Abstract Over a 7-year period (1978-1984) the authors studied the rates of nosocomial bloodstream infections in acute-care hospitals participating in a statewide surveillance network in Virginia. A total of 4,617 hospital-acquired bloodstream infections were documented among 1,807,989 patients at risk for an overall rate of 25.5 cases per 10,000 patient admissions/discharges (annual range = 22.1 to 30.7). Compliance of reporting for Virginia hospitals averaged 58% (1 to 5 monthly reports in a study year), and 39% (≥6 monthly reports annually). Significant changes in bloodstream infection rates (cases per 10,000 patient admissions/discharges) due to specific pathogens included the following: coagulase-negative staphylococci increased from a rate of 1.3 to 4.5 (P=.0003), and those due to all gram-positive cocci increased from a rate of 7.5 to 11.4 (P=.03). Candida species increased from a rate of 0.1 to 1.5 (P=.005). The data show a continuing rise of nosocomial Candida BSI and clearly document the re-emergence of gram-positive cocci as major nosocomial bloodstream pathogens.


Results of experimental and theoretical investigations on generation of terahertz radiation at the interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with a metal surface are presented. Investigations are performed with the laser pulse intensities higher compared with that used in papers [Opt. Lett.29, 2674 (2004); Opt. Lett.30, 1402 (2005)]. The most effective generation is observed for p-polarized optical pulses with incidence angles in the range 5°-10° (from the surface), depending on the kind of metal. For the copper, the exponential growth of terahertz pulse energy with the increase of optical pulse energy was registered. Theoretical interpretation for some of the experimental results is proposed based on the model of free electrons in metal.


The emergence of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, impacts livelihood strategies and conservation tools reliant on human-wildlife interactions, such as wildlife-based tourism and research. This is particularly relevant to great ape conservation, as humans and great apes are susceptible to being infected by similar pathogens. Evidence-based strategies are required to prevent infectious disease transmission to great apes and people involved in, or living close to, tourism sites. The development of disease-safe recommendations and their effective operationalisation require an understanding of what affects visitor compliance. Based on an international sample of past (N = 420) and potential future visitors (N = 569) to wild great ape tourism sites in Africa, we used an online questionnaire to characterise visitors' practices, assess expectations (e.g. about proximity to great apes) and identify key factors related to potential compliance with disease mitigation measures. This was implemented adapting a framework from health literature (the Health Belief Model;HBM), particularly focused on reducing COVID-19 transmission at an early stage of the pandemic. Visitors expressed less willingness to being vaccinated against COVID-19 (which, at the time our survey was conducted, had only just started being administered to very high-risk groups), wearing a facemask during trekking (although willing when viewing the apes) and quarantine after international travel before visiting great apes. Region of nationality, expectations about the visitor experience and perceived effectiveness of specific measures were important factors explaining variation in potential compliance across multiple behaviours. By gaining a better understanding of what fosters compliance with disease mitigation measures, we obtained insights that are essential for assessing feasibility, facilitating effective communication, and guiding implementation at great ape tourism sites with importance not only for COVID-19 but also for other infectious diseases more broadly, particularly at early stages of future pandemics. While requiring adaptive management as situations evolve (e.g. vaccination becoming more widely accessible), these will contribute towards a more sustainable visitor experience that can effectively deliver positive outcomes for people and biodiversity. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. © 2022 The Authors. People and Nature published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.


Cellular communication systems are the most widely used wireless communication systems. It is our primary need today to achieve the higher data rates in limited spectrum bandwidth to improve the performance of signals. We know digital communication system outperforms analog ones in terms of noise performance and flexibility. Hence, there has been great deal of search for a digital communication system that is bandwidth efficient and has low bit error rate at a relatively low signal to noise ratio. Various digital modulation schemes are incorporated but they are not feasible or cannot fulfil actual requirement varying in different kind of environment. In this paper we provide a general theoretical approach to analyze various M-ary modulation schemes using MATLAB taking BER as measure of performance when the system is subjected to AWGN and multipath Rayleigh fading channel. Based on these performances a desirable modulation scheme is suggested that provides low BER at low received SNR, performs well in multipath & fading conditions occupies a minimum of bandwidth and is easy & cost effective to implement in present cellular communication. General Terms: M-ARY Modulation, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation Index Terms: Phase Shift Keying (PSK), Bit Error Rate (BER), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), AWGN (Additive White Gaussian Noise).


To set the context for the discussion that follows, there are some fundamentals worth repeating. The author talked about each of these to some degree in previous columns, so let me summarize here: 1) all architecture is design, but not all design is architecture. A system's architecture is defined by its significant design decisions, where in the author's experience, "significant" is measured by the cost of change. 2) Most architectures are accidental; some are intentional. 3) Every software-intensive system has an architecture, forged from the hundreds of thousands of small decisions made every day. 4) The code is the truth, but not the whole truth. Most architectural information is preserved in tribal memory. 5) All well-structured software-intensive systems are full of patterns.


Scheduling involves the allocation of resources over a period of time to perform a collection of tasks (Baker, 1974). It is a decision-making process that plays an important role in most manufacturing and service industries (Pinedo, 2005). Scheduling in the context of manufacturing systems refers to the determination of the sequence in which jobs are to be processed over the production stages, followed by the determination of the start-time and finish-time of processing of jobs (Conway et al., 1967). An effective schedule enables the industry to utilize its resources effectively and attain the strategic objectives as reflected in its production plan. The most common manufacturing system worldwide is the job shop. Job shops are associated with the production of small volumes/large variety products and operate in a make-to-order environment (Groover, 2003). Hoitomt et al. (1993) mentions that approximately 50 to 75 % of all manufactured components fall into this category of low volume/high variety and due to the market trends this percentage is likely to increase. Even though flexible manufacturing systems are today's keywords that frequently appear in many research agendas, scheduling of job shops still receive ample attention from both researchers and practitioners due to the reason that job shop scheduling problems exist in many forms in most of the advanced manufacturing systems (Kutanoglu & Sabuncuoglu, 1999). Besides, analysis of job shop scheduling problems provides important insights into the solution of the scheduling problems encountered in more realistic and complicated systems (Pinedo 2005). In this context, this chapter focuses on scheduling job shops which is an important task for manufacturing industry in terms of improving machine utilization or reducing lead time.


A heuristic computational method based on the firefly movement equation is presented aiming at optimizing the electrical power distribution to the customers and minimizing the waste of ohmic losses due to Joule effect. The proposed algorithm simulates the fireflies movement towards preys or partners to match and, through a discretization, the insects positions in the space correspond to the positions of the switches in the electrical system. Using the suggested heuristic we can reduce the problem of exponential increase of the possible switches combinations to reconfigurate the electrical system. Four systems were used in the tests: sixteen bus and sixteen switches, sixteen bus and twenty-one switches, thirty-three bus and thirty-seven switches and seventy bus and seventy-four switches. The algorithm is able to detect and exclude net typologies that transgress operational restrictions such as the system radiality and the voltage profile maintenance.


Aiming to trace the development of Islamic theological discourse in Indonesia from the early 1900s to the end of the 20th century, the author focusses on how modernist Muslims have constructed their theological thought throughout the century, which, in turn, reflects their religious understanding in response to the particular demands of their age. The theological thought constructed so far signifies a continuum of progress, developing from one stage to the next. Implicitly, this progress also indicates the improvement of Indonesian Muslims' understanding of their own religion, which may suggest the betterment of their commitment to doctrinal beliefs and religious practices. Therefore, this study will also examine the ways in which Indonesian Islam noticeably grows more orthodox through these forms of religious commitment. Drawing upon an Indonesian term, the growth of orthodox Islam is known as the santri cultural expansion, which has been characterized by the vertical and horizontal mobility of devout Muslims in political, cultural and economic enterprises. A discussion of the theological thought underlying that santri cultural expansion is also included.


Based on the connection between the tent map and the saw tooth map or Bernoulli map, a novel method for the initial-condition estimation of the tent map is presented. In the method, firstly the symbolic sequence generated from the tent map is converted to the forms obtained from the saw tooth map and Bernoulli map, and then the relationship between the symbolic sequence and the initial condition of the tent map can be obtained from the initial-condition estimation equations, which can be easily obtained, hence the estimation of the tent map can be achieved finally. The method is computationally simple and the error of the estimator is less than 1/2N. The method is verified by software simulation.


Recent proteome analyses have provided a comprehensive overview of various posttranscriptional modifications (PTM); however, PTMs involving protein citrullination remain unclear. Thus, we performed a proteomic analysis of citrullinated proteins and identified more than 100 PADI4 substrates, the majority of which are related to RNA processing and protein translation. Citrullination of RBMX (RNA binding motif protein, X-linked) inhibited the interaction with other hnRNP family members. RNA sequence analyses revealed altered splicing patterns in more than 300 genes in bone marrow cells in Padi4-/- mice. Approximately one-fifth of the PADI4 substrates contained an RG/RGG motif, and citrullination by PADI4 competitively inhibited the methylation of the RGG motif in FET proteins (EWS and TAF15). In addition, PADI4-mediated citrullination inhibited the aggregation of TAF15 proteins, which is a frequently-observed feature in neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS. An antibody against citrullinated RGG motifs was observed in 11.5% (27 among 234) of serum samples from patients with HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma, and female patients with high serum antibody exhibited poor prognosis. Our findings imply that PADI4-mediated citrullination plays a key role in RNA processing, protein aggregation and tumor immunogenicity, and suggest that PADI4 activation has potential therapeutic implications for neurodegenerative disease and cancer immunotherapy. Citation Format: Chizu Tanikawa, Koichi Matsuda. Citrullinome analysis identifies the role of PADI4 in regulating RNA processing and tumor immunogenicity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-036. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-036


This paper reviews cryogenic temperature sensors and gives an overview of cryogenic thermometry over the range 20 mK to 100 K. It begins with a brief overview of primary thermometry and methods used to realize and disseminate the International Temperature Scale of 1990, ITS-90. A short review of secondary thermometry is presented, focusing the discussion on commonly available sensors. The integration of temperature sensor to a total measurement system is discussed as well as potential sources of measurement error.


The Computer Systems discipline (which encompasses the sub-areas of operating systems, distributed, embedded, real time and pervasive systems) constitutes a central pillar of computer science. Systems research is the scientific study, analysis, modeling and engineering of effective software platforms. Its challenge is to provide dependable, powerful, performant, secure and scalable solutions within an increasingly complex IT environment. As toolsmiths fueled the Industrial Revolution, today Systems researchers lay the foundation for IT services and applications in the Knowledge Era. Healthy research in Systems is therefore essential for the success and continuing innovation of the IT-based industry (be it proprietary or open source) in Europe.


Abstract The La Jencia fault in the central part of the Rio Grande rift has a remarkable history of segmented movement during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. After a long period of relative quiescence in the Pleistocene, movement on the reactivated fault created new scarps along five of its six segments. Movement occurred at varying intervals of several ka to more than 10 ka, and at what appears to be decreasing recurrence intervals from the late Pleistocene into the Holocene. Surface rupturing has been in such a manner to fill in intervening, unbroken segments of the fault and to produce continuous scarps along 30 km of the fault9s 35 km length. Many of the segments have scarps that show characteristic and statistically significant relations between their height and their maximum slope angle. The Holocene and upper Pleistocene fault scarps were formed by prehistoric earthquakes having Richter magnitudes of 6.8 to 7.1 (estimated from two relations of earthquake magnitude to displacement and length of ground rupture) and moment magnitudes of 6.6 to 6.7 (estimated from one relation of magnitude to area of source rupture). The geologic and pedologic evidence derived from trenching demands a minimum of five separate instances of faulting during the past 33 ka, although as many as six such events are required if movement along different segments of the fault was not synchronous. The average recurrence interval is about 7.5 ka in the former case and about 6 ka in the latter case. Although earthquakes of Richter magnitude 6 or greater have not been felt in the Rio Grande rift in historic times, the abundance of Quaternary faults suggests that large earthquakes have been prevalent during the Quaternary. If these faults have histories of offset and paleoseismicity such as has been documented for the La Jencia, then the region may have a more significant potential for earthquake hazards than previously considered.


Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common occurrence in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), occurring in approximately 40% of cases. DM is also an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but CKD is an important mediator of this risk. Multiple CVD outcomes trials have revealed a greater risk for CVD events in patients with diabetes with CKD versus those without. Thus, reducing the risk of CKD in diabetes should result in improved CVD outcomes. To date, of blood pressure (BP) control, glycemic control, and inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (RASI), glycemic control appears to have the best evidence for preventing CKD development. In established CKD, especially with albuminuria, RASI slows the progression of CKD. More recently, sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists (GLP1RA) have revolutionized the care of patients with diabetes with and without CKD. SGLT2i and GLP1RA have proven to reduce mortality, heart failure (HF) hospitalizations, and worsening CKD in patients with diabetes with and without existing CKD. The future of limiting CVD in diabetes and CKD is promising, and more evidence is forthcoming regarding combinations of evidence-based therapies to further minimize CVD events.


Objective: To investigate associations between work-related asthma-like symptoms (WASTH) and annual pulmonary function decline among employees of 18 Norwegian smelters. Methods: A 5-year longitudinal study in which WASTH was defined as a combination of dyspnea and wheezing that improved on rest days and vacation. Results: A total of 12,966 spirometry examinations were performed in 3084 employees. Crude annual decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (dFEV1) was 32.9 mL/yr (95% confidence interval, 30.5 to 35.3), and crude annual decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) (dFVC) was 40.9 mL/yr (37.8 to 43.9). After adjustment for relevant covariates, employees reporting WASTH showed higher dFEV1 by 16.0 m:/yr (3.4 to 28.6) and higher dFVC by 20.5 mL/yr (6.0 to 35.0) compared with employees not reporting WASTH. Conclusion: Work-related asthma-like symptom was associated with greater annual declines in FEV1 and FVC, indicating a restrictive pattern.


The production of metallurgical coke and carbo chemicals generates residues that evaporate several persistent organic pollutants. Among them, the so-called BTX (benzene, toluene and xylene) are of special concern due to their accumulation into sources of vegetal and animal foods. Owing to the surface properties, large number of porosities and activated sites, activated carbon has been successfully used as a selective adsorbent material. In this study a theoretical model is proposed to analyze the rate of adsorption on the surface of activated carbon compacted produced from powders of micrometer size. The model considers the inner diffusion of BTX into the agglomerate particles. The model results confirm that the agglomerate produced by micro particles of activated carbon increases the amount of adsorption not only by the mechanism of surface action of the agglomerate but is enhanced by the gas diffusion into the pores and subsequent adsorption into the surfaces of the inner particles.


The study of the effects of Na and K on the heterogeneous adsorption of hydroxyl-containing char with NO is important for the clean utilization of high alkali coal. In this paper, the effects of Na/K atoms on the adsorption of NO on the char surface were investigated at the GGA-PBE level by choosing zigzag type, armchair type, and saturated hydroxyl-containing char structures based on DFT. It was found that the adsorption stability of NO on structures with active sites was greater for sites close to the hydroxyl group than that for sites far from the hydroxyl group. The stability of char doped by Na/K is related to the char structure and the position of functional groups. The most stable Na/K doped structures are Z-OH-2 (Eads= -350.50 kJ/mol) and A-OH-1-2 (Eads= -339.17 kJ/mol), respectively. The participation of Na/K can increase the adsorption energy of the three structures with NO, and especially the adsorption energy of saturated char with NO is increased by as much as 5 times. The reason for that is the promotion of the hybridization of the C and NO p orbitals. The comprehensive analysis of electrostatic potential, charge transfer, and front orbitals indicates that the effects of decorated sodium and potassium atoms on the char surface are very similar. This study lays a theoretical foundation for the study of the heterogeneous reduction process.


As linguistic and cultural diversity in public schools continues to rise, an increased need for culturally aware teachers is warranted. This chapter informs the development of cultural competencies in teachers by integrating anti-bias education (ABE) goals into teacher preparation. Existing research in preparing teachers to work with diverse student populations tends to focus on how teachers gain appropriate knowledge and practices to work effectively at school. However, there is little evidence that researchers have approached the issue of developing teacher's cultural competencies with the intent of building a cohesive understanding and providing practical tools, such as ABE goals, to positively influence the development of social awareness and self-awareness in teachers and their students. Consequently, the aim of this chapter is to provide empirical evidence to substantiate the instructional importance of understanding the development of teacher's cultural competencies.


Cladanthus eriolepis (C. eriolepis) (Coss. ex Maire) Oberpr. & Vog. is endemic to High Atlas (Dades Gorge and Todgha Gorge), the Anti Atlas and Saharan Morocco. It is known under the vernacular names 'Alougjim, gtaa-eddib, laatetecha' and 'Lamghizal'. Two essential oil samples have been isolated from aerial parts and analyzed by combination of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques [gas chromatography (GC) in combination with retention indices (RI), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and C-NMR spectroscopy]. The compositions of both oil samples were dominated by hemiterpene esters such as isobutyl isobutyrate (21.2% and 20.8% respectively) and isobutyl angelate (22.0% and 22.4% respectively). Other esters present at appreciable contents were 2-methylallyl isobutyrate (5.3% and 5.5%), 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate (5.7% and 5.8%), 2-methylallyl angelate (4.6% and 4.9%) and 2-methylbutyl angelate (7.7% and 7.2%) beside α-pinene (9.5% and 5.8%) and β-bisabolene (2.8% and 4.0%). The compositions of the investigated oil samples from C. eriolepis differed substantially with literature data and with those of other Cladanthus species growing wild in Morocco. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 10 January 2021 Accepted 10 April 2021


This work presents a novel reversible data-hiding scheme that embeds secret data into a transformed image and achieves lossless reconstruction of vector quantization (VQ) indices. The VQ compressed image is modified by the side-matched VQ scheme to yield a transformed image. Distribution of the transformed image is employed to achieve high embedding capacity and a low bit rate. Moreover, three configurations, under-hiding, normal-hiding, and over-hiding schemes, are utilized to improve the proposed scheme further for various applications. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme significantly enhances the compression ratio and embedding capacity. Experimental results also show that the proposed scheme achieves the best performance among approaches in literature in terms of the compression ratio and embedding capacity.


The paper deals with the methods and principles of development-associated safety work as employed for new maglev lines. These extend from the checking of the concept to the final acceptance procedures and include the appraisal of all important components and subsystems of the installation. In addition to checking that all data specifications are met, special importance is attached to the theoretical and practical investigation of the automatic train control equipment. The quality assurance measures are another important aspect since the strength of the load-carrying structures and hence the general safety of the whole installation depends on the quality of the construction work. The authors examine in detail the theoretical principles and also the nature and extent of the documents required for assessment, likewise the methods of testing. Each test concluded is documented by the inspector and the tested parts and components are cleared for further use. The procedure concludes with a comprehensive report and the documented final acceptance reports which are the prerequisite for permission to operate the system being granted by the licensing authority.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Despite causing great social and economic impact, there is currently no cure for AD. The most effective therapy to manage AD symptoms is based on acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEi), from which rivastigmine presented numerous benefits. However, mutations in AChE, which affect approximately 5% of the population, can modify protein structure and function, changing the individual response to Alzheimer's treatment. In this study, we performed computer simulations of AChE wild type and variants R34Q, P135A, V333E, and H353N, identified by one or more genome‐wide association studies, to evaluate their effects on protein structure and interaction with rivastigmine. The functional effects of AChE variants were predicted using eight machine learning algorithms, while the evolutionary conservation of AChE residues was analyzed using the ConSurf server. Autodock4.2.6 was used to predict the binding modes for the hAChE–rivastigmine complex, which is still unknown. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed in triplicates for the AChE wild type and mutants using the GROMACS packages. Among the analyzed variants, P135A was classified as deleterious by all the functional prediction algorithms, in addition to occurring at highly conserved positions, which may have harmful consequences on protein function. The molecular docking results suggested that rivastigmine interacts with hAChE at the upper active‐site gorge, which was further confirmed by MD simulations. Our MD findings also suggested that the complex hAChE‐rivastigmine remains stable over time. The essential dynamics revealed flexibility alterations at the active‐site gorge upon mutations P135A, V333E, and H353N, which may lead to strong and nonintuitive consequences to hAChE binding. Nonetheless, similar binding affinities were registered in the MMPBSA analysis for the hAChE wild type and variants when complexed to rivastigmine. Finally, our findings indicated that the rivastigmine binding to hAChE is an energetically favorable process mainly driven by negatively charged amino acids.


Undiagnosed HIV infection in children carries significant risks and national guidelines recommend that children of HIV-positive parents be tested. We reviewed the testing of HIV-positive patients' children in those new to our service from April 2008 to December 2009. Of the 86 women, 95% were asked about children. Of the 243 men, 53 were heterosexual or bisexual, and 190 identified themselves as men who have sex with men (MSM). Parental status was determined in 37 (70%) of heterosexual and bisexual men and in 14 (17%) of 84 MSM with a history of previous female partners. All untested children apart from one lived in their country of origin. In MSM, recording of parental status was uncommon. Following this audit, clinic proformas were changed to document the parental status of men of all sexual orientations, and the HIV status of all children.


OBJECTIVE
To study the efficacy of metformin intervention on insulin resistance during catch-up growth in mice with fetal growth restriction (FGR).

METHODS
Mouse models of FGR were established by low protein diet feeding of the pregnant mice. Both the newborn female mice with FGR and normal control (NC) mice were randomized for feeding with a standard diet (SF) or a high-fat diet (HF) after weaning and treatment with gavage of either metformin or normal saline. The mice were examined for vaginal opening time and the estrous cycle at the age of 8 weeks. At the age of 12 weeks, 6 mice in anestrus from each group were fasted for 12 h for measurement of body weight, height, poundera index (PI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (Fins), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), and the HOMA-IR was calculated. The reproductive capacity of female mice was assessed by mixing them with male mice at the ratio of 2:1. The 3 × 2 factorial analysis was conducted to determine the interactions between FGR, high-fat feeding and metformin.

RESULTS
Factorial analysis showed that FGR and high-fat feeding had significant effects on the PI index, Fins, HOMA-IR, vaginal opening time, and AMH (P<0.05). Metformin significantly affected the factors related to high-fat feeding including weight, PI, FPG, Fins, HOMA-IR and estrous cycle (P<0.05) and the factors related to FGR with the exception of height and FSH (P<0.05). FGR significantly affected the factors tested except for body weight (P<0.05); high-fat feeding affected all the factors but the FSH (P<0.05); metformin affected all the factors but the height and FSH (P<0.05). In the female mice treated with saline, the pregnancy rates differed significantly between FGR mice with high-fat feeding and control mice with standard feeding, and between FGR mice with standard feeding and high-fat feeding (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION
FGR mice can present with delayed puberty with rare ovulation and adulthood insulin resistance, and high-fat feeding after birth can promote the catch-up growth of FGR mice. Metformin intervention is effective for improving insulin resistance and reproductive-endocrine disorders in FGR mice during catch-up growth.


The authors present extensive configuration interaction (CI) calculations of oscillator strengths, transition probabilities and lifetimes of upper levels of all transitions in Ar II between the levels of 3s23p5, 3s3p6, 3p43d, 3p44s and 3p44p states. The calculations incorporate the major correlation effects and in addition allow for the orbital functions (particularly 3p) to be effectively different for different states. Some discrepancies with experimental energies remain, particularly those of levels with a 3p4 1S core. Prior to the calculation of the oscillator strengths, the authors 'fine-tune' the CI coefficients using experimental energies. Specifically, the final CI coefficients are determined following small adjustments to the diagonal Hamiltonian matrix elements so that the calculated eigenvalue differences agree with the corresponding experimental energy separations. The work describes in detail previous calculations of quartet levels and extends the calculations to other symmetries. Comparison with recent, highly accurate cascade-free experiments shows close accord in all but a small number of transitions.


ABSTRACT Zeng, Y., 2020. Shifts in herring and mackerel resources in the North Sea under global warming. In: Yang, D.F. and Wang, H. (eds.), Recent Advances in Marine Geology and Environmental Oceanography. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 108, pp. 151–155. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The shift of habitats for economic marine species may pose a great challenge to the existing fishing industry. Under the current business model, fish populations may migrate too far to be caught by small fishing companies. Herring and mackerel are two extremely important species in the North Sea fisheries. This research takes herring and mackerel as examples to establish mathematical models to find out why and how small fishing companies near the North Sea should prepare for the potential challenges due to global warming. The annual change of seawater temperature in the next 50 years is predicted based on CMIP6. Combining seawater temperature prediction and fish life patterns, the migration prospects of fish populations are obtained. Results are carefully charted on the map using MATLAB, making the findings vivid and precise. The extent to which fish may move north is different in selected scenarios, which is analyzed and discussed. This study provides valuable insights into how climate change may affect the North Sea's ecosystem and fishing industry.


Evidence of a direct correlation between risk perception and self-protective behavior is ambiguous at best. Witte's (1992, 1994) extended parallel process model (EPPM) explains many contradictory findings by pointing out the moderating role played by efficacy beliefs. Working from the EPPM, this article introduces the risk perception attitude (RPA) framework that categorizes individuals into one of four attitudinal groups: responsive (high risk, high efficacy), avoidance (high risk, low efficacy), proactive (low risk, high efficacy), and indifference (low risk, low efficacy). We conducted two studies to test our hypotheses that these groups differ in their self-protective motivation, intention to seek information, behavioral intention, knowledge acquisition, and time spent seeking information. Results, though not entirely consistent, suggest that, when risk and efficacy are made salient (Study 1), people's risk perception guides most of their subsequent actions, but in a natural context (Study 2), risk and efficacy jointly affect subsequent action.


Semantic information retrieval from unorganized point clouds becomes necessity for incoming technology such as 3DTV. Besides we surrounded with planar, nearly planar and partially planar things. With this motivation we aim to find planar structures in 2.5D point clouds. With the Hough Transform found in literature, Recursive Hough Transform and Hough Trasform with segmentation algorithms, which are variations of the original algorithm obtained by us, are implemented. K-Means and Mean-shift algorithms, which are popular segmentation methods in 2D, are adapted to 3D with/without color information and their performance analysis are presented.


The bootstrap current is a plasma current associated with trapped particles in a toroidal plasma. Magnetic measurements, such as the surface voltage, the internal inductance, and the Faraday rotation, are consistent with the existence of the neoclassical bootstrap current in tokamaks. The neoclassical trapped-particle correction to the electrical conductivity is also systematically validated against experiments. These results support the assertion that the generalized Ohm's law along the magnetic field is valid, as predicted by the neoclassical transport theory, while the perpendicular transport deviates from the neoclassical transport theory.


The morphological transition of an asymmetric diblock copolymer [A3-b-B9] in A-selective solvents is investigated using a simulated annealing technique. The study was carried out at high copolymer concentrations. Phase-transitions among hexagonally packed cylinders (C), gyroid (G), and lamellae (L) are observed. The phase transition sequence, C-->G-->L, was obtained with decreasing copolymer concentration and/or increasing B-solvent interaction. The predicted phase-transition sequence is consistent with experiments of diblock copolymers with similar volume fractions in selective solvents of different selectivity. The morphological transitions were further analyzed in terms of the average contact numbers for A or B monomers with other molecules and the total surface area of the core or matrix in each structure. It is found that these quantities correlate with the structures, providing an understanding of the phase-transition mechanisms.


The monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene has been extensively related to aggressive, impulsive and violent behaviours. Previous studies have documented the improvement of oppositional symptoms in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients with methylphenidate (MPH). However, the effect of the MAOA gene in response to MPH has not been investigated. A sample of 85 boys from an ADHD outpatient service was genotyped for the MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism. The outcome measure was the parent-rated oppositional subscale of the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Scale - version IV. The scale was applied by child psychiatrists blinded to genotype at baseline and in the first and third months of treatment. A significant interaction between the presence of MAOA high-activity genotype and treatment with MPH over time on oppositional scores was detected during the 3 months' treatment (n=85, F2,136=4.83, p=0.009). These results suggest an effect of the MAOA-uVNTR high-activity genotype on the improvement of oppositional symptoms with MPH treatment.


Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with a photosensitizer is available for the treatment of multiple actinic keratoses (AKs) in a restricted skin area or, as it is established, for the field-cancerized skin.
Objectives: Our review aims to present the up-to-date literature on skin field cancerization using PDT employing different topical photosensitizers, modified light delivery protocols and combination treatments to obtain excellent efficacy and safety in everyday clinical practice.
Methods: We sought PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, OVID, Embase, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Research Gate and Google Scholar for [(aminolevulinic acid OR aminolevulinate) AND photodynamic therapy] with (field-directed OR field cancerization, (actinic keratosis), and (efficacy OR effectiveness OR pain OR tolerability) for studies published until February 2023.
Results: Advantages of PDT compared to the other field treatments, including imiquimod, 5-fluorouracil, ingenol mebutate gel and diclofenac, reported better cosmetic outcomes and greater patient satisfaction. On the other hand, some drawbacks of field PDT include pain and treatment duration. Alternate illumination methods have also been investigated, including daylight as a light source. Pretreating the affected area may enhance photosensitizer absorption leading to better therapeutic results, while combinational treatments have also been tested. Patients prefer daylight PDT to traditional light sources since it is more well-tolerated and equally effective. Even as a preventive treatment, field PDT yields promising outcomes, especially for high-risk individuals, including organ transplant recipients.
Conclusion: This review provides a thorough display of the field of PDT on cancerized skin, which will facilitate physicians in applying PDT more efficiently and intuitively.


The present study aims to explore the mechanism of resilience among rural-urban migrant adolescents of low socioeconomic status (SES) families in China with the ecological system perspective. Selecting 946 rural-urban migrant adolescents from the China Education Panel Survey, we used latent class analyses to distinguish different levels of resilience among migrant adolescents from low-SES families, and logistic regressions to identify factors associated with resilience and to examine the cumulative risk and protection models. The findings show that parental expectation, teacher support and organised neighbourhood are salient resilience-promoting factors; and resilience happens only if protective factors accumulate enough at multiple systems to compensate the negative effect of cumulative community risk. The study describes the importance of a protective environment in the domains of family, school and neighbourhood on the resilience of this group, and suggest intervention programmes should extend the paradigm from child-centred approach to environment-focused approach to potentiate the positive development of this population.


Chenin blanc grapevines at Davis were treated with single applications of 750 ppm ethephon at nine different stages of berry development. The first treatment began at full bloom (>90% anthesis) with eight subsequent treatments sprayed at one week intervals following bloom. Results were compared with an unsprayed control. Overall yield, primary crop yield, and number of primary clusters were significantly reduced in vines treated with ethephon up to two weeks after bloom. Second crop yield and number of secondary clusters were reduced in all ethephon treatments. Ethephon applied at bloom and one week post-bloom significantly reduced °Brix and pH, but increased titratable acidity of fruit at harvest. Ethephon applied six and nine weeks post-bloom increased °Brix without altering titratable acidity or pH, relative to the control. Fruit potassium levels of vines treated with ethephon at bloom and one, two, three and seven weeks after bloom differed significantly from the control fruit when sampled in mid-August, but the effect was transitory with all the differences eliminated by early September.


TREM-like transcript-1 (TLT-1) is a novel, platelet-specific, membrane protein that is stored in a-granules and brought to the platelet surface upon activation. Little is known about its function. Here we build upon our recent findings that a soluble fragment of TLT-1 (sTLT) is released upon platelet activation and can be detected in the serum, but not the plasma, of healthy individuals. Evaluation of patients admitted to the University Hospital, Ramon Ruiz Arnau, in Bayamon Puerto Rico with the diagnosis of sepsis for the presence of plasma sTLT demonstrated significant levels of sTLT in septic individuals as compared to controls, indicating that TLT-1 plays a role in the early stages of sepsis. To directly assess this possibility we generated TLT-1 knockout mice and characterized their hemostatic function. Compared to wild type mice, TLT-1−/− platelets displayed decreased aggregation when treated with thrombin, collagen, ADP, or U46619 in vitro. The reduced platelet aggregation of TLT-1−/− mice translates to a 30% increase in bleeding time in tail snip assays compared to controls, supporting TLT-1's role in vascular homeostasis. To evaluate TLT-1's role in sepsis we challenged mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS challenged TLT-1 null mice die faster and have a significantly lower rate of survival than wild type mice. We used the localized Shwartzman reaction to model the pathology associated with sepsis in a controlled lesion. Although neutrophil infiltration, thrombus formation, and the formation of microclots was not significantly higher in TLT-1−/− mice, the hemorrhage associated with Shwartzman lesions of these mice was nearly double and lesion size was greater than three times that of wild type mice. Moreover, we demonstrate a recombinant sTLT augments platelet aggregation in vitro suggesting a mechanistic explanation for the increased hemorrhage in TLT-1−/− mice. Thus these studies reveal an important role for TLT-1 in the maintenance of vascular hemostasis by facilitating platelet aggregation through incorporation of sTLT into the forming clot. This work suggests that therapeutic intervention using tools such as anti-TLT-1 single chain antibodies that inhibit platelet aggregation may provide a novel approach to the control of the thrombotic response.


The value of a developed prediction model depends on its performance outside the development sample. The key is therefore to externally validate the model on a different but related independent data. In this study, we propose a permutation method to assess heterogeneity in external validation for risk prediction models. The permutation p value measures the extent of homology between development and validation datasets. If p < 0.05, the model may not be directly transported to the external validation population without further revision or updating. Monte-Carlo simulations are conducted to evaluate the statistical properties of the proposed method, and two microarray breast cancer datasets are analyzed for demonstration. The permutation method is easy to implement and is recommended for routine use in external validation for risk prediction models.


The aim of the research was to study heart adaptation to hypoxia in infants in the early neonatal period and the dynamics of their development catamnesis of 294 infants who underwent hypoxia in the perinatal period was examined. Strain index is used as a prognostic criterion of cardiovascular disorders, which characterizes the activity index of independent contour and coefficient of myoglobin. Intensity of cardiovascular disorders in infants in the early neonatal period depended on the length and severity of hypoxia. Follow-up data revealed various outcomes posthypoxic myocardial ischemia. In most cases, there is a benign outcome in recovery, but in 37% of cases developed posthypoxic cardiomyopathy. Long-term consequences of posthypoxic myocardial more pronounced in severe cardiomyopathy in 16.7% posthypoxic cardiomyopathy transformed into dilated cardiomyopathy, accompanied by life-threatening arrhythmias and heart failure.The immediate forecast and remote consequence of posthypoxic myocardial ischemia depends on the degree of hypoxic myocardial injury, timely adjuvant therapy.


ABSTRACT
 Brachiosaurid sauropods achieved a broad distribution during the Late Jurassic, which has been considered to provide evidence of their origins during the Middle Jurassic, prior to the breakup of Pangea. In contrast to their broad geographic distribution during the Late Jurassic, formally named brachiosaurid species from the Cretaceous have so far been restricted to the Aptian—Albian of North America, which has been interpreted as a signal of differential extinction and/or a bias in the Early Cretaceous fossil record. Here we describe a new brachiosaurid titanosauriform taxon from the Early Cretaceous of Colombia, which is represented by axial elements. The material was recovered from marine sediments of the Paja Formation (Barremian), close to the locality of Villa de Leiva. The weakly laterally expanded and divided transverse processes of the anterior-most caudal vertebrae allows the recognition of a new sauropod taxon, Padillasaurus leivaensis, gen. et sp. nov. In order to test the phylogenetic relationships of the new taxon, we performed a cladistic analysis that recovered Padillasaurus as a brachiosaurid titanosauriform. This position is supported by a combination of characters, including the presence of blind fossae in anterior caudal vertebrae. Among titanosauriforms, the presence of blind fossae in anterior caudal vertebrae is an apomorphic character that is exclusive to Giraffatitan, Venenosaurus, Cedarosaurus, and Abydosaurus. Although more complete remains are needed to test more thoroughly the affinities of the new taxon, the available evidence indicates that brachiosaurids survived at lower latitudes in Gondwana until at least the Early Cretaceous.


Identification and selective labeling of the melibiose permease and alpha-galactosidase in Escherichia coli, which are encoded by the melB and melA genes, respectively, have been accomplished by selectively labeling the two gene products with a T7 RNA polymerase expression system [Tabor, S., & Richardson, C. C. (1985) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 1074]. Following generation of a novel EcoRI restriction site in the intergenic sequence between the two genes of the mel operon by oligonucleotide-directed, site-specific mutagenesis, melA and melB were separately inserted into plasmid pT7-6 of the T7 expression system. Expression of melB was markedly enhanced by placing a strong, synthetic ribosome binding site at an optimal distance upstream from the initiation codon of melB. Expression of cloned gene products was characterized functionally and by performing autoradiographic analysis on total cell, inner membrane, and cytoplasmic proteins from cells pulse labeled with (35S)methionine in the presence of rifampicin and resolved by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results first confirm that alpha-galactosidase is a cytoplasmic protein with an Mr of 50K; in contrast, the membrane-bound melibiose permease is identified as a protein with an apparent Mr of 39K, a value significantly higher than that of 30K previously suggested [Hanatani et al. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 1807].


"…………They were first found in full variety at St. Thomas' Mount and Plallavaram, 10 miles south of Madras city; from quarries in these localities large quantities of rocks have been obtained for building and ornamental purposes in Madras. Subsequently the same rocks were found to make up the mountain masses of the Shevaroys, Nilgiris, the Palnis and the great ridge of high ground forming part of the Western Ghats, stretching southwards as far as Cape Comorin and reappearing above the sea level in Cylone".- the words by Thomas Holland on charnockite. The book is all about charnockites and associated gneisses from the Madurai Granulite Block of the Southern Granulite Terrain. Looked into its association and genesis with very conventional view point of petrography, PT paths and geochronology.


We report our calculation of optimal molar fractions in various ternary zinc-blende terahertz emitters that can produce terahertz radiation with enhanced powers when the wavelength of the pump laser is changed. While the momentum mismatch between the optical and the terahertz pulses in these non-resonant nonlinear materials was mainly used to understand the spectral and the transient shapes of the generated terahertz waves, the optimal molar fractions in compound semiconductor terahertz emitters were better determined with the full numerical calculations. To demonstrate the output power change and the sensitivity of the calculation, we performed numerical simulations of the optical rectification process during the optical and the terahertz wave propagations. The result suggests that the optimal Cd compositions in Zn1 xCdxTe are x = 0.10 at = 820 nm and x = 0.65 at = 850 nm and that the Te compositions in ZnSe1 xTex are x = 0.6 at = 750 nm and x = 0.95 at = 820 nm. This method could act as a powerful tool to optimally design various zinc-blende semiconductor compounds to generate terahertz waveforms.


The concept of the city-region food system is gaining attention due to the need to improve food availability, quality and environmental benefits, for example through sustainable agri-food strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of coherent and inclusive food governance, especially regarding food resilience, vulnerability and justice. Given that evidence from good practices is relatively sparse, it is important to better understand the role of different types of cities, regions and household characteristics. The paper's aim is to describe, analyze and attempt to explain (sub-national) regional variations of household food behavior before and during the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020 using a city-region food system perspective. Informed by the literature, comprehensive survey data from 12 countries across Europe is used to describe the pre-pandemic landscape of different household food behaviors across comparable regional types. We examine how a specific economic and social shock can disrupt this behavior and the implications for city-region food systems and policies. Conclusions include the huge disruptions imposed on income-weak households and that the small city scale is the most resilient. Proposals are made that can strengthen European city-region food system resilience and sustainability, especially given that future shocks are highly likely.


The Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region encompasses over 40% of the State of Alaska. The region includes the watersheds of Norton Sound up to and including the village of Shishmaref, the Yukon River watershed within Alaska and Canada, and the Kuskokwim River watershed (including the coastal watersheds north of Cape Newen- ham), plus the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean marine ecosystems (see frontispiece map). Dramatic declines in salmon runs to the AYK region from 1997 to 2001 created havoc within the subsistence culture of rural Alaskan communities and left fishery man - agers and scientists puzzled over the causes for the declines, unsure of best management measures for the future. Since 2003, salmon stocks across the region have fluctuated widely. The Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Sustainable Salmon Initiative (AYK SSI) is an innovative partnership between public and private institutions which provides a forum for regional organizations and state and federal agencies to cooperatively identify and address salmon research and restoration needs. The AYK SSI provided the means to in- terconnect state, federal, and Alaska Native organizations to collaboratively participate in the symposium, and to fund the symposium and this book. The symposium and this text seeks to describe the management of salmon fisheries in the AYK region, to com - municate what is known and what needs to be known about ecological processes that cause change in salmon populations; and to discuss the effects on rural communities caused by variability in abundance of salmon. This book provides a single reference text for the region that serves as an access point to information that formerly resided in a variety of storage media—from file drawers to web sites to the primary literature—and one that links information across the freshwater and marine ecosystems of the region. Our hope is that the availability of this information would encourage future students, managers, and researchers to focus their interests on AYK salmon, and promote the long-term sustainability of Alaska's salmon producing ecosystems.


This book examines the idea of organism in the work of Louis I. Kahn, from the turning point of Rome to the project for Venice. It presents an original interpretation of the work of Kahn during one of the most fruitful periods of his career, when he was working on a particular design method based on an entirely novel way of interacting with the past. Beginning with a meticulous documentation and analysis of Kahn's experiences in the twenty years from 1930 to 1950, the book sheds new light on the relationship between Kahn's work and the modern movement. The arguments are supported by case studies, including that of the Palazzo dei Congressi in Venice based on Kahn's words (like his lessons in Venice at IUA, International University of Art, in 1971) and others as the Trenton Bath House, the Salk Institute (La Jolla), the Kimbell Museum (Fort Worth), the Yale Gallery and the Mellon Center for British Art (New Haven) and more.
Unlike much of the by now well-established literature on Kahn's work, Louis I. Kahn in Rome and Venice suggests that the basic premise of Kahn's invention is the idea of spatial, constructive organism, which explains how he created forms that were inextricably anchored in the past, without imitating any one kind of ancient architecture. The main objective of the book is to explain Kahn's methodology to architects and students, showing how he was able to design an architectural object with the characteristics of the best designed objects: organisms, in which each part contributes, with the whole, to creating "something made of indivisible parts".


A continuous flow polymeric microfluidic reactor utilizing SU-8 as a photoresist on a PEEK (polyetheretherketone) substrate was fabricated by standard UV lithography. Embedded multilayer structures were fabricated between the substrate and the inlets and outlet of the microfluidic reactor that facilitated fabrication of the entire microfluidics using SU-8, resulting in improved bonding between the substrate and the pattern. A 'flexible semi-solid transfer' (FST) process, based on a reduced exposure dosage, was developed to seal the microfluidic channels. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and photographs revealed no trace of blockages in channels due to the sealing process. The maximum pressure drop without any leakage was found to be 2.1 MPa. The microfluidic reactor withstood temperatures as high as 150 °C and was found to be suitable for carrying out wet chemical synthesis.


Remarkable segregation was observed in the modified super clean CrMoV steel forgings for electric power generation applications. Therefore, in order to make clear the mechanism, effect of such elements as Mn, Ni, Cr and Mo on segregation was studied, using 8 tons sand mold ingots and unidirectionally solidified experimental ingots. As the result, it has been found that remarkable macrosegregation with opposite inclining angle compared with that seen in conventional ingots was formed by the sinking of heavy segregated liquid. It has also found that remarkable carbon segregation was formed because of small partition coefficient of carbon due to high δ solidification ratio and because of heavy density due to high Mo content.


We analyze the spatiotemporal intensity of pulses with durations of 20 fs and             shorter and a carrier wavelength of 810 nm at the paraxial focal plane of an achromatic             doublet lens. The incident pulse is well-collimated, and we use the Seidel aberration             theory for thin lenses to evaluate the phase change due to the aberrations of the lens.             In a set of cemented thin lenses with the stop at the lens, there is only spherical             aberration, coma, astigmatism and field curvature, whereas the distortion aberration in             the phase front is zero. We analyze the effect of these aberrations in the focusing of             ultrashort pulses for homogenous illumination. We will show that the temporal spreading             introduced by these aberrations in pulses shorter than 20 fs at 810 nm is very small but             the spatial spreading is not, which reduces the intensity of the pulse             considerably.


This title examines the resilience of Islamic banking during the global financial crisis and the subsequent recession. Do Islamic financial institutions perform better during periods of financial stress? How do Islamic financial institutions manage risk, given their unique characteristics and the need for Shari'ah compliance? This volume looks at the challenges for Islamic financial institutions in an international post-Basel II system where banks are required to have more capital and liquidity. It also examines the influence of governance on client and investor perceptions and their implications for institutional stability and sustainability. It assesses how Islamic banks weathered the financial crisis and what lessons can be learnt. It focuses on liquidity risk and the use of forward contracts to mitigate currency risk. It appraises the work of internal Shari'ah audit units and the use of Shari'ah reports to reduce non-compliance risks. It includes case studies from the Gulf, Malaysia, the UK, Pakistan, Turkey and GCC countries. It appraises the work of internal Shari'ah audit units and the use of Shari'ah reports to reduce non-compliance risks.


Load balancing in parallel master-slave implementations on heterogeneous computing clusters is a pressing research problem. Proper load balancing can lead to dramatic speedups in program run times. This paper introduces a novel adaptive fuzzy load balancer which automatically senses cluster state through measurements of node evaluation times and network delays. Measured data are collected within a time window and then clustered using fuzzy c-means clustering. The optimal number of clusters are decided using the Xie-Beni index. Rule base extraction is facilitated by reverse projection of clusters (for antecedents) and a heuristic function (for consequents). Re-clustering is triggered on outlier point detection, and re-validation of clusters is performed depending on an FCM objective function-based cluster scattering threshold. The load balancer is deployed on the master to balance the load between various slaves. The algorithm is tested extensively on an evolutionary-neuro-fuzzy network learning application and implemented in a LAM/MPI computing environment. Results clearly bring out the efficacy of employing the adaptive load balancer in heterogeneous computing environments. Speedups ranging from 42% to 89% are observed when compared to parallel implementations without the fuzzy load balancer, and up to 448% when compared to the serial implementations.


The socio-political context for history teaching in postcolonial Botswana did not provide for multicultural history approaches, and in fact it discouraged multiple approaches to national history. One of the ways in which the government sought to do this was through constant discouragement of what was regarded as tribalism, and an emphasis on a monolithic, monoethnic and homogenous national history. Part of this has to do with the government policy and practices that propound and subscribe to a monoethinic and monolingual society and education system, where history's role in that education system has been to tow the monoethnic line and to present a singular view of the country's origins and evolution. In all syllabi in the formal education system, national history is presented as a singular one, with the predominance of a Tswana ethnicity as the national curriculum's defining characteristic. This situation is deeply embedded in history, and reflects the social tensions that are generally being articulated in the wider society, particularly by minority groups, which are dissatisfied with the total neglect of their histories, cultures, and traditions. Hence, as communities continue to reflect on their place in Tswana society, the history syllabus will become highly contestable ground, and requires a rethinking and repackaging in order to avoid this pitfall. This paper seeks to explore the historical dimension of this current scenario, and reflects on curricula control and urges a rethinking on the question of a national history within the multiethnic and "multi-historied" Botswana.


PURPOSE
Results of a study to determine whether checklist-based interventions improved the selection and administration of rapid-sequence intubation (RSI) medications in a pediatric emergency department (ED) are reported.

METHODS
A retrospective study of data collected during a quality-improvement project was conducted. Data sources included the electronic health record and video review. The central intervention was use of a 21-item RSI checklist, which included guidance for the physician team leader on medication selection and timing. A quick-reference card was developed to guide staff in preparing RSI medications. The main outcomes were (1) standard selection, defined as administration of indicated medications and avoidance of medications not indicated, and (2) efficient administration, defined as an interval of <30 seconds from sedative to neuromuscular blocker (NMB) infusion.

RESULTS
A total of 253 consecutive patients underwent RSI during 3 consecutive periods: the historical (preimprovement) period (n = 136), the checklist only period (n = 68), and the checklist/card period (n = 49). The rate of standard selection of 3 RSI medications (atropine, lidocaine, and rocuronium) did not improve. The rate of efficient sedative and NMB administration improved from 56% in the historical period to 88% in the checklist period (p = 0.005). The median duration of RSI medication administration decreased from 28 seconds (interquartile range [IQR], 23-44 seconds) in the historical period to 19 seconds (IQR, 15-25 seconds) in the checklist/card period (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSION
In a quality-improvement project in a pediatric ED, a checklist-based intervention improved RSI medication administration technique but not selection.


Attractive faces are associated with positive character traits and social skills. Moreover, attractive faces automatically evoke larger neural responses than faces of average attractiveness in ventral occipito-temporal cortical areas (such as the fusiform face area), suggesting that ventral visual stream, in addition to identifying objects, evaluates them. It is unclear whether this increased neural response arises from the reward value or the salience of attractive faces. Disfigured faces, by contrast, are linked to negative attributes. We asked participants (N=79) to report their degree of negative attitudes toward people with facial disfigurements and used the Implicit Association Test to assess their negative bias. We then tested competing hypotheses that larger neural responses in visual areas in response to attractive faces represent a reward or a saliency response by testing corresponding responses to faces with disfigurement. While undergoing functional MRI, participants (N=31) viewed photographs of people taken before and after surgical treatment of facial disfigurement and completed an unrelated task (indicating if each photograph depicted a male or female face). While there was no evidence for a self-reported bias, the Implicit Association Test provides behavioural support for a 'disfigured is bad' bias. The functional MRI results show that images of facial disfigurement compared to images of the same faces after surgical treatment, evoked greater neural responses within ventral occipito-temporal cortex, consistent with the hypothesis that ventral visual areas respond automatically to the salience of faces, rather than to their rewarding properties. Disfigured faces also produced diminished neural activity within the medial prefrontal cortex, an area associated with empathy and social cognition. This response may reflect suppressed mentalizing and an inhibition of empathy, a mechanism linked to dehumanization.


Glucocorticoids (GCs) exert their effects through regulation of gene expression after activation in the cytoplasm of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) encoded by NR3C1 gene. A negative feedback mechanism resulting in GR autoregulation has been demonstrated through the binding of the activated receptor to intragenic sequences called GRE-like elements, contained in GR gene. The long noncoding RNA growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) interacts with the activated GR suppressing its transcriptional activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible role of GAS5 and NR3C1 gene expression in the antiproliferative effect of methylprednisolone in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and to correlate the expression with individual sensitivity to GCs. Subjects being poor responders to GCs presented higher levels of GAS5 and NR3C1 in comparison with good responders. We suggest that abnormal levels of GAS5 may alter GC effectiveness, probably interfering with the mechanism of GR autoregulation.


INTRODUCTION This paper was written because it seemed an opportune time to set down in a permanent fashion the story of the effort made by the neuropsychiatric service of the A. E. F. to meet and combat the war neuroses. It has to do with matters of organization and the development of a point of view. It is largely with the latter that the author feels that he is properly concerned. This story could not be told without frequent mention of Base Hospital 117 which was the special hospital for war neuroses at LaFauche. As medical director of this hospital from its beginning the author was given the privilege of seeing the various factors that went to make up this point of view develop. It is called in this paper the A. E. F. point of view. This is entirely an unofficial designation, and as a term has merely a


NASA has initiated at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory the design of a Communications and Navigation Network at Mars. It will consist of a constellation of low-altitude orbiting satellites and one or more aerostationary (of synchronous orbit around Mars) satellites. The key Mars Network operations concept is to provide standard services and pave a way for interoperability of future Mars Missions. It is envisioned that the Mars Network will provide four types of services: telemetry and command data relay, position determination, time synchronization, and proximity link telecom performance data service. Both scheduled and demand access paradigms were considered as options for the user to access these services. The adoption of the Consultative Committee for Space Data System (CCSDS) Proximity Link (proximity-1) protocol ensures the interoperability at the data link layer. The CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP) ensures the interoperability at the message and file transfer layer. One important feature of the Mars Network operation is that the orbiting satellites of the Mars Network are indistinguishable from the user's point of view. A user's data transfer transaction started with one satellite can be continued with another satellite. This "cloud" topology greatly simplifies the users operations. We also introduce the concept of file based operation. The file based operation for Mars Network promotes autonomous network operations and provides better data accountability.


This paper develops a model in which earnings and book value are complementary factors in determining equity value. Current earnings relative to book value provides information about how well the firm is currently using its resources. When current earnings to book value is high, the firm is likely to continue its current way of employing resources and earnings is the more important determinant of equity value. When current earnings to book value is low, the firm is more likely to adapt its resources to a superior alternative use, and book value becomes the more important determinant of equity value because book value provides a measure of the value of the firm's resources, independent of how well the resources are currently utilized. The model leads to two main empirical predictions: First, equity value is a convex function of expected earnings and book value. Second, the change in equity value associated with changes in expected earnings increases with the relative level of earnings to book value. Evidence from a variety of specifications is consistent with predictions. Thus, the results imply that equity value is a function of both expected earnings and book value (in contrast to models which incorporate one or the other) and that the form of the function is convex (in contrast to models which assume the two elements of value are simply additive).


Androgen deprivation therapy is a common treatment strategy for advanced prostate cancer. Though effective initially, the tumor often progresses to androgen independent stage in most patients eventually after a period of remission. One of the key factors of development of resistance is reflected in expression of androgen receptor (AR). In this study, we showed that two natural compounds, physalins A and B, both secosteriods from Physalisalkekengi var. franchetii, significantly inhibited the growth of two androgen-independent cell lines CWR22Rv1 and C42B, induced apoptosis via c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and/or extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, and decreased AR expression. In addition, physalins A and B down-regulated the expression of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in C42B cells which is a target gene of AR. Our results suggest that physalin A and B might be useful agents in preventing the growth of androgen-independent prostate cancer (AI-PCa).


Essay/Thesis: 30 hp Program and/or course: Master Program in Strategic Human Resource Management and Labour Relations Level: Second Cycle Semester/year: Spring 2018 Supervisor: Dr. Freddy Hällstén Examiner: Dr. Ola Bergström Report No: Keyword: large-scale agile transformation, agility, line manager needs, organisational change, line manager performance, SAFe, AMO, General Change Theory Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the line managers' needs to perform well in their role in a large-scale transformation, from an individual level. Furthermore, the aim is to understand how the identified needs can be explained from a theoretical perspective. Theory: The theoretical framework chosen to study this phenomenon is built on two different theories, the ability, motivation, opportunity (AMO)-model and the General Change Theory (GCT). The AMO-model is used to analyse the identified needs of the line managers and to demonstrate in which areas the discovered needs for a good performance lie, from a closer perspective. The GCT has been applied in order to explain the underlying reasons for the identified needs. Furthermore, both theoretical perspectives will be combined to examine which needs appear in which stage of the change process. Method: For the methodology a qualitative case study of the Research and Development department during an agile transformation has been chosen and 14 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. Result: Results of the study are that the line managers show to have needs that are shaped by ability, motivation and opportunity, when it comes to perform of their role well in the transformation. Most of the identified needs are visible in form of unmet needs, resulting in frustrations. The identified needs could furthermore be explained by the different phases of the line managers in the change process, whereby in the initial stages there seem to be more needs, especially for information and support, meaning that they are influenced by ability and motivational factors. Line managers in the advanced stages communicate to have more needs concerning their opportunity, such as for practical help and they seem overall more optimistic about the transformation and their role. However, patterns could also be found specifically connected to the agility, such as different perceptions of line managers that work with software only or also with other areas.


The cuticle of the adult abdomen of Drosophila is produced by nests of imaginal histoblasts, which proliferate and migrate during metamorphosis to replace the polyploid larval epidermal cells. In this report, we present a detailed description of the expression of four key patterning genes, engrailed (en), hedgehog (hh), patched (ptc), and optomotor-blind (omb), in abdominal histoblasts during the first 42 h after pupariation, a period in which the adult pattern is established. In addition, we describe the expression of the homeotic genes Ultrabithorax, abdominal-A, and Abdominal-B, which specify the fates of adult abdominal segments. Our results indicate that abdominal segments develop in isolation from one another during early pupal stages, and that some patterning events are independent of hh, wingless, and decapentaplegic signaling. We show that pattern and polarity in a large anterior portion of the segment are specified without input from Hh, and present evidence that abdominal tergites possess an underlying symmetric pattern upon which patterning by Hh is superimposed. The signals responsible for this underlying symmetry remain to be identified.


Anaplasma and Ehrlichia sp. (AEs) cause significant economic losses to the livestock sector in Uganda. Despite the well known limitation on livestock production caused by these tick-borne parasites, the extent of this problem has not been extensively studied and/or established. In this book we present a systematic account of the prevalence of AEs in cattle from Kashaari county-Mbarara district (Uganda) and an in depth comparison of the prevalence of these tick-borne parasites in different cattle breeds, age groups, Sub County of origin and management systems. To determine the different Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species in cattle, we used A single pair of primers to amplify a 492-498bp fragment of the 16SRNA gene spanning the V1 region conserved for both AEs and allowed the PCR products to hybridize with AE species-specific oligonucleotides. A logistic regression model fit over the above factors and used to determine predictor(s) of infection with AEs is herein presented. This information was generated and herein presented inspired by our continuous need to generate information required for future tick-borne disease control strategies namely multivalent vaccine use among others.


Endophytic fungi have been shown to be a promising source of novel antimicrobial moieties. This study was carried out to determine the antimicrobial profile of the endophytic fungal isolates from Acalypha wilkesiana. The leaves of A. wilkesiana was washed in running water, sterilized and then inoculated onto freshly prepared Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA). The pure isolates were then subjected to solid state fermentation using rice medium. This was followed by the extraction of the product of fermentation using Ethyl acetate and the extracts were concentrated using rotary evaporator set at 50C. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was then evaluated against the clinical isolates: Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtillis, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. A total of five (5) endophytic fungal isolates were obtained from the leaf sample, identified by their unique colony morphology and were labeled M1, M2, M3, L2 and L3. The endophytic fungal extracts showed varying degree of antimicrobial activities against the clinical isolates with all the extracts showing more potent antimicrobial activities against the clinical isolates than the known antibiotics at the concentration of 1 mg/mL. The results of this study suggest that A. wilkesiana have antimicrobial activity and further studies should be carried out to identify the endophyes to species level as well as the bioactive compounds responsible for this activity it elicits.


Recent evidence has suggested that polyphenol-rich foods intake may be associated with decreased risk of chronic diseases. The Special Issue "Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Foods on Human Health" comprised 64 peer-reviewed papers on the most recent evidence regarding the dietary intake of polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods, as well as their effect toward the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases. Original contributions and literature reviews demonstrated the potential protective effects of polyphenol-rich foods and their extracts toward cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases, mostly through anti-oxidant and chemo-preventive properties.


Diabetic or peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PDN) is one of the major complications among some other diabetic complications such as diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic cardiomyopathy. The use of animal models in the research of diabetes and diabetic complications is very common when rats and mice are most commonly used for many reasons. A numbers of animal models of diabetic and PDN have been developed in the last several decades such as streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat models, conventional or genetically modified or high-fat diet-fed C57BL/Ks (db/db) mice models, streptozotocin-induced C57BL6/J and ddY mice models, Chinese hamster neuropathic model, rhesus monkey PDN model, spontaneously diabetic WBN/Kob rat model, L-fucose-induced neropathic rat model, partial sciatic nerve ligated rat model, nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice model, spontaneously induced Ins2 Akita mice model, leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice model, Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat model, surgically-induced neuropathic model, and genetically modified Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) rat model, none of which are without limitations. An animal model of diabetic or PDN should mimic the all major pathogeneses of human diabetic neuropathy. Hence, this review comparatively evaluates the animal models of diabetic and PDN which are developed since 1960s with their advantages and disadvantages to help diabetic research groups in order to more accurately choose an appropriate model to meet their specific research objectives.


Despite increasing awareness of the importance of managing the negative effects of organizational politics at the workplace, research on consequences relating to employees' perceptions of the same in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa has received little attention. Therefore, using data from 250 SMEs in Zimbabwe, this study examines the effects of employees' perceptions of organizational politics on turnover intentions and the mediating influence of employees' perceptions of equity and organizational commitment. All the posited six hypotheses were supported by the sample data. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed and limitations and future research directions are indicated.


Six-month-old lambs that had been naturally infected with predominantly Teladorsagia (Ostertagia) circumcincta were tested for plasma pepsinogen concentrations because pepsinogen concentrations may reflect the extent of damage to the abomasum. The distribution of pepsinogen concentrations among these lambs was positively skewed with most individuals having relatively low concentrations. Pepsinogen concentrations were more strongly associated with variation in the mean length of the adult female worms than with variation in the number of nematodes present. Previous trials have suggested that genetic variation in the growth of lambs is strongly influenced by genetic variation in worm length. Together these results imply that variation among lambs in the pathogenic effects of T. circumcincta depends upon the mean size of the worms as well as the number of worms present.


Abstract Objective. The effects of activated charcoal (AC) mixed with cathartics for gastric decontamination in the management of organophosphate (OP) poisoning remain unknown due to limited clinical evidence. This exploratory study assessed the effectiveness of premixed AC–sorbitol as a treatment for OP poisoning. Materials and methods. This retrospective observational case study included patients who either did not receive AC–sorbitol or received a single dose of AC–sorbitol within 24 h after OP ingestion. The patients were divided into three groups: no AC–sorbitol treatment, patients who received AC–sorbitol within 1 h of OP ingestion, and patients who received AC–sorbitol more than 1 h after OP ingestion. Mortality, the development of respiratory failure, and the duration of mechanical ventilation were used as outcome measurements for effectiveness, whereas aspiration pneumonia and electrolyte imbalance were employed as safety measurements. Result. Among 262 patients with OP poisoning, 198 were included. Of these, 133 patients did not receive AC–sorbitol, whereas 14 and 51 patients received AC–sorbitol within 1 h or more than 1 h after ingestion, respectively. The time from ingestion to hospital arrival and time from ingestion to administration of atropine and pralidoxime differed among the groups, whereas other characteristics, including age, amount ingested, and type of ingested OP, were similar among the groups. Univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated that the administration of AC–sorbitol was not associated with outcome measures for effectiveness and did not significantly increase either aspiration pneumonia or electrolyte imbalances during hospitalization. Discussion and conclusion. The administration of AC–sorbitol exerted neither beneficial nor harmful effects on the outcomes of OP-poisoned patients regardless of the time from OP ingestion to administration, compared with those of patients who did not receive AC–sorbitol. However, this study enrolled a small number of patients who received AC–sorbitol; further qualified trials with a sufficient number of patients are therefore needed.


Abstract Individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience significant and pervasive impairment in interpersonal, social, and vocational functioning, and accumulating evidence suggests that impairments in functioning often persist despite significant decreases in symptom severity. Previous research indicates that shame-proneness and guilt-proneness are associated with symptoms of BPD that can affect functioning (such as aggression toward others), but very few studies have examined the impact of shame-proneness and guilt-proneness on validated measures of psychosocial functioning. Forty women with BPD completed measures of shame-proneness and guilt-proneness, psychosocial functioning, and BPD symptom severity. Results from multiple regression analyses indicate that women with BPD who tend to experience higher levels of shame-proneness and lower levels of guilt-proneness report poor performance in school and work settings and in interpersonal relationships. Strengths of the study include the use of a validated measure of functioning as the primary outcome. Limitations and future directions are discussed.


Accurate geometrical models of the head are necessary for solving the forward and inverse problems of magneto- and electro-encephalography (MEG/EEG). Boundary element methods (BEMs) require a geometrical model describing the interfaces between different tissue types. Classically, head models with a nested volume topology have been used. In this paper, we demonstrate how this constraint can be relaxed, allowing us to model more realistic head topologies. We describe the symmetric BEM for this new model. The symmetric BEM formulation uses both potentials and currents at the interfaces as unknowns and is in general more accurate than the alternative double-layer formulation.


Compared to German Ja and Nein, English Yes and No are used less frequently, and often in combination with short sentences consisting of a pronoun and an auxiliary or modal verb: Yes I will; No I won't. When such a short sentence is used, Yes and No may be omitted: I will; I won't; I do; I don't; He can; They certainly won't. This difference in usage is established (1) by comparing the marriage vow in German and English, where the officiant's question is answered by Ja in German but by I will or I do in English; (2) by citing material from a practical grammar for German students of English; and (3) by studying the way Shakespeare has his figures answer decision questions, or Yes/No-questions, in comparison with Schlegel's way of rendering their answers in his German translation. Next it is shown that Shakespeare's way, which is essentially the same as modern usage, differs radically from earlier English usage up to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1388–1400) and Troilus and Cresseide (1382–6) and the anonymous York Plays (fourteenth century) and Towneley Plays (late fourteenth century), which all reflect the Germanic usage, essentially the same as in German. It is concluded that the modern English usage arose during the two centuries between Chaucer and Shakespeare, as a Late Middle English and Early Modern English innovation. As for the reason why English developed this un-Germanic way of answering decision questions, reference is made to Insular Celtic: decision questions are answered with short sentences in both Irish and Welsh, and this usage is old in both languages. The viability of this contact explanation is underlined by Irish English, where Yes and No are used even less frequently than in Modern Standard English, and short sentences are the normal way of answering decision questions.


Colorectal cancer represents the third cause of cancer. Since its detection in due time is important resolution, appropriate monitoring is mandatory. The present study deals with the relationship between colorectal cancer and renal function, as well as other associated risk factors. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a risk factor of cancer, both in non-dialysed patients and especially in dialysed patients and in patients with renal transplant. It can get aggravated with cancer in general and particularly with colorectal cancer, partly related to the toxins that cannot be appropriately eliminated because of renal functional disturbances. At the same time, immunosuppressive therapy used for treating glomerular or secondary nephropathies represents an important risk factor of cancer. Some patients with colorectal cancer were found to present also impaired renal function, a fact whose significance is still little known. The object of the present paper is an analysis of the case records of a clinic of gastroenterology on the relationship between colorectal cancer and renal functional impairment. We found in the patients with colorectal cancer under study a glomerular filtration rate (GFR calculated with the EPI formula) of < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 in 31/180 patients, respectively 17.22% of the cases, a value that is similar to that in specialised literature. We also analysed associated risk factors that could be related to renal function impairment in these patients: age, gender, anaemia, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. These could represent, together with the colorectal cancer of the investigated patients, risk factors affecting on the one hand renal function, and on the other hand, potentially increasing the risk of cancer. Correction of these risk factors would have beneficial effects on patients. The relationship between renal functional impairment, respectively CKD, and colorectal cancer is to be regarded from the point of view of complex reciprocity: the impairment of the renal function is a factor of risk of colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer can influence renal function of these patients. This report of reciprocity based on important pathogenic mechanisms also interrelates with factors of risk consecutive to both renal function impairment and colorectal cancer.


Mitochondrial abnormality is thought to play a key role in cardiac disease originating from the metabolic syndrome (MS). We evaluated the effect of troxerutin (TX), a semi‐synthetic derivative of the natural bioflavanoid rutin, on the respiratory chain complex activity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics in heart of high fat, high fructose diet (HFFD) ‐induced mouse model of MS. Adult male Mus musculus mice of body weight 25‐30 g were fed either control diet or HFFD for 60 days. Mice from each dietary regimen were divided into two groups on the 16th day and were treated or untreated with TX (150 mg/kg body weight [bw], per oral) for the next 45 days. At the end of experimental period, respiratory chain complex activity, uncoupling proteins (UCP)‐2 and ‐3, mtDNA content, mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics, oxidative stress markers and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were analyzed. Reduced mtDNA abundance with alterations in the expression of genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis and fission and fusion processes were observed in HFFD‐fed mice. Disorganized and smaller mitochondria, reduction in complexes I, III and IV activities (by about 55%) and protein levels of UCP‐2 (52%) and UCP‐3 (46%) were noted in these mice. TX administration suppressed oxidative stress, improved the oxidative capacity and biogenesis and restored fission/fusion imbalance in the cardiac mitochondria of HFFD‐fed mice. TX protects the myocardium by modulating the putative molecules of mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics and by its anti‐oxidant function in a mouse model of MS.


Research on EU conditionality in equality policy in Hungary shows that while the formal EU acquis has been transposed in a fast and successful way, its enforcement and application largely lag behind. Most researchers explain this weak enforcement with factors such as state capacity problems, the absence of inclusive policy making, and low norm resonance at the domestic level. This paper analyzes how changes in EU influence in the post-accession, post-conditionality period contribute to maintaining compliance with and improving the enforcement of EU equality policy in Hungary. It aims to understand implementation processes that take place in the post-accession period through the Hungarian case of equality policy. The paper argues that in order to capture the impact of the EU in the post-accession period, one must look beyond formal transposition-related mechanisms and increasingly at financial assistance and social learning mechanisms. While mechanisms connected to formal transposition might suggest major drawbacks in formal compliance, financial assistance and social learning mechanisms seem to address more directly the application and enforcement problems that Hungary faces in the equality realm. The paper shows that these mechanisms directly and indirectly impact the most crucial factors that determine enforcement – state capacity, the strength and involvement of civil society, and norm resonance. A slow but steady move toward sustainable improvement in enforcement is indicated.


The ion exchange of p-phenylenediammonium and sodium-smectites (montmorillonite and synthetic saponite) resulted in the formation of p-phenylenediammonium radical cation and its dimer by the electron transfer from p-phenyl-enediammonium to smectites, as revealed by the color change (from colorless to green) as well as the visible absorption spectra. The p-phenylenediammonium-saponite thus obtained adsorbed phenols from aqueous solutions. The basal spacing of the p-phenylenediammonium-saponite increased upon the uptake of phenols, indicating a change in the microstructure. The uptake of phenols into the p-phenylenediammonium-saponite from aqueous solutions occurred through the formation of indoaniline dyes, as revealed by the color change from green to purple (for phenol) or purple-blue (for 2,4-dichlorophenol) as well as the absorption spectra. On the contrary, phenols were not intercalated into the interlayer space of the p-phenylenediammonium-montmorillonite.


The effect of tunicamycin, a specific inhibitor of protein glycosylation, on interferon production by L cells induced by Newcastle disease virus was studied. The interferon yields in the presence of tunicamycin ranged from 20 to 100% of control in various experiments. The two molecular species of normal L cell interferon with 40,000 and 24,000 daltons were completely eliminated, and a new species of a smaller size (18,000 daltons) was produced. Radiolabeling of interferon with [35S]methionine and [3H]glucosamine added to the induced cultures, as studied by immunoprecipitation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicated that the two species of control interferon were both glycoproteins but tunicamycin interferon contained little or no sugar. In support of this was the loss of binding to lectin from Wistaria floribunda. A change in physical property of the molecule due to the absence of sugar was found in decreased heat stability in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, although in its absence no significant difference from control interferon was observed. These results indicate that tunicamycin is an effective agent in producing nonglycosylated but fully active interferon molecules; the sugar moiety appears to be unnecessary for the antiviral activity and for secretion from cells.


The relationship between foreign trade and economic growth is one of the controversial subjects in  economics. Theoretical models have been  developed  and  empirical  studies have been carried out  but the results obtained are mixed and up to now, there is no unique answer with regard to the same study. This paper examines the relationship between foreign trade and economic growth taking SADC countries as the laboratory test ground. Growth performances have not been consistent within the SADC region and  weak regional trade performance is by the virtue of the fact that  they focused  more on elimination of trade barriers instead of  concentrating  on  the  development  of  the productive capacities necessary for trade. The research used panel data gathered from SADC trade database, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. Using panel regression analysis of  15 SADC member states, the paper demonstrates that foreign trade promotes economic growth but it was found to have a moderate effect on growths of SADC countries. Based on the findings, the paper recommends SADC member countries to devise energetic industrial policies geared towards developing export industries and also to implement the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan in order to improve trade within the region so as to realise real market access benefits brought about by trade liberalization.


A patient with longstanding scleroderma with myositis was treated with interleukin 2 (IL-2) and lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells for locally metastatic renal cell carcinoma. A rapid progression of truncal skin thickening and muscle weakness occurred within weeks of the initial infusion. Studies using supernatants from peripheral T lymphocytes of patients with scleroderma have shown increased levels of IL-2, IL-2 receptor, IL-4 and B cell growth factors, indications of activation of immune mechanisms. The rapid progression of our patient's illness during immunotherapy suggests a primary role for IL-2 and LAK cells in this disorder. Patients with scleroderma who receive IL-2 and LAK cells should be monitored prospectively for exacerbation of their illness.


Although the classical acylation of testosterone clearly benefits from a broad substrate scope and available catalysts, the requirement of hazardous reagents and the high waste production are its drawbacks. To optimize the process efficiency as well as minimize the environmental impact, we decided to develop a novel method of testosterone esters synthesis, which relies on the usage of recyclable heterogeneous polymersupported tosylic acid catalyst and microwave-assistance effect in a non-solvent system. Under the established MW-conditions, the acceleration of the process rate was so efficient that the reaction completed within 2.5 min, thus affording the desired esters in the 33–96% yield range without using a work-up procedure. Furthermore, the elaborated catalytic system could be recycled for at least 2 runs not only without a loss of the products yield, but unexpectedly with significant improvement of the reaction efficiency, which may indicate that the reduction of the catalyst loading is possible. We believe that this finding constitutes a very good starting-point for further optimization of the studied process.