The prevailing linguistic literature typically depicts the African linguistic landscape as the most heterogeneous in the world. Surely linguistic diversity of the African continent cannot be denied, however, it can be noted that the mere evocation of this natural manifestation of language change is on the agenda, sounds excessive compared to actual facts. The discourse on the African linguistic diversity has steadily stemmed from a biased Eurocentric ideology. Explorers have first invented the ethnic group; then the colonial administration has striven to partition functionally homogeneous communities into countless ethnic groups, and missionaries, using questionable linguistic methods, have encouraged linguistic distinctiveness so further emphasizing the sentiment of linguistic fragmentation.


Dry skin and pressure injuries in older persons have become global health care problems. This was a multicentre, prospective cross‐sectional study in 44 hospitals and 8 long term care institutions from 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China and aimed to explore the relationship between the two skin problems in older patients. We mainly found 11 602 cases with dry skin and 1076 cases with pressure injuries in a total of 33 769 valid participants. The overall prevalence of dry skin and pressure injuries was 34.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 33.9–34.9) and 3.1% (95% CI 2.9–3.3). Stage 2+ pressure injuries were the most (32.9%), followed by stage 1 (32.4%). The patients with dry skin had more pressure injuries than ones without dry skin (50.0% vs 33.9%). The patients with very severe and severe dry skin had more pressure injury risk (OR 2.22 and 1.90) and more stage 2+ pressure injury risk (OR 2.83 and 1.63). Other nine predictors associated with overall pressure injuries and stage 2+ pressure injuries. The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the predictive models of overall pressure injuries and stage 2+ pressure injuries were 0.89 (95% CI 0.88–0.90) and 0.91 (95% CI 0.90–0.92), respectively.


In deserts, as the sky is often dusty and rarely cloudy, aerosols are the most critical atmospheric parameter for solar resource estimation. High differences between existing aerosol datasets, and low accuracies at solar irradiance estimates in Arabian Peninsula have been reported. This work is a part of a process of developing a tool for irradiance estimation accounting correctly for aerosols. As hourly irradiances are the focus, only intra-day resolved aerosol data are of interest. The paper validates the MACC (re-analysis model) derived aerosol optical depth in United Arab Emirates, discusses its accuracy compared with that of MATCH (chemical transport model), evaluates the potential error on global and direct normal irradiances due to the observed error on aerosol optical depth, and then proposes an algorithm for implementation of MACC partial aerosol optical depths in the libRadTran radiative transfer model.


It is important to understand the effects of a buried metal object on electromagnetic data, whether the object is a source of cultural noise or a target of interest. The time-domain electromagnetic response of a buried metal plate exhibits several remarkable properties. An experimental study has been undertaken to confirm these properties. The spatial response of a shallow-buried plate is temporally self-similar and exhibits a late-time dipolelike response. Clutter-generated noise can be significant if the plate is poorly coupled to the primary transmitter flux. A vertical plate exhibits a transition from a horizontal to a vertical mode of eddy current induction.


In this paper,  fuzzy convergence theory in the framework of $L$-convex spaces is introduced. Firstly, the concept of $L$-convex remote-neighborhood spaces is introduced and it is shown that the  resulting category is isomorphic to that of $L$-convex spaces. Secondly, by means of $L$-convex ideals, the notion of $L$-convergence spaces is introduced and it is proved that the  category of $L$-convex spaces can be embedded in that of $L$-convergence spaces as a reflective subcategory.  Finally, the concepts of  convex and preconvex $L$-convergence spaces are introduced and it is shown that  the  resulting categories are isomorphic to  the  categories of $L$-convex spaces  and  $L$-preconvex remote-neighborhood spaces, respectively.


Diode lasers provide a coherent light source in the near IR. They have many desirable characteristics such as small size, high efficiency, a single-longitudinal mode output as large as 15 mW, and can be modulated at high pulse rates. An AlGaAs diode laser operating at 840 nm with an output of 5 mW was evaluated with a Smartt point diffraction interferometer. The wave front observed had astigmatism of ∼2 λ present over the output beam divergence angle. In a modified Twyman-Green interferometer, the coherence length measured was >15 m with high visibility fringes. This source was found to be stable and highly linearly polarized. When used as an interferometric source, many possibilities for small scale interferometers and test equipment are now viable.


Formative orientation is a complex concept related to the construction of a person's identity and it includes a process and a project dimension. The project dimension refers to a certain period of time, while the process dimension guarantees an holistic approach to formative orientation limiting the risk of splitting and wasting of actions and resources. The focus is on preventing unrealistic decisions by supporting students to make choices that correspond to their real expectations, personal interests and talents, trying to enhance their differences. An "orientational teaching" should take the task of supporting the formative component of the Formative Orientation by enhancing the limits and the resources of each student.


C-reactive protein (CRP) is normally synthesized by hepatocytes at relatively low rates and is retained within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via interaction with two carboxylesterases (termed gp60a and gp60b), which themselves are restricted to the ER by their COOH-terminal retention signals (HIEL and HTEL). During the acute phase response, an increase in CRP synthesis is accompanied by a decrease in its ER retention as a result of a decrease in the CRP binding affinity of gp60b. Our previous data indicated that the esterase active site, the CRP binding site, and the ER retention signal are functionally distinct. In the present studies, we have identified CRP-binding peptides produced by proteolytic cleavage of gp60a. The sequence shared by two CRP-binding peptides indicated that the CRP binding site of gp60a is contained within residues 477-499. These results were confirmed by expression of cDNAs coding for gp60a and b as bacterial fusion proteins. Fusion proteins containing the complete esterase COOH terminus bound CRP, whereas those truncated at residue 477 (or the homologous site in gp60b) did not. Based on the known crystal structures of three homologous hydrolases, the putative CRP-binding site of the gp60s is located on the surface and is physically distant from the esterase active site and the COOH-terminal ER retention signal.


The low stability of most superhydrophobic materials is one of the hurdles faced in terms of their practical applications. Inspired by mussel and lotus leaf, we report the fabrication of durable superhydrophobic/superoleophilic polyurethane (PU) sponges for the selective removal of organic pollutants from water. The superhydrophobic/superoleophilic PU sponges are prepared through in-turn covalent modification of PU sponges with polydopamine, silver nanoparticles, and dodecyl mercaptan. The morphology and surface chemical composition of the sponges are characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, the wetting behaviors, stability, and oil/water separation performance of the superhydrophobic sponges are studied. The modified PU sponges show promising superhydrophobic and superoleophilic properties. The sponge has a water contact angle of about 155° and a shedding angle of approximately 3°, whereas the contact angle of oil is around 0°. In addition, the superhydrophobic coating on the PU sponge exhibits excellent mechanical, chemical, and environmental stability, for example, upon laundering, intensive scalpel scratching, long-duration immersion in organic liquids and oils, and subjection to harsh temperatures and UV irradiation. Moreover, the superhydrophobic sponge can be used repeatedly for the selective and quick absorption of various insoluble organic pollutants (for example, petrol, crude oil, and chloroform) from water with high separation efficiency.


With the burst of Information Technology (IT) bubble at the beginning of this century, people are looking for the next wave of technology in which to invest. While we believe that biomedical applications and systems are this next stage, unfortunately, the engineering and bioscience communities are unprepared for the many challenges. In order to connect the engineering and the biomedical science communities, we established the LifeScience Systems and Applications (LiSSA) Technical Committee within IEEE Circuits and Systems Society in 2005--an initiative supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through a conference grant to enable dialogue between the engineering and biomedical science communities. Henceforth, we have organized several annual workshops with different themes on the NIH campus. After each workshop, a white paper is published in IEEE circuits and systems magazine to present the major challenges in various chosen theme areas. Recently, we chose "Biomarker Development and Applications" as our workshop theme. For the first time, we invited eight IEEE societies and various NIH institutes to send their representatives for face-to-face dialogue. This article presents the major challenges in biomarker development and applications based on the general consensus of the conference. The aim of the article is to serve as a wake-up call for more engineers to participate in crucial life-science application and systems research.


Abstract—The prevision of post-impact conditions and the behavior of the bodies during the impact have been object of several collision models. The formulation from Hertz's theory is generally used dated from the 19th century. These models consider the repulsive force as proportional to the deformation of the bodies under contact and may consider it proportional to the rate of deformation. The objective of the present work is to analyze the behavior of the bodies during impact using the Finite Element Method (FEM) with elastic and plastic material models. The main parameters to evaluate are, the contact force, the time of contact and the deformation of the bodies. An advantage of using the FEM approach is the possibility to apply a plastic deformation to the model according to the material definition: there will be used Johnson–Cook plasticity model whose parameters are obtained through empirical tests of real materials. This model allows analyzing the permanent deformation caused by impact, phenomenon observed in real world depending on the forces applied to the body. These results are compared between them and with the model-based Hertz theory.


The article is devoted to the study of endemics of xerophilous flora of various regions of the Russian Caucasus, adjacent and remote territories (Western Mediterranean, Caucasus, Greater Caucasus, Transcaucasia. Asia Minor and Western Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Pontic region, Palaearctic). The purpose of the study is to identify their species composition, genetic links between them, which are necessary for solving the problems of florogenesis. The article analyzes the results of many years of floristic research in different territories of the Caucasus, publications on the flora of these, adjacent and alienated territories. The study used methods of historical reconstruction, morphological-ecological-geographical analysis, including the method of evolutionary series, as well as the method of phlorogenetic analysis and synthesis. Information on the genetic and geographical relationships of the taxa under discussion was obtained by analyzing the position of the species in the genus system (in the case of monotypic genera, the position in the family system), which made it possible to identify the closest relatives, determine their geographic localization, and suggest the time and directions of migration flows of ancestral species. As a result of the analysis of the distribution of 52 species of endemics of the xerophilic flora of the studied regions of the Russian Caucasus, as well as the flora of adjacent and remote areas, possible genetic links between them were revealed. The closest relationships of endemic euxerophytes were noted within the territory of the Greater Caucasus (26.3%), they are significant with endemic species of the Western Mediterranean, Anterior and Asia Minor (9.6% each) and weaker - with species of the Eastern Mediterranean (5.1%), The Pontic region and the Palaearctic (1.3% each). Based on the analysis of the relationship of paleoand neoendemics, it was concluded that the process of formation of the endemic nucleus of the flora of euxerophytes took place at least in three stages: due to heterochronous waves of migration from distant western and eastern centers of formation of xerophilic flora of the Ancient Mediterranean, through the formation of secondary centers in Asia Minor and Western Asia, and then in the Western Mediterranean; the most recent most intensive speciation, which took place in the territories of Inland Dagestan, the Central Caucasus and Northwestern Transcaucasia, on a Caucasian genetic basis in Tertiary speciation centers, led to the loss of many types of distant family ties. The results obtained expand our understanding of migration processes and the history of the formation of the flora of the Caucasus.


Maintaining the integrity of long-term data collection is an essential scientific practice. As a field evolves, so too will that field's measurement instruments and data storage systems, as they are invented, improved upon, and made obsolete. For data streams generated by opaque sociotechnical systems which may have episodic and unknown internal rule changes, detecting and accounting for shifts in historical datasets requires vigilance and creative analysis. Here, we show that around 10\% of day-scale word usage frequency time series for Twitter collected in real time for a set of roughly 10,000 frequently used words for over 10 years come from tweets with, in effect, corrupted language labels. We describe how we uncovered problematic signals while comparing word usage over varying time frames. We locate time points where Twitter switched on or off different kinds of language identification algorithms, and where data formats may have changed. We then show how we create a statistic for identifying and removing words with pathological time series. While our resulting process for removing `bad' time series from ensembles of time series is particular, the approach leading to its construction may be generalizeable.


Abstract : The lack of standardization in assembly techniques for DNA sequences forces each DNA assembly reaction to be both an experimental tool for addressing the current research topic, and an experiment in and of itself. One of our goals is to replace this ad hoc experimental design with a set of standard and reliable engineering mechanisms to remove much of the tedium and surprise during assembly of genetic components into larger systems. William Sellers, in a speech "On a Uniform System of Screw Threads" at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on April 21, 1864, remarked that "In this country, no organized attempt has as yet been made to establish any system, each manufacturer having adopted whatever his judgement may have dictated as best, or as most convenient for himself" (Surowiecki 02). He argued forcefully and successfully for the standardization of pitch, diameter, and form of screw threads, providing the infrastructure which allowed the industrial revolution to take off. The machinists of the Franklin Institute built the lathes, drills, taps, and dies necessary to make the standard a success. We anticipate advantages similar to those which accompany the standardization of screw threads in mechanical design -- the widespread ability to interchange parts, to assemble sub-components, to outsource assembly to others, and to rely extensively on previously manufactured components. Here, we present a simple sequence and assembly standard as part of an experiment to see how far this idea of standardized interface technology can be applied. The key notion in the design of our strategy is that the transformations performed on component parts during the assembly reactions are idempotent in a structural sense. That is, each reaction leaves the key structural elements of the component the same. The output of any such transformation, therefore, is a component which can be used as the input to any subsequent manipulation.


Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are currently considered as major health burdens. Notably, CKD can be regarded as an interesting clinical model of accelerated cardiovascular disease (CVD) and ageing, which offers exciting new perspectives and challenges for pharmaceutical drug development. However, during the last decades, therapeutic advances to slow down the progression of CKD and reduce CVD risk have largely failed due to several possible reasons including (i) the lack of profound understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic renal damage and its associated CVD; (ii) an inadequate characterization of molecular mechanisms of currently approved therapies such as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) blockade; (iii) the unclear biochemical property needs required for novel therapeutic approaches; (iv) the missing quantity and quality of clinical trials in the nephrology field; and, most importantly, (v) the absence of prognostic renal biomarkers that reflect the severity of the structural organ damage and predict ESRD as well as CVD mortality. There is clearly an insufficient understanding of why a significant proportion of CKD patients progress to ESRD and/or die from CVD whereas others rather remain stable. In this article, we urge renal researchers to develop novel experimental and clinical tools for rational and translational drug discovery. Identification of individualized determinants of CKD progression and/or premature CVD will enable personalized medicine and lead to novel innovative nephro- and/or cardioprotective pharmacological treatment in these high-risk patients.


The eddy currents' distribution is investigated during a transient process in a superconducting magnet system. We have applied a numerical method based on an integral approach. In such a method, only the coils of the magnet system without the air embedding are discretized. Such integral approach leads to the full matrices and consequentially to large computational requirements. There are techniques, which generate less dense matrices by introducing groups of long-range interactions. We have applied a similar technique based on equivalent currents in the coils.


A 46-year-old male patient underwent sigmoidectomy with D2 lymph node dissection and partial resection of the bladder for advanced colon cancer in January 2000. The lesion was judged to be pT2, pN0, sP0, sH0, sM0 and Stage II, and the patient was treated on a regular schedule as an outpatient. Fourteen months after the first operation, liver metastases (S4, S5) were found and partial resections of the liver were performed. However, a recurrence had often been detected in the residual liver for five years afterwards. Liver resections had been repeated for four times before radiofrequency ablation was performed in January 2005. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with 5'-DFUR, 5-FU/l-LV (RPMI method), and TS-1. In January 2006, obstructive jaundice due to tumor growth occurred and a self-expandable metallic stent was placed in the narrowed portion of the intrahepatic bile duct. The patient is,currently undergoing FOLFOX4 and FOLFIRI regimens.


As part of the third Catholic Higher Education Collaborative Conference (CHEC), an event cosponsored by Boston College and Fordham University, the host university presidents, Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., and Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., addressed conference attendees and discussed ways higher education institutions can assist Catholic elementary and secondary schools. This article contains a transcript of their remarks. Fr. Leahy, the 25th president of Boston College, has a keen interest in Catholic schools, understanding their importance for the nation and for handing on the Catholic tradition to the next generation. Through his efforts, the Center for Catholic Education at Boston College, now the Roche Center for Catholic Education, was established. Fr. McShane, the 32nd president of Fordham University, shares a strong commitment to Catholic education. He has become one of the most powerful voices in New York City speaking on behalf of the need for Catholic schools. The work of Fordham's Graduate School of Education and Center for Catholic School Leadership with Catholic schools throughout the metropolitan region has received support from Fr. McShane.


On July 17, 2018, the Human Rights Committee, the monitoring body of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), rendered decisions in two similar cases brought by two French nationals against the French state. Both petitioners were Muslim women who challenged Act No. 2010-1192 of 11 October 2010, a French law under which wearing of the niqab, also known as a "full-face veil," in public spaces is prohibited. These seminal cases constitute the first time that an international arbiter of human rights has ruled that France's face-veil ban violates the human rights of its citizens.


We present CO(1–0), CO(3–2), and CO(7–6) observations using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) of the z = 2.8 submillimeter galaxy SMM J02399−0136. This was the first submillimeter-selected galaxy discovered and remains an archetype of the class, comprising a merger of several massive and active components, including a quasar-luminosity AGN and a highly obscured, gas-rich starburst spread over a ∼25 kpc extent. The GBT CO(1–0) line profile is comprised of two distinct velocity components separated by about 600 km s−1 and suggests the presence of a new component of molecular gas that had not been previously identified. The CO(3–2) observations with ALMA show that this new component, designated W1, is associated with a large extended structure stretching 13 kpc westward from the AGN. W1 is not detected in the ALMA CO(7–6) data, implying that this gas has much lower CO excitation than the central starburst regions, which are bright in CO(7–6). The molecular gas mass of W1 is about 30% of the total molecular gas mass in the system, depending on the CO-to-H2 conversion factor. W1 is arguably a merger remnant; alternatively, it could be a massive molecular outflow associated with the AGN, or perhaps inflowing metal-enriched molecular gas fueling the ongoing activity.


Background: Tumor suppressor genes, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and retinoic acid receptor b-2 (RARB) have been shown to be methylated early in cervical carcinogenesis; however results vary across studies. There are several approaches that can be taken to assess cervical methylation status, each of which may influence the results. Quantitative real-time methylation specific PCR (QMSP) amplifies methylated DNA and quantifies target methylation level relative to house-keeping genes (e.g. b-actin). Pyrosequencing, on the other hand, amplifies bisulfite converted genomic DNA using primers independent of methylation status and quantifies the percentage of methylated CpG dinucleotides with single base resolution within a targeted loci. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of methylation in two tumor suppressor genes, APC and RARB in liquid-based cytology specimens diagnosed as low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and high-grade SIL (HSIL) using QMSP and pyrosequencing. Methods: We examined 63 LSIL and 32 HSIL residual liquid-based cytology specimens. Methylation of APC and RARB was measured using QMSP and pyrosequencing in the same genomic region. HPV genotyping was conducted using the Roche Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test which enables PCR-based identification of 37 high- and low-risk HPV genotypes. Results: QMSP detected APC methylation more often than pyrosequencing (36% vs. 6%), with QMSP identifying all pyrosequencing positive samples. RARB was rarely methylated in SILs in both assays (QMSP vs. Pyrosequencing: 4% vs. 3%) and there was no overlap in methylation between the methods. Overall, there were no differences in methylation for APC between HPV positive and HPV negative samples and LSIL and HSIL. RARB was significantly more likely to be methylated in HSIL using QMSP but not when measured by pyrosequencing, however there was no difference among HPV positive and HPV negative specimens. Conclusions: The use of different methylation detection methods on exfoliated cervical specimens provided different methylation prevalence estimates. Exfoliated cervical specimens (e.g. Pap Smears) contain a high proportion of normal cervical cells and relatively few abnormal cells. This heterogeneity may lead to misclassification of lesion methylation status when using methylation independent assays. Methylation biomarker detection in exfoliated cells collected for clinical use is critical for the translation to clinical testing; however, detection methods need to be sensitive enough to identify biomarkers in a high background of normal cells. While QMSP does not provide methylation frequency at individual CpG sites, this study suggests QMSP may be well suited for the assessment of methylation within heterogeneous samples. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4930.


Schools have linguistic agendas. Seldom do schools promote 'the accretion and growth of every dialect'. At best, schools offer students access to standard language — a culture's prestige codes, control over which is an important factor in social mobility (see Delpit, 1995). Seldom do we accomplish this as fully as the public expects, for even in the most idyllic circumstances, teachers do not control classroom discourse to the extent people imagine. Students arrive in schools with a variety of dialects, determined by region, neighbourhood and social class. When we offer access to prestige codes, we model a series of verbal dance steps, which students may imitate and replicate. But what happens if the 'dance' in which we seek to engage students is felt to be unfriendly or even inimical to the students' home culture? And what if more than one ethno-linguistic variety is represented in a classroom — groups which alternately bond and collide? Between 1991 and 2002, it was my privilege to work as an English teacher and reading specialist in a rustbelt city in the United States. The school system which employed me served a range of races and socioeconomic levels; however, the racially isolated schools to which I was assigned — middle schools, and in one case a K-8 school for delinquent and 'pre-delinquent' youth — served overwhelmingly lowincome and African American youngsters. There was a sprinkling of white youngsters in these schools. Most of them were what sociologists describe as 'Urban Appalachians', young people whose families had migrated to our city from the mountains of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas, Pennsylvania and New York to find employment. Annual tests of literacy and achievement characterized the racially isolated schools as 'low-performing'. One such school was New Vista xMiddle School. It occupied a half-block of real estate in the city's Lower Basin section, a run-down, high-crime neighbourhood, with broken-windowed and abandoned buildings, a place where police distrusted the (mostly African American) community, and the community feared the police.


One hundred and ten Ethiopian thyrotoxic patients were studied between February 1986 and January 1991 in a weekly endocrine clinic of Tikur Anbessa Teaching Hospital (TATH) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This gives an incidence of 22 patients per year. There were 14 males and 96 females (M:F = 1:7). Fifty three patients (48.2%) had Graves' hyperthyroidism, 37 (33.7%) toxic multinodular goitre (TMNG), 14 (12.7%) toxic adenoma, 4 (3.6%) Jodbasedow phenomenon and 2 (1.8%) had thyroiditis. The mean age was 29.2 +/- 9.8 (+/- S.D.) years for Graves' cases, 49.0 +/- 10.9 years for TMNG cases and 46.4 +/- 15.9 years for toxic adenoma cases. The clinical presentation was similar to other reported series. The majority (88.7%) of Graves' patients were below 40 years while 75.7% of TMNG patients were over 40 years of age; this is in keeping with the observed younger age incidence of Graves' hyperthyroidism and older age incidence of TMNG. All patients responded to propylthiouracil therapy and no major side effect was recognized. Nine patients underwent sub-total thyroidectomy of whom one became hypothyroid a year later. One became toxic after a year, while 6 remained euthyroid 3 years after the surgery; the other patient did not return subsequently. The result of this study shows that thyrotoxicosis is not a rare condition in Ethiopia.


This thesis answers the question as to how, and to what extent, women's social welfare needs are provided for in Jordan. Using a liberal feminist approach to social welfare policy, and acknowledging the role played by the specific historical and political experiences of states in the developing world, the thesis examines the provision of Jordanian women's social welfare needs by the state in the public arena, by the family in the private arena and by Civil Society Organisations which negotiate the space between the two arenas. The thesis demonstrates that the state has systematically failed to translate constitutional commitments to women as equitable citizens deserving of equitable social welfare provisions into reality. Its symbiotic relationship with traditional social forces has ensured that patriarchal social norms and practices have infused public social policy and created internal contradictions in the legal institutions and processes of implementation. These same patriarchal norms and practices continue to prevail within Jordanian family and tribal life, creating a situation in which women exchange the provision of their basic social needs by the family in return for subordinating themselves to a second-class status of dependency and vulnerability. Civil Society Organisations are similarly constrained by the patriarchal influences within the state, and have developed strategies which acknowledge that women's social welfare provision in the long term is dependent on democratisation processes which build direct relations between the state and its citizens, unmediated by vested tribal interests and protected by the rule of law. The thesis concludes that liberal feminist understandings of women's social welfare provisions as being located within the state-citizenship dichotomy enable us to identify the particular issues arising for developing states in meeting women's needs.


The Participatory Action Research had aims to promote and study the results of school management in Thai traditional medicine in two Primary school and a Secondary school in Maka subdistrict, Kantarawichai district, Mahasarahkham Province. The result found that all of three school have suitable with Basic Education , 2001 under the Ministry of Education responsibility which have a content in Occupation Learning and Technology subjects. The course syllabus of the second Primary school level; level 4-6, totally seven hours. According to the Secondary school in third level (1-3) has six units in Local Herbs 2, totally thirty hours. After teaching trials in each school in one symester this research found that the students in Maka primary school passed the test average 41, 37.6 and 30.9 scores; totally 50 scores in primary level 4, 5 and 6 respectively. By the way, the result of teaching evaluation found that teacher used mass media in low level but the self assessment in teaching behavior, student understanding had a good level. According to general teaching behaviour had all completed. In Kai Nui primary school, students had passed the test average 41.75 and 34.85 scores; totally 50 scores which separated in two groups respectively. Teaching evaluation found that teaching management by school administrator had a good quaility at 4.03, 4.37 and 4.80 scores; totally 5 level scores. In Maka Pitayakhom secondary school, students in class 1/1, 1/2 and 1/3 had passed the test average 43.8, 39.8 and 40.73 scores; totally 50 scores respectively. Three times teaching evaluation found that teacher had a good taugh quality at 3.87, 4.10 and 4.77 scores; totally 5 level scores. Key word : Teaching and learning management


Background This study sought to investigate the association between the ERCC1/2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the efficacy of radiotherapy and prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods We examined 6 SNPs in the ERCC1 and ERCC2 genes in 87 consecutive patients with NSCLC who were treated with definitive radiotherapy. The objective remission rates (ORR), overall survival (OS), and progressive-free survival (PFS) were assessed. A Cox regression analysis was conducted to analyze the independent factors related to death and recurrence. Result Patients with the G allele had better OS than patients with the A allele, and there was a statistical difference between the two groups (30.9 vs. 16.2 months; P=0.003). Patients with the AA genotype had significantly worse OS than patients with the AG or GG genotypes (6.8 vs. 19.8 vs. 30.9 months, respectively; P=0.000). The median PFS of the G allele was 18.9 months, which was significantly better than that of the A allele (P=0.040). The median PFS of patients with the GG genotype, the AG genotype, and the AA genotype was 18.9, 11.3, and 5.1 months, respectively; the difference among the three groups was statistically significant (P=0.019). Patients with the G allele also had better PFS than those with the A allele (18.9 vs. 11.3 months, P=0.040). The multivariate cox proportional hazard analysis showed that the ERCC1 gene rs11615 was an independent survival indicator [HR: 1.623, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.018–2.591, P=0.042] but not an independent recurrence indicator (HR: 1.497, 95% CI: 0.932–2.404, P=0.095). Conclusions The ERCC1 rs11615 SNP may be a potential biomarker for predicting survival prognosis in Chinese NSCLC patients who have undergone definitive radiotherapy. Patients with the G allele had better OS than those with the A allele.


The only reliable method of preserving the remaining bone structure is by maintaining the functional health of the teeth. The dentist's role can range from simple treatment to full-mouth rehabilitation and partially edentulous patients have many treatment options ranging from FPD, RPD to dental implants. Furthermore, the use of copings and precision attachments on the remaining teeth enhances the retention of the denture. Studies have also demonstrated that precision-attachment partials dentures last longer, wear less, needless adjustments, look better, work better, less destructive, protect abutment teeth, and are easier to clean. Magnets increase retention of partial or complete dentures and overdentures regardless of the path of insertion. Magnets are easy to use alone or together with any type of retainer. This clinical report describes a novel method of fabricating a tooth-supported Removable Partial Denture in lower arch retained with magnetic attachment, to enhance retention and stability of the prosthesis and overcome the drawback of extracoronal attachment which could affect the aesthetics.


: Single-point incremental forming (SPIF) has emerged as a time-efficient approach that offers increased material formability compared to conventional sheet-metal forming techniques. However, the physical interaction between the forming tool and the sheet poses challenges, such as tool wear and formability limits. This study introduces a novel sheet-forming technique called contactless single-point incremental forming (CSPIF), which uses hot compressed air as a deformation tool, eliminating the requirement for physical interaction between the sheet and a rigid forming tool. In this study, a polycarbonate sheet was chosen as the case-study material and subjected to the developed CSPIF. The experiments were carried out at an air temperature of 160 ◦ C, air pressure of 1 bar, a nozzle speed of 750 mm/min, and a step-down thickness of 0.75 mm. A Schlieren setup and a thermal camera were used to visualize the motion of the compressed hot air as it traveled from the nozzle to the sheet. The results showed that the CSPIF technique allowed for the precise shaping of the polycarbonate sheet with minimal springback. However, minor deviations from the designed profile were observed, primarily at the starting point of the nozzle, which can be attributed to the bending effects of the sample. In addition, the occurrence of sheet thinning and material buildup on the deformed workpiece was also observed. The average surface roughness (Ra) of the deformed workpiece was measured to be 0.2871 microns.


The description of possibilities of the developed computer systems and their use for the statistic analysis of data of operation of the rolling stock is given.


Objectives: To examine the influence of a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) on the length of stay (LOS) for patients receiving total hip replacement (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) procedures. Methods: A before-and-after design was used. Data were collected on all THR and TKR procedures at Hammersmith Hospital from 1993–96. A regression approach was used to examine the influence of PACS on LOS. Factors such as patient age, sex, and physician were controlled for. Results: Type of admission and discharge, month of procedure, complications, and number of procedures all significantly influenced LOS for patients undergoing THR. For patients receiving TKR, age, sex, admission, prosthetic complications, number of procedures, and PACS significantly influenced LOS. Conclusions: While this study shows an apparent reduction of 25% in the average LOS for TKR patients at the time PACS was introduced, this is unlikely to be a true PACS effect and no similar reduction in LOS was shown for THR patients.


The principal achievements and the modern trends in the development of the chemistry of elemental phosphorus are analysed, described systematically and generalised. The possibilities and advantages of the preparation of organophosphorus compounds directly from white phosphorus are demonstrated. Attention is focused on the activation and transformation of elemental phosphorus in the coordination sphere of transition metal complexes. The mechanisms of the reactions of white phosphorus with nucleophilic and electrophilic reagents are discussed. Electrochemical approaches to the synthesis of organic phosphorus derivatives based on white phosphorus are considered.


Increasing demand for cooling in field of air-conditioning, refrigeration, vaccine storage and food preservation lead to emission of more CFC gas and more consumption of electricity. Thermoelectric cooling is the new alternative because when it is supplied with dc supply it creates temperature difference as an output, without any environmental effect [1]. Effectively we are using TEC systems having advantages over the alternatives present till date, such as light in weight, high reliability, compact in size no mechanical moving parts and no working fluids. Peltier effect of thermoelectric cooling is the concept under which the cooling operation is going to be done. In this paper the study on the thermoelectric cooling using Peltier devices with the precised output, results has been obtained [3]. Also with hardware modelling of medication box to store medicines so as to maintain their potentiancy and effectiveness which will hold a major contribution in medical applications. As seen from the previous years, with the increase in the population the chances of the diseases and the accidents have been increased. It became necessary that the cure for this event, disease or an accident, must available on time when required. This paper deals with the concept that will help to store these lifesaving medicines in a more efficient way [5]. Different medicines need different temperatures for storage to maintain its potentiancy and effectiveness, some may need cold storage some may need probably high temperature. Considering all these in mind we have designed and fabricate thermoelectric cooling system having advantages over conventional cooling devices, such as compact size, light in weight, high reliability, no mechanical moving parts, no working fluids and eco-friendly. This model i.e. smart thermoelectric medication box holds tremendous advantages over available traditional alternatives.


Wars that are equal to human history do not just take place on the front. The effects of the war are seen in all societies on which the results are reflected. There is a direct connection between the pre-war positions of individuals who make up the society and their positions after the war. The problem of individual whose existence and destiny differs from the community and class he/she belongs to is one of the common trends of Orhan Kemalʹs writing, especially in the story named Dünyada Harp Vardı! In the story, the great crisis in the world during the historical process, problems, contradictions and dilemmas related to the individual increase and deepen in countless variety. The story tells the individualsʹ own stories and universal stories in the state of war. For this reason, the story makes facts visible through fictional worlds against the given world and reality. The text, which exemplifies the relationship between the Second World War and the individual, conveys the problem of individual, self-perception, social collapse, and perception of prison. In the article, the views of the war ranging from society to the individual will be examined based on the story named Dünyada Harp Vardı!


Transparent ceramics are usually polycrystalline materials, which are wildly used in many optical applications, such as lasers. As of today, the fabrication of transparent ceramic structures is still limited to conventional fabrication methods, which do not enable the formation of complex structures. A new approach for 3D printing of micrometer‐size, transparent ceramic structures is presented. By using a solution of metal salts that can undergo a sol–gel process and photopolymerization by two‐photon printing, micrometer‐sized yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) structures doped with neodymium (Nd) are fabricated. The resulting structures are not only transparent in the visible spectrum but can also emit light at 1064 nm due to the doping with Nd. By using solution‐based precursors, without any particles, the sintering can be performed under air at ambient pressure and at a relatively low temperature, compared to conventional processes for YAG. The crystalline structure is imaged at atomic resolution by ultrahigh‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), indicating that the doped Nd atoms are located at the yttrium positions. Such miniaturized structures can be used for diverse applications, e.g., optical components in high‐intensity laser systems, which require heat resistance, or as light sources in optical circuits.


Abstract 1801

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia seen in Western countries, primarily in the elderly, with a median age of diagnosis of 72 years. CLL is characterized by the aggressive accumulation of monoclonal peripheral (mature) CD5+ B cells in primary and secondary lymphoid tissues. Several classes of drugs currently exist to treat CLL and these include - nitrogen mustard alkylating agents, purine analogs, monoclonal antibodies, cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors, BTK and PI3K inhibitors. CLL can become resistant to existing therapies necessitating the need for identification of new targets and therapeutic strategies. Unique metabolic dependencies of cancer cells have been identified, further investigation of which could provide tumor cell specific targeting modalities. A myriad of tumor cells exhibit increased glucose uptake and metabolism of glucose via the in-efficient glycolytic pathway, a phenomenon first described by Warburg in the 1900's. Restriction of glucose utilization and metabolism has been shown to chemosensitize and/or elicit toxicity in a wide range of cancers.

CLL metabolism is a relatively unexplored area. We sought to determine the dependency of CLL on glucose metabolism. As there are currently no CLL cell lines we used primary patient samples for these studies. CLL cells harvested from PBMCs were cultured in both glucose free and glucose containing media. Our results show that when CLL cells are cultured in these media, there is variation in sensitivity to glucose deprivation ranging from very sensitive to highly resistant ([Figure 1][1]). We have investigated possible resistance mechanisms and alternate sources of energy in CLL that could be responsible for maintaining viability even during glucose-withdrawal. We first investigated a role for glutamine. CLL cells sensitive to glucose withdrawal and cultured in the absence of glutamine, did not exhibit enhanced toxicity. These results suggest that cells resistant to glucose withdrawal were not maintaining viability via glutamine metabolism. The role of the mitochondrial metabolism was also investigated. We observed that when the CLL cells are cultured in the absence of glucose and are substituted with galactose, there is a rescue effect, with cell viability being restored. This rescue effect is also observed (although not to the same extent as with galactose) when the CLL cells in the absence of glucose are treated with 2-methylpyruvate (2MP). 2MP feeds directly into the mitochondria and can bypass the glycolytic pathway. CLL cells were also treated with metformin, which is complex-1 inhibitor, and we observed enhanced cell death. The results with galactose, 2MP and metformin all suggest that mitochondrial metabolism is an integral part of CLL metabolism, potentially playing a compensatory role upon glucose-withdrawal. The role of autophagy was also investigated and, using chloroquine we observed that autophagy was pro-survival in CLL patient samples.

In summary we have observed varying sensitivity of CLL patient samples to glucose deprivation, and identified resistance mechanisms and alternative sources of energy in CLL cells. The reduction of extracellular glucose has been shown to induce resistance of normal cells to DNA damaging therapeutics, and enhancement of sensitivity in cancer cells, suggesting that glycolysis inhibition may expand the therapeutic window of currently used therapeutics. Targeting these unique metabolic dependencies in CLL could provide strategies to chemo-sensitize and target CLL more effectively with less toxicity.

![Figure 1:][2]

Figure 1:
Variable sensitivity of CLL patient samples to 48-hour glucose free culture

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

 [1]: #F1
 [2]: pending:yes


Photosynthetic response to water stress was analyzed in 1-year-old interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss x P. engelmanni Parry hybrid complex) seedlings and emblings produced from somatic embryogenesis. Carbon dioxide uptake, oxygen evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence at 20 degrees C were monitored as predawn shoot water potential (Psi) decreased. Concurrently with stomatal closure, carbon assimilation declined rapidly as Psi decreased to -1.0 MPa. Oxygen evolution at 10,000 micro l CO(2) l(-1) declined continuously as Psi decreased to -1.6 MPa. At photon flux densities (PFD) above 50 micro mol m(-2) s(-1), photochemical efficiency of photosystem (PS) II observed during actinic light exposure (Phi(II), calculated as DeltaF/F(m)') decreased as Psi decreased. At the same PFDs, photochemical quenching (q(P)) declined with decreasing Psi and nonphotochemical quenching (q(N)) increased steadily. At PFDs below 50 micro mol m(-2) s(-1), major decreases in q(N) were not observed until Psi decreased below -1.6 MPa. We identified three phases of photosynthetic response to progressive water stress in interior spruce: a pronounced decline in gas exchange, subsequent photoprotective changes in chlorophyll fluorescence as primary photochemistry was down-regulated, and a decline in photochemical efficiency of dark-adapted needles.


Parallel NFS (pNFS) extends Network File System version 4.1(NFSv4.1)
to allow clients to directly access file data on the storage used by
the NFSv4.1 server. This ability to bypass the server for data access
can increase both performance and parallelism, but requires additional
client functionality for data access, some of which is dependent on
the class of storage used, a.k.a. the Layout Type. The main pNFS
operations and data types in NFSv4 Minor version 1 specify a layout-
type-independent layer; layout-type-specific information is conveyed
using opaque data structures whose internal structure is further
defined by the particular layout type specification. This document
specifies the NFSv4.1 Lustre pNFS Layout Type as a companion to the
main NFSv4 Minor version 1 specification.


Owing to an undergraduate demographic transition in STEM, Latinx students are likely to work with faculty from different backgrounds when participating in undergraduate research experiences (UREs). However, the effects of mentor–mentee demographic discordance on student STEM development are unclear. This paper examines how mentoring discordance affects Latinx students' intentions to pursue graduate school and research productivity. We collected data from participants in a multiyear, multi‐institutional URE program (n = 171 dyads), which we analyzed using multivariable generalized estimating equations. Results indicate that compared with gender concordance, gender discordance was associated with a 17% increase in intent to pursue graduate school for Latina students. Compared with racial/ethnic concordance, racial/ethnic discordance was associated with a 38% increase in intent to pursue graduate school for Latino students. When paired with gender discordant mentors, Latina students were 70% less likely to present their URE projects at a professional conference. When faculty mentors were culturally competent and interacted with mentees frequently, Latinx students became more interested in pursuing graduate school. Because mentors from different demographic backgrounds contribute to the development of Latinx STEM students in varied ways, URE program directors should integrate opportunities for multiple mentorships.


Pericytes are multipotent perivascular cells whose involvement in vasculature development is well established. Evidences in the literature also suggest that pericytes display immune properties and that these cells may serve as an in vivo reservoir of stem cells, contributing to the regeneration of diverse tissues. Pericytes are also capable of tumor homing and are important cellular components of the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review, we highlight the contribution of pericytes to some classical hallmarks of cancer, namely, tumor angiogenesis, growth, metastasis, and evasion of immune destruction, and discuss how collectively these hallmarks could be tackled by therapies targeting pericytes, providing a rationale for cancer drugs aiming at the TME.


This paper describes two augmented nylon-string guitar projects developed in different institutions. GuitarAMI uses sensors to modify the classical guitars constraints while GuiaRT uses digital signal processing to create virtual guitarists that interact with the performer in real-time. After a bibliographic review of Augmented Musical Instruments (AMIs) based on guitars, we present the details of the two projects and compare them using an adapted dimensional space representation. Highlighting the complementarity and cross-influences between the projects, we propose avenues for future collaborative work.


Trust in financial institutions is of great importance for financial intermediation. Against this background, we study two questions: Has trust in banks declined during the global financial crisis and what factors determine the level of trust in banks? Employing survey evidence from Austrian households, we show that trust in banks is mainly affected by "subjective" variables like the individuals' assessment of the current economic and financial situation and by their future outlooks. After controlling for these variables we show that the financial crisis has caused a reduction in trust (≈ -7.5pp) which is sizable but not dramatic. Even at its lowest point (in the first quarter of 2009) 65% still report to have trust in the banking system, which is a higher percentage than for many other institutions. Furthermore, the drop is only slightly larger than the drop observed after a small, non-systemic crisis that occurred in 2006. Thus, the much-stressed notion of a genuine "trust crisis" is not reflected in our data. Finally, we provide evidence that the degree of individual information does not influence trust, that banking trust is contagious and that the extension of deposit insurance coverage in October 2008 had a positive effect on trust.


The hydrodynamic interactions of a swimming bacterium with a neighboring surface can cause it to swim in circles. For example, when E. coli is above a solid surface it had been observed to swim in a clockwise direction. By contrast we observe that, when swimming near a liquid-air interface, the sense of rotation is reversed. We quantitatively account for this through the hydrodynamic interaction of the bacterium with its own mirror image swimming on the opposite side of a perfect-slip boundary. The strength of the coupling is reduced for longer cells, where the torque is spread over a larger length, resulting in longer bacteria swimming in larger circles. We confirm this through precise video measurements of bacterial trajectories and orientations.


The two main hormonal events of a woman9s life, menarche and menopause, have a paramount impact on the duration of exposure to estrogen. Reproductive aging phenotypes, including age at menarche (AM) and age at natural menopause (ANM) have been consistently associated with breast cancer risk. Despite an estimated strong genetic component, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for AM and ANM found that common variants identified to date account for only 7.4% for SNPs related to AM and 2.5-4.1% for ANM. As most previous GWAS on AM and ANM were conducted in women of European ancestry (EA), studies examining genetic components of reproductive aging in African-American (AA) women are needed. We hypothesize that although the index GWAS variants discovered in EA women may differ from those in AA women, rare and low-frequency causal variants may reside in the same genetic regions. A candidate analysis of previously identified GWAS variants and genes in association with AM, ANM was conducted in the African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk (AMBER) Consortium. All SNPs within a 500kb window of previously discovered GWAS SNPs for AM and ANM were extracted from the Illumina Human Exome Beadchip v1.1, leading to 1,505 candidate SNPs from 125 genes for AM and 1,198 candidate SNPs from 35 genes for ANM in a total of 7,886 AA subjects. Single SNP association tests were run in PLINK using linear regressions for the continuous trend test for AM/ANM and logistic regression for the extreme AM phenotype ( =≥15 years). The SKAT-O test for the gene-based analyses was performed using the SKAT R package to aggregate variants with an MAF upper bound of 5%. The top variants related to AM were two SNPs, rs314277 (β=0.11, MAF= 0.45, p=6.24E-05) and rs4742314 (β= -0.11, MAF= 0.39, p=6.44E-05), located in LIN28B and KDM4C respectively. rs974828 (RORA, MAF= 0.23, OR=0.71, p=0.0003) and rs314277 (p=0.0007) were found to be the top variants in association with the extreme AM phenotype. For ANM, rs16991615, located in MCM8, was the most significant variant associated with increased ANM ((β=2.06, MAF= 0.01, p=0.0005). rs314277 (LIN28B) has been previously associated with AM, and rs16991615 (MCM8) had also been related to ANM in previous GWAS in EAs. In gene-based analysis for AM, SLC38A3 (p=0.0007) and WDR6 (p= 0.003) were nominally significant; and EPS8L1 (p= 0.005) and RBM6 (p= 0.01) were associated with the AM phenotype. For ANM, RBMS2 (p= 0.006) was nominally significant in gene-based analysis. This is to date the largest study in AA women for reproductive life events to interrogate rare and low-frequency variants, which are beyond the spectrum of common variants in previous GWAS. Although the overall replication success rate is low, our analyses identified several rare and low-frequency variants in regions from previous GWAS. Our data contributed to the literature on genetic variation for reproductive aging in AA women. Citation Format: Marie V. Coignet, Qianqian Zhu, David G. Cox, Kathryn Lunetta, Elisa V. Bandera, Christopher Haiman, Andrew Olshan, Julie Palmer, Christine Ambrosone, Song Yao. Single variant and gene-based replication analysis of reproductive aging in African American women in the AMBER Consortium [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 226.


The main objective of the research was to present the opinion of the local community on the tourist attractiveness of the commune of Siemiatycze (Podlasie province) and selected factors of agritourism development. In order to fully and objectively recognise such factors, empirical material was collected with the use of the diagnostic survey method and survey questionnaire. Research was conducted in May 2019 and the questionnaire was sent to commune inhabitants. 52 respondents took part in the research. In addition, the author used the method of CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) with 11 owners of overnight accommodation facilities operating in Siemiatycze commune. Research shows that the tourist attractiveness of the commune has a significant impact on the level of agritourism development. In addition, the majority of surveyed residents (73.1%) considered the area of the Siemiatycze commune as conducive to the development of tourism and agritourism. In their opinion, the area of the commune is rich in natural and cultural values and is characterized by high forest cover, the occurrence of meadows, ponds and rivers. The majority of respondents (80.1%) believed that the development of agritourism could increase the income of the population and raise the standard of living. Only 15.4% of respondents believed that agritourism could bring negative effects, e.g. taking over negative patterns of behaviour (especially young people), destroying traditional equipment and buildings, and the aversion of the community towards visitors.


The purpose of this paper is to analyze the JPY/USD and the CAD/USD forward exchange premiums by adopting the ARCH/GARCH modeling, given its descriptive and predictive advantages. We estimate a symmetric linear model by taking into account the effect of the mean and the conditional variance in a univariate framework. The estimation results show that the shocks induced by the volatility are very persistent, so that forecasts of the conditional variance converge very slowly to the regular state. This shows the relevance of the heteroscedastic GARCH-in-Mean model in the estimation of the forward premium on the international foreign exchange markets. This result may have several important implications for monetary policy in most developing countries.


Carbon steel, a workhorse of many industries, loses its usefulness above 538°C (1000°F) both due to strength degradation and corrosion. Alloy steels with chromium and molybdenum additions have expanded the useful temperature range of high temperature applications. However, with the increasing severity of high temperature environments encountered in modern day industries, there has been a singular lack of alloys, which can provide a combination of properties such as good mechanical strength and high temperature corrosion resistance to various modes of degradation (oxidation, carburization, metal dusting, etc.) up to 1200°C. This paper describes the development of one such nickel base alloy – alloy 602CA (UNS N06025) , which has provided a unique combination of properties by optimization of various alloying elements. This alloy since its introduction to the market in the early 1990's , has found numerous applications in the heat treat industry, annealing furnaces, furnace rolls, furnace belts, heat treat baskets, hydrogen reformer by-pass ducts, chemical vapor deposition retorts, serpentine grids, direct reduction of iron-ore technology to produce sponge-iron, calciners to produce very high purity alumina, calciners for chrome-iron ore for producing ferro-chrome, calciners to reclaim spent nickel catalysts, catalytic converters and glow plugs in the automotive industry, refineries, petrochemical industries, nuclear waste vitrification processes and many others. A brief description of some of these applications is presented in this paper.


The distraction method is one method used to measure forward bending of the spine. Although this technique, which requires the use of a tape measure held over the spine and the location of anatomical landmarks, appears to be highly practical, previous studies have not examined its use for measuring backward bending. The purpose of our study was to determine the reliability of a similar technique, the attraction method, for measuring backward bending of the lumbar spine and to examine whether subjects with low back pain (LBP) could perform similar motion as subjects without LBP. Two groups composed of 100 subjects each, one with "significant" limiting low back pain (SLBP) and the other without "significant" limiting low back pain (NSLBP), were evaluated twice by a physical therapist to assess intrarater reliability. To assess interrater reliability, 11 subjects from the NSLBP Group were evaluated by a second therapist. For the total sample of 200 subjects, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for intrarater reliability was .95; for the SLBP Group, the ICC was .93; and for the NSLBP Group, the ICC was .90. For the sample of 11 NSLBP Group subjects examined for interrater reliability, the ICC was .94. Using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, we found the distribution for backward bending of the two groups to be significantly different. The attraction method, thus, appears to be a reliable method for measuring backward bending of the lumbar spine.


Abstract:The study of Africana religiosity has often focused on African influences on African diaspora religiosity but rarely the other way round, that is, on African diaspora influences on African religiosity. The rare instance when the focus was on African diaspora influence on African religiosity was the case of Black theology. However, when Black theology came to the continent, it was mired in the debate of its relevance to Africans. This debate was prosecuted by John Mbiti and James Cone in the 1970s. While the debate centered on Christian theology, this article reads it as raising the larger question of the relevance of African diaspora religiosity in Africa. It argues for the need to seriously study African diaspora religiosity in Africa, noting that such study may provide theoretical tools with which to understand the development of African religiosity in the continent and the African predicament in the modern world.


The cochlear nucleus receives incoming auditory nerve discharges, preserves or transforms the signals, and distributes outgoing activity to higher centers. The organization of auditory nerve input to the cochlear nucleus will heavily influence the mechanisms by which acoustic information is processed. In order to study structure‐function relationships between auditory nerve and cochlear nucleus, the axonal arborizations of type I spiral ganglion cells were labeled with intracellular injections of horseradish peroxidase after first being electrophysiologically characterized by recording with a micropipette inserted into the axon. For each auditory nerve fiber, spontaneous discharge rate (SR) and a frequency tuning curve were determined. The tuning curve yielded the characteristic frequency (CF, that frequency to which the fiber is most sensitive) and CF threshold in dB SPL. Individual axonal arborizations including all terminal swellings were reconstructed through serial sections with the aid of a light microscope and drawing tube. On average, 13.4 ± 8.1% of the terminal swellings were found in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) and the remaining terminal swellings were located in the ventral cochlear nucleus. In the DCN, the terminal fields of auditory nerve fibers were restricted to layer III, contributed to cytoarchitectonic striations, and exhibited a systematic relationship between fiber CF and position along the strial (or long) axis of the nucleus. Computer‐aided rotations revealed that the terminal fields were anisotropic, being flattened within the trans‐strial axis. The maximal width of the terminal fields along the strial axis ranged from 31–321 μm and was inversely related to fiber CF and SR. Variation in the number of terminals or depth of the terminal field within layer III was not related to SR grouping or CF of the fiber. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


In this paper, we propose an application of adaptive FIR filter algorithm for echo cancellation applications. The proposed algorithm differs from the conventional one by the construction of input signals on an optimal way using the nonlinear experiment design named Doptimal experiment design. The advantages in using the proposed adaptive FIR echo canceller as an initialization process in the first phase of each telephone call is demonstrated through simulation results. With respect to the obtained results, the D-optimal input sequence should be adapted properly to the changes in the telephone network topology caused by any new line connection.


Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are well known as excipients in tablet dosage formulations. PEGs are generally known to be inert and have very few interactions with other components in the solid dosage forms. However, the physical nature of PEGs and how they affect the disintegration of tablets is not very well understood for the different molecular weights of PEGs. The knowledge of the effect of molecular weight of PEGs on their physical properties and the effect of humidity on the physical properties of PEGs are important parameters for the choice of a PEG to be acceptable as an excipient in pharmaceutical formulations. This study was done to determine the precision of the DSC physical properties for a wide range of PEGs with varying molecular weights from 194 to 23000 daltons. Nine different molecular weights of PEGs were examined in a DSC controlled Heat-Cool-Heat-Cool-Heat (HCHCH) cycle and the observed reproducible values of melting temperature, heat of fusion, crystallization temperature and the heat of crystallization were compared with values obtained from the literature and the observed percent crystallinity was again cross-checked by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) studies. The comparison values indicated acceptable precision. This study was also done to check the effect of humidity on the DSC physical properties for the entire range of PEGs. The results indicated that humidity probably has a higher effect on the physical properties of the low molecular weight PEGs as compared to the high molecular weight PEGs.


ABSTRACT:This essay argues that we should look for the reemergence of Orientalism as an offshoot of the war on terror in Arab American fiction rather than exclusively in life narratives by Middle Eastern women writers living in exile in the United States. The examination of Alicia Erian's début novel, Towelhead (2005), listed among the New York Times 100 most notable books of the year in 2005, adapted to the screen by Alan Ball, and one of the most commercially successful Arab American books, reveals Arab American fiction as a site for imagining Arabs and their belonging after 9/11. Inspired by the author's life, the novel establishes the American domestic sphere as a significant battlefield against the encroachment of allegedly threatening cultures. Set in Texas during the first Gulf War, the text describes an Arab father's brutal treatment of his thirteen-year-old Arab American daughter, foregrounding the clash of cultures between East and West within the United States. Whereas critics imply that the title of the book is gratuitous and that the novel does not really deal with race, I contend that it does but in unexpected ways. Though an Arab American novel, Towelhead is more aligned with what Lila Abu-Lughod labeled as "literary trafficking" and what others have called "native-informant" life narratives. In fact, the novel is at odds with dominant conventions found in American ethnic fiction, whereby race and racialization are thoroughly public phenomena. Here, it is the domestic which is the key site for racialization, and processes of race-making are inextricably bound up with gender. Set against a backdrop of US military interventions in the Middle East and the war on terror, the novel politicizes domesticity to question the assimilation of Arab immigrants in the United States, summoning the idea of "enemy within." As such, Towelhead extends the longstanding colonial practice of appropriating feminism to justify imperialist intervention. However, it parodies mainstream US representations of Middle Eastern women saved by the American army and calls for a softer rescue.


The paper presents a novel algorithm for the registration of free-form shapes represented by two sets of points before and after a rigid body motion. First, the geometric properties of reflected correspondence vectors are analysed, yielding a number of rigid motion constraints bridging the points described in different coordinate frames before and after the rigid motion. Then, a novel algorithm is developed for the registration of free-form shapes, making full use of the rigid motion constraints to cope with false matches that occur in almost every iteration of the ICP algorithm. In order to improve the accuracy of the motion parameter estimation and computational efficiency, the Monte Carlo resampling technique and a median filter are employed. A number of experiments based on both synthetic data and real images demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is accurate and robust.


First data on coherent threshold π electroproduction from the deuteron taken by the A1 Collabo r ti n at the Mainz Microtron MAMI are presented. At a four-momentum transfer of q = −0.1 GeV/c the full solid angle was covered up to a centerof-mass energy of 4 MeV above threshold. By means of a Rosenbl uth separation the longitudinal threshold s wave multipole and an upper limit for the transverse threshold s wave multipole could be extracted and compared to predictio ns of Heavy Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory.


On 14 November 2006, the High Court handed down its long-awaited decision in the Workplace Relations Case. By a majority of 5:2, the Court rejected all of the challenges by the States and unions to the constitutional validity of the Federal Government's new workplace relations laws, which were passed in December last year. For many commentators, the High Court's adoption of a broad construction of the corporations power has implications that extend far beyond the specific field of industrial relations.


The general procedure of thermal optimisation in the sand casting process is addressed. Various aspects of design including the size and position of feeders and chills are discussed and practical approaches are presented to search for optimum design configurations. An algorithm is also presented for finding the optimum size, position and number of chills in a sand casting process. The presence of the chill(s) in the casting configuration is simulated using a one‐dimensional heat conduction model and proper inter‐facial heat transfer coefficients. The method is efficient as all computations are carried out on the same grid and there is no need for re‐meshing due to re‐sizing or re‐positioning of the chills. A finite element thermal analysis module is linked to a commercial optimisation tool to search for the optimum set of design variables and a computationally efficient sensitivity analysis method is introduced. Three sand casting test cases are solved to validate and demonstrate the optimisation procedure and these show its use to determine the optimum size, location and number of feeders and chills on a section through a casting.


The Duffing oscillator is a paradigm of bistable oscillatory motion in physics, engineering, and biology. Time series of such oscillations are often observed experimentally in a nonlinear system excited by a spontaneously fluctuating force. One is then interested in estimating effective parameter values of the stochastic Duffing model from these observations-a task that has not yielded to simple means of analysis. To this end we derive theoretical formulas for the statistics of the Duffing oscillator's time series. Expanding on our analytical results, we introduce methods of statistical inference for the parameter values of the stochastic Duffing model. By applying our method to time series from stochastic simulations, we accurately reconstruct the underlying Duffing oscillator. This approach is quite straightforward-similar techniques are used with linear Langevin models-and can be applied to time series of bistable oscillations that are frequently observed in experiments.


Simple Summary Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI) are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by a defect in the function of at least one, and often more, components of the immune system. The overall risk for cancer in children with IEI ranges from 4 to 25%. Several factors, namely, age of the patient, viral infection status and IEI type can influence the development of different cancer types. Immunologists and oncologists should interact to monitor and promptly diagnose the potential development of cancer in known IEI patients, as well as an underlying IEI in newly diagnosed cancers with suggestive medical history or high rate of therapy-related toxicity. The creation of an international registry of IEI cases with detailed information on the occurrence of cancer is fundamental to optimizing the diagnostic process and to evaluating the outcomes of new therapeutic options, with the aim of improving prognosis and reducing comorbidities. Abstract Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI) are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by a defect in the function of at least one, and often more, components of the immune system. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the epidemiology, the pathogenesis and the correct management of tumours in patients with IEI. PubMed was used to search for all of the studies published over the last 20 years using the keywords: "inborn errors of immunity" or "primary immunodeficiency" and "cancer" or "tumour" or "malignancy". Literature analysis showed that the overall risk for cancer in children with IEI ranges from 4 to 25%. Several factors, namely, age of the patient, viral infection status and IEI type can influence the development of different cancer types. The knowledge of a specific tumour risk in the presence of IEI highlights the importance of a synergistic effort by immunologists and oncologists in tracking down the potential development of cancer in known IEI patients, as well as an underlying IEI in patients with newly diagnosed cancers. In the current genomic era, the creation of an international registry of IEI cases integrated with malignancies occurrence information is fundamental to optimizing the diagnostic process and to evaluating the outcomes of new therapeutic options, with the hope to obtain a better prognosis for these patients.


Objective: To identify the impact of a collaborative pharmaceutical care service (CPCS) on medication safety and establish the impact of the CPCS on patient reported outcomes for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Methods: Initially, PD outpatients receiving the CPCS between March 2017 and March 2019 were compared with PD patients receiving standard of care to identify differences in management. Pharmacist interventions data were coded and patients with PD receiving the CPCS were compared with those receiving standard of care to determine differences in medicines prescribed and dosage associated with these. Following this, data of patients receiving CPCS at baseline and 3-months follow-up were collected using a questionnaire consisting of validated measures of two patient-reported outcomes [adherence and quality of life (QoL)]. Mean scores for continuous variables were calculated, with descriptive analysis of categorical variables consisting of frequency counts and percentages. Change in adherence score before and after CPCS was investigated using a Wilcoxon sign rank sum test, spearman correlation analysis was used to correlate the changes in QoL before and after CPCS with the number of interventions, and p < 0.05 indicates that the difference is statistically significant. Results: A total of 331 PD outpatients received CPCS over 490 outpatient visits with an average age of 71.83 (±12.54). Five hundred and forty-five drug related problems were recorded as pharmacist interventions, of which most involved change to dosage (n = 226, 41.47%), adverse drug reactions (n = 135, 24.77%), and change in a medication (n = 102, 18.72%). Compared with those receiving standard of care, patients receiving CPCS were significantly less likely to have been prescribed pramipexole (18.52 versus 23.77%, p < 0.001) and more likely to have been prescribed amantadine (5.40 versus 3.70%, p = 0.02) and selegiline (17.36 versus 11.64%, p < 0.001). Lower dosages of levodopa/benserazide (0.51 ± 0.31 g versus 0.84 ± 0.37 g, p < 0.001), levodopa/carbidopa (0.33 ± 0.23 g versus 0.66 ± 0.47 g, p < 0.001), pramipexole (1.14 ± 1.63 mg versus 1.27 ± 0.69 mg, p = 0.01), and entacapone (130.00 ± 79.76 mg versus 173.09 ± 97.86 mg, p < 0.001) were also recorded. At baseline 119 PD outpatients with an average age of 69.98 (±9.90) were recruited for the longitudinal study. At 3-month follow-up, participants reported improvement in bodily pain subscale (baseline versus 3-months follow-up, 30.04 ± 22.21 versus 23.01 ± 20.98, p = 0.037) and medication adherence (6.19 ± 1.50 versus 6.72 ± 1.73, p = 0.014). Frequency of CPCS use was related to activity of daily living subscale (p = 0.047), the bodily pain subscale (p = 0.026), and medication adherence (p = 0.011). Total score of PDQ-39 was associated with patient education (p = 0.005) and usage and dosage combined with patient education (p = 0.006), while medication adherence score was associated with usage and dosage (p = 0.005). Conclusion: The CPCS was effective in resolving drug-related problems and in improving patients' medication regimens, medication adherence, and QoL through patient education and dosage adjustments. This is the first step in the development and feasibility testing of pharmacy services for PD patients in China.


Objective: Several clinical and epidemiologic studies have reported disparate data on the prevalence rate as well as risk factors associated with placenta previa - a major cause of third-trimester bleeding. We performed a systematic literature review and identified 58 studies on placenta previa published between 1966 and 2000. Study design: Each study was reviewed independently by the two authors and was scored (on the basis of established criteria) on method of diagnosis of placenta previa and on quality of study design. We extracted data on the prevalence rate of placenta previa, as well as associations with various risk factors from each study. A meta-analysis was then performed to determine the extent to which different risk factors predispose women to placenta previa. Results: Our results showed that the overall prevalence rate of placenta previa was 4.0 per 1000 births, with the rate being higher among cohort studies (4.6 per 1000 births), USA-based studies (4.5 per 1000 births) and hospital-based studies (4.4 per 1000 births) than among case-control studies (3.5 per 1000 births), foreign-based studies (3.7 per 1000 births) and population-based studies (3.7 per 1000 births), respectively. Advancing maternal age, multiparity, previous Cesarean delivery and abortion, smoking and cocaine use during pregnancy, and male fetuses all conferred increased risk for placenta previa. Strong heterogeneity in the associations between risk factors and placenta previa were noted by study design, accuracy in the diagnosis of placenta previa and population-based versus hospital-based studies. Conclusion: Future etiological studies on placenta previa must, at the very least, adjust for potentially confounding effects of maternal age, parity, prior Cesarean delivery and abortions.


CO2 foam is an effective method to reduce CO2 mobility and improve displacement efficiency in CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CO2 storage applications. Foam strength and stability are key parameters that influence the efficiency of the foam which depend on several factors including the presence of oil, injection velocity and rock type. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of rock type on CO2 foam strength and stability by conducting corefloods with sandstone and carbonate rocks at reservoir conditions. The effect of injection velocity and the presence of residual oil on the foam generation and displacement efficiency was also investigated.
 Steady-state CO2 injections revealed differences in foam generation, strength and stability in sandstone compared to carbonate based on the calculated apparent viscosities. Results showed that the strongest foam was generated in sandstone compared to carbonates because of higher absolute permeability. Drainage-like co-injections with increasing gas fraction showed the relation between rock permeability and the limiting capillary pressure and co-injection at different injection velocities revealed shear-thinning foam rheology in both rock types. Despite stronger foam generation in sandstone, unsteady-state CO2 injections showed similar oil displacement efficiency in both rock types. CO2 foam increased oil recovery by 200% in both rocks compared to CO2 injection without foam. In addition, foam showed a significant impact on water displacement compared to pure CO2 injection which is advantageous for CO2 storage applications. Water recovery during CO2 EOR was 60% in sandstone and 88% in limestone. Dissolution of calcite was observed in limestone, which increased pore space and the CO2 storage capacity. Overall, the results indicate that CO2 foam generation, stability and coalescence are sensitive to rock permeability and pore geometry in the conducted experiments.


This paper describes the latest development in the area of silicon nanocrystal memory. Since Tiwari introduced the device concept in 1996 (Tiwari et al., 1996), much progress has been made in the areas of nanocrystal deposition, stack engineering, process integration, cell operation, and array architecture. Instead of giving a broad review of the art of semiconductor memories made with quantum dots or nanoparticles, a narrower focused update of the Freescale implementation of the silicon nanocrystal memory as an embedded flash solution is highlighted here


A new theoretical formalism is developed for the study of the mechanical behaviour of magneto-sensitive elastomers (MSEs) under a uniform external magnetic field. This formalism allows us to combine macroscopic continuum-mechanics and microscopic approaches for complex analysis of MSEs with different shapes and with different particle distributions. It is shown that starting from a model based on an explicit discrete particle distribution one can separate the magnetic field inside the MSE into two contributions: one which depends on the shape of the sample with finite size and the other, which depends on the local spatial particle distribution. The magneto-induced deformation and the change of elastic modulus are found to be either positive or negative, their dependences on the magnetic field being determined by a non-trivial interplay between these two contributions. Mechanical properties are studied for two opposite types of coupling between the particle distribution and the magneto-induced deformation: absence of elastic coupling and presence of strong affine coupling. Predictions of a new formalism are in a qualitative agreement with existing experimental data.


. Bubble mediated processes such as gas transfer and bubble-burst aerosol production have long been of geophysical interest. In contrast, the bubble generation by bubble bursting remains unquantified. Based on a series of laboratory experiments, evidence for bubble production by bursting bubbles is presented as well as the bubble distribution produced by this mechanism for salt and fresh water.


The effect of replacing the nitrogen of the air by other diluents, such as CO2, A and He, on the limits of propagation of flame in hydrogen and methane mixtures has been determined. The results indicate that the flame is only propagated if a certain minimum temperature can be maintained in the flame boundary, which is approximately constant for a given combustible. The specific heat of the mixture and heat of combustion of the combustible constituents determine whether the flame is propagated; differences of thermal conductivity are only great enough in hydrogen mixtures or in mixtures containing helium to have a pronounced influence. It is possible to estimate the upper limits in oxygen from the value of the lower limit in air for mixtures which are completely burnt, but with the hydrocarbons which are not completely burnt to CO2 such estimate cannot easily be made. The lower limits for n-pentane, i^o-pentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane and 2, 2, 4-tri-methyl pentane have been carefully redetermined. The heat of combustion multiplied by the percentage of hydrocarbons in the lower limit mixture is not quite constant, but more heat is required to maintain the combustion of the higher hydrocarbons. Other evidence is mentioned in support of the view that flame limits are determined by a certain minimum temperature representing a certain minimum reaction rate at the flame boundary, the flame being maintained, not by the pre-heating and consequent reaction of the mixture, but chiefly by radicals provided by the flame.


For underwater transducers mounted on small platforms, reactive electrical power can constitute a main restriction on the usable frequency range. The frequency range in which the amount of reactive power is acceptable can be increased by increasing the electromechanical coupling coefficient of the active material. However, to avoid large electrical power factor ripple, the transducer design must also have a low mechanical quality factor, $Q_{m}$. A ferroelectric single crystal can have electromechanical coupling coefficient $k=0.9$. The optimum $Q_{m}$ is then as low as 0.6, which is challenging to achieve. We investigated this challenge for a tonpilz design, by calculating $Q_{m}$ for different combinations of head masses and tonpilz stiffnesses, and by calculating the stiffness to density ratio required in the head material to avoid flexural resonances. The effective coupling coefficient of a real transducer is reduced compared to the material coupling coefficient, and in many applications some power factor ripple can be accepted. Both factors relax the $Q_{m}$ requirement. We calculated the power factor of a tonpilz design with $k=0.82$ and $Q_{m}=1.9$, and showed that the power factor ripple is smaller than 0.2 in a frequency band that is 150 % wide relative to the resonance frequency. The frequency independent matching inherent in the tonpilz gives this design an advantage regarding power factor ripple, and this can weigh up for a large $Q_{m}$. We showed this by comparing the tonpilz to an air-backed composite plate. Like the tonpilz, the composite plate had $k=0.82$, but it was matched to water by two conventional acoustic matching layers. Compared to the tonpilz, the composite design had a larger distance between the −3dB points of the acoustic power. Beyond these points, the acoustic power was however falling off more rapidly, resulting in an electrical power factor ripple of nearly 0.5.


Swelling and water resistance of black poplar wood (Populus nigra L.) modified by polymerisation in lumen with styrene. Polymerisation in lumen of black poplar (Populus nigra L.) was performed to improve wood properties related to interaction with water. Wood samples were modified with styrene or a mixture of styrene and maleic anhydride, using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. Polymerisation was conducted in closed vessels at a temperature up to 120 °C. Volume swelling and water absorbability of modified wood samples were measured. A significant decrease in the rate of water absorption was found, especially at the initial stage of soaking, resulting in 50 % decrease in volume swelling and 85 % decrease in water absorption.


We propose a coordinated shared mesh restoration scheme at sub-wavelength connection level using integrated OTN switch and CDC-ROADM nodes. The optical layer flexibility of CDC-ROADMs in the integrated node enables additional OTN line card sharing and simulation results show up to 18% savings in OTN line cards compared to classic ROADMs.


We present a comparative study of device degradation for conventional n- and p-channel MOSFET's. The experimentally determined features of degradation are investigated with a 2-D simulation including fast and slow interface states as well as channel mobility degradation due to Coulomb scattering off these charges. Three different models concerning kind and spatial distribution are studied. We present a model that self-consistently describes the observed experimental features in the pentode and subthreshold regimes of the device. Furthermore, the substrate current is included in this analysis.


Partnerships that form to advance early childhood education are influenced by history and purpose. They are enacted in diverse social, cultural, economic, geographic and educational contexts. Using the theme of 'strong and equal partnership' between family and school, and taking a theoretical standpoint that values social cohesion and the agency of the child, this paper investigates ways in which partnership developed in three different Australian contexts. Particular early childhood programs in Queensland and Western Australia, and a literacy support program in New South Wales fostered education partnerships between parents and teachers, and among professionals, as a key component of effective curriculum. The prevailing management approaches and conceptions of power in the contexts enabled partnerships to be enacted in different ways. Reflection on the program management of curriculum work may be valuable in settings where players are working to achieve a cohesive approach to early education, especially an approach that foregrounds the agency of the child.


The nonlinear dynamics of coherent zonal flows is studied with periodic boundary conditions. We study nonlinear differential equations of zonal flows, which were previously derived in an analytic wave-kinetic model. Competition between the short wavelength zonal flow and the long wavelength zonal flow is studied. Although many stable stationary solutions are allowed, the radial periodicity length turns out to be a value around a particular length, when random small amplitude perturbations are chosen as the initial flow state.


PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The present study examined the characteristics of health disparities grants funded by National Institute on Aging (NIA) from 2000 to 2010. Objectives were (a) to examine longitudinal trends in health disparities-related grants funded by NIA and (b) to identify moderators of these trends.

DESIGN AND METHODS
Our primary data source was the National Institutes of Health Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Expenditures and Results (RePORTER) system. The RePORTER data were merged with data from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. General linear models were used to examine the longitudinal trends and how these trends were associated with type of grant and institutional characteristics.

RESULTS
NIA funded 825 grants on health disparities between 2000 and 2010, expending approximately 330 million dollars. There was an overall linear increase over time in both the total number of grants and amount of funding, with an outlying spike during 2009. These trends were significantly influenced by several moderators including funding mechanism and type of institution.

IMPLICATIONS
The findings highlight NIA's current efforts to fund health disparities grants to reduce disparities among older adults. Gerontology researchers may find this information very useful for their future grant submissions.


CONTEXT
Reports of the coexistence of pituitary adenomas and pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma are uncommon. Recently germline mutations in 2 of the genes encoding succinate dehydrogenase, SDHC and SDHD, were associated with pituitary tumors.

OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to determine whether the development of a pituitary adenoma was associated with SDHA mutation.

PATIENTS
A 46-year-old female presented with carotid body paraganglioma (proband). Subsequently the proband's son was diagnosed with a nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma at age 30 years.

RESULTS
An immunohistochemical analysis of the resected paraganglioma and pituitary adenoma revealed the loss of succinate dehydrogenase subunit B and succinate dehydrogenase subunit A (SDHA) expression in both tumors, with the preservation of staining in nonneoplastic tissue. Mutation analysis showed a novel SDHA mutation (c.1873C>T, p.His625Tyr) in the germline of the proband as well as in the proband's son. In the paraganglioma of the proband, in addition to the germline mutation, a somatic mutation was observed (c.1865G>A, p.Trp622*). In the pituitary adenoma of the proband's son, loss of SDHA immunoreactivity was paradoxically accompanied by loss of the mutant allele.

CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report of a pituitary adenoma arising in the setting of germline SDHA mutation. The loss of SDHA protein expression in both the paraganglioma (proband) and pituitary adenoma (proband's son) argues strongly for a causative role of SDHA mutation. This report further strengthens the link between pituitary neoplasia and germline SDH mutation. Although pituitary adenomas appear rare among patients carrying SDH subunit mutations, they may have been underrecognized due to the low penetrance of disease and lack of systematic surveillance.


In this work the mechanical behaviour of a core reinforced composite sandwich structure is studied. The sandwich employs a Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP) orthotropic material for both the two external skins and the inner core web. In particular, the core is designed in order to cooperate with the GRP skins in membrane and flexural properties by means of the addition of a corrugated laminate into the foam core. An analytical model has been developed to replace a unit cell of this structure with an orthotropic equivalent thick plate that reproduces the in plane and out of plane behaviour of the original geometry. Different validation procedures have been implemented to verify the quality of the proposed method. At first a comparison has been performed between the analytical model and the original unit cell modelled with a Finite Element mesh. Elementary loading conditions are reproduced and results are compared. Once the reliability of the analytical model was assessed, this homogenised model was implemented within the formulation of a shell finite element. The goal of this step is to simplify the FE analysis of complex structures made of corrugated core sandwiches; in fact, by using the homogenised element, the global response of a real structure can be investigated only with the discretization of its mid-surface. Advantages are mainly in terms of time to solution saving and CAD modelling simplification. Last step is then the comparison between this FE model and experiments made on sandwich beams and panels whose skins and corrugated cores are made of orthotropic cross-ply GRP laminates. Good agreement between experimental and numerical results confirms the validity of the proposed model.