Abstract The research interests of the Hamblin Laboratory are broadly centered on the use of different kinds of light to treat many different diseases. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses the combination of dyes with visible light to produce reactive oxygen species and kill bacteria, cancer cells and destroy unwanted tissue. Likewise, UV light is also good at killing especially pathogens. By contrast, red or near-infrared light can have the opposite effect, to act to preserve tissue from dying and can stimulate healing and regeneration. In all these applications, nanotechnology is having an ever-growing impact. In PDT, self-assembled nano-drug carriers (micelles, liposomes, etc.) play a great role in solubilizing the photosensitizers, metal nanoparticles can carry out plasmon resonance enhancement, and fullerenes can act as photosensitizers, themselves. In the realm of healing, single-walled carbon nanotubes can be electrofocused to produce nano-electonic biomedical devices, and nanomaterials will play a great role in restorative dentistry.


Background: There is uncertainty whether uric acid level could be used as a prognostic marker in acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Furthermore, there is a need to find a simple, less expensive but accurate marker that could be use in rural areas where fibrinolytic treatment is the first choice of acute reperfusion therapy. We studied the association of uric acid levels on cardiovascular event in patients with STEMI receiving fibrinolytic treatment. Methods: Seventy-five patients with acute STEMI, eligible for fibrinolytic therapy, were enrolled in this cohort study. Over a night of fasting period, uric acid level was measured. One month clinical follow up was done. Reinfarction, heart failure, urgent revascularization, recurrent angina and death were defined as end point of the study. Results: In STEMI patients with lowest uric acid levels ( 7.3 mg/dl), the cardiovascular event rate increased from 8% to 20%. From multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that elevated levels of uric acid (>7.3 mg/dl) demonstrated an independent, significant positive relation to cardiovascular events [Hazard Ratio 3.10 (95% Confidence Interval 1.16 to 8.29), p <0.024]. Conclusion: Serum uric acid is an independent predictor of cardiovascular event in patients with post fibrinolytic treatment in acute STEMI.


A review of current scientific and technological problems encountered in building and programming middle size soccer robots is made in this paper. Solutions and solution trends to the problems, as presented by different teams, are also examined. Perceptual systems of individual robots, in particular with respect to object location, communications between robot players, decision making with regard to game strategy and behaviour generation, and, finally, actuation, are the topics dealt with. This makes for a wide perspective on the actual state of the art of middle size soccer robots.


Radical retropubic prostatectomy is an easily standardized procedure with reproducible outcomes. Care has been standardized at our institution through the use of a collaborative care approach that defines the optimal care and outcomes for the ideal patient on a daily basis. This approach is based on an objective evaluation of the available medical literature. With this program, hospital charges have been reduced by 41% and hospital stay has been reduced to 2.9 days. Surgical outcomes have been excellent with low morbidity rates and excellent patient acceptance. Collaborative care programs for health care provide a comprehensive approach that allows for the delivery of cost-efficient care, which is supportive of the patient and allows continual refinement in care based on objective analysis of outcomes.


This paper, prepared for the 2011 Whittier Law School Health Law Symposium, explores issues raised the partisan debate over charges that the national health-care reform legislation contained "death panels." Due to these charges, provisions were dropped from the legislation that would have expanded funding under Medicare for end of life consultation. The article argues that these these concerns were made against a backdrop of unsustainable increases in the cost of health care, particularly in the last year of life. The experience of other countries, particularly Britain, with limitations of health care spending and the impact of switching Medicare to a voucher program are also discussed. As a paper intended to introduce this topic for symposium discussion, the article concludes with a call for consideration of the medical, ethical, social, and economic issues raised by end-of-life heath care decisions.


Food processing demands a considerable and continuous energy supply and the rise in the price of electricity in South Africa has put much pressure on the industry. This has forced a re-think and development of alternative energy efficiency technology. In South Africa's cold storage chain the entire refrigeration system is among the most energy-intensive areas, but also offers opportunity for short and long term saving. It also provides an opportunity for enhancement of sustainable development and cold chain management. This paper presents a combination of three efficient technologies in those areas: (1) Airflow pattern optimisation through a computer assisted simulation model in which overall energy efficiency of cooling facilities is dependent not only on the energy generation efficiency of the refrigeration system, but also utilisation efficiency of all cooling facilities. Optimal airflow pattern of a cold room would move heat effectively to a refrigeration system, hence increasing both energy efficiency and refrigeration distribution. (2) Variable speed drive (VSDs) technology on evaporator fans motors: VSDs reduce motor electricity consumption by 30-60%; other benefits include prolonging equipment life through motor speed adjustments according to load. (3) Minimising heat transmission load by heat conduction transfer - coloured and shaded external walls being a major factor. Such technologies saved energy, thus reducing cold chain facilities' demand. The system was also cost-efficient and, inter-alia, research detailed in this paper contributed towards alleviating South Africa's energy problems.


The objective: to evaluate the efficiency of ethylmethylhydroxypyridine (Mexiprim, STADA Arzneimittel AG, Germany) in patients presenting with myocardial infarction at hospital and outpatient stage.
Patients and methods. The study included 59 patients with coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndrome with ST1segment elevation in the first day of admission to the ICU, AH, 3-stage, 2 degrees, HF. To all patients basic therapy according to current ESH/ESC guidelines was prescribed. To 39 patients additionally intravenous infusion of 200 mg of mexiprim o.d. for 10 days, followed by 125 mg per os three times a day for next 60 days was administered. Another 20 patients presented control group and received only basic therapy. The study design included: 24-hour Holter monitoring to estimate the dynamics of changes in the ST segment, cardiac arrhythmias and heart rate variability, evaluation by the scale of Beck, Hamilton scale for the assessment of anxiety (HARS) and depression (HDRS), the common blood and urine tests, biochemical blood analysis, evaluation of therapeutic tolerability conducted before treatment and 60 days after treatment. Surveys on a scale SAN, assessment of cognitive impairment on the MMSE scale were performed on the 60th day of treatment. Efficiency criteria were: a 50% reduction of cardiac arrhythmias, a decrease in ischemia, a decrease by 50% or more from baseline average score by HARS, HDRS scales, dynamics of the mental state questionnaire and less than 9 points on a scale of depression, reducing in SAN scale score.
Results. In pаtients of mexiprim group significant reduction of depression scores by 62% were observed. According to the dynamics of the mental state questionnaire patients of mexiprim group reported feeling better, that is, reduction of score by 45% . According to the Hamilton scale for the assessment of anxiety (HARS), in particular mental anxiety – decrease in the total score of 65%, somatic anxiety – by 35.5%, and a total of 50% were revealed. In the group of patients receiving additionally intravenous Mexiprim for 10 days significantly reduced the number of single and group PACs, as well as single and multiple PVCs, not only in comparison with these parameters before the treatment, but also in comparison with the control group. In patients treated with Mexiprim no evidence of residual ischaemia were noted, but in the control group statistically significant segment depression ST remained. Heart rate variability was not significantly changed in the control group, but increased in patients who received Mexiprim.
Conclusion. Use of Mexiprim in patients with myocardial infarction reduces ST segment depression, amount of ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias, improved heart rate variability, and the state of anxiety and depression.


Cardiovascular disease represents a leading source of health loss globally, with an estimated 422 million cases and 18 million deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease in 2015 (1). Diagnostic and therapeutic coronary catheterization (CC) are critical interventions for many of these patients, and over 1 million catheterizations are performed in the United States alone each year (2). CC can generally be performed with low peri-procedural risk. For diagnostic procedures, risk of mortality is less than 0.1% and, when combined with percutaneous coronary intervention, between 0.5% and 2% (3,4). Nevertheless, as with any invasive procedure, there are complications of varying severity associated with CC including contrast-induced nephropathy, cholesterol embolization, local vascular injury, hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, conduction disturbance, stroke and myocardial infarction (5).


Riverine carbon, which stems from continental erosions, represents an important link in the global carbon cycle. It is small in quantity compare with other links of the global carbon cycle, however, it deserves especial investigation for its close connection with land ecosystem. The total carbon transported to ocean by rivers is about 1 Gt every year, 60% of which is inorganic carbon, and 40% of which is organic one. Dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC, respectively) come from the chemical and mechanical erosion of the soil. On the other hand, the phytoplankton is another source of a small part of organic carbon. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is the result of the dissolution of atmospheric carbon dioxide and carbonate. Undissolved carbonate composes of particulate inorganic carbon (PIC). The rivers in monsoonal Asia make the greatest contribution to the global riverine carbon flux for the most intense erosion in those areas. However, the investigation of the riverine carbon flux in monsoonal Asia is not being penetrated enough. The research of riverine carbon flux would provided scientific basis for the soil and water conservation, and it is also a new way to probe the anthropogenic carbon dioxide missing sink.


The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA):ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) hybridization technique was used to reveal the relationships and taxonomic positions of an additional 83 strains belonging to 43 saprophytic or pathogenic Pseudomonas species and 29 named and unnamed Pseudomonas-like strains. The DNA:rRNA hybrids were characterized by the following two parameters: (i) the temperature at which one-half of the hybrid was eluted and (ii) the percentage of rRNA binding (the amount of rRNA bound per 100 g of filter-fixed DNA). We also used, for a limited number of strains, numerical analysis of carbon assimilation tests to delineate the finer taxonomic relationships of organisms. Of the 83 strains examined, 78 could be definitely assigned either to an rRNA branch or to an rRNA superfamily within the Proteobacteria. Only 25 of our strains belong in the genus Pseudomonas sensu stricto (our Pseudomonas fluorescens rRNA branch). In general, about two-thirds of the named Pseudomonas species have been misclassified and are distributed over at least seven genera all through the Proteobacteria. These organisms need to be reclassified and generically renamed according to their phylogenetic relationships. However, more detailed phenotypic and genotypic studies are necessary before definite nomenclatural proposals can be made. A comprehensive list of the phylogenetic affiliations of the Pseudomonas species is included.


The methodology of protein crystallography provides a number of potential bottlenecks. Here, an approach to successful structure solution of a difficult heterodimeric complex of two human proteins, paraspeckle component 1 (PSPC1) and non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding protein (NONO), that are involved in gene regulation and the structural integrity of nuclear bodies termed paraspeckles is described. With the aid of bioinformatic predictions and systematic screening of a panel of constructs, bottlenecks of protein solubility, crystallization, crystal quality and crystallographic pseudosymmetry were overcome in order to produce crystals that ultimately revealed the structure.


The von Zeipel theorem is generalised to account for differential rotation in the case of a "shellular" rotation law (cf. Zahn 1992). We write this law in the form =(r) ,a simplification which does not apply to fast rotation. We find that von Zeipel's relation contains a small additional term, generally further increasing the radiative flux at the pole and decreasing it at the equator. We also examine the local Eddington factor in rotating stars and notice some significant differences with respect to current expressions. We examine the latitudinal dependence of the mass loss rates _ M(#) in rotating stars and find two main source of wind anisotropies: 1) the " ge " effect which enhances the polar ejec- tion; 2) the "opacity effect" (or " -effect"), which favours equa- torial ejection. In O-stars the ge effect is expected to largely dominate. In B- and later type stars the opacity effect should favour equatorial ejection and the formation of equatorial rings. We also examine the behaviour of the wind density and notice a strong enhancement at the equator of B- and later type stars. Possible relations with the polar ejections and the skirt of Carinae and with the inner and outer rings of SN 1987 A are mentioned. If _ M(#) has sharp extrema due to some peaks in the opacity law, non equatorial and symmetrical rings may be produced. We also show that the global mass loss rate of a star at a given location in the HR diagram is rapidly increasing with rotation, which is in good agreement with the numerical models by Friend & Abbott (1986). Anisotropic stellar winds remove selectively the angular momentum. For example, winds passing through polar caps in O-stars remove very little angular momentum, an excess of an- gular momentum is thus retained and rapidly redistributed by horizontal turbulence. These excesses may lead some Wolf- Rayet stars, those resulting directly from O-stars, to be fast spinning objects, while we predict that the WR-stars which have passed through the red supergiant phase will have lower rotation velocities on the average. We also show how anisotropic ejection can be treated in numerical models by properly modi- fying the outer boundary conditions for the transport of angular momentum. Finally, in an Appendix the equation of the surface for stars with shellular rotation is discussed.


Bacteriorhodopsin's photocycle is initiated by the retinal chromophore light absorption. It has usually been assumed that light primarily isomerizes a retinal double bond which in turn induces protein conformational alterations and biological activity. We have studied several artificial pigments derived from retinal analogues tailored to substantially reduce the light-induced chromophore polarization. The lack of chromophore polarization was reflected in an undetectable second harmonic generation (SHG) signal. It was revealed that these artificial pigments did not exhibit any detectable light-induced photocycle nor light acceleration of the hydroxylamine-bleaching reaction. We suggest that light-induced retinal polarization triggers protein polarization which controls the course of the isomerization reaction by determining the relative efficiency of forward versus back-branching processes.


How is psychoanalysis situated in universities? Witch are the possibilities and limitations for a beginner (in both research and in psychoanalysis) to actually perform a research on this area of knowledge? Around this theme, it can be identified in Brazil two main lines: authors who don't emphasize the dilemma between psychoanalysis and university, recognizing special value to the university for psychoanalysis instruction; and authors who consider psychoanalysis instruction as a previous condition to enter into this research area. Despite possible contradictions, it is safe to say that psychoanalysis finds in the University a breeding ground for its production and discussion. Regarding the young researcher, we believe that a twist in the relations of cause and effect is interesting, making it possible to produce, by the involvement with research in psychoanalysis at the university, an inaugural meeting, which points to the direction of an analytical training.


Abstract Objective To examine the impact of alcohol consumption on the treatment profile, mortality and causes of death in intensive care unit (ICU)-admitted patients with liver cirrhosis and other liver disease. Methods Data on liver disease and ICU treatment of patients with previously diagnosed liver disease between 2015 and 2017 were retrospectively collected from medical records at Oulu University Hospital, Finland. The median follow-up was 367 days. The causes of death were obtained from Statistics Finland. Results From 250 patients, high-risk alcohol consumption was present in 74.7% (71 of 95) cirrhotic patients and 43.2% (67 of 155) patients in the other liver disease group. Gastrointestinal causes were the most common admission causes. Despite the higher SOFA scores in the alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients compared with the non-alcoholic cirrhosis, there were no differences in the need for organ support, length of ICU stay or outcome between the groups or the subgroups. There were no differences in 1-year mortality between the cirrhosis groups (alcoholic cirrhosis 43.7% versus non-alcoholic cirrhosis 45.8%, p = 1.0) or between the other liver disease groups (patients with alcohol consumption 37.3% versus patients without alcohol consumption 36.4%, p = 1.0). The patients with high-risk alcohol consumption died more often due to liver disease, whereas the patients without high-risk alcohol consumption died often due to malignancies. Conclusions We report no significant impact of alcohol consumption on the ICU treatment profile or mortality of patients with cirrhosis or other liver disease. The high mortality underlines the importance of preventive measures after ICU admission.


Kallmann syndrome (KS), the association of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia, was described by Maestre de San Juan in 1856 and characterized as a hereditary condition by Franz Josef Kallmann in 1944. Many aspects such as pathogeny, phenotype and genotype in KS were described in the last fifteen years. The knowledge of this condition has grown fast, making it difficult to update. Here we review historical aspects of this condition and its discoverers and describe new findings regarding the embryogenesis of the olfactory bulb and GnRH secreting neuronal tracts that are important for understanding the association of hypogonadism and anosmia. Additionally, we describe the phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity of KS, including five related genes (KAL-1, FGFR1, PROKR2, PROK2 e NELF), and discuss the function of each codified protein in migration and maturation of the olfactory and GnRH neurons, with data from in vitro and in vivo studies. Finally we describe the clinical phenotype of patients carrying these mutations.


This study explores the potential of reinforcement learning algorithms to enhance career planning processes. Leveraging data from Randstad The Netherlands, the study simulates the Dutch job market and develops strategies to optimize employees' long-term income. By formulating career planning as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) and utilizing machine learning algorithms such as Sarsa, Q-Learning, and A2C, we learn optimal policies that recommend career paths with high-income occupations and industries. The results demonstrate significant improvements in employees' income trajectories, with RL models, particularly Q-Learning and Sarsa, achieving an average increase of 5% compared to observed career paths. The study acknowledges limitations, including narrow job filtering, simplifications in the environment formulation, and assumptions regarding employment continuity and zero application costs. Future research can explore additional objectives beyond income optimization and address these limitations to further enhance career planning processes.


A standing surface wave discharge can be obtained by reflection of a TM00 surface wave from a short circuit. A standing wave system provides modulation of plasma characteristics. Wave propagation is studied assuming a plasma in which the electron density is modulated whereas the power for plasma maintenance and the electrical field inside the plasma do not depend on the density, as is the case for traveling wave discharges. Then, the authors determine the conditions for the generation of a standing surface wave pattern. Finally, a comparison of experimental results with the model shows that plasma characteristics can be suitably predicted.


Abstract Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is an important atmospheric pollutant, and capture of SO2 is of great importance for the environment, human health and market. Carbon based materials, especially activated carbon, are mostly used for adsorption purposes. However, there is a notable lack on adsorption of SO2 on graphene oxide (GO) fibers and fiber web surface. In this study, the effect of addition of activated carbon, pH of GO dispersions, hydrazine reduction and oxygen/argon plasma treatment on SO2 adsorption of GO fiber web surface were evaluated. It was seen that GO fiber web surface with activated carbon provides high SO2 adsorption (896 mg SO2/g) which is very higher than many of carbon based materials presented in the literatures. Single coagulation bath increases surface roughness of fiber and provides higher functional group than three coagulation baths leading to higher SO2 adsorption capacity.


In a lucid and trenchant style characteristic of Professor Hiroshi Motomura's writing, "Immigration Outside the Law" offers rich descriptive and prescriptive analyses of three major themes underlying debates about unauthorized migration: the meaning of unlawful presence, state and local involvement in the regulation of unauthorized migration, and the integration of unauthorized migrants into American society. This review advances several ideas that I argue are important to understanding these key themes. In brief, I suggest that a more comprehensive understanding of public debates about unauthorized migration requires examining lay moral judgments about unlawful presence, the expressive functions of immigration law, and the nature of contemporary forms of racial and ethnic bias against Latinos. I discuss how considering these ideas in connection with the book's key themes and arguments might extend, strengthen, and complicate the book's analysis and insights.


Employees are considered as one of the most important assets of any institution. University of Gondar is one of the known universities in Ethiopia and has large number employees. Success of this University depends on the productivity of its employees. Social media, which has become very popular, has infiltrated the workplace and most employees are utilizing social media in the workplace without any access restriction. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent of social media participation by employees and its effect on their productivity. A sample was stratified randomly selected from a population that has internet connectivity in the workplace. Primary data was collected by using a questionnaire and interview. The research found both negative and positive relationship between social media participation and employee productivity. The negative relationship was however found to be stronger as 68.4 % employees spend most of their time on social media enhancing personal networks and 86 % of employees use office hours to visit online social networks. Positive relationship exists in employee, who use of social media for seeking and viewing work related information. The study concluded that employees participate in social media in the workplace for both work and non-work related activity. Social media has the potential to allow employees to form collaborations and communities for knowledge creation and sharing, better channels of communication, which enhance employee productivity. However, it can draw employees in to an addiction that distracts performance as well as straining the University resources.


Static expansion systems are used to generate pressures in medium and
 high vacuum and are used in the calibration of absolute pressure meters in
 these pressure ranges. In the present study, the suitability of different
 models to represent the final pressures in a static expansion system with
 two tanks is analysed. It is concluded that the use of the ideal gas model
 is adequate in most simulated conditions, while the assumption that the
 residual pressure is zero before expansion presents problems under certain
 conditions. An uncertainty analysis of the process is carried out, which
 leads to evidence of the high importance of uncertainty in a first expansion
 over subsequent expansion processes. Finally, an analysis of the expansion
 system based on uncertainty is carried out to estimate the effect of the
 metrological characteristics of the measurements of the input quantities.
 Said design process can make it possible to determine a set of restrictions
 on the uncertainties of the input quantities.


The deformation of Newtonian droplets with zero interfacial tension in a Newtonian matrix is studied in simple shear flow for viscosity ratios ranging from 0.095 to 10.29. The experiments use a counter-rotating Couette apparatus driven by independent servo motors, with a control scheme that keeps the droplet centered under a video camera. Droplet deformation is measured by analyzing the video images, using the method of moments. Both the matrix and the droplet are silicone oils, and the droplet contains a fluorescent dye. Low-viscosity droplets stretch monotonically, while higher viscosity droplets may stretch, wobble, or tumble. The theory of Wetzel and Tucker (2001) for ellipsoidal droplets with zero interfacial tension is compared to the data, by adjusting those portions of the initial shape and orientation that are not observable in the experiment. The agreement is excellent in all cases, requiring only that the initial droplet shape be close to an ellipsoid.


The last three decades have witnessed the spread of employee empowerment practices throughout the public and private sectors. A growing body of evidence suggests that employee empowerment can be used to improve job satisfaction, organizational commitment, innovativeness, and performance. Nearly all previous empirical studies have analyzed the direct effects of employee empowerment on these outcome variables without taking into account the mediating role of employee attitudes. This article contributes to the growing literature on employee empowerment by proposing and testing a causal model that estimates the direct effect of employee empowerment on performance as well as its indirect effects as mediated by job satisfaction and innovativeness. The empirical analysis relies on three years of data from the Federal Human Capital Survey/Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and a structural equation modeling approach, including the use of lagged variables. The results support the hypothesized causal structure. Employee empowerment seems to have a direct effect on performance and indirect effects through its influence on job satisfaction and innovativeness, two key causal pathways by which empowerment practices influence behavioral outcomes.


In this paper, we consider conservation laws and exact solutions of the (3+1)-dimensional modified KdV–Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation. Firstly, we construct conservation laws of the given equation with the help of the conservation theorem; the developed conservation laws are modified conservation laws. Then, we obtain exact solutions of the given equation via the (G′/G,1/G)-expansion method. The obtained solutions are classified as trigonometric solutions, hyperbolic solutions and rational solutions. Furthermore, graphical representations of the obtained solutions are given.


ABSTRACT Purpose: To describe the anatomical aspects of the cervical rootlets and to quantify the number of rootlets that compose C1 to T1. Methods: Twenty male rats were used in this study. The dorsal rootlets from C1 to T1 were analyzed. To study the ventral rootlets, the posterior root avulsion was performed using a microhook, allowing exposure of the ventral roots through manipulation of the denticulate ligament and arachnoid mater. The parameters analyzed were the number of ventral and dorsal rootlets by side and level. Results: The formation of the respective spinal nerve was observed in the spinal roots the union of the ventral and dorsal roots. In four animals the C1 spinal root had no dorsal and/or ventral contribution. There is no normal pattern of numerical normality of the dorsal and ventral rootlets. The average number of fascicles per root was 4.08, with a slight superiority on the left side. There was a slight superiority of the dorsal rootlets compared to the ventral rootlets. Conclusions: This investigation was the first to study cervical rootlets in rats. In 20% of the sample studied, the dorsal root of C1 was absent mainly on the left side. There is a nonlinear numerical increase from C1 to T1 in the rootlets. There is a numerical predominance of cervical fascicles on the left side, confronting several studies related to the functional predominance of right laterality, requiring new studies that correlate these variables.


This paper first briefly surveys the energy releases in some major accidents. It then examines the analyses of the explosion at the Buncefield fuel storage site in the UK, one of the most intense accidental explosions in recent times. This followed the release of approximately 300 tonnes of winter-grade gasoline, when a 15 m high storage tank was overfilled for about 40 min before ignition of the resulting flammable mixture. The ensuing explosion was of a severity that had not been identified previously in a major hazard assessment of this type of facility. It was therefore imperative to investigate the event thoroughly and develop an understanding of the underlying mechanisms to inform future prevention, mitigation and land-use planning issues. The investigation of the incident was overseen by the Buncefield Major Incident Investigation Board. A separate Explosion Mechanism Advisory Group examined the evidence and reported on the severity of the explosion. It concluded that additional work was necessary and recommended that a two-stage project be initiated, phase 1 of which has been completed. The analyses of the damage and the derivation of explosion over-pressures are described. Possible explosion mechanisms and the evidence for them at Buncefield are discussed, in the light of other major incidents. Mechanisms that are reviewed include high-speed turbulent combustion, quasi-detonations, fully developed detonations, the generation of fireballs, flame instabilites, radiative heat transfer and aspects of two-phase burning. Of particular importance is the acceleration of turbulent flames along the line of trees and hedgerows. A number of conclusions are drawn and suggestions made for further research.


Abstract Studies of high redshift galaxies reveal compact sub-galactic regions of star formation, known as 'clumps'. These 'clumpy' galaxies are useful for the study of galactic outskirts by enabling us to examine the radial progression of clumps over large time scales. We use the first deep high resolution NUV image from the Hubble Space Telescope covering intermediate redshifts to explore the implications this radial progression may have on galaxy evolution. From the analysis of 209 clumpy galaxies, we find that higher redshift clumps dominate the outer regions of galactic outskirts. This indicates that clumps may be migrating from the outskirts inward toward their galactic centers.


Objective: To examine medication use in male top-level football players prior to and during international tournaments. Design: Prospective survey. Material: 2944 team physicians' reports on players' medication intake. Methods: Each team physician was asked to document all medication and nutritional supplements taken in the 72 h prior to each match. Results: A total of 10 384 substances were reported (1.8 substances/player/match); 4450 (42.9%) of these were medicinal and 5934 (57.1%) nutritional supplements. The medications prescribed most frequently were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (n = 2092; 20.1%); more than half of the players took these at least once during a tournament and more than 10% prior to every match (156 out of 1472). β-2-Agonists were reported for 1.4% (n = 20) and inhaled corticosteroids for 1.6% (n = 23) of participating players. Injected corticosteroids were reported for 73 players. Conclusions: The high intake of medication in international football – especially of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – is alarming and should be addressed. The results raise questions as to whether the medication was taken solely for therapeutic reasons. In view of the potential side effects, more restrictive recommendations for sport need to be developed.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, when little remedy could be offered. There is a need for relatively affordable, available and non-invasive tests for diagnosis, staging and detection of metastasis among individuals at risk. A clinical, chest radiographic (CXR) and abdominal ultrasonographic examination was carried out to detect and evaluate the pattern of metastasis among 53 untreated patients. One patient had clinical paraparesis with no outward evidence of metastasis. CXR revealed lung metastasis in 11 (20.8%), with multifocal deposits and bilateral involvement in 10 (18.8%), and unilateral single deposit in one. Two (3.8%) patients had perihilar lymphadenopathy and consolidation, respectively, while 18 (34%) patients had elevated right hemidiaphragm and four 17.5%) had pleural effusion. One had right basal pneumonitis, multiple cavitatory lesions in the lung fields and soft-tissue wasting. No abnormality was seen in 17 (32.1%) cases. Abdominal ultrasonograph showed probe tenderness in 22 (41.5%), hepatomegaly in 49 (92.5%), with 33 (62.3%) of these having nodularities of varying sizes. The spleen was enlarged in 10 (18.9%) cases, with four (7.5%) showing irregular outline. There were eight (15.1%) cases with para-aortic lymphadenopathy. Portal hepatic lymphadenopathy was demonstrated in two (3.8%) cases, while pleural effusion was detected in seven (13.2%). Metastasis is common in HCC at presentation, the lung is the commonest site of spread. Clinically visible metastasis appears uncommon in HCC.


Fermion masses and mixing angles are studied in an SUSY SO (10) × ∆(48) × U (1) model with small tan β . Thirteen parameters involving masses and mixing angles in the quark and charged lepton sector are successfully predicted by a single Yukawa coupling and three ratios of VEVs caused by necessary symmetry breaking. Ten relations among the low energy parameters have been found with four of them free from renormalization modifications. They could be tested directly by low energy experiments.


In the wake of a global economic recession secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic, this scoping review seeks to summarize the current quantitative research on the impact of economic recessions on depression, anxiety, traumatic disorders, self-harm, and suicide. Seven research databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science: Core Collection, National Library of Medicine PubMed, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar) were searched for keywords returning 3412 preliminary results published since 2008 in Organisation for Economic Coordination and Development (OECD)nations. These were screened by both authors for inclusion/exclusion criteria resulting in 127 included articles. Articles included were quantitative studies in OECD countries assessing select mental disorders (depression, anxiety, and trauma-/stress-related disorders) and illness outcomes (self-harm and suicide) during periods of economic recession. Articles were limited to publication from 2008 to 2020, available online in English, and utilizing outcome measures specific to the disorders and outcomes specified above. A significant relationship was found between periods of economic recession and increased depressive symptoms, self-harming behaviour, and suicide during and following periods of recession. Results suggest that existing models for mental health support and strategies for suicide prevention may be less effective than they are in non-recession times. It may be prudent to focus public education and medical treatments on raising awareness and access to supports for populations at higher risk, including those vulnerable to the impacts of job or income loss due to low socioeconomic status preceding the recession or high levels of financial strain, those supporting others financially, approaching retirement, and those in countries with limited social safety nets. Policy makers should be aware of the potential protective nature of unemployment safeguards and labour program investment in mitigating these negative impacts. Limited or inconclusive data were found on the relationship with traumatic disorders and symptoms of anxiety. In addition, research has focused primarily on the working-age adult population with limited data available on children, adolescents, and older adults, leaving room for further research in these areas.


OBJECTIVES
To establish the effect of sunless tanning products on tanning behaviors and to determine characteristics of sunless tanning product users.

DESIGN
A cross-sectional survey study conducted between May 30, 2007, and December 4, 2007.

SETTING
The Emory University campus and surrounding locations in Atlanta, Georgia.

PARTICIPANTS
Four hundred fifteen community and university-affiliated women.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Self-reported use of sunless tanning products and UV radiation tanning methods.

RESULTS
Forty-eight percent of participants had used sunless tanning products, 70.6% had tanned in the sun, and 26.0% had used tanning beds at least once in the past year. Most participants (92.7%) believed that tanned skin is more attractive than untanned skin, and 79.2% reported feeling better about themselves when tan. Many sunless tanning product users reported decreased frequency of tanning in the sun (36.8%) or in tanning beds (38%) because of product use. Frequent users were more likely to have decreased their UV radiation exposure. Lighter complexion, frequent use of UV radiation tanning methods, feeling better about oneself when tan, and having a history of skin cancer were independently associated with sunless tanning product use.

CONCLUSIONS
The desire for tanned skin remains strong despite growing awareness of the dangers of UV radiation exposure. In some women, sunless tanning product use is associated with decreased UV radiation tanning frequency, especially in women who use them repeatedly. Improvements in the appearance of sunless tanning product tans may allow wider acceptance by the public and further decreases in UV radiation tanning practices.


Population protocols provide theoretical foundations for mobile tiny device networks in which global behavior emerges from a set of simple interactions between anonymous agents. The works in this area mostly focus on studying the computational power of the model. Results hold as long as a fair scheduler, ensuring that all reachable system states are endlessly reached, governs the interactions between nodes. This assumption is crucial to ensure that the protocols eventually converge. This paper studies for the first time the impact of the agents? mobility model on the convergence speed of population protocols. We perform our study by considering several mobility models traditionally used in the ad-hoc network community. We propose an augmented population protocol model where each edge of the interaction graph is weighted, representing the probability of two agents to interact. This models the behaviour of the scheduler with respect to various mobility models. We empirically show that mobility models do have a significant impact on the convergence speed of the protocols. In fact, we observe that the uniform distribution always provides the best convergence time. Such a model is representative of the well-known random-way point model used to evaluate most of mobile ad-hoc network protocols. We then formally prove that a uniform distribution of weights provides the lowest bound of average convergence speed for any population protocol.


Large-scale demonstrations of the propagation of a HeNe laser beam in graded index optical media have been developed, using interdiffusing liquid layers. The sinuous paths of a ray in a GRIN optical fibre and lenses have been simulated.


The upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) is associated with neurobehavioral morbidity in children. The diagnostic gold standard for UARS is esophageal manometry. However, this is invasive. Furthermore, upper airway obstructive events in sleeping children frequently terminate without visible electrocortical (EEG) arousal. The pulse transit time (PTT) is a noninvasive marker of blood pressure and, therefore, subcortical arousal. Blood pressure elevation, associated with respiratory arousal from sleep, results in a drop in the PTT. We hypothesized that: 1) the PTT is a more sensitive measure of respiratory arousal than EEG; and 2) the PTT arousal index can distinguish children with UARS from those with primary snoring. Polysomnography, including esophageal manometry and PTT, was measured prospectively in 24 symptomatic children and 10 normal controls. Apnea, hypopnea, and respiratory effort-related arousal events terminated in a PTT arousal 91%, 83%, and 80% of the time, and in an EEG arousal in 55%, 51%, and 43% (all p < 0.05), respectively. The PTT arousal index was significantly greater in children with UARS (6.8 events/h) than primary snoring (2.2 events/h) (p < 0.05). We conclude that, in children, PTT arousals are a more sensitive measure of obstructive events than visible EEG arousals.


Initial reports of hominids recovered at Kow Swamp, in the Murray Valley of Victoria indicated that, on the basis of cranial analyses, there was a "survival of Homo erectus features in Australia until as recently as 10,000 years ago (Thorne and Macumber, 1972, p. 316). This claim was later refuted by others, who suggested that artificial cranial deformation may have been responsible for at least some of the distinctive and "primitive" traits seen in the Kow Swamp individuals. Previous research by this worker and others has indicated that taxonomic traits at both specific and subspecific levels are present in hominine femora. Therefore, it may be possible to evaluate the "primitiveness" of the Kow Swamp sample on the basis of their femoral anatomy. Morphometric analyses were undertaken, using as controls femora of Romano British, Tasmanian, and other Murray Valley populations. On the basis of bivariate and multivariate analyses it was found that, at least in this single element of the postcranium, no primitive features were present. The Kow Swamp sample, in fact, shows a very close morphometric relationship with all included Homo sapiens controls and is significantly distinct from Homo erectus.


Proteasome activity is crucial for cellular integrity, but how tissues adjust proteasome content in response to catabolic stimuli is uncertain. Here, we demonstrate that transcriptional coordination by multiple transcription factors is required to increase proteasome content and activate proteolysis in catabolic states. Using denervated mouse muscle as a model system for accelerated proteolysis in vivo, we reveal that a two-phase transcriptional program activates genes encoding proteasome subunits and assembly chaperones to boost an increase in proteasome content. Initially, gene induction is necessary to maintain basal proteasome levels, and in a more delayed phase (7-10 d after denervation) it stimulates proteasome assembly to meet cellular demand for excessive proteolysis. Intriguingly, the transcription factors PAX4 and α-PALNRF-1 control the expression of proteasome among other genes in a combinatorial manner, driving cellular adaptation to muscle denervation. Consequently, PAX4 and α-PALNRF-1 represent new therapeutic targets to inhibit proteolysis in catabolic diseases (e.g. type-2 diabetes, cancer).


Incipient micellization in a model self-associating telechelic polymer solution results in a network with a transient elastic response that decays by a two-step relaxation: the first is due to a heterogeneous jump-diffusion process involving entrapment of end-groups within well-defined clusters and this is followed by rapid diffusion to neighboring clusters and a decay (terminal relaxation) due to cluster disintegration. The viscoelastic response of the solution manifests characteristics of both a glass transition and an entangled polymer network.


Subretinal delivery of polyethylene glycol-substituted lysine peptide (CK30PEG)-compacted DNA nanoparticles results in efficient gene expression in retinal cells. This work evaluates the ocular safety of compacted DNA nanoparticles. CK30PEG-compacted nanoparticles containing an EGFP expression plasmid were subretinally injected in adult mice (1 µl at 0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 µg/µl). Retinas were examined for signs of inflammation at 1, 2, 4 and 7 days post-injection. Neither infiltration of polymorphonuclear neutrophils or lymphocytes was detected in retinas. In addition, elevation of macrophage marker F4/80 or myeloid marker myeloperoxidase was not detected in the injected eyes. The chemokine KC mRNA increased 3–4 fold in eyes injected with either nanoparticles or saline at 1 day post-injection, but returned to control levels at 2 days post-injection. No elevation of KC protein was observed in these mice. The monocyte chemotactic protein-1, increased 3–4 fold at 1 day post-injection for both nanoparticle and saline injected eyes, but also returned to control levels at 2 days. No elevations of tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA or protein were detected. These investigations show no signs of local inflammatory responses associated with subretinal injection of compacted DNA nanoparticles, indicating that the retina may be a suitable target for clinical nanoparticle-based interventions.


Aim  Elevated inputs of biologically reactive nitrogen (N) are considered to be one of the most substantial threats to biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems. Several attempts have been made to scrutinize the factors driving species loss following excess N input, but generalizations across sites or vegetation types cannot yet be made. Here we focus on the relative importance of the vegetation type, the local environment (climate, soil pH, wet deposition load) and the experimentally applied (cumulative) N dose on the response of the vegetation to N addition.

Location  Mainly North America and Europe.

Methods  We conducted a large-scale meta-analysis of in situ N addition experiments in different vegetation types, focusing on the response of biomass and species richness.

Results  Whereas the biomass of grasslands and salt marshes significantly increased with N fertilization, forest understorey vegetation, heathlands, freshwater wetlands and bogs did not show any significant response. Graminoids significantly increased in biomass following N addition, whereas bryophytes significantly lost biomass; shrubs, forbs and lichens did not significantly respond. The yearly N fertilization dose significantly influenced the biomass response of grassland and salt marshes, while for the other vegetation types none of the collected predictor variables were of significant influence. Species richness significantly decreased with N addition in grasslands and heathlands [Correction added on 23 March 2011, after first online publication: 'across all vegetation types' changed to 'in grasslands and heathlands']. The relative change in species richness following N addition was significantly driven by the cumulative N dose.

Main conclusions  The decline in species richness with cumulative N input follows a negative exponential pathway. Species loss occurs faster at low levels of cumulative N input or at the beginning of the addition, followed by an increasingly slower species loss at higher cumulative N inputs. These findings lead us to stress the importance of including the cumulative effect of N additions in calculations of critical load values.


Commercial IoT devices are increasingly being integrated into software systems. However, given the also increasing number of IoT vulnerability reports, there is a pressing need to enable organizations to achieve such integration with high assurance, especially for systems with high security and safety requirements. We present KalKi, a software-defined IoT security platform that moves security enforcement to the network to enable safe integration of IoT devices, even if the devices are not fully trusted or configurable. KalKi leverages software-defined networking (SDN) concepts and constructs, combined with a rich policy model that specifies both cyber and kinetic attacks, to create a safe, highly-dynamic and extensible IoT integration platform. Our experiments demonstrate high performance, scalability and resilience, even in the presence of a powerful attacker.


The biggest challenge for cancer research is relapses that occur in patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, suggesting that some cells in tumors escape targeted treatment. Key questions are why relapses occur and why current therapies fail to remove all cancer cells. The cancer stem-cell hypothesisis based on the fact that not all cells within a tumor are similar. Other than tumorigenesis and metastasis, cancer stem cells have some properties that are similar to those of normal stem cells, such as self-renewal and differentiation. Accordingly, breast cancer stem cells may arise from mutation of normal mammary stem cells or progenitor cells. Cancer stem cell regulation involves several factors, such as Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog, mutations of which endow cancer stem cells with the capacity for self-renewal. Moreover, epithelial mesenchymal transition and microRNAs recently have been shown to regulate the "stemness " of cancer cells. Targeting cancer stem cells could prevent relapse and provide new hope for cancer prevention.


Neural tumors composed of Pacinian corpuscles are rare and have only occasionally been reported in the literature. All such lesions, which have been reported to date, have been benign. One such lesion described here presented as a painful lesion on the right hand in a 17-year-old Omani female. There was history of trap door injury 7 years back involving the wrist, thumb and index finger. The patient gradually developed multiple bosselated nodules near the first web space with gradually increasing pain. This case is being reported for the first time in the Sultanate of Oman. We herein report this case due to its rarity.


To the Editor.— Eosinophilic meningitis is rare. It occurs essentially in helminthic infections of the nervous system, and occasionally in fungal and bacterial infections, in lymphoproliferative disorders, and after introduction of foreign material into the CNS. 1 I studied a patient with eosinophilic meningitis after repeated myelography with iophendylate injection (Pantopaque) that responded to therapy with corticosteroids. Report of a Case.— A 27-year-old man appeared on Aug 14, 1978, with the complaint of severe neck, occipital, and lower back pain after myelography done on Aug 3, 1978, for chronic lower back pain since 1976. He had had a iophendylate myelogram performed previously, on Oct 29, 1976. At the time of admission, he looked ill, with marked photophobia and diaphoresis. Results of neurological examination were normal except for nuchal stiffness. Roentgenograms of skull, chest, lumbosacral spine, and brain scan and EEG were normal. Sedimentation rate on three occasions was slightly


Controller gains and power-sharing parameters are the main parameters affect the dynamic performance of the microgrid. Considering an active load to the autonomous microgrid, the stability problem will be more involved. In this paper, the active load effect on microgrid dynamic stability is explored. An autonomous microgrid including three inverter-based distributed generations (DGs) with an active load is modeled and the associated controllers are designed. Controller gains of the inverters and active load as well as Phase Locked Loop (PLL) parameters are optimally tuned to guarantee overall system stability. A weighted objective function is proposed to minimize the error in both measured active power and DC voltage based on time-domain simulations. Different AC and DC disturbances are applied to verify and assess the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. The results demonstrate the potential of the proposed controller to enhance the microgrid stability and to provide efficient damping characteristics. Additionally, the proposed controller is compared with the literature to demonstrate its superiority. Finally, the microgrid considered has been established and implemented on real time digital simulator (RTDS). The experimental results validate the simulation results and approve the effectiveness of the proposed controllers to enrich the stability of the considered microgrid.


Customized wellness care is a progressing area to promote self-care management, utilizing the state of the art techniques and technologies to monitor user daily life activities. Mining Minds Platform is one such effort that lies in customized wellness care domain with objective to support personalized health and wellness. This paper focuses on the one year journey of Mining Minds, its evolution into different versions with the challenges and limitations faced while design and development of the platform. We developed two versions (MM V1.0 and MM V1.5) in the first year and are moving towards MM V2.0 in the next year. We will discuss about the experience of building the core technology in these versions on top of the defined service scenario of physical activities.


We report the discovery with the Keck telescope of two new multiply imaged arcs in the luminous X-ray cluster A2219 (z = 0.225). The brighter arc in the field is red and we use spectroscopic and photometric information to identify it as a z ~ 1 moderately star-forming system. The brightness of this arc suggests that it is formed from two merging images of the background source, and we identify possible candidates for the third image of this source. The second giant arc in this cluster is blue and, while fainter than the red arc, it has a similarly large angular extent (32 arcsec). This arc comprises three images of a single nucleated source - the relative parities of the three images are discernible in our best-resolution images. The presence of several bright multiply imaged arcs in a single cluster allows detailed modelling of the cluster mass distribution, especially when redshift information is available. We present a lensing model of the cluster, which explains the properties of the various arcs, and we contrast this model with the optical and X-ray information available on the cluster. We uncover significant differences between the distributions of mass and X-ray gas in the cluster. We suggest that such discrepancies may indicate an on-going merger event in the cluster core, possibly associated with a group around the second brightest cluster member. The preponderance of similar merger signatures in a large fraction of the moderate-redshift clusters would indicate their dynamical immaturity.


A 51-year-old Honduran man presented with verrucous plaques on the right arm. He reported that years before the initial lesion appeared, he had received an abrasion from a burlap sack while spreading fertilizer. After an initial surgical excision 9 years earlier, the lesion recurred and slowly progressed to the state at presentation. Physical examination revealed thick verrucous plaques on an erythematous base and associated edema affecting the right distal upper extremity (Figure 1). A skin biopsy specimen was obtained and stained with hematoxylineosin (Figure 2) and periodic acid–Schiff (Figure 3). What is your diagnosis?


Introduction This paper is a cooperative report of the clinical, spinal fluid, and serologic findings in a group of 1,086 patients with general paresis (dementia paralytica) treated with penicillin with or without fever therapy at eight different hospitals. A detailed account of the formation and function of this cooperative clinical study has been given previously as an introduction to the presentation of the group experience in treatment of asymptomatic central nervous system syphilis. 1 Shortly after the effectiveness of penicillin in the treatment of early syphilis was reported, various investigators began to study the efficacy of this new antibiotic in the treatment of central nervous system syphilis. These investigations were supported in part by grants from the Office of Scientific Research and Development, the National Institutes of Health, and the Division of Venereal Disease, U. S. Public Health Service. The findings of the individual investigators have provided much of the


Aim. To study the specifics of lead, zinc, copper, magnesium and calcium metabolism in children and adolescents with essential arterial hypertension living in different ecological settings. Methods. 100 children and adolescents aged 13-17 years with arterial hypertension, living in «industrial» (52 patients) and «residential» (48 patients) areas were examined in cardiology ward. 33 healthy children and as healthy controls. According to 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, groups with stable, labile arterial hypertension and «white coat hypertension» were formed. The levels of elements in 24-hour urine and in serum were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results. In children and adolescents with stable arterial hypertension living in industrial areas, parameters of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (mean 24-hour and mean daytime systolic blood pressure values, time of systolic hypertension, mean 24-hour and mean daytime blood pressure values) were higher compared to the same parameters in children from residential areas, the difference was statistically significant. The study of elements metabolism revealed increased lead exposure in children with essential arterial hypertension living in industrial areas, and misbalance of essential elements in those patients compared to the same parameters in children from residential areas. Conclusion. Results suggest increased exposure to arterial hypertension and marked misbalance of essential elements in children and adolescents with essential arterial hypertension living in industrial areas


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there is an association between being smacked by your main caregiver in the first two years and emotional and behavioural problems at age four.

METHODS

DESIGN
Secondary analysis of data from the Growing Up in Scotland Prospective Study (GUS).

SETTING
Scotland, UK.

PARTICIPANTS
GUS birth cohort children, whose main caregiver had no concerns about their behaviour at 22 months.

EXPOSURE
Ever smacked by main caregiver in first 22 months, as measured by caregiver self-report at 22 months.

MAIN OUTCOME
Emotional and behavioural problems as measured by parental assessment and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 46 months.

RESULTS
Preschool children exposed to main caregiver smacking in the first two years were twice as likely to have emotional and behavioural problems as measured by parental assessment [odds ratio (OR) 2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9-3.2; absolute risk reduction (ARR) 17.8%, 95% CI 12.1-23.5] and SDQ (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.7-3.7; ARR 7.5%, 95% CI 3.7-11.5), as children never smacked by their main caregiver. The association remained significant after adjusting for child age and sex, caregiver age, sex, ethnicity, educational attainment and mental health status, sibling number, structural family transitions and socioeconomic status (adj. OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.8-3.2 for parental assessment and adj. OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.4-3.5 for SDQ).

CONCLUSIONS
Parental use of physical punishment in the first two years may be a modifiable risk factor for emotional and behavioural difficulties in preschool children.


Conservation groups are always challenged with assigning limited resources to interventions they assume will have the most effective impact in addressing threats to their conservation targets. These decisions are often made based on experience and perceived outcomes, rather than evidence. In the past decade, multiple public awareness and proactive law enforcement activities have been initiated in the Congo Republic to address the illegal wildlife trade. This paper presents the challenges faced and lessons learned in shifting from experience to evidence‐based program evaluation related to the effectiveness of billboards in informing and inspiring local populations to support positive conservation behavior with regard to great apes.


Quasi-block copolymers (q-BCPs) are block copolymers consisting of conventional and supramolecular blocks, in which the conventional block is end-terminated by a functionality that interacts with the supramolecular monomer (a "chain stopper" functionality). A new design of q-BCPs based on a general polymeric chain stopper, which consists of polystyrene end-terminated with a sulfonate group (PS-SO3 Li), is described. Through viscosity measurements and a detailed diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy study, it is shown that PS-SO3 Li can effectively cap two types of model supramolecular monomers to form q-BCPs in solution. Furthermore, differential scanning calorimetry data and structural characterization of thin films by scanning force microscopy suggests the existence of the q-BCP architecture in the melt. The new design considerably simplifies the synthesis of polymeric chain stoppers; thus promoting the utilization of q-BCPs as smart, nanostructured materials.


This community service activity is included to the community partnership program. The targets are people who are not economically productive, they are the students of elementary school (SD), junior high school (SMP), and senior high school (SMA) in Pondok Babadan Baru, RT.01, RW. 13, Beji, East Ungaran. The activities carried out in this program are handling problems in learning English for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to most students, English subject is a difficult subject. To make it being easy, it needs a practice when we learn a language. In fact, most students do not use English in their daily life. One of the reasons is because of unsupportive environment, such as parents who cannot speak English. Another problem is in the learning system used in the pandemic era that is online learning. Even though students are familiar with technology, the technology used for learning is still foreign to them. Therefore, this community service activity will help students increasing their motivation in learning English during the pandemic so that their ability in reading, listening, speaking and writing using English can improve. The method of service activities applied is in the form of assistance in learning English through Google Meet application. The result of this service activity is increased students' motivation in learning English during the pandemic which makes students to be confident in using English. The results of this activity are expected to be used as guidelines in dealing with children's problems in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Though deep neural networks (DNNs) achieve remarkable performances in many artificial intelligence tasks, the lack of training instances remains a notorious challenge. As the network goes deeper, the generalization accuracy decays rapidly in the situation of lacking massive amounts of training data. In this paper, we propose novel deep neural network structures that can be inherited from all existing DNNs with almost the same level of complexity, and develop simple training algorithms. We show our paradigm successfully resolves the lack of data issue. Tests on the CIFAR10 and CIFAR100 image recognition datasets show that the new paradigm leads to 20$\%$ to $30\%$ relative error rate reduction compared to their base DNNs. The intuition of our algorithms for deep residual network stems from theories of the partial differential equation (PDE) control problems. Code will be made available.


Health effects of trans fatty acids (TFAs) on human organisms can vary according to their type, structure, composition, and origin. Even though the adverse health effects of industrial TFAs (iTFAs) have been widely discussed, the health effects of natural TFAs (nTFAs) are still questionable. Hence, it is important to review the literature and provide an overall picture on the health effects of different TFAs coming from industrial and ruminant sources, underlining those types that have adverse health effects as well as suggesting methods for reducing their harmful effects. Multiple databases (PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, etc.) were searched with the key words "trans fatty acid sources", "ruminant", "industrial", "conjugated trans linoleic acid", "human", "coronary heart disease", "cancer", etc. Reference lists of the studies were scanned discussing the health effects of iTFAs and nTFAs. The review of the literature showed that iTFAs are found to be more harmful than ruminant-produced nTFAs. Although several beneficial effects (such as reduced risk of diabetes) for nTFAs have been observed, they should be used with caution. Since during labeling it is usually not mentioned whether the TFAs contained in food are of industrial or natural origin, the general suggestion is to reduce their consumption.


The Monoceros Ring (also known as the Galactic Anticenter Stellar Structure) and A13 are stellar overdensities at estimated heliocentric distances of d ∼ 11 kpc and 15 kpc observed at low Galactic latitudes toward the anticenter of our Galaxy. While these overdensities were initially thought to be remnants of a tidally disrupted satellite galaxy, an alternate scenario is that they are composed of stars from the Milky Way (MW) disk kicked out to their current location due to interactions between a satellite galaxy and the disk. To test this scenario, we study the stellar populations of the Monoceros Ring and A13 by measuring the number of RR Lyrae and M giant stars associated with these overdensities. We obtain low-resolution spectroscopy for RR Lyrae stars in the two structures and measure radial velocities to compare with previously measured velocities for M giant stars in the regions of the Monoceros Ring and A13, to assess the fraction of RR Lyrae to M giant stars (fRR:MG) in A13 and Mon/GASS. We perform velocity modeling on 153 RR Lyrae stars (116 in the Monoceros Ring and 37 in A13) and find that both structures have very low fRR:MG. The results support a scenario in which stars in A13 and Mon/GASS formed in the MW disk. We discuss a possible association between Mon/GASS, A13, and the Triangulum-Andromeda overdensity based on their similar velocity distributions and fRR:MG.


novel format on an interactive exchanges on topics of importance to science and practice in the field of industrial and organizational psychology. The journal takes a focal article–peer commentary format. A focal article is a position paper on an important issue for the field (or potentially a pair of papers taking opposite sides in a debate). Such a focal article might summarize evidence on an issue and take a position as to implications for science, practice, or public policy. The paper might focus on a basic science issue, an applied science issue, a practice issue, or a public policy issue; many would be a blend. The focal article is then followed by a series of peer commentaries. These could challenge or critique the original article, expand on issues not addressed in the focal article, or draw out implications not developed in the focal article. The goal is to include commentaries from various perspectives, including science, practice, and international perspectives.


The DBV-OSI II addresses the probleme of access to multiple independent, non-communicating union catalogues and databases in Germany. It seeks to improve the situation for end users by offering seamless access to a range of local and remote services, using a SR/Z39.50 application. Interlibrary loan and document delivery will be addressed in the second phase of the project


The majority of Azotobacter chroococcum strains in a collection obtained from Alberta soils were absolutely dependent on Na+ for growth. Two strains from the American Type Culture Collection also were either Na+ dependent or were stimulated by Na+. Optimal growth required 0.8 mM Na+ and was limited at 0.2 to 0.35 mM Na+. Growth promoted by 0.8 mM Na+ was inhibited by Rb+ > K+ >> NH4+ but was not affected by Li+. Growth inhibition by Rb+ and K+ was overcome by increasing the Na+ concentration present in the medium. Excellent growth in media containing limiting Na+ was obtained when 25 mM Li+ or 25 mM Mg2+ was added. Li+ was significantly more effective in replacing Na+ than was Mg2+. Na+ was required for growth on all C sources (glucose, sucrose, melibiose, and mannitol) and N sources (N2, NH4+, and NO3−) and was required throughout the pH range of growth. Cells suspended in Na+ -deficient medium or in distilled water did not appear to lyse or lose viability.


OBJECTIVES
Although routine workers' health examinations are extensively performed worldwide with important resource allocation, few studies have analyzed their quality. The objective of this study has been to analyze the medical practice of workers' health examinations in Catalonia (Spain) in terms of its occupational preventive aim.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
A cross-sectional study was carried out by means of an online survey addressed to occupational physicians who were members of the Catalan Society of Safety and Occupational Medicine. The questionnaire included factual questions on how they performed health examinations in their usual practice. The bivariate analysis of the answers was performed by type of occupational health service (external/internal).

RESULTS
The response rate was 57.9% (N = 168), representing 40.3% of the reference population. A high percentage of occupational physicians had important limitations in their current medical practice, including availability of clinical and exposure information, job-specificity of tests, and early detection and appropriate management of suspected occupational diseases. The situation in external occupational health services - that covered the great majority of Catalan employees - was worse remarkably in regard to knowledge of occupational and nonoccupational sickness absence data, participation in the investigation of occupational injuries and diseases, and accessibility for workers to the occupational health service.

CONCLUSIONS
This study raises serious concerns about the occupational preventive usefulness of these health examinations, and subsequently about our health surveillance system, based primarily on them. Professionals alongside health and safety institutions and stakeholders should promote the rationalization of this system, following the technical criteria of need, relevance, scientific validity and effectiveness, whilst ensuring that its ultimate goal of improving the health and safety of workers in relation to work is fulfilled. Other countries with similar surveillance systems might be encouraged by our results to assess how their practices fit the intended purpose. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(6):823-848.


The usefulness of computerized tomography (CT) in elective carotid surgery was evaluated in a prospective study of 402 patients who had a surgical operation on one or two atheromatous arteries and were explored by pre and post-operative CT of the brain. Pre-operative CT scans revealed an ischaemic lesion in 22 per cent of asymptomatic patients and in 29 per cent of patients who had experienced a transient ischaemic accident. Abnormal pre-operative CT scans were associated with a statistically significant increase in per-operative electroencephalographic changes, but there was no significant increase in post-operative neurological complications. Post-operative CT scans showed a "silent" infarct in 6 per cent of the cases; 59 per cent of patients with neurological complications had normal or unchanged post-operative CT images. This study suggests that pre-operative CT is not necessary to evaluate the neurological risk and that post-operative CT alone is inadequate to quantify the morbidity of carotid surgery.


Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a mammalian amidase signature enzyme that inactivates neuromodulatory fatty acid amides, including the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide and the sleep-inducing substance oleamide. The recent determination of the three-dimensional structures of FAAH and two distantly related bacterial amidase signature enzymes indicates that these enzymes employ an unusual serine-serine-lysine triad for catalysis (Ser-241/Ser-217/Lys-142 in FAAH). Mutagenesis of each of the triad residues in FAAH has been shown to severely reduce amidase activity; however, how these residues contribute, both individually and in cooperation, to catalysis remains unclear. Here, through a combination of site-directed mutagenesis, enzyme kinetics, and chemical labeling experiments, we provide evidence that each FAAH triad residue plays a distinct role in catalysis. In particular, the mutation of Lys-142 to alanine indicates that this residue functions as both a base involved in the activation of the Ser-241 nucleophile and an acid that participates in the protonation of the substrate leaving group. This latter property appears to support the unusual ability of FAAH to hydrolyze amides and esters at equivalent rates. Interestingly, although structural evidence indicates that the impact of Lys-142 on catalysis probably occurs through the bridging Ser-217, the mutation of this latter residue to alanine impaired catalytic activity but left the amide/ester hydrolysis ratios of FAAH intact. Collectively, these findings suggest that FAAH possesses a specialized active site structure dedicated to a mechanism for competitive amide and ester hydrolysis where nucleophile attack and leaving group protonation occur in a coordinated manner dependent on Lys-142.


Lappaconitine (LA), isolated from Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai, was characterized as analgesic principle by our laboratory. The analgesic effect of ip LA 6 mg/kg as measured in the rat tail-flick test was reduced by icv CaCl2 or MgCl2 0.1 or 1 mumol/rat. BaCl2 was inactive. The analgesic action induced by LA was potentiated by ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA, 0.2 mumol/rat icv) but not by ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA, 0.2 or 0.4 mumol/rat icv). The calcium antagonists nifedipine (5 mg/kg ip) and verapamil (1 mumol/rat icv) partially reversed the Ca2+ antagonistic effect on LA analgesia, although nifedipine did not enhance LA analgesic action and only at 15 min after medication did verapamil exhibit enhancement of LA analgesia. The analgesic activity of LA was reduced and augmented by microinjection of CaCl2 0.5 mumol and EGTA 50 nmol to periaqueductal gray (PAG) area, respectively. These results suggest that LA can produce analgesia, possibly through a decrease in cellular calcium availability and PAG may be involved in the Ca2+ antagonistic effect on LA analgesia.


For the first time in the domestic literature, the article presents a clinical observation of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 in the 6-year-old patient with manifestation of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in the form of diabetic ketoacidosis. Anamnestic, clinical and laboratory data are presented on the basis of which two life-threatening diseases was diagnosed, as well as tactics of therapy, which made it possible to achieve a positive result. This clinical observation is compared with observations of foreign colleagues. Possible pathogenetic mechanisms of MIS-C and T1DM comorbidity are discussed.


Gestational Diabetes (GDM) is characterized by insulin resistance and a pro-inflammatory state, both factors possible related to adipokine expression. Subjects and Methods: The study included 20 women with GDM, diagnosed according to the WHO criteria, and 23 matched for age and BMI women with normal glucose tolerance. Omentin and TSP-1 were measured by ELISA assays. Insulin resistance was assessed by HOMA and Insulin Resistance Index (IRI). Results: There were no significant differences in omentin and TSP-1 levels between subjects with GDM and controls (48.0±12.0ng/ml versus 50.2±7.9ng/ml and 2150±1661ng/ml versus 1569±1160ng/ml, p=0.64 and p=0.29, for omentin and TSP-1 in GDM and control subjects, respectively). There was no significant correlation between either omentin or TSP-1 with HOMA or IRI, however, there was a significant positive correlation between thrombospondin-1 and omentin (r=0.49, p=0.010). There was also a positive correlation between serum omentin and glucose levels at 60 and 90 minutes of OGTT, however, in the control group only (p<0.05). Conclusions: Concentrations of omentin and thrombospondin-1 seem to be inter-related in pregnancy, however, there are no differences in serum levels between women with normal glucose tolerance and those with glucose intolerance. These observations suggest that regulation of concentrations of these adipokines in pregnancy might be mediated though different mechanisms than in non-pregnant subjects.


In a series of experiments, Korean monosyllabic words were used to investigate the role of syllables in Korean visual word recognition. In Experiment 1, lexical decision task was performed and the reaction time for high word frequency-high syllable frequency word condition was faster than those obtained from low word frequency-high syllable frequency word condition, with low word frequency-low syllable frequency condition being the slowest. Hence, visual word recognition was faster for high-frequency words than low-frequency words. Moreover, visual word recognition was faster for words that had higher syllable-frequency compared to words with lower syllable-frequency in words with similar word-frequency. In Experiment 2, word naming task was used to examine whether the syllable-frequency effect observed in Experiment 1 was task-specific or task-independent. Experiment 2 failed to show such word-frequency effect observed in Experiment 1 which may indicate that monosyllabic word-frequency effect is task-specific, and that word naming of monosyllabic Korean words could still be possible without lexical access. Although syllable-frequency effect was statistically significant as in Experiment 1, its effect size was prominently reduced in Experiment 2. Hence, these results demonstrate that syllable-frequency effect is concerned with the visual word processing that is common in both lexical decision and word naming tasks. The results from this study show that syllable plays a crucial role in visual word recognition of Korean monosyllabic words, and that syllable-frequency effect occurs at an independent information processing stage that is readily distinguishable from word-frequency effect.


A method for transmitting multiple digital information signals by a single transmitted chaotic signal is presented. The information signals are encoded by modifying some tunable parameters of a chaotic system and decoded at the receiver by following the parameter modulation in the transmitter via synchronization. The Lorenz system is used to demonstrate the validity, robastness and security of the method.


Background: Sulfhydryl groups are present on the surface of nanoparticles in unburned vehicle exhaust and most air pollutants produced by combustion, which raises the risk for exposure of human. Sulfhydride nanoparticles not only penetrate the skin range from the stratum corneum to pass below the dermis, they also entering the systemis circulation from cell endocytosis pass way. The potential risk of skin and body healthy associated from sulfhydride nanoparticles were attach much attentions. It is important to illuminate the underlying toxicity of sulfhydride nanoparticles to humanbody, but the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of nanoparticles on cells remain unclear, especially the relationship from the damage of cells plasma membrane and the cell cycle.Methods: We performed time-response studies and cells-membrane interaction studies in C6 cells to observe the effects of 50nm and 200nm sulfhydryl nanoparticles on the activities, cell metabolism and cell cycle. The cells were exposed to 0, 10 or 20 Nano particles for 12, 36, 24, 48 or 72h to finish the particle- response studies. On the time of treatment, cells were collected to assess the expression of tight junction-associated proteins, P21, FBW7 and cyclin E. To further investigate the mechanisms underlying nanoparticle-induced dysregulation of tight junction-associated protein, we studied the change of lipid bilayers. Sum frequency generation optic spectrum was carried out to study the membrane change. Results: The results show that the smaller particles penetrate the plasma membrane and without bilayer disruption, whereas the larger one will pilled off one leaflet of the membrane, they are mostly trapped in endosomes. The larger ones result in slow but unrepairable cell necrosis and caused cell cycle regulation disorders via disturbing the expression of p21, cyclin E, and FBW-7. Conclusion: The results suggest that the destruction of membrane structure by the particles will cause irreversible biological damage, and particles entering cells through protein assisted process will increase the expression of cell cycle related proteins and cells self-repair can be observed from the in vitro experiments. From the interactions between mitochondria lipid model and nanoparticles, we deduced that, the efficiencies of nano-scaled drugs could be enhanced by altering the interaction models of nano systems and mitochondria. In the future, mitochondria membrane proteins would also be carefully explored to confirm their roles in the active mitochondrial uptake of nanoparticles and provide new channels for safe and effective mitochondria targeting drug delivery. Real-time studies of plasma membrane damage from sulfhydryl nanoparticles, and analysis the triggering of cell apoptosis, will support safety assessment of nanoscale materials.


In the last few years, the developments in the field of ADA systems shifted from comfort oriented systems to safety oriented systems. Consequently, the complexity of the systems, and thus the complexity of testing those systems, increased. This leads to a demand for reproducible, efficient and safe testing methods for ADA systems in general, and pre-crash systems in particular. A new method for evaluation of pre-crash systems is presented, consisting of TNO's Vehicle Hardware-in-the-Loop facility (VeHIL) and TNO's Crash Lab. This method, called VeHIL/Precrash, aims to support the development and verification of pre-crash systems, increasing the level of reproducibility, effectiveness and safety of the testing process. To this end, a test vehicle, positioned on a roller bench, is placed in a simulated traffic environment. In order to provide the test vehicle's environment sensor input, one of the simulated traffic participants is represented by a rail guided target vehicle, which is stopped by crumple tubes.


Model-based approaches to 3D hand tracking have been shown to perform well in a wide range of scenarios. However, they require initialisation and cannot recover easily from tracking failures that occur due to fast hand motions. Data-driven approaches, on the other hand, can quickly deliver a solution, but the results often suffer from lower accuracy or missing anatomical validity compared to those obtained from model-based approaches. In this work we propose a hybrid approach for hand pose estimation from a single depth image. First, a learned regressor is employed to deliver multiple initial hypotheses for the 3D position of each hand joint. Subsequently, the kinematic parameters of a 3D hand model are found by deliberately exploiting the inherent uncertainty of the inferred joint proposals. This way, the method provides anatomically valid and accurate solutions without requiring manual initialisation or suffering from track losses. Quantitative results on several standard datasets demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art representatives of the model-based, data-driven and hybrid paradigms.


We have reviewed the literature on third and fourth degree perineal lacerations, with respect to occurrence, risk factors, repair, short and long term morbidity, and secondary treatment. Suggestions of delivery procedures aiming to reduce the extent of perineal trauma are given. The long term sequelae of severe lacerations are clearly underestimated.


The recently chemically synthesized Escherichia coli lipid A and the natural free lipid A of E. coli were compared with respect to their endotoxic activities in the following test systems: lethal toxicity, pyrogenicity, local Shwartzman reactivity, Limulus amoebocyte lysate gelation capacity, tumour necrotizing activity, B cell mitogenicity, induction of prostaglandin synthesis in macrophages, and antigenic specificity. It was found that synthetic and natural free lipid A exhibit identical activities and are indistinguishable in all tests.


Chlamydia psittaci is an avian pathogen with zoonotic potential. In Australia, C. psittaci has been well reported as a cause of reproductive loss in mares which subsequently have been the source of infection and illness in some in-contact humans. To date, molecular typing studies describe the predominant and clonal C. psittaci sequence type (ST)24 strains in horse, psittacine, and human infections. We sought to assess the clonality between ST24 strains and the emergence of equine ST24 with a comprehensive genomics approach. We used culture-independent probe-based and metagenomic whole-genome sequencing to investigate 13 C . psittaci genomes from horses, psittacines, and a pigeon from Australia. Published genomes of 36 C . psittaci strains were also used to contextualise our Australian dataset and investigate lineage diversity. We utilised a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based clustering and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) approach. C. psittaci has four major phylogenetic groups (PG1-4) based on core-genome SNP-based phylogeny. PG1 contained clonal global and Australian equine, psittacine, and human ST24 genomes, with a median pairwise SNP distance of 68 SNPs. PG2, PG3, and PG4 had greater genomic diversity, including diverse STs collected from birds, livestock, human, and horse hosts from Europe and North America and a racing pigeon from Australia. We show that the clustering of C. psittaci by MLST was congruent with SNP-based phylogeny. The monophyletic ST24 clade has four major sub-lineages. The genomes of 17 Australian human, equine, and psittacine strains collected between 2008 and 2021 formed the predominant ST24 sub-lineage 1 (emerged circa 1979). Despite a temporal distribution of 13 years, the genomes within sub-lineage 1 had a median pairwise SNP distance of 32 SNPs, suggesting a recent population expansion or potential cross-host transmission. However, two C. psittaci genomes collected in 2015 from Victorian parrots clustered into distinct ST24 sub-lineage 4 (emerged circa 1965) with ovine strain C19/98 from Germany. This work describes a comprehensive phylogenomic characterisation of ST24 and identifies a timeline of potential bird-to-equine spillover events.


The main focus of this thesis is the manner in which Doris Lessing and J.M Coetzee construct their identities in their life writings. While Lessing has written a "classical" autobiography using the first person and past tense, Coetzee has opted for a more fictional version using the third person and the present tense. These different approaches offer us a unique opportunity to look into the manner in which fiction and facts can be combined and used to create works of art which linger permanently between the two. It is also interesting to see how these two writers have dealt with the complications of being raised in Southern Africa and how that influences their social and personal identities. In the Introduction I present the writers and their oeuvres briefly. In Chapter 1, I explain the terms connected with life writing, identity and narrative. In the second chapter I begin by looking into the manner in which their respective life writings begin and what repercussions does using the first and the third person have? In the third chapter I analyse their relational identities, i.e. the role that environment and family play in Lessing's and Coetzee's sense of self. In the fourth chapter I establish the "causal connections" which are the connections between the main events of one's life and how they have shaped the individual in the present. While analysing these causal connections I try to discover what Howard E. Gardner (2011) has called "the crystallizing experience", that is the moment or episode that marked the beginning of Lessing's and Coetzee's interest in writing fiction. In the conclusion I compare the similarities and differences between their life experiences, trying to confirm the view that there is not only one identity, one life story, therefore looking for truth in life writing becomes superfluous. What we should be looking for instead is a unique vision of life and for what Coetzee has termed the "aura of truth". Table of


Since previous studies have shown that an active pineal gland exerts an inhibitory effect on circulating levels of thyroxin in the Syrian hamster, a study was conducted to determine whether the histology and ultrastructure of the thyroid gland supported the conclusions drawn from the hormone data. The ultrastructure of thyroid glands of blinded male Syrian hamsters was compared to that of intact controls kept under a 14L/10D photoperiod, to that of blinded hamsters also pinealectomized, and to that of blinded hamsters receiving 80 μg/ml of melatonin in the drinking water. Serum thyroxin (T4) and serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. After 10 weeks serum thyroxin concentrations were less than 50% of controls and concentrations were significantly reduced. EM examination revealed that blinded hamsters had an increased number of follicular cells with flattened epithelium and nondilated endoplasmic reticulum compared to intact controls. In blinded hamsters that were pinealectomized or treated with melatonin in the drinking water, the ultrastructure of the thyroid was not different from controls and serum thyroxin concentrations were restored to near normal. These ultrastructural data support the conclusion that the pineal gland is required to obtain inhibition of the pituitary‐thyroid axis in blinded hamsters and that melatonin has a counter‐inhibitory effect when administered via the drinking water.


To assess the effects of metformin and glibenclamide each one alone on complete blood picture (CBP) in type 2 diabetic patients. A case control study. This study was conducted during the period from 1/5/2011 to 31/1/2012 in Ibn Sina hospital in Mosul city. CBP were measured in patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus. Group 1: 21 patients on metformin therapy (850-1500mg/day), group 2: 23 patients on glibenclamide therapy (5-10mg/day), also 22 apparently healthy volunteers were taken as the control group. Blood samples were taken from the three groups and analyzed for full blood count including red blood cells count (RBCs) ,white blood cell count (WBCs), and platelet count, hemoglobin (Hb) , mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and hematocrit (PCV). WBC count was higher in group 2 than that in group 1 and control group. The other parameters of complete blood picture in group 1 and 2 showed no significant differences compared with the control group. Metformin and glibenclamide have no significant effect on CBP except for the effect metformin which decreases WBC and platelet level which are already elevated in type 2 DM , but remain within the normal range. Such effect could not be seen in glibenclamide group


Iliana Krapova, Guglielmo Cinque Notes on the Multiple Ambiguity of Bulgarian mnogo This paper discusses the ambiguity of the Bulgarian quantity word mnogo and argues that it is not an intensifier stricto sensu, although it can also have such a usage. Comparing mnogo with its Italian counterparts troppo, tanto, and molto, we show that it corresponds more precisely to Italian tanto (English much), which can be modified by overt intensifiers like così (così tanto) or silent ones like molto / troppo (tanto), etc. (cf. English so / very / too much). However, mnogo can also function as an intensifier, much like Italian molto and English much: toj njama mnogo pari; non ha molti soldi; he doesn't have much money. As to its interpretation as troppo, we argue that mnogo is modified by the silent degree modifier tvărde, as in: tvărde mnogo.


ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the resource implications of using strong opioids in patients with advanced cancer in the UK, based on naturalistic practice, in order to develop the evidence base supporting better management. Design and setting: A modelling study performed from the perspective of the UK's National Health Service (NHS). Study participants and interventions: A data set was created from the DIN-link database comprising 986 patients with advanced cancer who were prescribed either 12-hourly sustained release morphine (SR morphine; MST Continuous) (n = 784) or transdermal fentanyl (Durogesic) (n = 202) as their first strong opioid between 1st January 1998 and 30th September 2000 and died during that period. Methods: Palliative care-related resource use data were obtained from the DIN-link database. Unit costs at 2000/2001 prices were applied to the resource use values to determine the mean NHS cost of palliative care from the start of treatment until death. Results: Patients initially treated with transdermal fentanyl started their strong opioid regime 8.5 years after diagnosis compared to 6.4 years after diagnosis in those who started SR morphine. This equates to an overall survival period from diagnosis of 8.8 years and 7.4 years respectively. Nevertheless, the total NHS cost of palliative care was similar between treatment groups, ranging from a mean £3087–£3462 per patient. Hospitalisation accounted for up to 71% of the total cost and opioids accounted for up to a further 17%. Less than one-third of patients received 4-hourly morphine as part of their initial opioid treatment despite UK guidelines recommending that moderate-to-severe pain should always be managed initially with an immediate-release preparation. Additionally, patients who received transdermal fentanyl as part of their initial treatment received significantly more laxative prescriptions than patients who started with SR morphine. Conclusions: SR morphine and transdermal fentanyl seem to be used in different situations. The results also confirm previous findings that pain management in cancer patients is often sub-optimal. The low contribution of opioids to the overall costs indicates that this should not be an obstacle to starting this aspect of palliative care earlier in disease progression. This characterisation of the resource implications of using SR morphine and transdermal fentanyl should enable purchasers and providers to optimise the availability of strong opioids for cancer patients on medical, economic and humanitarian grounds.


Cone vision is less sensitive than rod vision. Much of this difference can be attributed to the photoreceptors themselves, but the reason why the cones are less sensitive is still unknown. Recent recordings indicate that one important factor may be a difference in the rate of activation of cone transduction; that is, the rising phase of the cone response per bleached rhodopsin molecule (Rh*) has a smaller slope than the rising phase of the rod response per Rh*, perhaps because some step between Rh* and activation of the phosphodiesterase 6 (PDE6) effector molecule occurs with less gain. Since rods and cones have different G‐protein α subunits, and since this subunit (Tα) plays a key role both in the interaction of G‐protein with Rh* and the activation of PDE6, we investigated the mechanism of the amplification difference by expressing cone Tα in rod Tα‐knockout rods to produce so‐called GNAT2C mice. We show that rods in GNAT2C mice have decreased sensitivity and a rate of activation half that of wild‐type (WT) mouse rods. Furthermore, GNAT2C responses recover more rapidly than WT responses with kinetic parameters resembling those of native mouse cones. Our results show for the first time that part of the difference in sensitivity and response kinetics between rods and cones may be the result of a difference in the G‐protein α subunit. They also indicate more generally that the molecular nature of G‐protein α may play an important role in the kinetics of G‐protein cascades for metabotropic receptors throughout the body.