The syndrome of "pure alexia ", i.e., alexia without aphasia or agraphia, was first recorded in this country by Broadbent (1872) and a number of cases have since been described in the literature. Adequate historical accounts have been given by de Massary (1932), Weisenberg and McBride (1935), and Russell Brain (1955). In recent years, fresh interest in the syndrome has been aroused by the excellent study of Holmes (1950). Its possible relevance to the problem of specific reading disability in children (Ettlinger and Jackson, 1955) provides additional grounds for further inquiry. Although " pure alexia" is widely accepted as a clinical entity, it has often been pointed out that the term is a misnomer. In the first place, the defect of reading is commonly, if not invariably, associated with other visual deficits. Apart from right hemianopia (which, with one doubtful exception, has been reported in every published case known to us), an apparently specific defect of colour recognition is almost invariably linked with alexia (Poetzl, 1928; Stengel, 1948). Some degree of visual-spatial agnosia or disorientation has also been claimed by several authors (Wolpert, 1930; Martin, 1954). In the second place, minor grades of dysphasia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia can be traced in the majority of published cases (Weisenberg and McBride, 1935) and may in the opinion of many invariably be elicited on careful examination (Critchley, 1953). None the less, the predominance in certain cases of reading disability without appreciable involvement of other functions, visual or linguistic, would appear an established fact (Brain, 1955). To this extent at least, alexia may be said to present as a circumscribed psychological deficit. The cerebral localization of alexia is a matter of some interest. Whereas the locus of the lesion provoking this syndrome was for long held to be the left angular gyrus (Dejerine, 1914), more recent work has consistently implicated the basal parts of the occipital lobe, in particular the lingual and fusiform gyri. Some damage to callosal fibres has also been adduced in the majority of cases verified by necropsy (Kleist, 1934; Gloning, Gloning, Seitelberger, and Tschabitscher, 1955). It is also noteworthy that alexia without other signs of visual agnosia has been reported regularly to follow left occipital lobectomy (Hecaen, Ajuriaguerra, and David, 1952). In its more circumscribed forms at least, alexia would clearly appear to be a syndrome of the dominant occipital lobe. It has been traditional to regard alexia as a highly selective variety of visual agnosia, i.e., a loss or defect of recognition limited to linguistic symbols (though numerals are often excepted). Russell Brain (1955), for example, considers the basic defect to lie in a failure on the part of the perceived material to arouse the visual word-schemes (" memory traces ") which may be assumed to mediate recognition of words and evocation of their meanings. Although this view commands wide acceptance it has not gone unchallenged. As long ago as 1930, Beringer and Stein attempted an explanation of alexia in terms not of a symbolic defect but of an abnormal functional lability (pathologische Funktionswandel) of the visual system. This lability was held to produce what is in effect a concentric constriction of vision leading to grossly impaired perception of fine detail.* In more recent years a similar explanation has been repeatedly advocated by Bay (1950, 1953) with reference to agnosia in general. It is pertinent to note that Martin (1954) has also laid stress on sensory deficits, in particular visual disorientation, as causal factors in alexia. One may comment that although the role of visuo-sensory impairment in alexia may well be appreciable, the existence of a specific and localized central defect of recognition can certainly not be ruled out. Indeed cases such as that of Holmes (1950) render explanation in terms other than symbolic loss extremely difficult to contemplate. In view of the important part played by eye movements in reading, it has been suggested that some aspects of dyslexia may be traced to derangement in the oculo-motor sphere. Thus, a defect of fixation


The study here reported was made of seventy-nine cases of fracture of the hip. An analysis of the age, type of fracture, roentgen observations, character of treatment and end-result has been made. All of the intracapsular fractures were treated by the Whitman abduction treatment. Nonunion resulted in four cases in which Whitman's reconstruction was performed. These cases afforded an opportunity for both gross and microscopic studies of the removed ligamentum teres and femoral heads, as well as examination of the area of nonunion in each instance. Considerable material has also been obtained at the autopsy table and from the dissecting room for further study in regard to the source of the blood supply to the head and neck of the femur. Observations were also made in reference to the part the ligamentum teres had to play in carrying nourishment to the femoral head. It was hoped that information gained from


In recent years, the increase in the number of vehicles has led to a major consumption of fuel and lubricants. Considerable amounts of lubricant oil and their packages are sent to waste deposits every year. On the other hand, the main oil industries in the world are looking at analyzing different alternatives to solve this kind of problem. Effective strategies for environmental management of residual oil waste and the lubricant oil packages are being studied in order to give the desired information to stakeholders all over the world. In Brazil, different states of the country bring possible solutions to this question through setting a solid waste management policy. Nevertheless, some specificities are not considered properly. This work brings an evaluation of possible perspectives for oil package disposal. In this paper, after a brief discussion about environment-related questions, 21 disposal alternatives for post-consumed lubricant oil packages were identified, 5 of which were considered viable. We concluded that economical, social and environmental aspects have great influence in the decision for each alternative considered in this work.


Saving energy and prolonging network lifetime are key issues of wireless sensor networks. In this paper we consider the problem of Maximum Lifetime data gathering in wireless sensor networks. This is a NP-hard problem and the size of the solution, which consists of a collection of aggregation trees together with the number of rounds each such tree should be used, is desired to be small, given the limited computation and communication resources of sensor nodes. We describe a simple and efficient combinatorial iterative algorithm for finding an optimal continuous solution that has up to n−1 aggregation trees and achieves lifetime, which depends on the network topology and initial energy available at the sensors. We obtain an approximate optimal integral solution by simply optimal continuous solution. The simulation experiment is shown that the RSM algorithm for computing maximum lifetime is more effective.


The program dependence graph (PDG) is being used in research projects for compilation to parallel architectures, program version integration and program semantics. This paper describes the methods used in a prototype Fortran‐to‐PDG translator called the PDG Testbed. Implementation decisions and details of the PDG Testbed project are described as a complement to the formal papers detailing the abstract PDG. In addition, experimental results are given that show the storage consumption for a PDG relative to a conventional internal representation as well as execution times for several analysis and optimization steps.


As the scaling of silicon-based devices becomes more challenging, alternative channel materials are being actively explored. One approach is to replace the silicon channel with nanoparticles - for example, carbon nanotubes - that offer higher performance and better scaling potential. However, the incorporation of nanoparticles requires the development of new "bottom up" fabrication techniques to grow or place particles at precise locations on a substrate. The inherent randomness of these assembly processes has an obvious impact on device yield, which must be taken into account in optimizing the layout of a device. Here we describe a simple statistical analysis of device yield that can give insight into the self-assembly process, and is particularly useful for characterizing nanoparticle self-assembly from solution.


The lightheartedness of these works both masks and enhances their engagement with provocative issues of continuing interest today: conduct in society, literary practice and moral praxis, relations between men and women, the value of received wisdom. This volume offers texts of two medieval French poems by Christine de Pizan: the "Epistre au dieu d'amours" and "Dit de la Rose," together with the first translation of these poems into modern English. The medieval English adaptation of Christine's "Epistre," Thomas Hoccleve's "The Letter of Cupid," is likewise presented here, and provided with a modern English translation. Finally, an eighteenth-century version of Hoccleve's poem, George Sewell's "The Proclamation of Cupid," is edited here for the first time. The editions of these poems by Christine, last edited a century ago, are based on the most recent scholarly findings. The edition of Hoccleve's poem reproduces its authorial punctuation from manuscript for the first time, and thus sheds light on the vexed question of fifteenth- century English metrics. The lively modern English translations of both can be used by students, scholars, and the general reader.


The nuclear quadrupole coupling constants and isomer shifts of 57Fe in the spinels ZnFe2O4 and CdFe2O4 were measured using the Mossbauer effect. The signs of the quadrupole coupling constants were determined from spectra which were taken in an applied magnetic field. The sign is negative in both spinels. The isomer shifts and Fe–O distances indicate that Fe3+ in ZnFe2O4 is somewhat more covalently bonded than in CdFe2O4. The external field gradients at the Fe3+ positions can be interpreted in terms of the ionic point‐multipole model modified by some charge transfer between oxygen and the cations. The point charge contribution to the field gradient is positive in case of ZnFe2O4 and nearly zero in case of CdFe2O4; the predominant contribution is due to the electric dipole moments of the oxygen ions and is negative. The dipole polarizability of the oxygen ion which gave the best fit is αD = 0.8 A3. The effect of charge transfer on the ionic field gradient is small.


The pulp of the purple mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana, is a popular tropical fruit but the rind containing xanthones such as α-mangostin together with procyanidins and anthocyanidins is usually discarded as waste. However, this rind has been used in South-East Asia for diarrhoea, dysentery, skin infections and wounds. As xanthones have reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant responses, this study has determined the bioactive compounds and evaluated the effects of G. mangostana rind on physiological, metabolic, liver and cardiovascular parameters in rats with diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Rats fed a diet with increased simple sugars and saturated fats developed obesity, hypertension, increased left ventricular stiffness, dyslipidaemia and fatty liver. Administration of G. mangostana rind as 5% of the food to rats with diet-induced metabolic syndrome gave a dose of 168 mg/kg/day α-mangostin, 355 mg/kg/day procyanidins, 3.9 mg/kg/day anthocyanins and 11.8 mg/kg/day hydroxycitric acid for 8 weeks which reduced body weight and attenuated physiological and metabolic changes in rats including decreased abdominal fat deposition, decreased abdominal circumference and whole-body fat mass, improved liver structure and function and improved cardiovascular parameters such as systolic blood pressure, left ventricular stiffness and endothelial function. These responses were associated with decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells, decreased deposition of collagen in both heart and liver and decreased mean adipocyte size in retroperitoneal adipose tissues. We conclude that, in rats with diet-induced metabolic syndrome, chronic intake of G. mangostana rind decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells which decreased physiological, metabolic, liver and cardiovascular symptoms.


Human rights are the basic standards that people need to live in dignity. In addition to the rights that are available to all people, there are rights that apply only to children. Children need special rights because of their unique needs; they need additional protection that adults don't. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international document that sets out all of the rights that children have – a child is defined in the Convention as any person under the age of 18 (1). Children's rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to minors (2), including their right to association with both parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education, health care and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child, equal protection of the child's civil rights, and freedom from discrimination on the basis of the child's race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability, color, ethnicity, or other characteristics (3-8).


cutaneous method in 1939, with a cross scratch in the skin through a drop of BCG-vaccine. These percutaneous methode yield more rapid and more lasting allergy both in animal experiments and in humans. As early as 1930 Chaussinand tried intramuscular dosage of BCG-vaccine but found no advantage with this method in comparison to intraand subcutaneous application. However the allergy seemed to develop more rapidly. The discussion of BCG has continued to the present with reports from almost all parts of the world. The innumerable publications indicate the considerable significance of the question in medical circles, and the number of individuals vaccinated is rising rapidly everywhere. In fiance for example, the number of vaccinated children is more than 1% million. In Norway over 6000 vaccinations were made in 1942.


In [1], [4], and [6] the authors have studied index problems associated with the 'coarse geometry' of a metric space, which typically might be a complete noncompact Riemannian manifold or a group equipped with a word metric. The second author has introduced a cohomology theory, coarse cohomology, which is functorial on the category of metric spaces and coarse maps, and which can be computed in many examples. Associated to such a metric space there is also a C*-algebra generated by locally compact operators with finite propagation. In this note we will show that for suitable decompositions of a metric space there are Mayer–Vietoris sequences both in coarse cohomology and in the K-theory of the C*-algebra. As an application we shall calculate the K-theory of the C*-algebra associated to a metric cone. The result is consistent with the calculation of the coarse cohomology of the cone, and with a 'coarse' version of the Baum–Connes conjecture.


: Natural product chemistry experiments, which train the students to master the basic skills for extraction, separation and identification of the active components of natural products, and acquaint with the research methods of natural product chemistry, are an important part of organic chemistry laboratory. This paper analyzes the common problems related to the current natural products chemistry laboratories in domestic universities. In recent years, we carried out the reforms of the teaching contents, teaching conditions, and teaching methods. The teaching practices show that the students' learning interest and efficiency, the abilities to analyze and solve problems, and the scientific research abilities have been trained and strengthened. The teachers' experimental teaching level and teaching quality have been greatly improved.


Bamboo is one of the most important non-wood raw materials for the pulp and paper industry in Asia and particularly in China. However, its high silicon content can cause challenges in the pulping and alkali recovery systems. Further understanding of the distribution, morphology, and composition of silicon in bamboo culm will be beneficial in solving these challenges. In this study, modern analytical tools such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) were used to characterize the distribution, morphology, and composition of silicon in the bamboo culm. The results showed that silicon is mainly distributed in the outer skin and inner skin. The silicon deposits exist in a number of shapes, and sinuate is the most common one. Their sizes range from about 0.15 μm to 0.9 μm in the cell wall and between 0.3 μm to 1.5 μm in the cell lumen. Localized silicon deposits are present in the forms of its oxide, silica, monatomic silicon, and/or organosilicon. Based on the above results, two potential techniques are recommended for pulp mills to minimize silicon-related challenges.


This short essay seeks to contribute to the debate on the health condition of Italian University research by comparing the results of the two evaluations of research quality (the VQR 2004-2010 and the VQR 2011-2014) from a territorial point of view. In particular, we analyse whether and to what extent the quality of scientific production is homogeneous between the different areas of the country and whether there are significant differences in the performance of the Universities between the two evaluation exercises.


The photosensitized (E)-β-ionone (1)–α-pyran (2) isomerization in benzene as a solvent has been studied in some detail. For xanthone, benzophenone, and 1- and 2-acetonaphthone the (1) : (2) photostationary state (p.s.s.) ratio is 3.5 ± 0.2, whereas for the series of aromatic hydrocarbons studied and the ketones fluoren-9-one and benzanthrone it is 0.37 ± 0.07, both for a total substrate concentration of ca. 0.1M. The low {[(1)] : [(2)]} p.s.s. values observed with the second group of sensitizers are not the result of additional singlet sensitization. They are ascribed to a specific additional route of isomerization for the α-pyran via singlet exciplex formation which route is almost negligible for (E)-β-ionone. This explanation is in line with both the Stern–Volmer plots for the quenching of the fluorescence of fluoren-9-one by the α-pyran and by (E)-β-ionone [the quenching being far less with (E)-β-ionone than the α-pyran], and by the dependence of {[(1)]/[(2)]} p.s.s. on the total substrate concentration in the case of fluoren-9-one as a sensitizer. From the dependence of the photostationary state for the triplet photosensitized isomerization on the triplet energy of the sensitizer, it was concluded that the triplet energies of (E)-β-ionone and the isomeric α-pyran (2) are 54–56 and < 54 kcal mol–1, respectively.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship of the renal allograft weight and the recipient's body weight with allograft function after transplantation.

METHODS
The correlation of the renal allograft weight, the recipient's body weight, the ratio of the allograft weight to the recipient body weight and the mean serum creatinine (sCr) 3 years after transplantation were measured in 108 kidney recipients.

RESULTS
The allograft weight was inversely correlated with the mean sCr 3 years after transplantation (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION
The renal allograft weight, recipient's body weight and the ratio of allograft weight to recipient's body weight are important indicators of the long-term allograft function after transplantation, and recipients with greater body weight should receive allografts of higher weight.


BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term impact of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on the liver in renal transplant patients.

METHODS
We studied 78 patients for whom at least one posttransplant liver biopsy (LB) was available and for whom the duration of HCV infection was precisely defined. The LB were graded according to a histological activity index, i.e., the Knodell score, divided into the activity score and the fibrosis score. They were also classified as either normal or showing evidence of chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis (CAH), or cirrhosis.

RESULTS
The study comprised 7 HCV-positive/hepatitis B surface antigen-positive patients (group 1); 4 HCV-positive/RNA-negative patients (group 2); and 67 HCV-positive/RNA-positive patients (group 3). The three groups were comparable according to demographic data and baseline immunosuppression. The median time from transplantation to LB was 38 months (range, 10-306 months). At that time, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels had increased in 71.4%, 0%, and 42% of patients from groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P=0.07). The total Knodell score showed significantly more severe lesions in group 1 patients (6.2+/-3.2) than in group 2 (1+/-1.2) or in group 3 (4.6+/-2.4) patients (P=0.007). The Knodell score also showed that the fibrosis score was significantly higher in group 1 (2.3+/-1.6) than in group 2 (0) or in group 3 (0.9+/-1.1) patients (P=0.007). Overall, there were 28 cases of CAH (36%) and 4 cases of cirrhosis (5%). We did not observe any correlation between liver histology and characteristics of HCV infection or the type of chronic immunosuppression (double-drug versus triple-drug therapy). However, liver histology (total Knodell score) and the activity score were significantly correlated with ALT levels. Multivariate analysis did identify (i) four independent variables that could explain the degree of liver fibrosis-the sex of the patient, the number of blood units received before transplantation, increased ALT levels at the time of LB, and the occurrence of at least one acute rejection episode (thus the receipt of methylprednisolone pulses); and (ii) two independent variables associated with the occurrence of CAH-the number of blood units before transplantation and increased ALT levels at the time of LB.

CONCLUSION
This study showed that renal transplant patients infected by HCV for more than 10 years, with a mean posttransplant follow-up of more than 5 years, showed more severe liver lesions when coinfected by hepatitis B virus. Overall, we observed only four cases of cirrhosis (5%) and evidence of histological CAH lesions in 36% of the patients.


The research analyses the beach litter monitoring programme in Latvia and provides suggestions for its improvement seeking to provide necessary information for effective marine litter management on the Latvian coastline of the Baltic Sea. The beach litter monitoring programme has been enacted since 2012 by NGO "FEE Latvia" and current research has been focused on the situation assessment and particularly provides analyses on a number and distribution of the surveyed beaches, the frequency and timing of the monitoring, litter classification and counting methodology, as well as the possible programme development using the NGO work based on the citizen science approach. The results allow to elaborate several suggestions on how to improve the programme in order to provide lacking information in Latvia on the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework directive of European Union, and to advise local municipalities in their coastal waste management practices. The suggestions include the increasing number of monitoring sites, a prioritization of the EU Master list classification protocol and an increase of sites with higher frequency of monitoring (3 times per year). Moreover, in the conducted public survey, the beach visitors demonstrated good understanding of marine litter and highly prioritized the issue. The increased interest can add public participation to further development of this applied here citizen science approach. KEYWORDS: Baltic Sea, beach litter, monitoring program, citizen science, coastal management. JEL CODES: Q52, Q57, Q58. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/rfds.v21i1.1406


This paper proposes an analytical tool that supports the design process of a disc-spring valve system used in hydraulic dampers. Such a valve is representative of a broader family of valve systems used in many industrial applications. The tool will speed up the valve-system design process. The paper considers a valve system that combines a number of circular metal plates, referred to further in the paper as 'a stack of plates'. The proposed analytical tool obtains a key design characteristic of a valve, the flow rate, and the corresponding maximum stress level in the stack of plates as a function of pressure load. The stress level enables the ranking of valve settings in terms of durability. The calculation process is based on the response of a nonlinear, data-driven model that approximates the a priori simulated cases to cover the complete range of input design parameters, namely the number of plates, their thickness and their diameter. The cases are produced by a first-principle model using a Finite Element (FE) approach. The model was calibrated based on experimental results to provide accurate results in the entire range of input parameters. The advantage of the analytical tool is its ability to immediately provide the pressure-stress-flow characteristic of a valve instead of repeating time-consuming calculations for each new setting of input parameters. The objectives of the paper are as follows: to (a) adapt the model to a three-plate stack by applying large strain theory, (b) select and rank the Artificial Neural Networks used in order to approximate simulation data, and (c) demonstrate validation and application results obtained with the Approximation Tool.


Universities in Africa are increasingly seen as key drivers for development and, hence, as a focus point for development agencies in the North. Through the ENhancement of REsearch Capacity (ENRECA) programme 1989–2009, the Danish Development Agency has facilitated Ph.D. education and research in partnerships with African higher education institutions. As other capacity-building projects, ENRECA has been evaluated by donor-initiated missions looking at research output, degrees awarded and interviewing heads and administrators. But how did the individuals who opted for an academic career experience the process? – are they still part of the university system or have they found other opportunities? – and what do their narratives tell us about long-term capacity building? These are relevant questions to address for understanding the role of African Universities as drivers and actors in development processes. Through two analyses of nine narrative interviews with former ENRECA Ph.D. students from the University of Ghana, we unfold their encounter with the transition into becoming and being an African scholar. The analyses show that the processes of becoming a Ph.D. are important not only at the time of the Ph.D. study but also for the informants' experiences of present possibilities. Four different academic life approaches are found that frame the informants' re-telling of who they are, how they became who they are, and how the ENRECA programme affected these processes. The article concludes that the ENRECA programme facilitated several kinds of empowerment for the participants, not only during their Ph.D. studies but also in their job positions 15 years later.


ABSTRACT Outbreaks of West Nile virus on a Florida alligator farm prompted an investigation of which species of mosquitoes were feeding on the animals at the farm. Mosquitoes were collected on 4 separate overnight trips in September and October 2003 by using CO2-baited Centers for Disease Control light traps and wooden resting boxes that were placed inside or near the alligator housing pens. Mosquitoes were identified to species, bloodfed individuals were separated, and their abdomens were removed for DNA extraction. The DNA was tested to determine the vertebrate origin of the blood meal by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification by using 4 primer sets specific to crocodilians, alligators, mammals, and birds. PCR products were sequenced to identify hosts. Of the 37 mosquito blood meals tested, 13 blood meals were positively identified to species, and 7 blood meals of those 13 were from Alligator mississippiensis, the American alligator. Alligator blood was found in Culex erraticus, Mansonia dyari, and Ma. titillans, and to our knowledge, this represents the first report of these mosquito species feeding on American alligators.


Abstract—The correlation between illite/smectite (I/S) diagenesis and mean vitrinite reflectance (Ro) data is examined in mudrocks from a hydrocarbon exploration well (geothermal gradient 35°C km−1) from the Great Hungarian Plain of the Pannonian Basin System. The expandability of I/S decreases with depth and there is a change from random to ordered mixed-layering at about 2500 m depth. At this depth Ro is about 0.6%. Comparison of the correlation of expandability and Ro from this study to published data for the Vienna Basin and the Transcarpathian Basin, sub-basins of the Pannonian Basin System, shows that the correlation is systematically different for each sub-basin, according to their thermal histories. In the Vienna Basin (geothermal gradient 25°C km−1), for any given value of Ro, the expandability of I/S is less than in the Transcarpathian Basin (geothermal gradient 55°C km−1) and the sediments are older and more deeply buried. Data from the present study are intermediate. This variation is believed to be due to the effect of time on the smectite-to-illite reaction. Results of an optimization procedure to calculate the kinetics of the smectite-to-illite reaction, using as input the expandability depth profiles, and thermal histories constrained by comparison of observed and calculated Ro data, showed that I/S diagenesis in the Pannonian Basin System can be modelled by a single first order rate equation: $$-dS/dt=e^{log(A)-E/RT}\cdot\;S$$−dS/dt=elog(A)−E/RT⋅S
 where S = fraction of smectite layers in I/S, t = time (Ma), e = exponential function, log(A) = frequency factor = 7.5 (Ma−1), E = activation energy = 31.0 kJ mol−1, R = universal gas constant, and T is temperature in Kelvin. This result also suggests an important role for time. By combining the kinetics of the smectite-to-illite reaction with a kinetic model of vitrinite maturation it is possible to define a domain within which all 'normal' (burial diagenesis) correlations between Ro and I/S diagenesis should lie. Such diagrams can be used to identify different thermal histories related to different geotectonic settings and 'anomalous' data such as that affected by igneous intrusions.


A 28-kDa endoglucanase was isolated from the culture filtrate of Phanerochaete chrysosporium strain K3 and named EG 28. It degrades carboxymethylated cellulose and amorphous cellulose, and to a lesser degree xylan and mannan but not microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel). EG 28 is unusual among cellulases from aerobic fungi, in that it appears to lack a cellulose-binding domain and does not bind to crystalline cellulose. The enzyme is efficient at releasing short fibres from filter paper and mechanical pulp, and acts synergistically with cellobiohydrolases. Its mode of degrading filter paper appears to be different to that of endoglucanase I from Trichoderma reesei. Furthermore, EG 28 releases colour from stained cellulose beads faster than any other enzyme tested. Peptide mapping suggests that it is not a fragment of another known endoglucanases from P. chrysosporium and peptide sequences indicate that it belongs to family 12 of the glycosyl hydrolases. EG 28 is glycosylated. The biological function of the enzyme is discussed, and it is hypothesized that it is homologous to EG III in Trichoderma reesei and the role of the enzyme is to make the cellulose in wood more accessible to other cellulases.


This study presents an implementation of the field programmable gate array (FPGA) and performance analysis of the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm for the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of the different sound sources. DOA offers a variety of applications in the field of signal detection, communications, navigation and speech processing. MUSIC is one of the high-resolution DOA estimation techniques and the most promising technique for actual hardware implementation. A microphone array consisting of four equally-spaced microphones (sensors) is used as a basis for this study. As for wideband application, the number of sources should be less than the number of sensors thus a maximum of three sound sources are only considered and their locations are estimated. Four DOAs are used for single source, two sets of DOA for double-source and one set for triple source. Matlab simulations and test bench results are presented showing the effectiveness of the algorithm. All simulations and tests are done using five samples only because of the large logic utilization of the codes when comes to the FPGA implementation. This study utilizes an Altera Stratix II FPGA board for the realization of the MUSIC algorithm in hardware implementation and Verilog HDL serves as the programming language.


We discuss the existence and the optical properties of guided modes in photonic crystal ridges, where light confinement relies on a photonic band gap in the direction of the substrate and on total internal reflectance in the other directions. Photonic crystal ridges are known to support guided surface waves, but here we show that at least three different guided modes can be identified, and only one of them seems to possess all the characteristics of a proper guided surface wave. We also discuss the use of effective index approaches to drastically simplify the modeling of such modes. Photonics crystal ridges are already recognized as promising platforms in the field of optical sensing and for the study of the light–matter interaction at the fundamental level, and our results should be of use in exploiting the potential of these structures for the confinement and control of light.


An experimental study of a high-current vacuum arc generated between two static CuCr25 contacts spaced 20 or 30 mm apart was conducted to characterize the arc appearance and the cathode spot (CS) distribution. The arc was ignited from the lateral surface of the cathode and controlled using an external axial magnetic field. Under the investigated experimental conditions, three distinct arc modes have been observed: multiple arc, diffuse, and diffuse columnar modes. The latter appeared at low  $B_{\mathrm {AMF}}/I_{\mathrm {arc}}$  values, typically below 4 mT/kA. The temporal evolutions of the spot spatial distribution and the associated distribution of the current density were analyzed by processing high-speed video images of the cathode. Various types of distribution depending mainly on current were identified. At low currents (up to 13 kA), the CS distribution covered only a fraction of the cathode surface. At intermediate currents (in 17.2–31.1-kA range), CSs were present on the whole circumference of the cathode and the CS distribution included a closed region without spot. The latter was progressively filled by CSs, yet it totally disappeared before the end of arcing only when its location was off-centered with respect to the cathode axis. At high currents (up to 36.3 kA), the whole cathode surface was occupied by CSs at current peak. The azimuthally averaged radial distribution of the current density was found to be relatively uniform in the regions occupied by CSs. An average spot current of 36.5 ± 2.5 A has been estimated.


Preoperative diagnosis of comorbidities is essential for identifying the limiting factors inperioperative period and correct assessment of patient's ability to undergo surgery. Severe concomitant diseases followed by advanced risk of adverse events require development and implementation of the strategy of preoperative preparation of patient. These measuress hould include both medicamentous and surgical correction of concomitant diseases in order to reduce perioperative risks. Thus, multidisciplinary perioperative approach makes it possible to reduce significantly the risks and mortality in patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer. Diagnosis and correction of limiting factors approach operability to absolute one. However, operation should be avoided or alternative approaches should be preferred if co-morbidities are significant and failed to be corrected.


Abstract Objective To investigate the patient- and caregiver-reported impact of systemic sclerosis (SSc) manifestations (hand/feet/joint involvement and pulmonary complications) on the diagnostic and therapeutic journey, working productivity, and social life. Methods Two questionnaires (one for the patients, n = 260 and one for the caregivers, n = 47) were designed in collaboration with the patients' association Gruppo Italiano per la Lotta alla Sclerodermia (GILS). Validated questionnaires were combined with specific questions relevant to the Italian scenario. Results Pulmonary fibrosis and hand/feet/joint involvement have a major impact on patient's working status: (85.3% of patients with pulmonary fibrosis and 72.6% with hand/feet/joint involvement report loss of job/job change due to SSc. Productivity was affected as well: 60.6% of the patients (75% of those with fibrosis) reported that working productivity in the previous 4 weeks was restricted by physical limitations. The disease has a significant impact on patients' life, limiting the ability to conduct common activities, especially those related to movement, such as object manipulation (61.1%), doing small manual jobs (44.0%), writing (38.9%), and an increased impact in case of pulmonary fibrosis and hands/feet/joints involvement. Half of the patients also present some difficulties in eating-related activities a Patients also experience poorer social life, personal relationships, and sexual life. Caregivers are also deeply influenced by the manifestations of SSc. Pulmonary fibrosis and hand/feet/joint involvement represent an additional challenge. Conclusion Pulmonary fibrosis and hand/feet/joint involvement are extremely burdensome complications for both SSc patients and caregivers, decreasing work productivity, limiting relationship and social life, and impacting psychological status and everyday activities.


Ag-mediated changes in B lymphocyte migration are important for normal immune function, yet the mechanisms by which these changes occur are poorly defined. Because chemokines direct many lymphocyte movements, molecules that regulate signaling by G protein-coupled chemokine receptors are likely to participate in Ag receptor-induced changes in cell migration. In this study, we have investigated the expression pattern and activity in murine B cells of members of the regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) family of molecules. We present the sequence of mouse RGS1 and describe a novel short isoform of RGS3 that we term RGS3s. Following in vivo activation by Ag, B cells rapidly up-regulate expression of RGS1 and RGS2 while simultaneously decreasing expression of RGS3 and RGS14. Anergic hen egg lysozyme autoantigen-binding B cells are also shown to have slightly elevated RGS1 and RGS2 expression. CD40 signaling, by contrast, fails to cause rapid up-regulation of RGS1 or RGS2. Using a transient transfection approach in a mature B cell line, 2PK3, we demonstrate that RGS1 and RGS3s are effective inhibitors of chemotaxis toward the lymphoid tissue chemokines stromal cell-derived factor-1, B lymphocyte chemoattractant, and EBV-induced molecule 1 ligand chemokine, whereas RGS2 has a minimal effect on migration to these chemokines. Together these findings support the conclusion that Ag-mediated changes in RGS molecule expression are part of the mechanism by which Ag receptor signaling regulates B cell migration within lymphoid tissues. The findings also suggest important roles for additional G protein-mediated events in B cell activation and tolerance.


Abstract : This paper explores the question of how spectral profiles are represented in the auditory system. Using profile analysis methods, listeners' sensitivities to changes in spectral peak shapes and ripple phases were measured. Peak shapes were uniquely described in terms of two parameters: a symmetry factor (SF) which roughly measures the local evenness or oddness of a peak, and a bandwidth factor (BWF) which reflects the tuning or sharpness of a peak. Thresholds to changes in these parameters (defined as delta-SF and delta-BWF/BWF) were measured together with the effects of several manipulations such as using different peak levels, varying spectral component densities, and randomizing the frequencies of the peaks. The basic result that emerges is that delta-SF and delta-BWF/BWF thresholds are largely constant regardless of the standard's peak shape. The only exception occurs for the narrowest peaks (smallest BWF's) where delta-SF thresholds rise. A fundamental conclusion arising from these data is that peak profiles are represented along two sensitive and largely independent axes: peak bandwidth and symmetry factors. More generally, it is conjectured that for an arbitrary spectral profile these two axes correspond to the magnitude and phase of a Fourier transformation of the profile. In this light, the last set of experiments measured listeners' sensitivity to ripple phase changes in sinusoidal ripple stimuli. The thresholds obtained are similar in value and trends to delta-SF thresholds.


Haloxylon aphyllum Minkw. (Black Saxaul) is the main forest forming species in Kazakhstan. While the latter is a rain fed shrub distributed on sand dunes, the former is a phreatophyte, which uses groundwater as water source. Therefore, Black Saxaul is mainly distributed on current and Ancient river terraces. Saxaul played and still plays an important role as fodder plant and fuel wood for herders in the Turanian Deserts. Due to over-grazing and over-exploitation for fuel wood during the past fifty years, the Saxaul dominated vegetation has been considerably degraded. Haloxylon woodlands which grow in desert ecosystems suffer from anthropogenic effect severely. Our study concerned human impact on woodland structure and biodiversity of populations. In the study it was done a distribution of trees by classes according to root collar diameter, density, regeneration, and analysis of floristic composition of plots with various level of anthropogenic effect. All sites suffered from human activity, and were on different stage of regeneration. As a result of clean cuttings in the past the majority of woodlands present homogeneous size structure. The most disturbed plots show random structure of populations and very low level of regeneration or lack of it. When plots are disturbed reasonably regeneration of Saxaul populations goes well, especially on plots with density equal to up to 1000 shrubs/ha. The plot which is located very far from residential areas was studied having the most sustainable structure under favourable growth conditions. Biodiversity level is higher on plots with less anthropogenic effect. Nevertheless, both sites show intrusion of weed and ungrazed plants.


A low diversity crinoid fauna from the Nada Member of the Borden Formation in northeastern Kentucky includes species typical of the upper Burlington Limestone of the standard Mississippian section in eastern Iowa. The Nada Member records a delta platform environment stratigraphically above delta slope beds of the Cowbell Member of the Borden and is thus environmentally equivalent to the Edwardsville Formation of the Borden Group farther west in north-central Kentucky and southern Indiana. The Edwardsville is equivalent to the Keokuk Limestone of the standard section and is thus younger than the Nada, demonstrating time-transgressive progradation of the Borden Delta from east to west. Important crinoid species from the Nada include Uperocrinus pyriformis (Shumard), Macrocrinus konincki (Shumard), Dorycrinus quinquelobus (Hall), Eretmocrinus calyculoides (Hall) and Gilbertsocrinus tuberculosus (Hall), all typical upper Burlington species.--Modified journal abstract.


Biofouling of marine surfaces is an age-old problem that affects natural and man-made surfaces exposed to the aquatic environment. The tenacious attachment of seaweed and invertebrates to man-made surfaces, notably on ship hulls, has incurred undesirable economic losses. The initial stage of the biofouling process has been attributed to the attachment of marine bacteria and their subsequent formation of biofilm which attract the settlement of larger sessile organisms including barnacles and seaweed.

Silver nanostructured materials have a well-documented history as antimicrobial agents against pathogenic bacteria due to their ability to penetrate cell walls and interfere with crucial cellular processes. However, there is a surprising lack of information on their activity against marine biofilm bacteria that have critical roles in the initiation of marine fouling processes. This PhD project explores the antifouling properties of novel silver nanocomposite materials as potent antifouling agents against targeted organisms present in marine environments.

The study consists of the syntheses of novel silver nanocomposite materials using various templates/matrices such as ion-exchange polymeric microspheres, zeolites, TiO2 nanotubes and graphene nanosheets. These materials were characterized through various instrumentation techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), UV-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), accelerated surface area porosimetry (ASAP), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and Raman spectroscopy to elucidate their physical properties. Their antifouling effects were evaluated on Halomonas pacifica, a model marine microfouling bacterium, through an established static biofilm assay. In addition, the biological effects of these silver nanocomposites were also studied on marine microalgae Dunaliella tertiolecta and Isochrysis sp.

Silver-polymer nanocomposite (Ag-PNC) microspheres were formed through a rapid chemical synthesis procedure at room temperature via the reduction of silver nitrate by sodium borohydride. The introduction of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) enhanced the thermal stability of the Dowex microspheres by shifting the glass transition temperature to above 300°C and the material decomposition occurred above 460°C. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of metallic Ag, while UV-vis absorption studies showed the characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for AgNPs ranging from 406 – 422 nm maximum absorption wavelengths. SEM imaging revealed the uniform distribution of AgNPs with diameters between 20 – 60 nm on the surface of the microbeads. The Ag-PNC materials, diluted to a concentration of 1 mg/mL in marine broth, showed a potent inhibitory effect on H. pacifica biofilm formation, with up to 76% decrease of biofilm when contrasted with the polymeric microspheres without Ag. Ag-PNCs also caused significant growth inhibition of D. tertiolecta and Isochrysis sp.

Silver-zeolite nanocomposite clusters (AgZ) were formed through a low temperature chemical reduction method using the environmentally friendly trisodium citrate. The stable and porous inner structure of ZSM-5 zeolites performed a dual role as a stable size-control template and a reservoir of antimicrobial nanosilver. SEM revealed the globular and cluster-like morphology of the AgZ composites, with a homogenous distribution of silver particles on the surface of the clusters. EDX results displayed an increasing Ag loading with higher concentrations of Ag precursor, up to 10 wt% Ag. The UV-visible absorption displayed the characteristic SPR absorption maximum ranging from 408 – 500 nm. The AgZ clusters with metallic silver loading of up to 10 wt% Ag, diluted to a concentration of 1 mg/mL, reduced H. pacifica biofilm attachment of up to 81% compared to pure zeolite alone. XRD analysis clearly indicated the presence of metallic Ag while the ZSM-5 zeolite crystalline framework remained largely intact after the Ag crystal growth process. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis showed a reduction in surface area of up to 44% with the incorporation of AgNPs into the zeolite, indicating the formation and growth of Ag within the internal pores and channels of the zeolite. Although the introduction and crystal growth of silver nanoparticles within the porous structure of the zeolite caused a change from a mesoporous to a largely macroporous structure, the integrity of the zeolite template was preserved.

Silver-titania nanotube (Ag/TNT) composite material was prepared through a novel 2-step hydrothermal synthesis method. Titania nanotubes were chosen as a support material for the AgNPs as its greater specific surface area on the inner and outer surfaces of its tubular structure lead to enhanced properties. The morphology, particle size, chemical content, crystal structure, optical properties and surface area were systematically characterized. Determination of biofilm inhibitory properties revealed that Ag/TNT (concentration of 0.1 mg/mL) with the lowest silver content (0.95 wt% Ag) decorated with AgNPs of approximately 3 nm reduced biofilm formation of H. pacifica by 98% compared to pure titania nanotubes and bulk silver alone. Growth inhibition of D. tertiolecta and Isochrysis sp. were also observed. Interestingly, the antifouling properties were improved with a size decrease of AgNPs. The work shows that titania nanotubes are a stable and effective support for the anchoring and growth of AgNPs. The addition of very low amounts of Ag enhanced the antifouling property of pure TiO2 to produce an extremely potent antifouling effect on the targeted organisms.

Graphene-Ag (GAg) nanocomposites were prepared from a novel and mild hydrothermal synthesis method which bypasses the formation of graphene oxide. The GAg nanocomposite combines the antimicrobial property of silver nanoparticles and the unique structure of graphene as a support material, with potent marine antifouling properties. The results show that GAg nanocomposites displayed significant biofilm inhibition property on H. pacifica and antiproliferative effects on D. tertiolecta and Isochrysis sp. As low as 1.3 wt% of Ag loading on a GAg sample, diluted to a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL, inhibited biofilm formation from H. pacifica. The GAg sample with 4.9 wt% Ag loading was associated with a biofilm inhibition of 99.6%. The marine antifouling properties of GAg nanocomposites were a synergy of the biocidal AgNPs anchored on the flexible graphene sheets, thereby providing maximum active contact surface areas to the target organisms. The GAg material was characterized with SEM, EDX, TEM, XRD and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the GAg material exhibited the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect. The AgNPs were estimated to be between 72-86 nm, observed supported on micron-scaled graphene flakes.

These results strongly suggest that the 4 types of silver-based nanocomposite materials are promising marine antifouling agents. The addition of very low amounts of Ag enhanced the antifouling property of the support structure, and the nanocomposites were shown to be more effective on the targeted organisms compared to the matrix material or bulk silver alone. In addition, the precursor materials used in the syntheses are affordable and easily available, whilst the synthetic methods and conditions are facile, environmentally friendly, and capable of producing high yields.


In the retinoblastoma research, it is of great interest to identify molecular markers associated with the genetics of tumorigenesis. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that play a regulatory role in many crucial cellular pathways such as differentiation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. A body of evidences showed dysregulation of miRNAs in tumor biology and many diseases. They potentially play a significant role in tumorigenesis processes and have been the subject of research in many types of cancers including retinal tumorigenesis. miRNA expression profiling was found to be associated with tumor development, progression and treatment. These associations demonstrate the putative applications of miRNAs in monitoring of different aspect of tumors consisting diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic. Herein, we review the current literature concerning to the study of miRNA target recognition, function to tumorigenesis and treatment in retinoblastoma. Identification the specific miRNA biomarkers associated with retinoblastoma cancer may help to establish new therapeutic approaches for salvage affected eyes in patients.


Objective: We encountered a patient with lateral medullary infarction during transarterial embolization of the posterior meningeal artery (PMA). We reviewed the anatomic characteristics/imaging findings of this disorder. Case Presentation: A 69-year-old male. Cerebral infarction involving the lateral medulla occurred during transarterial embolization of a dural arteriovenous fistula. It was considered to be a complication related to occlusion of a lateral medulla-penetrating vessel on microcatheter/guidewire operations in the PMA. When examining images in detail, the blood vessel could be confirmed using DSA and 3D angiography. Conclusion: When performing embolization, the presence of a brainstem-penetrating vessel originating from the PMA must be considered.


The two objectives were 1) to evaluate the solubility of two iron casein complexes (ICCs) under a condition mimicking gastric pH, 2) to evaluate the impact of ascorbic acid (AA) on the in vitro iron absorption of ICCs after incorporation in reconstituted whole milk powder.

 The in vitro solubility was determined over time after addition of diluted HCl (pH 1.7), ultracentrifugation and measurement of iron appearing in the supernatant by ICP-OES (n = 2). The impact of AA on iron uptake from the Fe compounds in reconstituted milk was determined using the in vitro digestion coupled with the Caco-2 cell model and the measurement of ferritin/total protein produced by the cells (n = 3). The molar ratio of AA to iron of 2 to 1 recommended by the WHO for iron absorption optimization has been tested with an iron level corresponding to 3.3 mg Fe/serving of milk. Ferrous sulfate (FeSO4), the reference compound for iron bioavailability and micronized ferric pyrophosphate (FePP), main salt used for milk fortification were used as references.

 The dissolution test showed a rapid solubilization of iron from the ICCs i.e., >75 ± 19.3% at 5 min and >89 ± 0.3% at 90 min. The kinetics of soluble iron from the complexes were like that from FeSO4. The solubility of FePP was only 37.6 ± 4.7% at 90 min. Without AA, the iron uptake from FeSO4 was lower than expected translating into a relative in vitro bioavailability (iRBA) of FePP and of the two ICCs to FeSO4 of 66, 169 and 215%. This might be explained by a rapid conversion of soluble iron from FeSO4 into Fe3+ and insoluble iron hydroxide when the pH increased from 2 to >7 during in vitro digestion. However, with the addition of AA in the milk, iron uptake by the cells was found to be increased to levels of 341.8 ± 8.9, 124 ± 12.2, 403.1 ± 117.8 and 362.9 ± 36.9 ng ferritin/mg protein for FeSO4, FePP and the two ICCs respectively. This translates into iRBAs to FeSO4 of 36% for FePP and of 118 and 106% for the two ICCs.

 The solubility and the demonstrated impact of AA on Fe uptake suggest that ICCs are absorbed to a similar amount as FeSO4 and thus provide an excellent source of Fe.

 Société des Produits Nestlé, NPTC Konolfingen, Switzerland.


This presentation probes deeply into the tangled of historicities that animate British-bequeathed elite schools now operating in new competitive transnational educational markets in selected post-developmental states. The scenarios of this competition are increasingly moving online in photo and video-sharing websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Flicker and in the websites that individual schools are creating to consecrate their school heritages. I examine closely the work that postcolonial elite schools in a nine-country international study are doing with their historical archives, preserved cultural objects, architecture, emblems, mottos and their school curricula as they martial these cultural resources at the crossroads of profound change precipitated by globalization and attendant neoliberal imperatives. This change is articulated across the whole gamut of global forces, connections, and aspirations. And, it is in relation to and through these dynamics that postcolonial elite schools must now position and reposition themselves?acting and intervening in and responding to new globalizing circumstances that often cut at right angles to the historical narratives and the very social organization of these educational institutions linked to England. Globalizing developments have precipitated efforts on the part of these schools to mobilize their rich heritages and pasts as a material resource and not simply as a matter of indelible and inviolate tradition. History, then, I maintain in this context, cannot be reduced to the realm of epiphenomena of securely linear school chronologies. Instead, drawing on Walter Benjamin, I look at the way in which postcolonial school histories are ?active in the present? and the way in which schools in India, Barbados and Singapore are adroitly and selectively managing their school identities in the light of globalization. The results of these interventions are not guaranteed. They often run up against the revolution of rising expectations of school youngsters and their parents, the taste for global cultures and global futures indicative of the global ambitions of the young, and the pressures of alumni and other stakeholder interests which must be navigated.


Objective: To investigate the cross-sectional associations among self-reported weekly strenuous exercise bouts, anxiety sensitivity, and their interaction with pain catastrophizing and pain responses to the cold pressor task (CPT) in healthy, ethnically diverse young adults (n = 79). Exercise involvement has been shown to have hypoalgesic effects and cognitive factors may partially explain this effect. Particularly, alterations in pain catastrophizing have been found to mediate the positive pain outcomes of multidisciplinary treatments incorporating exercise. Further, recent evidence suggests that exercise involvement and anxiety sensitivity may act together, as interacting factors, to exert an effect on catastrophizing and pain outcomes; however, further research is needed to clarify the nature of this interaction. Methods: Before the CPT, participants were asked to complete the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index. After the CPT, participants completed a modified version of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the Short Form-McGill Pain Questionnaire. Results: At a high level of anxiety sensitivity, controlling for depressive symptoms, CPT immersion time, and sex differences, a bias-corrected (BC), bootstrapped confidence interval revealed that pain catastrophizing significantly mediated the relationship between self-reported weekly strenuous exercise bouts and pain response (95% BC Confidence Interval = −9.558, −0.800 with 1000 resamples). At intermediate and low levels of anxiety sensitivity, no significant mediation effects were found. Conclusions: These findings support that, for pain catastrophizing to mediate the strenuous exercise-pain response relation, individuals must possess a high level of anxiety sensitivity. BC = bias-corrected; CI = Confidence Interval; CPT = cold pressor task; GLTEQ = Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire; PCS = Pain Catastrophizing Scale; ASI = Anxiety Sensitivity Index; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; SF-MPQ = Short Form-McGill Pain Questionnaire; MET = metabolic equivalent.


All the commercial satellites (SPOT, LANDSAT, IRS, IKONOS, Quickbird and Orbview) collect a high spatial resolution panchromatic image and multiple (usually four) multispectral images with significant lower spatial resolution. The PAN images are characterised by a very high spatial information content well-suited for intermediate scale mapping applications and urban analysis. The multispectral images provide the essential spectral information for smaller scale thematic mapping applications such as landuse surveys. Why don't most satellites collect high-resolution MS images directly, to meet this requirement for high-spatial and high-spectral resolutions? There is a limitation to the data volume that a satellite sensor can store on board and then transmit to ground receiving station. Usually the size of the panchromatic image is many times larger than the size of the multispectral images. The size of the panchromatic of Landsat ETM+ is four times greater than the size of a ETM+ multispectral image. The panchromatic image for IKONOS, Quickbird SPOT5 and Orbview is sixteen times larger than the respective multispectral images. As a result if a sensor collected high-resolution multispectral data it could acquire fewer images during every pass. Considering these limitations, it is clear that the most effective solution for providing high-spatial-resolution and high-spectral-resolution remote sensing images is to develop effective image fusion techniques. Image fusion is a technique used to integrate the geometric detail of a high-resolution panchromatic (Pan) image and the color information of a low-resolution multispectral (MS) image to produce a high-resolution MS image. During the last twenty years many methods such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multiplicative Transform, Brovey Transform, IHS Transform have been developed producing good quality fused images. Despite the quite good optical results many research papers have reported the limitations of the above fusion techniques. The most significant problem is color distortion. Another common problem is that the fusion quality often depends upon the operator's fusion experience, and upon the data set being fused. No automatic solution has been achieved to consistently produce high quality fusion for different data sets. More recently new techniques have been proposed such as the Wavelet Transform, the Pansharp Transform and the Modified IHS Transform. Those techniques seem to reduce the color distortion problem and to keep the statistical parameters invariable. In this study we compare the efficiency of eight fusion techniques and more especially the efficiency of Multiplicative Brovey, IHS, Modified IHS, PCA, Pansharp, Wavelet and LMM (Local Mean Matching) fusion techniques for the fusion of Ikonos data. For each merged image we have examined the optical qualitative result and the statistical parameters of the histograms of the various frequency bands, especially the standard deviation All the fusion techniques improve the resolution and the optical result. The Pansharp, the Wavelet and the Modified IHS merging technique do not change at all the statistical parameters of the original images. These merging techniques are proposed if the researcher want to proceed to further processing using for example different vegetation indexes or to perform classification using the spectral signatures.


The objective of this study was to characterize ciprofloxacin population pharmacokinetics in pediatric patients. A total of 150 pediatric patients (including 28 patients with cystic fibrosis [CF], ages 0.27–16.9 years) received ciprofloxacin by the oral and/or intravenous routes. Population pharmacokinetic analyses were performed with NONMEM software. Exponential error models were used to describe the interindividual variance in pharmacokinetic parameters, and the residual error model included both proportional and additive components. Based on principles of allometry, the patient's body weight was used as a covariate, along with appropriate allometric exponents, in the construction of the base model. Model building was accomplished by a stepwise forward inclusion procedure, and the final model was evaluated by multiple techniques, including bootstrap, leverage analysis, and cross‐validation. With body weight included in the model (two compartments with first‐order absorption), ciprofloxacin clearance was influenced by age, and the absorption rate constant was altered in CF patients. The final model is summarized as follows: CL (L/h) = 30.3 × (WT/70)0.75 × (1 + 0.045 [AGE −2.5]), VC (L) = 56.7 × (WT/70)1.0, VP (L) = 89.8 × (WT/70)1.0, Q (L/h) = 37.5 × (WT/70)0.75, Ka (1/h) = 1.27 × (1 + [−0.611 × CF]), absorption lag time = 0.35 hours, and bioavailability fraction = 61.1%, where WT and AGE are the patient's body weight (kg) and age (years), respectively, and the variable CF equals 1 for CF patients and 0 for non‐CF patients. The interpatient variability in pharmacokinetic parameters (percentage coefficient of variation [%CV]) ranged from 22.5% to 49.8%. The residual variabilities (%CV) for the oral and intravenous data were 40% and 27%, respectively. The shared additive residual variance component was small (SD = 0.04 mg/L). Model evaluation by the different methods indicated that the final model was robust and parameter estimates were precise. A small difference (< 6%) was noted when the patient's age was not used in dose calculation. Therefore, in routine clinical use, for pediatric patients older than 3 months, ciprofloxacin dose may be calculated solely based on body weight.


It has been shown that training multi-task models with auxiliary tasks can improve the target tasks quality through cross-task transfer. However, the importance of each auxiliary task to the primary task is likely not known a priori. While the importance weights of auxiliary tasks can be manually tuned, it becomes practically infeasible with the number of tasks scaling up. To address this, we propose a search method that automatically assigns importance weights. We formulate it as a reinforcement learning problem and learn a task sampling schedule based on evaluation accuracy of the multi-task model. Our empirical evaluation on XNLI and GLUE shows that our method outperforms uniform sampling and the corresponding single-task baseline.


This study is conducted to examine the effect of family share ownership on the dividend policy of manufacturing companies in the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). In this study, we also examine the moderating effect of institutional ownership on the relationship between family ownership and dividend policy. The number of observations 137 firm- years, consisting of family companies in the manufacturing sector listed on the IDX in the period 2013-2016. The test results show that family ownership has a positive effect on the dividend payout ratio. Research also shows that institutional ownership weakens the relationship between family ownership and dividend payout ratio.


Background: The Jua kali industry relies on a steady stream of incoming scrap metal from industrial operations and individual scrap peddlers. Despite the progress made in the scrap metal industry, workers are still potentially exposed to hazards from ergonomic, noise, dusts, fumes, and powerful machinery especially those working in upcoming towns Objective: The main objective of the study was to assess factors associated with welders' exposure to occupational hazards during their duties Study Setting:  The study was conducted at the North Rift Jua Kali Enterprises in Eldoret town. Study Subjects: The study targeted 140 welders who were already working in the North Rift Jua Kali Enterprises in Eldoret town , key informants including, official from NRJKE, labour officer and public health officer in charge of occupational safety and health (OSH). Methods: The study utilized a cross sec tional study design. Simple random sampling technique was employed to recruit the workers based on their employment numbers or registration numbers. In addition, purposive sampling technique was employed to select key informants including, official from NRJKE, labour officer and public health officer in charge of occupational safety and health (OSH). Results:  Welding is predominantly a male dominated occupation 87(88.8%) Majority 36 (36.7%) of the welders were aged 26 35 years Most welders had at least some primary school education 43(4 3.9%)3.9%). Majority of the welders 83(84.7%) were employed as casuals. Factors associated with occurrence of occupational health hazards among welders in Eldoret are; age ( X 2 = 6.788 ; p <0 .00 1), education level ( X 2 = 2.048 ; p <0 .001) and level of awareness on use of PPEs ( X 2 = 0 .832 ; p <0 .00 1). The key informants indicated the level of working experience an d level of education. Conclusions: and recommendations Welding of metals in Eldoret is mainly done by young males who are usually employed on casual basis. The main factors associated with exposure to occupational hazards among the welders are age, level of education and level of awareness on use of PPEs. The re is need to target the younger welders with health awareness messages on using personal protective equipment's in order to reduce exposure to occupational hazards.


Karl Rahner's accomplishment consisted in putting Catholic philosophy and theology on a transcendental footing. The undertaking spanned some fifty years, from his matriculation in philosophy at Freiburg University in 1934 to his death at Innsbruck in 1984. From beginning to end, the driving force behind the project was the seriousness with which Rahner regarded the transcendental turn in modern philosophy. THE PROGRAM Rahner's program unfolded in two stages, the first philosophical and the second theological. (Only the former is the focus of this essay.) The first stage occupied him from 1934 to about 1941 and found expression in two works, Geist in Welt (1939) and Hurer des Wortes (1941). The first of those two texts marshaled central elements of the work of Kant, Rousselot, Mare´chal, and Heidegger for the goal of reformulating Thomism – its epistemology, philosophical anthropology, and metaphysics – as transcendental philosophy. In the second stage, which occupied him from the 1940s onward, Rahner used the transcendental Thomism of the first stage as the basis for rewriting Catholic doctrine as transcendental theology .


By revisiting the notion of "information-as-thing" (Buckland, 1991) and investigating the notion of "regimes of information" (Ekbia and Evans, 2009), this paper shows that "information" is constituted by community consensus and is influenced by economic and political structures of social systems. As such, "information" should be understood as discursive construct. Understanding "information" as discursive construct not only rids us of distorted views of communication and cognition implicated in influential conceptions of information, but also opens up questions concerning "information" for critical social analyses, which in turn leads to epistemological and methodological discussions.


This paper presents a new approach for solving the close evaluation problem in three dimensions, commonly encountered while solving linear elliptic partial differential equations via potential theory. The goal is to evaluate layer potentials close to the boundary over which they are defined. The approach introduced here converts these nearly-singular integrals on a patch of the boundary to a set of non-singular line integrals on the patch boundary using the Stokes theorem on manifolds. A function approximation scheme based on harmonic polynomials is designed to express the integrand in a form that is suitable for applying the Stokes theorem. As long as the data -- the boundary and the density function -- is given in a high-order format, the double-layer potential and its derivatives can be evaluated with high-order accuracy using this scheme both on and off the boundary. In particular, we present numerical results demonstrating seventh-order convergence on a smooth, warped torus example achieving 10-digit accuracy in evaluating double layer potential at targets that are arbitrarily close to the boundary.


The effect of the Mg and Zr alloying elements additions on microstructure and superplasticity of the ultrafine-grained Al-Mg-Si aluminium alloy processed by high pressure torsion (HPT) has been studied in the paper. Microstructure of the HPT samples was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and electron back scattering diffraction. Special attention was paid to thermal stability of the grain structure after tensile tests at elevated temperatures. It was shown that stabilization of the ultrafine-grained structure by alloying elements provides the increase of elongation to failure from 120% to 600% at strain rate 10 -2 and temperature 300 k C.


The roles of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and prohydrojasmon (PDJ) in postharvest color development and anthocyanins biosynthesis in the skin of peach fruit remain unclear. In this study, peach fruit were infiltrated with MeJA (200 μM) or PDJ (40 μM) and stored at 22°C for 7 days. The results showed that treatment with MeJA or PDJ had a positive effect on red color formation in peach fruits due to anthocyanins accumulation (∼120% increase). This was attributed to increased enzyme activities, and enhanced transcript abundance of the genes associated with anthocyanins biosynthesis, induced by MeJA or PDJ. Both MeJA and PDJ promoted sucrose biosynthesis, and the subsequently elevated levels of the sucrose during storage were positively correlated with anthocyanins accumulation (0.49) and the activities of key biosynthesis enzymes (0.42–0.79). Based on these findings, we proposed that MeJA or PDJ treatments promote anthocyanins biosynthesis by regulating sucrose metabolism during the postharvest storage of peach fruit.


Accidents have become major issue in Developing countries like India now a day. As per the Surveys 60% of the accidents are happening due to over speed. Though the government has taken so many initiatives like Traffic Awareness & Driving Awareness Week etc.., but still the percentage of accidents are not getting reduced. In this paper a new technique has been introduced in order to reduce the percentage of accidents. The new technique is implemented using the concept of Intelligent Speed Braking System. The Intelligent Speed Braking systems can be implemented any where essential in order to avoid the accidents. The main objective of this system is to calculate the speed of the vehicle at three different locations based on the place where the vehicle speed has to be controlled and if the speed is greater than the designated speed in that road then it will automatically open up the speed breaker to control the speed of the vehicle. If the speed is less or equal to the designated speed in that road then the vehicle will be passed without any disturbance. This system though it won't avoid 100% accidents at least it will reduce the percentage of accidents. This is system is not only to avoid accidents it will also intelligently controls the speed of the vehicles and creates awareness amongst the drivers.


This report provides an overview of U.S. policy concerns regarding countries in central Asia. The report discusses issues such as Fostering Pro-Western Orientations, Obstacles to Peace and Independence, Democratization and Human Rights, Security and Arms Control, Trade and Investment, and provides an Aid Overview.


The Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of Musa Genetic Resources (hereafter referred to as the 'Global Strategy') has been expanded in 2016 by Musa genetic resources and breeding experts within the framework of the Global Musa Genetic Resources Network, MusaNet. MusaNet's mandate is to oversee the further development and monitoring of the implementation of the Global Strategy. The updated Global Strategy aims to provide a clear framework and roadmap to be used by the Musa community for the efficient and effective conservation of the globally important collections of Musa and to strengthen the utilization of the genetic resources toward an increased use of available diversity. It includes recommendations and priorities indicated in several consultation processes following the 2006 Global Musa Strategy and particularly the expertise and key groups represented, including the Regional Research Networks (BAPNET, BARNESA, Innovate Plantain and MusaLAC) and global networks such as ProMusa. The Global Strategy covers numerous topics dealing with Musa genetic resources, with the 12 chapters divided into four main parts: Diversity, Identity, Management and Use. Each chapter contains the sections titled Where we are now, Where do we want to go and How will we get there. For Musa researchers, including taxonomists and breeders, but also end users such as farmers, decisions on the management of banana diversity are often made with limited information. With this in mind, the Global Strategy is a core reference on the taxonomy, characterization, evaluation and genetic improvement of cultivars, leading to actions such as the selection of new and improved cultivars. The use of a more diverse genepool can lead to higher production while at the same time promote ecosystem services such as resilience to pest and disease and the effects of climate change.


In India several institutions are devoted in prompting women entrepreneurship. The Government of India has taken an active step towards Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in all the business areas. Institutions provide several schemes for initiation and sustenance of startups, specifically managed by Women entrepreneurs. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of Government of India has opened women's cell to provide Assistance to women entrepreneurs. The Women and Child Development department has launched several Income generating schemes. In that they are providing assistance in setting up the training cum income generating activates for the needy women Entrepreneurs. This Paper aims to understand the different types of institutions in National, State and non-government level institutions, which are supporting women entrepreneurs. It doesn't only deal with number of institutions helping or supporting women entrepreneurs but also evaluates the various schemes and benefits for empowering women in the field of entrepreneurship.


Ketamine is used widely in emergency departments for a variety of purposes, including procedural sedation for facial laceration in pediatric patients. The major benefits are its rapid onset of effects, relatively short half-life, and lack of respiratory depression. The known side effects of ketamine are hallucinations, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Seizure is not a known side effect of ketamine in patients without a seizure history. Here, we present the case of a patient in whom ketamine likely induced a generalized tonic-clonic seizure when used as a single agent in procedural sedation for facial laceration repair. The aim of this article is to report a rare and unexpected side effect of ketamine used at the regular dose for procedural sedation. This novel case should be of interest to not only emergency physicians but also plastic surgeons.


Objective Bayesian inference procedures are derived for the parameters of the multivariate random effects model generalized to elliptically contoured distributions. The posterior for the overall mean vector and the between-study covariance matrix is deduced by assigning two noninformative priors to the model parameter, namely the Berger and Bernardo reference prior and the Jeffreys prior, whose analytical expressions are obtained under weak distributional assumptions. It is shown that the only condition needed for the posterior to be proper is that the sample size is larger than the dimension of the data-generating model, independently of the class of elliptically contoured distributions used in the definition of the generalized multivariate random effects model. The theoretical findings of the paper are applied to real data consisting of ten studies about the effectiveness of hypertension treatment for reducing blood pressure where the treatment effects on both the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure are investigated.


A mathematical approximation is developed to predict cerebral cortical responses CTX(t, x, R) at a distance R (R greater than or equal to 0) from a focal point in the cerebral cortex, at a depth x (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 500 mu) from the cortical surface and at any time t, to thalamic signals THAL(t) whose amplitudes also vary with time t. The equation is derived from a thermodynamic analogue, which is the time dependent heating of a focus at the surface of a semi-infinite solid.


Spoken Term Detection (STD) that considers the out-of-vocabulary (OOV) problem has generated significant interest in the field of spoken document processing. This study describes STD with false detection control using phoneme transition networks (PTNs) derived from the outputs of multiple speech recognizers. PTNs are similar to subword-based confusion networks (CNs), which are originally derived from a single speech recognizer. Since PTNformed index is based on the outputs of multiple speech recognizers, it is robust to recognition errors. Therefore, PTN should also be robust to recognition errors in an STD task, when compared to the CN-formed index from a single speech recognition system. Our PTN-formed index was evaluated on a test collection. The experiment showed that the PTN-based approach effectively detected OOV terms, and improved the F-measure value from 0.370 to 0.639 when compared with a baseline approach. Furthermore, we applied two false detection control parameters, one is based on the majority voting scheme. The other is a measure of the ambiguity of CN, to the calculation of detection score. By introducing these parameters, the performance of STD was found to be better (0.736 for the F-measure value) than that without any parameters (0.639).


SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the frequency of fatigue in geriatric patients with primary sarcopenia and to evaluate the relationship between fatigue and symptoms such as depression and sleepiness. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted between December 2020 and August 2021 in the geriatrics outpatient clinic of Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 criteria were considered for the diagnosis of sarcopenia. Demographic data, accompanying chronic diseases, comprehensive geriatric assessments, and laboratory values of the patients were noted. Scales used to assess fatigue in all participants include Fatigue Assessment Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Fatigue Impact Scale and associated symptoms include Geriatric Depression Scale and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) age was 75.3 (7.1) for 51 primary sarcopenia (38 female) patients and 73.5 (5.8) for 51 control (37 female) patients. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender and age (p=0.822, p=0.171). The prevalence of hypertension was higher, and the level of education was lower in the sarcopenic group than in the nonsarcopenic group (p=0.017, p=0.013). Fatigue Assessment Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, Fatigue Impact Scale total, Fatigue Impact Scale cognitive, Fatigue Impact Scale physical, and Fatigue Impact Scale social questionnaire scores were significantly higher in the sarcopenic group (all p<0.001). The Geriatric Depression Scale score was statistically higher in the sarcopenic group; however, there was no significant difference in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score between the two groups (p=0.014, p=0.072). Multivariate analysis was performed on education level, hypertension, fatigue questionnaires, and Geriatric Depression Scale, which were found to be significant in the univariate logistic regression analysis. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, only the Fatigue Impact Scale total was determined to be associated with sarcopenia [odds ratio 1.161, 95% confidence interval (1.084–1.242)]. CONCLUSION: In primary sarcopenia, there is mental and social fatigue as well as physical fatigue. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia in geriatric patients is important.


The research on which this article is based examined the relationship between attitudes towards older workers held by personnel managers and directors in large organisations (500 or more employees) across virtually the whole range of industrial sectors (excluding agriculture), and their employment practices. The aims of the research were to explore the operation of workplace social closure and the social construction of age in organisations, and to provide practical information to better inform policy making towards older workers. Analysis indicated that attitudes associated with recruitment, training and promotion practices were: perceived trainability, creativity, cautiousness, physical capabilities, the likelihood of having an accident, and ability to work with younger workers. Attitudes which showed no relationship with employment practices were: perceived productivity, reliability, ability to adapt to new technology, interest in technological change and flexibility. It is argued that these findings stress the need to target stereotypical attitudes towards older workers if age barriers in employment are to be removed. However, it is also argued that educational campaigns alone are likely to exert only limited influence against a background of a long-term decline in economic activity rates among older workers. The research also indicates that future research studies need to take greater account of potential differences between different groups of older workers.


Abstract The morphology of nanoporous nickel phosphate (NP) has a close relationship with its properties, so in this work NP with needle-like and mushroom-like shape was synthesized. Then NP with needle-like and mushroom-like shape was applied in intumescent flame retardant polypropylene (PP) composites. With the addition of suitable content of NP, both mushroom-like and needle-like NP can improve the combustion and thermal properties of intumescent flame retardant PP composites. Needle-like NP shows a better thermal ant flame retardant synergist effect with intumescent flame retardants compared to mushroom-like NP. However, mushroom-like NP shows a better effect on smoke suppression. With the addition of suitable content of needle-like NP, the peak heat release rate of flame retardant PP composite decreases by 68.2 % comparing with that of the pure PP, and decreases by 23.8 % comparing with that of flame retardant PP composite without NP. The maximum weight loss temperature of PP composites can be increased from 408 °C to 485 °C with the addition of needle-like NP. Furthermore, the pyrolysis products of flame retardant PP composite with needle-like NP were investigated. From the research, it provides a further understanding of the influence on synergic effects in intumescent flame retardant systems.


Institutional logics and collective identities are closely intertwined: logics shape the emergence and evolution of identities, which in turn play a crucial role in mediating the influence of the logics themselves. Though there exists a significant body of research on the intersection of the two phenomena, relatively little attention has been given to changes in the strength, content, and permanence of particular logic–identity associations. In this paper we explore empirically the question of whether and how a logic and identity may become severed, through an inductive case study of the development of the hospitalist identity in health care in the United States. Based on this study, we propose a set of mechanisms through which the distancing of a logic and an identity may occur. We also discuss potential counterfactual outcomes, in order to build theory regarding the longitudinal relationship between logics and identities.


Abstract Since commercialization of Collego™ and Devine™ in the early 1980s, there has been a small but consistent research effort in the area of bioherbicides. The bioherbicide approach has promised effective weed management in cropping systems where the classical approach (using exotic natural enemies) is largely unsuitable. The overriding principle of the bioherbicide approach has been that a host-specific, coevolved natural enemy can be used as a bioherbicide when applied in simple formulations at inundative levels; however, two decades of research has effectively disproven this principle. Although research has revealed weaknesses in the bioherbicide approach, it has also revealed potential in a number of areas. A number of niche situations will remain in which host-specific plant pathogens can be developed as bioherbicides, such as for parasitic weeds and narcotic plants, but more research should be conducted with virulent, broad host range organisms, and more effort should be devoted to developing techniques for the cultural and genetic enhancement of bioherbicidal organisms.


Background: To evaluate the methodological quality of (1) clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) that inform nutrition care in critically ill adults using the AGREE II tool and (2) CPG recommendations for determining energy expenditure using the AGREE-REX tool. Methods: CPGs by a professional society or academic group, intended to guide nutrition care in critically ill adults, that used a systematic literature search and rated the evidence were included. Four databases and grey literature were searched from January 2011 to 19 January 2022. Five investigators assessed the methodological quality of CPGs and recommendations specific to energy expenditure determination. Scaled domain scores were calculated for AGREE II and a scaled total score for AGREE-REX. Data are presented as medians (interquartile range). Results: Eleven CPGs were included. Highest scoring domains for AGREE II were clarity of presentation (82% [76–87%]) and scope and purpose (78% [66–83%]). Lowest scoring domains were applicability (37% [32–42%]) and stakeholder involvement (46% [33–51%]). Eight (73%) CPGs provided recommendations relating to energy expenditure determination; scores were low overall (37% [36–40%]) and across individual domains. Conclusions: Nutrition CPGs for critically ill patients are developed using systematic methods but lack engagement with key stakeholders and guidance to support application. The quality of energy expenditure determination recommendations is low.


Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL

Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) comprises the most common primary brain tumor in children. Although this WHO grade I neoplasm shows a relatively benign biologic behavior many patients suffer from therapy-related long term neurologic impairment and up to 20% of patients experience tumor recurrence. Due to the slow growing nature of PA, adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy are only moderately effective. In order to pre-clinically evaluate novel therapy approaches, we aimed to establish a murine model of these tumors. Based on our previous work which showed that the MAPK intermediate BRAF is altered by duplication, activating mutation (V600E) or translocation of its kinase domain in a vast majority of cases, we applied somatic gene transfer using the Replication-Competent ASLV long terminal repeat (LTR) with a Splice acceptor (RCAS)/Tv-a technique to ectopically express different BRAF variants in Nestin-positive neural progenitors in the brains of newborn mice. While expression of either the BRAF i) full length wildtype, ii) full length V600E or iii) isolated kinase domain wildtype did not induce neoplastic lesions in mice, expression of the iv) isolated V600E mutated kinase domain induced tumors either in the cerebral hemispheres or in the brainstem depending on the site of injection. Although showing no clinical symptoms after an observation period of 4 months, post mortem analysis revealed presence of tumors in >90% of cases. By histopathologic analysis, presence of strongly GFAP-positive lesions with a proliferation index (Ki67) below 1% could be identified. The slow tumor growth compared to other tumors induced with this technique together with presence of piloid-like tumor cells and eosinophilic structures (Rosenthal fibers) closely recapitulate clinical and biological features of human PA. Further analysis using primary murine Ntv-a astrocytes transduced with either of the four constructs in vitro revealed that expression of the isolated BRAF V600E kinase domain led to a twofold increase in proliferation compared to full length BRAF V600E or wild type BRAF kinase domain, while cells transduced with either full length wild type BRAF or GFP (control) showed almost no proliferation. Furthermore, this increase in proliferation could be markedly decreased by in vitro treatment with the kinase inhibitor Sorafenib at a concentration of 5 µM. This could be correlated with the amount of phosphorylation of the MAP kinases MEK and ERK, the downstream targets of BRAF. Treatment of mice with Sorafenib upon tumor induction is currently being conducted using ultrahigh field magnetic resonance imaging to monitor tumor growth and therapy response.

Taken together, our data provide first in vivo evidence for the oncogenic role of BRAF in pediatric pilocytic astrocytomas and it will be of paramount clinical importance to use this first animal model for pre-clinical testing of novel treatment approaches.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3458. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3458


Payment by results, the system used in England to pay for around 60% of the average hospital's activity, no longer meets the challenges facing the NHS, a new report from the King's Fund finds.

The system encourages hospitals to do more. This was appropriate when the need was to cut waiting lists for elective operations but not when the need is to foster integrated care, limit emergency admissions, and keep patients out of hospital altogether.

Payment by results was introduced in 2003-4 with the aim of linking hospitals' payments more closely to the work they did. Each hospital service was given a fixed price or tariff, set at the average for the system as a whole. Focused initially on a small number …


ABSTRACT A competition between pinning and depinning of domain walls in Bi3.53La0.47Ti3O12 thin films during bipolar-voltage stressing is evidenced from the appearance of one peak in fatigue spectrum (2P r −N) at a frequency of f = 100 Hz. The peak weakens in intensity with increasing fatigue frequency and finally disappears at f > 100 kHz. The area fractions of pinned and depinned domain walls per cycle are extracted from fatigue spectra that both demonstrate an exponential dependence of the pulse duration with a characteristic relaxation time of τ1 = 3 – 9 ms. Consequent measurement of polarization retention in the time scale of magnitude of 10− 6−10− 1s independently gives two relaxation times of 44 μ s and 7.9 ms. The congruent derivation of millisecond-ordered relaxation time from both measurements predicts the kinetics of mutual interactions of domain nuclei with defects at low frequencies.


Creative processes in computer-aided design are identified as those that introduce new design variables into the design process. This paper describes the ideas behind the development of a computational model of creative processes in design. This computational model is founded on the use of mutation and analogy processes working in tandem using design prototypes as the representation schema.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To examine the attitudes of parents and nurses to the model of care delivery on an in-patient children's unit in a regional general hospital.

BACKGROUND
A review of the literature uncovered research studies relevant to the area under investigation, in addition to many discussion articles.

METHOD
This descriptive survey of parents' and nurses' attitudes regarding the implementation and practice of a partnership approach to care was undertaken in 2003 on a children's unit in an Irish regional general hospital. The survey consisted of a self-designed questionnaire, which was posted to the sample. The scoring system for the questionnaire format was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 11.0). The sample consisted of parents (n = 100) and nursing staff (n = 44) from the children's unit.

RESULTS
the findings did not suggest major differences between the attitudes of the two groups on the care delivery on the unit. The outcomes of the study showed that, while both parents and nurses viewed family-centred care as appropriate, there were differences between what parents and nurses saw as their roles on the unit. Both groups acknowledged the overall philosophy of care and commented on the actual application of a family-centred, partnership approach to care in practice on the unit.

CONCLUSIONS
Both groups agreed that there was a need for improvement of the facilities for resident parents on the unit.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
The findings of the research could act as a catalyst for change and development of the service and service providers. It is hoped that it will also contribute to the improved satisfaction of the service provided to sick children and their families by parents and by the nurses who provide the care.


The paper explores and explains trends in the number, profile and distribution of planning students in South Africa since 1994. It locates the discussion in the changing nature of planning, and the labour market for planners in the post-apartheid era, and considers the way trends in tertiary education in South Africa are shaping patterns. While student numbers have been roughly constant, the composition of students has changed, and there is a shift to institutions offering cheaper, easier and more flexible access to planning education. Patterns reflect broader trends in tertiary education and in the labour market for planners. Planning itself has diffused, and a wider array of educational options are available. These trends present challenges for planning education in South Africa.