Some dictators like to have elections, and then it is not uncommon to see results of 99.8% of the votes going to the dictator and his party. So, everybody elects him. Recently, we have experienced the opposite: we have all been elected as members of an Academy. Last week, a joyful letter told me I had been elected a member of the Academy of Applied and Clinical Thrombosis/ Hemostasis. In fact, the letter reached me twice, once referring tomewithmy first name, oncewithmy initials. I envisioned the wizened members of an austere Academy twice putting forward my name, twice extolling my virtues, twice casting their votes, and twice electing me with overwhelming majorities, if not complete consensus. The good news had not ended here: I was also promised that as a member of this Academy, my manuscripts would receive priority publication in the journal of the Academy, aka the Journal of Applied and Clinical Thrombosis/Hemostasis. No more confidence-shattering rejections, no more painstaking revisions, no more depressed PhD fellows: we just send it all there and get the highest publication rate, although not impact factor. Further credibility and trustworthiness was demonstrated through a list of members on the letter, including several individuals active in the field of hemostasis and thrombosis. Alas, as with all scams, reality appeared just a little less beautiful. First, I was asked for $245—as a membership fee. Secondly, the way I received the same letter twice, addressed slightly differently, was highly suggestive of the merging of two bought databases without much attention to double entries. I sent an e-mail to 10 colleagues in various countries, in Europe and the USA, and asked them whether they had received the same letter. Almost all had. I am happy to report that they also invariably had discarded the letter. Nevertheless, it is quite amazing that a medical journal attempts to sell itself by these means, and openly admits to not treating all manuscripts in a fair and unbiased way, thereby disqualifying itself and the members of its Academy .


Background Surgical aortic valve replacement remains the gold standard of treatment in patients with active infective endocarditis. Such procedures tend to carry a significantly higher operative risk when compared to the conventional aortic valve replacement for a non-infective aortic valve disease. Sutureless aortic valve replacement (SU-AVR) has been introduced into cardiac surgery to allow for a simpler implementation of minimally invasive procedures. Although SU-AVR in several extended indications has proven to be successful, the data on the implementation of SU-AVR in patients with infective aortic valve endocarditis remain scarce. The aim of the study was to examine the feasibility of SU-AVR in high-risk patients with active infective aortic valve endocarditis. Methods Between December 2019 and March 2022, a total of 151 consecutive patients underwent a SU-AVR for various indications at our institution. Of those, in 13 consecutive high-risk patients SU-AVR was indicated because of infective aortic valve endocarditis. In all cases Perceval S aortic valve prosthesis (Corcym, Saluggia, Italy) was used and the implantation has been performed with Snugger-method. Results The mean age of the patients at operation was 74.05±11.6 years. Eight of the patients suffered from prosthesis endocarditis while the other five patients presented with the endocarditis of the native aortic valve. All patients suffered from multiple comorbidities, as reflected by a mean logistic EuroSCORE of 47.9%±23.1% and EuroSCORE II of 28.7%±22.0%. In 8 patients (61.5%) a concomitant procedure was necessary. Also 8 patients (61.5%) underwent a redo procedure. Bypass- and cross-clamp (CC) times were 89.8±33.6 and 59.1±27.8 minutes, respectively. We observed no paravalvular leakage and no cases of left-ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Postoperative mean gradients after SU-AVR implantation were 8.1±4.8 mmHg. Conclusions SU-AVR in patients presenting with active infective endocarditis is a safe and feasible surgical alternative to the conventional operation. Clearly, this operative approach should be considered particularly for high-risk patients in whom successful operative outcomes are determined by a reduction in bypass and CC time. SU-AVR provides excellent hemodynamic performance with a low risk of paravalvular leakage and low transvalvular gradients, whilst simplifying the surgical procedure.


Discussing the terrorism trial which began in the Cape Town Supreme Court today following the shooting at the home of opposition leader Mr Colin Eglin are three of the key personalities, from left, the Chief Investigation Officer, Colonel A.P.F. van den Heever, Mr S. Baker and the Deputy Attorney General of the Cape, Mr F.W. Kahn, SC, who are appearing for the State.


Well-ordered nanoparticle arrays are attractive platforms for a variety of analytical applications, but the fabrication of such arrays is generally challenging. Here, it is demonstrated that scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) can be used as a powerful, instantly reconfigurable tool for the fabrication of ordered nanoparticle arrays. Using SECCM, Ag nanoparticle arrays were straightforwardly fabricated via electrodeposition at the interface between a substrate electrode and an electrolyte-filled pipet. By dynamically monitoring the currents flowing in an SECCM cell, individual nucleation and growth events could be detected and controlled to yield individual nanoparticles of controlled size. Characterization of the resulting arrays demonstrate that this SECCM-based approach enables spatial control of nanoparticle location comparable with the terminal diameter of the pipet employed and straightforward control over the volume of material deposited at each site within an array. These results provide further evidence for the utility of probe-based electrochemical techniques such as SECCM as tools for surface modification in addition to analysis.


Paraproteins have been shown to interfere with a number of clinical laboratory tests due to their precipitating quality. We describe herein a patient diagnosed with multiple myeloma, for which the automated cyanmethemoglobin method displayed a falsely elevated hemoglobin level. The calculated hematocrit agreed with a spun hematocrit, suggesting that the hemoglobin concentration was being overestimated by the automated counter. The plasma turbidity and the increased IgM levels, confirmed the presence of paraproteins which caused the discrepancy. This case aims to highlight some of the lesser known, rare causes of preanalytical errors concerning hemoglobin estimation by autoanalyzers.


ABSTRACT Human trafficking (HT) affects an estimated 40.3 million people globally with 24.9 million people affected in forced labor and 4.8 million in forced sexual exploitation. An estimated 18,000 people are trafficked yearly into the United States. Reports suggest that between 63% and 87% of trafficked persons were seen by health care professionals and were unrecognized while in captivity. The authors designed and implemented an innovative pedagogical intervention for nurse practitioner (NP) students using a 10-min simulation-based education encounter with a standardized patient depicting a potential sex or labor HT clinical presentation. Results demonstrated that simulation-based education is a feasible way to provide HT education to NP students. It is imperative that future NPs receive education/training about HT to recognize potential victims and promote access to appropriate resources.


The menace of urban flooding in African developing economies be it Accra, Lusaka, St. Louis or Lome is causing an enormous disruption in their path of development. The urban poor population are often hardest hit as the increasing hazard of small and medium floods coupled with massive urbanisation degrades living conditions. Existing research is reviewed and suggests that the perennial nature of these disasters and lack of forward preparation cripples the existing management framework of these developing economies and retards progress towards development goals. Case study examples of urban flood scenarios in different African developing economies demonstrate that causes of flood hazard are diverse across urban areas. However there are common causes of increasing risk which underpin the devastating impacts experienced by the poor and vulnerable. The conclusion from the study based on the key characteristics of African cities pinpoints the challenges and possible constraints in building effective institutional capacities in flood alleviation. Full understanding of the recurring challenges against disasters, that growing economies of Africa are facing today, demands institutional capacity building for effective flood management and risk reduction and broad dissemination across and within nations. This will increase awareness and encourage local authorities to place flood risk reduction and capacity building higher up in their planning agenda.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the therapeutic effects of nasal endoscopic surgery combined with multiple radiofrequency in the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis.

METHODS
Sixty-three patients with perennial allergic rhinitis whose symptoms failed to be controlled by medication received nasal endoscopic surgery for submucous resection of the nasal septum combined with radiofrequency ablation of the bilateral sphenopalatine foramen, anterior ethmoidal nerve and inferior nasal concha.

RESULT
One month after operation, the rate of excellent recovery was 92.1% (58/63), efficacy rate of 7.9% (5/63), and total efficacy rate of 100%, which was 88.9% (56/63), 7.9% (5/63), and 96.8% (61/63) 1 year after operation, respectively, with 2 patients (3.2%) of the patients failed to respond to the treatment. Two years after the operation, the excellent rate, efficacy rate, and total effective rate was 82.6% (52/63), 12.7% (8/63), and 95.2% (60/63), respectively, with 3 patients failed to obtain good recovery.

CONCLUSION
Nasal endoscope combined with radio frequency may achieve good therapeutic effects on perennial allergic rhinitis with less adverse effects.


People living in big cities often suffer from long queuing time waiting for checking out in supermarkets when the crowd density is high. This paper develops QTime, an application to inform queuing time in nearby supermarkets to help people make time-efficient plan about when and which store to go. QTime uses participatory sensing data collected by commodity sensors built into every-day smartphones without dependence on any pre-installed sensing hardware or software infrastructure. QTime calculates queuing time of an in-store user by detecting his/her queuing movement mode in the phone-side, and estimates the queuing time in given supermarkets by aggregating data from different users in the server-side, and notifies the users who have shopping plans through phones or webpages. Because even in a crowded supermarket, the queuing time of only a few customers can represent the majority, QTime can estimate queuing time accurately even only a few users upload data to the server. An experiment has been conducted and described to prove the validity of QTime.


The increased attention in the past decade to health promotion strategies has led to an increase in the study of empowerment processes. Despite this growing attention, however, there are only a limited number of studies that address empowerment in a systematic and empirical fashion. The present study utilizes data from 284 members of thirty-five community coalitions working to prevent alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems in the state of Rhode Island. Structural Equation Modeling of three competing models of empowerment effects were conducted to determine the best indicators of individual-level empowerment. An inclusive direct effects model, a model of participation effects, and a model utilizing variables indicated in an earlier study with this data set were examined (McMillan, Florin, Stevenson, Kerman, and Mitchell, 1995). While all three models (which examined the relationships of demographic variables, community variables, participation variables, and organizational climate variables to empowerment) showed some fit to the data set, only a revised version of the McMillan et al., 1995 model provided a truly adequate fit. Implications of this study and future directions for research are discussed.


In this talk Dr Pallez will discuss the impact of memory in the computation of automatic differentiation or for the backpropagation step of machine learning algorithms. He will show different strategies based on the amount of memory available. In particular he will discuss optimal strategies when one can reuse memory slots, and when considering a hierarchical memory platform


Abstract : The device comprises a weighing function generator and an electron-ray tube with a mat whose structur corresponds to the code being used. It is distinguished by the fact that to decode signals coded by an uneven binary code, the scan generator of the tube ray is made in one plane as a cadence impulse counter, and the scan generator of the ray in a perpendicular plane is made as a counter for the units of the code combination weighed in a key type modulator by a function characteristic for a given code. Th device for resetting the readings of both counters is made in the form of an electron key which resets each output signal as it appears. The mat of the tube is made so that each code combination co responds to on. (Author)


The present article addresses the study of an adaptive-passive beam structure with a shape-memory alloy based actuator. In order to mitigate adverse dynamic effects resulting from externally induced vibrations, the structure is able to automatically tune its natural frequency to avoid resonance. The adaptive-passive beam configuration is based on an underslung cable-stayed girder concept. Its frequency tuning is achieved by temperature modulation of the shape-memory alloy elements through a closed-loop control process based on a proportional-integral-derivative algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed control solution is substantiated by numerical simulations and experimental tests on a small-scale prototype. The validated numerical model enables the simulation of the proposed control approach in a real-scale footbridge, subjected to a prescribed pedestrian loading. The results are very encouraging and show that, by activating the shape-memory alloy elements, the system is able to successfully shift its natural frequency and to mitigate the effects of induced vibrations.


Since it has been shown that autoanti-IgE may be mistaken for antiallergen antibodies, thus appearing as pseudo-allergen-specific antibodies, it is crucial to separate true-from pseudo-allergen-specific antibodies and to determine to what extent autoanti-IgE appeared as pseudo-allergen-specific antibodies. For this purpose, human Ig pools were affinity-purified successively on a grass-pollen column and then on an antihuman-IgE column. IgG1-4, IgA, and IgM antibodies that were eluted from the grass-pollen column separated into pseudo- (approximately 30-40%) and true-allergen-specific antibodies that were coretained and not coretained, respectively, with the IgE on the anti-IgE column. Levels of autoanti-IgE were determined in individual plasma samples by surface plasmon resonance and statistically compared to the concentrations of allergen-specific antibodies obtained previously in the same plasma samples. A positive correlation between IgM autoanti-IgE levels and grass-pollen- "specific" IgM concentrations (P < 0.0002), and negative correlations between IgA autoanti-IgE and both IgE anti-grass pollen and IgG2 autoanti-IgE levels (P < 0.03, in both cases) were observed for the first time. This supports the contentions that: (1) autoanti-IgE antibodies appeared as pseudo-grass-pollen-specific antibodies, (2) they hid IgE antibodies when the latter were measured, and (3) they compete with one another in binding IgE. Lastly, a model of large Ig complexes is discussed.


This work has shown a method for simulating the motion of beads in a bead mill based on the discrete element method (DEM) under wet grinding of a gibbsite powder, in correlation with the experimental work. The beads' motion was simulated under a wet condition and compared with the real motion observed and recorded by a video camera. At the base of the simulation the specific impact energy of beads was calculated. In the experiment, the gibbsite powder, suspended in water at 5.0 wt %, was subjected to grinding by the bead mill at different operating conditions. Particle-size distribution of the product was measured and the grinding rate constant of the sample was determined as a change in the mean particle size of the ground product with time. Then, the specific impact energy was correlated with the grinding rate constant determined experimentally. It was found that good correlation between the two was achieved and by the proposed method the particle size reduction of the sample can be predicted. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006


Replicative helicases of all cell types are rings that unwind DNA by steric exclusion in which the helicase ring only encircles the tracking strand, excluding the other strand outside the ring. Steric exclusion mediated unwinding enables helicase rings to bypass blocks on the strand that is excluded from the central channel. Unlike other replicative helicases, eukaryotic CMG encircles duplex DNA at a forked junction and is stopped by a block on the non-tracking (lagging) strand. This report demonstrates that Mcm10, an essential replication protein unique to eukaryotes, binds CMG and enables the replisome to bypass blocks on the non-tracking strand, implying that Mcm10 isomerizes the CMG-DNA complex to position only one strand through the central channel. A similar CMG-DNA isomerization is needed at the origin for head-to-head CMGs to bypass one another during formation of bidirectional replication forks.


Background: Echeveria subrigida extracts have biological activities of human health importance. However, the in vivo effects on glucose levels and chronic toxicity are unknown. Objectives: To analyse the in vivo hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effects (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg b.w.) and chronic toxicity (1000 mg/kg b.w. for 270 days) of the hydroalcoholic extract of E. subrigida (HE–Es) in BALB/c mice. Materials and Methods: The HE–Es was analysed by HPLC. Glucose levels were measured to establish the effects on glycemia. Different parameters were registered in the toxicity assay: e.g. , feed consumption, appearance/behaviour, biochemical and haematological parameters and liver and kidney histologies. Results: Quercetin–3-O -β-glucoside and isorhamnetin–3-O -β-glucoside were the main flavonoids in the HE–Es. Glycemia was reduced by the HE–Es (200 mg/kg b.w., 49.1%) and glibenclamide (10 mg/kg b.w., 52%) treatments. Comparing the antihyperglycemic activities, similar reductions were found between HE–Es (100 mg/kg b.w., 29.32%; 200 mg/kg, 28.99%) and acarbose (10 mg/kg b.w., 19.87%) treatments. On the other hand, the HE–Es was innocuous in mice (LD 50 > 1000 mg/kg b.w.), and the results suggested that HE–Es had adaptogenic, and immunostimulant activities. The hepatic and renal histologies were normal; however, male mice showed level zero steatosis that disappeared in the HE–Es satellite after treatment withdrawal. Conclusion: This study reports for the first time the in vivo effects on blood glucose levels of HE–Es and chronic toxicity of a Crassulaceae plant, supporting the antidiabetic potential and safety of HE–Es. Future studies must corroborate the effects of HE–Es in humans, allowing its use in high-value formulations.


In treating chemical oscillators, it is common practice to use no more than two concentrations as dependent variables due to the mathematical difficulties with more than two. Other variables, necessarily involved to make the system nontrivial—the "pool" chemicals—are treated as parameters which are independent of time. We investigate here under what conditions the "pool" chemicals can be treated as constants without qualitatively effecting the behaviour of the system. Mathematical methods developed by Tikhonov are used to study the effect of a small parameter on the roots of the characteristic equation. This small parameter may be chosen as the ratio of the initial concentrations of the reactants to the "pool" chemicals or for dilute solutions, the reciprocal of the heat capacity. A number of interesting results are obtained in which the slow variation of the "pool" chemicals can either produce a limit cycle where there was none previously or place severe restrictions on the rate constants so as to exclude regions where interesting instabilities have been found in the two variable case. Multistability in the two variable system lends itself very well to the production of limit cycles of the relaxation type. Finally it is shown that it is possible to devise thermokinetic oscillators with very small temperature oscillations provided the energy equation is highly nonlinear.


BACKGROUND
Phosphate (P) control is crucial to prevent secondary hyperparathyroidism and extraosseous calcification. Hemodialysis techniques normally used do not remove the amount of P absorbed from an adequate protein intake. Our long hemodialysis (LHD) procedure produces greater P removal in a seven-hour session than in a conventional four-hour session. Our aim was to assess the evolution of predialysis serum P and Ca x P product in patients on intermittent LHD during the first two years on this dialysis schedule.

METHODS
Eight irregular compliant patients underwent LHD for 12 months; five of them completing 24 months. In the conventional hemodialysis (CHD) period, session time was 12 hours per week, while it was 21 hours per week in LHD. We compared P and Ca x P product throughout both periods; each patient was his or her own control.

RESULTS
Mean serum P improved from 7.1 +/- 1.1 mg/dL in CHD to 5.6 +/- 1.1 mg/dL during the second year on LHD (P < 0.05). Mean Ca x P product decreased from 64 +/- 12.7 mg2/dL2 during CHD to 50.9 +/- 10.3 mg2/dL2 at the end of the second year of LHD.

CONCLUSION
By prolonging dialysis time to 21 hours per week, better P serum control and lower Ca x P product were achieved in our patients.


In this article the previously proposed notch filtering approach for localization of brain signal sources is extended and combined with complex frequency domain BSS to simultaneously localise and separate the audio sources. Unlike many other methods for solving the permutation problem meant for speech signals (due to continuity of spectrum for adjacent frequency bins) the method here can be applied to all types of audio sources. Significant improvement over the results of previously developed techniques using combined BSS and beamforming has been achieved and the comparison results illustrated.


Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) and -2 (Ang2) regulate angiogenesis via the endothelial cell-specific receptor tyrosine kinase Tie2. Blocking Ang2 binding to Tie2 decreases vessel density and inhibits tumor growth in various human xenograft models. However, not all tumors respond to Ang2 blockade, which could be due to high Ang1 levels acting as another ligand for Tie2, to Ang2 activities independent of Tie2, or to a weak role for Ang-2/Tie2 signaling in these tumors. To elucidate if Ang1 plays an integral role in tumor angiogenesis and growth, we compared the effects of blocking Ang2 or Tie2 in various tumor xenografts with differing levels of Ang1 expression. We found that in six out of seven tumor models, antibodies that specifically bind Ang2 (REGN910, 10 mg/kg 2x/wk) or that bind Tie2 and block binding of both Ang1 and Ang2 (REGN1376, 10 mg/kg 2x/wk) were equally efficacious at inhibiting tumor growth and decreasing vessel density. In only one tumor model (Calu-6), blockade of Tie2 with REGN1376 was more effective than blockade of Ang2 (REGN910) at reducing tumor growth and decreasing tumor vessel density. Although Calu-6 tumors express high Ang1 levels, other tumors tested (Lox, LS174T) have comparable or higher Ang1 levels and respond similarly to Ang2 and Tie2 blockade, thus the levels of Ang1 do not account for the differential response of Calu-6 tumors. Taken together, our data suggest that Ang2 is the dominant ligand for Tie2 in the microenvironment of most tumors, and further, that the effects of Ang2 are mediated primarily via Tie2. These findings support the approach to specifically block the binding of Ang2 to Tie2 as an anti-angiogenic therapy. Citation Format: Alexander P. Adler, Christopher Daly, Asma A. Parveen, Thomas Nevins, Jing Shan, Jeanette Fairhurst, Tammy Huang, Joel Martin, Nicholas Papadopoulos, George D. Yancopoulos, Gavin Thurston, Gavin Thurston, Alexandra Eichten. Blockade of angiopoietin-2 or Tie2 is equally effective at inhibiting tumor growth and reducing tumor vessel density in most human tumor xenograft models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4492. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4492


The "dynias" are a group of chronic, focal pain syndromes with a predilection for the orocervical and urogenital regions. They include glossodynia, carotidynia, vulvodynia, orchidynia, prostatodynia, coccygodynia, and proctodynia. In some cases, the dynias occur secondarily, but more often, despite an exhaustive evaluation, no etiology is found and in these remaining cases, the cause of the pain remains enigmatic. The controversy that surrounds this group of disorders, which ranges from questioning their existence to suggesting that they are purely psychosomatic, is counterbalanced by an extensive literature attesting to their organicity. The approach to the patient begins with acknowledging that the symptom is well described, searching for a secondary cause, and performing a careful psychologic assessment. Treatment is empirical and patients can often be helped with medications used to treat neuropathic pain, all the while providing psychologic support and exercising caution toward invasive and irreversible therapeutic procedures.


Surveyed general pediatricians (N = 116) regarding six content areas: (a) diagnostic procedures utilized during the initial evaluation sequence of a child with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP); (b) factors that influence decisions to order additional evaluations; (c) management practices following negative evaluation results; (d) factors influencing decisions about consultation with or referral to a mental health professional; (e) attitudes about the etiology of RAP; and (f) the frequency in which pediatricians encountered children with RAP and referred them to mental health services. Results of this survey are presented and discussed from a biopsychosocial perspective. Limitations of the survey, implications of the results for integrating mental health professionals into the evaluation and treatment process of RAP patients, and directions for future research are discussed.


OBJECTIVES
3D printed polymeric film intended for topical delivery of berberine (BBR) was developed using stereolithography (SLA) to enhance its local concentrations. PEGDMA was utilized as photopolymerizing resin, with PEG 400 as an inert component to facilitate BBR solubilization and permeation.

METHODS
Three batches of topical films were printed by varying resin and PEG 400 compositions. In-vitro physicochemical characterizations of the 3D printed films were performed using several analytical techniques including ex-vivo drug permeation studies. In-vivo skin irritation studies were also conducted to assess the skin irritation potential.

KEY FINDINGS
Films were 3D printed according to design specifications with minimal variations. Microscopic analysis confirmed 3D architecture, while thermal and X-ray diffraction studies revealed amorphous BBR entrapment. Drug permeation study showed effective ex-vivo diffusion up to 344.32 ± 61.20 µg/cm2 after 24.0 h possessing a higher ratio of PEG 400. In-vivo skin irritation studies have suggested the non-irritant nature of printed films.

CONCLUSIONS
Results indicated the suitability of SLA 3D printing for topical application in the treatment of skin diseases. The presence of PEG 400 in the printed 3D films facilitated BBR diffusion, resulting in an improved flux in ex-vivo model and non-irritant properties in vivo.


The description of the cosmological expansion and its possible local manifestations via treating the proper conformal transformations as a coordinate transformation from a comoving Lorentz reference frame to an uniformly accelerated one is given. The explicit form of the conformal time inhomogeneity is established. The expression defining the location cosmological distance in the form of simple function on the red shift is obtained. By coupling it with the relativistic formula for the longitudinal Doppler effect, the explicit expression for the Hubble law is obtained, which gives rise to the connection between acceleration and the Hubble constant. The expression generalizing the conventional Hubble law reproduces kinematically the experimentally observed phenomenon treated conventionally as a Dark Energy manifestation. The conformal time deformation in the small time limit leads to the quadratic time nonlinearity. Being applied to describe the location-type experiments, this predicts the existence of the universal uniformly changing blue-shifted frequency drift. The obtained formulae reproduce the Pioneer Anomaly experimental data.


Background. A single deep inspiration (DI) is known to be a potent bronchodilator but it is not known if repeated DI can accelerate sustained recovery from bronchoconstriction. Methods. We induced sustained bronchoconstriction using increasing concentrations of nebulized methacholine (Mch) during tidal breathing and assessed airway narrowing by measuring respiratory resistance (Rrs) using forced oscillation in six healthy subjects. On separate days we examined the effects of DI every 3 minutes and of prohibition of DI on recovery of Rrs for 30 minutes after the end of Mch nebulization. Results. Bronchoconstriction (Rrs ∼ 150% above baseline) was induced. DI during recovery had a transient bronchodilator effect but no cumulative effect. At 30 minutes after end of nebulization (and 2 minutes after the last DI) Rrs was 87% above baseline compared to 93% above baseline when DI was prohibited. Conclusion. Recovery from induced bronchoconstriction with methacholine was slow (∼ 2%/min) and not accelerated by frequent DI.


This paper describes Inmarsat Satellite data communication infrastructure for a simulator. This communication channel implements GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System) and data transfer functions between INMARSAT-C compatible terminal and a Land Earth Station (LES). Thrane & Thrane compatible software, installed on an embedded controller, is used for simulation of Inmarsat terminal. This controller transfers data to simulated Inmarsat satellite using a wireless network. The satellite functions are implemented into another embedded controller. This satellite communication controller is linked with an Inmarsat terminal via wireless network and with another land earth station using a secondary wireless channel. The land earth station is software implemented in a PC linked with simulated satellite using a wireless network. This center is able to manage messages received from the Inmarsat terminal, via simulated satellite, and convert them into short text messages, automatically delivered to local network workstations, in faxes format or mail messages. The system can be consists as base for a GMDSS simulator .


FSO (free space optical) communication is one of the most advanced modes of wireless communication. FSO is a line of sight communication which is used to convey data from an optical transmitter to an optical receiver through atmosphere. FSO offers higher data rates but fading level due to atmospheric effects (like sand, dust, fog, rain, snow etc.) are higher than RF (radio frequency) technology. The atmosphere affects the laser beam passing through it. The atmospheric turbulence and scattering results in the degradation of the signal. In this research paper is focused and analyzes the variations in the visibility and attenuation with respect to the concentration of aerosol particles (suspended elemental particles) is done. This research work is conducted and dust model is designed in the atmosphere of urban area of Lahore city. The model deals the effect of the size of the dust particles on the visibility of FSO link and suggests a formula for the calculation of attenuation generated in the link.


The evaluation of the local thermal comfort and application of thermal manikins can further assist the design and selection of heating systems. This study aimed at evaluating the thermal comfort performance of different heating systems using a newly developed thermal manikin with an enhanced thermal control. The heating systems for a workstation, included a conventional radiator (convector) mounted under the window, heated floor in the occupied zone and an infrared heater mounted to the ceiling. The experiments were conducted in a test room with a façade attached to a climate chamber to simulate outdoor winter conditions. In these experiments, the supplied power for the different systems was kept constant to independently quantify the differences in their thermal comfort performance at same energy consumption. The thermal manikin was deployed in the occupied zone to evaluate the local and overall thermal comfort under each system using the equivalent temperature (Teq) approach. The thermoregulatory control used in the manikin operation is based on a model of human thermoregulation that interacts accurately with the surrounding environment through real-time measurements. The results showed that at the same energy consumption of the different systems, the variations in local thermal comfort levels were up to 1 on the comfort scale.


ABSTRACT A particle tracking model (PTM) is linked with a hydrodynamic model to evaluate mean seasonal circulation patterns in Lake Ontario, and also to provide a basis for predicting movement of algal blooms. The PTM is based on a random walk algorithm that combines a deterministic advective component with a stochastic component associated with the turbulent diffusivity field to calculate trajectories of neutrally buoyant particles, where both the advective and diffusive velocities are obtained from the hydrodynamic model. Mean circulation is calculated using 30-year average meteorological forcing data collected from five stations around the lake. Seasonal variations in lake circulation are demonstrated, and a clockwise flow in the eastern basin during summer and early fall is identified, contrary to some previous observations that suggest counterclockwise flow. The impacts of Niagara and St. Lawrence river flows on general lake circulation are found to be small, except within approximately 10 km of the river mouth. Development and application of the PTM demonstrate its potential to provide calculations of (Lagrangian) movements as determined from the hydrodynamic output, and to serve as a first step toward development of an algal transport model. Particle tracking helps to visualize flow patterns and provides a means of evaluating the probability a bloom will reach a specified area, given an initial position and the predicted velocity and diffusivity fields. This capability, when set up for real-time applications, can provide an important tool to support management decisions that may be needed when a bloom is observed, for example in predicting potential impacts of the bloom on a beach or a water intake.


Abstract The article discusses the construction of the elementary trigonometric functions. It discusses several approaches, but the main message is that to construct the trigonometric functions one needs to follow the same approach as one should use during the construction of the real exponential function, but one should use complex numbers. The key point is that one must construct the complex square root function to define the trigonometric functions on the binary numbers and then one should use some convexity argument to prove their differentiability. This approach, as the power series approach, based on the intimate relation between the trigonometric and the exponential functions.


In addition to the widely recognized continuum mechanics restrictions associated with the use of fracture mechanics, there are a number of problems and areas of concern that en arise in the application of the technology to actual situations. These problems range from the development of adequate material properties data to the analytical and defect characterization aspects of the technology. Some of these problems are identified and discussed with regard to their potential impact on structural life predictions and quantitative risk analyses. Material characterization problems associated with data scatter, prior loading effects, and time-dependent behavior are included along with the consideration of the probability of flaw detection and the analysis of small defects and interacting flaws. Suggestions and recommendations for experimental work required to resolve these problems are included.


Numerous anatomical, neurophysiological and pharmacological data indicate on the existence of two functionally different noradrenergic systems in the brain: the dorsal bundle and the ventral bundle. It is possible that dorsal bundle inhibits serotonergic neurons whilst tonically stimulates dopaminergic neurons. On the other hand, the ventral noradrenergic bundle seems to exert opposite influences. New theory of affective disorders is proposed.


The study has been undertaken in Kerala State in India with an overall objective of analyzing the bio-economic conditions of commercially exploited marine fishes for assessing their sustainability in the context of existing management practices. Maximum sustainable yield, maximum economic yield and open access levels of yield and effort were analyzed using Gompertz-Fox growth model. The study concluded that the fishing effort exceeded the economically optimal levels and there is unnecessary wastage of money, manpower and fuel in the fishing industry. The study stressed the urgent need for capture fisheries management in the State which at present follows an open access fishery where regulations exist only in the form of seasonal closure in the monsoon season.


Current methods for the formation of pre-solder bumps for flip chip attachment use stencil printing techniques with an appropriate solder paste. The continuing trend towards increasing miniaturisation and the associated decrease in size of solder resist opening, SRO is causing production difficulties in particular associated with achieving sufficient yields with the stencil printing process. Practical experience of current production yields has shown that stencil printing will not be able to meet future requirements for solder bump pitch production below 0.15 mm for these applications. Also the increased costs associated with low yields are an ever present factor. This paper describes a novel approach to replace the stencil printing process by use of an electrolytic deposition of solder. In contrast to stencil printing, use of electrolytic deposition techniques allows production of solder bumps with a pitch below 0.15 mm and with a SRO below 80 jim. The electrolytic deposition of tin requires an electrical connection to each surface for metal deposition; this process is shown as made using an appropriate copper seed layer which is produced onto the structured soldermask. Specially modified activation and electroless copper processes are introduced for this critical process step. Following this the use of a photo sensitive plating resist defines the SRO which is then filled with the electrolytic tin deposit. The associated processes required both for seed layer production and for removal of plating resist and subsequent etching of the seed layer are described and first qualification results are shown from the complete process. Methods for production of electrolytic solder bumps based on pure tin as well as alloys of tin/copper are shown and in particular a method to control the alloy concentration of electroplated tin/copper bumps. Test results with both alloy system and also pure tin bumping are presented together with comparison of the advantages and disadvantages. This newly developed Sn/Cu plating process allows for a simultaneous plating of both sides of IC Substrates, the C4 and the BGA side of the panel. On the C4 side the complete Sn/Cu solder ball is plated whereas on the BGA side the basis for the subsequent placement of a larger solder ball can be achieved. Examples are given for such a process flow using the photo resist process on top of a solder resist. As a further development of the solder bumping process the photo resist free sequence is introduced which uses a modified tin deposition electrolyte to produce tin filled structures directly onto the structured and prepared soldermask. This process offers optimum solder bump plated distribution and the potential for further cost savings due to the elimination of critical processing steps associated with photo imaging.


Routes to structurally unique spiro-fused pyrazolidoylisoxazolines are reported. These methods start with monosubstituted hydrazines or hydrazides and utilize the nitrile oxide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction to generate the targeted spiro-fused bis-heterocycles. Molecular shape space diversity analyses were performed on these pyrazolidoylisoxazolines showing that manipulation of the appended R groups significantly changes the molecular shape.


Gastroenterology, as a sub-speciality in medicine, has been widely developed across the Pacific Nations during the last decade as a result of 'hub' training in Suva, Fiji Professional isolation for trained pacific gastroenterologists has remained an issue due to the high cost of travel, limited in-country workforce, and recently COVID-19 border closures Whereas Telehealth solutions have been used for decades across many Pacific Island Nations as a means to improve the clinical outcomes in Pacific Island patients, only recently has this technology been cleverly adopted in fostering education and skill development in Pacific gastroenterology In this paper, we describe the evolution of these various methods and discuss their use and adaptation in various clinical situations Herein we consider the future of telehealth programs and the potential for positive impact on Pacific Island healthcare © 2021 The authors and IOS Press


Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) detection can be used for early intervention in relapse, risk stratification, and treatment guidance. FLT3 ITD is the most common mutation found in AML patients with normal karyotype. We evaluated the feasibility of NGS with high coverage (up to 2.4.106 PE fragments) for MRD monitoring on FLT3 ITD. We sequenced 37 adult patients at diagnosis and various times of their disease (64 samples) and compared the results with FLT3 ITD ratios measured by fragment analysis. We found that NGS could detect variable insertion sites and lengths in a single test for several patients. We also showed mutational shifts between diagnosis and relapse, with the outgrowth of a clone at relapse different from that dominant at diagnosis. Since NGS is scalable, we were able to adapt sensitivity by increasing the number of reads obtained for follow-up samples, compared to diagnosis samples. This technique could be applied to detect biological relapse before its clinical consequences and to better tailor treatments through the use of FLT3 inhibitors. Larger cohorts should be assessed in order to validate this approach.


The D values of Yersinia enterocolitica strains IP134, IP107, and WA, irradiated at 25�C in Trypticase soy broth, ranged from 9.7 to 11.8 krad. When irradiated in ground beef at 25 and −30�C, the D value of strain IP107 was 19.5 and 38.8 krad, respectively. Cells suspended in Trypticase soy broth were more sensitive to storage at −20�C than those mixed in ground beef. The percentages of inactivation and of injury (inability to form colonies in the presence of 3.0% NaCl) of cells stored in ground beef for 10 days at −20�C were 70 and 23%, respectively. Prior irradiation did not alter the cell's sensitivity to storage at −20�C, nor did storage at −20�C alter the cell's resistance to irradiation at 25�C. Added NaCl concentrations of up to 4.0% in Trypticase soy agar (TSA) (which contains 0.5% NaCl) had little effect on colony formation at 36�C of unirradiated Y. enterocolitica. With added 4.0% NaCl, 79% of the cells formed colonies at 36�C; with 5.0% NaCl added, no colonies were formed. Although 2.5% NaCl added to ground beef did not sensitize Y. enterocolitica cells to irradiation, when added to TSA it reduced the number of apparent radiation survivors. Cells uninjured by irradiation formed colonies on TSA when incubated at either 36 or 5�C. More survivors of an exposure to 60 krad were capable of recovery and forming colonies on TSA when incubated at 36�C for 1 day than at 5�C for 14 days. This difference in count was considered a manifestation of injury to certain survivors of irradiation.


A model is proposed that is motivated by the growing theoretical importance of the affective domain in information science (IS) and human–computer interaction (HCI), and the increased need for integrated models that provide an explicit account of how human mental and physiological systems dynamically interact in task performance with information systems. The ecological constructionism framework defines a social and biological information technology that is created through the dynamic intersection of technological affordances in symbiotic interaction with affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor information procedures that users creatively construct to satisfice the social practices inherent in information settings. Samples of spontaneous user discourse were mapped, demonstrating the model's suitability for charting the flow of mental procedures that users perform in interaction with information systems. The framework is shown to be compatible with the research focus in the literature on information behavior in IS and user affect in HCI. It also addresses current challenges to create more versatile architectures integrating technology, biology, and community into organic or synergic systems. The model specifies the components and dynamics of a human–computer symbiotic information environment. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This paper proposes that the ideas of political philosopher John Rawls could be adapted to offer a new starting point for a pedagogy of religious education (RE) in the non‐denominational sector. It is argued that contemporary approaches to RE may infringe the liberal principle of freedom of belief by favouring certain methods of interpreting religions. In response to this criticism, it is suggested that teachers can construct a just and fair pedagogy, which is truly liberal in its assumptions, by following a procedure similar to that advocated by Rawls. Readers are invited to don a 'veil of ignorance' and imagine that from this perspective they are to enter into a hypothetical contract outlining the founding principles of a pedagogical approach. It is argued that those entering into such a contract would opt for a form of critical RE not dissimilar to Wright's that aims to present religions and competing ideologies without distortion. It is hoped that this hypothetical contract can thus characterise and legitimise the first principles of a truly liberal RE, and provide a convenient conceptual apparatus that eliminates bias and promotes balance.


Stable isotope technique is important for understanding the structure and function of soil food web, which is considered as a belowground black box. We reviewed typical application cases of stable isotope techniques in the research of soil food webs, including to determine food sources and feeding preferences of soil fauna by using isotopes, and to analyze the trophic structure of soil food webs through isotope fractionation effects during the process of feeding and nutrient sequestration by soil fauna. Additionally, stable isotope techniques could reveal the role of soil biota at different trophic levels within soil food web in ecosystem matter and energy flow, which favored to carry out accurate and efficient research on the contribution of soil food webs to soil carbon and nitrogen cycling process and the corresponding influence mechanism. We further put forward the limitations of current stable isotope techniques and the future development directions.


BACKGROUND
Carbon monoxide (CO) in expired air has been reported to be an indirect measurement for the quantity of passive smoking. Since endogen CO is produced in inflammatory processes and inflammation is the main pathogenetic mechanism of asthma, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between the intensity of passive smoking and CO concentration in expired air of healthy and asthmatic children.

METHODS AND RESULTS
The study was performed in the outpatient pediatrics clinics and day care centers. Knowledge about indoor smoking habits were obtained from parents. The exhaled CO concentrations were measured by a portable device in 235 healthy (mean age, 4.4 +/- 2.3 years) and 54 asthmatic (mean age, 4.5 +/- 1.7 years) children. Children with no smoking parents had the lowest exhaled CO concentrations. Significant relationships were found between the number of smoking cigarettes in the house and exhaled CO concentrations in both healthy (p = 0.003) and asthmatic (p = 0.01) children. Carbon monoxide concentrations were higher in asthmatic children than healthy ones (mean +/- SD, 1.32 +/- 1.50 ppm and 0.86 +/- 1.35 ppm, respectively, p = 0.028) if their parental smoking habits were not taken into account. Asthmatic children of non-smoking parents had higher CO concentrations than healthy subjects of non-smoking parents (1.05 +/- 1.55 ppm vs 0.37 +/- 0.53 ppm, p = 0.01). On the other hand, asthmatic children who has no smoking parents and did not receive inhaled steroids had significantly higher CO concentrations (1.75 +/- 1.45 ppm) than those who received steroids (0.58 +/- 0.65 ppm, p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS
Exhaled CO can be used as an indicator of passive smoking in children. Higher expired CO of asthmatic children may reflect inflammation of the lung in asthma.


Abstract Relative role of intrinsic density‐dependent factors (such as inter‐ and intraspecific competition, predation) and extrinsic density‐independent factors (environmental changes) in population dynamics is a key issue in ecology. Density‐dependent mechanisms are considered as important drivers of population dynamics in many vertebrate and insect species; however, their influence on the population dynamics of freshwater invertebrates is not clearly understood. In this study, I examined interannual variations in the abundance of the glacial relict amphipod Monoporeia affinis in a small subarctic lake based on long‐term (2002–2019) monitoring data. The results suggest that the population dynamics of amphipods in the lake is influenced by the combined effects of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The reproductive success of amphipod cohorts was inversely related to its initial abundance, indicating it is influenced by density‐dependent factors. M. affinis recruitment was negatively correlated with population density and near‐bottom temperature but positively correlated with food availability, which is defined as the concentration of chlorophyll a. Multiple regression with chlorophyll, temperature, and abundance of parent cohort as independent factors explained about 80% of the variation in the reproductive success of amphipods. The negative correlation between amphipod recruitment and water temperature indicates that the current climate conditions adversely affect the populations of glacial relict amphipods even in cold‐water lakes of the subarctic zone. Results of this study can be useful in environmental assessments to separate population oscillations connected with density‐dependent mechanisms from human‐mediated changes.


ABSTRACT Unlike Escherichia coli, the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 is insensitive to chill (5°C) in the dark but rapidly losses viability when exposed to chill in the light (100 μmol photons m−2 s−1). Preconditioning at a low temperature (15°C) greatly enhances the chill-light tolerance of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. This phenomenon is called acquired chill-light tolerance (ACLT). Preconditioned wild-type cells maintained a substantially higher level of α-tocopherol after exposure to chill-light stress. Mutants unable to synthesize α-tocopherol, such as slr1736, slr1737, slr0089, and slr0090 mutants, almost completely lost ACLT. When exposed to chill without light, these mutants showed no or a slight difference from the wild type. When complemented, the slr0089 mutant regained its ACLT. Copper-regulated expression of slr0090 from P petE controlled the level of α-tocopherol and ACLT. We conclude that α-tocopherol is essential for ACLT of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803. The role of α-tocopherol in ACLT may be based largely on a nonantioxidant activity that is not possessed by other tocopherols or pathway intermediates.


20-30 kbar. Limited regions of uniaxial stress were obtained by exploiting naturally occurring microcracks that form during the postgrowth cooling. These microcracks act as stressors in order to create the highly localized regions of uniaxial stress. The local strain tensors for such QDs, which are subject to an interfacial stress perturbation, have been determined by modeling the dependence of the QD excitonic transition energy on the interfacial stress. Cathodoluminescence CL measurements of the excitonic transitions exhibit an in-plane linear polarization anisotropy in close proximity to microcracks. The polarization anisotropy is strongly dependent on the sample temperature and the electron beam excitation conditions used to excite the QD ensemble. Localized CL spectroscopy of the QDs exhibits emissions from both the ground and excited states, whose relative contributions depend on the level of excitation and temperature. Experimental results indicate that the polarization anisotropy vanishes at high temperatures 300 K with an increasing excitation of the QDs, while the anisotropy decreases more slowly with excitation at low temperatures 60 K. A theoretical modeling of the effect of carrier filling on the polarization anisotropy and the excitonic transition energy was performed, as based on three-dimensional self-consistent solutions of the Schrodinger and Poisson equations using the 66 k·p and effective mass methods for calculations of the e-h wave functions and electron and hole quasi-Fermi levels for varying levels of state filling. We attribute carrier filling and a thermal excitation of holes into higher energy QD hole states during excitation to account for the observed gradual decrease in the polarization anisotropy with an increasing electron-hole pair excitation density at T=300 K. © 2010 American Institute of Physics. doi:10.1063/1.3490199


The pressure-induced structure transitions of PbSe were investigated at pressures up to 50 GPa in diamond anvil cells using synchrotron powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. A phase transition from the initial NaCl-type structure to an intermediate phase was observed at 4.8 GPa, followed by another phase transition to a CsCl-type structure at 19.5 GPa, which is in agreement with previous reports. In addition, the NaCl-type, Pnma, Cmcm, and CsCl-type structures of PbSe were investigated using density functional theory calculations. Based on the experiments and calculations, the intermediate phase has Pnma symmetry rather than Cmcm symmetry, as has been previously suggested. Some of the diffraction peaks of the Pnma phase were broad in the high-pressure experiments, but were determined to be single diffraction peaks rather than the overlap of multiple peaks by different experimental methods. The Pnma and Cmcm structures of PbSe were compared. It was found that two structures were very similar, and it was difficult to distinguish one power diffraction pattern from the other.


A 51-year-old male presented with a painful ulcer on his glans penis. Histopathological and radiological examination showed extensive microangiopathy and calcification of small and medium-sized arteries and the diagnosis 'calciphylaxis cutis' was made. Calciphylaxis cutis is caused by calcium deposits in small and medium-sized arteries, and most commonly seen in patients with end-stage renal failure and hyperparathyroidism.


How L2 learners compensate for their linguistic deficiency when they try to communicate some concept or idea for which they do not have a linguistic symbol in their mind is the major focus of this paper. The learners bridge the linguistic hiatus by deploying six major strategies named conceptual, linguistic, cooperative, retrieve, appeal, avoidance, each indicative and the result of a different psychological plan. In this paper a new classification is proposed and the influence of language proficiency on the selection of strategies is examined. The results show that proficiency in the language does not play a significant role in the selection of strategies by those students who learn English in formal situations.


This study explored the attitudinal change of government employees to accountability in accordance with the state's paradigm shift from traditional public administration to New Public Management. To conduct this study on the level of accountability of government employees, the most seriously neglected dimensions of accountability, the most critical dimensions of accountability, and the most important government programs to have accountability were examined. The findings were as follows: First, the level of accountability for Korean government employees is lower than the level they evaluate for themselves, and it does not meet the level that academic experts and policy monitors expected. Second, citizen satisfaction was considered the most seriously neglected of the four dimensions of accountability. Third, performance is of the two most critical among the four dimensions of accountability. Finally, although government employees considered both performance and compliance as the most critical dimensions to hold accountable, their answers to the question about the most critical accountability system were different from their answers regarding the single most critical dimension.


Summary The health risks for both domestic animals and humans caused by large herbivores in self‐sustaining ecosystems are largely unknown. The aim of this article is to make an inventory of these risks, to explore ways to manage them in practice, and to make recommendations for the quantification of risks. Potential hazards from herbivores in and around Europe are listed using the data of the OIE (Office International des Epizooties). The desired health status and the implementation of control or surveillance measures are important factors when assessing the risks. Results indicate that a regular yearly system of health monitoring of herbivores is necessary. To get more insight into the importance of certain risks (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, biodegradation of carrion in the field) epidemiological investigations have to be carried out to assess the risk of transmission in different situations (with or without intervention). Analysing and managing risks enable decision‐makers to formulate the condi...


BACKGROUND
Heart failure is a major and growing public health problem in developed and developing countries. Despite major advances in medical therapy, morbidity and mortality remain high. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been proposed as an adjunctive therapy in patients with drug-refractory heart failure and ventricular conduction delay. Short and long-term studies have demonstrated the clinical benefits of CRT.

OBJECTIVE
The present study was designed to assess the feasibility, safety, and mid-term efficacy of CRT in patients with severe heart failure and ventricular conduction delay in the institute.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Ten patients with severe heart failure in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 35%, QRS duration >120 ms with left bundle branch block morphology received CRT At baseline, and 6 months after implantation, the following parameters were evaluated: NYHA class, QRS duration, LVEF N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) level, 6-minute walking distance, SF-36 quality-of-life (QOL) score, and number of heart failure visit.

RESULTS
All clinical parameters improved significantly at 6 months. NYHA class decreased from 3.5 +/- 0.5 to 2.4 +/- 0.7 (p < 0.01). QRS duration decreased from 145 +/- 22 ms to 126 + 6 ms (p < 0.01). LVEF increasedfrom 21 +/- 6% to 31 +/- 12% (p < 0.01). NT-pro BNP level decreased from 2503 +/- 1953 pg/ml to 767 +/- 342 pg/ml (p < 0.01). The 6-minute walking distance increased from 153 +/- 122 m to 278 +/- 128 m (p < 0.01). QOL score improved from 66 +/- 14 to 98 +/- 25 (p < 0. 01). The number of heart failure visits was reduced from 3.8 +/- 3.7 per year to 0.5 +/- 0.8 visit per year (p < 0.01). Seventy percent of patients were free of heart failure visit for one year after implantation. One patient had sudden cardiac death eleven months after implantation. There was no procedure-related mortality. One patient had left ventricular lead dislodgement 3 months after implantation.

CONCLUSION
In the present study, CRT was safe and effective in improving heart failure symptom, functional status, LV function, and quality of life. CRT also reduced heart failure hospitalization in the presented severe heart failure and ventricular conduction delay patients.


Monitoring of plasma charging damage in ultrathin oxides (e.g., <4 mm) is essential to understand its impact on device reliability. However, it is observed that the shift of several device parameters, including threshold voltage, transconductance, and subthreshold swing, are not sensitive to plasma charging and thus not suitable for this purpose. Consequently, some destructive methods, such as the charge-to-breakdown measurement, are necessary to evaluate plasma damage in the ultrathin oxides.


This study clarifies the spatio-temporal structure of buildings in Sapporo City and the reconcentration of dwelling space in the central area. The data used in the analysis are gross floor area ratio (gross floor area of each building use [m2]/district area [m2]), and the data sources are the basic survey data for city planning of Sapporo City in 1980, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001. First, this research applies the quasi three-mode factor analysis to a three-dimensional matrix (3,934 districts×14 building uses×5 years), and considers the spatio-temporal structure of the buildings in Sapporo City. Next, it analyzes the locations of houses, apartments, and commercial establishments by direction from the central area, and accessibility to railroad and subway stations. The main results are as follows. Regarding the spatio-temporal structure of buildings in Sapporo City, commercial establishments predominate in the central area, and houses and apartment houses occupy most of the surrounding area. The density of buildings is greater along the subway line. Apartment houses increase in density as opposed to commercial establishments or houses near stations around the central area. It is thought that reconcentration of this dwelling space in the central area is a phenomenon observed during the period of this research, and accelerated from the second half of the 1990s. Moreover, GIS is a useful tool for creating map data with a new boundary line, as well for calculating attribute data accompanying boundary changes in the analyses.


Photograph of a group of guests in attendance at the 7th Annual Scholarship and Award Celebration, "Celebrate Mayborn," the Frank & Sue Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. Current undergraduates, alumni, notable professionals and faculty members of Mayborn were recognized at this event for their careers and academic achievements in the journalism field.


Buildings' expected (projected, simulated) energy use frequently does not match actual observations. This is commonly referred to as the energy performance gap. As such, many factors can contribute to the disagreement between expectations and observations. These include, for instance, uncertainty about buildings' geometry, construction, systems, and weather conditions. However, the role of occupants in the energy performance gap has recently attracted much attention. It has even been suggested that occupants are the main cause of the energy performance gap. This, in turn, has led to suggestions that better models of occupant behavior can reduce the energy performance gap. The present effort aims at the review and evaluation of the evidence for such claims. To this end, a systematic literature search was conducted and relevant publications were identified and reviewed in detail. The review entailed the categorization of the studies according to the scope and strength of the evidence for occupants' role in the energy performance gap. Moreover, deployed calculation and monitoring methods, normalization procedures, and reported causes and magnitudes of the energy performance gap were documented and evaluated. The results suggest that the role of occupants as significant or exclusive contributors to the energy performance gap is not sufficiently substantiated by evidence.


Thyroglossal duct cysts are embryologic anomalies arising from epithelial remnants of the duct left after the descent of the developing thyroid. Clinical, operative and pathological findings in 124 patients operated on in the past 14 years were analyzed. There were 60 males and 64 females. 69 (56%) were under 10 years of age and the youngest was 6 months old. 26 (21%) were over the age of 30, and the oldest was 72 years old. All excisions were performed in accordance with the Sistrunk procedure, which includes removal of the body of the hyoid bone. Overall recurrence was 6.4%, but in infected cysts or cysts with a fistula to the skin, it was 3.5 times greater. In 20% the cyst was located off the midline. The lining of the cysts was cuboidal, columnar, pseudostratified or stratified squamous epithelium, and varied according to the location of the cyst. There were no malignant changes.


ABSTRACT This article reviews the recent advances in understanding of cerebral palsy (CP) and outlines how these advances could inform pediatric neuropsychological rehabilitation. Three main areas are discussed: the improved delineation of differing presentations resulting from more advanced imaging techniques with emerging links to function; a brief review of research examining neuropsychological functioning of children with CP and their quality of life and participation; and lastly, some of the evidence for efficacious interventions and the extent to which these interventions are derived from neuropsychological theory and practice. Advances and gaps in knowledge in addition to suggestions of areas for future focus in research and practice are discussed throughout the article.


We use an agent-based approach to model trading behaviour in high-frequency markets. This study focuses on the Foreign Exchange (FX) market. The initial part of this study is to observe the micro-behaviour of traders to define the stylized facts of their trading activities. This is performed using a high-frequency dataset of anonymised individual traders' historical transactions on an account level, provided by OANDA Ltd. This dataset is considered to be the biggest available high-frequency dataset dealing with the individual FX market traders' trading activities. The second step is to build agent-based models of traders. The traders are modelled to respond to physical time to account for the different market seasonalities. The key elements in modeling the traders are zero-intelligence directional-change events trading strategy, historical prices, actual FX market traders' behaviour, limit orders, FX market trading sessions and market holidays. Using the identified stylized facts of FX market trading activity, we evaluate the trading agents' collective trading behaviour. The results of this comparison indicate that the trading agents' collective trading behaviour resembles, to a certain extent, the collective trading behaviour of FX market traders.


The switching activity of scan-based tests for delay faults is considered as a test compaction heuristic. Two test compaction processes based on the switching activity are described. The results of several experiments are presented where test sets consisting of tests with different switching activity are compared based on their size as well as coverage of untargeted faults. The results demonstrate that test sets where the tests have higher switching activity are smaller. Their untargeted fault coverage is comparable, and sometimes even higher, than that of larger test sets for the same target faults. To avoid overtesting due to high switching activity it is possible to consider functional broadside tests. For other types of tests it is possible to bound the switching activity such that it would not exceed that possible during functional operation.


The Earth we live in is increasingly becoming a battlefield for the forces of integration versus the forces of fragmentation. The play between opposites has encumbered our world as it has our family lives as well. Psychologists, counselors, management gurus have all been working hard to find solutions to a growing 'relationships' crisis, at both the macro and micro levels. In the developed countries, mental illnesses are on the rise. Growing intolerance has begun to seek release through violence. The trends are disturbing, and there is a growing need for change. What we need now more than ever, perhaps, is a completely new perspective. The Author seeks to establish new thinking and perspectives on this issue through his book – 'Celebrating Differences: Wisdom Through Relationships'. Available on Amazon, Kindle, & Flipkart. This paper is a brief synopsis of the same.


Short distance road races are popular in most communities, and athletic trainers are often asked to coordinate the medical coverage for such events. The medical support needed to successfully cover marathons, triathlons, and other endurance events has been well documented. However, little information has been presented regarding medical considerations for shorter distance races. Heat illness is often seen in short distance races, especially when the environmental conditions are extreme. Successful coverage of races of any length includes thorough planning and preparation, adequate supplies, and competent personnel. Medical coverage includes organizing the medical tent at the finish line, selecting appropriate protocols for treatment, and identifying a physician who will act as the race's medical director. It may also be necessary to provide medical coverage on the race course, at other areas, and at the finish line. The purpose of this paper is to inform the medical community, and athletic trainers in particular, of some of the details that should be considered when planning race coverage. The information detailed within may also be applied to other sports-related medical coverage provided by athletic trainers.


The microstructure stability of Al 3Ti/Al alloy prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) was investigated in the simulating environment in which they may be used. The results show that the MA alloy possesses fine microstructure (the grain size is about 0.5 μm). After cycling loaded followed by heat exposure at 350 ℃ for 24 h, no microstructure coarsening of the alloy occurred, which means that the Al 3Ti/Al alloy behaves good microstructure stability at high temperature. The compression yield strength of the alloy reaches up to 247 MPa at 350 ℃. [


Introduction: This study aimed to explore the diagnostic value and effect of miR-381-3p on Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: RT-qPCR was used for the measurement of miR-381-3p levels. Pearson correlation coefficient was used for the correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to assess the distinct ability of miR-381-3p for AD. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with Aβ25-35 to establish an AD cell model. The role of miR-381-3p on cell proliferation and apoptosis was detected. ELISA was applied to detect the protein levels of inflammatory cytokine expression. The target relationship of miR-381-3p with PTGS2 was verified by luciferase reporter gene assay. Results: Low expression of miR-381-3p was detected in the serum of AD patients and cell models. There was a negative association of serum miR-381-3p with the serum inflammatory cytokines. The ROC curve demonstrated the distinct ability of serum miR-381-3p for AD, with the AUC value of 0.898, with a sensitivity of 87.5%, and a specificity of 77.7%. Overexpression of miR-381-3p reversed the influence of Aβ25-35 on cell proliferation and apoptosis, but miR-381-3p downregulation exacerbated the influence. miR-381-3p overexpression inhibited the release of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α induced by Aβ25-35 treatment, whereas miR-381-3p downregulation further promoted the release of inflammatory cytokines. PTGS2 was the target gene of miR-381-3p and was upregulated in AD cell models. Conclusion: miR-381-3p is less expressed in the serum of AD patients and has potential diagnostic values for AD. Overexpression of miR-381-3p may attenuate Aβ25-35-induced neurotoxicity and inflammatory responses via targeting PTGS2 in SH-SY5Y cells.


In the next several decades, Cuba will face major demographic challenges. As a result of persistent low fertility and high emigration rates, the population is contracting and aging. The aging population trend, as suggested by recent population projections, is irreversible over the short to medium term, posing considerable social and economic dilemmas for the future. How to address the needs of the elderly population will be at the center of the economic policy debate. Many rich countries facing comparable challenges are considering or implementing various policy options—in line with their prevailing social welfare policies—to cope with the aging crisis. Cuba, while facing far more adverse economic circumstances, will have to choose among these policy options as it implements inevitable social welfare reforms.


Objective: To evaluate the role of IL-10 in regulation of peanut-driven cytokine production in peanut allergic, sensitized, and clinically tolerant human populations.
 Methods: Eighteen clinically peanut allergic, 8 sensitized, and 29 peanut non-allergic individuals between 6-45y were studied. PBMC were stimulated with peanut Ag alone, and in the presence of rIL-10 or anti-IL-10R neutralising Ab in short-term primary cultures. Peanut-driven Type 1, Type 2, and regulatory cytokine response profiles were quantified by ELISA.
 Results: IL-10 production in response to peanut-specific stimulation was higher in peanut allergic than non-allergic individuals. Exogenous rIL-10 abrogates peanut-driven cytokine production in peanut allergics. Blocking endogenous IL-10 function has no impact on recall Type 2 cytokine responses in non-allergics. Among peanut allergics, anti-IL-10R treatment during Ag stimulation enhanced both Th2 and Th1 recall responses.
 Conclusion: IL-10 and the IL-10R play no detectable role in preventing initiation of peanut specific food allergy, but may be important in limiting the intensity of peanut specific Th2 and pro-inflammatory responses in peanut allergic individuals.


ABSTRACT Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is an essential mediator of corneal inflammation induced by the filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus, which harbors endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria. TLR2 is also required for dendritic cell activation, gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production, and neutrophil recruitment to the cornea. To examine the role of IFN-γ in O. volvulus keratitis, C57BL/6 and IFN-γ−/− mice were immunized subcutaneously, and a soluble antigen extract from O. volvulus adult worms (OvAg) was injected into the corneal stroma of each animal. We found that, in the absence of IFN-γ, neutrophil recruitment to the cornea was significantly impaired, whereas there was no effect on eosinophil infiltration. Since the cornea contains resident macrophages and fibroblasts and our previous studies showed that CXC chemokines mediate neutrophil recruitment, we examined the role of recombinant IFN-γ (rIFN-γ) on each cell type. We found no effect of rIFN-γ on CXC chemokine production by macrophages or corneal fibroblasts, either alone or with filarial extracts; in contrast, rIFN-γ was found to enhance OvAg-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1α, and IL-1β in macrophages. Furthermore, we found that rTNF-α, rIL-1α, or rIL-1β induced CXC chemokine production by corneal fibroblasts but not by macrophages. To determine the relative contributions of endogenous cytokines, we injected OvAg into the corneal stroma of C57BL/6, IL-1 receptor 1−/− (IL-1R1−/−), and TNF-αR1/2−/− mice and examined neutrophil recruitment. We found that neutrophil infiltration was impaired in IL-1R1−/− mice but not in TNF-αR1/2−/− mice. IFN-γ therefore appears to regulate neutrophil recruitment to the corneal stroma by enhancing TLR2 expression and OvAg-induced IL-1α and IL-1β production by macrophages in the cornea, which then induce IL-1R1-dependent production of CXC chemokine by resident corneal fibroblasts.


Apico-basal membrane polarity is fundamental for epithelial cell development and function. Polarity factors including the small GTPase Cdc42, the Par3/Par6/aPKC complex, and cytoskeletal proteins are recruited by the anionic lipids phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidylserine. But how these lipids accumulate at polarised sites remains unclear. We have examined roles of contacts between the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane (ER-PM contacts) in generating lipid gradients during apical domain formation. Comprehensive electron microscopy analyses in hepatocytes and epithelial spheroids revealed two distinct ER-PM contact architectures that are spatially linked to apical and baso-lateral domains. Moreover, apical domain formation was delayed in HepG2 cells upon modulating the ER-PM contact proteins E-Syt1 and ORP5. We propose ER-PM contacts regulate apico-basal polarity via the lipid transfer proteins E-Syt1 and ORP5. Importantly, our findings suggest that the spatial organisation of ER-PM contacts is a conserved feature of polarised epithelial cells.


Kit Chunyu Feng Zhiwei Abstract: This paper reviews the history and theoretical background for the traditional definition of term and recognize its positive role in previous terminology work such as terminology standardization. Based on available evidence from real text data, however, we point out the limitations of this definition and propose an ontology-based definition as a call for the development of ontological terminology.


A minimal supersymmetric SO(10) model with one 10 and one 126 Higgs superfield predict all neutrino mixings as well as the solar mass difference squared in agreement with observations. However, the CKM CP phase is constrained to be in the second or third quadrant requiring a significant non-CKM component to CP violation to explain observations. We revisit this issue using type I and II seesaw formula for neutrino masses show that the addition of a nonrenormalizable term restores compatibility with neutrino data and CKM CP violation in both cases. We further find that the MSSM parameter tan β≥30 in the type I model and lepton flavor violation and lepton electric dipole moments are accessible to proposed experiments in both type I and type II models. We also discuss the unification of the gauge couplings in type I model which requires an intermediate scale.


Introduction Eclampsia is a common cause of new onset self-terminating tonic-clonic seizures in term pregnancy. Other causes of seizures such as epilepsy and central nervous system infection, haemorrhage, infarction, mass or thrombosis are considered as differential diagnoses when there is atypical presentation. Case report: A 25 year old Somalian woman presented to delivery suite at 38 weeks of pregnancy with a 12 hour history of headache, confusion and one episode of self-terminating tonic-clonic seizure. She was in her third uncomplicated pregnancy with the past medical history of tubercular sacroiliitis. She completed anti-tubercular treatment and was discharged from the TB clinic prior to this pregnancy. On arrival to the delivery suite the patient was confused, agitated and combative. Her blood pressure was normal. It was difficult to accurately assess her neurological state due to her degree of agitation. However bilateral upgoing plantars were noted with no other apparent neurological abnormality. A presumed diagnosis of eclampsia was made. Magnesium sulphate infusion was commenced with no improvement in clinical condition. The patient was intubated for further investigation and management. A lower segment caesarean section was performed and she was transferred to the intensive care unit for ventilatory support. Following extensive investigation she was diagnosed with TB meningitis and bilateral parietal tuberculomas. Conclusion The purpose of this report is to illustrate a relatively rare cause of seizures in pregnancy. With TB affecting an increasing number of patients in UK hospitals, it is an important differential diagnosis for a vast range of presenting complaints.


BACKGROUND
Persistent pulmonary hypertension in neonates (PPHN) is associated with high mortality. Currently, the therapeutic mainstay for PPHN is assisted ventilation and administration of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO). However, nitric oxide is costly and may not be appropriate in resource-poor settings. Approximately 30% of patients fail to respond to iNO. High concentrations of phosphodiesterases in the pulmonary vasculature has led to the use of phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as sildenafil or milrinone.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the efficacy and safety of sildenafil in the treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension in neonates.

SEARCH STRATEGY
The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL databases were searched from their inception until December 2010; Clinicaltrials.gov web site, the reference lists of identified trials, and abstracts of meetings were searched without any language restriction.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials of sildenafil compared with placebo or other pulmonary vasodilators, irrespective of dose, route and duration of administration in neonates with PPHN, were included if the trial reported any of the pre-specified outcomes.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
The methodological quality of the trials was assessed regarding how bias was minimized at study entry, during study intervention and at outcomes measurement. Data on relevant outcomes were extracted and the effect size was estimated and reported as relative risk (RR), risk difference (RD) and weighted mean difference (MD) as appropriate. The I-squared (I(2)) test of heterogeneity was applied.

MAIN RESULTS
Three eligible trials that enrolled 77 infants were identified. The methodological quality of the studies indicated low-moderate risk of bias. All studies were performed in resource-limited settings where iNO and high frequency ventilation were not available at the time of study. There was significant reduction in mortality in the sildenafil group (typical RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.57; typical RD -0.38, 95% CI -0.60 to -0.16; Number needed to treat to benefit 3, 95% CI 2 to 6). Physiological parameters of oxygenation (oxygenation index, PaO(2)) suggested a steady improvement after the first dose of sildenafil. No clinically important side effects were identified.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Sildenafil in the treatment of PPHN has significant potential especially in resource limited settings. However, a large scale randomised trial comparing sildenafil with the currently used vasodilator, inhaled nitric oxide, is needed to assess efficacy and safety.


>> This case study contributes to the development of a flexible and coherent theory of American Indian psychology. It focuses on mental health psychology in the context of therapy with a 63-year-old traditional Southeastern Woodland woman (Selu). Theoretical constructs of American Indian therapeutic perspectives and needs are postulated, based on the client's and psychologist's interactions over the course of about one hundred counseling sessions over a 2-year period. One of the strengths of this model is that it emerges from a clinical perspective. Different therapeutic techniques are experimented with, used, abandoned, and merged. Hopefully, the following reflections will help therapists to critically consider psychological perspectives and approaches they may use with traditional American Indians or other nonmajority clients.


The objective of this research was to analyze the control methods of ovine verminosis in the agriculture family of Pinheiro Machado municipality, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. In 2015, available information regarding agriculture on anthelmintics was collected by conducting interviews and by applying questionnaires to 32 sheep breeders. There were 11 active principles and 34 commercial names of medications registered for deworming. All the producers used anti-parasite drugs to control sheep verminosis, and 90% of the producers applied vermifuges without taking into account technical criteria. Only 1.8% gave a suitable destination to medical devices packages. Sheep farmers increased the frequency and dose usage of antiparasitic drugs, the aforementioned shows as consequences an increase in parasitic resistance to deworms and an environmental impact. In order to increase production and reduce chemicals that are harmful to the environment, sheep breeders shall use phytotherapy, homeopathy, biological control, rotational grazing, and the Famacha method.


Recursive partitioning methods have become popular and widely used tools for nonparametric regression and classification in many scientific fields. Especially random forests, which can deal with large numbers of predictor variables even in the presence of complex interactions, have been applied successfully in genetics, clinical medicine, and bioinformatics within the past few years. High-dimensional problems are common not only in genetics, but also in some areas of psychological research, where only a few subjects can be measured because of time or cost constraints, yet a large amount of data is generated for each subject. Random forests have been shown to achieve a high prediction accuracy in such applications and to provide descriptive variable importance measures reflecting the impact of each variable in both main effects and interactions. The aim of this work is to introduce the principles of the standard recursive partitioning methods as well as recent methodological improvements, to illustrate their usage for low and high-dimensional data exploration, but also to point out limitations of the methods and potential pitfalls in their practical application. Application of the methods is illustrated with freely available implementations in the R system for statistical computing.


Apoptosis induced by wild-type p53 or cytotoxic compounds in myeloid leukemic cells can be inhibited by the cytokines interleukin 6, interleukin 3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and interferon gamma and by antioxidants. The antioxidants and cytokines showed a cooperative protective effect against induction of apoptosis. Cells with a higher intrinsic level of peroxide production showed a higher sensitivity to induction of apoptosis and required a higher cytokine concentration to inhibit apoptosis. Decreasing the intrinsic oxidative stress in cells by antioxidants thus inhibited apoptosis, whereas increasing this intrinsic stress by adding H2O2 enhanced apoptosis. Induction of apoptosis by wild-type p53 was not preceded by increased peroxide production or lipid peroxidation and the protective effect of cytokines was not associated with a decrease in these properties. The results indicate that the intrinsic degree of oxidative stress can regulate cell susceptibility to wild-type p53-dependent and p53-independent induction of apoptosis and the ability of cytokines to protect cells against apoptosis.


Medical management of active inflammatory bowel disease
(IBD) depends on the extent and the severity of the disease
estimated by both clinical and endoscopic parameters. Based
on these parameters a flare of IBD, either of ulcerative colitis
(UC) or of Crohn's disease (CD) can be mild, moderate
or severe. Mild or moderate IBD is treated on an outpatient
basis, while severe disease requires hospitalization. Although
in the literature there is no clear cut definition of resistance,
we characterize as refractory the disease that does not respond
to drug treatment, consisting of salicylates and steroids
in doses appropriate for the severity of the episode for a
four week period in combination with topical therapy. In severe
IBD the critical period is much shorter (5 days).
In refractory mild IBD, steroids (prednisone 20-40 mg)
combined with a double dose of topical treatment are appropriate.
In refractory moderate disease, therapeutic options
are: the intensive scheme of severe disease, immunomodulators,
Infliximab or consideration for surgery. In
refractory severe cases cyclosporine (mainly for UC) or Infliximab
either early or after cyclosporine failure appear to
be effective approaches, which must be compared to surgical
treatment in controlled clinical trials.
In conclusion, although refractory IBD is a challenge for the
clinician there are several therapeutic options. Apart from
old friends (steroids, immunomodulators, surgery) the new
group of biologic agents, in the form of anti-TNF factor (Infliximab
at present), has emerged as an option in the medical
management of moderate, severe and refractory IBD. Key words: Inflammatory bowel disease, IBD, ulcerative
colitis, Crohn's disease, refractory IBD.


This paper studies how between-firm competition affects firms' ability to provide employees
with incentives to innovate. In a relatively simple moral hazard framework, it derives the
optimal dynamic contract to induce employees to pursue innovative work methods rather than
using known work methods. Subsequently, it analyses the firms' choice of action to engage in,
as well as the associated efficiency of the chosen method. Results show how, if a worker is to
explore new production methods, he may need to be rewarded for early failure, which can be
impossible for a firm operating under competition. This is caused by the lower expected profits,
as well as by the increased competition for shareholders imposing constraints on the liquidity
of a firm. Stakeholders would be more difficult to attract to any one firm, the more firms there
are in the industry, implying that firms should avoid making losses in early stages. Thus, under
certain conditions, less competition may prove to be beneficial for the overall efficiency of the
market, while in other cases more competition could be more efficient.1


An unusual and in many respects advantageous no-moving-part valve is described, developed for switching fluid flows in a through-flow reactor that requires a periodic regeneration by temporary replacement of the process fluid by another, regeneration fluid. The unusual feature of the valve is that it is axisymmetric, built integrally into the inlet part of the reactor body. The valve operation is based upon a monostable axisymmetric variant of the Coanda effect of jet attachment to a wall. The jet is annular and there are two attachment walls of conical shape. The outer hollow cone is dominant while the auxiliary inner convex cone is small, almost vestigial. Concentrating on the performance in a no-spillover regime, experimental data obtained in cold-air laboratory tests using a full-scale model are compared with numerical flowfield computations, using unusual non-dimensional presentation.


Dietary components have potential to arrest or modify chronic disease processes including obesity, cancer, and comorbidities. However, clinical research to translate mechanistic nutrition data into clinical interventions is needed. We have developed a one-year transitional postdoctoral curriculum to prepare nutrition scientists in the language and practice of medicine and in clinical research methodology before undertaking independent research. Candidates with an earned doctorate in nutrition science receive intensive, didactic training at the interface of nutrition and medicine, participate in supervised medical observerships, and join ongoing clinical research. To date, we have trained four postdoctoral fellows. Formative evaluation revealed several learning barriers to this training, including deficits in prior medical science knowledge and diverse perceptions of the role of the translational nutrition scientist. Several innovative techniques to address these barriers are discussed. We propose the fact that this "train the trainer" approach has potential to create a new translational nutrition researcher competent to identify clinical problems, collaborate with clinicians and researchers, and incorporate nutrition science across disciplines from "bench to bedside." We also expect the translational nutrition scientist to serve as an expert resource to the medical team in use of nutrition as adjuvant therapy for the prevention and management of chronic disease.


This paper examines changes in the distribution of income and consumption in the United States during the 1980s. using data from the Current Population Survey (income) and Consumer Expenditure Survey (consumption). We reach three primary conclusions. First. changes in the distribution of consumption parallel changes in the distribution of income. The lowest quintile of the consumption distribution received 0.9 percentage points less of total consumption in 1988 than in 1980; the corresponding decline for income was 0.6 percentage points. Second. broad conclusions concerning recent changes in the consumption distribution are not very sensitive to the exact choice of a measure of family needs. Under a wide variety of alternative household equivalence scales. there is a widening in the consumption distribution in the 1980s. Third. the usc of consumption measures of well-being in place of measures based on current money income docs change conclusions concerning the extent of poverty in the United Stales. Using the official federal poverty thresholds. we find that the overall consumption poverty rate was three percentage points below the income poverty rate in 1988. Comparisons of the poverty rates of the elderly and the non-elderly are substantially affected by the choice of poverty measure. The consumption poverty rare for the elderly was only 60 percent of the rate for adults and one-third of the rate for children in 1988.


Ultraviolet radiation was used as a photochemical initiator to synthesize ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-methyl methacrylate copolymers. Infrared spectroscopy was used to calculate reactivity ratios and to identify the type of copolymerization. The reactivity ratios of EGDMA and MMA were calculated as 0.6993 and 1.8635, respectively. The effect of lithium perchlorate as a dopant on copolymer conductivity and conversion was studied. The addition of dopant increased the conductivity of copolymers. For copolymers containing 5% MMA in the feed, dopant increased conductivity about 775 times; when the MMA percentage was 20% in the feed, dopant increased conductivity about 100 times. As MMA percentage increases in the copolymer, the conductivity values decrease from the mS to the µS region. This is consistent with the fact that PMMA has a lower conductivity than PEGDMA. The conductivity change of homopolymers and copolymers at various temperatures were studied. Both MMA and EGDMA polymers and their copolymers show a minimum in their conductivity vs. temperature graphs, indicating that they first act as a conductor and after a minimum temperature, become semiconductors and can be used to control current in electrical devices by temperature change. The measurement of conductivity change with time provided a new way to follow the kinetics of polymer/dopant reactions. The activation energy of interaction with dopant was calculated as 31.52 kJ/mol for MMA/EGDMA copolymers; for PEGDMA alone it was 54.7 kJ/mol.


&NA; A new approach for carpal tunnel release is presented. By means of a specially designed guide, it is possible to completely section the carpal ligament with a short incision without damaging the carpal contents. When the retinaculum has been sectioned and the guide removed by means of three Senn‐Miller retractors, one proximally and two laterally, the median nerve is seen perfectly. We performed an anatomic study to determine where the incision should be made to avoid injuring the vascular arch, the cutaneous palmar branch of the median nerve, and the ulnar nerve. We present the results obtained in 112 patients followed up for 1 year. Complaints about tenderness of the scar disappeared, and by the end of the study, patients had regained 126 percent of their preoperative grip strength. All patients were able to use their hands shortly after the operation, and after 3 weeks, all of them returned to work. We think that by using this approach we combine the advantages of the "endoscopic" technique (minimal scar, no tenderness, and early recovery) with those of the classic open technique (exploration of the carpal contents).