Studies of severe hypoxemic events, defined as an arterial oxygen saturation <80% greater than 4 s in spontaneously breathing infants, have been limited. The purpose of our study was to examine the distribution of respiratory events that lead to a fall in oximetrically measured oxygen saturation by using breathing patterns, heart rate, and validated pulse oximetry analysis. A total of 161 hypoxemic events were detected in 18 of 30 premature infants studied. Using an inductive plethysmographic based monitor, a total of 460 h of cardiorespiratory monitor recordings were analyzed. Hypoxemic events were categorized as being the direct result of apnea(duration longer than 15 s) or pauses (duration 4-14 s) with either unchanged or lower end-expiratory lung volumes compared with the preevent breaths. The breaths in the preevent period were analyzed for volume, timing, and thoracoabdominal coordination indices. Forty of the 161 events (25%) were associated with apnea of which 80% (31/40) had a mixed/obstructive basis. Ninety-four of the 161 severe hypoxemic events (58%) were associated with pauses with unchanged end-expiratory lung volume. Twenty-two of the 161 events(14%) showed pauses with lower end-expiratory lung volume. There were 5/161 events (3%) with severe hypoxemia in which no pause was observed. Comparison of the preevent periods in each category showed significant differences for only percent tidal volume from initial calibration and arterial oxygen saturation. Sixty-two percent (100/161) of severe hypoxemic events were preceded by hypopneic values of percent tidal volume. Seventy-five percent(40/161) of these hypoxemic events and their etiology would have gone undetected using respiratory monitoring from impedance pneumograms and ECGs. The varied basis for these events underscores the importance of analyzing detailed respiratory wave forms along with movement-free signal of arterial oxygen saturation and ECG, to formulate appropriate intervention strategies.


Abstract Context The gut microbiome is a source of inflammatory factors such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) that influence metabolic homeostasis. Rifaximin is a well-tolerated antibiotic that may reduce LPS. Objective We sought to develop a method to accurately assess postprandial endotoxemia and to determine whether rifaximin treatment improves metabolic homeostasis in obese humans with metabolic syndrome. Design and Setting Plasma LPS, adipose inflammation, glucose and lipid metabolism, and insulin sensitivity were evaluated in a clinical research setting. Participants Twelve obese human research participants with prediabetes or three features of metabolic syndrome participated. Intervention The research participants were randomized to placebo control or rifaximin soluble solid dispersion (80 mg/d) treatment groups and treated for 12 weeks. Outcome Measures We evaluated changes in insulin sensitivity with a euglycemic clamp; changes in lipid and glucose metabolism with oral lipid and glucose tolerance tests; changes in plasma LPS during the lipid tolerance test; and changes in adipose tissue and systemic inflammation by measuring inflammatory cytokines. Results Rifaximin treatment slightly worsened insulin sensitivity (P = 0.03), did not improve glucose or lipid homeostasis, and did not significantly improve adipose tissue inflammation. Our efforts to accurately assess plasma LPS using limulus amebocyte lysate assays revealed that the majority of LPS is masked from detection by limulus amebocyte lysate assays, but can be unmasked using a pretreatment step with protease. Unmasked LPS increases during the lipid tolerance test, but rifaximin treatment did not reduce this. Conclusions Rifaximin treatment did not lower plasma LPS or improve metabolic homeostasis in obese humans.


Those familiar with previous volumes of these Proceedings will be aware that the Catholic Philosophical Association can be relied upon to present in a clear and unpretentious way certain aspects of the Scholastic doctrine, with especial reference to contemporary needs. In an interesting paper Dr. von HMebrand traces the "dethronement of truth," so characteristic of the totalitarian state, to the spread of subjectivism and relativism, though he does not hesitate to fix upon the shoulders of the later Scholastics some measure of blame. "Even in facing any new valuable insight, one was more concerned with the question whether this can already be found in Thomism than with the truth of this insight. Moreover, many Catholic philosophers reduced their philosophy to a mere communication of abstract formulas to their pupils . . . instead of establishing a real intuitive contact with being and engendering a real philosophical eros, the thirst to find truth. . . . " Even in this present volume we have an uneasy feeling that some of the contributors are, at least subconsciously, concerned to justify Scholasticism by an almost pragmatic test. Those who are interested in the philosophy of Scotus will find a useful discussion of sources for his life and a summary of the evidence for or against the authenticity of the different works ascribed to him. The volume shows signs of a over-hasty preparation for the press. Misprints are not infrequent. T. CORBISHLEY, S.J.


Drawing on A Way of Being Free (1997) and A Time for New Dreams (2011) among other Okrian texts, this article is a discussion of the notion of redreaming ways of seeing through intuitive creativity. The argument is divided into three parts: the role of intuitive creativity; redreaming ways of seeing in The Landscapes Within (1981); and intuition or "the landscapes within". The deployment of John Berger's Ways of Seeing and Roland Barthes's Image, Music, Text posits an Afro-Western worldview in which the title of Okri's second novel effectively becomes a simulacrum for the lead character's psyche that supplants character per se, so that the "landscapes within"—the psyche—becomes the eponymous hero of the tale. The contention is that the complex inner workings of the mind of the artist-protagonist, Omovo, is both the signifier and the signified. This is supported by analyses of an Okri poem and extracts from the novel. I argue that, in contrast to its inter-art variants, René Magritte's 1935 Le faux miroir and La clef des songes, the novel invokes a neo-Platonic/Coleridgean concept of the "enlightening" eye as a correlative of Okri's notion of the inward visionary quest of the dreaming "soul" "opening towards infinity". The article concludes by briefly justifying the article's claim that, in this novel, art deals with inner reality, with "the landscapes within"


The interaction of the anti-beta1-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies (β1ARAb) and the anti-muscarinic M2 receptor autoantibodies (M2RAb) with cardiac neurotransmitter receptors were identified in human chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) related to the ECG and dysautonomia disturbances. Dogs are considered gold model to the study of Trypanosoma cruzi infection due the clinical similarities with CCC. This study aims to evaluate whether anti-β1ARAb, anti-β2ARAb, and anti-muscarinic M2RAb are generated in Beagle dogs infected by T. cruzi using Y and Berenice-78 strains of T. cruzi. Animals were infected with 4.0 x 103 bloodstream trypomastigotes/kg of body weight and, after 25 months of infection, blood sample was collected, and serum stored at -80°C. Dog serum was treated by ammonium sulphate precipitation and the IgG antibodies isolated and added to the beating neonatal rats' cardiomyocytes. All T. cruzi-infected dogs developed agonistic β1ARAb, β2ARAb, and M2RAb. Animals infected by Berenice strain presented less β2ARAb and M2RAb activities than dogs infected by Y strain of the parasite. In cardiomyocytes culture, the antibodies recognized an epitope on the second extracellular loop of the receptors which were similar to findings in human Chagas disease. There was no detection of antibody against G protein-coupled receptor in serum from uninfected dogs. In conclusion, both Y and Berenice-78 strains of T. cruzi induced dog antibodies, whose targets located in the second extracellular loop of the adrenergic and muscarinic receptors were similar to those observed in individuals with CCC. Therefore, our findings highlight dogs as a promisor model to investigate pathogenic roles of functional Ab against G-protein coupled receptors.


Group 12 and silver(I) tetramethyl-m-benziporphodimethene (TMBPDM) complexes with phenyl, methylbenzoate, or nitrophenyl groups as meso substituents were synthesized and fully characterized. The dimeric silver(I) complex displays an unusual η(2),π coordination from the β-pyrrolic C=C bond to the silver ion. All of the complexes displayed a close contact between the metal ion and the inner C(22)-H(22) on the m-phenylene ring. The downfield chemical shifts of H(22) and large coupling constants between Cd(II) and H(22) strongly support the presence of an agostic interaction between the metal ion and inner C(22)-H(22). Crystal structures revealed that the syn form is the predominant conformation for TMBPDM complexes. This is distinctively different from the exclusive anti conformation observed in m-benziporphyrin and tetraphenyl-m-benziporphodimethene (TPBPDM) complexes. Evidently, intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions between axial chloride and methyl groups stabilize syn conformations. Unlike the merely syn conformation observed in the solid-state structures of TMBPDM complexes that contain an axial chloride, in solution these complexes display highly solvent- and temperature-dependent syn/anti ratio changes. The observation of dynamic (1)H NMR spectroscopic scrambling between syn and anti conformations from the titration of chloride ion into the solution of the TMBPDM complex suggests that axial ligand exchange is a likely pathway for the conversion between syn and anti forms. Theoretical calculations revealed that intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions between the axial chloride and CHCl(3) stabilizes the anti conformation, which explains the increased ratio for the anti form when dichloromethane or chloroform was used as the solvent.


Botanical illustration - coloured - Cephalophyllum rostellum. Dissected drawing of flower included. Drawn from a collection made by Matthews (sub-National Botanical Garden 1713/23). Length of petal up to 1,4cm; Width of petal up to 1mm; Stamens 3mm; Stigma 1mm; Across disc 5mm. Awaiting fruit. [No plant collection details are given. Plant species endemic to the Western Cape Province].


The use of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for enzyme production and its exceptional high protein export capacity initiated this study where the presence and function of multiple type I signal peptidase isoforms was investigated. In addition to type I signal peptidases SipS(ba) [Meijer, W.J.J., de Jong, A., Bea, G., Wisman, A., Tjalsma, H., Venema, G., Bron, S. & van Dijl, J.M. (1995) Mol. Microbiol. 17, 621-631] and SipT(ba) [Hoang, V. & Hofemeister, J. (1995) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1269, 64-68] which were previously identified, here we present evidence for two other Sip-like genes in B. amyloliquefaciens. Same map positions as well as sequence motifs verified that these genes encode homologues of Bacillus subtilis SipV and SipW. SipU-encoding DNA was not found in B. amyloliquefaciens. SipW-encoding DNA was also found for other Bacillus strains representing different phylogenetic groups, but not for Bacillus stearothermophilus and Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. The absence of these genes, however, could have been overlooked due to sequence diversity. Sequence alignments of 23 known Sip-like proteins from Bacillus origin indicated further branching of the P-group signal peptidases into clusters represented by B. subtilis SipV, SipS-SipT-SipU and B. anthracis Sip3-Sip5 proteins, respectively. Each B. amyloliquefaciens sip(ba) gene was expressed in an Escherichia coli LepBts mutant and tested for genetic complementation of the temperature sensitive (TS) phenotype as well as pre-OmpA processing. Although SipS(ba) as well as SipT(ba) efficiently restored processing of pre-OmpA in E. coli, only SipS(ba) supported growth at TS conditions, indicating functional diversity. Changed properties of the sip(ba) gene disruption mutants, including cell autolysis, motility, sporulation, and nuclease activities, seemed to correlate with specificities and/or localization of B. amyloliquefaciens SipS, SipT and SipV isoforms.


Energy efficiency considerations are required for resource reservations in real-time systems. However, current systems lack considerations of energy efficiency when calculating the optimum processor speed to ensure that the supply of resources is no less than the workload demand during any time intervals. Therefore, we propose an energy-aware optimization model using supply and demand bound functions to reduce over-provisioning resources while still guaranteeing task deadlines. Our initial experiment shows the advantages of using the proposed technique in terms of energy efficiency.


Consumerism is an inherent feature of a modern consumer-minded society which enhances in some people both a hunger for collecting and a more serious desire developing into oniomania (shopping mania, shopaholism), kleptomania or pathological hoarding (syllogomania, Diogenes syndrome, Plyushkin's syndrome). The paper proposes an interdisciplinary approach to the problem of pathological hoarding of unnecessary things and domestic animals by tenants of condominiums in Russian cities. Socio-legal prerequisites for this psychosocial disease still insufficiently studied in the country are also analyzed in the paper. The data of the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation and various legal acts were examined. In the course of the study, methods of quality content analysis and visual sociology were used to analyze cases of pathological hoarding highlighted in Russian digital media in recent years. The Clutter-Hoarding Scale and Clutter Image Rating Scale were used to interpret photos of cluttered Russian flats in condos. In conclusion, recommendations are given on improving state policy and the legislation of the Russian Federation.


The occurrence of foodborne diseases has been a matter of discussion over the last years due to the worldwide concern with strategies for their control and for ensuring that safe food products reach the consumer. Salmonella spp. is among the most widespread microorganisms in nature, having man and animals as main natural reservoirs. With occurrence of regional serotypes causing salmonellosis, this pathogen is considered one of the main agents responsible for outbreaks of foodborne disease in the developing countries. The increasing incidence of salmonellosis caused by contaminated food has shown that, despite the recent technological improvements, this problem still occurs in all countries. Cattle and poultry are the main responsible for the transmission of this pathogenic agent. Due to its wide distribution in animals, the existence of asymptomatic carriers and its presence in foodstuff and in the environment Salmonella spp. represents a significant public health problem worldwide calling for permanent control programs and eradication strategies.


The study examined labour productivity and resource efficiency amongst smallholder cocoa farmers in Abia State, Nigeria. A purposive random sampling technique was adopted in selecting 60 cocoa farmers from three agricultural zones in the State. The analytical techniques used involve inferential statistics like means, frequency and percentages. Loglinear regression analysis was also used. The results show that factors influencing labour productivity among cocoa farmers include level of education, experience and planting material. Also, the determinants of output among cocoa farmers revealed that planting materials, fertilizer use and capital were significant determinants of output among cocoa farmers in the study area. The determinants of allocative efficiency show that seed was under-utilized, while farm size, labour, fertilizer and capital were over-utilized. The results further revealed that poor farm wages (labour payments) ranked highest (38.3%) among labour inhibitor in the study area. It is therefore recommended that supply of adequate capital in terms of productivity should form a policy trust in agriculture; adequate policy that would encourage provision of capital to cocoa farmers is advocated. The farmers should be encouraged to utilize their family labour efficiently in order to reduce use of hired labour which has led to increase in the cost of food crops production and decrease in farm revenue. Key words: labour productivity, allocative efficiency, resource use, cocoa farmers, Abia State


We have investigated the immunohistochemical expression of p53, mdm2, p21/waf1 and bcl‐2 proteins in 31 thymic epithelial tumours comprising five medullary thymomas (MDT), four mixed thymomas (MT), 12 cortical thymomas (CT), eight predominately cortical thymomas (PCT) and two well‐differentiated thymic carcinomas (WDTC). We have found p53, mdm2, p21 and bcl‐2 protein expression in 25/31, 8/31, 5/31 and 10/31 thymic epithelial tumours, respectively. Coexpression of p53 and mdm2 proteins was found in eight cases (three CT, four PCT and one WDTC). Five of them were also p21 positive and three p21 negative. Discordant p53+/mdm2−/p21− protein expression was found in 19 cases (three MDT, three MT, nine CT, three PCT and one WDTC). Mdm2 and p21 proteins were not expressed in the absence of p53 protein. Coexpression of bcl‐2 and p53 proteins was found in seven cases (three MDT, three MT and one WDTC). Eighteen cases were p53+/bcl‐2− (10 CT, seven PCT and one WDTC) and three cases (two MDT and one MT) were bcl‐2+/p53−. Our findings indicate that in thymomas, p53 expression is more frequently associated with cortical histotypes while bcl‐2 expression is strongly associated with medullary and mixed histotypes. In addition, there is an inverse correlation between p53 and bcl‐2 protein expression in thymomas. Coexpression of p53/mdm2/p21 proteins may reflect thymomas with wild‐type (wt), p53 gene since mdm2 and p21 proteins are inducible by wt p53 gene. However, in view of previous findings that p53 mutation is an early event in thymomas, the possibility of p53 gene mutation with p53‐independent mdm2 and p21 expression should be considered in these cases. Discordant p53+/mdm2−/p21− protein expression may represent thymomas with p53 gene mutations unable to activate expression of mdm2 and p21 proteins.


This paper describes a public domain routine QPpassive.m for passivity enforcement of rational multi-port macromodels using constrained least squares approximation. The procedure calculates a correction to the original macromodel by adjusting the residues and constant term as a postprocessing step while minimizing the resulting change in the frequency domain. The code allows to reduce the computation time by limiting the number of free variables in the constraint problem. Different constraint types and weighting schemes are available.


The appropriate time to restart anticoagulation in the postpartum period is not known. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the timing of postpartum enoxaparin influences hemorrhagic outcomes. A total of 95 women were treated with peripartum enoxaparin and compared with 303 consecutive deliveries where anticoagulation was not administered. The overall rate of severe postpartum hemorrhage did not differ significantly for women treated with peripartum enoxaparin (4.2%) versus nonanticoagulated control individuals (2.0%, P = 0.40) nor for the subgroup of women who underwent vaginal delivery (3.6 versus 1.4%, P = 0.55) or cesarean section (5.1 versus 3.4%, P = 0.98). We did not observe any severe hemorrhagic events attributable to administration of postpartum enoxaparin. The first dose of enoxaparin was administered less than 24 h following delivery in 75% of vaginal deliveries and in 49% of cesarean sections where enoxaparin was given in the postpartum period. Two incisional hematomas were observed in the group of women who received enoxaparin within 24 h following cesarean section. Severe postpartum hemorrhage is an infrequent complication when enoxaparin is administered to hemostatically intact women between 5 and 24 h following a vaginal delivery or 12–36 h following cesarean section.


OBJECTIVES
We aimed to evaluate whether gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in shoulders can contribute to more accurate diagnosis and prediction of recurrence in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).

METHODS
Gadolinium-enhanced MRI and ultrasonography (US) in shoulders were performed in the patients who had bilateral shoulders pain and fulfilled the Bird's Classification Criteria between June 2012 and June 2018. PMR was clinically diagnosed by at least two rheumatologists. MRI and US findings assessed by independent radiologists were compared between the PMR or non-PMR patients. PMR patients were treated with 20 mg/day of prednisolone and were followed-up until June 2019 to determine any recurrences of the disease.

RESULTS
PMR was diagnosed in 58 of 137 patients received gadolinium-enhanced MRI and US examinations. Enhancement of joint capsule, enhancement of rotator cuff tendon and focal bone oedema in humerus heads were frequently found in the PMR patients. If the three findings were used in combination to diagnose PMR, MRI had 76% sensitivity and 85% specificity, higher compared to US findings, which had 50% sensitivity and 72% specificity. During follow-up, PMR recurred in 24 patients. Patients with recurrent PMR were younger in age, had less enhancement of rotator cuff tendon and more synovial hypertrophy findings on their MRI.

CONCLUSIONS
Gadolinium-enhanced MRI could display capsulitis, rotator cuff tendonitis and focal bone oedema in humerus heads that was sensitive and specific to patients with PMR, improving diagnostic accuracy in PMR. Rotator cuff tendonitis and synovial hypertrophy on MRI could help predict recurrence in PMR.


Mission statement. The Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is charged with developing practice parameters for neurologists for diagnostic procedures, treatment modalities, and clinical disorders. The selection of topics for which practice parameters are developed is based on prevalence, frequency of use, economic impact, membership involvement, controversy, ur-gency, external constraints, and resources required. This paper addresses the management of intracranial masses in persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).


Laser-induced fluorescence and wavelength resolved emission spectra of the C ̃(2)B(2)-X̃ (2)A(1) band system of the gas phase aluminum dicarbide free radical have been obtained using the pulsed discharge jet technique. The radical was produced by electron bombardment of a precursor mixture of trimethylaluminum in high-pressure argon. The three vibrational frequencies of T-shaped AlC(2) have been determined in both the combining states along with several of the anharmonicity constants. The 0(0)(0) band has been recorded with high resolution and rotationally analyzed. The spectrum is complicated by partially resolved spin-rotation and aluminum hyperfine splittings. Where necessary, we have fixed the spin-rotation constants used in the rotational analysis at the values predicted by density functional theory. The derived molecular structures are: r(0)('')(C-C) = 1.271(2) Å, r(0)('')(Al-C) = 1.926(1) Å, θ(")(C-Al-C) = 38.5(2)°, r(0)(')(C-C) = 1.323(2) Å, r(0)(')(Al-C) = 1.934(1) Å, and θ(')(C-Al-C) = 40.0(2)°. Unlike SiC(2), aluminum dicarbide shows no spectroscopic evidence of facile isomerization to the linear structure in the ground electronic state.


Nonlinear spectral broadening is widely used for applications like attosecond pulse generation, XUV sources, supercontinuum generation or ultrafast spectroscopy. In these cases the laser is typically spectrally broadened and compressed to reach pulse durations much shorter than originally available. For pulse energies in the millijoule regime, spectral broadening is routinely implemented using capillary optical fibers [1] with remarkable results in terms of output pulse durations and beam quality. In addition to fiber-based approaches, the application of multipass cells for spectral broadening [2] recently attracted increasing interest. These cells are capable of preserving a nearly Gaussian mode in the presence of nonlinear effects without a spatial filter or optical fiber, they are robust to input pointing, have a high throughput of more than 90% and can be used with high average powers and energies. In a multipass cell the nonlinear interaction with either gas [3] or a thin solid [2] provides a small amount of spectral broadening within each pass. Based on this concept we recently demonstrated output energies of almost 18 mJ by guiding near infrared pulses with a pulse duration of 1.3 ps and a repetition rate of 5 kHz through an argon filled multipass cell [4]. We obtained a broadening factor of over 33 and could show compressibility down to 41 fs. The energy was limited by the breakdown intensity of argon and the damage threshold of the used optics.


Medical imaging techniques are predominantly used in medical diagnosis and therapy. The success of this technique depends largely on the quality of images. Due to various factors images do not have appropriate contrast and are often overridden by noise, making the interpretation of the images too difficult leading to incorrect diagnosis. This will be a very important and significant contribution to the medical professional. Removing noise from the original image is still a challenging research in image processing. Generally there is no common enhancement approach for noise reduction. Several approaches have been introduced and each has its own assumption, advantages and disadvantages. The speckle noise is commonly found in the ultrasound medical images. This paper presents different filtering techniques based on Statistical methods for the removal of speckle noise in ultrasound images. The quality of the enhanced images is measured by the Statistical quantity measures:  Peak Signal-to Noise Ratio (PSNR), Mean Square Error (MSE) and Correlation coefficient (COC).


In spite of the remarkable progress made in the treatment of diseases of the skin by means of physical agents and the equally important advances made in the use of systemic treatment to combat the various factors at play in the causation of many dermatoses, it is still important to remember the needs and desires of the patient for some pharmaceutic application to allay or cure his cutaneous disorder. Aside from this, the local signs and the symptoms of a disease of the skin are more materially benefited if, in addition to other measures, well directed local medicinal therapy is applied. In local traumatic and parasitic diseases of the skin, local applications assume the order of first importance, for reasons that are obvious. The drugs employed for the local treatment of diseases of the skin are numerous. New ones are being added from time to time as the new drugs


Side biases in behavior, reflecting lateral specializations of the brain, are widespread amongst vertebrates. We studied laterality in the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) to gain insight into the evolution of the complementary specializations of predator avoidance (right hemisphere) and foraging behavior (left hemisphere). Because N. forsteri is the closest extant ancestor of the first land-dwelling vertebrates, knowledge of laterality in this species should provide a missing link in the transition from fish to tetrapods. Predator escape responses were elicited by generating pressure waves and a significant bias for C-start responses to the left side was found. This bias was unaffected by activity levels that change according to a diurnal cycle: activity is higher in the dark phase than the light phase. A complementary bias to turn to the right side was found during feeding behavior. This pattern of opposite-side specializations matches that known for fish, anurans, reptiles, birds and, as some evidence indicates, also mammals. Hence, we conclude that it is a homologous pattern of lateralization that evolved in early aquatic vertebrates and was retained as they made the transition to land-dwelling tetrapods.


The 2011 German Pharmaceutical Market Restructuring Act subjected brand-name drugs for nonrare diseases to price regulation based on an assessment of their clinical benefit. Indication-specific assessment outcomes range from major added benefit to less benefit than the appropriate comparator(s) and affect price negotiations beyond the first year on the market. Using data on drugs that entered the market in the period 2012-16, we evaluated benefit assessment findings, subsequent drug exits, and their correlates. We considered 171 drug-indication pairs, corresponding to 138 different drugs. Of these, 66 drug-indication pairs (55 different drugs) were found to have added benefit. Almost all drugs with a positive benefit assessment (98 percent) remained on the market, while drugs without a positive benefit assessment were over ten times more likely to exit (25 percent versus 2 percent). US policy makers considering how to address rapidly increasing drug costs may draw valuable lessons from the German experience.


A rapid and sensitive ultrasound‐assisted temperature‐controlled ionic liquid (IL) dispersive liquid‐phase microextraction (UTILDLPME) combined with reversed‐phase liquid chromatography‐ultraviolet (RPLC‐UV) was developed for the determination of five organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs; azinphos‐methyl, chloropyriphos, parathion‐methyl, diazinon, and phosalone) in water samples. Parameters including IL type, IL volume, ionic strength, sonication time, heating/cooling temperature, centrifugal time, and speed were investigated. The extraction procedure was induced by the formation of cloudy solution, which was composed of 75 μL of 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C4MIM]PF6) dispersed entirely into 5 mL sample solution with the assistance of ultrasound for 3 min and temperature at 40°C. Under optimal conditions, linearity of the five OPPs was obtained in the range of 0.09–200 ng/mL with correlation coefficients of 0.998 or more. Limits of detection and limits of quantitation ranged from 0.01 to 0.1 ng/mL and from 0.05 to 0.4 ng/mL, respectively. Compared with conventional microextraction techniques, the proposed UTILDLPME exhibited the highest extraction efficiency ranging between 90 and 98% for targeted OPPs. Furthermore, the proposed UTILDLPME/RPLC was successfully applied to different water samples (tap, well, and lake water) showing relative recoveries ranging from 96.9 to 103.2%. Therefore, UTILDLPME/RPLC‐UV could be a simple, rapid, sensitive, and efficient routine technique for determination of OPPs in water.


Sequences of 38 independent X-ray-induced mutations in a cDNA of the human hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) gene were analyzed after it was integrated into mammalian chromosomes as part of a shuttle vector. There were 15 base substitutions (39%), 9 frameshifts (24%), 11 deletions (29%), and 3 other mutations (8%) of two kinds. Radiation-induced mutations were found throughout the coding region of the gene. Base substitution mutations occurred more often at A:T sites than at G:C sites, and there were more transversions than transitions. Most of the frameshifts and deletions had short direct repeats or a run of several identical bases at the site of the mutation. A slippage misalignment mechanism, suggested previously, can account for the generation of these classes of mutations. The kinds, distribution, and possible mechanism of X-ray-induced mutations were similar to those of spontaneous mutations.


The rubber dam was first developed and put to use in the 19th century by S.C. Barnum. Since then, the use of the rubber dam in dentistry has become mandatory especially during root canal treatment. Various irrigation solutions which are used during root canal treatment have toxic effects on the soft tissues around the teeth. This can be prevented or minimized when rubber dam is put to use. Similarly for esthetic dentistry, optimum results are obtained if the working area is protected from contamination by saliva.


This paper presents a framework to explore the decadal experience of community participation for health system strengthening using Primary Health Care Approach in National Health Mission (NHM), Odisha. It traces the concept of community participation, its various facets, dimensions and application in the context of health system strengthening using Primary Health Care Approach. The paper tries to ascertain the scope of the community participation in National Health Mission (NHM), identify and highlight measures adopted for improving community participation leading to improvement in health system and health outcomes. Further it tries to critically understand how the decadal experience community participation efforts have been sustained in NHM, its challenges and way forward.


Summary form only given. A spark discharge has been researched in the past for various applications. A spark discharge in water can produce shock wave, ultraviolet radiation and radical. Destroying kidney stones in human by shock wave is a special application. A spark discharge was generated by applying a pulsed high voltage of V=10~30 kV to electrodes in water. For controlling charged energy in a capacitor bank (30 nF) and discharge frequency, thyratron switch and air gap switch were used. When spark discharge occur in water voltage and current was measured by oscilloscope with high voltage probe and Rogowski coil. As a material of electrodes a tungsten tip and coaxial stainless steel was used. In this study, sewage sludge and freshwater algae was treated by the spark discharge. Sewage sludge is composed of organic materials, bacteria and mostly water. The object of the sewage sludge treatment, reducing water content and destroying sludge bacteria cell membrane, is minimize the final sludge. A measuring method for investigating the treatment result is chemical oxygen demand (COD). Algae in freshwater can cause serious effect on underwater ecosystem and human health. Being on ponds, lakes and dams, if a surrounding condition is good, algae is starting to be active. Algae treatment which was carried with a condition of pulsed spark discharge and pulsed non-spark discharge was compared by electronic microscope.


Grade appraisal of soil cover quality allowing estimating connection of soil with different parameters of social condition of society is suggested in this article. Perceptiveness of such approach is shown on the example of Adygeya and defined connections of soil quality and atmosphere pollution, population settlement, level of industry and others are revealed in this work.


Radial head and neck fractures are common in young to middle age adults and are seen in nearly 20 % of acute elbow injuries in this age group. These are usually associated with high energy traumas like falls from height, road traffic accidents and sports injuries. Unilateral radial head fractures are relatively common and may be associated with other concomitant injuries. Bilateral radial head fractures are rare and are mostly seen in situations when the patient has a fall on outstretched, supinated hands or a direct fall on the elbow. These injuries can be easily missed by the attending physician if the symptoms are more severe on one side, thus neglecting the other. The treatment of these fractures may be conservative or operative, depending upon the degree of head comminution, the percentage of articular surface involved, presence of loose intra-articular fragments and angulation between the radial neck and proximal shaft. We present a case series of three patients with bilateral type 1 radial head fractures (one case having type 3 on one side) managed with brief immobilization followed by active physiotherapy and full, uneventful recovery. The emphasis in these cases is the need for a high index of suspicion in the diagnosis of multiple injuries, no matter how `trivial` the mechanism of injury and, unless the history of the mode of trauma is highly suggestive, such injuries can be missed easily and cause long term problems for the patient.


4214 INTRO & OBJECTIVE: Epidemiologic studies suggest regular consumers of green tea have a lower risk of bladder cancer. The chemopreventive effects of green tea against tumorigenesis have been attributed to its polyphenolic constituents, especially (-)epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), although its mechanism of action remains unclear. Here we study the effects of EGCG on growth and polyamine synthesis in human urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. METHODS: Urothelial carcinoma cells representing low grade (RT4, TCC 96-1) and high grade (UM-UC-3) bladder cancer were grown in the presence of increasing concentrations of EGCG (0-50uM). Cell growth was quantitated over 7 days using crystal violet elution. Polyamine levels (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) were determined by HPLC analysis in the same three cell lines following treatment with 0-50uM EGCG x 24 hours. RESULTS: EGCG inhibited the growth of all three cell lines in a dose-dependent fashion. Sensitivity to EGCG varied with each cell line with an IC50 of 15uM for UM-UC-3 as compared to 25uM for RT4 and 30 uM for TCC 96-1. EGCG also inhibited polyamine production with a dose-dependent reduction in levels of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine of 81%, 78% and 65% respectively for TCC 96-1. A reduction in polyamine levels of 62%, 34%, and 34% respectively was also observed for UM-UC-3 whereas a smaller decrease of 22% and 37% in spermidine and spermine was noted in RT-4 cells.CONCLUSION: The relatively non-toxic green tea metabolite EGCG produced growth inhibition of human bladder cancer cells associated with a significant reduction in polyamine levels. The role of polyamines in mediating the effects of EGCG in premalignant and malignant urothelium remains to be determined. These findings support the further investigation of EGCG in bladder cancer prevention.


Abstract To test the influence of selected fertilisers and fungicides on the germination of black alder seeds and the initial phase of seedling growth, we conducted a laboratory experiment outlined in this paper. Six treatments were applied on petri dishes each containing 30 seeds. The substrate for germination was sterile filter paper wetted with an aqueous solution of either one of two fungicides, two organic fertilisers, a mineral fertiliser or distilled water (control). Fungicides and fertilisers were applied according to the manufacturers' recommendations. In order to keep genetic variability to a minimum, seeds originated from a single tree in a seed stand located in the Chotyłów Forest District, eastern Poland. Germination and growth took place at a temperature of 23°C ± 2°C with a 14 h/10 h day/night cycle. Seeds began to germinate as early as the second day after sowing, except for the mineral fertiliser treatment, in which the first sprouting was observed on day 3. Seedling length was measured daily from the day of germination of a given seed through to day 15. Germination was found to proceed most rapidly in the control, while the largest increments in length and dry mass occurred in the control and fertiliser treatment with the so-called N1 fertiliser (solely comprising growth stimulators in the form of humic acids, chitosan and silicon). The most limited growth was observed under the influence of the F1 fungicide (active compound Thiram) as well as the organic fertiliser N2 (a mixture of mineral components and organic growth stimulators). Roots were found to develop most rapidly in the control and in the treatment with N1 (no mineral components). These are also the only two treatments in which the roots were longer than the stems after 15 days. Fertiliser N2 was found to have the most unfavourable influence on both, germination and the first phase of seedling development. The fact that selected fertilizers and fungicides affected black alder seeds and seedlings under laboratory conditions does not mean that they will have an impact under field conditions or on other forest tree species. Therefore, this type of research will need to be conducted individually for each forest tree species.


The fracture strength developed between Fused-Deposition extruded roads is modeled in terms of the wetting and thermally-driven diffusion bonding processes. Thermal histories at the road-to-road interface are obtained from a heat transfer analysis and used to develop model predictions based on reptation theory for the interdiffusion of long-chain polymer molecules. Fracture toughness data on FD-ABS plastic specimens is used to quantify the model. The results show that most of the fracture strength develops during the surface wetting stage of bonding and that slower cooling rates during solidification promote stronger bonding between the roads.


The dependence of the direct electrical breakdown voltage of degassed oil and oxygen-saturated oil on gap-length for a point-to-sphere electrode system has been studied for both polarities of the point and gaplengths varying from 50 to 800 mu m. The breakdown voltage level was found to depend on the manner by which the polarity reversal was carried out. For a given point polarity the breakdown voltage was always higher when the point electrode was live than when it was earthed. The effect is attributed to the formation of charges having the same sign as that of the live electrode.


The purpose of this survey paper is to present an up-to-date account of the recent advances made in the study of -theory of the homotopy operator applied to differential forms. Specifically, we will discuss various local and global norm estimates for the homotopy operator T and its compositions with other operators, such as Green's operator and potential operator.


The aim of this study is to analyze how cellular network subscribers behave during an electricity network disturbance situation. Furthermore, removing the effect of randomly accessing the network could improve especially the speech capacity during these events. When part of the mobile network is unavailable, the availability of the cellular network services decreases. However, the subscribers have increased demand for services during disturbance scenarios since they fetch information from the Internet and try to contact their family and friends. The analysis in this paper shows that even an uncommon power blackout resulted in an increase of 73 % in new calls and 84 % in the number of short message service (SMS) demand for mobile network services in a rural area.


This case study focuses on a bilingual, older man who spoke Polish and English and showed weaknesses on clinical measures of dichotic listening in English. It was unclear whether these test results were influenced by the participant's facility with his second language or by other nonauditory factors. To elucidate the nature of this deficit, the authors examined behavioral and electrophysiological responses during dichotic-listening tasks involving linguistic processing in both languages. A diotic (control) condition was included to examine whether nonauditory factors, such as language familiarity, memory, or decline in speed of mental processing, might explain the dichotic results. The results from this participant were compared with those obtained from a bilingual young adult who also spoke both Polish and English. Results showed a substantial left-ear deficit for the older individual on both behavioral and electrophysiological measures of dichotic listening. The pattern of results is consistent with previous findings in demonstrating that the left-ear deficit in this patient derived from an auditory-specific defect rather than from any of the extra-auditory factors associated with language facility or cognitive decline.


Letters of recommendation play a vital role in students' ability to secure desired jobs and entrance to graduate schools. Students, however, are frequently uninformed about their responsibilities and needs in the recommendation letter process. This article lays the groundwork for the process and the content of quality recommendation letter. One very important college faculty tasks is to write letters of recommendation for our students. Those of us who are asked to write on students' behalf usually do so gladly; however, too frequently, students leave us in the dark as to the desired focus of such letters and fail to supply us with other pertinent information. This article is meant to help students seek good letter writers and to know how to better inform and guide writers to provide letter recipients information most likely to achieve student goals. First, students need to choose wisely those individuals from whom help is sought. Not all people are good writers. Students should ask around campus about who has knowledge of good writers. The same writing components of style, organization, and content that students have been taught are expected by letter recipients. Poorly written or too terse and uniform recommendation letters may spoil your application success. Do not be reluctant to ask a prospective letter writer to show you examples of their writing. Most well organized people save recent recommendation letters and may be willing to show you what their recent letter writing is like. Examine such examples as if you were the receiver of such messages. If you would be impressed with such a letter, chances are you have a good letter writing candidate. Most applicants are asked to garner multiple recommendation letters. Get assurances of all your letter writers before asking them for detailed commitments. Request one more letter than is minimally demanded of you just in case one person forgets, gets delayed, or falls ill. Once you have all your writers promising to write for you, draw up a master outline showing the traits, skills, and experiences you want recommendation letter recipients to know about. From that master list, draw up separate lists for each of your letter writers on which you rank order for these writers what you need them to focus on. Remember, it is your needs that writers should focus on, not the writer's priorities! Let each letter writer know who else is writing on your behalf. Share with letter writers which of your skills, traits, and experiences are most important to be shared with receivers of recommendation letters. This will aid letter writers in focus, intensity, and priority, giving letters your desired emphasis. The reason for separate lists is that you neither want clone letters nor do you want totally divergent letters written about you. Clone letters are typically rejected out of hand as not being honest, lacking personalness, and not reflecting a picture of who you are. Multiple letters including too little overlap of your characteristics, skills, and experiences suggest to readers that either you are not really known well by anyone or that none of your good traits impressed more than one person. …


Abstract Objective We report a case of additional carotid artery stenting (CAS) for plaque protrusion occurring after initial CAS for radiation-induced common carotid artery (CCA) stenosis. Case Presentation A 69-year-old man with a history of radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer presented to our hospital with sudden-onset right hemiparesis. Since vulnerable plaque of the left CCA was considered the embolic source for ischemic stroke, CAS was performed for left CCA stenosis. No perioperative complications were observed and the patient was discharged with a modified Rankin Scale score of 0. However, 1 month after CAS, cerebral embolism recurred. As protruding plaque was found on CTA, additional endovascular treatment was performed with intravascular ultrasonography. He was discharged without complications and showed a good outcome at 3 months. Conclusion In CCA stenosis after radiotherapy, accelerated arteriosclerosis may cause drug-resistant cerebral embolism and plaque protrusion after CAS, making determination of the treatment strategy difficult. Appropriate treatment options need to be based on individual underlying diseases and plaque instability.


This paper investigates channel estimation in the uplink of a DS-CDMA system. The transmission medium is characterized by the presence of multipath components and the parameters of interest are the delays and complex gains of the propagation paths. We propose a new method for estimating the channel parameters of a user entering the system. The method is based on the maximum likelihood criterion and exploits a training sequence. In comparison with other estimation algorithms it has two advantages. First, it reduces a complicated multidimensional optimization problem to a sequence of one-dimensional problems. Secondly, it has better capability to resolve closely-spaced multipath components. Computer simulations are used to assess its performance. It is found that it is resistant to multiuser interference and can be effectively used in third generation mobile cellular networks.


Objective
To analyze the effects of biofeedback combined with task-oriented training on hand function, Gesell's infant development scale score (Gesell) and balance ability in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP).

Methods
66 children with SCP admitted to our hospital from January 2016 to June 2018 were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group. The control group ( n=33) received conventional rehabilitation treatment, and the observation group ( n=33) received biofeedback combined with task-oriented training based on the treatment of control group. After 6-month treatment, Modified Ashworth scale (MAS) score, Berg balance scale (BBS) score, standing and walking function score in gross motor function scale (GMFM), assisting hand assessment scales (AHA) score, Gesell scale score and satisfaction of the children's parents were compared between the two groups.

Results
The MAS score after treatment was lower than that before treatment in both two groups ( P<0.05), and the BBS score after treatment was higher than that before treatment in both two groups ( P<0.05). After treatment, the MAS score in the observation group was lower than the control group, and the BBS score in the observation group was higher than the control group ( P<0.05). The scores of standing and walking function after treatment were higher than that before treatment in both two groups ( P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of standing and walking function in the observation group were higher than the control group ( P<0.05). The AHA score and Gesell developmental quotient (DQ) score after treatment were higher than that before treatment in both two groups ( P<0.05). After the treatment, the AHA score and Gesell DQ score in the observation group were higher than the control group ( P<0.05). The satisfaction rate of rehabilitation treatment in the observation group was higher than the control group (90.91% vs. 60.61%, P<0.05).

Conclusion
Biofeedback combined with task-oriented training can improve balance ability, spasm relieve, hand function, development level, standing and walking function in the children with spastic cerebral palsy and increase the treatment satisfaction degree of children's guardians.


In this paper, we present a simulation model and other modalities of reducing the risk impacts
for the agricultural field, which is characterised by a strong exposure to risk. While in other sectors the main
factors are economic, social and operational, agriculture has both these risks, plus the factors of weather.
Applying the simulation model, individual farmers can cuantify the costs and benefits of risk reducing policies
and create risk-related effects on their decisions. Adapting the model for every individual farmers, they can
manage the impact of risks against their production by taking properly decisions regarding the use of land and
other inputs, and also with respect to government payments and other risk reduction strategies that they can use.
After looking at the agricultural tools applied in America and different countries from Europe, we underline the
importance of the public-private relation in sustaining of agricultural insurance. The most sophisticated
agricultural insurance scheme is MPCI one used in America which can inspire the European Union one.


Our American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) have come to a consensus that the use of routine prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism (VTE) is indicated for our patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. The new guidelines acknowledge differences in efficacy of the various agents and the variable risk of VTE among patients. Agents include warfarin, low molecular weight heparin, aspirin, oral Xa inhibitors, and direct thrombin inhibitors. The use of pneumatic compression devices have been found to be effective in decreasing risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as a stand-alone strategy after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and is given a level 1C recommendation by ACCP while the data is less strong for use following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Mechanical devices are not associated with an increased bleeding risk, and address the concerns of some surgeons with regard to post-operative bleeding. The availability of mobile compression devices has expanded the indications for use as a result of portability. While the use of mobile pump technology in DVT prophylaxis adds to the armamentarium of tools available for use in VTE risk mitigation, it does not eliminate the need for pharmacologic prophylaxis. While all arthroplasty patients are at elevated risk of VTE, the highest risk is associated with those having a prior history of DVT or pulmonary embolism (PE), having had prior surgery within the preceding three months, or requiring prolonged immobilization post-operatively for any reason. In these patients, thromboprophylaxis with any of a number of agents will play a valuable role in VTE risk reduction. Additionally, not all patients tolerate the use of the pump device. Those individuals with chronic peripheral arterial disease or arterial ulcers in the legs are also poor candidates for mechanical compression strategies which may exacerbate existing vascular compromise and perfusion of the limb. Assessment of the medical comorbidities of the patient may also stratify them to higher risk where the demonstrated benefits of pharmacologic prophylaxis outweigh the considerations of bleeding associated with their use (such as in the morbidly obese/high BMI patients). Mobile pump technology is a valuable adjunct to our VTE reduction strategies, but do not eliminate the need for pharmacologic agents. The judicious selection of DVT prophylaxis strategies based on the totality of the constellation of orthopaedic and medical factors unique to each patient allows us to make clinical decisions tailored to their needs, their risk of VTE, and their reliability in functioning as an active partner in their own post-operative care.


This article introduces Adriana Cavarero's concept of "horrorism" into International Relations (IR) discussions of the relationship between war and citizenship. Horrorism refers to a violent violation of vulnerable humans who are defined by their simultaneous openness to the other's care and harm. With its motif of physical and ontological denigration, horrorism offends the human condition by making its victims gaze upon and/or experience repugnant violence and bodily disfiguration precisely when the vulnerable are most in need of care. The article argues that horrorism complicates disciplinary understandings of contemporary violence which tend to see terrorism, but not horrorism, in war and which generally neglect to theorize how violence—and particularly horrorism—is embedded in, and exchanged, through state/citizen relationships. To elaborate these arguments, the article analyses three pieces of war art: Jeremy Deller's "Baghdad, 5 March 2007," Donald Gray's mural, "Operation Iraqi Freedom," and a still image from Cynthia Weber's film, "Guadalupe Denogean: 'I am an American.'" By taking the War on Terrorism as their subject, these pieces demonstrate how war makes visible the terror and horror in state/citizen relationships. The article concludes by reconsidering how encountering signs of horrorism might broaden our frames of war and further our empathic vision toward the precarious victims of horrorism or, alternatively, might confirm the patriotic allegiances of imperial citizens in ways that further bind their citizenship to state political and economic violence and narrow the scope for genuine empathy.


Using a proprietary dataset of entrepreneurs receiving a government technology award, I explore the impact entrepreneurial optimism can have on the decision to accept external funding , to enter into joint ventures, and on firm performance. Although prior research suggests optimism about the success of a venture might motivate entrepreneurs to seek outside funding and to enter in to joint venture partnerships (with mixed results on performance), how high levels of optimism would instead motivate entrepreneurs to not receive such outside help is explored. Results suggest optimism has a non-linear relationship with accepting outside help, which leads founders to receive less external funding and instead choose to "go it alone." Further, results show rewards for highly optimistic entrepreneurs, which is contrary to previous findings and has implications for researchers and practitioners alike.


Introduction: Health Authorities have been concerned about expectant mothers' low uptake of maternity services, despite the efforts made by the State to ensure "access to sexual and reproductive health services including family planning (SDG 3.7). The purpose of this study is to find out the psychosocial determinants associated with expectant mothers' low uptake of maternity services in the city of Parakou in the year 2017. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with prospective data collection from 20th January to 20th March 2017, conducted in the maternal immunization department within the maternal and child health Training and Research Unit (TRU) of Borgou-Alibori Teaching Hospital (CHUD/B-A) located in the city of Parakou. Comprehensive sampling method was used, while data collection was conducted through a pre-tested questionnaire. Results: The 273 nursing mothers included in the study were aged between 15 and 43 years, with the mean age estimated at 28.8 ± 5.95 years. 20-29 years age group was the most represented (58.85%). The proportions of women under 20 and 30 years and above were respectively 11.72% and 34.43%. In addition, married mothers accounted for 48.72% while single mothers represented 8.06%. The proportion of those who attained secondary education level was 28.05%. Those who lived within 5-15 km from the maternity ward were 86.81% compared to those residing beyond 15 km (8.06%). 16.85% of women gave birth in a private hospital against 83.15% in public health facilities. The monthly income earned by 9.16% was below CFA 40,000 compared to 32.60% who earned more than CFA 100,000 as monthly income. 35% of the women declared to have experienced poor hospitality or faced unhelpful attitudes in the health facilities. Below are some factors that actually affected women's behaviors regarding care services: • Hospitality: age, marital status, gravidity, • Prenatal care: public/private birthing center, geographic accessibility, economic income, quality of antenatal visit, desire for pregnancy, spouse behavior towards pregnancy, quality of obstetric care. • Quality of medical assistance: educational level, gravidity, parity and previous caesarean section were not associated with the quality of medical assistance. Conclusion: Future studies will focus on the fear impact on pregnancy outcome regarding expectant mothers' uptake of maternal and child health services. ISSN 2641-4317 ResearchArticle Citation: Djidonou Anselme, Gansou Grégoire Magloire, Tognon Tchegnonsi Francis, et al. Psychosocial Determinants of Expectant Mothers' uptake of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in the City of Parakou in 2017. Int J Psychiatr Res. 2019; 2(4): 1-6.


This article makes a case for the value of literary form to the study of globalization. The literary critical movement of global studies has tended to show how literature represents or participates in transnational relations. I argue for the importance of attending to how literature both shapes ideas of worldhood and brings out a paradox within them: that any attempt to make a world will also be a disruptive act that prevents the unity worldhood presumes. I contend that allegory is a literary mode that particularly calls attention to this paradox. Complicating genealogical accounts that bracket allegory as a medieval worldview off from modern paradigms of representation, I look to Spenser's Faerie Queene, written at a liminal moment when transnational capitalism is just emerging, as a revealing case of allegory's relevance to globalization. Examining two prominent examples of the Spenserian allegory of the world as a harmonious chain, I argue that the trope is not as peaceful as it might at first appear, bringing out an element of destabilization present in all worldmaking. As such, Spenser's poem reflects on the violence and disruption inherent in trying to bring the world together into a single allegorical system. While Spenser has often been read as a poet deeply nostalgic for what he sees as a fading medieval worldview, I argue, in examining the Cave of Mammon canto, that Spenser shows how medieval allegory continues to inform modern paradigms of global commerce.


Few studies have examined variations in both the physical signs and clinical findings in the final days and hours before the death of elderly patients. We determined the physical signs and clinical findings in patients who were at least 75 years old or were diagnosed with cancer with impending death and examined the association of these parameters with the profile and timing of their endocardiography (ECG) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) changes prior to death. In this prospective, observational study, between April 2014 and June 2017, we enrolled elderly patients who were admitted to the Respiratory Medicine Ward in our hospital and were near death, which was determined based on certain symptoms such as a loss of oral intake. We recorded their physical signs (oral intake, consciousness level, and respiration with mandibular movement) 4 times a day from admission to death. We evaluated their changes in ECG and in SpO2 levels for up to 24 hours preceding death. For the 70 patients who died in our ward, we found a loss of oral intake at 6 days, consciousness impairment at 1.3 days, and then respiration with mandibular movement at 12 hours before death were the most consistent findings before death. When we analyzed the ECG and SpO2 changes during impending death, 83% of the patients showed undetectable SpO2 levels followed by a loss of heart rate. The loss of P wave in the ECG was characterized as process on impending death. Respiration with mandibular movement was one of the specific signs of impending death in ill elderly patients. The monitoring of ECG and SpO2 levels may be a useful tool to predict the impending time of death.


Cyclic di-adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) is a second messenger involved in diverse metabolic processes such as cell wall homeostasis, biofilm formation, antibiotic and heat resistance, among others. In Lactococcus lactis, a Lactic Acid Bacterium used not only in the dairy industry but also as a cell factory in biotechnological processes, the only reported interaction partner of c-di-AMP is the pyruvate carboxylase enzyme, PyrCarb. Nevertheless, in the last year investigations directed its main role towards potassium metabolism.
In this thesis, KupA and KupB, two potassium transporters encoded in L. lactis IL1403 genome, are described for the first time. According to an in-silico analysis, these transporters, which belong to the Kup/HAK/KT family, are highly conserved in this species, being therefor a strain independent potassium uptake system. In addition, evidence shows that both proteins are able to uptake this cation with high affinity, and we demonstrate that KupA as well as KupB bind to and are downregulated by c-di-AMP.
On the other hand, different strains dereived from L. lactis IL1403 were developed aiming to modify intracellular pools of c-di-AMP in a stable system. One strategy for the reduction of c-di-AMP levels was the obtention of gdpP mutants via homologous recombination. Maintenance of this second messenger levels close to wild type ones, suggested the presence of another c-di-AMP degrading enzyme. A first description of a putative enzyme with this activity, encoded by yheB gene was done by BNPP assay. Also, by use of a pH inducible vector, construction of strain L. lactis LL03 with concentrations of this second messenger above 15 times basal levels was possible. This system was therefore selected for further investigations on the development of a vaccine prototype against Chagas disease.
L. lactis is a promising candidate for the development of mucosal vaccines with more than 20 years of experimental research. Moreover, c-di-AMP has been reported as a strong mucosal adjuvant activity that promotes both humoral and cellular immune responses. Altoghether, in this thesis the development of a recombinant L. lactis strain is reported, able to produce both an antigen as well as an adjuvant in order to develop a novel vaccine prototype against the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, the causal agent of Chagas disease.
Finally, a first approach was done on c-di-AMP metabolism in another Lactic Acid Bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis. The use of this model bacterium permited not only to identify the basic characteristics of c-di-AMP metabolism but also to study the impact of GdpP on the virulence of E. faecalis by use of the infection model Galleria melonela.


Integrated library systems have not yet been created, although they have been emphasized for nearly two decades. Now and in the future, the task is even more complex because the principal issue is access to information itself, wherever it is located and in whatever form it may exist. The goal becomes more feasible because of changes in library practices achieved with technological innovation. Although individual elements of a campus-wide information system may already exist, the details for implementation are yet to be articulated.


Reflection electron energy loss spectra have been measured for silver using incoming electrons with energies between 5 and 40 keV, in a surface and volume-sensitive geometry. Bulk and surface loss functions are extracted from these data and various consistency checks are applied to the obtained loss functions. Depositing minute amounts of Al onto the Ag surface causes a severe reduction in surface features. The intensity of the surface feature seems now to increase as the probe energy is increased. A mechanism by which this can occur is discussed. The relation between the bulk loss function and the dielectric function is discussed, and a comparison with the results of transmission electron energy loss spectra and optical


Lyα emitting galaxies are powerful tools to probe the late stages of cosmic reionization. The observed sudden drop in Lyα fraction at z > 6 is often interpreted as a sign of reionization, since the intergalactic medium (IGM) is more neutral and opaque to Lyα photons. Crucially, this interpretation of the observations is only valid under the assumption that galaxies themselves experience a minimal evolution at these epochs. By modeling Lyα radiative transfer effects in and around galaxies, we examine whether a change in the galactic properties can reproduce the observed drop in the Lyα fraction. We find that an increase in the galactic neutral hydrogen content or a reduction in the outflow velocity toward higher redshift both lead to a lower Lyα escape fraction, and can thus mimic an increasing neutral fraction of the IGM. We furthermore find that this change in galactic properties leads to systematically different Lyα spectra which can be used to differentiate the two competing effects. Using the CANDELSz7 survey measurements which indicate slightly broader lines at z ∼ 6, we find that the scenario of a mere increase in the galactic column density toward higher z is highly unlikely. We also show that a decrease in outflow velocity is not ruled out by existing data but leads to more prominent blue peaks at z > 6. Our results caution using Lyα observations to estimate the IGM neutral fraction without accounting for the potential change in the galactic properties, e.g., by mapping out the evolution of Lyα spectral characteristics.


THE IMMUNOLOGY OF RHEUMATISM. By Jerzy B. Kwapinski and Marshall L. Synder. New York, Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1962. xii, 255 pp. $9.00. The immunology of rheumatism is a large field which is rapidly evolving. Any monograph on the subject will almost surely seem somewhat antiquated by the time it appears in print, and this monograph is no exception. Most of the references date from 1958 or earlier, and in dealing with such subjects as the serological changes in rheumatoid arthritis the material seems particularly inadequate. There are other, perhaps more serious drawbacks in that the authors have assumed some rather general theories of basic immune mechanisms, and have attempted to treat "rheumatism" as a unit and to discuss specific experimental data within a large and somewhat loose framework of theory. Perhaps at no time in the modern study of immune mechanisms have experimental data been so hard to fit into a coherent unified concept of immunologic processes. Much of the monograph deals with specific serologic reactions to the streptococcus, and this field is generally well reviewed. Both authors have worked extensively with the streptococcus, and the monograph will be of interest to those working in this specific field. It cannot, however, be recommended as an adequate treatment of immunologic changes in rheumatic diseases. J. W. HOLLINGSWORTH


Creep rupture properties and microstructures of an as-cast Mg-4Al-2Sn alloy with and without Sr contents (1 wt% and 2 wt%) were investigated. Creep rupture tests were performed at 150℃ and 200℃ at 50 MPa and 70 MPa. The microstructure of the Mg-4Al-2Sn alloy initially had Mg17Al12 and Mg2Sn phases. The addition of Sr resulted in the formation of a ternary MgSnSr phase. Creep strength increased with an increasing Sr due to thermally stable MgSnSr precipitates, which suppressed coarsening of the Mg17Al12precipitates during creep. Scanning electron microscopy showed that Mg17Al12 phases at the grain bounda-ries are the starting point of void initiation, the cracks propagated along the grain boundaries. However, the MgSnSr phase interrupted crack propagation.


To assess the significance of radiographic signs of sclerosis of the third carpal bone (C3) in young Standardbred trotters in relation to performance, lameness and bone turnover both carpi in 14 Standardbred trotters were radiographically and scintigraphically examined 6 times, from the beginning of speed training until the beginning of racing, between the mean ages of 20 and 42 months. At the end of the study 8 horses had raced in official qualifying races and 14 limbs in 11 horses had been diagnosed with carpal lameness. All horses but 2 developed sclerosis and all but one had increased bone turnover in the C3 area by scintigraphy. C3 sclerosis increased continuously over time and with increased performance. Carpal lameness was significantly associated with progression of sclerosis but in most cases sclerosis developed without concomitant signs of carpal lameness. No association between carpal lameness and increased scintigraphic uptake was found, but horses that had qualified for racing had significantly higher C3 to carpus ratio of radiopharmaceutical uptake. We conclude that there is a continuous increase in C3 radiographic sclerosis with time in young Standardbred trotters in professional training, but radiographic sclerosis appears to be of limited value as an indicator of clinical carpal disease or level of performance in Standardbred trotters.


The c-myc oncogene has been shown to be overexpressed in a number of malignancies, and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma. Previous prognostic studies have demonstrated c-myc overexpression in a range of cutaneous melanomas, and levels of c-myc oncoprotein expression have been shown to correlate with clinical outcome in both primary and secondary disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro manipulation of c-myc expression using antisense oligonucleotides. The human melanoma cell lines A375M, Be11 and WM115 were treated with c-myc antisense oligonucleotides, and the cellular growth was compared with controls. Antisense oligonucleotides reduced the growth rate of all three cell lines, and produced a reduction in c-myc gene expression as measured by flow cytometry. The growth inhibitions in the A375M, Be11 and WM115 cell lines at 72 h were 36.6%, 35.8% and 29.3%, respectively. Each of these was significantly different from control cultures (P<0.01). The c-myc antisense produced a mean 75% reduction in c-myc oncoprotein expression when compared with controls in the A375M cells (P<0.001), a 49% reduction in the Be11 cells (P<0.001) and a 28% reduction in the WM115 cells (P=0.005). This study demonstrates the importance of the c-myc oncogene in controlling melanoma growth. It suggests that blocking the expression of this gene, using an antisense approach, reduces melanoma cell growth, and may potentially provide a novel gene-therapy strategy for the treatment of advanced melanoma.


In this study, we proposed an optical compensation method to improve the symmetricity of contrast ratio for wide viewing angle IPS (in-plane switching) LCD. First, the phase retardation depending on the thickness of compensation film is calculated, and then the phase change is presented at the sphere. The phase retardation and the polarization state of the light passing through the optical elements are caculated by using the EJMM (extended Jones matrix method). In addition, the transmittance and the contrast countour are also calculated by using the Berremann`s matrix method. The simulation is carried out for a IPS LC cell with positive A/C/A compensation film. From the standard deviation of the contrast ratio, we confirmed the symmetricity at each viewing angle is inversely proportional to the standard deviation and calculated the optimum design condition of the uniaxial compensation film for the IPS LCD.


This thesis investigates the role of cervical spine Range of Motion in the recovery from
Whiplash Associated Disorders.
In clinical practice, Health Care Professionals attach value to measurements of cervical spine
Range of Motion for diagnostic, prognostic and treatment evaluation purposes. A systematic
literature review found conflicting evidence as to whether cervical spine Range of Motion
was a prognostic factor following a whiplash injury. Greater understanding of prognostic
factors such as this may facilitate improvements in patient management.
A second systematic literature review investigated the reliability and validity of methods for
measuring cervical spine Range of Motion. The Cervical Range Of Motion (CROM) device
was found to be the most rigorously tested and clinimetrically promising method and was
subsequently investigated for intra- and inter-observer reliability in a group of whiplashinjured
individuals and found to be substantially reliable.
The CROM device was utilised in a longitudinal cohort study of 599 whiplash-injured
patients to investigate the prognostic value of cervical spine Range of Motion for neck painrelated
disability and patient-reported recovery at short, medium and long-term follow-up. A
patient-reported version of cervical spine Range of Motion was also evaluated as a
prognostic factor.
Although useful for explaining disability at the time of measurement, active, passive and
patient-reported forms of cervical spine Range of Motion were not significant prognostic
factors for poor outcome when other physical and psychosocial factors were accounted for.
The clinical implication of this research is that if patients are experiencing reduced cervical
spine Range of Motion a few weeks after their whiplash injury they will not necessarily have
a poor outcome in the longer term as is commonly believed at present.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of the Mantel-Haenszel statistic as a methodology for identifying differentially functioning items on the NTE Programs Core Battery tests. Retrospective analyses of data collected over a three-year period are reported for Black/White, Hispanic/White, and female/male comparisons. The three tests that comprise the Core Battery are included in the analyses—Communication Skills, General Knowledge, and Professional Knowledge. Data concerning the replicability of the results, the number of items identified as differentially difficult, and the characteristics of the test questions associated with differential difficulty are discussed. Replicability of DIF values from two administrations based on correlational data was modest to high, with greatest replicability found in the largest samples. Although the replicability is modest to high when considering all the items, the results are less consistent when only the items identified as showing differential difficulty are considered. Generally, 6 to 9 percent of the items were identified as being differentially difficult per comparison, with a greater number of items flagged in the female/male analyses than in the Black/White or Hispanic/White analyses. There was little overlap among the items flagged in the three different analyses. Although analyses suggested some content characteristics that may be related to differential item functioning, the findings should be considered exploratory due to the small number of items studied and the post hoc nature of the sample. Also, the findings should not be assumed to apply to populations other than NTE test takers.


Aims: To find out the clinical profile of obstetric fistula.
Methods: A retrospective review of women presenting for OF repair in Ibadan, Oyo State from 2017-2018. All repairs were performed by the Oyo State fistula team at Adeoyo Maternity Hospital or University College Hospital, Ibadan. Two hundred and eighteen women were repaired during the period; information on socio-demographic and presentation characteristics was extracted. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 25.0.
Results: The commonest cause of genital tract fistula in this review was obstructed labour (68.5%), 44.9% of the women had caesarean delivery either to relieve obstruction or as elective procedure. Only 8.3% had elective caesarean section and 5.6% had gynaecologic surgery. Majority were urinary fistula (92.5%) and in the mid-vaginal (21.6%) location followed by juxta-cervical and ureterovaginal fistula (9.2%). Urethral involvement and severe vaginal fibrosis were seen in 12.4% and 61.3% of cases respectively.
Conclusions: There is a need for continuing medical education on critical emergency obstetric care skills in order to improve maternal health care service delivery.


A number of titanacycloalkenes, H2TiC2H2, HTiC3H3, H2TiC4H4, and HTiC5H5, have been studied using ab initio techniques. Vibrational frequencies were computed at the RHF, MP2, BLYP, and B3LYP levels. Both a LANL2DZ pseudopotential and an all-electron TZV basis set was used for each method. The electronic structure of the systems of interest is characterized in terms of natural resonance theory (NRT) and the atoms in molecules (AIM) analysis. All rings are planar except for titanabenzene, HTiC5H5. H2TiC2H2 has C2v symmetry and has single Ti−C bonds. HTiC3H3, unlike the isovalent cyclobutadiene and silacyclobutadiene, has C2v symmetry and shows significant electron delocalization. In H2TiC4H4 the TiC4 ring is planar with equivalent single Ti−C bonds and has C2v symmetry. HTiC5H5 has a boat-shaped geometry where the angle between the CTiC plane and the plane formed by the neighboring four carbon atoms is nearly 90°. AIM analysis isolates a weak critical point between Ti and the para-C atom, and NRT analysis c...


Nowadays, the energy efficiency and moderation of indoor environment of buildings became important topic in the field of building physics. Moisture occurrence in building construction poses a significant task for building designers and material engineers. Among other factors, a high level of relative humidity has negative effect on the work efficiency and health of building inhabitants. The presented paper is aimed on the analysis of chosen superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) and its influence on properties of newly developed interior plasters. The identification of optimal ratio between superabsorbent polymers and plaster mixture from the point of view of the workability of fresh mixtures is done. Also, the effect of water/dry mixture ratio is studied according to enhanced absorption capability of SAPs. Specific attention is paid to hygric properties, the determination of apparent moisture diffusivity, water vapor resistance factor and estimation of sorption isotherms. Obtained results directly point to significant effect of SAP admixture on material properties of developed plasters. Namely, addition of up to 3 wt.% of SAPs shifts the water absorption coefficient almost ten-times, while the total open porosity is increased only about 20%. Such materials can be applied for the damped areas or places where increased water transport parameters play an important role for the efficient moisture removal.


Oleic, Lauric, Palmitic, Myristic, and Stearic Acids are fatty acids with hydrocarbon chains ranging in length from 12 to 18 carbons with a terminal carboxyl group. These fatty acids are absorbed, digested, and transported in animals and humans. Little acute toxicity was observed when Ofeic, Lauric, Palmitic, Myristic, or Stearic Acid or cosmetic formulations containing these fatty acids were given to rats orally at doses of 15-19 g/kg body weight. Feeding of 15% dietary Oleic Acid to rats in a chronic study resulted in normal growth and health, but reproductive capacity of female rats was impaired. Results from topical application of Oleic, Palmitic, and Stearic Acid to the skin of mice, rabbits, and guinea pigs produced little or no apparent toxicity. Studies using product formulations containing Oleic and Stearic acids indicate that neither is a sensitizer or photosensitizing agent. Animal studies also indicate that these fatty acids are not eye irritants. Lauric, Stearic, and Oleic Acids were noncarcinogenic in separate animal tests. In primary and cumulative irritation clinical studies, Oleic, Myristic, and Stearic Acids at high concentrations were nonirritating. Cosmetic product formulations containing Oleic, Lauric, Palmitic, and Stearic Acids at concentrations ranging up to 13% were not primary or cumulative irritants, nor sensitizers. On the basis of available data from studies using animals and humans, it is concluded that Oleic, Lauric, Palmitic, Myristic, and Stearic Acids are safe in present practices of use and concentration in cosmetics.


ThingLab II is an object-oriented constraint programming system designed specifically for interactive user interface construction and implemented in Smalltalk-80 For constraints to be effective in building user interfaces, they must not impede the responsiveness of the user interface either at run time or during construction. The necessary speed is attained in ThingLab II by making judicious tradeoffs between compilation and interpretation, and by using a fast, incremental algorithm for constraint satisfaction. The resulting system allows user interface components to be assembled, tested, and modified expediently while maintaining interactive responsiveness.


Structural health monitoring has been conducted by non-destructive evaluation method when a turbine rotor system of an aircraft engine has cracks. Local stiffness of a turbine rotor system is degraded and critical speed is changed due to the presence of cracks in rotor. Critical speed which is affected by location and depth of crack, is obtained using compliance matrix of cracked rotor. The database of the obtained critical speed is used to evaluate structural health monitoring of a rotor system of a gas turbine engine.


The preceding articles in this series review the history, biology and management of white pine blister rust in North America, Europe and eastern Asia. In this integration, we connect and discuss seven recurring themes important for understanding and managing epidemics of Cronartium ribicola in the white pines (five-needle pines in subgenus Strobus). Information and action priorities for research and management of the pathogen, telial and aecial hosts, and their interactions are listed in a detailed Appendix. Syntheses focused on genetics, plant disease, invasive species or forest management have provided alternative but knowledgeable lessons on the white pine blister rust pathosystem. Two critical issues for the conservation of white pines are to sustain ecosystems affected by blister rust and to maintain genetic diversity for adaptive traits such as disease resistance. Forest genetics includes tree improvement and molecular techniques for research; their application can increase rust resistance by artificial and natural selection. Silviculture augments genetics with methods to deploy and enhance resistance as well as to regenerate and tend white pine stands. Although cultivated or wild Ribes might serve as inoculum sources, silviculture and horticulture can reduce the risk of serious impacts from blister rust using genetics for breeding and epidemiology for hazard assessment and disease control. Climate change threatens to cause major alterations in temperature and precipitation regimes, resulting in maladapted conifers succumbing to various diseases and insect outbreaks. In contrast, many white pine species have broad ecological ranges and are tolerant of harsh environments - traits that permit successful establishment and growth over wide geographic and altitudinal zones. Given appropriate management, white pines could thrive as valuable commercial and ecologically important keystone species. In an uncertain environment, adaptive management provides a learning and participatory approach for sustaining resilient ecosystems.


We investigate the possibility of a fourth sequential generation in the lepton sector. Assuming neutrinos to be Majorana particles and starting from a recent - albeit weak - evidence for a non-zero admixture of a fourth generation neutrino from fits to weak lepton and meson decays we discuss constraints from neutrinoless double beta decay, radiative lepton decay and like-sign di-lepton production at hadron colliders


Does it pay to be a locale of political importance? Political business cycle theory predicts that the executive has an incentive to manipulate policy to increase the chances of their party remaining in office. In particular, core counties (those that vote for the current administration) have been shown to enjoy disproportionately higher federal spending. In this paper, we explore how this funding affects the well-being of an area by estimating the effect of presidential particularism on governmental transfers and (productive) income per-capita using county-level data from 1993 to 2012. We find that transfer payments tend to be higher and income lower in counties that vote for the current administration. These findings are robust across a wide number of specifications including fixed effects, first differences, a first differenced model with county-specific time trends, and a matching analysis. Moreover, results hold when examining the subset of counties that only voted for a single party throughout the entire sample where the treatment (whether the county voted for the current administration) is largely exogenous to the county in question.


Celecoxib is a selective cox-2 inhibitor is indicated to the treatment of Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, acute painful primary Dysmenorrhoea. It is also superior to other NSAID's, due to lower incidences of symptomatic gastrointestinal ulcer complications than other NSAID's. Celecoxib is practically insoluble in water. The present investigation deals with enhancement of dissolution rate of Celecoxib using Mannitol as carrier with different techniques like physical mixtures, kneading method and solvent evaporation method. The dispersions were evaluated for drug content uniformity, dissolution rate study, T50, DE20, ANOVA. The FTIR & DSC were used to characterize solid state of solid dispersions. A marked increased in the dissolution rate was observed with all solid dispersions, among that Celecoxib : Mannitol (1:4) KM. Showed maximum drug release which was selected for formulation of tablets and evaluated for drug release characteristics. The promising formulation (F2) was then compared with existing marketed product, the release profiles was studied in water containing 2 % SLS. The release study showed that these are fast release formulations of Celecoxib. So it is clearly evident that F2 and marketed product are greater than the pure drug .F2 subjected to stability studies the formulation was found to be stable for 4 weeks at 40c, with insignificant change in the hardness, disintegration time and in-vitro drug release pattern.


The remaining traces of formalism in administrative law are under attack in a number of common-law countries. Formalism in administrative law is usually equated with attempts to invoke a distinction between errors that are jurisdictional or non-jurisdictional in nature, between void and voidable decisions or by relying on a classification of functions as a means to determine the outcome of review proceedings. There can be little doubt that this type of formalism is in steady decline. Some academics who have a wider view of formalism also oppose the distinctions drawn between law and policy, legality and merits, law and fact and even between different grounds of review. These views are not beyond contention as they seem to challenge the very foundations of administrative law. The question that inevitably arises upon the demise of at least some of the traditional distinctions in administrative law is what they should be replaced with. In many common-law countries it has now become fashionable for the courts to hold and for academics to argue that the context of every case should guide decision-making. These contextual approaches, apart from stipulating the factors that must be taken into account, usually do not tell us how choices should be made between different contextual factors or how these factors should be weighed in review proceedings. Some form of pragmatism seems usually to dictate the answer. A number of attempts have recently been made in the administrative law context to provide a theoretical model of the rule of law to guide judicial decision-making in the era of contextualism. The most prominent theoretical accounts of the rule of law in the current administrative law context are those of Trevor Allan and David Dyzenhaus, which I will discuss briefly later on. In this article I will focus primarily on the general ability of models of the rule of law to guide judicial decision-making. This will include a reference to discussions by mostly South African authors of the German Rechtsstaatsprinzip.


Introduction: The prevalence of malaria in Lampung Province was increased in the last few years. One of the factors contributes to the increased rate is the widespread of the Plasmodium falciparum resistance to antimalarial drugs. Mutation on the gene encoding Pfcrt protein has been reported to be correlated with this resistance. Objectives: To fi nd out the frequency and distribution of the pfcrt gene polymorphism among Plasmodium falciparum in malaria patients in endemic area at Bandar Lampung and Lampung Selatan, Lampung Province. Methods: Blood samples were collected from malaria falciparum patients in Bandar Lampung and Lampung Selatan by active and passive case detections. Two to three mL of venous blood were collected in tubes with EDTA, and kept in the temperature of -200C before DNA extraction. DNA from each sample was extracted using Guanidine isothiocyanate and Chelex 100 methods. Genes encoding Pfcrt protein were amplifi ed by Nested PCR using TCRP and TCRD primers. The polymorphism of the pfcrt gene was identified by cutting the PCR product using Apo1 restriction enzymes to produce 100bp and 34bp fragments. Results: Forty six samples from P. falciparum-infected patients were collected from the two areas. The genes encoding the Pfcrt protein were succesfully amplifi ed, all 46 PCR products showed 100bp and 34bp fragments after incubation with Apo1 restriction enzyme. It indicated that pfcrt polymorphism was 100%. Conclusion: The frequency of pfcrt gene polymorphisms in patients with malaria falciparum in Bandar Lampung and Lampung Selatan was 100%. Keywords: malaria falciparum, pfcrt, chloroquine, polymorphism


MnOx/TiO2 nanocomposites of amorphous manganese oxide supported on TiO2 with Mn/(Mn + Ti) molar ratios of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 were prepared and characterized. Based on these nanocomposites, a novel strategy of photothermocatalytic selective ethanol oxidation to acetaldehyde was developed. The MnOx/TiO2 nanocomposites with a Mn/(Mn + Ti) molar ratio of 0.3 exhibit efficient catalytic activity, high acetaldehyde selectivity, and excellent catalytic durability under UV-vis-IR irradiation. They also exhibit good catalytic activity and more than 92% acetaldehyde selectivity under vis-IR irradiation of λ > 420, 560, and 690 nm. Even under λ > 830 nm IR irradiation, they exhibit catalytic activity and 98.8% acetaldehyde selectivity. Selective ethanol oxidation on the MnOx/TiO2 nanocomposites follows a mechanism of light-driven thermocatalysis. A novel photoactivation is found to occur on amorphous manganese oxide in the MnOx/TiO2 nanocomposites: at the same reaction temperature, both UV-vis-IR and λ > 420 nm vis-IR irradiation significantly enhance the ethanol reaction rate (rethanol) and the acetaldehyde production rate (racetaldehyde) as compared to the corresponding rates in the dark. For example, at 150 °C, the rethanol and racetaldehyde values under UV-vis-IR are enhanced by 19.2 and 19.6 times as compared to the corresponding values in the dark, respectively. This catalytic enhancement upon UV-vis-IR and λ > 420 nm vis-IR irradiation is ascribed to the activation energy of selective ethanol oxidation being significantly reduced from 85.8 kJ mol−1 in the dark to 14.2 and 13.5 kJ mol−1, respectively. It is found that the novel photoactivation arises from the activity of oxygen of amorphous manganese oxide in MnOx/TiO2 being significantly promoted upon irradiation.


The binding of the trisaccharide (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-muramic acid)-beta(1 leads to 4)-(2-aceta-mido-2-deoxy-D-glucosyl)-beta(1 leads to 4)-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-muramic acid) to subsites B, C, and D in lysozyme has been studied by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance methods. In particular, the coupling constant between H1 and H2 of the reducing saccharide bound in subsite D has been determined. The coupling constant for the bound saccharide indicates that the dihedral angle between C1 and C2 for the reducing saccharide is not significantly changed upon binding to lysozyme. This result is discussed in terms of other evidence for the role of distortion of the saccharide bound in subsite D in the lysozyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of cell wall oligosaccharides.


In this research, a comparasion of Covid 19 caused economic supports between G-8 countries and Turkey is made. In addition, number of Covid 19 cases, death rates and number of deaths caused by Covid 19 is analized to Show the impacts of economic supports of same countries. Comparing to G-8 countries, Turkey has shown the same politics and economic support packages to its people. The main supports of G-8 countries and Turkey is to ensure the households ekonomic and social sustainability. By ensuring the work force's sustainability was the important way to keep the households' welfare in these countries. Finally, ekonomic supports of G-8 coıuntries and Turkey was to help the businesses that are directly effected fron the Covid 19 virus to keep their sustainability as well.


Introduction/Background To evaluate the diagnostic performance of certain morphological and Doppler parameters in the preoperative distinction of benign and malignant adnexal masses. Methodology We recruited patients that had a newly diagnosed unilateral adnexal mass with no previously recorded gynecologic malignancy and were scheduled for surgery at the Department. We recorded the following morphologic characteristics, in accordance with the terms and measurements described by the IOTA group: tumor morphology (cystic, complex, solid), presence of septa, presence of papillary projections, presence of wall irregularities and presence of ascites. After the detailed gray-scale ultrasound evaluation of the morphology of the mass, we created Doppler flow velocity curves to calculate the PSV, TAMXV, RI and PI, in accordance with the IOTA criteria. Results We recruited a total of 216 patients; the pathohistology revealed benign tumors in 77.31% of patients, bordeline tumors in 0.93% and malignant neoplasms in 21.76% of patients. The presence of a unilocular cystic tumor reduced the risk of malignancy by LR+ 0.95. Solid tumor morphology was almost universally associated with malignant neoplasms, increasing the risk of cancer by LR+ 5.04. The presence of septa, wall irregularities and papillary projections were also suggestive of malignancy with LR+ of 8.03, 19.88 and 5.02, respectively. The risk of malignancy was higher in tumors with RI ≤0.4 (specificity 98.8%. LR+ 64.76). Most malignant tumors had PI <1.0 (LR+ 6.63). The criteria based solely on flow velocities performed worse than the indices in our series. Conclusion It is very likely that the set of characteristics that we described could be useful for teaching purposes, particularly for clinicians with limited experience in diagnosing ovarian tumors, a process that is automated for experts. The data suggests that these simple morphological traits can be used to characterize the majority of ovarian tumors with a high degree of accuracy. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.