Background A key objective of the newly formed Knowledge Exchange Directorate in 2015 was to collaborate with other organisations to support the achievement of St Catherine's Hospice's (SCH) aim 'To help more people have quality of life to the end of life'. A formal collaboration with Higher Education was a high priority and in late 2015 discussions began with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) to explore a more formal relationship. Aim of the Collaboration To work together to explore opportunities for the joint development of: the expertise residing in UCLan and SCH for the benefit of local people and the local economy; educational opportunities through potential collaborative provision research and academic projects, including academic updating and sharing of good practice links within their respective industries to provide students with hands-on practical experience; joint bids for external funding to support the above. Methods A formal three- year Memorandum of Understanding was signed with UCLan to lay out the objectives of the partnership and the principles of collaboration alongside statements on intellectual property and confidentiality. Results Include New opportunities for students from the College of Health and Wellbeing and Medical School to support understanding end of life care. SCH to be included in the pilot of the Physician's Associate role Support to help SCH develop its communications strategy including a project by MBA students and a facilitated planning day delivered by the Leadership Hub Joint bid for research project on the use of communications technology in end of life care. Exploring potential for placements from events, communications and creative/design students. Conclusion The whole is greater than the sum of each part. SCH has to offer real world issues, experience, and community involvement; UCLan offers research, evidence-based knowledge and developing talent; together there is innovation, thought leadership and impact through social change.


This essay describes the first author's personal and professional journey to and through the Eighth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. The story is told in Ron Berger's voice but is written in the context of his friendship and professional collaboration with Jon Feucht, who uses a computerized augmentative communication device to speak. From the very beginning, the authors anticipated that their experiences at the Congress would contain possibilities for collecting ethnographic data and writing an article that would illuminate the lived experience of disability and augmentative communication. After arriving at the Congress, additional possibilities for a multilayered essay unfolded as well.


Facing the increasingly serious ageing problem, IT technology is being applied more and more to alleviate the increasing health demands of the elderly. Virtual reality (VR) games, in particular, have been shown to benefit the physical and mental health of the elderly. However, almost all consumer-level VR games address the general user, not considering the characteristics of the elderly, such as their particular needs regarding cognitive aspects and safety. In addition, the existing VR rowing games' research typically focuses on athlete training or is based on a rowing machine. Extending on previous research, this paper proposes a conceptual design of a VR rowing game, VRrowing to provide a home exercise game for the elderly which benefits both physical and mental health. This research first analysed the relevant literature and existing VR exercise games for the elderly to find characteristics and their particular needs. Then, following design principles (in exercise games, human–computer interaction, and user interfaces (UIs)) for the elderly, this study proposed a conceptual design of VRrowing through the MDA framework (standing for mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics). The results cover the system architecture, activities and tasks, patterns and roles, mechanics and structures, and UI examples. Based on comprehensive consideration of the results from relevant research and fostering strengths and circumventing weaknesses, VRrowing was designed as a sports game, aimed at the elderly according to their characteristics and needs, which fills the void of home VR rowing games for seniors' exercise. This research has reference value for scientific research or development personnel in VR game applications and evaluations, especially for such games targeting the elderly.


Objective: The aim of the study is to describe a delivery room intensive care unit (DRICU) model and evaluate its effectiveness in preventing morbidity and mortality in high-risk newborns. Design: This retrospective case series includes all DRICU procedures performed from 2016 to 2020. Setting: Gaslini Children's Hospital is a major pediatric tertiary care center where high-risk pregnancies are centralized. The Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit admits every year about 100 high-risk newborns. Patients: The selected patients are newborns at risk of critical conditions immediately after birth for respiratory or cardiovascular congenital disorders. Interventions: The perinatal plan is defined by the multidisciplinary team of Fetal and Perinatal Medicine. The DRICU procedure provides highly specialized care through a protocol that includes logistics, personnel, equipment, and clinical pathways. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome is the prevention of acute complications and mortality in the delivery room and early neonatal period. Results: From 2016 to 2020, 40 DRICU procedures were performed. The main prenatal diagnoses included congenital heart disease with a high risk of life-threatening events immediately after birth (38%), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (35%), and fetal hydrops/hydrothorax (23%). Mean gestational age was 35.9 weeks (range: 31–39), and mean birth weight was 2,740 grams (range: 1,480–3,920). DRICU assistance completed in all patients by neonatal intensivists included tracheal intubation and arterial and central venous cannulation; complex procedures such as ex-utero intrapartum technique and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation are described. No deaths nor severe acute complications occurred in the delivery room or in the immediate postnatal period. Conclusions: The outcome in critical newborns is potentially affected by planned assistance strategies and specialized competencies through the implementation of a DRICU protocol.


The article describes a retrospective study of the prognosis for 450 patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer discharged during the period 1970 to 1979. 81% of the patients were males. The predominant cell type was squamous cell carcinoma. One out of seven patients was inoperable because of poor cardiorespiratory function, six out of ten because of mediastinal metastases. Median survival was six months and was related both to staging of the tumor and to cell type. The prognosis was worst for patients with adenocarcinoma. Only 8% of the 450 patients were alive after two years. Specific and palliative therapy had a minor effect on median survival. Controlled clinical trials can probably settle whether an extension of the criteria for surgical treatment can improve the prognosis of this large group of patients.


Background: Studies of dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitors (DPP4is) report heterogeneous effects on cardiovascular targets in type 2 diabetes. Little is known about the cardiovascular effects of DPP4is in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in particular during the post-prandial state. Methods: In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, single-center pilot study, we included obese individuals with IGT. Participants were randomized to receive for 12 weeks either saxagliptin 5mg a day or placebo. They were explored non-invasively before and after a standardized breakfast for biological markers; microcirculatory blood flow at baseline and after transcutaneous administration of acetylcholine (Periflux System 5000® PERIMED); post-occlusive digital reactive hyperhemia (Endopat2000®); pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, central pulse pressure and subendocardial viability ratio (Sphygmocor®); cardiac hemodynamic parameters and cardiovascular autonomic nervous system activity (Task force monitor®). Results: We investigated 24 individuals (mean body mass index 36.8±4.8 kg/m2, hypertension 33.3%). The results of all the investigations were similar after breakfast in the two groups at Visit 1 (acute post-prandial effects, after the first tablet) and Visit 2 (long-term post-prandial effects), and at fasting at Visit 1 and 2 (long-term effects, after 12 weeks of treatment). Only at Visit 2 the decrease in cardiac vagal activity occurring after breakfast was more sustained in the saxagliptin group than in the placebo group (interaction between treatment and time effect: p=0.016).Conclusion: In obese patients with IGT, among the large set of cardiovascular parameters we measured in the fasting and post-prandial state, the unique change induced by saxagliptin consisted in a more marked post-prandial depression of vagal activity. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT01521312


In a drying process usually used forced flow condition. The energy used a dryer is usually only a single type of energy. Thus,the study is conducted on the natural flow dryer system by using the chimney. The energy used as a dryer is solar energy andbiomass that can be used simultaneously or one turns in accordance with the needs and circumstances. Has done testing of aprototype natural flow dryers utilize a combination of solar collectors energy and biomass furnace. Testing is done threetimes a process by measuring the following: the inlet air temperature of the biomass furnace, the outlet air temperature of thebiomass furnace, the inlet air temperature of the solar collector, the outlet air temperature of the solar collector, airtemperature into the drying chamber, air temperature out of the drying chamber, the mass decreasing of dried material, andthe intensity of solar radiation. Data were collected at each interval of 30 minutes was followed by processing of these datato obtain system performance, then made in the form of performance versus time graph. Results obtained in the form ofdrying time is achieved for one-time drying process is 7,5 hours, the average Solar collector efficiency is 54.4%, the averagebiomass furnace efficiency is12.57 %, the average drying efficiency is 22%, and the average system total efficiency is 2,8%.


The present study examined relationships between the levels of leisure-time, household, and occupational physical activity (PA) with psychological status and social networks in older Japanese adults. Of 2,100 adults aged 65 to 85 years randomly drawn from the resident register in Kasama City, 349 completed a required questionnaire. We assessed their PA using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly. A partial correlation analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to evaluate relationships between participants' three types of PA and scores of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS). We adjusted for age, educational level, and annual equivalent income. In men, higher leisure-time PA associated with favorable scores of several factors in the GDS (r = -.27~-.30) and LSNS (r = .17~.27). In women, higher leisure-time PA associated with favorable scores of GDS energy loss scores (r = -.15) and LSNS friends networks (r = .21). Older men with higher household PA displayed favorable scores of the GDS energy loss (r = -.19) and several factors in the LSNS (r = .18~.25). Older women with higher household PA displayed favorable scores of several factors in the GDS (r = -.18~-.25) and LSNS (r = .21~.22). The ANCOVA indicated that the level of leisure-time PA was lower in women living with both husband and relatives than in those living with relatives and no husband. The level of household PA was lower in men living with both wife and relatives than for men living with relatives and no wife. Psychological energy may be necessary to increase leisure-time PA and household PA in both older men and women. Leisure-time and household PA were more related to social networks in men than women.


The resistance of 260 strains of fecal coliforms, isolated from raw domestic sewage and aerobic lagoon effluent, to ampicillin, aureomycin, chloromycetin, gentamicin, streptomycin, sulfadiazine, and tetracycline, was determined. Aerobic lagoon treatment produced a 20-fold reduction in the fecal coliform numbers. No statistically significant difference in antibiotic resistance was observed between the fecal coliforms found in raw sewage and in lagoon effluent despite a trend towards the loss of resistance in the latter. Antibiotic resistance, either single or multiple, did not contribute to, or detract from, bacterial survival in the aerobic lagoon. Of the isolates, 15% showed resistance to two or more antiobiotics.


Offloading computation to cloud has been widely used for extending battery life of mobile devices. However, little effort has been invested in applying the offloading techniques to communication-related tasks. We propose SmartDiet, a toolkit to identify the constraints that reduce offloading opportunities and to calculate the energy-saving potential of offloading communication-related tasks. SmartDiet traces the method-level application execution and estimates the allocation of communication energy cost from traffic traces. We discuss key features of SmartDiet and show some preliminary results using a prototype implementation.


The entanglement properties of two beams of light can reside in subtle correlations that exist in the unavoidable quantum fluctuations of their amplitudes and phases. Recent advances in the generation of nonclassical light with four-wave mixing in an atomic vapor have permitted the production and the observation of entanglement that is localized in almost arbitrary transverse regions of a pair of beams. These multi-spatial-mode entangled beams may prove useful for an array of applications ranging from noise-free imaging and improved position sensing to quantum information processing.


Severe hemorrhage associated with trauma, surgery, and congenital or drug-induced coagulopathies can be life-threatening and requires rapid hemostatic management via topical, intracavitary, or intravenous routes. For injuries that are not easily accessible externally, intravenous hemostatic approaches are needed. The clinical gold standard for this is transfusion of blood products, but due to donor dependence, specialized storage requirements, high risk of contamination, and short shelf life, blood product use faces significant challenges. Consequently, recent research efforts are being focused on designing biosynthetic intravenous hemostats, using intravenous nanoparticles and polymer systems. Here we report on the design and evaluation of thrombin-loaded injury-site-targeted lipid nanoparticles (t-TLNPs) that can specifically localize at an injury site via platelet-mimetic anchorage to the von Willebrand factor (vWF) and collagen and directly release thrombin via diffusion and phospholipase-triggered particle destabilization, which can locally augment fibrin generation from fibrinogen for hemostatic action. We evaluated t-TLNPs in vitro in human blood and plasma, where hemostatic defects were created by platelet depletion and anticoagulation. Spectrophotometric studies of fibrin generation, rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM)-based studies of clot viscoelasticity, and BioFlux-based real-time imaging of fibrin generation under simulated vascular flow conditions confirmed that t-TLNPs can restore fibrin in hemostatic dysfunction settings. Finally, the in vivo feasibility of t-TLNPs was tested by prophylactic administration in a tail-clip model and emergency administration in a liver-laceration model in mice with induced hemostatic defects. Treatment with t-TLNPs was able to significantly reduce bleeding in both models. Our studies demonstrate an intravenous nanomedicine approach for injury-site-targeted direct delivery of thrombin to augment hemostasis.


A one-dimensional model of the welding arc that considers heat generation by the Joule effect and heat losses by radiation and conduction has been used to study the effects of various gases and gas mixtures currently employed for welding applications. Minor additions of low ionization potential impurities to these gases are shown to significantly perturb the electrical properties of the parent gas causing gross changes in the radial temperature distribution of the arc discharge. Such changes are reflected in the current density distribution and ultimately in the input energy distribution to the weldment. The result is observed as a variation in weld penetration. Recently published experiments and analyses of welding arcs are also evaluated and shown to contain erroneous data and results. Contrary to previous beliefs, the inclusion of a radiation loss term in the basic energy balance equation is important and cannot be considered as negligible in an argon arc at temperatures as low as 10,000/sup 0/K. The one-dimensional analysis of the welding arc as well as the evaluation of these earlier published reports helps to explain the effects of various gases used for welding, improves our understanding of the physics of the welding arc, and provides a steppingmore » stone for a more elaborate model which can be applied to help optimize welding parameters.« less


The signal/noise performance of a colour picture source is known to be an extremely difficult parameter to measure and specify. Owing to the complexity of signal processing within the picture chain, conventional methods of measuring r.m.s. noise levels at the outputs of the picture source can give a figure of merit that is substantially different from that obtained by direct observation of the subjective noise impairment of the final displayed picture. The paper describes the results of research to establish standard test procedures for the measurement of noise in picture sources. It is shown that noise-measuring equipment may be designed that yields a figure of merit termed 'the display signal/noise ratio' for the source under test. This figure of merit corresponds well with the subjective noise performance of the equipment.


Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) are abnormal oscillations during the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential and have been linked to cardiac arrhythmias. At the cellular level, EADs can be caused by reactivation of the L-type calcium (Ca2+) channels, spontaneous Ca2+ releases from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, or both. In tissue, these EADs can trigger action potentials in neighboring cells, which may propagate as a nonlinear wave. In this scenario, EADs are attributed to cellular/subcellular/channel properties. In this study, we show a novel mechanism of EADs due to heterogeneous distribution of excitable and non-excitable cells in tissue, using a physiologically detailed computational model and mathematical analysis. In tissue, excitability of cells depends on the cell type and physiological and pathological conditions. Non-excitable cells create a non-excitable gap in tissue, which has been thought to be a cause of slow waves and reflected waves. Here, we show that the non-excitable gap also can be responsible for EAD generation. However, EADs occur only when the non-excitable gap size is optimal. If the gap size is too small, no EADs occur. If the gap size is too large, the action potential wave cannot propagate through the gap region. We also demonstrate that EADs caused by the non-excitable gap can initiate reentry in tissue, which has been linked to ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. Thus, the non-excitable gap can lead to both focal and reentrant arrhythmias. EADs shown in this study are spatial phenomena and require tissue heterogeneity. Our study sheds light on the role of tissue heterogeneity on focal and reentrant arrhythmias.


Objectives: To evaluate trends of nasal bone length (NBL), prenasal thickness (PT), nuchal fold (NF), prenasal thickness to nasal bone length (PT-NBL) ratio, and prefrontal space ratio (PFSR), measured serially in second- and third-trimester Down syndrome (DS) fetuses. Methods: Prenatal databases were searched for cases of continuing DS pregnancies with serial measurements, taken at least two weeks apart. Trends were plotted on previously reported normal ranges. Results: Serial measurements were available in 25 Down syndrome fetuses. Median gestational age (GA) was 25 weeks; average number of visits per case was 2.44, with a median interval of 39 days between investigations. In DS fetuses, NBL and PT showed fairly stable trends with gestation. PFSR, but especially NF, had a more unpredictable trend. The PT-NBL ratio was the most stable marker, remaining unchanged in 95% of cases. NBL, PT, and NF showed more deviance from the normal range with advancing gestation, but MoM values remained stable. All but two fetuses had ultrasound markers or structural anomalies, especially heart defects. Conclusions: The PT-NBL ratio is the most constant DS marker throughout gestation, following a predictable trend.


This study investigated the strategies for enhancing guidance and counselling services in an effort to mitigate psychosocial distress in Tanzanian Universities. The study adopted a qualitative approach. Multistage and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the study participants. Two universities, two counsellors and two Deans of Students were purposively selected while eighteen students, nine from each university were sampled on the willingness basis for group discussion across the faculties. Data was collected using focus group discussion and interview schedule. For content validity, the inter-raters established the viability of the instruments in view of the research question. Reliability was ensured through multiple data collection instruments. Data was analyzed thematically. The study established that peer counselling programs were not formalized in universities in Tanzania. It can also be concluded that students were not informed about the availability and benefits of guidance and counselling services available in universities and the guidance and counselling departments were underfunded by the universities. Moreover, the counsellors were not professionally trained in counselling. The study recommended that Universities should employ professional counsellors, adequately fund the guidance and counselling services for efficient services. Besides, orientation programs should include informing new students about available guidance and counselling services on campuses.


In the recent years, large scale information transfer by remote computing and the development of massive storage and retrieval systems have witnessed a tremendous growth. To cope up with the growth in the size of databases, additional storage devices need to be installed and the modems and multiplexers have to be continuously upgraded in order to permit large amounts of data transfer between computers and remote terminals. This leads to an increase in the cost as well as equipment. One solution to these problems is "COMPRESSION" where the database and the transmission sequence can be encoded efficiently. In this we investigated for optimum wavelet, optimum level, and optimum scaling factor.


Objective: The study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) using primers targeting B1 gene of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) with Witmer Desmonts coefficient (WDC) technique in intraocular fluids of clinically suspected toxoplasma retino choroiditis (TRC) patients. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and seventy eight specimens from 189 patients (25 TRC patients and 164 controls) consisting of 189 serum samples and 89 intraocular fluids were included in the study. The clinical specimens were categorized into TRC patients (typical TRC lesion-group I & atypical TRC lesion-group II) and controls (voluntary blood donors-group III, patients undergoing uncomplicated cataract surgery-group IV, ocular inflammation of nontoxoplasma origin-group V). Detection of anti T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies in serum samples and intraocular fluids were performed and WDC was calculated by the standard method. The standardized nPCR was applied on the 89 intraocular fluids. Results: Clinical diagnosis of TRC based on fundus examination was considered to be the "gold standard." Anti T. gondii IgG/IgM antibodies were detected in serum by ELISA in 95.6% of 25 clinically suspected TRC patients (gp I and II), 28% of gp III, 40.4% of gp IV, and in 58.3% of gpV. Witmer Desmont's coefficient was positive in 72.7% (16/22) and nPCR in 59.1% (13/22) of TRC patients (gp I and II). Both WDC and nPCR were negative in all the controls. The difference in sensitivity of WDC and nPCR was not statistically significant (p = 0.5247). Conclusions: Though both WDC and nPCR were reliable diagnostic techniques for ocular toxoplasmosis, nPCR is more acceptable because of the amount of specimen(s) required, rapidity, cost effectiveness, and direct evidence of T. gondii DNA in the intraocular fluids.


1 Lim YN, Muller R, Corstiaans A, Dietz HP, Barry C, Rane AJ. Suburethral slingplasty evaluation study in North Queensland Australia. The SUSPEND Trial. Aust. N Z. J. Obstet Gynaecol. 2005; 45: 52–59. 2 Glavind K, Sander P. Erosion, defective healing and extrusion after tension-free urethropexy for the treatment of stress incontinence. Int. Urogynecol. J. Pelvic Floor Dysfunction 2004; 15: 179–182. 3 Papadimitriou J, Petros PE. Histological studies of monofilament and multifilament polypropylene mesh implants demonstrate equivalent penetration of macrophages between fibrils. Hernia. 2005; 9: 75–78. 4 Richardson PA. Ambulatory surgery for urinary incontinence and vaginal prolapse. Med. J. Aust. 1995; 162: 279. 5 Petros PEP. The female pelvic floor – function, dysfunction and management according to the integral theory. Heidelberg: Springer; 2004,. 6 Zacharin RF. The suspensory mechanism of the female urethra. J. Anat 1963; 97: 423–427.


South Slavs have been repeatedly used as precedents for international humanitarian law and consequently have affected global developments: from the international concern over positions of Christians in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1870s that led to the peaceful replacement of imperial rule to the late 20th century in the NATO intervention against Serbia and Montenegro over Kosovo Albanians, which led to the creation of the newest nation-state in Europe. In addition to internal factors, the very creation of the common South Slav state was a result of international interventions, as was the dissolution of the country. The League of Nations ruling in favour of the Yugoslav complaint against Hungary in 1934 aided in developing the UN Security Council resolutions against Afghanistan in September 2001. Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995 was a precedent for the UN sanctioned intervention, while Kosovo was a precedent for the non-sanctioned American-led intervention. Afghanistan, East Timor, Iraq, Libya are all legal consequences of interventions in the Balkans. Therefore, local history of interventions can lead to a general understanding of the development of international humanitarian law.


Abstract Background Wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging approach to help identify the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak. This tool can contribute to public health surveillance at both community (wastewater treatment system) and institutional (e.g., colleges, prisons, nursing homes) scales. Objectives This research aims to understand the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from initial wastewater surveillance efforts at colleges and university systems to inform future research, development and implementation. Methods This paper presents the experiences of 25 college and university systems in the United States that monitored campus wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 during the fall 2020 academic period. We describe the broad range of approaches, findings, resource needs, and lessons learned from these initial efforts. These institutions range in size, social and political geographies, and include both public and private institutions. Discussion Our analysis suggests that wastewater monitoring at colleges requires consideration of information needs, local sewage infrastructure, resources for sampling and analysis, college and community dynamics, approaches to interpretation and communication of results, and follow-up actions. Most colleges reported that a learning process of experimentation, evaluation, and adaptation was key to progress. This process requires ongoing collaboration among diverse stakeholders including decision-makers, researchers, faculty, facilities staff, students, and community members.


The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by 2019 novel coronavirus has become a global public health challenge. In addition to the typical respiratory symptoms, COVID-19 can induce damage to testicular spermatogenesis. This study focuses on the possible causes and follow-up monitoring of testicular injury induced by COVID-19.


Abstract. The growth
of small cloud droplets and ice crystals is dominated by the diffusion of
water vapor. Usually, Maxwell's approach to growth for isolated particles is
used in describing this process. However, recent investigations show that
local interactions between particles can change diffusion properties of cloud
particles. In this study we develop an approach for including these local
interactions into a bulk model approach. For this purpose, a simplified
framework of local interaction is proposed and governing equations are
derived from this setup. The new model is tested against direct simulations
and incorporated into a parcel model framework. Using the parcel model,
possible implications of the new model approach for clouds are investigated.
The results indicate that for specific scenarios the lifetime of cloud
droplets in subsaturated air may be longer (e.g., for an initially water
supersaturated air parcel within a downdraft). These effects might have an
impact on mixed-phase clouds, for example in terms of riming efficiencies.


: Despite their biological and economic importance coral reefs are increasingly threatened by human activities. Recently, 'bleaching' of reefs, i.e. loss of photosynthetic pigmentation, has occurred at numerous globally-distributed sites. A number of environmental stressors, including increased water temperature, can induce bleaching. Several investigators have suggested that the widespread occurrence of coral bleaching represents an early warning signal of global greenhouse warming. Regardless of the cause, the extent of coral bleaching, both regionally and globally, needs to be documented and monitored. We conducted laboratory studies to evaluate the potential of using remotely-sensed laser-induced fluorescence to monitor coral pigmentation. Five species of Caribbean corals were collected, transported to the laboratory, and maintained in aquaria. Coral samples were irradiated at either 532 nm or 337 nm with pulsed-laser light and spectral scans of fluorescence were collected at 1 nm intervals. Dlstinct chlorophyll fluorescence peaks at 685 and 740 nm were observed in all species examined. In corals exposed to temperature-induced stress, incipient changes In the fluorescence spectra could be detected prior to visible bleaching and coral death. Remotely-measured (aircraft or ship) laser-induced fluorescence provides a potentially useful tool for monitoring the pigmentation status of coral reefs. Field validation will be necessary, but our results suggest that it may be possible to distinguish bleaching, or even partial bleaching, over large geographical areas with sensitivity and rapidity.


The β isoform of thyroid hormone receptor (TR-β) has a key role in the feedback regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (H-P-T) axis. The mechanism of trans-repression of the hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) subunit genes, however, remains poorly understood. A number of distinct mechanisms for TR-β-mediated negative regulation by thyroid hormone have been proposed, including those that require and do not require DNA binding. To clarify the importance of DNA binding in negative regulation, we constructed a DNA-binding mutant of TR-β in which two amino acids within the P box were altered (GSG for EGG) to resemble that found in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). We termed this mutant GS125, and as expected, it displayed low binding affinities for positive and negative thyroid hormone-response element (pTRE and nTRE, respectively) in gel-mobility shift assays. In transient transfection assays, the GS125 mutant abolished transactivation on three classic pTREs (DR+4, LAP, and PAL) and all negatively regulated promoters in the H-P-T axis (TRH, TSH-β, and TSH-α). However, GS125 TR-β bound to a composite TR/GR-response element and was fully functional on this hybrid TR/GR-response element. Moreover, the GS125 TR-β mutant displayed normal interactions with transcriptional cofactors in mammalian two-hybrid assays. These data do not support a DNA-binding independent mechanism for thyroid hormone negative regulation in the H-P-T axis.


We report on the use of an effective Mueller matrix to characterize the spatially-resolved diffuse backscattering Mueller matrix patterns of highly scattering media. The matrix expressions are based on assuming that the photon trajectories include only three scattering events. The numerically determined effective Mueller matrix elements are compared with the Monte Carlo simulated diffuse backscattering Mueller matrix for the polystyrene sphere suspensions. The results show that the two-dimensional intensity pattern maps of the effective Mueller matrix elements have good agreements with Monte Carlo simulations in both azimuthal structure symmetry and radial dependence. It is demonstrated that this effective Mueller matrix can be used to quantitatively predict and interpret the experimentally-determined diffuse backscattering Mueller matrix from highly scattering media.


Recently, Internet connectivity in mobile ad hoc network (MANET) has been studied extensively in order to support ubiquitous Internet services to MANET users and provide interworking with other networks such as wireless local area network (WLAN) and cellular networks to extend the coverage of these networks. Although there have been a lot of works on connecting MANET with Internet, few works have been performed on the detailed performance analysis of the effect of routing path discovery for Internet connection from MANET with reactive routing protocol such as ad hoc on demand distance vector (AODV) protocol from the aspect of routing discovery delay and control overhead. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical mobile AODV6 network architecture, which combines the concept of hierarchical Mobile IPv6 and AODV ad hoc routing protocol. In the proposed architecture, Internet gateway performs the role of mobility anchor point (MAP) of hierarchical mobile IP (HMIP), and a novel routing path discovery and data delivery scheme is proposed by managing address information of connected nodes in Internet gateway. Then, the performance of the proposed scheme is analyzed in terms of routing path discovery overhead and control packet overhead for Internet connection from AODV6 node. The result shows that the proposed scheme has lower control packet overhead and routing path discovery delay compared with conventional AODV6 scheme


Listening plays a fundamental role as the first basic skill in English language communication but the skill seems to be neglected in ESL research and classrooms. The limited published studies in the literature reporting on the teaching of listening and the lack of details in the existing studies warrant more attention in finding more effective strategies to teach listening. Thus, the quasiexperimental study sought to ascertain the effectiveness of using project-based learning (PjBL) activities as a teaching strategy in improving the listening competency of ESL learners in a Communicative English course. Data were gathered from 44 students after a 16-week study conducted at a Malaysian TVET college. A PjBL teaching module comprising a number of listening activities was used in the experimental group as a treatment while the control group was taught using the conventional teaching strategy. A listening competency test was administered as pre-test and post-test on both groups. Data were analysed using t-tests, ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test. The study found that the learners in the PjBL group significantly outperformed those in the control group in their listening competency and dialogue listening comprehension with a large effect size. The study is important to increase the understanding of teachers and practitioners in the area of teaching of listening in ESL classrooms.


Since biological organisms have evolved in a noisy environment, it is likely that they have intricate mechanisms in place to deal with noise, and even to exploit it. Engineers can learn much from biology, and to this end we briefly review some methods in which noise can be used in systems in an advantageous way. Among these methods are: stochastic search, encoding and transmission of information by noise, stochastic resonance, fluctuation-enhanced sensing, and synchronization through noise. This paper gives some examples in which these mechanisms are expected to improve the efficiency of engineered systems.


Application of information technology has changed the work of engineers. Products, processes, and knowledge are handled in comprehensive and sophisticated computer systems. In these systems, engineering objects are described, related, and communicated using wide range of latest advancements in computer and information technology including intelligent computing. Recently, Internet portals organize work of communities of engineers. Because computer methods and tools change frequently, lifetime education of engineers is essential. For this purpose, engineering systems have means for continuous education and training. An experimental engineering portal has been established in the Laboratory of Intelligent Engineering Systems (LIES). It represents integrated product related engineering including modeling, simulation, manufacturing, product data management, knowledge management, communication, and multi site management of project work. As an integrated functionality, and using facilities provided by powerful engineering system, a higher education functionality is being conceptualized in the LIES. As the methodological background for education, an approach and method for virtual classroom by the authors is being implemented. Competences in BSc and MSc courses as they are collected from recent industrial engineering technology represent the primary expected advantage of this solution. In this paper, the problem of bridging the gap between higher education and engineering functionality is discussed. Previous works in the area of computer system based higher education and by the authors are introduced. Following this, functionality of engineering system and virtual classroom are compared and concept of Integrated Engineering and Higher Education (IEHE) is proposed. Classroom model by the authors as associative set of structure, content, teaching process, and assessment entities is explained. Next, competence extraction as taxonomy controlled modification of topics in courses, construction of classroom model as object related actions together with relating and constraining of objects, and handling of capability and human intent originated conflicts are discussed. Finally, an experimental laboratory system for product lifecycle management (PLM) system and integrable functionality of the engineering system are concluded as implementation issues.


4 cases of malignant tumors of the head and neck diagnosed in our department in 1983-1987 are presented. They are: rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the nose and the ethmoid sinuses, RMS of the nasal vestibulum, nasopharyngeal lymphoma malignum. Diagnostic difficulties were met by the histopathological evaluation of the tumors specimens, but the applied treatment was effective. There are no signs of recurrence during the observation period of 4-8 years.


This essay discusses the "need to know" in public policy now that it has been confronted with the resurgence of so-called global religion. More specifically, it details recent controversies concerning "the religious fact" in education in the secular state and analyzes the conceptual difficulties in differentiation between "cult" and "culture." The essay concludes with some very tentative observations concerning the desirability of a religious "canon"—to begin within and for "Europe"—suggesting that, if we adopt or, rather, stipulate a plausible definition of that historical and somewhat technical term (i.e., "canon") and, indeed, apply it wisely, then nothing less—and nothing more—may be needed to avoid the old and new cultural "clashes" that so many have feared are invited by the so-called "post-secular challenge." To do so requires revisiting and reconsidering the cultural idioms and cultic practices for which this term—"canon"—once stood, not least since many of its original assumptions seem no longer valid or useful, if ever they were.


Recently, the progress of learning-by-synthesis has proposed a training model for synthetic images, which can effectively reduce the cost of human and material resources. However, due to the different distribution of synthetic images compared with real images, the desired performance cannot be achieved. To solve this problem, the previous method learned a model to improve the realism of the synthetic images. Different from the previous methods, this paper try to purify real image by extracting discriminative and robust features to convert outdoor real images to indoor synthetic images. In this paper, we first introduce the segmentation masks to construct RGB-mask pairs as inputs, then we design a mask-guided style transfer network to learn style features separately from the attention and bkgd(background) regions and learn content features from full and attention region. Moreover, we propose a novel region-level task-guided loss to restrain the features learnt from style and content. Experiments were performed using mixed studies (qualitative and quantitative) methods to demonstrate the possibility of purifying real images in complex directions. We evaluate the proposed method on various public datasets, including LPW, COCO and MPIIGaze. Experimental results show that the proposed method is effective and achieves the state-of-the-art results.


This study is an attempt to construct and test a distress classification model for Korean companies. Utilizing a sample of 34 distressed firms from the recent 1990-1993 period and a matched (by industry and year) sample of non-failed firms, we observe the classification accuracy of two models. Both models utilize measures of firm size, asset turnover, solvency and leverage with one model available for testing only on publicly traded companies and one model applicable to all public and private entities. We observe excellent classification accuracy based on data from the first two years prior to distress. And, although the accuracy drops off after t-2, the models still provide effective early warnings of distress in many cases. The results of this study are of particular relevance in the current financial market scenario of increased deregulation and greater individual financial institution decision making. It is somewhat ironic for us to be proposing the use of a financial distress early-warning model given the current robust economic growth and low bankruptcy rate in Korea. But, the financial problems in Japan are a sobering reminder that high growth can be followed by financial excesses, increased business failures and large loan losses.


Since the events of 11 September, regional organisations around the globe have realigned themselves to confront the new security threats posed by terrorism. While these threats can, and do, affect southern Africa in many ways, there has yet to be strong action taken at a regional level, and commitments to dealing with the issue have been varied. This essay attempts to explore why terrorism should demand more attention from southern African states, and reasons why those states should confront the issue through regional apparatuses. It also examines areas that the SADC region will have to fine-tune in order to successfully implement security measures against terrorism. The essay seeks to take stock of the present capacity within the region as well as learn from what other regions around the world are doing. It highlights how other regions have already taken steps to mitigate their collective vulnerabilities by emphasising coordination, cooperation and harmonization among members. The essay highlights how, by integrating international models with existing regional capacity, southern African states can—and should—begin to confront the threats that terrorism poses to the region.


Background
The role of a program coordinator (PC) in graduate medical education (GME) has become increasingly important.

Objective
We surveyed PCs nationwide to identify the predictors of better performance outcomes.

Methods
A 58-question survey focusing on metrics that could be used to measure administrative performance was submitted electronically to 1515 PCs. Preplanned analysis was conducted to determine the association between receipt of training and PC performance metrics.

Results
A total of 712 (47%) PCs responded to the survey completely. Most (59%, 422 of 712) were from university programs. Respondents reported having received only GME training (17%, 121 of 712), only peer training (15%, 106 of 712), or both (9%, 67 of 712). Of those who reported, 51% (366 of 712) with GME training and 99% (708 of 712) with peer training found that training was helpful. The PCs who received both GME and peer training reported better performance, including lower rates of delayed starts and graduations, higher rates of compliance in cases and work hour reporting, and higher levels of readiness for internal reviews, GME visits, and the Match. The PCs who received only peer training reported better performance than did those with only GME training. Self-reported factors associated with improved PC performance were having prior administrative experience (β = 0.201, P = .010) and being a PC for a longer time (β = 0.188, P = .027).

Conclusions
Having only GME training did not seem sufficient for an optimal PC performance. A combination of peer and GME orientation yielded the best administrative outcomes.


OBJECTIVES Current methods of monitoring chronic synovitis in a single joint rely on clinical examination derived indices, such as the detection of synovial thickening. This study aimed to develop a reproducible method for quantifying the volume of synovial lining in chronic synovitis using contrast enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. METHODS The knees of 18 patients with chronic synovitis were examined (34 studies). A 2D T1 weighted FLASH sequence was used to evaluate the temporal enhancement of synovial structures after intravenous contrast. Synovial lining volume was calculated from subtraction of pre and post-enhancement 3D T1 weighted MP RAGE images with thresholding and pixel counting. Eleven patients were examined before and after intra-articular glucocorticoid (mean interval 14 weeks) and MR data compared with changes in clinical examination derived indices of disease activity. RESULTS Synovial lining volume varied from 52–267 ml. The coefficient of variation in volume calculation was 3.5% for a single observer and was 3.8% for two observers. Synovial lining volume was quantified in all patients where synovial lining thickening could not be detected clinically. A decrease in synovial lining volume of >40% was associated with an improvement in synovial lining thickening, detected clinically. Decreases in synovial lining volume were quantified by MR in two of three patients where changes in clinical examination derived indices were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS A reproducible method of estimating the volume of synovial lining in patients with chronic synovitis has been developed. MR measurement of synovial lining volume may quantify changes in chronic synovitis that remain unidentified by clinical measures.


The authors use evidence from a survey of about 1200 beneficiaries of South African land reform to assess the performance of the initial phase of the land reform program. They find that the program has not lived up to the quantitative goals set, but did successfully target the poor. It has led to a significant number of economically successful projects that already generate sustainable revenues. These projects have involved significantly larger shares of poor people than less viable projects, suggesting that increased access to productive assets could be an important path to poverty reduction. Given the need to develop a diverse and less subsidy-dependent strategy for poverty reduction, suitably adapted land reform could play an important part in restructuring South Africa's rural sector. Much of this potential has yet to be realized. The author's analysis points toward clear lessons about program design: 1) Increase beneficiary awareness and participation. Shift from a centralized, bureaucratic structure designed for land distribution toward seeing program components as part of an integrated vision of rural development. This would strengthen links to other parts of land reform (including tenure reform), make better use of local synergies (including infrastructure such as housing), and encourage rather than stifle local initiative decentralized implementation mechanisms. 2) Integrate land redistribution into a land policy framework that strengthens existing property rights, especially tenure security for residents of communal areas. 3) Ensure transparency, accountability, and the participation of the private sector. These are essential for dispelling fears that land reform is just another means of political favoritism rather than an instrument to transform the rural sector, as is indeed supported by international evidence.


A new method was developed to diagnose the depth of cancer invasion using submucosography combined with special charcoal suspension containing mitomycin C, and applied to 8 cases of gastric cancer. Correct diagnosis of the depth of the cancer invasion was obtained in 7 of the 8 cases. As some cases of early gastric cancer can be treated endoscopically, it is important to know the condition of the invasion before any treatment is performed.


Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons are promising for use in toxicity evaluations in nonclinical studies. One of the major adverse events affecting the central nervous system observed during clinical trials is convulsions. Micro-electrode array (MEA) systems have recently attracted attention for use in evaluating the convulsion potential of a drug because they non-invasively measure the electrophysiological activity of neural networks at multiple sites in a high-throughput manner. Over twelve compounds including convulsants were tested at 5 concentrations. Using principal component analysis, clustering analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI), we have succeeded in separating the responses between convulsive drugs and negative control, and in classifying the mechanism of actions of drugs from spontaneous firing data. The MEA assay using hiPSC-derived neurons and our analysis method will be effective for predicting the seizure liability and mechanism of action of new drugs.


Pituitary tumors are rare in childhood and adolescence, with a reported prevalence of up to 1 per million children. Only 2-6% of surgically treated pituitary tumors occur in children, with some variation attributed to a lack of consensus for a pediatric age range and whether age at surgery or age at onset of symptoms was used. Although pituitary tumors in children are almost never malignant and hormonal secretion is rare, these tumors may result in significant morbidity. Pituitary adenomas produce a variety of hormonal conditions such as hyperprolactinemia, acromegaly or gigantism, or Cushing disease. Sporadic lesions comprise the majority of pituitary tumors in children and there is sparse information about genetic causes. However, in children more frequently than in adults, pituitary tumors may be a manifestation of genetic conditions such as Carney complex, McCune-Albright syndrome, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1), and familial isolated pituitary adenoma (FIPA). The study of pituitary tumorigenesis in the context of these genetic syndromes has advanced our knowledge of the molecular basis of pituitary tumors and may lead to new therapeutic developments. Molecular understanding of pituitary adenoma formation is essential for the development of medical therapies and the treatment of post-operative recurrences. In general, mutations in genes involved in genetic syndromes associated with pituitary tumors are not a common finding in sporadic lesions. In contrast MEN1 and AIP mutations may be more frequent among specific subgroups of patients, such as in children and young adults with growth hormone-producing adenomas. In this presentation, we review the most recent data on clinical diagnosis and outcomes, as well as in the molecular pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas and discuss some of the most recent findings from our laboratory. Guidelines for genetic screening and clinical counseling of patients with pituitary tumors are provided.


In this article, the author investigates the development mechanism of oedema observed in chronic venous insufficiency. This oedema is of lymphatic origin and its characteristics vary according to whether the lymphatic vessels are normal or have deformed by inflammatory processes. From the therapeutic angle we emphasize the advantages of gentle massage as a physical decongestant.


In the US, medium-wave broadcast stations utilize ground-mountedverticalmonopole antennas with extensive buried-radial ground systems. Over a period of time, these radials may deteriorate, leading to a decrease in the radiated field strength of the antenna. Computer modeling studies indicate that, in such a situation, the addition of four elevated radials can restore performance to a level which is equal to or better than the original installation. Several different configurations for the elevated radials were investigated, includingvariations in their orientation, length, and height above ground. The computer software used for this work was the Numerical Electromagnetics


Pruritus persisting for six weeks or longer is considered chronic. It may arise from dermatological, systemic, neurological, psychosomatic or psychiatric conditions or result from a combination of several factors. Due to chronicity processes, such as peripheral and central sensitization, pruritus may persist even after treatment of the underlying cause. Additionally chronic pruritus constitutes often a high burden for the affected patients, who frequently develop associated conditions, such as anxiety, depression or sleep disorders. Owing to the multiple dimensions of chronic pruritus, it presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the attending physician. The categorization of the condition according to the clinical presentation helps directing the diagnostic and treatment efforts. Therapeutically a step-wise approach should be undertaken. First basic measures, such as the use of emollients for dry skin, topical steroids for inflamed or excoriated skin and antihistamines should be initiated. If the origin underlying the chronic pruritus is found, a causal therapy should be attempted. If no cause is found or a causal treatment is not possible, a symptomatic multimodal therapy with topical and systemic agents is often necessary. With increasing knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying chronic pruritus, novel drugs with promising effects are being developed.


A haploscope is an optical system which produces a carefully controlled virtual image. Since the development of Wheatstone's original stereoscope in 1838, haploscopes have been used to measure perceptual properties of human stereoscopic vision. This paper presents an augmented reality (AR) haploscope, which allows the viewing of virtual objects superimposed against the real world. Our lab has used generations of this device to make a careful series of perceptual measurements of AR phenomena, which have been described in publications over the previous 8 years. This paper systematically describes the design, assembly, calibration, and measurement of our AR haploscope. These methods have been developed and improved in our lab over the past 10 years. Despite the fact that 180 years have elapsed since the original report of Wheatstone's stereoscope, we have not previously found a paper that describes these kinds of details.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of body mass index (BMI), mindfulness and self-esteem on reported body image among university students. Methods: Data were collected through questionnaires from 266 students and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe`s test, Pearson`s correlation coefficients and Stepwise multiple regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 19.0 program. Results: As defined by body mass index, the sample was divided into an underweight group was 88.7%, a normal weight group was 10.5%, and an overweight group was 0.8%. The levels of body image depended on family income, personality, and BMI. The body image was significantly correlated with BMI, mindfulness, and self-esteem. The influential factors affecting body image were self-esteem, BMI, family income and personality, which explained about 34.6% of the variance. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that nursing intervention are needed to improve body image, and that such variables should be carefully considered in intervention for university students.


In Mytilus edulis 5-Ht induced relaxation of a muscle in catch is preceded by an increase in 3',5'-AMP content. In vitro two proteins of the contractile apparatus are phosphorylated by 3',5'-AMP dependent protein kinases. The 295000 dalton protein cannot be identified, the other one is paramyosin. Phosphorylated paramyosin inhibits actomyosin ATPase of smooth mollusc muscles at low and high Ca++ concentrations.


Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is occurring in a relatively low frequency but is sometimes problematic clinically. The aims of this study were to know the epidemiology of HIT in Korean population and to gain some insight of the physicians' awareness of this syndrome. We obtained the records of all patients treated with unfractionated heparin (UFH) for their acute coronary syndrome at the Gachon Medical School Gil Heart Center during 2002–2003. Eligible patients were required to have checked complete blood counts at least twice in their hospital courses and to have normal baseline platelet count. Patients who had unexplained (absence of all common causes) thrombocytopenia were considered to have clinical HIT. We also reviewed the medical record of all patients with thrombocytopenia to determine whether the treating-physicians have thought and/or ordered any laboratory evaluation for immune-mediated HIT. Among 874 consecutive patients treated with UFH, 272 (31.1%) had never followed their platelet count after admission and 58 (6.6%) had baseline thrombocytopenia. Thus, 554 patients had protocol-compliant data and were included in the study. Median duration of UFH administration was 6 days (range 1 to 41) and 62 (11.1%) patients developed thrombocytopenia. Among the 442 patients who received UFH for > 96 hours, 51 (11.5%) developed thrombocytopenia. In these patients with prolonged UFH administration, 16 had a hematology consult, 30 had suspected to have clinical HIT, and only one had a diagnosis of HIT in their medical records. In 21 patients, possible other causes for thrombocytopenia were evident. Even though this is a tertiary academic hospital, serologic tests for HIT was never ordered. Keeping in mind the limitations of retrospective analyses, the present study shows that thrombocytopenia is common in patients treated with UFH and that physician's awareness of this syndrome is limited.


Varying the cellulose component of coating formulations affected the survival of two yeast biocontrol agents, Candida guillermondii (Castelani) Langeron and Guerra strain US7 and Debaryomyces sp. strain 230, when these yeasts were incorporated into the coating. Using methylcellulose as the main film-former gave the most recovery of the yeasts after an incubation period for both strains. Significant control of decay on naturally infected 'Pineapple' and 'Valencia' oranges [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.] was demonstrated for US7 in a methylcellulose-based coating for the first 2 to 4 weeks of storage at 16C and 90% relative humidity. During this time, US7 in methylcellulose formulations was similar in decay control to a commercial shellac coating with imazalil at 2000 mg.liter -1 . A US7 concentration of at least 10 5 colony-forming units/cm was maintained on the coated fruit surface of 'Valencia' oranges for 3 weeks of storage. Suppression of decay by US7 was improved by the addition of glucose and calcium chloride to the coating formulation. Although nearly equal in concentration recovered, Debaryomyces strain 230 was not as effective as US7 in disease suppression of 'Pineapple' oranges. The addition of US7 to Nature Seal, a coating material made with methylcellulose, had neither a quantitative nor a qualitative effect on the pathogen population compared to the same formulation without the antagonist. Chemical name used : 1-[2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(2-propenyloxy)ethyl]-1H-imidazole (imazalil).


Abel (2002) proposes a resolution of the riskfree rate and the equity premium puzzles by considering pessimism and doubt. Pessimism is characterized by subjective probabilistic beliefs about asset returns that are stochastically dominated by the objective distribution of these returns. The subjective distribution is characterized by doubt if it is a meanpreserving spread of the objective distribution. This note offers a decision theoretic foundation of Abel's ad-hoc definitions of pessimism and doubt under the assumption that individuals exhibit ambiguity attitudes in the sense of Schmeidler (1989). In particular, we show that the behavior of a representative agent, who resolves her uncertainty with respect to the true distribution of asset returns in a pessimistic way, is the equivalent to pessimism in Abel's sense. Furthermore, a representative agent, who takes into account pessimistic as well as optimistic considerations, may result in the equivalent to doubt in Abel's sense.


We describe 24-port and 36-port antennas based on a cube structure. The antennas are formed by densely packing individual antennas onto a cube. The 24-port antenna cube has a volume of 0.72 lambdao 3 while the 36-port antenna has a volume of 1.13 lambdao 3. Even though the individual antennas are densely packed, most combinations of mutual couplings between ports exhibit better than -20 dB isolation. The basic 24-port cube antenna is formed by utilizing cross polarized quarter-wave slots at the cube edges. This provides polarization diversity on every edge of the cube, and both spatial and polarization diversities on the entire structure, leading to good isolation. Additionally 6 pairs of half-wave slot antennas are placed on each surface of the cube to provide 12 extra ports and therefore form our 36-port antenna. The cube antennas are made from FR-4 printed-circuit-boards (PCB), which is low-cost and allows ease of prototyping. The proposed cubes are investigated by simulation and measurement. One potential application for the cube antennas is in multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication systems. The expected channel capacity of the 36-port cube with both mutual coupling and channel correlation considered is between 131-159 b/s/Hz at an SNR of 20 dB per receiver branch (compared to an ideal channel capacity of 197 b/s/Hz) when MIMO channels in a rich scattering environment with sufficient multipath are available.


Isolated fractures of femur account for more than 10% of all road traffic injuries. Traumatic injury of femoral bone triggers a cascade of interrelated neuroendocrine reactions at systemic level, primarily at the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, systemic response of immune system, initiated by release of tissue degradation products, cytokines and other mediators of damage into systemic blood circulation. Specific cellular reactions in response to traumatic injury to bone tissue include both innate and adaptive immune responses. In this regard, there is still scarce information on changes in blood lymphocyte subpopulations observed after closed isolated fracture of the femoral diaphysis at the middle third, before and after surgery. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes following closed isolated fracture of the femoral diaphysis with bone displacement in thecourse dynamics of surgical treatment, thus being required for studies in pathogenesis, development of diagnostic criteria and creating innovative treatment approaches. The study included 20 apparently healthy men and 36 men with closed isolated fracture of the femoral diaphysis of the middle third (32A and 32B, by AO/ASIF clinical classification, coded according to ICD-10 S72.3). The exclusion criteria were as follows: exacerbation of chronic comorbidities, diseases of lymphatic system and haematopoietic organs, oncological diseases, and evidence of osteoporosis. The spectrum of blood lymphocyte subsets was assessed on days 5, 7 (immediately after surgery) and on day 18 after closed isolated fracture of femoral diaphysis. We have found that, on the day 5 after IPBC along with leukocytosis in peripheral blood, the number of T-regulatory cells, cells with markers of early (CD25+) and late activation (HLA-DR+) proved to be increased, whereas representation of NK cells was decreased. On the day 7 after IPBC and immediately after surgery, leukocytosis persisted in blood, along with increased number of T-regulatory cells, CD3+ cells with early and late activation markers. On the day 18 after closed isolated fracture of the femoral diaphysis, the total numbers of leukocytes, T-lymphocytes, T-helpers, T-regulatory cells, T cells with an early activation marker are restored in peripheral blood, whereas the number of T-lymphocytes expressing HLA-DR+ molecules showed a significant increase.


AIM
The aim of this study was to study the frequency of aortic arch branching variation in Chinese patients using multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) angiography.

METHODS
Retrospectively analysis of MSCT images from 750 consecutively enrolled patients to study the frequency of aortic arch branching variation.

RESULTS
Among 750 patients enrolled, 21 cases were excluded due to poor image quality, and a total of 729 cases were included for the analysis. Nine types of aortic arch branching pattern were identified. The aortic arch branch has absented of any variation (type I) in 559 patients (76.68%). The most frequent anatomical variant was the common origin to the right brachiocephalic trunk and left common carotid artery (type II), which occurred in 97 patients (13.31%). From type III to type IX, the incidence rate of variation was 2.61%, 5.76%, 0.14%, 0.82%, 0.27%, 0.27% and 0.14%, respectively.

CONCLUSION
This is the largest study to date that investigated the frequency of aortic arch branching variation in Chinese patients using MSCT. The study showed that the rate of type V aortic arch variation is different between Chinese patienst and Westerners ones. Also, this study identified one case of aortic arch branching variant (type IX) that has not been reported before. MSCT can depict the blood vessel variation from multilayer and multi-angle, reveal its structural relationship with surrounding tissue, and guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment.


Because of the great importance to organic chemistry of the double C=C bond and the resonance effects which arise from the conjugation of double bonds, the electronic spectra of the molecules ethylene and butadiene (see following paper) are of very considerable interest. Unfortunately it is not possible to obtain these spectra in emission since an electrical discharge tends to disrupt polyatomic molecules into diatomic fragments. However, the spectra can be obtained in absorption. It is found that the first strong bands appear in the neighbourhood of 2000 A and that they extend towards shorter wave-lengths far into the vacuum ultra-violet. The instruments which have been employed in this present investigation are two vacuum grating spectrographs. These were used in conjunction with a source of the Lyman continuum which enabled the absorption to be followed down to about 1000 A (Rathenau. 1933; Collins and Price 1934: details of the experimental technique are given in these articles). A certain amount of earlier work has been done on ethylene and butadiene by Scheibe and Grieneisen (1934). As these authors employed the molecular hydrogen continuum in conjunction with fluorite spectrographs in their investigations, their measurements were limited to the region above 1650 A and under the circumstances no attempts at analysis were made. The extension of the investigations to shorter wave-lengths by the present methods has given a more complete picture of the absorption. From this and with the help of more recent ideas on the structure of these molecules it has been possible to arrive at a satisfactory analysis of the bands. A preliminary account of the spectrum of ethylene together with a tentative analysis has been given by Price (1935). By obtaining the spectrum of tetra-deutero-ethylene (and also C2H3D) to compare with that of C2H4 we have been able to put this analysis on a firm basis, to correct minor defects and also to correlate a great deal of additional data.


Mach-Zehnder waveguide modulators are driven by surfaceacoustic waves (SAW). Frequency modulation is possible as well as optical mixing of two oppositely propagating SAWs Experiments have been performed between 20 MHz and 265 MHz SAW-frequency at light wavelength 0.633 µm. 20 mW acoustic power yields 1.2 rad of optical phase sweep.


It took a decade for the original calls to provide a progress check in social scientific enterprise within the domain of International Relations (IR) to be reborn in a smaller and more integrated Security Studies scholarship. Two nearly simultaneously published works by Patrick James (2002) and Colin and Miriam Elman (2003) brought the philosophy-of-science debate and the quest for scientific progress to the field of IR studies. Fred Chernoff's book, Explanation and Progress in Security Studies, although not referring explicitly to these two earlier endeavours, continues the domain's effort to develop a metric for theory appraisal and to answer the fundamental question: 'Does the study of international relations and security lead to knowledge?' (p. vii). Concerned primarily with the limited progress in IR and security studies, when compared with the natural sciences, the book seeks first to define the problem, that is progress, and then to seriously examine obstacles to it within the field. Chernoff's understanding of progress is that of an 'approach-to-consensus' – a dynamic condition presupposing that (a) there exists a point at which social scientists would have to admit that they were wrong in some regards and (b) there is a willingness among scholars, for the sake of progress, to admit that alternative explanations may be better. Why this hasn't yet been the case is due to the absence of the two aforementioned factors. The different sets of criteria the authors apply to validate their 'own' theories and approaches, as well as the absence of wellestablished research and evaluation criteria, are thus to be blamed, the author argues, for the sorry state of affairs in social science. Tellingly, IR scholars and social scientists in general, unlike natural scientists, cannot over time come to agree on facts and explanations, thus preventing the necessary accumulation of knowledge, predictability and progress itself. Chernoff's effort is thus to determine how authors judge good explanations by thoroughly examining three core debates in security studies: nuclear proliferation, balance of power and alliance formation, and democratic peace. The sample of 10–12 signature works for each area helps to build a solid research basis for establishing what is field-internally understood as 'evidence' and how to build explanation strategies. As the book's findings show, a shared set of criteria has already facilitated greater progress in democratic peace studies, unlike in the other two areas. This seems to duly confirm the book's hypothesis. In the age of 'big data', Chernoff's reasoned appeal for consensus and progress has a good chance to materialise and level up the evidence and explanation in Security Studies, just as it will bridge the theoretical divides in IR.


Breathing differs when we are awake and asleep. Cortical stimulation of the respiratory centres wanes with the onset of sleep, resulting in a decrease in chemosensitivity to carbon dioxide and oxygen tensions; a reduction in upper airway, intercostal, and accessory muscle tone, particularly in rapid eye movement sleep; altered responses to elastic and resistive respiratory loads; and a reduction in metabolic rate.1 Failure to adapt to these physiological processes in predisposed subjects sets the scene for the development of sleep disordered breathing, in the form of the sleep apnoea syndromes and nocturnal hypoventilation (fig 1). Night time and daytime respiratory function is linked in that although obstructive apnoeas occur only during sleep, these can ultimately lead to diurnal abnormalities of breathing. Nocturnal hypoventilation either accompanies or heralds the development of diurnal respiratory failure.

FIG 1
Links between sleep disordered breathing conditions

This syndrome is characterised by snoring and repeated episodes of complete or partial obstruction of the upper airway which cause sleep fragmentation, fluctuations in arterial oxygen saturation, and daytime somnolence. There is no satisfactory definition of the syndrome, as a spectrum exists which ranges from normal breathing through snoring to severe effects. It is also clear that some snorers, in the absence of apnoeic episodes, may also suffer from disrupted sleep (the upper airway resistance syndrome).2 For diagnostic purposes the occurrence of 15 or more episodes of apnoea or hypopnoea per hour (apnoea/hypopnoea index) is usually considered abnormal. In each person the severity of the condition can be expressed by the apnoea/hypopnoea index, but it is the consequences of these events in terms of degree of desaturation, sleep fragmentation, and cardiovascular abnormalities such as hypertension and dysrhythmias which are crucial. The effects of untreated obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome are listed in the box.

View this table:

Long term effects of untreated obstructive …


Summary.  Reprogramming of somatic cells to a pluripotent embryonic stem cell‐like state has been achieved by nuclear transplantation of a somatic nucleus into an enucleated egg and most recently by introducing defined transcription factors into somatic cells. Nuclear reprogramming is of great medical interest as it has the potential to generate a source of patient‐specific cells. This short review summarizes strategies to reprogram somatic cells to a pluripotent embryonic state and discuss the implications of this technology for transplantation medicine.


Video-based rendering demand multi-channel video captured from multi-directions and the quality of capturing video directly influences the rendering quality of the dynamic scene. In order to capture synchronously multi-channel video with resolution 1280 x 1024 and the capture rate 27 fps in real-time, designing and implementing an easily extendible high- resolution camera array (AHA). In AHA, a CMOS camera unit is designed and a binary tree routing topology is presented for propagating synchronization signals used to synchronize all of cameras. A strategy based on distributed store is presented for storing high-resolution video in real-time. The architecture of AHA ensures three characteristic of system: real-time, high-resolution and easily extendible. This paper described mainly the architecture of AHA and the key techniques related to video capturing.


The ability of tuftsin and its analogs to form folded intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded structures has been investigated by infrared spectroscopy. The appearance of beta-turns is documented for peptides containing proline in position 3 of the chain. Correlation of spectroscopic data with biological activity in the investigated series is attempted.


Maintenance of DNA integrity is of pivotal importance for cells to circumvent detrimental processes that can ultimately lead to the development of various diseases. In the face of a plethora of endogenous and exogenous DNA damaging agents, cells have evolved a variety of DNA repair mechanisms that are responsible for safeguarding genetic integrity. Given the relevance of DNA damage and its repair for disease pathogenesis, measuring them is of considerable interest, and the comet assay is a widely used method for this. Cells treated with DNA damaging agents are embedded into a thin layer of agarose on top of a microscope slide. Subsequent lysis removes all protein and lipid components to leave 'nucleoids' consisting of naked DNA remaining in the agarose. These nucleoids are then subjected to electrophoresis, whereby the negatively charged DNA migrates towards the anode depending on its degree of fragmentation, creating shapes resembling comets, which can be visualized and analysed by fluorescence microscopy. The comet assay can be adapted to assess a wide variety of genotoxins and repair kinetics, and both DNA single-strand and double-strand breaks. In this protocol, we describe in detail how to perform the neutral comet assay to assess double-strand breaks and their repair using cultured human cell lines. We describe the workflow for assessing the amount of DNA damage generated by ionizing radiation or present endogenously in the cells, and how to assess the repair kinetics after such an insult. The procedure described herein is easy to follow and cost-effective.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prognostic value of tumor deposits(TD)in N0 stage gastric cancer.

METHODS
A retrospective case-control study was performed on clinicopathological data of 751 N0 stage gastric cancer patients who underwent subsequent R0 gastrectomy from January 2011 to February 2013 at Zhengzhou University Affiliated Tumor Hospital. Patients were divided into TD-negative group (688 cases) and TD-positive group (63 cases). Propensity score matching was used to balance the covariances between the two groups, such as age, gender, differentiation degree, tumor location, T stage, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, extent of resection, tumor size, surgical procedure,and chemotherapy. Matching was performed by the minimal adjacent method of 1:2 pairing. The survival analysis was carried out using Kaplan-Meier method,and differences between the curves were detected by log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard model was used to perform univariate analysis and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS
After matching,56 patients were allocated into the TD-positive group and 112 patients into the TD-negative group, and the baseline of clinicopathological data of 2 groups matched well (all P>0.05). The median follow-up time was 55.2 (12.0-83.2) months, and 3 patients were lost to follow-up (died of other diseases). In TD-positive group, 38 patients died of gastric cancer and 1 died of other disease. In TD-negative group, 52 patients died of gastric cancer and 2 died of other diseases. The TD-positive group had lower 5-year survival rate than TD-negative group (31.0% vs. 52.9%,χ²=6.230, P=0.014). Subgroup analysis showed that the 5-year survival rate of T1-2 stage TD-positive patients was significantly lower than that of T1-2 stage TD-negative patients (47.1% vs. 92.6%, χ²=11.433,P<0.001),while the difference between two groups with T3-4 stage (23.8% vs. 40.0%, χ²=2.995,P=0.084)was not significant. In patients receiving chemotherapy, the 5-year survival rate of TD-positive group was significantly lower than that of TD-negative group(34.1% vs. 54.8%, χ²=4.122, P=0.042). Further subgroup analysis showed that patients receiving postoperative chemotherapy of TD-positive group both in T1-2 stage (63.6% vs. 100%, χ²=3.830,P=0.048) and in T3-4 stage (24.2% vs. 48.4%, χ²=4.740,P=0.029) had significantly lower 5-year survival rates than those of TD-negative group. However,T1-2 stage TD-positive patients receiving chemotherapy had significantly higher 5-year survival rate as compared to those without receiving chemotherapy(63.6% vs. 16.7%, χ²=5.474,P=0.019).Univariate analysis revealed T stage (HR=1.829, 95%CI:1.490-2.245, P<0.001),perineural invasion (HR=2.620, 95%CI:1.617-4.246,P<0.001),tumor size (HR=1.646, 95%CI:1.078-2.512, P=0.021),TD(HR=1.691,95%CI:1.112-2.572,P=0.014) were associated with the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. Multivariate analysis showed TD-positive (HR=2.035, 95%CI:1.325-3.126, P=0.001), later T stage (HR=1.812, 95%CI: 1.419-2.313,P<0.001), perineural invasion (HR=1.782,95%CI:1.058-3.002,P=0.030) were independent risk factors for the prognosis of gastric cancer.

CONCLUSIONS
TD is an independent risk factor for N0 stage gastric cancer,and may be closely related to T stage. Patients with TD-positive stage T1-2 should receive chemotherapy, but the prognosis of TD-positive patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy is poorer as compared to TD-negative patients. Therefore, more individualized treatments should be administrated.


In this paper, a novel double-gate (DG) MOSFET in which the top and bottom gates consist of three laterally contacting material with different work functions is proposed. Using two-dimensional (2-D) device simulation, improvement of short channel effects such as drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL), hot-carrier effects and channel length modulation (CLM) are investigated and compared with the dual material double-gate MOSFET and conventional DG MOSFET. This structure exhibits significantly improved short channel effects (SCEs) when compared with the conventional DG MOSFET.


The United Kingdom (UK) government policy is increasingly directed at transforming the built environment to an environmentally sustainable one. The government, for example, has set a target for a reduction in carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. A large number of new policies and regulations are being introduced to minimise the impact of the built environment and the construction industry on the environment. These pressures are inducing a large amount of product and process innovation across distributed networks: manufacturers, suppliers, installers, clients, users, and so on. To address this challenge, this research suggests that the explicit adoption of a multi-level perspective of sustainable transition management as a way forward. The key point of the multi-level perspective is that transitions or long-term changes come about through interplay between processes at different levels in different phases. This model consists of three levels: socio-technical landscape, regime, and technical niches. This paper reports on an ongoing research project which is tracking, real time, the start-up and growth of a company which is developing and introducing a range of leading edge light emitting diode (LED) technologies. Interim results will be presented with the focus being on the distributed interaction between the principal actors: a LED module manufacture, a luminaire (light fitting) manufacture and a range of end users.


A method to determine the spectral parameters, spectral level Ω 0 , corner frequency f 0 , and attenuation factor Q , using a genetic algorithm (ga), is presented. An adequate strategy for the ga was chosen by means of the 2D Ackley function. For modeling the seismic spectrum, a Boatwright source model and an attenuation factor independent of the frequency were used. Several objective functions are tested, and the best was found to be the L2 norm of the log difference between the observed and modeled spectra. To check the accuracy of the method, some tests with synthetic spectra were made, including spectra with noise. Real data, which have been already studied with other spectral methods, were analyzed to compare the results. The spectral parameters of 13 earthquakes (Granada, southern Spain) were calculated, as well as its source parameters: the seismic moment M 0 , the source radius r , and the stress drop Δ σ , following Brune's model. The seismic moments ranged from 3.65E + 17 to 9.98E + 18 dyne cm; the radii were between 0.08 and 0.2 km, and the static stress drops ranged from 0.32 to 1.73 bars. The attenuation factors ranged from 53 to 726, with an averaged value of 303. The results obtained are similar to those obtained by other researchers working with events of comparable magnitudes in the region.


Morphometric and immunohistochemical analyses of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) were performed on hereditary microphthalmic rats. In normal rats, the number of cells and the volume of the SCN were 11, 631 and 6.7 x 10(-2) mm3 (an average taken from 12 SCNs). However, the neuronal population and volume of the SCN in hereditary microphthalmic rats were 7,450 and 4.5 x 10(-2) mm3 (an average taken from 14 SCNs), respectively. There were no significant differences in the size of neurons between normal and microphthalmic SCN neurons. Immunohistochemical studies showed that a considerable number of antivasopressin positive neurons were present in microphthalmic rats, despite their lack of the optic nerve. However, further detailed studies revealed that the number of antivasopressin positive neurons present in microphthalmic rats was only 68% of those found in normal rats. These findings suggest that the complete development of the SCN and vasopressin neurons depends on the visual input.


In this research, the relationships between static bimaterial constant and dynamic oscillation index are studied. It was certified that static bimaterial constant has the same form equation as the dynamic oscillation index. Bimaterial constant and oscillation index are increased with the increment of Young`s modulus ratio and approached to the some value. Isochromatic fringe patterns are slanted to the left side with increment of bimaterial constants and oscillation index. Though patterns of stress components in above the crack surface are similar to each other, their magnitudes are different a little. In the ahead of crack tip, there are big differences in the isochromatic fringe patterns and their magnitudes. The influence of bimaterial with Young`s modulus ratio is bigger in the propagation crack than in the stationary crack.


Pulmonary autoantibodies were determined by us in the sera of 37 patients who underwent a 6-week speleo- and climatotherapy in the cave of Bystrá. The titres found in both groups of patients showed no difference. Global evaluation revealed a high incidence of pulmonary autoantibodies. We saw a direct relationship between the titre and the degree of severity of the disease or the clinical condition. The demonstration of circulating pulmonary autoantibodies in bronchial asthma is possibly not only of diagnostic value but also of prognostic importance.


Objectives The objectives of this qualitative study were to examine local perspectives on the causes of crime and recidivism in two remote Indigenous communities, and provide a series of recommendations regarding more effective responses that could be implemented by way of justice reinvestment. Method This study was coordinated by a multi‐disciplinary research team that actively engaged the community in every stage of the research process, through a culturally and ecologically informed participatory action research design. Data was gathered through semi‐structured individual and focus group interviews with three cohorts: (a) offenders who had been incarcerated on at least one occasion (n = 20); (b) offenders' families (n = 20); and, (c) service providers working with offenders (n = 20). Data was also gathered through over 40 informal conversations. Data collection occurred over a period of 18 months, with participants recruited by Indigenous researchers and community members. Data Analysis Interviews were transcribed and analysed by NVivo qualitative data processing software in the first instance. The core research team and community members reviewed this analysis in order to collectively identify major themes and patterns in the perspectives of participants. Conclusion People in remote Indigenous communities are aware of the complex issues associated with crime in their community and have clear ideas regarding what can be done. We argue that in order to understand and address Indigenous crime and over‐representation in the criminal justice system, the perspective of Indigenous people must be elevated and communities empowered to identify and implement ecologically and culturally informed solutions that will work for them.


The reaction NN to Bi pi is studied when NN are T=1 scattering states with Elab(N)<or approximately=600 MeV and the Bi are NN quasinuclei bound by 183, 216 or 420 MeV which have been tentatively seen in a gamma -ray experiment at CERN.


This paper presents preliminary findings of an extensive socio-legal research project, currently in progress, concerning the implementation of the European Union and the Greek institutional framework on lifelong learning (LLL) and exploring the social effectiveness of LLL policy. The main outcomes, based on testing two research hypotheses through quantitative and qualitative content analysis, are presented. Firstly, there are significant differences in the ranking of four LLL objectives (employability/adaptability takes priority over social inclusion, personal fulfilment and active citizenship) as between legal documents of different origin (EU or national) and binding force (hard or soft law). Secondly, the key role of the global recession of 2008 in reinforcing the economic dimension of EU policy in the field is revealed. These data, considered from a socio-legal perspective, provide a basis for further discussion regarding national alignment to the EU's LLL policy and argue for new 'policy syntheses' informed by the views of social actors concerned with policy implementation, in line with a broad humanistic notion of LLL.


Background: Lymphoma is a clinically and molecularly heterogenous disease. Next generation sequencing of primary lymphoma samples has identified common recurring genomic alterations (GAs). The distribution and frequency of recurring GAs across lymphoma subtypes remains unknown because prior studies vary in sequencing methods, depth of coverage, and specimen source. In this study, we benchmark the distribution of GAs across different lymphoma subtypes by prospectively analyzing lymphoma cases and performing comprehensive DNA/RNA targeted sequencing of genes commonly found in hematologic malignancies using the Foundation One Heme (F1H) clinical assay. Methods: After obtaining proper consent, archived specimens from 183 samples [formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) N=141, peripheral blood N=28, BM aspirate N=14] distributed across lymphoma subtypes (including 62 DLBCL, 38 T cell lymphoma, 32 FL, 17 CLL, 13 MCL) were sequenced to high, uniform coverage averaging >600x for DNA, >20 million pairs for RNA. GAs were determined, including base substitutions, small insertions and deletions, rearrangements, and copy number alterations. Significant non-synonymous variants were identified as mutations from the COSMIC database, amplifications of established oncogenes, or homozygous deletions and/or clear loss-of-function mutations of known tumor suppressors. Fisher9s exact test with Monte Carlo estimation corrected by false discovery rate was used for associations. Results: Samples from prospectively consented patients were banked for a median of 30 days prior to genomic analysis, range 1 day to 6.5 yr. Sequencing data was reported a median of 16 days from sample date receipt. GAs were identified in 95% of samples, with a median of 4 GAs/sample. The most common GAs were TP53 (29%), MLL2 (27%), BCL2 (25%), CDKN2A/B (17%) and CREBBP (14%). Alterations of chromatic modifiers (80%), BCR/NFkB components (51%), and cell cycle pathway (44%) were most common. In our group of unpaired follicular lymphoma samples (N=7 treatment naive, N=25 treatment exposed), the number of GAs increased with treatment exposure. We found similar gene and biological signatures regardless of prior therapy; however differences emerge in genes of potential clinical relevance. Sequencing profiles augmented or altered the pathologic diagnosis in 11 of 183 (6%) of the cases. Importantly we were able to classify the GAs as actionable, potentially actionable and variants of unclear significance to better define the clinical relevance of targeted genomic sequencing. Conclusions: Integration of comprehensive next generation targeted genomic sequencing and clinical analysis in lymphoma provides an opportunity to describe the spectrum and incidence of GAs across different lymphoma subtypes and provide guidance on application of genomic profiling. This work serves to benchmark GAs across all lymphoma subtypes in a clinically relevant population and enables design of basket trials selecting patients based on shared genomic and biologic similarity instead of lymphoma subtype. To our knowledge, this is the largest repository of clinically annotated genomic sequencing in lymphoma. Disclosures Palomba:Janssen: Consultancy. Gerecitano:Genentech: Consultancy, Other: Advisory Board; AbbVie: Consultancy, Other: Advisory Board. Matasar:Spectrum: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy. Straus:Millenium Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. He:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Balasubramanian:Foundation Medicine: Employment, Equity Ownership. Stephens:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Miller:Foundation Medicine: Employment. Levine:Loxo Oncology: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; CTI BioPharma: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Foundation Medicine: Consultancy. Younes:Celgene: Honoraria; Johnson and Johnson: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Bayer: Honoraria; Bristol Meyer Squibb: Honoraria; Sanofi-Aventis: Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria, Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Takeda Millenium: Honoraria; Incyte: Honoraria.


PURPOSE
There currently exists no universally accepted pharmacotherapy for Peyronie's disease. Recently interest has grown in transdermal agents, including verapamil. We evaluated the ability of a commercially available verapamil gel applied to the penile skin to infiltrate the tunica albuginea.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In men scheduled to undergo penile prosthesis surgery for erectile dysfunction verapamil gel was applied to the penile shaft the night before and morning of surgery. Urine was obtained at the commencement of the implant operation and tunical samples were excised from each corporeal body intraoperatively. Verapamil quantification was performed in all specimens using high pressure liquid chromatography.

RESULTS
All patients tolerated verapamil gel application without any adverse events. A mean of 1.1 gm. tunical tissue was excised. Mean verapamil concentration in the urine was 46 ng./ml. No verapamil was detected in any tunical specimens.

CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that applying transdermal verapamil gel to the penile shaft results in a small amount of systemic absorption but the gel does not infiltrate the tunica albuginea. Based on these findings the use of transdermal verapamil for Peyronie's disease has no scientific basis.


Though the basic principles of antibiotic prophylaxis have been well established, there is still considerable incorrect usage, including how much is prescribed and especially in the duration of treatment, which is generally superior to what is indicated. The adequate use of these drugs contributes towards decreasing the time of internment of the patient, prevents surgical site infection (SSI), decreasing the development of resistant microorganisms, and towards reduced costs for the hospital pharmacy. A protocol for the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service of the Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo was developed. The objectives of the study were to promote rational antibiotic surgical prophylaxis, through the implantation of a protocol for the use of these drugs in a surgical unit, with the direct contribution of a druggist in collaboration with the Infection Control Committee, to evaluate the adhesion of the health team to the protocol during three distinct periods (daily pre-protocol, early post-protocol and late post-protocol) and to define the consumption of antimicrobials used, measured as daily defined dose.


Abstract Numerous studies have noted that media representations of violent crime do not correspond to actual levels and features of violence in society. The present article examines whether this is true of the Finnish crime-appeal program Poliisi-TV. In addition, the article identifies similarities and differences in Finnish violence reporting in comparison with international research findings. The data consist of 23 episodes including 67 violence vignettes that are contrasted with statistical data on violence. Violence is highly over-reported in the program. A typical violent crime is an assault on the street at night between two previously unacquainted Finnish men, although reports on more hidden and rare types of violence are also prominent. Thus, the common generalization that crime media concentrate on the most violent and serious crimes perpetrated on the most vulnerable victims is disputed. The article discusses possible explanations for the differences among Anglo-Saxon and Nordic crime media contents and calls for more research on crime media's positive implications.