We study extreme wet‐bulb temperature (Tw) events in a regional hot spot of high Tw values in southwest Pakistan's Indus Valley. We focus on the May–June premonsoon months and employ a combination of station data, ERA‐Interim reanalysis, and trajectory calculations to analyze the extreme events. We find that the events are associated with anomalous influx of marine air from the Arabian Sea. The air flows in a shallow layer below 950 hPa and is heated and moistened by diabatic processes over land, arriving at the hot spot region with very high Tw. We surmise that surface evaporation within the strip of well‐irrigated land flanking the Indus River plays a major role in generating these extreme Tw values. Our results imply that studies of extreme Tw events in future, warmer climates must pay close attention to fine‐scale diabatic processes within the boundary layer, especially evaporation over land.


Carcinoma was observed in a patient with a branchial cyst of about 40 years' standing. The neoformation was removed, but the patient died as a result of cardiocirculatory complications a little more than a year later. Note is taken of the rarity of this form and the compliance of the reported case with the criteria laid down by Martin et al. in 1950.


The article focuses on the ethical practices involved in collecting and organizing large datasets, which can also impact the quality of the data and the study as a whole. We report our experiences in the DIALUKI project (Diagnosing reading and writing in a second or foreign language), in which we visited over a hundred schools to obtain a dataset of over a thousand variables from nearly a thousand pupils. Such a project is interesting from the ethical perspective, as data collection for such a large project requires special attention to ethical standards and issues throughout the project, from planning and recruiting the participants to organizing, storing, analyzing and interpreting the data. As the project involved tests in several languages as well as participants from a Russian-speaking minority, ethical issues had to be considered in informing the participants and developing different language versions of the research instruments. We conclude by reflecting on the different roles of the researcher during such a project from an ethical perspective.


Book synopsis: Strange and exotic, seductive and threatening, the Orient has always been an enchanted space for the West. But this is a space, theorists argue, that has been 'Orientalized' by the West, constructed upon a system of knowledge and power which defines the West as much as this 'Other'. Within Western cultures, the French encounter with the Orient has been extraordinarily rich and varied, from the experiences of the first pilgrims to the challenges posed for the identity of modern-day France by its ethnic minorities. This collection of interdisciplinary essays explores the range of French and francophone encounters with the East from the medieval period to the present day. The contributions encompass a variety of Orients, both geographical and generic: the Orients of the visual arts, of historicist discourse, of fiction and travel writing. They consider not only those artists we immediately associate with the East, such as Nerval or Fromentin, but also those, like Proust, whose work appears firmly rooted in the West. They also provide new insights into the less familiar works of long-celebrated authors like Flaubert and more recently acclaimed writers such as Bouvier and Djebar.


The attachment theory of radon progeny onto ambient aerosols was experimentally verified with a cascade impactor and a graded screen array at the EML environmental chamber. Monodisperse aerosols in the size range of 70 to 500 nm were generated with Carnauba wax by means of the evaporation-condensation method. The temperature and the relative humidity in the chamber were set at 20 degrees C and 20%, respectively, throughout the entire experiment. When the aerosols were being injected into the chamber, both the number size distribution and the activity-weighted size distribution of attached radon progeny were stable. The activity-weighted size distribution was compared with the attachment rate distribution obtained by measuring the number size distribution with the SMPS and multiplying the size-dependent attachment coefficient. There was a relatively good agreement between the two distributions.


E-business software solutions allow the integration of intra and inter firm business processes; it involves business processes spanning the entire value chain: electronic purchasing and supply chain management, processing orders electronically, handling customer service, and cooperating with business partners.According to the empirical analysis, we can get that there exist a long-term equilibrium relationship between E-business application and small business sales volume, and E-business is the reason to business sales volume increase.


BACKGROUND
Falls and fractures are a major problem.

OBJECTIVES
To investigate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of alternative falls prevention interventions.

DESIGN
Three-arm, pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial with parallel economic analysis. The unit of randomisation was the general practice.

SETTING
Primary care.

PARTICIPANTS
People aged ≥ 70 years.

INTERVENTIONS
All practices posted an advice leaflet to each participant. Practices randomised to active intervention arms (exercise and multifactorial falls prevention) screened participants for falls risk using a postal questionnaire. Active treatments were delivered to participants at higher risk of falling.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary outcome was fracture rate over 18 months, captured from Hospital Episode Statistics, general practice records and self-report. Secondary outcomes were falls rate, health-related quality of life, mortality, frailty and health service resource use. Economic evaluation was expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year and incremental net monetary benefit.

RESULTS
Between 2011 and 2014, we randomised 63 general practices (9803 participants): 21 practices (3223 participants) to advice only, 21 practices (3279 participants) to exercise and 21 practices (3301 participants) to multifactorial falls prevention. In the active intervention arms, 5779 out of 6580 (87.8%) participants responded to the postal fall risk screener, of whom 2153 (37.3%) were classed as being at higher risk of falling and invited for treatment. The rate of intervention uptake was 65% (697 out of 1079) in the exercise arm and 71% (762 out of 1074) in the multifactorial falls prevention arm. Overall, 379 out of 9803 (3.9%) participants sustained a fracture. There was no difference in the fracture rate between the advice and exercise arms (rate ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 0.91 to 1.59) or between the advice and multifactorial falls prevention arms (rate ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval 0.99 to 1.71). There was no difference in falls rate over 18 months (exercise arm: rate ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.86 to 1.14; multifactorial falls prevention arm: rate ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.30). A lower rate of falls was observed in the exercise arm at 8 months (rate ratio 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.64 to 0.96), but not at other time points. There were 289 (2.9%) deaths, with no differences by treatment arm. There was no evidence of effects in prespecified subgroup comparisons, nor in nested intention-to-treat analyses that considered only those at higher risk of falling. Exercise provided the highest expected quality-adjusted life-years (1.120), followed by advice and multifactorial falls prevention, with 1.106 and 1.114 quality-adjusted life-years, respectively. NHS costs associated with exercise (£3720) were lower than the costs of advice (£3737) or of multifactorial falls prevention (£3941). Although incremental differences between treatment arms were small, exercise dominated advice, which in turn dominated multifactorial falls prevention. The incremental net monetary benefit of exercise relative to treatment valued at £30,000 per quality-adjusted life-year is modest, at £191, and for multifactorial falls prevention is £613. Exercise is the most cost-effective treatment. No serious adverse events were reported.

LIMITATIONS
The rate of fractures was lower than anticipated.

CONCLUSIONS
Screen-and-treat falls prevention strategies in primary care did not reduce fractures. Exercise resulted in a short-term reduction in falls and was cost-effective.

FUTURE WORK
Exercise is the most promising intervention for primary care. Work is needed to ensure adequate uptake and sustained effects.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN71002650.

FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 25, No. 34. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.


Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a selective loss of motor neurons. There is no cure and few effective treatments. The RNA-binding protein TDP-43 contributes to the pathogenesis of ALS. TDP-43 is depleted from the nucleus and accumulates in cytoplasmic aggregates in the degenerating neurons and glia of most ALS patients. Furthermore, mutations in the TDP-43 gene cause rare familial and sporadic forms of the disease. Thus, therapeutic strategies targeting TDP-43 may be efficacious. We have used the yeast model system to identify the mechanisms by which TDP-43 aggregation contributes to ALS and to identify approaches to protect cells from the toxic effects of TDP-43 aggregation. Using an unbiased yeast genetic screen we discovered Dbr1 as a potent suppressor of TDP-43 toxicity. Yeast cells in which Dbr1 is deleted are resistant to TDP-43 toxicity. Dbr1 inhibition in mammalian cells is also sufficient to protect against TDP-43 cytotoxicity. Here, we review this recent discovery, highlighting future approaches aimed at extending these studies and pursuing Dbr1 as a novel therapeutic target for ALS.


More and more environmental risk accidents occurred in municipal areas which had posed severe threats to persons' safety and environment quality. Control and prevention of potential risk affairs is the most significant intention of environmental risk management, while in this field, several issues are to be solved. We developed a new concept defined as risk bearing capacity to appraise the risk maximums of a precinct before adjusting existed risk sources. Through comparing the risk bearing capacity and the regional actual risk , we could assess the regional risk circumstances and optimize the present distributions of risk sources. At last, an application was attempted in Minhang District of Shanghai combined with an appropriate decision support system.


In 1998 and 1999 the effect of weather conditions and different doses of Atonik application on sugar beet root yield and digestion (cultivar Ranger) were studied in the field trial. The trial results confirmed statistically high significant effect of trial year weather conditions on above mentioned parameters. Comparing received results in the year 1998 to results in 1999 we found out lower root yield (7,6 t.ha) and digestion (0,2 t.ha) comparing with year 1999. We found out a significant effect of Atonik on root yield (+6,73 t.ha, rel.12,56 %) and digestion (+ 0,6 °S, rel. 3,71 %) on the variant C (Atonik treatment) comparing to values of control variant. In general we can evaluate the effect of Atonik application as high significant.


This paper conducts sequential batch extraction experiments on phosphorus gypsum, titanium gypsum and desulfurized gypsum to explore their leaching characteristics and evaluate the hazards of the three types of gypsum. In addition, COMSOL Multiphysics is used to numerically solve the filling models of the three gypsum materials and the patterns of migration of metal elements in gypsum are observed. The result show that the leaching concentration of metal elements of the three gypsums is much lower than the leaching toxicity identification standard, so none of the three have the characteristics of leaching toxicity, and they are not classified as hazardous solid wastes; phosphorus gypsum and FGD gypsum are easier to release metal elements under low pH conditions, while the release of metal elements in titanium gypsum is not obvious under acidic conditions; the simulation results show that the diffusion concentration of metal elements increases with the passage of time, and its migration ability decreases with the increase of depth. The three gypsums can be considered as filling material for abandoned mines. During the filling process, the diffusion rate, diffusion distance and final concentration of metallic elements in gypsum are all affected by the initial concentration.


Gene-environment interactions have long been recognized as a fundamental concept in evolutionary, quantitative, and medical genetics. In the genomics era, study of how environment and genome interact to shape gene expression variation is relevant to understanding the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes. While genetic analysis of gene expression variation focused on main effects, little is known about the extent of interaction effects implicating regulatory variants and their consequences on transcriptional variation. Here we survey the current state of the concept of transcriptional gene-environment interactions and discuss its utility for mapping disease phenotypes in light of the insights gained from genome-wide association studies of gene expression.


This article provides a content analysis of Nicola Sturgeon's first ministerial diaries in the final two years of her leadership (April 2021–March 2023). As first minister, to whom and what did she give her time—which issues and interest groups had access? Which didn't? Or, who and what may be missing? An audience with a national leader can be indicative of priorities and potential for influence—as can its absence. The lens of chronopolitics—the politics of time—is used here to consider twenty‐four months of diaries, with 681 entries. Some key social and political issues in Scotland were kept away from the FM's meetings and delegated to other ministers to oversee, whereas other issues appear to be signature priorities, including climate and the environment, economy and finance, culture, and health and Covid‐19.


The retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell monolayer forms the outer blood–retinal barrier and has a crucial role in ocular pharmacokinetics. Although several RPE cell models are available, there have been no systematic comparisons of their barrier properties with respect to drug permeability. We compared the barrier properties of several RPE secondary cell lines (ARPE19, ARPE19mel, and LEPI) and both primary (hfRPE) and stem-cell derived RPE (hESC-RPE) cells by investigating the permeability of nine drugs (aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, dexamethasone, fluconazole, ganciclovir, ketorolac, methotrexate, voriconazole, and quinidine) across cell monolayers. ARPE19, ARPE19mel, and hfRPE cells displayed a narrow Papp value range, with relatively high permeation rates (5.2–26 × 10−6 cm/s. In contrast, hESC-RPE and LEPI cells efficiently restricted the drug flux, and displayed even lower Papp values than those reported for bovine RPE-choroid, with the range of 0.4–32 cm−6/s (hESC-RPE cells) and 0.4–29 × 10−6 cm/s, (LEPI cells). Therefore, ARPE19, ARPE19mel, and hfRPE cells failed to form a tight barrier, whereas hESC-RPE and LEPI cells restricted the drug flux to a similar extent as bovine RPE-choroid. Therefore, LEPI and hESC-RPE cells are valuable tools in ocular drug discovery.


A new perovskite like system [NH 3 -(CH 2 ) 10 -NH 3 ] ZnCl 4 , has been synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopic study. This compound crystallize in a triclinic space group P-1, with the unit cell parameters a=7.294(1), b=10.058(9) Å, c=12.812(1) Å, α = 90, 89(2), β = 101, 21(1), γ = 92, 40(3) and Z=2. The final R factor is 0,082. The structure of this compound might be described as layered with two parallel anionic and cationic layers. The first layer is composed by isolated distorted tetrahedral (ZnCl 4 ) 2- and the second layer of [NH 3 -(CH 2 ) x -NH 3 ] 2+ . Network hydrogen – bonding assures the cohesion between these layers and stabilizes the crystal. The structure shows the existence of a conformational disorder of the organic chains between « trans » and « twisted » states. The thermal analysis by DSC shows that the 2C 10 ZnCl 4 perovskite presents reversible phase transition.


BACKGROUND/AIM
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of thrombocytopenia in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in İzmir, Turkey. All HIV-infected patients admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology between 2006 and 2011 were recruited. Patients with thrombocytopenia at any time point were defined as the case group and the remaining patients were defined as the control group.

RESULTS
The frequency of thrombocytopenia was 35.8%. Thrombocytopenia was more frequent in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) than in patients without AIDS (P < 0.05) and in antiretroviral-naive patients than in patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) or those who had ever used cART in the past (P < 0.05). Additionally, rates of tuberculosis infection, prophylactic use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), and being anti-HCV seropositive at any time point were higher in patients with thrombocytopenia than in the control group (P < 0.05), and the case group had lower CD4+ T lymphocytes at first admission (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
The main finding was the clear association between thrombocytopenia and advanced and uncontrolled HIV infection. Tuberculosis and HCV coinfections were also identified as associated factors for thrombocytopenia.


OBJECTIVE
Astragalus is used in traditional Chinese medicine for immune system disorders. Its effect on immune system function is evaluated in multiple studies. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of Astragalus on humoral and cellular immune response in human studies.

METHODS
A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published up to April 2023. Studies that assessed the impact of Astragalus on humoral and cellular immune markers were included. The data were extracted, and a random-effects meta-analysis was performed to determine the overall effect size. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on outcome measures.

RESULTS
A total of 19 studies,including 1094 human participants, were included in the meta-analysis. The analysis of humoral immune markers revealed a significant reduction in proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-ɣ, following Astragalus intervention (SMD -2.8765, 95% CI: -3.2385 to -2.5145, p < 0.0001). In the cellular immunity domain, Astragalus was found to significantly increase CD3 levels and the CD4/CD8 ratio (SMD 2.4629, 95% CI: 1.9598; 2.9661). Subgroup analyses based on outcome measures supported these findings. However, substantial heterogeneity was observed among the included studies.

CONCLUSION
This systematic review and meta-analysis provide evidence supporting the immunomodulatory effects of Astragalus on humoral and cellular response. Astragalus demonstrated a significant reduction in proinflammatory cytokines and an enhancement of cellular immune markers, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent for immune-related disorders.


AbstractCleft lip and palate (CLP) constitute a significant global disease burden. There are two general models that exist to deliver cleft care: surgical missions and comprehensive cleft centers (CCC). While surgical missions offer high quality surgical care to patients who would be unlikely to ever receive treatment, they may fail to provide sustainable solutions. The development of CCC is growing in popularity worldwide. CCC are permanent centers that offer a multidisciplinary team approach to the treatment of cleft lip and palate. Operation Smile has adopted the concept of specialized surgical care centers. These centers are shown to be safe, cost-effective, and provide sustainable solutions for cleft care. The authors discuss some of the benefits and drawbacks of the classic mission-based model and highlight why there may be a paradigm shift towards CCC.


The article aims to present the figure of contemporary artist Janine Antoni
by discussing her most important performances. The author of the article
pays particular attention to Antoni's work Inhabit, which she interprets
and analyzes in the spirit of arachnology. This strategy intends to present
Inhabit as a kind of metaphor of feminine creativity.


AIM
To evaluate changes on venous diameter and perimeter of lower limbs in chronic venous disorder (CVD) patients after different clinical treatments for four weeks.

METHODS
Fifty-two female patients classified as C2,s or C2,3,s (CEAP classification) were allocated consecutively in three groups: Cirkan (40 mg of the root extract of Ruscus aculeatus + 100 mg of flavonoid hesperidine methylchalcone + 200 mg of vitamin C per pill); elastic compression stockings (ECS) and no treatment (NT). Diameters were determined by duplex ultrasound and perimeter with Leg-O-Meter.

RESULTS
After treatment, Cirkan significantly decreased popliteal vein and great saphenous vein (GSV) diameters bilaterally and ECS decreased popliteal vein diameter bilaterally and GSV and varices only on the left limb. Perimeters changed only with ECS. Clinical scores changed between Cirkan x NT and ECS x Cirkan. Disability score varied for ECS x NT and Cirkan x NT. chi2 test detected different distribution frequency for C3 and C2 classes according to treatment: ECS (both limbs) and Cirkan (only left limb). Varices and anatomical scores did not change.

CONCLUSIONS
ECS emerges as the most effective clinical treatment tested but improvements with Cirkan on vein diameter and CEAP class were also observed. Clinical scores improved due to pain relief and edema reduction (ECS). These findings point to a positive effect of Cirkan, suggesting that venotonic drugs should be taken into account in the treatment of CVD.


The partition of sulfate, Ca++, and Mg++ across the membrane of the sartorius muscle has been studied, and the effect of various concentrations of these ions in the Ringer solution on the cellular level of Na+, K+, and Cl- has been determined. The level of the three divalent ions in toad plasma and muscle in vivo has been assayed. Muscle was found to contain an almost undetectable amount of inorganic sulfate. Increases in the external level of these ions brought about increases in intracellular content, calculated from the found extracellular space as determined with radioiodinated serum albumin or inulin. Less of the cell water is available to sulfate than to Cl-, and the Mg++ space is less than the Na+ space. An amount of muscle water similar to that found for Li+ and I- appears to be available to these divalent ions. Sulfate efflux from the cell was extremely rapid, and it was not found possible to differentiate kinetically between intra- and extracellular material. These results are consistent with the theory of a three phase system, assuming the muscle to consist of an extracellular phase and two intracellular phases. Mg++ and Ca++ are adsorbed onto the ordered phase, and increments in cellular content found on raising the external level are assumed to occur in the free intracellular phase.


The rate constant for the reaction of OH with 3-methylfuran was measured at 2, 4, and 6 Torr using discharge-flow techniques coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection of OH. The measured rate constant (k) at 298 ± 2 K was (9.1 ± 0.3) × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, where the quoted uncertainty reflects twice the standard error of the measurements. This result is in good agreement with previously reported relative rate constant measurements at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. An Arrhenius expression of k = (3.2 ± 0.4) × 10−11 e(310 ± 40)/T cm3 molecule−1 s−1 was determined from measurements of the rate constant between 273 and 368 K. The negative temperature dependence agrees with previously reported theoretical calculations for the reaction of OH with 3-methylfuran and previously reported measurements of the temperature dependences of the rate constants for the reaction of OH with similar heterocyclic organics such as furan and thiophene.


We investigate the foundations of Choreographic Programming, a paradigm for writing concurrent programs that are deadlock free by construction, guided by the notion of computation. We start by introducing Minimal Choreographies (MC), a language that includes only the essential primitives of the paradigm. MC is minimal wrt Turing completeness: it implements all computable functions, and restricting its syntax breaks this property. Our methodology yields a natural notion of computation for choreographies, which can be used to generate concurrent implementations of independent computations automatically. Finally, we show that a Turing complete fragment of MC can be correctly projected to a process calculus (synthesis), which is thus both deadlock free and Turing complete.


We synthesized a series of cobalt-iron Prussian blue analogues in the form of nanocubes with which we tuned the amount of Cesium cation in the tetrahedral sites of the structure and varied nature of the alkali cation in the compound adopting a single microemulsion technique. Structure and morphology of the compound had been investigated by combining energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDS), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), thermo-gravimetry analysis (TGA), infrared spectroscopy (IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission electron microscopy experiments (TEM). To directly determine the coercivity, remanence and Curie temperature, superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer (SQUID) was performed. Our investigation suggests that the amount and nature of the alkali cation are critical parameters for understanding the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles.


The key for coded structured light 3D measurement technology in industrial site is to improve measurement accuracy, and sampling density and measurement speed are taken into account simultaneously. A color space-time encoding and decoding method for structured light system and its related technologies are proposed. Firstly, RGB stripes are used to encode, that have the minimal interaction, for improving anti-interference capability. Secondly, color transition between stripes ordered by Eulerian path is used to encode instead of own color of stripes, then four times more sampling density can be acquired in the same measured space. Thirdly, sub-pixel stripe edge and center detecting algorithms based on color component are proposed to improve measurement accuracy. Fourthly, only two encoding patterns ensure measurement speed. Measurement system was established according to mathematic model. Experimental results show that error of measured standard plane is less than 0.06mm, and reconstructed complex surface has same visual effect as real surface. Finally, the method for turbine blade molded lines evaluation was explored.


The catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of furfural is an important reaction for the production of biofuels because its product, 2‐methylfuran, has excellent fuel properties: it can be added easily to the existing gasoline pool and it is renewable and, therefore, carbon neutral. The reaction network of hydrodeoxygenation is a two‐step reaction from furfural to furfuryl alcohol and then to 2‐methylfuran. Silica‐supported Cu is a mild hydrogenation catalyst that is selective for the hydrogenation of the carbonyl group of furfural to furfuryl alcohol. We have found that Fe‐containing Cu‐based catalysts show much higher reactivity and very high selectivity towards 2‐methylfuran (85 %+). It is of interest to understand the structural and chemical effects of the Fe promotion (0.15 % w/w) over the Cu catalyst (1 % Cu w/w) and characterize the species responsible for the high hydrogenation performance. Our investigations indicate that after the catalyst is pretreated in hydrogen, Cu is reduced fully, whereas Fe is only reduced partially (a mixture of FeIII and FeII is observed). In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy suggests that FeII species are present on the catalyst surface, as indicated by the adsorption of NO.


Ventriculitis is a rare intracranial disease with potentially life-threatening consequences. Here, we present a case of acute mastoiditis that progressed to Haemophilus influenzae meningitis evolving to ventriculitis. This case was complicated by hydrocephalus that subsequently required the placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. In patients presenting with mastoiditis, it is imperative to initiate early and appropriate treatment to prevent disease progression and devastating outcomes. We aim to increase recognition of potential complications and encourage childhood vaccination of Haemophilus influenzae.


[1] We present a Cluster spacecraft investigation of plasma sheet-confined waves and the associated Poynting flux in strong ion jets near a reconnection region in the geomagnetic tail at ∼−17 Re. Using phase lag analysis, we determine from multispacecraft measurements the phase front, wavelength, and phase velocity of the waves with spacecraft frame frequencies from 0.03 Hz to 1 Hz. The wave phase velocities were found to be directed nearly perpendicular to the local magnetic field laying in the plasma sheet plane. The strong evidence that the waves were driven by ion velocity shears has been provided. The waves are confined by the plasma sheet and their amplitude diminishes in the tail lobes. The δE/δB ratios are mostly on the order of the Alfven speed. The observed wave characteristics are different from plasma sheet flapping observed at the same time. The field-aligned Poynting flux was found to be directed away from the reconnection region. The values of earthward Poynting flux (100 ergs/cm2s or 0.1 W/m2) and longitudinal scales (10–100 km) mapped to the auroral ionosphere suggest that the observed waves may provide energy needed to accelerate auroral particles and may drive observed motions in auroral curls.


The UTSC Undergraduate Research Poster Forum is a competitive, adjudicated event that promotes intellectual exchange and gives students an opportunity to develop presentation skills by disseminating new research and creative activities both to academic communities and non-specialists. The forum provides the perfect opportunity for students interested in becoming involved in research to learn more about what other students have already done.
Please visit https://utsc.library.utoronto.ca/research-poster-forum for more information about the forum, including submission guidelines.


The energy gap of optimally doped Bi2(Sr,R)2CuOy (R=La and Eu) was probed by angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) using a vacuum ultraviolet laser (photon energy 6.994 eV) or He Iα resonance line (21.218 eV) as photon source. The results show that the gap around the node at sufficiently low temperatures can be well described by a monotonic d-wave gap function for both samples and the gap of the R=La sample is larger reflecting the higher Tc. However, an abrupt deviation from the d-wave gap function and an opposite R dependence for the gap size were observed around the antinode, which represent a clear disentanglement between the antinodal pseudogap and the nodal superconducting gap.


Normal Lung Structure Development Of The Lungs Perinatal and Developmental Lung Disease Disease Characterized by Airflow Limitation Diffuse Alveolar Damage, the Pathological Basis of the Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome Infectious Diseases Viral, Mycoplasmal and Rickettsial Infections Acute Bacterial Pneumonia Chronic Bacterial Infections Fungal Infections Parasitic Infestations Diseases Characterized by Restrictive Ventilatory Impairment Occupational, Environmental and Iatrogenic Lung Disease Occupational Lung Disease Environmental and Iatrogenic Lung Disease Alveolar Filling Defects Vascular Disease Congestion And Oedema Thrombosis, Embolism and Infarction Aneurysms Pulmonary Hypertension Vasculitis and Granulomatosis Haemorrhage and Haemosiderosis Pulmonary Eosinophilia Pulmonary Manifestations of Systemic Disease Lung Transplantation Tumours Carcinoma of the Lung Rare Pulmonary Tumours Lymphoproliferative Disease Secondary Tumours of the Lungs Tumour-Like Conditions Pleura and Chest Wall Appendix: The Processing of Lung Specimens


Objective: The combination of a single pedicle local flap with tattooing for complete nipple areola complex (NAC) reconstruction is currently the most supported method. Although many technical descriptions of NAC reconstruction exist in the medical literature, there are no data that define the ideal areola size (diameter of the areola) after bilateral mastectomy and breast reconstruction considering the previous areola size. Methods: This was a 3-year (2009-2012) observational, analytical, and longitudinal prospective study with 103 patients who had undergone NAC tattooing as the last process of bilateral breast reconstruction after surgery for breast cancer. Statistical differences in the areola size and the jugulum-nipple distance before mastectomy and after reconstruction were analyzed by paired Student t tests with a 95% confidence interval. Results: The jugulum-nipple distance before mastectomy was 4.23 cm larger than after bilateral reconstruction (mean jugulum-nipple distance: 23.89 cm vs 19.66 cm), and for that reason shorter (more cephalad). The areola size before mastectomy was 1.59 cm larger than the one chosen by the patient for reconstruction (mean diameter of the areola: 5.25 cm vs 3.65 cm). Conclusions: We conclude that, after bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction, the jugulum-nipple distance is smaller and women prefer smaller areola sizes.


The COVID-19 epidemic has drastically changed our way of life. Especially in Japan, the lodging industry was hit hard by the trend toward self-restraint in travel. The situation is now returning to what it was before the epidemic, and businesses need to review their future facility operations. The purpose of this study is to typify and understand the characteristics of lodging facilities by focusing on their revenue management methods. Specifically, we use a questionnaire of employees involved in decision-making regarding the facility. First, we performed principal component analysis on 13 question items related to current profit management among all questionnaire items. We summarized the questionnaire items into 6 principal components by this analysis. For each principal component, we interpreted the first principal component as focusing on constancy, the second principal component as focusing on demand forecasting, the third principal component as focusing on room occupancy, the fourth principal component as focusing on customer demand, the fifth principal component as focusing on competitors, and the sixth principal component as focusing on company policy.Subsequently, we performed cluster analysis using the principal component scores obtained by principal component analysis. We calculated the average principal component score for each cluster, and named and discussed each cluster with reference to the calculated value.This study allowed us to develop a classification of facilities based on their revenue management methods.


This commentary analyzes the growth and current status of the education, facilities, faculty, and teaching quality associated with sport communication education in China. It presents findings from a survey of Chinese sport communication students and their perceptions of the quality of education at universities offering such programs, as well as survey results from Chinese sport media professionals and their assessments of the students graduating from these programs. The results of these surveys signify problematic areas in sport communication education, such as an imbalance between the number of students in these programs and the amount of equipment and resources available, the shortage of qualified teachers, and the lack of applied sport communication opportunities available to the students. The article also details the relationship between supply and demand in academia. The commentary closes with proposed strategic solutions for the reformation and development of the academic environment related to spor...


Abstract Scorpionism (scorpion sting) is a major public health issue in many regions of the world. Globally, 1.2 million scorpion stings happen annually, specifically in the tropical regions. Mortality due to these venomous stings is serious health problem in absence of suitable medication. Awareness of this problem is fundamental for preventive measures. Scorpion venom is composed of water, mucosa, enzymes, free amino acids, biogenic amines, neurotoxins, low molecular weight peptides, and proteins having maximum molecular activities. Neurotoxins are potent and are highly selective ligands for voltage-gated sodium, potassium, chloride, and calcium ion channels. Therefore, they depict interesting compounds for the development of novel drugs, for example, drugs for cancer, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and analgesics. Scorpion venom has apoptogenic, cytotoxic, immunosuppressive, and antiproliferative effects. Therefore, scorpion venom can be utilized against various cancers like glioma, leukemia, human neuroblastoma, brain tumor, melanoma, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. This review explains the details of toxin receptor interactions and provides details about opportunities for the development of peptide-based therapeutics.


Transscleral freezing of the dogs retina for 2 seconds icas done experimentally and demonstrated ophthalmoscopically and histologically. The residling lesion was studied from the instant of freezing to the stage of final healing. Attempts were made to alter the lesion by methods known to affect the freezing of live tissue. The Cooper-Linde cryoprobe was used to produce the lesions. Retinal freezing occurred when the temperature of the probe tip was between -30 and -40° C. Adhesive chorioretinitis involving sclera was observed, first evident in 4 days, and healed in 7 days. The lesion was resistant to retinal separation and without hemorrhage. The conjunctiva appeared unaffected. Retinal destruction increased with increased duration of freezing up to 20 seconds, with little further damage thereafter. Decreasing the temperature of the probe tip to -60° C. for 2 seconds caused a marked increase in retinal destruction, but little change with longer durations at that temperature. Refreezing increased retinal destruction slightly and choroidal reaction markedly. Rapid thawing and subconjunctival injection of glycerol had no effect.


It is now known that interaction between cells and their environment or between intracellular compartments is based on complex vesicular transport processes [1]. This transport consists in material internalization from the external environment and compartment exchanges inside the cell itself. Understanding the mechanisms and regulation of this intracellular trafficking is an intense object of study in the field of cellular biology. The goal is to understand how vesicles transporting proteins and lipids are targeted to specific cellular compartments and fused with the membrane.
Progress about intracellular trafficking is currently essentially made by constant innovation in fluorescence based techniques. They now reach single molecule resolution in living cells. It is possible to follow molecules all along their travel inside the cell. In this case, the main limitation is fluorescent probes could bias the vesicle behaviors and alter their transport inside the cell.
Quantitative phase imaging techniques are conventionally used in microscopy, enhancing the contrast for imaging semi-transparent samples with a non-invasive (i.e. label free) and fast approach. For instance, phase correlation imaging introduced by [2] showed that global statistics on the whole cell or a population can give insight of motions and dynamics. We propose to study in details the behavior of vesicles at the intracellular scale and their interaction with the cytoskeleton.

The resolution and the high sensitivity brought by a High Definition wave front sensor allows following all individual vesicles through time follow up, while imaging the whole cell. We can study their interaction with the surrounding environment (Brownian or guided motion along the cytoskeleton). We will show how we can extract information from quantitative phase images about the intracellular transport and the influence of the intracellular order/disorder.

[1] Tokarev AA, Alfonso A, Segev N. Overview of Intracellular Compartments and Trafficking Pathways. In: Madame Curie Bioscience Database [Internet]. Austin (TX): Landes Bioscience; 2000-2013.
[2] Phase correlation imaging of unlabeled cell dynamics, Lihong Ma and al., Scientific Reports volume 6, Article number: 32702 (2016)


The ethnic and national diversity of the population in Britain during the Second World War was unprecedented, but has played little part in public memories of war. The Mixing It project will produce the first cultural and social history of wartime diversity: a study by the Research Fellow (RF) which will: - trace the rich transnational histories and encounters involved in unprecedented movements of people to Britain - chiefly from empire, Europe and America - look at the role of ethnicity, language, gender and sexuality in shaping official and popular responses to different groups - consider the experiences of those arriving, during the war and in its aftermath, their contributions to the Allied war effort and to British wartime culture and why these have often been forgotten - examine portrayals of a transnational community of allies in the British media - assess the significance of the Second World War in the making of multiethnic, multinational Britain The project will also produce: - a jointly-written journal article through an international collaboration between the RF and Thomas Hajkowski (USA) on BBC wartime programmes about Europeans continuing the fight from Britain. - a jointly-written paper on Romanies in wartime Britain through a collaboration between the RF and Jodie Matthews (Huddersfield University). The project's findings will benefit scholars and students working in twentieth-century British history, migration studies and media studies. Research for the monograph will feed into a small exhibition produced through a partnership between the University of Huddersfield and Imperial War Museum (IWM) North. It will open for 6 months in September 2015 - the seventieth anniversary of the end of the war - and demonstrate the multinational military effort organised from Britain, focusing on people of diverse nationalities and ethnicities from empire and Europe who served with or alongside the British. It will pay particular attention to troops and airmen stationed in Lancashire and Yorkshire and what happened to them when the war was over. There are various compelling stories here. For example, Austrian and German Jews who came to Britain as refugees and subsequently served in the British army re-entered Germany as victors in 1945 and played an important role in the occupation of Germany. They were recruited to the Intelligence and Interpreters Corps where their work included interrogations and interpreting for trials of Nazi war criminals. Czech airmen who had served in the RAF received a hero's welcome when they first returned to Prague in 1946 but, after the Communist Putsch of 1948, were arrested and imprisoned as 'Western aviators'. The exhibition and its associated visitors' programme of talks, screenings and performances will draw attention to neglected histories and groups who are rarely commemorated.


Experiments were performed to investigate the effects of initial matric suction and net confining pressure on the small-strain stiffness and shear strength of reconstituted unsaturated sand. A series of constant water content tests was carried out using a modified triaxial apparatus equipped with local displacement transducers and bender elements. Reconstituted sand specimens were allowed to equalize at the required matric suction under net confining pressure using the axis- translation technique before shearing. After reaching matric suction equilibrium, shear wave velocities were measured prior to shearing. Multi-stage shearing tests were performed in order to investigate the effect of initial matric suction using the same specimen. The experimental results showed that at each net confining pressure, small-strain stiffness and peak shear strength showed a nonlinear relationship with matric suction with the change point near the air-entry value of the soil-water characteristic curve. Relationship between small-strain stiffness and net confining pressure was observed to be similar for saturated and unsaturated sands.


Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease, which has the potential to affect all organs and systems. It most commonly involves the musculoskeletal system and may result in sacroiliitis, spondylitis, spondylodiscitis, arthritis, osteomyelitis, tenosynovitis or bursitis. Lumbosacral region is the most commonly affected in cases of spinal complications. Involvement of the cervical region is very rare, however, when it does occur, the prognosis is worse than when it affects the lumbar region and more neurological damage is observed. Brucellosis should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with musculoskeletal complaints in regions where brucellosis is endemic. We report an unusual case of brucellar spondylodiscitis involving the cervical region and discuss this with reference to the recent literature. Turk J Phys Med Rehab 2013;59:256-9.


A well-known argument in cosmology gives that the power spectrum (or structure function) P(k) of mass density fluctuations produced from a uniform initial state by physics which is causal (i.e. moves matter and momentum only up to a finite scale) has the behaviour P(k) ∝ k4 at small k. Noting the assumption of analyticity at k = 0 of P(k) in the standard derivation of this result, we introduce a class of solvable one-dimensional models which allows us to study the relation between the behaviour of P(k) at small k and the properties of the probability distribution f(l) for the spatial extent l of mass and momentum-conserving fluctuations. We find that the k4 behaviour is obtained in the case that the first six moments of f(l) are finite. Interestingly, the condition that the fluctuations be localised—taken to correspond to the convergence of the first two moments of f(l)—imposes only the weaker constraint P(k) ∝ kn with n anywhere in the range 0 < n ⩽ 4. We interpret this result to suggest that the causality bound will be loosened in this way if quantum fluctuations are permitted.


The anomalous velocity term in the semiclassical model of a Bloch electron deviates the trajectory from the conventional one. When the Berry curvature (alias noncommutative parameter) is a monopole in momentum space, as found recently in some ferromagnetic crystals while observing the anomalous Hall effect, we get a transverse shift, similar to that in the optical Hall effect.


Despite the relevance of protected areas as biodiversity conservation tools, indicators of cost-benefit analysis of both public and private protected areas has been scarce in the literature. In this paper, we estimate and evaluate the ecosystem benefits and the management and opportunity costs of the protected areas of Chile´s National System of Protected Areas (SNASPE). We found that annual social benefits provided by SNASPE, of almost USD 2 billion, outweigh by far its annual management and opportunity costs, of USD 177 million. However, a large heterogeneity of costs and benefits is observed across the different categories of protected areas as well as among the protected areas within each category located in different geographical zones. Most of the benefits are concentrated in the South and Austral zones of Chile, zones that also exhibit the largest extension of land in SNASPE. Moreover, benefit-cost ratios vary extensively across protected areas; but, on average, the benefit-cost ratio is 11.3:1 for the entire SNASPE, which provides large opportunities to increase public investment in protected areas in Chile. Our results also shed lights on how detailed studies of benefits and costs indicators of SNASPE can improve conservation planning and conservation efficiency.


Little systematic empirical research exists about legislative decision-making in the Council of the European Union. This study contributes to closing this gap in the literature by examining which groups of actors within the Council decide on what type of issues. The Council structure is made up of a hierarchy consisting of working parties at the bottom, committees of senior officials in the middle and the ministers at the top. Based on a novel data set of legislative decisions made by the Council, the study examines the relative importance of these different Council levels. Two important findings emerge from the analysis: first, ministers are more involved in legislative decision-making than often assumed in the literature; second, the involvement of higher Council levels increases with features of dossiers that are related to political conflict. Although the results reduces worries about a lack of political accountability of Council decision-making, they cannot dispel these concerns completely.


In Brief Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome (HHS) are two acute complications of diabetes that can result in increased morbidity and mortality if not efficiently and effectively treated. Mortality rates are 2–5% for DKA and 15% for HHS, and mortality is usually a consequence of the underlying precipitating cause(s) rather than a result of the metabolic changes of hyperglycemia. Effective standardized treatment protocols, as well as prompt identification and treatment of the precipitating cause, are important factors affecting outcome.


In the development process of automotive pedestrian protection (PedPro) for upper- and lower leg impact, the failure of polymer components plays an important role. To influence impact kinematics, fractures can either be advantageous or undesirable. Simulation based design is a challenge for material modeling and hence characterization, particularly for failure of polymer components. An application-oriented concept for failure modeling in FEM simulations of polymer components in pedestrian protection is presented. The boundary conditions for polymer failure in PedPro are investigated. Failure models are evaluated and selected by referring to special component tests, scanning-electron microscopy (SEM) of failure areas and simulative analysis of continuum mechanical parameters. The approach of capturing the material's behavior and consecutive modeling including parametrization is presented as well. Here a polymer blend (PC-PET) is exemplarily characterized in the highly dynamic domain. This is mainly done by using innovative pendulum tests. The parametrization of a modified Bai-Wierzbicki failure approach is performed by a numerical optimization process. The model validation is done with more complex test samples by pendulum testing..


An algorithm for differential diagnosis of comatose conditions in patients with diabetes mellitus has been devised. The algorithm is intended for the general practitioner and non-specialized department. The algorithm uses the minimum of the crucial signs of comatose conditions, ensuring their diagnosis under the conditions of any hospital. The algorithm can be applied to the recognition of the typical variants of comatose conditions in a "pure" form. The amount of algorithm steps is minimized. The program of differential diagnosis is written in the Fokal language and realized on the computer "Elektronika BK 0010". The program is run in the dialogue mode. The algorithm is used in clinical practice and in the training process, with its efficacy being independent of the professional skills of the user.


Stimulated emission based imaging techniques, especially stimulated emission microscopy, are well established and well documented techniques in the realm of biomedical applications. The utilization of a stimulated emission signal offers a variety of advantages over classical linear optical imaging, especially for the identification of biological specimens with high spatial resolution in three dimensions. There is, however, one aspect of the inherent properties of stimulated emission that so far has not received much attention and has not been utilized to its full potential. This aspect, namely the spatial coherence of the stimulated emission signal with the incoming stimulation light, can be utilized for long-distance signal detection of biomedical specimens. The feasibility of this approach is presented here.


Papilloma of the larynx appearing in childhood is reputed to have a tendency to be self-limited and to undergo spontaneous regression before or during adolescence. In this respect, it is similar to verruca vulgaris. The viral etiology and contagious nature of the common wart were first demonstrated by Jadassohn 1 in 1895. Ullmann, 2 in 1923, was the first to report similar experiments on the bacteria-free filtrate of macerated papillomatous tissue from the larynx of a child. He produced typical clinical and pathological lesions by inoculating himself and a laboratory assistant with the filtrate. Inoculation with the filtrate from adult papillomatous tissue failed to produce cutaneous lesions. He agreed with Chiari that juvenile and adult papilloma are clinically different diseases. The precise effect that puberty exerts in the course of juvenile papilloma has never been defined, and it would seem that the theory itself, which has been recently challenged by


Research at the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate is being conducted to reduce schedule times for assembly, integration, and test, to make satellite-based capabilities more responsive to user needs. Structural Health Monitoring has been pursued as a means for validating workmanship and has been proven on PnPSat-1. Embedded ultrasonic piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) have been utilized with local and global inspection techniques, developed both in house and by collaborating universities, to detect structural changes that may occur during assembly, integration, and test. Specific attention has focused on interface qualification. It is now reasonable to believe that evaluation of interfaces through the use of such sensors can also be used to indirectly qualify the structure thermally and that tedious thermal-vacuum testing may be truncated or eliminated altogether. This paper focuses on the computational development of extracting thermal properties from ultrasonic transmission records. Methods are validated on simple bolted lap-joint cantilever beams.


We experimentally demonstrate a robust Si-photonic waveguide architecture that realizes dynamically encircling an exceptional point (EP) in the optical domain and broadband asymmetric modal transmission as an essential consequence. The structure consists of a pair of coupled channel waveguides and an adjacent slab-waveguide patch that enable precise lithographic controls on the phase velocities and radiation rates of the guided photonic modes. Complex modal index and inter-mode coupling constant profiles required for the encircling-an-EP parametric control are precisely coded in the geometry of those elements. The device created on this basis induces the symmetry-exchanging adiabatic state flip for one transmission direction and symmetry-preserving anti-adiabatic state-jump for the transmission in the opposite direction. In fabrication, we use a state-of-the-art electron-beam lithography for creating mm-long devices with nm-scale transversal precision. A comprehensive spectral measurement for the intensity and phase distributions of the transmitted optical states is obtained with a specially designed phase-sensitive infrared microscopy integrated with a tunable diode-laser system and spectrum analyzer. On this basis, we confirm in the experiment the highly asymmetric modal transmission persisting over a broad spectral band exceeding 100 nm in the telecommunications window around 1,550 nm. Hence, we establish a substantive experimental step toward broadband non-reciprocal photonic devices based on the unique non-Hermitian dynamics.


Tests were performed to identify variation across consumer evaluation ratings for 2 types of beef (Spanish yearling bull beef and US Choice and Prime beef), using 3 information levels (blind scores; muscle fat content + production conditions; and all production data including geographical origin) and 3 consumer evaluation ratings (hedonic rating, willingness to pay, and purchase intention). Further testing was carried out to assess the extent to which expert evaluations converged with those of untrained consumers. Taste panel tests involving 290 consumers were conducted in Navarra, a region in northern Spain. The beef samples were 20 loins of Pyrenean breed yearling bulls that had been born and raised on private farms located in this Spanish region and 20 strip loins from high quality US beef that ranged from high Choice to average Prime US quality grades. The Spanish beef were slaughtered at 507 +/- 51 kg of BW and 366 +/- 23 d of age. The US beef proved more acceptable to consumers and received greater ratings from the trained panel, with greater scores for juiciness (3.33), tenderness (3.33), flavor (3.46), and fat content (5.83) than for Spanish beef (2.77, 2.70, 3.14, 1.17). The differences in sensory variable rating were more pronounced for the Spanish beef than for the US beef, always increasing with the level of information. The variation in the ratings across different information levels was statistically significant in the case of the Spanish beef, whereas the variation observed in the ratings of the US beef was highly significant in the willingness of consumers to pay a premium. Consumers who appreciated greater quality were also more willing to pay for the additional level of quality.


Forage compact feed has the ability to cut the adaptation period of grazing cattle when transported, because they are used to consume forage. The effect of the form and type of forage formulation on the feeding behavior of cattle needs to be studied further to determine the preferences of cattle for this compact feed. This study used 36 cattle with 3 replications in each treatment. The 2 factor group factorial design consisting formulation and form of feed was applied in this study. The forms of feed used in this study were wafers, pellets, dried pellets, and cubes. The formulations used in this study were formulation 1 (10% molasses, 30% indigofera leaves, 50% straw, 10% elephant grass); formulation 2 (10% molasses, 30% indigofera leaves, 60% straw); formulation 3 (10% molasses, 20% indigofera leaves, 65% straw, 5% hemp). The parameters observed in this study were eating behavior of cattle which consisted of the frequency and duration of eating, drinking, rumination, and resting. The results were, there is an interaction on eating frequency and cattle duration. Formulation 3 on wafer treatment had the highest feeding frequency (P<0.05). Formulation 1 on wafer treatment had the highest duration of rumination (P<0.05). The conclusion is, Formulation 1 and 3 with wafer shape showed the best behavior for eating.


This article focuses on simulation analysis, a tool that has received relatively sparse attention in the literature. In a laboratory-type environment, simulation can generate data that enable a complex nonfrictionless environment to be assessed in a tractable manner that might not otherwise be readily achievable. This article illustrates these thoughts with reference to Grossman and Stiglitz's 1976 seminal paper on price formation in an equity market. The authors show that the dynamic process of price formation in a nonfrictionless market can generate returns exhibiting accentuated short-period volatility, kurtosis, and return autocorrelations. They explore several applications of these findings.


ABSTRACT This paper uses a general Lotka–Volterra model to estimate convergence for 93 countries over the period 1960–2007. It employs an equation with a spatial time lag and common factors. The spatial lag controls for spatial dependence, while the common factors control for strong cross-sectional dependence. As spatial weights matrices, the shares of high-skilled migrants, trade shares and foreign direct investments are used. A simultaneous least squares estimator and a dynamic common correlated effects (DCCE) estimator are employed. The DCCE estimator finds conditional convergence. The paper highlights the importance of controlling for both types of cross-sectional dependence.


Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the vulnerability of selected silver fir populations to damage from late frost in the climatic conditions of south-eastern Poland. To determine the vulnerability of apical and lateral shoots to damage caused by late frosts, we observed four test plots in 2009 and 2014, each containing progenies of selected seed stands. Our statistical analyses were based on a model incorporating the following variables: site, year, type of frost damage, population as well as the possible interaction between these variables. Significant differences between the populations were found in terms of their sensitivity to damage from low temperature occurring during the growth period. Furthermore, we indirectly demonstrated differences in the severity of late frost on the experimental plots, as well as the intensity and variability of late frost shoot damage. Based on these results, we divided the studied populations into two groups of low (EF, KRA1 and NAR) and high (LES2 and BAL2) sensitivity to late frost damage.


Chromosome analysis is one of the first approaches to genetic testing and remains a key component of genetic analysis of constitutional and somatic genetic disorders. Numerical or unbalanced structural chromosome abnormalities usually lead to multiple congenital anomalies. Sometimes these are compatible with live birth, usually resulting in severe cognitive and physical handicaps; other times they result in miscarriage or stillbirth. Chromosome rearrangements also occur as somatic changes in malignancies. Identification of constitutional chromosomal anomalies (anomalies present in most or all cells of the body and/or the germline) can provide important information for genetic counseling. In this unit, we introduce chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), which is a relatively recent addition to cytogenetic technologies, and has become the recommended first‐tier testing method for patients with developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism, and/or multiple congenital anomalies. We also discuss non‐invasive prenatal testing/screening (NIPTS), which uses circulating cell‐free fetal DNA (cfDNA) from maternal plasma to rapidly screen for autosomal and sex‐chromosome aneuploidies. Cytogenetic analysis of tumors is helpful in diagnosis and in monitoring the effects of treatment. The protocols in this chapter cover the clinical study of chromosomes in nonmalignant tissues. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Senior nursing leaders from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing and UK HealthCare have explored the meaning of an authentic partnership. This article quantifies the tangible benefits and outcomes from this maturing academic nursing and clinical practice partnership. Benefits include inaugural academic nursing participation in health system governance, expanded integration of nursing research programs both in the college and in the health science center, and the development of collaborative strategies to address nursing workforce needs.


One reason for studying language – and for me personally the most compelling reason – is that it is tempting to regard language, in the traditional phrase, as "a mirror of mind." (Chomsky, 1975a: 4) Frogs are not like us. They are better at catching flies but not, it seems, at explaining how they do it. The frog mind is narrowly specialized to control tasks such as locating small black specks, escaping predators, and finding mates, but not for reflecting on the ethics of eating insects or the issue of equal rights for toads. This view of the limited intellectual capabilities of amphibians is unlikely to be controversial. If I extended it to apes the reaction might be different, and it would clearly be false of humans. How do we know? Because humans can tell us so and the others cannot. Although having a language is not a prerequisite for having a mind, language is overwhelmingly our best evidence for the nature of mind. Language is definitional of what it is to be human, and the study of language is a way in to the study of the human, but not the frog, mind. Despite the complexity and variety of animal communication systems, no other creature has language like ours. Although chimpanzees and bonobos can be taught to manipulate an impressive array of signs and use them to communicate with us or with each other, human language, in particular the syntax of human language, is sui generis . As far as we know, even the singing of whales and the color communication of cuttle-fish have nothing like syntax.


The aim of this study is to determine immunohistochemical markers with prognostic significance for disease-specific survival in patients with squamous cell cancer of the vulva. The study material consisted of slides and paraffin blocks of 50 vulvectomy specimens. A tissue microarray was constructed and stained with 16 antibodies. The impact of lymph node metastases, size of tumor, vascular space involvement, and the marker expression on disease-specific survival was calculated. In univariate analysis lymph node metastases, tumor size more than 4 cm, vascular space involvement, strong cyclooxygenase 2 expression, and absent Caspase 3 expression were significantly associated with disease-specific survival. In a multivariate analysis, poor disease-specific survival is independently associated with absent Caspase 3 expression (hazard ratio, 0.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.04-0.97; P = 0.045). Five-year survival was 86% in patients with tumors positive for Caspase 3 (n = 20) and drops to 64% in patients with Caspase 3-negative tumors (n = 30). In this test set, cyclooxygenase 2 and Caspase 3 seem to be immunohistochemical markers with prognostic significance for vulva cancer. The results have to be validated.


BACKGROUND
Germline genetic testing (GT) for BRCA1/2 is instrumental in identifying patients with breast and ovarian cancers who are eligible for PARP inhibitors (PARPi). Little is known about recent trends and determinants of GT since PARPi were approved for these patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients in a nationwide electronic health record (EHR)-derived oncology-specific database with the following GT eligibility criteria: breast cancer diagnosed at age ≤45 years, triple-negative breast cancer diagnosed at age ≤60 years, male breast cancer, or ovarian cancer. GT within 1 year of diagnosis was assessed and stratified by tumor type. Multivariable log-binomial regressions estimated adjusted relative risks (RRs) of GT by patient and tumor characteristics.

RESULTS
Among 2,982 eligible patients with breast cancer, 56.4% underwent GT between January 2011 and March 2020, with a significant increase in GT over time (RR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.05-1.11, for each year), independent of when PARPi were approved for BRCA1/2-mutated metastatic breast cancer in January 2018. In multivariable analyses, older age (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90-0.96, for every 5 years) and Medicare coverage (RR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.49-0.96 vs commercial insurance) were associated with less GT. Among 5,563 eligible patients with ovarian cancer, 35.4% underwent GT between January 2011 and March 2020, with a significant increase in GT over time (RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07-1.14, for each year) that accelerated after approval of PARPi for BRCA1/2-mutated, chemotherapy-refractory ovarian cancer in December 2014 (RR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.19-1.70). Older age (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93-0.97, for every 5 years) and Black or African American race (RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65-0.98 vs White race) were associated with less GT.

CONCLUSIONS
GT remains underutilized nationwide among patients with breast and ovarian cancers. Although GT has increased over time, significant disparities by age, race, and insurance status persist. Additional work is needed to design, implement, and evaluate strategies to ensure that all eligible patients receive GT.


A digital signal processing based hearing aid has been produced which can be used as a body worn device, with transmitter and receiver in a conventional behind the ear hearing aid case. The design is based on the TMS320C3 127 DSP device. Use of this low power chip allows the aid to perform for up to 8 hours without battery replacement and facilitates field testing of different algorithms designed to enhance hearing aid performance.


Background: Tuberculosis is a major health issue of developing countries like Pakistan. Multi drug resistance (MDR) and Extensive drug resistance (XDR) in M. tuberculosis is on continuous rise in our region. Detection and prevalence of resistance in tuberculosis patients were discussed in few of the studies in Pakistan but pattern of resistance to second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs was still unknown and was a gap in the knowledge. This study was aimed to determine the pattern of resistance against Quinolones, Aminoglycosides and Capreomycin in Multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) tuberculosis from a tertiary care hospital of Karachi. Methods: The cross-sectional study was carried out from January 2007 to October 2008 in the Department of Microbiology, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Sixty MDR-M.tuberculosis strains of two groups were collected. Group 1 consisting of 30 samples from stock cultures of MDR-TB collected during previous 5 years (Laboratory of Microbiology, BMSI) and Group 2 consisting of 30 culture positive specimens from JPMC and Ojha Institute of Chest diseases, Karachi. These samples were further analysed for anti-microbial sensitivity against Quinolones (Ofloxacin), Aminoglycosides (Amikacin and Kanamycin) and Capreomycin. Indirect Proportion Method is used for drug susceptibility test (DST) following WHO guidelines 2001. For calculations & results, Quantitative analysis was done and percentages were calculated. Results: From among 60 MDR-TB isolates, 3 (5%) were resistant to Ofloxacin; 1 (1.6%) resistant to Amikacin; 4 (6.6%) were resistant to Kanamycin and 60 (100%) were sensitive to Capreomycin. There was an increase in resistance in-group 2. Conclusion: Our study confirmed the resistance against second-line anti-tuberculous drugs. Overall resistance to second-line anti-tuberculous is at low percentage but results clearly show the marked increase in resistance in Group 2. Immediate measures are surely required to detect and control drug resistance in our country.


Volunteers (n=1 999) who regarded themselves as healthy enrolled in the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE-SA) study in the North West Province, of South Africa (SA) after giving signed consent. All the participants, with newly identified health problems, were immediately counselled and referred to the local health clinics or hospitals with a referral letter from the principal researcher. The aim of the research was to explore the health care seeking behaviour of the newly diagnosed HIV people, after having been referred to a health care facility a year earlier, and after having received pre- and post-test counselling.
Purposive voluntary sampling was conducted. Data were collected by means of a survey, followed by an in-depth interview specifically aimed at exploring the health care seeking behaviour of HIV infected persons in the North West Province. Each researcher wrote verbatim responses of the participants as well as, demographic, descriptive and reflective field notes during and after each interview. For the quantitative data in the survey, frequency and cross tabulations were performed. The verbatim responses and field notes were analysed using the open coding technique of content analysis.
Of the 1 999 participants in the PURE-SA baseline study 16.6% (332) who considered themselves to be healthy were diagnosed with HIV. Only 27.7% (n=92) of these 332 participants had actually sought medical care after post-test counselling and referral by a health professional. Three main aspects that influenced health care behaviour of the participants were : various forms of stigmatisation; aspects around the illness itself; poverty and other factors influencing access to health care services. Recommendations enhanced focus on stigma reduction, understanding of HIV, and factors to enhance access to health care facilities.


Background: The current study assessed different dietary habits, energy drinks intake, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity and associated factors among Palestinian adolescents attending marginalized schools. Methods: A cross-sectional study targeted a random sample of 1480 students in the sixth andninth grades attending 20 marginalized public schools in the West Bank area of the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt). Students were interviewed in-person by trained senior dental students about their dietary habits, physical activity, fathers' employment and mothers' level of education. Weight and height were measured, and BMI percentile was calculated. Descriptive statistics were generated for the study's main variables and the dependent variables were compared by grade, gender, mothers' level of education and father's employment. Results: A total of 1282 students (98% response) completed the questionnaire. Of them, 6% were 'underweight' (fifth percentile or under) and 34% were 'overweight' or 'obese' (85thpercentile or over). Ninth graders had more added sugar than 6th graders (P=0.002), less frequent milk consumption (P<0.001), more frequent energy drink consumption (P=0.001),and less physical activity (P<0.0001). Frequency of carbonated and sweetened drink consumption was associated with being overweight or obese (P=0.016, P=0.001). Frequency of carbonated drinks consumption was higher among children of mothers with a high school level of education or less (P<0.001). In addition, children of mothers educated to high school level or below were associated with being underweight (P=0.05). Conclusion: Dietary habits and physical activity get worse between the ages of 12 and 15. Mothers' level of education is an important factor in being overweight or underweight. Energy drink consumption among boys and milk consumption among girls are two challenges that need to be addressed urgently and adequately.


As the global burden of dementia continues to plague our healthcare systems, efficient, objective, and sensitive tools to detect neurodegenerative disease and capture meaningful changes in everyday cognition are increasingly needed. Emerging digital tools present a promising option to address many drawbacks of current approaches, with contexts of use that include early detection, risk stratification, prognosis, and outcome measurement. However, conceptual models to guide hypotheses and interpretation of results from digital tools are lacking and are needed to sort and organize the large amount of continuous data from a variety of sensors. In this viewpoint, we propose a neuropsychological framework for use alongside a key emerging approach—digital phenotyping. The Variability in Everyday Behavior (VIBE) model is rooted in established trends from the neuropsychology, neurology, rehabilitation psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and computer science literature and links patterns of intraindividual variability, cognitive abilities, and everyday functioning across clinical stages from healthy to dementia. Based on the VIBE model, we present testable hypotheses to guide the design and interpretation of digital phenotyping studies that capture everyday cognition in vivo. We conclude with methodological considerations and future directions regarding the application of the digital phenotyping approach to improve the efficiency, accessibility, accuracy, and ecological validity of cognitive assessment in older adults.


Printed electronics offer new possibilities in the design of footprints and integrated mechatronic systems. Fast and uncomplicated customization and cost-efficient fabrication are further benefits of this technology. In combination with other production processes like pick-and-place systems or fused filament fabrication (FFF), functional applications like communication or sensing devices can be produced in a very flexible way. The authors demonstrate how to produce a capacitive sensor system on three millimeter window glass by combining the piezo-jet technology and a pick-and-place system within a single five-axis CNC machine. The piezo-jet system is used to produce the circuitry by printing silver micro paste onto the glass plate. The process is maskless, works with a standoff-distance between one and ten millimeters and can process inks and pastes with a viscosity from 50 mPas to 200,000 mPas. The pick-and-place system puts all necessary surface mounted devices (SMD) directly onto the liquid paste which contains adhesives. The only process that takes place outside the machine is the sintering. However, by integrating an ultra violet (UV) or near infrared (NIR) curing system this process step could also be carried out within the machine. After the sintering the system is fully functional and does not require any further post-processing. The system consists of a micro-controller, two capacitive proximity detection ICs, resistors and capacitors. The digital outputs of the sensors could be used to control any given application, for reasons of illustration the functionality of the system is shown by an additionally mounted LED-strip. The system is easy to design and quick to adapt since the electronic layout is based on the standard layout of the IC-provider and the used software uncomplicated and open-source. Due to the placement at the back of the glass the system is perfectly protected against mechanical and chemical influences. It detects all kind of materials so the sensors can be triggered while wearing gloves or by people with a hand prosthesis. Moreover, the sensitivity can be easily adjusted over the software of the microcontroller which makes the application easy adaptable to several conditions. By recognizing different touch patterns, different operating modes can be performed. Currently the sensor system works as a touch switch, but it could also be adapted to realize a low-cost distance sensor. The flexibility of the used five axis system in combination with the high standoff-distance of the piezo-jet print head offers the possibility to print such systems on a wide spectrum of three-dimensional bodies. Even printing around or into corners is possible. With this method existing components can be functionalized electronically without having to redesign them. The produced demonstrator shows the possibility to extend a component by operating elements, but the capabilities go much further. Existing components can not only be extended by numerous sensor functions, communication elements such as Bluetooth or W-Lan antennas can also be realized in this way.


In the largest retrospective study of adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) in Japan between 1999 and 2004, adrenal tumors detected during secondary hypertension (HT) screening were included. The characteristics of patients with adrenal tumors detected during HT screening may differ from those of patients with AIs. This study aimed to compare the characteristics of patients with AIs with those of patients with adrenal tumors detected during HT screening. We retrospectively analyzed patients referred to our division for detailed examination of adrenal tumors between April 2009 and April 2017. When the purposes of imaging tests included HT screening, we defined adrenal tumors as HT associated, otherwise as strictly defined AIs. We reviewed data on age, sex, purpose and modality of imaging, location of tumor, tumor diameter, and hormonal evaluation. We identified 104 patients with HT-associated adrenal tumors and 413 with AIs. Patients with HT-associated adrenal tumors were younger (54.2 years vs. 61.7 years, p < 0.001) and had smaller tumor diameters (1.3 cm vs. 1.9 cm, p < 0.001), lower prevalence of nonfunctioning tumors (24.0% vs. 67.6%, p < 0.001), and higher prevalence of primary aldosteronism (58.7% vs. 4.8%, p < 0.001) than those with AIs. There were no differences in terms of tumor location and prevalence of subclinical Cushing's syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, and pheochromocytoma (18.3% vs. 16.0%, 7.7% vs. 8.0%, and 2.9% vs. 4.6%, respectively). In conclusion, patients with HT-associated tumors were younger and had a smaller tumor with higher prevalence of primary aldosteronism than those with AIs.


The selective catalytic reduction of NO by CH4 was compared over In–Fe2O3/HZSM-5 catalysts prepared by impregnation and co-impregnation methods. It was found that the catalyst preparation method greatly affected the catalyst activity. The impregnated catalyst was very active, but the co-impregnated one showed poor activity. The In–Fe2O3/HZSM-5 catalysts were investigated by Mossbauer spectroscopy. The results showed that indium cations entered into the iron oxide lattice in the co-impregnated catalyst, while the impregnated catalyst exhibited a more stable structure, when both of the catalysts were treated severely in the reaction atmosphere. Characterization by means of combined in situ temperature programmed reduction (TPR)-Mossbauer spectroscopy further revealed that the performances of the two catalysts were different in the TPR processes.


A bandpass low noise amplifier (LNA), which can simultaneously operate at two different frequency bands ¿ 2.35GHz-2.6GHz and 5GHz-6GHz, is presented in this paper. The proposed dual-band LNA can be used for the Bluetooth, HiperLAN and Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11a) communication applications, and is designed based on IBM 0.25¿m SiGe BiCMOS technology, which has better performance comparing with silicon technology, while lower cost and better integration feasibility comparing with GaAs technology.


Carrier transport via the V-shaped pits (V-pits) in InGaN/GaN multiple-quantum-well (MQW) solar cells is numerically investigated. By simulations, it is found that the V-pits can act as effective escape paths for the photo-generated carriers. Due to the thin barrier thickness and low indium composition of the MQW on V-pit sidewall, the carriers entered the sidewall QWs can easily escape and contribute to the photocurrent. This forms a parallel escape route for the carries generated in the flat quantum wells. As the barrier thickness of the flat MQW increases, more carriers would transport via the V-pits. Furthermore, it is found that the V-pits may reduce the recombination losses of carriers due to their screening effect to the dislocations. These discoveries are not only helpful for understanding the carrier transport mechanism in the InGaN/GaN MQW, but also important in design of the structure of solar cells.


It is well known that classical electrodynamics can be described both as a field theory and as a theory of direct interparticle action. In the present paper it is shown that, provided certain general conditions are satisfied, fields of arbitrary spin have their counterparts in 'direct particle fields'. This correspondence between the two formalisms is established in the Riemannian space-time used for general relativity.


OBJECTIVE
to analyze the meaning of postponement of breast cancer detection based on interviews with 26 women who were submited to mastectomy.

METHOD
qualitative study based on Symbolic Interactionism with Content Analysis in thematic modality, carried out in a public service outpatient clinic, in a capital city of Northeastern Brazil.

RESULTS
faced with the participants' reports, the theme 'meanings attributed to procrastination of breast health care' emerged. The meaning given by women to the reasons for postponing breast care permeate the interfaces between personal reasons and difficulties found in the healthcare network.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
early detection is considered to be delayed for fear of diagnosis, personal, cultural barriers, and difficulties in health services.


L-Histidine, when tested at a 10-mM concentration, caused a rapid and sustained stimulation of insulin release from rat islets exposed to either D-glucose (7.0 or 8.3 mM) or L-leucine (10.0 mM). The stimulation of insulin release could not be ascribed to an increase in oxygen uptake, to the generation of histamine from L-histidine, or to its participation in a transglutaminase-catalyzed reaction. Like other cationic amino acids, however, L-histidine rapidly accumulated in islet cells, increased 86Rb outflow from prelabeled islets perifused in the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+, and stimulated the entry of Ca2+ into islet cells. Yet, the amount of exogenous L-histidine present in the islet cells with a positively charged side chain was estimated to be below the threshold value required for stimulation of insulin release by fully ionized cationic amino acids, such as L-arginine. Hence, the present findings argue against the view that the insulinotropic action of cationic amino acids is solely attributable to the accumulation of these positively charged molecules inside the islet B cell with subsequent depolarization of the plasma membrane.


With the development of new technologies, these last years have witnessed the emergence of a new paradigm: the Internet of Things (IoT) and of the physical world. We are now able to communicate and interact with our surrounding environment through the use of multiple tiny sensors, RFID technologies or small wireless robots. This allows a set of new applications and usages to be envisioned ranging from logistic and traceability purposes to emergency and rescue operations going through the monitoring of volcanos or forest fires. However, all this comes with several technical and scientific issues like how to ensure the reliability of wireless communications in disturbed environments, how to manage efficiently the low resources (energy, memory, etc) or how to set a safe and sustainable maintenance. All these issues are addressed by researchers all around the world but solutions designed for IoT need to face real experimentations to be validated. To ease such experimentations for IoT, several experimental test beds have been deployed offering diverse and heterogeneous services and tools. This article studies the different requirements and features such facilities should offer and survey the different experimental facilities currently available for the community, the different hardware used (as sensors and robots) and the scope of their services. We expect this survey assist a potential user to easily choose the one to use regarding his own needs. Finally, we identify existing gaps and difficulties and investigate new directions for such facilities.


The increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings has motivated specialists to develop low-carbon products incorporating bio-based materials. The impact of these materials is often evaluated through life-cycle assessment (LCA), but there is no clear consensus on how to model the biogenic carbon released or absorbed during their life-cycle. This study investigates and compares existing methods used for biogenic carbon assessment. The most common approaches were identified through an extensive literature review. The possible discrepancies between the results obtained when adopting different methods are made evident through an LCA study of a timber building. Results identified that land-use and land-use-change (LULUC) impacts and carbon-storage credits are not included in most existing methods. In addition, when limiting the system boundary to certain life-cycle stages, methods using the –1/+1 criterion can lead to net negative results for the global warming (GW) score, failing to provide accurate data to inform decision-making. Deviation between the results obtained from different methods was 16% at the building scale and between 35% and 200% at the component scale. Of all the methods studied, the dynamic approach of evaluating biogenic carbon uptake is the most robust and transparent. Practice relevance This critical review identified key methodological differences between the most commonly used methods and recommended standards for biogenic carbon accounting in buildings. This indicates a lack of consensus and guidance for conducting LCAs of bio-based construction products and buildings using bio-based materials. A case study applying four different LCA approaches on a timber building identified the inability to compare results and create proper benchmarks. Moreover, different methods lead designers to pursue different strategies to reduce a building's carbon footprint. Regulators, the construction industry and the construction products industry are directly affected by this lack of comparability. This research highlights the flaws and benefits of commonly used methods. A clear and grounded recommendation is for practitioners to adopt dynamic biogenic carbon accounting for future assessments of bio-based materials and buildings.


We present a form of the Mean Value Theorem (MVT) for a continuous function f between metric spaces, connecting it with the possibility to choose the " 7→�(") relation of f in a homeomorphic way. We also compare our formulation of the MVT with the classic one when the metric spaces are open subsets of Banach spaces. As a consequence, we derive a version of the Mean Value Propriety for measure spaces that also possesses a compatible metric structure.


This article is based on the accounts of 29 boys identified as having severe social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) who were attending a residential school in New Zealand. Through in-depth, semi-structured and focus group interviews, a number of salient features of their schooling experiences emerged. One of these features was the experience of bullying. Despite the intuitive connection between SEBD and bullying, little research has directly examined its impact on these students. Results indicated that these students are at increased risk for both victimisation and bullying perpetration and highlight the association between a lack of positive relations with peers and the increased chance of being bullied. The findings also suggested that limitations in teachers' understanding of bullying and their effectiveness in addressing this play a role in its perpetration.


This paper deals with the reasons that cognitive impairment may occur in older persons and the ways in which it may complicate their life. The author suggests approaches to the detection and measurement of cognitive impairment, and discusses and recommends the use of brief mental status screening tests to assist in these processes.


Abstract The aim of the paper is to critically examine the practices of teaching and learning for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Korea (Korea). With the use of a case study, this paper offers a close examination of the practices carried out at Seoul National University and Kyung Hee University in Korea, focusing on how the SDGs are embedded in teaching and learning for sustainable development and identifying barriers and challenges in the process. A few specific initiatives and curriculum developments to meet the SDGs have been identified, but their rhetorical visions and practices of teaching and learning contradict, resulting in little actual transformation. This study reveals the gap between the rhetoric and the reality of teaching and learning for the SDGs from the perspective of transformative learning and offers policy suggestions to provide a well-rooted practice of educating the SDGs in Korean HEIs.


ABSTRACT In hemiparesis, Wireless, Accelerometry-Triggered Functional Electrical Stimulation (WAFES) of the common peroneal nerve may hold intrinsic rehabilitative properties. The present pilot study analyzes WAFES against conventional therapy. Twenty adults with chronic hemiparesis (time since lesion 7(6) years; median (interquartile range)) were randomized into 2 10-week rehabilitation programs: a 45-minute (min) daily walk using WAFES (n = 10) and conventional physical therapy (CPT), 3 × 45 min per week (n = 10). The outcomes were 3D sagittal speed measurements, step length, cadence, maximal amplitude and velocity of hip, knee, and ankle during gait at free and fast speed without WAFES and clinical assessments of plantar flexor angles of shortening, spasticity, and weakness, before (D1) and after the program (W10). Kinematic and spasticity improvements occurred in the WAFES group only: (i) ankle dorsiflexion velocity (D1 versus W10, free speed, WAFES, +4(5)°/sec, p = 0.002; CPT, −3(8)°/sec, p = 0.007; fast, WAFES, +8(6)°/sec, p = 0.03; CPT, −1(4)°/sec, NS); (ii) maximal passive ankle dorsiflexion (WAFES,+26(85)%; CPT,+0(27)%; group-visit, p = 0.007) and knee flexion (WAFES, +13(17)%; CPT, −1(11)%; group-visit, p = 0.006) at fast speed only; (iii) 15% plantar flexor spasticity grade reduction with WAFES. Over 10 weeks, gait training using WAFES improved ankle and knee kinematics and reduced plantar flexor spasticity compared with CPT. Studies with longer WAFES use should explore functional effects.


Teenage pregnancy, by and large unplanned, has become one of the major public
health issues of our time. Despite the widespread and improved availability of
contraception, the problem is unresolved and in some areas is increasing. Both live
births and abortions in teenagers in England are among the highest in Europe. The
circumstances of teenage pregnancy in the UK, including medical, social and public
health implications have been examined by the RCOG Study Group and their
findings are given in a comprehensive volume of proceedings, of which this is a
summary. Recent headlines point to a teenage sex health crisis fuelled by drink and
drugs, as well as confused messages from role models, and the lack of a coordinated
national approach. Yet there is some hope of a way forward. The Study Group reveals
the factors associated with success, including locally coordinated strategies,
comprehensive education programmes, accessible contraceptive services, as well as
wider social issues such as workforce training and recognition of vulnerable groups. I
recommend this Summary Review to all concerned about this issue, and this must
surely include all of us. I want to thank and congratulate the organisers and
contributors to the Study Group for a fine piece of work and for sound advice.
Allan Templeton
President, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists


This article considers potential impediments to the estimation of teacher quality caused primarily by the purposeful behavior of families, administrators, and teachers. The discussion highlights the benefits of accounting for student and school differences through a value-added modeling approach that incorporates a student's history of family, school, and community influences. Unfortunately, the value-added framework does not address all potential impediments to the consistent estimation of teacher quality of instruction, even when focused solely on within-school differences. Of particular importance is the nonrandom assignment of students to classrooms on the basis of unobservable characteristics and parental and school responses to teacher quality. Evidence from studies that take extensive measures to mitigate the influence of purposeful classroom assignment nonetheless supports the existence of substantial within-school variation in the quality of instruction.


Recent research on verbal doubling across languages (Nunes 2004, Martins 2007, Kandybowicz 2009, Biberauer 2009, among others) show that this phenomenon is a fruitful domain of inquiry, especially, regarding the nature of copying phenomena and the way in which such phenomena interact with syntax and morphology. In line with the aforementioned works, I focus on the empirical domain of verbal doubling in Spanish and European Portuguese and argue that not all verbal doubling structures must be derived as the result of syntactic copying. In particular, new evidence is discussed in order to show that predicate fronting in Spanish does not result from movement (pace Vicente 2007, 2009). Other varieties of verbal duplication, such as non-local doublings in Rioplatense Spanish and Italian, and local doublings in European Portuguese, are instead the direct result of verbal copy pronunciation arising from complex factors involving the structure of remnant movement and the general conditions that regulate copy pronunciation in syntax and morphology. These particular varieties of verbal duplications in Romance allow us to decide among different theories of copy realization in competition.


It was a bad combination, I'll allow that. The call from the emergency room reached me the Saturday morning after I had finished reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I hadn't gotten a lot of sleep, partly because I finally reached page 1,168 around midnight, partly because I couldn't get my mind off John Galt, Hank Rearden, Francisco d'Anconia, Dagny Taggart and the rest of Rand's characters. Before I drifted off, I was already drawing parallels between the current state of psychiatry and Rand's fictional world in which the mind is denigrated, and autonomy and free will nearly stamped out.