To the Editor. We read with great interest Dr. Sturpe's description of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) at United States Schools/Colleges of Pharmacy.1 Improving test reliability is a central tenet to the "objective" term in OSCEs. Content specificity is a concern with OSCE assessments and increasing the number of stations vastly improves test reliability.2 Dr. Sturpe's instruction on the number of OSCE stations required for suitable test reliability is very instructive, with a suggested 12-16 stations.

Assessment drives learning so the test reliability of assessments should be a key concern for pharmacy educators. While numerous versions of advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) evaluations are used at colleges and schools of pharmacy around the country, test reliability of evaluations should be an important consideration. If APPEs were conceptually thought of as analogous to OSCE stations, then together as an OSCE they can speak to a common ability of learners, ie, the ability to practice pharmacy in a number of environments. This ability continuum can range from limited to expansive, but students can fall anywhere along that spectrum.

Individual APPE rotation objectives must be linked to terminal school or college outcomes, and overall experience assessments mapped to these required objectives. Overall experience assessments should be standardized between preceptors and sites to ensure that students are assessed in a similar manner. An example using SOAP notes as part of an overall experience assessment, notes should be assessed more than once in a single APPE and then repeated among multiple core APPEs (ie, 3 notes/APPE over 4 APPEs would provide 12 evaluations).

Additional "stations" also could be included to complement APPE assessments, similar to the variations that Hodge describes.3 Test reliability should be enhanced with additional rigorous assessments of similar APPE objectives – as long as all evaluations are assessing a similar ability in students. An advantage of including additional assessments is that they provide a reliable, standardized means of critical evaluation for all students. Examples of additional assessments include: a final-year student presentation demonstrating evidence-based medicine skills,4 the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment, or an individual college or school's outcome-based examination prior to APPEs.

Undoubtedly, colleges and schools of pharmacy are investing significant resources into experiential programs and sites. How rigorous (ie, reliable) are methods of evaluation? We forward an alternate paradigm for thinking of APPE evaluations using the strengths of an OSCE approach (ie, improved assessment reliability through greater station numbers). Additionally, some colleges and schools interested in performance-based assessment (such as with an OSCE) may be struggling with finding resources to implement this evaluation. Using experiential programs may foster use of an OSCE approach to assessment.

Michael J. Peeters, PharmD, MEd,a Craig D. Cox, PharmDb

aUniversity of Toledo College of PharmacybTexas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy


DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A CURRICULUM FOR TEACHING A BIBLICAL META-NARRATIVE TO THE ADULTS AT COLLEGE PARK CHURCH IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA Joseph Robert Bartemus, D.Min. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2015 Faculty Supervisor: Dr. James M. Hamilton Chapter 1 of this project describes the planning and objectives of the project. The development of a curriculum that covers relevant material on the meta-narrative of the Bible was revised and developed. The curriculum involved a video series with two pastors discussing the concept and details of the biblical meta-narrative. Booklets were also developed to complement the spoken material. Facilitators or teachers were trained to utilize the tools to bring about the actual implementation of the project in teaching smaller groups of adults the essence of the overarching biblical meta-narrative of the Bible. Chapter 2 discusses passages from the Old and New Testament which were analyzed to provide biblical validation concerning the need for such a project. Chapter 3 includes an overview of basic educational literature which was summarized in regard to adult learning and curriculum. Chapter 4 describes the steps of the project in detail to show how the implementation occurred. In chapter 5 the project was evaluated and found to be successful based on several factors, including a statistical affirmation. This chapter includes concluding evaluations of the project in terms of accomplishing goals, strengths and weaknesses, and future plans.


This paper presents the detailed analysis and novel hybrid controller design for bidirectional energy management solutions, using smart power electronic DC/DC converter solutions. More specifically, an intelligently designed novel digital control technique is presented for 4-quadrant (4Q) switched-capacitor (SC) Luo DC/DC converters, based on power of traction motor and gradient of battery current. Features of voltage step-down, step-up, and bi-directional power flow are integrated into a single circuit. The novel hybrid control system enables simpler dynamics compared to a standard buck converter with input filter, superior regulation capability, lower source current ripple, ease of control, and continuous input current waveform in buck and boost modes of operation.


Due to its simplicity and versatility, k-means remains popular since it was proposed three decades ago. The performance of k-means has been enhanced from different perspectives over the years. Unfortunately, a good trade-off between quality and efficiency is hardly reached. In this paper, a novel k-means variant is presented. Different from most of k-means variants, the clustering procedure is driven by an explicit objective function, which is feasible for the whole l2-space. The classic egg-chicken loop in k-means has been simplified to a pure stochastic optimization procedure. The procedure of k-means becomes simpler and converges to a considerably better local optima. The effectiveness of this new variant has been studied extensively in different contexts, such as document clustering, nearest neighbor search and image clustering. Superior performance is observed across different scenarios.


Crushed or recycled concrete aggregates (CCA/RCA) is an increasingly popular material as a replacement for natural aggregates in concrete due to industry demands for more recycled, lower carbon and responsibly sourced materials. In the UK, the majority of CCA is utilised in non-structural applications such as: a general fill material, road base/subbase or in low-grade concrete. Recycled aggregate producers however, are seeking new ways to incorporate CCA into higher value applications such as structural concrete to increase profits. Opportunities to incorporate CCA into structural concrete may also arise because of project demands for sustainability or in situations where natural aggregates are in short supply.
Limited research has been published regarding the effect of coarse CCA on the durability of structural concrete, particularly in respect to water and chloride ion ingress and possibility of corrosion initiation. The aim of this EngD research programme was to investigate the effect of coarse CCA and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) on the durability performance of structural concrete, with particular emphasis on the key liquid transport mechanisms within concrete, namely absorption by capillary action, diffusion and migration. This addressed an industry concern regarding the detrimental effect of coarse CCA which has resulted in a limit on replacement levels of coarse natural aggregates in structural concrete, as defined in Eurocodes and local national standards for concrete.
In this study, structural concrete was produced with varying levels of coarse CCA replacement (up to 100%), from five different sources and/or structural elements across the UK, with various combinations of SCMs to replace in part the Portland cement. Petrographic analysis was used as an innovative technique to characterise the coarse CCA sources to determine suitability which yielded positive results. The durability performance of the resultant concrete was analysed by exposing the concrete to aggressive chloride environments.
The results indicate that the inclusion of coarse CCA, even as low as 20%, had a detrimental effect on the durability performance of structural concrete, in relation to absorption by capillary action, diffusion and migration. This effect however, can be offset through the use of SCMs, which have been shown to outperform control Portland cement concrete with 100% natural aggregates in durability performance tests. The results also suggest that cementitious materials had a greater influence on durability performance than the type and source of coarse aggregates used.
It is recommended that the replacement of natural aggregate with coarse CCA be limited to 30% in cases where compliance with the 28 day characteristic strength is of particular importance. If the criterion for compliance at 28 days can be relaxed and the compressive cube strength of concretes with SCMs tested at later ages for conformity (56 or 90 days), then higher quantities of coarse CCA may be incorporated up to 60% to produce a more sustainable structural concrete. It is recommended that Portland cement is partially replaced with 50% ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) to produce a CEM III/A concrete.
This is a significant step towards the potential wider implementation of coarse CCA in structural concrete, provided a suitable quantity of SCM is adopted along with a reliable and consistent source of coarse CCA.


The paper builds the multi-subject spatial database and the numerical analytical method because regional difference of Chinese ecological environment background is prominent. The ecological environment background condition is synthetically appraised and the index is used to reflect the general characteristics and the regional difference by the 9 kinds of spatial raster database i.e.precipitation, accumulative temperature, temperature, slope,aspect,elevation, NDVI,the building of the national appraisal index system of ecological environment background and the combined function of the GIS. The ecological environment index in divided into 10 grades. The higher the grade, the better the ecological environment is. The results will be beneficial to compare the regional difference of the ecological environment and to study the dynamic change in time series since it reflects objectively the natural characteristics and regional difference of China. The average index of Chinese ecological environment is 5 726. The ecological environment index increases and represents the better condition from Northwest to Southeast. Using the index, the numerical method is built to reflect the ecological environment background and to compare the regional ecological environment background that builds the foundation for future dynamic monitoring. The feature value of the subject index of every cell by the GRID module of ARC/INFO can be calculated to analyze the regional law and dynamic change and to study the main factors that have the effect on the background. The ancillary information can be supplied to help make decision on the resource exploitation and environmental protection pertinently and simultaneously by overlaying the data with the especially spatial data such as land use data.


OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to explore the nature and development of the coach-athlete relationship from the perspective of both an athlete and a coach. METHOD: Two coaches (1 female and 1 male; aged 42 and 48, respectively) and eight elite level swimmers (competing at international level; 4 females and 4 males; Mage18.6 years, SD = 3.1 years) from the Swiss National Swimming team were interviewed individually. Interviews ranged between 60 and 90 minutes and were audio-recorded. The athletes and their respective coaches had been working together for an average of 3.5 years. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed that the coach-athlete relationship gradually evolved over time, and that three specific dimensions operated in the development of this relationship: (1) developing bonds; (2) developing co-operation; and, (3)power relation. CONCLUSIONS: The coach-athlete relationship occurs naturally and evolves over time. This evolution in the relationship is beneficial to the athlete's personal growth, mental strength, and athletic development. The study enhances knowledge and has theoretical and practical implications for the coach-athlete dyad.


Based on the property of angular dependent transmission probability of electrons observed in graphene PN junctions, a modified MUX-based graphene logic device is introduced. A more elaborate resistance model including ON resistance, leakage resistance and contact resistance is given as well as a capacitance model of the device. Compared with Si CMOS switches, MUX-based logic graphene gates have potentially lower output resistances and a smaller device area. Since interconnects play an ever increasing important role in digital circuit, for the first time, module-level and system-level analyses are made for better evaluating the potential performance of graphene logic devices. Based on the analysis of a 32-bit Han-Carlson adder, module-level evaluation has been done and comparison has been made between graphene logic circuits complemented by multilayer graphene interconnects and CMOS logic circuits with Cu/low k interconnects. The results indicate that MUX-based graphene logic circuits can outperform CMOS circuits in terms of both delay and power consumption. Both devices being evaluated are based on the 15nm technology node. For the system-level analysis, the graphene logic system can have 50% higher throughput than its Si CMOS counterpart with the same power density and die size area.


1. People can recover fully from even the most severe forms of mental illness. 2. The Empowerment Model of Recovery describes the dynamics of recovery and prevention of mental illness. 3. PACE (personal assistance in community existence) is the application of the recovery principles.


a new ideology, and the implications of General Amin's 1971 military coup for Uganda's future. The result is an interesting and instructive work which makes an important contribution to our understanding of the political process in modern Uganda and, in a wider context, the general role of ideology in the third world. However, the study is not without its limitations. The period covered is 1962 to 1974, but most of the book focuses on the years between Obote's move to the Left (1969) and Amin's coup. More material on the Amin regime and its reaction to the ideological processes set in motion by Obote would have been welcome, although admittedly the author's central purpose is to determine why ideology failed. A more serious potential shortcoming, and one that is likely to stimulate considerable debate, is the author's premise &dquo;that values play an important role in social change.&dquo; This reviewer basically agrees, but it is nonetheless true that Mittelman's methodology is overconditioned by this consideration. Hard line ideologists will thus be able to confront him with some of the same charges that are frequently leveled at their works. On a markedly different level, it should be noted that the author's prose is turgid at points and his chapters do not mesh well. Still, this is a stimulating study, and it clearly demonstrates that Ugandawhatever the nature of her politicsfaces continuing problems in such areas as ethnic strife, class differences, and relations with the outside world. Mittel-


In this study, the authors will investigate the insertion loss (IL) of the broadband 8-way power combiner used in their millimetre-wave power amplifier (PA) design. By treating this combiner as impedance transformer under resistor-capacitor (RC)-loading condition, both the characteristic impedance and electrical length of the constituting metal lines can be obtained, where the much shorter line length suggests wider bandwidth and lower IL. However, proper loss analysis must take into account the multi-reflection of voltage wave along these mismatched transmission lines, i.e. the use of the power attenuation expression e − 2 α L is just not accurate enough. With their derived equations, it shows that the IL of their proposed 8-way combiner can be as low as 0.92 dB at 94 GHz, which is much smaller than the 1.5 dB for the conventional quarter-wavelength combiner. Mathematics for the IL of the drain-bias shunt stub and the output DC-blocking capacitor has also been derived. As a demonstration, a 77–110 GHz 40 nm-complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor PA made of cascode transistors is then designed that has more than 18 dB gain, and its OP1 dB is around 13 dBm across the whole frequency range.


Chronic hyperglycemia has been linked to various long-term metabolic disruptions in adults, such as neuropathy, nephropathy, and diabetic retinopathy. According to the 2020 National Diabetes Statistics Report, 10.5% of the US population has diabetes and may be susceptible to long-term complications if blood glucose is not tightly regulated. Further, in 2018, 7.6% of US pregnancies were affected by gestational diabetes, with an average of 1-14% annually [1]. During pregnancy, glucose can pass through the placental barrier, and plays an important role in fetal development and survival. However, excess maternal glucose can also result in diabetic embryopathy. While many studies have examined the teratogenic effects of maternal diabetes on fetal heart development, little is known about the consequences of maternal hyperglycemia on the development of the embryonic retina. To address this question, we investigated retinal cell type differentiation and survival in both a genetic and nutritional model of embryonic hyperglycemia in zebrafish. Strikingly, we found that hyperglycemic larvae displayed a significant reduction in rod and cone photoreceptors and horizontal cells, whereas other retinal neurons were not affected. We also observed signs of reactive gliosis in the retinal Müller cells, as well as increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in hyperglycemic retinas. Hyperglycemic larvae displayed altered expression of metabolism related genes and had a slower optokinetic response than normoglycemic larvae, indicating altered visual function. Further analysis of early events in retinogenesis revealed a delay in retinal cell differentiation at 48 hpf in hyperglycemic embryos, that coincided with an increase in reactive oxygen species. Taken together, our results suggest that embryonic hyperglycemia results in abnormal retinal cell development via altered timing of retinal cell differentiation and ROS production, which is accompanied by visual defects. As the population with diabetes continues to grow, it is imperative to pinpoint the effects of embryonic hyperglycemia on retinal development. Further studies using zebrafish models of hyperglycemia will allow us to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects, which could aid in the development of therapeutic strategies.


Canola is becoming a major source of vegetable oil with increasing demand in South Africa, yet low yields are presently experienced in production areas of the Western Cape Province. Crop response to fertiliser applications in field trials under rainfed conditions are often poor, because of a large number of growth factors that may limit growth and yield. To determine how canola responds to nitrogen (N) with no (low) and high sulphur (S) rates under ideal conditions in a controlled environment, a 5 x 2 factorial experiment, with N (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg ha -1 ) and S (0 and 40 kg ha -1 ) fertilisation rates, was conducted. Plants were irrigated with a nutrient solution which contained all nutrients, but with very low N and S contents. Nitrogen application significantly increased leaf area, hence dry mass accumulation and ultimately flowering and pod formation, but high N and S application levels during early growth stages may have a negative effect on growth. Significant interaction between N and S were shown, however the positive effects of S were more pronounced in the reproductive phases. In this experiment, conducted under controlled temperature and watering conditions, but short winter daylight lengths, yield components of canola as measured by the number of flowers and pods at 91 DAP tended to reach a peak at application rates of 120 kg N ha -1 and 40 kg S ha -1 .


For weakly-waveguide, using contraction transformation, a scalar wave equation with an axial direction variable z is established to describe a single-mode taper fiber. Gaussian function is used to approximate the fundamental mode of field in the taper fiber. The local field and the local propagation constant expressions are given.


Abstract Having a high sense of humor has been found to be a general social asset, but there has been no assessment of the specific qualities that are assumed to be associated with variations in sense of humor. Two studies were conducted to examine the assumptions observers would make about the personal qualities associated with varying levels of sense of humor. In the first study, participants (150 female and 86 male college students) were asked to use a set of adjectives to rate individuals described as varying in sense of humor. The overall pattern of results indicated that, compared to persons described as "typical" or "below average" in sense of humor, individuals described as "well above average" were rated more highly on socially desirable adjectives, lower on socially undesirable adjectives, but no different on adjectives reflecting social sensitivity. In the second study, participants (120 female and 49 male college students) were asked to use a measure of the "big five" personality traits to rate individuals described as varying in sense of humor. Results indicated that individuals described as being "well above average" in sense of humor were perceived as lower in neuroticism and higher in agreeableness than "typical", or "below average" sense of humor others. The findings of these two studies confirm the importance of a high sense of humor as a social asset, and provide some clarity concerning the likely underlying bases for the positive expectations sense of humor generates in observers.


In consideration of the immense amount of literature on the subject of epilepsy it is somewhat surprising that practically nothing has been written in regard to the condition of the spinal cord in this disease and that there are practically no observations on this subject. This may be accounted for in part by the fact that the source of the striking motor and mental symptoms has almost from the first been recognized as due to the brain, or at least of intracranial origin, and in part also because so long as no anatomic or pathologic change in the cerebrum or medulla could be demonstrated, it seemed useless to examine a portion of the body less affected and where the lesions, if such existed, were likely to be even more obscure. A third cause is that in this country, at least, it is only of late years that the spinal cords


Nanostructured thermoelectric materials have attracted lots of interest in recent years, due to their enhanced performance determined by their thermoelectric dimensionless figure of merit. However, because of equipment limitations, not much work has been done on combining simultaneous transport measurements and structural characterization on individual nanostructured thermoelectric materials. With an integrated TEM-STM system, we studied the structural behavior and electrical properties of bismuth (Bi) nanobelts and nanoparticles. Results showed that clean Bi nanostructures free of oxides can be produced by in-situ high temperature electro-migration and Joule annealing processes occurring within the electron microscope. Preliminary electrical measurements indicate a conductivity of two orders of magnitude lower for Bi nanoparticles than that for bulk Bi. Such in-situ studies are highly advantageous for studying the semimetal-semiconductor transition and how this transition could enhance thermoelectric properties.


Blunt renal trauma continues to promote discussion in trauma and urology circles. It seems that the three aspects that continue to arouse controversy are the decisions involved in imaging minor trauma, exploring the retroperitoneal haematoma at laparotomy and managing the major stable injury. Personal views are advanced on these aspects based on a review of the literature.


Amaranthus spinosus Linn. (Family: Amaranthaceae) has been shown to be useful in preventing and mitigating adverse pathophysiological conditions and complex diseases. However, only limited information is available on the anticancer potential of this plant. In this study, we examined the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of a novel fatty acid isolated from A. spinosus—(14E,18E,22E,26E)-methyl nonacosa-14,18,22,26 tetraenoate—against HepG2 human liver cancer cells. We used 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay to determine cell viability, flow cytometry assay for cell cycle analysis, and Western blot analysis to measure protein expression of Cdc2), cyclin B1, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). The MTT assay showed that the fatty acid markedly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dosage-dependent fashion, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 25.52 µmol/L. This antiproliferative result was superior to that of another known fatty acid, linoleic acid (IC50 38.65 µmol/L), but comparable to that of standard anticancer drug doxorubicin (IC50 24.68 µmol/L). The novel fatty acid also induced apoptosis mediated by downregulation of cyclin B1, upregulation of Bax, and downregulation of Bcl-2, resulting in the G2/M transition arrest. Our results provide the first experimental evidence that a novel fatty acid isolated from A. spinosus exhibits significant antiproliferative activity mediated through the induction of apoptosis in HepG2 cells. These encouraging results may facilitate the development of A. spinosus fatty acid for the prevention and intervention of hepatocellular carcinoma.


The transformation of α to β-phase in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) induced by the addition of tetradecylphosphonic acid (TDPA)-BaTiO3 nanoparticles and subsequently the isothermal crystallization kinetics of pristine PVDF and its nanocomposites have been investigated. The result of infrared spectra showed that the relative crystalline fraction of β-phase was enhanced greatly after the introduction of TDPA–BaTiO3 nanoparticles, and reached the peak of 93% when the concentration of nanofillers was 20%. The interaction between TDPA–BaTiO3 nanoparticles and PVDF macromolecular chains induced the change of conformation from trans-gauche to all-trans crystal structure in PVDF segment. The isothermal crystallization of TDPA–BaTiO3/PVDF nanocomposites was carried out by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The influence of TDPA–BaTiO3 nanoparticles concentration on crystallization rate, activate energy, melting enthalpy, and peak temperature were studied. The nanocomposite film loaded 20% TDPA–BaTiO3 nanoparticles exhibited the highest crystallization rate and activate energy, which decreased after loading more nanofillers in the host because of high volume fraction of nanoparticles leading to steric hindrance and further weakening the mobility of PVDF chains during the crystallization. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013


SUMMARY
Plantlets of Poa alpina L. taken from a single viviparous mother plant in August 1991 were pot-grown in an experimental garden in Abisko, Swedish Lapland. Half of the pots were infected with the annual hemiparasitic angiosperm Rhinanthus minor L. A proportion of the plants were harvested in August 1992: the infected grasses were less than half the mass of uninfected controls and had a higher proportion of brown (dead) tissue, but a similar partitioning of biomass into roots, stems and leaves. The grasses remaining after this harvest were divided into four groups: control (infected neither in 1992 nor in 1993 (−−)), newly infected (1993 only (−+)), not re-infected (+–) and re-infected (++). Total biomass accumulation by August 1993 was greatest in control grasses (−−) and least in those plants which had been infected for two consecutive years (++). Plants infected for the first time in their second year of growth (−+) showed fewer visible effects than those infected in their first year of growth (+–), but the relative biomass accumulation in 1993, when expressed per gram of dry matter existing at the end of the 1992 growing season, was least in those plants infected for the first time in 1993 ((- +) 6·41 g g−1) and greatest in those which had previously been infected but were relieved of infection in the second year ((+−) 12·65 g g−1). Unlike that in plants harvested in the first year of the investigation, the pattern of biomass partitioning differed between the groups of 2-yr-old plants depending on the year of infection. Uninfected plants (−−), and those plants infected for the first time in 1993 (−+) produced many viviparous plantlets. Those plants infected in 1992 ((+−) and (++)) showed negligible plantlet production, but had more numerous and larger leaves, which senesced more slowly and had higher nitrogen concentrations than those of uninfected controls. The maximum rate of host photosynthesis, photosynthetic light compensation point and quantum efficiency of photosynthesis, measured on a unit green-leaf area basis in July 1993, did not differ significantly between the four groups.

Parasites which were grown on 6-month-old grass (1992 harvest) were only two thirds of the mass of those growing on older grasses (1993 harvest), and those on grass parasitized for two years (++, i.e. those without plantlets) accumulated twice as much biomass as those growing on grasses infected for the first time in 1993 (–+, i.e. those with plantlets). Parasites which were growing on previously parasitized hosts also had greater foliar nitrogen concentrations than those growing on hosts not parasitized until 1993 (−+).


Private (first sector) and public (second sector) sector economics, both individually and jointly, have failed to ensure the wellbeing of human societies on the national and global levels. In response, social enterprise (third sector) economics, which features cooperatives and not-for-profit social enterprises, foundations (awqāf), and similar undertakings, has emerged as a make-up strategy in an attempt to counter the deficiencies of the market-state economic model. However, there is a strongly felt belief that the third sector needs to be broadened and mainstreamed in order to include both not-for-profit and for-profit businesses blended with social justice (via provision of such social welfare programs as corporate social responsibility) so that they can play a major role in poverty alleviation and economic growth. Islamic entrepreneurship, which is basically a community-centric mode of business initiative, is an antidote to the problem of intolerable economic and social dualism, a natural strategy against all forms of capitalist exploitation and attempts to control a nation's resources. Moreover, it is the natural model for solving economic inequity, wealth concentration, and social divides. Based on its potential and using examples from Bangladesh and Malaysia, we present the Islamic style of entrepreneurship. We contend that this particular style is the most efficient and desirable one for effectively widening and mainstreaming community-centric third sector economics so that it can ensure development with equity and social justice especially in developing countries.


Abstract Background Strong implementation strategies are critical to the success of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS®) guidelines, though little documentation exists on effective strategies, especially in complex clinical situations and unfamiliar contexts. This study outlines the process taken to adopt a novel neonatal ERAS® guideline. Methods The implementation strategy was approached in a multi-pronged, concurrent but asynchronous fashion. Between September 2019 and January 2020, healthcare providers from various disciplines and different specialties as well as parents participated in the strategy. Multidisciplinary teams were created to consider existing literature and local contexts including potential facilitators and/or barriers. Task forces worked collaboratively to develop new care pathways. An audit system was developed to record outcomes and elicit feedback for revision. Results 32 healthcare providers representing 9 disciplines and 5 specialties as well as 8 parents participated. Care pathways and resources were created. Elements recommended for a successful implementation strategy included identification of champions, multidisciplinary stakeholder involvement, consideration of local contexts and insights, patient/family engagement, education, and creation of an audit system. Conclusion A multidisciplinary and structured process following principles of implementation science was used to develop an effective implementation strategy for initiating ERAS® guidelines.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Background: The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) is associated with poor prognosis in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). This study was conducted to determine if the presence of CTC prior to surgery and during follow-up in patients with newly diagnosed non-metastatic CRC identifies patients who are at risk for disease recurrence.

Methods: In a prospective single center study 183 patients with newly diagnosed non-disseminated CRC scheduled for surgery were enrolled from 2003 till 2008 and followed up for a median of 5.1 years. CTC were enumerated with the CellSearch System in 4 aliquots of 7.5 ml of peripheral blood before and after surgery (1-26 weeks), after adjuvant therapy and 1, 2, 3 and 4 years after surgery.

Findings: ≥1 CTC/ 30ml of blood were detected in 44 (24%) patients before surgery. CTC frequency did not change significantly at the time points after surgery. Patients with CTC before surgery had a significant decrease in Recurrence Free Survival (RFS, logrank test p=0.014) and Colon Cancer Related Survival (CCRS, p=0.002). Five year RFS dropped from 75% to 61% and five year CCRS from 83% to 69% for patients with CTC before surgery. In a multivariate analysis of CTC, T-Stage and N-stage, the presence of CTC and N-stage remained as significant factors for RFS and CCRS. Surprisingly the presence of CTC after surgery was not significantly associated with RFS and CCRS whereas CTC 2-3 years after surgery was again significantly associated with RFS and CCRS.

Interpretation: The presence of CTC in patients with stage I-III CRC before surgery is associated with a significant reduction RFS and CCRS. Although similar amounts of CTC were detected within 3 months after surgery they were not associated with RFS or CCRS. In contrast CTC were again highly significant for RFS and CCRS 2-3 years after surgery. These findings suggest a role of CTC detection, to assess which patients need adjuvant treatment. To implement CTC detection in the non-metastatic setting a validated CTC detection technology is needed with increased sensitivity and specificity.

Citation Format: Guus van Dalum, Marco R. de Groot, Gerrit-Jan Stam, Loes F.A. Scholten, Walter J.B. Mastboom, Istvan Vermes, Arjan G.J. Tibbe, Leon W.M.M. Terstappen. Importance of circulating tumor cells in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3064. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3064


SUMMARY Cercosporin is a perylenequinone pigment produced by fungi in the genus Cercospora which under light generates reactive oxygen species causing membrane damage and mortality of living cells. Our objectives were to demonstrate that fungal laccase, a lignolytic copper-containing enzyme, can degrade cercosporin and reduce cercosporin toxicity toward living cells. Cercosporin from Cercospora beticola and Cercospora hayi was treated with laccase from basidiomycete fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor) in the dark and under constant light. Under these conditions the absorbance of the cercosporin decreased at 220, 279 and 295-500 nm within 10 min of reaction with laccase from either P ostreatus or T versicolor , indicating that basidiomycete laccase can induce changes in UV-visible spectra of cercosporin. The LIVE/DEAD® Bac Light™ VIABILITY kit and fluorescent microscopy showed more viable E. coli cells after incubation under light with cercosporin and laccase than with cercosporin alone. Lesions were apparent on sugar beet leaves exposed to cercosporin under light after 48 h, but leaves exposed to cercosporin and laccase showed visibly less damage. These data suggest that laccase from basidiomycete fungi can decrease the toxic effect of cercosporin toward microorganisms and plant tissue.


and an anonymous referee for helpful comments and Carl Gjersem for providing the calculations for Norway. Bernd Raffelhüschen thanks the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland for research support.


Studying sound-absorbing panels for indoor ambient environment noise attenuation aims to improve the noise absorption phenomenon by analyzing the design process of plaster soundabsorbing panel casting molds. The coffered plates, ceilings and upper surfaces made of plaster-α with polymer blends and even metal flakes characterized by extremely good absorption or diffusion, depending on the reinforced material, are applied as insulating layers in the reflecting points connected to primary sound sources, in order to reduce the reflected waves level, reducing thus the acoustic comb filters effects on the signal the receiver perceives. This study describes certain elements pertaining to the design process of the plaster sound-absorbing panels casting molds.


Abstract We stated (Wamelink et al. 2002) that mean Ellenberg indicator values are biased towards expectations of phytosociologists. Witte & von Asmuth (2003; this volume) have two major points of criticism: (1) the data we used would be systematically biased; (2) in calibrating Ellenberg indicator values for moisture availability against mean spring groundwater level we should have assumed a sigmoid response instead of a linear one. As to (1), a bias in the data would require that wet vegetation types were visited in wet years and dry vegetation types in dry years. We do not see any evidence for this. As to (2), our data do not provide strong evidence for a sigmoid relation instead of a linear one. Neither is there any indication that the bias in the Ellenberg indicator values would disappear when a sigmoid function would be fitted. We do agree with Witte & von Asmuth that it is preferable to characterize the species' response by those variables to which they most directly respond. Abbreviations: MSL = Mean spring groundwater level; WvA = Witte & von Asmuth (2003).


Abstract Aims: Several studies have been carried out to examine the association between cigarette smoking during pregnancy and risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), yet the findings are mixed. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the relationship between cigarette smoking during pregnancy and GDM risk. Material and methods: PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to December 2017. Studies on cigarette smoking during pregnancy and GDM were retrieved. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for highest versus lowest level of cigarette smoking were calculated using a random-effects model. Results: Compared to nonsmoking, the pooled ORs of cigarette smoking during pregnancy were 0.98 (95% CI: 0.88–1.10) for GDM. Specifically, the pooled ORs of light smoking and heavy smoking during pregnancy for GDM were 1.10 (95% CI: 0.97–1.25) and 1.02 (95% CI: 0.67–1.53), respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there is no significant association between cigarette smoking during pregnancy and risk of GDM.


Mobile robots can serve to augment the capabilities of rescuers for urban search and rescue (USAR) situations but must be supervised by humans. As such, the envisioned application for this research is to deploy a human-supervised mobile robot to perform the search aspect of a USAR mission. This paper presents a framework developed to imbue a mobile robot with the intelligence to perform the search task under the guidance of a human supervisor. The framework enables the robot to perform area coverage as well as to search of victims visually using computer vision. Preliminary experiments to test the framework are also described. We find that the framework is suitable for implementation on a mobile robot for its envisioned purpose.


SUMMARY The swimming behaviour of ciliates is mainly determined by membrane potential and transmembrane fluxes. In a chemical gradient, swimming ciliates may approach or move away from the source. Based on experiments on Paramecium, it is generally assumed that chemical attractants and repellents affect the swimming behaviour of ciliates by specific changes in the membrane potential. We have examined whether there is a causal relationship between membrane potential and chemo-accumulation in the microstome form of the polymorphic ciliate Tetrahymena vorax. Effects of chemo-attractants on the membrane potential of Tetrahymena have not been previously reported. Microstome T. vorax cells aggregated close to a point source of l-cysteine and the complex meat hydrolysate proteose peptone. Chemo-accumulated cells displayed a significantly higher turning frequency than control cells at a similar cell density. A concentration of 20 mmol l–1 l-cysteine did not evoke any detectable change in the membrane potential whereas 1% proteose peptone depolarised the cells by ∼12 mV. This is contrary to the current model, which predicts agents that induce a moderate depolarisation to be repellents. A solution of 1% proteose peptone contains 21 mmol–1 Na+. A solution of 21 mmol–1 NaCl without organic compounds also caused ∼12 mV depolarisation but had no aggregating effect on the cells. Collectively, the electrophysiological and behavioural data indicate that chemo-accumulation in the microstome form of T. vorax is not governed obligatorily by the membrane potential. We thus suggest that the simple membrane potential model for chemokinesis in Paramecium may not be valid for T. vorax.


Capuchin monkeys (Cebus sp.) are notable among New World monkeys for their widespread use of tools. Like chimpanzees, they use both hammer tools and insertion tools in the wild to acquire food that would be unobtainable otherwise. Recent evidence indicates that capuchins transport stones to anvil sites and use the most functionally efficient stones to crack nuts. We further investigated capuchins' assessment of functionality by testing their ability to select a tool that was appropriate for two different tool‐use tasks: A stone for a hammer task and a stick for an insertion task. To select the appropriate tools, the monkeys investigated a baited tool‐use apparatus (insertion or hammer), traveled to a location in their enclosure where they could no longer see the apparatus, made a selection between two tools (stick or stone), and then could transport the tool back to the apparatus to obtain a walnut. We incorporated tool transport and the lack of a visual cue into the design to assess willingness to transport the tools and the monkeys' memory for the proper tool. Six brown capuchins (Cebus apella) were first trained to select and use the appropriate tool for each apparatus. Four animals completed training and were then tested by allowing them to view a baited apparatus and then travel to a location 8 m distant where they could select a tool while out of view of the apparatus. All four monkeys chose the correct tool significantly more than expected and transported the tools back to the apparatus. Results confirm capuchins' propensity for transporting tools, demonstrate their capacity to select the functionally appropriate tool for two different tool‐use tasks, and indicate that they can retain the memory of the correct choice during a travel time of several seconds.


This dissertation is dedicated to a detailed investigation of the sustainability of water resources in the United Arab Emirates. Due to high water consumption rates, the utilization of thermal methods for water generation, and the insufficient use of desalination and wastewater recycling instruments in the country, the nation faces the threat of water scarcity. This study aimed to investigate the sustainability of water resources in the UAE in detail and offer practical recommendations concerning the ways in which the government could make its water management systems more sustainable. The study used a quantitative research methodology and the research method of a survey to collect a significant amount of quantitative data on the problem under investigation. I will conduct an online survey among 186 experts and in an attempt to explore the specifics of water use and water management in the country and the potential of different instruments to ensure that the nation uses its water resources in a sustainable way. The study collected a significant amount of information about the key problems and challenges related to water management and offered a number of practical recommendations, such as encouraging a shift towards reverse osmosis in water desalination, separation of grey and black wastewater during the process of wastewater recycling, and changes in residents' water consumption patterns. All these recommendations are discussed in detail in the dissertation, which makes its findings valuable both from the practical and from the theoretical perspective.


Circulating immune complexes were detected by the Raji-cell radioassay or the C1q solid-phase assay in 13 of 17 patients with disseminated gonococcal infection. In contrast, only three of 20 patients with local gonococcal infection and four of 40 normal persons were positive. The immune complexes were found to be 19S or larger in size, and complement abnormalities suggestive of complement activation showed some correlation with the levels of immune complexes in disseminated gonorrheal infection. These results indicate that in addition to bacterial dissemination, circulating immune complexes may be involved in the pathogenesis of disseminated gonococcal syndrome.


OBJECTIVE
Presentation of three cats with chronic, idiopathic chylothorax treated with ablation of the cisterna chyli as an additional or a sole surgical treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Results of clinical and diagnostic examination, therapy and course of disease in three cats as well as the surgical technique of ablation of the cisterna chyli in cats are described.

RESULTS
There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications regarding cisterna chyli ablation. Intraoperative visualization of the cisterna chyli is easily achieved by administering a small portion of a fatty aliment preoperatively or by injection of diluted methylene blue into the lymphatic system intraoperatively. Ablation of the cisterna chyli was performed following an unsuccessful ligation of the thoracic duct, in combination with the ligation of the thoracic duct and subtotal pericardectomy or as a single surgical treatment.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Cisterna chyli ablation can be performed without complications in cats. This technique should be considered in cases of previously failed surgical therapy or as an adjunct therapy used with other surgical options to decrease the risk of recurrence.


The status of Scop is based on a participatory employee model and a strong anchoring to local community. This paper seeks to understand how Scop position themselves relative to the field of social entrepreneurship. This work builds on a series of 15 semi-structured interviews conducted with founders and leaders of Scop from the West region of France. The main results of this study highlight the importance given to a long term view of the firm and to the prominence given to employees. It appears that the social entrepreneurship dimension of these companies emerges mainly from internal operations. Thus, our study sheds new light on the concept of "social value" as described by the model of social entrepreneurship (Austin, Stevenson and Wei-Skilern, 2006). Secondly, with regard to their mission and their measure of performance, the Scop does not appear as a homogeneous model of social entrepreneurship but reveals instead three types of profiles : hybrid, social and commercial. Our empirical study of Scop confirms that the concept of social entrepreneurship does not distinguish itself from classical or commercial entrepreneurship in a binary fashion but that instead the two notions are part of a continuum (Peredo and McLean, 2006).


High-index dielectric metasurfaces are rarely reported around 0.1-0.3 THz, as an extremely large etching depth is needed according to the millimeter-scale wavelength. In this work, we propose an easy solution to sub-THz wideband polarization control by utilizing 3D-printed low-index (n~1.5) metagratings. The metagrating with subwavelength lattice is shown as a very efficient half-wave plate (net polarization conversion of 87%) at 0.14 THz but showing noisy spectrum. The design with superwavelength lattice offers a smooth and wide bandwidth for linear polarization rotation. Study of the mechanism shows that the lattice size slightly above wavelength is a better choice for the low-index metadevice as it maintains high efficiency in the zero diffraction order and wide bandwidth due to the small mode dispersion. Such designs offer a feasible solution especially suitable for sub-THz polarization and phase control, complementary to the existing high-index dielectric and metallic metasurfaces.


INTRODUCTION
Endodontic surgery is a valuable option for maintaining patient's natural dentition when previous orthograde endodontic treatments fail to succeed. Proper root-end preparation and placement of a retro-filling material are recommended for successful endodontic surgery. The objective of this experimental study was to compare sealing ability of Resilon/Epiphany system, as a potential root-end filling material, with ProRoot MTA using both dye and bacterial leakage models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Ninety two single-rooted extracted human teeth were decoronated and prepared endodontically. Specimens were randomly divided into four experimental groups (n = 20) and four control groups (n = 3). After removal of apical 3 mm and root-end cavity preparation, MTA, or Resilon were used to fill root end cavities. For bacterial leakage, specimens (20 for each experimental group, 3 negative, and 3 positive controls) were subjected to E. faecalis over a 70-day period. Methylene blue was used for dye leakage (the same in number as before). Using stereomicroscope (40× mag.) complete dye leakage was assessed after 72 h. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed for bacterial leakage. The data was analyzed using t-test and Chi-square analysis (α = 0.05).

RESULTS
All of the positive controls and none of negative controls revealed leakage. Result of log rank test showed no significant difference between MTA and Resilon in time of bacterial leakage at the end of the 70 days (P > 0.05) There was also no statistical difference in complete dye leakage for both groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Leakage occurred in both MTA and Resilon as root-end filling material but the difference was not statistically significant. Resilon might be noticed as a potential root-end filling material if good isolation is attainable.


This paper deals with a new technique utilizing the angular speed of the reaction wheels to determine attitudes and angular rates for gyroless satellites. The suggested algorithm in this study is designed to determine the precise attitude and angular rates under actual space environments by the support of the angular speeds of reaction wheels based on the extended Kalman filter. Furthermore, the proposed approach is also designed to estimate not only the attitude and angular rates of spacecraft but the external disturbances. The numerical simulation was conducted for gyloless spacecraft installed with four reaction wheels of the pyramid-type configuration. The performance of the proposed algorithm is verified by using numerical simulations.


ABSTRACT Islet-brain 1 (IB1) is the human and rat homologue of JIP-1, a scaffold protein interacting with the c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK). IB1 expression is mostly restricted to the endocrine pancreas and to the central nervous system. Herein, we explored the transcriptional mechanism responsible for this preferential islet and neuronal expression of IB1. A 731-bp fragment of the 5′ regulatory region of the human MAPK8IP1 gene was isolated from a human BAC library and cloned upstream of a luciferase reporter gene. This construct drove high transcriptional activity in both insulin-secreting and neuron-like cells but not in unrelated cell lines. Sequence analysis of this promoter region revealed the presence of a neuron-restrictive silencer element (NRSE) known to bind repressor zinc finger protein REST. This factor is not expressed in insulin-secreting and neuron-like cells. By mobility shift assay, we confirmed that REST binds to the NRSE present in the IB1 promoter. Once transiently transfected in β-cell lines, the expression vector encoding REST repressed IB1 transcriptional activity. The introduction of a mutated NRSE in the 5′ regulating region of the IB1 gene abolished the repression activity driven by REST in insulin-secreting β cells and relieved the low transcriptional activity of IB1 observed in unrelated cells. Moreover, transfection in non-β and nonneuronal cell lines of an expression vector encoding REST lacking its transcriptional repression domain relieved IB1 promoter activity. Last, the REST-mediated repression of IB1 could be abolished by trichostatin A, indicating that deacetylase activity is required to allow REST repression. Taken together, these data establish a critical role for REST in the control of the tissue-specific expression of the humanIB1 gene.


Composting is an alternative for recycling biodegradable organic waste, transforming it into organic fertilizer that can be used as agricultural nutrients, avoiding its disposal in landfills. This study evaluated the composting of Jyoti Nivas college hostel kitchen waste using Arka Microbial Consortium, with a view to its applications on Germination percentage, Seed Vigour Index and plant growth parameters of French bean (Arka arjun) and Amaranthus (Arka arunima) seeds. Arka microbial consortium (AMC) is carrier based product which contain nitrogen fixing, potassium and zinc solubilizing plant growth promoting microbes used as decomposers. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions in a randomized block design, with two treatments and three replicates. Assessments of plant growth parameters were performed and results suggest that using Arka Microbial Consortium with bio compost is suitable for better production French bean (Arka arjun) and Amaranthus (Arka arunima) seeds that may increase soil fertility and this integrated approach could be contributed to improve crop production.


Working memory (WM), a fundamental cognitive process facilitating the temporary storage, integration, manipulation, and retrieval of information, plays a vital role in reasoning and decision-making tasks. Robust benchmark datasets that capture the multifaceted nature of WM are crucial for the effective development and evaluation of AI WM models. Here, we introduce a comprehensive Working Memory (WorM) benchmark dataset for this purpose. WorM comprises 10 tasks and a total of 1 million trials, assessing 4 functionalities, 3 domains, and 11 behavioral and neural characteristics of WM. We jointly trained and tested state-of-the-art recurrent neural networks and transformers on all these tasks. We also include human behavioral benchmarks as an upper bound for comparison. Our results suggest that AI models replicate some characteristics of WM in the brain, most notably primacy and recency effects, and neural clusters and correlates specialized for different domains and functionalities of WM. In the experiments, we also reveal some limitations in existing models to approximate human behavior. This dataset serves as a valuable resource for communities in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and AI, offering a standardized framework to compare and enhance WM models, investigate WM's neural underpinnings, and develop WM models with human-like capabilities. Our source code and data are available at https://github.com/ZhangLab-DeepNeuroCogLab/WorM.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

CD326 is one of the first and prominent immunotherapeutic targets in cancer therapy due to its frequent and high-level expression on most carcinomas of various origins. The dominant role of cytotoxic T cells for tumor suppression and surveillance in vivo is well documented in literature. A novel bi-specific antibody AbGn-100 was constructed, in which the antigen-binding domain of an anti- human CD326 antibody was linked to the antigen-binding domain of an anti-human T cell receptor (TCR) ≤ chain antibody. Human serum albumin was incorporated into this construct to prolong the half life in vivo. This bi-specific antibody is able to direct T cells toward CD326-expressing cancer cells to execute T cell cytotoxic function after TCR cross-linking mediated by CD326 expressed on cancer cells while it remains harmless when either T cells or CD326-expressing cancer cells is absent. In vitro cytotoxicity assays with PBMCs from different donors have demonstrated potent (up to 60% above the background) cytotoxicity eliciting activity of AbGn-100 to lung (NCI-H358), ovarian (OMC3) and colorectal (COLO205) cancer cells lines. In the absence of cancer cells, the addition of AbGn-100 didn't trigger the up-regulation of T cell activation markers such as CD25 or CD69, nor did it increase the secretion of cytokines such as IL-2 and Interferon β, demonstrating the safety profile of AbGn-100. In vivo activity of AbGn-100 was tested with established lung (NCI-H358) and ovarian (OMC-3) cancer xenografts in NOD-SCID mice. AbGn-100, in the presence of human PBMC, significantly reduced the size of the established lung and ovarian tumors. Most notably, in some of the mice, tumor was not detectable after 50 days of treatment, suggesting the possibility of tumor eradication. PK studies in mice showed the half-life of AbGn-100 to be around 20 hours, which is substantially longer than conventional single-chain Fv bi-specific antibodies. These data support the potential of further development of AbGn-100 as therapeutics for the treatment of CD326-expressing solid tumors.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3527. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3527


Policies trained in simulation often fail when transferred to the real world due to the 'reality gap' where the simulator is unable to accurately capture the dynamics and visual properties of the real world. Current approaches to tackle this problem, such as domain randomization, require prior knowledge and engineering to determine how much to randomize system parameters in order to learn a policy that is robust to sim-to-real transfer while also not being too conservative. We propose a method for automatically tuning simulator system parameters to match the real world using only raw RGB images of the real world without the need to define rewards or estimate state. Our key insight is to reframe the auto-tuning of parameters as a search problem where we iteratively shift the simulation system parameters to approach the real world system parameters. We propose a Search Param Model (SPM) that, given a sequence of observations and actions and a set of system parameters, predicts whether the given parameters are higher or lower than the true parameters used to generate the observations. We evaluate our method on multiple robotic control tasks in both sim-to-sim and sim-to-real transfer, demonstrating significant improvement over naive domain randomization. Project videos at https://yuqingd.github.io/autotuned-sim2real/.


Preliminary results of an optical-fiber distributed temperature sensor using neodymium as the active fiber dopant have been reported. An investigation has been made of fibers doped with the rare earths neodymium, erbium, praseodymium, and holmium which were fabricated using the method previously reported. Silica fiber doped with holmium has an order of magnitude greater temperature sensitivity than the other rare earths. The sensitivity of the absorption to temperature is thought to be due to a satellite band on the long-wavelength side of the main absorption bands, as shown in the attenuation plots in Fig 1. Thermal population at this energy level causes the attenuation to increase rapidly with temperature.


The essay introduces the articles of the dossier School textbooks and teachers training between past and present. The dossier aims to contribute to the establishment in the field of textbook of that bond between research and training which for some time has been present for other historical sources. The focus is on the role of school textbooks not only as a source for researchers, but also as an instrument for the training of the new generations of teachers.


Abstract Background: The birth of a child with disorders of sex development (DSDs) is considered a medical and psychosocial emergency. Management of these cases requires facilities and a multidisciplinary team. In developing countries, this is made difficult by the lack of facilities in addition to sociocultural and religious factors that can affect management. This is the first experience to be published from Sudan. Objective: The aim of this study was to see the prevalence, etiological factors, management, and problems faced in handling these cases. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study reviewing the records of all cases referred to a pediatric endocrinology clinic over a 5-year period. Cases were managed by a multidisciplinary team. Results: One hundred fifty-six cases were seen, of which 122 were included in the study. A total of 79 (64.8%) were born at home, whereas 59 (52.2%) of the cases were not observed at birth by health-care providers. The average cost of investigating a case was $250–300. The investigations showed that 69 had XX DSD and 45 had XY DSD. The most common cause of XX DSD was congenital adrenal hyperplasia and that of XY DSD was androgen insensitivity syndrome. Twenty-three (19%) needed sex reassignment. There was a preference for the male sex. Conclusion: DSDs are not uncommon in Sudan. Because of lack of awareness and sociocultural reasons cases are referred late. Investigating these cases is expensive and has to be supported, and more multidisciplinary teams have to be trained to make services accessible and affordable.


The effects of chlorite bleaching on the properties of cellulose derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber were investigated in this work. Cellulose was extracted from oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber via chlorite bleaching, alkali treatment, and acid hydrolysis. Cellulose was extracted by varying the bleaching duration, which corresponded to 4, 8, or 12 h. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed that the lignin and hemicellulose were significant removed after the bleaching process, whereas no spectral differences were observed in the samples with the increase of bleaching durations. The main removal of the lignin and hemicellulose components had occurred during the bleaching process. There was only slight additional removal of lignin and hemicellulose during the further extraction process with alkali and acid hydrolysis. The peaks at 1740 cm-1 and 1246 cm-1 which represent hemicellulose and lignin, respectively, were not present in the final extracted cellulose.The cellulose yield contents did not increase with the increasing of bleaching duration from 4 h to 12 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the crystallinity and the 200 peak of OPEFB had increased after the bleaching process. Analysis of the visible light transmittance of cellulose, after a bleaching duration of 12 h, demonstrated the highest transmittance due to the disintegration of the fibers. By increasing the bleaching duration, the temperature at 50% weight loss of OPEFB increased, suggesting that the thermal stability of cellulose had improved.


This paper introduces a new Kalman filter-based method for detecting sensor faults in linear dynamic systems. In contrast with existing sequential fault-detection algorithms, the proposed method enables direct evaluation of the integrity risk, which is the probability that an undetected fault causes state estimate errors to exceed predefined bounds of acceptability. The new method is also computationally efficient and straightforward to implement. The algorithm's detection test statistic is established in three steps. First, the weighted norms of current and past-time Kalman filter residuals are defined as generalized non-centrally chisquare distributed random variables. Second, these residuals are proved to be stochastically independent from the state estimate error. Third, current-time and past-time residuals are shown to be mutually independent, so that the Kalman filter-based test statistic can be recursively updated in real time by simply adding the current-time residual contribution to a previously computed weighted norm of past-time residuals. The Kalman filter-based integrity monitor is evaluated against worst-case fault profiles, which are also derived in this paper. Finally, performance analyses results are presented for an example application of aircraft precision approach navigation, where differential ranging signals from a multiconstellation satellite navigation system are filtered for positioning and carrier phase cycle ambiguity estimation.


The discovery that the Galactic centre emits flares at various wavelengths represents a puzzle concerning their origin, but at the same time it is a relevant opportunity to investigate the environment of the nearest super‐massive black hole. In this paper we shall review some of our recent results concerning the tidal evolution of the orbits of low mass satellites around black holes, and the tidal effect during their in‐fall. We show that tidal interaction can offer an explanation for transient phenomena like near infra‐red and X‐ray flares from Sgr A*.


An apparatus, method and computer program, the apparatus including a loudspeaker configured to convert an electrical input signal into an acoustic output signal; a connecting portion configured to interchangeably connect to either a first adapter or a second adapter where the first adapter is configured to fit in a user's ear canal and the second adapter is configured to fit to a user's concha; and a regulator for regulating sound pressure level created by the acoustic output signal at an ear drum of the user in dependence on whether the first adapter or the second adapter is connected to the connecting portion.


The present study details a social contextual analysis of 172 rapes and attempted rapes that occurred in a large metropolitan area in the UK. The main focus of the present study concerns the demographic characteristics of rape victims and offenders, including their age and ethnicity, vis-à-vis their relationship. The study also considers the geographic distribution of offences and their relationship to ethnicity and socio-economic status. Our data clearly indicate that the age of offenders is significantly associated with the nature of the victim–offender relationship, and that rape tends to be intra-racial. The data also provide unique comparisons to be made with contextual data on rapes in rural settings. The implications of these findings for the prevention and deterrence of rape, the recording of rape by the police, and the impact of such findings on public education are considered.


In 2015 the European Union (EU) was confronted by the biggest inflow of refugees since World War II.
This event triggered an intense debate on a European level. The main point for political discourse was in
particular the uneven distribution of refugees among Member States (MSs). This disproportionate share
of the costs and burdens reopened the discussion on burden sharing measures. Such measures have been
considered by scholars and some MSs as an effective measure to deal with the refugee crisis. Therefore,
this paper will analyze in what ways the parliamentary debates on burden sharing have developed in the
light of the refugee crisis in Germany and in the United Kingdom in 2015. For this purpose, a qualitative
content analysis will be conducted in order to reconstruct the parliamentary debates on this topic during
the refugee crisis. All legislative speeches on this matter which have been made in 2015 will be analysed
based on a coding scheme. At first, this thesis will reveal the government's perspective on burden sharing
measures. Since national interests and concerns vary widely from country to country, this part will not
only uncover the perceptions and opinions regarding burden sharing measures, but it will also provide
explanations of their point of view. Furthermore, this thesis provides a broad picture on the government's
perspective on burden sharing by revealing insights about how burden sharing in the light of the refugee
crisis should be acquired. This thesis will demonstrate that finding a compromise on reactive measures is
as expected, rather complicated. However, this thesis will show that a consensus on securing European
borders and proactive measures as a way to share the burden caused by the refugee crisis can be found.
These findings can be considered as a good starting point in finding a compromise on how to deal with
refugees on a European level.


Platelets have a very close relationship with the liver, the source of thrombopoietin. Thrombocytopenia is common in patients with acute liver injuries such as acute liver failure, acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B, and acute-on-chronic liver failure. And patients' platelet count often improves once the acute liver injury is resolved. The degree of thrombocytopenia also parallels the extent of chronic hepatic injury. Many studies have shown that platelet count is one of the factors that reflect the degree of liver fibrosis or the severity of liver cirrhosis. Among the patients with decompensated cirrhosis, the post-transplant platelet count starts to exceed the baseline level about three weeks after liver transplantation. The several mechanisms of thrombocytopenia among patients with liver diseases have been well reviewed elsewhere. Platelets are produced in the bone marrow in response to thrombopoietin, a glycoprotein produced mainly in the liver. Production of thrombopoietin is reduced in both acute and chronic liver injuries. Hypersplenism, a result of portal hypertension, leads to increased splenic platelet sequestration. In addition, hepatitis C virus may directly cause bone marrow suppression and immune-mediated platelet destruction.


Background and purpose The Norwegian Hip Fracture Register was established in January 2005 to collect nationwide information as a basis for improved management of patients with hip fractures. We now report our experience after the first 2 years. Methods After both primary operations and reoperations, the surgeons fill in a standardized 1-page form with information about the patient, the fracture, and the operation. Fractures treated with a total hip arthroplasty are reported to the national arthroplasty register, but are added to the hip fracture register before analyses are performed. 4, 12, and 36 months postoperatively, a standardized questionnaire including health-related quality of life (EQ-5D), visual analog scales concerning pain and patient satisfaction, and Charnley class for functional assessment is sent directly from the register to the patients. To evaluate the completeness of registration, our data were compared with data from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR). Results During the first year of registration, all 55 hospitals treating hip fractures in Norway started to report their hip fracture operations. During 2005, the monthly reporting increased and it stabilized in 2006. 13,251 primary-operated hips (mean age of patients: 80 years; 72% females) and 2,325 reoperations were reported during 2005 and 2006. Compared to the NPR, the completeness of registration was 64% in 2005 and 79% in 2006. 58% of the patients who were alive answered the 4-month questionnaire. The non-responders were older, were more often cognitively impaired, and had a higher degree of comorbidity than the responders. Undisplaced femoral neck fractures (19% of all fractures) were almost exclusively operated with screw osteosynthesis (95%). Dislocated femoral neck fractures (38% of all fractures) were operated with a hemiarthroplasty in 52% of the cases. Osteosynthesis with a hip compression screw was the predominant operation method for trochanteric fractures (81%). Interpretation After only 2 years, our nationwide system for surveillance of demographics, treatment, and outcome of hip fractures is functioning well. As expected, the response rate for the 4-month questionnaires was relatively low due to the old population with high comorbidity and cognitive impairment. The different treatment methods used for patients in the same groups of fracture types show that there is still no consensus in Norway regarding the treatment of hip fractures.


In this chapter the author seeks to place the current state of the art in synthetic technologies into a historical context. The challenges remaining to synthetic chemists in order to fully explore chemical space are outlined. Finally, emerging approaches to these challenges are reviewed from the cutting edge areas of template-guided systems and knowledge-based iterative approaches including dynamic combinatorial chemistry, click chemistry, siRNA, directed assembly using DNA and iterative microfluidic approaches.


Care-giver 'alcohol abuse' is identified as involved in a significant proportion of child maltreatment cases internationally. This study examines how care-giver 'alcohol abuse' is related to increasing intensity of child protective intervention in a large Australian database. Predictors of child protection outcomes were examined in 38,487 Victorian state Child Protection Services (CPS) cases substantiated between 2001 and 2005. 'Likely alcohol abuse' was identified in 33 per cent of substantiations, 36 per cent of protective interventions and 42 per cent of court orders. Likely alcohol abuse was a significant predictor of more intensive official responses--protective interventions and court orders--after adjusting for 'other drug abuse' and other socio-demographic factors. Supporting multi-factorial theories of alcohol's involvement in child abuse, likely alcohol abuse was one of several risk factors that remained significant in multivariable prediction of more serious child protection outcomes. Language: en


The Western Highland Rim in central Tennessee is the upland physiographic province between the Central Basin on the east and the Mississippi Embayment on the west. In this area, there is close similarity in the configuration of the upland, the structure of the base of the Cretaceous, and the erosional levels of graded streams. Two alternative causal connections are likely: either (1) more recent steep-sided valleys are incised in old wide gentle valleys cut before Middle Cretaceous time by the same streams; or (2) the stream-flow system extends its erosional influence beneath the rim, and the inward-sloping surface of the old upland (capped by Cretaceous outliers) sags toward the incised streams because of ground-water sapping. The author prefers the second explanation. An unlikely third possibility is that streams flow in synclines folded after development of the upland. In order to compare upland levels, bottom land levels, and Cretaceous structure (each having a different density of basic information), the writer used the envelope and subenvelope, which are arbitrarily generalized reproducible contour maps. The envelope (a device already in widespread informal use by geomorphologists) is a surface over the topography that graphically "fills in" valleys and sags. It limits topography on the high side and is regarded herein as an attempt to restore the topography to an hypothetical earlier stage before the valleys were incised. The subenvelope (newly devised for this paper) is a surface passing beneath the land surface, graphically "tearing away" hills. It limits topography on the low side and may be regarded in this case as an attempt to predict topography that may develop if the stream system continues a long time at its present grade. Parallelism of contours developed by these techniques is consistent with either ground-water sapping or a rejuvenated stream cycle. The length of time (about 70 m.y.) elapsed since the development of the upland, however, seems excessive for the supposedly new stream peneplain to be so little developed, and a stream-developed-peneplain origin for the relatively level Highland Rim surface is doubtful.


alpha-Defensins are antimicrobial peptides with 29-35 amino acid residues and cysteine-stabilized amphiphilic, triple-stranded beta-sheet structures. We used high-precision differential scanning microcalorimetry to investigate the effects of a human neutrophil alpha-defensin, HNP-2, on the phase behavior of model membranes mimicking bacterial and erythrocyte cell membranes. In the presence of this positively charged peptide, the phase behavior of liposomes containing negatively charged phosphatidylglycerol was markedly altered even at a high lipid-to-peptide molar ratio of 500:1. Addition of HNP-2 to liposomes mimicking bacterial membranes (mixtures of dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol and -ethanolamine) resulted in phase separation owing to some domains being peptide-poor and others peptide-rich. The latter are characterized by an increase of the main transition temperature, most likely arising from electric shielding of the phospholipid headgroups by the peptide. On the other hand, HNP-2 did not affect the phase behavior of membranes mimicking erythrocyte membranes (equimolar mixtures of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin) as well as the pure single components. This is in contrast to melittin, which significantly affected the phase behavior of choline phospholipids in accordance with its unspecific lytic activity. These results support the hypothesis of preferential interaction of defensins with negatively charged membrane cell surfaces, a common feature of bacterial cell membranes, and demonstrate that HNP-2 discriminates between model membrane systems mimicking prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell membranes.


The Adenovirus DNA binding protein (DBP) imposes a regular, rigid and extended conformation on single stranded DNA (ssDNA) and removes secondary structure. Here we show that DBP promotes renaturation of complementary single DNA strands. Enhancement of intermolecular renaturation is sequence independent, can be observed over a broad range of ionic conditions and occurs only when the DNA strands are completely covered with DBP. When one strand of DNA is covered with DBP and its complementary strand with T4 gene 32 protein, renaturation is still enhanced compared to protein-free DNA, indicating that the structures of both protein-DNA complexes are compatible for renaturation. In contrast to promoting intermolecular renaturation, DBP strongly inhibits intramolecular renaturation required for the formation of a panhandle from an ssDNA molecule with an inverted terminal repeat. We explain this by the rigidity of an ssDNA-DBP complex. These results will be discussed in view of the crystal structure of DBP that has recently been determined.


.. Objectives: The aim behind this study was to determine the frequency of Celiac disease in patients presenting with Iron deficiency anemia at tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional hospital based study. Setting: Non-probability consecutive sampling technique in a department of medicine at Medical Unit II, People's Medical University, Shaheed Benazeerabad. Period: Six months from 26th October 2014 to 25th April 2015. Patients and Methods: A standard sample bottle was used to collect the blood sample from the peripheral vein followed by testing for Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) and anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA). On these patients upper GI endoscopy for jejunal biopsy was done by an expert having an experience of >5 years in relevant field. Data regarding Hemoglobin, anti tTG antibodies, anti Endomysial antibodies and diagnosis of celiac disease (outcome variable) were collected. Data were entered and analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0. Results: Out of total 77 patients, the mean age and SD of age and hemoglobin levels were 37.65±11.26 years and 8.81±1.23 g/dl, respectively. Celiac disease (CD) Positive finding was observed in 27.27% cases by anti-tTG antibodies and in 16.88% cases by anti-endomysial antibodies. Prevalenc Frequency of celiac disease in patients presenting with iron deficiency anemia was observed in Around 12.99% (10/77) of the cases who had underlying iron deficiency anemia were observed to have concomitant. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of Celiac disease in patients presenting with Iron deficiency anemia. Early deduction and prompt treatment should be necessary for this disease. Screening of celiac disease by anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody should be done as a routine investigation in patient with iron-deficiency anemia.


Neoatherosclerosis is an unsolved problem with Drug-Eluting Stent (DES) and is the results of atherosclerosis progression; however, the contribution of stent itself to the process has not been clarified, especially among the second-generation DES. We found an interesting case in which neoatherosclerosis was formed only in the area very close to the stent struts suggesting that stent itself may play an important role for the formation of neoatherosclerosis still in the second-generation DES.


Multiquantum vortices in dilute atomic Bose-Einstein condensates confined in long cigar-shaped traps are known to be both energetically and dynamically unstable. They tend to split into single-quantum vortices even in the ultralow temperature limit with vanishingly weak dissipation, which has also been confirmed in the recent experiments [Y. Shin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 160406 (2004)] utilizing the so-called topological phase engineering method to create multiquantum vortices. We study the stability properties of multiquantum vortices in different trap geometries by solving the Bogoliubov excitation spectra for such states. We find that there are regions in the trap asymmetry and condensate interaction strength plane in which the splitting instability of multiquantum vortices is suppressed, and hence they are dynamically stable. For example, the doubly quantized vortex can be made dynamically stable even in spherical traps within a wide range of interaction strength values. We expect that this suppression of vortex-splitting instability can be experimentally verified.


: The soluble acid invertase (SAI) and cell wall-bound invertase (CWI) were purified from apple fruit to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity. Based on sequencing, substrate specificity, and immunoblotting assay, the purified enzymes were identified to be two isoforms of acid invertase (β-fructosidase; EC 3.2.1. 26). The SAI and CWI have the same apparent molecular mass with a holoenzyme of molecular mass of 220 kDa composed of 50 kDa subunits. The SAI has a lower Km value for sucrose and higher Km for raffinose compared with CWI. These acid invertases differ from those in other plants in some of their biochemical properties, such as the extremely high Km value for raffinose, no hydrolytic activity for stachyose, and a mixed form of inhibition by fructose to their activity. The antibodies directed against the SAI and CWI recognized, from the crude extract, three polypeptides with a molecular mass of 50, 68, and 30 kDa, respectively. These results provide a substantial basis for the further studies of the acid invertases in apple fruit.

( Managing editor: Ping HE)


We present the results of an integral field spectroscopy survey of a sample of dusty (ultra) luminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs) at 2 < z < 2.5 using KMOS on the Very Large Telescope. The sample has been drawn from Herschel deep field surveys and benefits from ancillary multiwavelength data. Our goal is to investigate the physical characteristics, kinematics, and the drivers of star formation in the galaxies whose contribution dominates the peak of the cosmic star formation density. Two-thirds of the sample are main-sequence galaxies in contrast to the starburst nature of local U/LIRGs. Our kinematic study, unique in its focus on z ∼ 2 dusty star-forming galaxies, uses the H α emission line to find that ∼ 40 per cent appear to be isolated discs based on the ratio of rotational velocity to the velocity dispersion, suggesting steady-state mechanisms are sufficient to power the large star formation rates (SFRs). The ratio of obscured to unobscured star formation indicates the sample of galaxies experiences less dust obscuration compared to intermediate and local counterparts, while also hosting cooler dust than local U/LIRGs. In addition to H α we detect [N II ] 6583 Å in our targets and show the gas-phase metallicities do not exhibit the metal deficiency of local U/LIRGs. These results indicate that, despite their extreme IR luminosity, the underlying mechanisms driving the massive SFRs found at cosmic noon are due to scaled up disc galaxies as opposed to mergers.


Whistleblowing cases have continued to increase in number in recent years as state and federal legislatures have added protections for employees who disclose illegal or wrongful activity by their employers. But even as the number of cases continues to climb, cohesive and coherent doctrines applicable in whistleblowing litigation have failed to emerge. A significant reason for this is that much of whistleblower protection is statutory in nature, and federal statutes vary greatly from state statutes, even as state statutes differ. A second reason is that courts have drawn upon doctrines developed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in deciding whistleblowing cases, and Supreme Court decisions as well as statutory amendments have frequently altered legal standards in these cases. And a third reason is that there are overlapping common law and statutory protections, which result in the potential for different whistleblowing doctrines to develop, even within a single state. Causation is one of the elements of a whistleblowing case where this doctrinal confusion proliferates. While federal statutory standards appear to be coalescing around requiring the plain-tiff to prove that the employee's whistleblowing was a contributing factor in causing the employee to be fired, the same cannot be said for claims brought under state law. Causation standards in state whistleblower cases encompass a wide array of options, ranging from the stringent standard of requiring that the employee establish that his or her whistleblowing was the sole cause of retaliation, to the more lenient standard of requiring that the employee prove that the whistleblowing was a motivating factor of the employer's retaliation.At the same time, as my earlier work illustrates, inability to prove causation is one of the more common reasons that whistle-blowers fail to prevail in litigation. This article attempts to bring coherence to the confusion of state whistleblower causation standards by: (1) explaining the causation standards presently used in federal whistleblower protection statutes; (2) identifying the proliferating causation standards used in whistleblower claims brought under state law; (3) assessing the most commonly used causation standards, including exploring the tort causation doctrine and theory that underlie some of these standards; and (4) proposing a uniform standard for causation in state whistle-blower litigation.


Optimal regulation of hyperbolic systems in the presence of unknown disturbances is considered. Necessary conditions for determining the optimal control that tracks a desired trajectory in the presence of the worst possible perturbations are developed. The results also characterize the worst possible disturbance that the system will be able to tolerate before any degradation of the system performance. Numerical results on the control of a vibrating beam are presented.


Five years ago the first theoretical works on industry clusters in regional development appeared in the Czech academic papers and conference proceedings. The research in this field, which was initiated at the Faculty of Economics at VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, was followed by other university research centres. The programme Klastry (clusters) announced by CzechInvest, the governmental agency for enterprise and FDI support in the Czech Republic, and financed by EU Structural funds in the period 2004-2006 opened a huge national-wide clustering movement. Several tens of cluster initiatives have been established in all regions by now and the idea of industry clusters has developed into the phase of implementation. This paper reviews and summarizes developments of cluster policies in the Czech Republic at both national and regional levels and presents achievements and a role of clusters in the transformation of traditional industrial region of Moravia and Silesia.


This paper presents a new evaluation model for the general evaluation problem of the critical strategy which can facilitate a successful enterprise resource planning systems implementation for achieving both global goals of an organization and local objectives of its business units. Based on a cascaded balanced scorecard (BSC) framework, the evaluation model effectively enables the goal alignment across the organizational hierarchy. A linguistic rating method is used to make subjective assessments across the four perspectives of BSC at both the business unit and organization levels. A new algorithm using the concept of multiattribute decision making is developed to obtain an overall contribution rate for each critical strategy. The overall contribution rate of a critical strategy indicates the degree to which the strategy implemented at each business unit contribute to the overall achievement of the organization's global strategic goals, relative to other critical strategies. Effective planning and management of critical strategies can be facilitated by analyzing and aggregating the overall contribution rate of critical strategies from the aspects of the whole organization, BSC perspectives, and individual business units respectively. An empirical study is conducted to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the evaluation model and the algorithm.


The United Nations is the biggest international organization in the history of the cooperation growth for many international living sector to all nations in this world. In the international people association, states often get difference of interest so that it can cause a dispute or conflict of state. The existence of the United Nations can take effective in solving international disputes that occur among all nations including in solving the state jurisdiction dispute in the state immunity case between Germany and Italy. The United Nations has the International Court of Justice as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. International Court of Justice has the competence of the court and legal binding in settle the international disputes based on the United Nations principle. The United Nations has the function through the International Court of Justice in solving the state immunity case between Germany and Italy. The method used in this research is library research data collection. The competence of the International Court of Justice based on the agreement of the state. The legal binding of the International Court of Justice Judgement in deciding international disputes only bind to the parties in case. In addition, the International Court of Justice still effort to settle the case of state immunity between Germany and Italy in peace through the system of Judicial


The reservoir of the 1st block of Tahe Oilfield is one with a complicated fault system and edge-bottom water in the lower section of the lower oil formation. At present, the main problem is the breakthrough water in production wells. Water volume is increased too fast with over -declined oil volume. Production fluid lateral section of the horizontal wells sees abnormal features. The overall production level of reservoirs declines. The treatment is difficult to find in the high water stage, and it is not very effective to block water. All above factors pose a serious threat to reservoirs. Therefore, it is necessary to study geologic characteristics of edge -bottom water reservoirs with a 3D geologic model. Petrel software is used for the 3D geologic modeling of this block, with a full use of data related to drilling, seismic conditions, well log and stratigraphic correlation as well as interbed's explanation and poroperm curve. Among various stochastic models, a 3D geologic model is chosen, which is close to the actual geological conditions. The type, thickness and distribution of interbed are identified in 3D. It is concluded that the reservoir of the 1st block of Tahe Oilfield is controlled by fault and interbed, which may serve as a geological basis for further studies of water invasion patterns.


A blinded, prospective, randomized crossover study was performed to determine the effects of ampicillin Na/sulbactam Na and enrofloxacin on the blood pressure (BP) of healthy anesthetized dogs. Eight dogs were anesthetized three different times. They randomly received enrofloxacin, ampicillin Na/sulbactam Na, and saline. Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial BPs (SAP, DAP, and MAP, respectively), heart rate (HR), O2 saturation of hemoglobin, end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) concentration, inspired isoflurane concentration, end-tidal isoflurane (ETiso) concentration, respiratory rate, electrocardiogram, and body temperature were measured for 20 min prior to administration of treatment, during administration over 30 min, and for 30 min after administration. There was no significant difference in the SAP or ETiso. There was no significant change in the arterial pressure values over time in the enrofloxacin and ampicillin Na/sulbactam Na groups. The control group's MAP increased over time and was increased compared with the enrofloxacin group at times 25, 35, 45, and 55. The statistical difference between the enrofloxacin and the control groups was due to an increase in the MAP in the control group, not a decrease in the enrofloxacin group's BP. Neither enrofloxacin nor ampicillin Na/sulbactam Na caused hypotension in healthy dogs anesthetized with isoflurane and fentanyl.


The authors present a T4 tumor situated on the left side of the upper jaw and showing an extraordinary development. It was a partially keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma which broke into the middle base of the skull and penetrated into the brain. By combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy, partly with 60Co gamma radiation, partly with photon and electron beams, a surgical treatment of the extensive primary tumor became possible. The formation of metastases within the lymph nodes of the neck was treated by preliminary irradiation and neck dissection. Two years after this combination therapy, the patient is still alive and does not present any symptoms.


In the health economics literature, many studies have assessed the association between environmental degradation and health outcomes. This paper extends this literature by investigating how the presence of air pollution might explain health inequalities both between and within developing countries. We argue that differential exposure to air pollution between asset classes, differential ability to prevent the negative health effects of environment degradation, differential capacity to respond to disease caused by pollutants, and particular susceptibility of some groups to the effects of air pollution are all sufficient reasons for explaining a positive link between air pollution and asset-related health inequality. Using data from developing countries, our econometric results show that sulphur dioxide emissions (SO2) and particulate matter (PM10) partly explain the large disparities in infant and child mortalities between and within developing countries. In addition, we found that the institutions that are based on democratic principles, and which have low levels of corruption and high quality bureaucracy, are the most effective. That is, they are more responsive to the needs of the poor, they promote access to justice and public administration, and they deliver basic services to those most in need. As a result, they are able to more effectively mitigate the mortality effect of pollution for the poorest asset classes compared with that of the richest ones and thus reduce the health inequality it provokes.