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BackgroundHJIG is a potential treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) that has been used in China for over 20 years. We conducted a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the Chinese Herbal Medicine, Hongjing I granule (HJIG), in patients with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction (ED).MethodsThis study is structured as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, executed across multiple centers. The recruitment strategy is primarily oriented towards patients demonstrating a pronounced preference for solely leveraging traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions, a preference that is widely observed within TCM healthcare settings. A total of 100 patients, presenting with mild to moderate ED, specifically linked to the traditional diagnostic criteria of qi deficiency and blood stasis, will be enrolled. These participants will be randomly distributed between the HJIG (N = 50) and placebo (N = 50) arms. The designated treatment period is set at 8 weeks. Primary outcome measures encompass the International Index of Erectile Function-Erectile Function domain (IIEF-EF) score, the Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP), and scores derived from the traditional Chinese medicine symptom evaluation.ResultsOf the 122 men enrolled, the baseline IIEF-EF score averaged 16.00 [IQR: 13.00, 18.00]. Eight weeks post-randomization, the HJIG group demonstrated a mean change in IIEF-EF scores of 7.80 (±3.25), compared to 3.33 (±3.90) in the placebo group, signifying a marked difference (P < 0.001). The median alterations in SEP3 scores were 0.50 [IQR: 0.36, 0.75] for the HJIG group and 0.50 [0.20, 0.67] for the placebo group, revealing a statistically relevant distinction (P = 0.05). In both primary outcomes, HJIG proved superior to the placebo. Additionally, improvements in TCM symptom scores were notably greater in the HJIG group relative to the placebo, with no adverse events reported across both groups.ConclusionThe Hongjing I granule significantly improved symptoms in patients with mild to moderate ED. However, to validate these findings, further extended randomized trials are warranted.Clinical Trial RegistrationThe study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) and the registration number was ChiCTR2000041127.

Pelvic fracture urethral injury (PFUI) is the major etiological factor of neurological erectile dysfunction (NED). We reported a patient whose Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) score was 7 (severe ED) and experienced a failed treatment of Tadalafil. NED was the final diagnosis made by examinations such as nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT), penile cavernous contrast and three-dimensional reconstruction and the penial dorsal nerve somatosensory evoked potential. Percutaneous cavernous nerve electro-stimulation was used as treatment for NED. After three courses of treatment, the IIEF-5 score was up to 18 points and the level of erection hardness was between grade III and IV. We concluded that percutaneous cavernous nerve electro-stimulation will be a new strategy to treat patients with NED with PFUI history.

Pelvic fracture urethral injury (PFUI) is the major etiological factor of neurological erectile dysfunction (NED). We reported a patient whose Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) score was 7 (severe ED) and experienced a failed treatment of Tadalafil. NED was the final diagnosis made by examinations such as nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT), penile cavernous contrast and three-dimensional reconstruction and the penial dorsal nerve somatosensory evoked potential. Percutaneous cavernous nerve electro-stimulation was used as treatment for NED. After three courses of treatment, the IIEF-5 score was up to 18 points and the level of erection hardness was between grade III and IV. We concluded that percutaneous cavernous nerve electro-stimulation will be a new strategy to treat patients with NED with PFUI history.

Summary: The construction of synthetic two-dimensional (2D) materials designates a pathway to the versatile chemical functionality by spatial control. However, current 2D materials with intelligence of stimuli-responsibility and adaptiveness have been unfledged. The approach reported here uses a supramolecular strategy to achieve the dynamic non-covalent self-assembly of a rationally designed small molecule monomer, producing large-area, ultra-thin, porous 2D supramolecular assemblies, which are solution-processable in aqueous solution. Importantly, the 2D supramolecular assemblies exhibit distinct adaptive capability to automatically regulate their network density and pore diameters in response to environmental temperature change, which could be developed into an ''on-demand'' filtration application for nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the 2D supramolecular assemblies can also perform reversible degradation/reformation by photo-irradiation. Our results not only show the simplicity, reliability, and effectiveness of supramolecular strategies in the construction of 2D materials with practical sizes, but also push the dynamic alterability and adaptation features from supramolecular assemblies toward 2D materials. : Supramolecular Materials; Materials Synthesis; Materials Characterization Subject Areas: Supramolecular Materials, Materials Synthesis, Materials Characterization

Abstract. Background:. Areal bone mineral density (aBMD) applied for osteoporosis diagnosis unavoidably results in the missingdiagnosis in patients with large bones and misdiagnosis in those with small bones. Therefore, we try to find a new adjusted index of bone mineral content (BMC) to make up shortcomings of aBMD in osteoporosis diagnosis. Methods:. In this multi-center epidemiological study, BMC and aBMD of lumbar spines (n = 5510) and proximal femurs (n = 4710) were measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). We analyzed the correlation between the bone mass and body weight in all subjects including four age groups (50 years). And then the body weight was used for standardizing BMC (named wBMC) and applied for the epidemiological analysis of osteoporosis. Results:. The correlation of body weight and BMC is 0.839 to 0.931 of lumbar vertebra 1–4 (L1–4), and 0.71 to 0.95 of femoral neck in different age groups. When aBMD was applied for diagnosing osteoporosis, the prevalence was 7.55%, 16.39%, and 25.83% in patients with a high, intermediate, and low body weight respectively. However, the prevalence was 21.8%, 18.03%, and 11.64% by wBMC applied for diagnosing osteoporosis. Moreover, the prevalence of osteoporosis increased by 3.76% by wBMC with the body weight increased by 5 kg. The prevalence decreased by 1.94% when the body weight decreased by 5 kg. Conclusions:. wBMC can reduce the missed diagnosis in patients with large body weight and reduce misdiagnosis in those with small body weight. Including children, wBMC may be feasible for osteoporosis diagnosis individuals at any age.

A novel functional [2]rotaxane containing two alkenyl bonds was designed, synthesized and characterized by 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy and HRESI mass spectrometry. The introduction of alkenyl bonds endowed the [2]rotaxane a fascinating ability to react with versatile functional groups such as alkenyl and thiol functional groups. The reversible shuttling movement of the macrocycle between two different recognition sites on the molecular thread can be driven by external acid and base. This kind of rotaxane bearing functional groups provides a powerful platform for preparing stimuli-responsive polymers.

Cerebrovascular disease leads to serious disease burden because of its high morbidity, disability and mortality. In recent years, its prevalence, incidence and mortality showed a downward trend in most high-income countries but in low and middle income countries have been increasing. This paper introduced the main results from a nationwide, population-based epidemiological cross-sectional survey on cerebrovascular disease in China during the period of Twelfth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.02.002

Abstract Over the past decade, DNA barcoding has become a staple of low-cost molecular systematic investigations. The availability of universal primers and subsidized sequencing projects (PolarBOL, SharkBOL, SpongeBOL) have driven this popularity, often without appropriate investigation into the utility of barcoding data for the taxonomic group of interest. Here, our primary aim is to determine the phylogenetic value of DNA barcoding (mitochondrial locus COI) within the gecko genus Cyrtodactylus. With >40 new species described since last systematic investigation, Cyrtodactylus represents one of the most diverse extant squamate genera, and their contemporary distribution spans the Indian subcontinent, eastward through Indochina, and into AustraloPapua. The complex biogeographic history of this group, and morphology-only designation of many species have complicated our phylogenetic understanding of Cyrtodactylus. To highlight the need for continued inclusive molecular assessment, we use Vietnamese Cyrtodactylus as a case study showing the geopolitically paraphyletic nature of their history. We compare COI to the legacy marker ND2, and discuss the value of COI as an interspecific marker, as well as its shortcomings at deeper evolutionary scales. We draw attention back to the Cold Code as a subsidized method for incorporating molecular methods into species descriptions in the effort to maintain accurate phylogenies.

As a classic antiepileptic drug (AED), phenobarbital has been used in clinic for more than 100 years and is available in the majority of countries in the world. Accepted as the drug of choice for controlling seizures in developing countries by World Health Organization (WHO), phenobarbital can effectively lessen the treatment gap. In this paper, the utilization of phenobarbital around the world, and its curative effect and adverse drug reaction were reviewed. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2016.01.009

Objective To follow up the outcome of 2455 patients with epilepsy (the cohort) treated by phenobarbital (PB) during the WHO⁃Global Campaign Against Epilepsy Demonstration Project (GCAE/DP) in rural China after 4 years of its termination, to provide practical evidence for community control of epilepsy in rural China. Methods In 2008, the trained local township physicians, using a well⁃designed questionnaire, by door⁃to⁃door interview, followed up the cohort residents in 8 counties of 6 provinces where the GCAE/DP was conducted and completed for 4 years. Results One thousand seven hundred and eighty of the 2455 patients were visited in the follow⁃up study. Nine hundred and thirty⁃nine (52.75%) were still taking PB, the effectiveness rates (seizure free and seizure frequency reduced > 50%) among them at 12, 24, 36, 48 months after the GCAE/DP were 66.77% (627/939), 68.37% (642/939), 71.35% (670/939), 73.06% (686/939), respectively. In 841 patients (47.25%) who stopped taking PB, 244 cases (29.01%) were seizure free, 320 (38.05%) still had seizures but discontinued the treatment, 277 (32.94%) were treated by other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Chi ⁃ square test was used to compare the therapeutic effectiveness in 939 patients continuing taking PB and 841 patients abandoning PB. Patients continuing taking PB had a better outcome than patients abandoning PB (χ2 = 12.423, P = 0.002). The main reasons of PB withdrawal were seizure free (29.01%), taking other AEDs (32.94%), no free drug or no money (11.06%), effect was not good or PB was not available (6.42% ). Two hundred and six patients died between 2002 and 2008. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for the cohort was 19.10. The three leading causes of death were: accidents (n = 59, 28.64% ), cerebrovascular diseases (n = 30, 14.56% ) and status epilepticus (n = 28, 13.59%). Conclusion The GCAE/DP was successful and with long term good results, so it is worthy for further promotion. The mortality rate was very high in the people with epilepsy in this sudy, especially deaths from accidents, which should be noticed. DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1672⁃6731.2012.05.007

DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2015.01.002

doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2014.11.002

In the past decade, a high incidence of somatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations has been observed, mostly based on a fraction of the molecule, in various cancerous tissues; nevertheless, some of them were queried due to problems in data quality. Obviously, without a comprehensive understanding of mtDNA mutational profile in the cancerous tissue of a specific patient, it is unlikely to disclose the genuine relationship between somatic mtDNA mutations and tumorigenesis. To achieve this objective, the most straightforward way is to directly compare the whole mtDNA genome variation among three tissues (namely, cancerous tissue, para-cancerous tissue, and distant normal tissue) from the same patient. Considering the fact that most of the previous studies on the role of mtDNA in colorectal tumor focused merely on the D-loop or partial segment of the molecule, in the current study we have collected three tissues (cancerous, para-cancerous and normal tissues) respectively recruited from 20 patients with colorectal tumor and completely sequenced the mitochondrial genome of each tissue. Our results reveal a relatively lower incidence of somatic mutations in these patients; intriguingly, all somatic mutations are in heteroplasmic status. Surprisingly, the observed somatic mutations are not restricted to cancer tissues, for the para-cancer tissues and distant normal tissues also harbor somatic mtDNA mutations with a lower frequency than cancerous tissues but higher than that observed in the general population. Our results suggest that somatic mtDNA mutations in cancerous tissues could not be simply explained as a consequence of tumorigenesis; meanwhile, the somatic mtDNA mutations in normal tissues might reflect an altered physiological environment in cancer patients.

Hakka and Chaoshanese are two unique Han populations residing in southern China but with northern Han (NH) cultural traditions and linguistic influences. Although most of historical records indicate that both populations migrated from northern China in the last two thousand years, no consensus on their origins has been reached so far. To shed more light on the origins of Hakka and Chaoshanese, mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) of 170 Hakka from Meizhou and 102 Chaoshanese from Chaoshan area, Guangdong Province, were analyzed. Our results show that some southern Chinese predominant haplogroups, e.g. B, F, and M7, have relatively high frequencies in both populations. Although me dian network analyses show that Hakka/Chaoshanese share some haplotypes with NH, interpopulation comparison reveals that both populations show closer affinity with southern Han (SH) populations than with NH. In consideration of previous results from nuclear gene (including Y chromosome) research, it is likely that matrilineal landscapes of both Hakka and Chaoshanese have largely been shaped by the local people during their migration southward and/or later colonization in southern China, and factors such as cultural assimilation, patrilocality, and even sex-bias in the immigrants might have played important roles during the process. Am J Phys Anthropol 141:124-130, 2010. [c] 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. KEY WORDS mtDNA; origin; Han Chinese; Hakka; Chaoshanese DOI 10.1002/ajpa.21124

The small-eared shrew genus Cryptotis is the third largest in the family Soricidae and occurs in North, Central, and northern South America. In Mexico and Central and South America, most species inhabit geographically isolated moist, montane habitats at middle and high elevations in a typical sky-island pattern. The 49 recognized species have been partitioned into as many as six species groups based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies. The relationships among these species groups are poorly resolved, and their evolutionary histories, including migration patterns and locomotor adaptations, remain unclear. Herein, we provide a new phylogeny incorporating complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) and supermatrix approach. We compared different evolutionary scenarios using approximately unbiased (AU), Kishino-Hasegawa (KH), and Shimodaira-Hasegawa (SH) statistical tests. The phylogenetic hypothesis based on mitogenomes revealed novel relationships supporting a basal position for the Cryptotis parvusgroup in the genus, and a close relationship between C. gracilis and one clade of the C. thomasi-group. The former relationship is consistent with the least derived humerus morphology and northern distribution of the species. The latter relationship implies multiple migrations between Central and South America. The lack of fine resolution for the species group relationships may be due partly to the lack of taxon sampling. In contrast, multi-approach analyses suggest that the unresolved relationships may be a result of rapid diversification during the early stages of Cryptotis evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several previous genomic studies have focused on adaptation to high elevations, but these investigations have been largely limited to endotherms. Snakes of the genus Thermophis are endemic to the Tibetan plateau and therefore present an opportunity to study high-elevation adaptations in ectotherms. Here, we report the de novo assembly of the genome of a Tibetan hot-spring snake (Thermophis baileyi) and then compare its genome to the genomes of the other two species of Thermophis, as well as to the genomes of two related species of snakes that occur at lower elevations. We identify 308 putative genes that appear to be under positive selection in Thermophis. We also identified genes with shared amino acid replacements in the high-elevation hot-spring snakes compared with snakes and lizards that live at low elevations, including the genes for proteins involved in DNA damage repair (FEN1) and response to hypoxia (EPAS1). Functional assays of the FEN1 alleles reveal that the Thermophis allele is more stable under UV radiation than is the ancestral allele found in low-elevation lizards and snakes. Functional assays of EPAS1 alleles suggest that the Thermophis protein has lower transactivation activity than the low-elevation forms. Our analysis identifies some convergent genetic mechanisms in high-elevation adaptation between endotherms (based on studies of mammals) and ectotherms (based on our studies of Thermophis). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetically modified crops which had been commercial applied extensively majorly are the insect resistance and herbicide tolerance events. In this study, the Bt insecticidal gene Cry1Ab, the glyphosate-tolerant gene EPSPS, and the selection marker gene PMI were combined into a single transferred DNA fragment and introduced into sugarcane by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Thirty-three resistant plantlets were obtained after selection using a PMI/mannose selection system. Thirty of these resistant plantlets were PCR positive for the three target genes. Southern blot assay revealed that the copy number of the integrated fragment in the transformed plantlets varied from 1 to 7. ELISA analysis showed that 23 of the 33 resistant plantlets expressed Cry1Ab and EPSPS protein. Five single-copy and ELISA-positive transgenic lines were tested under laboratory and field conditions to determine their resistance to insects and herbicides, and also evaluated their agronomic characteristics and industrial traits. Results showed that larvae fed with fodder mixture containing stem tissues from single-copy transgenic lines were weak and small, moreover, pupation and eclosion were delayed significantly during voluntary feeding bioassays. None of transgenic sugarcane was destroyed by cane borer while more than 30% of wild type sugarcane was destroyed by cane borer. For herbicide resistance, the transgenic plantlets grew healthy even when treated with up to 0.5% roundup while wild type plantlets would die off when treated with 0.1% roundup. Thus demonstrate that these transgenic lines showed strong insect resistance and glyphosate tolerance under both laboratory and field conditions. But in the field most of the transgenic plants were shorter and more slender than non-transformed control plants. So they presented poor agronomic characteristics and industrial traits than non-transformed control plants. Thus, a considerable number of embryogenic calli should be infected to obtain transgenic lines with potential for commercial use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The imbalance in healthcare between urban and rural areas is still a problem in China. In recent decades, China has aimed to develop telemedicine. We assessed the implementation, utilization, and cost-effectiveness of a large telemedicine program across western China. Materials and Methods: In 2002-2013, a government-sponsored major telemedicine program was established by West China Hospital of Sichuan University (hub), covering 249 spoke hospitals in 112 cities throughout western China and in 40 medical expertise areas. We analyzed the cross-sectional data from 11,987 consultations conducted at West China Hospital using the telemedicine network over a 12-year period. The types of diseases as well as the diagnosis and treatment changes were assessed. We also performed a cost-savings analysis and a one-way sensitivity analysis. Results: Of the 11,987 teleconsultations, we noted that neoplasms (19.4%), injuries (13.9%), and circulatory diseases (10.3%) were the three most common diagnoses. Teleconsultations resulted in a change of diagnosis in 4,772 (39.8%) patients, and 3,707 (77.7%) of them underwent major diagnosis changes. Moreover, it led to a change of treatment in 6,591 (55.0%) patients, including 3,677 (55.8%) changes not linked to diagnosis changes. The telemedicine network resulted in an estimated net saving of $2,364,525 (if the patients traveled to the hub) or $3,759,014 (if the specialists traveled to the spoke hospitals). Conclusions: The introduction of telemedicine in China, linking highly specialized major hospitals (hub) with hundreds of small rural hospitals (spoke), can greatly improve the quality, efficiency, and costeffectiveness of healthcare delivery and utilization. This new Internet-based healthcare model should be utilized more widely in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Archaeological studies have revealed a series of cultural changes around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Asia; whether these changes left any signatures in the gene pool of East Asians remains poorly indicated. To achieve deeper insights into the demographic history of modern humans in East Asia around the Last Glacial Maximum, we extensively analyzed mitochondrial DNA haplogroup M9a'b, a specific haplogroup that was suggested to have some potential for tracing the migration around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Eurasia. Results: A total of 837 M9a'b mitochondrial DNAs (583 from the literature, while the remaining 254 were newly collected in this study) pinpointed from over 28,000 subjects residing across East Eurasia were studied here. Fiftynine representative samples were further selected for total mitochondrial DNA sequencing so we could better understand the phylogeny within M9a'b. Based on the updated phylogeny, an extensive phylogeographic analysis was carried out to reveal the differentiation of haplogroup M9a'b and to reconstruct the dispersal histories. Conclusions: Our results indicated that southern China and/or Southeast Asia likely served as the source of some post-Last Glacial Maximum dispersal(s). The detailed dissection of haplogroup M9a'b revealed the existence of an inland dispersal in mainland East Asia during the post-glacial period. It was this dispersal that expanded not only to western China but also to northeast India and the south Himalaya region. A similar phylogeographic distribution pattern was also observed for haplogroup F1c, thus substantiating our proposition. This inland post-glacial dispersal was in agreement with the spread of the Mesolithic culture originating in South China and northern Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its numerous environmental extremes, the Tibetan Plateau-the world's highest plateau-is one of the most challenging areas of modern human settlement. Archaeological evidence dates the earliest settlement on the plateau to the Late Paleolithic, while previous genetic studies have traced the colonization event(s) to no earlier than the Neolithic. To explore whether the genetic continuity on the plateau has an exclusively Neolithic time depth, we studied mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome variation within 6 regional Tibetan populations sampled from Tibet and neighboring areas. Our results confirm that the vast majority of Tibetan matrilineal components can trace their ancestry to Epipaleolithic and Neolithic immigrants from northern China during the midHolocene. Significantly, we also identified an infrequent novel haplogroup, M16, that branched off directly from the Eurasian M founder type. Its nearly exclusive distribution in Tibetan populations and ancient age (>21 kya) suggest that M16 may represent the genetic relics of the Late Paleolithic inhabitants on the plateau. This partial genetic continuity between the Paleolithic inhabitants and the contemporary Tibetan populations bridges the results and inferences from archaeology, history, and genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the authors' comments on the primary care treatment of epilepsy with Phenobarbital (PB) in rural China, considering the cost outcome. They suggest that epilepsy related interventions should not only be effective and sustainable, but also affordable. They say, their study demonstrates that the use of PB for the treatment of epilepsy has appeal especially in low-income regions as there are clinical improvements and lowering of costs in the target population.

Purpose: To demonstrate the application of Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) as an aid in health outcome measures to evaluate the epilepsy disease burden in rural China and to provide Chinese data to achieve a better understanding of disease burden due to epilepsy. Methods: The DALY is the sum of the number of years of survival with disability (Years Lived with Disability, YLD) and the number of years lost because of premature mortality (Years of Life Lost, YLL). We calculated the YLD based on the prevalence survey of epilepsy among 66,393 people sampled in Heilongjiang, Henan, Jiangsu, Ningxia, Shanghai, and Shanxi provinces in 2000. The epilepsy mortality data from Chinese literature provided the YLL due to epilepsy. We applied sensitivity analysis to evaluate the influence of uncertainty on the epilepsy mortality value and disability weight in the study. Results: In 2000, epilepsy caused 1.83 and 2.48 DALY lost per 1,000 population in Henan and Ningxia province, which had the lowest and the highest DALY lost among the six study areas. Overall, epilepsy caused 1.41 YLLs and 0.67 YLDs per 1,000 population; thus the DALYs lost because of epilepsy was 2.08 per 1,000 population, representing the epilepsy disease burden in rural China. Conclusions: The DALY measure, which includes the extent of disability from epilepsy, provides a useful tool for the epilepsy disease burden assessment. The disease burden of epilepsy in China is considered higher than previous estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the age- and sex-specific incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in Harbin, China, based on the information from a prospective survey among a well-defined large population during one year. A network of physicians reported incident patients with a GBS diagnosis from a general population of 5.4 million inhabitants in Harbin, China, during the period from 1 October 1997 to 30 September 1998. Each reported patient was examined by senior neurologists and the GBS diagnosis was validated according to standard diagnostic criteria. All GBS patients were followed-up for six months after onset. Admission registers at all hospitals in Harbin were also checked afterwards for screening patients with a GBS diagnosis who might have been missed. During the study period, 79 patients with a GBS diagnosis were reported. After validation, the GBS diagnosis was confirmed in 70 patients. Another GBS patient was found through the screening of admission registers at hospitals. Among them, 36 GBS patients were residents in Harbin and the other 35 patients were from geographical areas out of Harbin. The GBS incidence, age-adjusted to the European standard population, was 0.66 (95 % CI 0.46–0.91) per 100,000 person-years, with a male to female ratio of 1.4. The highest GBS incidence was found in the youngest age-group and the incidence among the elderly was remarkably lower than those reported from other populations in Western countries. Possible explanations for the distinct pattern of age-specific incidence of GBS are discussed. Further studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]