WEST BENGAL Helpless Bailiff of a Decadent Lord Ajit Roy THE West Bengal budget for 1986-87 presented by Jyoti Basu is not particularly striking in any respect except perhaps for its contrivance to make an essentially deficit balance position appear as a substantially surpjus one. Jyoti Basu, however, cannot be personally faulted on that account. The sudden resignation of the previous Finance Minister, Ashok Mitra, just a few weeks before the budget session was due to begin did not leave much time to the chief minister who took over the charge of the finance department, presumably as a stop gap measure only, for serious thoughts to the budget-making. More fundamentally, of course, the national political-economic framework in general and the distribution of fiscal powers between the Centre and the states in particular offer very limited room to state finance ministers for any substantial improvisation or innovation, unless of course the state government is prepared to opt for an altogether different course of extra-constitutional mobilisation which the left Front government in West Bengal definitely is not. Within the logic of the prevailing scheme, the state budget, therefore, can scarcely escape following a much beaten track. Indeed, much of Jyoti Basil's budget speech is devoted to the usual lamentatioris over the existing fiscal constrictions and Central iniquities and their impacts on the state finances


A method is presented for marking high-quality digital images with a robust and invisible watermark. A broad definition of robustness, stated as fundamental, is used. It requires the invisible mark to survive and remain detectable through all image manipulations that in themselves does not damage the image beyond useability. These manipulations include JPEG "lossy" compression and, in the extreme, the printing and rescanning of the image. The watermark is imparted onto an image as a random, bur reproducible, small modulation of its pixel brightnesses, and becomes a permanent part of the marked image. Detecting the imparted watermark, especially after image manipulation, is a daunting task. It is one of detecting the presence of a known small modulation of a random carrier where the carrier is composed of the pixel brightness values of the unmarked image. The method presented exploits the not well understood but superb ability of the human visual system to recognize a correlated pattern in a scatter diagram called a "visualizer-coincidence image." Results of application of the method are presented.


History matching is a critical process used for calibrating simulation models and assessing subsurface uncertainties. This common technique aims to align the reservoir models with the observed data. However, achieving this goal is often challenging due to the nonuniqueness of the solution, underlying subsurface uncertainties, and usually the high computational cost of simulations. The traditional approach is often based on trial and error, which is exhaustive and labor-intensive. Some analytical and numerical proxies combined with Monte Carlo simulations are used to reduce the computational time. However, these approaches suffer from low accuracy and may not fully capture subsurface uncertainties. This study proposes a new robust method using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to perform assisted history matching under uncertainties. We propose a novel three-step workflow that includes (1) multiresolution low-fidelity models to guarantee high-quality matching; (2) long-short-term memory (LSTM) network as a low-fidelity model to reproduce continuous time response based on the simulation model, combined with Bayesian optimization to obtain the optimum low-fidelity model; and (3) Bayesian MCMC runs to obtain the Bayesian inversion of the uncertainty parameters. We perform sensitivity analysis on the LSTM's architecture, hyperparameters, training set, number of chains, and chain length to obtain the optimum setup for Bayesian-LSTM history matching. We also compare the performance of predicting the recovery factor (RF) using different surrogate methods, including polynomial chaos expansions (PCE), kriging, and support vector machines for regression (SVR). We demonstrate the proposed method using a water flooding problem for the upper Tarbert formation of the 10th SPE comparative model. This study case represents a highly heterogeneous nearshore environment. Results showed that the Bayesian-optimized LSTM has successfully captured the physics in the high-fidelity model. The Bayesian-LSTM MCMC produces an accurate prediction with narrow ranges of uncertainties. The posterior prediction through the high-fidelity model ensures the robustness and accuracy of the workflow. This approach provides an efficient and practical history-matching method for reservoir simulation and subsurface flow modeling with significant uncertainties.


Muscles deprived of somatic motor innervation (sensory and sympathetic motor innervation intact) served as a model for studying the role of vasoconstrictor fibers and skeletal muscle tone in the regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow. Blood flow, vascular resistance and O2 consumption of the gastrocnemius muscle of the cat were measured 5 to 7, 10 to 16, and 27 to 44 days after unilateral section of ventral roots L5 to S5 in cats and compared to similar measurements in the normal gastrocnemius muscle and in that with its sciatic nerve cut. After section of the peripheral nerve, total blood flow increased and then returned to normal; after section of the ventral roots, total blood flow did not change significantly. In both cases, blood flow per 100 g of muscle increased as atrophy developed. After section of the ventral roots, O2 consumption and CO2 production per 100 g of muscle increased earlier than blood flow. Peripheral resistance was calculated before and immediately after acute section of both tib...


We demonstrate that the key to realizing arbitrary control over pairs of polarization states of light, i.e., transforming an arbitrarily polarized pair of input states to an arbitrarily polarized pair of output states, is the ability to generate pairs of states with orthogonal polarizations from nonorthogonal pairs of initial states. Then, we develop a new class of non-Hermitian metamaterials, termed complex birefringent metamaterials, which are able to do exactly this. Such materials could facilitate the detection of small polarization changes in scattering experiments as well as enable new polarization multiplexing schemes in communications networks.


In a 28 d microcosm study, we examined the effects of diesel-contaminated sediment on the sedimentary bacterial community of a Louisiana (USA) salt marsh that has been chronically exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons for decades Diesel contaminants in n1icrocosms as determined from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration ranged from 0.55 to 55 ppm (dry weight). Bacterial metabolism (incorporation of I4C-acetate and 3H-leucine) and bacterial abundance were not affected by diesel-contaminated sediment at any concentration. Bacterial degradation of I4Cphenanthrene, however, increased in direct proportion to the amount of dieselcontaminated sediment added. Ambient sediment also exhibited significant capacity to degrade PAH. The half life of phenanthrene (based on "'C-phenanthrene-degradation experiments) ranged from 137 d in ambient sediments to 4.5 d in sediment chronically exposed to high levels of diesel-contaminated sediments for 28 d. Twoand three-ring PAH, including naphthalenes, phenanthrenes, and dibenzothiophenes, constituted the bulk of PAH composition of diesel and were rapidly metabolized. Alkylated PAH were also readily metabolized. The rapid removal of PAH suggests that even if the marsh were exposed to chronically high levels of petroleum hydrocarbons, chemical evidence of the contaminants would not be detected in sediments. Collectively, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that the bacterial community in this salt marsh has adapted to chronic exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons.


Drug Policy in Portugal is a lucid, penetrating and timely study about the impact of drug decriminalization on peopleâ?Ts health and public security.


Objective To investigate improved dysphagia after the decannulation of a tracheostomy in patients with brain injuries. Methods The subjects of this study are patients with brain injuries who were admitted to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in Myongji Hospital and who underwent a decannulation between 2012 and 2014. A video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) was performed in order to investigate whether the patients' dysphagia had improved. We measured the following 5 parameters: laryngeal elevation, pharyngeal transit time, post-swallow pharyngeal remnant, upper esophageal width, and semisolid aspiration. We analyzed the patients' results from VFSS performed one month before and one month after decannulation. All VFSS images were recorded using a camcorder running at 30 frames per second. An AutoCAD 2D screen was used to measure laryngeal elevation, post-swallow pharyngeal remnant, and upper esophageal width. Results In this study, a number of dysphagia symptoms improved after decannulation. Laryngeal elevation, pharyngeal transit time, and semisolid aspiration showed no statistically significant differences (p>0.05), however after decannulation, the post-swallow pharyngeal remnant (pre 37.41%±24.80%, post 21.02%±11.75%; p<0.001) and upper esophageal width (pre 3.57±1.93 mm, post 4.53±2.05 mm; p<0.001) showed statistically significant differences. Conclusion When decannulation is performed on patients with brain injuries who do not require a ventilator and who are able to independently excrete sputum, improved esophageal dysphagia can be expected.


MR imaging has a significant role in medical diagnostics. Imaging quality depends on SNR levels. Higher B0 field and consequently higher RF-field intensity increase SNR but it also elevates the total body SAR. This can be alleviated by local magnetic field enhancement. Metamaterial based structures have shown promising applications in this regard. Here we report a new metamaterial inspired resonant structure for local field enhancement in 3T MRI machine. We show field enhancement capabilities of our design in planar and cylindrical forms, each of which can be used based on the anatomical site under investigation.


Your father's father likely worked 40 years to prepare for a retirement lasting just a few (say 4 years). Actually, back then, one's final illness often equated to one's retirement! In any event, retirement income security just a few generations ago was not the issue it has now become. And chances are that the years your son's son may live after retiring will number more (perhaps far more) than the years he worked! What is this inevitable seismic shift in demographics likely to mean to our grand-children and country? As wise men teach, this problem may be an opportunity in disguise. For if we focus sharply on our retirement problem, and its seven basic causes, we will discover that an uncomplicated CURE is self-evident, and furthermore, is absolutely sustainable economically even if we live forever! All that is needed is for we the people to simply change, and to change simply. At the core, we must summon the mental strength, wisdom, and resolve to lead a morally virtuous life, and thus inspire others to do likewise, as so many of our Founders envisioned. By so doing we will reap a financial harvest and moral bounty during our Golden Years that is there for the taking. How? By first rationally exercising our God given common sense, and then secondly, by being both clearheaded and foresighted with our hard earned Common Cents.


Plant roots show distinct gene-expression profiles from those of shoots under abiotic stress conditions. In this study, we performed mRNA sequencing (mRNA-Seq) to analyze the transcriptional profiling of Arabidopsis roots under osmotic stress conditions—high salinity (NaCl) and drought (mannitol). The roots demonstrated significantly distinct gene-expression changes from those of the aerial parts under both the NaCl and the mannitol treatment. We identified 68 closely connected transcription-factor genes involved in osmotic stress-signal transduction in roots. Well-known abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent and/or ABA-independent osmotic stress-responsive genes were not considerably upregulated in the roots compared to those in the aerial parts, indicating that the osmotic stress response in the roots may be regulated by other uncharacterized stress pathways. Moreover, we identified 26 osmotic-stress-responsive genes with distinct expressions of alternative splice variants in the roots. The quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction further confirmed that alternative splice variants, such as those for ANNAT4, MAGL6, TRM19, and CAD9, were differentially expressed in the roots, suggesting that alternative splicing is an important regulatory mechanism in the osmotic stress response in roots. Altogether, our results suggest that tightly connected transcription-factor families, as well as alternative splicing and the resulting splice variants, are involved in the osmotic stress response in roots.


Use of nonlinear loads, such as thyristor controlled inductors for FACTs devices, converters for HVDC transmission and large adjustable speed motor drives, is expected to grow rapidly. All of these loads inject harmonic currents and reactive power into the power system.

This paper presents a new control scheme for a 3 phase parallel active filter. The presented control system is able to compensating current harmonics, reactive power and current unbalance of non linear loads. The conventional controllers based on pq theory need more calculations, since they need the use of Clark transformation (abc to αβ transformation). The proposed control system is very simple and therefore practical implementation of active filters is available. The presented simulation and experimental results show the validity of control strategy. In this paper the PSCAD/EMTDC program and LAB VIEW software are used for simulation and hardware implementation, respectively.


A new approach of non-destructive testing for thick welded structural materials based on laser-ultrasonic technique is investigated. In this study, weld part of structural materials, which should be conventionally inspected after welding, is inspected during welding process in order to save time and cost of manufacturing. The laser-ultrasonic is a method to generate and detect ultrasonic signals by laser beams and has potential to be applied to remote inspection/monitoring of materials under welding at elevated temperature. Bulk longitudinal acoustic wave generated by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser irradiation and detected as surface vibration by laser interferometer coupled with a long pulse detection laser is used to detect defects around the weld. To overcome the lack of sensitivity of laser-ultrasonic testing on thick welded part having a thickness of more than 100mm at higher temperature, we have originally developed a modified synthesis aperture focus signal processing technique (m-SAFT). The in-process testing with actual piping weld having a thickness of 150mm with high temperature more than 200 degrees C. was demonstrated. By using m-SAFT, an actual weld defect of 1.5mm in diameter at 106mm depth in the specimen was clearly observed. The measurement result well agreed with the result of conventional ultrasonic testing conducted after weld process and also the cross-sectional observation of the specimen. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.I-M2014809]


We propose a modulation method to record background-free far field FTIR spectra of single sub $-\lambda$ sized objects which we combine with near-field TRSTM measurements to characterize the thermal emission of plasmonic antennas and silica rods. The fundamental mode of MIM nanoantennas is excited at multiple wavelengths. © 2019 The Author(s)


The effect of substance P (SP) on gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) content in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) was studied. To evaluate this effect, 5 microg of SP in saline or saline alone were injected into the 3rd cerebral ventricle in conscious ovariectomized (OVX) and ovariectomized with subcutaneously implanted 17beta-estradiol capsules (OVX+E[_2]) rats. Two hours later the animals were decapitated and GnRH was estimated by radioimmunoassay in the tissue extracts from MBH. SP injected i.c.v. had no effect on the GnRH content in MBH in OVX rats. However, SP significantly decreased GnRH content in OVX+E[_2] rats. These results provide evidence that SP participates in the control of GnRH neurons within MBH. It is suggested that SP may stimulate GnRH release from GnRH neuron terminals and that estrogen may be involved in this process.


Peripheral arterial insufficiency is a progressive degenerative disease associated with an increased morbidity and mortality. It decreases exercise tolerance and often presents with symptoms of intermittent claudication. Enhanced physical activity is one of the most effective means of improving the life of affected patients. While this occurs for a variety of reasons, vascular remodeling can be an important means for improved oxygen exchange and blood flow delivery. Relevant exercise-induced signals stimulate angiogenesis, within the active muscle (e.g. hypoxia), and arteriogenesis (enlargement of pre-existing vessels via increased shear stress) to increase oxygen exchange and blood flow capacity, respectively. Evidence from pre-clinical studies shows that the increase in collateral blood flow observed with exercise progresses over time of training, is accompanied by significant enlargement of isolated collateral vessels, and enhances the responses observed with angiogenic growth factors (e.g. VEGF, FGF-2). Thus, enhanced physical activity can be an effective means of enlarging the structure and function of the collateral circuit. Interestingly, disrupting normal NO production (via L-NAME) eliminates this increase in collateral blood flow induced by training, but does not disturb the increase in muscle capillarity within the active muscle. Similarly, inhibiting VEGF receptor kinase activity eliminates the increase in collateral-dependent blood flow, and lessens, but does not eliminate, angiogenesis within the calf muscle. These findings illustrate distinctions between the processes influencing angiogenesis and arteriogenesis. Further, sympathetic modulation of the collateral circuit does not eliminate the increase in collateral circuit conductance induced by exercise training. These findings indicate that structural enlargement of the collateral vessels is essential to realize the increase in collateral-dependent blood flow capacity caused by exercise training. This raises the potential that meaningful vascular remodeling can occur in patients with intermittent claudication who actively participate in exercise training.


Semi-solid metal processing with the cooling plate technique is one of the key technologies for producing advanced materials. The multitude of cast iron families with their wide range of mechanical properties, and relatively low costs combined with the advantage of semi-solid processing allow production of high quality cast components from cast iron. The effect of semi-solid processing using the cooling plate technique on the microstructure and the properties of cast iron is studied. The investigated material is hypo-eutectic, hyper-eutectic gray iron, compacted graphite and ductile cast iron. The results indicated that the microstructure (primary austenite and graphite) becomes finer and more globular by increasing the fraction of solid. The tensile strength of semi-solid processed cast iron is relatively high compared with ordinary cast iron. The values of both the tensile strength and the elongation depend on the fraction of solid. The total fracture strength is observed to depend on the graphite morphology as well as the matrix contribution that mainly depends on fraction of solid. The wear resistance and damping capacity of cast iron were investigated as a function of the relative amount of primary fraction of solid.


Safety of food originated from animals is an emerging global health problem, and ensuring food safety is a challenge for the producers and governments who deal with protecting the food supply chain from contamination with hazardous microbes, chemicals and/or drugs. In the United States (US), the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) program is a unique consortium of scientific experts who help maintain a proper balance among animal health, food safety, and regulatory policies. Veterinarians must often use drugs in an extra-label manner to treat food animals due to limited availability of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs. Extra-label drug use (ELDU) is allowable under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA). Following ELDU, and before products derived from the treated animal can be sold and marketed, an extended withdrawal time (EWDT) needs to be established, based on appropriate scientific data. The objective of this paper is to discuss the scientific basis for determination of EWDT of drugs used in food animals using kinetic modeling approach.


SUMMARY: Eight acoustic surveys were carried out in the Bay of Biscay, during 1989-94, to study the distribution and abundance of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus, L.) in that area. Acoustic data were stored using the INES/MOVIES acquisition and processing system. Species-specific distribution patterns were confirmed through complementary sampling with a mid-water trawl. This paper summarises the combination of technical procedures used for acoustic assessments, and the results of acoustic surveys in the Bay of Biscay that pertain to the dynamics of this stock. Information is presented on the distribution and abundance of anchovy and co-occuring species, and on the movement patterns detected within the pelagic fish community, in relation to environmental conditions. A comparative analysis of the vertical distribution of echo traces revealed some species-specific preferences. Beyond the stock-assessment possibilities, experiments showed that acoustic survey methods can provide considerable knowledge used for ecological research.


The uptake of serotonin (5HT) into mouse uterine horns, the localization of sites at which this amine could be stored and the effect of oxytocin on 5HT uptake were studied. To analyze the characteristics of the 5HT uptake process, the tissue was incubated with [3H]serotonin. The uptake of [3H]5HT was Na+ dependent and saturable (Kmapp: 166 +/- 15 nM, Vmax: 404 +/- 25 fmol/mg tissue, 30 min (diestrous); and Km: 165 +/- 39 nM, Vmax: 276 +/- 43 fmol/mg tissue, 30 min (estrous), n = 6), and was inhibited by imipramine, fluoxetine and 6-nitroquipazine (IC50: 2; 0.09 and 0.5 nM, respectively). In the myometrium the main 5HT uptake process was localized in uterine mast cells. This was determined by treating the uterine horns with 6-hydroxydopamine, by using an immunocytochemical approach and by studying the outflow of 3H under the action of stimuli directed to either mast cells (compound 48/80: 10 microgram/ml) or sympathetic nerves (high K+: 100 mM and veratridine: 20 microM) in uterine preparations. Oxytocin inhibited [3H]5HT uptake into uterine mast cells during estrus, but not in ovarectomized mice treated with progesterone. Maximal inhibition was attained at 0.03 nM, with a significant reduction in both Kmapp and Vmax (87 +/- 15 nM and 184 +/- 36 fmol/mg tissue/30 min, n = 3, respectively). This effect was reversed by the addition of OVT16, an oxytocin antagonist, at a concentration of 4 nM (Kmapp 158 +/- 35 nM, Vmax: 278 +/- 24 fmol/mg tissue, 30 min, n = 3). These findings support a new potential role of oxytocin and mast cells as a local regulators of serotonin bioavailability in myometrium. Because serotonin is recognized as an important endogenous uterotonic compound, this effect could be considered as an indirect action of oxytocin that may contribute to its potency as a labor inducer after genomic effects of estrogens are expressed in uterine tissue.


In this paper, an adaptive MAC protocol (variable load adaptive (VLA)-MAC) is proposed for wireless sensor networks. This protocol can achieve high energy efficiency and provide low latency under variable-traffic-load conditions. In the case of VLA-MAC, traffic load is measured online and used for adaptive adjustment. Sensor nodes transmit packets in bursts under high load conditions to alleviate packet accumulation and reduce latency. This also removes unnecessary listen action and decreases energy consumption in low load conditions. Simulation results show that the energy efficiency, latency, and throughput achieved by VLA-MAC are higher than those achieved by some traditional approaches.


This paper examines the association between some features of corporate governance mechanisms and performance in listed firms in Egypt, one of the emerging countries. Governance is measured as a multidimensional composite indicator consisting of the board characteristics and ownership structure. The performance is measured by a composite index which includes the ROA, ROE, and Tobin's Q. A sample of 240 observations from balanced panel data set of the 40 most active non-financial companies was collected from 2009 to 2014. The panel data regression was used for hypothesis testing. The findings showed that governance index has a high significant positive influence on firm performance index. Furthermore, institutional shareholding has the strongest impacts on firm performance index PERF and on all individual performance variables. Managerial ownership and ownership concentration have insignificant impact on accounting and market performance. The findings indicate a positive correlation between board size and performance. To the best of our knowledge, no study has yet measured governance and performance as composite indexes in non-financial companies in Egypt and/or the Middle Eastern countries.


Kasongan Ceramic UKM Center is an association of UKM which makes goods made from clay. Kasongan Ceramic UKM Center, located in Bantul Regency, DIY. The problem that is often experienced by Kasongan Ceramics Center is that products that are often cracked, warped, and easily brittle. The total production of Kasongan UKM Center from September 2019 to February 2020 was 32,256 units, with the number of defective products amounting to 3,873 or 12% of the total production. Based on the studies that have been carried out, it can be concluded that the crack, warping, and brittle defects that occur are caused by the lack of maximum flexural strength and the high percentage of dry shrinkage in the ceramic products produced. To maximize the flexural strength and minimize the percentage of dry shrinkage in the resulting ceramic products, the optimal ceramic manufacturing process parameters will be determined using the Taguchi multi-response method. To maximize the flexural strength and minimize the percentage of dry shrinkage in the process of making ceramics using the Taguchi multi-response method, it is necessary to carry out an experimental design. The first thing to do is to determine the controlled factors and levels in the ceramic manufacturing process that affect the flexural strength and dry shrinkage of ceramics. After that determine a suitable orthogonal array and perform experiments based on the specified orthogonal array. The experimental results will be tested for flexural strength and dry shrinkage percentage in the laboratory. The resulting flexural strength and dry shrinkage percentage data will be processed to determine the optimal ceramic manufacturing process parameters that maximize the flexural strength and minimize the percentage of ceramic dry shrinkage. Based on the data processing carried out, it is found that the optimal ceramic-making process parameters at the Kasongan Ceramics UKM Center that maximize the flexural strength and minimize the percentage of dry ceramic shrinkage are 2 parts Godean soil composition, 1 part kasongan soil composition, 1 part sand composition, and combustion using a tub open.


Here, we report a 35-year-old man with non-fulminant acute non A, non B, non C hepatitis which developed into acute renal failure. The patient was admitted to hospital with the chief complaints of general fatigue, nausea and a high-grade fever of 40 degrees C. Laboratory examination revealed severe liver dysfunction and renal insufficiency on admission: his serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase was 3.203 IU/ml, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase was 3.825 IU/ml, lactic dehydrogenase was 2.840 IU/ml, blood urea nitrogen was 65 mg/dl, and creatinine was 7.6 mg/dl. Hemodialysis was conducted during the initial 19-day period after admission because anuria was manifested on admission. On the 36th day after onset, renal functions returned to normal and the patient was negative for IgM-HA antibody. HBs antigen, IgM-HBC antibody, HCV antibody, cytomegalovirus antibody, and Epstein-Barr virus antibody. However, liver biopsy for histological examination on the 44th day after onset revealed no specific findings except the healing stage of acute hepatitis. Renal biopsy on the 49th day showed the healing stage of acute tubular necrosis without any glomerular change. It has been infrequently reported that acute renal failure develops following a non-fulminant acute state without hepatitis A, B or C virus infection. It is necessary to take acute renal failure into account in the clinical course of non-fulminant non A, non B, non C hepatitis.


The Δ-scaling method has been applied to ultra-relativistic p+p, C+C and Pb+Pb collision data simulated using a high-energy Monte Carlo package, LUCIAE 3.0. The Δ-scaling is found to be valid for some physical variables, such as charged particle multiplicity, strange particle multiplicity and number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions from these simulated nucleus-nucleus collisions over an extended energy ranging from Elab = 20 to 200A GeV. In addition we derive the information entropy from the multiplicity distribution as a function of beam energy for these collisions.


Approximately 1:100-150 women at term experience diagnosis of breech presentation for the first time in labour (Walker 2013). Such an unanticipated discovery is stressful for both women and the healthcare professionals who care for them. Undiagnosed breech experiences can leave midwives and women elated, distressed or disempowered. This article suggests practical ways midwifery change leaders can improve care for undiagnosed breeches within organisations: plan or scan antenatally, and identify a multi-disciplinary breech leadership team for support, reflection and collaborative professional development.


There is increasing interest in the medical world in the possibility of tailoring treatment to the individual patient. Statistically, the relevant task is to identify interactions between covariates and treatments, such that the patient's value of a given covariate influences how strongly (or even whether) they are likely to respond to a treatment. The most valuable data are obtained in randomized controlled clinical trials of novel treatments in comparison with a control treatment. We describe two techniques to detect and model such interactions. The first technique, multivariable fractional polynomials interaction, is based on fractional polynomials methodology, and provides a method of testing for continuous-bybinary interactions and by modeling the treatment effect as a function of a continuous covariate. The second technique, subpopulation treatment-effect pattern plot, aims to do something similar but is focused on producing a nonparametric estimate of the treatment effect, expressed graphically. Stata programs for both of these techniques are described. Real data for brain and breast cancer are used as examples.


With the fast growth of the automatic authentication and asset tracking usage in a wide variety of applications in different fields, government, logistics, transportation and retail are among the most supportive of the radio-frequency identification (RFID) market. Security is a crucial issue and must be addressed seriously. RFID security must meet the public demand of data protection. Recently, several lightweight RFID authentication protocols conforming to the EPCglobal Class 1 Generation 2 (EPC C1-G2) standard have been proposed. In this paper, we present efficient attacks against the authenticated RFID security mechanism of Chang et al. based on Chebyshev chaotic maps, which is the first solution that adopted the chaos in the RFID authentication process. It turns out that this protocol has fundamental weaknesses that can be used by an adversary to break the system. We will show that this protocol is vulnerable to tracking attack, secret disclosure attack, impersonation attack and desynchronization attack. The proposed attack techniques are in light of two flaws related to the message generation and the shared-secret update process, which are not neatly scrutinized. Then, we propose an improved RFID authentication protocol based on the Chebyshev chaotic map hard problem, conforming to the EPC C1-G2 standard with more flexibility, security and mobility for the RFID application. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Cultures of Escherichia coli 15T− and K-12 were labeled with 3H-thymine before, during, and after amino acid starvation. The number of labeled segregating units was measured by autoradiography of microcolonies derived from the labeled cells. In both strains, labels inserted before starvation and during starvation appeared to segregate as if incorporated into the same polynucleotide strands. However, labels inserted during and after starvation segregated as if incorporated into different polynucleotide strands. In view of previous data, it was concluded that replication after amino acid starvation originates from the region of the chromosome which serves as the origin for replication during normal growth and division.


There is a paucity of knowledge concerning the immunologic sequelae that culminate in overt autoimmunity. In the present study, we have analyzed the factors that lead to disease in the model of autoimmunity, murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). EAE in H-2u mice involves autoreactive CD4+ T cells that are induced by immunization with the immunodominant N-terminal epitope of myelin basic protein. The affinity of this epitope for I-Au can be increased by substituting lysine at position 4 with tyrosine, and this can be used to increase the effective Ag dose. Paradoxically, high doses of Ag are poorly encephalitogenic. We have used quantitative analyses to study autoreactive CD4+ T cell responses following immunization of mice with Ag doses that are at the extremes of encephalitogenicity. A dose of autoantigen that is poorly encephalitogenic results in T cell hyperresponsiveness, triggering an anti-inflammatory feedback loop in which IFN-γ plays a pivotal role. Our studies define a regulatory mechanism that serves to limit overly robust T cell responses. This feedback regulation has broad relevance to understanding the factors that determine T cell responsiveness.


Background Availability of information in hospitals is an important prerequisite for good service. Significant resources have been invested to improve the availability of information, but it is also vital that the security of this information can be guaranteed. Objective The goal of this study was to assess information security in hospitals through a questionnaire based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard ISO/IEC 27002, evaluating Information technology – Security techniques – Code of practice for information-security management, with a special focus on the effect of the hospitals' size and type. Methods The survey, set up as a cross-sectional study, was conducted in January 2011. The chief information officers (CIOs) of 112 hospitals in German-speaking Switzerland were invited to participate. The online questionnaire was designed to be fast and easy to complete to maximize participation. To group the analyzed controls of the ISO/IEC standard 27002 in a meaningful way, a factor analysis was performed. A linear score from 0 (not implemented) to 3 (fully implemented) was introduced. The scores of the hospitals were then analyzed for significant differences in any of the factors with respect to size and type of hospital. The participating hospitals were offered a benchmark report about their status. Results The 51 participating hospitals had an average score of 51.1% (range 30.6% - 81.9%) out of a possible 100% where all items in the questionnaire were fully implemented. Room for improvement could be identified, especially for the factors covering "process and quality management" (average score 1.3 ± 0.8 out of a maximum of 3) and "organization and risk management" (average score 1.3 ± 0.7 out of a maximum of 3). Private hospitals scored significantly higher than university hospitals in the implementation of "security zones" and "backup" (P = .008). Conclusions Half (50.00%, 8588/17,177) of all assessed hospital beds in German-speaking Switzerland are in hospitals that have a score of 49% or less of the maximum possible score in information security. Patient data need to be better protected because of the data protection laws and because sensitive, personal data should be guaranteed confidentiality, integrity, and availability.


Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) infection represents an important example of virus-host interaction and a major disease affecting livestock. Although the infection is hardly life-threatening, the introduction of BHV-1 into a cattle farm can cause severe economic losses, due to the disease
 per se
 , as well as the consequent restrictions in the international trade of livestock. Progressive market integration within the European Union (EU) and market extension to include Eastern countries can certainly facilitate trade of cattle, semen, and embryos between member states. However, the diversity in status of animal health and the lack of common rules concerning disease prophylaxis and eradication still make BHV-1 a major concern for health and a key restriction in trading. This review focuses on the recent updates in BHV-1 virology and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). Strategies aimed at limiting or preventing BHV-1 spread in cattle are also discussed.


Budget crises can provide opportunities to model strong ethics and ideals and can also be viewed as educational and nurturing moments for teaching students how to handle one of life's most difficult situations.


Sections of cat ciliary ganglia were stained for acetylcholinesterase activity by several modifications of the acetylthiocholine method in order to achieve optimal accuracy of cytological localization of the enzyme. These were compared by ordinary light and phase contrast microscopy with similar sections stained by standard techniques for Nissl substance, the Golgi apparatus, and the neurofibrillae, and by intravital methylene blue. The pattern of cytoplasmic distribution of acetylcholinesterase corresponded most closely with that of the Nissl substance. Following total inactivation of the ganglionic acetylcholinesterase by intravenously administered di-isopropyl fluorophosphate, the reappearance of the enzyme in vivo occurred at the same cytoplasmic sites prior to its reappearance at the cell membrane or preganglionic axonal terminations. These observations, and reports cited from the literature, provide support for the hypothesis that acetylcholinesterase is synthesized within the endoplasmic reticulum, then transported via its canaliculi to the surface of the cell and its processes, where its functional sites are oriented externally to the lipoidal membrane.


Describes treatment of autism, a severe, chronic developmental disorder that results in significant lifelong disability for most persons, with few persons ever functioning in an independent and typical lifestyle. Within the past decade, a number of studies have reported significant changes in the outcomes of very young children with autism following intensive comprehensive treatment. The criteria for empirically supported treatments, as described by Lonigan, Elbert, and Johnson (this issue), were applied to reports of eight treatment efficacy studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Whereas positive outcomes are reported in every case, the field does not yet have a treatment that meets the present criteria for well-established or probably efficacious treatment. Hypothesized variables affecting outcomes that need to be rigorously tested include age at start of treatment, type of treatment used, intensity of treatment, and IQ and language levels at the start of treatment.


Transportation of solids with water as a carrier in the form of slurry through long length pipelines is widely used by many industries and power plants. The transportation of slurry through vertical pipeline is a challenging task and require modification to overcome the pressure loss and power consumption requirements. In this perspective, numerical simulation of three-dimensional horizontal slurry pipeline (HSPL) and vertical slurry pipeline (VSPL) carrying glass beads solid particulates of spherical diameter 440 µm and density 2,470 kg/m3 is carried out. The 3D computational model for horizontal and vertical slurry pipeline is developed for a pipe of 0.0549 m diameter and analyzed in available commercial software ANSYS Fluent 16. The simulation is conducted by using Eulerian multiphase model with RNG k-ɛ turbulence closure at solid concentration range 10 – 20% (by volume) for mean flow velocities ranging from 1-4 ms-1. It is found that the pressure drop rises for both HSPL and VSPL with escalation in mean flow velocity and solid concentration. The predicted pressure drop in VSPL is found to follow the same pattern as with HSPL but higher in magnitude for all chosen velocity and solid concentration range. The obtained results of predicted pressure drop in HSPL are validated with the available experimental data in the literature. A parametric study is conducted with the aim of visualizing and understanding the slurry flow behavior in HSPL and VSPL. Finally, the results of solid concentration contour, velocity contour, solid concentration profiles, velocity profiles and pressure drop are predicted for both the slurry pipelines.


The time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) in copper/ultra‐low‐k on‐chip interconnect stacks of integrated circuits has become one of the most critical reliability concerns in recent years. In this paper, a novel experimental in situ microscopy approach using transmission X‐ray microscopy (TXM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is proposed to study TDDB degradation and failure mechanisms. It combines electrical testing and imaging techniques. Low‐dose bright field (BF) STEM inserting a small condenser aperture is chosen to reduce the beam damage of the dielectric material, while the electron spectroscopic imaging technique is used for the chemical analysis to detect the migration path of Cu atoms. This new experimental approach will contribute to an improved understanding of the TDDB effect.


Retinal waves are mediated in part by activation of nicotinic receptors containing the beta2 subunit. Mice deficient in beta2 containing nAChRs have maintained firing of action potentials but do not support correlated waves. As a result, beta2-/- mice have inhibited refinement of circuits within the retina as well as retinal projections to the CNS. Previously, we observed that correlated increases in calcium reminiscent of retinal waves could be induced in beta2-/- retina by pharmacological application of the L-type calcium channel agonist, FPL-64176. Here, we characterize FPL-induced activity patterns in beta2-/- retina using both whole cell and multielectrode array recordings. FPL-induced strong depolarizations in previously non-spiking beta2-/- retinal ganglion cells. Though these strong depolarizations were likely to underlie the FPL-induced calcium transients, they led to highly variable effects on the spiking of individual retinal ganglion cells. In addition, induced spiking activity had significantly weaker nearest-neighbor correlations than WT mice. Initial attempts of intraocular injections of FPL in beta2-/- mice did not rescue eye-specific layer formation. These findings indicate that activity induced by FPL is not sufficient for driving eye-specific segregation in beta2-/- mice.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE
Farmers are at high risk of occupational skin diseases which may start already during vocational training. This study was aimed at identification of risk factors for work-related skin diseases among vocational students of agriculture.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study involved 440 students (245 males, 195 females aged 17-21 years) in 11 vocational schools which were at least 100 km from each other. The protocol included a physician-managed questionnaire and medical examination, skin prick tests, patch tests, total IgE and Phadiatop. Logistic regression model was used for the identification of relevant risk factors.

RESULTS
Work-related dermatoses were diagnosed in 29 study participants (6.6%, 95%CI: 4.3-8.9%): eczema in 22, urticaria in 14, and co-existence of both in 7 students. Significant risk factors for work-related eczema were: history of respiratory allergy (OR=10.10; p<0.001), history of eczema (itchy rash) provoked by wet work and detergents before entering the school (OR=5.85; p<0.001), as well as history of contact dermatitis to metals, rubber or cosmetics prior to inscription (OR=2.84; p=0.016), and family history of any skin disease (OR=2.99; p=0.013). Significant risk factors for work-related urticaria were: history of allergic rhinitis and asthma prior to inscription (OR=7.29; p=0.006), positive skin prick tests to work place allergens (OR=4.65; p=0.002) and to environmental allergens (OR=3.79; p=0.009), and positive Phadiatop test (OR=3.61; p=0.013).

CONCLUSIONS
Work-related skin diseases are common among vocational students of agriculture. Atopy, past history of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema (either atopic, allergic or irritant) are relevant risk factors for work-related eczema and urticaria in young farmers, along with family history of any skin disease. Positive skin prick tests seem relevant, especially in the case of urticaria. Asking simple, aimed questions during health checks while enrolling students into agricultural schools would suffice to identify students at risk for work-related eczema and urticaria, giving them the chance for selecting a safer profession, and hopefully avoiding an occupational disease in the future.


Divorce is so rampant there, especially in Indonesia. Of the few cases of divorce, always lead to bad consequences for children who make their parents separate or single parent. For teens this is really difficult to carry out development tasks that can not be separated from the demands and constraints. In adolescents who have single parents, have problems in fulfilling the need for affection and attention. Peers as second only to the family also influence its development. Peers have more influence on attitudes, conversations, interests, appearance and behavior of adolescents. So as to provide comfort and acceptance to adolescents. Lack of parental involvement in the financial arrangements of children, making the teens are able to do anything that encourages them on consumer attitudes. In contrast to adolescents who have parents complete love and attention needs are met properly. Parents are more sensitive to the problems and needs of children. The existence of control from both parents make teens always involve parents in deciding on a purchase. So this makes teenagers who have parents able to control the attitude intact konsumtifnya The methodology in this research is quantitative descriptive non-experimental. The population used is the senior high school student I Malang. The sampling technique by using purposive sampling technique, amounting to 96 people. Data were collected through a questionnaire which shaped consumer attitudes scale. And to analyze the data using t-Test technique. Through data analysis found that the difference is very significant consumer attitudes among adolescents who live with parents intact and adolescents living with single parents (t = 17.666 and p = 0.000). Where are teenagers who live with single parents have higher consumer attitudes (133.45) when compared with adolescents who live with parents intact (98.28).


Introduction The objective of the paper is to analyze and to assess prevalence of the major behavioral risk factors among adult population (25-64 years of age) in the rural and urban areas in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH).Methods Data were taken from cross-sectional population survey on the health status population in the FBIH. To ensure a sample representative for the adult population in the FBIH it was applied the two-stage stratified systematic sample. The survey covered a total of 2735 adult population aged 25-64 years, of which 1087 in the urban areas and 1648 in rural areas.Results. The prevalence of smoking among men in rural areas is significantly higher than among men in urban areas (69% vs. 55%), while the prevalence of smoking among women is higher in urban than in rural areas (45% vs. 31%). There is no statistically significant difference in prevalence of obesity and physical activity according to the age groups among men and women in the urban and rural areas. The frequency of changes in behavior related to acquiring healthy living habits in the rural areas is statistically significant among men and women, while in the urban areas there is no statistical significance among the sexes.Conclusions. The results indicate that there are no significant differences in prevalence of factor risks in urban and rural areas. Prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles is high, and the results should be used to improve standard planning of health promotion-prevention programs.


The breast cancer stem cell (CSC) and bulk breast cancer cell potency of a series of metallopeptides containing dichloro(1,10-phenanthroline)copper(II) and various organelle-targeting peptide sequences is reported. The mitochondria-targeting metallopeptide 1 exploits the higher mitochondrial load in breast CSCs over the corresponding non-CSCs and the vulnerability of breast CSCs to mitochondrial damage to potently and selectively kill breast CSCs. Strikingly, 1 reduces the formation and size of mammospheres to a greater extent than salinomycin, an established CSC-potent agent. Mechanistic studies show that 1 enters CSC mitochondria, induces mitochondrial dysfunction, generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), activates JNK and p38 pathways, and prompts apoptosis. To the best of our knowledge, 1 is the first metallopeptide to selectivity kill breast CSCs in vitro.


We consider neural networks with rational activation functions. The choice of the nonlinear activation function in deep learning architectures is crucial and heavily impacts the performance of a neural network. We establish optimal bounds in terms of network complexity and prove that rational neural networks approximate smooth functions more efficiently than ReLU networks with exponentially smaller depth. The flexibility and smoothness of rational activation functions make them an attractive alternative to ReLU, as we demonstrate with numerical experiments.


This paper presents the Novel design of 8-TAP FIR digital filters. Processing of a signal in digitized form is better than in its analog form, the folding transformation is used to systematically determine the control circuits in DSP architectures where multiple algorithm operations are time multiplexed to a single functional unit. By executing multiple algorithm operations on a single functional unit, the number of functional units in the implementation is reduced, resulting in a integrated circuit with low silicon area. The FIR filter is fabricated using SMIC 0.13um CMOS technology, and operates at 1.3GHz under the condition of 1.2Vsupply voltage. Area savings are achieved even when conversion overhead is taken into consideration, and the FIR filter requires 26.8% smaller area in the same condition.


Abstract It is known that there exists a canonical system for every finite real reflection group. In a previous paper, the first and the third authors obtained an explicit formula for a canonical system. In this article, we first define canonical systems for the finite unitary reflection groups, and then prove their existence. Our proof does not depend on the classification of unitary reflection groups. Furthermore, we give an explicit formula for a canonical system for every unitary reflection group.


The Sensuous Immortals is the catalogue of a 'selection from the enormous Pan-Asian collection' (p. 6), a private (and anonymous) American collection of South and South-East Asian sculptures. If this breathtaking 'selection', most of which is here published for the first time, typifies the whole collection, we can only hope for further similar publications, for this is sumptuous fare. The pieces themselves are superb, and as components of such a collection they naturally attain a value even higher than any they may possess individually. As to the book itself: Dr Pal's Introduction, and his comments on each piece, are sensitive and helpful (a map and a chronological-geographical table of the styles represented would have done no harm, however); and the photographs are as good as they could possibly be. Indeed, they are so good as to highlight their own deficiency: they make one long to see the objects themselves. I wonder who owns the Pan-Asian collection—I wish I did.


SMOTE is one of the oversampling techniques for balancing the datasets and it is considered as a pre-processing step in learning algorithms. In this paper, four new enhanced SMOTE are proposed that include an improved version of KNN in which the attribute weights are defined by mutual information firstly and then they are replaced by maximum entropy, Renyi entropy and Tsallis entropy. These four pre-processing methods are combined with 1NN and J48 classifiers and their performance are compared with the previous methods on 11 imbalanced datasets from KEEL repository. The results show that these pre-processing methods improves the accuracy compared with the previous stablished works. In addition, as a case study, the first pre-processing method is applied on transportation data of Tehran-Bazargan Highway in Iran with IR equal to 36.


Background: Glycogen storage disease (GSD) type Ia and Ib is the most severe type of all hepatic GSDs. It presents with serious liver and metabolic complications, as well as in type Ib with severe infections due to neutropenia. So far, the hearing impairment has not been reported in these patients. Hearing status was assessed in a group counting 40 probands with GSDI (20 patients with each subtype). Hearing loss was detected in four patients. They did not pass newborn hearing screening. Due to the development of severe metabolic complications in infancy, audiological diagnosis was postponed until the early school age, when speech and language delay was striking.Hearing tests revealed the bilateral sensorineural hearing impairment with the audiograms presenting ski-slope curves in all patients. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) using gene panel: TruSight OneTM Sequencing Panel Kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) or whole-exome sequencing (WES) using SureSelect Human All Exon Kit (Agilent, 60mb V6) were performed in order to find possible genetic background of auditory dysfunctions in these patients.Results: Hearing impairment seems to affect about10% GSDI patients. Molecular analysishas revealed the common homozygous pathogenic variant in G6PC in two GSDIa probands. Common pathogenic variant in SLC37A4 gene was identifiedin one GSDIb patient, whereas the second case was found to be a carrier of one common and one rare pathogenic variant in SLC37A4 gene ( in trans ). No change in the genes involved in auditory pathway dysfunction was found, although the patients displayed the same audiological characteristics.Conclusions: Sensorineural hearing lossappears to be a clinical complication of GSDI encountered in approximately one out of ten cases. Carefulmonitoring of auditory functions is recommended among GSDI patients, especially in prelingulal period. Appropriate early detection and intervention (fitting with hearing aids) prevents potential speech and language impairment.


Striopallidodentate calcification (SPDC), also known as Fahr's disease, is a rare disorder characterised by bilateral symmetrical calcification in the basal ganglia with or without involvement of the cerebellar dentate nucleus.1 The exact aetiology is still unknown. Movement disorder is the most common clinical presentation.2 We report on an elderly Chinese woman with a history of parkinsonism and dementia who was subsequently found to have marked SPDCs in her computed tomographic (CT) scan.


Many current water planning and management problems are riddled with high levels of complexity, uncertainty, and conflict, so-called "messes" or "wicked problems." The realization that there is a need to consider a wide variety of values, knowledge, and perspectives in a collaborative decision making process has led to a multitude of new methods and processes being proposed to aid water planning and management, which include participatory forms of modeling, planning, and decision aiding processes. However, despite extensive scientific discussions, scholars have largely been unable to provide satisfactory responses to two pivotal questions: (1) What are the benefits of using participatory approaches?; (2) How exactly should these approaches be implemented in complex social-ecological settings to realize these potential benefits? In the study of developing social-ecological system sustainability, the first two questions lead to a third one that extends beyond the one-time application of participatory approaches for water management: (3) How can participatory approaches be most appropriately used to encourage transition to more sustainable ecological, social, and political regimes in different cultural and spatial contexts? The answer to this question is equally open. This special feature on participatory water management attempts to propose responses to these three questions by outlining recent advances in theory, practice, and evaluation related to the implementation of participatory water management. The feature is largely based on an extensive range of case studies that have been implemented and analyzed by cross-disciplinary research teams in collaboration with practitioners, and in a number of cases in close cooperation with policy makers and other interested parties such as farmers, fishermen, environmentalists, and the wider public.


Marine spatial planning (MSP) has been gaining traction in environmental policy debates and in emerging state practice as an effective tool for adaptive and multi-scale management, providing mechanisms for the resolution of jurisdictional conflicts between actors in the marine environment. This article reviews its essential characteristics and then assesses its acceptance within the international community, particularly in the European Union and the developed world, as a major tool for environmental protection. Then, taking Malaysia as a case-study, the article considers the advantages of developing MSP to resolve multi-sectoral and inter-jurisdictional conflicts amongst the States of the Federation and multiple actors to achieve its economic and environmental objectives.


Bilinguals' languages are influenced both by language proficiency and linguistic similarity.Three models generated from the Reversed Hierarchical Model have been proposed to explain this phenomenon: Word Association Model,Concept Mediation Model,and Multiple Access Model.Importantly,previous studies were conducted with bilinguals and only their alphabetic language ability was tested.We aimed to investigate whether the same findings could be applied to multilinguals on their ideography language ability.Moreover,most previous studies applied explicit memory paradigm,which could suffer undesired strategy use problem.Using implicit memory paradigm,the present study examined a group of Tibetan Mandarin English trilinguals to explore their multi language association with a specific aim to test the linguistic association models.A 2×2 mixed design was adopted,with test word types(learned and un learned test word /test word translation equivalents) as the within subject variable and linguistic relation between learning and test(the same or different language) as the between subject variable.Linguistic relations were counterbalanced within subjects.All the materials were rated by homogeneous participants before the test.The subjects were native speakers of Tibetan,had been exposed to Mandarin since early childhood(all subjects had lived in the mainland for 5 years or more),and had studied English in school for 5 years.They were asked to self rate their proficiency in three languages on a 7 point scale,which showed significant proficiency differences between Tibetan and English,and between Mandarin and English.There was no difference between Tibetan and Mandarin ability for these subjects.In experiment 1,the main effect of test word types and the interaction between two variables were significant while the main effect of linguistic relation was non significant,indicating that the Tibetan translation equivalent words were not activated in Mandarin semantic access.In experiment 2,both two main effects and their interaction were significant,suggesting the representations of English words and Mandarin translation equivalent words were activated,whereas the representation of Tibetan translation equivalent words was not activated in the English semantic access.In experiment 3,the two main effects and the interaction were significant,indicating no activation of English translation equivalent words in the Mandarin semantic access.Based on above findings,we discussed the similarity and difference between the linguistic association models for trilingual and bilinguals and reached the following conclusions:(1) The association models between the two directly associated languages for Tibetan Mandarin English trilinguals are similar to those for bilinguals,while a learning medium is required for building association between the two indirectly associated languages;(2) The linguistic association models for trilinguals are affected by language proficiency,linguistic similarity and learning medium.


According to the different climate change roadmaps (IEA, IPCC), Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) will
play a key role in the climate change mitigation policy. Its development raises a trade-off between the
deployment of large-scale projects (learning by replication), and the preservation of a large portfolio of
competing technologies (learning by diversity), on each of its steps (capture, transport, storage). By
now large-scale CCS projects are still few, most devoted to EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery). Although
EOR has provided a first feasible business model for CCS, CCS has still to prove its economic
viability on a large variety of carbon emitters (power plant, industrial and bioenergy sources). A
competing business model for CCS is to find other carbon uses and energy sources, better adapted to
medium and small carbon sources. The paper presents such a technological solution, the CO2
DISSOLVED project, which combines CCS in a dissolved state with geothermal energy.


Abstract. Large amounts of data can be sensed and analyzed to discover patterns of human behavior in cities for the benefit of urban authorities and citizens, especially in the areas of traffic forecasting, urban planning, and social science. In New York, USA, social sensing, remote sensing, and urban land use information support the discovery of patterns of human behavior. This research uses two types of openly accessible data, namely, social sensing data and remote sensing data. Bike and taxi data are examples of social sensing data, whereas sentinel remote sensed imagery is an example of remote sensing data. This research aims to sense and analyze the patterns of human behavior and to classify land use from the combination of remote sensing data and social sensing data. A decision tree is used for land use classification. Bike and taxi density maps are generated to show the locations of people around the city during the two peak times. On the basis of a geographic information system, the maps also reflect the residential and office areas in the city. The overall accuracy of land use classification after the consideration of social sensing data is 85.3%. The accuracy assessment shows that the combination of remote sensing data and social sensing data facilitates accurate urban land use classification.


We present the findings of the first imaging study of trans-HONO and cis-HONO photodissociation through the [Formula: see text] band and [Formula: see text] band of the Ã1A″-X̃1A' transition. The NO photofragment was probed by (1 + 1) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and studied using the direct-current slice imaging technique with our finite slice reconstruction method. The NO state-specific translational energy distributions show some rotational structure corresponding to the internal state distribution in the OH cofragment. All images showed a perpendicular angular distribution with a recoil anisotropy parameter from ca. -0.6 to -0.8. In both bands, cis-HONO showed greater anisotropy than trans-HONO. Deviation from the limiting value expected for a pure perpendicular dissociation is ascribed to deviation of the transition moment from normal to the heavy atom plane owing to OH torsion, rather than lifetime effects assumed in the large body of previous work.


Pyrrolidine-oxadiazolone based organocatalysts are envisaged, synthesized, and utilized for asymmetric Michael reactions. Results of the investigations suggest that some of the catalysts are indeed efficient for stereoselective 1,4-conjugated Michael additions (dr: >97:3, ee up to 99%) in high chemical yields (up to 97%) often in short reaction time. As an extension, one enantiopure Michael adduct has been utilized to synthesize optically active octahydroindole.


The incredible force with which ITCs have arrived in society and the consequent risks to children when dealing with the Internet and social networks make it necessary for the domain of virtual environments to be included in the school curriculum. However, the initiatives in this direction are limited and there is a lack of rigorously evaluated programs that might act as a basis for designing educational lines of action. The ConRed Program is based on the theory of normative social behavior and aims to reduce problems such as cyber-bullying and addiction to the Internet and refocus the misadjusted perception of information control in the social networks in order to promote their use in a more beneficial way. The ConRed Program has been evaluated using a quasi-experimental methodology, with an experimental group (N=595) and a quasi-control group (N=298) consisting of 893 students (45.9% girls) with an average age of 13.80 years (SD=1.47). The reduction of problems in the experimental group and the lack of change in the control group is evidence of the program's validity, and show that by working and collaborating with the whole educational community it is possible to improve the quality of the virtual and, therefore, the real life of adolescents. PALABRAS CLAVE / KEYWORDS Ciberbullying, adiccion, privacidad, intervencion psicoeducativa, evaluacion, redes sociales, Internet. Cyberbullying, addiction, privacy, psycho-educational intervention, evaluation, social networks, Internet.


A case of aseptic meningitis in an otherwise healthy women aged 47 yr after taking one tablet containing 400 mg ibuprofen is reported. The patient recovered in a few days.


The world's population is ageing; researchers have an increasingly important role to play
in innovating new products, appliances and services to allow for better everyday living conditions of
this ageing demographic. Health, wellbeing and age in place needs are of particular importance in
Ireland as research has revealed that as a nation we are living longer in ill health (McGill, 2009).
The most fundamental domestic products to health, wellbeing and in the promotion of ageing in place
are cooking and heating products, however little design research has been carried out in this area.
To inquire into the context of usability in older adults, ethnographic research has been conducted
within the homes of participant older adults to obtain a true insight into user needs in cooking and
heating products. This involved a yearlong (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) study with forty
participants over the age of 70 years across Ireland and from various socio-economic groups. From
this study prototypes will be created and user tested by older adults to determine appropriate design
criteria for these products.


BACKGROUND
Growth modulation with implants facilitates correction of angular deformities and limb-length discrepancies (LLDs) in children. Close follow-up is necessary when using growth modulation to prevent overcorrection. We examined factors associated with late follow-up and overcorrection rates in patients with late versus timely follow-up.

METHODS
This was a retrospective review of growth modulation procedures in children at 1 institution from 2000 through 2014. Procedures were assigned to the following categories on the basis of deformity: ankle valgus, genu valgum, genu varum, knee flexion contractures, and LLDs. Radiographic and clinical parameters were assessed. Late follow-up was defined as delaying a recommended appointment by ≥6 months. Loss to follow-up was defined as failure to return for a recommended postoperative appointment. Associations were evaluated using the following tests: χ, Fisher exact, analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U, and logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.

RESULTS
Of the 112 patients, there were 41 cases of genu valgum, 23 of ankle valgus, 18 each of genu varum and LLD, and 12 of knee flexion contractures. Twenty-two patients had late follow-up. Another 22 patients were lost to follow-up with retained implants. Patients with late follow-up had significantly higher odds of experiencing overcorrection deformities versus patients with timely follow-up (odds ratio, 19.2; 95% confidence interval, 5.2-71.4; P<0.005). The only deformity for which there was a significant difference in final alignment between patients with timely versus late follow-up was genu valgum (P<0.005). Late follow-up was associated with having a primary language other than English (P=0.05) and being obese/overweight (P=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS
Late follow-up and loss to follow-up were common, occurring in 39% of patients combined. Late follow-up was associated with overcorrection in guided-growth procedures, as were overweight/obesity and primary language other than English.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Level IV-retrospective case series.


This paper reviews research on the structure of semantic person memory as examined with semantic priming. In this experimental paradigm, a familiarity decision on a target face or written name is usually faster when it is preceded by a related as compared to an unrelated prime. This effect has been shown to be relatively short lived and susceptible to interfering items. Moreover, semantic priming can cross stimulus domains, such that a written name can prime a target face and vice versa. However, it remains controversial whether representations of people are stored in associative networks based on co-occurrence, or in more abstract semantic categories. In line with prominent cognitive models of face recognition, which explain semantic priming by shared semantic information between prime and target, recent research demonstrated that priming could be obtained from purely categorically related, non-associated prime/target pairs. Although strategic processes, such as expectancy and retrospective matching likely contribute, there is also evidence for a non-strategic contribution to priming, presumably related to spreading activation. Finally, a semantic priming effect has been demonstrated in the N400 event-related potential (ERP) component, which may reflect facilitated access to semantic information. It is concluded that categorical relatedness is one organizing principle of semantic person memory.


Percutaneous catheter-based therapy has recently been introduced to decrease blood pressure by ablation of efferent and afferent sympathetic renal nerves. The patient described here had a seven-year history of hypertension and presented with poorly controlled blood pressure despite antihypertensive therapy with four different drugs. A 44-yr-old man underwent percutaneous renal denervation under local anesthesia using an ablation catheter. After six months of follow-up his blood pressure had dropped 49/37 mmHg with a decrease in 24-hr ambulatory BP of 20/18 mmHg. Renal Doppler ultrasound showed no significant stenosis in either renal artery. This is the first case of successful percutaneous renal denervation, which has recently become available in Korea.


A new principle of sensor is proposed for determination of microwave power in planar structures, through the direct measurement of a temperature gradient in the substrate induced by the dissipation of the power in a resistive matched load. The nodal thermal simulation tool of the ESACAP™ program was used which helped to determine that this gradient is proportional to the dissipated power. It can be measured by two resistive microthermometers under the ground plane which also plays the role of shield. In a first step, a hybrid sensor was designed of intrinsic sensitivity S=45°C/W, for a power range of 10 mW‐375 mW, and for an ambient temperature which can vary between 10°C and 100°C ( the sensitivity variation is around 10 ppm/°C). A prohibitive 0‐95% response time of 650 ms was found.. Consequently, a simulation of a smaller size sensor (volume divided by 1000) was performed, which revealed a strongly reduced time constant (8.5 ms).


ABSTRACT The palynology (150 species of pollen grains, 43 species of spores, eight species of dinoflagellate cysts, five genera of algae, two genera of fungal spores, foraminiferal linings, and copepod eggs) of the Neogene succession in the Marañon Basin, north Peru, was thoroughly investigated for the first time from six industrial wells (Arabela-1X, Maynas-1, Tucunare-1X, Tigrillo-30X, Nahuapa-24X, and La Frontera-1). Six palynozones spanning the Early Miocene to the Early Pliocene were defined. The zones in stratigraphically ascending order are as follows: the Mar-A Corsinipollenites oculusnoctis Zone (Aquitanian to early Burdigalian: 23.03–17.71 Ma), delimited by the appearance of Acaciapollenites myriosporites, Retitricolporites wijmstrae and/or Corsinipollenites oculusnoctis and/or the disappearance of Cicatricosisporites dorogensis at the base; the Mar-B Malvacipolloides (Echitricolporites) maristellae Zone (Burdigalian: 17.71–16.1 Ma), from Malvacipolloides maristellae at the base to the disappearance of Retitricolporites wijmstrae at the top; the Mar-C Mauritiidites crassibaculatus Zone (latest Burdigalian to Late Langhian: 16.1–14.2/13.9 Ma), from the appearance of Grimsdalea magnaclavata at the base to the disappearance of Retitriporites dubiosus and/or the appearance of Crassoretitriletes vanraadshooveni and/or Psilastephanoporites tesseroporus; the Mar-D Crassoretitriletes vanraadshooveni Zone (Late Serravallian: 14.2–11.62 Ma), from the appearance of Crassoretitriletes vanraadshooveni and/or Psilastephanoporites tesseroporus to the disappearances of Mauritiidites crassibaculatus, Bombacacidites nacimientoensis, and Cyathidites congoensis; and the Mar-E Psilastephanoporites tesseroporus Zone (Early Tortonian to Late Messinian: 11.62–5.48 Ma) from the disappearance of Corsinipollenites oculusnoctis and/or Cyathidites congoensis to the disappearance of Psilastephanoporites tesseroporus and/or Siltaria santaisabelensis. These zones were corroborated by means of events ordination demonstrated using graphic correlation. The Mar-F Ctenolophonidites suigeneris Zone (latest Messinian to Zanclean) is described only in the Frontera-1 well from the disappearance of Psilastephanoporites tesseroporus to the last record of Ctenolophonidites suigeneris and/or Siltaria hammenii. This study suggests that Pliocene sedimentation is also recorded in the Western Amazonia of Peru, and provides new palynological information compared with the Mio–Pliocene Solimões, Acre, and eastern Amazonas basins.


Abstract This paper reports on a large-scale study on how "enemies" are linguistically constructed by Greece's radical right. The research combines corpus linguistics approaches and insights from critical discourse analysis, with the aim of analysing the referential/nomination and predication strategies used to delineate "others" as outgroups. Drawing on a 90 million-word corpus comprising the full set of texts from 13 radical right web-based platforms from 2001 to 2019, the research identifies and statistically classifies principal designators and qualifiers. By closely examining their diachronic variations and correlation with significant sociopolitical events, we critically categorise and discuss the empirical findings and thus unveil topics, as well as aspects of the argumentation, pooled by Greece's radical right in their discursive constructions.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that belongs to a group of cerebral proteinopathies. The main pathomorphological signs of PD are neuronal degeneration in the midbrain substantia nigra and detection of pathological forms of the synaptic protein α-synuclein in the nigral neurons. At the same time, the pathological forms of α-synuclein in this disease have been recently shown to accumulate in the cells of not only the central, but also peripheral autonomic nervous system. The paper provides a clinical and morphological description of a PD case in a 70-year-old patient, which demonstrates that there are typical α-synuclein-positive inclusions in the brain regions (substantia nigra, caudate nucleus, and frontal cortex), salivary glands and colon. The systemic nature of α-synucleinopathy in PD is important in both clarifying the pathogenesis of the disease and elaborating new approaches to its diagnosis and, in the future, to targeted therapy.


The educational attainment rates of foster youth are abysmal, and positive changes in policy and funding have not improved the rates to an adequate level. Research shows a positive relationship exists between the educational attainment of older youth in foster care and the presence of supportive adults in their lives (Clemens, Helm, Myers, Thomas & Tis, 2017; Dworsky & Perez, 2010; Neal, 2017). This study will explore foster parents as supportive adults, specifically, educational advocates. Educational advocacy comes from the field of special education and refers to behaviors of supportive adults who intervene and mediate for a child or someone who cannot advocate for self. This study will expand educational advocacy research (Duquette, Fullarton, Orders, & Robertson-Grewal, 2011; Duquette, Orders, Fullarton, & Robertson-Grewal, 2011; Duquette, Stodel, Fullarton, & Hagglund, 2011; Mulick & Butter, 2002; Olivos, Jimenez-Castellanos, & Ochoa, 2011; Wilson Cooper, 2007) to foster parents. Framing the study will be the four dimensions of advocacy proposed by Duquette, Stodel, Fullarton, and Hagglund (2011). The framework will inform the interview protocol: items will follow the four dimensions (awareness, seeking information, presenting the case, and monitoring) to explore how foster parents tacitly advocate for the educational needs of their foster children. This qualitative study will seek to answer the research questions How do foster parents serve as educational advocates for foster children? and What challenges do foster parents face as they serve as educational advocates? The study will use a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach. Data collection will include in-depth interviews of eight to ten foster parents. By extending educational advocacy research to foster parents, this study will highlight the need for foster youth to have educational advocates and the ways in which that need is, or is not, being met. This study will provide a research foundation for additional research, with the hope of helping to ensure an educational advocate, foster parent or otherwise, is engaged in advocacy behaviors for every foster child in Missouri.


More than 90% of dorsal horn neurons from embryonic day 15–16 rats responded to the inhibitory amino acids GABA and glycine by a transient elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) when maintained in culture for <1 week. This [Ca2+]i response has previously been shown to be due to depolarization and subsequent Ca2+ entry through voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels following activation of bicuculline‐sensitive GABAA receptors and strychnine‐sensitive glycine receptors. Both the number of cells responding to GABA and glycine and the amplitude of the [Ca2+]i response diminished over time in culture. By 30 days in culture, none of the cells responded to GABA, muscimol or glycine by elevation of [Ca2+]i. The loss of the [Ca2+]i response was not due to a change in the abundance or the properties of voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels, since over the same period of time dorsal horn neurons showed a large increase in the amplitude of the [Ca2+]i transient in response to 30 mM K+. Nor was the loss of the [Ca2+]i response due to a loss of GABA and glycine receptors. Instead, the decrease in the [Ca2+]i response over time paralleled a similar change in the electrophysiological responses. More than 90% of the neurons tested were depolarized in response to inhibitory amino acids during the first week in culture. After 30 days, all neurons tested responded to GABA and glycine with a hyperpolarization. These observations add support to the suggestion that GABA and glycine may excite dorsal horn neurons earlyin development and play a role in postmitotic differentiation.


The need to further exploit offshore wind resources in deeper waters has led to a re-emerging interest in vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) for floating foundation applications. However, there has been little effort to systematically compare VAWTs to the more conventional horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). This article initiates this comparison based on prime principles, focusing on the turbine aerodynamic forces and their impact on the floating wind turbine static and dynamic responses. VAWTs generate substantially different aerodynamic forces on the support structure, in particular, a potentially lower inclining moment and a substantially higher torque than HAWTs. Considering the static stability requirements, the advantages of a lower inclining moment, a lower wind turbine mass and a lower centre of gravity are illustrated, all of which are exploitable to have a less costly support structure. Floating VAWTs experience increased motion in the frequency range surrounding the turbine [number of blades]×[rotational speed] frequency. For very large VAWTs with slower rotational speeds, this frequency range may significantly overlap with the range of wave excitation forces. Quantitative considerations are undertaken comparing the reference NREL 5 MW HAWT with the NOVA 5 MW VAWT.


The global dimensions of malnutrition are described, and the economic impact of intervention by governments is evaluated. Based on average calorie consumption data from the mid-1960s, it is estimated that 56 percent of the population in the LDCs had calorie deficient diets while another 19 percent had deficits of less than 250 calories per day. With per capita income in all income groups growing at approximately the current rate for overall per capita income growth, and per capita food supply growing just enough to meet the demand generated by the income growth, the total calorie deficit would remain unchanged by 1990. The marginal propensity of spending of on infants' diets from additional family income is extremely low. Alternative policies aimed at improving the nutritional status of the urban target population may be classified as country wide or target group oriented policies. One countrywide policy, a general price subsidy, is considered in terms of cost effectiveness. The target group oriented programs that are examined include a food price subsidy, a food stamp program, and a straight income transfer. Only policies deliberately designed to reallocate food or income can eliminate undernutrition. Statistical tables are appended.


A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2015 and March 2016 on apparently healthy slaughtered sheep and goats, and clean knife at Luna and Elfora export abattoirs located at Modjo and Bishoftu towns to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella in sheep and goats, to assess the hygienic condition of flaying knife, and to isolate and identify the prevalent Salmonella sub-species. A total of 525 samples consisting of cecum (n=122), liver (n=122), mesenteric lymph nodes (n=122), abdominal muscle (n=122) from 44 sheep and 78 goats and 37 pooled knife samples were collected. The samples were examined for the presence of Salmonella following the conventional techniques of ISO standard and using OMNILOG bacterial identification system, GEN III microplate for confirmation and sub species identification. From the total of 122 animals examined, 21 (17.21%) were positive of which 12 (9.83%) were sheep and 9 (7.38%) were goats, and none of the samples from pooled knife swabs were positive for Salmonella. Statistically significant difference (P=0.04) in the prevalence of Salmonella was observed between the two species. The frequency of isolation was 10 (3.89%) and 11 (4.10%) from Luna and Elfora abattoirs, respectively. As a result, there was no significant difference (P =0.884) in the prevalence of Salmonella isolation between the two abattoirs. Of the total 488 tissue samples examined from apparently healthy slaughtered sheep and goat, 21 (4.3%) samples were Salmonella positive. Salmonella was isolated from 6.56% mesenteric lymph nodes, 5.73% cecum, 4.09% liver and 0.82% abdominal muscle samples. However, there was no significant difference between tissues (P=0.13). From the 21 isolated Salmonella species, 20 of them were confirmed to be the pathogenic Salmonella enterica subspp. enterica and 1 isolate was the non-pathogenic Salmonella enterica subspp. salamae. The results of this study showed the potential risk of sheep and goats as sources of pathogen for humans in the study area. These findings stressed the need for implementation of preventing close contact of offal and carcass during evisceration.

 Key words: Elfora, goats, knife, luna, prevalence, Salmonella, sheep, sub species.


Multicellular agglomerates in form of irregularly shaped or spherical clusters can recapitulate cell–cell interactions and are referred to as microtissues. Microtissues gain increasing attention in several fields including cardiovascular research. Cardiac microtissues are evolving as excellent model systems for drug testing in vitro (organ-on-a-chip), are used as tissue bricks in 3D printing processes and pave the way for improved cell replacement therapies in vivo. Microtissues are formed for example in hanging drop culture or specialized microwell plates; truly scalable methods are not yet available. In this study, a novel method of encapsulation of cells in poly-N-isopropylacrylamid (PNIPAAm) spheres is introduced. Murine induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were encapsulated in PNIPAAm by raising the temperature of droplets formed in a microfluidics setup above the lower critical solute temperature (LCST) of 32 °C. PNIPAAM precipitates to a water-insoluble physically linked gel above the LCST and shrinks by the expulsion of water, thereby trapping the cells in a collapsing polymer network and increasing the cell density by one order of magnitude. Within 24 h, stable cardiac microtissues were first formed and later released from their polymer shell by washout of PNIPAAm at temperatures below the LCST. Rhythmically contracting microtissues showed homogenous cell distribution, age-dependent sarcomere organizations and action potential generation. The novel approach is applicable for microtissue formation from various cell types and can be implemented into scalable workflows.


The mouse is the first species in which genomic imprinting was studied. Imprinting research in farm species has lagged behind owing to a lack of sequencing and genetic background information, as well as long generation intervals and high costs in tissue collection. Since the creation of Dolly, the first cloned mammal from an adult sheep, studies on genomic imprinting in domestic species have accelerated because animals from cloning and other assisted reproductive technologies exhibit phenotypes of imprinting disruptions. Although this review focuses on new developments in farm animals, most of the imprinting mechanism information was derived from the mouse.


We compared the impact of hypercholesterolaemia and mixed dyslipidaemia on vascular function, vascular structure and fibrinolytic balance in rabbits. To this end, vascular reactivity was studied in aortic rings from rabbits fed a control diet, a diet containing 0.5% cholesterol+14% coconut oil (mixed dyslipidaemia) or a diet containing 1% cholesterol (hypercholesterolaemia) for 12-14 weeks. Morphometric analysis of aorta was also performed and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) as well as tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) plasma activities were measured. Both diets induced a similar increase in cholesterol plasma levels, although triacylglycerols (triglycerides) were increased in animals with mixed dyslipidaemia. Hypercholesterolaemia was associated with intimal thickening, reduction in acetylcholine-induced relaxation ( P <0.05) and increased vasoconstriction induced by acetylcholine+ N (G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) when compared with controls ( P <0.05). These effects were more marked ( P <0.05) in animals with mixed dyslipidaemia. Incubation with ifetroban, a thromboxane A(2)/prostaglandin H(2) receptor antagonist, increased acetylcholine-induced relaxation ( P <0.05) and reduced acetylcholine+L-NAME contraction ( P <0.05) in both diet groups. In contrast, the presence of PD 145, an endothelin (ET)(A)/ET(B) receptor antagonist, exerted these effects only in rabbits with mixed dyslipidaemia. Both hypercholesterolaemia and mixed dyslipidaemia induced a similar increase in PAI-1 and a similar decrease in t-PA plasma activities. These data suggest that hypertriglyceridaemia can increase the deleterious effects of hypercholesterolaemia on endothelial function and vascular structure. This additional harmful effect exerted by triacylglycerols on endothelial function could, in part, be mediated by ET.


Vascular disturbance of the anterior visual pathways characterized by monocular visual experiences are sometimes caused by migraine. Retinal or ophthalmic migraine, a variant of complicated migraine, is distinctly rare. Two cases of female patients with ophthalmic migraine are reported. The relationships between the use of oral contraceptives and pregnancy are discussed.


Flashover might occur rapidly as a consequence of non-accidental building fires. Response of the stored combustible items (being ignited and burned) should be studied carefully in such developed fires, which are ventilation-controlled. Air supply rate and heat fluxes acting at the materials would affect burning of the combustibles. A wide range of peak heat release rates with different fire durations results under different heat fluxes. The amount of combustibles denoted by fire or fuel load commonly adopted to quantify fire risks is no longer the key point in generating the heat release rate. A room with a large fire load may not give high heat release rates if the air supply is inadequate, or if the radiant heat flux is low. In this article, correlation of the peak heat release rate in burning the material under flashover with the fire load of the combustibles with adequate ventilation will be investigated. Data compiled from full-scale burning tests on well-developed room fires with steady burning are used to deduce a linear correlation between the possible peak heat release rate and the fire load density under adequate ventilation conditions.


Aims: The aim of the Continuous Improvement in Care (CIC) Cancer research program is to explain variations in health outcomes, which at present cannot be understood with conventional health outcome measures. To achieve this, the project is collecting data reflecting not just the disease process but results of procedures, processes, structures, and systems in the continuum from prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship to end of life care.

Method: Data from both the clinical and patient perspective will be measured. The project will utilise an extensive platform of data and evaluate how best to implement the system within both the public and private sector for a range of cancer types including colorectal. The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) standard sets of outcomes measures will be used with the addition of data and outcomes relevant to WA patients.

Ongoing clinical data will be collected by clinicians. Wherever possible data will be extracted electronically from other data systems, securely transferred and then data items mapped to automatically populate the relevant dataset field within the 'Site System'. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) will be collected at designated time points by either the clinician in consultation with the participant or the participant will complete these via a web‐based 'PROMS Platform' using a computer, tablet, or mobile telephone. The PROMs dataset will be transferred to the 'Site System'. De‐identified data will be regularly transferred to the 'CIC Cancer Research Database' for evaluation and feedback to the hospital sites as part of a quality improvement cycle.

Results: Mapping is underway for colorectal cancer services at SJoG Midland and RPH. Process enablers and barriers will be discussed.

Conclusion: This pilot will inform the model for data capture in four other cancers – lung, breast, prostate and ovarian.


Results of tests of a fast-repetitive nanosecond modulator with a peak output power of 3 GW are presented. It comprises of a type S-5N charging driver, a power compressor based on a pulsed forming line, and a gas spark gap. The modulator has been designed for the formation of high-current electron beams and high-power microwave generation in a pulsed-repetitive regime. Excitation of 10-GHz microwave pulses /spl sim/1 ns long in a relativistic backward-wave oscillator with an elongated periodic slow-wave system has been studied. Optimization of the regime of interaction between electromagnetic fields and particles provided an average power of microwave radiation in the burst-repetitive mode (1 s; /spl sim/700 Hz) of up to 2.5 kW at a focusing magnetic field (/spl sim/0.6 T) below the cyclotron resonance region. The peak output power of the oscillator exceeded 2 GW.


The long-term outcome of basal cell carcinoma of the nose in patients treated with radiation therapy has not been well documented. To make this evaluation, we assessed the cosmetic and oncologic results in 26 patients after an average interval of 9.3 years following radiation therapy. The majority of the patients were treated with only three doses of radiation from a superficial 50-kVp unit. The cosmetic result was evaluated independently by the patient and two of the authors using a defined grading system. The local control rate was 96 percent, with none of the patients having recurrence noted at the follow-up examination. The patient evaluated the cosmetic result as excellent or good in 81 percent (21 of 26) of cases and physicians in 77 percent (20 of 26) of cases. The cosmetic result appears to remain stable over time; 86 percent of the patients treated more than 13 years ago were rated as having an excellent or good cosmetic result. These data suggest that superficial irradiation is associated with good to excellent cosmetic results in most patients and should be considered an important treatment option for patients with basal cell carcinoma of the skin of the nose. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 93: 1169, 1994.)


Ferreira M.R.A., Silva T.S., Stella A.E., Conceição F.R., Reis E.F. & Moreira C.N. 2015. Detection of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance patterns in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolates from sheep. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 35(9):775-780. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Regional Jataí, Rodovia BR-364 Km 192 no3.800, Parque Industrial, Cx. Postal 3, Jataí GO 75801-615, Brazil. E-mail: email@example.com In order to detect virulence factors in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates and investigate the antimicrobial resistance profile, rectal swabs were collected from healthy sheep of the races Santa Inês and Dorper. Of the 115 E. coli isolates obtained, 78.3% (90/115) were characterized as STEC, of which 52.2% (47/90) carried stx1 gene, 33.3% (30/90) stx2 and 14.5% (13/90) both genes. In search of virulence factors, 47.7% and 32.2% of the isolates carried the genes saa and cnf1. According to the analysis of the antimicrobial resistance profile, 83.3% (75/90) were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested. In phylogenetic classification grouped 24.4% (22/90) in group D (pathogenic), 32.2% (29/90) in group B1 (commensal) and 43.3% (39/90) in group A (commensal). The presence of several virulence factors as well as the high number of multiresistant isolates found in this study support the statement that sheep are potential carriers of pathogens threatening public health.