Introduction: Boceprevir is an NS3/NS4A serine protease inhibitor that was approved for use in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 patients by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2011. The approval of this protease inhibitor marked a major paradigm shift in the treatment of HCV, as it was one of the first of many new small molecules specifically designed and approved for HCV. Areas covered: In this article, the authors summarize boceprevir's pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. In addition, they review Phase II and III trials of boceprevir as well as its clinical efficacy, dosing and safety. Expert opinion: Boceprevir is a potent protease inhibitor for the treatment of genotype 1 HCV. It has a well-tolerated side-effect profile and increases the likelihood of SVR in naïve and previously treated patients. The impending release of newer more efficacious direct-acting antivirals may limit the use of boceprevir for patients infected with HCV.


Water is one of the important components that support life on earth. It is so important that it does not have alternative. Water is abundant on the planet earth, but the usable water especially for domestic purpose is limited, therefore making it a scarce resource. This is not unconnected with the uneven distribution of the resource around the globe. This study examines household water condition in Gombe, show casing a profile of water scarcity in Nassarawo Community; palliative and mitigation measures being taken. Data describing the inventory of the sources of water in the study area, the functionality of the water point at all times of the year and the natural and anthropogenic factors that promote or hinder the availability of water in the study community were taken. Results obtained and analysed in tabular forms indicate that Gombe State Water Corporation, Ministry of Water Resources and Environment, along with other department were shouldered with the task of supplying water for all uses. Despite these institutions efforts and the colossal amount of money being spent to scale up supply, water scarcity remains a problem. Findings revealed that the community is restricted to a very few sources of water supply with water trucks being the major source, followed by rainfall. Thus, water supply in Nassarawo falls short of supply at all times of the year. Findings further reveals that the scarcity is as a result of poor public management system by water institutions, coupled with poor groundwater potentials of the area thereby creating both physical and economic water scarcity. The study calls for invigoration of public water supply institutions to leave up to their mandate and a radical change in behaviour on the use and management of water, and a public participation process where decisions are taken on the bases of bottom-top approach.


A woman's career begins with the choice of a professional path and advances with life-long learning, but her success can be impeded by gender asymmetry. Despite changes in working conditions, legal norms, and social policy, the gender gap is consistently reproduced, leading to "stalled progress." Our analysis of literature showed that the search for subtle, yet resilient mechanisms responsible for the reproduction of gender inequality in Russian companies will be most efficient if it is based on the following theoretical concepts: 1) the "gendered organisations" approach, which differs distinctly from other methods and allows researchers to analyse gender inequality on both the structural and the regulatory level; 2) on the concepts of career capital and social capital, which enable us to synthesize individual and structural levels of analysis; 3) on the model of "a creative organization" and upon investigating the consequences of gender inequality for the development of both an individual working woman and the organisation as a whole. In Russia, studies of gender inequality that apply current approaches are seldom carried out; many researchers rely on the "gender role approach", which is considered outdated by the global scientific community. The theoretical analysis also allowed the authors to formulate two hypotheses for further empirical testing: 1 — a working woman includes gender in the attributes that are important for career advancement; and 2 — an organisation is perceived as less creative if its employees observe the signs of gender inequality in its structure and operations. It is suggested that a social psychological model of career success factors for a working woman should include, on the one hand, the organizational context (informal structure, norms and regulations, etc.), and on the other — individual social strategies (including strategies that use career capital to eliminate gender inequality). It is concluded that key mechanisms for gender inequality reproduction are the mechanisms associated with social capital and its development, which have not been sufficiently investigated.


Inorganic ion exchangers, because of their greater stability against high doses of gamma-radiations and due to various other physico-chemical properties, are the most promising materials for the separation and preconcentration of various radionuclides.A new ion exchanger potassium copper nickel hexacyanoferrate(II) [KCNF] has been prepared and characterized thoroughly with respect to chemical analysis,. i.e., thermal decomposition, surface measurements and stability under various doses of gamma-radiations.The adsorption of cesium from aqueous solutions on KCNF has been studied and optimized as a function of equilibration time, pH concentration of acids, salts and adsorbate using batch method and radiometric technique employing cesium-134 tracer. The adsorption of cesium on KCNF has been expressed in terms of percent adsorption and distribution coefficient. The exchange capacity of cesium has been found to be 2.25 m.mol-1 g-1 The equation for the determination of equilibrium constant of cesium adsorption from aqueous solution containing ammonium ions has been developed. The adsorption equilibrium shows the involvement of ion exchange process.The temperature dependence of cesium adsorption on KCNF under optimum conditions for various cesium concentrations has been studied and various thermodynamic parameters such as I"Ho, I"So and I"Go have been calculated. These values show an endothermic nature of adsorption process.The uptake of cesium on KCNF at various temperatures has been interpreted in terms of Freundlich, Langmuir and Dobinin-Radushkevich (D-R) equations. various constants involved in the equations have been calculated and interpreted. The heat of adsorption is calculated to be 33.7 kJ mol-1 which agrees to the value calculated earlier average value of mean free energy calculated in the D-R equation for the adsorption of cesium on KCNF is found to be 15.13 kJ mol-1 . This shows that adsorption of cesium on KCNF is an ion exchange process. This has been confirmed by the determination of the amounts of potassium, copper, nickel and iron released, after the adsorption of cesium on KCNF under optimum conditions.Column experiments have been performed using KCNF in the column and breakthrough of cesium has been achieved under different operating conditions. Low value of cesium capacity of 1.1 m. mol-1 g-1 has been obtained at cesium concentration of 7.5x10-3 M. Desorption of cesium from the column has been achieved (45%) by 8M nitric acid solution at a flow rate of 0.5 cm3 min-1The kinetic studies of cesium on KCNF have been carried out as a function of particle size and temperature. Two different cesium ion exchange mechanisms have been established by using the interruption test depending on the cesium I concentration in the solution. The data at cesium concentration of 7.5x10-7 M fit to the film diffusion model. Different physical iv parameters such as effective diffusion coefficient and activation energy have been calculated. The corresponding effective diffusion coefficient has been found to be 1.307x10-9 m2 sec-1. The activation energy from Arrhenius plot has been evaluated as 19.3 kJ mol-1 which confirms it to be a film diffusion process.The ion exchange data at higher cesium concentration have not been interpreted by particle diffusion model. The experimental data have then been fitted to the fast chemical reaction model. The results obey the shell progressive reaction kinetics. The Arrhenius plot gives a straight line over the entire temperature range under investigation. The activation energy calculated by Arrhenius plot has been found to be 68.5 kJ mol-1. This confirms that the mechanism of cesium kinetics at higher concentration is controlled by fast chemical reaction process of shell progressive type.


to bring them to happy fruition, it should now be possible to discover. It is also clear that the study of temperament-groups is likely to yield results of greater practical value than the study of blood-groups. Again, the study along Mendelian lines of the inheritance of temperament has most interesting possibilities. It would be difficult to imagine any reader who could find neither interest nor profit in these books and even more difficult to imagine a reader who could not enjoy them.


We report a rare case and review of literature of an unusual pilomyxoid astrocytoma (PMA). A 9-year-old girl was admitted because of headache and vomiting. Computed tomography revealed a calcified tumor in the right temporal lobe. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-enhancing tumor and an intratumoral hemorrhage. A subtotal resection of the tumor was performed. The histologic findings revealed that tumors are composed of a monotonous population of the cells with delicate piloidlike processes, loosely arranged within a prominent myxoid background. The tumor cells radiated from the vessels that produced an angiocentric pattern, vaguely resembling perivascular pseudorosettes. Neither mitosis, necrosis, nor endothelial proliferation was found and the MIB-1 index was 1.3%. Two years later, local recurrence was observed and a tumor resection was again performed. The histologic pattern was quite similar to the original tumor. Immunohistochemical staining showed positivity for S100, vimentin, and microtubule-associated protein 2. No glial fibrillary acidic protein, synaptophysin, or neurofilament protein positivity was seen. Because the MIB-1 index rose to 3.3%, radiotherapy (50 Gy) was performed. Radiotherapy was effective and there has been no sign of tumor regrowth for 7 years. The histologic findings were similar to pilomyxoid astrocytoma, however, the immunohistologic and clinical features were not identical, thus indicating a new subtype of tumor.


Anoplophora malasiaca (Thomson) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) male approached the female, touched her with his antennae or tarsi, and then held and mounted her by touching her elytra and pronotum with his palpae. Similar mating attempts by males were confirmed on a glass dummy treated with the solvent extract of female elytra, indicating the presence of a female sex pheromone perceptible by direct contact. When the extract was chromatographed on silica gel, only the hexane fraction showed a weak activity. The activity was apparently enhanced when polar fractions were subsequently mixed with this fraction Therefore, the sex pheromone consisted of hydrocarbons and polar compounds that operated synergistically. Among more than 40 hydrocarbons identified by GC-MS analysis, only saturated hydrocarbons induced the mating behavior in males. When 8 major authentic hydrocarbons were mixed together with the polar compounds, the blend induced a series of precopulative behaviors in males. Thus, these hydrocarbons were considered to be the components of the sex pheromone in this beetle. Sexual dimorphism was observed in the hydrocarbon profiles. Some hydrocarbons were common between the sexes while others were sexually specific. A blend of male hydrocarbons and female polar components was still active but the opposite combination was inactive. Therefore, polar female-specific components were critical for revealing the sex pheromonal activity.


Over the last ten years, the widespread adoption of the lung cancer screening programs together with improvements in imaging modalities, have led to diagnosing a more considerable number of small solid lung tumour (<1 cm) and ground-glass opacity (GGO). Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is considered the preferred treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) even if though many types of research have recently demonstrated the promising oncological efficacy of the VATS anatomical segmentectomies for stage IA lung cancer (1,2).


The article examines lexical choices preferred by a noted Slovene translator of dramatic texts. It is based on the assumption that in spite of the fact that lexical choices offer much greater freedom in translation than, for instance, grammatical choices, they are subject to a number of intratextual and extratextual factors defining the genre, the kind of translation, and specific features of individual plays. Although examples are taken from only one set of translations of Tennessee Wiliams's A Streetcar Named Desire , they also refer to other working and published versions of drama translations into Slovene, including Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , Miller's Death of a Salesman , Pinter's plays, and Shaw's Pygmalion . The shifts considered in the article relate to register, i.e. factors of language variation affecting lexical choices related to the field, mode, and tenor of discourse.


We update the systematic studies of circular polarization in integrated pulse profiles by Han et al. Data of circular polarization profiles are compiled. Sense reversals can occur in core or cone components, or near the intersection between components. The correlation between the sense of circular polarization and the sense of position angle variation for conal-double pulsars is confirmed with a much large database. Circular polarization of some pulsars has clear changes with frequency. Circular polarization of millisecond pulsars is marginally different from that of normal pulsars.


This systematic review investigated the relationship between peer and/or friend variables and physical activity among adolescents by synthesising cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental research conducted in the US. Seven electronic databases were searched to identify related articles published within the last 10 years and the articles reviewed included adolescents between 10 and 18 years. Studies reporting a measure of physical activity for adolescents and at least one potential peer and/or friend variable were included. Research demonstrated that peers and friends have an important role to play in the physical activity behavior of adolescents. Six processes were identified through which peers and/or friends may have an influence on physical activity including: peer and/or friend support, presence of peers and friends during physical activity, peer norms, friendship sport quality and acceptance, peer crowd affiliation, and peer victimization. The theoretical significance of these results is assessed and the development of peer-related physical activity programmes for adolescents is discussed.


Early childhood caries (ECC) is the most common chronic disease in young children and may develop as soon as the teeth erupt. It affects the quality of life of families having affected children due to dental pain and subsequent tooth loss resulting in difficulty in eating, speaking, sleeping and socializing. It is a significant public health problem and certain segments of society. The purpose of this study was to assess prevalence of dental caries and identify some of risk factors among a sample of 1- 3.5 years old Egyptian children. A sample of 560 children attending for Public Maternal and child health care and vaccination centers have participated in this study. Dental examination was performed by the author using the World Health Organization criteria for diagnosis of caries .Mothers completed a questionnaire on relevant factors as education, employment status, position of child in the family, type of child feeding and oral hygiene practice for both mothers and their children. The ECC was diagnosed in 69.6% of children. The mean dmft ranged from (2.1-7.6). Males were significantly affected more than females. Education level, employment status, oral hygiene practice for the mothers, position of child in the family, type of feeding and oral hygiene practice were dependently associated with the disease. The determinants of dental caries in Egyptian children were generally similar to those reported in other countries. The overall of the study indicated that mothers' education and attitude in maintaining oral hygiene of their children is very important determinant of early childhood caries and supported implementation of health promotion strategies that target new and expectant mothers. Immediate attention should be given to train the mothers with oral hygiene practices. Also, Dental care information and oral hygiene instructions should be given as early as possible to mothers including tooth brushing skills. It is important to continually follow changes in oral health of young children with repeated epidemiological studies to be able to institute necessary preventive measures.


Here, we provide evidence that the freshwater parasitic copepod, Salmincola californiensis, acts as a vector for Aeromonas salmonicida. While investigating the effects of S. californiensis on Chinoook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), we tangentially observed that fish infected with the copepod developed furunculosis, caused by A. salmonicida. This occurred despite being reared in pathogen-free well water in a research facility with no prior history of spontaneous infection. We further investigated the possibility of S. californiensis to serve as a vector for the bacterium via detection of fluorescently labelled A. salmonicida inside the egg sacs from copepods in which the fish hosts were experimentally infected with GFP-A449 A. salmonicida. We then evaluated copepod egg sacs that were collected from adult Chinook salmon from a freshwater hatchery with A. salmonicida infections confirmed by either culture or PCR. The bacterium was cultured on tryptic soy agar plates from 75% of the egg sacs, and 61% were positive by PCR. These three separate experiments indicate an alternative tactic of transmission in addition to direct transmission of A. salmonicida in captivity. The copepod may play an important role in transmission of the bacterium when fish are more dispersed, such as in the wild.


The testament of Louis XIII, which established a Regency council, annulled by a Court of Justice* decree according to the wishes of Anne of Austria, that monarch's widow; the investiture of this Princess as Regent for an indefinite period; the war which obliged the Regent to arm the French against Philippe, her brother, whom she nonetheless loved very dearly (a disastrous war, which had endured for the last thirteen years); the Regent's choice of Mazarin, who held sway over both this sovereign and all of France; the civil war, an inevitable result of discord, or of boundless ambition among ministers; the dangerous ongoing conflict between the Courts of Justice and the supreme ruler; the arbitrary arrests of Noviac, Chardon, Broussel, etc., carried out and resisted with shots fired, and which left Paris bristling with barricades on that fateful day in which the Cardinal de Retz took such brazen pride;* the court's retreat to Saint-Germain,* where everyone slept on straw; the nonage of Louis XIV, who at the time was only eleven years of age; all these calamitous circumstances offered a less than serene prospect for the early days of the marriage which Mademoiselle de Rossan, daughter of one of the wealthiest gentlemen of Avignon, contracted in 1649 with the Comte de Castellane, son of the Duc de Villars.


The authors report a case of renal actinomycosis in an adolescent presenting with two fistulized lumbar abscesses. This rare disease, which generally has a good prognosis, is difficult to diagnose, both clinically and radiologically. The positive diagnosis is based on histological examination, more frequently of the nephrectomy operative specimen, than ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of an atypical renal tumour. Conservative treatment with high-dose penicillin gives excellent results.


CONTEXT
A detailed analysis of wheelchair basketball skills in beginner wheelchair basketball players (WBP) can provide practitioners with important indications regarding the selection and prospective development of potential sports talents. A comprehensive WBP evaluation can be very time consuming, mainly during the initial phases of the training processes, which could be a barrier in clinical and practical settings. Moreover, the large number and the turnover of beginner WBP attending rehabilitation centers make the applicability of field and strength tests unfeasible.

OBJECTIVE
To verify the relationships between the medicine ball throw (MBT) and wheelchair basketball mobility performance field tests and the shoulder and trunk peak torque in male and female beginner WBP.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.

SETTING
Rehabilitation Hospital Network, Paralympic Program.

PARTICIPANTS
Thirty-seven female and male beginner WBP.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES
Participants performed wheelchair basketball field tests (speed, agility, strength, and power tests) and the maximum strength test in the isokinetic dynamometer. The outcomes were correlated with the MBT results.

RESULTS
The MBT presented significantly very high and perfect correlations with all wheelchair basketball field tests assessed (5-m sprint, 20-m sprint, and zig-zag agility test with and without a ball), and peak torque (R2 ranging from .810 to .995; P ≤ .05) for male and female athletes.

CONCLUSIONS
The MBT, a simple and feasible test, can be used for estimating and determining the wheelchair mobility performance of female and male beginner WBP. It is suggested to measure the distance of a 5-kg medicine ball thrown by athletes during training and testing routines to follow the players' progression.


Objective: Masked hypertension (MH) in hypertension (HT) management is marked with poor prognosis regardless of the drug therapy. But the physiology or pathogenesis behind is not well understood. Clinical study results have been focused on the neglected pressure overload which could result in more subclinical organ damage. But epidemiologic study on MH showed highly variable results regarding the prevalence and the associated factor with MH. Design and Method: For the subject participated in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) examination during epidemiologic survey performed in Yangpyeong and Yeojoo counties in year 2009 and 2011, respectively. Subjects in Yangpyeong was relatively older (56.3 ± 10.4 (n = 133) vs 46.3 ± 8.5 (n = 180), p = <0.0001). MH was defined as normal clinic BP and elevated daytime ABPM 3 135/85 mmHg. Asymptomatic target organ damage such as echocardiographic left ventricular mass index (LVMI), brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), ankle brachial index (ABI), and estimated GFR (eGFR) related to MH were investigated. Results: Age was 50.5 ± 10.5 and the female was 54%. The overall prevalence of MH was 29.7% (n = 81/273) whereas whitecoat HT and sustained HT were 6.2% (n = 17/273) and 14.3% (n = 39/273), respectively. Compared to normotension, MH showed significantly higher baPWV (1442.8 vs 1332.7 cm/sec, p = 0.0002) but there were no differences in LVMI (73.3 ± 21.4 vs 76.4 ± 21.5 gm/m2, p = 0.3179), ABI, or eGFR. Compared to normotensive or MH, sustained HT group showed significantly higher LVMI (73.3 ± 21.4 vs 91.9 ± 19.6 gm/m2, p < 0.0001) and baPWV (1332.7 ± 215.5 vs 1704.1 ± 289.3 cm/s, p < 0.0001). Compared to MH, sustained HT showed significantly higher baPWV (p < 0.0001) and LVMI (p = 0.0002). Conclusions: In our population study including relatively young subjects, it was shown that vascular stiffness was more sensitive marker to demonstrate the difference in the organ damage between normotensive and masked hypertension.


This paper studies frequency sharing between fixed satellite services (FSS) and broadcasting satellite services (BSS) systems operating at the same frequency band. The study concentrates on estimating the required protection distances between the BSS gateway and the FSS terminals using typical elevation angles in Europe. The results show that sharing is feasible assuming a proper database approach is used. Shielding is shown to be a good method to reduce the protection distance, i.e., with the studied ITU-R path loss model the distance is reduced to 10 % from the original when 20 dB shielding is applied.


This thesis provides a fundamental reassessment of the limits of the power of the Chinese Communist Party in the years following its takeover of China in 1949 through an examination of its policies towards eliminating British businesses from Shanghai. In the early years of the People's Republic of China, the Party sought to eliminate all foreign influence. It wanted to reset completely China's foreign relations following what was portrayed as a century of 'national humiliation'. It has previously been assumed that the CCP went about this task in a pre-planned and thoroughly ruthless manner, and that their policy making was primarily motivated by their anti-imperialist sentiments. This thesis argues that the CCP decided to take a long-term and pragmatic approach in order to prevent economic instability. Revolutionary transformative goals were compromised in order to preserve short-term stability. Rather than having a grand plan for the elimination of British businesses, the CCP's policy was often contingent and provisional. Policies directed at Chinese businesses were often adapted to pressure British businesses. The CCP lacked skills, knowledge, resources and manpower. This thesis contributes to a growing literature on China in the early 1950s by suggesting that the CCP was not strong, it was in fact weak, but that its great strength lay in its awareness of its own weaknesses and in its ability to work around them.


A lot of complications are caused by inappropriate use of drugs and one potentially fatal complication is rhabdomyolysis. This is a case study of the care of a patient with rhabdomyolysis induced by glue sniffing, during the period between August 7 and August 18, 2003. Roy's nursing assessment was applied as an index to evaluate the patient. By way of clinical observation, interview, and compilation of medical records, the nursing problems were established as ineffective breathing pattern, fluid volume deficit, and risks of violence and addiction. After a series of conversations, active attention, and professional nursing in emergency situations, the patient learned to control his behavior and accepted treatment. We hope that this complete nursing experience can in future serve as a reference in the management of patients with rhabdomyolysis.


A procedure of femtosecond pulse laser irradiation was incorporated into the synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires in aqueous solutions to investigate the photo-initiated heterogeneous nucleation induced by the irradiation and the associated nanowire growth. Elongated ZnO nanowires with smooth planes and end tips were successfully grown following the irradiation process and subsequent hydrothermal treatments in a catalyst-free environment, compared to aggregated flower-like nanostructures with porous and rough surfaces, grown from homogeneous nucleation without laser irradiation. Studies using femtosecond laser systems at 1 kHz and 250 kHz repetition rates show that the pulse energy is critical in the heterogeneous nucleation process for the growth of ZnO nanowires. A minimum threshold pulse energy, 200 microJ/pulse for the 1 kHz system and 2.4 microJ/pulse for 250 kHz, is observed beyond which well-defined and individually separated nanowires were grown. Thermal effect caused by the 250 kHz repetition rate provides a counter-balance to the low pulse energy required for the growth process. XRD analysis of the nanowires reveals a hexagonal structure while photoluminescence shows emission at about 385 nm. The overall results show that the pulse energy is critical for heterogeneous nucleation while the irradiation duration affects the density of nucleation, which together with the hydrothermal treatment temperature influence the growth rate and thus the morphology of the nanowires.


Composite materials have been widely used in aerospace manufacturing because of their low mass, high specific strength, high specific stiffness and good fatigue resistance. However, composite structures are susceptible to damage such as debonding and delamination due to various impacts, vibrations and other external loads. Therefore, it is crucial to regularly monitor composite structures in real-time during spacecraft service to ensure the safety and reliability of the structures. Ultrasonic guided wave is an effective means of monitoring the health of composite plate structures. Delamination, debonding and other damages of composite materials can be imaged and localized using ultrasonic guided wave signals and probabilistic imaging methods. However, due to the large damping of composite materials, the traditional probabilistic imaging method has the problem of low accuracy in damage localization. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a probabilistic imaging method based on a modified time reversal for damage localization and imaging of delamination damage. The proposed method was experimentally validated using a composite plate as a test piece and compared with the conventional method. A fully automated falling hammer impact tester was used to create low-velocity impact damage on specimens to compare the localization accuracy of the time-free reverse method and the modified time reversal method for delamination damage. The results show that the modified time reversal method can better localize and image the delamination damage of composite structures with higher localization accuracy and more sensitive to damage, which verifies the feasibility and accuracy of the method in the localization of debonding damage of composite structures.


This essay offers a critical engagement with the ideal of policy relevant environmental knowledge. Using examples in environmental governance and conservation, it argues that by packaging knowledge in terms and categories that are considered politically salient, scientists do not just inform policy-making by providing information about presumed pre-existing objects in nature and environment; rather, science is constitutive of those objects and renders them amenable for policy and governance. These political implications of scientific knowledge imply a need for critical scrutiny of the interests that science serves and fails to serve as well as mechanisms to ensure the accountability of science. This essay is a modified and expanded version of the inaugural lecture with the same title that was delivered on June 2, 2016 at Wageningen University, the Netherlands.


The endogenous nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) inhibitor asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) is elevated in many patients and may contribute to the initiation and progression of their disease. While some mechanistic pathways have been identified, tissue-specific contributions to ADMA control remain unclear. We sought to determine if whole blood (WB) could participate in ADMA control ex vivo. Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent exsanguinations, and WB preparations were incubated at 37 degrees C for 5 h. ADMA and symmetrical dimethylarginine were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Incubation of lysed red blood cell (RBC) supernatant yielded a significant decrease in ADMA that was blocked by 4124W, a synthetic inhibitor of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase, the only reported enzyme to hydrolyze ADMA. Hydrolysis of ADMA was diminished by addition of physiologically relevant concentrations of zinc (i.e., 20 microM). Conversely, when rat WB or WB supernatant was incubated at 37 degrees C, it liberated quantities of free ADMA (1-2 microM) that in vivo would likely have pathological consequences. Addition of arginine methyltransferase inhibitors to these incubations did not reduce ADMA release, indicating no dominant role for active protein methylation during these incubations. This ADMA liberation was significantly reduced by addition of protease inhibitors, indicating a dependence on peptide bond hydrolysis. Total ADMA (protein incorporated plus free) was determined by acid hydrolysis and found to be 43.18 +/- 4.79 microM in WB with approximately 95% of this in RBCs. These ex vivo data demonstrate the potential of blood to control the NO-NOS system by modulating free ADMA.


We consider the system where a source randomly generates status update messages and transmits them via a network cloud to the intended destination. These update message can take different times to traverse the network, which we model as exponential service times, and may result in packets reaching the destination out of order, rendering some of the earlier transmissions obsolete. We analyze the status update age for such a system, and show that it tracks well with simulation results.


Abstract. The nitrogen (N) cycle contains two different processes of dissimilatory nitrate (NO3−) reduction, denitrification and dissimilatory NO3− reduction to ammonium (DNRA). While there is general agreement that the denitrification process takes place in many soils, the occurrence and importance of DNRA is generally not considered. Two approaches have been used to investigate DNRA in soil, (1) microbiological techniques to identify soil microorganisms capable of DNRA and (2) 15N tracing to elucidate the occurrence of DNRA and to quantify gross DNRA rates. There is evidence that many soil bacteria and fungi have the ability to perform DNRA. Redox status and C/NO3− ratio have been identified as the most important factors regulating DNRA in soil. 15N tracing studies have shown that gross DNRA rates can be a significant or even a dominant NO3− consumption process in some ecosystems. Moreover, a link between heterotrophic nitrification and DNRA provides an alternative pathway of ammonium (NH4+) production to mineralisation. Numerical 15N tracing models are particularly useful when investigating DNRA in the context of other N cycling processes. The results of correlation and regression analyses show that highest gross DNRA rates can be expected in soils with high organic matter content in humid regions, while its relative importance is higher in temperate climates. With this review we summarise the importance and current knowledge of this often overlooked NO3− consumption process within the terrestrial N cycle. We strongly encourage considering DNRA as a relevant process in future soil N cycling investigations.


SUMMARY This paper addresses the orientation-singularity analysis and the orientationability evaluation of a special class of the Stewart–Gough parallel manipulators in which the moving and base platforms are two similar semi-symmetrical hexagons. Based on the half-angle transformation, an analytical polynomial of degree 13 that represents the orientation-singularity locus of this special class of parallel manipulators at a given position is derived. Graphical representations of the orientation-singularity locus of this class of manipulators are illustrated with examples to demonstrate the results. Based on the description of the orientation-singularity and nonsingular orientation region of this class of parallel manipulators, a performance index, referred to as orientationability, which describes the orientation capability of this class of manipulators at a given position, is introduced. A discretization algorithm is proposed for computing the orientationability of the special class of parallel manipulators at a given position in the workspace. Moreover, the effects of the design parameters and position parameters on the orientationability are also investigated in detail. Based on the orientationability performance index, another performance index, referred to as practical orientationability, representing the practical orientation capability of the manipulators at a given position, is introduced. In this performance index, singularities, the limitations of active and passive joints and link interferences are all taken into consideration. Furthermore, the practical orientationability of the special class of parallel manipulators studied here is also analyzed over several plane sections of the position-workspace in detail.


The production and use of biochart and compost present many opportunities for soil improvement and agricultural productivity. However, the yield and performance of biochar depend on the feedstocks, pyrolysing temperatures and rate of application. Experiments were conducted to find out the effect of compost and biochar produced from two different feed stocks (Rice husk and Mexican sunflower) and pyrolysed at different temperatures (300, 350 and 400°C) on the growth, yield, nutrient uptake and chlorophyll contents of maize (Zea mays L.,). These were applied at three levels (5, 10 and 15 ton/ha) and the pots were laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replicates. Data were collected on growth and yield attributes of maize, photosynthetic pigments and nutrient uptake by maize crop.The results showed that the feedstock pyrolyzed at temperature between 300 to 350°C and compost applied at higher rate between 10 to 15 ton/ha performed better. On the growth and yield parameters, compost and biochar at relatively low temperature and applied at 15 t/ha performed better than other treatments including control both at the main and residual experiments On the residual effect, the two types of biochar performed better than compost most especially sunflower biochar pyrolysed at 300 and 350°C and applied at 15 t/ha. The chlorophyll formation was enhanced more in maize treated with higher rates of biochar than lower rates. The result indicates that depending on feedstock, biochar and compost have potentials to serve as nutrient sources.

 Key words: Biochar, bioenergy, chlorophyll, pyrolysis, plant nutrition, photosynthesis.


38 brachiopod species in 27 genera and subgenera are described from the Yudong Formation in the Shidian-Baoshan area, west Yunnan, southwest China. New taxa include two new subgenera: Unispirifer (Septimispirifer) and Brachythyrina (Longathyrina), and seven new species: Eomarginifera yunnanensis, Marginatia cylindrica, Unispirifer (Unispirifer) xiangshanensis, Unispirifer (Septimispirifer) wafangjieensis, Brachythyrina (Brachythyrina) transversa, Brachythyrina (Longathyrina) baoshanensis, and Girtyella wafangjieensis. Based on the described material and constraints from associated coral and conodont faunas, the age of the brachiopod fauna from the Yudon Formation is considered late Tournaisian (Early Carboniferous), with a possibility extending into earlyViséan.


Alumina and alumina-based "nanocomposites" with 2 and 5 vol% silicon carbide and varying amounts of yttria (0–1.5 wt%) have been prepared by pressureless sintering in the temperature range 1450°–1650°C. The effects of composition and sintering temperature on density and microstructure are reported. Yttria inhibited sintering in alumina, but enhanced the sinterability of the nanocomposites. It also induced abnormal grain growth in both alumina and nanocomposites, but strongly bimodal grain size distributions could be prevented by careful choice of the composition and the sintering temperature. Fully dense (>99%), fine-grained alumina–5 vol% SiC–1.5 wt% yttria nanocomposites were produced from uniaxially pressed powders with a yttria content of 1.5 wt% and a sintering temperature of 1600°C. Reasons for this behavior are discussed, and it is suggested that the enhancement of sintering in the alumina–SiC materials is because of the reaction of silica on the surface of the silicon carbide particles with alumina, yttria, and possibly magnesia, modifying the grain boundary composition, resulting in enhanced grain boundary diffusion. scanning transmission electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray data show that such co-segregation does occur in the yttria-containing nanocomposites.


A field experiment was conducted under rain fed condition at Fakoy site in Debir Abajalie Peasant Administration of Ebinat District, Amhara Region on farmers' field to study the response of integrated NP and FYM fertilizers application on yield and yield components of noug. The experiment was conducted using a factorial experiment laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Four rates of FYM: 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 t ha-1 and four levels of NP; 0-0, 10.25-5.75, 20.5-11.5, and 41-23 kg N and P2O5 ha-1, respectively were used. The analysis of variance for growth and yield of noug revealed that there were highly significant (P<0.01) effects due to FYM and NP fertilizer levels. Generally, 10 ton ha-1 FYM with 20.5-11.5 kg ha-1 NP gave higher seed yield (1679 kg ha-1). Economic evaluation of noug against the treatments showed that net return (7305.00EB ha-1) was the highest for treatments that received 5 tonne FYM and 41-23 kg NP ha-1 in drill planting method. The present results emphasized the practical significance of integrated 5 tonne ha-1 FYM and 41-23 kg ha-1 NP fertilization were adequate for seed yield and oil content of noug in drill planting method.


Users of day-treatment had a different need for care than users of day-care. The behaviour measured by the GIP was different on the cognitive and social scales: 100 users of day-treatment showed more disturbed behaviour than 63 users of day-care. Geronte also showed that they were in need of more help than users of day-care: at the start and also after twelve months with respect to their mental, physical and social functions as well as in home keeping. Users who left the facility within one year showed a lower level of selfcontainment at the start compared with users still visiting the facility after one year. The need profile of users leaving day-care resembled that of the users that started day-treatment. Fifteen percent of users who left day-care directly started day-treatment.


In this paper we experimentally investigate the consequences of electoral fraud on voter turnout. The experiment is based on a strategic binary voting model where voters decide whether to cast a costly vote in favour of their preferred candidate or to abstain. Minority candidate can illicitly influence the electoral process by applying ballot box stuffing. In the experiment we implement two different framings: we compare voter turnout in a neutral environment and with framed instructions to explicitly replicate elections. This approach enables to both test the model's predictions and to estimate framing effects of voting and fraud. Comparison of experimental results with theoretical predictions reveals over-voting, which is exac- erbated when fraud is applied. Moreover, turnout increases with moderate level of fraud. However, with more extensive electoral fraud, theoretical predictions are not matched. Voters fail to recognize that the existence of a relatively larger number of "agents" voting with certainty considerably decreases the benefits of voting. Importantly, framing matters, as revealed by the higher turnout of those in the majority group, against which the fraud is applied. Finally, individual level regression analysis provides evidences of strategic voting.


Demands for high strength integrated materials have substantially increased across various kinds of industries. Inspired by the relationship of excellent integration of mechanical properties and hierarchical nano/microscale structure of the natural nacre, a simple and facile method to fabricate high strength integrated artificial nacre based on sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and borate cross-linked graphene oxide (GO) sheets has been developed. The tensile strength and toughness of cellulose-based hybrid material reached 480.5 ± 13.1 MPa and 11.8 ± 0.4 MJm-3 by a facile in situ reduction and cross-linking reaction between CMC and GO (0.7%), which are 3.55 and 6.55 times that of natural nacre. This hybrid film exhibits better thermal stability and flame retardancy. More interestingly, the hybrid material showed good water stability compared to that in the original water-soluble CMC. This type of hybrid has great potential applications in aerospace, artificial muscle, and tissue engineering.


Objective: To determine whether soft tissue mobilization (STM) will reduce chronic pain and improve impaired function and mobility resulting from cesarean section (C-section) surgery. Study Design: Multicenter randomized clinical trial. Background: More than 1.27 million C-sections are performed annually in the United States. Of these, 6% to 18% will result in significant chronic pain. Methods and Measures: In total, 28 subjects reporting chronic pain following C-section underwent 4 treatment sessions. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups. Group 1 received superficial abdomen and lumbothoracic massage and superficial skin rolling of the painful scar. Group 2 received the same treatment plus abdominal myofascial release and direct deep scar mobilizations. Outcomes included pressure pain threshold (PPT), scar mobility, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Global Rating of Change (GROC), and Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Two baseline measures were collected 4 weeks apart to demonstrate stability of symptoms, then at 2 weeks postintervention, and again at 10 weeks. Results: Pain, PPT, ODI, and scar mobility all showed statistically significant improvements (P < .002) in both groups. There were no significant differences between treatment groups on any outcome, with both showing improvement. There was no change in any outcome during the baseline period. GROC was 5.06/7 ("quite a bit better"). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that 4 sessions of STM techniques are effective in reducing stable chronic pain following C-section. These findings support the use of STM interventions as a valuable and cost-effective treatment option for the many patients with chronic C-section–related pain.


The ability of dendritic cells (DCs) to boost an antigen-specific immune response is utilized in several cancer immunotherapy strategies including therapeutic vaccination using long peptides. Water-based peptide vaccines are rapidly degraded and oil-based delivery strategies trap immune cells to unwanted sites or have inappropriate adjuvant properties. To enhance the uptake of synthetic long peptides (SLP) and activation of DCs we make use of circulating antibodies to mount cellular responses against tumor antigens of interest by conjugating a B cell epitope to a T cell epitope. The conjugation of the two improves the uptake of peptide/antibody complexes and concomitant activation of the same DC in contrast to SLPs which are not conjugated. Our identified B cell epitope of choice is derived from tetanus toxin (and named MTTE = minimal tetanus toxin epitope) and can be targeted by tetanus-specific antibodies that are present in most vaccinated individuals. SLPs harbor viral or tumor-derived epitopes specific for the disease of interest. We have applied a modified chandler loop model preserving intact cascade systems, to characterize how the vaccine is targeted to human immune cells. The B cell-T cell conjugate ([MTTE]3-SLP) is taken up by human monocytes and blood DCs in an antibody-dependent manner. Rather than FcγRs, the internalization of the antigen appears to be mediated through the classical pathway of the complement system as it is partly reduced by blocking C1q but not when blocking C3. A [MTTE]3-CMV conjugate, containing a T cell epitope from the pp65 protein of cytomegalovirus (CMV), strongly reactivates memory T cells when analyzed in blood from donors with CMV-specific T cells. The CMV-specific T cells rapidly produce IFNγ in response to the conjugate illustrating that the uptake of the conjugate leads to activation of antigen-specific T cells. Uptake as well as T cell activation occurs at low concentrations of the SLP conjugate, superior to a conjugate lacking the tetanus-sequence as well as to SLPs with or without added adjuvant (LPS). Additionally, when the B and T cell epitopes are separate entities but mixed, CMV-specific T cells are not activated, illustrating the requirement of conjugating the two. Our data show that we have a unique delivery system for peptide based vaccines that can aid induction of human T cell responses, and may potentiate immune responses in cancer patients. Citation Format: E. Fletcher, W. van Maren, R. Cordfunke, J. Dinkelaar, R. Castelli, Jdc Codee, G. van der Marel, CJM Melief, JW Drijfhout, F. Ossendorp, Sm Mangsbo. T cell responses to peptide-epitopes of choice can be boosted by immune complexes of circulating anti-tetanus toxoid antibodies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr PR01.


Non-invasive genotyping methods provide valuable information on insect populations. However, poor DNA amplification and time-consuming sampling procedures limit these methods, especially for small insects. An efficient and convenient method was developed for non-invasive, non-lethal genotyping of a large insect, Mythimna separata, and a small insect, Drosophila melanogaster, by amplification of endogenous and exogenous, nuclear and mitochondrial genes from insect frass, exuviae, and food waste. For M. separata, the chitin synthesis gene MsCHSB and the COI gene were successfully detected by PCR from exuviae DNA. However, a COI fragment could not be detected directly by PCR from frass, probably due to DNA degradation. To improve the detection rate, DNA from frass was first amplified by Multiple Displacement Amplification with phi29 DNA polymerase, after which the COI fragment was detected from all samples by PCR. For D. melanogaster, second instar larvae were reared individually for three days and then DNA was extracted from food waste of each individual. The endogenous fragment serendipity α (sryα), exogenous transgene ΦC31 integrase, and the kl-5 gene, a Y-chromosome-located male-specific marker gene were successfully detected from most samples. We developed a simple, non-invasive, non-lethal method to determine gender and identify transgenic individuals early in the larval stage. This universal method is applicable to most insects and has potential application in genetic and ecological studies of insects and other arthropods.


Voluntary Saccadic eye movements can have visual, auditory, and auditory-visual bisensory origins. An experiment may be defined to examine how changing the type of sensory inputs and the number of them in a sequence reveals the type of the saccade generated by the oculomotor system; herein deemed single-step or double-step. This work reports design of experiments of double-step auditory stimuli played for human subjects, recording triggered saccadic eye movements, detecting each saccade, as well as estimating the saccade response characteristics, namely duration and latency. Based on the latency, then, it determines the type of the generated saccade by the subject through a clustering technique. We found that when doubling the amplitude of the two separate steps in double-step inputs, while keeping their duration unchanged, the number of triggered double-step saccades rises. The hindsight from this finding is useful because it can guide future stimulus designs to trigger specific saccade types in humans. Such designs, in turn, demystify the nature of dominant saccadic response as we explore the changes of sounds in any controlled environment.


Nanoparticles (NPs) as nanocarriers have emerged as novel and promising theranostic agents. The term theranostics revealed the properties of NPs capable of diagnosing the disease at an early stage and/or treating the disease. Such NPs are usually developed employing a surface engineering approach. The theranostic agents comprise NPs loaded with a drug/diagnostic agent that delivers it precisely to the target site. Theranostics is a field with promising results in enhancing therapeutic efficacy facilitated through higher payload at the targeted tissue, reduced dose, and dose-dependent side effects. However, controversies in terms of toxicity and size-dependent properties have often surfaced for NPs. Thus, a stringent in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation is required to develop safe and non-toxic NPs as theranostic agents. The review also focuses on the various entry points of NPs in the human system and their outcomes, including toxicity. It elaborates the evaluation criteria to ensure the safe use of NPs for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.


The formulation, development and applications of a novel crystallographic technique to determine specific-site occupations of elemental additions in crystalline materials, using the channelling or Borrman effect in electron diffraction, is reviewed This technique is based on the effect of incident beam orientations on the intensities of either the characteristic x-ray emissions or the characteristic electron energy-loss edges. The formulation of the technique under both planar and axial channelling conditions for crystalline materials is presented. In general, this technique can distinguish neighbours in the periodic table; involves no adjustable parameters,external standards or special specimen preparations; is applicable to trace elemental concentrations (0.2-0.3 wt % or 1025 atoms/m3); is very accurate and can be applied routinely at high spatial resolutions (-10-40nm). In the EELS formulation the technique can also provide specific site valence information. Finally, applications of this technique to site-occupation studies in a variety of materials is outlined.


The purpose of the article is to examine the indicators of marketing potential's evaluation for various enterprises and to analyze them for the commodity production enterprises and service sector. The contents of the enterprise's marketing potential, the factors that form its structure are considered in the article. It's analyzed the indicators impact, both instrumental and organizational components, on the marketing potential values for commodity production and service industries, working on B2C and B2B markets with expert method. It's established that during the evaluation of the marketing potential of these enterprises greatest weight falls on those indicators that characterize the emotional component and the human factor. The marketing potential indicators for different groups of service industries, including: engineering, transport, trade facilitation, licensing, financial, consulting, domestic, passenger transport, socio-cultural, utility, communication, shopping, was defined.


Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent permanent rhythm disturbance. For the diagnosis and treatment of AF numerous guidelines have been published. The data about implementation of risk calculation table (CHA2DS2-VASC score) which was suggested by European Society of Cardiology (ESC) for prevention of stroke is very limited. Our aim was to document the data about implementation of guidelines and CHA2DS2-VASC score in AF treatment by cardiology specialists. Material and Method: The patients who were following up with diagnosis of AF that were admitted to cardiology outpatient units in 2012 were retrospectively included into present study. With registration of clinical and demographic properties of patients CHA2DS2-VASC scores and treatment applications were investigated. According to the result of International Normalized Ratio (INR) workup at last 1 year, the success of anticoagulant therapy was evaluated. Results: In the year of 2012 among 2303 patients who were admitted to cardiology outpatient clinic, 137 (6.2%) patients were diagnosed with AF. Of 128 patients that were recruited to study, 83 (64.8%) were women. Mean age was 67,5±10,9 years. Mean CHA2DS2-VASC score was found 3,36±1,77. Among 108 patients whose CHA2DS2-VASC was ≥2 and who have to use anticoagulant therapy, 71 (65.7%) patients were using warfarine and 1 (0.9%) was using rivoraxaban. Sixty six patients (51.6 %) were using acetylsalicilic acid. Even though warfarine was initiated, discontinuation rate of treatment was 10.2%. According to retrospective evaluation of INR levels, it was seen that in 71.1% of patients theraupetic targets were established. Conclusion: Data of patients who were following up and treated with diagnosis of AF in cardiology outpatient clinic showed that ESC guidelines were taken into consideration, but difficulty in follow up of warfarine efficacy and concerns about drug-food interactions lead important number of patients not to use oral anticoagulation, but instead lead them to use acetilysalicilic acid in higher rates of guideline suggestions.


Vacationers not only read and use information from the Internet during their choice process, but also post information on the Internet. This posted information is described as eWOM (electronic word of mouth). The central questions are, which type of vacationers do post, with which motivations do they post reviews, on which type of site, and what are the message characteristics? These questions are approached in a way that differs from the usual site-centered approach. It is topic-centered and independent of a specific review site, and it focuses on motivations for all vacation sites. The conclusion is that why a vacationer makes a contribution influences the choice of a site to which he or she contributes and what he or she contributes. The main discriminating motivational factor is the one that sets vacationers with a primarily self-directed motivation apart from those with a more other-directed help motivation. Implications for tourism research and vacation marketing are discussed.


Simultaneously accurate and reliable tracking control for quadrotors in complex dynamic environments is challenging. As aerodynamics derived from drag forces and moment variations are chaotic and difficult to precisely identify, most current quadrotor tracking systems treat them as simple `disturbances' in conventional control approaches. We propose a novel, interpretable trajectory tracker integrating a Distributional Reinforcement Learning disturbance estimator for unknown aerodynamic effects with a Stochastic Model Predictive Controller (SMPC). The proposed estimator `Constrained Distributional Reinforced disturbance estimator' (ConsDRED) accurately identifies uncertainties between true and estimated values of aerodynamic effects. Simplified Affine Disturbance Feedback is used for control parameterization to guarantee convexity, which we then integrate with a SMPC. We theoretically guarantee that ConsDRED achieves at least an optimal global convergence rate and a certain sublinear rate if constraints are violated with an error decreases as the width and the layer of neural network increase. To demonstrate practicality, we show convergent training in simulation and real-world experiments, and empirically verify that ConsDRED is less sensitive to hyperparameter settings compared with canonical constrained RL approaches. We demonstrate our system improves accumulative tracking errors by at least 70% compared with the recent art. Importantly, the proposed framework, ConsDRED-SMPC, balances the tradeoff between pursuing high performance and obeying conservative constraints for practical implementations


This article explores the methodological issues encountered when using email as a web-based interview in on-line qualitative research. By drawing on two separate research studies that used this method to explore participants' understandings of their professional experiences and developing professional identities, the researchers consider the methodological implications in using this approach. These include issues affecting the credibility and trustworthiness of the research design of the studies, and issues around the authenticity of participants' voices and how that was affected by power and control in the interview process. Despite these dilemmas, the article recognizes the contribution that web-based approaches can make to research by allowing researchers to hold asynchronous conversations with participants, especially when they are distant from the researcher, and to generating reflective, descriptive data. It leads us to conclude that it is worth refining our methodological framework to strengthen the trustworthiness and credibility of future research studies that use email.


Introduction The British Society of Gastroenterology, the UK Joint Advisory Group on GI Endoscopy, and the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland have developed quality assurance measures and key performance indicators for the delivery of colonoscopy within the UK. However, studies have suggested that high variations in the quality of colonoscopy among different endoscopists are reflected in surrogate measures such as adenoma detection, cecal intubation rates, withdrawal times, and incidence of complications. This documents identifies the unacceptable variation in practice and measures adopted to improve quality of care. Method A prospective, observational colonoscopy practice audit was conducted of cecal withdrawal time at Glangwili General Hospital, Carmarthem for patients who presented for colonoscopy between August 2017 to January 2018. Diagnostic procedures were included in the study comprising two cycles 8 months apart. Patients with history of colonic surgery were eliminated. Same endoscopy nurse manually collected the data from 5 different endoscopist using stopwatch without them knowing. Both the cycles were 3 months apart during which different measures were taken to improve withdrawal time including sending individual feedback to endoscopists, one to one discussions between endoscopy consultant lead and involved endoscopist and keeping a timer in endoscopy room to keep tract of time.Abstract PTH-010 Table 1 Endoscopist A Endoscopist B Endoscopist C Endoscopist D Endoscopist E 1 st Cyle 13 10 4.2 11.6 2.4 2nd Cyle 8.9 8 8.2 11.5 6 Standard 6 6 6 6 6 Results We reviewed 10 colonoscopies performed by each endoscopist in each cycle of audit and mean cecal withdrawal time is shown below. After taking appropriate measure to improve quality of care following results were obtained. Following graph shows variation in mean withdrawal time between two cycles compared against set standards. Below shows the comparison of 1 st and 2nd cycle showing rectal retroflexion performed and imaging of cecal landmarks recording done by each endoscopistAbstract PTH-010 Table 2 Endoscopist A Endoscopist B Endoscopist C Endoscopist D Endoscopist E Retroflexion 1 st cycle 100 100 100 100 0 Picture Record 1 st cycle 100 100 100 100 20 Standard 100 100 100 100 100 Retroflexion 2nd cycle 100 100 100 100 20 Picture Record 2nd Cycle 100 100 100 100 30 Conclusion Practice among endoscopists varied with majority providing good standard of care. Weak points identified during 1 st stem of audit cycle and changes implemented lead to improvement in quality of care but still there is further room for improvement. Regular audits are important to make sure that colonoscopy practice meets key performance indicators outlined by JAG and BSG in order to increase polyp detection rate. References 1. UK key performance indicators and quality assurance standards for colonoscopy -the British Society of Gastroenterology, the Joint Advisory Group on GI Endoscopy, the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland. 2. Point-of-care, peer-comparator colonoscopy practice audit: The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Quality Program – Endoscopy.


Banking is one institution that an important role in the economic field of a country. Banking is anything about the bank, including institutions, business activities, and ways and processes in carrying out its business activities. The development of BPR businesses that continue to show positive performance is driven by three main factors: government policies that provide opportunities for BPR establishment, banking deregulation that enlarges the BPR space and the large needs of the community, especially in rural and urban areas, towards banking services. This research was conducted to know the analysis of the difference of health level in matters of Capital aspect, Asset, Management, Rentability, Liquidity and Capital between Conventional BPR and Syariah. Population in this research is all financial data of Conventional Rural Bank and BPR Syariah Kota Batam registered at Bank Indonesia. The sample in this research is the financial data of Conventional BPR and BPR Syariah in Batam  for 2 years. Data analysis method used is CAMEL method. To measure the level of health of banking companies in general use Ratio Asset Quality and Earnings ,. Judging from the method of Quality Asset Ratio and Earning is generated a very good weight value so it can be concluded that the Conventional  and Syariah  Banks in 2014 and 2015 are in the healthy category.


IgA nephropathy, assumed to be a form of chronic immune complex glomerulonephritis, has sometimes been associated with various autoimmune diseases and autoimmune phenomena including autoantibody production. The present study was aimed at thoroughly investigating the frequency of autoantibodies against five common nuclear autoantigens in 59 patients with IgA nephropathy and in 48 patients with other immune complex glomerulonephritides (24 patients with membranous and 24 with mesangio-capillary glomerulonephritis) and in 30 healthy controls. The incidence of raised autoantibody titres (greater than or equal to 2 SD of the average of controls) in IgA NP was not found to be significantly different from the incidence of other immune complex glomerulonephritis groups. In none of the subjects was a titer above 3 SD of the average of controls found. Although IgA NP is thought to be an immune mediated disease, on the basis of our study it is not associated with a statistically significant incidence of raised antinuclear antibodies.


Background Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON), HT-2, ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEA) are the most common mycotoxins that are found in corn-based animal feed which have multiple toxic effects on animals and humans. Previous studies reported that these mycotoxins impaired mammalian oocyte quality. However, the effective concentrations of mycotoxins to animal oocytes were different. Methods In this study we aimed to compare the sensitivity of mouse and porcine oocytes to AFB1, DON, HT-2, OTA, and ZEA for mycotoxin research. We adopted the polar body extrusion rate of mouse and porcine oocyte as the standard for the effects of mycotoxins on oocyte maturation. Results and Discussion Our results showed that 10 μM AFB1 and 1 μM DON significantly affected porcine oocyte maturation compared with 50 μM AFB1 and 2 μM DON on mouse oocytes. However, 10 nM HT-2 significantly affected mouse oocyte maturation compared with 50 nM HT-2 on porcine oocytes. Moreover, 5 μM OTA and 10 μM ZEA significantly affected porcine oocyte maturation compared with 300 μM OTA and 50 μM ZEA on mouse oocytes. In summary, our results showed that porcine oocytes were more sensitive to AFB1, DON, OTA, and ZEA than mouse oocytes except HT-2 toxin.


1.
Current selection of marine protected areas in South Africa is based on objective criteria including biogeographic representation and habitat heterogeneity. This paper specifically examines rocky shores on the west coast of South Africa to determine whether they are divisible into discrete 'habitats' that need independent conservation.

2.
Seventeen rocky shores spanning the full spectrum of wave exposure were compared in terms of maximum wave forces, biomass, species richness and diversity among zones and sites. Three biotic assemblages were identified, characterizing sheltered, semi-exposed to exposed, and very exposed habitats. Differences among these were clear-cut low on the shore but disappeared at the top of the shore where wave action was attenuated and desiccation uniformly intense.

3.
The recognition of three discrete biologically-defined habitats means that rocky shores cannot be regarded as a uniform habitat for conservation purposes. All three components need protection if the full spectrum of rocky-shore communities is to be conserved.

4.
It is argued that this approach allows habitats to be defined in an objective manner, and that once this has been done, habitat heterogeneity constitutes a better measure of conservation value of an area than a 'hotspot' approach based on species richness and endemism.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Agrobacterium tumefaciens binds to the surfaces of inanimate objects, plants, and fungi. These bacteria are excellent colonizers of root surfaces. In addition, they also bind to soil particles and to the surface of artificial or man-made substances, such as polyesters and plastics. The mechanisms of attachment to these different surfaces have not been completely elucidated. At least two types of binding have been described unipolarpolysaccharide-dependent polar attachment and unipolar polysaccharide-independent attachment (both polar and lateral). The genes encoding the enzymes for the production of the former are located on the circular chromosome, while the genes involved in the latter have not been identified. The expression of both of these types of attachment is regulated in response to environmental signals. However, the signals to which they respond differ so that the two types of attachment are not necessarily expressed coordinately.


Kaupapa Māori early years provision (KM-EYP) has underpinned efforts to revitalise Māori language and culture throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Although many tamariki and whānau have benefited from engagement in KM-EYP, less than 20% of tamariki Māori currently participate. Kaupapa Māori psychological research is needed to better understand what facilitates participation among whānau who attend KM-EYP. This article describes findings from a study that aimed to understand whānau engagement in KM-EYP. An online survey was developed to test findings of an earlier qualitative phase of an overall study. The survey was completed by 121 parents/grandparents whose tamariki had attended one KM-EYP centre in Taranaki, at some stage, since it opened in 1994. This article reports on the top ranked motivations of whānau to enrol their tamariki in KM-EYP and the top ranked facilitators of, and barriers to, their engagement. The findings provide novel evidence about what impacts whānau participation and engagement in KM-EYP.


This paper presents a new algorithm for the closed-loop H∞ composite control of weakly coupled bilinear systems with time-varying parameter uncertainties and exogenous disturbance using the successive Galerkin approximation (SGA). By using weak coupling theory, the robust H∞ control can be obtained from two reduced-order robust H∞ control problems in parallel. The H∞ control theory guarantees robust closed-loop performance but the resulting problem is difficult to solve for uncertain bilinear systems. In order to overcome the difficulties inherent in the H∞ control problem, two H∞ control laws are constructed in terms of the approximated solution to two independent Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaac equations using the SGA method. One of the purposes of this paper is to design a closed-loop parallel robust H∞ control law for the weakly coupled bilinear systems with parameter uncertainties using the SGA method. The other is to reduce the computational complexity when the SGA method is applied to the high order systems.


Fertigation is a major form of fertilizer installments; however, if applied in excess, the fertilizers can damage the crop development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accumulation and exportation of macronutrients in a beet cultivation under 2 fertigation managements at different levels of soil salinity. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse in the city of Botucatu, Brazil. The treatments consisted of the combination of soil salinity (1.0, 3.0, 6.0, 9.0 and 12.0 dS∙m−1), fertigation management (M1 = traditional and M2 = control of the ionic concentration), and varieties of beets (C1 = Early Wonder and C2 = Itapua) in a 5 × 2 × 2 factorial design with 4 replications in randomized blocks. After harvest, it was determined the accumulation of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, P, and S mg∙plant−1). There was an increased accumulation of nutrients studied for both cultivars and fertigation managements until electrical conductivity levels between 3 (M1) and 6 (M2) dS∙m−1. The order of macronutrients exportation was different for the studied cultivars. The cultivar Early Wonder followed the following order: K > N > Ca > Mg > P > S, while, for the Itapua cultivar, the order was K > N > Mg > Ca > S > P.


In Peru, there are papers that study the dynamics of poverty; nevertheless, these documents do not make differences between levels of severity: extreme poverty and non-extreme poverty. In this sense, the main objective of this research is to identify the factors that make the households slip into and out of the extreme and non-extreme poverty in Peru (2003-2006). This paper finds out that there are different factors that make extreme and non-extreme poor households arrive to non-poverty. In this sense, the elements that only contribute to extreme poor households to reach the non-poverty are: housing conditions, literacy programs, shocks protection and politics of participative public management. Moreover, the tools that only facilitate the non-extreme poor households to slip out of poverty are non-university high education, credit access and productive assets. Finally, in order to make both groups (extreme and non-extreme poor households) become non poor, it is necessary a set of actions: to improve the quality of education; to expand the coverage and quality of medical services and familiar planning; to emphasize the productive use of remittances; to make politics with a community approach; and to develop insurance for poor people so as to mitigate the effect of shocks. On identifying the factors that generate the changes of welfare states, this research provides lights to tune the focalization and effectiveness of social policies, so that these are more in line with the heterogeneity and multidimensionality of poverty.


In this report, I present a peak detection method for 1D data, based on scale-space theory. Instead of focusing on local derivative information as is classical in peak detection, the proposed approach is more global. It performs iterative smoothings of the input data with increasing length-scales and then defines a peak as a datapoint that remains a local maximum for many such filterings. Formally, the local maxima are identified after each filtering operation and then associated to the maxima identified with the previous length-scales. A score is then added to the criterion for these latter points, that notably depends on the length-scale. This strategy enforces picks that remain local maxima even after many smoothing operations. At the end of the process, the peaks are identified as the points having the largest score. The approach is flexible enough to allow for different smoothing operations and different strategies for incrementing the score. I informally show on different kinds of signals that the proposed approach may be very effective, even for very noisy data.


In our previous extension activity of dwarf variety of late-heading type (DL) napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) to southern Kyushu, weed control was found to be a crucial factor for obtaining good establishment and considerable herbage dry matter (DM) yield in an established year. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of several weed control practices, i.e. mixed sowing of annual setaria, which has no regrowth ability in stem-elongated tillers, paper-mulching and hand-weeding, compared with no weeding control on DM yield, quality and wintering ability of this species in 2008 and 2010. Growth attributes including herbage yield, in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) and crude protein (CP) content as herbage quality and percentage of overwintered plants (POP) as wintering ability of this species were determined in both years. Weed control practices had a significantly (P < 0.05) positive effect on plant height, tiller density, percentage of leaf blade and leaf area index in DL napiergrass, compared with no-weeding control, and paper-mulching had the highest yields in both years and highest POP at 100% in 2008-2009. Setaria-sowing had a partially mitigating effect of weed damage on growth of DL napiergrass, while additive DM gain from setaria could compensate the yield decrease in DL napiergrass. Neither IVDMD nor CP was affected by any weed control practice in either year. Thus, paper-mulching and annual setaria-sowing could be a good proposal in weed control management of DL napiergrass. Journal of Warm Regional Society of Animal Science, Japan 55 (1):017-026, 2012


Exfoliation, which is the detachment of infected epithelial cells, is an innate defense mechanism to prevent bacterial colonization. Indeed, infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae induced epithelial detachment from an extracellular matrix (ECM) substrate in vitro. Surprisingly, variants of N. gonorrhoeae that bind to human carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) failed to induce detachment and, instead, promoted enhanced host cell adhesion to the ECM. Microarray analysis revealed that CEACAM engagement by several human pathogens triggers expression of CD105. Blockage of CD105 expression by antisense oligonucleotides abolished infection-induced cell adhesion. The expression of full-length CD105 promoted cell adhesion to the ECM and was sufficient to prevent infection-induced detachment. The CD105-mediated increase in cell adhesion was dependent on the presence and function of integrin β1. CD105 expression did not elevate cellular integrin levels but caused a dramatic increase in the ECM-binding capacity of the cells, suggesting that CD105 affects integrin activity. The exploitation of CEACAMs to trigger CD105 expression and to counteract infection-induced cell detachment represents an intriguing adaptation of pathogens that are specialized to colonize the human mucosa.


The study focused on the presentation of an instrument developed to assess bodilykinesthetic intelligence of pre-schoolers. There are presented activities and their evaluative procedure for the assessment of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence of preschool children. A secondary aim of this study was to evaluate, with the use of this instrument, a creative dance intervention programme which focused on the development of preschoolers' bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. The sample of this study consisted of 28 preschool children in total, split into intervention and control groups. In the intervention group there were 15 preschool children (7 boys and 8 girls), with an average age of 5 ± 0.5 years, and in the control group 13 children (7 boys and 6 girls). To examine the effect of the creative dance intervention program on the development of children's bodilykinesthetic intelligence, data were analyzed with RM-ANOVA. By these means, we arrived at the conclusion that these creative dance sessions gave pre-school children the opportunity to employ and develop their bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.


This paper describes the design of UAM-TAC, a multi-agent based supply-chain system that will compete in TAC SCM (Trading Agent Competition Supply Chain Management) 2007. UAM-TAC consists of a procurement agent, an inventory agent, a production agent, a bidding agent and a delivery agent. By employing the equilibrium policy derived from the projected dynamic system, UAM-TAC establishes a game-theoretic hybrid push-pull model to control the supply chain system through the interactions among the agents. The game performance demonstrates that UAM-TAC is very responsive to the market price fluctuations and capacity variability. It's observed that the component costs and selling price could be controlled at a reasonable level.


The aim of the study was to determine the Village Head's Performance in the village Physical Development (Study in Renah Panjang Village, Lubuk Sandi Sub-District, Seluma Regency). The method used in this study was descriptive qualitative research. Furthermore, data collection techniques were carried out by means of in- depth interviews, observation and documentation. After the research results were obtained, they were analyzed by means of data reduction, data presentation and drawing conclusions. There were 5 informants in this study consisting of 2 key informants and 3 main informants. This study uses the theory according to performance according to Wibowo (2009: 376) in his book as follows: Attitude Approach in planning village physical development with the coordination of village heads, village officials, BPD members and village community leaders are involved with the results of joint deliberations to determine the implementation development in the village. Even though not all of the community was involved, those who still had a close relationship with the village head were invited to hold discussions. Those who disagree or agree are not involved at all. Behavioral Approach in terms of the information provided by the village head regarding the disbursement of the Village Fund, it was not transparent to the community, only village officials knew when the disbursement of the funds was disbursed. Whereas the community only found out or were informed when there was a deliberation on the planning and implementation of the village's physical development, and even then, the village head who was present, such as community leaders and BPD members, was invited. The Hasi Approach there are some members of the community, such as village officials, community leaders, and BPD members who are involved in the process of planning and implementing village physical development. Meanwhile, some communities are not involved in the process of planning and implementing village physical development directly because there is a lack of closeness with the village head and village officials. The Human Resources Contingency Approach in village officials is still lacking in serving the needs of the community because the average education of high school graduates and Package C school, no one graduated from D3 or S1. Mastery of technology such as computers or laptops, most village officials cannot use or operate, except the village secretary.


Young adolescents (ages 11-14), typically in the middle school grades, face life tasks involving connections and belonging with their peer group along with the development of their individual identity (Henderson & Thompson, 2010). Learning to negotiate through these developmental tasks, they face myriad relational challenges. This article explores the application of Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) with early adolescents. It provides implications and recommendations for school counselors.


Assume that n points P1, . . . , Pn are distributed independently and uniformly in the triangle with vertices (0, 1), (0, 0), and (1, 0). Consider the convex hull of (0, 1), P1, . . . , Pn, and (1, 0). The vertices of the convex hull form a convex chain. Let p (n) k be the probability that the convex chain consists — apart from the points (0, 1) and (1, 0) — of exactly k of the points P1, . . . , Pn. Barany, Rote, Steiger, and Zhang [3] proved that p (n) n = 2/[n!(n+1)!]. We determine for k = 1, . . . , n−1 the values of p (n) k and thus obtain the distribution of the number of vertices of a random convex chain. Knowing this distribution provides the key to the answer of some long-standing questions in geometrical probability. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000) 52A22 60D05


S from the 5 International Postharvest Symposium, Verona, Italy, June 6-11, 2004 The Use of Molecular Genetics to Improve Peach and Nectarine Post-Storage Quality Peace C.P.*, Crisosto C.H., Dandekar A.M., Gradziel T.M. University of California, Davis, USA. Presenter (email@example.com) Internal breakdown (IB), also known as chilling injury, is the collective term for various disorders that occur during prolonged cold storage and/or after subsequent ripening of stone fruit. Symptoms include mealiness, flesh browning, loss of flavor, and red pigmentation (bleeding). The symptoms are usually not noticed until fruit reaches consumers, and therefore affects consumer consumption. Certain pectin-degrading enzymes appear to play a role in the development of mealiness. To date, our program had evaluated approximately 133 peach and nectarine varieties for their susceptibility to IR. Some cultivars tend to be more susceptible than others, indicating that the trait has a genetic component. However, the genetic mechanisms by which low susceptibility genotypes avoid IB symptoms are not clear. Using two related and genetically variable populations of peach, we have undertaken a classical and molecular genetics approach to gain a better Page 4 Central Valley Postharvest Newsletter understanding of the genetic control of IB and lay the foundation for marker-assisted selection (MAS) for these traits. A partial genetic linkage map was constructed, based on random SSR and RAF markers, candidate gene markers, and gene-targeted SRAP markers. Segregating morphological markers were also mapped, including the Freestone (F), Melting flesh (M), and Flesh color (Y) loci. QTL analysis was performed on the linkage groups, using phenotypic data collected for three seasons. QTLs for flesh mealiness, browning, and bleeding were located. Candidate gene analysis identified that a gene encoding the cell wall degrading enzyme, endopolygalacturonase, pleiotropically controls the F and M loci. A large genetic effect on mealiness was detected for this locus, reflecting the observation that mealiness occurred only in some freestone melting flesh progeny and was entirely absent in clingstone non-melting flesh progeny. The use of MAS in breeding for low susceptibility to internal breakdown symptoms appears to be an achievable goal for peach. Storage and Shelf Life of Venus Nectarine Cultivar Celik M.*, Ozdemir A.E., Erturk E. Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey. Presenter (email@example.com) The objective of this study was to determine storage and shelf life of Venus nectarine cultivar grown in Mersin (Tarsus/Yenice). Fruits were kept at 0°C and 85-90% relative humidity for 2 months to determine cold storage conditions. In addition, three replicates of fruits taken from storage room at a week interval were kept at 20°C and 65-70% relative humidity for 6 days to determine shelf life. Percent weight loss, skin color (L, a, b), flesh color (L, a, b), fruit flesh firmness (kg force), total soluble solids (%), pH, titratable acidity (g malic acid 100 ml), physiological and fungal disorders were determined in the fruit samples taken during cold storage at a week interval and those kept at 20°C at a two-day interval. Weight loss increased during storage and reached about 5% at the end of storage. Fruit flesh firmness decreased, but still remained above 4 kg-force at the end of 2-month storage. Total soluble solid (%) and pH increased while titratable acidity (%) decreased. As the storage period was extended the shelf life was observed to be shortened. Postharvest Calcium Chloride Dips for Increasing Peach Firmness Prussia S., Lysiak G., Florkowski W.*, Aggarwal D. University of Georgia, USA; Agriculture University Poznan, Poland. Presenter (firstname.lastname@example.com) Postharvest bruising of peaches might be reduced by increasing fruit firmness. This study evaluated changes in firmness resulting from dipping peaches in a calcium solution soon after harvest. Cartons of 'Harvester' and 'Juneprince' peaches were obtained from a commercial packinghouse from three harvests each. Half were dipped for 30 minutes at room temperature in a 1% calcium chloride solution and held at 0, 4, and 10°C and 95% relative humidity. Nondestructive tests (firmness, mass, and color) were made five or more times during 21 days of storage on 180 fruits from the two varieties (30 fruits x 3 temperature x 2 calcium levels). Firmness was from parallel plate deformations at 10 N. Mass was measured to a resolution of 0.001 g. Color was measured with a Minolta color comparator in L, a, b units. Destructive tests were made on 15 fruits from each treatment: total soluble solids (% Brix), acidity (pH), firmness (Magness-Taylor), and taste. Firmness (nondestructive and destructive) during storage was higher for fruit treated with calcium than for untreated fruit. However, temperature affected firmness more than the calcium treatment. Calcium treatments increased mass loss only on 'Harvester" fruit Central Valley Postharvest News Page 5 stored at 10 degrees and lowered hue angle only in a few cases near the end of storage. The main differences in TSS were due to days of storage with little influence caused by the calcium treatments. An undesirable taste was noted in the fruit that was treated. A study is needed to determine if a lower concentration of calcium chloride could provide beneficial increases in firmness without changing the taste of the fruit. The effect of temperature on calcium absorption should also be studied. The Effect of 1-MCP on Storage Potential of Plum (Prunus domestica) & Greengage Tully M.S.*, Hanney S.J., Bishop C.F.H.B. Landseer Ltd (UK); Writtle College, UK. Presenter (email@example.com) Victoria plums were harvested on one date, from two different agri-climatic areas, with Margorie and Greengage harvested from one location at a later date. Samples of the fruit were treated with 1-MCP (Smartfresh) within 12 h of harvest, prior to storage in air. The 1-MCP was applied at 650 nL L for 24 h at 1°C. All fruit was stored in air at 1°C for 28 days. Fruit was removed from the cold store at 7 day intervals, with each sample having an untested subsample transferred to 20°C for 7 days. The fruit quality was tested by colorimeter (Minolta a* reading), the presence of decay, pressures and soluble sugars. For both cultivars the most notable effect of 1-MCP was the improved firmness of fruit both from cold storage and after 7 days at 20°C. The agri-climate region had an effect on the fruit pressure in Victoria, with a 7 day benefit over the untreated sample for the firmness to drop below 4 kg cm. There was a similar benefit for greengage. The firmness for Margorie was around 3.5 kg cm at harvest, but the 1-MCP treatment sample did not decrease to below 3.5 until 35 days, with the control falling below this figure after 21 days. Effect of the Rate and Duration of Forced Air Cooling on the Quality of Imperial Apricots and Pioneer and Songold Plums Jooste M.M.*, Khumalo P. Department of Horticultural Science, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa, Capespan Technology Development, P. 0. Box 1231, Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa Presenter (email@example.com) Gel breakdown (GB) and overripeness (OR) remain the biggest internal problems with imperial apricots which makes the biggest contribution to the total volume of apricots exported from South Africa per annum. Pioneer, an early season South African plum cultivar, ripens quickly on and off the tree which results in rejections for soft fruit at packing and on arrival overseas. Songold, a yellow, midseason plum cultivar tends to develop GB and OR during cold storage in some seasons, which renders the fruit inedible and results in high rejection rates. Prompt cooling and good temperature management are essential to lower the rate of physiological deterioration of stone fruit. In some instances, FAC can take as long as 48 to 72 h, depending on the type of packaging, in some of the commercial depots where FAC is applied on stone fruit in South Africa. The trial fruit was subjected to the following FAC rates at a delivery air temperature of -1.0°C to a pulp temperature of -0.5°C: 6 h, 12 h, 24 h stepwise cooling and 48 h stepwise cooling for the apricot, and 12 h, 24 h, 48 h stepwise cooling, and 72 h stepwise cooling for the two plum cultivars. The fruit was evaluated after a coldstorage and a simulated shelflife period. The trial was conducted in two consecutive seasons. Imperial apricots had the best internal quality after 8 h of FAC, Pioneer plums were not sensitive to FAC rate or duration, and Songold plums had the best internal quality when FAC was applied for 12 h and longer. This result on the plums demonstrates that cultivar differences Page 6 Central Valley Postharvest Newsletter must be considered when drawing up handling protocols for stone fruit, as a blanket recommendation may lead to the induction of quality defects. Commercialization of SmartFresh (1Methylcyclopropene) in the South African Deciduous Fruit Export Market, and Its Effect on Post Harvest Handling and Fruit Quality Crouch I.J.* Capespan Technology Development, South Africa. *Presenter (email@example.com) SmartFresh (1 -methylcyclopropene), an antagonist ethylene inhibitor in horticultural products, is an exciting new breakthrough in the post harvest storage of fresh fruit. Due to its ethylene blocking effect, SmartFresh maintains the quality of fresh produce during cold storage and shelf life. Registered for application on apples since 2002, SmartFresh has been successfully applied commercially within the USA and South Africa. Consistent with findings of overseas researchers, SmartFresh treatment on South African apples enabled maintenance of flesh firmness, skin color and malic acid levels, and when applied under the recommended guidelines, complete superficial scald control. SmartFresh also extended shelf life and in some insta


American families are in general overinsured against health expenses. If insurance coverage were reduced, the utility loss from increased risk would be more than outweighted by the gain due to lower prices and the reduced purchase of excess care. The first part of the paper develops and estimates a structural equation for the demand for health care and then examines the dynamic interaction between the purchase of insurance and the demand and supply for health care. The second part estimates the welfare gains that would result from decreasing insurance by raising the average coinsurance rate from 0.33 to 0.50 and 0.67 percent. The most likely values imply net gains in excess of $4 billion.


Diabetes is a public health problem and a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes is prevalent among underserved rural populations. The purposes of this study were to perform secondary analyses of existing clinical trial data to determine whether a diabetes health promotion and disease risk reduction intervention had an effect on diabetes fatalism, social support, and perceived diabetes self-management and to provide precise estimates of the mean levels of these variables in an understudied population. Data were collected during a cluster randomized trial implemented among African American participants (n = 146) in a rural, southern area and analyzed using a linear mixed model. The results indicated that the intervention had no significant effect on perceived diabetes management (p = 0.8), diabetes fatalism (p = 0.3), or social support (p = 0.4). However, the estimates showed that, in the population, diabetes fatalism levels were moderate (95% CI = (27.6, 31.3)), and levels of social support (CI = (4.0, 4.4)) and perceived diabetes self-management (CI = (27.7, 29.3)) were high. These findings suggest that diabetes fatalism, social support, and self-management perceptions influence diabetes self-care and rural health outcomes and should be addressed in diabetes interventions.


Uveitis is a potentially sight-threatening disease characterized by repeated cycles of remission and recurrent inflammation. The JAK/STAT pathway regulates the differentiation of pathogenic Th1 and Th17 cells that mediate uveitis. A SOCS1 mimetic peptide (SOCS1-KIR) that inhibits JAK2/STAT1 pathways has recently been shown to suppress experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). However, it is not clear whether SOCS1-KIR ameliorated uveitis by targeting JAK/STAT pathways of pathogenic lymphocytes or via inhibition of macrophages and antigen-presenting cells that also enter the retina during EAU. To further investigate mechanisms that mediate SOCS1-KIR effects and evaluate the efficacy of SOCS1-KIR as an investigational drug for chronic uveitis, we induced EAU in rats by adoptive transfer of uveitogenic T-cells and monitored disease progression and severity by slit-lamp microscopy, histology, and optical coherence tomography. Topical administration of SOCS1-KIR ameliorated acute and chronic posterior uveitis by inhibiting Th17 cells and the recruitment of inflammatory cells into retina while promoting expansion of IL-10-producing Tregs. We further show that SOCS1-KIR conferred protection of resident retinal cells that play critical role in vision from cytotoxic effects of inflammatory cytokines by downregulating proapoptotic genes. Thus, SOCS1-KIR suppresses uveitis and confers neuroprotective effects and might be exploited as a noninvasive treatment for chronic uveitis.