The purpose of this study was to determine whether Severance Hospice Home Care Program was able to meet its objectives. This was done in order to show in detail the effects of hospice home care on the quality of life of terminally ill patients and to provide rationale for setting up more hospice home care programs in korea. The results of the study were as follows: The subjects of the study were 100 terminally ill patients who had died while in the hospice program and 64 family members who were registered with Severance Hospice Home Care Program between march 1988 and Feb. 1990. The nursing needs of these terminally ill patients were assessed by the nursing records of these patients. The need for pain control (82%) was the highest nursing need so far as the physical aspects were concerned. This was followed by poor appetite (37%), 8 dyspnea (34%), nausea and vomiting (30%) in that order of frequency. In regard to spiritual needs, the need for religious support was also high at 72%. Their main psychological symptoms were anxiety and fear (34%). Burn-out was a major problem for 44% of the family members. The psychological process experienced by the terminal ill patients was compared to the dying process, described by Kübler Ross. In comparison of the five stages outlined by kubler Ross with the dying process of the subjects it was found that the subjects not only experienced the five stages but also experienced denial and doubtfulness or denial with acceptance or acceptance with the expectation of a miracle. But rather than acceptance of the dying process, giving up was a frequent end point of the psychological process, of the subjects. However, when the combination of states was observed, most of the patients reached the state of acceptance in the dying process. It was difficult to identify a definite pattern of change in the psychological process of the subjects. Also it was difficult to identify the factors that influenced the psychological process. The symptoms of the terminally ill subjects just before dying, that is, 3-4 days before dying included apparent signs of dying. These were a reduction of intake (77%), reduction of the amount of urination (63%), increase in sleeping time (64%) and acceptance of dying by patients and their families who had been unaccepting before that time (66%). The primary care givers (family member's) degree of satisfaction with the care given to the patient by the hospice was 88.7%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


This review highlights some of the unusual physiological features of pregnancy in equids. These include the relatively prolonged sojourn of the zygote in the mare's oviduct and the requirement for embryonic synthesis and release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) to stimulate oviducal relaxation and contractility for onward embryonic passage into the uterus. The conceptus remains spherical due to persistence of its glycoprotein blastocyst capsule, and it must move continually throughout the uterine horn between Days 6 and 17 (Day 0 = ovulation) in order to release its, as yet unidentified, maternal recognition of pregnancy signal onto a sufficient area of endometrium to suppress the normal cyclical release of endometrial prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and thereby establish luteostasis and the pregnancy state. The trophoblast of the developing chorion differentiates into invasive and non-invasive components between Days 25 and 35. The former invades the maternal endometrium to form the shortlived endometrial cups, the hormonal product of which, eCG, supports progesterone production by stimulating the development of accessory corpora lutea. The noninvasive trophoblast develops an increasingly complex interdigitation with the luminal epithelium of the endometrium to form the diffuse epitheliochorialchorioallantoic placenta that provides haemotrophic sustenance for the fetus until term. The placenta also synthesizes appreciable quantities of steroid hormones utilizing fetal gonad sources of C-19 androgens for aromatization to estrogens and a combination of maternal and fetal adrenal gland sources of pregnenelone for conversion to 5α-dihydroprogesterone and other 5α-reduced progestagens.


Utilization of the computer for radiation control is planned and performed in many radioisotope laboratories. But each laboratory has their own situation which makes the planning difficult with respect to the hardware and particularly to the software. What is the most important is that the practice of radiation management is different for each laboratory both in point of view and in the form of recording. Therefore, the computer program for the radiation management, especially for the management of radioisotopes is required to meet many amendments. In this standpoint, we have developed a "programless language" or "programless software" and have used in our work for several years. As the result of our experience, we have found that the programless language is quite satisfactory for the management of radioisotopes and that it has an advantage in some aspects over conventional programs. It is thought that this "programless language" is effective not only for our own works, but also applicable to other radioisotope laboratories.


Abstract Cell culture studies of enterocytes are important in many fields. However, there are difficulties in obtaining cell lines from adult human intestine, such as microbial contamination of cultures from the tissue samples, short life span of enterocytes, overgrowth of mesenchymal cells, etc. Various model used to obtain adult intestinal cell lines are very complex requiring use of feeder layer or gel matrices. The aim of this study was to establish a novel method for the simple and reproducible isolation of human enterocytes. Enterocytes were isolated from SI samples (n = 5) obtained from cadaveric donors using a mechanical procedure, and separation with immunomagnetic beads coated with anti-EpCAM antibodies. Light and electron microscopy, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry techniques were used to characterize the isolated cells. Immunohistochemical staining of normal SB biopsies confirmed that the cell cultures maintained an in vivo phenotype as reflected in cytokeratin expression CK18, CK20 and expression of intestine-specific markers such as sucrase isomaltase and maltase glucoamylase. Furthermore, the cells strongly expressed TLR-5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 and several molecules such as CD40, CD86, CD44, ICAM-1 and HLA-DR which are important in triggering cell-mediated immune responses. This novel technique provides a unique in vitro system to study the biology of enterocytes in normal conditions as well as to study inflammatory processes in various small bowel disorders.


Abstract The present paper attempts to accomplish the following: (1) to clarify and critically discuss the phenomenology of "belief" as we find it in Husserl's Ideas Pertaining to a Pure Phenomenology and to a Phenomenological Philosophy, First Book (1913) (henceforward, Ideas I); (2) to clarify and critically discuss the manner in which the phenomenological method treats beliefs; (3) to clarify and critically discuss the manner of belief justification as described by the phenomenological method; and (4) to argue that, just as the phenomenological method can be used to validate scientific hypotheses, it can likewise be practised in our everyday worldly comportment to justify our everyday, commonsense beliefs. The paper proceeds from the idea that the phenomenological method is not the static descriptive method some make it out to be, but, rather, a living method at the service of life. The author begins with some preliminary remarks about Husserl's concerns with unfounded or presupposed beliefs and their necessary "suspension" as dictated by the phenomenological reduction and epoche ("the method"). He then engages the text of Ideas I, especially sections 101 to 106, where Husserl presents a phenomenological conception of the character of belief. The paper concludes by treating the nature of belief justification, or "rational positing", and puts forward the view that the phenomenological method in everyday practice can aid us in the realization of responsible epistemic conduct and, ultimately, lead toward responsible conduct towards ourselves and, hence, authentic being.


Flooding is one of the most fundamental approaches to deliver information that is likely to be of interest to surrounding mobile nodes in mobile ad hoc networks. A number of research groups have proposed flooding protocols on purpose to reduce the redundant retransmissions from neighboring nodes. In those approaches, unnecessary transmissions are not minimized in an area where no nodes are interested in the information. In this paper, we propose a flooding method that suppresses transmissions of information to unnecessary nodes in mobile ad hoc networks with some fixed nodes. In the proposed method, when a mobile node passes near the source node of the received information, it sends an acknowledgement (ACK) including the addresses of fixed nodes that relayed the information. Then, the source node attaches those addresses to the information in later transmissions, and the fixed nodes whose addresses are specified in the information expand the flooding area. By doing so, the source node can effectively deliver the information to mobile nodes which are likely to pass near the source node. We confirmed the effectiveness of our proposed method through some simulations.


This dissertation approaches the construal of attributed meanings in the dissemination of science in the British press by analysing the resources used by journalists to integrate in their narrations of scientific findings what other sources have said. Attribution in scientific, academic and media discourse has been previously described from an interpersonal viewpoint through the analysis of evaluation and appraisal. In addition, research has also addressed how experiential elements such as the source, the process (verbal and/or mental), and the structure (direct speech or indirect report) contribute independently to the construal of attribution. However, the approach followed in this dissertation attempts to provide a more comprehensive description of how attribution is construed experientially. The assumption made is that in polyphonic texts it is possible to analyse attribution comprehensively, by identifying to whom we can attribute each idea which is quoted, or reported, or narrated in the text. For this purpose, an analytical unit ('unit of voice') has been defined and studied, which distinguishes between external sources of attribution ('attribution') and the journalist's voice ('averral'). The aim in this dissertation is to explore how the experiential elements construing attribution co-occur in each unit of voice and contribute to the journalist's interaction with his/her readers as well as to his/her epistemological positioning with respect to the attributed information.
In order to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data, a corpus consisting of 180 popularizations has been compiled and 1,625 units of voice have been identified from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics. In addition, an annotation scheme for the comprehensive analysis of the three crucial components (processes, participants and logico-dependent relations) of the units of voice has been proposed. Results point to the fact that the texts in the corpus show a high degree of polyphony, due to the fact that in the 1,625 units of voice, the cases of attributed information almost double the cases of information averred. When taking the analysed features of attribution in isolation, results suggest that attribution is construed in these texts mainly through a balance between reporting and quoting, through neutral projecting processes, and through Human participants. These results correspond to traditional expectations pointing to the objectivity of the journalists in science dissemination, and seem to suggest that the journalist represents his/her mediation role from an invisible or almost invisible position. However, the analysis has also revealed that, within the unit of voice, the often complex intertwining of attribution and averral shows sometimes an ambiguous blurring between the voice of the journalist and the voice of the external source of attribution, which seems to suggest that the journalist also positions him/herself as literally aligned with the external source, by making both voices literally undistinguishable. In addition, the processes used by the journalist for projecting what others have said are varied, also including stance processes which the journalist uses to construe his mediating role in a more visible way, not really showing his/her personal views or opinions on the narrated information, but rather contextualising and interpreting its significance for readers, which is consistent with the pedagogic function expected from these texts.
Results of the projection clusters considered show that journalist tend to construe the sources of attribution by labelling them either by their proper name or by their professional role when quoting them, whereas when reporting what they have said journalists show a much higher preference (up to one third of the total) to refer to material sources (e.g. the report, the study, etc.) instead. Preference is also shown to use projecting processes for quoting which are neutral together with participants construed as Human Named, versus a higher tendency to rely on stance processes when the journalist is reporting, for which they rely more often on the construal of participants as Human Semi-named. The comparison of these shows a clear difference on how the journalist represents his/her mediating role in each case, by not showing any kind of mediating presence in the case of quotes, to presenting a sounder presence as mediator in the case of reports. Finally, the journalist's mediating role is also construed through embedding, particularly through the use of nouns of projection, which construe the journalist's mediation as packaged and, therefore, not open to question, and which can be linked to a more prominent role on the part of the journalist in the control of the information narrated. This experiential account of the construal of attribution in science popularizations shows, in sum, that the intertwining of attribution and averral in the text is used by the journalist to construe a representation of the scientific findings narrated which relies on a mediating role of the journalist in his/her aim to guide lay readers along the narration which is essentially much more dynamic than previous accounts have shown.


New and extensive results are reported on the flow of a range of non-Newtonian fluids, including aqueous suspensions of bentonite and kaolin, and aqueous solutions of synthetic polymer carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), flowing down inclined flumes of rectangular cross-section of three different sizes. In particular, these tests elucidate the role of shear-thinning viscosity, with and without the presence of a yield stress, on the flow behaviour in flumes over a wide range of conditions of Reynolds numbers spanning the range 1<Re<104, thereby embracing both the laminar and transitional flow regimes, and possibly the turbulent regimes. Furthermore, the flumes could be tilted up to 5° from the horizontal. This extensive experimental study has facilitated the delineation of the role of the Froude number in the nature of flow, as well as the cessation of laminar flow conditions in such industrially important systems. The results reported here can be used to design flumes for shear-thinning and/or viscoplastic fluids.


In cloud environments, IT solutions are delivered to users via shared infrastructure, enabling cloud service providers to deploy applications as services according to user QoS (Quality of Service) requirements. One consequence of this cloud model is the huge amount of energy consumption and significant carbon footprints caused by large cloud infrastructures. A key and common objective of cloud service providers is thus to develop cloud application deployment and management solutions with minimum energy consumption while guaranteeing performance and other QoS specified in Service Level Agreements (SLAs). However, finding the best deployment configuration that maximises energy efficiency while guaranteeing system performance is an extremely challenging task, which requires the evaluation of system performance and energy consumption under various workloads and deployment configurations. In order to simplify this process we have developed Stress Cloud, an automatic performance and energy consumption analysis tool for cloud applications in real-world cloud environments. Stress Cloud supports the modelling of realistic cloud application workloads, the automatic generation of load tests, and the profiling of system performance and energy consumption. We demonstrate the utility of Stress Cloud by analysing the performance and energy consumption of a cloud application under a broad range of different deployment configurations.


Thirty-two patients undergoing uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) for snoring have been studied prospectively using objective measurement of snoring levels. A significant reduction was found, especially in the supine posture. The quantitative reduction was small and correlations between subjective and objective changes in snoring volume were weak.


The attendance of employees at the company is one of the important factors considered by the company, from the attendance data can be seen employees attendance level such as how often an employee is late for work, how often the employee's consent, or even alpha. However, the process of managing existing attendance in the representative office of SKK Migas Surabaya has several problems, such as the absence of data delay and does not relate processes such as employee absence permit, leave, and service in the process of managing employee attendance. With this application can help offices SKK Migas Surabaya manage employee attendance, prevent data loss in the absence of the permitting process, and provide authorization in stages in the process of application for permission, leave, and overtime


The soil-dwelling social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum feeds on bacteria. Each meal is a potential infection because some bacteria have evolved mechanisms to resist predation. To survive such a hostile environment, D. discoideum has in turn evolved efficient antimicrobial responses that are intertwined with phagocytosis and autophagy, its nutrient acquisition pathways. The core machinery and antimicrobial functions of these pathways are conserved in the mononuclear phagocytes of mammals, which mediate the initial, innate-immune response to infection. In this review, we discuss the advantages and relevance of D. discoideum as a model phagocyte to study cell-autonomous defenses. We cover the antimicrobial functions of phagocytosis and autophagy and describe the processes that create a microbicidal phagosome: acidification and delivery of lytic enzymes, generation of reactive oxygen species, and the regulation of Zn2+, Cu2+, and Fe2+ availability. High concentrations of metals poison microbes while metal sequestration inhibits their metabolic activity. We also describe microbial interference with these defenses and highlight observations made first in D. discoideum. Finally, we discuss galectins, TNF receptor-associated factors, tripartite motif-containing proteins, and signal transducers and activators of transcription, microbial restriction factors initially characterized in mammalian phagocytes that have either homologs or functional analogs in D. discoideum.


This paper reports on the results of measurements of the aerosols and the clouds optical properties in the troposphere over Tsukuba, Japan (104.12°E, 36.05°N, 27 above sea level). We carried out the experiments using a high-spectral resolution lidar based on iodine absorption filter with a working wavelength 532 nm and have the opportunity of polarization characteristics of the lidar signal. The results from simultaneously observations of particle backscatter and extinction profiles, lidar ratio (extinction to backscatter ratio) and depolarization ratio during on the four annual seasons are presented. We analyzed the seasonal variations of the particle backscatter, extinction and lidar ratio to investigate climatology of aerosol optical properties, and especially lidar ratio, over this region. The experimental results are compared with results obtained over another places and techniques.


The authors described the clinical signs and consequences of suffocations during sleep apnea. They presented the results of the surgical intervention of nasal obstruction in patients with sleep apnea. The during-all-night examinations of these patients proved the possibility of positive effects of surgical intervention of nasal obstruction in patients with sleep apnea.


The present invention provides a method for producing dipeptide using inexpensively acquirable starting materials by an industrially advantageous and simple pathway. Dipeptide is produced from L-amino acid ester and L-amino acid using a culture of microbes having the ability to produce a dipeptide from an L-amino acid ester and an L-amino acid, using microbial cells isolated from the culture, or a treated microbial cell product of the microbe.


A productive and ethical relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and physicians is critical to improving drug discovery and public health. In response to concerns about inappropriate financial relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and physicians, national organizations representing physicians or industry have made recommendations designed to reduce conflicts of interest, legal exposure, and dissemination of biased information. Despite these initiatives, the prescribing practices of physicians may be unduly influenced by the marketing efforts of industry and physicians may inadvertently distribute information that is biased in favor of a commercial entity. Moreover, physicians may be vulnerable to prosecution through federal anti-kickback and false claims statutes because of potentially inappropriate financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies. Since academic medical centers have a critical role in establishing professional standards, the faculty of Yale University School of Medicine developed guidelines for the relationships of faculty with the pharmaceutical industry, which were approved in May 2005. Input from clinical faculty and from representatives of the pharmaceutical industry was utilized in formulating the guidelines. In contrast to existing recommendations, the Yale guidelines, which are presented as an Appendix here, ban faculty from receiving any form of gift, meal, or free drug sample (for personal use) from industry, and set more stringent standards for the disclosure and resolution of financial conflict of interest in Yale's educational programs. The growing opportunities for drug discovery, the need to use medications in a more evidence-based manner, and preservation of the public trust require the highest professional standards of rigor and integrity. These guidelines are offered as part of the strategy to meet this compelling challenge.


Clinically symptomatic late injury to the rectal wall occurs in about one third of patients with prostate cancer treated with external beam irradiation. Reducing the physical dose to the anterior rectal wall without a similar reduction in the posterior peripheral zone is difficult because of the proximity of these structures. Based on our previous observations that intrarectal application of amifostine resulted in very high concentrations of amifostine and its active metabolite WR-1065 in the rectal wall of Copenhagen rats, the authors initiated a phase I clinical trial in 1998. Twenty-nine patients with localized prostate cancer were accrued. Eligibility criteria included histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma, a Karnofsky performance status of > or =70, and no pelvic lymphadenopathy or distant metastases. The total dose to the prostate was 70.2 Gy (20 patients) and 73.8 Gy (9 patients). Therapy was delivered using a 4-field axial technique and 3-dimensional conformal planning. Amifostine was administered intrarectally as an aqueous solution 30 minutes before irradiation on the first 15 days of therapy. Amifostine dose was escalated, in cohorts, from 500 mg to 2,500 mg. Toxicity was evaluated using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group late morbidity scale. All patients completed therapy with no amifostine-related toxicity at any dose level. The application was feasible and well tolerated. With a median follow-up time of 21 months, 9 patients (33%) had rectal bleeding (8 grade 1, 1 grade 2). Four patients (14%) had symptoms suggestive of radiation injury, which proved to be secondary to nonrelated processes. These included preexisting nonspecific proctitis (1 patient), diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon, rectal polyp (1 patient), and ulcerative colitis (1 patient). Symptoms developed significantly more often in patients receiving 500 to 1,000 mg than in patients receiving 1,500 to 2,500 mg amifostine (7 of 14 [50%] versus 2 of 13 [15%]; P =.0325, 1-sided chi(2) test). Intrarectal application of amifostine is feasible and well tolerated. A complete lack of systemic toxicity obviates the need for close monitoring of patients during and after administration. Rectal symptomatology after external beam radiotherapy to the pelvis cannot be assumed to reflect late radiation damage, because it often is a manifestation of an unrelated pathologic process. The preliminary efficacy data are encouraging and suggest that intrarectal administration of amifostine may reduce radiation damage. Further clinical studies are warranted.


This paper provides results from experimental studies with regard to novel, thermally sprayed coatings for tribological applications, which consist of mechanical mixtures of cast iron powders (2.16% by weight C and 5.18% by weight Si) and solid lubricant (calcium fluoride or iron oxide) produced in an amount of 10 to 20% by volume. It was established that a basic phase of initial cast iron powder and detonation coatings is gamma-Fe and it is alpha-Fe in plasma coatings. Oxide inclusions which are products of cast iron oxidation are observed in coatings structure. Metallographic investigations showed an uniform distribution of solid lubricant inclusions in a metallic-matrix of coatings. Tribotechnical tests of coatings containing 20 vol. % calcium fluoride carried out in conditions of room temperature indicated that the best antifriction properties were obtained for coatings with calcium fluoride additions which were sprayed by supersonic air-gas plasma method. Paper includes a German-language abstract.


Four useful methods are presented to suppress and/or avoid parallel-plate leakage from conductor-backed printed transmission lines. These include: 1) the use of shorting-pins; 2) the use of a dielectric-guide-coupled configuration; 3) using a two-layered conductor-backing configuration; and 4) dielectric loading on top. New analyses to model the leakage suppression due to the shorting-strips and the dielectric-guide-coupled geometries are presented, with selected demonstrative results and critical discussions. It is concluded that the unwanted leakage in many printed transmission lines, that are otherwise attractive for integrated circuits and phased array applications, can be successfully avoided and/or significantly suppressed using the proposed techniques.


The botanical garden in Tafira Alta is a place of cultivation of many plants that can potentially be used in ornamental horticulture, such as for cut flowers, pot and bedding plants. Examples are species: Aeonium canariense Webb & Berthel., Aeonium hierrense (Murray) J.Pitard & L.Proust, Aloë mitriformis subsp. dystans (Haw.) Zonn., Asparagus horridus L., Asparagus scoparius Lowe, Asteriscus sericeus (L.f.) DC., Ceropegia dichotoma Haw., Dracaena tamaranae Marrero Rodr., R.S.Almeira & M.Gonzales-Martin, Echium hierrense Webb ex C. Bolle, Erysimum albescens (Webb & Berthel.) Bramwell, Plocama pendula Aiton, Podranea ricasoliana (Tanfani) Sprague, Salvia broussonetii Benth. and Thrinax morrisii H. Wendland. The purpose of this elaboration was to point out the taxons that have exceptionally high ornamental value.


Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration in the atmosphere has steadily increased from 280 parts per million (ppm) in preindustrial times to 381 ppm today and is predicted by some models to double within the next century. Some of the important pathways whereby changes in atmospheric CO 2 may impact coastal wetlands include changes in temperature, rainfall, and hurricane intensity (fig. 1). Increases in CO 2 can contribute to global warming, which may (1) accelerate sea-level rise through melting of polar ice fields and steric expansion of oceans, (2) alter rainfall patterns and salinity regimes, and (3) change the intensity and frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes. Sea-level rise combined with changes in storm activity may affect erosion and sedimentation rates and patterns in coastal wetlands and maintenance of soil elevations. Feedback loops between plant growth and hydroedaphic conditions also contribute to maintenance of marsh elevations through accumulation of organic matter. Although increasing CO 2 concentration may contribute to global warming and climate changes, it may also have a direct impact on plant growth and development by stimulating photosynthesis or improving water use efficiency. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey are examining responses of wetland plants to elevated CO 2 concentration and other factors. This research will lead to a better understanding of future changes in marsh species composition, successional rates and patterns, ecological functioning, and vulnerability to sea-level rise and other global change factors.


Spherically expanding flames propagating at constant pressure were employed to determine the laminar burning velocity and flammability characteristics of biogas-air mixtures in premixed combustion to uncover the fundamental flame propagation characteristics of a new alternative and renewable fuel. The results are compared with those from a methane-air flame. Biogas is a sustainable and renewable fuel that is produced in digestion facilities. The composition of biogas discussed in this paper consists of 66.4% methane, 30.6% carbon dioxide and 3% nitrogen. Burning velocity was measured at various equivalence ratios (ϕ) using a photographic technique in a high pressure fan-stirred bomb, the initial condition being at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The flame for methane-air mixtures propagates from ϕ=0.6 till ϕ=1.3. The flame at ϕ ≥ 1.4 does not propagate because the combustion reaction is quenched by the larger mass of fuel. At ϕ≤0.5, it does not propagate as well since the heat of reaction is insufficient to burn the mixtures. The flame for biogas–air mixtures propagates in a narrower range, that is from ϕ=0.6 to ϕ=1.2. Different from the methane flame, the biogas flame does not propagate at ϕ≥1.3 because the heat absorbed by inhibitors strengthens the quenching effect by the larger mass of fuel. As in the methane flame, the biogas flame at ϕ≤0.5 does not propagate. This shows that the effect of inhibitors in extremely lean mixtures is small. Compared to a methane-air mixture, the flammability characteristic (flammable region) of biogas becomes narrower in the presence of inhibitors (carbon dioxide and nitrogen) and the presence of inhibitors causes a reduction in the laminar burning velocity. The inhibitor gases work more effectively at rich mixtures because the rich biogas-air mixtures have a higher fraction of carbon dioxide and nitrogen components compared to the lean biogas-air mixtures.


The paper proposes an innovative improvement to the water collectors from atmospheric humidity condensation by introducing non-hydrophobic substances to speed up the water condensation and the dropping off process using simple technology, inexpensive and with high quality materials with the finality to favor sustainable irrigation in regions characterized by water resources scarcity favoring greening generally. The innovative collector' design and experimentation conduced confirm the possibility to collect water from air humidity in different regions with reduced rain days as semi desertic zones enhancing the gain of desertification process, harvesting water in urban landscape, in vertical greening and roof gardens. The first principal innovative aspect of the novel design collector is the fast capacity of condensation caused from the method of design of the used materials and fast capacity of releasing water collected to contrast the undesired evaporations. The second innovative aspect is the reduced volume to permit a diffused and unexpensive implants which can be distribute suitably on the targeted landscape. Reduced costs and simplicity of fabrication announce real possibility of use in underdeveloped and poor countries to increase vegetation diffusion firstly and contributing on sustainable agriculture and architecture.


Sialylated HEG1 has been reported as a highly specific and sensitive mesothelioma marker but a comprehensive evaluation of its expression in carcinomas in different organs, various sarcomas and reactive mesothelial proliferations has not been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical applicability of HEG1 as a marker in the diagnosis of mesothelioma. HEG1 immunoreactivity was evaluated in whole sections of 122 mesotheliomas, 75 pulmonary carcinomas, 55 other carcinomas, 16 mesenchymal tumors, and 24 reactive mesothelial proliferations and in tissue microarrays containing 70 epithelioid (EM), 36 biphasic (BM), and 2 sarcomatoid mesotheliomas (SM). In whole sections and tissue microarrays, respectively, membranous HEG1 was expressed in 93.0% and 85.5% of EM, 81.3% and 69.4% of BM, 0% and 0% of SM. HEG1 was not expressed in pulmonary adenocarcinomas. HEG1 was expressed as cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in pulmonary squamous cell carcinomas (21.7%). Membranous HEG1 staining was seen in ovarian carcinomas (66.7%), thyroid carcinomas (100%), reactive conditions (16.7%), and mesenchymal tumors (18.8%). The sensitivity of membranous HEG1 expression to distinguish EM/BM from all carcinomas was 88.8%. The specificity for the differential diagnosis between EM/BM and all carcinomas and pulmonary carcinomas was 92.3% and 98.7%, respectively.


We report, for the first time to our knowledge, an on-chip mode-locked laser diode (OCMLLD) that employs multimode interference reflectors to eliminate the need of facet mirrors to form the cavity. The result is an OCMLLD that does not require cleaved facets to operate, enabling us to locate this OCMLLD at any location within the photonic chip. This OCMLLD provides a simple source of optical pulses that can be inserted within a photonic integrated circuit chip for subsequent photonic signal processing operations within the chip (modulation, optical filtering, pulse rate multiplication, and so on). The device was designed using standardized building blocks of a generic active/passive InP technology platform, fabricated in a multi-project wafer run, and achieved mode-locking operation at its fundamental frequency, given the uncertainty at the design step of the optical length of these mirrors, critical to achieve colliding pulse mode-locked operation.


Within the field of dentistry, loss of primary teeth due to caries, pulp conditions and crown fractures has been recognized as one of the most severe etiological factors of dental problems in the pediatric dentistry fi eld. One of the greatest headways in dentistry in the last years encompasses the adhesion to enamel of primary teeth, this has led to the development of many techniques to restore the tooth. Obstacles that might be encountered are the presence of an aprismatic layer on the surface of primary teeth. This layer might reach 25 μ as well as the reduced amount of enamel present. Nevertheless, dentists might overcome these factors and manufacture esthetically-pleasing restorations. Crowns manufactured with composite resins and used in indirect techniques in the laboratory optimize physical and chemical characteristics and in general, polymerize with the use of physical means (light, heat, pressure, etc.). Therefore, they present smooth, pore-free surfaces, which allow for suitable esthetics, greater resistance to abrasion and proper adaptation. The aim of the present work was to present a clinical case of rehabilitation with indirect composite resin restoration (Signum-ceramis-Heraeus) and to show a technique for the rehabilitation of primary, upper anterior teeth which did not entail placement of provisional teeth. Rehabilitation of primary temporary teeth with nano-resin-hybrid crowns prefabricated in the lab represents a suitable option in the fi eld of pediatric dentistry.


In this article we critically analyse the usage of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) among early-career sociology researchers in Croatia. In Croatia, the CAQDAS community is very small and is dominated by problems of great expectations coming from early-career researchers. This is elaborated through a case study that addresses issues of spread and availability of CAQDAS, opportunity for its usage, reasons why early-career researchers decide to use it or not and grounds for their decisions for use of a particular software package. The perceived advantages and limitations of CAQDAS are analysed and some misconceptions about CAQDAS are contextualised and related to the dominant quantitative research framework in Croatian sociology. The broadening of the number of qualitative researchers in the sociological community in Croatia, together with more educational programmes on CAQDAS, which would highlight reflexive usage of software, open perspectives for strengthening of qualitative research in Croatia.


The title of this book may at first appear to be somewhat restrictive in its use of terminology. However, this is far from the intention of the writer; on the contrary, the following chapters seek to reflect a departure from the traditional segmentally orientated approach to this type of disability. Indeed one reason why the book has been written is the sense of frustration arising out of the largely ineffectual static and structural methodology of remedial work. Alternative titles could have been Disorders of Speech Production, or Neurogenic Speech Disorders, but neither would have encapsulated the essence of the book. Much of the recent research in the neurophysiology of motor control and also in the field of neurolinguistics has been concerned with ways in which intention and planning of movement is effected. Such models are still in their infancy, but it seems the potential value of their application to speech is considerable. In the case of verbal dysp'taxia, for example, we have long since in rather vague terms described it as a disorder of organization and programming without ever stating exactly what may be disorganized or not properly planned. This book does not provide the answer for as yet there is insufficient data on which to work so that formulated theories may be tested and further defined. But as we move from speculative guess-work towards established fact so the likelihood grows of providing more positive help for those who suffer these drastic limitations in communication.


Author(s): Castro, Carlos | Advisor(s): Tsutsui, Hideaki | Abstract: Point-of-care technologies provide innovative solutions that improve treatment. Healthcare systems including some low-resource settings have begun implementing these technologies providing the convenience and reduction of large laboratory set-ups. Low-cost is one of the main driving components when it comes to point-of-care diagnostics. Paper-based microfluidics has generated a great amount of interest for the development of low-cost diagnostic and self-contained analytical devices. Satisfying the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended ASSURED criteria; Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Rapid and robust, Equipment free, Deliverable, paper-based microfluidics have made point-of-care testing more accessible. Applications range from healthcare, food safety, and environmental monitoring, among others. What has in part attracted attention is the low-cost, ease-of-use, and adaptability of these paper devices. Compared to conventional microfluidic devices, the paper-based counterparts are able to utilize paper's inherent wicking property to eliminate the external pumping needed to drive the fluid. Channels are easily formed by either selectively removing sections of the paper substrate or by pattering channel boundaries with a hydrophobic material. In spite of the benefits and advantages described above, paper-based microfluidic technologies often lack the necessary sensitivity and sophistication available in conventional microfluidic devices. In order to be a competitive alternative, paper-based microfluidics require improvement and novel development of feasible detection methods. These methods will likely require increasingly complex chemistry and control of reagents. Thus, understanding imbibition as well as obtaining precise, accurate, and consistent fluid handling within the paper device will be crucial.Although considerable knowledge exists on techniques to manipulate fluid within the paper channel, what is lacking are studies on how non-laboratory conditions (e.g. relative humidity) influence fluid flow. This presentation aims to address this gap with particular focus on the effects of relative humidity and channel width. A series of controlled imbibition experiments is reported using cellulose papers commonly used in the field of paper-based microfluidics. We show that both the imposed relative humidity and the channel width have critical design considerations in paper-based devices. Additionally, we compare three models, the Lucas-Washburn model, the Fries et al. (2008) model which incorporates evaporation, and a newly developed water saturation model that incorporates evaporation as well as residual water in the paper. We assess their accuracy in representing the experimental data and systematically evaluate the importance of evaporation and water saturation under a wide range of relative humidity conditions. The current study has created a library of paper-specific, imbibition-related properties for commonly used filter and chromatography papers for the first time.Lastly, the effort of fluid manipulation is continued. A qualitative investigation on two-dimensional wax-bound channels is covered. The channels encompass the most basic geometry that may be present in complex fluidic designs; sudden expansion, contraction, and a box along the channel. It is found that these simple channel cross-sections can accelerate and decelerate fluid flow, therefore altering the time of fluid delivery. Collectively, the success of this research will improve the development of future diagnostic and analytical paper devices producing a user-friendly and cost effective point-of-care alternative.


At this time introduction of animals based on food ecological for elementary school is only by learning process that still uses learning media is textbooks and whiteboards. The use of this media makes students feel bored and are less interested in animal introduction based on food ecological. The purpose of this research is to make "digital 3d animation based virtual reality of animal introduction based on foods ecological". Virtual Reality is a media for creating a virtual world for the introduction of animal groupings based on food ecology, virtual world is a computer-based simulation environment where 3D objects will be placed and simulated in the virtual world. 3D animation will simulate objects in the form of animals that will be animated in the virtual world to make students feel interested in using Virtual Reality as a tool to study animals based on food ecological.


Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation has influenced the evolution of life on earth and was one among the possible causes for the different skin pigmentation in humans: those inhabiting low latitudes, with high UV intensity, have darker skin pigmentation to protect from the deleterious effects of radiation, while those in higher latitudes have developed fair skin to maximize vitamin D production from much lower ambient UV. In the last centuries there have been an increase in human migration from original areas and changes in habits and attitudes, causing that human skin pigmentation is no longer necessarily suited to the environment. In addition, the documented stratospheric ozone downward trend in the 90s of the last century and its still slow recovery have been associated, at least theoretically, with an increase of solar UV at the earth's surface. The purpose of this book is to suggest and test a methodology, based on polysulphone dosimetry, for the assessment of solar UV exposure and to search for possible biological indicators of its effects. An overview of the problem is offered and some field experiments performed with groups of volunteers are presented and discussed.


Introduction: In Southeast Asia there is a big gap between the partnership style now desired by patients and the reality of actual practice, which reflects a more paternalistic style. Asian culture, with its hierarchical social system, less autonomy for members of society and less verbally explicit communication style contributes to this difference. This paper describes the development and validation of a guideline to help doctors in the context of the study to become more patient-centered. Method: To develop a guideline, we triangulated results from previous studies on doctor-patient communication with in-depth interviews with communication skills teachers at an Indonesian School of Medicine. To validate the guideline, we interviewed international experts who had conducted research on this subject in an Asian context.  Results: Southeast Asian patients expect more partnership in their consultations. In this respect they do not differ from Western patients. Three other distinct issues emerged from the data. Firstly, the social and cultural context of their communities is very important for Southeast Asian patients compared with patients from the West who, on the whole have more autonomy. Secondly, much of the communication expressed by patients and their families with doctors is non-verbal compared with Western patients. Thirdly, traditional medicine still holds an important place.   Conclusion: There is a shifting paradigm towards partnership communication during doctor-patient consultations in Southeast Asian context. Our guideline alienates the skills needed to consult effectively also tabulates what needs to be taught to young doctors in order to enhance their responsiveness to Southeast Asian patients. It builds on Western models of the consultation enriched with contextual examples.


Four pregnant women, aged 29, 32, 36 and 36 years, respectively, were diagnosed with Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection. Only the first woman had exanthema and fever. In the first three cases, the source of infection appeared to be another child; two of these children were infected during a school outbreak. All four foetuses were infected, but the first foetus was asymptomatic and healthy at birth. The second foetus had anaemia and increased blood flow in the middle cerebral artery; it received an intrauterine transfusion and was healthy at birth. The third foetus was almost immobile and had cardiomegaly and hydrops fetalis; it was dead upon induced birth. In the fourth case, pregnancy was uneventful until two days before parturition, when the mother reported a decrease in foetal movement. The infant was born and developed respiratory insufficiency after 8 hours. Imaging revealed multiple bilateral lesions in frontal, occipital and parietal white matter consistent with infarction. The infant died after 5 days. Infection with B19V is associated with a wide range of clinical presentations and outcomes. Effects may range from an uncomplicated pregnancy to severe hydrops fetalis or intrauterine foetal death. Maternal symptoms may be aspecific, which complicates early diagnosis. When maternal B19V infection is suspected, immediate investigation for recent B19V infection should be performed. Quantitative B19 viral load measurements may provide insight into the stage of infection and may guide foetal monitoring. Referral to a foetal therapy unit is essential for hydrops fetalis or severe foetal anaemia. Intrauterine transfusion with erythrocytes significantly improves foetal outcome. Despite a successful transfusion procedure, long-term neurodevelopment may be affected, and developmental follow up is advised.


The existence of an 'organics iceberg' is a hypothesis rather than a fact. Nevertheless, reports in The World of Organic Agriculture that there are 37,245,686 certified organic hectares worldwide and that this accounts for 0.86% of global agriculture are lower bounds, in fact underestimates, of the size and the achievements of the organics movement. While such statistics are seductively precise, they are merely the countable manifestation of a larger phenomenon, and perhaps a much larger phenomenon, which may be - an organics iceberg. Just how large is the uncounted 'world of organic agriculture', as compared to the counted world of certified organic agriculture, is a matter of speculation, but its existence is doubtless. In a recent study in India comparing the experience of organic farmers and chemical farmers, all of the 350 organic farmers lacked certification. A fortress organics mentality denies the reality that there are many reasons to be non-certified organic, and they include cost, access, and size of operation, lack of market advantage, and there is a plethora of other reasons including independence, privacy, bother, paper-work, intrusion, bio-security, and farm sovereignty. Black-letter organics has its place, but it is a place at the organics table and it is not the whole table. Consumers can differentiate between 'organic' and 'certified organic'. In a study of Australian consumers half of the organics price premium was attributed to the 'organic' claim and half was attributed to the 'certified' claim. The captain of the Titanic, Edward Smith, may have wondered "Perhaps there is an iceberg?" In The World of Organic Agriculture, we may be getting a good view of the tip but how much 'berg' are we disregarding? It is time to move beyond the tyranny of certification to embrace, celebrate and foster the diversity of the organics diaspora. A fuller and broader metrification of the world of organic agriculture is a challenging enterprise and will undoubtedly introduce a greater degree of fuzziness into the metrics, nevertheless, accounting for a world of certified and non-certified organic agriculture would be a timely enterprise that can lay the basis for warranting more organics research, more organics research funds, greater recognition for organics, greater consideration for the organics enterprise, and more shelf space for organics produce.


Thymus vulgaris is a plant with known insecticidal properties. In order to explore its use in the control of the mulberry snout moth, the essential oil this plant and two of its major components, thymol and carvacrol, were evaluated in laboratory bioassays. GC-MS analysis of the oil depicted thymol (26.9%) and carvacrol (5.7%) as the major constituents. The estimated LD 50 values for thyme essential oil, thymol and carvacrol were 2.82, 32.18 and 56.54 µg/larva, respectively. However, the thyme essential oil was more toxic than its two main compounds.The activity of certain detoxifying enzymes such as α-and β-esterase, glutathione S-transferase and cytochrome P450 were signi�cantly inhibited in thymol-treated larvae compared to the control group. Similarly, the activity of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatases enzymes in thymol-treated larvae decreased while the activity of acid phosphatases increased. Our results suggest that thyme essential oil and its components have potential for the control of G. pyloalis larvae in mulberry orchards, where no synthetic chemicals are allowed.


Metabolism of afobazole in rats has been studied using mass-spectrometry and HPLC, which revealed 17 products of afobazole biotransformation along with the parent compound. The structures of six afobazole metabolites were established and confirmed by comparison of HPLC retention times with the synthetic reference compounds and HPLC/mass spectrometry. Other metabolites were characterized by the masses of molecular ions. A significant fraction of the drug dose is biotransformed with the formation of hydroxylated benzimidazole moiety and oxidated morpholine.


BACKGROUND
Surgery affects immune function adversely in a variety of clinical settings. To date, there are no data assessing immune function in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who have had surgery.

METHODS
A retrospective review was performed of 67 patients, of whom 46% were female, who underwent surgery while being treated for HIV infection. These patients were identified from a database collected over a ten-year period. The CD4(+) cell counts were analyzed according to the degree of immunosuppression (> or =500, 200-499, and <200 cells/mm(3), respectively). Viral titers also were assessed.

RESULTS
Of the 17 patients with CD4(+) cell counts >500/mm(3) prior to surgery, 64.7% had unchanged counts after surgery (95% confidence interval [CI] 32.9%, 81.6%), whereas 35.2% of patients had lower CD4(+) counts after surgery (95% CI 14.2%, 61.7%). In patients with preoperative CD4(+) counts between 200 and 500/mm(3), 9.7% (95% CI 2.0%, 25.8%) had their counts decrease to <200 cells/mm(3), whereas in 29% (95% CI 14.2%, 48.0%) of patients, the counts increased to within the normal range. In the most immunosuppressed group (CD4(+) counts <200/mm(3)), 15.8% of patients (95% CI 3.4%, 39.6%) had their CD4(+) counts increase to the intermediate range. In the majority of patients, the viral titers remained unchanged, whereas 18.8% (n = 6) (95% CI 7.2%, 36.4%) had a decline in their titers.

CONCLUSIONS
Surgery does not affect immune function adversely in HIV-infected patients, as judged by CD4(+) cell counts or viral titers.


lntroduction to the importance of Classical Tradition (fortuna dell'antico) studies in order to better comprehend a work of art (not only literary works), thus highlighting this perspective's compatibility with both the philological studies and the interdisciplinary approach required by certain genres. We take baroque opera as an ideal example and a testing ground where solid knowledge of the Greco-Latin tradition is highly crucial -not only as a source of topics, myths and hypertexts, but also of ideas for the discussions regarding literary theory and musicology at that time. The libretto as a result of this process. An approach to Metastasio's case.


It has been suggested that teachers' instructional practices mediate the relationship between teacher background variables and student learning (Fennema & Franke, 1992; Mewborn & Cross, 2007). That is, an indirect relationship between these variables exists in which teacher variables are related to teacher instructional practices; and teacher instructional practice is then related to student learning. One instructional practice that has been supported as a way to help build students' mathematical understanding is the use of manipulatives (e.g., Hiebert et al., 1997). In this dissertation I investigate the role of manipualtive use as a mediator of the relationship between teacher variables and students' mathematics learning. To examine the potential mediating role of manipulative use, I conducted two separate quantitative studies. In the first study, I examined the relationship between teacher variables and the frequency with which teachers use manipulatives in their classroom activities. Using data from 503 in-service elementary teachers, I investigated the relationship between manipulative use and teachers' beliefs about manipulatives, the grade level they teach, their age and experience, as well as the interrelationship among these teacher variables. Teachers' beliefs and grade level were found to be important predictors of manipulative use. In the second study, I examined the relationship between manipulative use and mathematics learning of elementaryaged students (K-5). Data for this study were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS), and analyzed using a two-level hierarchical linear model and graphical techniques. I also investigated the moderating effects of student home language on this relationship. A positive relationship between the frequency of manipulative use and student mathematics learning was found. Home language was not found to moderate this relationship. Results from this manuscript dissertation seem to support the claim of Fennema and Franke (1992) and Mewborn and Cross (2007) about the mediating role of teacher instructional practice on the relationship between teacher variables and student learning. In particular, combining the results from the two studies, teachers holding positive beliefs about manipulatives tend to use these devices more often in their classroom activities, and teachers in lower grades tend to use manipulatives more often than teachers in the upper grades; and when students use manipulatives more often in their mathematics lessons, their mathematical learning tends to increase. Thus, together these findings suggest a tenable indirect relationship between teacher variables and student learning. That is, teacher variables are related to manipulative use which in turn is related to students' mathematics learning. Together these two studies provide a more complete picture of teacher factors and student outcomes as they relate to manipulative use in elementary mathematics classrooms. Implications and future directions for research on manipulative use in the teaching and learning of mathematics are discussed.


Capacitive deionization (CDI) is an emerging technology capable of selective removal of ions from water. While many studies have reported chemically tailored electrodes for selective ion removal, the selective removal of divalent cations (i.e., hardness) over monovalent cations can simply be achieved using membrane CDI (MCDI) equipped with ion exchange membranes (IEMs). In this study, we use both experimental and modeling approaches to systematically investigate the selective removal of Ca2+ over Na+. Specifically, the impacts of current density, hydraulic retention time, and feed composition on the selectivity of Ca2+ over Na+ were investigated. The results from our study suggest a universal correlation between the ratio of molar fluxes and the ratio of spacer channel ion concentrations, regardless of operating conditions and feed composition. Our analysis also reveals inherent and universal trade-off relationships between selectivity and the Ca2+ removal rate and between selectivity and the degree of Ca2+ removal. This fundamental understanding of the mechanism of selective ion removal in MCDI can also be applied to flow-electrode CDI processes that employ IEMs.


We consider noncrossing partitions of [n] under the action of (i) the reflection group (of order 2), (ii) the rotation group (cyclic of order n) and (iii) the rotation/reflection group (dihedral of order 2n). First, we exhibit a bijection from rotation classes to bicolored plane trees on n edges, and consider its implications. Then we count noncrossing partitions of [n] invariant under reflection and show that, somewhat surprisingly, they are equinumerous with rotation classes invariant under reflection. The proof uses a pretty involution originating in work of Germain Kreweras. We conjecture that the "equinumerous" result also holds for arbitrary partitions of [n].


The development of major economic sectors can provide the bedrock on which long-lasting national economic prosperity is formed. Iceland's tourism sector is an example of a rapidly expanded industry in recent years, to the extent that it has become the largest sectoral contributor to the nation's economy. The growth of the sector has led to a number of sustainability impacts, thus presenting opportunities and challenges in terms of meeting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Using the case study of Iceland, this paper aims to advance the conceptual understanding of the synergies and trade-offs between a nation's tourism sector and performance across the 169 targets of the SDGs. Empirical results were derived from four theme-based focus groups comprised of expert participants, who were tasked with completing scoresheets concerning their perception of the extent of synergies and trade-offs for each target. The majority (126 in number) of the mean scoresheet outcomes for the SDG targets revealed neither synergies nor trade-offs. However, 32 synergies and 11 trade-offs were identified. Many of the target synergies related to new economic opportunities, such as jobs, employment, and training for young people. Target trade-offs tended to be environmental and social. In particular, concern was voiced about the greenhouse gas emissions of the Icelandic tourism sector, which derives from international aviation, cruise ships, and rental car usage. The outcomes of this study are of particular relevance to tourism companies, policy-makers, and governance institutions, all of whom are increasingly endeavouring to link their activities with the fulfilment of the SDGs, maximising synergies, mitigating the extent of any potential trade-offs, and potentially transforming trade-offs into synergies. Furthermore, the results are likely of interest to academics focused on researching the broad sustainability impacts of economic sectors and their contribution to meeting the visionary goals of the SDGs.


Objective Currently, no satisfactory targets for colorectal cancer or markers for immunotherapy and diagnosis and prognosis are available. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is widely expressed in many cancers, and it promotes cancer progression. This study explored the role of cancer-derived IgG (CIgG) in colorectal cancer. Methods First, using a monoclonal antibody to CIgG, we examined the expression levels of CIgG in colorectal cancer cell lines by western blot and immunofluorescence analyses and in tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry. Second, the variable region gene was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and PCR products were sequenced and analyzed. Third, we investigated the effect of CIgG on colorectal cancer cells by cell proliferation, wound healing, migration and invasion assays, and colony formation assay. Fourth, we performed in vivo tumorigenicity experiments to explore the effect of CIgG on tumorigenicity. Finally, we used RNA-seq analysis and co-immunoprecipitation experiments to further clarify possible mechanisms of CIgG. Results We found that CIgG is widely expressed in colorectal cancer cells, and the overexpression of CIgG indicates significantly poor colorectal cancer prognosis. Furthermore, CIgG knockdown significantly inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of cells, and tumor growth in vivo. RNA-seq analysis indicated that CIgG knockdown results primarily in changes in expression of apical junction and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related genes. CIgG may be involved in colorectal cancer invasion and metastasis through interacting with E-cadherin. Conclusions CIgG is a potential human oncogene in colorectal cancer and that it has potential for application as a novel target in targeted therapy and a marker for prognostic evaluation.


Abstract #3066 Introduction: NCT is a member of the Gamma Secretase (GS) enzyme complex, responsible for activating multiple substrates (Notch proteins, Her4, E-cadherin , CD44 etc.), implicated in BC development and progression from primary tumour to metastasis. E-cadherin (E-cad) is a key protein regulating cell-to-cell adhesion. Loss of E-cad is a central feature of Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal (EMT) transition enabling cell migration and invasion, while restoration of E-cad expression indicates a less malignant cell phenotype.
 Materials and Methods: MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 BC cell lines were used to investigate expression of NCT by Western Blot (WB) and RT-Q-PCR. Paraffin embedded BC tissue samples (n=126), 10 benign breast lesions (fibroadenoma) and 40 normal breast tissue specimens were analysed for NCT expression by Immunohistrochemistry (IHC). NCT was transiently silenced in vitro by siRNA and expression of E-cad, Beta-Catenin, Snail1 were analysed by WB and RT-Q-PCR. A commercially available kit was used to measure GS activity in vitro . Transmitted light microscopy was used to monitor cell motility using a model of a stable NCT knockout (KO) in mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells.
 Results: NCT was not expressed or was weakly expressed in normal breast tissue by IHC. Strikingly, NCT was highly expressed only in the myoepithelial layer of all 10 fibroadenomas analysed, while epithelial layer remained negative of weakly NCT positive (+). Breast carcinomas were graded as NCT 1+, 2+ or 3+. NCT siRNA (72 h) resulted in >90% reduction of both NCT mRNA and protein levels, as well as >50% reduction in GS activity in both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines. NCT siRNA did not affect E-cad, Beta-Catenin or Snail1 mRNA levels in these cell lines. However, NCT siRNA resulted in cellular redistribution of E-cad to the cell membrane, as visualized by immunofluorescence, and an increase in E-cad protein levels by WB in MCF-7 cells. The transient NCT silencing at 72 h did not result in change of morphology in MDA-MB-231 cells. Cell motility was, however, reduced by 20%: (0.01 µm/sec in parental MDA-MB-231 vs 0.008 µm/sec in MDA-MB-231 NCT siRNA cells). Stable NCT KO caused a notable change in cell phenotype, converting a spindle like wild type MEFs to rounded epitheloid-like morphology, coupled with a marked increase of E-cad localized to the membrane. Furthermore, cell motility was reduced by 3 fold in NCT KO MEFs (0.008 µm/sec in wild type MEFs vs 0.0025um/sec in the NCT KO MEFs).
 Conclusion: NCT is up-regulated in BC as compared to normal breast tissue. NCT is strongly expressed only in the myoepithelial cell compartment of breast fibroadenomas, suggesting possible involvement of NCT in EMT. Inhibiting NCT stabilizes E-cadherin protein levels in BC cells, at the post-translational level. Inhibiting NCT in BC may represent a potential strategy to reduce BC invasiveness and metastasis. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 3066.


The present report is submitted in response to Economic and Social Council resolution 2011/6. Based on a variety of sources, including responses received from United Nations entities, the report assesses progress made in the implementation of the gender mainstreaming strategy across the United Nations system. It places a special emphasis on the promotion of accountability for system-wide work on gender equality and the empowerment of women at both the global and country levels. The report presents the recently approved system-wide action plan on gender equality and the empowerment of women, which institutes a system-wide accountability framework. The action plan is the result of a consultative process facilitated by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and engaging the United Nations entities that are members of the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality.


Northern-blot analyses demonstrated a strong gene expression of ATp citrate-lyase in liver and adipose tissue of rat and a weak expression in brain, heart, small intestine and muscle. After refeeding a carbohydrate/protein diet to fasted rats, the transcriptional rate had already increased within 2 h, the mRNA concentration reached a maximal level of approximately 30-fold increased in 16 h, and the enzyme induction increased sixfold in 48 h. By feeding only carbohydrate without protein, the transcriptional rate was increased threefold, and the mRNA concentration and enzyme induction comparably, to the levels in the carbohydrate/protein diet. It appears that protein feeding is not necessary to induce ATP citrate-lyase. In diabetic rats fed on a glucose diet, the transcriptional rate, mRNA concentration and enzyme level were very low in comparison with the normal. By fructose feeding, however, the transcriptional rate was more greatly increased and the mRNA concentration increased comparably to the levels reached by insulin treatment, while the enzyme induction was not so increased. Thus, it is suggested that insulin is important in regulated translation in addition to transcription. However, triiodothyronine treatment did not have much effect on the gene expression. As a result of the present experiment, it is noted that ATP citrate-lyase-gene expression was greatly dependent on carbohydrate.


The release of trace gases such as carbon dioxide and methane through human activity is generally accepted to have the potential to alter the Earth's climate. Various projections indicate that present concentrations of these "greenhouse" gases will double by the end of the 21st century. Studies of the atmospheric effect of these gases suggest that the globally averaged temperature of the troposphere (0–10 km altitude) will increase by about 1-5°K because of an increase in trapped infrared radiation. In the stratosphere (10–50 km), however, the increased concentration of these gases will give rise to a greater infrared cooling to space, and the globally averaged temperature is predicted to cool by 10–20°K, compared with present-day temperatures [Brasseur and Hitchman, 1988]. It should be stressed that this latter prediction applies to the upper atmosphere, and does not address greenhouse warming in the lower atmosphere, which has been treated by other climate modelers.


To better understand nitric oxide (NO) responsive proteins, we investigated the proteomic differences between untreated (control), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) treated, and carboxy-PTIO potassium salt (cPTIO, NO scavenger) followed by SNP treated cotton plants. This is the first study to examine the effect of different concentrations of NO on the leaf proteome in cotton using a label-free approach based on nanoscale ultraperformance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization (ESI)-low/high-collision energy MS analysis (MS(E)). One-hundred and sixty-six differentially expressed proteins were identified. Forty-seven of these proteins were upregulated, 82 were downregulated, and 37 were expressed specifically under different conditions. The 166 proteins were functionally divided into 17 groups and localized to chloroplast, Golgi apparatus, cytoplasm, and so forth. The pathway analysis demonstrated that NO is involved in various physiological activities and has a distinct influence on carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms and photosynthesis. In addition, this is the first time proteins involved in ethylene synthesis were identified to be regulated by NO. The characterization of these protein networks provides a better understanding of the possible regulation mechanisms of cellular activities occurring in the NO-treated cotton leaves and offers new insights into NO responses in plants.


We present models for competition among multiple suppliers for demand from a single manufacturer. The suppliers produce to stock a single product and are allocated demand by the manufacturer based on the amount the amount of inventory they hold. We prove the existence of a Nash equilibrium for a broad class of market allocation schemes. For the special case of identical suppliers under either a stock-proportional or fill rate-proportional allocation, we show the uniqueness of the Nash equilibrium. Analysis of the Nash equilibrium for this case reveals that (a) the manufacturer benefits from competition (in the form of higher fill rates), (b) the manufacturer benefits more from a stock-proportional allocation than a fill rate-proportional allocation, and (c) the manufacturer benefits the most when the number of suppliers is two.


Filtration is removal of particles from fluid by passing it through a permeable media. The device used to achieve this is known as a filter. The range of fluids used in chemical processing covers a vast spectrum from paint to food, to fine chemicals. Each filter has its own merits and demerits and is applicable for a certain filtration range; some can be used as pre-filters while some have very good dirt holding capacity. Any single type of filter may not be suitable for the removal of different types of contaminants and that too of wide particle size range. Large variety of disposable filters are available like melt blown filters, cartridge filters, pleated filters, spun bonded filters etc. Hence filters produced with different techniques are available from which to choose as per requirement of the process and different types of filtration procedures for testing them. This paper gives a review of the popular category of disposable filters available in the market with their application range.


Abstract Systematic studies probing the effects of nanoparticle surface modification and formulation pH are important in nanotoxicology and nanomedicine. In this study, we use laser-scanning fluorescence confocal microscopy to evaluate nanoparticle penetration in viable excised human skin that was intact or tape-stripped. Quantum dot (QD) fluorescent nanoparticles with three surface modifications: Polyethylene glycol (PEG), PEG-amine (PEG-NH2) and PEG-carboxyl (PEG-COOH) were evaluated for human skin penetration from aqueous solutions at pH 7.0 and at pHs of solutions provided by the QD manufacturer: 8.3 (PEG, PEG-NH2) and 9.0 (PEG-COOH). There was some penetration into intact viable epidermis of skin for the PEG-QD at pH 8.3, but not at pH 7.0 nor for any other QD at the pHs used. Upon tape stripping 30 strips of stratum corneum, all QDs penetrated through the viable epidermis and into the upper dermis within 24 h.


BACKGROUND
Despite the dangers of gonadotropin administration, our understanding of serum levels of gonadotropins in our patients is poor. We created a mathematical model of gonadotropin administration in order to learn about the temporal profiles of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels in patients related to the doses of different gonadotropin products administered.

METHODS
Model parameters for each product were determined from published pharmacokinetic information available from the manufacturers.

RESULTS
For each product, serum levels of FSH rose then fell following a single injection of FSH. When a gonadotropin dose was injected repeatedly (daily), each injection resulted in a peak level of FSH that was higher than the level attained from the previous injection. Daily FSH peaks rose asymptotically, requiring 3-10 days to approach the maximum. The maximum averaged 3.5 times the peak of the first injection. Decline of FSH following the final injection required 3-10 days to approach the baseline. Time courses and peak values of FSH using different gonadotropin preparations varied widely.

CONCLUSION
Knowledge of the slow changes of FSH that occur during modeled FSH administration will provide a framework for understanding the gonadotropin profiles that occur in patients during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.


The refractive index of air varies a.o. with temperature, humidity, pressure and the CO2 concentration. Due to atmospheric turbulence this refractive index varies both in space and in time, leading to aberrations in images of light having passed though it. These aberrations limit the achievable resolution of optical telescopes such that the quality of their images is no longer diffraction limited. An adaptive optics (AO) system is a means to recover the diffraction limited quality of the images. This can be achieved a.o. by reflecting the incoming light on a deformable mirror (DM) that adapts its shape to the wavefront of this light such that some norm of the residual wavefront after reflection is minimal. In this thesis novel designs are considered for the DM and its control system. They are primarily aimed at the 8m class of telescopes in visible light, leading to a 200Hz controller bandwidth requirement and 6mm actuator spacing or 5000 actuators on a 500mm diameter DM.. To observe fainter celestial objects and/or increase the image resolution, optical telescopes are foreseen with primary mirrors of up to 40m in diameter. Therefore, the DM system design is aimed at extendibility to a larger number of Degrees Of Freedom (DOF), which is realized using a modular concept. Other drivers are low power consumption to prevent the need for active cooling systems and low production costs. The DM design is realized using electromagnetic reluctance type actuators that are connected to the DM's reflective membrane by a thin rod. Modules containing 61 hexagonally arranged actuators are manufactured using techniques suitable for mass-production. To generate the currents through the actuator coils, driver electronics are developed based on Pulse-Width Modulation (implemented in FPGAs) in combination with analog low-pass filters. Several prototype DMs are realized whose behavior is analyzed both statically and dynamically by comparing Wyko and laser vibrometer measurements with first principle models of the driver electronics, the actuators and the facesheet. To retain modularity of the system, a distributed control system architecture is foreseen in which each (group of) actuator(s) has its own controller that has a fixed computational power, communicates only to its neighbors and receives only a subset of the wavefront measurement data. The design of a distributed controller with good performance is complicated by the wavefront reconstruction step made necessary by the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. Nevertheless, a distributed algorithm that combines wavefront reconstruction with adaptive prediction is shown in simulation to approximate the performance of a centralized finite impulse response (FIR) predictor/reconstructor and does not deteriorate as the number of DOFs increases.


Detailed analyses of the short-term stability of the semiconductor fiber ring laser (SFRL) are presented. Analysis with rate equations shows that the relaxation oscillation effect does not exist in the SFRL. With a frequency-domain model, the mode competition in the SFRL is shown to be suppressed by the gain saturation effect of the semiconductor optical amplifier. Thus the observed good short-term stability of SFRL is theoretically explained. The analyses are verified in experiments.


We study the existence of reducing subspaces for rank-one perturbations of diagonal operators and, in general, of normal operators of uniform multiplicity one. As we will show, the spectral picture will play a significant role in order to prove the existence of reducing subspaces for rank-one perturbations of diagonal operators whenever they are not normal. In this regard, the most extreme case is provided when the spectrum of the rank-one perturbation of a diagonal operator $T=D + u\otimes v$ (uniquely determined by such expression) is contained in a line, since in such a case $T$ has a reducing subspace if and only if $T$ is normal. Nevertheless, we will show that it is possible to exhibit non-normal operators $T=D + u\otimes v$ with spectrum contained in a circle either having or lacking non-trivial reducing subspaces. Moreover, as far as the spectrum of $T$ is contained in any compact subset of the complex plane, we provide a characterization of the reducing subspaces $M$ of $T$ such that the restriction $T\mid _M$ is normal. In particular, such characterization allows us to exhibit rank-one perturbations of completely normal diagonal operators (in the sense of Wermer) lacking reducing subspaces. Furthermore, it determines completely the decomposition of the underlying Hilbert space in an orthogonal sum of reducing subspaces in the context of a classical theorem due to Behncke on essentially normal operators.


: Purpose: The purpose of this article is to identify and analyse the significance of the existing drivers and barriers in the implementation of solutions in the field of Digital, Intelligent and Sustainable Logistics (DISL) to SMEs and Large Companies. Design/Methodology/Approach: As part of this article, the survey conducted among Polish entrepreneurs was used. The results of the survey were analysed as part of the statistical analysis. The ANOVA analysis of variance was used for the gradation in terms of the significance level of both drivers and barriers, while the non-parametric Mann-Witney test was used to verify the differences in the perception of the drivers and barriers of DISL implementation for the variable: the size of the company. Findings: The performed statistical analysis allowed to verify the hypotheses relating to the identification of statistically significant differences in the perception of drivers and barriers to DISL implementation. As a result, it was possible to indicate differences for both variables in terms of their level of importance, which turned out to be true. Practical Implications: The area related to the analysis of the results of the conducted research in terms of identification and examination of the significance level of individual drivers and barriers to DISL implementation is particularly important from the point of view of the need for digitalisation and reducing the carbon footprint by modern supply chains. Originality/Value: This paper primarily analyses the results of surveys completed by managers of micro, SMEs and large companies in terms of drivers and barriers for the DISL implementation as a key aspect of the development of current supply chains.


The objectives of the study were to determine the pharmacokinetics of oxymorphone (oxy) and of ammonium sulfate-loaded, liposome-encapsulated oxymorphone (LE-ASG oxy) and to evaluate the behavioral effects of both opioid preparations by using ethographic evaluation specific to rhesus monkeys. Rhesus monkeys (n = 8) were injected with 2.0 mg/kg LE-ASG oxy s.c.. Blood samples were collected at serial time points up to 144 h in six monkeys and up to 456 h in two monkeys. Separate groups of monkeys were injected with 0.1 mg/kg oxy s.c. (n = 4) or i.v. (n = 5). Blood samples were collected at serial time points up to 24 h after injection. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by using commercially available software. Behavior was recorded in a different group of 10 monkeys administered LE-ASG oxy (2.0 mg/kg s.c.) or oxy (0.1 mg/kg s.c.) on separate occasions. Behavioral evaluations were made at serial time points while monkeys were in an extended cage with a compatible stimulus animal. Oxymorphone was rapidly eliminated from the serum in the oxy group. Measurable drug was present in serum for up to 4 h after oxy was administered subcutaneously or intravenously. LE-ASG oxy was present in serum in measurable concentrations for more than 2 weeks. Neither oxy nor LE-ASG oxy produced observable sedation. LE-ASG oxy decreased some environmentally directed behaviors, but this drug formulation increased watchfulness, decreased self-directed and elimination behaviors, increased nonspecific social contact, and decreased threat behaviors. LE-ASG oxy persisted for an extended period in rhesus monkey serum and produced behavioral changes consistent with this opioid.


Content centric networking (CCN) is a new networking paradigm to meet the growing demand for content access in the future. Because of its important role in accelerating content retrieval and reducing network transmission load, in-network caching has become one of the core technologies in CCN and has attracted wide attention. The existing caching schemes often lack sufficient consideration of node cache status and the temporal validity of user requests, and thus the cache efficiency of the network is greatly reduced. In this paper, a cache pressure-aware caching scheme is proposed, which comprehensively takes into account various factors such as content popularity, cache occupancy rate, cache replacement rate, and the validity period of the Interest packet to achieve reasonable cache placement and replacement. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme effectively improves the cache hit rate and the resource utilization while decreasing the average response hops.


Abstract Introduction: In-stent restenosis (ISR) is traditionally associated with neointimal hyperplasia. However, recent studies have suggested that an underlying progression of the atherosclerotic process called neoatherosclerosis, different from intimal proliferation, could be involved in ISR development. In this study the aim was to compare the characteristics of the neoatheromatous plaque evidenced by Multislice Angio Computed Tomography, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Virtual Histology Intravascular Ultrasound (VH-IVUS) with the characteristics of de-novo lesions in native coronary vessels of patients with ISR. Material and methods: This is a prospective single-center pilot study in which patients presenting with acute chest pain and having at least one symptomatic bare-metal stent (BMS) restenosis at six months to one year after BMS implantation, were enrolled. The characteristics of the neointimal tissue developed within the implanted stents using Acio CT, OCT and VH-IVUS were studied. Results: In total, 27 patients with 38 coronary BMS were included in the study, in whom 27 ISR lesions and 43 lesions in native coronary vessels were identified. Angio CT examination revealed that atheromatous plaques responsible for ISR tend to have a larger volume compared with native lesions located in the same coronary vessel (plaque volume 91.2 mm3 for ISR vs. 60.4 mm3 for native vessels, p <0.0001). Additionally, they show more low density plaques compared to native coronary lesions located in the same coronary vessel (33.9 mm3 vs. 18.2 mm3 for the volume of the plaque with density <30 HU, p <0.0001). Plaques responsible for ISR exhibit a higher lipid content than native ones (41.1% vs. 22.9%, p = 0.05). OCT analysis indicated an irregular shaped vascular lumen in 44.4% of ISR lesions compared to 25.6% of de-novo lesions (p = 0.1). Conclusions: Neoatherosclerosis within the implanted coronary stents is associated with signs of plaque vulnerability to a significantly higher extent than the atheromatous plaques in native coronary arteries in patients with ISR presenting with an acute coronary syndrome.


The problem of time-delays estimation of backscattered echoes from underwater targets is presented using a sparse reconstruction framework employing an integrated dictionary. To achieve high resolution, the used dictionary is usually defined over a finely spaced grid over the region of interest. Such a procedure may result in problems of being computational cumbersome or suffering from basis mismatch. In addition, the shape of the backscattered echoes may differ significantly from the expected waveforms used to form the dictionary, causing further mismatch problems. To alleviate such problems, the use of an integrated dictionary framework is introduced. Unlike traditional dictionaries that are defined over a set of grid points, the elements in an integrated dictionary are formed by integrating the expected waveform over bands of the parameter space. The resulting dictionary may be used to find initial regions of the parameters of interest using a smaller dictionary than otherwise required, without suffering a loss of performance. The elements can also better match with the backscattered echoes, even if these differ from their expected shape. Simulated results of the backscattered echoes from a cylindrical shell, as well as results from experimental measurements, illustrate the performance of the proposed method.


Foam cells play a vital role in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis. This review aims to summarize the novel insights into the origins, consequences, and molecular mechanisms of foam cells in atherosclerotic plaques. Foam cells are originated from monocytes as well as from vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), stem/progenitor cells, and endothelium cells. Novel technologies including lineage tracing and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) have revolutionized our understanding of subtypes of monocyte- and VSMC-derived foam cells. By using scRNA-seq, three main clusters including resident-like, inflammatory, and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (Trem2hi) are identified as the major subtypes of monocyte-derived foam cells in atherosclerotic plaques. Foam cells undergo diverse pathways of programmed cell death including apoptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, and pyroptosis, contributing to the necrotic cores of atherosclerotic plaques. The formation of foam cells is affected by cholesterol uptake, efflux, and esterification. Novel mechanisms including nuclear receptors, non-coding RNAs, and gut microbiota have been discovered and investigated. Although the heterogeneity of monocytes and the complexity of non-coding RNAs make obstacles for targeting foam cells, further in-depth research and therapeutic exploration are needed for the better management of atherosclerosis.


Normally the transport observed in tokamak experiments greatly exceeds that of collisional transport theory and this anomalous transport is usually attributed to turbulent fluctuations arising from various micro-instabilities, eg drift waves or pressure gradient driven ballooning modes. However, no theoretical model has yet been proposed which adequately describes all of the many fascinating features tokamak transport displays. In this paper the experimental observations that a transport model would need to satisfy are reviewed. Then the theoretical concepts and tools available for constructing models are outlined. The principal models that have emerged from these considerations are described and the results of detailed comparison with a number of experiments around the world are discussed. Finally the present situation regarding transport modelling is summarised.


By clarifying a plant evolutive process, useful information may be obtained on engineering. Consequently, an analysis algorithm that investigates the optimal arrangement of plant leaves was developed. In the developed algorithm, the Monte Carlo method is introduced and sunlight is simulated. Moreover, the arrangement optimization of leaves is analyzed using a Genetic Algorithm (GA). The number of light quanta (photon flux density) that reaches leaves, or the average photosynthetic rate of the same was set as the objective function, and leaf models of a dogwood and a ginkgo tree were analyzed. The number of leaf models was set between two to four, and the position of the leaf was expressed in terms of the angle of direction, elevation angle, rotation angle, and the representative length of the branch of a leaf. The chromosome model introduced into GA consists of information concerning the position of the leaf. Based on the analysis results, the characteristics of the leaf of an actual plant could be simulated by ensuring the algorithm had multiple constrained conditions. The optimal arrangement of leaves differs in maximization of the photon flux density, and that of the average value of a photosynthetic rate. Furthermore, the leaf form affecting the optimal arrangement of leave and also having a significant influence also on a photosynthetic rate was shown.


In recent years a new (or refound) interest in Spinoza as a classical philosophical thinker has emerged that might lead to a re-evaluation of his role in the history of Western thought. It has also become clear that this "New Spinoza" is an important and fascinating figure for contemporary political theory. Among the most relevant features of Spinoza's writing for political theory is his fundamental or ontological theory of power on the one hand and his highly original (and in the context of early modernity definitely rather radical) perspective on democracy on the other hand. The timeliest motive might lie in the point of intersection of the two, i.e. in Spinoza's thinking of democracy and democratic politics through power. My aim in this paper is to sketch out some of Spinoza's views on politics and to offer some reflections on the lessons contemporary political theory might draw from "political Spinozism". I will, first, give an overview of Spinoza's theory of power and try to make plausible why such a line of thinking has proven attractive for 20th century political or social philosophy. I will then, second, comment on the most important contemporary (and mainly Neo-Marxist) political interpretation of Spinoza. I will, third, give a short overview of Spinoza's controversial discussion of democracy, and fourth, try to argue that this historical episode might provide important suggestions for current debates on democratic governance, political change and forms of self-government. Spinoza's thinking of the multitude presents an alternative vision of democratic agency that can be easily linked to current debates about democratic legitimacy and "radical democracy".


Background
Lots of children use the smartphone in lying down posture that is unappreciated posture. The postures of children while using a smartphone affect their musculoskeletal pain and can enhance Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs).

Objective
To study the effect of lying down posture while using smartphone among school children in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.

Materials and methods
This survey study employed a Descriptive Cross-Sectional Design. The population was Grade 1-6 students studying in a primary school in Nakhon Si Thammarat. There were 122 samples selected based on the Volunteer Sampling Technique under the written consent of the students' guardians. The research instruments employed in this study were: 1) Questionnaire adapted from Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire asking musculoskeletal symptoms, 2) Posture Assessment using Kinovea Software to measure the angles of the muscle and postures during photo and video shooting of the smartphone users. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics while Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to test the mean differences.

Results
There is a significant difference at p<0.05 level in mean angles of the neck, trunk, shoulder, and lower arms when using smartphones in supine and prone postures. The correlation between smartphone usage postures and musculoskeletal symptoms at the head/neck, trunk, and upper arm are found significantly different at p<0.05 level. The statistically significant difference at p<0.05 level is also found in the differences of age, length of smartphone ownership, position when using smartphone, and length of a smartphone usage in lying down positions.

Conclusion
Smartphone usage in lying down positions of the participants can cause musculoskeletal pain especially in prone posture. It is recommended that guardians or relevant sectors have greater attention to smartphone usage among children to prevent their long-term musculoskeletal problems.


A complete and sufficient statistic is found for stationary marked Poisson processes with a parametric distribution of marks. Then this statistic is used to derive the uniformly best unbiased estimator for the length density of a Poisson or Cox segment process with a parametric primary grain distribution. It is the number of segments with reference point within the sampling window divided by the window volume and multiplied by the uniformly best unbiased estimator of the mean segment length.


A task group of members of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has reviewed the ration ale for radiological environmental monitoring required by NRC. The group was unable to develop a tightly knit rationale for all the elements of such a program. Two major factors led to this: (1) the large number of possible nuclide pathway combinations threatened to result in specifying lower limits of detection (LLD's) much more restrictive than considered practicable; and (2) a significant number of public reassurance-type measurement requirements always remained which did not fit a dose rationale. Therefore, the topics discussed are a mixture of requirements related to dose rationale and public reassurance. The task group concluded that radiological environmental monitoring requires a blend of two types of measurements: one type based on strict dose-related considerations and another type related to a need to make measurements which have a reassurance function. Further, whether environmental measurement data are used to directly assess the dose, to complement radioactivity release measurements, or to confirm a negative impact on the environment, there is a need for adequate quality in the data obtained to demonstrate either a correlation or lack of a correlation between facility operation and measured radioactivitymore » levels in the environment as compared with an environmental radiation dose criterion such as 25 mrem/year.« less


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the results of emergency surgery in COVID-19 patients with viral pneumonia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
A retrospective study included 75 COVID-19 patients who underwent emergency surgical interventions. Comorbidities included cardiac diseases, nonspecific lung diseases, type 2 diabetes, kidney diseases, overweight, and cancer. Various combinations of these diseases were also noted.

RESULTS
We carried out emergency surgeries for abdominal, thoracic, soft tissue and venous diseases. Postoperative mortality was 42.6%. The best results were obtained after minimally invasive interventions without mechanical ventilation. Extended surgery with mechanical ventilation was followed by fast progression of pneumonia according to clinical and CT data.

CONCLUSION
Surgical interventions undoubtedly worsen prognosis of treatment in patients with COVID-19. Emergency minimally invasive surgery without mechanical ventilation can reduce the risk of unfavorable outcomes in patients with viral pneumonia, especially in case of concomitant cancer and other severe comorbidities.