Cardiac conduction abnormalities may worsen heart failure by disrupting the coordination of left ventricular contraction, making it even less effective. This pathophysiologic insight suggests that judiciously applied electrical stimuli could improve the coordination and efficiency of left ventricular contraction (1). The clinical value of this new approach, called cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), has been evaluated in several randomized, controlled clinical trials. This evidence is summarized in a systematic review by McAlister and associates in this issue (2), which also contains a companion article by Nichol and coworkers (3) analyzing the cost-effectiveness of using CRT in patients with heart failure. Randomized trials are essential tests of the effect of therapy on clinical outcomes, but trials of implanted devices are particularly challenging. Most of the studies of CRT have been small, which limits the conclusions that can be drawn. Another challenge is that the technology is rapidly evolving. Current CRT devices are combined with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), but only a few trials with limited outcome data have directly tested the value of adding CRT capability to an ICD. The evidence about use of CRT in heart failure is therefore relatively thin, especially in comparison with the solid evidence about pharmacologic treatments such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and -blockers. Two major goals of heart failure treatment are to improve either the length or quality of the patient's life. As reviewed by McAlister and associates, trials of CRT have shown improvements in functional status, the distance patients can walk in 6 minutes, and hospital admissions for heart failure (2). The evidence is therefore pretty convincing that CRT can meaningfully improve patient quality of life. The evidence about the effect of CRT on mortality is less clear, however, since none of the individual clinical trials found a statistically significant reduction. McAlister and associates used meta-analysis to combine the results from 9 trials of CRT and reported a statistically significant 21% reduction in mortality (2). While this result is suggestive, it is not definitive. Meta-analyses based only on small trials often yield lower relative risk reductions than definitive large trials (4), perhaps because small positive studies are more likely to be published than small negative studies. All of the randomized trials used in McAlister and associates' meta-analysis have flaws that limit inferences about the effect of CRT on mortality. Eight of the 9 trials required successful device implantation before patients were randomly assigned to have the CRT function turned on or off. This design caused the results to overstate the effect of CRT on mortality by omitting all of the implantation failures (10% or more) and procedural deaths (0.4% or more) while exposing all of the controls to the adverse effects of an implanted device. A more serious limitation is that CRT was combined with an ICD in some studies but not in others, making it tricky to isolate the effect of CRT on mortality. The Comparison of Medical Therapy, Pacing, and Defibrillation in Chronic Heart Failure (COMPANION) trial (5) poses particular problems because of its unbalanced, 3-arm design (medical therapy, CRT, and CRT combined with an ICD) and the weight it was given in the meta-analysis because of its large enrollment and high mortality rates. We think that McAlister and associates should have omitted the CRT-ICD arm of the COMPANION trial, since including it inappropriately credited CRT with the mortality reduction that was due to the ICD. With omission of this unpaired arm of the COMPANION trial, the estimated effect of CRT on mortality would certainly be much less favorable and, if so, no longer statistically significant. Thus, while CRT improves functional status and quality of life, there is not yet significant evidence that it reduces mortality. Introduction of new medical technologies is a major reason that health care costs continue to increase. The economic outcomes of a new treatment are therefore of great interest, especially as we attempt to weigh whether a new treatment is worth the added cost. The initial cost of implanting a CRT device is about $34000, but the total cost may be either higher or lower depending on its effect on the cost of heart failure treatment and the additional costs of treating device complications. Nichol and coworkers used the limited economic data from the randomized trials and some reasonable assumptions based on other data sources to project the economic impact of using CRT in patients with heart failure (3). Their analysis strongly suggests that CRT does not pay for itself but has a net lifetime cost of roughly $30000. Cardiac resynchronization therapy may be worth its high cost if it substantially improves patient survival, quality of life, or both. Cost-effectiveness analysis provides a quantitative measure of clinical value by computing the dollars spent per quality-adjusted life-year added by a treatment. Nichol and coworkers estimated the cost-effectiveness of CRT at $107800 per life-year gained (3), which is not economically attractive when compared against the standard benchmark of $50000 per life-year gained. However, their analysis also showed that the cost-effectiveness of CRT is exquisitely sensitive to variations in clinical efficacy. This suggests that if clinicians can prospectively identify patients whose quality of life would be greatly improved by CRT, use of the device in such patients would be far more economically attractive. Routine use of CRT is not cost-effective, but properly targeted use may well be. Nichol and coworkers did not examine the cost-effectiveness of combined CRT-ICD devices. The recently completed Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial (SCD-HeFT) adds to the evidence that ICDs reduce overall mortality, and the COMPANION trial suggests that CRT-ICD devices do so as well. Most future CRT devices will probably include ICD capability, but the cost-effectiveness of these more costly and complex combined devices has not been examined. More data are needed on the clinical and economic outcomes of combined CRT-ICD devices to develop evidence-based recommendations for their appropriate use in patients with heart failure. The weight of evidence suggests that CRT improves functional status and quality of life in selected patients with heart failure. Cardiac resynchronization therapy can be considered in patients with heart failure, an ejection fraction of 0.35 or less, and a QRS duration of 120 ms or greater who remain symptomatic despite meticulous fluid management with diet and diuretics and adherence to appropriate doses of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and -blockers.


Purpose To report the clinical and molecular findings of a kindred with Wagner syndrome (WS) revealed by intraocular inflammatory features. Methods Eight available family members underwent complete ophthalmologic examination, including laser flare cell meter measurements. Collagen, type II, alpha 1, versican (VCAN), frizzled family receptor 4, low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5, tetraspanin 12, and Norrie disease (pseudoglioma) genes were screened with direct sequencing. Results The index case was initially referred for unexplained severe and chronic postoperative bilateral uveitis following a standard cataract surgery procedure. Clinical examination of the proband revealed an optically empty vitreous with avascular vitreous strands and veils, features highly suggestive of WS. The systematic familial ophthalmologic examination identified three additional unsuspected affected family members who also presented with the WS phenotype, including uveitis for one of them. We identified a novel c.4004–6T>A nucleotide substitution at the acceptor splice site of intron 7 of the VCAN gene that segregated with the disease phenotype. Conclusions We present a family with WS with typical WS features and intraocular inflammatory manifestations associated with a novel splice site VCAN mutation. Beyond the structural role in the retinal-vitreous architecture, versican is also emerging as a pivotal mediator of the inflammatory response, supporting uveitis predisposition as a clinical manifestation of WS.


A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-motile actinomycete strain, designated YIM 65601(T), was studied by using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that strain YIM 65601(T) should be assigned to the genus Nonomuraea, with highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Nonomuraea candida HMC10(T) (98.8 %), N. salmonea DSM 43678(T) (98.7 %), N. turkmeniaca DSM 43926(T) (98.5 %), N. roseola DSM 43767(T) (98.4 %), N. dietziae IFO 14309(T) (98.2 %) and N. kuesteri GW 14-1925(T) (98.1 %). 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to strains of other Nonomuraea species were below 98.0 %. Morphological and chemotaxonomic properties of the isolate were consistent with those of members of the genus Nonomuraea. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization and physiological and biochemical tests and fatty acid profiles allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain YIM 65601(T) from closely related species. Thus, YIM 65601(T) represents a novel species of the genus Nonomuraea, for which the name Nonomuraea endophytica sp. nov. is proposed, with YIM 65601(T) ( = CCTCC AA 209037(T)  = DSM 45385(T)) as the type strain.


Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), a Gram-negative bacterium, has a high detection rate in hospital-acquired infections. Recently, the frequent appearance of multidrug-resistant (MDR) PA strain with high morbidity and mortality rates has aggravated the difficulty in treating infectious diseases. Due to its multiple resistance mechanisms, the commonly used antibiotics have gradually become less effective. Qiguiyin decoction (QGYD) is a clinically experienced prescription of Chinese herbal medicine, and its combined application with antibiotics has been confirmed to be effective in the clinical treatment of MDR PA infection, which could be a promising strategy for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections. However, the mechanism of QGYD restoring antibiotics susceptibility to MDR PA remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of QGYD and levofloxacin (LEV) singly or in combination on MDR PA-induced pneumonia rat models. Further analysis was carried out in the serum differential expression profiles of inflammatory cytokines by cytokine antibody array. Besides, the lung TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway was detected by RT-qPCR. Our results showed that based on the treatment of MDR PA-infected rat model with LEV, the combination of QGYD improved the general state and immune organ index. Furthermore, it moderately increased the expressions of proinflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the early stage of infection and decreased their release rapidly in the later stage, while regulated the same phase change of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. In addition, the adhesion molecule ICAM-1 was significantly downregulated after QGYD combined with LEV treatment. Moreover, the mRNA expressions of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB, and ICAM-1 were significantly downregulated. These results indicated that the mechanism of QGYD restoring LEV susceptibility to MDR PA was related to its regulation of inflammatory cytokines and the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, which provides theoretical support for the clinical application of QGYD combined with LEV therapy to MDR PA infection.


Monitoring is at the basis of any informed network and service management decision. However, nowadays networks are becoming progressively more complex, have higher traffic rates and are more frequently exposed to attacks. For these reasons, targeted monitoring solutions should be investigated to fulfil the requirements of the management of the Future Internet. This mindset is core to the research conducted in WP5.This deliverable presents the WP5 contributions in the context of the following Tasks: Architectures and technologies for monitoring (T5.1), Collection and processing of monitoring data (T5.2), and Application domains for monitoring (T5.3). Full list of authors: Anna Sperotto, Rick Hofstede, Ricardo Schmidt, Anthea Mayzaud, Anuj Sehgal, Bjo rn Stelte Christos Tsiaras, Daniel Do nni, Daphne Tuncer, Guilherme Sperb Machado, Jair Santanna, Marinos Charalambides Mario Flores, Mario Golling, Maxim Claeys, Niels Bouten, Nikolay Melnikov, Radhika Garg, Rashid Mijumbi, Sebastian Seeber, Steven Latre


Drivers visiting Rotherham Hospital are in safe hands as its car parks receive the nod of approval from officials. The British Parking Association, in partnership with South Yorkshire Police, has awarded The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust a coveted 'Park Mark' for the parking facilities at the town's hospital


Chinese ancient literature includes poem, novel, drama and so on. Thereinto, poem mainly embodies the meaning of literature and intangible of art, therefore, understanding and studying poem needs researchers' good sensibility, and analysis on the artistic image and themes of novel and drama also cannot leave author's sensibility. Therefore, sensibility and literature, basic theory have same effects in ancient literature researches, all of them are indispensable conditions to study ancient literature. This paper mainly analyzes and discusses the literature sensibility in ancient literature researches.


The financial crash of 2008 precipitated a major recession. It shattered the financial growth model that had dominated the previous twenty years and plunged the international economy into a period of economic and political restructuring of uncertain duration. The immediate origins of the crash lay in the lending practices associated with the sub-prime mortgages in the United States which produced the credit crunch in 2007, but the wider causes were the unbalanced character of growth in the international economy and the particular role played by finance. The crisis has been explained in a number of different ways, focusing on the behaviour of the financial markets, the institutional and policy conditions that made the boom possible and then undermined it, longer-term economic and policy cycles and the nature of uncertainty and risk in complex social systems. The political impact of the crash and the recession has not been uniform; it has been highly uneven, depending on the position of particular states in the international economy. The rapid interventions by governments to stave off financial collapse at the end of 2008 were successful, but at the cost of creating serious problems of adjustment for the future. The political debate around what were the causes, who should be blamed and what should be done is only just beginning, and the way this crisis comes to be understood will play a major part in determining how it is eventually resolved and how far-reaching will be the changes to the international economy and to domestic politics.


RATIONALE
Systemic inflammation has emerged as a key pathophysiological process that induces multiorgan injury and causes serious human diseases. Endothelium is critical in maintaining cellular and inflammatory homeostasis, controlling systemic inflammation, and progression of inflammatory diseases. We postulated that endothelium produces and releases endogenous soluble factors to modulate inflammatory responses and protect against systemic inflammation.

OBJECTIVE
To identify endothelial cell-released soluble factors that protect against endothelial barrier dysfunction and systemic inflammation.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We found that conditioned medium of endothelial cells inhibited cyclooxgenase-2 and interleukin-6 expression in macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Analysis of conditioned medium extracts by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry showed the presence of 5-methoxytryptophan (5-MTP), but not other related tryptophan metabolites. Furthermore, endothelial cell-derived 5-MTP suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses and signaling in macrophages and endotoxemic lung tissues. Lipopolysaccharide suppressed 5-MTP level in endothelial cell-conditioned medium and reduced serum 5-MTP level in the murine sepsis model. Intraperitoneal injection of 5-MTP restored serum 5-MTP accompanied by the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced endothelial leakage and suppression of lipopolysaccharide- or cecal ligation and puncture-mediated proinflammatory mediators overexpression. 5-MTP administration rescued lungs from lipopolysaccharide-induced damages and prevented sepsis-related mortality. Importantly, compared with healthy subjects, serum 5-MTP level in septic patients was decreased by 65%, indicating an important clinical relevance.

CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that 5-MTP belongs to a novel class of endothelium-derived protective molecules that defend against endothelial barrier dysfunction and excessive systemic inflammatory responses.


Embedment of offshore shallow foundations is typically achieved by 'skirts', i.e. thin vertical plates that protrude from the underside of a foundation top plate and penetrate the seabed confining a soil plug. Skirted shallow foundations are often idealized as a solid, rigid element for geotechnical analysis of the foundation, on the assumption that sufficient skirts, or 'shear keys' will be provided to ensure that the deformable soil plug displaces as a rigid body. Should too few shear keys be provided, failure mechanisms involving deformation within the soil plug may occur, leading to a reduction in load-carrying capacity.There is currently no formal guidance regarding the optimal spacing of shear keys to ensure rigid body displacement of the soil plug. The absence of guidance may lead to unconservative designs if the number of shear keys is under estimated to save on fabrication or to conservative designs if additional shear keys are provided to minimize the risk associated with the uncertainty. Either case is undesirable and clear benefit is to be gained from a better understanding of shear key spacing.This paper presents guidance on the minimum number of shear keys required to achieve optimal capacity of square and rectangular skirted foundations (i.e. equivalent to that of a solid rigid foundation) under undrained generalized six degree-of-freedom loading in soft soils with linearly increasing shear strength with depth.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


Abstract Explosive cyclogenesis during the winter of the First Global GARP Experiment (January–February 1979) is analyzed using the revised European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses. Explosive cyclogenesis is defined as a decrease in the sea level pressure at the rate of 1 mb h−1 for at least 12 h. Diagnostics for 23 explosively developing cases and 16 nonexplosive cases are evaluated. Parameters compared include the dry static stability, low-level relative vorticity, vorticity advection, upper-level divergence, kinematic vertical velocities, and the strength of the low-level baroclinity. These parameters are compared statistically at the initial, 12-, and 24-h time periods. Parameters for which the explosive and nonexplosive cyclone ensembles were statistically separable are the kinematic vertical velocity and the upper-level divergence and vorticity advection. The strong upper-level processes for the explosive cases at the initial time indicate the importance of upper-troposphe...


We are concerned with an information theoretic measure of uncertainty for quantum systems. Precisely, the Wehrl entropy of the phase space probability (z,m I rho Iz,m) which is known as Husimi function, where rho is a density operator and Iz,m) are coherent states attached to an Euclidean mth Landau level. We obtain the Husimi function Qmbeta of the thermal density operator rhobeta of the harmonic oscillator, which leads, by duality, to the Laguerre probability distribution of the mixed light. We discuss some basic properties of Qmbeta such as its characteristic function and its limiting logarithmic moment generating function from which we derive the rate function of the sequence of probability distributions Qmbeta, m=0,1,... For m=1,2,..., we establish an exact expression for the Wehrl entropy of the density operator rhobeta and we discuss the behavior of this entropy with respect to the temperature parameter T = 1/beta.


Dimethoate [O, O-dimethyl-S-(N-methylcarbamoyl-methyl) phosphorodithioate] is a broad-spectrum systemic insecticide currently used worldwide and on many vegetables in Kentucky. Dimethoate is a hydrophilic compound (log KOW = 0.7) and has the potential of offsite movement from the application site into runoff and infiltration water. The dissipation patterns of dimethoate residues were studied on spring broccoli leaves and heads under field conditions. Following foliar application of Dimethoate 4E on broccoli foliage at the rate of 0.47 L acre−1, dimethoate residues were monitored in soil, runoff water collected down the land slope, and in infiltration water collected from the vadose zone. The study was conducted on a Lowell silty loam soil (pH 6.9) planted with broccoli under three soil management practices: (i) soil mixed with municipal sewage sludge, (ii) soil mixed with yard waste compost, and (iii) no-mulch rototilled bare soil. The main objective of this investigation was to study the effect of mixing native soil with municipal sewage sludge or yard waste compost, having considerable amounts of organic matter, on off-site movement of dimethoate residues into runoff and infiltration water following spring rainfall. The initial deposits of dimethoate were 6.2 and 21.4 μ g g−1 on broccoli heads and leaves, respectively. These residues dissipated rapidly and fell below the maximum residue limit of 2 μ g g−1 on the heads and leaves after 10 and 14 d, respectively, with half-lives of 5.7 d on broccoli heads and 3.9 d on the leaves. Dimethoate residues detected in top 15 cm of soil (due to droplet drift and wash off residues from broccoli foliage) one day (d) following spraying, were 30.5 ng g−1 dry soil in the sewage sludge treatment, and 46.1 and 134.5 ng g−1 dry soil in the yard waste and no mulch treatments, respectively. Water infiltration was greater from yard waste compost treatment than from no mulch treatment, however concentrations of dimethoate in the vadose zone of the three soil treatments did not differ.


Increasing prostaglandin H(2) synthase (PGHS)-2 expression in the fetal membranes is implicated in the production of prostaglandins (PGs) that stimulate labour. We have determined the activity of the PGHS-2 gene in the amnion and chorion throughout gestation and defined the contribution of transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms to the increase of PGHS-2 mRNA levels. We also measured PGHS-1 mRNA abundance to assess the participation of the two isoenzymes in fetal membrane PG-production during pregnancy. Amnion and chorion were collected from non-labouring women at 10-19 weeks (early), at 28-36 weeks (preterm) and at term (37-41 weeks). We determined PGHS-1 and -2 mRNA abundance and assessed PGHS-2 gene activity by measuring PGHS-2 heterogeneous nuclear RNA levels using real-time RT-PCR. PGHS-2 gene activity and mRNA levels were up-regulated in both tissues with advancing gestation. Path analysis demonstrated that the PGHS-2 mRNA up-regulation involved both transcriptional and post-transcriptional components. PGHS-2 mRNA abundance increased 9-11 fold between the early (10-19 weeks) and preterm (28-36 weeks) groups and remained high at term. The underlying mechanism was predominantly transcriptional in the amnion and post-transcriptional in the chorion. PGHS-1 mRNA expression precipitously decreased between early gestation and term. Thus, PGHS-2 mRNA abundance is up-regulated well in advance of term and is not a trigger for labour. There is a switch in PGHS mRNA expression during pregnancy with PGHS-1 dominating in the early period and PGHS-2 dominating at term.


Abstract Phengite-bearing eclogites occur in the Richarddalen Complex of NW Spitsbergen, Arctic Caledonides. Phase equilibrium modelling and conventional geothermobarometry have been used to constrain the metamorphic evolution of these eclogites. Pseudosections are calculated for the peak-pressure assemblage garnet+omphacite+phengite+amphibole+dolomite quartz+rutile. Compositional isopleths for garnet and phengite constrain the pressure–temperature (P–T) conditions to 1.9–2.0 GPa and 720–730 °C, in good agreement with the results obtained from conventional thermobarometry (720–740 °C and 2.4–2.5 GPa). Further P–T pseudosection modelling of clinopyroxene+plagioclase±amphibole±clinozoisite symplectites after omphacite suggests that decompression to c. 1.2 GPa occurred along a steep exhumation path. The eclogite-bearing Richarddalen Complex constitutes the uppermost unit of a simple stack of thrust sheets where the metamorphic grade is increasing structurally upwards in the pile. Thrusting is the favoured uplift mechanism for the initial syn-orogenic exhumation to lower crustal levels. Constrictional north–south stretching in a transpressional regime is interpreted to be responsible for the final exhumation of the assembled stack of thrust sheets. Late Silurian–Early Devonian conglomerates were deposited directly on the eclogite-bearing gneisses of the Richarddalen Complex, and mark the end of exhumation of the nappe stack.


The kinetics of ATP-induced Ca2+ uptake by vesicular dispersions of sarcoplasmic reticulum were determined with a time resolution of about 10 ms, depending on the temperature. Ca2+ uptake was initiated by the addition of ATP through the flash photolysis of P3-1-(2-nitrophenyl)-ethyl adenosine 5'-triphosphate utilizing a frequency-doubled ruby laser and measured with two different detector systems that followed the absorbance changes of the metallochromic indicator arsenazo III sensitive to changes in the extravesicular [Ca2+]. The temperature range investigated was -2 to 26 degrees C. The Ca2+ ionophore A23187 was used to distinguish those features of the Ca2+ uptake kinetics associated with the formation of a transmembrane Ca2+ gradient. The acid-stable phosphorylated enzyme intermediate, E approximately P, was determined independently with a quenched-flow technique. Ca2+ uptake is characterized by at least two phases, a fast initial phase and a slow phase. The fast phase exhibits pseudo-first-order kinetics with a specific rate constant of 64 +/- 10 s-1 at 23-26 degrees C, an activation energy of 16 +/- 1 kcal mol-1, and a delta S* of approximately 5 cal deg-1 mol-1, is insensitive to the presence of a Ca2+ ionophore, and occurs simultaneously with the formation of the phosphorylated enzyme, E approximately P, with a stoichiometry of approximately 2 mol of Ca2+/mol of phosphorylated enzyme intermediate. The slow phase also exhibits pseudo-first-order kinetics with a specific rate constant of 0.60 +/- 0.09 s-1 at 25-26 degrees C, an activation energy of 22 +/- 1 kcal mol-1, and a delta S* of approximately 16 cal deg-1 mol-1, is inhibited by the presence of a Ca2+ ionophore, and has a stoichiometry of approximately 2 mol of Ca2+/mol of ATP hydrolyzed.


The importance of smart phones in our lives increases with the development of technology. Equipped with high-definition cameras and a continuous internet connection, our phones push us to more documentation, while social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter encourage us to record, share, follow, like and dislike. On the other hand, social media documentary created the impulse to share, because people have 24 hours available audience. When uploading photos to these platforms, we are able to play and manipulate them as we wish. This research tries to emphasize how art has become an object of social photography with the development of social media. The works of art were difficult to reach and used to specific to a field. With the development of technology and the growth of social media platforms in our lives, we started to experience the artworks from the Instagram posts of others. How does this change our gestures during an art event? In particular, museums and galleries to keep pace with this development and opened pop-up museums began to allow visitors to experience art with themselves. In May 2019 the first and only interactive museum in Turkey Happy Hour opened. This research examines how sharing artwork on social media platforms changes the experience of other people with an art project created with 3,360 LED bulbs. The project aims to manipulate visitors' photographing experiences by creating a work of art that looks degraded and does not appear properly when viewed with a phone camera. The research focuses on the experiences of people during an art event and examines how it affects people's experiences by focusing on the memory, gesture and atmosphere of an artwork, in addition to the theoretical framework research in photographic theory.


Abstract: Hegel's theory of tragedy is often considered to be primarily a theory of the objective powers involved in tragic conflicts—for Hegel, these are paradigmatically competing ethical notions—and of the rationality which underlies and drives such conflicts. Such a view follows naturally from a close reading of Hegel's discussion of classical Greek tragedy in his Lectures on Aesthetics. However, this view gives rise to the question of whether Hegel's theory of tragedy can account for the significance of tragic experience, in particular the experience of tragic suffering; it has been argued repeatedly that it cannot. In contrast, I want to suggest in this paper that a theory of tragic experience can be derived from Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. This Hegelian theory of tragic experience, I argue, should be understood as complementing rather than challenging Hegel's theory of objective tragic conflict.


The student-mentor relationship is a complex one, which can be rewarding as well as problematic at times. Mentors want to provide a valuable practice experience for students but are constrained by multiple demands and limited resources. The mentor's role is paramount in student assessment and the mentor should receive the support necessary to enhance student learning.


Reading Sappho considers Sappho's poetry as a powerful, influential voice in the Western cultural tradition. Essays are divided into four sections: "Language and Literary Context," "Homer and Oral Tradition", "Ritual and Social Context", and "Women's Erotics". Contributors focus on literary history, mythic traditions, cultural studies, performance studies, recent work in feminist theory, and more. A legendary literary figure, Sappho has attracted readers, critics, and biographers ever since she composed poems on the island of Lesbos at the close of the seventh century B.C. Bringing together some of the best recent criticism on the subject, this volume, together with Re-Reading Sappho, represents the first anthology of Sappho scholarship, drawing attention to Sappho's importance as a poet and reflecting the diversity of critical approaches in classical and literary scholarship during the last several decades.


The effects of the mu-agonists morphine and DAGO, the delta-agonists D-Pen2, D-Pen5-enkephaline and dalargine and the kappa-agonists U50-488H and dynophine 1-17 on the activity of the spinal dorsal horn neurons receiving both cutaneous and visceral nociceptive inputs were studied. The experiments were performed under chloralose anesthesia in flaxedyl-immobilized rats. Morphine (10(-6)-10(-5) M) and DAGO (5 x 10(-7)-10(-6)) given pneumophoretically or topically onto the spinal cord suppressed the activity evoked by cutaneous nociceptive stimulation to a greater extent than those used by the nociceptive stimulation of the colon and rectum. Intravenous morphine (3-12 mg/kg) suppressed the activity caused by somatic and visceral stimulation to approximately the same extent. The delta-agonists D-Pen2, D-Pen5-enkephaline (10(-6)-10(-5) M) and delargin (10(-6)-10(-5) M) administered pneumophoretically or locally produced the effects similar to those of mu-agonists. All these effects were concentration-dependent and naloxone-sensitive. The kappa-agonists U50-488N (10(-4) M) and dynorphine (10(-4) M) failed to suppress the nociceptive responses of convergent neurons.


SUMMARY: Ten genetic markers were located on six linkage groups in Aspergillus parasiticus by means of the parasexual cycle. Diploids, selected by complementation of spore colour and auxotrophic markers, were subjected to induced haploidization by treatment with benlate. Haploid segregants, including recombinants resulting from mitotic crossing over, were distinguished from diploids by their stability and growth in the presence of benlate. Evidence is presented for the linkage of two genetic markers, norA and verA, which affect the biosynthesis of aflatoxin.


Transplant coronary artery disease and malignancy are the major limitations to survival after heart transplantation. In a randomized trial, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) significantly improved 3-year survival over azathioprine, but the expected reduction in intracoronary ultrasound evidence of vasculopathy was not found on initial analysis using unmatched sites. On reanalysis using matched sites, a highly significant reduction in maximum intimal thickness was shown with MMF. Malignancy was numerically but not significantly lower at 3 years; in open label experience up to 7 years, it is diminished by 37% on MMF. MMF protects heart transplant recipients against both vasculopathy and malignancy.


Cesarean deliveries are often performed with a neuraxial anesthetic technique. Fracture of needles used for local anesthetic infiltration is rare. During subcutaneous infiltration of local anesthetic for a combined spinal epidural (CSE) anesthetic technique performed for elective cesarean delivery, a fragment from a fractured 27-gauge local anesthetic needle was retained in the lumbar subcutaneous tissue. CSE anesthesia was then successfully performed at a different spinal interspace, and the patient had an uneventful cesarean delivery. The patient had the needle fragment removed on the first postoperative day by an interventional radiologist who used fluoroscopy to identify the needle location.


Nephropathy commonly develops in patients with insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes. Administration of an antihypertensive agent to type 1 diabetes patients with microalbuminuria, the first clinically detectable stage of nephropathy, can help slow renal deterioration. It is postulated that the exaggerated vasoconstrictor response to noradrenaline seen in these patients may be relevant in the development of microalbuminuria. This open, non-comparative pilot study was designed to investigate the effects of the alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist doxazosin on noradrenaline-induced hand vein vasoconstriction and on albumin excretion in 14 normotensive type 1 diabetes patients with microalbuminuria. After a three-week placebo run-in period, patients received doxazosin (1, 2, and then 4 mg once-daily, at two-week intervals) for six weeks, followed by a two-week placebo washout period. Vasoconstrictor responses to noradrenaline were measured in dorsal hand veins at the end of each two-week period. Hand vein vasoconstrictor responses to noradrenaline decreased significantly, compared with placebo, at 4 mg/day doxazosin (p = 0.006). The mean albumin excretion rate was lower than baseline at all doses of doxazosin, but changes did not reach statistical significance. Doxazosin was generally well-tolerated; four patients (29%) reported mild-to-moderate treatment-related adverse events. This study indicates that alpha 1-adrenoceptor blockade can blunt the exaggerated vascular reactivity to noradrenaline in normotensive type 1 diabetes patients with microalbuminuria, and supports further research into a potential role for doxazosin in preventing the development of diabetic nephropathy.


An efficient dynamic vision system has been developed based on special hardware and system architecture. The advantages of the dynamic vision system for the real-time processing of motion control are discussed here. The characteristics and usages of digital signal processor A110 which is used as the main part in an image processing Unit (IPU) is introduced. The system architecture, which is composed of several image processing units and related hardware, is approached. In order to deal with blurred images caused by objects moving, an algorithm of nonlinear filtering is proposed for precise feature detection. The related experimental results and some conclusions are presented.<<ETX>>


The pathogenicity, transmissibility, environmental stability, and potential for genetic manipulation make microbes hybrid threats that could blur the distinction between peace and war. These agents can fall below the detection, attribution, and response capabilities of a nation and seriously affect their health, trade, and security. A framework that could enhance horizon scanning regarding the potential risk of microbes used as hybrid threats requires not only accurately discriminating known and unknown pathogens but building novel scenarios to deploy mitigation strategies. This demands the transition of analyst-based biosurveillance tracking a narrow set of pathogens toward an autonomous biosurveillance enterprise capable of processing vast data streams beyond human cognitive capabilities. Autonomous surveillance systems must gather, integrate, analyze, and visualize billions of data points from different and unrelated sources. Machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms can contextualize capability information for different stakeholders at different levels of resolution: strategic and tactical. This document provides a discussion of the use of microorganisms as hybrid threats and considerations to quantitatively estimate their risk to ensure societal awareness, preparedness, mitigation, and resilience.


We analyzed the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) into DNA in exponentially growing murine erythroleukemia cells (FLC-745), using fluorescent anti-BrdUrd antibodies with light microscopy and flow cytometry. The fine localization of the DNA replicating sites was investigated at the ultrastructural level by using a second antibody conjugated with colloidal gold. The latter approach, which does not require acidic denaturation of the DNA, enables preservation of good morphology and obtains a better resolution power than that of electron microscopic autoradiography, the percentage of labeled cells obtained with the two techniques being comparable. After short BrdUrd pulses, characteristic distribution of the labeling can be identified in the heterochromatin, in interchromatin domains, or at the boundary between the dispersed and the condensed chromatin. Similar patterns are also observable in the nuclear structures which condense after acid denaturation, suggesting that DNA replication takes place at fixed sites associated with the nuclear matrix.


Objectives To summarise, by a systematic literature review (SLR), the evidence regarding pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies in difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA), informing the EULAR recommendations for the management of D2T RA. Methods PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched up to December 2019. Relevant papers were selected and appraised. Results Two hundred seven (207) papers studied therapeutic strategies. Limited evidence was found on effective and safe disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in patients with comorbidities and other contraindications that limit DMARD options (patients with obesity, hepatitis B and C, risk of venous thromboembolisms, pregnancy and lactation). In patients who previously failed biological (b-)DMARDs, all currently used b/targeted synthetic (ts-)DMARDs were found to be more effective than placebo. In patients who previously failed a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), there was a tendency of non-TNFi bDMARDs to be more effective than TNFis. Generally, effectiveness decreased in patients who previously failed a higher number of bDMARDs. Additionally, exercise, psychological, educational and self-management interventions were found to improve non-inflammatory complaints (mainly functional disability, pain, fatigue), education to improve goal setting, and self-management programmes, educational and psychological interventions to improve self-management. The identified evidence had several limitations: (1) no studies were found in patients with D2T RA specifically, (2) heterogeneous outcome criteria were used and (3) most studies had a moderate or high risk of bias. Conclusions This SLR underscores the scarcity of high-quality evidence on the pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of patients with D2T RA. Effectiveness of b/tsDMARDs decreased in RA patients who had failed a higher number of bDMARDs and a subsequent b/tsDMARD of a previously not targeted mechanism of action was somewhat more effective. Additionally, a beneficial effect of non-pharmacological interventions was found for improvement of non-inflammatory complaints, goal setting and self-management.


The article analyzes the new configuration in the Black Sea after Russian annexation of Crimea. The Black Sea has an important role for Russia to promote its interests in the southern direction. Crimea in this strategy has the role of an important bridgehead. The peninsula has modern coastal and air defense systems that cover the skies over the Crimea and control the airspace of Eastern European countries. The deployment of nuclear weapons in Crimea threatens almost all of Europe. Russia uses factories of the occupied peninsula to build new ships for the Black Sea Fleet. Russia is using the energy factor in the region to attract NATO members to Bulgaria and Turkey. Bulgaria is taking a cautious ambivalent stance, while Turkey is playing its own game with Russia, raising its status in the region. Western analysts' skepticism about the strategic importance of the Black Sea and the fragmentation of the region make it difficult to formulate a joint NATO strategy to counter Russia. Therefore, the main actions of the Alliance in the region remain the visits of warships, joint exercises and reconnaissance flights, the number of which in 2020 increased by 40%. But this is not enough to curb Russia's aggressive policy. Therefore, NATO needs to increase its presence in the Black Sea by expanding the format of joint action and intensifying cooperation with partners Ukraine and Georgia. The normalization of US-Turkish relations should play a significant role in the security of the region. Tightening sanctions against the Kremlin and restricting energy cooperation should be an important tool to deter Russia from the collective West.


We report the case of a myocardial infarction in the post-partum period due to a spontaneous coronary artery dissection. The role of intracoronary imaging was critical: OCT imaging led us to formulate the right diagnosis.OCT imaging revealed a multiple coronary artery dissection in the left main non-detectable on angiography and in the circumflex, with evidence of coronary hematoma in the circumflex and left anterior descending. Beside dissection, OCT showed evidence of a thrombus near the coronary tear in the left main. Our invasive OCT-based strategy proved to be non-harmful and gave an excellent clinical result in the clinical context of a spontaneous multivessel coronary dissection with left main involvement in a rare connective tissue disorder.


While several studies have examined the role of strategic alliances in outsourcing, as a way to manage the client-vendor relationship, no systematic attempt has been made to integrate the knowledge from the strategic management literature. The study contributes to this line of research, by developing a framework that weaves the Relational-Theory View with the outsourcing literature. This synthesis leads to the proposition that the more an outsourcing alliance meets the conditions of Relational-Theory, the higher the rent generating potential for the partners. Specific scenarios are generated based on the strategic value of the considered process, as well as the existence and the visibility of the appropriate capability.


The network topology and interferences causes significant effects on data collection and hence on sensors' energy usage. Various approaches using single channel, multichannel and convergecasting had already been proposed. In this chapter, we survey contention-free Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) based scheduling protocols for such data collection applications over tree-based routing topologies. We classify the algorithms according to their common design objectives, identifying the follow-ing four as the most fundamental and most studied with respect to data collection in WSNs


PurposeDespite the gains that have been made by adopting contemporary theories of practice in entrepreneurship studies, the field still lacks a comprehensive practice theory of entrepreneurial learning. In this article, we develop a practice theory of entrepreneurial learning by elaborating on the relations between practicing, knowing and learning.Design/methodology/approachUsing a video ethnography of a two-day "Startup Weekend for Refugees" event in Amsterdam, our aim is to further theorise the relational, material and embodied nature of entrepreneurial learning through analysing video fragments of naturally occurring practices.FindingsOur findings demonstrate that entrepreneurial learning transpires through, and is emergent from, practices and their relations. On the one hand, practitioners learn to competently participate in various practices by sensing, observing and experimenting with the meaning of others' gestures and utterances. On the other, the learning of new opportunities for value creation emerges as practitioners connect various practices to one another through translation.Originality/valueThis article contributes by illustrating and explaining real-time instances of learning to develop a practice theory of entrepreneurial learning. This contributes to the literature by detailing the relations between learning, knowing and practising entrepreneurship, which leads to a novel alternative to existing individual- and organisational-level learning theories.


We present measurements of the nuclear modification factor of heavy-flavour decay leptons in p–Pb collisions at √ sNN = 5.02 TeV and Pb–Pb collisions at √ sNN = 2.76 TeV, the elliptic azimuthal anisotropy of heavy-flavour decay leptons in Pb–Pb collisions at √ sNN = 2.76 TeV, and the angular correlations between heavy-flavour decay electrons and charged particles in p–Pb collisions at √ sNN = 5.02 TeV and in pp collisions at √ s = 2.76 and 7 TeV. Results are compared to theoretical predictions.


In situ remediation (phytostabilization) is a cost-effective solution for restoring the productivity of metal-contaminated soils and protection of food chains. A pot experiment with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), oat (Avena sativa L.), and redbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) was conducted to test the ability of limestone and hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) to ameliorate Ni phytotoxicity in two soils contaminated by particulate emissions from a nickel refinery. Quarry muck (Terric Haplohemist; 72% organic matter) contained 2210 mg kg(-1) of total Ni. The mineral soil, Welland silt loam (Typic Epiaquoll), was more contaminated (2930 mg Ni kg(-1)). Both soils were very strongly acidic, allowing the soil Ni to be soluble and phytotoxic. Nickel phytotoxicity of the untreated muck soil was not very pronounced and could be easily confused with symptoms of Mn deficiency that occurred in this soil even with Mn fertilization. Severe nickel phytotoxicity of the untreated mineral soil prevented any growth of redbeet, the most sensitive crop; even wheat, a relatively Ni-resistant species, was severely damaged. White banding indicative of Ni phytotoxicity was present on oat and wheat leaves grown on the acidic mineral soil. Soil Ni extracted with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and 0.01 M Sr(NO3)2 was indicative of the ameliorative effect of amendments and correlated well with Ni concentrations in plant shoots. Making soils calcareous was an effective treatment to reduce plant-available Ni and remediate Ni phytotoxicity of these soils to all crops tested. The ameliorative effect of HFO was crop-specific and much less pronounced.


THE 618 cases of "idiopathic detachment of the retina" reviewed are those of patients examined and treated at the retina service of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary between 1947 and July, 1951. During this period, operation has been performed in some cases without the participation of the retina service, and these cases have not been included in the group. Additional cases omitted from the group are those in which operation was refused, the cases of subclinical detachments, and a small number of cases in which insufficient data were available. The group represents the private patients of many different attending physicians and patients from the Infirmary clinics. The operators have been the senior and junior attending physicians and the retina service physicians, as well as the resident staff. Examinations before, during, and after operation have been carried out by these men and the retina service. During the last two years


This study explored conditions shaping several kinds of practices of nine Australian university lecturers teaching inclusive education as part of the initial professional development and learning of pre-service teachers: preparing inclusive education curricula, teaching (including lectures, tutorials, workshops and in field settings), modelling desirable inclusive education practices and assessing students' work. The lecturers were interviewed and the interviews transcribed. Two kinds of analyses were undertaken: first, an analysis that identified key themes (e.g. about inclusive education as a mandatory subject, lecturers' theoretical stances); and second, an analysis using a theoretical framework that focuses on the discursive, material and social conditions that enabled and constrained the lecturers' action in relation to those themes. The results of these analyses showed that the university contexts supplied not only physical architectural arrangements enabling and constraining lecturers' work, but also discursive and relational conditions that shaped how lecturers can respond to diversity in their classes and thus the extent to which they can model inclusive education. The results show that the practices of university inclusive education are enabled and constrained by conditions beyond lecturers' control, and that transforming university inclusive education requires transforming those conditions as well as the lecturers' professional practice knowledge.


This study examined the interactions of stimulus type (high- vs. low-tech) and magnitude (duration of access) on preference and reinforcer efficacy. Two preference assessments were conducted to identify highly preferred high-tech and low-tech items for each participant. A subsequent assessment examined preference for those items when provided at 30-s and 600-s durations. We then evaluated reinforcer efficacy for those same items when provided for a range of durations using progressive-ratio schedules. Results suggested item type and access duration interacted to influence preference and reinforcer efficacy. Participants preferred high-tech items at longer durations of access and engaged in more responding when the high-tech item was provided for long durations, but these patterns were reversed for the low-tech item. In addition, participants engaged in less responding when the high-tech item was provided for short durations and when the low-tech item was provided for long durations.


Trigeminal neuralgia, which may involve one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve, is considered to produce one of the most severe types of pain. As it may be associated with other conditions, in some cases, the patient is subjected to unnecessary treatment. A case of nonidiopathic trigeminal neuralgia associated with internal carotid aneurysm, is presented.


DCR represents an original way of research trying to determine more homogenous clinical entities. It is a research instrument elaborated with the purpose to identify forms and sub-categories of mental diseases which respond or are resistant to pharmacological treatments. This composite and complex system is based on an integration of different schools of psychiatry. The reference to Karl Leonhard represents a break with the kraepelinian tradition. In contradistinction with DSM-III-R, the DCR is based on the historical development of psychiatric concepts. The diagnoses are based on all stages of mental disease, and the syndromes are depending not only on the content of abnormal experiences, but also on their forms.


Abstract Each year family caregivers provide care and services worth billions of dollars to support the needs of older Americans. Their support is invaluable to keep individuals in the community for as long as possible and to allow individuals to attain and maintain their highest practicable level of well-being. But what impact does caregiving have on one's health? Does caregiver health decline with the assumption of caregiving duties? Did caregiver health change during the pandemic? If so, how and what factors are associated with declines in caregiver health? To answer these questions, an exploratory survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 195 family caregiver. Almost a third of those sampled reported excellent or very good health, while 44% reported good health, and almost a quarter reported poor or fair health. Forty-eight percent reported their health had declined since they assumed caregiving duties and 29% reported their health had declined during the pandemic. Employed caregivers and those experiencing less depression/anxiety reported better health. Those experiencing a decline in health with caregiving were more likely to be female, not employed, experienced more stress and more depression/anxiety. Those experiencing a decline in health during the pandemic reported less spirituality, greater attachment related avoidance, and greater depression/anxiety. Findings from this research can be used to inform future research on the effect of the pandemic on family caregiving and to plan interventions to protect caregiver health as they provide vital services to maintain individuals in the community for as long as possible.


Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) has been used to treat various urological conditions such as nephrolithiasis and erectile dysfunction. The use of ESWT for Peyronie's disease (PD) has been a subject of debate since Bellorofobate et al. published the first report on the use of ESWT on a PD patient in 1989 (1). The mechanism of action of ESWT in PD patients is still unknown mainly due to the lack of an animal model truly resembling PD. Multiple theories had been hypothesized with regards to its mechanism of action. Levine hypothesized that EWST causes destruction and lysis of the plaque by inducing an inflammatory response that attracts macrophages to the plaque site, leading to changes in vascularity and plaque resorption (2). In addition, direct trauma caused by ESWT may produce scar formation on the contralateral side of the penile shaft and, thus, correct the curvature. The other possible theory is that ESWT causes degradation of the plaque leading to an increase of the surface area in contact with the drugs introduced either locally or systemically (3). None of these theories have, however, yet to be scientifically proven.


-The contents of this volume and their relationship to ferret conservation and recovery are discussed. The critically endangered black-footed ferret (Mllstela nigripes) has been an enigma ever since its scientific discovery in 1851 by John James Audubon and John Bachman. In 1877 Dr. Elliott Coues of the Smithsonian Institution reported that the ferret was common to the plains of the West and associated with prairie dogs (Cynomys sp.). Collection records show that, until the first decades of this century, ferrets were distributed over about 40 million ha in 12 states and 2 Canadian provinces. By the late 1940s, no ferrets could be located for study, ostensibly because of a precipitous decline in population size and distribution, from habitat loss (the poisoning of prairie dogs), and perhaps other factors. The ferret was considered extinct or nearly so when in 1964 a small population was discovered in South Dakota and the species came under study for the first time-113 years after its scientific discovery. Three chapters stand out in ferret study and conservation: (1) From the 1830s to 1964, during which time specimens were occasionally collected and a few natural history observations recorded; (2) from 1964 to 1981, when the Mellett~ County, South Dakota, ferret population was discovered and studied for II years (ca 90 different ferrets werc observed, including II litters) and it dwindled to extinction. Attempts to breed a fcw ferrets in captivity came too late, and no other populations were discovered despite surveys. Many people feared the ferret was cxtinct; (3) from 1981 to date, when the Meeteetse, Wyoming, ferret population was discovered and studied (ca 129 different ferrets were seen, including 25 litters in 1984). In part, this period closes with this volume and the many othcr conservation biology papers resulting from the Meeteetse studies (see Casey et al. in this monograph). All these papers describe key aspects of the Meeteetse ferret population, habitat requirements, and means of managing and recovering the species. We hope this third chapter will usher in a fourth chapter-full recovery of the species to secure, viable populations scattered over portions of its former range. Individually and collectively, the 14 original contributions to this monograph, plus the introductory remarks by Dr. Archie Carr III, provide a much fuller understanding of the species and the foundation needed for full species recovery. Other study results on the Meeteetse ferrets have been published elsewhere, and they, too, add significantly to our understanding of the ferret and its conservation needs. To be sure, many details about ferret behavior and ecology remain to be learned, but they can wait until the ferret is more common and can accommodate rigorous scientific scrutiny in laboratory and field. These 14 papers describe numerous aspects of ferret biology, management, and recovery direction-all for the first time. First, Anderson et al. examine the ferret's fossil record as well as recent distribution and systematics. Pleistocene and Holocene fiumas (n=21) show ferret remains. Ferret distribution based on 412 specimens in 68 museums from Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Canada are summarized. Comparisons of Pleistocene with Recent specimens show no significant differences in size or morphology. Analysis suggcsts no consistent morphometric variation exists betwecn ferrets found in association with different prairie dog species. IDepartment uf Biolllwcal Sell'necs, Idah" State Univt'rsity. l'UClllcllo. Idaho &1209, and Blot.lllvs(';m:h and ConsllltinR. Inc., BOll: 2705. Jackson, Wyomill~ 83001.


Rapid and simple quantitative analysis isoflavones tempe using densitometric TLC has been done. The mobile phase of the system was chloroform: methanol: ethylacetate (45: 5: 0.75). Thin layer chromatography was performed on aluminium TLC plates. Ascending distance of 1 μL sample was performanced 10 cm. Then the plate was scanned at 261 nm. A linear relationship obtained at 0.08 2 μg/spot with r= 0.9986. The LOD and LOQ of isoflavone were 0.014 μg/spot and 0.048 μg/spot. Genistein contained in tempe was 0.151± 0.005 % b/b.


Calculating well logs is a time-consuming process. This template uses input parameters consisting of well name, location county, state, formation name, starting depth, repeat interval, resistivity of shale, and irreducible bulk volume water, which provides heading information for print outs. Required information from basic well logs are porosity, conductivity (optional), formation resistivity, resistivity of the formation water for the zone being calculated, resistivity of the mud filtrate, the porosity cutoff for pay in the zone being calculated, and the saltwater saturation cutoff for the pay zone. These parameters are used to calculate apparent water resistivity, saltwater saturation, bulk volume water, ratio of apparent water resistivity to input water resistivity, irreducible saltwater saturation, resistivity volume of shale, permeability, and a derived porosity value. A print out of the results is available through the lotus print function. Using this template allows maximum control of the input parameters and reduces hand calculation time.


The paper presents a role of defining, evaluating and comparing alternative proposals of particular developing programs as possible mechanism of landscape protection. The main reasons why alternatives should be used in planning process are explained. There are many different interests in space present and with analysing alternatives it can be found out how particular interests are respected. The proponent of an action has a set of aims to be met, which can normally be satisfied in a number of alternative ways, each of which has different effects upon the environment. Forming alternatives and offering possibilities of choosing among them is a way of optimising decision making. The paper deals with themes like: why and how different interests in space should be included in alternative proposals, using alternatives in different levels, how and when alternatives should be established in planning process, how many alternatives there should be and why it is important to define all possible and reasonable alternatives and what distinguishes alternatives one from another.


Recycled ancient oceanic crust with variable amounts of aging, or inclusion of sediments of differing types and origins has often been invoked as a source for present‐day ocean island basalts (OIB), but the current evidence remains largely qualitative. Previous quantitative modeling has shown that much has to be learned in order to better understand the implications of crustal recycling on mantle heterogeneity. Here, we present new model calculations incorporating recent constraints on subduction‐zone processes and the composition of subducted sediments. Modeled compositions of the recycled oceanic crust vary widely as a function of the recycling age and composition of the oceanic crust. HIMU‐type sources can only be created by recycling igneous oceanic crust if it has undergone substantial modification during subduction. Although the required modifications are qualitatively consistent with dehydration processes in subduction zones, the many uncertainties prevent a precise estimate of the isotopic composition of ancient recycled igneous crust. Inclusion of sediments increases the isotopic variability and although the resulting Sr and Nd isotopic signatures can be similar to enriched mantle (EM) signatures, the Pb isotopic composition of EM‐type OIB is difficult to reconcile with the presence of sediment in their sources. The large variability of modeled compositions of the subducted crust suggests that if mantle heterogeneity is largely formed by crustal recycling, each OIB is likely to have a unique isotopic composition resulting from specific combinations of composition, age and subduction modification of the subducted crust. Given the variability of the recycled components, a small number of relatively well‐defined enriched compositions can only be explained if either the subduction processing of oceanic crust is a far better defined process than observation would seem to indicate, or, the intramantle disaggregation and mixing of compositionally diverse recycled materials is surprisingly efficient.


In this paper, we discuss the possibility of using feedback controls for delaying the onset of turbulence in a hydrodynamic system describable by the Navier-Stokes equations. Attention is focused on the Couette flow of a viscous, incompressible fluid between two rotating concentric cylinders. Some preliminary theoretical results and directions of our on-going study are discussed.


A large tumor of the left lateral ventricle in a 3 1/2 year old male was diagnostic of malignant choroid plexus papilloma (choroid plexus carcinoma) as observed histologically. Focal neoplastic epithelial cells contained yellow-brown pigment which was not entirely compatible with melanin by histochemical techniques. Ultrastructurally, the tumor had definite evidence of choroid plexus origin. The neoplastic cells contained electron-dense and lamellar bodies, as well as structures of intermediate type. Premelanosomes were not observed. Thus there was no evidence for neural crest melanin. It is suggested that the pigment is probably lipofuscin and melanin derived from lipofuscin by "melanization" through pseudoperoxidation.


The overmodulation characteristics of a carrier-based medium vector pulse width modulation (CBMVPWM) are examined in this study. CBMVPWM can completely eliminate leakage currents in a three-phase, three-level inverter using only the switching states with the same common mode voltage even in an overmodulation operation. The analytic equations for the magnitude of the output voltage and the switching frequency are derived for overmodulation operation, and the effect of dead time on the leakage current is demonstrated. This study presents the operating principle of CBMVPWM, basic overmodulation features, and simulations and experiments for operating verification.


Using a simple, feldspar-like model and the crystal-based reaction mechanism for water-rock kinetics being developed before, we show directly how the dissolution of euhedral faces of crystals are governed by the nonlinear quantity represented by the solubility product. The kinetic approach requires recognition of the essential role played by the correlation of the dynamics of neighboring sites in a crystal, the statistical dynamics of steps, the coupling of the various kink sites on the surface by the crystal structure, and the inclusion of bond formation as well as bond rupture into the kinetic reaction mechanism. The same kinetic approach, which accounts for the role of the solubility product (or DeltaG) in the overall rate, is then shown also to explain the observed inhibition behavior in feldspars as well as the often-written phenomenological rate law, involving a product of a pH term, an activation energy term, and a DeltaG term.


The last quarter of a century has seen the rise of what Manuel Castells famously called the "network society", in which the production of wealth has moved beyond the earlier industrial mode of capitalist production to what he terms an "informational mode", represented by widespread changes in the nature and geographic distribution of work. These changes have affected not just corporations and governments, but also civil society; transnational networks of social movements, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and trade unions have emerged, both responding to and shaping the contemporary world (Castells 2001). Of particular interest here is that actors within and beyond the traditional labour movement have used diverse networked technologies and organizational forms in responding to the changing structure of corporate organization and both governmental and non-governmental forms of work regulation. Labour's response has involved not just traditional trade unions but also, increasingly, collaboration with NGOs and wider social movements. The Internet is an important component of these developments, which have seen diverse actors within the wider labour movement using information and communication technologies (ICT) in widely differing ways with similarly diverse effects.

This chapter discusses some of the dynamics in these changes. It is organized as follows: first, an introduction to this "networked labour movement" focusing on the relationship between technology and organization. The subsequent discussion and examples are organized around three themes: the Internet as a resource for coordination, the Internet as a resource for campaigning and, briefly, ICT and the Internet as a site of conflict.


Allison Weir sets forth a concept of identity which depends on an acceptance of nonidentity, difference, and connection to others, defined as a capacity to participate in a social world. Weir argues that the equation of identity with repression and domination links "relational feminists" like Nancy Chodorow, who equate self-identity with the repression of connection to others, and poststructuralist feminists like Judith Butler, who view any identity as a repression of nonidentity or difference. Weir traces this conception of identity as domination back to Simone de Beauvoir's theories of the relation of self and other.


Photographs of ultrathin sections of the studied tissues are subject to the research. According to the method of determining the profiles of specific capabilities of hormonopoietic cells, based on cytophysiology data on the functional values of individual organelles and using elements of the cluster analysis, organelles are divided into separate groups (clusters) in accordance with their specialization in the cell. While applying the method of semi-quantitative analysis of electronograms, the structure and condition of the constituent elements of each cluster are compared with those in analogous ultrastructures both in the normal range and in the studied deviations. While applying the method of semi-quantitative analysis of electronograms, grading scale performs a digital evaluation of the characteristics' severity of each cluster element. The averaged results of the cluster elements evaluation serve as the basis for establishing certain interdependencies between them, which are objectified by correlation analysis with the construction of intra-cluster (intra-system) correlation portraits. For instance, a comparative study of the synthetic capacity of follicular thyrocytes in the thyroid gland of rats is presented through the commonly used linguistic description and analysis of the constructed correlation portrait. Suggested approach to the study of a hormonopoietic cell not only makes it possible to establish interconnections between organelles within a certain cluster and to note the peculiarities of the implementation of a certain activity direction, but also allows to search for potential and reserve capabilities of the cell, which, in its turn, significantly broadens the very idea of its functional capabilities as the basis of life of any biological object.


Rationale and Purpose: Low-dose spiral computerized axial tomography (spiral CT) is effective for the detection of small early lung cancers. Although published data seem promising, there has been a significant degree of discussion concerning the potential of overdiagnosis in the context of spiral CT–based screening. The objective of the current study was to analyze the phenotypic and genetic alterations in the small pulmonary malignancies resected after detection in the University of Navarra/International Early Lung Cancer Action Project spiral CT screening trial and to determine whether their malignant molecular features are similar to those of resected lung tumors diagnosed conventionally. Experimental Design: We analyzed 17 biomarkers of lung epithelial malignancy in a series of 11 tumors resected at our institution during the last 4 years (1,004 high-risk individuals screened), using immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). A parallel series of 11 gender-, stage-, and histology-matched lung cancers diagnosed by other means except screening was used as control. Results: The molecular alterations and the frequency of phenotypic or genetic aberrations were very similar when screen-detected and nonscreen-detected lung cancers were compared. Furthermore, most of the alterations found in the screen-detected cancers from this study were concordant with what has been described previously for stage I-II lung cancer. Conclusions: Small early-stage lung cancers resected after detection in a spiral CT-based screening trial reveal malignant molecular features similar to those found in conventionally diagnosed lung cancers, suggesting that the screen-detected cancers are not overdiagnosed. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(2):373–80)


The laser ablation is widely used for the formation of metal nanoparticles, nanorods, nanodisks, nano-networks and polymeric microchannels. This paper reviews the results obtained when using of the microablation of the gold layers that are tens of nanometer think deposited on various transparent surfaces, such as Poly(tert-butyl methacryalate), Poly(methyl methacrylate) -PMMA, Polydioxymethyl siloxane, PDMS, and glass, with a low power laser (low fluences of 4-500 ?J/cm2, 337nm wavelength and 4ns pulses). The microablation results in the preferential formation of gold wire-like nanostructures at the edges and across the ablated channels on PMMA and PTBMA; and of gold nanoparticles on glass and PDMS. This contrasting behavior is explained by the presence of gas-generating pyrolysis on PMMA or PTBMA as opposed to lack of it on glass and PDMS.


Although bone changes in hyperthyroidism are well known, they have been much less studied in hypothyroidism and we set out to establish whether they did occur in the latter condition. We present the results of a prospective study of 20 adult patients, with acquired primary hypothyroidism. No changes in urinary or blood calcium or phosphorus metabolism were observed and serum parathormone, 25-hydro, 125-dihydro and 24-25-dihydroxycholecalciferol concentrations were normal. Histological examination of iliac crest bone biopsy after double labelling with tetracycline showed normal bone trabeculation volume, surface of resorption and rates of calcification. However, the relative osteoid volume was increased and there was a much higher osteoid thickness index. These observations may be explained by a global decrease in the activation and activity of the multicellular units of bone remodeling due to the general slowing of cellular metabolism encountered in that condition.


—In a massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system, a large number of receiving antennas at the base station can simultaneously serve multiple users. Linear detectors can achieve optimal performance but require large dimensional matrix inversion, which requires a large number of arithmetic operations. Several low complexity solutions are reported in the literature. In this work, we have presented an improved two-dimensional double successive projection (I2D-DSP) algorithm for massive MIMO detection. Simulation results show that the proposed detector performs better than the conventional 2D-DSP algorithm at a lower complexity. The performance under channel correlation also improves with the I2D-DSP scheme. We further developed a soft information generation algorithm to reduce the number of magnitude comparisons. The proposed soft symbol generation method uses real domain operation and can reduce almost 90% flops and magnitude comparisons.


Recent developments of high-order CCM have been to extend existing formalism and codes to $s \ge \frac 12$ for both the ground and excited states. In this article, we describe how "generalised" expectation values for a wide range of one- and two-body spin operators may also be determined using existing the CCM code for the ground state. We present new results for the spin-spin correlation functions of the spin-half square- and triangular-lattice antiferromagnets by using the LSUB$m$ approximation. We show that the absolute values of the spin-spin correlation functions $| |$ converge with increasing approximation level for both lattices. We believe that the LSUB$m$ approximation provides reasonable results for the correlation functions for lattice separations roughly of order $r \approx m$ for the square lattice. We compare qualitatively our results for the square lattice to those results of quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) and we see that good correspondence is observed. Indeed as seen by QMC, the spin-spin correlation function initially decays strongly with $|r|$ before becoming constant for larger values of $|r|$. CCM results are also compared to results of exact diagonalisations for both lattices. ED results demonstrate a strong finite-size effects at lattice separations $r=L/2$ (where $N=L \times L$) for both lattices. The behaviour of the correlation function for the triangular lattice is qualitatively similar to that of the square lattice, namely, that it decays strongly at first before becoming constant. This is in keeping with the behaviour of both models, which are believed strongly to be N\'eel-ordered from approximate studies.


Prostate cancer is a major medical problem which is expected to affect over 200,000 US men in 1994. Despite its widespread prevalence and the difficulties in clinical diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the contribution of environmental factors and the etiological mechanism of prostate cancer are poorly understood. A brief update on recent progress in cellular and molecular research of prostate cancer is provided. Specific areas discussed include oncogenes (vas, myc, c-erbB-2 and bcl-2), tumor suppressor genes (p53, RB, DCC, putative suppressor genes), growth factors (EGF, FGF, IGF) and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The elucidation of a multistep mechanism of prostate tumorigenesis has been slowed by a lack of tumor tissue and the limited number of in vitro cell lines available for study. Reviewed here are the newly developed in vitro normal prostate cell systems which supply a base for addition of oncogenes and chemical mutagens and may provide insight into the molecular genetic events which accompany the stepwise induction of prostatic neoplasia.


Cellular reprogramming of committed cells into a pluripotent state can be induced by ectopic expression of genes such as OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and MYC. Reprogrammed cells can be maintained by activating endogenous pluripotent networks without transgene expression. Although various research groups have attempted to generate pig induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), authentic iPSCs have not be obtained, instead showing dependence on transgene expression. In this study, iPSCs were derived from porcine fetal fibroblasts via drug-inducible vectors carrying human transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and MYC). Therefore, this study investigated characteristics of iPSCs and reprogramming mechanisms in pig. The iPSCs were stably maintained over an extended period with potential in vitro differentiation into three germ layers. In addition, the pluripotent state of iPSCs was regulated by modulating culture conditions. They showed naive- or primed-like pluripotent states in LIF or bFGF supplemented culture conditions, respectively. However, iPSCs could not be maintained without ectopic expression of transgenes. The cultured iPSCs expressed endogenous transcription factors such as OCT4 and SOX2, but not NANOG (a known gateway to complete reprogramming). Endogenous genes related to mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (DPPA2, CDH1, EPCAM, and OCLN) were not sufficiently reactivated, as measured by qPCR. DNA methylation analysis for promoters of OCT4, NANOG, and XIST showed that epigenetic reprogramming did not occur in female iPSCs. Based on our results, expression of exogenous genes could not sufficiently activate the essential endogenous genes and remodel the epigenetic milieu to achieve faithful pluripotency in pig. Accordingly, investigating iPSCs could help us improve and develop reprogramming methods by understanding reprogramming mechanisms in pig.


Herbicide resistance is an example of plant evolution caused by an increased reliance on herbicides with few sites of action to manage weed populations. This micro-evolutionary process depends on fitness, therefore the assessment of fitness differences between susceptible and resistant populations are pivotal to establish management strategies. Loose silky bentgrass (Apera spica-venti) is a serious weed in Eastern, Northern, and Central Europe with an increasing number of herbicide resistant populations. This study examined the fitness and growth characteristics of an ALS resistant biotype. Fitness and growth characteristics were estimated by comparing seed germination, biomass, seed yield and time to key growth stages at four crop densities of winter wheat (0, 48, 96, and 192 plants m-2) in a target-neighborhood design. The resistant population germinated 9–20 growing degree days (GDD) earlier than the susceptible population at 10, 16, and 22°C. No differences were observed between resistant and susceptible populations in tiller number, biomass, time to stem elongation, time to first visible inflorescence and seed production. The resistant population reached the inflorescence emergence and flowering stages in less time by 383 and 196 GDD, respectively, at a crop density of 96 winter wheat plants m-2 with no differences registered at other densities. This study did not observe a fitness cost to herbicide resistance, as often hypothesized. Inversely, a correlation between non-target site resistance (NTSR), earlier germination and earlier flowering time which could be interpreted as fitness benefits as these plant characteristics could be exploited by modifying the timing and site of action of herbicide application to better control ALS NTSR populations of A. spica-venti.


Objective To determine the level of awareness regarding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the prevalence and reasons for their consumption among athletes competing at the 2008 Brazil Ironman Triathlon (3.8 km swim, 180 km cycle and 42.2 km run). Design Survey study. Setting 2008 Brazil Ironman Triathlon, Florianópolis, Brazil, May 2008. Participants 327 Of the 1250 athletes competing at the 2008 Brazil Ironman Triathlon were enrolled in the study. Main Outcome Measures Athletes answered a questionnaire about NSAID effects, side effects and consumption at the bike checkout or awards lunch. Results 196 (59.9%) Athletes reported using NSAIDs in the previous 3 months; of these, 25.5% (n=50), 17.9% (n=35) and 47.4% (n=93) consumed NSAIDs the day before, immediately before and during the race, respectively. Among NSAID users, 48.5% (n=95) consumed them without medical prescription. The main reason given for NSAID consumption in the previous 3 months was the treatment of injuries, while the main reason given for consuming NSAIDs during the race was pain prevention. Despite anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, most athletes were unaware of the effects of NSAIDs, and the only adverse effects known by most athletes were the gastrointestinal complications. Conclusions This study found a high prevalence of NSAID consumption, limited awareness of the effects and side effects of them and a high rate of nonprescribed use. It is suggested that long-distance triathlon events include in their programmes educational devices such as talks or folders about NSAID use, effects and side effects.


Increasing numbers of trans and gender diverse young people are presenting to health services seeking gender-affirming medical care. While testosterone therapy in transgender males is generally effective in inducing masculinization, some adolescents encounter barriers to accessing such treatment or may not wish to experience all the changes that usually accompany testosterone. Here, we describe the case of a 17 year old trans male who presented with gender dysphoria but was initially unable to start testosterone therapy. Due to a desire for facial hair, he was therefore treated with topical minoxidil, an easily accessible, over-the-counter medication that has been used to treat androgenic alopecia for several decades. In this case, minoxidil was applied regularly to the lower face and, after three months of treatment, he developed obvious pigmented facial hair that was sufficient to help him avoid being misgendered. The only reported side effect was excessive skin dryness. Unexpectedly, despite no direct application to other areas, there was also an increase in pigmented body hair, suggestive of systemic absorption and effect. Given its long-standing use and safety record in the management of alopecia, minoxidil might thus represent a useful treatment option for trans males who desire an increase in facial hair.


Source of material: Ba3As[BC>3] is synthesized from a mixture of Ba3As2 and Ba3[BC>3]2 (ratio 1:1.2) in a sealed Nb ampoule at 1550 K. Ba3As[BC>3] is isostructural to Ba3P[BC>3] (see réf. 1). The crystal structure can be described as a space-filling arrangement of distorted cubes Bag and Edshammer polyhedra Ban which are centered by isolated As atoms and trigonal planar anions [BO3] , respectively ( d ( B 0 ) = 1.380(11)Â). Note that the U33 parameter for Ba2 is significantly larger than that found in réf. 1.


Aggregatibacter aphrophilus, a normal component of oral cavity flora, mostly causes infective endocarditis and only rarely causes spondylitis; no spondylitis cases have been previously reported in Korea. We report a case of pyogenic spondylitis due to A. aphrophilus without endocarditis. A 64-year-old man was admitted for back pain lasting 3 weeks. There was severe tenderness on lumbar spines but no fever. Laboratory evaluation showed leukocytosis and elevated C-reactive protein. Blood cultures were negative. Magnetic resonance imaging showed psoas abscess and vertebral inflammation. Pus was obtained by computerized tomography-guided aspiration from the psoas abscess and inoculated into blood culture bottles. After 5 days of incubation, growth was detected: the isolate was a Gram-negative short rod bacteria identified as A. aphrophilus by the automated system; this was confirmed by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. There was no evidence of endocarditis in echocardiography and retinal examination. Back pain persisted despite 8 weeks of antibiotic treatment, so vertebral corpectomy was performed. A. aphrophilus, a rare cause of pyogenic spondylitis, can induce spondylitis without endocarditis. If a patient with pyogenic spondylitis shows negative routine bacterial cultures, fastidious organisms such as A. aphrophilus should be suspected and the blood culture bottles could be used. (Ann Clin Microbiol 2014; 17:99-103)


Due to the rapid growth of web conferences, remote screen sharing, and online games, screen content has become an important type of internet media information and over 90% of online media interactions are screen based. Meanwhile, as the main component in the screen content, textual information averagely takes up over 40% of the whole image on various commonly used screen content datasets. However, it is difficult to compress the textual information by using the traditional coding schemes as HEVC, which assumes strong spatial and temporal correlations within the image/video. State-of-the-art screen content coding (SCC) standard as HEVC-SCC still adopts a block-based coding framework and does not consider the text semantics for compression, thus inevitably blurring texts at a lower bitrate. In this paper, we propose a general text semantic-aware screen content coding scheme (TSA-SCC) for ultra low bitrate setting. This method detects the abrupt picture in a screen content video (or image), recognizes textual information (including word, position, font type, font size and font color) in the abrupt picture based on neural networks, and encodes texts with text coding tools. The other pictures as well as the background image after removing texts from the abrupt picture via inpainting, are encoded with HEVC-SCC. Compared with HEVC-SCC, the proposed method TSA-SCC reduces bitrate by up to $3\times $ at a similar compression quality. Moreover, TSA-SCC achieves much better visual quality with less bitrate consumption when encoding the screen content video/image at ultra low bitrates.


Bone marrow-derived, circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to neovascularization in various diseases, and represent a very interesting alternative cell source for enhancing vasculogenesis in regenerative medicine. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ginkgolide B (GB) on proliferation and differentiation of EPCs, and the involved signaling pathway in vitro. EPC proliferation, migration, adhesion and angiogenesis activities were assessed with the WST-8 assay, Transwell chamber assay, cell counting and angiogenesis kit, respectively. Apoptosis was detected with annexin V and propidium iodide staining. The protein expression of angiogenesis-related makers was detected by Western blot, and related gene expression was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that GB promoted the proliferation and endothelial gene expression, and markedly enhanced vascular endothelial growth factor-induced migration response and the capability to incorporate into the vascular networks in EPCs. GB protected EPCs from H2O2-induced cell death. GB induced the phosphorylation of eNOS, Akt and p38, which in turn promoted cell proliferation and function. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that GB, at a near medical applied dose, increases the number and functional activities of EPCs with involvement of Akt/endothelial nitric oxide synthase and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/p38 signal pathways. These findings raise the intriguing possibility that GB may play an important role in the protection and revascularization of blood vessels.


Critical current densities of superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-x can be increased by several orders of magnitude by sintering processes that encourage textured growth of microcrystals from the melt. Alignment parallel to the a-b planes maximises the conduction within grains, reduces grain boundary resistivity, facilitates oxygen diffusion through vacancies in the a-b planes, and eliminates microcracking resulting from anisotropic thermal expansion. Measured critical current densities in excess of 2400 A cm-2 at 77 K are limited not by the specimen but by ohmic contact resistance.


This article reports the findings of how green human resource management (GHRM) practices can influence the perceptions of hotel employees regarding their organizations' commitments to green psychological climate (GPC) and their environmentally responsible behavior. GHRM practices refer to the policies and procedures that support environmental sustainability and reduce the negative effects of business activities on the environment. The data used in the research were collected from 425 employees working in 11 5-star hotels in the Antalya/Manavgat districts. For data analysis, data scan analysis was used and the results were then analyzed through the AMOS software to test the structural model. The study has suggested that GHRM practices can positively affect the perceptions of employees concerning their commitment to GPC, which in turn can lead to more environmentally green behaviors. The study also examines the roles of environmental sensitivity and altruism in the relationship between GHRM practices and environmental behavior. The research has shown that individuals with higher levels of environmental sensitivity and altruism are more likely to exhibit environmentally responsible behavior. This means that the employees who are sensitive to environmental issues and have an altruistic personality are more liable to respond positively to GHRM practices of their businesses and are more likely to be environmentally responsible. The research has also emphasized that businesses should consider individual differences in environmental attitudes and behaviors when implementing GHRM practices.


Cancer is the second leading cause of death throughout the world. Breast cancer, is one of the leading mortality reasons in women from Western Countries, in Iraq, breast cancer is the second reason of death after cardiovascular Diseases. The study was carried out of period from October/2016-january /2017 and included (90) serum samples for Iraqi women suffered from breast cancer. Samples were divided into two groups, the first group included (66) patients (females) their age rang (22-55) years which attended to (tumor unit) at medical city educational oncology hospital and Al-Amal Al-Waatanii hospital in Baghdad, the second group included (38) for females apparently healthy their age (22-55) were studied as a control group. All patients women which included in this study were enrolled to a diagnostic criteria which made according to clinical, mamografical, histological finding. All of them were early diagnosed (without treatment). The disease was diagnosed by consultant medical staff at the hospital. Three (3ml) of peripheral blood has been drawn from both understudying groups, serum isolated and placed in Eppendorf tube in deep freeze (-20) until used. To determin the understudying hormones (progesterone, prolactin and estradiol), Eliza technique has been used while vitamin c and zinc were determined sepctrophotometricly. By ELISA technique (ITGA2) recorded a non-significant differences in patients. Progesterone recorded a significantly increasing in patients (P<0.01). Prolactin showed a higher significantly increasing in patients (p< 0.01), while estradiol serum level recorded a higher significantly decreasing (P<0.01) in patients. The result of biochemistry study part which included zinc and vitamin C, zinc recorded a highest significantly decreasing (P<0.01) in patients, as well as vitamin C recorded a significantly decreasing (P<0.05) in patients. According to the significant correlation between the three studied factors (integrin, progesterone and vitamin c) we may conclude that increasing level of progesterone and decreasing level of vitamin c may effect integrin expression in a downregulation manner and perhaps breast cancer occurring and prognosis.


The equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) has been considered as a practical energy management strategy for the hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) because it can be implemented in real time while providing satisfactory performance. However, it is still challenging to adjust an equivalent factor (EF) to its own optimal value in real time because the EF is fundamentally affected by the current driving condition. Although many adaptive ECMSs (A-ECMSs) have been developed to adjust the EF based on a charge-sustaining condition, they do not adequately respond to a change in the driving conditions. In this study, a novel ECMS for the HEVs is proposed to provide the near-optimal performance by considering actual driving conditions. First, the near-optimal condition for the EF is defined to consider a driving condition. Based on it, an iterative scheme is presented to numerically obtain the near-optimal EF. Then, the convergence analysis of the iterative scheme is conducted with practical considerations to implementing the proposed method into real-world applications. Simulation results show that the proposed strategy has better adaptability to changes in the driving conditions with a smaller loss of optimality than conventional A-ECMS which relies only on the charge-sustaining condition. The proposed strategy is also experimentally validated under real-world driving conditions.


Three cases of laryngeal radionecrosis are reported. In two cases partial surgery after radiotherapy probably triggered the radionecrosis. All patients were treated successfully with medical therapy. Laryngeal radionecrosis is an uncommon complication of radiotherapy for carcinoma of the head and neck. The interval between conclusion of radiation therapy and development of radionecrosis ranges from 3 to 12 months. Neither computed tomography nor magnetic resonance imaging differentiate between necrotic tissue and recurrent tumor. Humidification, broad spectrum antibiotics, steroids, and hyperbaric oxygen, with or without surgery, are successful in many cases.


Although it is commonly assumed that manager and team absence levels have a significant impact on an individuals� absence level, research has yet to simultaneously test the effect of these sources, as well their interactive effect on employee absence behaviour. Using archival attendance records for 955 employees, grouped in 79 teams, and the absence records of their respective managers from a large professional services organization, this study considers absence behaviour through the lens and social learning theory and social information processing theory to suggest that absence norms are socially constructed based on social influences of the absence pattern of one's team and manager. Through the use of hierarchical linear modelling to account for group-level influences on absence behaviour, findings suggest that team-level absence exerts a greater influence on employee absence than manager absence and that manager absence exerts a moderating influence on this relationship. Implications for attendance management as well as future research are considered.

Practitioner points

�Team absence behaviour exerts a group-level influence on employee absence behaviour.
�Manager absence moderates the team absence effect.


The article is devoted to the problem of destructive trends in modern Russian mass media as well as to the information component in the activities of extremist and terrorist organizations. The destructive trends in the mass media manifest themselves in the escalation of animosity, aggression, creation of the cult of violence and xenophobia moods. Terrorist organizations use the mass media for their own purposes: they create the atmosphere of fear and tension in society, recruit new followers, mainly among the youth, which is a serious problem. It is important to use the positive potential of the mass media to counteract extremism and terrorism.