Humoral and cell-mediated immunity was determined in 28 epileptics, in 22 patients observed and investigated because of an only one seizure, and 26 healthy controls. Anticonvulsants had not been used in the treatment of these cases up to that time. The total lymphocyte count and the count of lymphocytes forming spontaneously rosettes with sheep erythrocytes were found to be significantly lower in the group of patients with epilepsy of unknown aetiology in relation to controls. The quantitative changes in the composition of the lymphocyte population were not significant and caused, probably, no immunological deficit, but were only a reaction to organic damage to the nervous system. Slight disturbances in the functions of the immune system cannot be, however, ruled out since this group showed also a significantly higher IgG level which suggests long-standing antigenic stimulation. No defect in IgA synthesis and disorders of the cell-mediated immunity (blastic transformation test, leucocyte migration inhibition test, skin test) were demonstrated in this study, although they had been reported by some authors in cases of epilepsy, mainly, however, in patients treated with anticonvulsants. In the patients having started anticonvulsive treatment these investigations will be repeated for establishing the effect of drugs on the immune reactions.


Teaching and learning of anatomy for medical students have been extensively studied. However, we believe that a 'gold-standard' of an anatomy teaching and learning model is difficult to establish as every educational institution faces unique. For the past ten years at the University of Notre Dame Australia, School of Medicine Sydney, the anatomy faculty has implemented evidence-based teaching strategies adopted from medical schools around the world and supported by timely student feedback to deliver cost-effective and sustainable anatomy learning. Student evaluations of this program have been positive and associated with improved summative anatomy results. This article describes ten principles pursued by our faculty, which we hope will help others in restructuring or enhancing their anatomy teaching and learning program.


Two common bean landraces (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), "Trenaria" and "Peja" representing the indeterminate growth habit were tested in two cultivation systems: monoculture and in association with maize hybrid NS444 (Zea mays L.). The aim of the research was to find the advantages of the cultivation system of the common bean populations of indeterminate growth habit based on performance of physiological growth traits and production elements. The experiment was conducted during the cultivation season of 2016 and 2017 in the agro-ecological conditions of Prishtina. Experimental design was random complete block with three replications, with genotype respectively population, cultivation system and year as main factors and other sub-factors. The studied parameters were growth traits: Leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR), as well as yield components: pods number per plants (PNplant ), grain number per plant (GNplant), grain weight per plant (GWplant) and grain weight per unit area (GWm). Research data were subject of ANOVA variance analysis. The results of the study showed significant differences between common bean landraces in both systems and years of cultivation. Landraces in the monoculture system showed better performance for all studied parameters. Therefore, based on the obtained data, could be concluded and recommended the cultivation of common bean in Kosovo in the monoculture cultivation system, because of its advantage in terms of production compared to the system in association with maize.


Background: The idea of organizational commitment has intuitive appeal because of the relationship of commitment to turnover, absenteeism, and organizational performance. All of these are important to healthcare executives who are attempting to stabilize a nursing workforce in the presence of a growing nursing shortage. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the level of organizational commitment of nurses and its predictors among Jimma University specialized teaching hospital nurses, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: Institution based cross-sectional study design was conducted in Jimma University Specialized Teaching Hospital from March 2 to March 18, 2016 and systematic sampling technique was used to select a total of 242 study subjects. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire and entered to Epi data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. One-way analysis of variance, independent sample T-tests and Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of organizational commitment and significance was checked at p<0.05. Results: The respondents mean score of organizational commitment was 70.45 ± 8.22 and only 72 (32.9%) of the nurses score high level of organizational commitment. The independent t-test and One-way analysis of variance result revealed educational status and working ward were significantly associated with organizational commitment. The multivariable linear regression showed that perceived organizational support (s=0.482, p<0.001), interpersonal relationship (s=0.303, p=0.008), job satisfaction (s=0.059, p=0.027), transformational leadership behavior (s=0.165, p<0.001), educational qualification (s=-1.860, p=0.02) and working ward (s=-0.585, p=0.018) were significant predictors of organizational commitment among nurses. Conclusion: The organizational commitment levels of nurses were low. Job satisfaction, perceived organizational support, transformational leadership behavior, interpersonal relationship, and working in ICU and OR are significant predictors of organizational commitment. Recommendation: Human Resource Management, CEO and Nursing Leaders of JUSTH shall participate nurses in managerial decision making, using improved communication skills and give appreciation for their contributions to the organization.


The development of rural tourism is estimated can led to a new dimension of sustainable development. The government of Indonesia has made some efforts to realize the target of increasing the country's foreign exchange income with digital tourism, rural tourism homestay, and air connectivity. Regarding this target, community participation is needed to become the main subject of rural tourism. However, the development of rural tourism in Indonesia still encounters various obstacles such as lack of promotion and innovation in programs. Using qualitative method, author explore the barriers, facilitators and how to overcome challenges within the sustainable rural tourism development in Kalibiru village, Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia.


Operation. The next day, on opening the abdomen, a distinctly rounded fluctuating swelling, about 5 in. in diameter, was revealed. After many recent omental and intestinal adhesions had been broken down, the tumour was found to originate on the right side, although extending well over to the left of the mid-line; it reached upwards nearly to the level of the umbilicus. An exploring syringe drew out clear fluid from the antero-superior part of the tumour; a large trocar plunged in the site of exploration gave exit to some collapsed hydatid daughter-cysts; and on enlarging the opening greenish-yellow pus poured out in quantity. With the emptying of the cyst its relations gradually became more evident; it was clearly growing in the right broad ligament, the flattened and brokenup remains of the right ovary lying on the antero-superior surface, out towards the infundibulo-pelvic ligament. At the right uterine cornu and over the corresponding part of the indus uteri the cvst had lifted up the peritoneum, so that on opening the abdomen the uterus was shut off from view and driven forward into a strongly anteverted position. The cyst being emptied after some trouble-for it was divided into several loculi-I began enucleating it, but the mother-cyst wall (endocyst and ectocyst) was so densely adherent to the posterior layer of the broad ligament that this layer was inevitably perforated in two places where it had become somewhat thinned out. After a very tedious enucleation, I got away all the mother-cyst wall, except about two square inches right at the base of the broad ligament resting on the ureter and uterine vessels. The posterior layer of the broad ligament was also very densely and extensively adherent posteriorly to the rectum and the parts to the right of the bowel, so that its separation was difficult and dangerous. Finally I cut away most of the posterior layer of the broad ligament, this structure being in parts fully 1 in. thick and requiring much ligaturing. Of the peritoneum raised up off the cornu and fundus uteri I removed what was redundant, and closed the gap with a continuous catgut suture. On examining the left appendages, I discovered an adherent 2 in. pyosalpinx, which extended down to Douglas's pouch. This burst during enucleation, and, with the ovary, was rapidly removed. The uterus was now clearly defined and was found to have three subperitoneal fibroids, varying from 1 in. to 2 in. across. The two larger were enucleated, but a small one on the posterior surface was left on the score of urgency. After the pelvis had been swabbed out, Douglas's pouch and adjacent parts were packed with iodoform gauze, the ends being brought out through a split rubber tube passing into the vagina through the posterior cul-de-sac. As soon as practicable the patient was placed in the Fowler position and the " drip-salhne " made use of. After-Progress.-On the sixth day after operation the gauze and tube were removed, and a day later a faecal fistula into the vagina developed, and a small quantity of faecal matter oozed from the lower end of the abdominal wound, which later showed suppuration in its deeper parts. The patient was placed on 15 grains of bismuth every two hours and the fistulae rapidly closed, while the suppuration in the wound soon ceased.


Indinavir sulfate with ethyl cellulose microspheres was successfully prepared by an oil-in-oil emulsion solvent evaporation technique using acetonitrile: dichloromethane (1:1) and light liquid paraffin as primary and secondary oil phases respectively with span 80 as a droplet stabilizer. In present study the effect of formulation variable e.g., polymer to drug ratio, viscosity of ethyl cellulose, volume of light liquid paraffin and effect of processing temperature on yield, encapsulation efficiency, particle size and in vitro drug release characteristics of the Indinavir microspheres were investigated. The prepared microspheres were spherical with stable nature of drug within the formulations confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectra. The mean sphere diameter and encapsulation efficiencies depended strongly on the drug to polymer ratio, viscosity of polymer, volume of processing medium and processing temperature. The release of indinavir sulfate was diffusion controlled and influenced by the drug to polymer ratio, viscosity of polymeric phase, volume of light liquid paraffin used and processing temperature condition.


Biot2 is a tumor-associated antigen, and it is a novel gene (GenBank EF100607) that was first identified with the SEREX technique and named by our laboratory. It is highly expressed in cancer cells and testis, with low or no expression in normal tissues. In our previous study, RNA interference of human Biot2 can inhibit tumor cell growth, and it is associated with poor prognosis of patients in clinical study; however, the mechanism of Biot2 that effects tumor growth is not yet clear. Here, in this study, we explore further the mechanism of Biot2 by silencing Biot2 in CT26 cells. It provides some theoretical basis for Biot2 as a new target for gene therapy. In CT26 cells, the expression of Biot2 was downregulated by Biot2-shRNA. It also promoted G1 phase arrest, the expression of p16 and p21, and cell apoptosis. In the mouse model, the tumor volume and the expression of PCNA of the Biot2-shRNA group significantly decreased. These results suggest that silencing Biot2 in CT26 cells by RNA interference can inhibit cell growth in vitro and in vivo. It also induces cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase and apoptosis throughout regulation of p16 and p21. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Biot2 can be a potential target of gene therapy.


Over the past ten years, the EU has been seeking ways to increase the adaptability of employees and enterprises and the flexibility of labour markets. Since 2006, the keyword has been flexicurity, and the implementation of this concept is intended to achieve the desired changes in labour relations. Accordingly, Estonia has attempted to reform labour relations in the light of the idea of flexicurity and adopted the Employment Contracts Act in 2008. This law comprises several amendments, the aim of which is to make labour relations more secure and flexible. This article focuses on the reforms that have had the greatest impact on the functioning of labour relations: the form of employment contracts; entering into and termination of fixed-term employment contracts; the employer's obligation to provide training; the employer's right to reduce wages; and the termination of the employment contact at the initiative of the employer. The author analyses whether the implementation of the idea of flexicurity has been successful with regard to these issues.


The presence of numerous proteomics data and their results in literature reveal the importance and influence of proteins and peptides on human cell cycle. For instance, the proteomic profiling of biological samples, such as serum, plasma or cells, and their organelles, carried out by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, has led to the discovery of numerous key proteins involved in many biological disease processes. However, questions still remain regarding the reproducibility, bioinformatic artifacts and cross-validations of such experimental set-ups. The authors have developed a material-based approach, termed material-enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MELDI-MS), to facilitate and improve the robustness of large-scale proteomic experiments. MELDI-MS includes a fully automated protein-profiling platform, from sample preparation and analysis to data processing involving state-of-the-art methods, which can be further improved. Multiplexed protein pattern analysis, based on material morphology, physical characteristics and chemical functionalities provides a multitude of protein patterns and allows prostate cancer samples to be distinguished from non-prostate cancer samples. Furthermore, MELDI-MS enables not only the analysis of protein signatures, but also the identification of potential discriminating peaks via capillary liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The optimized MELDI approach offers a complete proteomics platform with improved sensitivity, selectivity and short sample preparation times.


Plastic has been in the human civilization from the past two decades now. Hundreds of factories around the world are now competing against each other to gain an inch in the plastic industry. As it is said that 'necessity is the mother of invention', humans have stopped at nothing to make life easier, this has led to the development of various kinds of plastic. A predominant type of plastic, single use plastic, is been used by billions of people around the world without being aware of the danger it causes to the life on earth. Due to its cheapness and durability, it is being used and the due to the careless dumping of the single use plastic has led to the death of thousands of animals in the oceans. This leads to the question of the substitutes and alternatives in order to make sure that the human race and the animal kingdom survives and thrives in the future years. In this research paper, I have tried to find the alternatives and solution to the single use plastic and how to manage the already existing plastic debris that we humans have gave birth to. This research paper also contains a survey is related to the willingness of the people to adapt to the alternatives and the substitutes of single use plastic.


Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease characterized by a targeted immune attack on myelin in the central nervous system (CNS). We have previously shown that oligodendrocytes (OLs), myelin producing cells in the CNS, and their precursors (OPCs), ac-quire disease-specific transcriptional states in MS 1,2. To under-stand how these alternative transcriptional programs are acti-vated in disease, we performed single-cell assay for transposase accessible chromatin using sequencing (scATAC-seq) on the OL lineage in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyeli-tis (EAE) mouse model of MS. We identified regulatory regions with increased accessibility in oligodendroglia (OLG) in EAE, some of which in the proximity of immune genes. A similar re-modeling of chromatin accessibility was observed upon treat-ment of postnatal OPCs with interferon-gamma (IFNγ), but not with dexamethasone. These changes in accessibility were not exclusive to distal enhancers, but also occurred at promoter re-gions, suggesting a role for promoters in mediating cell-state transitions. Notably, we found that a subset of immune genes al-ready exhibited chromatin accessibility in OPCs ex vivo and in vivo, suggesting a primed chromatin state in OLG compatible with rapid transitions to an immune-competent state. Several primed genes presented bivalency of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 at promoters in OPCs, with loss of H3K27me3 upon IFNγ treatment. Inhibition of JMJD3/Kdm6b, mediating removal of H3K27me3, led to the inability to activate these genes upon IFNγ treatment. Importantly, OLGs from the adult human brain showed chromatin accessibility at immune gene loci, par-ticularly at MHC-I pathway genes. A subset of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with MS susceptibility over-lapped with these primed regulatory regions in OLG from both mouse and human CNS. Our data suggest that susceptibility for MS may involve activation of immune gene programs in OLG. These programs are under tight control at the chromatin level in OLG and may therefore constitute novel targets for immunological-based therapies for MS.


Osteomedullography with phlebopression of the extraosseous softtissue veins is a reliable technique in evaluating the repair process in fractures of the tibial shaft in which usual clinical and roentgenographic criteria might prove inadequate. In normally healing fractures, intraosseous flow of contrast medium crossing the fracture gap was seen within ten weeks after injury at the latest. This fact can be used in diagnosing delayed union as well as in determining whether bone-grafting is necessary. There is no need to operate on the fracture if it will consolidate in some months without surgery. Osteomedullographic examinations establish the importance of intramedullary vascular connections in the healing of fractures.


Curing and destruction of crosslinked phenolformaldehyde polymers modified with a varying quantity of polycaprolactam were studied by means of IR and ESR spectra and by derivatography. In the curing process of the polymers, hexamethylenetetramine was found degrading, with formation of dimethyleneimine, and other groups causing spatial crosslinking of the polymers. Incorporation of nitrogen in the polymer chains was proved by means of IR spectra and elemental analysis. The activation energy of destruction was determined by the thermogravimetric curves, and it varied in the range of 25 to 32 kcal/mol. On the ground of the investigations made, it was presumed that in hardening and destruction of the polymers under study a definite role was played also by free-radical processes. An evidence of this was the presence of free radicals in the products during hardening and destruction as well as the kinetic data—the low activation energy of destruction.


Tumor genotyping has become standard in the care of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colorectal cancer, and melanoma because of its power in guiding the personalization of treatment with molecularly targeted therapies. A major limitation of cancer genotyping is the availability of pre- and post-treatment tumor biopsy specimens for accurate assessment of cancer biology. In addition, serial tumor biopsies from NSCLC patients at time of disease response or progression are not always desirable from the patient perspective and feasibility can be limited due to accessible tumor tissue and cost. The analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has demonstrated potential to be a non-invasive means of interrogating the biology underlying response and resistance. Here we report the detection, quantification and monitoring of EGFR mutations by droplet digital PCR in cfDNA on a prospective clinical trial of EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients on erlotinib. Droplet digital PCR, a novel technology that emulsifies DNA input into ∼20,000 consistently sized droplets, each individually genotyped, represents a promising approach for non-invasive quantification of specific tumor mutations. EGFR L858R, Del(19) and T790M were serially measured in over 300 samples from 40 lung cancer patients treated on erlotinib. Complete plasma response was seen in 8 cases; in 6, rising levels of inhibitor sensitizing EGFR Del(19) and L858R and acquired EGFR T790M mutations were detected up to 4 months prior to objective radiographic progression. An analysis of patients that progressed showed that 53% had tumor-genotype-confirmed EGFR sensitizing mutations in their plasma at diagnosis. Four of these patients had a tumor rebiopsy adequate for EGFR genotyping at progression, and EGFR T790M was confirmed in each. This contrasts to the same analysis on circulating tumor cells (CTC), collected simultaneously: No CTCs were identified at diagnosis and only 22% of patients had any detectable CTCs at progression. Our results strongly suggest that cfDNA genotyping has clinical utility in the molecular assessment of patients at diagnosis, and providing molecular understanding of patient9s tumor evolution, in real time, by serial monitoring for resistance mutations. Citation Format: Cloud P. Paweletz, Geoffrey R. Oxnard, Yanan Kuang, Allison O9Connell, Masahiko Yanagita, Melissa M. Messineo, Paul Kirschmeier, Jessie M. English, David M. Jackman, Pasi A. Janne. Serial monitoring of EGFR mutations in plasma and matched tissue from EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer patients on erlotinib. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 939. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-939


The analysis of losses in slaughtered broilers based on the results of poultry meat inspection in a poultry slaughterhouse in 1991-1993 has shown that skin diseases are the main reason for condemnation of carcasses, followed by polyserositis and aerosacculitis, underdevelopment, skeletal diseases, and ascites syndrome. The incidence of skin diseases increased continuously between 1991 and 1993. Amongst the skin diseases eight separate diagnoses were differentiated. Dermatitis with cellulitis, dermal carcinomatosis, skin tears, scabby hip, and breast blisters are the most frequent ones. However, the permanent increasing dermatitis with cellulitis as well as the frequency rank following dermal carcinomatosis are of utmost importance.


This research is based on the background that weeds in oil palm plantations must be controlled so that economically it does not affect production. The implementation of manual weed control on immature plants (TBM) must have used costs that must be incurred by the company.This study aims to analyze the cost of controlling weeds manually and to identify the factors that affect the cost of controlling weeds in immature plants (TBM).
The implementation of this research uses quantitative methods in analyzing costs at 2 work units (Afdeling) by using data on the implementation / realization of work for February-April 2019 and descriptive methods in identifying factors that affect costs by conducting field analysis. The results of the cost analysis in 2 afdeling get results in the form of the average Afdeling cost, namely: The cost of manually controlling weeds in the gawangan at Afdeling 1 is Rp. 254,756 / ha and the gawangan at Afdeling 2 is Rp. 261,242 / ha. Meanwhile, the cost of controlling weeds manually on the plate at Afdeling 1 is Rp. 254,483 / ha and the plate at Afdeling 2 Rp. 238,787 / ha. Factors that influence the cost of controlling weeds manually in immature plants (TBM), especially in the dish and in the fields are more due to factors of land topography, weed density, and the types of weeds that are controlled.


Mining user patterns of log file can provide significant and useful informative knowledge. A large amount of research has been done on trying to predict correctly the pages a user will request. This task requires the development of models that can predicts a user's next request to a web server. In this paper, we propose a method for constructing first-order and second-order Markov models of Web site access prediction based on past visitor behavior and compare it association rules technique. This algorithm has been used to cluster similar transition behaviors for efficient used to further improve the efficiency of prediction. From this comparison we propose a best overall method and empirically test the proposed model on real web logs.


We provide an overview of the current data management research issues in the context of the Semantic Web. The objective is to introduce the audience into the area of the Semantic Web, and to highlight the fact that the area provides many interesting research opportunities for the data management community. A new model, the Resource Description Framework (RDF), coupled with a new query language, called SPARQL, lead us to revisit some classical data management problems, including efficient storage, query optimization, and data integration. These are problems that the Semantic Web community has only recently started to explore, and therefore the experience and long tradition of the database community can prove valuable. We target both experienced and novice researchers that are looking for a thorough presentation of the area and its key research topics.


A significant "biosafening" protection of plants from the effect of 2,4-D in plant-microbial associations has been demonstrated in this study. The 2,4-D-degrading plasmid, pJP4 was transferred into Rhizobium sp. CB1024, which nodulates Dolichos lablab, and Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 carrying a nifA-lacZ gene marker, which can colonize cotton roots. Both transconjugants degraded 2,4-D in pure culture via cometabolism up to 50 microg mL(-1). When the transconjugants were inoculated onto Dolichos lablab and cotton, respectively, such plants were resistant to this herbicide when the nutrient solution was treated with 2,4-D up to 10 microg mL(-1) for Dolichos lablab and 0.5 microg mL(-1) for cotton. Plants inoculated with wild-type strains were dead (Dolichos lablab) or dying (cotton). Because cotton is more sensitive to herbicides, only incomplete protection of plants was achieved with the transconjugant. Improving the effect of colonization of Azospirillum on cotton roots may be critical for a complete degradation and plant protection. The transconjugant of Rhizobium sp. CB1024 was still able to nodulate Dolichos lablab, N(2)-fixing activity was only slightly affected. Other pesticide-degrading capacities may also be inserted into those plant-associated bacterial strains for the degradation of these chemicals by plant-microbial associations. Whether such systems will be successful when applied in the field with competition from other bacteria is being examined. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 53: 513-519, 1997.


This paper describes a high-level library (The Nearest Neighbor Tool, NNT) that has been used to parallelize operational weather prediction models. NNT is part of the Scalable Modeling System (SMS), developed at the Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL). Programs written in NNT rely on SMS's run-time system and port between a wide range of computing platforms, performing well in multiprocessor systems. We show, using examples from operational weather models, how large Fortran 77 codes can be parallelized using NNT. We compare the ease of programmability of NNT and High Performance Fortran (HPF). We also discuss optimizations like data movement overlap (in interprocessor communication and I/O operations), and the minimization of data exchanges through the use of redundant computations. We show that although HPF provides a simpler programming interface, NNT allows for program optimizations that increase performance considerably and still keeps a simple user interface. These optimizations have proven essential to run weather prediction models in real time, and HPF compilers should incorporate them in order to meet operational demands. Throughout the paper, we present performance results of weather models running on a network of workstations, the Intel Paragon, and the SGI Challenge. Finally, we study the cost of programming global address space architectures with NNT's local address space paradigm.


Recently, researchers have linked the availability and popularity of energy dense fast-foods to an increasingly obesogenic environment. Such availability has led to both over consumption and under nourishment, especially in lower income neighborhoods that fail to offer healthier alternatives. These "food deserts" play their part in both the increasing trend of obesity and the climbing costs associated with treating obesity-related disorders. In order to address this issue, food environments could be engineered by employing creative zoning in at-risk areas. Zoning allows municipalities to support developments that promote health, safety, and public welfare; in this context, zoning law could be utilized to support healthy, and more affordable, lifestyles. However, there is currently a lack of both empirical and public support for such an intervention on any scale. These issues could be addressed through the utilization of convenient pilots and the formation of relationships with target communities, culminating in the implementation of small-scale designs and, ultimately, large-scale intervention studies. In doing so, a foundation may be built upon which the development of a legitimate, environmental design approach to targeting obesity may be feasible.


Background Infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes an acute illness termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Humoral immune responses likely play an important role in containing SARS-CoV-2, however, the determinants of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody responses are unclear. Methods Using immunoassays specific for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, we determined SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in sera and mucosal fluids of two cohorts, including patients with quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (n = 56; median age 61 years) with mild versus severe COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-2-exposed healthcare workers (n = 109; median age 36 years) with or without symptoms and tested negative or positive by RT-qPCR. Findings On average, SARS-CoV-2-specific serum IgA titers in mild COVID-19 cases became positive eight days after symptom onset and were often transient, whereas serum IgG levels remained negative or reached positive values 9–10 days after symptom onset. Conversely, patients with severe COVID-19 showed a highly significant increase of SARS-CoV-2-specific serum IgA and IgG titers as a function of duration since symptom onset, independent of patient age and comorbidities. Very high levels of SARS-CoV-2-specific serum IgA correlated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Interestingly, some of the SARS-CoV-2-exposed healthcare workers with negative SARS-CoV-2-specific IgA and IgG serum titers had detectable SARS-CoV-2-specific IgA antibodies in their nasal fluids and tears. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2-specific IgA levels in nasal fluids of these healthcare workers were inversely correlated with patient age. Interpretation These data show that systemic IgA and IgG production against SARS-CoV-2 develops mainly in severe COVID-19, with very high IgA levels seen in patients with severe ARDS, whereas mild disease may be associated with transient serum titers of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies but stimulate mucosal SARS-CoV-2-specific IgA secretion. The findings suggest four grades of antibody responses dependent on COVID-19 severity.


Population dynamic is one of the prime factors for social, economic and technological change worldwide. As population size and composition change in an area, people have to adjust leading to innumerable alterations in the way society operates. The integration of population issues into development planning is crucial. However, for various reasons, the objective is not always met. The relevance of population dynamics and the use of popu-lation data in development planning are discussed. The extents to which demographic variables can be integrat-ed into the Medium Term Development Plans of 3 District Assemblies in Ghana were used as case studies to highlight the missing links or shortfalls. Strategies are therefore proposed for the best approach of integrating population issues into development planning in Ghana. Journal of Applied Science and Technology Vol. 12 (1&2) 2007: pp. 140-146


The article analyzes the current role of a game as a universal cognitive method based on relevant literary sources to justify the need to reform the system of professional training for primary school teachers. The article aims to develop, theoretically justify and experimentally verify the newly modelled pedagogical conditions for training future primary school teachers to organize game-based music activities of primary school pupils, as well as methods of implementing these conditions in teacher education. Importantly, the article demonstrates how the author's methodology for implementing these pedagogical conditions has been developed, implemented and quasiexperimentally verified. As part of preliminary, technological-practical, and creative-organizational stages of such professional training, the new model involves the consistent use of the author's techniques and algorithms to organize students' activities in the framework of professional-oriented courses, research projects, as well as an optional course "Practice of Organizing Game-Based Music Activities for Primary School Pupils". The international relevance of the article lies in developing and implementing universal educational conditions to train future primary school teachers to organize game-based music activities under today's conditions of globalization and informatization. The obtained data indicate some positive changes in quasi-experimental groups due to the implemented pedagogical conditions at the final stage of the research.


The poultry epidemic of H7N7 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in the Netherlands in 2003 was probably the result of the introduction of an H7N7 low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus (by interspecies transmission from wild birds) and the subsequent intraspecies transmission of this virus in poultry. The intraspecies transmission of the ensuing H7N7 HPAI virus was very successful both within and between flocks. Consequently, in the two poultry-dense areas that were affected, the epidemic could only be stopped by eliminating all poultry in the region. According to the spatial models these are the only areas where this was the case in the Netherlands. There was also interspecies transmission to mammals, i.e., to pigs and to humans. For pigs it was shown that possible subsequent intraspecies transmission was negligible (R0 <1). With hindsight the same was probably also true for humans.


The paper aims to investigate how students as (future) teachers
of English view the study of pragmatics and its role in
language education, and whether they are ready to adopt a
pragmatic awareness approach in their own teaching. The author
has analysed students' suggestions about how to use in their
teaching the theoretical knowledge and practical skills they
have acquired in the Pragmatics course, with special regard to
productive and receptive language skills, and the communicative
language competences, i.e. the linguistic, sociolinguistic and
pragmatic competences, as recognized by Trim (2005) within the
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, since the
balance between productive and receptive language skills on the
one hand and the mastering of the communicative language
competences on the other are regarded as indispensable
components of the learning and teaching process.


Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL

Traditional cell cycle analysis instrumentation involves the use of fluorescence microscopy, laser scanning cytometry, and flow cytometry. In this work, we demonstrate a rapid alternative device, the Cellometer Vision, which utilizes an imaging cytometry method for analyzing cell cycle measurement. This method employs both bright-field and fluorescence imaging of a disposable cell counting chamber to quickly provide concentration and percentages of cell subpopulations. Signal measurement and data analysis could be performed less than five min. Cell cycle assay was demonstrated by detection of changes in phase percentage within a cell population when Jurkat cells were induced with three different drugs, nocodazole, etoposide, and aphidicolin that arrest cell cycle at G2/M, S, and G0/G1 phase, respectively. Jurkat cells were fixed with 75% ethanol and stained with propidium iodide. Individual cells were identified by the software and the fluorescence intensity was measured from within the cell. The imaging cytometry method was able to detect and analyze fluorescence from the Jurkat cells, which generated cell cycle data plot for each drug at three different concentrations. The cell cycle analysis results were highly consistent with the results obtained from FACScalibur flow cytometer. This imaging cytometry method provides a rapid and cost-effective tool for cell concentration measurements, as well as cell cycle analysis, which may benefit smaller research laboratories, where flow cytometer is not readily available.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2962. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2962


Abstract Evidence suggests that adapting teaching responsively to pupil assessment can be effective in improving students' learning. However, existing studies tend to be small-scale, leaving unanswered the question of how such formative assessment can operate when embedded as standard practice. In this study, we present the results of a randomized trial conducted in 140 English secondary schools. The intervention uses light-touch training and support, with most of the work done by teacher-led teaching and learning communities within schools. It is, therefore, well-suited to widespread adoption. In our pre-registered primary analysis, we estimate an effect size of 0.09 on general academic attainment in national, externally assessed examinations. Sensitivity analysis, excluding schools participating in a similar program at baseline, and complier analysis both suggest a larger effect size of 0.11. These results are encouraging for this approach to improving the implementation of formative assessment and, hence, academic attainment. Our findings also suggest that the intervention may help to narrow the gap between high and low prior attainment pupils, although not the gap between those from disadvantaged backgrounds and the rest of the cohort.


Long-term surveys indicate that the scaup populations have declined over the past 20 years, and that this is probably the result of decreases in Lesser Scaup ( Aythya affinis ) rather than Greater Scaup ( Aythya marila ) numbers. To identify factors possibly related to the decline, we estimated demographic parameters for a local population of Lesser Scaup at Erickson, Manitoba, that was well studied before declines occurred and compared these estimates to historic rates. On average, nests were initiated later than in the past, and recent estimates of nesting success and duckling survival were lower than historical estimates. Breeding-season survival of adult females was estimated as 72.6%, with most (83%) mortality occurring during nesting. Current estimates of demographic rates at Erickson are too low to maintain a stable local population, and suppressed reproductive rates might be the proximate cause of the local population decline.


Purpose:Herbal remedies are widely used for a variety of clinical conditions. The range of adverse effects is incompletely understood. This is a case of a woman with subclinical autoimmune hepatitis who developed severe hepatotoxicity following the use of Ma Huang for weight loss. Case: A 58 year old woman was admitted to GWUMC wit h a 4 month history of progressive fatigue, nausea, abdominal discomfort and jaundice. Her evaluation at another institution prior to her hospitalization revealed a normal CBC, persistently elevated liver enzymes and no serologic evidence of acute or chronic viral hepatitis. Abdominal and pelvic CT scans were without significant abnormalities. A liver biopsy was scheduled. However, the patient presented to GWUMC ER for evaluation of worsening symptoms. Her past medical history was significant for GERD, obesity and no previous liver enzyme elevations prior to the present illness. Her medications included Omeprazole 34 years and self-prescribed Ma Huang 341⁄2 months for weight loss. She denied tobacco use, alcohol consumption and recent travel. Her exam revealed stable vital signs, obesity, jaundice, scleral icterus and a benign abdomen. Admission labs revealed a normal CBC, AST 671 IU/L, ALT 293 IU/L, Alk Ph 320 IU/L. Bill 9.3 mg/dL, PT 21.1 secs. An abdominal ultrasound showed diffuse hepatocellular disease and ascites. A liver biopsy revealed chronic hepatitis with severe activity, moderate fibrosis and lobular necrosis. Subsequent laboratory tests revealed a positive anti-SMA (1:320) and a negative FANA. She was started on steroids, but her clinical condition deteriorated with development of encephalopathy and she was transferred to a liver transplant center. While awaiting transplant, her status gradually improved and the patient was discharged in stable condition. Discussion: Ma Huang, an ephedrine-type alkaloid, has been used for weight loss and improvement of energy. Although alkaloid derivatives have been reported to be associated with hepatic necrosis, there is only one documented case of acute hepatitis associated with Ma Huang. This is an unusual case of a woman with subclinical autoimmune disease who developed fulminant hepatitis exacerbated by Ma Huang.


This paper aims to present the experience of the use of bioelectric signals, particularly those present in the muscles (EMG: electromyogram), to link an artist with his/her environment by producing sound and video images according to these signals. For this purpose, a device that works like an instrument the performer executes acting on his/her muscles was developed and built. It produces OSC messages, a protocol commonly used by media artists, according to the intensity of the EMG signals the performer produces, thus providing direct communication with the audience. Two presentations were made with the proposed scheme, which allowed to observe the sensations of the artist and the public, as well as their interactions.


The dynamically new comet, C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring), is to make a close approach to Mars on 2014 October 19 at 18:30 UT at a distance of 40 ± 1 Martian radii. Such an extremely rare event offers a precious opportunity for the spacecrafts on Mars to closely study a dynamically new comet itself as well as the planet–comet interaction. Meanwhile, the high-speed meteoroids released from C/Siding Spring also pose a threat to physically damage the spacecrafts. Here we present our observations and modeling results of C/Siding Spring to characterize the comet and assess the risk posed to the spacecrafts on Mars. We find that the optical tail of C/Siding Spring is dominated by larger particles at the time of the observation. Synchrone simulation suggests that the comet was already active in late 2012 when it was more than 7 AU from the Sun. By parameterizing the dust activity with a semi-analytic model, we find that the ejection speed of C/Siding Spring is comparable to comets such as the target of the Rosetta mission, 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Under a nominal situation, the simulated dust cone will miss the planet by about 20 Martian radii. At the extreme ends of uncertainties, the simulated dust cone will engulf Mars, but the meteoric influx at Mars is still comparable to the nominal sporadic influx, seemly indicating that an intense and enduring meteoroid bombardment due to C/Siding Spring is unlikely. Further simulation also suggests that gravitational disruption of the dust tail may be significant enough to be observable at Earth.


Law is filled with segmented narratives. The literature mapping the illegalization of the migration of peoples does not reference that many borders have become readily traversable, if not invisible, through the legalization and internationalization of subsidized mail services by cooperative government efforts. And, while the politics of migration are much debated, the post is infrequently acknowledged as either a political or a legal site. I bring together these domains not to equate the migration of persons and families with the movement of objects but rather to clarify how reliant on border crossings we are. My argument is that neither law nor land is readily bordered, and that depending on borders (alien/citizen, federal/state) as justifications for legal rules deflects attention from two major shifts during the last two centuries: one imagining the globe as a "single postal territory" and the other turning migration into a crime. In pursuit of both, governments expanded their repertoires and capacities as providers of services – from forwarding mail to patrolling borders. This century's questions are whether political will can be marshaled to undo the criminalization of migration and the stigmatization of migrants and to sustain states as central sources of social ordering generating redistributive exchanges respectful of individual liberty and aiming to enhance equality. My aim is to invite attention to the utilities of government and to the project of shifting normalcies so as to probe whether states' coordination to facilitate movements of persons seeking to cross boundaries could become a taken-for-granted government service, akin to state-subsidized inter-jurisdictional, cooperative postal systems – which are now at risk of becoming historic relics of bygone eras when governments were central.


This article extends a method of antenna design described in an earlier article by the same author. A family of continuous circular aperture distributions is developed in such a way as to involve only two independent parameters, A , a quantity uniquely related to the design sidelobe level and \bar{n} a number controlling the degree of uniformity of the sidelobes. An asymptotic approach to the condition of uniform sidelobes thus becomes possible. A companion article by Robert Hansen contains aperture distribution tables and examples.


Freely available and reliable meteorological datasets are highly demanded in many scientific and business applications. However, the structure of publicly available databases is often difficult to follow, especially for users who only deal with this kind of dataset on occasion. The "climate" R package aims to fill this gap with an easy-to-use interface for downloading global meteorological data in a fast and consistent way. The package provides access to different sources of in-situ meteorological data, including the Ogimet website, atmospheric vertical sounding gathered at the University of Wyoming's webpage, and hydrological and meteorological measurements collected by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute (i.e., Polish Met Office). This article also provides a quick overview of the key functionalities available within the climate R package, and gives examples of an efficient and tidy workflow of meteorological data within the R based environment. The automation procedures included in the packages allow one to download data in a user-defined time resolution (from hourly to annual), for a user-defined time span, and for a specified group of stations or countries. The package also contains metadata, including a list of available stations, their geospatial information, and measurement descriptions with their units. Finally, the obtained datasets can be processed in R or exported to external tools (e.g., spreadsheets or GIS software).


Oxylipins are biologically active molecules that are formed in all aerobic organisms enzymatically or as a result of the action of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. The value of oxylipins for plants is comparable to the value of eicosanoids for animals and humans. In the human organism, the oxylipins' formation occurs through enzymatic or non-enzymatic oxygenation of various ω-6 and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) obtained from food. Being "local hormones", oxylipins are involved in the regulation of inflammation, pain response, cell adhesion, migration and proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, regulation of blood pressure, blood coagulation, and blood vessel permeability. There is a hypothesis that the molecular structure of oxylipins allows them to be positioned as adaptogens and justifies the use of plants as potential sources of oxylipins in traditional medicine. The aim of this research is a brief analytical review of publications characterizing the adaptogenic potential and promising sources of oxylipins (plant, cyanobacteria, and algae). Results. The publications of the last decade indicate an increased interest in the oxylipins of plants, cyanobacteria, and algae. In total, about 150 oxylipins and their derivatives are known in plants and fungi. Of the plant sources of oxylipins, Peruvian poppy root (Lepidium meyenii), white bryony (Bryonia alba L.), blackcurrant seed oil (Ribes nigrum), and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) are of particular interest. Some macroalgae are capable of non-enzymatically or enzymatically synthesizing a variety of oxylipins, including antiinflammatory prostaglandins, resolvins, an d leukotrienes. In addition, to common oxidized derivatives of fatty acids, macroalgae also contain a number of complex and unique oxylipins. Other sour ces of oxylipin producers include macroscopic gelatin colonies of freshwater cyanobacteria Aphanothece sacrum. As the analysis of the presented in the review publications showed, most anti-inflammatory and pro-resolvent oxylipins have antiproliferative properties, have adaptogenic potential, and can protect the body at the system level, contribu ting to the formation of favorable bacterial clearance. Conclusion. The results of numerous studies indicate that plants, algae, and even bacteria can be a promising source of oxylipins, both for their use in their native form and for the targeted isolation of oxylipins from them in order to conduct further studies of their adaptogenic potential, cardio- and geroprotective properties. In the future , establishing the adequate daily intake of these substances and the development on their basis of dietary preventive and specialized products for various purposes will be relevant.


In striking contrast to the legislatures in most modern democracies, Congress retains an important place in American politics and policy making. Especially in recent years, this has led many observers to question the importance of the presidency and bureaucracy to the real work of American governance and the extent to which political actors in the executive branch generally exercise power. This narrative of congressional dominance has been particularly bolstered by recent scholarly interest in principal-agent models of interbranch relations. The assumption of congressional centrality, however, obscures many important features of American politics. Over the course of American history, institutional development in particular has often been driven by either autonomous executive action or conflicts between Congress and the executive. We develop an approach for assessing executive power in institutional politics and illustrate the logic of executive influence with three cases: the rise of federal food-and-drug and forestry regulation, and the growth of the federal farm extension service in the early twentieth century; the rise of the national security state in the mid-twentieth century; and the evolution of budgeting and spending practices over the course of the twentieth century.


Analysis of the environmental distribution of the cosmopolitan conodont species Spathognathodus remscheidensis Ziegler in upper Cayugan and Helderbergian strata of northern New Jersey and southeastern New York indicates that its conodont bearing animal was abundant in sublittoral lagoons, biostromal reefs, and crinoidal meadows, but decreased in abundance further seaward. On the other hand, Icriodus woschmidti Ziegler and Acodina sp. have not been recovered from lagoonal and biostromal reef rocks, but show a similar distribution pattern to S. remscheidensis in other environments. Sample populations of S. remscheidensis from 11 successive horizons at a reference section at Nearpass Quarry, New Jersey, and nearby Trilobite Mountain, New York were studied biometrically to determine if evolutionary changes, undetectable by visual inspection, had occurred. Six characters unrelated to size were treated univariately. The remaining two were analyzed using bivariate techniques. Bivariate characters were quite highly coordinated and nearly isometric. Comparison of the sample means of univariate characters and slopes of bivariate character lines for the 11 stratigraphically successive horizons, reveals that all characters display distinct, gradual trends. The evolutionary validity of these trends was determined by (1) comparing them with the environmental succession at the reference section in order to detect ecophenotypic characters, and (2) analyzing the amount of geographic variation along three established time horizons in New Jersey and southeastern New York. The results indicate that total length (character 5) was strongly affected by a variety of local environmental conditions. Four other characters appear to have reacted plastically but only to certain environments. Character 6 (angle made by the anterior and posterior base), character 7 (anterior-posterior position of the center of the basal flare), and the subjectively determined character of relative height of the high denticle directly above the basal flare were noticeably affected by the lagoonal environment. Character 4 (basal flare symmetry) apparently was controlled to some extent by variations within the crinoidal meadow environment. Two of these four characters, character 4 and the subjectively determined one of relative denticle height, display few stratigraphic changes other than those which are considered ecophenotypic. A considerable amount of stratigraphic change of character 6 which developed under nonlagoonal conditions is considered evolutionary. This character has been used for correlations in nonlagoonal rocks. Character 7 displayed marked clinal variation under nonlagoonal conditions as well as lagoonally induced ecophenotypic variation. It is therefore not considered to be a reliable character for use in time correlations except for very local situations. All other characters exhibited no noticeable ecophenotypic tendencies or detectable geographic variation. These characters are considered evolutionary and their trends have been utilized for time correlations. Evolutionary characters evolved at different times and at different rates and all displayed marked stability throughout at least some part of the stratigraphic interval studied. Precise correlations were made for five samples from four sections in northern New Jersey and southern New York by comparing their quantitatively determined state of evolution to the evolutionary sequence recorded at the reference section.


Abstract Varying concentrations of different sized, solid, water-insoluble particles in rainwater and hailstones collected during thunderstorms indicate the existence of several scavenging mechanisms of micron-size particles. It is shown that Stefan flow is probably the predominant mechanism of in-cloud scavenging of particles 1.5–5 μ in diameter when solid (ice crystal) and liquid (supercooled cloud droplet) phases are present simultaneously. Particles larger than 5 μ in diameter were scavenged primarily by impaction. On many occasions, concentration of particles larger than 100 μ diameter in rainwater was found to be inversely proportional to rainfall intensity. Studies of spatial distribution of solid particles in hailstones should be supplemented by isotopic analysis.


Context: Following heightened gun violence in the 1990s, many medical societies in the United States adopted policies on the topic. Objective: Identify points of firearm violence policy agreement among large medical organizations. Design: Fourteen national medical societies—clinical focus, demonstrated interest in gun injury prevention, >2000 members—were selected for policy review in 2002. Policies were categorized on areas covered and items within these. Consensus areas were addressed by ⩾7/14 societies.Consensus items were included by ⩾7/14 societies, shared items by 5–6. Results: There were five consensus areas: access prevention, gun commerce, research, public education, and clinical counseling. There were four consensus items: restricting gun access by enforcing existing laws, restricting access to all guns at the point of sale, restricting access to handguns at the point of sale, and creating a national database on gun injury and death. Shared items promote violence prevention, clinical education on risks of guns in the home, treating guns as consumer products, restricting gun access to children, bans on automatic weapons, and promoting trigger locks. Conclusions: Large medical societies in the United States agree on key approaches for reducing gun injury mortality and morbidity. Future research will be needed to track the evolution of this emerging standard for physician action, which now includes the consensus areas and items. It promises to be, in effect, a medical standard of care for gun injury prevention. The United States experience may be useful to others working on gun injury prevention.


It is well known that combinatorial identities of Rogers-Ramanujan type arise naturally from certain specializations of characters of integrable highest weight modules for affine Lie algebras. It is also known that for any positive integer k, the integrable highest weight module L(kΛ0) for an (untwisted) affine Lie algebra ĝ has a natural structure of a vertex operator algebra. In this paper using certain results for vertex operator algebras we obtain certain recurrence relations for the characters of L(kΛ0). In the case when k = 1 and ĝ is of (ADE)-type, we solve these recurrence relations, obtaining the full characters of L(kΛ0). Then taking the principal specialization we obtain new families of multisum identities of Rogers-Ramanujan type.


The objective of this work is to evaluate the impact of innovative modifications made to conventional effluent capture and discharge devices used in subsurface flow wetlands (SSFW). The main modifications that have been developed extend the influence of the capture and discharge device in such a way that the SSFW width and height are fully covered. This improved innovative device was applied and evaluated in two subsurface flow wetlands, one on a pilot scale and one on a real scale. To evaluate the impact of the innovative device with respect to the conventional one in the operational functioning of subsurface flow wetlands, the elimination of chemical oxygen demand (COD) was measured and compared. The results show that for the innovative device, the COD removal was 10% higher than for the conventional device, confirming the validity and effectiveness of the modifications implemented in the effluent capture and discharge devices used in SSFW.


Using a valuation model, I find that uncertainty about firms varies across the levels of (1) prior information available about the firms, and (2) their intangible assets usage. I find the magnitudes of the coefficients on earnings and BVE for firms that employ intangible assets intensively are higher after controlling for limited prior information. This suggests that two types of uncertainty are impounded in the valuation coefficients on earnings and BVE, resulting in downward bias on these coefficients. Also, the magnitude of the valuation coefficient on earnings (BVE) is higher (lower) for firms with higher operating cash flow. This indicates that there is a potential substitution effect between earnings and BVE as the amount of noise in earnings increases. Finally, I find that abnormal trading volume for NASDAQ firms is higher than for non-NASDAQ firms, this is consistent with the size effect suggested by prior studies.


Let [unk] be a finite family of finite subsets of the n-dimensional lattice Z(n), and let tau denote the group of all translations of Z(n). We shall here consider the Pompeiu problem for the family [unk]-namely, to determine when the only function f:Z(n) --> C such that [Formula: see text] is the zero function.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of personality traits of the middle aged on quality of life while mediated by self-concepts such as self-efficacy and self-derogation, as well as while moderated by subjective socio-economic variables such as economic status, social activities and employment. To verify the conceptual causality model and moderating effects of contextual variables, we analysed 353 cases out of purposively collected 400 cases from a medium sized city. As results, first, conscientiousness of personality traits positively affected quality of life of the middle aged while mediated by self-concepts. Second, neuroticism of personality traits negatively affected quality of life while mediated by self-concepts. Third, agreeableness of personality traits did not eventually affect quality of life, although affected negatively on self-efficacy and positively on self-derogation. Fourth, socio-economic variables such as economic status, social activities and employment moderated various paths in the model, which indicated dynamics of internal variables were affected by contextual variables.


Isoflavones decrease blood pressure, improve lipid profiles, and restore vascular function. We hypothesized that isoflavone attenuates vascular contraction by inhibiting RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling pathway. Rat aortic rings were denuded of endothelium, mounted in organ baths, and contracted with 11,9 epoxymethano-prostaglandin F2α (U46619), a thromboxane A2 analog, or KCl 30 min after the pretreatment with genistein (4′,5,7-trihydroxyisoflavone), daidzein (4′,7-dihydroxyisoflavone), or vehicle. We determined the phosphorylation level of the myosin light chain (MLC20), myosin phosphatase-targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1), and protein kinase C-potentiated inhibitory protein for heterotrimeric myosin light-chain phosphatase of 17 kDa (CPI17) by means of the Western blot. We also measured the amount of GTP RhoA as a marker regarding RhoA activation. The cumulative additions of U46619 or KCl increased vascular tension in a concentration-dependent manner, which were inhibited by pretreatment with genistein or daidzein. Both U46619 (30 nM) and KCl (50 mM) increased MLC20 phosphorylation levels, which were inhibited by genistein and daidzein. Furthermore, both genistein and daidzein decreased the amount of GTP RhoA activated by either U46619 or KCl. U46619 (30 nM) increased phosphorylation of the MYPT1Thr855 and CPI17Thr38, which were also inhibited by genistein or daidzein. However, neither genistein nor daidzein inhibited phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate-induced vascular contraction and CPI17 phosphorylation. In conclusion, isoflavone attenuates vascular contraction, at least in part, through inhibition of the RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling pathway.


The role of semen in heterosexual transmission of the HIV-1 has been marginally viewed as an inert vehicle for the delivery of virus. However, studies from the field of reproductive biology have made it clear that seminal fluid is a complex and dynamic medium containing high concentrations of factors that play key roles in modulating the local immune response in the female reproductive tract during fertilization and embryogenesis. It is therefore strongly implied that the same seminal factors responsible for guiding the immune response in reproduction also play a role in male-to-female transmission of HIV-1. To begin to understand how these factors affect male-to-female HIV-1 transmission, multiple studies have comparatively profiled the contents of seminal fluid collected from uninfected and HIV-1-infected men. This review provides an overview of these studies, as well as a discussion of the potential impact of semen on HIV-1 transmission.


An averaged two‐fluid model is used to study the motion of a cloud of bubbles. The linearized equations of motion are shown to be a wave equation with both dissipation and dispersion. The fully nonlinear equations are also examined and it is demonstrated that the cutoff frequency of the cloud is equal to the natural frequency of a single bubble. The steady linear response of a periodically driven bubble cloud is then derived. Resonances are seen to arise when the driving frequency is below the cutoff frequency. The inner core of the cloud is shielded by an outer layer when the driving is above the cutoff frequency. The nonlinear dynamics of periodically driven bubble clouds is studied numerically. It is found that the cutoff frequency is crucial in determining whether or not the cloud will behave like a single bubble. Also, under some conditions the cloud is seen to behave like a damped and driven single‐degree‐of‐freedom Hamiltonian system.


Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a highly pruritic, chronic, and relapsing inflammatory skin disorder affecting 10-20% of children worldwide. During the past year there have been significant advances in our understanding of the cellular and immunologic mechanisms underlying AD as well as the immunologic triggers involved in its pathogenesis. The introduction of a new class of topical anti-inflammatory medications, topical calcineurin inhibitors, has significantly increased our treatment options and led to the rethinking of potential management approaches in AD.


The HAARP HF facility is used to modulate the components of the auroral electrojet that flow in the D‐region of the ionosphere, creating ELF/VLF radiation which is then measured at a receiver co‐located with the HAARP HF antenna. An HF heating model is coupled to a full wave plasma interaction FDTD code to determine the ELF/VLF response of the ionospheric plasma to the modulated HF stimulation. The predicted FDTD fields on the ground are found to be in remarkable agreement with those measured at a receiver co‐located with HAARP. The FDTD code also predicts an upwardly propagating whistler mode that is tightly bound to the magnetic field lines.


Timed communicating sequential processes (TCSP) language is used to specify fine-grain and coarse-grain multimedia synchronization. A lip synchronization system is an example of fine-grain synchronization. Several groupware scenarios are examples of coarse-grain synchronization. The formal specifications are used as the basis of verification and simulation. Safety and liveness timing requirements of the synchronization system are stated in terms of temporal logic formulas. Correctness analysis of the specification is shown using the temporal formulas and TCSP proof theory. It is shown that TCSP is powerful enough to be used in multimedia system design and verification. Next, simulation of multimedia synchronization is discussed. Various simulation models are developed for fine- and coarse-grain synchronization systems. It is shown that simulation modeling can lead to early detection of possible synchronization violations. The buffering requirements of a given synchronization mechanism can be effectively studied using simulation.


Abstract Conclusion: High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection was significantly related to lymph node size in patients with single node metastasis of oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between high-risk HPV infection and lymph node size in patients with single node metastasis of oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: This study included 48 patients with oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma. Pathologic lymph node stages comprised 36 N1 and 12 N2a. Results: High-risk HPV in situ hybridization was positive in 29% of patients (14/48). Of those patients with high-risk HPV, there was a significant difference (p = 0.008) between oral (9.5%) and oropharyngeal (44.4%) cancers. Average lymph node diameter was 20.7 ± 12.6 mm (range 5–54 mm). We found a positive correlation between high-risk HPV status and lymph node size (p = 0.018). Mean lymph node diameter in high-risk HPV-positive cases was 27.3 ± 13.1 mm and 18.0 ± 11.5 mm in high-risk HPV-negative cases. Extracapsular spread (p = 0.030) and cystic nodal metastases (p = 0.019) were also significantly related to lymph node size. High-risk HPV negative status (p = 0.043), advanced tumor stage (p = 0.009), and extracapsular spread (p = 0.038) all had significant adverse effects on 5-year disease-specific survival.


This study examines the performance of printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHE) operated at high temperature subject to the influence of inlet conditions. Simulations are made with three cold plates and three hot plates with mass flow ranging from 0.469kg/h to 4.697kg/h. The inlet temperatures of the cold side and hot side are 200°C and 700°C, respectively. The size of the plate is 272×55×1.65mm with straight channel in the cold side and ZShape channel in the hot plate. The simulation is carried out for three cases (Case1: Vc = 5 m/s, Tc = 200 °C, Vh = 5 m/s, Th = 700 °C; Case2: Vc = 5 m/s, Tc = 200 °C, Vh = 10 m/s, Th = 700 °C; Case3: Vc = 1 m/s, Tc = 200 °C, Vh = 5 m/s, Th = 700 °C). It is found that the effect of inlet velocity on the temperature performance is quite significant, and the heat transfer coefficient is related to the mass flow rate. The distribution of mass flow rate within the channel casts significant effect on the outlet temperature. The calculated results indicated the effectiveness (Case1) is 0.72 which is much higher than those of Case2 (0.704) and Case3 (0.574).Yet the second cold plate shows the maximum temperature difference and the pressure drop in all three cases of simulation.


Current digital radiography systems are rapidly growing in clinical applications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of a mobile digital radiographic system. The performance of the mobile DR system was evaluated by measuring the modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE). Measurements were made on a LISTEM Mobix-1000 generator and a Teleoptic PRA Alpha- R4000 detector. Imaging characteristics were measured for these two systems using the IEC 61267's RQA5 (kVp: 74, additional filtration: 21 mmAl) radiographic condition. The result for the mobile DR system, MTF at 10% and DQE values using 0.19mR at 0 cycles/mm were measured as 2.4 cycles/mm and 43%, respectively. This high DQE at low frequencies may be useful for low frequency information. The NPS curves gradually decreased at high spatial frequencies. The NPS and the DQE curves show some exposure dependency with lower NPS and DQE value at higher exposure. The results suggested that mobile DR system could be integrated with emergency ambulance system in teleradiologic imaging applications.


This paper investigated the reliability of semiconductor 1.3-/spl mu/m multiquantum-well (MQW) Fabry-Perot laser diodes (LDs) in a quarter 2-in wafer level that are measured to have uniform threshold currents, slope efficiencies, and wavelengths within 4% of the maximum deviation. By performing the accelerated aging test under a constant optical power of 3 mW at 85/spl deg/C for 2100 h, the lifetime of the fabricated optoelectronic devices was estimated, where the failure rate was matched on the fitted line of the lognormal distribution model resulting in the mean-time-to-failure (MTTF) of 2/spl times/10/sup 6/ h operating at room temperature.


With introduction of smart things into our lives, cloud computing is used in many different areas and changes the communication method. However, cloud computing should guarantee the complete security assurance in terms of privacy protection, confidentiality, and integrity. In this paper, a Homomorphic Encryption Scheme based on Elliptic Curve Cryptography (HES-ECC) is proposed for secure data transfer and storage. The scheme stores the data in the cloud after encrypting them. While calculations, such as addition or multiplication, are applied to encrypted data on cloud, these calculations are transmitted to the original data without any decryption process. Thus, the cloud server has only ability of accessing the encrypted data for performing the required computations and for fulfilling requested actions by the user. Hence, storage and transmission security of data are ensured. The proposed public key HES-ECC is designed using modified Weil-pairing for encryption and additional homomorphic property. HES-ECC also uses bilinear pairing for multiplicative homomorphic property. Security of encryption scheme and its homomorphic aspects are based on the hardness of Elliptic Curve Discrete Logarithm Problem (ECDLP), Weil Diffie-Hellman Problem (WDHP), and Bilinear Diffie-Helman Problem (BDHP).


A portable C arm was modified for cone-beam computed tomography (CT). This three-dimensional (3D) CT imaging system facilitated the acquisition of fluoroscopic images during a 190 degrees rotation and computed a 3D data cube (matrix, 256 x 256 x 256; scanning time, 100 seconds) with multiplanar image reformation. The high-contrast resolution, 0.9 line pairs per millimeter, was comparable; the low-contrast resolution, minimal; and the radiation dose, 60%-80% lower, as compared with these parameters at spiral CT. The normal anatomy of small joints could be depicted, and the osteosynthesis screws in the talus were correctly identified.


The U.S. government has moved closer to merging and streamlining two separate environmental satellite programs operated by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Earlier this month, the government installed the Integrated Polar Acquisition and Control Subsystem in a Commerce Department facility in Suitland, Maryland. Beginning next summer, the system will operate the two environmental satellites in DOD's Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. Under merger plans, NOAA will be responsible for operating the DOD satellite system as well as its own. The elimination of separate systems could save $678 million through fiscal year 1999, according to James Mannen, Director of the federal government's Integrated Program Office


The main purpose of this paper is to characterize and compare two forms any relativist thesis can take: indexical relativism and genuine relativism. Indexical relativists claim that the implicit indexicality of certain sentences is the only source of relativity. Genuine relativists, by contrast, claim that there is relativity not just at the level of sentences, but also at propositional level. After characterizing each of the two forms and discussing their difficulties, I argue that the difference between the two is significant.


Ultrawideband characteristics of Sierpinski carpet fractal antennas fabricated on silicon substrates with the resistivities of 2290, 79.6, and 10 /spl Omega//spl middot/cm were investigated. The return losses lower than -10 dB and high transmission gains of approximately -14 dB were obtained for the antennas with 10-mm distance on the Si substrate with the resistivity of 2290 /spl Omega//spl middot/cm in the frequency range from 18 to 26.5 GHz. Gaussian monocycle pulses with 70 ps pulsewidth were transmitted in the Si substrates successfully and the corresponding voltage gains were -23, -26, and -39 dB for the Si resistivities of 2290, 79.6, and 10 /spl Omega//spl middot/cm, respectively.


In traditional query processing approaches, execution engine executes query according to an efficient query execution plan generated by query optimizer. However, PDBMS (Peer-based Database Management System) runs in an unpredictable environment, where optimizer is not able to generate an efficient query execution plan based on available statistics. We present a distributed, adaptive data integration architecture–PADIA, which can execute queries quickly and provide query results in an incremental manner. PADIA collects statistics during query execution, and generates different query execution plans for different data segments based on statistics collected. By distributing query executing tasks to different nodes, PADIA lowers work load of single node and accelerates the execution of queries. Experiments show that PADIA is able to provide query results quickly and stably.


The proportion of the lymphocytes which produce the cytokines corresponding to murine T helper- (Th1) or Th2 cells was studied using flow cytometry in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). When the peripheral mononuclear cells were stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin in the presence of monensin, which blocks the secretion of cytokines, the positive rates for the cytoplasmic IL-2 and IFN-gamma were lower and those for the cytoplasmic IL-4 and IL-10 were higher in SLE than in normal subjects. When the cells were cultured with monensin alone, the positive rates for these 4 cytokines were slightly increased in SLE. These data suggest that the mononuclear cells are already activated in vivo and a deviation of the proportion of the Th cells to the Th2-like ones might be associated with the polyclonal B cell activation seen in SLE.


This paper will start with an assessment on how the capability approach within a feminist economic framework can be used to analyse the determinants of gender inequalities and then to address public policies that are able to contrast them. To analyse public policies within a feminist economic framework and in the capability approach reference will be made to the methodology proposed in Addabbo, Lanzi, Picchio (2010) and a special focus will be devoted on work that will be analysed with reference to the indicators developed to measure it and in a feminist economics perspective (Picchio, 2003). Its link with other relevant dimensions of well-being will be highlighted together with the extent of gender inequalities in its achievement. In this setting a selection of public policies will be evaluated to uncover their effects on the capability of working and gender inequality in its development and in its conversion into observable functionings.


The powerful capability of VHDL-AMS to describe complex continuous systems in form of differential algebraic equations (DAEs) often leads to problems during numerical simulation. This paper presents a discrete algorithm to analyze unsolvable DAE systems and to correct the underlying hierarchical VHDL-AMS description automatically in interaction with the designer, avoiding time-consuming manual error correction.


An in situ study of the activating layer on GaAs (Cs, O) photocathodes has been made using Auger electron spectroscopy, relative work function, photo-emission and spatial resolution measuring techniques. The layer thickness, composition and work function reduction have been measured for both single- and two-temperature activations. In order to account for the electron transmission probability and the transverse energy of the emitted photo-electrons it is necessary to consider both the work function lowering and the scattering properties of the activating layer. Further it has been shown that neither the heterojunction or dipole models provide an adequate explanation of the properties of the layer which are more consistent with the cluster model of Burt and Heine (1978).


A method is described for determining expected acceleration return periods, based on calculations involving magnitude, fault length and distance to the causative fault. The method permits earthquake magnitude and duration of strong motion to be associated with these return periods. In addition, because attenuation equations are in terms of distance to the causative fault, instead of focal distance, sites can be considered which are in the immediate vicinity of potential faults. Results of calculations indicate that for an average site in the western Nevada region maximum-amplitude, maximum-duration ground motion has a recurrence time of the order of thousands of years. This result, based on a relatively brief sample of instrumental data, is entirely consistent with geological field data representing time periods two to three orders of magnitude longer. Smaller ground motions have correspondingly smaller return periods, down to about a decade for accelerations greater than 0.1 g, when caused by all earthquakes with magnitude 5 or greater. Our results indicate that evaluation of seismic risk in terms of a single peak ground-motion parameter may lead to risk estimates which are several times too high.


MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been described as one of the novel class of molecular regulators. Due to the crucial role miRNA-126 plays in angiogenesis, as well as the necessity of angiogenesis in malignancy, miRNA-126 has been found in association with several types of cancer. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes angiogenesis and is a potent mediator of vascular permeability, as well as being a key mediator of tumour-associated neoangiogenesis and progression. In this study, we have investigated the role of miRNA-126, VEGF-A and their impact on angiogenesis in thyroid cancers. 51 conventional papillary thyroid carcinomas, 37 follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinomas, 13 undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas, 13 matched lymph nodes metastasis and 21 normal thyroid tissues obtained from non-cancer adjacent to benign lesions were recruited as controls. Firstly, extracted miRNAs from selected samples were loaded on a miRNA microarray chip developed by Agilent (Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA) using a pooling method to confirm the expression differences of miRNAs including miRNA-126. Then, miRNA-126 and VEGF-A was tested in individual samples using real-time PCR. In addition, 2 papillary thyroid cancer cell lines (K1 and B-CPAP) and a normal thyroid cell line (Nthy-ori 3-1) were used for the exogenous manipulation of the miRNA-126 and investigation of its effect on VEGF-A expression. The expression of VEGF-A were then measured by immunofluorescence and western blot techniques. The expression of miRNA-126 was noticeably higher in the pool of papillary thyroid carcinoma with metastasis. Using real time PCR, miRNA-126 and VEGF-A were significantly over-expressed in cancer populations compared to controls (p=0.009 and 0.011 respectively). A significant positive correlation between miRNA-126 and VEGF-A expression was also noted (p= 0.00009). Real time PCR of extracted RNA from the cell lines has shown under-expression of miRNA-126 compared to normal cells while VEGF-A RNA and protein were over-expressed. The reduction of VEGF-A protein expression after transfection of miRNA-126 mimic into K1 and B-CPAP, confirms the regulatory role of miRNA-126 on VEGF-A expression in thyroid cancer cell lines. These findings add weight to our previous understanding about the angiogenic role of miRNA-126 in cancer. These experiments provide information on the functional consequences of VEGF manipulation via miRNA on cancer. The data will provide primary information regarding the utility of over-expressing miRNA-126 in cancer management and future development of effective tumour-specific anti-angiogenic therapy. Citation Format: Ali Salajegheh, Haleh Vosgha, Md. Atiqur Rahman, Vinod Gopalan, Robert Anthony Smith, Alfred King-Yin Lam. The modulatory role of miRNA 126 in thyroid cancer angiogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 528. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-528


This SU Libraries Guide, created by the SU Libraries Diversity & Inclusion Committee, celebrates Native American Heritage Month by providing descriptions, resources, events, and other information useful to the campus community and beyond.


Philadelphia (Ph)-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a high-risk B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) characterized by a gene expression profile similar to Ph-positive B-ALL but lacking the BCR-ABL1 translocation. The molecular pathogenesis of Ph-like B-ALL is heterogenous and involves aberrant genomics, receptor overexpression, kinase fusions, and mutations leading to kinase signaling activation, leukemogenic cellular proliferation, and differentiation blockade. Testing for the Ph-like signature, once only a research technique, is now available to the clinical oncologist. The plethora of data pointing to poor outcomes for this ALL subset has triggered investigations into the role of targeted therapies, predominantly involving tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are showing promising results.


The effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) have been well documented across the world with an appreciation that older people and in particular those with dementia have been disproportionately and negatively affected by the pandemic. This is both in terms of their health outcomes (mortality and morbidity), care decisions made by health systems and the longer‐term effects such as neurological damage. The International Dementia Alliance is a group of dementia specialists from six European countries and this paper is a summary of our experience of the effects of COVID‐19 on our populations. Experience from England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland highlight the differential response from health and social care systems and the measures taken to maximise support for older people and those with dementia. The common themes include recognition of the atypical presentation of COVID‐19 in older people (and those with dementia) need to pay particular attention to the care of people with dementia in care homes; the recognition of the toll that isolation can bring on older people and the complexity of the response by health and social services to minimise the negative impact of the pandemic. Potential new ways of working identified during the pandemic could serve as a positive legacy from the crisis.


Currently, agricultural facilities are evaluated using either basic inspections or detailed analysis. However,
conventional analyses as well as methods based on fuzzy logic and rule of thumb have not been very successful in
providing a clear relationship between rating and real state of agricultural facilities, because they can't provide
exactly acceptable reliability of degraded structures with manager or supervisor. Therefore, in this stage, we must
define probabilistic variables for representing degradation of structures being given damages during a survival time.
This paper describes the application of neural network system in developing the relation between subjective ratings
and parameters of agricultural reservoir as well as that between subjective and analytical ratings. It is shown that
neural networks can be trained and used successfully in estimating a rating based on several parameters. The
specific application problem for agricultural reservoir in the rural area of Korea is presented and database is
constructed to maintain training data set, the information of inspection and facilities.
The study showed that a successful training of a neural network could be achieved, especially if the input data set
for target problem contains parameters with a diverse combination of inter-correlation coefficients. The neural
network system is expected to show high performance fairly in estimate than statistical method to use equation that
is consisted of very lowly interrelated variables.


This paper describes the instances of gross hand and limb malformations in the free‐ranging macaques in the forested region of the Kowloon peninsula of Hong Kong. The incidence in this location is compared to that of other macaque groups, most notably the Japanese and rhesus macaques in free‐ranging and captive conditions. Etiology is linked to what is known about suspected local teratogenic agents, particularly in pesticides and fuel emissions.


The covid-19 pandemic has made the traditional learning system distance learning. Some research outside the Indonesian context states that distance learning has become commonplace, but it is different from Indonesia. So that the supporting factors faced by students in carrying out remote teaching are different, especially in the Indonesian context. Since remote teaching was implemented, there have been many obstacles experienced by teachers and students in following the learning process. This study aims to analyze students' perceptions regarding the supporting factors for the implementation of remote teaching. This study uses mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) which aims to analyze more valid and accurate data results. The focus of this research is 142 eleventh grade students who have carried out remote teaching. In data collection, researchers conducted literature studies, interviews and questionnaires. The results of this study show that there are ten factors supporting the implementation of distance learning found in the matrix literature review and confirmed by the subject. The supporting factors found can be used as guidelines for the government, teachers and students in implementing the distance learning process in the future.


During the last years the interest in silicon and boron carbonitrides developed remarkably. This interest is mainly based on the extraordinary properties, expected from theoretical considerations. In this time significant improvements were made in the synthesis of silicon
carbonitride SiCxNy and boron carbonitride BCxNy films by both physical and chemical methods.
In the Si–C–N and B-C-N ternary systems a set of phases is situated, namely diamond, SiC, -Si3N4, c-BN, B4C, and -C3N4, which have important practical applications. SiCxNy has drawn considerable interest due to its excellent new properties in comparison with the Si3N4 and SiC binary phases. The silicon carbonitride coatings are of importance because they can potentially be used in wear and corrosion protection, high-temperature oxidation resistance, as a good moisture barrier for high-temperature industrial as well as strategic applications. Their properties are low electrical conductivity, high hardness, a low friction coefficient, high photosensitivity in the UV region, and good field emission characteristics. All these characteristics have led to a rapid increase in research activities on the synthesis of SiCxNy compounds. In addition to these properties, low density and good thermal shock resistance are very important requirements for future aerospace and automobile parts applications to
enhance the performance of the components. SiCxNy is also an important material in micro- and nano-electronics and sensor technologies due to its excellent mechanical and electrical properties. The material possesses good optical transmittance properties. This is very useful for membrane applications, where the support of such films is required (Fainer et al., 2007, 2008; Mishra, 2009; Wrobel, et al., 2007, 2010; Kroke et al., 2000). The structural similarity between the allotropic forms of carbon and boron nitride
(hexagonal BN and graphite, cubic BN and diamond), and the fact that B-N pairs are isoelectronic to C-C pairs, was the basis for predictions of the existence of ternary BCxNy
compounds with notable properties (Samsonov et al., 1962; Liu et al., 1989; Lambrecht & Segall, 1993; Zhang et al., 2004). This prediction has stimulated intensive research in the last 40 years towards the synthesis of ternary boron carbonitride. BCxNy compounds are interesting in both the cubic (c-BCN) and hexagonal (h-BCN) structure. On the one hand, the ...


To evaluate the knowledge of health professionals in a public teaching hospital about the National Patient Safety Program. Cross-sectional study, applying knowledge questionnaires from the National Patient Safety Program and Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC). Descriptive, univariate and multivariate analyzes were performed. The study included 331 professionals, 44.0% nursing technicians / assistants, 29.7% nurses, 17.1% doctors and 10.5% other professionals. Of the 287 professionals who answered the question about the Program's knowledge, 78% said they did not know it, almost all (94.5%) were unaware of its six protocols and 90.1% did not receive training on this public policy. Nurses (OR = 15.46; 95% CI = 2.88-82.96) and professionals who held administrative positions with direct contact with the patient (OR = 55.46; 95% CI = 10.23-300.54) if highlighted the knowledge of the existence of the protocols. The degree of knowledge reported by the professionals proved to be insufficient, demonstrating a possible negligence regarding the theme by managers and educators.


Borrowing from the legacy of feminist and multicultural theories, various counseling fields have applied portions of empowerment theory to their work with oppressed clients. This article examines the main concepts associated with empowerment theory and provides important implications for professional school counselors.


Introduction. Fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistant Salmonella are classified as high priority pathogens by WHO. FQ resistance among Salmonella Typhi has emerged rapidly and is predominantly mediated by mutations in the topoisomerase genes gyrA, and parC. Mutations in GyrA result in classical FQ resistance (DCS-NAR) i.e. decreased susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (MIC of 0.12 to 0.5 µg ml-1) (DCS) and resistance to nalidixic acid (NAR). Previously a nalidixic acid disc test was proposed for detection of DCS. Recently isolates with non-classical FQ resistance caused by plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) and mutations in GyrB have emerged. These mechanisms also result in DCS but are nalidixic acid susceptible (NAS) and thus pose diagnostic challenges. CLSI and EUCAST have recommended use of 5 µg pefloxacin discs for detection of DCS in Salmonella.Hypothesis. The CLSI and EUCAST recommendations for use of 5 µg pefloxacin for detection of DCS has not been validated on typhoidal Salmonella and resistance mediated by GyrB mutation in Salmonella species.Aim. The aim of the present study was to validate the performance of the 5 µg pefloxacin discs to detect isolates of S. Typhi with DCS with special reference to GyrB mutations.Methodology. A total of 180 clinical isolates of Salmonella Typhi (2005-2014) were investigated for genetic mechanisms of resistance. Zone diameters for nalidixic acid (30μg), ciprofloxacin (5μg) and pefloxacin (5µg) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ciprofloxacin were determined using CLSI guidelines. Performance of the three discs was evaluated to detect FQ resistance in S. Typhi.Results. Topoisomerase mutations in GyrB +/ ParC and GyrB were detected in 112 and 34 isolates respectively. Different mutations have a varied effect on the MIC for ciprofloxacin. The current breakpoints for susceptible (≤0.06 µg ml-1) and non-susceptible (≥0.125 µg ml-1), failed to detect all isolates with a resistance mechanism. Performance of both ciprofloxacin and pefloxacin discs were excellent compared to nalidixic acid in differentiating isolates with non-classical resistance mediated by GyrB from wild-type.Conclusion. The pefloxacin disc can be used to detect FQ resistance among S. Typhi. This is the first report of validation of pefloxacin for detection of FQ resistance in S. Typhi mediated by GyrB mutation.


Education, a long neglected variable affecting psychological test score, is in search of reemphasis. Some evidence for this has accumulated on the psychological tests constructed and standardized here at the department of Psychiatry, P.G.I., Chandigarh. Tentative norms prepared education wise on WAIS-Verbal section, PGI-Memory Scale, Proverb and Similarity Tests, Psychoticism Questionnaire, and PGI MQN 2, for adults, in the age range of 16-50, are reported. The results showed marked difference in the mean scores of different educational categories and thus stressed the need for reporting norms separately for different educational levels.