One of the main driving forces in the era of cyber-physical systems (CPSs) is the introduction of massive sensor networks (or nowadays various Internet of things solutions as well) into manufacturing processes, connected cars, precision agriculture, and so on. Therefore, large amounts of sensor data have to be ingested at the server side in order to generate and make the "twin digital model" or virtual factory of the existing physical processes for (among others) predictive simulation and scheduling purposes usable. In this paper, we focus on our ultimate goal, a novel software container-based approach with cloud agnostic orchestration facilities that enable the system operators in the industry to create and manage scalable, virtual IT platforms on-demand for these two typical major pillars of CPS: (1) server-side (i.e., back-end) framework for sensor networks and (2) configurable simulation tool for predicting the behavior of manufacturing systems. The paper discusses the scalability of the applied discrete-event simulation tool and the layered back-end framework starting from simple virtual machine-level to sophisticated multilevel autoscaling use case scenario. The presented achievements and evaluations leverage on (among others) the synergy of the existing EasySim simulator, our new CQueue software container manager, the continuously developed Occopus cloud orchestrator tool, and the latest version of the evolving MiCADO framework for integrating such tools into a unified platform.


The article is devoted to the review of the reports of the traditional conference "Dylnovsky Readings" held at the Faculty of Sociology in February 2021. "The Modern Society in the Conditions of Social Uncertainty: Theory and Practice". Within the framework of five discussion platforms, the most relevant and significant problems of modern society were discussed. The discussion platform "Society, Institutions, Personality: Transformational Design" considered a whole range of issues – from the potential academic mobility of students, the peculiarities of youth participation in the public life of the country, the legal culture of youth, to the change of generations of the political elite in the conditions of social uncertainty, the specifics of interethnic relations in Saratov border region and the characteristics of the transformation of Russian single-industry towns. The discussion that unfolded on the platform "Digital Transformation: Singularity, Everyday Life, New Sociality" in terms of the breadth of copyright reflections, fit into the problematic field of historical inevitability of the information society. In the discussion platform: "COVID Generation: New Forms of Youth Development and Support during the Pandemic", the speakers' reports were devoted to topical issues. The full impact of the pandemic on humans is not only related to the potential risks of infection. Quarantine, which was announced due to the spread of COVID-19, negatively affected all areas – from the economy to the field of culture and business. The site "Specifics of Social Processes in Conditions of Social Uncertainty at the regional level" unfolded the discussion on the current characteristic of modern social phenomena in Russian regions, mainly in Saratov region. A large number of representatives of various cities, republics and professional groups participated in the discussion platform "Discourse of Age and Gender in Modern Sociological Research," confirming the relevance and demand for such a form of work of scientific forums.


In the regulatory assessment of chemicals, the use of non-testing methods such as (quantitative) structure–activity relationship models ([Q]SARs), is increasingly required or encouraged, in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the risk assessment process, and to minimise the reliance on animal testing. The main question for the assessor concerns the usefulness of the non-testing approach, which can be broken down into the practical applicability of the method and the adequacy of the predictions. A framework for assessing and documenting (Q)SAR models and their predictions has been established at the European and international levels. Exactly how the framework is applied in practice will depend on the provisions of the specific legislation and the context in which the non-testing data are being used. The framework leaves largely open the question of how to determine the adequacy of predicted data. In fact, there is a considerable need to develop clear guidance on how the predictions generated by non-testing methods can be translated into regulatory conclusions and decisions. This chapter describes the current framework for documenting (Q)SAR models and their predictions, and discuses how it might be built upon to provide more detailed guidance on how to use (Q)SAR predictions in regulatory decision making. Some of the scientific issues that need to be considered, as well the difficulties encountered, are illustrated with respect to some widely used software tools (Toxtree, Caesar, ToxBoxes, and DEREK for Windows) and their predictions of genotoxicity for two case study compounds, sodium nitroguaiacolate and methylparathion.


What is the Illinois Soil N Test (ISNT)? The test was developed several years ago at the University of Illinois by researchers in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. It is a laboratory procedure designed to measure N liberated from soil heated for 5 hours with dilute alkali solution (sodium hydroxide). The test does not measure nitrate, but does measure exchangeable ammonium and a fraction of soil organic N. The theory behind the test is to extract a specific component of organic N from soil collected before planting and N application that can reflect the amount of N mineralized in a growing season to plantavailable N forms (converted to inorganic ammonium and nitrate). The concept of estimating mineralized soil organic N is not new, as many biological and chemical methods have been proposed for the past 50 years. At best some of those tests predict available soil N in closed systems, such as in pots under greenhouse conditions, and none have been proved useful in predicting plant-available N in open systems such as field conditions. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to predict mineralization that might occur in the field with a lab test. This is the reason there has not been a reliable test developed or recommended to date. Disciplines Agriculture | Agronomy and Crop Sciences This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cropnews/2411


BACKGROUND
Little information is available on phenotype-genotype correlations in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that are related to the cardiac myosin binding protein C (MYBPC3) gene. The aim of this study was to perform this type of analysis.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We studied 76 genetically affected subjects from nine families with seven recently identified mutations (SASint20, SDSint7, SDSint23, branch point int23, Glu542Gln, a deletion in exon 25, and a duplication/deletion in exon 33) in the MYBPC3 gene. Detailed clinical, ECG, and echocardiographic parameters were analyzed. An intergene analysis was performed by comparing the MYBPC3 group to seven mutations in the beta-myosin heavy-chain gene (beta-MHC) group (n=52). There was no significant phenotypic difference among the different mutations in the MYBPC3 gene. However, in the MYBPC3 group compared with the beta-MHC group, (1) prognosis was significantly better (P<0.0001), and no deaths occurred before the age of 40 years; (2) the age at onset of symptoms was delayed (41+/-19 versus 35+/-17 years, P<0.002); and (3) before 30 years of age, the phenotype was particularly mild because penetrance was low (41% versus 62%), maximal wall thicknesses lower (12+/-4 versus 16+/-7 mm, P<0.03), and abnormal T waves less frequent (9% versus 45%, P<0.02).

CONCLUSIONS
These results are consistent with specific clinical features related to the MYBPC3 gene: onset of the disease appears delayed and the prognosis is better than that associated with the beta-MHC gene. These findings could be particularly important for the purpose of clinical management and genetic counseling in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.


BACKGROUND
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with transformation into large cell lymphoma (Richter's syndrome) is a well-documented phenomenon. Only rarely does CLL terminate in Hodgkin's disease (HD) as Richter's syndrome. Reports of Hodgkin's variant of Richter's syndrome proven by histologic and immunohistologic evaluation have been published, but no cytologic reports of this entity exist. Distinguishing between large cell lymphoma and HD as variants of Richter's syndrome is essential because of recent reports of improved prognosis in HD.

CASE
We report a case of a 65-year-old male previously diagnosed with CLL who subsequently developed fever, fatigue, an intraabdominal mass and enlarged periaortic lymph nodes. Fine needle biopsy (FNB) and immunophenotyping by flow cytometry of the mass revealed cytologic and immunophenotypical cells of CLL admixed with binucleate and multinucleate cells with prominant eosinophilic nucleoli consistent with Reed-Sternberg cells.

CONCLUSION
This is the first reported case of HD variant of Richter's syndrome diagnosed by FNB. As FNB becomes more common in the follow-up of lymphoreticular diseases, cytologists should be aware of this unusual HD variant of Richter's syndrome.


The radiolarian Prunopyle titan Campbell and Clark has been shown by Ingle to be an index of the upper Miocene in California. Its greatest abundance is within the upper Mohnian of southern California where it occurs with sinistrally coiled populations of Globigerina pachyderma (Ehrenberg), a cold-water index. In deep-sea cores from high latitudes, Prunopyle titan has an upper stratigraphic limit within what is termed by some authors the "Gauss Normal Magnetic Epoch" and a bottom limit below what has been termed the "Gilbert Reversed Magnetic Epoch." The range of Prunopyle titan is below the zone of Pterocanium prismatium Riedel; the latter is considered to be an index of the Pliocene. In land sections, K-Ar dates indicate that the upper limit of Prunopyle titan is about 9-10 m.y. before the present; in deep-sea cores the upper stratigraphic level of P. titan is equated with an age of about 3 m.y. or less. At least three upper Miocene radiolarians are associated with P. titan in both its occurrences in deep-sea cores and in the upper Miocene of southern California. No Pliocene radiolarian indices occur in the P. titan zone of deep-sea cores. If the paleomagnetic record of deep-sea cores is correctly related to that of volcanic rocks, and the radiometric dates of the latter are valid, the radiometric dates for the later Tertiary marine section of California are about three times too old. End_of_Article - Last_Page 467------------


ABSTRACT Lautropia mirabilis, a pleomorphic, motile, gram-negative coccus, has been isolated from the oral cavities of 32 of 60 (53.3%) children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 3 of 25 (12.0%) HIV-uninfected controls; the association ofL. mirabilis isolation with HIV infection is significant (P < 0.001). All children in the study, both HIV-infected children and controls, were born to HIV-infected mothers. The presence of this bacterium was not associated with clinical disease in these children. The HIV-infected children with L. mirabilis did not differ from the HIV-infected children withoutL. mirabilis in immunological status, clinical status, or systemic medications. The role of HIV infection itself or concomitant factors in the establishment of L. mirabilis in the oral cavity remains to be elucidated.


To study the ion dynamics of several inorganic glasses, including single- and mixed-cation glasses, we have determined conductivity spectra over wide ranges in frequency. In the case of the single-cation glasses, these spectra extend from a few hertz up to the terahertz regime. The spectra show a transition from their dc values to a dispersive regime where the conductivity increases continuously with frequency, tending towards a linear frequency dependence at sufficiently low temperatures. At high frequencies the dynamic conductivity is governed by vibrational contributions, whereas ionic hopping sequences determine the low-frequency part of the spectra. In an intermediate-frequency regime, both hopping and vibrational contributions contribute to the dynamic conductivity. The shape of the high-frequency conductivity spectra is discussed for various glasses. The low-frequency spectra are discussed in the framework of the concept of mismatch and relaxation.For the mixed-cation glasses where spectra have been taken by impedance spectroscopy, we report on a new kind of mixed-alkali effect. In contrast to conductivity spectra of single-cation glasses which follow the time–temperature superposition principle, featuring a temperature-invariant shape, the shapes of the conductivity spectra of the mixed-alkali glasses studied here are found to change with temperature. To explain this effect, we suggest differently activated mobilities of the two different ionic species.


How can two peoples, engaged in a decades-long bloody conflict, break the cycle of violence, reconcile their divergent interests, and construct a reality devoid of the deep seated hatred permeating their respective communities? A novel initiative called 'The Minds of Peace Experiment' (MOPE) attempts to tackle this vexed question by bringing together regular Israelis and Palestinians to simulate the process of peace negotiations. Sitting before an audience and assisted by moderators, two mock delegations discuss the conflict and the steps they consider necessary if it is to come to a close. This article discusses the general nature of the MOPE, its stated goals, and procedure. It focuses on several significant themes that emerged from one particular instalment of the experiment. The aim is to evaluate the utility of the MOPE along two dimensions. First, in terms of its capacity to affect the dynamics of the conflict. Second, in terms of its adequacy as a model of a genuine major Palestinian–Israeli public assembly. It is argued that the MOPE is an important addition to various strategies for conflict resolution, though its effectiveness is hampered by several factors that demand attention.


The irrigated soils in dry and semi-arid areas suffer from the problem of salt accumulation because of not using sufficient leaching water to remove the salts added with the irrigation water. Soil salinity contributes to a decrease in the growth and productivity of plants grown in those conditions, as well as affecting the physical, chemical and hydraulic properties of the soil. The reclamation process is a radical solution to the problem of salinization, and one of the most important basic ingredients for the success of the process of reclamation of saline soils is to determine the optimal amount of leaching water or what is called ( leaching Norm). Hence, the leaching process and the net movement of the leaching water are required to remove the salts to prevent them from concentrating in the root zone to the appropriate level for the plants' tolerance to ensure that it does not affect their growth and productivity. The concept of leaching a soil from salts and improving its physical and chemical properties depends on several factors, including the method of leaching, salinity, the amount of water added during the leaching process and the time period for leaching, as well as the properties of the soil and other factors. The salts present in the surface layer and their transfer with the movement of water to the depths and from there to the places of puncture, they also indicated that the increase in the leaching periods with low salinity of leaching water in the intermittent leaching method showed greater efficiency in using less quantities of water, in addition to that the increase in the leaching periods may increase From the speed of leaching salts from the soil, they also indicated that increasing the amount of water and leaching periods may contribute to reducing the salinity of the studied soil, especially in unsaturated soil conditions.


This paper gives an error analysis of the multi-configuration time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method for the approximation of multi-particle time-dependent Schrodinger equations. The MCTDH method approximates the multivariate wave function by a linear combination of products of univariate functions and replaces the high-dimensional linear Schrodinger equation by a coupled system of ordinary differential equations and low-dimensional nonlinear partial differential equations. The main result of this paper yields an L 2 error bound of the MCTDH approximation in terms of a best-approximation error bound in a stronger norm and of lower bounds of singular values of matrix unfoldings of the coefficient tensor. This result permits us to establish convergence of the MCTDH method to the exact wave function under appropriate conditions on the approximability of the wave function, and it points to reasons for possible failure in other cases.


Sarcopenia, i.e., the loss of muscle mass and degradation of muscle that can occur with aging, increases an individual9s risk of death. MicroRNAs are negative regulators of gene expression that have been implicated in many biological processes, including metabolism. Here we investigated the role of microRNA in sarcopenia. Orchiectomized (ORX) mice have decreased body weight and muscle mass, a smaller cross-sectional area of muscle, and impaired glucose tolerance. In our microarray analysis of the microRNA expression in skeletal muscle, the expression of miR-23b-3p in ORX mice was significantly higher than that in Sham mice; the expression in ORX mice treated with androgen was conversely lower. The overexpression of miR-23b-3p in C2C12 myotube cells significantly upregulated the expression of myosin heavy chain, protein synthesis, ATP activity, and glucose uptake. Reporter assays revealed direct post-transcriptional regulation involving miR-23b-3p and the 39-untranslated region of PTEN mRNA. Among male subjects with type 2 diabetes, the serum miR-23b-3p levels in the subjects with sarcopenia was significantly higher compared to the levels of the subjects without sarcopenia. Our results indicate that miR-23b-3p negatively regulates the expression of PTEN in myotube cells and induces the upregulation of glucose uptake. In addition, the serum level of miR-23b-3p can be a surrogate marker of sarcopenia. Disclosure T. Okamura: None. Y. Hashimoto: Research Support; Self; Asahi Kasei Pharma. T. Osaka: None. T. Senmaru: None. M. Hamaguchi: None. M. Fukui: Research Support; Self; Astellas Pharma Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Eli Lilly and Company, Johnson & Johnson, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Merck & Co., Inc., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Novo Nordisk Inc., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sanofi, Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Kowa Pharmaceutical Europe Co. Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Merck & Co., Inc., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Novo Nordisk Inc., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sanofi, Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho, Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.


(1) Background: Processivity is common among enzymes and mechanochemical motors that synthesize, degrade, modify or move along polymeric substrates, such as DNA, RNA, polysaccharides or proteins. Processive enzymes can make multiple rounds of modification without releasing the substrate/partner, making their operation extremely effective and economical. The molecular mechanism of processivity is rather well understood in cases when the enzyme structurally confines the substrate, such as the DNA replication factor PCNA, and also when ATP energy is used to confine the succession of molecular events, such as with mechanochemical motors. Processivity may also result from the kinetic bias of binding imposed by spatial confinement of two binding elements connected by an intrinsically disordered (ID) linker. (2) Method: By statistical physical modeling, we show that this arrangement results in processive systems, in which the linker ensures an optimized effective concentration around novel binding site(s), favoring rebinding over full release of the polymeric partner. (3) Results: By analyzing 12 such proteins, such as cellulase, and RNAse-H, we illustrate that in these proteins linker length and flexibility, and the kinetic parameters of binding elements, are fine-tuned for optimizing processivity. We also report a conservation of structural disorder, special amino acid composition of linkers, and the correlation of their length with step size. (4) Conclusion: These observations suggest a unique type of entropic chain function of ID proteins, that may impart functional advantages on diverse enzymes in a variety of biological contexts.


BACKGROUND Cognitive performance of children is influenced by various factors like birth weight, gestational age, socio economic factors, environmental factors, and nutritional status. We wanted to assess the influence of birth weight and gestational age on cognitive performance in school children. METHODS 100 in the study. Based on birth weight and gestational age, they were classified into three groups. Group I: Full term (>38 weeks of gestational age) and normal birth weight (> 2500 g) Group II: Full term (>38 weeks of gestational age) and low birth weight (< 2500 g) Group III: Preterm (<37 weeks of gestational age). Cognition was measured using differences between choice and simple visual and auditory reaction time (CVRT - SVRT) (CART - SART) & MMSE scores. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS Software version 20. Intergroup variations in means were assessed using one-way ANOVA and intragroup variations by using Tukey's post hoc analysis. Pearson's correlation & linear regression analysis was done to assess the relationship between birth weight and gestational age on cognitive function. RESULTS ANOVA with Tukey's post Hoc analysis shows significant difference in mean in CVRT-SVRT, CART-SART & MMSE across the three groups, and the difference in means is significantly higher between full term normal weight and preterm born children. (F= (2, 97)= 24.132, p= 0.000**) (F= (2, 97)= 6.395, p= 0.002*) (F (2, 97)= 26.168, p= 0.000**). Pearson's correlation matrix shows that there is significant negative correlation between birth weight and gestational age with reaction time. (r= -0.449*, r=-0.464*). Linear regression shows significant association between birth weight and gestational age with cognition. Reaction time (ms)= 0.818 – 0.041* (birth weight) – 0.013* (gestational age) (F (2, 97) = 17.285, p< 0.000) with an R 2 of 0.263. Both birth weight and gestational age are significant predictors of cognition in primary school children. Amongst them, gestational age plays a crucial role. demonstrated compared


In this study on Intellectual heritage of embroidery for Khon costumes, the author had two objectives: 1) to research the origins and development of Khon costumery over time and 2) to understand the methods, materials, and patterns used in the creation of various articles of a Khon performer's dress—with the desire both to preserve and revive traditional methods of creating Khon costumesThese objectives were accomplished by 1) researching primary documents from domestic and international, 2) interviewing experts in the design of Khon costumes, mural painters, and other visual artists, 3) studying old photographs and video footage of Khon dance-drama in relation to Khon costumes today, 4) studying related art forms 5) comparing remnants of Khon costumes from different periods of time with those made in the present. The study found that: The formal features of Khon costumes were based on the real daily wear of the noble classes in ancient societies, but whose characteristics were enlarged to suit the demands of theater. For the most part, the designs on Khon costumes were originally developed from those on fabrics imported to Thailand from India and later transformed into vine, leaf, and flower figures. Both the methods and materials used in creating Khon costumes today are less intricate than those of the past, resulting in costumes of less quality than their predecessors. The beauty of Khon costumes depends on the proportions of each individual piece. The design of their patterns requires an attention to detail and elaborate embroidery. Today, there are renewed efforts to revive these older values by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Although various agents have been identified that are efficacious in inhibiting colorectal adenomas in humans, the precise mechanisms responsible for their antitumor activity remain ill-defined. Significant insight into the use of agents for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer can be gained by examining the biological response of nonneoplastic colonic mucosa and colorectal adenomas to drug exposure. The present study compared the gene expression profile of neoplastic and nonneoplastic colonic epithelial cells following short-term administration of aspirin and atorvastatin to a strain of mice that uniquely develop multiple colorectal adenomas (Apc+/Min-FCCC). Tumor-bearing male Apc+/Min-FCCC mice (70 days of age) received either control Teklad 2018SX diet or diet supplemented with aspirin (300 ppm) or atorvastatin (100 ppm) for 7 days. At euthanasia, the colon was examined for gross lesions and matched pairs of colorectal adenomas and adjacent normal mucosa were frozen in OCT for gene expression analyses. Colonic epithelial cells were laser microdissected from pairs of pathologically-confirmed colorectal adenomas and nonneoplastic mucosa (4/treatment group). Amplified RNA was subjected to gene expression profiling using Agilent Mouse Whole Genome 4 X 44K microarrays. Genes differentially expressed in colon tissue from untreated vs. drug-treated mice were identified using LIMMA methodology and filtered (p = 0.01). The number of unique genes differentially expressed in neoplastic epithelial cells exposed to aspirin was 1052, while a much smaller set of genes (N=74) was altered in the nonneoplastic epithelium. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that the pathways modulated in nonneoplastic cells (i.e. protein folding, posttranscriptional regulation, DNA damage response, vascular permeability) were distinct from those altered in adenomas (i.e. cell adhesion, DNA repair, TOR signaling, apoptosis, glucose transport). In contrast, fewer genes were differentially expressed in neoplastic cells (N = 286) than in the adjacent nonneoplastic colonic mucosa (N = 749) following exposure to atorvastatin. The majority of the cellular processes modified in nonneoplastic cells by atorvastatin (i.e. DNA damage, cell death, immune function, cilium assembly) differed from those affected in neoplastic cells (i.e. lipid metabolism, apoptosis, cell cycle control, DNA repair). These data suggest that the mechanisms responsible for the protection conferred to nonneoplastic cells by aspirin or atorvastatin vary from those that lead to inhibition of tumor growth. Further mining of these expression data when combined with endoscopic monitoring of individual lesions during drug exposure should significantly enhance our understanding of the cellular processes responsible for their activity. (Supported by NIH N01 CN43309)

Citation Format: Lisa Vanderveer, Suresh Paramasivam, Kara Williams, Harry Cooper, Karthik Devarajan, Suraj Peri, Yan Zhou, Laura Henik, Wen-Chi Chang, Ronald Lubet, Margie Clapper. Differential response of epithelial cells from colorectal adenomas and adjacent nonneoplastic colonic mucosa to aspirin and atorvastatin in Apc+/Min-FCCC mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 182. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-182


Hydrogen sulfide emission in sewers is associated with toxicity, corrosion, odor nuisance and a lot of costs. The possibility to inhibit sulfide generation by formaldehyde and its derivatives (paraformaldehyde and urea formaldehyde) has been evaluated under anaerobic conditions. The impact of formaldehyde on an activated sludge system and an appraisal of the economic aspects are also presented. The optimum dosage to inhibit sulfide generation in sewage was 12-19 mg L(-1) formaldehyde. The dosages of 32 mg L(-1) paraformaldehyde or 100 mg L(-1) urea formaldehyde were not capable of inhibiting sulfide generation in sewage. The impact of 19 mg L(-1) formaldehyde on activated sludge system was negligible in terms of COD removal, nitrification rate and oxygen uptake rate.


Objective: The matter of the choice of the available contraceptive methods has increased in the last few years. Physicians have a wide range of contraceptive methods to choose but in the same time are in a big concern about the appropriate type of contraception they should select for their patient and the effects in woman's health and couple's wellbeing. We present the outcome of 3 different audits in a large population of Northern Greece and we discuss the outcome of their results.
Method: Three different audits studied medical data from 14.880 women, of different ages, which presented to the outpatient family planning clinic of our hospital. They were all interviewed using a standardized questionnaire, from which we got important information about behavior, the use, effects and reactions of contraceptive methods. The only exclusion criterion from the study was the use of the pill for less than three months, removal of IUD in less than three months, failure to attend for follow up and women who had moved away from the geographical area. The data of our analysis were retrospectively selected from the case files of 11.129 women between 15 to 40 years old, who used reversible contraception between the years 1984-2011.
Results: In the first audit, 2120 women participated, users of any type of oral contraceptive pills? They gave information about the satisfaction, the side-effects and the main reasons of discontinuing the use of the pill. In the second audit 9009 women chose different types of Intrauterine Devices (IUD) as a contraceptive method. All of them have been examined in outpatient department and they have been checked for the safety of their IUD in correlation with unexpected pregnancy. Data about outcome, side effects and unexpected pregnancies were recorded. The third audit refers to the concerns about the use of oral sex steroids in relationship with cervical cancer and pathology in smear test. In the IUD group, we had more often results of inflammatory changes, negative for malignancy, in comparison with the contraceptive pill group. There was not statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding low and high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL/HGSIL).
Conclusions: By studying the results of all these audits, we can get some important information about the behavior, the side-effects and ways of improving the usage of all types of reversible contraception. These results can be used as a baseline from which to monitor trends in the use of contraception in correlation to similar studies.


Imaging spectrometers acquire physical measurements of radiation in many small and contiguous wavebands in order to produce continuous spectral information that can be compared directly with measurements made in the field or laboratory if the atmospheric attenuation is compensated for. Widely used processing strategies compare unknown pixel reflectance spectra with known field or laboratory spectra and derive statistical measures of the goodness-of-fit of these measurements. In geological remote sensing practice these yield 'mineral maps' that on a pixel-by-pixel basis portray the similarity of the measured signal with that of signatures of known minerals. With this information, geologists can build up a geological model of an area. Here the reverse processing strategy is proposed, introducing the geologic model (where geology is converted to physical measurements by introducing spectra) at the start of the processing chain and refining the model in an iterative way by comparing its mismatch with observed reflectance measurements.


Recombinant antibodies, especially ScFv fragments, can be applied as detection reagents and even substitute for some reagents used in immunoassays such as antibody-enzyme conjugates. For ScFv fragments, there is no such universal system available up to now. A vector system was constructed based on pPIC9- Fc, in which the hinge, CH2 and CH3 domains (Fc fragment) of mouse IgG1 and His-tag were cloned into the Pichia expression vector pPIC9. A model ScFv was introduced into pPIC9-Fc, which can bind Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) from Schistosoma japonicum, to yield the expression cassette pPIC9-ScFv-Fc. Following fermentation in a 5-liter reactor, the fusion was expressed at high levels in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia Pastoris, secreted as a dimeric form in the culture, and purified by Ni2+-NTA column chromatography. The expression yield can reach 10-30 mg/liter of culture medium. The ScFv-Fc fusion retains the biological binding ability of the parent ScFv, and can be applied as anti-GST antibodies for the detection of GST and GST-fusion proteins. Furthermore, the successful expression and maintenance of the binding activity verify the efficacy of the vector system for use as detection reagents in vitro, by reacting with the specific antigens and being readily detected using general anti-mouse antibodies.


Plant microtubules play essential roles in cell processes such as cell division, cell elongation, and organelle organization. Microtubules are arranged in highly dynamic and ordered arrays, but unlike animal cells, plant cells lack centrosomes. Therefore, microtubule nucleation and organization are governed by microtubule-associated proteins, including a microtubule-severing protein, katanin. Mutant analysis and in vitro characterization has shown that the highly conserved katanin is needed for the organization of the microtubule arrays in Arabidopsis and rice as well as in a variety of animal models. Katanin is a protein complex that is part of the AAA+ family of ATPases. Katanin is composed of two subunits, katanin-p60, a catalytic subunit and katanin-p80, a regulatory subunit. Spastin is another MT-severing protein that was identified on the basis of its homology to katanin. In animal cells, spastin is also needed for microtubule organization, but its functionality has not yet been investigated in plants. To initiate an exploration of the function of katanin-p60 and spastin in Zea mays, my research goal was to generate tools for the expression and purification of maize katanin-p60 and spastin proteins in vitro. Plasmids that express katanin-p60 and spastin with N-terminal GST tags were designed and constructed via In-Fusion® cloning after traditional cloning methods were not successful. The constructs were expressed in E. coli, then the recombinant proteins were purified. To determine if the GST-tagged proteins are functional, ATPase activity and tubulin polymerization assays were performed. While both GST-katanin-p60 and GST-spastin hydrolyzed ATP indicating that the ATPase domains are functional, the results of the tubulin polymerization assays were less clear and further experimentation is necessary.


Abstract Long-term records from four current meters in the Alaskan Stream off Kodiak Island are presented. The net flows decreases with depth and appeared to be in approximate geostrophic equilibrium. Large fluctuations were not common, and the flow was dominated by low-frequency energy. This behavior, which is also supported by temperature and salinity data, suggests a vertically coherent flow with occasional lateral meanders. The eddy kinetic-energy levels in this region of the Alaskan Stream were quite low, especially in comparison with those in the Kuroshio and Gulf Stream. The flux of momentum across the inshore edge of the Stream appeared to be onshore and to represent a transfer of energy fron3 the mean flow to smaller scales; an eddy viscosity of not more than 106 cm2 s−1 was indicated. The impact on shelf waters of the small, onshore eddy heat flux is unclear.


Within the last decade, the importance of flexibility and efficiency has increased in the manufacturing sector. The rising level of uncertainty in consumer preferences has caused many organizations to aggressively search for cost reductions and other sources of competitive advantage. The small and medium scale industries (SMIs) are the backbone of the industrialization process in developing and developed countries. They play a crucial role in increasing the country's economy. With globalization and free trade agreements, the SMIs are under increasing pressure to adopt advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs) to be competitive or simply to survive. Even though studies have shown that AMT can be implemented in smaller firms and are more successful than bigger firms, the implementation of AMT requires the SMIs to adopt new ways of thinking and doing work. The successful implementation of AMT will require the companies to have a workforce with higher level of skills, a flexible organizational structure and inculcate a new culture in managing, training and planning of the manufacturing industries. A study was conducted using survey questionnaire to investigate the ability of the SMIs of Malaysia to implement AMT successfully. The results of the survey showed that the main factors preventing the SMIs from obtaining the strategic benefits of AMT are the lack of an organic structure and understanding of the technologies, planning, the level of skilled workers and engineers and the culture of the industries. To increase competitiveness and flexibility of the organizations, a flexible structure is required. There is a need for the SMIs to increase the number of engineers and training provided in the companies to enable a positive contribution to AMT implementation. The ability of the workers to run multiple machines, stopping production when problem occurs, communication of organizational goals, and participation in idea generation and decision- making are important in achieving the flexible benefits of AMT. The SMIs have to increase the educational and training needs of the workers and also have a higher understanding of the technology to realize its potential. Consistently high levels of quality, accuracy, and repeatability will be demanded, as well as permitted by the technology.


Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni) is listed as "Near threatened" in the IUCN Red list of endangered species. The importance of protecting the Hermann's tortoise populations and its habitats have led to the inclusion of the species within CITES Convention (Annex II), Annex A of EU Wildlife Trade Regulation, Annex II of the Bern Convention and Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive. To assess the distribution and status of the eastern Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) in Croatia, historical and recent records were gathered and analyzed. The species was recorded in all three biogeographical regions in the country, but it's native to the Mediterranean and a small part of the Alpine region. With the increase of recent surveys and the use of citizen science platforms, the known range of the species in Croatia was increased by 35.8% and is now encompassing 123 10 × 10 km EEA reference grid cells. Most records (66%) originate from lower elevations (up to 199 m), and the highest was recorded at 570 m. Sparse forests are the most preferred habitats, followed by semi-open habitats, such as grasslands and shrubs. The most serious threat to the species is natural succession due to the increased abandonment of traditional farming and grazing. Other threats include touristic infrastructure and urban development, transportation, illegal collecting, and invasive species. The Area of Occupancy calculated using 2 × 2 km grids resulted in an AOO of 1,372.00 km2, while Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is calculated to be 18,145.07 km2. The current network of National protected areas includes 14% of the species' AOO while the designated Natura 2000 areas include 29.30% of its AOO. We propose to designate an additional 10 Natura 2000 areas to help with the long-term protection of the species.


The structure of a discourse is reflected in many aspects of its linguistic realization, including its lexical, prosodic, syntactic, and semantic nature. Multiparty dialog contains a particular kind of discourse structure, the dialog act (DA). Like other types of structure, the dialog act sequence of a conversation is also reflected in its lexical, prosodic, and syntactic realization. This paper presents a preliminary investigation into the realization of a particular class of dialog acts which play an essential structuring role in dialog, the backchannels or acknowledgements tokens. We discuss the lexical, prosodic, and syntactic realization of these and subsumed or related dialog acts like continuers, assessments, yesanswers, agreements, and incipient-speakership. We show that lexical knowledge plays a role in distinguishing these dialog acts, despite the widespread ambiguity of words such as yeah, and that prosodic knowledge plays a role in DA identification for certain DA types, while lexical cues may be sufficient for the remainder. Finally, our investigation of the syntax of assessments suggests that at least some dialog acts have a very constrained syntactic realization, a per-dialog act 'microsyntax'.


Microalbuminuria is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients although the pathogenic mechanism between microalbuminuria and cardiovascular disease has not yet been established. Microalbuminuria in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients has been related to abnormalities in haemostasis, poor glycaemic control, disadvantageous alterations in the lipid spectrum and elevated concentrations of lipoprotein(a), another independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In this study the interrelations between microalbuminuria and metabolic control, lipoprotein(a), other blood lipids and several haemostasis parameters were studied in 96 NIDDM patients (50 women, 46 men). Forty-three patients showed microalbuminuria. No significant differences were found in blood lipids (Lp(a), serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides), glycaemic control (HbA1c) and several haemostasis parameters (factor VII, VIII, fibrin monomer, thrombin-antithrombin III, D-dimer, tissue plasminogen activator antigen and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1) between the micro- and normoalbuminuric subgroups. In the microalbuminuric subgroup increased concentrations for plasminogen and α2-antiplasmin were measured. In general, the presence of microalbuminuria was not associated with significant alterations in glycaemic control, blood lipids or haemostasis parameters in this group of 96 NIDDM patients. Further investigation is required to explain the excess cardiovascular mortality in patients with an elevated urinary albumin excretion rate.


AIM
To reveal the probability and duration of the onset of remission of anxiety-depressive symptoms in patients with CHF III-IV receiving optimal medicine treatment (OMT) or (OMT), supplemented with the education program and active outpatient monitoring (OMT + A).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A secondary analysis of the results of RCT CHANCE, which studied the impact of the training program and active outpatient control (further additional exposure (DV) plus optimal medication (OMT) on mortality and cardiovascular hospitalization in patients with CHF III-IV FC. Therapeutic training and outpatient control performed by the cardiologist after discharge from the hospital (weekly in the first month, every 2 weeks for the next 2 months, and then On the basis of the results of the telephone contact, an additional visit could be scheduled, the CHANCE study control group was made up of patients on OMT who were observed as practiced in regular health care setting. Control group had 4 visits to the cardiologist during the 1 year observation. The present analysis included patients on OMT and OMT + DV who had a clinically significant anxiety at the 0 week of the CHANCE program using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (the sum of scores on the anxiety subscale ≥11), depression (the sum of scores on the depression subscale ≥11), or a combination of anxiety and depressive symptoms (scores on anxiety and depression subscales ≥11). Patients who did not pass HADS or SHOCK testing at 0.24 and 48 weeks were excluded from the analyses. A total of 237 patients were included. Severity of HF symptoms were assessed by "Scale of Heart failure Optimizing Clinical Status (SHOCS)" and compared it with the shares of patients who reached remission (HADS scores.


Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important tropical crop species used for human consumption, feed and raw material for various industries. Genetic transformation through embryogenic tissues is known as an effective method for cassava genetic improvements. Objective of this study was to obtain a suitable medium and length of explants to induce embryogenic callus on friable embryogenic callus (FEC) as a target for genetic transformation. Immature leaf lobes (1-3 mm, 3-5 mm and larger than 5 mm in length) of local genotypes of cassava (Adira 4. Menti, Iding, Gebang, Rawi and Timtim-29) cultured in vitro were used as explants. The explants were incubated for 2 and 4 weeks on MS (Murashige-Skoog) or GD (Greshooff & Doy) semi solid medium containing 10 mg/L picloram, 6 mg/L NAA supplemented with 4% sucrose and 4 μM CuSO4. Results showed that the highest percentage (100%) of embryogenic calli formation for 4 weeks obtained by culturing Iding of 3-5 mm length on GD semi solid medium, whereas the lowest (33%) one obtained by incubation 5 mm leaf lobe of Timtim-29 on the same medium. The most suitable medium for callus induction was GD, whereas the optimum length of explants was 5 mm or larger. Further study needs to be done to obtain friable embryogenic calli (FEC) by employing different concentration of picloram and varying other critical factors. © 2006 Jurusan Biologi FMIPA UNS Surakarta


The current study uses the unique data from a natural experiment conducted in a college located in southern Israel that was exposed to rocket attacks in 2008. The study examines the relationships between the negative emotions, the perceptions of risk to oneself, the precautionary actions, and the intentions of 290 students who were exposed to terror attacks while on campus. In addition, we compared the emotions, the risk perceptions, and the precautionary behavior between the two groups: those who lived within the range of the rockets and were also exposed to rocket attacks at home and those who lived outside the range of the rockets. The results show that the risk perceptions were affected mainly by the emotion of fear while the students were on campus. In particular, fearful people became more pessimistic about their general and personal risks from terror but not about routine risks. The results also reveal that those who lived outside the rocket area (and had less or no experience with terror attacks) were more likely to take precautionary actions during their stay in the campus and were more pessimistic about continuing their studies in college in the coming year than those living in the area, who had more experience with terror attacks. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The study set to examine evaluate customers' retention strategies on customer satisfaction in the banking sector in Kenya case of Equity bank Thika branch, Kenya. Despite their central role in the economy, banks are faced with intense competition as a result of many similar products offered in the market, fast changing technological advancements and demanding customers. These challenges have rendered most traditional forms of competitive advantage like cost management, technology, product features and robust marketing strategies ineffective. Due to this, most banks have resorted to customers' retention. Specifically the study investigated how customers' demographic factors (age, gender, income and level of formal education), service quality and corporate image affect customers' retention in the banking industry in Kenya. Data for this study was collected from 100 customers of Equity bank, Thika branch who were selected through multistage sampling technique using a questionnaire. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS. Data was analyzed using both the descriptive and analytical techniques. The study result found that the quality of services offered by the bank has a great effect on customers' retention. However, customers' demographic factors like age, gender, level of formal education and marital status had no influence on customers' retention. Further, the study found that the bank stability, reliability and involvement in community work will influence customers' retention. This study therefore recommended that banks should strive to ensure good quality service so that they ensure high customer retention. This can be achieved by improving their opening hours and closing hours, speed of service, and degree of responsiveness to enquires, time taken to get service and good communication with the bank staff. Further, banks should market themselves but in their marketing they should emphasize their uniqueness especially on their services and products offered. Key words: Customer retention, Quality Service and Corporate image


Osseointegration of an orthopedic implant involves a cascade of cellular and extracellular biological events that take place at bone/implant interface. The process can be enhanced by coating implants with materials of various compositions, chemistry, topographies. The aim of this article was to review the literatures on development and application of numerous plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings (including hydroxyapatite, wollastonite, dicalcium silicate, titanium oxide, and zirconia coatings) for establishing and maintaining the osseointegration based on some major biological requirements, such as good cytocompatibility, advantageous cell response, superior tissue response, effective anti-infection activities.


BACKGROUND Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours are difficult to diagnose in the early stage of disease due to a lack of clinical symptoms, but they can rarely manifest as autoimmune pancreatitis. Autoimmune pancreatitis is an uncommon disease that may cause recurrent acute pancreatitis and is therefore often regarded as a special type of chronic pancreatitis. CASE SUMMARY We report a case of a 42-year-old female who had nonspecific upper abdominal pain for 4 years and radiological abnormalities of the pancreas that mimicked autoimmune pancreatitis. The symptoms and pancreatic imaging did not improve following 1 year of steroid therapy. Finally, pancreatic biopsy was performed through endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours were ultimately diagnosed. Pancreatectomy has resolved her symptoms. CONCLUSION Therefore, the differentiation of nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours from autoimmune pancreatitis is very important, although it is rare. We propose that endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy should be performed if imaging characteristics are equivocal or the diagnosis is in question.


This article describes a model of concurrent systems design for developing safety-critical systems. The developed model integrates system design, system safety analysis, and human factors. The model is able to develop the specifications for safety-critical systems easily. System safety analysis is a crucial part of the system effectiveness analysis for safety critical systems that require a concurrent systems design for safety (SDFS). This concurrent engineering approach is important during the early phase of the systems engineering process. The results of SDFS must be established during the early phase of the development life cycle to yield the architecture option satisfying the safety requirements. Evolution of computer technology has enabled engineers to perform more productive model-based systems engineering. A computer-aided systems engineering (CASysE) tool, CORE , is used to carry out the SDFS. The proposed method can provide the insight and traceability among requirements, functions, components, and the potential hazards. The application of the method to a commercial aircraft, one of the safety-critical systems, demonstrates utility of this model for concurrent SDFS. The method shows the concept of concurrent engineering during the system design while a specialty engineering analysis must be integrated. System engineers can efficiently develop the system specification considering system safety using this approach.


Vertebrates are capable of producing a variable sound spectrum. In mammals, lissamphibia, and reptiles, the larynx is the vocal organ responsible for sound production, whereas in birds it is produced by the syrinx, an avian organ located at the base of trachea. The distribution of neuromuscular junctions responsible for the fine control of laryngeal muscle (LM) and syringeal muscle (SM), although studied with some detail in human LM, remains mostly unknown in other vertebrates. In the present study, we analyzed the distribution of motor end plates (MEPs) in LM/SM of different vertebrate classes using the histochemical detection of acetylcholinesterase: the thyroarytenoid and cricoarytenoid LM of mammal (human, rat, and rabbit) and cricoarytenoid LM of nonmammalian (frog and avian) species and the tracheobronchial SM of rooster and pigeon. In humans and frogs/avians, MEPs were distributed diffusely along, respectively, the thyroarytenoid-cricoarytenoid and the cricoarytenoid LM fibers, whereas in rats and rabbits, MEPs were concentrated in a transverse band located in the middle of thyroarytenoid and cricoarytenoid muscle fibers. In roosters and pigeons, MEPs were distributed diffusely along SM fibers. The highly diffuse MEP distribution along human thyroarytenoid and cricoarytenoid fibers indicates that these muscles can markedly change their degree of contraction, which may contribute for the large range of different sounds produced by human vocal folds. The same rationale was applied to discuss the possible functional significance of the morphological distribution of MEPs along the LM/SM of the other vertebrates analyzed.


This paper investigates the wage differentials of intermodal transportation carriers and ports under carrier economic regulation and deregulation. The estimation results suggest that the union wages of truck drivers, rail engineers and port dockworkers were comparable in the regulation period; in the deregulation period the union wages of truck drivers and rail engineers declined relative to those of dockworkers. The wage differential estimates indicate negative union hourly wage gaps for truck drivers and rail engineers of 22.7% and 6.9%, respectively, versus dockworkers. These results reflect the increase (decrease) in the relative bargaining power of dockworkers (truck drivers and rail engineers) in the deregulation period.


The article deals with the methods of formation of loan words in Chinese. The study of loan words in the Chinese language is one of the most important issues in the field of Chinese language teaching. The use of loanwords in Chinese, their classification by meaning and translation in a context, is one of the main problems of the language.


Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) introduced by Friedman is a powerful supervised learning algorithm that is very widely used in practice---it routinely features as a leading algorithm in machine learning competitions such as Kaggle and the KDDCup. In spite of the usefulness of GBM in practice, our current theoretical understanding of this method is rather limited. In this work, we propose Randomized Gradient Boosting Machine (RGBM) which leads to substantial computational gains compared to GBM, by using a randomization scheme to reduce search in the space of weak-learners. We derive novel computational guarantees for RGBM. We also provide a principled guideline towards better step-size selection in RGBM that does not require a line search. Our proposed framework is inspired by a special variant of coordinate descent that combines the benefits of randomized coordinate descent and greedy coordinate descent; and may be of independent interest as an optimization algorithm. As a special case, our results for RGBM lead to superior computational guarantees for GBM. Our computational guarantees depend upon a curious geometric quantity that we call Minimal Cosine Angle, which relates to the density of weak-learners in the prediction space. On a series of numerical experiments on real datasets, we demonstrate the effectiveness of RGBM over GBM in terms of obtaining a model with good training and/or testing data fidelity with a fraction of the computational cost.


Background: Moving from awake surgery under local anesthesia to asleep surgery under general anesthesia will require to precisely predict the outcome of deep brain stimulation. Objective: To propose a data-driven prediction of both the therapeutic effect and side effects of the surgery. Methods: The retrospective intraoperative data from 30 patients operated on in the subthalamic nucleus were used to train an artificial neural network to predict the deep brain stimulation outcome. A leave-one-out validation was undertaken to give a predictive performance that would reflect the performance of the predictive model in clinical practice. Three-dimensional coordinates and the amount of current of the electrodes were used to train the model. Results: 130 electrode positions were reviewed. The areas under the curve were 0.902 and 0.89 for therapeutic and side effects, respectively. The mean sensitivity and specificity were 93.07% (SD 0.95) and 69.24% (SD 5.27) for the therapeutic effect, 73.47% (SD 10.55) and 91.82% (SD 0.12) for the side effect. Conclusion: Data-driven prediction could be an additional modality to predict deep brain stimulation outcome. Further validation is needed to precisely use this method for performing surgery under general anesthesia.


Abstract : Numerical solutions are presented for the film thickness of the infinitely wide, self-acting foil bearing for various values of tape stiffness. The solutions indicate that with increasing stiffness there are: a slow reduction in the nearly uniform clearance prevailing under most of the wrap angle; an increase in the peak of the undulations occurring in the region where the tape leaves the spindle; and virtually no change in the trough of these undulations. (Author)


Background: Products in corner stores may be affected by the network of suppliers from which storeowners procure food and beverages. To date, this supplier network has not been well characterized. Methods: Using network analysis, we examined the connections between corner stores (n = 24) in food deserts of Baltimore City (MD, USA) and their food/beverage suppliers (n = 42), to determine how different store and supplier characteristics correlated. Results: Food and beverage suppliers fell into two categories: Those providing primarily healthy foods/beverages (n = 15) in the healthy supplier network (HSN) and those providing primarily unhealthy food/beverages (n = 41) in the unhealthy supplier network (UHSN). Corner store connections to suppliers in the UHSN were nearly two times greater (t = 5.23, p < 0.001), and key suppliers in the UHSN core were more diverse, compared to the HSN. The UHSN was significantly more cohesive and densely connected, with corner stores sharing a greater number of the same unhealthy suppliers, compared to HSN, which was less cohesive and sparsely connected (t = 5.82; p < 0.001). Compared to African Americans, Asian and Hispanic corner storeowners had on average −1.53 (p < 0.001) fewer connections to suppliers in the HSN (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings indicate clear differences between corner stores' HSN and UHSN. Addressing ethnic/cultural differences of storeowners may also be important to consider.


Acknowledging the realities and responsibilities of power is a precondition to using it wisely. The claim that there has been a shift in power away from the formal providers of education towards the individual consumer is one that needs closer investigation. This paper uses the mathematics of cooperative multiperson game theory to analyse the relative strengths of the various representative groupings on three different models of school governing bodies. Only a basic knowledge of mathematics is assumed as the various coalitions are analysed and compared, and conclusions drawn about the relative power of major and minor factions. Voting strategies, suggested payoffs for winning coalitions and implications for committee-forming are fully examined. The paper is based on the author's direct experience of school amalgamations in the border region of Ireland. An extended consideration of the theory of voting in multiperson games can be found in his book Decision-Making and Game Theory (2002, Cambridge University Press).


As the "chemical chameleon", sulfonyl-containing compounds and their variants have been merged with various types of reactions for the efficient construction of diverse molecular architectures by taking advantage of their incredible reactive flexibility. Currently, their involvement in radical transformations, in which the sulfonyl group typically acts as a leaving group via selective C-S, N-S, O-S, S-S, and Se-S bond cleavage/functionalization, has facilitated new bond formation strategies which are complementary to classical two-electron cross-couplings via organometallic or ionic intermediates. Considering the great influence and synthetic potential of these novel avenues, we summarize recent advances in this rapidly expanding area by discussing the reaction designs, substrate scopes, mechanistic studies, and their limitations, outlining the state-of-the-art processes involved in radical-mediated desulfonylation and related transformations. With a specific emphasis on their synthetic applications, we believe this review will be useful for medicinal and synthetic organic chemists who are interested in radical chemistry and radical-mediated desulfonylation in particular.


BACKGROUND
To examine demographic characteristics and physical activity (PA) behaviors of trail users on a newly constructed 2-mile urban rail/trail (ie, abandoned rail line converted to a recreational trail).

METHODS
A systematic evaluation process was initiated to monitor PA behaviors using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC).

RESULTS
Slightly more males (n=2578, 54%) than females (n=2198, 46%) were observed using the rail/trail since its inception. A significant age group difference (F=16.68, P<.001) was observed among users with the vast majority being adults (n=3317, 69%). Women were 2.2 times more likely than men (95% CI 1.7-3.0) to be sedentary rather than vigorously active adjusted for age and race. Whites were 2.8 times more likely than nonwhites (95% CI 2.4-3.2) to engage in vigorous activity rather than walking, adjusted for age and gender. Rail/trail users resided on average 2.89 miles from the trail.

DISCUSSION
The most frequent users of the rail/trail were male, white adults, and observed PA varied for gender and age. More research is needed to better understand differences in patterns of trail use by various population groups.


OBJECTIVEComputed tomographic angiography (CTA) has become a diagnostic method for the detection of intracranial aneurysms in cases of subarachnoid bleeding. We sought to evaluate the detection of aneurysms with CTA with a novel multislice helical computed tomographic scanner. METHODSProspectively, 179 patients underwent multislice CTA, followed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of both carotid arteries with or without the posterior circulation, DSA of one carotid artery with or without the posterior circulation, or DSA of the posterior circulation alone. The total number of carotid arteries studied was 298, and the number of vertebrobasilar arteries studied was 124. RESULTSOf 178 aneurysms verified with DSA or intraoperatively, CTA failed to detect 7 aneurysms of 1 to 2 mm and 1 partially thrombosed, 4-mm aneurysm. The sensitivity and specificity of CTA for aneurysm detection were 0.96 and 0.97, respectively. CONCLUSIONThe first generation of multislice computed tomographic technology does not improve CTA to surpass DSA for the detection of small aneurysms of 1 to 2 mm. In practice, however, CTA is superior as a fast noninvasive method without complications.


This paper firstly analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of various securities routing protocol of wireless sensor network. Secondly, this paper discusses construction of wireless sensor network on management system the security protocol. At last, this paper presents development and design of management information system security protocol for wireless sensor network routing. The experimental results show that this approach can improve efficiency of management information system security protocol effectively.


1 Albrecht E, Taffe P, Yesrin B, Schoettker P, Decosterd I, Hugli O. Undertreatment of acute pain (olioanalgesia) and medical practice variation in prehospital analgesia of adult trauma patients: a 10 yr retrospective study. Br J Anaesthesia 2012; 110: 96–106 2 Ricard-Hibon A, Chollet C, Saada S, Loridant B, Marty J. A quality control program for acute pain management in out-of-hospital critical care medicine. Ann Emerg Med 1999; 34: 738–44 3 Jennings PA, Cameron P, Bernard S. Epidemiology of prehospital pain: an opportunity for improvement. Emerg Med J 2010; 28: 530–1


Recent studies have shown that phloridzin, an inhibitor of sodium–glucose cotransporter (SGLT), strongly decreases high K+-induced contraction in phasic muscle, such as tenia coli, but slightly affects tonic muscle, such as trachea . In this study, we examined the inhibitory mechanism of phloridzin on high K+-induced muscle contraction in rat ileum, a phasic muscle. Phloridzin inhibited the high K+-induced contraction in the ileum and the aorta, and the relaxing effect of phloridzin at 1 mM in the ileum was approximately five-fold more potent than that in the aorta. The expression of SGLT1 mRNA in the ileum was higher than that of the aorta. Phloridzin significantly inhibited NADH/NAD ratio and phosphocreatine (PCr) content in the ileum; however, application of pyruvate recovered the inhibition of contraction and PCr content, but had no effect on ratio of NADH/NAD. High K+ increased 2-(N (7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl) amino)-2-deoxyglucose (2-NBDG) uptake in ileal smooth muscle cells, and phloridzin inhibited the increase in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that phloridzin inhibits high K+-induced contraction because of the inhibition of energy metabolism via the inhibition of SGLT1.


In this paper, we introduce a technique for AI generation of the Bullets puzzle, a paper-and-pencil variant of Minesweeper. Whereas traditional Minesweeper can be lost due to the need to guess mine or non-mine positions, our puzzle is fully deducible from a minimal clue set. Puzzle generation is based on analysis and optimization of solutions from a human-like reasoning engine that classifies types of deductions. Additionally, we provide insights to subjective puzzle quality, minimal clue sampling trade-offs, and optimal bullet density.


Development of Instantaneous Protection Against SARS-CoV with Implications for Multiple RNA Viruses

Hatem A. Elshabrawy, Ph.D.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois (2012)

Dissertation Chairperson: Dr. Bellur S. Prabhakar

The purpose of this study is to develop and identify neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies (HmAbs) against a wide range of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) clinical isolates and antiviral drugs of therapeutic value against multiple RNA viruses e.g. SARS-CoV, Ebola virus (EBOV), Hendra virus (HeV), and Nipah virus (NiV). Currently, there are no effective treatments available. Immune sera from convalescent patients have been shown to be effective in the treatment of patients infected with SARS-CoV making passive immune therapy with HmAbs an attractive treatment strategy for SARS. Previously, using Xenomouse (Amgen British Columbia Inc), a panel of neutralizing HmAbs, was produced in our laboratory, that could specifically bind to the ectodmain of the SARS-CoV spike (S) glycoprotein. Some of the HmAbs were S1 domain specific, while some were not. In this study, we describe non-S1 binding neutralizing HmAbs that can specifically bind to the conserved S2 domain of the S protein. However, unlike the S1 specific HmAbs, the S2 specific HmAbs can neutralize pseudotyped viruses expressing different S proteins containing receptor binding domain sequences of various clinical isolates. These data indicate that HmAbs which bind to conserved regions of the S protein are more suitable for conferring protection against a wide range of SARS-CoV variants and have implications for generating therapeutic antibodies or subunit vaccines against other enveloped viruses.
 Additionally, this study describes the identification of small chemical compounds which exhibit antiviral activity against SARS-CoV, EBOV, HeV, and NiV all of which require cathepsin L for entering into the target cells. We made use of a High Throughput Screening Assay (HTSA) optimized in our laboratory to identify and characterize candidate compounds from libraries of small molecules that can broadly inhibit cathepsin L mediated cleavage of viral glycoproteins derived peptides containing the natural cathepsin L cleavage sites. In vitro screening of potential hits against SARS-CoV and Ebola pseudotyped viruses identified one entry inhibitor for both viruses and a derivative which is more potent than the parent compound. These results suggest that our approach may be used for developing "broad spectrum anti-viral drugs" that are safe and effective.


Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a rare thyroid malignancy. Clinical diagnosis of PTL may not be easily established based on imaging studies, as the imaging features of PTL are similar to those of lymphocytic thyroiditis and primary thyroid cancer. The present study describes the case of a patient who was confirmed to have PTL by intra-operative pathological diagnosis. On color Doppler ultrasound, the PTL was shown as a significantly enlarged thyroid with reduced gland echoes. Color Doppler flow imaging showed increased blood flow. By computed tomography, the thyroid was revealed to be enlarged with reduced tissue density, particularly in the left lobe and the isthmus. In addition, calcified spots and swollen lymph nodes were evident. The clinical history of the patient was obtained and the imaging results were retrospectively analyzed. The imaging features of PTL were investigated through reviewing the literature. PTL exhibits specific features on medical imaging that aid in distinguishing it from other thyroid diseases. PTL exhibits specific features on medical imaging that aid in distinguishing PTL from other thyroid diseases, which may aid the support for clinical diagnosis and improve the clinical accuracy.


Purpose Myocardial scar is directly related to the response to CRT after implantation. The extent of myocardial scar can be detected not only by cardiac magnetic resonance but also by two electrocardiographic scores: fragmented QRS (fQRS) and Selvester score (SSc). The aim of our study is to compare the role of baseline SSc and fQRS in predicting response to CRT in a cohort of heart failure patients with true left bundle branch block (LBBB). As a secondary endpoint, we assessed the association of both scores with overall and cardiac mortality, heart failure hospitalizations, ventricular arrhythmias requiring ICD intervention, and major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE). Methods We evaluated fQRS and SSc of 178 consecutive HF patients with severe systolic dysfunction (LVEF ≤ 35%), NYHA class II-III despite optimal medical treatment, and true-LBBB. Response to CRT was defined as the improvement of LVEF of at least 10% or as the reduction of LVESV of at least 15% at a 6-month follow-up. Each endpoint was related to fQRS and SSc. Results SSc ≥7 was significantly associated with the absence of echocardiographic response to CRT (OR: 0.327; 95% C.I. 0.155–0.689; p=0.003), while the presence of fQRS at baseline ECG was not (OR: 1.133; 95% C.I. 0.539–2.381; p=0.742). No correlation was found between SSc and overall mortality, cardiac death, ventricular arrhythmias, hospitalizations due to heart failure, or for MACE. Similar results were observed between fQRS and all secondary endpoints. Conclusion In HF patients with true-LBBB and LVEF ≤35% eligible for CRT, myocardial scar assessed by calculating the SSc on preimplant ECG is an independent predictor of nonresponse after multiple adjustments. Neither SSc nor fQRS is associated with overall and cardiac death, ventricular arrhythmias, or hospitalization for heart failure at a 24-month follow-up.


Mg, Ca, and Ba catalysts supported on structured mesoporous silica oxides types MCM-41 and Al-SBA-15 were synthesized and investigated in sulfone cracking for sulfur removal from oxidized diesel fuel. Functional materials and catalysts were characterized by low-temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption, transmission electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy techniques. Catalytic tests were carried out in fixed-bed and batch reactors with a model compound dibenzothiophene sulfone and oxidized diesel fraction as a feed. MgO/MCM-41 and MgO/Al-MCM-41 possess high activity in sulfone cracking. The sulfur content in the diesel fraction decreases from initial 450 up to 100 ppmw. Catalysts can be regenerated for reuse in several cycles and may be potentially scaled up for industrial applications


We establish existence of the eta-invariant as well as of the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer and the Cheeger-Gromov rho-invariants for a class of Dirac operators on an incomplete edge space. Our analysis applies in particular to the signature, the Gauss-Bonnet and the spin Dirac operator. We derive an analogue of the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer index theorem for incomplete edge spaces and their non-compact infinite Galois coverings with edge singular boundary. Our arguments employ microlocal analysis of the heat kernel asymptotics on incomplete edge spaces and the classical argument of Atiyah-Patodi-Singer. As an application, we discuss stability results for the two rho-invariants we have defined.


BACKGROUND
Despite the high prevalence of dysthymia and its associated morbidity, few controlled trials have evaluated the efficacy of antidepressant medication for this disorder. A 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multicenter trial was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sertraline hydrochloride and imipramine hydrochloride in treating dysthymia.

METHODS
A total of 416 outpatients (271 women and 145 men) aged 25 to 65 years with DSM-III-R-defined, early-onset, primary dysthymia without concurrent major depression were randomized to 12 weeks of treatment with sertraline, imipramine, or placebo.

RESULTS
Both active treatments resulted in significantly reduced scores on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (P = .04 and P = .01 for sertraline and imipramine vs placebo, respectively), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (P = .01 and P = .003 vs placebo, respectively), Hopkins Symptom Checklist (P < .05), and the self-rated version of the Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (P < .05). With the use of a Clinical Global impressions improvement score of 1 or 2 (very much or much improved) to define response, response rates were 59% for sertraline, 64% for imipramine, and 44% for placebo (P = .02 for sertraline vs placebo and P < .001 for imipramine vs placebo). A significantly greater proportion of patients receiving imipramine than those receiving sertraline or placebo discontinued treatment because of adverse events (P = .001 and P < .001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Pharmacotherapy provides considerable relief from the symptoms of dysthymia in patients suffering from this chronic affective disorder, with both sertraline and imipramine being more effective than placebo. The greater tolerability of sertraline is an important consideration because of the chronicity of dysthymia, which may require prolonged treatment with antidepressant medication.


Ion heating due to turbulent Alfvén waves via nonresonant wave-particle interaction is discussed to complement a preceding work. We claim that newborn ions can get extra energy from turbulent Alfvén waves. Since in plasmas newborn ions are created continuously and intrinsically via ionization and recombination, heating associated with these newborn ions may be significant. The heating rate is proportional to the creation rate of newborn ions and the total wave field energy density without dependence on the profile of the wave spectrum. Based on observed nonthermal velocities, we estimate the energy density of the wave field and the corresponding heating rate in the solar atmosphere. The results show that such a heating process could be significant in the upper chromosphere and transition region of the sun. © 2009 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.3204090


The alveolar type II cell is one of the critical cells for radiation damage in the lungs after inhalation of radioactive aerosols. With the aid of a Quantimet-970 image analyzer and a VAX-11/780 computer, we calculated the radiation dose to rat alveolar type II cells from alpha particles emitted by 239PuO2. A series of dosimetric parameters for type II cells, including track length distribution, linear energy transfer (LET), values of the specific energy for a single hit of a spherical target (z1), cellular dose, hit number, and their spatial distributions were calculated. By comparing the volume density of type II cells and lung tissue with energy deposited in alveolar type II cells, we found that the energy deposited per unit volume of type II cells was larger than that of lung tissue excluding type II cells. The z1 for spherical targets and the LET across type II cells were less than those in lung tissue excluding type II cells. The age of the rat and damage to lung by inhalation may significantly influence some of the parameters. The neoplastic transformation probability for type II cells is also discussed. The results suggest that the type II cell is an important target cell in the rat lung for exposure to inhaled 239PuO2.


A theoretical model has been developed to analyze the 2-D flow field generated by a single electrode pair ion-drag pump. The governing fluid dynamic and electrostatic equations describing ion-drag pumping are solved using the semi-implicit method for pressure linked equations. Results from the model correlate well with available experimental data. The model shows a significant difference between the electrical efficiency and the system efficiency which is due to the frictional losses not being accounted for in the calculation of the electrical efficiency. The trends of the system efficiency are similar to those observed experimentally.


Recently developed statistical methods for analysing orientation data are presented and applied here in a study of the precision by which crystal orientations can be measured from electron backscattering patterns. The use of these methods allows a direct comparison to be made between the precision obtained with manually and automatically localized bands, which is important owing to a more and more widespread use of fully automatic analysis of electron backscattering patterns. Curves which show how the precision depends on the pattern quality and on the number of bands used for the orientation measurements are presented for both manually and automatically localized bands. Typical values for the relative precision of crystal orientations measured from electron backscattering patterns are shown to be of the order of 0.5° for manually localized bands and 0.75° for automatically localized bands, when about 10 bands are used for the measurements. In a more realistic situation where a careful operator is willing to localize four to five bands in each pattern, the precision of the measured crystal orientations is similar to that obtained for automatically localized bands.


BACKGROUND
Angina is a hallmark symptom of cardiovascular disease, which has become an important public health issue in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of angina and its risk factors in elderly Taiwanese.

METHODS
The study was based on a government-sponsored health examination performed in Tao-Yuan, North Taiwan, from April to June 2001. A total of 2060 participants aged 65 years and older were enrolled. Data were collected through a physician-conducted Rose questionnaire, a biochemical blood test, and a physical examination. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between angina and risk factors.

RESULTS
Prevalence of angina was 15.0% in this study, 15.1% in men, and 14.4% in women. Women had a significantly higher body mass index (BMI), total serum cholesterol, and triglyceride. Participants with hypertension had a 1.6-fold 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-2.0 increased risk of having angina, 1.4-fold (95% CI: 1.0-1.9) increased risk for men and 2.1-fold (95% CI: 1.3-3.5) for women. Diabetes mellitus was associated with a 1.8-fold (95% CI: 1.2-2.6) increase in the risk for men. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors such as BMI, cholesterol, triglyceride, and smoking were not significantly associated with angina.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study suggest the need to prioritize hypertension treatment for elderly Taiwanese in both genders, and to provide adequate diabetes mellitus treatment for men, as these conditions are associated with the development of angina, a clinical indicator of cardiovascular disease.


In this work, the Restricted Four-Body Problem is formulated in Hamiltonian form. The canonical form for the system is obtained which represents the equations of motion. The collinear libration points are obtained, we have five collinear libration points. The non-collinear libration points are found which are three non collinear libration points, they are obtained for different angles between the sight of Sun and the plane of Earth-Moon. The periodic orbits around each of these libration points are studied using two methods. The first method depends on the reduction of order of differential equations and the second method depends on the Eigen values of the characteristic equation. Two codes of MATHEMATICA are constructed to apply these two methods on the Sun- Earth-Moon-Spacecraft. The Poincare sections are obtained using the first method, these sections are used to illustrate the intersect points of the trajectories with the plane perpendicular to the plane of motion about each of the collinear libration points. Mirror symmetry is explored about each of these points. The Lyapunov orbits, and the Lissajous orbits about each of the collinear libration points are the results obtained by the second method. The eccentricities and the periods of each orbit are obtained. This study illustrates that the motion about the libration point L2 is more stable than the motion about any other collinear libration points.


: Critical appraisal of the most important testing methods for diagnosing normal and disturbed stability of the tear film meniscus. Only a carefully compiled history, a thorough inspection of the eye and several tests to determine the type and severity of the disorder can provide information about the disturbed stability of the tear film meniscus.


This paper is based on the Founders lecture of the same title presented at the BASPCAN Congress 'New Directions in Child Protection and Well-being' in April 2015 in Edinburgh. In a very schematic way it attempts to critically review changes in child protection policies in the UK since the first BASPCAN Congress in 1991. It argues that while there are similarities there are also important differences. The nature of the problems to be addressed has become both broader and more complex and this is reflected in developments in policy and practice. At the same time the challenges for child protection have become increasingly politicised such that the narrative of professional and system failure has become more dominant and pervasive. This has the effect of deflecting political and policy attention from the size and nature of the social problems to be addressed. The paper concludes by considering the most recent developments and their possible impact including the Statutory Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse chaired by Justice Lowell Goddard.


A 78-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of fever, sputum and cough. Chest X-ray showed infiltrative shadows in the right lung field. Smears of his sputum were positive for acid-fast bacilli. We found multiple subcutaneous abscesses on the right distal forearm. Microscopic examination of skin biopsy specimens revealed granulation tissues with the proliferation of epitheloid cells with the scattering infiltrations of neurophils, giant cells and histiocytic cells. The examination of the PAS stained specimen revealed fungal elements and a black fungus, Exophiala jeanselmei, was isolated by the cultures of pus from the abscess. He was diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala jeanselmei and was successfully treated with anti-tuberculosis drugs and anti-fungal agent, 5-fluorocytosine.


ABSTRACT We present the results of a study of the morphometric properties of a talus slope in subarctic Quebec (Nunavik) using field-based methods, including geomorphological, granulometric and plant distribution surveys, and statistical analyses. Slope processes are currently active, despite the limited altitudinal difference between the apical-to-distal parts of the slope and the imminent depletion of the debris supply. The near-rectilinear long profiles of the talus highlight the distribution of debris across the slope and demonstrate that free-fall of rock fragments is not the only process operating (redistribution is higher in the westernmost profile, which exhibits a clear concave shape). The spatial distribution of vegetation covering the screes highlights the recent age of parts of the talus, showing that present-day processes are still active, although limited. The short remaining apical rockwall highlights the shortage of debris following deglaciation, as debris are mostly supplied by freeze-thaw processes to the talus, and are then reworked by other processes which need to be better defined in subsequent research.


This paper compares narrow, or specialised, and broad, or less specialised, upper-secondary vocational education VE programmes in the Netherlands with respect to their graduates position in the labour market and how they assess a number of aspects of the programme they completed. The data used are from three years of the Dutch VE Monitor, a survey of secondary education graduates 18 months after graduation. The Level 4 programmes of the school-based learning route are investigated. To separate narrow from broad programmes, a new criterion is used, based on the idea that the match between education and a job within a narrow programmes own occupational domain is better than outside that domain and that for a broad programme such a match does not differ significantly between programmes own domain and outside that domain. The research shows that graduates from narrow, or specialised, education programmes have a less favourable labour market position than graduates from broad, or less specialised, programmes. They are more often forced to resort to jobs outside their programmes own domain and are less satisfied with their jobs. Further, it has been found that graduates from narrow programmes think that the programme should have concentrated less on subject-specific knowledge and its practical application. They feel a need for competencies that are more generally applicable. They further find that their programme was too easy more often than broadly educated graduates, which could indicate that narrow programmes have room to concentrate more on teaching competencies that would make graduates employable outside the programmes own domain.


We tested the hypothesis that dehydration‐induced alterations in red blood cell (RBC) membrane organisation or composition contribute to sickle cell adhesion in sickle cell disease (SCD). To examine the role of RBC hydration in adhesion to the subendothelial matrix protein thrombospondin‐1 (TSP), normal and sickle RBCs were incubated in buffers of varying tonicity and tested for adhesion to immobilised TSP under flow conditions. Sickle RBCs exhibited a decrease in TSP binding with increasing cell hydration (P < 0·005), suggesting that cellular dehydration may contribute to TSP adhesion. Consistent with this hypothesis, normal RBCs showed an increase in TSP adhesion with increasing dehydration (P < 0·01). Furthermore, increased TSP adhesion of normal RBCs could also be induced by isotonic dehydration using nystatin‐sucrose buffers. Finally, TSP adhesion of both sickle RBCs and dehydrated normal RBCs was inhibited by the anionic polysaccharides, chondroitin sulphate A and high molecular weight dextran sulphate, but not by competitors of CD47‐, band 3‐, or RBC phosphatidylserine‐mediated adhesion. More importantly, we found increased adhesion of nystatin‐sucrose dehydrated normal mouse RBCs to kidney capillaries following re‐infusion in vivo. In summary, these findings demonstrate that changes in hydration can significantly impact adhesion, causing normal erythrocytes to display adhesive properties similar to those of sickle cells and vice versa.


This report elucidates a new cross-reactive intracellular target of anti-dsDNA antibodies. Previous experiments have demonstrated that some anti-dsDNA antibodies penetrate cells grown in tissue culture and all inhibit in vitro translation. Data implicate a cross-reactive antigen directly involved in protein synthesis: elongation factor-2 (EF-2). EF-2 was identified by N-terminal sequencing of a band identified with an antibody to the ribosomal protein S1 from Leuconostoc lactis in Western blot assay. Anti-DNA antibodies bind directly to purified EF-2 from bovine liver in dot blot assays. Anti-dsDNA antibodies were shown to inhibit in vitro translation. This inhibiting effect of anti-dsDNA antibodies was partially restored by EF-2 and abrogated by dsDNA, suggesting this cross-reactive specificity. These data demonstrate a cross-reaction between anti-dsDNA antibodies and EF-2 which may lead to cellular dysfunction, as evidenced by inhibition of protein synthesis, and provide a direct pathogenic role for cell penetrating anti-dsDNA antibodies.


Vincristine was accidentally given intrathecally to a child with leukaemia, producing sensory and motor dysfunction followed by encephalopathy and death. Separate times for administering vincristine and intrathecal therapy is recommended.


Background Think Ahead is a public awareness initiative of the Forum on End of Life in Ireland. The Forum is guided by the National Council of the Forum on End of Life. An extensive year-long public consultation in 2009 identified a wide range of issues which impacted on end of life. Aim To present the development of the Think Ahead project, an Irish public awareness initiative and system to guide people in discussing and recording their preferences. Methods Resources, including a Think Ahead form and website (www.thinkahead.ie), have been developed. A wide range of consultation processes have been engaged in with members of the public as well as professional organisations and State agencies. Results Two GP pilots were carried out, involving 120 patients up to 70 years of age, which looked at the people's experiences in filling in the Think Ahead form. Two regional community pilots were also conducted in 2012. Discussion Think Ahead has been very positively received by the public and health professionals. The majority of people in all age groups considered Think Ahead to be a welcome initiative, in particular in its capacity to initiate conversations with family members who may be ill or dying. GPs reported that the tool had enhanced their relationship with their patients and reduced the potential for family conflict in relation to a person's wishes. Conclusion The presentation will address the learnings of the public consultation and the pilots in relation to attitudes among the public to discussing preferences around end of life.


Kepinski's model of "information metabolism" is a biological model which is based on the structural organization of the cell and which attempts to describe information processing in analogy to energy metabolism. The terms of control center, information transmission and transformation, energy requirements and boundaries are considered. The principles of this model are explained. The original model is extended by addition of an integrated model of the main states of consciousness and a developmental model of information metabolism. Concepts of protective mechanisms of information metabolism are developed.


XML plays a key role in service-oriented computing (SOC). We envisage an environment where knowledge workers are developing semantic correspondences from XML schemas to a target ontology. We would like to use DL reasoning services within this environment to assist the knowledge worker in the following three tasks: establishing the correctness of structural correspondences; the implications of correspondences; and finally, search and selection of schemas with semantic and structural constraints. A knowledge representation method for XML schemas using a description logic language is presented. With this representation method, it is now possible to use the underlying DL reasoning services to achieve our three tasks: correspondence correctness checking through DL model validation; correspondence implication through DL model completion; and finally, semantic and structural search and selection through DL model query.


Inductive power transfer (IPT) is an emerging technology that may create new possibilities for wireless power charging and transfer applications. However, the rather complex control method and low efficiency remain the key obstructing factors for general deployment. In a regularly compensated IPT circuit, high efficiency and controllability of the voltage transfer function are always conflicting requirements under varying load conditions. In this paper, the relationships among compensation parameters, circuit efficiency, voltage transfer function, and conduction angle of the input current relative to the input voltage are studied. A design and optimization method is proposed to achieve a better overall efficiency as well as good output voltage controllability. An IPT system design procedure is illustrated with design curves to achieve a desirable voltage transfer ratio, optimizing between efficiency enhancement and current rating of the switches. The analysis is supported with experimental results.


Pressurized re-entrant (or 4π) ionization chambers (ICs) connected to current-measuring electronics are used for activity measurements of photon emitting radionuclides and some beta emitters in the fields of metrology and nuclear medicine. As a secondary method, these instruments need to be calibrated with appropriate activity standards from primary or direct standardization. The use of these instruments over 50 years has been well described in numerous publications, such as the Monographie BIPM-4 and the special issue of Metrologia on radionuclide metrology (Ratel 2007 Metrologia 44 S7–16, Schrader1997 Activity Measurements With Ionization Chambers (Monographie BIPM-4) Schrader 2007 Metrologia 44 S53–66, Cox et al 2007 Measurement Modelling of the International Reference System (SIR) for Gamma-Emitting Radionuclides (Monographie BIPM-7)). The present work describes the principles of activity measurements, calibrations, and impurity corrections using pressurized ionization chambers in the first part and the uncertainty analysis illustrated with example uncertainty budgets from routine source-calibration as well as from an international reference system (SIR) measurement in the second part.