PT. Teluk Lamong Terminal is one of the busiest port terminals in Indonesia. Such conditions require the development of the facility area for reclamation. This reclamation can potentially change the seabed's contours and current patterns in the Lamong bay area of Surabaya. Therefore, the Author will conduct a research study to determine the impact of reclamation on the speed and current pattern of the existing and post-reclamation conditions in Lamong bay, Surabaya. This research conducted numerical modeling with Delft3D software. The simulation results show that the current pattern at the highest tide in the existing and reclamation models tends to have a dominant current direction from east to the northwest in the Madura strait. In contrast, some currents from the Madura strait are deflected into the Lamong bay area. On the other hand, during the lowest low tide conditions, both existing and reclamation conditions, the current pattern has a dominant direction coming from the northwest to the east, and the current in the Lamong bay area tends to exit or towards the Madura strait. There is an increase or decrease in current velocity when reclamation is carried out in each tidal condition. The highest increase in current velocity occurs at high tide with a value of 0.02 m/s, while the highest decrease in current velocity occurs at the high tide of 0.13 m/s. At the lowest ebb conditions, the highest current speed increase is 0.12 m/s, and the highest current velocity decrease is 0.03 m/s.


The objective of this dissertation is to examine, under a sociological lens, the new practice of the corporate sustainability performance measurement. This emerging practice seems to be a social space where are structured various games of power, confrontation and resistance of many actors involved in the field of sustainable development. The first paper assumes that discourse analysis, socially constructed and constituted, surrounding measurements produced and disclosed (often highly popularized through the media), plays a fundamental role in the understanding of the practice of corporate sustainability performance measurement. In particular, the discourse transmitted by the sustainability ratings and rankings agencies (SRRA), both on their websites and in their public documents, tends to promote an ideology of numbers that exerts disciplinary power over companies appraised. Despite all the ambiguities and methodological uncertainties associated with the practice of socio-environmental performance measurement, SRRA strive to develop and transmit discourse, quite reductive, to legitimize their claim to expertise in the field. The second paper of this dissertation outlines the legitimation strategies deployed by SRRA and the disciplinary impacts of these strategies on companies scrutinized and stakeholders. Actually, it is the disciplinary power and the normalization power of the ideology of numbers which can induce some effects of self-discipline in the field of sustainable development in general. Such self-discipline is also observed in the academic world when corporate gate-keepers put pressure on researchers to abandon the publication of their research. As a methodological study, the third paper of the dissertation seeks to stimulate reflection on the impediments that the power of the corporate gate-keepers can pose on the independence and the freedom of the researchers and the universities to which they are attached, especially in the case of threats of lawsuits.


We consider the Kolmogorov–Sinai entropy for dilute gases of N hard disks or spheres. This can be expanded in density as , with a the diameter of the sphere or disk, n the density, and d the dimensionality of the system. We estimate the constant B by solving a linear differential equation for the approximate distribution of eigenvalues of the inverse radius of curvature tensor. We compare the resulting values of B both to previous estimates and to existing simulation results, finding very good agreement with the latter. Also, we compare the distribution of eigenvalues of the inverse radius of curvature tensor resulting from our calculations to new simulation results. For most of the spectrum the agreement between our calculations and the simulations again is very good.


Drug resistance is a major obstacle for the success of conventional anticancer therapy, and the development of drug resistance is at least partly attributed to tumor propagating cells (TPCs). Up to one-third of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients eventually develop resistance to R-CHOP regimen. We found that the TPC proportion was remarkably increased in resistant germinal center B cell-like (GCB) and activated B cell-like (ABC) DLBCL subtypes. Elevated SOX2 was the determinant for resistance development, and SOX2 was phosphorylated by activated PI3K/AKT1 signaling, thus preventing ubiquitin-mediated SOX2 degradation. Furthermore, multiple factors, including BCR, integrins, chemokines and FGFR1/2 signaling, regulated PI3K/AKT1 activation. CDK6 in the GCB subtype and FGFR1/2 in the ABC subtype were SOX2 targets in the PI3K/AKT1 pathway. Chemical inhibition of PI3K/AKT1 in both subtypes, CDK6 in the GCB subtype, and FGFR1/2 in the ABC subtype significantly enhanced the susceptibility of resistant cells to CHO treatment. More importantly, PI3K and FGFR1/2 inhibitors but not a CDK6 inhibitor effectively suppressed the tumor growth of R-CHO-resistant DLBCL cells, most likely by converting TPCs to chemo-sensitive differentiated cells. Therefore, this pro-differentiation therapy against TPCs warrants further study in clinical trials for the treatment of resistant DLBCL.


Odour is a major concern as they are termed hazardous to the surroundings as well as life forms when they are exposed to the environment. Odour emission is also one of the indicators of environmental changes that impact the environment. Among the different sources of odour emission, in the dumping yard itself, different types and ages of waste are dumped in the municipal solid waste (MSW) dumping yards. This study aims to relate odour emission and concentration changes caused by different weather patterns. Different periods of waste (fresh waste, moderate waste, and ripened waste) and weather seasons (summer and winter) affect the odour concentrations. Mixtures of gases and intolerable odours are major components of the MSW dumping yard. The odour concentration was monitored in the different periods of waste (moderate wastes) at different locations in the MSW dumping yard. In this study, it was found that meteorological conditions are also one of the main influences on odour concentrations in the environment. In this study, a comprehensive investigation of odour pollution from a local MSW dumping yard has been performed. The odour concentration indicates that the maximum range of aromatic hydrocarbon chemical compounds (volatile organic compounds) reported was T-butylbenzene at 1.41µg/m3 and the minimum range was Sec-butylbenzene at 0.07µg/m3. This study will provide information on odour emissions in urban areas and how VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) components are present and affect the dumping yards surrounding those areas


OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among greenhouse vegetable farmers and to explore the risk factors of MSDs.

METHODS
A household questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate 203 greenhouse vegetable farmers and 127 non-greenhouse vegetable farmers in February, 2011.

RESULTS
The one-year prevalence rates of MSDs were 70.0% and 33.9% among greenhouse vegetable farmers and non-greenhouse vegetable farmers, respectively. The three main positions of MSDs in greenhouse farmers were low back, knee (s) and shoulder (s). Age, working years, body weight and usage of rolling machine were statistically associated with MSDs of greenhouse farmers, ORadj values were 1.17, 1.82, 1.08 and 0.07, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of MSDs is high in greenhouse workers. Low back pain, knee (s), and shoulder (s) disorders are the main disorders. Age, working years, body weight and usage of rolling machine are main risk factors for the development of MSDs in greenhouse farmers.


Undoubtedly, involving more tools, datasets, and techniques for detecting the mineralized areas sharply narrow the zones to be investigated and delivered, in most cases highly potential zones. Consequently, this study is an attempt to apply remote sensing data including Sentinel 2 and ASTER, field observations, petrography of the hydrothermal alteration processes, ore microscopic investigations, X-ray examinations, and EDX analysis to detect and emphasize mineralization types at Wadi Mikbi and Wadi Zayatit district, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Towards accurate lithological mapping, remote sensing data, previous geological maps, and the field investigations recorded serpentinites, ophiolitic metagabbros, amphibolites, epidosite, arc-related metasediments (schists and quartzites), metagabbro-tonalite complex, dunite, olivine gabbros, and granitic rocks encountered in the study district. Additionally, various hydrothermal alteration zones have been primarily outlined using ASTER and Sentinel 2 data by implementing informative band ratios and constrained energy minimization techniques. The mineralogical studies have confirmed most of the remotely-detected hydrothermal alteration minerals. Ore microscopy, XRD technique, and EDX microchemical analysis of representative mineralized samples of the study district identified magnetite, ilmenite, titanomagnetite, chromite, magnesioferrite, quartz, apatite, clinochlore, plagioclase, pyroxene and epidote. Cross-linking remote sensing results, field observations and laboratory studies revealed that the dominant hydrothermal alteration processes include oxidization, serpentinization, carbonatization, epidotization, silicification, zoisitization, muscovitization, sericitization, and chloritization. Spatial overlay analysis of the resultant altered features, structural dissection, field observations, and analytical studies were integrated to build a mineral potentiality map of the study district.


Sepsis is associated with the activation of several inflammatory cascades, including the cytokine network and the coagulation system, but it can also be associated with an immunodepressed state. This can lead to a situation in which the septic patient becomes more susceptible to secondary infections. In animal experiments, inhibition of the cytokine cascade by administration of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha)-receptors or anti-TNF alpha antibodies has led to reduced mortality, but this has not been confirmed in clinical trials. After the data were pooled, there was a statistically significant decrease in mortality of 3-5%. Treatment with endotoxin antibodies, corticosteroids in high doses, other anti-inflammatory agents and agents designed to eliminate immunodepression generally also did not produce a convincing decrease in mortality. Research on antithrombotic agents has yielded, along with disappointing results with antithrombin III and 'tissue factor pathway inhibitor', one study with a positive result. In septic patients with organ failure who were treated with activated protein C, a coagulation inhibitor, the mortality decreased from 30.8 to 24.7%.


Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) is the most-used protocol for wireless internet access on customer premises. The MAC address of each connected device, which used to be static, is being recently randomized (by the device's operating system) as frequently as daily to prevent tracking and fingerprinting of devices and users. While this feature might be useful in public areas, it disturbs some day-to-day functionalities, such as firewalls, parental control, and similar applications that require a static identifier per device. In this work, we present methods to ensure the functionalities of these applications, even when the MAC address is changed every time the device connects to the network. Our methods work even if the latest MAC randomization techniques are applied and provide these device identifications only to the gateway router. (Potentially malicious) devices that are connected to the same LAN, still see the randomized MAC address, and therefore, cannot identify or track the device.


In this paper, we propose an inverse optimal distributed protocol for the formation and velocity consensus of nonholonomic mobile robots. The communication among mobile robots is described by a simple undirected graph, and the mobile robots' kinematics are considered. The group of mobile robots driven by the proposed protocols asymptotically achieves the desired formation and group velocity in an inverse optimal fashion. The design of the protocols is based on dynamic feedback linearization and the proposed linear quadratic (LQ) inverse optimal second-order consensus protocol. A numerical simulation is given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.


We present a simple model in which a brane with anisotropic metric is embedded in an AdS bulk. We discuss the localization of the massless mode and the amplification of both the massless and the massive modes on the branes, paying particular attention to the normalization of the perturbed action and to the evaluation of the effective coupling constant that controls the amplitude of the spectrum. In the model under investigation there is no mass gap between massless and massive modes, and the massive modes can be amplified, with mass-dependent amplitudes.


The exposure of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris to sublethal concentrations of a sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution induced the expression of genes that encode peroxide scavenging enzymes within the OxyR and OhrR regulons. Sensitivity testing in various X. campestris mutants indicated that oxyR, katA, katG, ahpC, and ohr contributed to protection against NaOCl killing. The pretreatment of X. campestris cultures with oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), t-butyl hydroperoxide, and the superoxide generator menadione, protected the bacteria from lethal concentrations of NaOCl in an OxyR-dependent manner. Treating the bacteria with a low concentration of NaOCl resulted in the adaptive protection from NaOCl killing and also provided cross-protection from H2O2 killing. Taken together, the results suggest that the toxicity of NaOCl is partially mediated by the generation of peroxides and other reactive oxygen species that are removed by primary peroxide scavenging enzymes, such as catalases and AhpC, as a part of an overall strategy that protects the bacteria from the lethal effects of NaOCl.


Turfgrass managers have suspected that runoff-independent movement of herbicides and fertilizers is partially responsible for uneven turfgrass quality in sloped areas. We hypothesized that subsurface lateral solute transport might explain this phenomenon especially in areas with abrupt textural changes between surface and subsurface horizons. A study was conducted to track solute transport using bromide (Br−), a conservative tracer, as a proxy of turfgrass soil inputs. Field data confirmed the subsurface lateral movement of Br− following the soil slope direction, which advanced along the boundary between soil horizons over time. A model based on field data indicated that subsurface lateral movement is a mechanism that can transport fertilizers and herbicides away from the application area after they have been incorporated within the soil, and those solutes could accumulate and resurface downslope. Our results demonstrate that subsurface lateral transport of solutes, commonly ignored in risk assessment, can be an important process for off-target movement of fertilizers and pesticides within soils and turfgrass systems in sloped urban and recreational landscapes.


Objectives
This study aims to assess the association between joint hypermobility (JHM) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Patients and methods
This cross sectional study included 100 consecutive Iraqi patients (43 males, 57 females; mean age 30±6.6 years; range 18 to 40 years) with GERD diagnosed by a gastroenterologist according to the guidelines for diagnosis and management of GERD and age and sex matched 100 healthy controls (36 males, 64 females; mean age 30±5.2 years; range 20 to 40 years). JHM was measured using Beighton score method by a blinded observer. A score of 4 or more was considered hypermobile.

Results
Joint hypermobility values were significantly higher in GERD patients than in controls [46 (71.9%) vs 18 (28.1%), p<0.001, odds ratio=3.88; 95% confidence interval=2.04-7.39]. Multiple logistic regression analysis to detect predictors of GERD in JHM patients revealed that patients with high total mobility score (7- 9) had the highest risk for developing GERD [about 41 fold compared to those with normal mobility score (<4), P model <0.001, and overall prediction accuracy of 68%].

Conclusion
There is a significant association between JHM and GERD. The high total mobility score (7-9) was associated with a significantly high risk for developing GERD, indicating that early recognition of JHM may assist in early diagnosis and treatment of GERD.


ABSTRACT Daryl Siedentop has been viewed as one of the most influential scholars in the fields of physical education and physical education teacher education. In this article, we examine his epistemological lens, behavior analysis that he used to underpin his research and practice. After an introduction to behavior analysis, we discuss his approach to conducting research, and then we discuss some of his more significant contributions to the fields, providing attention to backstories of his work, what the work was, and how it impacted the fields of physical education and teacher education. Throughout, we use examples to highlight his contributions to the two fields.


Purpose. The research is aimed at obtaining new knowledge about the environmental influence on the supporting structures of the traction rolling stock of railways according to the corrosive wear parameter, the nature of the dynamics of this influence, as well as the evaluation of technical condition of the domestic traction rolling stock of industrial railways. Methodology. To obtain the relevant data, the author conducted aggregation and analysis of the results of ultrasonic thickness measurement of the main supporting structures of locomotives, obtained during eight years of the work to extend the service life of industrial transport locomotives. The supporting structures of series of locomotives presented in this study have a total range of service life of 25-48 years. They are located in different regions of Ukraine. Findings. The author found that among the surveyed fleet of diesel locomotives of industrial transport, the uniform corrosion level of supporting structures has a linear dependence on their service life with a rather low slope. Thus, according to the definitions of the normative documentation, which was relevant at the time of production of the rolling stock units that are the objects of this study, the material of the supporting structures (except for one particular case) belongs to the resistant group of metal corrosion resistance. Originality. Due to reasons such as the independence of industrial rolling stock from state-owned railway enterprises and the performance of maintenance work by various organizations, information on the general condition of the rolling stock of industrial transport is not readily available. The author for the first time collected statistical data on the state of industrial rolling stock and analyzed them. Practical value. The obtained results illustrate the development dynamics of equal corrosion of traction industrial transport structures, which, in turn, gives grounds for the subsequent improvement of the methodology of examining rolling stock units both during scheduled work and in order to extend the service life.


Circumstances arise when direct determination of fracture toughness, necessary for conducting Engineering Critical Assessments (ECAs), is not possible but Charpy data are available. These situations can arise, for example, when assessments are needed for existing equipment to demonstrate avoidance of fracture or preliminary assessments are required when only specification properties are available. Some of the empirical procedures that may be used to estimate fracture toughness of steels are described. These are based on a recent revision and update of Annex J of BS 7910; the latter provides an integrated method for conducting ECAs. Procedures for estimating fracture toughness from Charpy data representing lower shelf (energies less than 27J), transitional (based on T27J or T40J (Charpy temperatures for 27J or 40J, respectively)) and upper shelf Charpy behaviour are described. In addition, a method is described for estimating T27J when determining fracture toughness from transitional Charpy behaviour where an incomplete transition curve or only single temperature data are available. The thinking behind the procedures is described and examples for their validation (i.e. predictions of fracture toughness compared with actual data) are provided.


Inflammation is implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Vanda roxburghii R. Br. is used as folk medicine in the treatment of various ailments and diseases including inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis and neurological disorders. We reported earlier that the plant possesses anti-inflammatory activity and the activity is high in the chloroform fraction among other fractions tested. Therefore, the present work was designed to isolate the compounds from the chloroform fraction responsible for anti-inflammatory activity. Four compounds namely syringaldehyde (1), vanillin (2), dihydroconiferyl dihydro-p-coumarate and (3) and gigantol (4) were isolated and purified using chromatographic methods. The isolated compounds were identified by analysis of their NMR spectral data. The compounds were evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model in mice. All the compounds showed significant activity at a dose of 100 mg/kg. Among the compounds, gigantol displayed the highest activity which was comparable to the activity of the standard drug indomethacin. At the same dose the other three compounds syringaldehyde, vanillin and dihydroconiferyl dihydro-p-coumarate exhibited similar activity. These results suggest that the isolated compounds from the chloroform fraction have potential anti-inflammatory activity that might be useful in the prevention and treatment of AD.
Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 26(1): 1-6, 2023 (January)


While patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) continue to increase worldwide, few hematological biomarkers are helpful. This study examined the potential of small dense low density lipoprotein (sdLDL) as a noninvasive biomarker for NAFLD and investigated the relevance of liver fibrosis. One hundred seventy two patients were enrolled: 121 NAFLD patients and 51 healthy controls. The lipoprotein profiles of NAFLD patients and controls were analyzed, and transient elastography (Fibroscan®) was performed to evaluate the degree of NAFLD. The liver biopsy results in some NAFLD patients were also analyzed. Age-gender matching was performed among the 172 patients, and a comparison with 46 NAFLD patients with the control group confirmed that the sdLDL (P < .001) is significantly higher in the NAFLD group. A liver fibrosis test performed on 121 NAFLD patients confirmed a positive correlation between the degree of hepatic fibrosis and the sdLDL/LDL ratio (R = 0.215, P = .017). The area under the curve of the sdLDL for the diagnosis of NAFLD was 0.734 (95% CI, 0.631–0.838), and the area under the curve of the sdLDL/LDL ratio was 0.730 (95% CI, 0.621–0.829). The sdLDL and NAFLD activity scores of the 11 NAFLD patients who underwent liver biopsy showed a positive correlation, but it was not statistically significant. The sdLDL was higher in NAFLD patients than in controls and showed a tendency to increase gradually with increasing degree of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. In particular, the sdLDL/LDL ratio showed a significant correlation with the degree of hepatic fibrosis, and the sdLDL measurement could be useful in NAFLD patients.


In this report we show that passive immunization of Lewis rats with viable CD4+, Borna disease virus (BDV)-specific T cells before infection with BDV resulted in protection against BD, whereas inoculation of these T cells after BDV infection induced clinical disease with more rapid onset than seen in BDV control animals. The protective as well as encephalitogenic effector functions of BDV- specific CD4+ T cells were mediated only by viable BDV-specific T cells. The protective situation was obtained by passive transfer of BDV- specific T cells into animals inoculated later with virus, whereas the immunopathological situation was observed when virus-specific T cells developed normally or after adoptive transfer, and appeared on the scene after considerable virus replication in the brain.


Back ground: Scabies is one of the common skin diseases all over the world including Iraq, which is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, many remedies have been used for the treatment e.g. sulphur. Objectives: The aim of the study is to compare the effectiveness and the adverse effects of topical sulphur ointment (5, 7.5 and 10%), mixed with clobetasol dipropionate ointment (0.05%) and sulphur ointment alone, in patients with human scabies. Patients & Methods: Five hundred patients were involved in this study, which was done in a private clinic in Baquba City, Diyala governorate, Iraq, during the period Jan. 2004 to May 2008. They were 350 males and 150 females, their ages ranged from 2 months to 80 years, with a mean age of 30 years. They were fully interrogated and examined regarding their complain and diagnosed clinically as scabitic patients. The patients were divided randomly into 2 groups: group one consisted of 300 patients, was treated by topical sulphur ointment, mixed with clobetasol dipropionate ointment and the second group consisted of 200 patients, was treated by topical sulphur ointment alone. Both groups were followed up for 3 weeks. Results: The study showed that the cure rate of both types of treatment was nearly similar (group one 95% and group two 96%). None of the patients in group one developed irritant contact dermatitis as a result of treatment, but 2% developed steroid acne, and 10% of the patients in group two developed irritant contact dermatitis. The relapsing rate was 10% in the group one and 7% in the group two. Conclusion: In conclusion the topical sulphur ointment when mixed with clobetasol diproboinate ointment gave good therapeutic results in the treatment of human scabies, without adverse effect of contact dermatitis.


Although medication is the treatment of choice for schizophrenia, most patients continue to experience exhibit residual symptoms despite compliance. Recent studies suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is useful in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders [1]. Results of previous studies suggest that patients treated with CBT, in conjunction with medication, exhibit decreased frequency and severity of delusions, hallucinations and negative symptoms. Finally, CBT has been shown to increase medication compliance in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Speaking of the outcome data on CBT, Weiden was recently quoted as saying, "if this were a patented drug trial, you would have heard about [these findings]" [2]. Despite the empirical evidence supporting the use of CBT in patients with schizophrenia, this treatment is relatively unknown to the psychiatric community. This article will review the mechanisms and findings associated with CBT and schizophrenia, and suggest future directions for dissemination in the psychiatric community.


Acute liver failure (ALF) is a clinical syndrome with high mortality rate, resulting from widespread hepatocyte damage. Its pathophysiological background is still poorly understood and preclinical studies evaluating pathophysiology and new potential therapeutic measures are needed. The model of ALF induced by administration of thioacetamide (TAA) in Lewis rats is recommended as optimal; however, the limitation of previous studies was that they were performed predominantly in male rats. In view of the growing recognition that sex as a biological variable should be taken into consideration in preclinical research, we examined its role in the development of TAA-induced ALF in Lewis rats. We found that, first, intact male Lewis rats showed lower survival rate than their female counterparts, due to augmented liver injury documented by higher plasma ammonia, alanine aminotransferase and bilirubin levels. Second, in female rats castration did not alter the course of TAA-induced ALF whereas in the male gonadectomy improved the survival rate and attenuated liver injury, reducing it to levels observed in their female counterparts. In conclusion, we found that Lewis rats show a remarkable sexual dimorphism with respect to TAA-induced ALF, and male rats display dramatically poorer prognosis as compared with the females. We showed that testosterone is responsible for the deterioration of the course of TAA-induced ALF in male rats. In most general terms, our findings indicate that in the preclinical studies of the pathophysiology and treatment of ALF (at least of the TAA-induced form) the sex-linked differences should be seriously considered.


Objective: To evaluate the effect of dexamethasone on the rate of respiratory distress syndrome in late preterm infants

Materials and Methods: One hundred ninety-four singleton pregnant women at risk for late preterm delivery were randomly allocated into two groups. Ninety-seven patients received 6 mg dexamethasone (group 1) and 97 patients received 1.5 mL normal saline (group 2), intramuscularly every 12 hours for four doses or until delivery. The primary outcome was the rate of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. The secondary outcomes were the need for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the neonatal intensive care unit admission, the Apgar scores at 1 minute and 5 minutes, the rate of transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), intraventricular hemorrhage, neonatal hypoglycemia, neonatal sepsis, and adverse effects.

Results: The rate of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome was lower in group 1, five cases (5.2%), compared with group 2, six cases (6.2%) (p=0.756, relative risk 0.83, 95% CI 0.26 to 2.64). The need for CPAP, NICU admission, rate of TTN, and intraventricular hemorrhage were not significantly different. Group1 had significantly higher Apgar scores at 1 minute and 5 minutes (p=0.021 and 0.043, respectively). No adverse effects were reported.

Conclusion: Administration of dexamethasone in late preterm birth did not decrease the rate of neonatal respiratory distress and the need for CPAP and NICU admission but statistically significantly improved the Apgar scores at 1 minute and 5 minutes. More research in the future is needed to correct the limitation in the present study.

Keywords: Late preterm, Dexamethasone, Respiratory distress syndrome, Apgar scores


Maurice Ravel's perception of language was defined by his metier. He thought about words as a composer, understanding them in terms of their rhythms and resonances in the ear. Ravel's letters, his critical writings, his vocal music and, most strikingly, his poetry, reveal his undeniable talent for literary expression. He had a pronounced taste for onomatopoeia and seemed to delight in the dextrous juggling of rhymes and rhythms. These qualities are particularly apparent in the little song Noel des jouets (1905) and the choral Trois chansons pour chœur mixte sans accompagnement (1915) for which Ravel wrote his own texts, together with his collaboration with Colette on the opera L'Enfant et les sortileges (1925). The common thread of fantasy and fairytale that runs through these three works suggests that through his expressive use of language Ravel was deliberately aligning his music with the traditions of storytelling, a genre defined by the sounds of the spoken word. The formal and expressive content of Ravel's poetry, together with his manipulation of the rhymes and rhythms of Colette's libretto, reveal a composer fascinated by the musical and dramatic possibilities inherent within the French language itself.


General Instructions N Type manuscript on one side only of 8K inch 3 11 inch paper. Leave a 1inch margin on all sides. Use a standard 12-pitch font type throughout the manuscript, including tables and appendices. N Do not justify the right margin. Avoid hyphens or dashes at the right margin. N The manuscript should be fully double-spaced throughout, including title, authors' names and addresses, Literature Cited, tables, appendices, and figure legends. N Each page of the manuscript; excluding page 1 but including Literature Cited, tables, appendices, and figure legends; should be numbered in the upper right-hand corner. N Correct accents, umlauts, and other diacritical marks should be included. Where appropriate, multiplication symbol must be used rather than the letter x. N Only names at the rank of genus and below are italicized or underlined. If underlining is used, do not underline spaces or punctuation. N Special typefaces (italics, bold) should not be used except where indicated in this checklist. N Do not italicize common Latin words, abbreviations, or phrases (e.g., et al., i.e., etc.). N Manuscript should be checked for consistency, especially in matters of abbreviation, names of sites or vegetation types, spelling of names, etc. N The Chicago Manual of Style, most recent edition, is used as a reference in most matters of style. Refer to recent issues of Rhodora. N Assemble the manuscript in the following order: (1) Introductory material, (2) Text, (3) Acknowledgments, (4) Literature Cited, (5) Tables, (6) Appendices (7) Figure legends, (8) Figures.


This study conducted to assess the factors related to skin lesions in bilateral lower limb war-amputees. This is a clinical based, cross-sectional study of 335 bilateral amputees who injured during Iran-Iraq War. Their demographics and injuries detail, amputation, prosthesis and gait-aid characteristics, stump hygiene and skin problems, have been investigated. Through logistic regression analysis, the three factors of the shape of the stumps, the length of the stumps and excessive perspiration were recognized to have an independent association in skin lesions development, among the population studied. The results suggest that most of stump skin disorders in war-injured amputees are due to intensity of injury and awkwardness of the stump. The quality of surgical, medical and rehabilitative care, improve their quality of life by functional ambulation with prosthesis.


In this study, four different ZVI/M-PMS systems (e.g., ZVI/Cu, ZVI/Co, ZVI/Ni and ZVI/Ag) were fabricated to investigate the removal of contaminants (Rhodamine B (RB), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F (BPF), levofloxacin (LFX), and chloramphenicol (CAP)). The results indicated that ZVI/Cu and ZVI/Ag exhibited a superior performance to activate PMS compared with the ZVI. The mechanism of the investigation showed that a relatively positive correlation between the release of iron ions (Fe2+) and contaminant removal efficiency was found in different ZVI/M-PMS systems. This revealed that galvanic couples affected iron corrosion, and the ZVI/Cu and ZVI/Ag bimetallic systems facilitated the corrosion of ZVI but the ZVI/Co and ZVI/Ni bimetallic systems restrained the corrosion of ZVI. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis and the radical quenching experiments apparently supported the roles of the hydroxyl radical (˙OH), sulfate radical (SO4˙−) and superoxide radicals (O2˙−), which suggest that these reactive radicals were primarily responsible for the degradative route, and the contribution rate may follow the order of SO4˙− < O2˙− < ˙OH. Furthermore, investigation of crucial parameters showed that the contaminant removal ratio increased with an increase in the metal ratio (M : ZVI) to a certain limit, and a higher bimetal catalyst dosage and extremely acidic conditions (except for ZVI/Co, which showed the best catalytic performance under neutral condition) enhanced the degradation of contaminants. In the evaluation of real water samples, there was almost no influence from the water matrices compared to the control condition, and the ZVI/Cu and ZVI/Ag bimetallic particles showed great potential to treat various wastewater. Therefore, this study helps to understand the application of oxidation process based on bimetallic particles.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between knee-straining work and radiological findings of knee osteoarthritis and to study the relation between radiological findings and self-reported knee complaints and clinical signs of knee osteoarthritis.

METHODS
The material consisted of 133 floorlayers, 506 carpenters, and 327 compositors, 26-72 years of age, who had completed a questionnaire and reported no previous knee trauma. A stratified sample of these questionnaire respondents, 50 floorlayers, 51 carpenters, and 49 compositors, were radiologically examined for knee osteoarthritis by 2 radiologists. The X-ray films were independently assessed by 2 radiologists and blinded with respect to knee complaints, trade, and age.

RESULTS
The radiological investigation showed estimated prevalences of knee-osteoarthritis (grades 2-4) for 14% of the floorlayers, 8% of the carpenters, and 6% of the compositors (not significantly different). For the subjects > or =50 years of age the estimated prevalences of the combination of radiological grades 2-4 for knee osteoarthritis and knee complaints during the last 12 months were 29% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 17-44%], 9% (95% CI 1-26%), and 1% (95% CI 1-10%) for the floorlayers, carpenters, and compositors, respectively. Radiological grades 2-4 were mainly found for subjects above the age of 50 years, subjects with knee complaints, and floorlayers. Radiological knee osteoarthritis was positively associated with self-reported knee complaints and with clinical signs of intraarticular and retropatellar crepitation.

CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that work in which a considerable amount of time is spent in knee-straining positions may be a risk factor for the development of knee osteoarthritis above the age of 50 years.


Providing feedback to written work is one of the most important and challenging aspects of teaching legal writing. Legal writing professors spend a great deal of time and energy critiquing and grading student work. However, few legal writing professionals begin teaching with any formal training on providing feedback to novice legal writers. Fortunately, giving useful comments on student writing is a skill that can be learned. To begin, teachers must learn to prioritize feedback on the most important analytical problems on draft assignments. Focusing on analytical deficiencies helps students understand that substantive problems must be corrected before writing and stylistic problems can be effectively addressed. The best way to become proficient at prioritizing feedback is to understand the theory of analytical critique and consider a variety of critiquing methods.This article explores the theory of analytical critique and provides concrete suggestions on how to put the theory into practice when giving feedback on student writing. After discussing the theory and methodology of analytical critique, the article provides a hand-on, workshop-type experience. The article includes a complete student assignment to illustrate the techniques necessary to comment on analytical problems in novice legal writing. The assignment includes client facts, the relevant authority and a student draft memorandum analyzing the legal issues. The article closes with a thorough explanation of sample feedback to the draft memorandum to illustrate the theoretical ideas and critiquing methods discussed in the article.


"Glider" dynamics in cellular automata (CA), where coherent configurations emerge and interact, provide a stark instance of self-organization in a simple system. Such behaviour was classified as class 4 or complex (as opposed to ordered or chaotic) by Wolfram, and was one of the original motivations for Artificial Life. Because glider dynamics is relatively rare in CA rule spaces, much study has focused on the few known complex rules. However, a more general theory would benefit from many examples, which are now available for 1d CA found by the methods described. Cellular automata rules can be classified automatically for a spectrum of ordered, complex, and chaotic dynamics, by a measure of the variance of input-entropy over time. The method allows screening out rules that display glider dynamics and related complex rules, giving an unlimited source for further study. The method also shows the distribution of rule classes in the rule-spaces of varying neighbourhood sizes. The classification produced seems to correspond to our subjective view of space-time dynamics, and to global measures on the ``bushiness'' of typical sub-trees in attractor basins, characterized by the distribution of in-degree sizes in their branching structure. The paper explains the methods and presents results for 1d CA.


In Ayurveda, the leaves of S. sesban are purgative, maturant demulcent, used in all pains and inflammation and is credited with anthelmintic properties. Scientific parameters are not yet available to identify the true plant material and to ensure its quality. Therefore the present work has been undertaken to establish the necessary pharmacognostic standards for evaluating the plant material. Various parameters like morphology, microscopy, physico-chemical constants and phytochemical profiles of the leaves were studied and the salient diagnostic features are documented.


Syndiniales are a parasitic order within the eukaryotic lineage Dinophyceae (Alveolata). Here, we analysed the taxonomy of this group using 43655 18S rRNA gene sequences obtained either from environmental data sets or cultures, including 6874 environmental sequences from this study derived from Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. A total of 5571 out of the 43655 sequences analysed fell within the Dinophyceae. Both bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenies placed Syndiniales in five main groups (I-V), as a monophyletic lineage at the base of 'core' dinoflagellates (all Dinophyceae except Syndiniales), although the latter placement was not bootstrap supported. Thus, the two uncultured novel marine alveolate groups I and II, which have been highlighted previously, are confirmed to belong to the Syndiniales. These groups were the most diverse and highly represented in environmental studies. Within each, 8 and 44 clades were identified respectively. Co-evolutionary trends between parasitic Syndiniales and their putative hosts were not clear, suggesting they may be relatively 'general' parasitoids. Based on the overall distribution patterns of the Syndiniales-affiliated sequences, we propose that Syndiniales are exclusively marine. Interestingly, sequences belonging to groups II, III and V were largely retrieved from the photic zone, while Group I dominated samples from anoxic and suboxic ecosystems. Nevertheless, both groups I and II contained specific clades preferentially, or exclusively, retrieved from these latter ecosystems. Given the broad distribution of Syndiniales, our work indicates that parasitism may be a major force in ocean food webs, a force that is neglected in current conceptualizations of the marine carbon cycle.


In this paper, the author focuses on the effect of enforceability, in particular in relation to Austrian law. However, insights into German and European law are also provided. Enforceability is an effect of a judgment which is basically only granted to performance judgments. Declaratory and constitutive decisions (with the exception of the decision on costs) are not enforceable as such. As a result, the order for performance contained in the judgment can be enforced by state coercive measures. Enforceability occurs upon termination of the performance period. Enforceability is neither a consequence of, nor necessarily coincides with, res judicata. The introduction of the Brussels Ia Regulation has fundamentally changed the system of enforcement of foreign decisions. Decisions given in the EU Member State and enforceable in that State are now enforceable in another Member States without the need for a declaration of enforceability.


After modification, a technique for radiometrically measuring bacterial growth has been applied to a mutant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The assay is based on inhibition of 14CO2 release from [14C]glucose, which provides an extremely sensitive measure of cellular respiratory activity and growth. The criterion for antitumor activity is the differential inhibition of wild-type and mutant (distorted cell membrane) strains of the yeast. The system was optimized for medium, time of incubation, temperature, and size of inoculum. Known antitumor agents, including bleomycin, actinomycin D, adriamycin, and ellipticine were tested in the system, and differential inhibition was observed. Vincristine showed no inhibitory effects at the concentrations tried. The sensitivity for 20% inhibition ranged from 0.8 micrograms of adriamycin per ml to 0.14 mg of ellipticine per ml. Antifungal agents such as amphotericin B exhibited no differential inhibition. Antibacterial agents were inactive. This method may provide a rapid, sensitive, in vitro quantitative assay for antitumor agents which could be applied to a variety of assay needs and which can be run with facilities and equipment available in most laboratories.


In the last two to three decades a significant increase of viral zoonotic infections was observed. These zoonoses are not only newly (or previously unrecognized) emerging diseases, but also due to the reappearance of diseases thought to have been defeated (re-emerging diseases). "New" viral diseases can arise when viruses broaden their host-range (monkey poxvirus; equine morbillivirus), or can be a consequence of intrinsic properties of the virus itself, such as high mutation rates (influenza A virus). Most new or reemerging viral zoonoses are due to infections with hemorrhagic viruses. Many of them are transmitted by insects (arboviruses, e.g. yellow fever virus) or by rodents (e.g. Hanta viruses), others by contact with patients and nosocomial infections (e.g. Ebola virus). The emergence and increase of these diseases are a consequence of anthropogenic environmental changes, such as distortions of the ecological balance and changes in agriculture. In addition, the uncontrolled growth of the cities in tropical and subtropical regions without improvement of the public health measures and the increasing international animal trade and travel also favour the spread and recurrence of these diseases.


This study concerns a global player company operating within the Aerospace and Defence field which has first developed and then deployed a managerial integrated reporting, which attempts to combine traditional financial metrics with Intellectual Capital (IC) and Sustainability performance indicators. The qualitative research approach underlying our investigation is Interpretivism. More specifically, the study was conducted in the light of action research. Data were gathered from in-depth interviews with managers as well as from group discussions. The assumption underlying the present research is that intangibles are the mediating variables which allow to better understand the link between sustainable management and corporate financial performance.


TO THE EDITOR: The discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylorias an important etiological factor in gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer was one of the most significant breakthroughs in the field of gastroenterology in the 20th century (1). Helicobacter pylori(HP) infections are now associated with dyspepsia, duodenal ulcer disease, peptic ulcer disease, gastric carcinoma, and primary gastric B-cell lymphoma (2). Results from a number of epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between alcohol consumption and HP infection (3, 4). In a recent study from Germany, the inverse relationship with HP infection was stronger for alcohol consumed in the form of wine than for alcohol from beer (5). These results support the hypothesis that alcohol consumption, particularly wine, may reduce the odds of active infection with HP (5). Furthermore, onein vitro study has reported that red wine has strong bactericidal effects on one clinical isolate of HP (5); however, the active constituents were not identified. In this study, the susceptibility of HP to a concentrated red wine extract and resveratrol (3,5,4 9-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a phytoalexin found in grape skins, red wine, and other foods, was investigated. A total of 15 clinical isolates and one American Type Culture Collection (ATCC 43504) of HP strains were used in the susceptibility testing. The isolates were obtained from the Microbiology Laboratory at the University of Illinois Medical Center (Chicago, IL), Abbott Laboratories (Abbott Park, IL) and Dr. David Y. Graham (Houston, TX). For susceptibility testing, the bacterium were grown on 5% sheep blood agar and incubated at 37°C in a 10% carbon dioxide atmosphere for 3 days. Agar dilution susceptibility testing was performed according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards using Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with 10% defibrinated horse blood. A red wine extract ( Vitis vinifera) was dried and concentrated under reduced pressure, and a stock solution containing 10 mg/ml of DMSO/water (1:1) was prepared. A stock solution of pure resveratrol 10 mg/ml in DMSO/water (1:1) was also assayed. The stock solution or pure resveratrol were added to the agar medium for final concentrations ranging from 6.25mg to 100mg per milliliter of agar. Vehicle solvent was added to the control cultures in the appropriate concentrations. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC, the minimal concentration of drug required to kill 99.9% of the bacterium) were determined. The MIC50 and MIC90 for the red wine extract were 25 and 50mg/ml, respectively, with a range of 12.5–50 mg/ml. The MIC50 and MIC90 for resveratrol were 12.5 and 25 mg/ml, respectively, with a range of 6.25–25 mg/ml. The positive control drug, amoxicillin, had a MIC range of 0.002–0.06mg/ml. Thesein vitro data demonstrate that the antibacterial activity of red wine against HP is due, at least in part, to the presence of resveratrol. Resveratrol is already well known for its antioxidant and chemopreventative activity. Considering the association between HP infections and gastric cancer, our preliminary data suggest another mechanism by which resveratrol may function as a cancer chemopreventative agent.


Purpose

– To review a small specialist repository's strategic and opportunistic approach to utilising collaborative regional and national digital initiatives to increase access. The Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) Archives activity is evaluated to determine whether a project‐based approach recognises and meets the needs of historians, or in manufacturing a digital semblance, does it in fact mislead historians.

Design/methodology/approach

– The context in UK higher education and the archives domain of an emphasis on the digitisation of resources evident in national policies is outlined. Recent studies into the requirements and expectations of academics and historians as users of archives and digital resources are considered. BIAD Archives' creation of a repository web site and participation in national collection level description schemes are examined. The experience of two collaborative digitisation projects, a national subject‐based virtual collection and a regional collaborative information literacy initiative, are described and reflected upon.

Findings

– An opportunistic project‐based approach does not easily accumulate as a cohesive strategy for increasing access. Collaboration is problematic. It is beneficial in raising profiles and can act as a legitimising agent. It entails compromise, applying an external filter to collections and potentially creating a digital semblance. The proliferation of projects raises concerns of sustainability, invisibility within the deep web and that merely signposting may not satisfy user needs. To address this problem archives as a domain require a more sophisticated understanding of all our different users.

Originality/value

– Critical reflections on collaborative practice beneficial to archivists and resource managers embarking on digitisation initiatives and to those developing collaborative projects.


Introduction:
 Pulmonary regurgitation or stenosis after repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) impacts the long-term ventricular mechanics. Our objective was to measure RV myocardial deformation using novel CMR software in repaired TOF. We postulate that RV strain will correlate with cardiac MRI (CMR) volumetric data.

 Methods:
 Retrospective study of 55 patients s/p TOF repair compared to 40 normal controls. RV longitudinal strain was measured from the standard 4-chamber view and circumferential strain from the short axis slice apical to the RV outflow tract. Using CMR software developed in-house that utilizes a semi-automatic segmentation program, peak strain was identified. Unpaired t test assessed differences between groups and correlation was performed between strain and volumetric data.

 Results:
 The predominant lesion was regurgitation in 48 (regurgitant fraction (RF) 43±2%), stenosis in 10 (peak gradient 32±2 mmHg), and mixed in 4. Longitudinal strain was reduced in TOF compared to controls while circumferential strain was preserved (Table 1). Correlations found reduced strain with increasing volumes and decreasing right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) (Table 2). Longitudinal:circumferential ratio (L/C) increased with increasing volumes and decreasing RVEF. No relationship was found between RV strain and RF.

 Conclusions:
 The relationships between longitudinal and circumferential strain, and the L/C ratio with RV volumes and RVEF suggest that preservation of circumferential strain is important in maintaining RV systolic function. Measurement of RV deformation may provide insight into the RV's response to volume or pressure overload in TOF, suggesting we should focus on RV mechanical changes rather than RF when managing these patients.


In this paper we propose to use multiple precoder codebooks for MIMO systems with limited feedback of precoder and bit loading. One precoder codebook is designed for each bit loading vector in the bit loading codebook as bit loading contains information on the importance of individual subchannels. For each precoder codebook, we incorporate the associated bit loading in codebook design to minimize transmission power based on sequential vector quantization. There is no need of informing the transmitter which precoder codebook has been used as the information is conveyed by the bit loading feedback. Due to the exploitation of bit loading information, the proposed multi-codebook scheme outperforms the single-codebook scheme significantly as will be demonstrated by simulations.


Milker's nodule (noduli mulgentium) is a benign viral skin disease caused by parapoxvirus, a poxvirus that is endemic in cattle. The virus is usually transmitted to cattle handlers from infected cows. We present a case of a 25-year-old housewife who milked cows on her family farm and developed itchy, purplish red nodules on her fingers and hands, and lymphangiitis of the right arm. Two weeks before, several cows on her family farm were treated by a veterinarian under the diagnosis of pseudocowpox. She was treated with orally administered amoxicillin with clavulanic acid 2 g for 10 days, with complete resolution of lymphangiitis. The nodules resolved in several weeks.


Background : Pulmonary tuberculosis is one of the re-emerging diseases often associated with poverty and HIV/AIDS especially in sub saharan Africa. Hypercalcaemia is known to be associated with chronic granulomatous diseases such as tuberculosis, sarcoidosis and lymphoma. Reports of changes in biochemical parameters in patients with TB have been reported elsewhere. Aim : This study was aimed at assessing changes in some biochemical parameters in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Subjects and Methods : Fifty seven TB patients confirmed by culture and/or sputum smear were recruited consecutively over a period of twenty months. Serum calcium, inorganic phosphate, transaminases, proteins, urea, electrolytes and creatinine were assayed using Express plus chemistry autoanalyzer and fp 20 flame photometer. 50 male and 7 female subjects were recruited from among staff and students of the hospital as controls. Results : The mean corrected calcium level was 2.54±0.02mmol/l,albumin 24.0±1.27g/L, aspartate aminotransferase 47.6+3.0U/l, alanine aminotransferase 26±1.6Ul, sodium 135±0.8 mmol/l and bicarbonate 20±0.82mmol/l. Statistically significant difference (p Conclusion : Hypercalcaemia was observed in 26% of patients. After Calcium concentration was corrected for albumin. Hypoalbuminaemia and hyponatraemia were also observed in this study. Highland Medical Research Journal Vol. 4(1) 2006: 15-21


Considerable effort has been expanded in attempts to combine the power found in algorithmic languages with the power found in program libraries. However, most of these attempts to construct problem-solving systems for a particular class of users have failed to achieve their objective of providing the user with the potential benefits inherent in such systems. This paper attempts to define and place problem-solving systems in a general context, and thereby shows when the potential for failure or success is high.


Late-glacial and early Holocene climatic conditions have been reconstructed for northern Europe using the mutual climatic range (MCR) palaeoclimate method based on fossil coleopteran assemblages. Altogether, beetle faunas from 77 sites have been analysed ranging from Ireland in the west to Poland and Finland in the east, and MCR estimates calculated. The results are plotted on 16 maps, each representative of a selected time-slice covering the period from 14.5 14C kyr BP to 9.0 14C kyr BP. Eight of the maps show the MCR estimates of Tmax (mean temperature of the warmest month) derived from each site for which data are available, while the remainder show estimated Tmax isotherms interpolated from these values. It can be demonstrated that at times the thermal climate was fairly uniform throughout the study area, whereas at others temperature gradients were much steeper than they are in the region today. There also appears to be a distinct contrast between cold periods, when contours trended NW–SE, and warmer periods, when contours trend W–E or even NE–SW. The pattern of climatic changes that emerges is shown to be very different from the traditional view that has been used up to now as a template for classifying Late-glacial climatic events on a wide, even global, scale. The suddenness and intensity of changes in the thermal climate may have been partially responsible for an apparent lack of equilibrium between the flora and fauna of the time and the physical environment in which they lived. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This article discussed conflicts that occurred in the tourism industry. The techniques of collecting data that used were through observation, unstructured interviews and documentation. While the data analysis technique used several stages, namely the stages of data reduction, data display and conclusions and verification. The results of the study stated that (1) conflicts that occur in the industry are internal conflicts, this dispute appeared because of the failure of two parties (workers and management or between units) in conveying thoughts, ideas, feelings and actions to the cause of not achieving equality of meaning (mutual understanding) resulted in wrong perceptions between both parties. The difference in meaning in the message conveyed occurs because there were different interpretations between communication style (2) transformational leadership can support the presence of internal conflict in organizations. (3) Several cases of internal conflict that occur in the industry discussed at LKB is an institution that aims to create an atmosphere of effective organizational communication and a conducive work climate.


Information systems research success has begun to decline in the past few years, but existing research is still inaccurate in its definition and in the factors that involve the information system success. This research has designed to analyze, study, and find out the performance from implementing academic information systems in universities in an effort to improve the quality of information. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach and case studies, namely problem formulation, study proposition, analysis unit, data linkage to the proposition, the criteria for interpreting the findings and making conclusions and recommendations. From the results of the research data analysis, several conclusions were obtained, namely, the academic information system running in universities has not met expectations. The performance of academic information systems that can support the smooth operation of the universities is not well understood. It is necessary to formulate an optimal academic information system strengthening strategy that can support the smooth operation of the universities.


BACKGROUND
Renal complications are said to be common in cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD), but have not been documented frequently in Nigerian children. Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is an uncommon complication of CCHD.

OBJECTIVES
To report two cases of NS complicating CCHD who presented within months of each other, in order to draw attention to the problem.

METHODS
The details of the clinical presentation, course and outcome of two children with CCHD, presenting with features of NS within months of each other, were reviewed. The patients were fully assessed clinically and were further investigated with chest X-ray, ECG ad echocardiography.

RESULTS
A 12-year old girl with Fallot's tetralogy underwent a Blalock-Taussig shunt at the age of 2 years, but subsequently defaulted from follow-up. She reappeared 10 years later with features of NS. Echocardiography revealed impaired myocardial function. Despite initial clinical improvement following three plasma exchanges and Enalapril therapy, she suddenly died on the 15th day of admission. The second patient was a 7-year old boy with tricuspid atresia, diagnosed at the age of 10 months, and similarly defaulted, reappearing six years later with features of NS. Oedema regressed with similar treatment, but his renal function deteriorated. He was stable enough to be discharged after six weeks on admission.

CONCLUSION
Proteinuria is likely to be more common in Nigerian children with CCHD than has been previously appreciated. Early intervention in patients with CCHD is desirable in order to prevent development of complications which worsen the prognosis. Patients with CCHD should be screened regularly for proteinuria in order to detect and address renal complications early.


Changes of steady state water flow rates and the bromide breakthrough were observed in laboratory infiltration experiments done on a sample of compacted sand and on an undisturbed soil sample (Eutric Cambisol). Infiltration-outflow experiments consisted of series of ponded infiltration runs with seepage face boundary condition at the lower end of columns. The initial water contents were different for each run. The results of the experiment done on an undisturbed soil column showed that the flux rates and water contents measured during quasi-steady state differ between infiltration runs. This finding contradicts the standard theory. The fluctuations of the water content during the steady state flow can be ascribed to the variations in volume of the entrapped air. Similarly, bromide breakthrough curves performed during the steady state flow runs differ for the undisturbed soil sample. The same behaviour was not observed in the sample of homogeneous sand. Computer tomography was utilized to characterize the structure of the undisturbed soil sample with focus on potential preferential flow pathways. To formulate more general conclusions, the infiltration outflow and bromide solute transport experiments have to continue with the aim to collect a representative set of data.


We have attempted to constrain the progenitors of all supernova types, through correlations of the positions of historical supernovae with recent star formation, as traced by H-alpha emission. Through pixel statistics we have found that a large fraction of the SNII population do not show any association with current star formation, which we put down to a 'runaway' fraction of these progenitors. The SNIb/c population accurately traces the H-alpha emission, with some suggestion that the SNIc progenitors show a higher degree of correlation than the SNIb, suggesting higher mass progenitors for the former. Overall the SNIa population only show a weak correlation to the positions of HII regions, but as many as a half may be associated with a young stellar population.


Identifying co-regulated genes can provide a useful approach for defining pathway-specific machinery in an organism. To be efficient, this approach relies on thorough genome annotation, which is not available for most organisms with sequenced genomes. Studies in Tetrahymena thermophila, the most experimentally accessible ciliate, have generated a rich transcriptomic database covering many well-defined physiological states. Genes that are involved in the same pathway show significant co-regulation, and screens based on gene co-regulation have identified novel factors in specific pathways, for example in membrane trafficking. However, a limitation has been the relatively sparse annotation of the Tetrahymena genome, making it impractical to approach genome-wide analyses. We have therefore developed an efficient approach to analyze both co-regulation and gene annotation, called the Co-regulation Data Harvester (CDH). The CDH automates identification of co-regulated genes by accessing the Tetrahymena transcriptome database, determines their orthologs in other organisms via reciprocal BLAST searches, and collates the annotations of those orthologs' functions. Inferences drawn from the CDH reproduce and expand upon experimental findings in Tetrahymena. The CDH, which is freely available, represents a powerful new tool for analyzing cell biological pathways in Tetrahymena. Moreover, to the extent that genes and pathways are conserved between organisms, the inferences obtained via the CDH should be relevant, and can be explored, in many other systems.


To ascertain whether periodontal fibroblasts could be involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal pocket formation, the chemotactic activity of periodontal ligament fibroblast-conditioned medium (PLF-CM) and gingival fibroblast-conditioned medium (GF-CM) for gingival epithelial cells was examined using a modified Boyden chamber assay. Both PLF-CM and GF-CM possessed significant chemotactic activity, which was decreased markedly by treatment with anti-human hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) neutralizing antibody. Furthermore, the chemotactic activity of PLF-CM and GF-CM was well correlated with HGF content. These results show that PLF and GF secrete an HGF-like factor, and suggest that such a factor derived from periodontal fibroblasts might play a role in epithelial apical migration in periodontitis.


Indonesian Sign Language Computer Application for the Deaf is a computer based application which is designed to assist people, especially children with hearing impaired problem to master Indonesian Language/Bahasa. This application leads the user to learn how to arrange affirmative sentences according to Indonesian Syntax structures. The arranged Sentences are then being transcribed into videos of sign languages and speech readings. The words visualization in a form of photos or pictures will help learners to easily understand the meaning of words they are studying. The application was also completed with dictionary module to improve vocabulary as well as to learn the sign languages and speech readings or pronunciation of the words. The establishment of this application is expected to be beneficial for the deaf community and teachers of School for Children with Special Needs (SLB). In the context of National Education, this application can be used to enrich the content of National Education Network (Jardiknas) as local school educational content.


Despite the source or mechanism of origin of islets of Langerhans or islet β-cells, all suffer significant cell loss from ischemia after isolation, thereby reducing the surviving islet mass available for study or transplantation. Methods to reduce beta cell death after islet isolation and transplantation must be developed if islet transplantation is to become an accepted treatment for diabetes. In order to enhance intracellular oxygen delivery and utilization, islets were transfected with a plasmid encoding cytoglobin, an intracellular oxygen binding protein. Oxygen consumption, insulin secretion, and the degree of central islet necrosis were measured in untreated and transfected islets to test the effects of cytoglobin on islet survival and function in vitro. The presence of cytoglobin reduced islet cell loss by reducing hypoxia related central islet necrosis and increased insulin secretion as compared with untreated islets. Cytoglobin treated islets maintained a normal rate of oxygen consumption, while untreated islets increased the rate of oxygen consumption caused by a shift to anaerobic metabolism and increased reactive oxygen specie synthesis. The induction of cytoglobin in islets may reduce cell loss from chronic hypoxia and may be a useful adjunct to islet transplantation.


Eighteen isolates of Chlorococcum were incubated under defined culture conditions for 6‐7 weeks. At that time, isolates were separated into green, yellow‐green, orange, or red color groups according to the color of the cultures. Total chlorophyll, carotenoid concentration, and percentage of carotenoids in relation to total pigment content were measured for each species. Individual carotenoids of each isolate were identified and quantified. Each color group had pigment characteristics which were distinctive. Other studies on Chlorococcum are discussed in relation to this work. It is proposed that pigmentation of old cultures be used as the first criterion for distinguishing species of Chlorococcum.


Prior research examining consumer expectations of equity and price fairness has not addressed wage fairness, as measured by a firm's pay ratio. Pending legislation will require American public companies to disclose the pay ratio of CEO wage to the average employee's wage. Our six studies show that pay ratio disclosure affects purchase intention of consumers via perceptions of wage fairness. The disclosure of a retailer's high pay ratio (e.g., 1000 to 1) reduces purchase intention relative to firms with lower ratios (e.g., 5 to 1 or 60 to 1, Studies 1A, 1B, and 1C). Lower pay ratios improve consumer perceptions across a range of products at different price points (Study 2A and 2B), increase consumer ratings of both firm warmth and firm competence (Study 3), and enhance perceptions of Democrats and Independents without alienating Republican consumers (Study 4). A firm with a high ratio must offer a 50% price discount to garner as favorable consumer impressions as a firm that charges full price but features a lower ratio (Study 5).


The digital transformation of power systems has introduced a new challenge for robustness: cyber security threats. Motivated by the feasibility of a potent attack (e.g., the Stuxnet worm attack and the one in the hacker-caused Ukraine blackout) that it can be equipped with extensive system knowledge, vast attack resources to manipulate multiple measurements (multivariate attacks) and also strong capability to keep stealthy from possible detectors, the thesis work has built a framework capable of both vulnerability analysis and attack detection. Security index quantifying attack resources was proposed and the attack scenario was extended to subsume the combined data integrity and availability attacks. Realistic aspects of limited adversarial knowledge or resources were considered in the overall cyber risk assessment. Co-simulation tool specially for cyber security analysis has been developed, capturing the character of a cyber-physical system of intelligent power grids. A diagnosis filter was designed with a scalable and robust feature to detect all the plausible multivariate attacks in an admissible set by exploiting the attack impact on the system dynamics, with non-zero transient or non-zero steady-state residual output. The yielding Nash equilibrium implies that the proposed diagnosis filter is not based on a conservative design in the sense of its long-term behavior. In the end, this thesis also tried to implement the diagnosis filter in a real or simulated power system. A further robustification method was proposed to mitigate the effects from possible model mismatches on the residual output by using the simulation data to extract the model mismatch signatures, which has contributed to a novel data-assisted model-based attack detection approach.


BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients on mechanical-ventilation are always at a higher risk of acquiring ventilator-associated respiratory infections. The current study was intended to determine the antibiotic-resistance pattern of bacteria recovered from the endotracheal (ET) specimens of ventilated patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-centered, retrospective study carried out in a 400-bed tertiary care hospital in Oman. The data of profile and antibiotic resistance pattern of bacterial isolates recovered from ET aspirates of ventilated patients during the period from January 2017 to August 2019 were retrieved from hospital database. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22 (IBM, Armonk, New York, USA). Descriptive statistics were applied to find the frequencies and percentages. Charts and tables were constructed. RESULTS: In total, 201 bacterial isolates recovered from ET secretions of 154 ventilated patients were studied. The rate of isolation was predominant among males (65.6%) and in elderly people (50%). Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) were predominantly (88.6%) isolated. Acinetobacter baumannii (31.3%) was the most common isolate and 86% of them were multidrug-resistant strains. Klebsiella pneumoniae (23.9%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22.9%) were the other common GNB, whereas Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated Gram-positive bacteria. Gentamicin showed good in vitro activity against S. aureus and all the GNB except A. baumannii reflecting good choice for empirical therapy. CONCLUSION: Gram-negative bacteria were the predominant isolates in ET secretions of ventilated patients. There was an alarmingly high rate of antimicrobial resistance among GNB. A rational use of antibiotics, regular monitoring of antibiotic resistance and use of right combination of drugs, in addition to refining of existing infection control practices are critical to control the emergence of drug-resistant strains.


Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics, factors effecting treatment approach and long-term outcome of patients with Wilms tumor. Methods: We identified demographic features, mode of presentation, applied treatments and long term outcomes of 88 patients treated between 1990-2011 at Clinical Ethics Committee of Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine.according to Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group protocol. Data were processed with SPSS programme and chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Study included 88 patients consisting of 50 females and 38 males and the mean age at presentation was 3±2.48 years. Patients are classified as stage 1 (n=35, 39.8%), stage 2 (n=16, 18.2%), stage 3 (n=17, 19.3%) and stage 4 (n=20, 22.7%). Pathologic examination of tumors revealed favorable histology in 76 patients (86.4%) and unfavorable histology in 10 patients (11.4%). Forty nine patients (55.6%) received preoperative chemotherapy and patient's age at diagnosis and the physical examination findings influence the decision of administration of preoperative chemotherapy (p<0.05). 25% of patients under 1 year of age and 75% of patients between 3-5 years old received preoperative chemotherapy. The palpated mass were crossing the midline in 20.5% of patients who were subjected to primary surgery. Tumor ruptured in 5.6% of patients intraoperatively. Long term prognosis of patients were as follows: 68 (83.9%) children were cured, 13 (16%) children died due to recurrences and metastasis. Survival rates reached 100% in stage 1 and 2 patients but decreased to 75% and 50% in stage 3 and 4 patients respectively. Conclusion: Age at presentation and physical examination findings are significant in surgical planning. Stage is the most important prognostic factor. Wilms tumor patients are treated with low complication and high survival rates due to multidisciplinary treatment approach at our institution.


BACKGROUND
Stenosis is a major cause of vein graft failure in peripheral arterial surgery. Our goal is to determine whether vein valves play a role in this process by creating a "pressure trap".

METHODS
Seventeen patients with femoro-popliteal reversed saphenous vein grafts were studied intraoperatively. Flow and pressure in the grafts were measured, while the graft outflow was gradually occluded and released for 2-4 seconds. In 3 patients the graft flow was reduced by compressing calf muscles.

RESULTS
Patients heart rates were 54-84 BPM, blood pressures 170/80-110/55 mm Hg, and normal graft flow was 40-180 ml/min. In 12 patients with competent vein valves, at reduced flow (<30 m/min) the valves opened and closed in each cardiac cycle. At each closure the pressure was "trapped" distal to the valve producing diastolic hypertension. Also the flow was stagnant for a considerable portion of the cardiac cycle. Maximum diastolic pressure gradient across the valve ranged from 35 to 60 mm Hg and the level of pressure trapped was inversely proportional to the graft flow.

CONCLUSIONS
In patients in whom reversed vein grafts with competent valves are placed in the femoro-popliteal positions a "pressure-trap" develops in the distal segment. This segmental hypertension combined with the flow stagnation could play an important role in the graft thickening and stenosis.


Background

PLR and NLR had been reported that they may be related to carotid atherosclerotic. The relationship between PLR, NLR and carotid atherosclerotic plaque in young patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes had not been clinically reported.
Objectives

To analyzed the relationship between platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and carotid plaques in young patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Methods

The patients were divided into intima-media thickening (IMT)group and plaque group. The plaque group was divided into grade I, grade II and grade III groups. The counts of platelets, neutrophils, and lymphocytes were determined.
Results

The diagnostic effect of PLR and NLR was evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) and areas under the curve (AUC). The PLR and NLR values in observation group were higher than control group; two values in plaque group were higher than IMT group. The two values in t grade III plaque group were higher than in grade II. The two values in grade II plaque group were higher than grade I plaque group. The ROC of PLR and NLR were 0.722 and 0.653, the AUC of PLR and NLR were 111.086 and 2.240. PLR yielded a sensitivity of 0.789 and a specificity of 0.612.
Conclusion

NLR yielded a sensitivity of 0.809 and a specificity of 0.511. The PLR and NLR may be related to carotid inflammation in patients and positively correlated with carotid plaque.


Increasingly, raw materials of natural origin are used as fillers in polymer composites. Such biocomposites have satisfactory properties. To ensure above-average functional properties, modifications of biofillers with other materials are also used. The presented research work aimed to produce and characterize elastomeric materials with a straw-based filler and four different types of montmorillonite. The main research goal was to obtain improved functional parameters of vulcanizates based on natural rubber. A series of composites filled with straw and certain types of modified and unmodified nano-clays in various ratios and amounts were prepared. Then, they were subjected to a series of tests to assess the impact of the hybrids used on the final product. It has been shown that the addition of optimal amounts of biofillers can, inter alia, increase the tensile strength of the composite, improve damping properties, extend the burning time of the material and affect the course of vulcanization or cross-linking density.


A microsomal fraction isolated from the shoots of 3- to 4-day-old, dark-grown, grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor cv. Funk G 522 D R ) seedlings was characterized. The preparations had a cytochrome P-450 content that varied from approximately 90 to 150 pmol P-450/mg protein with cytochrome P-420 varying from 0 to 3% of the P-450 content. Type I difference spectra were formed with cinnamic acid and metolachlor, and a type II spectrum was formed with tetcyclacis. In short-term assays with [14C]metolachlor as substrate, the preparations produced a single time-dependent product that separated on silica gel TLC plates developed in benzene/acetone (2:1, v/v). RF values for metolachlor and the metabolite were approximately 0.70 and 0.48, respectively. The microsomal reaction required N A D P H and oxygen, and was inhibited by carbon monoxide, with the inhibition being partially reversed by actinic light. Compounds known to inhibit the activity of cytochrome P-450 monooxygenases (piperonyl butoxide, tetcyclacis, and tridiphane) also prevented formation of the metabolite. Identity of the metabolite was confirmed by TLC and positive ion thermospray LC/MS to be 2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6- methylphenyl)-N-(2-hydroxy-l-methylethyl)acetamide. Hence, the reaction catalyzed by the sorghum microsomes involved O-demethylation of the methoxypropyl side chain of metolachlor.


Iris segmentation is a critical step in the entire iris recognition procedure. Most of the state-of-the-art iris segmentation algorithms are based on edge information. However, a large number of noisy edge points detected by a normal edge-based detector in an image with specular reflection or other obstacles will mislead the pupillary boundary and limbus boundary localization. In this paper, we present a combination method of learning-based and edge-based algorithms for iris segmentation. A well-designed Faster R-CNN with only six layers is built to locate and classify the eye. With the bounding box found by Faster R-CNN, the pupillary region is located using a Gaussian mixture model. Then, the circular boundary of the pupillary region is fit according to five key boundary points. A boundary point selection algorithm is used to find the boundary points of the limbus, and the circular boundary of the limbus is constructed using these boundary points. Experimental results showed that the proposed iris segmentation method achieved 95.49% accuracy on the challenging CASIA-Iris-Thousand database.


ABSTRACT Doripenem is a broad-spectrum parenteral carbapenem under clinical development in Japan and North America. Its activities against (i) Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates with graded levels of intrinsic efflux-type resistance, (ii) mutants with various combinations of AmpC and OprD expression, (iii) PU21 transconjugants with class A and D β-lactamases, and (iv) P. aeruginosa isolates with metallo-β-lactamases were tested by the agar dilution method of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Selection of resistant P. aeruginosa mutants was investigated in single- and multistep procedures. Doripenem MICs for isolates without acquired resistance mostly were 0.12 to 0.5 μg/ml, whereas meropenem MICs were 0.25 to 0.5 μg/ml and imipenem MICs were 1 to 2 μg/ml. The MICs of doripenem, meropenem, ertapenem, and noncarbapenems for isolates with increased efflux-type resistance were elevated, whereas the MICs of imipenem were less affected. The MICs of doripenem were increased by the loss of OprD but not by derepression of AmpC; nevertheless, and as with other carbapenems, the impermeability-determined resistance caused by the loss of OprD corequired AmpC activity and was lost in OprD− mutants also lacking AmpC. The TEM, PSE, PER, and OXA enzymes did not significantly protect P. aeruginosa PU21 against the activity of doripenem, whereas MICs of ≥16 μg/ml were seen for clinical isolates with VIM and IMP metallo-β-lactamases. Resistant mutants seemed to be harder to select with doripenem than with other carbapenems (or noncarbapenems), and the fold increases in the MICs were smaller for the resistant mutants. Single-step doripenem mutants were mostly resistant only to carbapenems and had lost OprD; multistep mutants had broader resistance, implying the presence of additional mechanisms, putatively including up-regulated efflux. Most mutants selected with aminoglycosides and quinolones had little or no cross-resistance to carbapenems, including doripenem.


High-order quantum chemistry is applied to hydrogen-bonded natural DNA nucleobase pairs [adenine:thymine (A:T) and guanine:cytosine (G:C)] and non-natural Hachimoji nucleobase pairs [isoguanine:1-methylcytosine (B:S) and 2-aminoimidazo[1,2a][1,3,5]triazin-4(1H)-one:6-amino-5-nitropyridin-2-one (P:Z)] to see how the intermolecular interaction energies and their energetic components (electrostatics, exchange-repulsion, induction/polarization, and London dispersion interactions) vary among the base pairs. We examined the Hoogsteen (HG) geometries in addition to the traditional Watson–Crick (WC) geometries. Coupled-cluster theory through perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit and high-order symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) at the SAPT2+(3)(CCD)δMP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level are used to estimate highly accurate noncovalent interaction energies. Electrostatic interactions are the most attractive component of the interaction energies, but the sum of induction/polarization and London dispersion is nearly as large, for all base pairs and geometries considered. Interestingly, the non-natural Hachimoji base pairs interact more strongly than the corresponding natural base pairs, by −21.8 (B:S) and −0.3 (P:Z) kcal mol–1 in the WC geometries, according to CCSD(T)/CBS. This is consistent with the H-bond distances being generally shorter in the non-natural base pairs. The natural base pairs are energetically more stabilized in their Hoogsteen geometries than in their WC geometries. The Hoogsteen geometry makes the A:T base pair slightly more stable, by −0.8 kcal mol–1, and it greatly stabilizes the G:C+ base pair, by −15.3 kcal mol–1. The G:C+ stabilization is mainly due to the fact that C has typically added a proton when found in Hoogsteen geometries. By contrast, Hoogsteen geometries are substantially less favorable than WC geometries for non-natural Hachimoji base pairs, by 17.3 (B:S) and 13.8 (P:Z) kcal mol–1.


Collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis are newly described colitides that are only diagnosable microscopically; therefore, both are known under the umbrella term 'microscopic colitis'. This is a short review of the clinical findings, and epidemiological and basic observations of these relatively little described colitides belonging to the group of inflammatory bowel diseases.


Clearance of the malarial parasite and protection from reinfection is dependent on T helper cell-dependent germinal center (GC) -derived plasma cells (PC) and memory B cells (MBC). Enhancing or blocking T cell help during experimental malaria has been shown to either improve or impede GC output, respectively. Using a mouse model of malaria, we show that an agonistic antibody against the co-stimulatory molecule, 4-1BB (CD137), hinders an optimal GC response, but enhances humoral immune memory. We demonstrate that this apparent paradox is at least partially driven by CD4 T cell-intrinsic Eomesodermin expression. By using chemoprophylaxis or irradiated parasites we show that the beneficial effects of 4-1BB ligation on humoral immune memory are neither influenced by the inflammatory milieu, nor due to an increased number of MBCs, but rather due to their heightened recall capacity and their ability to readily differentiate into antibody secreting PCs.


as nitrosamines in the drinking water and foodstuffs of the high-risk areas for oesophageal cancer have been found. The chapters on the epidemiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma confirm the strong association between Epstein-Barr virus and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and suggest the possibility that EBV serology can be used by clinicians as a marker for prognosis after therapy and as early evidence of recurrence.


The adhesion, mechanics, and motility of eukaryotic cells are highly sensitive to the ligand density and stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM). This relationship bears profound implications for stem cell engineering, tumor invasion and metastasis. Yet, our quantitative understanding of how ECM biophysical properties, mechanotransductive signals, and assembly of contractile and adhesive structures collude to control these cell behaviors remains extremely limited. Here we present a novel multiscale model of cell migration on ECMs of defined biophysical properties that integrates local activation of biochemical signals with adhesion and force generation at the cell-ECM interface. We capture the mechanosensitivity of individual cellular components by dynamically coupling ECM properties to the activation of Rho and Rac GTPases in specific portions of the cell with actomyosin contractility, cell-ECM adhesion bond formation and rupture, and process extension and retraction. We show that our framework is capable of recreating key experimentally-observed features of the relationship between cell migration and ECM biophysical properties. In particular, our model predicts for the first time recently reported transitions from filopodial to "stick-slip" to gliding motility on ECMs of increasing stiffness, previously observed dependences of migration speed on ECM stiffness and ligand density, and high-resolution measurements of mechanosensitive protrusion dynamics during cell motility we newly obtained for this study. It also relates the biphasic dependence of cell migration speed on ECM stiffness to the tendency of the cell to polarize. By enabling the investigation of experimentally-inaccessible microscale relationships between mechanotransductive signaling, adhesion, and motility, our model offers new insight into how these factors interact with one another to produce complex migration patterns across a variety of ECM conditions.


The diode laser promotes regression of the small venous lake of the lip by forced dehydration with induced photocoagulation of the lesions, with an uneventful postoperative course and anesthetic sequelae.


The resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus(BYDV) of naked barley cultivars and germplasm from Diqin collections has been tested in the field in two years.43 materials of naked barley were susceptible to BYDV,3 materials had high resistance levels to BYDV and their resistance characters were stable.


By using the Minskyan approach of financial instability and the neo-schumpeterian approach to the relationship between the National System of Innovation (NSI) and economic competitiveness, a standard was obtained for growth cycles of economies whose NSI shows deficiencies when compared with the NSI of the developed countries. According to this standard, growth cycles begin with the structuring of financial arrangements and end with exchange crises and collapse of those arrangements. It was concluded that growth cycles in the Brazilian economy between 1947 and 2003 closely followed the above-mentioned standard.


Previous studies showed that Arthrobacter pyridinolis can transport and utilize d-glucose only after prior growth on certain Krebs cycle intermediates. In contrast, we found that d-fructose was taken up and metabolized by A. pyridinolis without special prior conditions of growth. d-Fructose was first converted to d-fructose-1-phosphate by a phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP):D-fructose phosphotransferase. This activity required both supernatant and pellet fractions from d-fructose-grown cells centrifuged at 150,000 × g. The d-fructose-1-phosphate formed was converted to d-fructose-1, 6-diphosphate. Mutants deficient in PEP:d-fructose phosphotransferase and d-fructose-1-phosphate kinase, or d-fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase (FDPase) were unable to grow on d-fructose but retained the normal ability to use d-glucose. Mutants forming reduced amounts of FDPase were completely unable to grow on d-fructose but were still capable of limited growth on Krebs cycle intermediates. A requirement for higher levels of FDPase for growth on d-fructose than for growth on Krebs cycle intermediates was also indicated by the higher specific activities of FDPase in d-fructose-grown cells than in cells grown on l-malate or amino acids.


This paper presents and analyzes the biographical work developed with a group of students who began their journey in the master course in Theater Pedagogy at the University of Rostock (Northern Germany). Inspired by the proposal of a "biographical workshop", the work followed the perspective of amplifying the possibilities of ways of talking about themselves using different languages and expressive materials. Assuming the aesthetic and poetic dimension of the production processes of autobiographical narratives, this invitation to a creative imagination mobilized - in the field of sensitivity - understanding and writing itself.


Intracellular Ca signaling and Ca homeostasis have long been an important subject area of cell biology. Several intracellular Ca binding proteins have been demonstrated until now, and among these, annexins are characterized by their ability to interact with membrane phospholipids and they form an evolutionary conserved multigene family with the members being expressed throughout animal and plant kingdoms. Annexin proteins are defined by different structural and biochemical criteria, and this multigene family has several biological features. In certain clinical conditions, the alterations on the localization or expression levels of annexin proteins are considered as the causes of pathological results and/or sequelae of disease. So, annexin proteins are indirectly linked to severe human diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Since annexin proteins are known to play roles in cancer, the researches are focused on defining the clinical significance of certain annexin proteins in cancer development and by the way anticancer treatments in the last decades. This chapter presents detailed information about annexin proteins and the studies on anticancer drug development targeting certain annexins. The studies denominate that targeting of certain annexin proteins reduces tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance. So, annexin proteins have growing importance for anticancer drug development.


Sir, We read with interest the article by Arya et al. 'Doubleblind randomized controlled study of coblation tonsillotomy versus coblation tonsillectomy on post-operative pain'. This study compared post-operative pain scores from 18 children, in the first 24 h after these procedures were performed by a single consultant surgeon. We think the design of this study raises a number of interesting issues. It is not clear whether there was true randomization of patients into groups for which side tonsillotomy was performed. Sealed envelope allocation and random number allocation are both listed. A sealed envelope system would not give an equal chance of allocation to each side as the previous envelopes that had been picked would influence the probability of being allocated in the remaining envelopes. Allocation according to a random number generator, however, would have constituted true randomization. We would also debate whether the pain assessment used was a true visual analogue score as responses were scored '0, no pain; 1, hurts when talks, moves or eats; 2, hurts all the time but not severe; 3, constant severe pain'. We were unsure with the authors' analysis of the data from the pain scores used in this paper. These scores were ranked, i.e. non-parametric data. Area under the curve is only appropriate for parametric data as it relies on every unit or square under the curve having exactly the same value. This is not a summary measure that can be calculated on non-parametric data. Likewise the t-test is a test of parametric data comparing one data point in two groups (unpaired) or two data points in one group (paired). This study was an original study and looked at a relevant question in the practise of otolaryngology regarding improving how we can perform tonsillectomies in children. Post-operative pain is a difficult area to assess and it could be misleading to draw recommendations for future practise from data that has not been demonstrated to be wholly accurate or reliable. J. Davies & A.P. Coatesworth Department of ENT, York Hospital, Wigginton Rd, YO31 8JT York, UK E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


Papers of participants of the VI International Multidisciplinary Scientific and Theoretical Conference «Sectoral research XXI: characteristics and features», held on February 8, 2023 in Chicago are presented in the collection of scientific papers.