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Recently, our LAP-01 trial demonstrated superiority of robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP) over conventional laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) with respect to continence at 3 mo.To compare the continence, potency, and oncological outcomes between RARP and LRP in the 12-mo follow-up.In this multicentre, randomised, patient-blinded controlled trial, patients referred for radical prostatectomy to four hospitals in Germany were randomly assigned (3:1) to undergo either RARP or LRP.Continence was assessed as a patient-reported outcome through validated questionnaires. Secondary endpoints included potency and oncological outcomes. Data were statistically analysed by bivariate tests and multivariable models.At 12 mo, follow-up data were available for 701 of 782 patients. Continence at 6 and 12 mo after surgery was better in RARP patients, however no longer statistically significant (p = 0.068 and 0.38, respectively). Patients who were potent at baseline and underwent nerve-sparing surgery reported significantly higher potency after RARP, as defined by the capability to maintain an erection sufficient for intercourse at 3 (p = 0.005), 6 (p = 0.018), and 12 mo (p = 0.013). There were no statistically significant differences in oncological outcomes at 12 mo. It is a limitation that the influence of different anastomotic techniques was not investigated in this study.Both LRP and RARP offer a high standard of therapy for prostate cancer patients. However, robotic assistance offers better functional outcomes in specific areas such as potency and early continence in patients who are eligible for nerve-sparing RP.We compared outcomes 12 mo after radical prostatectomy between robotic-assisted and conventional laparoscopy. Both methods were equivalent with respect to oncological outcomes. Better recovery of continence in patients with robotic-assisted surgery, which was observed at 3 mo, blurred up to 12 mo. A benefit of robotic-assisted surgery was also observed in potency.

A new caffeic acid ester, eriocaffeate (1), and a new ceramide, erioceramide (2) along with eight known compounds, genistein (3), genistin (4), lupinisoflavone A (5), quercetin (6), lupeol (7), a mixture of β-sitosterol (8) and stigmasterol (9), and β-sitosterol-3-O-β- d -glucopyranoside (10) were obtained after the phytochemical investigation of the CH2Cl2/MeOH (1:1, v/v) extract from the roots of Eriosema glomeratum. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by analyses of their spectroscopic data including 1D- and 2D-NMR, HRESI-MS, and ESI-MS/MS as well as chemical conversions. The cytotoxicity of isolated compounds 1−6 was determined against three human [lung (A549), breast (MCF7), and cervical (HeLa)] cancer cell lines. Compounds 3 and 6 possessed the activities on all the tested three cell lines, MCF7 (IC50 = 88.9 and 42.6 μM), A549 (IC50 = 42.1 and 28.2 μM), and HeLa (IC50 = 27.4 and 19.1 μM), respectively. Compound 4 showed selective moderate activity with the IC50 value of 68.7 μM on the HeLa cancer cell line.

Background: Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population.Methods: AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921.Findings: Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [Interpretation: Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke.Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Background: Nanocovax is a recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 subunit vaccine composed of full-length prefusion stabilized recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins (S-2P) and aluminum hydroxide adjuvant. Methods: We conducted a dose-escalation, open label trial (phase 1) and a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (phase 2) to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the Nanocovax vaccine (in 25 microgram (mcg), 50 mcg, and 75 mcg doses, aluminum hydroxide adjuvanted). In phase 1, 60 participants received two intramuscular injection of the vaccine following dose-escalation procedure. The primary outcomes were reactogenicity and laboratory tests to evaluate the vaccine safety. In phase 2 which involved in 560 healthy adults, the primary outcomes are vaccine safety, and anti-S IgG antibody response. Secondary outcomes were surrogate virus neutralization, wild-type SARS-CoV-2 neutralization, and T-cell responses by intracellular staining (ICS) for interferon gamma (IFNg). Anti-S IgG and neutralizing antibody levels were compared with convalescent serum samples from symptomatic Covid-19 patients. Findings: For phase 1 study, no serious adverse events (SAE) were observed for all 60 participants. Most adverse events (AE) were grade 1 and disappeared shortly after injection. For phase 2 study, after randomization, 480 participants were assigned to receive the vaccine with adjuvant, and 80 participants were assigned to receive placebo. Reactogenicity was absent or mild in the majority of participants and of short duration (mean ≤3 days). Unsolicited adverse events were mild in most participants. There were no serious adverse events related to Nanocovax. Regarding the immunogenicity, Nanocovax induced robust anti-S antibody responses. In general, there humoral responses were similar among vaccine groups up to day 90. Anti S-IgG levels and neutralizing antibody titers at the peak response on day 42 were all higher than those of convalescent sera. Interpretation: Up to day 90, Nanocovax was found to be safe, well tolerated, and induced robust immune responses. 25 mcg was selected for a phase 3 trial to evaluate the vaccine efficacy. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04683484. NCT04683484, registration date in clinicaltrial.gov is Dec24, 2020, We has started our Phase 1 clinical trial in Vietnam on Dec 17, 2020, Funding: Research funded by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC., and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam Declaration of Interest: The following authors Thuy Phuong Nguyen, Hiep Khong, Tri Minh Le, Tuyen Thi Ngoc Trang, Thanh Thi Dinh, Thuong Van Vo, Thao Thi Thu Vu, Quynh Bao Phuong Nguyen, Vuong Tan Phan, Vinh The Tran, Mai Thi Nhu Tran, Truc Thi Thanh Nguyen, Phat Tan Ha, Hieu Trong Huynh, Khanh Duy Nguyen, Chung Chinh Doan, Thuan Trong Ung, Si Minh Do are employees of Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC. All other authors declare no competing interests. Ethical Approval: The trials were designed and funded by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of Vietnam. The trial protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee/Protocol Review Board of the Ministry of Health (Vietnam)

In this paper, we numerically study pool boiling of a binary (water and nitrogen) mixture on a surface endowed with a combination of hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity (i.e., the so called biphilic surface). Here we adopt a numerical approach based on the phase field theory, where the vapor-liquid interface is assumed to be of a finite thickness (hence diffusive in nature) and requires no explicit tracking schemes. The theoretical modeling of two-phase heat and mass transfer in water diluted with nitrogen demonstrates the significant impact of impurities on bubble dynamics. The simulations show that locally high concentrations of nitrogen gas within the vapor bubble is essential to weakening the condensation effect, which results in sustained bubble growth and ultimately (partial) departure from the surface under the artificially enlarged gravity. Simply increasing the solubility of nitrogen in water, however, turns out to be counterproductive because possible re-dissolution of the aggregated nitrogen by the bulk water could deprive the bubble of vital gas contents, leading instead to continuous bubble shrinkage and collapse. Additionally, it is found that with the significant accumulation of nitrogen, the bubble interface is increasingly dominated by a strong interfacial thermocapillary flow due to the Marangoni effect.

Kaempferia marginata rhizomes are used as an herb in food and as traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory-related diseases in Asian countries. In contrast to the previously reported phytochemical investigation of Thai and Chinese K. marginata rhizomes, which demonstrated the presence of sandaracopimaradiene and ent-sandaracopimaradiene, our first investigation of Vietnamese K. marginata rhizomes led to the isolation of eight undescribed pimarane diterpenoids, marginols A‒H, along with 18 known pimarane diterpenoids. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques, including 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, and CD spectroscopy and/or by comparisons of their NMR data with previously reported data. Furthermore, evaluations of the NO production inhibitory activity against LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells revealed that the undescribed compounds, marginols B and D‒G, and the known compounds, sandaracopimaradien-6β,9α-diol-1-one and 6-acetoxysandaracopimardien-9-ol-1-one, showed potent activities. These results provide insights into the chemodiversity of Vietnamese K. marginata rhizomes as well as their traditional usage from the viewpoint of their chemical constituents.

This study aims to explore the impact of changing the number of shipping lines on ports’ charges and profits. A two-stage non-cooperative game-theoretic model is developed with two ports and multiple identical shipping lines. At the first stage, the ports decide their container handling charges. At the second stage, the shipping lines make their port of call decision to split cargoes between the two ports. The model is then applied to the case of competition between two ports in New Zealand, namely, the Port of Tauranga and the Port of Auckland, to draw managerial insights. Our study extends the literature on ports’ competition by incorporating the competition between shipping lines. Our paper demonstrates that the increase in the number of shipping lines may force ports to decrease their handling charges. Furthermore, we show that each shipping line tends to ship more cargo via the port with lower costs compared to the optimal decision from the industry’s point of view (but not from a welfare point of view).

We investigated the importance of the δ-lactone ring (C1-C5) in lankacidin C using chemoenzymatic synthesis and computational prediction and assessing biological activity, including antitumor activity. Pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent dehydrogenase (Orf23) in Streptomyces rochei was used in the chemoenzymatic synthesis of lankacyclinone C, a novel lankacidin C congener lacking the δ-lactone moiety. Orf23 could convert the monocyclic lankacidinol derivatives, lankacyclinol and 2-epi-lankacyclinol, to the C-24 keto compounds, lankacyclinone C and 2-epi-lankacyclinone C, respectively, elucidating the relaxed substrate specificity of Orf23. Computational prediction using molecular dynamics simulations and the molecular mechanics/generalized Born-surface area protocol indicated that binding energy values of all the monocyclic derivatives are very close to those of lankacidin C, which may reflect a comparable affinity to tubulin. Monocyclic lankacidin derivatives showed moderate antitumor activity when compared with bicyclic lankacidins, suggesting that the δ-lactone moiety is less important for antitumor activity in lankacidin-group antibiotics.

Current research on next generation network design has highlighted the challenges to be overcome before applications and services that require high capacity, low latency, and improved reliability can become the norm. Transport networking has a vital role to play in the delivery of the new and innovative applications and services that fully harness the next generation network architectures. The novel Software Defined Networking (SDN) paradigm has been successfully utilized to enhance networking solutions, for example, data center and enterprise networks, and current research is focused on the broader implementation of SDN-based networking to carrier core and access networks, including wireless mobile backhaul. This paper provides a review of the current status of research into SDN-Based Wireless Mobile Backhaul Architecture and the challenges that have been identified in the literature.

We conduct numerical experiments on viscoelastic droplets hitting a flat solid surface. The results present time-resolved non-Newtonian stresses acting in the droplet. Comparing with the simulation of the impact of a Newtonian droplet, the effects of viscoelasticity on droplet behaviors such as splashing, the maximum spreading diameter and deformation are analyzed. With detailed information on the contact line region, we demonstrate how the contact line behaves according to the transition of the fluid property from elasticity dominated to shear-thinning dominated when a droplet expands and contracts on the substrate. The propose of this work is to discuss whether and how the elasticity in an impinging droplet takes effect.

The phenomenon of droplet impact on a smooth, flat, partially wetted surface is studied by phase field simulation. A map of the different impact regimes is constructed for Reynolds numbers ranging ...

Summary Recently, an interesting effect of ATP on proteins has been reported: ATP can hinder the thermal aggregation of proteins, and it can prevent fibrillation of intrinsically disorder proteins. Consequently, ATP was considered to act “as a biological hydrotrope.” In this paper, we demonstrate that the interactions leading to the two aforementioned phenomena are quite different from the traditionally referred hydrotropy. In the case of the increase of aggregation prevention, we show that the relevant effect is a specific ion effect of a strongly hydrated and highly charged anion in the Hofmeister series. In the case of fibrillation suppression, the most important mechanism is the interaction of adenosine with the delocalized π-systems of amino acid residues in the protein. In regard to classical solubilization power of ATP for organic molecules, we find that ATP does not act as a classical hydrotrope, because it strongly decreases the solubility of hydrophobes.

We investigate the Marangoni effects in a hexane droplet under evaporation and close to its critical point. A lattice Boltzmann model is used to perform 3D numerical simulations. In a first case, the droplet is placed in its own vapor and a temperature gradient is imposed. The droplet locomotion through the domain is observed, where the temperature differences across the surface is proportional to the droplet velocity and the Marangoni effect is confirmed. The droplet is then set under a forced convection condition. The results show that the Marangoni stresses play a major role in maintaining the internal circulation when the superheated vapor temperature is increased. Surprisingly, surface tension variations along the interface due to temperature change may affect heat transfer and internal circulation even for low Weber number. Other results and considerations regarding the droplet surface are also discussed.

The research work presents the study on non-deterministic problems in the presence of the multiple imprecise-random-field uncertainties by extending the spectral stochastic finite element framework. The standard random field is expanded to characterize the behaviour of physical model with imprecise randomness more appropriately for real engineering problems based on available sources of uncertainty. The Young’s modulus and body force of structures are considered as imprecise random fields with bounded statistical moments. Mathematical expressions and solution procedure are developed to produce the uncertain-but-bounded statistical characteristics of responses, namely interval mean value, interval standard deviation and bounding distribution functions. The bounding probability density and cumulative distribution of the imprecise random response are then effectively visualized by means of Polynomial Chaos Expansion. The feasibility and effectiveness of the presented method are illustrated by three numerical examples.

To produce the alkali activated material, red mud must be used with components containing active silicon dioxide because silicon dioxide in red mud does not dissolve in alkaline solution. The test results presented in this paper show that high pressure and high temperature treatment in an autoclave can dissolve part of the silicone dioxide in red mud and improve the properties of material. The compressive strength of red mud based alkali activated materials can reach 10.6 MPa with a softening coefficient over 0.70. Adding an active silicon dioxide supplement by replacing 26.3 wt% red mud with fly ash increases the compressive strength up to 20 MPa and the softening coefficient by more than 0.90. Furthermore, autoclave treatment reduces residual sodium hydroxide and lowers the pH value of material. As the result, red mud based and red mud-fly ash based alkali activated materials can be used for manufacturing of masonry units.

This paper presents the mixed probabilistic/non-probabilistic uncertainty problem regarding the hybrid uncertainty propagation on physical model of functionally graded plates through dissimilarly uncertain characterisation of material properties in the presence of the multiple-imprecise-random-field modelling. The spectral stochastic finite element framework is extended to perform mixed uncertainty analysis of functionally graded material whereby the spatial variation of elastic modulus of the plate is uniquely characterised as the multiple-imprecise-random-field modelling more than a purely homogeneous random field. This characterisation has originated in heeding the construction of physical models and the significant influences of separately uncertain characteristics propagated on the physical model through different material ingredients are examined to make physical models more reliable and realistic. Mechanics and mathematics intrusive-formulations are then established to explicitly produce the uncertain-but-bounded statistical characteristics of responses, namely interval mean value, interval standard deviation. Bounded surfaces of statistical moments and bounding distribution functions are vividly depicted for demonstration. The feasibility and effectiveness of the presented work are illustrated via test cases of numerical examples.

This paper presents the first attempt to study the probabilistic stability characteristics of functionally graded (FG) graphene platelets (GPLs) reinforced beams by taking into account the multidimensional probability distributions, such as stochastic porosity and GPL distribution patterns as well as random material properties. For this purpose, a non-inclusive Chebyshev metamodel (CMM), which is implemented on deterministic analysis using discrete singular convolution (DSC) method with excellent computational efficiency and accuracy, is proposed and used to obtain both deterministic and probabilistic results including probability density functions (PDFs), cumulative density functions (CDFs), means and standard deviations of the critical buckling load. The present analysis is rigorously validated through direct comparisons against the results obtained by a direct quasi-Monte Carlo simulation (QMCS) method and those available in open literature. The influences of material properties, porosity distribution, GPL dispersion pattern and boundary condition on probabilistic buckling behaviour of the FG-GPL beam are comprehensively investigated. The global sensitivity analysis is also conducted. The results suggest that the critical buckling load of the FG-GPL beam is most sensitive to porosity distribution, followed by porosity coefficient and GPL weight fraction.

This paper presents the non-deterministic dynamic analysis and reliability assessment of structures with uncertain-but-bounded parameters under stochastic process excitations. Random ground acceleration from earthquake motion is adopted to illustrate the stochastic process force. The exact change ranges of natural frequencies, random vibration displacement and stress responses of structures are investigated under the interval analysis framework. Formulations for structural reliability are developed considering the safe boundary and structural random vibration responses as interval parameters. An improved particle swarm optimization algorithm, namely randomised lower sequence initialized high-order nonlinear particle swarm optimization algorithm, is employed to capture the better bounds of structural dynamic characteristics, random vibration responses and reliability. Three numerical examples are used to demonstrate the presented method for interval random vibration analysis and reliability assessment of structures. The accuracy of the results obtained by the presented method is verified by the randomised Quasi-Monte Carlo simulation method (QMCSM) and direct Monte Carlo simulation method (MCSM).

In this paper, we numerically study particle formation in the rapid expansion of supercritical solution (RESS) process in a two dimensional, axisymmetric geometry, for a benzoic acid + CO2 system. ...

The initial rapid wetting of a solid surface by a liquid phase is an important step in many industrial processes. Liquid-phase sintering of powder metallurgical steels is one such industrial process, where metallic powders of micrometer size are used. Investigating the dynamic wetting of a high-temperature metallic drop of micrometer size experimentally is very challenging. Here, a phase-field-based numerical model is first implemented and verified by accurately capturing the initial dynamic wetting of millimeter-sized metal drops and then the model is extended to predict the dynamic wetting of a micrometer-sized metal drop. We found, in accordance with recent observations, that contact line friction is required for accurate simulation of dynamic wetting. Our results predict the wetting time for a micrometer-sized metal drop and also indicate that the dynamic wetting patterns at the micro- and millimeter length scales are qualitatively similar. We also found that the wetting process is much faster for a micrometer-sized metal drop compared to a millimeter-sized metal drop.

Since the introduction of market-oriented economy in 1986, Vietnam has made noticeable socio-economic progress. In this progress, the energy sector has played a vital role. This role is likely to deepen in the years to come as Vietnam strives to achieve even higher levels in economic progress. Such deepening in the role of energy, this paper argues, will heighten concerns about the security of energy supply, and economic, environmental, social and political consequences. In order to address these issues, Vietnam has over the last decade, developed a suite of energy policies. A deeper review of these policies suggests that they are typified by economic-growth orientation, exclusive focus on a single-sector or single issue, and largely neglect the significance of cross-sectoral and cross-thematic issues arising from the interdependencies between energy, economy, and the polity at large. The existing energy policy settings are, therefore, unlikely to be able to provide a satisfactory redress to the challenges noted above. This paper provides an overview of the current energy policies with a view to identify areas where further policy effort is needed in order to facilitate a sustainable development of the Vietnamese energy sector. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Objective To investigate whether previous laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) affected adversely key outcome measures in radical prostatectomy, including perioperative data, pathologic data, complications, potency, continence, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). We have shown previously that LIHR does not preclude safe endoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy (EERPE). Methods EERPE is the standard approach to radical prostatectomy in our unit. Between 2001 and June 2009 we encountered 92 patients who had previously undergone LIHR who underwent our standard technique of EERPE other than modification of port placement and development of the extraperitoneal space. We recorded our standard perioperative/postoperative dataset. Twelve-month follow-up data were available from 75 of 92 patients with 6-month follow-up of the remaining 17. Results Fifty-nine patients had undergone previous unilateral total extraperitoneal hernioplasty (TEP): 16 bilateral TEP, 15 unilateral transabdominal extraperitoneal hernioplasty (TAPP), and 2 bilateral TAPP. Although we needed to modify our technique, there was no increase in our operative time (153 minutes). Where indicated, we were able to perform bilateral nerve sparing and pelvic lymphadenectomy on the contralateral side to the LIHR. There were no major complications and no blood transfusions. Our positive margin rate, continence, and potency rates did not differ from our series of 2000 consecutive EERPEs. Ninety-four-point-seven percent of men had an undetectable PSA at 12 months. Conclusions LIHR does not adversely affect perioperative and key outcome measures in EERPE.

A feasibility study has been undertaken to assess the suitability of a commercially available SERS substrate for monitoring of self-assembling deposition process. Monolayer self-assembly of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid on SERS active substrate Klarite™ from absolute and acidified ethanol was studied and compared with deposition on SPR substrate from absolute ethanol. Changes in integral intensity of the phenyl bands at 1587 and 1076 cm −1 and ethanol band at 1451 cm −1 allow to follow structural changes in the monolayer. Stability of the monolayer assembled from acidified ethanol in contrast to the pure ethanol was demonstrated.

In the present paper we present a phenomenological description of droplet dynamics in a bifurcating channel that is based on three-dimensional numerical experiments using the Phase Field theory. Droplet dynamics is investigated in a junction, which has symmetric outflow conditions in its daughter branches. We identify two different flow regimes as the droplets interact with the tip of the bifurcation, splitting and non-splitting. A distinct criterion for the flow regime transition is found based on the initial droplet volume and the Capillary (Ca) number. The Rayleigh–Plateau instability is identified as a driving mechanism for the droplet breakup close to the threshold between the splitting and non-splitting regime.

This paper presents a model, using a phase-field method, that is able to simulate the motion of a solid sphere impacting on a liquid surface, including the effects of capillary and hydrodynamic forces. The basic phenomena that were the subject of our research effort are the small scale mechanism such as the wetting property of the solid surface which control the large scale phenomena of the interaction. The coupled problem during the impact will be formulated by the inclusion of the surface energies of the solid surface in the formulation, which gives a reliable prediction of the motion of solid objects in/on/out of a liquid surface and the hydrodynamic behaviours at small scales when the inertia of fluid is less important than its surface tension. Numerical results at different surface wettabilities and impact conditions will be presented and compared with the experiments of Duez el al. [C. Duez, C. Ybert, C. Clanet, L. Bocquet, Nat. Phys. 3 (2007) 180-183] and Lee and Kim [D. Lee, H. Kim, Langmuir 24 (1) (2008) 142].

It is well known that some intestinal bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, can produce a remarkable amount of molecular hydrogen (H(2)). Although the antioxidant effects of H(2) are well documented, the present study examined whether H(2) released from intestinally colonized bacteria could affect Concanavalin A (ConA)-induced mouse hepatitis. Systemic antibiotics significantly decreased the level of H(2) in both liver and intestines along with suppression of intestinal bacteria. As determined by the levels of AST, ALT, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma in serum, suppression of intestinal bacterial flora by antibiotics increased the severity of ConA-induced hepatitis, while reconstitution of intestinal flora with H(2)-producing E. coli, but not H(2)-deficient mutant E. coli, down-regulated the ConA-induced liver inflammation. Furthermore, in vitro production of both TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma by ConA-stimulated spleen lymphocytes was significantly inhibited by the introduction of H(2). These results indicate that H(2) released from intestinal bacteria can suppress inflammation induced in liver by ConA.

In this paper we simulate the evolution and free particle motion of an individual nucleus that grows into a dendritic crystal. The melt flow and the convective heat transfer around the crystal are simulated as they settle due to gravity. There is an intricate coupling between the settling and the evolution of the crystal. The relative flow induced by the settling enhances the growth at the downward facing parts, which in its turn affects the subsequent settling motion.Simulations have been done in two dimensions using a semi-sharp phase-field model. The flow was constrained to a rigid body motion by using Lagrange multipliers inside the solidified part. The model was formulated using two different meshes. One is a fixed background mesh, which covers the whole domain. The other is an adaptive mesh, where the node points are also translated and rotated with the movement of the solid particle. In the latter, the dendritic growth is simulated by the semi-sharp phase-field method.

Objective Training in laparoscopy is still a challenge for the urologic community. Surgeons in training must learn the laparoscopic techniques, possibly without having ever performed the conventional procedure. In the present study, we provide a nonstructured literature review pertaining to laparoscopic training and discuss the training design and the modular concept. Methods A thorough literature search was performed with the Medline database and different training procedures were analysed. Results Due to increasing time constraints, cost, stress, and ethical considerations, the modern operating room is not the ideal learning environment. Various simulators and models for laparoscopic training in urology and general surgery with different levels of validity and reliability are available. Wide acceptance of the use simulators has been hampered by the lack of standard and valid methods to measure and certify competence in basic psychomotor skills. Besides, it is unclear if trainees have enough access to these programmes and if they are sufficient enough to develop the required skills. Whether complex urologic procedures can be performed by beginners without open surgical expertise and whether experience in open surgery is definitely required before mastering laparoscopic techniques are still matters of issue. Conclusion The lack of a standardised, evaluated training procedure needs to be overcome. Structured training programmes and transference of gained experience into daily practice are essential to provide urology with expert laparoscopists.

This paper investigates the effect of sovereign wealth fund (SWF) investments on the performance of target firms through a liquidity channel. We test whether the additional information asymmetry from SWF investment causes target firm liquidity to decrease in the medium to long term and whether the decrease in target liquidity creates downward pressure on target firm valuation. Overall, our results suggest that the medium to long-term performance of SWF target firms is driven by two opposing factors. On the one hand, we find strong evidence for uncompensated reduction in stock liquidity in the medium to long-term subsequent to SWF investment. We conjecture this to be a consequence of SWFs' intractability in terms of investing objectives, which potentially include both financial and non-financial motives. On the other hand, we find evidence that SWFs improve firm performance, especially for more financially distressed firms. This is a result of SWF monitoring and certification. The net effect of the two opposite forces is the uncertainty in the performance of SWF target firms.

La prostatectomía radical laparoscópica ha sido establecida y adoptada por centros urológicos especializados de todo el mundo como el método fundamental de tratamiento quirúrgico del cáncer de próstata localizado. Los urólogos mantienen una búsqueda constante de desarrollo de modificaciones y refinamientos técnicos, para reducir la morbilidad y mejorar el resultado clínico y de calidad de vida. En 2002, comunicamos inicialmente nuestra técnica y experiencia con la prostatectomía radical endoscópica totalmente extraperitoneal (PRETE). En este artículo de revisión presentamos la evolución de la técnica y los últimos resultados.

Introduction A technical modification of nerve sparing endoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy (nsEERPE) with preservation of the puboprostatic ligaments is presented and compared to a previous techniique. Materials and methods nsEERPE was performed in 100 men with clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate from March 2004 through February 2005. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A included patients in whom a standard nsEERPE was performed ( n =50), and group B included patients in whom a puboprostatic ligament sparing nsEERPE was performed ( n =50). The postoperative follow-up was 2 weeks and 3 months evaluating preliminary effects on early continence and positive margins. Results The early return to continence at 2 weeks postoperatively was achieved by 6 patients (12%) in group A, and 12 patients (24%) in group B. Three months after the procedure 24 (48%) and 38 (76%) patients were continent, in groups A and B respectively. Cli.nical outcome (early continence) was significantly better for Group B patients, at 2 weeks (chi-square test, p =0.0019) and at 3 months (chi-square test, p =0.0347) following surgery. No cases of complete or severe incontinence (more than 5pads/day) were observed at 3 months after surgery, in either groups. Groups A and B did not exhibit significant differences regarding their histological status. In group A, positive margins were detected in 6.5% and 26.3% of patients with pT2 and pT3, respectively. In group B, positive margins were found in 3.2% and 15.8% of patients with pT2 and pT3, respectively Conclusion We propose the use of puboprostatic ligament-sparing nsEERPE as an intriguing method to ascertain recuperation of early continence after nerve sparing procedures, without hindering the final oncological outcome

A comprehensive three-dimensional, time-dependent model of heat, momentum and solute transfer during solidification is carried out to illustrate the influence of weak convection, caused by surface ...

The temporal evolution of the three-dimensional structure of a plane mixing layer is investigated by Direct Numerical Simulation. Detailed visualizations are produced of the interactions between spanwise rolls, initiated by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, and the longitudinal ribs formed in the braid region, these interactions leading to the formation of smaller structures. Using 3D wavelet analysis, the spatial coherent structures of the vorticity field are related to the different scales produced in the Fourier spectrum. A detailed analysis of the vorticity amplification mechanisms by stretching is provided which supports the theoretical model given recently by Moffat, Kida and Ohkitani. The topologies of stretching and energy dissipation zones are related to the production of small scales during the rib formation and the bending of the rolls. This analysis suggests a possible generic mechanism for small scale production.