This paper reports an immunofluorescent study of the pituitary in the fetal pig (Sus scrofa). Fifteen antisera were used against most of the hormones present in the pituitary. Five types of hypophysial endocrine cells were observed in the anterior and intermediate lobes. We determined the sequential appearance of these various cell types in the fetus. The first hormones found at 33 days were ACTH, beta-MSH, beta- and gamma-LPH and alpha- and beta-endorphin; alpha-MSH appeared at 40 days and STH at 45 days. The glycoprotein hormones, LH (45 days), TSH (50 days) and FSH (60 days), appeared between 45 and 60 days. The density and staining of the gonadotropes increased up to 80 days, at which time they reached values similar to those of the adult. Prolactin was not found until 80 days. An anti-LHRH antiserum was used to study LHRH neuron differentiation between 30 and 70 days of pregnancy. The first immunoreactive perikaryons were found at 40 days but the immunoreactive fibers did not reach the median eminence until about 60 days. However, we observed differentiated capillary loops in the palisade layer of the median eminence only in the 70-day fetus. These results when compared with actual data on the differentiation of the reproductive function in the pig fetus permitted us to define an overall pattern of the differentiation and functioning of the fetal neuroendocrine hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal system in the porcine species. This pattern includes, (i) autodifferentiation and autofunctioning of the gonads and (ii) autodifferentiation of the pituitary with (iii) later assumption by the hypothalamus followed by a phase during which the whole reproductive system functions.


UNLABELLED
The effects of smoking on SOD, MDA, t-PA, PAI-1 were studied in 20 healthy men (10 smokers and 10 nonsmokers).

RESULTS
SOD decreased and MDA increased significantly in smokers. After acute smoking, SOD decreased and MDA increased significantly in all the subjects, t-PA and PAI-1 activities were increased immediately after acute smoking. There was a significant positive relationship between increased t-PA and SOD, whereas a significant negative relationship exists between increased t-PA and MDA.

CONCLUSION
Smoking increases oxygen free radicals. The release of t-PA is decreased in smokers, that might be resulted from the increases of oxygen free radicals.


The article investigates engagement in anti-corruption activism in Bulgaria and Hungary. Since the late 2000s, protest events occurred in greater numbers in the two post-communist countries, addressing questions either directly or indirectly related to high-level or political corruption. Bulgarian and Hungarian collective anti-corruption actors share a common framing of the issue ('state corruption' or 'state capture'), though their struggles vary in their modes and strategies ('civic self-organisation' versus the dominant role of 'transactional activism'). The article crucially reconstructs the context within which anticorruption activism took place, the different forms of mobilisation, and the specific framing of the issue by means of original interviews with prominent Bulgarian and Hungarian activists. Finally, attention is devoted to the subaltern fortunes of these struggles in attaining the aspired goal of societal accountability.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with amyloid‐β (Aβ) and tau protein accumulation. Synaptic dysfunction is an early mechanism in AD which involves progressively larger areas of the brain over time. However how synaptic dysfunction starts and propagates is unknown. The hypothesis we are testing is that extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by microglia exposed to and carrying Aβ42 (Aβ‐EVs) may be responsible for these early events in AD.


A catalytic system for the generation of H2O2 from formic acid and oxygen at ambient conditions has been developed. Pd-supported catalysts (Pd/C, Pd/TiO2 and Pd/Al2O3) have been tested, showing that for bulk purposes Pd/Al2O3 is more favourable while for in-situ applications Pd/TiO2 seems to be preferable. However, when these catalysts were tested in the in-situ H2O2 generation for the oxidation of phenol by means of the Fenton process (in the presence of ferrous ion), Pd/TiO2 did not demonstrate the expected results, whereas Pd/Al2O3 showed to be an efficient catalyst. Therefore, Pd/Al2O3 is offered as a good catalyst for Fenton's reactions with in-situ generated H2O2. In order to optimize the operating cost of the process, different initial concentrations of formic acid have been tested with Pd/Al2O3, and it has been seen that lowering the initial amount of formic acid favours the efficiency of the process. The effect of the addition of a second metallic (Pt, Au, Fe, Cu) active phase was studied. Concerning H2O2 generation, best results were obtained with a Pd-Au catalyst for bulk production (long time) while for in-situ application Pd-Fe showed interesting results. The Pd-Fe catalyst also performed similarly to the semi-heterogeneous Fenton system involving Pd/Al2O3 and ferrous ion in the degradation of phenol. Therefore, Pd-Fe catalyst offered an interesting prospect for making a full heterogeneous catalyst for Fenton reaction involving in-situ generation of H2O2.


A method for identifying nonlinear dynamic systems with noise is proposed by using probabilistic universal learning networks (PrULNs). PrULNs are extensions of universal learning networks (ULNs). ULNs form a superset of neural networks and were proposed to provide a universal framework for modeling and control of nonlinear large-scale complex systems. But the ULN does not provide any stochastic characteristics of the signals propagating through it. The PrULNs are equipped with machinery to calculate stochastic properties of signals and to train network parameters so that the signals behave with the pre-specified stochastic properties. On the other hand it is generally recognized that there exists an overfitting problem when identification of nonlinear dynamic systems with noise is done by neural networks. In this paper, it is shown from simulation results of identification of a nonlinear robot dynamics that PrULNs are useful for avoiding the overfitting.


Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are based on continental rock and are coupled strongly to changes in global sea level. Their beds may be frozen or thawed, but it has not been known how much or where basal melt occurs, except in special cases where a borehole has reached the bed or where airborne radar has revealed subglacial lakes and reflective ice stream beds in Antarctica. We have used a previously published technique to detect subglacial melt water in the general case and have here applied it to radar-sounder data collected over northern and central Greenland. We have found extensive subglacial water along between 13% and 20% of the flight paths. This paper provides maps of the measured locations and probable extent of subglacial water.


A new rapid method for the processing of biopsy specimens for electron microscopy is described. The method uses standard reagents and media and employs ultrasonic cleaning bath agitation to accelerate fluid exchange. The procedure takes approximately 2.5 h from specimen excision to polymerized block and gives excellent results.


Darwin and Design Does Evolution Have a Purpose?. Michael Ruse. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2003. 381 pp. $29.95, £19.95, €29.95. ISBN 0-674-01023-X. Ruse offers a history and discussion of teleological thinking--from the introduction of the argument from design, through Darwin's recognition of natural selection, to current disputes within evolutionary biology and present claims of "intelligent design" advocates.


Background Specific alleles of HLA-DPB1 (HLA-DPB1*0901, *1301, *0301) were found to be most strongly associated with anti-topoisomerase I (Topo-I)-positive systemic sclerosis (SSc) in multiethnic genome-wide association study and HLA-analysis (1, 2). However, structural basis on which HLA-DPB1 alleles can bind Topo-I peptides is unknown. Objectives To find common characteristics of amino acid sequences in the risk HLA-DPB1 alleles and to reveal the possible mode of binding with Topo-I. Methods We enrolled 127 Korean patients with SSc who were diagnosed as SSc according to the preliminary classification criteria of American College of Rheumatology and 548 healthy Korean controls. We compared amino acid sequences of the risk HLA-DPB1 alleles with non-risk alleles, focusing on known HLA-DP binding motifs. After revealing common peptides from risk alleles of HLA-DPB1, molecular dynamic simulation was conducted to show binding structures against hypothetically chosen sequences of amino acids in Topo-I. Results The triplet of negative charged amino acids in three critical sites were associated with SSc. At amino acid position 55-57, 67-69, and 82, 84-85 of HLA-DPB1, negatively charged amino acids were prevalent, which includes glutamine or lysine. The patients who have 3 negative charged triplets show OR of 5.99 (95% CI=2.17-16.6, p=1.8×10-4) for SSc and those who have 2 negative charged triplets show OR of 6.37 (95% CI=2.35-17.3, p=7.1×10-5) or 3.89 (95% CI=1.39-10.9, p=6.5×10-3), while those who do not have triplets have referent OR of 1.00. When peptides from Topo-I (peptide A (KDREHRHKEHKK) and peptide B (KLLKEYGFCIMD)) were selected to simulate interaction with "high risk" HLA-DP allele (HLA-DPB1*0901) and "low risk" allele (HLA-DPB1*040101), peptide A and B fit more closely into the binding cleft of HLA-DPB1*0901 than HLA-DPB1*040101. (Figure 1) Conclusions SSc-susceptible HLA-DPB1 alleles share negative charged amino acid triplets at critical positions in their peptide binding groove. References Zhou, X., et al., Arthritis Rheum, 2009. 60(12): p. 3807-14. Arnett, F.C., et al., Ann Rheum Dis, 2010. 69(5): p. 822-7. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


The level of penetration and microleakage of the sealants with or without adhesives of fifth and sixth generation. An in vitro study


Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of use of protective eye wear and hazards related to non compliance with recommended eye safety practice among the dental personnel of University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to the dental personnel of University of Benin Teaching Hospital to determine how regularly they use protective eye wear while working in the clinic and laboratory. The prevalence of foreign body to the eye, ocular injuries and conjunctivitis among the dental personnel was also determined.                        Results: 152 questionnaires out of 155 were returned filled giving a response rate of 98%. Twenty nine (19.1%) of the dental personnel are regular wearers of protective eye wear. There was no significant difference in the use of protective eye wear among the dental personnel (p>0.05). Forty one (27%) had experienced foreign body to the eye out of which eight (19.5%) and thirty three (80.5%) are regular and irregular wearer respectively. Twenty six (17.1%) had experienced ocular injury at least once in a month in the clinic out of which three (11.5%) and twenty three (88.5%) are regular wearer and irregular wearer respectively. Thirteen (8.6%) had experienced conjunctivitis at least once a month out of which one (7.7%) and twelve (92.3%) are regular wearer and irregular wearer of protective eye wear respectively. Conclusion: The frequency of use of protective eye wear among the dental personnel was low. As such, there is a need to promote awareness on the importance of protecting the eyes while working in the dental clinics and laboratories to prevent ocular injury and infection. Keywords: Eye safety practices, ocular injuries, dental personnel, occupational hazards


The interaction of thrombin with alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) was characterized by monitoring conformational changes and measuring the increase of free sulfhydryl groups during the reaction. Under experimental conditions where [thrombin] greater than [alpha 2M], the conformational change, measured by increases in the fluorescence of 6-(p-toluidino)-2-naphthalenesulfonate, and thiol group appearance displayed biphasic kinetics. The initial rapid phase results in the formation of a stable complex, the appearance of two sulfhydryl groups, the cleavage of approximately half of the Mr 180 000 subunits, and a conformational change that is not as extensive as that which occurs with trypsin. The slower phase is associated with the appearance of two additional sulfhydryl groups, increased cleavage of the Mr 180 000 subunit, and additional conformational changes. The available evidence suggests that the slow phase results from hydrolysis of the Mr 180 000 subunit(s) due to proteolysis of the alpha 2M-thrombin complex by free thrombin. Experiments with 125I-thrombin document the binding of 1 mol of thrombin/mol of alpha 2M that is not dissociated upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the complex. At higher ratios of thrombin to alpha 2M, a second mole of thrombin will reversibly associate with the 1:1 alpha 2M-thrombin complex. Under conditions where [thrombin] less than [alpha 2M], biphasic kinetics were not observed, and the conformational change, sulfhydryl appearance, and hydrolysis of the Mr 180 000 subunit were found to follow second-order kinetics.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


To what extent are death- and life-oriented psychological processes among suicidal individuals activated by mood? According to Teasdale's (1988) Differential Activation Hypothesis, we would expect that negative mood-activated psychological processes are maladaptive among suicide ideators (vs. non-ideators) and predictive of subsequent suicidal ideation. This, however, has never been prospectively studied. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a prospective study assessing psychological risk factors via the Death/Life Implicit Association Test (IAT) and the Suicide Stroop task before and after a temporary negative mood induction. Suicidal ideation was assessed one and six months later. Results based on Death/Life IAT performance largely supported hypotheses, such that suicide ideators demonstrated significantly weaker implicit identification with life after (vs. before) the negative mood induction. Non-ideators demonstrated no significant change, maintaining strong identification with life irrespective of mood. Of note, this baseline interaction may have been accounted for by depressive symptoms. Identification with death (vs. life) predicted greater likelihood of suicidal ideation one month later, controlling for depressive symptoms and baseline suicidal ideation. Only negative mood-activated identification with death predicted suicidal ideation six months later. Suicide Stroop scores did not change as a function of mood or predict subsequent suicidal ideation. Death/Life IAT findings support the Differential Activation Hypothesis and suggest that suicide ideators' identification with life is more variable and easily weakened by negative mood relative to non-ideators. We encourage future work to consider the potential role of transient mood and the importance of measuring psychological processes that pertain to both death and life.


There is strong evidence for the role of oxidative stress in all stages of atherosclerosis. Oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), a marker of oxidative stress, is present in the plasma as well as in the atherosclerotic arteries of patients with atherosclerosis. Ox-LDL leads to endothelial activation, dysfunction and injury. Recently, a novel lectin-like receptor for ox-LDL (LOX-1) has been identified, primarily in the endothelial cells, that allows uptake of ox-LDL into endothelial cells. This receptor is transcriptionally upregulated by tumour necrosis factor-a, angiotensin II, shear stress and ox-LDL. The expression of this receptor activates a variety of intracellular processes that leads to expression of adhesion molecules and endothelial activation. Recent studies show that LOX-1 activation leads to the expression of CD40/40 L in endothelial cells and upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases. This receptor is highly expressed in blood vessels of animals and humans with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. Co-localization of LOX-1 along with ox-LDL in the rupture-prone plaque suggests that this receptor may be involved in the precipitation of acute myocardial ischemia. Identification and regulation of this receptor and understanding of signal transduction pathways may lead to new therapies in disease states characterized by endothelial dysfunction.


Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogene of major concern in livestock products. This study was conducted to test imported and domestic meat sold by retail stores for the presence S. aureus. In addition, the antibiotic susceptibility of any S. aureus found was also evaluated. The overall isolation rate of S. aureus was 20.2% (13.9% in pork and 33.8% in beef) in retail meats. The percentage of imported meats found to contain S. aureus (33.3% in pork and 40.4% in beef) was higher than that of domestic meat (13.0% in pork and 14.7% in beef). In addition, the detection rate of S. aureus was higher in raw material meat than in ready to cook packaged meat. When the antibiotic susceptibility of S. aureus isolated from the meat products was evaluated, ampicillin was found to be the highest (76.5%), followed by penicillin (75.3%), tetracycline (27.1%) and erythromycin (21.2%). Penicillin and tetracycline resistant were detected in 55.6% and 13.3% of the beef isolates, respectively, and 97.5% and 42.5% of the pork isolates, respectively. The tetracycline and erythromycin resistant plasmids of the isolated strain were transferred into S. aureus DPRMM2429 by the filter mating method and the frequencies of transfer was found to be 1.1×10 -5 ~1.9×10 -9 and 1.2×10 -5 ~4.0×10 -8 respectively.


Sleep clearly influences learning and memory since sleep deprivation and stress impairs both cognitive processes. Working memory is an essential cognitive process and refers to a short-term holding of incoming information required to update the long-term mnemonic storage and to manipulate new elements in order to solve problems and make decisions. Nevertheless, the influence of sleep deprivation on working memory has scarcely been studied. In this study we evaluated working memory using the N-back test after increasing periods of wakefulness. Healthy young males were kept awake for 36 hours and the two N-back tasks with low (1-Back) and high (3-Back) levels of complexity were applied every 6 hours. Additionally, salivary cortisol was determined along the study. Unlike the control non-deprived participants, the sleep deprived volunteers showed a significant decrease in their efficiency to solve the 1-Back task after 24 hours of sleep deprivation. However, no differences were observed after 30 and 36 hours of sleep deprivation. Concerning the 3-Back task no differences were observed after sleep deprivation. Regarding reaction time, the deprived group manifested slower responses for the 1-Back task and for the 3-Back task after 30 hours and 36 hours of sleep deprivation, respectively. Cortisol levels presented the normal daily oscillation and no differences were observed between groups. This data suggests that sleep deprivation affects basal states of attention instead of working memory while performing simple tasks. The impact of sleep deprivation on the cognitive performance depends on the moment of day when the task is applied and the complexity of the tests used to assess these mnemonic skills.


Article history Received: 25 December 2018 Accepted: 3 January 2019 Published: 7 March 2019 The main objective of this research is to evaluate the impact of climate change on food crop yields in Senegal using the Factor Augmented Vector Auto Regression (FAVAR) approach. The estimation method used is principal components analysis. We identified two major shocks representative of climate change. The first is an increase of temperature (thermal shock) and the second is a decrease in the quantity of precipitation (rainfall shock). The data covers the period 1970-2014 and each of the shocks is carried out over the prior year. The impact of each shock is observed along a time horizon of 10 years. The results show a positive impact of the thermal shock on the yields of rice, maize and millet, with a much greater impact on rice and maize yield. Rising temperatures are, however, detrimental to sorghum. A decline in rainfall has a negative impact on the yields of all cereals, which is in line with expectations.


Abstract. For more than 30 years, scholars and practitioners have debated how to distinguish emotional disturbance (ED) from social maladjustment (SM) when determining special education eligibility and need. Scholarship on the nature of ED and SM has paid little attention to the legal parameters of practice despite the fundamentally legalistic nature of special education and resultant special education eligibility determinations. Accordingly, this study systematically reviewed and interpreted the published federal case law distinguishing SM from ED. This analysis of the idiosyncratic constellation of student characteristics and behaviors that courts held were relevant for proving SM or ED sheds light on the types of data school psychologists and multidisciplinary evaluation teams should consider during ED evaluations. The implications for practice and policy are discussed.


The gap between school knowledge and academic knowledge has long been acknowledged. The division of the curriculum into separate academic subjects has sometimes been blamed for this problem. On this reading it would make sense to re-model the curriculum so that teaching is multidisciplinary. However, efforts to achieve this ideal have a poor record in England. In this paper we suggest that the answer to the problem is more likely to lie in the way that the curriculum is built from a careful analysis of the actual outcomes of learning. We briefly outline three projects that are based on this supposition, describing the theoretical underpinnings and the main features of the projects.


The impact of exposure to different sizes of particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM7, and PM10) was evaluated in  Babylon concrete plant workers who had been exposed to concrete dust for at least 10 years.  The effects of  these particles on the hematological parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and  antioxidant enzymes (catalase and glutathione peroxidase ) were examined. The results exhibited that the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 were higher than the acceptable limits approved by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The blood parameters, namely white blood cells (WBC), red blood cell (RBC) and platelets counts, demonstrated non-significant differences between workers exposed to the PM as compared to the control group. However, differentiated white blood cells count revealed a significant increase of  polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN)  in exposed workers in comparison with the control group. However, both  MDA and glutathione peroxidase showed a highly significant increase in the workers ass compared to the control group. Thus, we may conclude that the concrete plant workers are exposed to a higher risk of oxidative stress that could lead to alterations in hematological parameters, enzymatic activities, and MDA level.


The germination abilities of 14 annual legume species (six Medicago and eight Trifolium) were tested under three dormancy breaking treatments: In the first treatment, mechanical scarification plus sodium hypochlorite (MSS); in the second, chemical scarification with sulphuric acid (CSA); in the third, incubation in water bath at 90 °C (IWB) were used for breaking the dormancy. All Medicago species except for Medicago polymorpha showed improvement in germination rates using MSS. The seeds of M. polymorpha showed higher germination rates with CSA or IWB than MSS. For Trifolium species, results indicated that there was a great variability among species with regard to the treatments. Seeds of species showed a broad range of dormancy requirements for germination. The CSA treatment significantly increased the germination rates of Trifolium lappaceum, T. scabrum and T. strictum. On the other hand, the germination rates of T. spumosum, T. spadieceum and T. angustifolium were significantly improved by MSS. The seeds of T. badium showed higher germination rates with IWB than the other applications.


Abstract Many exact coherent states (ECS) arising in wall-bounded shear flows have an asymptotic structure at extreme Reynolds number $Re$ in which the effective Reynolds number governing the streak and roll dynamics is $\mathit {O}(1)$. Consequently, these viscous ECS are not suitable candidates for quasi-coherent structures away from the wall that necessarily are inviscid in the mean. Specifically, viscous ECS cannot account for the singular nature of the inertial domain, where the flow self-organizes into uniform momentum zones (UMZs) separated by internal shear layers and the instantaneous streamwise velocity develops a staircase-like profile. In this investigation, a large-$Re$ asymptotic analysis is performed to explore the potential for a three-dimensional, short streamwise- and spanwise-wavelength instability of the embedded shear layers to sustain a spatially distributed array of much larger-scale, effectively inviscid streamwise roll motions. In contrast to other self-sustaining process theories, the rolls are sufficiently strong to differentially homogenize the background shear flow, thereby providing a mechanistic explanation for the formation and maintenance of UMZs and interlaced shear layers that respects the leading-order balance structure of the mean dynamics.


The question of the effect of anti-TNF-alpha in skin carcinogenesis is especially relevant in view of the increased use of these drugs for the treatment of autoinflammatory immune diseases. Since ultraviolet radiation and human papillomavirus are involved in skin carcinogenesis, we wished to investigate the effect of TNF-alpha antagonists on the UVB-induced apoptosis of keratinocytes infected by HPV38. Our results indicate that anti-TNF agent, infliximab, does not contribute to the survival of HPV38-transduced keratinocytes with UVB-induced DNA damages.


To investigate possible human growth hormone (HGH) bioinactivity, serum radioreceptor assay (RRA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) comparisons were made in 48 children undergoing an evaluation for growth retardation. Discrepancies between serum HGH concentrations by RRA and RIA were uncommon; the overall RRA/RIA ratio was 0.75. Significantly reduced HGH RRA/RIA ratios were seen at peak time periods following levodopa and arginine hydrochloride stimulation. Two subjects who demonstrated a discrepancy between serum HGH concentrations by RRA and RIA and somatomedin C levels in the hypopituitary range had malnutrition and chronic disease. There appeared to be an inverse correlation between nutrition, as assessed by a height age-weight age ratio, and RRA/RIA ratios in all subjects. While a reduced RRA/RIA ratio supports the diagnosis of bioinactive HGH, the administration of certain HGH secretagogues, malnutrition, and chronic disease may result in low HGH RRA/RIA ratios.


Local development literature, recently, emphasizes the crucial role of institutions, institutional thickness and institutional capacity in addition to other classical factors of development in the competitiveness of regions. This paper attempts to analyze the role of tourism institutions and institutional capacity in the growth performance of tourism clusters. It uses not only the primary data gathered through structured interviews, but also the secondary data. This paper differs from previous research not only by discussing institutional capacity specifically for tourism literature but also by employing a quantitative method of analysis for explaining the factors influential on the growth of clusters. The findings reveal a very significant positive relation between the increase in institutional capacity and the growth of tourism clusters in Antalya.


This report presents the results of the 2013 survey on the employee suggestion schemes (idea management systems, kaizen teian) in Polish companies. It describes the reasons for implementation of such programmes, employee participation rates, evaluation of suggestions, percentage of ideas implemented, financial benefits for the companies, as well as rewarding the authors of suggestions. The report concludes with the insights and good advice of the 249 research participants on how to design and run an effective employee suggestion scheme.


This article discusses the successful process used to assess the feasibility of implementing the Family Matters program in Bangkok, Thailand. This is important work since adopting and adapting evidence-based programs is a strategy currently endorsed by leading prevention funding sources, particularly in the United States. The original Family Matters consists of four booklets designed to increase parental communication with their adolescent children in order to delay onset of or decrease alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. As part of the program, health educators contact parents by telephone to support them in the adoption of the program. Each booklet addresses a key aspect of strengthening families and protecting young people from unhealthy behaviors related to alcohol and other drug use. Adaptation of the program for Bangkok focused on cultural relevance and the addition of a unit targeting adolescent dating and sexual behavior. A total of 170 families entered the program, with the majority (85.3%) completing all five booklets. On average, the program took 16 weeks to complete, with families reporting high satisfaction with the program. This article provides greater detail about the implementation process and what was learned from this feasibility trial.


Abstract : A Certification Authority (CA) can be used to certify keys and build a public-key infrastructure (PKI) when all users trust the same CA. A decentralized PKI trades off absolute assurance on keys for independence from central control and improved scalability and robustness. The PGP web of trust model has been suggested as a decentralized certification system, and has been used with great success for secure email. Although the PGP web of trust model allows anyone to issue certificates which can be used to form certificate chains, the discovery and construction of certificate chains relies on centralized key servers to store certificates and respond to queries. In this paper, we design and implement KeyChains, a peer-to-peer system which incorporates a novel lookup mechanism specifically tailored to the task of generating and retrieving certificate chains in completely unstructured networks. By layering our system on top of the web of trust model, we thus obtain the first PKI which is truly decentralized in all respects. Our analysis and simulations show that the resulting system is both efficient and secure.


Abstract Cloud data derived from TIROS VII photographs over the North Pacific area were used to supplement synoptic surface cloud data in an automated layered-nephanalysis program. During the test period, cloud data from nine TIROS VII orbits were used in the automated layered nephanalyses. These nephanalyses provided additional moisture data input over sparse-data areas to the Air Weather Service Numerical Cloud Prediction program. The total-cloud cover forecasts were improved for 12-, 24- and 36-hr periods. Improvement in the layered-cloud forecasts also was found in the case of moisture decreases at the 700- and 400-mb levels. Other layered-cloud modifications were inconclusive. The importance of establishing a reliable initial moisture field over low-density areas for input to the cloud forecast program was confirmed. Although further refinements must be made in the designation of cloud layers and the merging of satellite cloud data with primary cloud observations, the study showed that satellite clou...


Statistical methods have been widely used to post-process ensemble weather forecasts for hydrological predictions. However, most of the statistical post-processing methods apply to a single weather variable at a single location, thus neglecting the inter-site and inter-variable dependence structures of forecast variables. This study synthesized a multisite and multivariate (MSMV) post-processing framework that extends the univariate method to the MSMV version by directly rearranging the post-processed ensemble members (post-reordering strategy) or by rearranging the latent variables used in univariate method (pre-reordering strategy). Based on the univariate Generator-based Post-Processing (GPP) method, the two reordering strategies and three dependence reconstruction methods (Rank shuffle (RS), Gaussian Copula (GC), and Empirical Copula (EC)) totaling 6 MSMV methods (RS-Pre, GC-Pre, EC-Pre, RS-Post, GC-Post, and EC-Post) were evaluated in post-processing ensemble precipitation and temperature forecasts for the Xiangjiang Basin in China using the 11-member ensemble forecasts from the Global Ensemble Forecasting System (GEFS). The results showed that raw GEFS forecasts tend to be biased for both the forecast ensembles and the inter-site and inter-variable dependencies. Univariate method can improve the univariate performance of ensemble mean and spread but misrepresent the inter-site and inter-variable dependence among the forecast variables. The MSMV framework can well utilize the advantages of the univariate method and also reconstruct the inter-site and inter-variable dependencies. Among the six methods, RS-Pre, RS-Post, GC-Post, and EC-Post perform better than the others with respect to reproducing the univariate statistics and multivariable dependences. The post-reordering strategy is recommended to combine the univariate method (i.e. GPP) and reconstruction methods.


Social media is increasingly being adopted in health discourse. We examine the role played by identity in supporting discourse on socially stigmatized conditions. Specifically, we focus on mental health communities on reddit. We investigate the characteristics of mental health discourse manifested through reddit's characteristic 'throwaway' accounts, which are used as proxies of anonymity. For the purpose, we propose affective, cognitive, social, and linguistic style measures, drawing from literature in psychology. We observe that mental health discourse from throwaways is considerably disinhibiting and exhibits increased negativity, cognitive bias and self-attentional focus, and lowered self-esteem. Throwaways also seem to be six times more prevalent as an identity choice on mental health forums, compared to other reddit communities. We discuss the implications of our work in guiding mental health interventions, and in the design of online communities that can better cater to the needs of vulnerable populations. We conclude with thoughts on the role of identity manifestation on social media in behavioral therapy.


The quality of spring water in the Higher Himalaya of Helambu area, Sindhupalchok district, Central Nepal was carried out. A total of fifty seven springs were surveyed to study different physical and chemical parameters, i.e. electric conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), potential of hydrogen (pH), dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature. Among them, six springs were tested for chemical parameters. The results show that the distribution of EC and TDS is greater towards the lower elevation i.e. southern part near the settlement and agricultural land with the value ranging from 13 – 219 μS/ cm and 7.08 – 161 mg/l respectively. The distribution of pH is inconsistent with the elevation and ranges from 2.27 – 6.66 throughout the area. The distribution of DO is greater at the central region and towards the lower elevation with the value ranging from 2.77 – 6.33 mg/l. The temperature ranges from 12.4 – 22.8oC and increases with a decrease in the elevation. All the physiochemical parameters, except for pH, lies within the permissible range given by National Drinking Water Quality Standards (NDWQS, 2005) and WHO (2004) standards. The Water Quality Index (WQI) shows that overall area has excellent to good water quality in terms of drinkability, agricultural and industrial purposes. However, increasing urbanization might degrade the quality in future so proper and sustainable management strategies must be adopted to protect and preserve these groundwater resources.


New observations of Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies, Supernovae luminosity distances and Galaxy Clustering are sharpening our knowledge about dark energy. Here we present the latest constraints.


Background: A growing body of evidence suggests a possible role for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the pathogenesis of a subset of breast cancers, with many of these studies highlighting an increased association between EBV and aggressive forms of breast carcinoma. This study aimed to further investigate this issue by assessing the possible association between EBV and the Her2+/ER- and Triple negative sub types of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Methods: An immunohistochemical marker for EBV (Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) clone E1-2.5) was applied to tissue micro array sections. The tissue micro array's contained 58 cases of Her2+/ER- IDC, 57 cases of triple negative IDC and 67 cases of luminal like IDC. Each case was scored as positive or negative for nuclear expression of EBNA1 in tumour cells using standard light microscopy. Clinical and pathological details where noted for each case, as was the nuclear expression of NFκB p50.Results: EBV infection was apparent in 43.2% of all cases. By subtype EBV was evident in 31 (57.4%) Her2+/ER- cases, 28 (49.1%) triple negative cases, and 14 (24.1%) luminal like cases; with a significant association being noted between the Her2+/ER- and triple negative cases and EBV infection (P 0.001). This association was primarily linked with ER negativity, Her2 status showed no significant association with EBV infection. There were no significant associations with other clinical and pathological characteristics. Of the 53 cases demonstrating NFκB p50 nuclear staining, 37 (69.8%) were also infected by EBV (P <0.001). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that EBV is associated with aggressive subtypes of IDC (Her2+/ER- and triple negative) as well as providing evidence for a link between EBV and NFκB p50 nuclear expression, although the nature of these associations remains unclear.


Should judges and arbitrators in Canada use algorithms to assist with their decision making? Many commentators have argued that such algorithms are riddled with bias that make them unsuitable for use by the judiciary. In this paper, I explore gender bias in one particular type of predictive algorithm, an algorithm that predicts the "most likely" outcome if a case were to go to court based on existing case law data.

Here, I explore whether the existing case law data on reasonable notice decisions in Canadian employment law exhibits gender differences. I look at reasonable notice awards given to plaintiffs in 1,728 legal decisions. In contrast with some other studies, I find no statistically significant difference between the notice periods awarded to male plaintiffs and those awarded to female plaintiffs once all other factors are held constant. This is not the end of the story though. All other factors are rarely held constant. For example, the length of reasonable notice periods awarded is correlated with the type of job and compensation. Both these factors are correlated with gender.

I then explore the potential for judges to use algorithmic predictions in the decision-making process, arguing that there may be concerns about bias, depending on how the algorithm is implemented. In short, great care needs to be taken to ensure that the algorithm does not reinforce hidden biases in the law. I further explore the possibility of alternative types of algorithms that do not rely on judicial decisions as data.


To the Editor.— In an article inThe Journal, "Homosexuality and Medicine" ( 212 :1199, 1970), the author develops the thesis that obligatory homosexuality, as distinct from episodic homosexual behavior, is of itself a serious form of illness, curable with conversion to heterosexuality in about one third of all cases. He further claims that because it is an illness, only physicians can understand and deal with it, and that no significant contribution can be made by jurists, clergymen, or social scientists. I agree with the author that homosexuality is common and that something may need to be done about it, but I do not believe that he has made a good case for insisting that only physicians—specifically psychiatrists—can understand and deal with it. The author has offered a number of reasons why he feels as he does, but these are not convincing. He has, on the basis of an as yet


Abstract After an initial delay, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is being hit by the pandemic Demand for exports is falling and caseloads are rising Governments have approached this crisis with a range of policy options Optimal policy balances reduced infection rates with lost economic output This paper discusses how an economic-epidemiological model used to analyze policy in high-income countries could be adapted to a context where poverty considerations are paramount Differences in country characteristics across the continent affect benefits and costs of alternative policy designs We conclude by highlighting data needs and model calibration challenges for COVID-19 policy research in SSA


The paper describes an Event-TriggeredNon-linear Control (ETNC) approach for Networked Feedback Control System (NFCS) under data-rate constraints. The nonlinear approach is based on the predefined sliding variable defined by the system states with a nonlinear switching function, which ensures the system stability by holding the variable in the prescribed boundary. The stability boundary of the sliding variable is subject to the preselected triggering condition, which selection is a tradeoff of system performance and network data-rate constraints. The primary purpose of triggering conditions is lowering network resources utilization while ensuring the proper performance of the NFCS. Regarding network constraints, the minimum inter-event time of controller update is derived. The efficiency of the proposed NFCS method is confirmed with the results on the real system.


A system of two cylindrical probes aligned along the magnetic field, and equipped with insulating end plugs, is proposed for measurement of low-frequency fluctuations of the electrostatic field in a magnetized plasma. It is demonstrated by modeling and experiments that the plug probe floats close to the plasma potential. The electric field component in a given direction is obtained by subtracting the plasma potentials obtained on two spatially separated plug probes. The probe system is applied to low-frequency electrostatic fluctuations in a simple magnetized torus, and reveals the presence of global oscillations, large scale propagating structures (m=1 modes), and developed turbulence with power-law spectra. Two different mode branches for the fluctuations are identified by comparing results from plug probes with results from conventional probes. Sources of errors arising from applying floating potential of conventional probes for electric field measurements are pointed out and discussed.


The authors hypothesize that particularly severely compromised and asphyctic term infants in need of resuscitation may benefit from delayed umbilical cord clamping (after several minutes). Although evidence is sparse, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms support this assumption. For this review the authors have analyzed the available research. Based on these data they conclude that it may be unfavorable to immediately clamp the cord of asphyctic newborns (e.g., after shoulder dystocia) although recommended in current guidelines to provide quick neonatological support. Compression of the umbilical cord or thorax obstructs venous flow to the fetus more than arterial flow to the placenta. The fetus is consequently cut off from a supply of oxygenated, venous blood. This may cause not only hypoxemia and consecutive hypoxia during delivery but possibly also hypovolemia. Immediate cord clamping may aggravate the situation of the already compromised newborn, particularly if the cord is cut before the lungs are ventilated. By contrast, delayed cord clamping leads to fetoplacental transfusion of oxygenated venous blood, which may buffer an existing acidosis. Furthermore, it may enhance blood volume by up to 20%, leading to higher levels of various blood components, such as red and white blood cells, thrombocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, immunoglobulins, and iron. In addition, the resulting increase in pulmonary perfusion may compensate for an existing hypoxemia or hypoxia. Early cord clamping before lung perfusion reduces the preload of the left ventricle and hinders the establishment of sufficient circulation. Animal models and clinical trials support this opinion. The authors raise the question whether it would be better to resuscitate compromised newborns with intact umbilical cords. Obstetric and neonatal teams need to work even closer together to improve neonatal outcomes.


The CBP and p300 proteins are transcriptional co-activators that are involved in a variety of transcriptional pathways in development and in response to specific signaling pathways. We have previously demonstrated that the ability of both these factors to stimulate transcription is greatly enhanced by treatment of cardiac cells with the hypertrophic agent phenylephrine (PE). Here, we show that inhibition of either CBP or p300 with antisense or dominant negative mutant constructs inhibits PE-induced hypertrophy as assayed by atrial naturetic protein production, cardiac cell protein:DNA ratio and cell size. Furthermore, we show that overexpression of CBP or p300 can induce hypertrophy and that this effect requires their histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity. Moreover, we show that PE can directly enhance CBP HAT activity and that artificial enhancement of HAT activity is sufficient to induce hypertrophy. Hence, CBP and p300 play an essential role in hypertrophy induced by PE, and this effect is mediated via PE-induced enhancement of their HAT activity. This is the first time a role for these factors, and their HAT activity, in hypertrophy has been directly demonstrated.


Efficacy, safety and the optimal dose of MR7S1, an injectable preparation of sodium nitroprusside, were studied in 37 patients (ASA class I and II) under nitrous oxide-oxygen-enflurane anesthesia. MR7S1 was administered by intravenous infusion. The dose of MR7S1 was increased gradually starting from 0.25 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 to the dose which could achieve the target value of systolic blood pressure (80-100 mmHg). Thereafter this dose level was maintained. During the period in which the dose was increased, the blood pressure was reduced in proportion to the rate of administration. With the rate of administration of 1.0 to 3.0 micrograms.kg-1.min-1, a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) was observed compared with the pretreatment level of SBP. During the maintenance period, the SBP was maintained around 80 to 100 mmHg at a rate of administration of 0.25 to 3.5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1. Two out of 37 patients showed a slight decrease in PaO2, but these values returned to normal without any treatment. These findings suggest that MR7S1 is a useful agent to control blood pressure for the hypotensive anesthesia.


Scientific Background: Previous studies have shown that chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) lymphocytes express relatively large amounts of CD74 mRNA compared to normal B cells. We have recently demonstrated in a murine model that CD74 stimulation with anti-CD74 antibody leads to an induction of a signaling cascade resulting in NF-κ B activation, entry of the stimulated cells into the S phase, elevation of DNA synthesis, cell division, and augmented expression of BCL-X L . These findings therefore demonstrated that surface CD74 functions as a survival receptor. In the current study we aimed to determine whether activation of cell surface CD74 in B-CLL cells leads to induction of a signaling cascade resulting in cell survival. Meterials and methods: B cells were purified from the peripheral blood of CLL patients of different stages. CD74 stimulation was achieved using anti-CD74 or MIF (a natural occurring ligand of CD74). IL-8 expression and function was determined by RT-PCR, western blot, ELISA and Annexin V staining. Results: In all CLL patients there was a significantly increased expression of cell surface CD74. Activation of cell surface CD74 initiates a signaling cascade that results in secretion of Interleukin 8 (see Fig1), which in turn regulates cell survival(see Fig 1,2). Conclussion: Our data show that over-expression of CD74 in CLL is an important survival mechanism, operational from the very early stages of the disease, and inherent in all further stages. This survival mechanism thus appears to be an early and significant event in the pathogenesis of the disease. Our findings open prospects for novel therapeutic strategies aimed at this survival pathway. Legends:


Background Joint damage is a key pathological feature of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and is characterized by a high level of heterogeneity. There is recent evidence suggesting an association of IL2RA and C5orf3 loci with the degree of joint destruction in RA. Objectives Using a large cohort of RA patients we have performed the validation of this two candidate genes for joint destruction and analyzed in relation to the main disease phenotypes. Methods A total of 857 RA patients were recruited and their level of joint destruction was measured. The previously reported single nucleotide polymorphisms at IL2RA (rs2104286) and C5orf30 (rs26232) loci were genotyped in the patient cohort using Taqman RealTime-PCR. The two loci were tested for association with the level of joint destruction using linear regression. Clinically relevant variables were analyzed independently with the level of joint damage and in relation to the genetic polymorphisms using linear regression analysis. Results We found a highly significant association between IL2RA locus SNP rs2104286 with the level of joint destruction in RA (P=0.0017). In our cohort, variation at C5orf30 locus did not show any evidence of association. Years of disease duration (P=2.6e-54), number of previous biological therapies (P=4.3e-9), body-mass index (BMI, P=6.9e-5), Anti-Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies (ACPA) status (P =0.0001) and Rheumatoid Factor (RF) status (P=0.009) were also found to be significantly associated with the level of joint damage in RA. The genetic association between IL2RA locus and bone erosions was found to be restricted to autoantibody-positive (74% ACPA-positive, P=0.001; 74% RF-positive, P=0.004) and female (77%, P =0.01) patients. Conclusions The results of this study confirm the association of IL2RA with joint destruction in RA and suggest that this genetic variation is relevant to a specific patient phenotype. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness Strategic Project grants [PSE-010000-2006-6, IPT-010000-2010-36] and the Fondo de Investigaciόn Sanitaria grant [11/0551]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is an ankylosing condition affecting up to 32.5% of the general cohort. Although often asymptomatic, affected individuals may present with back pain, stiffness, dysphagia, functional decline, and neurologic deficits. Radiographically, DISH is characterized by flowing ossifications along the anterior spine spanning ≥4 vertebral bodies. Although the etiology of DISH remains unknown, diabetes mellitus and other metabolic derangements are strongly associated with DISH. Importantly, spinal ankylosis in DISH predisposes patients to unstable spine fractures from low-energy trauma, and careful consideration must be taken in managing these patients. This article reviews the epidemiology and pathophysiology of DISH, and its clinical findings, diagnostic criteria, and management.


Since the introduction of vaccines against certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV), there have been concerns voiced by those critical of the use of these vaccines. These arguments often follow similar patterns and use similar discussion approaches such as raising unfounded questions about safety or using 'scary' terms without context (eg, toxins). A recent manuscript by Little and Ward1 provided a representative example of the type of arguments made by vaccine critics that appear to have merit on first examination but which fail when more thoroughly investigated,2 and especially over time as the evidence base demonstrating vaccine safety increases.3 4

Little and Ward, like many other critics of the HPV vaccine, raise the issue of toxicity. In particular, they raise concerns about Polysorbate 80 and its relationship with infertility. They state that up to the age of 12, children receive a combined 0.8 mg of Polysorbate 80 administered through the Australian childhood vaccination schedule. This figure should not be considered a cause for concern, as 0.8 mg of Polysorbate 80 (the cumulative dose over 12 years) is >90 000 times lower than the acute exposure dose (based on rat intravenous LD50 of 1790 mg/kg5) for a 41 kg 12-year-old girl or >6700 times lower for a 3 kg infant. The animal study,6 …


An experimental study was undertaken to obtain the basic information on the effect of seed moisture content and cylinder speed of thresher on the mechanical damage and seed germination in soybeans. The moisture content at maturity was the highest in stern and followed by seed and pod-shell for Hwang-keurnkong and also the highest in stern and followed by pod-shell and seed for Danyeobkong in that order. The variation in the moisture contents of stern, seed, and pod-shell in a day on the 7th day after maturity showed gradually decreasing trends from 7 :00 in the morning to 17 :00 in the afternoon. On the 14th day after maturity, the moisture content of pod-shell was higher than that of seeds up until 11 :00 in the morning but it was higher in the seeds after that. The greater the cylinder speed and the higher the moisture content of seeds, the higher the percentage of seeds damaged was resulted. At the same time, the percentage of seeds damaged was higher in Hwangkeumkong large seed sized than in Danyeobkong small seed sized at the same cylinder speed. Considering the seed yield, percentage of seeds damaged, percentage of seeds germinated, threshing efficiency and drying, etc., the appropriate cylinder speed was believed to be about II m per second and the most appropriate moisture contents of seeds for threshing were believed to be about 15-20%.


Effect of hydrogen charging on mechanical properties in tensile and fatigue tests was investigated for the Ni-Zr amorphous alloy membranes with and without palladium plating. As a result of the tensile test, it was shown that both tensile strength and fracture strain decreased by continuous hydrogen charging in all the specimens. It was also found that palladium plating reduced effectively the hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity. Fatigue properties were also lowered by hydrogen charging. In the specimen without hydrogen charging, fatigue limit was about 600-700 MPa, while in the specimen with hydrogen charging, no clear fatigue limit was observed. Fracture morphology was changed from the vein-like patterns to the shell patterns by hydrogen charging, both after the tensile test and the fatigue test.


In this study, it is aimed to teach the addition and subtraction processes to an illiterate student who attend 3rd grade at elemantary school and who has dyscalculia. In this study the researcher and the illiterate student, who was attending 3rd grade and has report on dyscalculia worked together as an indivudialized education athmoshere. First of all, in the prepared program, student was subjected to pretest to measure about his level of the subject. An illiterate student was selected according to the prerequisite skills that did not know how to read, writing and recognize the concept of amount and size and, step value concepts, adding and subtracting processes in mathematics. The instruction was carried out in a room in the school, with a time of 40 minutes per day (one lesson) in the form of individual instruction with illiterate student. In addition, the study was supported by a researcher-developed scenario booklet, concrete materials, computer games, prizes, and assignments. Action research from qualitative research methods has been adopted in the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis technique. After learning the method of collecting with the help of a scenario developed by the researcher, it was determined that student achieved more than 90 % on teaching basic addition process and subtraction process. Gains have been actualized by an illiterate student with math learning difficulties with over 90 % success in 63 lessons. Social validity data were collected through observation and interviews to identify strengths or weaknesses and changes occurring in student work. As a result of the studies, it has been determined that the student gain self-confidence by enjoying her sense of accomplishment.


A Bayesian nonparametric estimator to entropy is proposed. The derivation of the new estimator relies on using the Dirichlet process and adapting the well-known frequentist estimators of Vasicek (1976) and Ebrahimi, Pflughoeft and Soofi (1994). Several theoretical properties, such as consistency, of the proposed estimator are obtained. The quality of the proposed estimator has been investigated through several examples, in which it exhibits excellent performance.


A recent review (Rubin, 2003) summarized research studies investigating EMDR treatment of PTSD. Rubin identified populations in which there has been insufficient research to determine what treatments, if any, are effective, and he articulated questions about EMDR's efficacy with these groups. He also addressed the problem of potential reviewer bias. Unfortunately his own review of the literature contained numerous errors and failed to consider the context of the larger research field. The purpose of the current article is to provide a more balanced perspective and to clarify confusion that may have been raised by Rubin's article. We provide some answers to the unanswered questions about the efficacy of EMDR treatment for PTSD with child, multiply traumatized civilian, and combat-veteran populations. We also address the methodological questions raised by Rubin.


Gold Fields La Cima (GFLC) owns the Cerro Corona gold and copper mine in the Cajamarca district of Peru, which has gold-equivalent Mineral Reserves of 5.5 million ounces and has been in production since 2008. It produces about 400,000 gold-equivalent ounces a year. MWH Global has been providing design and construction support services to GFLC since 2006. The Tailing Storage Facility (TSF) includes a rockfill centerline constructed dam with a low permeability core zone. The dam is currently at a height of approximately 100 meters and has a planned ultimate height of 160 meters. The mine is located in a seismically active zone within Peru that has a history of significant earthquake events. In the design of the dam, special consideration was given to maintaining the integrity of the core zone during operations and under earthquake loading. This paper presents a summary of the facility design and the approach adopted for the limit equilibrium slope stability analyses that were performed to evaluate both upstream and downstream failure modes. The results of field investigations of the tailing beach materials and the properties adopted to characterize the tailing materials are also included. In addition to design considerations, the paper discusses the construction and operation of the facility and presents the results of field monitoring of the facility to date.


Background. Differentiating Parkinson's disease (PD) from multiple system atrophy (MSA) can be challenging especially early in the course of the disease. Previous studies have shown that midbrain serotonin transporter (SERT) availability in patients with established MSA was significantly lower compared to PD. It is unknown if this is also true for early-stage patients. Methods. 77 early-stage, untreated PD patients were recruited between 1995 and 1998, underwent [123I]β-CIT SPECT imaging, and were followed for at least five years. 16 patients were lost to followup, and in 4 the diagnosis was changed to another atypical parkinsonian syndrome, but not in MSA. In 50 patients, the PD diagnosis was unchanged at followup. In seven patients, the diagnosis was changed to MSA at followup. We retrospectively assessed baseline midbrain SERT availability as well as midbrain SERT-to-striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) ratios. Results. No difference in baseline [123I]β-CIT SERT availability was found. The midbrain SERT-to-striatal DAT ratio for whole striatum was significantly lower in patients with PD compared to MSA (P = 0.049). However, when adjusting for the disease duration at imaging this difference is not significant (P = 0.070). Conclusion. Midbrain SERT availability is not different between early-stage PD and MSA. Therefore, SERT imaging is not useful to differentiate between early PD and MSA.


Based on the assumption that multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, a number of clinical trials designed to suppress the immune system or to restore immune balance in multiple sclerosis have been attempted. Depending on the disease category, the clinical goals of immunotherapy differ. Therapeutic goals include improving recovery from acute attacks, preventing or decreasing the number of relapses, and halting the disease in its progressive stage. The ultimate goal of multiple sclerosis therapy is the early treatment of patients in an attempt to halt the onset of progression. Specific strategies of immunotherapy include generation of a suppressor influence, removal of helper/inducer cells, manipulation of activated T cells, manipulation of class II major histocompatibility complex‐bearing cells, alteration of lymphocyte traffic, extracorporeal removal of serum factors or cells, and manipulation of antigenspecific cells. Present treatment modalities are beginning to show some efficacy of nonspecific immunosuppression, but these treatments are limited by their toxicities. As the immunotherapy of multiple sclerosis moves to the next stage in the coming years, patients at an earlier stage of their disease will have to be treated, nontoxic forms of therapy developed, clinical trials lengthened, and a laboratory monitor of the disease developed. Given the positive effects of immunotherapy seen thus far in the disease, it is possible that appropriate immunotherapeutic intervention may provide effective treatment for the disease in the future.


Moldova faces the challenge of meeting considerable public investment needs while preserving fiscal sustainability. With a rapidly aging population, high emigration, structural imbalances, and vulnerability to external shocks, Moldova will need to raise investment, productivity, and exports in order to achieve sustained growth and competitiveness. The World Bank's recently published Moldova public expenditure review (PER) focuses on capital expenditures and recommends reforms in public investment management and sector policies to raise cost effectiveness and allocative efficiency. Analyses for the PER were conducted using the BOOST public expenditure database developed by the World Bank. It provides recommendations for improving effectiveness and to enhance Moldova's competitiveness and achieve sustained inclusive economic growth.


Population is growing in the relatively unregulated Mekong River basin, and demands for hydropower and food are increasing. The basin has prospered but the poorest have not shared the benefits. Agricultural production is keeping up with rising food demand, but capture fisheries are unlikely to increase production, threatening the supply of animal protein in people's diets. National governments decide water issues unilaterally, with weak transnational institutions and limited public participation. Growing pressures, exacerbated by climate change, will likely increase tensions over access to water, reinforcing perceptions of institutional failure and stimulating demands for improved governance.


While the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are safe and effective agents that are frequently prescribed for the treatment of depression, non-SSRI antidepressants also have potential benefits to offer the depressed patient. A review of the literature offers guidelines for choosing between these two therapeutic categories.


Use sintetic colouring agent for food and baverage not safe, because in most of sintetic colouringagent contain dagerous metal. Because of that to have need to found natural colouring agent.The potential natural colouring agent is anthocianin from purple potato sweet. Anthocianin wasextracted with mixture organic solvent (water, ethanol and acetic acid) in defference proportion.The purpose of this research is to found the optimum proportion of solvent for extractionanthocianin from purple sweet potato and to know stability colour was extracted. This researchtwo  step : one step was extracted anthocianin with mixture organic solvent water, ethanol andacetic acid (5:1:25; 10:1:20; 15:1:15; 20:1:10 dan 25:1:5). Design in this research is RandomDesign with 1 factor, data from experiment analisis with ANAVA and DMRT. Two step was teststability colouring agent from exchange of pH, sugar solutin, salt solution, temperature heating,time heating and for aplikation to made jelly and agar-agar. The result on one step research showthat the optimum organic solvent for extracted anthocianin was 5:1:25 (water:aceticacid:ethanol), with pH solvent 6,80 and polarity 32,77 was produce highest concentration ofanthocianin 1,3170 mg/100gr. The result on two step research show that anthocianin from purple Key word : Sweet potato, Extracted, natural colouring agent, Ipomoea batatas L. potato sweet more stable at pH acid that pH basic, stable at sugar solution until 50 %, stable atsalt solution until 8 %, stable at heating until 80 °C, stable at heating until 60 menit, and sable formade jelly and agar-agar.


In this paper, the author investigates the convergent properties of estimators concerned with expectations for a class of vague random phenomena, where the fuzzy random set is considered as a model of the capricious vague perception of a crisp phenomenon or a crisp random phenomenon. First, fuzzy random sets as vague random perceptions of non-random or random phenomena are investigated, and their expectations are also considered. Secondly applying the standard Strong Law of Large Numbers(SLLN) for the random elements in a separable Banach space, the convergent properties of estimators for expectations of the proposed fuzzy random sets are examined, and finally they are confirmed numerically by simulation studies.


Design Event Planning Integrated Motion Poverty Reduction Babakan Village, Subdistrict Babakan Ciparay, Bandung City. Bandung is one of the largest cities in Indonesia, which became a center of trade, culture, health, education, government service and administrative center. Bandung city has a population of 2,420,142 inhabitants and the number of poor people 698.112 inhabitants, a figure pantastis in poverty reduction programs. Program Gardu Taskin become a priority agenda of Bandung City, with a target of 1% per year. Babakan Village of implementation of the program as a pilot project Gardu Taskin in Bandung, through surveys and research conducted by the Team Facilitation Gardu Taskin Bandung. The research method was action research. Primary data sources include: TKPK board Bandung, team Gardu Taskin village, field ofpoverty reduction on BKBPM Bandung, program beneficiaries, Headman Babakan. Secondary data such as: report lab results, village profiles, and supporting research article. Data collection technique obtained through activities observation, interview, study documentation, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Validity of data performed with credibility test, test transferability, dependability test, and test confirmability . The results of this study are the implementation of planning activities of the Team Gardu Taskin in Babakan Village, design and implementation of the Bandung City.


Relationships of treatment, symptom display, and catecholamine (CA) excretion are reported in the context of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) administration to various types of psychiatric disorders. Data consisted of mean effects on selected groups before and after treatment and of longitudinal case study material with each treatment modality. Group data revealed that 8 of 10 manic patients displayed increased dopamine (DA) excretion at the height of their manic phases. Following stabilization with Li2CO3, the excretion of urinary DA for the group returned to normal output. In the manic phase of a single manic-depressive case treated with Li2CO3, both norepinephrine (NE) and DA excretions were elevated above normal levels before and during 2 weeks of lithium treatment. Increase in urinary DA was comparatively greater and persisted during the initial 2 weeks of lithium therapy. Normal levels of DA excretion were found following "stabilization." There was little relationship between the intensity of the manic state, in terms of ratings on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and the extent of increase in CA excretion. Regarding ECT, data for separate groups of 7 and 8 patients, respectively, revealed a tendency for DA and homovanillic (HVA) excretion (the latter determined for the first group only) to increase following ECT exposure, a finding more consistently reflected in the change scores of patients originally considered depressed. In the series of DA and HVA determinations obtained on a retarded-depressed case prior to and during a course of nine ECT sessions, DA excretion increased 4-fold following the first ECT session. Following the fifth and ninth ECT sessions, DA excretion was at a high normal level. Similar, though less demonstrable, changes were obtained for urinary HVA. The results are discussed with reference to available information regarding the relationship of urinary DA excretion to mood and movement disorders.


In the process of spent fuel reprocessing, it is highly difficult to extract transplutonium elements from adjacent actinides. A deep understanding of the electronic structure of transplutonium complexes is essential for development of steady ligands for in-group separation of transplutonium actinides. In this work, we have systematically explored the potential in-group separation ability of transplutonium elements of typical quadridentate N-donor ligands (phenanthroline-derived bis-triazine, BTPhen derivatives) through quasi-relativistic density functional theory (DFT). Our calculations demonstrate that ligands with electron-donating groups have stronger coordination abilities, and the substitutions of Br and phenol at the 4-position of the 1,10-phenanthroline have a higher effect on the ligand than those at the 5-position. Bonding analysis indicates that the covalent interaction of An3+ complexes becomes stronger from Am to Cf apart from Cm, which is because the energy of the 5f orbital gradually decreases and becomes energy-degenerate with the 2p orbitals of ligands. The most negative values of binding energies indicate the higher stability of Cf3+ complexes, in line with the larger covalency in the Cf-L bonds compared with An-L (An = Am, Cm, Bk). In addition, electron-donating group phenol can enhance the covalent interaction between ligands and heavy actinides. Consequently, the extraction ability of ligands with electron-donating substituents for heavy actinides is generally stronger than other ligands. Nevertheless, these ligands exhibit diverse separation abilities to in-group actinide recovery. Therefore, the enhancement of covalency does not necessarily lead to the improvement of separation ability, which may be caused by different extraction abilities. Compared with the tetradentate N, O-donor ligands (2,9-diamide-1,10-phenanthrolinel, DAPhen derivatives), species with BTPhen ligands display stronger covalent interaction and higher extraction capacity. In terms of in-group separation ability, the BTPhen ligands seem to have advantages in separation of californium from curium, while the DAPhen ligands possess stronger abilities to separate americium from curium. These results may afford some afflatus for the development of effective agents for in-group separation of transplutonium elements.


We developed a detector signal characterization model based on a Bayesian network trained on the waveform attributes generated by a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber. By performing inference on the model, we produced a quantitative metric of signal characterization and demonstrate that this metric can be used to determine whether a detector signal is sourced from a scintillation or an ionization process. We describe the method and its performance on electronic-recoil (ER) data taken during the first science run of the XENONnT dark matter experiment. We demonstrate the first use of a Bayesian network in a waveform-based analysis of detector signals. This method resulted in a 3% increase in ER event-selection efficiency with a simultaneously effective rejection of events outside of the region of interest. The findings of this analysis are consistent with the previous analysis from XENONnT, namely a background-only fit of the ER data.


Abstract Phenomenon: Transformative learning is a theory in which individuals construct new or revised interpretations of the meaning of an experience. COVID-19 offers a rare opportunity to better understand how individuals respond to and make meaning within the shared context of an extraordinary event. We aimed to examine if and how residents and fellows engaged in transformative learning when caring for COVID-19 positive patients during the initial peak of the pandemic (Spring 2020). Approach: We conducted an interpretive qualitative study to identify themes pertaining to transformative learning. We used semi-structured interviews of residents and fellows who were directly or indirectly involved in the care of COVID-19 positive patients admitted to the inpatient wards or the intensive care units during the first peak of the pandemic (defined as March 11th – May 28th, 2020) at our Mid-Atlantic academic health system. We used the medium of comics to depict select interviewees' experiences during the pandemic as a novel way to represent themes from the interviews. Findings: Three main themes arose from our qualitative analysis. These included "a sense of guilt," "the impact on training," and "venues and processes for reflection." In comparing their experiences with colleagues and friends at other institutions with higher COVID-19 case volume, trainees reflected on how they felt lucky, and this led to guilt, although not necessarily transformation. The impact of COVID-19 on the training environment had transformative potential. Trainees challenged their previously held assumptions on the necessity of various surgeries, in-person visits, and physical examination maneuvers when COVID-19 posed a barrier. Finally, while trainees recalled multiple situations throughout the pandemic when they believed they were engaging in reflection, such reflection did not appear to reach so deep as to alter participants' underlying assumptions until the research interview itself, suggesting that transformation was incomplete. Insights: Our purposive sample of residents and fellows who cared for COVID-19 positive patients during the initial peak of the pandemic made meaning of their experience in multiple ways. The largest shift in worldview due to the pandemic appeared to be related to the instrumental utility of certain common medical practices or procedures. This, in turn, was the most prominent influence on how these trainees felt they would practice in the future, and translated to a shift in how they appraised evidence. However, lack of opportunity for reflection may have adversely impacted the ability for transformation to take place. Given that multiple trainees showed appreciation for the critical reflection venue that was the research interview, academic leadership should ensure similar venues exist during training, even after the pandemic ends.


Participants of the XXV IUPAP Conference on Computational physics came to Moscow at the end of the August during a hot period. It was not a hot period because of the summer; in fact, the weather was quite comfortable. It was a hot period for the atmosphere amidst scientific society in Russia, especially for scientists working for the Russian Academy of Sciences. Four years ago, the C20 IUPAP Commission on Computational Physics and Computational Physics Group of the European Physical Society chose Moscow for several reasons. The first reason was connected to the high level and deep traditions of computational physics in Russia. It is known from experience at the former CCP conferences that native participants contribute about half of the presentations which form the solid scientific background of the conference, and the good level of domestic science makes the conference interesting and successful. The second reason was due to the fact that for the last twenty years there were not many IUPAP conferences in Russia, and it was a time to open more places for information exchange and intensify scientific collaboration. Thirdly, it was common opinion four years ago that the situation in Russia had become stable enough after the transition to a modern society, which took almost a quarter of a century. The conference preface is continued in the pdf.


This research is an assessment of toxic metals in stream sediments from the Abakaliki Pb-Zn mine area of Ebonyi state. Heavy metals in stream sediment samples were analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). Physicochemical parameters were determined show that pH is generally low (3.65) resulting from the dissolution of the sulphide Ore. The heavy metal mean trend indicates that Fe > Zn >Pb> Cr >Cu > Ni > AS > Cd in the stream sediment samples. Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cr were observed to be high. The variations for the heavy metals suggest that mining operation is responsible for the distribution and redistribution of chemical elements. The values of contamination factor for the stream sediment indicate moderate contamination for Cd, As and Ni while Fe, Zn, Pb, Cu and Cr show very high contamination. The result of enrichment factor (EF) using Fe concentration as normalizing value show that Ni, Cd, Cr, As, and Cu have depletion to mineral enrichment while Pb and Zn show moderate enrichment. The result of the Correlation analysis and principal component analysis ( R- Mode and Q-mode) applied to the data analysis show that Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Cr heavy metals originated from similar sources but may have been influenced by mining operation while Ni and As are attributed to a geogenic source. Proper sewage disposal practice and soil remediation are recommended.


We study the equilibrium states of energy functions involving a large set of real variables, defined on the links of sparsely connected networks, and interacting at the network nodes, using the cavity and replica methods. When applied to the representative problem of network resource allocation, an efficient distributed algorithm is devised, with simulations showing full agreement with theory. Scaling properties with the network connectivity and the resource availability are found.


Apparently we live in the time of post-truth and alternative facts. However, we do not have to take this lying down. What we, the scientific community, can offer is a viable alternative, meaning real facts. There are two things that are critical in this: what to do when faced with outright lies or opinions parading as facts and what to offer in their place. The key to both issues is bias. Alternative facts consciously ignore biases and their effects. Somehow a personal gut feeling just trumps scientific reasoning. The best thing we can do is to accept the existence of biases and to try and minimise their effects in what we do. One way to do this is by means of systematic review. It is a means of abstracting a higher level of truth from multiple scientific studies that each examine a similar issue. Whilst synthesising their results and formulating overall conclusions, one explicitly displays the biases affecting both the existing research (what others have done) and the process of synthesis (what you do to combine the results of the studies in one conclusion). For example, a Cochrane review found high quality evidence that the use of blunt needles appreciably reduces the risk of exposure to blood and bodily fluids for surgeons and their assistants over a range of operations. High quality evidence means that the finding is not significantly affected by biases in the evidence or in the process to combine their results. Future research is unlikely to change this conclusion. Conversely another Cochrane review found very low quality evidence that bullying behaviours may be prevented in the workplace. Future research is very likely to change this conclusion. Know thyself and be open about your failings. That is a sound basis for true facts.


The fitness effect of a mutation can depend on both its genetic background, known as epistasis, and the prevailing external environment. Many examples of these dependencies are known, but few studies consider both aspects in combination, especially as they affect mutations that have been selected together. We examine interactions between five coevolved mutations in eight diverse environments. We find that mutations are, on average, beneficial across environments, but that there is high variation in their fitness effects, including many examples of mutations conferring a cost in some, but not other, genetic background‐environment combinations. Indeed, even when global interaction trends are accounted for, specific local mutation interactions are common and differed across environments. One consequence of this dependence is that the range of trade‐offs in genotype fitness across selected and alternative environments are contingent on the particular evolutionary path followed over the mutation landscape. Finally, although specific interactions were common, there was a consistent pattern of diminishing returns epistasis whereby mutation effects were less beneficial when added to genotypes of higher fitness. Our results underline that specific mutation effects are highly dependent on the combination of genetic and external environments, and support a general relationship between a genotype's current fitness and its potential to increase in fitness.


We have designed a nitroaromatic photochemical protecting group that absorbs visible light in the violet-blue range. The chromophore is a dinitro derivative of bisstyrylthiophene (or BIST) that absorbs light very effectively (ε440 = 66,000 M(-1) cm(-1) and two-photon cross section of 350 GM at 775 nm). We developed a "caged calcium" molecule by conjugation of BIST to a Ca(2+) chelator that upon laser flash photolysis rapidly releases Ca(2+) in <0.2 ms. Using the patch-clamp method the optical probe, loaded with Ca(2+), was delivered into acutely isolated mouse cardiac myocytes, where either one- and two-photon uncaging of Ca(2+) induced highly local or cell-wide physiological Ca(2+) signaling events.


Case 1. Forty nine years woman was given a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography and trans-esophageal echocardiography showed left main trunk dissection due to local aortic root dissection. We operated surgical repair at left main trunk by pericardium after percutaneous coronary intervention. Case 2. Forty nine years man was given a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction caused by left main trunk dissection due to traumatic local aortic root dissection. We operated coronary artery bypass grafting after insertion of perfusion catheter to left main trunk for maintain coronary perfusion. Although local dissection of aortic aorta is relatively rare, it is potentially complicated with coronary malperfusion. We describe 2 success a cases of surgical treatment for local acute type A aortic dissection complicated with coronary malperfusion.


BACKGROUND The introduction of direct-acting antiviral drugs into clinical practice has revolutionized the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, making it highly effective and safe for patients. However, few researchers have analyzed the factors causing therapy failure in some patients. AIM To analyze factors influencing the failure of direct antiviral drugs in the large, multicenter EpiTer-2 cohort in a real-world setting. METHODS The study cohort consisted of patients with chronic hepatitis C treated at 22 Polish centers from 2016-2020. Data collected from the online EpiTer-2 database included the following: hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype, stage of fibrosis, hematology and liver function parameters, Child-Turcotte-Pugh and Model for End-stage Liver Disease scores, prior antiviral therapy, concomitant diseases, and drugs used in relation to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfections. Adverse events observed during the treatment and follow-up period were reported. Both standard and machine learning methods were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS During analysis, 12614 patients with chronic hepatitis C were registered, of which 11938 (mean age: 52 years) had available sustained virologic response (SVR) data [11629 (97%) achieved SVR and 309 (3%) did not]. Most patients (78.1%) were infected with HCV genotype 1b. Liver cirrhosis was diagnosed in 2974 patients, while advanced fibrosis (F3) was diagnosed in 1717 patients. We included patients with features of hepatic failure at baseline [ascites in 142 (1.2%) and encephalopathy in 68 (0.6%) patients]. The most important host factors negatively influencing treatment efficacy were liver cirrhosis, clinical and laboratory features of liver failure, history of hepatocellular carcinoma, and higher body mass index. Among viral factors, genotype 3 and viral load also exerted an influence on treatment efficacy. Classical statistical analysis revealed that treatment ineffectiveness seemed to be influenced by the male sex, which was not confirmed by the multivariate analysis using the machine learning algorithm (random forest). Coinfection with HBV (including patients with on-treatment reactivation of HBV infection) or HIV, extrahepatic manifestations, and renal failure did not significantly affect the treatment efficacy. CONCLUSION In patients with advanced liver disease, individualized therapy (testing for resistance-associated variants and response-guided treatment) should be considered to maximize the chance of achieving SVR.


We report high field magneto-optical study on the first and second sub-band transitions of single-chirality single-walled carbon nanotubes. The ordering and relative energy splitting between bright and dark excitonic states were found to be inverse between the first and second subbands. We verified that the zero-momentum dark singlet exciton lies below the bright exciton for the first subband transitions, while for the second sub-band transitions, it was found to have higher energy than the bright excitonic state. Effect of this peculiar excitonic structure was found to manifest itself in distinctive Aharonov-Bohm splitting in ultra-high magnetic fields up to 190 T.


Improper cooling of hot foods is a leading contributing factor to foodborne disease. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code outlines the cooling parameters and methods to facilitate proper cooling, restaurants continue to have issues. The purpose of this study was to further examine restaurant cooling practices and determine the effect of an educational intervention on 30 Minnesota restaurants, each with a history of cooling violations. Descriptive data on restaurant cooling practices and a cooling curve were collected from each restaurant to determine compliance with the Food Code and to assess which cooling methods work best. Additionally, cooling education was provided to a manager and assessments were conducted preintervention, postintervention, and at the next routine inspection to determine if cooling knowledge improved. Restaurants were evaluated at their next routine inspection to see if cooling practices had changed and if cooling violations were present. Most study restaurants were not using appropriate cooling methods as per the Minnesota Food Code, and 53% of food items observed did not cool within required cooling parameters. Foods cooled in containers <3 inches in depth were significantly more likely to cool properly. Managers scored significantly higher on the postassessment and on the next routine inspection assessment than on the preassessment, suggesting that education on cooling can increase operator knowledge. Postintervention, 20% more kitchen managers reported having written cooling procedures and had verified their cooling process than was reported preintervention. However, the increase in knowledge and reported policy changes did not translate to a reduction in cooling violations at the next inspection. Our findings documented significant food safety gaps in restaurant cooling practices. Translation of knowledge into sustained, improved food safety practices remains a major challenge for the environmental health profession; overcoming this challenge should be a focus for behavioral scientists and others interested in improving practices in restaurants for the long term.


Background: Machine-learning-based computed-tomography-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFRML) obtains a hemodynamic index in coronary arteries. We examined whether it could reduce the number of invasive coronary angiographies (ICA) showing no obstructive lesions. We further compared CT-FFRML-derived measurements to clinical and CT-derived scores. Methods: We retrospectively selected 88 patients (63 ± 11years, 74% male) with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) who underwent clinically indicated coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) and ICA. cCTA image data were processed with an on-site prototype CT-FFRML software. Results: CT-FFRML revealed an index of >0.80 in coronary vessels of 48 (55%) patients. This finding was corroborated in 45 (94%) patients by ICA, yet three (6%) received revascularization. In patients with an index ≤ 0.80, three (8%) of 40 were identified as false positive. A total of 48 (55%) patients could have been retained from ICA. CT-FFRML (AUC = 0.96, p ≤ 0.0001) demonstrated a higher diagnostic accuracy compared to the pretest probability or CT-derived scores and showed an excellent sensitivity (93%), specificity (94%), positive predictive value (PPV; 93%) and negative predictive value (NPV; 94%). Conclusion: CT-FFRML could be beneficial for clinical practice, as it may identify patients with CAD without hemodynamical significant stenosis, and may thus reduce the rate of ICA without necessity for coronary intervention.


The goal of this project is to combine advanced visualization techniques and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to allow the viewer to be immersed in the data, therefore increasing perception and realism. Publishing Virtual 3D GIS application through World Wide Web (www) is another objective of the project due to cost-effectiveness and wide accessibility. This paper provides an overview of multimedia techniques, the web, and applications in GIS and mapping. The focus is on the concepts and principles of design for multimedia applications, particularly the incorporation of interaction and animation for the display of maps and their distribution through the World Wide Web.


Properties of constant-speed diffusive random walks starting from a random point inside a bounded domain are presented. Average quantities, such as the mean length of the trajectory (or first exit time), are expressed only according to the moments of trajectories starting on the surface's body. The derivation is based on the one-velocity linearized Boltzmann transport equation. Furthermore, we generalize to the case of nohomogeneous diffusive media some relations, established before in the literature, for purely absorbing media.


Plain-text abstracts organized by year are available in the directory ABSTRACTS. All local authors can be reached via e-mail at the address email@example.com. Questions and comments should be addressed to email@example.com. Abstract We give a formal specification and an implementation for a partitionable group communication service in asynchronous distributed systems. Our specification is motivated by the requirements for building " partition-aware " applications that can continue operating without blocking in multiple concurrent partitions and reconfigure themselves dynamically when partitions merge. The specified service guarantees liveness and excludes trivial solutions; it constitutes a useful basis for building realistic partition-aware applications; and it is implementable in practical asynchronous distributed systems where certain stability conditions hold. advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from IEEE.


The content and existing practice, the approach and provisions adopted in official methodological documents for assessing the qualifications of personnel, as well as the content and parameters of qualification requirements for employees during their certification have been considered. In light of this and in the light of the ongoing work on the development of professional standards in all sectors of production and the economy, the competency-based approach implemented by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation in higher professional education has been analyzed. As a result of this analysis, the shortcomings of conceptual provisions and an approach to assessing the level of professional preparedness of university graduates, to determining and accepting the general economic and professional competencies of graduates of the bachelor and master level have been revealed. Suggestions have been made for adjusting the content of the methodological support of the educational process in terms of assessing knowledge and preparedness for the practical work of graduates of vocational education institutions.


Maternal smoking rates in pregnancy have declined, particularly in the non-manual social classes, and perinatal mortality rates have fallen over the last 20 years. We have therefore re-evaluated the relationship between maternal cigarette smoking and pregnancy outcome against this background. A total of 608 stillbirths and 634 infant deaths were identified using the All Wales Perinatal Survey. The cause of death was classified using the clinicopathological system. Maternal smoking rates and social class groupings were compared with those in a cohort of 16047 survivors born to women resident in South Glamorgan. The smoking rate was 37.8% in mothers of babies who died compared with 27.2% in mothers of survivors, an odds ratio (OR) of 1.63 [95% CI 1.44, 1.84]. The OR for unexplained stillbirth was 1.72 [95% CI 1.38, 2.13], placental abruption 2.07 [95% CI 1.29, 3.31], infection 3.70 [95% CI 2.23, 6.13] and sudden infant death syndrome 4.84 [95% CI 3.05, 7.69]. Maternal smoking was not associated with death due to prematurity or a congenital anomaly. Despite changes in smoking habits and the causes of perinatal death, smoking during pregnancy continues to be strongly associated with fetal and infant mortality. It is important that health promotion activities are effective in reducing smoking during pregnancy.


The etiology of diverticulitis remains unexplained. One hypothesis postulates that a diet low in fiber results in low-volume feces, which in turn leads to a segmental increase in muscle tone with bulging of the mucosa. Diverticulitis then occurs through micro-/macroperforation of the resulting diverticulum. Four grades are distinguished ranging from local mesenteric inflammation (grade I) to fecal peritonitis (grade IV). Asymptomatic diverticulitis requires no treatment. Diverticular bleeding must be carefully distinguished from upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding, carcinoma, and angiodysplasia. In the case of symptomatic diverticulitis ("left-sided appendicitis") a differentiation must be made between the acute and chronic forms. The diagnosis of diverticulitis is based on laboratory findings, x-rays and CT scans. If chronic diverticulitis is suspected, it is important to exclude carcinoma of the colon. Whether treatment should be surgical or conservative will depend on the severity of the condition, and on the complications that may be expected with conservative therapy.