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3-Hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase deficiency in an infant with developmental delay and high anion gap acidosis. Due to the rarity of this disorder, paying attention to diagnostic clues is important. Low valine formula seems to be effective in improvement of patient's symptoms. Prevention of consanguineous marriage is the best way to prevent this disease. | [
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Multi-aspect applications and development challenges of digital twin-driven management in global smart ports. Digital twin (DT) creates a revolutionary opportunity for the smart ports' authorities, with the capability of high-fidelity digital representation of real-world things. DT-driven management is able to predict potential risk, it is considered to be a key integration involves transport and operation related with smart port supply chains. This paper presents DT information visualizations & outcome loop of global smart ports' management, and core technique towards smart ports' processes based on DT-driven management. A systematic framework of DT-based model for smart port's management is presented, which can be categorized into physical layer, data layer, model layer, service layer and application layer. Decision-makers engage in operational management through the DT-based models and platform. To illustrate DT mechanism, multi-aspect functional applications of DT-driven management are discussed, including cargo handling and transportation, containers operation and storage, data communication and sharing, risk prediction, and environmental protection in global smart ports. Meanwhile, this paper proposes concerned challenges of DT-driven management integrated with optimized cross-platform in smart ports' processes, to indicate there are barriers ahead to get to an ideal visual-based management system. Current challenges help decision-makers to determine where to find a proper strategy to win, in the future, DT visual applications can be extended in several directions of global port industry. This work contributes to address a comprehensive overview of DT managing capabilities together with details of necessary architecture to support effective simulations in virtual port's space. It provides DT-driven platform will enable better management across the smart port activities from design to transport to operation and sustainment of innovative plan. | [
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IgA and IgG1 Specific to Vi Polysaccharide of Salmonella Typhi Correlate With Protection Status in a Typhoid Fever Controlled Human Infection Model. Vaccination against Salmonella Typhi using the Vi capsular polysaccharide, a T-cell independent antigen, can protect from the development of typhoid fever. This implies that antibodies to Vi alone can protect in the absence of a T cell-mediated immune response; however, protective Vi antibodies have not been well-characterized. We hypothesized that variability in the biophysical properties of vaccine-elicited antibodies, including subclass distribution and avidity, may impact protective outcomes. To interrogate the relationship between antibody properties and protection against typhoid fever, we analyzed humoral responses from participants in a vaccine efficacy (VE) trial using a controlled human infection model (CHIM) who received either a purified Vi polysaccharide (Vi-PS) or Vi tetanus toxoid conjugate (Vi-TT) vaccine followed by oral challenge with live S. Typhi. We determined the avidity, overall magnitude, and vaccine-induced fold-change in magnitude from before immunization to day of challenge of Vi IgA and IgG subclass antibodies. Amongst those who received the Vi-PS vaccine, Vi IgA magnitude (FDR p = 0.01) and fold-change (FDR p = 0.02) were significantly higher in protected individuals compared with those individuals who developed disease (\\'diagnosed\\'). In the Vi-TT vaccine group, the responses of protected individuals had higher fold-change in Vi IgA (FDR p = 0.06) and higher Vi IgG1 avidity (FDR p = 0.058) than the diagnosed Vi-TT vaccinees, though these findings were not significant at p < 0.05. Overall, protective antibody signatures differed between the Vi-PS and Vi-TT vaccines, thus, we conclude that although the Vi-PS and Vi-TT vaccines were observed to have similar efficacies, these vaccines may protect through different mechanisms. These data will inform studies on mechanisms of protection against typhoid fever, including identification of antibody effector functions, as well as informing future vaccination strategies. | [
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Co-infection with Nocardia spp. in a patient with Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease: A case report. Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD) is sometimes accompanied by co-infection with other pathogenic microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Haemophilus influenzae. However, co-infection with Nocardia spp. has been rarely reported. We report on a patient diagnosed as having co-infection with Nocardia after treatment for MAC-PD, which was successfully treated using trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). A 74-year-old woman with MAC-PD was admitted to our hospital to undergo reexamination for pathogenic microorganisms because chest computed tomography (CT) findings did not improve after treatment for MAC-PD. She underwent bronchoscopy and Nocardia spp. was detected from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture. Chest CT findings improved after 6 months of treatment using TMP-SMX. Co-infection with other pathogenic microorganisms should be considered when chest CT findings worsen after adequate treatment of MAC-PD. Chest CT findings of Nocardia pulmonary disease in immunocompetent patients can mimic those of MAC-PD and should therefore be differentiated one from the other. | [
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Variational approach to time-dependent fluorescence of a driven qubit. We employ the Dirac-Frenkel variational principle and the multiple Davydov ansatz to study time-dependent fluorescence spectra of a driven qubit in the weak to strong qubit-reservoir coupling regimes, where both the Rabi frequency and the spontaneous decay rate are comparable to the transition frequency of the qubit. Our method agrees well with the time-local master-equation approach in the weak coupling regime, and offers a flexible way to compute the spectra from the bosonic dynamics instead of two-time correlation functions. While the perturbative master equation breaks down in the strong coupling regime, our method actually becomes more accurate due to the use of bosonic coherent states under certain conditions. We show that the counter-rotating coupling between the qubit and the reservoir has considerable contributions to the photon number dynamics and the spectra under strong driving conditions even when the coupling is moderately weak. The time-dependent spectra are found to be generally asymmetric, a feature that is derived from photon number dynamics. In addition, it is shown that the spectral profiles can be dramatically different from the Mollow triplet due to strong dissipation and/or multiphoton processes associated with the strong driving. Our formalism provides a unique perspective to interpret time-dependent spectra. | [
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Physicochemical examinations of the mechanisms and regulation of photosynthesis in higher plants: II. Luminescence induction in examination of photosynthesis regulation. A possibility of a quantitative physicochemical approach in examination of the kinetic characteristics of individual stages and regulation of photosynthesis of plants as a whole is demonstrated. | [
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Three-dimensional approach to scanning tunneling spectroscopy and application to Shockley states. The problem of the interpretation of scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) data is analytically solved using a three-dimensional (3D) transfer Hamiltonian approach. We present an analytical model capable of including both the electronic structure of the sample and the symmetry of the tip states (s, p(z), d(z)2, ... ) and we discuss the role of these 3D aspects in tunneling. We applied this model to the case of Shockley states. This system, allowing a full analytical treatment, led us to a detailed simulation and comprehension of the tunneling process. A procedure for the recovery of the sample local density of states from STS measurements is then proposed and applied to both the simulated and the experimental STS data of Shockley states. Comparing this approach with other methods proposed in the literature, the importance of considering the 3D aspects in treating and interpreting STS data is demonstrated. | [
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A comparison of EDI with solvent-free MALDI and LDI for the analysis of organic pigments. To evaluate the applicability of EDI to material analysis as a new ionization method, a comparison of EDI with solvent-free matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and laser desorption ionization (LDI) was made for the analysis of organic pigments, e.g. Pigment Yellow 93, Pigment Yellow 180, and Pigment Green 36, as test samples, which are poorly soluble in standard solvents. In EDI, the samples were prepared in two ways: deposition of suspended samples in appropriate solvents and dried on the substrate, and the direct deposition of the powder samples on the substrate. No matrices were used. Both sample preparation methods gave similar mass spectra. Equally strong signals of [M + H](+) and [M - H](-) ions were observed with some fragment ions for azo pigments in the respective positive or negative mode of operation. For the powder sample of the phthalocyanine pigment PG36, M+center dot and [M + H](+) in the positive mode and M-center dot in the negative mode of operation were observed as major ions. Positive-mode, solvent-free MALDI gave M+, [M + H](+) and [M + Na](+) and negative mode gave [M - H](-) depending on the sample preparation. As solvent-free MALDI, EDI was also found to be an easy-to-operate, versatile method for the samples as received. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. | [
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Establishment and Validation of a Nomogram for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Concerning the Prognostic Effect of Parotid Lymph Node Metastases. Totally, 164/7,084 NPC patients (2.3%) presented with PLNs. Multivariate analyses showed that PLN metastasis was a negative prognostic factor for OS, progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS). Patients with PLN metastasis had a worse prognosis than N3 disease. Five independent prognostic factors were included in the nomogram, which showed a C-index of 0.743. The calibration curves for probability of 3- and 5-year OS indicated satisfactory agreement between nomogram-based prediction and actual observation. All results were confirmed in the validation cohort.The prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with parotid lymph node (PLN) metastasis remains unclear. This study was performed to investigate the prognostic significance and optimal staging category of PLN metastasis and develop a nomogram for estimating individual risk.ResultsNPC patient with PLN metastasis had poorer survival outcome (OS, PFS, DMFS, and LRFS) than N3 disease. We developed a nomogram to provide individual prediction of OS for patients with PLN metastasis.ConclusionClinical data of 7,084 non-metastatic NPC patients were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint. A nomogram was established based on the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The accuracy and calibration ability of this nomogram was evaluated by C-index and calibration curves with bootstrap validation.PurposeMaterials and Methods | [
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Cyclins and cell cycle checkpoints. The eucaryotic cell cycle is regulated by the periodic synthesis and destruction of cyclins that associate with and activate cyclin-dependent kinases. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, such as p21 and p16, also play important roles in cell cycle control by coordinating internal and external signals and impeding proliferation at several key checkpoints. Understanding how these proteins interact to regulate the cell cycle has become increasingly important to researchers and clinicians with the discovery that many of the genes that encode cell cycle regulatory activities are targets for alterations that underlie the development of cancer. Several therapeutic agents, such as DNA-damaging drugs, microtubule inhibitors, antimetabolites, and topoisomerase inhibitors, take advantage of this disruption in normal cell cycle regulation to target checkpoint controls and ultimately induce growth arrest or apoptosis of neoplastic cells. Other therapeutic drugs being developed, such as UCN-01, specifically inhibit cell cycle regulatory proteins. | [
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The economic impact and cost-effectiveness of combined vector-control and dengue vaccination strategies in Thailand: results from a dynamic transmission model. Background and aimsConclusionsAuthor summaryDengue fever has become a major public health problem. It is considered one of the most important mosquito-borne viral diseases and occurs in >100 countries in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia-Pacific, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa with >3 billion people at risk. Despite current control interventions against dengue fever in endemic countries, the disease is associated with considerable healthcare utilisation, personal costs to patients and caregivers, productivity loss and human suffering. Whilst the illness is well understood, there is also recognition that current control efforts focussing predominantly on Aedes aegypti control and elimination are less than optimal although may still have an important role to play in the short to medium term. In this study, we consider the cost-effectiveness of individual as well as mixed dengue control strategies in Thailand, embracing chemical interventions, public health education/ environmental control and paediatric vaccination using a dengue vaccine profile broadly consistent with (dengue) vaccines in late stage development. To anticipate the transition to possible new vector control technologies, we also carry out exploratory scenario analyses of the impact and cost-effectiveness of the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes (which are less capable of spreading viruses). Our findings indicate that single dengue control interventions can be cost-effective weapons in reducing dengue infections, although their effectiveness may be additionally enhanced when combined.Dengue fever is a major public health problem in tropical/subtropical regions. Prior economic analyses have predominantly evaluated either vaccination or vector-control programmes in isolation and do not really consider the incremental benefits and cost-effectiveness of mixed strategies and combination control. We estimated the cost-effectiveness of single and combined approaches in Thailand.The impacts of different control interventions were analysed using a previously published mathematical model of dengue epidemiology and control incorporating seasonality, age structure, consecutive infection, cross protection, immune enhancement and combined vector-host transmission. An economic model was applied to simulation results to estimate the cost-effectiveness of 4 interventions and their various combinations (6 strategies): i) routine vaccination of 1-year olds; ii) chemical vector control strategies targeting adult and larval stages separately; iii) environmental management/ public health education and awareness [EM/ PHEA]). Payer and societal perspectives were considered. The health burden of dengue fever was assessed using disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost. Costs and effects were assessed for 10 years. Costs were discounted at 3% annually and updated to 2013 United States Dollars. Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out after strategies were rank-ordered by cost, with results presented in a table of incremental analysis. Sensitivity and scenario analyses were undertaken; and the impact and cost-effectiveness of Wolbachia was evaluated in exploratory scenario analyses.Our model shows that individual interventions can be cost-effective, but that important epidemiological reductions and economic impacts are demonstrated when interventions are combined as part of an integrated approach to combating dengue fever. Exploratory scenario analyses demonstrated the potential epidemiological and cost-effective impact of Wolbachia when deployed at scale on a nationwide basis. Our findings were robust in the face of sensitivity analyses.From the payer and societal perspectives, 2 combination strategies were considered optimal, as all other control strategies were dominated. Vaccination plus adulticide plus EM/ PHEA was deemed cost-effective according to multiple cost-effectiveness criteria. From the societal perspective, incremental differences vs. adulticide and EM/ PHEA resulted in costs of $157.6 million and DALYs lost of 12,599, giving an expected ICER of $12,508 per DALY averted. Exploratory scenario analyses showed Wolbachia to be highly cost-effective ($343 per DALY averted) vs. other single control measures.MethodsResults | [
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Molecular identification and subtypes distribution of Blastocystis sp. isolated from children and adolescent with cancer in Iran: evaluation of possible risk factors and clinical features. Purpose This study aimed to determine the molecular characterization and subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. isolated from cancer children and adolescents in Shiraz, Fars province, southwestern Iran. Methods Overall, 200 fecal samples obtained from cancer children and adolescents under 18 years old (107 males and 93 females) and checked by microscopy, culture, and molecular methods (PCR). Possible etiological factors and clinical characteristics of Blastocystis infection were also evaluated and compared between Blastocystis infected and non-infected patients. Results Thirteen of 200 (6.5%) stool samples were positive for Blastocystis by microscopy. While 21 of 200 (10.5%) were positive by culture, and 24 of 200 (12%) were positive by PCR. Out of 24 positive samples tested by PCR and sequencing, ST3 was reported as the most common subtype (nine samples, 37.5%), followed by ST2 (eight samples, 33.3%), ST1 (five samples, 20.9%), and ST7 (two samples, 8.3%). The prevalence of Blastocystis infection in males was significantly higher than females (p = 0.024). Also, Blastocystis was more prevalent in patients who had received at least eight chemotherapy cycles than fewer (p = 0.002). However, no associations were found between Blastocystis-positive rate and age, residence, type of cancers, or contact with animals. Also, there was no significant difference between frequency of Blastocystis subtypes in symptomatic and asymptomatic cancer patients. Conclusions Various controlled epidemiologic and topographic studies need to confirm or reject these possible associations with Blastocystis infection. The data from this study are an invaluable addition to the growing body of research studies on Blastocystis infection in cancer patients. | [
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Production of saccharides from sugar beet pulp by ultrafast hydrolysis in supercritical water. Sugar beet pulp (SBP) is the major by-product in sugar industry. To make profit out of this undervalued residue, the FASTSUGARS process was proposed as a solution, combining the advantages of supercritical water as hydrolysis medium with very short reaction times in the so-called ultrafast reactors. Operating at 390 degrees C, 25 MPa and reaction times between 0.11 and 1.15 s it was possible to convert SBP into sugars and to obtain a lignin-like solid fraction. The highest yields of C-6 and C-5 sugars (61 and 71% w/w, respectively) were obtained at 0.11 s with the lowest yield of degradation products. The solid product obtained at 0.14 s was thoroughly analyzed by acid hydrolysis, TGA and FTIR analysis to prove its enhanced thermal properties and aromaticity. The FASTSUGARS process demonstrated being a versatile and promising technology to be integrated in the future biorefineries. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. | [
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Square-well fluid based decoupling approximation for system of hard non-spherical particles with spherical square-wells. A new theory based on the virial equation has been developed to study a system of hard nonspherical particles embedded into square-wells. The theory relies on a mapping of the pair correlation function of the system of interest onto that of spherical square-wells. This is a generalization of the Parsons-Lee theory of pure hard convex bodies. Comparisons show that this theory is superior to previous theories and incorporates them into a common framework. Competition between the excluded volume effect of repulsive forces and the condensation effect of attractive forces has been demonstrated. We have found three types of phase diagrams, among which one exhibits a nematic-nematic phase transition. | [
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Response to desmopressin is influenced by the genotype and phenotype in type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD): results from the European Study MCMDM-1VWD. We have prospectively evaluated the biologic response to desmopressin in 77 patients with type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD) enrolled within the Molecular and Clinical Markers for the Diagnosis and Management of type 1 VWD project. Complete response to desmopressin was defined as an increase of both ristocetin cofactor activity (VWF:RCo) and factor VIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C) to 50 IU/dL or higher and partial response as VWF: RCo or FVIII:C lower than 50 IU/dL after infusion, but at least 3-fold the basal level. Complete response was observed in 83% of patients; partial in 13%; and no response in 4%. Patients with some abnormality of VWF multimeric pattern had significantly lower basal FVIII:C and VWF, lower VWF:RCo/Ag ratio, and less complete responses to desmopressin than patients with a normal multimeric pattern (P =.002). Patients with mutations at codons 1130 and 1205 in the D'-D3 domain had the greatest relative increase, but shortest FVIII and VWF half-lives after infusion. Most partial and nonresponsive patients had mutations in the A1-A3 domains. Response to desmopressin in these VWD patients seemed to be associated with the location of the causative mutation. The presence of subtle multimeric abnormalities did not hamper potential clinically useful responses, as in typical type 1 VWD. | [
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Dimensionality of hypercube clusters. We investigate clusters of hypercubes in d-dimensional space as a function of the number of vertices, N, and number of cluster shells, L. The number of links, vertices, and exterior vertices exhibit 'magic number' characteristics versus L, as the dimension of the space changes. Starting with only the spatial coordinates, we create an adjacency and distance matrix that facilitates the calculation of topological indices, including the Wiener, hyper-Wiener, reverse Wiener, Szeged, Balaban, and Kirchhoff indices. Some known topological formulas for hypercubes when L = 1 are experimentally verified. The asymptotic limits with N of the topological indices are shown to exhibit power law behavior whose exponent changes with d and type of topological index. The asymptotic graph energy is linear with N, whose slope changes with d, and in 2D agrees numerically with previous calculations. Also, the thermodynamic properties such as entropy, free energy, and enthalpy of these lattices show logarithmic behavior with increasing N. The hypercubic clusters are projected onto 3D space when the dimensionality d > 3. | [
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Co-Occurrence and Predictors of Three Commonly Occurring Behavioral Symptoms in Dementia: Agitation, Aggression, and Rejection of Care. Objective: To investigate co-occurrences of agitation, aggression, and rejection of care in community-dwelling families living with dementia. Methods: Cross-sectional, secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial testing a nonpharmacological intervention to reduce behavioral symptoms. We examined frequency of occurrence of presenting behaviors at baseline and their combination. Omnibus tests compared those exhibiting combinations of behaviors on contributory factors. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined relationships of contributory factors to combinations of behaviors. Results: Of 272 persons with dementia (PwDs), 41 (15%) had agitation alone (Agi), 3 (1%) had aggression alone, 5 (2%) had rejection of care alone. For behavioral combinations, 65 (24%) had agitation and aggression (Agi+Aggr), 35 (13%) had agitation and rejection (Agi+Rej), 1 (0%) had aggression and rejection, and 106 (39%) had all three behaviors (All). Four behavioral subgroups (Agi, Agi+Aggr, Agi+Rej, and All) were examined. Kruskal-Wallis tests showed that there were significant group differences in PwD cognition, functional dependence, and caregiver frustration. PwDs in Agi+Rej and All were more cognitively impaired than those in Agi and Agi+Aggr. Also, caregivers in All were more frustrated than those in Agi. In logistic regression analyses, compared with Agi, greater cognitive impairment was a significant predictor of Agi+Rej and All, but not Agi+Aggr. In contrast, greater caregiver frustration was a significant predictor of Agi+Aggr and All, but not Agi+Rej. Conclusions: We found that agitation, aggression, and rejection are common but distinct behaviors. Combinations of these behaviors have different relationships with contributory factors, suggesting the need for targeting treatment approaches to clusters. | [
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Strengthening detoxication impacts of Coprinus comatus on nickel and fluoranthene co-contaminated soil by bacterial inoculation. To develop an efficient and environmental-friendly approach to detoxicate nickel (Ni) and fluoranthene co-contaminated soil, the combined application of Coprinus comatus (C. comatus) with Serratia sp. FFC5 and/or Enterobacter sp. E2 was investigated. The pot experiment tested the influences of bacterial inoculation on the growth of C. comatus, content of Ni in C. comatus, Ni speciation in soil, fluoranthene dissipation, soil enzymatic activities, bacterial population and community structure. With the inoculation of bacteria, the fresh weights of C. comatus, concentration of Ni in C. comatus and the dissipation rates of fluoranthene were increased by 17.73-29.38%, 68.97-204.97% and 34.84-60.90%, respectively. Notably, results illustrated that the co-inoculation of FFC5 and E2 showed better effect in biomass enhancement, Ni accumulation and fluoranthene dissipation than solitary inoculation. Simultaneously, higher soil enzymatic and microbiological activities suggested that the integrated detoxication method of bacteria and C. comatus could improve soil quality. Therefore, we can infer that bacterial inoculation strengthened detoxication effect of C. comatus in Ni-fluoranthene co-contaminated soil, indicating that the combined application of C. comatus and bacteria can be an efficient alternative for detoxicating Ni and fluoranthene co-contaminated soil. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd. | [
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Direct bypassing of extrahepatic portal venous obstruction in children: A new technique for combined hepatic portal revascularization and treatment of extrahepatic portal hypertension. Background: Decompression of extrahepatic portal hypertension by directly bypassing the thrombosed portal vein has never been reported in cases of children with idiopathic (or neonatal) portal vein obstruction and cavernoma.Conclusions: This study shows that direct bypassing of portal cavernoma is possible and results in effective portal decompression. Restoration of the hepatic portal flow is a major advantage compared with conventional surgical shunting procedures. This new technique is potentially applicable to two thirds of children with portal vein thrombosis and should be considered when shunting procedures are indicated. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.Results: The mesenterico-portal bypass restored a direct (physiological) hepatopetal portal flow. The operation resulted in effective portal decompression as demonstrated by decrease of the pressure gradient, rapid regression of clinical signs of portal hypertension, and definitive control of bleeding.Methods: Seven children (15 years or younger) with portal vein obstruction requiring surgical decompression (urgently in two cases), and in whom preoperative Doppler had shown that the intrahepatic portal branches were hypoplastic but free of thrombus, were included in a pilot study. The cavernoma was bypassed by interposing a venous jugular autograft between the superior mesenteric vein and the distal portion of the left portal vein. Patients received follow-up using routine clinical parameters, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and Doppler ultrasound. | [
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Inverse synchronizations in coupled time-delay systems with inhibitory coupling. Transitions between inverse anticipatory, inverse complete, and inverse lag synchronizations are shown to occur as a function of the coupling delay in unidirectionally coupled time-delay systems with inhibitory coupling. We have also shown that the same general asymptotic stability condition obtained using the Krasovskii-Lyapunov functional theory can be valid for the cases where (i) both the coefficients of the Delta(t) (error variable) and Delta(tau) = Delta(t-tau) (error variable with delay) terms in the error equation corresponding to the synchronization manifold are time independent and (ii) the coefficient of the Delta term is time independent, while that of the Delta(tau) term is time dependent. The existence of different kinds of synchronization is corroborated using similarity function, probability of synchronization, and also from changes in the spectrum of Lyapunov exponents of the coupled time-delay systems. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3125721] | [
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Spectrum of pathogenic mutations and associated polymorphisms in a cohort of 44 unrelated patients with long QT syndrome. Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a rare and clinically heterogeneous inherited disorder characterized by a long QT interval on the electrocardiogram, increased risk of syncope and sudden death caused by arrhythmias. This syndrome is mostly caused by mutations in genes encoding various cardiac ion channels. The clinical heterogeneity is usually attributed to variable penetrance. One of the reasons for this variability in expression could be the coexistence of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on LQTS-causing genes and/or unknown genes. Some synonymous and nonsynonymous exonic SNPs identified in LQTS-causing genes may have an effect on the cardiac repolarization process and modulate the clinical expression of a latent LQTS pathogenic mutation. We report the molecular pattern of 44 unrelated patients with LQTS using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the KCNQ1, KCNH2, SCN5A, KCNE1 and KCNE2 genes. Forty-five disease-causing mutations (including 24 novel ones) were identified in this cohort. Most of our patients (84%) showed complex molecular pattern with one mutation (and even two for four patients) associated with several SNPs located in several LQTS genes. | [
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Reproduction of Meloidogyne spp. on resistant peanut genotypes from three breeding programs. Three described species of root-knot nematode parasitize peanut (Arachis hypogaea): Meloidogyne arenaria race 1 (Ma), M. hapla (Mh), and M. javanica (Mj). Peanut cultivars with broad resistance to Meloidogyne spp. will be useful regardless of the species present in the field. The objective of this study was to determine whether peanut genotypes with resistance to M. arenaria originating from three different breeding programs were also resistant to M. hapla and M. javanica. The experiment used a factorial arrangement (completely randomized) with peanut genotype and nematode population as the factors. The five peanut genotypes were 'COAN' and AT 0812 (highly resistant to Ma), C209-6-13 (moderately resistant to Ma), and 'Southern Runner' and 'Georgia Green' (susceptible to Ma). The four nematode populations were two isolates of Ma (Gibbs and Gop) and one isolate each of Mh and Mj. On COAN or AT 0812, both Ma and Mj produced <10% of the eggs produced on Georgia Green. On the peanut genotype C209-6-13, Ma and Mj produced about 50% of the eggs produced on Georgia Green. None of the resistant genotypes exhibited a high level of resistance to Mh. The lack of resistance to Mh in any cultivars or advanced germplasm is a concern because the identity of a Meloidogyne sp. in a particular peanut field is generally not known. Breeding efforts should focus on moving genes for resistance to ill. hapla into advanced peanut germplasm, and combining genes for resistance to the major Meloidogyne spp. in a single cultivar. | [
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Screen Porosity and Exclusion of Pest in Greenhouse Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). To quantify the presence of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genny), thrips (Frakliniella occidentalis Pergande), and leaf miners (Liriomiza trifolli Burgess) in the exterior and interior of greenhouses, and the effect of screens as physical barriers on the yield and quality of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), five screens with different porosities were installed on the side windows of greenhouses. The amount of the three insects outside the greenhouses was 30% greater than in the interior. Mesh with 39% porosity limited to 30 and 18% the abundance of B. tabaci and F. occidentalis, while L. trifolli decreased 30% using 37.5% or 37.9% porosity meshes. Greater tomato yield was obtained with 39% porosity mesh on the greenhouse side windows. | [
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When Borders Matter: Crafting Borders in a Participatory Artistic Project at Trapholt Museum. In 2020, 778 embroiderers co-created a textile artwork at the Danish museum Trapholt. Textile artist Iben Hoj developed the artistic design, and citizens contributed 713 embroideries, which Hoj assembled in a huge mobile, exhibited at Trapholt 2020-21. The project, Stitches Beyond Borders, was part of a celebration of the cession of North Schleswig from Germany to Denmark in 1920. However, the project addressed not only the centenary but also invited the participants to reflect on other borders and boundaries. This combination-of a national celebration and an open theme of borders and boundaries- attracted our interest. For how would Stitches Beyond Borders combine a contested topic like borders with a national celebration? How would diverse and potentially antagonistic understandings of borders interact in the participatory process and product? Based on an analysis of diverse and rich empirical material, we relate these questions to the controversial socio-political bordering practices in Denmark and theories of borders, participation, and craft. We analyze a borderscape of competing meanings and conclude that although Stitches Beyond Borders was a highly successful participatory, artistic craft project, it only partly fulfilled its unique potential to address contemporary bordering practices and create alternative imaginaries, subjectivities and agencies. | [
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Effects of vitamin E and selenium supplementation on blood lipid peroxidation and cortisol concentration in dairy cows undergoing omentopexy. Twenty dairy cows with left abomasal displacement were used to investigate the effects of vitamin E and selenium treatment on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and blood cortisol in dairy cows stressed by omentopexy. The cows were randomly divided into two groups. Ten hours before surgery 6g of DL--tocopheryl acetate (6mg/kg) and 67mg of natrium selenite (0.1mg/kg) in volume of 40ml (Vitaselen((R))) were administered subcutaneously to 10 cows; the control animals (n=10) received an equivalent volume of injectable water (40ml). The injection of vitamin E and selenium produced a rapid rise (p<.05) in blood -tocopherol and selenium concentrations. The serum vitamin E increased several times 10hr after vitamin E and Se injection and raised continuously to the highest average concentration 21.6mg/L at hr 24 after the surgery. The highest selenium concentration was seen 10hr after selenium administration with holding the increased concentrations in comparison with initial ones during the whole study. Two-way ANOVA did not show significant treatment effect on plasma concentrations TBARS in the study. The plasma concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances reached the maximum value of 0.18mol/L in the control group 5hr after the surgery. Twenty-four hours after the surgery, the TBARS values returned to the initial ones. Serum cortisol increased in both groups after surgery. The highest cortisol concentrations were reached at 1hr after surgery in the experimental and control group (56.7 +/- 28.8 and 65.3 +/- 26.1g/L respectively). A return to the levels similar to the initial ones was recognized 24hr after the surgery. The ANOVA revealed a significant effect of vitamin E and selenium injection on plasma cortisol (p<.05). In conclusion, we have demonstrated that abdominal surgery resulted in typical stress changes with no significant effects of a single vitamin E/Se injection on blood lipid peroxidation. In addition, a weaker cortisol response to the abdominal surgery was recognized in animals treated with vitamin E and selenium. | [
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Quality evaluation of human serum albumin prepared by heat denaturation in Iran: An experience for developing countries. Albumin preparation in pilot scale with heat denaturation was performed for the first time in Iran. This method using surplus plasma is recommended for all countries that have no access to plasma fractionation industry. Therefore with more attention it has potential for use in the production of safe plasma derived products and thereby it can be used as a safe product in clinic. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Blood and plasma are unique resources and access to these products save life. In this study, albumin demand and surplus plasma makes it possible to use local experiences in plasma industry for preparation of albumin so plasma was heated after stabilization; afterward denatured proteins were precipitated and separated by continuous centrifuge system. The supernatant contained albumin was filtrated, diafiltrated, ultrafiltrated, formulated and pasteurized. | [
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A 32-channel photon counting module with embedded auto/cross-correlators for real-time parallel fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a well-established technique to study binding interactions or the diffusion of fluorescently labeled biomolecules in vitro and in vivo. Fast FCS experiments require parallel data acquisition and analysis which can be achieved by exploiting a multi-channel Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) array and a corresponding multi-input correlator. This paper reports a 32-channel FPGA based correlator able to perform 32 auto/cross-correlations simultaneously over a lag-time ranging from 10 ns up to 150 ms. The correlator is included in a 32 x 1 SPAD array module, providing a compact and flexible instrument for high throughput FCS experiments. However, some inherent features of SPAD arrays, namely afterpulsing and optical crosstalk effects, may introduce distortions in the measurement of auto-and cross-correlation functions. We investigated these limitations to assess their impact on the module and evaluate possible workarounds. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC. | [
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Organic nonvolatile resistive memory devices based on thermally deposited Au nanoparticle. Uniform Au nanoparticles (NPs) are formed by thermally depositing nominal 2-nm thick Au film on a 10-nm thick polyimide film formed on a Al electrode, and then covered by a thin polymer semiconductor film, which acts as an energy barrier for electrons to be injected from the other Al electrode (on top of polymer film) into the Au NPs, which are energetically electron traps in such a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device. The Au NPs based RRAM device exhibits estimated retention time of 10(4) s, cycle times of more than 100, and ON-OFF ratio of 10(2) to 10(3). The carrier transport properties are also analyzed by fitting the measured I-V curves with several conduction models. (C) 2013 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. | [
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(Re) constructing economic citizenship in a welfare state intersections of gender and class. Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to discuss and illustrate how contemporary market discourses rearticulate socio-political relationships and identities, including the rights, duties, and opportunities of individuals and categories of individuals as citizens. More specifically, the purpose is to analyze how \\'economic citizenship\\' is articulated and negotiated in the intersection of (Nordic) welfare state ideals and shareholder-oriented market discourses. The paper further elaborates on how different identity markers, especially gender and class, intersect in these articulations and contribute to exclusionary practices.Originality/value - The paper contributes to critical/feminist management studies by elaborating on the role of the business media as an important site of political identity work, positioning, and moral regulation, where neoliberal ideas, based upon and reproducing masculine and elitist systems of privilege, appear as normalized and self-evidently valued.Findings - The study illustrates how financialist market discourses render citizenship intelligible in exceedingly economic terms, overriding social and political dimensions of citizenship. The business media construct hierarchies of economic citizens where two categories of actors claim full economic citizenship: the transnational corporation and the transnational investor. Within these categories, particular systems of privilege intersect in similar ways, rendering them masculine and upper middleclass. Whether interpreted as hegemonic or counter-hegemonic, the financialist discourses rearticulate the social hierarchies and moral landscape in Finnish society.Design/methodology/approach - The paper approaches the articulation of economic citizenship through an empirical study that focusses on business media representations and online discussions of a major factory shutdown in Finland. Drawing from discourse theory and the notions of representational intersectionality and translocational positionality, the paper analyzes how gender and class intersect in the construction of economic citizenship in the business media. | [
3,
115
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CFTR modulates lung secretory cell proliferation and differentiation. We have permanently reversed the lethal phenotype in the cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-deficient (knockout) mouse after in utero gene therapy with an adenovirus containing the cftr gene. The gene transfer targeted somatic stem cells in the developing lung and intestine, and these epithelial surfaces demonstrated permanent developmental changes after treatment. The survival statistics from the progeny of heterozygote-heterozygote matings after in utero cftr gene treatment demonstrated an increased mortality in the homozygous normal pups, indicating that overexpression during development was detrimental. The lungs of these pups revealed accelerated secretory cell proliferation and differentiation. The extent of proliferation and differentiation in the secretory cells of the lung parenchyma after in utero transfer of the cftr gene was evaluated with morphometric and biochemical analyses. These studies provide further support of the regulatory role of the cftr gene in the development of the secretory epithelium. | [
2,
74
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CADIZ AND THE GENOESE MARITIME TRADE IN THE 14TH CENTURY. This article has as a main aim to address the role played by the port of Cadiz as a crucial stopover for Genoese ships which sailed the Atlantic route since 1277. On the basis of a detailed analysis of Genoese notarial acts compiled by Renee Doehaerd and Leone Liagre de Sturler, we try to reconstruct the commercial activity within international trade of the seaport of Cadiz over the fourteenth century. Our attention focuses on issues closely related to navigation and commercial operations, such as routes, merchandise, pilots, maritime insurances, ship types, among others. | [
0,
169
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DEVIANT CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR: AN EXPLORATION OF FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE TACTICS. Insufficient attention has been devoted to the study of contexts in which managerial guidelines espouse customer sovereignty and yet, frontline employees experience endemic customer misbehavior. The aim of this study is to explore how frontline employees manage interactions with poorly behaved customers. The objective is to supply insights into the reality of frontline service and respond to a number of calls for research into the \\'darker\\' side of service. Analysis of interviews with frontline employees and managers reveals 15 main forms of coping tactics. The paper culminates with a discussion of the potential implications of the study for theory and practice. | [
3,
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Needle Fear among Children during Mass Measles Rubella (MR) Injectable Vaccination Campaign in North India: an Observational Study. The cross-sectional observational study evaluated the prevalence and predictors of needle-fear among school-going children during mass Measles-Rubella (MR) immunization campaign (year 2017) in the north Indian city of Chandigarh. Fear of needle was assessed using a single-item self-report global question, anxiety was assessed using the Likert scale (score 1-5) and the standardized \\'Children Faces Scale\\' where facial responses were graded from 0 to 4. Out of a total sample of 2568 school children, 1225 (47.7%) reported needle fear (95% CI: 45.8%-49.6%) on a global single item assessment. On an anxiety related Likert scale, 52.3% did not respond (mainly younger children) and among those who responded, 42.6% (523/1226) showed significant anxiety (score of >= 3 on Likert scale of 1 to 5). Finally, 17.4% children (95% CI: 15.9%-18.9%) (n = 446/2568) scored 2 or above (indicating significant needle fear) on the 'Children Faces Scale' during the actual vaccination procedure. The needle fear were significantly increased among girl students as compared to boys (adjusted OR 2.58; 95% CI: 2.05-3.24, p < 0.001) as well as children accompanied by their parents (adjusted OR 2.05; 95% CI:1.57-2.69, p < 0.001). On the other hand, needle fear was significantly lowered in children studying in private schools as compared to public school children (adjusted OR 0.45; 95% CI: 0.28-0.74, p = 0.002). The needle fear, which was an overriding concern in the minds of girls, children accompanied by their parents, and public-school students, must be proactively addressed for successful mass vaccination campaigns. These findings assume further importance with recent international roll out of COVID 19 vaccine. | [
2,
18
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The rule of the weird: power relations in the films of Yorgos Lanthimos. This study examines the power relations found in Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos' films. Since 2005, Lanthimos has been making films that left his mark on art cinema. Despite the inevitable rise of the director - especially since Dogtooth (2009) - there are few studies on Lanthimos. Existing studies either focus on only one film or deal with him within the Greek New (Weird) Wave movement. However, even if the director came out of this movement, his films have a unique artistic style. The director presents us with various representations of power by using interpersonal relationships in his films. He accomplishes this by using elements from his one-of-a-kind cinematographic, thematic and narrative perspective. These films, in which bodies under authority are shown to us utilizing an absurdist narrative, distinguish Lanthimos from other filmmakers. There are no academic studies on the concept of power that is frequently used in Lanthimos' films. In this study, this deficiency is solved and the relations of power found in the cinema of Yorgos Lanthimos are analyzed using the Foucauldian method of analysis and in light of the thinker's concepts such as docile bodies, discipline, control, bio-power and sovereign power. | [
3,
251
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Diffusion of methyl ethyl ketone in polyisobutylene: Comparison of spectroscopic and gravimetric techniques. In this study, vapor sorption FTIR-ATR (Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance) spectroscopy was combined with a conventional gravimetric sorption balance to examine diffusion in polymers. Mutual diffusion coefficients of methyl ethyl ketone in polyisobutylene were measured using both methods at various penetrant activities and temperatures in the range 40-60 degrees C. Actual penetrant concentrations were determined from the sorption balance. The diffusion coefficients from the two techniques agree very well with each other. In addition, the diffusivity data from both techniques could be correlated successfully as a function of temperature and concentration with the Vrentas and Duda free-volume model. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. | [
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The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football - analysis of hamstring injuries. Results: Completed injury records for the two competitive seasons were obtained from 87% and 76% of the participating clubs respectively. Hamstring strains accounted for 12% of the total injuries over the two seasons with nearly half (53%) involving the biceps femoris. An average of five hamstring strains per club per season was observed. A total of 13 116 days and 2029 matches were missed because of hamstring strains, giving an average of 90 days and 15 matches missed per club per season. In 57% of cases, the injury occurred during running. Hamstring strains were most often observed during matches (62%) with an increase at the end of each half (p< 0.01). Groups of players sustaining higher than expected rates of hamstring injury were Premiership ( p, 0.01) and outfield players ( p, 0.01), players of black ethnic origin (p< 0.05), and players in the older age groups (p< 0.01). Only 5% of hamstring strains underwent some form of diagnostic investigation. The reinjury rate for hamstring injury was 12%.Methods: Club medical staff at 91 professional football clubs annotated player injuries over two seasons. A specific injury audit questionnaire was used together with a weekly form that documented each clubs' current injury status.Conclusion: Hamstring strains are common in football. In trying to reduce the number of initial and recurrent hamstring strains in football, prevention of initial injury is paramount. If injury does occur, the importance of differential diagnosis followed by the management of all causes of posterior thigh pain is emphasised. Clinical reasoning with treatment based on best available evidence is recommended.Objective: To conduct a detailed analysis of hamstring injuries sustained in English professional football over two competitive seasons. | [
2,
294
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Parameters Estimation of a Horizontal Multilayer Soil Using Genetic Algorithm. This paper presents an optimization methodology by using a genetic algorithm (GA) to obtain the parameters of a soil that can be represented in a multilayer structure. The method uses a curve of experimental apparent resistivity obtained from measurements made in the soil. This experimental curve is compared with another curve of apparent resistivity of the soil, theoretical, produced by the GA. The theoretical curve is based on Sunde's Algorithm and is exactly the inverse process used for the horizontal stratification of the soil in multilayers. With both curves in hand, the error produced in the process of soil stratification can be estimated. From the estimated errors, the parameters are optimized. The main difference of this method, comparing the already developed methods is just that, besides optimizing the resistivities rho(i) and the thicknesses h(i) of each soil layer, the proposed method also optimizes the layers quantity, seeking the best soil stratification. The obtained results of this paper are compared with other soil stratification methods. | [
8,
94
] |
Red Capital, Colonial Eyes: Moscow as Seen by Korean Intellectuals in the 1920s-1930s. In the 1920s and 1930s, Moscow occupied an important place on the Korean intelligentsia's cognitive maps. For the communists, studying at Comintern schools there was a cherished dream. Approximately two hundred Korean communists either studied or taught in Moscow throughout the 1920s and 1930s. For the noncommunist anti colonial progressives too, Moscow was the place to observe a fascinating sociopolitical experiment. For them, Moscow symbolized social emancipation of the erstwhile oppressed classes, female liberation, and efforts to enlighten the \\'masses,\\' which they regarded as needed in Korea as well. Interestingly enough, the conservative Stalinist turn in internal Soviet politics from the early 1930s was duly registered in Moscow travelogues by Korean intellectuals as well. Social levelling was still seen as an important defining trait of the Soviet experience, but at the same time close attention was increasingly paid to rapid industrial and military development. Drawing on a large number of colonial-age materials, the present article attempts to reconstruct the diverse overlapping images of Moscow in Korea under Japanese rule. It focuses on the complex interactions between diverse images of the city which embodied, for Koreans as well as other foreign visitors, all the essential features of the Soviet sociopolitical and cultural experiment. | [
0,
291
] |
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Modeling and Therapy. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder, caused by mutation of the DMD gene which encodes the protein dystrophin. This dystrophin defect leads to the progressive degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscles. Currently, there is no effective therapy for this disorder. However, the technology of cell reprogramming, with subsequent controlled differentiation to skeletal muscle cells or cardiomyocytes, may provide a unique tool for the study, modeling, and treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In the present review, we describe current methods of induced pluripotent stem cell generation and discuss their implications for the study, modeling, and development of cell-based therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. | [
2,
194
] |
CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell survival is regulated differentially by protein kinase C theta, c-Rel, and protein kinase B. An effective immune response requires the expansion and survival of a large number of activated T cells. This study compared the role of protein kinase C (PKC)theta and associated signaling molecules in the survival of activated primary CD4(+) vs CD8(+) murine T cells. We demonstrate that the absence of PKC theta resulted in a moderate survival defect in CD4(+) T cells and a striking survival defect of CD8(+) T lymphocytes. CD8(+) T cells lacking the c-Rel, but not the NF-kappa B1/p50, member of the NF-kappa B family of transcription factors displayed a similar impairment in cell survival as PKC theta(-/-) CD8(+) T lymphocytes. This implicates c-Rel as a key target of PKC theta-mediated survival signals in CD8(+) T cells. In addition, both c-Rel(-/-) and PKC theta(-/-) T cells also displayed impaired expression of the antiapoptotic Bcl-x(L) protein upon activation. Changes in Bcl-x(L) expression, however, did not correlate with the survival of CD4(+) or CD8(+) lymphocytes. The addition of protein kinase B-mediated survival signals could restore partially CD4(+) T cell viability, but did not dramatically influence CD8(+) survival. Active protein kinase B was also unable to restore proliferative responses in CD8(+) PKC theta(-/-) IF cells. The survival of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells deficient in either PKC theta or c-Rel, however, was promoted by the addition of IL-2. Collectively, these data demonstrate that CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell survival signals are differentially programmed. | [
2,
191
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War journalism: an occupational exposure. Apart from the risk of accidents, war theatres present a hazard related to numerous long-lasting toxic agents. For 10 years, a >60-year-old male journalist worked in war theatres in the Far and Near East where he was exposed to asbestos and other toxic substances (metals, silica, clays, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other organic substances) contained in dust and smoke of destroyed buildings. More than 15 years later, he developed a mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the soft palate and, subsequently, a pleural malignant mesothelioma. The safety of war journalists should focus not only on preventing the risk of being killed, but also on providing protection from toxic and carcinogenic agents. Exposure to substances released during the destruction of buildings can also pose a carcinogenic risk for survivors. | [
2,
28
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The thin/thick body ideal: Zulu women's body as a site of cultural and postcolonial feminist struggle. This Perspective explores how cultural identity impacts on the gendered construction by Zulu-speaking women of ideal body size and the various means through which women choose to exercise agency around their bodies. We report on a research study conducted among 45 female and five male participants drawn mainly from the Durban-based University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College campus, conducted between 2010 and 2011. The study considers how patriarchal discourses contribute to women's body size ideal, and women's response to traditional and global symbolism of their bodies.The analysis employs two theoretical frameworks, critical medical anthropology (CMA) and postcolonial feminist theory. CMA allowed us to critically question the notion of body size ideal of Zulu-speaking women and unmask the origin of larger structures of construction in what Singer (1995: 90) terms \\'systems-challenging praxis\\'. Through CMA, we understand that the female body is the \\'terrain where social truths are forged and social contradictions played out, as well as the locus of personal resistance, activity, and struggle\\' (Scheper-Hughes and Lock, 1987: 16), while the lens of postcolonial feminism reveals the body politics that contribute to women's agency and ideas around the ideal body. Through various discourses the participants decipher the meanings inscribed on their bodies. The Perspective exposes how gender and race contribute to perceptions of black women's body ideal. | [
3,
20
] |
Measurement of realistic fracture conductivity in the Barnett shale. During the course of this study a series of conductivity experiments was completed. The cementing material present on the surface of natural fractures was preserved during the initial unpropped conductivity tests. The induced fractures were artificially created by breaking the shale rock along the bedding plane to account for the effect of irregular fracture surfaces on conductivity. Proppants of various sizes were manually placed between rough fracture surfaces at realistic concentrations. The two sides of the induced fractures were cut in a way to represent either an aligned or a displaced fracture face with a 0.1 inch offset. The effect of proppant partial monolayer was also studied by placing proppants at ultra-low concentrations.Results from the experiments show that unpropped induced fractures can provide a conductive path after removal of free particles and debris generated when cracking the rock. Poorly cemented natural fractures are effective flow paths. Unpropped fracture conductivity depends strongly on the degree of shear displacement, the presence of shale flakes and particles, and the amount of cementing material removed. The propped fracture conductivity is weakly dependent on fracture surface roughness at higher proppant concentrations. Moreover, propped fracture conductivity increases with larger proppant size and higher concentration in the testing range of this study. Results also show that proppant partial monolayers cannot survive higher closure stresses. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The Mississippian Barnett shale of the Fort Worth Basin is one of the most successfully developed shale gas plays in North America by applying multistage hydraulic fracturing stimulation techniques. The fracturing design involves pumping low viscosity fluid with low proppant concentrations at high pump rate, commonly known as \\'slick water fracturing''. Direct laboratory measurement of natural and induced fracture conductivity under realistic conditions is needed for reliable well performance analysis and fracturing design optimization. | [
7,
330
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Microstructure and texture evolution during tensile deformation of symmetric/asymmetric-rolled low carbon microalloyed steel. The deformation and fracture mechanisms of a low carbon microalloyed steel processed by asymmetric rolling (AsR) and symmetric rolling (SR) were compared by microstructural and texture evolutions during uniaxial tensile deformation. A realistic microstructure-based micromechanical modeling was involved as well. AsR provides more effective grain refinement and beneficial shear textures, leading to higher ductility and extraordinary strain hardening with improved yield and ultimate tensile stresses as well as promoting the occurrence of ductile fracture. This was verified and further explained by means of the different fracture modes during quasi-static uniaxial deformation, the preferred void nucleation sites and crack propagation behavior, and the change in the dislocation density based on the kernel average misorientation (KAM) distribution. The equivalent strain/stress partitioning during tensile deformation of AsR and SR specimens was modeled based on a two-dimensional (2D) representative volume element (RVE) approach. The trend of strain/stress partitioning in the ferrite matrix agrees well with the experimental results. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. | [
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Altered Brain Functional Activity in Infants with Congenital Bilateral Severe Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study under Sedation. Early hearing deprivation could affect the development of auditory, language, and vision ability. Insufficient or no stimulation of the auditory cortex during the sensitive periods of plasticity could affect the function of hearing, language, and vision development. Twenty-three infants with congenital severe sensorineural hearing loss (CSSHL) and 17 age and sex matched normal hearing subjects were recruited. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) of the auditory, language, and vision related brain areas were compared between deaf infants and normal subjects. Compared with normal hearing subjects, decreased ALFF and ReHo were observed in auditory and language-related cortex. Increased ALFF and ReHo were observed in vision related cortex, which suggest that hearing and language function were impaired and vision function was enhanced due to the loss of hearing. ALFF of left Brodmann area 45 (BA45) was negatively correlated with deaf duration in infants with CSSHL. ALFF of right BA39 was positively correlated with deaf duration in infants with CSSHL. In conclusion, ALFF and ReHo can reflect the abnormal brain function in language, auditory, and visual information processing in infants with CSSHL. This demonstrates that the development of auditory, language, and vision processing function has been affected by congenital severe sensorineural hearing loss before 4 years of age. | [
2,
122
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Adventitious rooting of conifers: influence of physical and chemical factors. In conifers, vegetative propagation of superior genotypes is the most direct means for making large genetic gains, because it allows a large proportion of genetic diversity to be captured in a single cycle of selection. There are two aims of vegetative propagation, namely large-scale multiplication of select genotypes and production of large numbers of plants from scarce and costly seed that originates from controlled seed orchard pollinations. This can be achieved, in some species, either through rooted cuttings or rooted microshoots, the latter regenerated through tissue culture in vitro. Thus far, both strategies have been used but often achieved limited success mainly because of difficult and inefficient rooting process. In this overview of technology, we focus on the progress in defining the physical and chemical factors that help the conifer cuttings and microshoots to develop adventitious roots. These factors include plant growth regulators, carbohydrates, light quality, temperature and rooting substrates/media as major variables for development of reliable adventitious rooting protocols for different conifer species. | [
5,
73
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Preclinical evaluation of a semi-automated and rapid commercial electrophoresis assay for von Willebrand factor multimers. BackgroundThe von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimer test is required to correctly subtype qualitative type 2 von Willebrand disease (VWD). The current VWF multimer assays are difficult, nonstandardized, and time-consuming. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the commercial VWF multimer kit by Sebia (Lisses, France), an electrophoresis technique yielding same-day results.ConclusionsThe VWF multimer assay by Sebia is easy to perform and can be successfully implemented in any clinical laboratory for second-stage evaluation of VWD. The resolution power of multimer distribution is adequate to correctly classify VWD types 1, 2A, 2B, and 3.ResultsThe CNP results revealed a relative loss of the highest molecular weight multimers; therefore, IRP was preferred as the reference sample. The interpretations of 10 patients with a known VWD type could be successfully reproduced and agreed with previous VWF multimer results. In all EQA surveys, the multimer results and final VWD diagnosis agreed with expert opinion.MethodsTen healthy volunteer plasma samples, in-house reference plasma (IRP) and commercial normal plasma (CNP) samples, 10 plasma samples from patients with a known VWD type, 1 hemophilia A plasma sample, and 7 external quality assurance (EQA) samples were analyzed using the commercial VWF multimer kit. Additional coagulation testing included measurements of VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF activity (VWF:Ac), and FVIII activity (FVIII:C). | [
2,
46
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Does Virtual Reality Trigger Visits and Booking Holiday Travel Packages?. Although virtual reality technology is increasingly being used in tourism, its potential as a shopping tool and as an avenue for marketing and selling tourism products and services has not yet been examined. Likewise, very little is known about how exploring holiday packages through virtual reality affects behavioral intention to visit tourist destinations. This study aims to compare the visit intentions evoked and the process of booking holiday travel packages between an immersive virtual reality environment (displayed through Oculus head-mounted glasses) and a traditional web-based 2D platform. A causal model is proposed and tested for both designs. Using a between-subjects experimental design with a sample of 202 individuals, the experiences of two randomly selected groups were observed as they bought holiday tour packages to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The first group made a simulated purchase in an immersive virtual reality environment using a head-mounted device, and the second group made the purchase on a traditional e-commerce website. The findings revealed that the scores given to sense of presence, attitude change, and perceived ease of use were greater among those who made the purchase in the more immersive virtual reality environment. However, the relationships between the variables in the causal model were stronger for the classic website than for the virtual reality setting. Attitude change positively affected intention to visit a destination more in the virtual reality environment. | [
8,
132
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Heterologous production in Wolinella succinogenes and characterization of the quinol : fumarate reductase enzymes from Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni. The epsilon-proteobacteria Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni are both human pathogens. They colonize mucosal surfaces causing severe diseases. The membrane protein complex QFR (quinol:fumarate reductase) from H. pylori has previously been established as a potential drug target, and the same is likely for the QFR from C. jejuni. In the present paper, we describe the cloning of the QFR operons from the two pathogenic bacteria H. pylori and C. jejuni and their expression in Wolinella succinogenes, a non-pathogenic epsilon-proteobacterium. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of heterologous membrane protein production in W succinogenes. We demonstrate that the replacement of the homologous enzyme from W succinogenes with the heterologous enzymes yields Mutants where fumarate respiration is fully functional. We have isolated and characterized the heterologous QFR enzymes. The high quality of the enzyme preparation enabled us to determine unequivocally by analytical ultracentrifugation the homodimeric state of the three detergent-solubilized heterotrimeric QFR enzymes, to accurately determine the different oxidation-reduction ('redox') midpoint potentials of the six prosthetic groups, the Michaelis constants for the quinol substrate, maximal enzymatic activities and the characterization of three different anti-helminths previously suggested to be inhibitors of the QFR enzymes from H. pylori and C. jejuni. This characterization allows, for the first time, a detailed comparison of the QFR enzymes from C. jejuni and H. pylori with that of W. succinogenes. | [
1,
172
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THE YOUNG ADULTS RETURNMIGRANTS: AN ENERGY FOR REGIONS. Dynamism, creativity, involvement are features that are regularly praised by organizations committed to development. Young migrants seem to display many such qualities especially those who rcturn to their home regions. These qualities were shown to be characteristic ofreturn migrants as compared to young people that have always stayed in the same region as evidenced in a research conducted in Quebec where areas like project making, involvement in the community, and interest into local life were explored. Return migrants were found to be proactive and thus may be considered as playing a great part in the development of their communilies and their regions. | [
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29
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Pressure ulcers and incontinence-associated dermatitis: effectiveness of the Pressure Ulcer Classification education tool on classification by nurses. Conclusion The PUCLAS tool improved pressure ulcer classification and IAD differentiation significantly.Aim To assess the effectiveness of the Pressure Ulcer Classification (PUCLAS) education tool. PUCLAS was developed by the PUCLAS Workgroup of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel.Outcome measure Correct classification of pressure ulcer photographs and differentiation from photographs of incontinence-associated dermatitis.Context Previous studies report that pressure ulcer classification and differentiation from incontinence associated dermatitis are difficult. Incorrect classification and differentiation result in incorrect prevention and treatment. Education is important to spread evidence-based insights about this topic and to improve classification skills.Setting and participants A convenience sample of 1217 Belgian, Dutch, British and Portuguese nurses.Design Randomised controlled trial.Results Baseline, 44.5% of the photographs were classified correctly. In the post-test, the results in the intervention group were significantly higher (63.2%) compared with the control group (53.1%; p<0.001). The percentage of correct assessments of incontinence associated dermatitis (IAD) was 70.7% in the intervention group and 35.6% in the control group (p<0.001). The skill to differentiate IAD from pressure ulcers was significantly associated with the experimental intervention (OR 4.07, 95% CI 3.21 to 5.15, p<0.001). | [
2,
333
] |
Point scoring system to rank traffic calming projects. The installation of calming measures on a road network is systematically planned way in general to reduce driving speeds, but also reduces the volume of through traffic on local and residential streets. When the demands of traffic calming exceed city resources, there is a need to prioritize or rank them. Asian countries, like Japan, Korea, Bangladesh and etc., do not have a prioritization system to apply in such cases. The objective of this research is to develop a point ranking system to prioritize traffic calming projects. Firstly paired comparison method was employed to obtain residents' opinions about the streets severity and needs of traffic calming treatment. A binary logistic regression model was developed to identify the factors of selecting streets for traffic calming. This model also explored the weight of variables during developing the point ranking system. The weights used in the point ranking system include vehicle speed, pedestrian generation, sidewalk condition and hourly vehicle volume per width (m) of street. Results suggest that the severity of street largely depends on the absence of sidewalks, which has a weight of 45%, and high hourly vehicle volume of traffic per width (m) of street, which has a weight of 38%. These outcomes are significant to develop the state of traffic safety in Japan and other Asian countries. (c) 2016 Periodical Offices of Chang'an University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Owner. | [
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Validation of IRBURN calculation code system through burnup benchmark analysis. A comparison of IRBURN results with experimental data demonstrates that the code predicts the spent fuel concentrations within 10% accuracy. Furthermore, standard deviations of the average values for isotopic concentrations including IRBURN data decreases considerably in comparison with the same parameter excluding IRBURN results, except for a few sets of isotopes. The eigenvalue comparison between our results and the benchmark problems shows a good prediction of the k-inf values during the entire burnup history with the maximum difference of 1% at 100 MWd/kgU. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The accuracy and precision of the implemented algorithms to estimate the eigenvalue and spent fuel isotope concentrations are demonstrated by validation against reliable benchmark problem analyses.Assessment of the reactor fuel composition during the irradiation time, fuel management and criticality safety analysis require the utilization of a validated burnup calculation code system. In this work a newly developed burnup calculation code system, IRBURN, is introduced for the estimation and analysis of the fuel burnup in LWR reactors. IRBURN provides the full capabilities of the Monte Carlo neutron and photon transport code MCNP4C as well as the versatile code for calculating the buildup and decay of nuclides in nuclear materials, ORIGEN2.1, along with other data processing and linking subroutines. This code has the capability of using different depletion calculation schemes. | [
9,
207
] |
IMPORTANCE OF DIURNAL-VARIATIONS ON CLINICAL-VALUE AND INTERPRETATION OF SERUM URATE MEASUREMENTS. Conclusion: When studying the temporal relation for the medical importance, or when attempting to interpret the serum urate concentration, it is important to consider the diurnal rhythms of this analyte.Methods: Nineteen controls and 40 patients took part in this study. Preliminary investigations on selected subjects provided blood samples at regular intervals between the hours of 0800 and 2300 hours. From these observations the timing of venepuncture for the remaining subjects was chosen at 0800-0900 hours, with a second sample taken between 1700 and 1800 hours. Analytical quality was monitored using quality control procedures and an samples were analysed in a single batch to minimise errors.Results: All subjects, except some hypertensive elderly women, showed a diurnal rhythm. The mean serum urate value between 0800-0900 hours was higher than that observed between 1700-1800 hours. A decrease of up to 30% was observed in a group of diabetic patients. Nine subjects in the study had hyperuricaemia in the morning, but only six in the afternoon, indicating the requirement of a reference interval that takes account of diurnal variations.Aim: To show the extent of diurnal variations in serum urate concentration and the possible consequences on the clinical interpretation. | [
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145
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CAT AND THE PLUMBER: AN AMERICAN RADIO DRAMA IN CHINA. The translation and adaptation of Arthur Miller's 1941 radio drama \\'The Pussy Cat and the Expert Plumber who was a Man\\' in 1980s China not only conveys the witty humor and intriguing critique of the original, but also carries unique marks of its receiving culture. A comparative close reading of the original and the translation shows how the original survives in a translation. Instead of antagonizing the east and the west as mutually unintelligible, my analysis of the translated Chinese radio drama \\'Cat and the Plumber\\' explores ways in which interlingual, intermedia, and intertextual references and variations help build the \\'image\\' of the west in post-Mao China through sound media. The literary event of a 1940s American radio drama traveling to 1980s China not only provides us with a new perspective in looking at the social soundscape as well as popular culture of 1980s China but also contributes to the repertoire of Sino-American cultural exchanges during the last decade of the Cold War. At the dawn of a new era in the history of China, the introduction of this American radio drama shows both achievements as well as limitations of the early post-Mao cultural reforms. | [
0,
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Correlation and Regressive Model Between Spikelet Fertilized Rate and Temperature in Inter-Subspecific Hybrid Rice. To study the sensitivity of inter-subspecific hybrid rice to climatic conditions, the spikelet fertilized rate (SFR) of four types of rice including indica-japonica hybrid, intermediate hybrid, indica and japonica were analyzed during 2000-2004. The inter-subspecific hybrids showed lower SFR, and much higher fluctuation under various climatic conditions than indica and japonica rice, showing the inter-subspecific hybrids were sensitive to ecological conditions. Among 12 climatic factors, the key factor affecting rice SFR was temperature, with the most significant factor being the average temperature of the seven days around panicle flowering (T7). A regressive equation of SFR-temperature by T7, and a comprehensive synthetic model by four important temperature indices were put forward. The optimum temperature for inter-subspecific hybrids was estimated to be 26.1-26.6., and lower limit of safe temperature to be 22.5-23.3. for panicle flowering, showing higher by averagely 0.5. and 1.7., respectively, to be compared with indica and japonica rice. This suggested that inter-subspecific hybrids require proper climatic conditions. During panicle flowering, the suitable daily average temperature was 23.3-29.0., with the fittest one at 26.1-26.6.. For an application example, optimum heading season for inter-subspecific hybrids in key rice growing areas in China was as same as common pure lines, while inferior limit for safe date of heading was about a ten-day period earlier than those of common pure lines. | [
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Stability and bifurcation analysis of reaction-diffusion neural networks with delays. In this paper, stability and Hopf bifurcation of reaction-diffusion neural networks with delays is considered, where the sum of the delays can be regarded as a bifurcation parameter. Some sufficient conditions are provided for checking stability and Hopf bifurcation. The particular attention is focused on the change of the stability as the bifurcation parameter tau increased. The computer simulations are provided to verify the efficiency of the theoretical results. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. | [
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Molecular dioxygen enters the active site of 12/15-lipoxygenase via dynamic oxygen access channels. Cells contain numerous enzymes that use molecular oxygen for their reactions. Often, their active sites are buried deeply inside the protein, which raises the question whether there are specific access channels guiding oxygen to the site of catalysis. Choosing 12/15lipoxygenase as a typical example for such oxygen-de pendent enzymes, we determined the oxygen distribution within the protein and defined potential routes for oxygen access. For this purpose, we have applied an integrated strategy of structural modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, site-directed mutagenesis, and kinetic measurements. First, we computed the 3D free-energy distribution for oxygen, which led to identification of four oxygen channels in the protein. All channels connect the protein surface with a region of high oxygen affinity at the active site. This region is localized opposite to the nonheme iron providing a structural explanation for the reaction specificity of this lipoxygenase isoform. The catalytically most relevant path can be obstructed by L367F exchange, which leads to a strongly increased Michaelis constant for oxygen. The blocking mechanism is explained in detail by reordering the hydrogen-bonding network of water molecules. Our results provide strong evidence that the main route for oxygen access to the active site of the enzyme follows a channel formed by transiently interconnected cavities where by the opening and closure are governed by side chain dynamics. | [
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Role of protein kinase C beta(2) in relaxin-mediated inhibition of cardiac fibrosis. Relaxin is a pleiotropic hormone owing endogenous antifibrosis effect on numerous organs. We demonstrated relaxin's inhibitive effect on cardiac fibrosis previously.The aim of this study was to investigate the role of protein kinase C (PKC) beta(2) in relaxin's action under high glucose conditions.In conclusion, relaxin can inhibit high glucose-associated cardiac fibrosis partly through PKC beta(2) pathway. Further work should be done to fully understand intracellular mechanisms of relaxin's action to accelerate its clinical use.Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were isolated, exposed to high glucose and incubated with recombinant human relaxin (rhRLX). Western blot analysis revealed a relaxin-mediated decrease in total expression and translocation of PKC beta(2), showing downregulation of PKC beta(2) is involved in relaxin's action. Blocking PKC beta(2) pathway with ruboxistaurin accelerated rhRLX-mediated inhibition in both proliferation of CFs and deposition of collagen. | [
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306
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Enhanced p-i-n type perovskite solar cells by doping AuAg@AuAg core-shell alloy nanocrystals into PEDOT:PSS layer. Metal nanocrystals have shown great potential in the application of solar cell devices, which is ascribed to their enhancement in light-harvesting, due to the plasmonic effects. Herein, we applied AuAg@AuAg (AuAg) core-shell alloy nanocrystals (ANCs) into PEDOT:PSS layer of the p-i-n perovskite solar cells (pero-SCs) as dopant for the first time. The devices based on AuAg ANCs doped PEDOT: PSS reached a champion power conversion efficiency of 16.76%, showing a 28% increase compared with that of the devices based on non-doped PEDOT: PSS (13.14%). Further device characterizations, including incident photon-to-current efficiency, UV-vis absorption spectra, photoluminescence and alternating current impedance spectroscopy, suggested that the significant increase of device performance could mainly attribute to better light harvesting by the scattering effect of AuAg ANCs and better charge transport of the modified PEDOT: PSS layer. This study provides a new doping material in PEDOT: PSS to enhance the light harvesting, which leads to a significant improvement on the performance of pero-SCs. | [
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236
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Cross-section sensitivity analyses of 14 MeV Neutron Benchmark Experiment on Tungsten. The 14 MeV Neutron Experiment on Tungsten carried out at the Frascati Neutron Generator (FNG) in 2002 was analysed using deterministic computational tools, with a stress on the cross-section sensitivity analysis. The DORT discrete ordinates (S-N) with FENDL-2 and JENDL-3.3 cross-section data, and the SUSD3D sensitivity and uncertainty computer codes were used in the analysis. The sensitivity profiles of various reaction rates measured at four positions up to 35 cm in the block of tungsten, and covering thermal to fast neutron energy range, with respect to all the partial as well as the total cross-sections of tungsten were calculated using the SUSD3D code. Combined with the comparison of the calculated and the measured reaction rates, the cross-section sensitivity profiles indicate areas where further evaluation work is needed. The results were compared with those obtained from the OKTAVIAN Tungsten Experiment and FNS Clean Experiment on the Tungsten Cylindrical Assembly. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. | [
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Pursuit-Evasion Problem of Unmanned Surface Vehicles in a Complex Marine Environment. In order to solve the interception problem of escaping targets under environmental interference and inaccurate target perception, this paper introduces the guidance interception algorithm and introduces a Kalman filter to predict the trajectory of escaping targets. In order to make a USV pursuit under a disturbance in a time-varying real marine environment, a disturbance observer is proposed to estimate the external disturbance and model uncertainty. The simulation of pursuit-evasion results shows that the interception algorithm designed enables the pursuer to intercept the escaping target in a time-varying, disturbed marine environment. Both the simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the effectiveness of the method. | [
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35
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Missionaries and the Ethnographic Imagination. Reflections on the Legacy of Henri-Alexandre Junod (1863-1934). This article consists of a reflection on the ethnographic and political legacy of the protestant missionary Henri-Alexandre Junod. A member of the Swiss Mission, Junod was one of the few missionaries to enjoy the recognition of \\'professional\\' anthropologists in his time (among them, Malinowski himself, who praised his pioneering ethnography on the Thonga of southern Africa). But beyond his important ethnographic legacy, his work as a missionary brought him into contact with many perplexities and paradoxes. Besides living and working in the Union of South Africa - present day South Africa - he lived for many years in Mozambique, where at certain times, his presence - and that of the protestant missionaries in general - was not well accepted by Portuguese Colonial Regime. Today, the policies on bilingual education, the process of reinvention of the Shangaan identity, the multicultural dilemmas of post-socialist Mozambique and the role of the Protestant churches in the formation of the civil society, cannot be understood without a systematic and renewed reflection on the legacy of Henri-Alexandre Junod. | [
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20
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Street-level alcohol policy: Assessing intoxication at drinking venues in Oslo. Findings: The study reveals that inspectors interpret the Norwegian Alcohol Act in four main ways that lead to lenient enforcement of the law. (1) Inspectors translate the wording of the Act into their everyday language. (2) They use significant discretion when assessing a patron's intoxication level. (3) The inspectors identify with patrons. (4) They find it hard to spot deviance when everyone is drunk.Methods: We conducted 26 ethnographic observations of liquor inspectors' visits to drinking venues in Oslo, as well as qualitative interviews and field conversations with liquor inspectors.Aim: This article examines liquor inspectors' assessment of intoxication at drinking establishments in Norway. It draws upon Lipsky's theory of street-level bureaucrats (1980) to study a situation where laws and informal norms seem to pull in opposite directions.Conclusions: Research on alcohol policy usually focuses on the national level. Decisions made at the 'street level', however, might also lead to overserving, alcohol-related harm and violence. The street-level alcohol policy allows a level of intoxication far above that allowed by the law. In this way, the inspectors support and maintain a liberal drinking culture. | [
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299
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Construction of sequences with large zero correlation zone. In order to judge the goodness of zero correlation zone sequence sets, a new concept, called ZCZ characteristic, is proposed. Then by defining a sequence operation,i.e. correlation product, and establishing its basic properties, a new approach to construct sets of sequences with a large zero correlation zone is presented. | [
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64
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Prevalence of dermatophytosis of the foot in a healthy population. Results of a survey in a preventive medical center. Among the 41 patients with a dermatophyte, 11 did not present any lesions. Most frequently the dermatophyte was Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale variety, in younger patients belonging to the 10-19 age group, The frequency of healthy carriers is 2.13% in the total population and 3.4% in the population without lesions.Among risk factors only heavy work shoes made a statistical difference, increasing fungal foot infection significantly. Also, there is correlation between clinical signs (maceration, fissuration and desquamation between toes) and the isolation of fungal species on the feet.Dermatophytosis (Tinea pedis and onychomycosis) are very common cutaneous diseases. In order to appreciate the prevalence of these infectious diseases in a healthy population, a study based on a survey of results obtained in a Preventive Medical Center, was carried out from November 1994 to November 1995, on 515 patients (169 families) aged from 4 to 72 years.Contagiosity was not obvious in this study, but susceptibility to dermatophytes within the family was obvious.The rate of isolation of dermatophytes from Tinea pedis was 5%, those of ungueal dermatophytes was 1.36%. Sole dermatophytosis represented 1.94% of this population.A questionnaire based on the principal risk factors was elaborated (shoe types, frequency of swimming bath attendance, participation in group sports). Then, a cutaneous examination of both feet was performed followed by a systematic collection of interdigital skin samples with a swab on all subjects. Cultures were made on Sabouraud medium.Although dermatophytes were the principal fungi we were investigating, all the species isolated in culture were identified (with or without clinical lesions). The presence of bacteria was notified.Fifty fourth dermatophytes were isolated in 41 patients, the frequency of dermatophyte infections of the global population was 7.95%. | [
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A triage metric for determining the extent of DCT-based compression artifacts in a digital image. A triage metric is proposed to determine the extent of blocking and contouring artifacts in an image due to JPEG compression. It is found that this metric has a linear correlation with subjective judgements of print quality. This triage metric can be used to determine the amount of needed image enhancement or achieve a good trade-off between image quality and system throughput. | [
8,
273
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Vision-Based Method Integrating Deep Learning Detection for Tracking Multiple Construction Machines. Tracking construction machines in videos is a fundamental step in the automated surveillance of construction productivity, safety, and project progress. However, existing vision-based tracking methods are not able to achieve high tracking precision, robustness, and practical processing speed simultaneously. Occlusions and illumination variations on construction sites also prevent vision-based tracking methods from obtaining optimal tracking performance. To address these challenges, this research proposes a vision-based method, called construction machine tracker (CMT), to track multiple construction machines in videos. CMT consists of three main modules: detection, association, and assignment. The detection module detects construction machines using the deep learning algorithm YOLOv3 in each frame. Then the association module relates the detection results of two consecutive frames, and the assignment module produces the tracking results. In testing, CMT achieved 93.2% in multiple object tracking accuracy (MOTA) and 86.5% in multiple object tracking precision (MOTP) with a processing speed of 20.8 frames per second when tested on four construction videos. The proposed CMT was integrated into a framework of analyzing excavator productivity in earthmoving cycles and achieved 96.9% accuracy. | [
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81
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Chlororespiration Controls Growth Under Intermittent Light. Whereas photosynthetic function under steady-state light conditions has been well characterized, little is known about its changes that occur in response to light fluctuations. Chlororespiration, a simplified respiratory chain, is widespread across all photosynthetic lineages, but its role remains elusive. Here, we show that chlororespiration plays a crucial role in intermittent-light conditions in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Chlororespiration, which is localized in thylakoid membranes together with the photosynthetic electron transfer chain, involves plastoquinone reduction and plastoquinol oxidation by a Plastid Terminal Oxidase (PTOX). We show that PTOX activity is critical for growth under intermittent light, with severe growth defects being observed in a mutant lacking PTOX2, the major plastoquinol oxidase. We demonstrate that the hampered growth results from a major change in the kinetics of redox relaxation of the photosynthetic electron transfer chain during the dark periods. This change, in turn, has a dramatic effect on the physiology of photosynthesis during the light periods, notably stimulating cyclic electron flow at the expense of the linear electron flow. | [
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Caffeine Consumption among Medical Interns and Association with GPA in Makkah Region. The Vagarious amount of caffeine may become harmful in frequent use, it increased among medical interns in Makkah region. The caffeine becomes a daily routine for medical interns without attention for their side harmful effect. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the educational level of awareness of the harmful effect of caffeine consumption. This was a cross-sectional study from August to October 2016. A total number 437 of participants with GPA groups, Group I (GPA 1.5-2), Group II (GPA 2.1-3) and Group III (GPA 3.1-3.5). The higher percentages were the group II and female consumed caffeine frequently more than male. | [
2,
84
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Software issues related to cited references. Purpose - The underlying software issue related to cited references is the capability of the software to identify the specific work cited by a reference, and associate it with the correct author and journal. This paper aims to investigate this issue and to discuss the latest editions of Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus.Findings - The paper reveals that these tools will have an increasingly important role in refining the process of disambiguating author (and journal) names in calculating their h-index.Originality/value - The paper provides useful information on software issues related to cited references and on the Distinct Author Set feature of WoS and the Author Details feature of Scopus.Design/methodology/approach - In this paper the strengths and weaknesses of the Distinct Author Set feature of WoS and the Author Details feature of Scopus are discussed. | [
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40
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Pianos for the People: From Producer to Consumer in Britain, 18511914. During the second half of the nineteenth century, British society experienced a rise in real incomes and a change in its composition, with the expansion of the middle classes. These two factors led to a consumer revolution, with a growing, but still segmented, demand for household goods that could express status and aspiration. At the same time technological changes and new ways of marketing and selling goods made these goods more affordable. This paper analyzes these themes and the process of mediation that took place between producers, retailers, and consumers, by looking at the most culturally symbolic of nineteenth century consumer goods, the piano. | [
0,
183
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HIGH TEMPERATURE CORROSION OF STRUCTURAL ALLOYS IN MOLTEN Li2BeF4 (FLiBe) SALT. In support of structural material development for the fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors (FHRs), the out-of-reactor and in-reactor corrosion tests of Hastelloy N (R) and 316L stainless steel were carried out in the potential primary coolant, molten Li2BeF4 (FLiBe) at 700 degrees C for 1000 hours. With specially designed facilities for safety and maintenance of salt purity, the out-of-reactor and in-reactor corrosion tests were successfully conducted under identical conditions in both metal-lined graphite crucibles and bare graphite crucibles. The corrosion behavior of the alloys in molten salt and the effects of graphite and radiation on the alloys' corrosion behavior were analyzed through microstructural evaluations and post-irradiation examinations (PIE). Various corrosion test conditions resulted in different levels and types of corrosion attack including intergranular corrosion, carbides phase formation, and the development of porous surface structures. Overall comparisons suggest that both effects of graphite and neutron radiation accelerate the corrosion rate 2 to 10 times for the two tested alloys. Based on these evaluations a thermal diffusion controlled model has been developed to roughly predict the long-term corrosion of Cr-containing alloys in high-temperature molten FLiBe salt. | [
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207
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Taphonomic evidence supports an aquatic lifestyle for Spinosaurus. A new locality near Tarda on the northern margin of the Tafilalt, south eastern Morocco exposes extensive sequences of the Ifezouane and Aoufous formations of the fluvial Kem Kem Group (Cretaceous, ?Albian-Cenomanian) on the south western flank of ILA n'Oufza escarpment of the Hamada du Meski. The stratigraphic sequence here differs significantly from better known exposures of the Kem Kem Group in the southern Tafilalt, and includes a heterolithic sequence of alternating grey mudstones and fine sandstones and a thin (similar to 1.5 m) marine limestone. The locality is noteworthy for three vertebrate-bearing horizons within the upper part of the Ifezouane Formation. The upper two (Sites 1 and 2 in ascending order) are dominated by dental remains of the sawfish Onchopristis and the semi-aquatic theropod dinosaur Spinosaurus. Significantly, the remains of terrestrial dinosaurs constitute less than 1% of the total dental assemblage at Site 1 and 5.6% at Site 2. At Site 2 teeth of Spinosaurus outnumber the rostral \\'teeth\\' of Onchopristis. The remarkably high abundance of spinosaur teeth compared to remains of terrestrial dinosaurs, and even some aquatic animals strongly supports Spinosaurus being a largely aquatic animal spending much of its life in water where its teeth were shed and preserved. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. | [
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New Therapeutic Approach to Reduce Methotrexate Toxicity after High-Dose Chemotherapy in a Child with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia: Efficacy and Safety of Hemoadsorption with HA-230 Adsorber. Background: High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) is likely to cause a number of side effects and manifest itself as hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, mucositis, and neurotoxicity. A several studies demonstrated the efficacy of extracorporeal detoxification methods such as plasma exchange, hemodialysis (HD), HD filtration, and hemoperfusion for the treatment of MTX delayed clearance. However, none of the existing methods as effective as expected and limited for general implementation due to a procedure-related complication. Case Report: Here, we report a successful implementation of HA-230 hemoadsorption procedure to remove cumulated MTX from the body and reduce its toxicity in a child with ALL after high-dose chemotherapy. Results and Conclusion: Based on our results, single-hemoadsorption procedure with the HA-230 adsorber in case of delayed methotrexate clearance was safe and well-tolerated in a pediatric patient with ALL and would significantly improve the patient's condition. Further studies need to demonstrate its safety and efficacy in a large number of pediatric patients. | [
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Muscle variables of importance for physiological performance in competitive football. Methods 19 male elite football players completed an experimental game with physical performance determined by video analysis and exercise capacity assessed by intermittent Yo-Yo IR1 and IR2 tests, and a repeated sprint test (RST). Muscle tissue was obtained for analysis of metabolic enzyme maximal activity and key muscle protein expression.Purpose To examine how match performance parameters in trained footballers relate to skeletal muscle parameters, sprint ability and intermittent exercise performance.Results Total game distance, distance deficit from first to second half and high-intensity running in the final 15 min of the game were all correlated to the players' Yo-Yo IR1 performance (r = 0.55-0.87) and beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase (HAD) maximal activity (r = 0.55-0.65). Furthermore, platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM1) protein expression was weakly (r = 0.46) correlated to total game distance. Peak 5-min game distance faster than 21 km h(-1) was related to the Na+-K+ ATPase subunit (alpha(1), alpha(2), beta(1) and FXYD1) protein levels (r = 0.54-0.70), while Yo-Yo IR2 performance explained 40 % of the variance in high-intensity game distance. Total and 1-min peak sprint distance correlated to myosin heavy chain II/I ratio (MHCII/I ratio) and sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase isoform-1 (SERCA1) protein (r = 0.56-0.86), while phosphofructokinase (PFK) maximal activity also correlated to total sprint distance (r = 0.46).Conclusion The findings emphasize the complexity of parameters predicting physical football performance with Yo-Yo IR1 and HAD as the best predictors of total distance, while high expression of Na+-K+ ATPase proteins and the Yo-Yo IR2 test are better predictors of high-intensity performance. Finally, sprint performance relates to skeletal muscle fiber-type composition. | [
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Skull Vibration-Induced Nystagmus Test (SVINT) in Vestibular Migraine and Meniere's Disease. Background: Vestibular migraine (VM) and Meniere's disease (MD) are the two most frequent episodic vertigo apart from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) differential diagnosis for them may be troublesome in the early stages. SVINT is a newly proposed vestibular test, which demonstrated to be fast and reliable in diagnoses above all of peripheral vestibular deficits. Methods: We retrieved clinical data from two groups of subjects (200 VM and 605 MD), enrolled between 2010 and 2020. Among others, these subjects were included when performing a SVINT. The purpose of the study is to assess if SVINT can be useful to differentiate the two episodic disorders. Results: 59.2% of MD subjects presented as positive with SVINT while only 6% did so with VM; among other tests, only video HIT demonstrated a different frequency in the two groups (13.1% and 0.5%, respectively), but the low sensitivity in these subjects makes the test unaffordable for diagnostic purposes. Conclusions: Since SVINT demonstrated to be positive in a peripheral vestibular deficit in previous works, we think that our data are consistent with the hypothesis that, in the pathophysiology of VM attacks, the central vestibular pathways are mainly involved. | [
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Minimally invasive surgery for Zenker diverticulum - Analysis of results in 95 consecutive patients. Patients: There were 74 men and 21 women, with a median age of 64 years (age range, 37-92 years). All complained of dysphagia and pharyngo-oral regurgitation, and 18 (20%) suffered from recurrent aspiration pneumonia. The median size of the pouch measured by flexible endoscopy was 4 cm (range, 2.5-8 cm).Design: Cohort study. From April 1, 1992, until May 31,1996, the operation was attempted in 95 patients. The median follow-up was 23 months (range, 13-48 months).Conclusions: Endosurgical approach to hypopharyngeal diverticula larger than 2 cm is safe and effective. Symptom relief, elimination of the pouch, and decreased outflow resistance at the pharyngoesophageal junction can be obtained without morbidity and with a short hospital stay.Setting: Tertiary care university hospital.Results: A switch to open surgery was required in 3 patients (3.1%), due to difficult exposure of the common wall in 2 cases and a mucosal tear in the other. No postoperative morbidity or mortality was recorded. Oral feeding was started the following day and the median hospital stay was 3 days (range, 2-8 days). Five patients complained of persistent symptoms; 3 of them underwent another endosurgical operation, 1 underwent laser treatment by means of flexible endoscopy, and 1 eventually required open surgery. All patients are asymptomatic at the latest follow-up visit. Postoperative radiologic studies showed free flow of barium in all patients. Manometry showed a significant reduction of hypopharyngeal intrabolus pressure over preoperative values (P = .003). Radionuclide studies showed a significant reduction of upper esophageal residual activity at 1 minute compared with preoperative values (P=.006).Main Outcome Measures: Morbidity, symptom score, patient's satisfaction, video fluorographic barium transit, hypopharyngeal intrabolus pressure, upper esophageal clearance of radioisotope.Intervention: The septum between the diverticulum and the esophageal lumen was divided under general anesthesia using a linear endostapler introduced through a Weerda endoscope. In most patients, 2 applications of the endostapler with a modified anvil were used. Operative time averaged 23 minutes.Objective: To assess the effectiveness of transoral stapled diverticulum esophagostomy in relieving symptoms and decreasing outflow resistance at the pharyngoesophageal junction in patients with Zenker diverticulum. | [
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Collective atomic recoil laser as a synchronization transition. We consider here a model previously introduced to describe the collective behavior of an ensemble of cold atoms interacting with a coherent electromagnetic field. The atomic motion along the self-generated spatially periodic force field can be interpreted as the rotation of a phase oscillator. This suggests a relationship with synchronization transitions occurring in globally coupled rotators. In fact, we show that whenever the field dynamics can be adiabatically eliminated, the model reduces to a self-consistent equation for the probability distribution of the atomic \\'phases.\\' In this limit, there exists a formal equivalence with the Kuramoto model, though with important differences in the self-consistency conditions. Depending on the field-cavity detuning, we show that the onset of synchronized behavior may occur through either a first- or second-order phase transition. Furthermore, we find a secondary threshold, above which a periodic self-pulsing regime sets in, that is immediately followed by the unlocking of the forward-field frequency. At yet higher, but still experimentally meaningful, input intensities, irregular, chaotic oscillations may eventually appear. Finally, we derive a simpler model, involving only five scalar variables, which is able to reproduce the entire phenomenology exhibited by the original model. | [
4,
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Phenotype/genotype correlation and cystic fibrosis related diabetes mellitus (Italian multicenter study). Conclusions: Unlike the previous study, we did not find a higher frequency of the N1303K mutation in CFRD patients; moreover, data from this large CF series showed a significant correlation between the W1282X mutation and CFRD.Background: A genotype/phenotype correlation between early onset cystic fibrosis related diabetes (CFRD) and the N1303K mutation of the CF gene was previously identified in a small series of 28 CFRD patients, out of 313 CF patients,Patients and methods: In order to confirm the observation, data of 141 CFRD patients out of 1,229 CF patients attending 14 Italian CF centers were collected, All patients were older than 10 years and had been genotyped,Results: Delta F508 was the most frequent mutation (147/282 alleles: 52%) and N1303K the second most frequent mutation (18/282 alleles: 6.3%) in CFRD patients, without significant difference as compared with CF patients without DM (52% vs 48.6% and 6.3% vs 5.1%, respectively). W1282X was the third most frequent mutation in CFRD patients, more frequent than in CF patients without DM (5.3% vs 2%; p<0.001), | [
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] |
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) modulates the effect of serum albumin on brain development by restraining the neurotrophic effect of oleic acid. We have previously shown that serum albumin controls perinatal rat brain development through the regulation of oleic acid synthesis by astrocytes. In fact, oleic acid synthesized and released by astrocytes promoted neurite growth, neuron migration and the arrangement of prospective synapses. In this work we show that alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is also present in the brain during embryonic development, its concentrations peaking at E15.5 and at E19.5. However, after E19.5 AFP concentrations plummeted concurrently with a sharp increase in serum albumin concentrations. At E15.5, AFP is present in caudal regions of the brain, particularly in brain areas undergoing differentiation during this period, such as the thalamic reticular nucleus of the thalamus, the hypothalamus, the amygdala and the hippocampus. Albumin was not detected in the brain at E15.5 but stained brain cells substantially on day E19.5, showing a very similar distribution to that of AFP under the same circumstances. The concentrations of free oleic acid in the brain were inversely correlated with those of AFP, suggesting that the signals elicited by AFP and oleic acid can be inversely associated. GAP-43, a marker of axonal growth that is highly expressed by the presence of oleic acid, was not co-localized with AFP except in the marginal zone and areas delimiting the subplate. AFP prevented the increase in GAP-43 expression caused by the presence of oleic acid in neurons in primary culture in vitro and in organotypic cultures of embryonic rat brain ex vivo, suggesting that AFP may modulate the effect of serum albumin on brain development. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). | [
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A single conformational transglutaminase 2 epitope contributed by three domains is critical for celiac antibody binding and effects. The multifunctional, protein cross-linking transglutaminase 2 (TG2) is the main autoantigen in celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder with defined etiology. Glutamine-rich gliadin peptides from ingested cereals, after their deamidation by TG2, induce T-lymphocyte activation accompanied by autoantibody production against TG2 in 1-2% of the population. The pathogenic role and exact binding properties of these antibodies to TG2 are still unclear. Here we show that antibodies from different celiac patients target the same conformational TG2 epitope formed by spatially close amino acids of adjacent domains. Glu153 and 154 on the first alpha-helix of the core domain and Arg19 on first alpha-helix of the N-terminal domain determine the celiac epitope that is accessible both in the closed and open conformation of TG2 and dependent on the relative position of these helices. Met659 on the C-terminal domain also can cooperate in antibody binding. This composite epitope is disease-specific, recognized by antibodies derived from celiac tissues and associated with biological effects when passively transferred from celiac mothers into their newborns. These findings suggest that celiac antibodies are produced in a surface-specific way for which certain homology of the central glutamic acid residues of the TG2 epitope with deamidated gliadin peptides could be a structural basis. Monoclonal mouse antibodies with partially overlapping epitope specificity released celiac antibodies from patient tissues and antagonized their harmful effects in cell culture experiments. Such antibodies or similar specific competitors will be useful in further functional studies and in exploring whether interference with celiac antibody actions leads to therapeutic benefits. | [
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A potential set up based on histidine hollow fiber membranes for the extracorporeal removal of human antibodies. Poly ethylene vinyl alcohol (PEVA) based hollow fiber membrane grafted with L-histidine has been found to be particularly useful for the preparative scale separation of immunoglobulin G and potential clinical applications. In this paper, we present a set-up designed for the extracorporeal removal of immunoglobulin G. Biochemical and hydrodynamic conditions were optimized so as to perform in vitro removal of 50% of plasma immunoglobulin G. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. | [
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59
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Balancing of an inverted pendulum with a SCARA robot. The balancing act of an inverted pendulum with a robotic manipulator is a classical benchmark for testing modern control strategies in conjunction with fast sensor-guided movements. From the control design perspective, it presents a challenging and difficult problem, as the system is open-loop instable and includes nonlinear effects in the actuators, such as friction, backlash, and elasticity. In addition, the necessity of a sensor system that can measure the inclination angles of the pendulum contributes to the complexity of the balancing problem. The pendulum is projected onto the xz and yz planes of the inertial coordinate system, These projections are treated independently from each other and are controlled individually by a state-space controller in the x and y axes, respectively, The nonlinearities of the robot are compensated by using inverse dynamics and inverse kinematics, A specially developed sensor system allows the contactless measurement of the inclination angles of the pendulum, This system consists of a small magnet, placed at the bottom of the pendulum, and Hall-effect sensors placed inside the end effector. | [
8,
35
] |
Blood neurofilament light as a potential endpoint in Phase 2 studies in MS. Objectives To assess whether neurofilament light chain (NfL) could serve as an informative endpoint in Phase 2 studies in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and estimate the sample size requirements with NfL as the primary endpoint. Methods Using data from the Phase 3 FREEDOMS study, we evaluated correlation of NfL at Month 6 with 2-year outcomes: relapses, confirmed disability worsening (CDW), new or enlarging T2 lesions (active lesions), and brain volume loss (BVL). We compared the proportion of treatment effect (PTE) on 2-year relapses and BVL explained by 6-month log-transformed NfL levels with the PTE explained by the number of active lesions over 6 months. We estimated sample size requirements for different treatment effects. Results At Month 6, blood NfL levels (pg/mL, median [range]) were lower in the fingolimod arm (fingolimod (n = 132) 18 [8-247]; placebo (n = 114) 26 [8-159], P < 0.001). NfL at 6 months correlated with number of relapses (r = 0.25, P < 0.001), 6-month CDW (hazard ratio 1.83, P = 0.012), active lesions (r = 0.46, P < 0.001), and BVL (r = -0.41, P < 0.001) at Month-24. The PTE (95% CI) on 24-month relapses and BVL explained by 6-month NfL was 25% (8-60%) and 60% (32-132%), and by 6-month active lesions was 28% (11-66%) and 45% (18-115%), respectively. Assuming a 20-40% treatment-related reduction in NfL levels, 143-28 patients per arm will be required. Conclusions Blood NfL may qualify as an informative and easy-to-measure endpoint for future Phase 2 clinical studies that captures both inflammatory- and noninflammatory-driven neuroaxonal injury in RRMS. | [
2,
202
] |
HBV-related fulminant hepatic failure: successful intensive medical therapy in a candidate for liver transplantation. Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) usually has a fatal prognosis without liver transplantation. We describe the case of a woman who developed FHF, and was evaluated as a candidate for liver transplantation, but who was cured without transplantation through intensive medical care that included glucagon-insulin therapy, methylprednisolone pulse therapy, interferon beta and lamivudine administration, cyclosporine administration, and high-volume hemodiafiltration and plasma exchange. In a patient with FHF who is a candidate for liver transplantation but for whom the transplantation cannot be performed for some reason, intensive medical therapy, including regeneration-promoting therapy, immunosuppressive therapy, anti-viral therapy, and vigorous hepatic support, should be carried out. | [
2,
155
] |
Linear quadratic output tracking and disturbance rejection. This article introduces the problem of linear quadratic tracking (LQT) where the objective is to design a closed-loop control scheme such that the output signal of the system optimally tracks a given reference signal and rejects a given disturbance. Different performance indices that have been used to address the tracking problem are discussed and an appropriate new form is introduced. It is shown that a solution to the proposed optimality index exists under very mild conditions of stabilisability and detectability of the plant state-space equations. The solution is formulated based on converting the LQT problem to a standard linear quadratic regulation problem. The method is applied to two examples, a first-order plant and a third-order plant, and their simulation results are presented and discussed. | [
8,
35
] |
Diaper dermatitis in an adult - A case of erythema papuloerosive of Sevestre and Jacquet. BACKGROUND: Irritants,friction and occlusion favor dermatitis or inflammatory reactions in the diaper area. Diaper dermatitis is not found exclusively in children but also in adults wearing a diaper for urinary incontinence.CASE: We report a case of eroded papules on the labia majora in It woman with urinary incontinence.CONCLUSION: Erythema papuloerosive of Sevestre and Jacquet is an unusual dermatitis due to irritant agents in the diaper area that may also affect adults. As this dermatitis may resemble neoplasia and venereal diseases, it can be easily misdiagnosed, especially in adults. | [
1,
88
] |
Particle-in-cell simulation of x-ray wakefield acceleration and betatron radiation in nanotubes. Though wakefield acceleration in crystal channels has been previously proposed, x-ray wakefield acceleration has only recently become a realistic possibility since the invention of the single-cycled optical laser compression technique. We investigate the acceleration due to a wakefield induced by a coherent, ultrashort x-ray pulse guided by a nanoscale channel inside a solid material. By two-dimensional particle-in-cell computer simulations, we show that an acceleration gradient of TeV/cm is attainable. This is about 3 orders of magnitude stronger than that of the conventional plasma-based wakefield accelerations, which implies the possibility of an extremely compact scheme to attain ultrahigh energies. In addition to particle acceleration, this scheme can also induce the emission of high energy photons at similar to O(10-100) MeV. Our simulations confirm such high energy photon emissions, which is in contrast with that induced by the optical laser driven wakefield scheme. In addition to this, the significantly improved emittance of the energetic electrons has been discussed. | [
6,
147
] |
A STUDY TO ESTABLISH INTERNATIONAL DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVELS FOR PAEDIATRIC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY. The article reports from the largest international dose survey in paediatric computed tomography (CT) in 32 countries and proposes international diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in terms of computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP). It also assesses whether mean or median values of individual facilities should be used. A total of 6115 individual patient data were recorded among four age groups: <1 y, >1-5 y, >5-10 y and >10-15 y. CTDIw, CTDIvol and DLP from the CT console were recorded in dedicated forms together with patient data and technical parameters. Statistical analysis was performed, and international DRLs were established at rounded 75th percentile values of distribution of median values from all CT facilities. The study presents evidence in favour of using median rather than mean of patient dose indices as the representative of typical local dose in a facility, and for establishing DRLs as third quartile of median values. International DRLs were established for paediatric CT examinations for routine head, chest and abdomen in the four age groups. DRLs for CTDIvol are similar to the reference values from other published reports, with some differences for chest and abdomen CT. Higher variations were observed between DLP values, based on a survey of whole multi-phase exams. It may be noted that other studies in literature were based on single phase only. DRLs reported in this article can be used in countries without sufficient medical physics support to identify non-optimised practice. Recommendations to improve the accuracy and importance of future surveys are provided. | [
2,
53
] |
Pharmacogenetics of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Time to 'Work it Out'?. The disappointing results in long-term survival of patients affected by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be attributed, at least in part, to the lack of knowledge on the way by which genetic characteristics in normal and neoplastic cells affect responsiveness as well as metabolism of chemotherapy and new targeted agents. This issue deserves further pharmacogenetics studies, in order to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from specific therapies selected on the base of the individual and tumor genetic features, thus improving the efficacy/toxicity profile of the treatment strategy. Even if most meta-analyses in NSCLC yielded contradictory results, a number of candidate biomarkers for response/resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents such as gemcitabine, platinum-compounds, pemetrexed and taxanes have been proposed. Similarly, recent studies suggested the key role of polymorphisms in the prediction of toxicity to EGFR-targeted agents. However, larger prospective randomized trials of personalized therapy to validate these biomarkers are still needed. The unification of the technical procedures, as well as additional investigation to unravel pivotal factors influencing genotype-phenotype relationships, represent other crucial issues. From this perspective, functional studies aiming at unravel eventual pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics interactions are critical for the pharmacogenetic optimization of anti-cancer regimens. With the development of high-throughput technologies, including whole exome analyses, the traditional pharmacogenetic approach that till present has relied only on candidate genes suspected of influencing drug response/metabolism can be fulfilled with further lists of potential predictive alleles. The clinical implementation of such pharmacogenetics/genomics studies as well as of therapeutic drug monitoring could enable clinicians to personalize treatment to enhance efficacy and/or limit toxicity. | [
2,
157
] |
The strong coupling constant from lattice QCD with N-f=2 dynamical quarks. We compute Lambda((MS) over bar) for two flavors of light dynamical quarks using non-perturbatively O(a) improved Wilson fermions. We improve on a recent calculation by employing Pade-improved two-loop and three-loop perturbation theory to convert the lattice numbers to the (MS) over bar scheme. | [
6,
234
] |
A Hybrid Computing Adaptive Filtering Methods for Parameter Estimation of Nonstationary Power Signals. This paper presents a new approach in the detection, localization, and classification of frequency and amplitude changes in nonstationary signal waveforms using a variable window short-time Fourier Transform (STFT) known as ST in short and an Extended Complex Kalman Filter (CEKF). Unlike the fixed window STFT, the variable window Short-time Fourier Transform has excellent time-frequency resolution characteristics and provides detection, localization, and visual patterns suitable for automatic recognition of time-varying signal patterns. The CEKF, on the other hand, provides automatic classification and measurements of the frequent amplitude, and phase of sinusoids embedded in noise. The technique is applied to both simulated and experimentally obtained waveform disturbances in the presence of additive noise and the results reveal significant accuracy in completely localizing the changes in amplitude, frequency, and phase of nonstationary sinusoids in noise. | [
8,
255
] |
Quantitation of ceramide phosphorylethanolamines containing saturated and unsaturated sphingoid base cores. Sphingomyelin (SM) and ceramide-phosphoethanolamines (cer-PEs) are related lipids present in mammals and insects, respectively. Owing to the critical roles that cer-PEs play in eukaryotic cellular function, there is a need to develop methods that provide accurate quantitation of these compounds. Results obtained in this study demonstrate that Drosophila contains cer-PEs with unsaturated sphingoid base cores as well as low levels of cer-PEs that possess saturated sphingoid base cores. Specifically, the method developed in this study enabled the quantitation of picogram amounts of cer-PE containing both unsaturated d14:1(Delta 4) and d16:1(Delta 4) and saturated d14:0 sphingoid base cores. Using this method, cer-PE compounds with both saturated and unsaturated sphingoid base cores were initially identified by neutral loss scanning, followed by quantitation using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) scans. The SRM scans measured a product ion originating from the sphingoid base backbone, rather than from the head group, increasing the specificity and sensitivity of the quantitation measurement. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. | [
2,
159
] |
An efficient bidding heuristic for simultaneous truckload transportation auctions. Transportation auctions are increasingly made online and the bidding time intervals are becoming much shorter. From the carriers' perspective, bid determination problems need to be solved more quickly due to the increasing number of auctions in the online transportation marketplace for their survivability. In this research, we study the bid price determination problem of truckload (TL) carriers participating in multiple independent first-price sealed-bid single-request TL transportation auctions simultaneously. The carriers must win the right combination of auctions to ensure profitability. The high level of competition, the uncertainty of the outcomes of the auctions, and the independence of the auctions from each other constitute the main challenge in this setting. In order to solve this problem, we develop an efficient heuristic which identifies the auctions to participate and determines the carriers' bids in the selected auctions. We demonstrate the efficiency and the effectiveness of our proposed heuristic by simulating a competitive auction-based transportation procurement marketplace under various parameter settings. The simulations show that our proposed heuristic performs close to an existing approach found in the literature with much less computational effort. | [
3,
91
] |
Ethephon causes reproductive malfunction in adult male mice: Histological and biochemical evidence. Ethephon (C2H6ClO3P; ETP), an organophosphorus pesticide regulating plant growth, is widely used for early ripening of fruits and vegetables in agriculture. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ETP on histomorphometrical and biochemical parameters in mouse testicular tissue. In this study, 90 adult male mice were randomly divided into six equal groups (n = 15). The ETP was administered orally at different doses (120, 240 and 480 mg kg(-1)) daily for 35 days. Untreated control, sham (received only normal saline) and neostigmine bromide treated (positive control; 0.10 mg kg(-1) orally; once per week) groups were also considered. Following 35 days, animals were euthanized and testicle and serum samples were taken. Accordingly, blood and serum acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalase, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels as well as histomorphometrical changes of testicles were investigated. The ETP-administered animals represented a significant reduction in AChE, TAC and catalase levels and remarkable increment in MDA content. A marked reduction was also seen in the germinal epithelium height, connective tissue thickness, seminiferous tubules diameter and Leydig cell number as well as spermiogenesis and Sertoli cell indices in ETP-treated mice compared to control ones. Similar findings were found in neostigmine bromide treated animals. In conclusion, the ETP significantly affects the serum and blood anti-oxidant statuses and results in severe histological damages both at germ and somatic cell levels, suggesting its hematotoxic and reprotoxic characteristic. (C) 2021 Urmia University. All rights reserved. | [
2,
192
] |
The practice of psychological well-being education model for poor university students from the perspective of positive psychology. Poor university students are a special group. Social development provides many positive factors for poor university students' personality and psychological development, but negative factors are also accompanied by them, which affect the psychological health of poor university students. University students are in a period of rapid physical and mental development, and it is an important issue that colleges and universities need to solve psychological well-being education. We hope to find out the aspects that can be studied in the irregularity of various factors that affect college students' mental health. BP neural network is a typical model of artificial neural network. Based on the BP algorithm and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation of the psychological well-being prediction system for poor university students, this paper systematically summarizes the concept of psychological well-being, the factors that affect psychological well-being, and the related research done by predecessors on psychological well-being. Using the international psychological well-being scale SCL-90 to comprehensively consider the psychological well-being status of poor university students and select the optimized BP algorithm to establish a psychological well-being prediction model, and implement it and compare it with other models to reflect its superiority. Data were collected and analyzed by means of a questionnaire. The regression model was used to analyze the relationship between mindfulness, rumination and psychological well-being. The mediation index fitted by the model reached 0.9. The model can reflect the real situation of the data, that is, rumination plays a partial mediating role in the effect of mindfulness on psychological well-being. The introduction of this psychological prediction model into the psychological well-being education of poor university students not only helps to improve the educational concept and expand the educational approach, but also helps to achieve the goal of psychological well-being education for poor university students, thereby promoting the improvement of the psychological quality of poor university students. | [
3,
284
] |
A Direct Inter-Mode Selection Algorithm for P-Frames in Fast H.264/AVC Transcoding. A direct inter-mode selection algorithm for P-frames in fast homogeneous H.264/AVC bit-rate reduction transcoding is proposed in this paper. To achieve the direct inter-mode selection, we firstly develop a low-complexity distortion estimation method for fast transcoding, in which the distortion is directly calculated from the decoded residual together with the reference frames. We also present a linear estimation method to approximate the coding rate. With the estimated distortion and rate, the rate-distortion cost can be easily computed in the transcoder. In our algorithm, a method based on the normalized rate difference of P-frames (RP) is used to detect the high motion scene. To achieve fast transcoding, only for the P-frames with RP larger than a threshold, the rate-distortion optimized (RDO) mode decision is performed; meanwhile, the average cost of each inter-mode (ACM) is calculated. Then for the subsequent frames transcoding, the optimal coding mode can be directly selected using the estimated cost and the ACM threshold. Experiments show that the proposed method can significantly simplify the complex RDO mode decision, and achieve transcoding time reductions of up to 62% with small loss of rate-distortion performance. | [
8,
273
] |
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness- and Acceptance-Based Interventions for Informal Caregivers of People With Dementia: A Meta-Analysis. Background and Objectives: The application of mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions (MABIs) for informal caregivers of people with dementia (PwD) is relatively novel, and the current state of the evidence base is unclear. This meta-analysis examined the effectiveness of MABIs on reducing symptoms of depression and burden in informal caregivers of PwD. The quality of included studies was evaluated and moderator variables explored.Results: Twelve studies, providing data on 321 caregivers, were included. Most used mindfulness-based stress reduction and were conducted in the United States. The average attrition among participants was 15.83%. The pre-post effect of MABIs was large for depression and moderate for burden. These effects were largely maintained at follow-up. Significant heterogeneity of effect sizes was observed, with no significant moderators identified. Study quality varied from very poor to moderately good.Discussion and Implications: The low attrition and moderate to large effects suggest that MABIs are acceptable and beneficial for informal caregivers of PwD. The lack of significant moderators could advocate services using more cost-effective forms of MABIs. Further higher-quality research is needed to improve the robustness of the evidence base and enable a meta-analysis to thoroughly examine and quantify moderator variables.Research Design and Methods: A literature search of six electronic databases (PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, MEDLINE Complete, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and ProQuest) was conducted from the first available date to 20 December 2016. Inclusion criteria involved studies that quantitatively investigated the impact of MABIs on depression and/or burden in informal caregivers of PwD. | [
2,
228
] |
Search for chargino and neutralino production at root s=181-184 GeV at LEP. A search for charginos and neutralinos, predicted by supersymmetric theories, has been performed using a data sample of 57 pb(-1) at centre-of-mass energies of 181-184 GeV taken with the OPAL detector at LEP. No evidence for chargino or neutralino production has been found. Upper limits on chargino and neutralino pair production (<(chi)over tilde>(+)(1)<(chi)over tilde>(-)(1)<(chi)over tilde>(0)(1)<(chi)over tilde>(0)(2)) cross-sections are obtained as a function of the chargino mass (m(<(chi)over tilde>1+/-)), the lightest neutralino mass (m(<(chi)over tilde>10)) and the second lightest neulralino mass (m(<(chi)over tilde>20)). For large chargino masses the limits have been improved with respect to the previous analyses at. lower centre-of-mass energies. Exclusion regions at 95% confidence level (C.L.) of parameters of the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model are determined for the case of a large universal scalar mass, mo, implying heavy scalar fermions, and for the case of a small mo resulting in light scaler fermions and giving the worst-case Limits. Within this framework and for m(<(chi)over tilde>1+/-) - m(<(chi)over tilde>10) greater than or equal to 5 GeV the 95% C.L. lower limits on m(<(chi)over tilde>1+/-) for m(0) = 500 GeV are 90.0 and 90.2 GeV for tan beta = 1.5 and 35 respectively. These limits for all m(0) (the worst-case) are 69.1 and 65.2 GeV for tan beta = 1.5 and 35 respectively. Exclusion regions are also presented for neutralino masses, including an absolute lower limit at 95% C.L. for the mass of the lightest neutralino of 30.1 GeV for m(0) = 500 GeV (25.2 GeV for all m(0)), with implications for experimental searches for the lightest neutralino as a dark matter candidate. | [
6,
234
] |
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