Differentiated thyroid cancer has an increasing incidence in recent years, but its mortality remains low. In this context, a preoperative ultrasound study is fundamental; it makes a difference due to its ability to adequately characterize local involvement, the presence of extrathyroidal extension and lymphatic metastases. A preoperative study can help to decide the best therapeutic measures and thus avoid adding greater morbidity to patients. In this article we present the relevant aspects to consider in the preoperative ultrasound evaluation of differentiated thyroid cancer and representative images of the main findings that can be found.


Abstract As of now, within the lace bug family Tingidae (Cimicomorpha), only 1.5% of the species described have been cytogenetically studied. In this paper, male karyotypes of Stephanitis caucasica, Stephanitis pyri, Physatocheila confinis, Lasiacantha capucina, Dictyla rotundata and Dictyla echii were studied using FISH mapping with an 18S rDNA marker. The results show variability: the major rDNA sites are predominantly located on a pair of autosomes but occasionally on the X and Y chromosomes. All currently available data on the distribution of the major rDNA in the Tingidae karyotypes are summarized and shortly discussed. Our main concern is to clarify whether the chromosomal position of rDNA loci can contribute to resolving the phylogenetic relationships among the Tingidae taxa.


ABSTRACT
Reading is one of the most important skills that should be mastered by students
who learn English. In learning language, the teacher should think how to choose
an interesting technique to increase students' reading interest. In this research,
KWL (Know, Want to know, Learned) and Jigsaw techniques were believed to
increase students' reading skills .This study was aimed to find out whether there is
any significant difference of students' reading skills between the students who
were taught through KWL (Know, Want to know, Learned) and through Jigsaw
techniques. Furthermore, the present study was also aimed to find out the aspects
of reading skills mostly influenced and to see the students' perception of both
techniques.
This research was conducted at the ninth grade of MTs.N 2 Pesawaran. The data
were collected by using multiple choice tests and questionnaires. The population
of this research was the ninth grade of MTs.N 2 Pesawaran. The samples were the
students of IXA and IXB chosen by using purposive sampling. The data of this
research were analyzed by using SPSS.
The result of the research showed that there was significant difference of the
students' reading skills between those who were taught through KWL (Know,
Want to know, Learned) and Jigsaw techniques. The t-value on Sig. (2-tailed) was
.006 in both classes which means that sig. < α. The result also showed that Jigsaw
technique was more effective than KWL (Know, Want to know, Learned)
technique in teaching reading. It was proved by means score of Jigsaw technique
was higher than KWL (Know, Want to know, Learned) technique. Using context
for vocabulary was the aspect of micro skills that mostly influenced in both
classes. Moreover, the students of experimental class II had more positive
perception toward KWL and Jigsaw techniques than that of the students
expperimental class I. Finally, it is suggested that the English teacher should pay
attention in choosing a good technique to increase students' reading skills.
Key words: reading skill, KWL, Jigsaw, students' perception


Thromboxane A synthase 1 (TBXAS1) catalyses the synthesis of thromboxane A2 (TXA2), which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Thus, the TBXAS1 gene was investigated as a candidate gene involved in the formation of atherosclerosis. This case-control study collected peripheral blood specimens and clinical data of 370 ischemic stroke patients and 340 healthy controls in the Northern Chinese Han population from October 2010 to May 2011. Two TBXAS1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, rs2267682 and rs10487667, were analyzed using a SNaPshot Multiplex sequencing assay to explore the relationships between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms in TBXAS1 and ischemic stroke. The TT genotype frequency and T allele frequency of rs2267682 in the patients with ischemic stroke were significantly higher than those in the controls (P < 0.01 and P = 0.02). Furthermore, compared with the GG + GT genotype, the TT rs2267682 genotype was associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke (odds ratio (OR) = 1.80, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16–2.79, P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic analysis with adjustments for confounding factors revealed that rs2267682 was still associated with ischemic stroke (OR = 1.94, 95% CI : 1.13–3.33, P = 0.02). The frequency of the T-G haplotype in the patients was significantly higher than that in the controls according haplotype analysis (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.10–2.00, P < 0.01). These data reveal that the rs2267682 TBXAS1 polymorphism is associated with ischemic stroke. The TT genotype of TBXAS1 and T allele of rs2267682 increase susceptibility to ischemic stroke in this Northern Chinese Han population. The protocol has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR-COC-17013559).


Financial Assets' pricing benchmarks serve multiple purposes in financial markets and hence play a critical role. First, they serve as a reference point for pricing instruments; second, they reflect the opportunity cost and third, they serve as a reference rate for the relative performance of investment portfolios. Hence, a benchmark that is transparent, liquid, easy to calculate and non-manipulative is considered critical for the efficiency of financial markets. Recent scandal of LIBOR's manipulation by Barclays bank emphasizes the importance of a non-manipulative benchmark. In this paper, we propose an alternative pricing model and show how it could work to serve the purpose of a potential benchmark for pricing. This model was proposed by Abbas Mirakhor (1996) by utilizing the concept of Tobin's Q to arrive at the cost of capital (CoC) without resorting to fixed interest rate. We have empirically tested the model on Malaysian firms. To arrive at the CoC, we derived Q-ratios at firm level and aggregated the same at the industry level. Our findings suggest that the model proposed by Mirakhor (1996) can be used to estimate CoC in an interest free economy.


Although the essential facilities doctrine has not been applied recently anymore in EU competition enforcement, it is regularly referred to in EU policy discussions as a tool to open up markets in which 'tech giants' act as gatekeepers to consumers. Considering that the digital economy is not anymore driven by physical infrastructures, such as the bridges in the US Terminal Railroad case from which the essential facilities doctrine originates, other assets like data or rankings as the backbone of many digital markets may form the subject of essential facilities claims. Access to data or being ranked by an online platform can now be essential for businesses to compete in the market.

Against this background, the paper explores whether there should be more room for competition interventions under the essential facilities doctrine in the digital economy, considering market characteristics, as well as the recent Google competition cases seemingly bypassing the essential facilities doctrine, and legislative and policy developments regulating access outside EU competition law. It is put forward that the essential facilities doctrine should be rethought in order to be effectively applied in the EU digital economy, in particular by aligning its application with the underlying economic interests.


The opportunities presented by lightwave technology for the implementation of new concepts are considered. The approach taken is to reexamine the layer model and to try to identify what could happen to it if the true potential of lightwave technology were exploited fully. A typical architectural model is described, and the three properties of fiber optic technology that are likely to have the most profound effect on that model are identified. They consist of bandwidth in an amount so copious that many previous assumptions no longer apply, error rates so low that they are limited only by the reliability and performance of the terminal electronics, and software, and broadcast connectivity, so that each station can hear all transmissions. It is suggested that the effect of lightwave technology, at least as applied to local and metropolitan area networks, will be to collapse the physical, data link, and network layers into one, essentially the media-access-control layer and its supporting electrical-to-optical interface.<<ETX>>


A quasi-two-dimensional analysis of burial history and thermal evolution was carried out along eight profiles for sedimentary sections in 24 wells in the southern and western Saharan basins with the aid of one-dimensional nonsteady numerical reconstructions. The modeling shows that thermal activation during the Permian–Triassic–Jurassic was most intense in the Timimoun basin and the northern part of the Ahnet and Mouydir basins, with a heat flow of about 70–80 mW/m2 and a lithosphere thickness of 40–50 km. Activation was more moderate in the Sbaa subbasin and Reggane basin, with a heat flow of approximately 63–67 mW/m2 and a crustal thickness of 55–60 km. These values are comparable to those for the eastern Saharan basins, where the intensity of the Triassic activation decreased considerably from north to south. The present-day thermal regime of the Ahnet and Reggane basins and the central part of the Timimoun basin is comparable to that of the Illizi basin, where the present-day lithosphere is as thin as 25 km, and recent volcanism has occurred. Moderate extension of the lithosphere with a maximum total amplitude of about 1.16 during the Cenozoic is assumed in our modeling in the Reggane basin and the southern half of the Timimoun basin, as well as in the central and eastern part of the Illizi basin. Thermal analysis of the Saharan basins has shown that the Hercynian erosion can account for only a minor part of the jumps observed in the vitrinite profiles (Ro). Intrusive activity and the associated hydrothermal heat transfer during the Triassic and Early Jurassic accurately explain the steplike character of maturation profiles in the Saharan basins. In particular, the lower level of catagenesis and conservation of oil deposits in the relatively hot Sbaa subbasin are the result of less-intensive hydrothermal-intrusive heating of the basin during the Jurassic as compared to that in neighboring basins. This could also be ascribed to a deeper location of the lithosphere and probably deeper intrusions in the Sbaa subbasin. This relatively moderate thermal regime of the Sbaa subbasin might be connected to its structural position of, as it was, a "shoulder" to neighboring deeper depressions.


This study aimed to evaluate Cox's interaction model of client health behavior (IMCHB) as used in studies on women's health. Using keyword combinations of "women" and "IMCHB" or "interaction model of client health behavior," we searched the PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and RISS databases for studies on the promotion of women's health published from January 2009 to April 2019. Finally, 11 studies were selected and evaluated according to seven criteria for theory evaluation, which combined Fawcett's theory evaluation criteria and Chinn and Kramer's criteria. We found that the IMCHB corresponds to a verifiable practical level of a middle-range theory, although it may be partially abstract. It contains all four concepts of the metaparadigm of nursing, in terms of a holistic philosophical approach. A theoretical evaluation demonstrated that the IMCHB has significance, generality, testability, empirical adequacy, and pragmatic adequacy for nursing practice and research. However, the lack of clear conceptual definitions and the presence of complex relationships among concepts resulted in a lack of internal consistency and parsimony. According to an in-depth verification through a review of the literature, the IMCHB has been used as a health promotion intervention strategy for various populations of women and has led to useful results in nursing practice. The IMCHB was confirmed to be a suitable theory for experimental and clinical research. Future research can build on this middle-range theory for women's health research and practice.


Background Mammalian transglutaminases (TGs) catalyze calcium-dependent irreversible post-translational modifications of proteins. In the nervous system, at least four different transglutaminase isoforms are found with TG6 representing the neuronal isoform. Their enzymatic activities contribute to the pathogenesis of several human neurodegenerative diseases. Aims The present study was outlined to investigate expression, distribution and activity of transglutaminases, especially TG6, in Huntington´s disease rodent models. Methods/techniques To analyze the involvement of TG6 in the age- and genotype-specific pathological progressions in rodent HD animal models, protein, histological and functional assays were used. Results/outcome We demonstrate the physical interaction between TG6 and (mutant) huntingtin by co-immunoprecipitation analysis. In addition, we describe that TG6 expression and activity were especially abundant in the olfactory tubercle and piriform cortex, the regions displaying the highest amount of mHTT aggregates in HD transgenic rats. Furthermore, mHTT aggregates were found within TG6-positive cells. Conclusions Our data strongly suggest a prominent role for TG6 in the post-translational modification of (m)HTT thus pointing away from TG2, so far being investigated most frequently. Our results suggest that TG6 activity on mHTT may be causative for the modification of mHTT fragments that would result to be more prone to aggregation. Furthermore, the aggregation process seems to depend more on the regional distribution and physical proximity of transglutaminases and mHTT, rather than on differences in total protein amounts. Further studies analyzing the impact of TG6 knock-out/inactivation on mHTT aggregation and disease progression will finally elucidate the pathological relevance of our findings.


The study of migration in the countryside, particularly in Southeast Asian developing countries, has been heavily focused on one-way out-migration of people with smallholder farming backgrounds to work in cities or even abroad. Recently, however, with improvements in infrastructure that allow intensified flows of commodities and information, as well as enhanced personal mobility, rural migration processes have become increasingly complex and dynamic. A particularly intriguing phenomenon is the migration of urban middle-class residents away from the city. Such newcomers bring with them different lifestyles, values, and expectations about the countryside, both in terms of its landscape and its social relations. This article will explore an example in the peri-urban zone around Chiang Mai, Thailand. The author argues that the arrival of newcomers in rural settings has created a new set of class relations, rooted more in culture than in relations of production. This argument is illustrated through an analysis of everyday encounters based on ethnographic observations in a village where the author lived from 2007 to 2009.


Objective : To explore the adaptation process among Thai-Isan women who had converted from Buddhism to Islam. Methods : Qualitative approach was conducted during September 2012 to August 2013. Twenty one Thai-Isan women, who converted from Buddhism to Islam and identified themselves as Muallaf, participated in this study. Data were collected via in-depth interviews, natural conversations, observations and field notes, and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Triangulation was used to ensure the quality of the research. Results : All 21 Mualluf faced stressful situations that were risk of emotional crisis but they did not have mental health problems. Converting from Buddhist to Muslim was regarded as changing way of life. An adaptation process of the muallaf was divided into 3 phases including Phase 1: considering religious conversion Phase 2: identity transition and Phase 3: maintaining a new identity. In addition it was found that social support helped the muallaf's transition smoothly. Factors in the success of the adaptation were divided into 3 levels: 1) Individual-level : faith in God, extrovert, non-dependent and appropriate defense mechanisms. 2) Family-level : the family understanding and Muslim families welcome 3) Community-level : Isan-Society accepting and Muslim community supporting. Conclusion : Religion conversion a risk to provoke emotional crisis. To prevent mental health problems suitable adaptation process is needed. Nonetheless, the factor forcing the muallaf to adapt was the pressure of conversion on them. The muallaf need social support. Health provider can offer greater support throughout the conversion by enhancing cultural competency.


The paper intends to analyze the processes underlying identity building in girls with a migration background: namely, those subjects in which the adolescent period intertwines with the migration experience, and with the process of identity building. In fact, the construction of identity in immigrant youth is more complex, because the "identity crisis" overlaps with the "trauma" of the experience of migration. This paper aims to investigate how a traumatic situation, such as a migratory experience, may affect the mechanisms of identity building in adolescence. The essay summarizes the outcomes of a qualitative research conducted with a sample of 15 adolescent girls, daughters of im- migrants, aged 15-20, living in Florence and Madrid, in an interdisciplinary perspective, using Grounded Theory as a method of investigation, and a semi-structured interview as a data collection tool. Respondents reported that their situation is doubly complex, due to their status as "migrants" and as adolescents, and as women as well. In fact, especially for girls, the change caused by migration is gender-generating: it therefore leads to the development of new forms of "being women", differentiating both from the dominant models of the culture of origin, and from those of the immigration country.


This report documents the blunt avulsion of the tendon of origin of the extensor carpi radialis longus. The unusual industrial injury presented with the severe pain and tense swelling of a compartment syndrome.


Analyzed from the demand and supply in the auditing market, we can draw the conclusion inevitably that the CPA has the common feature of any kind of "economic person", that is the maximization of benefit; but, viewed from the demand of the market, a converse conclusion should be drawn that CPA is a "social person" instead of an "economic person"; and that is why more limitations are put on the CPA than any other industry. By comparing the history of independent auditing in both China and the United States, we should not rely on the government or the market solely, because they both have their flaws in some aspects. How to set a rational boundary between the market and government is just what embarrass the government of every country. Key words: economic person, agent, supervision, boundary of the market


Background: Neonatal pneumoperitoneum is attributed, in most of the reported cases, to necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). There are also other causes leading to free intraperitoneal air. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical spectrum, causes, management and outcome of neonates admitted with pneumoperitoneum in the paediatric surgery unit of a university hospital. Subjects and Methods: This retrospective study included neonates having radiographic evidences of pneumoperitoneum from 2012 to the end of 2014. Patients′ files were analysed regarding age at admission, birth weight, history, clinical picture, management, operative findings and subsequent outcome. Results: Fifty-six out of 379 neonates (14.7%) were found to have pneumoperitoneum during the study period. There were 35 males (62.5%) and 21 females (37.5%). Cases diagnosed as NEC represented 27 neonates (48.2%). There were 29 cases (51.8%) with causes not related to NEC. Non-NEC causes were spontaneous intestinal perforation (8.9%), ano-rectal malformations (7.1%), Hirschsprung′s disease (14.2%), ileal atresia (3.5%), incarcerated inguinal hernia (1.7%), gastric perforation (1.7%) and meconium ileus (1.7%). In seven patients (12.5%), those who were managed conservatively (8.9%) or whose laparotomy was negative (3.6%), no cause of pneumoperitoneum could be reached. Overall mortality was 25%, 78.5% of which was NEC-related. Conclusions: Neonatal pneumoperitoneum is an alerting finding for paediatric surgeons. Most cases imply serious causes with a significant morbidity and mortality, NEC being the most common cause. On the other hand, pneumoperitoneum is not an absolute indication for surgery. Careful assessment and tailored management can limit the morbidity of unnecessary laparotomies.


In the present study, the authors used sessile drop method to simulate the contacting and infiltration behavior between Al melt and Al–B 4 C composite. In order to track the penetration distance of the metal melt infiltrate into the Al-B 4 C composite matrix when the infiltration is not obvious, element Si was added into the metal melt as the tracer agent. The Al-10%Si melt was dropped onto the Al-B 4 C composite substrate at 913K. The changes of droplet bottom size, height, and contact angle during the spreading and penetration with Al-B 4 C composite substrate surface are investigated by infiltration experiment equipment. The process of the droplet infiltrating into the Al-B 4 C composite can be divided into two stages: (a) a slow infiltration stage that the contact angle changes slowly; (b) a quick infiltration stage with the rapidly-changed contact angle. The content of B 4 C and the pores in the composite plays an important role on the infiltration of the droplet. The higher the density, the easier the infiltration proceeds.


Ivo THOMAS. Saint Vincent Ferrer's De suppositionibus. Ibid., pp. 88-102. Portions of the treatise mentioned in the title (which was written in 1372) are abstracted and discussed. The examination and evaluation of the work are from the point of view of modern logic, but with only occasional use of symbolism for purposes of explanation. The author writes in his concluding summary: "We have found modern logical interests touched on in quite a number of places, conspicuously in connection with the existential import of universal propositions, different kinds of existence, propositions referring to themselves, numerical predicates, use and mention of terms, syllogistic and other kinds of argument, analysis and reconstruction of various kinds of proposition. The machinery of investigation is not very handy; for the general use of concrete terms instead of variables does much to offset the convenience of the metalogical standpoint which is equally characteristic of the period. Again, semantical and syntactical themes are somewhat haphazardly considered under the common heading of supposition. However, the results are by no means despicable. . ."


Introduction Myofibroblasts are the major source of extracellular matrix components that accumulate during tissue fibrosis, and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the major source of myofibroblasts in the liver. To date, robust systems to genetically manipulate these cells have not existed. The paucity of tools that allow reliable, specific inactivation of genes in myofibroblasts in vivo has greatly hindered progress in understanding the underlying biology of fibrotic diseases. Methods Mouse models of organ fibrosis: Chronic carbon tetrachloride injection (liver fibrosis), intratracheal bleomycin instillation (lung fibrosis) and unilateral ureteric obstruction (kidney fibrosis). Fluorescent reporter mice: mTmG (Td tomato/EGFP) and Ai14 (Rosa-CAG-LSL-tdTomato-WPRE) mice were crossed with PDGFRβ(platelet derived growth factor beta)-Cre mice. Integrin knockout mice: Itgavflox/flox, itgb8flox/flox and Itgb6-/- mice were maintained on C57BL/6 background and itgb3-/- and Itgb5-/- mice were maintained on a 129/svJae background. Fluorescent cell sorting: Td Tomato positive cells from Ai14; PDGFRβ-Cre mice were sorted using a FACSAria. Results We report that PDGFRβ (platelet derived growth factor receptor beta) Cre inactivates genes in murine HSCs with high efficiency. We used this system to delete the integrin αv subunit because of the suggested role of multiple αv integrins as central mediators of fibrosis in multiple organs. Deletion of the αv integrin subunit in HSCs protected mice from CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis, whereas global loss of αvβ3, αvβ5 or αvβ6 or conditional loss of αvβ8 on HSCs did not. PDGFRβ-Cre effectively targeted myofibroblasts in multiple organs, and deletion of αv integrins using this system was also protective in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteric obstruction. Critically, pharmacological blockade of αv integrins by a novel small molecule (CWHM 12) attenuated both liver and lung fibrosis, even when administered after fibrosis was established. Conclusion These data identify a core cellular and molecular pathway that regulates fibrosis, and suggest that pharmacological targeting of all αv integrins may have clinical utility in the treatment of patients with a broad range of fibrotic diseases. Disclosure of Interest N. Henderson: None Declared, T. Arnold: None Declared, Y. Katamura: None Declared, M. Giacomini: None Declared, J. Rodriguez: None Declared, J. McCarty: None Declared, P. Ruminski Shareholder of: Antegrin Therapeutics, LLC., D. Griggs Shareholder of: Antegrin Therapeutics, LLC., J. Maher: None Declared, J. Iredale: None Declared, A. Lacy-Hulbert: None Declared, R. Adams: None Declared, D. Sheppard: None Declared.


We examine the link between social network size and forgiveness, as well as mediating effects of self-efficacy and trust. Data are from the Detroit Community Study, which include three racial/ethnic groups: African Americans, Arab Americans, and White Americans (N=907). Results indicated that larger network size is associated with more forgiveness, but is mediated by trust. Patterns varied within racial/ethnic group: among Arab Americans self-efficacy mediated the effect of network size on forgiveness; among African Americans there were no direct or mediating effects; among White Americans an indirect effect of trust on forgiveness was identified. Findings suggest complex associations with forgiveness.


Objectives Service and stakeholder evaluation of an NHS-funded service providing out-ofhours (OOH) emergency repeat medications to patients self-presenting at community pharmacies. Setting Community pharmacies across the North East of England accredited to provide this service. Participants Patients self-presenting to community pharmacies during OOH periods with emergency repeat medication supply requests. Intervention Community pharmacists assessed each request for clinical appropriateness and when suitable provide an emergency repeat medication supply, with additional pharmaceutical advice and services if required. Primary outcomes Number of emergency repeat medication supplies, time of request, reason for access, medication(s), pharmaceutical advice and services provided. Secondary outcomes were community pharmacist and patient satisfaction. Results A total of 2485 patients were managed across 227 community pharmacies (15 December 2014 to 7 April 2015). Most patients presented on Saturdays, with increased activity over national holidays. Older age was associated with increased service use. Of the 3226 medications provided, 439 were classified as high risk. Patients found this service easy to access and were willing to access the community pharmacy in the future for medication-related issues. In the absence of this service, 50% of patients would have missed their medication(s) until they saw their doctor and a further 46% would have accessed an alternative service. The cost of National Health Service (NHS) service(s) for patients who would have accessed an alternative OOH service was estimated as 37 times that of the community pharmacy service provided. Community pharmacists were happy to provide this service despite increased consultation times and workload. Conclusions Community pharmacists were able to manage patients' OOH requests for emergency repeat medication and patients were happy with the service provided. Since the service cost was favourable when compared with alternative OOH services, it would be a viable option to reduce the workload on the wider NHS.


Mugshots' uses and practices—from Bertillon to Lombroso—show the photograph's power: face and its photographic image are a form of control for protecting the establishment. However political value and subversive force of photography lies in the dialectic between known and unknown that the image of the photographed face produces. Photographic portrait produces new, previously unknown relationships if it isn't only used for purposes of reproduction: so it is able to be in opposition to the established order and its imperatives that want to eliminate chaos and differences.


This study uses longitudinal data from community college students enrolled in developmental reading classes to explore the impact of a success course on key momentum points and milestones. Working from an institutional database, a cohort of first semester students (N = 1,427) from a public community college in New England was tracked from fall 2007 through spring 2013. Developmental reading students enrolled in a newly-instituted success course (N = 359) were compared to peers who did not enroll in the course. Chi square analyses addressed the relationship between reading level and success course enrollment and between success course enrollment and retention (2 and 4 semester), momentum points (enrollment into developmental writing and gateway writing courses), and milestones (completing an associate's degree or transferready status). The results demonstrate a small (6-10%) but consistent effect of enrollment in the success course in facilitating the acquisition of academic goals. Regression analyses evaluated the demographic characteristics associated with these variables. In individual predictive analyses, nonwhite, first generation, and female students were significantly less likely to complete momentum points or milestones; however, in the full model race was the most consistent predictor, with completion ratios for nonwhite students 2-5 times lower than white students. Findings demonstrate the effectiveness of enrollment in a success course as a means of facilitating the achievement of academic goals, and further demonstrate that a 1-credit version of the course is the most effective delivery.


This paper uses Social Network Analysis as a tool for the analysis of communication patterns in organizations involved in humanitarian logistics operations in Latin America. The objective of this paper is to present a methodology to study communication policies and patterns in order to define and analyze network structures in Panama. Social Network Analysis consist of the use of network topologies to map and measure relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations, or other information/knowledge processing entities. Measures such as centrality degree, closeness, and betweenness among others, will be translated into measures of efficiency and effectiveness among the organizations, institutions and individuals involved in humanitarian logistics in these countries to help generate knowledge about best practices and procedures applied in each of these countries.


The basis of treatment for advanced germ cell tumors is chemotherapy and surgical resection of residual disease. Surgery has maintained its role in staging and therapeutic management. Despite these advances, much of the outcomes depend on proper patient selection. Complete removal of all post-chemotherapy residual masses remains the standard of care in the treatment of advanced nonseminomatous germ cell tumors both within and outside of the retroperitoneum.


Bait consumption, and the efficacy of 1080-treated grain, were determined for feral pigs (Sus scrofa) during the dry season in the Fitzroy River region of north-western Australia. There were an estimated 250 pigs on the study site (15 000-ha paddock with beef cattle) before poison-baiting, and group size and the basic biology of these pigs were similar to that found elsewhere in Australia. All animals at the study site were naive to the test baits. Fermented wheat with added blood and bone was an attractant for feral pigs but added fish oil was not. Wheat and malted barley were the 'preferred' baits. Lupins and pig pellets were consumed in lesser amounts, suggesting that they are less/not acceptable to some feral pigs. Consequently, the efficacy of 1080-treated wheat and malted barley was determined (n = 3 sites per treatment). Three independent measures of pig activity/abundance were used. The daily sighting index before and after poison-baiting suggested that pig numbers were decreased by at least 81–100% (mean 89%) regardless of which bait was used. The take of both 1080-bait and non-toxic fermented wheat added to each station generally ceased within 1–3 days, and little take occurred during the post-poisoning follow-up. Pig tracks decreased to zero within 1–3 days of poisoning on the two sites where track plots were established. However, due to the arrival of 'immigrant' pigs ~6 days after poisoning on two sites, and the need to close down a third site before poison-baiting could be completed, we believe the absolute efficacy was greater than the 89% overall reduction. Even though they had access to bait, there was no bait-take by non-target species, either native (toxic and non-toxic bait) or domestic (non-toxic bait). The 61 pig carcases found after poisoning were within 20–610 m of active bait stations (mean 232 m), and most were found in clustered groups. These findings are discussed with respect to the development of management strategies for reducing the impacts of feral pigs, and in terms of their potential implications for developing wildlife disease (exotic and endemic) contingency plans.


The objective of this study was to develop and characterize a pH indicator based on chitosan (C) and starch (S) including anthocyanins from eggplant to indicate food quality changes through the detection of changes in the pH of packaged food products. Anthocyanins were extracted with solvents including ethanol and water (7:3, V:V) (EgP-E) and water (EgP-W) in acidic pH. The pH indicator films were obtained incorporating anthocyanin as 1.5 g extract/100 g film solution. The optical, mechanical and water vapor permeability properties were used to characterize the pH indicator films. The total monomeric anthocyanin content and phenolic content of extract solutions were also determined. Color variations of pH indicator films were measured by a colorimeter after immersion in different pH buffers (pH 2.0–10.0). Initially, dried C films and S based films were observed in a violet color and a magenta color, respectively. C and S films with anthocyanins showed color variations from pink (in acidic pH) to bluish-green (in neutral pH) and to violet (in basic pH) in different pH values. The water vapor permeability of films with anthocyanins was higher than films without anthocyanins. Additionally, C and S based films including anthocyanins extracted with water showed better permeability values. C:EgP-W and S:EgP-W films presented higher elasticity values when compared with films including ethanolic extracts (p<0.05) due to the plasticizing effect of water. As expected, opacity values of films including both E and W extracts were higher than those obtained in films without extracts. The developed pH indicator films have potentials to be used as a diagnostic tool for the detection of food spoilage with the advantages of a simple manufacturing process, biodegradability, and usage of natural and safe compounds.


Abstract Background: Opisthorchiasis caused by Opisthorchis viverrini remains a major public health problem in many parts of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The epicenter of this disease is located in northeast Thailand, where high a prevalence of opisthorchiasis coexists with a high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma (CHCA), a major primary carcinoma of the liver with a very poor prognosis. Objective: Determine the surveillance characteristics of O. viverrini infections in northeast Thailand. Methods: Four thousand one hundred eighteen stool samples from 19 provinces were used in this study. All age groups were included, from below four years to more than 60 years. The geographic information system (GIS) was deployed to overlay the prevalence of disease on urban and agricultural areas as well as manmade land uses. Results: Results showed a rate of Opisthorchiasis of 20.39% (840/4,118). Farmland and forests (loam soil) were highly associated with infection. Conclusion: The rate of Opisthorchiasis is high in farmland and forests and lower in residential areas. Mass treatment targeted at high-risk areas may be a cost-effective control strategy and warrants further study.


ABSTRACT Near-net shape forming of the hollow sphere joints (60 mm in diameter) used in large space truss structure of spacecraft was realised by powder injection molding and diffusion bonding. For metal injection molding (MIM) process, two binder systems based on polyoxymethylene (POM) and paraffin wax (PW) are comparatively studied. The powder loading, power law index, viscous flow activation energy and integrated rheological factors of feedstock were systematically studied. Except powder loading, The feedstock based on POM system has a smaller strain and temperature sensitivity (n = 0.368, E = 17.95 kJ mol−1) and better rheological properties (α = 6.3). The lowest interstitials contents of as-sintered samples are 0.05 wt-% for C, 0.28 wt-% for O and 0.046 wt-% for N, which meet the Grade 5 PM (Ti–6Al–4V) specifications according to ASTM B988-13. The tensile strength and ductility reach 978 MPa and 6.3%, respectively, after 1300 °C sintering and capsule-free hot isostatic pressing (HIP).


Large arrays of wave-absorbing structures could serve the double objective of coastal protection against erosion and clean, renewable electrical power production. In this work, the principle of an artificial canopy is explored, which consists of vertical structures, arranged in rows parallel to the coastline. Sea waves, which propagate towards the shore, interact with the obstacle rows. A part of the wave energy is reflected back towards the ocean, another part is transmitted to the shoreline, while the rest of the energy is, in theory, available for energy production (although losses, due to viscous effects within the fluid, or imperfect efficiency of the power conversion mechanism, will unavoidably take place). First, a simple geometric representation of the reflection/transmission properties of individual, fixed rows is presented. In the case of moving rows, relationships are drawn between the internal stiffness and damping parameters of the devices, on the one hand, and their reflection, transmission and absorption characteristics, on the other hand. Array properties are then examined, depending on both individual row design parameters and row-to-row spacing values, using the widespacing approximation. A numerical case study illustrates the capabilities of the proposed modelling framework, with arrays of vertical, oscillating rectangular plates. The transmitted, reflected and absorbed wave spectra are examined, along with their dependencies on individual oscillator control tuning and array design parameters.


Over a million tonnes of cigarette butts (CBs) are produced worldwide annually. These CBs accumulate in the environment due to the poor biodegradability of the cellulose acetate filters and pose a serious environmental risk. This paper presents some of the results from a continuing study on recycling CBs into fired clay bricks. Properties including compressive strength, flexural strength, density, water absorption and thermal conductivity of fired clay bricks are reported and discussed. Furthermore, leaching of heavy metals from the manufactured clay bricks was tested. The results show that the density of fired bricks was reduced by about 8 - 30 %, depending on the percentage of CBs incorporated into the raw materials. The compressive strength of bricks tested was 12.57, 5.22 and 3.00 MPa for 2.5, 5.0 and 10 % CB content respectively. Water absorption and initial rate of absorption values increased as density, and hence porosity, of bricks decreased with increasing CB volume. The leaching test results revealed trace amounts of heavy metals.


The description of the quality of musical spaces belonging to the cyberpace should take into account three different aspects: the modes of fruition of a sound object in virtual spaces; its reception in the frame of online communication; and the mutations that could eventually affect the dynamics of perception. The complex relationships between the three different aspects suggest that, in cyberspace, the activities of production and listening to music take place in forms that differ partially from the ones with which we are familiar. Whether one wants to consider listening as an individual task or as a relational path, what needs to be verified is, in fact, the extent to which the contours of recognition of sonorous objects can be related to the spatial, environmental and emotional variables of cyber-universes. As well as being modified, the musical and audio contents can be repeatedly re-contextualised, and listeners become aware of more contexts (the original one and others derived from it) during their navigation. What should be considered is, then, that musical meanings can be generated through trans-contextual readings, and from interference between ordinary and virtual spaces. Apart from the linguistic nature of cyberspace, this requires deep investigation into the meaning of the so-called 'extended' nature of cyberspace.


The sex identification by the various parameters of the bones is one of the most important tasks of osteology and forensic science. Objectives. To develope evidence-based diagnostic criteria for determining a person's gender in the context of forensic identification of the person using some parameters of the scapula: the length and width of the acromion process. Material and methods. The study material was 108 corpses aged 19 to 99 years old from the central region of Russia examined in 2016. The causes of death were diseases of the cardiovascular system, poisoning with ethanol and/or narcotics, complex mechanical trauma. Morphological, morphometric and osteometric methods were used as well as mathematical using statistical software. Results. New criteria were obtained for the sex identification by certain parameters of the scapula. The use of the established data will make it possible to reasonably reduce the range of osteological examinations in favor of a targeted sampling of material which will reduce the time and economic costs of the morphometric bone examinations as well as increase the evidence-based value of expert's report in criminal procedure.


The geologic history of the west side of the Gulf of California is particularly well recorded near the copper-mining town of Santa Rosalia, Baja California, Mexico. During the Miocene a thick accumulation of volcanic rocks (Comondu volcanics), grading westward into terrestrial sediments, was derived from the present site of the Gulf. These rocks were gently tilted westward over most of the peninsula, perhaps in the form of a tilted fault block, but were locally strongly deformed by faulting near the Gulf. Great subsidence of the former highlands on the site of the Gulf occurred, perhaps as a result of downfaulting. When the first engulfment by the sea occurred near Santa Rosalia, starting probably in early Pliocene time, the topography of the Comondu surface was still in stage of late youth or early maturity, having a local relief of 450 meters. As a result there existed a rugged shoreline with an irregular topography, characterized by headlands, bays, submarine hills and ridges, and islands. The deposition of Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments over this initial topography resulted in prominent initial structures. Anticlinal structures were produced over buried hills, and synclinal structures were formed over pre-existing valleys. The lowest deposits, particularly a peculiar basal marine limestone, show the highest initial dips, commonly as great as 30°. The higher beds show successively gentler dips as the sediments wedged out against the hills and filled in the basins. The initial structures have been modified by tilting and normal faulting occur ing at various times. The conditions of sedimentation and the origin of the initial structures are discussed, and the literature is reviewed concerning initial structures described in other regions.


BACKGROUND
This study, by combining sensory and experimental economics techniques, aims to analyse to what extent the production process, and the information about it, may affect consumer preferences. Sparkling wines produced by Champenoise and Charmat methods were the object of the study. A quantitative descriptive sensory analysis with a trained panel and non-hypothetical auctions combined with hedonic ratings involving young wine consumers (N = 100), under different information scenarios (Blind, Info and Info Taste), were performed.

RESULTS
The findings show that the production process impacts both the sensory profile of sparkling wines and consumer expectations. In particular, the hedonic ratings revealed that when tasting the products, both with no information on the production process (Blind) and with such information (Info Taste), the consumers preferred the Charmat wines. On the contrary, when detailed information on the production methods was given without tasting (Info), consumers liked the two Champenoise wines more.

CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that sensory and non-sensory attributes of sparkling wines affect consumers' preferences. Specifically, the study suggests that production process information strongly impacts liking expectations, while not affecting informed liking. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.


In this work, plasma parameters such as electron density (ne), electron temperature (Te), Debye length (λD), plasma frequency (fPlasma), and Debye number (ND) for Cu plasma produced by Pin-Plate DC discharge were studied. Spectroscopic technique was used to analyze and determine spectral emission lines. The value of the electron density for Cu was in the range (1.5–3.5)×1018cm-3 and for the electron temperature was in the range ( 1.31 – 1.61)eV. Finally, plasma parameters of Cu were caculated through plasma produced by Pin-Plate DC discharge using different voltages (600-900) V.


Most of the 700 million teenagers everywhere in the world already have their own smartphones, but comparatively few of them have access to PCs, laptops, OLPCs, Chromebooks, or tablets. The free open source non-profit project Catrobat allows users to create and publish their own apps using only their smartphones. Initiated in 2010, with first public versions of our free apps since 2014 and 47 releases of the main coding app as of July 2018, Catrobat currently has more than 700,000 users from 180 countries, is available in 50+ languages, and has been developed so far by almost 1,000 volunteers from around the world ("the world"). Catrobat is strongly inspired by Scratch and indeed allows to import most Scratch projects, thus giving access to more than 30 million projects on our users' phones as of July 2018. Our apps are very intuitive ("rock bottom"), have many accessibility settings, e.g., for kids with visual or cognitive impairments, and there are tons of constructionist tutorials and courses in many languages. We also have created a plethora of extensions, e.g., for various educational robots, including Lego Mindstorms and flying Parrot quadcopters ("the sky"), as well as for controlling arbitrary external devices through Arduino or Raspberry Pi boards, going up to the stratosphere and even beyond to interplanetary space ("the sky"). A TurtleStitch extension allowing to code one's own embroidery patterns for clothes is currently being developed. Catrobat among others intensely focuses on including female teenagers. While a dedicated version for schools is being developed, our apps are meant to be primarily used outside of class rooms, anywhere and in particular outdoors ("rock bottom", "the world"). Catrobat is discovered by our users through various app stores such as Google Play and via social media channels such as YouTube as well as via our presence on Code.org.


Although cryopreservation of mouse spermatozoa has recently become available for use, as yet there are considerable differences in fertilization efficiency of cryopreserved spermatozoa among various mouse strains. In this study, oocytes subjected to partial dissection of the zona pellucida (PZD) were inseminated with frozen-thawed C57BL/6J mouse spermatozoa. At 30, 60, 120, and 240 min after insemination, the oocytes were washed in human tubal fluid medium and cultured for 3-6 h. The fertilization rates of the PZD oocytes in each group at 6-7 h after insemination were significantly higher than that of the zona-intact control (73-88% vs 12%, respectively) (p < 0.01); but the incidence of polyspermy was nevertheless quite low (1.3-2.4%). The development rates of the monospermic oocytes to the morula and early blastocyst stages were in the 87-92% range, with 31-40% of those developing into offspring after embryo transfer. When the cryopreserved spermatozoa of C57BL/6J transgenic mice were used to fertilize PZD oocytes, the fertilization rates were as high as (73-76%) those of the PZD oocytes inseminated with the cryopreserved C57BL/6J spermatozoa, with 30-31% of the morulae and early blastocysts derived from the monospermatic oocytes developing into offspring. These results indicate that PZD of oocytes may provide an alternative when the fertilizing capacity of mouse spermatozoa has been compromised by cryopreservation.


Donoghue emphasizes the importance of recognizing occupational asthma in the initial assessment of adult patients with airway hyperresponsiveness. The frequency of this disorder, its economic impact on both the employee and the employer, its resolution with proper diagnosis, and change in exposure to the substance(s) involved, demands consideration in any patient whose asthma may be associated with the workplace. His comments about diagnosing and, therefore, more properly treating patients with occupational asthma actually draw into focus the importance of uncovering any etiologic factor that is involved in acute or chronic asthma. This is the approach of allergists who are trained to take a detailed history, emphasizing provocative factors, whether at home, school, work, or play. In certain patients, appropriate tests, such as determining the presence of specific IgE antibodies and/or provocative tests with antigens, exercise, or cold air, can clarify or confirm a diagnosis. These evaluations can be important not


In a menopausal lady, a reduced level of estrogen hormone leads to changes in the intraocular pressure (IOP) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in the eyes. This comparative study was carried out in the Outpatient Departments (OPD) of the Community Ophthalmology and Ophthalmology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, from April 2017 to June 2019 to identify any difference in IOP and RNFL thickness in pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women aged 40-65 years. In this study, 60 pre-and post-menopausal women were included. Participants 40-50 years old with irregular menstruation were classified as group A, while those 51-65 years old with no menstruation for at least 12 months were classified as group B. More than one-fourth (26.7%) of participants had HTN in group A and 53.3% in group B. HTN was significantly associated with group B. The rise in menopausal age had a significant impact on the mean IOP and RNFL. The mean IOP in right eye (RE) was 11.80 (3.31) mm of Hg in Group A and 15.63 (3.01) mm of Hg in Group B. The mean IOP in left eye (LE) was 12.27(3.78) mm of Hg and 15.47(2.84) mm of Hg in Group A and Group B, respectively. The mean IOP of both eyes was 12.03±3.48 mmHg in Group A and 15.55±2.82 mmHg in Group B. The mean difference of IOP in RE, LE and both were statistically significant between the two groups. The mean RNFL in RE was 103.97±7.42 μm in Group A and 98.90±}6.21 μm in Group B. The mean RNFL in LE was 101.87±6.69 μm and 97.97±6.65 μm in Group A and Group B, respectively. The mean RNFL of both eyes was 102.92±7.77 μm in Group A and 98.45±7.86 μm in Group B. The mean RNFL was statistically significant between the two groups. Post-menopausal women are at an increased risk of developing elevated IOP and thin RNFL than premenopausal women.
BSMMU J 2022; 15(2): 61-64


Objective: To develop coenzyme Q10 (co-Q10) nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) using stearic acid (SA) and various liquid lipids with different lipophilicity as well as highlights the use of in silico studies for predicting and elucidating the interaction of drug-lipid used as carries in NLCs, at the molecular level.
Methods: The co-Q10 NLCs were prepared using SA as solid lipid and oleic acid (OA), isopropyl myristate (IPM), as well as isopropyl palmitate (IPP) as liquid lipids by the high shear homogenization method. Firstly, the formulas were optimized by the appropriate required HLB (rHLB). The optimized NLCs were characterized in the particle size, distribution of particle size, zeta potential, crystallinity behavior, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, morphology, entrapment efficiency (EE), drug loading (DL), and pH value. The interaction of drug-lipids in silico was studied using the AutoDock Vina program.
Results: The co-Q10 NLCs using SA and the various liquid lipid possessed the mean particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, EE, DL, and pH values were 180 to 350 nm,<0.5,<-30 mV, 83 to 88%, 10 to 11%, and 5.0 to 5.6, respectively. The EE and DL of co-Q10 NLCs increased with decreasing in binding energy (∆G) in silico.
Conclusion: The co-Q10 NLCs using SA as solid lipid and OA, IPM, as well as IPP as liquid lipids were developed successfully. Furthermore, in silico study by molecular docking is a potential approach in predicting and elucidating the interaction of drug-lipid in the development of NLCs formulation.


To gain insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying epithelial cell surface interactions in the adult mouse intestine, we have characterized the cell adhesion molecules L1, N‐CAM and J1 by immunocytological, biochemical and cell biological methods. Whereas N‐CAM and J1 expression was found to be confined to the mesenchymal and neuroectodermally‐derived parts of the intestine, L1 was localized in the proliferating epithelial progenitor cells of crypts, but not in the more differentiated epithelial cells of villi. L1 was detected in crypt cells by Western blot analysis in the molecular forms characteristic of peripheral neural cells, with apparent mol. wts of 230, 180 and 150 kd. Aggregation of single, enriched crypt, but not villus cells, was strongly inhibited in the presence of Fab fragments of polyclonal L1 antibodies. These observations show that L1 is not confined to the nervous system and that it may play a functional role in the histogenesis of the intestine in the adult animal.


Photograph of the corner of a roof in the Yu Garden of Shanghai, China. In the foreground, a stone statue of a male figure is visible on the left side of the roof. The roof curves upward on the right side. Tree branches are visible in the background.


Purpose
Osteoporosis is increasingly affecting the young female adults of the Iranian population. The role of nutrition and physical activity on bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) in young female students has not been fully examined. This study aims to assess the dietary intake of several nutrients, such as calcium, phosphorus and protein; serum concentrations of vitamin D; and physical activity and their relationship with BMC and BMD in young female students.

Design/methodology/approach
Three-day dietary intakes of 67 female students were measured via duplicate portion sampling (DPS) method. Calcium and phosphorus content of the food samples were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Protein intake was determined by Kjeldahl method. Serum 25(OH) D concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Findings
The mean ±SD dietary intake of protein, calcium and phosphorus was 58.8 ± 16.9 g/day, 388 ± 135 mg/day and 1884 ± 682 mg/day, respectively. Significant positive correlation was found between serum vitamin 25(OH) D concentrations and BMC of lumbar spine (r = 0.28, p = 0.016) and BMD of femoral neck (r = 0.29, p = 0.016). Moreover, the authors observed a significant positive correlation between physical activity and femoral neck BMC (r = 0.26, p = 0.03) and BMD (r = 0.28, p = 0.02). This study found no significant associations between dietary intakes of protein, calcium and phosphorus and bone density measurements.

Originality/value
In this study, the authors measured the dietary intake of protein, calcium and phosphorus using DPS method. This study highlights the role of physical activity and serum vitamin 25(OH) D concentrations in female students' bone health.


Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for a significant amount of respiratory infections and acute otitis media (AOM) and use of antibiotics in children. In June 2006 a four-dose 7-valent pneumococcal vaccination campaign (PVC) was introduced in the Netherlands; 94% of children born after April 2006 were vaccinated. Although within the first years after PVC there was a decrease in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), it was followed by an increase in IPD caused by non-vaccine serotypes, which might lead to decreased vaccine effectiveness in terms of antibiotic use. Objectives: To estimate pneumococcal vaccine effectiveness, we will analyse the trends of the antibiotics use for AOM and pneumonia in children before and after PVC. Methods: This is an ecological study performed in children 0-5 years of age. The data comes from IADB.nl database, which contains pharmacy-dispensing data from community pharmacies in the Netherlands. The outcome is expressed as monthly proportion of the users of amoxicillin, azithromycin or cotrimoxazol out of the total population. Children born before 1 April 2006 are seen as unvaccinated, and children born after this date are seen as vaccinated. By estimating regression coefficients from segmented regression analysis we will assess whether the level and trend of antibiotic use before and after the PVC has changed noticeably (pvalue of <.05 indicating the change). The analysis will be performed for age groups of children of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years old and controlled for sex, underlying medical conditions and seasonal effects. Results: We expect to detect an immediate decrease in antibiotic use after the introduction of PVC followed by an increase due to the incidence in non-vaccine serotypes of S. pneumoniae. Conclusions: The results will give an indication on the effectiveness of the pneumococcal vaccination campaign in the Netherlands with regard to the antibiotic use.


Even though Nepal has several wild pheasant species, captive pheasant rearing for human consumption is a relatively new farming practice in Nepal. Pheasant farming is a growing practice among Nepalese farmers. However, farmers lack understanding and background in pheasant management techniques and associated diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution, location, management status, and disease characteristics of commercial pheasant farming in the Kathmandu valley. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Kathmandu valley and the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL), from July to September 2021. The case records from 2017 to 2021 were analyzed at CVL and the farms were mapped based on their locations. The top ten pheasant diseases reported in CVL were identified and the disease outbreak farms were followed to get additional information on management aspects. A total of 42 pheasant farms were visited to collect data, and dead birds from these pheasant farms were submitted to CVL for postmortem and bacterial culture. MS-EXCEL and the online software "Open Epi" were used for statistical analysis. Sixty percent of the surveyed farms exclusively raised pheasants, while 40 percent practiced mixed farming. The source of hatching eggs was from abroad (12%), local breeding center (70%) and inter-district farms (18%). Ninety percent of the farms practiced some extent of biosecurity such as clothes changes and visitors log maintained. The temporal analysis identified that pheasant mortality was highest in July, followed by June and August. Of the total cases reported in retrospective study urolithiasis was responsible for 20.27 percent of deaths, Newcastle disease and Mycotoxicosis each were responsible for 13.51 percent of deaths of birds. Though urolithiasis is one of the leading causes of death there was no significant statistical associations (p>0.05) with ages and the flock size. The study collected the baseline data on management practices and disease distributions among the commercial pheasant farming in Kathmandu valley. We suggest, further studies on morbidity, mortality, seasonal stress, and economic aspects of commercial pheasant farming. Prior knowledge and expertise on management and health aspects related to farming is needed for sustainable pheasant farming in Nepal.


Retinitis pigmentosa is the most important hereditary eye disease and there is currently no cure available. Although mutations were found in more than 40 genes in patients with retinitis pigmentosa, only two genes have thus far been found to be responsible for one of the most severe forms of the disease, X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. In this review, we highlight the current knowledge about the two gene products RPGR and RP2 and try to link genetic data from patients with functional data on the corresponding proteins. Based on the fact that recent gene therapeutic approaches for eye diseases are at a very promising stage, we discuss the potential of RPGR and RP2 as drug targets to treat retinitis pigmentosa.


Bay St. George in western Newfoundland is a region characterized by a boom and bust economy and shaped by the establishment of the Earnest Harmon American Airforce Base. This ethnography explores how women at the Bay St. George Women's Council deal specifically with the issues of single motherhood, child sexual abuse, and domestic violence, and examines the interplay of feminist and Newfoundland identification among these individuals. Drawing on 14 months of participant observation and interviews with women at the Council, George provides a much needed, specifically Canadian contribution to ethno-cultural studies, grass-roots activism, and feminist studies. The research successfully situates the particular concerns and political activism of these women in this rural region of Canada within the larger context of economic restructuring and neoliberal economic and social policies that continue to marginalize women in Canada and around the world. This important study continues the work of feminist ethnographies by such scholars as:Abu-Lughod, Behar, Cole, DiLeonardo, Ginsburg, and Lowenhaupt-Tsing. Avoiding the all too common pitfall of folkorization in rural studies, The Rock Where We Stand represents an innovative and experimental contribution to the field.


The present study aims to summarize different non-invasive techniques for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in diabetic patients using glucose-oxidase biosensors. In diabetic patients, the self-monitoring of blood glucose (BG) levels through minimally invasive techniques provides a quick method of measuring their BG concentration, unlike conventional laboratory measurements. The drawbacks of minimally invasive techniques include physical pain, anxiety and reduced patient compliance. To overcome these limitations, researchers shifted their attention towards the development of a pain-free and non-invasive glucose monitoring system, which showed encouraging results.,This study reviews the development of minimally and non-invasive method for continuous glucose level monitoring in diabetic or hyperglycemic patients. Specifically, glucose monitoring using non-invasive techniques, such as spectroscopy-based methods, polarimetry, fluorescence, electromagnetic variations, transdermal extraction-based methods and using body fluids, has been discussed. The various strategies adopted for improving the overall specificity and performance of biosensors are discussed.,In conclusion, the technology of glucose oxidase-based biosensors for glucose level monitoring is becoming a strong competitor, probably because of high specificity and selectivity, low cost and increased patient compliance. Many industries currently working in this field include Google, Novartis and Microsoft, which demonstrates the significance and strong market potential of self-monitored glucose-oxidase-based biosensors in the near future.,This review paper summarizes comprehensive strategies for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in diabetic patients using non-invasive glucose-oxidase biosensors. Non-invasive techniques received significant research interest because of high sensitivity and better patient compliance, unlike invasive ones. Although the results from these innovative devices require frequent calibration against direct BG data, they might be a preferable candidate for future CGM. However, the challenges associated with designing accurate level sensors to biomonitor BG data easily and painlessly needs to be addressed.


Strategic planners for robots designed to operate in a dynamic environment must be able to decide (i) how often a sensory request should be granted, and (ii) how to recover from a detected error. This paper derives closed-form formulas for the appropriate frequency of sensor integration as a function of parameters of the equipment, the domain, and the types of errors from which the system wishes to recover.


This study was carried out to follow up quality changes occurred in some fruit and vegetable concentrates during processing and storage. Orange, apple and tomato concentrates were evaluated for some quality attributes such as TSS%, acidity, vitamin C, carotene, pH and specific gravity. The obtained results indicated that vitamin C content of orange concentrate was decreased as a result of both the concentration process and storage period. While, it was increased from 0.38 mg/100 ml. in fresh apple to 1.33 in apple concentrate. As for tomato concentrate, reducing sugar content increased from 1.277% in fresh to 6.55% after three months of storage. Finally, it could be stated that concentration process and storage period highly affected the chemical and physical quality properties of  the studied concentrates.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the bond strength of two resin-reinforced glass ionomer cements to etched and unetched enamel and to dentin. Thirty-six noncarious human premolar teeth were used. Flat buccal and lingual surfaces were prepared. Dyract and Compoglass were used. The teeth were distributed at random into six groups of six teeth each. The materials were handled according to manufacturers' instructions. In groups 1 and 3 the enamel was etched with 37 percent phosphoric acid. All samples were sheared with an Autograph AG5 machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Two way ANOVA and comparison with the Tukey test were used to evaluate the results. These showed that on etched enamel Dyract had a significantly higher bond strength (p = 0.02); on unetched enamel Compoglass had a statistically higher bond strength (p = 0.003), and on dentin the materials provided the same bond strength. Overall, disregarding surfaces, there was no difference between the two materials.


Research and development of advanced reprocessing plant designs can greatly benefit from the development of a reprocessing plant model capable of transient solvent extraction chemistry. This type of model can be used to optimize the operations of a plant as well as the designs for safeguards, security, and safety. Previous work has integrated a transient solvent extraction simulation module, based on the Solvent Extraction Process Having Interaction Solutes (SEPHIS) code developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with the Separations and Safeguards Performance Model (SSPM) developed at Sandia National Laboratory, as a first step toward creating a more versatile design and evaluation tool. The goal of this work was to strengthen the integration by linking more variables between the two codes. The results from this integrated model show expected operational performance through plant transients. Additionally, ORIGEN source term files were integrated into the SSPM to provide concentrations, radioactivity, neutron emission rate, and thermal power data for various spent fuels. This data was used to generate measurement blocks that can determine the radioactivity, neutron emission rate, or thermal power of any stream or vessel in the plant model. This work examined how the code could be expanded to integrate other separation stepsmore » and benchmark the results to other data. Recommendations for future work will be presented.« less


Abstract This article argues that it is unconstitutional for state charter school programs to preclude faith-based schools from obtaining charters. The first section describes the "school choice" movement of the past fifty years, situating charter schools in that movement. The current state of play of school choice is documented and the roles of charter schools, private schools (primarily faith-based schools), and public school choice options are elaborated. The second section argues that based on the current state of the law it should not be unconstitutional, under the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, for states to elect to make faith-based schools eligible for charters, and, therefore, the current practice of formal discrimination on the basis of religion against families and school founders who want faith-based charter schools should be deemed unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. Put differently, this is not the sort of issue in which the "play in the joints" between the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses should apply so as to give states the option of restricting charter schools to secular schools.


We examine Milky Way-Magellanic Cloud systems selected from the Millennium-II Simulation in order to place the orbits of the Magellanic Clouds in a cosmological context. Our analysis shows that satellites massive enough to be LMC analogs are typically accreted at late times. Moreover, those that are accreted at early times and survive to the present have orbital properties that are discrepant with those observed for the LMC. The high velocity of the LMC, coupled with the dearth of unbound orbits seen in the simulation, argues that the mass of the MW's halo is unlikely to be less than 2 x 10^12 Msun. This conclusion is further supported by statistics of halos hosting satellites with masses, velocities, and separations comparable to those of the LMC. We further show that: (1) LMC and SMC-mass objects are not particularly uncommon in MW-mass halos; (2) the apparently high angular momentum of the LMC is not cosmologically unusual; and (3) it is rare for a MW halo to host a LMC-SMC binary system at z=0, but high speed binary pairs accreted at late times are possible. Based on these results, we conclude that the LMC was accreted within the past four Gyr and is currently making its first pericentric passage about the MW.


Introduction Medical students often lack training in advanced communication skills encompassing emotionally fraught situations and those in which an intense emotional response is expected. Such skills are required for clinical situations encountered during residency. We created and evaluated an advanced communication skills workshop (ACSW) using standardized patients for senior medical students. The workshop emphasized communication skills for four scenarios—strong emotion, goals of care, medical error, and palliative care assessment—and utilized formative peer assessment and feedback. Methods We created the four ACSW cases with case-specific communication behavior checklists and a common modified Master Interview Rating Scale in a Capstone Course for senior medical students. In groups of three, students rotated through three of four stations. Each student conducted one of the interviews while the other two completed the checklists and provided verbal feedback. We performed one-way analyses of variance on Likert responses and content analysis on open responses on a post-ACSW survey. Results Ninety-one students completed the ACSW and survey. Students assigned high value to all four ACSW student roles: interviewer, observer, feedback recipient, and feedback provider. Students rated the experience above average to excellent on nearly all survey items. Open-response themes included "liked the opportunity to give or receive peer feedback" (46%) and "found the checklists helpful" (45%). Discussion Feasible and well received by senior medical students, our ACSW offers an opportunity to practice and observe advanced communication skills and peer feedback. A peer-assisted, formative learning model, the ACSW efficiently addresses a key aspect of residency preparation.


4-Methoxyphenethyl cations bearing β-fluorine substituents [4-MeOC6H4C+R1R2 with R1= H, R2= CH2F (3), R1= H, R2= CHF2(4), R1= H, R2= CF3(5), R1R2= CF3(6)] are observed as transient intermediates following 248 nm laser photolysis of chloride or bromide precursors ArC(–X)R1R2 in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) and TFE–water mixtures. Corresponding phenethyl radicals are also observed; successive fluoro-substitution has remarkably little effect on the Absorbance(cation): Absorbance-(radical) ratio. Rate constants ks for the decay of the cations have been directly measured, and compared with those of non-fluorinated analogues. In TFE–water mixtures the reactivity order is ArCH+CHF2 > ArCH+CH2F > ArCH+CF3 > ArCH+CH3(1) > ArC+(CH3)2(2) > ArC+(CF3)2, but the differences are small, there being little more than a two-order of magnitude decrease across the series. This remarkably small effect of fluorine had previously been observed in an examination of azide:solvent partitioning ratios kaz:ks. Rate constants kaz have also been obtained in this work, and, with the exception of 2 which reacts somewhat more slowly, these are constant, with values consistent with the azide : cation combination occurring at the diffusion limit for these cations, as had been assumed in the previous work. The small, complex effects of fluoro substitution on the reactivities of these cations have been explained by a model which has, as a key component, an effect of electron withdrawing substituents of forcing the positive charge away from the benzylic carbon to the oxygen of the 4-methoxy group. Evidence for a significant perturbation of the π electron density is available in the present work, in that the absorption maxima of the α-CF3and bis-α-CF3 cations 5 and 6 are shifted 20 nm and 50 nm, respectively, to lower wavelengths than the corresponding α-methyl derivatives 1 and 2. Studies of 6 in 100% aqueous solution reveal a second, slower, transformation following the decay of the cation. Product studies have previously indicated that a fraction of the hydration of this cation occurs at the 4-position of the aromatic ring, producing a quinone methide and products arising from such a species. An unobserved hemiacetal is an intermediate in this sequence. From spectral and kinetic considerations the second process observed with flash photolysis has been identified as representing the breakdown of the hemiacetal to the quinone methide. A complete rate–pH profile for this reaction has been obtained, from which a pKa of 11.0 has been determined for the ionization of the hemiacetal.


Author(s): Boyd, Harriet | Abstract: In January 1924 the latest incarnation of Futurist music theatre, Il Nuovo Teatro Futurista, began a twenty-eight city tour of the peninsula. The Venice stopover, at the Teatro Goldoni on January 25, prompted a flurry of media activity. Press reports, manifestos, and one-off periodicals advertized and then discussed the performance. Central to this Futurist-controlled discourse was the notion of la musica dell'avvenire, one that built on recent technological developments to provide a way out of a perceived crisis of musical language. The Futurists positioned themselves as inhabiting a moment of transition: soothsayers of a musical future that no one else could imagine. In this article I argue that these three aspects—Futurism as a media enterprise, la musica dell'avvenire, and cultural crisis—share a common impulse, as offshoots of contemporary concerns with media and technology, culture and posterity, and language and crisis, all of which had a pervasive import in postwar Italian culture. I suggest that the Futurists sought to control media networks, so as to take charge amid a culture of crisis. Yet in the process, their rhetoric of extremes saw a disavowal of all they were most reliant on—something that in the end proved their undoing. In particular, their futurology was contradicted by a reliance on older media, genres, and sounds, which revealed them to be an embodiment of the crisis from which they were trying to detach themselves. I seek to excavate the aesthetic and historical stakes that contributed to this deep-seated contradiction, and to illustrate the predicament at the heart of postwar 1920s Italian culture: of forging a path to the future amid the ever-present ruins of the past.


In certain animal species immediate separation of a mother from here young for a brief period after deliver (the sensitive period) may result in aberrant maternal behaviour. In the human, disorders of mothering, including child abuse, increase disproportionately in situations associated with early neonatal separation of mother and infant, such as prematurity. Mothers in the United States who were offered early contact with their premature infants showed differences in attachment behaviour when compared with mothers whose first contact with their infants was three weeks after delivery. Mothers who had one hour of close physical contact with their nude full-term infants within the first two hours after delivery and who had 15 extra hours of contact in the frist three days behaved significantly differently during a physical examination of the infant at one month and one year, and in their speech to their infants at two years, from a control group of mothers who had only routine contact. In a similar study in Guatemala, mothers who had 45 minutes of early extra contact showed significantly more attachment behaviour at the time of the first breast-feeding (12 hours). These and other studies in the human suggest that shortly after birth there is a sensitive period which appears to have long-lasting effects on maternal attachment and which may ultimately affect the development of the child.


Grazing management can affect grassland carbon (C) dynamics, yet limited information is available documenting management effects on carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux. A study was conducted to quantify the role of long-term grazing management to affect CO2 efflux within the semiarid northern Great Plains of North America. Grazing management systems evaluated in the study included two native vegetation pastures differing in stocking rate [moderately grazed pasture (MGP), heavily grazed pasture (HGP)] and a fertilized, grazed crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch. ex. Link) Schult.] pasture (CWP) near Mandan, ND, USA. Carbon dioxide efflux was measured on 1–2 week intervals for three years using static chamber methodology. Supplemental assessments of soil temperature and water content, aboveground live biomass, root biomass, and soil microbial biomass C were conducted during each growing season. Carbon dioxide efflux did not differ between native vegetation pastures differing in stocking rate. However, mean hourly CO2 efflux was greater in CWP (100.1 mg C m−2 h−1) than HGP (81.1 mg C m−2 h−1) (P = 0.03), a result attributed to prevalence of cool-season grass and high available N in CWP. Carbon dioxide efflux differed among grazing treatments during spring (March–May) and fall (September–November), but not winter (December–February) and summer (June–August). Associations between CO2 efflux and abiotic factors were seasonally dependent, with positive associations between efflux and soil temperature during spring (r = 0.71, P ≤ 0.01) and fall (r = 0.45, P ≤ 0.01) and efflux and water-filled pore space (WFPS) during summer (r = 0.46, P ≤ 0.01). In this study, increased stocking rate did not contribute to elevated CO2 efflux within native vegetation pastures. Given strong weather-dependence on grassland productivity, long-term monitoring is necessary to confidently discern grazing management effects on C dynamics. Published by Elsevier B.V.


Aims Insulin and glucocorticoids play crucial roles in skeletal muscle protein turnover. Fast-twitch glycolytic fibres are more susceptible to atrophy than slow-twitch oxidative fibres. Based on accumulating evidence, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a physiological mediator of this process. The regulatory effect of H2S on protein synthesis in fast-twitch fibres was evaluated. Results A NaHS (sodium hydrosulfide) injection simultaneously increased the diameter of M. pectoralis major (i.e., fast-twitch glycolytic fibres) and activated the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR)/p70S6 kinase (p70S6K) pathway. Dexamethasone (DEX) inhibited protein synthesis, downregulated mTOR and p70S6K phosphorylation, and suppressed the expression of the cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) protein in myoblasts. The precursor of H2S, L-cysteine, completely abolished the inhibitory effects of DEX. The CSE inhibitor DL-propargylglycine (PAG) completely abrogated the effects of RU486 on blocking the suppressive effects of DEX. The H2S donor NaHS increased the H2S concentrations and abrogated the inhibitory effects of DEX on protein synthesis. Insulin increased protein synthesis and upregulated CSE expression. However, PAG abrogated the stimulatory effects of insulin on protein synthesis and the activity of the mTOR/p70S6K pathway. Innovation These results demonstrated that CSE/H2S regulated protein synthesis in fast-twitch muscle fibres, and glucocorticoids and insulin regulated protein synthesis in an endogenous CSE/H2S system-dependent manner. Conclusions The results from the present study suggest that the endogenous CSE/H2S system regulates fast-twitch glycolytic muscle degeneration and regeneration.


In the present investigation an attempt has been made to determine the effect of firing temperture, firing time and ingredients/additives (CaO, MgO, SiO2, Al2O3) on the swelling behaviour of iron ore pellets. For this purpose two Indian iron ore fines from Bailadila and Noamundi deposits and chemically pure iron oxide were used.From the results obtained, it is observed that the swelling of iron ore pellet is controlled by the firing temperature, firing time and additives/ingredients present in the pellet. The growth of iron whisker is controlled by these ingredients. The presence of free lime promotes the swelling index of the pellet.


A general approach to modelling implanted and diffused distributions of dopants in silicon is described, which includes the effects of clustering and precipitation. Using statistical analysis, the evolution of distribution types from ion as-implanted to annealed is followed and a dopant cluster distribution vector defined. Although general and non-specific, the model shows qualitatively many of the features observed in measured dopant distributions.


Ecotourism has been chosen as an approach to integrate conservation and economic development in Blendung Village, one of coastal villages in the north coast of Pemalang District. Most of its community depend their livelihood on fish ponds and jasmine plantation. The combination of fish ponds, jasmine plantation and mangrove conservation is expected to be tourist attraction, which ables to enhance the prosperity of local community as well as to recover the function of mangrove as a means for coastal protection that has been lost recently. In order to prepare Blendung Village as a tourist destination, an environmentally- sound tourism area plan was created, and the skill of local community to manage the acitities was developed. The main challenge in the development of ecotourism in Blendung Village is how to empower local community as well as local government, thereby all of those local potentials could be developed, which in turn a sustainable coastal zone could be achieved. Kata kunci : ecotourism, coastal resources management


The effect of acute resistance exercise (RE) on whole body energy expenditure (EE) and alpha(2)-adrenergic receptor (alpha(2)-AR) regulation of lipolysis in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (SCAAT) was determined in sedentary lean (LN) and obese (OB) men. Lipolysis was monitored using microdialysis in 10 LN [body mass index (BMI) 20.9 +/- 0.6] and 10 OB (BMI 36.2 +/- 2.7) men before, during, and for 24 h after RE. EE was measured before and immediately after RE for 40 min. Changes in interstitial glycerol were measured in SCAAT with three microdialysis probes perfused with a control solution, phentolamine (alpha(2)-AR antagonist), or propranolol (beta-AR antagonist). EE and fat oxidation (FOX) were significantly (P < 0.001) elevated immediately post-RE compared with pre-RE in LN and OB subjects, with no differences between groups. RE-induced increases in SCAAT glycerol concentrations from rest to peak exercise were greater in LN than in OB men in the control (LN 142.1 +/- 30.8 vs. OB 65.4 +/- 14.2%, P = 0.03) and phentolamine probes (LN 187.2 +/- 29.6 vs. OB 66.7 +/- 11.0%, P = 0.002). Perfusion of propranolol had no effect on interstitial glycerol concentrations over the time course of the experiment in either group. Plasma insulin concentrations were significantly lower (P = 0.002) and plasma growth hormone (GH) was significantly higher (P = 0.03) in LN compared with OB men. The mechanism behind RE contributing to improved body composition may in part be due to enhanced SCAAT lipolysis and improved EE and FOX in response to RE in LN and OB men. The blunted SCAAT lipolytic response to RE in OB compared with LN men is unrelated to RE-induced catecholamine activation of the antilipolytic alpha(2)-ARs and may be due to depressed GH in OB subjects.


The optical polarimetry technique is used to explore molecular ordering of nematic liquid crystals 5FPFFPP3 embedded in parallel cylindrical channels of alumina membranes with pore walls covered by a SE-1211 polymer film enhancing normal anchoring. A chemical film deposition from organic solution apparently results in inhomogeneous coverage with local islands on the channels walls. Accordingly, a coexistence of differently ordered LC regions (nanodomains), characterized by positive and negative anisotropy, results in a weak effective (average) optical birefringence. Repeated polymer deposition reduces the size of uncovered pore walls regions and thus leads to a strengthening of negative optical anisotropy observed in the experiments.


Background and Objectives Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are effective treatments for dysplastic Barrett's esophagus (BE). This study evaluates efficacy, durability and safety in a single high-volume UK tertiary centre with 15-years' experience. Methods Prospective data were collected from Nottingham University Hospitals 2004–2019 for endotherapy of dysplastic BE or intramucosal adenocarcinoma. Procedural outcome measures include complete resection, complications and surgery rates. Efficacy outcomes include complete remission of dysplasia (CR-D) and intestinal metaplasia (CR-IM), recurrence, treatment failure rates, durability of RFA, median follow up and tumor-associated mortality. Results A total of 319 lesions were resected; 671 RFAs were performed on 239 patients. Median age was 67 (±9.5) years, male:female ratio was 5:1 and median BE length was C3 [interquartile range (IQR): 6] M6 (IQR: 5). The most common lesion was Paris IIa (64%) with a median size of 10 mm (3–70). Final histology was adenocarcinoma in 50%. Complete resection rates were 96%. The multiband mucosectomy technique (91%) was most commonly used. The median number of RFA sessions was 3 (IQR: 2). The rates of CR-D and CR-IM were 90.4%% and 89.8% achieved after a median of 20.1 (IQR: 14) months. The most common complications: EMR was bleeding 2.2% and RFA was stricture (5.4%) requiring a median of 2 (range 1-7) dilatations. Median follow up post CR-IM/CR-D was 38 months (14–60). Metachronous lesions developed in 4.7% after CR-D and tumor-related mortality was 0.8%. Dysplasia and intestinal metaplasia-free survival at 5 years was 95 and 90%, respectively. Conclusion BE endotherapy is minimally invasive, effective, safe and deliverable in a day-case setting.


In Germany patients with chronic pain are often undertreated. It is necessary to establish more specialized institutions for pain therapy. As pain therapy is time consuming and labor intensive the costs must be justified by quality and efficiency. METHODS. We analyzed the new patients who came to our pain clinic in 1990 and compared the previous nonspecialist pain-related treatment with our pain therapy. For each patient we recorded the duration of pain therapy in the past, the number of physicians involved in the treatment, the number and duration of hospital stays and the number of operations carried out to relieve pain. For our pain therapy we recorded the number of treatments on an outpatient basis, the number of patients who were hospitalized and the number of hospital days. The outcome of our pain therapy was determined on a visual analogue scale (VAS). Pain relief of more than 50% was defined as adequate pain therapy. RESULTS. In 1990 we treated 379 new patients in our pain clinic. The largest group (140, 37%) had pain of the muscle or skeletal system. A further 75 patients (18%) had neuropathic pain, 66 (17%) suffered from cancer pain, several types of headache were found in 57 patients (15%), 19 patients (5%) had phantom limb pain, 11 (3%) suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, and we diagnosed psychogenic pain in 11 patients (3%). On average the patients had been treated for their pain over a period of 10 years by eight different physicians. Patients suffering from migraine had the longest duration of preliminary therapy (19.2 years), while patients with cancer pain were pretreated for 2, 3 years in the period before. 80% (n = 302) of all patients were hospitalized at least once. A total of 20,959 hospital treatment days was registered. At least one operation was performed in 34% of the patients (n = 130) to relieve the pain. For all patients the pain relief afforded by the preliminary therapy was insufficient. In our pain therapy the patients had on average 6.5 outpatient appointments. We hospitalized 45 patients (12%), for a mean of 11 days. During the observation period 74% of the patients (n = 280) obtained pain relief of more than 50% in comparison with the start of treatment. CONCLUSION. The findings of our retrospective study demonstrate that specialized pain therapy is evidently effective. If such therapy is instituted early enough, chronic pain can be prevented. Shorter duration of disease, fewer stays in hospitals and less absence from work could reduce the economic costs of chronic pain. It is necessary to make specialised pain therapy a regular component of clinical practice; this means redoubling our efforts concerning education and experimental and clinical studies. The efficiency of pain therapy must be documented in order to improve the care of patients with chronic pain.


— Advance in the WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK (WISENET) technology is energy efficient routing protocols that promises a wide range of potential applications in both civilian and military areas. In the WISNET the sensor node have a limited transmission range and their processing and storage capabilities as well as their energy sources are limited. So the Equalized Cluster Head Election Routing Protocol (ECHERP) and PEGASIS with Double Cluster Head (PDCH) pursues energy conservation through balanced clustering for Energy Efficiency. In WSN, energy efficient routing protocol is important to increase the network lifetime. ECHERP and PDCH both protocol claims to be energy efficient.


Over the last years, an increasing number of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases has been reported. Besides elderly and immunocompromised individuals, newborns and small infants are most susceptible to infections, as their immune system is still immature. This vulnerability during infancy can be mitigated by the transplacental transfer of pathogen-specific antibodies and other mediators of immunity from mother to the fetus during pregnancy, followed postnatally by breast milk-derived immunity. Since this largely antibody-mediated passive immunity can prevent the newborn from infections, neonatal immunity depends strongly on the maternal concentration of respective specific antibodies during pregnancy. If titers are low or wane rapidly after birth, the protection transferred to the child may not be sufficient to prevent disease. Moreover, emerging concepts propose that mothers may transfer active immunity to the newborns via vertical transfer of pathogen-specific T cells. Overall, a promising strategy to augment and prolong neonatal immunity is to vaccinate the mother before or during pregnancy in order to boost maternal antibody concentrations or availability of specific T cells. Hence, a large number of pre-and postconceptional vaccine trials have been carried out to test and confirm this concept. We here highlight novel insights arising from recent research endeavors on the influence of prenatal maternal vaccination against pathogens that can pose a threat for newborns, such as measles, pertussis, rubella and influenza A. We delineate pathways involved in the transfer of specific maternal antibodies. We also discuss the consequences for children's health and long-term immunity resulting from an adjustment of prenatal vaccination regimes.


The RAG1 and RAG2 proteins introduce double-strand DNA breaks at antigen-receptor loci in developing lymphocytes to initiate V(D)J recombination. How RAG proteins find the correct target locus in a vast excess of non-specific chromatin is not known. Here we measured dynamics of RAG1/RAG2 interactions with chromatin in living pro-B cells. We found that the majority of RAG1 or RAG1/RAG2 complex is in a fast 3D diffusive state, and the residual slow diffusive (bound) fraction was determined by a non-core portion of RAG1, and the PHD domain of RAG2. The RAG proteins exhibited distinct dynamics at the IgH locus. In particular, RAG2 increased the probability of RAG1 binding to IgH, a property that likely explains its non-catalytic role in V(D)J recombination. Our observations reveal how RAG finds its targets in developing B cells. One Sentence Summary Single-molecule imaging of the RAG recombinase reveals its search strategy for chromatin, H3K4me3 and antibody gene loci in living cells.


Electronic effects (inductive and mesomeric) are of fundamental importance to understand the reactivity and selectivity of a molecule. In this article, polarisation temperature is used as a principal index to describe how electronic effects propagate in halogeno-alkanes and halogeno-alkenes. It is found that as chain length increases, polarisation temperature decreases. As expected, polarisation is much larger for alkenes than for alkanes. Finally, the polarisation mode of the carbon–fluorine bond is found to be quite different and might explain the unusual reactivity of fluoride compounds.


An accident flying squad has been in operation in the North District of Lincolnshire AHA since December last year. Author describes how the service was set up and how it goes about its life-saving business.


Governments around the world have been increasing their practices for open government data (OGD). After the launch of the initiative for the Open Government Partnership (OGP) many countries have developed legal arrangements, organizational transformations and cultural challenges in order to implement some practices of OGD in their Public Administrations. However very few have compared their results and experiences in a systematic way. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a first step to develop a comparative framework of OGD. Using the experience of Mexico and Russia governments on implementation we describe this experience of country comparison in order to foster the OGD implementation across the world.


ABA block copolymers of methyl methacrylate and methylphenylsilane were synthesized with a methodology based on atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The reaction of samples of α,ω-dihalopoly(methylphenylsilane) with 2-hydroxyethyl-2-methyl-2-bromoproprionate gave suitable macroinitiators for the ATRP of methyl methacrylate. The latter procedure was carried out at 95 °C in a xylene solution with CuBr and 2,2-bipyridine as the initiating system. The rate of the polymerization was first-order with respect to monomer conversion. The block copolymers were characterized with 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry was used to obtain preliminary evidence of phase separation in the copolymer products. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 30–40, 2003