OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The objective of the present study is to determine if decreased adiponectin and increased leptin levels are associated with the development of MetS and identifiable endothelial dysfunction in a cohort of Hispanic pre-pubertal children. To do so we propose the following aims: (1) To measure expression of adiponectin and leptin levels in a Hispanic pre-pubertal cohort and determine their correlation with features of the MetS. (2) To perform proteomic analysis in a Hispanic pre-pubertal cohort. (3) Evaluate early onset of endothelial dysfunction and its correlation with expression of adiponectin and leptin levels in a Hispanic pre-pubertal cohort. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A cross-sectional pilot study will obtain a random representative sampling of children aged 6–12 years from all geographical areas of Puerto Rico. Children will be assessed regarding pre-pubertal status through Tanner staging and later divided into pre-MetS Versus MetS groups as well as controls. MetS will include children meeting 3 or more of the current International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Pre-MetS will include children with at least 1 criterion for MetS. Anthropometric data, blood pressure readings, ultrasound-based noninvasive testing for endothelial dysfunction, and laboratory assays will be performed to the study population and data analyzed for correlation. Total adiponectin and leptin levels will be measured using a commercially available quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay test. The study will be submitted to the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus' Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval. Written consent and assent will be obtained from parents and children respectively to ensure patient anonymity. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We hypothesize that low levels of adiponectin and high levels of leptin will correlate with features of the MetS as defined by the IDF consensus statement, as well as with clinical features of MetS in undiagnosed Hispanic pre-pubertal youth. We also hypothesize that non-invasive testing of endothelial function will correlate both with clinical features of the MetS and with low levels of adinopectin and high levels of leptin. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The correlation of findings suggestive of endothelial dysfunction and biomarker expression (mainly adiponectin and leptin levels) in a pre-pubertal cohort has yet to be established and could also provide information regarding early atherogenesis in otherwise unidentified youth at risk. Therefore, by using a proteomic approach, this study aims to measure associations between clinical features of the MetS and expression of proteins associated with an adverse cardiometabolic profile in a Hispanic pre-pubertal population. We will concurrently measure the degree of endothelial dysfunction and evaluate whether a correlation exists between previously mentioned protein expression and early onset of dysfunction.


Ti-6Al-4V alloy, as a widely used orthopedic and dental implant, has excellent biocompatibility and machinability. However, its poor corrosion resistance and antibacterial property may lead to tissue inflammation and postoperative infection, which hinders its further development. In this paper, to solve the above problems, copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) ions were coimplanted into a titanium nitride (TiN) coated Ti-6Al-4V alloy via a plasma immersion ion implantation system (PIII). Then, the structure and composition of Cu/Zn coimplanted TiN (Cu/Zn-TiN-PIII) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Also, the results of the corrosion test, the water contact angles test, and the protein electrophoresis experiment showed that the corrosion resistance, hydrophilicity, and the protein adsorption capacity of Cu/Zn-TiN-PIII were improved simultaneously. In addition, compared with TiN-PIII, Cu/Zn-TiN-PIII promoted both cytocompatibility and the antibacterial property according to L929 cells and Escherichia coli assays in vitro. Therefore, Cu/Zn-TiN-PIII may be a good candidate for orthopedic implants.


Political ecology is an epistemologically plural field of social scientific research. This article seeks to contribute to mapping out the terrain, with emphasis on contributions from Latin America. This is done by sketching out two prototypical forms of political ecology: materialist and poststructuralist, and by exploring the degree to which they can be reconciled in a third form which seeks to avoid the extremes of structural determinism and absolute relativism, by taking recourse to either eclecticism or dialectics. The underlying argument is that, on the basis of ontological materialism and dialectical reasoning, a third form of political ecology can provide the epistemological foundation for illuminating research on why social environmental movements and conflicts emerge at certain historical conjunctures and in specific geographical and cultural contexts, and of how resistance movements against dispossession and the destruction of natural resources are organized and sustained.


The word Anthropocene, unknown twenty years ago, now appears in the titles of three academic journals, dozens of books, and hundreds of academic papers, not to mention innumerable articles in newspapers, magazines, websites, and blogs. There are exhibitions about art in the Anthropocene, conferences about the humanities in the Anthropocene, and novels about love in the Anthropocene. There is even a heavy metal album called The Anthropocene Extinction. Rarely has a scientific term moved so quickly into wide acceptance and general use.… Behind what might appear to be just a trendy buzzword are important scientific discussions that have radical implications for the future of life on Earth.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


xtregbn estimates Balestra-Nerlove Random-Effects Panel Data with Ridge and Weighted Regression and calculate Panel Heteroscedasticity, Model Selection Diagnostic Criteria, and Marginal Effects and Elasticities.


This research study is aimed to propose strategies to enhance characters of students in schools under The Foundation of the Church of Christ in Thailand. The researcher used descriptive research through mixed methods. The qualitative information and data are gathered from in-depth interviews, a group interviews, observation, and document study in 14 schools. Research instruments include in-depth interviews, a group interview, and observation from. The analysis is based informative scrutiny by using content analysis technique. The qualitative information is gathered from 1,198 questionnaires in 25 schools. The collected data are analyzed in terms of frequency, averages, and standard deviations. The strategies are generated from TOWS Matrix by experts in strategic planning, educational management, Christian ethics, children's life skills, child and youth psychology, and school principals. Finally, seventeen people, including experts, educators, school principals and staff who are in charge of strategies implementation evaluated the feasibility and suitability of the derived strategies. The research results show that good characters of students can be divided into four areas: the self, the relationships, the society and the environment. Research had found that external and internal environments affecting the environment of students' good characters are presented in four dimensions based on SWOT analysis, namely strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The highest average mean of each dimension is described as follows: The strength is that the school administrators have high leadership qualities and a determination to enhance students' good characters. As for the weakness, the teachers' overloaded documentation and other works diminish the time available to closely monitor and look all the students. The opportunity is based on the good reputation of the schools. However, one of the biggest that building and enhancing the students' good characters is the increasingly globalized fashions and trends, them to disregard principles of the sufficiency economy and their own national identity. The researcher has thus concluded there are 6 strategies in enhancing the good characters of the students in schools in schools under the Foundation of the Church of Christ in Thailand. These strategies are: 1. To enhance the strength of the Christian mission in order to become the core base that implants good characters in students; 2. To strengthen teachers and school members' existing capabilities by pooling together their strengths, skills, knowledge, devotion and commitment to enhance the students' good characters of the students, allowing them to interact with other students and the local community; 4. To develop the learning processes to support and maintain students' good characters; 5. To improve management qualities of the school and teachers, which will strengthen the students' characters; and finally, 6. To synergize the family, community and related organizations outside the school as a way of enhancing the students' good characters.


Background Return to pre-stroke life is of great importance to stroke survivors, their families and communities as stroke affects their ability to perform activities of daily living. It is therefore important to understand the impact of stroke rehabilitation on the community life of stroke survivors in Ghana as there are limited data. Objectives Our study aimed to explore and describe the views of stroke survivors on the impact of stroke rehabilitation on their community life. Method A descriptive qualitative study was conducted among 15 stroke survivors recruited from three selected hospitals in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis and this gave rise to several themes. Results The authors found that stroke left most of the survivors with functional limitations and they required various degrees of assistance to perform their activities of daily living. As the stroke survivors received rehabilitation, most of them mentioned improvements in function. However, most participants were still unable to return to work and enjoy social or leisure activities. Conclusion Our study shows that attention needs to be given to the occupational and social management in rehabilitation as much as it is given to the physical management, to improve community integration post-stroke. Clinical implications Our study highlights the need to take into consideration the occupational and social aspects of life as part of the rehabilitation process for stroke survivors.


Clinics are one of the sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinics are one of the sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. From the clinic that became the object of research, the number of customers in several polyclinics such as the dental poly and Maternal and Child Health poly fell by 50%. This is because the change in customer habits to visit clinics and clinics is one of the places to be avoided during the pandemic. The role of clinics as the front line in handling COVID-19 and people's fear of visiting clinics are things that must be balanced to improve the quality of health clinic services. This study uses Makara UI clinic in Indonesia, Depok which provides services for general poly, dental poly, Maternal and Child Health poly, counseling poly, pharmacy, laboratory and COVID-19 services such as vaccination and SWAB Antigen/PCR tests. This study uses the Integration of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and quality function deployment (QFD) methods to evaluate and improve services at a health clinic. AHP is used to obtain consumer preferences for clinical services mathematically. QFD is used to determine corrective actions and service targets according to patient needs. From the literature study and expert validation, there were 5 primary factors and 14 secondary factors that became customer needs. These factors and subfactors were assessed by weighting using pairwise comparison. Based on these factors and ratings, this is the target for evaluating and improving services.


In this essay (a revision of my contribution at the closing session of the Imaginaries of the Future Leverhulme Network held in London in September 2017), I offer a situated commentary (by 'me') on 'ourselves' (and I know that category has to be deconstructed, complicated, exploded, erased, and yet retained) as utopians and on the work 'we' do, and can do (for this was a utopian conference). I begin with a reflection on the current mobilization of the term dystopia as a signifier for our times, and as I do so I offer a counterpoint to the ideological appropriation of dystopia by way of my own argument in Scraps of the Untainted Sky (Westview 2000) for the militant pessimism of the critical dystopia. I then comment on several interrelated matters: the role of the utopian as scholar and as intellectual; the context and import of our work, in the academy and in the world; the utopian problematic (in its inclusion of the utopian object of study and utopia as method); and the necessity, indeed urgency, of 'our' work in these critical times. My aim is tease out the utopian surplus within the utopian formation.


Studies in animal models suggest that the integrin adhesion protein VLA-4 may play an important role in lymphopoiesis. The relationship between cell adhesion and lymphopoiesis in humans has been difficult to study because of the relative rarity and stringent in vitro growth requirements of lymphoid progenitors from normal adult human bone marrow. To determine the functional significance of VLA-4-mediated adhesion in human lymphopoiesis, we developed a culture system in which a bone marrow-derived adherent layer supports the formation of colonies of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-positive lymphoid precursor cells from normal adult human bone marrow. Limiting dilution studies were consistent with clonal origin of these colonies. CFU-TdT were enriched in the CD34+ bone marrow fraction, consistent with CD34 expression by other hematopoietic progenitors. CD34 expression and lack of lineage-specific markers in a significant proportion of the TdT+ colony cells suggest that the TdT+ CFU may represent an uncommitted lymphoid progenitor cell. Development of TdT+ colonies required direct contact with the adherent layer and was significantly inhibited by specific anti-VLA-4 alpha chain antibody, suggesting a functional role for the previously reported VLA-4-dependent adhesion of human B cell precursors to bone marrow-derived fibroblasts.


The Land Use Act of Nigeria, first enacted in 1978 was intended to simplify and standardise land administration systems across the country. It vested the authority to plan, assign and approve certificates of land ownership in the state governors, and all non-urban land in the local governments. However, the Act failed to establish the standards of designating a location as 'urban' or 'rural' and it also failed to incorporate biodiversity conservation and environmental standards. Undertaking desk reviews of previous studies, this research aimed to analyse the causes of corruption and the ineffective strategies in land-resource management and indicated the benefits of instituting modern reforms across that would mitigate corrupt practices and ensure efficiency in land administration and tenure governance using frameworks such as the World Bank's Land  Governance Assessment Framework and the Food and Agricultural Organisation's Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests .


The phenomenon of closure is one of the most important phenomena that have been linked to the deeper understanding of fatigue cracks. Various methods have been employed to model the plastic zone around the crack tip which appears to give rise to the closure phenomena. In this thesis, our goal is to model the plastic region near the crack tip by using a suitable adaptation of an Eshelby inclusion. To do this, the first task is to translate Eshelby's solution in terms of Muskhelishvili's complex potential functions for 2D elasticity and then solve these equations for a suitable shape of plastic inclusion. In this thesis, we have concentrated only on the case where the inclusion is a disc in front of the crack just touching the crack tip.


The article considers the tasks of intellectual support for decision support in relation to a complex technological object. The relevance is determined by a high level of responsibility, together with a variety of possible situations at a complex technological facility. The authors consider case-based reasoning (CBR) as a method for decision support. For a complex technological object, the problem defined is the uniqueness of the situations, which is determined by a variety of elements and the possible environmental influence. This problem complicates the implementation of CBR, especially the stages of comparing situations and a further selection of the most similar situation from the database. As a solution to this problem, the authors consider the use of neural networks. The work examines two neural network architectures. The first part of the research presents a neural network model that builds upon the multilayer perceptron. The second part considers the "Comparator-Adder" architecture. Experiments have shown that the proposed neural network architecture "Comparator-Adder" showed higher accuracy than the multilayer perceptron for the considered tasks of comparing situations. The results have a high level of generalization and can be used for decision support in various subject areas and systems where complex technological objects arise.


Many of the contributors to this volume suggest in their studies that exogenous environmental change in the economic system finds its way into the housing market. Measurement of the impact of that change on the housing market provides useful information on the nature of the change; and, in particular cases, this information may be all that we have for evaluation of alternative public policies. The majority of the studies deal with the need to develop general equilibrium models for interpretation and measurement of the property value reaction (the terms "property" and "housing" are used synonymously). This ability is required if we are to discern from the morass of all the conflicting effects of simultaneous determinants of property values the rather minute effect of a single incremental change. Only then can cross-sectional modeling (which has the data simplicity of dealing with only a single point in time) be satisfactory. Most of the studies dealing with general equilibrium do, in fact, utilize the cross-sectional methodology as a basis for empirical technique


As a main objective, this paper aims at discussing relevant aspects in the epopee of accounting evolution through several historical stages, from a simple method of bookkeeping based on double entry until its ripening as a social science with a strong economic basis. Some views and approaches to the concept of accounting will be revisited, as well as theories and the historical circumstances and other factors that may explain accounting as a genuine social science. In the more advanced interpretation of our discipline, the scientific quality of accounting should be searched preferentially in a series of characteristics, such as, for example: the understanding and measuring of equity elements; the preponderant application of economic value rather than simple costs or prices; the predictive power of financial statements; the introduction of the risk factor and time value of money in accounting evaluations, as well as the consideration of imputed costs and of opportunity costs. The relevance of accounting stems from the observation of the above-mentioned key issues as well as by the incorporation of the prevalence of essence over form into its conceptual framework, in the field of socially applied knowledge area of an economic-financial nature, with ramifications in the areas of productivity, environment protection and social responsibility, with necessary quantitative features as to its mechanics of functioning. It is evident that, for research purposes and to enhance certain dimensions, accounting may be studied under a variety of approaches, such as the ethical, the macroeconomic, the institutional and social, the behavioral, the systemic and the historical, among others, but accounting is much more than any of its particular approaches. Finally, one subsidiary objective of this paper is to help trying to answer, at least partially, on the question which addresses to almost an enigma: after all, what is accounting?


Periodontal disease is an infectious and inflammatory disease with a high incidence in the global population and an extremely complex etiopathogenesis. Osteoporosis is one of the systemic diseases that can affect the integrity of periodontal tissues. Osteoporosis, as a skeletal disease, causes a reduction in bone mass and microarchitectural changes in the bone. Discussions about the connection between the two diseases affecting the bone began in 1960, but, contrary to the high number of studies, discoveries are still being made regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms that link the two diseases. The chapter proposes a systematized description of data on the influence of osteoporotic disease on the periodontal structures, therapeutic methods to address the patient with periodontal disease and osteoporosis and data on the potential influence of conventional and adjunctive periodontal treatment on systemic parameters in patients with osteoporosis.


BUILD-IT is a planning tool based on computer vision technology, supporting complex planning and composition tasks. A group of people, seated around a table, interact with objects in a virtual scene using real bricks. A plan view of the scene is projected onto the table, where object manipulation takes place. A perspective view is projected on the wall. The views are set by virtual cameras, having spatial attributes like shift, rotation and zoom. However, planar interaction with bricks provides only position and rotation information. This paper explores two alternative methods to bridge the gap between planar interaction and three-dimensional navigation.


The objective of this study was to determine the impact of livestock grazing management systems on soil and vegetation dynamics under different environmental conditions of Botswana. Soil and vegetation were randomly sampled along transects located in three ranches and adjacent communal grazing land in 2009 and 2010. Our results showed that grazing management systems did not consistently affect soil texture, organic carbon, pH and bulk density. The soil characteristics such as soil carbon and clay content were strongly associated with variation in rainfall, and contributed to improved rangeland condition characterised by high herbaceous biomass and low bush encroachment. Livestock grazing management systems do not impact soil and vegetation properties differently as indicators of degradation are observed in both grazing systems. Thus, there is a need to develop a sustainable land management model that will improve soil carbon, increase herbaceous biomass and generally improve the condition of rangelands in Botswana.


Fasciola hepatica and Ostertagia ostertagi are internal parasites of cattle compromising physiology, productivity, and well-being. Parasites are complex in their effect on hosts, sometimes making it difficult to identify clear directions of associations between infection and production parameters. Therefore, unsupervised approaches not assuming a structure reduce the risk of introducing bias to the analysis. They may provide insights which cannot be obtained with conventional, supervised methodology. An unsupervised, exploratory cluster analysis approach using the k–mode algorithm and partitioning around medoids detected two distinct clusters in a cross-sectional data set of milk yield, milk fat content, milk protein content as well as F. hepatica or O. ostertagi bulk tank milk antibody status from 606 dairy farms in three structurally different dairying regions in Germany. Parasite–positive farms grouped together with their respective production parameters to form separate clusters. A random forests algorithm characterised clusters with regard to external variables. Across all study regions, co–infections with F. hepatica or O. ostertagi, respectively, farming type, and pasture access appeared to be the most important factors discriminating clusters (i.e. farms). Furthermore, farm level lameness prevalence, herd size, BCS, stage of lactation, and somatic cell count were relevant criteria distinguishing clusters. This study is among the first to apply a cluster analysis approach in this context and potentially the first to implement a k–medoids algorithm and partitioning around medoids in the veterinary field. The results demonstrated that biologically relevant patterns of parasite status and milk parameters exist between farms positive for F. hepatica or O. ostertagi, respectively, and negative farms. Moreover, the machine learning approach confirmed results of previous work and shed further light on the complex setting of associations a between parasitic diseases, milk yield and milk constituents, and management practices.


26 patients out of 48 (54%) with an advanced ovarian carcinoma (III and IV degree) treated in the first stage by means of Adriablastine, Cisplatin and Cyclophosphamide responded to the therapy. Complete remission was achieved in 24 patients (50%), and partial remission (PR) only in 2 patients. Four patients with CR in III degree agreed to another operation. These have lived 60, 40, 40 and 36 months after the surgery. The authors achieved significantly statistically better results of the therapy by means of the procedure presented in comparison with the effectiveness of two-drug chemotherapy without applying Cisplatin.


The effects of X-rays on cell survival, apoptosis, and long-term response in the development of cell death as measured by the dye exclusion test were studied in human leukemic MOLT-4 cells (p53 wild-type) stably transfected with a mutant p53 cDNA expression vector. Cell survival, as determined from colony-forming ability, was increased in an expression level dependent manner, but the increase was partial even with the highest-expressing clone (B3). This contrasts with the prior observation that cell death and apoptosis in B3 are completely inhibited at 24 h after irradiation with 1.8 Gy of X-rays. The examination of B3 cells incubated for longer than 24 h after X-irradiation showed a delay in the induction of cell death and apoptosis. Western blot analysis revealed that the time required to reach the highest level of wild-type p53 protein in B3 was longer than the time in MOLT-4 and that the p53 may be stabilized by the phosphorylation at Ser-15. These results suggest that the introduction of mutant p53 into MOLT-4 merely delays the development of apoptosis, during which the cells could repair the damage induced by X-rays, and results in the partial increase in cell survival.


Background:
Stature prediction formulas provide a method of preliminary identification of dead individuals from their skeletal remains. No such formula has been reported for indigenous Nigerian populations.

Materials and Method:
Twenty-five adult male cadavers with Nigerian identities were used to evaluate the relationship between stature and the length of the second and third metacarpal bones of both hands. Measurement of crown-heel length of each of the 25 cadavers in supine position was made and recorded in centimetres to the nearest 0.5cm as stature. Stature was adjusted for cadaver length by subtracting 2cm from each cadaver length. The second and third metacarpal bones were harvested from both hands of each cadaver. The midline length of each metacarpal bone was measured with a Helios dial calliper and recorded to the nearest tenth of a millimetre. Correlation and regression analysis were applied to determine the relationships.

Results:
Best association was noted with the right third metacarpal bone length (r2 = 0.502 P>0.001) and the equation that best predicted stature was a quadratic equation based on the length of this bone.

Conclusion:
A model stature prediction formula is hereby presented for validation in indigenous adult male Nigerians. This formula would be very useful in forensic research.

 Keywords : Forensic Sciences, Archaeology, Stature, Metacarpal Bone, Cadavers Orient Journal of Medicine Vol. 19 (1-4) 2007: pp. 1-4


Machine learning techniques are powerful predictive tools that continue to gain prominence with increasingly available computational power. Engineering design professionals often view machine learning tools through a skeptical lens due to their perceived detachment from the underlying physics. Machine learning tools, such as artificial neural networks and regression models, are fueled by training data, obtained either analytically or through physical collection, the use of such surrogate models introduces an additional source of uncertainty. Sources of uncertainty associated with machine learning models can originate from the collected data or from the training process itself. Validation and verification methods are especially important for machine learning applications due to their perceived disconnect from underlying physics, sensitivity to data accumulation uncertainties, and potential for under or over training the model itself. Despite all of these potential pitfalls, sufficient testing of machine learning models against segregated testing data and use of regularization tools to diagnose overfitting is not always employed by industry practioners. This paper will illustrate the use of topological data analysis (TDA), specifically persistent homology, a subset of algebraic topology, as an alternative means to achieve generalization of a predictive manifold produced through a machine learning model. Persistent homology will be used to seek out and identify the most meaningful and connected components within the data that forms the predicted manifold, with less connected components treated as noise to be disregarded. Therefore, the uncertainties associated with overfitting can be limited. The proposed method will be demonstrated through its application to a simple single-degree-of-freedom structural system to demonstrate its effectiveness in generalizing the resulting manifold and limiting the associated uncertainty.


Abstract Background and study aims Although new image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE) technologies such as blue laser imaging (BLI), BLI-bright, and linked color imaging (LCI) have been developed, their utility for the detection of sessile serrated adenoma/polyps (SSA/Ps) is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of BLI, BLI-bright, and LCI for SSA/P detection in still image examinations and in a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT). Patients and methods A group of 6 expert and non-expert endoscopists read 200 endoscopic still images containing SSA/P lesions using white light image (WLI), BLI, BLI-bright, and LCI. Color differences were calculated using the color space method. A prospective RCT of tandem colonoscopy with WLI and LCI was performed. Patients with SSA/P and those with a history of SSA/P that had been endoscopically removed were enrolled and randomly allocated to WLI-LCI or LCI-WLI groups. Additional endoscopic detection rates for SSA/P were compared between the 2 groups. Results LCI showed the highest SSA/P detection rate among the 4 modes for both expert and non-expert endoscopists. The detection rate with LCI for the 6 expert endoscopists (mean 98.3 ± standard deviation 2.0 %) was significantly higher than that with WLI (86.7 ± 6.0 %, P < 0.01). Likewise, the detection rate with LCI for the 6 non-expert endoscopists (92.3 ± 2.9 %) was significantly higher than that with WLI (72.7 ± 11.5 %, P < 0.01). The color difference of SSA/P with LCI was the highest among the 4 modes, and was significantly higher than with WLI (median 15.9, (interquartile range 13.7 – 20.6) vs. 10.2, (7.6 – 14.2); P < 0.0001). In the RCT, a total of 44 patients (WLI-LCI 22 vs. LCI-WLI 22) underwent colonoscopy. The additional detection rate for SSA/P in the second inspection in the WLI-LCI group (21.6 %, 8/37) was significantly higher than in the LCI-WLI group (3.2 %, 1/31; P = 0.02). The small, flat, non-mucus and isochromatic SSA/Ps in the transverse colon were detected more frequently in the second inspection with LCI. Conclusions LCI was the most sensitive mode for SSA/P detection among WLI, BLI, BLI-bright, and LCI in the still image examinations. Our RCT strongly suggests that LCI is superior to conventional WLI for SSA/P detection during colonoscopy. UMIN000017599.


A protocol is outlined that represents a multidisciplinary approach to investigations of problem buildings and building-associated illness. The protocol includes methods to obtain background information on a problem and to conduct the initial site visit. The initial visit often leads to a more extensive medical investigation and environmental evaluation, as covered in this paper. The protocol also describes how the results of medical and environmental evaluations might best be analyzed to make ways to correct problems.


The amino acid residues on a protein surface play a key role in interaction with other molecules, determined many physical properties, and constrain the structure of the folded protein. A database of monomeric protein crystal structures was used to teach computer-simulated neural networks rules for predicting surface exposure from local sequence. These trained networks are able to correctly predict surface exposure for 72% of residues in a testing set using a binary model, (buried/exposed) and for 54% of residues using a ternary model (buried/intermediate/exposed). In the ternary model, only 11% of the exposed residues are predicted as buried and only 5% of the buried residues are predicted as exposed. Also, since the networks are able to predict exposure with a quantitative confidence estimate, it is possible to assign exposure for over half of the residues in a binary model with greater than 80% accuracy. Even more accurate predictions are obtained by making a consensus prediction of exposure for a homologous family. The effect of the local environment of an amino acid on its accessibility, though smaller than expected, is significant and accounts for the higher success rate of prediction than obtained with previously used criteria. In the absence of a three-dimensional structure, the ability to predict surface accessibility of amino acids directly from the sequence is a valuable tool in choosing sites of chemical modification or specific mutations and in studies of molecular interaction.


This paper presents results obtained in an investigation of the ground-water resources of the Platte River Valley that is being conducted in cooperation between the Conservation and Survey Department of the University of Nebraska and the United States Geological Survey.

Most quantitative ground-water studies are concerned with the amount of water that percolates into the discharge-area of an investigated region from the recharge-area in order to determine the amount of water that can be safely withdrawn from the discharge-area without an excessive lowering of the ground-water level. D'Arcy found that the quantity of water discharged through a column of water-bearing material was proportional t o the hydraulic gradient, the cross-sectional area, and a constant which depends upon the material. If these three factors are known, the discharge through any cross section of a water-bearing formation may be computed.


Vitamin B6 (vitB6) serves as an essential cofactor for more than 140 enzymes. Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), active cofactor form of vitB6, can be photolytically destroyed by trace amounts of ultraviolet-B (UV-B). How sun-exposed organisms cope with PLP photosensitivity and modulate vitB6 homeostasis is currently unknown. We previously reported on two Arabidopsis mutants, rus1 and rus2, that are hypersensitive to trace amounts of UV-B light. We performed mutagenesis screens for second-site suppressors of the rus mutant phenotype and identified mutations in the ASPARTATE AMINOTRANSFERASE2 (ASP2) gene. ASP2 encodes for cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase (AAT), a PLP-dependent enzyme that plays a key role in carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Genetic analyses have shown that specific amino acid substitutions in ASP2 override the phenotypes of rus1 and rus2 single mutants as well as rus1 rus2 double mutant. These substitutions, all shown to reside at specific positions in the PLP-binding pocket, resulted in no PLP binding. Additional asp2 mutants that abolish AAT enzymatic activity, but which alter amino acids outside of the PLP-binding pocket, fail to suppress the rus phenotype. Furthermore, exogenously adding vitB6 in growth media can rescue both rus1 and rus2. Our data suggest that AAT plays a role in vitB6 homeostasis in Arabidopsis.


WiMAX Technology is also one of the emerging wireless technology that provides us high speed mobile data and telecommunication services. It provided several services such as data, voice, and video including different classes of Quality of Services (QoS), which in turn were defined by IEEE 802.16 standard. Scheduling in WiMAX became one of the most challenging issues, since it was responsible for distributing available resources of the network among all users; this leaded to the demand of constructing and designing high efficient scheduling algorithms in order to improve the network utilization, to increase the network throughput, and to minimize the end-toend delay. In this paper, I have presented a brief study to measure the performance of several scheduling algorithms in WiMAX, which were Strict Priority algorithm (SP), Round-Robin (RR), Weighted Round Robin (WRR), Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) and Self-Clocked Fair (SCF).


OBJECTIVE
To observe the apoptosis of human vascular smooth muscle cells (HVSMCs) transfected with p21 gene and investigate its potential mechanism.

METHODS
An adenoviral expression vector with full-length cDNA of p21 gene insert (Ad-p21) was constructed and transfected into HVSMC. A mock vector, pAdeno-X-lac Z constructed with the same method, was transfected into HVSMCs as control. Western blotting and DS-PAGE were used to detect the expression of p21 gene. Fluorescence staining was used to observe the changes in nuclei of apoptotic cells and calculate the cell survival rate. Expression of tissue transglutaminase (tTG) in HVSMC was examined by DIG-marked probe.

RESULTS
Fluorescence staining showed marked fragmentation of nucleus and pyknosis of chromatin in pAdeno-X-p21 transfected cells. The expression of tTG was at a higher level in pAdeno-X-p21 transfected cells than in normal cells and pAdeno-X-lac transfected HVSMCs.

CONCLUSION
Overexpression of p21 gene inhibits the proliferation of HVSMC through apoptosis induced by p21 which may relate with overexpression of tTG.


OBJECTIVE
To determine prevalence of HIV infection and risk behaviors in commercial sex workers (CSWs), drug users, and prisoners in Sindh, Pakistan.

METHODS
A medical clinic was established in a "red-light" district of Karachi. Eighty-one CSWs who registered at the clinic between November 1993 and June 1994 were provided HIV counseling and testing and administered a risk factor questionnaire. Next, 316 male drug users were tested for HIV-1 antibody from April to July 1994. Finally, a voluntary serosurvey of HIV-1 and HIV-2 and risk behaviors of 3525 prisoners in Sindh was conducted between July 1994 and December 1994. Abbott Recombinant HIV third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmatory testing with Western blot analysis were used in all three groups.

RESULTS
None of 81 CSWs tested for HIV-1 antibody were positive. None of 316 drug users tested positive for HIV-1 antibody. Of 3441 male prisoners, 1 was HIV-1 infected, and of 84 female prisoners, 1 was HIV-1 infected. No prisoner was positive for HIV-2 antibody.

DISCUSSION
The prevalence of HIV in CSWs, drug users, and prisoners in Sindh is low at present. Intervention programs implemented at this stage can make an impact in HIV prevention.


Aim: This study was undertaken to determine the sero-epidemiological information and associated risk factors, of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) among dromedaries in Sub-sahelian region.
Study Design: Cross sectional epidemiological survey.
Place and Duration: The study was carried out in three countries of West Africa (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger), over a two month period from February to March 2015.
Methodology: A total of 133 serum samples collected from dromedaries (Camelus dromedarius) were examined for the detection of anti-DcHEV total antibody by a mammals targeted ELISA kit (ID vet, France), using a multispecies conjugate.
Results: Eleven of the 133 (8.33%; 95%CI [3.6 – 13.0]) dromedaries were positive for anti-DcHEV antibodies. Positive cases had a random geographic distribution (p˃0.05) and all seropositive dromedaries were in close contact with other domestic animals.
Conclusion: This study highlight the circulation of HEV in West African mammals and specifically in dromedaries. This is the first study reporting HEV circulation in dromedaries in West Africa. Further studies is needed to identify the HEV genotype involved in the dromedary camel infection, and evaluation of potential transmission to dromedary's care keepers.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the correlation between periodic limb movement index (PLMI) and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), apnea index (AI), hypopnea index (HI) and lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO₂) in sixty-four children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).

METHODS
Between March 2008 and May 2009, sixty-four children suspected of OSAHS underwent overnight polysomnogram monitoring in our medicine sleep center. OSAHS was diagnosed according to the general criterion. Sixty-four children were divided into two groups. Thirty children were diagnosed as OSAHS and 34 children were diagnosed as primary snoring (PS, 32 children) or upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS, 2 children). The difference of PLMI and periodic limb movement index during sleep associated with arousals (PLMI-arousal) were compared between the two groups. Besides this, the correlation between PLMI, periodic limb movement index during sleep associated with arousals and AHI, AI, HI and LSaO₂ were also analyzed in all SDB children. Furthermore, all SDB children were divided into two groups according to PLMI (< 5 events/h vs ≥ 5 events/h). AHI, AI, HI, LSaO₂ and sleep structure were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS
(1) The difference of PLMI and PLMI-arousal between the children with OSAHS and children with other SDB types (PS and UARS) were not significant (z value, -1.279, -1.490; P value, 0.201, 0.136, respectively). (2) The increased sleep stage I was significant as being compared between the two groups (< 5 events/h vs ≥ 5 events/h, t = -2.16, P < 0.05). However, other sleep stages and sleep efficiency were not significantly different (P value, all > 0.05). (3) The difference of HI, AI, AHI, arousals index (ArI) and LSaO₂ were not significant between the two groups (< 5 events/h vs ≥ 5 events/h, P value, all > 0.05). (4) PLMI and PLMI-arousal were not correlated with AHI, HI, AI, AHI and LSaO₂ (Spearman rank correlation analysis).

CONCLUSIONS
PLMS may be independent of SDB and PLMS had a little influence on sleep structure.


Maggot meal produced from maggots grown on a mixture of cattle blood and wheat bran was used in substituting fish meal in African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, diet. A feeding trial was carried out for a period of ten weeks to evaluate the growth and nutrient utilization of catfish juveniles using diets in which fish meal was substituted with maggot meal at the following levels, 0, 50, and 100 %. Proximate and amino acid analyses of the maggot meal were carried out. Also the proximate composition of the test diets was determined. The results showed that maggot meal has 92.7% dry matter, 47.6% crude protein, 25.3% fat, 7.5% crude fiber, 6.25% ash, and an amino acid profile comparable to fish meal. Maggot meal-based diets compared favourably with fish meal-based diets as there were no significant differences in the growth and nutrient utilization indices (weight gain, length gain, daily growth rate, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio). It is concluded that maggot meal is a viable alternative protein source to fish meal in the diet of African catfish. Its utilization is expected to reduce feed cost drastically, thus leading to a viable and sustainable aquaculture industry.


We address the following two questions regarding the maximal left ideals of the Banach algebra B(E) of bounded operators acting on an infinite-dimensional Banach space E: (I) Does B(E) always contain a maximal left ideal which is not finitely generated? (II) Is every finitely-generated, maximal left ideal of B(E) necessarily of the form {T in B(E) : Tx = 0} for some non-zero x in E? Since the two-sided ideal F(E) of finite-rank operators is not contained in any of the maximal left ideals described in (II), a positive answer to the second question would imply a positive answer to the first. Our main results are: (i) Question (I) has a positive answer for most (possibly all) infinite-dimensional Banach spaces; (ii) Question (II) has a positive answer if and only if no finitely-generated, maximal left ideal of B(E) contains FE(); (iii) the answer to Question (II) is positive for many, but not all, Banach spaces.


Abstract : The Oslo prospects for a new dawn of economic, social and cultural friendship in the Middle East never came true. Instead, in the post-Cold War era the Middle East region became more complicated and it is rapidly sorting itself into new regional power blocs. Turkey and Israel, two countries that in many ways are natural partners, constitute the core of the first and most powerful one. The thesis will argue that the expanded Turkish-Israeli military relations has affected decisively the balance of interests within the region, as well as the context of strategic relations in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. The incentives and motivations that have driven both countries to realize security%operation with each other can be detected and justified by the historical and geographic context in which both countries find themselves, as well as theft relations with their regional neighbors. However these factors have also created stumbling blocks to their cooperation. Furthermore, it would be not an exaggeration to counter such cooperation as the outrider of NATO's enlargement in the area, or a strong incentive for Turkey's acceptance from the E.U. Nevertheless, the alliance's prospects for the future are definitely good.


Sustainable agriculture is a holistic approach to produce food, fiber, feed and fuel in a way that does not damage the environment and also must meet the needs of the present and future population of the world, while considering agro-ecosystem health, social and economic equity and profitability. Therefore, the sustainable agriculture cannot be isolated from the concept of sustainable development in any country or region. The current survey was conducted in order to study the sustainability of agricultural systems in Golestan Province in the north of Iran during the period of 2002-2011. The required data were obtained from formal statistical database. The total numerical value of sustainability was calculated for individual years using 21 different indexes. Because of the diverse nature of the selected indexes and their wide range, they were normalized to facilitate their comparison. The results show that the agricultural sustainability has been increased significantly over the studied period. The lowest value of sustainability was observed in the first year of the studied period (i.e., 2002) but the highest value was calculated for 2009 and thereafter the sustainability of agro-ecosystem has decreased slightly. The improvement of sustainability could be attributed to the application of less chemical inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers, higher water and nitrogen use efficiencies, higher yield of different crops, especially dry land crops and the higher cultivation area of nitrogen fixing species.


The presentation gave an overview of the topic, the aims and the task allocation of the M-ERA.NET founded project named "Nanohype".
In this project four research teams working hand in hand on computational modeling, synthesis and experimental validation to design novel metal-shelled Upconversion-NP combining plasmonic interactions.
As Ph.D. student at the BAM I am responsible for the optical characterization (measurements of lifetimes, Quantum Yields and PL emissions ) of these promising novel systems.


Computer-generated holography is an emerging technology for stimulation of neuronal populations with light patterns. A holographic photo-stimulation system may be designed as a powerful research tool or a compact neural interface medical device, such as an optical retinal prosthesis. We present here an overview of the main design issues including the choice of holographic device, field-of-view, resolution, physical size, generation of two- and three-dimensional patterns and their diffraction efficiency, choice of algorithms and computational effort. The performance and characteristics of a holographic pattern stimulation system with kHz frame rates are demonstrated using experimental recordings from isolated retinas.


The importance of intention reading for communication has already been emphasized many years ago by Paul Grice. More recently, the rich debate on "theory of mind" has convinced many that intention reading may in fact play a key role also in current, cognitively oriented theories of pragmatics: Relevance Theory is a case in point. On a close analysis, however, it is far from clear that RT may really accommodate the idea that intention reading drives comprehension. Here I examine RT's difficulties with that idea, and propose a framework where intention reading is actually assigned a significant role. This framework is compatible with RT's account of a unified, automatic mechanism of interpretation in lexical pragmatics, to the extent that the account shares many features of associative and constraint-based explanations of other linguistic phenomena. In fact, my suggestion is that our sensitivity to others' intentions depends crucially on the availability of specific patterns of intentional behaviour grounded in social regularities. In other words, intention reading would be just a case, though a very special one, of pattern recognition.


The article studies such phenomenon of mass communication as the language of advertisement. The author gives definitions to such concepts as the "language of advertisement", "text of advertisement", and makes an attempt to differentiate between these concepts. The article presents a review of Russian and translated foreign literature researching this issue, outlines scientific areas which study advertising. The article describes basic characteristics peculiar for advertisement texts: both linguistic and extra-linguistic. It considers functional characteristics of advertisement text, goals for its creation, and the mission it has – to influence a consumer using various psychological, linguistic, visual (graphic) and other means. The language of advertisement is considered as a specific linguistic structure that develops according to its on laws, breaking sometimes standard norms to emphasize influence on the addressee because it pursues its own non-linguistic objectives. The main communicative aim of an advertisement is to force the consumer to choose the products, goods or services advertised. The article tells about specifics of advertising texts which consists of using both verbal and non-verbal elements regardless of the type of advertisement. Linguistic peculiarities of advertisement texts are studied in the article. The author distinguishes a number of linguistic means used in creation of an advertisement that are grouped as phonetic, lexical, syntactic, morphological, stylistic and the other. The main consideration is given to the use of stylistic and lexical linguistic means. In particular, the paper gives examples of using such linguistic means in advertisements as metaphor, hyperbola, personification, repetition, idiomatic expressions, neologism, jargon, etc.


Avoidance is typically adaptive given it prevents threat. However, avoidance becomes maladaptive when it is executed out of proportion of threat (i.e., excessive or insufficient avoidance), persists in the absence of threat, or excessively generalizes to other innocuous situations. Although there has been an increase in research in these different processes of maladaptive avoidance, the role of inter-individual differences in these avoidance processes receives less research attention, despite its theoretical and clinical importance. In this systematic review, we summarized the role of inter-individual traits that relate to risk or resilient factors for anxiety-related disorders, trauma-and stressor-related disorders, obsessive-compulsive related disorders, pain related disorders, eating-related disorders, and affective disorders. A majority of the inter-individual differences had an apparent mixed or null effect on the different processes of avoidance. We discussed this lack of evidence of inter-individual differences on avoidance due to a lack of methodological and/or analytical consensus in the field, in addition to a lack of integration of recent findings into existing theories. Recommendations for future research are discussed, with a focus on examining the conditions or experimental parameters for certain inter-individual traits to manifest their effects on avoidance, identifying the nuances of methodological and/or inter-individual differences in avoidance, and a call for integrating recent preliminary findings into existing theories.


Three kinds of highly compact 2 × 2 couplers based on silicon nanowire are designed and optimized for the array waveguide grating (AWG) demodulation integration microsystem in this paper. These couplers are directional (X) coupler, cross gap coupler (CGC), and multimode interface (MMI) coupler. The couplers are simulated using the beam propagation method. The distance between the input/output waveguides is set to 10 μm considering the test of a single device in the following work. The total footprint of X coupler is 10 μm ×300 μm. The length of parallel film waveguide is 1 μm. After optimization, the minimum excess loss is 0.73 dB. CGC has a footprint of 10 μm × 300 μm , a coupling region length of 24 μm, and a minimum excess loss of 0.6 dB. Taper waveguides are used as input/output waveguides for MMI coupler. The footprint of MMI region is only 6 μm × 57 μm. The excess loss is 0.46 dB after optimization. Uniformity is 0.06 dB with transverse electric polarization when the center wavelength is 1.55 μm. The maximum excess loss is 1.55 dB in the range of 1.49 μm to 1.59 μm. The simulation results show that a small 2 × 2 MMI coupler exhibits lower excess loss, wider bandwidth, and better uniformity than X coupler and CGC. MMI coupler is suitable for the requirements of optoelectronic integration.


In this paper experimental data obtained in evaluating the performance of an angle diversity system are presented and discussed. Data were collected at 8 Gc over a 170-miie tropospheric scatter system using large antennas equipped with multiple feeds. Tests were conducted during the period June, 1962, through February, 1963. The following are discussed. 1) The relative performance of a dual angle diversity system compared to a dual space diversity system. 2) The relative performance of the experimental system, operating in n -fold angle diversity, compared to a theoretical n -fold diversity system. 3) Variations in the method of obtaining angle diversity in terms of operating one or more transmitters at a single frequency, or multiple transmitters (and receivers) at different, but closely spaced frequencies. 4) The general characteristics of tropospheric scatter propagation at 8 Gc. The analysis of the experimental results shows that, with n -fold angle diversity operation, diversity improvement comparable to that obtained by the use of n -space diversity channels (which would require n antennas) is possible. It is shown that successful operation is achieved with a single, narrow, transmitting beam illuminating the troposphere, and a group of equally narrow receiving beams, all operating at the same frequency, receiving energy from this region of the troposphere. Significantly, the power loss in those receiving beams that are not directly intercepting the narrow transmitter beam is small. This is attributed to "beam broadening." In addition to the measured performance, results of some theoretical studies showing expected performance under angle diversity conditions are included.


The successful application of adaptive management to the science and practice of restoration ecology requires specific knowledge about the outcomes of past restoration efforts. Ideally, project results would be readily available to scientists or other project managers with similar goals or in analogous ecosystems. Recently, there has been a proliferation of Internet‐accessible databases, lists, and case studies of stream and river restoration projects. These resources include a wide range of information that could be accessed to aid natural resource and conservation professionals in restoration. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, the National Marine Fisheries Service's Northwest Fisheries Science Center and, on a national scale, the National River Restoration Science Synthesis are combining existing national and regional databases, along with the individual project descriptions, to create comprehensive, web‐based databases of stream restoration projects. In this process, more data sources were discovered than fit the scope of either of these projects. Ten international, 19 U.S. national, and 42 U.S. regional web‐accessible sources of restoration project databases and case studies are listed in this study. However, to easily use information that is currently scattered in multiple files and Web sites, databases would optimally use a common, standardized format. We provide a recommended list of information to be included in restoration databases. These efforts may provide a blueprint for development of compatible international databases of stream restoration projects.


The recent recession and recovery raise important questions about the relative weight of structural and cyclical factors in the economy. A recent San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank conference explored the extent to which different economic variables behaved in a standard cyclical fashion during this episode or were scarred in a more permanent, structural manner. Both cyclical and structural effects appear evident in the recession, suggesting that some features of the U.S. economy can benefit from stimulatory monetary and fiscal policy, while others are more permanently damaged and unlikely to respond to such policies. ; This Economic Letter summarizes papers presented at the "Structural and Cyclical Elements in Macroeconomics" conference, March 16, 2012, at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Conference papers are available at http://www.frbsf.org/economics/conferences/120316/agenda.php


The emergence of visible light photoredox catalysis has enabled the productive use of lower energy radiation, leading to highly selective reaction platforms. Polypyridyl complexes of iridium and ruthenium have served as popular photocatalysts in recent years due to their long excited state lifetimes and useful redox windows, leading to the development of diverse photoredox-catalyzed transformations. The low abundances of Ir and Ru in the earth's crust and, hence, cost make these catalysts nonsustainable and have limited their application in industrial-scale manufacturing. Herein, we report a series of novel acridinium salts as alternatives to iridium photoredox catalysts and show their comparability to the ubiquitous [Ir(dF-CF3-ppy)2(dtbpy)](PF6).


The convergence speed of the steepest descent (SD) adaptive algorithm is determined by the eigenvalue spread of the correlation matrix. When the correlation matrix is singular, the algorithm will take a long time to converge. The problem can be regularized by adding a small constant to the diagonal, but this comes at the price of introducing bias. This paper introduces a new adaptive algorithm that uses a family of steepest descent iterations which converge quickly while making the bias arbitrarily small. A numerical example discusses in some detail the operation of the new algorithm.


Many nonrandom chromosome abnormalities have been associated with non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). Some of these are nonspecific changes seen in many different histologic subtypes. We describe a series of abnormalities of chromosome bands 10q23–25 seen in 159 consecutive NHL patients with abnormal cytogenetic findings. The proportion of karyotypes with abnormalities of 10q varied from 3% among the immunoblastic lymphomas to 67% in the diffuse large cleaved cell lymphomas. Seventeen (10.7%) had abnormalities of 10q23–25. All but one of these were B‐cell tumors. The abnormalities consisted of six deletions and 11 translocations. Sixteen of the 17 patients had the 10q abnormality when cells were first karyotyped. The remaining patient acquired the 10q abnormality in the third of a series of biopsies. In the follicular histologic subtypes [follicular small cleaved cell (FSC), follicular mixed small cleaved and large cell (FM), and follicular large cell noncleaved (FL‐NC)], abnormalities of 10q were found in nine patients, all in association with abnormalities of 14q32. Seven of these were associated with the t(14;18)(q32;q21). Overall, 10q23–25 abnormalities were observed in 11.9% (8/67) of low‐grade [small lymphocytic (SL), FSC, and FM] lymphoma cases. DNA was available from five patients with abnormalities of 10q and was probed for rearrangements with the HOX11 (TCL3) oncogene probe. As expected, we did not find such rearrangements in these five patients with B‐cell tumors. Abnormalities of 10q23–25 have been reported previously in NHL but not at this frequency.


We consider the problem of reliably broadcasting informations in a multihop network where some nodes are likely to fail. We consider the most general failure model: the Byzantine model, where the failing nodes can exhibit arbitrary malicious behavior, and may actively try to destabilize the network. We focus on totally decentralized solutions. Most existing solutions require strong network connectivity. This requirement becomes difficult to satisfy when the networks grows larger. In this paper, we review recent solutions that are tailored to sparsely connected networks. A typical example is the grid, where each node has at most four neighbors. We first present the Control Zones method, where the nodes are assumed to know the global network topology. Then, we introduce the Trigger method, which relaxes this requirement given that some performance cost is acceptable. Last, we present the Fractal method, which enables to preserve performances when the size of the network increases.


Ten patients with positive patch test reactions to clioquinol were retested in 1979 after an average interval of 6 years. On subsequent testing we also examined test reactions to other quinoline derivatives (including antimalarial drugs) and potassium iodide. All patients showed a positive reaction to clioquinol at retesting. Many cross-reactions of hydroxyquinolines included reactions to quinoline-based antimalarial drugs, and a few allergic reactions to potassium iodide. The consequences of these findings are discussed.


Most patients with a history of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) are at high risk of recurrence. Implanted defibrillators (ICDs) are highly effective in sensing and converting VT or VF to a perfusing rtrythm. "Conventional" antiarrhythmic agents, which primarily block cardiac sodium channels, are relatively ineffective in preventing arrhythmia recurrence; amiodarone and sotalol appear to be effective in reducing recurrence and mortality rates, although the extent of benefit is not well understood. Despite the apparent advantage of ICDs, they have short‐ and long‐term complications, are costly, and their benefit in prolonging the quantity or quality of life remains unproven. Randomized clinical trials which compare the effect of ICDs with that of antiarrhythmic drugs on mortality, cost, and quality of life will be necessary to understand how patients with malignant arrhythmias ought to be treated. If an ICD is implanted, adjunctive therapies need to be considered to treat the underlying heart disease and to derive optimum benefit from the device. Drugs may have beneficial or adverse interactions with devices, and the full understanding of these interactions requires further study.


Two inorganic ion-exchange materials, antimony(III) arsenate and antimony(III) molybdate, have been synthesised and characterised. The distribution coefficients of 12 metal ions in de-mineralised water were determined. The order of selectivity was found to be Cd2+ < Ca2+ < Mg2+ < Pb2+ < Cu2+ < Th4+ < Hg2+ for antimony(III) arsenate and Mg2+ < Th4+ < Ni2+ < Zn2+ < Co2+ < Ca2+ < Hg2+ < Cd2+ < Cu2+ < Pb2+ < Bi3+ < Sn2+ for antinomy(III) molybdate; Zn2+, Co2+ and Ni2+ were not adsorbed by antimony(III) arsenate. The effects of temperature and of the size and charge of the exchanging ion on the exchange capacity were determined and successful separations of Hg2+ from Zn2+, Ni2+ and Cd2+, and Pb2+ from Zn2+, Cu2+ and Mg2+ were carried out on columns of antimony(III) arsenate and antimony(III) molybdate, respectively.


We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared the use of intramedullary nails and volar locking plates in distal radial fractures. PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Collaboration Central database were used to find randomized controlled trials that met the eligibility criteria. Two reviewers screened the studies, extracted the data, evaluated the methodological quality and analysed the data with RevMan 5.1 software. No statistically significant differences were detected in the disability of the arm, shoulder and hand and the Gartland and Werley scores, radiographic parameters, wrist range of motion, grip strength, total complication rate and incidence of tendon rupture between the two groups. However, carpal tunnel syndrome occurred less often after intramedullary nailing. The two fixation methods achieved equal clinical, functional and radiological outcomes for primary fixation of the indicated types of distal radial fractures. Level of evidence: Therapeutic/LevelI


For over 20 years, Russia has been within the top five most attractive countries for immigrants. Before the pandemic, the federal policies that stimulated the immigration of cheap workforce contradicted the public perception and the media coverage of immigrants as problematic communities. Unlike labor immigrants, the EU refugees from the Middle East were depicted as a challenge for the disunited and unhospitable EU, and re-settlers from Donbass were portrayed highly sympathetically. These differences remain virtually unstudied. We explore the coverage of immigrants and refugees in Russia during the Covid-19 pandemic to see whether, under its impact, the coverage was equal and humanistic rather than different and politically induced. Based on content analysis of 12 Russian federal and regional textual media and four TV channels in 2020, we show that the differences described above have persisted and even intensified during the pandemic, supported by pro-state media, with only marginal counterbalancing from oppositional news outlets. The discourse about labor immigrants pragmatically focused on immigration-related problems for businesses and the state, channeling the authorities' position on immigrants as "objects of proper care," while the EU refugees were depicted as "objects of improper treatment." In both discourses, immigrants were equally deprived of their subjectivity. In general, the immigration-related issues were not a major focus, especially for regional media, and the pandemic has not led to the re-humanization of immigration coverage.


We consider the optimal control of nonlinear integral equations with endogenous delay and state constraints, which describe a developing economy subjected to resource constraints. The economy invests in new resource-efficient technologies, invests in new capital, and scraps obsolete capital. We derive the optimality condition and determine long-term asymptotically exponential trajectories that optimally combine scrapping the dirtiest capital and developing new clean technologies. Next, we study the short-term dynamics of the model and show that it leads to a sustainable growth with active resource constraint.


An improved version of an inductor-switching fast-response dc-dc converter is presented that will provide the requirements and features of the new generation of microprocessor and digital systems. Lower output voltage, higher output current, and smaller output voltage ripple requirements have greatly increased the difficulty of the power supply design. To further increase the problem, power-saving "stop-clock" modes of the microprocessor has demanded faster and more stable transient response from the dc-dc converter. A novel method of inductor switching is applied to a dc-dc converter, and it provides the prominent features of current amplification and absorption during the heavy burden of load transients. The design and simulation of the concept is verified by experiment with a 12-V input and 3.3-V/30-A output converter.


Background Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. It's chracterised by recurrent oral aphtosis and genital ulcer. Ocular involvement has been recognized since the time of Hypocrates. Estamates of the prevalence vary in different countries and may represent differences in the disease, in acces to health care and in availabale treatments. Objectives The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics in moroccan patients with ocular BD. Methods retrospective study in internal medicine department over 13 years and including 221 patients with ocular BD. The diagnosis was performed by the International Study Group for Behçet's Disease and/or the International Criteria for Behçet's Disease. Results 221 (prevalence: 43%) had ocular involvement.154 men and 63 women (sex ratio: 2.5). The mean age at the onset of ocular involvement was 30.5 years. This achievement was inaugural in 18.55% of cases. The average time of diagnosis in other cases was 3.41 years.There was a high prevalence of Uveitis (total: 34%, anterior: 32%, posterior: 31.2). Retinal Vasculitis was noted in 37 eyes and retinal detachment in 17 eyes. Neurological events were associated in 13.57% of cases, joint and vascular events in respectively 18 and 17 cases. The topical corticosteroid therapy was prescribed in 27, 14% of cases, oral in 47, 51% and bolus in 29, 41%. 47, 51% of casers received Cyclophosphamide and 19% received Azathioprine. Cyclosporine was administered in 3 cases, interferon and Infkiximab in 2 cases each. The evolution was good in 111 cases (50.22%), treatment failure was noted in 24% of cases and recidivism in 16.74% of cases.63 patients have evolved into blindness which was bilateral in 51.1% of cases. Conclusions Only early diagnosis and appropriate management can improve the prognosis of ocular involvement in BD. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Amorphophallus campanulatus (Elephant Foot Yam) is a rich source of starch, essential amino acids and therefore, used as a vegetable. It is cultivated and utilized in various regions of South India. Triazole compounds are widely used systemic fungicides to control diseases in plants and animals. Many of the triazole compounds have both fungi toxic and plant growth regulating properties. Hence, an attempt was made to study the effect of triadimefon, paclobutrazol, and propiconazole on growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Amorphophallus campanulatus. Triazole compounds increased total root length, dry weight, moisture content, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, intercellular CO2 concentration, net photosynthetic rate (PN) and water use efficiency (WUE). On the other hand, petiole length, total leaf area, transpiration rate (TR) and stomatal conductance were decreased. Among the triazole compounds, paclobutrazol showed higher effectiveness than the other two triazole compounds tested.


We report a comprehensive 29Si NMR and 69,71Ga NMR/NQR study of the large-spin magnetically anisotropic kagomé compound Nd3Ga5SiO14. We find a sizable transferred hyperfine coupling between the nuclear and electron moments, proving that these nuclei can be utilized as local probes which provide useful information about the magnetic Nd3+ ions. Our results give evidence of unexpectedly broad distributions of local environments on all nuclear sites under investigation, implying also exchange disorder.


The objective of the study was to evaluate the competitive ability of summer crisp and butterhead lettuce types in coexistence with populations of ryegrass. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 2 x 7 scheme, with four replications. On the A factor the lettuce types (summer crisp and butterhead) were allocated and, on B, the densities of ryegrass (0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 plants per pot). The number of leaves, chlorophyll content, leaf area, green mass and dry mass of the lettuce types and ryegrass were evaluated, and the diameter of the culture stem and the tiller number of the weed were determined. Differences in competitive ability between the lettuce types in competition with ryegrass were found, and butterhead was the most competitive when compared with summer crisp for all variables studied. There was an average loss of leaf area in lettuce types of up to 80% when it competed with ryegrass in the populations involved. Ryegrass is a very competitive weed to infect lettuce, and its handling is necessary, even at low densities to avoid productivity losses. The butterhead type of lettuce supports longer competition with ryegrass compared to summer crisp.


Since the advent of next-generation sequencing in the early 2000s, the volume of bioinformatics software tools and databases has exploded and continues to grow rapidly. Documenting this evolution on a global and time-dependent scale is a challenging task, limited by the scarcity of comprehensive tool repositories. We collected data from over ~23,000 references classified in the OMICtools database, spanning the last 26 years of bioinformatics to present a data-supported snapshot of bioinformatics software tool evolution and the current status, to shed light on future directions and opportunities in this field. The present review explores new aspects of computational biology, including country partnerships, trends in technologies and area of development, research and development (R&D) investments and coding languages. This is the most comprehensive systematic overview of the field to date and provides the community with insights and knowledge on the direction of the development and evolution of bioinformatics software tools, highlighting the increasing complexity of analysis.


Although increasing recognition is being given to the psychologic needs of children in hospital, many gaps still exist in our knowledge about this topic. The present paper is concerned with one of these, namely, the significance of maternal deprivation occurring in the early months of life.
 Under standardized conditions of observation and analysis of data, 76 infants less than 12 months of age were observed while undergoing short-term hospitalization. Observations were focused on three points: the period immediately after admission, the period preceding discharge, and the period after return home. From the data thus obtained two main syndromes emerged, each linked to a certain age range, with a dividing point at approximately 7 months. Those above this age showed essentially the same type of behavior as that described in other studies of the preschool group, namely, considerable upset when admitted to hospital and a period of disturbance after return home, both centering around the need for the physical presence of the mother. In the group less than 7 months of age, on the other hand, separation from the mother evoked no observable disturbance and, instead, an immediate adjustment to the new environment and the people in it was found. On return home a marked change of behavior occurred in most of these younger infants, but it was generally of very brief duration.
 On the basis of the data presented it is suggested that the critical period, when separation from the mother is experienced as a traumatic event, does not commence until after the middle of the first year of life, and that consequently in those cases where there is a choice, hospitalization should be arranged to occur before the crucial age is reached.


Introduction Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) is available as a humanitarian use device for patients with the symptoms of gastroparesis and is effective in reducing gastrointestinal symptoms. We have previously shown that patients with gastric motor disorders often have coexisting abnormalities of the genitourinary system (Gastroenterology 1997;112:A737), which may now be treated with sacral electrical stimulation (SES), resulting in similar improvements in genitourinary symptoms. Patients We compared the results of therapy with GES and SES in 8 patients who were implanted with both devices. Patients were 6 F, 2 M, mean age of 41 years, who had documented gastroparesis as well as bladder or other pelvic floor dysfunction. All 8 patients had received their GES before the SES. Methods Patients were evaluated at baseline and latest follow-up (median 4 years for GES and 2 years for SES), according to previously standardized scores of GI (GI: 0-4, TSS max 20) and GU (GU: 0-3, UTSS, max 12) function. Results were compared by paired t-tests and reported as mean ± SE. Results All 8 patients improved both GI and GU symptoms (see table below) and the results of most parameters as nausea, vomiting, gastric total symptom score (TSS), leakage, voiding difficulty and urinary total symptom score (UTSS) were statistically significant. Conclusions The combination of GES and SES appears to be both safe and effective for patients with concomitant gastroparesis and bladder dysfunction and the existence of a stimulator for one disorder does not preclude another stimulator.


The cortical masticatory area (CMA) regulates masticatory movements and controls rhythmic jaw movements. However, information regarding the effect of respiratory disturbances on the functional development of the CMA remains limited. This study aimed to examine the effect of chronic unilateral nasal obstruction (UNO) on the motor representation of the anterior digastric (AD) muscle during the growth period. Forty-eight 8-day-old male Wistar albino rats were randomized into control (CONT, n=24) and UNO (n=24) groups. Both groups underwent intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) at ages 5, 7, and 9 weeks. Arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and the number of positive ICMS sites for the AD muscle were measured throughout the experiment. The SpO2 values were significantly lower in the UNO group than in the CONT group at each age. Further, the number of positive ICMS sites for the AD muscle was significantly higher in the UNO group than in the CONT group at each age. Intragroup comparisons revealed that the number of positive ICMS sites increased with age. The onset latencies of the evoked AD potential significantly differed between the right and left sides. However, no differences were found between the CONT and UNO groups at any age. These findings suggest that UNO during development induces changes in the motor representation in the CMA.


Social media has become a place where travelers express their emotions and record travel experiences. However, there has been little research on sharing travel experiences on social media and happiness. The purpose of this study is to understand why people share travel experiences on social media and is to propose a conceptual framework of the relationship between sharing travel experiences on social media and happiness. A systematic quantitative literature review method was applied to explore research trends in sharing travel experiences on social media. Specifically, from the SCOPUS database, a total of 120 articles were extracted followed by the PRISMA checklist. Then, they were coded with several categories, such as publication, keywords, the research contexts, and variables, and were finally exported to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed. Results of the systematic qualitative litterateur review suggest that sharing travel experiences on social media positively influences travel satisfaction and enhances travelers' self-esteem and happiness. Theoretically, this study developed a new theoretical framework on the relationship between sharing travel experience on social media and happiness. In particular, the framework indicates that even though individuals motivation of sharing travel expediences are different, they may experiences either Hedonia or Eudaimonia by doing so. Results of this study also imply that social media could make practical functions such as advertising travel destination and monitoring current and potential travelers'' behaviors.


BACKGROUND
The literature suggests that the notion of holistic health has gained popularity in the nursing of older persons. Holistic care, based on the premises that there is a balance between body, mind and spirit, is important for well-being, that each of these is interconnected, and that each affects the others. Human spirit is considered to be the essence of being and is what motivates and guides us to live a meaningful existence. However, there is little evidence in the nursing literature about how nurses caring for older people respond to their spiritual needs.

AIM
The aim of this paper is to report a critical incident study to: (1) explore nurses' perceptions of their role in addressing the spiritual needs of older people; (2) describe what constitutes spiritual care of old people in the light of the findings.

METHODS
Descriptions of critical incidents were obtained from a convenience sample of 52 nurses working in the East Midlands Region of the United Kingdom (UK) and subjected to content analysis and construction of a data classification system.

FINDINGS
Respondents were prompted to identify patients' spiritual needs by factors such as religious beliefs and practice (prayer); absolution; seeking connectedness, comfort and reassurance, healing or searching for meaning and purpose. The interventions initiated to meet patients' spiritual needs included respect for privacy; helping patients to connect; helping patients to complete unfinished business; listening to patients' concerns; comforting and reassuring; using personal religious beliefs to assist patients and observation of religious beliefs and practices.

CONCLUSION
The findings provide empirical evidence of some practices related to spiritual care of older people. Further empirical research is needed to guide practice and education with regard to conceptual clarity and the delivery of spiritual care of older people.


Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a common infection in people living with HIV. However, the risk factors for HIV/TB co-infection in second-line HIV therapy are poorly understood. We aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for TB co-infection in SECOND-LINE, an international randomized clinical trial of second-line HIV therapy. Methods: We did a cohort analysis of TB cases in SECOND-LINE. TB cases included any clinical or laboratory-confirmed diagnoses and/or commencement of treatment for TB after randomization. Baseline factors associated with TB were analyzed using Cox regression stratified by site. Results: TB cases occurred at sites in Argentina, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Thailand, in a cohort of 355 of the 541 SECOND-LINE participants. Overall, 20 cases of TB occurred, an incidence rate of 3.4 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 2.1 to 5.1). Increased TB risk was associated with a low CD4+-cell count (≤200 cells/μL), high viral load (>200 copies/mL), low platelet count (<150 ×109/L), and low total serum cholesterol (≤4.5 mmol/L) at baseline. An increased risk of death was associated with TB, adjusted for CD4, platelets, and cholesterol. A low CD4+-cell count was significantly associated with incident TB, mortality, other AIDS diagnoses, and virologic failure. Discussion: The risk of TB remains elevated in PLHIV in the setting of second-line HIV therapy in TB endemic regions. TB was associated with a greater risk of death. Finding that low CD4+ T-cell count was significantly associated with poor outcomes in this population supports the value of CD4+ monitoring in HIV clinical management.


SIR,-Drs. I. W. Delamore and C. G. Geary (26 June, p. 743) describe four patients who developed acute myeloblastic leukaemia after treatment of a hypoplastic anaemia with oxymetholone. I should like to report a similar case. A 51-year-old man presented in April 1969. The blood count was: haemoglobin 9-4 g/100 ml, white cells 2,800/mm3 (neutrophils 44%0/, lymphocytes 500), platelets 58,000, and reticulocytes 0-8 %. The marrow aspirate was markedly hypoplastic, and there were no atypical cells. A transfusion was given but in July a similar blood count was found and treatment was thereafter with oxymetholone 5 mg thrice daily and prednisone continuously, together with frequent blood transfusions. The total dosage of oxymetholone over the next 2 years was no more than 11 g. In July 1971 a rapid deterioration in the patient's health was observed and myeloblasts appeared in the peripheral blood. These rapidly reached a total of 51iN of the white cells and the diagnosis of acute myeloblastic leukaemia was confirmed by marrow aspiration. A trephine biopsy failed to yield any marrow. Cytosine arabinoside and daunorubicin were given in fiveday cycles removing the blast cells from the blood but not from the marrow, and the patient died early in September, two years and five months after the primary diagnosis of hypoplastic anaemia.-I am, etc.,


This paper revalidates the Durbin-Watson test statistic and rebuilds the probability table for hypothesis testing in the multivariate regression model with intercept because the Durbin-Watson test which has numerous problems. The paper shows that the independent variables, hypothesized autocorrelation coefficient of error and sample sizes have the influence on the shapes and coefficients of probability distribution and critical values in the Durbin-Watson test. First, the multi-collinearity causes the distortion on probability distributions. Second, the changes of independent variables values represent different shapes of probability distribution and critical values in the Durbin-Watson test. Third, the sample sizes induce in the effect of law of large number and asymptotic normality, so there is no gray area in the Durbin-Watson test table when the samples are large enough. Even in the case of small samples there is no gray area.


Summary.  There is little recent data of the seroprevalence of hepatitis B in Australia. We have surveyed a large cohort of endoscopy patients attending a teaching hospital in central Sydney, and related the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers with putative risk factors for exposure using the SAS statistical package. Of the 2115 patients tested: 2.1% (45/2115) were HBV surface antigen positive, 0.75% (14/2115) viraemic, 9.5% (200/2115) anti‐HBs and anti‐HBc positive, 20.1% (430/2115) vaccinated (anti‐HBs only) and the remaining 70% were susceptible. The adjusted OR of HBV infection was significantly increased in patients who had been diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (36.3‐fold), born in Asia or Pacific islands (12.4‐fold), born in North Africa, Middle East & Mediterranean countries (6‐fold) or born abroad elsewhere in the world (2.7‐fold), had household contact with someone diagnosed with hepatitis between 1980 and 1990 (3.9‐fold), injected drugs between 1980 and 1990 (4.4‐fold), resided in a military establishment for 3 months (2.3‐fold) or in a hospital for 3 months (2.2‐fold), never been vaccinated for hepatitis B (2.8‐fold), received blood transfusion due to an accident and/or a haemorrhage (1.92‐fold) and finally been a male gender (1.59‐fold). The prevalence of HBV in this hospital population was higher than predicted on the basis of notifications to the passive surveillance scheme. Most HBV patients had multiple risk factors for infection, but the hierarchy of odds ratios provides a rational basis for targeted programmes to identify asymptomatic HBV carriers who might benefit from treatment.


Perianal Crohn's disease is a major problem that impair quality of life. This article reviews the current surgical treatment of Crohn's perianal fistula. Fistulotomy and loose seton are commonly used surgical methods for treatment of perianal Crohn's disease. Mucosal advancement flap and fibrin glue are used in this treatment, despite a lake of controlled trials. Fecal diversion is disturbingly high in complicated complex perianal fistula in Crohn's disease. Ligation of intersphincteric fistula and autologous or allogenic stem cells are new surgical procedures for treatment of Crohn's disease that need further studies. Treatment success might be improved by multimodal treatment and new surgical and medical treatment options.


The competitive market situation has created a shift in companies' strategy thinking. Strategies focus increasingly on core activities and business development. One effect of this is that companies choose to outsource activities they don ́t consider to be core business (Van Weele, 2010; Thrulogachantar and Zailani, 2011). The purpose of this study is to investigate strategic sourcing (SS) plans that organization can apply to increase their competitive advantage. The research will have conducted through a qualitative study with a deductive approach. A multi-case study will be made on small & medium enterprises (SME) in India with unstructured & semistructured interviews, questionnaire, survey at each company. The investigation resulted in a current view of SMEs sourcing and suitable recommendations for SMEs to direct their purchasing activities to strategic sourcing. The process of implementing a strategic sourcing for SMEs can be seen as relatively difficult but there are purchasing activities that can be improved by a strategic thinking. To keep in mind is that supplier's performance matter, but it is the resources of suppliers that are the main competitive advantage and it is in this area where supplier development and sourcing strategies should focus. Due to the strict time frame and limited resources for the research, this research was carried out in the context of SME industry, the research concepts such as SS, Supply chain integration (SCI) and Sourcing performance are relevant to other settings as well (industry and companies). Nevertheless, since the data were collected from a sample of SME industry, it would be interesting to see if similar findings were to be found in other production (commodity) based industries.


Polyarteritis nodosa developing during gestation has an extremely grave prognosis. To an uncertain extent, this results from a delay in recognition and therapy. The diagnosis of PAN is complicated by the expanded differential of common conditions associated with pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia and toxemia which can present with similar symptoms and signs. On the other hand, the pregnant woman with known, quiescent disease has a much better prognosis with only one of four women experiencing exacerbation. In women with Behcet's disease, convincing reports of both pregnancy-related flares and remissions involving primarily mucocutaneous manifestations are found in the literature. Gestational exacerbation of the more serious manifestations including chorioretinitis, vasculitis and CNS disease does not appear to be a problem. Also, a significant effect on fetal development or survival is not evident. The pregnant woman with the Marfan syndrome and pre-existing cardiovascular disease, particularly dilatation of the aortic root, has a substantially increased risk of developing a major complication during gestation most commonly aortic aneurysm, dissection, rupture or insufficiency. Echocardiographic determination of the aortic root diameter is prognostic with a decreased risk at a diameter of 40 mm or less. A diameter of greater than 40 to 45 mm constitutes a significant contraindication to pregnancy. All pregnancies in patients with the Marfan syndrome are considered high risk and frequent evaluations and echocardiograms are required. The EDS patient is subject to a wide range of gestational complications resulting from the basic connective tissue defect manifested clinically by hyperextensible skin, joint hypermobility, connective tissue and vascular fragility, and poor wound healing. The most serious complications occur in type I EDS (gravis) and type IV (ecchymotic) and include extensive perineal tears and hematoma after vaginal delivery, uterine prolapse and rupture, difficulty in suturing wounds and controlling hemorrhage after cesarean section, spontaneous rupture of major arteries, and bowel perforation. Management of the pregnant patient with the EDS must be individualized after identification of the particular type.


Today, the scientific community uses massively simulations to test their theories and to understand physical phenomena. Simulation is however limited by two important factors: the number of elements used and the number of time-steps which are computed and stored. Both limits are constrained by hardware capabilities (computation nodes and/or storage). From this observation arises the VELaSSCo project1. The goal is to design, implement and deploy a platform to store data for DEM (Discrete Element Method) and FEM (Finite Element Method) simulations. These simulations can produce huge amounts of data regarding to the number of elements (particles in DEM) which are computed, and also regarding to the number of time-steps processed. The VELaSSCo platform solves this problem by providing a framework fulfilling the application needs and running on any available hardware. This platform is composed of different software modules: a Hadoop distribution and some specific plug-ins. The plug- ins which are designed deal with the data produced by the simulations. The output of the platform is designed to fit with requirements of available visualization software.


Background and objectives Despite RA and PsA share similar pathophysiological concepts, there are profound differences in the anatomical localisation of inflammatory lesions and in periarticular bone structure. Digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) is a sensitive method for quantifying changes in periarticular bone mineral density (DXR-BMD) in the early phase of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare changes in hand BMD as measured by DXR in early, treatment-naïve RA to PsA patients prior to and 3, 12 months after introducing an anti-rheumatic drug. Methods Recent-onset (<12 months), active, treatment naïve PsA and RA patients were selected. Hand BMD was measured by DXR based on digitised hand radiographs (Sectra, Sweden) at baseline, 3 and 12 months. Mean DXR-BMD (mg/cm2) values of both hands and changes in DXR-BMD (mg/cm2/month) were compared between the two groups. Changes in hand BMD were further analysed by dividing PsA and RA into 3 subgroups based on cut-offs for the categories normal, elevated BMD loss (>-0.25 mg/cm2/month) and highly elevated BMD loss (>-2.5 mg/cm2/month). Results 64 patients (32 RA, 32 PsA) were included with median age 43 years. 95% of the patients were started on a DMARD at baseline and stayed on it at 12 months; 12.5% and 34.5% received TNFi in combination with a DMARD, respectively. 69% of RA and 68% of PsA patients were EULAR responders at 3 months, and 80% and 82% at 12 months, respectively. Mean hand DXR-BMD was lower in both diseases at 3 months compared to baseline. In RA DXR-BMD decreased further and was lower at 1 year compared to baseline (p = 0.004) and to 3 months (p = 0.002). In contrast mean DXR-BMD increased from 3 to 12 months in PsA (p = 0.07). Hand BMD was higher in PsA than in RA throughout the study. Patients started on a TNFi in combination with a DMARD had higher hand DXR-BMD at 3 and 12 months comparing with those who started on a DMARD monotherapy (p = 0.015 and p = 0.021, respectively). Among all patients with elevated BMD loss, change in DXR-BMD was less marked in the PsA group compared to RA from baseline to 3 (p = 0.018) and from 3 to 12 months (p = 0.011). Highly elevated bone loss was present only in the RA cohort at 1 year. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study comparing hand BMD changes in RA to PsA using DXR. Despite intervention of appropriate anti-rheumatic drug and improvement in disease activity measures, we found hand bone loss in RA, but bone gain in PsA after 12 months. Our observations support the hypothesis of different pathomechanisms being involved in hand bone remodelling in PsA.