In this paper, we study the coexistence of critical and non-critical Internet of Things (IoT) services on a grant-free channel consisting of radio access and backhaul segments. On the radio access segment, IoT devices send packets to access points (APs) over an erasure collision channel using the slotted ALOHA protocol. Then, the APs forward correctly received messages to a base station (BS) over a shared wireless backhaul segment, modeled as an erasure collision channel. The APs hence play the role of uncoordinated relays that provide space diversity and may reduce performance losses caused by collisions. Both non-orthogonal and inter-service orthogonal resource sharing are considered and compared. Throughput and reliability metrics are analyzed, and numerical results are provided to assess the performance trade-offs between critical and non-critical IoT services.


Recent studies have shown that systemic injection of anti-VEGF antibody into tumor-bearing mice results in decreases in tumor vascular permeability, vessel diameters, and tumor regression. Using a similar animal model, we have applied anti-VEGF antibody directly to the tumor tissue growing in transparent window chambers in SCID mice. Similar to the results obtained with systemic injection, vascular permeability was greatly reduced, but the response was reached at much lower concentrations with local application. Implications of these findings on local control of tumors are discussed.


Purpose
There is a dearth of research on what constitutes effective transfer of care from children's and young people services to adult services for patients with eating disorders (EDs) in the UK. Transition has implications for continuity of care and particularly for early intervention which has the best prognosis. The purpose of this paper is to understand the experience of transition and identify facilitators and barriers to this.

Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative methodology was used. Focus groups (n = 4) were held with clinicians (n = 22) working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services or adult ED services. Individual interviews were conducted with patients (n = 5) who had commenced/completed transition to adult services and with parents/carers (n = 6) of patients invited for interview.

Findings
A number of factors may facilitate or impede transition and can be grouped into the broad themes of communication, managing the differences between services and timing of transition. Improvements in communication, clear explanation of service differences and flexibility around the timing of transitions may enhance the experience for patients and parents/carers.

Research limitations/implications
The service evaluation was limited to transition between two specialist ED services in one geographical location. The findings provide the basis for a wider research study to examine which factors are most important when planning transition from the perspectives of patients, parents/carers and clinicians.

Originality/value
This is the first study examining ED transitions in the UK. It provides valuable insight of the experience of service users and carers and highlights potential improvements when planning transitions for this patient group.


PURPOSE
This study aimed to predict the ability to insert a 4-5 French (Fr) catheter insertion with a guidewire into the common hepatic artery (CHA) based on celiac trunk morphology.

METHODS
This retrospective study included 64 patients who underwent balloon-occluded transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (n = 56), transcatheter arterial chemotherapy (n = 2), or were fitted with an implantable port system (n = 6) between June 2019 and December 2019 in our institution. The morphology of the celiac trunk was classified into three types (upward, horizontal, and downward) based on celiac angiography. The aortic-celiac trunk angle was measured on sagittal images of preprocedural contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). We reviewed whether a 4-5-Fr shepherd's hook catheter could advance beyond the CHA using a 0.035-inch guidewire (Radifocus® Guidewire M; Terumo). Three patients were diagnosed with median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) based on the characteristic hook shape of the celiac artery on sagittal images of contrast-enhanced CT. The predictive ability of celiac angiography and preprocedural CT for CHA insertion success was evaluated. In unsuccessful cases, the balloon anchor technique (BAT) was attempted as follows: (1) a 2.7/2.8-Fr microballoon catheter (Attendant Delta; Terumo) was placed beyond the proper hepatic artery, and (2) the balloon was inflated as an anchor for parent catheter advancement.

RESULTS
Upward, horizontal, and downward celiac trunk types were noted in 42, 9, and 13 patients, respectively. The median CT angle was 122.83° (first quartile-third quartile, 102.88°-136.55°). Insertion in the CHA using the guidewire was successful in 56 of 64 patients (87.50%), and the success rate in the downward type was significantly lower than that in the upward type [42/42 (100%) vs. 7/13 (53.85%), P < 0.001]. The CT angle was significantly larger downward in the unsuccessful group than in the successful group (121.03° vs. 140.70°, P = 0.043). Celiac angiography had a significantly higher area under the curve (AUC) than preprocedural CT (AUC = 0.91 vs. AUC = 0.72, P = 0.040). All three cases of MALS showed unsuccessful CHA insertion. In all eight patients with unsuccessful insertion, the catheter could be advanced using the BAT [8/8 (100%)].

CONCLUSION
Celiac angiography and preprocedural CT could predict CHA catheter insertion using a guidewire, and celiac angiography had high predictability. CT could detect MALS, a risk factor for unsuccessful CHA insertion.


This article focuses on Karen Barad's quantum ontology and her attempts to reformulate the concept of relationality. The aim is to show how Barad's work articulates a new kind of empiricism for the social sciences, by reclaiming the creative and speculative force of experimental practice and by recentering the philosophical problem as a source of inquiry. Relationality is redefined through discussions of diffractive apparatus, more-than-human performativity, and the "polymorphous perversity" of the matter-meaning mixture.


Abstract Objective To assess understanding of the Department of Health weaning guidelines and weaning influences in a self-selected sample of black and minority ethnic (BME) parents, residing in London. Design A face-to-face, questionnaire-facilitated survey among Black African, Black Caribbean and South Asian parents. Setting An opportunistic sample of parents was recruited from Sure Start centres, churches and play groups across key London boroughs. Subjects Three hundred and forty-nine interviews were included; 107 Black African, fifty-four Black Caribbean, 120 South Asian and sixty-four of Black mixed-race ethnicity. Results Fifty-two per cent of Black and 66 % of South Asian parents had accurate understanding of the guidelines. Inaccurate knowledge of the guidelines was associated with weaning before 17 weeks (P < 0·001); 36 % of Black Africans and 31 % of Black Caribbeans were weaned before 4 months compared with 16 % of South Asians. All BME groups were most influenced by weaning information from the previous generations of mothers in their families, which was associated with earlier weaning (21·5 (sd 6·5) v. 24·1 (sd 4·2) weeks; F(2,328) = 5·79, P = 0·003), and less so by professional infant feeding advice, which was associated with a later weaning age (23·7 (sd 5·1) v. 20·7 (sd 5·7) weeks; F(1,344) = 34·7, P < 0·001). Conclusions Lack of awareness of the Department of Health weaning guidelines is common among these BME populations, whose weaning behaviour is strongly influenced by informal advice. Further research is necessary to elucidate the influences on weaning in these populations and to facilitate the development of infant feeding support which is salient for BME groups in the UK.


. Charging pile is the most important equipment for new energy vehicle power system. According to the demand of new energy vehicle for charging equipment, this paper uses PLC as the core controller to detail the design of AC charging pile control system for new energy vehicles. The hardware circuit includes the design of the main controller module PLC, the touch screen, the power calculation module, the printing module and the like; the software system includes the communication design of the main program design of the PLC, the touch screen, the ic card, etc. Through the communication the modules can be transmit data smoothly, and various data collection in the charging process is completed in real time. The electrical part of the whole system is also provided with double protection for the purpose of safe operation.


A method for calculating and measuring antenna gain and factor over perfect ground is presented. The EMC antenna factor is used to determine the spurious electric field of device under evaluation. The radio link employed to calibrate the receiving antenna gain and factor will produce completely different values for the transmitting and receiving antennas, and the principle of reciprocity does not hold true, in this particular case, even if both antennas are identical.


F:i*~~i#'.*~~:~~ i'~f~~:'i'( '-!/*"'- Abstract This paper is a conceptual design description of a Compact Toroid (CT) fueling system for JT-60U. In the proposed system, the CT fueler injects 0.4 mg toroids of Deuterium fuel at up to 10 Hz into a 2 T, JT-60U discharge at a speed of 300 km/s. For discharges with a density of 3 x 1019 m~3, this translates to about 6% fuel addition per pulse and a fueling rate of 2.3 Pa·m3/s in the form of deep fueling. The fueling per pulse (as percent fueling) is about twenty times greater than that needed for a reactor of the ITER class as the projected fuelling rate for an ITER class reactor is 0.3% fuel addition per pulse (at 20 Hz operation). The total absolute fueling rate is about 10% of that needed for a similar reactor, as the projected CT mass fuelling rate for an ITER class reactor is about 44 mg/s. The CT Iength is about 20- 30~{fv of the JT-60U minor radius. The 10 Hz power system will be composed of 100 accelerator modules and 80 formation bank modules each rated at I.3 kJ. These will be powered by next generation capacitors and recent design spark gap switches. The CT injector will require magnetic shielding. Design description of a novel passive SuperConductor (SC) shield to meet this requirement is provided.


Human alpha 1(I), alpha 2(I) and alpha 1(III) cDNA probes and RNA dot hybridization were employed to quantitate collagen mRNA changes after adding silica dust into the media of human 2BS fibroblasts. At all dosages used (100, 200, 500 and 1000 micrograms), the alpha 1(I), alpha 2(I) and alpha 1(III) mRNA levels increased one day after dusting. At the same dosage of silica (100 micrograms), alpha 1(III) mRNA increased earlier than type I collagen mRNA did. The type I and type III collagen mRNA contents in the experimental groups were higher than those in control on days 3, 5, 7 and 9. The effect of ceruloplasmin (Cp) and fibronectin (Fn) on collagen mRNA synthesis was also studied, after adding silica dust, Cp or Fn into the media of human 2BS fibroblast. The results showed that Cp and Fn have stimulating effect on collagen mRNA production. When both Cp and silica dust were added into cell culture media, the collagen mRNA level was increased more than those of adding either Cp or silica dust alone. Similar situations were found for Fn. Cp (or Fn) synergism with silica dust on stimulating transcription of human collagen gene was suggested.


Poverty is one of the problems that often occurs in Indonesia. Therefore, through the Unit Pengelola Kegiatan (UPK), the government made a Simpan Pinjam Perempuan (SPP) program in revolving funds provided without any collateral, so the risk that often occurs is bad credit arrears. This causes a decrease in assets or a deficit and an increasing number of bad debts, so good management and control are needed to reduce the number of complex or uncollectible receivables. The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the role of management and control applied by the UPK Ponggok District, Blitar Regency, in minimizing bad debts. This research is qualitative research with data collection methods with interviews and documentation. The results of this study indicate that (1) Receivable management applied by the UPK Ponggok Subdistrict, Blitar Regency is quite good, especially in credit standards, credit requirements, and applied receivable collection policies, but in the receivables management applied there is no receivables measurement ratio policy. (2) The control of receivables that was implemented did not go well because there were still various irregularities and discrepancies between the implementation and the applicable Standard Operating Procedure.


PURPOSE
To evaluate centric ordered MR angiography with fluoroscopic triggering of renal artery disease.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
21 patients underwent MR-Angiography with a fluoroscopically triggered centric ordered sequence. The fluoroscopic trigger was obtained with the parameters that follow: TR/TE/TI: 1000/1.7/500 ms; NEX 1; MTX 141 x 256; SL 10mm; AT 0.83 s. The angiographic sequence was obtained with a CareBolus sequence (TR/TE: 3.9/1.5 ms; NEX 1; MTX 176 x 512; SL 1.1 mm; AT ~20s) after the intra-venous injection of 18 ml of Gd-BOPTA 0.5M followed by saline solution at a rate of 2.5 ml.s-1. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was obtained at the origin of the renal arteries. Statistical analysis was performed considering image quality, contrast media dose and the CNR.

RESULTS
Ringing artifacts never occurred. The collaboration of the patient and the use of the earphones are critical to avoid motion artifacts. Renal veins have never been visualized. High CNR were noticed.

CONCLUSIONS
This technique allows a more efficient use of the contrast media. MRA with centric ordering and fluoroscopic triggering allows an optimal and easy assessment of the renal arteries.


In C3 cereals such as wheat and barley, grain filling was traditionally explained as being sustained by assimilates from concurrent leaf photosynthesis and remobilization from the stem. In recent decades a role for ear photosynthesis as a contributor to grain filling has emerged. This review will analyze several aspects of this topic: (i) methodological approaches for estimation of ear photosynthetic contribution to grain filling; (ii) the existence of genetic variability in the ear contribution, and evidence of genetic gains in the past; (iii) the controversy about the existence of C4 metabolism in the ear; (iv) the response of ear photosynthesis to water deficit; and (v) morphological and physiological traits possibly related to ear temperature and thermal balance of the ear. The main conclusions are: (i) there are a number of methodologies to quantify ear photosynthetic activity (e.g. gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence) and the ear contribution to grain filling (individual ear shading, ear emergence in shaded canopies, isotope composition); (ii) the contribution of ear photosynthesis seems to have increased in modern wheat germplasm; (iii) the ear contribution to grain filling increases under resource-limitation conditions (water deficit, defoliation, pathogen infection); (iv) there is genetic variability in the ear contribution in wheat, opening the possibility to use this trait to ameliorate grain yield; (v) current evidence supports the existence of C3 metabolism rather than C4 metabolism; (vi) the ear is a 'dehydration avoider organ' under drought; (vii) thermal balance in the ear is a relevant issue to explore, and more research is needed to clarify the underlying morphological and physiological traits.


In this article we report two cases of left lower lobe lung cancer undergoing a surgical procedure that allowed the preservation of lung parenchyma and avoided pneumonectomy. The first case concerned a left lower lobe non‐small cell lung cancer with extracapsular spread in a metastatic interlobar lymph node and the second a left lower lobe lung cancer with invasion of the pulmonary artery at the origin of lobar branches to the lower lobe. In both cases, a lung‐sparing surgical treatment was preferred and a left lower lobectomy was performed with division of lingular arteries and the interlobar artery, preserving the remaining arterial branches to the upper lobe.


We have surveyed the 0.5-2.0 MeV nucleon-1 ion composition of 56 interplanetary (IP) shocks observed with the Ultra-Low-Energy Isotope Spectrometer on board the Advanced Composition Explorer from 1997 October 1 through 2000 November 30. Our results show the first ever measurement (25 cases) of 3He ions being accelerated at IP shocks. The 3He/4He ratio at the 25 shocks exhibited a wide range of values between 0.0014 and 0.24; the ratios were enhanced between factors of ~3 and 600 over the solar wind value. During the survey period, the occurrence probability of 3He-rich shocks increased with rising solar activity as measured in terms of the daily occurrence rates of sunspots and X-ray flares. The 3He enhancements at IP shocks cannot be attributed to a rigidity-dependent acceleration of solar wind ions and are better explained if the shocks accelerate ions from multiple sources, one being remnant impulsive solar flare material enriched in 3He ions. Our results also indicate that the contribution of impulsive flares to the seed population for IP shocks varies from event to event and that the interplanetary medium is being replenished with impulsive material more frequently during periods of increased solar activity.


Parsley (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. cv. Banquet) incurred leaf injury, reduced growth, and altered assimilate partitioning after exposures to 20 pphm ozone. Total plant dry weight and root dry weight were decreased 23% and 43% respectively, with little effect on leaves. The relative growth rate of fumigated plants was reduced after the initial ozone exposure but leveled off at a steady state above that of the control plants when plant dry weights reached about 4.5 g. Ozone appeared to have its greatest effect on growth during initial exposures.


Abstract The emergence of smart cities is expanding gradually. This research focus on developing efficient energy utilization models and answers for home and places of business based on current sensing and wireless networking technologies. Accessibility of minimal effort sensing and processing modules just as of late created effective wireless correspondence conventions for building robotization applications give the essential enabling instruments to the application domain of smart buildings. Energy utilization mechanization is a compelling use of sensor technology because of the all-inclusive requirement for energy use enhancement in homes and places of business. To build up an energy utilization models and optimization algorithms to minimize energy use gave by the networked sensors, client orders, and framework settings, ongoing pricing information when accessible, and input information accessible from the network. This research paper implements the best optimization model for WSN in smart Buildings for smart cities.


Aspiration pneumonia is associated with significantly high morbidity and mortality rates, accompanied by high health care costs. As a result, aspiration pneumonia preventive efforts are a national priority. The development of an intervention model for the prevention of aspiration pneumonia in high-risk medical-surgical inpatients at an urban teaching hospital is described. The intervention model consists of the implementation and evaluation of a risk assessment tool and development of an aspiration pneumonia prevention protocol.


Objectives To investigate the incidence of vascular abnormality and clinical outcomes in a group of patients presenting with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and negative initial vascular investigation. Design Single centre prospective cohort study. Subjects All adult patients with SAH admitted to our unit over a 12 month period. Methods Prospective collection of data on secure electronic database. Information pertaining to gender, age, mode of initial and subsequent vascular investigations was acquired. Details regarding clinical outcomes at 30 days and complications were documented. Results 118 consecutive patients with SAH were admitted to our unit over the 12 month study period. 37 patients had negative initial vascular imaging (37/118=31.4%). M:F=19:18, age range 26–76 years. 32 patients underwent a high quality CT angiogram as initial vascular investigation, 5 patients underwent catheter cerebral angiogram (DSA). The most common modality of further vascular imaging was DSA. 5 vascular abnormalities were detected on subsequent vascular imaging (5/37=13.5%). Hydrocephalus and vasospasm were the commonest complications. Clinical outcomes were very good; all patients had a GOS of 5 at 30 days. Conclusions Patients with SAH and negative initial vascular investigation are an important subset of patients with SAH. There is no uniformity in the type of subsequent vascular investigations selected. Our experience is consistent with previously published studies.


Various agents (e.g., prescription drugs, OTC-medications, agricultural chemicals) have a potential to cause neurological disorders including cognitive impairment, movement disorders, convulsions and peripheral neuropathy. Among them, extrapyramidal motor disorders (e.g., parkinsonian symptoms and tremor) are often caused by drugs acting on central nervous system, deteriorating quality of life in many patients. Recent progress in pharmacology/drug safety research revealed detailed mechanisms for the pathogenesis and treatment of drug-induced extrapyramidal side effects (EPS). Although the dopaminergic system dysfunction has long been considered to be the primary cause of parkinsonian symptoms, it is now known that multiple serotonergic (5-HT 1A , 5-HT 2A , 5-HT 3 and 5-HT 6 receptors), adrenergic (α 2A and α 2C receptors) or cholinergic (muscarinic) receptors play crucial roles in modulating the EPS induction. In this presentation, we introduce the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and treatment of EPS, with a focus on drug-induced parkinsonian symptoms and tremor, and discuss the prediction and management of EPS at clinical settings (e.g., treatment of schizophrenia, mood disorders, Alzheimer's disease) and chemical intoxication.


We studied the potential of an introduced species, the predatory cladoceran Cercopagis pengoi, to influence native zooplankton populations in the Baltic Sea. Feeding rates (FRs) of different instars of C. pengoi on Eurytemora affinis, a dominant copepod species, were determined experimen- tally. The FRs of C. pengoi varied from 0.7 to 4.8 prey predator -1 d -1 and were significantly higher in older instars. Based on the experimental results and long-term zooplankton abundance data from the Gulf of Finland, we estimated the in situ predation rates. Our results imply that at maximum abun- dance, the C. pengoi population feeding in dense prey patches could consume as many as 10 5 E. affi- nis m -3 d -1 . This could explain the observed drastic decrease in copepod abundances in the eastern Gulf of Finland, the region with the highest C. pengoi abundance after the expansion of this species. Such a decline may strengthen food competition between other zooplanktivores, i.e. planktivorous fish and mysids, feeding on the same copepod prey in regions where C. pengoi may reach high abun- dances. In the Gulf of Finland, especially in the eastern parts, a collapse of E. affinis, a key species in the pelagic system, would cause major changes in virtually all trophic levels, because the food web structure is simple with only a few species of zooplankton, planktivores, and piscivores.


intervention: A neuroscientific perspective. (NP) – to theoretically evaluate, and adapt, the use of SP as an OD intervention. The contribution of SP interventions to OD is well recognised in the literature. In a review of articles on SP, however, it was found that, despite employing sound qualitative research designs, most were based on the researchers' interpretation of the data from an SP frame of reference, with Orientation: Systems-psychodynamics as a consulting stance offers learning experiences that not only have links with the first organisation development interventions but also remains a popular approach for organisational consultation. Here, the argument is made that neuroscientific principles, as embedded in neuropsychotherapy, offer a lens for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of systems-psychodynamic interventions. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to hypothesise about the effectiveness of systems-psychodynamic interventions, and to offer propositions for improvement. Motivation for the study: Studies on the effectiveness of systems-psychodynamic interventions from outside the same network of science-practitioners, are limited. Furthermore, no evidence of a similar study using a neuroscientific framework could be found in the English literature. Research approach/design and method: This was a conceptual analysis with theory adaption as an approach. Systems-psychodynamics was chosen as domain theory and was discussed first, followed by neuropsychotherapy as method theory. Main findings: It was hypothesised that, using the lens of neuropsychotherapy, systems-psychodynamics – with its focus on insight into unconscious processes – would most likely enhance fear-based learning. To facilitate transformational learning, the experience could be augmented through a better alignment with neuroscientific principles. Practical/managerial implications: There is a need to augment the role of the consultant as science-practitioner with the skills of a reflective practitioner. This will enable consultants to continuously critique and adapt preferred interventions, by integrating new neuroscience-related knowledge in those interventions. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the literature on organisation development interventions, and the reflective practice of the science-practitioner.


Introduction: Prolonged length of stay and failure to timely disposition of patients in the emergency department (ED) lead to negative impact on the quality of service presentation, increasing dissatisfaction, and finally violence. Therefore, assessing the causes of prolonged length of stay for patients in this ward and presenting some applicable solutions against it, can significantly help improving the quality of services and more satisfaction of patients. The present study was designed with the aim of evaluating the causes of prolonged length of stay for patients in the ED. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the causes of prolonged length of stay for admitted patients were assessed in the ED of Alzahra Hospital, Esfahan, Iran, during the fall 2010. A checklist was prepared with 11 cases included: age, gender, triage level, the time of receiving admission code and discharging from ED, the chief compliant of patient, hospitalization and discharge services, date of hospitalization, and the outcome for all patients. The lack of available bed in the ward, request for doing tests and unnecessary consultations, delay in entering the samples to the laboratory, delay in visit and disposition of patients by senior resident on duty, need to therapeutic proceedings by another service, delay in informing the resident of the related service, lack of coordination between the other wards and ED for patient's transportation, and financial inability of the patient were considered as the probable causes of prolonged length of stay. Finally, gathered data was analyzed by using SPSS version 18. Results: 95 (18.8%) patients had prolonged ED length of stay (>6 hours) with the hospitalization mean of 10.4±5.5 hours. Prolonged length of stay cases were significantly higher in patients under 30 years old (p=0.0001), in weekends (p=0.05), and second level triage (p=0.01). The most mean of prolonged length of stay were related to the surgery service with 20.0±21.2 hours, multi-service hospitalization with 16.7±12.1, neurosurgery with 15.6±15.1, internal with 14.2±16.1, orthopedic with 13.09±5.7, infectious with 13.4±13.1, and neurology with 6.7±3.0 (p=0/001). The most common causes of prolonged length of stay for patients were related to prolonged consultation time, need to a therapeutic performance by another service, lack of available bed in other ward, and delay in disposition of patients by other services (p=0.03). Conclusion: Based on results of the present study, patients younger than 30 years, hospitalized in surgery services, multi-service, neurosurgery, internal, and hospitalized in weekend days had significantly higher prolonged length of stay in the ED. Also, increasing the consultations' time and disposition of patients following performance of a therapeutic proceeding by another service are other reasons of the prolonged length of stay for ED patients.


Tourism-related capital investment has grown massively during the last few decades and is predicted to continue growing after 2010. Also, there is increasing motivation on the part of all stakeholders in tourism sector to make this investment more sustainable. Foreign direct investments (FDI) are one of the possible funding sources in the tourism sector, particularly in developing countries. Developing countries, if they wish to promote sustainable development in the context of tourism, should be extremely cautious in attracting FDI in this sector. It is necessary to attract sustainable FDI.Central questions which will be addressed in this article are what is meant by sustainable FDI in the tourism sector, what the basic dimensions of such investments are and why should developing countries need them. These questions will be addressed through the literature review of FDI in tourism sector and their relationship to principles of sustainability, the results of up to date researches of this topic. The authors will try to draw the attention of IPAs in developing countries to the main components of all four dimensions of sustainable FDI in tourism sector.The final aim of the authors is to inspire the IPAs in developing countries to enter the fourth generation of investment promotion in hope that this will ensure the sustainability of tourism sector in such countries.


Field data from the Oligocene–Miocene Gulf of Suez rift demonstrate that coeval growth faults, folds, and transfer zones exerted a major control on synrift stratigraphic sequence development. Growth folds in the Suez rift are related to steeply dipping normal faults that propagated upward, resulting in broad, upward-widening monoclines in overlying strata. Folding during fault propagation was accommodated by layer-parallel slip and detachment along mudstone horizons as well as by normal and rare reverse secondary faults that propagated away from the master fault. The eventual propagation of the master fault through to the surface left the steep limb of the monocline and most of the secondary faults in the hanging wall. This evolving structural style exerted a marked control on the geometry and stacking patterns of coeval synrift sediments. Synrift sediments display onlap and intraformational unconformities toward the growth monoclines and buried faults, whereas they diverge into broadly synclinal expanded sections away from the growth monocline. Continued movement across buried faults resulted in the progressive rotation of the monoclinal limb and associated synrift sediments, each successively younger sequence dipping basinward at a shallower angle than the previous one. The resulting synrift geometries differ significantly from stratal geometries normally anticipated adjacent to normal faults. Along-strike variations in facies stacking patterns are also commonly associated with decreasing displacement across faults and associated folds toward low-relief transfer zones. Data from other rift basins indicate that fault-propagation folds are not unique to the Gulf of Suez.


Poly (methyl methacrylate) derivatives such as Eudragit are polymers largely used for drug encapsulation and in controlled oral drug delivery. With special focusing on those applications , solubilization and precipitation conditions of two pH-sensitive Eudragit polymers namely L100 and E100 were investigated via systematic studies. Effects of various physico-chemical parameters such as pH, polymer concentration, salinity, buffer concentration and incubation time on the solubilization and precipitation of these polymers were studied. In addition, pH titration of both polymers was reported. Considering both macroscopic and quantitative aspects such as the final mean particle size, size distribution, morphology and the zeta potential, it was established that the different pre-cited parameters could not be dissociated and exert a synergic action on the solubilization and precipitation of both polymers. In this study, the solubilization and the precipitation domains were for the first time clearly established by considering the above-mentioned parameters. Moreover, it was found that Eudragit L100 and E100 did not behave as classic polyelectrolytes since solubilization and precipitation domains were not affected by ionic strength. Titration curves revealed two equivalences that helped estimating carboxylic content of Eudragit L100 (6 mmol/g) and


The distinctive high-growth, high-risk nature of technology-based industries raises important questions about the creation of wealth in takeovers of technology firms. Although acquiring firm shareholders respond favorably to high-tech takeover announcements, these acquirers generally underperform industry-matched benchmarks and size- and book-to-market matched control portfolios in the long run. A key factor related to poor post-merger performance is a low bidder book-to-market ratio, especially when combined with a bidder ownership structure with high potential for agency problems. These findings suggest that the market tends to exhibit excess enthusiasm about the expected benefits of certain high-tech acquisitions.


The 4-aminopyridine(4-AP) molecularly imprinted polymer(MIP)-based monolithic capillary column was prepared by an in situ thermal-initiated polymerization process; the preparation process is simple and quick. The MIP was covalently linked to the inner wall of fused silica capillary. The performance of the column was evaluated by capillary electrochromatography(CEC). Under the optimal CEC conditions, the resolution of 4-AP and 2-AP was 2.5 on the 4-AP MIP based monolithic column, while only 0\^35 on the reference column without any imprint of 4-AP. The recognition ability of MIP for 4-AP was influenced by a lot of factors including pH, sort of buffers, ionic strength and the content of organic modifier in the mobile phase. The recognition of the MIP was enhanced with decreasing the salt concentration of the buffer or increasing the acetonitrile content in the mobile phase. The phenomena are ascribed to the reduction in the amount of cationic ions in the mobile phase, which compete with 4-AP in combination with carboxyl in the cavity of MIP, and weaken the specific affinity of the imprint cavity for the imprinted molecule. The effect of the sort and pH of buffer on the recognition of the MIP is complicated. For phosphate buffer, the effect of pH is parabolic, giving the best recognition at pH=5, while for acetate buffer, increase in pH benefits the recognition.


Background:

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare progressive neoplastic cystic lung disease that primarily affects women of child bearing age leading to lung destruction, respiratory failure and death. Thought to be a consequence of dysregulated protease expression, cells of unknown origin accumulate in the lung, often forming clusters or nodules of cells with both melanocytic and smooth muscle properties. Some of these cells, known as LAM cells, have bi-allelic mutations in TSC2 resulting in constitutive mTOR activation. However LAM nodules are heterogeneous structures and genotyping analyses suggest that cells without LOH for TSC2 including wild-type fibroblasts are also common within LAM nodules.

Hypotheses and aims:

We hypothesise that LAM cells recruit wild-type fibroblasts and modify their properties to generate a permissive microenvironment, akin to a tumour stroma including the production and activation of matrix-degrading proteases which contribute to the destruction of the lung parenchyma. This study has therefore deigned in vitro co-culture models with an aim to study the expression patterns and activation of proteases in a LAM lung leading to matrix destruction. Another aim was also to characterise transcriptional differences normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLFs) and LAM-associated fibroblasts (LAFs) and to investigate changes in their gene expression when cultured together with a model LAM cell line, 621-101 angiomyolipoma cells which were derived from a LAM patient and have bi-allelic loss of TSC2.

Methods:

In vitro 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensionalD (3D) co-culture models were designed and validated using fibroblasts characterised and isolated from 4 LAM lung donors, now termed LAFs, and 621-101 cells. The 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) incorporated the two cell types in a 10:1 ratio embedded in a basement membrane extract (BME) mimicking the lung matrix. An organotypic spheroid model was also developed incorporating both cell types thereby mimicking a LAM nodule. 6 LAM lung and 3 normal lung tissue donors were screened for candidate proteases in LAM pathology using qRT-PCR and identified upregulated proteases which may contribute to a role in LAM pathology. These findings were verified in the 2D and 3D in vitro models as well as ex vivo tissue using a variety of immunostaining techniques, activity assays and ELISA. Lastly, commercially bought NHLF (n=3) and LAF (n=3) were cultured in the presence or absence of 621-101 cells in the 2D Boyden chamber co-culture model. LAF and NHLF RNA was analysed using Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Arrays and Genomics Suite and Pathway (Partek). Findings were validated by multiplex assay and immunohistochemistry in 2D and 3D in vitro models and tissue respectively. Inflammatory cell migration and function was examined in co-culture model and LAM tissue.

Results:

The 3D BME model showed that TSC2-/- 621-101 cells and fibroblasts spontaneously form aggregates and clump together akin to a LAM nodule. The two cell types exhibited strong heterotypic cell-cell adhesive forces and resulted in strictly spherical spheroids. The 3D models designed all showed expression of markers of LAM nodules thereby representing LAM nodules in a dish.

Of 30 proteases screened, cathepsin K gene expression was increased almost 15-fold in LAM lung compared to normal tissue and was also found to be elevated in 3D BME model. Cathepsin K in LAM tissue was expressed in the LAM nodules associated with cysts and was expressed exclusively by fibroblasts in the 3D spheroid model. As cathepsin K requires low pH for activity it was determined if LAFs and TSC2-/- cells can acidify the extracellular space. TSC2-/- cells but not LAFs decreased extracellular pH, over 24 hours and pH values <7 were associated with increased cathepsin K activity in co-cultures. TSC2-/- cells expressed membrane transporters associated with extra-cellular acidification and inhibitors of the sodium bicarbonate co-transporters, carbonic anhydrases and mTOR reduced the pH gradient and decreased CTSK activity in co-cultures.

Transcriptomic analysis using the 2D co-culture model showed 148 genes were significantly altered in both NHLF and LAF by 621-101 cells. Soluble factors from 621-101 cells induce pro-inflammatory transcriptional changes in both NHLFs and LAFs and pathway analysis showed enhanced chemokine signalling which highlighted stimulation of mainly the C-X-C motif chemokines and chemokine receptor signalling. The analysis identified 6 C-X-C motif chemokines all possessing a cognate receptor. The gene and protein expression of these chemokines was validated in the in vitro models and in ex vivo LAM lung tissue.

Conclusions:

The in vitro models are versatile and mimic the LAM lung nodule and environment. A potent matrix degrading protease possibly playing a role in LAM has been identified and using the in vitro models a possible mechanism of activation of CTSK resulting from a synergistic relationship between TSC2-/- cells and LAFs has been demonstrated. Also, soluble factors from the TSC2-/- LAM cell line elicit changes in gene expression in co-cultured fibroblasts. Chemokine signalling is associated with cell migration; elevated chemokine expression may be associated with the recruitment of inflammatory cells to the LAM nodule. The identification of these mechanisms and pathways opens up new avenues for therapeutic interventions in LAM.


The cationic peptide (AAKA)4 (AK16) exhibits a high propensity for aggregation into β-sheet-like structures in spite of the high positive charge of its protonated lysine side chains. Upon incubation into an aqueous solution, the peptide maintains a metastable β-sheet-like structure with fibrillar content, the apparent stability of which increases with peptide concentration. In the presence of a sufficiently high concentration of anions, the peptide spontaneously forms a hydrogel at millimolar concentrations. Interestingly, we find that even in the absence of gel-supporting anions, the peptide is capable of forming a hydrogel in the centimolar range. Rheological data reveal that the gel is a stable elastic solid. These data show that the peptide can overcome the repulsive interactions between the positively charged ammonium groups of the lysine residues. The addition of 1 M NaCl just accelerates this process. Atomic force microscopy images of the peptide gel reveal fibrils with thicknesses between 4 and 8 nm, which suggests that they contain multiple layers of sheets. We propose that long tapes of β-sheet are arranged in fibrils via stacking of alternating interfaces induced by hydrophobic interactions between alanine side chains and by the formation of a hydrogen bonded water network between hydrophilic sides of AK16 β-sheets, which leads to the observed immobilization of the solvent in the formed hydrogel. Water immobilization is proposed as the likely cause for a significant increase in the amide I' oscillator strength of the formed β-sheet structures.


Located within the Creative Industries Faculty, the Animation team at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) recently acquired a full-body inertial motion capture system. Our research to date has been predominantly concerned with interdisciplinary practice and the benefits this could bring to undergraduate teaching. From early experimental tests it was identified that there was a need to develop a framework for best practice and an efficient production workflow to ensure the system was being used to its full potential. Through our ongoing investigation we have identified at least three areas that stand to have long-term benefits from universities engaging in motion capture related research activity. This includes interdisciplinary collaborative research, undergraduate teaching and improved production processes. The following paper reports the early stages of our research, which explores the use of a full-body inertial motion capture (MoCap) solution in collaboration with performing artists.


Inflammation is critical for the development of many complex diseases and disorders including autoimmune diseases, metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. Inflammation comes in two types: chronic inflammation, which can be defined as a dysregulated form of inflammation, and acute inflammation, which can defined as a regulated form. Because of its special role in the aforementioned diseases, establishing methods to control chronic inflammation is important for developing cures and treatments against various diseases and disorders. One challenge to achieve this has been the ability to distinguish chronic and acute inflammation based on molecular biology diagnostics. Thus, this Research Topic is focused on articles that can shed new light on the molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of chronic inflammation and its related conditions.

This volume brings together 13 articles that are intended to provide a summary of some of the current thinking regarding the "molecular mechanism of chronic inflammation development." The 13 articles are briefly described below.

The first (Chilton et al., 2012) and second articles (Shichita et al., 2012) present the roles of TLR-mediated signals in chronic inflammation. The authors focus a TLR4 ligand, lipid A, produced by Gram-negative bacteria and its variants to investigate how these compounds induce acute and chronic inflammation (Chilton et al., 2012) and post-ischemic inflammation in the brain induced by endogenous TLR ligands, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), and peroxiredoxin family proteins (Shichita et al., 2012). Both these exogenous and endogenous TLR ligands should be triggering factors for both acute as well as chronic inflammation.

The next three articles focus on T cells in the process of chronic inflammation. Huseby et al. (2012) review pathogenic CD8+ T cells in multiple sclerosis (MS), while many researchers including us paid much attention to pathogenic CD4+ T cells. Because it is known that lymphocytes in MS plaques are biased toward the CD8 lineage, the authors emphasize that understanding how CNS-reactive CD8 T cells escape tolerance induction and induce CNS autoimmunity is critical to our ability to propose and test new therapies for MS. It is possible, for example, that pathogenic CD8+ T cells might play a major role in chronic inflammation during the course of MS development. Mauro and Marelli-Berg (2012) report T cell immunity in cardiovascular metabolic disorders. They proposed that an altered metabolism in the cardiovascular system initially induced by macrophages and innate immunity can fuel chronic inflammation and subsequent migration of antigen-non-specific activated T cells to the affected site. Komatsu and Takayanagi (2012) address the synergistic activity of immune cells, particularly activated helper T cells and mesenchymal cells such as synovial fibroblasts in joints. They propose that mesenchymal cells, which interact with the activated T cells, are an important determinant in the development of chronic inflammation in the joints.

The next two articles show events in the later phase of chronic inflammation. Ueha et al. (2012) present cellular and molecular mechanisms of organ fibrosis and Rubin et al. (2012) address the relationship between IBD and colon cancer, which develops in the affected sites during chronic inflammation. The authors stress the formation of myofibroblasts mediated by activated helper T cells as well as cytokines such as TGFb for the development of chronic inflammation-mediated fibrosis (Ueha et al., 2012) and review the genetic basis of IBD, the genetic and cellular alterations associated with colitis-associated colon cancer, and the emerging role of the intestinal microbiota and other environmental factors.

The next three articles address the negative regulation of chronic inflammation by DHA metabolome, IL-10, and regulatory T cells (Tregs). Shinohara et al. (2012) present an overview of functional metabolomics that identified a new bioactive metabolome of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) including their recent in vivo and in vitro data. They suggest that the metabolome of DHA might have protective and anti-inflammatory actions relevant even in humans. Kubo and Motomura (2012) review the transcriptional regulation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, particularly in adaptive immune cells such as activated helper T cells. Because IL-10 has a strong immune suppressive effect, it is possible that a reduced IL-10 transcription in the affected tissues can be a triggering factor for chronic inflammation. Fujio et al. (2012) discuss Tregs, which strongly inhibit chronic inflammation, by paying special attention to autoantibody production and autoantibody-mediated autoimmune diseases. They conclude that several kinds of Tregs have the potential to control autoimmune inflammation by suppressing both autoantibody production and the local chronic inflammatory responses that are induced by autoantibodies.

The next two articles focus on current ambiguities in immunology. Barnaba et al. (2012) review the various cell populations in the immune system. They hypothesize that they maintain a state of chronic low-level inflammation during persisting infections, and ultimately favor the species survival. Thus, dysregulation of low-level inflammation by enhancing harmful responses and/or reducing negative regulatory responses could develop into chronic inflammation. Prinz and Knobeloch (2012) present the good and bad of I-IFN with regards to immune responses and inflammation induction. I-IFN is associated with detrimental effects in Aicardi–Goutieres syndrome (AGS), but at the same time is used as a standard therapeutic for the treatment of relapsing–remitting MS. The authors show mainly their own data for AGS, a severe disabling autoimmune inflammatory encephalopathy, and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of MS, to describe the roles of I-IFN during the development of chronic inflammation in the CNS.

The final report is ours (Murakami and Hirano, 2011). We have been studying the role of non-immune cells in the development of helper T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Although the NFκB-triggered positive-feedback-loop for IL-6-signaling (IL-6-amplifier) was originally discovered in mice to be a synergistic-activation signal that is activated following IL-17A and IL-6 stimulation in non-immune cells, results from disease models such as a rheumatoid arthritis, F759 mice, and EAE have shown that the IL-6-amplifier in fibroblasts, a type of endothelial cell, is activated by simultaneous stimulation of NFkB and STAT3 and locally induces chemokines and chronic inflammation. Indeed, we have proposed a four-step model for MHC class II-associated autoimmune diseases: (1) T cell activation regardless of antigen specificity; (2) local events inducing a tissue-specific accumulation of activated T cells; (3) transient activation of the IL-6 amplifier; and (4) enhanced sensitivity to cytokines in the target tissue. The interaction of these events results in chronic activation of the IL-6 amplifier and subsequent manifestation of autoimmune diseases. Thus, the IL-6 amplifier, which is chronically activated by these four events, is a critical regulator of chronic inflammations in tissue-specific MHC class II-associated autoimmune diseases.

As summarized above, the 13 articles present a range of data and issues that are under active investigation for understanding the molecular mechanism(s) of chronic inflammation, which is a general cause of various human diseases and disorders.


The predictions of currently available theories for treating DNA-diffuse ionic cloud free energy contributions to conformational stability have been tested against experimental data for salt induced B-Z and B-A transitions. The theories considered are (i) Manning's counterion condensation approach (CC), (ii) the idealized Poisson-Boltzmann approximation (PB), and (iii) the potentials of mean force (PMF) approach proposed by Soumpasis. As far as we can judge from comparison with the set of experimental data currently available, it is found that only the latter theory yields satisfactory quantitative results for the dependence of the B-Z and B-A relative stabilities on monovalent salt concentration. The correct application of the PB and CC theories does not yield very low salt Z-B transitions, in contradiction to earlier assertions. At low salt concentrations the PB theory is qualitatively correct in predicting that the B form is electrostatically more favorable than both the A and Z forms, whereas the CC theory is qualitatively wrong predicting that Z-DNA is more stable than both B and A DNA.


Background: The modern intensive care unit (ICU) is a complex and high-risk environment, and even small adverse events and changes may deteriorate the patient's conditions and eventually cause harm. Many factors can potentially be associated within an increased amount of errors, leading to adverse events. Nurses, nurse managers, and other leaders all play important roles in establishing patient safety. Aim: This study aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of leaders' and nurses' main concerns in establishing patient safety in Swedish intensive care units. Method: A grounded theory methodology was used. Data from 15 interviews with leaders and nurses involved in critical care in Sweden were collected, analysed and constant compared. Findings: The main concern in establishing patient safety was promoting quality of care, work engagement, and staffs well-being in strained ICUs. The core category building trust explained how the leaders' and nurses' strove for quality of care and wished a healthy, safe work environment. This is further explained in the categories "Being an accessible and able leader", "Creating knowledge and understanding", and "Establishing collaborative practice". Conclusion: Establishing patient safety in the ICU requires that staffs enjoy going to work, have good work relations, are committed and want to stay at the unit. A healthy, salutogenetic unit with a work environment marked by trust provides a better opportunity to establish patient safety, and various leaders have potential to achieve this.


Long-term stage-by stage care of 580 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, scleroderma, including individual regimes of medicamentous therapy, hemosorption, water- and -mud baths, decrease the hospital letality, number of relapses and disability more than 3 times, and envisage the maintenance of stable long-year remission.


Betamethasone topical nasal drops may have systemic corticosteroid activity and cause suppression of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and impairment of bone turnover. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a standard 6-week regime of betamethasone topical nasal drops on the HPA axis (using a physiological dose (1 microg) ACTH test) and on bone turnover (using markers of bone turnover, urinary deoxypyridinoline and serum bone specific alkaline phosphatase). Eleven patients with nasal polyposis were included in a prospective cohort study. Plasma cortisol was lower after betamethasone treatment at all time intervals (P < 0. 0001). There was no change in urinary deoxypyridinoline corrected for creatinine or bone specific alkaline phosphatase. Six weeks' treatment with recommended doses of betamethasone suppresses the HPA axis, but has no significant effect upon markers of bone turnover. Topical betamethasone in subjects with nasal polyps should be viewed as systemic corticosteroid administration and the long and short-term sequelae should be borne in mind.


Purpose Although definitive chemoradiotherapy is considered as a standard of care for FIGO stage IIB cervical cancer in many countries, the role of surgery remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of patients with FIGO stage IIB cervical cancer who received radical surgery in China. Patients and methods A total of 74 women with FIGO stage IIB cervical cancer were treated with radical hysterectomy, with or without adjuvant radio/chemoradiotherapy, at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University between 2004 and 2015. Medical charts and clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression models were used for survival analyses. In addition, prognostic nomograms predicting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were constructed. Results Pathological parametrial involvement (PMI) was only identified in 28.3% (21/74) of all patients and 47.3% (9/19) of patients without neoadjuvant treatment. Major surgical complications, including bladder fistula, intestinal obstruction and ureteral injury, were found in 6.8% (5/74) of patients. Although the use of imaging technologies including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) has increased after 2010 compared to that prior to 2010, the accuracy of MRI/PET–CT in detecting pathological PMI was lower than that of physical examination under anesthesia (P<0.05). Neoadjuvant treatment was the only risk factor affecting the accuracy of pre- and postoperative accordance of PMI (OR: 3.283 [95% CI: 1.363–7.908], P=0.008). The 2- and 5-year OS rates were 84.1% and 68.9%, respectively, while the 2- and 5-year cumulative recurrence rates were 26.9% and 39.9%, respectively. Cox regression analyses indicated that pre- and postoperative accordance of PMI, common iliac lymph node metastasis and major surgical complications were significant prognostic factors for both OS and PFS. Conclusion Radical hysterectomy might be a feasible alternative for FIGO stage IIB cervical cancer. As pre- and postoperative accordance of PMI is relatively low, strategies to appropriately select patients who will benefit from surgery via pretreatment evaluation need to be further investigated.


Understanding conduction in Cu(2)O is vital to the optimization of Cu-based p-type transparent conducting oxides. Using a screened hybrid-density-functional approach we have investigated the formation of p-type defects in Cu(2)O giving rise to single-particle levels that are deep in the band gap, consistent with experimentally observed activated, polaronic conduction. Our calculated transition levels for simple and split copper vacancies explain the source of the two distinct hole states seen in DLTS experiments. The necessity of techniques that go beyond the present generalized-gradient- and local-density-approximation techniques for accurately describing p-type defects in Cu(I)-based oxides is discussed.


The apparent inconsistency between the Tobin Separation Theorem and the advice of popular investment advisors pointed out by Canner et al (1997) is shown to be explicable in terms of the hedging demands of optimising long-term investors in an environment in which the investment opportunity set is subject to stochastic shocks.


Dental defects of erosive nature are defined as irreversible losses of dental tissue, caused by long lasting and repeated action of acids that dissolve top layer of hydroxyapatite and fluorideapatites crystal structure, under assumption that aggressive factor is not of bacterial nature. Acids that cause changes on teeth according to their origin are gastric, dietetic, or they are of environmental origin. Current way of life, as well as nutritional habits create potentially dangerous conditions for the hard dental tissue, for prevention of mineralization process causes defects of oral system homeostasis. Defects occur on primary teeth, as well as on permanent teeth. However, this happens once and a half time more frequently on primary teeth due to the weaker primary maturation. In initial phases, changes are localized in enamel and by their development the bottom locates in dentine. Defects appear as smooth, shiny, round concavities on caries immune positions, or as cupping of occlusal surfaces. The depth of an eroded lesion consists of the depth of the crater plus the depth of tissue demineralization at the base of the lesion. Early verification of the etiological factor, together with good knowledge of the manifested shape change has influence to the prevention of the crown of tooth loss, complete occlusion, mastication and speech.


Theory predicts that arbitrage improves financial market liquidity when arbitrage opportunities arise as a result of temporary demand shocks and worsens liquidity when arbitrage opportunities arise as a result of differences in information. In this paper, I study the impact of arbitrage in Depositary Receipts (DRs) on market liquidity, using tick-by-tick data from the U.S. and five different home markets from 1996 to 2013. My analysis suggests that around 70% of the arbitrage opportunities in DRs arise as a result of demand shocks. Consistent with theory, I then show that an increase in arbitrage activity is associated with a reduction in market order imbalance and an improvement in liquidity. My results are robust to different proxies for arbitrage activity, different methodologies, and to instrumental variable tests. Overall, these findings indicate that arbitrageurs tend to trade against market order imbalance and thus enhance market integration and liquidity.


The expression of αEβ7 integrin has been related to the selective retention of lymphocytes in mucosal tissues of gut, urogenital tract and lung. To identify potential disease‐associated αEβ7 expression patterns on cells accounting for lymphocytic alveolitis in interstitial lung disease (ILD),αE expression on CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets was evaluated by dual‐colour flow cytometry in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF; n = 18), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP; n = 20) and sarcoidosis (n = 44) in comparison with healthy controls (n = 15). In both healthy individuals and all patient groups the proportion of αE‐bearing T cells in peripheral blood was < 2%, whereas the vast majority of alveolar CD8+ T cells consistently co‐expressed αE. Absolute alveolar CD8+αE+ cell numbers/ml were up to 30‐fold increased in HP patients. Proportions of αE‐bearing CD4+ cells in BALF were significantly elevated in IPF (74.0 ± 2.7%) and HP (70.0 ±  2.4%) compared with normals (30.0 ± 1.8%) (mean ±  s.e.m.; P < 0.01). In sarcoidosis, the αE expression on BALF CD4+ cells displayed subgroup dependency: proportions significantly lower than normal were noted in chest radiographic stage I (14.3 ± 1.5%), but increased proportions in stages II (50.0 ± 3.8%) and III (64.0 ± 4.8%). Correlations between common markers of T cell activation or BALF transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β ) bioactivity and αE expression were not noted. We conclude that the vast majority of alveolar CD8+ T cells consistently express αEβ7 and that distinct patterns of αEβ7 expression on alveolar CD4+ lymphocytes in sarcoidosis are related to the diverse manifestations of the sarcoid inflammatory process in the lung.


The study include preparation two Schiff base compounds , 4-acetoamidobenzylidine-glycine SB-A and 4-acetoamidobenzylidine –nitrourea SB-B . Schiff bases were prepared by condensation of 4-acetanilbenzaldehyde with nitrourea and other with glycin. The products were characterized by both FT- IR and UV-Vis. Spectroscopyphotometry. The biological activities against selected types of bacteria which included gram positive bacteria (staphylococcus aureus) , and gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, proteus sp., pseudomonas aeruginosa) was studied . Later, theoretical studies by using the optimized geometry molecular structures of both compounds, indicates SB-B is more stable than SB-A.


Background: MET amplification occurs in 20% of gastric tumors, MET protein overexpression is present in approximately 50% of advanced gastric cancers and activating MET mutations are exceedingly rare in gastric cancer. Several ongoing trials have reported responses in gastric and esophageal patients with MET amplification .Methods: To investigate the effects, of MET inhibition on proliferation and cell death in gastric cancer I used two complementary approaches 1) siRNA mediated knockdown of MET; 2) incubation with crizotinib, a clinically approved small molecule inhibitor of MET. Both resulted in decreased proliferation and increased cell death only in the MET amplified gastric cancer cell lines. Results: The effects on growth arrest were stronger than the effects on cell death. To look for possible resistance mechanisms we performed whole genome mRNA expression profiling. Molecular changes related to autophagy were among the top alterations observed. Consistent with these findings, autophagy levels increased in a concentration dependent manner when exposed to crizotinib. In order to investigate the role of autophagy on cell death, I inhibited autophagy using two approaches 1) siRNA mediated knockdown of ATG5 and ATG7; 2) exposure to chloroquine, a clinically approved agent that inhibits autophagy by raising lysosomal pH. I then measured apoptosis levels with the autophagy inhibitor alone or in combination with MET knockdown or crizotinib. Autophagy inhibition caused a dramatic decrease in apoptosis in one of the MET amplified cell lines (MKN45) but not in the other (SNU-5). Because autophagy provides energy for cells, we explored the effects of MET or autophagy inhibition on cellular ATP levels using the Cell Titer-glo assay. The MKN45 cells had the lowest basal levels of ATP and these levels were further diminished in combination with autophagy inhibition. Conclusions: Overall, our data reveal a novel relationship between low ATP levels and resistance to MET inhibitor-induced cell death. Clinically this is significant because it may discourage the use of combination therapies with autophagy inhibitors in gastric cancer patients whose tumors contain MET amplification. Citation Format: Rebecca Dunbar Schroeder, David Hong, David J. McConkey. Apoptosis, autophagy and ATP: The dynamic interaction of cellular ATP and drug resistance in MET amplified gastric cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4427. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4427


Support Vector Machine for Pattern Classification is motivated by linear machines, but rely on preprocessing the data to represent in a high dimension with an appropriate nonlinear mapping, data from two categories can by separated by a hyperplane. To make certain the hyperplane, the key problem is selecting appropriate criterion and algorithm. To find out the appropriate solution vector in Solution Spaces, fixed increment, variable increment, relaxation, and stochastic approximation etc. may be selected, this article provide a novel method-modified general particle swarm optimization for finding the solution vector. The proposed method enhances performance and avoid over fitness effectively.


Recombination is a common evolutionary tool for RNA viruses, and coronaviruses are no exception. We review here the evidence for recombination in SARS-CoV-2 and reconcile nomenclature for recombinants, discuss their origin and fitness, and speculate how recombinants could make a difference in the future of the COVID-19 pandemics.


We have optimized the negative frequency chirp while maintaining a high extinction ratio in an InP-InGaAsP multiple-quantum-well (MQW) Mach-Zehnder modulator. Our procedure is to elongate one modulator arm such that a T phase shift is produced at zero bias relative to the opposing arm. The resulting dc extinction ratio is improved to ~16 dB from 10 dB relative to a symmetric design. The frequency chirp of the modulator at the rising edge is about -3 GHz enabling excellent transmission performance over a 95 km of conventional fiber.


Human navigation simulation is critical to many civil engineering tasks and is of central interest to the simulation community. Most human navigation simulation approaches focus on the classic psychology evidence, or assumptions that still need further proofs. The overly simplified and generalized assumption of navigation behaviors does not highlight the need of capturing individual differences in spatial cognition and navigation decision-making, or the impacts of diverse ways of spatial information display. This study proposes the visual attention patterns in floorplan review to be a stronger predictor of human navigation behaviors. To set the theoretical foundation, a Virtual Reality (VR) experiment was performed to test if visual attention patterns during spatial information review can predict the quality of spatial memory, and how the relationship is affected by the diverse ways of information display, including 2D, 3D and VR. The results set a basis for future prediction model developments.


Distributed sensor networks (DSN) often lead to high volumes of data to acquire and the implementation of the data acquisition is highly dependable on the application. In this paper, we define a merit factor (MF), which allows for quantitative comparison of different possible implementations of data acquisition system. Results of the application of this factor to high-energy physics experiments are presented.


This article represents the first comprehensive empirical study of the Defend Trade Secrets Act ("DTSA"), the law enacted by Congress in 2016 that created a federal civil cause of action for trade secret misappropriation. The DTSA represents the most significant expansion of federal involvement in intellectual property law in at least 30 years. In this study, we examine publicly-available docket information and pleadings to assess how private litigants have been utilizing the DTSA. Based upon an original dataset of nearly 500 newly-filed DTSA cases in federal court, we analyze whether the law is beginning to meet its sponsors' stated goals of creating more robust and efficient litigation vehicles for trade secret misappropriation victims, thereby helping protect valuable American intellectual property assets.
We find that, similar to state trade secrets law, the paradigm misappropriation scenario under the DTSA involves a former employee who absconds with alleged trade secrets to a competitor. Other results, however, raise questions about the new law's ability to effectively address modern cyberespionage threats, particularly from foreign actors, as well as the purpose (or lack thereof) of trade secret law more broadly. We conclude by discussing our data's implications for trade secret law and litigation, as well as commenting on the DTSA's potential impact on the broader issues of cybersecurity and information flow within our innovation ecosystem.


In this paper, I explore images of evil and (in)humanity in the works of Primo Levi and Charlotte Delbo – verbal images that they encountered within Auschwitz and those that they created afterwards to try to bear witness to what happened there. Verbal images played a crucial role for Levi and Delbo in their efforts both to maintain a sense of their own humanity during their time in the concentration camp and to depict the extent to which inmates' humanity was diminished and degraded by the Nazis. Thus, verbal images helped them both to maintain a sense of their own humanity and to depict the effort to destroy it. This dual role of verbal images found in their testimonies suggests that there is an intimate relationship between evil, images, and (in)humanity during and after the Holocaust – one that we would do well to consider.


Publication Information Silke, C., Brady, B., & Dolan, P. (2019) Relational dynamics in youth mentoring: A mixed-methods study. Galway: UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland Galway. Publisher UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland Galway Link to publisher's version http://www.childandfamilyresearch.ie/cfrc/publications/policyr eports/


Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent used in antineoplastic and immunosuppressive therapies. Symptomatic hyponatraemia is a rare but life-threatening complication in patients treated with cyclophosphamide. We report the case of a 64-year-old woman with breast cancer who developed severe symptomatic hyponatraemia with a generalised seizure and convulsions after a second cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide. She completely recovered after correction of the serum sodium concentration without neurological deficits. Physicians prescribing cyclophosphamide, irrespective of the treatment indication and dosage, should be aware of this potentially life-threatening complication.


Proportional navigation (PN) equations are not solvable in closed form. Linearized solutions have been widely used for PN system analysis and design, but these are based on overly restrictive assumptions regarding the initial geometry, and are valid only for near-tail-chase pursuits. A generalization of the linearized approach is presented which yields more-accurate estimates of pursuer lateral acceleration than the classical linear solutions as verified by comparison with 'exact' numerical solutions. Further, the solution is applicable over a much wider range of engagement geometries. The treatment is based on a closed-form quasilinearized solution of the PN equations followed by the small-angle approximation only to line-of-sight (LOS) angle rate. >


This work will try to follow the development of the iconography of Blessed Giovanni Colombini from the first images handed down to us throughout the XV century. By reading the hagiographic sources, we will try to go back to when the choice of the Jesuati habit started and whether this remains unchanged over the years. The iconographic evidences will be of help to this end. The change in Colombini's social status led him to a radical change in his clothing, which, for some aspects, is very close to that of penitents. We will also try to understand what influence the decision (made towards the mid-XIV century) of Pope Urban V had on the Jesuati habit and therefore on the iconography of Giovanni Colombini, as regards the dress of the 'povari di Christo'.


This essay argues for a new, decade-long worldwide hydrological initiative to permit change in the paradigm that underlies hydrological design and management. It is stimulated by the fact that over the last 20 years there has been a distinct change in our understanding of the nature and origin of the statistics of hydrological variables as measured in an individual watershed or region. The assumption was that these statistics are entirely haphazard in nature and indeterminate in origin, and do not change with time.Thus the most important hydrological variables (such as precipitation, runoff, and potential evaporation) are sampled over a calibration period (of perhaps only a few decades), and the statistics observed within that calibration period are used as the basis for hydrological design and water resource management. Now, however, there is increasing realization that the nature of the locally observed statistics of hydrological variables may be significantly determined by global-scale phenomena and might be prone to long-term change.


We describe a novel cell culture protocol for the generation of neurons from a human teratocarcinoma cell line. These neurons were used to investigate hypoxic-ischaemic cell damage and for developing neuroprotective strategies. Cultures of human model neurons should eventually serve to reduce the number of experimental animals in cerebral stroke research.


Presence and reality judgment are two important variables to take into account in the virtual reality field. So far, scientific literature has paid (and pays) attention to the construct of presence, trying to offer assessment measures that could seize such an elusive concept. However, the concept of reality judgment has received less attention, and, frequently, it has been subsumed into the concept of presence. Not much effort has been dedicated to test whether or not both constructs refer to the same domain. Most likely there are relationships between both variables, but it is also possible that they have differentiated domains. The aim of the present work is to design a self-report measure that assesses both constructs, and to carry out the validation process with Spanish and North American samples.


The nature of tertiary learning has changed significantly over the past decade, in part as a result of the now widespread use of information and communication technology. Given the role of library and information professionals in assisting students through information literacy programs, there is a need for research focussing on student understandings and practices in obtaining, managing and using information. The effectiveness of information literacy programs will be enhanced by consideration of students' information seeking and management practices, taking into account their preferences and problems. While there have been several significant studies involving tertiary students, a better understanding of the specific information literacy needs and behaviours of research students is required. The study reported in this paper focuses on the following key questions: In what ways are today's research students required to be information literate in their study? What strategies do students develop in order to meet such requirements? These questions were investigated using an interpretivist/ constructivist framework, with the researchers therefore interested in the different interpretations which individual research students would bring to information literacy questions. A purposive sample of research students from one university faculty (Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University) was selected to ensure relative homogeneity for key characteristics. Interview techniques were used to elicit rich-picture, indepth perspectives. Analysis was influenced by the constructivist grounded theory approach. Common themes identified in the students' accounts concerned selection of research topics, use and appropriateness of various sources of information (print, people and electronic), online search strategies including the selection of tools such as search engines and particular online resources, the impact of the online environment on research practice, how students decide when enough information has been gathered, how reliability and authority of information are determined, the organisation and assimilation of information, and students' perceptions of the physical versus the online library. The conclusion will discuss the implications of the findings for information professionals working in the tertiary sector.


Antenna array optimization is a major research problem in the field of electromagnetic and antenna engineering. The optimization typically involves in handling several radiation parameters like Sidelobe level (SL) and beamwidth (BW). In this paper, the linear antenna array (LAA) configuration is considered with symmetrical distribution of excitation and special distribution. The objective of the design problem considered involves in generating optimized patterns in terms of SLL and BW and check the robustness of the social group optimization algorithm (SGOA). The analysis of the design problem is carried out in terms of radiation pattern plots. The simulation is carried out in Matlab.


Obesity, and its consequences for human health, is a huge and complicated problem that has no simple solution. The constant search for natural and safe compounds with systemic action that can be used for obesity prophylactics and treatment is hampered by the limited availability and variable quality of biomass of wild medicinal plants. Plant cell biotechnology is an alternative approach for the sustainable production of vegetative biomass or individual phytochemicals with high therapeutic potential. In this study, the suspension cell biomass of the medicinal plants, Dioscorea deltoidea Wall., Tribulus terrestris L., and Panax japonicus (T. Nees) C.A. Mey, produced in 20 L and 630 L bioreactors, were tested for therapeutic effects in rat models with alimentary-induced obesity. Three-month intake of water infusions of dry cell biomass (100 mg/g body weight) against the background of a hypercaloric diet reduced weight gain and the proportion of fat mass in the obese animals. In addition, cell biomass preparation reduced the intracellular dehydration and balanced the amounts of intra- and extracellular fluids in the body as determined by bioimpedance spectroscopy. A significant decrease in the glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood was also observed as a result of cell biomass administration for all species. Hypocholesterolemic activity reduced in the line P. japonicus > D. deltoidea > T. terrestris/liraglutide > intact group > control group. By the sum of parameters tested, the cell culture of D. deltoidea was considered the most effective in mitigating diet-induced obesity, with positive effects sometimes exceeding those of the reference drug liraglutide. A safety assessment of D. deltoidea cell phytopreparation showed no toxic effect on the reproductive function of the animals and their offspring. These results support the potential application of the biotechnologically produced cell biomass of medicinal plant species as safe and effective natural remedies for the treatment of obesity and related complications, particularly for the long-term treatment and during pregnancy and lactation periods when conventional treatment is often contraindicated.


We propose a method to learn succinct hierarchical linguistic descriptions of visual datasets, which allow for improved navigation efficiency in image collections. Classic exploratory data analysis methods, such as agglomerative hierarchical clustering, only provide a means of obtaining a tree-structured partitioning of the data. This requires the user to go through the images first, in order to reveal the semantic relationship between the different nodes. On the other hand, in this work we propose to learn a hierarchy of linguistic descriptions, referred to as attributes, which allows for a textual description of the semantic content that is captured by the hierarchy. Our approach is based on a generative model, which relates the attribute descriptions associated with each node, and the node assignments of the data instances, in a probabilistic fashion. We furthermore use a nonparametric Bayesian prior, known as the tree-structured stick breaking process, which allows for the structure of the tree to be learned in an unsupervised fashion. We also propose appropriate performance measures, and demonstrate superior performance compared to other hierarchical clustering algorithms.


The insulator basically has a resistance to the conductivity of its type resistors. Insulation that is installed outside will decrease its resistance due to the influence of air pollution such as dust, smoke and sea salt and wet dry which attaches to the surface of the insulator and forms a layer of contaminants which results in the emergence of dry tape on the surface of the Isolator. So that when there is a high voltage pressure it will cause a leakage current and arcs on the surface of the Isolator. To determine the level of Isolator Isolation for each area is different, depending on the level of air pollution around the Isolator. It can be said that the higher the level of pollution around the insulator, the higher the insulator's contamination layer. The failure of the contamination fire starts from the mechanism of collecting contaminants continues to the wetting process which makes the contaminant layer conductive and then there are partial sparks which eventually develop a fire jump across the entire surface of the Isolator. As in the research conducted by PT PLN (Persero) Medan Customer Service Implementation Unit (UP3) in a laboratory to measure the amount of leakage current on the insulator surface with a total number of pollutants of 396.8 mgr (type of pollutants in Chapter 3) then the leakage current obtained in the test amounted to 14.40288 m A. This shows that the greater the Pollutants attached to the surface of the Isolator, the greater the leakage current, conversely the less the amount of pollutants on the surface of the Isolator, the smaller the leakage current level.


There is variation in how people perceive colors and other secondary qualities. The challenge of perceptual variation is to say whose perceptions are accurate. According to Sextus, Protagoras's response is that all of our perceptions might be accurate. As this response is traditionally developed, it is difficult to explain color illusion and color constancy. This difficulty is due to a widespread assumption called perceptual atomism. This chapter argues that, if we want to develop Protagoras's response, we need to give up perceptual atomism. It ends with a brief sketch of an alternative called perceptual structuralism.


A zero-voltage switching (ZVS) grid-connected full-bridge inverter and its modulation schemes are investigated. A novel sinusoidal pulse width modulation scheme for the ZVS full-bridge inverter (ZVS SPWM) is proposed in this paper. The ZVS SPWM is evolved from the double-frequency SPWM by adding gate drive to the auxiliary switch. The ZVS condition is analyzed and the circulation loss of the resonant branch is optimized by adjusting the energy storage in the resonant inductor. The reverse recovery of the body-diode of MOSFET is relieved and ZVS is realized for both main and auxiliary switches. The filter inductors are significantly reduced with higher switching frequency. The design guideline of resonant parameters and the implementation of ZVS SPWM in DSP controller are introduced. The ZVS SPWM scheme is verified on a 3-kW inverter prototype. According to the experimental result, peak efficiency as 98.8% is achieved.


Smoking is a major cause of health inequities. However, sociodemographic differences in adolescent tobacco use are unclear, especially for new tobacco products. We investigated tobacco use patterns and sociodemographic correlates in Hong Kong adolescents. In a territory-wide school-based survey, 33 991 students (US grade 7–12) completed an anonymous questionnaire. Tobacco use prevalences and current-ever use ratios by sociodemographic factors were calculated. Generalised linear mixed models were used in association analyses. Current use was highest for cigarettes (3.19%), closely followed by alternative tobacco products (2.96%). Current-ever use ratios were highest for heated tobacco products (HTPs, 0.60), followed by nicotine-containing e-cigarettes (0.52), waterpipe (0.51) and cigarettes (0.35). Student use prevalences and current-ever use ratios of all products showed J-shaped relations with family affluence, being highest in the richest families. Tobacco use was also associated with higher grades, the lowest parental education and boys, but current-ever use ratios of HTP and waterpipe were higher in girls. The results suggested that adolescent ever users of nicotine-containing alternative products were more likely to keep using them than cigarettes, and the richest adolescents were at the highest risks of tobacco use. Diverse tobacco control measures are needed to improve health equity, especially on alternative products.


ABSTRACT: In early 1997, the Texas Edwards Aquifer Authority implemented a pilot Irrigation Suspension Program with the objectives of increasing springflow and providing relief to municipalities during drought. Irrigators were paid an average of $234 per acre to suspend water use, a price higher than regional land rental rates. Auction theory and program implementation details suggest that the program implementation partially caused inflated bids. The Irrigation Suspension Program is also compared to two alternative programs: (1) subsidizing more efficient irrigation technology and (2) buying land. The irrigation suspension is found to be more cost‐effective relative to subsidizing improved irrigation efficiency because it can be put in place only when aquifer levels are low. Land purchase is a cheaper alternative if the bid levels remain at the levels observed.


This paper presents Double Gate (DG) MOSFET models of the temperature dependences as part of a compact analytical model for the direct tunneling gate leakage and Trap-Assisted-Tunneling (TAT) current. We compare the adapted modeling calculations with experimental data of the gate leakage current in Trigate MOSFETs at various temperatures. The results of the direct tunneling current in the strong inversion regime and TAT in the subthreshold regime show good agreement with temperature dependent measurements with SiON as a gate oxide material. Our analysis above threshold voltage shows that the direct tunneling gate leakage current is clearly dominant over the TAT, while it is the opposite below threshold.


OF THE THESIS In Search of the American Dream: Undocumented Youth and the Journey North by Linda E. Sanchez Master of Arts in Anthropology San Diego State University, 2013 Thousands of minors risk their lives every year by making the dangerous journey to come to the United States (U.S.) on their own and without the required documentation; these young people are termed unaccompanied minors by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). These youth come to the U.S. for a variety of reasons, including economic hardship, civil unrest in their indigenous country, and abandonment by their parents or other family members. Although there are about 500 of these young individuals detained every day, very little research has been conducted on them, as most immigration research focuses on other facets of immigration such as economic consequences. This study focused on unaccompanied minors from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico while they were housed at a shelter located in Southern California. It utilized both one-on-one individual interviews (20 participants) and a focus group (15 participants) which implemented open-ended questions. This research sheds light on the youth's reasons behind their motivations for coming to the U.S. It also unearths the realities experienced by these young individuals on their nearly always dangerous and extensive journeys from their homeland to the U.S. Finally, this study examines their narratives of the American Dream and compares those ideas with current main stream views of the Dream in the United States. An important aim of this study was that it would serve as an opportunity for the unaccompanied minors to describe their worlds in their own words.


Abstract The hot water extractable organic carbon (HWEOC) and K2Cr2O7 oxidizable organic carbon (OOC) have been suggested as indicators to assess soil management effects on soil organic matter; however, traditional methods for measuring these C fractions are costly and tedious. The potential of using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) with partial least squares (PLS) regression to predict HWEOC and OOC concentrations in cultivated and uncultivated Mollisols in China were explored in this paper. The soil organic carbon (SOC), OOC, and HWEOC in 0–30 cm layer were 37.6, 41.2, and 58.8% lower in cultivated than in uncultivated soils. The HWEOC is more sensitive to soil management relative to SOC or OOC. HWEOC concentrations were accurately predicted using NIRS-PLS model, with high coefficient of determination (R 2=0.89), residual prediction deviation (RPD=3.69) for model calibration, and high R 2 (0.85), RPD (3.03), and correlation coefficient (r=0.92) of predicted and measured values in the validation set. Excellent prediction for OOC was acquired with R 2 and RPD at 0.97 and 6.11 for model calibration, respectively, and R 2 and RPD and r at 0.92, 5.75, and 0.97 for model validation, respectively. This study indicated that the HWEOC could be used to illustrate the impacts of agronomic management on soil quality. Both of HWEOC and OOC can be accurately quantified using NIRS-PLS approach.


Security testing is a major means for assuring software security and many security testing techniques have been developed in the past. Benchmarks, however, are in great demands for empirically evaluating the vulnerability detection capabilities of these techniques. To develop such a benchmark, this paper presents an approach to security mutation analysis of Magento, a fully-fledged open source e-commerce web application for evaluating automated security testing techniques. We create security mutants by injecting vulnerabilities in a systematic way. Specifically, we consider the causes of vulnerabilities according to OWASP's top 10 web application security risks, the application's business logic, as well as various consequences of vulnerabilities (i.e., STRIDE attacks). We have created 63 mutants and applied them successfully to the evaluation of two security testing techniques that use threat trees and threat nets as threat models for test generation. Our experiments show that these testing methods can kill most of the mutants but cannot detect the vulnerabilities that are not captured by the threat models.


Asbestos has been widely used on ships as an insulating material due to its fire-resistant and sound-absorbent properties. It was therefore deemed appropriate to measure the concentrations of airborne asbestos fibres on two ferries in regular service on the Civitavecchia-Golfo Aranci route. Decontamination work had been carried out on these vessels in order to remove, as far as possible, or to confine asbestos. Between 1994 and 1998, the Ultrastructures Laboratory of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità analysed 123 samples via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with elementary dispersion X spectroscopy (EDXS). The results showed that in 98.4% of the samples concentrations in the air were below 2 fibres/litre, which is the value set by Ministerial Decree of 6/9/94 for buildings to qualify for effective decontamination status. Concentrations above this value, between 2 and 10 fibres/litre, were found in one ferry engine room, where workers were not continuously present since a remote control box was installed there. The results show that there is no environmental dispersion of asbestos fibres in usual navigation conditions; the situation is comparable to that in buildings where asbestos-containing safety materials have been used and that are subject to period checks in accordance with the guidelines included in Ministerial Decree of 6/9/94. Legislation is deemed necessary to make law 257/92 applicable to naval vessels in order to define univocal criteria for risk evaluation, checking, maintenance and custody procedures of asbestos-insulated vessels, and procedures for each job on board involving handling or removal of asbestos-containing material.


Purpose and Objectives: A quality improvement project was conducted to create a sustainable continuum of care for increased volumes of outpatients receiving percutaneous coronary interventions. Dramatic growth exposed system vulnerabilities and left staff overwhelmed. Four postinterventional project objectives included reducing preprocedural preparation times, reducing bleeding complications, reducing hospital length of stay, and collectively increasing patient satisfaction. Description of the Project: Amidst creating a specialized postintervention coronary recovery area and acquiring and training existing preregistration and recovery nurses, a fragmented system of care was united. The clinical nurse specialist–led project used a systematic and evidence-based implementation process to harmoniously acclimate perioperative staff. An evaluation process further defined new opportunities to support a growing service line. Outcomes: Postimplementation data were collected over a 3-month period. An overall improvement was found in all targeted objectives, despite an upsurge in case volumes. A moderately significant correlation (r [105] = 0.424, P < .001) was found between bleeding occurrences and hospital length of stay. Conclusion: The synergy between interdepartmental collaboration and strategic staffing reallocation was shown to be invaluable to alleviate procedural areas of service, such as the cardiac catheterization laboratory. As a project champion, the clinical nurse specialist is an essential catalyst to identify and creatively surmount system-level challenges.


Abstract  The response of insects to monoculture plantations has mainly proceeded at the expense of natural forest areas, and is an outstanding and important issue in ecology and conservation biology, with pollination services declined around the world. In this study, species richness and distribution of hoverfly and wild bee communities were investigated in a changing tropical landscape in southern Yunnan, south‐west China by Malaise traps periodically from 2008 to 2009. Species were recorded from the traditional land use types (natural forest, grassland, shrubland and rice field fallows), and from recently established rubber plantations of different ages. Hoverflies (total 53 species) were most common in young successional stages of vegetation, including rice field fallow and shrubland. Species richness was highest in rice field fallows and lowest in forests and showed a highly significant relationship with the number of forb species and ground vegetation cover. In contrast, the highest richness of wild bees (total 44 species) was recorded from the natural forest sites, which showed a discrete bee community composition compared to the remaining habitat types. There was no significant relationship between the bee species richness and the environmental variables, including the numbers of different plant life forms, coverage of canopy and ground vegetation, successional age of vegetation and land use type. At the landscape scale, open land use systems, including young rubber plantations, are assumed to increase the species richness of hoverflies; however, this might decrease wild bee diversity. The present land use change by rubber cultivation can be expected to have negative impacts on the native wild bee communities.