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Background. The aim of this large retrospective long-term study was to investigate if age can be considered as prognostic factor for inferior outcomes after treatment of multi-ligament injuries of the knee. Methods. A retrospective study of the long-term outcomes of patients (n = 89) treated with multi-ligament injured knees was performed. Four age groups (< or > 28 years at injury and < or > 41 years at follow-up) were investigated. The visual analogue scale (pain and satisfaction), Lysholm score, Tegner score, Knee Society Score, SF-36 health questionnaire, cruciate ligament laxity by KT-1000, IKDC2000, need for workers' compensation, conventional and stress radiographs were assessed. Pearson correlations and t-tests were used to test for differences between the groups (p < 0.05). Results. Sixty-eight patients with a follow-up of 12 ± 8 years showed no significant difference with regards to age groups at follow-up in the total SF-36 health questionnaire, the VAS pain, VAS satisfaction, the total Knee Society score, the Tegner score (before, after and relative), the need for workers' compensation and the change of occupation. Conclusion. This study showed no significant correlation between the age of patients at injury and the outcomes after multi-ligament knee injuries. It seems that other factors such as injury pattern are more important factors for outcomes after multi-ligament knee injuries than age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Events over the past year have demonstrated the utility of mobile devices for coordinating mass gatherings and organizing protests in support of social change. However, governments have countered by censoring or disabling centralized search services and social networking sites. This paper describes a decentralized search and retrieval system, named iTrust, that provides resistance against the vulnerabilities of centralized services. It describes the iTrust with SMS interface and the iTrust SMS-HTTP bridge, which enable any SMS-capable mobile phone to communicate with and obtain information from HTTP nodes in the iTrust network. It also describes the iTrust over SMS protocol, which enables mobile phones to communicate directly with each other and share information in a peer-to-peer fashion bypassing the Internet. The paper also describes the Android user interface, which builds on the basic SMS capabilities of mobile phones and offers a user-friendly way of accessing the iTrust with SMS or iTrust over SMS implementation. Finally, the paper presents a performance evaluation of the iTrust search and retrieval system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First mirror cleaning using 60 MHz very high frequency was optimized. • The pre-matching element is reducing the power consumption. • Cleaning homogeneity on a curved and large size mirror was measured. • End-of-Cleaning Indicator using Optical Emission Spectroscopy was demonstrated. For the fusion reactor ITER, a mandatory monitor of the fusion device and plasma will be performed with optical diagnostic systems. For the metallic first mirrors, the recovery of the reflectivity losses due to dust deposition is proposed to be carried out for 14 different optical diagnostic systems by the plasma cleaning technique. In this work, we studied the influence of the electrode area on the electrode potential as a function of the applied power with a 60 MHz radio very high frequency source. Unshielded copper disks with different diameters were constructed to study the impact of the electrode area in the range of 90 cm2 to 1200 cm2, which corresponds to an Edge Thomson Scattering area ratio of 0.15 to 2. It was observed that the absolute value of the resulting bias decreased from 280 V to 15 V with the increase of the area for a given RF power. Moreover, the power consumption was reduced by 43 % using a pre-matching element close to the vacuum feedthrough. The cleaning homogeneity on a curved and a large size mirror was studied, and the difference between the center and edge maximum/minimum was around 20 % and 40 % for the curved and large size mirror, respectively. For ITER, it is required to have an End-of-Cleaning Indicator (ECI), which shows when the cleaning process would be stopped. In this work, we studied the feasibility of Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) as a real-time control tool for the RF cleaning process. With 13.56 or 60 MHz, it was possible to use OES as ECI by following the molybdenum (Mo), rhodium (Rh), and aluminum (Al) emission lines. The decrease of Al I line and increase of the Mo I and Rh I line were recorded as a function of the cleaning time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which focused on the Totem multiple-ring protocol for ordering delivery of messages across multiple interconnected local-area networks interconnected by gateways. Data structures and message types of Totem multiple-ring ordering; Implementations and performance; Conclusions.

Titanium alloys of 10 wt%-72 wt% Cu, 10 wt%-80 wt% Co and 20 wt%-84 wt% Ni were investigated. Ingots were fabricated in a vacuum/argon tungsten arc furnace. The surfaces of the alloys were examined by optical microscopy and SEM/EDS, and the Knoop hardness values of the alloys were measured. The corrosion resistance of the alloys was determined by a potentiodynamic polarization technique in buffered Ringer's solution. When a threshold composition of 30 wt% alloy was reached, a large decrease in corrosion resistance was found to occur. Knoop hardness measurements showed that similar hardness values of approximately 300 KHN can be obtained in all systems with lower alloy content. These values are similar to those obtained with a commercial dental titanium alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low latency fault tolerance (LLFT) system provides fault tolerance for distributed applications within a local-area network, using a leader–follower replication strategy. LLFT provides application-transparent replication, with strong replica consistency, for applications that involve multiple interacting processes or threads. Its novel system model enables LLFT to maintain a single consistent infinite computation, despite faults and asynchronous communication. The LLFT messaging protocol provides reliable, totally ordered message delivery by employing a group multicast, where the message ordering is determined by the primary replica in the destination group. The leader-determined membership protocol provides reconfiguration and recovery when a replica becomes faulty and when a replica joins or leaves a group, where the membership of the group is determined by the primary replica. The virtual determinizer framework captures the ordering information at the primary replica and enforces the same ordering of non-deterministic operations at the backup replicas. LLFT does not employ a majority-based, multiple-round consensus algorithm and, thus, it can operate in the common industrial case where there is a primary replica and only one backup replica. The LLFT system achieves low latency message delivery during normal operation and low latency reconfiguration and recovery when a fault occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Endotoxemia was shown to be integral in the pathophysiology of obstructive jaundice. In the current study, the role of conjugated primary bile salts (CPBS) and phosphatidylcholine on the permeability of endotoxin through a layer of intestinal epithelial cells and the consequent activation of basolaterally cocultured human mononuclear leukocytes were measured.Design: In a coculture model, a layer of differentiated, confluent Caco-2 cells was apically stimulated with growth-arrested, nonpathogenic Escherichia coli.Setting: Basic human cell culture laboratory.Interventions: The effect of CPBS (0.5 mM and 1.5 mM), phosphatidylcholine (0.38 mM), and human bile (0.5% vol/vol) on the barrier function was assessed by the measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance, by endotoxin permeability through the intestinal epithelial cell layer, and by basolateral cytokine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurement (tumor necrosis factor-[alpha], interleukins-6, -8, and -10). Micelles formed by CPBS were detected by dynamic light scattering. The association of endotoxin with CPBS micelles was tested by fluorescence resonance energy transfer.Measurements and Main Results: Apical addition of CPBS suppressed the permeability of endotoxins through the intestinal epithelial cell layer significantly. In parallel, apical supplementation of CPBS dose-dependently reduced the basolateral production of all cytokines measured. Apical phosphatidylcholine supplementation enhanced this effect significantly. CPBS formed micelles (diameter, 134 +/- 7 nm), which were able to bind endotoxin to their surface.Conclusions: CPBS can reduce the permeation of endotoxin through intestinal epithelial cell layers by binding it to micelles. Thereby, the inflammatory processes beyond the mucosal surface are suppressed, an effect that is enhanced by phosphatidylcholine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are potential hosts of the elusive early phases of high mass star formation (HMSF). Here, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the fragmentation properties of a sample of 10 IRDCs, which have been highlighted as some of the best candidates to study HMSF within the Milky Way. To do so, we have obtained a set of large mosaics covering these IRDCs with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at Band 3 (or 3 mm). These observations have a high angular resolution (∼3 arcsec; ∼0.05 pc), and high continuum and spectral line sensitivity (∼0.15 mJy beam−1 and ∼0.2 K per 0.1 km s−1 channel at the N2H+ (1 − 0) transition). From the dust continuum emission, we identify 96 cores ranging from low to high mass (M  = 3.4−50.9 M⊙) that are gravitationally bound (αvir = 0.3−1.3) and which would require magnetic field strengths of B  = 0.3−1.0 mG to be in virial equilibrium. We combine these results with a homogenized catalogue of literature cores to recover the hierarchical structure within these clouds over four orders of magnitude in spatial scale (0.01–10 pc). Using supplementary observations at an even higher angular resolution, we find that the smallest fragments (<0.02 pc) within this hierarchy do not currently have the mass and/or the density required to form high-mass stars. None the less, the new ALMA observations presented in this paper have facilitated the identification of 19 (6 quiescent and 13 star-forming) cores that retain >16 M⊙ without further fragmentation. These high-mass cores contain trans-sonic non-thermal motions, are kinematically sub-virial, and require moderate magnetic field strengths for support against collapse. The identification of these potential sites of HMSF represents a key step in allowing us to test the predictions from high-mass star and cluster formation theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reflectivity conservation of nano-crystalline rhodium coated mirrors after up to 100 cleaning cycles using Al 2 O 3 as contaminant. • An average erosion rate of 59 nm/cycles was measured on nano-crystalline rhodium-coated mirrors. • Single-crystal rhodium and molybdenum developed pits on their surfaces, leading to a decrease of the specular reflectivity. • The polishing process (i.e. carbon incorporation) is the responsible mechanism leading to surface pitting. • A surface etching step before the cleaning cycles suppresses the formation of pits. In ITER, the metallic first mirrors (FMs) will undergo erosion due to their proximity to the fusion plasma and deposition of materials originated from the first walls (mainly beryllium). In-situ plasma cleaning is a promising technique to conserve the FMs optical properties by means of ion sputtering. In this work, the evolution of the optical properties of single-crystal (Sc) and nanocrystalline (Nc) molybdenum (Mo) and rhodium (Rh) mirrors were investigated up to 100 cycles of consecutive contamination and cleaning. Aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3) was used as contaminant to replace the toxic beryllium. The plasma cleaning was carried out using a capacitively coupled argon (Ar) plasma excited by a 60 MHz radio-frequency generator resulting in the formation of a self-bias applied on the mirrors of -280 V. The plasma potential being around 30 V, the Ar ion energy was about 310 eV. The optical properties of the mirrors were assessed using ex-situ reflectivity measurements. Moreover, the surface topography was characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB) and roughness measurements using atomic force microscopy (AFM). ScMo and ScRh mirrors formerly exposed to 80 successful cleaning cycles using aluminum/tungsten (Al/W) deposits and air storage exhibit drastic changes in their optical properties after being subject to cleaning cycles using Al 2 O 3 as contaminant. Additionally, freshly polished ScRh were exposed to identical cleaning cycles. All Sc mirrors exhibited pits induced by the polishing procedure using diamond paste in addition of mounds/wavy patterns. The carbon incorporated during the polishing process was demonstrated to be responsible for the pitting of the surface. The Nc mirrors preserved their initial reflectivities after up to 100 cycles. The surface topography was systematically characterized and an average erosion rate for NcRh mirrors of about 59 nm per cycle has been estimated from FIB cross-sections. The optical properties of the Nc mirrors showed a superiority in the present study in comparison to the Sc materials due to the influence of their polishing procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) were first identified in Canada in 2014. Surveillance efforts have been instrumental in controlling both diseases. In this study, we provide an overview of surveillance components for the two diseases in Ontario (Canada), as well as PEDV and PDCoV incidence and prevalence measures. Swine herds located in the Province of Ontario, of any type, whose owners agreed to participate in a voluntary industry‐led disease control programme (DCP) and with associated diagnostic or epidemiological information about the two swine coronaviruses, were eligible to be included for calculation of disease frequency at the provincial level. PEDV and PDCoV data stored in the industry DCP database were imported into the R statistical software and analysed to produce weekly frequency of incidence counts and prevalence counts, in addition to yearly herd‐level incidence risk and prevalence between 2014 and 2016. The yearly herd‐level incidence risk of PEDV, based on industry data, was 13.5%, 3.0% and 1.4% (95% CI: 11.1–16.2, 2.0–4.2, 0.8–2.3), while the yearly herd‐level incidence risk of PDCoV was 1.1%, 0.3%, and 0.1% (95% CI: 0.5–2.2, 0.1–0.9, 0.0–0.5), for 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. Herd‐level prevalence estimates for PEDV in the last week of 2014, 2015 and 2016 were 4.4%, 2.3% and 1.4%, respectively (95% CI: 3.1–6.0, 1.5–3.3, 0.8–2.2), while herd‐level prevalence estimates for PDCoV in the last week of 2014, 2015 and 2016 were 0.5%, 0.2% and 0.2%, respectively (95% CI: 0.1–1.2, 0.0–0.6, 0.0–0.6). Collectively, our results point to low and decreasing incidence risk and prevalence for PEDV and PDCoV in Ontario, making both diseases possible candidates for disease elimination at the provincial level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integral-field spectroscopy in the near-infrared (NIR) is a powerful tool to analyze the gaseous and stellar distributions and kinematics, as well as the excitation mechanisms in the centers of galaxies. The unique combination of NIR and sub-mm data at comparable high angular resolution, which has just been possible with SINFONI and ALMA, allows to trace warm and cold gas reservoirs. Only the NIR gives an unobscured view to the center and allows to study the conditions and impact of star formation in the centers of galaxies in a spatially resolved way. Here, we present recent studies of nearby Seyferts and low-luminosity QSOs performed by our group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Our aim was to identify areas of improvement for current Opioid Maintenance Treatment (OMT) approaches, by analysing European Quality Audit of Opioid Treatment (EQUATOR) data from 8 European countries (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, UK). Method A standardised face-to-face survey was administered to OMT patients (OMT-P) and active opioid user (AOU). Reasons for entering and staying out of OMT, rules pertaining to OMT, and factors facilitating OMT retention were compared between countries, and between OMT-P and AOU groups. Both groups were divided into those who never had OMT before [un-experienced OMT-P (n=573) and AOU (n=360)] and those who had been maintained at least once [experienced OMT-P (n=746) and AOU (n=377)]. Results Motives for starting OMT vary distinctly between countries (p≤0.001). Transnationally, experienced AOU reported concerns about their ability to follow treatment rules and negative treatment experiences as decisive reasons for staying out of OMT . Greater flexibility, less pressure to reduce their treatment dose and greater treatment structure were ranked significantly higher by experienced compared to un-experienced OMT-P as factors that might facilitate treatment retention (p≤0.05). Conclusion The major strength of this investigation was the homogenous methodology applied in all countries, which enabled new insights in variations between treatment systems and their impact on patient outcome. Treatment systems need to aim an optimal balance between flexibility and structure. Standardised approaches that still permit tailoring treatment to individual patient needs are crucial to yield maximum benefit for patients, and reduce the considerable societal economic burden of addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increases in incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) in countries with falling tobacco use have been attributed to a growing role of human papilloma virus (HPV) in the carcinogenesis. Trends of HPV prevalence in populations with persistently high portions of smokers are poorly characterised. Registry data from East Germany were used to determine incidence trends between 1998 and 2011. Data from patients treated at the Charité University Medicine Berlin between 2004 and 2013 (cohort 1, N = 436) were used for estimation of trends in HPV prevalence, smoking and survival. HPV prevalence was prospectively confirmed in cohort 2 (N = 213) comprising all primary HNSCC cases at the Charité in 2013. Between 1998 and 2011 incidence of both OPSCC and non-OPSCC increased. An increase in HPV prevalence (% of HPV+ cases in 2004–2006 versus 2012–2013: 27% versus 59%, P = 0.0004) accompanied by a moderate decrease in the portion of current smokers was observed in OPSCC but not in non-OPSCC. The change in disease epidemiology in OPSCC was associated with significant improvement in overall survival. Increased HPV prevalence in OPSCC (48%) compared to non-OPSCC (11%) was confirmed in cohort 2. Despite clear differences to the United States in terms of tobacco use, the increase in OPSCC incidence in a European population was also mainly attributed to HPV, and the HPV status significantly affected prognosis. For clinical trial design it is important to consider the large group of smokers within HPV-induced OPSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Increases in incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) in countries with falling tobacco use have been attributed to a growing role of human papilloma virus (HPV) in the carcinogenesis. Trends of HPV prevalence in populations with persistently high portions of smokers are poorly characterised. Patients and methods Registry data from East Germany were used to determine incidence trends between 1998 and 2011. Data from patients treated at the Charité University Medicine Berlin between 2004 and 2013 (cohort 1, N = 436) were used for estimation of trends in HPV prevalence, smoking and survival. HPV prevalence was prospectively confirmed in cohort 2 ( N = 213) comprising all primary HNSCC cases at the Charité in 2013. Results Between 1998 and 2011 incidence of both OPSCC and non-OPSCC increased. An increase in HPV prevalence (% of HPV+ cases in 2004–2006 versus 2012–2013: 27% versus 59%, P = 0.0004) accompanied by a moderate decrease in the portion of current smokers was observed in OPSCC but not in non-OPSCC. The change in disease epidemiology in OPSCC was associated with significant improvement in overall survival. Increased HPV prevalence in OPSCC (48%) compared to non-OPSCC (11%) was confirmed in cohort 2. Conclusions Despite clear differences to the United States in terms of tobacco use, the increase in OPSCC incidence in a European population was also mainly attributed to HPV, and the HPV status significantly affected prognosis. For clinical trial design it is important to consider the large group of smokers within HPV-induced OPSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often assumed that the strong gravitational field of a super-massive black hole disrupts an adjacent molecular cloud preventing classical star formation in the deep potential well of the black hole. Yet, young stars have been observed across the entire nuclear star cluster of the Milky Way including the region close (<0.5 pc) to the central black hole, Sgr A*. Here, we focus particularly on small groups of young stars, such as IRS 13N located 0.1 pc away from Sgr A*, which is suggested to contain about five embedded massive young stellar objects (<1 Myr). We perform three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations to follow the evolution of molecular clumps orbiting about a 4 × 106 M⊙ black hole, to constrain the formation and the physical conditions of such groups. The molecular clumps in our models are assumed to be isothermal containing 100 M⊙ in <0.2 pc radius. Such molecular clumps exist in the circumnuclear disc of the Galaxy. In our highly eccentrically orbiting clump, the strong orbital compression of the clump along the orbital radius vector and perpendicular to the orbital plane causes the gas densities to increase to values higher than the tidal density of Sgr A*, which are required for star formation. Additionally, we speculate that the infrared excess source G2/DSO approaching Sgr A* on a highly eccentric orbit could be associated with a dust-enshrouded star that may have been formed recently through the mechanism supported by our models. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the efficacy of proton beam irradiation in choroidal hemangioma in a long-term follow-up. Patients and methods: A total dose of 20 Cobalt Gray equivalent (CGE) was administered to 50 eyes of 50 patients from September 1998 to September 2010. All treated patients presented with a symptomatic tumor. Nine patients were pre-treated by photodynamic therapy (PDT). Visual outcome, tumor regression, and complications resulting from radiation were investigated. Results: The mean follow-up was 55.4 months (range 13-132). Tumor thickness decreased in all patients. Retinal re-attachment was achieved without evidence of tumor leakage. Visual acuity improved by two lines after one year in 43.4 % of patients and after two years in 36.8 % of patients. During the 55.4 months of long-term follow-up the visual acuity improved from 6/15 to 6/12 after proton therapy. Twenty-three patients (46.0 %) developed radiation retinopathy. According to the Finger classification of 2004, 21 patients (42.0 %) showed a stage 1 or 2 (functionally not relevant) retinopathy, and two patients (4.0 %) presented a stage 3 or 4 (functionally relevant) retinopathy. Further complications included sicca syndrome in nine cases, cataract formation in 10 cases, and radiation optic neuropathy in four cases. Conclusion: Proton therapy with 20 CGE is an efficient primary therapy in choroidal hemangioma and is very effective as a secondary treatment after PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First mirrors of optical diagnostics in ITER are subject to charge exchange fluxes of Be, W, and potentially other elements. This may degrade the optical performance significantly via erosion or deposition. In order to restore reflectivity, cleaning by applying radio frequency (RF) power to the mirror itself and thus creating a discharge in front of the mirror will be used. The plasma generated in front of the mirror surface sputters off deposition, restoring its reflectivity. Although the functionality of such a mirror cleaning technique is proven in laboratory experiments, the technical implementation in ITER revealed obstacles which needs to be overcome: Since the discharge as an RF load in general is not very well matched to the power generator and transmission line, power reflections will occur leading to a thermal load of the cable. Its implementation for ITER requires additional R&D. This includes the design of mirrors as RF electrodes, as well as feeders and matching networks inside the vacuum vessel. Mitigation solutions will be evaluated and discussed. Furthermore, technical obstacles (i.e., cooling water pipes for the mirrors) need to be solved. Since cooling water lines are usually on ground potential at the feed through of the vacuum vessel, a solution to decouple the ground potential from the mirror would be a major simplification. Such a solution will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On future human Mars missions, surface sojourn duration and resources will be limited. One possibility to approach a positive cost-benefit ratio of a human Mars mission will be to maximize the scientific research on the martian surface within the operational, environmental, and experimental limitations. Sophisticated mission operations and advanced planning strategies will be a basic requirement for Mars exploration and make operational methods an important research subject during current Mars analog missions conducted by the Austrian Space Forum. The Morocco Mars analog field simulation MARS2013, with a duration of 4 weeks and a simulated time delay of 10 min for communication between field and mission support, was the most advanced Mars analog mission conducted by the Austrian Space Forum so far. Due to these constraints, planning strategies based on real-time adjustments and ground control were not applicable, leading to the development of the '3-days-in-advance' planning strategy. Applying this methodology, 45.7% of the total EVA time was used for scientific experiments that satisfied 75.8% of the planned science goals. Taking into account all activities (donning of the suits included), the fraction of time used for scientific experiments made up only one-third of the total time, whereas it was planned to be above 50%. Here, we present details on the application of the 3-days-in-advance planning and on the results of the efficiency analysis of MARS2013. Key Words: 3-Days-in-advance planning-Planning strategy-Field activity plan-Science goals-Efficiency analysis. Astrobiology 14, 377-390. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the properties of the host galaxies of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) is essential for understanding the suspected coevolution of central supermassive black holes (BHs) and their host galaxies. Low-luminosity type-1 QSOs (LLQSOs) are ideal targets because of their small cosmological distance, which allows for a detailed structural analysis. We selected a subsample of the Hamburg/ESO survey for bright UV-excess QSOs that contains only the 99 nearest QSOs with redshift z = 0:06. From this LLQSO sample, we observed 20 galaxies and performed aperture photometry and bulge-disk-decomposition with BUDDA on near-infrared J-, H-, and K-band images to separate disk, bulge, bar, and nuclear component. From the photometric decomposition of these 20 objects and visual inspection of images of another 26, we find that 50% of the hosts are disk galaxies and most of them (86%) are barred. Stellar masses, calculated from parametric models based on inactive galaxy colors, range from 2 × 109 M๏ to 2 × 1011 M๏ with an average mass of 7 × 1010 M๏. Black hole masses measured from single-epoch spectroscopy range from 1 × 106 M๏ to 5 × 108 M๏ with a median mass of 3 × 107 M๏. In comparison with higher-luminosity QSO samples, LLQSOs tend to have lower stellar and BH masses. Moreover, in the effective radius vs. mean surface-brightness projection of the fundamental plane, they lie in the transition area between luminous QSOs and normal galaxies. This can be seen as additional evidence that they populate a region intermediate between the local Seyfert population and luminous QSOs at higher redshift. This region has not been well studied so far. Eleven LLQSOs, for which we have reliable morphological decompositions and BH mass estimations, lie below the published BH mass vs. bulge luminosity relations for inactive galaxies. This can partially be explained if one assumes that the bulges of active galaxies contain much younger stellar populations than the bulges of inactive galaxies. Another possibility would be that their BHs are undermassive. This might indicate that the growth of the host spheroid precedes that of the BH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We evaluated the long-term results of radiotherapy for patients with gastric marginal zone lymphoma (GMZL). Patients and methods We carried out a retrospective, multi-centre study of patients with low-grade GMZL treated by radiotherapy between 17 July 1981 and 25 March 2004. Results There were 102 eligible patients. Fifty-eight patients were previously untreated and 44 had recurrent/residual disease after prior treatment (HP eradication, chemotherapy and surgery in 35, 9 and 8 patients, respectively, and 7 had >1 prior therapy). Radiation fields included the stomach /involved nodes in 61 patients and whole abdomen in 41. The median radiotherapy dose to stomach was 40 Gy (range 26–46 Gy) in a median 22 fractions. With a median follow-up after radiotherapy of 7.9 years (range 0.3–24 years), 10- and 15-year freedom from treatment failure (FFTF) was 88% (95% CI 82%–95%). Risk factors for TF were a large-cell component (P = 0.036) and an exophytic growth pattern (P = 0.042). Radiotherapy field size, radiotherapy dose, and failure of prior therapy were not associated with inferior FFTF. Ten-year overall survival was 70% (95% CI 60%–82%). Conclusions Radiotherapy achieves cure for the majority of patients with low-grade GMZL, including patients who have had prior therapy. Several features may predict a poorer outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. There are a number of faint compact infrared excess sources in the central stellar cluster of the Milky Way. Their nature and origin is unclear. In addition to several isolated objects of this kind there is a small but dense cluster of comoving sources (IRS13N) located ∼3" west of SgrA" just 0.5" north of the bright IRS13E cluster of Wolf-Rayet and O-type stars. Based on the analysis of their color and brightness, there are two main possibilities: (1) they may be dust-embedded stars older than a few Myr; or (2) very young, dusty stars with ages younger than 1 Myr. Aims. We present a first Ks-band identification and proper motions of the IRS13N members, the high-velocity dusty S-cluster object (DSO, also referred to as G2), and other infrared excess sources in the central field. Goal is to constrain the nature of these source. Methods. The L'- (3.8 μm) Ks- (2.2 μm) and H-band (1.65 μm) observations were carried out using the NACO adaptive optics system at the ESO VLT. Proper motions were obtained by linear fitting of the stellar positions extracted by StarFinder as a function of time, weighted by positional uncertainties, and by Gaussian fitting from high-pass filtered and deconvolved images. We also present results of near-infrared (NIR) H- and Ks-band ESO-SINFONI integral field spectroscopy of the Galactic center cluster ISR13N. Results. We show that within the uncertainties, the positions and proper motions of the IRS13N sources in Ks- and L'-band are identical. The HK-sL' colors then indicate that the bright L'-band IRS13N sources are indeed dust-enshrouded stars rather than core-less dust clouds. The proper motions also show that the IRS13N sources are not strongly gravitationally bound to each other. Combined with their NIR colors, this implies that they have been formed recently. For the DSO we obtain proper motions and a Ks-L'-color. Conclusions. Most of the compact L'-band excess emission sources have a compact H- or Ks-band counterpart and therefore are likely stars with dust shells or disks. Our new results and orbital analysis from our previous work favor the hypothesis that the infrared excess IRS13N members and other dusty sources close to SgrA" are young dusty stars and that star formation at the Galactic center (GC) is a continuously ongoing process. For the DSO the color information indicates that it may be a dust cloud or a dust-embedded star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Up to 20 % of colorectal cancer patients develop recurrent disease despite standardized surgical techniques and multimodal treatment strategies. Radical resection is the central component of curative therapy in these cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment results in patients with locoregionally recurrent colorectal cancer. Methods: From January 1995 to December 2007, surgery was performed for recurrent colorectal cancer in 82 patients who had undergone curative (R0) resection of their primary tumor. Assessment included patient, tumor and treatment characteristics, postoperative complications, and time without re-recurrence; recurrence-free and overall survival rates were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Resection was performed in 60 of the 82 patients (73 %), repeat R0 resection in 52 % (31/60). Patients had a postoperative morbidity of 39 % (31/82), a relaparotomy rate of 13 % (11/82), and a lethality of 7 % (6/82). Forty-eight percent of all surgically-treated patients received a permanent stoma. Re-recurrence was seen in 52 % (16/31). R0 resection was associated with a 5-year survival rate of 35 % (11/31). Conclusions: Extensive reinterventions often enable repeat R0 resection. Despite relevant morbidity, the lethality appears to be acceptable. Decisive for the prognosis is re-recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. We report on new simultaneous observations and modeling of the millimeter, near-infrared, and X-ray flare emission of the source Sagittarius A" (SgrA") associated with the super-massive (4 × 106 M☉) black hole at the Galactic center. Aims. We study the applicability of the adiabatic synchrotron source expansion model and study physical processes giving rise to the variable emission of SgrA" from the radio to the X-ray domain. Methods. Our observations were carried out on 18 May 2009 using the NACO adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, the ACIS-I instrument aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the LABOCA bolometer at the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), and the CARMA mm telescope array at Cedar Flat, California. Results. The X-ray flare had an excess 2-8 keV luminosity between 6 and 12×1033 erg s-1. The observations reveal flaring activity in all wavelength bands that can be modeled as the signal from an adiabatically expanding synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) component. Modeling of the light curves shows that the sub-mm follows the NIR emission with a delay of about three-quarters of an hour with an expansion velocity of about vexp ∼ 0.009c. We find source component sizes of around one Schwarzschild radius, flux densities of a few Janskys, and spectral indices α of about +1 (S (v) ∝ v-α). At the start of the flare, the spectra of the two main components peak just short of 1 THz. To statistically explain the observed variability of the (sub-)mm spectrum of SgrA", we use a sample of simultaneous NIR/X-ray flare peaks and model the flares using a synchrotron and SSC mechanism. Conclusions. These parameters suggest that either the adiabatically expanding source components have a bulk motion larger than vexp or the expanding material contributes to a corona or disk, confined to the immediate surroundings of SgrA". For the bulk of the synchrotron and SSC models, we find synchrotron turnover frequencies in the range of 300-400 GHz. For the pure synchrotron models, this results in densities of relativistic particles of the order of 106.5 cm-3 and for the SSC models, the median densities are about one order of magnitude higher. However, to obtain a realistic description of the frequency-dependent variability amplitude of SgrA", models with higher turnover frequencies and even higher densities are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Most patients with advanced head and neck cancer receiving chemoradiotherapy need tube feeding for at least some weeks. For these periods gastrostomy tubes have advantages over nasogastric tubes. Tube feeding may start earlier and thus loss of weight may be limited if the gastrostomy tube already is in place. The objective of this study is to analyse the results of prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement and early tube feeding. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Multidisciplinary head and neck oncology team in a general hospital. Participants: Fifty consecutive patients with unresectable stage III and IV head and neck cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. In all patients prophylactic PEG placement was performed. Tube feeding was initiated if food-intake became insufficient or loss of weight occurred. Main outcome measures: Loss of weight during treatment, complication rate, PEG duration. Results: The mean loss of weight during treatment for all patients was only 2.8%. One complication of tube placement occurred: a colon perforation, treated successfully by surgery. The median duration of the PEG was 178 days. Three of the 17 patients (18%) with no evidence of disease (NED) still had a PEG at their last follow-up visit. Of the 26 patients who died of their cancer, 13 used the PEG until death. Conclusions: Loss of weight was limited after prophylactic gastrostomy placement and early tube feeding. Moreover, the complication rate was low. In 82% of the NED patients the PEG could eventually be removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switchgrass (Panicum virgaum L.) is a warm-season (C4) perennial grass and a potential bioenergy crop. On-farm switchgrass field scale trials, which were initiated to obtain economic production information for switchgrass grown as a bioenergy crop in the northern Plains, provided information on establishment year stands and post-establishment year yields and stands both within and across fields and were used to determine if a stand threshold exists for switchgrass grown as a biomass energy crop. Switchgrass was seeded in 10 cropland fields, ranging in size from 3 to 9.5 ha, in Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota in 2000 and 2001. The fields were selected to be representative of their region and eligible for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Twelve sites within each field were geo-referenced, and switchgrass stand frequency was measured at each sample site. Biomass yields were estimated in late summer at the same within-field sites using a clipped quadrat. Fields with low initial switchgrass stand frequencies showed a linear relationship between initial switch-grass stands and second year stands and biomass yields. Results from the 10 field, three-state study indicated that establishment year stand frequency level of 40% or greater, determined by a frequency grid, can be considered an establishment year stand threshold for establishment success and subsequent post-planting year biomass yields for switchgrass. An establishment year stand frequency of 25% would be adequate for a switchgrass conservation planting in which no harvests would be planned for several years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying toot structure response to multiple defoliation events in a grazing situation is critical in developing management plans for warm-season tallgrasses. A pasture experiment was conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001 near Mead, NE. The objective of the experiment was to determine the effect of timing and frequency of grazing on big blue- stem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) etiolated tiller growth and root and rhizome structure Paddocks were grazed at a stocking rate of 9.9 Animal Unit Month (AUM) ha-1 in two to tour cycles from mid-May to early-September. In April 2002, five 6.6- × 132-cm soil cores were extracted from each paddock. Soil cores were subsampled at 30-cm depth increments for estimates of root mass, root surface area, and root volume. Etiolated tiller tents were used to estimate organic reserves of big bluestem in each paddock in spring 2002. Mean number and weight of etiolated tillers were reduced by up to 40% and 50%, respectively, in paddocks grazed in a sequence of June after internode elongation, early August, and early September. Root structure in the top 30 cm of the soil profile was affected most by multiple defoliation events with <40 d of recovery between grazing periods. Root mass decreased by 25%, while mean surface area and volume of roots declined 10 and 15%, respectively, in the upper 30 cm of the soil profile in paddocks grazed in the sequence of post-internode elongation in June, early-August, and early-September. To maintain vigorous big blue-stem pastures, grazing management should concentrate on the elongation and postelongation periods. Grazing at the elongation stage should be rotated among paddocks in successive years and the recovery period following grazing at internode elongation should be >40 d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] use as a turf in the northern USA is limited to a certain extent by its extended winter dormancy. A mixture of buffalograss with cool-season turf-grasses might extend the turf's green appearance and enhance quality. Research was conducted to determine the effects of overseeding fine- leaved fescue (Festuca spp.) in buffalograss turf on turfgrass color and quality and the effects of species, seeding rate and date, and core cultivation on fine-leaved fescue establishment in buffalograss turf. Hard rescue (F. longifolia Thuill.), blue rescue (F. ovina L. var. glauca Lam.), and Chewings rescue (F. rubra L. ssp. commutata Gaud.); seeding rates (10, 20, and 30 g m-2); seeding dates (fall, spring, or split fall-spring); and core cultivation (single or double pass).were evaluated for species composition, turfgrass quality, color, and green cover at the John Seatun Anderson Turfgrass Research Facility located near Mead, NE. Buffalograss turf overseeded with blue rescue in fall had the highest turfgrass quality, color, and green cover ratings. Fall overseeding resulted in the highest shoot density values. Spring overseedings were below acceptable levels. Botanical composition of the mixfures overseeded in fall reached 75 to 80% rescue and 20 to 25% buffalograss after 2 yr. Seeding rate effect was linear with each increment between 10 g m-2 and 30 g m-2 increasing fine-leaved rescue shoot density, tudgrass quality, color, and green cover. Blue fescue- buffalograss mixtures overseeded in the fall exhibited 80% green cover when buffalograss was dormant. Turfgrass green cover in the mixture was extended by 2 months when compared to buffalograss monostands growing in areas adjacent to the study. The results of this study support the use of fine-leaved rescue and buffalograss mixtures to extend turfgrass green appearance and enhance quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze and report in detail new near-infrared (1.45-2.45 μm) observations of the Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2) during its approach to the black hole at the center of the Galaxy that were carried out with the ESO Very Large Telescope/SINFONI between 2014 February and September. Before 2014 May we detect spatially compact Brγ and Paα line emission from the DSO at about 40 mas east of Sgr A*. The velocity of the source, measured from the redshifted emission, is 2700 ± 60 km s–1. No blueshifted emission above the noise level is detected at the position of Sgr A* or upstream of the presumed orbit. After May we find spatially compact Brγ blueshifted line emission from the DSO at about 30 mas west of Sgr A* at a velocity of –3320 ± 60 km s–1 and no indication for significant redshifted emission. We do not detect any significant extension of the velocity gradient across the source. We find a Brγ line FWHM of 50 ± 10 Å before and 15 ± 10 Å after the peribothron transit, i.e., no significant line broadening with respect to last year is observed. Brγ line maps show that the bulk of the line emission originates from a region of less than 20 mas diameter. This is consistent with a very compact source on an elliptical orbit with a peribothron time passage in 2014.39 ± 0.14. For the moment, the flaring activity of the black hole in the near-infrared regime has not shown any statistically significant increment. Increased accretion activity of Sgr A* may still be upcoming. We discuss details of a source model according to which the DSO is a young accreting star rather than a coreless gas and dust cloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]