Having flirted with the Unified Modeling Language for over a decade, in the 'Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate Edition' Microsoft has integrated UML visual modeling features directly in the IDE - making it a truly Integrated Development Environment. This book explores the new UML capabilities both from the analyst's top-down conceptual modeling perspective and from the developer's code-centric visualisation perspective. Those of you for whom the 'Ultimate Edition' is just out of reach will discover how you can benefit from the legacy Visio UML integration and the architectural modeling capabilities of the other Visual Studio 2010 editions. You can find additional resources on the companion web site for this book at www.lotontech.com/visualmodeling


Prediction of the amount of air pollution on the basis of atmospheric parameters is necessary. Complex relation between atmospheric parameters and the amount of air pollution has been evaluated. So, such a complex relation makes it difficult to simulate the amount of air pollution through mathematical models. Simulation of the amount of air pollution was carried out by Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). The effects of atmospheric parameters (temperature, pressure, precipitation, and wind speed) as well as the day of week on the amount of air quality index (AQI) were simulated by ANN. Atmospheric parameters were generated using meteorological data collected during 90 days from 23th September to 21th December of 2014 in city Tehran. AQI was measured in terms of 4 types of air pollutants (carbon monoxide, sulfide dioxide, particulate pollutants, and nitrogen dioxide). 2015 Trade Science Inc. INDIA


Abstract: Preventing the transmission of bloodborne pathogens to healthcare workers has been a mission and a challenge of the healthcare industry for over 20 years. The development of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Bloodborne Pathogens Standard in 1991 and the passing of the Needlestick Safety Act in 2000 mandated hospitals to develop an Exposure Control Plan to protect workers from these pathogens. Children's Hospital Boston began implementation of a needleless system in 1993. Employees readily accepted these systems into practice, because they were convenient and easy to use. A marked decrease in exposures to bloodborne pathogens naturally followed, which is consistent with the national data. The transition to intravenous (IV) safety devices at Children's Hospital began in 2000 and proved to be more of a challenge. First, the clinicians must choose a safety product, which requires developing and implementing a trial plan with potential catheters. This selection process is especially difficult in pediatrics where successful placement of the smallest-gauge catheter, no. 24, is imperative. After choosing an IV safety product, successful transition is dependent upon the thoroughness of IV safety device training and a commitment by the clinicians to the use of these products. Although the number of needlestick injuries and subsequent transmission of bloodborne pathogens have been further reduced with the use of IV safety devices, needlestick injuries still occur. This results from a lack of familiarity with the engineering of the device and therefore poor technique or a failure to activate the safety mechanism. Staff resistance due to loss of expertise with the new device and patient care concerns are additional barriers to the use of these new products. Addressing these obstacles and providing adequate training for all clinicians were required for successful implementation of these IV safety devices.


Heterotrimeric G proteins, composed of alpha, beta, and gamma subunits, are able to transduce signals from membrane receptors to a wide variety of intracellular effectors. In this role, G proteins effectively function as dimers since the signal is communicated either by the G alpha subunit or the stable G betagamma complex. When inactive, G alpha-GDP associates with G betagamma and the cytoplasmic portion of the receptor. Ligand activation of the receptor stimulates an exchange of GTP for GDP resulting in the active signaling molecules G alpha-GTP and free G betagamma, either of which can interact with effectors. Hydrolysis of GTP restores G alpha-GDP, which then reassociates with G betagamma and receptor to terminate signaling. The rate of G protein activation can be enhanced by the guanine-nucleotide exchange factor, RIC-8, while the rate of GTP hydrolysis can be enhanced by RGS proteins such as EGL-10 and EAT-16. Evidence for a receptor-independent G-protein-signaling pathway has been demonstrated in C. elegans early embryogenesis. In this pathway, the G alpha subunits GOA-1 and GPA-16 are apparently activated by the non-transmembrane proteins GPR-1, GPR-2, and RIC-8, and negatively regulated by RGS-7. The C. elegans genome encodes 21 G alpha, 2 G beta and 2 G gamma subunits. The alpha subunits include one ortholog of each mammalian G alpha family: GSA-1 (Gs), GOA-1 (Gi/o), EGL-30 (Gq) and GPA-12 (G12). The remaining C. elegans alpha subunits (GPA-1, GPA-2, GPA-3, GPA-4, GPA-5, GPA-6, GPA-7, GPA-8, GPA-9, GPA-10, GPA-11, GPA-13, GPA-14, GPA-15, GPA-16, GPA-17 and ODR-3) are most similar to the Gi/o family, but do not share sufficient homology to allow classification. The conserved G alpha subunits, with the exception of GPA-12, are expressed broadly while 14 of the new G alpha genes are expressed in subsets of chemosensory neurons. Consistent with their expression patterns, the conserved C. elegans alpha subunits, GSA-1, GOA-1 and EGL-30 are involved in diverse and fundamental aspects of development and behavior. GOA-1 acts redundantly with GPA-16 in positioning of the mitotic spindle in early embryos. EGL-30 and GSA-1 are required for viability starting from the first larval stage. In addition to their roles in development and behaviors such as egg laying and locomotion, the EGL-30, GSA-1 and GOA-1 pathways interact in a network to regulate acetylcholine release by the ventral cord motor neurons. EGL-30 provides the core signals for vesicle release, GOA-1 negatively regulates the EGL-30 pathway, and GSA-1 modulates this pathway, perhaps by providing positional cues. Constitutively activated GPA-12 affects pharyngeal pumping. The G alpha subunits unique to C. elegans are primarily involved in chemosensation. The G beta subunit, GPB-1, as well as the G gamma subunit, GPC-2, appear to function along with the alpha subunits in the classic G protein heterotrimer. The remaining G beta subunit, GPB-2, is thought to regulate the function of certain RGS proteins, while the remaining G gamma subunit, GPC-1, has a restricted role in chemosensation. The functional difference for most G protein pathways in C. elegans, therefore, resides in the alpha subunit. Many cells in C. elegans express multiple G alpha subunits, and multiple G protein pathways are known to function in specific cell types. For example, Go, Gq and Gs-mediated signaling occurs in the ventral cord motor neurons. Similarly, certain amphid neurons use multiple G protein pathways to both positively and negatively regulate chemosensation. C. elegans thus provides a powerful model for the study of interactions between and regulation of G protein signaling.


This guide lists all the online databases the TRHS LMC subscribes to along with tutorials on why you should use them and how to use them. Contact the LMC for usernames and passwords. Learn what online research databases are all about and what databases the TRHS LMC has to offer.


Not all patients with tuberculosis develop tuberculoma during the disease or antituberculous therapy. Therefore, we compared various parameters in patients with and without tuberculoma and presented the results. We formed two groups from the patients with tuberculous meningitis: Group I consisted of 18 patients with tuberculoma, and Group II consisted of 18 randomly selected patients without tuberculoma. Significant difference between the groups was found with respect to level of consciousness and CSF-glucose level (p < 0.05). The consciousness level was more depressed and the CSF-glucose level more decreased in the group without tuberculoma. These findings were discussed.


Cell expansion may be described in physical terms by a model in which growth and turgor are linearly related above a threshold value for turgor. Tissue extensibility, an indication of the capacity of cell walls to loosen, is the gradient of this line. The growth of leaves and leaf cell turgor have been directly correlated, but much of the information on the physical characteristics of growth has been obtained from simpler tissue types. For leaves of bean, variation in cell wall extensibility (WEX) may often be the factor controlling growth, maturation, and the response to a decreased water supply (Van Volkenburgh and Cleland, 1980; Davies and Van Volkenburgh, 1983). Diurnal patterns of leaf growth in woody plants cannot always be explained in terms of daily fluctuations in turgor and for birch leaves WEX and growth are correlated.


Our work is proposing an analysis of the tourist image of Turkey through advertisements introducing the country. We assume that the "tourist space" is an image created together by the advertising executives, the travel agencies and the tourist himself. Indeed, the advertising executives' just as much as public and private actors try to meet the tourists request for authenticity. Accordingly, they emphasize certain points of interests and interpret them according to supposed tourists' expectations. This approach has for results to reduce the "tourist space" to a mere element of folklore, of orientalism and of exoticism, and even more to propose stereotypical images. As such this constructed image of the tourist advertising may refer to a specific communication contract between the advertising executive and its target. Since the advertising executives have for main purpose to establish a coherency between travelers' expectations and the existing reality the iconic images choice proposed in the "tourist speech" exposes to a social construction of the reality.


ABSTRACT This interview with Nigerian writer Chika Unigwe, conducted by email over the course of three months in early 2020, addresses the ethics and aesthetics of representing sex trafficking and transnational migration in her award-winning novel On Black Sisters' Street (2009) and her latest short story collection Better Never Than Late, which appeared in the US in 2020. The author discusses the discourse on migration and trafficking in both works, bringing much-needed nuance to the conversation. She pays particular attention to issues of "agency" and "vulnerability", as well as authenticity, stereotyping, the "white gaze", the publishing industry, and the recent controversy on Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt (2020). Drawing from her own personal story, Unigwe also talks in depth about the stylistic choices she made in depicting the immigrant experience in the global north and the difficulty of representing rape and trauma in fiction.


The phytohormone brassinosteroid (BR) not only plays key roles in regulating plant growth and development but is also involved in modulating the plant defense system in response to pathogens. We previously found that BR application made rice plants more susceptible to the devastating pathogen rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), but the mechanism of BR-mediated susceptibility remains unclear. We now show that both BR-deficient and -insensitive mutants are resistant to RBSDV infection. High-throughput sequencing showed that the defense hormone salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways were activated in the RBSDV-infected BR mutant. Meanwhile, a number of class III peroxidases (OsPrx) were significantly changed and basal reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated in BR mutants. Treatment with exogenous hormones and other chemicals demonstrated that the BR pathway could suppress the levels of OsPrx and the ROS burst by directly binding the promoters of OsPrx genes. Together, our findings indicate that BR-mediated susceptibility is at least partly caused by inhibition of the action of defense hormones, preventing the accumulation of the peroxidase-mediated oxidative burst.


The IgM myeloma is a rare type of multiple myeloma (MM) with some features which differentiate it from other immunologic types of myeloma and from Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM). Two patients with IgM myeloma in whom the only clinical feature of the disease was the development of bone lesions and general deterioration are reported. In none of the cases an M component was detected in proteinogram. A bone marrow proliferation of plasma cells was discovered in both, which it was accompanied with dura mater infiltration in one of them. The type of secreted immunoglobulin was IgM lambda in the first case and kappa in the second. Both patients had a poor clinical course after the diagnosis and died due to infective complications. Emphasis is made on the need to differentiate this condition from WM due to their different prognosis and therapy.


In the past, transport network design focused on the effect of designs on the transport system alone but not on the land use system, and ignored the land use-transport interaction over time. This may result in obtaining suboptimal designs. Additionally, the impacts of road network improvement policies on the land use system, especially the benefit of landowners cannot be evaluated without considering the interaction. With these considerations, this paper proposes optimization frameworks for road network design considering the land-use transport interaction over time. Unlike existing models, the optimization frameworks can determine the optimal designs automatically without trial-and-error once the objective(s) is/are clearly defined. Moreover, these frameworks allow the evaluation of the impacts of the optimal designs on the related parties including landowners, toll road operators, transit operators, and road users, and help network planners and profit-makers with decision-making by eliminating many alternative designs. A numerical study is set up to examine road network design's effects on these related parties under three road network improvement schemes: exact cost recovery, build-operate-transfer, and cross-subsidization (using the increase in transit profit to subsidize road improvement projects). The results show that the changes in landowner profits are not the same after implementing any scheme. These unequal changes raise the issue of the landowner equity. If the government guarantees the occurrence of this equity without providing any subsidy, societal benefit can decrease and the road network can become more congested. This implies that the government has to consider tradeoffs between parties' objectives carefully.


At the heart of the digital economy is the willful imposition of a powerful combination of hardware and software, time and data, surveillance, prediction and behavourial control. This article argues that a central ambition of digital society has been the pursuit of an integrated commodity form. The novelty of this integrated commodity stems not only from the convergence of production and consumption but also from the subsumption of sociability itself. As a consequence, we are required to consider all social actions within digital society as being transactions enshrined within an economy of integrated markets. Our acceptance of these new commodity relations is paving the way for a 'great integration' of simultaneous transactions across different social domains. Borrowing from Karl Polanyi's account of an earlier transformation, this article will propose that the prerequisites of digital society and the integrated commodity form have been established through the constitution of a series of 'fictitious commodities'.


A critical issue in fabricating arrays of holes is to achieve high-aspect-ratio structures. Formation of ordered arrays of nanoholes in silicon nitride was investigated by the use of ultrathin hard etch mask formed by nickel pulse reversal plating to invert the tonality of a dry e-beam resist patterned by e-beam lithography. Ni plating was carried out using a commercial plating solution based on nickel sulfamate salt without organic additives. Reactive ion etching using SF6/CH4 was found to be very effective for pattern transfer to silicon nitride. Holes array of 100 nm diam, 270 nm period, and 400 nm depth was fabricated on a 5×5 mm2 area.


The study's objective was to determine the relationships between the proposed variables that impact to the Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment and Burnout through the Psychological Empowerment mediator variable. The variables proposed as impact factors were Structural Empowerment and Remunerations for the case of teachers from public middle-higher education institutions in Mexico. The study had a non-experimental design, being a correlational and causal research. The measurement instrument was applied to a sample of 167 teachers, whose data were analyzed using the structural equations method. The findings show which of these direct and indirect effects are generating significant effects. Subsequently, the analysis of the contrast and impact differences between the segmentation groups was proposed: by gender, marital status, schooling and employment status. One limitation was to carry out the cross-sectional study, with the data collected in a single moment. It is recommended to continue with the analysis of Burnout in other contexts and organizational areas.


In the area of cooperative and network coded communication that naturally arises from cooperation, which become increasingly important in wireless communications, the expected end-to-end bit error rate (BER) values are frequently required to compare the proposed coding, relaying, and decoding techniques. Instead of obtaining these values through time consuming Monte Carlo simulations, deriving the closed form expressions via approximations is also crucial. In this work, we make use of the sampling property of the Q-function, which we commonly face while dealing with the related expectation integrals, in order to derive the end-to-end BER expressions for a network coded system. Furthermore, we show that the obtained expressions well agree with the simulation results.


To examine the quality of rhythmic improvisations after learning Ugandan folksongs via notated or aural/oral means, we asked university music majors (N = 32) to practice two Ugandan folksongs via Western notation or while viewing a prerecorded video of an expert Ugandan performer singing the same song to mimic aural/oral tradition conditions. Subsequently participants heard an authentic performance of the song they had just learned and were asked to create a rhythmic accompaniment to that song. All conditions were counterbalanced by treatment and by song. Resulting improvisations were judged regarding whether the first was better than the second. Results indicated no significant difference between improvisations on the basis of how the song was learned (p = 0.2617), differences between the songs themselves (p = 0.1261) or the order of the songs (p = 0.7518). Participants improvised better when the song was learned under notation conditions (differences not significant), but 70.1% of participants preferred to learn the song via aural/oral means (p = 0.0041). Results are discussed in terms of challenges in assessment of improvisations and pedagogical implications for future research.


In Cultural Systems there are many ways to collect and distribute problem solving knowledge within social networks. Such mechanisms include games, auctions, and various voting mechanisms. Here, a new auction mechanism, Common Value Auctions, is presented. In this paper Common Value Auctions are used to distribute problem solving knowledge within a given model of social systems. These mechanisms are compared with the other distribution mechanisms in the solution of dynamic realvalued optimization problems. Specifically, their relative abilities to support the robustness and resilience of Cultural Systems in environments that vary in their dynamic complexity from static to chaotic are assessed. The Cultural Algorithms Toolkit (CAT) is used as a vehicle to generate real-valued dynamic problem landscapes of varying complexities. The results show that using the Common Value Auction in CAT4 has significant improvements over Weighted Voting methods (CAT2) in terms of both robustness and resilience across complexities that range from static to chaotic. Keywords—cultural algorithm, sustainability, evolutionary algorithm, common value auction, robustness, resilience.


This paper proposes a low-level cognitive process model as a part of context-aware systems that can recognize situations in real space as well as provide suitable information or services to users based on the recognized situations. Generally context-aware systems need to deal with sensory data (non-symbolic processing) as well as language resources such as Web (symbolic processing). In this paper, we employ symbol grounding perspective and propose a neural network-based models for converting sensory data into symbolic representation. In addition, this paper exhibits an evidence for a basic question "why do we take a symbol grounding perspective?" in the view point of accessibility of symbolic representation inside systems.


Solar power has become an attractive alternative of electricity energy. Solar cells that form the basis of a solar power system are mainly based on multicrystalline silicon. A set of solar cells are assembled and interconnected into a large solar module to offer a large amount of electricity power for commercial applications. Many defects in a solar module cannot be visually observed with the conventional CCD imaging system. This paper aims at defect inspection of solar modules in electroluminescence (EL) images. The solar module charged with electrical current will emit infrared light whose intensity will be darker for intrinsic crystal grain boundaries and extrinsic defects including micro-cracks, breaks and finger interruptions. The EL image can distinctly highlight the invisible defects but also create a random inhomogeneous background, which makes the inspection task extremely difficult. The proposed method is based on independent component analysis (ICA), and involves a learning and a detection stage. The large solar module image is first divided into small solar cell subimages. In the training stage, a set of defect-free solar cell subimages are used to find a set of independent basis images using ICA. In the inspection stage, each solar cell subimage under inspection is reconstructed as a linear combination of the learned basis images. The coefficients of the linear combination are used as the feature vector for classification. Also, the reconstruction error between the test image and its reconstructed image from the ICA basis images is also evaluated for detecting the presence of defects. Experimental results have shown that the image reconstruction with basis images distinctly outperforms the ICA feature extraction approach. It can achieve a mean recognition rate of 93.4% for a set of 80 test samples.


This study presents a two-step least-squares approach for estimating the position and velocity of a moving emitter using time difference of arrival (TDOA) and frequency-difference of arrival (FDOA) measurements in a two-dimensional scenario. The proposed method first estimates the emitter position based on the asymptotes of TDOA hyperbolae and then linearises the non-linear equations of FDOAs using the estimate of the emitter position obtained in the first stage. Although the proposed method has lower performance than other methods in terms of estimation accuracy, it provides a closed-form solution without geometric constraints of sensor placement and an initial guess of emitter parameters. Since many methods derive the estimates of position and velocity with iterative numerical techniques, the proposed method can be a good alternative to set the initial guess under conditions of low measurement error. Simulation results are included to validate the algorithm, and its performance is compared with the Cramer–Rao lower bound.


Background In patients with severe respiratory failure from COVID-19, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment can facilitate lung-protective ventilation and may improve outcome and survival if conventional therapy fails to assure adequate oxygenation and ventilation. We aimed to perform a confirmatory propensity-matched cohort study comparing the impact of ECMO and maximum invasive mechanical ventilation alone (MVA) on mortality and complications in severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Materials and Methods All 295 consecutive adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) from March 13th, 2020, to July 31st, 2021 were included. At admission, all patients were classified into 3 categories: (1) full code including the initiation of ECMO therapy (AAA code), (2) full code excluding ECMO (AA code), and (3) do-not-intubate (A code). For the 271 non-ECMO patients, match eligibility was determined for all patients with the AAA code treated with MVA. Propensity score matching was performed using a logistic regression model including the following variables: gender, P/F ratio, SOFA score at admission, and date of ICU admission. The primary endpoint was ICU mortality. Results A total of 24 ECMO patients were propensity matched to an equal number of MVA patients. ICU mortality was significantly higher in the ECMO arm (45.8%) compared with the MVA cohort (16.67%) (OR 4.23 (1.11, 16.17); p=0.02). Three-month mortality was 50% with ECMO compared to 16.67% after MVA (OR 5.91 (1.55, 22.58); p < 0.01). Applied peak inspiratory pressures (33.42 ± 8.52 vs. 24.74 ± 4.86 mmHg; p < 0.01) and maximal PEEP levels (14.47 ± 3.22 vs. 13.52 ± 3.86 mmHg; p=0.01) were higher with MVA. ICU length of stay (LOS) and hospital LOS were comparable in both groups. Conclusion ECMO therapy may be associated with an up to a three-fold increase in ICU mortality and 3-month mortality compared to MVA despite the facilitation of lung-protective ventilation settings in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. We cannot confirm the positive results of the first propensity-matched cohort study on this topic. This trial is registered with NCT05158816.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Elucidating the molecular basis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is crucial to developing targeted diagnostics and therapies for this deadly disease. Somatically acquired structural variations (SVs) can lead to oncogenic gene fusions and gene expression deregulation in tumors. Although recent studies have delineated HCC genomic alterations including copy number variations, somatic mutations and HBV integrations, the landscape of SVs remains poorly characterized in HCC. We have predicted 4,314 SVs including large-scale insertions, deletions, inversions and translocations based on the whole-genome sequencing data for 88 primary HCC tumor/non-tumor tissues. We identified chromothripsis in 5 HCC genomes (5.7%) recurrently affecting chromosomal arms 1q and 8q. TP53 and RB1 alterations appear to cause increased levels of genomic arrangement and chromosomal instability. Albumin (ALB) was found to be the most significantly affected by SVs and harbor genomic alterations including deactivating mutations and deletions in 10.2% of cohort. Integrative analysis revealed a causal link between genomic rearrangements and copy number variations, such as focal amplifications of the CCND1/FGF19 loci, and distinctive patterns of copy number variation flanking SV breakpoints. Furthermore, we predicted 260 gene fusions which frequently result in aberrant over-expression of the 3′ genes in tumors.

Citation Format: Julio Fernandez-Banet, Nikki P. Lee, Kin Tak Chan, Huan Gao, Xiao Liu, Wing Kin Sun, Winnie Tan, Sheung Tat Fan, Ronnie T. Poon, Shiyong Li, Keith Ching, Paul Rejto, Mao Mao, Zhengyan Kan. Decoding complex patterns of structural variations in hepatocellular carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-231. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-231


Classical studies have isolated a distributed network of temporal and frontal areas engaged in the neural representation of speech perception and production. With modern literature arguing against unique roles for these cortical regions, different theories have favored either neural code-sharing or cortical space-sharing, thus trying to explain the intertwined spatial and functional organization of motor and acoustic components across the fronto-temporal cortical network. In this context, the focus of attention has recently shifted toward specific model fitting, aimed at motor and/or acoustic space reconstruction in brain activity within the language network. Here, we tested a model based on acoustic properties (formants), and one based on motor properties (articulation parameters), where model-free decoding of evoked fMRI activity during perception, imagery, and production of vowels had been successful. Results revealed that phonological information organizes around formant structure during the perception of vowels; interestingly, such a model was reconstructed in a broad temporal region, outside of the primary auditory cortex, but also in the pars triangularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus. Conversely, articulatory features were not associated with brain activity in these regions. Overall, our results call for a degree of interdependence based on acoustic information, between the frontal and temporal ends of the language network.


The importance of assessing and managing pain has become paramount in today's hospital environment. Poor pain management is associated with impaired health, decreased patient satisfaction, and increased healthcare costs. This quality improvement project on an internal medicine unit at an urban teaching hospital examined the impact of pain education on patient satisfaction with pain management. Although pain scores did not improve, there were improvements made with respect to patient assessment, patient satisfaction, and nursing knowledge.


Abstract Specialized agencies have proved to be very effective in handling and managing the emergency situations in every walk of life whether in the field of medical emergency, transportation, academic institution, in airport, seaport or in nuclear facilities. Identified local training needs and corresponding implementation measures in the form of technical, trained and skilled people/manpower leads towards more sustainable, resilient and dynamic society, organization or community. Pakistan being prone to number of hazards as evidenced by the past decade, whereby Pakistan has witnessed catastrophic floods, droughts, landslides, avalanches, and tsunamis. Floods are more likely and the return time is almost each year till 2014. The helping role of Pakistani people in these disasters, though, was very good but to accomplish post-disaster early recovery and to support long-term strategies, a dedicated response force is required with all the heavy machinery, expertise and agility. In this term paper, I have presented the basic contours and formation of national disaster response force (NDRF) for Pakistan. In the background, I have studied, analyzed and compared the disaster response forces (and response setups) of three countries; Bangladesh, India homeland response force (HRF) USA and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency (working under the parent ship of US department of homeland security)) USA, and took guidance from their organizational structures, working principles and setups in the proposed model for making of NDRF Pakistan. Keywords : Specialized agency, establishment, national disaster response force, Pakistan Cite the Article Razia Chaudhry, Arshad Ali, Salman Mulk. Disaster Response Force Requirement for Pakistan. Research & Reviews: Journal of Ecology . 2016; 5(2): 10–18p.


The article describes the method of conducting representative research to determine the effect of pure gaseous hydrogen and a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas (methane) on the performance and metrological characteristics of household gas meters. The experimental research has been carried out in two stages. 84 membrane and rotary meters have been selected for research. The main aspect of the need for such research is the safety of meters. Before the start of the tests and after each stage, the metrological characteristics of all gas meters on the reference prover are determined. At the first stage, a set of static tests is performed, according to which the internal and external short-term and long-term (42 days) tightness of gas meters are checked. A prototype of the installation layout has been developed to conduct experiments on determining the tightness. The second stage is to conduct a dynamic series of tests. Gas meters are assembled according to the developed scheme and installed for testing on the model of the gas distribution network system. It is recommended to use a drum-type meter as a reference gas meter. The criterion for determining the effect of hydrogen and gas meter is the established change in metrological characteristics after the study.


The objective of this research was to reasonably assess the damage to people and station structures caused by terrorist attack explosion at metro stations, taking the Liyuan station of Wuhan metro which adopts double-deck island platform as an typical example. The TNT explosion process inside the metro station was calculated and analyzed using the dynamic finite element numerical simulation software LS-DYNA. First, the peak overpressure curve and the positive pressure time curve of the shock wave of explosive under the condition of confined space in the metro station were obtained. Then, through the comparison and analysis of the theoretical formulas of explosive shock wave propagation characteristics, the accuracy and reliability of numerical calculation methods and model parameters were verified. At last, combining with the overpressure criterion of shock wave in explosive air, the distribution characteristics of the casualties in the metro station under the explosion shock wave are analyzed, and the dynamic response and damage effect of the pillar structure of the metro station under the explosion shock wave are studied.


The acute phase proteins LPS binding protein (LBP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) are produced by the liver and are present in the circulation. Both proteins have been shown to participate in the immune response to endotoxins. The intestinal mucosa forms a large surface that is continuously exposed to these microbial products. By secretion of antimicrobial and immunomodulating agents, the intestinal epithelium contributes to the defense against bacteria and their products. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of the inflammatory mediators TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1beta on the release of LBP and SAA by intestinal epithelial cells (IEC). In addition, the induction of LBP and SAA release by cell lines of intestinal epithelial cells and hepatic cells was compared. The data obtained show that in addition to liver cells, IEC also expressed LBP mRNA and released bioactive LBP and SAA upon stimulation. Regulation of LBP and SAA release by IEC and hepatocytes was typical for class 1 acute phase proteins, although differences in regulation between the cell types were observed. Endotoxin did not induce LBP and SAA release. Glucocorticoids were demonstrated to strongly enhance the cytokine-induced release of LBP and SAA by IEC, corresponding to hepatocytes. The data from this study, which imply that human IEC can produce LBP and SAA, suggest a role for these proteins in the local defense mechanism of the gut to endotoxin. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that tissues other than the liver are involved in the acute phase response.


Antitumoral synthetic vaccines offer a promising alternative to overcome problems associated with traditional treatments. Numerous vaccine prototypes have been described in the last two decades; however, none of them have been revealed satisfactory in clinical trials due to side effects, low bioavailability, uncertain molecular composition, and/or reproducibility. Here we highlight major advances in carbohydrate-based vaccines, which open new perspectives in cancer immunotherapy.


Powered knee prostheses provide substantial advantages for amputees compared to traditional passive devices during basic walking tasks (i.e. level-ground, stairs, ramps), but the impedance control parameters are fixed. For environments that differ from the well-controlled setting of the clinic, amputees must compensate their gait patterns because fixed control parameters ideal for walking on level ground in the clinic do not meet real-life task demands. Load carriage is one instance where fixed control parameters may lead to undesired gait patterns and potentially result in injury. To evaluate the importance of impedance control parameters for different walking tasks, we tested one above-knee amputee walking using an experimental powered prosthesis under four walking conditions. The amputee walked with and without added mass with both load-specific and non-specific impedance control parameters. The load-specific parameters significantly reduced the amputee's intact-leg compensations, asymmetry, and perceived exertion compared to the non-specific control parameters. Powered lower limb prostheses that modulate impedance control parameters for load-carrying tasks may improve the gait performance, safety, and comfort of amputees.


In the plasma sheath the electron current is severely limited by a retarding electrostatic potential, which implies that only fast plasma electrons reach the material surface. These fast electrons have a much longer mean free path than thermal electrons and consequently their last collision will have occurred well away from the surface. If the temperature gradient is such that the temperature at these last collisions is different from that at the surface, the sheath potential will be modified. This effect can lead to large modifications of the sheath potential and possibly also to substantial errors in the interpretation of probe signals.


Background Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the chronic autoimmune diseases, with genetic and environmental predisposition. Th17 cells constitute the third effector arm of Th cells, complementing the Th1 and Th2 lineages. RORc expressing Th17 cells produce cytokines, including IL-17, IL-6, IL-21, IL-22 and TNF-α, with pro-inflammatory effects, which appear to have a role in immunopathogenesis of RA. The orphan nuclear receptor - RORc2 is the master transcription factor that can drive Th17 cell differentiation in humans, which make it one of the key factors that may affect the course of the RA. Objectives Assessment of the correlations between polymorphisms (rs9826 A/G, rs12045886 T/C and rs9017 G/A) in RORc2 gene, and severity of RA. Evaluation of RORc2 protein expression in serum samples from RA patients and healthy controls. Methods All the SNPs in the RORc2 gene were detected using PCR-RFLP method and TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. Serum levels of RORc2 protein in study groups were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Evaluation of RORc2 protein expression in serum samples from RA patients showed that its level is significantly increased compared to samples from healthy controls (p=0,013). Also significant correlation between RORc2 rs9826 A allele and clinical parameters was observed in RA patients. rs9826 AA and AG genotypes have been linked with higher mean values of CRP (p=0,001), creatinine (p=0.024) and VAS (p=0,014). Moreover we manage to established that dominant model (AA + GA) of rs9017 RORc2 gene polymorphism is associated with higher mean value of CRP and VAS (p=0,0005 and p=0,006 respectively). We also observed that carriers of rs9017 A allele had a tendency to have a higher DAS 28-CRP (p=0,057) and HAQ score (p=0,075) Conclusions Our results for the first time showed the relationship between RORc2 gene polymorphisms and and severity of RA. RORc2 rs9826 A/G variant may be considered as genetic risk factors for RA severity. RORc2 protein levels may be associated with the pathogenesis of RA in the Polish population References Yang L, Anderson DE, Baecher-Allan C et al. IL-21 and TGF-beta are required for differentiation of human T(H)17 cells. Nature. 2008;454(7202):350-2. Leipe J, Grunke M, Dechant C et al. Role of Th17 cells in human autoimmune arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2010;62(10):2876-85. Ganjalikhani Hakemi M, Ghaedi K, Homayouni V et al. Positive and Negative Regulation of Th17 Cells Differentiation: Evaluating The Impact of RORC2. Cell J. 2013; 16(3). Acknowledgements Funding: This work was supported by a grant from the Polish National Science Center (2011/01/D/NZ5/01396). Disclosure of Interest A. Paradowska-Gorycka Grant/research support from: Polish National Science Center (2011/01/D/NZ5/01396)., A. Pawlik: None declared, B. Raszkiewicz: None declared, D. Malinowski: None declared, K. Romanowska-Prochnicka: None declared, E. Haladyj: None declared, M. Manczak: None declared, M. Olesinska: None declared


Contemporary man requires knowledge about the past. Without knowing past events and conclusions flowing from them, it is difficult to preserve your own identity and create a meaningful reality in life. Getting to know the past can be done through reading historical books. The books mentioned in the article concern: the creation of the Polish state, national symbols, the origin and development of the native village, historical events, heroes from the past, old customs and traditions. Historical publications are shown not only as a source of knowledge but also as an inspiration to undertake educational activities in the field of learning about the historical world by children


The objective of this research work is to enhance the microstructure and intergranular corrosion resistance of AISI 304 stainless steel by diffusing the stabilizing element, that is, Niobium (Nb), using a comparatively new methodology termed as flux-coated gas tungsten arc welding. In this process, a suitable material in powder form (pure Nb powder of size < 20 μm) is mixed with acetone and then coated on the V-joint of the plates before welding. The welded joint's surface microstructure and chemistry have been analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The microstructural results demonstrate that the diffusion of Nb changes the ferrite morphology of the weld joint to lathy ferrite from vermicular ferrite because of an increase in supercooling during solidification. The results of the investigations indicate that the flux-added weldments exhibited 26 HV more microhardness than conventional welded weldments in the fusion zone. Furthermore, the corrosion behavior of both gas tungsten arc welding–treated and flux-coated gas tungsten arc welding–treated weldments has been evaluated by the double-loop electrochemical potential kinetic reactivation test. The latter revealed that Nb-diffused weldment features insulative and protective properties and displays zero degree of sensitization, whereas conventional welded weldment gives a degree of sensitization of 2.53.


We consider the question of finding a periodic solution for the planar Newtonian N-body problem with equal masses, where each body is travelling along the same closed path. We provide a computer-assisted proof for the following facts: the local uniqueness and the convexity of the Chenciner and Montgomery Eight, the existence (and the local uniqueness) for Gerver's Super-Eight for 4-bodies and a doubly symmetric linear chain for 6-bodies.


A 76-year-old female patient developed severe manifestations of a kaposi-like acroangiodermatitis (so-called Mali's disease) due to chronic venous insufficiency of the lower extremities. The patient presented with large areas of confluent, violaceous or brown-black papules on both lower legs. Histologically, proliferation of thick-walled capillaries was seen in the upper dermis consisting of fully differentiated endothelial cells, as shown by immunohistochemistry. In contrast to true Kaposi's sarcoma, human-herpes-virus-8 DNA could not be detected by polymerase-chain-reaction in this condition. We review the diagnostic criteria used to distinguish between acroangiodermatitis, also called pseudo-Kaposi's sarcoma, and the true Kaposi's sarcoma.


The number of adolescents who attempt or complete suicide is increasing. Risk factors range from mental disorders, to problems at school, family problems, or difficulties in establishing relationships. A further important, and too often underestimated, risk factor for adolescent suicide is the presence of suicidal behavior in the adolescent's family. We investigated 184 high school adolescents in a region in Slovenia with a high suicide rate (30/100,000/year). They were questioned by means of an anonymous questionnaire about the presence of suicidal behavior in their relatives and about the presence of suicidal thoughts, plans, and acts in themselves. The results revealed that 13% of the adolescents studied had a relative who had attempted suicide and a further 9% of the adolescents had lost a relative due to suicide. About half of all females and almost a third of males had had suicidal thoughts (differences between sexes were statistically significant: chi2 = 6.13; p < .01). Attempted suicide among relatives was positively correlated with the presence of suicidal plans among adolescents (phi = 0.15; p < .05). This correlation proved to be even stronger and statistically more significant in men when we split the sample by gender. All variables (suicidal thoughts, suicidal plans, and suicide attempts) in the adolescent males positively correlated with attempted suicide among their relatives ((phi = 0.28, p < .01; phi) = 0.26, p < .05; phi = 0.34, p < .01; respectively). Our results speak in favor of a higher risk of suicidal behavior among adolescents with suicidal behavior in their families.


Grid Computing Systems (GCS) have been suggested as an effective technology in geographically distributed resource coupling for applications that require large space for computations and resources. Reliability has proved to be one of the most important criteria in grid systems. In such systems, dynamic access to the required resources is complex, and therefore achieving reliability tends to be very difficult. In this paper we propose an algorithm to estimating reliability of programs and grid system based on Monte Carlo simulation. Our suggested algorithm considers the transmission rate of data between nodes through links and processing time on nodes to estimate the reliability of involved nodes and links which requires less time and complexity for running and it is appropriate for GCS.


The main objective of this work is to analyse the effects of having a disability on the probability of being active in the Andalusian Community. Taken the data from the "Encuesta sobre Discapacidades, Deficiencias y Estado de Salud" of 1999, we estimate different specifications of a logit model of labour participation, which includes variables related to person's socio-economics characteristics and several variant of the disability and deficiency variables (number, type and level). The results show that being disabled jointly with receiving subsidies or benefits has an negative generic influence on the probability of being active. Moreover, the interaction between disability and perception of public transfers potentially related to the disability status have a very negative effect on such a probability.


Clinical research in Britain is in decline. A new report from the Academy of Medical Sciences sets out the action urgently needed to revitalise it

Our knowledge of the basic mechanisms of disease has increased greatly over the past 20 years. A substantial gulf remains, however, between basic discoveries and converting such discoveries into innovations that can be applied to patients. This translational barrier can be bridged only through clinical research. Concerned at the state of clinical research in the United Kingdom, the Academy of Medical Sciences established a working group to identify the problems and suggest solutions.

The working group's report focuses on serious weakness in two key areas: experimental medicine and clinical trials (box). Up until the 1970s, the United Kingdom was internationally recognised for its contribution to characterising diseases by careful examination and testing in patients. However, the development of methods to investigate the molecular and genetic basis of disease has since shifted research away from the bedside and into the laboratory. The surge in activity in molecular science has led to a substantial reduction in both research and researchers in clinical science. Pressure on NHS beds and facilities in teaching hospitals is also pushing out clinical research so that the NHS now has limited capacity to evaluate the new tools that are emerging from academia and industry.

Many of the methods used for large clinical trials, cohort studies, and meta-analyses were also developed in the United Kingdom. Application of these methods has had a big effect on the health of individuals and the NHS—for example, in showing the link between smoking and lung cancer and the benefit of statins in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke.1 2 Despite the clear benefits of such research, funding of trials is falling from all sources.3 …


Abstract From its genesis in the Victorian era as an activity for the elite to today's emphasis on "Big Data" and continuous monitoring, natural history has a prominent role in scientific discoveries for many fields. However, participation in field expeditions is limited by funding, space, accessibility, and safety constraints. Others have detailed the active exclusion of minoritized groups from field expeditions and harm/discrimination faced by the few who do participate, but we provide one solution to broaden opportunities for participation in natural history: Virtual Expeditions. Virtual Expeditions are broadly defined as open source, web-facilitated research activities designed to analyze bulk-collected digital data from field expeditions that require visual human interpretation. We show two examples here of their use: an independent research-based analysis of snake behavior and a course-based identification of invertebrate species. We present a guide to their appropriate design, facilitation, and evaluation to result in research grade data. We highlight the importance of open source technology to allow for longevity in methodology and appropriate quality control measures necessary for projects that include dozens of researchers over multiple years. In this perspective, we specifically emphasize the prominent role that open source technology plays in making these experiences feasible and scalable. Even without explicit design as broadening participation endeavors, Virtual Expeditions allow for more inclusive participation of early career researchers with specific participatory limitations. Not only are Virtual Expeditions integral to the large-scale analysis necessary for field expeditions that generate impossibly enormous datasets, but they can also be effective facilitators of inclusivity in natural history research.


This article looks at the (re-)presentation of the domestic interior in museums by means of the period room. It focuses on the spatial complexity of this exhibition strategy to deepen our understanding of the process by which interiors from the past are museumified. Through an examination of the Boucher Room on display at the Frick Collection, New York, this study first challenges the principle of spatial unity which traditionally governs the period room before exploring how the relationship between the period room and its exhibition site informs the version of the history of the domestic interior offered to visitors. By bringing to light the distinctive features of this exemplary case, at once displaced and in situ, this study shows the potential contribution of the notion of space to the development of new perspectives on the interiors of the past and the modalities of their presentation within museums.


Mental health research exists for student-athletes in the areas of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem prevalence. However, updated prevalence rates and assessment of risks across sports, academic status, and genders are needed. Filling the gaps in research assists in the creation of patient-centered mental health screening and interventions designed for student-athletes. Therefore, the purpose is to examine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem in collegiate student-athletes and differences between sex, academic status, and sport type, and identify associations for risks. Using a cross-sectional design, collegiate student-athletes were surveyed to assess for risks of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. With the use of SPSS, Chi-square analyses and multinomial logistic regressions were used. Student-athletes (22.3%) were at risk for depression, anxiety (12.5%), and low self-esteem (8%). No significant differences were found for sex, academic status, and sport type for depression or self-esteem; however, significant differences occurred for state and trait anxiety by sex. A significant association for depression and anxiety risk was found with females at risk. Depression and anxiety are present within student-athletes, regardless of sport type. Females are at a higher risk; however, all student-athletes would benefit from the creation of validated, patient-centered mental health screenings and psychotherapeutic interventions.


Dairy production is a rather new and not a traditional system in Vietnam. It is mainly based on smallholder dairy farms. The general aim of the studies in this thesis was to improve milk production on smallholder dairy farms in Southern Vietnam and also to create a foundation that could be used in the advisory service or/and in further research for better milking management routines. Studies were done to cover the specific objectives of this thesis. The studies were designed to identify the problems for dairy production on smallholder dairy farms, to investigate which are the management factors that influenced milk somatic cell count (SCC) in lactating cows, identify the prevalence of subclinical mastitis based on SCC and to study the protein degradation caused by Streptococcus (Str.) agalactiae.

The survey study indicated that the majority of the farmers kept between 2 to 17 cows (mean = 12). The main breed of dairy cow was Holstein Friesian (HF) crosses. This HF cows produced about 16 kg/day/cow. Around 35% of the farms provided fresh water ad libitum for the cows, while 51 % provided less than 30 L of water per cow per day. Moreover, milk SCC was high (1,300,000 cells/mL milk) in many of the studied farms. The second study found that limited to drinking water significantly increased herd SCC. Str. agalactiae was found to be a predominant species in infected udders. Further investigation showed that the prevalence of subclinical mastitis (SCC > 200,000 cells/mL milk) at quarter basis was 63.2% (285 out of 451) and at cow basis 88.6% (101 out 114). Str. agalactiae was found on 65% farms, 35.6% cows (41 out of 115) and 21% quarters (96 out of 458). Among 96 isolates of Str. agalactiae, 11 different strains were identified. The proteolysis of casein was higher (12-70%) compared with whey proteins (4-12%). The strains of Str. agalactiae in the same phylogenic group did not show the same degradation of casein and whey protein. Str. aglactiae caused proteolytic activity where the proteolysis of αS2-casein was highest, up to 70%, compared with control milk. Proteolytic activity caused by different strains showed a large variation. The lowest breakdown of casein was found to be 30% compared with control milk.

Overall, the high milk SCC in this present study showed poor udder health of lactating cows on smallholder farms. The high milk SCC was mainly caused by the infection of udders with Str. agalactiae.


Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are toxic by-products of aerobic metabolism. In plants, they also function as important signaling molecules that regulate biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as plant growth and development. Recent studies have implicated ROS in various aspects of plant reproduction. In male gametophytes, ROS are associated with germline development as well as the developmentally associated programmed cell death of tapetal cells necessary for microspore development. ROS have a role in regulation of female gametophyte patterning and maintenance of embryo sac polarity. During pollination, ROS play roles in the generation of self-incompatibility response during pollen-pistil interaction, pollen tube growth, pollen tube burst for sperm release and fertilization. In this mini review, we provide an overview of ROS production and signaling in the context of plant reproductive development, from female and male gametophyte development to fertilization.


Background

In recent years, thousands of different circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified through comparative analysis of different pig breeds. However, very few studies have investigated the spatiotemporal expression patterns of circRNA during organ development, which is crucial for functional and evolutionary analysis.
Results

In this study, we systematically analyzed circRNAs associated with fatty acid metabolism in the three main organs (muscle, fat and liver) a tfour growth time points (30 d, 90 d, 150 d and 210 d after birth) for Ningxiang pigs, awell-known native pig breed in China known for its excellent meat quality. We identified 61,683 circRNAs and analyzed their molecular characteristics, potential functions, and interactions with miRNAs. The circRNAs exhibited notable spatiotemporal specificity in the form of dynamic expression. At 90 d, the number and complexity of differentially expressed circRNAs in the liver was the highest.We used STEM (Short Time-series Expression Miner) to perform time series analysis on differentially expressed circRNAs and observed that there were multiple model spectra that were significantly enriched with time changes in all three organs. All the significantly changed circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs obtained from STEM analysis of each tissue were utilized to confirm that the circRNA and mRNA have a targeting relationship with miRNA. Notably, we screened 2384 (fat), 2672 (muscle) and 9187 (liver) circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network pairs related to developmental time changes. Finally, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to demonstrate the dynamic subcellular localization of circRNA during development.
Conclusion

These data suggest that circRNA is highly abundant in muscle, fat and liver and is dynamically expressed in a spatiotemporal manner. These results suggest that circRNAs play important roles in fat metabolism in Ningxiang pigs. Our findings also provide new ideas and perspectives for the study of Ningxiang pigs' lipid metabolism regulation pathway and meat quality traits.


Joint cell selection and scheduling schemes can play an important role in maximizing the cellular network capacity because of two main reasons: (i) the service rate of a given user depends on the selected cell, and (ii) the inter-cell interference introduces dependencies between the total service rates in the cells. In this paper we study different combinations of cell selection schemes like maximum SINR and maximum rate with different kinds of alpha-fair schedulers. Additionally the impact of mobility is also studied for different user distributions and interference conditions. Our study shows that mobility tends to increase the cellular network capacity. We also show that different combinations of cell selection schemes and alpha-fair schedulers are optimal for various user distributions and mobility.


Background: Myofascial pain syndrome is a common pain condition characterized by a key symptoms and signs, determined by multiple etiologies, comorbid with a variety of systemic diseases and regional pain syndromes and managed by diverse therapies with variable outcomes.
Objective: This study aimed to concisely report 11 cases of myofascial pain syndrome managed by myofascial trigger point therapy.
Methods: The relevant information about 11 cases was collected prospectively using a semistructured proforma. All patients were diagnosed mainly by detailed history and gold standard palpation method that helps identify taut muscles, tender myofascial trigger points, local twitch response and autonomic manifestations.
Results: Most of the patients with variable age and profession presented in emergency room with acute pain, limited motion, weakness, referred pain of specific pattern and associated autonomic signs and symptoms. Myofascial trigger point therapy alone with a timeline of about 30-60 minutes of 1-3sessions brought about good results in all 11 patients (100%) who remained stable at two to three months followup.
Conclusion: Myofascial pain syndrome linked with latent or active myofascial trigger points developed due to repeated strains and injuries needs to be diagnosed by history and palpation method, systemic evaluation and laboratory investigations. Though several interventions are used in myofascial pain syndrome, myofascial trigger point massage therapy alone is found to be reasonably effective with excellent results. This clinical case series is calling for double-blind randomized controlled trials among patients with myofascial pain syndrome not only in Saudi Arabia but also in other Middle East countries in future.


The URI Ocean Engineering Department has been working with the US Naval Research Laboratory to develop and test microbial fuel cell battery systems for low power seafloor applications of extended duration. These low power fuel cells utilize graphite electrodes in anoxic sediment coupled to bottle brush graphite electrodes in the water column to make up a battery system. These battery systems typically produce power on the order of 10-50 milliwatts per square meter of electrode area, or as much as ten times more if sediment electrode pore water can be exchanged by means of a pump. As part of this program, testing of these microbial fuel cell batteries has been conducted in the Potomac River Washington D.C., Narragansett Bay Rhode Island, Tuckerton New Jersey, and Monterey Bay California. For these tests it has been necessary to develop long term, low power control and monitoring systems to manage the batteries operation and to record their performance without consuming a significant portion of the meager power produced. This paper details the development and testing of these low power monitoring systems and their results. For this project we have developed several related systems. All of the systems utilize Oopic microcontrollers as the core low power computer. The Oopic consumes about 20 mA at 5 volts when on and none when off. Its programs are stored on EEPROM, and they start from the beginning each time the Oopic is powered up. Notes from the previous time awake can be stored in the EEPROM below the program. The microcontrollers are turned on by an electronic alarm from an 12C real time alarm clock chip with its own multi year lithium battery. The microcontrollers command the shut off of power as part of their program. The real time clock maintains crystal controlled date and time without using any system power. The clock can be programmed to wake up the system at a specific date and time, or at any of numerous intervals. Once awake, the Oopic can check the date, monitor/control the system status and even operate a low power pump. Long term measurements over many months can be logged on a micro SD card by means of a serial file management storage chip which uses only 3 ma at 3.3 volts when not writing, and a momentary 40 mA to write. When the system is asleep none of the subsystems consumes any power. Programmed to awake once an hour for 20 seconds to monitor the system and record the results on the SD card, the average power consumption can be kept to less than 2 milliwatts. The control system can be woken up, report data, accept commands, or be reprogrammed; all through an RS232 serial cable. The system utilizes an RS232 chip that manufactures +/-10 V RS232 signals from +5 V with only a few milliamps of additional power consumption. This chip is capable of communicating over a 100 m long cable at 9600 baud. In one instance in Tuckerton New Jersey near a dock, it was possible to continuously cable the control system ashore where a Netburner network based microcontroller was connected. The Netburner was programmed to provide an FTP and Telnet site, allowing remote monitoring and control from across the country over the internet.


The banker's commercial credit, an important device for payment, has become much in use nowadays in world trade to finance foreign business. Prom a businessman's point of view the credit looks simple but the study of the legal relationship engendered by this mercantile instrument has caused much difficulty among lawyers. The present dissertation is concerned to set out attempts to fit the banker-seller relationship arising under the irrevocable credit into a theory and to examine and criticise these in the light of their national law and Scottish law. The first chapter takes consideration of the theories which see the credit in terms of contracts involving all three parties. This brings us to examine seven main theories: 1. The Guarantee Theory s It is suggested that the banker`s promise to the seller merely amounts to a guarantee by him of payment by the buyer. The main objection is that in the credit the banker has a primary obligation and not secondary or accessory to other obligation as in a guarantee. 2. The Delegation Theory: The buyer (delegant) requests the bank (delegue), his debtor under the contract for the arrangement of the credit, to pay the debt to the seller (delegataire). This theory cannot answer all the requirements of the credit in view of the fact that the seller`s acceptance is needed to make the banker bound by his undertaking. 3. The Personal Bar or Estoppel Theory: The irrevocable credit represents that the banker has in his hand from the buyer sufficient funds to pay the seller's drafts and, consequently, he is barred from denying this. This view is not in line with the practice of the credit and was rejected in Morgan v. Lariviere (1875) L.R. 7 H.L. 423, k. The Assignment Theory: The irrevocable credit is regarded as constituting a contract between the banker and the buyer which is assigned simultaneously by the latter to the seller. In considering this it is hard to bring the facts into line with the theory and moreover the theory will render the seller subject to any defences the bank has against the buyer. 5. The Novation Theory: There is a novation of the sale contract, i.e. the buyer drops out of the contract and it becomes binding between the banker and the seller. This argument would lead to the loss of the buyer`s right to reject the goods which are not conform to the contract of sale and also the banker would be involved with the dealings with the goods. 6. The Agency Theory: (a) The buyer is acting as the sellers agent in arranging for the credit according to the terms laid down in the contract of sale. According to this theory the seller would be liable for the fraudulent acts of his agent, the buyer, in performing his duty within his authority. (b) The banker acting according to the buyer's instructions, may be deemed to act as the buyer`s agent. The objection to this argument is that the banker undertakes a primary obligation towards the seller and is not acting as the buyer's agent. 7. The Jus Quaeaitum Tertio Theory: It is suggested that there is a contract between the buyer and the banker conferring the benefit of it to the seller, a third party. This theory cannot stand in the light of English law which does not recognise a right arising from jus quaesitum tertio contract. Jus quaesitum tertio is a well-established principle in the law of Scotland and presents some similarities with the credit but it cannot Satisfy the requirements of the credit regarding its origin and legal consequences. The second chapter concerns the Mercantile Speciality theorys. It is favoured by many authors of common law countries since it is the only solution to help them to overcome the problem of consideration encountered in the credit. The third chapter considers the ordinary contractual theories. Unlike the first chapter it takes consideration of the relationship between the banker and the seller only. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).


The change in the color of the vegetables peel during the ripening process is the main criterion used by the consumer to define the fruit ripeness degree and for the producer to determine the best time of harvest. This relationship between bark coloration and different maturation stages allows the producer to establish harvest planning and extend shelf life. Students and faculty of the Biosystems Engineering course at São Paulo State University (UNESP), Tupã Campus, designed and developed a low-cost prototype of a fruit sorting belt, specifically for cherry group tomatoes. In the future, improvement in machinery with the insertion of new devices such as cameras, embedded system, combines sensor technology 3.0 with machine learning 4.0. Abstract The change in the color of the vegetables peel during the ripening process is the main criterion used by the consumer to define the fruit ripeness degree and for the producer to determine the best time of harvest. This relationship between bark coloration and different maturation stages allows the producer to establish harvest planning and extend shelf life. Students and faculty of the Biosystems Engineering course at São Paulo State University (UNESP), Tupã Campus, designed and developed a low-cost prototype of a fruit sorting belt, specifically for cherry group tomatoes. In the future, improvement in machinery with the insertion of new devices such as cameras, embedded system, combines sensor technology 3.0 with machine learning 4.0.


Teachers' Perceptions on What Inclusion Needs A decade has passed since the equal right of all children to quality education regardless of their mental or physical abilities was declared by the Education Law (Izglītības likums, 1998). During that interlude, the Latvian educational system went through a period of tremendous change from total segregation of children with special needs in special schools to so-called "correction" classes in general schools, then to the special classes in general schools and finally to inclusion of special needs children in regular classrooms. Thus, the idea of inclusive education has been developed and implemented in various forms, which causes people to have a different understanding of what inclusive education means and impedes children with special needs from learning together with their peers in general classrooms. This article reflects on the findings of a qualitative study that was designed and conducted to investigate different perceptions of pre-school and primary school teachers on the preconditions for inclusive education.


Though patents are effective tools for promoting innovation and protecting intellectual property in the pharmaceutical sciences, there has been growing concern about 2 important ways that patents in this field can have a negative effect on patient care and the practice of medicine. First, inventors can seek and receive patents on pharmaceutical products or research tools that stretch the statutory requirements for patenting. Second, patent holders in the pharmaceutical market can used legal loopholes or aspects of the patent registration system to extend exclusivity for inventions beyond what was anticipated by the Patent Act or subsequent legislation. The monopoly control bestowed by such inappropriate patents or manipulation of the patent system can limit options available to patients, increase the cost of health care delivery, and make cooperative research more difficult. In response, several different government and market-based efforts have emerged to promote more equitable patent policy in health care that encourages dissemination of ideas while still supporting the development of innovative products.


Climate changes are altering patterns of temperature and precipitation, potentially affecting regions of malaria transmission. We show that areas of the Amazon Basin with few wetlands show a variable relationship between precipitation and malaria, while areas with extensive wetlands show a negative relationship with malaria incidence.


Verifying the simulated controls for HVAC components in energy models is not commonplace in practice presently. However, it is very important to ensure the simulated systems are controlled as desired for accurate simulation results. Limitations of the software tools available or other factors such as missing information make it particularly challenging to verify the controls for complicated HVAC systems in the simulations. Energy modelers may employ several workaround strategies to simulate these complicated systems, these usually involve the use of alternate components in the software tools or some assumptions related to the HVAC system. It is important to ensure that the components are controlled as desired so that they follow the actual mechanical designer's intent. Verification of the implemented controls in real-life systems during commissioning can be done using a graphical approach called "Operation Diagnostics". Sensor data collected from the building automation system (BAS) is visualized and compared to ideal patterns generated from the sequence of operations (SOOs). This comparison helps to diagnose possible deviations of the system functioning from the design intent and identifies opportunities to optimize its performance. This paper proposes the application of "Operation diagnostics" approach to energy modeling results to diagnose issues related to the simulated controls. A spreadsheet based tool was developed to automatically visualize the energy simulations results for comparison against the ideal operation patterns generated from the SOOs. This visual-statistical approach would help the modeler to quickly validate the energy model and increase its accuracy.


The widely used nuclear norm heuristic for rank minimization problems introduces a regularization parameter which is difficult to tune. We have recently proposed a method to approximate the regularization path, i.e., the optimal solution as a function of the parameter, which requires solving the problem only for a sparse set of points. In this paper, we extend the algorithm to provide error bounds for the singular values of the approximation. We exemplify the algorithms on large scale benchmark examples in model order reduction. Here, the order of a dynamical system is reduced by means of constrained minimization of the nuclear norm of a Hankel matrix.


This invention describes that the rate of input utilization is decisive for productivity growth of considered crops. The invention enhances the productivity of major crops like maize, teff, wheat, barley and sorghum crops. The sample was based on a panel data of (2011, 2013, and 2015) acquired from the Ethiopian socio-economic survey was used. The invention was scientifically analyzed using the basic fixed effect model and dose-response function under exogenous and endogenous treatment models. In the exogenous and endogenous treatment cases, households applying fertilizer have achieved actual different levels of higher outputs than their counterparts. In endogenous treatment, the household applying fertilizer harvested much higher output than those in the counterfactual condition. Moreover, inputs: fertilizer, seed, labor force, and farm capital utilization have a critical impact on the aggregate outputs of considered crops.


This study investigated the use of the long sitting test as an indicator of iliosacral dysfunction. Fifty-one subjects between the ages of 18 and 37 were assigned to either an experimental group or control group through a screening procedure. The 30 subjects in the control group had even posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) heights and negative standing and sitting flexion tests. The 2 1 subjects in the experimental group had uneven PSIS heights, positive standing flexion tests, and negative sitting flexion tests. Measurements were taken of the change in the subjects' malleoli as they moved from a supine to a sitting position. Additional suppkmental and confirmational tests were then administered. The results of the long sitting test for iliosacral dysfunction were found to be significant at the 0.01 level. Possible influences on this test indicated by the confirmational and supplemental tests were also explored. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1987;8(7):336-345.


NASA Lewis Research Center recently led a multi-organizational acoustic test program. This testing consisted of acoustically exciting a Cassini spacecraft simulator in a full scale 60 foot high Titan 4 payload fairing with various acoustic blanket designs and configurations in a large reverberant acoustic chamber. The primary purpose of this test program was to measure the fairing's internal acoustics and spacecraft vibration, especially the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) vibration, and to quantify the mitigation efforts in reducing these levels. Key to this reduction effort was the utilization of new acoustic blanket designs. This paper will provide the background and rationale for performing this test program, state the test program's primary and secondary objectives and describe the test matrix, hardware and instrumentation. A second part companion paper will provide the test results and data analysis.


This paper explores what the main challenges are for Georgia and other non-Annex 1 countries to meet the requirements under the Paris Agreement's Enhanced Transparency Framework, and discusses what the options are for overcoming these challenges. The paper draws on primary data from Georgia's energy sector and on case-based literature from various non-Annex 1 countries. The literature points to challenges such as insufficient budgets, low capacity, and inadequate institutional set-ups, and proposes increased financial and technical support and standardized guidelines for measurement and reporting as best options. Cases from South Caucasus and Georgia are rare. We therefore examine how Georgia's current system for Measurement and Reporting is organized, and what the main technical-administrative challenges are for the sector to meet the transparency requirements as seen from key stakeholders' and implementers' perspectives. In addition to challenges similar to those identified in the literature, we find that the most fundamental challenge is a lack of domestic political motivation and support. The perceived complexity of the transparency requirements is a major deterrent in combination with the limited capacity to deal with it. We therefore focus our discussion on options for how to foster domestic political support, and argue that emphasizing existing and new co-benefits, including increasingly linking Measurement and Reporting to the carbon market, could be a way forward. Given the urgency of reducing emissions, we find that efforts towards reducing the complexity of the requirements, activities and tools for Measurement and Reporting (M&R) could help adapt the Enhanced Transparency Framework to the actual situation of non-Annex 1 countries and make Measurement and Reporting more worthwhile for these countries.


A new golf swing robot to simulate the human skill of motion control in a golf swing has been developed by authors. It consists of one actuated joint and one passive joint with mechanical stopper. Optimal motion planning of the robot to satisfy the boundary conditions and non-holonomic constraint introduced by the stopper under different cost functions is discussed. A general method for motion planning of such types of system is described and the results of motion planning for the golf swing robot are shown.


Valvular heart disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Rates increase with age and the prevalence will increase as the population ages. Several factors have led to an interest in expanding percutaneous valve repair and replacement techniques to more lesions in more patients. This review explores current percutaneous valve repair and replacement techniques in mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation in adults, outlines the future directions, and discusses some technique-related issues.


A broadband vertically/horizontally dual-polarized omnidirectional antenna is proposed for mobile communications. The dual-polarized antenna is a combination of a modified low-profile monopole for vertical polarization (VP) and a circular planar loop for horizontal polarization (HP). The modified low-profile monopole is a circular folded patch shorted by four tubes while the circular loop consists of four half-wavelength arc dipoles. The dual-polarized omnidirectional antenna achieves a bandwidth of ~ 25% (1.7-2.2 GHz) with an isolation of around 40 dB. The gain variations in the horizontal plane are less than 2.5 dB for VP and 1.5 dB for HP. An eight-element dual-polarized antenna array is developed for base station applications. The antenna gains of the array for both VP and HP are ~ 8 dBi with a difference of less than 1 dB. The beamwidths in the vertical plane are 9±1° for VP and 9±1.5° for HP. The cross-polarization levels in the horizontal plane for both VP and HP are lower than -20 dB.


Aesthetic appearance is one of the most important criteria used by consumers in judging clothing wear performance. Bagging is a kind of three-dimensional residual deformation that deteriorates garment appearance during wear and causes dissatisfaction. To understand the psychophysical mechanisms of fabric bagging perception, a method of subjectively evaluating this behavior is developed by using a series of photographs taken from bagged fabric samples. Both ranking and rating scales are used as the psychological scales. The two scales are highly correlated with each other, but the rating scale provides more information than the ranking scales and can indicate perceived differences between fabrics. A linear relationship between subjective perceptions and measured residual bagging height shows that perception of fabric bagging follows Stevens' power law. Residual bagging height contributes up to 94% of the total variance in the perception of fabric bagging. The rest of the variation may be attributed to anistropic behavior during the bagging process.


Effective research translation and science communication are necessary for successful implementation of water resources management initiatives. This entails active involvement of stakeholders through collaborative partnerships and knowledge-sharing practices. To follow up a recent study with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)–funded Center for Oceans and Human Health and Climate Change Interactions (OHHC2I) project investigators, the center's Community Engagement Core (CEC) documented center partners' science communication practices and needs to inform a collaborative training and improve investigator-partner bidirectional communication. Thirteen (13) individuals participated in 10 semi-structured qualitative interviews focused on their research translation needs, science communication and dissemination tactics, and interactions and experiences with scientists. Based on our findings, we recommend a collaborative, scientist-stakeholder training to include plain language development, dissemination tactics, communication evaluation, stakeholder and intended audience engagement, and strategies for effective transdisciplinary partnerships. This work contributes to the knowledge and understanding of stakeholder engagement practices specifically focused on science communication that can enhance relationship-building between academia and partners involved in environmental health–focused initiatives in the context of South Carolina but applicable elsewhere.


Visualization tools such as maps, models, and computer images are used increasingly as means of involving people more effectively. We examine how a visualization tool in the form of a map-based model may shape the knowledge local people bring to the planning table. The analysis was guided by the concept of mediated action as it has been developed in sociocultural theory. We found that local knowledge was conditioned by a complexity of factors, including the dynamic of actions that develop around the tool and the way of looking imposed by map-based representation. The suggestion being made is that visualization tools, although bringing people closer to the planning process, also disconnect them from their local knowledge base.


Jasmonic acid (JA) regulates the production of several plant volatiles that are involved in plant defense mechanisms. In this study, we report that the JA-responsive volatile apocarotenoid, β-cyclocitral (β-cyc), negatively affects abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and induces a defense response against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), which causes bacterial blight in rice (Oryza sativa L.). JA-induced accumulation of β-cyc was regulated by OsJAZ8, a repressor of JA signaling in rice. Treatment with β-cyc induced resistance against Xoo and upregulated the expression of defense-related genes in rice. Conversely, the expression of ABA-responsive genes, including ABA-biosynthesis genes, was downregulated by JA and β-cyc treatment, resulting in a decrease in ABA levels in rice. β-cyc did not inhibit the ABA-dependent interactions between OsPYL/RCAR5 and OsPP2C49 in yeast cells. Furthermore, we revealed that JA-responsive rice carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4b (OsCCD4b) was localized in the chloroplast and produced β-cyc both in vitro and in planta. These results suggest that β-cyc plays an important role in the JA-mediated resistance against Xoo in rice.


Background The clinical benefits of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in treating COVID-19 remained controversial. Methods We systematically searched databases up to February 17, 2022, for studies examining the efficacy of IVIg compared to routine care. Meta-analyses were conducted using the random-effects model. Subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and trial series analysis w ere performed to explore heterogeneity and statistical significance. Results A total of 4,711 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (1,925 IVIg treated and 2786 control) were collected from 17 studies, including five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 12 cohort studies. The application of IVIg was not associated with all-cause mortality (RR= 0.89 [0.63, 1.26], P= 0.53; I2 = 75%), the length of hospital stays (MD= 0.29 [-3.40, 6.44] days, P= 0.88; I2 = 96%), the needs for mechanical ventilation (RR= 0.93 ([0.73, 1.19], P= 0.31; I2 = 56%), or the incidence of adverse events (RR= 1.15 [0.99, 1.33], P= 0.06; I2 = 20%). Subgroup analyses showed that overall mortality among patients with severe COVID-19 was reduced in the high-dose IVIg subgroup (RR= 0.33 [0.13, 0.86], P= 0.02, I2 = 68%; very low certainty). Conclusions Results of this study suggest that severe hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with high-dose IVIg would have a lower risk of death than patients with routine care. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021231040, identifier CRD42021231040.


This work presents the design of a sliding-mode based current controller for a Cascade Full Bridge Multilevel Inverter grid connected PV system. The design also includes a modulation strategy to share the control action among the cascade-connected bridges in order to concurrently synthesize a multilevel waveform and to keep each of the PVG at its maximum operating point. Experimental results are included to validate the proposed approach.


Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) complex deficiency syndrome is an autosomal dominant syndrome with mutations in the SDH gene characterized by multiple tumor types, including paragangliomas, pheochromocytomas, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, thyroid tumors, testicular seminoma, neuroblastomas, and, less commonly, renal cell carcinoma. SDH-deficient renal cell carcinoma is a distinct and rare subtype of renal cell carcinoma, typically with a good prognosis, that demonstrates histologic features including cytoplasmic inclusions and vacuoles with a loss of SDH subunit B immunostaining. We present a case of succinate dehydrogenase–deficient renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid features in a 24-year-old male who initially presented with hematuria and flank pain. An MRI of the abdomen showed a large enhancing mass in the upper pole of the kidney. He underwent a radical nephrectomy and was found to have an 11.0 × 10.5 × 10.2-cm variegated and lobular mass in the upper pole of the kidney. Microscopic examination showed sheets of cells with cleared out cytoplasm, cytoplasmic inclusions, and vacuoles. Areas of the mass showed sarcomatoid features and necrosis. The mass extended into the pelvicalyceal system and metastasized to the adrenal gland. An SDH B immunostain was performed on the specimen and was negative, confirming the diagnosis of SDH-deficient renal cell carcinoma. Subsequently, the patient underwent genetic testing and was found to have an SDHB germline mutation.


A mountain goat cranial fragment from gravels beneath two thick glacial tills near Quesnel Forks, British Columbia is referred to Oreamnos sp. It is considered to be of last (Sangamon) interglacial age, or older. Oreamnos seems to have entered North America from Eurasia across the Bering Isthmus during a Pleistocene glaciation prior to the last (Wisconsin) glaciation.


Flexible thermoelectric (TE) materials have attracted increasing interest due to their potential applications in energy harvesting and high-spatial-resolution thermal management. However, a high-performance flexible micro-TE device (TED) compatible with the modern electronics fabrication process has not yet been developed. Here we report a general van der Waals epitaxial growth approach to fabricating a freestanding and flexible hybrid comprised of single-wall carbon nanotubes and highly ordered (Bi,Sb)2Te3 nanocrystals. High power factors ranging from ~1,680 to ~1,020 µW m−1 K−2 in the temperature range of 300-480 K, combined with a strongly depressed thermal conductivity yield an average figure of merit of ~0.81. A prototype flexible micro-TED module consisting of two p-n hybrids was then fabricated, which demonstrated an unprecedented open circuit voltage of ~22.7 mV and a power density of ~0.36 W cm−2 under a ~30 K temperature difference, and a net cooling temperature of ~22.4 K and a heat absorption density of ~92.5 W cm−2.


This review highlights the recent developments in the area of nanocarrier-based targeted delivery systems for both conventional drugs and therapeutic agents of increased complexity. A challenging objective of targeted drug delivery is the development of novel nanocarriers for the delivery of protein/peptide drugs via the oral, pulmonary and nasal administration routes. The nanocarriers need to be biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic and stable in biological media, to protect their payload and deliver it to desired sites within the body, preferentially in a temporally regulated manner, and on the other hand to be manufactured in a simple scalable manner, with relatively low cost. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering


In this paper, the effect of soil management practices and environmental factors on soil microbial diversity are reviewed and the methods for studying soil microbial diversity are briefly introduced. Soil microbial diversity includes microbial species diversity, genetic diversity and ecological diversity. Culturing techniques using a variety of culture media are used traditionally to analyze soil microbial communities, but only a small fraction of soil microbial community has been cultured and isolated. Recently several modern methods including Biolog analysis, phospholipid fatty acid analysis and nucleic acid-based analysis have been utilized internationally to study and characterize soil microbial diversity. Soil microbial diversity is affected by many factors including management practices. Application of pesticides usually causes declines in soil microbial diversity or changes in its structure and function. Organic manures are commonly reported to maintain soil microbial diversity and activities, but reports on the effects of inorganic fertilizers have been contradictory. Generally speaking, microbial diversity is higher and biomass is larger in agricultural soils cultivated with reduced tillage and crop rotation than in those soils cultivated with conservation tillage and monoculture. Soil microbial diversity may also be influenced by soil organic matter, vegetation, seasonal change, and usually suffer from stresses such as drought, overgrazing, and nutrient deficiencies.


The combination of dissolution and shockwave treatment for cholesterol stones is successful in 80% of the patients. The indication is strictly limited to cholesterol stones of between ten and thirty millimeters in diameter, or three stones of similar mass. In 80% of common duct stones which cannot be removed by endoscopy, shockwave treatment is a successful adjuvant procedure. It is estimated that recurrent stones will occur in 50% of the cases after five years. As long as the problem of recurrent stones persists, the group of stone carriers suitable for conservative treatment cannot be definitevely defined.


The three-dimensional arrangement of the intestinal smooth muscle in the ammocoetes of the lamprey (Lampetra japonica) was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after removal of the intestinal mucosa. In cross section of the posterior midgut, its wall was composed of the parietal wall and the typhlosolar wall of the spiral fold, lining a horseshoe-shaped space, and had two distinct muscle layers. The fiber extensions of the muscle layers in the two parts of the wall were reversed; internal longitudinal and external circular in the parietal wall, but internal circular and external longitudinal in the typhlosolar wall. The positional exchange of the two layers occurred within the transitional area from the parietal wall to the typhlosolar wall, where an interlacing texture of longitudinal and circular braids of fibers was observed. Furthermore, the external fibers of the longitudinal braid extended successively into the circular braid until the longitudinal braid disappeared. However, any fibrous transition from the circular braid into the longitudinal braid in the typhlosolar wall was not clear in the present study. The internal location of the longitudinal layer at the parietal wall may be optimal for its main function of contracting the intestinal tract longitudinally. In addition, the external (to be precise, the internal to the hematopoietic tissue) longitudinal muscle layer in the typhlosolar wall may play an important role in saving and squeezing out blood into the cardinal intestinal vein by longitudinal contraction of the elongated adjacent hematopoietic tissue mass.


CONTEXT
Cutoff limits of GH stimulation tests to diagnose GH deficiency (GHD) in children and adolescents are not sufficiently validated by clinical studies due to discrepancies in the performance of GH immunoassays and lack of available study populations.

OBJECTIVE
We aimed to establish new cutoff limits for GH stimulation tests based on clinical evidence and compared these immunoassay-based values with an antibody-independent mass spectrometric method.

DESIGN AND SETTING
In a retrospective study, GH cutoff limits for eight different immunoassays and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ID-MS) were calculated from hGH peak concentrations of short-statured children with and without GHD.

PATIENTS
We compared the serum GH peak concentrations at GH stimulation test of 52 short-statured children and adolescents, who have normal GH secretion at initial workup and normal growth in the follow-up, with the serum GH peak concentrations of 44 GHD patients in the same age range, in order to optimize the cutoff limit calculation.

RESULTS
Discriminant analysis of re-measured GH led to a new cutoff limit of 7.09 μg/l using the iSYS assay (IDS) and the limits for the other seven hGH assays varied between 4.32 and 7.77 μg/l. For ID-MS, cutoffs of 5.48 μg/l (22k GH) and 7.43 μg/l (total GH) were ascertained.

CONCLUSION
The establishment of method-specific clinical evidence-based GH cutoff limits is of importance to ensure adequate clinical diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with GHD. ID-MS may become an important tool for providing both reliable and sustainable SI traceability of GH measurements in the future.


Abstract In the context of climate change, climate variability has become a major issue in recent years in sub-Saharan countries. Climate information services (CIS) could be a vital resort for African producers to better manage climatic risks. This study aimed to identify CIS needs and analyze the most adapted dissemination channels while also determining factors that influence smallholder access. This was done with a gender lens where 1170 farmers (20% women) were surveyed from 11 regions in Senegal. Two probit regressions were performed. Results revealed that men and women have different needs for CIS, with 95% of women requesting information relating to the onset date of rainy season against 90% for men (p < 5%). Similarly, 46% of women prefer rural radios as a CIS broadcast channel compared to 39% of men (p < 5%). Also, the main factors influencing the access are ethnicity, area of residence, and farmers' perceptions of the utility of CIS. Among women, the native status and the willingness to act against climate change affect the access to CIS. Thus, to facilitate access to CIS for relevant decision-making, it remains important to capacitate farmers and to consider the producers' organizations as platforms for CIS dissemination and trainings.