Central Panel Research Articles

Abstract 1588: Liquid biopsy analyses of cell-free circulating tumor DNA as predictive and prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer patients with metastatic disease

Abstract Background: Most colorectal cancer (CRC) deaths are caused by metastatic disease (mCRC). Therapeutic approaches include treatment with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against EGFR and VEGF. There is an urgent clinical need to stratify mCRC patients for optimal treatment. Cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) derived from blood plasma is expected to improve stratification by early detection of therapy resistance and disease progression. Aim: The general aim of this study is to advance towards clinical implementation of ctDNA-based tests as molecular biomarkers to improve disease management of mCRC patients. We will investigate added value of liquid biopsy ctDNA-based gene mutation analyses compared to: 1) tissue-based tests for RAS mutation status as determined in standard clinical care setting; and 2) monitoring of disease progression by computed tomography (CT) imaging. Methods: CAIRO5 is a multicenter, randomized, phase 3 clinical trial of the Dutch Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG) and includes patients with initially unresectable, liver-only mCRC, as confirmed by a central panel of liver surgeons/radiologists based on CT imaging. This study involves nation-wide longitudinal collection of liquid biopsies (blood samples) using cell-save tubes and CT imaging from up to 564 patients. Hotspot mutations in ctDNA will be analyzed by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), and mutations in a panel of genes by targeted error correction sequencing (TEC-seq). Clinical, imaging, biobanking, and molecular data will be collected using standardized data fields and data formats and integrated for querying and viewing in tranSMART, making use of the national Health-RI research IT infrastructure. Results: The nation-wide multi-center logistics for longitudinal blood sample collection and plasma processing has been established, with participation of more than 40 Dutch hospitals. At present (Nov 2017), over 220 patients have been included from whom more than 550 blood samples and 330 CT images were obtained. Proof of concept for the validity of this workflow was obtained by successful subjection of 11 plasma samples to ctDNA mutation analysis by TEC-seq (Phallen et al., 2017). Discussion: Implementation of ctDNA-based tests as molecular biomarkers to improve disease management of mCRC patients requires collection of information from large, well-defined studies with longitudinal patient follow-up. This translational research project will provide the data that are needed to determine cost-effectiveness analysis of ctDNA mutation analyses by health technology assessment, yielding recommendations for clinical implementation of ctDNA applications. Citation Format: Iris van 't Erve, Jillian Phallen, Karen Bolhuis, Joost Huiskens, Nicole C. van Grieken, Veerle Coupé, Annegien Broeks, Daan van den Broek, Alessandro Leal, Victor E. Velculescu, Cornelis J. Punt, Gerrit A. Meijer, Remond J. Fijneman. Liquid biopsy analyses of cell-free circulating tumor DNA as predictive and prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer patients with metastatic disease [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1588.

Metabolic Tumour Volume for Response Prediction in Advanced-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Rationale: (18F)fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for staging Hodgkin lymphoma may allow for accurate and reliable assessment of the metabolic tumour volume (MTV) as baseline risk factor. Our aim was to analyse the prognostic impact of MTV measurements, obtained by different means in advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma patients treated within the German Hodgkin Study Group HD18 trial. Methods: Within the German Hodgkin Study Group trial HD18, 310 patients underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scanning for staging which was available to the central review panel for quantitative analysis. We calculated the MTV by four different thresholding methods and performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate the potential for prediction of early response determined by PET after two cycles (PET-2) dose-escalated bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (eBEACOPP). Logistic regression was used to evaluate its prognostic value concerning progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: All different MTV calculations used predicted PET-2 response to a moderate and comparable degree (area under the curve = 0.62-0.63, P = 0.01-0.06). With none of the measuring methods did the ROC curves point to any unique cut-off values, but indicated a wide range of possible cut-offs. However, none of the MTV measurements was prognostic for PFS (Hazard ratio 1.2-1.5, P = 0.15-0.52) or OS (Hazard ratio 1.0-1.5, P = 0.95 - 0.27). Conclusion: Baseline MTV as determined by different means, is a predictive factor for early response to eBEACOPP after two cycles. However, value as a prognostic factor after highly effective PET-2 adapted treatment strategy could not be observed.

Author Correction: The physics of spreading processes in multilayer networks

In the version of this Progress Article originally published, the left and right panels of Fig. 3, clarifying the details indicated within the centre panel, were mistakenly interchanged. This has now been corrected in all versions of the Progress Article.

Evaluation of the long-term efficacy of K-Othrine\xae PolyZone on three surfaces against laboratory reared Anopheles gambiae in semi-field conditions

BackgroundIn this semi-field study, a new polymer-enhanced deltamethrin formulation, K-Othrine® PolyZone, was compared to a standard deltamethrin product for residual activity against a susceptible strain of laboratory-reared Anopheles gambiae using standard WHO cone bioassays.MethodsResidual insecticide efficacy was recorded after exposure to metal, cement and wood panels maintained in experimental huts in sub-tropical environmental conditions in north central Florida, USA, and panels stored in a climate controlled chamber located at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia, USA.ConclusionsK-Othrine® PolyZone demonstrated 100% control on metal and cement panels 1 year post application and > 80% control on wood panels up to 6 mo. The new formulation should be considered for use in indoor residual spray programmes requiring long-term control of malaria vectors.

Abstract 6: Frequency, Risk Factors, Causes, and Outcomes of Early Neurological Deterioration in Hyperacute Cerebral Ischemia

Background: Early neurological deterioration (END) is a feared complication of acute cerebral ischemia, but studies have provided widely varying estimates of END frequency, have often not systematically investigated END mechanism, and have not characterized END frequency among hyperacute patients presenting within the first 2h of onset, during the period of greatest neurologic deficit lability. Methods: We analyzed subjects with a final diagnosis of acute cerebral ischemia in the NIH Field Administration of Stroke Therapy-Magnesium Phase 3 multicenter clinical trial. END was defined as worsening by ≥ 4 NIHSS points up to Day 4. Causes of worsening were adjudicated by a central expert panel reviewing detailed medical records and imaging studies. Results: Among 1245 acute cerebral ischemia patients transported by EMS to 55 receiving stroke centers, time from last known well to ED arrival was median 59 mins (IQR 80-46). Overall, 211 (16.9%) experienced END by Day 4, including 17.4% within the first 6 hours of ED arrival, 32.2% between 6-24h, and 50.3% between 24h-Day 4. Patient features associated with END included older age (73.1 vs 70.5, p=0.01), worse initial deficits (NIHSS 13.1 vs 8.4, p<0.0001), history of hypertension, diabetes, higher serum glucose, BUN, and creatinine. Arrival imaging findings associated with END included more advanced acute ischemic change (ASPECTS 7.8 vs 8.8, p<0.0001) and presence of prior infarction. Leading causes of END were: extension of initial cerebral infarct (contributing in 50.6% of END patients), cerebral edema (25.3%), hemorrhagic transformation (23.0%), and infection (8.4%). END was associated with substantially reduced functional independence (mRS 0-2) at 90 days, 9.1% vs 67.9%, p<0.0001, and increased 90-day mortality, 42.1% vs 6.5%, p<0.0001). Conclusions: END occurs in 1 in 6 hyperacute cerebral ischemia patients, and is associated with dramatic reductions in functional independence and increases in mortality by 3 months. The leading causes of END are ischemia progression, cerebral edema, and hemorrhagic transformation, which collectively contribute to 4 in 5 of all END events, and are important treatment targets to improve ischemic stroke outcome.

Interpretation of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Protein-Protein Interaction Network Construction and Analysis

Background: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma is one of the prominent cancers in the oral cavity. Molecular investigations based on interaction analysis can be promising towards providing a better resolution of malignant neoplasms. Here, the protein-protein interaction network of tongue cancer is studied. Methods: The protein-protein interaction network was constructed by the application of Cytoscape 3.5.1 and the related algorithms. Centrality analysis via the degree, betweenness, and closeness centralities was conducted. Results: The result indicated that there are seven chief proteins in the network foundation. Moreover, enrichment evaluation suggested two associated biological processes including Response to UV-A, Response to interlukin-7, cellular response to alcohol, and catenin import into nucleus process using CluePedia. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the identified central panel proteins and their related biological processes can shed light on the neoplasm mechanisms and are worth pursuing for clinical approaches. © 2018, Cancer Research Center (CRC), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.

Back cover story: Eur. J. Immunol. 1'18

European Journal of ImmunologyVolume 48, Issue 1 Back CoverFree Access Back cover story: Eur. J. Immunol. 1'18 First published: 10 January 2018 https://doi.org/10.1002/eji.201870018AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Graphical Abstract Our back cover features the immunohistology of a lung from a C57BL/6 mouse re-challenged with influenza A virus (IAV). In the center panel, the juxtaposition of lung epithelial cells (stained with anti-E-cadherin, red) and inflammatory cells (anti-CD103, green), including migrating DCs and intraepithelial T-cells, is displayed in addition to nuclear staining (blue). The image is taken from Yoshizawa et al. (pp. 128–150), where the authors show that airway epithelia and adjacent lamina propria locales, not iBALT, represent microenvironments for tissue resident memory T-cell generation. Transcriptional profiling reveals differences in activation, attenuation and adhesion pathways amongst polyclonal resident effector and memory T-cells based on an TCR-pMHC encounter involving two immunodominant IAV epitopes. Volume48, Issue1January 2018 RelatedInformation

Comparison of serum concentrations of environmental allergen-specific IgE in atopic and healthy (nonatopic) horses.

Allergic responses in humans, horses and other species are mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. Serum testing to detect allergen-specific IgE antibodies has been developed for dogs, cats and horses; this allows for the identification of allergens and determination of appropriate allergen- specific immunotherapies. This study compared serum allergen-specific IgE concentrations in atopic and healthy horses. The study was performed on Malopolski breed atopic (n=21) and nonatopic (n=21) clinically healthy horses. Allergen-specific IgE serum concentrations were measured in summer seasons of 2008-2015 using a monoclonal anti-IgE antibody. A Northern and Central European allergen panel containing mite, insect, mould and plant pollen allergens, including 15 tests of individual allergens and 5 tests of allergen mixtures was used. The mean allergen-specific IgE concentrations in the atopic and normal horse populations were compared. Among the atopic horses, the strongest positive reactions occurred against the storage mites Tyrophagus putrescentiae and the domestic mite Dermatophagoides farinae. The atopic horses also demonstrated high IgE concentrations against insects, particularly Tabanus sp., the plant pollens colza, cultivated rye and the mould pollen mixture Aspergillus/Penicillium. No horses in the atopic group were IgE-negative. Among all mite, insect, mould and some plant allergen groups the differences in mean specific IgE concentrations between allergic and healthy horses were significant. The mean IgE concentrations for most allergen groups were significantly higher in the atopic horses than in the healthy animals. However, a high incidence of positive reactions was observed in both healthy and allergic horses. Our results showed a high frequency of polysensitization in atopic horses.

The Omics Dashboard for interactive exploration of gene-expression data.

The Omics Dashboard is a software tool for interactive exploration and analysis of gene-expression datasets. The Omics Dashboard is organized as a hierarchy of cellular systems. At the highest level of the hierarchy the Dashboard contains graphical panels depicting systems such as biosynthesis, energy metabolism, regulation and central dogma. Each of those panels contains a series of X–Y plots depicting expression levels of subsystems of that panel, e.g. subsystems within the central dogma panel include transcription, translation and protein maturation and folding. The Dashboard presents a visual read-out of the expression status of cellular systems to facilitate a rapid top-down user survey of how all cellular systems are responding to a given stimulus, and to enable the user to quickly view the responses of genes within specific systems of interest. Although the Dashboard is complementary to traditional statistical methods for analysis of gene-expression data, we show how it can detect changes in gene expression that statistical techniques may overlook. We present the capabilities of the Dashboard using two case studies: the analysis of lipid production for the marine alga Thalassiosira pseudonana, and an investigation of a shift from anaerobic to aerobic growth for the bacterium Escherichia coli.

RETRACTED: The long noncoding RNA CASC2 inhibits tumorigenesis through modulating the expression of PTEN by targeting miR-18a-5p in esophageal carcinoma

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. In the article Figure 3A top and center panel are duplicated and in Figure 5A elements are duplicated from previous publications from the same authors in Tumor Biol. (2014) 35:12583–12592 DOI 10.1007/s13277-014-2579-4 (Figure 3) and Dig Dis Sci (2013) 58:706–714 DOI 10.1007/s10620-012-2395-x (Figure 8). The authors recognize mishandling of these images which affects the validation of the study and would like to apologize to readers.

Whole-blood RNA transcript-based models can predict clinical response in two large independent clinical studies of patients with advanced melanoma treated with the checkpoint inhibitor, tremelimumab

BackgroundTremelimumab is an antibody that blocks CTLA-4 and demonstrates clinical efficacy in a subset of advanced melanoma patients. An unmet clinical need exists for blood-based response-predictive gene signatures to facilitate clinically effective and cost-efficient use of such immunotherapeutic interventions.MethodsPeripheral blood samples were collected in PAXgene® tubes from 210 treatment-naïve melanoma patients receiving tremelimumab in a worldwide, multicenter phase III study (discovery dataset). A central panel of radiologists determined objective response using RECIST criteria. Gene expression for 169 mRNA transcripts was measured using quantitative PCR. A 15-gene pre-treatment response-predictive classifier model was identified. An independent population (N = 150) of refractory melanoma patients receiving tremelimumab after chemotherapy enrolled in a worldwide phase II study (validation dataset). The classifier model, using the same genes, coefficients and constants for objective response and one-year survival after treatment, was applied to the validation dataset.ResultsA 15-gene pre-treatment classifier model (containing ADAM17, CDK2, CDKN2A, DPP4, ERBB2, HLA-DRA, ICOS, ITGA4, LARGE, MYC, NAB2, NRAS, RHOC, TGFB1, and TIMP1) achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86 (95% confidence interval 0.81 to 0.91, p < 0.0001) for objective response and 0.6 (95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.67, p = 0.0066) for one-year survival in the discovery set. This model was validated in the validation set with AUCs of 0.62 (95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.70 p = 0.0455) for objective response and 0.68 for one-year survival (95% confidence interval 0.59 to 0.75 p = 0.0002).ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the largest blood-based biomarker study of a checkpoint inhibitor, tremelimumab, which demonstrates a validated pre-treatment mRNA classifier model that predicts clinical response. The data suggest that the model captures a biological signature representative of genes needed for a robust anti-cancer immune response. It also identifies non-responders to tremelimumab at baseline prior to treatment.

製品アーキテクチャの変革と開発組織の動態的適応に関する研究 : 自動車産業におけるセンターパネル・モジュールの事例分析から

製品アーキテクチャの変革と開発組織の動態的適応に関する研究 : 自動車産業におけるセンターパネル・モジュールの事例分析から

Study of the influence of cold working on mechanical behavior and ductile fracture of 5754 aluminum alloy: experimental and numerical simulations

The ductile damage of automotive aluminum sheet alloy AA5754-H111 is investigated by experiments and numerical simulation using the Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) mo- del. The GTN parameters were determined by a uni-axial tensile test and the inverse finite element method. The same parameters were employed to provide the ductile damage beha- vior of central cracked panel (CCP) specimens. A good prediction can be established among the numerical simulation and experimental data in from of the force opening displacement. As an application, the identified GTN model is used to predict the influence of cold wor- king on deformation and ductile damage. The numerical simulation results obtained are assimilated with experimental data.

Relevance and Cost Benefit Analysis of Ground Coupled Central Panel Cooling System (GC-CPCS)

It is necessary to operate solar PV panels at low temperatures in order to keep the conversion efficiency at an acceptable level. Therefore need for a low-cost cooling system for the solar panels is felt. Solar PV power plant comprises of large number of solar PV panels installed in tandem to each other. It is not economically viable to have separate cooling system for each solar panel. Hence it is convenient to cool the panels using a central panel cooling system. A design for central cooling of solar PV panels namely ground-coupled central panel cooling system (GC-CPCS) has been suggested. It is operational at the energy park of Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), Bhopal, India. This paper explains the relevance of the ground coupled central panel cooling system (GC-CPCS) its design, testing and cost benefit analysis.

Introduction: Art and Religious Reform in Early Modern Europe

This introduction situates the essays of this special issue within current scholarship on art and religious reform in early modern Europe. The first section considers iconoclasm and the settlements reached in its aftermath, and emphasizes the richness and diversity of the Protestant and Catholic visual cultures that evolved alongside movements for religious reform. The second section considers the individual essays, and draws out common themes: the relationship between image and word; artists’ and patrons’ responses to new understandings of Christian history and soteriology; images’ role in the construction of confessional boundaries, but also their ability to transgress those boundaries. The introduction highlights the plurality of methodological approaches adopted by the contributors, which reminds us that although attention to the social and political contexts in which images were produced and received is an essential part of both historical and art-historical analysis, the power of art can never be fully captured through words.

Effects of different footwear on distribution of hip-joint contact stress

BackgroundAlthough running is physiologically valuable, it leads to a high rate of chronic disorders. The hip is a common injury site, accounting for 15% of injuries. Stress distribution is a key biomechanical variable linked to the aetiology of arthrosis. Athletic footwear is a key extrinsic mechanism by which chronic injuries are controlled. The current study aimed to assess the effects of running footwear on distribution of hip-joint stress. Methods22 male runners (mean age 24·56 years, SD 4·54) were examined with an optoelectric three-dimensional (3D) motion capture system and a force plate. 3D hip-joint forces were quantified with a Pythagorean approach to provide the resultant hip-joint force. Hip-joint stress was obtained via a musculoskeletal modelling approach which used the 3D hip forces, femoral head diameter, and centre edge angle as inputs. Differences according to footwear were examined with repeated measures ANOVA. The study was approved by the University of Central Lancashire Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Health ethics panel (reference number 361). FindingsThe findings revealed a main effect for peak resultant hip-joint force (p=0·016, I2=0·31). Follow-up analyses showed that peak resultant hip-joint force was significantly reduced in minimalist footwear conditions (mean 3·78 m/s times body weight [SD 0·74]) compared with maximalist (4·13 [0·80], p=0·017) and conventional (4·05 [0·60], p=0·020) footwear conditions. In addition, a main effect was also noted for peak hip-joint stress (p=0·041, I2=0·25). Follow-up analyses showed that peak hip-joint stress was significantly reduced in minimalist footwear (mean 1·58 MPa [SD 0·26]) compared with maximalist (1·73 [0·30], p=0·040) and conventional (1·72 [0·21], p=0·041) footwear conditions. InterpretationThe key clinical observation from this exploratory analysis is that minimalist footwear significantly attenuated peak resultant hip-joint force and peak hip-joint stress. Since excessive loading and stress distribution at the hip-joint has been associated with the aetiology of hip-joint disorders, the current investigation indicates that minimalist footwear might reduce runners' susceptibility to chronic hip disorders. FundingNone.

Memling’s Pagagnotti Virgin and Child : Italian Renaissance sculpture reimagined

Hans Memling's Pagagnotti Virgin, the central panel of a triptych painted in Bruges for a distinguished Florentine patron (fig. 1), belongs to a group of small devotional paintings by the artist which have long been acknowledged as the earliest Netherlandish paintings to employ the distinctly Italianate, all'antica motif of putti and garlands, widely associated with Renaissance sculpture. The other works in this group are the triptych of the Virgin and Child and an unknown donor in Vienna, the Resurrection triptych in the Louvre, and the Virgin and Child in Washington, all of which have been speculatively associated with Italian patronage, because of their use of the putto motif.1 In my view, on grounds of quality of execution and inventiveness of design, the Pagagnotti triptych is the prime version in this group. Now divided between the Uffizi and the National Gallery, London, it was painted for the Dominican Benedetto Pagagnotti, bishop of Vaison in Provence, who resided in Florence and was one of the most important churchmen in the city.2 It should probably be dated no later than 1480, since the detail of the mill from the background of its central panel, much cited by late fifteenth-century Florentine painters, first appears in an altarpiece by Filippino Lippi of 1482-83.3 Pagagnotti's desire to own a Netherlandish devotional image is explicable given the vogue for Netherlandish painting in Florence at the time, but Pagagnotti did not himself visit the Netherlands, and must have placed the commission through a middleman, perhaps his nephew Paolo Pagagnotti, who did visit Bruges.4It is likely that Memling introduced the putti and garlands as a gesture to his Italian patron, together with other details of apparently Italianate inspiration which have hitherto largely escaped notice: in the upper corners, the figures of Samson rending the jaws of the lion, and Cain slaying Abel, painted to resemble gilded sculptures, and the decorative detail of the arch itself. This article will consider the possible sources for these Italianate elements.Working in Bruges offered Memling ample contacts with the many Italians resident there, and with Italian visitors.5 These included some of his most important clients in the 1470s, such as the manager of the Medici bank, Tommaso Portinari, and the Venetian ambassador to the Burgundian court, Bernardo Bembo. Such individuals offered the potential for artistic exchange, whether through the commissioning of locally produced artworks such as tapestries, for which drawings were often sent from Italy, or as the owners of personal possessions brought from Italy, such as the sestertius of the Emperor Nero held by Bembo, a noted antiquarian, in his presumed portrait by Memling (Antwerp, Koniklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten), an object that the artist studied closely.6 Confraternity membership provided another means of communication: Memling was a member of the Confraternity of Our Lady of the Snow, to which several members of Bruges' Italian community also belonged.7Contacts between Italy and the Low Countries extended well beyond the mercantile community to princes, nobles, diplomats, prelates and legists, whose travels to Italy must have generated a flow of artefacts from south to north, such as the gold chain presented to the distinguished Burgundian nobleman Philippe de Croy on his mission to Naples in 1472.8 There were also numerous Italians employed in various capacities at the Burgundian court during the reign of the Italophile duke, Charles the Bold (ruled 1467-77).9 These included the Neapolitan nobleman and ducal secretary Giovanni di Candida, who in the 1470s produced the first Renaissance portrait medals in the Netherlands.10 The Florentine goldsmith Niccolo di Forzore Spinelli, also known as Niccolo Fiorentino, was appointed in 1468 as maker of ducal seals.11 It is possible that both these artists brought with them drawings and other artworks from Italy.By 1498, when Gerard David cited them in The Justice of Cambyses (Bruges, Groeningemuseum), it was possible to see in Bruges versions of two antique gems from the Medici collection, the famous and much-reproduced 'Sigillo di Nerone' of Apollo, Olympos and Marsyas, and the so-called Ceres and Triptolemus. …

ANTI CONVULSANT EFFECT OF NIFEDIPINE, DIAZEPAM AND IN COMBINATION ON MES INDUCED EPILEPSY IN RATS

Background: The role of calcium in the process of epileptogenesis and neurotoxicity and excitotoxicity during status epilepticus is involved. In fact, epileptiform bursts are often associated with influx of calcium ion into the nerve cells and a decrease in the extracellular concentration of calcium precedes the onset of seizures. Aim: To investigate the activity of nifedipine, the dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, diazepam, the benzodiazepine anti- convulsant of established efficacy and their combinations against rat models of MES induced tonic seizure. Method: Wister albino rats of either sex, weighing between 150-220 gm were used for maximal electroshock method. Rats were divided into 10 groups, in each group n=6 total N=60.Group 1: Control, Group 2-4:Nifedipine 2, 4 and 8 mg/kg accordingly, Group 5-7: Diazepam 1,2 and 4 mg/kg accordingly, Group 8:Nifedipine (3.3mg) + Diazepam (3mg), Group 9:Nifedipine (6.6mg) + Diazepam (3mg), Group 10: Phenytoin (25mg/kg). The Controls in the central panel was set at 120 mA current. The Start-Reset knob was switched in the reset position with time of 0.2 seconds was set. The following parameters were observed. Latent period of convulsions, duration of flexion, tonic hind limb extension, posttictal sleep. Results: Nifedipine in doses of 4 and 8 mg / Kg., diazepam in all doses (1, 2 and 4 mg / Kg.) and their combinations were significantly reducing the duration of tonic hind limb extension (THLE). Only Nifedipine in doses of 2 mg / Kg. had no significant change in duration of THLE in comparison to Normal saline. The effect of Nifedipine 8 mg / Kg. on reducing the duration of THLE, indicative its anti-seizure activity on MES seizure was comparable to Diazepam in the dose of 1 mg / Kg. The MES-induced anti-seizure activity of Diazepam in doses of 1 mg / Kg. It was significantly less than Diazepam in doses of 2 and 4 mg / Kg or from the combination doses. Diazepam in 4 mg / Kg. dose was equally effective as the combination. But its effect was also equi-effective with Phenytoin. Conclusion: Nifedipine alone is inferior to diazepam in generalized tonic-clonic seizure and their combination is not having superadditive effect. Key words: Calcium channel blockers; Diazepam; Epilepsy; Maximum electrical shock.

Sulfate and Calcium Chloride Resistance of Steel/Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Panel for Improved Movable Weir Application

This study evaluated the performance of a hybrid panel that can overcome the current problem of corrosion of the steel panels of improved movable weirs when they are exposed to a sulfate and calcium chloride environment such as sea water. A hybrid panel with glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) layers on both sides of a steel panel means that the central panel is not exposed to the external elements, which can avoid corrosion problems. In this study, to maximize the hybrid panel’s strength and durability, the moisture absorption characteristics and the durability in an accelerated environment were evaluated. The test results were considered to indicate no durability issues as the final absorption ratio was approximately 2.0% or less in all environments. Also, from the accelerated deterioration test results when the steel panel processed by sand blasting was applied in all accelerated deterioration environments, it satisfied the residual strength level of 65% or more. However, in the case without surface processing, upon exposure to MgSO4 solution, it did not satisfy the standard residual strength level of 65%. These results show that sand blasting on the surface of a steel panel is adequate for hybrid panels for improved movable weirs.

Primitive Passions, Blinding Visions: Arthur Rimbaud's “Mystique” and a Tradition of Mystical Ekphrasis

In 1935 the Dutch scholar Johannes B. Tielrooy argued that Arthur Rimbaud's prose poem “Mystique” (c. 1872) was an ekphrasis, or literary description, of the central panel of Hubert and Jan van Eyck's altarpieceAdoration of the Mystic Lamb(1432). Although this hypothesis was deemed credible for a number of years, it is now thought to be unlikely that the painting inspired the poem or that the poem is an instance of ekphrasis. However, Tielrooy's ekphrastic interpretation can still be used to reveal elements of the poem otherwise hidden to the reader. I demonstrate the potential of Tielrooy's speculative practice, what I call mystical ekphrasis, by juxtaposing Rimbaud's poem with a chromolithographic representation of one of Jean Fouquet's illuminations, with which the poem also has possible but not conclusive links.