Introduction With the increasing enthusiasm to provide cognitive remediation (CR) as an evidence-based practice, questions arise as to what is involved in implementing CR in a large system of care. This article describes the first statewide implementation of CR in the USA, with the goal of documenting the implementation issues that care providers are likely to face when bringing CR services to their patients. Methods In 2014, the New York State Office of Mental Health set up a Cognitive Health Service that could be implemented throughout the state-operated system of care. This service was intended to broadly address cognitive health, to assure that the cognitive deficits commonly associated with psychiatric illnesses are recognized and addressed, and that cognitive health is embedded in the vocabulary of wellness. It involved creating a mechanism to train staff to recognize how cognitive health could be prioritized in treatment planning as well as implementing CR in state-operated adult outpatient psychiatry clinics. Results By 2017, CR was available at clinics serving people with serious mental illness in 13 of 16 adult Psychiatric Centers, located in rural and urban settings throughout New York state. The embedded quality assurance program evaluation tools indicated that CR was acceptable, sustainable, and effective. Conclusions Cognitive remediation can be feasibly implemented in large systems of care that provide a multilevel system of supports, a training program that educates broadly about cognitive health and specifically about the delivery of CR, and embedded, ongoing program evaluation that is linked to staff supervision.


Police in-vehicle systems include a visual output mobile data terminal (MDT) with manual input via touch screen and keyboard. This study investigated the potential for voice-based input and output modalities for reducing subjective workload of police officers while driving. Nineteen experienced drivers of police vehicles (one female) from New South Wales (NSW) Police completed four simulated urban drives. Three drives included a concurrent secondary task: an imitation licence number search using an emulated MDT. Three different interface output-input modalities were examined: Visual-Manual, Visual-Voice, and Audio-Voice. Following each drive, participants rated their subjective workload using the NASA - Raw Task Load Index and completed questions on acceptability. A questionnaire on interface preferences was completed by participants at the end of their session. Engaging in secondary tasks while driving significantly increased subjective workload. The Visual-Manual interface resulted in higher time demand than either of the voice-based interfaces and greater physical demand than the Audio-Voice interface. The Visual-Voice and Audio-Voice interfaces were rated easier to use and more useful than the Visual-Manual interface, although not significantly different from each other. Findings largely echoed those deriving from the analysis of the objective driving performance data. It is acknowledged that under standard procedures, officers should not drive while performing tasks concurrently with certain invehicle policing systems; however, in practice this sometimes occurs. Taking action now to develop voice-based technology for police in-vehicle systems has potential to realise visions for potentially safer and more efficient vehicle-based police work.


buting further to the mythology of the mythologist Barthes warns against in the opening remarks of his work. Exposing the widespread 'accessorization' (p. 4) of Mythologies as intellectual fashion item, the present collection of essays aims to reflect critically on the 'pertinence and impertinence' (p. 1) of Barthes's book, both in relation to its own time and in terms of its resonance today. This is a far-reaching task and one wishes that the Introduction had defined a more specific set of questions for the authors to reflect on in their individual contributions. And, given the symposium context, the volume might also have benefited from the inclusion of some documentation of the open dialogue between the contributors in order to compensate for the heterogeneity, and at times highly specialized nature, of the topics. The contributions range from an analysis of Barthes's deployment of dialectics and his relationship to Marxism (Andy Stafford), to a very inspiring discussion of the relevance of Mythologies for contemporary 'thing-theory' (Edward Welch), and to an interesting — yet, within the context of the book, seemingly less relevant — debate on why Barthes's essays exclude the bande dessinée (Laurence Grove). In addition, we find a suggestive interrogation of Barthes's eclectic methodology through the theme of food (Douglas Smith), followed by Paul Hegarty's refreshingly uncompromising discussion of the plural temporalities of Mythologies and the often dubious commemorative strategies that have marked its reception. Finally, Martine Joly positions Barthes's study within 1950s French research on myth and reflects on recent and, she argues, futile attempts to repeat its success, while Graham Allen discusses Mythologies with regard to the development of Cultural Studies and contemporary university micromanagement. In the same way as the object of its inquiry, this collection of essays remains openly inconclusive. And yet, given the transnational nature and the worldwide impact of Barthes's approach to the analysis of everyday myths in France, one would have wanted to read more about its relation to international research in the field (most recently, Herfried Münkler on Die Deutschen und ihre Mythen (2009)). Nevertheless, for anyone interested in Roland Barthes, in popular culture, and in mythology, the essays here, many of the highest quality, make an insightful and thought-provoking read.


Sexual violence (SV) represents a serious public health problem with high rates and numerous health consequences. Current primary prevention strategies to reduce SV perpetration have been shown to be largely ineffective—not surprisingly, since as others have pointed out current prevention largely fails to draw on existing knowledge about the characteristics of effective prevention. In this article, we examine the potential of K–12 comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), guided by the National Sexuality Education Standards (NSES), to be an effective strategy. Our discussion uses socioecological and feminist theories as a guide, examines the extent to which NSES-guided CSE could both meet the qualities of effective prevention programs and mitigate the risk factors that are most implicated in perpetration behavior, and considers the potential limitations of this approach. We suggest that sequential, K–12 program has potential to prevent the emergence of risk factors associated with SV perpetration by starting prevention early on in the life course. CSE has not yet been evaluated with SV perpetration behavior as an outcome, and this article synthesizes what is known about drivers of SV perpetration and the potential impacts of CSE to argue for the importance of future research in this area. The primary recommendation is for longitudinal research to examine the impact of CSE on SV perpetration as well as on other sexual and reproductive health outcomes.


The habit of eating wild plants in Europe is often associated with times of famine; an example of such is the nectar of Cytinus hypocistis (L.) L., a parasitic plant. To the authors' best knowledge, there are no studies on its nutritional and chemical composition; thus, the whole C. hypocistis (L.) L. subsp. macranthus Wettst. plant (CH) and its nectar (NCH) were nutritionally and chemically characterized. The proximate composition of CH and NCH were very similar in terms of energy, ash, and carbohydrate content. Protein and fat were approximately 2-fold higher in NCH, and crude fiber was 4.6-fold higher in CH compared to NCH. Fructose, glucose, sucrose, and trehalose were the free sugars present in both samples. Oxalic, malic, and citric acids were the identified organic acids in both samples, with citric acid as the most abundant molecule. For both samples, polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids (PUFA and SFA, respectively) predominate over monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) due to the significant contribution of linoleic and palmitic acids, respectively. However, unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) prevail over SFA in CH and NCH. Therefore, CH proved to be an excellent source of nutritional compounds, which supports its use during past periods of scarcity.


Selection of flip-flops that provide the best improvements in testability is a critical part of the partial scan design process. This paper describes a new technique for flip-flop selection that models the effect of scan in terms of the introduction of pseudo state transitions in the state transition graph. The identification of (desired) state transitions that provide for improved testability is based on an analysis of the known reachable states and desired states which ensure improved fault detection. Experiments are presented on the ISCAS 89 circuits to show significant improvements in the testability of the resulting partial scan design.


The subject of the present notice is the internal shell, 'sepium' or cuttle-bone of a large Dibranchiate Cephalopod, combining some of the characters of that of the Cuttle (Sepia) with that of the Squid (Loligo, Sepioteuthis, &c.). The specimen was discovered by W. R. Brodie, Esq., at low-water-mark, in the shales at Kimmeridge, in a layer of which it lies imbedded, with the dorsal surface exposed. It is 1 foot in length, although the hinder pointed end is broken away, and 5½ inches in breadth at its broadest part, about one-third from the hinder end; proportions which indicate the entire animal yielding it to have been about a yard in length from the end of the outstretched arms (see Pl. VII.). The sepium is slightly convex along the middle of the dorsal surface, which is the one exposed, and this convexity is beset with hard calcareous granules; the largest, occupying the middle of the convexity, are about half a line in diameter, and gradually diminish in size to the anterior border, and to within two inches and a half of the fractured posterior end. The substance of the plate which sustains these granules is calcified, but the calcareous layer is very thin, about one- third of a line, and it coats a black internal horny layer, which extends to the lateral margins, where the calcified outer layer gradually changes into a horny one. This albuminous or horny part of the body is much more extensive than in the Cuttle-bone, and


1 Carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes were measured for 55 days by eddy covariance over an undisturbed tropical rain forest in Rondonia, Brazil. Profiles of CO2 inside the canopy were also measured.
2 During the night, CO2 concentration frequently built up to 500 ppm throughout the canopy as a result of low rates of exchange with the atmosphere. In the early morning hours, ventilation of the canopy occurred.
3 Ecosystem gas exchange was calculated from a knowledge of fluxes above the canopy and changes of CO2 stored inside the canopy. Typically, uptake by the canopy was 15 μmol m−2 s−1 in bright sunlight and dark respiration was 6-7 μmol m−2 s−1 The quantum requirement at low irradiance was: 40 mol photons per mol of CO2.
4 Bulk stomatal conductance of the ecosystem was maximal in the early morning (0.4-1.0 mol m−2 s−1) and declined over the course of the day as leaf-to-air vapour pressure difference increased.


In speech sound statistics, the word occurance deviates from Poisson distribution for random discrete variable. A new statistical distribution function is proposed in this paper to account for the Jaw of occurance of speech words. It is reasoned that although a large vocabulary is in existence from which the words can be drawn arbitrarily, but the speaker draws only after deliberation. Thus, unlike the random occurance of simpler speech sounds, such as phonemes and letters, which obeys Poisson distribution for discrete random processes, the occurance of words is a random process modulated by the selection and processing of the speaker. This process closely resembles the narrow-band filtering of a random signal, and it is considered that something like the corresponding Rayleigh distribution function might fit better. Actual counting and test of fitness proved this. The cumulative distribution function is exactly Rayleigh's except that only integral numbers are taken for the variable, the distribution function thus built up is named discrete Rayleigh distribution function. The phonemes, letters and auxiliary words may occur in conjunction with many words and they have the properties of these words, and therefore they distribute, according to the reasoning of central limit theorem, as Poisson's. Tests also showed all this. In the test of significance between the observed distribution and hypothetical distribution (Poisson or discrete Rayleigh) the graph observation, variance or standard deviation comparison and X2 test were used. The latter is strict and the first is visual, but the variance comparison is simple and also quantitative. And in some cases the visual and variance methods show clear preference while the x2 test is not quite definite. The simple way is to observe on the graph and then compare the variances.


Generalist plant pathogens may have wide host ranges, but many exhibit varying degrees of host specialization, with multiple pathogen races that have narrower host ranges. These races are often genetically distinct, with each race causing highest disease incidence on its host of origin. We examined host specialization in the seed pathogen Pyrenophora semeniperda by reciprocally inoculating pathogen strains from Bromus tectorum and from four other winter annual grass weeds (Bromus diandrus, Bromus rubens, Bromus arvensis and Taeniatherum caput-medusae) onto dormant seeds of B. tectorum and each alternate host. We found that host species varied in resistance and pathogen strains varied in aggressiveness, but there was no evidence for host specialization. Most variation in aggressiveness was among strains within populations and was expressed similarly on both hosts, resulting in a positive correlation between strain-level disease incidence on B. tectorum and on the alternate host. In spite of this lack of host specialization, we detected weak but significant population genetic structure as a function of host species using two neutral marker systems that yielded similar results. This genetic structure is most likely due to founder effects, as the pathogen is known to be dispersed with host seeds. All host species were highly susceptible to their own pathogen races. Tolerance to infection (i.e., the ability to germinate even when infected and thereby avoid seed mortality) increased as a function of seed germination rate, which in turn increased as dormancy was lost. Pyrenophora semeniperda apparently does not require host specialization to fully exploit these winter annual grass species, which share many life history features that make them ideal hosts for this pathogen.


Countries in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) lack enough public health workforces to address their poor public health situation. Recently, there have been efforts to develop capacity building in public health in these countries by producing competent public health workforce through public health institutes and schools. Considering the wide nature of public health, the public health education and curricula should be linked with skills, knowledge, and competencies needed for public health practice and professionalism. The 3 domains of public health practice and the 10 essential public health services provide an operational framework to explore this link between public health practice and public health education. This framework incorporates five core areas of public health education. A master degree course in public health can be structured by incorporating these core areas as basic and reinforcing one of these areas as an elective followed by a dissertation work.


Linear Algebra presents a very important role in the areas of accuracy, and through it we can show its utility in modeling a problem that involves a simple game of erasing and lighting lights, after modeling the problem, we will solve it by implementing an algorithm of elimination of Gauss in Scilab (Scilab is free and open source software, focused on numerical computation similar to Matlab). The game, Lights Out, is a famous game of the 90's, which consists of 25 keys illuminated and arranged in the form of a 5x5 matrix, where it has an initial state and we must delete all keys by pressing a correct sequence of keys, this sequence will be provided by the program implemented in Scilab, ie we will have an immediate solution to erase all lights in the game. The modeling uses Linear Algebra concepts: matrices, determinants and linear systems, together with the concept of the set of the rest of the division by 2(ℤ2).


Background Most deaths following severe traumatic brain injury follow decisions to withdraw life-sustaining therapies. However, the incidence of the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies and its potential impact on research data interpretation have been poorly characterized. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the reporting and the impact of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies in randomized clinical trials of patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Methods We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central, BIOSIS, and CINAHL databases and references of included trials. All randomized controlled trials published between January 2002 and August 2015 in the six highest impact journals in general medicine, critical care medicine, and neurocritical care (total of 18 journals) were considered for eligibility. Randomized controlled trials were included if they enrolled adult patients with severe traumatic brain injury (Glasgow Coma Scale ≤ 8) and reported data on mortality. Our primary objective was to assess the proportion of trials reporting the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies in a publication. Our secondary objectives were to describe the overall mortality rate, the proportion of deaths following the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies, and to assess the impact of the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies on trial results. Results From 5987 citations retrieved, we included 41 randomized trials (n = 16,364, ranging from 11 to 10,008 patients). Overall mortality was 23% (range = 3%–57%). Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies was reported in 20% of trials (8/41, 932 patients in trials) and the crude number of deaths due to the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies was reported in 17% of trials (7/41, 884 patients in trials). In these trials, 63% of deaths were associated with the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies (105/168). An analysis carried out by imputing a 4% differential rate in instances of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies between study groups yielded different results and conclusions in one third of the trials. Conclusion Data on the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies are incompletely reported in randomized controlled trials of patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Given the high proportion of deaths due to the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies in severe traumatic brain injury patients, and the potential of this medical decision to influence the results of clinical trials, instances of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies should be systematically reported in clinical trials in this group of patients.


The objective of this work is to compare the results obtained from the motion analysis of tagged vs. CINE MR sequences when using spatio-temporal non-rigid registration techniques based on pixel intensity. Those techniques have been previously validated on tagged MR images. Moreover, registration algorithms have been applied to MR CINE sequences to obtain radial displacement and strain parameters demonstrating its usefulness to quantify regional myocardial function. Tagged and CINE MR short axis sequences from 10 subjects were examined. Four segments were manually selected in both the tagged MR and CINE sequences. Automatic estimation of the myocardial motion field was performed using a consecutive non-rigid registration algorithm based on a semilocal Bspline parametric model. Finally, a statistical analysis was applied to compare the systolic displacement and strain estimations from both types of sequences. An important discrepancy between results obtained from tagged MR based strain analysis and CINE MR has been found.


African lions (Panthera leo) are declining continent-wide, with protected area populations subject to a variety of anthropogenic effects. Zambia contains viable lion populations of considerable importance for photographic and hunting tourism, but long-term lion demographic data do not exist to guide recent management directives and population projections under different strategies. We described population size, as well as age and sex structure of lions in 3 Zambian national park populations bordering hunting areas, and found them to be male-depleted relative to other systems. We then estimated rates of adult male loss leading to male depletion in these populations and the effect of different future hunting management options on population characteristics. Predictions from matrix population models constructed within a Bayesian framework confirmed that the observed population structure was likely due to high rates of adult male loss and that instituting age limits on male harvests with quota reductions would reduce male depletion, improve tourism by providing older and more abundant males, and slightly increase population size. Reducing male mortality from wire snare poaching would also result in similar demographic impacts, and in concert with changes in hunting regulations would substantially improve the quality and quantity of adult male lions. However, model results varied depending on whether we assumed historical population stability. Predictions assuming negative historical growth rate indicated that substantially more conservative lion harvest management is warranted. We discuss the relevance of these findings for maintaining viable lion populations in and around protected areas in Zambia. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.


Genome sequence analyses predicted the presence of effectors in the gram-negative Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) even without the presence of a classical type III secretion system. Since CLas is not culturable, it is not possible to perform traditional gene knockout experiments to determine the role of various effectors in Huanglongbing (HLB) pathogenesis. Therefore, we followed an alternative functional genomics approach to examine the role of the CLas effectors in HLB pathogenesis in general and more specifically in suppressing citrus innate immune response. Here, we focused on the CLas effectors, P235 and Effector 3, to perform the following studies. First, proteomic studies by LC-MS/MS were conducted to screen the putative interacting citrus protein partners of P235 and Effector 3 from the healthy and CLas-infected Hamlin extracts and the most probable candidates were identified based upon their high protein scores from LC-MS/MS. Second, a transgenic tobacco split GFP system was designed for in planta detection of the most probable citrus interacting protein partners of P235 and Effector 3. Third, in vitro and in planta studies were performed to show that each of two effectors interacts with and inhibits the functions of multiple citrus proteins belonging to the innate immune pathways. These inhibitory interactions led to a high level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), blocking of bactericidal lipid binding protein (LTP), and induction of premature programmed cell death (PCD), thereby supporting CLas infection and HLB pathogenesis. Finally, an LTP mimic was designed to sequester and block the CLas effector and to rescue the bactericidal activity of LTP.


Through a series of simulated observations, we investigate the capability of the instruments aboard the forthcoming THESEUS mission for the detection of a characteristic signal from decaying dark matter (DM) in the keV-MeV energy range. We focus our studies on three well studied Standard Model extensions hosting axion-like particles, dark photon, and sterile neutrino DM candidates. We show that, due to the sensitivity of THESEUS' X and Gamma Imaging Spectrometer (XGIS) instrument, existing constraints on dark matter parameters can be improved by a factor of up to around 300, depending on the considered DM model and assuming a zero level of systematic uncertainty. We also show that even a minimal level of systematic uncertainty of 1% can impair potential constraints by one to two orders of magnitude. We argue that nonetheless, the constraints imposed by THESEUS will be substantially better than existing ones and will well complement the constraints of upcoming missions such as eXTP and Athena. Ultimately, the limits imposed by THESEUS and future missions will ensure a robust and thorough coverage of the parameter space for decaying DM models, enabling either a detection of dark matter or a significant improvement of relevant limits.


Signage systems are closely linked to the security of persons and goods, as well as pressing issues such as ergonomics, accessibility, orientation, and mobility, among others. Signaling traffic, tourism, emergency signaling, railway signaling, air, maritime, etc., well reflect the role of signage/signalization in contributing to the safety and mobility of societies and the social role of design as a methodology or discipline that conceives orientation signs in space – The Signage systems. The potential benefits of information design (more properly signage systems) for social development are also looking for new approaches and methodologies, for research in and by design in an attempt to maximize new solutions that improve the lives of societies. The found solutions at the level of signage systems do not always consider the real needs of multiple users, i.e., at the level of design of these systems lack truly design projects centred on the users and that incorporate real solutions at technical, aesthetic, ergonomic and also inclusive levels. The development of signalling systems, which are considered as spatial information systems, involves the vital function of transmitting information in order to guide and direct certain individuals or groups / classes of individuals. It is a communication process that uses artifacts designed for the transmission of information and guidance clear and unambiguous for Citizens: The wayfinding. Considering wayfinding as the organization and communication of our dynamic relationship with space and environment, we are in the field of an important area for the design, to architecture and ergonomics, which is not only limited to the design of systems, but all that pertains to human interaction with spaces (Arthur; Passini, 1992). Thus, wayfinding design seeks to develop activity in the design of signage systems and of spatial information, which aim to guide and assist the task of accessibility to a particular space or territory. It is understood to be fundamentally a user-centred approach, which favors the ergonomic issues, anthropometric and inclusiveness, making signage systems truly universal or rather, accessible to a majority.


The aim of this paper is to state and prove certain inequalities that involve means (e.g., the arithmetic, geometric, logarithmic means) using a particular result. First of all we recall useful properties of a real-valued convex function that will be used in the proof of our inequalities. Further, we present three inequalities, the first involving the logarithmic mean, the second involving the classical arithmetical and geometrical means and in the last we introduce a new mean. Finally, we give alternate proofs to the Schweitzer's inequality and Khanin's inequality.


Cardiac functions are regulated by both contractile proteins and calcium regulatory proteins. In cardiac hypertrophy, an increase in protein synthesis can be partitioned into an increase in both capacity and efficiency of synthesis. beta-cardiac myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC) isoform is predominantly expressed while alpha-MHC is suppressed in pressure overload hypertrophy. The SR Ca(2+)-ATPase is also markedly decreased in pressure overloaded hearts, while in thyrotoxic hearts both are increased. The signal transduction system in cardiac hypertrophy can be examined by stretching cardiac myocytes grown up on deformable membranes. In our analysis, stretching myocytes stimulated protein kinase C, MAP-II kinase and S6 kinase, all of which may lead to the induction of fetal-type cardiac genes and accelerated protein synthesis. Analyses of the subcellular mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy will provide important insights into understanding of the molecular basis of heart failure.


Formal volunteering takes place on behalf of charitable or non-profit organizations. While the physical presence of these organizations is usually required for citizens who want to volunteer, the physical presence of charitable organizations varies from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. Until now, no one has examined the role of charity proximity on volunteer decisions. In this paper we use information on the location of registered charities in Canada merged with survey information on the location of individuals and their volunteering decisions to examine how the physical proximity of charities ('Access') affects volunteer behaviour. Careful attention is paid to the possibility that the measure of access might be endogenous: organizations and volunteers may respond to the same unobservable factors when deciding where to locate. Our results imply that access does matter for the decision to volunteer as well as for the amount of time devoted to volunteering: increasing the number of charitable organizations within a one-kilometre buffer around an individual's place of residence by 1% increases the predicted probability of volunteering by 0.9%. We find that the impact of an additional charity on the likelihood of volunteering decreases with distance to the individual's residence, suggesting that the location of charities, indeed, matters when it comes to influencing volunteering behavior.


The two trematode genera Gymnotergestia Nahhas and Cable, 1964 and Opechona Looss, 1907 were reviewed and discussed. Gymnotergestia chaetodipteri Nahhas and Cable, 1964 and Opechona sardinellae Nahhas and Cable, 1964 were redescribed from Serranus scriba and Labrus bergylata respectively from Libya. This represents a new host record and new locality. A comparison between the original description and the present work was presented.


Resveratrol, which is a polyphenol present in red wines and vegetables included in human diets, exerts many biological effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate its effect on some activities of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, particularly the generation of superoxide anion ((O2)(-)) in whole blood, hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and nitric oxide (NO) production by isolated cells, and chemotaxis. Resveratrol showed significant dose-dependent inhibitory effect on all these activities. In particular, it inhibited O2(-) generation in stimulated but not in resting neutrophils, decreased HOCl much more than O2(-) production indicating an effect on myeloperoxidase secretion since HOCl production is directly and proportionally dependent on O2(-) generation and reduced cell motility. The small dose of resveratrol (4.38 nM) used is attainable with a diet including red wine and vegetables confirming its protective role against some pathological processes such as inflammation, coronary heart disease, and cancer.


Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains a significant threat to global health as it induces granuloma and systemic inflammatory responses during active tuberculosis. Mtb can induce macrophage pyroptosis, leading to the release of IL-1β and tissue damage, promoting its spread. Here, we established an in vitro Mtb-infected macrophage model to seek an effective antipyroptosis agent. Baicalin, isolated from Radix Scutellariae, was found to reduce pyroptosis in Mtb-infected macrophages. Baicalin could inhibit activation of the PERK/eIF2α pathway and thus downregulates TXNIP expression and subsequently reduces activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, resulting in reduced pyroptosis in Mtb-infected macrophages. In conclusion, baicalin reduced pyroptosis by inhibiting the PERK/TXNIP/NLRP3 axis and might thus be a new adjuvant host-directed therapy (HDT) drug.


ARTICLES DISCUSSED
Januschke, J., Loyer, N. Applications of immobilization of Drosophila tissues with fibrin clots for live imaging. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (166), 10.3791/61954 (2020). Li, T., Luo, L. An explant system for time-lapse imaging studies of olfactory circuit assembly in Drosophila. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (176), 10.3791/62983 (2021). Schramm, P., Hetsch, F., Meier, J. C., Koster, R. W. In vivo imaging of fully active brain tissue in awake zebrafish larvae and juveniles by skull and skin removal. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (168), 10.3791/62166 (2021). Ratke, J., Kramer, F., Strobl, F. Simultaneous live imaging of multiple insect embryos in sample chamber-based light sheet fluorescence microscopes. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (163), 10.3791/61713 (2020). Terzi, A., Alam, S. M. S., Suter, D. M. ROS live cell imaging during neuronal development. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (168), 10.3791/62165 (2021). Mutlu, A. S., Chen, T., Deng, D., Wang, M. C. Label-Free imaging of lipid storage dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (171), 10.3791/61870 (2021). Boutillon, A., Escot, S., David, N. B. Deep and spatially controlled volume ablations using a two-photon microscope in the zebrafish gastrula. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (173), 10.3791/62815 (2021).


The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the use of two different perspectives in giving wayfinding directions in a Dutch population. Participants had to provide directions from starting locations to destinations for a fictional recipient driving through an environment (route perspective) or looking at a map of the environment (survey perspective). When giving navigational instructions in a route perspective left/right directions are used and landmarks along the road are mentioned. Navigational instructions given in a survey perspective are associated with the use of cardinal terms. The main focus of the study was to examine the differences in navigation instructions given in a small scale environment (a map of a town) and a large scale environment (a map of a country). The hypothesis was that Dutch people, who made minimal use of cardinal terms in a small scale environment (see Bangel, 2009), would use cardinal terms when giving navigational instructions in a large scale environment. This hypothesis was not confirmed by the data of the experiment. Dutch people showed a clear preference for the use of left/right directions in both perspectives in both the small and the large scale environment, while cardinal terms where used scarcely. This indicates a preference for a relative (viewpoint dependent) frame of reference when giving navigation instructions unregarded of the scale size of the environment.


Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty is a non-surgical procedure for treating mitral stenosis. There are two techniques of performing this procedure, the double balloon and the Inoue techniques. The aim of this study was to compare the immediate complications of percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in two consecutive series of unselected patients undergoing the double balloon (131 patients) and the Inoue (131 patients) techniques. The two series were comparable before valvuloplasty with respect to demographic, clinical, echocardiographic and haemodynamic criteria. The increase in valvular surface area and the decrease in pressure gradient after valvuloplasty were not significantly different (1.1 +/- 0.2 to 1.95 +/- 0.5 cm2 in the Inoue series and 1.0 +/- 0.2 to 1.95 +/- 0.5 cm2 in the double-balloon series; 12 +/- 3 to 5 +/- 2 mmHg in the Inoue series and 13 +/- 4 to 5 +/- 2 mmHg in the double-balloon series for the mean transvalvular pressure gradient). A good immediate result was defined as a valve surface are > 1.5 cm2 and < or = 2 + mitral regurgitation after the series, and this was obtained in 78% of cases in both series. Severe mitral regurgitation (3 +) requiring immediate or elective mitral valve replacement was observed in 7 cases in the Inoue series and in 5 cases in the double-balloon series (NS). One cerebral embolism occurred in the double balloon series and two systemic embolisms, one cerebral and one coronary, in the Inoue series.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


This article aimed to identify if the formative actions of the axis the emergency provision of the More Doctors Program are based on theoretical and methodological elements of interprofessional education from the perspective of the participants of the program. It is an exploratory study, developed in 2016, in Brazil. Data were collected through individual interviews (n=30) and nine focus groups (n=52), and treated by content analysis, which produced three categories: Assumptions of interprofessional education set forth in the formative cycles of the More Doctors; Changes in the process of teamwork, from the perspective of the elements of interprofessional education, triggered by the formative cycles; Difficulties for the approach of interprofessional education in the formative cycles. Among the elements enunciated in the formative processes are the learning about the role of each profession, the sharing of experiences, and the centrality of care in the patient. However, the fundamental precept of interprofessional education of learning between two or more professions is not applied. The More Doctors constitutes a propitious policy for the strengthening of interprofessionality, because its proposal is based on the logic of permanent education, which demands the establishment of a relationship of mutual influence between education and work in health.


This study experimentally determined the effects of rib spacing on heat transfer in a rotating 1:4 AR channel with a sharp-bend entrance. The leading and trailing walls used 45 deg angled ribs. The rib-height-to-hydraulic-diam ratio e/D h was 0.078. The rib-pitch-to-rib-height ratios P/e studied were P/e = 2.5, 5, and 10. Each ratio was tested at five Reynolds numbers up to 40,000. For each Reynolds number, experiments were conducted at five rotational speeds up to 400 rpm. Results showed that the sharp-bend entrance has a significant effect on the first-pass heat transfer enhancement. In the second pass, the rib spacing and rotation effect are reduced. The P/e = 10 case had the highest heat transfer enhancement, based on the total area, and the P/e = 2.5 had the highest heat transfer enhancement, based on the projected area. The current study has extended the range of the rotation number Ro and local buoyancy parameter Bo x for a ribbed 1:4 AR channel up to 0.65 and 1.5, respectively. Correlations for predicting heat transfer enhancement due to rotation in the ribbed 1:4 AR channel, based on the extended range of the rotation number and buoyancy parameter, are presented in the paper.


Statement of purpose Very few studies have examined dating violence over time, with even less known about psychological abuse. We examine the development of psychological abuse perpetration through 4 years of adolescence; influences on growth factors of time-invariant predictors; and change of psychological abuse due to time-varying effects of hostility, controlling for time-invariant predictors. Methods/approach 958 ethnically diverse adolescents from multiple schools participated (57% female, mean age = 16.1). The CADRI measured past-year psychological abuse perpetration. Gender, ethnicity, family composition, and parental education served as time-invariant variables to predict initial abuse and growth rate. Hostility (SCL-90) at each wave served as time-varying variable. Results Unconditional liner model fit was acceptable, x2(df = 5) = 11.47, p < 0.05, RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.99. The mean of intercept (est = 3.23) was positive and significant, indicating that average of psychological abuse at wave2 was significantly larger than zero. The mean slope (est = -.11) was negative and significant, indicating that perpetration of psychological abuse linearly decreases over time on average. In addition, the significant variance of the intercept (est = 4.69) and slope (est = 0.45) indicated inter-individual variability around this mean group and in growth over time. Conditional growth model including time-invariant and time-varying variables also evidenced an acceptable fit, x2(df = 29) = 54.19, p < 0.05, RMSEA = 0.03, CFI = 0.98. Adolescents with more hostility reported significantly more psychological abuse perpetration than would be expected given their trajectory alone. Female and African American adolescents reported more psychological abuse relative to their respective counterparts. None of the lifetime-invariant variables significantly predicted growth rate. Conclusions Overall, the developmental trend of psychological abuse perpetration decreased over time. Gender and ethnicity were associated with initial psychological abuse but not significantly associated with developmental trend. Hostility at each wave was associated with time-specific increases in psychological abuse perpetration. Significance and contributions Hostility can play a role as risk factor, actively delaying the normative decrease of psychological abuse perpetration over adolescence.


We introduce a non-resonant acceleration mechanism arising from the second adiabatic invariant in magnetic turbulence and apply it to study the prompt emission spectra of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The mechanism contains both the first- and second-order Fermi acceleration, originating from the interacting turbulent reconnection and dynamo processes. It leads to a hard electron energy distribution up to a cutoff energy at the balance between the acceleration and synchrotron cooling. The sufficient acceleration rate ensures a rapid hardening of any initial energy distribution to a power-law distribution with the index , which naturally produces a low-energy photon index via the synchrotron radiation. For typical GRB parameters, the synchrotron emission can extend to a characteristic photon energy on the order of ∼100 keV.


The case describes a 39 year old male that presented with epigastric pain, nausea and constipation. A computed tomography revealed a 2 x 3 cm lesion in the head of the pancreas. The patient was referred to our institution and a high contrast computed tomography showed the lesion to have grown to 5 x 5 cm within a period of 15 days. Biopsies were obtained from the pancreatic mass. However, a few days later the patient went into circulatory shock and was transported to the intensive care unit where he was treated for acute onset liver and kidney failure. The patient's condition progressively worsened and despite all efforts of resuscitation, he passed away. Final immunohistochemical analysis revealed a poorly differentiated pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma with sarcomatoid characteristics. pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma is a rare exocrine pancreatic tumor demonstrated to have a more aggressive disease course than ductal adenocarcinoma. The additional sarcomatoid component in the tumor may have further promoted cancer cell proliferation and metastatic dissemination. The present case highlights the complex dynamism of pancreatic cancer and that a rapid growth rate of a pancreatic mass should not preclude the suspicion of malignancy.


Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury remains a common problem encountered during theneonatal period, and it is a major cause of perinatal mortality and long term neurologicalimpairments. After HI, an inflammatory reaction is elicited in the brain, which is believedto contribute to the secondary progression of brain injury.The aim of this thesis was to investigate the inflammatory response and its possiblepathophysiological role after HI in the immature brain.Using a model of cerebral HI in 7-day-old rats, the expression of caspase-1 and IL-18 wasinvestigated by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry and the expression ofIL-1beta by ELISA and immunohistochemistry at various time points after HI. Theinvolvement of different members of the IL-1 family in the development of HI injury wasinvestigated in 9-day-old mice by using different transgenic mice and comparing theirsusceptibility to HI injury with wild-type mice. Global changes in gene expression atvarious time points after HI was investigated with Affymetrix Gene Chips (MG-U74Av2).After HI, caspase-1 and IL-18 mRNA and protein were increased in a similar pattern,starting at 1 day of reperfusion and reaching maximal levels 14 days after the insult. IL-1betawas expressed maximally at 8h after HI, when a 7-fold increase was detected comparedwith contralateral hemispheres. IL-18 deficient mice showed reduced injury after HIcompared with wild-type mice in both gray (-21% overall injury) and white matter(remaining amount MBP and NF was 92% and 78% higher, respectively, in IL-18-deficient compared with control mice). Mice deficient for IL-1beta or the combination ofIL-1alfabeta showed no reduced injury after HI compared with wild-type. When studyingchanges in global gene expression, a total of 491 genes were differentially expressed 2h to72h after HI, using the Significance analysis of microarray (SAM) statistical program withthe following criteria (FDR <10%, fold change 1.5). More than 90% of the differentiallyexpressed genes were previously unreported after HI in the immature brain. Real-timePCR confirmed the expression of 11 upregulated genes. Of the differentially expressedgenes, 29% belonged to the group of immune-inflammatory related genes. Our dataindicate that microglia/macrophages, T- and B- cells, NK-cells, mast cells, dendritic cells,and polymorphonuclear leukocytes may participate in the response to HI. In addition,novel cytokines/chemokines, complement-related, IFN-regulated, components of theTIR/NF-kB pathway and a number of immuno-modulatory genes were induced.In conclusion, the results from this thesis indicate that IL-18 is involved in HI injury inboth gray and white matter, while IL-1 does not seem to be a contributor. In addition,this study has provided novel information about changes in inflammatory gene expressionafter HI, and several inflammatory mediators which may be of pathophysiologicalsignificance after neonatal HI have been identified.


Abstract Introduction: Alveolar hemorrhage (AH) is characterized by the acute onset of alveolar bleeding and hypoxemia and can be fatal. Thrombin has been widely used to achieve coagulation and hemostasis. However, the efficacy of thrombin in patients with AH is unclear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of thrombin administration in patients with hematological malignancy and AH. Patient concerns and diagnoses: This retrospective study included 15 hematological malignancy patients (8 men and 7 women; mean age 47.7 ± 17.3 years) with AH who were administered intrapulmonary thrombin between March 2013 and July 2018. Interventions and outcomes: All patients received bovine-origin thrombin (1000 IU/ml, Reyon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea) via a fiberoptic bronchoscope. A maximum of 15 ml of thrombin was injected via the working channel to control bleeding. The ability of thrombin to control bleeding was assessed. Additionally, the change in the PaO2/FiO2 (PF) ratio after intrapulmonary thrombin administration was evaluated. Intrapulmonary thrombin was administered a minimum of 3 days after starting mechanical ventilation in all patients, and it immediately controlled the active bleeding in 13 of 15 patients (86.7%). However, AH relapse was noted in 3 of the 13 patients (23.1%). The PF ratio improved in 10 of 15 patients (66.6%), and the mean PF ratio was significantly higher after thrombin administration than before administration (P = .03). No adverse thromboembolic complications or systemic adverse events were observed. Conclusion: Thrombin administration was effective in controlling bleeding in hematological malignancy patients with AH. Intrapulmonary thrombin administration might be a good therapeutic option for treating AH.


Incidence and properties of Bacillus cereus strains naturally present in cereals were evaluated by phenotypic characterization, antibiotic susceptibility testing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Of 293 cereal samples tested, 73 (25%) contained B. cereus strains. Incidence of B. cereus isolates varied with respect to sample; they were found in 15 (37%) of 83 brown rice samples, 23 (37%) of 63 glutinous rice samples, 16 (21%) of 76 barley samples, and 19 (27%) of 71 Job's tears samples. All B. cereus isolates from cereals were positive for diarrheal toxin genes. The isolates were susceptible to most of the antibiotics tested, but they were highly resistant to ampicillin, cefepime, oxacillin, and penicillin. Of the genes assayed by the PCR technique, a high frequency of nheA (99%) and hblDC (84%) was found in the genomic DNA of cereal-associated isolates, whereas cytK was less common (55%). From the strains carrying the hblDC genes, 93% produced enterotoxin HBL. B. cereus isolates did not have significant genetic homology. The genetic diversity and toxic potential differ among the strains isolated from cereals. These results provide important information on toxin gene profiles of cereal-associated B. cereus for population studies.


The article analyses primary nicknames recorded in the region of Veliuona in central Lithuania as a part of the project Modern Geolinguistic Research in Lithuania: Optimization of Network Points and the Interactive Spread of Dialectal Information, conducted by the Institute of the Lithuanian Language. The aim of the article is to analyse characteristic semantic features of appellative nicknames. These are usually tropical (metaphorical or metonymic), therefore it is important to define the connection between metaphors and metonyms. Scientific research reveals the characteristics shared by a person and a mammal (or a bird), as preconceived by the nickname user.


Summary.  A liver slice culture‐based, ex vivo drug suppression assay was developed as a pre‐therapeutic predictor for the outcome of antiviral therapy. To investigate its clinical application, 106 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were evaluated. Ex vivo drug suppression assay was performed before administrating a standard course of peginterferon plus ribavirin combination therapy. Stepwise logistic regression model was used to estimate sustained virological response (SVR) on the presence of various clinicopathological parameters. Suppression of HCV replication in the ex vivo assay was present in 32 patients, 29 (90.6%) of whom achieved SVR. Stepwise logistic regression analysis indicated that the presence of interferon suppression effect in the ex vivo assay (odds ratio [OR], 5.552; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.114–27.673; P = 0.036), genotype 1 (OR; 0.045, 95% CI, 0.008–0.259; P = 0.001), HCV‐RNA level (OR, 0.739; 95% CI, 0.617–0.885; P = 0.001), the presence of fatty metamorphosis (OR, 0.205; 95% CI, 0.053–0.793; P = 0.022), and albumin (OR, 9.687; 95% CI, 2.237–41.940; P = 0.002) were independent determinants of SVR. Categorical analysis revealed that 17 of 17 (100%) patients with genotype non‐1 and positive ex vivo suppression test achieved SVR, while 20 of 40 (50%) with genotype 1 and negative ex vivo suppression test achieved SVR. In conclusion, the ex vivo drug suppression assay may serve as an independent pre‐therapeutic predictor for the SVR in interferon‐based antiviral therapy.


Background: One of the major smoking prevention strategies has been to educate the public and increase people's awareness, using health warning messages. However, many young people continue smoking without paying attention to health risk messages on cigarette packets in Iran. Hence, this study was conducted to examine the processing route of anti-smoking messages and influencing cognitive factors by using the Elaboration Likelihood Model.Methods: The non-probability sample for the cross-sectional study consisted of 387 smokers in the age range of 18 to 30 years old in Tabriz, Iran. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used for the purpose of data collection. No causal inferences were drawn due to the non-experimental nature of the study.Results: It was found that smokers often processed warning messages through the central route. Perceived severity, smoking abstinence self-efficacy, and psychological dependence were predictors of message processing through the central route. The results supported the conceptual model of cognitional predictors of the processing route.Conclusions: To design and execute effective health warning messages to quit smoking, it is recommended to consider cognitive factors as a means to enhance critical thinking about the content of the message.


This paper examines the role of knowledge management and knowledge management systems for supporting knowledge work. In a work environment, knowledge is always situated in a specific context, so an organization benefits from a knowledge management system when such a system is focused on a specific task. Providing support for knowledge work at the task level complements the work practices of actors performing the task. The paper suggests that knowledge management systems can be implemented as intelligent decision support that establishes a joint cognitive process between the system and the actor performing the task. The proposed approach has been derived from our application of a knowledge management framework to a number of field studies. These applications come from various domains and highlight different aspects of the proposed framework. The focus on task performance, as a driving force for knowledge management, unifies these field studies. The paper identifies the issues that emerge from these studies and describes their contribution to the development of the framework. The paper concludes that by privileging knowledge work, task‐based knowledge management can be an effective knowledge management strategy.


OBJECTIVE
To study the pattern of polymorphism expression of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) family in A549 cell line treated with different concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and its probable biological effect.

METHOD
Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) was used for the HSP70 expression analysis.

RESULTS
2D-PAGE showed that when A549 cells were exposed to different concentrations of BaP (0.1, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 micromol/L) for 24, 48 h respectively, the HSP72 in A549 gradually declined as BaP concentrations increased [the integral OD (IOD)] for 24 h were: 150.36 +/- 26.03, 98.57 +/- 13.34, 64.92 +/- 15.03, 34.65 +/- 19.10, 32.92 +/- 18.71 respectively, for 48 h: 126.85 +/- 17.41, 106.19 +/- 15.32, 73.64 +/- 21.02, 35.18 +/- 11.95, 16.27 +/- 9.35 respectively), while the IOD of HSP73 did not show any remarkable change (24 h: 102.29 +/- 21.24, 87.71 +/- 18.70, 71.19 +/- 14.08, 71.87 +/- 15.16, 72.78 +/- 17.31 respectively; 48 h: 86.66 +/- 16.86, 75.67 +/- 10.61, 66.83 +/- 12.63, 67.29 +/- 10.26, 91.37 +/- 13.68 respectively).

CONCLUSION
BaP can inhibit HSP72 expression and with certain dose-effect relationship, but cannot affect HSP73 expression.


Objective To explore rates and review practices regarding induction of labor (IOL) among singleton pregnancies in Palestine. Design A prospective population-based cohort study. Setting Six secondary and tertiary governmental hospitals located in the two regions of Palestine: West Bank and Gaza. Participants Singleton pregnancies who had IOL in participating units during the study period were included (n=8290). Women having multiple gestations (1004), planned cesarean births (703), those admitted with cervical dilation >6cm (11228), and pregnancies with no record of cervical dilation and/or gestational age on admission (219) were excluded. Primary outcome measure Rates of IOL in participating units and regions. Results There were a total of 33,402 singleton births during the study period with an IOL rate of 24.8%. Rates of IOL significantly varied between units, ranging from 12.9% to 45.6% (P-value <0.05). The majority of women with no previous uterine scar were induced at gestational ages ≤40 weeks where 43.8% were induced at 39–40 gestational weeks (29.9% multiparous; 13.9% nulliparous) and 17.7% were induced between 37 and 38 gestational weeks (11.9% multiparous; 5.8% nulliparous). Conclusion Significant variations in IOL practices between Palestinian hospitals and regions suggest overuse of IOL among singleton pregnancies in some units with the majority of these being performed before 40 weeks' gestation. These findings indicate a gap between implementation of best evidence and current clinical practice.


The role of small ruminants in poverty alleviation and their contribution to sustainable livelihoods especially in rural areas have been demonstrated by several Research and Development (R&D) programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa. Proposals have been made for the evolvement of purebreeding schemes for the conservation of the genetic pool which the WAD goat represents. A crucial starting point however, is the characterisation and the establishment of breed standards for WAD goats under village conditions. So far, there has been little progress in this regard on account of the difficulties in establishing on-farm data recording schemes. Also, comprehensive studies relating to the within breed diversity among WAD goats are rare. Such studies will show details about performance and morphometric characteristics of WAD goats in their native environment. All these represent vital information needed for breed characterisation and the establishment of breed standards. A conceptual framework for the attainment of these objectives is presented, with illustrations drawn from an ongoing R&D project involving WAD goats. The framework is hinged on on-farm livestock performance recording systems. Project inception embraced awareness campaigns and sensitisation of farmer groups, where the scope and rationale for the studies are discussed. Pilot villages are randomly selected from different ecozones where WAD goats are raised in Southwestern Nigeria. Research methodology involved structured household interviews combined with fortnightly visits and the establishment of on-farm recording schemes. Data on performance, morphometric and qualitative traits at all ages are recorded. Direct observations and documentation of all aspects of the rural setting relating to the raising of WAD goats — farming systems and feed resources - are documented. With data accumulation, computer databases are created for data management, analysis, interpretation/information retrieval. Analysis of data helps to derive doe productivity indices under village conditions. The framework involves some feedback mechanism to provide farmers with innovative techniques in goat management and simple selection schemes within each village. Overall, the framework will facilitate the design of appropriate genetic improvement measures geared towards boosting the productivity of WAD goats under smallholder units.


ABSTRACT Peyronie's Disease is an incurable condition of the tunica albuginea of the penis associated with scarring, plaque formation, and penile deformity on erection. It is often associated with erectile dysfunction. Recent data have supported a familial and genetic predisposition to this chronic condition. The etiology of Peyronie's Disease is unknown, but is likely associated with multiple micro traumas to the erect penis in men who are susceptible to the scarring typical of Peyronie's Disease. The treatment of Peyronie's Disease has improved over the past decade as a result of animal studies and the approval of new medications. In the acute phase of the condition, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors have been shown to have some benefit and are supported by animal studies demonstrating reduced fibrosis of the penis in animal models of Peyronie's Disease. In the stable phase of the disease, newer injectable agents have shown great promise. Collagenase clostridium histolyticum is approved for the treatment of Peyronie's plaques by direct injection into the scarred tissue with data showing satisfactory safety and efficacy. Surgical procedures for penile straightening have been refined with improved outcomes in the past decade. For those men with erectile dysfunction and Peyronie's Disease, penile implants can restore erectile function and form. As a result of the new understanding of the risk factors for Peyronie's Disease and recent advances in treatment options, the algorithm for the treatment of Peyronie's Disease has improved outcomes for patients and their partners.


DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) is a chromosomal disorder having autosomal dominant inheritance, seen in newborns, which occurs due to microdeletion of chromosome 22q11.2, and less commonly 10p13. It is characterized by neonatal hypocalcemia which may present as tetany or seizures, due to hypoplasia of the parathyroid glands and susceptibility to infection due to a deficit of T cells. Newborn may have variety of cardiac malformations in particular those affecting the outflow tract along with learning disorders and developmental delay affect 70%90% of children in later life.[1]1 A clinical approach to a baby with Di George is discussed in this article.


A 64-year-old woman was transferred for investigation of a mediastinal mass, biopsy of which showed a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. She was also found to have an antiphospholipid antibody. The pre-operative coagulation screen showed a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, 71.3 s (normal range, 26–36 s), which was not corrected by the addition of normal plasma. The dilute Russell's viper venom time was positive. Anti-cardiolipin assay was strongly positive, immunoglobulin M was 153 AU; immunoglobulin G was normal, 3.1 AU. Assays of factors VIII, IX and XI showed higher concentrations with increasing dilutions in one-stage factor assays from 1: 10 to 1: 80 suggestive of an inhibitor. Factor XII was 9 U/dl and results were unaffected by increasing dilution, suggesting specific antibodies to factor XII. The factor XII antigen was 40 U/dl. The patient had immunoglobulin M auto-antibodies to factor XII.


The object of this project is the development of a web application that will allow the improvement and standardization of the different procedures involved in all Durability department tests. The main objective of these tests is the study of the wear from the different vehicle components as well as the complete vehicle. Broadly, for a given vehicle, a durability test consists of a certain mileage accumulation in certain conditions. For every driving shift, the driver reports a series of comments regarding the vehicle behavior in the driving sheet. The test responsible members analyze, interpret and validate this information together with all the information recorded by the data acquisition system installed in the vehicle. The final result as well as the test follow up will be reflected in the generation of certain reports. Nowadays all these procedures are implemented in a manual way, without any standardization and with a storage medium that offers very few possibilities: paper. Thereby, the application that will be developed is intended for the establishment of a base for the standardization of Durability department procedures, to improve the communication between the different test participants and last but not least, enhance the exploitation of the information, this time already digitized.


Accurate analysis of vitamins is essential to help the public maintain adequate intakes of vitamins. Currently in Atlanta Center for Nutrient Analysis (ACNA), AOAC Method 999.15 with fluorescence detection is utilized for the analysis of vitamin K in infant formulas, dietary supplements and other medical foods. An UHPLC-(+)-APCI-MS/MS method for vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) was developed to improve the accuracy, selectivity and eciency of the analysis. SRM1849a and infant formula samples were used to demonstrate that vitamin K1 data by LC-MS/MS analysis matched well with those from the AOAC Method 999.15. A single-laboratory validation of an UHPLC-MS/MS method for vitamin K1 analysis in SRM1849a showed good accuracy with a mean value of 99.6% of the certified value (n = 8). Recoveries of vitamin K1 at two dierent spike levels were 99.6 and 103.7% from SRM1849a. Mean recovery of vitamin K1 from four dierent infant formula samples was 102.4% ranging from 95.6 to 115.5% with %RSD of 7.8 15.6. Precision, measured as repeatability (%RSDr), was 8.7 for SRM1849a and ranged from 3.7 to 13.4 for four infant formula samples. Application of this method will help ACNA facilitate the accurate analysis of vitamin K in infant formulas and other samples.https://doi.org/10.21423/jrs-v03n02p027 (DOI assigned 8/7/2019)


The effect of iontophoretically applied flurazepam on the spike activity of pericruciate cortical neurones of the cat was studied. Flurazepam increased cortical inhibition produced either by local electrical stimulation (which is known to release gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or by iontophoretically applied GABA. Following intravenous treatment with thiosemicarbazide (a GABA-synthesis inhibitor), flurazepam still augmented the action of GABA but was much less effective on electrically evoked cortical inhibition. These findings suggest that part of the action of flurazepam on inhibitory cortical transmission might be at the presynaptic level.


Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in children. Although survival rates have improved, patients with certain biological subtypes still have suboptimal outcomes. Current chemotherapeutic regimens are associated with shortand long-term toxicities and novel, less toxic therapeutic strategies are needed. Mer receptor tyrosine kinase is ectopically expressed in ALL patient samples and cell lines. Inhibition of Mer expression reduces prosurvival signaling, increases chemosensitivity, and delays development of leukemia in vivo suggesting that Mer tyrosine kinase inhibitors are excellent candidates for targeted therapies. Brain and spinal tumors are the second most common malignancies in childhood. Multiple chemotherapy approaches and radiation have been attempted, yet overall survival remains dismal. Mer is also abnormally expressed in atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (ATRT), providing a rationale for targeting Mer as a therapeutic strategy. We have previously described UNC569, the first small molecule Mer inhibitor. This manuscript describes the biochemical and biological effects of UNC569 in ALL and ATRT. UNC569 inhibited Mer activation and downstream signaling through ERK1/2 and AKT, determined by western blot analysis. Treatment with UNC569 reduced proliferation/survival in liquid culture, decreased colony formation in methylcellulose/soft agar, and increased sensitivity to cytotoxic chemotherapies. MYC transgenic zebrafish with T-ALL were treated with UNC569 (4 μM for 2 weeks). Fluorescence was quantified as indicator of the distribution of lymphoblasts, which express Mer and enhanced green fluorescent protein. UNC569 induced >50% reduction in tumor burden compared to on December 23, 2017. © 2013 American Association for Cancer Research. mct.aacrjournals.org Downloaded from Author manuscripts have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication but have not yet been edited. Author Manuscript Published OnlineFirst on August 30, 2013; DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-13-0040


Many companies use cloud computing for their storage purposes to get benefit of using cloud environment to decrease the cost and accessibility of the data. When we store our data over the cloud environment, to obtain the low cost storage, we will lose the control over our data and certain type of security as well as different levels of security should be applied depend upon the type of data. The applied security will protect our data from intruder and hacker even though they obtained our data accidentally or intentionally. There are various forms of security algorithm and models that can be used to protect our stored data over distributed networks and cloud environment. The method that we have proposed is based on the scrambling algorithm and multilevel encryptions. We have designed, implemented, and tested our security model on the image type of information that is going to be stored on the cloud environment. Our model can be modified and expanded to apply security on the multimedia information, real time video and movies that are going to be stored on the cloud servers. In addition, we have presented a new model based on multi-cloud distributed system, in which the specified information will be divided in to N different segments and each segment will be stored on one cloud server to prevent hacker from accessing the entire information. This process will apply higher level of security even the information is already scrambled and encrypted.


Recent trends in internal migration in Guatemala are reviewed. The author notes that inequalities in land distribution are as great as anywhere else in Latin America and are a major cause of migration. The pressures caused by population increase and the mechanization of large landholdings with a consequent decline in the demand for labor are seen as the cause of both social conflict and migration. (ANNOTATION)


This article explores Activism of Care, a form of activism offering strategies, implementation of skills and accessibility different from those offered by traditional activism. Activism of Care suggests that activist strategies are not universal, but instead should be tailored for specific communities' structures, skills and intersectional positionings. This paper focuses on the implementation of Activism of Care by and for neurodivergent participants in fan fiction communities on Tumblr. It demonstrates ways Activism of Care is implemented to promote destigmatization of mental illnesses, and to celebrate participants with depression, anxiety or PTSD. This article describes how Activism of Care implements elements of Care Ethics in fan fiction communities to promote social change. Emotional, literary and social structures of these communities are used to promote the rights, well-being and pleasure of neurodivergent participants. Finally, this paper provides characteristics by which to recognize or create this type of activism, alongside or as an alternative for traditional activism.


In this Letter, clamp-type quartz tuning fork enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (Clamp-type QEPAS) is proposed and realized through the design, realization, and testing of clamp-type quartz tuning forks (QTFs) for photoacoustic gas sensing. The clamp-type QTF provides a wavefront-shaped aperture with a diameter up to 1 mm, while keeping Q factors > 104. This novel, to the best of our knowledge, design results in a more than ten times increase in the area available for laser beam focusing for the QEPAS technique with respect to a standard QTF. The wavefront-shaped clamp-type prongs effectively improve the acoustic wave coupling efficiency. The possibility to implement a micro-resonator system for clamp-type QTF is also investigated. A signal-to-noise enhancement of ∼30 times has been obtained with a single-tube acoustic micro resonator length of 8 mm, ∼20% shorter than the dual-tube micro-resonator employed in a conventional QEPAS system.


Background Vimentin is a cytoskeleton protein of the intermediate filaments family, expressed by mesenchymal cells including vascular endothelial cells and renal tubular cells. Vimentin has been recently proposed as a target of the in situ immune response in lupus nephritis. Antibodies to vimentin have been described in 10–53% of patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and account for a fibrous pattern of cytoplasmic immunofluorescence. Post-translational modifications increase the immunogenicity of vimentin, as demonstrated by the detection of anti-modified vimentin antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Carbamylation is a non-enzymatic post-translational modification consisting in the addition of a cyanate group on lysine and arginine residues; since carbamylation is time dependent, structural proteins with a slow turnover are more likely to be carbamylated. The role of carbamylated vimentin as an antigenic target in SLE has not been yet evaluated. Objectives Aims of the study were to assess the prevalence of anti-carbamylated vimentin in a cohort of SLE patients and to evaluate the possible associations with clinical and serological feature of the disease. Methods Patients with SLE classified according to 1987 ACR criteria were enrolled. Clinical features, autoantibodies profile and disease activity – as measured by SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI 2K) - were collected. Sera obtained from each patient were tested for anti-carbamylated vimentin by a home-made enzyme-linked immunoassay. Data were expressed as mean±standard deviation or median (interquartile range) when appropriate. To investigate difference in anti-carbamylated vimentin prevalence and anti-carbamylated vimentin serum levels Mann-Whitney and Chi square test were applied. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results We enrolled 109 SLE patients (102F:7M, mean age 39.4±12.6 years, mean disease duration 10.5±9.5 years, mean SLEDAI 2K 5±5.5). Overall, 30 out of 109 patients (27.5%) were positive for anti-carbamylated vimentin. According to the clinical features, the prevalence of anti-carbamylated vimentin was significantly higher in patients with lupus nephritis (18/44) compared to those without renal involvement (12/66) (41.8% vs 18.2%, p=0.006); moreover, anti-carbamylated vimentin serum levels were significantly higher in patients with lupus nephritis [2561 (1783) OD] compared to those without [1970 (1123) OD; p=0.0178]. We didn't find any difference in prevalence or titre of anti-carbamylated vimentin according to presence/absence of other clinical manifestations (musculoskeletal, muco-cutaneous, hematologic, neuropsychiatric) or serology (low complement, anti-dsDNA). Moreover, we did not find any correlation between anti-carbamylated vimentin serum levels and SLEDAI 2K. Conclusions Higher prevalence and serum levels of anti-carbamylated vimentin antibodies in patients with lupus nephritis confirm the role of vimentin as a target of the immune response in patients with glomerulonephritis and suggest their possible role as a biomarker of kidney involvement in SLE patients. Disclosure of Interest None declared


An experimental study on piece-wise functionally graded (PWFG) core of sandwich beams is performed considering the ASTM C 393-00 standard. A reference configuration is compared against two PWFG core groups, with densities varying from 150 to 300 kg/m in four steps, from upper to lower face-sheet and vice-versa. The upper to lower and lower to upper PWFG sandwich beams presented an average peak load 137% and 192% higher than the reference group, respectively. In both cases, it was noticed that the shear rigidity behavior is represented by an oscillating near asymptotic function associated to local densification/expansion phenomenon. The upper to lower PWFG core seems to be more adequate to bending loadings due to the compressive stress field present into upper facesheet region. This configuration also leads to higher residual shear rigidity, around 5000 MPa.mm for the present investigation, which leads to a rising slope for the force versus displacement diagram, and consequently, virtually eliminates the "plateau effect" present in conventional sandwich structures.


mandatory step, which is carried out to confirm the correctness, feasibility and feasibility of the developed solutions, including architecture, method of maintaining system integrity.
In order to conduct a study on the effectiveness of the use of self-organized distributed systems, anomalies in computer systems were identified in relation to the evaluation criteria. Determining the specifics of the application of the system also affects the choice of criteria for evaluating effectiveness.
The method of determining the effectiveness of the proposed solutions for the developed self-organized distributed system for detecting anomalies in computer systems has been developed. Software has been developed to ensure the functioning of a self-organized distributed anomaly detection system in computer systems to confirm the feasibility of the proposed solutions.
Experimental studies with the developed implementation of a self-organized distributed system for detecting anomalies in computer systems according to the obtained coefficients confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed solutions and the developed distributed system for its operation in the computer network.


The transcondylar approach is being increasingly used to access lesions ventral to the brain stem and cervicomedullary junction. Understanding the anatomy of the occipital condyles is important for this approach. The present work aimed to clarify the morphometric data of the occipital condyle and its importance in transcondylar approach. The study was performed on 200 occipital condyles of 100 adult human dry skulls of unknown age and sex. Metric and morphological analysis was performed for the specimens. The parameters were, the length, width, height, the anterior and posterior inlercondylar distances and the distances from the occipital condyle to the midline of the foramen magnum. En addition, the different locations of the hypoglossal canal orifices relative to the occipital condyle were assessed. The different shapes of the occipital condyles and their rates were detected. The length, width and height of the occipital condyle were found to be 23.5, 13.58 and 9.64 mm in the right and 23.75, 13.62 and 9.5mm in the left respectively. The anterior and posterior intercondylar distances were 20.64 and 41.4mm respectively. The intracranial orifice of hypoglossal canal was found to be present against the junction of the 2 and quarter or against the 3 quarter of the occipital condyle in 65%. The extracranial orifice of the hypoglossal canal was found to be present against the junction of the 1 and 2 quarter or against the 2d quarter of the occipital condyle in 69%. The more frequent type of occipital condyle detected is kidney shaped. It could be concluded that, the safest area to be drilled in the occipital condyle is the posterior quarter (4.5-78mm from the posterior end) as there is no location for the hypoglossal canal orifice was found against this area. In the other locations the extent of bony resection of the occipital condyle can be anticipated by the available recent radiological techniques by using the meicioiiJ5örphometric parameters.


During the last decade there has been a rapid development in flexible nephroscopy, flexible ureterorenoscopy, laser lithotripsy and instruments for stone manipulation. We are going to review the use of Laser in the management of lithiasis in different situations. Efforts should be made to minimize renal injury and lasers play a significant role in patients with urolithiasis and horseshoe kidneys, chronic renal failure, neurological patients.


To ensure competitiveness in the face of accelerating scientific and technological progress and the digitalisation of socio-economic processes the modern industrial companies should not be limited to internal environment during the process of search and implementation of innovative solutions. These enterprises are conducting an active search for new solutions in the open market and attracting external experts, using the communication potential of the World Wide Web. This model which called as «open innovation», has gained in popularity. Its use leads to the inevitable transformation of the existing business processes in the enterprise, one of which is the procurement process. Open innovation become a new stage in the development of the logistic function, already passed the way from the technical supply function to the procurement division gained the status of one of the key centers of cross-functional and inter-firm interaction on industrial enterprise. An important prerequisite for the success of open innovation, implemented jointly with our suppliers is the availability of long-term partnerships. The further evolution of the procurement function within the model of open innovation should lead to the integration of the procurement division to the acquisition of the results of intellectual activity, not only as a commercial service in company but as the operator of system of knowledge management and network crowd sourcing platform providing information and expert support to take management decisions on those or other innovative solutions offered by external suppliers. The formation of expert community is intended to reduce the risks associated with the procurement of obsolete intangible assets and the illegal use of the results of intellectual activity.


The paper identifies the present status of journal publishing in India in the field of library & information science. Identification of journals were made by consulting various sources. The characteristics of the journals have been studied on various parameters like number of years of existence, type of publisher, accessibility, references and citation characteristics, etc. Of the total 72 identified journals, it was observed that almost 70% journals started their publication from 2000 onwards. About 81% journals are available on subscription basis. Print as well as online format for dissemination of research have been adopted by 59% journals, however, 30% journals are still available only in print form. It is seen that private or profit-making (59%) organizations are more interested to publish LIS journals than non-profit making organizations (41%). One of the major drawbacks of Indian LIS journals is there poor visibility and limited coverage in various bibliographical databases. More than 54% journals are not indexed in any important bibliographic database and only 6 journals are indexed in LISA, LISTA or ILSA. The citation statistics of these journals are not satisfactory as 42 journals did not receive any citations for their articles published during 2011-2013. At the end, the study suggests a few measures for improving the quality of journal in LIS domain.


Objective: Inhalable tobramycin is an accepted therapy to treat chronic PA infection in CF. Efficacious twice daily inhalation is time-consuming for the affected patients. The aim was to evaluate the comparability of TIS I (VANTOBRA) with TIS II (TOBI) regarding drug pharmacokinetics, clinical parameters, inhalation times and safety profile. Methods: The drug/device combinations were compared in a randomised, two-period, multi-centre, cross-over 14-week study. 58 patients ≥ 4 years with chronic PA infection were enrolled. Assessments included plasma/sputum AUC and C max , reduction of CFU, FEV 1 % pred, inhalation time and adverse reactions. Results: Plasma mean AUC was 4.2 (TIS I) and 4.9 µg*h/ml (TIS II). Plasma mean C max for both drugs was 1.3 µg/ml. Sputum mean C max was 1.95 (TIS I) and 1.42 mg/g (TIS II). A log 10 CFU reduction of -1.77 vs. -1.70 was achieved with TIS I and TIS II in treatment phase I and -1.30 vs. 0.12 in treatment phase II. FEV 1 % pred increased by 8.2% (TIS I) and by 4.8% (TIS II), in treatment phase II by 2.40% vs. -0.44%. Mean time per inhalation was 4.4 min (TIS I) and 24.3 min (TIS II). No fatalities occurred. All 4 SAEs were not drug-related. Expected side effects (bronchospasms, tinnitus) were observed in each two TIS I and TIS II patients. Conclusion: Lower plasma AUC and higher sputum C max values of TIS I allowed a better control of PA infection and improved lung function without jeopardizing patient safety. The efficacy/safety profile and reduced inhalation time of TIS I may provide a significant therapeutic benefit for CF patients.


The handling of death in a special care nursery and the needs of bereaved parents were studied in 12 families. Communication was good before death but less satisfactory thereafter, particularly with regard to postmortem results and advice concerning recurrence risk. Parents needed a lasting memory of their child and attached great importance to a tangible memento. Half had an abnormally high grief and Leeds scale score six months after the death, which seemed to be associated with poor marital support. All in the high scoring group favoured bereavement counselling. Communication with general practitioners needed improvement. As a result of this study a protocol for the handling of death was designed.


Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with various types of human malignancies and with programmed death ligand (PD-L) 1 expression in neoplastic cells. However, in EBV-associated malignant lymphomas and lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs), there is limited information regarding PD-L1 expression profiles among different histologic types and patterns of EBV latency. First, we investigated PD-L1 and EBV latent gene expression using conventional immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in 42 EBV-associated malignant lymphomas and LPDs. Classic Hodgkin lymphoma showed the highest PD-L1 expression with diffuse expression in all cases, followed by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma/Burkitt lymphoma, LPDs, and extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma. EBV latency at the case level was not associated with PD-L1 expression. We further evaluated the expression of PD-L1 and EBV latent genes in tumor cells at single-cell resolution using multiplex fluorescence imaging. This analysis revealed that positivity rates of latent membrane protein (LMP) 1 in tumor cells were 1.0% to 89.5% (mean 35.4%) in latency type II/III cases, and LMP1+ cells showed more frequent PD-L1 expression than LMP1− cells (P<0.0001, paired t test). In contrast, no association was observed between EBV nuclear antigen 2 and PD-L1 expression. Notably, tumor cells exhibiting Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg cell-like morphology co-expressed PD-L1 and LMP1 more often than those that do not. Our observations suggested that LMP1 upregulates PD-L1 expression and is a potential biomarker for predicting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In addition, the heterogeneous expression of PD-L1 and EBV latent genes may produce diverse tumor cells with different oncogenic and immune-evasive properties, leading to resistance to targeted therapies.


This paper considers an important class of sensor networks where the ultimate goal is not necessarily to collect each individual measurement but rather a potentially smaller set of statistics. Considering link capacity constrained topologies, we derive results that optimally allocate rate/distortion to information collected by the sensors. As a key contribution, we determine how the flow of information emanating from the sensors should be managed, yielding optimal routing algorithms and jointly optimized networks. Our analysis encompasses the typical scenarios that are widely observed in sensor networks, and over these scenarios, we quantify the gains offered by sending the statistics rather than the measurement data itself. Our results reveal bottleneck situations over various scenarios, where directly performing bandwidth allocation over the statistics does not provide the desired gains. We start the analysis from a simple scenario, where a fixed node aggregates all the information in the sensor network and relays the information to a remote control center. We obtain close form expressions and illustrate how allocating bandwidth for each individual measurement (Case-1) performs compared to allocating it for each desired statistic (Case-2) in different bottleneck situations. Then, we extend this scenario to the case where we optimally select a number of aggregators from a cloud of sensor nodes. In this second scenario, under well defined bandwidth constraints, we look at the optimum clustering problem, in which the goal is to select the best aggregation nodes to minimize the total distortion of the desired statistics at the remote control node. We provide an algorithmic solution that returns the optimum aggregation points and the optimum size of each cluster under some mild assumptions. We finally turn our attention to the general routing problem and provide an algorithm that performs routing and bandwidth allocation jointly. We also study the performance and behavior of bandwidth allocation for both Case-1 and Case-2


In 2019 the federal project "Digital Educational Environment" aimed at creating and implementing a digital educational environment in educational organizations was launched. The COVID-19 pandemic foregrounded this project and accelerated its implementation. The forced digital transformation of the education system, implemented in a short time, requires an assessment of its results not only from a technical point of view, but also from the point of view of socio-psychological factors that affect the quality of students' involvement in the digital educational environment. This paper provides the empirical results of an investigation of a relationship of higher-order values and social capital with involvement in online learning. The study's sample is presented by 405 students at the National Research University "Higher School of Economics". The main data collection method is a socio-psychological survey which includes Williams` social capital scale, Schwartz's 21-item portrait values questionnaire, Involvement in online learning's scale, and questions about socio-demographic characteristics (gender and age). The results of the Pearson correlation analysis illustrate that involvement in online learning relates to social capital and higher-order values, while its relation to age and gender was not found. The results of additive multiple moderation analysis demonstrates that higher-order values contribute to involvement in online learning and social capital tends to change the nature of this relationship. While bonding social capital differentiates the values of involvement in online learning related to higher-order values, based on one's own level, a higher bridging social capital inclines to make this relationship negative in some cases.


Safety relief valves are well established components preventing catastrophic failure of pressurised systems when non–normal operating conditions occur. However, it is only recently with developments in CFD techniques that the capability to predict the complex flow conditions occurring in the valves has been possible resulting in only limited studies being found in the literature. This paper presents experimental and theoretical investigations applied to a safety relief valve designed for the refrigeration industry but extended here to consider pneumatic systems since air is the compressible fluid. The discharge flow rate and valve forces are determined both theoretically and experimentally for different valve lift conditions and related to the detailed flow conditions (pressure, temperature and Mach number) in the valve predicted by CFD techniques. The CFD code FLUENT has been used with a two dimensional axisymmetric RANS approach using the k-ε turbulent model to predict the highly compressible flow through the valve. The model has been validated by comparison with experimental measurements and the predicted results show good agreement, providing confidence in the use of CFD techniques for valve design and improvement.


The introduction of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in the early 1990s was perceived as a new way of managing a business that could lead to better management
of an organisation and improve its efficiency. However, studies have repeatedly reported a low success rate in ERP system adoption. This encouraged various research studies that sought to uncover factors that could have contributed to the system failure. A poor decision-making process has been stated as one of the main reasons for ERP system failure. Clear objectives and good justification could, we believe, increase the ERP system adoption success rate. Hence, in this study, we extend the existing research on ERP by exploring the effect of institutional pressures and economic benefits on the decision-making process of the management. Specifically, we investigate the influence of external pressures and internal needs in ERP adoption decisions. Empirical analyses in this study are based on survey data obtained from 136 Malaysian companies. Overall, our findings indicate that only operational benefits and mimetic pressure have significant influence on ERP system adoption decisions. Other economic benefits such as managerial benefits and strategic benefits have no
significant impact on the management's decision to adopt the system. Similarly, institutional pressures, coercive pressures and normative pressures yield non-significant results. These results are important because the evidence highlights that the management's decision to adopt the ERP system is based on the felt need for the organisation to improve its operational efficiency, and the influence of mimetic pressures further accentuates the importance for
the organization of being competitive in its technological capabilities.


Room temperature compression creep and recovery tests have been performed using samples of pure poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), three commercially available poly(methyl methacrylate) cements, and several experimental cements. From these tests the influence of density, mixing procedure, particle size, methyl methacrylate-styrene copolymer, barium sulfate, aquenous storage environments, residual monomer, molecular weight of the continuous phase, benzoyl peroxide, and N,N-dimethyl-paratoluidine, upon the creep behavior of PMMA cements has been determined. The important results is that lowering the porosity or residual monomer content, increasing the powder size, or adding an MMA-styrene copolymer tends to increase the creep resistance of PMMA cement.


In the present paper, laser milling tests were carried out by etching pockets of 10×10 mm2 on the surface of poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) plate, 3 mm in thickness, using a 30 W CO2 laser source, working in continuous or pulsed regime. Aim of the work is to characterize the laser cutting process; or rather, to detect which and how the process parameters affect the depth of machined volume, the removed volume and the surface roughness. The milling tests were carried out changing the released energy, the wave mode (CW or PW), the scan speed, the distance between the linear patterns of two consecutive laser scans (step), the number of repetitions of the geometric pattern. Experimental results have shown that the depth and the machined volume linearly depend on the total amount of released energy. Furthermore, the surface roughness has been evaluated and discussed too.


Chemical agent monitors (CAMs) are routinely used by the armed forces and emergency response teams of many countries for the detection of the vesicant sulfur mustard (HD) and the G series of organophosphate nerve agents. Ambient operating room isoflurane levels were found to produce strong positive signals in the "H" mode when the CAM was used to monitor the efficacy of decontamination procedures during routine surgical procedures on HD-poisoned animals requiring up to 8 hours of general anesthesia. Subsequent testing showed that isoflurane, as well as desflurane, sevoflurane, halothane and methoxyflurane, produce two ionization peaks in the CAM response. One of these peaks is interpreted by the CAM processing software as HD, resulting in a CAM "H" mode bar response. No interference was encountered with isoflurane, desflurane, and sevoflurane when the CAM was set to the "G" mode, although extremely high (nonclinical) concentrations of halothane and methoxyflurane yielded a weakly positive bar response. These findings have potentially serious ramifications for the medical management of patients resulting from terrorist, military, or chemical agent decommissioning activity when concomitant chemical injuries are also possible.


At present, due to limited storage power stations at more than a megawatt, it is lack of operational data. As a core element, energy storage battery plays an important role in the development of energy storage power station. The negative electrode material has a great influence on the overall battery performance. The traditional LiFePO 4 battery uses graphite material as the negative electrode and has poor multiplying power performance and poor cycle performance. Because soft carbon is an excellent material, the battery in which the anode is made of soft carbon has excellent rate performance and large energy density. Compared with the traditional graphite anode material, soft carbon has better properties. In this paper, a set of megawatt-level energy station, the container type energy station, is studied. A novel structure of soft carbon anode lithium iron phosphate battery is developed as the energy battery. The 400KWh capacity charge and discharge experiments with low load power are carried out for the energy storage power station. The results show that the charging efficiency reaches 93% and the discharge efficiency reaches 97%. The experiments also verify the charge and discharge characteristics battery with soft carbon anode. The new structure of soft carbon material battery has good rate performance and the level of the platform is low and stable during charging and discharging. The experimental results are compared with the simulation results and they match very well. Results from this study are the valuable guide for the actual power station operation.