Over the years, the surgical management of breast cancer has become less invasive due to various factors. Breast conserving surgery and lesser axillary surgery are performed whenever possible. Early stage at diagnosis made possible by breast screening and earlier presentation of symptomatic cancers due to increased awareness has meant that more patients are undergoing breast conserving surgery. Sentinel node biopsy and axillary sampling have helped reduce arm morbidity. These changes have made breast cancer surgery more amenable to day surgery. At the same time, the benefits of early discharge and day surgery have been increasingly recognised in all surgical specialities. In 2007, when this research was undertaken, majority of breast cancer patients in Glasgow underwent operations as inpatients.
The aims of this thesis were to establish the evidence base for day surgery in breast cancer and analyse the feasibility, acceptability and safety of performing day surgery in breast cancer patients in Glasgow.
In Chapter 2, a systematic review of literature for studies comparing day surgery with inpatient surgery in breast cancer is presented. This was undertaken to establish the present evidence. A randomised controlled trial is the gold standard when comparing one intervention with another. However, this systematic review revealed lack of any randomised controlled trials in literature comparing day surgery with inpatient surgery for breast cancer. Only observational studies were found and these showed day surgery for breast cancer to be safe with high patient satisfaction.
In Chapter 3, the feasibility of day surgery for breast cancer in Glasgow was examined. The postoperative length of hospital stay of patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer was studied across five centres in Glasgow. It was noted that 50 percent of patients were discharged within a day of their operation. An analysis of socio-demographic and clinico-pathologic factors influencing postoperative length of stay for all breast cancer surgical patients revealed that the most important factor influencing postoperative stay was the axillary procedure performed. It was seen that symptomatic cancer patients undergo more extensive surgery and are more likely to stay longer in hospital. Patients undergoing re-operations contributed 20 percent to the hospital bed utilisation. Fifty percent of the patients who were discharged within a day of their operation, were potentially thought to be suitable for day surgery.
In Chapter 4, the acceptability and safety of day surgery for breast cancer, evaluated in a pilot randomised controlled trial is presented. In this trial, day surgery was compared with inpatient surgery for patients undergoing breast conserving surgery with axillary sampling or sentinel node biopsy. Physical and psychosocial outcomes were examined using validated questionnaires. In a patient satisfaction survey, day surgery was found to be highly acceptable to patients. No difference was found in the physical outcomes between the two groups. Day surgery patients were noted to have a significantly better quality of life one week after their operation. Therefore, this trial found day surgery to be a safe option.
In conclusion, the results of the present thesis show that day surgery for breast cancer is a feasible option that was rated by the patients as highly acceptable and had better quality of life outcomes. Moreover, equivalent physical outcomes were noted in both the groups.


The objective of this study was to estimate lower base temperature Tb of three diploid (Comum, Fepagro Sao Gabriel, and LE 284 and two tetraploid (Avance and INIA Titan) ryegrass genotypes. With the estimated Tb, it was also possible to investigate if these genotypes may have seasonal production, which helps in programming herds feeding schedules. Five sowing dates (11/05, 07/06, 05/07, 09/08 e 01/09/2007) were performed in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Two methods were used to estimate Tb: least deviation method and relative development method. Tb values varied from 7.0 to 8.5°C for diploid genotypes and from 9.0 to 10.6°C for tetraploid genotypes, depending upon the method. Diploid ryegrass germoplasm have no risk of seasonal decrease in forage production, whereas tetraploids, mainly Avance, may have their growth and development decreased from June to August in Santa Maria because of minimum air temperature.


We introduce an extended class of cardinal L/sup */L-splines, where L is a pseudo-differential operator satisfying some admissibility conditions. We show that the L/sup */L-spline signal interpolation problem is well posed and that its solution is the unique minimizer of the spline energy functional /spl par/Ls/spl par//sub L2//sup 2/, subject to the interpolation constraint. Next, we consider the corresponding regularized least squares estimation problem, which is more appropriate for dealing with noisy data. The criterion to be minimized is the sum of a quadratic data term, which forces the solution to be close to the input samples, and a "smoothness" term that privileges solutions with small spline energies. Here, too, we find that the optimal solution, among all possible functions, is a cardinal L/sup */L-spline. We show that this smoothing spline estimator has a stable representation in a B-spline-like basis and that its coefficients can be computed by digital filtering of the input signal. We describe an efficient recursive filtering algorithm that is applicable whenever the transfer function of L is rational (which corresponds to the case of exponential splines). We justify these algorithms statistically by establishing an equivalence between L/sup */L smoothing splines and the minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimation of a stationary signal corrupted by white Gaussian noise. In this model-based formulation, the optimum operator L is the whitening filter of the process, and the regularization parameter is proportional to the noise variance. Thus, the proposed formalism yields the optimal discretization of the classical Wiener filter, together with a fast recursive algorithm. It extends the standard Wiener solution by providing the optimal interpolation space. We also present a Bayesian interpretation of the algorithm.


Accurate prediction of wireless network performance is important when performing link adaptation or resource allocation. However, the complexity of interference interactions at MAC and PHY layers, as well as the vast variety of possible wireless configurations make it notoriously hard to design explicit performance models. In this paper, we advocate an approach of "learning by observation" that can remove the need for designing explicit and complex performance models. We use machine learning techniques to learn implicit performance models, from a limited number of real-world measurements. These models do not require to know the internal mechanics of interfering Wi-Fi links. Yet, our results show that they improve accuracy by at least 49% compared to measurement-seeded models based on SINR. To demonstrate that learned models can be useful in practice, we build a new algorithm that uses such a model as an oracle to jointly allocate spectrum and transmit power. Our algorithm is utility-optimal, distributed, and it produces efficient allocations that significantly improve performance and fairness.


Parenting is one of the most important experiences of individuals which brings changes in all aspects of life. The transition to parenthood is one of the most universal transitions, and most researchers and practitioners in the field of parenting and intimate relationships agrees that the transition to parenthood is reflected in the overall functioning of an individual who becomes a parent. The aim of this study was to determine if there are changes in subjective well-being of spouses during the transition to parenthood, and what the role of positive personality traits, satisfaction with marriage during the pregnancy, parenting satisfaction and parental competence in contribution to subjective well- -being of new parents is. The study included 40 couples (N = 80) that were examined at two time points during the second trimester of pregnancy, and approx. nine months postpartum. The following instruments were used: A questionnaire of general information, General life satisfaction scale, The scale of satisfaction with marriage, Stress scale, Scale of parental competence and Personality traits questionnaire. The results showed that the baby does not violate marriage satisfaction, but contributes to the increase in life satisfaction of spouses, which is discussed in the context of the psychological welfare of parenting, generativity and the revised hierarchy of human needs. Personality traits, especially extraversion and conscientiousness, contribute to life satisfaction during the transition to parenthood. Satisfaction with marriage during the pregnancy and parenting satisfaction, as an affective component of parenting experience, were the best predictors of satisfaction with marriage nine months postpartum.


Management strategies for control of vector-borne diseases, for example Zika or dengue, include using larvicide and/or adulticide, either through large-scale application by truck or plane or through door-to-door efforts that require obtaining permission to access private property and spray yards. The efficacy of the latter strategy is highly dependent on the compliance of local residents. Here we develop a model for vector-borne disease transmission between mosquitoes and humans in a neighborhood setting, considering a network of houses connected via nearest-neighbor mosquito movement. We incorporate large-scale application of adulticide via aerial spraying through a uniform increase in vector death rates in all sites, and door-to-door application of larval source reduction and adulticide through a decrease in vector emergence rates and an increase in vector death rates in compliant sites only, where control efficacies are directly connected to real-world experimentally measurable control parameters, application frequencies, and control costs. To develop mechanistic insight into the influence of vector motion and compliance clustering on disease controllability, we determine the basic reproduction number R0 for the system, provide analytic results for the extreme cases of no mosquito movement, infinite hopping rates, and utilize degenerate perturbation theory for the case of slow but non-zero hopping rates. We then determine the application frequencies required for each strategy (alone and combined) in order to reduce R0 to unity, along with the associated costs. Cost-optimal strategies are found to depend strongly on mosquito hopping rates, levels of door-to-door compliance, and spatial clustering of compliant houses, and can include aerial spray alone, door-to-door treatment alone, or a combination of both. The optimization scheme developed here provides a flexible tool for disease management planners which translates modeling results into actionable control advice adaptable to system-specific details.


Corporate social initiatives (CSIs) are increasingly important in boosting public acceptance for companies, and emerging research suggests corporate social marketing (CSM) could be the most effective type of CSI. However, scholars caution that CSM is not a one-size-fits-all. Through a content analysis of Coca-Cola's social media posts on potentially controversial topics related to sustainability, health, and social change, this study explores how CSI type and message content influence public response to an organization's social media corporate social responsibility posts. Posts emphasizing socially responsible business practices generally received the most favorable public response, while posts focused on cause promotion were received the most negatively. Findings also suggest that CSM is less effective when the issue and advocated behavior change appears to be acting against the company's interests.


The struggle to find sustainable formal insurance for droughts in developing countries captures the attention of many in the development community for good reason. Droughts disrupt the development process, and the impacts of drought are exacerbated by an unwillingness on the part of the poor to invest combined with a lack of access to credit. This paper first examines the problems associated with traditional approaches to formal drought insurance and goes on to examine the potential of index insurance that is event-driven. A combined weather-generation and crop simulation modelling approach is used to estimate site-specific risks. The method is demonstrated in a case study for dry bean production in Honduras.


Hypertext has grown rapidly in popularity, from being a relatively obscure concept in the late 1980's to near ubiquity with the advent and spread of the World Wide Web. Many forms of information are naturally and easily expressed as hypertexts, especially those that draw connections
among various works. Academic work is relatively highly structured work, both internally, and in how it is related to existing work. Nonetheless,
aside from a few systems that provide simple footnote and reference linking, no serious attempts have been made to publish academic articles in hypertextual form, with robust, first-class structures comprising a large part of the product. Previous investigations into the requirements for supporting the publishing of academic articles as fully functional hypertexts have noted numerous reasons for slow progress toward this goal. In this paper, we look closely at models for publishing hypertexts. We do so by pointing out several axes along which publishing models may differ, providing a systematic way in which to discuss these models. We then examine three particular models, situating them within our framework, and describing some of their
implications. Examining these instances allows us to hypothesize more generally about the implications of choices posed by our framework.


A 3-week-old previously healthy full-term infant with uncomplicated perinatal course presents to the emergency room with a large perineal abscess. At home, the infant has been afebrile and otherwise well appearing. On physical examination, a 3×3 cm indurated, tender, nodular lesion with central fluctuation and surrounding erythema was noted in the right perineal region, consistent with a right perianal abscess. Initial sepsis evaluation included basic inflammatory markers and blood and urine cultures. Pus was manually expressed and sent for bacterial culture. Intravenous antibiotic treatment was initiated. The resident taking care of the baby wonders if a lumbar puncture (LP) should be performed as part of the sepsis evaluation to rule out occult meningitis.

In afebrile neonates with localised skin and soft tissue infection (POPULATION), is routine LP necessary (INTERVENTION) to evaluate for occult meningitis? (OUTCOME)

Search date: 12 April 2013. Primary source: The PubMed database and Scopus. Secondary source: The Cochrane Library.

English language literature sources were searched using either text word (tw) or medical subject subheading (MeSH): (infant, newborn (MeSH) OR neonates (tw) OR neonate (tw) AND (focal infection (MeSH) OR cellulitis (MeSH) OR soft tissue infections (MeSH) OR abscess (MeSH) OR mastitis (MeSH)) OR neonatal mastitis (tw) AND cellulitis adenitis syndrome (tw). …


The method used by the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) to evaluate the wear of trolley-shoe carbon inserts is presented. The trolley shoe is that part of the bus that is directly in contact with the overhead lines. To extend the life of the trolley shoes and allow for their reuse, the cheaper carbon inserts are used as sacrificial material to take care of the wear that occurs between the overhead line and the trolley shoe. For years, Muni operated its fleet of trolley buses using carbon inserts that were purchased solely based on the price of the inserts. Although it would appear that the cheapest carbon inserts provided the best deal for the company, in reality the company was spending a lot more in terms of (a) lost revenue due to equipment failure, (b) damage to equipment, and (c) unscheduled maintenance cost. Muni's materials management system database had a list of six different grades of carbon inserts. These grades of carbon inserts were included in the database as per the recommendation of the vendors. However, these grades of carbon inserts were never evaluated for compatibility with the bus or overhead system. Consequently, some would wear after one day of service although others would last 5 days or more. This test was conceived to identify the most suitable grade of carbon insert for Muni's trolley coaches. For the test, weight loss was used to measure carbon wear instead of the change of height or thickness of the insert. To limit the variables affecting the inserts during the test, different grades of inserts were paired during service. Based on the test results, the number of approved carbon grades for use in Muni's trolley fleet was reduced from six to two and 972.6 km (600 mi) was established as an acceptable service life for the inserts.


Low values of leaf blade tensile and shear strength have been
related to herbivore preference and intake in perennial ryegrass (Lolium
perenne L.) and other forage grasses. This study examined relationships
between leaf strength and cattle (Bos taunts) preference
for eight cultivars of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Both
tensile strength and shear strength of tall fescue leaf blades were
measured, along with several leaf blade anatomical characteristics.
Leaf tensile strength was negatively correlated (r = –0.20, P 5 0.01)
with preference in this study. `Mozark', the cultivar with the highest
leaf tensile strength, also had the highest proportion of structural tissue
in leaf blade transverse sections. Shear strength was also negatively
correlated with preference (r = –0.16, P s 0.05). Leaf strength of
both chamber- and field-grown plants was negatively correlated with
both leaf blade width and thickness. Leaf width and thickness increased
together and were positively correlated with preference in
all experiments. Wider leaves also had greater distance between veins
and therefore more mesophyll tissue volume. We concluded that leaf
width would be a useful trait in the selection of grasses for cattle
preference, since it would result in grasses with a higher proportion
of cell contents to fiber. This conclusion is supported by the positive
correlation of preference with total nonstructural carbohydrates in
an earlier study of the same tall fescue cultivars.


Planetary ScienceLiquid water—and the life it may permit—has been the goal of planetary exploration for decades, with not much of the sloshy stuff to show for the effort. Jupiter's moon Europa has a global ocean, but unfortunately, it's out of reach beneath many kilometers of ice. So the sight in 2005 of ice and water vapor jetting hundreds of kilometers above Saturn's icy little moon Enceladus, like Yellowstone geysers gone ballistic, warmed the hearts of astrobiologists everywhere. But as terrestrial geologists soon pointed out, water plumes needn't mean liquid water. Enceladus might be frozen solid and still be spouting water ice and vapor. With new observations, the "Enceladus: Oasis or Iceball?" debate is now coming down on the side of a wet interior for the moon—and a chance for life.


Nation branding in the Middle East is relatively new. The United Arab Emirates has been developing its nation branding for about three decades. This article discusses one of its recent nation-branding strategies: women empowerment. The research uses a semiotic analysis to examine the way narratives of women empowerment are being articulated and conveyed for nation-branding campaigns and strategies. Through the case study of Mariam Al Mansouri, the first United Arab Emirate female air striker who fired missiles toward ISIS, we argue that narratives of women empowerment became an additional device for image building and nation branding.


Precise localization techniques for indoor Wi-Fi access points (APs) have important application in the security inspection. However, due to the interference of environment factors such as multipath propagation and NLOS (Non-Line-of-Sight), the existing methods for localization indoor Wi-Fi access points based on RSS ranging tend to have lower accuracy as the RSS (Received Signal Strength) is difficult to accurately measure. Therefore, the localization algorithm of indoor Wi-Fi access points based on the signal strength relative relationship and region division is proposed in this paper. The algorithm hierarchically divide the room where the target Wi-Fi AP is located, on the regional division line, a modified signal collection device is used to measure RSS in two directions of each reference point. All RSS values are compared and the region where the RSS value has the relative largest signal strength is located as next candidate region. The location coordinate of the target Wi-Fi AP is obtained when the localization region of the target Wi-Fi AP is successively approximated until the candidate region is smaller than the accuracy threshold. There are 360 experiments carried out in this paper with 8 types of Wi-Fi APs including fixed APs and portable APs. The experimental results show that the average localization error of the proposed localization algorithm is 0.30 meters, and the minimum localization error is 0.16 meters, which is significantly higher than the localization accuracy of the existing typical indoor Wi-Fi access point localization methods.


We provide evidence that the sensitivity of bank profits to credit spreads captures systematic tail risk exposure of banks associated with sentiment in the US. In the cross section, higher profit sensitivity predicts lower equity returns in systematic tail events. Furthermore, prior to the global financial crisis, banks in the top quartile of profit sensitivity decreased their holdings of short-term securities and US government and agency securities more than banks in the bottom quartile, which particularly helped increase their interest income. These portfolio shifts and associated increases in interest income, however, reversed in the crisis. In the time series, the average profit sensitivity more robustly predicts future economic outcomes than loan growth.


Objectives To understand the influences and decisions of vulnerable older people in relation to keeping warm in winter. Design A qualitative study incorporating in-depth, semi-structured individual and group interviews, framework analysis and social marketing segmentation techniques. Setting Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Participants 50 older people (>55) and 25 health and social care staff underwent individual interview. The older people also had household temperature measurements. 24 older people and 19 health and social care staff participated in one of the six group interviews. Results Multiple complex factors emerged to explain whether vulnerable older people were able to keep warm. These influences combined in various ways that meant older people were not able to or preferred not to access help or change home heating behaviour. Factors influencing behaviours and decisions relating to use of heating, spending money, accessing cheaper tariffs, accessing benefits or asking for help fell into three main categories. These were situational and contextual factors, attitudes and values, and barriers. Barriers included poor knowledge and awareness, technology, disjointed systems and the invisibility of fuel and fuel payment. Findings formed the basis of a social marketing segmentation model used to develop six pen portraits that illustrated how factors that conspire against older people being able to keep warm. Conclusions The findings illustrate how and why vulnerable older people may be at risk of a cold home. The pen portraits provide an accessible vehicle and reflective tool to raise the capacity of the NHS in responding to their needs in line with the Cold Weather Plan.


The purpose of this study was to analyze the current status of the interaction between the graphic communication industry (specifically publishing, web development and education) and the population of visually impaired individuals. The study researched the standards in place, the level of accessibility of resources, the level of satisfaction among people with visual impairments, and suggestions for improvements within the industry. The research methods included elite and specialized interviews with educators and industry professionals, historical research of documents and regulations on accessibility and descriptive research of three providers of resources for the visually impaired community. The results show that while standards are in place for government related agencies and funded programs, there is a lack of education among publishers and designers on the needs of the visually impaired. As well there is an issue of funding for the products needed. There are potential improvements within the graphic communication industry including more content availability among publishers, and improved printing technology. As well, recent ad


Tropospheric ozone has been suspected to cause poor vitality and occasional massive mortality in sacred fir ( Abies religiosa ( Kunth) Schltdl. & Cham) from Desierto de los Leones National Park, in Mexico City, Mexico, since 1980`s. This work searches for empirical evidences of ozone effects on health indicators of natural populations of sacred from August 2001 to January 2003. We monitored 31 selectively chosen sampling plots with passive monitors. Two additional fir forests with expected low exposure to ozone were used as control. Mean hourly ozone concentration per period (2 to 3 weeks each), fluctuated between 4,826 x10-7 and 0,0441 ppm. Most ozone readings were high, the mean hourly concentration in Desierto de Los Leones was 0,0186 ppm, but only three readings marginally exceeded a 0,0400 ppm toxic threshold. Ozone concentrations in control areas had a lower average (0 ,0145 ppm), with erratic wide fluctuations. We found no relationship between ozone concentrations and sampling plot location, elevation, temperature or region. Foliage retention, crown density, vigor and stand basal area follow weak, but constant and consistent worsening trends as ozone mean site concentration increases. This trend suggests fir health reduction with increasing ozone concentration; control values are consistent with this trend . This result differs from reports of ozone damages on fir, except the case of Switzerland where fir occurs at high elevations and shows clear anatomic damages due to chronic ozone exposure, just like the Mexican case.


For functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, researchers can use multi-subject blocked designs to identify active brain regions for a certain stimulus type of interest. Before performing such an experiment, careful planning is necessary to obtain efficient stimulus effect estimators within the available financial resources. The optimal number of subjects and the optimal scanning time for a multi-subject blocked design with fixed experimental costs can be determined using optimal design methods. In this paper, the user-friendly computer program POBE 1.2 (program for optimal design of blocked experiments, version 1.2) is presented. POBE provides a graphical user interface for fMRI researchers to easily and efficiently design their experiments. The computer program POBE calculates the optimal number of subjects and the optimal scanning time for user specified experimental factors and model parameters so that the statistical efficiency is maximised for a given study budget. POBE can also be used to determine the minimum budget for a given power. Furthermore, a maximin design can be determined as efficient design for a possible range of values for the unknown model parameters. In this paper, the computer program is described and illustrated with typical experimental factors for a blocked fMRI experiment.


The compartmentalisation of cAMP/PKA signalling pathway within specific regions of the cell plays a critical role to achieve the specificity of response. Adenylyl cyclases (AC) are localised at discrete regions of the plasma membrane and phosphodiesterases (PDEs), the only enzymes that degrade cAMP, have been shown to be pivotal in generating spatially restricted pools of cAMP, therefore underpinning spatial control of this second messenger signal. In addition, A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) are of key importance as they anchor PKA in proximity of its specific targets, thus favouring target selective phosphorylation. Such organisation leads to local activation of PKA subsets through the generation of confined intracellular gradients of cAMP.
Interestingly it has been shown that AKAP450 localises to the centrosome, the major microtubule-organising centre, where it functions as a 'multi-scaffolding' protein by simultaneously associating PKA with PDE4D3 as well as other kinases and phosphatases. Beside this a large body of evidence suggests that the centrosome is essential for the regulation of the cell cycle progression by acting as a scaffold protein for a network of signalling pathways which in turn trigger cellular division.
In the past few years the development of FRET-based sensors has allowed the study of cAMP dynamics with high spatial-temporal resolution. By using this approach it is now possible to monitor real-time fluctuations of cAMP and PKA activity in distinct subcellular compartments and to investigate their physiological role.
The aim of the research presented in this dissertation is to exploit FRET-based sensor to investigate the signalling of cAMP at the centrosome and to define the role of PDE4D3 anchored to AKAP450 in shaping a cAMP pool in such specific compartment. The centrosomal AKAP450/PKA/PDE4D3 macromolecular complex may play a role in the control of cell cycle progression.
To this purpose a CHO clone stably expressing the FRET sensor based on PKA was generated. As expected fluorescence microscopy analysis of this clone indicated that the sensor anchors to endogenous centrosomal AKAPs. Further real-time imaging of basal cAMP provided evidence that the centrosome is a domain with lower cAMP concentration as compared to the bulk cytosol and that PDE4D3 activity is required to maintain a low cAMP level in the centrosomal area.
Interestingly the same cells challenged with the cAMP raising agent forskolin show a larger FRET change at the centrosome as compared to the bulk cytosol.
By using the unimolecular FRET EPAC-based sensor for cAMP, targeted to the centrosome, it was possible to exclude that the level of cAMP generated at the centrosome by forskolin was higher than the level of cAMP generated in the cytosol. Thus, it has been hypothesised that anchoring of PKA to AKAP450 lowers the activation constant of the enzyme leading to a higher FRET change at the centrosome as compare to the bulk cytosol. This hypothesis has been confirmed by expressing in the cytosol the fragment of AKAP450 that anchors PKA and by showing that binding of PKA to the cytosolic fragment also results in increased sensitivity of the enzyme to cAMP. Eventually analysis of PKA activity, by using a FRET-based A-kinase activity reporter (AKAR), indicated that anchoring of PKA to the cytosolic fragment of AKAP450 accounts also for an increased PKA activity.
The molecular mechanism involved in the increased sensitivity of PKA-bound to AKAP450 was also investigated. Interestingly anchoring of PKA to AKAP450 increases the auto-phosphorylation of PKA. Generation of a non-phosphorylatable version of PKA-RII subunit (mutRII) and further generation of a CHO clone stably expressing the mutPKA FRET based sensor strongly indicates that the high sensitivity of PKA bound to AKAP450 is mediated by the auto-phosphorylation site and more specifically the binding of PKA to AKAP450 seems to favour the auto-phosphorylation of PKA.
Finally the role of AKAP450/PKA/PDE4D3 macromolecular complex in the regulation of cell cycle progression was analysed. Displacement of endogenous PDE4D3 from the centrosome by over-expression of a catalytically dead version of PDE4D3 (dnPDE4D3), results not only in the abolishment of difference in cAMP concentration between centrosome and cytosol, but also in an altered cell cycle progression, suggesting that PDE4D3 plays a key role in the regulation of the cell cycle.
In conclusion this study provided evidence for a novel mechanism by which anchoring of PKA to AKAPs modulate the activation constant of the enzyme, thereby providing a mean to regulate enzyme activity locally.


In the present century, the decline of bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis is a silent epidemic. The objective of the current study was to estimate the effect of vitamin C on BMD in menopausal women with balanced diet. Randomized, controlled clinical trial (RCT) was conducted as per WHO Registry Network. The study was done in Hafez Hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 150 menopausal women suffering from osteoporosis were chosen. In randomized block design, the individuals were placed in the vitamin C (test) and placebo (control) groups. The test group received orally 1000 mg of vitamin C in two divided doses for 6 months and the control group similarly had placebo. Test parameter: Bone mineral density (BMD). Before treatment, considering some demographic specifications and the results of BMD were not different statistically (P>0.05) but there was significant difference in the age and obstetric history (p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between obstetric history with lumbar BMD (r= -295 and P<0.001) and femoral BMD (r= -0.226 and P=0.006). The average vertebral BMD did not indicate any significant difference between the vitamin C-treated group (0.02±0.05, P=0.001) and the controls (0.02±0.04, P<0.001). With respect to the findings of the study about the effects of vitamin C on BMD, antioxidant is suggested to add to the current treatments.


Purpose: The growing amount of clinical resistance observed in current antifungal drugs and in anti-HIV pharmaceuticals is a concern in the medical community. The purpose of this study is to develop a mild synthetic process for biomedically relevant thiazolyl aryl ketones that can be used to develop antifungal and anti-HIV drugs. We hypothesized that the proposed synthetic technique would be more efficient, produce fewer unwanted byproducts, and be more tolerant of functional groups than existing methods. Methods: Prior to each of the ketone reactions, the necessary salt was synthesized by mixing thiazole and 9-bromofluorene neat in a reaction tube heated to 85 C. The reaction was monitored for the disappearance of 9-bromofluorene, at which point the heating was stopped and the solid product was triturated to remove impurities and characterized using H NMR analysis. For each of the various ketone reactions, the aldehyde and base were added to a reaction tube and heated to 60 C. Once heated, a solution of the salt (3-fluorenylthiazole) was mixed with the solvent, either methanol or THF, and was added dropwise via syringe. Conversion of the aldehyde to the ketone product was monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The product ketone was purified using column chromatography and analyzed for purity by H NMR spectroscopy. This study was the repeated for each of the chosen aldehydes. The preparation of thiazolyl salicyl ketone was further analyzed for solvent effects by the introduction of 5% and 10% water, respectively, using otherwise identical reaction conditions. In these reactions, the ketone was isolated using preparative TLC and gravity filtration to separate the silica gel from the desired product. If the ketone was produced after the addition of water, then the reaction may be able to be conducted without the use of anhydrous methanol solvent. Instead, methanol bought in bulk could be substituted and the cost of production would be substantially reduced. SYNTHESIS OF MEDICINALLY RELEVANT KETONES 3 Results: The 3-fluorenylthiazol salt was produced in 91% yield. The yields for the thiazolyl phenyl ketone, thiazolyl 4-fluorophenyl ketone, and the thiazolyl salicyl ketone were 11%, 50%, and 55% yield respectively. Production of thiazolyl salicyl ketone with the addition of 5% water into the solvent produced the ketone with 11% yield. Production of thiazolyl salicyl ketone with the addition of 10% water into the solvent produced a ketone with 13% yield in trial 1 and 56% yield in trial 2. Discussion: The study found that the two-step synthesis method was successful in producing the desired ketones. These findings suggest that this reaction mechanism could be further optimized to increase reaction yield in order to produce medicinally relevant ketones under mild conditions. Also, upon the addition of water to the solvent, the thiazolyl salicyl ketone was able to be produced in moderate yields in one trial. In this particular trial, salt and salicylaldehyde were added before the solvent and the base suggesting the order that reagents were added affected the percent yield of the ketone. The success of the trial provides promising results that suggest the synthetic method could be conducted without the use of anhydrous methanol thereby decreasing the cost of synthesis by utilizing water in replacement for methanol. Also, substituting water for methanol would provide a safety advantage if enough methanol is replaced so that the solvent is no longer flammable. Overall, the results provide the conclusion that the synthetic technique could be used to produce thiazolyl aryl ketones under mild conditions. SYNTHESIS OF MEDICINALLY RELEVANT KETONES 4


We consider median regression and, more generally, quantile regression in high-dimensional sparse models. In these models the overall number of regressors p is very large, possibly larger than the sample size n, but only s of these regressors have non-zero impact on the conditional quantile of the response variable, where s grows slower than n. Since in this case the ordinary quantile regression is not consistent, we consider quantile regression penalized by the L1-norm of coefficients (L1-QR). First, we show that L1-QR is consistent at the rate of the square root of (s/n) log p, which is close to the oracle rate of the square root of (s/n), achievable when the minimal true model is known. The overall number of regressors p affects the rate only through the log p factor, thus allowing nearly exponential growth in the number of zero-impact regressors. The rate result holds under relatively weak conditions, requiring that s/n converges to zero at a super-logarithmic speed and that regularization parameter satisfies certain theoretical constraints. Second, we propose a pivotal, data-driven choice of the regularization parameter and show that it satisfies these theoretical constraints. Third, we show that L1-QR correctly selects the true minimal model as a valid submodel, when the non-zero coefficients of the true model are well separated from zero. We also show that the number of non-zero coefficients in L1-QR is of same stochastic order as s, the number of non-zero coefficients in the minimal true model. Fourth, we analyze the rate of convergence of a two-step estimator that applies ordinary quantile regression to the selected model. Fifth, we evaluate the performance of L1-QR in a Monte-Carlo experiment, and provide an application to the analysis of the international economic growth.


IFN-γ is one of the key cytokines in defining Th1 immune responses. In this study, an IFN-γ homologue has been identified in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, and its biological activities have been characterized. The trout IFN-γ cDNA is 1034 bp in length and translates into a 180-aa protein. The first intron of the trout IFN-γ gene contains highly polymorphic GACA minisatellites and 44-bp DNA repeats, giving rise to at least six alleles. IFN-γ is structurally conserved among vertebrates, and a signature motif has been identified. A nuclear localization sequence known to be crucial for IFN-γ biological activities is also present in the C-terminal region of the trout IFN-γ. The IFN-γ expression was induced in head kidney leukocytes by stimulation with PHA or poly(I:C) and in kidney and spleen of fish injected with poly(I:C). rIFN-γ produced in Escherichia coli significantly stimulated gene expression of IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 (γIP-10), MHC class II β-chain, and STAT1, and enhanced respiratory burst activity in macrophages. Deletion of 29-aa residues from the C terminus containing the nuclear localization sequence motif resulted in loss of activity with respect to induction of γIP-10 in RTS-11 cells. Moreover, IFN-γ-induced γIP-10 expression was completely abolished by the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine, and partially reduced by U0126, a specific inhibitor for ERKs. Taken together, the present study has demonstrated for the first time a functional IFN-γ homologue in a fish species, strongly suggesting a conserved Th1 immune response is most likely present in lower vertebrates.


PURPOSE
To evaluate whether the use of daily diagnostic quality CT for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) can safely reduce the planning margin using soft tissue alignment for prostate cancer treatment, which can be applied to SBRT.

METHODS
Nine patients with prostate cancer, who underwent IMRT and daily IGRT using the CT-on-rails system, were selected for this study. For all patients, a planning margin of 8mm/5mm posterior was used in the clinically approved plans. For this study, three additional plans were generated with planning margins of 6mm/4mm posterior, 4mm/2mm posterior, and 2mm uniform, resulting a total of four plans for each patient. On the first seven and last seven daily CTs, the prostate, bladder, and rectum were delineated by the same radiation oncologist. Subsequently, for each plan, the corresponding dose distribution on these daily CTs was calculated. The endpoint dose of the prostate was defined as the percentage of the volume receiving prescription dose of 78Gy (V78). V65 and V70 were used for the bladder and rectum, respectively.

RESULTS
For 8.7% of the first seven and 13.5% of the last seven fractions (n=126), the daily prostate volumes were 10% higher than those at simulation. Correspondingly, to achieve V78> 95%, the minimum margins of 4mm/2mm posterior and 6mm/4mm posterior were required for the first seven and last seven fractions, respectively. With margin reduced from 8mm/5mm posterior to 6mm/4mm posterior and 4mm/2mm posterior, the average bladder V65 decreased from 17.0±10.6% to 15.2±10.9% (p<0.01) and 9.9±7.4% (p<0.01), respectively. The average rectum V70 decreased from 15.2±8.9% to 13.6±7.9% (p<0.01) and 10.5±6.5% (p<0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSION
A planning margin of 4mm/2mm posterior is sufficient for prostate SBRT with daily IGRT using soft tissue alignment with diagnostic quality CT. Drastic change in daily prostate volumes may increase the planning margin to 6mm/4mm posterior, requiring daily offline dose monitoring. Siemens Medical Solution.


As a step towards sustainable energy management systems, energy providers use various demand side management techniques to reduce fluctuations in consumer energy demand. Dynamic pricing schemes encourage consumers to shift their energy usage patterns from peak hours towards off-peak periods, but here usually the active participation of consumers is anticipated. Smart household devices, which can autonomously shift their time of operation, can efficiently support such demand side management techniques. In this paper an adaptive model-based control scheme is proposed to create intelligent cost-aware household appliances, which can change their behaviour to minimize the cost of consumed energy and at the same time provide the required quality of service. The controller utilizes the dynamically changing energy price list, published ahead by the energy provider, thus it cooperatively supports demand side management. The proposed methods are evaluated in a case study, utilizing a household refrigerator. The proposed adaptive model predictive controller can save 5-10% of the energy bill, according to simulation results.


Traditionally, Deep Learning (DL) frameworks like Caffe, TensorFlow, and Cognitive Toolkit exploited GPUs to accelerate the training process. This has been primarily achieved by aggressive improvements in parallel hardware as well as through sophisticated software frameworks like cuDNN and cuBLAS. However, recent enhancements to CPU-based hardware and software has the potential to significantly enhance the performance of CPU-based DL training. In this paper, we provide a complete performance landscape of CPU- and GPU-based DNN training. We characterize performance of DNN training for AlexNet and ResNet-50 for a wide-range of CPU and GPU architectures including the latest Intel Xeon Phi (Knights Landing) processors and NVIDIA Pascal GPUs. We also present multi-node DNN training performance results for AlexNet and ResNet-50 using Intel Machine Learning Scaling (MLSL) Library and Intel-Caffe. In addition, we provide a CPU vs. GPU comparison for multi-node training using OSU-Caffe and Intel-Caffe. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that dives deeper into the performance of DNN training in a holistic manner yet provides an in-depth look at layer-wise performance for different DNNs. We provide multiple key insights: 1) Convolutions account for the majority of time (up to 83% time) consumed in DNN training, 2) GPU-based training continues to deliver excellent performance (up to 18% better than KNL) across generations of GPU hardware and software, and 3) Recent CPU-based optimizations like MKL-DNN and OpenMP-based thread parallelism leads to excellent speed-ups over under-optimized designs (up to 3.2X improvement for AlexNet training).


Prime implicates and prime implicants have proven relevant to a number of areas of artificial intelligence, most notably abductive reasoning and knowledge compilation. The purpose of this paper is to examine how these notions might be appropriately extended from propositional logic to the modal logic κ. We begin the paper by considering a number of potential definitions of clauses and terms for κ. The different definitions are evaluated with respect to a set of syntactic, semantic, and complexity-theoretic properties characteristic of the propositional definition. We then compare the definitions with respect to the properties of the notions of prime implicates and prime implicants that they induce. While there is no definition that perfectly generalizes the propositional notions, we show that there does exist one definition which satisfies many of the desirable properties of the propositional case. In the second half of the paper, we consider the computational properties of the selected definition. To this end, we provide sound and complete algorithms for generating and recognizing prime implicates, and we show the prime implicate recognition task to be Pspace-complete. We also prove upper and lower bounds on the size and number of prime implicates. While the paper focuses on the logic κ, all of our results hold equally well for multi-modal κ and for concept expressions in the description logic ALC.


The lack of developed financial markets and well-functioning transmission channels assigns monetary aggregates in emerging economies the potential role of nominal anchor, intermediate target, or informational variable for monetary policy. The effectiveness of this approach relies crucially on the correct measurement of money, which is not fulfilled by the conventional index based on the simple sum of financial assets. This paper calculates alternative Divisia monetary aggregates for Russia over the period 1998-2019, which account for the level of liquidity of a given monetary asset by assigning weights according to the usefulness of that asset for transaction services. Divisia is found to follow a growth pattern markedly different from the simple sum, whereby deviations between the two series are even more pronounced when foreign-currency accounts are included. We conduct three empirical exercises to demonstrate the advantages of Divisia over the simple sum. Divisia confirms the stability of the money demand function and reflects portfolio shifts in response to changes in the opportunity cost of money. Divisia-based GDP nowcasting performs better in times of financial turmoil than the simple sum. Lastly, Divisia mitigates the price puzzle phenomenon relative to the conventional measure. We conclude that Divisia monetary aggregates would improve the effectiveness of monetary policy in Russia.


The quadrature signal generator is widely used in devices such as the quadrature modulator and image rejection frequency converter. An RC polyphase network is commonly used as a quadrature signal generator because of its simple structure and perfect linear performance. This study derives explicit transfer functions for the RC polyphase network based on the complex signal properties and the matrix theory. Moreover, build-related parameters are determined to analyze the I/Q amplitude and phase balance characteristic of the RC polyphase network, thus providing a theoretical guideline for the design of a high-balance quadrature signal generator.


The Chinese Catholic Church has a rich tradition of producing art that depicts its faith. During its more than 400 years of continuous history, not counting earlier incarnations, these works have also incorporated inculturated motifs, such as figures drawn from Buddhist iconography and the use of fauna and flora. Since the period of economic reform in China began, the Catholic communities have had greater freedom than in earlier decades, which had led to the production of many new images. The inculturated forms, however, have not always been so well received. Works from two famous Catholic locations (Shijiazhuang and Shanghai) are explored in the article.


A magnificent epic set against a history of seven thousand years of the struggles of Gods and Kings and men - of strange lands and events - of fate and a prophecy that must be fulfilled! THE BELGARIAD Long ago, so the Storyteller claimed, the evil God Torak sought dominion and drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe. But that was only a story, and Garion did not believe in magic dooms, even though the dark man without a shadow had haunted him for years. Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved - but did not know? For a while his dreams of innocence were safe, untroubled by knowledge of his strange heritage. For a little while...THUS BEGINS BOOK ONE OF THE BELGARIAD


The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of veterans who are community college students and to examine community college programs and services essential to meeting their needs. A qualitative case study design using interviews, observations, field notes, document reviews, a focus group, and a preinterview demographic questionnaire provides a holistic account of the community college experience for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. This research study gives a voice to veterans who are community college students, and provides community colleges with insights that may enable them to improve their services for this population. Five major themes relating to the veterans' perspectives of their needs at the case institution emerged from the data: (a) credit streamlining; (b) streamlining of programs and services; (c) faculty, advisor, and counselor training; (d) difficulties encountered by veterans, and (e) factors that constitute a veteran friendly campus. These five themes are linked and presented in an integrated way in order to holistically address the study's three research questions. What do veterans perceive their needs to be at the community college? What programs and services are currently in place at the community college to address the needs of veterans? What recommendations can be made for improving the veterans' community college experience? This study adds to the body of knowledge and potentially contributes to a future blueprint for the successful education of veterans who are community college students.


The present paper proposes a critical reflection on the existing relationship between patterns,
algorithms and their patentable status. Based on a series of legal actions related to the use of
patterns (Robert Lang against Sarah Morris, Mexican indigenous peoples against Isabel Marant,
Apple patent on some gestures, etc.) it will analyse the already existing legal interpretations of what
a pattern is and will discuss in which way these cases can establish a precedent for today's
digitalized environments. Defined both as form of stylistic and cultural expression, as well as logical
forms, patterns are becoming elements of high importance for the present digital modelization
technologies (see, for example, pattern recognition algorithms). Therefore, the legal status of a
pattern is becoming a field of political battle. Notions like author and collective author, cultural
tradition and logical form, creative commons and intellectual property are at stake in this context.
The implications are of social, political and economic importance and this paper will sketch out some
of the short-comings when it comes to their use and application, their implicit ideologies, as well as
arts and sciences disciplinary divisions.


This article defines the natural interest rate, analysing the concept and its role in monetary policy conduct. Estimates of the natural interest rate place it at historically low and even negative levels. Demographics and growth, but also the recent financial crisis with weak aggregate demand, deleveraging, etc., are identified as factors related to this decline. Lastly, the article highlights the difficulties that a natural rate of this type may pose to central banks in achieving their objectives, and it discusses potential monetary policy-related solutions, such as QE and changes in the monetary policy objective.


SUMMARY
This article examines dimensions of supply chain flexibility and their relationships with environmental uncertainty, business performance, and functional interfaces. The findings indicate that volume flexibility and launch flexibility are key responses to marketing practices uncertainty and product uncertainty, respectively, in the highly cyclical furniture industry. Volume flexibility is also positively related to all measures of overall firm performance and highly related to market share and market share growth. Overall, excellent performers on supply chain flexibility are rewarded at the bottomline. However, performance with respect to volume, launch, and target market flexibilities has the widest ranging impact on financial and market performance.


The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the study of the growth process in young technology-based firms. Two sets of issues are addressed in the thesis which are related to one another by using a conceptualization of Penrose's theory of the growth process. The first set of issues concerns how young technology-based firms achieve reinforced growth. It is investigated how the characteristics of start-up opportunities may constrain firms from attaining reinforced growth, how specific actors - such as venture capital firms and large corporations - help firms to avoid resource constraints, and finally whether the growth orientation of the firms is affected by these actors. The second set of issues concerns how the growth process affects the development of technical knowledge in young technology-based firms, and hence, their ability to create and detect new opportunities for further growth. In order to investigate the above issues, two empirical studies have been conducted. Both focus on the population of new technology-based firms in Sweden established between 1975 and 1993. A mixture of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods is used in both studies. Analysis of quantitative data is used for comparing firms that have become medium-sized with those that have not. Interviews in medium-sized firms are used to analyze the growth process. The main findings can be divided into two parts. First, it was found that differences in the novelty of opportunities at start-up may influence the probability of attaining reinforced growth. Additionally, a relationship was found between access to resources, ownership changes and growth orientation. New owners both provide access to resources necessary for growth and increase the growth orientation of the firm. Hence, they may enable growth in two ways. Second, the study found that growth affects the organization of technical knowledge as well as the incentives for seeking new technical knowledge. The number of distinctive fields of technical knowledge was found to increase during growth, but this increase was limited by the characteristics of the firms' technology and by growth itself. Incentives for knowledge-seeking were also found to change during growth, leading to problems related to retention of technical employees and updating of the technical knowledge base. The chief contribution of this thesis is the conceptualization of the growth process that is used to connect the two sets of research issues. The study also provides empirical support for the need to consider multiple intentions and incentives when examining growth in young technology-based firms. Intentions and incentives are not predetermined, but are among the variables that may change and are to be explained. Finally, the study empirically demonstrates some aspects of the interaction between technical knowledge and growth. The findings of the thesis point to tensions, inherent in the growth process in young technology-based firms, that must be attended to by management in order to attain and sustain reinforced growth.


This paper aims at introducing a new interactive distance education application model in English Teacher Education. There is an ever-increasing demand for English teaching and learning activities in Turkey, with the implementation of new eight-year compulsory primary education in 1998. Eight Yearly Development Plan (1999-2006) estimates the English teacher need of Turkey as approximately 60,000. In order to meet this demand Turkish Ministry of National Education (MNE) and Eskisehir Anadolu University signed a protocol in February 2000. Anadolu University is authorized to initiate a four-year Distance English Language Teacher Education Program. The program has accepted first group of students (2500) this academic year (2000-2001) according to the results of the University Entrance (OSS)- Foreign Language (English)Exam.


This thesis documents the tolerance of E. maimaiga protoplasts to media with a broad range of pH levels and osmolalities. Growth curve data were statistically analyzed using a general linear model approach which utilizes the data from the entire growth curve. Although E. maimaiga grew in media ranging from pH 5.5 to 7.1, sensitivity to pH 5.5 was evident. Growth of E. maimaiga in media with osmolality levels of 250 to 400 mOsm did not show any significant differences. Further investigation of osmotic tolerance showed that this organism was capable of surviving osmolality treatments in solutions of 0 to 550 mOsm. However, a 350 to 550 mOsm range appeared optimal. The osmotolerance of E. aulicae was also determined and found to be similar to that exhibited by E. maimaiga. Further investigation is required to determine the mechanism used by these protoplasts for osmoregulation. Such a mechanism may include the activity of ion channels in the cell membrane. -- A protocol developed for patch clamping E. aulicae protoplasts is presented in this paper. An appropriate pipette solution (140 mM NaCl, 5mM KCl, 2 mM CaCl₂, 2.4 mM MgCl₂∙6H₂O, 10 mM MES, 3.8 mM glucose, 2.2 mM fructose, 29.8 mM sucrose, pH 6.2) and bath solution (140 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 1 mM CaCl₂, 1.2 mM MgCl₂∙6H₂O, 10 mM MES, 3.8 mM glucose, 2.2 mM fructose, 36 mM sucrose, pH 6.2) were developed. Recording from cells 30 to 90 minutes after suspension in the bath solution using the cell-attached recording configuration and a pipette size of 20 MegaΩ resulted in low noise gigaseal recordings. -- Use of the developed patch clamping methodology resulted in the identification of outward rectifying, voltage-gated multichannel activity sensitive to membrane depolarization. Using the mean channel amplitude, the current-voltage relationship was identified as having a conductance value of 31 pS. Use of K⁺ channel blockers, TEA⁺ and Ba²⁺, caused reduced channel activity suggesting that the channels are involved in K⁺ transport. Further evidence of this classification is based on the reduced membrane conductance values obtained when elevated levels of K⁺ were present in the pipette solution. The conductance values were reduced to 10.6 pS and -20.1 pS with K⁺ concentrations of 60 and 140 mM respectively. This serves as further evidence that the voltage-gated channels in the protoplast membrane of E. aulicae are K⁺ channels.


[1] An assessment of the consistency of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aerosol products with the results from other satellite aerosol sensors is performed in this paper. The OMI aerosol products include the UltraViolet Aerosol Index (UVAI), Aerosol Absorption Optical Depth (AAOD), and Aerosol Extinction Optical Depth (AOD). The OMI AOD is compared with that from Aqua/Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Terra/Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR). OMI-retrieved AOD values are generally biased high with respect to MODIS measurements, likely as a result of a calibration offset. Subpixel cloud contamination is the second most important source of error. Other sources of error may contribute to the noise in the retrieval but not necessarily to the systematic bias. In spite of the bias, OMI retrievals show a high degree of correlation with MODIS observations. The analyses of daily cloud-free collocated AOD data between OMI and MODIS show about 0.15 root mean square error on average relative to the linear fit. OMI also shows a reasonable agreement with MODIS and MISR observations in seasonal annual cycles of aerosols over most of the major emission sources of carbonaceous aerosols from biomass burning and mineral dust from deserts. The AAOD is less sensitive to cloud contamination than the AOD. In addition, the information content in the UVAI is well expressed as AAOD with higher correlation than AOD. However, subpixel cloud contamination of OMI footprint (13 × 24 km2 at nadir) is unavoidable, and retrieved AOD values tend to be overestimated with varying degrees of sensitivity as a function of viewing geometry and aerosol types selected.


This book collects contributions on questions of justice. It proposes a reflection on justice observed from different disciplinary perspectives (organization, philosophy, labor law, economics, work psychology) concerning the basic assumptions underlying the research approaches on this topic. Then, the book considers justice in relation to different issues that are widely debated in the social arena (corporate governance, organizational design, well-being, digitalization of work processes, smart working). A critical point of view on the different positions is adopted. We believe that recognizing the specificities of single disciplines and their defining and applicative problems is a fundamental premise in order to face the new challenges that a subject as ancient as justice seems to bring to the forefront of today's society.


Classification is a data mining technique widely used in critical domains like financial risk analysis, biology, communication network management, etc. Classification accuracy and learning from distributed datasets are the most challenging topics in the field of supervised learning. In this paper, we first briefly review the background of parallel and distributed classification algorithms and then propose a novel approach for classification in distributed large datasets. This approach is based on code migration instead of data migration. Extensive experimental results using a popular benchmark test suite show the effectiveness of this approach in term of accuracy. These results show also that the proposed method improved slightly classification accuracy over standard methods.


This article reviews the part played by lower class groups in Indonesia's democratic transition and consolidation. While mainstream analyses emphasize dominance of Indonesian politics by oligarchs and other elites, this article also finds many new avenues for lower class political agency. It focuses on two: fragmented activism, through which lower class groups organize and mobilize to advance their own interests, and electoral populism, by which candidates for elective office respond to the preferences of poor voters by offering them policy concessions. The article illustrates these propositions by focusing on the labor movement and healthcare programs.


Two experiments are reported that examined the influence of variation in task demand on performance and workload. The first experiment considered how the manipulation of prior level of task demand affected subsequent workload and performance. The second experiment examined the effects on performance and workload of increments in the level of task demand. Results from the first study indicated that prior level of imposed task difficulty did affect response in a manner consistent with a scaling of workload in relation to previous task conditions. The second study demonstrated the primacy of absolute demand level over increments in that demand as influencing operator response. Overall, our results indicate that workload and performance are sensitive to multiple characteristics of the task and not instantaneous demand level alone. These findings are important in explaining why association and dissociation occur between task demand, operator efficiency, and perceived workload in differing performance contexts. The importance of these findings for the aviation psychologist in assessing pilot and operator workload is articulated.


Most of the garbage in American Samoa heads to the landfill in Futiga on the island of Tutuila. Reports indicate that the landfill is expected to reach critical capacity in 2015. Some have started to look into advanced technology to deal with the problem, which could lead to millions of dollars of government spending. Our study focuses on how to reduce solid waste through composting, a natural way to recycle organic or biodegradable waste. Composting is a great option to look into since about fifty percent of waste sent to the landfill is biodegradable and because it is easily done with little or no cost and is beneficial to the environment. This study is divided into two parts. First, research will be done through the internet, interviews will be conducted with experts, and a survey will be done to determine the composting methods done on island, awareness of the current landfill situation, awareness on composting and if it is conducted at home, and if those surveyed agree that composting would be beneficial for proper solid waste management in American Samoa. Second, a simple method of composting will be created to share with the public so that everyone may have the opportunity to begin his or her own compost pile. Preliminary data shows that 62% of the people know about the landfill capacity problem, 68% know what composting is, and 33% of households conduct their own composting. Approximately 76% of the people surveyed practice the 3Rs: reuse, reduce, and recycle. This study shows that composting is a practical means for reducing waste in American Samoa.


Dura-Bar G2P is a pearlitic gray cast iron that is used for continuous cast products. It was developed to best suit flame and induction hardening. G2P is made with a substantial amount of pearlite in the rim. This requires the least amount of stock removal for achieving a heat-treatable surface. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, hardness, and tensile properties. It also includes information on machining. Filing Code: CI-68. Producer or source: Charter Dura-Bar, Inc.


The recently published Second Cohesion Report shows the results of development of regions and draws some reflections on the future of regional policies and structural funds. It is important to notice the results of cohesion in European regions and to understand how regions will be compared and benchmarked in the enlarged Europe. How will the relative position of EU regions compare towards CEEC regions ? The Second Cohesion offers already a first view which however should be complemented with other data and information not only on actual problems such as GDP gap, R&D gaps, unemployment but more on mapping trends of solutions to these problems. A wider collection of data available through actors such as CCI, can help complete the picture with trends on demography of businesses, development of ecommerce and SMEs, of networks of excellence, development of industrial districts, etc. Therefore a more dynamic and complete views of how European territories are changing is needed. If future cohesion policies go towards focusing more on horizontal factors of development such as innovation, human resources, infrastrutcure, new technologies, etc then an important role can be played by local actors such as CCI that are able to create consensus among the players and businesses at regional and local level. Regional policies should favour the general interest of businesses rather than a specific sector. Actors such as Chambers of Commerce and Industry can have an important role to play in the process of local economic policies from the partnership in defining priorities of development for territories to the final stages of implementation of measures to support development and growth. Chambers in Italy are carrying out agreements at provincial level in Territorial PActs, at regional level they are concluding agreements with Regional authorities, and at national level they are promoting synergies towards the EU. In France, Chambers are also very active in a new concept of development, i.e. "territoires et pays" and have a long tradition of spatial development. This is also in line with the principle of proximity and subsidiarity which intends to involve actors based not only on delegation of powers in a vertical line of subsidiarity but also on the functions and capacity to carry out certains tasks and their proximity to the end users (businesses or citizens). EU chambers of commerce have signed for this a Charter of cooperation which defines Chambers as actors of local development.


Although first-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) have significantly reduced the risk of in-stent restenosis, they have also increased the long-term risk of stent thrombosis. This safety concern directly triggered the development of new generation DES, with innovations in stent platforms, polymers, and anti-proliferative drugs. Stent platform materials have evolved from stainless steel to cobalt or platinum–chromium alloys with an improved strut design. Drug-carrying polymers have become biocompatible or biodegradable and even polymer-free DES were introduced. New limus-family drugs (such as everolimus, zotarolimus or biolimus) were adopted to enhance stent performances. As a result, these new DES demonstrated superior vascular healing responses on intracoronary imaging studies and lower stent thrombotic events in actual patients. Recently, fully-bioresorbable stents (scaffolds) have been introduced, and expanding their applications. In this article, the important concepts and clinical results of new generation DES and bioresorbable scaffolds are described.


Excerpt] Two presidents, the National Governors Association and numerous blue ribbon panels have called for the development of state or national content standards for core subjects and examinations that assess the achievement of these standards. The Competitiveness Policy Council, for example, advocates that "external assessments be given to individual students at the secondary level and that the results should be a major but not exclusive factor qualifying for college and better jobs at better wages (1993, p. 30)." It is claimed that 'curriculum-based external exit exam systems', CBEEES, based on world class content standards will improve teaching and learning of core subjects. What evidence is there for this claim? Outside the United States such systems are the rule, not the exception. What impacts have such systems had on school policies, teaching and student learning?


This article provides an overview of the general mechanics and relevant policies for the calculation of minimum capital requirements for credit risk. In the following the article focuses on the assessment of capital requirements based on internal models (IRB) as mandated in Article 78 the CRD. This assessment includes a benchmarking exercise and entails tasks for EBA as well as for competent authorities. The methods and key results contained in EBAs report on the results from the 2017 Low defaults portfolios (LDP) exercise are summarised and some, more recently published results of the EBA Report on the results from the 2018 low and high default portfolios exercise are referred to. Lastly a possible amendment of the focus of EBAs benchmarking exercise as regards credit risk is discussed.


The long-term dynamic of natural disasters drawn from historical records is vital for pre- dicting the future impacts of such disasters and developing proper countermeasures against them. While many studies have examined historical natural disasters in eastern and southern China, few works published in international journals address past disasters in northwestern China. This study seeks to explore the factors underlying various disasters (drought, flood, hail, frost, dust storms, pests and famine) in the Gan-Ning-Qing Region of northwestern China from AD 1270 to 1949 at a multi- decadal scale. Via principal component analysis, we extracted 2 rotated principal components, explaining 53.55% of the temporal variance of the 7 types of disasters. The first principal component had hail, flood, dust storms and frost loading on it, which positively correlated with population pres- sure. The second principal component had drought and famine loading on it, which were signifi- cantly linked to atmospheric circulation. The remaining variance might be attributable to the inde- pendent character of pest disasters and low-frequency temperature forcing. Due to global warming and local geographic context, both expanding population and anomalous atmospheric circulation may increase societal vulnerability to natural disasters in northwestern China.


The Clinch River (CR) and North Fork Holston River (NFHR) contain some of the most diverse freshwater mussel assemblages in the United States; however, both rivers are experiencing declines in mussel populations. The first component of this study used histological evaluations and water quality data to determine whether mussels were negatively impacted in the CR zone of decline (ZD) and to inform future management of freshwater mussels in the river. In the 91 kilometer (km) section from Carbo, Virginia (CRKM 431) downstream to Speers Ferry, Virginia (CRKM 340), referred to as the ZD, mussel density decreased >90% from 1979 to 2014 at key sites such as Semones Island (CRKM 378.3) and Pendleton Island (CRKM 364.2). Laboratory propagated mussels were placed in cages in the river for one year from June 2012 to May 2013 at four sites within the ZD and four sites in reaches where mussel populations remain stable or are increasing, a zone of stability (ZS). The survival, growth and histological results indicated that there are continuing impacts to mussels in the ZD. Research investigating impacts to the ZD and methods to improve water quality in this zone are needed. The laboratory component of this study examined sublethal effects of potassium (K), chloride (Cl), and un-ionized ammonia (NH3-N) on mussel tissues at concentrations relevant to those found in the NFHR. Historical industrial activities at Saltville, Virginia, as well as continued pollution of the NFHR from chemical waste ponds at this location, are believed to be significant contributors to mussel declines. Contaminant seepages from the waste ponds that include Cl, K, and NH3-N have been shown to be toxic to adult and juvenile mussels. A threemonth laboratory study was conducted to assess impacts to organ tissues (gills, digestive glands, kidneys, and gonads) of adult Villosa iris exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of K (4 and 8 mg/L), Cl (230 and 705 mg/L), and NH3-N (0.014 and 0.15 mg/L) using histological evaluations. No detectable differences were observed among the histological endpoints from mussels held in treatments and control (p>0.05). The study design was modified and repeated iii using increased concentrations of K (8, 16, and 32 mg/L) and Cl (705, 1410, and 2820 mg/L) for a two-month exposure period. Due to issues with maintaining NH3-N in mussel holding chambers, the second study did not the second study did not include NH3-N exposures. Control mussels in both studies had a higher abundance of lipofuscin in kidneys and degraded cytoplasm in the digestive gland diverticula compared to baseline mussels, indicating that captivity influenced mussel tissues. Future studies are needed to more thoroughly address these captivity effects. Both survival and histological data in the second test showed a significant negative effect of the increased concentrations of Cl and K, which were representative of those found at some sites in the NFHR downstream of Saltville, Virginia.


Choosing something improves a person's attitude toward it, a classic example of behavior affecting attitudes. Three studies re-examine the causal role of behavior in this "post-choice spreading of alternatives" phenomenon, demonstrating that neither the behavior of choosing nor the self-perception of having made a choice is required for it to occur. A rationalization process similar to the one that follows from actively choosing can occur whenever someone merely accepts an outcome as a true state of affairs. When a person accepts an externally assigned outcome, the negative features of that outcome no longer seem as important, allowing attitudes to improve. People normally accept outcomes they have personally chosen, but they may also accept outcomes they neither chose nor could reject. Thus, we question the causal role of behavior in a classic phenomenon. This finding contradicts explanations for post-choice spreading based on self-perception theory, where people learn their attitudes from their own voluntary behaviors. Though future work would be needed to confirm, we also discuss potential implications for cognitive dissonance theory, suggesting that agency over choice may not be prerequisite for dissonance, as previously believed. Relaxing this prerequisite expands the scope of phenomena to which dissonance theory could potentially apply.


The identification of risk factors for major adverse events after coronary artery bypass surgery is of main importance as it allows outcome prediction, facilitates preoperative patient selection and improves the quality of care. In the present clinical studies we have evaluated the impact of preoperative angiographic severity of a coronary artery disease and preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) on the immediate outcome after coronary artery bypass surgery. We have reviewed the results of off-pump (OPCAB) versus conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (CCAB) in high risk patients. We have evaluated the impact of postoperative pulmonary artery blood temperature on the immediate outcome as well. In addition, we have investigated the incidence, timing and outcome of an atrial fibrillation (AF) related stroke after surgery. The multivariate analysis showed that among 2233 patients, the overall coronary angiographic score was predictive of postoperative death (p = 0.03; OR 1.027, 95% CI: 1.003–1.052) and of a low cardiac output syndrome (p = 0.04; OR 1.172, 95% CI: 1.010–1.218). The poor status of the proximal segment of the left circumflex coronary artery, the diagonal branches and the left obtuse marginal artery were most closely associated with adverse postoperative outcome. Patients (114/764) with a preoperative serum concentration of CRP≥1.0 mg/dL had a higher risk of overall postoperative death (5.3% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.001), cardiac death (4.4% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.002), a low cardiac output syndrome (8.8% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.01). Among 179 high risk patients with an additive EuroSCORE6, the 30-day postoperative death and stroke rates were 7.5% and 6.0% in the OPCAB group, and 5.4% (p = 0.75) and 8.0% (p = 0.77) in the CCAB group, respectively. No significant differences were observed in other major outcome endpoints between these non-randomised groups either. High pulmonary artery blood temperature on admission to the ICU among 1639 patients was significantly associated with an increased risk of overall postoperative death (p = 0.002), cardiac death (p = 0.03), and a low cardiac output syndrome (p < 0.0001), and was significantly correlated with prolonged length of the ICU stay (r = 0.095; p < 0.0001), and postoperative bleeding (ρ = –0.091; p = 0.001). Among 2,630 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 52 (2.0%) experienced a postoperative stroke. Twelve out of these 52 patients (23.1%) died postoperatively. The ischemic cerebral event occurred after a mean of 3.7 days (0–33). In 19 patients (36.5%), atrial fibrillation preceded the occurrence of neurological complication. The angiographic severity of the coronary artery disease and the preoperative serum concentration of CRP predict postoperative outcome after a CABG operation. OPCAB can be performed safely in high-risk patients with results as satisfactory as those achieved with CCAB. CABG patients with a high pulmonary artery blood temperature on admission to the ICU seem to have a higher risk of postoperative adverse events. Atrial fibrillation occurring after coronary artery bypass grafting is a major determinant of a postoperative stroke.


We present an iterative design method for liquid-tunable aspherical lenses capable of diffraction-limited performance over a wide focal length range. The lenses are formed by a thin elastomer meniscus with a variable thickness profile engineered to deform into an ideal asphere under uniform pressure load. Compared to their more conventional counterparts, the proposed lenses significantly reduce spherical aberration over a larger portion of the aperture. The design procedure begins with the semi-analytical calculation of the meniscus thickness profile using large-deflection thin plate theory. This initial profile is then further optimized using coupled finite element analysis and ray-tracing simulations iteratively. We apply the developed method to design a tunable aspherical lens with 3 mm clear aperture and 8 mm optimum focal length, and numerically demonstrate the improvement in optical performance over conventional tunable-lenses over a focal length range from 6 mm to 12 mm. Using 80% of the clear aperture, the lens has better than λ/4 RMS surface error over the focal length range from 7.7 mm to 8.5 mm, corresponding to 10% tuning of focal length with diffraction-limited performance. The sources of potential fabrication errors in a practical implementation of such a lens are also analyzed in detail in terms of their influence on optical performance.


BACKGROUND
Hearing threshold estimation based on cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) has been applied for some decades. However, available research is scarce evaluating the accuracy of this technique with an automated paradigm for the objective detection of CAEPs.

PURPOSE
To determine the difference between behavioral and CAEP thresholds detected using an objective paradigm based on the Hotelling's T² statistic. To propose a decision tree to choose the next stimulus level in a sample of hearing-impaired adults. This knowledge potentially could increase the efficiency of clinical hearing threshold testing.

RESEARCH DESIGN
Correlational cohort study. Thresholds obtained behaviorally were compared with thresholds obtained through cortical testing.

STUDY SAMPLE
Thirty-four adults with hearing loss participated in this study.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
For each audiometric frequency and each ear, behavioral thresholds were collected with both pure-tone and 40-msec tone-burst stimuli. Then, corresponding cortical hearing thresholds were determined. An objective cortical-response detection algorithm based on the Hotelling's T² statistic was applied to determine response presence. A decision tree was used to select the next stimulus level. In total, 241 behavioral-cortical threshold pairs were available for analysis. The differences between CAEP and behavioral thresholds (and their standard deviations [SDs]) were determined for each audiometric frequency. Cortical amplitudes and electroencephalogram noise levels were extracted. The practical applicability of the decision tree was evaluated and compared to a Hughson-Westlake paradigm.

RESULTS
It was shown that, when collapsed over all audiometric frequencies, behavioral pure-tone thresholds were on average 10 dB lower than 40-msec cortical tone-burst thresholds, with an SD of 10 dB. Four percent of CAEP thresholds, all obtained from just three individual participants, were more than 30 dB higher than their behavioral counterparts. The use of a decision tree instead of a Hughson-Westlake procedure to obtain a CAEP threshold did not seem to reduce test time, but there was significantly less variation in the number of CAEP trials needed to determine a threshold.

CONCLUSIONS
Behavioral hearing thresholds in hearing-impaired adults can be determined with an acceptable degree of accuracy (mean threshold correction and SD of both 10 dB) using an objective statistical cortical-response detection algorithm in combination with a decision tree to determine the test levels.


We explore whether a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT) is likely to correct the market failures that have contributed to the financial crisis, to what extent FTT succeeds in raising revenues, and how the FTT compares to alternative taxes in terms of efficiency. We find little evidence that the FTT will be effective in correcting market failures. Taxing of transactions is not well targeted at behaviour that leads to excessive risk and systemic risk creation. The empirical evidence does not suggest that the introduction of an FTT reduces volatility or asset price bubbles. An FTT will likely raise significant revenues and we estimate those revenues for the Netherlands. In the short term, the incidence of the tax will be chiefly on the current holders of securities. Ultimately, the tax will be borne in part by end users, and we estimate the likely effects on economic growth. When compared to alternative forms of taxation of the financial sector, the FTT is likely less e fficient given the amount of revenues. In particular, taxes that more directly address existing distortions, such as the current VAT exemption for banks, and the bias towards debt financing, provide more efficient alternatives.


Garnet-bearing mafic granulite and amphibolite exposed as lenses, boudins, or interlayers within metasediments in the Qingshigou area, Dunhuang block, southernmost Central Asian orogenic belt, record important information for understanding the tectono-metamorphic evolution of subduction and collision zones in the southern Central Asian orogenic belt during the mid-Paleozoic. Three stages of metamorphic assemblages (M1, M2, M3) are recognized in the high- and medium-pressure mafic granulite and amphibolite. In the high-pressure mafic granulite, the prograde assemblage (M1) is represented by inclusion minerals (hornblende + plagioclase + quartz) preserved in garnet porphyroblasts; the metamorphic peak assemblage (M2) is characterized by garnet porphyroblasts and matrix minerals (garnet + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + quartz ± zircon ± titanite); and the retrograde assemblage (M3) is marked by coronitic symplectite (hornblende + plagioclase + quartz ± magnetite) rimming the garnet porphyroblasts. In the medium-pressure mafic granulite, the prograde assemblage (M1) of hornblende + plagioclase + quartz is included in the garnet porphyroblasts; the peak assemblage (M2) consists of garnet + orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + quartz ± zircon ± titanite (M2) in the matrix; and the retrograde assemblage (M3) of hornblende + orthopyroxene + plagioclase + quartz (M3) surrounds the garnet porphyroblasts. In the amphibolite, the prograde assemblage (hornblende + plagioclase + quartz + ilmenite) is preserved as inclusions in garnet (M1); the peak assemblage (M2) is composed of garnet + hornblende + plagioclase + quartz ± zircon ± titanite; and the retrograde assemblage (M3), consisting of hornblende + biotite + plagioclase + quartz + epidote + magnetite, rings the garnet porphyroblasts. Geothermobarometric calculations suggest that the metamorphic pressure-temperature paths pass from 568 °C and 8.8 kbar through 607 °C and 10.6 kbar and 861 °C and 16.9 kbar and finally to 598 °C and 4.4 kbar for the high-pressure mafic granulite; from 756 °C and 9.0 kbar through 750–874 °C and 9.3–11.6 kbar to 675 °C and 4.7 kbar for the medium-pressure mafic granulite; and from 686 °C and 7.6 kbar through 715–766 °C and 10.6–11.2 kbar to 671 °C and 5.6 kbar for the amphibolite, and the paths show clockwise pressure-temperature loops typical of an orogenic process. The metamorphic peak of the high-pressure mafic granulite lies in the eclogite facies, which is indicative of a subduction zone environment. High-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U-Pb dating of metamorphic zircon indicates that the metamorphism occurred in the Early Silurian (ca. 430 Ma) and lasted for at least 65 m.y. This study reveals a possible southward subduction history of a branch of the Paleo–Asian Ocean, the Liuyuan Ocean, from the Silurian to Late Devonian, which may be an important event in the accretionary history of the Central Asian orogenic belt.


Current growth of individuals on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires continuous support and care. With the popularity of social media, online communities of people affected by ASD emerge. This paper presents an analysis of these online communities through understanding aspects that differentiate such communities. In this paper, the aspects given are not expressed in terms of friendship, exchange of information, social support or recreation, but rather with regard to the topics and linguistic styles that people express in their on-line writing. Using data collected unobtrusively from LiveJournal, we analyze posts made by ten autism communities in conjunction with those made by a control group of standard communities. Significant differences have been found between autism and control communities when characterized by latent topics of discussion and psycholinguistic features. Latent topics are found to have greater predictive power than linguistic features when classifying blog posts as either autism or control community. This study suggests that data mining of online blogs has the potential to detect clinically meaningful data. It opens the door to possibilities including sentinel risk surveillance and harnessing the power in diverse large datasets.


E-cigarette use is an emerging and fast-growing trend particularly among youth and young adults that has not been thoroughly researched in terms of quit rates and abstinence rates. The objective of this research was to determine whether there is an association between e-cigarette use and cessation rates of youth in tobacco cessation programs. This research, compiled in Fiscal Year 2015, analyzes quantitative evaluation data gathered from statewide public health tobacco cessation programs in Idaho in order to explore the relationship between e-cigarette use and quit rates. This research evaluates data from participants of tobacco cessation programs (N=2127) and the association between youth e-cigarette use and tobacco status at the end of the program. The research was conducted using SPSS to analyze tobacco cessation outcomes by age group and e-cigarette use. Chi square analysis was conducted between e-cigarette use and the tobacco status of youth and adults. Results showed significant associations between tobacco status by age group as well as by youth e-cigarette use. The data shows that e-cigarettes show promising potential for use as a cessation tool among participants attempting to quit tobacco use. Understanding behaviors in electronic cigarette use is important to implementing changes in clean indoor air policies, understanding the best practices for effective tobacco cessation in order to improve quit and abstinence rates, and advancing accurate perceptions on the safety of e-cigarette use for all users.


Active Control of Underwater Propulsor Using Shape Memory Alloys. (December 2005) Jonathan Allen Wasylyszyn, B.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Othon Rediniotis The development of a leading edge propeller blade reconfiguration system using Shape Memory Allow (SMA) muscles is presented. This work describes the design and testing of a leading edge flap, which is used to alter the local camber of a propeller blade. The leading edge flap is deflected by SMA wires housed in the blade and maintained in a fixed position with a shaft locking and releasing mechanism. A locking and releasing mechanism is utilized so that constant actuation of the SMAs is not required to maintain leading edge deflection. The profile at 70% span of the propeller blade was used to create a two-dimensional blade for leading edge flap design implementation and load testing. Deflection of up to five degrees was obtained with the final design of the leading edge flap and locking and releasing mechanism. The SMA muscles used to deflect the leading edge were actuated electronically through resistive heating and were controlled by a proportional/integral gain control algorithm with closed-loop feedback from a linear displacement sensor within the blade. With the final design of the leading edge flap and locking and releasing mechanism, a preliminary design for a three-dimensional propeller was created.


The authors use microdata from the 1999 and 2005 Surveys of Financial Security to identify changes in household debt, and discuss their potential implications for monetary policy and financial stability. They document an increase in the debt-income ratio, which rose from 0.75 to 0.95, on average. Rising debt ratios were driven by a 50 per cent increase in mortgage balances among the middle-aged, a doubling of credit card debt among households over 55, and a fourfold increase in home equity lines of credit among small business owners and households without high school diplomas. The authors identify rising debt-income ratios among households in the bottom income quintile as the most important development of the years 1999 through 2005, signalling greater sensitivity to rising interest rates or negative income shocks -- particularly among income-poor homeowners, whose 2005 mortgage obligations totalled 72 per cent of income. Meanwhile, an increase in the portfolio share for which real estate accounts, particularly among the middleaged, suggests that household balance sheets have become more sensitive to changes in the housing market. In addition to poor households, the authors identify former bankrupts, younger households, and the self-employed as more indebted and hence at greater risk.


Eight different tests for antibodies to feline coronavirus (FCoV) were evaluated for attributes that are important in situations in veterinary practice. We compared four indirect immunofluorescent antibody tests (IFAT), one enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (FCoV Immunocomb; Biogal) and three rapid immunochromatographic (RIM) tests against a panel of samples designated by consensus as positive or negative. Specificity was 100% for all but the two IFATs based on transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), at 83.3% and 97.5%. The IFAT and ELISA tests were best for obtaining an antibody titre and for working in the presence of virus. The RIM tests were the best for obtaining a result quickly (10–15 mins); of these, the Speed F-Corona was the most sensitive, at 92.4%, followed by FASTest feline infectious peritonitis (FIP; 84.6%) and Anigen Rapid FCoV antibody test (64.1%). Sensitivity was 100% for the ELISA, one FCoV IFAT and one TGEV IFAT; and 98.2% for a second TGEV IFA and 96.1% for a second FCoV IFAT. All tests worked with effusions, even when only blood products were stipulated in the instruction manual. The ELISA and Anigen RIM tests were best for small quantities of sample. The most appropriate FCoV antibody test to use depends on the reason for testing: in excluding a diagnosis of FIP, sensitivity, specificity, small sample quantity, rapidity and ability to work in the presence of virus all matter. For FCoV screening, speed and sensitivity are important, and for FCoV elimination antibody titre is essential.