This study addresses the development of a modified early warning system (MEWS) to predict hospital admissions from emergency departments (EDs) using the 2010 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). A MEWS score was created for each patient in the NHAMCS data set using the vital signs recorded at admission. Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that for every 1 unit increase in the MEWS score, patients were 33% more likely to be admitted to the hospital for further care even after controlling for demographics. Females were 19% less likely to be admitted and older persons were more likely to be admitted. A MEWS score of 13 resulted in almost 90% chance of admission to the hospital. Results indicate that an early warning system may be used to identify signs of physiological decline in many health care settings. Use of MEWS in EDs could be a helpful predictor of the need for hospitalization and could serve as a focus for early decision making and as a point of comparison for efficacy of interventions both in the emergency department and if the patient is admitted to the hospital.


The teaching-learning process is increasingly related to technology. Teachers seek alternative tools to improve quality of education and an option are the animations. To use animations as learning objects, it is necessary to adapt them, promoting the inclusion of students with special needs. This paper presents the initial stages of a developing research of a online learning object's repository and a mobile application, already developed to Computer Networks course, for accessibility's inclusion. The preliminaries results are the adequacy of these tools, making it easier future accessibility inclusions.


In tasks like question answering or text summarisation, it is essential to have background knowledge about the relevant entities. The information about entities - in particular, about long-tail or emerging entities - in publicly available knowledge graphs like DBpedia or CaLiGraph is far from complete. In this paper, we present an approach that exploits the semi-structured nature of listings (like enumerations and tables) to identify the main entities of the listing items (i.e., of entries and rows). These entities, which we call subject entities, can be used to increase the coverage of knowledge graphs. Our approach uses a transformer network to identify subject entities at the token-level and surpasses an existing approach in terms of performance while being bound by fewer limitations. Due to a flexible input format, it is applicable to any kind of listing and is, unlike prior work, not dependent on entity boundaries as input. We demonstrate our approach by applying it to the complete Wikipedia corpus and extracting 40 million mentions of subject entities with an estimated precision of 71% and recall of 77%. The results are incorporated in the most recent version of CaLiGraph.


Opinion cascades, initiated by active opinions, offer a valuable avenue for exploring the dynamics of consensus and disagreement formation. Nevertheless, the impact of biased perceptions on opinion cascade, arising from the balance between global information and locally accessible information within network neighborhoods, whether intentionally or unintentionally, has received limited attention. In this study, we introduce a threshold model to simulate the opinion cascade process within social networks. Our findings reveal that consensus emerges only when the collective stubbornness of the population falls below a critical threshold. Additionally, as stubbornness decreases, we observe a higher prevalence of first-order and second-order phase transitions between consensus and disagreement. The emergence of disagreement can be attributed to the formation of echo chambers, which are tightly knit communities where agents' biased perceptions of active opinions are lower than their stubbornness, thus hindering the erosion of active opinions. This research establishes a valuable framework for investigating the relationship between perception bias and opinion formation, providing insights into addressing disagreement in the presence of biased information.


Study Design: A retrospective investigation. Objective: To clarify at which age and at what point in the postoperative period neurological deterioration occurs in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Summary of Background Data: Inferior surgical outcomes tend to be seen with increasing age, however, the age threshold and the postoperative period associated with deterioration have not been established. Methods: Of 273 patients who underwent laminoplasty, 75 were enrolled in our study who met the criteria of having cervical spondylotic myelopathy, being monitored for a minimum of 2 years after surgery, and experiencing no morbidities within 2 years after surgery. Participants were classified into 4 age groups: group A, 54 years or below (n=12); group B, 55–64 years (n=22); group C, 65–74 years (n=24); and group D, 75 years or above (n=17). Preoperative physical status scores, using the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification system, and neurological recovery, indicated by Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, were compared and surgical complications were reviewed. Results: The ASA physical status score was significantly lower in group A (1.4±0.5) than in group C (2.0±0.5) or group D (2.2±0.4) (P<0.0083). No difference was seen between the preoperative and 1-year postoperative JOA scores between the groups. However, the JOA score at ≥2 years after surgery was significantly lower in group D (12.9±2.0) than in group A (15.2±1.4; P<0.0083). Major complications of cardiopulmonary disorders were documented only in patients in groups C and D with A higher ASA scores. Conclusions: Inferior surgical outcomes were seen in patients 75 years of age or above at 2 years after surgery compared with patients of 54 years or below of age. These clinical features could be reasonably explained by the patients' preexisting physical status related to age.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is regarded as one among the deadliest cancers in the world. In particular, aflatoxin induced hepatocellular carcinoma is alarmingly on rise due to food contamination. However, several drugs and synthetic compound are reported to inhibit HCC in humans. Fascaplysin is a marine sponge derived compound has been increasingly considered and proved as a potential inhibitor of CDK2/CDK4 dependent kinase. In the present study, five proteins that are involved in activation of aflatoxin B1 induced hepatocellular carcinogenesis were selected and analyzed for its immunological profiling. Crystal structure of Human Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) A1, Prostaglandin H2 Synthase (PHS), Human Cytochrome p450 3A4, Human Microsomal P450 1A2 and p53 were assessed for their immunogenicity patterns. On the other hand, HLA B27 allele which plays a crucial role in cancer was chosen for T cell and B cell epitope mapping. In this analysis, it shows that SYFPEITHI immunogenic peptides were conserved in all the proteins envisaging the need for a common anti-cancer ligand. However, immunogenic assessment of epitopes and interacting residues revealed that fascaplysin interacts at multiple positions in binding amino acid residues of the selected proteins. This study is purely based on the immunoinformatics approach for the screening of specific compound which could suppress the hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, based on the results it's clear that fascaplysin is a potential inhibitor and effectively binds to immunogenic peptides and act as a candidate against aflatoxin induced hepatocellular carcinoma based on the Insilco analysis.


Healthy children receiving routine measles-mumps-rubella vaccine developed an impaired in vitro lymphocyte response to stimulation with antigen (Candida) but not with mitogen (phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen). Response of lymphocytes was determined by measurement of the amount of [14C]thymidine incorporated by the cells. The impaired response to antigen lasted from one to five weeks after vaccination. There was no alteration in the number of either total or thymus-derived lymphocytes in the peripheral blood after vaccination; These results suggest that viral vaccination causes a depression of lymphocyte function rather than a depletion of functional lymphocytes.


1 Geological evidence indicates that low-latitude polygonally-patterned grounds on Mars, 2 generally thought to be the product of flood volcanism, are periglacial in nature and record a 3 complex signal of changing climate. By studying the martian surface stratigraphically (in terms 4 of the geometrical relations between surface landforms and the substrate) rather than geneti5 cally (by form analogy with Earth), we have identified dynamic surfaces across one fifth of mar6 tian longitude. New stratigraphical observations in the Elysium-Amazonis plains have revealed a 7 progressive surface polygonisation that is destructive of impact craters across the region. This 8 activity is comparable to the climatically-driven degradation of periglacial landscapes on Earth, 9 but because it affects impact craters – the martian chronometer – it can be dated. Here we show 10 that it is possible to directly date this activity based on the fraction of impact craters affected by 11 polygon formation. Nearly 100% of craters (of all diameters) are superposed by polygonal sculp12 ture: considering the few-100 Ma age of the substrate, this suggests that the process of polygon 13 formation was active within the last few million years. Surface polygonisation in this region, of14 ten considered to be one of the signs of young, 'plains-forming' volcanism on Mars, is instead 15 shown to postdate the majority of impact craters seen. We therefore conclude that it is post16 depositional in origin and an artifact of thermal cycling of near-surface ground ice. Stratigraphi17 cally-controlled crater counts present the first way of dating climate change on a planet other 18 than Earth: a record that may tell us something about climate change on our own planet. Paral19 lel climate change on these two worlds – an ice age Mars coincident with Earth's glacial Quater20 nary period – might suggest a coupled system linking both. We have previously been unable to 21 generalise about the causes of long-term climate change based on a single terrestrial example – 22 with the beginnings of a chronology for climate change on our nearest planetary neighbour, we 23 can. 24


On the basis of archival materials, the issue of the construction of oil refineries set up in the USSR under lend-lease in accordance with the agreement signed with the United States in 1942 is examined, which is very relevant in the context of heightened discussions about the problems related to the history of World War II. The novelty of the research is determined not only by the introduction of new archival documents into scientific circulation, but also by an attempt to determine more precisely the reasons for the failure of the planned dates of commissioning of oil refineries. The results of the analysis of reports by American specialists are presented, which allowed to objectively consider the problems that arose during construction. Special attention is paid to the attempts of the authors of these documents to determine the main reasons for the construction slowdown. The changes in the attitude of Americans to construction managers, the management system during 1944 are commented. It is shown that their dissatisfaction with the position of consultants was expressed in the reports. It is concluded that our own production of fuel for the active army in our country was constantly growing and largely provided the front. It is proved that the commissioning of oil refineries supplied by the United States after the end of the war could not influence its outcome, but later became the basis for the creation of the refining industry in the lower Volga region.


Difference in explanatory models (EMs) between the person and the healthcare professional has been suggested as one reason for non-adherence to a recommended treatment regimen. The aim of this study was to explore the EMs of diabetes by a group of Asian and Caucasian participants. A total of 25 Asians and 24 Caucasians were recruited from a local diabetic clinic and subsequently interviewed about their personal EMs of diabetes. Responses to the tape-recorded semistructured interview questions about the perceived cause, time and mode of symptom onset, pathophysiology, course of illness and treatment were analysed and categories of response established and compared across the two groups. Although the results indicated some similarities of EMs of diabetes between the groups, certain differences were identified. It is suggested that nurses who include EMs in their care planning are more likely to enhance adherence among people with diabetes.


Visual impact analysis is a software visualisation technique that lets software maintainers judge the impact of proposed changes and plan maintenance accordingly. An existing CASE tool uses a directed acyclic graph display derived from decomposition slicing of a program for visual impact analysis. In this paper, we analyse the graph display and show that it is semantically ambiguous and fails to show important information. We propose requirements for an improved display based on a definition of "interference" between variables in a maintenance context. The design for a new display is presented with a series of examples to illustrate its effectiveness. The display is focused on providing a straightforward method to analyse the impact of changes.


In this paper, we present a new model for heat transfer in compressible fluid flows. The model is derived from Hamilton's principle of stationary action in Eulerian coordinates, in a setting where the entropy conservation is recovered as an Euler--Lagrange equation. The governing system is shown to be hyperbolic. It is asymptotically consistent with the Euler equations for compressible heat conducting fluids, provided the addition of suitable relaxation terms. A study of the Rankine--Hugoniot conditions and the Clausius--Duhem inequality reveals that contact discontinuities cannot exist while expansion waves and compression fans are possible solutions to the governing equations. Evidence of these properties is provided on a set of numerical test cases.


Coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States today. Type A behavior pattern has emerged as an important contributor to coronary heart disease. This review describes the development of the concept of type A behavior, definitions, and measurement. Early research that led to the prominence of type A behavior is reviewed, as are recent trends in the literature. Supporting theories such as the Western civilization work ethic, enhanced need for control, self-involvement, and ambiguous standards of evaluation are presented. The controversy over changing type A behavior is also discussed.


In an HBR article in January 2005, Cappelli and Hamori compared leaders in the top lo roles at each of the Fortune 100 companies in 1980 with those in 2001. Among their findings were a sharp decline in the number of senior executives who had spent their entire careers with one company and a corresponding uptick in rapidly advancing young executives who spent less time with any one employer. In this article they and Bonet extend that analysis to 2011. Perhaps the most noteworthy changes they've found are demographic. For example, the percentage of executive women has risen quite a bit. But the 2008 recession caused some interesting developments: Financial institutions are bringing in more senior executives from outside than they did a decade ago; leaders have been hesitant to leave their organizations for new opportunities; and companies have held on to even underperforming executives to maintain stability. Generously illustrated with graphics, this article profiles today's leaders in four areas-career trajectory, education, diversity, and hierarchy within the senior ranks.


Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor of the brain was described as a unique entity in the late 1980s. It occurs primarily in early childhood but the true incidence of the disease is not yet known. At presentation, the differential diagnosis includes medulloblastoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, ependymoma and choroid plexus carcinoma. Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor behaves in a very aggressive manner and while cure is possible for a small minority of patients, no standard or effective therapy has been defined for most patients. Since its first description, considerable pathologic, cytogenetic and molecular characterizations, as described in this review, have been accomplished that provide insight into the possible molecular etiology of the disease and of malignant rhabdoid tumors that occur outside the CNS. Co-operative group clinical trials that focus solely on atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor are needed that incorporate biologic studies along with evaluations of aggressive treatment approaches. The goal of these trials should be to increase the cure rate for children with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor and further increase our understanding not only of atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor, but also of other pediatric brain tumors.


During a 10 year period. 20 dogs with primary localized neoplasia of the small intestine were presented at the University of Bristol Veterinary School. Half the tumours were carcinomas, the remainder being lymphosarcomas (5 cases), leiomyosarcomas (3 cases) and leiomyomas (2 cases) Lesions occurred at a variety of locations along the tract, but descending duodenum (6 cases) and terminal ileum (4 cases) were the commonest sites. Clinical findings varied. All dogs except three presented with chronic illnesses, but only seven showed signs immediately referable to alimentary tract disease. Abnormalities were found at radiographic examination in all cases except one and provided or confirmed the indication for laparotomy. Ten animals were destroyed at the time of surgery, two died during the immediate post-operative period and three were later destroyed because of suspected recurrence. Four dogs are reported well at intervals of between nine months and two years following surgery.


This essay develops a discussion between deconstruction, ontological hermeneutics and criticism as sabotage. Taking into account two former works on that criticism, this one focuses two major points within these currents. On the one hand, the problem of the performativity of the discourse (literature, film, tv, magazines, so and so). It depends on a conception of a text as a «modeling action» consisting of creating subjects (bodies, gestures, actions, discourses, subjectivities) that are represented, perceive and conceive the world and themselves according to previously codified models. On the other hand, the problem of undecidibility introduced both in Derrida's and de Man's works. Finally, the essay concentrates in the historical strategies of criticism as sabotage, even if in the realm of deconstruction one negates the possibility of reconstructing the contexts.


The Gallery section of this edition of PROA brings the entirety of the images and texts of the Serpents of Transformation: Drawings from Indigenous Amazonia exhibition, which has been presented at the State University of Campinas' Casa do Lago from 27 October to 10 November, 2016. This exhibition presented a selection of twenty-one drawings made by the Wauja Indians of the Upper Xingu in 1998, 2000 and 2004, all collected by Dr Aristoteles Barcelos Neto, from the Sainsbury Research Unit for the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas at the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom. The exhibition was curated and assembled during Dr Barcelos Neto's academic visit to the State University of Campinas' Department of Anthropology, funded by the FAPESP-Newton Fund bilateral agreement (UK Academies, United Kindgom) as part of the FAPESP Young Researcher Project entitled Transforming Amerindian Regional Systems: the Upper Xingu case, coordinated by Prof Antonio Guerreiro.


The objective of the additional loan for the Highways Rehabilitation Project for Pakistan is to help finance the costs associated with restructuring/rehabilitating four main highways that were damaged by the earthquake of October 8, 2005. It is estimated that the project will need to permanently acquire about 82 acres of land. The project will not disrupt any residential and commercial structure. However, people in the project area will suffer losses that are entitled to compensation. These include loss of various types of land; loss of privately-owned structures like houses and shops, including privately owned utilities; loss of squatters' commercial structures if immovable-- otherwise shifting of the movable structures like kiosks, hand carts, etc.; loss of squatter-owned assets; loss of the livelihoods of employees and vulnerable squatters/encroachers; loss of buildings or structures of cultural or religious significance; loss of public utilities; and loss of trees and crops. The report addresses each type of loss and specifies compensation for each. The Project area's surrounding communities will be further affected during the construction phase as follows: The general mobility of the local residents and their livestock in and around the project area is likely to be hindered. Construction activities, particularly excavation and movement of haul truck and machinery may disrupt the existing tracks leading from the main road to settlements which will limit the accessibility of the local population to the main road. Usage of the community's common resources like potable water, fuel wood etc. by the contractor's workforce may create conflicts between the community and the contractor. The presence of outside construction workers will likely cause some degree of social disruption and even active disputes with the local community as a result of social/cultural differences. Also, traffic flow will be disturbed. Other impacts discussed are: potential loss of income, gender issues, safety hazards, relocation issues, and disturbance of religious/historical sites. Some recommended mitigation measures include ensuring the mobility of local communities-- particularly for women and children--and of livestock, avoiding the using the village tracks for hauling construction material, ensuring that blasting is not carried out in the vicinity of frequently used settlements and village tracks, carrying out blasting during fixed hours; making alternative arrangements for the Contractor's camp and construction activities so as not to deplete scarce potable water available to communities, and requiring the contractor to maintain close liaison with local communities to ensure that any potential conflicts related to common resource use are resolved quickly.


We have studied the spectrum and nature of mutations induced by oncogenic virus DNA injections into wsn, T-007 line of embryos, and those of the first generation hybrids obtained after crossing the T-007 line males with the Oregon R wild line females (hybrid disgenesis). Each line is shown to have a special group of "hot" sites mutating with high frequency under the effect of the oncovirus DNA injected.


The "transfer of university technology" is not only a one-way transfer process of technological outputs matching a scientific discovery with a market need, but also the building of teams of university and business people working towards the common goal of technological knowledge creation. The result of a questionnaire survey of university TLOs in Japan (n = 40) reveals that 'individual-type TLOs' were fewer than expected, while 'organisational-type TLOs' were dominant. The members' employment status and previous occupations, and the time allocation for each TLO activity, differences among TLOs were noticeable.


Traditionally the structural loss factor of a vibrating structure at resonance is defined by the half power bandwidth which then incorporates all mechanisms, e. g. material damping, interface damping, added viscoelastic damping, acoustic damping and damping in joints, contributing to the total damping. Damping measures based on vibration response data and vibration energy dissipated locally at interfaces and in material volumes may be computed in post processing finite element computations. Appropriately defined measures may then localize the damping to interfaces and material volumes where the dissipation actually occurs. It is also possible to separate and quantify the damping contributions from different damping sources. The interaction and combined effect of mixed material and interface damping is studied for a simple, three dimensional, build-up structure containing overlapping contact interfaces and internal regions with material damping. Results are presented based on damping measures which separate damping contributions from different contact interfaces and internal material volumes. By comparison of the total structural damping with partial contributions, from the specific damping sources occurring in each case, the combined, accumulated, effect of the different sources is investigated. The question whether different kinds of damping is additive or not is finally addressed.


A muon-based neutrino factory, encompassing high power proton accelerators, innovations in rapid acceleration techniques for unstable particles, and initiatives such as ionisation cooling, provides a rich and varied source of high-energy R&D. Over the last ten years, the UK has played a leading role in progress towards a large-scale neutrino facility, both at national and international level, and now seeks to move to the next phase with preparation of an International Design Study report for publication in 2010. The basic principles of the project are outlined here, with emphasis on the major problems still to be overcome. Much of the development work relates to other areas of accelerator science - such as spallation neutron sources, used for research in condensed matter physics - and the way in which such projects interact and benefit from each other is also described.


The Einstein Assessment of School-Related Skills was developed to aid pediatricians and other professionals in the identification of children who are at risk for, or are exhibiting, school learning difficulties. This brief (7–10 minutes) screening instrument measures reading, arithmetic, auditory memory, language cognition, and visual-motor abilities of children in grades K-5. The Einstein Assessment was standardized on 1665 nonhandicapped and 116 learning-disabled children in grades K-5. The median percent of nonhandicapped children in grades 2–5 passing was 78% in the fall and 74% in the spring, compared with 18% and 14% of the learning-disabled children (numbers of diagnosed learning-disabled children in grades K-1 were too small for analysis). The median test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.94. These data provide preliminary support for the Einstein as a screening test for school learning difficulty.


Currently, there are no commercially available ear recognition systems. However, the future holds tremendous potential for incorporating ear images with face images in a multibiometric configuration, even as researchers continue to refine the technology. For example, assigning an ear image to one of several predefined categories could allow for rapid retrieval of candidate identities from a large database. In addition, the use of ear thermograms could help mitigate the problem of occlusion due to hair and accessories. As the technology matures, both forensic and biometric domains will benefit from this biometric.


Background The MSH3 gene is part of the DNA mismatch repair system, but has never been shown to be involved in Lynch syndrome. A first report of four patients from two families, bearing biallelic MSH3 germline variants, with a phenotype of attenuated colorectal adenomatous polyposis raised the question of its involvement in hereditary cancer predisposition. The patients' tumours exhibited elevated microsatellite alterations at selected tetranucleotide repeats (EMAST), a hallmark of MSH3 deficiency. Methods We report five new unrelated patients with MSH3-associated polyposis. We describe their personal and familial history and study the EMAST phenotype in various normal and tumour samples, which are relevant findings based on the rarity of this polyposis subtype so far. Results All patients had attenuated colorectal adenomatous polyposis, with duodenal polyposis in two cases. Both women had breast carcinomas. EMAST phenotype was present at various levels in different samples of the five patients, confirming the MSH3 deficiency, with a gradient of instability in polyps depending on their degree of dysplasia. The negative EMAST phenotype ruled out the diagnosis of germline MSH3 deficiency for two patients: one homozygous for a benign variant and one with a monoallelic large deletion. Conclusion This report lends further credence to biallelic MSH3 germline pathogenic variants being involved in colorectal and duodenal adenomatous polyposis. Large-scale studies may help clarify the tumour spectrum and associated risks. Ascertainment of EMAST may help with the interpretation of variants of unknown significance. We recommend adding MSH3 to dedicated diagnostic gene panels.


The initiation of thunderstorms in environments characterized by strong wind shear presents a forecast challenge owing to the complexities of the interactions between growing cumulus clouds and wind shear. Thunderstorms that develop in such environments are often capable of producing high-impact hazards, highlighting the importance of convection initiation in sheared environments. Although recent research has greatly improved understanding of the structure and evolution of rising thermals in unsheared environments, there remains uncertainty in how wind shear influences the convection initiation process. Two large-eddy simulations (75-m horizontal grid spacing) were performed to study this problem. Convection initiation attempts are forced in the simulations through prescribed surface heat fluxes (the initial boundary layers are statistically horizontally homogeneous and quasi-steady-state, but contain turbulent eddies as a result of random initial temperature perturbations). The only difference between the two simulations is the presence or absence of wind shear above 2 km. Important differences in the entrainment patterns are present between sheared and unsheared growing cumulus clouds. As found in previous research, the overturning circulation associated with rising thermals drives dynamic entrainment in the unsheared clouds. However, in sheared clouds, wake entrainment resulting from the tilting of environmental vorticity is an important dynamic entrainment pathway. This result has implications for both the structure of sheared growing cumulus clouds and for convection initiation in sheared environments.


Galanin, a 29-amino-acid neuropeptide, was initially isolated from porcine intestine. It has a wide spread distribution in the central nervous system and is also present in the primary sensory neuron. Galanin has been suggested to be involved in numerous neuronal and endocrine functions as a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator. We examined the expression of galanin and galanin receptors by using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization. RT-PCR analysis showed that mRNA of galanin and GalR2 were detected in the taste bud-containing epithelium of the circumvallate papilla of rats. Immunohistochemical analyses detected galanin was detected in a subset of taste bud cells of the circumvallate papillae. Double-label studies showed that galanin colocalized with alpha-gustducin, NCAM, and PLCbeta2. Our results of double staining with galanin and taste cell markers indicate that galanin-expressing taste cells are type II and type III cells. Taken together with previous studies, these findings show that galanin may function as a taste bud neurotransmitter. Furthermore, GalR2 mRNA was expressed in some taste bud cells. This suggests that, galanin release may not only excite the peripheral afferent nerve fiber but also may act on neighboring taste receptor cells via the activation of GalR2.


Circumventing physical obstacles is critical for a plant's survival and performance. Although the ability of roots to circumvent obstacles has been known for over 100 years, the phenomena and its mechanisms have received relatively little attention. In this study it is demonstrated that roots of Pisum sativum are able to detect and avoid growth towards inanimate obstacles and the hypothesis that this behaviour is based on the sensitivity of roots to their own allelopathic exudates that accumulate in the vicinity of physical obstacles is tested. The development of lateral roots of Pisum sativum towards an obstacle (a piece of nylon string, similar in dimensions to a plant root) was followed. Lateral roots were similar in number, but significantly shorter in the direction of the nylon string. In addition, up to half of the lateral roots that developed towards the nylon string withered, whereas no withering was observed in the absence of the nylon string. These avoidance growth patterns were suppressed in the presence of potassium permanganate or activated carbon, indicating a role of allelopathic exudates in promoting obstacle avoidance. The demonstrated obstacle avoidance by self inhibition could increase plant performance by limiting resource allocation to less promising parts of the root system.


Gene flow and drift shape the distribution of neutral genetic diversity in metapopulations, but their local rates are difficult to quantify. To identify gene flow between demes as distinct from individual migration, we present a modified Bayesian method to genetically test for descendants between an immigrant and a resident in a nonmigratory life stage. Applied to a metapopulation of pond‐breeding European newts (Triturus cristatus, T. marmoratus) in western France, the evidence for gene flow was usually asymmetric and, for demes of known census size (N), translated into maximally seven reproducing immigrants. Temporal sampling also enabled the joint estimation of the effective demic population size (Ne) and the immigration rate m (including nonreproductive individuals). Ne ranged between 4.1 and 19.3 individuals, Ne/N ranged between 0.05 and 0.65 and always decreased with N; m was estimated as 0.19–0.63, and was possibly biased upwards. We discuss how genotypic data can reveal fine‐scale demographic processes with important microevolutionary implications.


The paper describes a methodology for decision support for manufacturing process planning. Object oriented Petri net modeling and rule based problem solving are combined. The development of manufacturing process modeling is urged by the growing acceptance of the product model concept and a definite demand for decision support in commercial CAD/CAM systems. The paper is organized as follows. First, the problem of process modeling is explained. Then the proposed process model is outlined. Following this the most important objects and their relations are described. Finally representation of knowledge and evaluation of the models during interactive manufacturing process planning are outlined. The problems that can be solved using the proposed methodology are concluded.


Extracted from text ... 10 A focus on prevention Anna Senekal, manager of the Mangaung One-stop Centre, explains the prevention services that have been built into the Centre's programmes: ? Arrange a camp for the leaders of these schools. ? At this camp the leaders should be empowered to take the lead in their schools in establishing crime prevention clubs. The leaders should also be provided with knowledge regarding issues that cause crime, eg peer group pressure, drug and alcohol abuse and Satanism. ? After the camp, the leaders would be guided by the officials of the Department of Social Development and Nicro to develop ..


BACKGROUND: Controlled release of medicaments from biodegradable polymers remains the most convenient way for their sustained release. Although a number of articles have been published, experimental work involving the preparation of polymer-based carriers and release procedures are not described with sufficient level of detail to allow other researchers to reproduce the experiments and to compare published results with their own. In this contribution the experimental background of the entrapment and release of insulin from PLGA carriers is described and the problems found at each step related to UV/Visible method used to quantify them are addressed in detail.

RESULTS: The quantification of entrapped insulin by UV/visible methods was affected by aggregation. The design of the release experiment influenced the results regarding the entrapment efficiency (EE) and the maximum percentage of released insulin. It was also found that the presence of colloidal polymeric particles, insufficient centrifugation times and the kind of solvent used in the release test might lead to mistakes in the percentage of liberated insulin when UV/visible based methods are employed.

CONCLUSIONS: This contribution demonstrates that serious discrepancies in the EE and percentage of released protein may arise if some key experimental factors are not taken into account. Therefore, the analysis presented here tries to point out important aspects of this topic currently not reported, unnoticed or not properly analyzed in the open literature. The results are useful for the entrapment of any protein on any polymeric device using UV/visible based methods to quantify them. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry


ABSTRACT Çatalhöyük was first discovered as one of the earliest urban settlements in the late 1950s and excavated by James Mellaart between 1961 and 1965. The 9000-year-old town in central Turkey rapidly became famous internationally due to the large size and dense occupation of the settlement, as well as the spectacular wall paintings and other art that were uncovered inside the houses. Since 1993, under the direction of Ian Hodder, research at Çatalhöyük has pioneered a reflexive approach to archaeological practice, in which information is permanently open to reinterpretation by both scholars and the public. This approach acknowledges the mutual dependence of knowledge and the underlying research, to which end the Çatalhöyük Project decided to make its records available via the Web and to invite public comment since its onset. After 25 years of excavation, the project's digital assets now amount to close to 5TB, including formal textual and numeric records, freetext documents, audiovisual materials, and a comprehensive collection of spatial data. The reflexive method, or 'documentation of the documentation process,' adds a separate layer of information that specifies how data have been gathered, and facilitates critique, understanding, and the evolution of knowledge. In this paper we lay out our vision of an interactive archive that provides access to the multi layered information contained in this massive amount of data and how web technological advances have been incorporated into the digital data management at Çatalhöyük. Ultimately, the goal is to support an interdisciplinary process of assembling data into arguments on the basis of multiple lines of evidence. The 'Living Archive' will enable intuitive engagement across the entire variety of research, making use of the rich reflexive information stored with the data. The results of new analyses can in turn be reintegrated with the already existing data. The application will use open standards so that the knowledge gathered at Çatalhöyük can be linked with other projects that follow similar publication procedures based on the semantic web approach.


Myelofibrosis in association with autoimmune disorders has been consistently recognized in sporadic case reports over a number of years. Autoimmune myelofibrosis has been described most commonly in association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In addition, myelofibrosis presenting as cytopenias and showing clinical response to immunosuppressant drugs, notably steroids, has been reported with a wide range of immune-mediated disorders, including Sjögren's syndrome, polyarteritis nodosa, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and primary biliary cirrhosis. Attempts have been made to define a syndrome of primary autoimmune myelofibrosis (PAIMF), as a distinct steroid-responsive clinicopathologic entity with excellent prognosis. Herein, we describe three cases of autoimmune myelofibrosis with a review of the literature.


The work related stress, occupational stress and job stress are used synonymously. Stress has now become the universal issue. Present era is known as the era of stress. Everyone has the right to spend his life more happily. How? Is the question that arises here. Everyone experiences stressful situations, though people react to them in different ways. The objective of this study was to identify the main sources of occupational stress affecting different occupational settings in the developing countries. This study utilized qualitative research methods of theoretical Network Approach (TNA). Various papers were studied to get the final conclusion. Respondents identified the most frequent sources of stress, their outcomes and the information about the types of stress on their places of work. It provides an opportunity to the employers & employees to take various steps to reduce stress among employees.


Ahstract-This paper analyses and compares the existing network security situation evaluation methods, defines various network security evaluation concepts, and proposes a method for network security situation evaluation using virtual Honeynet. With the relationships among Honeynet active, host active of computer networks and IP active when network intrusion occurs, a binary linear regression prediction model is proposed. In the end, a prototype system is designed for data collection and regression fitting, and the validity of the regression prediction model is proved.


ABSTRACT Cry11Aa and Cyt1Aa of Bacillus thuringiensis are active against mosquitoes and show synergism. Cyt1Aa functions as a membrane receptor inducing Cry11Aa oligomerization. Here we characterized Cry11Aa helix α-3 mutants impaired in oligomerization and toxicity against Aedes aegypti, indicating that oligomerization of Cry11Aa is important for toxin action. Cyt1Aa did not recover the insecticidal activity of Cry11Aa mutants.


BACKGROUND
We sought to compare long-term mortality and quality of life (QoL) in very elderly (≥80 years) patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in comparison with younger patients (<80 years).

METHODS
A total of 101 patients treated with TAVI were divided into two groups according to age: <80 years (n = 42; 41.6%) and ≥80 years (n = 59; 58.4%). The baseline characteristics, including procedural outcomes as well as frailty and QoL assessment were compared between age groups.

RESULTS
Very elderly patients (≥80 years) were more frequently female, with a higher estimated risk of death based on STS score. Other baseline characteristics, including frailty indices, were comparable between groups. No difference in complication rate between age groups was observed. At 12 months, mortality rates were comparable for patients <80 years vs ≥80 years (16.7% vs 18.6%, respectively; P=.99). An improvement in QoL after 12 months as assessed by EQ-5D-3L was confirmed for both age groups, but with more pronounced beneficial effect of TAVI in younger patients.

CONCLUSION
The results of our single-center study showed that older age does not seem to be associated with impaired clinical outcomes after TAVI. However, benefit of TAVI in terms of long-term QoL improvement may be less apparent in very elderly patients.


We report on a calculation of $B_c$ ground state and radial excitation energies, obtained from heavy-charm highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) correlators computed on MILC gauge ensembles, with lattice spacings down to $a=0.044$ fm. Using HISQ valence quarks on progressively finer lattices allows us to simulate up to the $b$-quark mass. In particular we focus on the $B_c(2S)$ energy, which we compare with O(\alpha_s)-improved non-relativistic QCD results computed on the same ensembles and recent experimental results from ATLAS.


SUMMARY Purpose: We report a special case of a patient who presented with two rare genetic diseases, Turner syndrome and cone-rod dystrophy (CRD), caused by mutation in the ABCA4 gene. Methods: We present a case of a 12-year-old female with a progressive visual loss, poor night vision and short stature. We performed a clinical, karyotype of peripheral blood and molecular genetic study. DNA sample from the index patient was subjected to whole exome sequencing. Variants localized in homozygous regions were validated by Sanger sequencing. Results: Fundus examination presented CRD phenotype and the general examination revealed short stature, aortic coarctation and infantile uterus, without visible ovaries on pelvic ultrasound. The karyotype of peripheral blood showed monosomy 45,X. We identified a known homozygous deletion c.[885delC];[885delC] in ABCA4, resulting in a frameshift at the position p.[L296Cfs*4];[ L296Cfs*4] . In addition, mutations in RPGR and ORF15 were excluded. Conclusions : Several ocular disorders are known to be associated with Turner syndrome, however, in this case, we hypothesize that CRD is not related to Turner syndrome but may be a manifestation of the lack of a normal X chromosome with ABCA4 mutation.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of Islamic stock indices in the presence of Islamic calendar anomaly in the context of emerging economies. The current study has considered daily data from 1 January 2010 to 1 September 2017. Standard & Poor's (S&P) Shariah index, which comprises funds from 22 emerging economies, is used for the study. Descriptive statistics are applied to check the behaviour of the index. The Generalised Auto Regressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity Model (GARCH) model is applied to capture the seasonality in the returns and the volatility of the Islamic equity market. It has been found out that the effect of Ramadan, the holy month of Muslims, can be both significant and insignificant depending on different years. The Islamic indices during the earlier years of their establishment were performing poorly, if compared to the market benchmarks. But during the latter years, the markets have performed well or maintained a good place, as compared to market benchmarks. The results of Jensen's alpha show that the returns during Ramadan improve significantly. This study will help the investors to efficiently time their trading. Based on the authors' best knowledge, this is the first paper describing an investigation on Ramadan effect on the emerging Shariah index, which has also included the Ramadan period of 2017.


This chapter discusses the concept of corporate legal personality. This fundamental principle of company law—that the company on incorporation becomes a separate legal entity in its own right—was established by the House of Lords in Salomon v Salomon & Co Ltd. The Salomon principle and its consequences for individual companies and for groups of companies are considered. In limited circumstances, the court may disregard or pierce or lift the corporate veil and the narrow jurisdiction to do so is explained. The chapter also considers corporate groups in the light of Salomon, particularly with regard to the liability of parent companies for the actions of subsidiary companies.


We use video microscopy to study a two-dimensional (2D) model fluid of charged colloidal particles suspended in water and compute the pressure from the measured particle configurations. Direct experimental control over the particle density by means of optical tweezers allows the precise measurement of pressure as a function of density. We compare our data with theoretical predictions for the equation of state, the pair-correlation function and the compressibility of a hard-disc fluid and find good agreement, both for the fluid and the solid phase. In particular, the location of the transition point agrees well with results from Monte Carlo simulations.


BackgroundGastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common and fatal cancers worldwide and effective biomarkers aids in GC management and prognosis. Hence, we explored the role and function of cadherin 6 (CDH6) in diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer. MethodsThe expression level of CDH6 in GC tissue and normal gastric tissue were analyzed using multiple public databases. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset (TCGA). The diagnostic efficiency of CDH6 expression in GC patients was determined through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The associations between clinical variables and expression of CDH6 were evaluated statistically and the prognostic factors for overall survival were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Forty-four GC tissues, corresponding adjacent normal tissues (n=20), and detailed clinical information were collected from Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, CDH6 expression level was detected for further validation. ResultsCDH6 was upregulated in GC samples compared with normal gastric tissue, and GSEA identified the citrate cycle tricarboxylic (TCA) cycle, extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor interaction, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism oxidative phosphorylation, and pentose phosphate pathway as differentially enriched in GCs. According to the area under the ROC curve (AUC) (AUC=0.829 in TCGA and 0.966 in GSE54129), CDH6 had high diagnostic efficiency. Patients with high expression of CDH6 was associated with higher T classification and worse prognoses than those with low CDH6 expression in GC. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that CDH6 was an independent risk factor for overall survival (univariate: HR = 1.305, P = 0.002, multivariate: HR = 1.481, P < 0.001). ConclusionCDH6 was upregulated in GC and high CDH6 expression indicated higher T classification and worse prognoses. CDH6 could be a potentially independent molecular biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of GC.


Previous studies have demonstrated the potential beneficial effects of post-surgical rinsing with 0.2% chlorhexidine. In the present investigation a new chlorhexidine formulation (Peridex) (CHx) and concentration (0.12%) was evaluated clinically to determine if similar effects could be detected from the use of the new product and treatment regimen. A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was carried out in 40 patients during a 6 week period. Patients who had moderate periodontitis (AAP Class III) received osseous periodontal surgery in one quadrant. Each surgical site received periodontal dressing and patients were given a placebo or CHx mouthrinse to be used twice each day. Compared to placebo, CHx significantly reduced plaque at all examinations (54.4% reduction over placebo at 6 weeks, P less than 0.05). Visible plaque (PlI greater than 2) in the CHx group was reduced by 99% over the placebo group at 6 weeks and at 4 weeks post-surgical, gingival inflammation scores were significantly lower in the CHx group (17% reduction over the placebo at 4 weeks, P less than 0.05). Gingival bleeding scores (GI greater than 2) were significantly lower in the CHx group at 4 and 6 weeks (41% and 40% reduction over the placebo group, P less than 0.05). Probing pocket depth and attachment level changes were not significantly different between both groups. Epithelialization rates and pain assessment demonstrated consistently better results in the CHx group, although differences were not statistically significant. Use of 0.12% chlorhexidine immediately following periodontal surgery, for 6 weeks, has been shown to be a clinically effective adjunct providing enhancement of the post-surgical management of periodontal surgical patients.


Background: Ectopic pregnancy (EP) still remains a main cause of maternal mortalities. This study is designed to evaluate the accuracy of serum Activin A in detection of ectopic pregnancy. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted from 2009 to 2010 at two main referral university hospitals, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Two hundred subjects who were under 10 week's pregnancy with clinical presentations of abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding were enrolled. After sampling serum Activin A, patients underwent ultrasonography, titer of B-HCG and surgery (if indicated) and were divided into two groups: EP (n = 100) and intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) (n = 100). The mean of Activin A was compared between groups and by ROC curve, the optimal cut off with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were determined. Results: The mean age of women with IUP was 25.4 ± 4.3 years (15-40 years) compared with 25.9 ± 4.1 years in women in EP group (P = 0.448). Statistical difference was not found between EP versus IUP groups in gestational age (6.32 ± 1.03 vs. 6.85 ± 1.82 weeks, P = 0.124). The mean of serum Activin A in EP group was 0.264 ± 0.0703 ng/ml versus 0.949 ± 0.5283 ng/ml in IUP group (P < 0.05). According to ROC curve (area under the curve = 0.981, P < 0.05, confidence interval: 0.961-1.000), the optimal cut off was estimated as 0.504 ng/ml with sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 93.5%. Conclusion: This study indicated that the mean of serum Activin A is lower in EP compared with IUP. The serum Activin A has a fair accuracy in detecting EP.


In the article I tried to select the most important issues and events related to the Albanian minority question in Macedonia. In the very beginning I explain the origin of the name Macedonia, the location of Macedonia and roughly summarize its way to independence in the 90's. Then I elucidate where the Albanian minority in Macedonia came from and why the conflict in Tetovo broke out. At the and I try to chronologically describe the events from 2001 that had impact on today's political situation in the state with special regard to the political crisis that lasted from 2014 to the implementation of the law guaranteeing Albanian as the second official language in Macedonia. Key words: Macedonia, Albanian minority, identity, conflict


In three patients with myocardial infarction complicated by rupture of the ventricular septum the AA. looked for characteristic echocardiographic signs, to be used in a differential diagnosis with mitralic insufficiency from the dysfunction of the papillary muscles. The partial disagreement between the facts ascertained (slight increase in the dimensions of the left atrium, inconstant behaviour of the dimension of the right ventricle), and those observed by other authors can be explained considering the multiplicity of the pathophysiological moments capable of influencing the echocardiographical picture: from the location and extension of the myocardial necrosis to the entity of the left-right shunt, from the coexistance of a hypertensive cardiomyopathy or of a pregressive myocardial infarction to the modalities of intraventricular diffusion of the electric stimulus, from the type of treatment (cardioactive supportive) to the time intervals between myocardial infaction -- rupture of the septum -- echocardiographic examination. The AA. conclude that M-mode echocardiodiography is not very helpful to the physician who must interpret a systolic murmur from punctal and/or mesocardial regurgitation in a subject with myocardial infarction.


Demand management in Britain is not new. We suggest that there is value in exploring earlier experiences, for the insights they offer into the culture and practices of the electricity supply industry and into the challenges demand management faces today. The paper focuses on the two decades after the Second World War, in which the UK electricity supply industry tried to mould and shift the time profile of electricity demand, especially for domestic heating. Between 1945 and 1964 the Electrical Development Association (EDA) was an industry actor that worked to impact domestic electricity demand. As the industry's central public relations arm, its main role was to promote electricity and its use, although in this period it also attempted to reduce domestic demand at peaks, especially for space heating. In the late 1940s, when electricity supply was very tight, it did this by advertising to discourage the use of electric fires. Later, the EDA encouraged the take-up of off-peak appliances, such as night-storage heaters, and considered these promotional activities successful attempts at load-shifting. The EDA is thus an interesting case of demand management by an organisation whose main interest was to increase, not decrease, the use of electricity, a position not unlike that of most large electricity utilities today.
The paper explores EDA's stated reasons for engaging with demand management and the context of their work in this area, including shifting government policies and social changes and competition from other fuels and technologies, in an attempt to understand the viewpoint and actions of one of the industry's influential but traditional actors. The EDA was constantly negotiating between critical views of its work, from both within and without the electricity industry, and their own organisation's desires both to promote electricity and shift demand off-peak. These negotiations are shown to have influenced their demand management work. The paper also investigates, partly as a reality-check against EDA's self-promotion, what types of heating appliances were actually used and preferred by domestic consumers.


A series of macrocyclic receptors were designed to probe the influence of four factors, hydrogen bonding, charge, dimensionality, and topology, on anion binding. Monocyclic and bicyclic polyammonium and polyamide receptors were synthesized from either 2,2'-diaminodiethylamine derivatives (dien) or 2,2',2''-aminoethylamine (tren) building blocks, plus aromatic or heterocyclic spacers. Supramolecular complexes of these hosts with three simple anion topologies were probed: spherical (halides), trigonal planar (nitrate), and tetrahedral (sulfate). Results indicate a number of corollaries with transition-metal coordination chemistry in terms of binding concepts such as the chelate effect and dual valencies, as well as geometries for anion complexes that are strikingly similar to those observed in transition-metal coordination chemistry.


The surface tension of blood assessed in a group of 71 healthy subjects (24 men and 47 women) by the drop method at a temperature of 22 degrees C was 55.89 x 10(-3) N x m(-1), S.D.=3.57 x 10(-3) N x m(-1). It did not correlate with age or sex of the examined subjects nor with any of the following variables: red cell sedimentation rate, blood haemoglobin levels, number of erythrocytes, total serum cholesterol, total serum triacylglycerols, creatinine blood levels, ALT and AST activity. The surface tension of blood and other body fluids can play an important part not only in the genesis and development of decompression sickness but also in other processes in the organism.


Although granular cell tumors are relatively common in the head and neck, symptomatic granular cell tumors of the neurohypophysis are extremely rare. Ophthalmologic symptoms are most common, followed by endocrinologic manifestations. We report a case of a granular cell tumor of the pituitary fossa that was surgically treated. The clinical manifestations, radiographic appearance, and surgical management of granular cell tumors of the pituitary fossa are reviewed, as well as the unique histopathology and electron microscopy of this uncommon neoplasm.


As computing power becomes more and more available, robotic systems are moving away from active sensors for environmental awareness and transitioning into passive vision sensors. With the advent of teleoperation and real-time video tracking of dynamic environments, the need to stabilize video onboard mobile robots has become more prevalent. This thesis presents a digital stabilization method that incorporates inertial fusion with a Kalman filter. The camera motion is derived visually by tracking SIFT features in the video feed and fitting them to an affine model. The digital motion is fused with a 3 axis rotational motion measured by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) rigidly attached to the camera. The video is stabilized by digitally manipulating the image plane opposite of the unwanted motion.


Using a gated intensified digital charge coupled device (ICCD) camera, the development of flashovers across a dielectric surface has been imaged in various gasses at atmospheric pressures. The arc displayed a strong tendency to develop close to the surface, as opposed to following the electric field line leading away from the surface, when oxygen is present in the environment. These findings along with spectroscopy data help to yield a better understanding of the processes involved in surface flashover.


: Even though video games are generally appealing to adolescents, sometimes this can be an issue. In this study, the correlation between video game addiction of adolescents and gender, game genres, types of schools attended to and grade levels, basic psychological needs, and the social support perceived are researched. In this study, conducted in the Bağcılar district of Istanbul province in Turkey, 262 female and 271 male students, making a total of 533 participants from various types of high school. The data was collected using the Basic Psychological Needs Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, and the Gaming Addiction Scale for Adolescents. For independent samples t-test, a one-way analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficient was used for the analysis of the data. According to the results of the study, the levels of game addiction were significantly higher in males than in females, in vocational high schools than in Anatolian or Imam Hatip high schools, and featured online games rather than offline games. It was observed that game addiction affects basic psychological needs and perceived social support significantly negatively.


Background: The extraradical mycelium (ERM) of ectomycorrhizal fungi is a network inhabited by soil mesofauna, mainly collembolans and mites, forming interactions during the fungal life-cycle, from grazing on hyphae to spore dispersal. However, it is still unknown if ERM of ectomycorrhizal fungi could influence the structure of mesofauna assemblages. Objective: To evaluate the abundance and community composition of the mesofauna inhabiting the ERM of Hebeloma mesophaeum, Laccaria laccata and Wilcoxina sp. in Pinus greggii roots. Methods: Mesofauna was collected from the root balls of P. greggii with 80 % of colonization using a washing method. Results and conclusions: An effect was observed due to ERM differences on species richness and species dominance, but not an effect on the abundance and community composition of the mesofauna. However, Wilcoxina sp. presented the lowest species richness and diversity. Fungus-feeding collembolans shaped species-rich assemblages, being isotomid-tullbergid forms the soil-dwelling taxa. Entomobryidae and Hypogastruridae were the most common families on the soil surface, not being found in Wilcoxina sp., and only a few predatory mites of the Mesostigmata and Endeostigmata were found. The ectomycorrhizal mycelium constitutes a trophic niche of the mesofauna and it might be an evolutionary force in structuring species composition and diversity.


The objective of this study is to determine the impact of the key technological parameters on the quality indices of functional beverages produced from whey and enriched with 0.2% of cold-pressed flaxseed oil, rich in ω-3 fatty acids. The amount of fatty acids, peroxide and anisidine values, fatty acidity, sedimentation and sensory parameters of whey beverages were estimated. It was found that the addition of flaxseed oil affected the sensory, physical and chemical properties of the beverages. High quantities of oleic and α-linolenic fatty acids (18.97 and 54.82%, respectively) and negligible amounts of palmitic and myristic acids (4.79 and 0.04%, respectively) were found in the product. On the basis of the obtained results, the beverages from whey enriched with flaxseed oil had a favourable ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. The addition of a stabiliser and the pasteurisation of whey beverages with flaxseed oil did not affect the sensory parameters and the acidity of the products. The highest peroxide value (2.36 meq O2/kg) and acidity (0.34%) were found in the samples with pH=4.0 after 30-day storage at (6±1) °С. A strong negative correlation was estimated between the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids and anisidine value (R=-0.871; p<0.05), peroxide value (R=-0.728; p<0.05) and fatty acidity (R=-0.948; p<0.05).


A survey was conducted in 2001 and 2002 to determine incidence of fruit pathogens in wine grapes (Vitis vinifera), an important crop in the southern interior of British Columbia (BC), Canada. Grape clusters were sampled every 2 weeks from June to October at eight vineyard sites located from Osoyoos in the south to Kelowna, approximately 100 km to the north. In the laboratory, the berry clusters were surface disinfested for 0.5 min in 70% ethanol, followed by 1 min in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite, and rinsed twice in sterile distilled water. The berries were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with 15 ml/liter of 85% lactic acid and incubated at 20°C for 1 week. During the 2002 survey, a fungus resembling Monilinia fructicola (G. Wint.) Honey was observed sporulating on immature 'Pinot noir' grapes from Kelowna that were sampled on 14 August. Later in the growing season, a similar fungus was detected on 'Riesling' grapes from Summerland sampled on 11 September. There was no evidence of brown rot near the vineyard in Kelowna, but diseased stonefruit were present near the vineyard in Summerland. Subsequent identification of the fungus from 'Riesling' as M. fructicola was based on morphological characters and DNA sequence data for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the nuclear ribosomal rRNA genes. The sequenced isolate was deposited in the Canadian Collection of Fungus Cultures as DAOM 231119, and the ITS sequence was accessioned in GenBank as AY289185. Colony growth on PDA was rapid and in concentric rings with the colony margin complete, microconidia abundant, and macroconidia 12 to 13 μm long. Macroconidia germinated with a long germ tube before branching. These characteristics distinguished this fungus from M. laxa, a closely related species that is slow growing with lobed colony margins, produces few microconidia, and germ tubes that branch close to the conidium (1). The complete ITS sequence for DAOM 231119 was a 100% match to other sequences deposited for M. fructicola (Z73777, AF010500, and U21815). On the basis of comparisons of available data, ITS sequences for M. fructicola (three complete ITS, seven partial ITS) and M. laxa (8 complete ITS, 10 partial ITS) differed consistently at four nucleotide positions. The fungus identified as M. fructicola was tested for pathogenicity on mature surface-sterilized 'Pinot noir' and 'Riesling' grapes. Under humid conditions, buff-colored sporodochia bearing conidia developed over the surface of the infected berries. This indicates that M. fructicola can cause decay of wine grapes and could be confused with bunch rot caused by Botrytis cinerea. Previously, M. fructicola was reported on grapes in Oklahoma, but likely these grapes were not Vitis vinifera (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of brown rot caused by M. fructicola on wine grapes in North America. References: (1) L. R. Batra. World Species of Monilinia (Fungi): Their Ecology, Biosystematics and Control. Mycologia Memoir No. 16. Gerbrüder Borntraeger, Berlin/Stuttgart, 1991. (2) D. A. Preston. Host Index of Oklahoma Plant Diseases, Tech. Bull. No. 21. Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Agricultural Experiment Station, Stillwater, 1945.


Recent experimental research on rotating cylinder wakes has found that a previously numerically predicted subharmonic instability mode, mode C, occurs for considerably lower rotation rates than predicted through stability analysis, yet other mode transitions occur closer to the predicted onset. One difference between the theoretical and experimental set-ups is the use of a small-diameter hydrogen bubble visualisation wire placed upstream of the rotating cylinder. The current paper tests the hypothesis that a wire, of only $1/100$ th of the cylinder diameter, placed five diameters upstream of the cylinder, sufficiently perturbs the flow to substantially affect certain wake transitions, including the onset of mode C. This is achieved using stability analysis of a flow that includes the upstream wire. The results indeed show that the wire of a tiny diameter induces a non-negligible asymmetry in the flow, triggering the subharmonic mode at substantially lower rotation rates. Furthermore, at higher rotation rates, the onset of two other three-dimensional modes are delayed to higher Reynolds numbers. These results make the point that even seemingly minute perturbations caused by minimally intrusive methods may result in substantially altered experimental flow behaviour.


Bronchial cartilage dysplasia is believed to have caused lobar bullous emphysema in a 5-month-old Chow Chow that had exercise intolerance, progressive dyspnea, and episodic cough. Radiography of the thorax revealed hyperlucency of the left hemithorax, displacement of the mediastinum and heart to the right, and flattening of the diaphragm. The pup died shortly after the radiographs were obtained. Necropsy revealed massive hyperinflation with 180 degrees torsion of the cranial portion of the left cranial lung lobe, and hyperinflation with less than 180 degrees torsion of the right accessory lung lobe. Histologic examination of the affected lung lobes revealed a lack of bronchial cartilage, loss and displacement of alveolar walls, and bulla formation that resembled congenital (infantile) lobar emphysema of human beings. In this pup, lung lobe torsions may have been predisposed by bronchial cartilage dysplasia.


The rate constant of the reaction Cl + CFCl2H (k1) has been measured relative to the established rate constant for the reaction Cl + CH4 (k2) at 760 Torr. The measurements were carried out in Pyrex reactors using a mixture of CFCl2H, CH4, and Cl2 in either N2 or N2/O2 diluent. Reactants and products were quantified by GC/FID analysis. Cl atoms were generated by irradiation of the mixture with 360 nm light to dissociate the Cl2 for temperatures up to ~550 K. At higher temperature, the Cl2 dissociated thermally, and no irradiation was used. Over the temperature range 298-670 K, k1 is consistently a factor of ~5 smaller than that of k2 with a nearly identical temperature dependence. The optimum non-Arrhenius rate constant is represented by the expression k1 = 1.14 × 10(-22) T(3.49) e(-241/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) with an estimated uncertainty of ±15% including uncertainty in the reference reaction. CFCl3 formed from the reaction CFCl2 + Cl2 (k3) is the sole product in N2 diluent. In ~20% O2 at 298 K, the CFCl3 product is suppressed. The rate constant of reaction 3 was measured relative to that of reaction 4 [CFCl2 + O2 (k4)] giving the result k3/k4 = 0.0031 ± 0.0005 at 298 K. An earlier experiment by others observed C(O)FCl to be the major product of reaction channel 4 [formed via the sequence, CFCl2(O2) → CFCl2O → C(O)FCl + Cl]. Our current experiments verified that there is a Cl atom chain reaction in the presence of O2 as required by this mechanism.


An ability to predict the mileage at failure of components in a complicated system, particularly in automobiles, is a challenging task. In the current work, a methodology for estimating the distribution of failure and survival rate of automobile components affected by multiple factors is presented. A novel adaptation of an ensemble recursive partitioning and tree-based learning method, mutually exclusive forest, is introduced. The proposed method is capable of handling a high dimensional dataset and maximizing the extracted information to estimate the distribution of mileage at failure of automobile components. Each tree in the proposed mutually exclusive forest uses a mutually exclusive set of factors in each of its constituent decision trees to classify the failure data. Information across the trees is combined to obtain the failure rate distribution of an automobile component with respect to mileage. A case study, based on real-world field failure data and censored data of automobile components, is presented to evaluate the proposed algorithm. Results show similar results to the C-Forest approach in terms of prediction quality, while generating models with significantly lower space that are easier to interpret.


TARGET
BP is a national initiative launched by the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association in 2017 in response to the high prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) in the United States.

TARGET
BP provides support to health care organizations and health care teams, with no user fees, to improve the quality of care for adults with hypertension by providing education and resources and recognizing organizations committed to prioritizing and reporting their rate of BP control. Through Target:BP, the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association also collaborate to align policy with evidence through federal, state, and institutional policy advocacy and raise public awareness through media campaigns. In 2022, Target:BP recognized 1309 health care organizations serving 8.4 million patients with hypertension for prioritizing BP control, 675 of which affirmed performance of evidence-based BP measurement activities and 551 of which reported BP control rates ≥70%. With the proportion of US adults with controlled BP falling to 48.2% from 2017 to 2020, Target:BP remains focused on regaining lost ground in national BP control rates by emphasizing accurate BP measurement, rapid treatment intensification, healthful lifestyle changes, and evidence-based use of self-measured BP monitoring.

TARGET
BP also emphasizes adoption of team-based care models and prioritizing equitable health outcomes. More than 1.37 million unique users have visited https://targetbp.org/ and downloaded 98 341 Target:BP resources from 2017 to 2022.


The Fama-French three-factor model is one of the most important models in asset pricing theory, extending the CAPM by incorporating the size and book-to-market (BTM) effects. Several studies have shown that the three-factor model has significantly greater explanatory power over the CAPM.
The present study contributes to the literature by proposing fixed-effects panel regression analysis of stock performance on beta, log of total assets and the book-to-market ratio, controlling for stock-specific and period-specific effects as an alternative to the classic Fama-French methodology, which involves the comparison of the rates of return of a portfolio consisting of high BTM stocks with a portfolio consisting of low BTM stocks and the comparison of the rates of return of a portfolio consisting of small firm stocks with a portfolio consisting of large firm stocks. The study examines the three-factor model using a sample of nine large-cap stocks from the banking industry in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India, over the study period 01/04/2008 - 31/03/2016.
The results of the study indicate significant negative impact of the BTM ratio on mean returns, and no significant beta and size effects. These results are quite different from most of the previous studies in the literature, which assert that stocks with high BTM ratio tend to have higher returns than stocks with low BTM ratio; however, the results of the study do conform partially with the literature of the three-factor model, in that it was generally found the BTM factor to be dominant over the beta and size factors.


Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a type of artificial joint replacement surgery. An acute lower limb arterial embolism after TKA is extremely rare. Although the incidence of acute lower extremity popliteal artery thrombogenesis is very low, orthopedists need to be alert to the complication because it may lead to amputation and other serious consequences. We report a 65-year-old man who had 38 years of post-traumatic pain in the left knee joint, which has worsened in the past 3 years, thus limiting mobility. He had an acute popliteal artery thrombogenesis after undergoing a TKA. Although orthopedic and vascular surgeons took active measures in a timely fashion, the patient still had lower extremity dysfunction. After a TKA, patients should be actively instructed to perform rehabilitation exercises to prevent thromboses.


Drug delivery plays a crucial role in the chemotherapeutic treatment of cancerous solid tumours. A drug, no matter how potent, is only truly effective when it can be delivered to all targeted cells. In recent years it has been recognised that the poor response of tumours to chemotherapy is in part due to inadequate drug delivery. Numerous strategies have been developed to overcome this issue. Of particular interest to the present work is the application of ultrasound and cavitation, which has been shown to be capable of enhancing drug delivery in solid tumours. These enhancements are attributed to the acoustic cavitation of microbubbles and the effects cavitation induces in the surrounding tissue. To better understand how ultrasound and cavitation can enhance drug delivery, an instrument was developed that is capable of monitoring in real-time and in-situ the effect of ultrasound and cavitation on drugs and drug analogues within flow channel models. The developed instrument was used to investigate the effect of ultrasound and cavitation on drug-eluting beads used for chemoembolisation, the effects of drug loading on microbubble dynamics, the effects produced by different cavitation agents, and the performance of passive acoustic mapping as a means of cavitation monitoring. The findings of the above investigations include: more physiologically relevant characterisations of drug-eluting beads pharmacokinetics, the possibility of significant changes in microbubble dynamics due to drug loading, a lack of general correlation between detected cavitation activity and induced effects, and the potential of passive acoustic mapping for monitoring cavitation and ultrasound induced effects. These and other findings also demonstrate the utility of the developed instrument for studying the many facets and applications of ultrasound and cavitation mediated drug delivery.


A problem has been observed that creates difficulties in the normal and productive development of the English courses. Without any doubt, doing homework is very important in the learning process of a new language. Doubtless it affects the student's active participation in the classroom and his relationship to partners and teachers. Because of this, a research project was done with the aim to finding out strategies to ensure students do homework and make it part of the learning process, erasing the image of homework as a punishment.


The article presents indicators for assessing the marketing and innovation, technical and technological, organizational, personnel and investment and sales potentials of an industrial enterprise, developed by the authors based on generalizing existing approaches to the interpretation of elements of economic potential and taking into account the challenges of neoindustrialization. A technique for measuring economic potential, which is based on the aggregation of expert assessments, is proposed. A mechanism has been developed for determining the production strategy of an enterprise and choosing directions for prospective investment based on estimates of the components of economic potential. The results presented in the article (method and mechanism) were tested at mechanical engineering enterprises. Their practical use allows comparing the strategic positions of enterprises and choosing the optimal vector of their development. The scientific and methodological provisions developed in the article can be used by industrial enterprises of various sectors of the economy in production management and researchers of production management problems for the development of the theory and practice of strategic planning and analysis of the resource potential of enterprises.


RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE
Recent studies suggest that metabolic acidosis is associated with mortality and graft failure in kidney transplant recipients. However, it is unknown whether serum bicarbonate (measured as total carbon dioxide [tCO2] in serum) levels predict cardiovascular events (CVEs) following kidney transplantation.

STUDY DESIGN
Observational cohort study.

SETTINGS & PARTICIPANTS
Single-center study of 2,128 kidney transplant recipients free of CVEs during the first 13.5 months following transplantation.

PREDICTOR
tCO2 level at 1 year posttransplantation.

OUTCOMES
Ischemic, arrhythmic, and heart failure CVEs and death from any cause.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH
Independent associations were assessed using multivariable proportional hazards regression models. Restricted cubic spline Poisson models were used to explore nonlinear associations. Linear spline proportional hazards models were used to assess associations at different tCO2 levels.

RESULTS
The prevalence of metabolic acidosis defined as tCO2 level < 24 mEq/L was 38.8% (n=826). There were 384 recipients with a CVE and 610 deaths during a median follow-up of 4.0 years. CVEs included 241 ischemic, 137 arrhythmic, and 150 heart failure events. tCO2 level < 20 mEq/L was associated with increased risk for CVEs (adjusted HR [aHR], 2.00; 95% CI, 1.29-3.10) compared to the reference category of tCO2 level of 24.0 to 25.9 mEq/L. This association was primarily due to ischemic CVEs (aHR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.34-3.90). For every 1 mEq/L lower tCO2 level for those with tCO2 < 24 mEq/L, risks for all CVEs and ischemic events were 17% and 15% higher, respectively (aHR for all CVEs of 0.83 [95% CI, 0.74-0.94] and aHR for ischemic CVEs of 0.85 [95% CI, 0.74-0.99]). Notably, tCO2 level < 20 mEq/L, compared to tCO2 level of 24.0 to 25.9 mEq/L, was independently associated with all-cause mortality (aHR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.02-2.02). For every 1-mEq/L lower tCO2 level for those with tCO2 < 24 mEq/L, there was 17% higher risk for death (aHR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.75-0.92).

LIMITATIONS
Single-center observational study.

CONCLUSIONS
Metabolic acidosis is an independent risk factor for ischemic CVEs after kidney transplantation. It is unknown whether correction of acidosis improves outcomes in these patients.


Beaver (Castor canadensis) build dams and create ponds on streams within forested areas. Upon abandonment, ponds often drain and the subsequent meadows persist for decades as graminoid patches that resist invasion of conifers despite their close proximity to seed sources. The lack of ectomycorrhizal fungi in soils of beaver meadows may limit the rate of conifer invasion. Small mammals such as the red backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi) disperse spores of mycorrhizal fungi in their feces, and so the dispersal of spores by small mammals may be the rate-limiting step to conifer invasion of beaver meadows. We investigated the distribution and abundance of small mammals in beaver meadows and adjacent forests in northern Minnesota, USA during May and August, the abundance and species composition of fungal spores in their fecal pellets, and the growth of black spruce (Picea mariana) seedlings in beaver meadow soils inoculated with these spores. C. gapperi was present in the forest and at the forest edge but was absent from beaver meadows. Abundance of C. gapperi was almost three times higher in August than in May. Feces from C. gapperi in May and August contained fungal spores from a total of nine genera of fungi, and all but one are known to form ectomycorrhizal symbioses. Feces from August contained more fungal genera and more spores than feces from May. Seedlings grown in uninoculated beaver meadow soils did not form ectomycorrhizae during the length of this study, but beaver meadow soils which received feces formed ectomycorrhizae on 20% and 33% of plants using May and August feces, respectively. In contrast, seedlings grown in soils from forests adjacent to beaver meadows formed ectomycorrhizae on 100% of plants Black spruce seedlings grown in beaver meadow soils containing August feces had significantly higher shoot, root, and total dry weights after 46 weeks of growth compared to uninoculated controls but plants grown in soils containing May feces were not significantly different from controls. In addition, seedlings grown in forest soils had significantly larger shoot, root, and total weights than plants grown in untreated beaver meadow soils at all sampling periods. Flooding of forest soils for eight weeks had no significant effect on seedling growth parameters or mycorrhizal development. Lack of ectomycorrhizal fungi is likely a factor that limits conifer invasion into beaver meadows. C. gapperi is a potential vector for ectomycorrhizal fungal spores into beaver meadows, but the expression of this potential is limited by habitat use patterns of this small mammal.


Effects of forward and backward conditioned-unconditioned stimulus (CS- US) intervals on classical conditioning of the flexion reflex were examined in a spinal cat preparation. A less intense conditioned stimulus (CS) was employed (activation of A-alpha cutaneous fibers) compared to that of a previous study (activation of both A-alpha and A- delta cutaneous fibers). Interstimulus intervals (ISIs) ranging from +3.0 to -3.0 sec were examined in 9 experimental groups, and results contrasted to those of an explicitly unpaired control group. The ISI of -0.25 sec produced optimal backward excitatory conditioning, paralleling the previous results. However, in contrast to the previous study, no conditioning was observed in any of the forward ISI groups. These observations support the hypothesis that backward and forward conditioning may be fundamentally different phenomena, induced by CS activation of different spinal reflex pathways: backward conditioning involves spinal reflex pathways activated by A-alpha cutaneous fibers of the CS, while forward conditioning involves spinal reflex pathways activated by A-delta cutaneous fibers of the CS.


A large number of indices have been developed to assess human bioclimatic conditions. The indices that could be considered valid in all climate and seasons are those that are based on calculations involving the heat balance equation. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the performance of selected existing indices based on body's energy balance, in an outdoor built environment. A field questionnaire survey was carried out simultaneously with microclimatic measurements in a street canyon located in the centre of Athens, Greece. The experiments that lasted 2 days, were performed in July while the interviews were conducted in randomly selected people passing by or visiting the measurements sites. The values produced by COMFA, PET and UTCI were compared to the actual thermal sensation that was indicated on a 7-point thermal sensation scale by the respondents. The results showed a significant relationship between predicted and actual thermal sensation. However indices' estimates deviated from the actual thermal sensation. The maximum percentage of correct predictions was about 37% while UTCI predicted thermal sensation better than COMFA or PET.


Clinical and urodynamic examinations were carried out in 63 patients with Parkinson's disease presenting with disorders of the urinary bladder sphincters with no detectable other neurological or urological cause. The incidence of these disorders varies greatly according to different authors this being likely due to a lack of their recognition in routine examinations. In many cases of the present series they were the initial symptom of the disease. The most frequent complaint was urgency of micturition, alone or associated with dysuria, the latter alone being much rarer. Urinary incontinence as a result of one or the other of these disturbances was a frequent feature. Overall clinical characteristics confirm the central neurologic origin of these disorders. Cystometry demonstrated detrusor hyperactivity in 60 p. cent of cases and hypoactivity in 35 p. cent. An electromyogram of the striated sphincter muscle and/or a urethral pressure graph were recorded in some patients. On the whole urodynamic data indicated detrusor muscle dysfunction as being the cause of the micturition disorders. L-Dopa could modify these disorders by increasing detrusor hypoactivity, probably through a central action. Anticholinergic agents provided good therapeutic results when detrusor hypoactivity was involved but it was much more difficult to improve hypoactivity. Data suggesting the role of basal ganglia lesions in detrusor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease are discussed.


Since the thickness and shape of the choroid layer are indicators for the diagnosis of several ophthalmic diseases, the choroid layer segmentation is an important task. There exist many challenges in segmentation of the choroid layer. In this paper, in view of the lack of context information due to the ambiguous boundaries, and the subsequent inconsistent predictions of the same category targets ascribed to the lack of context information or the large regions, a novel Skip Connection Attention (SCA) module which is integrated into the U-Shape architecture is proposed to improve the precision of choroid layer segmentation in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images. The main function of the SCA module is to capture the global context in the highest level to provide the decoder with stage-by-stage guidance, to extract more context information and generate more consistent predictions for the same class targets. By integrating the SCA module into the U-Net and CE-Net, we show that the module improves the accuracy of the choroid layer segmentation.


pp. x + 21 S, ISBN 0-86554-130-2) is number 5 in the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion Dissertation Series. The Author states his purpose as being to explore the continuity and contrast between theological hermeneutics and general hermeneutics by studying the early development of the hermeneutic of Karl Barth with reference to Romans 5:12-21 (p. 2). Chapter 1 provides an English translation of Barth's comments on this section in his original 1919 'Romans' and attempts to set the section in its context in the whole of the commentary. Chapter 2 examines his use of historical-critical resources in the 1919 'Romans' and concludes that it was 'careful and quite judicious' (p. 93). Chapter 3 considers his 'second step', the attempt to press beyond the merely historical-critical to real understanding of the message. Chapter 4 examines both steps of theological hermeneutic as seen in Barth's 1922 'Romans', traces the development between the two editions of the commentary and draws some conclusions from the whole study. Chapter 5 might perhaps have been better presented as an appendix. It is a rather slight and inconclusive discussion of Barth's much later treatment of the Romans passage in his 'Christ and Adam'.


Using VAR Model, this paper constructs a dynamic relationship system among house prices, price level, economic growth, monetary policy and unemployment rate. Discussed the impact of house prices fluctuation on some of china's key economic variables, especially monetary policy. Granger causality test showed that the price fluctuations is the Granger reason which changes monetary policy, economic growth and price level. According to the analysis of VAR (2) model, house price increase has some impact on china's economy: money supply increase, higher price level, slower economic growth, and higher unemployment rate in the long run. The positive impact of the higher- rising house prices forces the central government to adopt an expansionary monetary policy, which in turn causes much higher price. Variance decomposition analysis showed that the house price fluctuations on the impact of monetary policy, the lagged effects of the existence of about three months. It proves through the polynomial AR of the calculating model that VAR (2) model is stable, that is, China's economy can develop smoothly and orderly through the automatic adjustment of the market and the macroeconomic control of the government.


Introduction: The objective of this research was to propose and evaluate a cognitive behavioral nutrition education program for overweight women and to identify factors that interfere with adherence. Methods: A quasi-experimental, qualitative and quantitative study, were performed. Overweight women were separated in two groups: one who participated in a group program based on the cognitive behavioral model and the other who received individual follow-up. Anthropometric and biochemical data were compared, as well as factors related to adherence. Results: Anthropometric and biochemical data did not differ significantly between groups. The qualitative analysis showed important changes in relation to the quality and quantity of the food ingested. Discussion: The strategies used allowed the elaboration of relevant cognitive resources for weight loss. Conclusions: The program assisted in changes in eating habits, which may impact on relevant anthropometric and biochemical changes in the medium term.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the postoperative complications of microscopic and conventional Palomo varicocelectomy in the treatment of varicocele in army personnel.

METHODS
A total of 260 army personnel with varicocele were randomized to receive microscopic varicocelectomy (group A, n=130) and conventional Palomo varicocelectomy (group B, n=130). The postoperative recurrence and complications (scrotal edema, testicular pain and testicular atrophy) were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS
After 1 year of follow-up, the recurrence rates in groups A and B were statistically comparable (5.3% vs 3.8%, P>0.05). The incidences of testicular atrophy and scrotal edema were significantly lower in group A than in group B (0.7% vs 3.1%, P<0.05; 3.1% vs 14.6%, P<0.05), and the rate of testicular pain relief was significantly higher in group A (90.7% vs 67.7%, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION
Microscopic varicocelectomy can be a good choice in the treatment of varicocele in army personnel.


Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is common diagnosis in women presenting with infertility. All the dimensions of PCOS have not been completely explored. Many studies have tried to characterize the exact presentation of the disease. In this study we studied clinical features of PCOS in Indian women to characterize different phenotypes of this syndrome. Prevalence of acanthosis nigricans (AN) as surrogate marker of insulin resistance, obesity, hirsutism and hypothyroidism in PCOS women have been simultaneously studied. Materials and Methods: Present work is a non comparative cross-sectional open label study carried out over a period of 18 months in an endocrinology hospital in western Maharashtra, India. Results and Conclusion: Authors conclude that PCOS occurs both in obese and non-obese women; AN and hirsutism occur in equal proportion of patients. AN is correlated with obesity. Hormonal dysfunctions in PCOS manifested together or independently. PCOS women can be sub grouped based on clinical features suggestive of endocrinological malfunctions and can be investigated accordingly for selection of appropriate treatment modalities.


In depth characterization of individual human tumor cell lines might serve to explore the concept of future personalized cancer management. To address this question, standardized serum-free cultures of normal oral keratinocytes (NOK) were compared relative to the tongue squamous cell carcinoma line LK0412 via multiple bioinformatics-based assessments of transcript and protein profiles. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide electrophoresis identified 27 differentially expressed abundant proteins in LK0412. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis indicated alterations of the regulation of cell death, protein metabolism, energy pathways and various binding activities. Based on the protein-enriched GO-categories, the web-based program AffyAnnotator conducted the selection of 119 differently expressed transcripts from the microarray data in LK0412 vs. NOK. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of these pertubated transcripts then revealed associations to cancer, cellular assembly and organization as well as cellular movement, and moreover, identified an 11-gene profile composed of central regulators within the networks. Notably, the differently expressed proteins and transcripts, as well as the 11-gene profile, variably classified two independent public microarray data sets of totally 38 normal and 57 tumor tongue samples, including a power of 95% accuracy from the 11-gene profile. Additional evaluation of the derived signatures by so called "signature evaluation tool" (implementing the Golub9s weighted voting algorithm), identified reduced gene number signatures that similarly discriminated the normal from the tongue tissues in both data sets up to an accuracy rate of 95%. The overall results suggest that combined bioinformatics processing of transcript and protein data might serve as a constructive strategy for identification of potential candidate biomarkers in individual tumor samples, that may then serve to aid in cancer management. Additionally, gene signature profiles, generated as described, may serve to improve current efforts to accurately classify normal and tumor tongue tissues. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2169.