Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current developments to "mainstream" and standardise sustainability reporting and the consequences of those changes. Those changes give rise to the colonisation of sustainability reporting through the adoption of financial reporting concepts.

Design/methodology/approach
This research draws on critical theory, particularly the work of Foucault, to understand the dynamics of accounting change. This approach provides an alternative to the current narrative that the concepts that underpin reporting are universal and timeless.

Findings
It is suggested that if the aim of mandatory sustainability reporting is to promote companies adopting sustainable business models, then it must properly reflect the context of the company. Both transactive and relationship information is critical to providing an account that can be used to judge the performance of the corporation beyond its production of short-term net positive cash flows.

Practical implications
The design of standard setting arrangements for sustainability reporting needs to recognise that it may be unhelpful to simply adopt financial reporting concepts for the purposes of directing corporate behaviour towards sustainable development.

Social implications
Continuing to adopt a view of the corporation as a nexus of contracts with no clear accountability to stakeholders is likely to stymie efforts to deal with the environmental and social crisis facing people and planet.

Originality/value
Whilst other works have considered the development of sustainability reporting, to the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to consider the impacts of "mainstreaming" it within mandatory corporate reporting.


High numbers of adult stem cells are still required to improve the formation of new vessels in scaffolds to accelerate dermal regeneration. Recent data indicate a benefit for vascularization capacity by stimulating stem cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this study, stem cells derived from human skin (SDSC) were activated with LPS and seeded in a commercially available dermal substitute to examine vascularization in vivo. Besides, in vitro assays were performed to evaluate angiogenic factor release and tube formation ability. Results showed that LPS-activated SDSC significantly enhanced vascularization of the scaffolds, compared to unstimulated stem cells in vivo. Further, in vitro assays confirmed higher secretion rates of proangiogenic as well as proinflammatoric factors in the presence of LPS-activated SDSC. Our results suggest that combining activated stem cells and a dermal substitute is a promising option to enhance vascularization in scaffold-mediated dermal regeneration.


Proliposomal patch of clenbuterol, bronchodilator, was prepared and its feasibility as a novel transdermal drug delivery system was examined. Proliposomal granules containing clenbuterol was prepared by a standard method using sorbitol and lecithin with (Rx 2) or without cholesterol (Rx 1). The porous structure of sorbitol in the proliposomes was maintained allowing tree flowability of the granules. Following contact with water, the granules were converted probably to liposomes almost completely within several minutes. It indicates that proliposomes may be hydrated, when they are applied on the skin under occlusive condition in vivo, by the sweat to form liposomes. Clenbuterol release from Rx 1 and Rx 2 proliposomes to pH 7.4 isotonic phospate buffer (PBS) across cellulose membrane (mol. wt. cut-off of 12000-14000) was retarded significantly compared with that from the mixture of clenbuterol powder and blank proliposomes. Interestingly, proliposomes prepared with lecithin and cholesterol (i.e., Rx 2 proliposomes) showed much more retarded release of clenbuterol than proliposomes prepared only with lecithin (i.e.. Rx 1 proliposomes), indicating that clenbuterol release from proliposomes can be controlled by the addition of cholesterol to the proliposomes. Proliposomal patches were prepared using PVC film as an occlusive backing sheet, two sides adhesive tape (urethane, 1.45 mm thickness) as a reservoir for proliposome granules and Millipore MF-membrane (0.45 mm pore size) as a drug release-controlling membrane. Rx 1 or Rx 2 proliposomes containing 4.6 mg of clenbuterol were loaded into the reservoir of the patch. Clenbuterol release from the patches to pH 7.4 PBS was determined using USP paddle (50 rpm)-over-disc release method. Clenbuterol release from the proliposomal patches was much more retarded even than from a matrix type clenbuterol patch (Boehringer Ingelheim ltd). Being consistent with clenbuterol release from the proliposomal granules, the release from the patches was highly dependent on the presence of cholesterol in the proliposomes : Patches containing Rx 2 proliposomes showed several fold slower drug release than patches containing Rx 1 proliposomes. When the patch containing Rx 1 proliposomes was applied on to the back of a hair-removed rat, clenbuterol concentration in the rat blood was maintained during 6-72 hrs. Transdermal absorption of clenbuterol from the patch was accelerated when the patch was prehydrated with 50 ml of pH 7.4 PBS before topical application. Above results indicate that sustained transdermal delivery of clenbuterol is feasible using proliposomal patches if the cholesterol content and pore size of the release rate-controlling membrane of patches, for example, are appropriately controlled.


The imbalance of physical activities will provide a problem on students' fitness in carrying out learning activities. The physical fitness quality of students of Islamic boarding school is the focus of this research to describe clearly how the balance of students' physical activities and how their physical fitness. This research is descriptive research with qualitative approach. The technique of collecting student fitness data through Multistage Fitness Test (MFT) to determine the value of VO2Max. The respondents were 27 active students of MTs Islamic Boarding School Sumberwringin. Data analysis techniques using percentages based on physical fitness norms from Davis et al. The results showed that the students' physical fitness level of MTs Islamic Boarding School Sumberwringin was in the moderate category as the result of good enough balance in physical activities.


A new dietherpyrene-cored diamine monomer, namely, 4,5-bis(4-aminophenoxy)pyrene, was successful synthesized and formed a series of electroactive polyamides with an aryloxy linkage in a polymer main chain and bearing pyrene chromophore as a pendent group using conventional one-pot polycondensation reactions with commercial aromatic/aliphatic dicarboxylic acids. The resulting polyamides exhibited good solubility in polar organic solvents and, further, can be made into transparent films. They had appropriate levels of thermal stability with moderately high glass-transition values. The dilute NMP solutions of these polyamides exhibited pyrene characteristic fluorescence and also showed a remarkable additional excimer emission peak centered at 475 nm. Electrochemical studies of these polymer films showed that these polyamides have both p- and n-dopable states as a result of the formation of radical cations and anions of the electroactive pyrene moieties.


Coma is a pathological condition of unconsciousness in which the patient cannot be awaken by any stimuli (lack of arousal), whose eyes are closed and who has no awareness of self or environment (lack of content of consciousness). Toxic coma is usually transient and disappears after elimination of xenobiotic, and possibly its active metabolites, from the body. Authors present the etiological factors, clinical features and principles of diagnosis and management of toxic coma. Additionally, mechanisms of altered consciousness induced iatrogenically by general anesthetics as well as a brief description of their toxicity are presented.


We investigated the prevalence of and factors associated with lipodystrophy in a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in Singapore. A standardized questionnaire was administered to 410 consecutive patients (mainly Chinese men), and blood samples were obtained for metabolic measurements for fasting patients. Peripheral fat loss was reported by 46% of subjects, central fat gain was reported by 32%, and 8% of patients overall had a mixed clinical presentation. Levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and lactate were elevated in 19%, 38%, 12%, and 16% of patients, respectively. A mixture of drug-related and non-drug-related factors was associated with these changes. The body-shape changes affected the mood of 36% of patients and the work and/or social activity of 23% of patients, but only <1% of affected subjects reported a desire to stop receipt of antiretroviral therapy because of these changes. We conclude that the prevalence of and factors associated with body-shape changes and metabolic abnormalities in HIV-infected Asian patients are similar to those reported for Western cohorts, but the changes did not appear to have a major psychosocial impact on this patient population.


Abstract Pharmaceutical marketing services (PMS) are a key component of pharmaceutical companies' marketing strategies in that they create links between the pharmaceutical company and the physician. They are is also a link between physician and patients locally and globally. PMS discussed in this paper provide various services from tangible to intangible products in order to increase the physicians and pharmacists prescribing activities of their treatment modalities. Given the high cost of recruiting, training, and supporting PMS global marketing efforts, it is important for PMS channels to understand the significance of pharmaceutical multinational companies to ascribe to prescription drug services provided in Thailand. This created the unique marketing environment for the pharmaceutical companies. This study examines whether there is a gap in the existing cholesterol-lowering medication prescribed by physicians in Thailand and the newly introduced brand to the U.S. market. The degree of the new product adoption is analyzed through physician prescription frequency and records. Results of the study indicate there is significant improvement in the health conditions of the users of the new cholesterol medication among Thailand patients. Physicians in Thailand were, however, faced with competing brands in the market due to aggressiveness of advertising and promotion by multinational pharmaceutical marketing and manufacturers Associations. Perceived value and benefit to users were significant outcome of the study. More diagnostic and prescriptive research is recommended to cover Southeast Asia and other parts of the developing countries.


Time‐series profiles of gene expression generated by DNA microarrays possess sufficient information for building dynamic models of transcriptional behavior. This, however, requires properly designed experiments and sufficient independent data to validate such models. Here we report the use of AutoRegressive with eXogenous input (ARX) models to fit dynamic gene expression data obtained by subjecting cultures of the photosynthetic bacterium Synechocystis PCC6803 to consecutive light‐to‐dark transitions. Autoregressive with exogenous input models of appropriate complexity were selected by applying Akaike's information criterion (AIC) such as to maximize agreement between model predictions with experimental data without overfitting. These models were subsequently used to design the experimental profile of an optimal validating data set. Predictions from these models were tested in a second experiment and were found to match well with the validation data. Additionally, the models with the least error in predicting the expression profiles of the validation data set exactly match the model complexity predicted by AIC. Such models offer insights into cellular responses to environmental conditions and form the basis for hypothesizing and quantifying relationships that are presently poorly understood at the level of fundamental mechanisms. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The estimation of diagonal elements of a Wiener model kernel is a well-known problem. The new operators and notations proposed here aim at the implementation of efficient and accurate nonparametric algorithms for the identification of diagonal points. The formulas presented here allow a direct implementation of Wiener kernel identification up to theth order. Their efficiency is demonstrated by simulations conducted on discrete Volterra systems up to fifth order.


Codefication must be implemented properly and correctly by the rules of the International Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems Tenth Revision (ICD-10) because it is one source of data that will be used for decision making to prevent mortality due to morbidity. The purpose of this study to determine the accuracy of inpatient morbidity codification to support the quality of the report ten illnesses in Cimahi Hospital in 2019. This research uses a descriptive method with quantitative data and descriptive quantitative research design. The population used in this study is the inpatient medical records in particular morbidity already codification and have multiple diagnoses in the period from January until the Month in February 2019 with a sample of 100 medical records. The sampling technique used a purposive sampling method. The analysis showed that the amount of code that is accurate as much as 23% (23 medical records) and inaccurate by 77% (77 (seventyseven) medical records). As for some of the factors that lead to inaccurate diagnosis codes in Cimahi Hospital includes policies and standard operating procedure that has not been able to accommodate and ensure the accuracy of the results codification. Implementation codification not by the rules should be. Officers codification not abstracting medical records and did not apply the classification of the rule contained in the ICD10 book. Suggestions should be made of technical guidelines codification and revisions to the standard operating procedure, in addition to the need for the application of the rules of morbidity coding and abstraction of medical records and improved worker performance by holding seminars and training coder, regular meetings at least 1 (one) month to discuss the problems and obstacles at the time of codification.


Bridges are the most common types of structures generally adopted when there is a obstacle in the path such as water body, valley, road etc without closing the way underneath. Moving live load is one of the critical loading for which bridge superstructure need to be analysed by developing model as realistic as possible. Even though various conventional methods are present for the analysis of bridge superstructure but finite element analysis gives us more realistic behavior of structure. The objective of the thesis is to develop a finite element model of T-beam slab bridge ,bridge pier and pier footing and analyse to study behavior of bridge superstructure for moving live load as per Indian road congress standards given in IRC:6-2017 and IRC: 112-2011 and the dead load of the structure.
In my work, bridge deck is modelled as Mindlin-Reissner plate element which is two dimensional plate in which shear deformations effect is considered whereas longitudinal girders ,cross girders and diaphragms are modelled using Euler-Bernoulli's grid element which are a one dimensional element . A MATLAB code is developed to model T-beam slab composite action in which beam elements is modelled in plane of plate element so that the nodes of beams are coincide to the nodes of the plate by doing such center of gravity of the beam coincides with the plate element ignoring offset present between them. Moving live load analysis is performed using step by step method in which load moves in longitudinal as well as transverse direction giving the worst case for maximum bending moments, shear forces and deflections. Then Moving live load analysis for 2 lane T-beam bridge is carried out for IRC Class 70R wheeled vehicle and compare the result by modeled in sap2000,2016 of same dimension and the effect of the number of cross girders in the deck span on bending moments, shear forces and deflections of longitudinal girders is presented.


A ductile fracture toughness (J/sub Ic/) test that uses fracture specimens with finite differences in crack area is reviewed. Experimental results are given for Ti-6Al-4V, A471 Ni-Cr-Mo-V rotor steel, and 4140 high strength steel. Resistance to further crack propagation after initiation is discussed in terms of the tearing modulus, which is equal to dJ/dA, A being the crack area. A useful expression for the tearing modulus is given. 8 references, 2 figures, 1 table.


This paper proposes to highlight the effectiveness of storytelling as a powerful and persuasive communication tool in the corporate context. This peculiar kind of communicative approach allows the creation of a symbolic universe potentially shared by the public, with which not only can it recognize itself, but with which it can actually interact. The fundamental theories of narration and their evolution are taken into consideration, as well as the evolution of the consumer into prosumer and the sociological and economic consequences emerged. In the present paper we will discuss two case studies: Wind: Papa – an example of a short film with a strong emotional impact on the audience and a revolutionary message – and Leon Vivien: Facebook 1914 – a masterful example of how narrative content can be exploited using different mediums and the potential of social networks.


The success of curricular reforms is dependent on the teachers who put the reforms into practice. In medical education, clinicians as teachers are important in this endeavour and the educational organization can learn from their efforts. The 'Vygotsky space' construct may help to analyze the learning process between teachers and organization. A case study is presented that shows how a teaching community acted as an enabler in this learning process.


A study was made to investigate the microstructure and the mechanical properties of low-carbon steel, Al-Mg alloy and Ti-6Al-4V alloy each representing bcc, fcc and hcp crystal structures, respectively fabricated by equal-channel angular(ECA) pressing. After a series of ECA pressings was performed, most grains were significantly refined below in diameter with high mis-orientation of grain boundaries irrespective of different crystal structure used. Regarding the strain hardening capability, tensile tests of ultrafine grain (UFG) dual-phase (ferrite/martensite) steel which was different from UFG ferrite-pearlite steel were carried out at ambient temperature, and corresponding mechanical properties were discussed in relation to modified C-J analysis. Low-temperature and/or high strain-rate superplasticity of the UFG Al-Mg alloy and UFG Ti-6Al-4V alloy were also studied. Based on the analysis used in this study, it was concluded that UFG alloys exhibited the enhanced mechanical properties as compared to coarse-grained (CG) counterparts.


Background and aims To investigate the influencing factors of quality of life (QOL) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods QOL of 104 SLE patients were investigated by SF-36 scale (Chinese version). Depression, anxiety, social support, sleep quality and fatigue were evaluated by PHQ-9, GAD-7, social support rating scale (SSRS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and VAS respectively. The demographic and clinical data were also recorded. SLE disease activity was assessed by SLEDAI. Results In SF-36 scale, scores of SLE patients were lower than normal people in global score and in all dimensionalities (p<0.05). SLEDAI, PHQ-9, GAD-7, PQSI and fatigue correlated negatively with SF-36 scores (p<0.01). SSRS correlated positively with SF-36 scores (p<0.01). In binary logistic regression analyses, disease activity, anxiety, social support, sleep quality and fatigue were the independent determinants of QOL in SLE (R2 =0.860, p<0.01). Conclusions QOL of SLE patients are lower than normal people. Disease activity, anxiety, social support, sleep quality and fatigue are the major influencing factors of QOL in SLE.


The aim of this study was to determine whether professional sports activities and intensive training practice affect pathological changes of the Achilles tendon. We also aimed to investigate whether these injuries primarily occur earlier or later in life. This was a cross sectional study of 214 athletes and non-athletes between the ages of 17-66. Participants were divided into four groups: 63 active young athletes, 64 young persons not involved in sports, 6 elderly athletes and 58 elderly people who did not participate in intensive athletic activities during their lifetimes. Ultrasound measurements of the Achilles tendon were performed on all participants. All participants also completed a self-administered survey to collect demographic information and data on athletic participation. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. Overall, those who were active athletes sought medical care more often than those who did not participate regularly in sports. Twenty-seven (33%) of young athletes had some Achilles tendon pathology, compared to 9 (14%) younger non-athletes. A total of 36 (64%) of elderly athletes were diagnosed with Achilles tendon disorders, compared to 15 (26%) of elderly people who were not active in sports. Microtears, acute tendonitis and peritendonitis were associated with younger age. By contrast, calcifications, scar tissue, and partial or complete rupture were only seen in the elderly


Economics depends heavily on assumptions made about the phenomenon of institutional variety and its implications for technological capabilities in economic development. This article contributes to new ways of thinking of institutional variety in order to advance scientific argument within the broad tradition of evolutionary political economy (EPE). First, it draws on the Nyāya (Hindu) systems of logic and reasoning about inference and judgement which can potentially reveal inter-and intra-paradigmatic differences for EPE and economics. Second, it uses four brief illustrative cases from the author's development research on technological learning and innovation to argue for more explicit and systematic treatment of inference and judgement about institutional variety. Implications for the future of economics are briefly discussed.


Detailed chemical analyses of marine halite rock ranging in age from Cambrian to Holocene are compared. If evaporite deposits reflect the geologic history of sea water, then a similar composition of rock salt of differing ages suggests that the ratio between ions in sea water has remained approximately constant since Cambrian time. Certain elements, such as strontium and boron, are depleted in marine halite rock because they are deposited respectively earlier and later in the evaporation sequence. Lead is enriched a thousandfold, possibly because of heavy-metal concentration by microorganisms.


The long-term prognosis of vertigo and hearing loss in patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome was examined in the present study. We treated 23 patients with facial palsy, herpes zoster oticus and vertigo and/or hearing loss with steroids and acyclovir at our university hospital between 1998 and 2000. Facial palsy and herpes zoster oticus were accompanied by vertigo in 11 patients and by sensorineural hearing loss in 7 patients. One year after onset, 4 of 11 patients with vertigo showed persistent severe CP (canal paresis). They had persistent head-shaking after nystagmus and were handicapped in their daily life due to dizziness. The prognosis of vertigo is similar to that of vestibular neuronitis, but unlike that of vertigo with sudden deafness, in which a lesion is likely present in the inner ear. This finding suggests that vertigo with Ramsay Hunt syndrome is due to a lesion of the vestibular nerve. One year after onset, all 7 patients with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss demonstrated by falling audiogram showed normal hearing irrespective of accompaniment of vertigo. The prognosis of sensorineural hearing loss is different from that of sudden deafness. This finding suggests that sensorineural hearing loss with Ramsay Hunt syndrome is due to a lesion of the cochlear nerve.


The inhibition effect of a new synthesized organic inhibitor , namely 1-(3-Nitrobenzylidene) Thiosemicarbazide (A) on the corrosion of mild steel in 0.5 M sulphuric acid have been investigated at room temperature using weight loss, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) and Tafel polarization measurements. The inhibition efficiencies obtained from all methods employed are in good agreement with each other. The obtained results show that compound (A) is a very good inhibitor with efficiency of 98% at 100 ppm additive concentration in acid solution. Generally the inhibition efficiency increased with increase of inhibitor concentration. Changes in impedance parameters ( R ct and C dl ) were indicative of adsorption of compound (A) on the metal surface, leading to the formation of a protective film. Tafel polarization measurements showed that the inhibitor (A) is a mixed type. The adsorption of the inhibitor on the surface of mild steel in 0.5 M sulphuric acid was found to obey Longmuir's adsorption isotherm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation, confirmed the existence of an absorbed protective film on the metal surface. The free energy of adsorption process was calculated and discussed. Key Words : inhibitor, mild steel, AC impedance, corrosion inhibition


In the City of Hope Medical Respiratory Care (MRC) program occupational therapy is a dynamic, integral part of the rehabilitation process. Three broad and varying aspects of occupational therapy are covered. These consist of upper extremity exercises using both an arm argometer and gravity resistive exercises, relaxation and stress management training, and a multifaceted approach to activities of daily living (ADL) training. The ADL training is carried out in both individual and group sessions and includes techniques or work efficiency and motion economy, proper body mechanics, and proper breathing techniques during daily activities. The occupational therapist is a member of the MRC treatment team and would be unable to function effectively with these patients without the support and assistance of other members. The studies referred to in this paper validate this use of occupational therapy in a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program.


A 77-year-old patient was admitted to our hospital for the further examination of melena. A computed tomography scan detected two submucosal tumors (SMTs) in the stomach and jejunum. Double-balloon endoscopy revealed the presence of a delle on the jejunal SMT, suggesting that the SMT was the origin of the gastrointestinal bleeding. Both tumors were surgically resected and subsequently diagnosed via histology as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Furthermore, the two GISTs had different mutations in the c-kit gene, suggesting that they were derived from different clonal origins. This report depicts an extremely rare case of multiple synchronous sporadic GISTs in the stomach and jejunum.


Application mobility is a subcategory of service mobility, being defined as the process of migrating applications between different hosts during application execution. In this paper we present a decentralized architecture for web-based adaptive application mobility, using the WebRTC framework. To the best of our knowledge, our proposal is the first of its kind within the area. It is our purpose to show the feasibility of a decentralized system for web-based adaptive application mobility, and present WebRTC as a strong facilitator of that idea.


Summary The effects of PGA1 and PGA2 were studied in the canine pulmonary vascular bed. Infusion of PGA1 into the lobar artery decreased lobar arterial and venous pressure but did not change left atrial pressure. In contrast, PGA2 infusion increased lobar arterial and venous pressure and the effects of this substance were similar in experiments in which the lung was perfused with dextran or with blood. These data indicate that under conditions of controlled blood flow PGA1 decreases pulmonary vascular resistance by dilating intrapulmonary veins and to a lesser extent vessels upstream to the small veins, presumably small arteries. The present data show that PGA2 increases pulmonary vascular resistance by constricting intrapulmonary veins and upstream vessels. The predominant effect of PGA2 was on upstream vessels and the pressor effect was not due to interaction with formed elements in blood or platelet aggregation.


This article reports on the influence of elevated pressure and catalyst particle lyophobicity at particle concentrations up to 3 vol % on the hydrodynamics and the gas-to-liquid mass transfer in a slurry bubble column. The study was done with demineralized water (aqueous phase) and Isopar-M oil (organic phase) slurries in a 0.15 m internal diameter bubble column operated at pressures ranging from 0.1 to 1.3 MPa. The overall gas hold-up, the flow regime transition point, the average large bubble diameter, and the centerline liquid velocity were measured along with the gas–liquid mass transfer coefficient. The gas hold-up and the flow regime transition point are not influenced by the presence of lyophilic particles. Lyophobic particles shift the regime transition to a higher gas velocity and cause foam formation. Increasing operating pressure significantly increases the gas hold-up and the regime transition velocity, irrespective of the particle lyophobicity. The gas–liquid mass transfer coefficient is proportional to the gas hold-up for all investigated slurries and is not affected by the particle lyophobicity, the particle concentration, and the operating pressure. A correlation is presented to estimate the gas–liquid mass transfer coefficient as a function of the measured gas hold-up: . © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010


Element/Ca ratios in foraminifera shells are used to assess oceanic physical‐chemical properties (e.g., paleo‐temperature, paleo‐pH…). On geological time scales, these proxies may also depend on changes in the chemical composition of seawater. Here we investigate the effect of changing seawater calcium concentration on the Li/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, B/Ca, and Na/Ca ratios in low‐Mg calcite shells of the planktic foraminifer Globigerinella siphonifera. Specifically, we evaluate the possibility that Na/Ca in planktic foraminifera shells may serve as a proxy for Ca concentrations in the past ocean. Since Ca concentration in today's open ocean is largely conservative with relation to salinity, field calibrations are not possible. Therefore, we cultured the planktic foraminifer (G. siphonifera) collected from the Gulf of Eilat (Red Sea) in variable Casw (10.5–29 mmol/kg), at constant temperature (25°C) and under two salinities (37 and 40.6). When changing the Casw of the growth medium, the relationships between Mg/Ca and Na/Ca in the shells and their corresponding ratios in the seawater are best described by power functions implying a variable distribution coefficient function. For Sr/Ca and Li/Ca, the relations between the shells and the seawater are described by linear functions intersecting the origin implying their distribution coefficients are insensitive to changes in Casw. The results also confirm that foraminiferal B/Ca is not influenced by seawater Casw. We conclude that Na/Ca ratios in planktic foraminifera may serve as reliable proxy for Cenozoic ocean Ca, and that other El/Ca ratios may be used to determine their past concentrations relative to Ca.


The object of this study was the novel Hunus by Sunaryono Basuki Ks. The novel Hunus was analyzed by using theory of structure and theory of literature sociology. The using of theory of literature sociology in this study was proper because the novel Hunus had an intense social depiction of traditional belief about the supernatural power of kris. The problems of study discussed were the structure of the novel and the myth of kris within the aspects of culture, religion, and education that were revealed in the novel Hunus. The structure of the novel Hunus encompassed: plots, characterization, and backgrounds. The plots of the novel Hunus used the plot of mix. The characterization was divided into the main character and the additional characters, the main character was Anthony Wright, and the additional characters were Anak Agung Ngurah Ari Maharani, Wayan, Husni, and Ida Bagus Sudiara. The background of place happened in Jakarta and England, the background of time was in 1990's, and the background of social told about the life of Balinese people. The myth of kris in the novel Hunus was focused on three aspects; they were the aspects of culture, religion, and education. The aspect of culture discussed about the ceremony of Tumpek Landep. In the novel, it was explained about the procedures of Balinese people in purifying heirlooms, in this case it was kris, on the ceremony of Tumpek Landep. The aspect of religion discussed about the religious background of the characters who believed in the myth of kris. Tony with his personal religious principle considered that the myth of kris was just a fairytale or superstition which only applied to the people who believed it. Meanwhile Gung Ari (Tony's wife) was Hindu that she believed in the myth of kris from generation to generation in the form of religious advice that had to be believed as customs which had existed in Balinese society. Then, his thought changed when he experienced the spiritual power of kris that "killed" everytime being impaled. Meanwhile Gung Ari (Tony's wife) was Hindu that she believed in the myth of kris from generation to generation in the form of spiritual advice or the ritual of Tumpek Landep that had to be believed. The aspect of education discussed about the education obtained by the religious characters that influenced the perspective towards the myth of kris that happened in the conflict of the novel. Getting the same formal education, but Gung Ari obtained an informal education from her family about the myth of kris. The myth of kris in the novel Hunus taught us that we must respect every faith in a society even though we were not born and grown in the belief of that myth.


Several research results showed cases of mothers who received Baby Blues and Postnatal Depression is quite high. One in two women who gave birth (50%) had experienced Baby Blues, and about 10% will continue to Postnatal Depression. Baby blues events can be given treatment with complementary therapies one of them is with massage effleurage. The purpose of this research is to know the effect of massage effleurage to baby blues event. This research uses the quantitative method with pre-experimental analytic research design and its approach is one group pretestposttest, this research conducted ± 4 months. The target of this research is postpartum mother ≥ 7 days to 6 weeks postpartum which amounted to 30 respondents. Data was obtained from the respondents using a questionnaire filled by the mother himself using EPDS instruments before and after the intervention. The screening was done before the intervention, Intervention was done 2 times a week, then after the intervention mother was told to fill out the EPDS questionnaire. Data analysis was done by "t dependent test" to know the effect of Treatment Massage with Effleurage technique as prevention of baby blues in postpartum mother. The result of this research is the result of positive baby blues event before the massage effleurage is done 46,7%, meanwhile, it shows that the respondent does not experience the baby blues symptoms before the massage effleurage is 53,3%. After the massage effleurage for 2 times, a week decreased compared before the massage effleurage was done by 20%, whereas that showed that respondents did not experience the symptoms of baby blues after the massage effleurage increased by 80%. Based on the results of T-Dependent test obtained P-value <0.05 (α) which means that there is influence effleurage massage technique to the Baby Blues event in the working area of Lubuk Buaya Public Health Center Padang, Indonesia. From the result of research can be concluded The existence of decrease of baby blues event after done massage effleurage that is from 46,7% to 20%, influence effleurage massage technique to Baby Blues event


Objective Hypoglossal nerve stimulation for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be effective for appropriately selected patients, but current patient selection criteria are complex and still result in a proportion of nonresponders. Ansa cervicalis stimulation of the infrahyoid cervical strap muscles has recently been proposed as a new form of respiratory neurostimulation (RNS) therapy for OSA treatment. We hypothesized that percutaneous stimulation of both nerves in humans with temporary electrodes would make testing of the physiologic response to different RNS strategies possible. Study Design Nonrandomized acute physiology study. Setting Tertiary care hospital. Methods Fifteen participants with OSA underwent ultrasonography and placement of percutaneous electrodes proximal to the medial division of the hypoglossal nerve and the branch of the ansa cervicalis innervating the sternothyroid muscle (ACST). Procedural success was documented in each participant, as were any failures or procedural complication. Results The hypoglossal nerve was successfully localized in 15 of 15 (100%) participants and successfully stimulated in 13 of 15 (86.7%). The ACST was successfully localized in 15 of 15 (100%) participants and successfully stimulated in 14 of 15 (93.3%). Stimulation failure of the hypoglossal nerve was due to suboptimal electrode placement in 1 participant and electrode displacement in the other 2 cases. No complications occurred. Conclusions The hypoglossal nerve and ACST can be safely stimulated via percutaneous electrode placement. Larger trials of percutaneous stimulation may help to identify responders to different RNS therapies for OSA with temporary or permanent percutaneous electrodes. Techniques for electrode design, nerve localization, and electrode placement are described.


In this review the indications for the available treatments for dyslipidemias in the preven tion of coronary heart disease (CHD) are considered, and their efficacy according to the latest studies is analyzed. As data sources the authors used the main multicenter studies performed in the last twenty years to evaluate primary and secondary prevention of CHD by correcting dyslipidemias as well as the results of meta-analyses of these studies. All treatments considered were found effective in preventing CHD morbidity and mortality to some extent. In particular, the combination of diet with niacin or hydroxymethylglu taryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors seems to give the best results. These drugs induce a marked reduction of total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and an increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations. The use of diet, niacin, and HMG CoA reductase inhibitors reduces total as well as specific mortality. Treatment of dyslipidemia to prevent CHD depends on the pattern and severity of dyslipi demia, the presence of overt CHD, and the patient's response to diet. Pharmacologic treatment should be started only after dietary modifications have been tried and must be combined with diet. Drug side effects must also be considered, for they may affect patient compliance. High levels of total and LDL and low levels of HDL cholesterol are major risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis. Correcting lipid abnormalities can reduce the risk of devel opment or progression of CHD. Diet and drugs are the main instruments available to normalize lipid levels. The choice of drug to combine with diet must be based on its specific effects on lipid metabolism, side effects, and efficacy in reducing CHD.


The United Nations and the Food Agriculture Organization formed the World Food Programme in 1961, as a three-year experimental programme, to help absolve the imbalances of the world hunger chain. The central core belief of the WFP was that food aid could break the cycle of poverty.From the beginning, the WFP established a vision of "a world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life". The premise behind the UN's creation of a WFP organization was to establish a new sustainable global food allocation chain. They realized that even though there was enough food in the world for everyone to have appropriate nourishment, many Third World Countries did not have the political and economic infrastructure to find a way to gain access to food abundances. WFP was first set up with the objective to focus on sustainability and development, rather than relief, so countries could ultimately gain self-sufficiency. However, the organization was forced into action several months before its intended inception because five million refugees returned to a newly independent Algeria (July 1962), and an earthquake hit Iran (September 1962)


An algorithm has been developed that employs neural network technology to retrieve soil moisture from multi‐wavelength satellite observations (active/passive microwave, infrared, and visible). This represents the first step in the development of a methodology aiming to combine beneficial aspects of existing retrieval schemes. Several quality metrics have been developed to assess the performance of a retrieval product on different spatial and temporal scales. Additionally, an innovative approach to estimate the retrieval uncertainty has been proposed. An information content analysis of different satellite observations showed that active microwave observations are best suited to capture the soil moisture temporal variability, while the amplitude of the surface temperature diurnal cycle is best suited to capture the spatial variability. In a synergy analysis, it has been found that through the combination of all observations the retrieval uncertainty could be reduced by 13%. Furthermore, it was found that synergy benefits are significantly larger using a data fusion approach compared to an a posteriori combination of retrieval products, supporting the combination of different retrieval methodology aspects in a single algorithm. In a comparison with model data, it was found that the proposed methodology also shows potential to be used for the evaluation of modeled soil moisture. A comparison with in situ observations showed that the algorithm is well able to capture soil moisture spatial variabilities. It was concluded that the temporal performance can be improved through incorporation of other existing retrieval approaches.


BACKGROUND
Antibiotic treatment of acute bronchitis, which is one of the most common illnesses seen in primary care, is controversial. Most clinicians prescribe antibiotics in spite of expert recommendations against this practice.

OBJECTIVES
The objective of this review was to assess the effects of antibiotic treatment for patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis.

SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, reference lists of articles and the authors' personal collections up to 1996, and Scisearch from 1989 to 1996; we also wrote to study authors and drug manufacturers. An updated search of the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and MEDLINE was conducted in 2000.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised trials comparing any antibiotic therapy with placebo in acute bronchitis or acute productive cough without other obvious cause in patients without underlying pulmonary disease.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
At least two reviewers extracted data and assessed trial quality. Authors were contacted for missing data.

MAIN RESULTS
Nine trials involving over 750 patients aged eight to over 65 and including smokers and non-smokers were included. The quality of the trials was variable. A variety of outcome measures were assessed. Overall, patients receiving antibiotics had better outcomes than did those receiving placebo. At a follow-up visit, they were less likely to have a cough (relative risk 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.49 to 0.85; number needed to treat 5, 95% CI 3 to 14), show no improvement on physician assessment (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.87; NNT 14, 95% CI 8 to 50), or have abnormal lung findings (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.89; NNT 11, 95% CI 6 to 50); and had shorter durations of cough (weighted mean difference 0.58 days, 95% CI 0.01 to 1.16 days), productive cough (WMD 0.52 days, 95% CI 0.01 to 1.03 days), and feeling ill (WMD 0.58 days, 95% CI 0.00 to 1.16 days). There were no significant differences regarding the presence of night cough, productive cough, or activity limitations at follow-up, or in the mean duration of activity limitations. The benefits of antibiotics were less apparent in a sensitivity analysis that included data from two other studies of patients with upper respiratory tract infections with productive cough. Antibiotic-treated patients reported significantly more adverse effects (RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.14; number needed to harm 17, 95% CI 9 to 100) such as nausea, vomiting, headache, skin rash or vaginitis.

REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS
Overall, antibiotics appear to have a modest beneficial effect in patients who are diagnosed with acute bronchitis. The magnitude of this benefit, however, is similar to that of the detriment from potential adverse effects. Furthermore, patients with other symptoms of the common cold who have been ill for less than one week are not likely to have any benefit from antibiotics.


This article addresses the relations between justification grounds for direct tax restrictions on freedom of movement and the overlap of the technical requirements of their application as developed by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The central point of this article is that the need to prevent abusive practices and fraud can be construed as a composite of the need to safeguard the balanced allocation of taxing powers and the need to ensure effective fiscal supervision. To support this argument, a legal analysis of the case law of the CJEU will be carried out that results in a legal inventory and review of the requirements for each imperative requirement. This article then shows how the requirements for those justifications coincide and the way in which these requirements derive from general principles of European Union (EU) law.


Abstract Background: Virtual patients (VPs) are narrative-based educational activities to train clinical reasoning in a safe environment. Our aim was to explore the influence of the design of the narrative and level of difficulty on the clinical reasoning process, diagnostic accuracy and time-on-task. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, we analyzed the clinical reasoning process of 46 medical students with six VPs in three different variations: (1) patients showing a friendly behavior, (2) patients showing a disruptive behavior and (3) a version without a patient story. Results: For easy VPs, we did not see a significant difference in diagnostic accuracy. For difficult VPs, the diagnostic accuracy was significantly higher for participants who worked on the friendly VPs compared to the other two groups. Independent from VP difficulty, participants identified significantly more problems and tests for disruptive than for friendly VPs; time on task was comparable for these two groups. The extrinsic motivation of participants working on the VPs without a patient story was significantly lower than for the students working on the friendly VPs. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the measured VP difficulty has a higher influence on the clinical reasoning process and diagnostic accuracy than the variations in the narratives.


This guide contains print and electronic resources for courses offered in the SMU Global Summer Programme 2016 Economic Growth of East & South Asia


This study documents evolutionary modifications in mechanisms of gastrulation in Heliocidaris erythrogramma, an echinoid with lecithotrophic larvae. Radially symmetrical cell rearrangements and changes in cell shape drive elongation of the archenteron in the ancestral mode of echinoid gastrulation. Cell marking experiments indicate that in H. erythrogramma, however, prolonged movement of cells over the ventral lip of the blastopore accompanies extension of the archenteron. Evolutionary modifications to archenteron extension in H. erythrogramma thus include utilization of a different type of cellular movement as well as the imposition of dorsoventral asymmetry in cellular movements. The conservation of gastrulation mechanisms among phylogenetically divergent echinoids with planktotrophic development suggests that the plesiomorphic condition has persisted at least 250 million years and perhaps much longer. Yet H. erythrogramma diverged from an ancestor with planktotrophic development only about 10 mya, indicating that morphogenetic mechanisms of early development can undergo substantial evolutionary changes, even after long periods of stasis.


We argue that theories of quantum gravity constructed with the help of (Causal) Dynamical Triangulations have given us the most informative, quantitative models to date of quantum spacetime. Most importantly, these are derived dynamically from nonperturbative and background-independent quantum theories of geometry. In the physically relevant case of four spacetime dimensions, the ansatz of Causal Dynamical Triangulations produces - from a fairly minimal set of quantum field-theoretic inputs - an emergent spacetime which macroscopically looks like a de Sitter universe, and on Planckian scales possesses unexpected quantum properties. Important in deriving these results are a regularized version of the theory, in which the quantum dynamics is well defined, can be studied with the help of numerical Monte Carlo methods and extrapolated to infinite lattice volumes.


Structural, optical and magnetic studies have been carried out for the Co-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). ZnO NPs are doped with 3% and 5% Co using ball milling and ferromagnetism (FM) is studied at room temperature and above. A high Curie temperature (Tc) has been observed from the Co doped ZnO NPs. X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis confirm the absence of metallic Co clusters or any other phase different from würtzite-type ZnO. UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence studies on the doped samples show change in band structure and oxygen vacancy defects, respectively. Micro-Raman studies of doped samples shows defect related additional strong bands at 547 and 574 cm(-1) confirming the presence of oxygen vacancy defects in ZnO lattice. The field dependence of magnetization (M-H curve) measured at room temperature exhibits the clear M-H loop with saturation magnetization and coercive field of the order of 4-6 emu/g and 260 G, respectively. Temperature dependence of magnetization measurement shows sharp ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition with a high Tc = 791 K for 3% Co doped ZnO NPs. Ferromagnetic ordering is interpreted in terms of overlapping of polarons mediated through oxygen vacancy defects based on the bound magnetic polaron (BMP) model. We show that the observed FM data fits well with the BMP model involving localised carriers and magnetic cations.


Abstract Three new monoterpene lactones, cimicifugolides A−C (1–3), along with a known one (4), were identified from the dried rhizome of Actaea cimicifuga L. that was used as traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years with the Chinese common name of shengma. The structures of the new isolates were established using spectroscopic methods, including NMR, mass, UV, and IR spectra. The inhibition activity of compounds 1, 2, and 4 against pancreatic lipase was evaluated.


Guidelines are an important means by which professional associations and governments have sought to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of disease management for infectious diseases. Prescribing of initial antibiotic therapy for community-acquired respiratory tract infections (RTIs) is primarily empiric and physicians may often have a limited appreciation of bacterial resistance. Recent guidelines for managing RTIs have adopted a more evidence-based approach. This process has highlighted important gaps in the existing knowledge base, e.g. concerning the impact of resistance on the effectiveness of oral antibiotics for outpatient community-acquired pneumonia and the level of resistance that should prompt a change in empiric prescribing. In upper RTIs, the challenge is to identify patients in whom antibiotic therapy is warranted. Concentrated, sustained efforts are needed to secure physicians' use of guidelines. The information should be distilled into a simple format available at the point of prescribing and supported by other behavioral change techniques (e.g. educational outreach visits). Advances in information technology offer the promise of more dynamic, computer-assisted forms of guidance. Thus, RTI prescribing guidelines and other prescribing support systems should help control bacterial resistance in the community. However, their effect on resistance patterns is largely unknown and there is an urgent need for collaborative research in this area. Rapid, cost-effective diagnostic techniques are also required and new antibiotics will continue to have a role in disease management.


A young woman had a pulmonary arteriovenous fistula localized to the right lower lobe. The presence of a patent foramen ovale (atrial septal defect) detected preoperatively allowed for a unique investigation of this case. Her successful surgical management is outlined and the literature is reviewed.


The authors describe the objectives and the early technical results of a project for the realization of an ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) testbed, which is being carried out in Italy with the support of the national research organization (CNR) and with the participation of the main organizations operating in the telecommunication field. After presenting the general structure and the solutions adopted for the testbed, the authors describe the main characteristics of its building blocks under development: the switching node with its ATM switching fabric and control units, the access network with the related interfaces and protocols, the customer equipment composed which is composed of ATM workstations, ATM terminal adaptors and LAN gateways, and the interworking unit connecting the testbed to the telephone network. The policing functions adopted are also discussed.


A pathologic finding about one or more characteristics of papillary, follicular, Hurthle cell, poorly differentiated, and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, following the rules of the TNM AJCC v8 classification system as they pertain to staging of regional lymph nodes.


In this paper, flow-induced vibrations of bluff bodies with four different cross-sectional geometries (circle, square, triangle and semi-circle) arranged both in single and tandem (gap ratio equals to 3 and 5) configurations are investigated in a wind tunnel. It is found that triangular and square cylinders have the higher amplitude than that of the semi-circular and the circular cylinders in the single configuration. When two cylinders are arranged in tandem, the circular cylinders have the highest amplitude among all tested cylinders. Furthermore, the semi-circular cylinder shows that its vibrating amplitude increases with the reduced velocity in the tandem system due to the galloping effect.


This paper investigates how managerial capacity aspects influence efficiency of dairy farms in Sweden. Based on non-parametric methods, Tobit and logistic regressions, several managerial capacity aspects are found to influence long and short run input efficiency scores, but to influence output efficiency less. Examples of important aspects are: internal locus of control, positive profitability attitude, profitability perception and participation in study circles. Based on this, a way of supporting dairy farms to become more profitable is to organize educational and discussion clubs where the farmers learn from each other and form professional dairy farm advisors.


Honey bees and honey, have been the subject of study for decades due to their importance in improving health. At times, some of the probiotics may be transferred to the honey stored in the honeycomb. Consumers may benefit from consuming live-probiotics honey, which can aid in suppressing the reproduction of pathogens in their digestive system. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are mainly carbohydrates that promote the growth of native microflora probiotics in the digestive tract to maintain a healthy environment and improve the gut performance of the host. Therefore, this narrative review aims to present and analyze ten years' worth of information on the probiotic and prebiotic potential of honey bees and honey since not many review articles were found discussing this topic. Results showed that not many studies have been performed on the probiotic and prebiotic aspects of honey bees and honey. If further research is conducted, isolated probiotics from the bee's gut combined with honey's prebiotic properties can be manipulated as potential sources of probiotics and prebiotics for human and animal benefits since they appear to be interrelated and function in symbiosis.


A BSTRACT : Scanner data arising from retail transactions have replaced survey of food price observations for the consumer price index (CPI) for more than a decade. The same data source can provide the expenditure weights needed for the CPI as well, when combined with population data using secure linkage and processing techniques that protect confidentiality. This would alleviate the most burdensome part of diary collection for the Consumer Expenditure Survey that collects expenditure data from households. Due to the sheer amount of transactions, automatic classification of the consumption subclasses of the goods requires natural language processing techniques, as long as there does not exist a catalogue that covers all the goods. Statistical theories pertaining to these big-data expenditure weights and classification are discussed.


Characterization of fault displacement is difficult, yet consequential for understanding fault transmissibilities or enhancing quality of structural models. In this work, we propose to study the uncertainty about the transverse component of the fault throw vector, to optimize its direction. Each fault block of a horizon is unfolded separately without taking faults into account, in order to separate the effects of unfolding and unfaulting in horizon deformations. Then, using a sequential Monte-Carlo sampling, several fault displacement models can be generated, to therefore select a set of best models of fault displacements. The proposed method perturbs the links across fault gaps on a horizon so as to make the transverse displacement variable. For each new displacement field, the horizon is restored, and deformation analysis is used to assess the likelihood of the fault displacement. The Monte-Carlo sampling technique being reputably slow, this optimization problem is solved locally for all faults, to obtain a set of possible models efficiently.


The combination therapy of thalidomide and azathioprine (AZA) offers an alternative in clinical practice for Crohn's disease (CD) patients experiencing a loss of response to AZA monotherapy. However, little is known about the efficacy and safety of this combination therapy for patients with CD. This was a retrospective study of 122 consecutive CD patients who lost response to AZA therapy and had switched to a combination therapy of thalidomide and AZA. The primary outcomes were clinical response and clinical remission rates at week 24. Patients who had an initial response to combination therapy were continued on the treatment for remission maintenance. The secondary outcomes were the proportion of clinical relapse throughout maintenance. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate cumulative rates, and Cox regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. During induction, 80.3% (98/122) patients achieved clinical response within a median duration of 6.5 weeks, (interquartile range, 4.3–8.1 weeks). The rate of clinical remission at 24 weeks was 70.5%. During follow-up, 22.4% (22/98) of the patients that were maintained on combination therapy experienced clinical relapse. The proportions of patients in remission status at 12, 24, and 36 months were 85.1, 78.3, and 70.1%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed C-reactive protein >10 mg/L at disease relapse on AZA monotherapy [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 4.72; 95% CI, 1.19–18.75, P = 0.027] and 6-thioguanine nucleotides level ≥235 pmol/8 × 108 erythrocytes at AZA monotherapy (adjusted HR, 5.32; 95% CI, 1.40–20.14, P = 0.014) were associated with disease relapse on combination therapy. The endoscopic remission rate was 63.6%. Mucosal healing was achieved in 23.6% of the patients. Both Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (13.4 ± 4.92 vs. 6.12 ± 5.24, P < 0.001) and Rutgeerts scores (3.23 ± 0.73 vs. 1.77 ± 1.59, P = 0.003) were significantly decreased with the use of combination therapy. Adverse events occurred in 62 (50.8%) patients, but only 13 (10.7%) necessitated therapy discontinuation. Thalidomide combined with AZA was effective in inducing clinical remission and sustaining long-term steroid-free remission in CD patients who lost response to AZA monotherapy.


The use of cholinesterase inhibitors in poisonings with potentially lethal doses of tricyclic antidepressive drugs seems to be indicated on account of clinical experiences and own experimental investigations on animals. An uncritical use of these substances which have considerable side-effects must be warned of. A mixed intoxication with several drugs effecting on the central nervous system is only a relative indication for the use of indirect parasympathicomimetics of the cholinesterase type. They should be used only then, when the picture of poisoning is unequivocally determined by the thymoleptics. When cholinesterase inhibitors are used the physostigmine salicylate should be preferred, since at present it is sufficiently accessible to the central nervous system and with the slightest peripheral effects as the only representative of this group of substances, above all with regard to the gastrointestinal motility. Later investigations shall show, whether also other groups of substances which develop an antagonistic effect to the tricyclic antidepressive drugs may be of use in the treatment of the acute poisoning.


Sylmar Converter Station (SCS) personnel have used two methods to prevent insulator flashovers. The most widely used method was to coat the HVDC insulators with a room temperature vulcanized (RTV) silicone coating. Once the coating was applied, no further maintenance work was done. The second less widely used method at SCS was to install composite insulators consisting of silicone rubber sheds attached to a fiberglass core. Since silicone rubber sheds are water repellent, this property eliminates the need for another surface coating. This paper examines the operational performance of using both methods at SCS to prevent flashovers.


Introduction Prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC) via reduction of lifestyle risk factors, and participation in bowel screening, are two ways in which public engagement could lower mortality from colorectal cancer. Little is known about the current level of awareness of these factors. This study examined public awareness of lifestyle risk factors and bowel screening, with determination of the factors affecting this. Method A representative population sample (n = 1500) was surveyed using a study specific postal questionnaire to determine demographics, experience of bowel problems, awareness of lifestyle risk factors, knowledge about the incidence of CRC and potential benefits of screening, as well as personal experience of screening. Statistical analysis was carried out using the unpaired t-test and Chi-square test. Results The majority of respondents were aged over 50 (74%). 76% had either personal experience or a relative/friend with experience of a bowel problem. The majority of respondents had some awareness of lifestyle risk factors with two thirds answering over 50% of questions correctly. Knowledge of dietary advice was better than risks relating to weight and physical activity. Awareness of lifestyle risk factors was significantly worse in those less than 50 years old (p = 0.0002) and with a lower level of education (p = 0.0019). The majority (62%) were unaware how common bowel cancer is and 44% were unaware that CRC is one of the easiest cancers to cure if caught early. Awareness of bowel cancer diagnosis was significantly lower in those less than 50 years old (p= <0.0001). Respondents were evenly divided over whether the NHS should prescribe exercise and lifestyle changes, with those over 50 years old (p = 0.0126), with no formal education (p= <0.0001) and with no experience of bowel problems (p = 0.0168) being more likely to answer no. Of those who had received a screening kit but not completed it, 30% deemed themselves ineligible, with reasons including being outside the age bracket, having an ileostomy or being under surveillance following previous bowel cancer. By far the most frequent reason for non-completion in eligible respondents was that the process was dirty and unpleasant. Conclusion The majority of people have some experience of bowel problems. Initiatives are required to improve the awareness of younger people with regard to lifestyle risk factors for CRC, especially since this group stand to benefit most from risk reduction. Those with a lower level of education also had poor awareness but felt that the NHS should not prescribe exercise and lifestyle change; targeting this group would need to take this into account. Disclosure of interest None Declared.


The swift pace of development in our modern society in the era of globalisation is generating new demands for resolving various issues in the light of Islam. As new issues continue to emerge, the public expects the authorities and fatwa institutions to provide comprehensive solutions by integrating modern and Islamic perspectives and fostering closer cooperation with every stratum of society. Realising the need to issue fatwas based on contemporary approaches and the need to strengthen the fatwa institutions, the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia on 10 March 2016 organised a seminar on Understanding Fatwa in the Contemporary Context: Issues Relating to Fatwa in the Context of Contemporary Fiqh .


Poverty is a complex problem that has always been a concern for governments. This study analyzes poverty alleviation programs in North Kalimantan Province through a cross-sector collaboration approach using a qualitative approach. This approach is used to explain the phenomenon studied according to the context in which it occured. Research informants include stakeholders who are members of the Poverty Reduction Coordination Team (TKPK) for North Kalimantan province. The data sources consisted of primary and secondary sources, collecting data through observation, in-depth interviews, and tracing poverty program documents and regulations. Data analysis was conducted through interactive analysis. The results showed that the implementation of the poverty alleviation program in North Kalimantan province was ineffective, so better management is needed. The facts obtained in the collaboration process found that stakeholders from the private sector and community were not fully involved in the poverty alleviation program. In addition, there are differences in opinions or conflicts of interest among stakeholders in the implementation of the poverty alleviation program in North Kalimantan Province. Another problem encountered was that the budget allocation for the poverty alleviation program was not in accordance with what was planned by the TKPK.
Keywords: collaboration process, cross sector, program implementation, poverty alleviation


A. Proofs A.1. Regret Guarantees when Gradient Estimators are Used For completeness, we show a proof of Proposition 1. As mentioned, it is an application of the Azuma-Hoeffding inequality for martingale difference sequences, which we now state (see, e.g., Theorem 3.14 of McDiarmid (1998) for a proof). Theorem 1 (Azuma-Hoeffding inequality). Let Y1, . . . , Yn be a martingale difference sequence with ak ≤ Yk ≤ bk for each k, for suitable constants ak, bk. Then for any τ ≥ 0,


Phenolic and Polyphenolic are important compounds from the class of phytomedicine and are widely distributed in the plant kingdom. Over the years, an increasing amount of interest has been vastly drawn into the plant polyphenolic mainly because these compounds have shown tremendous efficacy in the treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases such as cancer. Currently, much medical investigations are conducted on plant phenolic for improving their identification and development for better therapeutic efficacy in the fight against different types of cancers. We aim to update and provide an extensive overview of the mechanism of action and the role of phenolic compounds in the treatment of tumor. The various databases used to conduct the literature survey are (Pub Med Central, Scopus, Research Gate, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Sci ELO, PLoS (Public Library of Science). In the first stage it includes different types of cancers and their biomarkers. In second stage, different phenolic compounds in plants and their role in the cancer treatment. Finally, to find out the mechanism of action and clinical status of phenolic compounds against different biomarkers and the mechanism of action of phenolic and polyphenolic compounds against cancer and its biomarkers with their antioxidant activity.


Octacalcium phosphate and its collagen composite have been recognized as bone substitute materials possessing osteoconductivity and biodegradation properties. We evaluated the effectiveness of octacalcium phosphate and its collagen composite used for bone augmentation in major oral and maxillofacial surgeries in a clinical trial. Octacalcium phosphate and its collagen composite were used in cases of sinus floor elevation in 1- and 2-stage, socket preservation, cyst, and alveolar cleft procedures. A total of 60 patients were evaluated for effectiveness after the implantation of octacalcium phosphate and its collagen composite. Although sinus floor elevation in 1-stage, cyst, and alveolar cleft cases met the criteria for the judgment of success, sinus floor elevation in 2-stage and socket preservation groups did not meet the criteria in the initial evaluation. However, an additional evaluation for reconfirmation revealed the effectiveness of octacalcium phosphate and its collagen composite in those groups, and all evaluation results ultimately indicated the success of this clinical trial. Therefore, this clinical trial suggested that application of octacalcium phosphate and its collagen composite for oral and maxillofacial surgery was safe and effective and that octacalcium phosphate and its collagen composite could be a bone substitute candidate instead of autologous bone.


Abstract We describe two cases of total albinism in brownthroated three-toed sloths (Bradypus variegatus) captured at the Metropolitan Mesoregion of Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil.


With forecasted hundreds of processing elements (PEs), future embedded systems will be able to handle multiple applications with very diverse running constraints. Systems will integrate distributed decision capabilities. In order to control the power and temperature, dynamic voltage frequency scalings (DVFSs) are applied at PE level. At system level, it implies to dynamically manage the different voltage/frequency couples of each tile to obtain a global optimization. This paper introduces a scalable multiobjective approach based on game theory, which adjusts at run-time the frequency of each PE. It aims at reducing the tile temperature while maintaining the synchronization between application tasks. Results show that the proposed run-time algorithm requires an average of 20 calculation cycles to find the solution for a 100-processor platform and reaches equivalent performances when comparing with an offline method. Temperature reductions of about 23% were achieved on a demonstrative test-case.


Background: Lack of complementary feeding for children, from the age of 6 months complementary feeding begins to be necessary. Food that not good enough in both quality and quantity would affect stunted growth. Purpose: This research was to determine the relationship of complementary feeding with the stunting in 2 to 5 years of age Method: This research is a retrospective approach. This research is carrying on March 4 2020. The population of this research is one of the parents and children aged 2-5 years as many as 22 people. Sampling retrieval using total sampling, totaling 22 parents and children. The independent variable of complementary feeding data collection with the questionnaire and the dependent variable stunting event data collection by the child's height measurement. Data analysis using spearman rank with α = 0.05. Results show that out of 22 respondents, nearly half of which were 10 respondents (45.5%) provide less complementary feeding in the category of less and children aged 2-5 years the majority of 16 respondents (72.7%) having heights in the short category. Correlation test results show p-value = 0.002 α = 0.05, so Ha is accepted. Conclusion: There is a relationship between complementary feeding with stunting in children aged 2-5 years, and r = 0.627 so the level of closeness is strong. In this research the becomes a strong predictor in caused the stunting, but was expected to further research can add various other variables to the stunting event.


Abstract The garnet-Al silicate-plagioclase (GASP) geobarometer has been recalibrated using four recent garnet activity models, four analogous garnet-biotite temperature models, and two recent plagioclase activity models. A typical sillimanite-bearing sample that formed at about 5.25 kbar, 575 °C shows a possible P range of ~0.7 kbar due to T error, ~1 kbar due to range of garnet activity model, ~0.9 kbar due to range of plagioclase activity model, and ~5.4 kbar due to range of experimental end-member reversals extended by one sigma. Calibrations were further constrained with the kyanite-sillimanite (K-S) phase boundary such that the best fit of 76 pelitic schist samples from 11 localities provides an individual end-member calibration for each of the eight possible combinations of garnet and plagioclase activity models with the appropriate geothermometer. Samples with low grossular or anorthite component were rejected. The end-member calibrations are constrained to pass through the the best-determined portion of the GASP experimental reversals at 1230 °C, 26.6 kbar. These individual end-member calibrations provide self-consistent models that tend to compensate for error in the garnet and plagioclase activity expressions. The models were also tested on a set of 59 samples from the Alps. The recommended calibration is the average garnet activity model and average garnet-biotite T model of Holdaway (2000), the Fuhrman and Lindsley (1988) plagioclase activity model, and HGrs = -6628521, SGrs = 258.76 to combine with the remaining phases in the Berman database to produce the optimum end-member GASP curve. These thermodynamic data are for the GASP geobarometer only. Error is about ±0.8 kbar absolute and about ±0.6 kbar relative. Geological error is the largest component of error in many of these samples. Care should be taken to be sure that analyzed plagioclase and biotite are near analyzed garnet, that the peak-T portions of garnet and plagioclase are selected, that the peak-T Al silicate is determined, and that the T calculated is the most accurate possible. These calibrations represent an improvement over previous published GASP calibrations. These eight models are available for distribution as three programs (T, P, P-T intersection) for the DOS-based personal computer.


Abstract Cleavage and polyadenylation specific factor 7 (CPSF7) is an important participator in the cleavage and polyadenylation of pre-mRNAs. This study aims to uncover the function and underlying mechanism of CPSF7 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). CPSF7 expression in LUAD cells was measured using real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Our results showed that CPSF7 expression was upregulated in LUAD cell lines (A549, H1299, and HCC827). To explore the function of CPSF7 on LUAD, CPSF7 was silenced by the si-CPSF7 transfection and overexpressed by the oe-CPSF7 transfection in A549 cells. Cell proliferation was measured using cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assays. Cell migration and invasion were measured by wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. Our data revealed that CPSF7 silencing inhibited the viability, colony formation, migration, and invasion of LUAD cells. On the contrary, CPSF7 overexpression enhanced the malignant characteristics of LUAD cells. Additionally, expression of AKT/mTOR pathway-related proteins was detected using Western blotting. CPSF7 silencing blocked the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The intervention of SC79 (an activator of the AKT/mTOR pathway) weakened the antitumor effects of CPSF7 silencing in LUAD cells. Silencing of CPSF7 inhibits the malignant characteristics of LUAD cells by blocking the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.


Clementine five-channel UV-visible (UVVIS) data have been used to study seven regional dark mantle deposits (DMDs) on the Moon. The DMDs were mapped in distribution to determine their extent and stratigraphic relationship to other geologic units. Based upon the spec- tral properties for each DMD, the crystallization of the beads in each deposit was inferred and used to estimate cooling rates in the volcanic plumes that emplaced the deposits. Deposits with a high concentration of glasses reflect volcanic plumes that had low optical densities and high cooling rates, whereas deposits dominated by crystallized beads indicate plumes with slower cooling rates due to higher optical densities. Spectral data from each of the regional DMDs show that their glass:crystallized bead ratio can be estimated based upon their 415/750 and 750/950 nm values and comparison to laboratory spectra for the beads. Patches of young dark mantle in the Sinus Aestuum DMD represent one extreme with the bluest color (highest 415/750) and weakest glass band absorption (lowest 750/950) of all the DMDs. At the other extreme is the Aristarchus Plateau DMD with the reddest color and strongest glass band absorption. The other nearside DMDs, including Taurus-Littrow, Sulpicius Gallus, Rima Bode, and Mare Vaporum lie between these two extremes due to intermediate mixtures of the crystallized beads and glasses with other local soils. The Orientale Ring DMD on the western limb is dominated by volcanic glasses and is spectrally similar to the localized DMDs found in Alphonsus crater. We have identified a central vent for the Orientale Ring DMD and model the eruption as degassing of a near-surface dike to produce a 20-km-high umbrella-shaped plume with ejection velocities of 360 rn/s and deposition of the glasses at an average radius of 80 km from the vent. Although we cannot identify the exact sources for the other regional DMDs (probably because they are buried beneath younger mare), the eruptions most likely resulted from dikes breaching the surface and producing a volcanic plume dominated by larger (greater than submillimeter) hot clasts that formed mare and sinuous rilles. The small percent of clasts that form the volcanic beads are carried by the expanding gas cloud to large distances, in some cases > 100 km, to produce the observed continuous regional DMDs. The lack of basalt samples that can be petrologically related to the volcanic glasses may be a result of their spatial separation, with the basalts flowing into the basins while the beads are deposited both into the basins and on the adjacent highlands.


Measurements of charging and discharging currents in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF2) were made over a wide range of fields, temperature, and a limited range of sample thickness and electrode materials. Experimental results suggest that dipolar re-orientation and space charge relaxations are dominant mechanisms for the observed current transients. The quasi-steady-state conduction, observed at 105 s at high temperature and fields, may be due to an ionic hopping process.


There is a common opinion that a higher level of HDL is better. It is reported that HDL particle involved significant defects in Turkish adults. We aimed to determine whether there was a relationship between high levels of HDL and certain metabolic and anthropometric variables. In the present study, patients ≥ 18 years of age who had HDL levels >60 mg/dl were the target group of the study. Randomly selected 259 patients were retrospectively evaluated. Patient files in archives were analyzed. Patients with high levels of HDL were predominantly female (89.2%). Mean HDL level was 69.6 ± 8.8 mg/dL. More than half of the patients were not diabetic (51.9%); however, 50.8% had a family history of diabetes mellitus. The mean HDL value of non-smokers was higher (p=0.03). Parameters were compared according to the gender, males were found to be older than females (p=0.02) and taller (p<0.001). There was a negative and weak correlation between triglyceride and HDL (r=-0.166) (p=0.01). There was no relationship between gender and anthropometric measurements and HDL. In non-smoking participants, HDL levels were higher than the smokers. Simple linear regression model for triglyceride might be acceptable as a good model in the prediction of HDL value.


Multicentre randomized clinical trials in Europe over the past decade have made a major contribution to the practice of cardiology and will increasingly do so when the Single Europe Act becomes a fact of life in 1992. The arguments for independent scientifically based research organizations and their role in the area of coronary artery disease are outlined. These include cost-benefit considerations, the science of clinical trials, data acquisition techniques and data management requirements. The role of the pharmaceutical industry in relation to the investigator-trialist is discussed. A critique of the current fashion 'Big is beautiful', with arguments against 'simplicity' and 'large size' and the need for 'credibility' is provided. Applicability of data from trials and their economic usefulness and validity in terms of sound pathophysiological hypotheses are also discussed and illustrated by using the CABRI trial as an example.


Cone calorimeter sample size sensitivity and the influence of sample size on the results were studied in order to investigate the possibility to use smaller samples than prescribed by the standard. The influence of the position of the sample on the sample holder of the decreased samples was also studied. Samples of birch plywood, industrial two‐component polyurethane adhesive and polypropylene wax were tested. The results from standard size sample experiments, 100 cm 2, and decreased sample size, 50 and 25 cm2, were compared, in order to investigate the sample size influence on the results. The experiments were performed using an external heat flux of 50kW/ m2. The results show differences between the sample types. The measured heat release rates for plywood and polyurethane adhesive indicate that the sample size is possible to down‐scale, while the polypropylene wax results show the opposite. All sample types and sizes show constant results for the effective heat of combustion, indicating down‐scalability. For in‐house testing and screening of materials, downscaling can be used for most sample types. However, results from experiments carried out with decreased sample size should not be compared to results from experiments executed according to the standard procedure. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Over twenty sequences boundaries and chronostratigraphic surfaces have been mapped across the northwestern flank of the Niger Delta, a number of which have been tied to the Global Cycle Chart of Haq et al. (1987). An incision history has been developed from the late Oligocene (25.5Ma) to the Pliocene (3.0Ma) to highlight the direction and rates of erosion in this part of the Niger Delta. Shelf edge maps show the distribution of slope failures through geologic time, and transects taken across the area from different vintages reveal the transitions from shelf to slope facies.


The phylogenetic network emerged in the 1990s as a new model to represent the evolution of species in the case where coexisting species transfer genetic information through hybridization, recombination, lateral gene transfer, etc. As is true for many rapidly evolving fields, there is considerable fragmentation and diversity in methodologies, standards and vocabulary in phylogenetic network research, thus creating the need for an integrated database of articles, authors, techniques, keywords and software. We describe such a database, "Who is Who in Phylogenetic Networks", available at http://phylnet.univ-mlv.fr. "Who is Who in Phylogenetic Networks" comprises more than 600 publications and 500 authors interlinked with a rich set of more than 200 keywords related to phylogenetic networks. The database is integrated with web-based tools to visualize authorship and collaboration networks and analyze these networks using common graph and social network metrics such as centrality (betweenness, eigenvector, degree and closeness) and clustering. We provide downloads of raw information about entries in the database, and a facility to suggest modifications and contribute new information to the database. We also present in this article common use cases of the database and identify trends in the research on phylogenetic networks using the information in the database and textual analysis.


The amide bond is prominent in natural and synthetic organic molecules endowed with activity in various fields. Among a wide array of amide synthetic methods, substitution on a pre-existing (O)C–N moiety is an underexplored strategy for the synthesis of amides. In this work, we disclose a new protocol for the defluorinative arylation of aliphatic and aromatic trifluoroacetamides yielding aromatic amides. The mechanochemically induced reaction of either arylboronic acids, trimethoxyphenylsilanes, diaryliodonium salts, or dimethyl(phenyl)sulfonium salts with trifluoroacetamides affords substituted aromatic amides in good to excellent yields. These nickel-catalyzed reactions are enabled by C–CF3 bond activation using Dy2O3 as an additive. The current protocol provides versatile and scalable routes for accessing a wide variety of substituted aromatic amides. Moreover, the protocol described in this work overcomes the drawbacks and limitations in the previously reported methods.


ABSTRACT Studies examining the persuasive effects of guilt appeals have yielded mixed results. The current study hypothesizes that source motive (profit versus not for profit) is a key moderating variable underlying these inconsistences. A controlled experiment tested the moderating role of sponsor motive on the relationship between guilt-appeal intensity and persuasiveness of the appeal and ad liking. Findings confirmed the notion that sponsor motive moderates the effects of guilt appeals: When guilt appeals are commercially oriented there is a relative failure of high-intensity guilt appeals compared to moderate-intensity guilt appeals. Moderate-intensity guilt appeals cause more-positive brand attitudes than high-intensity appeals. Yet, when guilt appeals are nonprofit, increases in intensity of guilt communicated lead to positive results. As the guilt-intensity increased, ad liking and persuasiveness increased. It appears that guilt-appeal intensity did not have an effect on brand attitudes when the message was nonprofit.


It9s summer in Antarctica, the season for science. But at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station, Belgium9s futuristic research outpost in East Antarctica, not a single Belgian researcher is at work. A protracted dispute between the Belgian government and the International Polar Foundation, which built and operates the station, has resulted in the cancellation of this year9s Belgian expedition to Antarctica. The only scientists to pay a visit so far this year are two scientists from Switzerland and two private grantees. At the heart of the dispute is a straightforward question: Who controls the Princess Elisabeth?


Early olfactory experience with a specific odorant enhances the subsequent response of the glomerular layer of the rat olfactory bulb to that same odorant. Because different odorants activate different glomerular layer regions, it seemed plausible that experience with a large number of odorants might result in enhanced glomerular activation during subsequent exposure to both the previously experienced odorants and the novel odorants evoking activity in regions that overlapped with those previously stimulated by different odorants. To this end, 7 odorants were selected using our glomerular response data archive that together stimulated much of the glomerular layer (alpha-phellandrene, benzaldehyde, L-carvone, decanal, pentanol, santalol, and valeric acid). Young rats were exposed to a different odorant each day for 7 days, and this cycle was repeated 3 times from postnatal days 1-21. The [(14)C]2-deoxyglucose technique was used to measure neural activity in response to both previously experienced and novel odorants. The 2 novel odorants (alpha-ionone and L-menthone) activate regions of the glomerular layer that overlap with those stimulated by the 7 enrichment odorants. Our results indicate that early experience with multiple odorants results in increased responsiveness both to previously experienced odorants and to novel odorants that stimulate previously activated regions of the bulb.


Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRLs) have emerged as critical regulators of many cellular functions including innate immunity and inflammation. CRLs form multiprotein complexes in which specific adaptor proteins recruit the substrates to be ubiquitylated. Here, we systematically depleted all predicted SOCS-box proteins – the substrate adaptors for the CRL5 family - and assessed the impact on the activation of the NF-κB pathway. Depletion of SPSB1 resulted in a significant increase in NF-κB activation, indicating the importance of SPSB1 as an NF-κB negative regulator. In agreement, overexpression of SPSB1 suppressed NF-κB activity in a potent, dose-dependent manner in response to various agonists. Conversely, the activation of IRF-3, AP-1 and STATs was unaffected by SPSB1, showing its specificity for NF-κB. Mechanistically, SPSB1 suppressed NF-κB activation induced via multiple pathways including Toll-like receptors and RNA and DNA sensing adaptors, but was unable to prevent the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB nor the translocation of p65 into the nucleus. This indicated that SPSB1 exerts its inhibitory activity downstream, or at the level, of the NF-κB heterodimer and in agreement, SPSB1 was found to co-precipitate with p65. Additionally, A549 cells stably expressing SPSB1 presented lower cytokine levels including type I interferon in response to cytokine stimulation and virus infection. Taken together, our results reveal novel regulatory mechanisms in inflammation and innate immune signalling and identify the prominent role of SPSB1 in controlling NF-κB activation, thus providing new opportunities for the therapeutic targeting of NF-κB transcriptional activity.


Oxygen ashing has been used in electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy to eliminate organic matrix sample components and is particularly useful when doing direct solids analysis of biologicals using ultrasonic slurry sampling. Oxygen ashing has also proven to be useful for the analysis of slurry samples using ultrasonic slurry sampling electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (USS-ETV-ICP-MS). In this work, the effect of oxygen ashing on analyte transport in USS-ETV-ICP-MS was evaluated. Oxygen ashing in the presence of Pd modifier (Pd/O2) enhances analyte transport efficiency, possibly as a result of an increase in the number of carbon particles present in the graphite furnace during the vaporization step. These carbon particles act as a physical carrier, providing a surface on which the analytes can condense to be transported more efficiently. The carbon produced at earlier times, with Pd/O2, may be the result of either dissociation or fracture of the graphite during the rapid heating of the furnace. Pd, which was initially added to act as a physical carrier, also seems to be acting as a catalyst for carbon oxidation. The shift in the carbon signal toward earlier times when using oxygen ashing was observed only when Pd was present. In addition, scanning electron micrographs of a home-made graphite platform revealed that portions of the graphite substrate were missing when Pd/O2 was used and that clearly visible pits were found in the graphite. Oxygen ashing combined with 1 μg Pd improves quantitative results by removing the organic part of the matrix present in slurry samples while enhancing analyte transport efficiency by providing carbon particles that serve as a physical carrier.


Aerobic incubation of the tryptophan transamination/oxidation product indole-3-pyruvic acid (I3P) at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C yielded products with activity as Ah receptor (AHR) agonists. The extracts were fractionated using HPLC and screened for AHR agonist activity. Two compounds were identified as agonists: 1,3-di(1H-indol-3-yl)propan-2-one (1) and 1-(1H-indol-3-yl)-3-(3H-indol-3-ylidene) propan-2-one (2), with the potency of 2 being 100-fold > 1 [ Nguyen et al. ( 2009 ) Chem. Res. Toxicol. , DOI: 10.1021/tx900043s . ]. Both 1 and 2 showed UV spectra indicative of indole. The molecular formulas were established by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and the structures were determined by a combination of NMR methods, including (1)H, natural abundance (13)C, and two-dimensional methods. An intermediate in the oxidation of I3P to 1 is 3-hydroxy-2,4-di(1H-indol-3-yl)butanal (HRMS established the presence of a compound with the formula C(20)H(19)N(2)O(2)). Compound 1 was converted to 2 in air or (faster) with mild oxidants, and 2 could be further oxidized to 1,3-di(3H-indol-3-ylidene)propan-2-one. Determination of the structures allowed estimation of the molar Ah receptor agonist activity of these natural products, similar in potency to known classical AHR inducers.


With the expansion of the development and use of surveying equipment recently, by the establishment of infrastructure for network RTK surveying of the NGII, network RTK surveying has been widely used in surveying industry. Currently, in public surveying regulation, site calibration with minimum 5 evenly spaced bench marks is needed for using network RTK surveying results as leveling. But the range between and the number of bench marks for site calibration can be varied according to the geoid undulation. In this study, in order to verify this, Incheon area having regular geoid undulation and Taebaek area having irregular geoid undulation are selected as study area and network RTK surveying have been done. Then the accuracy of site calibration by range between and the number of bench marks have been compared. As a result of this study, in order to meet a tolerance of vertical precision (0.1m) that has been set in public surveying regulations, there is a necessity for improving the regulations so that the range and number of bench marks, to be used for site calibration of network RTK surveying, can be applied complementarily.


The Severe Weather Data Inventory (SWDI) at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) provides user access to archives of several datasets critical to the detection and evaluation of severe weather. These datasets include • NEXRAD Level-III point features describing general storm structure, hail, mesocyclone and tornado signatures from 1995 to present. Current number of features in SWDI (January 1995 April 2009, with product codes in parentheses): Storm Structure (NSS): 254,923,000 Mesocyclone (NME): 19,136,000 Digital Mesocyclone (NMD): 2,134,000 Hail (NHI): 93,136,880 Tornado Vortex Signature (NTV): 348,000 • NOAA's National Weather Service Storm Events Database • NOAA's National Weather Service Preliminary Local Storm Reports collected from storm spotters • NOAA's National Weather Service Watches and Warnings • Lightning strikes from Vaisala's National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) (.gov and .mil only) SWDI stores these datasets in a spatial database that allows for convenient searching and subsetting. These data are accessible via the NCDC web site, FTP or automated web services. The results of interactive web page queries may be saved in a variety of formats, including plain text, XML, Google Earth's KMZ and Shapefile. In the future, the SWDI platform may be utilized for algorithm output from reanalysis and data mining projects in addition to simple quality control flags based on queries such as "Select all tornado signatures within a severe thunderstorm warning (spatially and temporally)".


Cycloheximide, at a nonlethal dose of 2 mg/kg body weight, has different effects on microsomal in vivo lipid peroxidation in different age groups. In general, the antibiotic increases microsomal lipid peroxidation in newborn and 1-year-old rats, but decreases it in 15- and 75-day-old rats. Low doses of cycloheximide induces lipid peroxidation in vitro whereas higher doses cause inhibition. The degree of change differs in the two microsomal fractions. The sucklings are more susceptible to such a change than the older rats. In vivo lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate and rough and smooth microsomes declines as a function of age. Smooth microsomes show more lipid peroxidation than the rough in the different age groups.