It is shown that stability of the celebrated MaxWeight or back pressure policies is a consequence of the following interpretation: either policy is myopic with respect to a surrogate value function of a very special form, in which the "marginal disutility" at a buffer vanishes for a vanishingly small buffer population. This observation motivates the $h$-MaxWeight policy, defined for a wide class of functions $h$. These policies share many of the attractive properties of the MaxWeight policy as follows: (i) Arrival rate data is not required in the policy. (ii) Under a variety of general conditions, the policy is stabilizing when $h$ is a perturbation of a monotone linear function, a monotone quadratic, or a monotone Lyapunov function for the fluid model. (iii) A perturbation of the relative value function for a workload relaxation gives rise to a myopic policy that is approximately average-cost optimal in heavy traffic, with logarithmic regret. The first results are obtained for a general Markovian network model. Asymptotic optimality is established for a general Markovian scheduling model with a single bottleneck, and with homogeneous servers.


BACKGROUND
Tuberculosis of the central nervous system (CNS) is a serious, often fatal disease primarily affecting young children. It develops after hematogenous dissemination and subsequent invasion of the CNS by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The microbial determinants involved in CNS disease are poorly characterized.

METHODS
Hematogenously disseminated M. tuberculosis infection was simulated in BALB/c mice by intravenous challenge. Bacteria were recovered using standard culture techniques. Host immune response to M. tuberculosis infection was assessed by histopathological and cytokine profile analysis. By means of a pooled infection with genotypically defined M. tuberculosis mutants, bacterial genes required for invasion or survival were determined in the CNS and lung tissue.

RESULTS
M. tuberculosis were detected in whole mouse brains as early as 1 day after intravenous infection and at all time points assessed thereafter. No significant immune response was elicited in the infected brain tissue, compared with extensive inflammation in the infected lung tissue at the same time point. We identified mutants for 5 M. tuberculosis genes (Rv0311, Rv0805, Rv0931c, Rv0986, and MT3280) with CNS-specific phenotypes, absent in lung tissue.

CONCLUSIONS
We have identified CNS-specific M. tuberculosis genes involved in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. Further characterization of these genes will help in understanding the microbial pathogenesis of CNS tuberculosis.


Introduction: Overcrowding in the emergency department is a major obstacle in receiving care. The present study was done with the aim of evaluating the relationship of nursing care and documentation qualities with overcrowding in emergency department. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was carried out in Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran in 2012. Data were gathered by a trained observer throughout working hours of the hospital using a standard checklist extracted from nursing textbooks. Overcrowded shifts were separated from other shifts by considering the number of patients admitted, and results were compared between the 2 situations using statistical analyses. Results: 170 patient files were evaluated regarding the quality of nursing and its documentation. According to the statistical analyses, documenting the nursing care given decreased at overcrowded times (p = 0.028), however the quality of care given did not vary (p = 0.36). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that despite the decline in quality of nursing care documentation following overcrowding in emergency department, rate and quality of care were not affected by overcrowding.


This book is primarily aimed at clinical investigators, providing a thorough introduction of interim monitoring strategies for those, with only a basic level of statistics. As such, it is a good introductory text for those, who have never encountered the concept of a stopping rule but can also serve as a reference text for the more experienced practitioner. It addresses the need for investigators to educate themselves about these issues which arises due to the requirement by funding agencies to specify stopping rules at the protocol stage. The book starts off with an interesting introduction to statistical methods and the rationale for the use of interim monitoring in chapters 1–3. Chapter 4 then introduces path analysis and the concept of Brownian motion in more detail. This concept is referred to throughout the rest of the book and therefore provides a cohesive structure. Group sequential designs are explained in chapter 5. This provides both history of these methods as well as different applications and suggestions for their use. Throughout the chapter and the rest of the book the author is careful to point out caveats and pitfalls arising if the methodology is not properly applied. The concept of conditional power as an alternative framework is addressed in the next section. While most of the book deals with monitoring for efficacy, chapter 7 explains how the concept of interim monitoring may also be applied for safety endpoints and futility analyses. The space devoted to futility analyses is relatively short though and it would have been helpful to have had more of a balance between methods for efficacy and those for futility monitoring. Both Frequentist and Bayesian viewpoints are discussed in the book and thus chapter 8 is devoted to the Bayesian statistical monitoring arguments. The author succeeds in choosing good examples to illustrate the difference between the two approaches. If practitioners would like to apply these ideas in practice though, they would probably have to consult a more expansive reference text. The text itself succeeds in explaining difficult concepts in an easy manner and requires very little understanding of mathematical concepts and formulae. Only certain sections, such as the Bayesian application of stopping rules require a higher level of understanding of probability rules. This may, however, be gained by careful study of the book. With the exception of the introductory chapters, examples are worked through in detail for each method. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter which allow for the application of the just described concepts. Furthermore, relevant references are provided for each of the methods. I would recommend this book to clinicians and students with a basic level of statistics, who are interested in understanding the concepts behind interim monitoring and the rationale for their use.


The opening years of the nineteenth century in France, marked by the constant turmoil that accompanied the rise of Napoleon, saw an increased interest in Ariosto's Orlando furioso. An eager but insecure public delighted in a work that gave tribute to France's greatest and earliest heroes as they saved her from her external enemies. A second, unintended way to interpret the poem paralleled the rise of Napoleon. The work provided an automatic, if historically inaccurate, mythology that effectively legitimized the first Empire. The fall of the Empire, coupled with the rediscovery of the Chanson de Roland in 1837, contributed to the gradual eclipse of Ariosto in French art and letters.


Individuals with disabilities comprise a substantial portion of the U.S. population but make up only a small subset of medical students and health care providers. Both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education have called for increased diversity in the physician workforce, to more closely represent the U.S. patient population and provide culturally effective care. Yet the barriers to disclosure and inclusion for individuals with disabilities in health care are significant, including attitudinal barriers such as stigma and bias, organizational barriers in policies and procedures, and environmental barriers such as resources and physical space. Lack of experience providing accommodations and a lack of knowledge of both what is legally required and what is possible also prevent programs from creating access. Realizing inclusion for individuals with disabilities in a diverse workforce requires emergency medicine programs to be proactive and deliberate in their approach to recruiting, accommodating, and retaining students, residents, and faculty with disabilities. Such efforts are likely to provide benefits that extend beyond those who receive the accommodations.


This paper discusses the evaluation of risk management strategies as a part of integrated resource planning. Value- and scope-related uncertainties can be addressed during the process of planning, but uncertainties in the operating environment require technical analysis within planning models. Flexibility and robustness are two key classes of strategies for managing the risk posed by these uncertainties. This paper reviews standard capacity expansion planning models and shows that they are poorly equipped to compare risk management strategies. Those that acknowledge uncertainty are better at evaluating robustness than flexibility, which implies a bias against flexible options. Techniques are available to overcome this bias. >


The role of cognition in child development is reviewed with respect to the role of cognitive processing and cognitive deficits. Cognitive processing is discussed with respect to the self-system; the effects of psychosocial experiences; risk, vulnerability and protective mechanisms; vulnerability to depression; aetiology and treatment of depression. Cognitive deficits are discussed with respect to the socio-emotional consequences of language delay and reading difficulties; hyperkinetic/attentional deficit syndromes; schizophrenia; and autism. It is concluded that the ways in which we appraise our life circumstances and the ways in which we react to experiences of all kinds are greatly influenced by how we think about ourselves and our environment. Biases and distortions in such cognitive processing may be associated with social and emotional malfunction. These biases may derive from earlier experiences, from intensive temperamental styles, or from deficits in the ability to process incoming information. The further study of cognitive processing and cognitive deficits is likely to be rewarding and helpful for clinical practice.


The Foot and Mouth disease virus belongs to the Picornavirus family and primarily affects to bovine, ovine, porcine and caprine. The virus is divided in seven serotypes, O, A, C, Sat1, Sat2, Sat3 and Asia1. In Latin America, the most prevalent serotypes are O and A, in Ecuador, serotype O is the most common. Currently, the vaccine in use is that of an inactivated virus that has some disadvantages such as a limited immune response, the need for a cold chain to keep the vaccine functional and the need of a great quantity of virus to manufacture it. An alternative to overcome these inactivated vaccine's problems is the creation of subunit vaccines using a recombinant protein expression system, where only the immunogenic components of the pathogen are used. Therefore, this project's main objective is the application of a Bac-to-Bac system for the construction of recombinant baculovirus with the foot and mouth disease virus' highly immunogenic capsid genes such as VP1, P1-2A and 3C from serotype O. Recombinant baculoviruses were obtained with the VP1 construct and these will be later transfected in insect cells for the expression and analysis of VP1 as a possible candidate for a subunit vaccine.


S-quasiconvex functions (Phu and An, Optimization, Vol. 38, 1996) are stable with respect to the properties: "every lower level set is convex", "each local minimizer is a global minimizer", and "each stationary point is a global minimizer" (i.e., these properties remain true if a sufficiently small linear disturbance is added to a function of this class). In this paper, we introduce a subclass of s-quasiconvex functions, namely strictly s-quasiconvex functions which guarantee the uniqueness of the minimizer. The density of the set of these functions in the set of s-quasiconvex functions and some necessary and sufficient conditions of these functions are presented.


Supernumerary teeth are a relatively frequent disorder of odontogenesis characterized by an excess number of teeth. Mesiodens is the most common type of supernumerary tooth found in the premaxilla between the two central incisors. They can be supplemental (resembling natural teeth), conical, tuberculate or molariform. We present the case of a 19 year-old girl who presented with a mesiodens of an unusual morphology and multiple impacted supernumerary teeth not associated with any syndrome.


This article analyses the power of the Commonwealth to fund activities in broader society, in the wake of the High Court's recent decision in the School Chaplaincy case of Williams v Commonwealth, and the earlier decision in Pape v Commissioner of Taxation. Although the Court rejected the substantive argument about the separation of church and state, the decision provides significant reflections on the Commonwealth executive's expenditure power. The rhetoric in Williams about federal-state power, and responsible government through parliamentary oversight of expenditure, appears to signal a shift in the Court's previous positions. But, on its own, will do little in shifting the balance on either issue.


Background Non-neoplastic B-cell lymphoproliferation (NNBLP) is a common feature in Sjoegre's syndrome (SS) and predisposes to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). It is characterised by extranodal or nodal organ involvement or by the presence of an M-component in biologic fluids, in particular mixed monoclonal cryglobulinemia (MMC). Objectives To better address the issue of SS-NNLP of Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT), usually involving the major salivary glands, we investigated 13 consecutive patients with primary SS and persistent parotid swelling (12F, 1M; mean age 59.5 years). Methods Clinical and pathologic results were integrated with molecular analyses of B-cell clonal expansion in synchronous and metachronous biopsies (mean follow-up: 5.3 years). Results At baseline 6/13 patients presented a parotid MESA with lymphoproliferative lesion (Group 1) and 7/13 a MESA with fully benign lymphoid infiltrate (Group 2), according to strict pathologic criteria.1 Tissue B-cell clonal expansion was monoclonal in 5/6 cases in Group 1 and oligo-polyclonal in 6/7 cases in Group 2. B-cell NHL evolution was observed in 2/6 cases in Group 1 and in 0/7 in Group 2. Only the 2 cases evolved into NHL presented previous molecular evidence of ongoing expansion of the same clone or clonal dissemination in multiple biopsies. By contrast, the clinical and laboratory features were not relevant either for the diagnosis of NNLP vs NHL or to predict NHL evolution. MMC was detected in 2/13 cases, not evolved into NHL. Conclusion Pathologic features are crucial to distinguish between non-neoplastic and neoplastic extranodal LP in SS. Molecular analyses of B-cell clonal expansion appear relevant to identify a subset of patients with higher risk of NHL progression. When considering the whole spectrum of NNLP in SS and a practical diagnostic approch ("real" disease entities,1–3), the following classification is proposed: a) Fully benign lymphoproliferation: fully benign lymphoid infiltrates in MALT sites or reactive lymphoadenopathy in the lack of M-component; b) Lymphoproliferative disorder: lymphoproliferative lesions in MALT sites, nodal atypical lymphoproliferative disorder or persistent MMC or M-component in biologic fluids. A consensus on the classification of NNLP in SS will allow cooperative studies to clarify disease pathobiology and the risk of NHL evolution and to optimise follow-up and treatment. References De Vita, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 1997;40:318 Skopouli, et al. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2000;29:296 De Vita, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2000;43:94


There is great need to develop more predictive drug discovery tools to identify new therapies to treat diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Current nonpluripotent stem cell-based models often utilize non-CNS immortalized cell lines and do not enable the development of personalized models of disease. In this review, we discuss why in vitro models are necessary for translational research and outline the unique advantages of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based models over those of current systems. We suggest that iPSC-based models can be patient specific and isogenic lines can be differentiated into many neural cell types for detailed comparisons. iPSC-derived cells can be combined to form small organoids, or large panels of lines can be developed that enable new forms of analysis. iPSC and embryonic stem cell-derived cells can be readily engineered to develop reporters for lineage studies or mechanism of action experiments further extending the utility of iPSC-based systems. We conclude by describing novel technologies that include strategies for the development of diversity panels, novel genomic engineering tools, new three-dimensional organoid systems, and modified high-content screens that may bring toxicology into the 21st century. The strategic integration of these technologies with the advantages of iPSC-derived cell technology, we believe, will be a paradigm shift for toxicology and drug discovery efforts.


The Japan Tohoku‐Oki earthquake (9.0 Mw) of 11 March 2011 has left signatures in the Earth's gravity field that are detectable by data of the Gravity field Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. Because the European Space Agency's (ESA) satellite gravity mission Gravity field and steady‐state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE)—launched in 2009—aims at high spatial resolution, its measurements could complement the GRACE information on coseismic gravity changes, although time‐variable gravity was not foreseen as goal of the GOCE mission. We modeled the coseismic earthquake geoid signal and converted this signal to vertical gravity gradients at GOCE satellite altitude. We combined the single gradient observations in a novel way reducing the noise level, required to detect the coseismic gravity change, subtracted a global gravity model, and applied tailored outlier detection to the resulting gradient residuals. Furthermore, the measured gradients were along‐track filtered using different gradient bandwidths where in the space domain Gaussian smoothing has been applied. One‐year periods before and after earthquake occurrence have been compared with the modeled gradients. The comparison reveals that the earthquake signal is well above the accuracy of the vertical gravity gradients at orbital height. Moreover, the obtained signal from GOCE shows a 1.3 times higher amplitude compared with the modeled signal. Besides the statistical significance of the obtained signal, it has a high spatial correlation of ~0.7 with the forward modeled signal. We conclude therefore that the coseismic gravity change of the Japan Tohoku‐Oki earthquake left a statistically significant signal in the GOCE measured gravity gradients.


One of the most common neurological disorders involving oxidative stress is stroke. During a stroke, the balance of redox potential in the cell is disturbed, and, consequently, protein oxidation or other intracellular damage occurs, ultimately leading to apoptosis. The pineal gland hormone, melatonin, is one of the non-enzymatic antioxidants. It not only modulates the perianal rhythm but also has anti-inflammatory properties and protects against stress-induced changes. The focus of this research was to evaluate the concentration of the carbonyl groups and melatonin metabolite in time in patients with acute ischemic stroke that were treated with intravenous thrombolysis. This included a comparison of the functional status of patients assessed according to neurological scales with the control sample comprising healthy people. The studies showed that the serum concentrations of carbonyl groups, which were elevated in patients with ischemic stroke (AIS) in comparison to the control samples, had an impact on the patients' outcome. A urine concentration of the melatonin metabolite, which was lower in patients than controls, was related to functional status after 24 h from cerebral thrombolysis. It shows that determination of carbonyl groups at different time intervals may be an important potential marker of protein damage in patients with AIS treated with cerebral thrombolysis, and that impaired melatonin metabolism induces a low antioxidant protection. Thus, due to the neuroprotective effects of melatonin, attention should also be paid to the design and conduct of clinical trials and hormone supplementation in AIS patients to understand the interactions between exogenous melatonin and its endogenous rhythm, as well as how these relationships may affect patient outcomes.


This paper analyzes the economic consequences of performance-oriented human resource (HR) system reform at Auto Japan (pseudonym), one of the largest Japanese auto sales firms, using personnel and employee output data. The author overviews the three major components of the HR reform: base wages, performance-based pay, and performance rating systems. Then the author examines the productivity effect of the reform. The performance-based pay system was changed from combining a base wage with a simple performance pay system to a scheme kinked around a draw line (representing aggregate base pay) to strengthen incentives. The introduction of the draw formula performance-based pay system raised the productivity of the new car sales staff, but generally failed to raise the productivity of the used car sales staff. The evidence suggests that while Auto Japan's performance-oriented HR system reform, which was typical of reforms instituted among major Japanese firms in the late 1990s, changed the wage structure and grading pattern of employees, it brought only slight improvement in individual productivity.


LED-based lighting is becoming increasingly popular in recent year, but LED development especially for lighting application now seems unavoidable. The various benefits of LEDs and the continuous increase in their performance allied to the decrease of the manufacturing costs makes it quite attractive. It is widely believed that LEDs would be a reliable alternative to conventional fluorescent and incandescent lamps which dominate the lighting applications in the last century. Integration and packaging is one of the critical issues that enable efficient and reliable solution to fulfill modern lighting requirements. Wafer Level Packaging (WLP) is a promising method for having lower costs, higher reliability and superior yields. In order to further improvement of the functionality and controlling capabilities of LED lighting system, various sensors and other electronics can be monolithically integrated with LED package on the wafer level. 7-mask BICMOS process was invented and developed by DIMES in Delft University of Technology. Just as its name implies, this process only requires 7 masks to fabricate fully functional CMOS transistors, sensors, passive electronics and even integrated circuits. Based on this process, the monolithic integration of light sensor readout circuit on a novel LED wafer level package is presented in this thesis. A blue selective stripe-shape photodiode is utilized as the light sensor to sense the light intensity of the blue LED in every 10 ?s. In this case, the BXCD4545 blue power die with nominal forward current of 350 mA was selected. Subsequent to the fabrication of silicon package, blue LEDs are glued and mounted in the package. The analogue output of the senor will be firstly amplified and then, synchronously converted to the digital code by a 4-bit analogue to digital converter (ADC). Each sample signal is encoded to a 4-bit digital string that is corresponding to 16 different light intensity levels. Afterwards, the code can be fed to an off-chip microprocessor which enable further control and adding more smart functions for different application to the system. Excluding the microprocessor, all the other components such as light sensor, amplifier, ADC and other passive electronics are monolithically integrated on the LED wafer level package. Since the 7-mask BICMOS process is an easily feasible and cheap process, it has the potential to enlarge the integration scale and have more functions embedded in a single system. The present system offers a promising solution for the further research and development of smart LED package on the wafer level. The use of WLP not only makes it possible to apply the highly-developed and batch-production methods of integrated circuits to the LED packaging, but also makes it achievable to combine sensors and integrated circuits on one single chip with LED.


Women play important and varied roles in agriculture, but they have unequal access, relative to men, to productive resources and opportunities. Closing these gender gaps would be good both for women and for agriculture. This was the message given by The State of Food and Agriculture 2010-11, a report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). As it prepared the report, the FAO drew together a wealth of background information based on a growing body of research and statistics on women in agriculture, and it commissioned the International Food Policy Research Institute to edit a book based on these background studies. The resulting book, Gender in Agriculture: Closing the Knowledge Gap, is a compendium of what we now know about gender gaps in agriculture and why such gaps matter.


Alumina-supported Cs3(Re(C2O4)3) precursor has been synthesized for preparation of Re-Cs/ γ -Al2O3 catalyst. Cs3(Re(C2O4)3) has been prepared from the reaction of ReCl 3 with H2C2O4.2H2O and CsCl in water. The complex has been characterized by elemental analysis and various spectroscopy techniques such as FT-IR, UV-Vis and 13 C-NMR. The complex was supported on γ-Al2O3 by column chromatography. Cs3(Re(C2O4)3)/Al2O3 was calcined at 600 °C for 6 h. Characterization of both precursor and calcined catalyst were carried out using XRD, BET specific surface area and thermal analysis methods (TGA/DSC).


1. An investigation has been made on the stimulation of the anaerobic glycolysis by rat-liver slices caused by previous incubation in oxygen. 2. The stimulation is sustained partly by endogenous carbohydrates and partly by added glucose. The effect of glucose reaches a maximum at a concentration of 20mm; it is more pronounced when glucose is present in the actual glycolytic phase and not during the aerobic preincubation. The conversion of fructose and pyruvate into lactic acid is not affected by the preincubation in oxygen. 3. The stimulation occurs also when preincubation is carried out in a medium that blocks the action of phosphorylase. 4. Preincubation for 2-3min. at 37 degrees is enough to ensure maximum stimulation. The main effect of the aerobic incubation is on the initial velocity of the anaerobic glycolysis. 5. The stimulation depends on the nutritional state of the animal: it is decreased practically to nil in rats starved overnight. In starved animals glycogen content and basal and stimulated glycolysis decline progressively with the same trend. If starved animals are injected with glucose, liver glycogen concentration increases but basal glycolysis remains at a low level; however, the rate of stimulated glycolysis becomes progressively higher and correlates with the amount of liver glycogen. 6. It is suggested that the aerobic preincubation modifies the factors that regulate glycolysis in liver slices at steps above the level of triose phosphates.


Bidders' psychological biases can have important effects on behavior in auctions and the principles of auction design. I consider two potential sources of the winner's curse in common values auctions. The first, overconfidence, is here defined for the first time in a fully general, distribution free manner by bidders believing their signals are more informative than they really are. The other bias, disregard, is intended to capture the spirit of an alternative explanation of the winner's curse proposed by Eyster and Rabin (2006) and is present when bidders underestimate the informativeness of other bidders' signals. When the value of the object is normally distributed, the two hypotheses can be formulated in an intuitive manner. Both explain the winner's curse, but they offer sharply different predictions about bidder behavior and prescriptions for auction design. When bidders are very overconfident, the first-price auction is revenue preferred to the second-price auction. Furthermore, even when the effects are relatively mild, they can reverse Milgrom and Weber (1982)'s Disclosure Principle as it can be optimal for auctioneers to induce speculation.


Nanoscale polymers systems have dominated the revolution of drug delivery advancement. Their potential in the fight against cancer is unrivalled with other technologies. Their functionality increase, targeting ability and stimuli responsive nature have led to a major boom in research focus. This review article concentrates on the use of these smart polymers in cancer therapy. Nanotechnologies have shown potential as drug carriers leading to increased drug efficacy and penetration. Multifunctional smart carriers which can release their payload upon an external or internal trigger such as pH or temperature are proving to be major frontrunners in the development of effective strategies to overcome this disease with minimal patient side effects.


We consider the design of distributed scheduling algorithms that minimize age of information in single-hop wireless networks. The centralized max-weight policy is known to be nearly optimal in this setting; hence, our goal is to design a distributed CSMA scheme that can mimic its performance. To that end, we propose a distributed protocol called Fresh-CSMA and show that in an idealized setting, Fresh-CSMA can match the scheduling decisions of the max-weight policy with high probability in each frame, and also match the theoretical performance guarantees of the max-weight policy over the entire time horizon. We then consider a more realistic setting and study the impact of protocol parameters on the probability of collisions and the overhead caused by the distributed nature of the protocol. Finally, we provide simulations that support our theoretical results and show that the performance gap between the ideal and realistic versions of Fresh-CSMA is small.


The present review of the Independent Review of the South Australian GM Food
Crop Moratorium (Anderson, 2019) reveals that the so-called Independent Review is not independent at all and thus it falls at the first hurdle. Kym Anderson is a long term vocal advocate of genetically modified crops and has expressed such views regularly over the past two decades. The Independent Review was commissioned by the South Australian Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. There were 216 public submissions, of these, 78% (n=168) were for retaining the existing Moratorium, 18% (n=39) were for scrapping the Moratorium, and 4% (n=8) were undecided. 100% of the food available in Australian supermarkets is GM-free which mirrors the sentiments of Australian consumers, which are against GM-food; and Australian supermarkets are all aware of such sentiments. South Australia (SA) has a 'clean and green' image. This image serves SA well for food production, trade, tourism, education and migration. GMOs would damage SA's clean and green and smart image and can thereby be economically detrimental to the state. The Independent Review proposes that GM canola is the sole candidate for uptake were the GM Moratorium to be scrapped. The GM canolas (Round-up ready, TT) proposed for SA are herbicide-dependent crops relying on regimes of multiple toxic herbicide applications. Glyphosate is a carcinogen and triazine is banned in Europe. These are chemicals that are dangerous to the health and wellbeing of animals, including humans, and the environment, and prescribing their use can be expected to increase SA's health costs and future environmental clean-up costs. GM agriculture is an example of privatising the profits and socialising the costs. Australia is the world leader in organic agriculture and accounts for 51% of the world's certified organic hectares, and, of this, South Australia is the leading organics state in Australia accounting for 40% of Australia's certified organic hectares (and 20% of the world's certified organic hectares). Organic produce sells at a price premium - usually in the range of 10% and 110% (compared to non-organic). This contrasts with GM canola which sells at a price penalty of 7%. These price premiums and price penalties reflect market sentiment - what the market wants and what the market does not want. The GM Moratorium has a social licence and is serving SA well and should be maintained on economic and social grounds. The Independent Review should be rejected.


The transmembrane adaptor protein LAT (Linker for Activation of T cells) is essential in T cell development, activation, survival, and homeostasis. Upon T cell activation, it is tyrosine phosphorylated and interacts with many signaling proteins, such as Grb2, Gads, and PLC-γ1. The mutation of tyrosine 136 on LAT abrogates its interaction with PLC-γ1, causing defective TCR-mediated signaling. Mice harboring this mutation, LATY136F, have significantly impaired thymocyte development; however, they rapidly develop a severe lymphoproliferative disease marked by the uncontrolled expansion of Th2-skewed CD4+ T cells, high levels of IgE and IgG1, and autoantibody production. In this study, we assessed the contribution of multiple signaling pathways in this disease using mice deficient in Gads and RasGRP1 and mice with constitutive activation of the NFAT and NF-κB pathways. We also examined the role of MHC and CD4 in the development of these pathogenic T cells and further investigated how T follicular helper cells and cytokines contribute to LAT-mediated autoimmunity.


Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are a type of newly-discovered transient astronomical phenomenon. They have short durations, high dispersion measures and a high event rate. However, due to unknown distances and undetected electromagnetic counterparts at other wavebands, it is difficult to further investigate FRBs. Here we propose a method to study their environmental magnetic field using an indirect method. Starting with dispersion measures and rotation measures (RMs), we try to obtain the parallel magnetic field component B̅‖ which is the average value along the line of sight in the host galaxy. Because both RMs and redshifts are now unavailable, we demonstrate the dependence of B̅‖ on these two separate quantities. This result, if the RM and redshift of an FRB are measured, would be expected to provide a clue towards understanding an environmental magnetic field of an FRB.


We analyzed Hg, Cd, Zn, Cu and Fe concentrations in liver samples as well as the Hg concentration and stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) in muscle samples from silvertip sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) in Japan. Muscular and hepatic Hg concentrations increased with increased body length. However, these increases were more prominent in the liver than in the muscle samples, and appeared to occur after maturation. Hepatic Zn and Cu concentrations decreased during the growth stage, and then increased concomitantly thereafter with increases in Cd burden. Hepatic Fe concentration from males increased proportionally with increases in body length, whereas no increase was observed in samples from females, probably due to the mother-to-embryo transfer of Fe. The δ13C values tended to decrease with increases in body length, whereas no decrease in the δ15N values was observed.


A thirty-six years old woman with myasthenia gravis developed cold intolerance after two years, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis diagnosis was established. Four years later she exhibited skin thickening (limited scleroderma). Laboratory and clinical findings suggested the CREST type of systemic sclerosis. Difficulty in scleroderma diagnosis is discussed, as overlap of syndromes. Hashimoto's thyroiditis and myasthenia gravis are infrequently associated. Occurrence of scleroderma and myasthenia gravis in the same patient is rare. The coincidence of these three disorders was not found in literature.


It is necessary to take advantage of the product development experience and design data in the past for the current product innovation and production renovation. In other words, the time used for new product development will be greatly shortened and the cost for the new product production largely reduced if the past product R&D knowledge can be stored and mined. This case report describes the application of the knowledge management (KM) philosophy to the new product R&D process supervised by the 6 Sigma (6/spl sigma/) quality supervision mechanism. Both KM and 6/spl sigma/ are complementary in the process and thus the new product can quickly respond to the local and global markets. The framework of the complementary functions is carried out in a large-scale LCD firm in Taiwan and presented here.


Recent reviews on acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treatment have focused on comparing therapeutic approaches, including all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and chemotherapy, and do not address several other aspects of APL management that are relevant to the outcome in individual patients. These aspects include appropriate diagnostic tools and strategies, supportive care, recognition and treatment of life-threatening complications, evaluation of response, and, finally, management of the disease in special conditions such as older patients and pregnant women. In addition to reviewing current consensus and controversies of ATRA and chemotherapy treatment, this article addresses the above issues of APL management with special emphasis on aspects that distinguish APL from other acute myelogenous leukemias.


This is a book written by world authorities on selected topics with the common theme of children and exercise. The text is organised into 16 chapters containing state-of-the-art articles by leading authorities on selected topics of relevance to clinicians, practitioners and researchers who are concerned with the effects of exercise on the growing child. The text adds significantly to the body of knowledge in this area and contributes to the further advancement of the growing subdiscipline of Pediatric Exercise Science.


The changing face of tradition - monastic education in the Middle Ages, George Ferzoco training for the liturgy as a form of monastic education, Susan Boynton besides the book - using the body to mould the mind, Cluny in the 10th and 11th abbey, Isabelle Cochelin a medieval novice's formation - reflection on a 15th century manuscript at Downside Abbey, Aiden Bellenger the scope of learning within the cloisters of the English cathedral priories in the later Middle Ages, Joan Greatrex university monks in late medieval England, James G. Clark Hildegard of Bingen's teaching in her "Expositiones Evangeliorm" and "Ordo Virtutum", Beverly Mayne Kienzle learning and mentoring in the 12th century - Hildegard of Bingen and Herrand of Landsberg, Carolyn Messing educating Heliose, W.G. East the role of images in monastic education - the evidence from wall painting in late medieval England, Miriam Gill ghostly mentor, teaching of mysteries -Bartholomew, Guthlac and the Apostle's cult in early medieval England, Graham Jones "life, learning and wisdom" - the forms and functions of beguine education, Penelope Galloway Franciscan educational perspectives - reworking monastic traditions, Bert Roest monastic educational culture revisited - the witness of Zwiefalten and the Hirsau reform, Constant Mews.


In the accumulation paradigm animals press one manipulandum to accumulate pellets or seconds of access to food, and then press another manipulandum, or run some distance, to collect it. The accumulation may be interpreted as delay discounting, with the animals adjusting the distal amount to compensate for its distance or delay. The amount accumulated before being collected is a linear function of the distance or time that the experimental paradigm stipulates for collecting it. That linear function follows from the Unit-Price/Unit-Amount axiom. The inverse of the linear compensation functions gives a delay-discount hyperbola. The advantages of the accumulation paradigm and analytic framework for delay discounting studies are noted. Compensation functions are then derived from a behavioral regulation model, which generalizes them to contexts where the individual's budget for response cost becomes over-taxed. In turn, such compensation/regulation models lead directly to representative demand functions. In sum, regulation models provide a theoretical grounding for demand functions, compensation functions, and delay discounting hyperbolas. The parameter that links them is the unit amount k, the slope of the compensation function and of the discount function, the setpoint for consumption in a regulation model, and the ideal quantity consumed at minimal price in a demand analysis.


The population is aging in Finland as in other Western countries. While most elderly residents prefer to age in place, some relocate because of push factors that create stress in their current homes and pull factors that attract them to a new dwelling. In last ten years, independent living facilities (senior houses) were developed in Finland as a housing option for seniors. This study examines the important pull factors for seniors who have relocated to a senior house. The analysis is based on survey data collected from residents living in three kinds of senior houses. Overall, grocery shop nearby is the strongest pull factor followed by hospital nearby and access to public transportation. Factor analysis reveals property and neighborhood attributes can be grouped into three factors: onsite services that allow the residents to maintain an active lifestyle with some luxury, everyday services and facilities that would enable aging in place, and physical activity facilities. Activities and onsite services are more important to residents in locations that offer services. Residents have found the type of senior house that supports their lifestyle. Meanwhile, socioeconomic characteristics do not explain differences in what features attract residents. These findings are similar to studies in other countries; seniors look for retirement housing that allows them to maintain their lifestyle and demographic-based segmentation does not offer the best solution for estimating demand for senior housing or marketing units to prospective residents.


We study nonlinear free‐surface rotational waves generated through the interaction of a vertically sheared current with a topography. Equivalently, the waves may be generated by a pressure distribution along the free surface. A forced Korteweg–de Vries equation (fKdV) is deduced incorporating these features. The weakly nonlinear, weakly dispersive reduced model is valid for small amplitude topographies. To study the effect of gradually increasing the topography amplitude, the free surface Euler equations are formulated in the presence of a variable depth and a sheared current of constant vorticity. Under constant vorticity, the harmonic velocity component is formulated in a simplified canonical domain, through the use of a conformal mapping which flattens both the free surface as well as the bottom topography. Critical, supercritical, and subcritical Froude number regimes are considered, while the bottom amplitude is gradually increased in both the irrotational and rotational wave regimes. Solutions to the fKdV model are compared to those from the Euler equations. We show that for rotational waves the critical Froude number is shifted away from 1. New stationary solutions are found and their stability tested numerically.


Rathke's cleft cysts arise from remnants of Rathke's pouch and are usually found incidentally on MRI or autopsy. In childhood, the most common presenting symptoms of Rathke's cleft cysts are endocrine abnormalities, such as reduced growth hormone secretion, hyperprolactinemia, or diabetes insipidus. Non-specific symptoms, such as headache and visual disturbance, may also occur. Although precocious puberty has occasionally been described in association with suprasellar lesions, such as hamartomas, arachnoid cysts, and craniopharyngiomas, to our knowledge there have been no documented cases secondary to Rathke's cleft cysts. We report here two patients, both of whom presented with precocious puberty, and were found to have Rathke's cleft cysts.


Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and diminishes a person's overall health. Millions and millions of peoples have health problems due to habit of smoking. It is now a burden worldwide because smoking addiction of teenagers increasing immensely. Globally, smoking is not only a leading cause of cancer as well as various heart diseases. Smoke contains several carcinogenic pyrolytic products like Polycyclic Aroma0tic Hydrocarbons (PCAH), acrolein etc. are irreversibly binds to DNA, causes genetic mutation and cancer. Various methods exist which allow a smoker to see the impact of their tobacco use, and the immediate effects of quitting. Using biochemical feedback methods include breath carbon monoxide (CO) monitoring, cotinine (metabolite of nicotine) can allow tobacco-users to be identified and assessed, and the use of monitoring throughout an effort to quit can increase motivation to quit. Pharmacologic smoking cessation aids like Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), bupropion, varenicline, cytisine etc. are recommended for all smokers trying to quit. Varenicline appears to be more effective than other available pharmacologic smoking cessation aids. Offering the choice of pharmacologic therapy in addition to supportive counseling, which is now available in the market, should help family physicians achieve greater success assisting their patients with smoking cessation. Family physicians should share the evidence with patients and encourage them to use pharmacologic therapy and counseling to improve the likelihood of success. Effects of Smoking and Need for Cessation: Biochemical and Pharmacological Feedback Adak M* Professor of Biochemistry, Anna Medical College and Research Center, Mauritius *Corresponding author: Manoranjan Adak, Professor of Biochemistry, Anna Medical College and research center Solitude, Mauritius, Tel: 230-586-058-31; E-mail: email@example.com Received: August 04, 2014; Accepted: September 18, 2014; Published September 22, 2014 Citation: Adak M (2014) Effects of Smoking and Need for Cessation: Biochemical and Pharmacological Feedback. Biochem Pharmacol (Los Angel) 3: 145. doi:10.4172/2167-0501.1000145 Copyright: © 2014 Adak M. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


The benztropine analog N-(n-butyl)-3α-[bis(4′-fluorophenyl)methoxy]-tropane (JHW 007) displays high affinity for the dopamine transporter (DAT), but unlike typical DAT ligands, has relatively low abuse liability and blocks the effects of cocaine, including its self-administration. To determine sites responsible for the cocaine antagonist effects of JHW 007, its in vitro binding was compared with that of methyl (1R,2S,3S,5S)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2-carboxylate (WIN 35428) in rats, mice, and human DAT (hDAT)-transfected cells. A one-site model, with Kd values of 4.21 (rat) and 8.99 nM (mouse) best fit the [3H]WIN 35428 data. [3H]JHW 007 binding best fit a two-site model (rat, 7.40/4400 nM; mouse, 8.18/2750 nM), although a one-site fit was observed with hDAT membranes (43.7 nM). Drugs selective for the norepinephrine and serotonin transporters had relatively low affinity in competition with [3H]JHW 007 binding, as did drugs selective for other sites identified previously as potential JHW 007 binding sites. The association of [3H]WIN 35428 best fit a one-phase model, whereas the association of [3H]JHW 007 best fit a two-phase model in all tissues. Because cocaine antagonist effects of JHW 007 have been observed previously soon after injection, its rapid association observed here may contribute to those effects. Multiple [3H]JHW 007 binding sites were obtained in tissue from mice lacking the DAT, suggesting these as yet unidentified sites as potential contributors to the cocaine antagonist effects of JHW 007. Unlike WIN 35428, the binding of JHW 007 was Na+-independent. This feature of JHW 007 has been linked to the conformational status of the DAT, which in turn may contribute to the antagonism of cocaine.


We present a version for finite groups of the construction of coherent states proposed by Perelomov in the case of Lie groups, and use it in order to define some finite frames directly related to certain crystals/quasicrystals. These frames allow us to associate to any complex valued function supported by the crystal/quasicrystal nodes a linear operator in a finite-dimensional space, whose spectrum and mean values may shed a new (possibly probabilistic) light on the geometrical structure. The procedure, not necessarily a path to a quantum approach, can be regarded as an extended version of the Klauder-Berezin quantization and represents a change of point of view in considering the crystal/quasicrystal.


AFRL is developing a model of boundary layer turbulence. A field campaign, correlating meteorological conditions with measured turbulence, is being conducted to anchor the model. We present an update on the campaign.


The skyscraper has assumed a prominent place in the metropolitan landscape, prompting science fiction writers to respond by enfolding these structures into their narratives. I focus upon two early-twentieth century works of science fiction; George Allan England's trilogy "Darkness and Dawn" (1914) and Murray Leinster's short story "The Runaway Skyscraper" (1919). In both narratives, the vehicle enabling time travel is the Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower which, surmounted by a large clock, was completed in 1909 and remained the world's tallest building until 1913. I will argue that by incorporating modern architecture within the early twentieth-century time travel narrative, the skyscraper is transported into the perceived past or imagined future, acting as a versatile symbol of contemporary modernity.


From current valuation levels, it is implausible that stock or bond investors can see long term returns above about 3% to 4%. Indeed, if there is any "reversion to the mean," returns could be a good deal worse. However, in any market environment, there are interesting ways to make money. TIPS, timber, absolute return strategies, arbitrage strategies, and several categories of hedge funds may produce far better returns than stocks or bonds. If all investors seek these opportunities, the opportunities will vanish. But, for the select few who are prepared to venture away from the crowd, there are (and always will be) opportunities for solid profits. This is the role that many hedge funds may serve in the years ahead.


Energy-harvesting technology utilising mechanical energy sources is a promising approach for the sustainable, independent, and permanent operation of a variety of flexible electronics. A new concept of a fully-flexible light-emitting system, self-powered by a high-performance piezoelectric thin-film energy harvester has been first established by manipulating highly-robust, flexible, vertically structured light emitting diodes (f-VLEDs). The f-VLEDs fabricated by anisotropic conductive film bonding and entire wafer etching show stable and durable performances during periodic mechanical deformations. A high-output energy harvester capable of generating up to 140 V and 10 μA can be fabricated via laser lift-off (LLO) process widely used in industries, in a safe and robust manner. In particular, this LLO process is of great benefit for the fabrication of mechanically stable, flexible piezoelectric devices, without causing any degradation of piezoelectric properties. In this process, self-powered all-flexible electronic system with light emittance can be spontaneously achieved by the electricity produced from flexible thin-film generator by applying slight biomechanical energy without any externally applied energy storage. This conceptual technology of self-powering based on the conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy can open a facile and robust avenue for diverse, self-powered, bio-implantable applications, as well as commercial display applications.


A clinical monitoring system has been developed using a computer and an analogue-to-digital converter connected to standard fluid pressure and transcutaneous blood gas measurement equipment. It will collect and store information from up to four channels as trend data points, as waveform samples or as both. These monitoring and waveform recording roles have not been combined before in comparable systems. The trend data from any of the channels may be displayed on the computer screen as either a short-term (up to 3 h) or long-term (up to 99 h) graph as required. All this data may be retrieved from disk at the conclusion of monitoring to produce hard-copy for patient records. In particular the pressure waveforms have been used as the basis for subsequent research work.


We report a case of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated encephalomyelitis following vector-based vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 that mimicked bacterial meningomyelitis upon initial presentation. A 43-year-old woman who had received a first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Vaxzevria; Astra Zeneca, UK Limited) 9 days earlier presented with subacute sensorimotor paraparesis, urinary retention, headache, meningism, and fever. Clinical findings and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) features were highly suggestive of bacterial infection; however, despite receiving broad anti-infective treatment alongside with high-dose glucocorticoids, symptoms deteriorated. Imaging findings and the detection of immunoglobulin G against MOG substantiated diagnosis of an anti-MOG associated disorder. Treatment with high-dose intravenous (IV) methylprednisolone and plasma exchange resulted in substantial clinical improvement, which sustained under monthly regimen of IV Tocilizumab at 3-month follow-up. Awareness of this post-vaccinal presentation of a rare autoimmune disorder is important to not miss potential treatment options.


Threat from wildfire can be greatly minimized through proactive efforts that reduce and slow spread through use of green strips or fuel breaks, and decrease fire volatility by reducing fuel load. This results in greater safety to fire fighters and protection to key urban interface areas or wildlife habitat. The fight against western wildfire is typically reactive as suppression, with splintered efforts toward vegetation management. Annual grass management is often over looked in prescriptions for firebreaks. Annual grass, such as cheatgrass, is a fine fuel responsible for fire ignition, enhanced spread and increased volatility. These annual weeds are often present or invade western brush/grass or PJ/grass communities after fuel break development. A new technical advance in fuel break and green strip production is to apply Plateau ® or Journey ® herbicide, to control annual grass growth and encourage growth of desirable fire retardant vegetation after brush or tree removal. Studies using BehavePlus indicate that when annual grass was removed by herbicide to release perennial bunch grasses, a reduction of flame height of up to 90% was possible. Model results show the herbicide treated areas reduced flame height from levels where aerial assault is required to the level, 1 meter(m), where hand control is effective and spread slowed to less than 1.5 miles/hr. Thus indicating, that a fire moving across a herbicide enhanced firebreak could be controlled by hand and the area easily evacuated. Demonstrations with this new technology have successfully stopped fire spread and reduced risk to communities and fire fighters. This same technology can reduce the danger to fire fighters, the number of acres burned and save critical habitat areas.


Background: Betahistine is used as an H3 antagonist. It has been used to treat balance disorders. During the administration of the drug, the trachea may be affected through oral intake. Aim: This study aimed to determine the effects of betahistine on the tracheal smooth muscle of rats in vitro. Methods: On a rat trachea that had been isolated and immersed in Krebs solution in a muscle bath, we evaluated the efficacy of betahistine. We examined how the application of parasympathetic mimetic agents altered tracheal contractility. The betahistine was evaluated using the following criteria: the drug's effects on tracheal smooth muscle contractions triggered by parasympathetic mimetic 10− 6 M methacholine, electrically induced tracheal smooth muscle contractions, and resting tracheal smooth muscle tension were listed below. Results: At preparation concentrations as high as 10− 4 M, betahistine produced a substantial relaxing response. The medication also prevented spike contraction brought by electrical field stimulation. However, betahistine alone had a negligible effect on the basal tension of the trachea at increasing concentrations. Conclusion: According to this study, excessive levels of betahistine might actually oppose cholinergic receptors and prevented the tracheal smooth muscles parasympathetic activity.


BACKGROUND
The incidence of oropharyngeal carcinomas associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) is continuously increasing. HPV-positive and -negative oropharyngeal carcinomas have different epidemiological, clinical, and molecular features, with HPV-positive tumors having a better response to treatment and better prognosis. An adequate staging system for HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinomas is needed, as the American Joint Committee on Cancer 7th Edition did not consider their unique biological behavior. At present, oropharyngeal carcinomas are subdivided into p16 positive and p16 negative tumors, based on their expression of p16, a surrogate marker of high-risk HPV.

PURPOSE
This review summarizes current knowledge of HPV-associated oropharyngeal carcinomas with emphasis on their molecular features and histopathology, as well as summarizes and compares HPV detection methods and genotyping techniques. This review also describes the prognostic significance of p16 expression in these tumors and significant changes in the staging of oropharyngeal carcinomas based on p16 expression, together with the justifications for these changes. Finally, this review reports the recommendations of the College of American Pathologists for testing HPV in head and neck cancers, supported by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. This work was supported by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, grant No. 15-31627A. All rights reserved. Autoři deklarují, že v souvislosti s předmětem studie nemají žádné komerční zájmy. Redakční rada potvrzuje, že rukopis práce splnil ICMJE kritéria pro publikace zasílané do biomedicínských časopisů. Submitted: 18. 2. 2019 Accepted: 30. 5. 2019.


Background: Measurement of BP is essential for diagnosis of hypertension. There is limited information in India on the type of instrument (mercury, aneroid and oscillometric) used to measure BP. In a newly diagnosed treatment-naive hypertensives the prevalence of white coat hypertension (WCH), masked hypertension (MH), and atrial fibrillation (AF), when both office and home BP measurements are measure is not known.

Objective: The study the prevalence of WCH and MH by comparing Office BP Measurement (OBPM) with Home BP Measurement (HBPM) in an Indian primary care setting in real world treatment naive subjects with and without hypertension.

Methods: An observational study comprising 18,918 treatment naive subjects with and without hypertension from 1233 primary care clinics across India were included between June 2018 and April 2019. OBPM (Visit 1) was performed by practioner's.  In addition patients also underwent 7 days HBPM using the oscillometric BP measurement by "Microlife Watch BP Home device" and then another OBPM (Visit 2) was performed. This device also has a validated AF screening algorithm.

Results: The age range was 42.6+11.7 years and male: female 63:37%. hypertension diagnosis based on OBPM visit 1 is inadequate because 2nd OBPM reading showed a discrepancy in 32% cases. The evening BP was higher than the morning Systolic BP (127.8 ± 14.7 vs 129.8 ± 15.3, p<0.001) mm Hg and Diastolic BP (81.9 ± 10.1 vs 82.4 ± 10.2, p<0.001) mmHg. Considering visit 1 and HBPM, the prevalence of WCH was 24%. On the other hand, 18% of the participants had masked hypertension. More than half of the participants,had an elevated resting heart rate (79.8 ± 9.6 bpm . Elevated heart rate was more frequent in WCH. AF was found in 1027 subjects (5.7%) based on CHA2DS2 score. Of the type of instruments used for OBPM, 69% were mercury sphygmomanometers, 22% aneroid and only 9% were oscillometric ones.

Conclusion: The prevalence of WCH and MH in India is higher in comparison with global data which has therapeutic implications. The diagnosis of hypertension based on office blood pressure measurements alone can be fallacious. The evening BP was higher than the morning. Elevated resting heart rate may mean a reconsideration of the use of heart rate lowering anti-hypertensive drugs among Indian hypertensives. HBPM with a validated oscillometric BP measuring device should be preferred over mercury instruments which are still being used in 69% cases for OBPM, despite being banned in India since December 2017.


Bandung Regency is one of the main Arabica coffee plant development centers in West Java, especially in Pangalengan District. The problem of Arabicacoffee farming is that the seedlings used not from recommended seed gardens, which may affect coffee productivity in the future. There are several factors thatinfluence farmers in the selection of coffee seedlings, including the knowledge of farmers on the attributes of coffee seedlings, and the importance of the attributes. The purpose of this study were 1) analyzing farmers'perception on the importance of different coffee seedlings attributes; 2) analyzing farmers' knowledge of the seedlings attributes in each coffee variety; 3) analyzing the level of suitability and gap of the attributes of Arabica coffee seedling and the position of various categories of attributes and seedling accessibility in the concept of priority. The research method used quantitative approach from 77 coffee farmers. The data was analysed using descriptive analysis, Importance Performance Analysis and Cartesian diagrams. The results show that in general all the coffee attributes and seedlings accessibility evaluated had a positive score and very important for farmers. Furthermore, the farmers' knowledge on the attributes and seedlings accessibility was variaed. Farmers have good knowledge on seedlings size, productive age, productivity, fertilizer use efficiency, seedling price, and ease of obtaining seedling attributes. There is an unsuitability and gap between the important and knowledge level of farmers about coffee attributes and seedlings accessibility.


A longstanding observation, which was partially proven by Li, Nguyen, and Woodruff in 2014, and extended by Ai, Hu, Li, and Woodruff in 2016, is that any turnstile streaming algorithm can be implemented as a linear sketch (the reverse is trivially true). We study the relationship between turnstile streaming and linear sketching algorithms in more detail, giving both new separations and new equivalences between the two models. It was shown by Li, Nguyen, and Woodruff in 2014 that, if a turnstile algorithm works for arbitrarily long streams with arbitrarily large coordinates at intermediate stages of the stream, then the turnstile algorithm is equivalent to a linear sketch. We show separations of the opposite form: if either the stream length or the maximum value of the stream are substantially restricted, there exist problems where linear sketching is exponentially harder than turnstile streaming. A further limitation of the Li, Nguyen, and Woodruff equivalence is that the turnstile sketching algorithm is neither explicit nor uniform, but requires an exponentially long advice string. We show how to remove this limitation for deterministic streaming algorithms: we give an explicit small-space algorithm that takes the streaming algorithm and computes an equivalent module.


T mesenteric cyst is probably the least common of all abdominal tumors. The rarity of this lesion is indicated by Keesey1 who reported only 2 cases in 200,000 admissions to a Duluth hospital. The incidence at the Cleveland Clinic during the past fourteen years has been identical: 3 proved cases from a total of 300,000 new patients examined. The first recorded case was found on autopsy in 1507 by Benevieni,2 and subsequent reports have appeared at intervals, the first successful operation and cyst removal having been performed by Tillaux in 1880.3 Numerous theories have been advanced for the origin of such cysts, with many sources implicated, such as hydatid, Meckel's diverticulum, and mesenteric lymphatics. Some writers consider that all cysts are embryonic in origin and initiated by obstruction of existing lymphatic channels or by growth of congenitally misplaced lymphatic tissue which does not communicate with the vascular system. However, the absence of demonstrable inflammation in the mesentery of the usual case makes the theory of lymphatic trunk obstruction a less likely cause. The consensus favors the development of mesenteric cysts from misplaced bits of lymphatic tissue which proliferate and then accumulate fluid because of absence of communication with the remainder of the lymphatic system. In the usual case the history of a gradually enlarging abdomen is obtained and the most frequent cause for hospital admission is intestinal obstruction. A case of mesenteric cyst complicated by such obstruction is presented.


OBJECTIVES
New-onset diabetes mellitus after transplant is a common complication in renal allograft recipients. Recently, a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been reported in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus. The association between hepatitis C and diabetes mellitus is well demonstrated in the general population, but some controversy still exists. This work aimed to study the effect of pretransplant hepatitis C virus on the development of new-onset diabetes mellitus after transplant in Egyptian living-donor renal allotransplant recipients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This retrospective single center study included 913 kidney transplant recipients who were transplanted at Mansoura Urology and Nephrology Center between 2000 and 2010. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to their hepatitis C virus serology and diabetic status.

RESULTS
Pretransplant dialysis duration and number of blood transfusion units were statistically significant among both viremic and nonviremic groups. With respect to induction therapy, a highly statistical significance was observed between the 4 groups regarding presence and type of adjuvant therapy (P < .001). With respect to maintenance immunosuppression, high statistically significant results were observed regarding steroid and rapamycin between the 4 groups (P < .001) with lower significance regarding mycophenolate mofetil (P = .04) but no significance regarding azathioprine, cyclosporine, or tacrolimus therapy. Incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus after transplant was statistically higher in the viremic than nonviremic group (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS
There was a positive correlation between incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus after transplant and positive pretransplant hepatitis C virus status.


IN 1932 THE type of feeder now known as "high-pressure pipe-type cable" was first installed in the United States and was followed by a few similar installations in the years prior to World War II. The successful experience record on these pipe cable feeders resulted in a large swing to this type of transmission circuit when the termination of World War II made materials available for the tremendous utility system expansion which was required.


....................................................................................................................... 1 Background and Relevance to Framework Issues .......................................................... 2 Study Objectives/Hypotheses ........................................................................................ 7 Materials and Methods .................................................................................................. 7 Samples and analytical methods ............................................................................. 7 Results ........................................................................................................................ 11 Discussion .................................................................................................................. 21 Trace metal studies ............................................................................................... 21 Hydrocarbon studies ............................................................................................. 24 Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 26 Ackowledgements ....................................................................................................... 27 Acronyms and Abbreviations ...................................................................................... 28 Study Products ............................................................................................................ 29 References .................................................................................................................. 30


In a recent article, Mannion and Davies argue that there are a multitude of ways in which organizations (such as the National Health Service [NHS]) can deal with wrongdoing or ethical problems, including the formation of policies that encourage and protect would-be whistleblowers. However, it is important to distinguish internal reporting about wrongdoing from whistleblowing proper, because the two are morally quite different and should not be dealt with in the same way. This article argues that we should not understand the authors' conclusions to apply to "whistleblowing" proper, because their recommended approach would be both unfeasible and undesirable for addressing whistleblowing defined in this way.


Background Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) have the potential to maximize positive impact on communities. However, despite the quantity and quality of EBIs for prevention, the need for formalized training and associated training-related expenses, such as travel costs, program materials, and input of personnel hours, pose implementation challenges for many community-based organizations. In this study, the community of inquiry (CoI) framework was used to develop the virtual learning environment to support the adaptation of the ¡Cuídate! (Take Care of Yourself!) Training of Facilitators curriculum (an EBI) to train facilitators from community-based organizations. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of adapting a traditional face-to-face facilitator training program for ¡Cuídate!, a sexual risk reduction EBI for Latino youth, for use in a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE). Additionally, two aims of the study were explored: the acceptability of the facilitator training and the level of the facilitators' knowledge and self-efficacy to implement the training. Methods A total of 35 facilitators were trained in the virtual environment. We evaluated the facilitators' experience in the virtual training environment and determined if the learning environment was acceptable and supported the acquisition of learning outcomes. To this end, the facilitators were surveyed using a modified community of inquiry survey, with questions specific to the Second Life environment and an open-ended questionnaire. In addition, a comparison to face-to-face training was conducted using survey methods. Results Results of the community of inquiry survey demonstrated a subscale mean of 23.11 (SD 4.12) out of a possible 30 on social presence, a subscale mean of 8.74 (SD 1.01) out of a possible 10 on teaching presence, and a subscale mean of 16.69 (SD 1.97) out of a possible 20 on cognitive presence. The comparison to face-to-face training showed no significant differences in participants' ability to respond to challenging or sensitive questions (P=.50) or their ability to help participants recognize how Latino culture supports safer sex (P=.32). There was a significant difference in their knowledge of core elements and modules (P<.001). A total of 74% (26/35) of the Second Life participants did agree/strongly agree that they had the skills to deliver the ¡Cuídate! program. Conclusions The results showed that participants found the Second Life environment to be acceptable to the learners and supported an experience in which learners were able to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to deliver the curriculum.


Mortality from smoking-related diseases is rising steeply among women. Although most studies recognize that smoking habits differ between men and women, this knowledge is seldom applied when studying gender differences. Based on two large population studies comprising almost 16, 000 study subjects, we illustrate the importance of adjusting for smoking in detail when comparing hospitalization and mortality between men and women. Adjusting for smoking as a dichotomous variable, age-adjusted mortality risk during 16 years follow-up was 80% higher for men than women. Adjusting for smoking in detail significantly reduced men's excess risk to 50%. The risk of hospitalization for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was 50% higher for men when adjusting for smoking as a dichotomous variable, whereas with full adjustment the risk was reversed to a significantly increased risk for women of 20%. We conclude, that when comparing smoking-related morbidity in men and women, smoking habits must be adjusted for in more detail than is usually the case.


Aim  Islands have often been used as model systems in community ecology. The incorporation of information on phylogenetic relatedness of species in studies of island assemblage structure is still uncommon, but could provide valuable insights into the processes of island community assembly. We propose six models of island community assembly that make different predictions about the associations between co-occurrences of species pairs on islands, phylogenetic relatedness and ecological similarity. We then test these models using data on mammals of Southeast Asian islands.

Location  Two hundred and forty islands of the Sundaland region of Southeast Asia.

Methods  We quantified the co-occurrence of species pairs on islands, and identified pairs that co-occur more frequently (positive co-occurrence) or less frequently (negative co-occurrence) than expected under null models. We then examined the distributions of these significantly deviating pairs with respect to phylogenetic relatedness and ecological differentiation, and compared these patterns with those predicted by the six community assembly models. We used permutation regression to test whether co-occurrence patterns are predicted by relatedness, body size difference or difference in diet quality. Separate co-occurrence matrices were analysed in this way for seven mammal families and four smaller subsets of the islands of Sundaland.

Results  In many matrices, average numbers of negative co-occurrences were higher than expected under null models. This is consistent with assemblage structuring by competition, but may also result from low geographic overlap of species pairs, which contributes to negative co-occurrences at the archipelago-wide level. Distributions of species pairs within plots of phylogenetic distance × ecological differentiation were consistent with competition, habitat filtering or within-island speciation models, depending on the taxon. Regressions indicated that co-occurrence was more likely among closely related species pairs within the Viverridae and Sciuridae, but in most matrices phylogenetic distance was unrelated to co-occurrence.

Main conclusions  Simple deterministic models linking co-occurrence with phylogeny and ecology are a useful framework for interpreting distributions and assemblage structure of island species. However, island assemblages in Sundaland have probably been shaped by a complex idiosyncratic set of interacting ecological and evolutionary processes, limiting the predictive power of such models.


The abstract to publication ratio (APR) is a measure of the quality of scientific meetings. The aim of the present study was to determine the publication rate of abstracts presented at annual Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) conferences, and to identify the publishing journals. All free paper research abstracts (oral or poster) presented by RANZCR radiologists, radiation oncologists and trainees at the four consecutive meetings between 1996 and 1999 were identified retrospectively from conference programmes. The PubMed database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/) was searched to determine whether or not the abstract had been published as a full paper. Of the 480 free paper research abstracts, 168 (35%) had been published as full articles. The overall abstract to publication ratio for radiology was 29% and for radiation oncology was 41%. Papers were published in a variety of journals but Australasian Radiology accounted for 27%. The mean time between presentation and publication was 16.5 months (median 17 months). These overall abstract to publication ratios are lower than those reported for overseas-based meetings in each respective area. Guidelines to scientific committees could increase the APR by more rigorous selection of abstracts. Future research should look at barriers to the publication of research findings, and identify ways to assist the publication process.


The aim of this investigation was to develop a technique and equipment for the measurement of the instantaneous rate of atmospheric corrosion of metals. An electrochemical method was chosen for this purpose and a technique was developed for continuous measurement and recording of the currents generated in models of the electrochemical corrosion cells which occur on the metal surface when exposed to the atmosphere. Two types of cells were used, galvanic cells consisting of steel and copper electrodes and electrolytic cells consisting of only one type of electrode, namely, steel, zinc or copper. In the latter type of cell an external emf was applied. The cell current was found to vary between 10 - 1 0 and 10 - 3 A in accordance with changes in climatic conditions, the changes being at least in qualitative agreement with changes in the rate of atmospheric corrosion as earlier reported in the literature. An inexpensive electronic integrator was developed for estimation of the accumulated quantity of cell current over a certain period of time. This device integrates separately on two counters the amount of current during periods with low current and during periods with high current. A time counter also records the exposure time during which the current exceeds a chosen value. This time counter can be used to measure the time of surface wetness, that is, that part of the period of exposure when the corrosion current is of practical importance. Efforts are now being made to find the quantitative relation between the cell current and the atmospheric corrosion rate. It is believed that the technique will prove to be a useful tool for the investigation of atmospheric corrosion in the laboratory as well as on test sites out of doors and in industrial applications.


A matrix method is developed to apply four solution concepts to a graph model for conflict resolution in order to model human behavior in a multiple-decision-maker (DM) strategic conflict. A graph model represents the interaction of two or more DMs and can be analyzed to identify possible equilibrium states according to each solution concept. Previously, solution concepts were defined logically, in terms of the underlying graphs. However, procedures to identify stable states based on these definitions are difficult to code because of the nature of the logical representations. In this paper, a graph model and four graph model solution concepts are formulated explicitly using matrices. More specifically, matrix expressions are given for relative preferences, joint unilateral movements, and joint unilateral improvements in a multiple-DM model. Then, it is shown how to calculate stability under each of the four solution concepts using the matrix representation. Compared with the existing approach, matrix representation is more effective and convenient for calculating stabilities and predicting equilibria of a graph model. In particular, the proposed method is easy to code and extend to other contexts.


This research is motivated by efforts to improve the quality of education in Indonesia, one aspect that affects the quality of mathematics education is the climate of mathematics learning. Learning climate that is less effective in the process of learning mathematics can cause the quality of mathematics learning to be low. The purpose of this study is to describe the climate of mathematics learning in the Special Program (PK) class at SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Surakarta. The results showed that: (1) students' mathematics learning behavior showed that students were very enthusiastic when mathematics learning took place, but there were some students who were still shy to progress. Enthusiastic learning of mathematics shown by students will be appreciated by the teacher, appreciation can be in the form of additional value or prizes. The learning habits of the Special Program (PK) class are the use of quarto books, teaching aids, and power points to support mathematics lessons, the sources of mathematics teaching materials used are sourced from textbooks, student worksheets, and other relevant sources (2) social interaction between mathematics teachers with students very well interwoven both in class when mathematics learning takes place or outside the classroom (3) social interaction between students during the learning process of mathematics takes place in a conducive and controlled manner, togetherness and cooperation between students in carrying out tasks running smoothly (4) facilities provided in the complete Special Program (PK) class, public facilities at SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Surakarta are also very adequate and support learning.


This study was carried out to evaluate the socio-economic and environmental effects of timber harvesting in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Three Local Government Areas (LGAs) were purposively selected from the timber producing areas of the state, and multi stage random sampling technique was employed to select a total of 160 respondents – composed of 50 randomly selected farmers from each of the three LGAs and 10 officials from the State Forestry Department. Primary data were used for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the respondents. Data was subjected to statistical and econometric analysis which included percentages, frequencies and exploratory factor analysis. Environmental economic and social effects of timber harvesting observed from the study included: Silting of rivers and lakes, damaging of immature trees and non-wood forest products, loss of biodiversity, climate change/global warming, high cost of farm labour, disputes and crises over land and compensation, high cost of living, loss of forest land and increased cost of wood and timber products. Level of economic losses amounted to over 2000 trees per year from the forests excluding those harvested from free areas that were not officially on record. The study recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture/Environment and other related stakeholders should adequately sensitize the public on the long term implication of illegal logging on the environment and socio-economic well-being of the farmers in the concerned communities.

 Key words: Environment, economic, social, effects, timber harvesting.


The Microstrip antenna has been commercially used in many applications, such as direct broadcast satellite service, mobile satellite communications, global positioning system, medical hyperthermia usage, etc. The patch antenna of the size reduction at a given operating frequency is obtained. Mobile personal communication systems and wireless computer networks are most commonly used nowadays and they are in need of antennas in different frequency bands. In regulate to without difficulty incorporate these antennas into individual systems, a micro strip scrap transmitter have been preferred and intended for a convinced divergence. There is also an analysis of radiation pattern, Gain of the antenna, Directivity of the antenna, Electric Far Field. The simulations results are obtained by using electromagnetic simulation software called feko software are presented and discussed


We consider how to extract the pion form factors in the e regime. Using the correlators with nonzero momenta and taking appropriate ratios of them, we eliminate the dominant finite volume effect from the zero-momentum pion mode. Our preliminary lattice result for the pion charge radius is consistent with the experiment.


Of all types of literature, children's literature is perhaps the best loved, most varied, and most subtly influential. Its history is not merely a footnote to social history, but a fascinating reflection of the way in which society sees itself and how it wishes itself to be seen, of how childhood is defined, controlled, and appreciated. From a literary viewpoint, children's literature shows how adult writers have explored questions of power and control, censorship and entertainment, respect and equality. This volume traces the history of children's literature in Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, from the earliest printed books to the present day. It takes 'children's literature' to mean books designed for children, as well as books of childhood, and so embraces everything from religious tracts to multi-media comics, from the 'classic' to the unashamedly popular. Associate Editors: Dennis Butts; Ethol Heins; Margaret Kinnell; Tony Watkins Editorial Advisors: Louisa Smith; C. W. Sullivan III Contributors: Gillian Avery; Julia Briggs; Betty Gilderdale; Peter Hollindale; Anne Scott Macleod; Roderick McGillis; Michael Stone; Zena Sutherland


Blue jets and blue starters are partially ionized luminous cones of primarily blue light that propagate upward out of the top of thunderstorms at speeds of order 100 km s−1. Blue jets propagate up ∼40 km, but blue starters, which resemble blue jets, terminate abruptly after only a few kilometers of upward travel. Theories on the origin of blue jets have proposed that they are due to either positive or negative streamers or runaway electrons. Quantitative analysis of new multi-instrument observations of a blue starter from an aircraft during the Energetics of Upper Atmospheric Excitation by Lightning, 1998 (EXL98) campaign of July 1998, shows that the ionization accounts for ∼3% of the observed intensity. Quantitative analysis of a remarkable color photograph of a blue jet taken from Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean shows that the minimum optical energy deposition was ∼0.5 MJ. The same photograph shows details of streamers never before seen.


In this course, students use a diversity framework to examine the lived realities of populations-at-risk in The Bahamas. Emphasis is on the importance of enhancing diversity consciousness and cultural competence and models for engaging different populatio


Dynamic Modelling and Control of National Economies 1983, edited by T. Basar & L. F. Pao, Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1984, XIV+ 474 pp. (£72.50). This large and costly volume consists of the proceedings of the 4th IFAC/IFORS/IIASA Conference and the 1983 SEDC Conference on Economic Dynamics and Control, held in Washington DC in June 1983. Sixty-five papers are included, covering subject areas as diverse as Game Theory for Planning, Energy, Regional Models, Control Methods, Macroeconomics and Modelling Languages. The diversity of topics was matched by variety of methodology. For example, most of the papers on international macroeconomics might have been better placed in a mainstream economic journal, whereas the connection with substantive economics of co-editor Pau's article on "Inference of the structure of Economic Reasoning from Natural Language Analysis" was not at all apparent to your reviewer. There is nothing in the volume which I would regard as pathbreaking, though some papers are highly interesting. P.F. Westaway and J.M. Maciejowski provide a thoughtful comparison of classical frequency-domain control theory with statespace optimization methods as ways of assessing economic policies, using a macro-econometric model. I would recommend this paper to any control engineer interested in the application of his art to economics. C.L. Ballard and L.H. Goulder investigate the effects of different assumptions about consumers' expectations in the context of a large numerical general-equilibrium model. They find that "the level of foresight attributed to consumers can affect significantly the welfare gain or loss afforded by alternative tax policies". The whole exercise is an important and provocative contribution to current discussions of tax reform. A third important paper is C.F. Baum and E.P. Howrey's "Effects of an Activist Policy on Macroeconomic Stability". This is a cautionary tale about the limits of effective stabilisation policy in a stochastic environment, supported by empirical evidence from a simple time-series model. As the authors point out, their anti-activist argument depends not at all on fashionable but controversial rational-expectations assumptions. The authors do not explore any connections between their work and "Mark One Monetarism" a la Milton Friedman: the affinities seem to this reviewer to be quite close. The numerous papers on dynamic game theory, by contrast, appeared rather disappointing. These papers tended to be mathematically sophisticated but somewhat lacking in critical consideration of the appropriate solution-concept. Much fascinating work has been done in recent years in developing notions of equilibrium relevant to strategic behaviour over time, but it is not represented in this volume. Finally, I must say that the standard of editing and presentation leaves something to be desired. Some papers would have been better omitted on the grounds of being little more than abstracts, some are printed in highly unattractive formats, and S.J. Turnovsky's contribution has most of the equations missing!


Atmospheric black carbon (BC) concentrations are governed by both emissions and meteorological conditions. Distinguishing these effects enables quantification of the effectiveness of emission mitigation actions by excluding meteorological effects. Here, we develop reduced-form models in both direct (RFDMs) and inverse (RFIMs) modes to estimate ambient BC concentrations. The models were developed based on outputs from multiyear simulations under three conditional scenarios with realistic or fixed emissions and meteorological conditions. We established a set of probabilistic functions (PFs) to quantify the meteorological influences. A significant two-way linear relationship between multiyear annual emissions and mean ambient BC concentrations was revealed at the grid cell scale. The correlation between them was more significant at grid cells with high emission densities. The concentrations and emissions at a given grid cell are also significantly correlated with emissions and concentrations of the surrounding areas, respectively, although to a lesser extent. These dependences are anisotropic depending on the prevailing winds and source regions. The meteorologically induced variation at the monthly scale was significantly higher than that at the annual scale. Of the major meteorological parameters, wind vectors, temperature, and relative humidity were found to most significantly affect variation in ambient BC concentrations.


Crit Care Med 2016 • Volume 44 • Number 12 (Suppl.) PPI from January 2014 to December 2015. Secondary infections were identified by medical coding and confirmed via chart review. Patients that received these agents prior to admission or received both classes during admission were excluded. A total of 13,720 patients received SUP during the study period, split nearly even between groups. To approximate a total acid suppression naïve population, 1,000 of these patients were evaluated for prior to admission use and the percentages were extrapolated to represent a total population for risk analysis. The review estimated that 60% of patients were not on a PPI and 92% of patients were not on a H2RA prior to admission, leaving 4,123 and 6,294 patients per respective group. Results: A total of 79 patients with secondary infections were included in the analysis (46 PPI and 33 H2RA). Baseline characteristics were similar between groups, including antibiotic exposure in CDI patients. Secondary CDI occurred in 21 PPI and 13 H2RA patients. Secondary pneumonia occurred in 29 PPI and 21 H2RA patients. The risk of secondary CDI (RR 1.56; 95 CI, 1.10-1.96) and pneumonia (RR 1.47; 95 CI, 1.09-1.81) was greater in the PPI group. Conclusions: Use of a PPI may be associated with a greater risk of CDI and pneumonia when compared with a H2RA in patients previously naïve to acid suppression. These findings support the use of a H2RA over a PPI for SUP in absence of other deciding factors.


APP (beta-amyloid precursor protein) plays an important role in the formation of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and its proteolytic product, the intracellular domain AID is believed to be involved in this process by promoting cell apoptosis. To further understand the function of AID in the pathology of AD, we utilized AID as a bait to identify AID interacting proteins in a yeast two-hybrid system. One of the positive clones encodes the fragment corresponding to amino acids 90-204 of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D-like JKTBP2. The interaction between JKTBP2(90)-204 and AID was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation in the mammalian 293T cells. These results indicate that JKTBP2 may have an important function in AD formation.


The main therapeutic options for colorectal cancer are surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy in non-metastatic disease. However, the evaluation of the overall adjuvant chemotherapy benefit in patients with a high risk of recurrence is challenging. Radiological images can represent a source of data that can be analyzed by using automated computer-based techniques, working on numerical information coded within Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine files: This image numerical analysis has been named "radiomics". Radiomics allows the extraction of quantitative features from radiological images, mainly invisible to the naked eye, that can be further analyzed by artificial intelligence algorithms. Radiomics is expanding in oncology to either understand tumor biology or for the development of imaging biomarkers for diagnosis, staging, and prognosis, prediction of treatment response and diseases monitoring and surveillance. Several efforts have been made to develop radiomics signatures for colorectal cancer patient using computed tomography (CT) images with different aims: The preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis, detecting BRAF and RAS gene mutations. Moreover, the use of delta-radiomics allows the analysis of variations of the radiomics parameters extracted from CT scans performed at different timepoints. Most published studies concerning radiomics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) mainly focused on the response of advanced tumors that underwent neoadjuvant therapy. Nodes status is the main determinant of adjuvant chemotherapy. Therefore, several radiomics model based on MRI, especially on T2-weighted images and ADC maps, for the preoperative prediction of nodes metastasis in rectal cancer has been developed. Current studies mostly focused on the applications of radiomics in positron emission tomography/CT for the prediction of survival after curative surgical resection and assessment of response following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Since colorectal liver metastases develop in about 25% of patients with colorectal carcinoma, the main diagnostic tasks of radiomics should be the detection of synchronous and metachronous lesions. Radiomics could be an additional tool in clinical setting, especially in identifying patients with high-risk disease. Nevertheless, radiomics has numerous shortcomings that make daily use extremely difficult. Further studies are needed to assess performance of radiomics in stratifying patients with high-risk disease.


Zymoseptoria tritici, a globally distributed pathogen, is responsible of Septoria tritici blotch (STB), one of the most damaging wheat diseases. In Italy the incidence of STB has increased during the past few years. The presence of Z. tritici on flag leaves of susceptible durum wheat plants, cultivar San Carlo, after a single artificial inoculation with two inoculum concentrations at different vegetative stages has been evaluated in the plain of Bologna (North of Italy), in a two year field study (2012–2013). The pathogen presence was also assessed in natural infection conditions after a fungicide application in the second year (2013). The results obtained, by visual examination (Incidence, Disease Severity) and DNA quantification by Real time PCR, demonstrated that BBCH 39 (flag leaf stage) is the most susceptible vegetative stage, independently of inoculum concentration and climatic conditions. A good correlation between Disease Severity and DNA quantity was observed in either sampling methods, entire flag leaves and flag leaf discs. Thereafter the most suitable period to obtain the best crop protection with only one fungicide treatment is the flag leaf stage.