Surgical clipping has been the primary treatment option for ruptured distal anterior cerebral artery (DACA) aneurysms. Therefore, the literature on endovascular therapy is sparse. The present study investigated the feasibility and efficacy of endovascular therapy for ruptured DACA aneurysms in 31 patients, 26 females and 5 males (mean age 63.2 ± 12.6 years). Mean aneurysm size and neck width were 4.8 ± 2.3 mm and 2.2 ± 0.7 mm, respectively. The Hunt and Hess (H/H) grades just prior to the treatment were scored as H/H grades 1-3 in 20 patients and H/H grades 4-5 in 11 patients. Fifteen patients had an intraparenchymal hematoma (IPH) surrounding the ruptured aneurysm on the initial computed tomography. Overall, 22 patients had a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0-2 and 9 had a mRS score of 3-6 at discharge. H/H grade was closely related to the clinical outcomes, whereas the presence of IPH was not. Overall immediate angiographic outcomes were complete occlusion in 15, residual neck in 11, and residual aneurysm in 5. The overall recurrence rate was 35.3%. Complications including posttreatment rebleeding occurred in 5 patients. Symptomatic vasospasm occurred in 1 of the 18 patients with H/H grades 1-3. Endovascular therapy of ruptured DACA aneurysms is feasible and effective. However, the risks of recurrence and posttreatment bleeding remain to be resolved.


In view of recent corporate scandals, it is argued that corporate governance can learn from public governance. Institutions devised to control and discipline the behaviour of executives in the political sphere can give new insights into how to improve the governance of firms. Some proposal such as division of power within firms, rules of succession in top positions, and institutionalized competition in core areas of corporations are discussed.


This thesis is a study of the relationship between medical culture and women doctors. It seeks to answer the question 'What do women do with their feminine when they become doctors'. The question is important to women doctors, to patients, to workforce planners and to all those who intersect with or are involved in the medical profession. Over the past 30-40 years women have joined the profession in increasing numbers in Australia and other countries with similar cultures such as Canada, the UK and the USA, and now comprise approximately half the medical school cohort and nearly a third of the medical workforce. Introducing women into the previously masculine culture of medicine has a substantial impact on the women, and also on medicine. The research detailed in this thesis identifies some of that impact in ways that will be useful to both women doctors and medical students, and to workforce planners.
The study is also an exploration of research methods that are effective in uncovering the comparatively silenced voice of women in medicine. It identifies what can be found by applying the lens of feminist epistemology to medical culture. It explores the knowledges brought forth by three approaches to research, each building on the other, each valid in its own right, and each assisting in identifying what is missing from the other approaches. It uses both quantitative and qualitative method to study the research question. Working with a post-modern feminist epistemology I use triangulation to refine the essence of the findings. The three methods comprise 1) qualitative data from interviews with nine female doctors that focused on their lived relationship between their female selves and their profession, and qualitative data from a national survey of rural doctors focussing on how women express their femaleness in their professional practice; 2) quantitative data from the national survey of rural doctors; and 3) a study of mythology of the feminine and its relation to the history of the construction of medical knowledge in the European tradition on which Australian medical culture draws. In the data chapters findings are analysed wherever possible using all three knowledge sources.
Thus the methodology used for this study is actually methodologies. I have used my skills as an historian to locate the story of women in medicine, quantitative survey research to transform anecdote to data, and qualitative interview research as an heuristic device to discover what is really going on, what is possible, and to provide the thematic framework for the data analysis. The unifying theme behind this multi-disciplinary approach is feminist theorising about women, the feminine, power, medicine, authority and knowledge within occidental culture.
The theoretical challenge is to bring these disparate ways of creating knowledges to a coherent and defensible conclusion. That is a challenge appropriate for this study, for I am concentrating on uncovering how medical knowledge is created, in whose image is it created, and identifying the consequences of excluding women as co-creators of this knowledge, as experienced by women doctors. The broader question, of the impact of the exclusion of women from the creation of medical knowledge on that knowledge itself, and consequently on patient care, is part of work I do as an academic in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University.
This study then, is researching an important question.
The thesis has four Sections, each of which comprises between two to three chapters. Section One has three chapters. Chapter One introduces the study, describes the research approach and contains some information about me, the researcher, that provides context for the research approach taken. Chapter Two considers current feminist challenges to the construction of scientific knowledge and a description of the epistemology, methodology and method used in gathering and interpreting the data for the research. Chapter Three explores myths and archetypes about the feminine, considers what these tell us about the process of wresting the keys of the kingdom from women, discusses the witch-burnings and their impact on women and medical knowledge, and ends with a brief history of women in medicine.
Each Section is introduced with a Chapeau that reflects on the data to be considered. Section Two comprises two chapters that describe the impact of the culture of medicine on women doctors, using data from the myths, the interviews, and the national survey. Section Three comprises three chapters that consider the impact women are having on medicine, including the strategies women use to resist some of the adverse effects of medical culture on their female selves, and identifying what women are doing to change that culture. Section Four examines the relationship between women doctors and healing, and the thesis concludes with a consideration of the impact of women on medical culture and practice.


Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) plays important role in the economic development of a country.  In 1991, Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization aimed at making the Indian economy a faster growing economy and globally competitive. Service sector is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors in India. The share of services in India's GDP at factor cost (at current prices) rose from 51 per cent in (2000-01) to 57 per cent in (2013–14). This paper highlights the role of FDI in various sectors like financial services, Telecommunication services, Information Technology services, Construction development etc. in the Indian economy and contribution of each sector year wise. We have dealt with the effect of FDI inflows on the Indian economy over the period of 2000 to 2014 on the basis of secondary data. A statistical model was developed to investigate the relationship between FDI inflow and Gross Domestic Product in service sector. This analysis has revealed that Foreign Direct Investment has positive and significant impact on GDP. Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment, Service Sector, Globalization.


Owing to the huge amount of naira invested into the irrigation sub-sector by the Nigerian government, the study assessed the perception of farmers on the activities of Lower Nigeria River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA) in Ilorin East local government area of Kwara State, Nigeria. Primary data were used for the study and the data were collected by means of a well-structured questionnaire coupled with interview schedule. A two stage sampling technique was used to select one hundred and six (106) respondents from the list of registered farmers who had participated in the scheme. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used in analyzing the data. Findings of the study indicated that 98.1% of the famers had a positive perception on the effectiveness of the scheme. Also, 92.5% of the respondents reported flexibility in the payment schedule in participating in the LNRBDA irrigation scheme while 81.1% of the respondents paid for irrigation services install mentally. It was also found that 99.1% of the respondents experienced increased production output as a result of the use of irrigation facilities. There is a significant relationship between age, farm size and the perception of farmers on some of the activities in the scheme (pvalue < critical p-value of 0.05). The study concludes that farmers' participation and perception in LNRBDA irrigation scheme in the study area is highly encouraging and there is association between age, farm size and the perception of farmers on effectiveness some of the activities of LNRBDA in the study area. It is therefore recommended that government should continue to enhance and strengthens the performance of LNRBDA in the study area. Keywords: Perception, Lower Niger Basin Authority, farmers, Irrigation, Scheme, Production


This paper was presented upon receiving the Outstanding String Researcher Award at the 2017 National American String Teachers Association (ASTA) Conference in Pittsburgh. The author traces significant experiences and people who shaped her interest in conducting research, followed by a confessional tale of the affective experience of engaging in, and teaching others how to initially engage in, the research process. The author then invites readers to consider various questions we might explore in our collective future research, pointing to the connections between and vital roles of making music and doing research.


Purpose Duodenal stump leakage (DSL) is a potentially fatal complication that can occur after gastrectomy, but its underlying risk factors are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors and management of DSL after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer (GC). Materials and Methods Relevant data were collected from several prospective databases to retrospectively analyze the data of GC patients who underwent Billroth II (B-II) or Roux-en-Y (R-Y) reconstruction after laparoscopic gastrectomy from 2 institutions (Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, and HwaMei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences). The DSL risk factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis regression. Results A total of 810 patients were eligible for our analysis (426 with R-Y, 384 with B-II with Braun). Eleven patients had DSL (1.36%). Body mass index (BMI), elevated preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and unreinforced duodenal stump were the independent risk factors for DSL. DSL was diagnosed in 2–12 days, with a median of 8 days. Seven patients received conservative treatment, 3 patients received puncture treatment, and only 1 patient required reoperation. All patients recovered successfully after treatment. Conclusions The risk factors of DSL were BMI ≥24 kg/m2, elevated preoperative CRP level, and unreinforced duodenal stump. Nonsurgical treatments for DSL are preferred.


The purpose of this thesis is to study the influence of fire on the stability of tunnels. During the last few years a number of fires have taken place in tunnels. For example, the fires in the ...


We propose two novel III-V/Si hybrid laser structures with patterned window arrays in metal thin film wafer-bonding layers. The metal-mediated bonded III-V/Si heterointerface exhibits high electrical and thermal conductivity while allowing optical coupling between the III-V gain layer and the underneath Si waveguide through the openings in the metal bonding layer. We numerically examine the validity of the proposed hybrid laser structures through calculations of their modal propagation loss by metal's absorption and threshold current densities. We also propose another hybrid laser structure utilizing conductive direct semiconductor/semiconductor wafer bonding exploiting a spatial gain profile well overlapped with the waveguide mode and no metal-induced loss relative to those metal-mediated-bonded. All of these three structures have advantages such as spontaneous lateral current confinement and simpler fabrication over conventional oxide-mediated-bonded hybrid lasers.


While previous studies highlight the dynamic feature of identity construction, little attention has been paid to the identity work within the overall structure of a conversation and to the interrelations between different aspects of identity constructed. Drawing on a sizable recording of radio-mediated medical consultations (RMMC), this study aims to explore the various aspects of medical consultants' identities and the dynamic shift among the different aspects. It is found that the consultants construct three prominent aspects of identity, namely, a consultant with medical expertise, a consultant with peer friendships, and a consultant as a sales representative, each manifesting some variability in terms of pragma-linguistic realisations and occurrences in different stages of the overall structure of RMMCs. By intermingling the three aspects and using each at appropriate times, the consultants skilfully direct the conversation to what they want. Thus, they demonstrate what might be termed as identity rhetoric in constructing, performing, and deploying their identities to achieve some communicative needs.


Changes in spectral parameters of heart rate variability were assessed in patients with mild and moderate hypertension (n = 48) and healthy subjects (n = 34) taking sodium chloride bath and in active orthostatic test before and after balneotherapy. Significant changes were not registered. The course of balneotherapy stimulated sympathetic or parasympathetic activity (relative enhancement occurred in 67, absolute in 15% versus 8 and 10% patients, respectively).


Oxyhalides possessing the merits of oxides and halides have widely received attention for their comprehensive physical performances, especially as potential nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals. Here, based on conventional strategy for obtaining acentric compounds, a Te4+ lone-pair cation was introduced into oxyhalides, and one oxyfluoride, HgTeO2F(OH), was obtained via a hydrothermal reaction. Crystallized in the polar space group Pca21, the layered structure of HgTeO2F(OH) is composed of V-shaped [HgO2]2- groups and [TeO2F(OH)]2- pyramids, in which the [TeO2F(OH)]2- pyramid first served as the NLO functional motif. Its powder sample exhibits a phase-matchable SHG response of 1.1 × KH2PO4 at 1064 nm, and its birefringence (0.09@1064 nm) is sufficient for phase-matchable behavior, which manifests its comprehensive capacity as a promising NLO candidate. Theoretical calculations about electronic structure and optical properties are also carried out, revealing that the Te4+ lone-pair cation makes the predominant contribution to the SHG effect and synergizes with the [HgO2]2- groups.


In this thesis, I investigate the relation between assessed speaking proficiency and measured complexity and accuracy in twenty test-takers' performance in the oral part of the Swedish certificate test Swedex B2. Accuracy and complexity have been measured in seven different ways; both global and local measures from the CAF (Complexity–Accuracy–Fluency) triad have been used. Also, each test-taker's level of processability capacity, according to the Processability theory (PT), has been estimated. Hence, I have tested correlations between in total eight measurements using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). Most measures co-vary with each other with some degree of significance. Furthermore, correlations between measurements and grades have been tested. The effect of accuracy and complexity on both a specific grade for 'Formal accuracy and complexity' and two holistic grades – one for the oral part of the test and one for the whole test, consisting of four parts – have been investigated. Results indicate that most measurements co-vary with the holistic grade for the oral exam. However, the specific grade co-varies with foremost global accuracy measures, indicating a halo-effect. In a final qualitative investigation, four test-takers are selected and examined closer. From this study, all seven CAF measures can be criticised; only PT level seems to capture the level of proficiency. Quantitative as well as qualitative results are considered in a discussion of both language testing and language proficiency measures.


Capparis decidua (Forsk.) is belonging to family Capparidaceae, yet important medicinal plant of Indian Medicinal Plants. In the traditional system of medicine, the bark has been shown to be useful in the treatment of coughs, asthma and inflammation; roots used in fever and buds in the treatment of boils. In Unani, leaves act as appetizer, helps in cardiac troubles, fruits used in biliousness. The plant is reported to contain Phytochemicals including alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides and some fatty acids. In Unani, leaves act as appetizer, helps in cardiac troubles, used in biliousness; alveolaris and pyorrhea; Root bark is used as anthelmintic and purgative. The plant have significant pharmacological activities like hypercholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, antidiabeti, antimicrobial, antiplaque, antihypertensive, antihelmintic & purgativ activities. The review analyses phytochemical and pharmacological potential of medicinal plant (kair).


The advent of Internet have given rise to the exponential growth of health information resources which has invariably provided a wider means of access to health professional in meeting their immediate information needs. The study investigated the use of internet health information resources and information seeking behaviour among health professionals in federal medical center, Abuja. Five research questions guided the study and the data collection instrument used was structured questionnaire, the study adopted survey research method. The finding shows that (83.7%) of the respondents have average levels of Internet use proficiency. The study revealed that majority of the respondents rarely use e-book, e-journals, Websites, e-newspaper/ Bulletin. The finding shows that the respondents only use African Journal Online (AJOL) and Nursing Journals. Based on the information seeking behaviour of the respondents, it was revealed that (85.7%) of the respondents do not have understanding of limitations of internet resources. The challenges encountered by majority of the respondents are slow connection of the Internet, lack of awareness of the available Internet health information resources in the library, poor/lack of subscription of e-databases and lack of time. The study finally recommends that health institutions should endeavour to provide basic information technology literacy training to health professionals, maintain continuous subscription of health e-databases, create awareness of open access health information resources and also improve effective access to Internet connection.


PAIGE, NICHOLAS D. Before Fiction: The Ancien Regime of the Novel. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011.312 pp. $59.95. There is a growing body of criticism that seeks to reexamine the rise of the novel, moving away from the focus on realism and considering instead the development of fictionality. Before Fiction is an exciting addition to this line of thought: a series of close readings of early French novels in terms of their understandings of the space of fiction. But it is much more than that. On a broader level, the book is a reflection on how we understand innovation and development in literature, and the way that literary history is written. Paige begins by distinguishing between what he dubs three different regimes of fiction (being careful to clarify that by "regimes" he is not referring to Foucauldian epistemes or Thomas Kuhn's paradigms): the Aristotelian, the pseudofactual, and the fictional. In the Aristotelian model, which takes as its starting point Aristotle's distinction between poetry and history, authors adapt history and known characters into stories with 'good,' or unified, plots. The second regime, which dates from around 1670 to the early nineteenth century, is the pseudofactual (a term he takes from Barbara Foley's work of 1986, Telling the Truth: The Theory and Practice of Documentary Fiction), in which authors pose as editors who present 'found' manuscripts to the public. The third phase could be considered modern fiction as we know it, in which authors expect that readers will take their works not as literally true, but as representative of reality despite being invented. Although this is often seen by critics as the moment of realism's triumph, where novels could purport to describe real life without pretending to be literally true--what Paige calls the "'more and more real' narrative" (20) of theorists such as Dorrit Cohn--it can more appropriately be seen as the rise of an openly fictional mode, the acceptance that a novel is not real. It is the transition between the pseudofactual and the fictional that Paige focuses on, as have many critics working on the idea of fictionality. Paige provides an overview of these approaches, focusing particularly on the works of Lennard Davis, Barbara Foley, and Catherine Gallagher. The problem with their accounts, he writes, is that the transition between the two modes becomes increasingly unclear, as modern fictionality comes to be seen as already present within the pseudofactual. What is more, the insistence on a noticeable shift between the two forms fails to account for the longevity of the pseudofactual pretense: if the idea of a wholly invented story became acceptable, why did authors continue to insist that their stories were true well into the nineteenth century? Here the broader project of the book becomes clear. Paige is writing against what one might call the 'paradigm-shifting masterpiece' version of literary evolution, our view that certain novels revolutionize literary form, inventing new techniques that redefine the literary field: "We see our canonical novels of the past as an archipelago connected to the mainland of now, whereas they may be only a series of data points acting as hosts for our perception of patterns--patterns we perceive based on our knowledge of what is to come" (25). Instead, he suggests that fiction be considered as "nebula of writing practices and ideas about writing--techniques invented and modified, sometimes quickly and sometimes not, through a difficult-to-specify dialectical relationship with what people think literature can and should do" (205). This means that Paige does not see novels as necessarily symptomatic of broader social anxieties or trends, though he does not deny their relation to the cultures and historical moments from which they emerge, or the possibility of links between discourses of fiction and those of law, science, or economics. He remains focused, however, on the mechanics of form, considering it, in a sense, as a set of technological developments, "devices that need to be invented and then worked on by their inventor and the inventor's competition" (33). …


Extinction learning and recovery effects are known to be essential learning mechanisms. We investigated whether spontaneous recovery effects transfer to skill acquisition and play a role in the context of widely used but also criticized German orthography instruction methods that implement a prolonged phase of phonological spelling without correction. To test our hypothesis in a controlled manner, in the current experimental study, adult participants learned how to spell an artificial vocabulary with the help of a phonological spelling instruction method that emulates the criticized German orthography instruction methods. We compared participants (148 University students) who did not receive correction in the initial learning phase (delayed correction) with participants who received correction from the beginning (immediate correction). Although the incorrect spellings which were practiced in the initial learning phase (acquisition phase) were extinguished in the subsequent learning phase (extinction phase), the erroneous spellings recovered after a break of 24 hr in the delayed correction condition. The results indicate that learning with methods that emphasize phonological spelling, without correction in the initial learning phase, can lead to spontaneous recovery of initially learned incorrect spellings after the incorrect spellings have seemingly been extinguished. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).


Heterogeneity in homotypic cellular responses is an important feature of many biological systems, and it has been shown to be prominent in most anterior pituitary hormonal cell types. In this study, we analyze heterogeneity in the responses to hypothalamic secretagogues in the corticotroph cell population of adult male rats. Using the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6s, we determined the intracellular calcium responses of these cells to corticotropin-releasing hormone and arginine-vasopressin. Our experiments revealed marked population heterogeneity in the response to these peptides, in terms of amplitude and dynamics of the responses, as well as the sensitivity to different concentrations and duration of stimuli. However, repeated stimuli to the same cell produced remarkably consistent responses, indicating that these are deterministic on a cell-by-cell level. We also describe similar heterogeneity in the sensitivity of cells to inhibition by corticosterone. In summary, our results highlight a large degree of heterogeneity in the cellular mechanisms that govern corticotroph responses to their physiological stimuli; this could provide a mechanism to extend the dynamic range of the responses at the population level to allow adaptation to different physiological challenges.


Brihatrayee and laghutrayee are today's available classical texts. However literature about Ayurveda has been created before & after these classical texts. Vangasena Samhita is one of such neglected but valuable text in between these two literatures. There might be chances that Vangasena contains different diagnosis and treatment principle of diseases. Vatarakta is important health condition which may lead to several health morbidities, if untreated. So efforts are made to study difference between formulations and treatment principles of Charak Samhita (One of the part of Brihatrayee) & Vangasena samhita.   The information is scattered in samhitas and thus it is necessary to compile them, also every samhita writer has its own view for diagnosis and treatment hence comparison between those samhitas with respect to Vatarakta is very important.


The study assessed the perception of farmers on the awareness, causes and impact of climate change on their farming activities. The study further identifies and describes the various coping strategies adopted by farmers and ways of improving upon them to effectively tackle change in climatic conditions. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, and percentages. The other key technique that was employed to address the objective includes the Chi square analysis. The findings indicates that, the ( ) calculated (25.846) is greater than critical (18.307); implying that, respondents (cocoa farmers) in all the cocoa growing regions in the country are much aware of climate change and its impact on their farming activities ranging from the time of planting cocoa to the time of harvesting and drying cocoa beans. Main causes of climate change by farmers' perception include God's plan signifying the end of time, usage of heavy machines on land, air and water, deforestation, indiscriminate bush burning before farming or in search of game, farming alongside river bodies and illegal mining. Amongst the coping strategies identified include the soil fertility strategy, shade management strategy, land preparation strategy, farm size strategy and lining and pegging strategy.  It evident that the existing agencies and government bodies have not been responsive enough in addressing the climatic problems, forecasting skills and opportunities facing cocoa farmers as crucial factors of risk posed by climate change. The study advocates that government and stakeholders should put up educational programmes tailored to meet the climatic information needs of farmers especially the causes to enable them cope with the emerging challenges to enhance their production. This could be realized through effective extension services. Keywords : Cocoa Farmers, Climate Change, Chi square, Coping strategies, Rural Ghana.


The intrinsic ability of peripheral nerves to regenerate after injury is extremely limited, especially in case of severe injury. This often leads to poor motor function and permanent disability. Existing approaches for the treatment of injured nerves do not provide appropriate conditions to support survival and growth of nerve cells. This drawback can be compensated by the use of gene therapy and cell therapy-based drugs that locally provide an increase in the key regulators of nerve growth, including neurotrophic factors and extracellular matrix proteins. Each growth factor plays its own specific angiotrophic or neurotrophic role. Currently, growth factors are widely studied as accelerators of nerve regeneration. Particularly noteworthy is synergy between various growth factors, that is essential for both angiogenesis and neurogenesis. Fibroblast growth factor 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor are widely known for their proangiogenic effects. At the same time, fibroblast growth factor 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor stimulate neural cell growth and play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Taken together, their neurotrophic and angiogenic properties have positive effect on the regeneration process. In this review we provide an in-depth overview of the role of fibroblast growth factor 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor in the regeneration of peripheral nerves, thus demonstrating their neurotherapeutic efficacy in improving neuron survival in the peripheral nervous system.


Objective: Candida parapsilosis species complex is the second most common cause of candidiasis which is an opportunistic infection, in many centers in the world and in our country. Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto, Candida orthopsilosis and Candida metapsilosis within this species complex are indistinguishable from each other phenotypically and various molecular methods are needed for their identification. In this study, we aimed to investigate the antifungal susceptibility of C. parapsilosis species complex isolated from blood cultures in our laboratory and to identify them at species level. Method: A total of 118 blood isolates from the stock culture of Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine Department of Microbiology were used. The in vitro sensitivity of the isolates to fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, amphotericin B and anidulafungin was determined according to the CLSI-M27 document. The species in the C. parapsilosis species complex were determined by the investigation of the gene region encoding the secondary alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme (SADH) using "polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism" (PCR-RFLP) method. Results: In this study, fluconazole resistance was found to be 26.3% in the 118 C. parapsilosis species complex isolated from blood cultures, and the resistance to amphotericin B and anidulafungin was almost none. There were no C. orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis species among these strains. Conclusion: In this study, it was shown that high fluconazole resistance in C. parapsilosis species complex in our center was not associated with different species in the complex. It is concluded that additional studies should be done to search for clonal relationship between strains and genetic basis of resistance.


We develop two new probabilistic methods that allow us, for several different dynamic processes, to analyze the maximum data-structure size encountered during a sequence of insertions and deletions, such as in data structures like priority queues, dictionaries, linear lists, and symbol tables, and in sweepline structures for geometry and VLSI applications. The notion of the ``maximum'''' is basic to issues of resource preallocation. We apply our methods to several models of insertion and deletion, including combinatorial models of file histories (which include the data structures mentioned above) and probabilistic models. Included in our study is a non-Markovian process (algorithm) for processing sweepline information in an efficient way, called ``hashing with lazy deletion'''' (HwLD). We derive expressions for the expected maximum data-structure size that are asymptotically exact, that is, correct up to lower-order terms; in several cases of interest the expected value of the maximum size is asymptotically equal to the maximum expected size. This solves several open problems, including longstanding fundamental questions in queueing theory. Both of our approaches are robust and rely on novel applications of techniques from the analysis of algorithms. At a high level, our first method isolates the primary contribution to the maximum and bounds the lesser effects. In our second technique we relate the continuous-time probabilistic model to its discrete analogue --- the maximum slot occupancy in hashing.


This article uses the history of a Superfund site—the Torch Lake site in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan—to suggest that the risk-based decision-making process of Superfund sends mixed messages, frustrating public participation even when some level of involvement is appropriate and desirable. In this case, Superfund-related conflicts in the community remained unresolved even after the USEPA issued its Superfund Record of Decision. Only after a public advisory council reviewed the beneficial uses of the waterway as part of a decision-making process required by the joint US-Canadian Area of Concern program did the community have a mechanism to reach some consensus on these issues. Rather than reducing a complex problem to a set of numbers that discouraged discussion, the review of beneficial uses facilitated discussions that allowed non-experts to place the various impairments in perspective. The implication for regulators who are required to make risk-based decisions is that, where public involvement in the decision-making process is appropriate, indicator-based discussions of beneficial uses are likely to be more productive than discussions centered around risk.


Visualization of the apex of the left ventricle is crucial in the diagnosis of many of the diseases that affect the heart. Sometimes echocardiography cannot image this region of the heart adequately, which could lead to diagnostic error. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is ideal for the correct definition of the left ventricular apex. We report three cases in which MRI provided valuable information that was unavailable at echocardiography.


Government agencies throughout the world use the value of a statistical life (VSL) to monetise the mortality risk reduction benefits of government policies. The most reliable empirical estimates of the VSL using US labour market data are about US$10 million (year 2015 US dollars). Based on international estimates of the income elasticity of the VSL, one can transfer these values to other countries, leading to my VSL estimate for Australia of US$7.9 million, or A$10.0 million, which is over double the current Australia best‐practices value. Transferring US VSL estimates to other nations after accounting for income differences will boost global VSL estimates. Potential refinements of the VSL based on age and income are also feasible. The VSL could serve a pivotal role in promoting safety by valuing lives in litigation contexts, regulatory sanctions, and corporate risk analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


Optical MEMS technology is attractive for miniaturizing several optical systems. On the other hand, GaN is a new and powerful material for photonic devices such as light emitting and laser diodes. We are studying GaN film grown on Si substrate for the optical MEMS application in order to fabricate monolithic structure. In this paper, a subwavelength optical MEMS is proposed and the characteristics of GaN film grown on Si substrate by MBE are reported. The surface morphology of the grown GaN film is measured by electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Photoluminescence and X-ray diffraction measurements are also carried our under several growth conditions. Furthermore, a preliminary grating structure is fabricated for the MEMS application.


The de-emulsification of water-in-oil emulsion of Ogharefe crude oil samples was studied
by using formulated polyester based de-emulsifier sample A and a commercially available
de-emulsifier sample C. The bottle test method was used to screen the de-emulsifier
samples. The performance of the de-emulsifiers was expressed in terms of percentage of
water separated from 100 ml samples of emulsions.
For both the formulated and commercial de-emulsifiers, the performance increased
with increased concentration of the de-emulsifiers, separation time and operating
temperature. The effect of the operating temperature was much higher and there was a
linear between performance and temperature. The performance of the best of the formulated
de-emulsifiers, sample A, was better than that of the commercial de-emulsifier under all the
conditions of this study- the volume of water expelled by sample A was 5 times that of the
commercial one at 30oC. At 70oC, this ratio increased to 14.


Liposome-type artificial red blood cells (ARBC) stabilized with carboxymethyl chitin (CM chitin) containing human hemolysate were prepared by a two-step emulsification technique, Oxygen binding abilities of the ARBC and human hemolysate were measured by the use of a Clark-type oxygen electrode. Both of theARBC and human hemolysate exhibited a striking similarity in oxygenation behavior, indicating that the oxygen binding ability of the former is almost identical with that of the latter. Disintegration tests on the ARBC using the enzymes (lysozyme, chitinase and phospholipase C), that can digest the components of the ARBC membrane, suggested that the membrane has a structure in which the phospholipid layer is covered by a mesh of CM chitin molecules. The acute toxicity of the ARBC to male mice (BALB/c) was examined and the LD 50 value of the ARBC for 2 ml of intravenous injection was evaluated to be 13.8 ml/kg by means of the Litchfield-Wilcoxon method.


An important step towards promoting academic success is identifying students at risk of poor academic performance, particularly so they can be supported before they fall too far behind. In this study we investigated whether students' grades on five quizzes that were distributed evenly throughout a course were differentially predictive of their grades on the final cumulative exam. Our focus was not on summative value of the quizzes, but rather how this information could be used to help inform more specific guidelines regarding when student performance should be a concern, and to provide insight for how to better individualize student support. The results of a regression analysis showed that students' grades for the second, fourth, and fifth quiz were significant predictors of students' performance on the final cumulative exam. Students' grade on the first quiz reached borderline significance as a predictor of their grade on the final cumulative exam. Our findings suggest that students' performance throughout various timepoints of a course is important to take into account for considerations about students' academic achievement. The implications of these findings include the use of frequent quizzing to identify students who would benefit most from additional, targeted academic support to improve the trajectory of their academic achievement. Additionally, students should be made aware of the relationship between their grades on quizzes to the final cumulative exam to help inform their decisions regarding individual academic planning and success.


Bradycardia is initiated by the sinoatrial node (SAN), which is regulated by a coupled-clock system. Due to the clock coupling, reduction in the 'funny' current (If), which affects SAN automaticity, can be compensated, thus preventing severe bradycardia. We hypothesize that this fail-safe system is an inherent feature of SAN pacemaker cells and is driven by synergy between If and other ion channels. This work aimed to characterize the connection between membrane currents and their underlying mechanisms in SAN cells. SAN tissues were isolated from C57BL mice and Ca2+ signaling was measured in pacemaker cells within them. A computational model of SAN cells was used to understand the interactions between cell components. Beat interval (BI) was prolonged by 54 ± 18% (N = 16) and 30 ± 9% (N = 21) in response to If blockade, by ivabradine, or sodium current (INa) blockade, by tetrodotoxin, respectively. Combined drug application had a synergistic effect, manifested by a BI prolonged by 143 ± 25% (N = 18). A prolongation in the local Ca2+ release period, which reports on the level of crosstalk within the coupled-clock system, was measured and correlated with the prolongation in BI. The computational model predicted that INa increases in response to If blockade and that this connection is mediated by changes in T and L-type Ca2+ channels.


Fourth-generation wireless communication systems (4G) have totally different requirements than what front-end designers have been coping with up to now. Designs must be targeted to multi-mode and reconfigurability, leading to the concept of a "software-defined radio". A large part of such a radio will be integrated into a complex SoC, where the substrate noise coupling problem must be solved. However, for an optimal implementation of the complete system, including PA, RF filters and antenna, different technologies must be combined in a single package, merging the worlds of microwave 's-parameter' designers and IC 'spice' designers. Design and simulation environments efficiently combining the assets of both are needed. At the same time, optimized mixed-signal radio architecture including digital compensation techniques that overcome the limitations and inaccuracies of the analog front-end must be developed. Again, efficiently designing and simulating such mixed analog/digital architectures requires an optimized tool capable of combining RF simulation techniques with digital system model simulation.


Scheduling a sequence of jobs released over time when the processing time of a job is only known
at its completion is a classical problem in CPU scheduling in time sharing and real time operating
systems. Previous approaches to scheduling computer systems have focused primarily on systemlevel
abstractions for the scheduling decision functions or for the mechanisms that are used to
implement them. This paper introduces a new scheduling concept New Multi Level Feedback
Queue (NMLFQ) algorithm. It's important to get a good response time with interactive tasks
while keeping other tasks from starvation. In this research paper, we prove that a New version of
the Multilevel Feedback queue algorithm is competitive for single machine system, in our opinion
providing theoretical validation of the goodness of the idea that has proven effective in practice.


Background By 2030, adults over 60 years are expected to be higher than the number of children under 10 years globally. Currently, over two thirds of people over 65 years of age are living with multi-morbidities. With increasing disparities in health care and determinants of health, there are major health and social care system implications worldwide. Evidence and Gap Maps are used to highlight gaps in research and inform strategic health and social policy, program and research priorities. The objective of this Campbell Evidence and Gap Map is to identify health and social support services as well as mobility devices that support functional ability among older adults in the home. Methods We developed our intervention-outcome framework and defined the scope by adapting the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework and consulting with our stakeholders. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO, AgeLine, Campbell Library and other databases. We conducted a focused search for grey literature and protocols of studies. Studies were selected for inclusion based on study design, setting and population. We assessed methodological quality of systematic reviews using the AMSTAR II. To assess health inequalities, we coded whether studies measured effects of interventions across the PROGRESS framework (i.e. place of residence, race/ethnicity, occupation, gender/sex, religion, education, socioeconomic status, and social capital). Results We retrieved 16,083 records and included 548 studies, (120 reviews and 428 randomized trials) in this map. Most studies (56%, n=310) were focused on health services. Only 23 studies focused on general social support services. Nine studies focused on personal indoor and outdoor mobility and transportation, and 15 studies focused on design, construction and building products and technology. Most studies were from high income countries (n=532 out of 548). Of the 120 included systematic reviews, 46% of reviews were critically low quality (n=55), and only 11% of reviews were high quality. No studies assessed effects of interventions on health inequalities. Conclusion There is a gap in the evidence-base on studies of effectiveness focused on general social support services and design, construction and building products and technology. The lack of evidence from low and lower-middle income countries points to the need for more high-quality reviews and trials in these settings. This is particularly important since these regions are experiencing a quicker growth in population ageing compared to high income countries.


A direct AC-to-AC converter commonly termed a matrix converter has a simple structure and many attractive features. However, the complexity of its conventional PWM strategy is prone to commutation failure, which is a factor that keeps it from being utilized in industry. This paper focuses on several alternative dual-bridge matrix topologies which do not possess this problem. First, these converters have the same characteristics as a conventional matrix converter, such as four-quadrant operation, unity input power factor, no DC-link capacitor, and high quality voltage/current waveforms. Second, the number of switches can be reduced thus reducing the cost. Third, the switches on the line side can turn on and off at zero current, they do not have any difficult commutation problems. Lastly, the complexity of the clamp circuit in these topologies can be greatly simplified thereby further reducing the cost. This paper introduces several topologies with a reduced number of switches and analyzes the characteristics of this converter family. Simulation and experimental results of a 9-switch topology are provided to verify its feasibility.


Effective kinetic resolution of alpha-aryl-, alpha-aryloxy-, and alpha-arylthioalkanoic acids has been achieved via in situ generation of their symmetrical anhydrides and enantioselective alcoholysis in the presence of homobenzotetramisole (HBTM) 3.


MR. M. L. WEST (C.R. Ixxix. 156) offers an interesting new interpretation of Hippolytus 88. It is based on the assumption that 'to a fifth-century ear it [axaf] suggested an address to a god'. But did it? See Hipp. 834, 90°. 953(?)» " 5 3 ; Hel. 5, 465; Andr. 1161, 1166; Heraclid. 114, 824; H.F. 8, 467, 541 \ 589, 602; also Soph. Aj. 190, 0.7". 689, 696; Phil. 507—and other examples which can be found by the bushel. Agam. 42 and 204 are examples which spring to a twentiethcentury mind without much effort. To a fifthcentury ear the phrase avaf av vaiv would sound neither very strange nor particularly religious. 'Why', asks West, 'should the slave abstain from using the word 'master' in its proper, everyday sense? . . . What is more appropriate about "lord"?' See Barrett ad loc. (p. 176). Barrett's discussion is still convincing. West's argument—which fails to satisfy on its main point—is only attractive. Hard words are neither.


Previous studies have indicated that at least part of the selection of proteins for degradation takes place at a binding site on ubiquitin-protein ligase, to which the protein substrate is bound prior to ligation to ubiquitin. It was also shown that proteins with free NHz-terminal (r-NH, groups bind better to this site than proteins with blocked NH, termini (Hershko, A., Heller, H., Eytan, E., and Reiss, Y. (1986) J. Biol. Chern. 261, 1199211999). In the present study, we used simple derivatives of amino acids, such as methyl esters, hydroxamates, or dipeptides, to  examine  the question of whether the protein binding site of the ligase is able to distinguish between different NHderminal residues of proteins. Based on specific patterns of inhibition of the binding to ligase by these derivatives, three types of protein substrates could be distinguished. Type I substrates are proteins that have a basic NHz-terminal residue (such as ribonuclease and lysozyme); these are specifically inhibited by derivatives of the 3 basic amino acids (His, Arg, and Lys) with respect to degradation, ligation to ubiquitin, and binding to ligase. Type I1 substrates (such as &lactoglobulin or pepsinogen, that have a Leu residue at the NH2 terminus) are not affected by the above compounds, but are specifically inhibited by derivatives of bulky hydrophobic amino acids (Leu, Trp, Phe, and Tyr). In these cases, the amino acid derivatives apparently act as specific inhibitors of the binding of the NHz-terminal residue of proteins, as indicated by the following observations: (a) derivatives in which the a-NH, group is blocked were inactive and (b ) in dipeptides, the inhibitory amino acid residue had to be at the NHz-terminal position. An additional class (Type 111) of substrates comprises proteins that have neither basic nor bulky hydrophobic NH2-terminal amino acid residues; the binding of these proteins is not inhibited by homologous amino acid derivatives that have NHz-terminal residues similar to that of the protein. It is concluded that Type I and Type I1 proteins bind to distinct and separate subsites of the ligase, specific for basic or bulky hydrophobic NHz-terminal residues, respectively. On the other hand, Type I11 proteins apparently predominantly interact with the ligase at regions of the protein molecule other than the NHz-terminal residue.


Readers familiar with Dr. Chung's many instructive, scholarly, well-illustrated, and eminently readable articles will be grateful to him for combining all these qualities in a book. This clinically oriented treatise on arrhythmias transcends its title ( Principles ) by including treatment, additional practical considerations in diagnosis such as arrhythmias during myocardial infarction and digitalis excess, pseudoarrhythmias, and quasiarrhythmias. No aspect of rhythm disturbances is ignored, including mention of tenable alternate explanations where the mechanism of an arrhythmia is undecided, and the author is appropriately skeptical of explanations based on mere intuition. While, for example, Dr. Chung chooses to retain the familiar term "A-V nodal" (instead of "junctional") rhythms, this is by choice and their junctional-tissue origin is repeatedly cited. Clarity and completeness are Dr. Chung's hallmarks, making it hard to choose among 19 masterly chapters. "Atrial Arrhythmias" is both succinct and detailed. "A-V Dissociation," "Electrical Alternans," and "Aberrant Conduction" are self-contained classics.


Abstract: The objective of this study was to understand the role of surface texturing in microalgal cell attachment to solid surfaces. Two microalgal species, Scenedesmus dimorphus and Nannochloropsis oculata, were studied on solid carriers made of nylon and polycarbonate. Ridge, pillar and groove at micro-scale were engineered on the solid carriers. Cell response to the textured surfaces was separately described by the Cassie and Wenzel models and the contact point theory. Comparison between measured and model-predicted contact angles indicated that the wetting behavior of the textured solid carriers fell into the Wenzel state, which implied that algal cells could fully penetrate into the designed textures, but the adhesion behavior would be dependent on the size and shape of the cell. Experimental results showed that the attachment was preferred when the feature size was close to the diameter of the cell attempting to settle. Larger or smaller feature dimensions had the potential to reduce cellular attachment. The observation was found to qualitatively comply with the contact point theory.
Keywords: algae attachment, algal biofuel, Cassie model, contact point theory, surface texture, Wenzel model
DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe.20130604.006

Citation: Cui Y, Yuan W Q, Cao J. Effects of surface texturing on microalgal cell attachment to solid carriers. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2013; 6(4): 44-54.


Abstract Cave‐dwelling ectotherms, which have evolved for millions of years under stable thermal conditions, could be expected to have adjusted their physiological limits to the narrow range of temperatures they experience and to be highly vulnerable to global warming. However, most of the few existing studies on thermal tolerance in subterranean invertebrates highlight that despite the fact that they show lower heat tolerance than most surface‐dwelling species, their upper thermal limits are generally not adjusted to ambient temperature. The question remains to what extent this pattern is common across subterranean invertebrates. We studied basal heat tolerance and its plasticity in four species of distant arthropod groups (Coleoptera, Diplopoda, and Collembola) with different evolutionary histories but under similar selection pressures, as they have been exposed to the same constant environmental conditions for a long time. Adults were exposed at different temperatures for 1 week to determine upper lethal temperatures. Then, individuals from previous sublethal treatments were transferred to a higher temperature to determine acclimation capacity. Upper lethal temperatures of three of the studied species were similar to those reported for other subterranean species (between 20 and 25°C) and widely exceeded the cave temperature (13–14°C). The diplopod species showed the highest long‐term heat tolerance detected so far for a troglobiont (i.e., obligate subterranean) species (median lethal temperature after 7 days exposure: 28°C) and a positive acclimation response. Our results agree with previous studies showing that heat tolerance in subterranean species is not determined by environmental conditions. Thus, subterranean species, even those living under similar climatic conditions, might be differently affected by global warming.


Long term use of topical vasoconstrictors for the nose may result in rhinitis medicamentosa, the rebound swelling of the nasal mucosa. Usually discovery of any underlying reason for decongestant use is impossible, therefore treatment could be problematic. The aim of this study was to establish the nasal mucosal cytology of patients with rhinitis medicamentosa and evaluation of usefulness of exfoliative cytology in diagnostics of underlying reason of nasal decongestants overuse. All patients had a history of six months regular use of popular intranasal alpha-adrenomimetics. All patients have used them constantly with different frequency in 24 h, but always before sleep. The exfoliative cytology was used as a method of nasal mucosa evaluation. Normal cytograms in rhinitis medicamentosa were in 16.4%. Cytograms of 13.4% patients showed a significant number of eosinophils and 29.9% predominant of squamous metaplasia. The study showed that the majority of cytograms in rhinitis medicamentosa indicates nasal mucosa injury. Method of the exfoliative cytology could facilitate the establishment of the underlying cause of intranasal decongestants overuse.


We investigate the dynamics of blog reading behavior of employees in an enterprise blogosphere. A dynamic model is developed and calibrated using longitudinal data from a Fortune 1,000 IT services firm. Our modeling framework allows us to segregate the impact of textual characteristics sentiment and quality of a post on attracting readers from retaining them. We find that the textual characteristics that appeal to the sentiment of the reader affect both reader attraction and retention. However, textual characteristics that reflect only the quality of the posts affect only reader retention. We identify a variety-seeking behavior of blog readers where they dynamically switch from reading on one set of topics to another. The modeling framework and findings of this study highlight opportunities for the firm to influence blog-reading behavior of its employees to align it with its goals. Overall, this study contributes to improved understanding of reading behavior of individuals in communities formed around user generated content.


The bacteria associated to crops have been studied as potential biocontrol agents. However, few investigations on the interaction Musa spp. Mycosphaerella fijiensis-Musa associated bacteria have been developed. Consequently, bacterial metabolites involved and the effect on them of physical and chemical factors remain unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of temperature, pH and detergents on bacterial culture filtrates with antifungal activity in vitro against Mycosphaerella fijiensis. The pathogen growth inhibition was assessed by absorbance reading at OD 565nm. It was found that the antifungal activity of the bacterial culture filtrates against M. fijiensis, varied in the presence of different values of temperature, pH, and types of detergents and this was related to the bacterial strain. The results suggested the possible protein nature of the metabolites with antifungal activity.


Using contemporary writings about Waterloo gleaned from a number of primary sources, this paper places Vanity Fair in the context of what Eric Hobsbawm (1968) has described as a 'concentrated effort' on the part of the middle classes of the 1840s to `give themselves confidence and pride in their historic task' by `reshaping the institutions of Britain in a manner suitable to industrial capitalism'. It argues that one of the most crucial reshapings being carried out was the `official' history of war, and that it is a critique of this practice which lies at the heart of Thackeray's satire.


Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) provides information about translational diffusion properties of fluorescent molecules in tiny detection volume and allows the analysis of binding processes of biomolecules in homogeneous solution. In this study, FCS was used to measure equilibrium binding constants of disulfide-reduced apo-alpha-lactalbumin (rLA), denatured pepsin, and apo-cytochrome c (apo-cyt c) bound by chaperonin GroEL at different salt concentrations. The results indicate that apo-cyt-c has a much stronger affinity to GroEL than denatured pepsin and rLA have. Titration experiments of GroEL to each substrate with various concentrations of four kinds of salts (K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) show that the binding constant of denatured pepsin and rLA to GroEL depends on the salt concentration. The dependence of denatured pepsin binding to GroEL on salt concentration is much stronger than that of rLA. However, the interaction of positively charged apo-cyt c with GroEL is not affected by the salt concentration. Furthermore, the divalent cation promotes the binding of GroEL to denatured pepsin and rLA more strongly than does the monovalent cation.


The polarization sensors on the singlemode optical fibers are investigated. The segment of the optical fiber clamped between two cylindrical or plane surfaces rotates the plane of polarization of the linear polarized light on the output of the fiber. The angle of rotation is proportional to the strength of clamping of the surfaces. This phenomenon can be used for the creation fiber-optical sensors of pressure or temperature.


This paper considers a lens antenna array-assisted millimeter wave (mmWave) multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) system. The base station's beam selection matrix and user terminals' phase-only beamformers are jointly designed with the aim of maximizing the uplink sum rate. In order to deal with the formulated mixed-integer optimization problem, a penalty dual decomposition (PDD)-based iterative algorithm is developed via capitalizing on the weighted minimum mean square error (WMMSE), block coordinate descent (BCD), and minorization-maximization (MM) techniques. Moreover, a low-complexity sequential optimization (SO)-based algorithm is proposed at the cost of a slight sum rate performance loss. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed methods can achieve higher sum rates than state-of-the-art methods.


New therapeutic options such as the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) have significantly improved morbidity and mortality of HIV-infected patients. Consequently, age-related diseases become more manifest. In addition, HIV infection itself causes certain cardiovascular morbidity. Therefore, treatment of cardiovascular symptoms of HIV-positive patients becomes more and more important. Pharmacotherapy in these patients is complex and requires polypharmacy with drugs carrying a high risk of drug-drug interactions.


ABSTRACT The microscopic investigation of the inclined fore-reef beds of the Silurian Richvalley reef (developed in the Liston Creek Formation) reveals that they consist of five microfacies. These appear today through the effect of dolomitization as argillaceous dolomites, dolomites, dolomitic calcarenites and calcarenites; however, they all were originally calcarenites. The statistical investigation of the detrital quartz, the echinoderm fragments, and the general organic frequency allows a bathymetrical classification of the five microfacies indicating that each tongue of fore-reef clastics consists of their juxtaposition in concentric belts. Hence, it is possible to reconstruct the fluctuations of the reef-core margins corresponding to the successive tongues.


This letter has been prompted by a recent editorial in the Archives of Diseases of Childhood written by Professor Ronald Illingworth,1 a physician of international reputation whose contributions toward an understanding of normal and abnormal development in pediatrics are noteworthy. The essence of the editorial is that Professor Illingworth feels physicians don't know when to leave well enough alone and that normal children are often better off before they see a physician than afterward. He lambasts our archaic notions on the need for circumcisions (the cost of which in the United States approaches $59,000,000 per year!!),2 clipping of frenula, double diapers for "hip clicks," correction surgery or shoes for "toeing in," etc.


Aim: Diabetic hyperglycemia increases plasma osmolarity, leading to adaptive cellular responses. Cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays a role in angiogenesis and plaque stability. We tested whether glucose-induced hyperosmolarity promotes angiogenesis through activation of COX-2 expression.

Methods: Human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) and dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) were incubated with 5.5 mmol/L glucose (normoglycemia), high glucose (HG, at 12.5, 25 and 45 mmol/L), or equimolar concentrations of the hyperosmolar control mannitol (HM).

Results: Both HG and HM increased the expression of the water channel aquaporin-1 (AQP1) and of COX-2. HG and HM for 1 h increased the nuclear accumulation of Tonicity enhancer binding protein (TonEBP) and its binding to Tonicity enhancer element at electrophoretic mobility shift assay. HG and HM induced endothelial migration at a fluorimetric assay, and tubulization in Matrigel. Targeting the osmosignaling pathway with small interfering RNAs to AQP1 and to TonEBP both reverted the inducing effects of HG and HM on COX-2 expression, as well as angiogenic activities. Finally, compared with age- and sex-matched C57/BL6 control mice (N=5 wild type, WT), the retina of Ins2 Akita diabetic mice (N=5, male, 1 year-old mice) showed higher vascular density as visualized with CD31 staining (Figure, panel A-B; legend: ONL, outer nuclear layers; OPL, outer plexiform layers; INL, inner nuclear layers; IPL, inner plexiform layers), and increased expression of AQP1 and COX-2 (panel C-E) (** p<0.01 by ANOVA and t-test).

Conclusion/interpretation: By activating the water channels AQP1 and TonEBP, hyperosmolarity caused by HG or HM induces COX-2 expression and angiogenesis in human endothelial cells, which may be relevant for microvascular complications of diabetes.

![Figure][1]

Diabetic retinopathy

 [1]: pending:yes


From man landing on the moon to a simple satellite being launched into orbit, many incredible space accomplishments have been witnessed by us all. However, what goes un-noticed to the common man is the extensive research and testing that lasts months, years, and even decades. Much of this required research just so happens to take place in the corridors of the Glen Research Center building number 49. In the Advanced Materials division of G.R.C., a number of researchers have the responsibility of discovering which metal, ceramic, or polymer is best for a specific application. Under the guidance of mentor extraordinaire Frank Ritzert, I am involved in many critical projects dealing with refractory metals, two of which I will mention in this report. The Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) project actually was under full swing back in the 50's and early 60's. To enable the 14 year trek to the icy moons of Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede, nuclear propulsion methods were selected. Due to the extreme temperature of the reactor and the extended time period, a refractory metal would need to be implemented. After years of research and progress, the program was suddenly canceled. About a decade ago, the JIMO project was re-instated and now has a goal for departure around 2014. However, a few obstacles lie in our way concerning the use of refractory metals. In certain areas of the orbiter a joint is required between the refractories and other less dense metals. Two of these joints are with nickel based super alloys. Being an intern for Frank Ritzert, the refractory metals expert, I have the opportunity to develop the best method to braze refractory metals to Nickel 201. This involves the actual brazing, electron microscopy and reporting the results. My second project involves a certain part of the orbiter where Niobium 1Zirconium, a refractory metal, is joined with Hastelloy-X a Ni based metal. Small quantities of oxygen, helium and other impurities in the Ni alloy could diffuse into the Nb1Zr causing imbrittlement and possibly major failure. I will be testing the effects of Hast-X on Nb1Zr in a high temperature for 10, 50, 100, and 500 hours. After the samples are run through the heat treatment, strength and chemistry will be tested and reported. My appreciation for the research that goes behind every project has and will continue to grow. By digging through old documents written in the 50's and 60's, scouring through forgotten closets, and learning from those with experience in the refractory metals, I am bound to have an incredible learning experience here at NASA.


There is still no clear explanation of the process of perceptual consciousness that connects our body with brain. Innovation on the technology of bioceramic has now advanced towards clinical applications, including rehabilitation of brain infarction, therapies of insomnia and migraine. To demonstrate how 'resonant energy transfer through the bioceramic material with tempo sound and visible light spectrum' (bioceramic material stimulation, BMS) non-invasively affects perceptual consciousness, we investigated the responses of participants to BMS on perceptual consciousness by questionnaire of subjective descriptions and analyzed resting state fMRI during BMS. There were 61.3% participants who were categorized as positive group with various types of perceptual consciousness. By setting a threshold value at 'p<0.001', enhanced connections of 'parahippocampal gyrus to cerebellar lobule V' and 'angular gyrus to precuneus' were found. However, decreased connection of 'caudate nucleus to cerebellar lobule VIIb' was found. We conclude that the most affected brain functions by BMS including somatosensory, audio-visual perception and social cognition. The analysis of functional connectivity during BMS may help us gain more knowledge of consciousness and related division of neuroscience in humans.


Our society is digital: industry, science, governance, and individuals depend, often transparently, on the inter-operation of large numbers of distributed computer systems. Although the society takes them almost for granted, these computer ecosystems are not available for all, may not be affordable for long, and raise numerous other research challenges. Inspired by these challenges and by our experience with distributed computer systems, we envision Massivizing Computer Systems, a domain of computer science focusing on understanding, controlling, and evolving successfully such ecosystems. Beyond establishing and growing a body of knowledge about computer ecosystems and their constituent systems, the community in this domain should also aim to educate many about design and engineering for this domain, and all people about its principles. This is a call to the entire community: there is much to discover and achieve.


Rice is one of the largest food grains in the world, providing food for more than one third of globe population. The radar remote sensing has been proved as an effective tool for rice mapping. With the emergence of spaceborne polarimetric SAR satellite, researches on polarization backscattering behavior and identification methods of paddy rice are of great significance and attract attention of remote sensing communities. Zhazuo Area located in Guizhou Province of southwest China was selected as the test site of this study. The RADARSAT-2 polarimetric data acquired at four dates were used to analyze the polarization backscattering behaviors and temporal variation characteristics of rice, and identification method for rice based on optimal polarization combination was established. This study shows that HH with HH/HV is the best polarization combination for rice identification under the adoption of linear polarization combination.


ABSTRACT:This paper engages agroecology by drawing on natural law reflection. Agroecology considers the agricultural field as an ecosystem (an agroecosystem), designing and managing agriculture on this basis. My purpose is to show how certain strands of natural law reflection offer important tools for theological and ethical engagement with this approach to agriculture. More specifically, I argue that while agroecology can help concretize natural law's claims about natural order, natural law can help further develop agroecological insights about ecological order and its implications for agriculture, as well as bring to the surface some of agroecology's underlying anthropological assumptions and political implications.


After 8 years of imprisonment, torture and maltreatment in Libya for allegedly infecting more than 400 children with HIV, purportedly in collusion with the CIA and Israeli secret service, 5 Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian-born doctor were released on July 24. The 6 have repeatedly denied the charges.

Libya has been internationally criticized for its disregard for scientific evidence, human rights and due process. As early as 2003, published molecular and epidemiological analyses provided compelling scientific evidence that exonerated the 6. Results of 2 international reports, filed respectively by the WHO and a scientific duo hired by the Libyan government itself — including Luc Montagnier, the co-discoverer of HIV — confirmed that the outbreak was nosocomial.

Loath to acknowledge a home-grown AIDS epidemic that continues to spread due to poor hygiene practices and crumbling infrastructure, Libyan leaders have been accused in editorials in leading journals of using the foreign workers as scapegoats.

The physician and nurses were ultimately released by Libyan leader Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi on the basis of a 1984 accord between Bulgaria and Libya, which stipulates that citizens of one country convicted of crimes in the other can serve their sentences in their own nation. Cecilia Sarkozy, the wife of France's president, is said to have played a crucial diplomatic role in negotiating the release, thereby clinching a 3-year diplomatic process initiated by the European Union and taken forward by Tony Blair, the former British prime minister.

After their release, the 6 went to Sofia, Bulgaria, where they were promptly pardoned by President Georgi Parvan.

The release came with a price tag. The European Union promised medical support and US$426 million for the families of the infected children. The Union has also offered Libya trade agreements, scholarships and visas for travelling in Europe. France has expressed its intention to forge new economic ties with Libya, including helping to build superhighways and trains and develop new civil engineering, aerospace and defense projects.

The seemingly cushy terms of this overdue release have sparked criticism. Susannah Sirkin, deputy director of the Boston-based Physicians for Human Rights has pointed out that "the lives of these nurses and medic were literally ransomed for $400 million."

Responding further to Libya's refusal to acknowledge concrete scientific and medical evidence during its trial of the health workers, Sirkin stated, "If this is not addressed, it will have a chilling effect on the willingness of people to enter the health professions and serve in areas where health care needs are great. And the health care in Libya will be no safer than it was when the children were infected." — Tave van Zyl, CMAJ

Figure. Palestinian-born Bulgarian doctor Ashraf al-Hazouz hugs his mother at a news conference in Sofia, Bulgaria. Photo by: Associated Press


Abstract:This essay reconsiders the notion of novelistic bildung as more than a protagonist's social maturation. Reading Frances Burney's Evelina as a developmental account of the young heroine's self-conscious faculties, it examines how novels rely on the work of conscious memory, and on temporal concepts of subjectivity, to account for human agency. Burney's novel begins with Evelina's emotional relationship to her surroundings; Volume I focuses predominantly on Evelina's aesthetic reactions to the unfamiliar environment of London, delineating a paradigm of self-consciousness as embodied awareness. However, these moments of self-consciousness, akin to feelings of shame and mortification, prove fleeting and problematic in relationship to Evelina's actions. It is only when Evelina reflects upon her experience with objects and others in time that she finally attains agency and independence of action. As Evelina's thinking becomes less reactive and automatic, she gains an ability to survive and overcome situations that pose unremitting threats to her female virtue.


Aim: Since lung mechanics and gas exchange are consistently affected by body mass index (BMI) we studied in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) the relationships between obesity, basal respiratory function, oxyhemoglobin desaturation (OD) and dyspnoea during walking test (WT).

Methods: Eighty-one COPD (age 72±7 years, M/F 55/26 , 24/57 Obese (OB, BMI>30)/lean, TLC 116±20% predicted and FEV1 58±25% predicted). Lung volumes, diffusion capacity, 6 min WT with pulse oximetry (SpO2), Borg scale before and after WT were studied. In 38 patients (29 lean and 9 OB) data on nocturnal SpO2 were obtained.

Results: Walking distance and FRC were lower in OB (341±143 vs 380±126 m and 136±34 vs 150+39% predicted respectively). A stepwise regression individuated DLCO (p<0.001) and basal SpO2 (p<0.01) as the main determinants of the lower WTSpO2 (In lean COPD main determinants DLCO (p<0.002) and basal Spo2 (p<0.05) whereas in OB COPD basal SpO2 (p<0.01) and FRC/TLC ratio (p<0.01)). Borg at the stop correlated with DLCO (p<0.001) and respiratory rate at the stop (RRstop, p<0.02). RRstop increased directly with hyperinflation (p<0.01 RV/TLC) in both subgroups. During sleep mean nocturnal SpO2 was lower and the time with SpO2<90% was higher in OB (88.3±3.5 vs 90.8±3.0%, p<0.05 and 31.4±31% vs 47.4±36% respectively). Mean SpO2 and time spent with SpO2<90% showed correlation with the lower WTSpO2 (p<0.02) and to BMI (p<0.02).

Conclusions: WT desaturation in COPD is mainly related to baseline gas exchange rather than to mechanical impairment whereas WT dyspnoea is correlated to gas exchange and mechanical load both. Exercise desaturation in COPD could suggest nocturnal desaturation.


Patients with lumbar pain syndromes can present with a complex variety of complaints. Most clinicians focus on the lower lumbar nerve roots, but upper lumbar radicular syndromes can provide an especially difficult diagnostic challenge to the spine specialist requiring a multimodal approach to sort out diagnostic complexlties. The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation of somatosensory evoked potential findings with documented spinal pathology demonstrated on morphologic studies, thereby determining whether somatosensory evoked potential testing has a place in spinal diagnosis. The results of this study demonstrated the correlation of somatosensory evoked potential findings with anatomic abnormalities noted on computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging scans and discograms. Somatosensory evoked potential testing is recommended not as an isolated test, but as part of an electrophysiologic battery that would also include conventional electromyography.


Drawing on the work of Sociology pioneers as well as that of the men and women conducting today's research, this best-selling collection of readings conveys the diverse viewpoints and methodologies within sociology while capturing the complex social world. This book includes 74 classic, contemporary, or cross-cultural articles across 22 general topic areas: 29 classic articles present sociological statements of recognized importance; 23 contemporary articles cover current issues and controversies; and 22 cross-cultural articles demonstrate the world's cultural diversity. This edition maintains the emphasis on diversity from previous editions. The fourth edition of Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology includes 22 new selections, including one new classic; 14 new contemporary; and 7 new cross-cultural articles.


The research was held from September 2021 until January 2022 in Laboratory Livestock Product Technology Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia. Microencapsulation is a technique used to protect bacteria from harmful (extreme) environmental factors such as heating, freezing and low pH through a coating process or coating a core substance in this case LAB with a polymer wall layer. The purpose of this study was to obtain a combination of the use of gelatin and sodium alginate as a coating material in the encapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus FNCC 0051 and Streptococcus thermophilus FNCC 0040 using the emulsion technique based on its physical and microbiological properties. The research method used is a laboratory experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) pattern with 3 treatments and 3 replications. The treatment using a combination of gelatin and sodium alginate consisted of T1 (1:1); T2 (1:2); T3 (1:3). Data were processed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA); If the analysis happens to show a significant difference (P<0.05) or a very highly significant difference (P<0.01), then the Duncan's Multiple Range Test was applied. Data from the results of microstructure testing using Scanning Electron Microscopy which were qualitative were analyzed descriptively. The results of the analysis show that encapsulation using a combination of gelatin and sodium alginate gives a very significant difference (P<0.01) to the value of encapsulation efficiency and does not give a significant difference (P>0.05) on microcapsule particle size and microcapsule particle size distribution, with percentages T1 97.43±0.31%, T2 98.50±0.48%, T3 99.00±0.44 %; T1 1.08±0.07 µm; T2 1.18±0.11 µm; T3 0.95±0.11µm; and T1 4.79±1.04; T2 2.53±2.16; T3 4.15±3.13 and microcapsules using SEM showed the microcapsules were round and smooth. The combination of gelatin and sodium alginate T3 (1:3) as a microcapsule material is a good alternative to protect lactic acid bacteria so that it can be applied in food products functional.


Different epigenetic mechanisms provide biological organisms with the ability to adjust their physiology and/or morphology and adapt to a wide range of challenges posed by their environments. In particular, one type of epigenetic process, in which hormone concentrations are linked to the regulation of hormone receptors, has been shown to have implications for behavioral development. In this paper, taking inspiration from these biological processes, we investigate whether an epigenetic model based on the concept of hormonal regulation of receptors can provide a similarly robust and general adaptive mechanism for autonomous robots. We have implemented our model using a Koala robot, and tested it in a series of experiments in six different environments with varying challenges to negotiate. Our results, including the emergence of varied behaviors that permit the robot to exploit its current environment, demonstrate the potential of our epigenetic model as a general mechanism for adaptation in autonomous robots.


Using helicopter-borne frequency domain electromagnetic (HEM) data to map magnetite has advantages over the magnetic method. It is independent of the earth's locally asymmetric inducing magnetic field, remanent magnetism, and magnetic anisotropy. It is also restricted to the notional "depth of exploration" of the HEM system, limiting detection to that which may be economically mined. A significant complication arises when interference between the magnetite polarisation and conductivity responses reduces the apparent magnetic content. This interference is significant over the conductive, magnetically polarisable ground common to the Hamersley Basin. The current procedures for magnetite mapping with HEM are reviewed. Both problems and successes of the method are highlighted using a case study as an example. Replacing the data transformation by an inversion increases the sensitivity of the method, but at the cost of enhancing noise.


Natural killer (NK) cells as components of the innate immunity substantially contribute to antitumor immune responses. However, the tumor-associated ligands engaging activating NK cell receptors are largely unknown. An exception are the MHC class I chain-related molecules MICA and MICB and the UL16-binding proteins (ULBP) which bind to the activating immunoreceptor NKG2D expressed on cytotoxic lymphocytes. A therapeutic induction of NKG2D ligands that primes cancer cells for NK cell lysis has not yet been achieved. By microarray studies, we found evidence that treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells with the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDAC-I) sodium valproate (VPA) mediates recognition of cancer cells by cytotoxic lymphocytes via NKG2D. VPA induced transcription of MICA and MICB in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, leading to increased cell surface, soluble and total MIC protein expression. No significant changes in the expression of the NKG2D ligands ULBP1-3 were observed. The induction of MIC molecules increased lysis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by NK cells which was abolished by addition of a blocking NKG2D antibody. Importantly, in primary human hepatocytes, VPA treatment did not induce MIC protein expression. Taken together, our data show that the HDAC-I VPA mediates specific priming of malignant cells for innate immune effector mechanisms. These results suggest the clinical evaluation of HDAC-I in solid tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma, especially in combination with immunotherapy approaches employing adoptive NK cell transfer.


April 2018 • Volume 126 • Number 4 www.anesthesia-analgesia.org 1423 was minimally mentioned in the editorial by Yaster et al1 with no specific recommendations and Kumar et al2 who focused on regional anesthesia and nonanesthetic adjuvants. Neither article considered the potential of nitrous oxide to reduce perioperative opioid usage and chronic postsurgical pain. Achieving these goals has the potential to help combat the postsurgical opioid epidemic. The majority of heroin users got their start from medically prescribed opioids.3 First, the Evaluation of Nitrous Oxide in the Gas Mixture for Anesthesia-II study has shown reduced chronic pain in specific patient populations (Asians and patients with variants in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene).4 Reducing chronic pain would be expected to reduce opioid use in most patients. In the absence of specific or physical contraindications or a prolonged anesthetic, this should be an indication to use nitrous oxide in these populations, particularly in surgeries associated with chronic postsurgical pain. Any technique that is opioid sparing should decrease the likelihood of becoming addicted. Nitrous oxide (70%) has analgesic efficacy equivalent to 0.17 μg/kg/min of remifentanil.5 The use of nitrous oxide would be expected to reduce or eliminate the intraoperative opioid requirement. Tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) result from opioid use. It is possible that if one can reduce the amount of opioid given, one may be less likely to get into the vicious cycle of increasing opioid use due to tolerance or OIH. Clinical studies have reported increased postoperative pain despite increased postoperative opioid use in patients who received high doses of intraoperative opioids.6–10 Higher doses of opioids seemed to increase the extent of wound hyperalgesia, and this was associated with an increased risk of chronic pain at 3, 6, and 9 months.11 Nitrous oxide has been shown to reduce OIH.12 Tolerance can develop during a surgical procedure. Additional research is warranted to demonstrate that the analgesia of nitrous oxide can reduce the development of tolerance by reducing intraoperative opioid use. Many practitioners have been dissuaded from using nitrous oxide because of the concern of major cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and an increased risk of surgical site infections. In combination with another retrospective study of 49,016 patients where nitrous oxide use was associated with decreased 30-day mortality and decreased in-hospital mortality/morbidity and a Cochrane review, the results of the Evaluation of Nitrous Oxide in the Gas Mixture for Anesthesia-II have essentially eliminated these concerns.13–17 The other major reason for not using nitrous oxide has been the concern for postoperative nausea and vomiting. If a patient has been administered an antiemetic, there is a small nonsignificant increased risk of severe postoperative nausea and vomiting.18 It appears that the major patient outcome objections to the use of nitrous oxide have been effectively refuted. In summary, evidence suggests that the use of nitrous oxide reduces long-term chronic pain and OIH in some patients. It is possible that nitrous oxide use can reduce the development of tolerance. Intraoperative opioid use may be reduced because of the analgesia provided by nitrous oxide. Those who have decided not to use nitrous oxide should reconsider that decision. Using nitrous oxide will not solve the entire opioid To the Editor The study from Foley et al 1 is a welcome addition to the limited literature regarding oxytocin use in cesarean sections after failed vaginal delivery. Although oxytocin has been used for decades in these circumstances, as it has for planned, elective cesareans, the dosing remains variable between both institutions and individual practitioners. This study supports the clinical experience of many obstetric anesthesiologists in the use of oxytocin and warrants incorporation into clinical practice. Would the authors agree that further studies are required in this area, including the hemodynamic effects of different dosing regimes in different clinical circumstances? There is also relevance for those obstetric anesthesiologists who persist in using carbetocin off-label as a uterotonic for caesareans after failed vaginal delivery. As Foley et al1 correctly point out, the ED90 of oxytocin is significantly increased after labor augmentation with oxytocin.2 Similarly, the ED90 of carbetocin is increased to 140 μg after failed vaginal delivery,3 a dose associated with significant cardiovascular side effects and significantly more than the 100 μg used in a standard dose. The longer half-life of carbetocin compared to oxytocin prevents additional doses or additional use of oxytocin. The effects on postcesarean bleeding have not been adequately investigated, and, for this reason, the off-label use of carbetocin must be actively discouraged outside of appropriately designed clinical investigations.


In 2001 Split Britches presented a double bill entitled Double Agency, consisting of one new piece, Miss Risqué, and one already in their repertoire, It's a Small House and We've Lived in it Always – both works having been created in collaboration with the Clod Ensemble. In this article, Geraldine Harris re-stages her earlier encounter with Small House, in the light of seeing it again as part of the double bill, as a means of examining a number of issues concerning the work of Split Britches in general and its reception in the academic world. Particular consideration is given to the manner in which Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver's performances have been read in terms of their 'real' lives and relationship and the various ways in which this may reflect the preconceptions of the spectator–critic. Focusing on how their work reiterates specific theatrical traditions and conventions, Harris suggests that utopian tendencies in academic feminist criticism may have underplayed the ways in which, like many famous theatrical double acts, Split Britches constantly perform on the border – between tragedy and comedy, optimism and despair, fantasy and the possible, escape and entrapment. Geraldine Harris is a Senior Lecturer in Theatre Studies at Lancaster University. Her previous publications include a number of articles on female practitioners in nineteenth-century French popular theatre and on gender issues in contemporary performance. Her latest book, Staging Femininities, Performance and Performativity (Manchester University Press, 1999), explored the relationship between feminist performance and a range of postmodern and poststructuralist theories.


The article reviews publications devoted to the issue of optimization of nutrition of children and adolescents including school nutrition, various ways of formation of eating habits, succession of home and school nutrition, nutrition of children with alimentary-dependent diseases and children who go in for sports, quality of raw materials and products for school nutrition, and nutrition using new products. The information was searched for with eLIBRARY.RU, PUBMED, Web of Science and Scopus information portals and platforms from 2007 to 2021. Publications related to the issue were assessed while studying at school and during distance learning. Modern issues of nutrition of schoolchildren such as disturbances of alimentary behavior and underdeveloped skills of nutritional culture, dietary habits of schoolchildren with alimentary-dependent diseases and approaches to nutrition optimization at educational institutions are highlighted. The ways of prevention of alimentary-dependent diseases are estimated by way of inclusion of functional products into the diet of schoolchildren. Principal methodical and regulatory documents that can help reduce risks of alimentary-dependent diseases are mentioned. Pressing trends of researches regarding the reviewed topic were suggested to preserve health of schoolchildren as far as healthy nutrition goes.


Platelet reactivity (PR), a key pharmacodynamic (PD) component of the action of antiplatelet drugs in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients, is highly variable. PR is associated with occurrence or recurrence of thrombotic and bleeding events, but this association is modulated by several factors. Conventional pharmacogenetics explains a minor part of this PR variability, and among determinants of PR, circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been the focus of attention during these last years as biomarkers to predict PR and clinical outcomes in CVD. This being said, the impact of miRNAs on platelet function and the mechanisms behind it are largely unknown. The level of a set of candidate miRNAs including miR-126-3p, miR-150-5p, miR-204-5p and miR-223-3p was quantified in plasma samples of stable CVD patients and correlated with PR as assessed by light-transmission aggregometry and in vivo thrombin generation markers. Finally, miRNA target networks were built based on genes involved in platelet function. We show that all candidate miRNAs were associated with platelet aggregation, while only miR-126-3p and miR-223-3p were positively correlated with in vivo thrombin generation markers. In silico analysis identified putative miRNA targets involved in platelet function regulation. Circulating miRNAs were associated with different aspects of platelet reactivity, including platelet aggregation and platelet-supported thrombin generation. This paves the way to a personalized antithrombotic treatment according to miRNA profile in CVD patients.


We introduce an intrinsic notion of Zygmund regularity for Colombeau algebras of generalized functions. In case of embedded distributions belonging to some Zygmund-Hölder space this is shown to be consistent. The definition is motivated by the well-known use of the wavelet transform as a tool in studying Hölder-Zygmund regularity. It is based on a simple mollifier-wavelet interplay which translates wavelet estimates into properties of regularizations. We investigate basic properties of the newly defined subspaces as well as their application to differential equations whose coefficients and initial data are generalized functions in some Zygmund class. Problems of this kind occur, for example, in seismology where Earth's properties of fractal nature have to be taken into account.


The effects of the Dirac sea of the nucleons are investigated within a covariant model of the hadronic interaction. I extend the usual Mean Field Approximation and present a procedure to deal with divergences which are proportional to polynomials on the magnetic field intensity. For this purpose a nucleon propagator is used which takes account of the full effect of the magnetic field as well as the presence of the anomalous magnetic moments of both protons and neutrons. I examine single-particle properties and bulk thermodynamical quantities and conclude that within a reasonable range of densities and magnetic intensities the effects found are moderate.


Background:Mild microcytic hypochromic anemias caused by iron deficiency (IDA) and beta-thalassemia trait (βTT) continue to be problematic and a significant threat to society, particularly in relatively poor developing countries.The goal of this study was to use accuracy approach to improve the diagnostic function of eight different prejudiced indices in Egyptian pediatric patients with microcytic anaemia.
Materials and methods: Eight discrimination indices diagnostic performance presented in previous studies were introduced to analyze the differences between β-βTTand IDA among Egyptian paediatric patients by using evaluation metrics calculated from RBC indices by various mathematical formulae. CBC , iron study and hemoglobin electrophoresis were performed to all included participants.
Results: A total of 300 Egyptian paediatric patients with βTT or IDA were enrolled. The Mentzer and Ehsani index exhibited the highest diagnostic accuracy (100%) followed by Sirdah (97.5%), Sirvistava (95%), MDHL (92.5%) Green & King, Recierca, (90%), and Matos(70%).Indices with AUCs greater than 0.8, such as Mentzer, Ehsani, and Sirdah, had very valuable predictive accuracy in distinguishing between β-TT and IDA.
Conclusion: Although Hb electrophoresis is the gold standard for diagnosing βTT, in developing countries, the Mentzer index, followed by the Ehsani and Sirdah indices, could be used as a simple , cheap method to distinguish βTT from IDA in pediatric patients with mild microcytic hypochromic anaemia.