Although patellofemoral pain (PFP) is recognized as being one of the most common disorders of the lower extremity, treatment guidelines and underlying rationales remain vague and controversial. The premise behind most treatment approaches is that PFP is the result of abnormal patellar tracking and/or patellar malalignment. Given as such, interventions typically focus on the joint itself and have traditionally included strengthening the vastus medialis oblique, taping, bracing, soft tissue mobilization, and patellar mobilization. More recently, it has been recognized that the patellofemoral joint and, therefore, PFP may be influenced by the interaction of the segments and joints of the lower extremity. In particular, abnormal motion of the tibia and femur in the transverse and frontal planes may have an effect on patellofemoral joint mechanics. With this in mind, interventions aimed at controlling hip and pelvic motion (proximal stability) and ankle/foot motion (distal stability) may be warranted and should be considered when treating persons with patellofemoral joint dysfunction. The purpose of this paper is to provide a biomechanical overview of how altered lower-extremity mechanics may influence the patellofemoral joint. By addressing these factors, better long-term treatment success and prevention may be achieved.


Reliability analysis evaluates the failure probability of structures considering random variables of a system. Existing methods such as first-order reliability method (FORM) and second-order reliability method (SORM) are difficult to predict the failure probability of implicit functions in mechanical structures. Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) can predict the failure probability with high accuracy, but it is time-consuming. Agent-based methods such as the Kriging model have the approved performance to predict the failure probability in both efficiency and accuracy. An active method is proposed in this paper to improve the efficiency of predicting the probability of failures by combining the Kriging model and MCS, using a new learning function and its stopping condition. A representative selection strategy is developed based on spectral clustering to decide sample points in the design of experiments (DoEs). The new learning function integrates uncertainty and similarity of predicted Kriging values to search the next best sample point for updating the initial DoE. The learning process is terminated based on the stopping condition for a given accuracy of predicted probability of failures. Four case studies are conducted to validate the proposed method. Results show that the proposed method can predict the probability of failures with improved accuracy and reduced time.


In this letter, a novel process for recessed-gate AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors using an Al2O3/SiNx dielectric has been developed. The Al2O3/SiNx dielectric bilayer was used as a recess etch-mask for short-gate-footprint definition. Recessed-gate devices with a gate length of 70 nm have been fabricated on a molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown layer structure using this process. After the removal of the dielectric layers, excellent dc and small-signal results, a high drain-current density of 1.5 A/mm, a unity gain cutoff frequency of 160 GHz, and a maximum frequency of oscillation of 200 GHz were obtained.


Background Intensive antithrombotic treatment is recommended to prevent venous thromboembolic events after total joint replacement (TJR) surgery. Antithrombotic drugs are predominantly dispensed at the hospital. Unfortunately, hospital prescription data is often lacking in general practitioner databases, thereby limiting the possibility to use these rich databases to study the longer term effects in real practice. Un-coded anonymised free text from hospital discharge letters may be used to collect additional information on anticoagulant drug use related to TJR. Objectives To design and test a method to extract additional information on anticoagulation therapy in patients undergoing TJR from anonymised free text notes in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Methods Anticoagulant drug use related to total hip (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) from January 2008 until October 2012 was identified using both anonymised free text and prescription data. Internal validity of our newly designed method was determined by calculating positive predictive values (PPVs) of positive hits for predefined keywords in a random sample anonymised free text notes. To confirm external validity of our method, the proportions of patients using new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) or low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) were compared with the proportions that have been reported by the UK National Joint Registry. In order to determine the usefulness of our method, TJR patients were then compared with regards to their status of exposure to antithrombotics. Results PPVs ranging between 97% - 99% for NOAC or LMWH exposure related to TJR were obtained with our anonymised free text search method, using manual analysis of the surrounding free text as the gold standard. Aspirin users were identified with PPVs ranging from 91% - 95%. Our anonymised free text algorithm increased detection rates by 57%, yielding a total proportion of 18.5% of all THR and 18.6% of all TKR surgeries. Identified users of NOACs and LMWHs were largely similar with regards to age, sex, lifestyle and disease and drug history compared to patients without identified drug use. In contrast, Aspirin users were different as compared to unknown users in particular with regards to a history of ischaemic heart disease. Conclusions We have developed a useful method to identify additional exposure to NOACs or LMWHs with TJR surgery. Disclosure of Interest J. Nielen: None declared, B. van den Bemt Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Roche, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Roche, Abbvie and MSD, A. Boonen Grant/research support from: Amgen Abbvie, Pfizer and Merck, Speakers bureau: Pfizer, UCB and Sandoz, P. Dagnelie: None declared, P. Emans Grant/research support from: Stryker, Active implants, Carbylan Biosurgery, DSM Biomedical, Regentis, Speakers bureau: Biomet and Push braces, A. Lalmohamed Grant/research support from: Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), N. Veldhorst: None declared, T.-P. van Staa: None declared, F. de Vries: None declared


With the explosive growth of demand for services on the Internet, the networking infrastructure (routers, protocols, servers) is under considerable stress. Mechanisms are needed for current and future IP services to scale in a client-transparent way. We present HydraNet, an infrastructure that allows to dynamically distribute IP services by placing service agents (caching agents, mirrors, replicas) that are under the server's control at strategic points in the internetwork. HydraNet is based on replicating transport-level service access points (TSAPs) for transparent distribution or replication of IP services. Measurements on a local testbed show that the overhead of our scheme is small. TSAP replication is widely applicable. We use HydraNet to implement active Web caching and highly fault-tolerant servers. Similarly, it can be used to implement application gateways, for example intelligent multicast reeectors for media-on-demand.


Heparin, aspirin with dipyridamole or placebo were given to 266 patients with pre-infarction angina treated with isosorbide dinitrate, beta blockers and nifedipidine. The number of patients who developed acute myocardial infarction (MI) in the next 72 hours was comparable in all 3 groups. However, patients on heparin developed only 3.2% (2 out of 61) Q MI compared with 20% (20 out of 100, p = 0.005) taking dipyridamole with aspirin and 19% (20 out of 105 on placebo, p = 0.006). Infarctions of patients treated with heparin as assessed by peak of serum creatine kinase (CK) were also smaller (810 +/- 538 IU/1) than in groups taking antiplatelets (1229 +/- 829 IU/1, p = 10.048) or placebo (1417 +/- 919 IU/1, p = 0.009). We defined a subgroup at high risk patients who had prolonged chest pain longer than 45 min and ECG changes with ST segment depression more than 1 mm within 6 hours of admission: 55% of these patients developed acute infarction in the following 72 hours. Aggressive management including coronary angiography and fibrinolysis should be considered in well equipped centers for patients with evolving coronary thrombus in a general hospital, heparin infusion should be part of routine treatment as patients on heparin developed smaller infarctions.


BACKGROUND
To evaluate biochemical control after 3-D radiation therapy of prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
180 patients with a median follow-up of 30.5 months (12-67 months) were evaluated. Median dose to the prostate was 70 Gy. 72% of the patients received short-term neoadjuvant hormonal therapy and 28% received radiation therapy alone. Biochemical failure was defined according to the ASTRO consensus criteria.

RESULTS
Pre-treatment PSA levels were higher for patients with combined therapy as compared to radiation alone (median: 13.5 ng/ml vs. 8.8 ng/ml, p = 0.003). Biochemical no-evidence of disease (bNED) survival for all patients was 73% at 3 years. In univariate analysis the following factors were predictive for bNED survival: pre-treatment PSA (< or = 20 ng/ml vs. > 20 ng/ml; 3-years bNED 82% vs. 49%; p < 0.001); age (< 72 years vs. > or = 72 years; 3-years bNED 69% vs. 78%; p = 0.049); tumor differentiation (grade 1 vs. grade 2 vs. grade 3; 3-years bNED 89% vs. 74% vs. 46%; p = 0.002); PSA-nadir value (< or = 0.5 ng/ml vs. > 0.5 ng/ml; 3-years bNED 84% vs. 51%; p < 0.001); time to PSA-nadir (< or = 12 months vs. > 12 months; 3-years bNED 66% vs. 82%; p = 0.04). There was a trend to a lower bNED survival in patients with T3/T4 disease (T1/T2 vs. T3/T4; 3-years bNED 80% vs. 60%; p = 0.059). Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy or dose to the prostate had no significant impact on bNED survival. In multivariate analysis pretreatment PSA, tumor differentiation, PSA-nadir, time to PSA-nadir and age were independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS
Despite of having higher initial PSA-values patients treated with conformal radiotherapy and short-term neoadjuvant hormonal therapy had the same bNED survival as patients treated with conformal radiotherapy alone. Patients with initial PSA values above 20 ng/ml, with T3 or T4 disease or with poorly differentiated tumors had a low biochemical control. For this group of patients intensified therapy should be considered.


Extensive research has provided ample evidences suggesting that protein folding in the cell is a co-translational process. However, the exact pathway that polypeptide chain follows during co-translational folding to achieve its functional form is still an enigma. In order to understand this process and to determine the exact conformation of the co-translational folding intermediates, it is essential to develop techniques that allow the isolation of RNCs carrying nascent chains of predetermined sizes to allow their further structural analysis. SecM (secretion monitor) is a 170 amino acid E. coli protein that regulates expression of the downstream SecA (secretion driving) ATPase in the secM-secA operon. Nakatogawa and Ito originally found that a 17 amino acid long sequence (150-FSTPVWISQAQGIRAGP-166) in the C-terminal region of the SecM protein is sufficient and necessary to cause stalling of SecM elongation at Gly165, thereby producing peptidyl-glycyl-tRNA stably bound to the ribosomal P-site. More importantly, it was found that this 17 amino acid long sequence can be fused to the C-terminus of virtually any full-length and/or truncated protein thus allowing the production of RNCs carrying nascent chains of predetermined sizes. Thus, when fused or inserted into the target protein, SecM stalling sequence produces arrest of the polypeptide chain elongation and generates stable RNCs both in vivo in E. coli cells and in vitro in a cell-free system. Sucrose gradient centrifugation is further utilized to isolate RNCs. The isolated RNCs can be used to analyze structural and functional features of the co-translational folding intermediates. Recently, this technique has been successfully used to gain insights into the structure of several ribosome bound nascent chains. Here we describe the isolation of bovine Gamma-B Crystallin RNCs fused to SecM and generated in an in vitro translation system.


In this lecture, we will discuss one of the most important applications of semidefinite programming, namely its use in the formulation of convex relaxations of nonconvex optimization problems. We will present the results from several different, but complementary, points of view. These will also serve us as starting points for the generalizations to be presented later in the course. We will discuss first the case of binary quadratic optimization, since in this case the notation is simpler, and perfectly illustrates many of the issues appearing in more complicated problems. Afterwards, a more general formulation containing arbitrary linear and quadratic constraints will be presented.


This study aims to determine the effect of learning strategies and cognitive style on reading comprehension. This research was conducted at the fourth grade students of SDN 01 Pagi Pejaten Barat, South Jakarta. The research strategy used was experimental research strategy and design with a 2x2 factorial design study. Data analysis technique used is the analysis of variants (ANOVA) Two Way. The sampling technique is done by simple random sampling technique. The results of a study showing (1) there are differences in the average value of reading comprehension of students who learn to use learning strategies Quantum Teaching and learning using SAVI learning strategies; (2) Reading comprehension of Indonesian students who have cognitive style Independent Field higher compared with students who have the cognitive style field dependent; (3) There is an interaction effect between learning strategies and cognitive style on reading comprehension ability of Indonesian students; (4) the ability of Indonesian students' reading comprehension is more appropriate field independent quantum teaching learning strategies; (5) students with field dependent cognitive style more appropriate to use SAVI learning strategies. From these results we can conclude there are significant learning strategies and cognitive style on reading comprehension.


It is understood that when an individual takes a stand on an issue that may be controversial, this position is open to criticism. Some may find it necessary to vehemently reject this individual's philosophy. As such, Thiboutot, Labanowich, and Smith (1992) have been extended the opportunity to express their opinions relative to an article titled "Wheelchair Sports: A New Perspective on Integration" (Brasile, 1990a). The editors of the Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly should be commended for extending the opportunity for these individuals to respond to this issue. They should also be commended for extending the courtesy to write a rejoinder to the diatribe. What follows, therefore, is a rejoinder that will focus on the major issues that Thiboutot et al. have so eloquently raised: the rehabilitative aspects of sport, sport and skill, freedom of choice, and the inclusion of individuals without permanent physical disabilities into the sport of wheelchair basketball.


This research was to trace the problems of Multi-Family Housing and to offer its direction. As for Multi-Family Housing, that is settled as a kind of rental house. The problems had been considered in two aspects. One was a problem of building itself. The other was a problem of building relation. Also the direction has been offered in two aspects. Through this study, many troubles between neighbors could be solved, and the Multi-Family Housing could be planted its roots as type of city dwelling.


This study is a literature review of published articles about the mental health of adolescents in Brazil, between January 2005 and April 2010. The keywords used in LILACS and SciELO databases were: mental health, adolescents, care, and outcomes of care. Thirty-five articles were analyzed, using the technique of content analysis. Studies show it is essential to recognize that the adolescent suffering psychologically is a subject and that he lives in a subjective context. In this way, the proposals of transformation will not have the necessary reach to the needs and demands of those individuals without an effective articulation between the diverse sectors, health care workers, patients and family. In this debate, there are few publications that discuss the new experiences, the dimension of the clinical act, expanded clinics or the output of the care in the attention to the mental health of these subjects. Descriptors: Adolescent; Mental health; Health policy


Charcoal production in Portugal is mostly based on the valorization of woody residues from cork oak and holm oak, the latter being considered a reference feedstock in the market. Nevertheless, since wildfire prevention became a priority in Portugal, after the recent dramatic wildfires, urgent actions are being conducted to reduce the fuel load in the forests, which is increasing the amount of biomass that is available for valorization. Additionally, biomass residues from agriculture, forest management, control of invasive species, partially burnt wood from post-fire recovery actions, and waste wood from storm devastated forests need also to be considered within the national biomass valorization policies. This has motivated the present work on whether the carbonization process can be used to valorize alternative woody biomasses not currently used on a large scale. For this purpose, slow pyrolysis experiments were carried out with ten types of wood, using a fixed bed reactor allowing the controlled heating of large fuel particles at 0.1 to 5 °C/min and final temperatures within 300–450 °C. Apart from an evaluation of the mass balance of the process, emphasis was given to the properties of the resulting charcoals considering its major market in Portugal—barbecue charcoal for both recreational and professional purposes.


responses to all 23 questions. The vast majority of specialists, of whom >90% were endocrinologists, had used Se, and around 25% of them often or always. Let's look into the thyroid phenotypes investigated [9]


Today flexibility is becoming one of the most important capability in business, because the product life cycle is reduced, the external environment of organizations is constantly changing, technologies are improving every day. In such circumstances, companies cannot afford to develop technologies exclusively in R&D departments in their companies; this is unproductive, inefficient and expensive. Companies "opened" their innovation processes to improve their innovation potential. The relevance of this work is due to the great interest of both the scientific community and practitioners in the instruments and strategies needed for successful adoption of the theory of open innovation.The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the progress on open innovation literature reflecting the most essential topics to be covered in future research. This survey study makes a significant contribution to the research of the open innovation theory. The article offers a detailed overview of the various views and studies related to this topic. The evolution in the field of research of open innovation theory is presented here. The article is structured as follows: the link between open innovation and other theories in management, the adoption of open innovation paradigm in different industries, the influence of adopting the open innovation theory on the business, criticism of the open innovation theory, researches studying open innovation theory conducted in Russia, classification of frameworks in the open innovation theory. This article describes the state of open innovation at the intersection of research, practice, and policy.In addition, this work focuses on the most cited publications of the most cited scientists, as well as on the work of the last two to three years.We combinebibliographic analysis of all papers on the topic published in Scopus database witha systematic content analysis of the field to develop a deeper understanding of earlier work.


This in vitro study assessed the effect of a step-cure light curing method on resin/dentin bond strength on the buccal wall of Class I cavities in human teeth. Occlusal enamel was removed to expose a flat dentin surface. Twenty four box-shaped cavities (C-factor = 4.5) were prepared in dentin. Prime&Bond 2.1 was applied and TPH Spectrum (Dentsply) was inserted using a bulk-filling increment. The composite was light-cured using either a step-cure photoactivation technique or a one-step continuous curing method. For step-cure polymerization, the initial cure intensity was varied by changing the distance between the light source and the resin surface. The light-cured resins were cured using four low light intensities: 150(G1), 200(G2), 250(G3) and 300(G4) mW/cm2. In the continuous exposure curing method, the samples were light-activated for 40 seconds at 740 mW/cm2 and irradiation was applied in a box-shaped cavity and a flat cavity (exposed buccal wall, C-factor = 0.22). Samples were prepared for TBS testing by creating bonded beams (of approximately 0.8 mm2) obtained from the buccal wall. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Tukey Test and Dunnett's Test at a significance level of 0.05. The mean TBS values for the continuous exposure group in the flat and box-shaped cavities were 24.31 and 10.23 MPa, respectively. The corresponding TBS for step-cure polymerization was 23.13 (G3), 18.83 (G2), 14.87 (G1) and 13.26 MPa (G4). Bond strength values to the cavity wall were lower in the three-dimensional cavities and dependent on the light curing method (p < 0.05). The use of a low initial light intensity (200-250 mW/cm2) for 10 seconds followed by high irradiation intensity provided the best bond strengths, similar to bonding in a flat cavity.


This study sought to determine the association between perceived neighborhood safety and residential satisfaction in the elderly, and was conducted using data collected in the 2009 American Housing Survey (AHS). While residential satisfaction had been directly linked to neighborhood satisfaction and quality of life in previous studies, this study extended the literature by providing insight for housing professionals, policy makers, and consumers by empirically examining the linkage between perceived neighborhood safety and residential satisfaction in elderly individuals. The model used for the empirical analysis of this study controlled for a number of demographic and socioeconomic control variables and examined the relationship between residential satisfaction of the elderly and perceived neighborhood safety. Ordered Logit Models were run to analyze questions posed. Results and conclusions showed that perceived neighborhood safety variables and other demographic and socioeconomic variables were significant predictors of residential satisfaction for elderly United States respondents. INDEX WORDS: Residential Satisfaction, Perceived Neighborhood Safety, Elderly Population of United States, American Housing Survey RESIDENTIAL SATISFACTION OF THE ELDERLY: DOES PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY MATTER? By RACHEL LYLE DEAL B.S.F.C.S, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, 2009 B.B.A., UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, 2011 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree


Research has highlighted the relationship between vehicle speed and increased crash risk and severity. Evidence suggests that police speed enforcement, in particular speed camera operations, can be an effective tool for reducing traffic crashes. A quantitative survey of Queensland drivers (n = 852) was conducted to investigate the impact of police speed enforcement methods on self-reported speeding behaviour. Results indicate that visible enforcement was associated with significantly greater selfreported compliance than covert operations irrespective of the mobility of the approach, and the effects on behaviour were longer lasting. The mobility of operations appeared to be moderated the visibility of the approach. Specifically, increased mobility was associated with increase reported compliant behaviour, but only for covert operations, and increased longevity of reported compliant behaviour, but only for overt operations. The perceived effectiveness of various speed enforcement approaches are also analysed across a range of driving scenarios. Results are discussed in light of the small effect sizes. Recommendations for policy and future research are presented.


In this paper we introduce and describe a generic and semiconductor-technology independent hardware development environment for a class of statistical signal- and image processing models. The statistical signal- and image processing approach under consideration formally adopts the Bayesian paradigm and uses discrete Markov random field (MRF) models for the processing models to derive the joint distribution of signal- and image processing problems by means of mathematically and computationally tractable conditional distributions. We experimentally demonstrate and prove the capabilities respectively the concepts of the proposed high-level design environment by detailed chip layouts of different neighbourhood topologies and a single processing element of a MRF-architecture, which solves the image processing problem of noise removing, restoration and intensity-level preserving.


We derive the phonon dynamics of magnetic metals in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling. We show that both a dissipationless viscosity and a dissipative viscosity arise in the dynamics. While the dissipationless viscosity splits the dispersion of left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized phonons, the dissipative viscosity damps them differently, inducing circular phonon dichroism. The effect offers a new degree of manipulation of phonons, i.e., the control of the phonon polarization. We investigate the effect in Weyl semimetals. We find that there exists strong circular phonon dichroism in Weyl semimetals breaking both the time-reversal and the inversion symmetry, making them potential materials for realizing the acoustic circular polarizer.


The protection conferred by linseed oil against acetaminophen (APAP) induced oxidative stress and liver damage has been evaluated in adult albino rat. Hepatotoxicity has been evaluated with the indication of elevated levels of enzymatic activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin level in acetaminophen administered values as compared with control values. Co-treatment with linseed oil significantly restored the elevated levels of hepatic serum markers ALT, AST and ALP. This may result from cellular leakage due to peroxidative damage of the membrane. Significant reduction in antioxidant activities of SOD, GSH, CAT and GPx were obtained as compared with control values. At normal conditions, the body defense mechanism against oxidative stress, marked by endogenous antioxidant enzymes, such as SOD, GSH, CAT and GPx prevent cells damages induced by free radicals. The protective effects of linseed oil are dose and tissue-dependent, due to differences in the inherent susceptibility of each tissue in rat. Remarkable elevation in bilirubin level and reduced level of cholesterol in comparison to control group of rats were found in the study. While lowered the bilirubin level and higher the cholesterol level when compared with APAP treated group is attributed to hepato-cellular damage. Linseed supplementation in group III has returned the levels of bilirubin and total cholesterol to almost the same levels as the control while cholesterol decreased slightly below the control. The elevated bilirubin level in liver implies the overwhelming influence of oxidative stress generated by the APAP and likely due to the failure of antioxidant defense mechanisms. Importantly, linseed oil lowered the changes in total cholesterol level in the combination of acetaminophen. Acetaminophen-induced liver injury has also been marked by lipid oxidation. Thus, the augmented antioxidant enzymes levels in liver tissues of rat treated with linseed oil implies and justifies the antioxidant property of the oil.


The angular dependence of the neon K-L2,3L2,3 ( 1 D2) Auger line intensity is measured and calculated for proton-neon collisions at two projectile impact energies. At one of the energies the projectile moves faster than the Auger electron and at the other energy the projectile moves slower. The Auger line intensity measured along the beam direction shows a significant energy dependence compared with other directions. The shape and the intensity of the neon K-L2,3L2,3 ( 1 D2) Auger line is calculated for proton and antiproton impact, respectively. It is used to compare the Coulomb focusing and defocusing effect as a special case of the post-collision interaction along the beam direction. It is shown that these two types of projectile have opposite effects on Auger electrons. The analysis confirms that the post-collision interaction of a structureless heavy particle and light Auger electron emitted along the beam direction, as studied here, is a particular case of the so-called glory and rainbow effects, known from optics.


Partner selection is the critical section to the success and survival of forming and running the Agile Virtual Enterprise (AVE). This paper studies how to select the partners in an AVE can be assisted through the three phase combinatorial optimization model which can not only select good partners, but also receive the best match combination between partners of all processes. Firstly, partners are originally selected to narrow the range of potential partners. Secondly, priority of partners in all sub-tasks evaluated by triangular fuzzy number-based two-class fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is the prerequisite of the optimized combination that executed by the Ant Colony Algorithm (ACA). The ACA can select sections from the residual information adaptively to improve global search ability. Lastly, the study gives an example and its simulation result under MATLAB.


The thermal conductivity (λ) and the specific heat (cp) of seven polyurethane foam formulations and their melts are obtained using a transient plane source technique called the Hot Disk experiment. In the experiment, the Hot Disk sensor is sandwiched by the samples and acts as both a heat source and a temperature sensor. The fundamental assumption is that throughout the experiment, the heat from the sensor does not penetrate beyond the boundaries of the sample. The suitable sample dimensions and sensor radius are determined from the preliminary calculations. Through sensitivity analysis, the appropriate measuring time and output power for the experiments are established. For polyurethane foams, λ ranges from 0.048 to 0.050 W/m K, and cp ranges from 2359 to 2996 J/kg K. For melts, λ ranges from 0.186 to 0.200 W/m K, and cp ranges from 1958 to 2076 J/kg K. When foam decomposes into melts, the changes in thermophysical properties shows λ increases by approximately 300%, whereas cp decreases by approximately 20%. On the basis of these changes, the collapse of the foam structure into melt appears to improve the heat transfer through the material. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This study argues that a central factor in the determinants of citizen attitudes toward trade is the social psychology of the individual in question. Namely, we contend that the level of social trust an individual has will condition the degree to which an individual wants to open her country to imports from other countries. Those individuals with lower relative levels of social trust are less likely to support the notion of freer trade. We base this contention on the logic that those people who are distrustful of people in general are more likely to distrust that which comes from people who are unknown to them, such as goods coming into their country from abroad. This argument is a departure from previous studies of public attitudes toward trade, which have focused on various economic utilitarian considerations and xenophobia that shape citizen attitudes toward trade liberalization. To test our argument, we employ data from the 1995�1997 wave of the World Values Survey. Using a logit regression analysis, we find, as predicted, that the more social trust an individual has, the more likely that person is to support the idea of liberalized trade.


Meat products have great importance in daily diet. The physical and functional properties of meat products provide consumer appreciation. In addition to these features, an evaluation has been made in terms of their impact on human health. In this study, the formulation of meat products according to the functional properties, processing, storage and consumption modifications and functional meat products are discussed. Meat and meat products have great potential with some important nutrients to the diet, such as fatty acids, minerals, dietary fiber, antioxidants and bioactive peptides. In addition, new technologies have been developed to produce successful products, increase their stability and be tasteful. It is important that the components used are natural in order to ensure that the existing health beneficial components in their structures are taken up by diet. In vitro studies performed due to the participation of food products in metabolism by digestion are also an important evaluation criterion for meat products developed with natural ingredients.


In several regression applications, a different structural relationship might be anticipated for the higher or lower responses than the average responses. In such cases, quantile regression analysis can uncover important features that would likely be overlooked by mean regression. We develop two distinct Bayesian approaches to fully nonparametric model-based quantile regression. The first approach utilizes an additive regression framework with Gaussian process priors for the quantile regression functions and a scale uniform Dirichlet process mixture prior for the error distribution, which yields flexible unimodal error density shapes. Under the second approach, the joint distribution of the response and the covariates is modeled with a Dirichlet process mixture of multivariate normals, with posterior inference for different quantile curves emerging through the conditional distribution of the response given the covariates. The proposed nonparametric prior probability models allow the data to uncover non-linearities in the quantile regression function and non-standard distributional features in the response distribution. Inference is implemented using a combination of posterior simulation methods for Dirichlet process mixtures. We illustrate the performance of the proposed models using simulated and real data sets.


Modeling disease progression through the cognitive scores has become an attractive challenge in the field of computational neuroscience due to its importance for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several scores such as Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale cognitive total score, Mini Mental State Exam score and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test provide a quantitative assessment of the cognitive conditions of the patients and are commonly used as objective criteria for clinical diagnosis of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). On the other hand, connectivity patterns extracted from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have been successfully used to classify AD and MCI subjects with machine learning algorithms proving their potential application in the clinical setting. In this work, we carried out a pilot study to investigate the strength of association between DTI structural connectivity of a mixed ADNI cohort and cognitive spectrum in AD. We developed a machine learning framework to find a generalized cognitive score that summarizes the different functional domains reflected by each cognitive clinical index and to identify the connectivity biomarkers more significantly associated with the score. The results indicate that the efficiency and the centrality of some regions can effectively track cognitive impairment in AD showing a significant correlation with the generalized cognitive score (R = 0.7).


To the Editor: A new methicillin resistance mechanism gene, a divergent mecA homologue named mecC (formerly mecALGA251), was recently described in Staphylococcus aureus (1). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates carrying mecC have been recovered from humans, ruminants, pets, and other animals such as rats, seals, and guinea pigs (1–3). It has been suggested that mecC-carrying MRSA isolates might not be detected by using MRSA selective media (4). For mecC-carrying S. aureus isolates, cefoxitin MICs of 4–64 mg/L have been demonstrated (1–2,4), values that would normally include susceptible isolates, according to the epidemiologic cutoff value established by the European Committee on Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST; www.eucast.org). mecC-carrying S. aureus isolates have been classified as heteroresistant (5), and MICs can be affected by the drug-susceptibility testing method used (1,5).

These observations led us to retrospectively investigate the presence of mecC gene in a set of 361 mecA-negative S. aureus isolates collected during 2009–2012 (Table), independently of their susceptibility to cefoxitin. Isolates were recovered from healthy carriers in livestock (n = 39), from wild animals (n = 254), and from wastewater (effluents) from an urban sewage plant (n = 68). Specific amplification of the mecC gene was performed as described (6). The mecC-carrying S. aureus isolates were tested by broth microdilution using Microtiter EUST plates (Trek Diagnostic Systems, East Grinstead, UK) for susceptibility to benzylpenicillin, cefoxitin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, erythromycin, florfenicol, fusidic acid, gentamicin, kanamycin, linezolid, mupirocin, rifampin, sulfamethoxazole, streptomycin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, tetracycline, thiamulin, trimethoprim, and vancomycin. Additionally, susceptibility to oxacillin was determined by using microScan Gram Positive Combo panel 37 (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). MICs were interpreted according to EUCAST epidemiologic cutoff values.

Table

Testing of Staphylococcus aureus isolates for presence of methicillin resistance mechanism gene mecC, Spain*

mecC was detected in a total of 4 isolates from wild boar (n = 1), fallow deer (n = 2), and urban wastewater (n = 1); these isolates represent 1% of the 361 tested isolates. The 3 isolates recovered from animals were susceptible to all antimicrobial drugs tested other than β-lactams and to oxacillin (MICs 0.5–1 mg/L) but were resistant to penicillin (MICs 0.5–2 mg/L). Two of the isolates were resistant to cefoxitin (MICs 8 and 16 mg/L) and the third was susceptible (MIC 4 mg/L). The wastewater isolate was resistant to penicillin (MIC 2 mg/L) and erythromycin (MIC 16 mg/L) and susceptible to all other antimicrobial drugs tested, including cefoxitin (MIC 4 mg/L) and oxacillin (MIC ≤0.25 mg/L).

Previous studies have described mecC-positive isolates as susceptible to all antimicrobial drugs tested except β-lactams (2,3), although sporadic resistance to fluoroquinolones has been found (4,7). We additionally found erythromycin resistance in 1 mecC-carrying S. aureus isolate. For the 4 mecC-carrying S. aureus isolates we detected, MICs of oxacillin were interpreted as susceptible, and 2 isolates were susceptible to cefoxitin according to EUCAST guidelines, findings that agree with previous reports (1–2,4). Thus, mecC presence is not always linked to resistance phenotypes for cefoxitin or oxacillin; such unclear findings could hinder the detection of mecC-carrying isolates.

We further characterized the 4 mecC-carrying S. aureus isolates by spa typing and detection of Panton-Valentin leukocidin (PVL) toxin genes (6,8). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed according to Enright et al. (9) by using self-designed primers arc (down 5′-CGATTTGTTGTTGATTAGGTTC-3′), tpi (up 5′-CATTAGCAGATTTAGGCGTTA-3′), and yqiL (down 5′-GATTGGYTCACCTTTRCGTTG-3′). All 4 isolates were PVL negative. The 3 animal isolates were assigned to a new spa type (t11212) and to clonal complex (CC) 425 and sequence type (ST) 425 (Table). ST425 has been previously associated with mecC-carrying S. aureus isolates in cattle and humans (1–2); the animals we sampled were from a game estate and may have had contact with cattle and with urban wastewater. The wastewater isolate was assigned to spa type t843 and to a new allelic profile, ST2676, in CC130 (Table). ST2676 represents a single-locus variant of ST130 carrying a different allele for the gene aroE. MRSA isolates of CC130 have been associated with humans and animals (1–4,6). This result indicates that mecC-carrying S. aureus isolates can be found in urban wastewater, which may act as an environmental reservoir, as has been demonstrated for mecA-carrying S. aureus (10).

In conclusion, we detected the methicillin resistance mechanism gene mecC in nonclinical S. aureus isolates from animals and urban wastewater in Spain. Although our data indicate that the frequency of this resistance mechanism is low, this gene appears to be expanding to new areas. Prospective studies should be performed to evaluate epidemiologic changes and to analyze the genetic lineages that carry this resistance mechanism.


Economic History and the History of Economic Thought haven been relegated increasingly from the teaching and research curricula of economics in recent years. The paper starts off arguing that this trend is due to the mechanistic ontology of mainstream economics, and it continues setting out an alternative evolutionary ontology expounding how the historical element must and can be integrated into the body of economic theory. Centre stage is a lingua franca composed of analytical terms that are designed to bridge the domains of theoretical and of historical economic analysis. Economists are viewed in their status as observers whose cognitive dispositions as well as social behaviour co-evolve with the environment they inhabit. Further advances in economic theory are seen as being critically dependent on employing an evolutionary approach and on establishing a communication link to economic history and the history of economic thought - which likewise may get essential inspirations from applying that approach.


The stability of slopes is a major concern in the field of geotechnical engineering. Two-dimensional (2D) limit equilibrium methods are usually implemented in this field due to their simplicity. However, these methods ignore the features of the third dimension of slopes. Although three-dimensional (3D) methods tried to remove the previous limitation, most of them assumed the direction of sliding, simplified or ignored the intercolumn forces, and avoided to search for location and shape of three-dimensional critical slip surface. This study was performed to overcome the mentioned limitations. In the present study, a new slope stability method was established based on the force and moment equilibrium in two vertical directions that was able to find the unique direction of sliding. Moreover, a modified Particle Swarm Optimization was developed by replacing the worst particle of each swarm with the previous global best particle and using a dynamic inertia weight to determine the 3D critical slip surface. Then, a computer program was established to model 3D slopes and perform the required calculations. Several benchmark problems were re-analyzed to verify the results of the study and good agreements were achieved with the results of previous studies when different failure mechanisms as ellipsoid, cylindrical, and composite slip surfaces were successfully applied in the analysis. The results indicated that the 3D factor of safety of a slope is always greater than its corresponding 2D factor. Moreover, the end effect in 3D analysis was found to be more significance in the problems with lower ratio of length to the width of the sliding mass. It was also found that the presence of water and weak layer enlarged this effect. Through the verification study, it was observed that different sliding directions produce different factors of safety, while the lowest value of factor of safety and 3D critical slip surface is only reachable through the real direction of sliding. Finally, case studies of actual stability problems were analyzed to find their critical slip surfaces. Achieving the minimum factor of safety of 0.977 for the critical slip surface of a failed slope demonstrated the validity of performance of presented computer code. Based on the obtained results, this study successfully overcame the mentioned limitations of the previous methods. The results of this study provided a better understanding of the actual failure mechanism and helped to enhance the safety and reduced the economic and health costs due to slope failure by a more detailed analysis than before.


These essays offer new interpretations of the origins of American federalism and the meaning of liberty in American political culture. Peter S. Onuf's introduction examines the historiography of the Constitution--the ways in which distinct schools of historians have interpreted the formation of the federal system. He explains how the essays contribute to this scholarly debate and notes that the present-day concern with "original intent" is a misleading approach to the Constitution. Rather than trying to achieve miraculous solutions to deep-seated social and political problems, the founding fathers instead agreed to compromises that sanctioned future conflict within the bounds of law. Writing on the origins of American federalism, John M. Murrin argues that the founding fathers' greatest achievement was balancing federal authority with states' rights, a "conceptual breakthrough" that allowed the founders to resolve issues that had previously led to the American revolt against Great Britain and the collapse of the Articles of Confederation. David E. Narrett analyzes Anti-Federalist opposition to the Constitution in New York State, telling why Anti-Federalist efforts to restrict the government's taxing power and to alter the system of representation in Congress failed. Thomas Jefferson was in Paris when the Constitution was being drafted. Ronald L. Hatzenbuehler writes in his revisionist essay that Jefferson's attitude toward the Constitution was not dictated by his response to events in prerevolutionary France but rather by American political developments, such as Shay's Rebellion. Michael Kammen concludes the book by probing the character and history of liberty as a constitutional concept. American society today faces complex issues unimagined two centuries ago. An understanding of the origins and development of the Constitution is necessary if we wish to preserve liberty for future generations. This volume is a contribution toward that goal.


"As an actor he left much to be imagined." (The Commercial Appeal, January 7, 1917) (1) My epigraph telegraphs the concern of this essay, which is with the conception of histrionic "skill" in the vernacular of the commercial theater review. A reductive summary would be to point out that depending upon when it was written, the quote could be either a criticism or a compliment. In this case, the critic meant to denigrate John E. Kellerd's 1917 Macbeth, but the quote frames this brief survey of how "skill" is assessed by the popular press before, during, and after the reigns of Sigmund Freud, Konstantin Stanislavski, and A. C. Bradley. The brevity of this essay necessarily means that its argument is suggestive, rather than exhaustive, since it relies on a ludicrously thin biopsy of examples. The essay nevertheless proposes that assessments of Shakespearean acting in the twenty-first century remain beholden to ideas developed in the nineteenth. Moreover, the durability--even the stagnation--of the terms by which acting skill is diagnosed today is due to the way they mystify not just the actor but the critic as well. Around the turn of the twentieth century, a vocabulary of the interior entered the idiom of the professional theater review. It was, moreover, an idiom that attached accolades to actors who left something to be desired. By the early twentieth century, in other words, the surest way to consecrate an actor was to praise him for producing the epiphenomenon of interiority, which was paradoxically articulated by a discernible absence. Nearly one hundred years after Kellerd's critique, for instance, a review by Geoff Dyer--selected here for its anodyne typicality--protests that Ryan Gosling is "not just a pretty face" but a "serious actor with the knack of conveying inner life with minimum effort." (2) What makes Gosling more than just a pretty boy is his ability to suggest an "inner life," though not in such a way that you might notice it. (That's what the critic is for.) Gosling's wised-up imperturbability promises that he is more than meets the eye. The idea--by now the thoroughly naturalized commonplace--that exhibiting an inner life is the principal work of the mainstream actor has, however, a discernible historical origin and identifiable intellectual sources. That "inner life" so rapidly became the metric of actorly evaluation says much about the role of the commercial theater review in indoctrinating actors, audiences, and--in a self-fulfilling loop--other reviewers in a language of inferiority, a language so familiar to us that we might fail to register how recent, pervasive, and remarkable it is. In short, the rise of professional theater reviewing in the late nineteenth century, recently well-articulated by Paul Prescott in Reviewing Shakespeare, led to a rapid "norming" of the terms of critical assessment, during which the ideas of Freud, Stanislavsky, and Bradley entered the theatrical vernacular through the vector of commercial journalism, altering and then codifying theatrical training, performance, and above all the terms of assessment of what constitutes actorly skill. In addition to sharing parallel life spans, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), Konstantin Stanislavsky (1863-1938), and A.C. Bradley (1851-1935) share the distinction of having dictated the terms of their own critique. To denounce the path by which Stanislavsky guides actors towards the "inner life" of a character is to submit to an understanding that an inner life--what we call "characterization"--is nevertheless the end of all acting. Similarly, critiques of Freud--at least popular ones--often articulate themselves in Freudian terms. Thus an undergraduate once told me that he did not truck with Freud since Sigmund "just had mommy problems." When your critics condemn you in terms that you taught them, you have already won the argument. The three men also share in having coined the terms by which we still evaluate acting, terms that are largely a form of popularized psychoanalysis. …


One of the most dangerous complications of bone marrow suppression due to chemotherapy is febrile neutropenia. The treatment of the affected patients is a multidisciplinary task. In addition to chemotherapy, adequate G-CSF therapy as a primary or secondary prophylaxis can be used to prevent a large part of febrile neutropenic events. Before each chemotherapy cycle, the risk of febrile neutropenia should be evaluated, taking into account the chemotherapeutic combination and patient-specific parameters. Appropriate antibiotic and G-CSF therapy initiated in the course of febrile neutropenia is essential for the success of the therapy. Long-acting G-CSF therapy for secondary prevention, lipegfilgrastim is effective, safe and simple dosing for the patient. The oncologists can reach treatment success in the patient's therapy if he or she provides the patient the adequate supportive medications at the appropriate time. Lipegfilgrastim is not a biosimilar, but a new molecule created by a two-step empiric glycopegylation process.


Recently a transport system for iodide which resembles the thiouracil-treated thyroid gland has been demonstrated in the rabbit eye. Iodide was accumulated in ciliary body-iris preparations in vitro and was transported out of the rabbit eye in vivo. 1 Saturation by iodide and inhibition by perchlorate, fluoroborate, and related ions characterized the accumulation as well as the transport system. The transport of iodide out of the vitreous humor of the rabbit eye might account for the deficit of this ion in the aqueous humor as compared with plasma concentrations. 2,3 The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the turnover of systemically administered I 131 in the rabbit eye with an intact iodide transport system and in the animal subjected to perchlorate inhibition. Methods Unanesthetized 2-3 kg. male albino rabbits were used throughout. Nonlabeled sodium iodide in doses of 3μM/kg. was administered intraperitoneally to all animals in order to


This research considers the transfer and institutionalisation of a corporate governance practice to the Asia-Pacific subsidiaries and joint ventures of two UK listed MNEs. The practice under consideration is a risk based system of internal control (RBSIC) that follows the recommendations made in Internal Control: Guidance for Directors on the Combined Code more generally known as the Turnbull Report or guidelines.

The main contributions are three-fold. They focus on corporate governance practices below board level; the transfer of corporate governance practices across international borders; and the role of managerial agency as a key influence over institutionalisation.

Through the combination of semi-structured interviews, documentation provided by the companies and secondary sources including academic papers, books and news services two case studies were developed – one main case study, consisting of eight embedded case studies – Excelsior; and a supporting case study consisting of two embedded case studies – Landmark.

Three key themes emerged: First, although the degree of institutionalisation of the RBSIC differed across cases, the overarching picture was one of ceremonial adoption that had been achieved without the relatively high level of implementation proposed by Kostova and Roth (2002).

Secondly, the successful institutionalisation of the RBSIC resides primarily in the individual employees at the recipient business unit. However, the transfer is embedded inside a specific national context that to differing degrees, depending on the differences between the source of the RBSIC and the individual recipient business units, interacts with three practice-specific sub-variables – causal ambiguity, practice-specific absorptive capacity and motivation of the practice recipient.

Thirdly, due to over reliance on the regional RBSIC team responsible for the institutionalisation of the practice, their role as gatekeeper, standing between the source of the knowledge (corporate headquarters) and the recipient (Asia-Pacific business units), was unexpectedly a barrier to the development and institutionalisation of the practice.


This paper provides a critical review of sustainable development practice in US town planning. Sustainability has become intellectually embedded in American planning, but implementation and practice remains problematic. Little attention has been given to the institutional context in which sustainable development planning takes place. Pew cities have attempted to develop and implement a broad-based sustainable development programme. Those that have, most notably Portland, Oregon and Santa Monica, California, have fallen short of their goals and their progress has been uneven. This reflects fundamental flaws in the sustainable development framework, including a lack of appreciation for economic markets and their ability to efficiently allocate resources in an intertemporal setting, a failure to recognise the role technology plays in changing relative resource endowments at any given time, and a failure to appreciate the complexity and dynamics of urban communities. Sustainable development practice would be improved if planners would take account of these weaknesses and recognise town planning's inherent inability to manage urban settlements as comprehensively as the sustainable development framework implies.


Educational effectiveness research has identified school membership as being and important factor in relation to academic progress but it has also pointed to the importance of teachers. Additionally, districts have been shown to be of minor importance for progress once key variables are taken into account while data from international studies suggest that countries are important when attainment is studied while controlling for background factors. A perspective, named the Proximate Variables within Jurisdictions (PVJ) theory, is introduced to help understand and predict relationships. The theory holds that variables which are closest to the student are the most influential but that the jurisdiction where the student is educated, which has its own approaches to education and upbringing is of similar importance. A child's educational success in international terms is most influenced by actions in the home and the classroom seen in the context of the country where she or he is brought up. Does the theory hold when progress in classrooms, year groups and educational systems (jurisdictions) is estimated in a single analysis? This study compared progress of pupils in over 4000 classrooms across 11 educational systems. Large differences were found between classes and the educational systems both for reading and mathematics during the first year at school. The theory holds for the most part but questions are left unanswered and the paper sets out a series of testable hypotheses which may be addressed in the future.


Cytochrome P450 BM-3 is a soluble fatty acid hydroxylase composed of a heme domain and a reductase domain on a single polypeptide chain. We recently described a laboratoryevolved variant of the P450 BM-3 heme domain which functions as an H2O2-driven hydroxylase (TMperoxygenase∫) and does not require NADPH, O2, or the reductase. This variant, which we named 21B3, allows us to carry out cytochrome P450-catalyzed biotransformations under highly simplified reaction conditions: only the heme domain and hydrogen peroxide are needed for substrate (fatty acid) hydroxylation. Because its heme domain alone is competent for catalysis, P450 BM-3 peroxygenase 21B3 offers a unique opportunity to create a thermostable, functional cytochrome P450. Here we report further directed evolution of the 21B3 peroxygenase, resulting in an enzyme which is significantly more thermostable than wildtype cytochrome P450 BM-3 and retains much of the peroxygenase activity of 21B3. Enzymes are often poorly stable under conditions encountered during production, storage, or use. Improving enzyme resistance to thermal denaturation has been a major focus of protein engineering efforts. Improved thermostability often correlates with longer shelf-life, longer life-time during use (even at low temperatures), and a higher temperature optimum for activity. 7] There have been no reports of stabilizing the relatively unstable cytochrome P450 enzymes by protein engineering, however, primarily because the P450s comprise multiple subunits and contain thermolabile cofactors. P450 BM-3 heme domain containing the single amino acid substitution F87A (mutant HF87A) is significantly more active than wildtype heme domain (HWT) in reactions driven by H2O2. 9] Variant 21B3 is much more active than HF87A in 10 mM H2O2, but is also less thermostable than HWT and HF87A. We therefore sought to improve the thermostability of 21B3 while maintaining its improved peroxygenase activity. Six cycles of random mutagenesis or DNA shuffling and screening for retention of peroxygenase activity after heat treatment (see the Methods section) yielded the thermostable peroxygenase variant 5H6. To characterize the thermostability of the peroxygenase variants identified during screening, we measured the fraction of folded heme domain remaining after heat-treatment, which we determined from the fraction of the ferrous heme-CO complex that retained the 450 nm absorbance peak characteristic of properly-folded P450. Figure 1 shows the percentage of


The versatility of the family of generalized logarithmic spirals is improved by introducing a degree of freedom in the solution. The low-thrust acceleration profile now includes a control term that affects both the magnitude and the direction of the thrust. Exact and fully analytic solutions to the trajectory, the velocity, the time of flight, etc. are made available. Two integrals of motion are preserved. The first one is a generalization of the equation of the energy and depends on the values of the control parameter. The second one relates to the equation of the angular momentum. The problem of finding spiral transfers between two arbitrary state vectors reduces to solving one algebraic equation with one unknown. The degree of freedom allows fixing the time of flight of the transfer. If the time of flight is fixed, then there are two equations with two unknowns. No other iterative procedures are required. Coast arcs can be introduced in the solution naturally. An explicit expression for the maximum acceleration reached along the transfer is provided. Thanks to the symmetry properties of the solution a simple algorithm for generating periodic orbits is presented. An arbitrary number of intermediate nodes can be introduced to improve the flexibility of the solution when facing optimization problems. An example of a low-thrust gravityassist Earth-Mars-Ceres trajectory shows that the solution is comparable to that obtained with other preliminary design techniques.


Bovine leptospirosis is a highly prevalent infection worldwide causing serious losses in cattle production and serving as a source for human infection. Diagnosis and assessment of prevalence of this infection in bovine herds is difficult due to limitations of current procedures. The present report describes the adaptation of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol for detection of leptospiral DNA in bovine urine. The amplification products corresponded to a segment of the Leptospira 16S rRNA gene detected using two sets of primers (A/B and C/D). A total of 547 urine samples from Bos taurus (n=327) and Bos indicus (n=220) were collected from animals in Andean and Coastal regions of Ecuador, either by furosemide-induced urination or from bladders at the slaughterhouse. The results of this research showed a PCR positivity of 13.52% using primers A/B. Bos taurus samples obtained by urination and those obtained from bladder showed a significant difference in PCR positivity (P= 0.036). Differentiation of Leptospira species was preformed by DNA sequencing of the amplified products. Three amplicons showed 90 and 98% sequence identity with L. borgpetersenii and 98% identity with L. inadai. The results of this study suggest that PCR could be an excellent approach for epidemiological studies.


Federated Learning enables entities to collaboratively learn a shared prediction model while keeping their training data locally. It prevents data collection and aggregation and, therefore, mitigates the associated privacy risks. However, it still remains vulnerable to various security attacks where malicious participants aim at degrading the generated model, inserting backdoors, or inferring other participants' training data. This paper presents a new federated learning scheme that provides different trade-offs between robustness, privacy, bandwidth efficiency, and model accuracy. Our scheme uses biased quantization of model updates and hence is bandwidth efficient. It is also robust against state-of-the-art backdoor as well as model degradation attacks even when a large proportion of the participant nodes are malicious. We propose a practical differentially private extension of this scheme which protects the whole dataset of participating entities. We show that this extension performs as efficiently as the non-private but robust scheme, even with stringent privacy requirements but are less robust against model degradation and backdoor attacks. This suggests a possible fundamental trade-off between Differential Privacy and robustness.


The present study aims to identify the influence of the SWOT analysis strategy on the achievement of the fifth preparatory literary class students' evaluative thinking at history. The researcher adopted the experimental design with partial control of the experimental and control groups and the post-test to achieve the objectives of the present study. The researcher randomly chose Section (B) to represent the experimental group that It is taught according to the SWOT analysis strategy, and Section (A) to represent the control group that is taught according to the traditional method. The number of the two research groups reached (62) students, of which (31) students were in the experimental group and (31) students were in the control group. The two groups were equalized in the variables, including the chronological age, the achievement of the fourth class at history, and the evaluative thinking. The two research tools; the achievement test and its validity and reliability were verified. The evaluative thinking test and its psychometric properties were verified. The researcher used the t-test) For two independent samples for data processing. The results show the superiority of the experimental group over the control group in terms of achievement and evaluative thinking.


This book offers comprehensive, practical guidance on RF propagation channel characterization at mmWave and sub-terahertz frequencies, with an overview of both measurement systems and current and future channel models. It introduces the key concepts required for performing accurate mmWave channel measurements, including channel sounder architectures, calibration methods, channel sounder performance metrics and their relationship to propagation channel characteristics. With a comprehensive introduction to mmWave channel models, the book allows readers to carefully review and select the most appropriate channel model for their application. The book provides fundamental system theory accessible in a step by step way with clear examples throughout. With inter- and multidisciplinary perspectives, the reader will observe the tight interaction between measurements and modeling for these frequency bands and how different disciplines interact. This is an excellent reference for researchers, including graduate students, working on mmWave and sub-THz wireless communications, and for engineers developing communication systems.


Apical deformations, specially zips and elbows, during instrumentation of the root canals, are studied. The authors study why do they appear, their effect on endodontic therapy, and the way of avoiding them.


1. An improved and elaborate apparatus for studying respiration in intact unanesthetized animals has been described. 2. Of the primary opium alkaloids, morphin and to a lesser degree codein are sedative or depressant, while narcotin, papaverin, narcein, thebain, and cryptopin are stimulating to the respiratory center. 3. The action of combined opium alkaloids, is a summation of their individual effects. 4. On the bronchi, narcotin and papaverin are dilators, morphin is a dilator to a lesser degree, codein still less so, and the other alkaloids not at all. Morphin and narcotin seem to act antagonistically on the bronchi, their combined effect being a lesser dilatation than that produced by each of them individually. 5. It is hoped that the above findings will contribute to a more rational therapeutic use of opium and its derivatives.


We investigated crystallinity parameters and ordering domains of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) blended in [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester films, which were fabricated by pulsed electrospray deposition methods. The crystallinity parameter and the ordering domain were estimated from Raman and optical absorption spectra, respectively. As a result, they were improved with decreasing the off time of pulse voltage, corresponding to the slow evaporation speed of solvent. In addition, both the space-charge limited current mobility and the photoconversion efficiency showed same trend. A highest photoconversion efficiency of 1.11 % was achieved without the thermal annealing process after depositing the active layer.


Over-the-air (OTA) testing is seen as an essential method for evaluating 5G antenna systems, since conventional cable testing are no longer applicable. In the paper, we discussed the similarities and discrepancies of OTA testing in the multiprobe anechoic chamber (MPAC) setups for 4G user equipment (UE) antenna systems and massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) base station (BS) antenna systems. Further, recent progress on OTA testing for 5G antenna systems in the MPAC setups are summarized.


BACKGROUND
Organizational resilience refers to the ability to respond productively to significant disruptive change and transform challenges into opportunities. There is a gap in the literature about resilient nonprofit organizations and its application for identifying organizational conditions for successful adaption to external variables that threaten their existence.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to identify organizational characteristics that point to the resilience of nonprofit behavioral healthcare organizations as they successfully adapt to funding changes.

METHODS
A multiple case study of two behavioral health nonprofit organizations was conducted. Data was collected through interviews and focus groups, and analyzed through a qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS
Using the framework of resilience, six themes that equipped these organizations to successfully adapt to funding changes were identified. They included: commitment to the mission, improvisation, community reciprocity, servant and transformational leadership, hope and optimism, and fiscal transparency.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that incorporating these qualities into an organizational system equips it to systematically adapt to funding changes and other disruptive challenges. Using resilience as a process and not simply an outcome after recovery, nonprofit organizations can have the capacity to continuously respond to challenges and provide uninterrupted and valuable services to society.


where C, X and Yare the deviations of the cooperativity parameter, external and intracavity field amplitudes from their values at the onset of bistability, all of them assumed to be small. f is the time, and p is a relaxation time that depends on the inverse of K, yL and yll, the decay rates of the field amplitude, medium polarization and population inversion, respectively. a = 2 /ZW,K is the diffraction parameter, w, being the cavity frequency, and c the speed of light. Vz is the transverse laplacian. A =(a, -2w,) l (yl +ZK) is the detuning parameter (the external field frequency w, is set to be equal to that of a two-photon laser with the same parameters), which is assumed to be small (weakly dispersive limit). Finally, CO= 2.7100 is the minimum value of the cooperativity parameter for hysteresis to exist in absorptive (A = 0) 20B [2], and g a 1.2766 and h E 0.4069 are numerical constants.


A soluble form of CD8 antigen (sCD8) has been shown to be released by activated CD8 + lymphocytes. Measurements of sCD8 may serve as an index of suppressor/cytotoxic cell activity. To assess the clinical significance of this observation in response to malignancy, we have investigated the sCD8 concentrations in 38 patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) not yet treated with any systemic therapy. The median plasma sCD8 level of the 20 nonsplenectomized patients was 1,025 U/ml and was significantly higher than that in the 18 patients who had previous splenectomy (median = 200 U/ml, p less than 0.0001), or in 14 normal controls (median = 350 U/ml, p less than 0.0001). Compared to controls, splenectomized patients had also significantly lower levels of sCD8 (p less than 0.01). The median concentration of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL2R) in nonsplenectomized patients was 14,500 U/ml and was in the same range as in splenectomized patients (15,000 U/ml). There was no overlap in sIL2-R levels between controls (median = 300 U/ml) and patients. Investigation of serial plasma samples in 7 patients who received deoxycoformycin (DCF) and 11 patients treated with interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) showed a normalization of sCD8 levels and a decrease of sIL2R concentrations in those patients who showed hematological improvement. Normalization of sIL2R was, however, only observed in patients with complete remission. Our observation indicates that splenectomy might cause a reduction of the activation of suppressor/cytotoxic cells in patients with HCL. Treatment with either DCF or IFN-alpha also modulates the sCD8 levels to normal range. Measurements of sCD8 and sIL2-R might give more insight into the pathogenesis of HCL and serve as parameters for monitoring different phases of the disease and response to therapy.


Single calcium-channel currents were recorded from membrane patches of cultured beta-cells dissociated from human islets of Langerhans. In the absence of exogenous glucose, low frequency spontaneous calcium-channel openings of small amplitude (-0.34 +/- 0.02 pA at 0 mV pipet potential) were observed in all membrane patches examined (25 mM Ca2+ in the patch pipet). The frequency of channel openings was rather insensitive to the membrane potential across the patch (range from ca 0 to 60 mV pipet potential; chord conductance 4.9 +/- 0.2 pS). Addition of glucose induced a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of openings of the Ca2(+)-channel (from now on referred to as the CaG-channel). A few minutes after the addition of glucose (greater than or equal to 11 mM), bursts of action potentials were often observed which were elicited only if Ca2+ was present in the solution bathing the beta-cells. Application of glucose in the presence of mannoheptulose (11 mM), a blocker of the hexokinase controlling the first stage of glycolysis, had no effect and the activity of the CaG-channel remained at its resting level. The readily permeant mitochondrial substrate 2-keto-isocaproate (KIC, 10 mM) was as effective as glucose in eliciting action potentials from cells forming part of cell aggregates. The activity of the CaG-channel was significantly increased by KIC (11 mM). Although spike and Ca2(+)-channel activity were markedly stimulated by glucose or KIC in all cells examined, regular bursts of action potentials were seen only if the patch was formed on beta-cells which were part of a cell aggregate. Mannoheptulose (11 mM) prevented the activation of the CaG-channel by glucose (11 mM) but not by KIC (11 mM). Once activated, the CaG-channel remained active even after excision of the patch. We propose that the physiological control of this Ca2(+)-channel is mediated by one or more products of glucose metabolism.


Seven rats were trained to stable performance levels on either Fixed Ratio 47, Variable Ratio 47, Variable Interval 1-min, or Fixed Interval 1-min schedules of food reinforcement. Subjects were then tested for sensitivity to vestibular stimulation from rotation, using an ascending method of limits technique with increments in velocity of one revolution per minute every 5 min. Centrifugal forces were minimized by locating the test chamber over the axis of rotation. Response rates decreased in all subjects as a function of increasing rotation speed. In addition, characteristic differences in the patterns of response decrement were found between subjects on ratio and on interval schedules. Repeated tests indicated high intra-subject reliability in sensitivity to rotation. Similarities of these data to "motion sickness" phenomena in other species were noted. It is suggested that this behavioral approach provides a sensitive and quantifiable technique for assessing the effects of vestibular stimulation in animals.


BACKGROUND
Most of the reports showed that videolaryngoscopy has better outcomes than direct laryngoscopy for nasotracheal intubation. The FKScope® comprises a semirigid and malleable stylet with a terminal camera and has been used to facilitate orotracheal intubation. However, its efficacy and safety for nasotracheal intubation remain unknown. This study compared FKScope® with Macintosh direct laryngoscopy for nasotracheal intubation.

METHODS
Sixty-four patients scheduled for oral and maxillofacial surgery requiring nasotracheal intubation were enrolled and randomly assigned to FKScope® (n = 32) or Macintosh group (n = 32). The primary outcome was time to successful intubation during the first attempt. Secondary outcomes included modified nasal intubation difficulty scale (MNIDS) scores; percentage of glottic opening (POGO); immediate postintubation side effects such as mucosal bleeding, dental injury, and lip lacerations; and postoperative side effects including nasal pain, sore throat, hoarseness, dysphagia, and dyspnea.

RESULTS
The rates of successful first-attempt intubation were 87.5% and 90.6% in the FKScope® and Macintosh group, respectively (P = 0.69). Mean (± standard deviation) total intubation time was 68.7 ± 34.8 s in the FKScope® group compared with 61.5 ± 21.9 s in the Macintosh group (P = 0.35), despite a higher POGO for the FKScope® group (77 ± 27 vs. 41 ± 31, P < 0.01). The MNIDS scores of the FKScope® group were significantly lower (0.8 ± 1.0 vs. 2.8 ± 1.4, P < 0.01). The groups did not differ significantly regarding most postoperative side effects, although the FKScope® group had fewer lip lacerations (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS
The use of FKScope® improves the view of the glottic opening and is safe for nasotracheal intubation with normal airways. However, secretions and blood can obstruct the camera, and therefore, to select the patient carefully is necessary.


A highly efficient Ag3PO4/GaOOH composite was innovatively prepared and its photocatalytic performance was evaluated through degrading rhodamine B (RhB) under illumination, in this paper. Characterizations including XRD, SEM-EDS, TEM, FT-IR, XPS, UV-Vis DRS, PL and EPR were performed to analyze the properties of the Ag3PO4/GaOOH composite. The SEM-EDS results indicated that Ag3PO4 particles were dispersed on the surface of GaOOH sticks. The (210) plane of Ag3PO4 particles and the (200) plane of GaOOH sticks were simultaneously observed in the TEM results. UV-Vis DRS analysis indicated that the spectrum of the Ag3PO4/GaOOH composite showed a significant red shift compared to that of pure GaOOH. PL spectra also indicated that the construction of the Ag3PO4/GaOOH composite significantly declined the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons-hole pairs. The photocatalytic degradation experiments showed that the 30 wt% Ag3PO4/GaOOH composite demonstrated excellent performance under illumination. After a reaction time of 60 min, the decolorization rate of RhB was up to 97.83% using the 30 wt% Ag3PO4/GaOOH composite. Further studies confirmed that the 30 wt% Ag3PO4/GaOOH composite had good stability and the contribution of active species during degradation was of the order h+ > ˙O2− > ˙OH. The results of this study would provide a new perspective for improving the applications of wide band gap semiconductors, particularly for light-induced degradation.


An improved and large-scale synthesis of 1,4-anhydro-2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-4-thio-D-ribitol (4) has been achieved via dibromination of 2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-D-ribitol (1). Using the Pummerer reaction, 4'-thiocytidine derivative (10) was successfully prepared in multigram scale. After deprotection of the 2,4-dimethoxybenzoyl group of 10, the resulting 11 was converted into 2'-deoxy-4'-thiocytidine (16) via the radical deoxgenation. The sugar-modified 4'-thiocytidine derivatives, 17 and 18, were also prepared.


We study effects of a transverse magnetic field on the properties of the one-dimensional spin-1/2 Ising-like antiferromagnet. In order to emphasize the relevant role of domain walls between opposite antiferromagnetic domains, the spin Hamiltonian is exactly mapped to the interacting fermion Hamiltonian, via the dual transformation as well as the Jordan-Wigner transformation. Within the generalized Hartree-Fock approximation, we find that the excitation spectrum exhibits characteristic features, which are explained as a result of the different roles of the transverse field and of the transverse components of the exchange interactions in the propagation of the domain wall. At a critical field where the excitation gap vanishes, a ground-state phase transition is found to take place in the same manner as that in the transverse Ising model. In addition, we discuss the relevance of our magnetization curve with regard to experimental data in CsCoCl 3 .


Abstract Purpose Kala Jirga and Ajara Ghansal are the non-basmati aromatic rice landraces having small grains and good cooking qualities. In spite of huge demand these landraces are cultivated in a few pockets of Kolhapur district of India due to micro-climate required for the development of aroma and grain quality. Both the varieties are late maturing (> 160 days), tall (> 140 cm) and highly susceptible to lodging which resulted into low productivity. To overcome these constraints, induced mutation was attempted to improve the traits in these important rice landraces. Material and methods Seeds of two landraces were treated with three concentrations/doses of Ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS), Sodium Azide (SA) and Gamma (γ) rays. Putative mutants were identified and isolated in M2 generation for desirable traits by comparing with adjacent untreated control. Putative mutants were grown in three replications to test their breeding behavior and other economical traits in M3 generation. Results In the present study, differential response of landraces toward mutagenic treatments was observed which resulted into greater number of putative mutants in Ajara Ghansal (56 putative mutants) as compared to Kala Jirga (24 putative mutants). EMS induced the highest mutation frequency followed by Gamma rays and SA. In M3 generation, fifteen and eighteen mutants of Kala Jirga and Ajara Ghansal respectively exhibited true breeding for mutant traits, while rest of the putative mutants had very poor agronomic traits or reverted back to their normal trait. Desirable mutants of both the landraces viz., dwarf, early, nonlodging and more tillers with high yield were very promising and can be released for commercial cultivation after multi-location testing or used in crossing program as a donor for desirable traits. Conclusions Induced mutations were found to be very useful to improve the specific defect present in both landraces. The desirable mutants with early maturity and high number of tillers may prove useful in the improvement of aromatic rice.


This Letter investigates the defect structures that arise between two colloidal spheres immersed in a nematic liquid crystal. Molecular simulations and a dynamic field theory are employed to arrive at molecular-level and mesoscopic descriptions of the systems of interest. At large separations, each sphere is surrounded by a Saturn ring defect. However, at short separations both theory and simulation predict that a third disclination ring appears in between the spheres, in a plane normal to the Saturn rings. This feature gives rise to an effective binding of the particles. The structures predicted by field theory and molecular simulations are consistent with each other.


One of the newest modalities for the treatment of cancer is the bone marrow transplant. This is an extensive treatment that includes conditioning or preparing the body with high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. On completion of the conditioning phase, the body is ready to accept the bone marrow transplant. The type of transplant is dependent on the disease, stage of metastasis, and donor availability. An autologous transplant consists of the patient as the donor, a syngeneic transplant has an identical twin as the donor, and an allogeneic transplant has a separate, matched donor, usually a sibling. The recovery phase after a bone marrow transplant entails supporting the patient holistically. Many chemotherapeutic agents, including the agent busulfan, are used for the conditioning regimen to help prepare the patient for the transplant. This article will examine clinical trials performed that use busulfan in this manner: to document the drug's usefulness as an option for the conditioning regimen for bone marrow transplantation and to present the potential toxicities of the drug. The nursing assessments and interventions for busulfan therapy are also discussed.


2 Abstract: The effects of dietary saturated fat on blood lipid and lipoprotein composition and lipid peroxidation were studied in rats. Male albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) were maintained either on diets with 5% fa t supplements made of 5% soyabean oil or 5% coconut oil. Similarly, two other groups were fed diets that were isocaloric with the former but contained 25% fat supplements made of 25% soyabean oil or 25 % coconut oil. The concentration of triacylglycerols in the plasma of the high coconut oil fed rats was three to six-times those of the others. The concentration of free cholesterol was much higher in the plasma of the coconut oil-fed rats. There were significant decreases in the plasma level of chylomirons, VLDL and HDL, but a significant increase in the LDL level of the coconut oil-fed rats. In all the tissues studied, the malondialdehyde level increased significantly in the coconut oil fed rats and most prominently in the liver and the kidney, while the reduced glutathione levels decreased significantly in the coconut oil-fed rats. It i s considered that ingestion of coconut oil for a considerably long time may affect lipid metabolism and alter the structure and function of the enzymes responsible for converting the essential fatty acids to prostaglandins or their endoperoxide precursors. The increase in the malondialdehyde level and the decrease in the reduced glutathione level are indications of the lipid peroxidative effect of saturated fat diet, while the reduced HDL and high level of LDL can be major contributory factors to atherogenesis.


Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are expressed on all major subsets of liver cells. Both exogenous ligands derived from pathogens, and endogenous ligands that are products of cellular injury, engage these receptors and activate aspects of innate immunity. These receptors play a role in viral and parasitic infections of the liver, in ischemia-reperfusion injury, and in toxic liver damage, promoting antipathogen immunity but also hepatocellular injury and fibrogenesis. However, TLRs may also participate in negative feedback that limits tissue injury. In the complex environment of the liver, TLRs participate in pathologic cascades involving multiple cell types, manifesting their effects both through cell-autonomous actions, and via cellular crosstalk. In this paper we survey the involvement of TLRs in these diverse processes.


Surgery for esophageal cancer is complex and associated with considerable postoperative morbidity. Several strategies have been attempted to decrease morbidity after esophageal resection including enhanced recovery programmes, concentration of surgery in high-volume centres, and minimally invasive surgical approaches. Randomized trials showing superior perioperative outcomes with thoracoscopic esophagectomy have sometimes not been replicated in real-world studies. We compared our short-term outcomes including postoperative complications, morbidity and mortality after thoracoscopic and open transthoracic esophagectomy for cancer.

 We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of esophageal resections for cancer at a tertiary referral cancer centre between Oct 2003 and Dec 2022. Consecutive patients undergoing either thoracoscopic or open transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) with a cervical anastomosis were included in the study. Operative time, blood loss, lymph node yield, postoperative morbidity and mortality after surgery were compared between the two groups. Categorical data were analysed using the chi square test and numeric data using the Student t test. A p value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant and no adjustment was made for multiple comparisons.

 A total of 3328 patients were operated for esophageal cancer between 1st October 2003 and 31st Dec 2022. 897 patients who underwent thoracoscopic and 1591 patients who underwent open TTE were included in the study. Comparison between the two groups on the different variables are shown in the table. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, extended radical lymphadenectomy, higher modified risk score and open thoracic approach were significantly associated with increased postoperative morbidity.

 Our series of thoracoscopic esophagectomy, one of the largest in the world, validates the results of randomized trials in the real-world setting, with significant reductions in operative blood loss, ICU stay, postoperative pulmonary complications, wound infections, and major morbidity. Thoracoscopic approach remained an independent determinant of decreased postoperative morbidity.


Metabolic syndrome (MetS) predisposes individuals to type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Epidemiological and clinical studies support fructose intake as an environmental risk for MetS and the associated metabolic diseases. To explore the role of genomic variability in determining metabolic responses to fructose, we fed three strains of mice, namely C57/B6 (B6), DBA and FVB, with 8% fructose for 12 weeks. Fructose-fed DBA mice gained a significantly higher amount of body weight and glucose intolerance from the 4th to the 12thweek, while B6 and FVB showed no differences in these phenotypes over 12 weeks. In addition, elevated insulin levels were found in fructose-fed DBA and FVB mice, and cholesterol levels were uniquely elevated in B6 mice. To explore the molecular underpinnings, we applied RNA sequencing to investigate the effect of fructose on the transcriptional profiles of liver, adipose and hypothalamus tissues. Different strains showed distinct patterns of transcriptional and pathway perturbations in a tissue-specific manner. Among pathways altered in the liver tissue, fatty acid and cholesterol metabolic pathways were prominent in B6 mice, while DBA mice showed unique over-representation of pathways related to PPAR signaling pathway. In adipose tissue, pathways are more related to fatty acid metabolism and oxidation in B6 mice, whereas no metabolic pathways were found to be enriched for differential genes in DBA and FVB mice. In hypothalamus tissue, only B6 showed significant enrichment for pathways involved in protein folding, pancreatic secretion and fatty acid beta-oxidation. Using network modeling, we predicted potential key regulators of fructose response such as FGF-21 and Sqle in the liver, Cav1 and DPP-4 in adipose tissue and Fmod in the hypothalamus. Our findings provide molecular insights into the mechanisms by which fructose contributes to the development of MetS and metabolic diseases. Disclosure G. Zhang: None. H. Byun: None. Z. Ying: None. Y. Zhao: None. F. Gomez-Pinilla: None. X. Yang: None.


The exact solutions of the Schrodinger equation with the double ring-shaped Coulomb potential are presented, including the bound states, continuous states on the "κ/2π scale", and the calculation formula of the phase shifts. The polar angular wave functions are expressed by constructing the so-called super-universal associated Legendre polynomials. Some special cases are discussed in detail.


Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare, diffuse pulmonary disease due to abnormal surfactant homeostasis. We present the case of a 69-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital for progressive dyspnea with marked limitation in activity, and non-productive cough, of three months of evolution. Type I respiratory failure was confirmed. Chest tomography findings were interlobular and intralobular septal thickening, ground glass opacities and bilateral consolidation. Histological diagnosis was made and whole-lung lavage was performed with clinical improvement. We highlight the need to keep in mind differential diagnoses of respiratory failure and pulmonary infiltrates during COVID-19 pandemic, even rare entities such as PAP.


Three samples of zircon from the St. Kevin Granite, northern Sawatch Range, Colorado, were analyzed for uranium, thorium, and lead content and for lead isotopic composition; the concentrated HNO3 leaches of the zircons were similarly analyzed. The concordia age on the zircons was interpreted to be 1420 ± 40 m.y., an age in good agreement with a Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron age of 1470 m.y. (λ87Rb = 1.39 × 10−11 yr−1). The concordia age of the leaches was found to be greater by about 5 percent than that of the zircons, perhaps reflecting loss of intermediate daughters in the 238U decay chain over an extended period of time. Geologic evidence indicates that the St. Kevin Granite formed in large part by local melting of crustal rocks similar to the present wall rocks. If so, xenocrysts of zircon may be present in the granite. Isotopic evidence that the zircons were derived from older rocks is not convincing; however, possible evidence for a xenocrystic component is found in the feet that Pb-Pb ages of two nearly concordant zircons differ by 1.9 percent, an amount that exceeds analytical uncertainty. In addition, the zircon sample that has the greatest Pb-Pb age (1440 m.y.) has a 208Pb/232Th age of 1615 m.y. 208Pb/232Th ages greater than Pb-Pb ages are unusual and may suggest a complicated history for the sample. This sample is not the one suspected as the most likely to contain xenocrysts of zircon because xenoliths are not abundant at the sample locality. The zircons, if they are xenocrysts, apparently were almost entirely recrystallized or else lost nearly all their lead to the melt by diffusion.


Structural connectivity of the brain at different ages is analyzed using diffusion-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. The largest decrease of the number and average length of streamlines is found for the long inter-hemispheric links, with the strongest impact for frontal regions. From the BOLD functional MRI (fMRI) time series we identify age-related changes of dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) and spatial covariation features of the FC links captured by metaconnectivity (MC). They indicate more constant dFC, but wider range and variance of MC. Finally we applied computational whole-brain network model based on oscillators, which mechanistically expresses the impact of the spatio-temporal structure of the brain (weights and the delays) to the dynamics. With this we tested several hypothesis, which revealed that the spatio-temporal reorganization of the brain with ageing, supports the observed functional fingerprints only if the model accounts for: (i) compensation of the individual brains for the overall loss of structural connectivity, and (ii) decrease of propagation velocity due to the loss of myelination. We also show that having these two conditions, it is sufficient to decompose the time-delays as bimodal distribution that only distinguishes between intra- and inter-hemispheric delays, and that the same working point also captures the static FC the best.


Skinner's paper on two types of conditioned reflex (15) is of considerable interest as an attempt to introdue [sic] more clarity and precision than has been formerly done into that old and often discussed topic of conditioned reflex. In his paper, which is based on his former experimental findings (10, 11, 12, 13) and on certain theoretical considerations of his own concerning general nature of the reflex (9, 14), Skinner gives two following paradigms [in which S = stimulus, R = response, (S R) = reflex ----= is followed by].


This study aimed to explore healthcare providers' perceptions of the issues and problems as well as suggestions regarding the development of cancer survivorship care models in South Korea. An exploratory, descriptive, qualitative study was conducted with eight Korean healthcare providers using individual interviews. Purposive sampling was performed in a university hospital in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. Three concepts of the Chronic Care Model (CCM) were employed to identify the issues and problems with developing a survivorship care model for Korean cancer survivors. Based on these concepts, seven themes were identified: (1) absence of a multidisciplinary care system; (2) fragmented care services; (3) lack of emotional support; (4) absence of a shared care system for long-term survivorship care; (5) lack of communication between physicians and cancer survivors; (6) limited resources in the communities; and (7) poorly tailored long-term survivorship cancer care. In terms of suggestions, four themes were identified: (1) healthcare organisation; (2) clinical information systems; (3) community resources; and (4) follow-up care. The current study identified the applicability of key concepts from the CCM to formulate a Korean cancer survivorship model. Findings suggest that cancer survivors should be managed as persons with chronic diseases based on long-term survivorship care.