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To investigate how the petroleum industry evaluates and selects powerful cloud service providers, first, an evaluation index system including 25 indices such as scalability and private data protection is built. This index system can systematically examine the comprehensive strengths of cloud service providers. Aiming to solve the problems that the traditional expert evaluation method has high requirements on expert experience and is easily affected by subjective factors, a novel artificial intelligence evaluation model named TentISSA-BPNN is proposed. The objective evaluation ability of this model can be effectively used in evaluation research on cloud service providers for petroleum enterprises. In this model, the SSA algorithm is optimized by Tent chaotic mapping and adaptive inertia weight; an algorithm, TentISSA, that has good stability and fast convergence speed is designed and proposed; and the BPNN is improved with TentISSA to obtain more accurate evaluation results. To evaluate the performance of the TentISSA algorithm, nine unimodal and multimodal functions are selected in this paper to test the convergence accuracy. Then, seven models are selected as the control groups to validate the effectiveness and performance of the TentISSA-BPNN evaluation model proposed in this paper. Finally, the preprocessed data of the candidate cloud service providers are input into the trained neural network model proposed in this paper for evaluation. Based on the ranking of the evaluation scores, the comprehensive strengths of the cloud service providers are obtained to provide a decision-making reference for managers of petroleum enterprises in the process of choosing cloud service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that is associated with burdened personal, social, and economic costs. No significant degradation product was detected in the liver upon PD@MSN-FA/RGD injection, suggesting a lower degradation of PD with nanoparticles embedding (Figure S11). A folate/RGD-dual-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles targeting GABA-p38 MAPK-MRTFs/SRF signaling pathway in rheumatoid arthritis GLO:F2H7/01may21:ctm2408-fig-0004.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 4 The regulatory mechanism of PD@MSN-FA/RGD in vivo gl In this work, a folate/RGD-dual-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs-FA/RGD) with reproducible and stable production, as well as good biocompatibility, was developed to carry PD to the synovial area to achieve promising clinical translation and application in RA therapy. [Extracted from the article]

The Gacun deposit is a typical Volcanic Hosted Massive Sulfide (VHMS) associated with Late Triassic seafloor calc-alkaline felsic volcanics. Studies of zircon ages, petrology, major and trace element geochemistry, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope geochemistry of volcanic rocks from the Northern Yidun arc were undertaken in this paper. We reshaped the Gacun magmatic system activity time, defined the origin of magma evolution, and proposed a metallogenic model of the deposit. Whole-rock major element compositions of the magmatic rocks in the Northern Yidun island arc indicate that they are a complete basalt–andesite–dacite–rhyolite assemblage, showing three obvious stages of composition evolution. They are enriched in large-ion lithophile and light rare earth elements, but depleted in high field-strength and heavy rare earth elements, with weak-to-negligible Eu anomalies (obvious in rhyolite). These geochemical features indicate that the Northern Yidun island arc is a magmatic arc based on ancient continental crust. The Ganzi–Litang oceanic subduction induced mantle melting and produced calc-alkaline basaltic magma, while the MASH processes at the bottom of the crust produced andesitic magma. Part of the andesite magma erupted to form andesite lava. The remaining part was mixed with magma produced via anatexis of ancient crust (approximately 20%–40% of the ancient crustal component), forming the ore-bearing rhyolite. Zircon U-Pb age data defines Gacun magmatic–hydrothermal mineralization sequence of events: At 238 Ma, arc magmatism led to the formation of andesite in the eastern part of the deposit. At 233 Ma, in the arc zone (the western part of Gacun deposit), a large-scale bimodal magmatism formed the main ore-bearing rock series of Gacun deposit, rhyolitic volcanic rocks. At 221 Ma, volcanic eruptions tended to end and sub-volcanic intrusion occurred, forming a lava dome, which was located under the ore-bearing rhyolitic volcanic rocks. The lava dome acted as a thermal engine and promoted hydrothermal circulation. The hydrothermal activity reached a peak at 217 ± 1 Ma, and the Gacun VHMS deposit was formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once cartilage is damaged, it has limited potential for self-repair. Autologous chondrocyte implantation is an effective treatment, but patients may suffer during cartilage harvesting and the donor-site morbidity may accelerate joint degeneration. Using autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived chondrocytes is another selection, while it also causes some injuring. The umbilical cord, an ecto-embryo tissue may be an ideal source of cells, because of its accessibility, abundant resources, painless procedures for harvesting, and lack of ethical issues. We isolated MSCs from Wharton's jelly of human umbilical cord (WMSCs), which expressed CD44, CD105 and CD271 but not CD34 and CD45 with flow cytometry analysis. RT-PCR showed not only positive expression of CD90, c-kit, Sca1, SH2 and SH3 but also positive expression of the chondrocyte markers Sox-9 and Col-2A1. WMSCs cultured in high-density in the presence of transforming growth factor β1 and dexamethasone showed cartilage extracellular matrix-secretion and integrated into a thin piece of cell-based membrane. The cell-based thin membrane cultured in rotary cell culture system formed a round, opaque, glistening non-scaffold cartilage-like tissue, larger and condenser than what was formed with conventional pellet culture. Glycosaminoglycan and type II collagen content significantly increased after 3-week culture. The human WMSCs express characteristics of pre-chondrocytes, low immunogenicity and are easy to be obtained with higher purity because there have no hematopoietic cells in Wharton's jelly, so it may be a new seed cells more suitable for constructing tissue-engineered cartilage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is caused by a complex set of pathophysiological factors. The genetic factors involved in the occurrence and progress of the disease have been widely discussed by scholars. It was found that growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) gene polymorphisms may be linked to OA susceptibility, which has been controversial and needs to be further confirmed by an updated meta-analysis. Objectives: We examined the association between GDF5 rs143383 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and OA susceptibility. Methods: All relevant articles that met the criteria are retrieved and included, and the search deadline is June 2022. The allele frequencies and different genotype frequencies of GDF5 rs143383 loci in each study were extracted and statistically analyzed by R4.1.3 software, and the different genetic models were analyzed based on their odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The meta-analysis explained that GDF5 rs143383 SNP was crucial correlated with OA in all patients with OA of knee, hip and hand. The codominant gene model in the whole crowd (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.07–1.27, P < 0.01) enlightened that OA was vitally associated with GDF5 gene polymorphism. At the same time, we did a subgroup analysis based on ethnicity. The codominant gene model (OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.12–1.53, P < 0.01) in Asian population, the codominant homozygote model (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.14–1.43), codominant heterozygote gene model (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.01–1.23, P = 0.02), and dominant gene model (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.09–1.31, P < 0.01) in Caucasian are analyzed by subgroup analysis. It means that there is a momentous relationship between the GDF5rs143383 gene polymorphism and OA, especially among Caucasians. In addition, we also discussed different types of OA separately and discover that the GDF5rs143383 gene polymorphism was relevant for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and hand osteoarthritis, and it was more significant in the Caucasian population. But due to the high heterogeneity in hip osteoarthritis, it could not be accurately concluded. Furthermore, we also analyzed the osteoarthritis of different genders and found that the GDF5 rs143383 SNP was associated with both men and women and was still significant in the Caucasian population. Conclusion: We found a close association between osteoarthritis and GDF5rs143383SNP in this study. From the analysis of each group, we got the same conclusion in KOA and hand OA, but which need further verification in hip OA. Considering gender, we found a close relationship between GDF5 rs143383 SNP and OA of the knee, hip and hand, both for men and women. This conclusion is more obvious in Caucasian people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite much effort, antibody therapies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have shown limited efficacy. Challenges to the rational design of effective antibodies include the difficulty of achieving specific affinity to critical targets, poor expression, and antibody aggregation caused by buried charges and unstructured loops. To overcome these challenges, we grafted previously determined sequences of fibril-capping amyloid inhibitors onto a camel heavy chain antibody scaffold. These sequences were designed to cap fibrils of tau, known to form the neurofibrillary tangles of AD, thereby preventing fibril elongation. The nanobodies grafted with capping inhibitors blocked tau aggregation in biosensor cells seeded with postmortem brain extracts from AD and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients. The tau capping nanobody inhibitors also blocked seeding by recombinant tau oligomers. Another challenge to the design of effective antibodies is their poor blood–brain barrier (BBB) penetration. In this study, we also designed a bispecific nanobody composed of a nanobody that targets a receptor on the BBB and a tau capping nanobody inhibitor, conjoined by a flexible linker. We provide evidence that the bispecific nanobody improved BBB penetration over the tau capping inhibitor alone after intravenous administration in mice. Our results suggest that the design of synthetic antibodies that target sequences that drive protein aggregation may be a promising approach to inhibit the prion-like seeding of tau and other proteins involved in AD and related proteinopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is caused by a complex set of pathophysiological factors. The genetic factors involved in the occurrence and progress of the disease have been widely discussed by scholars. It was found that growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) gene polymorphisms may be linked to OA susceptibility, which has been controversial and needs to be further confirmed by an updated meta-analysis. Objectives: We examined the association between GDF5 rs143383 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and OA susceptibility. Methods: All relevant articles that met the criteria are retrieved and included, and the search deadline is June 2022. The allele frequencies and different genotype frequencies of GDF5 rs143383 loci in each study were extracted and statistically analyzed by R4.1.3 software, and the different genetic models were analyzed based on their odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: The meta-analysis explained that GDF5 rs143383 SNP was crucial correlated with OA in all patients with OA of knee, hip and hand. The codominant gene model in the whole crowd (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.07–1.27, P < 0.01) enlightened that OA was vitally associated with GDF5 gene polymorphism. At the same time, we did a subgroup analysis based on ethnicity. The codominant gene model (OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.12–1.53, P < 0.01) in Asian population, the codominant homozygote model (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.14–1.43), codominant heterozygote gene model (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.01–1.23, P = 0.02), and dominant gene model (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.09–1.31, P < 0.01) in Caucasian are analyzed by subgroup analysis. It means that there is a momentous relationship between the GDF5rs143383 gene polymorphism and OA, especially among Caucasians. In addition, we also discussed different types of OA separately and discover that the GDF5rs143383 gene polymorphism was relevant for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and hand osteoarthritis, and it was more significant in the Caucasian population. But due to the high heterogeneity in hip osteoarthritis, it could not be accurately concluded. Furthermore, we also analyzed the osteoarthritis of different genders and found that the GDF5 rs143383 SNP was associated with both men and women and was still significant in the Caucasian population. Conclusion: We found a close association between osteoarthritis and GDF5rs143383SNP in this study. From the analysis of each group, we got the same conclusion in KOA and hand OA, but which need further verification in hip OA. Considering gender, we found a close relationship between GDF5 rs143383 SNP and OA of the knee, hip and hand, both for men and women. This conclusion is more obvious in Caucasian people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-carbon manufacturing is an emerging industrial trend and an important way to achieve sustainable development. As the country with the largest manufacturing scale and carbon dioxide emissions, it is of great practical and theoretical significance to study China's low-carbon manufacturing issues. Based on the ternary analysis perspective of simmelian tie, this paper chooses to identify the influencing factors through the technology-organization-environment research framework, and derives the pathways of low-carbon manufacturing through the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method. The research results show that: (1) Under the low-carbon manufacturing goal, stable industrial chain structure and policy-sensitive are the formation reasons for the simmelian tie. (2) From the perspective of simmelian tie, low-carbon manufacturing will be influenced by the driving role of green technological advances, the supporting role of organizational strategies, and the regulatory role of the policy environment. (3) Manufacturing enterprises' low-carbon pathways are directly related to their industrial chain position. Compared with upstream enterprises, downstream enterprises have more diverse low-carbon manufacturing pathways. (4) Active governmental support can more effectively promote the realization of low-carbon manufacturing than environmental pressure. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains unclear. It has been found that interleukin-6 (IL-6) rs1800795 locus and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) rs3025058 locus gene polymorphisms may be associated with AIS susceptibility, which has been controversial and needs to be further confirmed by updated meta-analysis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of MMP-3 rs3025058 and IL-6 rs1800795 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with susceptibility to AIS. All relevant articles that met the criteria were retrieved and included, and the publication dates were limited from January 2005 to December 2023. The allele frequencies and different genotype frequencies of IL-6 rs1800795 and MMP-3 rs3025058 loci in each study were extracted and statistically analyzed by ReviewManager 5.4 software, and the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of different genetic models were calculated. The results of the meta-analysis showed that there was no significant association between the gene polymorphism of IL-6 rs1800795 locus and the pathogenesis of AIS. The allele 5A and genotype 5A5A of MMP-3 rs3025058 SNP were associated with AIS susceptibility (5A vs. 6A, OR=1.18; 95% CI, 1.04-1.33; 5A5A vs. 6A6A, OR=1.65; 95% CI, 1.23-2.21; and 5A5A vs. 5A6A + 6A6A, OR=1.54; 95% CI, 1.19-1.99). Results of subgroup analysis revealed that the allele 5A and genotype 5A5A of MMP-3 rs3025058 SNP were associated with AIS susceptibility in the Caucasian population, and the susceptibility of AIS was associated with the genotype 5A5A of MMP-3 rs3025058 SNP in an Asian population. There was no significant association between the gene polymorphism of IL-6 rs1800795 locus and the pathogenesis of AIS, while the allele 5A of MMP-3 rs3025058 locus was associated with the susceptibility to AIS, especially in the Caucasian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The tourmalines in Longmenshan are divided into two types, compositionally belongs to alkali group and schorl-dravite solid solution series. • The δ11B of the Tur-I tourmalines indicate the fluids that are responsible for the formation of tourmalines were derived mostly from the granitic magmas with little exotic oxide fluids involved. • The large range of B isotope variation indicates that the Tur-II tourmaline are more obviously affected by fluid activity. Tourmaline is a common mineral in rocks. It can record geological information during its formation and is a geochemical tracer. Its in-situ element and boron isotope tests provide a broader application perspective. Therefore, the chemical and boron isotope characteristics of tourmaline can be used to trace the mineralization of pegmatite-type rare metals. West Kunlun is an important Li-Be metallogenic belt, and many important Li-Be deposits have been developed. Longmenshan is one of the recently discovered pegmatite-type Li-Be deposits in the Dahongliutan area. There are barren and spodumene-bearing pegmatites that all contain tourmaline in Longmenshan. According to their occurrence, crystal form, and chemical composition, the tourmalines in Longmenshan are divided into two types: Tur-I tourmaline in the barren pegmatite close to the granite and Tur-II tourmaline from the spodumene-bearing pegmatite. Compositionally belongs to the alkali group and schorl-dravite solid solution series, with Tur-I being mainly schorl and Tur-II being schorl-dravite. Tur-I tourmalines are rich in Li, Sn, V, Cr, Zn, and Mn, while Tur-II tourmalines are rich in Be, Sr, and Sc. The δ11B of the Tur-I tourmalines hosted in the barren pegmatite and Tur-II from the spodumene-bearing pegmatite ranges from −8.38‰ to −6.81‰ and from −10.00‰ to −6.41‰, respectively. These characteristics indicate that the formation fluid of tourmaline in Longmenshan is mainly derived from magma, and other fluids are rarely involved. The large range of B isotope variation indicates that the Tur-II tourmalines are more obviously affected by fluid activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Echinococcosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted from canines to humans and livestock. Periodic deworming is recommended by the WHO/OIE as a highly effective measure against echinococcosis. However, manual deworming involves significant challenges, particularly in remote areas with scarce resources. The insufficient awareness delivering praziquantel (PZQ) baits for dogs leads to low compliance rate. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a novel smart collar for dogs to address these challenges. We developed a smart Internet of Things (IoT)-based deworming collar which can deliver PZQ baits for dogs automatically, regularly, quantitatively with predominant characteristics of being waterproof, anti-collision, cold-proof and long life battery. Its performance was tested in two remote locations on the Tibetan Plateau. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the compliance of the dog owners. Further, a randomized controlled study was performed to evaluate the difference between smart-collar deworming and manual deworming. The collar's effectiveness was further assessed on the basis of Generalized Estimation Equations (GEE). The testing and evaluation was done for 10 smart deworming collars in factory laboratory, 18 collars attached for 18 dogs in Seni district, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, and 523 collars attached for 523 dogs in Hezuo city, Gansu province, China. The anti-collision, waterproof, and coldproof proportion of the smart collars were 100.0%, 99.5%, and 100.0%, respectively. When compared to manual deworming, the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus on smart-collar deworming is down to 0.182 times (95% CI: 0.049, 0.684) in Seni district and 0.355 (95%CI: 0.178, 0.706) in Hezuo city, the smart collar has a significant protective effect. The owners' overall compliance rate to attach the smart collars for their dogs was 89%. The smart deworming collar could effectively reduce the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus in dogs, significantly increase the deworming frequency and coverage and rapidly remove worm biomass in dogs. Thus, it may be a promising alternative to manual deworming, particularly in remote areas on the Tibetan Plateau. Author summary: Echinococcosis remains a critical but neglected zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted between canines and livestock or wild rodents. Dogs play a key role in Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) and E. multilocularis transmission, dual infection also occurs in dogs in co-endemic regions in China. The initial egg-production phase occurs over a span of 34–58 days (E. granulosus) or 28–35 days (E. multilocularis) following infection. The free-living eggs, voided with faeces of the definitive host, can withstand extreme weather conditions and remain viable for 240 days (E. granulosus) or 41 months (E. multilocularis) in the environment. Removal or reduction of the worm biomass in dogs will have the greatest and fastest effect in terms of reducing active transmission. In China, although significant efforts have been expended to achieve monthly manual deworming, the actual frequency and coverage thereof remain low; therefore, Echinococcus spp. is still highly prevalent among dogs. Moreover, echinococcosis transmission is still rampant, as the heavy disease burden suggests. We propose a novel, smart, Internet of Things (IoT)-based deworming tool that can deliver PZQ baits to dogs regularly and automatically. It could increase the deworming frequency and coverage significantly, reduce the risk of infection by down to 0.182–0.355 times, and prevent canine infections by removing the worm biomass in dogs rapidly. This deworming collar could also potentially prevent the transmission of echinococcosis from dogs to humans and livestock completely. It may be an excellent alternative to existing manual deworming methods, and the difficulties associated with performing deworming in remote areas with scarce resources can be overcome. Since the discovery of PZQ as the most effective antiworm drug, few breakthroughs have been achieved in terms of novel tools and technologies for the control of echinococcosis. Over the last 50 years, echinococcosis control measures have lagged to keep up with the World Health Organization (WHO) roadmap for the elimination of the disease owing to the practical difficulties in remote areas with scarce resources as well as the lack of promotion of new technologies. We expect the proposed smart deworming collar to herald the development of more innovative technologies for controlling echinococcosis by accelerating the elimination of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) is a typical type of RCC with the worst prognosis among the common epithelial neoplasms of the kidney. However, its molecular pathogenesis remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to screen for effective and potential pathogenic biomarkers of CCRCC. The gene expression profile of the GSE16441, GSE36895, GSE40435, GSE46699, GSE66270 and GSE71963 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. First, the limma package in R language was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in each dataset. The robust and strong DEGs were explored using the robust rank aggregation method. A total of 980 markedly robust DEGs were identified (429 upregulated and 551 downregulated). According to Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis, these DEGs exhibited an obvious enrichment in various cancer-related biological pathways and functions. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database was used for the construction of a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, the Cytoscape MCODE plug-in for module analysis and the cytoHubba plug-in to identify hub genes from the aforementioned DEGs. A total of four key modules were identified in the PPI network. A total of six hub genes, including C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12, bradykinin receptor B2, adenylate cyclase 7, calcium sensing receptor (CASR), kininogen 1 and lysophosphatidic acid receptor 5, were identified. The DEG results of the hub genes were verified using The Cancer Genome Atlas database, and CASR was found to be significantly associated with the prognosis of patients with CCRCC. In conclusion, the present study provided new insight and potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of CCRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the diurnal variation in soil respiration under different land use types on Taihang Mountain, North China, and to understand its response to environmental factors (e.g., soil temperature and moisture) and forest management. Diurnal variations in soil respiration from plantations ( Robinia pseudoacacia, Punica granatum , and Ziziphus jujuba ), naturally regenerated forests ( Vitex negundo var. heterophylla ), grasslands ( Bothriochloa ischaemum ), and farmlands (winter wheat/summer maize) were measured using an LI-8100 automated soil CO 2 flux system from May 2012 to April 2013. The results indicated that land use type had a significant effect on the diurnal variation of soil respiration. The diurnal soil respiration from farmlands was highest, followed by Ziziphus jujube, R. pseudoacacia, P. granatum , the lower soil CO 2 efflux was found from B. ischaemum and V. negundo var. heterophylla . The diurnal soil respiration across different land use types was significantly affected by soil temperature and moisture, and their interaction. Precipitation-stimulated soil respiration increased more in soil with low water content and less in soil with high water content. The lower diurnal soil respiration from naturally regenerated forests suggests that naturally regenerated vegetation is the optimal vegetation type for reducing global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin-(IL-) 2 is the major growth factor for T-cell activation and proliferation. IL-2 has multiple functions in the regulation of immunological processes. Although most studies focus on T-cell immunomodulation, T-cell activation by IL-2 is the foundation of priming the feedback loop. Here, we investigated the effect of MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways on IL-2-induced cell activation and the regulatory mechanisms of upstream ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b and c-Cbl. Morphological analysis of Jurkat T cells was performed by cytospin preparations with Wright-Giemsa stain. CD25 expression on Jurkat T cells was determined by flow cytometry. Changes in cell activation proteins such as p-ERK, ERK, p-Akt, Akt, and ubiquitin ligase Casitas B-cell Lymphoma (Cbl) proteins were analyzed by western blot. Following IL-2-induced activation of Jurkat T cells, p-ERK expression was upregulated, while there was no change in p-Akt, ERK, or Akt expression. Thus, the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, but not PI3K/Akt, was involved in IL-2-induced T-cell activation. Either using PD98059 (a specific inhibitor for p-ERK) or depletion of ERK with small interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced the expression of CD25. This study also showed that ubiquitin ligase proteins Cbl-b and c-Cbl might be involved in IL-2-induced Jurkat T-cell activation by negatively regulating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]