In a move that has puzzled commentators, Derrida's The Animal that Therefore I Am rejects claims for continuity between the human and the animal, aligning such claims with the ideology of "biologistic continuism." This problematization of the logic of the human-animal limit holds implications for how we are to understand life in relation to auto-affection, immanence in relation to transcendence, and naturalism in relation to phenomenology. Derrida's abyssal logic parallels the "strange kinship" described by Merleau-Ponty, though only if this strangeness is intensified as "hetero-affection" by incorporating death into life. Following Merleau-Ponty and Elizabeth Grosz, we locate the creative moment of this abyssal intimacy in the transformative productions of sexual difference. This positive account of the excess of hetero-affection reconciles phenomenology with evolution and offers a figure for thinking the thickening and multiplying of the differences between human and non-human, living and nonliving, corporeal and cosmic.


This work provides a framework based on multivariate autoregressive modeling for linear causal filtering in the sense of Granger. In its bivariate form, the linear causal filter defined here takes as input signals A and B, and it filters out the causal effect of B on A, thus yielding two new signals only containing the Granger-causal effect of A on B. In its general multivariate form for more than two signals, the effect of all indirect causal connections between A and B, mediated by all other signals, are accounted for, partialled out, and filtered out also. The importance of this filter is that it enables the estimation of directional measures of causal information flow from any non-causal, non-directional measure of association. For instance, based on the classic coherence, a directional measure of strength of information flow from A to B is obtained when applied to the linear causal filtered pair containing only A to B connectivity information. This particular case is equivalent to the isolated effective coherence (doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00448). Of more recent interest are the large family of phase-phase, phase-amplitude, and amplitude-amplitude cross-frequency coupling measures which are non-directional. The linear causal filter makes it now possible to estimate the directional causal versions these measures of association. One important field of application is in brain connectivity analysis based on cortical signals of electric neuronal activity (e.g. estimated sources of EEG and MEG, and invasive intracranial ECoG recordings). The linear causal filter introduced here provides a novel solution to the problem of estimating the direction of information flow from any non-directional measure of association. This work provides definitions, non-ambiguous equations, and clear prescriptions for implementing the linear causal filter in diverse settings.


It is considered that endothelin‐1 participates in the development of liver cirrhosis and it has been recognized that every component of the endothelin system is upregulated in cirrhotic livers. However, the expression pattern of this system, including interaction between its components, is not fully understood in human livers. In this study, the expression pattern of the endothelin system was examined. Immunohistochemical analysis for endothelin‐1, endothelin receptors and endothelin‐converting enzyme was performed in 16 cirrhotic and 17 normal human liver tissues. Peptides, proteins, and RNAs extracted from the livers were also investigated using quantitative assays for the components of the hepatic endothelin system. Hepatic endothelin‐1 levels were significantly higher in cirrhotic livers (0.084 ± 0.052 pg/mg wet liver) than in normal livers (0.041 ± 0.032 pg/mg; p < 0.01), and were closely related to the severity of liver fibrosis and portal hypertension. Immunoreactivity for endothelin‐1, endothelin receptors, and endothelin‐converting enzyme was detected mainly in fibrous areas and in the hepatic vasculature, and was enhanced in cirrhosis. Although there was a negative correlation between the expression of receptor mRNA and the hepatic endothelin‐1 level, the amounts of the mRNAs were greater in cirrhotic livers than in normal livers. However, expression of endothelin‐converting enzyme in cirrhotic livers was increased at the protein level but was relatively reduced at the mRNA level. These findings suggest that the hepatic endothelin system is activated in human cirrhotic livers in association with worsening of the disease, but that the regulation of the components of this system in this disorder is complex. Copyright © 2004 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The main purpose of current study is investigation on the effect of water addition on n-heptane homogenous charge compression ignition combustion. A multi zone model coupled to the semi-detailed chemical kinetics mechanism is used for simulation of n-heptane homogenous charge compression ignition combustion. First, the accuracy of the model was estimated for two different operating modes, and then seven different amounts of water were added to the fuel and its effects on n-heptane combustion were investigated. Thermal, Chemical and dilution effects of water are studied using artificial inert species method. The results show that the start of combustion was retarded by water addition due to the thermal effect of water. Peak values of in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate decreases by water addition. Water addition has caused the maximum amount of radicals in the combustion chamber to be reduced and the time of their formation is delayed. Water addition increases the amount of unburned hydrocarbons at exhaust. Thermal effect of water on start of combustion and emissions formation is more significant than its dilution and chemical effects. Using small quantities of water will increase the thermal efficiency of the engine and reduce emissions from it.


There has been considerable uncertainty in the nature of the regions from which carbon and narrow hydrogen lines have been observed. Specifically there are two different models. In model I the lines originate in low-density Hiregions that are basically atomic, and stimulated emission enhances the line intensity by an order of magnitude. In model II the lines originate in the outer layers of very dense molecular regions and are due primarily to spontaneous emission. The first model is generally accepted and used by the astronomical community. However, we believe that the second is correct.


The Onchocerciasis Control Program (OCP) was created in 1974 with two primary objectives. The first is the elimination of onchocerciasis as a public health problem and as an obstacle to socioeconomic development throughout an eleven-country area. The second is to leave participating countries in a position to maintain this achievements by enhancing national capacity to maintain control of the disease. The principal tool has been vector control. By eliminating the intermediate host by killing the fly larvae, vector control effectively interrupts transmissions of the disease. In the late eighties, the program initiated the distribution of Mectizan as a complementary method of control. The OCP program has been hailed as one of the most successful partnerships in the history of development assistance. The results of the program include: 1) virtually halting transmission of onchocerciasis throughout the eleven-country program area; 2) preventing 600,000 cases of blindness by the conclusion of the program in 2002; 3) sparing 16 million children born since the program's inception from any risk of contracting onchocerciasis; and 4) freeing up estimated 25 million hectares of arable land for resettlement and cultivation.


The spatial distribution of particle size spectra shows a two-layer stratification in May but reveals three-layer structure in September, both in the Saguenay fjord and in the adjacent waters of the St. Lawrence estuary, near the sill. In May, the particle size spectra in the surface layer show considerable variability whereas, in the bottom waters, they appear to be relatively homogeneous. In September, the deeper, more homogeneous water mass is less extensive. It is apparently eroded by diffusion and advection during summer months and becomes restricted to intermediate depths towards the head of the fjord. During the same period, a water mass with physical and particulate properties different from the upper layers occupies the bottom of the fjord. Principal component analysis shows that variations in particle size spectra are independent from one layer to another. Water masses with identical physical and particulate properties located in both sides of the sill illustrate the influence of the St. Lawrenc...


The developing oral English of approximately 100 second language learners (four intact classes) was examined in this study. The learners were native speakers of French (aged 10–12 years) who had received a 5-month intensive ESL course in either grade 5 or grade 6 in elementary schools in Quebec. A large corpus of classroom observation data was also analyzed. Substantial between-class differences were found in the accuracy with which students used such English structures as progressive -ing and adjective–noun order in noun phrases. There was some evidence that these differences (which were not correlated with performance on listening comprehension tests) were due to differences in teachers' form-focused instruction. These findings are discussed in terms of current competing views of the role of form-focused instruction in second language learning.


This is the first of two essays examining the recent historiography of Canadian Aboriginal History published roughly in the last two decades (1992–2012) using a regional focus – British Columbia. Influenced by broader political contexts and land claims litigation, BC scholarship has been characterized by diversity and interdisciplinarity. The impact of ethnohistorical methodologies, "the cultural turn," and the centrality of race and imperialism have brought an international scholarship to bear on the writing of British Columbia Aboriginal History. From reading the colonial archive against the grain to better appreciate Indigenous histories hidden within to seeking out Indigenous historical knowledge and employing collaborative relationships to facilitate this, historians have shifted their methods to be more inclusive of the Aboriginal perspectives. The prominence of colonialism and the acknowledgement of resettlement, rather than settlement, as the foundation of the province's past have kept Native-Settler relations in the foreground in the scholarship.


Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type (ST) 313 produces septicemia in infants in sub-Saharan Africa. Although there are known genetic and phenotypic differences between ST313 strains and gastroenteritis-associated ST19 strains, conflicting data about the in vivo virulence of ST313 strains have been reported. To resolve these differences, we tested clinical Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 and ST19 strains in murine and rhesus macaque infection models. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) was determined for three Salmonella Typhimurium ST19 and ST313 strains in mice. For dissemination studies, bacterial burden in organs was determined at various time-points post-challenge. Indian rhesus macaques were infected with one ST19 and one ST313 strain. Animals were monitored for clinical signs and bacterial burden and pathology were determined. The LD50 values for ST19 and ST313 infected mice were not significantly different. However, ST313-infected BALB/c mice had significantly higher bacterial numbers in blood at 24 h than ST19-infected mice. ST19-infected rhesus macaques exhibited moderate-to-severe diarrhea while ST313-infected monkeys showed no-to-mild diarrhea. ST19-infected monkeys had higher bacterial burden and increased inflammation in tissues. Our data suggest that Salmonella Typhimurium ST313 invasiveness may be investigated using mice. The non-human primate results are consistent with clinical data, suggesting that ST313 strains do not cause diarrhea.


Double-contrast arthrography using gravity provides more detail than single-contrast techniques. With gravity, air rises to the uppermost portion of the joint and the positive contrast material settles. The cartilagenous articular surfaces and the synovial lining of the elbow are coated with contrast material and highlighted by the intra-articular air. Cartilagenous intra-articular bodies can be identified and located and the size of cartilagenous encapsulated osseous bodies can be confirmed. This method is faster to perform and easier to interpret than single-contrast studies, exposes the patient less than a tomographic examination, and is helpful before surgical exploration.


Background Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is characterized by dryness and lymphocytic infiltration in the salivary glands. Both CXCR5+ T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and CCR9+ Tfh-like cells and their specific chemotactic ligands CXCL13 and CCL25 are present at increased levels in the salivary glands of pSS patients. Recently, we and others found that CCR9+ Th cells are elevated in pSS peripheral blood and co-express CXCR3 and other chemokine receptors, known to be differentially expressed by Th cell subsets. CCR9+ Th cells play an important role in mucosal immunity and have been shown to produce high levels of IFN-γ, like CXCR3+ Th1 cells. Since ligands of CXCR3 (CXCL9/10/11) are abundantly expressed in the salivary glands of pSS patients the potential role of this receptor in conjunction with CCL25 was studied in comparison with other chemokine receptors. Objectives To study potential chemokine interactions causing enhanced migration of CCR9+ T cells into the salivary glands in pSS. Methods CXCL10, CCL25, CXCL13, CCL17 and CCL20 mRNA and protein expression in the salivary gland of pSS and non-Sjögren's sicca (nSS) patients was assessed (mRNA: n=9 vs n=9 and protein: n=26 vs n=34, respectively). Frequencies of CXCR3, CCR9, CXCR5, CCR4 and CCR6 expressing Th cells in blood of pSS patients and healthy controls were assessed by flow cytometry (n=11 vs n=11). Chemotaxis assays (n=3 HC, n=5 pSS) were performed to study migration induced by CXCL10 and CCL25. Results CCL25, CXCL10 and CXCL13 expression were increased in pSS compared to nSS patients, both at mRNA and protein level (all p≤0.02). CCL17 and CCL20 expression were low and detectable in only few patients. Protein levels of CXCL10 and CXCL13 correlated with lymphocytic focus scores and all 3 chemokines correlated with serum IgG levels in pSS (all p<0.05). CCL25 protein levels strongly correlated with CXCL10 (r=0.545, p=0.004) but not with CXCL13. A relative decrease of CXCR3+ cells was found in the CCR9+ Th subset in the peripheral blood of pSS patients (p=0.04), which was most pronounced in the effector and effector memory subsets (64% vs 26%, p=0.03 and 51% vs 27% p=0.01, respectively). CCR4 or CCR6-expressing CCR9+ Th cells and CXCR3 or CCR6-expressing CXCR5+ Th cells were not decreased. To test the hypothesis that CXCR3 ligands and CCL25 facilitate migration, co-migration of lymphocytes in response to CXCL10 and CCL25 was studied. CXCL10 and CCL25 induced synergistic Th cell chemotaxis in vitro (p=0.02 and p<0.01 as compared to CCL25 or CXCL10 only, respectively). Conclusions The decreased frequency of CXCR3+CCR9+ Th cells in blood of pSS patients may be due to a concerted action of overexpressed ligands at the site of inflammation. Elevated expression of ligands CXCL10 and CCL25 in the salivary gland and the synergistic effect on chemotaxis in vitro indicate a potential role for these chemokines in formation of lymphocytic infiltrates in exocrine glands of pSS patients. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Historians of science have often emphasized the importance of natural theology in the development of modern science, invoking it in explanations of such diverse phenomena as the rapid spread of Newtonianism in Britain and the development of Charles Darwin's evolutionary theorizing. However, since the meaning of the term is not as transparent as might at first appear, it will be helpful to begin with some clarificatory remarks. A relatively stable definition of natural theology has prevailed among theologically informed writers, at least since the early modern era. This definition is nicely characterized in a British encyclopaedia of the 1840s, which describes natural theology as a theological system framed 'entirely out of the religious truths which may be learned from natural sources, that is, from the constitution of the human mind, and from the phenomena of the mental and material universe'. Thus defined, natural theology is a type of theology which relies on reason (which is natural), unaided by any evidence derived from God's revelation through scriptures, miracles or prophecies (which is supernatural). On this basis, the appropriate contrast for natural theology is revealed theology; it is the source of the theological knowledge that is natural, not its object. Such a definition is in broad agreement both with that offered by Francis Bacon in 1605 and with that offered by philosopher of religion Richard Swinburne in 2005, and it is the one that will be viewed here as having been generally normative in the modern era.


Objectives: The purpose of current study is to evaluate the correlation of axillary lymph node status with metastases in patients presented with carcinoma breast. Study Design: Prospective study. Setting: Surgical Unit 1, CMC Hospital Larkana. Period: March 2019 to January 2020. Material & Methods: Female patients presented with carcinoma breast were assessed clinically and by investigation then underwent a mastectomy and axillary dissection (sampling or clearance). Data was entered into pre-designed proforma. After proper staging, surgery was done in all patients accordingly. Lymph node involvement was confirmed histopathology. Then it was correlated with clinical findings. Results: Fifty-five female patients of proven carcinoma breast underwent a mastectomy and axillary dissection. The majority of the patients (76%) were between 30-60 years, the median age being 45 years. The left breast contained the tumor in 30 (55.5%) patients while the rest of the patients had the right breast involved. The size of the tumor varied from 2cm to 12cm. 33 (61%) patients were in the pre-menopausal state while 21 (38.88%) were in postmenopausal state. In 07 patients (13%) the axillary lymph nodes were not palpable while in the rest of the 47 patients (87%), the axillary lymph nodes were palpable to a variable extent. Most of the patients were in an advanced stages. Among seven patients (N0), histopathology revealed positive lymph nodes in 3/7 (42.85%) patients. Conclusion: Breast carcinoma is a serious type of carcinoma affecting the younger generation in our community, usually diagnosed at a late stage. Clinical examination is not an effective way for proper staging. Further investigations should be performed for accurate staging and management.


Pulmonary embolism after long duration air travel is well described. However it can also occur following a long duration rail or road transport. We present a case of 43 year old male who developed deep venous thrombosis and acute pulmonary embolism after a long rail journey. We propose to call it as rail coach syndrome and stress the need for taking the same preventive measures as recommended for airline passengers.


On the back of centuries of scholarship, mental illness remains a deeply political challenge in modern societies. Although much headway has been made in researching mental health service provision in low-to-middle income countries, a distinct gap exists in understanding the crucial roles of governance and power in care provision. Concerning integrated care, understanding the relations among state and non-state entities is paramount. This doctoral study sought to explore how power relations shape the governance of integrated mental health care in South Africa. More specifically, the purpose was to illuminate the dimensions and structure of integrated mental health care; to describe referral and collaborative ties in a service provider network; and to examine the relations between state and non-state mental health service providers. A pragmatic, theory driven case study was undertaken in Mangaung Metropolitan District, Free State province, South Africa, employing multiple methodologies. The macro contexts of integrated mental health care were explored by means of a framework analysis of health policy, while the case study employed social network analysis and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. The findings suggested that integrated mental health care is pursued in South Africa in two ways: 1) by integrating mental health care into primary healthcare, and 2) by fostering collaboration between state and non-state role players. The service delivery network exhibited fragmentation, low density, hospital-centrism and suggestions of significant professional power. Key points of state and non-state collaboration included housing and treatment adherence, though proportional interactions between state and non-state services were lower than interstate service collaboration. Governance-related fragmentation emerged in terms of state and non-state service providers, biomedical and social approaches to care, and departments of health and social development. Gaps in state stewardship included weak strategic leadership and poor information systems. Power emerged in both its mainstream and second stream conceptions, rooted in, for example, professional power, and through an apparent commodification of people living with mental illness. The ambiguities of mental illness were concluded to be an important undercurrent to the dynamics of power that play out in service provision processes. Key policy recommendations focused on improving the following: 1) availability of financial resources; 2) relationships between service providers; 3) overly myopic organisation of government departments; and 4) political relationships between state and non-state partners. Ultimately, the study lays a strong foundation for further research into the mechanisms of power in the governance of mental health care in South Africa.


Microsystems perform sophisticated tasks in miniaturized volumes. Shaping or analyzing light signals, mixing ultra-small volumes of chemicals, sensing mechanical signals, manipulating micro-objects, sequencing bio-molecules are common operations that can be done by these tiny machines. To further advance the field, there is a growing interest for integrated manufacturing platform where optics, fluid handling capabilities or micro-mechanical elements can be combined.


In power transmission lines, it is necessary to isolate the inherent voltage parts from each other and from zero potential. An insulator is defined as having a high degree of electrical insulation between the conductors and the brackets. Insulators also allow for mechanical conductivity of the conductor and ground. The presence of a broken insulator can alter the stress distribution. In this paper, the effect of mechanical insulation cracking (chattering) on electric field in two common types of insulators (porcelain and silicone rubber) and electric potential distribution models are analyzed. First, the electric field and electric potential patterns in the solid insulator are examined. In the following, the insulator is assumed to be broken, and the electric field and electric potential patterns for a broken insulator relative to the basic insulator shape are illustrated and compared. The results show that the presence of insulation cracking under dry and environmentally benign conditions affects the stress distribution pattern within and around the insulator. Finally, a comparison between the effect of fracture on the electric field and the potential distribution patterns in different parts of the insulator is discussed in detail.


Despite rapid economic growth the numbers living in absolute poverty in Africa have grown. The absence of inclusive growth can be traced to the structure of globalisation, the advance of financialisation and the trajectory of technological progress. A number of disruptive forces in which China has played a major role offer the possibility of moving from this exclusive growth strategy – terms of trade reversal, shifting markets and new paradigms of innovation. By providing cheap consumer and capital goods, new market opportunities and new more appropriate technologies, China has the capacity to help Africa move to a more sustainable growth path. However, this is not an inevitable outcome, and outcomes will also be contextual. The extent to which Africa is able to take advantage of opportunities opened up by China to move to a new more inclusive growth path will largely be determined by political factors, but these, too, are not independent of China's increasing economic and political footprint, both globally and in its direct relations with Africa.


The Gβγ subunit has been implicated in many downstream signaling events associated with opioids. We previously demonstrated that a small molecule inhibitor of Gβγ-subunit-dependent phospholipase (PLC) activation potentiated morphine-induced analgesia (Bonacci et al., 2006). Here, we demonstrate that this inhibitor, M119 (cyclohexanecarboxylic acid [2-(4,5,6-trihydroxy-3-oxo-3H-xanthen-9-yl)-(9Cl)]), is selective for μ-opioid receptor-dependent analgesia and has additional efficacy in mouse models of acute tolerance and dependence. When administered by an intracerebroventricular injection in mice, M119 caused 10-fold and sevenfold increases in the potencies of morphine and the μ-selective peptide, DAMGO, respectively. M119 had little or no effect on analgesia induced by the κ agonist U50,488 or δ agonists DPDPE or Deltorphin II. Similar results were obtained in vitro, as only activation of the μ-opioid receptor stimulated PLC activation, whereas no effect was seen with the κ- and δ-opioid receptors. M119 inhibited μ-receptor-dependent PLC activation. In studies to further explore the in vivo efficacy of M119, systemic administration M119 also resulted in a fourfold shift increase in potency of systemically administered morphine. Of particular interest, M119 was also able to attenuate acute, antinociceptive tolerance and dependence in mice treated concomitantly with both M119 and morphine. These studies suggest that small organic molecules, such as M119, that specifically regulate Gβγ subunit signaling may have important therapeutic applications in enhancing opioid analgesia, while attenuating the development of tolerance and dependence.


The use of fossil fuels as primary energy source has led to global climate change and human health problems. Renewable energy resources appear to be the efficient solutions to the problems resulting from the use of fossil fuels. In this study, biogas production efficiency from faecal sludge and its combination with three feed stocks was evaluated. Three feedstock materials (cow dung, cow intestinal waste and mixed organic waste) were fed into a 2 m 3 capacity digester to mix with faecal sludge for biogas production. Standard methods were used to determine chemical and biological qualities of influent and effluent slurries. The biogas produced was analyzed using multi-gas analyzer to determine the concentrations of CO, CO 2 , CH 4 and H 2 S.Methane formed major component of the biogas produced by all the substrates (40-70%) followed by carbon dioxide (20-30%) and H 2 S (8-10%). The macronutrients of the bio-slurries produced ranged from Carbon (5.3 + 0.11- 6.0 + 0.01%), Nitrogen (0.36 + 0.1 - 0.46 + 0.1%), Phosphate (0.11 + 0.02 – 0.24 + 0.11%) and Potassium (0.1 + 0.01 - 0.4 + 0.1%). The Carbon/Nitrogen ratio of the bio-slurries produced ranged from 12:1 to 15:1. The microbial contents of faecal sludge, only slurry had lowest total count of bacteria of 1.2 x 10 -2 cfu/100ml. conclusively, co-digestion was effective in converting faecal sludge mixed the three feed stocks into pure biogas and nutrient rich bio-slurries as organic fertilizer. Keywords: Cow-dung, Biogas, Escherichia coli , Faecal-sludge


A nano filter showing the Knudsen flow was demonstrated by a modification of a membrane constructed from rice husk silica. The membrane was prepared by pressing and sintering micron sized rice husk silica with 4 nm pores. The membrane showed a permeability of 5.2 x 10(-8) mol m(-1) sec(-1) Pa(-1) for H2 and ratios of gas permeability 2.1 and 3.2 for k(H2)/k(CH4) and k(H2)/k(CO2), respectively. When the membrane was treated by filtration of approximately 100 nm sized rice husk silica particles, the permeability decreased to 4.9 x 10(-8) mol m(-1) sec(-1) Pa(-1) and the ratios increased to 2.2 and 3.4. In the case of the membrane after treatments with the dispersion and chemical deposition of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), the corresponding permeability and ratios of the membrane were 1.8 x 10(-8) mol m(-1) sec(-1) Pa(-1), and 2.9 and 4.5, respectively. From the change of the ratio of gas permeability for the membrane with modifications, it is suggested that approximately 100 nm sized rice husk silica particles pack the large pores among the micron sized rice husk silica particles while the chemical deposition of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) reveals the gas flow through 4 nm pores in the rice husk silica by blocking large pores.


Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is low-cost and noninvasive and has the potential for real-time imaging and bedside monitoring of brain injury. However, brain injury monitoring by EIT imaging suffers from image noise (IN) and resolution problems, causing blurred reconstructions. To address these problems, a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model is built, and a fast iterative shrinkage-thresholding algorithm with continuation (FISTA-C) is proposed. Results of numerical simulations and head phantom experiments indicate that FISTA-C reduces IN by 63.2%, 47.2%, and 29.9% and 54.4%, 44.7%, and 22.7%, respectively, when compared with the damped least-squares algorithm, the split Bergman, and the FISTA algorithms. When the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurements is 80–50 dB, FISTA-C can reduce IN by 83.3%, 72.3%, and 68.7% on average when compared with the three algorithms, respectively. Both simulation and phantom experiments suggest that FISTA-C produces the best image resolution and can identify the two closest targets. Moreover, FISTA-C is more practical for clinical application because it does not require excessive parameter adjustments. This technology can provide better reconstruction performance and significantly outperforms the traditional algorithms in terms of IN and resolution and is expected to offer a general algorithm for brain injury monitoring imaging via EIT.


In times of straightened circumstances for governments in most developed countries, it becomes necessary to explore alternative, and perhaps better, means of providing the services that are usually delivered by governments. Since the late 1980t's governments have explored the so-called Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which attempt to delegate the provision of some of these services to private firms, in exchange for a remuneration. PPP contracts are meticulous in detailing the outputs, procedures and the measures by which the contract is fulfilled. Frequently, the relationship between government and the private firm, and this can hamper the efficient provision of the services. Moreover, these contracts are often used to disguise increases in public investment, so PPPs have been less successful than their proponents expected, though they can be a valuable instrument if used with care. In this book, professors Donahue and Zeckhauser (henceforth ZD), from the Kennedy School at Harvard, describe another type of arrangement between the private and the public sectors, which they believe may be more productive in many situations. They propose that some contracts between the private and the public sector work better when they are governed by collaboration, hence the name of the book. This is not a new method, and ZD describe many examples of successful (and sometimes unsuccessful), collaborative agreements, as in the case of charter schools. The contribution of the authors is the description and analysis of these arrangements, its advantages and shortcomings, ending with a checklist of when and how to proceed with collaborative agreements. The book has a conceptual framework that helps to understand the issues that are involved in collaborative arrangements and provides a guide to the practical issues that appear in designing and implementing these special contracts.


A novel series of thiosemicarbazone-triazole hybrids were efficiently synthesized and evaluated for their activity against the 3D7 strain of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Although the hybrids were found not to be as potent as the standard chloroquine, they have shown activities interesting enough to warrant future structure activity relationship (SAR) studies.


In service quality evaluation we have to treat data having different kinds of scales. In order to obtain a measure of the service quality level a conventional ordinal rating scale for each attribute of a service is used. Moreover additional information on the customers or on the objective characteristics of the service is available (interval, ordinal and or categorical scale). In the latter the importance or weight assigned to the different items must be also considered (compositional scale). To analyze these different kinds of data particular precaution should be used, a transformation of quality level perceived (expected) data in quantitative scale is carried out before a multidimensional data analysis. In literature more techniques are proposed for the quantification of ordinal data preserving the original characteristics. The aims of this paper are to analyze different ways to quantify ordinal data, and illustrate how the additional information on the customers or on the service could be used in the multidimensional analysis as external information.


The common factor in the global colonial project by European countries has been the introduction of their language and culture to "vanquished" communities. This is visible in the African continent and Latin America. As they intended to create a "home away from home," even after former British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan's "winds of change" have breezed through, collapsing one empire after another, the mainstay feature of those colonies—language—remains at the heart of liberated nations. This often unavoidable status quo has meant that the colonial project cannot be completely dismantled without leaving remnants of it that will forever connect the colonised with their former coloniser. Language has been used through centuries as a potent weapon against native communities who have never fully developed dictionaries and other forms of language preservatives. The apartheid society, as a colonial project, went a step further by cleansing some languages and Balkanising them with others, thus creating artificial linguistic communities for reasons of ethnic governance. In its manifestation this process was supposed to produce a gradual death of "other" languages in a covert ethnic genocide that pitched ethnic communities against each other. Why has South Africa, 24 years later, not reversed this apartheid hurdle that gave birth to Bantustans and homelands? Why did the democratic government agree on a figure of 11 official languages when they knew from their own membership both inside and outside the country that there were more than nine African languages spoken in South Africa? What can be done to assist authorities to get a proper grasp of the linguistic challenges facing the country at a time that some people feel culturally conquered without a shot having been fired? And why is a democratic dispensation continuing the conquest of ethnic minorities?


The relationship between water intake and water concentration in the body and in the gastrointestinal contents was studied in meat-type chickens fed either intermittently or ad libitum, as controls. In experiment 1, male broilers were reared from 12 to 33 d of age and were fed every second day or ad libitum. The water consumption of the intermittently-fed birds on days of food removal was 31% of the consumption of the control group. On days of food restoration their water consumption exceeded that of the controls, by 27%. No significant differences in water:food ratios were found between birds fed intermittently or the controls on days of food restoration. The restricted birds had a lower fat and a higher protein concentration in the body. No relationship was found between water:food ratio and body composition. In experiment 2, birds were kept on the same feeding regimes from 12 to 46 d of age. The water content of the pancreas increased after food restoration compared with ad libitum feeding or food deprivation. The amount of water in the gastrointestinal contents increased progressively from crop to ileum. The feeding regimens had no effect on the water content of the intestine.


Coccolithophore calcification in the open ocean is the main driving force of the marine carbonate pump, significantly contributing to global carbon cycling. Within this group Emiliania huxleyi is of special interest due to its global distribution, numerical abundance and the ability to form large blooms. While most work focused on the diploid life-cycle, little is known about the haploid stage, which is unable to calcify. Recent findings indicate that viral termination of blooms induces life-cycle transition and give rise to speculations on the haplonts´ ecological role.
To explore the haplonts´ ecophysiology, haploid and diploid stages of E. huxleyi (TQ 26) were acclimated to photon flux densities of 50 and 300 μmol m-2 s-1. The responses in these acclimations were described based on growth rates and elemental as well as isotopic composition. Photosynthetic oxygen evolution as a function of dissolved inorganic carbon and photon flux as well as external carbonic anhydrase (eCA) activities were assessed using membrane-inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS). Short-term 14C disequilibrium incubations were used to estimate the relative contribution of inorganic carbon species to total carbon fixation. Gene expression analysis was performed using microarray approaches.
The diplont showed higher rates of biomass accumulation and photosynthetic oxygen evolution than the haplont. There were significant difference in photosynthetic light use efficiency and light saturation indices. Regarding the modes of carbon acquisition, both life-cycle stages operate a highly-affine carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM) based on direct HCO3- uptake. Higher eCA activities and cellular leakage were observed in the haploid stage. In line with the lower photosynthetic activity, microarray analysis suggests a fundamentally different ecological strategy for the haploid stage, resembling the life-style of an ancestral haptophyte. This includes possession of flagella, ability to survive as a mixotroph and potential toxin production.


This study aimed to explore the bidirectional relationships between retention and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients from mainland China receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). This prospective cohort study recruited 1,212 eligible MMT patients from the two largest MMT clinics (one privately and another publicly funded) in Xi'an. This study started in March 2012 with a 2-year follow-up until March 2014. Retention was assessed by repeated terminations, past treatment duration, premature terminations, and follow-up treatment duration. HRQoL was evaluated using the Chinese (simple) short-form 36 health survey version 2 (SF-36v2) and the quality of life scale for drug addicts (QOL-DAv2.0). Linear and Cox regression analyses were used to explore relationships between retention and HRQoL. A general linear model was used to further examine the global effect of past treatment duration on HRQoL. Multivariate analyses showed that repeated terminations had no significant impact on HRQoL scores in MMT patients; however, past treatment time (year) influenced the SF-36v2PCS (P = 0.004): treatment for ≥4 years showed a lower SF-36v2PCS score (regression coefficient: -2.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.80, -0.97; P = 0.001) than treatment for <1 year. In addition, patients with an SF-36v2PCS score > 49 (hazard ratio: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.98; P = 0.03) were 17% less likely to terminate MMT than those with scores of ≤49. In conclusion, retention and HRQoL tended to have a bidirectional relationship, which should be considered in the development of retention and health-management programs for patients with MMT.


High energy X-ray diffraction data from a bio-based ionic liquid constituted by choline ([cho]) and an amino acid (AA), namely n-leucine ([nle]), are presented and described by means of an atomistic molecular dynamics simulation aiming at extracting detailed structural information at both microscopic and mesoscopic spatial scales. We find that similar to other previously studied analogous systems, a strong, hydrogen bonding driven, cation–anion correlation determines the microscopic structure. While other peculiar correlations exist in this [cho][nle] IL, the medium length alkyl tail of the AA leads to the development of a characteristic polar vs. apolar alternation, as a consequence of the alkyl tails segregation into domains, thus delivering the formation of an enhanced level of mesoscopic organization in this IL.


Background: Patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) receive more disease directed care at the end of life (EOL) and often die in the hospital. The impact of early palliative care (PC) consultation on EOL quality outcomes in HMs has not been well described. Objectives: In 2017 we embedded a PC specialist within our inpatient malignant hematology team at our hospital in Providence, Rhode Island to facilitate the use of early PC. We sought to determine if this practice was accompanied by a shift in EOL outcomes. Design/Setting: We conducted a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at our institution in the two years before (Cohort A) and after (Cohort B) insertion of a PC specialist. We identified patients who received a PC consultation and whether it was early or late. We then examined EOL quality outcomes: hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in the last 30 days of life, chemotherapy use in the last 14 days of life, use of hospice, and death out of hospital. Results: Among 139 AML patients, 46 in Cohort A and 93 in Cohort B, we identified 34 and 47 decedents in each cohort, respectively. There was no significant improvement in EOL outcomes between Cohort A and B or among patients receiving early PC (p > 0.05); however, PC in general across all cohorts was associated with significant increase in hospice use and fewer ICU admissions (p = 0.016 and 0.0043, respectively). Conclusion: Earlier PC consultation in AML was not significantly associated with improvement in EOL quality outcomes; however, PC use in general was with improvement in use of hospice and ICU utilization. Further studies are needed to more definitively examine the relationship between early PC and EOL outcomes in patients with HMs and to examine non EOL outcomes such as patient experience and quality-of-life measures.


Marker-assisted breeding provides an opportunity for wheat breeders to introgress/pyramid genes of interest into breeding lines and to identify genes and/or quantitative trait loci in germplasm to be used as parents. Molecular markers were deployed to assist selection for disease resistance, agronomic and quality traits in several wheat cultivars released for commercial cultivation in Canada. Marker-assisted breeding is routinely used in most wheat breeding programmes for rust resistance (leaf, stem and stripe rust), orange wheat blossom midge resistance, high grain protein concentration, Fusarium head blight and common bunt resistance. Markers are being used selectively within breeding programmes to target traits that relate to market class or regional adaptation. For example, marker-assisted breeding for low lipoxygenase activity and low grain cadmium is being performed in durum breeding programmes and for enhancing stem solidness in programmes targeting resistance to the wheat stem sawfly. Markers are also being utilized for ergot resistance in durum wheat. Increased gluten strength is being selected with a marker for the overexpression of the Bx7 high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit. Marker-assisted breeding is also being used to pyramid resistance genes against a group of stem rust races related to TTKS (Ug99), a disease that poses a serious threat to global wheat production. Development of tightly linked diagnostic markers and high-throughput genotyping with SNP markers will result in more effective molecular wheat breeding in the near future and will open the door to genomic selection.


Based on the stability theory of fractional order differential equations, the adaptive anti-synchronization of some fractional-order differential equations for modeling parasite-host are studied and their approximate solutions are presented. Combining the adaptive control method, the adaptive anti-synchronization, Lyapunov equations and parameter identification of some fractional-order differential equations are realized by designing suitable controllers and parameter adaptive laws. Finally, numerical simulations further demonstrate the feasibility and validity of this method.


The paper is aimed to discussing features of a relationship between income inequality and entropy. The analyses is based on the theoretical thesis that income inequality is a factor of  uncertainty and instability in society, chaotic behaviour of social-economic system, and it is accompanied with entropy increase. Theil index and Gini coefficient are used as income inequality measures in the analyses,Shannonentropy is chosen as entropy measure. The relationship between income inequality measures and entropy measures, including entropy based on income distribution and entropy based on people distribution are discussed. It is noted that changes of entropy and Gini coefficient can have unlike signs: entropy can increase with both inequality increase and inequality decrease. Entropy maximum takes place for Lorenz curve with Gini coefficient 1/3, a deviation from it leads to entropy decrease. This is illustrated by power-series distribution. The analyses give arguments to conclude the following. If majority of population is located in low-income clusters, inequality increasing can lead to decreasing of uncertainty and rising of controllability of social-economic system. If a government starts an implementing a politic aimed to inequality decreasing, in the beginning it will meet uncertainty and chaos  rising. It can be suggested that nonlinear change of entropy accompanying changes in income distribution is a factor which slows dawn a further progress in this direction and blocks economic reforms in developing countries. Key words: entropy, income distribution, Theil index, Gini coefficient


This paper demonstrates that room-temperature resistance measurements can accurately predict the critical current and normal resistance of high critical-current-density junctions. We fabricated high critical-current-density (/spl sim/200 /spl mu/A//spl mu/m/sup 2/=20 kA/cm/sup 2/) Nb/Al/AlO/sub x//Nb Josephson junctions in cross-bridge Kelvin resistor (CBKR) test structures and measured their electrical characteristics both at 4.2 K and at room temperature. We developed a two-dimensional mathematical model of the CBKR test structure with two resistive wiring layers in order to characterize the effect of current crowding on the room-temperature measurements. We then used the model to remove the effect of current crowding from the room-temperature measurements and correlated the values of these measurements to the electrical properties of the junctions at 4.2 K. We also identified test-structure-design rules that guarantee current crowding is negligible.


Hypotension, bradycardia, and contrast induced chest pain are potential complications of cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography. Catheter-induced coronary spasm has been occasionally demonstrated, but its relationship to spontaneous coronary spasm is unclear. We describe a 64-year-old female who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery in 1998 on the basis of an angiographic diagnosis of severe left main disease, who recently presented with increasingly frequent typical angina. Repeat coronary angiography was immediately complicated by severe chest pain, hypotension, and bradycardia but demonstrated only mild disease of the left main artery and entire coronary tree with complete occlusion of her prior grafts. This reaction was almost identical to that observed during her original coronary angiogram. We now believe her original angiogram was complicated by severe catheter-induced left main spasm, with the accompanying contrast reaction attributed to left main disease, and the occlusion of coronary grafts explained by the absence of significant left main disease. The combination of these symptoms has not been documented in the literature. In this instance, these manifestations erroneously led to coronary bypass surgery. It is unknown whether routine, systematic injection of intracoronary nitroglycerin prior to angiography might blunt the severity of such reactions.


Each individual must have different motivation to learn, some are low, and some are high. Students' motivation to learn can be expressed from outside or within the individual. The result of low learning motivation is not being excited during the learning process. Low learning motivation can work for anyone. This problem occurs in 29 State Junior High School, Bandar Lampung students experience low learning motivation with characteristics such as chatting, sleeping, not paying attention while in the learning process. So it is necessary to increase the motivation to learn by using hypnotherapy. This study aims to reveal the effect of hypnotherapy on learning motivation, followed by students. This research is quantitative with a Quasi-Experimental research type, and One group pretest-posttest design research design. The results show the difference between before and after being given hypnotherapy. So it can be denied that hypnotherapy affects learning motivation in students. Hypnotherapy can arouse students' enthusiasm in learning and can suggest various positive things that aim to increase self-confidence, motivation, and a positive self-image.


Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data systems mounted on a moving or stationary platform provide 3D point cloud data for various purposes. In applications where the interested area or object needs to be measured twice or more with a shift, precise registration of the obtained point clouds is crucial for generating a healthy model with the combination of the overlapped point clouds. Automatic registration of the point clouds in the common coordinate system using the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm or its variants is one of the frequently applied methods in the literature, and a number of studies focus on improving the registration process algorithms for achieving better results. This study proposed and tested a different approach for automatic keypoint detecting and matching in coarse registration of the point clouds before fine registration using the ICP algorithm. In the suggested algorithm, the keypoints were matched considering their geometrical relations expressed by means of the angles and distances among them. Hence, contributing the quality improvement of the 3D model obtained through the fine registration process, which is carried out using the ICP method, was our aim. The performance of the new algorithm was assessed using the root mean square error (RMSE) of the 3D transformation in the rough alignment stage as well as a-prior and a-posterior RMSE values of the ICP algorithm. The new algorithm was also compared with the point feature histogram (PFH) descriptor and matching algorithm, accompanying two commonly used detectors. In result of the comparisons, the superiorities and disadvantages of the suggested algorithm were discussed. The measurements for the datasets employed in the experiments were carried out using scanned data of a 6 cm × 6 cm × 10 cm Aristotle sculpture in the laboratory environment, and a building facade in the outdoor as well as using the publically available Stanford bunny sculpture data. In each case study, the proposed algorithm provided satisfying performance with superior accuracy and less iteration number in the ICP process compared to the other coarse registration methods. From the point clouds where coarse registration has been made with the proposed method, the fine registration accuracies in terms of RMSE values with ICP iterations are calculated as ~0.29 cm for Aristotle and Stanford bunny sculptures, ~2.0 cm for the building facade, respectively.


textabstractThe steady increase in health care costs and the continuous emergence of new
medical technologies have forced policy makers in health care to reconsider
the current resource allocation and to become more selective with investing in
new health care programs. Economic evaluations can support the decision
making process, by providing systematic information on the costs and the
consequences for health of investing in alternative health care programs.
Needless to say, economic evaluations of health care should be methodologically
sound, the outcomes should be relevant for health policy and
comparable to results of studies concerning other health care programs. With
respect to the policy relevance it is important that the aggregation level of the
analysis matches the specificity of the policy question: a study of costs and
health effects of for example air pollution control will not need to be as
detailed as an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of cimetidine versus surgery in
peptic ulcer.
Economic evaluations may never become entirely comparable, but
incomparabilities due to different methodologies can be reduced considerably.
This raises two questions:
- what is the appropriate level of aggregation in the economic evaluation of
health care?
- which cost items are to be included in economic evaluations and how should
these be measured and valued, in particular the indirect costs of disease?


This study aims to determine patterns of interaction of male and female betta fish behavior during mating. This research is an exploratory descriptive study in which observing the behavior of male and female betta fish periodically for three days in the morning and evening in aquariums that were given a barrier for an hour then unites male and female betta fish in one container and observe interactions between males and females for two hours in the afternoon. This research uses ad libitum sampling method, namely research by observing all activities that were seen based on field facts. The equipment used in the form of insulated glass aquariums and fishing nets, the material needed was a betta fish type as much as 6 tails. Data was collected by means of observation using observation sheets, observation notes, and documentation tools. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive analysis techniques that describe the behaviors that arise during observation. The results of observations in different containers showed that the behavior of the male betta fish was the most dominant make bubbles while the behavior of the female betta fish was the most dominant silence at the bottom of the aquarium. In one container, the most dominant male betta fish behavior was swim around the aquarium while the most dominant female betta fish behavior was to stay at the bottom of the aquarium.


Our studies focused on the role of resistin like molecule α (RELMα) in severe pulmonary arterial remodeling induced by a T helper 2 (Th2) response to antigen. We studied wild type and RELMα deficient mice following immunization with Ovalbumin (OVA) complexed to Alum and exposure to soluble OVA alone or in combination with respirable urban particulate matter. The urban particulate matter (PM2.5) was collected from the air in New York City. Our studies demonstrated a significant exacerbation of pulmonary arterial remodeling in antigen primed wild type mice exposed to a combination of antigen and urban particulate matter. RELMα deficient mice, in contrast, failed to show the exacerbation and developed pulmonary arterial thickening to exposure with antigen and respirable urban particulate matter to a significantly smaller degree relative to wild type. The severity of inflammation and the type of the immune response in the RELMα deficient mice challenged with antigen or the combination of antigen and urban particulate matter was not significantly different from the responses in wild type mice. RELMα is known to have a critical role in hypoxia induced pulmonary arterial remodeling and to be induced by hypoxia. Airborne metals mimic hypoxia induced cell signaling. Therefore, our data suggest the idea that both antigen and urban pollution induce RELMα signaling via two independent, but additive pathways.


The olfactory epithelium is a self‐renewing tissue, able to produce new neurons as needed from stem and progenitor cells in its basal layers. In addition, there exists a mesenchymal‐like stem cell (MSC) located within the underlying lamina propria. Little is known about the function of this nasal MSC, or its relationship to the olfactory lineage, but there is considerable interest in using the nasal MSC for cell‐based therapies. We sought to further explore the biology of the nasal MSC by establishing neurosphere cultures from adult human nasal biopsies, and to examine the anatomic distribution of nasal MSCs.


Hybridization probes consisting of cloned DNA recombinants which represent different regions of the leukemogenic sequence (amv) from avian myeloblastosis virus were used to carry out a more detailed restriction endonuclease analysis of the homologous sequences (proto-amv) present in normal and leukemic chicken DNA. The results show that four large introns interrupt the normal cellular proto-amv sequences and that there is no major rearrangement of these sequences in leukemic myeloblasts.


This is a book about the difficulties of thinking and acting politically in ways that refuse the politics of nationalism. The book offers a detailed study of how contemporary attempts by theorists of cosmopolitanism, citizenship, globalism and multiculturalism to go beyond nationalism often reproduce key aspects of a nationalist imaginary. It argues that the challenge of resisting nationalism will require more than a shift in the scale of politics – from the national up to the global or down to the local, and more than a shift in the count of politics – to an emphasis on diversity and multiculturalism. In order to avoid the grip of 'nationalist thinking', we need to re-open the question of what it means to imagine community.

Set against the backdrop of the imaginative geographies of the War in Terror and the new beginning promised by the Presidency of Barack Obama, the book shows how critical interventions often work in collaboration with nationalist politics, even when the aim is to resist nationalism. It claims that a nationalist imaginary includes powerful understandings of freedom, subjectivity, sovereignty and political space/time which must also be placed under question if we want to avoid reproducing ideas about 'us' and 'them'. Drawing on insights from feminist, cultural and postcolonial studies as well as critical approaches to International Relations and Geography, this book presents a unique and refreshing approach to the politics of nationalism.


We consider an extended Smoluchowski equation describing coagulation processes for which clusters of mass s grow between collisions with = Asβ. A physical example, dropwise condensation, is provided, and its collision kernel K is derived. In the general case, the gelation criterion is determined. Exact solutions are found and scaling solutions are investigated. Finally, we show how these results apply to nucleation of discs on a plane.


This paper presents the process of effective selection of building elements for renovation important for energy saving in buildings. A large part of energy is lost in non-effective buildings. Therefore, in renovation of buildings, it is important to select effective structural improvements. Building insulation could not only save energy but also time, money and materials, which means that different objectives expressed in different units have to be fulfilled. Although different methods exist for the application of Multi Objective Optimisation, MULTIMOORA, which is composed of three sub-methods – Ratio System, Reference Point Method that uses ratios from the ratio system, and the Full Multiplicative Form – was preferred. Consequently, different solutions for building envelope renovation were ranked by MULTIMOORA as applied for masonry buildings from the Soviet period.


Abstract Aillikites are carbonate-rich ultramafic lamprophyres, and although they are volumetrically minor components of large igneous province (LIP), these rocks provide important clues to melting and metasomatism in the deep mantle domain during the initial stages of LIPs. In this study, we investigate the Wajilitag "kimberlites" in the northwestern part of the Tarim LIP that we redefine as hypabyssal aillikites based on the following features: (1) micro-phenocrystic clinopyroxene and Ti-rich andradite garnet occurring in abundance in the carbonate-rich matrix; (2) Cr-spinel exhibiting typical Fe-Ti enrichment trend also known as titanomagnetite trend; and (3) olivine showing dominantly low Mg values (Fo < 90). To constrain the magma source and evolution, the major, minor, and trace element abundance in olivine grains from these rocks were analyzed using electron microprobe and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Olivine in the aillikites occurs as two textural types: (1) groundmass olivines, as sub-rounded grains in matrix, and (2) macrocrysts, as euhedral-anhedral crystals in nodules. The groundmass olivines show varying Mg (Fo89–80) with high-Ni (1606–3418 ppm) and Mn (1424–2860 ppm) and low-Ca (571–896 ppm) contents. In contrast, the macrocrysts exhibit a restricted Fo range but a wide range in Ni and Mn. The former occurs as phenocrysts, whereas the latter are cognate cumulates that formed from earlier, evolved aillikite melt. The two olivine populations can be further divided into sub-groups, indicating a multi-stage crystallization history of the aillikite melt. The crystallization temperatures of groundmass olivines and macrocrysts in dunite nodules as computed from the spinel-olivine thermometers are 1005–1136 and 906–1041 °C, respectively. The coupled enrichment of Ca and Ti and lack of correlation between Ni and Sc and Co in the olivine grains suggest a carbonate-silicate metasomatized mantle source. Moreover, the high 100·Mn/Fe (average 1.67) at high Ni (up to 3418 ppm), overlapping with OIB olivine, and the 100 ·Ni/Mg (~1) of primitive Mg-Ni-rich groundmass olivines suggest a mixed source that involved phlogopite- and carbonate-rich metasomatic veins within mantle peridotite.


Governments can intervene to a greater or lesser extent in managing the risks that citizens face. They can adopt a maximal intervention approach (e.g., COVID-19) or a hands-off approach (e.g., unemployment), effectively "responsibilizing" their citizens. To manage the cyber risk, governments publish cyber-related policies. This article examines the intervention stances the governments adopt in supporting individual citizens managing their personal cyber risk. The authors pinpoint the cyber-related responsibilities that several governments espouse, applying a "responsibilization" analysis. Those applying to citizens are identified, thereby revealing the governments' cyber-related intervention stances. The analysis reveals that most governments adopt a minimal cyber-related intervention stance in supporting their citizens. Given the increasing number of successful cyber attacks on individuals, it seems time for the consequences of this stance to be acknowledged and reconsidered. The authors argue that governments should support individual citizens more effectively in dealing with cyber threats.


This paper is aimed to present the systematic design scheme of a direct driven slotless tubular linear generator for renewable energy retraction. To reduce operational cogging and increase energy conversion efficiency, the generator stator is equipped with slotless concentrated annular multiphase windings and its mover is encircled by quasi-Halbach arranged permanent magnets. By systematic comparisons and classifications, the preliminary design and operational specifications of supplying maximum flux that can link the stator windings are fulfilled by setting appropriate factor level combinations from the Taguchi's method. Along with the stator winding selections, potential energy generations from the proposed slotless tubular linear generator can then be estimated. Verified by three-dimensional finite element analyses, the constructed machine prototype can show its adequacy for the operational and design requirements.


Abstract A novel state dependent control approach for discrete-time nonlinear systems with general performance criteria is presented. This controller is robust for unstructured model uncertainties, resilient against bounded feedback control gain perturbations in achieving optimality for general performance criteria to secure quadratic optimality with inherent asymptotic stability property together with quadratic dissipative type of disturbance reduction. For the system model, unstructured uncertainty description is assumed, which incorporates commonly used types of uncertainties, such as norm-bounded and positive real uncertainties as special cases. By solving a state dependent linear matrix inequality at each time step, sufficient condition for the control solution can be found which satisfies the general performance criteria. The results of this paper unify existing results on nonlinear quadratic regulator, H ∞ and positive real control to provide a novel robust control design. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is demonstrated by simulation of the control of inverted pendulum.


A prospective review of 272 institutionalized cerebral palsy residents was undertaken in order to determine the incidence and characteristics of neuromuscular scoliosis in this population. The types of cerebral palsy in the group consisted of 75% spastic, 8% dyskinetic, 4% ataxic, 8% mixed, and 5% undefined. There was a 64% incidence of roentgenographic scoliosis greater than 10°. Two distinct curve patterns were determined with equal frequency, single and multiple. The significance of the curve patterns could not be determined. Scoliosis was most common in the spastic group with the highest incidence in the spastic quadriplegics. The incidence directly paralleled the severity of the neurologic deficit but also appeared to be aggravated by the effects of gravity when the individuals were artificially placed in the sitting position. There was a definite inverse relationship between the level of ambulation and scoliosis: the higher the level of ambulation the lower the incidence of scoliosis. Hip stability per se could not be correlated with the incidence of scoliosis. The most important factors in predicting scoliosis in this population are the presence of spasticity and the severity of the neurologic deficit.


Currently, the issue of creating decarbonized energy systems in various spheres of life is acute. Therefore, for gas turbine power systems including hybrid power plants with fuel cells, it is relevant to transfer the existing engines to pure hydrogen or mixtures of hydrogen with natural gas. However, significant problems arise associated with the possibility of the appearance of flashback zones and acoustic instability of combustion, an increase in the temperature of the walls of the flame tubes, and an increase in the emission of nitrogen oxides, in some cases. This work is devoted to improving the efficiency of gas turbine power systems by combusting pure hydrogen and mixtures of natural gas with hydrogen. The organization of working processes in the premixed combustion chamber and the combustion chamber with a sequential injection of ecological and energy steam for the "Aquarius" type power plant is considered. The conducted studies of the basic aerodynamic and energy parameters of a gas turbine combustor working on hydrogen-containing gases are based on solving the equations of conservation and transfer in a multicomponent reacting system. A four-stage chemical scheme for the burning of a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen was used, which allows for the rational parameters of environmentally friendly fuel burning devices to be calculated. The premixed combustion chamber can only be recommended for operations on mixtures of natural gas with hydrogen, with a hydrogen content not exceeding 20% (by volume). An increase in the content of hydrogen leads to the appearance of flashback zones and fuel combustion inside the channels of the swirlers. For the combustion chamber of the combined-cycle power plant "Vodoley", when operating on pure hydrogen, the formation of flame flashback zones does not occur.


Immortalized and cancer cells maintain their telomeres by activation of a telomere maintenance mechanism (TMM). In ∼85% of cancers telomerase is activated (TA) but in some tumours, in particular sarcomas, an alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway is used. Liposarcomas are the most common soft‐tissue sarcoma in adults and they activate ALT or telomerase with equal frequency, however no TMM has been identified in ∼50% of liposarcomas. In our study, we have shown that instability at the minisatellite MS32, usually associated with ALT activation, aids the identification of liposarcomas that have recombination‐like activity at telomeres in absence of ALT associated PML‐bodies (APBs). Furthermore, using single molecule telomere analysis, we have detected complex telomere mutations directly in ALT positive liposarcomas and interestingly in some liposarcomas with an unknown TMM but high MS32 instability. We have shown by sequence analysis that some of these complex telomere mutations must arise by an inter‐molecular recombination‐like process rather than by deletion caused by t‐loop excision or by unequal telomere‐sister‐chromatid‐exchange (T‐SCE), which is known to be elevated in ALT cell lines. Preliminary evidence also suggests that inter‐molecular recombination events may be processed differently in liposarcomas with APBs compared to those without. In conclusion, we have shown for the first time, that some telomerase negative liposarcomas without APBs have other features associated with ALT, indicating that the incidence of ALT in these tumours has previously been under‐estimated. This has major implications for the use of cancer treatments targeted at TMMs. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Primary human airway epithelial cell (hAEC) cultures represent a universal platform to propagate respiratory viruses and characterize their host interactions in authentic target cells. To further elucidate specific interactions between human respiratory viruses and important host factors in airway epithelium, it is important to make hAEC cultures amenable to genetic modification. However, the short and finite lifespan of primary cells in cell culture creates a bottleneck for the genetic modification of these cultures. In the current study, we show that the incorporation of the Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor (Y-27632) during cell propagation extends the life span of primary human cells in vitro and thereby facilitates the incorporation of lentivirus-based expression systems. Using fluorescent reporters for FACS-based sorting, we generated homogenously fluorescent hAEC cultures that differentiate normally after lentiviral transduction. As proof-of-principle, we demonstrate that host gene expression can be modulated post-differentiation via inducible short hairpin (sh)RNA-mediated knockdown. Importantly, functional characterization of these transgenic hAEC cultures with exogenous poly(I:C), as a proxy for virus infection, demonstrates that such modifications do not influence the host innate immune response. Moreover, the propagation kinetics of both human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) and human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were not affected. Combined, these results validate our newly established protocol for the genetic modification of hAEC cultures thereby unlocking a unique potential for detailed molecular characterization of virus – host interactions in human respiratory epithelium.


ABSTRACT Purpose: Empirical evidence suggests that climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices will promote resilience against climate change. We explored location-specific CSA practices and strategies for adoption in two communities (Zango and Kofa) in the North-Western Nigerian drylands. Design/methodology/approach: Mixed methods design was employed with thirty smallholders per community selected from a baseline study of 220 smallholders from the two study communities. Smallholders were engaged in a farmer participatory learning and action (PLA) on CSA adoption for resilience. Impacts of PLA were evaluated six months post-implementation and barriers for adoption explored. Findings: Pre- and post-PLA training indicated a change in confidence to adopt some CSA practices. Both communities showed greater confidence (p < .05) related to solving climate-related problems and the use of fertiliser. Communities differed in relation to other factors: Kofa exhibited improved confidence (71.4%) in solving water challenges while Zango showed greater confidence (76%) in relation to solving environmental problems. We found gender-responsive CSA promote women participation in farming. Practical implications: A deep understanding of the underlying reasoning behind non-adoption of CSA practices could support future climate resilience policies, and the lead-farmer extension model could reduce extension agent-farmer ratio. Theoretical implications: Identification of climate-smart agriculture practices and their adoption confirms the benefit of participatory learning for transformation, in this case, empowerment of smallholders, including women, to adapt to climate change in a wider sub-Saharan Africa context. Originality/value: This study explores PLA application in supporting the uptake of CSA practices for resilience and advancement of lead-farmer extension for reducing extension agent-farmer ratio. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


ABSTRACT Cryptococcosis remains a significant threat to human health. While the popular C57BL/6J mouse model of cryptococcosis has some advantages, there are some serious shortcomings that limit the ability of researchers to address the disease. Since humans are resistant to environmental cryptococcal infection until rendered immunodeficient while C57BL/6J mice are innately susceptible, we screened 15 inbred mouse strains for resistance to Cryptococcus infection. The SJL/J mouse strain was unusually resistant to several virulent strains of Cryptococcus while the closely related FVB/J strain was susceptible. The infection pathobiology in SJL/J mice and susceptible mice was similar for the first 7–10 days then markedly diverged toward pathogen clearance. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) expression was critical for SJL/J resistance while tumor necrosis factor-alpha was also important. Both CD4 and CD8 T cells produced IFN-γ and were collectively critical. While IL-17 and associated cytokines were expressed in SJL/J mice, IL-17 inhibition did not affect the outcome of infection. Unlike the C57BL/6J, infected SJL/J mice failed to express Th2/atopy-type cytokines even when rendered susceptible by IFN-γ blockade or infection with an alternative fatal cryptococcal strain virulent in SJL/J. These data suggest that the atopic-type response typically associated with the C57BL/6J model is not critical for susceptibility. The productive immune response in SJL/J mice resulted in immune memory that protected mice from reinfection. The SJL/J cryptococcal resistance phenotype was associated with a strong genetic linkage from regions located in chromosomes 2 and 11 suggesting strain-specific modifiers contribute to disease severity. Thus, SJL/J mice are an exciting alternative animal model for cryptococcal pathobiology. IMPORTANCE Cryptococcosis studies often utilize the common C57BL/6J mouse model. Unfortunately, infection in these mice fails to replicate the basic course of human disease, particularly hampering immunological studies. This work demonstrates that SJL/J mice can recapitulate human infection better than other mouse strains. The immunological response to Cryptococcus infection in SJL/J mice was markedly different from C57BL/6J and much more productive in combating this infection. Characterization of infected mice demonstrated strain-specific genetic linkage and differential regulation of multiple important immune-relevant genes in response to Cryptococcus infection. While our results validate many of the previously identified immunological features of cryptococcosis, we also demonstrate limitations from previous mouse models as they may be less translatable to human disease. We concluded that SJL/J mice more faithfully recapitulate human cryptococcosis serving as an exciting new animal model for immunological and genetic studies. Cryptococcosis studies often utilize the common C57BL/6J mouse model. Unfortunately, infection in these mice fails to replicate the basic course of human disease, particularly hampering immunological studies. This work demonstrates that SJL/J mice can recapitulate human infection better than other mouse strains. The immunological response to Cryptococcus infection in SJL/J mice was markedly different from C57BL/6J and much more productive in combating this infection. Characterization of infected mice demonstrated strain-specific genetic linkage and differential regulation of multiple important immune-relevant genes in response to Cryptococcus infection. While our results validate many of the previously identified immunological features of cryptococcosis, we also demonstrate limitations from previous mouse models as they may be less translatable to human disease. We concluded that SJL/J mice more faithfully recapitulate human cryptococcosis serving as an exciting new animal model for immunological and genetic studies.


AIMS
This study aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) infection in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and to identify risk factors for PJP using a retrospective case-control study.

METHODS
Of 4,525 patients with UC treated between 2007 and 2019, we identified those who satisfied the criteria for PJP. The Lichtiger clinical activity index (LCI) was compared between the initiation of immunosuppressive drug treatment and the onset of PJP. A retrospective case-control study was conducted using a PJP group and a non-PJP group.

RESULTS
Nine patients experienced PJP, of whom two died. Since October 2014, there were no cases of PJP among UC patients aged ≥50 years who were prescribed three or more immunosuppressive agents given prophylactic sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (TPM-SMX). The median LCI (range) was 13 (8-17) at the initiation of treatment versus 2 (1-8) at PJP onset (p = 0.016). The median time to PJP onset was 83 days after treatment initiation. In the PJP group the median age was significantly greater (p = 0.022), three immunosuppressants were used significantly more frequently (p = 0.004), and the lymphocyte counts during treatment were significantly lower (p < 0.01) than in the non-PJP group. The cut-off lymphocyte count that distinguished PJP patients from non-PJP patients was 570/μL according to a receiver-operating curve analysis.

CONCLUSIONS
Prophylactic administration of TPM-SMX prevented further cases of PJP. The onset of PJP occurred at the same time as the symptoms of UC were stabilizing and the immunosuppressive drugs were being reduced. Greater age, lower lymphocyte count, and treatment with three immunosuppressive drugs were risk factors for PJP.


This study evaluated an antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) intervention aimed at reducing inpatient fluoroquinolone (FQ) use and examined its impact on ciprofloxacin susceptibilities of gram-negative bacteria in a large 611-bed community hospital. A two-step ASP intervention was implemented: an electronic medical record algorithm that prompted physicians to re-evaluate FQ use shortly after admission and changed institutional UTI/pneumonia guidelines that recommended options alternate to FQs for first-line empiric antibiotic therapy in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Between 2007 and 2017 FQ use and ciprofloxacin susceptibilities of all non-duplicate cultured isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa obtained ≥72 h after admission were reviewed. Ambulatory care isolates served as a comparison group. FQ utilization rates and relationships to ciprofloxacin susceptibility were evaluated using interrupted time series models. Over the 11-year period, FQ use decreased from 110.0 (2007) to 26.2 (2017) days of therapy/1000 days at risk (p < 0.001). Compared to pre-intervention, the estimated (post-intervention) reduction in FQ utilization was 28.4 (95% CI: 10.9–46) days of therapy/1000 days at risk. Reduced FQ utilization was correlated with increase susceptibilities to ciprofloxacin of hospital onset isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis (p < 0.02), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p = 0.07). No significant susceptibility change was observed in the ambulatory care isolates. Persuasive interventions by an ASP successfully modified physicians' inpatient empiric antibiotic use, produced a sustained reduction in FQ utilization rates and increased ciprofloxacin susceptibility to four commonly encountered gram-negative bacteria in a community hospital.


In recent years, component technology has been imported to high-performance scientific computing field in order to solve problems of complexity, reuse, and interoperability for high-performance scientific computing software. The CCA, brought forward by various national laboratories U.S. Department of Energy and collaborating academic institutions, is a project to develop a common framework that will allow scientists to reuse computer codes on today's high-performance computing systems, and to allow interoperability between those codes. This paper primarily introduces CCA and Babel, a language interoperability tool in CCA framework. We also demonstrate the component-based programming using Babel; analyze the performance costs associated with Babel. Our preliminary experiment indicates that Babel do well in language interoperability and it suits the high-performance scientific computing.


PURPOSE
The objectives of this review are to summarize the role of gastric motor functions in the development of satiation (defined broadly as postprandial fullness) and satiety (reduced appetite or postponing desire to eat after a meal) and their impact on weight change. The specific topics are the methods of measurement of gastric emptying and accommodation and their impact on food intake, satiation, and satiety. A second focus contrasts bariatric surgery to endoscopic gastroplasty that alter gastric emptying and incretin responses in markedly divergent manners.

BACKGROUND
The hormone, GLP-1, retards gastric emptying and increases gastric accommodation through vagally-mediated effects. Indeed, these effects provide the basis for the association of altered gastric emptying in the appetite and weight loss responses to pharmacological interventions particularly by those acting on receptors of incretin agonists such as liraglutide and the dual agonists, tirzepatide and cotadutide, all of which retard gastric emptying. In fact, retardation of gastric emptying and gastrointestinal adverse effects have been shown to contribute in part to the weight loss in response to this class of pharmacological agents.

SUMMARY
The motor functions of the stomach are relevant to postprandial fullness and to interventions aimed at weight loss in people with obesity.


Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); however, as we previously reported, angiogenesis also plays a pivotal role in NASH progression - the development of liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma - in rats. The aim of the current study was to elucidate the role of angiogenesis in the development of fibrosis in NASH. Twenty-six patients with NASH and 11 with simple fatty liver (FL) disease were enrolled in the study and underwent clinicopathological examination. Immunohistochemical analysis of 4-hydroxy-2-noneal (4-HNE) and CD34 was employed for the detection of ROS and angiogenesis in the liver tissues, respectively. Both the NASH and FL samples displayed a marked staining of 4-HNE as compared to the healthy liver. Similar levels of 4-HNE were observed in NASH regardless of the grade of liver fibrosis. In sharp contrast, hepatic neovascularization developed significantly in NASH alone, whereas almost no neovascularization was observed in FL or the healthy liver. The degree of angiogenesis was almost parallel with the development of liver fibrosis. In conclusion, simple FL and NASH cases were both affected by ROS. However, only NASH was associated with marked neovascularization, proportional to the increase in the grade of liver fibrosis development. These results indicate that hepatic neovascularization may play an important role in the onset and progression of NASH.


Our investigation of 353 faculty-produced multiple-choice Think-Pair-Share questions leads to key insights into faculty members' ideas about the discipline representations and intellectual tasks that could engage learners on key topics in physics and astronomy. The results of this work illustrate that, for many topics, there is a lack of variety in the representations featured, intellectual tasks posed, and levels of complexity fostered by the questions faculty develop. These efforts motivated and informed the development of two frameworks: (1) a curriculum characterization framework that allows us to systematically code active learning strategies in terms of the discipline representations, intellectual tasks, and reasoning complexity that an activity offers the learner; and (2) a curriculum development framework that guides the development of activities deliberately focused on increasing learners' discipline fluency. We analyze the faculty-produced Think-Pair-Share questions with our curriculum characterization framework, then apply our curriculum development framework to generate (1) Fluency-Inspiring Questions, a more pedagogically powerful extension of a well-established instructional strategy, and (2) Student Representation Tasks, a brand new type of instructional activity in astronomy that shifts the responsibility for generating appropriate representations onto the learners. We explicitly unpack and provide examples of Fluency-Inspiring Questions and Student Representation Tasks, detailing their usage of Pedagogical Discipline Representations coupled with novel question and activity formats.


The apparent position of the 'core' in a parsec-scale radio jet (a compact, bright emitting region at the narrow end of the jet) depends on the observing frequency, owing to synchrotron self-absorption and external absorption. This dependency both provides a tool to probe physical conditions in the vicinity of the core and poses problems for astrometric studies using compact radio sources. We investigate the frequency-dependent shift of the positions of the cores (core shift) observed with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) in parsec-scale jets. We present results for 29 selected active galactic nuclei (AGN). In these AGN, the magnitude of the measured core shift between 2.3 and 8.6 GHz reaches 1.4 mas, with a median value for the sample of 0.44 mas. We discuss related physics as well as astrometry applications and plans for further studies.


Automatic and accurate detection of man-made objects, such as buildings, is one of the main problems that the remote sensing community has been focusing on for the last decades. In this paper, we propose a Conditional Random Field (CRF) formulation which is using edge/boundary localization priors towards accurate building detection. These edge priors have been integrated/fused with the classification scores from a deep learning Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture under a single energy formulation. The validation of the developed methodology had been performed on the recently published SpaceNet dataset. Experimental results and quantitative evaluation, based on different accuracy statistics, indicate the great potential of the proposed approach.


This report describes the ultrastructural features of Pseudomonas aeruginosa after freeze-etching of intact cells and enzymatically prepared spheroplasts. Freeze-etching of intact cells revealed two convex layers of the cell wall and particles within the hydrophobic interior of the cell membrane. Areas of the membrane free of particles were sometimes elevated in the form of rather large dome-shaped structures. Spheroplasts were formed from intact cells by the addition of trypsin to a reaction mixture of lysozyme and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Spheroplasts contained the outer lipoid layer of the cell wall. It was possible to observe this cell wall layer in freeze-etch preparations of spheroplasts. The spheroplast membrane like that of intact cells was cleaved along a central plane to expose particles and particle-free areas.


In this paper, a spatial perturbation scheme is proposed to suppress the spiral wave in the modified Orengonator model, which is used to describe the chemical reaction in the light-sensitive media. The controllable external illumination Φ is perturbed with a spatial linear function. In our numerical simulation, the scheme is investigated by imposing the external controllable illumination on the space continuously and/or intermittently. The numerical simulation results confirm that the stable rotating spiral wave still can be removed with the scheme proposed in this paper even if the controllable Φ changed vs. time and space synchronously. Then the scheme is also used to control the spiral wave and turbulence in the modified Fitzhugh–Nagumo model. It is found that the scheme is effective to remove the sable rotating and meandering spiral wave but it costs long transient period and intensity of the gradient parameter to eliminate the spiral turbulence.


This paper focuses on wrinkle development in decorative film laminates during heating operations with the goal to understand their driving factors and develop strategies to overcome such defects. The study looked at temperature and heating rate effects on the wrinkling behavior of a commercial black-out film laminated onto a metal substrate. The 135℃ threshold temperature identified for our film under which no wrinkles formed, related to the stiffness of its different construction layers. Heating rate was also noted by this study to be an important parameter in wrinkling; values between 1℃ and 350℃/min were tested. It was possible to exceed the threshold temperature stated above without wrinkling when the heating rate was sufficiently low (closer to 1℃/min, though less than 50℃/min was often sufficient depending on the final temperature). The heating rate effect is believed to be related to the time-dependent viscoelastic response of the compliant layer in relation to building thermal stresses.


We consider the assignment of program tasks to processors in distributed computing systems such that system cost is minimized and resource constraints are satisfied. Several formulations for this task assignment problem (TAP) have been proposed in the literature. Most of these TAP formulations, however, are NP-complete and thus finding exact solutions is computationally intractable. Recently, some approximation methods like simulated annealing have been pro- posed, and simulation results exhibited the potential to solve the TAP using metaheuristics. In order to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of various metaheuristics applied to the TAP, we first propose two alternative metaheuris- tics—one using genetic algorithm and the other reinforcement learning algorithm—as well as their implementation de- tails. Extensive computational evidences of the two heuristic algorithms against that of simulated annealing are presented, compared and discussed. Based on these experimental results, a hybrid strategy employing both metaheuristics is then proposed in order to solve the TAP more effectively and efficiently.


The field of fire protection engineering is characterized by the cooperation of experts and by the distribution of knowledge resources. The availability of relevant knowledge in all states of the planning process is the basis for a high product quality and for optimal conditions for the rescue of persons. Hence, this project aims to create a knowledge based planning environment that offers multiple services for decision support in fire protection engineering. Therefore, structured information resources (such as model and product databases) and unstructured information (such as legal guidelines and other document-based information) have to be identified and integrated. This paper focuses on the integration of distributed partial building models in a network-based planning environment. The implementation of this integration as an agent-based component and its role in the knowledge-based planning environment are presented. Different distributed design models are integrated on the basis of mobile agents. The concept of an agent-based integration of information resources is demonstrated via the implementation of a knowledge based service that checks the distributed models for compliance with fire protection requirements.


The work is devoted to an analysis of pre-clinical and clinical experiments on photodynamic action of HeNe laser radiation in aggregate with a cation thiazinium dye Methylene Blue (MB) on a mix of pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic aerobic bacteria being activators of pyoinflammatory diseases of oral cavity. Concentration of photosensitizes at which there is no own bactericidal influence on dying microflora, and parameters of influence at which the efficiency of irradiated microflora defeat reaches 99% are determined.


Marginal salt loss occurs in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 11 beta-hydroxylase (11-OHase) deficiency treated with dexamethasone and is accompanied by increased PRA. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of the stimulated renin-angiotensin system on pituitary-adrenal suppression. Seven patients with 11-OHase deficiency were subjected to a series of treatments with dexamethasone, cortisol, and combined cortisol and 9 alpha-fluorohydrocortisone. The latter combination suppressed PRA and sodium excretion, and produced better control of the pituitary-adrenal axis, as measured by plasma ACTA and serum 11-deoxycortisol. We conclude that in children with 11-OHase deficiency, PRA needs to be monitored, and when it is elevated, mineralocorticoid replacement is indicated.


In this thesis, the nature of hysteretic response behavior of structures subjected to strong seismic excitation, is examined. The earthquake ground motion is modeled as a stochastic process and the dependence of the response on system and excitation parameters, is examined. Consideration is given to the drift of structural systems and its dependence on the low frequency content of the earthquake spectrum. It is shown that commonly used stochastic excitation models, are not able to accurately represent the low frequency content of the excitation. For this reason, a stochastic model obtained by filtering a modulated white noise signal through a second order linear filter is used in this thesis. A new approach is followed in the analysis of the elasto-plastic system. The problem is formulated in terms of the drift, defined as the sum of yield increments associated with inelastic response. The solution scheme is based on the properties of discrete Markov process models of the yield increment process, while the yield increment statistics are expressed in terms of the probability density of the velocity and elastic component of the displacent response. Using this approach, an approximate exponential and Rayleigh distribution for the yield increment and yield duration, respectively, are established. It is suggested that, for duration of stationary seismic excitation of practical significance, the drift can be considered as Brownian motion. Based on this observation, the approximate Gaussian distribution and the linearly divergent mean square value of the process, as well as an expression for the probability distribution of the peak drift response, are obtained. The validation of these properties is done by means of a Monte Carlo simulation study of the random response of an elastoplastic system. Based on this analysis, the first order probability density and first passage probabilities for the drift are calculated from the probability density of the velocity and elastic component of the response, approximately obtained by generalized equivalent linearization. It is shown that the drift response statistics are strongly dependent on the normalized characteristic frequency and strength of the excitation, while a weaker dependence on the bandwidth of excitation is noted.


XPS (x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) analysis of both carbon fiber/epoxy matrix and carbon fiber/polysulfone matrix composites revealed significant changes in the surface composition as a result of exposure to low-Earth orbit. The carbon 1s curve fit XPS analysis in conjunction with the SEM photomicrographs revealed significant erosion of the polymer matrix resins by atomic oxygen to expose the carbon fibers of the composite samples. This erosion effect on the composites was seen after 10 months in orbit and was even more obvious after 69 months.