Background: Pure mucinous carcinoma is a rare histologic type of mammary neoplasm and may exist as mixed mucinous-ductal carcinoma. This study aims to describe fine needle aspiration cytology features of mucinous carcinoma of breast diagnosed in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Nepal over the period of 2 years and to correlate with histological findings. Materials and Methods: There were a total of 8 cases of mucinous carcinoma of breast, diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology in TUTH during the period from April 2010 to March 2012. The patient's age, laterality of involvement, fine needle aspiration cytology features, gross and histological findings, type of surgery performed and tumor size were evaluated. Fine needle aspiration cytology smears were evaluated for cellularity, amount of mucin, chicken-wire vasculature and nuclear atypia. Results: Fine needle aspiration cytology provided a pre-operative diagnosis of mucinous carcinoma in 5 cases and mixed mucinous carcinoma-invasive ductal carcinoma in 3 cases. Histological examination showed pure mucinous carcinoma in 3 cases, mixed mucinous carcinoma-invasive ductal carcinoma in 4 cases and mixed cribriform carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in 1 case. Conclusion: Mucinous carcinoma may appear clinically and radiologically benign and fine needle aspiration cytology plays important role in the correct pre-operative diagnosis. Significant nuclear pleomorphism and necrosis, in addition to extracellular mucin suggests mixed mucinous carcinomainvasive ductal carcinoma. Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2012) Vol. 2, 285-288 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpn.v2i4.6879


The presence of the informal sector in towns and cities of the developing world challenges the current urban planning approaches as conflicts of landuse between 'planned for' zones and informal zones continue to soar. With informality as a challenge to urban planning, this book analyses the informal sector with informal trade at Sakubva Musika in Mutare: Zimbabwe as a point in case. It therefore gives a balanced assessment of the problem at hand, shedding more light on regulatory, policy, management and spatial planning issues that should inform urban planning with regard to urban informality. Information in this book is of great importance to Local Authorities and Central Governments, academic institutions, development organisations and individuals interested in coming up with solutions towards alleviating poverty in towns and cities of the developing world.


Fertility rates are important determinants of both overall population growth and demographic transitions from high to low age dependency ratios, which in turn have important consequences for economic growth, poverty reduction, and improved health and nutrition outcomes. Ethiopia currently has one of the highest fertility rates in the world, although there are marked differences between rural and urban fertility rates. This paper explores the drivers of rural and urban fertility rates, including systematic tests of differences in key determinants. This further allows us to project fertility rates into the future based on alternative urbanization, economic growth, and education scenarios. Finally, we link these alternative projections with existing estimates of the benefits of fertility reductions on economic growth, nutrition, and poverty reduction


Most thinking about design, and indeed most research into design, has focussed on what happens within design projects. Yet when we study design and architectural firms/departments more carefully, we observe several layers of design activity – not just activities within projects, but also design activities that work across projects. Lead designers create the intellectual (and physical) context in which design takes place and can prosper, the 'Practice'. In this exploratory paper we will sketch the nature of this 'Design Practice'. This exploration leads to a research agenda, and to some first thoughts on how this level of design activities could be better addressed in design education.


The immunologic effects of ampicillin polymers were studied in mice and rabbits. Polymerized ampicillin--in contrast to monomers--had a suppressive effect on the antibody response to penicilloylated proteins. Unfractionated ampicillin polymer, and high molecular weight fractions were found to have an immunogenic effect in mice, when tested by a haemolytic plaque assay. The immunogenic effect of variously sized polymers did not correspond to their antigenic activity as reflected by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis experiments.


This study was intended to compare the capacities of different strains of Strep, sanguis for P-Aminobenzoic acid (PABA) production. The synthesis of PABA during the growth of four strains of Strep. sanguis was measured by the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method. The results showed that the concentrations of PABA synthesized by S. sanguis 10556, S. sanguis 10557, S. sanguis S34 and S. sanguis H7-4. Were 1.979 +/- 0.081 micrograms/ml, 1.383 +/- 0.193 micrograms/ml, 1.983 +/- 0.052 micrograms/ml and 1.032 +/- 0.229 micrograms/ml, respectively, and in term of PABA concentration, S. sanguis 10556 was significantly different from S. sanguis 10557 and S. sanguis H7-4; S. sanguis S34 was significantly different from S. sanguis 10557 and S. sanguis H7-4. No significant difference was found between S. sanguis 10556 and S. sanguis S34, nor between S. sanguis 10557 and S. sanguis H7-4, either. In conclusion, the method is simple, rapid and accurate. S. sanguis did synthesize PABA, and the difference in ability for PABA formation existed among the four strains of S. sanguis. This study is helpful to researches on the symbiosis between S. sanguis and S. muntans and to determination of their role in the microbial homeostasis of dental plaque.


By Liza Fridenmaker, Communication; Sara Narin, Communication; Courtney Eckstein, Communication
 Advisor: Michael Sharp
 Presentation ID: PM_A37
 Abstract: The Service Learning Collaboratory course was based off of an established partnership between the University of Cincinnati and an organization known as Saturday Hoops. The goal of the course is to help to further break higher education out of its silo. Students presenting on the Service Learning Collaboratory course will share lessons that they have learned, data, and exciting next steps pertaining to an innovative educational model and accompanying course - The Service Learning Collaboratory: Saturday Hoops. The presentation will showcase the impact that the course has had, as well as learning outside of the classroom, specifically focused on the SALD value of community. Included, however, in the poster presentation will be student's efforts toward upholding the other SALD values of diversity, integrity, growth, and leadership. The poster will serve as a visual representation of their journey and impact in the downtown Cincinnati community. The poster will reflect the group's adherence to the Experiential Learning Cycle and will include: (1) Timeline and development of impact piece; (2) Impacted Audience; (3) Identification of SALD value; (4) Result of Impact; (5) Reflection/Learning as a result of project or process; and (5) Future Implications.


Individual and business clients like to utilize wellsprings of correspondence. The use and significance of messages ceaselessly develop regardless of the predominance of elective methods, like electronic messages, versatile applications, and informal organizations. As the volume of business-basic messages keeps on developing, the need to robotize the administration of messages increments for a few reasons, for example, spam email order, phishing email characterization, and multi-envelope classification, among others. Sending a gigantic number of undesirable sends makes security danger clients. These are sent along informing frameworks as substance. Mobile telephones in a real sense are being made un-operational through these sorts of digital assaults. This undertaking means to fabricate an AI model that figures out how to distinguish the assaulting through malware caused inside informing that contains various types of sources that incorporate content, video and sound. The model intends to get familiar with the assaulting caused through malware and afterwards trigger an activity that counters the assault dependent on its sort•


Prostate segmentation on CT images is a challenging task. In this paper, we explore the population and patient-specific characteristics for the segmentation of the prostate on CT images. Because population learning does not consider the inter-patient variations and because patient-specific learning may not perform well for different patients, we are combining the population and patient-specific information to improve segmentation performance. Specifically, we train a population model based on the population data and train a patient-specific model based on the manual segmentation on three slice of the new patient. We compute the similarity between the two models to explore the influence of applicable population knowledge on the specific patient. By combining the patient-specific knowledge with the influence, we can capture the population and patient-specific characteristics to calculate the probability of a pixel belonging to the prostate. Finally, we smooth the prostate surface according to the prostate-density value of the pixels in the distance transform image. We conducted the leave-one-out validation experiments on a set of CT volumes from 15 patients. Manual segmentation results from a radiologist serve as the gold standard for the evaluation. Experimental results show that our method achieved an average DSC of 85.1% as compared to the manual segmentation gold standard. This method outperformed the population learning method and the patient-specific learning approach alone. The CT segmentation method can have various applications in prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy.


Medical imaging continues to permeate the practice of medicine, but automated yet accurate segmentation and labeling of anatomical structures continues to be a major obstacle to computerized medical image analysis (MIA). Deformable models, with its profound roots in estimation theory, optimization, and physics-based dynamical systems, represent a powerful approach to the general problem of medical image segmentation. This Thesis presents a number of novel contributions to the field of deformable modeling, and includes theory as well as application. In the first part of the Thesis, a modified Active Contour Model (ACM), utilizing adaptive inflation reversal and damping, is applied to segmenting oral lesions in color images. In the second part, the amalgamation of Active Shape Models (ASM) and ACM into a technique, that harnesses the powers of both, is applied to locating the left ventricular boundary in echocardiographic images. The third part of the Thesis discusses the development of two methodological extensions for spatio-temporal image analysis: Optical flow-based contour deformations, applied to contrast agent tracking in echocardiographic image sequences, and deformable spatio-temporal shape models for extending 2D ASM to 2D+time. The fourth part describes the use of a new Hierarchical Regional Principal Component Analysis, and presents two methods for interactive and learned, localized and multiscale, controlled shape deformation: medial-based shape profiles and physics-based shape deformations. In the final part of the Thesis, we develop Deformable Organisms: a robust decision-making framework for MIA that combines bottom-up, data-driven deformable models with top-down, knowledge-driven processes in a layered fashion inspired by Artificial Life modeling concepts. We present different segmentation and labeling examples of various anatomical structures from medical images and conclude that deformable organisms represent a promising new paradigm for MIA.


—A software architecture to rapidly develop and test radio networks in real and physical environments is proposed. Radio network terminals are developed in software and run on generic hardware to maximize reconfigurability. Due to the software nature of the radio terminals, radio networks can be simulated in a virtual environment, where physical channels are emulated by software entities. Without any changes to the code base, the same waveform can also be run in a real, physical environment. This feature is used to rapidly switch between real and virtual networks, thus bridging the gap between simulation and physical reality. Aspects of the proposed system are implemented and demonstrated with the GNU Software Radio framework.


ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to compare clinical characteristics of children and adolescents who experienced antidepressant-emergent mood switch (AEMS) and those who did not, and to investigate the predictors of AEMS in a clinical sample of Korean children and adolescents. MethodsTwo psychiatrists retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 115 children and adolescents (age, 15.0 [2.0] years; 45 boys) that were prescribed antidepressants or lamotrigine for the treatment of a depressive episode of bipolar or depressive disorders from March 2010 to February 2012 at the Department of Psychiatry of Asan Medical Center. The diagnosis was reviewed and confirmed for each subject. Demographic information, clinical characteristics, family history, and psychiatric comorbidities were compared across subjects with and without AEMS. ResultsTwelve subjects (10.4%) experienced AEMS. The latency to AEMS was 25.9 (20.9) days (range, 2–56 days; median, 18 days). Antidepressant-emergent mood switch was more frequent in subjects with bipolar disorder (BD) than in subjects with depressive disorder (P < 0.001) and in subjects with high socioeconomic status (P < 0.001). Previous suicidal attempt (P = 0.001), previous antidepressant exposure (P = 0.001), number of previous antidepressant exposures (P < 0.001), family history of other psychiatric disorder (P = 0.001), and concomitant antipsychotics (P = 0.006) were more common in subjects with AEMS than in subjects without AEMS. In multivariate logistic regression, diagnosis of BD (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 15.94 [1.83–139.16]), concomitant antipsychotics (26.90 [2.43–297.38]), and family history of other psychiatric disorder (39.55 [3.05–512.22]) were significant predictors of AEMS. ConclusionsChildren and adolescents who experienced AEMS had distinct profiles of clinical characteristics. Antidepressant-emergent mood switch may be more associated with BD than with depressive disorder.


Although survival of liver transplantation for patients with hepatitis B infection is comparable to uninfected transplant recipients, prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reinfection remains an important goal. In this article, several aspects of the hepatitis B reinfection and its management will be examined. Approximately 50% of the treatment failures that occur with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIg) prophylaxis are due to mutations in the 'a' determinant of the HBV. In patients without mutations, failure of HBIg therapy may relate to the frequency and dose of HBIg, the type and amount of immunosuppression, and the pre-transplant replication status. Antiviral therapy with lamivudine and famciclovir has been used successfully to treat patients who have failed HBIg treatment and as monotherapies for liver transplant recipients. Combining antiviral and immunomodulatory therapies appears efficacious, at least in the short term. New developments related to immunotherapy predict three potential trends in future use: 1) i.v. formulated HBIg, 2) monoclonal antibodies, or 3) hepatitis B immune plasma. In conclusion, there are an increasing number of therapeutic options for the management of patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatitis B infection. Continued improvement in patient outcomes requires further understanding of each therapeutic agent and the specific patient characteristics that may influence efficacy.


Naturalism, as I understand it, includes cosmological naturalism, ontological naturalism and methodological naturalism. After clarifying these three theses I argue that the combination of ontological with methodological naturalism is untenable. I do so by providing a pro tanto case against ontological naturalism and show that it can be resisted, but only by abandoning methodological naturalism. The pro tanto case is that ontological naturalism requires a version of what I call Redundancy Nominalism, but methodological naturalists should either reject it or at very least treat it, and hence ontological naturalism, as a speculation.


The title of this book confirms one of its own hypotheses, namely that American culture (here academic culture) assumes an American frame: the book is not about 'Olympic media', focusing instead solely on NBC's coverage of the summer and winter Games between 1996 and 2006. Within this (at times slightly claustrophobic) frame, it sets out to examine (1) the production decisions and routines involved in televising the Olympics through a series of interviews with (very) highly placed individuals in the production process; (2) the extent to which their views of the coverage compare with the results of a very detailed content analysis (CA) of the primetime telecasts; and (3) the extent to which this coverage affects how a sample of viewers understand the following issues: the heavy focus on American athletes; representations of gender; and representations of ethnicity.These three issues form the backbone of the entire project, structuring the inquiry in each of its phases. The interviews with the production personnel are truly illuminating, highlighting the sheer complexity of the undertaking.The producers feel that: (1) while they have to privilege American athletes to meet audience expectations and maintain ratings – a recurrent theme – they do their best to be fair and scrupulously avoid any 'us v. them' approach; (2) great strides have been made in avoiding sexist language and stereotypes; and (3) ethnicity is largely a non-issue, or one that 'speaks for itself ' via the visuals. The figures relating to the CA are extremely impressive: 347 hours of coverage analysed, 200+ coders used, 17 taxonomic categories, and so on. How impressive the reader finds the results depends on his or her confidence in a relatively blunt analytical tool such as CA – complete with c, expected frequencies and ANOVA – to capture the complexities of cultural phenomena of this kind. In any case, the results show that coverage of American athletes is in the main structured around positive ideals, and that of female athletes more often includes comments on physical appearance than that of men. The chapter on ethnicity is perhaps the most compelling, largely because the author comes at it from a broader perspective than CA alone. The audience questionnaire is disappointing: a convenience sample with no information given on demographics and which tells us little of real value. Despite the occasional nagging feeling that the mountain has moved to produce a mouse, there is much of interest in this book, in particular the interviews and the finding that the less scripted the commentary is, the more likely it is to reproduce negative stereotypes.


: Experience of 115 observations of surgical treatment of arteriovenous malformations of the big brain hemispheres, having small and middle size, and owing various clinical signs, was analyzed. In 36 patients the epilepsy-like type of clinical signs was noted. To all the patients surgical treatment was conducted, using microsurgical technologies or endovascular embolization. Differentiated approach for determination of optimal method of surgical treatment have permitted to achieve satisfactory result in 33 (91.6%) patients, suffering epilepsy-like type of clinical signs.


Women's homelessness is continually referred to as a new, surprising, or growing phenomenon. Rather, in this paper we explore the proposition that women's homelessness has long existed in Canada, Australia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, but in many ways has been ignored or marginalized. To do so, we use texts, articles, and reports from the mid-1800's to today to present how women experiencing homelessness are pushed to the margins of an already marginalized group. Instead of a new phenomenon, we seek to demonstrate that women's homelessness has evolved over time parallel with evolving gender roles. Ultimately, we conclude that it is in fact structural forces of gender that have put women at unique risk of experiencing hidden homelessness.


As new variants keep the Covid-19 pandemic raging in many countries, the worldwide race between vaccinations and mutations may yet be lost: with more uncontrolled infections, further mutations are more likely to emerge, especially when unvaccinated hosts with weak immune systems allow infections to last longer. Transmission to vaccinated hosts can then facilitate the selection of mutations that "escape" the vaccine-induced immune response. To win that race, the worldwide campaign for vaccinations must be redesigned to exploit economies of scale more efficiently. But popular calls for patent waivers are misguided; they risk damaging the incentives for continued vaccine innovation efforts on which the world depends in fighting against SARS-CoV-2, other existing epidemics and future pandemics. Instead, the G7 should help convert the existing Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access initiative (COVAX) into a more generously endowed global fund that instead of – as it was de facto forced to do, against initial intentions – merely acquiring rich countries' surplus vaccines and relying heavily on unpredictable donations, acquires the most promising vaccine patents in what is known as a patent buyout, aiming to offer free production licenses to all technically qualified vaccine and generic drug manufacturers around the world. This Policy Brief spells out detailed steps the G7 must take, and the funding for COVAX they must provide, to achieve this turnaround in the worldwide fight against the pandemic. It also argues the proposed patent buyouts would be more efficient than the draft compromise on patent waivers that India, South Africa, the EU and the US have recently negotiated and that is now waiting for approval by their respective governments and EU member countries and thereafter by all member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO).


Objective : to provide guidelines on how to improve the quality of health care in transplantation services for Russian regions; the recommendations were prepared by the Shumakov National Medical Research Center of Transplantology and Artificial Organs (Shumakov Center) based on field trips made by Shumakov Center from 2018 to 2019 in order to assess the status and development prospects of organ donation and organ transplantation in various regions of the Russian Federation. Materials and methods. Based on the over 40 field trips made by the Center, analytical reports, as well as recommendations were prepared by the Ministry of Health of Russia for regional health authorities and transplant centers. Guidelines were selected from these recommendations to address the most significant and common gaps and errors inherent in organ donation and organ transplantation in the regions. On the basis of the analytical reports, guidelines for the roadmap (plan) for organ donation and transplantation in the region were prepared. Results . A methodological framework for solving a wide range of managerial challenges on organ donation and organ transplantation is proposed for heads and experts at healthcare institutions and medical organizations. Conclusion. Organ donation and organ transplantation should be developed for the regions using the roadmap (plan) prepared and approved by the regional health authority. This approach brings stability and consistency to the development process, creates a resource base for development, and provides coordination and oversight.


As consumption patterns become increasingly sophisticated and manufacturers strive to improve their competitiveness, not only offering higher quality at competitive costs, but also by providing broader mix of products, and keeping it attractive by launching successively new products, the turbulence in the markets has intensified. This has impelled leading manufacturers to search the development of alternative production systems supposed to enable them operate more responsively. This paper discusses the trend of abandoning the strategy of relying on factory automation technologies and conveyor-based assembly lines, and shifting towards more human-centered production systems based on autonomous work-cells, observed in some industries in Japan (e.g. consumer electronics, computers, printers) since mid-1990s. The purpose of this study is to investigate this trend which is seemingly uneconomic to manufacturers established in a country where labor costs are among the highest in the world, so as to contribute in the elucidation of its background and rationality. This work starts with a theoretical review linking the need to cope with nowadays' market turbulence with the issue of nurturing more agile organizations. Then, a general view of the diffusion trend of work-cell based assembly systems in Japanese electronics industries is presented, and some empirical facts gathered in field studies conducted in Japan are discussed. It is worthy mentioning that the abandonment of short cycle-time tasks performed along conveyor lines and the organization of workforce around work-cells do not imply a rejection of the lean production paradigm and its distinctive process improvement approach. High man-hour productivity is realized as a key goal to justify the implementation of work-cells usually devised to run in longer cycle-time, and the moves towards this direction has been strikingly influenced by the kaizen philosophy and techniques that underline typical initiatives of lean production system implementation. Finally, it speculates that even though the subject trend is finding wide diffusion in the considered industries, it should not be regarded as a panacea. In industries such as manufacturing of autoparts, despite the notable product diversification observed in the automobile market, its circumstances have still allowed the firms to rely on capital-intensive process, and this has sustained the development of advanced manufacturing technologies that enable the agile implementation and re-configuration of highly automated assembly lines.


In establishing conditions for continuity of the height of a capillary surface f(x, y) at a re-entrant corner point of the domain of definition, Lancaster and Siegel introduced a hypothesis of symmetry, which does not appear in corresponding conditions for a protruding corner. We show here that the hypothesis cannot be discarded. Starting with a symmetric configuration for which the surface height is continuous at the corner point in accordance with the hypotheses of those authors, we show that the height can be made discontinuous by an asymmetric domain perturbation that is in an asymptotic sense arbitrarily small, and for which all hypotheses other than that of symmetry remain in force.


This research is motivated by the problem of low performance in the company CV. Multi Global Perkasa credit sales techniques for customers who do payment data processing, then the data processing requires quite a long time. Therefore, with the application of the Consumptive Credit Accounting Information System application that has been designed, in the form of reports that can be presented quickly such as customer reports, credit payments and suppliers. Each system is designed to provide supervision and convenience to all transactions carried out by a company so that the performance of a company runs effectively and efficiently.


Objectives:To investigate the potential role of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) used to treat multiple sclerosis on inducing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) production. Methods:A total of 82 patients entered the study. Sixty (73%) patients were on DMTs (15 on Avonex, 13 on Rebif, 27 on Betaferon, 3 on Mitoxantrone, and 2 on IVIg), whereas 22 received no DMTs. The degree of neurological impairment was recorded using the expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Serum BDNF levels were assessed using the Sandwich ELISA method. We compared mean serum BDNF levels among patient groups based on whether or not they were on DMTs, and the specific agent used. Then, the relationship between BDNF levels and EDSS scores was assessed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate a cutoff value by which serum BDNF could predict the degree of disability. Results:The study sample had a mean age of 34.6 years, mean EDSS score of 3.8, and mean BDNF level of 198.9 pg/mL. Patients on interferon-&bgr; 1b therapy had significantly higher levels of BDNF compared with patients on Mitoxantrone or patients not on DMTs (237.6, 68.6, and 155.9, respectively; P=0.003). The degree of neurological impairment correlated negatively with BDNF levels (P<0.001). A cutoff value of 190 pg/mL was calculated for BDNF (ROC analysis, area under the curve: 0.729, P=0.002). At BDNF levels >190, the sensitivity for a milder degree of neurological impairment (EDSS<3) was 80%. Conclusions:This study showed a significant effect of interferon-&bgr; 1b therapy on increasing BDNF production in multiple sclerosis.


The article provides an overview of the second part of a report on international branch campuses (IBCs). The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE) and the Cross-Border Education Research Team (C-BERT) are the authors of the report. IBCs continue to grow in number and variety around the world, and the report includes updated estimates and patterns by country, but previously there has been limited attention paid to the success factors of mature IBCs. Defined as campuses in place for a decade or more, the report draws on in-depth interviews with campus and institutional leaders.


: Background & Objectives: Magnesium deficiency has been proposed as a novel factor implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Hypomagnesaemia can be both a consequence and a cause of diabetic complications. The aim of our study was to know the relationship between magnesium levels and diabetes and also note its association with the complications of diabetes. Methods: This study was undertaken in National Institute Of Medical Science and Research. Hospital, Jaipur from January 2017 to June 2018. A total of 150 cases of type-2 diabetes mellitus were taken for the study after satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. 150 non diabetic patients were taken as controls. All the patients were evaluated in detail and serum magnesium levels were estimated using calmagite method. Results: The serum magnesium levels among cases and controls were 1.67±0.37 mg/dl and 2.03±0.25 mg/dl respectively. The mean serum magnesium levels in patients with diabetic retinopathy were 1.69±0.27 mg/dl which is significantly lower as compared to other complications of diabetes mellitus. Interpretation and Conclusion: There was significant reduction in serum magnesium levels in diabetics compared to the controls. The levels of magnesium were found to be lower in uncontrolled diabetic cases, cases with long standing diabetes and insulin treated diabetic cases. Hypomagnesaemia is significant with presence of retinopathy as complication in diabetics.


OBJECTIVE
To measure the level of occupational exposure to isoflurane in the operating room, and to determine the relation between isoflurane concentration in atmospheric and exhaled air.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
One hundred seventy-eight samples were obtained from 60 male and female subjects who work in the operating room of our hospital. To monitor workplace exposure we used passive diffusion samplers. Biological monitoring (isoflurane in exhaled air) was accomplished with standard adsorption tubes to collect exhaled air samples. Gases were thermically separated and analyzed by gas chromatography.

RESULTS
Atmospheric isoflurane concentrations ranged between 1.14 and 157.23 mg/m3 (geometric mean 16.23 mg/m3). Exhaled isoflurane concentrations ranged from 0.15 to 26.09 mg/m3 (geometric mean 2.85 mg/m3). Atmospheric and exhaled isoflurane concentrations were strongly related (r = 0.82; p < 0.0001). Linearity was determined by the following equation: log of exhaled isoflurane concentration = -0.69 + 0.95 log of atmospheric isoflurane concentration.

CONCLUSIONS
The concentrations of isoflurane in atmospheric and exhaled air found in our study exceed the maximum levels for halogenated gases recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, although they do not exceed the levels stipulated by Swiss authorities. In order to adequately assess operating room antipollution measures, atmospheric and biologic monitoring of isoflurane and other inhaled anesthetic gas concentrations is necessary.


The research objectives were: to evaluate the quality of a pea snack prepared using four different methods of cooking, namely, frying, baking, steaming and microwave; to determine the effect of blending dried green pea with chickpea dhal on the quality of a fried pea snack. Green pea and chickpea snacks were prepared according to a traditional Mauritian recipe by using dried green pea and chickpea dhal respectively. Instrumental colour (CIE L*a*b*) and texture (shear force) were measured. Moisture content was determined by the air-oven drying method and fat content was quantified by the soxhlet extraction method. Quantitative Descriptive Analysis was performed by 7 experienced assessors of CFTRI using 15 cm line scales. The fried green pea snack obtained highest score for "crispy" and lowest score for "moist" texture attributes compared to the nonfried snacks (p<0.05). Higher instrumental shear force values were recorded for fried snacks than those which were cooked by other methods (p<0.05). Shear force was lowest for the steamed green pea snack (4.33±0.07 N) and highest for the fried green pea snack (20.89±0.93 N) (p<0.05). The CIE L* (lightness) values of the snack surface showed that the fried snacks were darker than the non-fried snacks (p<0.05). The fried snacks were characterised by positive CIE a*, representing red colour, with the highest value obtained for the chickpea snack (9.77±0.18) (p<0.05). On the other hand, the CIE a* results for the nonfried snacks were negative, representing green colour, with the lowest value noted for the steamed green pea snack (-2.33±0.44) (p<0.05). The fried pea snack was found to have much higher fat content than the non-fried snacks: fried snack (27.94 % w/w, wet weight basis); non-fried snacks (1.20-2.75% w/w/, wet weight basis). The reverse trend was observed for the moisture content data: fried snack (39.86% w/w, wet weight basis); non-fried snacks (45.56-68.10% w/w, wet weight basis). The sensory scores for the snack prepared with equal proportion of green pea and chickpea radiated a picture which was intermediate between the trends for the fried green pea and fried chickpea snacks. Sensory scores for "fried oil" and "onion" flavour characteristics were highest for the fried green pea snack while the fried chickpea snack obtained highest score for "pulsey" flavour and lowest score for "greenish inner core" (p<0.05). Significant correlations were established between sensory scores for colour and texture, as well as colour and flavour characteristics. Correlations between instrumental and sensory data for colour and texture parameters were also significant. The fried and non-fried snacks were comparable in terms of overall quality scores given by assessors. Keywords : green pea, chickpea, snack, frying, steaming, baking, microwave cooking, sensory characteristics, quality


Temperature-responsive polymers are smart materials due to responding to change in surrounding temperature and are applicable for different applications. Here, we prepared the smart rubber from epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) latex, N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL) as monomer, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a surfactant and potassium persulfate (KPS) as free radical initiator. The temperature responsiveness of the grafted copolymers was investigated using water swelling and compared with that of pure ENR. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the grafted copolymer was found to be in the range 20-40 ˚C whereas the ENR was not responsive to temperature. The temperature-responsiveness of the grafted copolymer near human body temperature can be utilized to be fabricated as biomedical materials. Based on this study, the temperature-responsive ENR-graft-NVCL would potentially be used as a novel responsive rubber-based material in various applications.


Abstract This systematic review and meta-analysis has addressed ongoing controversy surrounding the association between pre-treatment anxiety, stress and depression and assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. Medline, Embase and PsycINFO were searched up to November 2019. The eligibility criterion was observational studies reporting the association between pre-treatment anxiety, stress or depression and ART outcomes in men, women or couples undergoing ART. The association between pre-treatment anxiety, stress and depression and ART outcomes were extracted, and meta-analyses carried out if ≥3 studies assessed the same outcome over the same number of cycles and reported results homogeneously. The review reports a potential association between decreased sperm motility and increased male state anxiety, but no significant association between women's pre-treatment emotional health and ART outcomes in terms of live birth, clinical pregnancy, chemical pregnancy, oocyte retrieval, embryos transferred or fertilization. Meta-analyses showed no significant standardized mean difference (SMD) for anxiety/stress and clinical or chemical pregnancy, or depression and clinical or chemical pregnancy.


Dental caries is a disease caused by Streptococcus mutans. The use of chlorhexidine to inhibit bacterial colonization has side effects such as tooth staining and can kill the normal flora when used long term. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a chemical compound in the form of polyphenols from green tea catechins which have antimicrobial potency to inhibit microorganism growth and biofilm formation. Type Laboratory Experimental Research In-vitro. The group that will be studied are the negative control group in the form of S.mutans + 5% sucrose, the treatment group in the form of S. mutans + 5% sucrose and EGCG concentration of 0.125mg/ml, 0.25mg/ml, 0.375mg/ml and a positive control group is S.mutans + 5% sucrose and 0.1% chlorhexidine. Data were analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to determine the normality of the data, Levene's test for homogeneity of data, One Way ANOVA Post Hoc Tukey HSD Multiple Comparison to determine differences between treatments. Results: There were significant differences between the treatment groups and the negative control at test results Post Hoc Tukey HSD and the significant differences in the concentration of EGCG 0.375mg/ml with the positive control given chlorhexidine 0.1% (p <0.05). Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) influence on the activity of S. mutans biofilm formation and EGCG concentration of 0.375mg/ml are more effective as an antibiofilm of S. mutans compared with chlorhexidine 0.1%.


This dissertation is the result of my research work at the SMACS research group (Department of Telecommunications and Information Processing, Ghent University) and it concerns the analysis of queueing models with batch service. A queueing model basically is a mathematical abstraction of a situation where customers arrive and queue up until they receive some kind of service. These phenomena are omnipresent in real life: people waiting at a counter of a post office or bank, people in the waiting room of a doctor, airplanes waiting to take off, people waiting until they get connected with the call center, data packets which are temporarily stored into a buffer until the transmisssion channel is available, et cetera.
The analysis of queueing models constitutes the subject of the applied mathematical discipline called queueing theory and amounts to answering questions such as "How many customers are waiting on average?", "How long do customers have to wait?", "Is there a large variation on the waiting time?", "What is the probability that data packets are lost due to a full buffer?", "What is the probability that a customer suffers a lengthy delay?", et cetera. In queueing theory, the number of customers and their waiting time are often denominated by respectively buffer content and customer delay. In addition, the probability that a quantity, such as the buffer content or customer delay, is very large or lengthy, is generally called a tail probability.
The models we investigate throughout this dissertation have in common that customers can be served in batches, meaning that several customers can be served simultaneously. An elevator can be viewed as a classic example, as several people can be transported simultaneously to another floor. Also, in a variety of production or transport processes several goods can be processed together.
Furthermore, in quality control, classification of items as good or bad can often be achieved more economically by examining the items in groups rather than individually. If the result of a group test is good, all items within it can then be classified as good, whereas one or more items are bad in the opposite case, where the items can then be retested by considering smaller groups. Group testing is especially of importance when the percentage of bad items is small.
In addition, in telecommunications networks, packets with the same destination and quality of service (QoS) requirements are often aggregated into so-called bursts and these bursts are transmitted over the network. This is mainly done for efficiency reasons, since only one header per aggregated burst has to be constructed, instead of one header per single information unit, thus leading to an increased throughput. Technologies using packet aggregation include for instance Optical burst switched (OBS) networks and IEEE 802.11n wireless local area networks (WLANs).
An inherent aspect of batch service is that newly arriving customers cannot join the ongoing service, even if there is free capacity (we denominate the maximum number of customers that can be served simultaneously by server capacity). For instance, an arriving person cannot enter an elevator that has just left, even if space is available. This person has to wait until the elevator has transported its occupants to their requested floors and has returned, which might take a long time in high buildings. In view of this, it is of importance to take a well-considered decision when the server becomes available and finds less customers than it can serve in theory. This decision is called the service policy.
A whole spectrum of service policies exist. The server could, for instance, start serving the already present customers immediately. Although the present customers benefit from this approach, capacity is wasted: customers that arrive later cannot join the ongoing service. An alternative for this so-called immediate-batch service policy is the full-batch service policy. In this case, the available server postpones service until the number of present customers reaches or exceeds the server capacity, which, in turn, has a negative effect on the delay of the customers waiting to form a full batch (postponing delay).
The threshold-based policy is a kind of compromise between immediate-batch service policy and full-batch service policy. When the number of present customers is below some service threshold, service is postponed, whereas service is initiated when the number of present customers reaches or exceeds this threshold. It is important to realize that even with this compromise, long postponing delays are possible. Therefore, in this dissertation, we combine a thresholdbased policy with a timer mechanism that avoids excessive postponing delays.
The purpose of this dissertation is to calculate a large spectrum of performance measures, which enable to evaluate a broad set of situations with batch service and aid in selecting an efficient service policy. The studied performance measures are moments, such as the mean value and variance, and tail probabilities of the buffer content and the customer delay.
This dissertation is structured as follows. In chapter 1, we motivate our work and we introduce crucial concepts such as probability generating functions (PGFs), whose useful properties are frequently relied upon throughout the analysis. Then we deduce moments and tail probabilities of the buffer content in chapter 2. The resulting formulas still contain unknown probabilities that have to be calculated numerically. As this might become unfeasible in some cases, we compute in chapter 3 approximations for the buffer content. Next, moments and tail probabilities of the customer delay are covered in respectively chapters 4 and 5. In order to analyze the moments, we conceive the customer delay as the sum of two non-overlapping parts, whereas for the tail probabilities, it turns out to be more convenient to interpret the delay as the maximum of two time periods. Further, in real life the customer arrival process often exhibits some kind of dependency. For instance, if a large amount of customers have recently arrived, it is likely that many customers arrive in the near future, as it might be an indication of a peak moment. Therefore, we investigate in chapter 6 the influence of dependency in the arrival process on the behaviour of batch-service phenomena and on the selection of an efficient service policy. Finally, the main contributions are summarized in chapter 7.


In this article, a parallel is drawn between Steven Hawking's use of common and novel metaphors in his evolving explanation of the theory of the universe and the similar use of common and novel metaphors by educators in four school contexts attempting to illuminate their experiences of school reform storied and restoried over time. The epistemic role of novel metaphors is unpacked through examining the plotlines of the metaphors, the morals of the metaphors, the freedom of the metaphors and the teacher knowledge implications resident in the live metaphorical utterances. Through the use of self‐selected novel metaphors, both Hawking and the educators merged propositional and non‐propositional knowledge that was bound up in persons—and communicated across people—in deceptively simple, though infinitely complex, ways.


Governments around the world have in recent years, increased the numbers of women legislators through gender quotas. Kenyan women inched closer to the glass ceiling when a new constitution in 2010 guaranteed them 13 percent representation in the parliament. Kenya currently stands at 10 percent women representation, which is significantly lower than neighboring countries Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, that stands at above 30 percent. Using the theory of representative bureaucracy by Krislov and Rosenbloom (1981), and Kingdon (2003) concept of agenda setting and the policy process, this analysis delineates past government policies and analyzes the constitutional process encompassing gender quota legislation. This research utilizes multiple secondary and archival datasets such as government reports, academic and professional publications, news articles, and statistical agencies' reports. Findings show that the Kenya government is slow in increasing women representation because political, cultural, and ideological structures continue to pose obstacles in policymaking. Keyword: Gender quota, lethargic policymaking, Kenyan's legislation


Digital mental health (DMH) interventions, such as text-message-based lessons and activities, offer immense potential for accessible mental health support. While these interventions can be effective, real-world experimental testing can further enhance their design and impact. Adaptive experimentation, utilizing algorithms like Thompson Sampling for (contextual) multi-armed bandit (MAB) problems, can lead to continuous improvement and personalization. However, it remains unclear when these algorithms can simultaneously increase user experience rewards and facilitate appropriate data collection for social-behavioral scientists to analyze with sufficient statistical confidence. Although a growing body of research addresses the practical and statistical aspects of MAB and other adaptive algorithms, further exploration is needed to assess their impact across diverse real-world contexts. This paper presents a software system developed over two years that allows text-messaging intervention components to be adapted using bandit and other algorithms while collecting data for side-by-side comparison with traditional uniform random non-adaptive experiments. We evaluate the system by deploying a text-message-based DMH intervention to 1100 users, recruited through a large mental health non-profit organization, and share the path forward for deploying this system at scale. This system not only enables applications in mental health but could also serve as a model testbed for adaptive experimentation algorithms in other domains.


In this paper, a method of simulation and testing of MCM's thermal fields has been presented. The method is based on the MCM's structure decomposition and formalization of the problem of heat exchange simulation among the elements of a structure. The general thermal model of the structure is presented as multilevel rectangular parallelepiped with the flat and bulky heat sources with the assumption about heat exchange with the environment by the system of initial and boundary conditions. Steady-state solution of thermal simulation problem in analytical form has been obtained. The "MONSTR-M" system of MCM's thermal design is realized. Comparisons of experimental and simulated results are presented.


Renewal theory is a powerful tool in the analysis of source codes. We use renewal theory to obtain some asymptotic properties of finite-state noiseless channels. We discuss the relationship between these results and earlier uses of renewal theory to analyze the Lempel-Ziv (1977, 1978) codes and the Tunstall (1967) code. As a new application of our results, we provide the asymptotic performance of two of the Perl, Garey and Even (1975) prefix condition codes.


Metallic artifact at orthopedic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging continues to be an important problem, particularly in the realm of total joint arthroplasty. Complications often follow total joint arthroplasty and can be expected for a small percentage of all implanted devices. Postoperative complications involve not only osseous structures but also adjacent soft tissues-a highly problematic area at MR imaging because of artifacts from metallic prostheses. Without special considerations, susceptibility artifacts from ferromagnetic implants can unacceptably degrade image quality. Common artifacts include in-plane distortions (signal loss and signal pileup), poor or absent fat suppression, geometric distortion, and through-section distortion. Basic methods to reduce metallic artifacts include use of spin-echo or fast spin-echo sequences with long echo train lengths, short inversion time inversion-recovery (STIR) sequences for fat suppression, a high bandwidth, thin section selection, and an increased matrix. With care and attention to the alloy type (eg, titanium, cobalt-chromium, stainless steel), orientation of the implant, and magnetic field strength, as well as use of proprietary and nonproprietary metal-suppression techniques, previously nondiagnostic studies can yield key diagnostic information. Specifically, sequences such as the metal artifact reduction sequence (MARS), WARP (Siemens Healthcare, Munich, Germany), slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC), and multiacquisition with variable-resonance image combination (MAVRIC) can be optimized to reveal pathologic conditions previously hidden by periprosthetic artifacts. Complications of total joint arthroplasty that can be evaluated by using MR imaging with metal-suppression sequences include pseudotumoral conditions such as metallosis and particle disease, infection, aseptic prosthesis loosening, tendon injury, and muscle injury.


Abstract. Past ocean temperatures and salinities can be approximated from
combined stable oxygen isotopes (δ18O) and
Mg ∕ Ca measurements in fossil foraminiferal tests with
varying success. To further refine this approach, we collected living
planktic foraminifers by net sampling and pumping of sea surface water from
the Caribbean Sea, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straits. Analyses
of δ18O and Mg ∕ Ca in eight living planktic
species (Globigerinoides sacculifer, Orbulina universa,
Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata,
Globorotalia menardii, Globorotalia ungulata,
Globorotalia truncatulinoides and Globorotalia tumida) were
compared to measured in situ properties of the ambient seawater (temperature,
salinity and δ18Oseawater) and fossil tests of
underlying surface sediments. "Vital effects" such as symbiont activity and
test growth cause δ18O disequilibria with respect to the
ambient seawater and a large scatter in foraminiferal
Mg ∕ Ca. Overall, ocean temperature is the most prominent
environmental influence on δ18Ocalcite and
Mg ∕ Ca. Enrichment of the heavier 18O isotope in
living specimens below the mixed layer and in fossil tests is clearly
related to lowered in situ temperatures and gametogenic calcification.
Mg ∕ Ca-based temperature estimates of
G. sacculifer indicate seasonal maximum accumulation rates on the
seafloor in early spring (March) at Caribbean stations and later in the year
(May) in the Florida Straits, related to the respective mixed layer
temperatures of ∼26 ∘C. Notably, G. sacculifer
reveals a weak positive linear relationship between foraminiferal derived
δ18Oseawater estimates and both measured in situ
δ18Oseawater and salinity. Our results affirm the
applicability of existing δ18O and Mg ∕ Ca
calibrations for the reconstruction of past ocean temperatures and
δ18Oseawater reflecting salinity due to the
convincing accordance of proxy data in both living and fossil foraminifers,
and in situ environmental parameters. Large vital effects and seasonally
varying proxy signals, however, need to be taken into account.


The Appearance of new generation of computer systems, embedded systems, mobile, and also advances in mobile wireless networks, cause to extension of the computation fields. This process, lead to a scenario which is called: "pervasive computing". The aim of pervasive computing is the presence of computers in all fields of the human life, without the need to his presence, coordinating among all computer systems which related to each other and also the reduction of the calculations complexity. As the computations being pervasive, the nature of the requests be changed. The requests awareness of context is one of the most important features in pervasive computing, Because being aware of the context enable system to make automatic decisions. Context including any information about the person or object, such as location, identity, surrounding objects, feelings, environmental conditions and etc. For ease of planning requests, Context is collected, managed, and then finally a general conclusion had be done. pervasive computing include three major subsystems, Sensing subsystem, thinking subsystem, and the Acting subsystem. In this paper, by using the context, a reliable and context-aware framework for pervasive computing is presented which we called it, intelligent pervasive computing system. This system can evaluate received data from environment optimally by using machine learning technique.


Stored grain should be preserved as much as possible during storage process, because of the occurrence of chemical, biochemical, physical and microbiological changes. The grain storage process consists of storing this material for a later use after a certain period. This study aims at to develop a prototype for grain aeration; to develop a software to control aeration strategies; and to evaluate the development of strategies for controlling the aeration of stored corn. The metallic silo is built in a cylindrical shape (0.9 m diameter and 3 m high), with a fully perforated bottom, which was adapted to an aeration system (plenum, axial fan, with three-phase motor of 1.47 kW and PVC pipe O 0.10 m). The silo was externally isolated using glass wool (0.06 m) thick, and the airflow controlled and determined in 0.1 m3 min-1 t-1, where t is ton of grain. To work with data relating to the experiment, it was necessary to use sensors, positioned at the center of the silo (spaced 0.5 m), from the plenum. The sensors were connected to an Arduino board, in order to register the temperature of grain mass. After the installation of the sensors in the silo, this was loaded and the surface of the grain mass was leveled. Control strategies were implemented: Continuous aeration; control of dry bulb temperature; control via timer and temperature control via temperature difference between the grain and the ambient air. Operating results obtained with the software developed, were effective for control of grain aeration processes stored in the prototype. In conclusion, the system for automated aeration of stored grain was effective in the storage of grain and the control strategy, aeration of grain via the temperature difference between the grains and the environment and night aeration were the best for the aeration process in region of Anapolis - GO.

 Key words: Storage, grain cooling, prototype, Arduino.


Adiabatic techniques using multilevel systems have recently been generalized from the optical case to settings in atom optics, solid state physics, and even classical electrodynamics. The most well known example of these is the so-called stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) process, which allows transfer of a particle between different states with large fidelity. Here we generalize and examine this process for an atomic center-of-mass state with a nontrivial phase distribution and show that even though dark state dynamics can be achieved for the atomic density, the phase dynamics will still have to be considered as a dynamical process. In particular we show that the combination of adiabatic and nonadiabatic behavior can be used to engineer phase superposition states.


The purpose of this work was to investigate ways in which everyday computers can be used in schools to fulfil several of the roles of more expensive, specialized laboratory equipment for teaching and learning purposes. The brief adopted was to keep things as straightforward as possible so that any school science department with a few basic tools can copy the ideas presented. The project has so far produced a simple, safe input device to enable use of a computer as an oscilloscope and the conversion of external speakers into a signal generator. They are not without their limitations, but the intention is that they may provide opportunities for hands-on learning in schools where budgets are very limited. Several teaching ideas are outlined, with pointers for further development. It is hoped that interest in the project may generate further application of the ideas to the teaching of high school physics.


Objective: This study examined interventions used by colleges to respond to students who appear to be experiencing mental health crises. Methods: All public and private colleges in Virginia (N = 64) were surveyed regarding academic policies governing responses to apparent mental health crises experienced by students and the frequency with which these policies are invoked. Results: The procedures most often used by 4-year colleges were parental notification (6 and 25 per 10,000 students at public and private colleges, respectively, leveraged medical withdrawal (29 and 25 per 10,000 students at public and private colleges, respectively), treatment linked to disciplinary sanction (302 and 1,704 per 10,000 students at public and private colleges, respectively), and monitoring by campus threat assessment teams (15 and 51 per 10,000 students at public and private colleges, respectively). Procedures for involuntary hospitalization and involuntary medical withdrawal were rarely invoked. Two-year community colleges, which lack on-campus counseling centers, were much less likely than four-year colleges to use any of these procedures. Conclusions: Most 4-year colleges in Virginia, both public and private, occasionally invoke a variety of protective interventions to respond to apparent mental health crises experienced by their students, but the number of students annually affected by these policies is generally small. The main value of procedures for mandated or leveraged treatment in college may be to motivate students with mental illness to seek treatment voluntarily. Aside from sporadic use of threat assessment teams in extreme instances, community colleges lack the capacity to undertake any of these interventions.


Background Several studies have hypothesised that dietary habits may play an important role in COVID-19 infection, severity of symptoms, and duration of illness. However, no previous studies have investigated the association between dietary patterns and COVID-19. Methods Healthcare workers (HCWs) from six countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, USA) with substantial exposure to COVID-19 patients completed a web-based survey from 17 July to 25 September 2020. Participants provided information on demographic characteristics, dietary information, and COVID-19 outcomes. We used multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate the association between self-reported diets and COVID-19 infection, severity, and duration. Results There were 568 COVID-19 cases and 2316 controls. Among the 568 cases, 138 individuals had moderate-to-severe COVID-19 severity whereas 430 individuals had very mild to mild COVID-19 severity. After adjusting for important confounders, participants who reported following 'plant-based diets' and 'plant-based diets or pescatarian diets' had 73% (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.81) and 59% (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.99) lower odds of moderate-to-severe COVID-19 severity, respectively, compared with participants who did not follow these diets. Compared with participants who reported following 'plant-based diets', those who reported following 'low carbohydrate, high protein diets' had greater odds of moderate-to-severe COVID-19 (OR 3.86, 95% CI 1.13 to 13.24). No association was observed between self-reported diets and COVID-19 infection or duration. Conclusion In six countries, plant-based diets or pescatarian diets were associated with lower odds of moderate-to-severe COVID-19. These dietary patterns may be considered for protection against severe COVID-19.


The meteor-burst (MB) channel is characterized by its availability in time bursts and the exponential decay of the received signal within the majority of these bursts. There are different scheme for data transmission over this channel. Adaptive-rate (AR) transmission is known to provide the best throughput among all schemes for systems operating over this channel. In this paper it as shown that by using coding and interleaving a significant improvement in the throughput is feasible. In particular, the scheme is more effective for links with small decay constant such as those operating at the high frequency range of the meteor-bursts transmission or those operating at short distances.


A new impact testing system with an integrated magnetorheological (MR) damper is proposed, and its dynamic characteristics are analyzed. The testing system consists of a velocity generator, impact mass, test mass, spring, and MR damper. In order to tune the dual shock-wave profile, a dynamic model was constructed, and the appropriate design parameters of the MR damper were then determined to produce the required damping force. Following this, an impact testing systemwas constructed to evaluate the design analysis and field-dependent dual shock-wave profiles. The experimental results of impact test showed that the dual shock-wave profile can be altered by changing the intensity of the magnetic field.


A series of six focus groups in five U.S. cities was conducted as a component in a 3-year project to develop a prototype personal cooling system for first responders. The target user was a HAZMAT worker wearing level A and B ensembles, with a 30-min mission and an average body heat dissipation of 180 W. The purpose of the focus groups was to determine user needs, wants, and concerns early and progressively throughout the development of the prototype system to serve as design input. The first two focus groups provided information on the use of HAZMAT ensembles and thermal comfort problems associated with wearing the ensembles while working an incident, and reaction to a mock-up cooler system. Focus groups 3-6 provided user feedback on an alpha prototype system. All groups confirmed the need for a cooling system and the problem with moisture build-up within level A and B encapsulated suits. Reaction to the liquid-cooled vest was positive. An exterior location for the cooler unit was acceptable if users' concerns were addressed adequately.


The superconducting energy gap is a fundamental characteristic of a superconducting film, which, together with the applied pump power and the biasing setup, defines the instantaneous resistive state of the Hot Electron Bolometer (HEB) mixer at any given bias point on the I-V curve. In this paper we report on a series of experiments, in which we subjected the HEB to radiation over a wide frequency range along with parallel microwave injection. We have observed three distinct regimes of operation of the HEB, depending on whether the radiation is above the gap frequency, far below it or close to it. These regimes are driven by the different patterns of photon absorption. The experiments have allowed us to derive the approximate gap frequency of the device under test as about 585 GHz. Microwave injection was used to probe the HEB impedance. Spontaneous switching between the superconducting (low resistive) state and a quasi-normal (high resistive) state was observed. The switching pattern depends on the particular regime of HEB operation and can assume a random pattern at pump frequencies below the gap to a regular relaxation oscillation running at a few MHz when pumped above the gap.


Sri Lanka Malay is a creole-like language spoken by the descendents of soldiers, exiles and slaves brought to Sri Lanka by the Dutch from Java and their possessions in the Indonesian archipelago in the 17th and 18th centuries and by recruits brought by the British from the Malayan Peninsula and elsewhere in the 19th century. Various authors have noted the influence of indigenous languages on the structure of Sri Lanka Malay but disagreement has arisen over the source and mechanism. An examination of the interaction of definiteness, number, animacy and the accusative case in Sinhala, Tamil, and Sri Lanka Malay nominal inflection shows that Sri Lanka Malay aligns more closely here with Tamil than with Sinhala. The pattern of accusative case marking, in particular, can be attributed to Tamil influence. Moreover, the ubiquity of accusative case marking in Sri Lanka Malay together with its obscure origin and the absence of recent cataclysmic social events to trigger rapid linguistic change indicate that this alignment is of long standing, rather than a recent development.


In this study, water-in-oil (W/O) nanoemulsions of water/Span 80-Nikkol BL 25/oil system were prepared by the PIC method at elevated temperature. This method allows the formation of finely dispersed W/O nanoemulsions with low viscosity in this system. However, macroemulsions rather than nanoemulsions were prepared by PIC method at room temperature. As a result of the significant change of interfacial tension with temperature, the emulsion droplet size decreases from 2 μm to 100 nm with the increase in temperature from 30 ℃ to 80 ℃. The droplet size of nanoemulsions prepared at 80 ℃ was in the range of 50 ∼ 200 nm and the internal phase content could reach as high as 15 wt%. The most stable nanoemulsion was formed in the vicinity of 7.0 of optimum HLB of the emulsifier mixture. The obtained nanoemulsions were stable without obvious change in droplet size in one month. This study provides valuable information for optimizing the formation of W/O nanoemulsions with low viscosity. These results suggest that W/O nanoemulsions of low viscosity could be useful for cosmetics with soft feeling.


The present work was conducted in the basin of Laayoun-Dakhla (South Morocco) to: 1) identify the recharge and flow characteristics of the Lower Cretaceous aquifer (LC); and 2) provide information about the mineralization of aquifer's water. Isotopic and hydrochemical compositions combined with the geological and hydrogeological settings were used for this purpose. The principal changes in chemical composition of LC groundwater result from mixing with water of deeper circulation. Closer analysis of available chemical data reveals the importance of dissolution/precipitation processes in evolution of groundwater chemistry. Piezometric levels, as well as chemical and isotopic composition of groundwaters, confirm hydraulic connection between the LC and the others aquifers. Overlap of some major characteristics (δ18O, δ2H, Cl-) in this aquifer suggests that mixing processes considerably influence the hydrochemical evolution of water. The surface electrical resistivity does not indicate any freshwater-saltwater interface in the coastal aquifer and the relationship between 18O and Cl allows us to reject the hypothesis of a seawater intrusion.


In the development of life support systems for long-term space missions, the most important tasks are the absorption of carbon dioxide from the air, the production of carbon dioxide with a concentration above 98 %, and the production of oxygen from carbon dioxide by the Bosch – Sabatier process. To solve these problems, a regenerative carbon dioxide absorber adapted to space flight conditions is required. The article proposes a new method for the production of chemosorbents based on hydrated zirconium oxide using polyacrylates as a binder and polymer matrix. The regenerated absorber of carbon dioxide for its application in space flights must meet the regulatory requirements of sanitary-chemical and toxicological safety of materials intended for the equipment of inhabited sealed rooms, be resistant to radiation and to the effects of mold. In the study of the processes of "sorption – desorption" of carbon dioxide, we have established the relationship between the technological parameters of the synthesis of chemosorbents and the kinetic parameters of the processes of mass-sorption of sorbate in the "sorption – regeneration" cycles. It is found that the optimal weight ratio of the "adsorbent – filler/polymer matrix" 89÷94/11÷6 is optimal in terms of the performance characteristics of the developed absorbers. It is shown experimentally that the main operational characteristics of the developed materials do not change under experimental conditions during 2000 "sorption – regeneration" cycles. The resulting chemosorbents are investigated by physicochemical analysis. Employing methods of gas chromatography and chromatomass spectrometry, we have conducted sanitary and chemical studies and toxicological assessment of the quantitative and qualitative composition of the components of gas release of the developed regenerated carbon dioxide absorber and air-gas mixture formed during the regeneration of the regenerated carbon dioxide absorber. Also we have carried out microbiological tests of samples of the regenerated absorber of carbon dioxide for resistance of material to influence of mold mushrooms. The results obtained confirm the possibility of using the developed materials in life support systems of manned spacecraft for deep space exploration.


Purpose
Considered alone, risk is static; the purpose of this paper is to illustrate risk not as static but as a fluid condition dependent, for example, upon circumstances of its context in changeable vulnerability and behavioural responses of people facing risk.

Design/methodology/approach
Psychology provides strong evidence of behavioural response when facing hazards; technological disasters providing more evidence of behavioural responses to hazards and risk than response to disasters assumed to be "natural". Initial and subsequent behavioural responses may critically affect ultimate outcomes. Post-event inquiries into technological disasters have revealed actions and inactions which created or aggravated subsequent consequences and their aftermath.

Findings
Decisions taken at a Japanese school between the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and details of the 2017 fire at a tower-block in London, UK, indicate, in spite of training, that rigidity, uncertainty, hesitation or waver may affect critical decisions and their consequences. Pre- and post-disaster behaviour may not follow preferred patterns. Fear of imagined or real events may induce unanticipated denial of the reality of risk. Physical changes made after assessments of risk may not be recognised as affecting risk.

Research limitations/implications
Few published examples exist of public inquiries following disasters assumed to be from natural causes.

Practical implications
Reports of inquiries into technological disasters provide significant examples of behavioural responses which, if replicated, may influence outcomes of disasters labelled as "natural".

Social implications
Awareness of risk as a fluid condition will facilitate realisation of effects upon risk of uncompleted or ongoing works, inappropriate behavioural responses, undeveloped resilience and of the need for regular reassessments of risk.

Originality/value
This study encourages comprehension of risk as an evolving and fluid condition.


Nano-sized multinuclear ruthenium complexes have rapidly emerged as promising therapeutic candidates with unique anticancer activities. Here, we describe the coordination-driven self-assembly and anticancer activities of a set of three organometallic tetranuclear Ru(II) molecular bowls. [2+2] Coordination-driven self-assembly of 3, 6-bis(pyridin-3- ylethynyl) phenanthrene (bpep) (1) and one of the three dinuclear arene ruthenium clips, [(η6-p-iPrC6H4Me)2Ru2-(OO\OO)][OTf]2 (OO\OO =2, 5-dioxido-1, 4-benzoquinonato, OTf = triflate) (2), 5, 8-dioxido-1, 4-naphthoquinonato (3), or 6, 11-dioxido-5, 12-naphthacenediona (4), resulted in three molecular bowls 5–7 of general formula [{(η6-p-iPrC6H4Me)2Ru2-(OO\OO)}2(bpep)2][OTf]4. All molecular bowls were obtained as triflate salts in very good yields (>90%) and were fully characterized using multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and elemental analysis. The structure of the representative molecular bowl 5 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The anticancer activities of molecular bowls 5–7 were determined by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, autophagy, and Western blot analysis. Bowl 6 showed the strongest cytotoxicity in AGS human gastric carcinoma cells and was more cytotoxic than doxorubicin. In addition, autophagic activity and the ratio of apoptotic cell death increased in AGS cells by treatment with bowl 6. Bowl 6 also induced autophagosome formation via upregulation of p62 and promotion of the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II. Moreover, bowl 6 promoted apoptotic cell death through downregulation of Akt/mTOR activation, followed by increased caspase-3 activity. These results suggest that bowl 6 induces gastric cancer cell death via modulation of autophagy and apoptosis. Bowl 6 is a potent anticancer agent and a potential treatment for human gastric cancer that merits further study.


In this paper, we examine whether shocks in voting costs can impact elected representatives' quality, defined as the capacity to fund projects at the lowest cost. Using data on French municipalities and local variations in seasonal infections incidence as a shock on voting cost, we estimate that higher incidence lowers voter turnout, increases subsidies obtained by a municipality, decreases harmful financial decisions, and increases the municipality's investment in infrastructure. We present a model where these predictions would hold, in particular for municipalities with a high base level of turnout.


This paper presents a thermodynamic, economic, and environmental analysis of a renewable polygeneration system connected to a district heating and cooling network. The system, fed by geothermal energy, provides thermal energy for heating and cooling, and domestic hot water for a residential district located in the metropolitan city of Naples (South of Italy). The produced electricity is partly used for auxiliaries of the thermal district and partly sold to the power grid. A calibration control strategy was implemented by considering manufacturer data matching the appropriate operating temperature levels in each component. The cooling and thermal demands of the connected users were calculated using suitable building dynamic simulation models. An energy network dedicated to heating and cooling loads was designed and simulated by considering the variable ground temperature throughout the year, as well as the accurate heat transfer coefficients and pressure losses of the network pipes. The results were based on a 1-year dynamic simulation and were analyzed on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis. The performance was evaluated by means of the main economic and environmental aspects. Two parametric analyses were performed by varying geothermal well depth, to consider the uncertainty in the geofluid temperature as a function of the depth, and by varying the time of operation of the district heating and cooling network. Additionally, the economic analysis was performed by considering two different scenarios with and without feed-in tariffs. Based on the assumptions made, the system is economically feasible only if feed-in tariffs are considered: the minimum Simple Pay Back period is 7.00 years, corresponding to a Discounted Pay Back period of 8.84 years, and the maximum Net Present Value is 6.11 M€, corresponding to a Profit Index of 77.9% and a maximum Internal Rate of Return of 13.0%. The system allows avoiding exploitation of 27.2 GWh of primary energy yearly, corresponding to 5.49∙103 tons of CO2 avoided emissions. The increase of the time of the operation increases the economic profitability.


Embryogenic callus, derived from immature embryos of an Australian wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Hartog) was used to establish liquid cultures which consisted of cell clumps (2-8 mm in diameter); these have been maintained for 20 months and still retain their embryogenic potential. This was achieved by continuous selection of embryogenic clumps at subculture. Incubation of callus in medium containing low concentrations of 2,4-D facilitated the selection of embryogenic cell clumps. After more than 1 year in liquid medium, 37% of the cell clumps formed embryoids and green plants on differentiation medium. The addition of silver nitrate to the subculture medium, which contained 5 μM 2,4-D, enhanced the differentiation frequency of the callus. A study of embryogenic calli from different wheat cultivars showed genotype was important for the retention of embryogenic potential in liquid medium. Fine suspension cultures, consisting of rapidly growing small aggregates of 2-200 cells, were derived from liquid cultures of cv. Hartog. Cytological examination showed that the cells of the fine suspension cultures had the normal wheat chromosome complement (2n = 42). Following transfer to differentiation medium, the fine suspension cultures formed soft as well as solid callus, from which embryoids and green plants have been obtained. Protoplasts isolated from the fine suspension cultures formed green plants with morphologically normal shoots and roots.


D-penicillamine (DP) has been previously shown to induce an autoimmune disease in Brown-Norway (BN) rats, characterized by a dermatitis, by the production of antinuclear antibodies, by the formation fo circulating immune complexes, and by linear IgG deposits along the glomerular basement membrane. These manifestations are quite similar to those observed in mercuric chloride (HgCl2)-induced autoimmunity. The mechanism of the latter disease has been recently partly elucidated. The aim of this study was to compare DP and HgCl2-induced autoimmunity in BN rats and to compare the mechanisms involved in both situations. A transient increase in the number of spleen cells, affecting B cells and CD4+ T cells, and an increase in serum IgE concentration, previously reported in HgCl2-induced autoimmunity, were observed during DP treatment. Autoreactive anti-class II T cells able to proliferate not only in the presence of autologous B cells but also in the presence of syngeneic normal B cells were found in DP-treated BN rats. Spontaneous regulation occurred, associated with the disappearance of autoreactive T cells. Suppressor CD8+ T cells were not involved in this phenomenon. Mechanisms involved in both the induction and the regulation of DP-induced autoimmunity seem to be quite similar to those reported in HgCl2-induced autoimmunity.


Interpretation of a seismic profile extending 548 km southward from the GASBUGGY nuclear test of December 10, 1967 resulted in a crustal model for central New Mexico. The crust is 39.9 km thick below the Paleozoic "basement". It consists of an upper crust 18.6 km thick having P velocity 6.15 km/sec, and a lower crust 21.3 km thick having P velocity 6.5 km/sec. The apparent upper mantle velocity is 8.12 km/sec. This model applies near the crossover distance, 50 km west of Albuquerque. Additional information from earthquakes and explosions suggests that the upper crustal velocity drops to 5.8 km/sec in the Rio Grande rift, and that the true upper mantle velocity is 7.9 km/sec. The low upper crustal velocity in the Rio Grande rift can be detected on the record section of the GASBUGGY profile.


We have studied the prediction of globular protein secondary structures by neural networks. Protein secondary structures are allocated to amino acid residues using Kabsch and Sander's dictionary of protein secondary structures and the neural network is taught the protein secondary structures. The input layer of the neural network allows sequences of residues including 20 amino acids, chain break, B, X and Z. We consider classifying secondary structures into groups of 3, 4 and 8. In each case, we calculate the percentage of correct predictions. We discuss the effect of overlearning on the protein secondary structure prediction. In addition, we include the application of a neural network with a modular architecture to prediction of protein secondary structures. We compare the results from neural networks with a modular architecture and with a simple three-layer structure.


Sir, Dr C. F. Conway's modification of the Gordon-Green tube ('Anmthesia', 18,395) is a worthy addition to the large range of endobronchial equipment but it must be noted that ventilation of the left lung is achieved only at the expense of a risk to the airway of the right side. Fluid in a diseased left lung will find its way into the lumen of his tube and inflation of the lower tracheal cuff to prevent this will not only block left lung ventilation, but also create a pool of material at the carina; it may well be under pressure when the left lung is collapsed during the course of thoracotomy. In such cases my practice of allowing secretions to drain past the deflated tracheal cuff into the pharynx is preferable. May I also assure Mrs Mansfield (letter p 405 of the same issue) that I do not hesitate to use a bronchoscope when blind intubation fails. When a complication such as bronchospasm occurred I excluded kinking of the tube by passing a suction catheter through it; cuffs were carefully inflated just to the point of ensuring a gas-tight fit. Yours faithfully,


Ectopic endometrial tissues are rarely observed on the serosal surfaces of bowel and laparotomy incisions, in the lungs, bones and in the urinary tract. Recto-sigmoid junction is the most common site of extra-genital endometriosis, with less frequent sites being the rectovaginal septum, small intestine, cecum and appendix. Endometriotic cyst in a retroperitoneal location mimicking a retroperitoneal tumor through the mesentery of sigmoid colon is an extremely rare presentation. Only few cases of retroperitoneal presentation of endometriotic cyst have been reported in the English literature. Retroperitoneal endometriotic cyst may mimic a retroperitoneal tumor in view of the location.


Wound healing has been defined as a complex dynamic process results in restoration of anatomical continuity and function of particular part of body. In ayurveda many herbal drugs have been described for wound healing. In Sushruta Samhita, Bhagandara (fistula in ano) has been described as one of the Ashtamahagadas (eight major diseases) due to its recurrent nature. Due to contamination of ano rectal wound with feeces the healing of ano-rectal wound take more time as compare towards at other parts of body. After fistula surgery wound healing takes few weeks to months.   In this case series 8 patients of fistula in ano were treated with partial fistulectomy plus Ksharsutra. Panchavalkala ointment and Panchavalkala decoction was prepared in Department of RSBK by adopting standard manufacturing procedure of classic. Adjuvant drugs Eranda bhrista Haritaki was also used during treatment.  Three forms of Panchavalkala were used to treat post operative fistulotomy/fistulectomy wounds. The sign and symptoms of infection were graded before and during the course of treatment. The clinical symptoms like mal odor, color of margin and surrounding skin, discharge, pain and size and shape of wound showed significant result after the treatment. Panchavalkala forms are effective in wound healing in case of post operative fistulectomy wound and least recurrence.


The paper considers the problems and the methods of spectral analysis of elastic structural systems. The presented consideration focuses on the translation-invariant spectral formulations. Some periodic representations and the spectral decomposition are derived. In the context of general analysis of translation-invariant systems, the particular problems of structural vibration and stability are solved in analytical form.


This study describes the histopathological features and the distribution of oral epithelial Langerhans cells in 19 gingival biopsies originating from an adult Tanzanian population characterized by very poor oral hygiene and severe gingival inflammation. Light-microscopically, all biopsies contained often large inflammatory connective tissue infiltrates, 6 of which predominantly contained plasma cells while the rest were dominated by lymphocytes. Seven specimens contained peculiar accumulations of round lymphoid and dendritic cells in the lower cell layers of the oral epithelium. These phenomena have not previously been demonstrated in human gingiva and deserve further attention in studies on the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Immuno-histochemical staining with OKT6, OKT4 and OKT8 antibodies showed markedly increased numbers of OKT6-positive cells in 7 specimens and clusters of OKT4- and OKT8-positive cells in the oral epithelium of 4 specimens. High numbers of OKT6-positive cells were not related to the presence of intra-epithelial, non-keratinocyte infiltrates or large connective tissue infiltrates. The variable numbers of oral epithelial Langerhans cells may therefore result from different bacterial antigens elucidating different responses or, alternatively, reflect different responses to similar plaque antigens penetrating the surface of the oral epithelium.


The charge sister has an essential role to play in combating the spreading of the HIV in the environment of the nursing unit. The HIV/AIDS dilemma is a reality in the health care environment. On a daily basis nurses is treating patients with the HIV. Through the basic conceptual framework of the management process, the charge sister can play her part and contribute in keeping the disease under control in her work environment. An explorative, descriptive study was done through a structured questionnaire with four open questions. This study was aimed at developing and formulating guidelines to be included in a policy to be used in the combating of spreading of HIV in the health care unit by the charge sister and her staff. The results indicate the absence of policy regarding the prevention of the spreading of the HIV, necessary for orientation and in service training of staff.


This paper presents an IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) practicable baseband processor including transmitter and receiver. To estimate and compensate carrier phase error at baseband, the receiver allows full digital solution for carrier phase synchronization. An existing packet detection algorithm for spread spectrum communication system is used to estimate large carrier frequency offset. This paper also presents a new decision-feedback algorithm for residue phase error tracking. The proposed receiver achieves system performance as PER = 0.01 at SNR less than 5 dB, which is better than standard specifications. The baseband processor was implemented in simple hardware architecture and designed with low power technique. The chip is fabricated with the TSMC 0.18 mum 1P6M CMOS technology with a gate count of 78 k. The area is 1.633 mm times 1.633 mm, and power consumption is about 1.7 mW at receiver mode under supply voltage of 1.8 V and operating frequency of 4 MHz.


The literature has been provided with conflicting results concerning prorenin in rat plasma. The cause was investigated and we characterized severe methodological problems. Prorenin is in rats measured by its enzymatic property after trypsin activation. Besides activating prorenin, trypsin appeared to degrade renin substrate (angiotensinogen) and formed an unstable 'blank' which interfered in the prorenin measurement. An interfering sulphydryl enzyme was also found in plasma from nephrectomized rats. Identical 'blank' problems were also found in other animals such as pigs and cattle. These problems were solved and a new validated method was developed enabling the study of active renin and prorenin in species other than humans. Plasma prorenin was found primarily to originate from kidneys in rats as in other species although minor contribution of other tissues was likely. Evidence has accumulated during recent years supporting the existence of local tissue RAS's in ovary and uteroplacental unit. The presence of active renin and prorenin in female reproductive organs were verified in cattle and pigs. A marked species difference was found. Secretion of prorenin to plasma only seemed to take place in humans suggesting primarily a local function of reproductive RAS's. The concentration of prorenin varies during follicular maturation and pregnancy in reproductive tissues and fluids. A tissue incubation method was developed to study the bovine ovarian RAS in-vitro. The presence, formation, secretion and degradation of active renin in bovine ovarian follicles in-vitro indicate that active renin--and not prorenin as suggested earlier--is important in mediating effects of tissue RAS. Angiotensin II receptors are also present in high and varying densities in the ovary, uterus and placenta. Several potential effects, mediated through auto- or paracrine actions, are suggested. Ovarian RAS may affect oocyte maturation, ovulation, steroidogenesis and angiogenesis. The uteroplacental RAS may affect decidualization, angiogenesis, hormone synthesis, local blood flow and uterine contraction. Effects may, according to the marked species difference of RAS, vary between species. The understanding of tissue RAS's is in its infancy. The ovary seems to be a very good model in study of tissue RAS's and their possible relations to the bloodborne RAS. Further investigation may also benefit the reproductive endocrinology.


Order-independent transparency schemes rely on low-order approximations of transmittance as a function of depth. We introduce a new wavelet representation of this function and an algorithm for building and evaluating it efficiently on a GPU. We then extend the order-independent Phenomenological Transparency algorithm to our representation and introduce a new phenomenological approximation of chromatic aberration under refraction. This generates comparable image quality to reference A-buffering for challenging cases such as smoke coverage, more realistic refraction, and comparable or better performance and bandwidth to the state-of-the-art Moment transparency with a simpler implementation.


Background and Aims: Platelets have a significant role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. It is well established that large platelets are involved in the development of atherosclerotic plaque and acute coronary syndromes. Aim: The aim of this study was to define the relationship between platelet volume indices and development of acute coronary syndrome. Patients and Methods: Our study included 50 patients admitted to AL-Yarmouk teaching hospital with acute coronarysyndrome;20 patients had unstable angina (UA) and 30 patients had acute myocardial infarction (AMI) diagnosed on the basis of history, characteristic electrocardiographic changes, and increased cardiac biomarkers activities. Mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet crit (PCT), platelet count and platelet distribution width(PDW) were done using automatedhematology analysis and compared them with 50 age and sex matched healthy controls. Results: All platelet volume indices—mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet count and platelet crit(PCT)—were significantly raised in patients with AMI and UA. In patients with myocardial infarction, the mean values of MPV, PDW, platelet count and PCT were 10.9fL, 21.6%, 352.2(x 10^9/L) and 0.171% respectively; while in normal healthy control the mean values of these indices were 7.1fL, 15%, 256.2(x 10^9/L) and 0.153% respectively. A statistically significant difference in mean values of these indices was found (p value < 0.001). Similarly, in patients of unstable angina mean values of MPV, PDW, platelet count and PCT were 11.1fL, 21.1%, 300.7(x 10^9/L) and 0.165% respectively. Statistically significant differences in mean values of these indices were found. Conclusions: Larger platelets are haemostatically more active and are a risk factor for developing coronary thrombosis and subsequent acute coronary events (myocardial infarction and unstable angina). Patients with larger platelets can easily be identified during routine hematological analysis and could possibly benefit from preventive treatment. Date Submitted: 11.6.2012 Date Accepted:10.2.2013 Address for Correspondence: Dr. Saad H.Ahmed E-mail: saadhatem20032003 @yahoo.com


Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are a major
class of ligand-gated ion channels in the brain, with the α7
subtype of nAChRs playing an important role in attention, working
memory and synaptic plasticity. Alterations in expression of α7
nAChRs are observed in neurological disorders including
schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, understanding the
fundamentals of how α7 nAChRs are regulated will increase our
comprehension of how α7 nAChRs influence neuronal excitability,
cognition and the pathophysiology of various neurological
disorders. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how
protein kinases modulate the function and trafficking of α7 nAChRs
in CNS neurons.
 In chapter 2, I describe a novel fast agonist
applicator that I developed to reliably elicit α7 nAChR currents in
both brain slices and cultured cells. In chapter 3, I examined
whether an immune protein in the brain, the T-cell receptor (TCR),
can modulate α7 nAChR activity. Activation of TCRs decreased α7
nAChR whole-cell recorded currents from layer 1 prefrontal cortical
(PFC) neurons. TCR attenuated α7 nAChR currents through the
activation of Fyn and Lck tyrosine kinases, which targeted tyrosine
442 in the M3-M4 cytoplasmic loop of α7. The mechanisms of the
attenuated α7 current were contributed by a TCR mediated decrease
in surface receptor expression and an attenuation of the α7
single-channel conductance. TCR stimulation also resulted in a
decrease in neuronal excitability by negatively modulating α7
activity.
 In chapter 4, I tested whether PKA can modulate α7 nAChR
function in CNS neurons. The pharmacological agents PKA agonist
8-Br-cAMP and PKA inhibitor KT-5720, as well as over-expressing
dominant negative PKA and the catalytic subunit of PKA,
demonstrated that activation of PKA leads to a reduction of α7
nAChR currents in HEK 293T cells and layer 1 cortical interneurons.
Serine 365 of the M3-M4 cytoplasmic domain of α7 was necessary for
the PKA modulation of α7. The mechanism of down-regulation in α7
receptor function was due to decreased surface receptor expression
but not alterations in single-channel conductance nor gating
kinetics.
 The results of this thesis demonstrate that α7 nAChRs
constitute a major substrate for modulation via TCR activated
tyrosine kinases and the cyclic AMP/PKA pathway.%%%%Graduate