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Alternative splicing enhances protein diversity in different ways, including through exonization of transposable elements (TEs). Recent transcriptomic analyses identified thousands of unannotated spliced transcripts with exonizing TEs, but their contribution to the proteome and biological relevance remains unclear. Here, we use transcriptome assembly, ribosome profiling, and proteomics to describe a population of 1,227 unannotated TE exonizing isoforms generated by mRNA splicing and recurrent in human populations. Despite being shorter and lowly expressed, these isoforms are shared between individuals and efficiently translated. Functional analyses show stable expression, specific cellular localization, and, in some cases, modified functions. Exonized TEs are rich in ancient genes, whereas the involved splice sites are recent and can be evolutionarily conserved. In addition, exonized TEs contribute to the secondary structure of the emerging isoforms, supporting their functional relevance. We conclude that TE-spliced isoforms represent a diversity reservoir of functional proteins on which natural selection can act. [Display omitted] • Transposable element (TE) exonization expands the diversity of the human proteome • TE-spliced isoforms can have distinct functions compared with canonical isoforms • Exonized TEs can be evolutionarily conserved and add young sequences to ancient genes • Exonized TEs contribute to the overall secondary structure of proteins Transposable element exonization by unannotated splicing events produces stable protein isoforms with acquired functions that are subject to evolutionary selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The restocking of health products is carried out by supplementing the endowment according to a pre-defined schedule. Apart from these orders, the services make urgent requests, the number of which continues to grow. Are these urgent requests always justified ? A non-interventional monocentric prospective study was carried out in five departments over two periods of 21 days, between which corrective actions were implemented. The number of urgent request lines went from 462 to 300 and their justification rate from 37% to 60%. This is linked to the action plan put in place, articulated around 5 axes: staffing review, harmonized storage of drugs, training of paramedical staff in the proper use of the software, personalized display in each treatment room on the ordering methods and institutional training on good practices in the drug circuit. These measures have had a positive quantitative and qualitative impact on urgent requests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-five Holstein lactating cows (41 ± 8.8 kg/d of milk yield, 96 ± 35.6 days in milk, and 607 ± 80.4 kg of body weight) were enrolled in this study to assess the effects of diets supplemented with sodium bicarbonate or a magnesium-based product and their corresponding differences in dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) on rumen pH, rumen microbial population, and milk performance of dairy cattle exposed to an induced decrease in rumen pH through a dietary challenge. Cows were randomly allocated to 3 total mixed rations (TMR) differing in the type of supplement to modulate rumen pH: (1) control, no supplementation; (2) SB, supplemented with 0.82% of sodium bicarbonate with a neutralizing capacity (NC) of 12 mEq/g; and (3) MG, supplemented with 0.25% of magnesium oxide (pHix-Up, Timab Magnesium) with a NC of 39 mEq/g. Thus, SB and MG rations had, in theory, the same NC. The 3 TMR differed for control, SB, and MG in their DCAD-S (calculated considering Na, K, Cl, and S), which was on average 13.2, 21.2, and 13.7 mEq/100 g, respectively, or DCAD-Mg (calculated accounting for Mg, Ca, and P), which was 31.4, 41.2, and 35.2 mEq/100 g, respectively. The study lasted 63 d, with the first 7 d serving as a baseline, followed by a fortnightly progressive decrease of dietary forage-to-concentrate ratio (FCR) starting at 48:52, then 44:56, then 40:60, and finishing at 36:64. Individual dry matter intake (DMI) was recorded daily. Seven cows per treatment were equipped with electronic rumen boluses to monitor rumen pH. Control and SB cows consumed less dry matter (DM; 23.5 ± 0.31 kg/d) than MG cows (25.1 ± 0.31 kg/d) when fed dietary FCR of 44:56 and 40:60. Energy-corrected milk decreased from 40.8 ± 1.21 to 39.5 ± 1.21 kg/d as dietary FCR decreased, independently of dietary treatments. Rumen pH decreased and the proportion of the day with rumen pH <5.8 increased as dietary FCR decreased, and at low dietary FCR (i.e., 36:64) rumen pH was greater in MG cows than in control and SB cows. Reducing the DCAD-S from 28 to 18 mEq/100 g or the DCAD-Mg from 45 to 39 mEq/kg had no effects on DMI or milk yield. Cows supplemented with ∼62 g/d of magnesium oxide (pHix-Up) maintained a greater rumen pH and consumed more DM than cows supplemented with ∼200 g/d of sodium bicarbonate when fed a diet with low FCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike sessile macrophages that occupy specialized tissue niches, non-classical monocytes (NCMs)—circulating phagocytes that patrol and cleanse the luminal surface of the vascular tree—are characterized by constant movement. Here, we examined the nature of the NCM's nurturing niche. Expression of the growth factor CSF1 on endothelial cells was required for survival of NCMs in the bloodstream. Lack of endothelial-derived CSF1 did not affect blood CSF1 concentration, suggesting that NCMs rely on scavenging CSF1 present on endothelial cells. Deletion of the transmembrane chemokine and adhesion factor CX3CL1 on endothelial cells impaired NCM survival. Mechanistically, endothelial-derived CX3CL1 and integrin subunit alpha L (ITGAL) facilitated the uptake of CSF1 by NCMs. CSF1 was produced by all tissular endothelial cells, and deletion of Csf1 in all endothelial cells except bone marrow sinusoids impaired NCM survival, arguing for a model where the full vascular tree acts as a niche for NCMs and where survival and patrolling function are connected. [Display omitted] • CSF1-producing endothelial cells control the survival of circulating NCMs • Endothelial CX3CL1 and ITGAL facilitate the uptake of CSF1 by NCMs • Peripheral endothelial cells represent the nurturing niches of NCMs Non-classical monocytes (NCMs) are circulating phagocytes that patrol the vascular tree. Thierry et al. find that peripheral, rather than bone marrow, endothelial cells serve as the nurturing niche of NCMs. Adhesion of NCMs to endothelial cells facilitates the uptake of the growth factor CSF1 and maintains NCM homeostasis, linking survival requirements to the patrolling function of these cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An arbitrarily partitionable (AP) graph is a graph that can be partitioned into arbitrarily many connected graphs with arbitrary orders. Since independent seminal works by Barth, Baudon, and Puech, and Horňák and Woźniak, AP graphs have been receiving increasing attention in the literature, dedicated to understanding several of their aspects, including structural aspects, algorithmic aspects, and their connections with Hamiltonian graphs. Other aspects of interest cover variants of AP graphs, such as AP graphs that can be partitioned in an online way (OLAP graphs), AP graphs that can be partitioned in a recursive way (RAP graphs), and AP graphs that are edge-minimal (minAP graphs). In the current work, we initiate the study of the latter notion of minimality for OLAP and RAP graphs. That is, we wonder about OLAP and RAP graphs that are not spanned by any strictly smaller OLAP or RAP graph, respectively, leading to the notions of minOLAP and minRAP graphs. We prove that such non-trivial graphs exist, and explore connections between minAPness, minOLAPness, and minRAPness. In particular, we prove that some fundamental connections between APness, OLAPness, and RAPness do not generalise to their minimal counterparts. We also investigate small minOLAP and minRAP graphs, as well as sufficient conditions guaranteeing an OLAP or RAP graph is not minimal, thereby generalising known results on AP graphs. This work also includes many open questions and problems for further work on the topic, that are disseminated throughout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total k-coloring of a graph G is a coloring of vertices and edges of G using colors of the set {1, . . ., k}. These colors can be used to distinguish adjacent vertices of G. There are many possibilities of such a distinction. In this paper, we focus on the one by the full sum of colors of a vertex, i.e., the sum of the color of the vertex, the colors on its incident edges and the colors on its adjacent vertices. This way of distinguishing vertices has similar properties to the method when we only use incident edge colors and to the corresponding 1-2-3 Con- jecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From May 2013 to April 2014, 15 swine family‐run farms (17 pig litters) in two districts in Hung Yen province, near Hanoi, were virologically and epizootiologically monitored for swine influenza viruses (SIV) monthly. No SIV was isolated from nasal swabs. Maternal antibodies were detected in 10 litters, and seroconversion against SIV was detected in six litters. There was a marked difference in patterns of SIV transmission in the two districts. Van Lam district which has low density of swine with mainly smallholder farms had low intensity of SIV, with much of the infection caused by H1N1 2009 pandemic‐like viruses A(H1N1)pdm09, likely originated from humans. In contrast, Van Giang district, which has high swine density and larger farms, had high levels of typical SIV (triple reassortants H3N2 and H3N2 Binh Duong lineage viruses) circulating within swine. With one exception, the SIV lineages detected were those we concurrently isolated from studies in a large central abattoir in Hanoi. Influenza‐like illness symptoms reported by farmers were poorly correlated with serological evidence of SIV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the coherent superposition of motional states in magnetic molecules. The distinct time evolution of each motional state in the presence of an external magnetic field and the dynamics of the molecular rotation are found to be interrelated by a molecular orientation correlation function. The correlation of two distinct molecular orientations is then investigated in terms of a dimensionless time variable and is found to reflect the inertia of the reorientation process. The relative phase in the coherent superposition gives evidence of a continuous redistribution of the interaction energy among the motional states of the superposition. Numerical simulations are provided for the prototypical magnetic molecule O[sub 2] in its ground state. Relevance is indicated for experiments on molecular interferometry, coherent control, and quantum information. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge-weightings are a way to "encode" proper vertex-colourings via the sums of weights incident to the vertices. Over the last decades, this notion has been attracting, in the context of several conjectures, ingrowing attention dedicated, notably, to understanding, which weights are needed to produce neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge-weightings for a given graph. This work is dedicated to investigating another related aspect, namely the minimum number of distinct sums/colours we can produce via a neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge-weighting of a given graph G , and the role of the assigned weights in that context. Clearly, this minimum number is bounded below by the chromatic number χ (G) of G. When using weights of Z , we show that, in general, we can produce neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge-weightings generating χ (G) distinct sums, except in the peculiar case where G is a balanced bipartite graph, in which case χ (G) + 1 distinct sums can be generated. These results are best possible. When using k consecutive weights 1 , ... , k , we provide both lower and upper bounds, as a function of the maximum degree Δ , on the maximum least number of sums that can be generated for a graph with maximum degree Δ. For trees, which, in general, admit neighbour-sum-distinguishing 2-edge-weightings, we prove that this maximum, when using weights 1 and 2, is of order 2 log 2 Δ. Finally, we also establish the NP -hardness of several decision problems related to these questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differential elastic cross sections for Ne*(3P2,0)–Ar and Ne*(3P2,0)–N2 collisions have been measured in crossed beam experiments at 0.064 and 0.318 and at 0.071 and 0.295 eV, collision energies, respectively. These results have been analyzed simultaneously with integral cross sections and total ionization cross sections already available and optical spherical potentials for these two systems have been obtained. These potentials appear to be rather accurate in the distance range from 2.5 to ∼9 and from 3.0 to ∼9 Å for Ne*–Ar and Ne*–N2, respectively. The well depths and equilibrium distances are 5.12 meV and 4.9 Å for Ne*–Ar and 3.56 meV and 5.40 Å for Ne*–N2. The short-range repulsion in both cases exhibits a change in slope which can be correlated with the influence, for the interaction at shorter distances, of the Ne+ core of the metastable atom, which becomes less effective when the intermolecular distance increases. The optical potentials proposed here are given in analytical form suitable for the calculation of dynamical observables of these systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The 1–2–3 Conjecture asks whether every graph with no connected component isomorphic to K 2 can be 3-edge-weighted so that every two adjacent vertices u and v can be distinguished via the sum of their incident weights, that is the incident sums of u and v differ by at least 1. We here investigate the consequences on the 1–2–3 Conjecture of requiring a stronger distinction condition. Namely, we consider two adjacent vertices distinguished when their incident sums differ by at least 2. As a guiding line, we conjecture that every graph with no connected component isomorphic to K 2 admits a 5-edge-weighting permitting to distinguish the adjacent vertices in this stronger way. We prove this conjecture for several classes of graphs, including bipartite graphs and cubic graphs. We then consider algorithmic aspects, and show that it is NP -complete to determine the smallest k such that a given bipartite graph admits such a k -edge-weighting. In contrast, we show that the same problem can be solved in polynomial time for a given tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graph G is locally irregular if every two adjacent vertices of G have different degrees. A locally irregular decomposition of G is a partition E1, . . ., Ek of E(G) such that each G[Ei] is locally irregular. Not all graphs admit locally irregular decompositions, but for those who are decomposable, in that sense, it was conjectured by Baudon, Bensmail, Przybyło and Wozniak that they decompose into at most 3 locally irregular graphs. Towards that conjecture, it was recently proved by Bensmail, Merker and Thomassen that every decomposable graph decomposes into at most 328 locally irregular graphs. We here focus on locally irregular decompositions of subcubic graphs, which form an important family of graphs in this context, as all non-decomposable graphs are subcubic. As a main result, we prove that decomposable subcubic graphs decompose into at most 5 locally irregular graphs, and only at most 4 when the maximum average degree is less than 12 5. We then consider weaker decompositions, where subgraphs can also include regular connected components, and prove the relaxations of the conjecture above for subcubic graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let γ : E ( G ) ⟶ N ∗ = N ∖ { 0 } be an edge colouring of a graph G and σ γ : V ( G ) ⟶ N ∗ the vertex colouring given by σ γ ( v ) = ∑ e ∋ v γ ( e ) for every v ∈ V ( G ) . A neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge-colouring of G is an edge colouring γ such that for every edge u v in G , σ γ ( u ) ≠ σ γ ( v ) . The neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge-colouring game on G is the 2-player game defined as follows. The two players, Alice and Bob, alternately colour an uncoloured edge of G . Alice wins the game if, when all edges are coloured, the so-obtained edge colouring is a neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge-colouring of G . Otherwise, Bob wins. In this paper we study the neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge-colouring game on various classes of graphs. In particular, we prove that Bob wins the game on the complete graph K n , n ≥ 3 , whoever starts the game, except when n = 4 . In that case, Bob wins the game on K 4 if and only if Alice starts the game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The emergence of the 2009 influenza pandemic virus with a swine origin stressed the importance of improving influenza surveillance in swine populations. The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to describe epidemiological features of swine influenza (SI) across the world and identify factors impacting swine influenza virus surveillance. Methods: The systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines. Articles published after 1990 containing data on SI on pig and herd-level seroprevalence, isolation and detection rates, and risk factors were included. Meta-regression analyses using seroprevalence and virological rates were performed. Results: A total of 217 articles were included. Low avian influenza (AI) seroprevalence (means pig = 4.1%; herd = 15%) was found, showing that AIV do not readily establish themselves in swine while SIV seroprevalence was usually high across continents (influenza A means pig = 32.6–87.8%; herd = 29.3–100%). Higher pig density and number of pigs per farm were shown by the meta-regression analyses and/or the risk factor articles to be associated with higher SI seroprevalence. Lower seroprevalence levels were observed for countries with low-to-medium GDP. These results suggest that larger industrial farms could be more at risk of SIV circulation. Sampling swine with influenza-like illness (ILI) was positively associated with higher isolation rates; most studies in Europe, Latin and North America were targeting swine with ILI. Conclusions: To improve understanding of SI epidemiology, standardization of the design and reporting of SI epidemiological studies is desirable. Performance of SI surveillance systems in low-to-medium GDP countries should be evaluated to rule out technical issues linked to lower observed SIV prevalence. Targeting certain swine age groups, farming systems and swine with ILI may improve the surveillance cost-effectiveness. However, focusing on pigs with ILI may bias virus detection against strains less virulent for swine but which may be important as pandemic threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With any (not necessarily proper) edge k -colouring γ : E ( G ) ⟶ { 1 , … , k } of a graph G , one can associate a vertex colouring σ γ given by σ γ ( v ) = ∑ e ∋ v γ ( e ) . A neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge k -colouring is an edge colouring whose associated vertex colouring is proper. The neighbour-sum-distinguishing index of a graph G is then the smallest k for which G admits a neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge k -colouring. These notions naturally extend to total colourings of graphs that assign colours to both vertices and edges. We study in this paper equitable neighbour-sum-distinguishing edge colourings and total colourings, that is colourings γ for which the number of elements in any two colour classes of γ differ by at most one. We determine the equitable neighbour-sum-distinguishing index of complete graphs, complete bipartite graphs and forests, and the equitable neighbour-sum-distinguishing total chromatic number of complete graphs and bipartite graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While swine production is rapidly growing in South- East Asia, the structure of the swine industry and the dynamic of pig movements have not been well-studied. However, this knowledge is a prerequisite for understanding the dynamic of disease transmission in swine populations and designing cost-effective surveillance strategies for infectious diseases. In this study, we assessed the farming and trading practices in the Vietnamese swine familial farming sector, which accounts for most pigs in Vietnam, and for which disease surveillance is a major challenge. Farmers from two communes of a Red River Delta Province (northern Vietnam) were interviewed, along with traders involved in pig transactions. Major differences in the trade structure were observed between the two communes. One commune had mainly transversal trades, that is between farms of equivalent sizes, whereas the other had pyramidal trades, that is from larger to smaller farms. Companies and large familial farrow-to-finish farms were likely to act as major sources of disease spread through pig sales, demonstrating their importance for disease control. Familial fattening farms with high pig purchases were at greater risk of disease introduction and should be targeted for disease detection as part of a risk-based surveillance. In contrast, many other familial farms were isolated or weakly connected to the swine trade network limiting their relevance for surveillance activities. However, some of these farms used boar hiring for breeding, increasing the risk of disease spread. Most familial farms were slaughtering pigs at the farm or in small local slaughterhouses, making the surveillance at the slaughterhouse inefficient. In terms of spatial distribution of the trades, the results suggested that northern provinces were highly connected and showed some connection with central and southern provinces. These results are useful to develop risk-based surveillance protocols for disease detection in the swine familial sector and to make recommendations for disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A close-coupling channel computation of Ne*(3P0,2)–H2 (1∑+g, v=0) collisions, using the ab initio potentials given in a preceding paper, is reported. The molecule is considered as a rigid rotator. The autoionizing character of states dissociating into Ne* (2p53s)+H2 is ignored. Consequently Penning and chemi-ionizations are not considered. Combined fine structure and rotational transitions are the only inelastic channels expected. By means of a deflation procedure, collision channels leading to Ne*(1P1) are shown to be negligible in the present energy range (E≤175 meV). The ‘‘fragment’’ basis (i.e., Ne*+H2 at infinite R) is adapted to the collision treatment since all off-diagonal elements of the electronic Hamiltonian, including the spin–orbit interaction (static couplings) are small. The coupling of angular momenta ( j1=0,1,2 of Ne*, j2=0,2 of para-H2, 1 of ortho-H2, l for the relative motion) leads to 27 coupled equations for ortho-H2 and 54 equations for para-H2, for each value of the total angular momentum J. These equations are solved by using the algorithm of Gordon, and the 81×81 S matrix is derived. The rotational excitation ( j2=0→2) probability takes a maximum value of the order of 10-2 at J≊15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A connected graph G is said to be arbitrarily partitionable (AP for short) if for every partition (n1,...,np) of |V (G)| there exists a partition (V1,...,Vp) of V (G) such that each Vi induces a connected subgraph of G on ni vertices. Some stronger versions of this property were introduced, namely the ones of being online arbitrarily partitionable and recursively ar- bitrarily partitionable (OL-AP and R-AP for short, respectively), in which the subgraphs induced by a partition of G must not only be connected but also fulfil additional conditions. In this paper, we point out some structural properties of OL-AP and R-AP graphs with connectivity 2. In particular, we show that deleting a cut pair of these graphs results in a graph with a bounded number of components, some of whom have a small number of vertices. We obtain these results by studying a simple class of 2-connected graphs called balloons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor lysis syndrome is a rare and potentially fatal complication of oncologic treatments, especially in solid tumors. To the best of our knowledge, tumor lysis syndrome has never been reported after trastuzumab and pertuzumab combination therapy. Knowledge of risk factors and active prevention proceedings is of utmost importance to avoid fatal outcomes.Case Presentation: We present the case of a chemo-naive 58-year-old Belgian woman developing hypovolemic shock and multiple organ failure due to tumor lysis syndrome after a single dose of trastuzumab and pertuzumab in the context of the treatment of a metastatic breast cancer and resulting in fatal outcome despite optimal management.Conclusions: Considering that targeted cancer therapies become increasingly effective, oncologists should be extremely cautious when treating patients at high risk of tumor lysis syndrome, even if they are not treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy, and determine appropriate prophylaxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A locally irregular graph is a graph whose adjacent vertices have distinct degrees. We say that a graph G can be decomposed into k locally irregular subgraphs if its edge set may be partitioned into k subsets each of which induces a locally irregular subgraph in G . We characterize all connected graphs which cannot be decomposed into locally irregular subgraphs. These are all of odd size and include paths, cycles and a special class of graphs of maximum degree 3 . Moreover we conjecture that apart from these exceptions all other connected graphs can be decomposed into 3 locally irregular subgraphs. Using a combination of a probabilistic approach and some known theorems on degree constrained subgraphs of a given graph, we prove this statement to hold for all regular graphs of degree at least 10 7 . We also support this conjecture by showing that decompositions into three or two such subgraphs might be indicated e.g. for some bipartite graphs (including trees), complete graphs and cartesian products of graphs with this property (hypercubes for instance). We also investigate a total version of this problem, where in some sense also the vertices are being prescribed to particular subgraphs of a decomposition. Both the concepts are closely related to the known 1-2-3 Conjecture and 1-2 Conjecture, respectively, and other similar problems concerning edge colourings. In particular, we improve the result of Addario-Berry et al. (2005) in the case of regular graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From May to September 2013, monthly samples were collected from swine in a Vietnamese slaughterhouse for influenza virus isolation and serological testing. A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses and a novel H3N2 originating from reassortment between A(H1N1)pdm09 and novel viruses of the North American triple reassortant lineage were isolated. Serological results showed low seroprevalence for the novel H3N2 virus and higher seroprevalence for A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses. In addition, serology suggested that other swine influenza viruses are also circulating in Vietnamese swine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neuropeptide oxytocin has been in the focus of scientists for decades due to its profound and pleiotropic effects on physiology, activity of neuronal circuits and behaviors, among which sociality. Until recently, it was believed that oxytocinergic action exclusively occurs through direct activation of neuronal oxytocin receptors. However, several studies demonstrated the existence and functional relevance of astroglial oxytocin receptors in various brain regions in the mouse and rat brain. Astrocytic signaling and activity is critical for many important physiological processes including metabolism, neurotransmitter clearance from the synaptic cleft and integrated brain functions. While it can be speculated that oxytocinergic action on astrocytes predominantly facilitates neuromodulation via the release of specific gliotransmitters, the precise role of astrocytic oxytocin receptors remains elusive. In this review, we discuss the latest studies on the interaction between the oxytocinergic system and astrocytes, including detailed information about intracellular cascades, and speculate about future research directions on astrocytic oxytocin signaling. • Astrocytes are emerging actors of the oxytocin functions. • Subpopulations of astrocytes express functional oxytocin receptor. • Oxytocin induces astrocytes morphological changes and astrocytes-mediated modulation of neuronal network activity. • We propose several research directions to assess the role of astrocyte-neuron networks in oxytocin functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A graph is arbitrarily partitionable (AP) if for any sequence of positive integers adding up to the order of G, there is a sequence of mutually disjoint subsets of V whose sizes are given by τ and which induce connected graphs. If, additionally, for given k, it is possible to prescribe vertices belonging to the first l subsets of τ, G is said to be . The paper contains the proofs that the kth power of every traceable graph of order at least k is and that the kth power of every hamiltonian graph of order at least 2k is , and these results are tight. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A graph is arbitrarily partitionable if for any sequence of positive integers adding up to , there is a sequence of vertex-disjoint subsets of whose orders are given by , and which induce connected subgraphs. Such a graph models, e.g., a computer network which may be arbitrarily partitioned into connected subnetworks. In this paper we study the structure of such graphs and prove that unlike in some related problems, arbitrarily partitionable graphs may have arbitrarily many components after removing a cutset of a given size . The sizes of these components grow exponentially, though. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Inelastic processes occuring in thermal-velocity metastable atoms and molecules passing at a mean distance (1–100nm) are investigated. These processes are caused by the quadrupolar part of the van der Waals interaction: fine-structure transitions in atoms (Ar∗, Kr∗), rovibrational transitions in (), transitions among magnetic sub-levels in the presence of a magnetic field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper provides an alternative model to explain the structural evolution of the Argana Valley, located in the Western High Atlas of Morocco. Most Triassic basins in the High Atlas have been described as isolated rift basins distributed along an ENE–WSW oriented trough and developed as a series of half-grabens. They are characterised by two main sets of syn-sedimentary faults striking ENE–WSW and NNE–SSW, generally attributed to the Atlantic and Tethys rifting. The Permo-Triassic sediments of the Argana Valley are offset by similar trending faults and, as such, they have been interpreted as typical infill sediments of narrow rift-basins in Morocco, controlled by syn-sedimentary faulting due to the Atlantic rifting. Our study investigates the structural evolution of the area using newly acquired field analysis of the main faults and unconformities. This data, together with published information, has been used to construct a series of structural cross-sections across the valley. Three main unconformities have been recognised. The first unconformity separates Permian sediments from the underlying deformed Palaeozoic rocks. The second is an angular unconformity between Late Permian sediments and the overlying Triassic sequence, attributed to relaxation and orogenic collapse that occurred after the Hercynian Orogeny. The geometry of Late Permian units suggests that the large E–W to ENE–WSW faults occurred after deposition of the Late Permian and before the Triassic, and were associated with a major phase of tectonic activity and associated erosion. The third angular unconformity occurs between the latest Triassic sediments and the overlying basalts or Jurassic sedimentary sequence. Significantly, this study suggests that the ENE–WSW faults and most of NNE faults were not active during sedimentation of the Triassic. We conclude that the Triassic sediments of the Argana Valley were not deposited in a half graben, but within a slowly subsiding domain, such as a sag basin or a wide rift. Comparison with other Permo-Triassic basins on the Atlantic margin and in the High Atlas suggests that the structural evolution in the western part of the High Atlas has been mainly affected by Atlantic rifting. The influence of Tethys rifting is confined to the central part of the High Atlas, the Massif Ancien acting as a structural buffer between the two realms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary Due to the important economic activity of oyster production in France, microalgal toxic events represent a significant constraint for shellfish farmers who face closures of bivalve production-sites. The frequency of closures of 3 weeks or less represents half of the total closures along the French coasts. Cold storage could be a simple and affordable solution for temporary and short-term storage before commercialisation. A stock of marketable Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas was therefore stored during 22 days in non-immersed conditions at 3 °C with 100% humidity. At the end of the experiment, the oyster mortality rate remained at a low level of less than 3.5%. The sensory attributes, odour, appearance, texture and flavour, did not show significant variations. However, the oyster total weight and fresh flesh weight exhibited losses of 10.5% and a 16.6% after 15 days of storage. At the same time, intervalval water showed a decrease in quality with 20% of the samples characterized by an absence of intervalval water with a flesh more or less moist. These results suggested that the cold storage represents a partial solution to sustain the commercialisation of bivalves during closures of 15 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a common problem in infants but the distinction between GER and GER disease remains difficult. Clinical manifestations such as vomiting, poor weight gain, respiratory disorders, and apneas do always not correlate with the demonstration of reflux episodes. Premature infants frequently suffer from reflux but correlations with apneas are also poor. Esophagitis is a complication suggested in infants experiencing pain but reflux by itself can induce pain as well. The “gold” diagnosis test is pH recording; however, overlap between normal and abnormal indices is obvious. Impedance measurement demonstrates more reflux episodes but non-acid reflux harm is not established. GER disease is probably self-limited in most infants, although it is impossible to predict whether some of them continue to have GER in adult life. The treatment raises doubts concerning indications and efficacy. Overprescription is frequent in infants with regurgitations. Nonpharmacological treatment – small-volume thickened milk and correct positioning – should be the first-line treatment. Prokinetic drugs have not proved their efficacy. Among anti-acid drugs, proton pump inhibitors are the best choice, but their indications are not very clearly established for infants. On the other hand, considerable variations of their metabolism due to the patients’ age and genetic factors can explain variations in therapeutic effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In infants with facial malformation, dysphagia is frequent and can lead to respiratory and nutritional complications whatever the phenotype. The aim of our study was to assess the severity and mechanisms of dysphagia in infants with facial malformations in order to guide therapeutic management. Forty-two newborn infants with dysphagia and recognizable malformation patterns other than isolated Pierre Robin sequence had: (1) needle electromyography (EMG) of muscles of the face, tongue, and soft palate; (2) two-channel EMG during bottle feeding; and (3) esophageal manometry (EM). The results were compared by clinical dysphagia-grading groups and by age at cessation of enteral feeding. Although micrognathia (86%) and cleft or high-arched palate (76%) were common, the key clinical finding that correlated with the likelihood of respiratory complications was glossoptosis (p<0.01). EMG signs of denervation correlated with respiratory complications (p<0.05) and the duration of enteral feeding (p<0.01). EMG during bottle feeding showed disturbed motor organization at the pharyngeal level in 27 of 37 patients. The severity of pharyngeal incoordination correlated with the duration of enteral feeding (p<0.025). All 21 patients examined by EM had dysfunction at the esophageal level. Thus, in the assessment of upper digestive tract dysfunction, our clinical grading system, EMG, and EM yield convergent information that is relevant to the management of dysphagic infants with facial malformations. Much of the information is obtainable only from EMG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To review orofacial disabilities and their consequences in children with Moebius syndrome (MBS).Method: We retrospectively analysed the records of 32 patients (21 males, 11 females) with non-progressive bilateral facial and abducens palsies who had been examined before 6 months of age.Results: All facial muscles were severely involved in 17 patients; in the 15 others, partial movements were found in the lower face. Most patients (n=24) were unable to smile. Patients frequently presented with congenital trismus (n=20) and drooling (n=18). Additional palsies involved cranial nerves IX and X (n=18) and XII (n=25). Sucking was absent or weak in 30 patients; swallowing was impaired in 25. During the first month of life, feeding disorders were graded as severe/moderate in 25. Respiratory complications occurred in 17. Severe feeding disorders were associated with congenital trismus (p=0.01) and with cranial nerve IX and X palsy (p=0.01). Growth failure between 1 and 6 months of age, followed by catch-up growth between 6 and 12 months, was observed in 20 patients. Between 2 and 5 years of age, 25 out of 32 patients attained normal oral diet and 28 out of 29 showed normal growth.Interpretation: Children with MBS frequently require adjusted therapeutic options to prevent failure to thrive. Congenital trismus, cranial nerve IX and X palsy, and laryngeal-tracheal dysfunctions are predictors of severe feeding disorders.What This Paper Adds: Moebius syndrome frequently induces reduced oral intake and early failure to thrive. Normal oral diet and growth parameters are attained at 2 to 5 years of age. Congenital trismus, pharyngeal palsy, and laryngeal disorders predict dysphagia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although much is known about the development of object exploration during infancy, it remains to be understood whether and how olfaction can influence infants’ interactions with novel objects. To address these issues, sixteen infants aged 7–15 months were videotaped during two consecutive 5-min free play sessions with a scented or an unscented version of visually similar objects. Results indicate that adding an odor to a novel object influenced the infants’ behavior: the infants exhibited more and longer manipulations and mouthing of the unscented object than of the scented object. The differential responsiveness to the scented, relative to the unscented, object was noted after a 2-min delay following test onset, suggesting that in the present conditions infants do not immediately detect or react to the added odor. It may be concluded that infants do detect an odorant added on a novel object, show odor-based discrimination of visually similar objects, and express withdrawal of the scented, relative to the unscented, object. The implications of these findings for understanding how infants use their senses, namely their olfactory sense, in early exploratory behavior are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Surface-induced exo-energetic inelastic transitions among atomic Zeeman states in a magnetic field (“van der Waals – Zeeman” transitions) are useable as tuneable beam splitters. A transversally coherent atom beam impinging a pair of opposite surfaces (e.g. 2 edges of a slit or of an ensemble of periodic slits) gives rise to two coherently diffracted wave packets. Within the wave packet overlap, non-localised interference fringes of the Young-slit type are predicted. From the diffraction pattern observed in the Fraunhofer regime (Schlieren image), detailed information about the transition amplitude on a scale of a few nanometers should be derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Normal reactivation of extensional faults offsetting Cenozoic clastic sediments is investigated using high quality 3D seismic data from offshore Brazil. These faults form complex crestal collapse grabens and result from elliptical doming of the underlying Cretaceous sequence due to Early Cenozoic uplift. The exceptional quality of this dataset allows an extremely detailed analysis of the throw distribution to be conducted on the faults. This, in addition to a reconstruction of the 3D geometry of the fault network, gives insights into the mechanisms and kinematics of reactivation. Two distinct modes of reactivation are recognised from this dataset. The main mode is a classical reactivation by upward propagation of pre-existing structures. A second mode, termed reactivation by dip linkage, is the propagation of an individual fault segment initiated above the pre-existing faults that hard link in the dip direction. For both mechanisms, reactivation processes are selective and only occur on some portions of faults. Factors controlling the preferential reactivation of some segments include: (1) orientation of the pre-existing fault plane relative to the principal stresses responsible for the reactivation, (2) segmentation of the pre-existing network and (3) maximum dimensions and throw values of pre-existing faults and basal tip line geometry associated with a detachment. Reactivation is an important process that may account for part of the scatter in fault-scaling relationships and should be included in fault-growth models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The geometry and kinematic evolution of small growth faults were analysed from a high-resolution 3D seismic dataset located at the margins of the Levant Basin, in the eastern Mediterranean. The 3D geometry, segmentation history and throw distribution of one particular fault was reconstructed to evaluate and illustrate the changes in dimension and displacement distribution that occurred during the transition from purely blind propagation to propagation at the free surface. The fault is considered to have grown by blind radial propagation of three main segments that hard-linked prior to surface interaction. The fault subsequently reached the seabed and continued to accrue displacement as a syn-sedimentary fault. Most of the fault surface area formed during the blind propagation phase, but most of the displacement was added during the syn-sedimentary phase of the growth history with little increase in surface area. The interaction of the fault with the free surface led to a change in the position of the point of maximum displacement as well as modifying the vertical throw distribution. The amount of displacement added after this transition from blind fault to growth fault is discussed with respect to existing fault-growth models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The geometry, throw distribution and kinematics of an array of blind normal faults were investigated using a high resolution 3D seismic dataset located in the Levant Basin, offshore Israel, to establish criteria allowing true blind faults to be distinguished from minor synsedimentary faults. A detailed analysis of throw distribution on the fault planes shows that the displacement exhibits a crudely concentric pattern about a maximum region located centrally on a fault plane, as expected for ideal blind faults. However, vertical displacement profiles do not exhibit classical linear or triangular profiles but are mostly flat-topped or hybrid in type. Comparison of unrestricted blind faults to those that interacted with a mechanical boundary or another structure suggests that such interactions significantly modify the throw spatial distribution on a fault plane. To distinguish small synsedimentary faults from blind faults, we use a combination of three criteria to assess whether a fault grew by blind propagation: (1) plunging upper-tip region and complementary pattern in the throw contours, (2) presence of upper-tip propagation fold, and (3) absence of stratigraphic evidence that the fault interacted with the free surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The optical response of metallic nanowires is determined taking into account the non-local electron response by use of a self-consistent method and a jellium model. An exact formula for the reflection factor is obtained in the usual case of an hydrodynamic dielectric function. Up to a constant factor it coincides with the non-retarded limit of the amplitude obtained in a previous calculation, leading finally to the same extinction function. This function is calculated for certain metallic nanowires of experimental interest (Na, Ag). From the non-retarded near field response, the scattering amplitude at any distance can be derived. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Assesses the influence of dietary fiber on xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes (XME) using germ-free rats fed inulin and other sources of fiber (wheat bran, carrot, cocoa and oat). Modification of hepatic cytochrome P450 isoenzymatic profile; Enhancement of 1A2 and 2B1/B2 forms; Decrease of 2C11 constitutive forms.

Reports on the study that investigated the effects of dietary fibers, namely inulin, wheat bran, carrot, cocoa, pea and oat fiber on hepatic and intestinal cytichrome P-450, glutathione-S-transferase and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase. Overview on the health benefits of dietary fiber; Proposed mechanism to dietary fiber's protective effects.

Potential energies for molecular states dissociating into Ne*( P, P) + He( S) have been calculated ab initio within the distance range 4-100 a. The SCF energy (without spin-orbit interaction) is optimized on the lowestΣ state. After CI, the four Λ-states (Σ,Π)are obtained. They dissociate into Ne*( P) + He( S). All of them are repulsive at R ≲ 8 a, they exhibit shallow wells around 12 a and have a correct asymptotic behaviour (∼ - R). The spin-orbit interaction is introduced, using the Cohen-Schneider scheme, and adiabatic Ω-potentials are derived. The collision at low energy ( E ≦ 124 meV) is described in the frame of a fragment-state basis. By means of a deflation procedure, it is shown that states dissociating into Ne*( P) + He can be eliminated, which lead to a 9 × 9 interaction matrix dynamically equivalent to the original 12 × 12 matrix, in the subspace of interest. Collision channels are defined by angular momenta, J (total), j (of Ne*) and l (of the relative motion). Scattering radial equations are solved by the algorithm of Gordon and the S matrix is derived. Two sets of physically meaningful scattering amplitudes (and differential cross sections) are constructed, referred to the incident axis or to the initial and final directions of the internuclear axis. Polarization effects are discussed. The case of a quantization axis perpendicular to the collision plane is also mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-known 1-2-3 Conjecture addressed by Karoński, Luczak and Thomason asks whether the edges of every undirected graph G with no isolated edge can be assigned weights from {1, 2, 3} so that the sum of incident weights at each vertex yields a proper vertex-colouring of G. In this work, we consider a similar problem for oriented graphs. We show that the arcs of every oriented graph ... can be assigned weights from {1, 2, 3} so that every two adjacent vertices of ... receive distinct sums of outgoing weights. This result is tight in the sense that some oriented graphs do not admit such an assignment using the weights from {1, 2} only. We finally prove that deciding whether two weights are sufficient for a given oriented graph is an NP-complete problem. These results also hold for product or list versions of this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]