Abstract. Fatima A, Messaoud R, Takia L. 2019. Relationship between lichen diversity and air quality in urban region in Bourdj Bou Arriridj, Algeria. Biodiversitas 20: 2329-2339. The lichenic biodiversity can be an excellent instrument for measuring air quality biomonitoring in urban and industrial areas. Two bio-monitoring techniques were used to assess and map the levels of air quality in Bordj Bou Arreridj region (BBA), an urban area located in Eastern Algeria, and to identify species sensitive to air pollution. The first one was based on the diversity and abundance of epiphytic lichens, while the other technique was using two bio-indication indices. Epiphytic lichens were sampled from thirty-four stations chosen on the basis of the presence of suitable phorophytes on which it is possible to observe lichens. The assessment of lichen biodiversity was based on the calculation of lichenic abundance indices (LA) and the Shannon index (H'). For the determination of the different levels of air pollution, the indices of atmospheric purity (IAP) and lichen diversity (LDV) were used. There were 62 identified species belong to 19 families and 31 genera of lichens, among which crustacean and foliose thalli were the most common in the region. Lichen biodiversity decreased as the sampled location approaching industrial sources and road traffic. The IAP ranged from 16.19-79.82 and LDV values ranged from 12.50-52.16. The results showed a significant relationship between lichen diversity and air quality, and indicated low atmospheric pollution in the BBA region. This study allowed us to draw up a list of sensitive species and tolerant species to air pollution.


Background Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept, a multivalent mannose, is readily internalized by the CD206 surface receptor on macrophages and dendritic cells which are abundantly present in lymph nodes. We want to examine the drainage patterns of Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept to sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in melanoma patients following the 10% rule. Methods Multi-center retrospective review of patients with cutaneous melanoma undergoing SLN biopsy using Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept between 2008 and 2014 was conducted. Statistical methods were used for data analyses. Results Of the 564 patients (mean age of 60.3 and 62% male) with preoperative lymphoscintigraphy showing at least one SLN, several primary tumor sites were included: 27% head/neck, 33% trunk, 21% upper extremity and 19% lower extremity. For the head/neck primary site, 36.5% of patients had multiple draining basins; for the trunk site, 36.4% of patients; for the upper extremity site, 13% of patients; and for the lower extremity, 27.4% of patients. A median of 3 (range 1-18) SLNs were identified and resected. Overall, 78% of patients had >1 SLN identified by Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept. In a multivariate model, patients with >1 SLN were significantly associated with age, Breslow depth, tumor location and higher AJCC tumor stage. A total of 17.7% of patients (100/564) had a positive SLN identified. A total of 145 positive SLNs were identified out of 1,812 SLNs with a positive SLN rate of 8%. Positive SLN status was significantly associated with younger age, greater Breslow depth, mitosis rate, higher AJCC tumor stage, presence of ulceration and angiolymphatic invasion. Conclusions Using the 10% rule, Technetium-99m-labeled Tilmanocept detects multiple SLNs in most melanoma patients.


A cross sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among in-school adolescents in Zambia. Backward logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between relevant predictor variables and suicidal ideation within the last 12 months. A total of 1970 in-school adolescents who participated in the Zambia Global School-Based Health Survey in 2004 responded to the question on suicidal ideation. Overall, 54.0% were males, 40.8% were current drinkers, and 35.9% ever smoked marijuana (cannabis). Altogether 31.3% reported suicidal ideation in the past 12 months (males = 31.1%; females = 31.4%). Being male (OR = 1.05; 95%CI 1.03, 1.05): being <14 years old (OR = 1.21; 95%CI 1.19, 1.23), having been drunk (OR = 1.28; 95%CI 1.27, 1.29). worried (OR= 1.05; 95%CI 1.04, 1.06), sad or hopeless in the past 12 months (OR = 1.02; 95%CI 1.01, 1.03) and ever used marijuana (OR = 1.18; 95%CI 1.17, 1.19) were positively associated with suicidal ideation. Loneliness appeared to be protective (OR = 0.92; 95%CI 0.91, 0.92). All the results, except for ever smoked marijuana and ever been drunk, may have been biased due to non-response to the question on suicidal ideation. A series of cross sectional studies should be conducted to monitor changes in behavioural factors among others ever smoked marijuana and ever been drunk in order to broaden our understanding of factors that may be causing adolescents to seriously consider committing suicide.


*These authors contributed equally to this work Introduction: People often use heuristics derived from natural number tasks to solve fraction comparison tasks. For instance, one may falsely consider a fraction with a larger natural number to be the larger in magnitude, as in the case of 1/5 vs 1/4. We hypothesized that inhibitory control was needed to overcome this type of bias. Methods: To test the hypothesis, Event-related potentials (ERP) were collected when participants were conducting fraction comparison tasks that designed with the negative priming paradigm. Twenty-eight adult participants performed three types of fraction comparison tasks: congruent items, incongruent items and neutral items. Results: We found a negative priming effect in terms of response time. Consistently, ERP results demonstrated larger N1 and N2 amplitudes and a smaller P3 amplitude in the test trial than in the control trial. Conclusion: These findings indicated that adults still need to inhibit the "larger natural number-larger fraction" misleading strategy when solving fraction comparison tasks with common components.


Two of 70 patients treated for a minimum of six months after renal transplantation developed main arterial stenosis to the allograft. Both underwent transplant revascularization and had follow-up at least six months to document lasting benefit. Amelioration of hypertension and improvement of transplant function proved statistically significant. Collateral vessels were not identified on pre-revascularization arteriographic studies. It is suggested that loss of the potential to develop protective collateral channels to transplanted kidneys mandates aggressive evaluation when hypertension and deteriorating renal function occur in the late follow-up period after renal transplantation. In such instances, arteriography and renin determinations may identify salvagable renal allografts, obviating necessity of subsequent retransplantation.


OBJECTIVE
We report an extremely rare case of germ-cell tumor localized at the level of the anterior mediastinum.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION
A 36-year-old man who presented with left subclavial vein thrombosis was admitted to our hospital for specific cure. Computed tomographic scan of the chest showed a large anterior mediastinal mass. Surgical intervention revealed an infiltrative mediastinal tumor involving the left subclavial vein, which was biopsied for morphological examination. Histologically, the tumoral mass proved to be a carcinoma, with papillary and tubular growth patterns. Immunohistochemical stains for alpha-fetoprotein were positive in the tumor cells while stains for carcinoembryonic antigen and placental like alkaline phosphatase were negative. The serum level of alpha-fetoprotein of this patient was elevated, as well. This supported the diagnosis of Yolk sac tumor, a rare primary tumor within the mediastinum. Postsurgery, the patient received a combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, vepesid and bleomycin every 3 weeks for a total of 4 cycles. During the treatment, the alpha-fetoprotein level, was decreasing.

CONCLUSION
Primary mediastinal Yolk sac neoplasm is a rare tumor. The diagnosis should be made not only by morphological studies but also the patient's age and the elevation of serum alpha-fetoprotein. In spite of modern chemotherapy, the prognosis of mediastinal yolk sac tumor remains poor. The single most important prognostic indicator is whether the tumor mass can be completely excised before or after chemotherapy.


Our human and social affairs operate inherently various modes of information sharing; in this we frequently encounter instances where the needed information is not provided to the needing actor, at the right time and cost, and in the right format. To this end, an Information Logistics Research Program has been formulated, grounded both in current research findings and in the actual needs and opportunities of organizations and individuals. The aim of the program is to guide a long term and comprehensive research efforts by indicating the key research domains to be addressed. The formulated research program proposes the following four key research frontiers for Information Logistics: the Information Logistics Operational Models, the Information Logistics Business Models, the Information Needing Actor, and the Information Logistics Foundations. The proposed Research Program also provides suggestions for how to research the defined frontiers.


Objective: Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) is normally asymptomatic for a long time in both the general population and regularlytrained athletes. The study aimed to evaluate the role of physical stress echocardiography in early identification of any possible dissimilarities in the Left Ventricle (LV) performance and the valve functioning of asymptomatic BAV athletes as compared to the Tricuspid Aortic Valve (TAV) athletes. Design: Data were collected for BAV and TAV athletes from echocardographic examinations to evaluate any possible differences between them. Setting: Sport Medicine Center University of FlorenceItaly. Participants: 66 male BAV athletes and 45 TAV athletes Assessment of risk factors: decrease in LV performance and aortic valve dysfunction during stress test. Main outcome measures: Measure of the standard echocardiographic parameters. Comparison of LV Ejection Fraction (EF) and Aortic Peak Flow Velocity (APFV) data in the two groups at rest and after stress. Results: At rest, values were normal in both groups, although LV systolic diameters tended to be higher in BAV. After physical effort, APFV and EF showed a significant increase in both groups, and for the former the values were at the upper limits in BAV (2.55 m/s BAV 2.12 m/s TAV). Conclusions: The data confirm normal LV performance in asymptomatic BAV athletes. Considering the tendency of this group to show slight enhancement of both APFV and LV dimensions in this group periodical evaluation with physical stress echography might be proposed as a followup procedure for early detection of any additional effect of physical exercise.


Aviir, Inc. is a venture-funded biotechnology company developing and commercializing laboratory tests to provide personalized information to physicians and patients, with the goal of preventing cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndromes. Leveraging advanced research, Aviir developed and launched MIRISK VP™, a risk assessment test to better identify individuals at risk of a heart attack. Aviir also offers an extensive menu of other cardiovascular and metabolic tests through its Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified laboratory. Efforts are likewise focused on expanding genomics testing capability to address sudden cardiac death attributed to inherited cardiovascular diseases. This completes their integrated precision diagnostics approach that combines biomarker immunoassays with genomic and transcription analysis, along with core clinical chemistry to deliver a comprehensive personal health solution.


In this work, we present an analysis of natural fine aggregates' influence on the properties of ultra-high-strength concrete. The reference concrete mix was made of natural sand with the addition of fly ash and microsilica. It was assumed to obtain concrete with a very high strength without the addition of fibers and without special curing conditions, ensuring the required workability of the concrete mix corresponding to the consistency of class S3. The reference concrete mix was modified by replacing sand with granite and basalt aggregate in the same fractions. Five series of concrete mixes made with CEM I 52.5R cement were tested. Experimental investigations were carried out regarding the consistency of the concrete mix, the compressive strength, the flexural strength and the water absorption by hardened concrete. A comparative analysis of the obtained results indicated significant improvement in the concrete strength after the use of basalt aggregate. The strength of the concrete series based on basalt aggregate, BC1, allowed it to be classified as ultra-high-performance concrete. Concrete based on sand, SC1, was characterized by the lowest compressive and flexural strength but obtained the best workability of the mix and the lowest water absorption. The results presented in the paper, show a significant influence of the type of aggregate used on the mechanical and physical properties of ultra-high strength concrete.


Abstract This article addresses the complexities and dynamics of promoting social change with marginalised communities in the Global South. It builds empirically on a social work ethnographic study about the change process(es) and development of women's social position in rural Nepalese communities. The research results suggest that the tools to promote ethically sustainable social change are based on decolonial and transnational feminist solidarity and its different, overlapping forms: solidarity through dialogue, alliance and exchange. The study argues that international social work and community development need to strengthen the approaches that recognise and deconstruct white and economic power dominance within their research, theory and practice. The research produces knowledge on a context-sensitive transnational solidarity praxis, which contributes to the discussion on social justice and ethicality in international development and social work paradigms.


Noninvasive ventilation is an effective treatment for a significant proportion of patients with acute respiratory failure. The success of noninvasive ventilation, however, depends on several factors, a major one being the selection of the proper interface. The choice and application of the interface in patients with acute respiratory failure is a considerable challenge for any treatment team. This review discusses the different types of interfaces that can be used in patients with acute respiratory failure, the differences between nasal, oro-nasal, and total face masks and the helmet, as well as the effect of interface type on treatment success and upper airway patency, mask fitting, problems related to the interface, and the relationship between ventilator type and interface choice.


Background The Welsh Government's strategy to improve Chronic Conditions Management includes improving care coordination and patient self-management to reduce unscheduled care use. Welsh health boards have responsibility for implementing the strategy since 2008. In 2011, integrated working between health and social care professionals was piloted in Carmarthenshire, part of Hywel Dda Health Board. Objective To describe how people with chronic conditions experience care in Hywel Dda Health Board including changes due to integrated working by professionals. Method We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with chronic conditions patients with multiple and complex conditions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using a framework approach. The research team comprised two academic members, two service users and one manager of local health services. Results Thirty interviews were undertaken. Experience of care had a big effect on quality of life and helped ability to self-manage, alongside personal outlook, support and information. When missing, patients struggled to manage medication and symptoms. Patients reported variation in coordination between conditions. Respondents with stable or few conditions did not generally identify gaps between different services providing their care. Patients with very poor health appeared to have well integrated care. People with multiple conditions identified lack of communication, slow information exchange and a condition-specific not person-focused approach to care. Difficulties travelling to hospital caused worry and patients missed appointments. It was difficult to discern differences in how care was delivered between Carmarthenshire and other parts of Hywel Dda Health Board. Conclusion People with multiple and complex chronic conditions appear confident about self managing their health. Integrated working across providers seems to work best for patients who are least or most ill; otherwise people with multiple conditions complain that care is disease-specific not patient-focused. Accessing treatment should be considered as a component of care because difficult travel arrangements are preventing people attending appointments.


Lithium silicates have attracted great attention in recent years due to their potential use as high-temperature (450-700 °C) sorbents for CO2 capture. Lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4) can theoretically adsorb CO2 in amounts up to 0.36 g CO2 per g Li4SiO4. The development of new Li4SiO4-based sorbents is hindered by a lack of knowledge of the mechanisms ruling CO2 adsorption on Li4SiO4, especially for eutectic mixtures. In this work, the structural, electronic, thermodynamic and CO2 capture properties of monoclinic phases of Li4SiO4 and a binary (Li3NaSiO4) eutectic mixture are investigated using density functional theory. The properties of the bulk crystal phases as well as of the relevant surfaces are analysed. Likewise, the results for CO2-lithium silicates indicate that CO2 is strongly adsorbed on the oxygen sites of both sorbents through chemisorption, causing an alteration not only in the chemical structure and atomic charges of the gas, as reflected by both the angles and bond distances as well as atomic charges, but also in the cell parameters of the Li4SiO4 and Li3NaSiO4 systems, especially in Li4SiO4(001) and Li3NaSiO4(010) surfaces. The results confirm strong adsorption of CO2 molecules on all the considered surfaces and materials followed by CO2 activation as inferred from CO2 bending, bond elongation and surface to CO2 charge transfer, indicating CO2 chemisorption for all cases. The Li4SiO4 and Li3NaSiO4 surfaces may be proposed as suitable sorbents for CO2 capture in wide temperature ranges.


Only 13 cases of renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the left atrium of the heart have been described. We report the case of a man in his 50s who had undergone radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma in 2006 and presented with amnesia at our neurology department in 2020. Magnetic resonance images of the brain showed metastatic lesions; subsequent computed tomograms of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis revealed a mass in the left atrium and multiple metastases in the lung, pleura, and pancreas. Our cardiologists advised against surgical removal of the left atrial mass because of a poor prognosis, so radiation therapy and immunotherapy were initiated instead.


Ultrathin membranes with nanoporous conduits show promise for ionic separations and desalination applications, but the mechanisms underlying the nonlinear ionic transport observed in these systems are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate how induced charge at membrane interfaces can lead to nonlinear ionic transport and voltage-dependent conductance through such channels. The application of an electric field on a polarizable membrane leads to induced charges at the membrane interfaces. The induced charges in turn are screened by diffuse charges in the electrolyte, which are acted upon by the electric field. For extremely thin membranes, the induced charge effect can be significant even for moderate applied voltages commonly used in experiments. We apply a continuum Poisson-Nernst-Planck model to characterize the current-voltage behavior of ultrathin membranes over a wide parameter space. The predictions of the model are compared to recent experiments on graphene and MoS_{2} membranes in an electric field. We expect the role of induced charge to be especially pronounced in the limit of atomically thin membranes.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the variability of subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (AT) dynamics in obese subjects with a wide range of insulin sensitivity (IS) and the correlation between these two metabolic measures. Ten obese (BMI 30-40 kg/m²) nondiabetic subjects with (n = 6) and without (n = 4) the metabolic syndrome were studied following a 12-wk ²H₂O labeling period. Subcutaneous abdominal AT biopsies were collected. Deuterium incorporation into triglyceride (TG)-glycerol and TG-palmitate were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the calculation of fractional TG synthesis (fTG) and fractional de novo lipogenesis (fDNL). Muscle IS and insulin-mediated nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) suppression (a measure for adipose IS) indexes were derived from the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The ability of subcutaneous abdominal AT to synthesize lipids varied significantly in obese subjects (fTG range 7-28%, fDNL range 1.1-4.6%) with significantly lower values (>35% reduction) for both parameters in obese with the metabolic syndrome. fTG correlated positively with muscle IS (r = 0.64, P = 0.04) and inversely with NEFA suppression during the OGTT (r = -0.69, P = 0.03). These results demonstrate a large variability in subcutaneous abdominal AT lipid turnover in obesity. Moreover, a reduced capacity for subcutaneous abdominal AT fat storage is associated with muscle and adipose tissue insulin resistance as well as with the metabolic syndrome, thus identifying a form of obesity at heightened risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.


Faults and lithological boundaries are pathways for focusing the large volumes of fluid required to form hydrothermal orebodies. The distribution of faults and lithological boundaries as a function of scale can be measured by the geological complexity, quantified by a fractal dimension obtained by box counting, that increases with complexity. Copper mineralisation in the Mt Isa Inlier has well-documented structural and stratigraphic controls, and may therefore have a strong relationship with geological complexity. In this study, a two-dimensional approach is implemented for analysing the relationship between complexity, complexity gradients and copper mineralisation. There is a strong positive relationship between complexity and copper distribution and endowment in both the major lithostratigraphic subdivisions of the inlier, the Eastern and Western Successions. This relationship may suggest that abundant fluid pathways and physico-chemical contrasts are critical factors in copper mineralisation. A weak inverse relationship exists between complexity gradients and copper endowment. At small scales, there is a departure from the fractal relationship between number of boxes containing faults or lithological boundaries and box size, called roll-off. Roll-off is shown to be a function of the detail of mapping. This allows variation in mapping detail to be accounted for in measurements of geological complexity by due consideration of the scale at which roll-off occurs. The results imply that complexity could be used as an exploration tool.


The results of studies on the use of sulfides as synthons in organic synthesis are treated systematically and surveyed. The practical applications of sulfides are examined. The bibliography includes 187 references.


Flows of languages, cultural forms and people both in real and virtual space are consequences of globalization. The mobility of people in the virtual sense is facilitated through the Internet, where one of the most popular ways of communication and self-presentation is currently through Facebook. This research focuses on analyzing the orthographic and lexical strategies in self-presentation on Kenyan and Ugandan Facebook profiles, trying to see whether the forms reflecting the East African variety of English are present in asynchronous communication and whether there is appropriation of other varieties and registers. This was done through a reiterative process of reading 10 Kenyan and 10 Ugandan Facebook profiles, comparing the findings with online data on informal sociolinguistic situations in Uganda and Kenya such as YouTube videos and comments, blogs and newspaper articles and through informal conversations with some Kenyans and Ugandans. The results showed that the local forms as described in the literature are used on Facebook and that there are forms unaccounted for in the literature but whose presence was confirmed in the online data and the informal conversations. Appropriation of American English and hip hop and Rastafari languages was found in the sample. It was inferred that English has several usages in the sample, which serve to express the neutral, the local and the appropriated meanings in the asynchronous communication on Facebook and that those meanings are used strategically for the creation of the desired identities.


Cytochalasin B causes cultured mouse salivary gland epithelium to lose its characteristic shape and to cease undergoing morphogenesis. The drug causes disorganization of the 50 A microfilaments in epithelial cells that are thought to control cell shape because of contractile properties. Upon removal of cytochalasin, epithelia regain normal shape and resume morphogenesis. Exceptionally large bundles of microfilaments appear in such recovered epithelial cells at points where their contractile activity could account for the changes in cell and tissue shape.


With the increasing interest over speech technologies, numerous Automatic Speaker Verification (ASV) systems are employed to perform person identification. In the latter context, the systems rely on neural embeddings as a speaker representation. Nonetheless, such representations may contain privacy sensitive information about the speakers (e.g. age, sex, ethnicity, ...). In this paper, we introduce the concept of attribute-driven privacy preservation that enables a person to hide one or a few personal aspects to the authentication component. As a first solution we define an adversarial autoencoding method that disentangles a given speaker attribute from its neural representation. The proposed approach is assessed with a focus on the sex attribute. Experiments carried out using the VoxCeleb data sets have shown that the defined model enables the manipulation (i.e. variation or hiding) of this attribute while preserving good ASV performance.


In this research paper, we report a method able to detect perfluorinated compound at pg·L−1 levels in superficial and underground water samples. An online solid phase extraction HPLC-MS/MS method was developed for the analysis of 12 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFASs). The method is based on injection of 5000 µL of water sample in SPE online WAX column followed by chromatography separation and mass spectrometry determination. SPE online elution was performed by water + 0.05% NH4OH and methanol + 0.05% NH4OH, while separation of target compounds was achieved within 10 min by Gemini chromatographic column operating from 1 to 12 pH range and using a mixture of water-methanol + 0.05% NH4OH. Sub ng·L−1 method detection limits (from 0.2 to 5 ng·L−1), linearity (from 0.2 to 250 ng·L−1), accuracy (from 80 to 120%), and precision (RSD less than 15% at LOQs levels) were achieved. The method is capable of measuring PFAS at trace levels, but above all it can reach the limit of 200 pg·L−1 required by European regulation for PFOS determination in surface and underground waters. The method was validated for quantitative analysis of PFASs in real water samples.


Available online 3 February 2014 A major challenge in mass spectrometry and other large-scale applications is how to handle, integrate, and model the data that is produced. Given the speed at which technology advances and the need to keep pace with biological experiments, we designed a computational platform, CoreFlow, which provides programmers with a framework to manage data in real-time. It allows users to upload data into a relational database (MySQL), and to create custom scripts in high-level languages such as R, Python, or Perl for processing, correcting and modeling this data. CoreFlow organizes these scripts into project-specific pipelines, tracks interdependencies between related tasks, and enables the generation of summary reports as well as publication-quality images. As a result, the gap between experimental and computational components of a typical large-scale biology project is reduced, decreasing the time between data generation, analysis and manuscript writing. CoreFlow is being released to the scientific community as an open-sourced software package complete with proteomics-specific examples, which include corrections for incomplete isotopic labeling of peptides (SILAC) or arginine-to-proline conversion, and modeling of multiple/selected reaction monitoring (MRM/SRM) results. Biological significance CoreFlow was purposely designed as an environment for programmers to rapidly perform


The Australian cereal belt stretches as an arc from north-eastern Australia to south-western Australia (24˚S–40˚S and 125˚E–147˚E), with mean annual temperatures from 14˚C (temperate) to 26˚C (subtropical), and with annual rainfall ranging from 250 mm to 1500 mm. The predominant soil types of the cereal belt include Chromosols, Kandosols, Sodosols, and Vertosols, with significant areas of Ferrosols, Kurosols, Podosols, and Dermosols, covering approximately 20 Mha of arable cropping and 21 Mha of ley pastures. Cultivation and cropping has led to a substantial loss of soil organic matter (SOM) from the Australian cereal belt; the long-term SOM loss often exceeds 60% from the top 0–0.1 m depth after 50 years of cereal cropping. Loss of labile components of SOM such as sand-size or particulate SOM, microbial biomass, and mineralisable nitrogen has been even higher, thus resulting in greater loss in soil productivity than that assessed from the loss of total SOM alone. Since SOM is heterogeneous in nature, the significance and functions of its various components are ambiguous. It is essential that the relationship between levels of total SOM or its identif iable components and the most affected soil properties be established and then quantif ied before the concentrations or amounts of SOM and/or its components can be used as a performance indicator. There is also a need for experimentally verifiable soil organic C pools in modelling the dynamics and management of SOM. Furthermore, the interaction of environmental pollutants added to soil, soil microbial biodiversity, and SOM is poorly understood and therefore requires further study. Biophysically appropriate and cost-effective management practices for cereal cropping lands are required for restoring and maintaining organic matter for sustainable agriculture and restoration of degraded lands. The additional benefit of SOM restoration will be an increase in the long-term greenhouse C sink, which has the potentialto reduce greenhouse emissions by about 50 Mt CO2 equivalents/year over a 20-year period, although current improved agricultural practices can only sequester an estimated 23% of the potential soil C sink.


Drilling planning is the key to being able to safely and economically drill a usable hole for oil
and gas production. The economic feasibility of drilling a well is established from cost
estimation of drilling, completion, and production operations, while safety and cost control are
achieved through the proper planning of all relevant programs that have an impact on the
proposed prospect well. Planning for drilling an oil well requires many detailed studies
evaluating every aspect that directly or indirectly influences the successful economic outcome of
the project. Planning requires intuitive, common sense judgments controlling decision making,
along with the analyses representing the coordinated efforts of many individuals, each of whom
contributes specific skills to the task. The objectives of drilling planning are: First, to identify
and address all significant engineering parameters, that are likely to have a direct or indirect
impact on the proposed drilling venture. Next, prepare a drilling plan that addresses all issues
and that will enhance the success of the prospect well by drilling in safe, efficient, and
economical manner in compliance with all federal, state, and local government rules and
regulations. Therefore, my case study would be Well Gelama Merah, it is a vertical exploration
well located in Block SB-18-12 Offshore Sabah, Malaysia. I will use the data from Well Gelama
Merah to develop a systematic, reliable, economical, and safe, vertical oil well drilling planning
guideline. The effect and functions of each steps and equipments utilized in the development
phase of an oil field (Gelama Merah) would be analyzed and technically justified. The relevance
and importance of each of the procedures would be explained, and sample calculations would be
provided as a guideline for future reference.


The Dallas Chapter of the IEEE Group on Microwave Theory and Techniques hosted the 1969 IEEE G-MTT International Microwave Symposium, May 5-7, 1969, at the Marriott Motor Hotel, Dallas, Tex. This year's Symposium was highlighted by a greatly expanded and comprehensive technical program which included twelve sessions and three panel discussions. For the first time, parallel sessions were held in both the regular sessions and panel discussions, and late news items were included as a feature of the program. Ninety-six papers, including twelve late news items, were included in the program; eighteen panel members made up the three discussion panels. The expanded progmm resulted in a Symposium Digest of over 500 pages. A review of the conference events is provided.


CK2, a serine/threonine (S/T) kinase present in eukaryotic cells is known to have a vast number of substrates. We have recently shown that it localizes to nuclei and at pores between hyphal compartments in M. oryzae. We performed a pulldown-proteomics of M. oryzae CK2 catalytic subunit MoCKa to detect interacting proteins. The MoCKa pulldown was enriched for septa and nucleoli proteins and intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) containing a CK2 phosphorylation motif proposed to destabilize and unfold alpha helixes. This points to a function for CK2 phosphorylation and corresponding phosphatase dephosphorylation in the formation of functional protein-protein aggregates and protein-RNA/DNA binding. To test this as widely as possible we used secondary data downloaded from databases from a large range of M. oryzae experiments and also for a relatively closely related plant pathogenic fungus, Fusarium graminearum. We found that CKa expression was strongly positively correlated with S/T phosphatases as well as with disaggregase (HSP104, YDJ1, SSA1) and an autophagy indicating protein (ATG8). The latter points to increased protein aggregate formation at high levels of CKa expression. Our results suggest a general role for CK2 in aggregation and disaggregation of IDPs and their binding to proteins, DNA and RNA interactions.


On the basis of observation of 103 patients with diabetes mellitus who had angiopathy complicated by pyo-necrotic lesion of the foot, the authors give recommendations on the most effective complex treatment aimed at normalization of carbohydrate metabolism, reduction of intoxication and degree of metabolic disorders which allowed the amount of amputations to be reduced to 28.1%.


Objective : To investigate whether vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) BsmI-rs1544410 and FokI-rs2228570 polymorphisms, smoking duration, and body mass index (BMI) are risk factors for cutaneous melanoma, especially metastatic melanoma. Methods : We studied 120 cutaneous melanoma cases [68 stage I and II non-metastatic melanoma (NMetM) patients, plus 52 Stage III and IV metastatic melanoma (MetM) patients], and 120 matching healthy controls from northeast Italy. VDR polymorphisms were measured by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Absence or presence of BsmI and FokI restriction sites was denoted by " B" and " F" or by " b" and " f," respectively. Results : VDR-BsmI bb genotype was more frequent among MetM (32.7%) than among NMetM cases (13.2%), with odds ratio (OR)=3.18. Comparison of all melanoma patients vs healthy controls showed that the following biomarkers were at risk: ≥20 years of smoking (OR=2.43); ≥20 years of smoking combined with bb (OR=4.78), Bb+bb (OR=2.30), Ff (OR=3.04), and Ff+ff (OR=3.08); obesity (BMI>30 kg/m2) alone (OR=3.54); and obesity combined with Bb+bb (OR=3.52), Ff (OR=4.78), and Ff+ff (OR=6.56). Comparison of MetM vs NMetM patients revealed that the following biomarkers were at risk: ≥20 years of smoking (OR=2.39), ≥20 years of smoking combined with bb (OR=5.13), Bb+bb (OR=3.07), and Ff+ff (OR=2.66); and obesity combined with Bb+bb (OR=5.27), Ff (OR=6.28), and Ff+ff (OR=9.18). Triple combination of ≥20 years of smoking, obesity, and Bb+bb yielded OR=9.65 for melanoma patients vs healthy controls and OR=12.2 for MetM vs. NMetM patients. Conclusions : Risk factors for cutaneous MetM include two VDR polymorphisms combined with smoking duration and obesity. Results suggest gene-environment implications in melanoma susceptibility and severity. Future studies in larger cohorts and in subjects with different genetic background are warranted to extend our findings.


Purpose
To analyze the U.S, Supreme Court's decision in Liu v. S.E.C., 140 S. Ct. 1936 (2020) and its potential implications for insider trading cases.

Design/Methodology/Approach
Provides context on the history of disgorgement in SEC enforcement proceedings; discusses factual and procedural background underlying the Liu decision; summarizes the Court's opinion and rationale, with a particular focus on the Court's pronouncements regarding the permissible scope of SEC disgorgement as an equitable remedy; identifies and explores three possible issues in insider trading cases that may be affected by the Court's narrowing of SEC disgorgement.

Findings
In Liu, the Supreme Court narrowed SEC disgorgement by stating that, as a general matter, SEC disgorgement is not permitted where: (1) the proceeds are not remitted to investors; (2) one defendant is made to disgorge profits that were received by someone else; or (3) the amount of disgorgement fails to deduct legitimate business expenses, in each case subject to possible exemptions as outlined by the Court.

Practical implications
This rule may call into question whether courts may: (a) order disgorgement against insider traders, given the difficulty of identifying investors who have been harmed; (b) order insider traders to disgorge profits earned by others on account of their violations; or (c) order insider traders to pay civil penalties under Section 21 A of the Exchange Act based on profits earned by others.

Originality/Value
Expert analysis and guidance from experienced securities enforcement lawyers with expertise in insider trading.


Background Most fractures of the humeral diaphysis in children can be treated nonoperatively. In unusual situations surgical stabilization may be required. The purpose of this study is to describe the indications and surgical technique of titanium elastic nail fixation of humeral shaft fractures in children. Methods Diaphyseal humerus fractures in children have been treated with intramedullary stabilization using titanium elastic nails. Complicating features that required operative stabilization include open fractures, fractures in which reasonable alignment could not be maintained without internal fixation, and patients with ipsilateral forearm fractures (floating elbow) and polytrauma with associated lower extremity fractures necessitating early upper extremity weight bearing. Results All fractures united without infectious or neurovascular complications. Nail migration requiring nail trimming or early implant removal occurred in a small number of patients and is the most frequent complication of the procedure. Conclusions In situations in which surgical stabilization of pediatric humeral shaft fractures is necessary, titanium elastic nails provide an effective and simple option, allowing early motion and weight bearing.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To examine the effects of spirituality on the sense of well-being of people with lung cancer.

DESIGN
Descriptive, correlational study.

SETTING
Urban and rural oncology and radiation centers.

SAMPLE
60 adults ranging from 33-83 years of age. Most participants had non-small cell lung cancer and were female, Caucasian, and older than 50.

METHODS
Participants completed a questionnaire composed of six survey instruments: Life Attitude Profile-Revised, Adapted Prayer Scale, Index of Well-Being, Symptom Distress Scale, a background information sheet, and a cancer characteristics questionnaire. Correlations among study concepts were examined, and multiple regression analysis was used to determine the effects of spirituality.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Meaning in life, prayer activities and experiences, symptom distress, and psychological well-being.

FINDINGS
Higher meaning in life scores were associated with higher psychological well-being and lower symptom distress scores. Higher prayer scores were associated with higher psychological well-being scores. Regression analysis indicated that meaning in life mediated the relationship between functional status and physical responses to lung cancer and explained 9% of the variance in symptom distress. Prayer mediated the relationship between current physical health and psychological responses and explained 10% of the variance in psychological well-being.

CONCLUSIONS
Aspects of spirituality, meaning in life, and prayer have positive effects on psychological and physical responses in this group of people with lung cancer.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
This research provides knowledge about spirituality and sense of well-being to guide the care of people with lung cancer.


We report the detection of a non-thermal hard X-ray component from Sco X-1 based upon the analysis of 20-220 keV spectra obtained with the HEXTE experiment on-board the RXTE satellite. We find that the addition of a power-law component to a thermal bremsstrahlung model is required to achieve a good fit in 5 of 16 observations analyzed. Using PCA data we were able to track the movement of the source along the Z diagram, and we found that the presence of the hard X-ray tail is not confined to a specific Z position. However, we do observe an indication that the power law index hardens with increasing mass accretion rate, as indicated from the position on the Z diagram. We find that the derived non-thermal luminosities are at order of 10% of that derived for the brightest of the atoll sources.


In the present work, the interdiffusion coefficients in fcc Cu-Fe-Mn alloys were experimentally determined via a combination of solid/solid diffusion couples, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) technique and Matano-Kirkaldy method. Based on the reliable thermodynamic description of fcc phase in the Cu-Fe-Mn system available in the literature as well as the ternary diffusion coefficients measured in the present work, the atomic mobilities in fcc Cu-Fe-Mn alloys were assessed by utilizing the DICTRA (Diffusion Controlled TRAnsformation) software package. The calculated interdiffusion coefficients based on the assessed atomic mobilities agree well with most of the experimental data. The comprehensive comparison between various model-predicted diffusion properties and the measured data, including the concentration penetration profiles, interdiffusion flux profile, and diffusion paths, further verify the reliability of the presently obtained atomic mobilities.


The potential for improving near-surface characterization through converted-mode (P-S and S-P) seismic reflection imaging was tested experimentally and assessed numerically. High-resolution nine-component reflection data were acquired over a geologic sequence type (flat-lying unsaturated and saturated overburden materials above consolidated units) commonly encountered during geotechnical investigations. Interface energy partitioning analyses, event predictions, and elastic-wave modeling were conducted using parameters derived from field data. Common-mode (P-P and S-S) reflections from known lithologic boundaries were observed in field data; however, predicted converted-mode events were not. Modeling demonstrated that in theory, potential benefits of converted-mode reflection imaging exist for the tested subsurface conditions, but that such benefits were unable to be practically realized using field measurements, due to the low amplitudes of converted-mode reflections and the detrimental affects of random and coherent noise modes. This study shows and explains why it is not practical to use converted-mode reflection imaging for improving characterization under such subsurface conditions. The developed analysis methods can be applied to investigate converted-wave imaging potential under different conditions, and to identify near-surface media situations that may yield converted-mode reflections with amplitudes comparable (at


es simply a spiritualizing of racial politics, or is it more? (178). Some are also disturbing: Why did not one single non-Sikh family step forward in solidarity for religious freedom in the Cheema family's legal battle over the wearing of the Kirpan (the small knife worn by all Sikh males as a symbol of belonging to that faith)? (121). Perhaps that is precisely why such glimpses are worth catching. Lacking is attention to gender issues (except for Jung Ha Kim's brilliant analysis on churched Korean women's use of silence as a mode of resistance). Owing to the pri marily sociological/historical/cultural studies approach adopted, the reader looking for the ological reflection will be disappointed. However, the volume's other two explicit objectives, "to raise awareness" and "to spark discussion" (12), both have, in the estimation of this reviewer, been amply fulfilled. I highly recommend this volume to stu dents, researchers, and scholars in religious studies, ethnic/Asian American studies, and seminaries. I also recommend it to missionminded persons of faith, with or without offi cial status, who long to engage in more effec tive ministry among Asian immigrant com munities by gaining a fresher and deeper understanding of the dynamics of their reli gious life in North America.


: Governments are increasingly recognizing the contribution that cultural heritage makes to the social wellbeing of diverse groups living within progressively multicultural towns and cities. This could not be more evident than in the case of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE—a city which has undergone a significant transformation in the last five decades and has been known for its cultural diversity. Several government initiatives and community programs are being launched to promote more sustainable alternatives to urban development. Recognizing the urgent need to safeguard the surviving stock of modern buildings dating back to the late 1960s, the Abu Dhabi government launched the Modern Heritage Preservation Initiative five years ago. This paper explores the role that built cultural heritage can play to improve the public realm within sustainable urbanism. It considers the changing definitions of urban istic heritage before outlining the broad contribution this cultural resource can make. Insight gained from participating in public workshops and interacting with government agencies and community organizations is presented. This is followed by case studies that highlight some of the trends and challenges to the preservation of urban heritage and the creation of quality public spaces. The paper concludes with a discussion of the shortcomings of existing approaches to urban development and suggests a holistic approach to achieve a greater understanding of how to integrate physical public realm heritage conservation into sustainable urbanism.


There are various constraints in vanilla cultivation and processing. The high time consumption and labour requirement of the traditional curing technique put off the farmers from doing the curing process. In this book, an attempt was made to standardize the curing technique. This book draws on some experiences of the authors in field of Vanilla processing and how practical problem in Vanilla curing can be solved by reducing the time of curing.


Recently, it has been shown that, for Lambert illumination model, solely scenes composed by developable objects with a very particular albedo distribution produce an (2D) image with isolines that are (almost) invariant to light direction change. In this work, we provide and investigate a more general framework, and we show that, in general, the requirement for such in variances is quite strong, and is related to the differential geometry of the objects. More precisely, it is proved that single curved manifolds, i.e., manifolds such that at each point there is at most one principal curvature direction, produce invariant is surfaces for a certain relevant family of energy functions. In the three-dimensional case, the associated energy function corresponds to the classical Lambert illumination model with albedo. This result is also extended for finite-dimensional scenes composed by single curved objects.


The proliferation of second-generation personal communications systems is rapidly changing consumers' perceptions of the services that should be expected from a personal communications terminal. In this view, the 3/sup rd/ generation mobile systems such as ETSI's Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) are being designed from the outset to be able to provide high-quality multimedia and data services. This paper investigates the performance of the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) radio interface to transmit video services coded using the MPEG-4 standard. The GPRS radio channel is characterised and the perceptual video quality that can be obtained at different channel conditions using different channel coding schemes is examined, as is the required channel allocation in terms of the number of timeslots.


Arthroscopic abrasion arthroplasty, subchondral drilling, and microfracture continue to be performed with some frequency in younger patients with focal chondral defects and occasionally for patients with moderate degenerative knee arthritis. The plain radiographic appearance after those procedures may mimic avascular necrosis, but MRI is a sensitive method used to exclude the diagnosis of avascular necrosis and evaluate the extent to which fibrocartilaginous repair tissue has formed. When combined with an appropriate clinical history, dedicated articular cartilage imaging sequences improve the sensitivity and specificity that MRI provides in these patients with chondral knee injuries.


A study on the effect of the inclusion of graded levels of cassava leaf meal in the diet on post partum weight and pre-weaning growth of guinea pig was carried out from September 2012 to December 2012 at the teaching and research farm of the University of Dschang in WestCameroon. 72 guinea pigs (60 females and 12 males) weighing averagely 555,00±58,25g were divided following a completely randomized design into 4 groups of 15 females and 3 males each and put on breeding for a period of 31 days and then the males were removed. Each group received Pennisetumpurpureum ad libitum supplemented to four diets with graded levels of cassava leaf meal named ration R0, ration R1, ration R2 and ration R3 respectively for group 1, 2, 3 and 4. Samples of experimental diets were collected and taken to the laboratory of nutrition and feeding for analysis of their nutritive value. From birth to weaning, females and their kids were weighed every 7 days. This study revealed that, cassava leaves contained 26.29% of crude protein therefore indicating their potential to be used as protein source. The difference in the chemical composition of the experimental diets reflected the protein source. Thus, R3 diet containing 100% of CLM, obtained a lower crude protein (17.18% DM) and higher crude fiber (13.54% DM) with exactly the opposite trend for R0 diet containing 100% of soybean meal. No significant difference (P>0.05) has been observed between post partum weights of females in all the groups. At birth, mean weights of newborns were 94.00±9.78g; 98.64±13.20g; 98.75±8.70g and 94.00±9.88g respectively for diets R0, R1, R2 and R3 and all statistically comparable (P>0.05). Mean weights of kids at weaning for the diets R0, R1, R2 and R3 were 182.03±16.92g; 190.42±15.57g; 205.83±19.87g and 197.50±17.17 giving a daily weight gain of 4.19±0.60g; 4.37±0.57g; 5.10±0.79g and 4.93±0.60g respectively. At weaning, kids submitted to R2 diet (205.83±19.87) registered a mean weight significantly higher (P 0.05). We can conclude that dried cassava leaves can substitute soybean meal and improve growth performances of guinea pigs at very low cost in rural area.


This article reviews the therapeutic efficacy and complications of microwave ablation (MWA) in the treatment of primary and secondary liver malignancies. A PubMed search using keywords 'microwave', 'liver', 'malignancy', 'cancer' and 'tumour' was performed to identify articles related to MWA of liver malignancies published in English from 1975 to February 2008. MWA is an effective treatment options for both primary and secondary liver malignancies with survivals comparable with those of liver resections. Local recurrences can be managed with further ablation. Small tumour size, well-differentiated tumour and a reduced number of lesions are factors associated with good prognosis. Temporary occlusion of the portal venous and hepatic arterial flow may increase the size of ablation but the safety aspect requires further validation. MWA is a minimally invasive technique that has broadened the therapeutic option for patients with conventionally unresectable liver tumours with promising survival data. Future advances in the applicator design and treatment monitoring may further improve its efficacy and widen the indications.


A box-diffusion model for the carbon cycle is used to estimate the magnitude of 14C variations caused by changes of reservoir sizes and exchange fluxes in the global carbon system. The influence of changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration, biomass, CO2 exchange rate between atmosphere and ocean, and ocean mixing is considered. Steady-state 14C concentrations as well as the transients are calculated. For changing biomass, atmospheric CO2 levels and 13C/12C ratios are also calculated. Carbon-cycle-induced 14C variations may have been significant in the transition period from Glacial to Postglacial when drastic changes in environmental conditions took place within short time periods, while they were probably less important during the climatically more stable Postglacial. Changes of the oceanic circulation, as supposedly occurred, are considered the most important factor, besides variations of the production rate, affecting the global distribution of 14C. 14C variations due to changes of the atmospheric CO2 level or the air-sea-exchange probably did not exceed one to a few percent. Fluctuations of the forest biomass, which may have occurred between Glacial and Postglacial, hardly affected the 14C concentration over a long term. Responses of the atmospheric 14C concentration are also calculated for variations of the 14C production rate by cosmic radiation. The following cases are considered: a step change, square-wave changes producing "wiggles", and sinusoidal variations.


We derive physical constraints on interpretations of "highly maneuverable" Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) based on standard physics and known forms of matter and radiation. In particular, we show that the friction of UAP with the surrounding air or water is expected to generate a bright optical fireball, ionization shell and tail implying radio signatures. The fireball luminosity scales with inferred distance to the 5 power. Radar cross-section scales similarly to meteor head echoes as the square of the effective radius of the sphere surrounding the object, while the radar cross-section of the resulting ionization tail scales linearly with the radius of the ionization cylinder. The lack of all these signatures could imply inaccurate distance measurements (and hence derived velocity) for single site sensors without a range gate capability.


The invention aims at minimizing the risks of release of the dose associated with the concurrent consumption of alcohol and certain pharmaceutical or dietary forms with modified release. The invention concerns an oral form comprising reservoir-type microparticles, with modified release of at least one active principle. The invention is characterized in that it is resistant to the immediate release of the dose of active principle in the presence of alcohol. In particular, the inventive oral form is characterized in that the releasing time of 50% of the active principle, in an alcohol-containing solution is not reduced by more than 3 times compared to the releasing time of 50% of the active principle in an alcohol-free aqueous medium. The form comprises an agent D which is a pharmaceutically acceptable compound of which the hydrating or solvating speed and capacity is higher in an alcohol-free aqueous medium than in an alcohol-containing solution.


Two common approximations to the full Shallow Water Equations (SWEs) are non-divergence and quasi-geostrophy, and the degree to which these approximations lead to biases in numerical solutions are explored using the test bed of barotropic instability. Specifically, we examine the linear stability of strong polar and equatorial jets and compare the growth rates obtained from the SWEs along with those obtained from the Non-Divergent barotropic vorticity (ND) equation and the Quasi-Geostrophic (QG) equation. The main result of this paper is that the depth over which a layer is barotropically unstable is a crucial parameter in controlling the growth rate of small amplitude perturbations and this dependence is completely lost in the ND equation and is overly weak in the QG system. Only for depths of 30 km or more are the growth rates predicted by the ND and QG systems a good approximation to those of the SWEs, and such a convergence for deep layers can be explained using theoretical considerations. However, for smaller depths, the growth rates predicted by the SWEs become smaller than those of the ND and QG systems and for depths of between 5 and 10 km they can be smaller by more than . For polar jets, and for depths below 2 km the mean height in geostrophic balance with the strong zonal jet becomes negative and hence the barotropic instability problem is ill-defined. While in the SWEs an equatorial jet becomes stable for layer depths smaller than 3–4 km, in the QG and ND approximations it is unstable for layer depths down to 1 km. These result may have implications for the importance of barotropic instability in Earth's upper stratosphere and perhaps also other planets such as Venus.


This work focuses in the process of instrumentalizacion of the scientific knowledge and its implications in the character of the investigation and the internal policy of the University.


Novel hybrid molecule containing 2-mercaptoethylamine was synthesized starting from O-propyloxime-N-propoxy bacteriopurpurinimide (dipropoxy-BPI), which was readily oxidized in oxygen atmosphere yielding the corresponding disulfide analogue (disulfide-BPI). Spectral, photophysical, photodynamic, and biological properties of compound were properly evaluated. Compounds bearing disulfide moiety can directly interact with glutathione (GSH), thereby reducing its intracellular concentration. Indeed, mice sarcoma S37 cell line was treated in vitro with disulfide-BPI, yielding a CC50 value of 0.05 ± 0.005 μM. A relatively high level of singlet oxygen was detected. It was demonstrated (by fluorescence) that the PS was rapidly accumulated in a cancer nest (S37) at a relatively high level after 2 h upon intravenous administration. After 24 h, no traces of the molecule were detected in the tumor mass. Moreover, high photodynamic efficiency was demonstrated at doses of 150-300 J/cm2 against two different in vivo tumor models, achieving 100% regression of cancer growth.


Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a cytokine that can induce cell death of different cancers via a cellular cascade of proteases, the caspases. However, TNF-α has been detected in tumour and serum of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and tumour cell lines derived from this environment often exhibit resistance to TNF-α-induced cell death. Cell death mediated by TNF-α and caspases may be inhibited by cytoprotective genes regulated by transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). We recently showed that NF-κB is constitutively activated in HNSCC, and that inhibition of NF-κB by expression of a nondegradable mutant inhibitor of NF-κB, IκBαM, markedly decreased survival and growth of HNSCC cells in vivo. In the present study, we examined the TNF-α sensitivity and response of HNSCC with constitutively active NF-κB, and of HNSCC cells in which NF-κB is inhibited by stable expression of a dominant negative mutant inhibitor, IκBαM. Human lines UM-SCC-9, 11B and 38, previously shown to exhibit constitutive activation of NF-κB, were found to be highly resistant to growth inhibition by up to 104U/ml of TNF-α in 5 day MTT assay. These TNF-α resistant HNSCC lines expressed TNF receptor I, and exhibited constitutive and TNF-α-inducible activation of NF-κB as demonstrated by nuclear localization of NF-κB p65 by immunohistochemistry. UM-SCC-9 I11 cells which stably expressed an inhibitor of NF-κB, IκBαm, were susceptible to TNF-α-induced growth inhibition. DNA cell cycle analysis revealed that TNF-α induced growth inhibition was associated with accumulation of cells with sub-G0/G1 DNA content. Cell death was demonstrated by trypan blue staining, and was blocked by caspase inhibitor. We conclude that HNSCC that exhibit constitutive and TNF-α-inducible activation of transcription factor NF-κB are resistant to TNF-α, and that inhibition of NF-κB sensitizes HNSCC to TNF-α caspase-mediated cytotoxicity. The demonstration of the role of activation of NF-κB in resistance of HNSCC to TNF-α may be helpful in the identification of potential targets for pharmacological, molecular and immune therapy of HNSCC. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign


Over the years, although methods of breast reconstruction have improved, the ability to build a symmetrical projecting breast has not. When stacked Meme implants were used, better projection was obtained. Folding the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flaps allows for good projection; however, the breast is then quite wide and large. For smaller breasted women with projection and some larger breasted women as well, splitting and stacked flaps give a much better result. We now do this procedure with simultaneous Latram and mastectomy surgery in fewer than 3 hours.


This document presents the Conceptual Design Report (CDR) put forward by an international neutrino community to pursue the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment at the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF/DUNE), a groundbreaking science experiment for long-baseline neutrino oscillation studies and for neutrino astrophysics and nucleon decay searches. The DUNE far detector will be a very large modular liquid argon time-projection chamber (LArTPC) located deep underground, coupled to the LBNF multi-megawatt wide-band neutrino beam. DUNE will also have a high-resolution and high-precision near detector.


Chagas disease is a tropical parasitic disease that affects Latin America. The parasite causing Chagas, Trypanosoma cruzi, is transmitted by an insect vector of the subfamily Triatominae. Chagas is uncommon in the United States, but is becoming more common in the southern part of the country. This may be due to a more virulent strain type of the parasite moving northward from Mexico and invading the less virulent, native strain type. A region in southern Texas where there is a mixing of two Triatoma species is modeled with two different modeling frameworks. A mathematical deterministic model is created to describe the interactions between one host and one vector and determine the outcome of an invasion of a non-native strain type into the region. A stochastic, agent based model is created to determine the effect space and randomness may have on the interactions. Within the models, three modes of parasite transmission are considered to account for the different characteristics of each strain type. We vary the horizontal transmission ability of the invasive strain and run simulations for an equivalent time period of 30000 days (82 years). We find that the horizontal transmission potential of the invasive strain must be about 1.5 times as great as the other in order for over 50% of the runs to end with the invasive strain dominating. However, in the ODE model, the horizontal transmission of the invasive need only be 1.056 times that of the other strain. We also determine from the ODE model that considering three modes of transmission and no migration of vectors into the region being modeled, it is impossible for the two strains to coexist.


The signals in VHF space communications fluctuate rapidly on the propagational path through the turbulent ionosphere, and fading is of Rayleigh distribution, if circularly polarized waves are received. The diversity effect on VHF communications between an earth station and a satellite in a stationary orbit is about 10 to 20 dB, where transmitted linearly polarized waves are received by the use of circular or linear polarization diversity, when fading exists. The polarization diversity reception is effective in diminishing the time when signals fade out, and it will be one of the best methods for more reliable VHF space communications through the turbulent ionosphere.


Background: The effects of the non-weight-bearing method of aquatic exercise as a modality for weight loss have not been established. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a combined aquatic-exercise and walking program compared with walking alone on body weight and selected variables in obese women undergoing a 16-week standard behavioral treatment program. Methods: Forty-four obese (body-mass index 34.9 ± 3.8 kg/m) sedentary women age 40.3 ± 6.8 years were randomly assigned to one of two groups: aquatic and walking exercise (AE) or walking only (W). In addition, both groups were required to complete three sessions of home-based walking per week and were instructed to reduce energy intake to facilitate weight loss. Results: In the AE group, total body weight, cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, strength, and health-related quality of life significantly improved over time similarly to the W group. Slightly greater nonsignificant losses in body weight, improvements in flexibility, greater attendance rates, and significantly greater enjoyment scores also occurred in the AE group. Conclusion: These observations suggest that aquatic exercise in combination with walking can serve as an alternative to walking exercise alone for overweight women during periods of weight loss, and this can improve functional health status.


The international fertilizer market developing dynamically. Domestic producers of fertilizers are not only the largest exporters of these products to world markets, but also almost completely meet the demand in the domestic market. Following the provisions of sustainable development, the state regulation of the fertilizer market should determine and guarantee the safety of the production, transportation, storage and use of fertilizers for both humans and the environment. The purpose of the study is to study and systematize a set of regulatory documents regulating the market of fertilizers, taking into account the domestic and foreign trade interests of Russia, comparing domestic and foreign legislation on the studied problem. For this purpose, classical methods and economic methods of research were chosen: analysis and synthesis, deduction and induction. The law of direct action regulating the turnover of fertilizers has not been adopted in Russia, although such laws are applied in a number of countries, and they are aimed at regulating the chain of passage of fertilizers from the producer to the consumer. The structure of Russian fertilizer legislation is not linear. At the same time, the Russian system of state regulation of fertilizer turnover includes numerous and diverse regulatory and legal acts, including international ones. The analysis of the existing regulatory documents on the regulation of the fertilizer market revealed the need to harmonize legislation in terms of an integrated approach and taking into account intersectoral features: the agricultural sector unites both large and small, and medium-sized participants, while the production of fertilizers is monopolized. The development of the domestic fertilizer market is constrained by the multi-vector standards laid down in the development strategies of the agricultural sector and the chemical industry. The state policy of fertilizer circulation is characterized by inconsistency and incoherent sectoral legislation, the lack of necessary coordination of the regulation of the fertilizer market with the needs of domestic agriculture. It is necessary to introduce the concepts of new types of fertilizers in the national standards in the near future, as well as to launch public-private partnership mechanisms to saturate the domestic market with new innovative fertilizers.


Negative pressure wound therapy is a non-invasive treatment which is believed to promote healing in many types of wounds. Linda Nazarko explains the concept of the therapy and the various systems available.


In a multi-fold universe, gravity emerges from Entanglement through the multi-fold mechanisms. As a result, gravity-like effects appear in between entangled particles that they be real or virtual. Long range, massless gravity results from entanglement of massless virtual particles. Entanglement of massive virtual particles leads to massive gravity contributions at very smalls scales. Multi-folds mechanisms also result into a spacetime that is discrete, with a random walk fractal structure and non-commutative geometry that is Lorentz invariant and where spacetime nodes and particles can be modeled with microscopic black holes. All these recover General relativity at large scales and semi-classical model remain valid till smaller scale than usually expected. Gravity can therefore be added to the Standard Model. This can contribute to resolving several open issues with the Standard Model. In particular with chirality flips of fermions induced by gravity, right-handed neutrinos (and left-handed anti-neutrinos) can appear in flight and now acquire mass when encountering Higgs bosons. Because perturbatively self-gravity effects may be stronger for anti-neutrinos, the chirality flips in flight will trap longer in flight right-handed anti neutrinos than left-handed neutrinos; creating a matter antimatter asymmetry. While very small this can explain the dominance of matter of antimatter, hence why we exist. As we visit the properties of antimatter, we also predict that, in a multi-fold universe, anti-matter is attracted by gravity, not repelled; something that is still an open issue today in Physics.


Stapedectomy and stapedotomy are presently the techniques utilized in the surgical treatment of otosclerosis. The technique of choice at the ENT Department of the University of Verona has changed from stapedectomy to stapedotomy with and without stapedius tendon preservation. From January 1975 to December 1985, 805 ears were operated on for otosclerosis at our department. A statistical analysis has been performed on three groups of patients (stapedectomy, stapedotomy without and with stapedius tendon preservation) at short and long term. The results suggest that stapedotomy with stapedius tendon preservation should be the preferred surgery in the treatment of otosclerosis.


Abstract The Large Scale Gas Injection Test (Lasgit) is a field-scale experiment designed to study the impact of gas build-up and subsequent migration through an engineered barrier system (EBS). Lasgit has a substantial experimental dataset containing in excess of 26 million datum points. The dataset is anticipated to contain a wealth of information, ranging from long-term trends and system behaviours to small-scale or 'second-order' features. In order to interrogate the Lasgit dataset, a bespoke computational toolkit, designed to expose and quantify difficult to observe phenomena in large, non-uniform datasets, has been developed and applied. Presented results focus on the investigation and interpretation of second-order events occurring in close proximity (temporally and spatially) to a known macro-scale gas flow event that occurred during the second gas injection test. The similarity of the investigated event to dilatant flow observed in laboratory experiments is noted, as is the evidence for localized flow pathways in the bentonite EBS. The sensitivity of the toolkit's ability to highlight second-order events is also evaluated.


The administration of murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) induces, in many patients, an immunological response represented by the development of human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA). HAMA have been previously shown to interfere in some assays for the detection of CEA, as well as other non tumor related analytes. The present study was performed to determine whether the CA 72-4 assay is affected by the presence of HAMA, and to establish conditions capable of overcoming this artifact. Serum samples obtained from 8/9 patients entered into a therapeutic protocol using 131I-labeled MAb B72.3 showed the development of apparently high levels of TAG-72 during the clinical follow-up concurrent with the appearance of elevated titers of HAMA. Heat treatment at 90°C at pH 5.0 sodium acetate, previously reported as a method of abolishing HAMA interference without affecting CEA levels, resulted in a considerable loss of detectable TAG-72. However, treatment of these samples at 90°C in pH 6.5 Bis Tris abolished the artifact due to HAMA and resulted in the reversion of reported TAG-72 levels to those observed prior to any MAb administration. As the use of murine M Abs, for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications continues to expand, the identification of this artifactual increase in reported antigen levels due to the development of HAMA has become an important factor in the use of tumor markers, e.g. TAG-72 and CEA, in the follow-up of carcinoma patients.


The objective of this study was to document tidal variations in tracheal height during normal respiration in 19 healthy adult (> 1 y old) small-breed dogs (< 10 kg) using fluoroscopy and radiography. Each dog underwent tracheal fluoroscopic examination on inspiration and expiration while in a standing position (F-S) and in right lateral recumbency (F-RL), followed by radiographic projections obtained in right lateral recumbency. The percent variation in tracheal height during maximal inspiration and expiration was determined at 3 different locations [cervical region (CR), thoracic inlet (TI), and intrathoracic (IT) region]. When all imaging procedures and sites of measurement were considered, tracheal height varied during physiologic inspiration and expiration from 0% to 21.1%, with a mean of 4.5%. The mean percent variation in tracheal height was not significantly different among imaging modalities (F-S versus F-RL versus radiography) (P = 0.16) or measurement sites (CR versus TI versus IT) (P = 0.89). The body condition score (BCS) (P = 0.96), age (P = 0.95), and breed (P = 0.19) did not significantly influence the mean percent variation in tracheal height. The average variation in tracheal height during maximal physiological inspiration and expiration is small (< 6%) in most healthy adult small-breed dogs as assessed by fluoroscopy and radiography, although tracheal height may vary by as much as 21.1% in some healthy individuals. Inspiratory and expiratory radiographs acquired in right lateral recumbency provide an accurate assessment of tracheal height as an alternative to fluoroscopy.


The article examines the activities of the established at the end of 1946 Pan-Slavic Committee in Belgrade which, however, lasted only a year and a half. The Committee was created with the intention of being the centralized and ruling body of the Kremlin-born Slavic Movement after June 22, 1941. The emergence of the Committee came at a time when relations between the partners of the Anti- Axis Coalition had begun to deteriorate, and this circumstance inevitably made a direct impact on the tasks it was assigned. After the final bloc division of Europe and the Tito – Stalin split, the very existence of the Pan-Slavic Committee became meaningless, since the political exploitation of the idea of Slavic unity no longer fitted into the new realities and this resulted in its abolishment in the mid of 1948.


Background. Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is a significant cause of morbidity after liver transplantation. The aims of this study are to identify and compare risk factors that might contribute to HAT. Methods. A total of 424 liver transplants performed at the University of Virginia were reviewed. HAT was defined as complete disruption of arterial blood flow to the allograft and was identified in 29 cases (6.8%). HAT was classified as early (less than 1 month posttransplant, 9 cases: 2.1%) or late (more than 1 month posttransplant, 20 cases: 5.4%). Possible risk factors for HAT were analyzed using Pearson &khgr;2 test for univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis. Results. Multiple transplants, recipient/donor weight ratio >1.25, biopsy-proven rejection within 1 week of transplant, recipient negative cytomegalovirus (CMV) status, arterial anastomosis to an old conduit (defined as a previously constructed aorto-hepatic artery remnant using donor iliac artery), and CMV negative patients receiving allograft from CMV positive donors were found to be significant risk factors for developing early HAT. After logistic regression, factors independently predicting early HAT included arterial anastomosis to an old conduit [odds ratio (OR)=7.33], recipient/donor weight ratio >1.25 (OR=5.65), biopsy-proven rejection within 1 week posttransplant (OR=2.81), and donor positive and recipient negative CMV status (OR=2.66). Female donor, the combination of female donor and male recipient, recipient hepatitis C-related liver disease, donor negative CMV status, and the combination of recipient CMV negative and donor CMV negative were found to be significant risk factors for late HAT. Factors independently predicting late HAT by logistic regression included negative recipient and donor CMV status (OR=2.26) and the combination of a female donor and male recipient (OR=1.97). Conclusion. Therefore, in nonemergency situations attention to these factors in donor allocation may minimize the possibility of HAT.


Introduction: Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is a slowly progressive joint disease typically seen in middle-age to elderly people. Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid is a well-documented treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Celebrex® (celecoxib) is a novel nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, which could help to reduce inflammation and to reduce pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intra-articular injection of celecoxib in a rabbit osteoarthritis model. Methods: Thirty New Zealand white rabbits underwent unilateral knee joint surgery using the Hulth technique. Six weeks post-surgery, the animals were randomly divided into three groups, and each group was respectively given weekly intra-articular injections with Celebrex®, hyaluronic acid and saline. On the sixth week, the results were assessed in rabbit models by gross observation, histological evaluation, and expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-3. Results: In the group given Celebrex® and hyaluronic acid, the pathological changes in the rabbit articular cartilage improved significantly, much more than in the saline group. The statistically significant suppression of IL-1β, TNF-α, MMP-3 was shown in the Celebrex group. No significant differences were detected between two treatment groups. Conclusions: Intra-articular injection of celecoxib is beneficial for knee osteoarthritis. It might repair and protect early osteoarthritis cartilage by delaying cartilage degeneration and impairing the function of inflammatory mediators, therefore, intra-articular injection of celecoxib can be used as an alternative to the current treatment of osteoarthritis.


DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is the technique of choice to map the position of genomic loci in three-dimensional (3D) space at the single allele level in the cell nucleus. High-throughput DNA FISH methods have recently been developed using complex libraries of fluorescently labeled synthetic oligonucleotides and automated fluorescence microscopy, enabling large-scale interrogation of genomic organization. Although the FISH signals generated by high-throughput methods can, in principle, be analyzed by traditional spot-detection algorithms, these approaches require user intervention to optimize each interrogated genomic locus, making analysis of tens or hundreds of genomic loci in a single experiment prohibitive. We report here the design and testing of two separate machine learning-based workflows for FISH signal detection in a high-throughput format. The two methods rely on random forest (RF) classification or convolutional neural networks (CNNs), respectively. Both workflows detect DNA FISH signals with high accuracy in three separate fluorescence microscopy channels for tens of independent genomic loci, without the need for manual parameter value setting on a per locus basis. In particular, the CNN workflow, which we named SpotLearn, is highly efficient and accurate in the detection of DNA FISH signals with low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We suggest that SpotLearn will be useful to accurately and robustly detect diverse DNA FISH signals in a high-throughput fashion, enabling the visualization and positioning of hundreds of genomic loci in a single experiment.


Background: Controversy remains about how successfully e-learning can improve clinical skills and knowledge acquisition. Our study's main objective was to compare the effects of e-learning versus traditional education on medical students' reasoning and how they applied their knowledge to clinical skills by evaluating their performance in a pediatrics exam based on key features. Our secondary objectives were to assess the factors associated with e-learning that might influence exam scores and to evaluate medical students' satisfaction with these two learning methods. Methods: Prospective observational study of two pediatric clerkship cohorts (2016–17 and 2017–18) of fourth-year medical students at the University of Geneva's Faculty of Medicine, Switzerland. All students participated in a standardized program of traditional seminars and e-learning using case-based scenarios. To compare the two learning methods, we taught two subjects using traditional seminars in 2016–17 and then using e-learning modules in 2017–18. To evaluate factors that might have influenced e-learning's effects, we monitored the use of all the e-learning modules studied in the months preceding the pediatric exam. Student satisfaction was evaluated using a questionnaire of four-point Likert scale-like items. Results: We included 299 medical students. Students using interactive e-learning modules had the same median scores for exam questions associated with e-learning as students who attended traditional seminars (median 80%, IQR 67%–100% vs. median 80%, IQR 67%–100%; p=0.975). A linear regression model showed an association between the scores for exam questions associated with e-learning and the number of quizzes taken and sex. Even though the overall satisfaction with the two learning methods was similar, students claimed that they learned more in e-learning than in traditional seminars, that learning objectives were better explained in e-learning modules, and that traditional seminars were better integrated into the curriculum.Conclusions: We found no evidence of a difference in students' reasoning and how they applied their knowledge to clinical skills between e-learning and traditional seminar-based methods. The number of quizzes taken and being a female student were factors associated with better scores. Overall, students were satisfied with both learning methods, but they claimed that they learned more with e-learning.


Backgrand and aim: Mistakes and violations leading to driving accidents and their consequences, especially in most developing countries, are considered as one of the main causes of death and injury. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between noise exposure, noise annoyance, aggression and driving behavior of drivers.
Material and Methods: In first, two linear taxi routes were selected to compare the noise exposure of drivers. A total of 133 drivers were participated in the study by convenience sampling method. According to ISO 9612: 2009, a 4-hour short-term dosimeter was performed during the daily routine of drivers, and finally, an 8-hour equivalent was calculated. Demographic questionnaire, socioeconomic status including 5 questions, one-question noise annoyance questionnaire with 0-10 scale, aggression questionnaire, 29 questions with 4 sub-scales of physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility, and driving behavior questionnaire including 50 questions and 4 Sub-scale of errors, mistakes, intentional violations, and unintentional violations among distribution drivers were completed and collected. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 25 using independent t-test and one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation and multivariate regression tests.
Results: The average noise exposure of drivers in the high noise was 78.7 dB and in the low noise route was 79.75 dB. There was a significant and direct correlation between noise exposure of drivers and all behavioral parameters. In general, noise exposure had a significant direct correlation with behavioral parameters. As well as demographic factors such as vehicle model and socioeconomic status were associated inversely with driving violations.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, some practical suggestions are made to improve the working conditions of taxi drivers. Installing acoustic absorbers in taxi routes, installing an acoustic absorbent to prevent the sound transmission of motor vehicles into the cabin, acting to develop regulations and standards for identifying, measuring, and controlling harmful factors in the taxiers' work environment, investigating the personality aggression status of applicants for a certificate card Driving before giving a license, conducting periodic psychological assessments of drivers at regular intervals and extending the license, holding classes on how to control aggression by relevant institutions, and requiring applicants to obtain a certificate for participation in these courses and grants To the driver To replace old vehicles with new vehicles.


Following a rapidly changing external environment, internationalization has become an institutional phenomenon with strategic relevance for universities worldwide. However, the frequently reported gap between theory and practice remains. Engaging staff and achieving successful organizational implementation appears increasingly problematic with more stakeholders and disciplines involved. This study explores the long-time gap between strategy and implementation with Pettigrew's organizational change framework (1987). We conducted a systematic scoping literature review of articles about curriculum internationalization (N = 325) published in English in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2022. Our study demonstrates that the organizational change perspective provides guidelines to improve and facilitate the process. Based on an organizational change perspective we developed a comprehensive framework that may contribute to more effective strategies for staff engagement and meaningful implementation outcomes for curriculum internationalization in higher education.


Most liver transplant programs have come to accept the importance of evaluating the psychosocial status of potential liver transplant recipients prior to liver transplantation. The goal is to utilize a thorough assessment of the candidate's support system and personal abilities in order to predict post-transplantation compliance and overall medical-surgical outcome. To achieve this goal, it has been necessary to include a large number of multidisciplinary specialists including social workers, nurses, and psychologists as well as physicians in the evaluation process. Each disclipline contributes to the overall assessment and management of these candidates prior to and following liver transplantation. The purpose of this report is to describe how one spectrum of issues relating to a potential candidate's strengths and vulnerabilities are assessed in the liver transplant program at the University of Kentucky.


A laboratory apparatus is designed to measure the complex permittivity of both liquid and solid samples in the frequency range from 2 to 13 MHz. This device uses a guarded-electrode sample holder to significantly reduce fringe effects. A synthetic focusing method is utilized to ensure that the potentials at both the main and the guard electrodes are equal. Extensive measurements on NaCl solutions of different salinities are made to study the accuracy of the guarded-electrode method. The measured complex permittivities are in good agreement with those reported in the literature. The deviation is less than 3% for the conductivity measurement and depends on the salinity of the solution for the dielectric constant measurement. Various measurements conducted on Berea sandstones and glass beads saturated with saline water showed the accuracy and feasibility of the experimental set up. This measurement method might be used to obtain accurate values for the conversion of measured data from the measurement while drilling (MWD) resistivity tool.


Methods used to diagnose Trypanosoma cruzi infection differ in their ability to discriminate between sera from infected and uninfected individuals. We compared the results of an immunofluorescence (IF) test, a haemagglutination (HA) test, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the diagnosis of T. cruzi infections in a large population-based survey in central Brazil using blood eluates from filter-paper and venous blood samples. The sensitivities of the tests on eluates, compared with results on serum samples, were low: ELISA (78.1%), IF (69.2%) and HA (64.6%). The level of agreement between the tests on eluates was very poor, with the best co-positivity for IF and ELISA. Both the positive and negative predictive values of the three tests on eluates were similar (around 96%) to those for sera. Higher co-positivity values were obtained for the three tests on sera. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to blood screening, routine medical practice, sero-epidemiological surveys, and the follow-up of patients admitted to therapeutic trials.


An improved ¿smart¿ interpolation approach known as model-based parameter estimation (MBPE) is applied to the wide-band interpolation of periodic method of moments (PMM) impedance matrices for normal and oblique incidence cases. Prior to interpolation, easy to calculate but hard to interpolate, phase terms are removed from the impedance matrices. An efficient spectral-domain PMM formulation is introduced for the accelerated analysis of frequency selective surface (FSS) problems with a large number of unknowns, employing a one dimensional O(N log N) FFT-based method to speed up the computation of matrix-vector products within the bi-conjugate gradient (BCG) iterative solver, which is made possible by the asymmetric multilevel block-Toeplitz structure of the impedance-matrix. The MBPE interpolation algorithm provides a faster matrix fill time than the brute force method and is comparable or even faster than the 2-D FFT-based method for a large number of unknowns. It also has the advantage that it can be applied to non-uniform gridding cases. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed techniques for large FSS problems are demonstrated by several design examples for both the normal and oblique incidence cases. We also apply this efficient analysis tool to the design of multiband single-layer FSS filters and artificial magnetic conductors (AMC) comprised of a 2-D periodic arrangement of convoluted metallic strips in the shape of a Hilbert curve. The multiband properties of the Hilbert curve FSS filters are studied for different iteration orders (i.e., different degrees of space-filling).


INTRODUCTIONIn 2002 over 6% of all deaths in the European region were attributable to alcohol.1 Its contribution to mortality in Eastern Europe was particularly high with over 18% of male and 5% of female deaths resulting from the use of alcohol.2 Within this region much attention has been given on the role that alcohol has played in the alarming rise of mortality that has occurred in Russia during the transition period,3 when it has been linked to increases of both cardiovascular and external causes of death.4-6 There is also evidence however, that alcohol may have played an equally important role in mortality in other countries in this region in recent years.7 In the first half of the 1990s, the Baltic countries experienced a sharp increase in mortality that coincided with a great rise of alcohol-related causes of death.8 Similarly, the unprecedented rise in mortality that has occurred in several of the Slavic countries during the post-Soviet period has also been accompanied by a sharp rise of certain forms of alcohol-related mortality, such as alcohol poisoning.9Although alcohol seems to be an important contributor to the burden of disease in the countries of Eastern Europe, as yet, with the obvious exception of Russia, little systematic research has been undertaken on its impact on mortality in specific countries in the region. This is especially true regarding Belarus where, since 1994, falling birth rates and high mortality rates have resulted in depopulation.10 The extent of the demographic problems affecting the country can be gauged by the reduction that has occurred in life expectancy which fell from 71.3 years at birth in 1990 to just 68.0 in 2002.11 Despite these changes, until now, only one (non-Western) study has attempted to systematically examine the effect of alcohol on increasing mortality in Belarus. It suggested that alcohol may be having a similar impact to that observed in Russia during recent years.12The aim of the present study is to address this particular deficit concerning alcohol-related mortality in Belarus by using regional-level data drawn from death certificates. By doing this it will be possible to assess not only the level of alcohol-related mortality but also whether alcohol has a differential impact on death rates in Belarus in terms of such variables as age, sex and place of residence.MATERIALS AND METHODSThe data used in this study come from Grodno province in Western Belarus which contains approximately 12% of the country's population with a majority of the province's residents (64%) living in urban areas. For the year 2002 all the death certificates from the province were obtained from hospital archives and examined to see if there was any mention of ' alcohol intoxication' as either a direct or underlying cause of death. From the 18,200 certificates that were retrospectively examined, 758 met the inclusion criteria for this study. Information regarding the sex, age, place of residence, place and cause of death (using the WHO ICD-10 nomenclature) as well who registered the death were extracted from each certificate. When the certificates were examined it was found that in only 3.8-5.6% cases of violent death (injuries, accidents suicides and homicides) was the presence of alcohol recorded. As the previous research has indicated that alcohol may be present in up to 50% of violent deaths in Belarus12 this suggests that in the current case, there was a situation of under-diagnosis of alcohol intoxication in cases of violent death. Death certificates relating to forms of violent death were thus omitted from the present study. Verification of the presence of alcohol in the remaining cases is likely to have been sufficiently rigorous in that, in 89.2% of cases the data were drawn from autopsies (in 70.5% of cases by forensic-medical experts and in 18.7% of cases by pathologists). In 5.3% of cases the death certificate was completed by the attending physician while in the remaining 5. …


Ozone entertainment has been measured for point-to-plane corona electrodes in an insulating flow channel. Electrodes with 16 mm point-to-plane spacing were set at AC and positive/negative DC voltages and exposed to gas flows from 0.3 m/s to 3.3 m/s in air. The ozone yield in grams per coulomb (g/C) of charge transferred in the discharge was found to be constant, yet with different values for the various modes of corona.


importance of colour coding and a logical approach to instrument selection is stressed. The final chapters are devoted to assisting in various clinical procedures and to the training necessary for four-handed dentistry. The book is well illustrated. It would perhaps have been an advantage to have shown a bur in the handpiece in Figure 89, and the finger nails of the assistant in some of the plates are unacceptably long. Reference should perhaps have been made to dental assisting with the few patients who, for various reasons, will not be placed horizontally, and the need for all operatories to be able to be worked single-handed on those occasions when one's DSA may be absent. This book will be welcomed by all those interested in the practice of four-handed dentistry.