessors; an example having 300 CPU's is described. The DP is an extension of the more traditional pipeline which has been used to implement highly concurrent computers. The DP allows increased concurrency, throughput determined by the average processing time, and the ability to operate at reduced size when one of the elements fails. Each element in a DP can implement a range of functions with little concern for speed matching between elements. The DP is therefore somewhat more general in application than the traditional pipeline, and has certain characteristics which are highly desirable in multiprocessors, e. g., potential for fault tolerance and simple throughput prediction.

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Common variants in the LAMA5 gene associate with fasting plasma glucose and serum triglyceride levels in a cohort of pre- and early pubertal children. Laminins are glycoproteins found in basement membranes where they play a vital role in tissue architecture and cell behavior. Previously, we reported the association of two polymorphisms (rs659822 and rs944895) in the laminin alpha5 (LAMA5) gene with anthropometric traits, fasting lipid profile, and glucose levels in pre-menopausal women and elderly subjects. Furthermore, studies in mice showed that Lama5 is involved in organogenesis and placental function during pregnancy. The objective of this study was to investigate whether rs659822 and/or rs944895 are associated with inter-individual variability in birth weight as well as anthropometric traits and metabolic phenotypes in children. Two hundred and eighty nine healthy children aged 7-12 yr of European, Hispanic, and African-American ancestry were studied. Co-dominant models adjusted for genetic admixture, age, gender, and stages of puberty were used to test for the association of the polymorphisms with each trait. Our analysis showed significant associations of rs659822 with fasting plasma glucose levels (P = 0.0004) and of rs944895 with fasting serum triglycerides (P = 0.004) after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. Our results corroborate our previous findings that genetic variants in LAMA5 contribute to variation in metabolic phenotypes and provide evidence that this may occur early in life.

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Pathogen-specific induction of CD154 is impaired in CD4+ T cells from human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. The pathogenesis of immunodeficiency associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains incompletely understood. CD154, a molecule that is expressed primarily on activated CD4(+) T cells, is pivotal for regulation of cell-mediated and humoral immunity and is crucial for control of many opportunistic infections. We investigated whether CD4(+) T cells from HIV-infected patients exhibit defective induction of CD154 in response to opportunistic pathogens. Incubation of purified human CD4(+) T cells with monocytes plus antigenic preparations of either Candida albicans, cytomegalovirus, or Toxoplasma gondii resulted in induction of CD154. Expression of CD154 in response to these pathogens was impaired in CD4(+) T cells from HIV-infected patients. This defect correlated with decreased production of interleukin (IL)-12 and interferon (IFN)-gamma in response to T. gondii. Recombinant CD154 partially restored secretion of IL-12 and IFN-gamma in response to T. gondii in cells from HIV-infected patients. Together, defective induction of CD154 is likely to contribute to impaired cell-mediated immunity against opportunistic pathogens in HIV-infected patients.

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Plea for an anatomical approach to abnormalities of the posterior fossa in prenatal diagnosis As illustrated in this issue of the Journal1,2, recent advances in prenatal imaging, both twoand threedimensional ultrasound, have allowed a more accurate anatomical approach to fetal cerebral structures, especially the fetal posterior fossa. For instance, such anatomical landmarks as the position of the tentorium or the torcular and the presence of a normal brain stem can be visualized, and analysis of the vermis (including biometric parameters and anatomical analysis of the fissures) can be performed, using either magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)3,4 or ultrasound, especially in the sagittal plane5,6. Such advances in prenatal imaging have resulted in an increasing number of prenatal diagnoses of abnormalities of the posterior fossa. Since the preand postnatal literature is extremely confusing7–10, the main issue surrounding these diagnoses is prenatal counseling with respect to the postnatal prognosis. The confusion is due mainly to inadequate classification, with gross division of malformations of the posterior fossa into Dandy–Walker malformation, Dandy–Walker variant and megacisterna magna. Dandy–Walker malformation represents a welldefined anatomical entity, characterized by ascent of the cerebellar tentorium and the torcular, resulting in a large posterior fossa11. According to a review of the literature, Dandy–Walker variant remains a heterogeneous disorder, including vermian agenesis without enlargement of the posterior fossa, but also hypoplasia, two quite different lesions with respect to embryology, imaging, etiology and prognosis. Indeed, in this heterogeneous group are found entities such as syndromic malformations (e.g. Joubert, Walker–Warburg, OPHN-1 mutation), aneuploidies (e.g. trisomies 13 and 18), clastic lesions of

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infectious or vascular origin, polymalformative complex, and ‘isolated’ malformation (with a normal biological work-up and no associated malformations), all of which are genetic entities with a potential risk of recurrence3,12,13. Efforts to give a prognosis according to the literature in such a heterogeneous group is an impossible challenge. Therefore, based on anatomical analysis and terminology adequate for differentiating agenesis, hypoplasia and atrophy, a new classification of such abnormalities of the posterior fossa may be proposed. ‘Agenesis’ is defined, strictly speaking, as either complete or partial absence of an anatomical structure. In complete vermian agenesis, the vermis is absent, whereas in partial vermian agenesis, part of the vermis is absent and the remaining part is anatomically of normal volume. Due to the craniocaudal development of the vermis, partial agenesis involves its inferior (caudal) part. Such complete or partial agenesis can be suspected sonographically as early as 18 gestational weeks, especially in the presence of a proband14. Agenesis may be either isolated or part of a syndrome. It is observed regularly in Joubert and Walker–Warburg syndromes, and in cerebro-oculomuscular syndrome. In fact, vermian agenesis is found to be associated occasionally with many syndromes (e.g. CHARGE)15,16. If vermian agenesis is isolated, it is most frequently sporadic. However, in the presence of a proband, because genetic determinism cannot be excluded totally, any further pregnancy must involve a reference ultrasound examination at 20–22 weeks of gestation. ‘Hypoplasia’ is used to define a small but complete anatomical structure with a congenital volume diminution. The sonographic diagnosis of cerebellar hypoplasia is based on

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significant diminution of the transverse cerebellar diameter (TCD). One should note that this group of cerebellar and pontocerebellar hypoplasias is heterogeneous and does not correspond to a uniform pathophysiological mechanism13,17. Indeed, some autosomal recessive genetic hypoplasias are thought to be due to abnormal development of the definitive cerebellar cortex, arising during differentiation of the internal granular layer and leading to late onset hypoplasia, after the sixth month of pregnancy, which represents a time of intense neuroblast proliferation13. In the presence of a proband of primitive hypoplasia, it is impossible to rule out a recurrence on the basis of normal biometry at 20–22 gestational weeks, and such a situation should prompt measurement of the TCD during the third trimester of the pregnancy. On the other hand, in some forms of cerebellar hypoplasia, particularly those associated with cytomegalovirus fetopathy or a karyotypic abnormality, the diagnosis may be made as early as 20–22 gestational weeks3. ‘Atrophy’ of the cerebellum is also defined as decreased cerebellar volume, although, as opposed to hypoplasia, in which the diminution of volume is congenital, atrophy is used to define a complete anatomical structure displaying a secondary volume diminution. However, a precocious atrophic process, beginning in the prenatal period, is indistinguishable from hypoplasia as far as imaging is concerned (e.g. in congenital disorders of glycosylation). In routine practice, a normal posterior fossa is assessed sonographically on an axial plane by a normal cisterna magna which does not exceed 10 mm in depth, a normal TCD for gestational age, and identification of

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The Europe 2020 Strategy: Can it Maintain the EU’s Competitiveness in the World? Launched in March 2010 by the European Commission, the Europe 2020 strategy aims at achieving “smart, sustainable and inclusive” growth. This growth is intended to be driven by three sets of engines: knowledge and innovation, a greener and more efficient use of resources and higher employment combined with social and territorial cohesion. This CEPS report takes an in-depth look at the Europe 2020 strategy and the goals it sets for the EU, with the aim of shedding light on the question of whether the strategy will succeed in fostering the global competitiveness of the European Union. While finding that the Europe 2020 strategy identifies the right key indicators for its targets, the authors advise that it should be revised in several important respects and conclude with relevant policy steps to foster the future capability of European economies and their prosperity.

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Von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis with carcinoid tumor and submucous leiomyomas of the duodenum. We report on a 63-year-old man with von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis who developed a carcinoid tumor in the periampullary region and multiple small-sized leiomyomas in the duodenal wall. A high prevalence of gastrointestinal carcinoids has previously been recognized in patients with von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis, the commonest site of origin being the duodenum or the periampullary region. The association of both conditions seems to be more than casual. Abnormalities in the development of the complex of von Campenhout or high circulating levels of nerve growth factor have been the mechanisms postulated to account for this association.

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Implementing a medical record system with biometrics authentication in E-health The advancement of technologies has continued to affect the performance of efficient healthcare systems globally. Meanwhile, the privacy and security of patients' data has recorded key concerns for most users of health information management system. There is no gainsaying the fact that security is essential in patient care. Patient records that are inadequately kept or misinterpreted could lead to wrong prescription or death. The use of biometrics for identification has a great role to play in sustaining privacy and security of healthcare system. The objective of this paper is to develop a hospital information management system with fingerprint biometrics for authentication. The study employs a combination of technologies such as system design and modeling using Unified Modeling Language (UML), data management, biometrics and computer programming in order to develop a prototype health information management system.

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[Correlation between cellular and cytogenetic morphology using fluorescence in situ hybridization in the study of malignant hemopathies]. The in situ hybridization technique (ISH), using specific chromosome DNA probes on stained bone marrow or peripheral blood smears, allow us to correlate morphological findings with the cytogenetic abnormalities detected by conventional cytogenetic analysis. We have applied this methodology to study three patients, two of them diagnosed of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and one with a myeloid blast crisis of chronic myeloid leukaemia (BC-CML). Conventional cytogenetic analysis showed, among other chromosomal abnormalities, a trisomy 8 in two cases and a trisomy 7 in one case. ISH demonstrated that cytogenetic clonality was restricted to the lymphoblasts in both cases with ALL. In the BC-CML patient, myeloid blasts as well as mature and semimature granulocytic elements showed three hybridization signals. ISH correlating morphological and cytogenetic findings may be a useful technique for lineage as well as for the follow-up of the haematological patients.

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Copper Adsorption Using Hydroxyapatite Derived from Bovine Bone Mining and smelting effluent have resulted in heavy metal-contaminated groundwater. Copper-polluted groundwater poses a severe threat to human health and the ecological environment. Permeable reactive barrier (PRB) has been rapidly developed as the in situ remediation technology to control toxic copper migration. Low cost, seepage stability, and great longevity are considered within PRB reactive media. In this paper, hydroxyapatite derived from bovine bone was proven to be a suitable adsorbent owing to cost-effectiveness, great adsorption capacity, and longevity. Batch experiments were carried out to determine the copper adsorption behavior as a function of copper concentration and contact time. Adsorption isotherm was represented by the Langmuir isotherm model, and the adsorption capacity of 25.7 mg/g was superior to most of the adsorbents. A kinetic study was accurately fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model interpreted as a chemical reaction. In addition, the column study confirmed hydroxyapatite has excellent hydraulic performance with no clogging phenomenon happened. At C/C0 = 0.5, the number of pore volume (PV) reached 450. The batch and column experiments also revealed that the overall adsorption process followed up the monolayer chemisorption. Furthermore, systematic analyses demonstrated that surface adsorption was responsible for the copper removal by hydroxyapatite based on experimental analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This work provides an alternative strategy as filling material for in situ remediation of copper-contaminated groundwater and enriches relevant theoretical references.

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The Mouse Resource Browser (MRB) - A near-complete registry of mouse resources The Mouse Resource Browser MRB (http://bioit.fleming.gr/mrb) is an easy-to-use database for searching and retrieving mouse resource information. Currently, MRB hosts a list of 200 mouse resources which are divided in 33 different categories. Apart from core information such as URL(s), contact information and free text descriptions of domain content, MRB holds valuable technical information for each resource; server technology used, relational database management system(s) utilized, programming language(s) of implementation, schema descriptive documents or actual database dumps and most importantly information about the integration and interoperability services provided. MRB also hosts an index of ontologies - both OBO and non-OBO - and minimum information standards for biological investigations. Moreover, MRB has implemented the maturity scheme developed by the CASIMIR consortium and attempts to assess resources accordingly. Ultimately MRBpsilas goal is to provide a complete registry of mouse resources and their programmatic accessibility methods.

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Exploring Mid-Life Women's Employment Women's labour force participation rate declines steeply in the 15 years preceding their state pensionable age, in spite of their generally lacking childcare responsibilities during this stage of the life course. Employment of women in the years following childrearing is important in enabling women to obtain a significant improvement in their pension entitlements. There has been little research on the factors influencing mid-life women's employment participation and especially on why fewer women in their fifties than in their forties are in paid work. This paper uses data from the 1988-90 General Household Survey to explore the employment participation of women in their forties and fifties. We examine the supply side factors likely to influence older married and cohabiting women's employment participation, comparing the importance of their own `human capital' (in terms of age, health, occupational class and qualifications) and the characteristics of their household (husbands' employment, class and earnings, the presence of children and tenure). For women in their forties, household circumstances had a greater effect than human capital, but in their fifties women's own attributes were the major influence on employment participation. Financial necessity was a major reason why mid-life women remained in employment. For women in their fifties, increasing age had a residual effect in reducing employment participation after all other factors considered had been controlled.

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Adjustment mode decision based on support vector data description and evidence theory for assembly lines Purpose Three adjustment modes are alternatives for mixed-model assembly lines (MMALs) to improve their production plans according to constantly changing customer requirements. The purpose of this paper is to deal with the decision-making problem between these modes by proposing a novel multi-classification method. This method recommends appropriate adjustment modes for the assembly lines faced with different customer orders through machine learning from historical data. Design/methodology/approach The decision-making method uses the classification model composed of an input layer, two intermediate layers and an output layer. The input layer describes the assembly line in a knowledge-intensive manner by presenting the impact degrees of production parameters on line performances. The first intermediate layer provides the support vector data description (SVDD) of each adjustment mode through historical data training. The second intermediate layer employs the Dempster–Shafer (D–S) theory to combine the posterior classification possibilities generated from different SVDDs. The output layer gives the adjustment mode with the maximum posterior possibility as the classification result according to Bayesian decision theory. Findings The proposed method achieves higher classification accuracies than the support vector machine methods and the traditional SVDD method in the numerical test consisting of data sets from the machine-learning repository and the case study of a diesel engine assembly line. Practical implications This research recommends appropriate adjustment modes for MMALs in response to customer demand changes. According to the suggested adjustment mode, the managers can improve the line performance more effectively by using the well-designed

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optimization methods for a specific scope. Originality/value The adjustment mode decision belongs to the multi-classification problem featured with limited historical data. Although traditional SVDD methods can solve these problems by providing the posterior possibility of each classification result, they might have poor classification accuracies owing to the conflicts and uncertainties of these possibilities. This paper develops a novel classification model that integrates the SVDD method with the D–S theory. By handling the conflicts and uncertainties appropriately, this model achieves higher classification accuracies than traditional methods.

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PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT This project supported an in-depth review of the technologies and processes used in the small scale sector which lead to the up-take of coal/boiler waste fired clamp technology in Zimbabwe. These informed the detaile ddevelopment of project work in Latin America and identified gaps in existing knowledge and practise. For example, the project team determined that the technology which was due to be transferred from Africa to Latin America was not suited to local conditions. Subsequently a process of development of local alternatives that would increase energy efficiency using alternatives to fuelwood begun.

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Shape-mediated ordering in granular blends. Many industries mix granular materials of different sizes and shapes. Product quality and consistency are often compromised by demixing of constituent components. Not only is this practically problematic but it is also philosophically unsettling, for on smaller colloidal scales, systems consisting of particles differing by size and shape display quantitatively predictable transitions between mixed and separated phases. We report here that patterns and segregation transitions analogous to those seen in colloidal systems can be found in granular blends differing in shape, concentration, and temperature. This provides insights into the mechanisms of granular segregation.

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Optical fiber transmission system and Providing a plurality of types of optical waveguide having a core portion (core portion wherein adjacent groups have the same core structure), the optical waveguide is defined as: minimum value D a minimum distance between the centers of adjacent cores is 15μm to 60 m; the core portion having a radius of curvature R is not more than 7mm fixed curved portion; supplementary angle of the bent portion is 58 ° to 90 °; and the height of the optical waveguide is not more than 10mm. Crosstalk between adjacent cores is not more than 0.01.

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An effective private data storage and retrieval system using secret sharing scheme based on secure multi-party computation Privacy of the outsourced data is one of the major challenge. Insecurity of the network environment and untrust-worthiness of the service providers are obstacles of making the database as a service. Privacy concerns exist wherever personally identifiable information is collected and stored. Public databases and resources are potential source of risk to user privacy. An intentional database owner can guess user details by practically monitoring their queries. Hence the major challenge here is to share the data by protecting personal information. A data retrieval scheme allowing the users to query the database with out compromising the privacy in data item is generally sought The naive solution for confidentiality is to encrypt data before outsourcing. Query execution, key management and statistical inference are major challenges in this case. The proposed system suggests a mechanism to store private information and secure retrieval of this data using secret sharing based Secure Multiparty Computation(SMC). The idea is to develop a mechanism to store private information with a highly available storage provider which could be accessed from anywhere using queries while hiding the actual data values from the storage provider. Multiparty Computation facilitates application of join functions over their private inputs and SMC performs these functions by keeping the input data private. This is achieved by making secret shares of the inputs and manipulating the shares to compute some functions.

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Tax Credit Incentives for Residential Solar Photovoltaic in Hawai ‘ i © 2013 uhero.hawaii.edu Solar photovoltaic (PV) tax credits are at the center of a public debate in Hawai‘i. The controversy stems largely from unforeseen budgetary impacts, driven in part by the difference between the legislative intent and implementation of the PV tax credits. HRS 235-12.5 allows individual and corporate taxpayers to claim a 35% tax credit against Hawaii state individual or corporate net income tax for eligible renewable energy technology, including PV. The policy imposes a $5,000 cap per system, and excess credit amounts can be carried forward to future tax years. Because the law did not clearly define what constitutes a system or restrict the number of systems per roof, homeowners have claimed tax credits for multiple systems on a single property. In an attempt to address this issue, in November 2012, temporary administrative rules define a PV system as an installation with output capacity of at least 5 kW for a single-family residential property. The new rule does not constrain the total number of systems per roof, but rather defines system size and permits tax credits for no more than one sub-5 kW system. In other words, it is possible to install multiple 5 kW systems and claim credits capped at $5,000 for each system. There is an additional 30% tax credit for PV capital costs at the federal level. There is no cap for the federal tax credit and excess credits can be rolled over to subsequent years. This study assesses 1)

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the household “payback” as a result of investing in PV, and 2) the maximum amount of PV capacity that might be installed on owner-occupied single-family homes based on household size and income. We provide estimates of the upper bound in state tax expenditures for PV tax credits, under both the previous and current rules.

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Optical and Infrared Nondetection of the z = 10 Galaxy behind Abell 1835 Gravitational lensing by massive galaxy clusters is a powerful tool for the discovery and study of high-redshift galaxies, including those at z ≥ 6 likely responsible for cosmic reionization. Pelló et al. recently used this technique to discover a candidate gravitationally magnified galaxy at z = 10 behind the massive cluster lens Abell 1835 (z = 0.25). We present new Keck and Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the z = 10 candidate (hereafter #1916, following Pelló et al.'s nomenclature) together with a reanalysis of archival optical and near-infrared imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope and Very Large Telescope, respectively. Our analysis extends from the atmospheric cutoff at λobs ≃ 0.35 μm out to λobs ≃ 5 μm. The z = 10 galaxy is not detected in any of these data, including an independent reduction of Pelló et al.'s discovery H- and K-band imaging. We conclude that there is no statistically reliable evidence for the existence of #1916. We also assess the implications of our results for ground-based near-infrared searches for gravitationally magnified galaxies at z ≳ 7. The broad conclusion is that such experiments remain feasible, assuming that space-based optical and mid-infrared imaging are available to break the degeneracy with low-redshift interlopers (e.g., z ~ 2-3) when fitting spectral templates to the photometric data.

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Bee mietii rak rkabni nis (The people know how to seed water): A Zapotec experience in adapting to water scarcity and drought ABSTRACT We are facing a global water crisis exacerbated by hydro-climatic extremes related to climate change. Water scarcity is expected to increasingly affect indigenous and marginalized populations. Supporting the sovereignty of indigenous and rural populations to create water secure futures through place-based knowledge, local management, and Community-based Adaptation (CBA) measures may help tackle this crisis. Zapotec communities in Oaxaca, Mexico have self-organized for collective action to use Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) to address water scarcity, resulting in a perceived increase of groundwater availability. Treating groundwater as a common-pool resource (CPR) within a sociohydrological system, the objectives of this paper are two-fold: (1) to explore how MAR may be implemented as a CBA measure, and (2) to understand what factors triggered and/or enabled the widespread implementation of MAR by Zapotec indigenous communities in the Valles Centrales of Oaxaca, Mexico. In doing so, we aim to get a better understanding of local processes while also furthering theories that relate to CBA, CPR, and sociohydrology. This paper was born from the desire of the Zapotec community members to share their experience and lessons learned so other drought-vulnerable communities might benefit.

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Comment on: First report of FIP1L1-PDGFRα-positive eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. subsequent 5-day course of i.v. immunoglobulins (2 g/kg total dose) resulted in only a short-lived improvement in platelet count and no improvement in renal function. Throughout her admission, our patient had rigid anticoagulation with low molecular weight heparin, with factor Xa and platelet monitoring. Despite documented therapeutic anticoagulant activity, she had recurrent episodes of thromboses (renal, ocular, CNS), and the IgG aPLs were still increased at >120 GPL U/ml. IgG anti-beta-2glycoprotein I-antibody was raised at 104 U/ml (normal <5 U/ml). At this point, eculizumab (a humanized monoclonal antibody against complement C5)was commenced. She received meningococcal vaccination and antibiotic prophylaxis, and an induction dose of eculizumab 900 mg, followed by weekly doses of 1200 mg was given. Plasma exchange was stopped, and after 6 weeks, when the platelet count had stabilized, the frequency of eculizumab was reduced to 1200 mg two weekly, 900 mg two weekly and then 900 mg four weekly. She remains on this regime. The patient’s platelets have improved from 31 10 to 136 10. eGFR has improved from 7.3 to 17.4 ml/min and she remains off dialysis. She has reduced her steroids to 10 mg once daily (a pituitary infarct and secondary Addison’s means this continues as replacement therapy). She lives a fully independent life, having made significant functional improvement following her strokes. Eculizumab blocks cleavage of complement C5 and prevents generation of pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory molecules C5a and membrane attack complex C5b 9 [2]. Several case reports suggest its efficacy in the

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management of CAPS [1, 3]. Our case report adds support to this evidence base and demonstrates efficacy in the context of CAPS refractory to the usual treatments used, including immunosuppression, anticoagulation and plasma exchange. [1] While the unit cost of eculizumab is very high, we note that withdrawl of plasma exchange and avoidance of dialysis for >2 years to date suggest that, in these cases, it may be cost effective against the alternatives. More importantly, it has resulted in clinical stability for our patient, no new neurological deficits and marked improvement in her quality of life. We have also been able to reduce the dose and frequency of dosing with eculizumab while maintaining her stability. We therefore conclude that, in patients with CAPS refractory to usual therapy, eculizumab may be an effective alternative, and its efficacy in cases such as ours supports its cost-effectiveness for this condition with high mortality and morbidity.

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Analysis of CLCNKB mutations at dimer‐interface, calcium‐binding site, and pore reveals a variety of functional alterations in ClC‐Kb channel leading to Bartter syndrome Pathological missense mutations in CLCNKB gene give a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes in Bartter syndrome type III patients. Molecular analysis of the mutated ClC‐Kb channels can be helpful to classify the mutations according to their functional alteration. We investigated the functional consequences of nine mutations in the CLCNKB gene causing Bartter syndrome. We first established that all tested mutations lead to decreased ClC‐Kb currents. Combining electrophysiological and biochemical methods in Xenopus laevis oocytes and in MDCKII cells, we identified three classes of mutations. One class is characterized by altered channel trafficking. p.A210V, p.P216L, p.G424R, and p.G437R are totally or partially retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. p.S218N is characterized by reduced channel insertion at the plasma membrane and altered pH‐sensitivity; thus, it falls in the second class of mutations. Finally, we found a novel class of functionally inactivated mutants normally present at the plasma membrane. Indeed, we found that p.A204T alters the pH‐sensitivity, p.A254V abolishes the calcium‐sensitivity. p.G219C and p.G465R are probably partially inactive at the plasma membrane. In conclusion, most pathogenic mutants accumulate partly or totally in intracellular compartments, but some mutants are normally present at the membrane surface and simultaneously show a large range of altered channel gating properties.

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[Ulcer prevention during anti-rheumatism therapy and in intensive medicine]. Gastrointestinal side effects are common to all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Relevant to the patient are NSAID-induced dyspepsia and ulcer complications such as hemorrhage and perforation. The most important prophylactic means is repeated verification that the NSAID cannot be replaced by other measures, e.g. physical therapy or simple analgesics. If a NSAID is needed, it should be administered at the lowest effective dose. The present drugs used in preventing NSAID-induced ulcers and their complications are far from perfect. Major problems are adverse effects, high costs and insufficient efficacy in the prevention of ulcer complications. Thus, prophylactic antiulcer treatment is recommended in high-risk patients (as a primary prophylaxis) and in patients with previous ulcers (as a secondary prophylaxis). Similar arguments apply for prevention of ulcers in intensive-care patients. Patients at risk are critically ill, those with previous ulcers and in particular those with clotting disorders. Acid-reducing drugs are recommended for nonintubated patients, whereas sucralfate is preferred in patients on artificial ventilation because it is associated with a lower risk for nosocomial pneumonias.

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Appearance of systemic amyloidosis in a chronic hemodialysis patient. Dr. D. Hillion, Department of Nephrology, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Poissy, 10, rue du Champ Gaillard, F-78303 Poissy (France) Dear Sir, Since 1977, amyloid deposits in the transverse carpal ligament of patients on regular dialysis treatment (RTD) were reported. Two unanswered questions persist: (1) Are they localized deposits of a systemic amyloidosis? (2) What is the type of the amyloid? We report a case of systemic non-immunoglobulin-induced (AA) amyloidosis in a patient on RTD. In 1951, Mme C. was 30 years old when a proteinuria was found during her third pregnancy. In 1967, renal failure was diagnosed during a preoperative workup: high blood presssure, urea nitrogen 12mmol/l, proteinuria 1 g/24 h, Addis count: 300 H/min, 2,000 L/min. IVP showed two regular atrophied kidneys. In 1968, subtotal hysterectomy was performed for endometriosis. Regular hemodialysis was started in 1972. From 1972 to 1981 the principal events had been hepatitis and hyperparathyroidism. In 1981, removal of a sacrococcygeal cyst led to the discovery of subcutaneous deposits with the histochemical behavior of amyloid: positive Congo red staining and green berefringence. There were no clinical signs of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), nor systemic amyloidosis. Gamma-pathy exploration was negative. In 1982, bone biopsy and parathyr-oidectomy were performed: no amyloid deposits were found in the tissues. In 1983, during a routine examination a stage I cancer of the cervix uteri was found and treated by irradiation. In 1983, spontaneous hemarthrosis of the knees, ankles, wrists and shoulders occurred. In the synovial biopsy specimen, amyloid

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deposits disrupting the synovial membrane but respecting the underlying vessels were found. In 1984, a massive digestive hemorrhage necessitated a laparotomy: there were no metastases, the bleeding originated in the terminal ileum which was resected, a liver biopsy was performed. Large amyloid deposits were found in the level of ileal submucosa and submucosa vessels, smaller deposits in the hepatic arterioles and sinusoid capillaries. Using the Wright’s technique, potassium permanganate treatment eliminated Congo red stainability. The patient died postoperatively. No autopsy was performed. The successive discovery of the amyloid deposits over a period of 4 years led us to relate them to the duration on RTD.

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A Longitudinal Analysis of Violence and Housing Insecurity Violence and housing insecurity are horrible events that may be intertwined, with violence possibly forcing victims to abandon their accommodations and housing insecurity depriving people of the safety of a home or placing them in compromised circumstances. This study uses national, prospective, longitudinal data from the Journeys Home Survey to examine how violence, housing insecurity, and other characteristics in one period affect disadvantaged Australian men's and women's chances of experiencing violence and housing insecurity in subsequent periods. The study is one of the first to investigate these relationships prospectively and unusual in considering how violence among adult men contributes to their housing insecurity. We estimate dynamic multivariate models that control for observed and time-invariant unobserved characteristics and find that men's chances of being housing secure without experiencing violence are 24-45 percent lower and women's chances are 12- 20 percent lower if they experienced housing insecurity, violence or both in the previous period. Heavy drinking, marijuana use, psychological distress, and a history of childhood abuse and neglect also increase the risks of violence and housing insecurity for both genders, while the presence of children reduces these risks. Women who are bisexual or lesbian and women with homeless friends also face elevated risks of housing insecurity, while men's sexual orientation and friend networks seem less relevant.

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Modeling and identification of the hysteretic dynamics of an MR actuator for its application to semiactive control of flexible structures This paper presents the results of modeling a shear-mode MR damper. The prototype damper consists of two steel parallel plates and in the middle, there is a paddle covered by foam saturated with MR fluid. The force is produced when the paddle is in motion and the magnetic field generated by a coil in one end of the device reaches the fluid. Several response forces were captured at different displacement excitations and magnetic field levels. The goal is to find a relationship between the velocity, the control voltage (inputs of the system) and the force generated by the device. The results of predicting the force using the Bingham, Bouc-Wen and Hyperbolic Tangent based models are compared and the suitability of these models is discussed.

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Development and evaluation of a vision algorithm for 3D reconstruction of novel objects from three camera views When planning robotic grasping and manipulation maneuvers, knowledge of the shape and pose of the object of interest is critical information. In order for an autonomous or semi-autonomous system to operate intelligently in an unstructured environment and interact with novel objects, it must have the ability to recover this information at run time, even when no a priori information of the object is available. In this paper, we describe the development and testing of an algorithm that can reconstruct the full 3D geometry of a novel object from just three images. A variant of shape from silhouettes, the algorithm first generates a rough surface approximation in the form of a point cloud. This approximation is then refined by fitting an eleven parameter geometric surface to the points in such a manner that the surface ignores noise and perspective projection shadows. We test the algorithm in both simulation and on several real world objects. We show that the algorithm provides accurate reconstructions that can be directly used to plan grasping maneuvers. Compared to other attempts in the literature, the proposed algorithm is faster, requires fewer images, is more accurate, and degrades gracefully in the presence of bad data. A real world test case is included that shows that the algorithm still yields usable results when the form of the object is amorphous or otherwise non-geometric.

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Effect of exercise on bone and articular cartilage in heterozygous manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) deficient mice Abstract Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in both bone and cartilage physiology and play an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. The present study investigated the effect of running exercise on bone and cartilage in heterozygous manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2)-deficient mice. It was hypothesized that exercise might induce an increased production of ROS in these tissues. Heterozygous SOD2-deficient mice should exhibit an impaired capability to compensate, resulting in an increased oxidative stress in cartilage and bone. Thirteen female wild type and 20 SOD2+/− mice (aged 16 weeks) were randomly assigned to a non-active wild type (SOD2+/+Con, n = 7), a trained wild type (SOD2+/+Run, n = 6), a non-active SOD2+/− (SOD2+/−Con, n = 9) and a trained SOD2+/− (SOD2+/−Run, n = 11) group. Training groups underwent running exercise on a treadmill for 8 weeks. In SOD2+/− mice elevated levels of 15-F2t-isoprostane and nitrotyrosine were detected in bone and articular cartilage compared to wild type littermates. In osteocytes the elevated levels of these molecules were found to be reduced after exercise while in chondrocytes they were increased by aerobic running exercise. The observed changes in oxidative and nitrosative stress did neither affect morphological, structural nor mechanical properties of both tissues. These results demonstrate that exercise might protect bone against oxidative stress in heterozygous SOD2-deficient mice.

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Decentralized treatment of domestic sewage in dynamic membrane bioreactor A pilot-scale anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor (AnDMBR) was monitored at ambient temperature to assess domestic sewage treatment from a housing development. The dynamic membrane (DM) was developed from polypropylene support material with an average opening of 90 μm, inside an external configuration module. To minimize energy costs, the AnDMBR system was operated under hydraulic pressure, in two Cycles, without backwashing (Cycle 1), and with backwashing (Cycle 2). The HRT was 18 h and the initial permeate flow was 780 L m–2 h–1. The CRT of Cycle 1 was 91 d, and Cycle 2 was 49 d. The average concentrations of MLTSS in Cycle 1 and 2 were 29.40 and 29.60 g L–1, respectively. The system achieved good average efficiency of removing organic matter, with a total COD value of 86.0% and soluble COD of 76.0%, being able to remove 91.0% of suspended solids, producing an effluent with low turbidity (18.0 NTU). The results also show that the DM contributed to the production of effluent with a concentration of helminth eggs which meets WHO recommendations [47] for unrestricted irrigation. A significant amount of biogas was produced by the system and most came out in dissolved form with the effluent due to supersaturation. The average transmembrane pressure (TMP) of Cycle 2 was 2.0 times greater than that of Cycle 1, which suggests that fouling cannot be effectively removed with tap-water washing or with backwashing.

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People mountain, people sea: a study of four Chinese English idioms on the Web ABSTRACT The English language has developed and spread around the world as a global language. As a variety of English in China, it has also formed some distinct features. This paper first introduces the status quo of the English language in China, and then by analysing the use of four Chinglish idioms on the Internet, argues that the use of Chinglish idioms can be more expressive in some settings. The Internet use of Chinglish idioms shows the actual state of language diversity and creativity, and more significantly, it reflects Chinese identity.

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Receding horizon output feedback control for linear systems with input saturation In this paper, a constrained receding horizon output feedback control method which is based on a state observer is suggested. The proposed method adopts the receding horizon dual-mode paradigm which consists of a 'feasible invariant set' and 'free control moves'. Polyhedral feasible invariant sets of estimated state are derived along with guaranteed bounds on state estimation errors. The guaranteed bounds on the state estimation error are developed by considering invariant sets of state estimation errors which include possible initial estimation errors. Predictions of future states are made based on estimated current state and bounds on current estimation error. The free control moves are determined so that the predicted future state belongs to the polyhedral feasible invariant set, despite input constraints and measurement noise.

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Methane Pyrolysis in Molten Potassium Chloride: An Experimental and Economic Analysis Although steam methane reforming (CH4 + 2H2O → 4H2 + CO2) is the most commercialized process for producing hydrogen from methane, more than 10 kg of carbon dioxide is emitted to produce 1 kg of hydrogen. Methane pyrolysis (CH4 → 2H2 + C) has attracted much attention as an alternative to steam methane reforming because the co-product of hydrogen is solid carbon. In this study, the simultaneous production of hydrogen and separable solid carbon from methane was experimentally achieved in a bubble column filled with molten potassium chloride. The melt acted as a carbon-separating agent and as a pyrolytic catalyst, and enabled 40 h of continuous running without catalytic deactivation with an apparent activation energy of 277 kJ/mole. The resultant solid was purified by water washing or acid washing, or heating at high temperature to remove salt residues from the carbon. Heating the solid product at 1200 °C produced the highest purity carbon (97.2 at%). The economic feasibility of methane pyrolysis was evaluated by varying key parameters, that is, melt loss, melt price, and carbon revenue. Given a potassium chloride loss of <0.1 kg of salt per kg of produced carbon, the carbon revenue was calculated to be USD > 0.45 per kg of produced carbon. In this case, methane pyrolysis using molten potassium chloride may be comparable to steam methane reforming with carbon capture storage.

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Vascular risk associated with meniscal repair using Rapidloc versus FasT-Fix: comparison of two all-inside meniscal devices. Eight fresh-frozen cadaver legs (average age 72 years) were used to evaluate the risk to the popliteal artery related to the use of two all-inside meniscal repair devices, the Mitek RapidLoc (12.5 mumudegrees) and the Smith & Nephew FasT-Fix (curved). The lumen of the femoral artery was injected with barium. Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral radiographs were obtained to ensure visualization of the popliteal artery and its anatomic location. Both devices were inserted into the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus up to the hub of the needle under direct arthroscopic visualization. The distance between the needle and the artery was measured on the radiographs using calipers. The average distance from the needle to the popliteal artery was 0.5 mm (0.5 +/- 0.8 mm, range: 0-2 mm) on the lateral radiograph and 6.0 mm (6.0 +/- 6.2 mm, range: 0-19 mm) on the AP radiograph using the FasT-Fix system without the penetration limiter. None of the RapidLoc needles were within 20 mm of the popliteal artery on either of the radiographs. The FasT-Fix device came within 3 mm of the artery on both AP and lateral radiographs in 43% of the specimens. The risk to the popliteal artery was significantly greater using the FasT-Fix device compared to the RapidLoc device (P < .05). Although both instruments appear safe when used properly, the RapidLoc device seems to be safer with less risk to the popliteal artery than the current FasT-Fix meniscal repair

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device. When using the FasT-Fix device, the penetration limiter must be used to avoid the complications found in this study.

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Scattering of a Laguerre-Gaussian beam by complicated shaped biological cells. In this paper, we generalize the method of moments (MOM) based on the surface integral equation (SIE) method to investigate the scattering properties of complicated shaped biological cells illuminated by a Laguerre-Gaussian beam (LGB). We introduce the Lorentz-gauge vector potential with slowly varying envelope amplitude which satisfies the paraxial wave equation to obtain the electric and magnetic field components of the incident beam. The SIE method is applied to compute the scattering field of arbitrary shaped biological cells, the MLFMA is utilized to efficiently solve the resulting matrix equations, and a home-made FORTRAN program is written. Then we explore the influence of the beam parameters (radial parameter, azimuthal parameter, waist radius, and beam center position of a LGB) on the differential scattering cross section (DSCS) for a red blood cell at great length. Some numerical results on the DSCS for complicated shaped biological cells, such as a fusiform cell and a bacteriophage anatomy illuminated by a LGB are given, showing the powerful capability of our approach. As a rapidly advancing field, the investigation of the scattering properties on complicated shaped biological cells illuminated by a LGB will hold a wealth of potential for the study of fundamental properties of light and exciting applications in the medical field.

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Survival in patients with oral and maxillofacial diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The purpose of this study was to determine the survival and prognostic factors of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the oral cavity and maxillofacial region. Retrospectively, the clinical records of patients with a primary diagnosis of DLBCL of the oral cavity and maxillofacial region treated at the A.C. Camargo Hospital for Cancer, São Paulo, Brazil, between January 1980 and December 2005 were evaluated to determine (A) overall survival (OS) at 2 and 5 years and the individual survival percentage for each possible prognostic factor by means of the actuarial technique (also known as mortality tables), and the Kaplan Meier product limit method (which provided the survival value curves for each possible prognostic factor); (B) prognostic factors subject to univariate evaluation with the log-rank test (also known as Mantel-Cox), and multivariate analysis with Cox's regression model (all the variables together). The data were considered significant at p≤0.05. From 1980 to 2005, 3513 new cases of lymphomas were treated, of which 151 (4.3%) occurred in the oral cavity and maxillofacial region. Of these 151 lesions, 48 were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, with 64% for OS at 2 years and 45% for OS at 5 years. Of the variables studied as possible prognostic factors, multivariate analysis found the following variables have statistically significant values: age (p=0.042), clinical stage (p=0.007) and performance status (p=0.031). These data suggest that patients have a higher risk of mortality if they are older, at a later clinical stage, and have

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a higher performance status.

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Quality targets for concentrations of hazardous substances in surface waters in Germany. During the past several years, in Germany, a federal government/federal states working group prepared a "guide document for the derivation of quality targets designed to protect inland surface waters against hazardous substances." In May 1993 the 40th Conference of Environment Ministers (Umweltministerkonferenz) adopted the guide document subject to further trial. Based on the guide document it will be possible to define water quality requirements in the field of water resources management, e.g., protection of aquatic communities and safeguarding of drinking water supply, as a complementing approach to existing statutory emission control regulations. The quality targets derived on the basis of the guide document define concentrations of hazardous substances in water, suspended particulate matter or sediments which should not be exceeded (guide values). According to current scientific knowledge, compliance with the quality targets ensures that a hazard to the protection-meriting uses considered need not be feared. Where quality targets are found to be exceeded, the causes should be explored. On that basis water pollution control and sanitation priorities can be defined more appropriately. In addition, the outlined approach to deriving quality targets provides a basis for characterizing water quality and is helpful in priority-setting with respect to analytical methods to be optimized.

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Survival of human dental plaque flora in various transport media. Dental plaque samples from (i) subjects with no apparent oral disease, (ii) mentally retarded subjects with periodontal disease, and (iii) subjects with active caries were collected in three transport media viz. a dithiothreitol poised balanced mineral salt solution designated as reduced transport fluid (RTF), VMG II, and modified Stuart medium (SBL). The samples were dispersed by sonic treatment, diluted in the respective medium in which they were collected, and cultured on MM10 sucrose agar. The efficiency of the transport media in the survival of dental plaque flora was determined by comparing the quantitative recovery (expressed as percentage of the initial viable count) from the specimens stored for various lengths of time. The data showed a great variation in the recovery of the oral bacterial flora from the plaque samples. VMG II and SBL served better than RTF as storage media for non-disease-associated dental plaque cultured under strict anaerobic conditions. Recoveries of bacteria from periodontal plaque specimens stored in RTF were higher than SBL and VMG II under identical conditions. The organisms present in the carious plaque samples appeared to survive much better in RTF and VMG II than in SBL as determined by conventional anaerobic culturing technique. However, VMG II showed a higher recovery of organisms from these specimens with an increase in the storage period, suggesting multiplication of the plaque flora. RTF did not allow the growth of oral bacterial flora under all experimental conditions. On the basis of the relative performance of these media

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it is suggested that RTF is a satisfactory medium for the transport of oral bacteria present in the samples.

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Deconstructing the Allais Paradox: The Reduction of Compound Lotteries vs. the Independence Axiom The literature typically attributes the Allais Paradox to a violation of the Independence Axiom. We present experimental data showing that violations of the Reduction of Compound Lotteries Axiom are significantly more problematic, and our findings are robust to both choice and pricing tasks. We discuss the implications of our findings for various decision-analytic frameworks.

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Integration testing using interface mutation A criterion for assessing the adequacy of test sets during integration testing is proposed. The criterion is based on a testing technique named Interface Mutation. The technique itself is designed to be scalable with the size of the software under test; the size being measured in the number of subsystems integrated. Using Interface Mutation it is possible to assess the adequacy of tests incrementally while integrating various subsystems. Also reported are results from a pilot experiment conducted to study the cost and error defection effectiveness of Interface Mutation.

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Mucopolysaccharidosis type V. (Scheie syndrome). A postmortem study by multidisciplinary techniques with emphasis on the brain. Multidisciplinary studies were conducted on the brain and other tissues of patients who died with the antemortem diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) of one of the following types; type V, Scheie disease (MPS-V); type I, Hurler disease (MPS-I): and type II, Hunter disease (MPS-II). The principal new finding in the brain of the patient with MPS-V is the presence of lesions in the periadventitial mesenchymal tissue of the white matter, similar to those of MPS-I, while the nerve cells in MPS-V are histologically normal, in contradistinction to MPS-I, in which the neuronal abnormality is severe. Electron microscopical studies of the brain in MPS-I demonstrated numerous complex membranous inclusions in the neurons, whereas the neurons in MPS-V contained only a small number of lipofuscin-like inclusions and typical lipofuscin granules. There was a threefold increase of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in the brain of MPS-I, but only a slight increase in the MPS-V; GAG in the liver and spleen of all patients was noticeably increased. alpha-L-iduronidase activity was not detectable in the brain and liver of patients with MPS-I and MPS-V, thus suggesting a similar enzymatic defect.

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Fine mapping versus replication in whole-genome association studies. Association replication studies have a poor track record and, even when successful, often claim association with different markers, alleles, and phenotypes than those reported in the primary study. It is unknown whether these outcomes reflect genuine associations or false-positive results. A greater understanding of these observations is essential for genomewide association (GWA) studies, since they have the potential to identify multiple new associations that that will require external validation. Theoretically, a repeat association with precisely the same variant in an independent sample is the gold standard for replication, but testing additional variants is commonplace in replication studies. Finding different associated SNPs within the same gene or region as that originally identified is often reported as confirmatory evidence. Here, we compare the probability of replicating a gene or region under two commonly used marker-selection strategies: an "exact" approach that involves only the originally significant markers and a "local" approach that involves both the originally significant markers and others in the same region. When a region of high intermarker linkage disequilibrium is tested to replicate an initial finding that is only weak association with disease, the local approach is a good strategy. Otherwise, the most powerful and efficient strategy for replication involves testing only the initially identified variants. Association with a marker other than that originally identified can occur frequently, even in the presence of real effects in a low-powered replication study, and instances of such association increase as the number of included variants increases. Our results provide a basis

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for the design and interpretation of GWA replication studies and point to the importance of a clear distinction between fine mapping and replication after GWA.

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Effect of systemic penicillin on pain in untreated irreversible pulpitis. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this prospective, randomized, double-blind study was to determine the effect of penicillin on pain in untreated teeth diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis. STUDY DESIGN Forty emergency patients participated, and each had a clinical diagnosis of an irreversible pulpitis. Patients randomly received a 7-day oral dose (28 capsules, 500 mg each, to be taken every 6 hours) of either penicillin or a placebo control in a double-blind manner. No endodontic treatment was performed. Each patient also received ibuprofen; acetaminophen with codeine (30 mg); and a 7-day diary to record pain, percussion pain, and number and type of pain medication taken. RESULTS The administration of penicillin did not significantly (P >.05) reduce pain, percussion pain, or the number of analgesic medications taken by patients with untreated irreversible pulpitis. The majority of patients with untreated irreversible pulpitis had significant pain and required analgesics to manage this pain. CONCLUSION Penicillin should not be prescribed for untreated irreversible pulpitis because penicillin is ineffective for pain relief.

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Increase trend of social hymenoptera (wasps and honeybees) in urban areas, inferred from moving‐out case by 119 rescue services in Seoul of South Korea The number of social hymenoptera have decreased due to accelerated urbanization in Seoul, Korea, during the 1970s–1990s. However, recent changes in environmental conditions have brought distinct re‐growth of their colonies. In this study, we analyzed the re‐colonization trend of social hymenoptera in Seoul with moving‐out reports submitted to 119 rescue services from 2000 to 2009. A total of 14 253 social hymenoptera findings and treatment cases were reported during that time, and the reported numbers increased continuously every year. Among them, 87% of the cases were related to social wasps and 13% were for honeybees. Social wasps peaked from July to September, when the colonies matured, whereas honeybees peaked from April to July when colonies divided. As observed by geographical information system (GIS), moving‐out cases formed hotspots in low‐story buildings around green areas such as nearby forests or city green parks in Eunpyeong‐gu and Gwanak‐gu in Seoul. Among the social wasps, the most frequent species that caused a nuisance and direct stinging was Polistes rothneyi koreanus, the majority of which nested under eaves (63%). Among the honeybees, Apis mellifera was a nuisance while attaching to buildings and walls in the city (60%) during hive splitting. We present herein the situation of the return of social hymenoptera to Seoul and discuss the possible reasons for the recent increase in social wasps in urban areas, including enlarging the green space in urban areas and

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stable nesting places, which benefited colony development due to the relatively higher urban temperature and the few natural predators and parasitoids.

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Massive cranial osteolysis, skin changes, growth retardation and developmental delay: Gorham syndrome with systemic manifestations? We report on a 16‐month‐old girl with multiple swellings on her skull due to massive osteolysis, growth retardation, facial anomalies, and wrinkly skin with mosaic hypopigmentation. She also had severe hypercalcemia, which gradually returned to normal levels. The condition likely represents Gorham syndrome with systemic manifestations. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Characterization of Maurer's clefts in Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. In 1902 Georg Maurer was the first to publish a detailed description of Giemsa-stained structures in the cytosol of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes, today known as Maurer's clefts. Later when clefts were seen by electron microscopy, the description was modified to also include these, which has caused disagreement over the composition of Maurer's clefts. For that reason, Maurer's clefts were characterized during intraerythrocytic development of P. falciparum by simultaneously staining cytosolic structures with antibodies using indirect immunofluorescence assays and with Giemsa. At least three groups of antigens, P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1)/ RIFIN/SURFIN, P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2), and exported proteins 1 and 2 (Exp1 and Exp2), were detected in distinct Giemsa-stained structures in the cytosol of infected erythrocytes, but PfHRP2 and Exp1/Exp2 were not found in clefts by transmission electron microscopy. Therefore, Maurer's clefts as defined by staining with Giemsa comprise a number of cytoplasmic structures and antigens not included in structures called clefts and seen by electron microscopy.

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Porosity measurement of heavy oil sands Porosity measurement is an important step for petrophysical characterization of reservoir rocks, as porosity is essential for analysing elastic properties and estimating the capacity of rocks to hold hydrocarbon resources. Commonly used porosity measurement methods fail to work on heavy oil sands, because of the loose fragile sand frame and solid‐like irreducible heavy oil. We develop three methods to measure the porosity of heavy oil sands, which are feasible and affordable in most laboratories. Method 1 involves calculating the bulk volume of the sample by measuring its physical dimensions directly. Method 2 uses calibrated sample weight and volume (after removing the protecting foil cover and metal clips). Method 3 first applies pressurizing on samples and then measures the weight and volume of the bare samples. The measurement results of the three methods are then compared and method 3 is determined as the most reliable, which is also verified by the porosity log. Finally, an analysis of the potential sources of errors associated with method 3 is performed.

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Down Syndrome and Delayed Occurrence of Acne Several endocrine abnormalities are likely to contribute to a low prevalence of acne in DS patients. Androgens, such as dihydrotestosterone and testosterone, the adrenal precursor dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, estrogens such as estradiol, and other hormones, including growth hormone and insulin-like growth factors (which are maximally secreted during adolescence), may each be important in the development of acne [11] . DS patients are known to suffer from growth hormone deficiency and inadequate insulin-like growth factor response, resulting in remarkable skeletal maturation delay and short stature [12] . DS patients also have a high incidence of abnormalities in their sexual development, and delayed puberty is reported in both sexes. Reported abnormalities in girls include hypogonadism with a delay in either menarche or adrenarche. In boys, described defects vary from ambiguous genitalia, cryptorchidism, micropenis, small testes and low sperm count to scant development of axillary hair and beard [12] . Mean levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone are usually markedly elevated, but mean testosterone levels are normal, which suggests a diagnosis of partial primary gonadal dysfunction [13] . Taken together, these data suggest that, despite premature aging, the onset of acne is delayed in DS patients, and support the relationship between acne and pubertal age rather than chronological age.

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Compositional Changes in Surface Mycoflora During Ripening of Naturally Fermented Sausages. Changes in the composition of the surface mycoflora during ripening of naturally fermented sausages were examined. The samples were collected from small-scale production plants in Northern Italy. In the first part of the ripening process yeast dominated the mycoflora and constituted more than 95% (colony forming units [CFU]). After 2 weeks' ripening, yeast and molds were present in equal quantities. The molds continued to increase in numbers and at the end of processing the result was a more than 95% dominance. The genus Penicillium dominated the mycoflora at the end of the ripening process. Penicillium nalgiovense , a species frequently used as a starter culture, constituted 50% of the molds and was found to occur naturally in the environment. Four species, Penicillium olsonii , Penicillium spathulatum , Penicillium oxalicum and Penicillium capsulatum , that have not been isolated from this environment before constituted, respectively 15%, 5%, 3%, and about 1% of the mycoflora. Also, Penicillium species that are known as potential producers of mycotoxins were isolated; e.g., Penicillium verrucosum and Penicillium commune constituted 5 and 3% of the mycoflora. It was shown that six out of nine isolates of P. verrucosum produced ochratoxin A and one isolate produced citrinin. One isolate of P. commune was examined and shown to produce cyclopiazonic acid. A large number, 53, of Penicillium nalgiovense isolates were examined, but no known mycotoxins were shown to be produced after growth on synthetic agar media.

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Design for the ACFM Sensor and the Signal Processing Based on Wavelet De-Noise The sensor design and signal de-noising play an important role on the alternating current field measurement system. Some novel methods are used to optimize the sensor design and perform signal processing. Reduce the size of the sensor's structure and append the magnetic core in the exciting coil. The difference in series circuit is applied in the signal detection. Using the multilevel magnifier, filter and demodulation circuit intensify the capability to detect small defect. The appropriate wavelet function is selected to perform the de- noising. The relationship between the disturbing magnetic field and the defect characteristic was analyzed. The signal characteristics de-noised for wavelet are more clearly, the flaw characteristic is more in evidence. Through analyzing the relationships between disturbing magnetic fields characteristic and the defects properties, it was found that wavelet analysis for one-dimensional signal is an effective processing method in alternating current field measurement (ACFM) technique. Keywords-signal processing; Alternating Current Field Measurement technique; ACFM; sensor design; signal de- noising;

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Assessment of “storage correction” required for in situ 14CO production in air sample cylinders We draw attention to an effect that has the potential to compromise measurements of atmospheric 14CO by the in situ production of 14C in air sample cylinders. We present first experimental determinations of the size of this effect using measurements made on cylinders containing an air sample and a CO/nitrogen calibration gas stored in laboratories in New Zealand from a few months to 11 years. These data are collated with measurements made on air samples stored at Scott Base, Antarctica to determine a mean in situ production rate for 14CO of 4.7 ± 0.5 molecules cm−3 yr−1 (STP) at sea level and in the latitude range 40–90° (geomagnetic) in a single floor laboratory. This rate is significant compared to observed annual cycles in 14CO (typically 5–10 14CO molecules cm−3) caused by OH variations and clearly has to be corrected for when 14CO data are used to determine atmospheric OH distributions.

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Distant Blocking of Celestial Lines of Communications Using Electromagnetic Pulse The potentially imminent and existential threat from a nuclear electromagnetic pulse are arguably inflated, voiced to garner attention to the true issue, that today’s microelectronics are incredibly vulnerable to electromagnetic damage caused by sudden voltage spikes from the electromagnetic pollution. Additionally, a nuclear electromagnetic pulse does not need to be detonated in outer space to cause signification disruption to communications systems’ data and information flow across the celestial domain. High altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) detonations do not need to occur in outer space to have wide ranging effects; in describing electromagnetic pulses, the high-altitude moniker is tied to any detonation above nineteen miles (thirty point-five kilometers). High altitude electromagnetic pulse detonations ranging from fifty to one hundred kilometers can project wave effects into outer space and affect spacecraft through both direct damage (contemporary views regarding electromagnetic pulse) and radiation-induced torques on the solar arrays, misaligning satellite antennas and sensors. If an actor – state or otherwise – wished to compete or contest another along the congested celestial lines of communications (CLOCs), it can be done at great distance from the affected entity by use of a high altitude electromagnetic pulse on the ‘far side’ of the orbit. Additionally, the historic maritime tactic of blockade has applicability in space; yesterday’s ships are today’s gamma ray damage to microelectronics. Furthermore, the employment of a nuclear weapon-delivered high-altitude electromagnetic pulse remains a treaty violation, for those who are a party to. However, greater jurisprudence study is lacking regarding this

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matter, and the accompanying concern of transboundary harm as it relates to territorial sovereignty. In summary, an actor can contest another’s use of the celestial lines of communications by detonating a nuclear weapon, at high-altitude but within the atmosphere (i.e., below one hundred kilometers), and within the lateral boundaries of their sovereign territory and associated territorial waters, and allow wave’s effects to radiate widely to interrupt operations and possibly inflict permanent damage, all without being in violation of treaty or customary law. This manuscript substantiates the prequel baseline for follow-on research on mitigation of the deleterious effects on communication system circuits in attempts to void the blockage on celestial lines of communications, and the sequel is briefly introduced with a short description of the state-of-the-art research.

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The over-expression of miR-34a fails to block DoHH2 lymphoma cell proliferation by reducing p53 via c-MYC down-regulation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) might behave as tumor suppressors and for that they are under consideration as novel therapeutic drugs. We tested the tumor suppressor activity of miRNA-34a (miR-34a) by measuring cell proliferation of the follicular lymphoma cell line DoHH2 transfected with this miRNA. We report that miR-34a did not inhibit cell proliferation notwithstanding a marked down-regulation of c-MYC. Interestingly, DoHH2 transfected cells showed a significant p53 down-regulation, suggesting that c-MYC positively controls p53 and the failed inhibition of cell proliferation is probably due to the down-regulation of the c-MYC/p53 axis. In keeping with this, c-MYC silencing also down-regulated p53 and had no effect on cell proliferation. In accordance with this hypothesis, etoposide or nutlin-3 treatment or a small interfering RNA (siRNA) against BCL6 (B-cell lymphoma 6) inhibited the proliferation of DoHH2 cells by up-regulating p53 without affecting either miR-34a or c-MYC levels. These results indicate that the proliferation is controlled by the regulatory axis c-MYC/p53 and suggest that paradoxically miR-34a behaves as a pro-proliferative rather than an anti-proliferative miRNA in DoHH2 cells.

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Statistical optimization of lipase production in solid-state fermentation by Aspergillus tamarii NDA03a and application of the fermented solid as a biocatalyst for biodiesel production Background and objective Biodiesel, an attractive alternative fuel, is defined by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Biodiesel is an ecofriendly fuel compared with many other transportation fuels. The aim of this study was to implement the statistical approaches for optimization of Aspergillus tamarii NDA03a mutant G lipase produced in solid-state fermentation (SSF), and then application of the dried fermented solid as a biocatalyst for biodiesel production from waste frying oil (WFO). Materials and methods A. tamarii NDA03a mutant (3G) was previously selected as a good lipase producer. Five oil residue meals were evaluated in the presence of wheat bran (WB) for their potential as enzyme inducers and substrates for the production of 3G lipase by SSF. The best oil residue meal was selected and used in subsequent experiments. The fermented solid thus obtained was collected, lyophilized, and used as a biocatalyst for waste frying oil transesterification to FAME. To optimize SSF conditions for lipase production using 3G, a Plackett–Burman design was used at first to screen the critical factors from several process variables, and finally, a central composite design was applied to further estimate the relationship between the variables and response as well as optimize the levels. Response was measured in terms of FAME yield. To verify the adequacy and accuracy of the model, validation experiments were also carried out. Results and conclusion

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The most favorable oil residue meal that enhances 3G lipase production by SSF was black cumin meal. Results of the Plackett–Burman design revealed that the factors contributing to the main effect were incubation temperature, incubation period, and moisture content. The optimal SSF conditions for lipase production were WB 10 g, black cumin meal 6% (w/w of WB), pH 8, temperature 28°C, moisture content 40%, molasses 1% (w/w of WB), and incubation period 3 days. Under these optimized conditions, produced FAME yield (65.55%) increased by 58% compared with the basal medium (41.46%). A good agreement between the experimental (65.55%) and predicted (65.03%) values was detected. The significance of this model was confirmed by its probability value and lack of fit (P<0.05) and clearly showed that the model was sufficient to describe the correlation between the FAME yield and the tested variables. The obtained results ascertained the success of response surface methodology as an efficient technique to optimize the lipase production in SSF and consequently the ability of application of the dried fermented solid as a biocatalyst for biodiesel production.

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Mapping Arabic acoustic parameters to their articulatory features using neural networks A mapping system based on an artificial neural network was designed, trained, and tested to map Arabic acoustic parameters to their corresponding articulatory features. The main objective of the study was to find the correlation between these two different types of features. To train and test the system, an in-house database was created for all 29 Arabic alphabets as carrier words for our intended Arabic phonemes. Fifty Arabic native speakers were asked to utter all alphabets 10 times. Hence, the database consisted of 10 repetitions of each alphabet produced by each speaker, resulting in 14,500 tokens. The system was tested to extract Arabic articulatory features using another disjoint speech data subset. The overall accuracy of the system was 64.06% for all articulatory feature elements and all Arabic phonemes.

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Chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylase and p-nitrophenol hydroxylase as the most suitable activities for assaying cytochrome P450 2E1 in cynomolgus monkey liver. Western blot analyses of liver microsomes from 13 male and 12 female monkeys demonstrated that in each sample a variable amount of a cytochrome P450 (P450) protein, likely monkey P450 2E1, cross-reacted with anti-rat P450 2E1 antibodies. Therefore, the involvement of monkey 2E1 in the oxidation of typical substrates for 2E1 from other species, such as dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), p-nitrophenol (pNP), chlorzoxazone (CLZ), and aniline, was investigated. Kinetic studies using microsomes from five male and five female monkeys showed that CLZ and pNP hydroxylations were monophasic, with apparent KM values of 77 and 14 microgramsM, respectively, whereas aniline hydroxylation and DMN demethylation were multiphasic, suggesting that P450s other than 2E1 were involved in catalyzing the latter two reactions. When correlation analyses were performed using several monooxygenase activities determined in male and female monkey liver specimens, it was found that immunodetectable 2E1 contents were highly correlated (r >/= 0.75) with CLZ and pNP hydroxylations, weakly correlated (r = 0.6) with aniline hydroxylation, and not correlated with DMN demethylation or other monooxygenase activities; CLZ hydroxylation was strongly correlated with pNP hydroxylation, weakly correlated with aniline hydroxylation, and not correlated with DMN demethylation. Inhibition experiments showed that CLZ and pNP hydroxylations were immunoinhibited by 60-80% by anti-rat P450 2E1 and were inhibited by the prototypical 2E1 inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole with IC50 values of 1.5 and 13 microgramsM, respectively. In conclusion, the findings provide evidence that P450 2E1 is constitutively and equally expressed

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in male and female monkey liver and it exerts a major role only in hydroxylation of CLZ and pNP.

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Laser and Radiofrequency Spectroscopy of the 4d55s 5D0,1,2,3,4 and 4d45s5p 5P1,2,3 States in Mo I: Hyperfine Structure and Isotope Shifts A series of experiments has been performed to determine the hyperfine structure in the metastable 4d55s 5D1,2,3,4 states of Mo I by means of the laser radiofrequency double-resonance technique. Furthermore, hyperfine structure splittings and isotope shifts in seven optical transitions connecting the 4d55s 5D0,1,2,3,4 and the 4d45s5p 5P1,2,3 states were resolved with the high-resolution laser spectroscopy technique. Radial hyperfine structure parameters are deduced for the effective operator within the 5D states using the configuration 4d45s2, 4d55s and 4d6 as a model space. The isotope shifts are also discussed, utilizing an effective operator, with particular emphasis on the J dependence.

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Normal Aging Delays and Compromises Early Multifocal Visual Attention during Object Tracking Declines in selective attention are one of the sources contributing to age-related impairments in a broad range of cognitive functions. Most previous research on mechanisms underlying older adults' selection deficits has studied the deployment of visual attention to static objects and features. Here we investigate neural correlates of age-related differences in spatial attention to multiple objects as they move. We used a multiple object tracking task, in which younger and older adults were asked to keep track of moving target objects that moved randomly in the visual field among irrelevant distractor objects. By recording the brain's electrophysiological responses during the tracking period, we were able to delineate neural processing for targets and distractors at early stages of visual processing (∼100–300 msec). Older adults showed less selective attentional modulation in the early phase of the visual P1 component (100–125 msec) than younger adults, indicating that early selection is compromised in old age. However, with a 25-msec delay relative to younger adults, older adults showed distinct processing of targets (125–150 msec), that is, a delayed yet intact attentional modulation. The magnitude of this delayed attentional modulation was related to tracking performance in older adults. The amplitude of the N1 component (175–210 msec) was smaller in older adults than in younger adults, and the target amplification effect of this component was also smaller in older relative to younger adults. Overall, these results indicate that normal aging affects the efficiency and timing of early visual processing during multiple

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object tracking.

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[Early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis]. Tuberous sclerosis belongs to the diseases diagnosed usually at pre-school or school age. Pringle's naevus ist the basic sing indicating the diagnosis. Genetic determination of the disease makes possibly early diagnosis necessary for correct genetic counselling. In the light of long-term observations of children with tuberous sclerosis the authors discuss the problems connected with early diagnosis of this condition evaluating the diagnostic usefulness of various signs and symptoms of the disease, and the usefulness of radiological examination methods. The importance of computer tomography for early diagnosis, and of family examination in cases of tuberous sclerosis is emphasized.

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MTHFR C677T is not a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders in South Brazil Many studies have suggested that autism may be associated with metabolic abnormalities in the folate/homocysteine pathway, which is involved in DNA methylation, thus altering gene expression. One of the most important polymorphisms in this pathway is C677T of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene, because the T allele is associated with a decrease in enzymatic activity. We evaluated the association between C677T polymorphism and autism spectrum disorders through a case--control study. In addition, we analyzed the influence of this polymorphism on certain autistic behaviors like complex body movements, self-injury and averted gaze according to the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised. The analyses involved 151 children with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder and 100 healthy control children. The frequency of the T allele was 0.38 for the case group and 0.35 for the control group (P=0.77). The genotypic distribution did not show significant differences between cases and controls (P=0.72), nor association between the T allele and selected behaviors.

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Development of shashlik electromagnetic calorimeter for the NICA/MPD The main goal of the NICA heavy-ion program at JINR is an experimental investigation into the properties of nuclear matter within the energy region of the maximum baryonic density. The Multi Purpose Detector (MPD) is one of the detectors at NICA collider, which is optimized for the study on properties of hot and dense matter in heavy-ion collisions and, in particular, the search for a manifestation of possible deconfinement and/or chiral symmetry restoration phase transitions, critical end-point and mixed quark-hadron phase. Electromagnetic calorimeter (ECal) is an important part of MPD . The particular goal of MPD-ECal is to measure position and energy of photons and electrons. Taking all factors (high energy resolution, high segmentation, large enough distance to the vertex, small Moliere radius, high magnetic field and high time resolution) into consideration, a shashlik-type electromagnetic calorimeter is selected. Therefore the tower consists of 220 layers of lead plates and scintillator plates whose thicknesses are namely 0.3mm/1.5mm. The tower cell is 4×4 cm2 in size. To reduce the dead zones effect, all towers should be cut from four sides at small angles, which will significantly improve the position resolution and the performance homogeneity of the ECal. Currently, energy deposition, energy resolution and position reconstruction are studied through Monte Carlo simulations. A prototype of shashlik Ecal has been built and the cosmic test results show that the number of photoelectrons (Npe) is around 522. By comparing with the previous ECal experimental results and simulation results, it is indirectly considered that

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the energy resolution of the prototype has reached 5%/√E (GeV) . Key technologies to increase light yield are being studied and will be used in the development of new prototypes.

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Design and Construction of an Advanced Tracking Wheel for Insulator Materials Testing This account details the design and construction of a sophisticated tracking wheel for the accelerated aging of polymer insulators by subjecting them to surface contamination and high voltage. Automated control of wet-dry cycles is achieved by means of a computer-controlled lift mechanism that operates in tandem with the rotation. The applied voltage is continuously variable and can accommodate insulators of mixed lengths. The design incorporates a fail-safe control system that automates the selected test cycle, provides an intuitive user interface, and integrates multiple safety measures. This is achieved by implementing a programmable logic controller with digital and analog inputs and outputs. An associated ladder logic program automates the actuation of electromechanical hardware while also processing the inputs provided from control hardware, such as limit switches, optical encoders, variable frequency drives, and sensors. A touch-screen human interface module provides feedback and allows the user a means of input. Programmed fault detection, flood sensors, and a trapped key system increase the level of user safety and provide environmental and infrastructure protection.

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Rationale for Using Nitric Oxide Donor Therapy for Prevention of Bone Loss and Treatment of Osteoporosis in Humans Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous molecule involved in most cellular functions. While osteocytes communicate between bone cells, diffusible small molecules—H+ and NO—are involved in short‐term regulation of bone metabolism. Studies conducted over the past two decades have demonstrated the regulatory role of NO in bone metabolism. Circulating NO products are significantly lower in postmenopausal women, and estrogen supplementation restores this. Skeletal beneficial effects of estrogen are abolished with NO‐synthase enzyme inhibitors, suggesting some estrogenic skeletal effects are mediated through NO/cGMP pathway. Since estrogen/hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has potential adverse effects, supplementing NO directly is sensible. NO is also involved with other cellular functions, such as isoprenylation of the Rho GTPase that stimulates Rho‐PK (the functioning Rho‐PK in turn inactivates something that would otherwise turn on the BMP‐2/Cbfa1‐Runx‐2 cycle), and likely to be the final common pathway of other agents including statins. The first human study using nitroglycerine in the prevention of oophorectomy‐induced bone loss demonstrated an equivalent efficacy to estrogen in the prevention of bone loss. A randomized NIH‐funded NOVEL clinical study is currently assessing the effectiveness of topically administered nitroglycerine in the prevention of postmenopausal bone loss. If efficacy of nitroglycerine is confirmed, it may become a highly cost‐effective and safe alternative therapy to treat osteoporosis. Nitroglycerine has beneficial effects in multiple systems, especially the cardiovascular system. If results of this study confirm our hypothesis, it is plausible that nitroglycerine therapy may supplant estrogen replacement

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and SERMs in preventing and treating postmenopausal osteoporosis.

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Clafer : a Unified Language for Class and Feature Modeling This paper presents Clafer, a class modeling language with first class support for feature modeling. In the work we identify key differences between class and feature models and show how to unify the two notations. Our language offers simple, yet powerful constraint notation to restrict models and define mappings between features and classes. In the paper, we describe how to use Clafer to express problem and solution spaces and specify mappings between them. We also present a Clafer-to-Alloy translator, our primary tool that gives precise semantics to Clafer.

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Economic and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) comparison of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) and atazanavir plus ritonavir (ATV+RTV) based regimens for antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve and -experienced United Kingdom patients in 2011 Abstract Background: Using a United Kingdom (UK)-based National Health Services perspective for 2011 this study first estimated the cost-effectiveness and budget impact implications for lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) vs atazanavir plus ritonavir (ATV+RTV) treatment of antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve patients and secondly examined the long-term health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and economic implications for LPV/r vs ATV+RTV treatment of ART-experienced patients. Methods: A previously published Markov model that integrates epidemiological data of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) with predictors of coronary heart disease (CHD) was modified under a clearly specified set of assumptions to reflect viral load (VL) suppression profiles and other differences for these two regimens, applying results from the CASTLE study in ART-naïve patients and using data from BMS-045 in ART-experienced patients. ART costs were referenced to current (2011) pricing guidelines in the UK. Medical care costs reflected UK treatment patterns and relevant drug pricing. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 3.5% per year. Costs are expressed in British pounds (£) and life expectancy in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Results: In the ART-naïve subjects, the model predicted a marginal improved life expectancy of 0.031 QALYs (11 days) for the ATV+RTV regimen as a result of predicted CHD outcomes based on lower increases in cholesterol levels compared with the LPV/r regimen. The model demonstrated cost savings with the LPV/r regimen. The total lifetime cost savings was £4070 per patient for the LPV/r regimen. LPV/r

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saved £2133 and £3409 per patient at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Referenced to LPV/r, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for ATV+RTV was £149,270/QALY. For ART-experienced patients VL suppression differences favored LPV/r, while CHD risk associated with elevated total cholesterol marginally favored ATV+RTV, resulting in a net improvement in life expectancy of 0.31 QALYs (106 days) for LPV/r. Five-year costs were £5538 per patient greater for ATV+RTV, with a discounted lifetime saving of £1445 per LPV/r patient. LPV/r was modestly dominant economically, producing better outcomes and cost savings. Limitations: The limitations of this study include uncertainty related to how well the model’s assumptions capture current practice, as well as the validity of the model parameters used. This study was limited to using aggregated data in the public domain from the two clinical trials. Thus, some of the model parameters may reflect limitations due to trial design and data aggregation bias. This study has attempted to illuminate the effect of these limitations by presenting the results of the comprehensive sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: Based on 2011 costs of HIV in the UK and the published efficacy data from the CASTLE and BMS-045 studies, ATV+RTV-based regimens are not expected to be a cost-effective use of resources for ART-naïve patients similar to patients in the CASTLE study, nor for ART-experienced patients based on the only published comparison of ATV+RTV and LPV/r.

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Principles of a nanoscale DNA scanner. A nanofluidic device for the routine stretching of single DNA molecules was hypothesised and tested. The device consists of an entrance channel leading to a post-field preceding an elongational flow field. The device facilitates each molecule's coil-to-stretch transition, counteracts its entropic recoil, and presents a stream of moving stretched molecules for detailed single-molecule time-of-flight measurements. The physics of DNA stretching was explored in a device where there was a juxtaposition of hexagonal upright post arrays with lithographically defined elongational flow fields.

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Book Review: “The Work of Our Hands.” The Australian pioneering spirit is seen through the early days of sharing the premises of a boys' society, to the mid 1960's when the O.T. school took up residence in a converted factory with schools of Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy. Therapy students at Lincoln House were able to share the facilities of Melbourne University, preparing the way for the four-year Occupational Therapy degree course established in 1973. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY-MAY, 1980

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