Sputum examination is a useful noninvasive method to study airway inflammation. We investigated the reproducibility and validity of the measurements of lymphocyte subsets in the sputum of 11 stable patients with asthma and 10 nonasthmatic smokers. Sputum was dispersed with 0.1% dithiothreitol. A differential cell count was made with Wright's stain. Aliquots were stained with antibodies to CD19 (B cells), CD3 (T cells), CD4 (helper), CD8 (suppressor), and the activation marker CD25 (IL2 receptor) on T-cell subsets and were assayed by flow cytometry. Sputum from patients with asthma compared with nonasthmatic subjects had more eosinophils (mean +/- SEM, 32.5 +/- 8.5 versus 1.3 +/- 0.5%, p < 0.01) and a higher proportion of lymphocytes that were B cells (16.2 +/- 3.2 versus 4.0 +/- 1.0%, p < 0.01), and these correlated closely with the eosinophils (r = 0.8, p < 0.01). Patients with asthma also had more activated T-helper cells (39.3 +/- 4.6 versus 9.0 +/- 9.0%, p = 0.05), but the comparison was limited to two smokers because of macrophage autofluorescence. The repeatability of measurements of helper T-cells (R = 0.94), suppressor T cells (R = 0.88), and activated helper T cells (R = 0.77) was good; repeatability of measurements of T and B cells could not be examined because these were reciprocals of each other. Asthmatic sputum has different lymphocyte profiles than sputum from nonasthmatic smoking control subjects. The results demonstrate a potential importance of antibody-producing lymphocytes in the airway and their relation to sputum eosinophilia in asthma.


Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) suffer most visibly with such motor deficits as tremor and rigidity and less obviously with a range of nonmotor symptoms, including autonomic dysfunction, mood disorders, and cognitive impairment. The neuropsychiatric disturbances of PD can be as disabling as its motor disorders; but they have only recently begun to be studied intensively by clinicians and scientists. In this book, Patrick McNamara examines the major neuropsychiatric syndromes of PD in detail and offers a cognitive theory that accounts for both their neurology and their phenomenology. McNamara offers an up-to-date review of current knowledge of such neuropsychiatric manifestations of PD as cognitive deficits, personality changes, speech and language symptoms, sleep disorders, apathy, psychosis, and dementia. He argues that the cognitive, mood, and personality symptoms of PD stem from the weakening or suppression of the agentic aspects of the self. McNamara's study may well lead to improved treatment for Parkinson's patients. But its overarching goal is to arrive at a better understanding of the human mind and its breakdown patterns in patients with PD. The human mind-brain is an elaborate and complex structure patched together to produce what we call the self. When we observe the disruption of the self structure that occurs with the various neuropsychiatric disorders associated with PD, McNamara argues, we get a glimpse into the inner workings of the most spectacular structure of the self: the agentic self, the self that acts.


France: A Focus on the New Reproduction European bioethical discussion in 1987-1988 was centered on new procreation techniques such as artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. Father Patrick Verspieren, in his compilation of the principal texts of the Catholic Magisterium Biology, Medicine, and Ethics[1] renders an account of Catholic writings from the declarations of Pius XII to the recent Instruction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on "Respect for Human Life and the Dignity of Procreation" and the development of thought on these matters within the Catholic Church. The Instruction has been much commented upon in Christian and non-Christian circles. It has afforded various European research centers the opportunity to place (or to place again) on their agenda the status of the human embryo. On May 15 and 16, 1987, for example, the Catholic Institute of Lyons organized a research conference on this question, the proceedings of which were published as The Status of the Human Embryo.[2] In Master of Life[3] the late Professor Charles Lefevre of Lille University reaffirms the principle that moral law must be grounded in human experience and dignity. The Instruction is to be welcomed in the measure it addresses the situations faced by those for whom it speaks. The same attention to concrete situations and persons enlivens the reflections of a one-day study session organized in May 1988 by the Brussels Bioethical Study Center. The conference proceedings, "Ethics and Techniques of In Vitro Fertilization,"[4] explore the hypothesis that technically assisted procreation, if governed by strict rules of respect for the human person, can in fact help to strengthen, rather than weaken the bonds between sexuality and procreation. The possible positive use of these methods, however, should not lead us to a naive triumphalism regarding them. Jurists' reflections on the possible perverse effects of using such techniques carry us from ethics into the domain of law. Jean-Louis Baudouin and Catherine Labrusse-Riou, for example, demonstrate in Creating Man: By What Right?[5] the necessity of reciprocally questioning the progress of biomedical science and the juridical tradition that upholds direct consanguinial descent as a law-framed relationship. That perverse tendency to give priority to technique over ethics or law is endemic in technical-scientific development. Co-authors of Mankind, Nature and Law[6] Labrusse-Riou and colleagues seek to show how mankind and nature, each the object of technological manipulation and therefore of law in a commercial society, can and must also be subjects of law. Another collaborative work brings together the contributions of Gilbert Hottois, Jacques De Vooght, Ramond Rasmont, and Paulette Van Gansen at Brussels University who considered the ethical stakes involved in their interdisciplinary research on philosophy, sciences, and applied biology. Science and Ethics[7] is primarily an analysis of the social impact of scientific development. Western philosophical tradition requires such analyses to be supported by more basic, systematic reflections on ethics in general and medical ethics in particular, yet such syntheses are rare. Nevertheless, several attempts at systematization have been made recently. Medical Ethics[8] by Claire Ambroselli traces the history of medical ethics as it was shaped by the Nuremberg code. Through that story she examines the difficulties we now experience as we confront the growing power of medicine and biology with a moral philosophy the contents of which are in crisis.[9] Jean-Francois Malherbe's Toward an Ethics of Medicine[10] places the doctor-patient relationship at the center of the ethics of medicine. …


In this paper we discuss Hicksian demand and compensating variation in the context of discrete choice. We first derive Hicksian choice probabilities and the distribution of the (random) expenditure function in the general case when the utilities are nonlinear in income. We subsequently derive exact and simple formulae for the expenditure and choice probabilities under price (policy) changes conditional on the initial utility level. This is of particular interest for welfare measurement because it enables the researcher to compute the distribution of compensating variation in a simple way. We also derive formulae for the joint distribution of expenditure, the choice before and after a policy change has been introduced. Copyright 2005, Wiley-Blackwell.


The centrepiece of this paper is Ghana's Public Interest and Accountability Committee with empirical details of its politics of institutional choice and outcomes. The Committee is hailed as a model of 'bottom-up' reform and one of the principal reasons why Ghana is likely to circumvent a 'resource curse' situation associated with its petroleum resources. Far from this optimism, this article outlines key technocratic, political and other structural barriers that have undermined the Committee's profile as a transformative instrument in the oil industry. It draws attention to the limitations of technocratic administrative fixes imposed by in-country and sectoral dynamics.


This paper takes its point of departure in the years leading up to, and shortly after, the outbreak of World War One; a period that saw the emergence of Europe's first aeroplanes. It argues that the production of new aerial objects required not just imaginative leaps in technology, but also the making of possible futures into which such technologies could fit. In order to elaborate this argument, the paper engages with the life and work of J.C.H Ellehammer, the Danish inventor-entrepreneur who claimed the honour of being the first man to fly in Europe in 1906. Through an examination of Ellehammer's heterogeneous activities and practices, I argue that his initial aerial prototypes are 'notquite-yet-flying machines.' As technologies of anticipation they model, or rehearse, a version of the future through which such machines could become more acceptable to a sceptical public and find their place within a broader national discourse on flying. This is based upon a particular reading of the prototype as both an epistemic object and an epistemic culture, and upon a rendering of prototyping as an analytic that approaches the craft and agency of objects in particular ways.


Grounded in Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's model of the parental involvement process, this study examined links between empirically suggested manifestations of children's invitations and parents' levels of involvement in children's homework activities. Relevant literature suggested the potential importance of four child attributes in inviting parents' homework involvement: (1) child's general level of performance; (2) child's experience of difficulty with daily homework; (3) child's developmental press for independence; and (4) child's valuing of the parent's involvement activities. Twenty public school fourth graders and their parents (one per child) were interviewed individually and responded to questionnaires; data on child school performance were gathered from school records (6-week report cards for the full year; standardized achievement test results for the year). Findings suggested very modest links between higher levels of parental involvement and higher work difficulty as reported by parents, lower child press for independence as reported by parents, as well as lower general levels of performance as reflected in child interviews and school grades. Child valuing of parental help was linked weakly to parental involvement (stronger child valuing of parents' involvement activities was positively related to child reports of more parental involvement.) These and other findings were considered in light of qualitative patterns of parent and child observations in the interview data set, as were implications for theoretical understanding of variables contributing to parents' involvement decisions. Based on findings, suggestions were devised for teachers and parents wishing to increase the incidence and effectiveness of parents' involvement in their elementary children's education. (Contains 33 references.) (Author/KB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.


The study was designed to assess the sources of teacher motivation and students' performance in secondary schools in Mbeya region.The study specifically assessed the community perspective on the importance of teacher motivation on student performance, examined the perspectives of teachers on the sources of motivation in school setting and determined the relationship between teachers' motivation, students' performance and national development.The study adopted descriptive research design to solicit information from 82 teachers from five secondary schools who were randomly sampled. The study results revealed that majority of the teachers and parents had positive perception that teacher motivation has a close relationship to students' performance and national development. Furthermore, the study found that teachers believed that the source of motivation came from school management in terms of how the heads of school treated teachers. Moreover, the study found that teachers' motivation contributed to the national development through the production of quality human resources who can positively contribute to national development in different sectors. It was recommended that the heads of schools have a duty to ensure that educational facilities, infrastructure are supportive to teachers which in turn will motivate them to raise their commitment to the work in schools.


Cancer health disparities exist among different ethnicities and races. Various factors such as lifestyle, environmental exposure, genetics, and epigenetics are thought to play a role in the existence of these disparities. Viruses, which outnumber cells in the human body by 100-fold, have a major impact on human health. Viruses have been estimated to cause 15-20% of human cancers, and we expect that some of these oncogenic viruses may have the potential to impact health disparities. Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are being used to investigate novel virus-cancer associations and interactions, and several bioinformatics tools for the detection and analysis of virus sequences in human NGS data have recently become available. These tools have not been validated, however, for use in human cancers with extremely low levels of viral sequences. In this study, we have compared the sensitivity and specificity of READSCAN to a manually constructed analysis workflow in a common, commercial NGS web application. READSCAN is a freely available software application that utilizes automated "digital subtraction" to eliminate host reads and identify specific virus sequences in NGS data. The functionality of this tool was compared to a workflow constructed within the web interface for the commercially available NGS software Partek. This constructed workflow first subtracted human sequences and then aligned the remaining sequences against select viral genomes. The sensitivity of the various tools was compared using NGS data obtained from human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infected cells. Specificity of the tools was determined by analyzing the same data set against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Human Papilloma virus type 16 (HPV-16). Partek and READSCAN detected 69.66% and 60.54% of the input number of reads as HCMV sequences. Under these conditions, neither bioinformatics tool detected EBV or HPV16 specific reads in the HCMV infected cell data. This indicated that both Partek and READSCAN were capable of readily detecting the presence of large amounts of virus reads in NGS data from infected cells in a specific manner. In order to test the ability of these tools to detect viral specific reads in NGS data from tumors, data obtained from the HPV16 positive cervical squamous cell carcinoma cell line SiHa were analyzed. Both Partek and READSCAN detected six reads out of 969,798 total reads as HPV16 sequences; EBV or HCMV sequences were not detected. Our results are in agreement with previously published observations for this SiHa cell line, in which five HPV16 specific reads were detected. While we are still in the process of testing additional bioinformatics tools and configurations, our results attest that the open–source bioinformatics tool READSCAN and the commercially available Partek are comparable in performance, but differ in utility. Partek is faster, has a user-friendly interface, and a knowledge of Linux commands is not required. READSCAN lacks these features, but it is free and has an algorithm more clearly proscribed in the literature for digital subtraction. Next steps include utilizing a wider range of digital subtraction software, evaluating a broader range of NGS data from demographically diverse origins, and investigating discordance as it is found between alternative tools and configuration parameters. Ultimately, an ensemble of tools and configuration contexts is expected to yield critical information on the role of viruses in cancer and associated health disparities Citation Format: Barbara Swanson, Scott Harrison, Dukka KC, Perpetua Muganda. Comparative analysis of bioinformatic tools for the detection of viral DNA sequences in tumor cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C04. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-C04


Robust nonlinear control design strategies using sliding mode control (SMC) and integral SMC (ISMC) are developed, which are capable of achieving reliable and accurate tracking control for systems containing dynamic uncertainty, unmodeled disturbances, and actuator anomalies that result in an unknown and time-varying control direction. In order to ease readability of this dissertation, detailed explanations of the relevant mathematical tools is provided, including stability definitions, Lyapunov-based stability analysis methods, SMC and ISMC fundamentals, and other basic nonlinear control tools. The contributions of the dissertation are three novel control algorithms for three different classes of nonlinear systems: single-input multipleoutput (SIMO) systems, systems with model uncertainty and bounded disturbances, and systems with unknown control direction. Control design for SIMO systems is challenging due to the fact that such systems have fewer actuators than degrees of freedom to control (i.e., they are underactuated systems). While traditional nonlinear control methods can be utilized to design controllers for certain classes of cascaded underactuated systems, more advanced methods are required to develop controllers for parallel systems, which are not in a cascade structure. A novel control technique is proposed in this dissertation, which is shown to achieve asymptotic tracking for dual parallel systems, where a single scalar control input directly affects two subsystems. The result is achieved through an innovative sequential control design algorithm, whereby one of the subsystems is indirectly stabilized via the desired state trajectory that is commanded to the other subsystem. The SIMO system under consideration does not contain uncertainty or disturbances. In dealing with systems containing uncertainty in the dynamic model, a particularly challenging situation occurs when uncertainty exists in the input-multiplicative gain matrix. Moreover, special consideration is required in control design for systems that also include unknown bounded disturbances. To cope with these challenges, a robust continuous controller is developed using an ISMC technique, which achieves asymptotic trajectory tracking for systems with unknown bounded disturbances, while simultaneously compensating for parametric uncertainty in the input gain matrix. The ISMC design is rigorously proven to achieve asymptotic trajectory tracking for a quadrotor system and a synthetic jet actuator (SJA)-based aircraft system. In the ISMC designs, it is assumed that the signs in the uncertain input-multiplicative gain matrix (i.e., the actuator control directions) are known. A much more challenging scenario is encountered in designing controllers for classes of systems, where the uncertainty in the input gain matrix is extreme enough to result in an a priori-unknown control direction. Such a scenario can result when dealing with highly inaccurate dynamic models, unmodeled parameter variations, actuator anomalies, unknown external or internal disturbances, and/or other adversarial operating conditions. To address this challenge, a SMCbased self-reconfigurable control algorithm is presented, which automatically adjusts for unknown control direction via periodic switching between sliding manifolds that ultimately forces the state to a converging manifold. Rigorous mathematical analyses are presented to prove the theoretical results, and simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the three proposed control algorithms.


We develop a multisector model in which capital and labor are free to move across firms within each sector, but cannot move across sectors. To isolate the role of sectoral specificity, we compare our model with otherwise identical multisector economies with either economy-wide or firm-specific factor markets. Sectoral factor specificity generates within-sector strategic substitutability and tends to induce across-sector strategic complementarity in price setting. Our model can produce either more or less monetary non-neutrality than those other two models, depending on parameterization and the distribution of price rigidity across sectors. Under the empirical distribution for the U.S., our model behaves similarly to an economy with firm-specific factors in the short-run, and later on approaches the dynamics of the model with economy-wide factor markets. This is consistent with the idea that factor price equalization might take place gradually over time, so that firm-specificity may serve as a reasonable short-run approximation, whereas economy-wide markets are likely a better description of how factors of production are allocated in the longer run. (Copyright: Elsevier)


This paper analyzes the difficulties of comparing the respective effectiveness of two among the most important liability regimes in tort law: rule of negligence and strict liability. Starting from the standard Shavellian unilateral accident scheme, I show that matching up liability regime on their capacity to provide the highest level of safety is ineffective. This demonstration lies on two components. The first one gathers some results drawn from literature that introduces uncertainty. The second one takes into consideration the beliefs of agents and their aversion to ambiguity. The model applies uncertainty to the level of maximum damage. This demonstration reinforces the previous result. Hence, both regimes apply on specific tort question and comparing their individual efficiency needs to call for other components as the transaction costs associated to the burden of evidence, the fairness between victims and injurers, etc.


This paper discusses the impacts of electric field and physical confinement around the pn-junction on the diffusion constant and carrier lifetime of various pn-junction devices fabricated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. The discussion will introduce the key points leading to a fuller understanding of the physics ruling the steep transfer characteristics of 'zero subthreshold swing and zero impact ionization field-effect transistor (Z2-FET)' fabricated on SOI substrates. First, many past experimental results of silicon-on-insulator lateral, unidirectional, bipolar-type insulated-gate transistors (SOI Lubistor) are introduced to elucidate the current-voltage characteristics of recent insulated-gate silicon-on-insulator (SOI) pn-junction devices. Advanced physics-based models are introduced to understand the physical mechanisms that should be targeted to understand the transfer characteristics of self-aligned gate SOI Luibistor, offset-gate SOI Lubistor, and Z2-FET. By combining theoretical considerations and experimental results, the physics that may determine the operating characteristics of those devices are identified from the impact of electric field and physical confinement around the pn-junction on the carrier diffusion process.


Patient: Female, 58 Final Diagnosis: Anomalous origin of RCA from PA with reversible myocardial ischemia of the inferior wall Symptoms: Chest pain • shortness of breath Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Cardiology Objective: Congenital defects/diseases Background: Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ARCAPA) is a rare congenital anomaly with an incidence of 0.002%. Case Report: A 58-year-old African American female with a history of diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension was evaluated for shortness of breath and chest heaviness. On physical examination, she was found to be morbidly obese. Her blood pressure was 160/90 mmHg. There were no carotid bruits or jugular venous distension. Cardiac auscultation showed distant heart sounds with no audible murmurs. Lower extremity examination showed +1 edema with weak pedal pulses. ECG showed non-specific ST segment and T-wave changes. Echocardiogram demonstrated dysfunction grade I with preserved ejection fraction. An adenosine nuclear study showed an area of reversible ischemia of the inferior wall. Selective left coronary angiography showed the left coronary artery (LCA) originating from the left sinus of Valsalva. From the LCA, the left anterior descending and the left circumflex coronary arteries arose in a typical course. The right coronary artery (RCA) was visualized in a retrograde fashion via collaterals originating from the left coronary system and it drained into the pulmonary artery. On aortic root angiography, the origin of the RCA could not be determined. The patient's surgical risk was deemed unacceptably high and she was not considered a surgical candidate. Her symptoms were controlled conservatively. Conclusions: By reporting this case, we shed some light on a rare congenital anomaly involving the coronary arteries. Variable presentations have been described for ARCAPA, however, many patients remain asymptomatic. Diagnosis can be confirmed by coronary angiography. Surgical correction is the definitive treatment.


This article provides an overview of the Third Sociolinguistics Conference, which was held in Lunteren (The Netherlands) on 8 and 9 March 1999. In particular, attention is focussed on the topics and theories that turned out to play ah important role at this conference. The article begins with a comparison between the contents of the First and Second Sociolinguistics Conferences (1991; 1995) and those of the third conference (1999). The papers presented are classified according to the topics they dealt with. The categories adopted in this overview are those used on earlier occasions by Muysken (1984) to assess developments in sociolinguistic research and by Van Hout, Huls & Verhallen (1992) and Cucchiarini & Huls (1995) in their presentation of the First and Second Sociolinguistics Conferences. Since any classification scheme is likely to be somewhat arbitrary, the same categorisation as in the above-mentioned three papers was used for the sake of comparability.When analysing the content of all the papers presented at the third conference, it appears that four main topics can be distinguished. Two of them are the same as four years ago: 'multilingualism and language contact' and 'pragmatics, interaction and conversation analysis'. Two of them are new: language acquisition and socialisation' and language variation and language change'. The growing interest in the process of language acquisition by members of language minorities in the Netherlands and Flanders, appears to be structural. In 1999, almost half of the contributions are related to this subject. More so than four years ago, the research presented at the conference is embedded in theories or conceptual frameworks. However, they are so diverse that they do not lead to thematic unity. We may perhaps conclude that it is this diversification that gives sociolinguistics its force and vitality


This book, which forms Volume 9 in the series Hart Studies in Private Law, is the product of a seminar on 'Iniuria and the Common Law' which took place on 9-10 September 2011 in All Souls College, Oxford. It was organised by the two editors, Eric Descheemaeker, Lecturer in European Private Law at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Helen Scott, Associate Professor in the Department of Private Law at the University of Cape Town, under the auspices of the Institute of European and Comparative Law, University of Oxford.


This thesis describes an investigation into the vibration serviceability of long-span and slender in-situ concrete floors, which are typically post-tensioned. The motivation for the research is the present trend towards increased slenderness of post-tensioned floors supporting open-plan high- quality offices where vibration serviceability may easily become the governing design criterion. The vibration serviceability issue in post-tensioned floors is now also recognised by the UK Concrete Society which proposed, for the first time, guidelines for performing a vibration serviceability check when designing office floors. The guidelines were published in Concrete Society Technical Report 43 (CSTR43) in 1994 and its publication prompted the initialisation of this research project. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, problems were reported with the reliability and practical application of these guidelines, and, secondly, the guidelines were not experimentally verified which is unusual for any design provision related to vibration serviceability. In order to improve understanding of the dynamic performance of a rather specific group of office floors which are long-span and made of cast in-situ concrete, a combined experimental and analytical approach has been adopted. A state-of-the-art facility comprising hardware and software suitable for field modal testing and dynamic response measurements of prototype floor structures was commissioned as a part of this research. The facility is built up around the instrumented sledge hammer, which served as the main excitation source in modal testing, and multi-degree-of-freedom vibration parameter estimation procedures utilising measured floor frequency response functions. The main testing programme consisted of modal testing of four prototype floor structures of varying complexity weighing between 13 and 1000 tonnes. All four slab structures were slender and made of in-situ concrete. These tests were complemented by measurements of the floors' acceleration responses to a single person walking excitation tuned to create as large as realistically possible responses. The modal testing experimental data (measured natural frequencies, mode shapes and modal damping ratios) were used to validate numerical finite element (FE) models representing each floor structure. To do this, advanced FE model correlation and manual updating procedures were employed. Results of these exercises highlighted a number of important issues related to the dynamic behaviour of the concrete floors investigated. Firstly, the bending stiffness of in-situ concrete columns and walls contributed significantly to overall floor bending stiffness and must be considered. Secondly, higher modes of vibration which are close to the fundamental frequency appear in concrete floors, and should not be neglected as they can be easily excited by walking leading to dynamic responses greater than those associated with the fundamental mode. Thirdly, the width of band beams contributes significantly to the lateral stiffness of post-tensioned floors, which, in turn, may be very beneficial for their vibration serviceability. The validated numerical FE models were then used to check the performance of three representative walking excitation models available in the literature. It was shown that, in general, all three models overestimated the measured response to the third harmonic of the walking excitation, which is particularly important for low-frequency office floors. Only one of the models did so in a way which is not overly conservative. This model is recommended for use in vibration serviceability assessment of post-tensioned floors. Finally, gross oversimplification of these important issues is identified as the principal reason for the failure of the current CSTR43 vibration serviceability guidelines to predict reliably vibration response of a wide range of post-tensioned in-situ cast concrete floors.


The Tang Dynasty (618-907), traditionally regarded as the goldenage of China, was a time of patricians and intellectuals, Buddhist monks and Taoist priests, poetry and music, song and dance. In China's Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty, Charles Benn paints a vivid picture of the lifestyle behind the grandeur of the Tang culture. All aspects of day-to-day life are presented, including crime, entertainment, fashion, marriage, food, hygiene, dwellings, and transportation. Attend an ancient feast to celebrate an imperial birthday, where ale was served in elaborate pitchers before a meal of fourteen hors d'oeuvres and twenty-three courses. Learn which colors concubines used for their eye makeup and beauty marks, and what their jealous wives did to discourage such enhancement. See the similarities between today's pubs and the Tang alehouses, where women were hired to dance and sing to encourage patrons to stay longer and spend more money. Decide for yourself why Yangzhou, a city on the Grand Canal close to the Yangtze River, was considered one of the greatest cities in the Tang Dynasty. Benn translates and paraphrases his classical Chinese sources from the Tang era with fresh and polished prose. He also includes his own illustrations of everything from tools and hairstyles to musical instruments and courtyard dwellings. A history of the rise and fall of the dynasty is presented, as is a look at the societal structure of the aristocracy, bureaucracy, eunuchs, clergy, peasants, artisans, merchants, and slaves. This thorough explanation provides fascinating insight into a culture and time that is often misunderstood by Westerners and brings alive both the everyday routine and the timeless splendor of this intellectually and artistically powerful epoch. Enjoy your journey in China's Golden Age, and come back to the present with a greater understanding of this amazing time.


Arguing from a feminist perspective, this article contends that non-disclosure of HIV status to one's sexual partner should not vitiate consent to sexual activity. In R v Cuerrier, [1998] 2 SCR 371, the Supreme Court of Canada held that non-disclosure of HIV seropositivity to a sexual partner constituted fraud that vitiated consent to the sexual contact when there was a significant risk of bodily harm. The application of Cuerrier in the past 13 years has highlighted the uncertainty created by this test, especially in the face of our increasing medical understanding of HIV transmission. Signalling a pervasive discomfort with Cuerrier, on 8 February 2012, the SCC was called on to reconsider Cuerrier in appeals from R v Mabior, 2010 MBCA 93, and R v DC, 2010 QCCA 2289. Feminist perspectives were notably absent from the submissions of the parties and the many interveners before the SCC, and indeed, it is difficult to map out a single feminist position on the issue. On the one hand, the ground-breaking principle in R v Ewanchuk, [1999] 1 SCR 330, emphasizes the primacy of subjective consent. On the other hand, HIV discrimination and stigma disproportionately impacts disadvantaged groups including aboriginal and new immigrant women. Furthermore, women in relationships of unequal power, such as sex workers and battered spouses, may not be able to safely disclose their seropositivity. In this article, we consider the gendered effect of lying, and how HIV status intersects with the power imbalance at the root of sexual assault. We discuss the tension between the need for women to protect both their medical information and their sexual integrity. Finally, we consider specific contexts in which non-disclosure arises, including bathhouses, marginalized ethnic communities, and prostitution, and the role of stigma in preventing disclosure.


Every year, millions of individuals in the United States become victims of crime. Crime victims have countless needs, while the needs of domestic violence crime victims are even more acute. Over twenty five years ago, the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 ("VOCA") was enacted to address some of the needs of victims of violent crime, including domestic violence victims. VOCA provides federal funding to eligible state Crime Victim Compensation ("CVC") programs. CVC programs are sponsored by the federal and state governments to directly reimburse victims for crime related expenses. Prior to the enactment of CVC programs, crime victims have always had to bear both the emotional and economic consequences of crime alone.The underutilization of CVC funds by domestic violence victims and the barriers to compensation leads one to ponder the true purpose of CVC funds and whether the funds are merely a charitable gift or an obligation to crime victims. An old proverb cautions against looking a gift horse in the mouth, suggesting that it is improper to criticize or examine a gift to assess its value. Instead, the recipient is encouraged to be grateful for the gift without questioning it. CVC funds are an important resource for all crime victims, but they are also similar to a gift horse that requires further examination in the context of domestic violence. This article seeks to identify and explore the barriers preventing domestic violence victims from utilizing crime victim compensation funds. In Part II, I examine the federal Victims of Crime Act ("VOCA") and explain the purpose and history of crime victim compensation funds. Historically, domestic violence victims were considered ineligible for crime victim compensation funds due to fear that the batterer would be unjustly enriched. In response, VOCA expressly includes domestic violence victims as eligible victims for compensation funds. I argue that in spite of the expressed inclusion, domestic violence victims are still underrepresented in applying for compensation funds. In Part III, I consider whether crime victim compensation funds are superfluous for domestic violence victims in light of the availability of other resources including restitution, tort law and private insurance, welfare, and domestic violence shelters. I argue that crime victim compensation funds fulfill a unique need for emergency assistance that is not satisfied by other available resources. In Part IV, I outline potential barriers for receiving crime victim compensation funds including lack of information, and unnecessary eligibility restrictions which conflict with the primary mission of aiding victims.In Part V, I argue that the barriers which prevent domestic violence victims from receiving funds can be overcome by Compensation Boards renewing their commitment to the primary mission of aiding crime victims and dismantling barriers which do not advance that mission. Compensation programs must choose whether the primary goal is to support law enforcement efforts or to aid victims of crime regardless of their willingness to testify. I conclude that focusing on victims and dismantling the barriers will result in an increase in compensation funds for domestic violence victims.


Introduction Patients with neurological disorders may be at an increased risk of fracture via multiple causal pathways, including increases in the risk of falls, changes in bone mineral density and quality of bone microarchitecture. Risk of fracture may be increased by the disease itself, by comorbidities and by their treatment. Concomitant treatment with antidepressants, antipsychotics and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may cause an additional increase of fracture risk in these patients. Therefore, the main objectives of this thesis are to determine the risk of fracture in patients exposed to PPIs, antidepressants and antipsychotic and to determine fracture risk in patients after stroke, in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), myasthenia gravis (MG), muscular dystrophy (MD), Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) and Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Finally, a fracture risk prediction model will be developed for PD patients. Methods The Dutch PHARMO Record Linkage System (RLS) database was used to determine the risk of hip/femur fracture for patients who used PPIs, antidepressants, antipsychotics and those who experienced a stroke. The United Kingdom Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) database was used to determine fracture risks in patients with PD, MG, MD, CMT and GBS. All patients were compared with population-based control patients. Results Current users of PPIs had a 1.2-fold increased risk of hip/femur fracture. Fracture risk attenuated with increasing durations of use. Risk of hip/femur fracture was 2.4-fold increased with current use of selective serotonin reuptake-inhibitor (SSRIs) and 1.8-fold for tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). The risk declined rapidly after discontinuation of antidepressant use. The 1.7-fold increased risk for current antipsychotic users was significantly greater than the 1.3-fold increased risk for past use. A 2.0-fold increased risk of hip/femur fracture was observed in patients who experienced a stroke at any time before their fracture. The risk was highest among patients who sustained a stroke within 3 months after their stroke diagnosis. Risk of any fracture was 1.4-fold increased in MD patients. PD patients had a 1.9-fold increased risk for any fracture and we developed a fracture risk prediction model for PD patients with C-statistics (parameter to test internal validity of the model) of 0.69 for osteoporotic and 0.73 for hip fracture. There was no increased risk observed in patients with MG or GBS for any fracture. For CMT patients risk of non-osteoporotic fracture was 1.5-fold increased, whereas risk of any and osteoporotic fracture did not reach statistical significance. Discussion In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that patients with a diagnosis of the neurological disorders stroke, PD, MD, CMT and patients currently exposed to PPIs, antidepressants and antipsychotics have an increased risk of fracture. Falls and bone fragility are the principle determinants for an increased risk of fracture. Therefore, fall prevention programs to reduce the risk of falls and bisphosphonate use to reduce bone fragility may be recommended in those patients with the neurological disorders stroke, PD, MD and CMT and those patients exposed to antidepressants and antipsychotics. For these patients a specific fracture risk score may facilitate to identify those patients at increased risk of fracture.


Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mood disorders in the world with a life-time prevalence of approximately 17%. MDD is characterized by emotional and cognitive disturbances, and is accompanied by volumetric changes of neural areas that likely arise from disturbed forms of neuroplasticity. The hippocampus has received a wealth of attention in MDD-related research not only because it is a prominent area to study forms of neuroplasticity, but also because it is engaged in cognitive as well as in emotional functions. In addition, the hippocampus displays a volumetric decrease in MDD. While it has been shown that stress associated with the development of MDD modulates forms of synaptic plasticity, investigations into the molecular correlates of these plastic changes are negligible. The present work investigates the immunolocalization and concentration of synaptic proteins involved in synaptic plasticity in the learned helpless model of depression. By means of immunogold electron microscopy, the relative concentration of the synaptic proteins syntaxin1, the NMDA receptor subunit NR2B, and Arc were examined in different region of the synapse. The synaptic regions of interest were the active zone, the postsynaptic density (PSD), and the presynaptic and postsynaptic cytoplasm in Schaffer collateral synapses of hippocampal area CA1. Comparing the learned helpless group to the wild-type group, I found a higher concentration of NR2B in the postsynaptic cytoplasm and in the PSD, as well as a higher concentration of Arc in the PSD of the learned helpless group. By contrasting the non-learned helpless group to the wild-type group, I found a lower concentration of syntaxin1 in both the presynaptic cytoplasm and in the PSD, as well as a greater concentration of NR2B in the postsynaptic cytoplasm and in the PSD in the non-learned helpless group. In addition, the learned helpless group displayed a higher concentration of syntaxin1 in the pre- and postsynaptic cytoplasm compared to the non-learned helpless group. The altered relative concentrations of these proteins are probably related to changes in synaptic plasticity in the learned helpless model of depression. One may speculate that the changed relative concentrations of the synaptic proteins contribute to the behavioral changes in the learned helpless model, and hence may be related to the pathology of MDD.


The NASA STI Program Office... in ProfileSince its founding, NASA has been dedicated to theadvancement of aeronautics and space science. TheNASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI)Program Office plays a key part in helping NASAmaintain this important role.The NASA STI Program Office is operated byLangley Research Center, the Lead Center forNASA's scientific and technical information. TheNASA STI Program Office provides access to theNASA STI Database, the largest collection ofaeronautical and space science STI in the world.The Program Office is also NASA's institutionalmechanism for disseminating the results of itsresearch and development activities. These resultsare published by NASA in the NASA STI ReportSeries, which includes the following report types:TECHNICAL PUBLICATION. Reports ofcompleted research or a major significant phaseof research that present the results of NASAprograms and include extensive data or theoreti-cal analysis. Includes compilations of significantscientific and technical data and informationdeemed to be of continuing reference value.NASA's counterpart of peer-reviewed formalprofessional papers but has less stringentlimitations on manuscript length and extentof graphic presentations.• TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM. Scientific andtechnical findings that are preliminary or ofspecialized interest, e.g., quick release reports,working papers, and bibliographies that containminimal annotation. Does not contain extensiveanalysis.• CONTRACTOR REPORT. Scientific andtechnical findings by NASA-sponsoredcontractors and grantees.• CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collectedpapers from scientific and technical confer-ences, symposia, seminhrs, or other meetingssponsored or cosponsored by NASA.SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientific, technical,or historical information from NASA programs,projects, and missions, often concerned withsubjects having substantial public interest.TECHNICAL TRANSLATION. English-language translations of foreign scientific andtechnical material pertinent to NASA's mission.Specialized services that complement the STIProgram Office's diverse offerings include creatingcustom thesauri, building customized databases,organizing and publishing research results.., evenproviding videos.For more information about the NASA STIProgram Office, see the following:• Access the NASA STI Program Home Page athttp ://wwu: sti. nasa. gov• E-mail your question via the Internet email@example.com• Fax your question to the NASA Access HelpDesk at (301) 621-0134• Telephone the NASA Access Help Desk at(301) 621-0390Write to:NASA Access Help DeskNASA Center for AeroSpace Information7121 Standard DriveHanover, MD 21076- i320


LONGITUDINAL PATTERNS IN STREAM CHANNEL GEOMORPHOLOGY AND AQUATIC HABITAT IN THE LUQUILLO MOUNTAINS OF PUERTO RICO Andrew S. Pike Frederick N. Scatena The hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological dynamics of tropical montane streams are poorly understood in comparison to many temperate and/or alluvial rivers. Yet as the threat to tropical freshwater environments increases, information on the dynamics of relatively pristine streams is important for understanding landscape evolution, managing and conserving natural resources, and implementing stream restoration. This dissertation characterizes the geomorphology and hydrology of five adjacent watersheds draining the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) in northeastern Puerto Rico, and discusses implications on aquatic habitat. I performed several interrelated studies, including: 1) formulating a geographic information systems (GIS) framework to estimate hydrologic parameters from topographic information and hydrologic records, 2) developing a method to determine active stream channel boundaries ("bankfull" stage) that allows for comparison of channel geometry on the basis of flow-frequency, 3) decoupling the relative influences of lithologic and hydraulic controls on channel morphology using an extensive field-based stream survey and analysis of stream profiles, channel geometry, and sediment dynamics, 4) linking networkand pool-scale geofluvial dynamics to the abundance of migratory fish and iv shrimp through a collaborative analysis combining geomorphic surveys and aquatic faunal sampling. This research indicates that these streams have some properties resembling both temperate montane and alluvial rivers. Similar to low-gradient rivers where floodplains mark channel boundaries, the active channel stage in these streams is defined by the incipient presence of woody vegetation and soil development. Systematic basin-scale geomorphic patterns are well-developed despite apparent non-fluvial and lithologic control on local channel morphology. This implies that strong fluvial forces are sufficient to override channel boundary resistance; a feature common in self-forming "threshold" alluvial channels. Migratory aquatic fauna abundances are influenced by a variety of geomorphic factors such as barrier waterfalls and suitable headwater habitat, and are consequently highly variable and patchy. These results stand in contrast to the notion that aquatic communities mirror systematic geomorphic gradients, but rather acknowledges the influences of multiscale geomorphic processes. Ultimately, this research provides baseline information on physical and biological processes in relatively unaltered tropical streams and can be used to inform further studies that document human interactions with stream networks.


Purpose: Integrated care requires solutions that cannot be delivered without addressing the underlying multidisciplinary problems. Yet with a few notable exceptions, there is a lack of coordination between disciplines, to effectively integrate knowledge. The main aim of this special section is to provide a platform that explicitly coordinates and curates multidisciplinary research aimed at providing a shared understanding and knowledge base that directly addresses the fragmentation in this field, with an explicit focus on the role of Marketing as a key but often neglected partner. We identify four big challenges (Self, Society, Micro Systems and Macro Systems) to which Marketing can contribute, illustrating these potential contributions through the articles and accompanying practitioner commentaries of this special section. Methodology: Ferguson demonstrates how reflexive introspection can be used, beyond its therapeutic benefits, to bring a deeper understanding of the meaning of illness and treatments from a patient's perspective. Orazi and Newton establish experimentally the positive impact of collaborative sources on health messaging receptivity. Taiminen, Saramieni and Parkinson survey physicians to evaluate acceptance of/barriers to incorporating digital self-services into overall care delivery. Cruz, Snuggs and Tsarenko utilise interviews to understand the patient's negotiation of the service labyrinth and fragmentation. Findings: We demonstrate the scope and flexibility of marketing theories and methods and how these can be applied to the four main challenges of integrated care: Self; Society; Micro Systems; Macro Systems. Research Implications: We identify directions for future research as a means of stimulating fruitful multidisciplinary partnerships in the four key challenge areas. It is only by collaborating across disciplines that we can really develop and provide insights that inform policy, practitioners, society and consumers on how to future-proof our care services. Originality/Value: In addition to publishing new research, this special section directly encourages multidisciplinary collaboration between marketing, as a neglected partner, and health/social care disciplines by showcasing the theories and methods that can be used to address our identified four key challenges to integrated care. In a novel approach, practitioner commentaries evaluate the value of each study, placing them in the wider integrated care context and hence pointing out further directions for development.


This research focuses on the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, which came
into force in January of 2013. The Act appears to challenge the traditional perception of value and proposes to one that encompasses social, environmental and economic benefits to the communities these businesses operate. The Act has received some criticisms for being a soft touch as it essentially asks commissioners to 'consider' embedding the Act when making their procurement decisions and this flexibility has been attributed to the lack of its uptake by some Local Authorities. However anecdotal evidence suggests that some of these issues are stemming from strategic and operational processes with regards to how it is implemented in everyday practices. Therefore, this research seeks to investigate how the Social Value Act
(2012) has been embedded into the strategic, operational and technical aspects of public sector construction projects. An explanatory case study approach, consisting of three case studies, specifically focusing on the Act's applicability within a construction context, was used in this research. Facts and perceptions were collected from Local Authority policy documents and from senior managers representing four Local Authorities. Furthermore, a contractor's perspective was also obtained from a specialist Social Value delivery consultant associated with one of the selected Local Authorities. Findings show that Local Authorities at the heart of this Act have welcomed the way in which it is not prescriptive. The flexibility of the Act was perceived to be an incentive and allows them to use the Act not just for procurement but other Local Authority functions. However, the Act is still surrounded by confusion with regard to specifications on delivery and this could be attributed to the lack of clarity on measuring Social Value outcomes.


A modular, cascadable, and self-controlled optical queue buffer is proposed, which can solve the packet contention at a 2 × 1 optical node. Controlled by incoming optical packets, the buffer can realize first-in-first-out queue buffering without the necessity of external control signals. By using optical threshold functions and wavelength converters based on semiconductor optical amplifier, the push and pop operations of packets on queue can both be achieved. In addition, preliminary experiment is carried out.


I examine trends in universities and continuing education in Canada from the standpoint of a nonmainstream student, and consider how students are defined in this context. I draw from standpoint, postmodern, and critical theories to understand the social construction of knowledge and identity. I develop a praxis model to expose hidden assumptions and dichotomies evident in literature relating to educational policy and pedagogical theory and practice. -- Many universities state a commitment to provide lifelong learning and community outreach. The efforts of adult educators and continuing education departments can be hampered by institutional assumptions that continuing education is inherently second best to mainstream programmes. Continuing education departments are now asked to become more efficient and profitable by designing programmes to make university education more relevant to labour market demands. I argue that this corporate agenda will have a negative effect on the quality of education nonmainstream students receive, and on the university's role in sustainable community development. -- Critical and feminist pedagogies propose an education that is empowering at both the individual and collective levels. While I challenge some assumptions in these models, they offer the best hope to develop the critical ability of people to engage in social transformation at the local and global levels.


Macau's gambling has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of more than 23% in the past 30 years. The growth was especially phenomenal in the last two years, with the growth rate of 58% and 42% respectively. The question is what will the future of Macau's gambling industry be? Can the growth of the past be repeated in the future? This research will make a scenario analysis of the development of Macau's gambling industry by studying the characteristics and changes of the visitors to Macau, the characteristics of the high rollers, and the future visitors' propensity to gamble. The research finds that two opposite forces determine the future growth of Macau's gambling industry: the upward forces and downward forces. The upward forces will drive the fast growth of Macau's gambling industry. These forces include the increasing supply of visitors from the cities or provinces other than Hong Kong or Guangdong, and the increasing disposable income of the China's population. The downward forces will slow down the growth of the industry. The downward forces include the adaptation effect and the learning effect of the gamblers, and the lower interest for gambling of the younger generation. In the short term, the upward forces will dominate the market, while in the intermediate term and the long term, the downward forces will be more powerful. The study is helpful for understanding the general trends of the casino industry in Macau as well as the casino industry in the world as a whole.


A study was conducted at the Cross River Basin flood plain located at Itu, during the early and late planting seasons of 2015 to assess the effects of fertilizer levels on growth and yield attributes of three dwarf corn varieties. Treatments consisted of four fertilizer levels (0, 200kg/ha, 300kgha and 400kg/ha) and three varieties of dwarf corn [Early sungrow hybrid (88544), Burpees triple crown AP white (88543), and Bi licious hybrid (89092)] and were laid in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Results showed significant different (≤0.05) in establishment percentage at early and late planting among the corn varieties but no significant effect on all other growth parameters studied. The 300kg/ha fertilizer rate produced tallest plants(15.17cm, 16.61cm and 43.45cm, 47.17cm) at 3 and 5WAP and highest number of leaves (4.69, 4.59) at 3WAP while 400kg/ha produced highest length of internode (2.73cm, 2.5cm and 6.79 cm, 7.14cm).The Cob length and number of seeds per Cob were significant in both seasons (p≤0.05%) with 400kg/ha fertilizer level producing highest number of seeds per Cob .Among the sweet corn varieties, white corn produced h longest cobs (18.00cm and 20.50cm), largest cob circumference (19.50cm and 18.58cm), and number of seed per cobs (306.60seeds and 410.00seeds) when treated with 400kg/ha NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer. The study revealed that 400kg/ha fertilizer level produced the highest grain yield compared with others in yield and some growth parameters, while 0 kg/ha competed fairly with 200kg/Ha, 300kg/Ha and 400kg/Ha.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common, insidious motor-neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta. In ancient Indian medical system of Ayurveda, the same pathology was documented as Kampavata, where, 'Kampa' refers to the 'shaking' or 'tremors' and 'Vata' stands for disease. PD affects the global population regardless race, clan, cast or socioeconomic barrier, with a prevalence rate of (0.3-0.8) %. More than 1 million people above the age of 60 years are affected by PD in USA alone. PD is associated with various risk factors including aging, genetic involvement and environmental neurotoxin exposure. Studies have shown that, experimental models are capable to recapitulate most of the PD symptoms, which showed imbalance in striatal neurochemistry of brain and alterations in neuroinflammatory markers, oxidative stress, neurotrophic factors and mitochondrial dysfunction. In the present review, we have accumulated all the recent updates on PD and provided a brief discussion on the toxin-induced animal models of PD.


Frederick William Danker, a world-renowned scholar of "New Testament Greek", is widely acclaimed for his 2000 revision of Walter Bauer's "Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature". With more than a quarter of a million copies in print, it is considered the finest dictionary of its kind. Danker's "Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament" will prove to be similarly invaluable to ministers, seminarians, translators, and students of biblical Greek. Unlike other lexica of the "Greek New Testament", which give only brief glosses for headwords, "The Concise Greek-English Lexicon" offers extended definitions or explanations in idiomatic English for all Greek terms. An overarching aim of "The Concise Greek-English Lexicon" is to assist the reader in recognizing the broader linguistic and cultural contexts for New Testament usage of words. Each entry includes basic etymological information, short renderings, information on usage, and plentiful biblical references. And Greek terms that could have different English definitions, depending on context, are thoughtfully keyed to the appropriate passages. "The Concise Greek-English Lexicon" retains all the acclaimed features of "A Greek-English Lexicon" in a succinct and affordable handbook, perfect for specialists and nonspecialists alike.


Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) is one of the most harmful diseases of the Rosaceae fruit trees. At the moment fire blight is absent in Estonia. This condition is proved by three years of monitoring surveys by taking and analysing 933 samples. The present article studies the possibility and danger of appearance of this bacterial disease in Estonia. General influence for fire blight are climatic conditions, and key factors for appearance of the disease are temperature and humidity during the flowering season of its host plants. Climatic conditions of 35 years (1966-2000) from two meteorological stations - inland Voru and coastal Laane-Nigula were analysed. It became obvious that a possibility of appearance of fire blight in Estonia has been present most of the years studied. If fire blight already actively existed in an area, possibility of infection would be high in both the meteorological stations. Danger of fire blight infection has existed in Estonia most years. Therefore it is necessary to protect the territory of Estonia with special regulations. This can be made possible by establishing a fire blight pest free area, or, in case Estonia joins the European Community, a fire blight protected zone in the whole territory of Estonia.


STUDY OBJECTIVE
To determine the diagnostic usefulness of percutaneous liver biopsy in evaluating patients with chronically elevated liver-associated enzymes.

DESIGN
Comparison of diagnosis made before biopsy by one physician on the basis of a noninvasive work-up (history, physical examination, laboratory values, and imaging studies) and final diagnosis made after biopsy by a second physician formulated after review of all available noninvasive information and study of the biopsy specimen.

SETTING
Referral-based gastroenterology clinic at a U.S. Navy medical center.

PATIENTS
Sequential sample of 107 patients with elevated liver-associated enzymes for a minimum of 3 months. Ninety patients were eligible for study.

INTERVENTIONS
The final diagnosis made by the second physician blinded to the first clinician's diagnosis served as the criterion standard.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Four diagnostic groups were selected for analysis: Alcoholic liver disease, fatty liver, chronic necroinflammatory diseases, and miscellaneous. The positive predictive value of the prebiopsy diagnosis ranged from 88% (CI, 75% to 100%) for alcoholic liver disease to 56% (CI, 37% to 75%) for fatty liver. Higher elevations of transaminase values (greater than three times the upper limit of normal) correlated positively with increased prebiopsy diagnostic accuracy. Fatty liver was present in 19% of the cohort. Liver diseases requiring specific therapy other than alcohol abstinence were overlooked and diagnosed only after review of the biopsy in five cases. Conversely, four cases of liver disease, thought to require specific therapy on the basis of noninvasive work-up, were ruled out by biopsy.

CONCLUSION
The cause of chronic liver disease is best elucidated when the noninvasive work-up is complemented by review of a biopsy specimen.


Background Occupational standing is associated with low back pain (LBP) development. Yet, trunk and gluteus-medius muscles' fatigability has not been extensively studied during occupational standing. This study examined and correlated the rectus abdominus (RA), erector-spinae (ES), external oblique (EO), and gluteus-medius (GM) muscles' fatigability on both sides while standing in a confined area for 30 min. Methods Median frequency EMG data were collected from 15 female clinical instructors with chronic LBP (group A) and 15 asymptomatic controls (group B) (mean age 29.53±2.4 vs 29.07±2.4 years, weight 63.6±7 vs 60±7.8kg, and height 162.73±4 vs 162.8±6 cm respectively) using a spectrum analysis program. Data were collected in the first and last 5 min of the standing task. Results Using Mixed three-way ANOVA, groupA showed significantly (p<0.05) lower frequencies for the right and left ES, and right GM in the last 5min and significantly higher frequencies for the left RA in the first and last 5min than group B. In addition, the left ES and right EO, ES and GM in group B showed significantly higher frequencies and the left ES in groupA showed significantly lower frequencies in the last 5 min compared with the first. Moreover, the right RA showed significantly higher frequencies than the left in the last 5 min in groupB. Finally, there were significant (p<0.05) correlations among the median frequencies of the tested four muscles on the same side and between both sides in both groups. Discussion/Conclusions Clinical instructors with LBP are more liable to have higher trunk and gluteus-medius muscle fatigue than asymptomatic individuals. Thus, endurance training for these muscles should be included in the rehabilitation of such patients.


Within the remote sensing domain, a diverse set of acquisition modalities exist, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Yet, most of the current literature and open datasets only deal with electro-optical (optical) data for different detection and segmentation tasks at high spatial resolutions. optical data is often the preferred choice for geospatial applications, but requires clear skies and little cloud cover to work well. Conversely, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors have the unique capability to penetrate clouds and collect during all weather, day and night conditions. Consequently, SAR data are particularly valuable in the quest to aid disaster response, when weather and cloud cover can obstruct traditional optical sensors. De-spite all of these advantages, there is little open data available to researchers to explore the effectiveness of SAR for such applications, particularly at very-high spatial resolutions, i.e. < 1m Ground Sample Distance (GSD).To address this problem, we present an open Multi-Sensor All Weather Mapping (MSAW) dataset and challenge, which features two collection modalities (both SAR and optical). The dataset and challenge focus on mapping and building footprint extraction using a combination of these data sources. MSAW covers 120km2 over multiple overlapping collects and is annotated with over 48, 000 unique building footprints labels, enabling the creation and evaluation of mapping algorithms for multi-modal data. We present a baseline and benchmark for building footprint extraction with SAR data and find that state-of-the-art segmentation models pre-trained on optical data, and then trained on SAR (F1 score of 0.21) outperform those trained on SAR data alone (F1 score of 0.135).


Although the secretion of growth hormone (GH) is widely accepted as being increased in diabetes mellitus, this conclusion appeared to us to be the result of bias in case selection. Newly diagnosed and hospitalized diabetics cannot be assumed as representative of the clinically stable diabetic state. In view of the postulated importance of growth hormone to the vascular complications of diabetes, we re-examined this problem in 58 clinically stable diabetics and 38 age-matched controls. GH was measured in serum samples collected hourly during a 24-h period of normal activity. Control and clinically stable diabetic subjects of normal weight had similar mean serum GH concentrations for 24 h. In subjects of normal weight, values were 4.4 ± 0.6 ng/ml for women of the control group and 4.0 ± 0.8 ng/ml for diabetic women (P = NS) and values in men were 2.4 ± 0.3 ng/ml in controls and 2.1 ± 0.3 ng/ml in diabetic men (P = NS). Obese controls and obese diabetics had similar, but significantly lower values than nonobese subjects. When hyperglycemia (125 mg to 175 mg/dl) was induced in 12 control subjects for 24 h, glycemia was obtained comparable to that seen in a select group of nine diabetics. Mean serum concentrations of GH were significantly less in the glucose-infused controls than in both euglycemic controls and diabetics. These data do not support an absolute increase of circulating GH in stable diabetics; GH levels appear to be normal in this group but inappropriate for the level Of glycemia.


Identifying dialogue acts and dialogue modes during tutorial interactions is an extremely crucial sub-step in understanding patterns of effective tutor-tutee interactions. In this work, we develop a novel joint inference method that labels each utterance in a tutoring dialogue session with a dialogue act and a specific mode from a set of pre-defined dialogue acts and modes, respectively. Specifically, we develop our joint model using Markov Logic Networks (MLNs), a framework that combines first-order logic with probabilities, and is thus capable of representing complex, uncertain knowledge. We define first-order formulas in our MLN that encode the inter-dependencies between dialogue modes and more fine-grained dialogue actions. We then use a joint inference to jointly label the modes as well as the dialogue acts in an utterance. We compare our system against a pipeline system based on SVMs on a real-world dataset with tutoring sessions of over 500 students. Our results show that the joint inference system is far more effective than the pipeline system in mode detection, and improves over the performance of the pipeline system by about 6 points in F1 score. The joint inference system also performs much better than the pipeline system in the context of labeling modes that highlight important pedagogical steps in tutoring.


Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a chronic pain syndrome in the lower back region, lasting for at least 3 months. CLBP represents the second leading cause of disability worldwide being a major welfare and economic problem. The prevalence of CLBP in adults has increased more than 100% in the last decade and continues to increase dramatically in the aging population, affecting both men and women in all ethnic groups, with a significant impact on functional capacity and occupational activities. It can also be influenced by psychological factors, such as stress, depression and/or anxiety. Given this complexity, the diagnostic evaluation of patients with CLBP can be very challenging and requires complex clinical decision-making. Answering the question "what is the pain generator" among the several structures potentially involved in CLBP is a key factor in the management of these patients, since a mis-diagnosis can generate therapeutical mistakes. Traditionally, the notion that the etiology of 80% to 90% of LBP cases is unknown has been mistaken perpetuated across decades. In most cases, low back pain can be attributed to specific pain generator, with its own characteristics and with different therapeutical opportunity. Here we discuss about radicular pain, facet Joint pain, sacro-iliac pain, pain related to lumbar stenosis, discogenic pain. Our article aims to offer to the clinicians a simple guidance to identify pain generators in a safer and faster way, relying a correct diagnosis and further therapeutical approach.


Headshaking is a general term for a syndrome of behaviours that are exhibited by some horses when they are exercised. These include sudden, intermittent shaking of the head, excessive snorting and attempts to rub the nose. Examination by the veterinary surgeon is often inconclusive (Lane and Mair 1987) although such horses may become unrideable and, if severely affected, destroyed. Advances in our understanding of the causes of the syndrome have been hampered by the absence of effective treatments and a preponderance of case reports over controlled, epidemiological studies. In this thesis, a range of epidemiological techniques were employed to answer questions relating to the presentation, aetiology and treatment of the syndrome. A case-control survey of 83 headshakers found no evidence to suggest that aspects of the management of the horse were significant, general risk factors. Inferences from the reports of 200 horse owners regarding the presentation of the syndrome, the intermittency of its appearance and association with trigger factors supported a proximate aetiology of nasal irritation. A field trial of a bitless bridle and a light-limiting facemask suggested that the presence of the bit or light alone are not significant triggers for British headshakers. This is in contrast to reports from the USA, which, in the absence of evidence of any difference in presentation of the syndrome, suggests that headshaking syndrome is the final common pathway for irritation caused by a number of different factors. An appropriate methodology for the assessment of the efficacy of alternative and complementary therapies for headshaking was described using the principles of clinical trials. The use of the horse-owner as the assessor of change in the headshaking signs was supported by a demonstration of the consistency of their reports. Two doubleblinded, placebo-controlled cross-over trials, conducted according to the methodology, reported no evidence of any specific effect of an herbal supplement or a magnatherapy headcollar. However, significant improvement was reported in the horses under both placebo and verum conditions. This supports the assertion that control for the nonspecific effects of treatment by placebo is essential if progress is to be made in understanding the aetiology and treatment of headshaking.


Abstract Pocilloporid corals dominated shallow-water environments in the Caribbean during much of the Cenozoic; however, the regional diversity of this family declined over the last 15 My, culminating with the extinction of its final member, Pocillopora palmata, during the latest Pleistocene. Here we present a new record of P. palmata from Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys and infer its likely age. Although most existing records of P. palmata are from the sub-aerial reef deposits of MIS5e (~ 125 ka), the presently submerged reef in the Dry Tortugas was too deep (> 18 m) during this period to support significant reef growth. In contrast, the maximum water depth during MIS5a (~ 82 ka) was only ~ 5.6 m, which would have been ideal for P. palmata. Diagenetic alteration prevented direct dating of the samples; however, the similarity between the depths of the Pleistocene bedrock in the Dry Tortugas and other reefs in the Florida Keys, which have been previously dated to MIS5a, support the conclusion that P. palmata likely grew in the Dry Tortugas during this period. Our study provides important new information on the history of P. palmata, but it also highlights the vital need for more comprehensive studies of the Quaternary history of Caribbean reef development. With modern reef degradation already driving yet another restructuring of Caribbean coral assemblages, insights from past extinctions may prove critical in determining the prognosis of Caribbean reefs in the future.


This article develops a system for subjecting the income of all private enterprises to a single layer of tax. This new system distinguishes simple private enterprises from complex private enterprises, rather than discriminating among different state law forms. The article proposes that Subchapter K should cease to accommodate complex economic arrangements. If these arrangements were denied access to Subchapter K, many intricate rules designed to impede tax avoidance efforts could be eliminated. The resulting simplified version of Subchapter K could be melded with Subchapter S and thereby dramatically simplify the taxation of all non-publicly traded enterprises. The new owner-level tax regime would apply to all simple private enterprises regardless of legal form. As to complex private enterprises, the tax law should refrain from engaging in the contortions required to sustain a system that refrains from taxing the enterprise. Instead, a tax should be imposed on the business entity when income is earned. No additional tax should be imposed on the owners when distributions occur. The new entity-level tax should apply to all complex private enterprises regardless of legal form.


This paper aims at the discussion of opportunities and challenges of using specific construction sub-problems as active parameters in the physical construction of digital parametric design models. To create an overview, a taxonomy of sub-problems for construction is introduced. By using prototypes as a physical interface for the digital model, the different sub-problems become an integrated part of the digital design process. By a reflective process the digital model is informed by the material parameters gradually. A case study is presented to discuss two different implementation strategies. The students acting in this study are presented with a combination of five sub-problems. Starting with these sub-problems, the student design a product digitally. By a reflective process, the object is materialized digitally and built physically.


Singlish, Singapore's brand of colloquial English, is accepted by some as an essential marker ofSingaporean identity but deplored by others as a variety of English that puts Singapore and Singaporeans at adisadvantage because of its lack of international intelligibility. For this reason, it has been argued thatSingaporeans cannot afford to maintain Singlish as a viable linguistic resource. A campaign known as the"Speak Good English Movement" was established in 2000 to counter the ill effects of Singlishthrough the promotion of Standard English. This paper addresses the Singlish-Standard (Singaporean) Englishdebate in terms of discourse resources and the politics of language planning in Singapore. It may be true thatSinglish is not the most internationally intelligible of Englishes, but what is more interesting is the considerabledisparity between the official concern over international intelligibility and the reality of life in Singapore,especially for the Singlish speaker. Such a disparity suggests differing notions of what constitutes an importantlinguistic resource for the nation as a whole and for specific speech communities. On another level, it providesinsights into the politics of language management in Singapore. The Singlish-Standard English debate alsoprovides clear evidence of struggles over the determination of the choice of a preferred variety of English andthe control over linguistic resources. Through an examination of media reports, official statements, and lettersto local newspapers, the author considers the implications of this debate for Singaporeans (especially Singlishspeakers) and their participation within the society. In the process, the author also examines the powerrelations that are intertwined in this debate for determining the ideal Singaporean society.


Litter, 'a magazine of poetry, visual art, essays and reviews', has been running since January 2005. This outcome is an example of Hall's visual poems, particularly those that take the form of 'very brief essays'. These are often prompted by the gift of a small frame, in this case from the poet Lee Harwood. The frame (122 x 173 mms) is of enamelled metal with Chinese ideograms in relief. An enquiry directed to the sinologist and 'programmatologist', John Cayley, provided the explanation that is quoted in the second sub-frame. When relayed back to Lee Harwood this explanation prompted a card that contained the handwritten text in the third sub-frame. This exchange was part of an ongoing discussion about forms and modes of knowledge – what it is that an artwork can be said to know. The fourth sub-frame quotes from the Preface to Gilles Deleuze's 'Difference and Repetition' (London: The Athlone Press, 1994; p. xx1). The four treatments were then placed in a composition both linear and symmetrical, reframed in a simple wooden frame with four apertures, and made as a gift back to the initial giver. In play is the category of gift as discussed by Marcel Mauss. Also in play is a related enquiry into an interplay of gift and image in the dynamics of domestic space: the notion that domestic images maintain familiar propositions about these spaces which they 'perform' within them. These ideas are touched on in 'Time-play-space' and were the topic of a contribution by Hall to the fourth Partly Writing Colloquium, held in Bury in June 2005.


Targeted audiences do not always comprehend HIV / AIDS visual campaigns that are meant to educate and inform, and thus such campaigns do not result in a positive change in behaviour and attitude. This is possibly ascribable to the inappropriate use of graphic imagery and other visual elements in many such campaigns. Even though the cost of the ineffective use of graphic images in information and awareness might be difficult to calculate - especially with regard to health-related problems in which lives are involved, - the effectiveness of any visual health-communication material in terms of meaningful learning, comprehension or retention can nevertheless be determined by means of post-testing.
In this study, the comprehension of the loveLife outdoor campaign material was thus post-tested amongst 301 subjects from five high schools in both urban and rural areas. The study set out to determine the subjects' comprehension of both the messages and the graphic imagery and evaluated the material for self-efficacy. The results indicate that suitable graphic imagery fosters message comprehension, that inappropriate imagery inhibits comprehension, and that realistic and appropriate imagery is preferred to abstract and representational imagery. In addition, it was found that familiar images are a vehicle towards improved comprehension of HIV / AIDS messages.


The assessment of the soil resource of any region has two parts, namely, an inventory of the kinds of soil and their distribution, and knowledge of the way each kind can be used and its performance under a range of circumstances. Soil varies substantially and intricately over short distances in most parts of the world. Inventory by field survey and air–photo interpretation must be done at a local scale. Inventories may be combined so that an individual nation state or region of similar size can know what kinds of soil it has, how much and where they are, how much each can produce, how to manage each in perpetuity, and the risks of degradation in use. Local classifications, with classes defined simply and identifiably on aerial photographs, will serve for mapping, and in combination with classical statistics can provide sound estimates from stratified sampling and agronomic experimentation. Sound assessment should also be at this local scale initially. This should combine fundamental understanding of the soil9s behaviour, strategic agronomic research on regional stations, and on–farm trials. The last are crucial for estimating productivity of the soil in practice. Data from all sources can be stored, sorted and displayed by geographic information systems that now have abundant capacity. They should be indexed by soil class and other attributes, with clear distinction being made between assessments of productive potential and basic data. They should be publicly accessible, to ensure that data are readily available and never lost. Estimates of the soil resource and its productivity for large regions, nation states, and the world can be compiled from local surveys by sampling through a 'bottom–up' procedure.


Natural organic matter (NOM) is a highly active component of soils and sediments, and plays an important role in global C cycling. However, NOM has defied molecular-level structural characterization, owing to variations along the decomposition continuum and its existence as highly functionalized polyelectrolytes. We conducted a comprehensive systematic overview of spectral signatures and peak positions of major organic molecules that occur as part of NOM using near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The spectra of carbohydrates and amino sugars show resonances between 289.10 and 289.59 eV, attributed to 1s-3p/σ * transitions of O-alkyl (C-OH) moieties. They also exhibited distinct peaks between 288.42 and 288.74 eV, representing C 1σ―π * C=O transition from COOH functionalities. Amino acids produced a strong signal around 288.70 eV, which can be identified as a C 1s―π * C=O transition of carboxyl/carbonyl (COOH/ COO-) structures. Spectral features near 285.29 eV were ascribed to C 1s―π * C=O transition of ring structure of aromatic amino acids, while spectra between 287.14 and 287.86 eV were attributed to C 1s―π * C-H and C 1s―π * C-H/ 3 p Rydberg-like excitations from CH and CH 2 groups. Phenols and benzoquinone produced strong resonances between 285.08 and 285.37 eV, attributed to the π * orbital of C (C 1s―π * C=C ) atoms connected to either C or H (C―H) in the aromatic ring. The next higher excitation common to both phenols and quinone appeared between 286.05 and 286.35 eV, and could be associated with C 1s―π * C=C transitions of aromatic C bonded to O atom in phenols, and to C 1s―π * C=O transitions from aromatic C connected to O atom (C-OH) in phenols or to a C=O in p-benzoquinone and some phenols with carbonyl structures, respectively. Nucleobases exhibited complex spectral features with pronounced resonances between 286.02 and 286.84 eV and between 288.01 and 288.70 eV. Molecular markers for black C (benzenecarboxylic acid and biphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid) exhibit sharp absorption bands between 285.01 and at 285.43 eV, possibly from C 1s―π * C=C transition characteristic of C-H sites or unsaturated C (C=C) on aromatic ring structures. These aromatic carboxylic acids also exhibit broad peaks between 288.35 and 288.48 eV, reflecting C 1s―π * C=O transition of carboxyl functional groups bonded to unsaturated C. This investigation provides a more comprehensive NEXAFS spectral library ofbiogeochemically relevant organic C compounds. The spectra of these reference organic compounds reveal distinct spectral features and peak positions at the C K-edge that are characteristic of the molecular orbitals bonding C atoms. Detailed structural information can be derived from these distinctive spectral features that could be used to build robust peak assignment criteria to exploit the chemical sensitivity of NEXAFS spectroscopy for in situ molecular-level spatial investigation and fingerprinting of complex organic C compounds in environmental samples.


The plethora of inquiry reports published in the fields of health and welfare in the 1990s covered the full range of user groups, individuals and institutions. What similarities or differences were there between these inquiries? How effective were they in bringing about change? Whose interest did they best serve? These are some of the questions The Age of the Inquiry explores in detail, bringing together distinguished contributors with personal experience of chairing or providing evidence to inquiries to consider: the participant's view of inquiries the purpose of inquiries; the impact of inquiries on health and social policy; inquiries into: child abuse and death; homicides by mental health service users; the abuse of adults with; learning disabilities; the abuse of older people. Wide-ranging in scope, The Age of the Inquiry focuses on service and policy development. It provides an invaluable text for students, teachers and professionals from a wide range of disciplines and professional groups.


Goldfish Carassius auratus has been widely introduced across the globe and feral populations are known to have considerable ecological impacts within the receiving environments. Despite centuries of domestication and its current widespread distribution, there is a dearth of information on the spatial and temporal movement patterns of this species, which limits the understanding of the impacts of introduced populations and hampers the development of effective control measures. The current study examined the movement patterns of an introduced population of C. auratus in a regulated south-western Australian river using passive acoustic telemetry. The species had a high residency index within the array (mean 0.64 ±0.06 S.E.). Mobility was high, with the mean minimum distance travelled within the array for individuals over the study period equalling 81.5 rkm (linear river kilometres, which was the sum of the distances of all movements between receivers and an underestimation of actual distances travelled); with one fish moving 231.3 km (including 5.4 km in a 24 hour period). Importantly, C. auratus displayed notable seasonal movement patterns including a clear shift to certain habitats during its breeding period; with most individuals being detected in an off channel wetland during that time. The results of this study have considerable implications for developing control programs for the species, such as targeting connections to off-channel lentic systems during the breeding period. Finally, the presentation will touch on the subsequent study that tracked the movements of Black Bream in the heavily modified estuary habitat downstream of the Goldfish acoustic array that aimed to refine the operation of floodgate barriers.


This article examines the judicially created doctrine of equitable adoption under which a child who has been raised by people who are not the child's birth parents and who, in the traditional doctrine, had promised to adopt the child but had not done so will be permitted to inherit from the "parent" or "parents" who have raised the child if these "parents" have died intestate. After examining the traditional equitable adoption doctrine and demonstrating the several difficulties with the doctrine in terms of the theories on which it is based and the requirements imposed for finding an equitable adoption, the article proceeds to discuss the major difficulty with the doctrine – its under inclusiveness and the disproportionate impact that this under inclusiveness has on economically disadvantaged communities. The article proposes an amendment to intestate succession statutes which would permit many more children to inherit from the people who have raised them. The article exposes an important defect with the current equitable adoption doctrine – the use of the term "adoption" to refer to a circumstance in which a legal adoption might not have been possible. The article also considers the issues of the modern family and how the equitable adoption doctrine is not responsive to the needs of members of non-traditional family arrangements, the reasons that people fail to adopt children about whom they may have promised adoption, the reasons that people die intestate rather than having a will, and the purposes to be accomplished by intestate succession statutes. The article concludes with a statutory proposal which would eliminate many of the inequities of the equitable adoption doctrine while still being consistent with the goals of intestacy statutes.


Local consistency algorithms, like arc consistency (AC) algorithms, are polynomial-time algorithms that prune the search space of constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs). In this paper, we present connections between message passing algorithms and AC for semiring-based CSPs (SCSPs) and valued CSPs (VCSPs), two well-established frameworks that generalize CSPs. Message passing algorithms are well known distributed search algorithms for solving many combinatorial problems in artificial intelligence, probabilistic reasoning, and information theory. However, the relationship between message passing algorithms and SCSPs or VCSPs still remains understudied. Towards this end, we propose the best-O message passing (BOMP) algorithm for SCSPs and VCSPs. We prove that, unlike other standard message passing algorithms which are in general not guaranteed to converge, the BOMP algorithm guarantees convergence for SCSPs and specific subclasses of VCSPs. We also theoretically study the relationship between the BOMP algorithm and AC on SCSPs, and empirically study the quality of the solutions produced by the BOMP algorithm for VCSPs.


The Roman Empire was characterised by increased mobility. Improved infrastructure, trade links, and Roman citizenship enabled people to move around the Mediterranean and settle in a new place. The harbour city of Ostia, with its vast movement of people and goods, was emblematic of this phenomenon of mobility and connectivity. People from all over the Roman Empire, including many from the Roman North African provinces, lived and worked here. Evidence for this is especially visible in the Piazzale delle Corporazioni with its many stationes relating to African cities such as Carthage. This article will explore these connections between Africa and Ostia by studying an inscription erected by an African veteran and duovir, Lucius Caecilius Aemilianus, who dedicated this inscription while he was living and working in Ostia. In this inscription, he displayed an interesting combination of both his African military past and his Ostian commercial present career as he was a member of the corpus splendidissimum importatorum et negotiantium vinariorum. This article will examine this combination of facets of identity and also the reasons why Caecilius chose to display his identity in this way.


We present 10 new gamma-ray burst (GRB) redshifts and another five redshift limits based on host galaxy spectroscopy obtained as part of a large program conducted at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The redshifts span the range 0.345  ⩽  z  ≲  2.54. Three of our measurements revise incorrect values from the literature. The homogeneous host sample researched here consists of 69 hosts that originally had a redshift completeness of 55% (with 38 out of 69 hosts having redshifts considered secure). Our project, including VLT/X-shooter observations reported elsewhere, increases this fraction to 77% (53/69), making the survey the most comprehensive in terms of redshift completeness of any sample to the full Swift depth, analyzed to date. We present the cumulative redshift distribution and derive a conservative, yet small, associated uncertainty. We constrain the fraction of Swift GRBs at high redshift to a maximum of 14% (5%) for z  >  6 (z  >  7). The mean redshift of the host sample is assessed to be 〈z〉  ≳  2.2, with the 10 new redshifts reducing it significantly. Using this more complete sample, we confirm previous findings that the GRB rate at high redshift (z  ≳  3) appears to be in excess of predictions based on assumptions that it should follow conventional determinations of the star formation history of the universe, combined with an estimate of its likely metallicity dependence. This suggests that either star formation at high redshifts has been significantly underestimated, for example, due to a dominant contribution from faint, undetected galaxies, or that GRB production is enhanced in the conditions of early star formation, beyond that usually ascribed to lower metallicity.


Age-related increases in oxidant stress (OS) play a role in regulation of estrogen receptor (ER) expression in the kidneys. In this study, we establish that in vivo 17β-estradiol (E2) replacement can no longer upregulate glomerular ER expression by 21 months of age in female mice (anestrous). We hypothesized that advanced glycation end product (AGE) accumulation, an important source of oxidant stress, contributes to these glomerular ER expression alterations. We treated 19-month old ovariectomized female mice with pyridoxamine (Pyr), a potent AGE inhibitor, in the presence or absence of E2 replacement. Glomerular ERα mRNA expression was upregulated in mice treated with both Pyr and E2 replacement and TGFβ mRNA expression decreased compared to controls. Histological sections of kidneys demonstrated decreased type IV collagen deposition in mice receiving Pyr and E2 compared to placebo control mice. In addition, anti-AGE defenses Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) and advanced glycation receptor 1 (AGER1) were also upregulated in glomeruli following treatment with Pyr and E2. Mesangial cells isolated from all groups of mice demonstrated similar ERα, SIRT1, and AGER1 expression changes to those of whole glomeruli. To demonstrate that AGE accumulation contributes to the observed age-related changes in the glomeruli of aged female mice, we treated mesangial cells from young female mice with AGE-BSA and found similar downregulation of ERα, SIRT1, and AGER1 expression. These results suggest that inhibition of intracellular AGE accumulation with pyridoxamine may protect glomeruli against age-related oxidant stress by preventing an increase of TGFβ production and by regulation of the estrogen receptor.


Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used to study the microstructure of several volcanic rocks (basalt, rhyolite, phonolitic pumice, phonolite, rhyolitic obsidian). Magnitudes of the power-law scattering exponent were 3 < α < 4 or α ≈ 4 for the majority of the rocks. The influence of the thermal history on the rock microstructure has been investigated by SANS experiments on thermally treated samples. Specific surface areas were determined for pumice (3 m2/g) and a basalt (2.5 m2/g and 0.2 m2/g) depending on the thermal history. The small-angle scattering in obsidian is shown to be caused by Fe-rich partially crystalline aggregates. The obsidian has been further characterized by ultrasonic resonance and thermal expansion measurements.