Magnetic Susceptibility (MS) is an indicator of the concentration of magnetic particles in rocks. In pre-Quaternary sediments the magnetic susceptibility is often sourced in either Fe-rich clays (chlorites etc), or Fe-oxides (magnetite or hematite), and often shows a dilution-relationship with calcite which has a small negative MS. Mudrocks lend themselves readily to MS analyses, since MS often responds to the gross lithological variations, with a superimposed provenance or sometimes diagenetic signature. Two applications for magnetic susceptibility in shale resource plays will be considered in this paper: a) stratigraphic correlation and b) paleoflow determination. The first is carried out using data acquired from either small samples, measured in the laboratory, or by direct analysis of cores using a hand held MS meter. Paleoflow determinations utilise directional variation in magnetic susceptibility (Anisotropy of Magnetic SusceptibilityAMS) to make an interpretation of grain orientation. Re-orientation of the core is required to convert the preferred grain orientation into geographic coordinates. Direct measurement of core using a handheld magnetic susceptibility meter enables large, high resolution (5-10 cm spacing) datasets to be gathered rapidly. Typically, these data show marked cyclicity, which in a Miocene carbonate sequence from Mallorca will be shown to be controlled by sea level fluctuations. Furthermore, because high resolution measurements are available, parasequences can be imaged in the magnetic susceptibility data. Changes in the symmetry of the transgressive regressive portions of parasequences allow variations in "stacking patterns" to be compiled, thereby providing input into sequence stratigraphic interpretations. This aspect will be demonstrated using core analysis from a US shale play. AMS measurements provide a rapid and precise determination of the three-dimensional orientation of grains in samples. When dealing with a shale play, any such grain-orientation data are difficult to determine using visual analyses. The AMS expresses the bedding-foliation, and the lineation (i.e. paleoflow direction) within the bedding plane. Hence, it can be used to infer structural information, as well as with-bedding preferred grain-orientation information. Here, we will show initial results from a European shale play that suggests AMS has the potential to be a powerful tool in paleoflow and sediment fabric analysis of mudrocks.


The synovial membrane (SM) of some representatives of four terrestrial vertebrate classes was studied by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM). The figures of SM of the mammals (man, mini-pig), birds (fowl, Gallus domesticus L.), reptiles (lizard, Lacerta viridis Laur. and turtle, Testudo graeca L.) and amphibians (frog, Rana esculanta L.) are documented. The SM of all animal species investigated presents a great locally variable appearance in form and surface arrangement of the living cells. The surface of synoviocytes is mostly very rough, forked, the cells having a plenty of wart-like, spiny-like or leaf-like microvilli, with cytoplasmic projections protruding from cell bodies. The largest possible functional surface of SM in mammals is formed by multiple villi and folds, whereas in other animal classes--by a specific arrangement of the lining cells. Locally variable appearance of synoviocytes from human and rabbit joints was described by Date (1979); we have documented the same in birds, reptiles and amphibians, as well. Three characteristic types of locally variable appearance of the surface lining cells were picked out in representatives of the every animal class cited. These cells correspond to the histological types, classified by Key. Beside these basic types, a number of transitory cells appear, that increase the diversity of the appearance of the lining cells in different regions of the SM. We may conclude that all the synoviocytes present the largest possible functional surface, although their external form differs. Their cytoplasm contains all sorts of organelles necessary for synthesis and secretion of mucopolysaccharides of the synovial liquid, as well as for the resorption and phagocytosis.


Context. Timing analysis of accretion-powered millisecond pulsars (AMPs) is a powerful tool for probing the physics of compact objects. The recently discovered IGR J17511-3057 was the twelfth discovered of the 13 AMPs known. The Rossi XTE satellite provided an extensive coverage of the 25 days-long observation of the source outburst. Aims. Our goal is to investigate the complex interaction between the neutron star magnetic field and the accretion disk by determining the angular momentum exchange between them. The presence of a millisecond coherent flux modulation allows us to investigate this interaction from the study of pulse arrival times. To separate the neutron star proper spin frequency variations from other effects, a precise set of orbital ephemeris is mandatory. Methods. Using timing techniques, we analysed the pulse phase delays by fitting differential corrections to the orbital parameters. To remove the effects of pulse phase fluctuations, we applied the timing technique that had been already successfully applied to the case of an another AMP, XTE J1807-294. Results. We report a precise set of orbital ephemeris. We demonstrate that the companion star is a main-sequence star. We find pulse phase delay fluctuations on the first harmonic with a characteristic amplitude of about 0.05, similar to those also observed for the AMP XTE J1814-338. For the second time, an AMP shows a third harmonic detected during the entire outburst. The first harmonic phase delays exhibit a puzzling behaviour, while the second harmonic phase delays clearly spin-up. The third harmonic also shows a spin-up, although not highly significant (3σ c.l.). The presence of a fourth harmonic is also reported. If we assume that the second harmonic is a good tracer of the spin frequency of the neutron star, we infer a mean spin frequency derivative for this source of 1.65(18) × 10 −13 Hz s −1 . Conclusions. To interpret the pulse phase delays of the four harmonics, we apply the disk threading model, but obtain different and incompatible u M estimates for each harmonic. In particular, the phase delays of the first harmonic are heavily affected by phase noise, and consequently, on the basis of these data, it is not possible to derive a reliable estimate of u M. The second harmonic gives a u M consistent with the flux assuming that the source is at a distance of 6.3 kpc. The third harmonic gives a lower u M value, with respect to the first and second harmonic, and this would reduce the distance estimate to 3.6 kpc.


Abstract Spatial and temporal distribution of benthic communities around the Strait of Istanbul (Bosphorus) and the effect of lower layer discharge on these communities have been evaluated during studies between February-December 1999. Mytilus galloprovincialis was the dominant species with fasies at the Black Sea station that is not affected by the strait lower layer current system. On the other hand, another Black Sea station, influenced by the strait lower layer currents, has a similar biota to the strait stations. Species richness and diversity is highest in the strait than other areas. The dominant species is Maera grossimana. However, the station located at the Black Sea exit of the strait has a different biota, and various groups/species appeared to be dominant. Melinna palmata is the dominant species at the Sea of Marmara during the study period. Low dissolved oxygen values of lower layer and soft substratum of sediment resulted in wide distribution of Melinna palmata, adapted to these conditions. The closer stations to the strait in the Sea of Marmara have higher diversity as a result of hydrodynamic processes. On the other hand, coastal stations with low currents and inputs have lower index values, showing the negative effect of discharges and pollution.


Aims: (a) To compare career choice motivations between medical and dental students from the same institution and (b) To compare career choice motivations between male and female students at the institution. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study where 304 students answered a questionnaire regarding career choice motivations. Responses consisted of 6 dimensions and 18 items. SPSS 23 was used for data analysis. Results: Both medical and dental students gave similar responses to career choice motivators with only one item showing a significant difference, diverse career opportunities, favoured more by medical students (p=.032). Both groups were more motivated by professional status and opportunity to care for people, less by working hours and high income. Genders showed significant differences in the dimensions of status and security (p=.004), and nature of occupation (p=.0001), with males scoring higher. From individual items, professional status was the highest motivator (92% males, 84.5% females). The lowest motivators for males was high income and regular working hours (both 60%) and regular working hours for females (31.1%) followed by high income (42.7%). Significant differences were seen in secure career (p=.004), regular working hours, (p=.0001), opportunity for self-employment (p=.013), use of manual skills (p=.012), general interest in science (p=.043), and high income (p=.0001), all favoured more by males. Conclusion: Both medical and dental students selected their careers for mainly professional and altruistic considerations rather than monetary gain, however, males were more highly motivated by status, security and income compared to females. Keywords: Career choice, dental students, gender, medical students, motivation.


It is difficult to relate extractable auxin directly to the growth of plant tissues. The diffusible auxin, on the other hand, can be correlated with the growth in younger stem tissues (2, 6). The chemical nature of this important substance is poorly characterized. Using paper chromatography Raadts and Soding (5) identified part of the diffusible auxin from the Avena coleoptile tip as IAA and reported the presence of another diffusible auxin (Wanderung auxin). By paper chromatography Shibaoka and Yamaki (9) could not find the Wanderung auxin. They found only IAA. The diffusible auxin from sunflower leaf (8) and Coleus stem tip (7) has been reported to be IAA also by paper chromatography. The present study was undertaken to examine the nature of diffusible auxin in etiolated and green plants, and to determine the effect of light on the diffusible auxin.


Chemiluminescent emission from OH*, CH* and C2* radicals and its dependence on the equivalence ratio is being investigated in the current study. The aim of this project is to use the results for combustion control on marine vessels and safety checks. The study was conducted in collaboration with Kockumation, a leading company in developing control systems for running boilers and steam turbines on marine vessels. Experiments were conducted at laboratory burners as well as an industrial burner, similar to the one that Kockumation uses. A new detection system for flame monitoring was suggested after the evaluation of the current detectors. The use of photodiodes were proven to be more reliable in detecting the chemiluminescent emission across a wide wavelength range (from UV to near IR region). Furthermore, after the analysis of the data, the CH*/OH* intensity ratio was evaluated as a calibration model for the prediction of the equivalence ratio. In addition to this, the partial least square regression (PLS-R) based multivariate calibration model was tested and the two models were compared. The latter model showed better accuracy in predicting Φ values. New experiments are also suggested for the investigation of additional species that are involved in the combustion process and the further optimization of combustion devices on marine vessels.


A position that appears to be growing in popularity in atheist and rationalist circles is known as 'mythicism'. According to this position we have no adequate reason to believe that the gospels refer to a historical figure called Jesus at all. This position of strong scepticism holds that the gospels are entirely mythological texts and that we are mistaken in reading them as embellished accounts of a man who lived and preached in the Middle East around 2000 years ago. I disagree with this position for a number of reasons. In particular, I contend that the apocalyptic material found on Jesus' lips and the hopes for a very real earthly historical transformation strongly suggest that there is an underlying historical basis to the claims that a man named Jesus made 'prophetic' statements about events that were expected to happen within his lifetime, and that this historical figure was considered by his band of followers to be the long awaited Messiah. The fact that hopes for eschatological transformation and claims of the coming of a Messiah are nothing more than religious mythological notions does not preclude there having been a historical figure to which these hopes were attached.


Massive student protests in South Africa in the past few years, largest since the times of the anti-apartheid struggles, raised several questions for political scientists. Are we witnessing a generational change? Or are they a sign of a broader global shift towards "assertive citizenship" present in advanced democracies and democratizing countries? To answer these questions, this paper examines the levels of political support and nature of political participation among the young generation. The paper also points out that generational change is not immediately visible in public opinion polls but is a process of a gradual narrative construction. Protests brought with them a challenge to the founding narrative of a united Rainbow Nation and reconciliation with the past, leading to a fracture in democratic stability. For the democratic project to succeed, it is essential that the national project in South Africa does not fall apart.


Abstract Sabella bavincourti Vaillant 1909 from the Eocene of northern France is a little-known trace fossil subsequently attributed – as Cteniza bavincourti – to the burrowing activities of a trapdoor spider. It is thus an ichnospecies name and not a body fossil. Its interpretation as the activity of a spider is questionable and its original assignment to a worm burrow seems intuitively more likely. Irrespective of the affinities of the producer, the ICZN also covers ichnotaxa such that classifying these structures under a modern genus name creates a homonym. It is here reassigned as the ichnotaxon Oichnus bavincourti comb. nov. Another problematic name is Theridium columbianum (Scudder 1878) from the Eocene of Canada and the USA, which is based on fossilized spider egg sacs. Under current ICZN rules fossil cocoons fall under the definition of "work of an animal". We propose reassigning them here to Araneaovoidus igen. nov., as Araneaovoidus columbiae (Scudder 1878) comb. nov.; but stress that this is now a trace fossil name. Similar problems underlie fossilized galls attributed (probably correctly) to mites, but assigned to living eriophyid mite genera. Fossil galls are the preserved pathological reactions of plant tissue and are also not ichnotaxa sensu Bertling et al. (2006). We propose that these mite names lie outside the bounds of zoological nomenclature. Within the broader context of arachnid-related trace fossils we briefly review the literature on fossil spider webs, as well as putative arachnid trackways such as Paleohelcura Gilmore 1926 and Octopodichnus Gilmore 1927.


Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) play vital roles in alcohol metabolism and alcohol toxicity, yet little is known about miRNA-mediated regulation of ADH gene cluster. Here, we showed that miR-29c might activate ADH gene cluster transcription by targeting an enhancer element within ADH6 gene. miR-29c is differentially expressed in alcoholic liver disease. Following biochemical and molecular evidences demonstrated that miR-29c could increase ADH6 mRNA and protein levels without affecting the stability of ADH6 transcript. Further evidence showed that exogenous miR-29c could move into the nucleus and then unconventionally bound an enhancer element within ADH6 gene. Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation data indicated that miR-29c could activate the enhancer and increase the enrichment of RNA Polymerase II at the promoter region of ADH1A, ADH1B, ADH1C, ADH4, and ADH6. Finally, exogenous miR-29c transfection promoted the expressions of ADH1A, ADH1B, ADH1C, and ADH4 pre-mRNA and mRNA transcripts in the ADH gene cluster. In conclusion, our data suggest that miR-29c might represent as a novel epigenetic regulator involved in ADH gene cluster activation.


A generic approach to a variety if different steel materials for SLS based application has been examined. This approach is based on a base steel alloy powder mixed with a powder blend of much smaller particles. The powder blend is designed to both provide the highest possible density in the powder mass and melting material components for liquid phase sintering to full density. Furthermore, the liquid phase components in the powder blend are composed to both serve as a metallic binder for the green bodies and maintain the possibility to completely dissolve into the base material, forming a homogenous alloy. A powder blend with stainless steel base material was composed and tested and taken through the different process steps. While the formation of green bodies had limited success, to a large extent due to limitations in the process equipment, the sintering and diffusion behaviour showed promising results, both in respect to acquired densities, and homogeneity of the material.


This article attempts to describe some of the testing methods commonly used in tribology. It namely illustrates the contact of solid mechanics and nature of surface interaction. With the advent of sustainable development, composite materials now become more prominent in many applications. Many natural fibres in polymeric composites are being introduced in aviation industry, construction, industrial applications, automotive parts, bearing and many others, making tribo-testing more demanding. Relevant to this, the testing methods elaborated here are focused on the different types of wear test rigs used for testing of solid specimens for composite materials. Different mechanisms of wear and sliding friction of materials subjected to different wear test rigs which are built based on ASTM standards simulating the real time conditions are explained. Typical factors contributing to the wear performance of a material such as interfaces temperature (i.e. test specimen / counterface) under dry and wet tribo-testing conditions and roughness property are also detailed.


A methodology for optimizing the design of an electrical packaging system for a high speed computer is described The pertinent parameters are first defined and their sensitivities are derived so that the proper design trade-offs can ultimately be made. From this procedure, a set of rules is generated for driving a computer-aided design (CAD) system. Finally there is a discussion of design optimization and circuit and package effects on machine performance.


The soil microbiome is the key player regulating phosphorus cycling processes. Identifying phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and utilizing them for release of recalcitrant phosphate that is bound to rocks or minerals have implications for improving crop nutrient acquisition and crop productivity. ABSTRACT Enhancing soil phosphate solubilization is a promising strategy for agricultural sustainability, while little is known about the mechanisms of how microorganisms cope with differing phosphorus availability. Using a combination of genome-resolved metagenomics and amplicon sequencing, we investigated the microbial mechanisms involved in phosphorus cycling under three agricultural treatments in a wheat-maize rotation system and two natural reforestation treatments. Available soil phosphorus was the key factor shaping bacterial and fungal community composition and function across our agricultural and reforestation sites. Membrane-bound quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase (PQQGDH) and exopolyphosphatases (PPX) governed microbial phosphate solubilization in agroecosystems. In contrast, genes encoding glycerol-3-phosphate transporters (ugpB, ugpC, and ugpQ) displayed a significantly greater abundance in the reforestation soils. The gcd gene encoding PQQGDH was found to be the best determinant for bioavailable soil phosphorus. Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated with Cyclobacteriaceae and Vicinamibacterales were obtained from agricultural soils. Their MAGs harbored not only gcd but also the pit gene encoding low-affinity phosphate transporters. MAGs obtained from reforestation soils were affiliated with Microtrichales and Burkholderiales. These contain ugp genes but no gcd, and thereby are indicative of a phosphate transporter strategy. Our study demonstrates that knowledge of distinct microbial phosphorus acquisition strategies between agricultural and reforestation soils could help in linking microbial processes with phosphorus cycling. IMPORTANCE The soil microbiome is the key player regulating phosphorus cycling processes. Identifying phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and utilizing them for release of recalcitrant phosphate that is bound to rocks or minerals have implications for improving crop nutrient acquisition and crop productivity. In this study, we combined functional metagenomics and amplicon sequencing to analyze microbial phosphorus cycling processes in natural reforestation and agricultural soils. We found that the phosphorus acquisition strategies significantly differed between these two ecosystems. A microbial phosphorus solubilization strategy dominated in the agricultural soils, while a microbial phosphate transporter strategy was observed in the reforestation soils. We further identified microbial taxa that contributed to enhanced phosphate solubilization in the agroecosystem. These microbes are predicted to be beneficial for the increase in phosphate bioavailability through agricultural practices.


Osmotic stress is one of the major global constraints for the rice cultivation, especially in the rainfed cropping system practiced in Assam, India. Hence, exploration of the discrepancy in functional along with germplasm structure among the traditional rice cultivars is needed. Morpho-physiological traits induced by osmotic and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were considered to survey genetic array in growth chamber trials. Twenty one traditional rice cultivars from different agro-climatic regions of Assam, previously used in our laboratory were used in this study along with Sahbhagi and IR64 as control that revealed a high differentiation in phenotypic performance under osmotic stress. On the basis of standardized osmotic tolerant related morpho-physiological parameters, all the rice cultivars could be assembled into five clusters. The cultivars included in a single group revealed almost identical osmotic tolerance levels. The rice cultivars from different agroclimatic zone viz. , upper Brahmaputra valley, lower Brahmaputra valley and hill Zones revealed highest genetic diversity as judged by Jaccard coefficient matrix with polymorphism information content (PIC) 0.30. Furthermore, rice cultivars were observed to be constituted into five major clusters depending on ISSR markers that were relatively congruous to the agro climatic regions and specific traditional cultivation practices. The mantel test of the rice varieties between morpho-physiological and ISSR markers exhibited low correlation. The variation observed in morpho-physiological traits associated with genetic diversity has paved a potentiality to design osmotic stress resistant varieties in future breeding programme.


To overcome one of the major hurdles in three-dimensional crystal structure determination - the requirement for large quantities of purified material to grow crystals - crystallization methodologies have been developed that require only a total of 2-5 microl of a concentrated macromolecular solution to screen more than 100 conditions. These procedures employ a circular slide containing an array of 25 wells designed for crystallization setups in the nanolitre volume range. These 'crystallization slides' fit into the wells of standard crystallization trays. These nanoscale crystallization approaches have been used to reproducibly obtain well diffracting crystals of three proteins, two that are being actively studied (glycerol kinase and NADH peroxidase) and one test protein (lysozyme), using only 40-350 microg (0.04-0.35 mg) of proteins to screen 100 conditions. These nanolitre crystallization methods are easily adapted for the typical laboratory, without the requirement of robotics or expensive equipment.


The wood industry in the Davao Region is characterized by lack of market information and dominance of market intermediaries. Stakeholders of the industry carry the conventional wisdom that traders are exploitative and should be eliminated in the chain. In this paper, we examined this notion by mapping the supply chain of falcata in the Davao Region and analyzing the role of traders along the chain. A Structure-Conduct-Performance approach to supply chain analysis was used to determine how market structure determines the behavior of traders in the supply chain, which ultimately determines the various aspect of chain performance. We found that there are a few number of traders along the falcata supply chain, and they have high market concentration on specific production areas. Tree growers perceive that traders possess some degree of buying power over them due to their inability to market falcata logs directly to wood processing plants. However, the profitability analysis reveals that marketing falcata logs entails huge cost in processing the permit to cut and transport, harvesting and hauling, transportation, and payment for SOPs. Traders significantly contribute to the value addition in the falcata supply chain by performing the main function of distribution. However, traders are misunderstood by other chain actors because they are not fully aware of the marketing costs entailed in performing the distribution function and the risks that traders carry along with it. As such, supply chain development interventions should recognize the key role of traders in facilitating the value-creation process within the chain.


The influence of the plasticiser DOP on electric conduction and dielectric relaxation in polyvinyl chloride has been investigated. The results were explained in terms of the compensation law between the pre-exponential factor of an Arrhenius equation and its activation energy. This compensation law has been observed not only in electric conductivity and dielectric relaxation but also in mobility and carrier density. The basis for the compensation law has also been discussed theoretically from a thermal expansion point of view.


In this paper, watermark is generated uniquely for given video combining copyright information, video signature and time stamp. This watermark is scrambled using Arnold transform method and then divided into eight sub-images. Video is divided into video sequence and audio sequence. Frames are selected using scene change method, for embedding. Each scene change frame is divided into 8 x 8 blocks and DCT is applied to check energy. High energy block is selected for embedding the watermark bit. Embedding is done using Blind DCT-SVD method. Audio stream is also divided into equal size frames and DCT-SVD method used to add watermark bit to each frame. Experimental results show that proposed algorithm is useful for copyright protection as well as authentication. Embedded frame is compared with original frame to check its quality. Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) is 49.77 dB for atrium.avi and 48.35 dB for baby.mp4. Embedded video is tested for robustness against attacks such as frame swapping, frame dropping, frame averaging, filter and compression. Normalized cross correlation (NK) value is calculated by comparing original watermark and extracted watermark, which is nearly 1. The security has strengthened with scene change detection; Energy based block selection, Arnold transform and division of the watermark. Parts of watermark have been embedded in the audio data for more robustness and error correction. Keywords—DCT, SVD, Video Watermarking


Binary melt-blended mixtures of two aryl ether ketone polymers (i.e., a new poly(aryl ether ketone) (code name PK99) and poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK), have been studied. Polymer miscibility in glassy amorphous (or melt) domains has been demonstrated for the binary blend comprising of two aryl-ether-ketone-type semicrystalline polymers. Composition-dependent, single Tg was observed within full composition range in the PK99/PEEK blends, and the narrow Tg breadth also suggests that the scale of mixing was fine and uniform. To better resolve any possible overlapping Tg's, physical aging was imposed on a comparison set of blend samples for the purpose of improving detectability of overlapped multiple transitions if existing. The result still showed one single Tg. The relative sharp Tg and lack of cloud point transition suggest that the scale of molecular intermixing is good. Phase homogeneity was further confirmed using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The X-ray diffractograms suggest that isomorphism does not exist in the PK99/PEEK blends and that the crystal forms of the respective polymers remain distinct and unchanged by the miscibility in the amorphous region. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1485–1494, 1999


Although the states comprising the English-speaking Caribbean have much in common, integrating them politically and economically has proven to be an extremely challenging endeavor. All three integration initiatives since 1958 whether political or economic have failed to deliver their economic development and trade expansion goals. Uncompromising insular political interests of the key participants were at the heart of the demise of the West Indies Federation, the Caribbean's first integration attempt. These interests have continued to be a dominant influence in the outcomes of the later attempts to integrate. Integration efforts have, been hampered by the absence of a strong political commitment to regionalization. Despite the checkered history of Caribbean integration, the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) were established in 2006. That arrangement essentially provided for a deeper form of economic integration, requiring a higher level of political commitment to integration than ever before. Specifically this paper seeks to answer the question: is this latest arrangement any different from its three predecessors in terms of its expected results? The following discussion shows that while the concept of the CSME is radically different, the current approach to its implementation is not fundamentally different to that of the three previous ventures. As such, it does not represent the rebirth of Caribbean regionalism but rather, an attempt to resuscitate a politically and structurally flawed development strategy. The renewed ambition to integrate is not matched by the requisite political will and commitment to effectively carry the new venture forward. I use a combination of historical, political, and economic analysis as the primary methodological approach to test this hypothesis. I conclude that while a renewed political will might have overcome some past hurdles, that commitment still falls far short of the unified force required to create a robust and deeper form of integration that addresses economic and other challenges and keeps the region afloat in the relentless tidal flow of economic globalization.


Most children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are successfully treated by chemotherapy. For those patients, who relapse on therapy, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is considered most appropriate after a subsequent remission is achieved. Three boys with ALL aged from 9 to 13 years met these criteria and received BMT from their HLA-compatible sisters after marrow ablation with total body irradiation 12 Gy plus high dose cytosine arabinoside 3 gm/m2/12h x 12 doses and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis with cyclosporine plus short course methotrexate from March 10, 1989 to May 23, 1992. Filgrastim (rhG-CSF) was used to hasten the recovery of granulocyte in one patient. All three patients got full engraftment and two had grade 1 acute GVHD. None of them developed chronic GVHD. Two patients have disease-free survival over 51 and 12 months respectively post BMT without further chemotherapy. One patient died of recurrent refractory leukemia 5 months after BMT. The toxicity of this conditioning regimen included photophobia, conjunctivitis and erythematous skin rashes. One patient who received filgrastim from day 1 to 21 developed severe bone pain. However, this patient had faster recovery of granulocyte count than the other two patients. The preliminary results of this work favors BMT for children with recurrent ALL whose ultimate survival is usually poor when treated with chemotherapy. Further efforts are necessary to investigate new methods for reducing leukemic relapse in ALL patients undergoing BMT.


An air-conditioning system utilizing solar energy would generally be more efficient, cost wise, if it was used to provide both heating and cooling requirements in the building it serves. Various solar powered heating systems have been tested extensively, but solar powered air conditioning systems have received very little attention. Solar powered absorption cooling systems can serve both heating and cooling requirements in the building it serves. Many researchers have studied the solar absorption air conditioning system in order to make it economically and technically viable. But still, much more research in this area is needed. This paper will help many researchers working in this area and provide them with fundamental knowledge on absorption systems, and a detailed review on the past efforts in the field of solar absorption cooling systems with the absorption pair of lithium-bromide and water. This knowledge will help them to start the parametric study in order to investigate the influence of key parameters on the overall system performance.


This paper experimentally implements the nonlinear multirate model-algorithmic controller to regulate the reactor temperature, which is measured at a fast sampling rate, and the number-average molecular weight of the polymer, which is measured at an extremely slow sampling rate. A detailed model of the continuous free-radical methyl methacrylate polymerization reactor was developed from first principles to construct the multirate controller algorithm. The performance of the controller was examined by varying the tunable controller parameters, where it was shown that the controller can adequately track step changes in the output set points under active input constraints. Decreasing the tunable controller parameters deteriorated the control of the number-average molecular weight but improved the control of the temperature. Overall, the nonlinear multirate controller was an efficient and effective method to deal with the difficult problem of multirate output measurements.


SUMMARY In trials over 2 years at five locations in Northern Nigeria single inputs were removed from a package of maize practices. The improved variety was most important and increased the yield of the otherwise complete package by 86%. Early sowing and high plant population were not important in all trials. The high fertilizer treatment (125–50–50 kg NPK/ha) consistently exceeded the half rate, with a mean increase of 31%. It was suggested that, with clean weeding, priority should be given to the improved variety, high fertilizer and early sowing. High populations, involving changes to traditional techniques, may be introduced gradually.


When the available CT projection data are incomplete, there exists a null space in the space of possible reconstructions about which the data provide no information. Deterministic CT reconstructions are impotent in regard to this null space. Furthermore, it is shown that consistency conditions based on projection moments do not provide the missing projections. When the projection data consist of a set of parallel projections that do not encompass a complete 180/sup 0/ rotation, the null space corresponds to a missing sector in the Fourier transform of the original 2-D function. The long-range streak artifacts created by the missing sector can be reduced by attenuating the Fourier transform of the reconstruction smoothly to zero at the sector boundary. It is shown that the Fourier transform of a reconstruction obtained under a maximum entropy constraint is nearly zero in the missing sector. Hence, maximum entropy does not overcome the basic lack of information. It is suggested that some portion of the null space might be filled in by use of a priori knowledge of the type of image expected.


Rent's rule has been successfully applied to a priori estimation of wire length distributions. However, this approach is very restrictive: the circuits are assumed to be homogeneous. In this paper, recursive clustering is described as a more advanced model for the partitioning behavior of digital circuits. It is applied to predict the variance of the terminal count distribution. First, the impact of the block degree distribution is analyzed with a simple model. A more refined model incorporates the effect of stochastic self similarity. Finally, the model is further extended to describe the effects of heterogeneity. This model is a promising candidate for more accurate a priori estimation tools.


There are demonstrated results of the granulocyte phagocytosis with rice starch with healthy patients. The early phase of the phagocytosis seems to be more sensitive on changes of the unspecific defence. There were not found any significant differences between men and women. Patients who are older than 75 years have not a significant lower phagocytosis than younger ones.


Accumulating evidence indicates that individuals with schizophrenia show poor dietary habits that might account for increased susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases in this population. However, it remains unknown whether this observation can be generalized over the whole population of individuals with schizophrenia. Therefore, in this study we aimed to investigate dietary habits, in terms of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) in subjects with the deficit subtype of schizophrenia (SCZ-D), those with non-deficit subtype (SCZ-ND), and healthy controls (HCs). We recruited 45 individuals with SCZ-ND, 40 individuals with SCZ-D, and 60 HCs. Dietary habits were assessed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire-6 with a 12-month recall. Adherence to MD was decreased only in subjects with SCZ-D compared with HCs. Lower adherence to MD was associated with significantly higher levels of clinician-rated and self-reported negative symptoms (including alogia, avolition, and anhedonia). No significant correlations of adherence to MD with depressive symptoms were found. Lower adherence to MD was related to significantly higher body mass index in subjects with schizophrenia, but not in HCs. Our results indicate that poor adherence to MD is associated with a diagnosis of SCZ-D, higher severity of negative symptoms, and greater risk of developing overweight or obesity.


In this paper, we examine the application of the iterative learning control to a class of nonlinear varying time-delay distributed parameter system hyperbolic types. The proposed algorithm is based on the PD-type iterative learning control algorithm with initial state learning. Initially, we present the system and the control law utilized. Subsequently, we presented some dilemmas. Then, adequate conditions for monotone convergence of the tracking error are established under the suitable assumption. Similarly, we give a precise convergence analysis based on formerly given lemmas and Gronwall's inequality for the system. Finally, we illustrate the effectiveness of the method using a numerical example.


Summary

1
The abyssal Octopod Xelanoteubhis beebei from the Eastern Pacific is a new species differing in several important featnres from 111. lzcceias (N. Atlantic), the only other speeies of the genus.

2
It possesses certain characters not found in the Octopoda but characteristic of the Decapodn; and i t also displays certain features which ally it with the Cirrate and Iiicirrate Octopods.

3
Melwnoteuthis (and probably the other members of the Vampyromorphze) is the most primitive Octopod. Though referable to the Octopoda, it exhibik very clearly-marker1 affinity with the Decapoda and can be associated with neither the Cirromorphn nor the, Incirrate Octopods.

4
It is propxed to subdivide the Octopodn. into three suborders -the Vampyrornorphn, Cirromorpha, and Tnciri. ata, whicli seem to represent three markedly divergent evolutionary tendencies.

5
The structure of Melanotetcthis renders it highly probable that the Octopoda diverged from the Decqoda after the latter had acquired pedunculate suckers and a funnel-valve, but before t h e central nervous system underwent condensation and (See footnote, p. 469.)


Background: Minimally invasive surgical techniques are a revolutionary and innovative approach to the practice of surgery. Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) may offer a number of significant advantages in comparison with conventional open surgical repair. Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare regional anaesthesia (RA) and general anaesthesia (GA) in EVAR, and to describe the surgical nursing interventions. Methods: This included a retrospective analysis of 160 consecutive patients (age 55 to 96 years) who underwent EVAR under: epidural anaesthesia (EDA = 60 patients), combined spinal and epidural anaesthesia (Combined = 40 patients) and GA = 60 patients. Results:Results were successful in all patients and no mortality was noticed. Among the GA group, 11 patients needed ICU support while only 5 from the other 2 groups. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference regarding median hospital stay was also noticed in favour of the regional group. Conclusion: In conclusion, RA is a safe and effective anaesthetic method for endovascular repair of abdominal aneurysms, offering several advantages including simplicity, haemodynamic stability, less need for ICU management and reduced hospital stay. The anaesthetic nurse can play a major role in the management of this anaesthesia throughout the procedure.


Recent studies have shown the gene expression of several transporters to be circadian rhythmic. However, it remains to be elucidated whether the expression of P‐glycoprotein, which is involved in the transport of many medications, undergoes 24 h rhythmicity. To address this issue, we investigated daily profiles of P‐glycoprotein mRNA and protein levels in peripheral mouse tissues. In the liver and intestine, but not in the kidney, Abcb1a mRNA expression showed clear 24 h rhythmicity. On the other hand, Abcb1b and Abcb4, the other P‐glycoprotein genes, did not exhibit significant rhythmic expression in the studied tissues. In the intestine, levels of whole P‐glycoprotein also exhibited a daily rhythm, with a peak occurring in the latter half of the light phase and a trough at the onset of the light phase. Consistent with the day‐night change of P‐glycoprotein level, the ex vivo accumulation of digoxin, an Abcb1a P‐glycoprotein substrate, into the intestinal segments at the onset of dark phase was significantly lower than it was at the onset of the light phase. Thus, Abcb1a P‐glycoprotein expression, and apparently its function, are 24 h rhythmic at least in mouse intestine tissue. This circadian variation might be involved in various chronopharmacological phenomena.


Over centuries, agricultural practices have undergone the transition from extensive and traditional to intensive and specialized. Thus, the weeds colonizing cultivated fields are subjected to major shifts due to increased use of herbicides, fertilizers and tillage. There are a total of 176 weed species in Agro-ecosystems of Himachal Pradesh and not less than 46 in maize. Weeds, in maize, are hardier in nature and compete with the crop significantly reducing its yield. Also, slow initial growth and wider spacing favour the growth of weeds even before crop emergence. Commelina benghalensis, Ageratum conyzoides, Echinochloa colona, Panicum dichotomiflorum, Cyperus iria, Digitaria sanguinalis, Polygonum alatum and Aeschynomene indica were dominant weeds observed under Kangra district conditions of Himachal Pradesh. The phytosociological study showed that the species which invaded the non-cropped lands are increasingly infesting the cultivated fields. In 2008, most abundant weed was Fimbristylis miliacea followed by Cyperus difformis, Eragostis tennela, Ageratum conyzoides, Ammannia baciferra, Bidens pilosa and Hackelia uncinata. In 2018, Ageratum conyzoides was the most abundant followed by Phyllanthus niruri, Panicum dichotomiflorum, and Commelina benghalensis. Ageratum conyzoides was the most important weed in 2008 followed by Echinochloa colona, Fimbristylis miliacea, and Digitaria sanguinalis, in that order. The Important Value Index (IVI) for individual weed species in the maize field crop in 2018 indicated that Ageratum conyzoides was again the most important weed species followed by Phyllanthus niruri, Echinochloa colona, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Aeschynomene indica, Commelina benghalensis and Digitaria sanguinalis. The weed species viz. Ammannia baccifera, Bidens pilosa, Brachiaria ramose, B. reptans, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Fimbristylis miliaceaum, Galinsoga parviflora, Hackelia uncinata, Ipomoea pestgridis, and Physalis minima those recorded in 2008 were not found in the survey of 2018. Aeschynomene indica, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Amaranthus viridis, Echinochloa crusgalli and Oxalis sp. recorded during 2018 were not found in the survey of 2008.


One of the promising solutions to reduce power imbalance, an undesired impact of intermittent renewable energy sources, is to supply the loads by means of local distributed energy resources in the form of a microgrid. Microgrids offer several benefits such as reduction of line losses, increased system reliability, and maximum utilisation of local energy resources. A microgrid, during its islanded operation, is more susceptible to the frequency and voltage fluctuation caused by a sudden dispatch either from the generation or load. Therefore, additional control is required to manage either the output power from the generation side or the demand from the end-user side. Thus, appropriate and efficient control and monitoring systems need to be installed. However, the cost of such a system will reduce the rate of investment return on microgrid projects. This research has focused on developing various techniques to maintain the voltage and frequency within acceptable limits in microgrids, taking into account various influencing factors.

This study proposes an additional active power management technique through the use of inverters, that can maintain the microgrid's frequency when the generated power in the microgrid is much higher than its demand. Also, to facilitate the microgrid's transition from grid-connected to islanded mode, the inverters can be controlled with a soft starting ramp. Moreover, a control function employing a droop control method is proposed in order to reduce the output power of the renewable sources when the microgrid frequency is much higher than the nominal frequency.

On the other hand, when the demand is higher than the generated power, managing the demand under a demand response program is proposed as a means of maintaining the microgrid stability. This is an inexpensive solution which will not reduce the rate of investment return on the microgrid project. However, this requires the installation of appropriate enabling technologies at the utility and end-user sides. Moreover, the participation from demand response participants is influenced by the profit earned from engaging in the program. Therefore, in this research, the technical and economic benefits of demand response deployment are analysed in detail.

The execution of the demand response program through load-shifting, reducing the appliances' consumed power, and load-shedding causes customer discomfort. To minimise this discomfort, in this thesis, suitable strategies are suggested for various groups of loads. Furthermore, each load profile contains information on its capacity, flexibility, and operating time. The proposed approach ensures that the loads with a larger capacity and flexibility are the most preferred ones to be controlled during demand response events so that customer discomfort and the number of affected loads can be minimised. Also, this study examines the load's economic value, power losses, emission factor, and cost of energy production to maximise the microgrid operator's profit as a result of deploying the demand response program.

Meanwhile, to encourage end-users' engagement in demand response programs, the microgrid operator should offer incentives to the customer as compensation for any incurred costs and discomfort felt. The given incentives should be such that both the microgrid operator and the end-user gain the maximum profit. Therefore, this study proposes an approach for calculating the level of incentives that should be given to the participants by comparing the differences between ongoing revenue and the cost of energy with and without demand response.


The objective of this work was to evaluate several mathematical models for describing N mineralization in three arctic tundra soils (Histic Pergelic Cryaquepts) as functions of time and temperature. Intact soil cores were collected in the field and incubated in a laboratory at 5, 15, 25, and 35 °C for 11 weeks. The exponential equation fit the data well at 35 °C but was generally unsuited for describing N mineralization at lower temperatures. The parabolic equation better fit the N mineralization data than the exponential equation except in a few cases where the data appeared to be approaching an asymptote. The parameters of the parabolic equation did not follow simple trends with respect to temperature, however, which made interpolating between experimental temperatures difficult. A second-order polynomial equation with respect to both time and temperature was evaluated. This empirical equation gave R² >0.98 in all but one case. The major advantages of the empirical, polynomial equation are that it assumes little about the nature of the N mineralization process, it is flexible, and it is accurate. The temperature data did not follow the Arrhenius relationship nor have a simple overall Q₁₀ value because the mineralization rates at different temperatures did not follow similar trends with respect to time. Only a small fraction of the N that is potentially mineralizable is likely to be mineralized under the prevailing cold temperatures of these arctic soils.


abstract:Friedrich Nietzsche's idea of eternal recurrence has confounded generations of thinkers. This article enters the fray by treating recurrence as an invitation to develop a radically new approach to metaphysics itself. I develop the argument by analyzing the place of recurrence in the work of Heidegger and Deleuze. By framing recurrence as an illustration of Nietzsche's core metaphysical commitment, Heidegger provides the crucial point of entry for this argument. However, while Heidegger regards that return to metaphysics as a weakness, the Deleuzean reading makes clear that it should instead be seen as the final creative possibility. The element of recurrence that makes it the 'highest formula of affirmation' is its metaphysics, understood now to be a metaphysics of difference. This reading is essential if we hope to respond to the nihilism of modernity without descending into chaotic despair or defaulting to redemptive violence.


Objectives The risk of incident asthma and bronchial hyper-reactivity associated with early life exposure to traffic-related air pollution has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that the risk of new onset asthma is positively associated with early exposure to traffic-related air pollution in a well-characterised high-risk birth cohort. Methods Infants at high-risk for asthma were recruited for an intervention study. Birth year exposures to NO, NO2, black carbon and PM2.5 were estimated by land use regression. At 7 years of age, asthma was assessed by a paediatric allergist and bronchial hyper-reactivity was measured by methacholine challenge. Associations between exposures and outcomes were analysed by stepwise multiple logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounding variables. Results Exposure estimates were available for 184 children; 23 were diagnosed with asthma and 68 with bronchial hyper-reactivity. The IQR (4.1 μg/m3) of birth year PM2.5 was associated with a significantly increased risk of asthma (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.3 to 7.4) and with a trend to increased risk of bronchial hyper-reactivity. Similar findings were noted in association with NO and NO2, while black carbon did not appear to confer increased risk. Conclusion Modest elevations in exposure to some traffic-related air pollutants during the year of birth are associated with new onset asthma assessed at age 7. That significant associations were revealed in spite of a limited sample size emphasises the strengths of a high-risk birth cohort model, along with individual air pollution exposure estimates and well-characterised data on covariates and outcomes.


Takeovers have the potential to affect all stakeholders. The European takeover directive's stormy history, from the first proposal in 1989 to its - some may say - sorry conclusion in 2004, amply illustrates the heated emotions that the regulation of takeovers gives rise to. An attempt at clarifying the interests affected by a takeover and the relevance of the takeover rules in that respect therefore seems to be in order. This paper first discusses the perspective for an evaluation of the takeover rules, using the shareholder vs stakeholder debate as a starting point. In company and securities law, the combination of the global challenges we face and the economical, social and political significance of companies emphasises the necessity of interdisciplinary and cross-camp research and debate. In all major legislative contexts, a broad perspective should be applied, integrating the consideration of all stakeholders, in the widest sense of the term including the environmental and global aspect. This requires us to take a step back and ask what we are trying to achieve and evaluate the chosen means in that light. Basically this is a matter of checking whether we are on the way to the good society that must be assumed to be the ultimate objective for us all. The aim of any area of law should be to contribute to this objective. Evaluating the takeover rules in such a broad perspective is obviously a huge issue. A selected part of such a broad evaluation is presented in this paper, focusing on the protection of affected parties and interests. In that light, the European takeover directive falls through: The directive does a lot where it need not have done anything; the directive's pivotal obligatory rule - the mandatory bid rule - does not seem to have a proper foundation at all. Where the directive should have done something, where it could have given us a hard-law example of the integration of the sustainable development objective in company and securities law, it does nothing.


1 Cremona-Barbaro A. Extrapyramidal symptoms following mefenamic acid. J R Soc Med 1983;76:435. 2 Redmond AD. Dyskinesia induced by mefenamic acid? J R Soc Med 1981;74:558-9. 3 Sandyk R, Awerbuch G, Rapcsak SZ. Bilateral ballism induced by ibuprofen in a schizophrenic patient. Postgrad Med J 1987;63: 593-4. 4 Sandyk R, Gillman MA. Acute exacerbation of Parkinson's disease with sulindac. Ann Neurol 1985;17:104-5. 5 Anderson CB, Larson EJ. Diflunisal in idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Neurology 1984;34:400-2. 6 Hedqvist P. Prostaglandin action on transmitter release at adrenergic neuroeffector junctions. In: Samuelsson B, Paoletti R, Eds. Advances in Prostaglandin and Thromboxane Research, Vol 1. New York, Raven Press 1976;357-63.


Fragile X syndrome (FRAXA) is characterized at the molecular level by an expansion of a naturally occurring 5'-(CGG)(n)-3' repeat in the promoter and 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of the fragile X mental retardation (FMR1) gene on human chromosome Xq27.3. When expanded, this region is usually hypermethylated. Inactivation of the FMR1 promoter and absence of the FMR1 protein are the likely cause of the syndrome. By using the bisulfite protocol of the genomic sequencing method, we have determined the methylation patterns in this region on single chromosomes of healthy individuals and of selected premutation carriers and FRAXA patients. In control experiments with unmethylated or M- Sss I-premethylated DNAs, this protocol has been ascertained to reliably detect all cytidines or 5-methylcytidines as unmethylated or methylated nucleotides, respectively. Analyses of the DNA from FRAXA patients reveal considerable variability in the lengths of the 5'-(CGG)(n)-3' repeats and in the levels of methylation in the repeat and the 5'-UTR. In one patient (OEl) with high repeat length hetero-geneity ( n = 15 to >200), shorter repeats (n = 20-80) were methylated or unmethylated, longer repeats ( n = 100-150) were often completely methylated, but one repeat with n = 160 proved to be completely unmethylated. This type of methylation mosaicism was observed in several FRAXA patients. In healthy females, methylated 5'-CG-3' sequences were found in some repeats and 5'-UTRs, as expected for the sequences from one of the X chromosomes. The natural FMR1 promoter is methylation sensitive, as demonstrated by the loss of activity in transfection experiments using the unmethylated or M- Sss I-premethylated FMR1 promoter fused to the luciferase gene as an activity indicator.


The first observation that PBBTPD, a low bandgap, ambipolar conjugated donor-acceptor (DA) polymer based on benzobisthiadiazole (BBT), possesses an open-shell singlet ground state as well as a thermally accessible triplet state is described. Similarly, interesting electronic behavior in semiconducting organic DA oligomers based on BBT is also observed. Theoretical predictions have suggested that such behavior is due to the biradicaloid character of BBT and we provide experimental evidence indicating that these predictions are correct. Furthermore, the open shell character strengthens as the conjugation length increases, as observed in the BBT-based polymer, PBBTPD. We show that this biradicaloid structure is observed in each BBT moiety along the chain and that therefore PBBTPD is in fact a polyradicaloid. This observation will most likely aid in the development of better n-type polymeric acceptors for organic semiconductor applications. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 287-293


Over the last two decades, campus redevelopment in the UK and worldwide has accelerated. University building activity is frequently justified by architects and managers as responding to 'market forces'. These claims are reflected in institutional discourses about campus redesign and a growing academic and media interest in the organisational space of universities. Discourses often emphasise the positive transformative effects of redevelopment without considering the wider impact on the everyday life of the university.
This thesis explores the relationship between institutional space and the construction of individual, social and professional identities, using a case study describing a ten-year campus transformation project at Manchester Metropolitan University. Over this period, the university aimed to: consolidate the number of individual campuses from seven to two; provide new 'world-class' facilities for staff and students; create opportunities for 'improved' teaching and research activity; and develop the university brand. In real terms, this meant closing existing campus locations and relocating staff and students to an 'iconic' new building containing open plan academic offices and flexible student pods. The management discourse around this ambitious building project revealed a deterministic stance, predicting a variety of 'improvements' to academic working practices, student satisfaction and efficiency as a result of these environmental changes. Viewed as a whole, these spatial manipulations were intended to influence internal and external perceptions of identity and act as an indicator of successful change management.
Three interpretive approaches are used to examine the social production of a new university space: thematic; visual; and dispositive analysis. The analysis uses the work of Lefebvre, Foucault, and de Certeau to argue that specific discursive, non-discursive and material/spatial techniques are bound together in the imaginations of university management. These techniques are then employed to dismantle 'outdated' working practices in an attempt to 'spatially fix' particular new conceptions of academic labour and professional identity that fit with the neo-liberal university project. Lefebvre's spatial triad is used to structure the discussion around three research questions that focus on the creation of identities via the conceived space of institutional designers, the perceived space of work activities and the emotionally lived space of university life in the new building.
The research revealed a conceptual void apparent in the design of university buildings where spatial aesthetics are appropriated from other sectors to 'fix' the problems inherent in academic capitalism. The data show how particular spatial arrangements are used to discipline academic labour and encourage particular managerially sanctioned working practices. The thesis also demonstrates the lack of recognition given to physical artefacts and personalisation of space in the design of academic offices and the detrimental effect that this has on staff identity.


The article proposes the concept of a new piston engine combustion system that is designed to meet future-oriented ecological requirements. The concept is to use ethanol as a fuel, in which a slurry of carbon nanotubes would be formed, which are characterized by the ability to ignite using a pulse of laser light fed into the combustion chamber. Modifying the shape of the light beam that penetrates the combustion chamber would allow to control the position and the size of the area in which the ignition of fuel would occur. The originality of the concept is to combine the latest achievements in the field of nanotechnology in the construction of lasers and the production of biofuels, so as to contribute to improving the environmental performance of engines using the existing synergies. The article discusses the prospects for the use of bioethanol as a fuel with zero carbon balance, a critical review of related research on light pulse initiated ignition of hydrocarbon fuels from carbon nanotubes was presented, and a review of studies of laser ignition for conventional fuels. The results of studies of carbon nanotubes suspensions in a variety of fuels conducted by the authors in order to seek solutions for the stable dispersions formation, that are resistant to nanotube agglomeration and sedimentation. The summary indicates directions for further research highlighting the importance of environmental impact.


The neurosecretory cells in nervous system of the Taenia hydatigena was studied light- and electron-microscopically. On the basis of the cytological structure they were divided into two types: type I neurosecretory cells, which containing large dense-cored vesicles, small elongated mitochondria and a large amount of free ribosomes, were located mainly in the central and peripheral nervous system; type II neurosecretory cells were characterized by their moderate amount of free ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum which contacted with the membranes of perikarya, large ovoid mitochondria, large dense-cored vesicles and their localization in the musculature near serve profiles. The synaptic and nonsynaptic contacts i.e. omega figure and exocytosis release sites were seen in the neuropile, musculature and excretory ducts. The present findings suggest that neurosecretory cells in nervous system may play an important integrative roles of both neuronal and endocrine in the flatworm.


In this paper we study some cases of time-fractional nonlinear dispersive equations (NDEs) involving Caputo derivatives, by means of the invariant subspace method. This method allows to find exact solutions to nonlinear time-fractional partial differential equations by separating variables. We first consider a third order time-fractional NDE that admits a four-dimensional invariant subspace and we find a similarity solution. We also study a fifth order NDE. In this last case we find a solution involving Mittag-Leffler functions. We finally observe that the invariant subspace method permits to find explicit solutions for a wide class of nonlinear dispersive time-fractional equations.


Recently developed survival analysis methods improve upon existing approaches by predicting the probability of event occurrence in each of a number pre-specified (discrete) time intervals. By avoiding placing strong parametric assumptions on the event density, this approach tends to improve prediction performance, particularly when data are plentiful. However, in clinical settings with limited available data, it is often preferable to judiciously partition the event time space into a limited number of intervals well suited to the prediction task at hand. In this work, we develop a method to learn from data a set of cut points defining such a partition. We show that in two simulated datasets, we are able to recover intervals that match the underlying generative model. We then demonstrate improved prediction performance on three real-world observational datasets, including a large, newly harmonized stroke risk prediction dataset. Finally, we argue that our approach facilitates clinical decision-making by suggesting time intervals that are most appropriate for each task, in the sense that they facilitate more accurate risk prediction.


Replication-deficient adenovirus vector (Ad) is one of the most efficient gene transfer vehicles for human gene therapy. However, Ad is antigenic, known to evoke prominent inflammatory responses in vivo, and there are concerns that using Ad in patients with immune-mediated disorders (allergy and autoimmune diseases) may affect the status of the diseases. To evaluate this concept in a manner close to clinical scenarios, a mouse model of airway eosinophilic inflammation was developed by administering intraperitoneal injections and inhalations of chicken ovalbumin (OA), with Ad administered intranasally 5 days after the OA sensitization. The administration of Ad resulted in a significant suppression of eosinophil counts in peripheral blood as well as in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and a decrease in OA-specific IgE. The decrease in the number of eosinophils in BALF was associated with a marked upregulation of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) expression. In contrast, the Ad-specific, delayed-type hypersensitivity response and efficacy of reporter gene expression mediated by Ad were only marginally affected in animals sensitized with OA. Together, these data support the idea that Ad administration in patients with Th2-mediated immune disorders does not exacerbate the parameters of ongoing inflammations or gene transfer efficiency, and with its ability to induce prominent type 1 immune response to the antigen in vivo, Ad could potentially be used as an efficient adjuvant to control immune disorders where Th2 cell-mediated mechanisms are involved.


Background: Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that can cause severe dehydration and death within the hours of its onset. Considering the importance of the disease, this study was carried out to assess the antibiotic resistance pattern of Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) strains isolated from the stool of cholerae patients in Kashan during 1998-2009.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on stool specimens obtained from acute diarrhea cases referred to health care centers in Kashan. The samples were identified according to the guidelines established by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) and then the biotype and serotype of V. cholerae isolates were identified using the enzymatic method. Finally, antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method.

Results: Resistance to all antibiotics except erythromycin was seen in all isolates of V. cholerae (58 isolates). The highest antibiotic resistance rate was seen for ampicillin (31%) and the lowest ones for doxycycline, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline (7.1%), respectively. Moreover, among different V. cholerae serotypes, the lowest and highest levels of antibiotic resistance were seen for Inaba and Ogawa serotypes, respectively. There was no significant difference in resistance pattern between the different age and gender groups.

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, an increased antibiotic resistance in V. cholerae has been observed which can result in the emergence of multidrug resistance and therapeutic complications.
Keywords: Vibrio cholerae, Cholerae, Antibiotic resistance,


Replacing protein from animal sources with protein from plant sources is driven by cost, health and environmental factors. Vicia faba is a potential source of alternative protein as it contains good amount of protein, carbohydrate, fibre and micronutrients. However, the presence of the anti-nutritional compounds vicine and convicine have limited its utilisation in food. The aim of the project was to prepare protein isolates from Vicia faba and apply them to the preparation of beef patties. Four food grade extraction conditions at different pH (7.6 or 10) and temperature (6°C or 20°C) were used to extract Vicia faba isolate with a total yield ranging from 26.6 to 30.2 %, and a protein content ranging from 32.5 to 42.7%. Proteins in Vicia faba isolates were characterised by SDS-PAGE and confirmed by LC-MS analysis to be mainly legumin, vicilin and favin. The highest protein content (42%) and lowest vicine and convicine (<0.5%) content were found in isolate extracted at pH 7.6 at room temperature. The isolate also contained starch (5%) and fibre (19%). The proximate composition and functional properties were affected by pH and temperature. All Vicia faba isolates were shown to have good water holding (1.4 to 1.6 g/g) and fat holding capacity (1.1 to 1.3 g/g). Emulsifying and foaming properties were also observed. Heat-induced gelled was observed in all Vicia faba isolates at 12% and 20% w/v. Their functional properties were compared with commercial protein isolates (soy, pea, hemp and faba) and significant differences were found between samples. The best isolate was chosen for the application in beef patties based on the protein composition, quality with low vicine and convicine content. The addition of 20% of Vicia faba isolate to beef mince improved product yield significantly compared to 100% beef patties. The utilisation of faba bean to partially replace meat could contribute towards reducing the cost of nutritious food, and reduce burden on health and the environment.


Tumor suppressor p53 prevents cell transformation by inducing apoptosis and other responses. Homozygous TP53 deletion occurs in various types of human cancers for which no therapeutic strategies have yet been reported. TCGA database analysis shows that the TP53 homozygous deletion locus mostly exhibits co-deletion of the neighboring gene FXR2, which belongs to the Fragile X gene family. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of the remaining family member FXR1 selectively blocks cell proliferation in human cancer cells containing homozygous deletion of both TP53 and FXR2 in a collateral lethality manner. Mechanistically, in addition to its RNA-binding function, FXR1 recruits transcription factor STAT1 or STAT3 to gene promoters at the chromatin interface and regulates transcription thus, at least partially, mediating cell proliferation. Our study anticipates that inhibition of FXR1 is a potential therapeutic approach to targeting human cancers harboring TP53 homozygous deletion.


The theory and observations relating to electron temperatures in the F region of the ionosphere are reviewed. The review is divided into three basic parts. In the first part the theory concerning electron heating, cooling, and energy transport processes is reviewed, and all the relevant expressions are updated. In the second part the behavior of F region electron temperatures, as measured by satellites, rockets, and incoherent scatter radars, is discussed. This portion covers electron temperature variations with altitude, latitude, local time, season, geomagnetic activity, and solar cycle. The third part is primarily devoted to a discussion of the various attempts to compare measured and calculated F region electron temperatures.


We analyzed the postoperative complications excluding graft rejection in 52 consecutive orthotopic liver transplantations performed from March 1986 to November 1988 in 48 patients. Thirteen patients died: one intraoperatively, seven during the first 2 months, and five between 5 and 28 months. Complications were predominant during the first 3 months; infection was the most common complication. The main cause was viral agents. Cytomegalovirus was responsible for infection in 62 percent of cases, but was symptomatic in only 37 percent of patients and always had a favorable outcome. Six cases of disseminated candidiasis were observed with fatal outcome in 3 cases. Ten patients had septicemia due to Gram positive germs with a favorable course in all cases. Two patients required retransplantation on the 2nd postoperative day because of primary graft failure. Three patients had hepatic infarction which was fatal in one case. Technical complications were represented by intra-abdominal bleeding in 3 cases, perihepatic hematoma in 10 cases and stenosis of the biliary anastomosis in 8 cases; in one patient, partial portal vein thrombosis occurred; no hepatic arterial thrombosis occurred during the first postoperative days but this complication was diagnosed later in 3 instances by arteriography. Five out of 7 patients transplanted for malignant liver disease experienced recurrence which cause death in 4 cases. In 3 out of the 5 patients transplanted for postviral B cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis occurred 6 months after transplantation and one of these patients had to be retransplanted at 13 months for recurrence of cirrhosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw draws on his experience and Britain's colonial legacy to argue that while the United Kingdom needs to recognise the effects of past policy and how it is perceived in the Middle East, the UK should not be a prisoner of its legacies from the past. In this annual address to the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) he argues that knowledge should be used to create in-depth understanding that in turn should be built on to create more enduring foreign policy goals. He puts forward a coherent case for a more positive and comprehensive relationship with Iran and Turkey as potential allies in building more stable and yet also more democratic and accountable governments throughout the Middle East. Jack Straw argues that the UK is better placed than many to learn from past mistakes and create more robust strategic goals for the future.


Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental energy conversion mechanism in nature. Major attempts to study this process in controlled settings on Earth have largely been limited to reproducing approximately two-dimensional (2-D) reconnection dynamics. Other experiments describing reconnection near three-dimensional null points are non-driven, and do not induce any of the 3-D modes of spine fan, torsional fan or torsional spine reconnection. In order to study these important 3-D modes observed in astrophysical plasmas (e.g. the solar atmosphere), laboratory set-ups must be designed to induce driven reconnection about an isolated magnetic null point. As such, we consider the limited range of fundamental resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and kinetic parameters of dynamic laboratory plasmas that are necessary to induce the torsional spine reconnection (TSR) mode characterized by a driven rotational slippage of field lines – a feature that has yet to be achieved in operational laboratory magnetic reconnection experiments. Leveraging existing reconnection models, we show that within a ${\lesssim}1~\text{m}^{3}$ apparatus, TSR can be achieved in dense plasma regimes ( ${\sim}10^{24}~\text{m}^{-3}$ ) in magnetic fields of ${\sim}10^{-1}~\text{T}$ . We find that MHD and kinetic parameters predict reconnection in thin ${\lesssim}20~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ current sheets on time scales of ${\lesssim}10~\text{ns}$ . While these plasma regimes may not explicitly replicate the plasma parameters of observed astrophysical phenomena, studying the dynamics of the TSR mode within achievable set-ups signifies an important step in understanding the fundamentals of driven 3-D magnetic reconnection and the self-organization of current sheets. Explicit control of this reconnection mode may have implications for understanding particle acceleration in astrophysical environments, and may even have practical applications to fields such as spacecraft propulsion.


A mW-class continuous-wave single-frequency tunable mid-infrared beam was produced at 4 μm via difference frequency generation (DFG) of two near-infrared beams at about 850 nm and 1056 nm. The pump and the signal beams of 1Wand 5.5 W, respectively, are incident onto a MgO-doped periodically-poled congruent lithium-niobate crystal (MgO-doped PPCLN) for the DFG process. This system produces an idler beam with powers of approximately 0.95 mW at 4.47 μm and 1.9 mW at 4.0 μm. We investigate the mid-infrared beam characteristics, such as the power, beam quality, tuning range and so on.


Background: The neuropeptide RFamide-related peptide-3 (RFRP-3; mammalian ortholog to gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone) can inhibit luteinizing hormone (LH) release and increases feeding, but the regulation and development of RFRP-3 neurons remains poorly characterized, especially in mice. Methods and Results: We first confirmed that peripheral injections of murine RFRP-3 peptide could markedly suppress LH secretion in adult mice, as in other species. Second, given RFRP-3's reported orexigenic properties, we performed double-label in situ hybridization for metabolic genes in Rfrp neurons of mice. While Rfrp neurons did not readily coexpress neuropeptide Y, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, or MC4R, a small subset of Rfrp neurons did express the leptin receptor in both sexes. Surprisingly, we identified no changes in Rfrp expression or neuronal activation in adult mice after acute fasting. However, we determined that Rfrp mRNA levels in the dorsal-medial nucleus were significantly reduced in adult obese (Ob) mice of both sexes. Given the lower Rfrp levels observed in adult Ob mice, we asked whether leptin might also regulate RFRP-3 neuron development. Rfrp gene expression changed markedly over juvenile development, correlating with the timing of the juvenile 'leptin surge' known to govern hypothalamic feeding circuit development. However, the dramatic developmental changes in juvenile Rfrp expression did not appear to be leptin driven, as the pattern and timing of Rfrp neuron development were unaltered in Ob juveniles. Conclusion: Leptin status modulates RFRP-3 expression in adulthood, but is not required for normal development of the RFRP-3 system. Leptin's regulation of adult RFRP-3 neurons likely occurs primarily via indirect signaling, and may be secondary to obesity, as only a small subset of RFRP-3 neurons express the long form of the leptin receptor (LepRb).


Candida species are the fourth most common cause of nosocomial invasive infections. Biofilm formation is recognised as one virulence factor of Candida species. A total of 243 Candida albicans, 81 C. glabrata, 33 C. parapsilosis, 14 C. dubliniensis, 8 C. tropicalis, 8 C. lusitaniae, 5 C. krusei and 1 C. pelliculosa isolates causing bloodstream infections were evaluated for biofilm formation. The biofilm formed on silicone elastomer preincubated with human serum was quantified by estimation of the metabolic activity through XTT assay and visualised by light and scanning electron microscopy. Forty per cent of the C. albicans isolates formed biofilm compared to 88.7% of the non‐albicans Candida isolates (P < 0.0001). Among non‐albicans Candida spp., biofilm formation was most commonly observed in C. tropicalis and C. lusitaniae (100%), followed by C. glabrata (95%), C. dubliniensis (85.7%) and C. parapsilosis (66.7%). A quantitative correlation was observed between the amount of biofilm observed microscopically, and that determined by metabolic activity measurements. The biofilms of all Candida species were composed of basal yeast cells with the exception of C. parapsilosis which produced biofilms consisting of pseudohyphae and aggregated yeast cells. These results suggest that biofilm formation as a virulence factor might have a higher significance for non‐albicans Candida species than for C. albicans.


1. Fractures of the vertebrae without cord symptoms are the results of severe accidents affecting the upper lumbar spine in the majority of cases; and, although not to be compared in seriousness with those causing injury of the spinal cord, yet they are capable of producing distressing permanent symptoms.

2. Fractures of the transverse processes alone have, in this series, had practically no residual symptoms.

3. Seventy per cent. of the fractures of the crushing type in the dorsal and lumbar spine present pain in the back and weakness. A few of these patients are partially disabled.

4. No patient has been totally incapacitated due to the spinal injury. The average time of return to work following injury was from nine to fourteen months.

5. In view of these results, the question arises whether a longer period of primary immobilization would not yield better results.


Communication through dispersive direct-sequence code-division multiple-access channels suffers from intersymbol and multiple-access interference, which can significantly impair performance. Joint maximum a posteriori probability equalization and multiuser detection with error control decoding can be used to mitigate this interference and to achieve the optimal bit-error rate. Unfortunately, such optimal detection typically requires prohibitive computational complexity. This problem is addressed in this paper through the development of a reduced state trellis search detection algorithm, based on decision feedback from channel decoders. The performance of this algorithm is analyzed in the large-system limit. This analysis and simulations show that this reduced complexity algorithm can exhibit near-optimal performance under moderate signal-to-noise ratio and attains larger system load capacity than parallel interference cancellation.


A half diallyl cross among eight new yellow maize inbred lines, i.e. Gm. 142, Gm. 224, Gm. 233, Gm. 152, Gm. 297, Gm. 330, Gm. 201, and Gm. 303, was made in 2015 summer season. Twenty eight F1 crosses along with two yellow commercial check hybrids, SC162 and SC168 were evaluated in randomized complete block design with four replications at two locations (Gemmeiza, Gharbia and Sids, Bani Sweif, Egypt) in 2016 summer season to study the combining ability to identify the most superior parental inbred lines that produce superior hybrids and develop high yielding new yellow single crosses. Results indicated that mean squares of crosses exhibited significant or highly significant for all studied traits. Mean squares due to GCA and SCA were significant or highly significant for all studied traits at combined over the two locations, except GCA for ear diameter trait and SCA for ear length trait, which were non-significant. The ratio of GCA/SCA was more than unity for all studied traits at combined over the two locations, except days to 50% silking and ear diameter traits, indicating that additive gene was more important than non-additive gene action. The interaction between GCA and SCA and locations were highly significant for all studied traits, except GCA x Loc. for ear diameter trait and SCA x Loc. for ear length trait. The magnitude of the interaction was highest for GCA × locations than the SCA × locations for plant height, ear height, ear length and grain yield, indicates that additive genetic variance was influenced by environment and the additive component interacted more with the environment than the non-additive and vice versa for days to 50% silking and ear diameter. According to analysis of GCA effects, the best general combiners were P3 (Gm.233) for earliness; P4 (Gm.152), P5 (Gm.297), P6 (Gm.330) and P7 (Gm.201) for plant height (shortness); P5 (Gm.297), P6 (Gm.330) and P7 (Gm.201) towards lower ear position; P4 (Gm.152) and P6 (Gm.330) for ear length; P1 (Gm.142) for ear diameter; and P1 (Gm.142), P5 (Gm.297) and P8 (Gm.303) for grain yield. Based on mean performance and SCA effects analysis, there were seven crosses No. 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 25 and 26 (P1 x P2, P1 x P3, P1 x P6, P1 x P8, P2 x P4, P5 x P8 and P6 x P7) were the best combinations where they recorded significant or highly significant positive SCA effects for grain yield.


The principal causes of death among 45,708 patients with diabetes (29,801 men and 15,907 women) who died in 241 hospitals throughout Japan during 2001–2010 were determined based on a survey of the hospital records. Autopsy had been conducted in 978 of the 45,708 cases. The most frequent cause of death was malignant neoplasia (38.3%), followed by, in order of descending frequency: infections (17.0%); and then vascular diseases (14.9%), including renal failure (3.5%), ischemic heart diseases (4.8%) and cerebrovascular diseases (6.6%). Diabetic coma associated with hyperglycemia with or without ketoacidosis accounted for only 0.6% of the deaths. In regard to the relationship between the age and cause of death in patients with diabetes, the incidence of death due to vascular diseases was higher in patients over the age of 30 or 40 years, and the 97.0% of the total death due to vascular diseases was observed in patients over the age of 50 years. The incidence of death due to infectious diseases, especially pneumonia, increased in an age‐dependent fashion, and the 80.7% of the total death due to pneumonia was observed in patients over the age of 70 years. 'Poorer' glycemic control was associated with the reduced lifespan of patients with diabetes, especially of those with nephropathy. The average age at death in the survey population was 72.6 years. The lifespan was 1.6 years shorter in patients with 'poorer' glycemic control than in those with 'better' glycemic control. In patients with diabetes of less than 10 years' duration, the incidence of death due to macroangiopathy was higher than that due to nephropathy. Of the 45,708 patients with diabetes, 33.9% were on oral medication, 41.9% received insulin therapy and 18.8% were treated by diet alone. Among the patients in whom the cause of death was diabetic nephropathy, a high percentage, 53.7%, was on insulin therapy. The average age at death of the 45,708 patients with diabetes was 71.4 years in men and 75.1 years in women. However, the report of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan in 2010 set the average lifespan of the Japanese at 79.6 years for men and 86.3 years for women. Thus, the average lifespan of patients with diabetes still appears to be shorter than that of the general population in Japan. However, the differences in lifespan between patients with diabetes and the general population were shorter than those in the former surveys.


Clinical accounts of depression underscore its relation to negative emotional experiences; yet few empirical studies examine emotional experiences in adults with depression, with even less work on depression and emotion in children. Using a nonclinical sample of school-aged children (n = 89) ages 8 to 12, this study evaluated whether greater mood symptoms were associated with more or less intense emotional reactions (measured via psychophysiology, subjective report, and behavior) in response to a threat paradigm. Results indicated that greater negative mood symptoms were associated with larger startle magnitude responses during threat, increased self-reports of negative emotion, and greater likelihood of crying and stopping the paradigm prematurely.


Objectives: To characterize the referrals from Primary Health Care (PHC) to the child and adolescent psychiatry consultation unit of the Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho (CHVNG/E) and to evaluate the communication between these two levels of care.
 Study design: Cross-sectional.
 Setting: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit of Psychiatry and Mental Health Service of CHVNG/E.
 Population: Our sample included all referrals from primary care to the referral unit, using ALERT P1®, in 2010 and 2011.
 Methods: Descriptive analyses were performed regarding gender, age, reason for referral, priority of the referral, priority given by the psychiatrist, reason for refusal or return of referral, waiting time, patient attendance, and quality of the referral letter.
 Results: Our analysis was based in 980 referrals (61.5% male). Patients aged 6-10 years were the most commonly referred (41.4%). The most frequent reason for referral was 'signs and symptoms of child behaviour' (31.9%). Of all referrals, 16.9% were considered urgent by the family doctor. Of these, 11.6% were considered as urgent by the psychiatrist. Of all referrals, 11.3% were refused or returned, mainly because of insufficient information (36.1%). About 90% of the referrals considered as priorities were scheduled within ≤ 60 days and almost 100% of the remaining referrals were scheduled within ≤ 150 days. Of the 853 scheduled first consultations, 10.5% of the children missed the consultation and did not ask for another appointment. About 20% of the referral letters were considered of good quality and about 14% were considered of poor quality.
 Conclusions: Our results suggest that communication between family doctors and child and adolescent psychiatrists is effective. Some aspects need improvement, particularly the definition of urgency and the quality of information in the referral letters.


Fetal sheep with placental insufficiency-induced intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have lower fractional rates of glucose oxidation and greater gluconeogenesis, indicating lactate shuttling between skeletal muscle and liver. Suppression of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity was proposed because of greater pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) mRNA concentrations in IUGR muscle. Although PDK1 and PDK4 inhibit PDH activity to reduce pyruvate metabolism, PDH protein concentrations and activity have not been examined IUGR fetal skeletal muscle. Therefore, we evaluated the protein concentrations and activity of PDH and the kinases and phosphatases that regulate PDH phosphorylation in the semitendinosus muscle from placenta insufficiency-induced IUGR sheep fetuses and control fetuses. Immunoblots were performed for PDH, phosphorylated PDH (E1α), PDK1, PDK4, pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase 1 and 2 (PDP1 and PDP2). Additionally, the PDH, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and citrate synthase (CS) enzymatic activities were measured. Phosphorylated PDH concentrations were 28% lower (P<0.01), and PDH activity was 67% greater (p<0.01), in IUGR fetal muscle compared to control. PDK1, PDK4, PDP1, PDP2, and PDH concentrations were not different between groups. CS and LDH activities were also unaffected. Contrary to the previous speculation, PDH activity was greater in skeletal muscle from IUGR fetuses, which parallels lower phosphorylated PDH. Therefore, greater expression of PDK1 and PDK4 mRNA did not translate to greater PDK1 or PDK4 protein concentrations or inhibition of PDH as proposed. Instead, these findings show greater PDH activity in IUGR fetal muscle, which indicates that alternative regulatory mechanisms are responsible for lower pyruvate catabolism.


We present a case report of a 51-year-old left-handed male with a background of human papillomovairus 16-positive tonsil squamous cell carcinoma presenting with tonic-clonic seizures and a radiological diagnosis of secondary CNS metastatic deposits. These were initially treated with stereotactic radiosurgery and subsequently with surgery. Surgical resection was performed under general anesthesia with right-sided temporal and parietal approaches. Both the parietal and temporal deposits were removed, while the intraventricular mass was intentionally left to avoid postoperative deficits. Adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy were administered postoperatively. The patient experienced a satisfactory post operative recovery. However, he was reoperated for recurrence 4 months later. He maintained a good quality of life and an excellent performance status throughout, but unfortunately, he passed away in November 2018 due to septic complications. This case history stresses the difficulty in managing oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) with brain metastatic deposits. There are no current guidelines regarding the management of patients presenting with such a rare condition. Additionally, we performed a literature review and describe the limited previous cases within the literature. More data is thus desirable to better define treatment guidelines and protocols when tonsillar SCC brain metastases are present.


Summary: Inorganic-organic nanostructured thermosetting composites based on poly(styrene-block-ethylene oxide) (SEO) block copolymer used as templating agent and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles synthesized via sol-gel were prepared. The morphologies generated in the binary and ternary epoxy-based systems were studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Ternary systems showed good dispersion of synthesized nanoparticles and simultaneously maintained nanostructure order of the cured block copolymer/epoxy-based system due to self-assembly of SEO block copolymer. Transparent multifunctional advanced thermosetting materials with tuneable properties controlled varying the ratio between inorganic and organic components was successfully designed.


In present-day economic environment, local banks need new management methods. There have been significant changes in the mechanisms of bank management recently, while the methodology for assessing their performance remains unchanged. The evaluation of the performance of a bank or any other entity depends entirely on financial results. And this, according to the authors, is a significant drawback. An evaluation system is needed which could objectively and thoughtfully reflect the dynamics of the bank in achieving the goals and objectives of shareholders and promptly diagnose deviations from the expectations. In addition, in conditions of constant economic, social and political turbulence, there is a need for analytical support, which should introduce the mechanism for rapid response to environmental volatility, assessment of the entity's response to changes in the environment and management decisions. The practice of accounting in Ukrainian banks indicates a lack of information for management, operational management primarily. Severe competition, accelerated technological development, new banking products lead to the fact that existing management accounting systems become uninformative and unmanageable. This is evidenced by the withdrawal from the market of banks that could not pay their obligations due to unpreparedness for change in the environment. Due to the fact that the treasury is responsible for the bank's solvency, the availability of analytical support that will allow managers to make timely and informed decisions is the key. Moreover, the issue of change management arises, because changes may lead to both unpredictable losses and unexpected revenues. Implementing the concept of change management, the entity will have the ability to build its own activities in such a way as to adapt to volatile environment. Since a healthy banking system is the basis for economic growth of the state, the importance of implementing analytical support that would operate in a changing environment cannot be overestimated. This study makes an up to date contribution to the feasibility of introducing analytical support to the management of the bank, emphasizes the role of accounting and analytical support of the bank treasury and offers indicators that affect its ability to respond to changes in the environment.


Ethnostatistics is the study of the social practices surrounding the construction and interpretation of statistics. This paper considers certain ethnostatistical aspects of the official statistics on AIDS cases--the monthly updated figures on AIDS cases supplied by the Department of Health and derived from the English and Scottish voluntary reporting schemes. The paper focuses on problems in the classification of cases according to the route of virus transmission, particularly where multiple risk practices may be reported. Some (but not all) classification problems can be avoided by adopting a cross-tabular format of presentation. The data on reported Scottish AIDS cases are re-analysed in order to illustrate such a cross-tabular representation. These data are the basis for a concluding statement on the difficulties in projecting future heterosexual epidemic spread.