Indonesians, like other Southeast Asians, have been extensive users of mild narcotic analgesics throughout history. Until a century ago the most widespread narcotic was the chewed quid of betel, comprising the areca nut, betel leaves, lime, and sundry optional additives. Europeans introduced both tobacco and opium around 1600, and Indonesians quickly took up the growing of tobacco. Initially smoked by a relatively small elite, tobacco became used almost universally as part of the betel chew by the end of the eighteenth century. At the end of the nineteenth century cigarette-smoking for men became associated with the transformation to "modern" attitudes, and it rapidly replaced betel-chewing. Today virtually all Indonesian men smoke and virtually none chew betel. Among women betel-chewing has no such substitute and is disappearing more slowly. Tobacco has relaxant and sedative effects similar to betel. Whereas the betel ingredients were very cheap, tobacco now consumes about 5 percent of the incomes of Indonesian families, including the poorest. Although betel-chewing provided protection against tooth decay, intestinal parasites, and bacteria, tobacco-smoking is injurious to health in a variety of ways.


We report a case of unique location of an aneurysm at the atlanto-axial extradural segment of a unilateral aberrant vertebral artery. The MRI vessel wall imaging findings and possible mechanism of aneurysm formation were discussed. A 5 mm extracranial vertebral artery aneurysm located at the interlaminar space between C1 and C2 was diagnosed in a woman presenting with occipital headache. The index vertebral artery ran an aberrant course at the V3 segment, where it entered the dura between C1 and C2 instead of the usual atlanto-occipital space. MR vessel wall imaging showed homogenous wall enhancement of the aneurysm sac. We surmise the anomalous course of the vertebral artery subjected the V3 segment to repeated shearing force secondary to the atlanto-axial rotational neck movement. This led to vessel wall trauma and inflammation, and subsequent aneurysm formation. The aneurysm was successfully treated with endovascular coiling with resolution of symptoms.


Whether it is for 5G applications, with the demand of data rate increase, for THz imaging, or other applications, there is an increasing need for millimeter-wave technologies. In particular, novel materials more reliable and more stable at high frequencies, are of strong interest. In this context, the use of carbon nanotube (CNT) based bumps to replace existing materials for interconnects, is not unheard of. However, in this article, demonstration of a successful experimental CNT flip chip device in the $W$ band (75GHz-110GHz) is done. This new test structure is based on a dedicated CNT transfer process, which is compatible with CMOS technologies, due to process temperatures that are kept below 220°C.


As one of the efficient and classic nanoscale catalysts, Pt nanoparticles play predominant roles in multiple energy conversion systems, especially for electrochemical devices involving the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). It is important to develop a scalable method for synthesis of more efficient Pt-based electrocatalysts with higher activity and stability. In this work, a low-loading Pt-based electrocatalyst (8.0 wt%) is fabricated by the galvanic replacement reaction, presenting well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles adjacent to atomic Ni–N–C complexes (Pt@NiNC). Due to the synergetic effect associated with the nanoscale/atomic scale joint active sites and the strong metal–support interaction, the resulting Pt@NiNC hybrid exhibits better ORR performance and higher mass activity than the benchmark Pt/C, as well as enhanced electrochemical stability. This research not only opens a new route to develop heterogeneous catalysts with multi-scale joint sites but also provides bright prospects for high-performance and low-cost energy conversion and storage.


In this work surveys of latent motility abilities and skills of school children are shown. The sample for this survey was consisted of two subsamples. First one has consisted of deaf children N=29, and the second one has consisted hearing children of same age N=69. Subsamples of deaf is chosen according to model of applied sample, and subsample is chosen randomly, so two stages group sample N=90 has been created. After quantitative differences have been discovered between subsamples, hearing pupils have shown statistically better results at motility skills and techniques than deaf children and cumulative results have been subjected to inter correlation of variables. The target of using this method was determination of saturation of common variability through saturation of variables and their correlation by Ortoblique rotation for determination of latent information that are going to serve as practical guides at education and deaf children treatment, because of improvement of their motility abilities and skills according to hearing children. Three factors have been singled out as main preview of measurement on manifest variables. According to first review of measuring it has been established that at deaf children is needed to work on improving of physical abilities and mobility and then developed motility abilities and skills. Their information has been gained most probably by non system fluctuations as information about ability of balance maintaining which is most probably non dependable of motility abilities and skills as at deaf and hearing children too. According to this survey by entering the structure of measuring instrument it is possible to create programs for improving motility abilities and skills at deaf children.


Satellite based rainfall estimates (SBRE) are used as an alternative to gauge rainfall in hydrological studies particularly for basins with data issues. However, these data products exhibit errors which cannot be always corrected by bias correction methods such as Ratio Bias Correction (RBC). Data fusion or data merging can be a potentially good approach in merging various SBREs to obtain a fused dataset, which can benefit from all the data sources and may minimise the error in rainfall estimates. Data merging methods which are commonly applied in meteorology and hydrology are: Arithmetic merging method (AMM), Inverse error squared weighting (IESW) and Error variance (EV). Among these methods EV is popular, which merges bias corrected SBREs using the minimisation of variance principle.

In this research we propose using K Nearest Neighbour (KNN) as a data merging method. KNN has a particular advantage as it does not depend upon any specific statistical model to merge data and presents a great flexibility as the value of K (the number of neighbours to be chosen) can be varied to suit the purpose (for example, choosing different K values for different seasons). In this research it is proposed to compute the distances of bias corrected SBREs of the training data from the gauge data and to assign the SBRE with the minimum distance as the class C where C = 1, 2, 3,…, number of SBREs. In validation each data point consisting of a value of each SBRE may be compared with the data points from the training set and the class of the data point(s) closest to this data point is assigned as the class of the validation data point.

The KNN approach as a data merging method was applied to the Indus basin in Pakistan. Three satellite rainfall products CMORPH, PERSIANN CDR and TRMM 3B42 with 0.25° x 0.25° spatial and daily temporal resolution were used. Based on the climatic and physiographic features the Indus basin was divided into four zones. Rainfall products were compared at daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly and seasonally whereas spatial scales were gauge location, zonal scales and basin scale. The RBC method was used to correct the bias. The KNN method with K=1, 3 and 5 was used and compared with other merging methods namely AMM, IESW and EV. The results were compared in two seasons i.e. non-wet and wet season. AMM and EV methods performed similarly whereas IESW performed poorly at zonal scales. KNN merging method outperformed all other merging methods and gave lowest error across the basin. The daily normalised root mean square error at the Indus basin scale was reduced to 0.3, 0.45 and 0.45 respectively with KNN, AMM and EV whereas this error was 0.8, 0.65 and 0.53 respectively in CMORPH, PERSIANN CDR and TRMM datasets. The KNN merged product gave lowest error at daily scale in calibration and validation period which justifies that merging with KNN improves rainfall estimates in sparsely gauged basins.

Key words: Merging, data fusion, K nearest neighbour, KNN, error variance, Indus.


INTRODUCTION: Connections between environmental factors and mental health issues have been postulated in many different countries around the world. Previously undertaken research has shown many possible connections between these fields, especially in relation to air quality and extreme weather events. However, research on this subject is lacking in New Zealand, which is difficult to analyse as an overall nation due to its many micro-climates and regional differences.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study and subsequent analysis is to explore the associations between environmental factors and poor mental health outcomes in New Zealand by region and predict the number of people with mental health-related illnesses corresponding to the environmental influence.METHODS: Data are collected from various public-available sources, e.g., Stats NZ and Coronial services of New Zealand, which comprised four environmental factors of our interest and two mental health indicators data ranging from 2016 up until 2020. The four environmental factors are air pollution, earthquakes, rainfall and temperature. Two mental health indicators include the number of people seen by District Health Boards (DHBs) for mental health reasons and the statistics on suicide deaths. The initial analysis is carried out on which regions were most affected by the chosen environmental factors. Further analysis using Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average(ARIMA) creates a model based on time series of environmental data to generate estimation for the next two years and mental health projected from the ridge regression.RESULTS: In our initial analysis, the environmental data was graphed along with mental health outcomes in regional charts to identify possible associations. Different regions of New Zealand demonstrate quite different relationships between the environmental data and mental health outcomes. The result of later analysis predicts that the suicide rate and DHB mental health visits may increase in Wellington, drop-in Hawke's Bay and slightly increase in Canterbury for the year 2021 and 2022 with different environmental factors considered.CONCLUSION: It is evident that the relationship between environmental and mental health factors is regional and not national due to the many micro-climates that exist around the nation. However, it was observed that not all factors displayed a good relationship between the regions. We conclude that our hypotheses were partially correct, in that increased air pollution was found to correlate to increased mental health-related DHB visits. Rainfall was also highly correlated to some mental health outcomes. Higher levels of rainfall reduced DHB visits and suicide rates in some areas of the country.


Research on German exiles usually focuses on activities of refugees from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. Where it looks at international anti-fascist cooperation,
it mostly concentrates on politically motivated initiatives (for example the writers' congresses in 1934 and 1935, in Moscow and Paris respectively), or on the activities of a few central organisations, such as the PEN Club or the American Guild for German Cultural Freedom.
This essay broadens the focus of exile research by arguing that Klaus Mann, with
his journal Die Sammlung, attempted to achieve international anti-fascist cooperation – cultural as well as political – an aspect that has so far been neglected even by researchers who focus particularly on Mann. The study fills this gap by investigating the international dimension of Die Sammlung. It shows that Mann intended to produce more than the 'Dokumente einer ohnm¨achtigen Opposition' (Hans-Albrecht
Walter) that exile journals usually formed. Instead, he aimed at providing an
international platform for intellectuals from many countries, as well as a literary
and political journal by and for German exiles. In this respect, Die Sammlung was not
only a precursor of Mann's own 1940s English-language journal Decision, but also a unique endeavour amongst the journals of German exile.


Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) practising in Malaysia face similar dilemmas as their counterparts in more developed countries when it comes to deciding on discharge/termination of services for their patients. Furthermore, discharge dilemmas appear to be a frequent and inevitable part of their everyday practice. In an interview conducted for the purpose of this paper, it was clear that many SLPs found it difficult to articulate or justify the process they took to reach a decision on whether or not to terminate their services or discharge their patients. Much of the difficulty is anchored on the need to be realistic and function within the confines of limited resources. Malaysian SLPs were aware of the ideals that had to be abandoned along the way but had not allowed guilt to dissuade or discourage them from providing what they perceived as the next best available service. The not-so ideal decisions made by these SLPs may be frowned upon by international standards but must be examined within the local historical perspective of the development of the SLP profession in Malaysia. The dilemma will continue until the country produces SLPs in sufficient numbers but the profession is reminded that less-than-ideal practices may perpetuate over time into unhealthy traditions that will require major efforts to be undone.


In the 1964 article "Pelvic Scoring for Elective Induction," obstetrician Edward Bishop describes his method to determine whether a doctor should induce labor, or artificially start the birthing process, in a pregnant woman. Aside from medical emergencies, a woman can elect to induce labor to choose when she gives birth and have a shorter than normal labor. The 1964 publication followed an earlier article by Bishop on the topic of elective induction [4]. In both articles, Bishop used data gathered from the obstetrics department of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he worked. In "Pelvic Scoring for Elective Induction," Bishop introduces a scoring system later known as the Bishop Score, used into the twenty-first century, to determine if a pregnant woman fits the criteria for a safe and successful induction [4].


Global biodiversity change is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Here, we review current scientific knowledge on global biodiversity change and identify the main knowledge gaps. We discuss two components of biodiversity change—biodiversity alterations and biodiversity loss—across four dimensions of biodiversity: species extinctions, species abundances, species distributions, and genetic diversity. We briefly review the impacts that modern humans and their ancestors have had on biodiversity and discuss the recent declines and alterations in biodiversity. We analyze the direct pressures on biodiversity change: habitat change, overexploitation, exotic species, pollution, and climate change. We discuss the underlying causes, such as demographic growth and resource use, and review existing scenario projections. We identify successes and impending opportunities in biodiversity policy and management, and highlight gaps in biodiversity monitoring and models. Finally, we discuss how the eco...


* Abbreviations:
 BCERC — : Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers
 NHANES — : National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
 PROS — : Pediatric Research in Office Settings

Nuances of puberty, the actual trigger, influencing factors, secular and tempo changes, continue to plague us. Uncertainty, as in quantum physics, may continue. Niels Bohr concluded decades ago that what you see depends on how you look. In the robust Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers (BCERC) study in this issue of Pediatrics by Biro et al, onset of Tanner 2 breast development is the main end point.1 This article adds to studies providing the unsettling findings that the age of onset of breast development, in synch with, though not entirely explained by, the "obesity epidemic," has continued to drop. It will inspire continued investigations of causes and implications for psychosocial public health. Remedies will follow.

The 1997 cross-sectional Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) study on 17 000 US girls, followed by nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES), reported earlier onset of secondary sexual characteristics in girls over the previous several decades.2 The considerable controversy and angst generated by these findings led to lay and scientific essays and studies here and abroad. …

Address correspondence to Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, PA, DrPH, 1450 Russell Chapel Rd, Pittsboro, NC 27312. E-mail: mherman-giddens{at}unc.edu


Water shortages due to low precipitation and seawater intrusion in the Lower China Yellow River Delta have occurred in recent years. Exploiting underground brackish water through well drilling is a potential alternative way to satisfy the demand for agricultural irrigation. However, how to successfully use brackish water for irrigation has become a new problem to solve. A two-year field experiment was conducted in this typical saline-alkaline region to investigate the effects of irrigating with brackish water on the soil water-salt dynamics, and the physiological response of winter wheat to drought-salt stress. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications according to the quantity (160 mm and 240 mm) and quality (fresh water and brackish water with a salt concentration of 3 g L-1) of irrigation water: T1 was 240 mm of fresh water, T2 was 160 mm of fresh water, T3 was 80 mm of fresh water and 160 mm of brackish water, and T4 was 80 mm of fresh water and 80 mm of brackish water. The results showed that the soil moisture of T3 was almost the same as T1 after the harvest of winter wheat each year, therefore, irrigating with brackish water can maintain soil moisture while saving fresh water resources. After two years, the soil salinity of each treatment increased by 0.307, 0.406, 0.383, and 0.889 g kg-1, respectively. During the jointing-flowering stage, salt stress has a significant inhibitory effect on photosynthesis; T3 and T4 were lower than T1 and T2 in terms of plant height and dry weight. During the filling stage, because the effect of drought stress is more serious than that of salt stress, the photosynthesis of T3 was greater than that of T2 and T4. For both years, the yield of crops followed the rank order T1 > T3 > T2 > T4. Compared with irrigating with fresh water in T1, T3 changed the second and third irrigation into brackish water, however we did not find that soil salinity increased significantly, and this treatment was able to ensure crop growth during the filling stage. Therefore, the combination of fresh water (80 mm), then brackish water (80 mm), then brackish water (80 mm) is a feasible irrigation strategy in China's Yellow River Delta for winter wheat.


A MAC (media access control)-protocol for the indoor radio environment has to be able to overcome individual link failure due to channel outage with a minimized wastage of bandwidth. 'TOPO', a token based MAC protocol with asymmetric polling strategy, is suggested for a network in which the allocation of common resources, such as bandwidth, is administered by a central station. The protocol supports different traffic types and services as well as the adaptation to varying load and changing channel characteristics. The performance parameters, mean response time and bandwidth utilization, are derived from simulations for the case of asynchronous file transfer. The simulation model incorporates channel outage of variable length and probability. The optimum packet size is determined for different nonfade durations.<<ETX>>


The settlement of the external debt of insolvent sovereign borrowers has become one of the most important issues in relations between the north and south since the outbreak of the global debt crisis in the early 1980s. For the past eight years representatives of governments and international organizations, bankers, and scientists have suggested several proposals and plans to solve the present debt crisis. The most prominent schemes in this respect are the Baker Plan of 1985, which suggested massive new credits for the most highly indebted developing countries, and the recently adopted Brady Plan, which proposes partial debt discounts and reductions in interest rates. Both of these debt settlement proposals were initiated by the United States and are supported by the other principal creditor countries. However, despite the ten years of crisis management, world leaders have not yet agreed upon a longterm solution to the current debt problems. In the history of the capitalist world economy, the current problems of coping with a global debt crisis do not represent a unique event. Rather, recent empirical studies demonstrate that sovereign borrowers have experienced many instances of debt-servicing difficulties during the past 150 years (Eichengreen and Portes 1986; White 1986; Eichengreen and Lindert 1989; Marichal 1989; Suter 1989).


Globally, coastal waters are considered biogeochemical hotspots because they receive, transform, and integrate materials and waters from both land and the open ocean. Extending from northern California to southeast Alaska, the Northeast Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest (NPCTR) region is no exception to this, and hosts a diversity of watershed types (old-growth rainforest, bog forest, glaciers), and tidal (sheltered, exposed) and pelagic marine (deep fjord, shallow estuary, well-mixed channel) environments. With large freshwater fluxes to the coastal ocean, cross-ecosystem connectivity in the NPCTR is expected to be high, but seasonally variable, with pulses in runoff from rainfall, snowmelt and glacial melt, and primary production associated with changes in ocean upwelling and incident light. However, the relative contribution of each ecosystem to surface ocean organic matter pools over time and space remains poorly constrained, despite their importance for the structure and function of coastal marine ecosystems. Here, we use a four-year dataset of particulate organic matter (POM) chemical composition (δ13C, δ15N, C:N ratio) to quantify the relative contributions of watershed materials via riverine inputs, marine phytoplankton, and macrophytes (macroalgae and seagrass) to surface waters (0-10 m) at 11 stations representing fjord, shallow non-fjord estuary, sheltered channel and well-mixed coastal environments at the heart of the NPCTR in British Columbia, Canada. Watershed, marine phytoplankton, and macrophyte contributions to surficial POM ranged between 5-78%, 22-88%, and 0.1-18%, respectively, and varied by season and station. Watershed inputs were the primary source of POM across all stations in winter and were important throughout the year within the fjord. Marine phytoplankton were the principal source of POM in spring and at all stations outside of the fjord through summer and autumn, while macrophyte contributions were greatest in summer. These results demonstrated high, but seasonally and spatially variable, connectivity between ecosystems that are often considered in isolation of one another and highlight the need to consider coastal waters as integrated land-ocean meta-ecosystems. Future work should investigate how heterogeneity in POM sources determines its fate in coastal ecosystems,and the relative importance of different basal organic matter sources for the marine food web.


The purpose of this paper is to analyze the spatial characteristics of the total population distribution in 39 cities near the Lancang River at the end of 1978 year to 2007 Year .The inherent laws of spatial distribution of population can be revealed by the spatial autocorrelation analysis based on population density data, we can analyze the spatial characteristics of population for each cities and the reason of the formed dynamic mechanism and motivation. In this paper studies, we mixed the spatial Topology relationship, the visualization and exporting map of GIS function into the spatial pattern of the geographical phenomena perfectly.


This paper describes the experimental transport of a full motion MPEG-1 system stream (combines audio, video and timing information) over an ATM network. We analysed the factors related to the host interface that affected the video and audio quality. We found that in order to achieve high resolution video conferencing at the desktop, a dedicated hardware decoder is needed. Furthermore, software handling of the MPEG-1 packets introduces jitter greater than 250 ms due to the underlying non-real time operating system. We plan to use the results to define and develop a dedicated network-interface and audio-video decoder-encoder subsystem that unloads the PC and facilitates video conferencing and video playback.


Analytical expressions to determine sheath thickness surrounding cylindrical or spherical Langmuir probes are obtained using a radial model for cold electropositive plasmas. As has been shown by the authors, a radial model can be used to obtain numerical results to locate the sheath edge considering three different criteria, when it is parameterized according to the radius and the potential of the probe. Expressions to fit these results are provided.


ObjectiveTo describe characteristics of needle-exchange program (NEP) participants who utilized tuberculosis services from an NEP site.MethodsBetween June 1998 and May 1999, tuberculosis services were advertised and offered to Baltimore, Maryland, NEP participants. Demographic and tuberculosis-specific data were collected on participants who self-selected into services. Analyses were based on being tuberculin skin tested, returning for a skin test reading, and testing tuberculin positive.ResultsAmong 691 contacts with NEP participants, this service performed 296 tuberculin tests, with an 84% return rate for skin test reading. Participants were 32% female, 87% African American, and 11% employed. Higher frequency of NEP visits was positively associated with requesting tuberculosis services and returning for skin test reading. Among those who returned for skin test reading, longer smoking duration and problems getting food in the past year due to a lack of money were associated with a positive test.ConclusionsUtilization of a tuberculosis service and high return rates can be achieved among NEP participants without formal recruitment strategies. Frequent exchange appears to facilitate return visits for NEP-based tuberculosis screening, which may imply accessibility for frequent exchangers. More extensive health services at sites of the Baltimore NEP appear to be warranted, with particular attention paid to effectiveness for frequent exchangers.


The overall banking scenario has undergone a dramatic change in the wake of liberalization of markets and advent of the concept of universal banking. Commercial banks can now operate as veritable financial supermarkets offering all kinds of services under one roof. The various regulatory requirements and the presence of NPAs in banks' balance sheets introduce certain rigidities in their operating parameters. Besides, the investment options expose them to market and project risks, and brings the issue of financial fragility to the foreground. In view of the new kinds of risk affecting banks and increasing global competition faced by them, their capitalization and the efficacy of the regulatory and supervisory norms assume a greater significance. The current article explores the impact of possible changes in CRR and SLR on a bank's cut-off risk, i.e. the maximum permissible risk without any default, as well as its dependence on interest rate and capital adequacy ratio. Basel II norms for taking market risk into account, the use of Value at Risk as its measure and the recent guideline by Reserve Bank of India to relate the overall market exposure to net worth, have been examined. A method towards selection of an appropriate capital adequacy ratio to cover market risks has also been proposed.


Introduction: HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors are the most frequently prescribed drugs for treatment of lipid imbalance, but they have side effects, such as myopathy. Our aim was to assess the effect of simvastatin on the inflammatory process induced by skeletal muscle injury. Methods: Rats were divided into experimental groups [control group, simvastatin (20 mg/kg) group, group treated with simvastatin (20 mg/kg) and subjected to injury, and group subjected to injury only]. Histological analysis and analyses of creatine kinase activity and C‐reactive protein were performed. Results: Animals treated with simvastatin exhibited significantly greater morphological and structural skeletal muscle damage in comparison to the control group and injured animals without treatment. Conclusions: Although simvastatin has a small anti‐inflammatory effect in the early stage after a muscle strain injury, the overall picture is negative, as simvastatin increases the extent of damage to muscle morphology. Further studies are needed. Muscle Nerve, 2012


This paper reports a retrospective review of 40 patients who underwent 48 surgical procedures to treat extracranial cerebrovascular disease. The surgery was performed at the Port Kembla District Hospital (a 145-bed regional institution) between 4 October 1984 and 9 September 1987. Carotid endarterectomy was the most common operation (n = 44, 91.6%). The survey reports the patterns of presenting symptoms, risk factors, investigations, surgical detail and early and late complications, and compares these with other published series. Operative and peri-operative morbidity and mortality were within contemporary international standards: mortality 0% (reference range: 0-1%); stroke 2.1% (1-3%); transient ischaemic attack 6.3% (0-8%). These results support the contention of other authors that international standards for extracranial cerebrovascular surgery are achievable in regional institutions.


OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the successful treatment of laryngeal papillomatosis in a 32-month-old girl, using coblation (radio-frequency ablation) resection.

CASE REPORT
A 32-month-old girl was referred to the ENT out-patients clinic due to a hoarse cry and a very croaky voice since birth. Under general anaesthesia, fibre-optic airway endoscopy revealed a large papillomatous lesion involving the anterior glottis, which was reported as a laryngeal papilloma on histological analysis. This was later excised using an Evac 70Xtra wand. The patient made an uneventful post-operative recovery, and there were no signs of recurrence on repeated airway endoscopies at three and 18 months.

CONCLUSION
Coblation (radio-frequency ablation) is a promising surgical technique for the treatment of paediatric laryngeal papillomatosis. The main advantages of this technique include limited damage to underlying tissues and a bloodless field.


The choice of laboratory cage bedding material is often based on both practical and husbandry issues, whereas behavioral outcomes rarely appear to be considered. It has been noted that a breeding success difference appears to be associated with the differential use of aspen chip and aspen shaving bedding in our facility; therefore, we sought to analyze breeding records maintained over a 20-month period. In fact, in all four mouse strains analyzed, shaving bedding was associated with a significant increase in average weanlings per litter relative to chip bedding. To determine whether these bedding types also resulted in differences in behaviors associated with wellbeing, we examined nest building, anxiety-like, depressive-like (or helpless-like), and social behavior in mice housed on chip versus shaving bedding. We found differences in the nests built, but no overall effect of bedding type on the other behaviors examined. Therefore, we argue that breeding success, perhaps especially in more challenging strains, is improved on shaving bedding and this is likely due to improved nest-building potential. For standard laboratory practices, however, these bedding types appear equivalent.


A fully integrated CMOS direct-conversion 5-GHz transceiver with automatic frequency control is implemented in a 0.18-/spl mu/m digital CMOS process and housed in an LPCC-48 package. This chip, along with a companion baseband chip, provides a complete 802.11a solution The transceiver consumes 150 mW in receive mode and 380 mW in transmit mode while transmitting +15-dBm output power. The receiver achieves a sensitivity of better than -93.7dBm and -73.9dBm for 6 Mb/s and 54 Mb/s, respectively (even using hard-decision decoding). The transceiver achieves a 4-dB receive noise figure and a +23-dBm transmitter saturated output power. The transmitter also achieves a transmit error vector magnitude of -33 dB. The IC occupies a total die area of 11.7 mm/sup 2/ and is packaged in a 48-pin LPCC package. The chip passes better than /spl plusmn/2.5-kV ESD performance. Various integrated self-contained or system-level calibration capabilities allow for high performance and high yield.


Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) remains prevalent in Australia and worldwide, especially among high‐risk groups. IDA may be effectively diagnosed in most cases by full blood examination and serum ferritin level. Serum iron levels should not be used to diagnose iron deficiency. Although iron deficiency may be due to physiological demands in growing children, adolescents and pregnant women, the underlying cause(s) should be sought. Patients without a clear physiological explanation for iron deficiency (especially men and postmenopausal women) should be evaluated by gastroscopy/colonoscopy to exclude a source of gastrointestinal bleeding, particularly a malignant lesion. Patients with IDA should be assessed for coeliac disease. Oral iron therapy, in appropriate doses and for a sufficient duration, is an effective first‐line strategy for most patients. In selected patients for whom intravenous (IV) iron therapy is indicated, current formulations can be safely administered in outpatient treatment centres and are relatively inexpensive. Red cell transfusion is inappropriate therapy for IDA unless an immediate increase in oxygen delivery is required, such as when the patient is experiencing end‐organ compromise (eg, angina pectoris or cardiac failure), or IDA is complicated by serious, acute ongoing bleeding. Consensus methods for administration of available IV iron products are needed to improve the utilisation of these formulations in Australia and reduce inappropriate transfusion. New‐generation IV products, supported by high‐quality evidence of safety and efficacy, may facilitate rapid administration of higher doses of iron, and may make it easier to integrate IV iron replacement into routine care.


We investigate how the genetic risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD) relates to saving behavior. Using nationally representative data from the 1992-2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we find that genetic predisposition for AD correlates with, but is not causally related to older individuals' wealth holdings. People with higher Alzheimer's Disease polygenic risk score (PGS) hold roughly 9 percent more wealth in CDs (hands-off assets) and around 11 percent, 15 percent, and 7 percent less wealth in stocks, IRAs, and other financial assets (hands-on assets) respectively. We explore three hypotheses that could explain these correlations. We hypothesize that people with high risk of AD choose different portfolios because: (i) they know their polygenic risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease and related dementia, (ii) they have lower cognitive capacity, and (iii) the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) process that generated the Alzheimer's Disease PGS failed to fully account for the aging process. Our extended model results do not support the first two hypotheses. Consistent with the third hypothesis, the interaction between age and the Alzheimer's Disease PGS explains the correlation between genetic traits and asset holdings. Su H. Shin University of Alabama 303B Adams Hall Box 870158 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 firstname.lastname@example.com Dean R. Lillard Department of Human Sciences The Ohio State University 1787 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH 43210 and NBER email@example.com Jay Bhattacharya 117 Encina Commons CHP/PCOR Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-6019 and NBER firstname.lastname@example.com


The structures of specific chromosome regions, centromeres and telomeres, present a number of puzzles. As functions performed by these regions are ubiquitous and essential, their DNA, proteins and chromatin structure are expected to be conserved. Recent studies of centromeric DNA from human, Drosophila and plant species have demonstrated that a hidden universal centromere‐specific sequence is highly unlikely. The DNA of telomeres is more conserved consisting of a tandemly repeated 6–8 bp Arabidopsis‐like sequence in a majority of organisms as diverse as protozoan, fungi, mammals and plants. However, there are alternatives to short DNA repeats at the ends of chromosomes and for telomere elongation by telomerase. Here we focus on the similarities and diversity that exist among the structural elements, DNA sequences and proteins, that make up terminal domains (telomeres and subtelomeres), and how organisms use these in different ways to fulfil the functions of end‐replication and end‐protection. BioEssays 27:685–697, 2005. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


An article based on a paper with the full title 'The dynamic behaviour of a transformer winding under axial short-circuit forces', which is published this month in the Proceedings. The paper will be read at a meeting of the Power Division on the 3rd April 1963 at Savoy Place. A companion paper, 'A mathematical treatment of the dynamic behaviour of a power-transformer winding under axial short-circuit forces', by G.B. Watts, is also published this month {see p. 132).


Targeting people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), this research examined the prevalence of space-focused stereotypes and their underlying mechanism on behavioral inclinations. Study 1 adopted the explicit nomination and implicit Go/No-Go association tests to explore the existence of space-focused stereotypes of people living with HIV/AIDS. The results demonstrated that space-focused stereotypes were only manifested explicitly with characteristics such as messy, dirty, and gloomy. Study 2 demonstrated a more negative evaluation and community-approaching willingness for communities that include people living with HIV/AIDS than those without HIV/AIDS. Additionally, space-focused stereotypes were found to have an indirect influence on community-approaching willingness; the influence was mediated by both emotional (threat perception) and cognitive factors (community evaluation). These results indicate the deviation of explicit and implicit space-focused stereotypes. More importantly, it revealed that space-focused stereotypes decreased community evaluation and influenced behavioral inclination. This research suggested the existence of space-focused stereotypes on another stigmatized social group. Characteristics of space (e.g., geographical segregation) might be the key to forming space-focused stereotypes.


The performance of multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm using three different inputs over a wideband of frequencies is considered. These inputs are: 1) ideal voltages, 2) actual voltages which include coupling effects and are obtained with the method or moments, and 3) corrected voltages which are obtained from the actual voltages so that the mutual coupling effects are removed. Linear arrays of dipoles, sleeve dipoles, and spiral antennas are considered over 200 MHz to 400 MHz band. >


In this thesis I explore the radiative transfer process where relativistic effects are important. Strong gravity modifies the observable properties of the light emitted by an object. A photon no longer travels in straight lines, and its frequency is shifted as it propagates. Gravitational lensing may make multiple images of the emitter, further modifying the temporal and spectral properties of its emission. The first part of my thesis investigates the motion of particles in a strong gravitational field (near a black hole). I derive the equations of motion for massive or massless particles acted upon by external forces. Efforts are made to work out self-consistently the structure of the accreting flow around central super-massive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN). I calculate the line and continuum emission from accretion disks and tori around rotating black holes using a ray-tracing method. I also study the effect of line-of-sight absorption, with a model in which the absorbing medium is composed of virialised clouds. The second part of the thesis examines situations where scattering is important. I derive a covariant transfer formulation which uses a basis set of projected symmetric tensors for a series of moments. My formulation is similar, yet simpler than an alternative method which uses projected symmetric trace-free tensors derived by Thorne (1981). I then calculate the emission from accretion tori where electron scattering dominates other radiative processes.


ABSTRACT
One of the content that contained in Donan River is known as a lead (Pb). Lead that contained in the water will accumulate in the body of water organisme, one of which is the body shells (Polymesoda erosa). This type of research is a descriptive study and use the test "one sample t test". Based on the results of research on three stations in the River Donan is in the vicinity of Tritih Kulon, around the industrial area and around the Port Crossing Sleko, indicate that the sample (Polymesoda erosa) examined showed a significant difference to the standard used, SNI No. 7387 Year of 2009. The results of analysis using the "one-sample t test" indicates p value at stations I is 0,028, station II is 0,031 and 0,034 for station III, where a significance value less than 0,05 which indicates there is a significant difference between Pb content in the body of shells in River Donan with standard that used. The results of the calculation of the rate of consumption is safe for the shellfish mussel in the River Donan at station I that is equal to 0.00372 kg/day, the station II of 0.00367 kg/day and station III of 0.0037 kg/day. For the public should not consume mussel shells (Polymesoda erosa) from River Donan Cilacap in quantities of more than 0.004 grams/day to avoid the accumulation of Pb in the body.
Keyword: Metal Content of Lead (Pb), flesh shells (Polymesoda erosa), The Rate of Safe Consumption
 Kesmasindo, Volume 6, Nomor 2, Juli 2013, Hal 85-93


feron (IFN)-inducible protein galectin-3 binding protein (G3BP) may play a pathogenic role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Co-expression of DNA on such MVs may render them immunogenic and target for anti-dsDNA antibodies. Little is known about the mechanisms underlying generation of this MV population. In this study, we investigated how Toll-like receptors, interferon(IFN-) and T cells are related hereto in healthy subjects. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from 12 healthy donors were stimulated in-vitro for 24 hours with a series of TLR-agonists or the T-cell activating antibody OKT3 or were subjected to apoptosis by incubation with staurosporine. MVs in the supernatants were subsequently isolated by differential centrifugation and were quantified and characterized with respect to expression of G3BP and DNA by flow cytometry. Results Stimulation of PBMCs with the TLR9-agonist and strong IFNinducer ODN2395 significantly increased the release of MVs expressing G3BP. A large proportion of these MVs expressed augmented levels of DNA on their surface. The production of MVs with this phenotype was markedly enhanced by co-stimulation of T cells. Furthermore, dependency on IFNin the generation of G3BPexpressing MVs was indicated by a marked reduction following addition of the IFNinhibitor IFN alpha-IFNAR-IN1 hydrochloride. Conclusions The release of G3BP-expressing MVs from healthy donor PBMCs is induced by stimulation of TLR9 in an IFN– dependent manner. The co-expression of DNA accessible for anti-DNA antibodies on these MVs may render them relevant in lupus pathogenesis. Funding Source(s): Lundbeck Foundation, Rigshospitalets Fund for Research, Gigtforeningen Effect of IFNinhibition on TLR9-induced release of MVs from mononuclear cells.


/Izvleček Aim of the study is to provide an insight into the experience of residential care from the perspective of beneficiaries and experts. The data was collected in two male residential units. The results show that adolescents and caregivers tend to have a negative attitude toward residential care. Adolescents are even more skeptical about the purpose of treatment s ince they experience shortcomings in the activities and the methods of treatment, as well as monotony and stigmatization by the local community. Caregivers highlight their disappointment regarding the inadequate intervention system and the complexity of working with children with multiple risks and problems.


Some of the pathological manifestations of cystic fibrosis are in accordance with an impaired expression and/or activity of PPARgamma. We hypothesized that PPARgamma expression is altered in tissues lacking the normal cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator protein (CFTR). PPARgamma mRNA levels were measured in colonic mucosa, ileal mucosa, adipose tissue, lung, and liver from wild-type and cftr-/- mice by quantitative RT-PCR. PPARgamma expression was decreased twofold in CFTR-regulated tissues (colon, ileum, and lung) from cftr-/- mice compared to wild-type littermates. In contrast, no differences were found in fat and liver. Immunohistochemical analysis of PPARgamma in ileum and colon revealed a predominantly nuclear localization in wild-type mucosal epithelial cells while tissues from cftr-/- mice showed a more diffuse, lower intensity labeling. A significant decrease in PPARgamma expression was confirmed in nuclear extracts of colon mucosa by Western blot analysis. In addition, binding of the PPARgamma/RXR heterodimer to an oligonucletotide containing a peroxisome proliferator responsive element (PPRE) was also decreased in colonic mucosa extracts from cftr-/- mice. Treatment of cftr-/- mice with the PPARgamma ligand rosiglitazone restored both the nuclear localization and binding to DNA, but did not increase RNA levels. We conclude that PPARgamma expression in cftr-/- mice is downregulated at the RNA and protein levels and its function diminished. These changes may be related to the loss of function of CFTR and may be relevant to the pathogenesis of metabolic abnormalities associated with cystic fibrosis in humans.


Recent evidence is showing that the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus plays a key role in autonomic regulation. Studies by the author of the PVN neurones that project to the spinal cord are reviewed. These neurones are inhibited by arterial baroreceptors and excited or inhibited by pulmonary/cardiac vagal afferents. Volume load or low dose atrionatriuretic peptide can stimulate vagal afferents to excite PVN-spinal neurones. Ibotenic acid-induced lesions of PVN-spinal neurones abolish a reflex increase in renal vascular conductance following volume load. This effect appears to be independent of the PVN-vasopressin or oxytocin-containing neurones which directly excite spinal sympathetic neurones. It is suggested that different chemically coded PVN-spinal neurones produce differential effects on spinal cardiovascular neurones, either monosynaptically or via interneurones.


ABSTRACT Forda formicaria von Heyden is one of the most common galling aphids on Pistacia palaestina in Israel. We report here on the distribution of the galls on shoots and leaves of the host tree. Using three indices of gall abundance, we illustrate changes in abundance of the characteristic crescent-shaped final galls on individual trees at one site from one year to the next. We describe the pattern of temporal changes in clone size within galls during the summer. Although the galls reach their final size shortly after gall induction, when they contain the single fundatrix nymph only, tissue differentiation in the gall wall continues throughout the summer, apparently due to stimulation by the increasing aphid clone.


The distribution of nutrients within the wheat grain is not uniform. Furthermore, the mode of distribution differs from one nutrient to another. Thus 62% of the total vitamin B1 is found in the scutellum which is 1.5% of the weight of the grain and a further 32% in the aleurone layer, which is 7% of the weight. These two regions, however, contain only 20% of the total protein, 72% of which is present in the endosperm. Such a high concentration of vitamin B1 as is found in the scutellum has no parallel among the higher plants. It is suggested that a localization of vitamin B1 is a normal occurrence in the development of plant tissue, intensified, however, in the case of the scutellum by its relationship to the grain and the plant as a whole. On the other hand, the vitamin B1 in the scutellum appears to play no great part in the earliest stages of germination of the seed but is drawn upon in the secondary stages when the seedling is several days old. The principal parts of the wheat grain have been separated by manual dissection of the grain in its natural state, the subsequent assays being carried out by micro-analytical methods.


The aim of this clinical study was to explore the contents of routine oral examinations (ROE), carried out by Dutch general dental practitioners (GDPs), in relation to the oral health status of regularly attending patients. An observational study was performed, based on clinical case recording. Using The Data Station Project of the Dutch Dental Association as the study base, 215 GDPs were recruited, of whom 131 participated in the study. A clinical case-recording form was developed to document clinical behavior. The contents assessed concerned patient characteristics, contents of the ROE visit, diagnoses made, and clinical behavior in response to ROE findings. This study showed substantial variation in clinical behavior related to specific ROE domains, including patient history and record keeping, whereas GDPs acted consistently on other domains, such as clinical examination and recall length assessment. Furthermore, the ROE performance was more strongly associated with GDP characteristics than with patient characteristics. The mean ROE time was 10 min, and recall intervals were most frequently assigned at 6 months, irrespective of the oral condition. This study highlights a need for continuing education to promote risk-based oral screening. Further research is needed to identify factors responsible for the variation in GDP performance, just as research on clinical practice guideline implementation methods is warranted.


An efficient, stereodivergent, and enantioselective synthesis of the syn and anti diastereomers of N-Boc-beta-methylphenylalanine has been developed. Starting from enantiomerically pure (2S,3S)-2,3-epoxy-3-phenyl-1-propanol, a three-step sequence, consisting of the oxidation of the primary alcohol up to the carboxyl stage, ring opening of the epoxy acid with Me(2)CuCNLi(2), and esterification of the resulting hydroxy acid with methyl iodide, leads to the hydroxy ester anti-10, which has been converted in a stereodivergent manner into both the (2S,3R) and the (2R,3R) diastereomers of N-Boc-beta-methylphenylalanine, syn-1 and anti-1, respectively. Activation of the secondary hydroxy group in anti-10 as a mesylate, followed by nucleophilic displacement with sodium azide, hydrogenolysis with simultaneous protection of the amino group, and saponification with LiOH, affords syn-1. The same reaction sequence applied to syn-10, obtained in turn by Mitsunobu reaction of anti-10 with p-nitrobenzoic acid followed by the hydrolysis of the resulting p-nitrobenzoate, leads to anti-1. Both products have been obtained with >/=99% enantiomeric excess.


Alterations in PI3K signaling are common in gynecologic malignancies. Alterations detected vary with gynecologic cancer type, histologic subtypes within these, and clinical phenotypes. The distinction into type I and type II endometrial and ovarian carcinomas is reflected in distribution of changes detected in several of the PI3K members. PIK3CA mutations and amplifications are common in endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancers. PTEN mutations and deletions are frequent in endometrial cancers. Several immunohistochemical studies of protein expression have explored these and other potential surrogate markers for PI3K pathway activation. Biomarkers to measure level of PI3K activity in clinical samples are not established. Whether amplifications, mutations, and deletions of the PI3K pathway members, and in particular change in their expression levels, result in clinically relevant pathway activation needs to be further explored. Also, to what extent these alterations drive the tumor behavior and are critical targets for therapeutics to improve patient survival needs to be further tested to establish predictive biomarkers for response to PI3K inhibition.


We analyze the diffusion of carsharing across 177 cities in five Western European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, United Kingdom) and identify the influence of spatial, socio-demographic and institutional city characteristics. Carsharing can partially replace private ownership of vehicles with a service that allows the use of a car temporarily on an on-demand basis. It has the potential to satisfy individualized transportation demands in a sustainable and socially beneficial way and reduces urban problems like traffic and parking pressure in growing cities. We present the first study that explains the number of shared cars present in a city, while distinguishing between the traditional business-to-consumer (B2C) business model and the more recent peer-to-peer (P2P) business model. We find that carsharing per capita is highest in the largest cities. Moreover, carsharing is popular in cities with high educational level and many green party votes, and less popular in cities with many car commuters. Particularly striking are the differences between countries, with peer-to-peer carsharing being especially popular in French cities and business-to-consumer carsharing in Germany. We reflect on the findings in the light of (sustainable) mobility policy options.


Background: In recent years, there has been significant research on the mental health effects of classic psychedelic use, but there is very little evidence on how classic psychedelics might influence physical health. Aims: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the associations between lifetime classic psychedelic use and markers of physical health. Methods: Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2015-2018) with 171,766 (unweighted) adults aged 18 or above in the United States, the current study examined the associations between lifetime classic psychedelic use and three markers of physical health (self-reported overall health, body mass index, and heart condition and/or cancer in the past 12 months) while controlling for a range of covariates. Results: Respondents who reported having tried a classic psychedelic at least once in their lifetime had significantly higher odds of greater self-reported overall health and significantly lower odds of being overweight or obese versus having a normal weight. The association between lifetime classic psychedelic use and having a heart condition and/or cancer in the past 12 months approached conventional levels of significance, with lower odds of having a heart condition and/or cancer in the past 12 months for respondents who had tried a classic psychedelic at least once. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that classic psychedelics may be beneficial to physical health. Future research should investigate the causal effects of classic psychedelics on physical health and evaluate possible mechanisms.


All-polymer solar cells based on blends of the low band gap polymers poly{[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]} (PTB7) and poly{[N,N-9-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl]-alt-5,59-(2,29-bithiophene)} (P(NDI2OD-T2)) are demonstrated. The use of the donor polymer PTB7 instead of poly(3-hexylthiophene) results in a higher open-circuit voltage and an overall spectral response better matched to the solar spectrum. A power conversion efficiency of 1.1% is reported with a peak external quantum efficiency of 18% at a wavelength of 680 nm. The microstructure of PTB7:P(NDI2OD-T2) blends is also investigated using a combination of grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS), near-edge X-ray fine-structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM). GIWAXS measurements show that PTB7:P(NDI2OD-T2) blends contain P(NDI2OD-T2) crystallites with a (100) thickness of 9.5 nm dispersed in an amorphous PTB7 matrix. STXM measurements indicate a lack of mesoscale phase separation, with AFM and NEXAFS measurements revealing a P(NDI2OD-T2)-rich top surface with fibrillar morphology. These results indicate that the pairing of low band gap polymers as both donor and acceptor polymers in all-polymer solar cells may be an effective strategy for realizing high-efficiency all-polymer solar cells. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013


The reaction mechanism of peptide bond formation on the ribosome is now becoming established by results from both experiments and computer simulations. Here, we analyze predictions from molecular dynamics simulations, as well as from new crystal structures, and examine their implications for the mechanisms of peptidyl transfer and peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis. A number of computational predictions for the peptidyl transfer reaction, including quantitative energetics, stereochemistry, hydrogen bonding network, and role of solvent molecules, are found to be supported and confirmed by kinetic and structural data. The results show that this type of reaction calculations can provide important links between structure and function that cannot be obtained by experimental means.


S stars are transition objects at the top of the AGB between M-and C-stars. The third dredge-up in thermally pulsating AGB-stars transports freshly synthesised carbon from the He burning zone into the stellar atmosphere. If the carbon and oxygen abundance are about equal the star is classified as being of spectral type S. Stars at the top of the AGB are subject to large mass-loss caused by a strong stellar wind. At some distance from the star the temperature of the gas drops below the condensation temperature of some mineral compounds and soot. This results in optically thick dust shells which are sources of an intense IR-radiation from warm dust. The composition of the dust formed in the stellar outflow critically depends on the C/O-ratio. For the standard element mixture characteristic for main sequence stars one has C/O 1 (C-stars) the dust mixture is dominated by solid carbon and some SiC. The element mixture of S stars is characterised by the non-availability of sufficient quantities of O or C to form the standard condensates. We have investigated the condensation processes for the peculiar element mixture at the M-S-C transition on the AGB. From thermodynamic equilibrium calculations we find that the most likely solids to be formed are solid FeSi, metallic iron and small quantities of forsterite and SiC. Nucleation of dust may be triggered by TiC, ZrC or TiO 2 . For these substances, non-equilibrium dust condensation in the outflow is calculated for a simple stationary wind model for a sample of C/O-ratios. The results of our calculation show that iron and FeSi dust condensates in the circumstellar shells of S stars.


Abstract Concise and inexpensive methods for the preparation of 4-hydroxy-1-thiocoumarin and 2-methylthiochromone from 2-mercaptobenzoic acid are described, which should be readily amenable to large scale synthesis.


The quantification of forest above-ground biomass (AGB) is important for such broader applications as decision making, forest management, carbon (C) stock change assessment and scientific applications, such as C cycle modeling. However, there is a great uncertainty related to the estimation of forest AGB, especially in the tropics. The main goal of this study was to test a combination of field data and Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) backscatter intensity data to reduce the uncertainty in the estimation of forest AGB in the Miombo savanna woodlands of Mozambique (East Africa). A machine learning algorithm, based on bagging stochastic gradient boosting (BagSGB), was used to model forest AGB as a function of ALOS PALSAR Fine Beam Dual (FBD) backscatter intensity metrics. The application of this method resulted in a coefficient of correlation (R) between observed and predicted (10-fold cross-validation) forest AGB values of 0.95 and a root mean square error of 5.03 Mg·ha−1. However, as a consequence of using bootstrap samples in combination with a cross validation procedure, some bias may have been introduced, and the reported cross validation statistics could be overoptimistic. Therefore and as a consequence of the BagSGB model, a measure of prediction variability (coefficient of variation) on a pixel-by-pixel basis was also produced, with values ranging from 10 to 119% (mean = 25%) across the study area. It provides additional and complementary information regarding the spatial distribution of the error resulting from the application of the fitted model to new observations.


The existence of fluid and solid lipid domains in isolated rat-liver plasma membranes was evaluated using the fluorescent fatty acids trans-parinaric and cis-parinaric acid as probe molecules for solid and fluid membrane areas, respectively. The fluorescence probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene indicated that a phase transition was present in the liver plasma membrane between 18 degrees C and 30 degrees C. At intermediate temperatures, cis-parinaric acid, which partitioned approximately equally into fluid and solid lipid areas, detected two lipid domains: the mole fractions of fluid and solid lipid domains at 24 degrees C were 0.32 and 0.68 while the mole fractions of cis-parinaric acid in each domain were 0.34 and 0.66, respectively. The dissociation constant, aqueous to membrane lipid partition coefficient, and bound to free ratio for trans-parinaric acid were 7.0 +/- 0.7 microM, 4.0 +/- 0.6 x 10(6), and 83:17, respectively. The affinity of the membrane for cis-parinaric acid was twofold lower than for trans-parinaric acid. The trans-parinaric acid partitioned preferentially into solid lipid, Ksp/f = 3.30, while the cis-parinaric acid partitioned equally between fluid and solid phases Ksp/f = 0.92. Thus, the data demonstrate the coexistence of fluid and solid domains in rat liver plasma membranes.


It is a challenge to represent the target appearance model for moving object tracking under complex environment. This study presents a novel method with appearance model described by double templates based on timed motion history image with HSV color histogram feature (tMHI-HSV). The main components include offline template and online template initialization, tMHI-HSV-based candidate patches feature histograms calculation, double templates matching (DTM) for object location, and templates updating. Firstly, we initialize the target object region and calculate its HSV color histogram feature as offline template and online template. Secondly, the tMHI-HSV is used to segment the motion region and calculate these candidate object patches' color histograms to represent their appearance models. Finally, we utilize the DTM method to trace the target and update the offline template and online template real-timely. The experimental results show that the proposed method can efficiently handle the scale variation and pose change of the rigid and nonrigid objects, even in illumination change and occlusion visual environment.


Mathematical models of coaxial cables allow the derivation of relationships between the forward echo and return loss due to the periodic nature of the structure. Experimentation has served to demonstrate that the prediction of forward echo from return-loss information is limited in its application for practical cables. This is mainly due to the fact that coaxial cables do not always exhibit truly periodic structures. In the letter, we present results that indicate the disagreement that can occur in practice.


The DTB Multiplexer is a component within an NXP chip called the BAP3. DTB Multiplexer provides a testing functionality for the chip. This component is purely combinational, and requires no clock, however this makes the component wiring-costly. This high wiring requirement leads to the area constraint imposed by the wiring demand rather than cell area, and this also leads to the DTB multiplexer reducing the placement area available for other modules. With this method, the wiring area is going to be estimated as the amount of congestion, which would cause detour in the design which results in extra wiring. Here, the DTB multiplexer is placed by external method instead of using the place and route tools usually used by the design team. Instead, the placement is done on MATLAB which is later ported to the place and route tools using script. The placement algorithm implemented in MATLAB is primarily based on two algorithm, Dplace for initial preplacement, which in turn utilizes diffusion preplacement algorithm, and modified C-ECOP for the congestion reduction. More detailed congestion estimation done by using an additional routing estimation algorithm which is based on One-Steiner routing algorithm. The result indicates that the modified C-ECOP can be used to reduce congestion, thus wiring area when paired with a good initial placement algorithm, but the initial placement algorithm and detailed congestion estimation algorithm with One-Steiner could be further improved, and further work is needed to integrate the result with commercial place and route tools.


The relative biodegradability in seawater of a number of compounds in current use in antifouling paints viz. Sea-Nine™ 211 antifoulant (4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one), Irgarol(R) 1051 (2-methylthio-4-tert-butylamino-6-cyclopropylamino-s-triazine), diuron (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)l-l-dimethylurea), chlorothalonil (tetrachloroisophthalonitrile) and TBTO (tributyltin oxide) was investigated. The disappearance of the each compound from seawater was monitored over 8 w by bioassay using the ship-fouling diatom Amphora coffeaeformis. The results show, that under the test conditions employed, biodegradability ranges from very readily biodegradable (Sea-Nine 211) to non-biodegradable (diuron and Irgarol 1051). The results are discussed in relation to published data on biocide degradation.


Numerous methods have been used for dorsal augmentation in reconstructive and aesthetic rhinoplasty. The Tasman technique is a method for dorsal augmentation using diced cartilage solidified by tissue sealant. This article describes the author's early experience using the Tasman technique and offers some helpful suggestions to surgeons who might wish to use this unique method of preparing a cartilaginous graft.


The task of unsupervised image‐to‐image translation has seen substantial advancements in recent years through the use of deep neural networks. Typically, the proposed solutions learn the characterizing distribution of two large, unpaired collections of images, and are able to alter the appearance of a given image, while keeping its geometry intact. In this paper, we explore the capabilities of neural networks to understand image structure given only a single pair of images, A and B . We seek to generate images that are structurally aligned: that is, to generate an image that keeps the appearance and style of B , but has a structural arrangement that corresponds to A . The key idea is to map between image patches at different scales. This enables controlling the granularity at which analogies are produced, which determines the conceptual distinction between style and content. In addition to structural alignment, our method can be used to generate high quality imagery in other conditional generation tasks utilizing images A and B only: guided image synthesis, style and texture transfer, text translation as well as video translation. Our code and additional results are available in https://github.com/rmokady/structural-analogy/


The third order cumulant of the output of an ARMA (p,q) model, driven by unobservable non-Gaussian i.i.d. noise, is used to identify the model parameters. The model is assumed to be causal and stable but need not be minimum-phase. The symmetry properties of the third order cumulant are applied to use the cumulant values in the first non-redundant region, where it is proved that the matrices used to solve for the AR parameters are of full rank and have a transpose equivalence that can be used to enhance the efficiency of the estimation process. The estimated AR parameters are then used to estimate the MA order and parameters. The simulation results also show that the AR model order can be estimated from the scattering of the estimated poles in the complex Z-plane.<<ETX>>


Ecological flow requirements for the Ma River in dry season were assessed in three reaches of Ma – Buoi, Ma – Len and Ma – Chu. 5 indictor fish species was chosen based on biodiversity survey and roles of those species in aquatic ecosystem as well as local communities. Biological and hydrological data (dry season of 2016- 2017) and 35 year recorded hydrological data were collected and analyzed as input data for a physical habitat model River HYdraulic and HABitat SImulation Model – RHYHABSIM. Model results shown that the optimal flows of the reaches were very much higher compare with the minimum annual low flow - MALF. In this study, MALF7day were applied to calculate the recommended minimum flows of the three reaches. The recommended required minimum flows for Ma – Buoi, Ma – Len and Ma – Chu reaches were 51 m3/s, 49 m3/s and 61 m3/s, respectively. It must be stressed that this study only assessed whether or not there is enough habitat available for the river to sustain a healthy ecosystem.


Individual differences in personality traits can influence students' ability to learn a new language. Among the important personality traits, perfectionism has recently been the topic of investigation in second language acquisition research. Following this line of research, the current study aims at examining a path model linking dimensions of perfectionism to second language (L2) listening comprehension through mediating effects of subscales of self-efficacy along with the use of metacognitive listening strategy (MLS). A sample of 230 English as a foreign language (EFL) participants majoring in Translation studies and English Literature completed the perfectionism, general self-efficacy, and MLS questionnaires and took an IELTS listening comprehension test. The sample included 112 juniors (48.7 %), and 118 seniors (51.3 %) selected through convenience nonrandom sampling. Cluster analysis was used to identify three perfectionistic clusters: adaptive, maladaptive, and non-perfectionists. The results of a path analysis revealed that perfectionism and MLS use were the most significant variables in the proposed conceptual model. While correlational analyses in this study revealed significant relationships among self-efficacy components and listening comprehension, the overall total effects were not significant. Adaptive perfectionism significantly contributed to the MLS use and listening ability (LA). Perfectionism also contributed significantly to the effort and persistence self-efficacy components. In contrast, perfectionism did not significantly influence the initiative self-efficacy subscale. Implications of this study are discussed.


This study aims (1) to describe the effect a problem -solving learning methods assisted by GeoGebra Software on mathematical communication skills (KKM) of class XI Private SMK PAB 12 Saentis. (2) describe the problem- solving answer process for students solving the problem- solving methods assisted by GeoGebra and expository learning. The research method used is the quasi-experimental method. Samples were taken randomly and obtained 64 students who were likened to the experimental class and the control class. Tests of mathematical communication skills were measured through 4 items of description. Data analysis was performed using the t-test. Based on the results of the analysis, the problem -solving learning method has a significant influence on mathematical communication skills. The process of student answers to the problem- solving learning method assisted by GeoGebra is better.


Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced via various photochemical, abiotic and biological pathways. The low concentration and short lifetime of the ROS superoxide (O2-) make it challenging to measure in natural systems. Here we designed, developed, and validated a DIver-operated Submersible Chemiluminescent sensOr (DISCO), the first handheld submersible chemiluminescent sensor. The fluidic system inside DISCO is controlled by two high-precision pumps that introduce sample water and analytical reagents into a mixing cell. The resultant chemiluminescent signal is quantified by a photomultiplier tube, recorded by a miniature onboard computer and monitored in real-time via a hand-held underwater LED-interface. Components are contained within a pressure-bearing housing (max depth 30 m) and an external battery-pack supplies power. Laboratory calibrations with filtered seawater verified instrument stability and precision. Field deployment in Cuban coral reefs quantified background seawater-normalized extracellular superoxide concentrations near coral surfaces (0 - 173 nM) that varied distinctly with coral species. Observations were consistent with previous similar measurements from aquaria and shallow reefs using a standard benchtop system. In situ quantification of superoxide associated with corals was enabled by DISCO, demonstrating the potential application to other shallow water ecosystems and chemical species.


Author(s): Bufford Funk, Carolyn Ann | Advisor(s): Kellman, Philip J | Abstract: Perceptual learning (PL) and statistical learning (SL) both seek to explain how humans learn through experience. However, research lacks clear, consistent definitions, causing collective confusion about the relationship between SL and PL: some researchers view SL and PL as distinct learning processes, while others view them as part of a unified learning process. We describe two distinct learning concepts that cohere with most work: PL is improving perception and, in a psychophysical sense, improving sensitivity. SL is recording co-occurrences in memory, and perhaps, in a psychophysical sense, changing criterion or bias. These concepts allowed us to test the relationship between PL and SL. We developed a novel psychophysical assessment to measure incidental PL in a well-known visual SL paradigm of shape pairs presented simultaneously. Experiments 1 and 3 used the paradigm's SL familiarization and SL familiarity test, then our PL assessment. We also tested incidental SL in PL: Experiment 2 used PL training on stimuli from the SL paradigm, then a brief SL familiarity test for an incidental pair, then the assessment. Experiments 1 and 3 showed familiarity, but Experiment 2 showed no evidence of familiarity in the SL test. Experiments 1 and 3 showed PL effects: transfer in increased accuracy and sensitivity and decreased false alarming relative to baseline, evidence of incidental PL in an SL paradigm. Reducing SL by reducing familiarization session length caused weaker PL, observed only for the longest exposure duration. Experiment 2 showed stronger PL effects on the assessment, but no SL. We discuss several ways SL and PL could be related and compare each possibility to our results. Several of our results are consistent with SL and PL being part of a unified learning process, or at least occurring under overlapping conditions, but the relationship may be more nuanced and asymmetric: PL may occur more under conditions designed for SL, but SL may be less likely to occur during focused PL tasks. These results help clarify and unite rich but separate literatures on perceptual and statistical learning.


AIM To confirm the mutation of the keratoepithelin gene in patients with a severe form of superficial juvenile granular corneal dystrophy (GCD). METHODS Five Japanese probands in whom GCD was diagnosed after histopathological examination and who developed severe manifestations of GCD in their first decade of life were investigated. Other affected family members of two probands were also examined. All probands were the offspring of consanguineous parents. DNA was extracted from their peripheral blood leucocytes and mutational analysis of the gene was performed by the polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. RESULTS Four of the five probands underwent their first keratectomy or keratoplasty in their teens and subsequently underwent a second or third keratoplasty. Each proband had a homozygous G → A transition at codon 124, replacing Arg → His, of the keratoepithelin gene. Their moderately affected family members were heterozygous for the mutation. CONCLUSIONS This finding suggests that the severity of the corneal phenotype depends on the dose effect of the mutant gene.


We describe a contact printing approach for microarrays that uses fused-silica capillary tubes with tapered tips for printing pins and a pressure/vacuum system to control pin loading, printing, and cleaning. The printing process is insensitive to variable environmental factors such as humidity, and the small diameter of the pins allows routine printing from 1536 well source plates. Pin load capacity, 0.2 microL in the current system, is adjustable by controlling pin length. More than 2000 spots can be printed per 0.2-microL pin load (<100 pl/spot), and densities of >12,000 spots/cm(2) are readily achievable. Solutions with a wide range of viscosities and chemical properties can be printed. The system can print tens of thousands of different solutions at high speed, due to the ability to use large numbers of pins simultaneously, and can produce a large number of replicate arrays since all of the solution picked up by the pins is available for deposition.


Abstract Idiopathic frozen shoulder is a common medical diagnosis for patients seeking physical therapy. Radiographic and surgical evidence exists that describes the coracohumeral ligament (CHL) as a major contributor to lack of external rotation in patients diagnosed with frozen shoulder. No stretching techniques targeting the anatomical fiber orientation of the CHL have been reported in the literature. This single-patient case-report describes the use of a positional stretching technique of the CHL on a 51-year-old female diagnosed with phase I frozen shoulder. The patient completed 8 in-office visits and 17 home exercise program sessions of positional CHL stretching combined with a simple volitional rotator cuff exercise program in a 4-week period. The patient's Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and hand (DASH) scores improved from 65 to 36 and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) scores improved from 72 to 8 and passive external rotation from 20° to 71°. While a cause-and-effect relationship cannot be inferred from a single case, this report may foster further investigation regarding the role of the CHL in patients with stage- I and stage- II frozen shoulder as well as therapeutic strategies to help reduce loss of mobility and function.


Objective To test the hypothesis that leisure activity participation is associated with lower dementia risk, we examined the association between participation in leisure activities and incident dementia in a large longitudinal study with average 18-year follow-up. Methods We used data from 8,280 participants of the Whitehall II prospective cohort study. A 13-item scale assessed leisure activity participation in 1997–1999, 2002–2004, and 2007–2009, and incidence of dementia (n cases = 360, mean age at diagnosis 76.2 years, incidence rate 2.4 per 1,000 person-years) was ascertained from 3 comprehensive national registers with follow-up until March 2017. Primary analyses were based on complete cases (n = 6,050, n cases = 247) and sensitivity analyses used multiple imputation for missing data. Results Participation in leisure activities at mean age 55.8 (1997–1999 assessment), with 18.0-year follow-up, was not associated with dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 0.92 [95% confidence interval 0.79–1.06]), but those with higher participation at mean age 65.7 (2007–2009 assessment) were less likely to develop dementia with 8.3-year follow-up (HR 0.82 [0.69–0.98]). No specific type of leisure activity was consistently associated with dementia risk. Decline in participation between 1997–1999 and 2007–2009 was associated with subsequent dementia risk. Conclusion Our findings suggest that participation in leisure activities declines in the preclinical phase of dementia; there was no robust evidence for a protective association between leisure activity participation and dementia. Future research should investigate the sociobehavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological drivers of decline in leisure activity participation to determine potential approaches to improving social participation of those developing dementia.


Abstract Extensive fires in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, during the summer of 1988 resulted in considerable smoke transport to surrounding states. The present note provides an observational evaluation of the effects of this plume on (i) surface global solar radiation, (ii) the breakup of the surface nocturnal temperature inversion during the morning, and (iii) surface heating in eastern Colorado. Significant effects in each of these categories are shown.


The human pelvis is often described as an evolutionary compromise (obstetrical dilemma) between the requirements of efficient bipedal locomotion and safe parturition of a highly encephalized neonate, that has led to a tight fit between the birth canal and the head and body of the foetus. Strong evolutionary constraints on the shape of the pelvis can be expected under this scenario. On the other hand, several studies have found a significant level of pelvic variation within and between human populations, a fact that seems to contradict such expectations. The advantages of a narrow pelvis for locomotion have recently been challenged, suggesting that the tight cephalo‐pelvic fit might not stem from the hypothesized obstetrical dilemma. Moreover, the human pelvis appears to be under lower constraints and to have relatively higher evolvability than other closely related primates. These recent findings substantially change the way in which we interpret variation in the human pelvis, and help make sense of the high diversity in pelvic shape observed within and among modern populations. A lower magnitude of covariance between functionally important regions ensured that a wide range of morphological variation was available within populations, enabling natural selection to generate pelvic variation between populations living in different environments. Neutral processes such as genetic drift and differential migration also contributed to shaping modern pelvic diversity during and after the expansion of humans into and across the various continents. Anat Rec, 300:687–697, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


A fossil fruit, Palmocarpon splendidum sp. novo has been described from Mohgaon Kalan (22°1' N; 79°11' E) the well known locality of the Deccan Intertrappean series, in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. The palm fruit is well preserved to reveal its anatomical details and has been referred to the form genus Palmocarpon Lesquereux.


Firstly, status of grain production in Henan Province is introduced. The rapid development of grain production has brought adequate food and clothing for Henan Province, has supported the development of industrial and agricultural production, has maintained the overall stability of the whole society, and has made great contribution to the national food security. Secondly, considering the small sample of research object, the uncertain poor information and the few restrictions on data distribution, the gray forecast is usually conducted by using time series data based on GMi¼ˆ1i¼Œ1i¼‰ Model. In order to ensure the high accuracy and the application in practical prediction, residual test is used. Thirdly, according to the grain productive data in Henan Province in the years 1996-2008, Gray Prediction Model of grain production in Henan Province is established. Simulation and prediction results are obtained by the calculation of Gray System Modeling Software, indicating that grain production of Henan Province still shows a steady rise in future, and reflecting the change law of grain production. Finally, predicted target is divided into three stages according to the planning. And analysis shows that the planning target is practical and feasible.


Bifacial photovoltaic modules have gained increasing attention in the last decade due to their potential to achieve higher annual energy yield in comparison to conventional monofacial modules. Since the higher energy production is also accompanied by higher investment costs, it is necessary to conduct a careful techno-economic analysis in order to provide the investors an answer about their accurate cost efficiency. The achievable energy output of a bifacial photovoltaic power plant is influenced by many factors such as module geometry, row spacing, orientation of the modules and ground albedo. Since the methodology for prediction of the energy yield has not yet been standardized, the main target of this paper was to create one version of a comprehensive standalone energy calculator that would serve as a useful performance assessment tool for designers and investors. The developed software tool was tested on several characteristic scenarios and the obtained results were compared with the results provided by two freely available online calculators.


There are two main periods in Brouwer's foundational activities. The first one is covered by the dissertation of 1907 and subsequent papers. The second one starts in 1918 with the introduction of choice sequences. Both periods have their own specific characteristics. The first period is less mature, with a stronger critical component, the second is more the scholarly presentation of a program and its consequences. In this paper we will try to sketch the development of ideas and notions in both period and the technical realization of the foundational aspects. An extensive treatment of the topics of this paper will be published in a volume on "History and philosophical significance of proof theory".


Four pigeons responded in a three-component concurrent chains procedure in which the terminal-link schedules were either both fixed-interval (FI FI), both variable-interval (VI VI), both mixed-interval (MI MI) or variable-interval fixed-interval (VI FI). Across components within sessions, overall terminal-link duration was varied while schedule types were varied across conditions. For the conditions with homogeneous schedules, the strongest preference was obtained with FI FI, intermediate with MI MI, and weakest with VI VI. Preference increased with overall terminal-link duration for all schedules, but the increase was more rapid for VI FI. The hyperbolic value-added model (HVA) and cumulative decision model (CDM) were fitted to the choice data and accounted for 83.9% and 76.1% of the variance, respectively. However, deviations from both models' predictions were systematic. A modification of the CDM, which assumed that reinforcers delivered after variable delays were more effective, improved the fit of the model and substantially reduced the systematic deviations in residuals. Comparable modifications of HVA produced only limited improvement. Results show that preference in concurrent chains with homogeneous terminal links depends on the degree of variability in reinforcer delays, and that the CDM can provide an excellent account of results across different terminal-link schedules.


OBJECTIVE
The study is to determine whether kenalog or interferon alpha-2b inhibits fibroblast growth in hypertrophic scars through decreasing PDGF.

METHOD
Six patients with hypertrophic scars received intralesional injection of kenalog or interferon alpha-2b. On the 3rd and 7th day after injection, scar samples from each patient were collected and PDGF mRNA expressions in situ were studied.

RESULTS
1. On the 7th day after intralesional injection of kenalog or interferon alpha-2b, expressions of PDGF BB mRNAs decreased significantly (P < 0.01). However, on the 3rd day the expressions of PDGF BB mRNAs of the intralesional-injected area and non-injected area were not significantly different (P > 0.05). 2. Gene expressions of PDGF BB in situ were higher in hypertrophic scars than in normal skin.

CONCLUSION
The mechanism of kenalog or interferon alpha-2b in ameliorating hypertrophic scar is to reduce mitosis and prohibit proliferation of fibroblasts in hypertrophic scars by inhibiting PDGF gene expression.


We report simultaneous X-ray and optical observations of V404 Cyg in quiescence. The X-ray flux varied dramatically by a factor of ≳20 during a 60 ks observation. X-ray variations were well correlated with those in Hα, although the latter include an approximately constant component as well. Correlations can also be seen with the optical continuum, although these are less clear. We see no large lag between X-ray and optical line variations; this implies they are causally connected on short timescales. As in previous observations, Hα flares exhibit a double-peaked profile suggesting emission distributed across the accretion disk. The peak separation is consistent with material extending outward to at least the circularization radius. The prompt response in the entire Hα line confirms that the variability is powered by X-ray (and/or EUV) irradiation.


Branch thrombosis is an occlusion of an arterial branch while the main artery driving blood into the limb is normal. This situation may be observed in iliaca interna or femoralis profunda arteries; ankle systolic pressure is normal despite typical intermittent claudication. Diagnosis of branch thrombosis must be confirmed by arteriography. There are 3 different kinds of arterio-arterial emboli, i.e. emboli coming from proximal arterial wall: (1) emboli deriving from an arterial aneurysm, (2) emboli of atheromatous plaques, often caused by an invasive medical procedure, and (3) cholesterol emboli, often spontaneous, occluding 50-500 micron diameter arteries. Clinically, the disease resembles vasculitis and may simulate periarteritis nodosa.


Despite poor vocabulary outcomes for children with hearing loss, few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of specific vocabulary teaching methods on vocabulary learning for this group. The authors compared three vocabulary instruction conditions with preschool children with hearing loss: (a) explicit, direct instruction; (b) follow-in labeling; and (c) incidental exposure using an adapted alternating-treatments single-subject experimental design. Nine preschool children with hearing loss participated in the study across 6 weeks, with intervention implemented by 4 teachers of the deaf. Visual analysis of the results of the data indicated that participants learned the most words in the explicit, direct instruction condition and the fewest words in the incidental exposure condition. These results are not consistent with some recommendations currently made to educators. The authors discuss implications for practice, including emphasis on direct instruction.


1. Various esters of betaine have, unlike betaine itself, a marked physiological action (chiefly a muscarine action). The toxicity and physiological action of the methyl, ethyl and n -butyl esters diminish with increasing molecular weight. The esters also have "nicotine" actions but these are not pronounced. 2. The amide of betaine is physiologically active ("muscarine" and "nicotine" actions) but this action is much less intense than that of some of the esters. 3. The substitution of a hydrogen atom in the methylene group of betaine ester by an alkyl group led to a diminution of toxicity and of the muscarine action, the diminution of the muscarine action increasing with increasing molecular weight. The introduction of a phenyl group practically abolished the intense "muscarine" action of the ester. These compounds had a weak stimulating nicotine action and a more pronounced paralyzing nicotine action. 4. Triethylphosphonium compounds analogous to betaine ethyl ester and to choline and to acetyl-choline did not have a "muscarine" action but had a marked paralyzing but no stimulating nicotine action.


Abstract Haemogregarina macrochelysi n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) of the alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii, is characterized by slender, recurved gamonts 29–35 × 3–4.5 μm, in which the anterior limb comprises 48–54% of the total length. The gamont nucleus, 5–7.5 × 2–5 μm, is situated at approximately midbody of the gamont. Meronts typical of Haemogregarina occupying erythrocytes have 3-8 small, compact nuclei and are 13–17 × 4.5–9 μm. Erythrocytic meronts that contain larger, nearly square or rectangular nuclei become rounded, and then undergo 7 or more nuclear divisions, which produce very large, usually ovoid to rounded meronts that may contain up to 150 nuclei or more within the thinly stretched host erythrocyte membrane. In tissues of the Placobdella spp. leech vectors, merogony occurs directly from sporozoites, forming merozoites that presumably are infective for the turtle host.


In the United Kingdom, colorectal cancer creates a significant health burden, with over 34 000 new cases diagnosed each year and over 16 000 deaths per year. Almost 50% of patients with colorectal cancer will develop liver metastases: up to 25% will have liver metastases at time of initial presentation with the remaining 25% developing liver metastases during the course of their disease. Death from hepatic metastases accounts for a large percentage of colorectal cancer mortalities and if left untreated the prognosis is poor, with median survival from 5 to 21 months with almost none alive at 5 years. Surgical resection offers the only potential curative treatment for colorectal liver metastases with the five year survival rate varying in the literature from 25% to 51%. Hepatic surgery was associated with high morbidity and mortality and it is only since the 1990s that an evidence base has been published showing improved long term outcomes. Radiological imaging plays an essential role in the detection and characterisation of colorectal liver metastases. Accurate staging of the disease allows patient selection for hepatic surgery. Despite recent and significant technological advances in radiological imaging, up to 50% of patients that have undergone curative partial hepatectomy will develop hepatic recurrence in the first two years after surgery. Evidence from growth rate studies has shown that colorectal liver metastases are slow growing and that these recurrences were present at the time of initial staging. Therefore, the problem of occult liver metastases remains. This thesis has assessed the potential clinical role of a new imaging modality in the detection of colorectal liver metastases: contrast enhanced ultrasound (CE-US). Initially a prospective trial using percutaneous CE-US with intravenous administration of an ultrasound contrast agent that has been used primarily in cardiac imaging was performed. The results of this study found that CE-US enhanced late phase vascular imaging. This is an important finding as the persistence of a hypoechoic liver lesion in to the late phase of CE-US imaging is typical of a colorectal liver metastasis and an agent that optimises the late phase would allow improved characterisation of colorectal liver metastases. As a result, CE-US was then compared to percutaneous unenhanced ultrasound and found to have improved sensitivity and accuracy in the detection of colorectal liver metastases (sensitivity 100%, accuracy 90.8% versus 64.4% and 64.4% respectively). Furthermore, the optimal late phase imaging was achieved by the lowest dose of agent (0.4mL) that would allow repeated injections if incorporated into routine clinical practice. These findings support the growing evidence base for percutaneous CE-US and it is likely that CE-US will replace unenhanced ultrasound in routine clinical practice. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).