The privacy concerns discussed in the 1990s in relation to the New Genetics failed to anticipate the relevant issues for individuals, families, geneticists and society. Consumers, for example, can now buy their personal genetic information and share it online. The challenges facing genetic privacy have evolved as new biotechnologies have developed, and personal privacy is increasingly challenged by the irrepressible fl ow of electronic data between the personal and public spheres and by surveillance for terrorism and security risks. This book considers the right to know and the right not to know about our own and others' genomes. It discusses new privacy concerns and developments in ethical thinking, with the greater emphasis on solidarity and equity. The multidisciplinary approach covers current topics such as biobanks and forensic databases, DIY testing, group rights and accountability, the food we eat and the role of the press and the new digital media.


The use of nano-emulsions has great advantages over conventional macro-emulsions since the small droplet size allows to expand the options of applications besides presenting a greater surface area. This chapter focuses on the formulation of nano-emulsions of citrus essential oils in water, stabilized with a natural gum (mesquite gum), using a high pressure microfluidic homogenizer to obtain appropriate physicochemical characteristics and kinetic stability. When establishing the general conditions of the methods for obtaining nano-emulsions by high pressure homogenization, several formulations presented stability and size corresponding to nano-emulsions, and these were monitored during 4 months in order to study their stability as a function of time. Taking into account the results of size and stability, the best nano-emulsion obtained had a composition of Persian lemon oil (9.86%), mesquite gum (4.93%) Tween 80 (4.89%), Span 20 (1.45%), and deionized water (78.86%) with an average droplet size of 40 nm. In addition, the antibacterial activity studies also showed that this formulation had the best per-formance against common bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . The analysis of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) shows that it is possible to prevent the growth of these particular bacteria using 6.25% of the best nano-emulsion formulations.


In the closing decade of the twentieth century Joumalism was perceived to be in crisis, as profit-driven, corporatized media conglomerates seemed to enforce market driven editorial approaches. What debate there was about such matters in the UK tended to focus on the national news media, particularly that section of the press colloquially known as `Fleet Street'. Yet the impact of these tendencies was also apparently evident among local newspapers, which Tunstall (1996) said had suffered `meltdown'. These titles supposedly contained less news and more newszak (Franklin 1997). One of the most notable consequences of this trend , was an apparent decline in the amount of political information published. Yet at the end of the 1990s more politics was introduced into the UK with the establishment of devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Drawing on descriptions and analyses of the local press in the USA, Canada, Australia and elsewhere, as well as other parts of the UK, this study explores the contemporary making of local news by taking a snapshot of the local press in south-east Wales at the beginning of the twenty-first century, and against the backdrop of the introduction of the National Assembly for Wales. Interviews with a group of local newspaper editors and with a number of journalism educators; documentary and data analysis; post factor participant observation and a short non-participant observation, and thematic textual analysis of a time-based sample of fourteen English-language weekly, two evening, one morning and one Sunday newspapers were undertaken. Specific attention was paid to the reporting of politics. The persistent idea of proximity - the role of constructs of territorial and cognitive place - in journalism was taken as a starting point to utilize the work of Aldridge (2003), Griffin (2002), Hartley (1998), Law (2001), Rossow and Dunwoody (1991) and Temple (2004) to suggest forms of journalism which were banal, precise, enabling and affiliated. These indicated that what was called `news' was routinely scoped, mobilizing identity, utility and association, around what was believed to constitute territorial and cognitive belonging. Moreover, senses of belonging were often complementary rather than conflicting. These ideas challenge the orthodoxy that news is primarily scaled (from `small' to `big') and that journalism is essentially competitive. While it was found that these conditions were not exclusive to the local press, the ways in which they were configured were specific. The key aspect was the preparedness of journalists to concede their `professional' claims to news-making to contributing members of the public. That this occurred far more readily in the local press led to the conclusion that local journalism was not merely a minor variant of journalism practised elsewhere, but a distinct emergent form more ambivalently related to press commercialism. Furthermore, it is suggested that formal press structures and the accepted hierarchies of journalism no longer express as precisely as they were once assumed to such distinctions in contemporary editorial approaches.


In the oil and gas industry there is a high focus on integrating technology in the environmental monitoring happening before, during and after an offshore operation. In order to properly monitor the underwater environment, good images are needed. This can be achieved when proper equipment is used together with an underwater platform. There is a need for a good strategy on how to do underwater imaging in different environments. The strategy is used by the personnel involved in the operation, and to ensure that the right equipment and platform is selected for the job. A strategy on underwater imaging is presented and can be applied to analyse environmental monitoring operations from a top-down approach. The lack of natural light in underwater operations and the effect this has on the visibility is also of great importance. This is presented and investigated through an imaging experiment. Analyses of control methods have been conducted for ROV Minerva. This is a ROV that has been tested and developed through the AUR-Lab at the Department of Marine Technology at NTNU. In unknown areas and with poor visibility, it is important to maintain a good control of the ROV. The focus has been on how a joystick can be used with manual control and in a closed-loop control to make it easy for the pilot to navigate the vehicle. A joystick simulation system was developed for testing the joystick, and full scale experiments were conducted using ROV Minerva. The tests show promising results for using a joystick in closed-loop control. The different methods can become an important tool when navigating mobile platforms during underwater operations in known and unknown areas. The conclusion cannot account for all situations, as it also highly depends on the experience of the pilot. Therefore the joystick control should be tailored for each operation.


This book includes updated post-election material. The NHS devastated without so much as a by-your-leave; Gen Y hung out to dry; legal aid cut for the vulnerable; social housing on the brink of collapse...Cameron has been busy. Margaret Thatcher sold off the nationalised industries, her political heirs are intent on leaving an even more radical legacy - selling off the state itself. Written with their trademark precision and passion, Toynbee and Walker reveal how in four short years a party that failed to win a Commons majority has been devastatingly effective. Blending polls and statistics with moving human stories from Taunton to Teesside, Sydenham to Sheffield, Cameron's Coup shows the alarming reversal in decades of social progress. As Toynbee and Walker argue, it has been nothing short of a revolution. And they ask the pressing question: are these changes irrevocable? This is essential reading for anyone who cares about their country.


Background: The relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum depression is bidirectional. Breastfeeding improves the maternal and neonatal health. There is now growing evidence that it might play a role in the prevention of postpartum depression. Objective: This study explores the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal postpartum depression. It also estimates the prevalence rate of postpartum depression among Saudi women. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Three-hundred postpartum women were recruited for this study from various hospitals in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Likelihood of depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Socio-demographic data were collected as well as data regarding breastfeeding duration and intention to breastfeed. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 21, using parametric tests; independent t-test and One-Way ANOVA. Results: Postpartum mothers who intended to breast-feed their babies had a lower EPDS scores compared with those who did not intend to breast-feed. No correlation was found between the duration of breastfeeding and EPDS scores. Prevalence rate of postpartum depression in our sample was 14%. Greater age, having previous babies, intention to breastfeed and vaginal delivery were significantly associated with actual breastfeeding. Conclusion: Screening for mothers in the early postpartum period is essential to detect those who are at risk for postpartum depression. Breastfeeding may help to reduce and prevent the appearance of symptoms of depression. Prevalence rate of postpartum depression in Saudi Arabia, 14%, is similar to the worldwide rate.


This paper considers the compound wiretap channel, which generalizes Wyner's wiretap model to allow the channels to the (legitimate) receiver and to the eavesdropper to take a number of possible states. No matter which states occur, the transmitter guarantees that the receiver decodes its message and that the eavesdropper is kept in full ignorance about the message. The compound wiretap channel can also be viewed as a multicast channel with multiple eavesdroppers, in which the transmitter sends information to all receivers and keeps the information secret from all eavesdroppers. For the discrete memoryless channel, lower and upper bounds on the secrecy capacity are derived. The secrecy capacity is established for the degraded channel and the semideterministic channel with one receiver. The parallel Gaussian channel is further studied. The secrecy capacity and the secrecy degree of freedom (s.d.o. f .) are derived for the degraded case with one receiver. Schemes to achieve the s.d.o. f . for the case with two receivers and two eavesdroppers are constructed to demonstrate the necessity of a prefix channel in encoder design. Finally, the multi-antenna (i.e., MIMO) compound wiretap channel is studied. The secrecy capacity is established for the degraded case and an achievable s.d.o. f . is given for the general case.


The development of the Internet and emerging technologies offer government new opportunities to serve and interact with citizens in transformative ways that were not possible before. E-government is concerned with transforming service delivery and the fundamental relationship between government and citizens. Most governments have realized the importance of ICT and are therefore moving away from the conventional means of services delivery to the use of e-government. However, e-government has been faced with multiple implementation challenges, particularly in the developing countries, consequently, affecting their success rates. There are very few studies that have been conducted in Kenya to establish success factors and uptake of e-government from a citizen perspective. The aim of this research was to identify these factors and challenges that hinder successful implementation of e-government from a citizen-centric perspective. Specifically, the study identified implementation challenges of e-government in the Kenyan context with special focus on Huduma (Service) Centres. We developed and administered a data collection instrument to citizens at the main Huduma Centre in Nairobi County. Our findings indicate that the greatest challenges faced by citizens in accessing e-government services in order of importance are: inadequate ICT Infrastructure, low citizen participation, poor Internet Connectivity, low government funding and low level of awareness. We also identified challenges and made recommendations to inform future projects.


You have stated that the "clash of ideas" in negotiation is valuable to diplomacy. But are there boundaries to the value of negotiation? When is a clash of ideas no longer positive, but destructive, and at what point does negotiation cease to be reasonable? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The only time when discussions and negotiations are destructive is if they are a substitute for effective action--when they become a means by which one is prevented from doing what needs to be done to achieve positive goals. In other words, if negotiations are not conducted in good faith but instead are used by one side as a means to avoid or prevent effective action and the pursuit of positive goals by the other side, then they are counterproductive. And it is very hard to judge at times whether the people you are negotiating with are conducting negotiations in good faith or not. Negotiations could also be counterproductive if they create a false hope or expectation that something positive will happen, when in fact some of the parties involved in the negotiation have no intention of making progress. So there are circumstances in which negotiation is not productive. Negotiation is, of course, one of the tools available in the toolbox of diplomacy. Not all tools are the right tools for every situation. So we need to be flexible and make decisions as to what tools--what combination of tools--are appropriate for dealing with particular situations. One very serious clash of ideas relates to the current and past troubles in the Middle East--specifically, the rift within Islam between moderate and extremist groups. In terms of the toolbox of diplomacy, which tools can the United States and its allies use to ensure that extremist groups in the Middle East are contained? This is the most important geopolitical challenge that we face--the issue of what is happening in the broader Middle East--because developments in that region impact not only the security of that region, but also the security and the future of the world. When looking at the sources of support for extremism, there are a number of things to consider. One of these is the broader clash or crisis within Islam itself. Muslims for some time have been divided on the issue of what has gone wrong and what needs to be done to fix it. The belief is--and there is truth in it--that at one time Islamic civilization was doing quite well. It was a civilization on the march. It was doing well politically, economically, culturally. And we see the great strides, the great contributions that were made by Islamic civilization, particularly in the sciences. But there has been a decline, and the question is what has gone wrong and what to do about it. And as a result of engaging on these two questions, different schools and movements have emerged. One of these schools that has acquired a lot of prominence in recent years has been the more extremist interpretation of Islam, which says that the reason why Muslims declined is that they moved away from the "true" Islam. They claim that only their interpretation of Islam, which is an extremist interpretation, is "true" Islam and that only by going back or embracing this version of Islam can Muslims achieve greatness once again and overcome their decline. Others have had other alternative views, one believing that only by doing what those who are successful right now are doing, can one achieve success. That means moving toward separation of church and state, democracy, secularism, and a market-oriented economy. And then there is the middle school--that you can reconcile Islam and modernity. But because of a variety of developments, the two more moderate schools--which had at one time been dominant--have been weakened, and the extremists have gained power. They use terror as a means, and that has given them the prominence they need. Now they are dominant in some places, but not everywhere. …


An aminopeptidase gene named XAP has been isolated from Xanthomonas campestris pv. citri, a plant pathogenic bacterium. The bacterium is one of the rare micro-organisms susceptible to ascamycin, an aminoacyl nucleoside antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis. Sequence analysis reveals that the gene encodes a 311 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 35134 Da and approx. 50% identity for amino acids to the proline iminopeptidase from Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The XAP gene product, Xap, expressed in Escherichia coli has proline iminopeptidase activity as well as ascamycin dealanylating activity in vitro.


In a meeting last year with Ohio Governor George V. Voinovich, Chilean economist Jose Pinera offered this challenge to the United States: "You won the arms race. Let's see whether you can also win the pension race." In an age of lengthened life expectancies and escalating ratios of retirees to workers, efforts are underway to revamp state retirement benefits programs around the world. As the US Social Security system, which uses the revenue from current payroll taxes for benefits payments to current retirees approaches insolvency, reformers are increasingly turning their attention to foreign models of pension privatization. In answering President Clinton's call for a national debate on the future of Social Security, policy-makers would do well to consider foreign approaches. Chile converted from a pay-as-you-go system similar to US Social Security to a privately administered system of individual retirement accounts in 1981. Over the last seventeen years, the South American nation has seen a remarkable rise in its savings rate, which has in turn boosted overall productivity growth. One of the most impressive statistics is Chile's 12 percent average real return on investment (payroll taxes). While US workers can expect to receive a meager two percent rate of return from the government, which does not invest Social Security intakes, Chileans are raising their nation's capital stock by collecting large windfalls from equity investments. Under the Chilean plan, employers automatically deposit ten percent of a worker's wages in an individual account. This contribution goes untaxed, and a worker may choose to inject as much as an additional ten percent, pre-tax, into his account. The key to the empowerment of the worker, however, is his involvement in the investment of his assets through the selection of a management fund. Fourteen private companies, Asociacion de Fondos de Pensiones (AFPs), dominate the market from which workers choose. The AFPs, however, are subject to government regulation, limiting the range of investments in their portfolios. According to Pinera, who designed the Chilean pension system while serving as the country's labor and social security secretary, even these regulations will gradually be phased out. The flexibility granted to workers under the Chilean program extends to the collection of benefits. At retirement, a worker can decide either to use his personal account funds toward the purchase of an annuity from a private life insurer, or to make fixed withdrawals of an amount determined by his life expectancy and those of his dependents. This design offers a high degree of individual tailoring to participants and thus raises the efficiency of the entire system. …


OF D.M.A. PROJECT ADAPTING TRADITIONAL KENTUCKY THUMBPICKING REPERTOIRE FOR THE CLASSICAL GUITAR During the first half of the twentieth century, a unique style of guitar playing known as Kentucky thumbpicking was developed by a handful of musicians in the western coal field region of Kentucky. This guitar tradition was elevated to national prominence by country guitar virtuoso Merle Travis. Subsequently, this style became characterized as "Travis Picking." Kentucky thumbpicking incorporates a steady and muted bass line that alternates between the root, fifth or third of a chord. The bass is also accentuated with the use of a thumbpick worn on the right hand. Simultaneously, the index, occasionally middle and ring fingers, play the harmony and melody on the upper strings of the guitar in a syncopated rhythm. Thumbpicking is venerated because of its reverence for individualism and adaptability. One of the primary reasons it has become so prominent is because of its flexibility; it is able to be adapted to various types of music. An historical overview of Kentucky thumbpicking is provided in order to trace its origins and development as well as explaining the style's technical traits. Arrangements of a select few songs from the advent of this style's development are transcribed and discussed in order to demonstrate how this repertoire translates to the classical guitar and guitar playing techniques. Insight from the perspective of a classically trained guitarist will illustrate how thumbpicking procedures can be incorporated into the classical guitar repertoire. Thereby introducing Kentucky thumbpicking to a new audience.


Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) complexes, the structures that contain heterogeneous nuclear RNA and its associated proteins, constitute one of the most abundant components of the eukaryotic nucleus. hnRNPs appear to play important roles in the processing, and possibly also in the transport, of mRNA. hnRNP C proteins (C1, M(r) of 41,000; C2, M(r) of 43,000 [by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis]) are among the most abundant pre-mRNA-binding proteins, and they bind tenaciously to sequences relevant to pre-mRNA processing, including the polypyrimidine stretch of introns (when it is uridine rich). C proteins are found in the nucleus during the interphase, but during mitosis they disperse throughout the cell. They have been shown previously to be phosphorylated in vivo, and they can be phosphorylated in vitro by a casein kinase type II. We have identified and partially purified at least two additional C protein kinases. One of these, termed Cs kinase, caused a distinct mobility shift of C proteins on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These phosphorylated C proteins, the Cs proteins, were the prevalent forms of C proteins during mitosis, and Cs kinase activity was also increased in extracts prepared from mitotic cells. Thus, hnRNP C proteins undergo cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation by a cell cycle-regulated protein kinase. Cs kinase activity appears to be distinct from the well-characterized mitosis-specific histone H1 kinase activity. Several additional hnRNP proteins are also phosphorylated during mitosis and are thus also potential substrates for Cs kinase. These novel phosphorylations may be important in regulating the assembly and disassembly of hnRNP complexes and in the function or cellular localization of RNA-binding proteins.


A powerful approach to study membrane proteins is the reconstitution in model
membranes. Methods for arti cial bilayer formation are e.g. membranes on a solid
support, or the classical BLM. In this project, the focus was on the formation of
lipid bilayers on porous substrates combining the stability of solid supports and the
accessibility to both sides of the bilayer of the classical BLM which is necessary for electrical recordings of membrane channels. Commercially available porous substrates, however, are typically not suitable for low-noise electrical experiments or for a combination with further manipulation techniques.Therefore, a microporous
substrate was designed and fabricated meeting several demands: (i) To perform
multiple experiments on one chip, the substrate was devided into four arrays of
pores with separate electrolyte compartments and electrical connections. (ii) A
PMMA/PDMS sample chamber was designed in a way that allows the exchange
of solutions throughout the experiment. (iii) An integrated electrode facilitates
switching between di erent electrical measurement techniques and allows better
access for microscope objectives.
The substrate was fabricated in a multi-step cleanroom technology based process.
Porous arrays of 900 and 9 pores were etched into a thin silicon nitride layer, but
only the small 9-pore arrays turned out to be suitable for lipid bilayer formation,
because the vesicles rupturing on the pore array do not fuse completely and leave
uncovered pores, as fl uorescence microscopy images showed.
The surface of the substrate and the appearance of the pores was characterized
using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and showed a low surface roughness and ordered pores. In addition, the pore-diameter was determined by a pixel analysis of bright field microscopy images and matches the
nominal pore diameter closely.
The substrate and the in fluence of the integrated electrode as well as lipid bilayer
formation was investigated using impedance spectroscopy. The circuit model for
the substrate was shown to be a simple R(RC) circuit, whereas the integrated
electrode contributes with an additional R/CPE element and reveals di ffusive behavior.
Whether external or integrated electrodes are used does not in fluence the lipid
bilayer spectrum which is dominated by the resistance of the membrane and
the high capacitance of the thin silicon nitride layer of the substrate. The theoretical
pore resistance for cylindrical pores was calculated and agrees well with the
experimental results.
As a tests for the suitability of the substrate and the newly built setup for voltage
clamp recordings, alamethicin ion channels were functionally reconstituted into the
lipid bilayers.
Additionally, the expression of polycystin-2, a supposedly mechanosensitive membrane-spanning protein, was adapted from H. F. Canitello and modi fied to be established for future experiments.
In summary, a versatile microporous substrate was developed that is suitable for
solvent-free lipid bilayer formation and functional reconstitution of ion channels.
The substrate can be adapted for many di fferent techniques, such as optical microscopy, impedance spectroscopy and voltage clamp recordings. Because it is
custom-built, modi fications in terms of pore-size and number as well as functionalization of the surface can be adjusted easily.


Infants born to mothers with diabetes commonly experience asymptomatic hypoglycemia after
birth. Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) can detect asymptomatic hypoglycemia in this population without
the need for painful glucose checks. Sixteen infants were studied; 4 with a blinded CGM and 12 with remote monitoring (RM). When there
were confirmatory hospital glucometer readings, the sensitivity of the CGM to detect hypoglycemia was 86%
and the specificity was 91%. The positive predictive value was 55% and the negative predictive value was 98%.
In the full cohort, hypoglycemia (<45 mg/dL) was confirmed in 12 of 16 infants with 30 events at <12 hours of
life (HOL), 3 events between 12 and 24 HOL, and 1 event at >48 HOL. In the RM group, CGM detected
hypoglycemia five times when the infant was not due for a BG check based on the SOC. Overall, the CGM
detected five false-positive alerts and six true-positive alerts for hypoglycemia. Only one hypoglycemic episode
was missed by CGM in the RM group. Barriers to recruitment included fear of pain with glucose checks,
concerns with CGM use, satisfaction with the hospital SOC, personal reasons independent of the study, and lack
of interest in participating in research.


This beautiful book celebrates the remarkable flowering of art in Prague during the reigns of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and his two sons, Wenceslas IV and Sigismund. When crowned king of Bohemia in 1347, Charles vowed to make Prague the cultural rival of Paris and Rome. He rebuilt its castle and began a massive building campaign to glorify Saint Vitus's Cathedral. In the ensuing century, Prague became not only an imperial but also an intellectual and artistic capital. In essays and detailed entries on some 240 artworks drawn from American and European collections, an esteemed group of scholars traces the birth of a distinctly Bohemian art in Prague in the mid-fourteenth century and its diffusion throughout Europe over the next hundred years. Panel paintings, goldsmiths' work, sculpture, stained glass, and illuminated manuscripts bear witness to the wide-ranging achievements of the hundreds of artists who were active in Bohemian lands during this spectacular century. Not since they were created have these magnificent objects been accorded the attention that they deserve on an international stage.


The Rotterdam Rules represent the most comprehensive overhaul of the law of carriage of goods by sea in more than fifty years. To coincide with the signing ceremony, six members of the Institute of Maritime Law have written a detailed commentary on the Rules. The Rotterdam Rules: A Practical Annotation examines the text of the Rules, all ninety-six articles of the new Convention, and compares them to the text of the Hague-Visby Rules, the instrument currently covering most bills of lading. The authors have also examined the judgments in cases decided in the English Courts under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Acts of 1971 and 1992 and have indicated whether these cases would be decided differently under the new Rotterdam Rules.


Purpose: to compare the variables of the Orofacial Assessment with Orophilic Scores between nasal, oral and oronasal respirators. Methods: sample consisting of three distinct groups subdivided into nasal, oral and oronasal respirators, with ages ranging from 6 to 12 years of both genders. The characteristics of the orofacial musculature were measured using the protocol. Results: there was a significant difference between oral and oronasal breathers compared to nasal (p: 0.0007) in specific variables such as palatal conformation (p: 0.0073); (p: 0.0111) and lip (p: 0.0451), with a significant difference between the evaluated groups, this was also observed for the total protocol score (p: 0.0007) and posture / 0.0073), where the nasal respirator differs from the oral and oronasal, the latter being similar. As for lip mobility (p: 0.0451) and tongue (p: 0.0111), the groups studied presented different results among themselves. Conclusion: when comparing the groups of RO and RON in relation to the variables of the AMIOFE protocol, it was verified that there was no statistically significant difference between these two groups, which allows us to conclude that the orofacial myofunctional behavior between RO and RON in this research, was similar.


A $(k_1+k_2)$-bispindle is the union of $k_1$ $(x,y)$-dipaths and $k_2$ $(y,x)$-dipaths, all these dipaths being pairwise internally disjoint. Recently, Cohen et al. showed that for every $(1,1)$- bispindle $B$, there exists an integer $k$ such that every strongly connected digraph with chromatic number greater than $k$ contains a subdivision of $B$. We investigate generalizations of this result by first showing constructions of strongly connected digraphs with large chromatic number without any $(3,0)$-bispindle or $(2,2)$-bispindle. We then consider $(2,1)$-bispindles. Let $B(k_1,k_2;k_3)$ denote the $(2,1)$-bispindle formed by three internally disjoint dipaths between two vertices $x,y$, two $(x,y)$-dipaths, one of length $k_1$ and the other of length $k_2$, and one $(y,x)$-dipath of length $k_3$. We conjecture that for any positive integers $k_1, k_2,k_3$, there is an integer $g(k_1,k_2,k_3)$ such that every strongly connected digraph with chromatic number greater than $g(k_1,k_2,k_3)$ contains a subdivision of $B(k_1,k_2;k_3)$. As evidence, we prove this conjecture for $k_2=1$ (and $k_1, k_3$ arbitrary).


This contribution deals with the integration of spatial data to predict landslide hazard. A database is used containing the spatial distribution of landslides that have occurred in a study area in the northern part of the "Comunita Montana Valtellina di Tirano", in the Lombardy Region of northern Italy. The mountain area is affected by a large number of rotational-translational landslides. The database consists of digital maps of both continuous and categorical data that are considered as influential in determining the conditions of sliding and is to allow the identification of spatial relationships between the distribution of observedmapped landslide trigger zones and that of the integrated map units of the moreor-less "influential" digital maps. Functions of those relationships are used for the characterization and recognition of either known trigger zones or future ones, over the entire study area. Given a mathematical model to establish the spatial relationships using a database, their integration within a study area to generate a landslide hazard map, must be tested for relative significance and quality for the purpose of hazard prediction. For this the dedicated software system Spatial Target Mapping, STM, is used that provides iterative blind testing procedures for a number of spatial prediction models. The analyses, based on empirical likelihood ratios and many blind tests, have clearly identified the capabilities of the database in its present condition for prediction modelling of landslide hazard.


This essay - in Italian - stems from a long-term exploration on the issue of reception. Among relevant matters connected with wider implications of the concept of reception, this study analyses in particular the research on space and relationship with the spectators that Grotowski and his company the Laboratoy Theatre (which included the architect Jerzy Gurawsky) undertook and developed throughout the different phases of their work in the different productions (1959-1969) seeking for the re-enactment of "Ritual Theatre", until the radical change that came with the conception of Active Culture and the practice of the Paratheatre (1970-1978), where spectators were replaced by participants.The essay then summerises the developments and the achievements of the next phases of Grotowski's work, the Theatre of Sources (1979-1982), and the Art as Vehicle (1986-1999), where his focus and experimentations moved from "horizontal" to "vertical" reception.


The production and distribution of food is perhaps the most important single vertical segment of our national economy. More than one-fourth of our personal disposable income goes for food. On the other side of the picture, our farmers receive more than two-thirds of their income from sales of food commodities and perhaps a third of all retail trade is accounted for by sales of food. Substantial proportions of other types of economic activity, such as manufacturing and transportation, are concerned with food. In order to gain insight into the future prospects for the demand for food produced by our farms, processed by our factories, and distributed by our marketing system, we need an over-all perspective of the pattern of food marketing or utilization in recent years. This article, prepared under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (RMA, Title II), is based on a study undertaken to provide such an over-all picture by drawing on all available data.


Pelargonium species are know and popular as the ornamental plants valued for their colorful, showy flowers and attractive leaf shape. Furthermore, some of these species are used in the pharmacy, aromatherapy, perfumery and cosmetic industry as well (Moyo et al. 2012). Most of approximately 280 species of the genus Pelargonium (fam. Geraniaceae) are native for South Africa (Mithila et al. 2001). Some of them such as P. zonale (L.) L'Her. ex Aiton were brought to Europe as early as in 1609. P. zonale var. 'Kleiner Liebling' is one of the pelargonium dwarf varieties with chromosomes number nine, and it is true haploid (monoploid) (Daker 1966), which makes it an interesting model plant.The aim of our study was the observation of in vitro culture of haploid and diploid plants of P. zonale var. 'Kleiner Liebling'. It seems that this is the first attempt to establish an efficient protocol for regeneration in tissue culture conditions for these plants. These studies may serve as a start point for further studies of concerning plants at different ploidy levels.To obtain the plant regeneration, in the tissue culture conditions, we used explants both from mature haploid and diploid. Fragments of stems, parts of leaf petioles and leaf lamina were maintained on MS (Murashige and Skoog) basal media supplemented by several plants growth regulators. The first fodder contained 1 µM 2,4-D and 1 µM KIN; the second – 18,2 µM TDZ and 0,57 µM IAA; the third – 0,44 µM BAP and 0,54 µM NAA; and the fourth – 5,4 µM NAA and 0,44 µM BAP.The morphological and histological examinations showed the differences in morphogenetic response of haploids and diploids in applied tissue culture conditions. The response time for haploid and diploid P. zonale var. 'Kleiner Liebling' plants was also different. First of all, the callus formation on diploid stem explants was observed on eleventh day of culture on the medium with NAA and BAP combination. Two types of callus were observed on both haploid and diploid explants: endogenous and exogenous. The efficiency of callus production varied depending on type of explants used. The most frequent callus formation was found on fragments of stems and leaf blades (they responded in 100%), while leaf petioles were less efficient, 70% in diploids and 50 % for haploids.Organogenesis (mainly direct) was achieved in three types of explants; however, the response was different for haploids and diploids. Shoots were observed in most cases on haploid petiole leafs, whereas direct organogenesis in diploid explants was observed on stems and leaf blades.The optimal combination of plant hormones for the induction of adventitious shoots were TDZ and IAA (second fodder), while in the medium supplemented with 2,4‑D and KIN organogenesis was not recorded at all. Regenerated adventitious shoots were transferred to solid 1/2 MS medium, where their multiplication and successful development were observed.Direct rhizogenesis was induced only on stem explants. For haploids, roots were obtained on the medium containing TDZ with IAA and 2,4-D with KIN (the first and the second fodders), for diploids third and fourth media (supplemented with NAA and BAP in different concentrations) were suitable.The histological analysis confirmed the direct organogenesis and rhizogenesis, as well as heterogeneous origin of callus in diploid and haploid plants.In conclusion the crucial factor for organogenesis induction seems to be TDZ with combination with IAA application, what correlates with other experimental reports, where TDZ has been reported to induce adventitious shoot buds in number of plant species (Acharjee et al. 2012)In our experiments the somatic embryogenesis induction was not observed, although it is described in Pelargonium (Wojtania et al. 2004). However the SEM analysis showed the ECM (extracellular matrix) presence in diploid and haploid explants of leaf petioles, which may suggest the embryogenic potential of this experimental system. Future investigations are necessary for improving the culture protocols to obtain somatic embryos, plant regeneration and improvement of shoots formation.


Two kinds of multi-air-core optical fibers were designed and fabricated by extruding optical grade PMMA pellets and drawing to fiber. The imaging function of the fibers was investigated with home-made specialized microscopy. This new type of fiber provides strong potential for applications in endoscopy, chemical sensing, biosensors, fiber-optical faceplates.


Today, open-source software (OSS) is used in various applications. It has played a vital role in information systems of many user groups such as commercials, research, education, public health, and tourism . It is also a source of additional knowledge for collaborators because this type of software is easily accessible through websites that provide management of version control services such as GitHub. However, a recent study shows an increasing trend in the existence of code smells . In OSS, there is a growing number of code smells that cause software errors. Having a code smell in software is a serious issue since it impacts the software in terms of deployment, maintenance as well as user confidence toward the software. Finding code smells in the early stages of software development would provide for better software maintenance and reliability; thus, researchers invented the Zsmell software system that helps search for code smells in the source code saved in GitHub. Developed systems display data related to code smells in each source code version that was modified by collaborators. Thus, the developers will be able to employ the proper refactoring method, which is a change in the internal structure of software without changing the original functionality of the software . We believe that this system will enable open source collaborators to improve the quality of their OSS, especially on code smell reduction and the understanding of various types of code smell commonly found in OSS projects .


In this study, the momentum and energy equations of laminar flow of a non-Newtonian fluid are solved in an axisymmetric porous channel using the least square and Galerkin methods. The bottom plate is heated by an external hot gas, and a coolant fluid is injected into the channel from the upper plate. The arising nonlinear coupled partial differential equations are reduced to a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations using stream function.These equations can be solved using the different numerical method. The numerical solution is conducted using fourth order Rung-Kutta method. With comparing the results obtained from the analytical and numerical methods, a good adaptation can be seen between them. It can also be observed that the results of the Galerkin method have further conformity with the numerical results and the Galerkin method is simpler than the least square method and requires fewer computations. The effects of Reynolds number, Prandtl number and power law index of non-Newtonian fluid is examined on flow field and heat transfer. The results show that Nusselt number increases by increasing Reynolds number, Prandtl number, and power law index.


When the vast wartime factories of the Manhattan Project began producing plutonium in quantities never before seen on earth, scientists working on thetop-secret bomb-building program grew apprehensive. Fearful that plutoniummight cause a cancer epidemic among workers and desperate to learn more about what it could do to the human body, the Manhattan Project's medical docto When the vast wartime factories of the Manhattan Project began producing plutonium in quantities never before seen on earth, scientists working on the top-secret bomb-building program grew apprehensive. Fearful that plutonium might cause a cancer epidemic among workers and desperate to learn more about what it could do to the human body, the Manhattan Project's medical doctors embarked upon an experiment in which eighteen unsuspecting patients in hospital wards throughout the country were secretly injected with the cancer-causing substance. Most of these patients would go to their graves without ever knowing what had been done to them. Now, in The Plutonium Files, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Eileen Welsome reveals for the first time the breadth of the extraordinary fifty-year cover-up surrounding the plutonium injections, as well as the deceitful nature of thousands of other experiments conducted on American citizens in the postwar years. Welsome's remarkable investigation spans the 1930s to the 1990s and draws upon hundreds of newly declassified documents and other primary sources to disclose this shadowy chapter in American history. She gives a voice to such innocents as Helen Hutchison, a young woman who entered a prenatal clinic in Nashville for a routine checkup and was instead given a radioactive ""cocktail"" to drink, Gordon Shattuck, one of several boys at a state school for the developmentally disabled in Massachusetts who was fed radioactive oatmeal for breakfast, and Maude Jacobs, a Cincinnati woman suffering from cancer and subjected to an experimental radiation treatment designed to help military planners learn how to win a nuclear war. Welsome also tells the stories of the scientists themselves, many of whom learned the ways of secrecy on the Manhattan Project. Among them are Stafford Warren, a grand figure whose bravado masked a cunning intelligence, Joseph Hamilton, who felt he was immune to the dangers of radiation only to suffer later from a fatal leukemia, and physician Louis Hempelmann, one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the plan to inject humans with potentially carcinogenic doses of plutonium. Hidden discussions of fifty years past are reconstructed here, wherein trusted government officials debated the ethical and legal implications of the experiments, demolishing forever the argument that these studies took place in a less enlightened era. Powered by her groundbreaking reportage and singular narrative gifts, Eileen Welsome has created a work of profound humanity as well as major historical significance.


This paper argues that banks must be sufficiently levered to have first-best incentives to make new risky loans. This result, which is at odds with the notion that leverage invariably leads to excessive risk taking, derives from two key premises that focus squarely on the role of banks as informed lenders. First, banks finance projects that they do not own, which implies that they cannot extract all the profits. Second, banks conduct a credit risk analysis before making new loans. Our model may help understand why banks take on additional unsecured debt, such as unsecured deposits and subordinated loans, over and above their existing deposit base. It may also help understand why banks and finance companies have similar leverage ratios, even though the latter are not deposit takers and hence not subject to the same regulatory capital requirements as banks. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. JEL classification: G21; G32


Abstract. A new version of the Global Model of Aerosol Processes (GLOMAP) is described, which uses a two-moment pseudo-modal aerosol dynamics approach rather than the original two-moment bin scheme. GLOMAP-mode simulates the multi-component global aerosol, resolving sulfate, sea-salt, dust, black carbon (BC) and particulate organic matter (POM), the latter including primary and biogenic secondary POM. Aerosol processes are simulated in a size-resolved manner including primary emissions, secondary particle formation by binary homogeneous nucleation of sulfuric acid and water, particle growth by coagulation, condensation and cloud-processing and removal by dry deposition, in-cloud and below-cloud scavenging. A series of benchmark observational datasets are assembled against which the skill of the model is assessed in terms of normalised mean bias (b) and correlation coefficient (R). Overall, the model performs well against the datasets in simulating concentrations of aerosol precursor gases, chemically speciated particle mass, condensation nuclei (CN) and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Surface sulfate, sea-salt and dust mass concentrations are all captured well, while BC and POM are biased low (but correlate well). Surface CN concentrations compare reasonably well in free troposphere and marine sites, but are underestimated at continental and coastal sites related to underestimation of either primary particle emissions or new particle formation. The model compares well against a compilation of CCN observations covering a range of environments and against vertical profiles of size-resolved particle concentrations over Europe. The simulated global burden, lifetime and wet removal of each of the simulated aerosol components is also examined and each lies close to multi-model medians from the AEROCOM model intercomparison exercise.


Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in the cavity of the recombinant Dps cage-shaped protein from Listeria innocua (rLiDps) modifying the slow chemical reaction synthesis (SCRY) and two-step synthesis protocol (TSSP). The SCRY is realized by stabilizing cadmium ions as tetraamminecadmium and employing thioacetic acid (which is added in the final stage of the TSSP). The optimized condition produced cubic CdS NPs in the rLiDps cavity with an average diameter of 4.2 nm and small size dispersion. These CdS NPs showed photoluminescence. It was also found that the pH of the reaction solution affects the elemental composition CdS NPs. At pH 4.5 and 6.5, CdxSy (x < y) NPs were obtained, and at pH 8.5, cubic CdS NPs were synthesized at pH 8.5.


Optimal transport (\OT) theory defines a powerful set of tools to compare probability distributions. \OT~suffers however from a few drawbacks, computational and statistical, which have encouraged the proposal of several regularized variants of OT in the recent literature, one of the most notable being the \textit{sliced} formulation, which exploits the closed-form formula between univariate distributions by projecting high-dimensional measures onto random lines. We consider in this work a more general family of ground metrics, namely \textit{tree metrics}, which also yield fast closed-form computations and negative definite, and of which the sliced-Wasserstein distance is a particular case (the tree is a chain). We propose the tree-sliced Wasserstein distance, computed by averaging the Wasserstein distance between these measures using random tree metrics, built adaptively in either low or high-dimensional spaces. Exploiting the negative definiteness of that distance, we also propose a positive definite kernel, and test it against other baselines on a few benchmark tasks.


Abstract This study was aimed at comparing the effectiveness and efficiency of direct instruction and problem solving approaches in teaching social skills to children with mental retardation. The design was adapted alternating treatment design. The subjects of the study consist of a girl and a boy between the ages of 11 and 13 who are mentally retarded. In order to collect the research data, teacher's interview form, the control check lists of social skills, criterion-referenced tests and data record sheets to use during direct instruction and problem solving approaches, efficiency form were developed and used. Visual graphical analysis method was used in the analysis of the data. The outcome shows that direct instruction approach was more effective than problem solving approach in teaching social skills to first subject. In acquisition of social skills direct instruction was more efficient in terms of total training time and training errors through criterion than problem solving approach. Key Words Direct instruction, problem solving approach, skill training, social skills, mental retardation Social skills include skills of decision such as to establish verbal communication via starting and keeping communication, to express emotions such as wishes, likes and dislikes, rejecting; group work, to cope with negative situations, skills of eating at restaurants, using communal means such as public transportation, ATMs and skills of making choice (Cakir 2006, Varol 2004). Having social skills is important for building and maintaining positive relationships and getting positive feedback for these social behaviors (Cartledge & Milburn, 1986; Sargent, 1991; Sucuoglu & Cifci, 2001). Additionally, gaining such skills are regarded as a must for being accepted by peers (Huang & Cuvo, 1997; Sucuoglu & Cifci, 2001). People get necessary skills by modeling people around them and using cognitive strategies they own to live independently in society (Ozyurek, 1983; Snell, 1993). However individuals afflicted with mental disability may not have the chance to model and learn socially accepted behaviors because of the constraints in their lives (Huang & Cuvo, 1997). Segregated special education schools serve few opportunities to teach social skills and this limits mentally disabled students from gaining such skills (Sazak, 2003). Teachers' frequent criticism about inappropriate behaviors of mentally disabled students causes an increase in misbehaviors and inability to develop social skills when they are placed into regular classroom settings (Ozyurek, 1999). There are various effective ways to teach social skills to mentally retarded individuals. Some of them are direct instruction approach, problem solving approach, collaborative teaching method, and peer tutoring intervention (Alptekin, 2010; Avcioglu, 2001; Chadsey-Rusch, 1992; Cifci, 2001; Klingenberg & Rusch, 1991; O' Reilly & Chadsey- Rusch, 1992; Park & Gaylord-Ross, 1989; Sazak, 2003; Wolery, Ault, & Doyle, 1992). In this research direct instruction approach and problem solving method have been mentioned. Direct instruction approach consists of modelling, guided practices, separate practice levels and it is a teaching method in which repeated exercises are performed to maintain permanency (Cornish, 2003; Cakir, 2006; Dagseven, 2001; Kemp & Carter 2002; Ozokcu, 2007; Pearson & Gallagher, 1983). Problem solving approach aims to make people who have a high level of receptive and expressive language gain social skills by teaching problem solving steps (Cifci & Sucuoglu, 2004; Klingenberg & Rusch, 1991; Ladd & Mize, 1983). In literature, we have studies about the efficacy of programs based on direct instruction approach in social skills teaching (Alptekin, 2010; Chadsey- Rusch, Karlan, Riva, & Rusch, 1984; Cakir 2006; Foxx, McMorrow, Storey, & Rogers, 1984; Kramer & Rodey 1997; Knapczyk 1989; La Greca, Stone, & Bell 1983; Ozokcu 2007; Wheeler, Bates, Marshall, & Miller, 1988). …


Excerpt] Innovations in work organisation have the potential to optimise production processes in companies and improve employees' overall experience of work. This report explores the links between innovations in work organisation – under the broader label of high performance work practices (HPWPs) – and the potential benefits for both employees and organisations. It draws on empirical evidence from three case studies carried out in the Republic of Ireland, where workplace innovations have resulted in positive outcomes and where social partners played a significant role in their design and development.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To determine the sexual function in Iranian women using different methods of contraception.

BACKGROUND
Failure in family planning programmes can lead to reduced quality of life and threaten the health of the families in developing countries. One of the major causes of failure in family planning methods could be due to complications of them. One of the major unpleasant side effects of these methods, as an important cause of the rejection, is sexual dysfunction.

DESIGN
A case-control study.

METHODS
In this study, samples included 608 married women aged 15-49 years from Shahin Shahr health centres in Isfahan. Stratified sampling method was used to determine entitlement to select health centres, and convenience sampling method was used for women selection. The selected samples, based on using contraceptive methods, were divided into case group (n = 306) and control group (n = 302). Data were collected using sexual function questionnaire in women using different methods of contraception. Data were analysed by descriptive statistic and anova.

RESULTS
Results of independent t-test showed significant difference in all domains of sexual function in two groups (p < 0·05). Most contraceptive methods in control group were natural methods (28·4%), and the least used was vasectomy (1·8%). Findings showed that the least sexual dysfunction in Iranian women was in condom use method, and the most was in vasectomy method. There was asignificant difference between all domains of sexual function (except pain) in types of contraceptive methods (p < 0·05).

CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed that in family planning programmes, contraceptive methods in women that are more effective and have less sexual function impairments should be recommended.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
Knowledge and awareness of the healthcare professionals regarding the sexual problems should be increased. Management of sexual dysfunction in a holistic approach in the primary care services might improve the wellness and quality of life of the women.


Drawing on both regime and falun gong sources, this article analyses two conflicting depictions of falun gong's organizational structure, communications system and financing base. It first presents the regime's view that falun gong was a well organized movement, with a clear hierarchical structure, a centralized administrative system, functional specialization of organizational tasks, a well-developed communications and mobilization system, and a fulsome financial base built on undue profits derived from charging excessive admissions to qigong seminars and selling falun gong publications and icons at substantial mark-ups. In stark contrast, falun gong claimed that it had no organizational structure, no membership rosters, no local offices, telephones or financial accounts; and that its adherents were prohibited from receiving remuneration for teaching falun gong, that it charged the lowest training seminars admission and cheapest prices for publications and material. The article attributes the differences to adversarial polemics, the regime's fervour to criminalize, and the falun gong's eagerness to deny those charges. Some of the discrepancies can also be explained by the status of the falun gong as an evolving and clandestine social organization with changing features and practices, survival structures and camouflage mechanisms. Both regime and falun gong could thus stake their respective claims on different manifestations of the falun gong on arguable but ambivalent evidence.


The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is widely expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) and activates many growth and survival pathways within tumor cells. EGFR-targeting agents are only modestly effective in treating HNSCC, however, and a consistent mechanism of resistance has not been identified, in part, due to the paucity of preclinical models. This dissertation focuses on generating EGFR-inhibitor resistant preclinical models in order to identify biomarkers that may be predictive of response to these agents.

We have assessed the response of a panel of HNSCC cell lines to the EGFR inhibitors erlotinib and cetuximab to determine their relevance as models of resistance to these agents. We defined a narrow range of response to erlotinib in HNSCC cells in vitro. We attempted to generate models of cetuximab resistance in cell line-derived xenografts and heterotopic tumorgrafts directly from primary HNSCC patient tumors. Our studies in HNSCC suggest that heterotopic xenografts are more representative of patient response to cetuximab than cell-line derived xenografts, although we did establish a model of cetuximab resistance from bladder cancer cell line-derived xenografts.

A candidate-based approach was used to examine the role of HER2, HER3, and c-Met on mediating EGFR inhibitor resistance. We identified increased phosphorylation of a carboxyl-terminal fragment of HER2 (611-CTF) in cetuximab-resistant cells. Afatinib, an irreversible kinase inhibitor targeting EGFR and HER2, successfully restored cetuximab sensitivity in vitro. When afatinib was combined with cetuximab in vivo, we observed an additive growth inhibitory effect in cetuximab-resistant xenografts. We also show that while c-Met activity is not sufficient to alter cellular response to erlotinib, concomitant inhibition of c-Met and EGFR is required for the deactivation of MAPK in the presence of stimulatory ligands. These data support the proposed role for co-targeting c-Met with EGFR in the treatment of HNSCC.

The studies presented here are significant because, in addition to suggesting that 611-CTF may be a novel biomarker for cetuximab resistance, they provide a thorough assessment of modeling EGFR inhibitor resistance in HNSCC and suggest heterotopic tumorgrafts as a plausible new model for examining cetuximab resistance in future studies.


What use can the brain make of the massive flow of sensory information that occurs without any associated rewards or punishments? This question is reviewed in the light of connectionist models of unsupervised learning and some older ideas, namely the cognitive maps and working models of Tolman and Craik, and the idea that redundancy is important for understanding perception (Attneave 1954), the physiology of sensory pathways (Barlow 1959), and pattern recognition (Watanabe 1960). It is argued that (1) The redundancy of sensory messages provides the knowledge incorporated in the maps or models. (2) Some of this knowledge can be obtained by observations of mean, variance, and covariance of sensory messages, and perhaps also by a method called minimum entropy coding. (3) Such knowledge may be incorporated in a model of what usually happens with which incoming messages are automatically compared, enabling unexpected discrepancies to be immediately identified. (4) Knowledge of the sort incorporated into such a filter is a necessary prerequisite of ordinary learning, and a representation whose elements are independent makes it possible to form associations with logical functions of the elements, not just with the elements themselves.


In many crop species, DNA fingerprinting is required for the precise identification of cultivars to protect the rights of breeders. Many families of retrotransposons have multiple copies throughout the eukaryotic genome and their integrated copies are inherited genetically. Thus, their insertion polymorphisms among cultivars are useful for DNA fingerprinting. In this study, we conducted a DNA fingerprinting based on the insertion polymorphisms of active retrotransposon families (Rtsp-1 and LIb) in sweet potato. Using 38 cultivars, we identified 2,024 insertion sites in the two families with an Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform. Of these insertion sites, 91.4% appeared to be polymorphic among the cultivars and 376 cultivar-specific insertion sites were identified, which were converted directly into cultivar-specific sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using these insertion sites, which corresponded well with known pedigree information, thereby indicating their suitability for genetic diversity studies. Thus, the genome-wide comparative analysis of active retrotransposon insertion sites using the bench-top MiSeq sequencing platform is highly effective for DNA fingerprinting without any requirement for whole genome sequence information. This approach may facilitate the development of practical polymerase chain reaction-based cultivar diagnostic system and could also be applied to the determination of genetic relationships.


The management of metastatic melanoma to the orbit may involve a variety of therapeutic modalities including external-beam radiation, chemotherapy, and varying degrees of surgical resection or debulking. Pembrolizumab is an immunotherapeutic agent that has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. The authors present a case of metastatic melanoma to the orbit demonstrating profound pseudoprogression within hours of beginning pembrolizumab therapy, with associated mass effect and vision loss. Systemic corticosteroids, orbital external-beam radiation therapy, and a brief interruption in pembrolizumab halted expansion of the orbital lesion and vision loss. This case illustrates that rapid increase in orbital melanoma size, due to acute inflammatory response, may occur after initiation of systemic pembrolizumab therapy. Clinicians should be aware of this pseudoprogression mechanism as a potential cause of vision compromise in metastatic orbital melanoma. Prompt recognition and treatment may be needed to prevent permanent vision loss.


Extracted from text ... Southern African Forestry Journal - No. 199, November 2003 1
Guest Editorial
Forest Biotechnology: A South African perspective
INTRODUCTION
While it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to
present a commentary on biotechnology as it applies
to South African forestry, this is a somewhat daunting
task. The problem one immediately faces pertains to
the word biotechnology, which has a host of different
interpretations. Broadly, biotechnology might be
considered as the application of living organisms to
produce or modify products for particular purposes.
As such, many forestry activities and especially those
linked to exotic plantation forestry could be considered
as ..


Motivated by questions arising from the field of statistical genetics, we consider the problem of testing main, nested, and interaction effects in unbalanced factorial designs. Based on the concept of composite linear rank statistics, a new notion of weighted rank is proposed. Asymptotic normality of weighted linear rank statistics is established under mild conditions, and consistent estimators are developed for the corresponding limiting covariance structure. A unified framework to use weighted rank to construct test statistics for main, nested, and interaction effects in unbalanced factorial designs is established. The proposed tests statistics are applicable to unbalanced designs with arbitrary cell replicates greater than one per cell. The limiting distributions under both the null hypotheses and Pitman alternatives are derived. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to confirm the validity and power of the proposed tests. Genetic datasets from a simulated backcross study are analyzed to demonstrate the application of the proposed tests in quantitative trait loci mapping.


The TOGAF 9 certification program is a knowledge-based certification program. It has two levels, leading to certification for TOGAF 9 Foundation and TOGAF 9 Certified, respectively. The purpose of certification to TOGAF 9 Certified is to provide validation that, in addition to the knowledge and comprehension of TOGAF 9 Foundation level, the Candidate is able to analyze and apply this knowledge. The learning objectives at this level therefore focus on application and analysis in addition to knowledge and comprehension. This Study Guide supports students in preparation for the TOGAF 9 Part 2 Examination, leading to TOGAF 9 Certified.


Objective: This study is conducted to investigate the impact of social status including unemployment and education on the outcomes of clinical complications after traumatic injury. Study design and methods: We included patients with unintentional blunt trauma who admitted to Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). The patient's profile in terms of nature of injury (gun shot/knife stab wounds and motor vehicle collision), age and race were compatible with Level I trauma Center. A Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) program was applied to analyze effects of stratified Injury Severity Score (ISS), age, race, as well as preexisting social status on the outcome of clinical complications. Results: Stratified ISS was linearly correlated to the rates of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis in both African American and Caucasian trauma patients, but the linear correlation of stratified age to the rates of SIRS and sepsis was only observed in the Caucasian population. The unemployed trauma patients had higher rates of clinical complications than the employed patients. African American trauma patients with lower education level had higher rates of sepsis in those with age ≥ 35 than those with age < 35 years. The age and race were confounding risk factors in the context of unemployment and education status influencing the outcome of clinical complications such as sepsis. Conclusion: This study further substantiated the role of ISS in predicting clinical outcomes after traumatic injuries. Patient's age, ethnicity, education background and unemployment status were all considered as possible confounding risk factors, variably affecting the development of SIRS and sepsis after traumatic injury. Public Administration & Management Volume 13, Number 3, 123-144


Numerous public opinion polls reveal that individuals are quite concerned about threats to their information privacy. However, the current understanding of privacy that emerges is fragmented and usually discipline-dependent. A systematic understanding of individuals' privacy concerns is of increasing importance as information technologies increasingly expand the ability for organizations to store, process, and exploit personal data. Drawing on information boundary theory, we developed an integrative model suggesting that privacy concerns form because of an individual's disposition to privacy or situational cues that enable one person to assess the consequences of information disclosure. Furthermore, a cognitive process, comprising perceived privacy risk, privacy control and privacy intrusion is proposed to shape an individual's privacy concerns toward a specific Web site's privacy practices. We empirically tested the research model through a survey (n=823) that was administered to users of four different types of web sites: 1) electronic commerce sites, 2) social networking sites, 3) financial sites, and 4) healthcare sites. The study reported here is novel to the extent that existing empirical research has not examined this complex set of privacy issues. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, and suggestions for future research along the directions of this study are provided.


We study the effect of a large set of department characteristics on individual publication records. We control for many individual time-varying characteristics, individual fixed-effects and reverse causality. Department characteristics have an explanatory power that can be as high as that of individual characteristics. The departments that generate most externalities are those where academics are homogeneous in terms of publication performance and have diverse research fields, and, to a lesser extent, large departments, with more women, older academics, star academics and foreign co-authors. Department specialisation in a field also favours publication in that field. More students per academic does not penalise publication. At the individual level, women and older academics publish less, while the average publication quality increases with average number of authors per paper, individual field diversity, number of published papers and foreign co-authors.


This study demonstrates that replication checkpoint inhibitors can kill AML cells through a pathway involving AP1-mediated TNF gene activation and subsequent TP53-independent, TNFα-induced apoptosis, which can potentially be exploited clinically. Although inhibitors of the kinases CHK1, ATR, and WEE1 are undergoing clinical testing, it remains unclear how these three classes of agents kill susceptible cells and whether they utilize the same cytotoxic mechanism. Here we observed that CHK1 inhibition induces apoptosis in a subset of acute leukemia cell lines in vitro, including TP53-null acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and BCR/ABL–positive acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), and inhibits leukemic colony formation in clinical AML samples ex vivo. In further studies, downregulation or inhibition of CHK1 triggered signaling in sensitive human acute leukemia cell lines that involved CDK2 activation followed by AP1-dependent TNF transactivation, TNFα production, and engagement of a TNFR1- and BID-dependent apoptotic pathway. AML lines that were intrinsically resistant to CHK1 inhibition exhibited high CHK1 expression and were sensitized by CHK1 downregulation. Signaling through this same CDK2–AP1–TNF cytotoxic pathway was also initiated by ATR or WEE1 inhibitors in vitro and during CHK1 inhibitor treatment of AML xenografts in vivo. Collectively, these observations not only identify new contributors to the antileukemic cell action of CHK1, ATR, and WEE1 inhibitors, but also delineate a previously undescribed pathway leading from aberrant CDK2 activation to death ligand–induced killing that can potentially be exploited for acute leukemia treatment. Significance: This study demonstrates that replication checkpoint inhibitors can kill AML cells through a pathway involving AP1-mediated TNF gene activation and subsequent TP53-independent, TNFα-induced apoptosis, which can potentially be exploited clinically.


Abstract This article proposes a new area of research centered on the study of how energy sensibilities—in terms of esthesia which is understood as responsiveness and awareness—are distributed and redistributed. Energy is approached as a polyphonic concept with many meanings, of which none enjoys privileged status. Given this polyphony, the common observation that end-users have no idea (or wrong ideas) about their energy consumption loses importance. Instead, unevenly distributed ways of sensing and making sense of energy become the object of study. Drawing on the work of French philosopher Jacques Rancière, the article discusses contemporary distributions of energy sensibilities in domestic settings and how they have been redistributed during the previous two decades. Analysis of visual representations of bathrooms in the largest Norwegian interior lifestyle magazine and 600 real estate advertisements shows how a specific, resource-intensive energy sensibility has become dominant through a politics of refurbishing.


The co-digestion of cow dung, with maize husk for biogas production at laboratory scale was investigated. The study was carried out at a temperature range of  24°C - 30°C and pH range of 5.5 - 6.5 for a period of 60 days with a total solid concentration of 7.4% in the digester sample (fermentation slurry). Water displacement method was used to collect the biogas produced which was subsequently measured. 444.8 mL was the cumulative biogas yield at the end of 60 days retention time in the digester 1, which comprised of cow dung, maize husk, and water. Digester 2, which is made up of sawdust, cow dung, and water produced negligible biogas at the end of 60 days of the experiment. X-RF analysis revealed high presence of elements like silica, aluminium oxides, and aluminium oxides in cow dung, maize husk, and sawdust respectively. The preponderance of alkanes and methyl group inmaize husk makes it to produce biogas compared to saw dust as shown by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) that was carried out to identify the various functional groups. The potential of maize husk to produced biogas was also established. The kinetic modeling shows that there was an increase in biogas yield as the retention time increases as depicted by the linear model.


In this Ph.D. project, I introduce a new computational methodology, based on (timedependent)
Density Functional Theory ((TD-)DFT), in order to determine if a
molecule, here a conjugated oligomer, has the required photochemical properties to
drive thermodynamically one or both water splitting half-reactions. This new
approach takes electronic excitations into account rather than only relying on a
static HOMO-LUMO description of the electronic structure, and therefore provides a
more rigorous prediction of relevant thermodynamic potentials than ground-state
DFT alone; it offers a relatively quick way of consistently screening for new
photocatalysts for solar-driven water splitting.
Using this computational framework, I investigate the optical properties of oligo(pphenylene),
one of the simplest conjugated oligomers imaginable, as well as its
thermodynamic potentials, relevant to the splitting of water into molecular
hydrogen and oxygen. I then validate the methodology by confronting it to
experimental data, before applying it to a wide range of conjugated oligomers, to
determine whether or not they could be promising photocatalysts for water
splitting, be it for the production of molecular hydrogen, oxygen gas, or both. In
particular, I expose the reasons for the experimental lack of overall water splitting
usually observed, and more particularly, the inability of many materials to oxidise
water.
Aside from purely photocatalytic considerations, I also discuss the optical
properties of those oligomers and polymers, as they are tightly linked to their
photocatalytic performance, with a particular emphasis on p-phenylene. I
consistently study its three main isomers in order to shed some light into the
relationship between their molecular structures and absorption/fluorescence
spectra, and find the origin of the dramatic difference in the features exhibited by
the latter, using a single computational approach, which, to the best of my
knowledge, has never been done before.


Sustainable architecture is one of the most popular trends today. With dense urban living and less green space available, green walls and roofs are helping to fill that gap. These living structures can be created with vegetation, which helps to absorb rainwater, provide insulation, and lower temperatures while creating a habitat for natural flora and fauna. Green Walls Green Roofs features projects from all over the world, showing how these elements work in various climates. Ranging from the tropical houses in Singapore to inner-city buildings in North America, this richly illustrated book will show you how living architecture can enrich our world.


BODIPY-based π-conjugated small molecules have been extensively studied in various fields of sensing and biochemical labelling; however, their use in organic optoelectronic applications is very limited. A new solution-processable acceptor–donor–acceptor (A–D–A) type small molecule, BDY-PhAc-BDY, consisting of BODIPY π-acceptors and a rod-shaped 1,4-bis-(thienylethynyl)2,5-dialkoxybenzene π-donor, has been synthesized and fully characterized as a novel n-channel semiconductor in bottom-gate/top-contact organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). The new semiconductor exhibits an electrochemical band gap of 2.12 eV with highly stabilized HOMO/LUMO energy levels of −5.68 eV/−3.56 eV. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of BDY-PhAc-BDY reveals a relatively low "BODIPY-meso-thiophene" dihedral angle (θ = 44.94°), antiparallel π-stacked BODIPY dimers with an interplanar distance of 3.93 A, and strong "C–H⋯π (2.85 A)" interactions. The OFET devices fabricated by solution processing show the formation of highly-crystalline, one-dimensional (1-D) microribbons, which results in clear n-channel semiconductivity with an electron mobility of 0.004 cm2 V−1 s−1 and an on/off current ratio of 105–106. To date, this is the highest reported for BODIPY-based small molecular semiconductors with alkyne linkages. Our results clearly demonstrate that BODIPY is an effective π-acceptor unit for the design of solution-processable, electron-transporting organic semiconductors and easily fabricable 1-D semiconductor micro-/nano-structures for fundamental/applied research in organic optoelectronics.


"A book that will fundamentally enrich our knowledge of human nature, the organization of power, and the execution of terror."--Der SpiegelDuring the twelve years from 1933 until 1945, the concentration camp operated as a terror society. In this pioneering book, the renowned German sociologist Wolfgang Sofsky looks at the concentration camp from the inside as a laboratory of cruelty and a system of absolute power built on extreme violence, starvation, "terror labor, " and the business- like extermination of human beings.Based on historical documents and the reports of survivors, the book details how the resistance of prisoners was broken down. Arbitrary terror and routine violence destroyed personal identity and social solidarity, disrupted the very ideas of time and space, perverted human work into torture, and unleashed innumerable atrocities. As a result, daily life was reduced to a permanent struggle for survival, even as the meaning of self-preservation was extinguished. Sofsky takes us from the searing, unforgettable image of the Muselmann--Auschwitz jargon for the "walking dead"--to chronicles of epidemics, terror punishments, selections, and torture.The society of the camp was dominated by the S.S. and a system of graduated and forced collaboration which turned selected victims into accomplices of terror. Sofsky shows that the S.S. was not a rigid bureaucracy, but a system with ample room for autonomy. The S.S. demanded individual initiative of its members. Consequently, although they were not required to torment or murder prisoners, officers and guards often exploited their freedom to do so--in passing or on a whim, with cause, or without.The order of terror described by Sofskyculminates in the organized murder of millions of European Jews and Gypsies in the death-factories of Auschwitz and Treblinka. By the end of this book, Sofsky shows that the German concentration camp system cannot be seen as a temporary lapse into barbarism. Instead, it must be conceived as a product of modern civilization, where institutionalized, state-run human cruelty has now become possible with or without the mobilizing feelings of hatred.


Background Immune responses in viral infections and autoimmunity are characterised by type I interferon (IFN) gene signatures detectable in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We have identified cell-specific IFN signatures in CD4 T cells and in monocyte subsets and could use them to discriminate between physiologic and pathologically sustained type I responses in yellow fever vaccinated individuals and in systemic lupus erythematosus patients (SLE). In this study we show that these cell-specific IFN signatures are not only working in isolated cell subsets but are even robust enough to classify PBMC in viral infection and autoimmunity. Materials and Methods We have used whole genome expression arrays to identify cell-specific type I IFN response signatures in isolated CD4 lymphocytes, CD16+ and CD16- monocyte subsets. These signatures were used to classify independent PBMC samples of yellow fever vaccinated individuals (n = 10) and jSLE patients (n = 10). Results 98/165/173 probe sets (CD4+ T cells/CD16- inflammatory Mo/CD16 + resident Mo, respectively, fold change > = 2, < = -2) were detected as a "common" IFN signature observed both in autoimmunity and in immunised ND. 111/164/120 probe sets were detected as an "autoimmune-specific" IFN signature, whereas only 0/8/5 probe sets were detected to be specific for the "virus-induced" IFN signature. Interestingly, these cell-specifically generated expression signatures were successfully used to classify PBMC of viral infection and jSLE by hierarchical cluster analyses. Conclusion This study demonstrated that IFN signature in autoimmunity and that in viral infection are quite different in the number of IFN-related genes activated and their expression magnitudes. These cell-specific signatures are robust enough to classify PBMC samples. In summary, "common" and "autoimmune-specific" IFN signature genes are of potential interest as clinical biomarkers in SLE diagnostics to differentiate between a disease flare and a viral infection.


Using the IRAS archives, we searched for far-infrared (FIR) counterparts of Shakh bazian Compact Groups of Galaxies (SCGGs). Reliable IRAS detections are identified at the positions of 24 out of 367 SCGGs; another 10 IRAS sources, located within ~2 arcmin of SCGGs, are possibly associated with the corresponding galaxy groups. Some of these sources are not very reliable. Previous work has shown that the fraction of E and S0 galaxies in a representative sample of SCGGs is 77%, while E and S0 galaxies comprise about 51% of galaxies in Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs). The higher fraction of early Hubble types, combined with their greater distances, explains the low IRAS detection rate of SCGGs (7-8%) compared to HCGs (64%). The FIR colors and morphological types of galaxies in the groups suggest that active star formation or Seyfert galaxies may be the main source of the FIR emission in the SCGGs detected by IRAS, perhaps originating as the result of tidal interactions in the dense environments of these groups.


The metabolically versatile bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus Py2 has been the focus of many studies within the field of bioenergy sciences, as it contains two unique CO2 fixing enzymes, and can utilize unconventional substrates such as propylene and acetone as the sole supplemented carbon source while fixing CO2 in the process. Unexpectedly, coenzyme M (CoM) was found to play a crucial role as a C3 carrier in the pathway for propylene metabolism in the late 1990s. Previously, CoM was thought to be present solely as a C1 carrier in methanogenic archaea for nearly 30 years. Though CoM biosynthesis has been characterized in methanogenic archaea, bacterial CoM biosynthesis remained uncharacterized. In X. autotrophicus Py2, four putative CoM biosynthetic enzymes encoded by xcbB1, C1, D1, and E1 have been identified through informatics and proteomic approaches. XcbB1 is homologous to the archaeal ComA which catalyzes the addition of sulfite to phosphoenolpyruvate, and forms the initial intermediate, phosphosulfolactate, in one of the methanogen CoM biosynthetic pathways. The remaining genes do not encode homologues of any of the previously characterized enzymes in methanogen CoM biosynthesis, suggesting bacteria have a unique pathway. The production of phosphosulfolactate by ComA homolog XcbB1 was verified, indicating that bacterial CoM biosynthesis is initiated in an analogous fashion to the PEPdependent methanogenic archaeal CoM biosynthesis pathway. XcbC1 and D1 are members of the aspartase/fumarase superfamily (AFS), and XcbE1 is a pyridoxal 5'phosphate-containing enzyme with homology to D-cysteine desulfhydrases. Direct demonstration of activities for XcbB1 and C1 strengthens their hypothetical assignment to a CoM biosynthetic pathway, and puts firm contraints on our proposed functions for XcbD1 and E1. Known AFS members catalyze β-elimination reactions of succinylcontaining substrates, yielding fumarate as the common unsaturated elimination product. We demonstrate herein that XcbC1 catalyzes a β-elimination reaction on the substrate phosphosulfolactate to yield sulfoacrylic acid and inorganic phosphate. To our knowledge, β-elimination reactions releasing phosphate is unprecedented among the AFS, indicating XcbC1 is a unique phosphatase. This work will serve as the framework for future studies aimed at uncovering the final stages of the biosynthetic pathway. By elucidating the XcbB1 and XcbC1 reactions, we have made significant strides towards understanding bacterial CoM biosynthesis which evaded characterization in previous years.


Research on executive-legislative relations in presidential systems have emphasized how presidents use cabinet appointments to form and manage government coalitions in the absence of majority legislative support. Yet not all coalitions are similar, as some are larger and, consequently, more prone to agency and coordination problems than others. But what shapes presidents' decision to include more parties in their coalitions? While several hypotheses exist in the literature, few have been tested in a systematic fashion, none focusing on why surplus coalitions form. This article intends to fill this gap by examining an original time-series cross-sectional dataset comprising 168 unique coalitions in all 18 Latin American presidential countries since 1979. In particular, I find that highly fragmented party systems and presidents with great legislative powers are more likely to generate oversized government coalitions. An additional analysis, with monthly data from Brazilian cabinets between 1989 and 2010, also shows that supermajority rules and bicameralism dynamics play a role in the occurrence of surplus coalitions, but party discipline and presidential approval do not.


Life expectancy for Indigenous Australians is approximately 20 years less than that of other Australians, and endemic family violence is a causal factor. This article discusses evaluation data gathered from an Indigenous empowerment program aimed at increasing personal empowerment in order to improve individual and social wellbeing. Our analysis of the data demonstrates the success of the program in building
personal strength, increasing ability to assist others, and increasing motivation to challenge structural factors impacting on health equality. We consider the operational implications of a human rights framework and argue that empowerment programs and human rights discourse, focusing
on exploration of self and an analysis of colonization, discrimination, and human rights, could empower individuals and communities with an innovative approach to challenging health inequality.


The adsorption methods have been extensively used by various researchers for the removal of dyes from industrial waste water. In the current work, the leaves of Thorn apple [Datura staramonium] treated with sulphuric acid and formaldehyde were used as an adsorbent for the elimination of congo red and magenta from an industrial waste water. The adsorption characteristics of these two dyes on activated Thorn apple leaf powder (TALP) were evaluated as a function of pH, adsorbent dose, initial concentration of adsorbate, temperature. The efficient adsorption was established to be in pH range 3.8 to 7.4, adsorbent dose 0.5 g to 0.8 g, initial concentration (1 x 10-5 to 5 x 10-5 M) and Temperature range (308 to 318 K). The results tell that ceiling adsorption of two dyes onto TALP is in the range of 63.8% to 89.7%. The adsorption data fixed well into Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption models. The results show that Thorn apple leaf powder holds a great prospective in removal of congo-red and magenta dyes from industrial wastewater.


This research topic was first established in China by Professor Shengzhao Long in 1981, with direct support from one of the greatest modern Chinese scientists, Xuesen Qian. In a letter to Shengzhao Long from October 22nd, 1993, Xuesen Qian wrote: You have created a very important modern science subject and technology in China! MMESE primarily focuses on the relationship between Man, Machine and Environment, studying the optimum combination of man-machine-environment systems. In this system, Man refers to working people as the subject in the workplace (e.g. operators, decision-makers); Machine is the general name for any object controlled by Man (including tools, machinery, computers, systems and technologies), and Environment describes the specific working conditions under which Man and Machine interact (e.g. temperature, noise, vibration, hazardous gases etc.). The three goals of optimization are to ensure "Safety, High efficiency and Economy" of man-machine-environment systems. These proceedings are an academic showcase of the best papers selected from more than 400 submissions, introducing readers to the top research topics and the latest developmental trends in the theory and application of MMESE. These proceedings are interdisciplinary studies on the concepts and methods of physiology, psychology, system engineering, computer science, environment science, management, education, and other related disciplines. Researchers and professionals who study an interdisciplinary subject crossing above disciplines or researchers on MMESE subject will be mainly benefited from these proceedings


X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to estimate the absolute amount of cationic polyelectrolytes that adsorbs on mica and cellulose surfaces in aqueous media. The calculation takes advantage of the knowledge of the mica crystal composition at the basal plane and its ion-exchange properties in aqueous solution. The XPS was operated under monochromatic and unmonochromatic mode and good agreement was observed in the resulting adsorbed amount. The evaluation of the amount of cationic polyelectrolyte adsorbed on cellulose was achieved using calibration curves obtained from adsorption data for the same polyelectrolytes on bare mica surfaces. The adsorption isotherm for polyelectrolytes of low charge density adsorbed on cellulose reveals that their affinity toward cellulose is weaker compared to that observed for highly charged surfaces such as mica. The effect of the polyelectrolyte charge density on the adsorbed amount and the number density of charged segments adsorbed on cellulose were also investigated. From these results it can be concluded that nonelectrostatic interactions are the main contributors to the adsorption of polyelectrolytes on cellulose, but it cannot be ruled out that electrostatic effects also take part in the adsorption mechanism. Finally, it is demonstrated that it is not correct to use the adsorbed amount of polyelectrolytes to determine the surface charge on cellulose surfaces.


Background: Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a potentially life threatening necrotizing pyelonephritis due to gas producing organisms. The objective of this study was to see the prognosis of patients of emphysematous pyelonephritis on conservative management. Methods: A Prospective Case series study was conducted at tertiary care hospitals of Army, Rawalpindi from Jan 2011 to Nov 2015. A total of 12 patients were evaluated in the study. All patients were managed conservatively and had hospital stay of maximum 3 weeks. Results: Of the 12 diagnosed diabetic patients (8 females and 4 males) 1 was class I emphysematous pyelonephritis, 4 were class II, 5 of class III a, 1 class III b and 1 case was of class IV. Fever and flank tenderness were the commonest presenting symptoms. All had positive renal punch and impaired renal functions. Four patients had thrombocytopenia and one patient presenting in shock died within 48 hours. All patients were initially managed with a protocol of aggressive fluid resuscitation, strict blood sugar control and broad spectrum antibiotics. Ultrasound guided percutaneous nephrostomy was done in seven patients for drainage. All patients responded well to conservative management except one needing nephrectomy. Conclusion:
Pak J Physiol 2018;14(4):25–7


The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of the self system in the work transition process of early school leavers, specifically, the role of the possible self in the degree of gainfulness in relation to work. The work transition process is best conceptualized as a gradual life-long process. It includes interactions, events and decisions that influence individuals as they attempt to realize their personal goals in the development of a satisfying lifestyle. Possible selves are a component in the work transition process. They are future views of self that have yet to be realized, for example, aspirations, goals or fears. Possible selves are the link between self-concept and motivation. The more elaborated and defined the possible self, the more likely is it that this possible self will be realized, thus leading to gainfulness and influencing the work transition process. -- The sample used in this study consisted of a total of 2109 early school leavers. These respondents were a part of the Youth Transition into the Labour Market (YTLM) study which began in 1989 in Newfoundland and Labrador with follow-up in 1990. The possible self was defined in terms of plans and outlooks at the time of school leaving, and was contrasted to the actual activities of the leavers about one year later. -- This research revealed that the possible selves of the respondents at school leaving were significantly related to the degree of gainfulness of the early school leavers at a later time. A possible self related to a defined intention appeared to contribute to a greater degree of gainful engagement. Gender and geography were shown to also influence the work transition process in leading to gainful engagement. Urban early school leavers, both male and female, tended to be more gainful then their rural counterparts. No significant difference existed between males and females in the level of gainfulness, however, males tended to be more gainful in the area of work, while females tended to be more gainfully engaged in school and training. Reasons for leaving, as reported by the early leavers, were found to be related to degree of gainfulness. Individuals leaving for economic and academic reasons were more gainful then those reporting leaving for behavior reasons. -- Recommendations rising from the research included programming in the K-12 system with a focus on the development of the possible self. This programming would include comprehensive career education programs designed to meet the needs of urban and rural youth, virtual cooperative education work placements, and mandatory work experience to address the gap that exists in communities.