This dissertation focusses on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a disorder in which symptoms of anxiety and depression play an important role. The dissertation mainly shows the existence of differences between men and women suffering from IBS. A reduction of symptoms was shown in men after being treated with probiotics (Yakult®), whereas remarkably high placebo response rates were shown in women. Furthermore, indications were found of other symptoms and subtypes being prominent and potentially different underlying pathogenetic mechanisms being present in female IBS patients compared to the male population. Differences were found in the serotonin household and the presence of faecal short chain fatty acids. These findings may result from differences in the composition and/or activity of the 'intestinal flora'. Therefore, Thijssen advocates the focus of IBS care being shifted towards differences between men and women.


Criminal and tort law are notably concerned with both actions and mental states. It is commonsensical to punish people who intended something bad to happen because they are "bad people" and might be likely to do it again. But why punish (of hold liable) people who merely "knew" or "should have known" that something bad could possibly happen – even if they neither wanted nor intended it to occur? Consistent with other research, we believe that people with such knowledge are viewed as more causal than people without such knowledge. In three scenarios involving complex causation (two involving superceding intervening causes), we measured people's causal attributions and their responses to hypotheticals about what the main character or other people (i.e., "reasonable people") would have thought or done given different knowledge. What the characters actually knew, what participants thought they should have known, and what participants thought other people would have done in similar circumstances were all related to causal attributions. These results are consistent with causal research showing that causes are things that change the probability of the outcome occurring relative to some baseline.


Background: Evidence suggests that bioactive peptides reduce hypertension and affect certain metabolic pathways. Methods: Fifty-four volunteers with stage 1 prehypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia and/or basal glucose >100 mg/dL were recruited and randomized to pork dry-cured ham (n = 35) or cooked ham (placebo group; n = 19) for 28 days. After a wash-out period, meat products were changed for 28 additional days. Bioactive peptides composition and enzyme inhibitory activities of both products were characterized. Treatment comparisons for the main effects were made using a two (treatment) × two (times) repeated measures minus the effect of cooked ham (placebo). Results: 24 h mean systolic and diastolic pressures decreased up to 2.4 mmHg in the dry-cured ham period (treatment effect, p = 0.0382 y p = 0.0233, respectively) as well as the number of systolic pressure measures > 135 mmHg (treatment effect, p = 0.0070). Total cholesterol levels also decreased significantly after dry-cured ham intake (p = 0.049). No significant differences were observed between the two treatments for basal glucose, HOMA-IR index and insulin levels (p > 0.05). However, a significant rise of ghrelin levels was observed (treatment effect, p = 0.0350), while leptin plasma values slightly decreased (treatment effect, p = 0.0628). Conclusions: This study suggested the beneficial effects of regular dry-cured ham consumption on the improvement of systolic/diastolic blood pressures and facilitated the maintenance of metabolic pathways, which may be beneficial in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.


Women who were hospitalized for tubal pregnancy in five hospitals in King County, Washington, between 1975 and 1979 were interviewed regarding a prior history of gonorrhea, genital herpes, genital warts and trichomoniasis. Their responses were compared to those of women who delivered a live-born child during the same period. Multiple logistic regression was used to control for the effects of race, gravidity, smoking, Dalkon Shield use, douching, number of sexual partners and history of additional sexually transmitted diseases. The risk of tubal pregnancy in women who reported a history of gonorrhea, relative to that in other women, was 5.1. As compared to controls, women with tubal pregnancy more often reported a history of genital herpes and a history of trichomoniasis.


Among children over 1 year of age with Evans Stage IV neuroblastoma, there appears to be a small group with a relatively favorable prognosis. These patients have extensive lymph node metastases (cervical/axillary/thoracic/abdominal/pelvic), but no extranodal metastases. Three of six such patients (50%) are long-term disease-free survivors, compared with none of 40 patients with extranodal metastatic disease (p less than 0.0002). Patients with only lymph node metastases (Stage "IV-N") may have a biologically more favorable tumor that is curable with conventional, intensive multimodality therapy.


A new species of Cryphodera Colbran, 1966, parasitic on wild rose (Rosa sp. L.), is described from Utah, USA. Cryphode~'a utahensis n. sp. most closely resembles C. podocarpi (Wouts, Iq73) Luc et al., 1978, but is distinct with respect to a number of characters including juveniles with a longer esophagus (206 versus 142 ~tm), shorter tail (47 versus 69 gin), and fimr rather than three incisures in the lateral field. Females of C. utahensis have a terminal protuberance which is more pr(mouuced than in other species. ~anning electron microscope observations of the lip region of males indicate a labial (li~ surrounded by six lip sectors. However, the remainder of the lip region is comprised of irregularly-shaped plates; similar patterns with hmgitudinal striae apparently characterize males throughout the genus. The lip pattern of juveniles of C. utahensis n. sp. includes an oval labial disc surrounded by six lip sectors; transverse striae extend the heigttt of the lip region without longitudinal striae. The type locality of C. utahensis coniirms a broader distribntion of the genus than was indicated for other species, which are limited to Australia (Queensland) and New Zealand.


SETTING
Review of the literature referenced from Medline and other sources on the use of ethambutol in children.

OBJECTIVE
The most well-known side effect of ethambutol is its ocular toxicity. Its use among children is thus generally discouraged. The present article summarizes the studies published on this subject.

RESULTS
No authors have reported major ocular side effects among children treated with ethambutol.

CONCLUSION
For children aged 5 years or more, ethambutol can be recommended at a dosage of 15 mg/kg/day for routine treatment, without taking more precautions than for adults; this should be included in official recommendations. For younger children, ethambutol can also be used without undue fear of side-effects.


: Current conditions and problems of foreign policy determine the problem of food provision for the population as the most important. This problem is of paramount strategic importance for the country, since food security is one of the main indicators of the quality of life. Agriculture is faced with the task of determining the volume of production, taking into account the level of monetary incomes, purchasing power, effective demand for agricultural products, raw materials and food, the production potential of agriculture and manufacturing in the region, the dynamics of the price of agricultural products and the availability of spare products. As a tool for agricultural production planning, it is proposed to use a one-dimensional time series model and construct an additive time series model. As a result, the authors calculated three variants of the forecast of consumption of the main types of food products, which take into account: scientifically based nutrition norms; methodological recommendations for calculating the subsistence level in the regions of the Russian Federation; actual level of consumption. The calculations showed a high degree of reliability of the planned indicators and the availability of an acceptable level of income. The proposed methods allow planning the production, import and consumption of some types of agricultural products.


It's simple. Organizations want and need outstanding service providers who are capable of also being "trusted advisors." In today's borderless global marketplace, software engineers who can code with zero errors and 100% quality are not as desirable as they used to be. They need to demonstrate a broader worldview: the ability to lead cross-cultural teams and management skills of a highest order are some of the key traits that are required to succeed as a global leader capable of engaging customers, associates, investors in a manner that lends a competitive advantage. Our journey will cover the leadership steps and traits necessary for software engineers to transition from individual contributors to global leaders. Sharing insights from Satyam leaders and Satyam customers, combined with the research collected during the writing of his book, "Leadership Without Borders," this presentation will identify the behaviors, acumen, and worldview required to succeed in a world without borders. In addition, this keynote will provide examples and advice on how to transition to a trusted advisor, and how to build partnerships where relationships go beyond 'project mindset.'


The Tunari National Park is located to the north of the city of Cochabamba, and has been settled by over 380 Quechua peasant communities since precolonial times. Though the state authorities have only enforced the Law of the Park on 1% of its territory, the communities are in open conflict with them, since the Park restrains their traditional activities. Discourse analysis of the main actors involved in the conflict shows fundamental differences not only in claims of access to resources, but also in the claim of basic principles governing the relationship between society and nature. In this sense, the groups of actors in conflict can be conceived of as different 'ontological communities' sharing a group of basic presuppositions on 'social and natural' reality. These differences state the need for an ontological dialogue among the actors which has, until now, been hindered by the mainstream 'modern-Western ontological community', and its traditional marginalisation of the 'Andean ontological community'. However, recent changes in the Bolivian national scene have opened up the possibility for the state to create a space of communicative action, offering new options for the interaction of the actors involved.


Composite shell linings, consisting of a layer of permanent sprayed concrete to form a primary lining, a layer of spray applied waterproofing membrane and a further layer of sprayed or cast secondary concrete lining, represent the latest development in the tunnelling industry. While demand for the composite shell method is increasing, there are still some unknowns associated with it. One of the biggest areas of uncertainty for the composite shell method is the extent of composite action in the interfaces between the sprayed waterproofing membrane and the primary and the secondary linings. A research programme is in progress at the University of Southampton, UK, to investigate the behaviour of composite shell SCL tunnels. As part of the testing programme, a series of short-term direct tension and direct shear tests have been carried out on samples cut from panels built up from a sprayed primary layer, spray applied waterproofing membrane and sprayed secondary layer. The aim of the tests has been to understand the fundamental properties of sprayed concrete-membrane bonding systems, especially the impact of the interface roughness on strength and stiffness. This paper will report some of the test results obtained and their significance


We suggest a simple method using the volumetric or the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method to measure the gas flow through nanoscale cylindrical pores. Our method measures the pressure change as a function of time as the pressure is saturated to an equilibrium value. This method is applied to He and N2 gas flow through a single-wall carbon nanotube at room temperature and 77 K, respectively. Our results show that the gas flow through a single-wall carbon nanotube is two order of magnitude slower than the theoretical expectation for Knudsen flow. From the pressure change data under an adsorptive condition (77 K), the time constant shows a peak behavior, which can be explained by adsorption and filling effects.


During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world witnessed varied responses from educational institutions to the lockdown. Within the next few years, we will see the consequences of these responses. Despite the disruption at this critical time, candidates in their final fellowship training year still need to be certified and it is arguable that they should be certified faster than ever after passing the written component.


Quantitative modeling of fluctuations of each phenotype is a crucial step towards a fundamental understanding of noise propagation through various phenotypic transition cascades. The theoretical formulas for noise propagation in various phenotypic transition cascades are derived by using the linear noise approximation of master equation and the logarithmic gain. By virtue of the theoretical formulas, we study the noise propagation in bidirectional and unidirectional phenotypic transition cascades, respectively. It is found that noise propagation in these two phenotypic transition cascades evidently differs: In the bidirectional cascade, a systemic random environment is provided by a correlated global component. The total noise of each phenotype is mainly determined by the intrinsic noise and the transmitted noise from other phenotypes. The intrinsic noise enlarged by interconversion through an added part shows a novel noise propagation mechanism. However, in the unidirectional cascade, the random environment of each downstream phenotype is provided by upstream phenotypes. The total noise of each downstream phenotype is mainly determined by the transmitted noises from upstream phenotypes. The intrinsic noise and the conversion noise can propagate in both bidirectional and unidirectional phenotypic transition cascades.


It has been suggested that tumor re-growth, as well as chemotherapy resistance and metastasis, are dependent on a small sub-population of cancer cells within the tumor that are thought to represent cancer stem cells (CSCs), i.e. self-renewing cells with pluripotent potential and tumor forming ability. We and others have shown that putative ovarian CSCs are in a transitional phase between epithelial and mesenchymal cell stages and that considerable plasticity exists between non-CSCs and CSCs (1). These transitions are based on epigenomic changes involving either epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) or the reverse process mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). Here we report that primary ovarian cancer cells treated with the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin undergo partial MET-like changes in culture and in xenograft tumors. These changes involve the upregulation of epithelial markers (e.g. E-cadherin) and the downregulation of mesenchymal markers (e.g. vimentin). Cisplatin-triggered MET was also observed using a luciferase reporter system that is responsive to MAP-Kinase activation. Concurrently with the induction of MET, cisplatin treatment of primary ovarian cancer cells enriched for CSCs that were positive for the stem cell markers Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2, indicating that the formation of CSC involves MET-like events. We therefore hypothesized that compounds that block MET counteract the trans-differentiation into chemoresistant CSCs and increase the efficacy of chemotherapy. Notably, MET initiates and is required for the nuclear reprogramming of fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells indicating similarities in the formation of iPS cells and CSCs. We therefore screened 30 compounds from a library of small molecules, which has previously been generated to study EMT/MET signaling in iPS cells. We identified compounds (e.g. compound GHDM1516) that blocked MET and the formation of CSCs in primary ovarian cancer cultures. Pre-treatment of cancer cells with GHDM1516 significantly increased cisplatin induced apoptosis/necrosis in CSCs as assessed by flow cytometry for Annexin V/7-AAD. In contrast, compounds that promoted EMT (e.g. compound SD83) acted synergistically with cisplatin and increased the number of CSCs and cisplatin-resistant cancer cells. Our data indicate that it might be possible to sensitize late stage tumors to chemotherapy by interfering with pathways that are involved in the formation and maintenance of CSCs. Our findings also suggest that similarities in iPS and CSC formation can be exploited to find new cancer treatments that are targeted towards CSCs. 1. Strauss, R., Z. Y. Li, Y. Liu, I. Beyer, J. Persson, P. Sova, T. Moller, S. Pesonen, A. Hemminki, P. Hamerlik, C. Drescher, N. Urban, J. Bartek, and A. Lieber. 2011. Analysis of epithelial and mesenchymal markers in ovarian cancer reveals phenotypic heterogeneity and plasticity. PLoS One 6:e16186. Citation Format: Kamola Saydaminova, Robert Strauss, Charles Drescher , Andre Lieber. Sensitizing ovarian cancer cells to chemotherapy by interfering with pathways that are involved in the formation and maintenance of cancer stem cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 10th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 8-9, 2014; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(16 Suppl):Abstract nr POSTER-THER-1439.


In the near future, gravitational wave detection is set to become an important observational tool for astrophysics. It will provide us with an excellent means to distinguish different gravitational theories. In the effective form, many gravitational theories can be cast into an f(R) theory. In this article, we study the dynamics and gravitational waveform of an equal-mass binary black hole system in f(R) theory. We reduce the equations of motion in f(R) theory to the Einstein-Klein-Gordon coupled equations. In this form, it is straightforward to modify our existing numerical relativistic codes to simulate binary black hole mergers in f(R) theory. We consider a scalar field with the shape of a spherical shell containing binary black holes scalar field. We solve the initial data numerically using the OLLIPTIC code. The evolution part is calculated using the extended AMSS-NCKU code. Both codes were updated and tested to solve the problem of binary black holes in f(R) theory. Our results show that the binary black hole dynamics in f(R) theory is more complex than in general relativity. In particular, the trajectory and merger time are strongly affected. Via the gravitational wave, it is possible to constrain the quadratic part parameter of f(R) theory in the range vertical bar a(2)vertical bar < 10(11) m(2). In principle, a gravitational wave detector can distinguish between a merger of a binary black hole in f(R) theory and the respective merger in general relativity. Moreover, it is possible to use gravitational wave detection to distinguish between f(R) theory and a non-self-interacting scalar field model in general relativity.


Herein, we report the quantum chemical results based on density functional theory for the polarizability (α) and first hyperpolarizability (β) values of diacetylene-functionalized organic molecules (DFOM) containing an electron acceptor (A) unit in the form of nitro group and electron donor (D) unit in the form of amino group. Six DFOM 1–6 have been designed by structural tailoring of the synthesized chromophore 4,4′-(buta-1,3-diyne-1,4-diyl) dianiline (R) and the influence of the D and A moieties on α and β was explored. Ground state geometries, HOMO-LUMO energies, and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis of all DFOM (R and 1–6) were explored through B3LYP level of DFT and 6-31G(d,p) basis set. The polarizability (α), first hyperpolarizability (β) values were computed using B3LYP (gas phase), CAM-B3LYP (gas phase), CAM-B3LYP (solvent DMSO) methods and 6-31G(d,p) basis set combination. UV-Visible analysis was performed at CAM-B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. Results illustrated that much reduced energy gap in the range of 2.212–2.809 eV was observed in designed DFOM 1–6 as compared to parent molecule R (4.405 eV). Designed DFOM (except for 2 and 4) were found red shifted compared to parent molecule R. An absorption at longer wavelength was observed for 6 with 371.46 nm. NBO analysis confirmed the involvement of extended conjugation and as well as charge transfer character towards the promising NLO response and red shift of molecules under study. Overall, compound 6 displayed large  and βtot, computed to be 333.40 (a.u.) (B3LYP gas), 302.38 (a.u.) (CAM-B3LYP gas), 380.46 (a.u.) (CAM-B3LYP solvent) and 24708.79 (a.u.), 11841.93 (a.u.), 25053.32 (a.u.) measured from B3LYP (gas), CAM-B3LYP (gas) and CAM-B3LYP (DMSO) methods respectively. This investigation provides a theoretical framework for conversion of centrosymmetric molecules into non-centrosymmetric architectures to discover NLO candidates for modern hi-tech applications.


Jakarta is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The Jakarta Government led the Car-Free Day (CFD) with aims to reduce the pollution and uses of public transportation. Based on the high participation of citizen, CFD can be a potential initiative to engage in car-free life and become a solution to reduce pollution. The evaluation of CFD impact will be done by knowing the effect through environment and participant. To know the impact on the environment, we focus on the air condition. The data from The Environmental Agency of Jakarta was used and the manual measurement that contains PM, SO2, CO, O3, and NO2 level was performed. The deeper understanding of the problem gets by observing the CFD Sudirman-Thamrin and doing an in-depth interview with participants. Analysis pattern of participant behavior will help to know how to change their perception about CFD without side effect such as a decreasing amount of participant. Understanding three main issues of CFD can be lead into improvement at planning and policy implementation, there are an environmental effect, transportation choices, and the multifarious effect such as CFD as the recreational area and the profitable area in the sight of participants. The result shows that CFD is not optimal in terms of the environment effect, but it is very good to maintain the program because it can be as a good health campaign tools, familiarize a healthy lifestyle and as a public space. However, the implementation must be improved from spatial planning and waste management.


In two series of experiments lasting 3 days each, laying hens were medicated with sulfonamides via the drinking water. In the first experiment 8 laying hens were given sulfaquinoxaline (SQ) at a dose rate of 400 mg/l, while in the second trial 16 laying hens received a 3:5:5 sulfonamide mixture containing sulfaquinoxaline (SQ), sulfadimidine (SDI) and sulfamerazine (SMN), at a dose of 390 mg/l. According to the water consumption data, the hens' daily sulfonamide intake was 53.6 and 56.9 mg/kg body mass, respectively. Eggs laid during and in the first 10 days after the treatment were collected and assayed for sulfonamide residues by spectrophotometry. The detection limit of the method was 0.16 mg/l and the recovery percentage was between 70 and 80%. Sulfonamide was found to appear already in eggs laid after the first day of treatment. The absorption half-life of the drug was 0.4-0.6 day in the egg-white and 0.93-1.08 day in the egg-yolk. Peak drug level in the egg-white was measured on the last day of medication, while in the egg-yolk within 3 days after the end of treatment. The residue measured in the yolk was 13-16% of that found in the egg-white. Acetylated sulfonamide could be measured in the yolk for 3 days after the treatment: its level reached 15%. On the basis of the elimination rate, complete elimination of sulfonamides requires at least 5.2-7.4 days. Therefore, observance of the generally accepted withdrawal time of 10 days is indispensable.


A large body of recent work has identified transformations in the latent spaces of generative adversarial networks (GANs) that consistently and interpretably transform generated images. But existing techniques for identifying these transformations rely on either a fixed vocabulary of prespecified visual concepts, or on unsupervised disentanglement techniques whose alignment with human judgments about perceptual salience is unknown. This paper introduces a new method for building open-ended vocabularies of primitive visual concepts represented in a GAN's latent space. Our approach is built from three components: (1) automatic identification of perceptually salient directions based on their layer selectivity; (2) human annotation of these directions with free-form, compositional natural language descriptions; and (3) decomposition of these annotations into a visual concept vocabulary, consisting of distilled directions labeled with single words. Experiments show that concepts learned with our approach are reliable and composable—generalizing across classes, contexts, and observers, and enabling fine-grained manipulation of image style and content.


Purpose Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a vision threatening autoimmune and inflammatory orbital disease, and has been reported to be associated with a wide range of structural and functional abnormalities of bilateral hemispheres. However, whether the interhemisphere functional connectivity (FC) of TAO patients is altered still remain unclear. A new technique called voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) combined with support vector machine (SVM) method was used in the present study to explore interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity alterations in patients with TAO. Methods A total of 21 TAO patients (14 males and 7 females) and 21 wellmatched healthy controls (HCs, 14 males and 7 females), respectively, underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning in the resting state. We evaluated alterations in the resting state functional connectivity between hemispheres by applying VMHC method and then selected these abnormal brain regions as seed areas for subsequent study using FC method. Furthermore, the observed changes of regions in the VMHC analysis were chosen as classification features to differentiate patients with TAO from HCs through support vector machine (SVM) method. Results The results showed that compared with HCs, TAO patients showed significantly lower VMHC values in the bilateral postcentral gyrus, lingual gyrus, calcarine, middle temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus and angular. Moreover, significantly decreased FC values were found between the right postcentral gyrus/lingual gyrus/calcarine and left lingual gyrus/cuneus/superior occipital gyrus, left postcentral gyrus/lingual gyrus/calcarine and right lingual gyrus/ middle temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus and left cerebellum-8/lingual gyrus/middle occipital gyrus/supplementary motor area, left middle temporal gyrus and right middle occipital gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus/angular and left middle temporal pole (voxel-level p < 0.01, Gaussian random field correction, cluster-level p < 0.05). The SVM classification model achieved good performance in differentiating TAO patients from HCs (total accuracy: 73.81%; area under the curve: 0.79). Conclusion The present study revealed that the altered interhemisphere interaction and integration of information involved in cognitive and visual information processing pathways including the postcentral gyrus, cuneus, cerebellum, angular, widespread visual cortex and temporal cortex in patients with TAO relative to HC group. VMHC variability had potential value for accurately and specifically distinguishing patients with TAO from HCs. The new findings may provide novel insights into the neurological mechanisms underlying visual and cognitive disorders in patients with TAO.


Warrior, law-giver, and scholar, Alfred the Great was an extraordinarily gifted and highly successful king, pushing back the Vikings to preserve what is now thought of as the heart of England. In this, the first major study of King Alfred since Plummer's biography of 1902, the career of King Alfred is followed chronologically and examined in depth. The author provides a detailed examination of the much-disputed medieval biography of King Alfred, attributed to the king's tutor, Asser. Professor Smyth argues that Asser's Life is a medieval forgery; a revelation with profound implications for our understanding of the whole of Anglo-Saxon history. The book also contains major studies on the writings of this gifted king, on the controversial charters of his reign, and on the origins of the Anglo-Saxon chronicle. Professor Smyth shows the Chronicle to have been much more closely connected with the court of King Alfred than has hitherto been allowed, and suggests a new date for the completion of the earliest Alfredian section of the Chronicle. The author also provides a fundamental reassessment of Alfred's military and political achievement in his wars against the Vikings, and compares the experiences of the English king with those of his Frankish contemporaries in their struggle with the same enemy on the other side of the English Channel. Professor Smyth's portrait of Alfred rejects the image of a neurotic and invalid king who supposedly remained a pious illiterate till he was almost 40. Instead, we are shown a man of remarkable energy and intelligence who took necessary steps to defend his people from the Norsemen. We are shown too, a king who had been a scholar all his life and who used his great knowledge to bolster the powers of his own kingship, and to overcome his enemies. Jacket illustration: Initial depicting King Alfred taken from the British Library Manuscript Cotton Claudius D.ii, f.8. This sumptuous compilation contains a collection of Anglo-Saxon, Norman, and Angevin law- codes (Liber legum antiquorum regum) which can be precisely dated to 1321. The inclusion of a Latin translation of the Laws of King Alfred indicates the esteem in which Alfred was held as a law-giver in the high Middle Ages.


Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is an exclusively human neurotropic alphaherpesvirus. Primary infection causes varicella (chickenpox), after which virus becomes latent in ganglionic neurons along the entire neuraxis. With advancing age or immunosuppression, cell-mediated immunity to VZV declines and virus reactivates to cause zoster (shingles), which can occur anywhere on the body. Skin lesions resolve within 1–2 weeks, while complete cessation of pain usually takes 4–6 weeks. Zoster can be followed by chronic pain (postherpetic neuralgia), cranial nerve palsies, zoster paresis, meningoencephalitis, cerebellitis, myelopathy, multiple ocular disorders and vasculopathy that can mimic giant cell arteritis. All of the neurological and ocular disorders listed above may also develop without rash. Diagnosis of VZV-induced neurological disease may require examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum and/ or ocular fluids. In the absence of rash in a patient with neurological disease potentially due to VZV, CSF should be examined for VZV DNA by PCR and for anti-VZV IgG and IgM. Detection of VZV IgG antibody in CSF is superior to detection of VZV DNA in CSF to diagnose vasculopathy, recurrent myelopathy, and brainstem encephalitis. Oral antiviral drugs speed healing of rash and shorten acute pain. Immunocompromised patients require intravenous acyclovir. First-line treatments for post-herpetic neuralgia include tricyclic antidepressants, gabapentin, pregabalin, and topical lidocaine patches. VZV vasculopathy, meningoencephalitis, and myelitis are all treated with intravenous acyclovir.


Background. Minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) are the most prevalent histopathological lesions in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). The latter is associated with high morbidity and mortality due to symptomatic anasarca, bacterial infections, venous and arterial thromboembolism, and potential progression to end-stage renal disease in the case of FSGS. Traditionally, most patients are treated with corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide (CTX) or calcineurin-inhibitors (C-I). Unfortunately, many patients become steroid or C-I dependent, with the inherent risk of long-term side effects, or are resistant to both. The aim of this paper is to report on our experience with a new protocol of a combination of immunosuppressive agents added sequentially to improve the response of steroid and C-I refractory or resistant-INS and to minimize the long-term side-effects of single-agent treatment. Methods. Twenty-one patients with corticosteroid-resistant and C-I refractory INS (6 with MCD and 15 with FSGS) were treated prospectively over 6 and a half years. Our protocol consisted of an initial regimen of C-I followed by the addition of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and then by monthly intravenous CTX for 3 consecutive months. Dose reduction of C-I or/and MMF was attempted afterwards at 4-months intervals. Patients who remained refractory to the previously mentioned protocol were treated with an additional course of pulse Solu-Medrol given for 3 days followed by oral corticosteroids tapered over 6 months in addition to a second course of intravenous CTX given for 3 consecutive months. Results. With the initial regimen, two patients with MCD, remained in complete remission (CR) without any therapy after the course of CTX. Fifteen patients had variable response to C-I and MMF, but they achieved CR after CTX and their initial dosage of C-I and MMF were reduced to nearly one half. The remaining four patients had refractory form of FSGS even after the initial regimen, yet responded with CR to the additional course of steroid/CTX. However, no success with dose-reduction, in C-I and MMF, was achieved in the latter four patients. Conclusion. Our study represents the first clinical trial with prospective and adequate follow-up of combination therapy of immunosuppressive agents in INS. This method is effective and safe for treatment of patients who are refractory to the conventional single-agent therapy.


Concerns regarding inevitable soil translocation and bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd) in plants have been escalating in concomitance with the posed phytotoxicity and threat to human health. Exhibiting a Cd tolerance, Bacillus sp. M6 strain has been reported as a soil amendment owing to its capability of reducing metal bioavailability in soils. The present study investigated the rhizospheric bacterial community of the Cd hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Additionally, the Cd removal efficiency of strain Bacillus sp. M6 was enhanced by supplementing with biochar (C), glutamic acid (G), and rhamnolipid (R) to promote the phytoremediation effect of hyperaccumulator S. alfredii. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the amendments such as C, G, and R together with the plant-microbe system S. alfredii-Bacillus sp. M6 has been used for Cd bioremediation. The results showed that soil CaCl2 and DTPA (Diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid) extractable Cd increased by 52.77 and 95.08%, respectively, in all M6 treatments compared to unamended control (CK). Sedum alfredii with Bacillus sp. M6 supplemented with biochar and rhamnolipid displayed a higher phytoremediation effect, and the removal capability of soil Cd (II) reached up to 16.47%. Moreover, remediation of Cd polluted soil by Bacillus sp. M6 also had an impact on the soil microbiome, including ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), and cadmium transporting ATPase (cadA) genes. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed the Bacillus sp. M6 strain increased the abundance of AOB and cadA in both low Cd (LC) and high Cd (HC) soils compared to AOA gene abundance. Besides, the abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria was found to be highest in both soils representing high tolerance capacity against Cd. While Firmicutes ranked third, indicating that the additionof strain could not make it the most dominant species. The results suggested the presence of the hyperaccumulator S. alfredii and Cd tolerant strain Bacillus sp. M6 supplemented with biochar, and rhamnolipid, play a unique and essential role in the remediation process and reducing the bioavailability of Cd. Graphical Abstract LC, low cadmium; HC, high cadmium; C, biochar; R, rhamnolipid; G: glutamic acid.


Supervised access has become a key component of Canadian custody and access decision making in recent years, in large part due to a shift in attitudes towards post-separation contact between non-custodial parents, typically fathers, and their children. While the sole criterion upon which an access decision can be made is the "best interests of the child," the increased emphasis on ensuring that children have "maximum contact" with each of their parents post-separation, and the particular focus on maintaining parental contact, has meant that orders for "no access" have almost disappeared. In an effort to unpack the themes underlying supervised access decision making in Canada, this article analyzes two years of family law judgments from British Columbia and Ontario in which supervised access was ordered. It provides an overview of the types of families and factual situations that attract supervised access orders and analyzes the three themes that emerge from the cases.


During the period of one year 2012, a total of 150 fish samples were collected and examined from Tigris River in Al-Zaafaraniya Region before Diayla River in order to know the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons in some internal organ tissues of the examined fish. These fish belonged to (16) species, it all comes back to the cyprinidae. The histopathological examination included 55 samples from Common carp, the samplings of internal organs like (brain, intestine and ovary) from C. carpio were taken in order to examine histopathological changes and that appear there were many histopathological changes in the examine organs included neuronal shrinkage of neurons with chromatolysis of other, severe congestion and edema in cerebral tissues and severe mineralization in cerebral blood vessel walls. Also, severe destruction of epithelium muscular of intestinal villi, severe necrosis with congestion and mononuclear cells infiltration in submucosa layer and goblet cells hyperplasia. In ovaries, severe necrotic and degenerative changes, congestion between follicles. Some ovarian follicles showed thickness became abnormality irregular in shape and congestion in secondary follicles. The sampling of water from Tigris river in Al-Zaafaraniya region were analyzed and appear that the pollution 0.0674 mg/L.


The acceptance of autonomous vehicles is dependent on the rigorous assessment of their safety. Furthermore, the commercial viability of AV programs depends on the ability to estimate the time and resources required to achieve desired safety levels. Naive approaches to estimating the reliability and safety levels of autonomous vehicles under development are will require infeasible amounts of testing of a static vehicle configuration. To permit both the estimation of current safety, and make predictions about the reliability of future systems, I propose the use of a standard tool for modelling the reliability of evolving software systems, software reliability growth models (SRGMs).
Publicly available data from Californian public-road testing of two autonomous vehicle systems is modelled using two of the best-known SRGMs. The ability of the models to accurately estimate current reliability, as well as for current testing data to predict reliability in the future after additional testing, is evaluated. One of the models, the Musa-Okumoto model, appears to be a good estimator and a reasonable predictor.


Renal injury is known to be a risk of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy in adults. While this appears to be much less common in children, there are some groups of children who do appear to be at risk of renal injury associated with NSAID therapy and clinicians caring for these patients need to be cognizant of this potential risk.


A gallium arsenide diode structure is simulated using a particle-mesh computer model. The model incorporates two dimensions in configuration space, and three dimensions in k-space, with a full description of the material scattering cross-section, which is implemented using Monte-Carlo techniques. Detailed information about electric field and valley population profiles is presented for both dipole domain, and l.s.a. modes of operation. Comparison is made with the widely differing previous theoretical results.


The mesocotyl is an embryonic organ present in Poaceae that plays an important role in seedling emergence. The elongation of this first internode contributes decisively to the coleoptile reaching the soil surface. This study examines the process of mesocotyl elongation under controlled conditions in three caryopsis collection sites of Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. originating from Spain (Barcelona and Girona) and Argentina that may have two patterns of germination: radicular or coleoptilar. The frequencies of the two germination patterns varied significantly depending on the origin. Light inhibited the elongation of the mesocotyl drastically, resulting in maximum lengths of 3.5mm, while in darkness the maximum length was 57mm. The time-course evolution displayed under dark conditions was quite similar for all sites of origin and both germination patterns; the growth rate ranged from 0.23 to 0.30mmh. Within localities, caryopses with a coleoptilar pattern of germination showed a lower growth rate than those with a radicular one.


This paper proposes a new DNA computation-based optimal path planning algorithm on 3D space. In the proposed approach, the working space is converted into several slices by the DNA coding scheme during the evolutionary process, where less blocks of every slices correspond to the areas containing loosely dense obstacles and vice versa. The molecular programming algorithm imitates the biological evolution mechanism through artificial programming to enhance the opportunities for searching the shortest moving path while avoiding obstacles. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


Strawberry cultivars Selva and Camarosa (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) were grown at a high elevation nursery in soil that was either naturally infested with Verticillium dahliae or was rendered pathogen-free through preplant fumigation with 2 methyl bromide : 1 chloropicrin (wt/wt) at 392 kg·ha -1 . Plants grown in fumigated soil were inoculated with a conidial suspension of V. dahliae, prior to establishment. Just prior to harvest, plants were rated for disease based on symptoms of Verticillium wilt. At the same time, petiole samples were taken from mother plants and each of three generations of runner plants, along with the stolons subtending each of the sampled runner plants. Petioles and stolons were cultured to assay for the presence of V. dahliae, and scored as either infected or not infected. The experiment was conducted in each of two successive years, and the following conclusions were supported by results obtained in both years. First, symptoms of Verticillium wilt on mother plants of both cultivars were highly correlated with recovery of V. dahliae from petioles, but runner plants were consistently free of symptoms even though they were often infected. Second, runner plants sustained lower infection frequencies than mother plants, with the differences being significant in most cases. Lastly, infection of runner plants was due, at least in part, to transfer of inoculum from infected mother plants; in some cases this appears to have been the exclusive mode of infection.


Aiming at the problem that the existing bit scrambling encryption algorithm is not sensitive to the bit scrambling between 8 bits of one pixel, and the anti-noise and anti-selective plaintext attack ability is weak, a 3D cyclic shift bit scrambling image encryption algorithm is proposed in this paper. Discarding the scrambling mode of 8 bits of one pixel and the bits of all pixels, the pixel values are converted into binary arrays and then converted into 3D matrices in this paper. And the higher bit-planes and the lower bit-planes, which contain the plaintext information of different weights, are scrambled by cyclic shifting respectively. Therefore the sensitivity of the bit scrambling, the anti-noise attack ability of the algorithm and the randomness of intermediate ciphertext are improved. Moreover the randomness and the anti-noise ability can be adjusted by changing the number of higher bit-planes according to different encryption requirements. A new type of Logistic-Fibonacci (L-F) cascade chaos is constructed to generate random sequences, which solves the problem of blank windows in the uneven distribution of Logistic chaos. The initial value and the control parameters are increased, the sequence randomness is improved, and the fastness of low-dimensional chaos is preserved. By strongly correlating the key with SHA-256 of the plaintext, the key stream can change adaptively with the plaintext, which greatly improves the sensitivity of the plaintext and the ability of resisting the selective plaintext and ciphertext attack. The experiments show that the algorithm can encrypt all kinds of images with high efficiency, and can resist common attacks. It is a secure and reliable image encryption algorithm.


A congenic rat has a small genomic fragment transferred from a donor strain into a recipient strain. It is therefore possible to make a hypertensive congenic strain with a single unknown hypertensive gene originating from a genetic hypertensive model rat such as SHR. Such a congenic strain is useful in the search for hypertension genes in rats. It can be applied (1) to further dissection of QTL regions, (2) to determination of the boundaries of QTL regions, which is necessary for selection of positional candidate genes, and (3) to physiological and biochemical studies to get intermediate phenotypes.


Brusatol (Bru) exhibits promising anticancer effects, with both proliferation inhibition and chemoresistance amelioration activity. However, the poor solubility and insufficient intracellular delivery of Bru greatly restrict its application. Herein, to simultaneously utilize the advantages of Pluronics as drug carriers and tumor microenvironment-responsive drug release profiles, a flexible amphiphilic copolymer with a polymer skeleton, that is, Pluronic® F68 grafting with linoleic acid moieties by redox-reducible disulfide bonds (F68-SS-LA), was synthesized. After characterization by 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the redox-sensitive F68-SS-LA micelles were self-assembled in a much lower critical micelle concentration than that of the unmodified F68 copolymer. Bru was loaded in micelles (Bru/SS-M) with high loading efficiency, narrow size distribution, and excellent storage stability. The redox-sensitive Bru/SS-M exhibited rapid particle dissociation and drug release in response to a redox environment. Based on the enhanced cellular internalization, Bru/SS-M achieved higher cytotoxicity in both Bel-7402 and MCF-7 cells compared with free Bru and nonreducible micelles. The improved anticancer effect was attributed to the remarkably decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased reactive oxygen species level as well as apoptotic rate. These results demonstrated that F68-SS-LA micelles possess great potential as an efficient delivery vehicle for Bru to promote its anticancer efficiency via an oxidation pathway.


High‐resolution imaging of deeper anatomy such as the hip is challenging due to low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), necessitating long scan times. Multi‐element coils can increase SNR and reduce scan time through parallel imaging (PI). We assessed the feasibility of using a 26‐element receive coil setup to perform 3 Tesla (T) MRI of proximal femur microarchitecture without and with PI.


Patients with severe neurologic diseases submitted to enteral tube feeding were analyzed for four weeks. Initial and weekly assessment was done by laboratory and anthropometric data. Caloric requirements were calculated by the Harris-Benedict equation corrected for stress factors. The diet used provided 151 calories per gram of nitrogen, consisting of egg albumin, soy protein, maltodextrin, soy oil, medium-chain triglycerides, vitamin supplement, and mineral salts. Starting on the second week, there was a statistically significant correlation between caloric intake and caloric needs. In the same period, maintenance of lab parameters, worsening of the arm muscle circumference, and a trend to a positive nitrogen balance were observed. Diarrhea occurred in 14.5% of the patients. Enteral nutrition support for neurologic patients can be considered effective in the maintenance of the nutritional status. Careful daily monitoring is mandatory.


This paper describes some of the results of the work of the Joint Development and Research Subcommittee of the National Electric Light Association and Bell Telephone System on the mutual impedances of ground-return circuits. The first part of the paper deals with some experiments which were performed to establish an experimental background for the testing of theoretical ideas. Different theories, one involving an ``equivalent ground-plane,'' a second a d-c. distribution in the earth, and a third an a-c. distribution in the earth, are discussed in the light of the experimental results. While none of these is adequate to explain all the observed phenomena, each has a field in which it can be made useful. The second part of the paper is devoted to a description of practical means for predetermining the mutual impedances of power and telephone lines. This involves an experimental determination of a curve of mutual impedance as a function of separation in the region of the proposed exposure and the calculation of the over-all mutual impedance between the proposed lines from this curve and the dimensions of the exposure. The results of trials of this method in two locations are given which indicate that it should be of sufficient accuracy for engineering purposes.


The authors describe the achievement of negative differential conductance (NDC) in a superlattice tunnel diode with large peak-to-valley ratio in current and valley-to-peak in voltage (7.4:1 and 6.8:1 respectively at 4.5 K). An extremely low onset voltage for NDC 32 mV, is also observed. The considerations involved in the design of the structure are discussed.


Considering that India faces an acute shortage of electricity,
 has a poor telephone network, an extremely low level of human
 development, and an even lower rate of computer ownership (4.5 per
 thousand), it is premature to fantasise about the benefits of electronic
 government. Fantasising, however, is precisely what the three authors of
 Governance @ Net: New Governance Opportunities for India engage in. The
 argument is that by incorporating computer technology into governance
 structures the entire system can be made more efficient. It is pointed
 out, correctly, that India's main problem lies with allocating resources
 efficiently. Government initiatives in social welfare and food
 distribution do not touch their targets in an effective or meaningful
 manner. People have to go through various ordeals when paying bills,
 posting income tax returns, and registering complaints.


This paper describes the design and testing of a method to measure the Newtonian gravitational constant G. The method uses a torsion balance in which a small cylindrical mass is suspended from a slender fibre. Two large cylindrical masses produce a gravitationally induced torque on the small mass. This induced torque is balanced by the electrostatic torque produced by an electrometer. A servo-control system adjusts the electrostatically induced torque so that the fibre does not twist during the measurement. The torque produced by the electrometer is calibrated by an acceleration method that uses torques much larger than those produced by the gravitational attraction of the large masses. Other features of the method include a reduction in sensitivity of the measurement to density variations in the suspended mass, a measurement strategy which reduces the effect of drift in the measurement and computer control of the measurement. Preliminary measurements of the terms used to calculate G showing an uncertainty of 2,5 parts in 104 can currently be achieved. The limiting factor at present is the variation in the gravitational potential seen as the apparatus accelerates. Indications are that further modifications and measurements will provide a value of G with an uncertainty of about 1 part in 104.


Abstract The magnetic susceptibility of a 180 m long core from the North Sea, covering the Middle Brent Group to Lower Cretaceous, has been measured at 2 cm intervals with a whole core sensor loop (MS2C) and on standard paleomagnetic samples collected at approximately 1 m intervals. The stratigraphic variations between the data sets reveal comparable features, suggesting that the sampling interval used yields a reliable record along this core. A relationship is demonstrated between gamma activity and susceptibility, the latter exhibiting more pronounced variations than the gamma logs, suggesting that susceptibility may be a useful lithomagnetic parameter for quantitative lithostratigraphic correlation. Non-linearity between gamma activity and magnetic susceptibility suggest that the latter may be treated as an independent lithological parameter which may be used for lithostratigraphic correlation. Comparison between corresponding plug and whole core susceptibility values indicates some degree of lateral inhomogeneity in the mineralogy of the core.


INTRODUCTION: Low vision is an important public health problem; however, very few low vision clinics are available to address the needs of low vision patients in most developing countries. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients attending the low vision clinic of a tertiary care eye hospital of Western Region of Nepal. METHODS: This was a prospective cross sectional study of all new Nepali patients seen at the low vision clinic over 2 years period. The patients were administered with clinical low vision form (a structured questionnaire) and were examined and tested with low vision devices by the attending low vision specialist. Information on the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients was recorded. RESUL TS: A total of 214 new patients seen during the period were studied. The mean age was 19.80 years, and their ages ranged between 4 and 86 years with a male to female ra tio of 2.69:1. Majority (53.30%) were children ("d15yea rs), while 3.70% were elderly patients ("e65years). The commonest cause of low vision was lens related like pseudophakia, aphakia (20.60%); 18.20% had refractive error/amblyopia; 17.80% had retinitis pigmentosa; macular disorder (20%) and retinitis pigmentosa (20%) were the commonest cause in the adult and elderly patients, while lens related (24.6%) and refractive error/amblyopia (21.1%) were the commonest causes in children. CONCLUSION: The demographic and clinical characteristics of low vision patients seen in this clinic are similar to that of patients in other developing countries, but different from those in developed countries. Elderly patients and females may be under-utilizing low vision services.


The recent social upheaval in the wake of George Floyd's death is reminiscent of the country's turmoil in the late 1960s. In response to that social upheaval, President Lyndon Johnson charged what came to be known as the Kerner Commission with investigating the riots' causes across 20 major American cities and recommending what could be done to prevent their reoccurrence. Among the most prominently mentioned causes of the riots was "inadequate recreation areas and facilities" in impoverished urban areas (National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, 1968, p. 104). In its recommendations, however, the Kerner Commission largely ignored the importance of recreation areas and facilities. Our commentary discusses why that was the case then, and why that should not be the case now.


Clemann, N., Rowe, K.M.C., Rowe, K.C., Raadik, T., Gomon, M., Menkhorst, P., Sumner, J., Bray, D., Norman, M. and Melville, J. 2014. Value and impacts of collecting vertebrate voucher specimens, with guidelines for ethical collection. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 72: 141-151. Museum collections of preserved faunal specimens are immensely valuable resources for understanding the natural world, and such understanding has a crucial role to play during the current biodiversity extinction crisis. Collections of specimens, and the benefits accrued by collections, are not static; new and fresh specimens, or specimens from uncollected localities or of differing demographics, are always needed. Despite this, resistance to collecting specimens is mounting, as is an erroneous belief that modern techniques (such as molecular analyses) and technologies (such as digital cameras and tracking devices) negate the need to collect specimens. Contemporary technology sometimes facilitates a reduction in the number of voucher specimens that need to be collected, but it does not eliminate the need to collect. Concerns about animal rights have and will continue to play a crucial and desirable role in rectifying unnecessarily poor treatment of fauna, but we believe that judicious collection of specimens is at times a higher priority than preserving the life of every possible individual. We argue that museum collections provide essential verifiable evidence of species' occurrence over time and space, and thus permit rigorous taxonomic, biological and ecological investigations. The value of specimen data for these studies today and for the decades and centuries that follow, justifies the judicious collecting of specimens. Using local examples, we demonstrate the benefits provided by specimens, the need for continued collecting in Victoria, and a framework with which to guide the decision-making process for the collection of vertebrate specimens.


The design of an innovative converter for ohmic heating of fluid foods is presented. Application-specific requirements are addressed with new solutions and verified on a commercial-size 60-kW prototype. A multioutput high-voltage (0.8 to 4 kV) transformer with automatic tap change enriches a basic H-bridge topology, enabling processing of a wide set of foods and allowing grounding one of the outputs. High power density is achieved by power switches Pareto optimization in the reliability-efficiency objectives and by pushing the switching frequency up to 30 kHz, solving the electrode corrosion problem, too. Reproducible and reliable operation is assured by three different control strategies: load variability is dealt with high-dynamics power control, repeatable output is guaranteed by input voltage compensation, and optimal working point is ensured by control of the transformer primary current dc component. This last control also allows removing the output capacitors, improving density metrics with respect to the state-of-the-art. Analytical models for all control strategies are given to support dynamic performance tuning while guaranteeing stability.


We study D-modules and related invariants on the space of 2 x 2 x n hypermatrices for n>= 3, which has finitely many orbits under the action of G = GL_2 x GL_2 x GL_n. We describe the category of coherent G-equivariant D-modules as the category of representations of a quiver with relations. We classify the simple equivariant D-modules, determine their characteristic cycles and find special representations that appear in their G-structures. We determine the explicit D-module structure of the local cohomology groups with supports given by orbit closures. As a consequence, we calculate the Lyubeznik numbers and intersection cohomology groups of the orbit closures. All but one of the orbit closures have rational singularities: we use local cohomology to prove that the one exception is neither normal nor Cohen--Macaulay. While our results display special behavior in the cases n=3 and n=4, they are completely uniform for n>= 5.


Understanding genetic and environmental effects on white matter development in the first years of life is of great interest, as it provides insights into the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. In this study, the genetic and environmental effects on white matter were estimated using data from 173 neonatal twin subjects. Diffusion tensor imaging scans were acquired around 40 days after birth and were non-rigidly registered to a group-specific atlas and parcellated into 98 ROIs. A model of additive genetic, and common and specific environmental variance components was used to estimate overall and regional genetic and environmental contributions to diffusion parameters of fractional anisotropy, radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity. Correlations between the regional heritability values and diffusion parameters were also examined. Results indicate that individual differences in overall white matter microstructure, represented by the average diffusion parameters over the whole brain, are heritable, and estimates are higher than found in studies in adults. Estimates of genetic and environmental variance components vary considerably across different white matter regions. Significant positive correlations between radial diffusivity heritability and radial diffusivity values are consistent with regional genetic variation being modulated by maturation status in the neonatal brain: the more mature the region is, the less genetic variation it shows. Common environmental effects are present in a few regions that tend to be characterized by low radial diffusivity. Results from the joint diffusion parameter analysis suggest that multivariate modeling approaches might be promising to better estimate maturation status and its relationship with genetic and environmental effects.


The metabolism and excretion of silybin (as N-methyl-glucamine salt) was investigated after intravenous and oral administration to rats. In the urine, silybin was excreted mostly in the unchanged form after intravenous as well as oral application, whilst in the bile it appeared above all in the form of metabolites. By hydrolysis with arylsulfatase/beta-glucuronidase, the metabolites were identified as sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of silybin and dehyrosilybin; the latter appeared in small quantities as a dehydrated product of silybin. After intravenous injection of 20 mg silybin per kg body weight, the excreted amount of silybin after 48 h was 8%, whereas 76% was eliminated in the bile within the same period of time. After oral application of 2--20 mg silybin/kg body weight 20% after 40 mg/kg 35% and after 120 mg/kg 20% of the administered silybin was excreted in the bile during 48 h. The maximum excretion rate was achieved at application of 20 mg/kg p.o. after 1 h. At this dosage, 2--5% was eliminated within the same time in the urine. The excretion of silybin mainly took place (more than 80% of the total of excreted bilybin) in the bile, both after oral and intravenous administration.


To contribute to an understanding of the magazine picture collage as a clinical assessment device, experienced psychiatric staff from various disciplines were asked to distinguish the collages of hospitalized psychiatric patients from those of paired controls, to note whatever descriptive and dynamic features about the individual that could be inferred from the collage, and to document what specific aspects of the collage were used in drawing the inferences. The raters, on the basis of the collage, were not able to distinguish the patients from the controls but were able to derive highly accurate inferences. The results were taken to indicate that, while the collage is best used as a means of assessing psychological processes as contrasted with assigning a diagnosis or predicting behavior, more rigorous research is needed to relate collage factors to personality factors.


This study examines the interplay of national culture, organizational norms, and institutional environment on user compliance with information security policy (ISP). Building on the NeoInstitutional Theory (NIT) and Cross-Cultural Framework, this study intends to (1) investigate the relationship among national culture, organizational norms, and institutional environment for ISP compliance at the individual level; and (2) present the similarities and differences of ISP compliance in a cross-national, cross-industry context. Particularly, this study intends to identify the differences on user's compliance between the higher education and the banking industry in countries including the United States and South Korea. We believe that the stark contrast between both industries in relation to policy compliance coupled with the distinctive differences in national culture between both nations will draw significant findings to explain the interactive effects of national culture, industry's institutional environment and organizational norms on user's compliance.


Noting the worldwide rapid increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity new effective drugs are now being sought to combat these diseases. Histamine H3 receptor antagonists may represent an effective therapy as they have been shown to modulate histamine synthesis and release and affect a number of other neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, acetylcholine, γ-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, substance P) thus influencing the food intake. Based on the preliminary studies determining affinity, intrinsic activity, and selected pharmacokinetic parameters, two histamine H3 receptor ligands were selected. Female rats were fed palatable food for 28 days and simultaneously administered the tested compounds intraperitoneally (i.p.) at a dose of 10 or 1 mg/kg b.w./day. Weight was evaluated daily and calorie intake was evaluated once per week. The plasma levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin, corticosterone, CRP and IL-6 were determined at the end of experiment. The glucose tolerance test was also performed. To exclude false positives, the effect of tested compounds on spontaneous activity was monitored during the treatment, as well as the amount of consumed kaolin clay was studied as a reflection of possible gastrointestinal disturbances comparable to nausea. The histamine H3 receptor antagonists KSK-59 and KSK-73 administered i.p. at a dose of 10 mg/kg b.w. prevented weight gain in a rat model of excessive eating. They reduced adipose tissue deposits and improved glucose tolerance. Both compounds showed satisfying ability to penetrate through biological membranes determined in in vitro studies. Compound KSK-73 also reduced the caloric intake of the experimental animals what indicates its anorectic effect. These results show the pharmacological properties of histamine H3 receptor antagonists, (4-pyridyl)piperazine derivatives, as the compounds causing not only slower weight gain but also ameliorating some metabolic disorders in rats having the opportunity to overeat.


Two successive protocols (L-10 and L-10M) employing multidrug induction therapy with vincristine, prednisone, and doxorubicin (Adriamycin) plus an intensive consolidation phase and maintenance program have led to a significant improvement in the prognosis of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The complete remission (CR) rates for the 34 patients entered on the L-10 protocol and the 38 patients entered on the L-10M protocol were 85% and 84%, respectively. The median duration of remission has not yet been reached for either the L-10 (median follow-up, 5.5 years; range, 3.5-7.5 years) or the L-10M protocol (median follow-up, 2.5 years; range, 1-3.5 years). The median survival time has not yet been reached for the L-10M protocol. Central nervous system prophylaxis with intrathecal methotrexate alone was effective in preventing central nervous system relapse. An analysis of possible prognostic factors indicated that patients less than 25 years of age had a higher CR rate than older patients (p = 0.02). Patients with an initial leukocyte count below 15,000/microL experienced longer remissions than patients with a leukocyte count above 15,000/microL (p = 0.008), and patients who achieved CR within the first month of therapy were in remission longer than those requiring a longer time to achieve CR (p = 0.04). Patients with T cell ALL did not have a poorer prognosis than other patients treated on these protocols. The L-10 and L-10M protocols were well tolerated with minimal morbidity.


In the present paper the clinical value of scrotal ultrasonography is evaluated on the basis of a literature review and own results of 400 sonographic examinations in 320 patients. The frequency of false-positive findings was only 5% representing a high sensitivity of this method. However, the specificity of ultrasonography is lower since a distinction between benign and malignant lesions is impossible. Scrotal ultrasonography is of particular value in vague palpatory findings and should be used more generous.


Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) as a serine protease plays an important role in the fibrinolytic system and the dissolution of fibrin clots in human body. The production of this drug in plants such as tobacco could reduce its production costs. In this study, expression of tPA gene and protein targeting to different plant cell compartments, using various signal peptides has been investigated. For high level of expression, Kozak sequence was used after CaMV35S in the beginning of the gene. In order to design the final construction, Extensin, KDEL (amino acid sequence including Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu) and SP (γ-zein signal peptide coding sequence) were used as leader signals to conduct this protein into apoplast, endoplasmic reticulum and cytosol spaces, respectively. Cloned human tPA gene under the CaMV (Cauliflower mosaic virus) 35S promoter and NOS (Nopaline Synthase) terminator into pBI121 plasmid was transferred into tobacco explants by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404. The presence and copy number of genes in transgenic tobacco was proved by Southern blotting. Enzymatic activity of the rt-PA protein in transgenic plants compared to nontransgenic plants was confirmed by Zymography assay. The presence and amount of rt-PA recombinant protein in plants was estimated by ELISA analysis on crude protein extract of transgenic tobacco using a specific antibody. The yield of recombinant tPA in transgenic tobacco for SP, KDEL, Extensin signals were counted 0.50, 0.68, 0.69 microgram per milligram of total soluble proteins. Keywords—Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, plant cell comportment, leader signals, transgenic tobacco.


The low inclination of the lunar orbit allows areas in high and low latitudes to remain in eternal darkness. These Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSR) are never illuminated by sunlight and are some of the coldest places in the Solar System and could contain vast deposits of water and other volatiles. In-situ measurements are required as a 'ground-truth' measurement to determine the existence volatiles in these regions.

The LUnar Volatiles Mobile Instrumentation (LUVMI) is an autonomous, low mass, modular rover concept consisting of surface and subsurface sensing instruments with an in-situ sampling and analysis technology capable of depth resolved volatile extraction and characterisation. Volatile extraction from the lunar regolith will be carried out by the Volatiles Sampler (VS), which will sample the subsurface up to a depth of 20 cm, extract water and other loosely bound volatiles through heating. The design of the VS provides efficient volatile sample transfer and minimizes sample handling requirements. Evolved volatile characterisation will be performed by the Volatiles Analyser (VA) which is a miniature ion trap mass spectrometer based on the Ptolemy mass spectrometer instrument on-board Philae, the ESA Rosetta Lander. LUVMI-X (eXtended) will add the capability of allowing direct access to a PSR(s) via a miniature instrumented low velocity projectile that will be launched from the rover platform into areas of interest that are inaccessible to the rover.

We will discuss the LUVMI test campaign conducted in December 2018, the current LUVMI-X configuration, the design of the mass spectrometer extraction systems and recent laboratory results obtained with volatile doped regolith simulant.


Primary Thyroid Lymphoma (PTL) is a rare disease, mostly affecting middle-to-old aged females. It has a strong association with pre-existing thyroiditis, which increases the risk of its development. The disease has been studied in detail in the Western populations. However, there is lack of data for south Asians, especially in Pakistani population. This study was carried out to learn more about the disease characteristics in our area. This was a retrospective study where we reviewed four diagnosed and/or treated cases of primary thyroid Lymphoma at tertiary care hospital of Pakistan (Aga Khan University Hospital), Karachi, Pakistan. Each patient's medical record was reviewed and studied. The participants' average age was 62.8 ± 10.12, with two males and two females. The histology of all of the patients was compatible with the Diffuse B cell Lymphoma subtype.
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This article explores the formation and growth of the Soviet chemical weapons program from 1924 to 1937. Seen as a symbol of modernity by the Soviet government, the Red Army's chemical weapons directorate became a priority area of research and development. Initially, however, the Red Army's investment in chemical weapons production encountered a variety of difficulties exacerbated by early Soviet policies, such as the lack of capital and skilled labor. But thanks to Stalin's broader political aims, Yakov Fishman—the head of the chemical weapons directorate—managed to draw in vast resources to achieve his vision for the Soviet chemical weapons program. In the end, Fishman's success in building huge chemical weapons production capacities for the Red Army would have a major impact on the course of the Second World War. Drawing from Russian and German military archives, this article offers new insight into a long-hidden, top-secret military program of colossal dimensions.


In this paper, optimal location of flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) devices in the power system is considered, with considering various objectives, as well as reducing the fuel costs, reducing active losses of the transmission lines, reducing voltage deviations of the buses and increasing the system loadability. The devices used in this study include unified power flow controller (UPFC), static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) and hybrid flow controller (HFC), which have been selected for optimization due to their high efficiency. The study of how these elements are allocated and their optimal capacity determination in achieving multiple goals is accomplished by implementation of an optimal power flow method in the IEEE 14-bus test system. Simulations have been carried out with application of multi-objective optimization classical methods, including the goal programming and the epsilon constraint methods.


Thermal hydraulic CATHARE V1.3U code has been used to simulate an International Standard Problem (ISP38) experiment conducted at BETHSY Integral Test Facility located in Grenoble, France.
 This experiment dealt with simulation of the loss of Residual Heat Removal System (RHRS) during midloop operation. It involved opening of the pressurizer manway and steam generator outlet plenum manway simultaneously with switching on the heating rods power simulating loss of RHRS. The total power was kept unchanged with the level 138 kW throughout the test. Mass discharge through both manways led to core boiling and uncovery. Test was stopped when the primary cooling system was filled back to a midloop level.
 Overall, the code's prediction and experimental data were found to be in a reasonable qualitative agreement. However, the code underestimated the time of the core uncovery and the actuation of the gravity feed injection due to the ovepredicted mass discharge through steam generator manway during the initial stage of the transient. This was caused by CATHARE's miscalculation of the phase separation effect at the hot leg/surge line tee junction and significant water entrainment into the surge line at the beginning of the test. It was found that the code's model of the upward tee junction needs to be refined for the low pressure ranges.


Abstract Objective: Cannabis use (CU) is common among persons with bipolar disorder (BD). Evidence suggests that CU is associated with poorer outcomes among persons with BD; however, these findings remain inconsistent. The present exploratory study aims to examine clinical, functional, and cognitive correlates of CU among persons with BD. Methods: U.S. veterans with BD type I who participated in a large-scale, nationwide study were categorized into four groups: current CU, past CU, past other drug use, and no drug use. Bivariate analyses, univariate analyses of covariance, and Levene's Test for Equality of Variance were used to compare groups on clinical, cognitive, and functional measures. Results: Of 254 (84.6% male) veterans with BD type I included in the analyses, 13 (5.1%) had current CU, 37 (14.5%) past CU, 77 (30.3%) past other drug use, and 127 (50%) reported no drug use. BD with CU was associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and experiencing lifetime suicidal ideation. Notably, current CU was associated with higher working memory performance, compared to both past CU and no drug use. Likewise, current CU was associated with higher functional capacity, compared to past CU as well as no drug use. Conclusions: These findings contribute to the growing literature on the complex effects of cannabis on BD. As the commercialization and legalization of cannabis increases, further research in this area is warranted to quantify posed risks to this population, and thereby guide clinical decision-making.


In Africa, HIV infection is considered a family disease. A retrospective cohort analysis was performed to describe the characteristics and outcome in 35 parent–child pairs taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) in separate adult and pediatric HIV clinics. In 26 pairs, ART was first initiated in children. Baseline median CD4 count was 122/mm3 in adults and 376/mm3 in children. World Health Organization stage 3 or 4 disease affected 49% of adults and 83% of children. In all, 3 parents and 1 child died. Hospitalization, poor adherence, missed appointments, or regimen change affected >50% of pairs on ART. Following tuberculosis diagnosis in their parents, 2 of the 5 children were not investigated. By week 104, 29 (83%) pairs remained on ART, and 69% of patients on ART were virologically suppressed. Parent–child pairs with advanced HIV infection had good outcomes when cared for in separate clinics. Establishing lines of communication between clinics is important. Family-centered services may provide more integrated care.


The redistribution of water in response to static tensile loading was investigated in rabbit Achilles tendons in vitro. The distribution of water was measured along a radially oriented line, using a one-dimensional proton-density map created from fits to diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) data. Water movements were measured during application of tensile loads of 5N (N=7) and 10N (N=6). Water distribution along the line was measured before loading and up to 42 min after load application. Static loading with either 5 or 10N loads caused a steady increase in proton density in the outside edge (rim) of the tendon. The 10N load lowered the proton density in the core of the tendon, but did so in a single step that was observed when the load was applied. The 5N load caused no change in proton density in the core region. The immediate redistribution from the core was statistically significant for the 10N load, but not the 5N load application. Statistically significant within-group proton-density increases were observed in the rim after 42 min postload for all tendons irrespective of load condition. The rate of proton-density postload increase at the rim region did not depend upon load. The rate for the 5N load case was 0.010 +/- 0.002 min(-1) and 0.007 +/- 0.002 min(-1) in the 10N case. Thus, while generally consistent with an extrusion model, the data show other features that argue for a more complex model.


Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different scoring protocols used with the Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ; Lonsdale et al., 2008) across varied outcomes. The BRSQ is a 24-item self-report instrument designed to assess motives that regulate sport participation using Organismic Integration Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002) as a guiding framework.

 Methods: University-based female rugby players ( N = 168; M age = 20.36 years) completed self-report instruments assessing sport motivation (BRSQ) and motivational consequences (concentration, positive/negative affect, and self-rated performance) using a non-experimental, cross-sectional research design.

 Results: Effect sizes varied with different BRSQ scoring protocols ( R 2 adj . = 0.01-0.44). Regression models using the Relative Autonomy Index or Autonomous/Controlled motives as predictor variables consistently accounted for less variance than item-aggregation models irrespective of the motivational consequence serving as the criterion variable of interest. Integrated regulation was the strongest correlate of concentration ( r 12 = 0.43) and self-rated game performance ( r 12 = 0.37) with intrinsic motivation the strongest correlate of positive affect (0.56). External and introjected regulation were both equally correlated with increased negative affect ( r 12 's = 0.34).

 Discussion: Self-determined yet extrinsic sources of behavioural regulation appear to be an important motivational resource for athletes competing in sport. The variability and differing conclusions evident when adopting BRSQ scoring protocols may result in confusion for researchers and practitioners. Scoring protocols used in sport motivation research employing the BRSQ represent a key consideration for researchers using OIT to disentangle the motivational basis of adaptive sport participation. Acknowledgments: Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada


A review will be presented of scintillometry work carried out by the Wageningen
University in collaboration with others. A scintillometer consists of a transmitter
and a receiver. The transmitter produces a parallel beam of light (here wavelengths
of about 1 micron and/or 1 mm) and the receiver detects light intensity fluctuations
cause by atmospheric turbulent motions. The latter are related to surface fluxes.

First, the performance of a large aperture scintillometer (LAS) over different
surface types, e.g. heterogeneous terrain types (Flevopolder, the Netherlands;
LITTFASS, Germany), grass (Cabauw, the Netherlands), savannah (GLOWA, Ghana) and
forest (LITFASS, Germany; Marrakech, Morocco), using path lengths between 1 and 10
km, will be discussed. Note that a LAS provides the sensible heat flux only.
Evaporation can be estimated next from a simplified energy balance equation. The so-
called saturation effect appears to limit the maximum path length of a LAS. Recently
developed saturation correction procedures will be presented.

Next, the performance of a LAS combined with a millimeter wave scintillometer (MWS)
for estimating both the surface fluxes of sensible and latent heat over natural
landscape will be dealt with. Results of the Flevopolder and LITFASS-2003 field
experiments will be shown, where a LAS-MWS system was installed over a heterogeneous
landscape over a path length of 2.1 and 4.7 km respectively. The scintillometer
derived surface fluxes will be compared with aggregated eddy-covariance (EC)
measurements.

It is our aim also to discuss the question whether and how the scintillometer method
can be used in hydrology and agriculture.


In Vineland, Pynchon recalls the Odyssey in order to foreground crucial differences from its Western model of comprehending narrative outcomes as acts of Olympian or divine omnipotence. Instead, Vineland does something innovative with narrative power, establishing specific karmic character relationships that potentially ameliorate personal and national grievances and suffering and broadening our understanding of narrative power and outcomes beyond the heavy hand of judgment in order to register gentle karmic nudges.


INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study was to assess validity of self-reported body weight and height compared to measured values in a group of adolescents. We also investigated differences in reported and measured values and factors responsible for them in this particular population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 295 adolescents aged 11-14 (114 boys and 131 girls) attending primary schools in central Belgrade, recorded their BMI and completed a series of questionnaires measuring body satisfaction and eating patterns. All participants were measured afterwards. RESULTS: Differences between reported and measured weights were highly significant in girls (48.84 +/- 8.42 kg vs 49.69 +/- 9.28 kg). Significant differences between reported and measured weights were established in the group of adolescents with weight problems (-3.18 +/- 4.03 kg). Adolescents on diets presented a difference of -1.36 +/- 3.36 kg. Weight problems (OR 3.72, 95%CI: 2.10-4.75) and female gender (errors occurred more often for 22%, 95%CI: 0.23-1.80) were significant predictors in multivariate regression model for discrepancy of reported and measured weights. In a multivariate regression model, where differences in BMI were dependent variable, weight category was a significant predictor, with differences being 1.65 times more common (95%CI: 1.13-2.11). DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that self-reported body weight and height have limited reliability and can be used only in normal weight male adolescents. This method should not be recommended in surveys that involve overweight and/or obese adolescents and those who are on diet.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is propagated vegetatively via offshoots, which is limited by either the offshoots numbers produced from a superior selected plant, or the occurrence of these offshoots only during the juvenile phase of the date palm life cycle. As a result, the in vitro propagation could be considered an alternative technique for large scale propagation of date palm. Obtaining well-developed root system is considered the most important step in establishment of reliable protocol for successful production of date palm and subsequently successful acclimatization of the in vitro derived plants. The aim of this study is to obtain a well-developed root system through using different antioxidants, with detecting the similarity between the in vitro derived plants and the mother plants using RAPD, long RAPD and ISSR techniques.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Individual plantlets obtained from maturation of somatic embryos in vitro of about 5-7 cm in length with 2-3 leaves were used as plant material. Plantlets were cultured on half strength MS liquid medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L-1 thiamine-HCl+2.0 mg L-1 glycine+0.1 mg L-1 biotin+40 g L-1 sucrose+ 0.1mg L-1 NAA with different concentrations from either AgNO3 or citric or ascorbic acids (0.0, 0.5, 1, 2 mg L-1). Growth development, root number and root length (cm) were evaluated at the end of the second subculture (12 weeks). Data were reported as Mean±Standard deviation (SD). Data were subjected to one way-analysis of variance (p<0.05). Results were processed by Excel (2010).

RESULTS
Among the different antioxidants with different concentrations used, generally it was found that 2 mg L-1 of each agent gave the highest values of growth development, roots number and roots length. However, using 2 mg L-1 AgNO3 gave the best results with all parameters. Regarding the response of date palm cultivar, it was remarkable that Bartamoda showed relatively better results than Sakkoty cultivar. According to PCR reactions, the results of RAPD, long RAPD and ISSR profile of tissue culture-derived plantlets grown on a medium supplemented with 2 mg L-1 AgNO3 obviously revealed high similarity to mother plants.

CONCLUSION
It could be concluded that using 2 mg L-1 AgNO3 gave the best results for growth development, root numbers and length of the two cultivars but Bartamoda showed relatively better results than Sakkoty cultivar. The tissue culture-derived plantlets on this medium (2 mg L-1 AgNO3) revealed high similarity to mother plant as a result to RAPD, long RAPD and ISSR profiles.


Reproductive phenology, reproductive traits and the pre emergent reproductive success (PERS) of Welwitschia mirabilis were studied in plants growing in the Botanical Garden of Portici. The leaves grow throughout the year and growth is positively correlated to temperature and day length; at flowering, the growth rate slows down. The plants have a reproductive cycle lasting 9-10 months; male plants form more branches and strobili than females, female strobili are larger than male ones. Both male and female plants produce cones that differ in the color of the covering bracts. Plants produce a lot of seeds, but most of them are empty; therefore the seed/ovule ratio is low. Filled and empty seeds are morphologically similar; filled seeds have high vitality that is maintained for several years. As probable causes of the low seed/ovule ratio, both pollination and embryo abortion are taken into account; our observations lead us to believe that the embryo abortion hypothesis is more accurate. However, since each plant may produce a discrete number of cones and filled seeds are highly viable, ultimately Welwitschia appears to be a rather efficient plant in terms of pre emergent repro- ductive success.


To cope with warming global environments, authors have proposed the counter-rotating type hydroelectric unit, which is composed of tandem runners and the peculiar generator with double rotational armatures. The unit can be provided for various water circumstances at not only the onshore but also the offshore. This paper discusses effects of setting angle and the number of runner blades on turbine performances and then optimum blade setting angles giving the maximum output and/or the maximum efficiency, namely the on-cam operation, are presented at various discharges/heads.Copyright © 2011 by JSME


The topic of inequality in education has already been a major issue in many countries for a long time. However, in 2020 it has shown itself differently because of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to which the whole world was compelled to switch to distance learning. This form of education, previously unfamiliar to many educational institutions and even the whole countries, became a great challenge for both students and school teachers or university lecturers. It required an ability to study with limited assistance from the former ones, good skills of using digital platforms and resources from the latter ones, and availability of technical devices with the Internet connection from both parties. These complications have significantly enhanced the already existing inequality in access to educational resources.Even though no statistical conclusions regarding the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic performance have been made yet, it has already been confirmed that the percentage of senior year school students who postponed their graduation has increased in 2020 in comparison to 2019. And so has the percentage of school graduates who did not appear at entrance examinations despite registering, primarily from rural areas. The academic performance is expected to be worse too, and the difference in grades between students of different socioeconomic backgrounds is highly likely to increase.This paper is an attempt to generalize the challenges which the world education community had to face during the last year and to highlight the main factors of educational inequality in the circumstances of pandemics. It also considers the possible ways of eliminating unequal access to education on the example of particular countries.


Abstract Due to the ever-changing demands in the field of environmental engineering, students today must have a diverse background in science as well as in engineering design principles. As indicated in the ABET general criteria for advanced programs, graduates of environmental engineering programs should have proficiency in biology, including microbiology and aquatic biology. Graduates of the 5-year Freshman to Master's Environmental Engineering and the Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree programs at Texas Tech University are exposed to microbiology and aquatic biology concepts through a new hybrid course. The purpose of CE 5385/ENVE 4385 Microbial Applications in Environmental Engineering is to educate students in microbial biology, which will further their understanding of microbial processes in environmental engineering applications. Additionally, the contribution of the course to the professional component of the curriculum is to provide civil and environmental engineering students a minimum understanding of microbial biology to further their understanding of biological treatment processes. The course has been offered four times and is in continuous revision. Subsequently, the book selected for the course has changed several times in order to maximize the resources available to students regarding topics covered while minimizing the number of books purchased. The course benefits the students by preparing them for both the F.E. and P.E. exams. The course has benefited the curriculum by ensuring all students receive basic information on microbiology, allowing for more in-depth coverage of other topics in advanced courses such as CE 5383 Bioremediation of Wastes in Soil Systems and ENVE 5399 Biological Municipal Wastewater Treatment. Overall, the course benefits the environmental engineering community by improving graduate preparedness for their future profession by providing the necessary knowledge to develop and apply new hybrid ideas to solve engineering problems.


Abstract Joseph Boyden's Three Day Road (2005) and Gerald Vizenor's Blue Ravens (2014) offer literary representations of the Great War combined with life narratives focusing on the personal experiences of Indigenous soldiers. The protagonists' lives on the reservations, which illustrate the experiences of racial discrimination and draw attention to power struggles against the White dominance, provide a representation of and a response to the experiences of Indigenous peoples in North America. The context of World War I and the Aboriginal contributions to American and Canadian wartime responses on European battlefields are used in the novels to take issue with the historically relevant changes. The research focus of this paper is to discuss two strategies of survival presented in Boyden's and Vizenor's novels, which enable the protagonists to process, understand, and overcome the trauma of war.


1. Beyond the Delusion: New Histories of Totalitarian Dictatorship Daniela Baratieri, Mark Edele and Giuseppe Finaldi 2. Cold Empathy: Perpetrator Studies and the Challenges in Writing a Life of Reinhard Heydrich Robert Gerwarth 3. The Life and Death of General Blaskowitz Christopher Clark 4. Stalin and the World of Culture Sheila Fitzpatrick 5. The Great Manipulator: Francisco Franco Paul Preston 6. Blueblood and Blacksmith: A Comparative View of Churchill's and Mussolini's Speeches Giuseppe Finaldi 7. "A Place in the Sun": The Conquest of Ethiopia in 1935-36 As Seen in Contemporary Diaries Christopher Duggan 8. "Wrapped in Passionless Impartiality?": Italian Psychiatry During the Fascist Regime Daniela Baratieri 9. Coercion, Consent, and Accommodation in the Third Reich Dick Geary 10. Peasants into Nationals: Violence, War, and the Making of Turks and Greeks, 1912-1922 Nicholas Doumanis 11. Learning from the Enemy?: Entangling Histories of the German-Soviet War, 1941-1945 Mark Edele 12. Genocide in a Multiethnic Town: Event, Origins, Aftermath Omer Bartov 13. Memories of an Exodus: Istria, Fiume, Dalmatia, Trieste, Italy, 1943-2010 John Foot