THESIS: The Influence of Anxiety Sensitivity on Sleep Quality STUDENT: Rose Skelly DEGREE: Master of Arts COLLEGE: Sciences and Humanities DATE: July 2021 PAGES: 69 Sleep is important to overall wellbeing. Mental health and sleep likely have a bidirectional relationship, wherein sleep problems are both causal factors and consequences of psychiatric conditions (Krystal, 2012). This study specifically examined the relationship of anxiety sensitivity, conceptualized as a fear of anxiety symptoms (Reiss, 1991), to sleep problems. Those with higher anxiety sensitivity may be more worried about the negative effects of poor sleep quality, which could interfere with their ability to fall asleep (Baker et al., 2017; Harvey, 2002). Furthermore, the role of body-mass index (BMI) was examined; people who are overweight or obese may be at a greater risk for anxiety and other mental illness (Zhao et al., 2009). They also are at a greater risk for obstructive sleep apnea (Jehan et al., 2017), which in turn is related to higher anxiety (Rezaeitalab et al., 2014). To examine these relationships, participants were recruited from Ball State University and through social media to respond to measures assessing trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, BMI, sleep quality, and demographics. Those with higher BMIs, trait anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity were expected to report greater sleep dysfunction. It was hypothesized that anxiety sensitivity would moderate the trait anxiety– sleep quality and BMI – sleep quality relationships. While anxiety sensitivity and trait anxiety significantly predicted sleep quality in a hierarchical linear regression, anxiety sensitivity did not moderate the trait anxiety – sleep quality relationship. Exploratory analyses revealed that anxiety sensitivity did moderate the trait anxiety-sleep quality relationship for the college participants, but not the non-college participants, suggesting that age may be an important factor in these relationships. Additionally, BMI was not found to be related to anxiety sensitivity or sleep quality, and anxiety sensitivity did not moderate the relationship between BMI and sleep quality.


Polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors formed with undensified gate oxides have shown instability phenomena not observed for TFTS formed with oxides annealed at 600 degrees C or above. These instabilities are related to ionized water in the oxide, with positive (H+) and negative (OH-) ions drifting on the application of gate bias to produce both negative and positive threshold voltage shifts. The mobility for the OH- ions is found to be lower than that for the H+ ions, as might be expected. In addition, kinks in the subthreshold characteristic are sometimes seen, and these are shown to be due to a sidewall effect. The water diffuses in from the atmosphere laterally under the gate electrode, and this gives rise to a gate length dependence of the effects. From this dependence a diffusion coefficient approximately 3*10-12 cm2 s-1 is deduced at room temperature. This is some eight orders of magnitude higher than that for fused silica, and confirms the porosity of the material.


Background India is the only nation where young girls have greater risks of under-5 mortality than boys. We test whether female disadvantage in breastfeeding and food allocation can account for India's gender disparities in under-five mortality rates. Methods We analysed round 3 of India's National Family and Health Survey 2005–2006, with focus on first- and second-born children aged 0–59 months (number of siblings = 20,395) in 29 Indian states. Multivariate regression and Cox proportional hazards survival analysis of gender biases were performed, with statistical models disaggregated by birth order and sibling gender, as well as adjusted for maternal age and education, maternal fixed effects, urban residence, household deprivation, and other potential socio-demographic confounders. Our main outcome measures included mothers' reported practices of WHO/UNICEF recommendations for breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity, and total duration, as well as children's consumption of 24 individual food items (ages 6–59 months), and child survival (ages 0–59 months). Results Young girls were breastfed on average for 0.45 months less than boys (95% CI: = 0.15 months to 0.75 months, p = 0.004). However, there was no gender difference in the likelihood of breastfeeding initiation (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.12) or exclusive breastfeeding (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.14). The differential risks of breastfeeding cessation emerged between ages 12 and 36 months in second-born females. Compared with boys, Indian girls also had lower reported consumption of fresh milk by 14% (95% CI: 79% to 94%, p = 0.001) and breast milk by 21% (95% CI: 70% to 90%, p < 0.000). Survival analyses of mortality showed that each additional month of breastfeeding duration was associated with a 24% lower risk of mortality (OR=0.76, 95% CI: 0.73 to 0.79, p < 0.000). Taken together, girls' shorter breastfeeding duration accounted for about an 11% increased probability of dying before age 5, accounting for about one-half of their survival disadvantage compared with other low-income countries. Conclusion Young Indian girls are breastfed for shorter periods than boys and consume less fresh milk. Future research is needed to investigate the role of alternative factors driving India's female survival disadvantage, such as inequitable healthcare access.


Abstract Today the most common uses of "indigenous religion(s)" as an analytical category and as a class in the study of religions are intimately linked to discourses on "indigenous peoples." The article argues that this often creates problems for critical scholarship. It contributes to the reproduction of stereotypes about particular kinds of religions among particular kinds of peoples; it nurtures ideas about religious similarities across vast spans of time and space; and it blurs boundaries between scholarship and politics and religionising. A different analytical use of "indigenous religion(s)" that sometimes proves more rewarding is identified in some historical and anthropological case studies, where the category is employed contextually as a relational concept, as the opposite of "foreign religion(s)," and not restricted to indigenous peoples. To counter the biases produced by the current primacy of one taxonomic scheme, it is necessary to engage a greater variety of ways and orders of classification.


Hybrid Subcarrier Multiplexing (SCM) incorporating spectral amplitude coding optical code division multiple access (SAC-OCDMA) technology was investigated both mathematically and by simulation. The hybrid SCM/SAC-OCDMA system combined two schemes in such as a way that the resulting hybrid system is robust against the MultiAccess Interference (MAI) and much enhanced the channel data rate. In this paper, we describe the improved performance of the hybrid SCM/SAC-OCDMA system based on the use of spectral amplitude coding to suppress impairments and to improve the overall system improve the overall sensitivity of system performance at a BER of 10 -9 . As a result, the proposed system based on Multi-Diagonal (MD) code shows better performance in comparison to the conventional code that employs the SAC-OCDMA system. We also evaluate the different design parameters under the maximum number of subcarriers (18 subcarriers in each optical channel) multiplexed for integrating OCDMA technology onto the existing fiber-wireless infrastructure at 155 M bit/s data rate for different fiber lengths. Further, a BER of 4.4 × 10 -10 was achieved based on the proposed system for 45 km at 1.21 GHz.


This study examines the relationship between human capital development efforts of the Government and economic growth in Nigeria. It seeks to find out the impact of government recurrent and capital expenditures on education and health in Nigeria and their effect on economic growth. The data used for the study are from secondary sources while the augmented Solow model was also adopted. The dependent variable in the model is the level of real output while the explanatory variables are government capital and recurrent expenditures on education and health, gross fixed capital formation and the labour force. The result shows that there exists a positive relationship between government recurrent expenditure on human capital development and the level of real output, while capital expenditure is negatively related to the level of real output. The study recommends appropriate channeling of the nation's capital expenditure on education and health to promote economic growth.


Nature is a very stimulating environment for preschool children to learn and to play. Numerous studies show that the unlimited space as well as diverse materials and objects encourage children to develop more complex and creative ways of playing in the natural environment as opposed to the closed spaces or standardised playgrounds. The natural environment offers many sensory stimulations which have a positive effect on the development of child's sense organs and observation abilities. Observation is a complex process which requires all sense organs to participate and includes mental activities as for example spotting similarities and differences, sequences and patterns. In general, preschool children are good observers. If they are provided with enough opportunities for observation, the ability tends to develop with age.

The aim of my bachelor's thesis was to explore how preschool children observe objects in the nature. In order to find out how carefully they observe I focused on the example of observing tree leafs. Furthermore, I wanted to establish whether free play and learning through guided play in the nature had an influence on the development of children's observation abilities. Watching preschool children play in the nature I sought to determine whether a permanent contact with the nature affects the quality of the play which unfolds in such environment.
The research included 21 children aged 5-6. At the beginning I conducted a test with every child individually focusing on their observation abilities. For 6 test twigs a child had to spot the twig which was the same as the chosen one (she/he had to find pairs) among 15 twigs. Afterwards the children were left playing freely for three days, whereas for two days they had to involve in the more structured activities focusing on the development of observation abilities through playing. At the end of the activities I once again tested the observation abilities of each child separately.

The results obtained by watching the children play in the nature suggest that their play developed with time. The children showed progress in all areas. They observed natural materials very carefully, inspected their structure, watched animals, developed various theories and raised different subjects concerning nature; during the play they faced problems and were determined to find solutions for them. They expressed positive as well as negative feelings, took care of nature, learned how to reach a compromise and helped each other. They were physically very active and developed a sense of balance and basic forms of movement. However, in my research I could not recognize a clear progress in observation abilities of children who were often playing in the nature. The differences I noticed are too small to allow for any definite conclusions. Still, I believe that activities in the nature had a beneficial influence in this area as well.

Children were attracted to the natural environment. During the activities related to bachelor's thesis they gained a positive experience of the nature and were given many possibilities to observe. All this certainly had a positive influence on the development not only of their knowledge and abilities but also of their attitude to the nature.


Brown hares (Lepus europaeus) are shown to facilitate grazing by Brent Geese (Branta bernicla) in a temperate salt marsh in the Netherlands by retarding vegetation succession for >25 yr. Winter grazing by hares prevented the shrub Atriplex portulacoides from spreading in younger parts of the salt marsh. Clipping experiments showed that Atriplex had poor recovery after removal of aboveground tissue, which makes Atriplex vulnerable for hare attack. Once Atriplex swards were cut to the ground to mimic hare grazing, Brent Geese visited those sites more than twice as frequently than untouched control plots. Goose visitation was reduced when bushes of Atriplex were planted. Large parts of the core feeding area of Brent Geese would be unsuitable for goose grazing if hares were not present. A reduction of at least 44% in the carrying capacity of the marsh for Brent Geese was calculated in the absence of hares. Vulnerability of Atriplex to hare grazing and the high food intake of geese are key elements to this facilitative pattern. Additionally, hares reduced the number of dead Artemisia maritima stems in grassy swards, which otherwise might have hampered grazing by geese. Facilitation by herbivores such as hare, rabbit, cattle, and sheep is likely to be a prominent factor enhancing feeding conditions for Brent Geese all along the northwest European coast.


Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an intense fibrotic reaction termed tumour desmoplasia/fibrosis, which is partially responsible for its aggressive nature. Recently, endothelial cells have been shown to display an extreme form of plasticity that serves as an important source of fibroblasts in several pathological disorders, including cancer. The pro-fibrotic cytokine TGFβ1 promotes fibroblast accumulation via endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), thereby identifying EndMT as a potential therapeutic target against fibrosis. Previous studies have implicated angiogenic co-receptor, neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) also as a co-receptor for TGFβ1 in mediating several oncogenic processes. NRP-1 expression and TGFβ1 signaling have been shown to be up-regulated in PDAC. However, the driving mechanisms linking NRP-1 and EndMT in cancer remain unexplored. We therefore hypothesized that the over-expressed NRP-1 may exacerbate TGFβ1-mediated EndMT as a source of fibrosis in PDAC. Methods: NRP-1 over-expression studies were performed using lentivirus (Applied Biological Materials Inc.) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), at baseline and after TGFβ1 stimulation (10 ng/mL). Total RNA was extracted using TRIzol® reagent and protein using RIPA buffer (both Invitrogen). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed using SYBR Green (Bio-Rad) following manufacturer9s protocols. Markers of EndMT, fibrosis and TGFβ1 signaling were evaluated by RT-PCR, western blotting, Masson9s trichrome staining and immunocytochemistry. Similarly, expression of NRP-1, EndMT and fibrosis markers was assessed in human PDAC xenografts to establish a correlation between NRP-1 levels with EndMT and fibrosis. Results: RT-PCR, western blotting and tube formation assay in HUVECs confirmed successful NRP-1 over-expression. TGFβ1-stimulated HUVECs demonstrated a distinct change from "cobblestone-like endothelial cell morphology" to an enlarged spindle-shaped appearance consistent with a "fibroblast-like morphology", accompanied by rearrangement of the cytoskeleton. Moreover, over-expression of NRP-1 in HUVECs exacerbated TGFβ1-induced EndMT as demonstrated by loss of endothelial and gain of mesenchymal markers, and was further accompanied by changes in microscopic cellular characteristics consistent with EndMT. NRP-1 over-expression also up-regulated TGFβ1 signaling and expression of pro-fibrotic genes. We report herein a positive correlation between NRP-1 levels, EndMT and fibrosis markers at mRNA and protein levels in human PDAC xenografts. Conclusions: Overall, these results define a previously undetermined role of NRP-1 in regulating TGFβ1-induced EndMT and fibrosis in tumours and advocate NRP-1 as a potential therapeutic target to reduce tumour fibrosis and PDAC progression. Citation Format: Pratiek N. Matkar, Krishna K. Singh, Gerald J. Prud'homme, David W. Hedley, Howard Leong-Poi. Overexpression of neuropilin-1 exacerbates endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and fibrosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3367.


Reduced or absent neutrophil alkaline phosphatase (NAP) activity is a common feature of neutrophilic granulocytes from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In this study we examined whether NAP activity could be restored in vitro by stimulating CML cells with different promoters such as all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). The results obtained indicated that ATRA and G-CSF, either alone or in combination, were effective in inducing NAP activity in CML cells, whereas GM-CSF was not. Further, NAP restoration in ATRA- and G-CSF-treated cultures was accompanied by increased morphologic differentiation of the CML clone. It might be concluded that the CML clone could be driven in vitro by ATRA and G-CSF both to achieve granulocytic maturation and to correct functional NAP-related defects.


The total dose response of three bipolar low dropout voltage regulators is presented for a variety of irradiation and anneal test conditions. Two of the part types were chosen for their known enhanced low dose rate sensitivity (ELDRS) and the third for its known radiation tolerance. The two ELDRS parts show a dramatic sensitivity to irradiation bias with the all leads shorted being worst case at low dose rate. The responses at 10 mrad/s and 2.3 mrad/s are similar in magnitude, indicating that the low dose rate enhancement factor has leveled off below 10 mrad/s. Elevated temperature irradiation at 100degC and 5 rad/s does not simulate the low dose rate response


The aim of the study was to determine the serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules and hs-CRP in elderly diabetics with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) alone or with depressive symptoms. Methods. 219 diabetics elders were screened for psychiatric disorders and divided: group 1, MCI without depressive mood; group 2, MCI with depressive mood; group 3, controls. Data of biochemical parameters and biomarkers were collected. Results. In groups 1 and 2 levels of all biomarkers were significantly higher as compared to controls. The highest level of hs-CRP and sICAM-1 was detected in group 2. SVCAM-1 and sE-selectin levels were also the highest in group 2; however they did not significantly differ as compared to group 1. MoCA score was negatively correlated with all biomarkers in group 1. The logistic regression model showed that variables which increased the likelihood of having depressive syndrome in MCI patients were older age, stroke, neuropathy, increased number of comorbidities, and higher sICAM-1 level. Conclusions. We first demonstrated that elderly diabetic patients with MCI, particularly those with depressive mood have higher levels of soluble adhesion molecules and markers of low-grade systemic inflammation. Coexisting depressive syndrome in patients with MCI through common inflammatory pathways may result in augmentation of psychiatric disorders.


We extend the definition of level-crossing ordering of stochastic processes, proposed by Irle and Gani (2001), to the case in which the times to exceed levels are compared using an arbitrary stochastic order, and work, in particular, with integral stochastic orders closed for convolution. Using a sample-path approach, we establish level-crossing ordering results for the case in which the slower of the processes involved in the comparison is skip-free to the right. These results are specially useful in simulating processes that are ordered in level crossing, and extend results of Irle and Gani (2001), Irle (2003), and Ferreira and Pacheco (2005) for skip-free-to-the-right discrete-time Markov chains, semi-Markov processes, and continuous-time Markov chains, respectively.


This research aimed to develop a methodology for analyzing the platoon impacts on major-street left-turn (MSLT) delay at two-way stop-controlled intersections. The main idea was to use a microscopic simulation tool to simulate different platoon scenarios in opposing through traffic and then to apply regression models to capture the impacts of platoons on the delay of MSLT. Two platoon variables were adopted as a simplification of the complex platoon scenarios to make analysis of the platoon effects on MSLT delay practical. The first two steps were to build simulation models for real-world unsignalized intersections and simulate scenarios with a combination of various factors related to platoons in VISSIM simulation. The models were calibrated with field data before simulation started. The next step was to define, derive, and calibrate two platoon variables for describing the duration and intensity of platoon arrivals in the opposing through traffic. This process effectively simplified the large combination of various factors. Finally, the two platoon variables and their relationship with the change factor of MSLT delay were modeled with regression tools. A relationship between the two variables and the delay change factor was established. The relationship indicated a positive effect by upstream platoons on MSLT delay and made it possible to quantify the impacts. The findings in this research could be used for research on platoon or signal impacts on left-turn treatments.


OBJECTIVES
We sought to quantify the extent of health selection (i.e., the degree to which potential immigrants migrate, or fail to migrate, on the basis of their health status) among contemporary US immigrant groups and evaluate the degree that selection explains variation in self-rated health among US legal permanent residents.

METHODS
Data came from the New Immigrant Survey 2003 cohort. We estimated the extent of positive and negative health selection through a unique series of questions asking immigrants in the United States to evaluate their health and compare it to that of citizens in their country of origin.

RESULTS
The extent of positive health selection differed significantly across immigrant groups and was related to compositional differences in the socioeconomic profiles of immigrant streams.

CONCLUSIONS
The salience of socioeconomic status and English-language ability in explaining health differentials across immigrant groups reinforces the importance of further research on the role of these factors in contributing to the health of immigrants above and beyond the need for additional attention to the health selection process.


Milgram's small-world experiments provided evidence for six degrees of separation, only a chain of five contacts separates any two random people. In theory, this small-world phenomenon is prevalent from a network structure perspective. However, empirical evidence shows that successful message chains are occasional, and the length of message chains are longer than the expected shortest path length. In this project, we construct a "null model" in order to examine how participants' search strategies impact both the rate at which messages are successful routed and the length of these resulting paths. Using an agent-based modeling approach, we simulate different message routing situations based on the implementation of four different search strategies (i.e., random, memory, identity, and social search) on a network derived from students in a Northwestern University course entitled Collaborative Leadership and Decision Making. We find that the average completion rate for any of the search strategies differs in a statistically significant way from every other search strategy. The social search actually performs worse than if the message had traversed the network in a random walk. Additionally, results show a wide spread in the observed path length for each search strategy. Identity and social searches seemed the most effective for finding short paths, though it is possible that this is an artifact of the relative lack of messages completed overall. As a result, we conclude that simple search strategies may not be sufficient in explaining the empirical result, and that there is likely a more complex interaction taking place. Further, we see a disconnect between completion rate and observed path length, which suggests that many messages may fail to reach their targets as a result of network congestion.


The recently emerged user-generated contents (UGC) services, social networking services (SNS), as well as the pervasive wireless mobile network services have formed social media which has drastically changed the content distribution landscape. Today such UGC applications as YouTube allow any user to be a content provider, generating enormous amount of video contents that are quickly and extensively propagated on the Internet through such SNSes as Facebook and Twitter. Unfortunately, the existing UGC sites are facing critical server bottlenecks and the surges created by the social networking users would make the situation even worse. To better understand the challenges and opportunities therein, we investigate users' social behavior and personal preference of online video sharing from both real-trace measurement study on a popular social networking website and a user questionnaire survey. Our data analysis reveals an interesting coexistence of live streaming and storage sharing, and that the users are generally more interested in watching their friend's videos. It further suggests that even though the traffic is significant, most users are willing to share their resources to assist others, implying user collaboration is a rational choice in this context. In this paper, we present Coordinated Live Streaming and Storage Sharing (COOLS), a system for efficient peer-to-peer posting of user-generated videos. Through a novel ID code design that embeds nodes' locations in an overlay, COOLS leverages stable storage users and yet inherently prioritizes living streaming flows. We also present the improvement of the basic overlay design. The evaluation results show that, as compared to other state-of-the-art solutions, COOLS successfully takes advantage of the coexistence of live streaming and storage sharing, providing better scalability, robustness, and streaming quality.


ABSTRACT: We aimed to determine the concentration of MMP-2 and IL-1β in the aqueous humor of dogs with healthy eyes (n=8) and in those with mature (n=8) and hyper mature cataracts (n=8). Correlations between cytokines, cytokines, and intraocular pressure (IOP), as well as cytokines with ages of patients of each group, were also assessed. In patients with cataract, aqueous humor was collected at the end of the electroretinographic procedure. In healthy dogs, aqueous humor was collected before elective surgeries. Cytokine levels were determined using ELISA. IOP was assessed by applanation tonometry. IOP of patients with mature and hyper mature cataracts were lower than the ones measured in normal eyes (P=0.158). MMP-2 aqueous humor concentration was higher in patients with hyper mature cataracts, in comparisons with healthy patients (P=0.04). Average IL-1 β aqueous concentration was higher in patients with cataracts (P<0.0001). Significant higher values of IL-1 β were observed in patients with hyper mature, than in the ones with mature cataracts (P=0.0085). Correlations between MMP-2 and IL-1 β (r=-0.38, P=0.06), MMP-2 and IOP (r=-0.149, P=0.484), and IL-1 β and the ages of patients were not observed (P>0.05). IL-1 β and IOP correlated negatively (r=-0.42, P=0.04). MMP-2 and the ages of patients correlated only in dogs with mature cataracts (r=0.772, P=0.02). It can be concluded that the increment in the aqueous humor concentration of IL-1 β found in dogs with mature and hyper mature cataracts, in addition to the negative relationship of this cytokine with IOP, suggests that IL-1 β is involved in the pathogenesis of LIU. Despite dogs with hypermature cataracts presented significant higher concentrations of MMP-2 in the aqueous humor, such cytokine did not correlate with IL-1 β and IOP. In our study, a relationship between aqueous humor cytokines and the ages of patients was only confirmed between MMP-2 and the ages of dogs with mature cataracts.


BACKGROUND
To introduce the EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) to health care professionals wishing to use it as a measure of health-related quality of life.

METHODS
This paper is based on a review of studies using the EQ-5D in Spanish populations which include chronic and critical patients, health care users, and random samples of the general population in Navarra and Catalonia.

RESULTS
Results are presented for three aspects of the EQ-5D: the descriptive system, the visual analogic scale, and the EQ-5D tariff. Presence of problems on the descriptive system and lower scores on the visual analogue scale were positively associated with increasing age, being female, lower educational level and social class, presence of chronic conditions, higher levels of restricted activity, visits to a health care professional in the previous 15 days, and hospitalisation during the previous year. The ability of the descriptive system and the visual analogic scale to discriminate between healthy individuals and critical and chronic patients was good. Social tariffs for EQ-5D health states have been obtained based on self-rated health and the rating of hypothetical health states (health states not experienced by the rater). Tariffs for hypothetical health states have been obtained using visual analogic scale and time trade-off techniques. Tariffs also discriminate between healthy and non-healthy subjects, and are a valid reflection of preferences for health states.

CONCLUSIONS
The Spanish version of the EQ-5D is a simple, valid and practical measure for its use as an outcome variable both in clinical research and in the allocation of health care resources:


We present results from a comparative empirical study of two methods for constructing support vector machines (SVMs). The first method is the conventional one based on the quadratic programming approach, which builds the optimal separating hyperplane maximizing the margin between two classes (SVM-Q). The second method is based on the linear programming approach suggested by Vapnik to build a separating hyperplane with the minimum number of support vectors (SVM-L). Using synthetic data from two classes, we compare the classification performance of these SVMs, with a geometrical comparison of their separating hyperplanes and support vectors. We show that both classifiers achieve practically identical classification accuracy and generalization performance. However, SVM-L has many fewer support vectors than SVM-Q. We also prove that, in contrast to SVM-Q, which selects support vectors from the margin between two classes, support vectors of SVM-L lie on the furthermost borders of the classes, at the maximum distance from the opposite class.


The article is devoted to the study of the dynamics of innovation activity of industrial enterprises, definition of the status and prospects of development of innovative activity. The main factors influencing the development of innovation activities in Ukraine and substantiates the objective necessity of creating the conditions for accumulation of investment resources and strengthening the innovative potential of the economy.


To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Xinling Wan on patients with stable angina pectoris, a randomized, double-blinded, placebo parallel-controlled, multicenter clinical trial was conducted. A total of 232 subjects were enrolled and randomly divided into experiment group and placebo group. The experiment group was treated with Xinling Wan (two pills each time, three times daily) for 4 weeks, and the placebo group was treated with placebo. The effectiveness evaluation showed that Xinling Wan could significantly increase the total duration of treadmill exercise among patients with stable angina pectoris. FAS analysis showed that the difference value of the total exercise duration was between experiment group (72.11±139.32) s and placebo group (31.25±108.32) s. Xinling Wan could remarkably increase the total effective rate of angina pectoris symptom score, and the analysis showed that the total effective rate was 78.95% in experiment group and 42.61% in placebo group. The reduction of nitroglycerin dose was (2.45±2.41) tablets in experiment group and (0.50±2.24) tablets in placebo group on the basis of FAS analysis. The decrease of symptom integral was (4.68±3.49) in experiment group and (3.19±3.31) in placebo group based on FAS analysis. Besides, Xinling Wan could decrease the weekly attack time and the duration of angina pectoris. PPS analysis results were similar to those of FAS analysis. In conclusion, Xinling Wan has an obvious therapeutic effect in treating stable angina pectoris, with a good safety and a low incidence of adverse event and adverse reaction in experiment group.


The ability of four commercial preparations of Oenococcus oeni lactic acid bacteria (EQ 54, Lalvin OSU, Uvaferm Alpha, and Lalvin 31) to hydrolyze wine aroma precursors was evaluated by measuring the concentration of free and bound aroma compounds at the end of malolactic fermentation carried out in model wines containing a mixture of glycosides extracted from Muscat wine. At pH 3.4 there was a decrease in glycosylated compounds matched by a concomitant increase in free forms in all starter cultures tested. When malolactic fermentation was carried out at pH 3.2, a significant decrease in the ability to hydrolyze aroma precursors was observed for two of the cultures tested (Uvaferm Alpha and Lalvin 31). Large differences in the extent of hydrolysis and in the specificity of this activity toward specific aroma precursors were observed and appeared to be related to the chemical structure of the aglycon as well as to individual characteristics of each starter culture. The amounts of glycosylated aroma compounds released during malolactic fermentation suggest that O. oeni can alter the sensory characteristics of wine through the hydrolysis of aroma precursors.


This paper investigates the effect of signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) measurement accuracy, exploiting data modulated symbols in SIR-based fast closed loop transmit power control (TPC), considering the application of closed loop transmit diversity mode 1 in wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) systems. SIR measurement is performed after removing the random data modulation so as to maximize the instantaneous received power. Computer simulation results clarify the advantage of data-aided SIR measurement even in the presence of feedback information (FBI) errors. Further, we also clarified that exploiting data symbols in addition to DPCH pilot symbols exhibits better performance. The data-aided SIR measurement technique is an add-on functionality to the standardized user equipment (UE) so that the adoption shall not affect the operation of commercial systems.


The electrokinetic properties of normal and pathological red cells and platelets are compared. The electrophoretic mobilities and isoelectric points of normal and pathological erythrocytes do not differ significantly, adsorption of calcium and uranyl ions occur to the same extent and treatment with neuraminidase induces almost identical mobility decreases. The pathological platelet-plasma system is more sensitive to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) than normal systems; platelet aggregation and electrophoretic mobility increases are induced by much lower concentrations of ADP than those normally required. The pathological platelet system shows a greater tendency to aggregate spontaneously. The abnormal sensitivity to ADP of the pathological platelet-plasma system is considered in terms of plasma components.


Plexiform neurofibromas are highly suggestive of neurofibromatosis type I, but they are not pathognomonic as claimed. Clinical and pathological features of a patient with solitary plexiform neurofibroma of the gingiva that manifested as a diffuse, unilateral enlargement are presented here. An excision biopsy of the lesion was performed, which underwent recurrence within six months period at the local site and assumed almost the same dimensions. The patient underwent excision again, this time extending to the uninvolved margins of the oral mucosa. The overlying mucosa was excised along with the tumour mass, allowing healing by secondary intention to take place. The patient remains uneventful after eight months of clinical follow-up. There are neither clinical findings nor personal/family history of neurofibromatosis type I or MEN III (MEN II b), so that the lesion seems to be independent of these syndromes. The gingival involvement is very rare and a perusal of English bibliography of this lesion could not reveal another report of its occurrence in the gingiva.


Various analogies have been applied to educational research, the most prominent current one being medical clinical trials. What about the design and development of educational materials? There are many design principles being developed for educational materials, but the process of design is much less codified or systematic. By contrast, engineering as a discipline has created very systematic processes for doing design work, whether the design of products, processes, systems, or services, similar to the systematic scientific processes that are applied across the sciences. This paper overviews major findings from the study of engineering design practices and then presents an analysis of the extent to which engineering design processes may and may not be usefully applied to the process of educational design.


The pandemic produced by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has indelibly marked the history of humanity. The conducts, actions and habits of people have changed substantially, redefining our activities at all levels. Our specialty is dedicated to the care of pediatric patients with congenital heart defects, from the neonatal stage to adolescence. In this age group, the symptomatic picture of COVID-19 is not present in most cases, therefore, anesthetic practice is carried out with precautions aimed to assist asymptomatic patients considered not carriers of the virus SARS-CoV-2, without the complete elements of personal protective equipment. This document compiles the practices and guidelines adopted by the anesthetists of the KARDIAS program for the care of children with congenital heart defects during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have made an adaptation of the different guidelines reported on anesthetic, pediatric, cardiovascular and echocardiographic management, adhering to the evidence reported to date. These recommendations are applicable for any center that performs pediatric cardiovascular anesthesia with modifications according to its institutional requirements and they should be periodically reviewed regarding new scientific evidence reported. Finally, we comment about the appearance of a probable new clinical presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection as an atypical variety of Kawasaki disease in children.


Chitosan-Alginate micro-particles can serve as coating to the drug through the encapsulation process for controlled release. The addition of Tri Poly Phosphate would change the characterization of Chitosan-Alginate micro-particles because of the process of cross linking. This study aims to determine the characterization of micro-particles of Chitosan-Alginate based on particle size distribution, particle surface morphology and dissolution process in acid medium. The method used to make micro-particles of Chitosan-Alginate is using spray drying, thus the micro-particles can be made by mixing Chitosan-Alginate with a weight ratio of 1: 1, 1: 2, 2: 1 then mixed the crosslinking compound Tri Poly Phosphate (TPP) with a concentration of 0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, and added emulsifier Tween 80 3% v / v, stirred at a speed of 20,000 rpm for 10 minutes then inserted into the spray dryer to form micro-particles. The powder of micro-particles then analysed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and performed in vitro of stomach acid solution using acidic medium for the test of dissolution. Based on the research that has been done, 0.1% TPP concentration of Chitosan-Alginate ratio of 2: 1 can produce the most uniform size distribution with a ratio of 40.54%. The biggest dissolution of micro-particles obtained from the samples with Chitosan-Alginate ratio of 2: 1 with a concentration of 0.1% TPP was 80.8%.


BACKGROUND
Aboriginal Australians have low rates of participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR), despite having high rates of cardiovascular disease. Barriers to CR participation reflect multiple patient-related issues. However, an examination of the broader context of health service delivery design and implementation is needed.

AIMS
To identify health professionals' perspectives of systems related barriers to implementation of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines Strengthening Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

METHOD
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with health professionals involved in CR within mainstream and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in Western Australia (WA). Thirty-eight health professionals from 17 services (ten rural, seven metropolitan) listed in the WA Directory of CR services and seven Aboriginal Medical Services in WA were interviewed.

RESULTS
Respondents reported barriers encountered in health information management and the impact of access to CR services for Aboriginal people. Crucial issues identified by participants were: poor communication across the health care sector and between providers, inconsistent and insufficient data collection processes (particularly relating to Aboriginal ethnicity identification), and challenges resulting from multiple clinical information systems and incompatible technologies.

CONCLUSIONS
This study has demonstrated that inadequate information systems and communication strategies, particularly those representing the interface between primary and secondary care, contribute to the low participation rates of Aboriginal Australians in CR. Although these challenges are shared by non-Aboriginal Australians, the needs are greater for Aboriginal Australians and innovative solutions are required.


Multi-material layered plastic films are used in the food packaging industry due to their excellent properties; however they cannot be mechanically recycled. In this study, a two-stage hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process is proposed and tested for chemical recycling of a two-layer film made of LLDPE-PET. Experimental results showed that after a first subcritical stage at 325 ◦ C, 94% of terephthalic acid (TPA) is recovered from the PET fraction as a solid and 47% of ethylene glycol in the aqueous phase. The unconverted PE was then used as feedstock for a subsequent supercritical HTL stage at 450 ◦ C for 90 min, achieving mass yields of 47% and 29% in a naphtha-gasoline oil and in an alkane-rich gas, respectively. In conclusion, this work proved that a sequential HTL procedure can be used for chemical recycling of multilayer plastics, allowing the recovery of PET monomers to be recycled back to the PET industry and a paraffinic oil and hydrocarbon-rich gas phase that could be used as feedstock for steam cracking to produce virgin materials.


In this paper, we propose a power supply for piezoelectric actuators that can generate arbitrary waveforms at frequencies ranging from low to medium frequency. The actuators are used in a forging process and require high voltage. The converter is based on an original combination of a boost DC-DC converter and a rectifier circuit, thus reducing the number of components needed. Moreover, no transformer is required. Experimental results on a single and three phase version are presented and validate the proposed converter.


BACKGROUND
The effect of prior use of aspirin (ASA) on the onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been clarified. This study used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to investigate the morphological features of culprit lesions of ACS in patients with prior ASA use.Methods and Results:In total, 442 patients with their first ACS episode undergoing OCT for the culprit lesions were investigated. Clinical characteristics, OCT findings, and adverse events at 30 days were compared between patients with prior ASA use and ASA-naïve patients (non-ASA). 67 patients (15.2%) had received ASA at presentation. The ASA group was older, had higher frequency of dyslipidemia and hypertension, and lower renal function than the non-ASA group. Non-ST-elevation ACS was more prevalent in the ASA than in the non-ASA group (79.1 vs. 53.6%, P<0.001). Propensity score matching yielded 49 patients in both groups. OCT revealed less frequent thrombi in the ASA than in the non-ASA group in both the entire (37.3 vs. 75.2%, P<0.001) and score-matched cohorts (38.8 vs. 75.5%, P<0.001), whereas no significant difference was observed in plaque characteristics. Rate of adverse events did not differ between the ASA and the non-ASA groups in the matched cohort.

CONCLUSIONS
With a first ACS presentation, patients with prior ASA use were more likely to present with non-ST-elevation ACS with less frequent intraluminal thrombi, but no significant difference in underlying plaque characteristics or clinical course.


Abstract : This report describes the preliminary design of a 4,160 volt, three phase, 50 amp/phase conventional 'dry' connector and a connector that can be connected and disconnected underwater which is designated as a 'wet' connector. The state-of-the-art in connector design and fabrication is discussed in detail. Underwater transmission cable state-of-the-art is presented. (Author)


In this paper, the effect of doping phosphorus in a borosilicate glass matrix to improve the solubility of Mo was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and the effectiveness of Na content on P species inhibiting the growth of the crystallization of Mo was assessed. The results indicate that phosphate-doped borosilicate glass can host 4 mol% of Mo, and that such a borosilicate glass matrix could only accommodate 1 mol% of Mo without phosphate doping. The effectiveness of phosphorus may be correlated with the Na content in borosilicate glass, and a high Na content borosilicate glass matrix requires more P doping to accommodate Mo. In addition, incorporating large amounts of P can compromise the aqueous durability of the glass matrix.


Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by early onset motor and vocal tics. TS should be differentiated from various movement disorders. We report the case of a 21 year-old-man who was admitted to our clinic due to treatment resistant cervical dystonia attributed to neuroleptics. During the last five years he had been treated for depressed mood, somatic delusions and aggressive behaviour. He had been given SSRIs and atypical antipsychotics at low doses; six months prior to his admission he had been switched to risperidone. Clinical examination revealed torticollis, motor stereotypies, vocal tics (sniffing, repetition of words), mental koprolalia and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. He complained of repetitive intrusive thoughts of harming his sister and thoughts of a "delusional" nature regarding somatic complaints. The patient was diagnosed as TS and was successfully treated accordingly. The presented case illustrates that TS can mimic other movement disorders. Whether patients with TS are at higher risk of developing dystonia, or tics and dystonia share a common pathophysiological mechanism (dopamine-inhibiting processes are probably involved in both conditions) is still debatable.


Abstract The scientific objective of unambiguously detecting subtle global trends in upper stratospheric ozone requires that one maintain a thorough understanding of the satellite-based remote sensors intended for this task. The instrument now in use for long term ozone monitoring is the SBUV/2 being flown on NOAA operational satellite. A critical activity in the data interpretation involves separating small changes in measurement sensitivity from true atmospheric variability. This is the goal of the instrument characterization task, and of necessity it involves examining numerous details of SBUV/2 hardware operation. By defining the specific issues that must be addressed and presenting results derived early in the mission of the first SBUV/2 flight model, this work serves as a guide to the instrument investigations that an essential in the attempt to detect long-tem changes in the ozone layer.


Experimenting with limited resources often means that we are trying to get more out of a single experiment and balance competing goals. Selecting a best response surface design when simultaneously optimizing multiple criteria requires carefully choosing measures and scales of different design criteria and then balancing the trade-offs between the criteria. This paper illustrates a decision-making process using a Pareto frontier to identify good design candidates and a Utopia point approach for selection of an optimal design based on several competing criteria. The Pareto approach shows substantial improvement over the classic desirability function method by offering the user greater flexibility in quantifying the robustness of designs to weight specifications and the sensitivity of the solutions to different choices of weights, scales, and metrics. Graphical methods are used for summarizing and extracting useful information for improved decision-making. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This book provides a comprehensive synthesis of 30 years of research on the effects of perinatal brain injury on hu- man brain development. Authors are distinguished scientists in the fi eld of cognitive science and human de- velopment. It is now known that it is the complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors that underlies the development of the human brain. The concept of neural plasticity is discussed and refers to " the capacity of the developing brain to adapt to current demands and circumstances, whether that involves epigenetic modulation of gene expression, the responsiveness of axons to guidance molecules, neuronal competition for trophic factors at syn-aptic junctions, adjustments of neural networks to variations in input, or the reorganization of neural systems in the wake of injury or insult. " Animal studies demonstrate the range and limits of plasticity in the developing animal brain. This book discusses some of these animal studies and further illustrates the idea of " critical and sensitive periods " for brain development. The term " critical period " refers to the speci fi c times of postnatal development when speci fi c environmental signals or experience is abso- lutely essential for certain " experience-dependent " neurobehavioral milestones to manifest. Conversely, the term " sensitive period " acknowledges " experience-ex-pectant " periods of development in which variations in the organism ' s environment or experiences cause alternative patterns of neural organization, which conveys more fl exibility in the process. Research shows that rearing conditions have signif- icant effects, such that animals raised in enriched environments have more den- drites per neuron, larger and more complex neurovascular systems, and increased neural support cells compared to animals raised in unfavorable conditions. This book begins with an overview of basic brain development and the effect of perinatal lesions (PL) on the developing brain using both animal models and studies on effects of timing, etiology,


The ornamental sunflower is a growing crop in recent years due to its rapid return on investment and expressive representation in the flower market, and research on the ideal substrate for seedling production is essential to maximize information for the crop. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the germination and development of ornamental sunflower seedlings in different substrates compositions. The experiment was installed in a greenhouse, where they were put to germinate, seeds of sunflower type "Vincent's Choice" in poliestileno trays on substrates with or without addition Slow Release Fertilizer (SRF) at the dose 2 g L-1. The experimental design was completely randomized with 4 treatments [T1Charcoal + pine bark + peat + expanded vermiculite (1:1:1:1), T2Coconut fiber + carbonized rice hull + peat + expanded vermiculite (1:1:1:1), T3Charcoal + pine bark + peat + expanded vermiculite (1:1:1:1) + SRF, T4Coconut fiber + Carbonized rice hull + peat + expanded vermiculite (1:1:1:1) + SRF] with 8 replicates of 8 seeds, totaling 64 seeds per substrate. It was evaluated: the percentage, index and average germination time, chlorophyll content, length, fresh and dry mass of shoot and root. It was observed that there was no difference in the percentage of germination, but T2 and T4 promoted emergency in the lowest mean time (3.19 and 3.46 days, respectively) with a higher rate of velocity (2.43 and 2.25 respectively), still, T4 presented increments with more than 50% of fresh and dry mass. Thus, it is concluded that the T4 substrate is recommended for germination and development of ornamental sunflower type "Vicent's Choice".


Bioaugmentation consists of adding selected strains of microorganisms with known capabilities to a biological process to improve performance. In this study, laboratory‐scale completely stirred tank reactors were bioaugmented with nitrifying bacteria while operated under high‐stress conditions for the nitrifiers: a 2‐day solids retention time (SRT) at 22 °C or a 5‐day SRT at 4 °C. Intensive sampling was carried out to document the effects of the bioaugmentation. To quantitatively interpret the effects of biomass addition on process performance, mathematical modeling was carried out. Experimental and modeling results indicate that the maximum effect of a one‐time bioaugmentation depend on the dose and decays as bioaugmented nitrifiers are washed out. Daily maintenance dosing results in long‐term good performance, provided that the dose is large enough. For severe stress, almost all of the biomass in the system must be added by bioaugmentation.


Rhenium is a silvery-white, metallic element with an extremely high melting point (3,180 degrees Celsius) and a heat-stable crystalline structure, making it exceptionally resistant to heat and wear. Since the late 1980s, rhenium has been critical for superalloys used in turbine blades and in catalysts used to produce lead-free gasoline. One of the rarest elements, rhenium has an average abundance of less than one part per billion in the continental crust. Rhenium was the last stable, naturally occurring element discovered. Although its existence was predicted in 1871—Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev noted two vacant slots below manganese on the periodic table of elements—rhenium was not isolated until 1925, when German chemists Walker Noddack, Ida Tacke, and Otto Berg detected it in platinum ore. Rhenium rarely occurs as a native element or as its own sulfide mineral—rheniite (ReS2 ) —and often occurs as a substitute for molybdenum in molybdenite (MoS2 ). Most extracted rhenium is a byproduct of copper mining, with about 80 percent recovered from flue dust during the processing of molybdenite concentrates from porphyry copper deposits.


Methylene blue is a widely used dye for sentinel lymph node mapping for solid tumours especially breast cancer. Anaphylaxis is a life threatening reaction that can occur during Anaesthesia. Methylene blue has been reported to be the safest dye, indeed a recent systematic review and metaanalysis reported no cases of anaphylactic reactions. We report a case of a 37-yr-old female who experienced an anaphylactic reaction to methylene blue resulting in Intensive Care Admission.


Age-related neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are characterized by deposits of protein aggregates, or amyloid, in various regions of the brain. Traditionally, aggregation of a single protein was observed to be correlated with these different pathologies: tau in AD and α-synuclein (αS) in PD. However, there is increasing evidence that the pathologies of these two diseases overlap, and the individual proteins may promote each other's aggregation. Both tau and αS are intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), lacking stable secondary and tertiary structure under physiological conditions. In this study we used a combination of biochemical and biophysical techniques to interrogate the interaction of tau with both soluble and fibrillar αS. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) was used to assess the interactions of specific domains of fluorescently labeled tau with full length and C-terminally truncated αS in both monomeric and fibrillar forms. We found that full-length tau as well as individual tau domains interact with monomer αS weakly, but this interaction is much more pronounced with αS seeds. This interaction does not impact tau aggregation or fibril formation. These findings provide insight into the nature of interactions between tau and αS as well as the domains responsible.


In the present essay we introduce in a model the concept of macroculture and the formation of new values within the particular macroculture that arose during the 8th to 4th century BC in Ancient Greece. We analyse the conditions and the context for the emergence of the heavy infantryman, the hoplite, and the new tactical formation, the phalanx, and the trireme warship. We apply the coordination and cooperation as behavioural mechanisms to the phalanx and the triremes to show how a specific set of new values emerged. Then, taking into account bounded rationality, as a second behavioural mechanism we analyse how these values were taken over from the military into the political field and thus were crucial for the emergence and development of democracy.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can be cured by cytotoxic chemotherapy, but about half of patients with AML fail to obtain long-term survival, mostly due to chemotherapy-resistance. Novel therapeutic approaches are needed to overcome the resistance. Many studies have shown that histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity is elevated in human cancers and HDAC inhibitors (HDIs) induce expression of genes critical for tumor growth arrest and apoptosis. To date, the US FDA approves two HDIs, vorinostat (SAHA) and romidepsin (FK228), for treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. CG200745 {(E)-2-(Naphthalen-1-yloxymethyl)-oct-2-enedioic acid 1-[(3-dimethylamino-propyl)-amide] 8-hydroxyamide]} is a novel hydroxamate-based pan-HDI. We examined anti-leukemic activities of CG200745 in AML and we also compared the effects of CG200745 and SAHA in vitro and in vivo. Materials and methods: For cell proliferation assay, 7 human AML and other leukemia cell lines (HL60, K562, Molm13, MV4, NB4, U937, and KG-1) were cultured with HDIs (CG200745 and SAHA) and cell viability was determined by CCK-SK kit. Cell cycle analysis was performed using a flow cytometer. For western blotting of acetylation and apoptosis induction, antibodies to acetylated (on Lys 18) histone H3, histone H3, PARP, XIAP, caspases-3, –8, and –9, and actin were used. For measuring membrane potential of mitochondria, a flow cytometer was used after staining with TMRE. We established a murine leukemic model with infusing WEHI-3 leukemia cells in BALB/c mice, and tested anti-leukemic effects of HDIs in vivo. Lastly, we obtained leukemic cells from patients with AML and performed cell proliferation assay using CellTiter 96® Aqueous One Solution Reagent. Results: CG200745 and SAHA successfully inhibited HDAC activities in human leukemic cell lines. Both agents decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner and IC50 values were lower with CG200745 than with SAHA in all leukemic cell lines except one (KG-1). In U937 cell line, flow cytometry showed the accumulation of S population by both HDIs. Exposure of the cells to the HDIs resulted in activation of caspase-9 and –3, increase of PARP cleavage, and decrease of XIAP. Activation of caspase-8 was not noted. TMRE fluorescence levels decreased after treatment of HDIs in a dose-dependent manner and were correlated with decrease of XIAP and increase of apoptosis. Decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential was more prominent with CG200745 compared to SAHA. In both murine leukemic model using WEHI-3 leukemic cells and CellTiter assay using leukemic cells from AML patients, CG200745 showed more significant anti-leukemic activities than SAHA. Conclusion: CG200745 has significant anti-leukemic activities against AML cells and the effects appear to be mediated by activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and induction of mitochondrial dysfunction.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4666. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4666


YCANTHTM (cantharidin) topical solution has been approved recently for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum (MC) in children (aged ≥2 years) and adults. It works by activating serine proteases that lead to blistering and inflammation, promoting shedding of infected cells and viral clearance. In two phase-3, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials of similar design, VP-102 (a drug-device combination, containing cantharidin 0.7% w/v and inactive ingredients, such as gentian violet, acetone, and denatonium benzoate, administered with an applicator) was investigated for the treatment of MC. VP-102 and vehicle were applied topically once every 21 days until complete clearance of lesions was observed, or for up to four treatments. Cantharidin demonstrated efficacy in achieving the primary outcome, at day 84/visit 4 (Cantharidin Application in Molluscum Patients [CAMP-1], VP-102: 46% [73/160], vehicle: 18% [19/106]; and CAMP-2, VP-102: 54% [81/150], vehicle: 13% [15/112]). Common adverse events were mild to moderate, such as lesions at the site of application, pruritus, and pain. The recommended regimen of cantharidin topical solution is its application once every 21 days until complete clearance of lesions is observed, or up to four treatments.


Good information that is based on data that has been processed properly so as to generate useful communication. The trial assessment system has 3 parts, but the system is not mutually integrated because 2 of them can already be accessed online while the examiner's assessment system still uses the local network. In the grading system, the examiner has a session news information system that is useful for conveying the final results of the session to the trial participants. This is because as technology advances are utilized as well as possible by educational institutions in this case namely universities to be used in a comprehensive session of thesis students or final assignments. Therefore, development is carried out on the examiner's assessment system so that it can be accessed online, where there is a trial news information system. The research was conducted using the method of observation, interviews and literature to maximize this research. The trial news information system is a very important system when a comprehensive trial process takes place. This is because the news information system of the hearing has information about the grades, grades and status obtained by the trial participants. This certainly becomes very vital in the trial assessment system. The display that will be developed in the examiner's rating system will be user friendly, making it easier for the board of examiners to use it. Even though the system was developed but did not change the original flow of the examiner's assessment system so that the board of examiners could adjust well to the new system, along with the news information system of the trial. With the existence of a hearing news information system, it makes the comprehensive trial process perfect and the trial assessment system becomes integrated again as before.


ABSTRACT The empirical Bayes (EB) method is commonly used by transportation safety analysts for conducting different types of safety analyses, such as before–after studies and hotspot analyses. To date, most implementations of the EB method have been applied using a negative binomial (NB) model, as it can easily accommodate the overdispersion commonly observed in crash data. Recent studies have shown that a generalized finite mixture of NB models with K mixture components (GFMNB-K) can also be used to model crash data subjected to overdispersion and generally offers better statistical performance than the traditional NB model. So far, nobody has developed how the EB method could be used with finite mixtures of NB models. The main objective of this study is therefore to use a GFMNB-K model in the calculation of EB estimates. Specifically, GFMNB-K models with varying weight parameters are developed to analyze crash data from Indiana and Texas. The main finding shows that the rankings produced by the NB and GFMNB-2 models for hotspot identification are often quite different, and this was especially noticeable with the Texas dataset. Finally, a simulation study designed to examine which model formulation can better identify the hotspot is recommended as our future research.


Objective. To determine whether the modified Angoff process can be used to calculate a reliable minimal competency ("cut") score for the Annual Skills Mastery Assessment (ASMA). Methods. Three panels of pharmacy faculty members used a modified Angoff method to create a minimal competency score for 60 previously used test items. The panels did not know which items were included. Data were analyzed to determine differences between rating sessions, faculty type, item difficulty, and rater scoring bias. Results. The cut score generated was not significantly different by session or faculty type. The range of cut scores varied by less than 3% per examination. Faculty panelists correctly predicted student performance on items grouped as easy, medium, and hard. Conclusion. A properly constructed faculty panel can determine a reliable cut score and accurately rank relative test item difficulty using the modified Angoff process.


A 60 plus-year-old male was charged with pedophilia for forcing a child to touch him inappropriately near a primary school fence. In another case, a 70 plus-year-old male was charged with pedophilia for intimately touching a boy in a cinema. What led them to manifest this socially-inappropriate and legally-relevant behavior? Is there an explanation for the sexually-related behavioral changes emerging late in life of these two men? Indeed, a common point exists between the two men: both were found to suffer from highly-disabling neurological conditions, known to have a potential effect on social behavior. Specifically, a large right frontoparietal meningioma was found to have important influence on the first man's cognition and control inhibition, whereas frontotemporal dementia prevented the second man from understanding the moral disvalue of his sexually-inappropriate behavior and controlling his sexual impulses. In the current presentation, particular emphasis is placed on the logical reasoning supporting the conclusions that both the pedophiles should be considered not guilty by reason of insanity. Furthermore, experimental methods have been used to explore both cases, which rely on the existence of cognitive models for the phenomena under study, the integration of insights offered by different disciplines and the application of a variety of tools and approaches that follow the "convergence of evidence" principle, which could be safely used in court to support a mental insanity claim. Here, we describe how the use of the experimental method could become useful to reduce the uncertainty in mental insanity assessments. The use of a transdisciplinary, scientifically-grounded approach can help to change the way legal phenomena are interpreted. For instance, when assessing mental insanity, consultants should not only investigate the eventual existence of a diagnosis, but should assess the cognitive/affective abilities that are necessary to understand our own behavior and emotions as well as those of others. The criteria for responsibility should be symptoms-based and not diagnosis-based. Since pedophilia is among the most hideous behaviors condemned by society, a more comprehensive and transdisciplinary approach is recommended in court.


FPGAs are well established in the signal processing domain, where their fine-grained programmable nature allows the inherent parallelism in these applications to be exploited for enhanced performance. As architectures have evolved, FPGA vendors have added more heterogeneous resources to allow often-used functions to be implemented with higher performance, at lower power and using less area. DSP blocks, for example, have evolved from basic multipliers to support the multiply-accumulate operations that are the core of many signal processing tasks. While more features were added to DSP blocks, their structure and connectivity has been optimised primarily for one-dimensional signal processing. Basic operations in image processing are similar, but performed in a two-dimensional structure, and hence, many of the optimisations in newer DSP blocks are not exploited when mapping image processing algorithms to them. We present a detailed study of two-dimensional spatial filter implementation on FPGAs, showing how to maximise performance through exploitation of DSP block capabilities, while also presenting a lean border pixel management policy.


The cell walls of a number of marine algae, namely species of Bryopsis, Caulerpa, Udotea, Halimeda and Penicillus and of one freshwater alga, Dichotomosiphon, are examined using both chemical and physical techniques. It is shown that, with the possible exception of Bryopsis, cellulose is completely absent and that the walls contain instead β-l,3-linked xylan as the structural polysaccharide. Bryopsis contains, in addition, a glucan which is most abundant in the outer layers of the wall and which stains like cellulose. The xylan is microfibrillar but the microfibrils are more strongly adherent than they are in cellulose, and in some species appear in the electron microscope to be joined by short crossed rod-like bodies. The orientation of the microfibrils is found to vary, ranging from a net tendency to transverse orientation through complete randomness to almost perfect longitudinal alinement. The microfibrils are negatively birefringent, so that all walls seen in optical section, and all parallel arrays of microfibrils whether in face view or in section (except strictly transverse section) are negatively birefringent. With Bryopsis, the negative birefringence in face view is overcompensated by the positive birefringence of the incrusting glucan so that the true birefringence of the crystalline polysaccharide is observed only after the glucan is removed. The X-ray diagram of parallel arrays of microfibrils as found, for instance, inPenicillus dumetosus shows that the xylan chains are helically coiled, in harmony with the negative birefringence. It is deduced that the microfibrils consist of hexagonally packed, double-stranded helices. The diameter of the helices increases with increasing relative humidity, as water is taken into the lattice, from 13.7 Å in material dried over phosphorus pentoxide to a maximum of 1.54 Å at 65 % relative humidity when the xylan contains 30 % of its weight as water. The repeat distance along the helix axis ranges from 5.85 Å (dry) to 6.06 Å (wet), the length of a half turn of each helix containing three xylose residues. The incrusting substances in these walls often include a glucan which is said also to be 1,3-linked. The significance of the extensive differences between this xylan and cellulose are examined both as regards some of the physical properties of the respective cell walls and in relation to the taxonomic position of these plants.


The present study investigated the impact of the chemistry laboratory environment and teacher-student interaction on student attitudes towards chemistry for 200 gifted secondaryschool students in Singapore. The data were obtained using three instruments: the 35-item Chemistry Laboratory Environment Inventory (CLEI), the 48-item Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and the 30-item Questionnaire on Chemistry-Related Attitudes (QOCRA). The study confirmed the reliability and validity of the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (adapted to create the CLEI) and the QTI for use in gifted chemistry laboratory classrooms. Statistically significant associations were found between the nature of the laboratory classroom environment and students' attitudes towards chemistry. Associations were also found between the interpersonal behaviour of the chemistry teachers and students' attitudes towards chemistry. Based on the findings, suggestions for improving the chemistry laboratory classroom environment and the teacher-student interaction for gifted students are provided.


Multiple kernel clustering (MKC) aims to learn an optimal kernel to better serve for clustering from several precomputed basic kernels. Most MKC algorithms adhere to a common assumption that an optimal kernel is linearly combined by basic kernels. Based on a min-max framework, a newly proposed MKC method termed simple multiple kernel k -means (SimpleMKKM) can acquire a high-quality unified kernel. Although SimpleMKKM has achieved promising clustering performance, we observe that it cannot benefit from any prior knowledge. This would cause the learned partition matrix may seriously deviate from the expected one, especially in clustering tasks where the ground truth is absent during the learning course. To tackle this issue, we propose a novel algorithm termed regularized simple multiple kernel k -means with kernel average alignment (R-SMKKM-KAA). According to the experimental results of existing MKC algorithms, the average partition is a strong baseline to reflect true clustering. To gain knowledge from the average partition, we add the average alignment as a regularization term to prevent the learned unified partition from being far from the average partition. After that, we have designed an efficient solving algorithm to optimize the new resulting problem. In this way, both the incorporated prior knowledge and the combination of basic kernels are helpful to learn better unified partition. Consequently, the clustering performance can be significantly improved. Extensive experiments on nine common datasets have sufficiently demonstrated the effectiveness of incorporation of prior knowledge into SimpleMKKM.


We demonstrate self-alignment of epitaxial Ag nanocrystals on top of low-density near-surface InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The Ag nanocrystals support a surface plasmon resonance that can be tuned to the emission wavelength of the QDs. Photoluminescence measurements of such hybrid metal-semiconductor nanostructures reveal large enhancement of the emission intensity. Our concept of epitaxial self-alignment enables the integration of plasmonic functionality with electronic and photonic semiconductor devices operating down to the single QD level.


This Article aims to explore the securitization of intellectual property [hereinafter "IP"], introducing the promise of said financing method in the growing field of IP. In recent years, IP has become a major component of developed economics. Raising funds for research, development, and the creation of new inventions and works of authorship has never been an easy task. This Article, therefore, presents a review of securitization in the field of IP and in doing so makes a few major contributions. It offers a thorough discussion of securitization, its benefits, and its prominence over more traditional methods of financing, such as bank lending, issuance of corporate bonds, and venture capital funding. Next, it offers an account of the current use and scope of securitization in relation to IP assets such as trademarks, copyrights, and patents. The Article also considers the benefits and challenges of securitizing IP and suggests preliminary solutions to these challenges.


A limitation associated with communication-based interventions for problem behavior is the potential for requesting reinforcement at high rates. Multiple-schedule arrangements have been demonstrated to be effective for controlling rates of responding (Hanley, Iwata, & Thompson, 2001). In the current study, we extended previous research by teaching individuals to attend to naturally occurring discriminative stimuli (e.g., caregiver behavior) instead of arbitrary stimuli (e.g., picture cards). Following successful treatment with functional communication and extinction, 2 participants were taught to request attention differentially based on whether the caregiver was engaging in a variety of "busy" (e.g., talking on the phone) or "nonbusy" (e.g., reading a magazine) activities. Following training, each participant engaged in communication primarily when caregivers were engaged in nonbusy activities.


The reality today is that organizations and leaders are faced with unrelenting demands to change. Globalisation, competitiveness and ever changing business environments have forced organisations to constantly consider innovative changes. The challenge today is for leaders to be able to reduce the resistance to change, and thus allowing for successful change navigation. It is therefore necessary to be mindful of the various approaches to change in order to ensure that change can be successfully implemented. The success of any change intervention depends on the leadership of the organisation. It is therefore important to note that leadership is an enabler of any type of change. In general leadership can be seen as the driving force to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. Effective leaders know that the successful implementation of change begins with attending to the human side in the organisation. Therefore, leadership is about the leader's ability to influence people and allowing them to change perceptions, behaviours, attitudes and finally action. This paper is an attempt to address specific requirements, referring to relevant leadership competencies and providing more empowering views on the essence of leadership in navigating a successful change intervention.


A 459 bp DNA fragment was amplified from Thamnidium elegans As3.2806 with degenerate oligonucleotides primers designed based on the sequences information from the conserved histidine-rich motifs II and near III of fungal delta6-fatty acid desaturases genes by RT-PCR and sequenced. Gene specific primers designed according to this partial sequence were used for the amplification of the 3'- and 5'- end of this cDNA by RACE method, and sequence information coming from these two ends were used to design two GSPs to clone the 1504bp full-length cDNA. Sequence analysis showed this cDNA sequence had an open reading frame (ORF) of 1377bp encoding 458 amino acids of 52.4kD. The deduced amino acid sequence of the ORF showed similarity to those of the above delta6-fatty acid desaturases which comprise the characteristics of membrane-bound desaturases, including three conserved histidine-rich boxes and hydropathy profile. A cytochrome b5-like domain was observed at the N-terminus. To elucidate the function of the protein, two specific primers corresponding to the nucleotide sequences of start and stop codons were used to amplify the coding sequence. The amplified cDNA TED6 was subcloned into the expression vector pYES2.0 to generate a recombinant plasmid pYTED6, which was subsequently transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain INVScl for heterologous expression by lithium acetate method. Grown to logarithmic phase at 30 degrees C, the transformed cells were supplemented with 0.5 mmol/L Linoleic acid and induced by 2% galactose for a further 48 h of cultivation at 20 degrees C. Total fatty acids were extracted from the induced cell and subjected to methyl-esterification. The resultant fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). A novel peak corresponding to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) methyl ester standards was detected with the same retention time, which was absent in the cell transformed with empty vector. The percentage of this new fatty acid to total fatty acids was 7.5%. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of this fatty acid methyl derivative demonstrated that the novel peak was GLA methyl ester. These results showed that the coding product of this sequence exhibited the activity of converting linoleic acid (LA) to gamma-linolenic (GLA), and indicated that amino-acid sequence exhibited delta6-fatty acid desaturase activity.


Pule Pandak is a traditional plantation that have a high economic and health values. It is categorized as an endangered species, but it seems that there are lack of efforts to save the species from extinction. From those alkaloids, Reserpine is the most important alkaloids in hypertension treatment. Pule pandak is an endangered species that lives in a forest, so action to save the species must be done immediately. These research is aim to find the scientific foundation about the compatibility of grafting between R. serpentine and R. verticilata with morphological and anatomical observations. This research was conducted Ngaglik sub-district, Sleman district by using following treatments: Shading spacing were 25%, 50%, and 75%. Grafting methods: 1). Approach side grafting method and 2). Side grafting method. Succesful grafting with scores 2 – 4 treatment with bokasi menure 200 g/plant, Shading spacing were 50%, and 75%.Limited in this study can be concluded that
1. Grafting between Ruvolfia verticilata and Rauvolfia serpentina and is compatible 2. Method of side grafting is better than approach side grafting 3. Shade level that is conducive to the formation of unions is 50% - 75% with humidity levels of 80% - 90% and air temperature 28 0C - 260C 4. Up to the age of 6 months after rootstock cutting, there are inhibition of growth anddried root weight, but the levels reserpina increased


Bitumen pavements tend to crack at some point of their life under the combined action of traffic and the environment. These cracks are defects in the pavement surfacing which weakens the pavement and allows water to penetrate and cause further weakening. Once initiated, cracking usually increases in extent, severity and intensity, leading eventually to pavement failure. Cracking has therefore been an important indicator for road pavement maintenance. In view of the extensive road network in Malaysia covering more than 80,000 kilometers in total, the government has to spend huge sums of money on the repair of cracks under its annual road maintenance program. However, the resurfacing works have not always been successful and cracks tend to reappear after some time. The accurate prediction of crack occurrence and the effectiveness of resurfacing works to control cracks are key factors in predicting the timing and costs of road maintenance. In view of this, it is imperative that a suitable model for the prediction of crack development be derived. This model will then be able to predict the deterioration rate of pavement cracking in the future. It in turn will enable effective road rehabilitation programs be implemented in time before cracking deteriorates and leads to eventual pavement failure.


In this work, we report the fabrication process of nanostrutured powder using a Sol-Gel method and HfO 2 nanofilms obtained via Pulsed-Laser-Ablation and Electron-Beam Evaporation. The results of the investigation of structural properties and defects of HfO 2 nanoparticles and thin films are discussed in terms of the electric quadrupole interactions of the nuclear probe 181Ta within the sample volume measured by the perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy.


The use of Pilates-based exercises for trunk strengthening has been reported in the literature. The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the electrical activity of the rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles during a traditional abdominal exercise program and an exercise program based on the Pilates method using a ball and an elastic band. The sample was composed of 10 healthy women, non-practitioners of Pilates, who performed the traditional abdominal exercise and roll-up with the ball and elastic band. The sign was normalized by the electromyographic peak of the dynamic activity and was adjusted for 2000 samples/s; the filter was set in a frequency band from 20 to 450 Hz. In the comparison between exercises, the external oblique muscle in the concentric phase had a higher recruitment in the roll-up with the ball (P = 0.042). In the comparison between muscles in each exercise, the rectus abdominis showed a higher activation in the concentric phase (P = 0.009) and in the eccentric phase (P = 0.05) of the traditional abdominal exercise. Activation percentages ranged from 15% to 22%. The traditional abdominal exercise had the largest activation percentage.


??In this study, we measured the wind data as new and renewable energy resources and carried out the evaluation of uncertainty about these data with the authentic standards. These data collected at the 20 locations in korea. We carried out the processing and evaluation about these data with standards as ISO, GUM, and IEC. Whereby these data become standards data and the credibility are gained. These data include some information as direction, humidity, pressure, temperature, and energy density. The annual average of wind speed(inHamo) was measured as 9.5㎧, then the uncertainty was evaluated as ±0.88㎧. We judge the credibility of data by expression of reliability quantitatively. In additional, the standards data is able to approach anywhere and it will be used to support of related research and industry.


Methodological advances have allowed the isolation of two populations of synaptic (SM and SM2) and two populations of nonsynaptic (A and B) mitochondria from rat forebrain. All four populations of brain mitochondria are metabolically active and essentially free from nonmitochondrial contaminants. They (SM, SM2, A, and B) can oxidize a variety of substrates; the best substrate is pyruvate. With pyruvate as the substrate, the respiratory control ratios (i.e., state 3/state 4) in all four populations are routinely > 6. Results from numerous enzyme activity measurements provide strong support for the hypothesis that brain mitochondria are very heterogeneous with respect to their enzyme contents and that the enzymatic activities in a particular population of mitochondria, be they synaptic or nonsynaptic, differ from those in another population of mitochondria derived from either the same or another brain region. The major methodological advances in brain mitochondrial isolation greatly facilitate metabolic studies. For example, we have demonstrated that the K+ stimulation of brain mitochondrial pyruvate oxidation is mediated through a K(+)-induced elevation of the activation state of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and the K+ stimulation of the flux through the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Our previous and ongoing studies using primary cultures of hypothalamic neurons and astrocytes are consistent with the proposal that brain cells are heterogeneous with respect to their capabilities in energy metabolism. I can envisage that in the no-so-distant future, one could adapt these preparations of cells as the starting material for the isolation of mitochondria of known cellular origin for metabolic studies.


. An algorithm has been developed for modeling the parameters of microprismatic specialized plane-focusing Fresnel lenses. Such lenses are more effective for application in photovoltaic modules for concentration of sunlight compare to the traditional point-focusing Fresnel lenses. The technical parameters of photovoltaic modules with these lenses were investigated. The method for manufacturing above lenses by diamond cutting technique and subsequent thermal pressing of silicone blanks is proposed. Some samples of specialized plane-focusing microprisms, which are made using our simulation results, have been experimentally investigated.


Purpose. Meeting the personal care challenges of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) living in the community demands a reliable assessment of their abilities to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). This research investigates factors affecting the inter-rater reliability of functional assessments of CSHCN conducted in the home. Methods. Dual-standardised assessments were conducted with 236 community-dwelling CSHCN seeking or receiving Medicaid Personal Care Services (PCS) in a single state in USA. Results. Analyses revealed that assessments of CSHCN with the greatest or least amount of activity limitations exhibited the greatest agreement. The greatest disagreement occurred when assessors faced children with moderate to moderately severe activity limitations. Specific ADLs, where the greatest and least agreements occurred, varied by the level of the child's overall activity limitation. Conclusions. These results imply that the most serious challenges to the reliability of home-based assessment of ADLs among CSHCN occur in cases of children with moderate or moderately severe activity limitations.


We investigate the dominant recombination process in CZTS thin film absorber layers by time-resolved and steady state photoluminescence spectroscopy at low temperatures. We show that the emission peak at low temperatures shifts monotonically over many orders of magnitude of excitation power, which is inconsistent with electrostatic potential fluctuations causing this behavior. Time-resolved photoluminescence at 7 K shows very long emission times, which are consistent with donor-acceptor pair recombination involving acceptors densities in the mid 1017 cm-3. Spectrally resolved photoluminescence transients show a shift of the luminescence maximum to lower energies at short times after excitation, which we attribute to trapping of photoexcited carriers in defect band states.


Introduction Measurement of rapid viral response (RVR; non-detectable viral load (ND-VL) at 4/52) and early viral response (EVR; ND-VL at 12/52) allow treatment to be individually tailored. Our hepatitis C (HCV) treatment protocol ("standard"=SP) was changed in 2007, from 24/52 for genotype (GT) 2+3, 48/52 for GT1+4 (if EVR) to an "individualised" new protocol (IP): 16/52 for GT2+3 and 24/52 for GT1+4 if RVR; standard length (24 or 48/52) if full EVR; and pro-longed (48 or 72/52) if partial EVR (>2log-VL-reduction at 12/52). Methods Retrospective case note analysis of HCV patients treated between 01.01.2006–31.12.2008; n=74. 24 patients were managed according to SP, 50 according to IP. Health professionals, medication (Peg-INF-2α+Ribavirin) and dosages did not change. Primary outcome was sustained virological response (SVR) (ND-VL 6/12 after treatment end). Secondary outcome was "mean length of treatment" and "overall treatment costs". Results The two cohorts (SP/IP) were similar with regards to age (mean;42 years/44 years), sex (M;60%/50%), weight (mean;81 kg/75 kg), GT (2+3;75%/72%) and baseline VL (mean; 1×106/3×106). 80% (59/74) were pre-cirrhotic and treatment-naïve. Dropout-rates were 20% (5/24) for SP, 20% (10/50) for IP. On intention-to-treat (ITT), 50% (12/24) of SP-managed patients achieved SVR, compared with 58% (29/50) with IP (p=0.62). Per-protocol analysis (PPA) revealed 63% (12/19) SVR for SP and 70% (28/40) SVR for IP (p=0.76). The following table shows the average length of treatment and overall costs (drug estimates) according to GT and protocol (Abstract 053). Abstract PWE-053 Average treatment length and cost according to genotype and protocol Average treatment length, SVR (PPA) and costs (per patient) HCV genotype Standard protocol Individual protocol Genotype 1+4 54 weeks (SVR 60%) £32 400 37 weeks (SVR 57%) £22 200 Genotype 2+3 26 weeks (SVR 64%) £15 600 21 weeks (SVR 80%) £12 600 Conclusion The individualised treatment protocol was non-inferior to standard in achieving SVR. On average, we saved £10 200 for GT1+4 patients and £3000 for GT2+3. This equates to approximately £162 000 per year (for 30 patients treated). Those savings shall be reinvested (eg, specialist hepatitis nurse provision), which is likely to translate into reduced dropout rates and higher SVR.


Pe'er I, de Bakker PIW, Maller J, Yelensky R, Altshuler D, Daly MJ: Evaluating and improving power in whole-genome association studies using fixed marker sets. Nat. Genet. 38(6), 663–667 (2006) [1]. This study compares and contrasts three different high-density single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping platforms using data generated on the 270 HapMap samples. The differences in minor allele frequencies are evaluated, coverage across the entire genome using r2 and then the coverage of the ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements (ENCODE) regions is compared using both a single- and multi-point evaluation. All of these analyses are carried out on the three HapMap populations.


Concise assignments of the C5' stereochemistry in (+)-lepadin F and (+)-lepadin G and the absolute configuration of (+)-lepadin G via the first total syntheses of (+)-5'-epi-lepadin F, (+)-lepadin G, and (+)-5'-epi-lepadin G are described. This work represents an illustrative example in which a diastereomeric pair can possess sufficient spectroscopic difference for clear assignment despite differing only at a highly insulated acyclic stereocenter.


The diversity of information sources and the explosive growth of the Internet worldwide are compelling evidence of a need for information retrieval that can cross language boundaries. Ambiguity from failure to translate queries is one of the major causes for large drops in effectiveness below monolingual performance, for the dictionary-based method in Cross-Language Information Retrieval. In this paper, we focus on the query translation and disambiguation, to improve the effectiveness of an information retrieval and to dramatically reduce errors such an approach normally makes. A combined statistical disambiguation method both before and after translation is proposed, to avoid the problem of wrong selection of target translations. We tested the effectiveness of the proposed disambiguation method, by an application to French-English Information Retrieval. Evaluations using TREC data collection proved a great effectiveness of the proposed disambiguation method.


Face-to-face social activities are responsible for an important part of travel demand and are therefore important for transport planners to take into account. Social activities and the involved travel are likely to be influenced by the use of new information and communication technologies (ICT's), as these ICT's offer new possibilities for social interaction. Moreover, social activities and the travel for these activities can emerge from the individuals' social networks. Although international transportation researchers have recognized the relevance of social trip generation and the impacts of social networks and ICT on activity travel patterns, empirical studies on this matter are scarce. The purpose of the paper is to add to our understanding of social travel demand by analyzing the relationships between personal characteristics, properties of the built environment, social networks, ICT use and social activity-travel patterns. Using path analysis, hypotheses on these links are tested. The analyses are based on data collected in 2008 in the Eindhoven region in the Netherlands among 747 respondents, using a two-day social interaction diary and a questionnaire. The paper presents the results of the path analysis and discusses the implications of the findings for transport planning and modeling.


Peach orchards are affected annually by brown rot caused by the fungus Monilinia fructicola, leading to yield loss. The reduction of the inoculum by means of chemical treatment is one of the ways to control it. Thus, this work tested the efficiency of pre-harvest application of fungicides to control brown rot in peach crop. The experiment was conducted in a commercial orchard of Lapa – PR. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with eight treatments: check, clorotalonil (100 and 150 g 100 L -1 ), tetraconazol (75 and 100 g 100 L -1 ), thiophanate-methyl (60 and 85 g 100 L -1 ) and mancozeb (200 g 100 L -1 ) and four replications. For the evaluation at harvest, all the fruits picked in the central region of each parcel were considered, and the total number of fruit picked and the number of fruit presenting brown rot in each of the harvest dates were also evaluated. Furthermore, for each harvest date samples of 10 healthy fruit were placed in alveolus trays, kept at room temperature for 3 and 5 days, and evaluated for disease incidence. Thiophanate-methyl and tetraconazole in both dosages and clorotalonil in the highest dosage were the most effective to control brown rot in the field. The systemic products, thiophanate-methyl and tetraconazole presented the highest post-harvest residual effect.