Prior art, the medium flowing through the pipe, i.e., a gas - liquid - solid separation of gas and liquid mixture of particles - solid particles, in an apparatus having only two outlet. The apparatus of the present invention (1) having a conduit (13), wherein the medium flowing through, a turning member (42) in (13) disposed pipe, which generates separate vortex (9) within the medium, in order to achieve gas and liquid - separating solid particles.


The Evaluation of mental workload/ performance has usually depended on professionals (captain, pilot) who have a lot of experience on board. We are attempting to evaluate a ship navigator's mental workload based on a physiological index. The physiological indices, heart rate variability (R-R interval), nasal temperature, and salivary amylase, are good indices for reading the mental workload in ship handling. Moreover, we have found a possibility of salivary NO3- as a good index for evaluating the navigator's mental workload. The salivary NO3- is expected to have a specific characteristic to represent quick response on the spot and the trend like moving average. We confirmed the response of students for simulator training, and we were carried out the experiment for professionals on a real ship. This paper proposes that salivary NO3- shows a ship navigator's mental workload for ship handling in the simulator and a real ship. This research, to evaluate the mental workload of navigators using salivary NO3-, is first challenge worldwide.


This work explores the potential complementarity of the sociodemographic, psychoanthropological, and sociopsychoanalytical perspectives for achieving understanding of the individual and familial roots of demographic behavior. Examination of the sociodemographic focus was stimulated and enriched by a 1986 seminar that considered theoretical and methodological problems in the integration of demographic dynamics into social research. Specific questions raised concerned the advantages and shortcomings of attitude and opinion surveys, the specifics of microsocial investigation, and the importance of the family as a mediator between larger social influences and individual behavior. Reflections on the relevance of the psychoanthropological tradition to the problems of microsocial research were influenced by a work published in the mid 1960s by the anthropologist and psychoanalyst Devereux. The affective distancing and unconscious defensive reactions of the investigator must, according to Devereux, be taken into account but also offer rich possibilities for analysis. Devereux also stressed that the study of human behavior occurs in the context of a reciprocal relation between the observer and the observed, with the observed playing a far from passive role. The presence of the observer occasions certain reactions but also is a source of complementary and relevant data for the study of behavior. A third possibility suggested by Devereux is that of approaching the unconscious of the study subjects through examination of the anxiety and other unconscious reactions of the researcher. Interpretative questionnaires, finally, are a tool of the sociopsychoanalytical tradition of potential use in demographic study. Interpretative questionnaires are applied to individuals in order to study personal psychic aspects, but their goal is the study of the socioeconomic and cultural environment that molds the personal characteristics of the respondents.


Strong evidence for marital differences in mortality has been demonstrated in a large number of countries. Married men and women have lower death rates than unmarried individuals within each adult age group. Ad- ditionally, married persons tend to be healthier as compared to unmarried. In the literature two explanations for this patterning have been proposed. 'The health selection hypothesis' suggested that disabled or less healthy people are not as likely to get married as the healthy ones. In 'the social causation hy- pothesis', marriage yields health benefits through emotional and social support which may act as a buffer against the effects of life stress. In this study, 'the social causation hypothesis' is supported.


Professional musicians with strong identities in music may also have a high degree of music in their identities. Accordingly, a rigid identification with work may be problematic for musicians, particularly when forces beyond their control change their work circumstances. In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 singing teachers, representing a subset of professional musicians, and used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the ways in which they enacted music in their identities. The framework of musical identities in action was used to interpret the findings, revealing the dynamic, embodied, and situated complexity of music in participants' identities. Music had existential salience in the accounts of nine participants. Its salience resulted from the dynamic and situated presence of music across the lifespan, the literal embodiment of the singing voice, and the metaphorical embodiment of the presence of music in participants' experiences. While a strong sense of music in people's identities can promote lifelong engagement with music, if the emphasis on music is existential, the identity of a professional musician may be at risk when they are faced with an external threat to their livelihood. This is important knowledge for music educators and professional musicians' career thinking.


Selected mapping (SLM) schemes are commonly employed to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. It has been shown that the computational complexity of the traditional SLM scheme can be substantially reduced by adopting conversion vectors obtained by using the inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) of the phase rotation vectors in place of the conventional IFFT operations [C.-L. Wang and Y. Ouyang, ¿Low-Complexity Selected Mapping Schemes for Peak-to-Average Power Ratio Reduction in OFDM Systems,¿ IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 53, no. 12, pp. 4652-4660, Dec. 2005]. To ensure that the elements of these phase rotation vectors have an equal magnitude, conversion vectors should have the form of a perfect sequence. This paper presents three novel classes of perfect sequence, each of which comprises certain base vectors and their cyclically shifted versions. Three novel low-complexity SLM schemes are then proposed based upon the unique structures of these perfect sequences. It is shown that while the PAPR reduction performances of the proposed schemes are marginally poorer than that of the traditional SLM scheme, the three schemes achieve a substantially lower computational complexity.


Emissions system durability may be influenced by many engine oil formulation variables. Previous studies have suggested that emissions system durability is optimized by high metal/phosphorus ratios. Reducing the level of phosphorus in the engine oils has also been suggested as a means of prolonging the efficiency of the catalytic converter. This paper explores engine oil formulation variables which may influence the efficiency of the emissions system. Phosphorus type and amount are examined as potential catalytic deactivators, as well as detergent metal interactions with the phosphorus. Dynamometer and over-the-road test data are presented which suggest that the volatility characteristics of the phosphorus component in the engine oil may influence the degree of catalyst contamination. To explore fully the many variables, however, will require an emissions performance test.


OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate a fat-suppressed (T2 weighted-magnetic resonance imaging, T2W-MRI) based radiomics signature to preoperatively evaluate the histologic grade (grade I/II VS. grade III) of invasive breast cancer.
 Methods: A total of 202 patients with MRI examination and pathologically confirmed invasive breast cancer from June 2011 to February 2017 were retrospectively enrolled. After retrieving fat-suppressed T2W images and tumor segmentation, radiomics features were extracted and valuable features were selected to build a radiomic signature with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method. Mann-Whitney U test was used to explore the correlation between radiomics signature and histologic grade. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was applied to determine the discriminative performance of the radiomics signature [area under curre (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy]. An independent validation dataset was used to confirm the discriminatory power of radiomics signature.
 Results: Eight radiomics features were selected to build a radiomics signature, which showed good performance for preoperatively evaluating histologic grade of invasive breast cancer, with an AUC of 0.802 (95% CI 0.729 to 0.875), sensitivity of 78.7%, specificity of 70.3% and accuracy of 73.7% in training dataset and AUC of 0.812 (95% CI 0.686 to 0.938), sensitivity of 80.0%, specificity of 73.3% and accuracy of 76.0% in the validation dataset.
 Conclusion: The fat-suppressed T2W-MRI based radiomics signature can be used to preoperatively evaluate the histologic grade of invasive breast cancer, which may assist clinical decision-maker.


Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme located on the outer mitochondrial membrane and is considered to be a target for the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's disease and depression. MAO may be classified into two isoforms, MAO-A and MAO-B. Since MAO-A and MAO-B catalyzes the metabolism of serotonin and dopamine, respectively, MAO-A inhibitors are used in the therapy of depression while MAO-B inhibitors are useful in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The older nonselective and irreversible MAO inhibitors, however, are not frequently used because they may ellicit potentially dangerous side effects such as the "cheese reaction". The cheese reaction occurs when irreversible MAO-A inhibitors block the metabolism of tyramine in the gastrointestinal tract. Excessive amounts of tyramine subsequently enter the systemic circulation and cause a hypertensive reaction. This problem may be overcome by the development of selective MAO-B inhibitors and reversible MAO-A inhibitors. Selective MAO-B inhibitors do not cause the cheese reaction, because tyramine is metabolized, in the intestines, by MAO-A. Tyramine also has the ability to displace reversible MAO-A inhibitors and can subsequently be normally metabolized, thus not causing the cheese reaction. Several reseach groups are therefore involved in the discovery of reversible MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors. As mentioned above, such drugs may be used in the treatment of depression and Parkinson's disease. One approach is the de novo design of novel molecules with affinities for MAO-A and MAO-B active sites. In a second approach, existing drugs may be reappropriated as MAO inhibitors. With this approach, approved drugs are screened for the possibility that they, in addition to their action at the indicated target, also act as inhibitors of MAO-A and/or MAO-B. Such drugs may then be applied as MAO inhibitors in the treatment of depression and Parkinson's disease. From a toxicological point of view, it is also of importance to identify MAO-A inhibitory activities among existing drugs as this will alert to the occurance of potential side effects such as the cheese reaction. In this study the second approach will be followed. This study will screen a virtual library of approved drugs for inhibitory activity towards MAO-A and MAO-B. Molecular modeling may be used to screen virtual libraries of drugs as potential inhibitors of the MAO enzymes. This may conveniently be achieved by employing structure-based or ligand-based pharmacophore models. In this study a virtual library of approved drugs was screened for secondary inhibitory activities towards the MAO isoforms with the use of structure-based pharmacophore models. There are several advantages to this approach. Molecular modeling aims at reducing the overall cost associated with the discovery and development of a new drug by identifying the most promising candidates to focus the experimental efforts on. It aids in understanding how a ligand binds to the active site of an enzyme. It is relatively easier to re-register a drug for a second pharmacological activity. This approach may also lead to drugs with a multi-target mode of action. The structure-based pharmacophores were constructed using the known crystallographic structures of MAO-A and MAO-B with the inhibitors, harmine and safinamide, complexed in the active sites, respectively. Employing the MAO-A and MAO-B structure-based pharmacophore model in the virtual screening of a library of approved drugs, 45 compounds were found to map to the MAO-A and MAO-B pharmacophore models. Among the hits, 29 compounds were selected for in vitro evaluation as MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors. The IC50 values for these compounds were determined. After in vitro evaluation, 13 compounds showed inhibitory activity towards MAO. Of the 13 compounds 3 showed interesting inhibitory activities. These compounds included caffeine (IC50 = 0.761 μM for MAO-A and 5.08 μM for MAO-B), esomeprazole (IC50 = 23.2 μM for MAO-A and 48.3 μM for MAO-B) and leflunomide (IC50 = 19.1μM for MAO-A and 13.7 μM for MAO-B). The MAO inhibitory properties of caffeine and esomeprazole were further investigated. The reversibility of MAO inhibition by caffeine and esomeprazole were determined by dialysis and dilution studies. Sets of Lineweaver-Burk plots were constructed to determine the modes of binding of these inhibitors to the MAO enzymes. Both caffeine and esomeprazole were found to be reversible and competitive inhibitors of MAO. Dialysis of mixtures of caffeine with MAO-A and MAO-B resulted in the recovery of enzyme activity to levels of 97% and 96%, respectively. Dialysis of mixtures of esomeprazole with MAO-A and MAO-B resulted in the recovery of enzyme activity to levels of 93% and 88%, respectively. Similarly, dilution of mixtures containing esomeprazole and MAO-A/MAO-B resulted in the recovery of enzyme activity to levels of 94% and 87%, respectively.For the inhibition of MAO-A and MAO-B by caffeine and esomeprazole, the Lineweaver-Burk plots were indicative of a competitive mode of inhibition. In an attempt to gain further insignt, caffeine, esomeprazole and leflunomide were docked into models of the active sites of MAO-A and MAO-B. An analysis of the interactions between the enzyme models and the ligands were carried out and the results are discussed in the dissertation The results of the present study show that screening of a virtual database of molecules with a pharmacophore model may be useful in identifying existing drugs with potential MAO inhibitory activities. The search for new reversible MAO inhibitors for the treatment of diseases, including Parkinson's disease and depression, may be facilitated by employing a virtual screening approach. Such an approach also may be more costeffective than de novo inhibitor design. In addition, the virtual screening approach may alert to potential side effects of existing drugs that may arise as a consequence of a secondary inhibition of MAO.


Lymphocytic hypophysitis (LYH) is a rare inflammatory disease in which lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the pituitary gland can potentially lead to panhypopituitarism. This entity was first recognized in 1962 by Goudie and Pinkerton. We report the case of a 36-year-old nonpregnant female operated for a presumed nonsecreting pituitary adenoma. On intraoperative squash cytology and histology of excision biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of LYH. Review of the literature shows that most reported cases have occurred in women during pregnancy or during postpartum period. Many were accurately diagnosed only after biopsy or at necropsy. It is suspected to be an autoimmune endocrinopathy as concomitant lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid and pituitary glands has been noted and antipituitary antibodies have been found in some instances. Clinically and radiologically, LYH may mimic a nonsecretory pituitary adenoma. Intraoperative diagnosis may prevent unnecessary excision of potentially functioning pituitary.


OBJECTIVE
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery has its own set of risks and complications. This study from a single center and a single surgeon analyzes various risk factors for complications and tries to establish if there is a learning curve effect in minimizing the complications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A retrospective analysis of 519 patients (1024 leads) who underwent DBS surgery and 232 patients who underwent implantable pulse generator replacement (IPG), by a single surgeon, between the years 1999 and 2019 was performed. Perioperative and hardware related complications were evaluated.

RESULTS
The follow-up period ranged from six months to 20 years. Surgery-related complications occurred in 46 (8.9%) cases which included confusion in 31 (5.98%), intracerebral hemorrhage in 7 (1.3%), vasovagal attack in 3 (0.58%), respiratory distress in 2 (0.38%), postoperative aggressiveness in 1 (0.19%), and blepharospasm in 2 (0.38%) patients. Complications related to the DBS hardware were found in 35 cases, including erosion and infection in 22 (2.95%), inaccurate lead placement or migration in 6 (0.6%) lead fracture/extension wire failure in 2 (0.26%), IPG malfunction in 2 (0.26%), and hardware discomfort in 3 (0.4%) cases. In three patients, one lead was repositioned. In cases of infection, 87% of patients had either partial or complete removal of hardware. There was no mortality. The complications were analyzed for every 100 DBS procedures. There was a significant drop in the percentage of complications in from 23% in the first 100 cases to 7% in the last 100 cases (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION
Confusion remains the most frequent operative and perioperative complication. Erosion and infection of the surgical site represents the most frequent hardware complication. DBS surgery is safe and the complication rates are acceptably low. The complication rate also decreases with cumulative years of experience, demonstrating a learning curve effect.


The performance of communication networks can be affected by a number of factors including misconfiguration, equipments outages, attacks originated from legitimate behavior or not, software errors, among many other causes. These factors may cause an unexpected change in the traffic behavior and create what we call anomalies that may represent a loss of performance or breach of network security. Knowing the behavior pattern of the network is essential to detect and characterize an anomaly. Therefore, this paper presents an algorithm based on the use of Digital Signature of Network Segment (DSNS), used to model the traffic behavior pattern. We propose a clustering algorithm, K-Harmonic means (KHM), combined with a new heuristic approach, named Firefly Algorithm (FA), for network volume anomaly detection. The KHM calculate the weighting function of each point to calculate new centroids and circumventing the initialization problem present in most center based clustering algorithm and exploits the search capability of FA from escaping local optima. Processing the DSNS data and real traffic data is possible to detect and classify intervals considered anomalous with a trade-off between the 80% true-positive rate and 20% false-positive rate.


A total of 472 samples of soft-shell clams ( Mya arenaria ), collected from three major clam harvest areas in the Chesapeake Bay and dockside check stations, was analyzed for standard plate count (SPC), total coliforms, fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli , and coliphages. SPC increased during the summer season. SPC geometric means of 2.6 × 104, 6.9 × 104, and 7.2 × 104/g, respectively, were found in three major harvest areas. Fecal coliforms remained relatively stable with geometric means of 30, 54, and 62/100 g. As seasonal temperatures increased, the total coliform geometric means declined slightly ranging from 1,500 to 6,300/100 g. E. coli means were low (< 27/100 g). The occurrence and levels of male-specific coliphages were also low and did not correlate with bacteriological quality. No significant microbiological quality difference was found between soft-shell clams sampled from harvest waters and check stations. Results indicate that the microbiological quality of soft-shell clams either at harvest or check stations was satisfactory.


In many species males provide females with nuptial gifts during mating in the form of prey items or synthesized material. These gifts may function to increase male fertilization success by protecting the ejaculate during insemination or to enhance female fecundity and offspring fitness sired by the donating male to varying degrees. There has been some controversy regarding the relative importance of the two functions of nuptial gifts. Analysis of comparative data of 19 species of bushcrickets (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) suggests that there are essentially two types of nuptial gifts. There are those that function to protect the males' ejaculate during insemination with low nutritional value and no apparent effect on female fecundity; these are energetically inexpensive to produce, thus enabling males to maintain high mating frequency. The other type of gifts are large and highly nutritious, and, apart from protecting the ejaculate, also correlate with increased fecundity in females and require long regeneration times for males. These findings point to disruptive selection on the spermatophylax resulting in both large, high-quality gifts and those of lower quality that serve solely to protect the male's ejaculate.


Stress clearly influences decision making, but the effects are complex. This review focuses on the potential for stress to promote prosocial decisions, serving others at a temporary cost to the self. Recent work has shown altruistic responses under stress, particularly when the target's need is salient. We discuss potential mechanisms for these effects, including emotional contagion and offspring care mechanisms. These neurobiological mechanisms may promote prosocial—even heroic—action, particularly when an observer knows the appropriate response and can respond to a target in need. The effects of stress on behavior are not only negative, they can be adaptive and altruistic under conditions that promote survival and well-being at the individual and group level.


The obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) was first identified only 40 years ago and its clinical importance is increasingly recognized. Although now acknowledged as a worldwide problem, which in Western countries affects 2-4% of middle-aged men and 1-2% of middle-aged women, the majority of affected individuals remain undiagnosed. OSAS is strongly associated with obesity but is also increasingly identified in the less obese, in whom a particular craniofacial structure is an important contributory factor. The prevalence of OSAS is likely to be increasing in parallel with the epidemic of obesity currently occurring in many countries. The common presenting complaints are excessive daytime sleepiness and loud snoring. The sleepiness impairs social functioning, work performance and driving ability, and accounts for a large socio-economic burden on the community. Hypertension is an important independent association. The treatment of choice is nocturnal continuous positive airway pressure which is highly effective and is also cost effective.


Cloud Computing is growing in real time environment and provides shared resources, information, software packages and other resources as pay per use at specific time. Resources are needed to be equally balanced between various computing processes and to obtain proper utilization of resources load balancing is required. In this paper, various load balancing algorithms are compared on the basis of their metrics which are useful for dynamic load balancing.


This article suggests new possibilities for queer theory in management and organization studies. Management and organization studies has tended to use queer theory as a conceptual resource for studying the workplace experience of 'minorities' such as gay men, lesbians and those identifying as bisexual or transgender, often focusing on how heteronormativity shapes the discursive constitution of sexualities and genders coded as such. This deployment is crucial and apposite but it can limit the analytical reach of queer theory, neglecting other objects of analysis like heterosexuality. Potentially, MOS queer theory scholarship could be vulnerable to criticism about overlooking queer theory as a productive site for acknowledging both heterosexuality's coercive aspects and its non-normative forms. The principal contribution of our article is therefore twofold. First, it proposes a queering of queer theory in management and organization studies, whereby scholars are alert to and question the potential normativities that such research can produce, opening up a space for exploring how heterosexuality can be queered. Second, we show how queering heterosexuality can be another site where queer theory and politics come together in the management and organization studies field, through a shared attempt to undermine sexual and gender binaries and challenge normative social relations. The article concludes by outlining the political implications of queering heterosexuality for generating modes of organizing in which heterosexuality can be experienced as non-normative and how this might rupture and dismantle heteronormativity.


The Rush unification model unites clinical practice with nursing education. In this system, nursing faculty possess joint responsibilities to the college of nursing and to a specific unit in the medical center. Collaboration among managers, clinical specialists, educators, and researchers leads to achievement of unit, college, and departmental goals. The collaborative process among the leadership group members in the medical intensive care unit, consisting of the unit leader, the assistant unit leader, the clinical nurse specialists, and the practitioner-teachers, is described in detail to show how utilization of the skills and strengths of each team member increases the benefits to the unit and the patient.


Background Standardized patient (SP) simulation is used to teach geropsychiatry. This project tested feasibility and effectiveness of video-enabled SP simulation to teach interprofessional (IP) late-life depression screening. Methods and findings Nurse practitioner, pharmacy, and medical students (N=177) participated in remote (n = 27) and on-site (n = 150) SP simulation. Linear mixed-effect model determined the effects of time and setting on pretest and posttest Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey (ICCAS) data. Overall, no significant difference was observed in degree of change on ICCAS domains, indicating both modalities produced equally beneficial outcomes. Small sample size and focus on late-life depression screening limits generalizing results. Conclusions Video-enabled SP simulations can be incorporated to prepare students with IP competencies for late-life depression screening.


We describe the use of penumbral imaging technique for hard X-ray imaging of laser-imploded targets. The technique uses the facts that spatial information can be recovered from the shadow or penumbra that an unknown source casts through a simple large circular aperture. The imaging system consists of a large circular aperture (penumbral aperture), filters, and a sensitive X-ray CCD camera as a detector. The X-ray images with photon energies of 5 keV and 10 keV to 30 keV have been obtained. We also propose a new reconstruction method based on power cepstrum of the penumbral image, which does not require exact information about the aperture function.


Advances in the care of patients with a univentricular heart have enabled the majority to survive well into adulthood. Consequently, an increasing number of women with Fontan palliation are contemplating pregnancy. This review summarizes physiologic modifications related to pregnancy in the setting of single-ventricle physiology, discusses potential maternal cardiovascular concerns and describes commonly encountered obstetrical and neonatal complications. Management issues are addressed, including counseling, anesthetic considerations and the need for multidisciplinary specialized care.


Antibacterial and antifungal activity of 2,4-dihydro- [1,2,4]triazol-3-one derivatives were examined by the disc-diffusion method (growth inhibition zone diameter in agar medium). The MIC's for the most active agents were determined. Of all the tested compounds, aminomethyl derivatives of 2,4-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazol-3-one exhibit activity against the majority of microorganisms studied.


Fetal brain tumors are a rare entity with an overall guarded prognosis. About 10% of congenital brain tumors are diagnosed during fetal life. They differ from the postnatally encountered pediatric brain tumors with respect to location and tumor type. Fetal brain tumors can be benign or malignant and infiltrate or displace adjacent brain structures. Due to their high mitotic rate, they can show rapid growth. Outcome depends on age of diagnosis, size, and histological tumor type. Findings like polyhydramnios and macrocephaly encountered on routine ultrasound are frequently associated. Detailed prenatal anomaly scan and subsequent fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may identify the brain tumor and its severity. Both maternal and fetal prognosis should be included in prenatal counselling and decision making.


The effects of UV irradiation, thermal annealing and electrical bias on the base current instability in polyimide (PI)-passivated InP-based heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) have been studied. The base current transient could be effectively suppressed by UV irradiation. The suppression of current transient by UV irradiation can be attributed to the reduction of the near interface trap density in the PI, which has long-term stability at room temperature. However, baking the device at a temperature higher than 100 /spl deg/C may induce a significant increase in PI trap density as well as the broadening of spatial electron trap distribution causing the enhancement of current transient, and the current transient induced by electrical stress could be directly related to the device self-heating through thermal annealing effect.


The main factors that contribute to the quality of the meat are texture, flavor, color, appearance and odor. The texture varies depending on the size of the fiber bundles, which is not only determined by the number of fibers, but also by the diameter. The diameter of sheep meat muscle fibers is lower than that of swine and bovines, which tends to increase subtly, and according to the age, this gives a characteristic of greater resistance to the meat. The differences in meat tenderness can also vary depending on the genetic and biochemical composition, especially related to fat ratio, or types of fibers in the muscle. The texture can be determined by sensory and instrumental methods, especially in Warner-Bratzler, which 36% of the variance of the texture can be perceived by consumers. This is an important quality parameter to be considered before marketing these meats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the shear force meat of castrated Santa Ines-bred lambs. Thirty two Santa Ines-bred lambs, with a mean age of 9 months, were divided into 2 groups: C (castrated) and NC (non-castrated). The animals of Group C were castrated after weaning, by the surgical method of removing the testicles. At 45 kg live weight, the animals were slaughtered, and separated into loin cuts (Longisimus dorsi). The topside, formed by 9 muscles on the back side, was cut for analysis. Twenty samples of each cut were removed from each animal and then measured using the Texture Analyzer coupled with the Warner-Bratzler device, to determine the shear strength of the sample. The experimental design was completely randomized, and means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability using the GLM procedure (SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC). The results for shear force (Table 1), for the loin and topside cuts did not present significant differences (P>0.05). There were no differences in the analysis of shear force probably due to the fact that the animals has been slaughtered at similar ages, when the male hormones did not exert influence on meat tenderness. Therefore, in conclusion, castration does not influence the characteristics of tenderness of loin and topside cuts of Santa Ines-bred lambs.


Early Rupture of membranes is a rupture of the membranes when inpartu with opening at primipara less than 3 cm and in multiparas less than 5 cm, without depending on gestational age. Some factors which are suspected to be the cause of premature rupture of membranes are parity, history of KPD, sexual status and anemia. The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinant factor of premature rupture of membranes on the inpartu mother in the Inpatient Installation Room 1 RSU Moh. Noer Pamekasan.  The type of research is quantitative research with cross sectional research design. The study was conducted on January 30 to March 15, 2018 in the Inpatient Installation Room 1 RSU Moh. Noer Pamekasan. The sample is 59 respondents taken with simple random sampling. The independent variables are parity, history of premature rupture of membranes, sexual status and anemia. Dependent variable is premature rupture of membranes. The data was analyzed by using logistic regression test with p = 0,05. The results showed that the variable X1 (parity) with p = 0.037; OR = 0,008, variable X2 (history of KPD) with p = 0,049; OR = 23.736), Variable X3 (sexual relationship status) with p = 0,064; OR = 19.770; Variable X4 (anemia) with p = 0,628; OR = 2,132. So it can be concluded that the factors which affect Y (the incidence of premature rupture of membranes) is a parity factor and history of KPD and the most dominant factor is the parity with the effect of 0.008.The high parity or parity of grandemultipara and the history of KPD to the previous labor affects the occurrence of premature rupture of membranes in the Inpatient Installation Room 1 RSU Moh.Noer.  So it is necessary to do health education about the factors which affect the occurrence of premature rupture of membranes to prevent premature rupture of membranes recurring at the next labor


Single-image dehazing is a challenging problem due to its ill-posed nature. Existing methods rely on a suboptimal two-step approach, where an intermediate product like a depth map is estimated, based on which the haze-free image is subsequently generated using an artificial prior formula. In this paper, we propose a light dual-task Neural Network called LDTNet that restores the haze-free image in one shot. We use transmission map estimation as an auxiliary task to assist the main task, haze removal, in feature extraction and to enhance the generalization of the network. In LDTNet, the haze-free image and the transmission map are produced simultaneously. As a result, the artificial prior is reduced to the smallest extent. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our algorithm achieves superior performance against the state-of-the-art methods on both synthetic and real-world images.


This study examines the madrasa activity programs based on fostering student confidence. This research is important because the result can be used as role models for other schools or madrasa helping to develop the confidence of student in their schools or madrasa. This study uses a content analysis study approach. One of the Madrasa Aliyah that succeeded in developing a confidence based activity program is Madrasa Aliyah Plus Nururrohmah Tambaksari Kuwarasan, Kebumen. The madrasa has enriched various confidence-based activities since its inception in 2007 until now. This madrasa has excellent programs which fokus on helping students improve the quality of their confidence, which is not owned by other schools or madrasa. Some of the program activities referred to, are being crazy, selling in traditional markets, If I Become, a Real Work Madrasa, and examinations of scientific work which are tested by teachers with various degress. These various activities eventually bring students into personal that is not easily discouraged, not afraid to convey positive aspirations, dare to appear before the public, not ashamed to be an entrpreneur and able to handle personal problems and find solutions well.


PURPOSE
Delayed charge is a small amount of charge that is delivered to the patient after the planned irradiation is halted, which may degrade the quality of the treatment by delivering unwarranted dose to the patient. This study compares two methods for minimizing the effect of delayed charge on the dose delivered with a synchrotron based discrete spot scanning proton beam.

METHODS
The delivery of several treatment plans was simulated by applying a normally distributed value of delayed charge, with a mean of 0.001(SD 0.00025) MU, to each spot. Two correction methods were used to account for the delayed charge. Method one (CM1), which is in active clinical use, accounts for the delayed charge by adjusting the MU of the current spot based on the cumulative MU. Method two (CM2) in addition reduces the planned MU by a predicted value. Every fraction of a treatment was simulated using each method and then recomputed in the treatment planning system. The dose difference between the original plan and the sum of the simulated fractions was evaluated. Both methods were tested in a water phantom with a single beam and simple target geometry. Two separate phantom tests were performed. In one test the dose per fraction was varied from 0.5 to 2 Gy using 25 fractions per plan. In the other test the number fractions were varied from 1 to 25, using 2 Gy per fraction. Three patient plans were used to determine the effect of delayed charge on the delivered dose under realistic clinical conditions. The order of spot delivery using CM1 was investigated by randomly selecting the starting spot for each layer, and by alternating per layer the starting spot from first to last. Only discrete spot scanning was considered in this study.

RESULTS
Using the phantom setup and varying the dose per fraction, the maximum dose difference for each plan of 25 fractions was 0.37-0.39 Gy and 0.03-0.05 Gy for CM1 and CM2, respectively. While varying the total number of fractions, the maximum dose difference increased at a rate of 0.015 Gy and 0.0018 Gy per fraction for CM1 and CM2, respectively. For CM1, the largest dose difference was found at the location of the first spot in each energy layer, whereas for CM2 the difference in dose was small and showed no dependence on location. For CM1, all of the fields in the patient plans had an area where their excess dose overlapped. No such correlation was found when using CM2. Randomly selecting the starting spot reduces the maximum dose difference from 0.708 to 0.15 Gy. Alternating between first and last spot reduces the maximum dose difference from 0.708 to 0.37 Gy. In the patient plans the excess dose scaled linearly at 0.014 Gy per field per fraction for CM1 and standard delivery order.

CONCLUSIONS
The predictive model CM2 is superior to a cumulative irradiation model CM1 for minimizing the effects of delayed charge, particularly when considering maximal dose discrepancies and the potential for unplanned hot-spots. This study shows that the dose discrepancy potentially scales at 0.014 Gy per field per fraction for CM1.


The brain extracellular space (ECS) is a continuous reticular compartment that lies between the cells of the brain. It is vast in extent relative to its resident cells, yet, at the same time the nano- to micrometer dimensions of its channels and reservoirs are commonly finer than the smallest cellular structures. Our conventional view of this compartment as largely static and of secondary importance for brain function is rapidly changing, and its active dynamic roles in signaling and metabolite clearance have come to the fore. It is further emerging that ECS microarchitecture is highly heterogeneous and dynamic and that ECS geometry and diffusional properties directly modulate local diffusional transport, down to the nanoscale around individual synapses. The ECS can therefore be considered an extremely complex and diverse compartment, where numerous physiological events are unfolding in parallel on spatial and temporal scales that span orders of magnitude, from milliseconds to hours, and from nanometers to centimeters. To further understand the physiological roles of the ECS and identify new ones, researchers can choose from a wide array of experimental techniques, which differ greatly in their applicability to a given sample and the type of data they produce. Here, we aim to provide a basic introduction to the available experimental techniques that have been applied to address the brain ECS, highlighting their main characteristics. We include current gold-standard techniques, as well as emerging cutting-edge modalities based on recent super-resolution microscopy. It is clear that each technique comes with unique strengths and limitations and that no single experimental method can unravel the unknown physiological roles of the brain ECS on its own.


ABSTRACT This study explores the opportunities for developing transit tourism by examining the reasons why transit passengers participate or not in such tourism while in-transiting. The findings suggest that transit passengers need to be made aware of the opportunities for transit tourism prior to arrival at the transit destination; and availability of customised airport transit tours at the transit destination should be ensured to facilitate transit. The study concludes that transit tourism is an opportunity missed; destination marketing organisations (DMOs), airport authorities, and airline operators should devise a common communication strategy to tap into this emerging but still under-developed transit passenger segment.


Fungi has been tested as one of the potential control agents for insect pests, which raises hopes for developing fungi as good biopesticides. The high variation within fungi species made taxonomic identification procedures more complex, thus molecular identification techniques are needed in addition to traditional morphological characteristics currently used as primary methods to classify fungi species. The objective of this research was to identify the species of the most pathogenic fungi to Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida using RAPD-PCR.  The internal transcribed spacer of 5.8s rDNA (ITS-5.8s rDNA) sequence of these fungal isolates were amplified using two sets of universal primers for ITS and then analyzed. Molecular identification showed that these  isolates had a higher  of similarity to Metarhizium anisopliae than Metarhizium flavoviride .


A new choleraphage, psi 92, with an icosahedral head and no tail structure has been described. This phage has a wide host range. It infects and lyses strains belonging to different serovars and biotypes of Vibrio cholerae. The phage utilises host DNA degradation products for its own DNA synthesis. psi 92 contains a linear double-stranded DNA of 56 kbp. A physical map of the phage genome has been constructed using the restriction enzyme KpnI. Intracellular development of phage psi 92 following infection was examined by thin-section electron microscopy.


This report concerns a passenger car crash, which at first looked like a case of multiple trauma resulting in the death of the pinned-in driver. Conspicuous was a cuff that had been applied to the left forearm. No significant injuries could be determined during the autopsy of the corpse. The forensic toxicology results showed lethal toxic concentrations of the painkiller pethidine, which suggests that the driver had applied a lethal dose of the medication immediately before the collision as part of a complex suicide.


We present a 34-year-old man with combination of beta thalassemia intermedia and coagulation factor VII deficiency who was presented with pallor and irregular nose bleeding episodes. On physical examination, he had splenomegaly and yellow sclera. Pallor and splenomegaly could be reminder of thalassemic syndromes or hemoglobinopathies including thalassemia intermedia. Association with unusual bleeding tendency such as prolonged and repeated episodes of epistaxis without any evidence of liver failure in hemoglobinopathies suggest the possibility of coinheritance of a bleeding disorder. As a result, coagulation assay for proper diagnosis, management and prevention of probable life-threatening bleeding episodes is suggested. Iranian Journal of Blood & Cancer


ABSTRACT Cohn, N., Ruggiero, P., Ortiz, J., D.J. Walstra, 2014. Investigating the role of complex sandbar morphology on nearshore hydrodynamics. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 053–058, ISSN 0749-0208. Coastal environments are characterized by complex feedbacks between flow, sediment transport, and morphology, often resulting in the formation of nearshore sandbars. In many locations, such as Hasaki (Japan), the Netherlands, and the Columbia River Littoral Cell (CRLC, USA), these sandbars exhibit a net offshore migration (NOM) cycle whereby these features form in the inner surf zone, migrate seaward and decay offshore on interannual cycles. Depending on the stage of the cycle, the number and configuration of the bars may differ widely. It has long been recognized that sandbars act as natural barriers during storm events by dissipating wave energy through breaking far from the beach face. Thus, dependent on the stage of the NOM cycle, one might expect significant variability in nearshore hydrodynamics. Using a non-linear wave model we demonstrate that inter-annual variability in sandbar configuration can significantly alter inner surf zone and swash zone processes. The model indicates that under different end-member NOM stages the same wave conditions can result in up to a 36% variance in the vertical extent of infragravity runup and can alter both the rate and direction of net cross shore sediment transport.


This paper presents a neural-based fault diagnosis system for a two-level Voltage Source Inverter that is used to drive the Synchronous Reluctance Motors. In particular, three classes are considered: Healthy, Open Circuit Fault (OSF) and Short Circuit Fault (SCF). The proposed strategy relies on the data generated by the mathematical models of OSF and SCF together with the healthy configuration. For each category of fault, multi-switch faults have been emulated. Following the acquisition of healthy and faulty three-phase currents, exploratory analysis of the data is conducted using Principal Component Analysis. Thereafter, various Machine Learning techniques have been utilized to develop different types of classifiers. The best classification model after considering factors like time complexity, storage, confidence level of outputs was the shallow Long-Short-Term-Memory neural network.


We have analyzed in Paramecium cells the occurrence and intracellular distribution of the high capacity/low affinity calcium-binding proteins, calsequestrin (CS) and calreticulin (CR) using antibodies against CS from rat skeletal muscle and against CR from rat liver, respectively. As revealed by Western blots, a CS-like protein isolated by affinity chromatography from Paramecium cells comigrated with CS isolated from rat skeletal muscle. The immunoreactivity of this 53 kDa protein band was blocked when the antibodies had been preadsorbed with purified rat CS. A band of identical molecular size was shown to bind 45Ca in overlays. By immunofluorescence and immunogold labeling this CS-like protein was localized selectively to the extended subplasmalemmal calcium stores, the "alveolar sacs", which cover almost the entire cell surface. Concomitantly the 53 kDa 45Ca-binding band became increasingly intense in overlays as we increasingly enriched alveolar sacs. Antibodies against rat CR react with a 61 kDa band but do not cross-react with CS-like protein in Paramecium. These antibodies selectively stained intracellular reticular structures, identified bona fide as endoplasmic reticulum.


Information privacy is an important consideration when transitioning university collections from paper to electronic access. Yet the protection of -- and limits to -- student privacy regulations have rarely been addressed in the literature for online electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and its relevance to student work should be a consideration when widely distributing scholarship like e-portfolios, ETDs, and senior capstone projects. In this article, we share several campus approaches to FERPA and electronic student work.


This essay focuses on the English 6 course for upper secondary school. I have created a book project that includes methods and pedagogical theories both represented in the Swedish school system such as the socio-cultural theory, the cognitive theory and behaviourism as well as less known theory such as critical literacy. The novel I have chosen to work with in this book project is The Hunger Games. The lessons are created so they include different reading, writing, speaking and listening activities as required by the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket). The aim with this study is to find a method how to bring back students' reading habits and by involving students in critical discussions about characters, events and perspectives in the novel I believe that they will become interested in reading more when they realise that there always is a hidden message behind the simple portraits of the characters and their actions instead of just accepting the way they are or act. The science fiction genre is another way of getting closer to upper secondary students because of its popularity among teenagers. The aim of this book project is creating a life-long learning process for students to develop their English knowledge as well as think more critically about everything that surrounds them.


A new SOI MOSFET structure with a junction type body contact (BJG) is proposed, which can be realized with compact design and simple processes. It is shown from the experimental study that the structure provides nearly perfect immunity against the circuit failure caused by the parasitic bipolar effect and an excellent speed performance, so that it can be a promising candidate for the SOI circuits.


Computed tomography enables 3D anatomic imaging at a high spatial resolution, but requires delivery of an x-ray contrast agent to distinguish tissues with similar or low x-ray attenuation. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have gained recent attention as an x-ray contrast agent due to exhibiting a high x-ray attenuation, nontoxicity and facile synthesis and surface functionalization for colloidal stability and targeted delivery. Potential diagnostic applications include blood pool imaging, passive targeting and active targeting, where actively targeted AuNPs could enable molecular imaging by computed tomography. This article summarizes the current state of knowledge for AuNP x-ray contrast agents within a paradigm of key structure-property-function relationships in order to provide guidance for the design of AuNP contrast agents to meet the necessary functional requirements in a particular application. Functional requirements include delivery to the site of interest (e.g., blood, tumors or microcalcifications), nontoxicity during delivery and clearance, targeting or localization at the site of interest and contrast enhancement for the site of interest compared with surrounding tissues. Design is achieved by strategically controlling structural characteristics (composition, mass concentration, size, shape and surface functionalization) for optimized properties and functional performance. Examples from the literature are used to highlight current design trade-offs that exist between the different functional requirements.


We study policy optimization in an infinite horizon, $\gamma$-discounted constrained Markov decision process (CMDP). Our objective is to return a policy that achieves large expected reward with a small constraint violation. We consider the online setting with linear function approximation and assume global access to the corresponding features. We propose a generic primal-dual framework that allows us to bound the reward sub-optimality and constraint violation for arbitrary algorithms in terms of their primal and dual regret on online linear optimization problems. We instantiate this framework to use coin-betting algorithms and propose the Coin Betting Politex (CBP) algorithm. Assuming that the action-value functions are $\varepsilon_b$-close to the span of the $d$-dimensional state-action features and no sampling errors, we prove that $T$ iterations of CBP result in an $O\left(\frac{1}{(1 - \gamma)^3 \sqrt{T}} + \frac{\varepsilon_b\sqrt{d}}{(1 - \gamma)^2} \right)$ reward sub-optimality and an $O\left(\frac{1}{(1 - \gamma)^2 \sqrt{T}} + \frac{\varepsilon_b \sqrt{d}}{1 - \gamma} \right)$ constraint violation. Importantly, unlike gradient descent-ascent and other recent methods, CBP does not require extensive hyperparameter tuning. Via experiments on synthetic and Cartpole environments, we demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of CBP.


Construction industry is considered as one of the main contributor of natural resources depletion, responsible for high level pollution and it is one of the attributes that pose climate changes and other environmental threats. A lot of efforts had and have been done to reduce and control these impacts. project environmental management (PEM) includes the processes required to ensure that the impacts of of the project execution to the surrounding environment will remain within the limit stated in legal permits. The main aim of most of researches conducted managing Environmental Impacts (EI) is to protect earth planet from pollution. Those researches are presenting four major environmental element; Environmental Management System (EMS), Environmental Design (ED), Environmental Planning (EP), Environmental Impacts Assessments (EIA). Although everything has been said about environmental management for construction project, but almost everything remains to be said and therefore to be explored or rediscovered because incontestably, almost everything remains to be done. This paper aimed at reviewing some of what has been said about PEM. Also one of its objectives is to explore and rediscover the whole view of managing the EI problems by proposing a framework that based on the relation between these environmental researches.


The extracellular signals encoded by the Wnt family of genes regulate growth and differentiation in several developmental processes in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Genetic studies of the signaling pathway of the Drosophila Wnt homologue, Wingless, have identified a number of genes, including zeste white 3, which function to transduce the Wingless signal. zeste white 3 encodes a serine/threonine kinase. We have previously proposed that the Wingless signal is mediated by repression of this kinase activity [E. Siegfried, E.L. Wilder, and N. Perrimon (1994) Nature 367, 76-80]. Here we have tested this hypothesis by overexpressing zeste white 3 in a tissue-specific fashion using the UAS/GAL4 binary expression system. We demonstrate that elevated levels of zeste white 3 in the ectoderm and mesoderm result in phenotypes that resemble a loss of wingless. Overexpression of zeste white 3 in the mesoderm disrupts several Wingless-dependent processes including the specification of a unique cell type in the larval midgut, the formation of the second midgut constriction, and the expression of Wingless target genes Ultrabithorax and decapentaplegic in the mesoderm and labial in the endoderm. Zeste white 3 regulates the stability of Armadillo which is essential for transducing the Wingless signal to the nucleus. We show that zeste white 3 overexpression blocks Wingless signaling through the modulation of Armadillo since expression of a constitutively active form of Armadillo, which is independent of Zeste white 3 regulation, is epistatic to overexpression of zeste white 3.


. The algebraic structure of one-parameter inverse semigroups has been completely described. Furthermore, if S is the bicyclic semigroup and if B is contained in any semitopological semigroup, the relative topology on B is discrete. We show that if F is an inverse semigroup generated by an element and its inverse, and F is contained in a compact semitopological semigroup, then the relative topology is discrete; in fact, if F is any one-parameter inverse semigroup contained in a compact semitopological semigroup, then the multiplication on F is jointly continuous if and only if the inversion is continuous on F, and we describe F in that case. We also show that if {y,} is a one-parameter semigroup of bounded linear operators on a (separable) Hilbert space, then {/,} U {J*) generates a one-parameter inverse semigroup T with /,"' =» J* if and only if {/,} is a one-parameter semigroup of partial isometries, and we describe the weak operator closure of T in that case.


Abstract Background: Living with advanced cancer can have a profound impact on the person's self. A person's self is influenced by various aspects of daily life, including engagement in occupation. From an occupational perspective, little research has been done to explore how the self of people with advanced cancer is formed through their engagement in occupation. Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore how people with advanced cancer experience that their sense of self is formed through engagement in occupation. Methods: A total of 28 interviews were conducted with 22 people with advanced cancer. Grounded theory guided the collection and analysis of data. Results: 'Occupation as marker of self' was identified as the core category. Occupations served as markers of the participants' self (1) by mirroring their abilities and positioning of their self in the illness trajectory; and (2) as means of expressing their self. The core category provided explanations about how the participants' experiences of occupation influenced their self-perceptions, as explained in the sub-categories 'defining the self through occupation' and 'reassessing self and accepting limitations'. Conclusions: For people with advanced cancer, engagement in occupation influences their self as current abilities become apparent and positions of their self can be created and expressed.


The objective was to evaluate virtual educational technology in a blog format called "Kidney Health" on renal failure for patients undergoing hemodialysis. This is an action research conducted in the month of November, 2015 in a hemodialysis clinic. Participated 56 registered users who answered a questionnaire to evaluate the technology, made available through smartphones, tablets and computers. The history of the disease and socioeconomic factors were also investigated. For data analysis, we used average, absolute and relative frequency descriptive statistics. Ethical aspects have been respected. Among the subjects, there was predominance of males (64.28%) and age over 50 (19.64%). Regarding technology evaluation, 53 subjects (94.64%) would recommend the blog to friends and family. The items considered most enlightening were "Healthy eating" (46.43%) and also "What is transplantation?" and "On the kidneys" (33.93%). The evaluation of the blog confirmed its viability as a means of effective health education to clarify the most varied health issues in the scenario of renal failure.


To the Editor. —In the GRAND ROUNDS of the JanuaryArchives(1980; 140:93-95), the cause of infectious thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) was discussed. This has prompted us to share our experience with TTP and its association with Bacteroides bacteremia. We have successfully treated this disease with plasma infusion and short-course treatment with steroids. Such an association has not yet been reported. Report of a Case. —A 55-year-old man was hospitalized because of a sudden onset of epigastric pain, cognitive defects, chills, and fever. The patient's temperature was 37.8 °C, his pulse rate was 108 beats per minute, and his blood pressure was 145/85 mm Hg. Poor dental hygiene was indicated by gingivitis and periapical abscesses. Neurological examination disclosed cognitive defects including memory disturbances, fluctuating sensorimotor aphasia, and a seventh nerve paralysis of the lower left side of the face. No organ enlargement or lymphadenopathy was found. The hemoglobin value was


OBJECTIVES
The role or recognition of the anaesthetist as an independent medical specialist has been the subject of many studies. Since most of this work was performed in English speaking countries, only few data are available for Germany, Austria, or Switzerland. The goal of this study was to determine how much knowledge patients had of the training and activities of anaesthetists. The study included patients ( n=685) who underwent elective operations in all surgical subspecialties at the University Hospital of Basel.

METHODS
The data were collected using a questionnaire distributed at the end of the preoperative visit, which included 14 different questions examining the role of the anaesthetist.

RESULTS
Surprisingly, and in contrast to previous studies, almost all patients (99%) knew that the anaesthetist is a qualified physician. In addition, 75% of the patients were aware that the anaesthetist is also engaged in activities outside the operating room; these percentages compare favourably with previous results. However, when asked about the specifics of these activities or about how long it takes to train an anaesthetist, the Swiss patients knew little more than patients from other countries. Only one fifth of all patients estimated the duration of postgraduate training correctly and 45% thought that the anaesthesia team worked under the supervision of the surgical team. Previous anaesthetic experiences as well as additional informational material such as a booklet or videofilm did not improve the patients' knowledge with respect to the training or activities of anaesthetists.

DISCUSSION
Since other even more elaborate and expensive methods such as large exhibitions, national anaesthesia days, or increased coverage on radio and television also failed to enhance patients' knowledge, the focus is once again on the relationship between the patient and anaesthetist. If we wish to improve the role and recognition of anaesthetists for patients and/or the public, the anaesthetist must be visible for the patients as a true physician in the pre- and postoperative period. To improve this important patient-anaesthetist relationship, we have begun a training program in communication skills for all physicians in our department.


Issue addressed: As one of the most significant sites of homophobia is the school, a six week school based program designed to help students explore their attitudes to gays and lesbians was developed called 'Pride and Prejudice'. This paper reports on the initial data from the evaluation of this program. Methods: In order to evaluate the usefulness of the program, a group of year 10 students at a state secondary school participated in the Pride and Prejudice program. Students' attitudes to gay men and lesbians and their social connectedness, self esteem, attitudes to race and beliefs about gender roles were measured before and after their participation. Results: Attitudes held by students toward gay men and lesbians were significantly more positive after the program. The level of attendance during the program significantly predicted the change in attitudes toward gay men but not to lesbians. Conclusion: School based programs delivered to individual classes in which students are given the opportunity to explore their attitudes toward lesbians and gay men may be a useful part of a strategy to reduce homophobia. So what?: Health promoting schools now have a tool available for enabling students to reflect on their attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. It is hoped that school wide implementation of such a program will eventually lead to a reduction in the discrimination same sex attracted youth often experience.


Two hundred strains of coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) isolated from various clinical specimens (116) and healthy hospital personnel (84) were investigated for the production of beta-lactamases by means of three iodometric techniques and correlated with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of penicillin-G by agar dilution technique and disc diffusion technique. One hundred and fifty (75.0%) of the 200 strains tested produced beta-lactamases. Seventy two per cent of the CNS were found to be beta-lactamase positive by the starch paper technique which was the most sensitive one in our study. The MIC values of penicillin against CNS ranged from less than or equal to 1.25 to greater than or equal to 2000 units. The present study indicated the higher prevalence of beta-lactamase producers with increased penicillin resistance among CNS strains isolated from healthy carriers and hospitalised patients.


Using DNA microarrays together with quantitative proteomic techniques (ICAT reagents, two-dimensional DIGE, and MS), we evaluated the correlation of mRNA and protein levels in two hematopoietic cell lines representing distinct stages of myeloid differentiation, as well as in the livers of mice treated for different periods of time with three different peroxisome proliferative activated receptor agonists. We observe that the differential expression of mRNA (up or down) can capture at most 40% of the variation of protein expression. Although the overall pattern of protein expression is similar to that of mRNA expression, the incongruent expression between mRNAs and proteins emphasize the importance of posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms in cellular development or perturbation that can be unveiled only through integrated analyses of both proteins and mRNAs.


Systematic variations in mineral assemblages, fluid inclusion characteristics, mineral chemistry, and isotopic ratios document the chemical and thermal evolution of hydrothermal fluids responsible for late alteration in a small porphyry copper system near Tintic, Utah. Propylitic alteration of volcanic rock can be subdivided into actinolite, epidote, and chlorite subzones. An actinolite subzone containing actinolite, epidote, chlorite, and calcite extends 250 m away from the secondary biotite zone. An epidote subzone containing epidote, chlorite, and calcite is present up to 500 m away from the secondary biotite zone. A chlorite subzone of chlorite and calcite is present up to 2 km from the secondary biotite zone. Chlorite which occurs in each subzone varies systematically in Fe, Mg, and Mn content. The ratio Fe/(Fe + Mg) increases from 0.27 at the secondary biotite zone to 0.48 in the outer propylitic zone accompanied by a decrease in activity of clinochlore from 0.15 to 0.02. MnO increases from 0.23 to 0.44 wt percent. The Fe (super +3) content of epidote also systematically decreases from the actinolite subzone outward. The activity of clinozoisite in the epidote ranges from 0.038 at the secondary biotite zone to 0.21 700 m away from the secondary biotite zone in the outer epidote subzone. Systematic changes in chlorite and epidote compositions reflect increasing log a (sub Mg (super +2) ) /a 2 (sub H (super +) ) and log a (sub Fe (super +2) ) /a 2 (sub H (super +) ) with increasing distance from the hydrothermal biotite zone and decreasing temperature and salinity.Fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures decrease away from the secondary biotite zone with a horizontal thermal gradient of 78 degrees C/km. Temperatures range from 351 degrees to 160 degrees C in propylitic alteration. Salinities also decrease outward from 7.3 to 0.0 equiv wt percent NaCl.Hydrothermally altered rocks are systematically depleted in 18 O outward from the phyllic alteration zone into the chlorite subzone, as recorded by whole-rock samples (10.9 to -1.7ppm), calcite (10.4-1.6ppm), and quartz veins (2.8 to -0.8ppm). Calculated delta 18 O and delta D values for the actinolite subzone are +5 and -55 per mil, respectively; values as low as -15.1 and -120 per mil are recorded at the outer limits of sampling in the chlorite subzone.These latter values indicate that outer propylitic alteration is dominated by isotopically unevolved local meteoric water. However, the large variations in hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions recorded across the zoned propylitic alteration are too large to have been produced from an isotopically homogeneous fluid, given the measured range of alteration temperatures (350 degrees -200 degrees C). Rather, the variations in isotopic compositions and salinity of the propylitic alteration fluids are consistent with the progressive mixture of unevolved ( 18 O- and D-depleted), low-salinity local meteoric water with a much more 18 O- and D-enriched, higher salinity fluid. The later phyllic alteration also formed from a similar, 18 O- and D-enriched fluid. We suggest that these isotopically enriched fluids more likely evolved from local meteoric water through extensive exchange at very low water/rock ratios with the igneous rocks at depth in the hydrothermal system at Tintic. An alternative explanation is that 18 O- and D-enriched fluids represent a late incursion of magmatic water unlike many other porphyry copper systems.Participation of such 18 O- and D-enriched fluids in the waning stages of hydrothermal alteration at Tintic contrasts with the usual domination of isotopically unevolved meteoric water at these stages (e.g., propylitic, phyllic) in many porphyry copper systems (Sheppard et al., 1971; Taylor, 1974; Gustafson, 1978). At Tintic, isotopically enriched fluids coexist with and even displace meteoric water during propylitic and phyllic alteration, respectively.


1) The purpose of this study is to develop high value-added uniform design in response to climate change, and produce high sensitivity uniforms that conserve the energy of its wearers. The scope of the study encompassed entire production stage from the product planning stage to developing a prototype to collecting consumer ratings to securing intellectual property. The results of the study are as follows. First, the material was developed that maximizes insulation by replicating human body heat radiation and raising the temperature by 5 degree Celsius. Second, through Time to Market system, a luxurious synthetic wool material was developed, and warm effect was achieved. Third, pattern design engineering for easy movement and design development allowed the realization of uniform design that is compatible indoors and outdoors as well as respond to highly active climate change. Fourth, Fifth, the developed design was registered and intellectual property rights were obtained.


Minimum 1D velocity models and station corrections have been computed for the central Mediterranean area using two main data sets. The first one consists of accurate first arrival-time readings from 103 seismic events with magnitude (ML)≥3.5 recorded by the Italian National Seismic Network (RSN) and the AlpArray Seismic Network (AASN) in the period 2014–2021. Earthquakes were selected on the basis of their spatial distribution, epicentral distance to the nearest seismic station, and maximum distance traveled by Pn and Sn phases. This fine selection of high-quality data combined with the spatial density of the AlpArray seismic stations was decisive in obtaining high resolution for upper mantle velocity, especially in the Alpine belt. To obtain a denser coverage of crustal rays, we extended the first data set with P and S arrivals of local earthquakes from Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) bulletin data (2016–2018). A total of 75,807 seismic phases (47,183 P phases and 28,264 S phases) have been inverted to calculate best-fit 1D velocity models, at regional and local scales. We then test the performance of the optimized velocity models by relocating the last four years of seismicity recorded by INGV (period 2017–2020). The computed velocity models are very effective for routine earthquake location, seismic monitoring, source parameter modeling, and future 3D seismic tomography.


ABSTRACT Within the current global refugee crisis this paper emphasises the fundamental role of education in facilitating the integration of young new arrivals. It argues that a humanitarian problem of such scale requires a commensurate humanitarian response in the form of socially-just educational policies and practices in resettlement contexts within Europe. Utilising the theoretical concepts, 'participatory parity' (Fraser) and 'resumption of an ordinary life' (Kohli), we explore educational policy-making in Sweden and England, noting how the framing of these policies indicates how different nation states view their role in the global migration crisis. In England, child refugees are rendered invisible and not a legitimate focus of national educational policy, whereas in Sweden they are foregrounded in policy discourse though not necessarily in policy enactment. The paper concludes that newly arrived future citizens of Europe require socially-just policy and practice to best serve their own and their resettlement context's best interests.


An eastern filbert blight resistance screening technique was developed that reduces the time required to identify susceptible Corylus avellana L. seedlings from the previously reported 14 to 16 months after inoculation to 6 to 7 months. To accomplish this, hazelnuts were harvested at maturity, treated with GA 3 , germinated, and grown for about 8 weeks at 24 °C day/18 °C night with 16-hour daylengths. Seedlings were then moved to a humidity chamber and inoculated with ascospores of Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Miiller3 times over 2 weeks by misting until run off with a solution of 1 × 10 6 ascospores/mL in sterile distilled water. Following inoculation, seedlings were returned to the original greenhouse for 8 weeks and then were moved to a 10 to 15 °C day/5 to 10 °C night greenhouse with natural daylengths for 4 weeks. They were then moved to a 4 °C cold room for 8 weeks to receive chilling. Afterwards, seedlings were returned to a greenhouse at 24 °C day/18 °C night where stromata development was visible in 4 to 6 weeks.


The forward contract constitutes a legally binding agreement between two counterparties for provision of "financial service". Forwards are derivative financial instruments; their profitability depends on the value of other financial assets ("underlying securities"). Forward contracts can be used as a powerful investment tools or for hedging and speculation purposes. The subject matter of forward contract must be purchase or sale of a specified underlying asset at some time in the future at a certain (preagreed) price (supply cost, forward price). The underlying assets may be goods, manufacturing raw materials, financial instruments (securities, currencies, values of stock indices, interest rates, etc.) with mutually agreed parameters in terms of quantity, price and delivery time. Unlike futures, forwards are not standardized contracts and they are not traded on an organised market (exchange). One of the most essential differences between futures and forwards is that futures contracts are standardized. Their terms and conditions are not negotiable; only the price is agreed through bidding. These characteristics of futures contracts acts to some extent as a disincentive for investors, who need to find the right contract and assess whether it meets their needs, and this may costs time and money. The forward agreement can contain non-standard terms and conditions. This allows the conclusion of an agreement, which is more precisely aligned with the requirements of both parties and this way the transaction is more effective. Futures contracts are traded only on specially organized relevant exchanges, facilitating trade between absolutely unknown persons. Trading on specially organised markets, on the other side, reduce the costs of the deal and the effort for finding counterparty. The most common parties to forward contracts are banks, investment companies and non-banking financial institutions, which normally conclude them to meet specific requirements of their clients or for hedging different types of risks. The volumes of trading are not strictly defined, and any quantities are allowed for trade, depending on the specific needs of parties to the contract. Unlike spot deals, where the assets are traded on immense delivery, the moments of concluding and the execution of the forward agreement (delivery of a specified asset for a price agreed when the deal was concluded) are apart from each other. The duration of the forward contracts in most cases is up to one year. For transactions, concluded in the main international currencies, this period may be up to two and more years. In some cases, forward contracts have longer duration (5 to 10 years.) Some authors call these contracts "long" forwards. The length of the term of these contracts is directly proportional to risk of insolvency of one of the two contractual parties. Logically, the forward price of such contract is higher, but when its use is justified, it is worth the extra cost. Forward agreements, by definition, cannot be terminated prior to expiration. It is possible, however, to be concluded the opposite ("off-set") transaction to close out an open position: sale or purchase of the underlying asset with the same maturity date. The net impact of both transactions can be profit or loss. In view of the existence of risk of non-payment at maturity of forward contract, the seller requires collateral in order to guarantee the performance of the obligation – the so-called "margin deposit." The total amount of the margin deposited is normally established as a percentage of the due amount, and can be in the form of cash or securities. Depending on current market conditions, the amount of margin required may be corrected if found deficient. Forward transactions are informal contracts. In order to be legally valid and binding, the informal contracts need not be concluded in writing and are not subject to any other specific requirement as to form. In practice, with a view to clarity of contents of the contract, forward contracts are usually concluded in writing. In the electronic trade, the electronic contract shall be deemed to be concluded upon order placement, payment of the initial margin deposit, covering the purchase or sale of a forward contract, and receipt of confirmation of acceptance of the order. Since forward contracts are not exchange traded, they are less liquid than other financial instruments, traded on regulated market; they bear higher risk of failure of the seller to deliver at maturity date or buyer to pay the full value of the delivery to the seller.


1. Twenty-eight subjects complaining of tiredness completed a double-blind cross-over trial of injections of hydroxocobalamin (5 mg twice weekly for 2 weeks) followed by a rest period of 2 weeks and then a similar course of matching placebo injections. Symptoms were assessed by a daily self-rating method and included appetite, mood, energy, sleep and general feeling of well-being. 2. Those subjects who received the placebo in the first 2-week period showed a favourable response to hydroxocobalamin in the second period in all measurements made. The response achieved statistical significance (P = 0·006) in respect of general well-being; 'happiness' achieved a value of P = 0·032. Subjects who received hydroxocobalamin in the first period showed no difference between responses to active and placebo treatments, which suggests that the effects of the vitamin may persist for a period of at least 4 weeks.


We present a methodology for constructing a spatial ontology-based datasets navigation model to allow cross-reference navigation between datasets. We defined the structure of the dataset as metadata, the field names, and the actual values. We defined the relationship between datasets as 3-layer such as metadata layer, field names layer, and data value layer. The relationships in the metadata layer was defined as the correspondence between metadata values. We standardized the field names in dataset to discover the relationships between field names. We designed a method to discover the relationship between data values based on common knowledge datasets for each domain. To confirm the validity of the presented methodology, we applied our methodology to implement an ontology-based knowledge navigation model for actual disaster-related processes in operation. We built a knowledge navigation model based on spatial common knowledge.


Galactic cosmic-rays (GCRs) are thought to be accelerated in strong shocks induced by massive star winds and supernova explosions sweeping across the interstellar medium. But the phase of the interstellar medium from which the CRs are extracted has remained elusive up to now. Here, we study in detail the GCR source composition deduced from recent measurements by the AMS-02, Voyager 1 and SuperTIGER experiments to obtain information on the composition, ionisation state and dust content of the GCR source reservoirs. We show that the volatile elements of the CR material are mainly accelerated from a plasma of temperature above about 2 MK, which is typical of the hot medium found in galactic superbubbles energised by the activity of massive star winds and supernova explosions. Another GCR component, which is responsible for the overabundance of $^{22}$Ne, most likely arises from acceleration of massive star winds in their termination shocks. From the CR-related gamma-ray luminosity of the Milky Way, we estimate that the ion acceleration efficiency in both supernova shocks and wind termination shocks is of the order of $10^{-5}$. The GCR source composition also shows evidence for a preferential acceleration of refractory elements contained in interstellar dust. We suggest that the GCR refractories are also produced in superbubbles, from shock acceleration and subsequent sputtering of dust grains continuously incorporated into the hot plasma through thermal evaporation of embedded molecular clouds. Our model explains well the measured abundances of all primary and mostly primary CRs from H to Zr, including the overabundance of $^{22}$Ne.


A general formalism to describe the dynamics of quantum emitters in structured reservoirs is introduced. As an application, we investigate the optical coherence of an atom-like emitter diagonally coupled via a link-boson to a structured bosonic reservoir and obtain unconventional dephasing dynamics due to non-Markovian quantum coherent feedback for different temperatures. For a twolevel emitter embedded in a phonon cavity, preservation of finite coherence is predicted up to room temperature.


Global solar activity variation mainly occurs over about an 11 yr cycle. However, both longer and shorter periodicities than the solar cycle are also present in many different solar activity indices. The longer timescales may be up to hundreds of years, while the shorter timescales for global solar variability could be within 0.5–2 yr, which include, e.g., from the Rieger-type periods (150–160 days) to quasi-biennial oscillations of 2 yr. The most likely origin of this short-timescale quasi-periodicity is attributed to magnetic Rossby waves, which have periods of 0.8–2.4 yr. In this work, we present findings of a unique evolution of identified shorter periodicities, like the Rieger-type, arising from magnetic Rossby waves, throughout Solar Cycles 19–25. We report further observational evidence of the strong relationship between the Rieger-type periodicity, magneto-Rossby waves, and major solar flare activity. Moreover, this study also reveals that the global solar magnetic field has a continuous periodic longitudinal conveyor belt motion along the solar equator, together with an up-and-down movement in the latitudinal directions. We found that when these longitudinal and latitudinal movements have Rieger-type periodicity and magneto-Rossby waves during the same period of a solar cycle, major flare activity is present.


ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between clinical variables related to patients hospitalized with depression. METHODS: The files of patients hospitalized with depression were examined. Sociodemographic characteristics, clinical features and imaging reports were considered. Data for statistical analysis was obtained only from files that provided clear information. RESULTS: The appropriate treatment for anxiety and psychotic symptoms had a significant effect on response in depression. The presence of non-specific structural cerebral pathologies had an important relationship with the length of hospitalization and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is a disorder of which cause, course and outcome has been determined by several different factors. Therefore, addressing depression in a holistic manner is extremely important.


The effect of nuclear recoil on the elastic scattering of high-energy electrons or muons by zero-spin nuclei is studied by adapting the Breit two- particle Hamiltonian to the case that one of the two particles is of finite size, is spinless, and is nonrelativistic, the other being a normal point Dirac particle. A radial and angular separation of the Dirac equation is still possible-. To leading order in the parameter (electron energy)/ (nuclear mass), the effect of the dynamic recoil tcrms is to rotate the scattering amplitude vectors in the complex plane without changing their magnitudes, a result which is independent of the shape and size of the nuclear charge distribution. To this order, the cross section is affected only by the kinematic recoil corrections. The dynamic recoil terms also infiuence the scattering amplitudes through terms of order (electron mass)/(nuclear mass). These corrections, owing to large amplification factors in going from phase shifts to cross section, may be of some significance in muon scattering, but are probably of no importance in the analysis of high-energy electron scattering. The dynamic effect is proportional to nuclear charge and therefore nearly as great for heavy as for light nuclei. (auth)


The response of the ocean to fluctuating atmospheric pressure loads is reviewed in theory and in observations. Major theoretical issues lie primarily with oceanic boundary reflectivity and with rates of dissipation, generally. Analytical solutions for a stratified ocean show that a static ("inverted barometer") response is anticipated at all frequencies and wavenumbers not coincident with certain dispersion curves. Nonstatic behavior of two types is predicted: zero motion of the sea surface and a resonant response. Two types of resonance emerge. The first type corresponds to barotropic modes which are long gravity waves or Rossby waves at high and low frequencies, respectively. The second type excites internal modes, either gravity waves or Rossby waves depending on frequency, but modified from a conventional resonant response by the immediate juxtaposition in frequency/wavenumber space of the rigid‐lid modes. The extent to which these actual resonances are generated is obscure owing to the same uncertainties about oceanic dissipation and scattering which affect all other forced oceanic motions, especially including the tides and other barotropic motions. Zero sea surface motion is predicted at frequencies and wavenumbers corresponding to "rigid‐lid" modes. Observations support the wide applicability of the static response except in the tropics and in the western boundary current extension regions; there, the signal‐to‐noise ratios may be inadequate. The only other known clear nonstatic response occurs near 5 days in the Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans, indicative of a low‐Q resonance in the former area and a forced nonresonant response in the latter, but there are remaining problems with these interpretations.


In this work we provide high level ab initio treatments of the structures, vibrational frequencies, and electronic energies of the HCN monomer and dimer systems along with several isotopologues. The plethora of information related to this system within the literature is summarized and serves as a basis for comparison with the results of this paper. The geometry of the dimer and monomer are reported at the all electroncoupled-cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples level of theory [AE-CCSD(T)] with the correlation consistent quadruple-zeta quality basis sets with extra core functions (cc-pCVQZ) from Dunning. The theoretical geometries and electronic structures are further analyzed through the use of the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) method and Natural Resonance Theory (NRT). At the AE-CCSD(T)/cc-pCVQZ level of theory, the full cubic with semi-diagonal quartic force field for nine dimer and four monomer isotopologues (the parent isotopologue along with 15 N, 13 C, and D derivatives) were obtained to treat the anharmonicity of the vibrations via second order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2). Lastly, the enthalpy change associated with the formation of the dimer from two monomer units was determined using the focal point analysis. Computations including coupled-cluster through perturbative quadruples as well as basis sets up to six-zeta quality, including core functions (cc-pCVXZ, X=D,T,Q,5,6) were used to extrapolate to the AE-CCSDT(Q)/CBS energy associated with this hydrogen-bond forming process. After appending anharmonic zero-point vibrational, relativistic, and diagonal Born-Oppenheimer corrections, we report a value of -3.93 kcal mol-1 for the enthalpy of formation. To our knowledge, each set of results (geometries, vibrational frequencies, and energetics) reported in this study represents the highest-level and most reliable theoretical predictions reported for this system.


INTRODUCTION
Digital electroencephalography with simultaneous video-EEG recording gives invaluable information for the diagnosis of epileptic seizures, so that motor episodes which seem to be of cerebral origin may not show electrical correlation or on the other hand, electroencephalographic seizures may not be accompanied by clinical changes.

DEVELOPMENT
The differential diagnosis between the different types of epileptic seizures and between these and non-epileptic motor episodes, have, in this technique, great application as does the monitoring of doubtful seizures. We have recorded a large number of epileptic seizures with electrical correlation. In some of these cases it may be seen that the start of the episode, which clinically appeared to be generalized, showed an initial focal discharge although it became secondarily generalized.

CONCLUSIONS
We believe that this is not an expensive investigation when rationally used for a specific purpose, knowing what we are looking for (when this is possible). We particularly recommend synchronized recordings in neonatology, where the identification of seizures is difficult.


The report describes the settings of a case study of innovations in Burke County (North Carolina), provides a brief history of the county's educational efforts, and discusses some of the county's initiatives in education. For the research, multiple sources of data were used, including focus groups, interviews, and artifacts, such as memoranda and public-relations materials. Results indicate that the positive factors associated with the institutionalization of change were found across all these data sources. Some of the important elements in change included decentralizing the central office, planning, and starting small. Several factors contributed to success: maintaining focus once an initiative was under way, involving teachers in the planning and management of the innovation, and making a continual commitment to staff development. Communication and collaboration were also seen as important to the process, as were program support and followup. Administrative openness to innovation and the district's commitment to finding the necessary resources to continue initiatives likewise contributed to successful changes. (RJM) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** From the Middle of the Pack to the Top of the Heap: A District's Odyssey Through the '90s by CA tf) en Patrick Harman Ph.D. and Paula Egelson Ed.D. A AERA, San Diego, April 17, 1998


Formation of one-dimensional spatial structures in degenerate optical parametric oscillation due to diffraction effects is discussed and their analogy with parametrically excited localized structures studied in hydrodynamics is illustrated. It is shown that, when the emergence of roll paterns is inhibited by cavity constraints, localized structures in the form of bright or dark solitary waves for the signal field may be generated for appropriate detunings of the pump field from a cavity resonance. The dark waves exist when bifurcation is supercritical and are stable close to threshold, whereas bright waves spontaneously arise in the subcritical case for large pump detunings and below threshold for oscillation due to a modulational instability of the homogeneous state.


Nosocomial infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa seen in a general intensive care unit from January 1987 through December 1989 were studied. Use of piperacillin, ticarcillin, cefsulodine, ceftazidime, and imipenem over the same period were recorded. Rate of infection by P. aeruginosa among the 1,844 patients admitted during the study period was 3.2%; 32% of all nosocomial infections during this period were due to P. aeruginosa. The proportion of P. aeruginosa strains exhibiting in vitro susceptibility to ticarcillin rose from 45.5% in 1987 to 59% in 1988 and 86% in 1989. Concomitantly, the proportion of P. aeruginosa strains simultaneously resistant to ticarcillin, piperacillin, cefsulodine and ceftazidime fell from 32% to 18.5% then 0%. A statistically significant correlation was found between the decrease in piperacillin use and the fall in penicillinase-producing ticarcillin-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa. Because piperacillin has undesirable effects on the intestinal flora and promotes the emergence of resistant strains of P. aeruginosa, the authors now use narrow spectrum antimicrobial agents as first line treatment of nocosomial infections.


Gathering information about the cost of energy and patterns of usage within the hospital is the first step in mounting a program for conserving resources. A survey of the plant or a full-scale audit by an energy team can help administrators plan an energy-saving program.


Of all the bioassays to determine acute toxicity described in the literature, those that employ bacteria as indicator organisms are usually the most rapid and the most economic, although alone they cannot predict the possible toxic effect of any type of substance. When bioassays are employed to test the toxicity of known substances and of compounds in samples from waste discharges they have to work in very different conditions from those for which they are designed. The effects of three factors, pH, buffer concentration, and NaCl, on the performance of a fluorogenic bioassay based on the beta-glucuronidase activity of Escherichia coli were investigated. The results of this test were compared with those of two known biluminescent bacteria tests. The fluorogenic bioassay has a more restricted optimum pH range, while the influence of buffer concentration was similar for the three tests. E. coli glucuronidase activity was affected at a concentration as low as 128 mg/l of NaCl. Changes in the pH or buffer concentrations or chloride ions, greatly influenced the respectives toxicities of four substances, acridine orange, TEMED, 2-mercaptoethanol, and mercuric chloride.


Background: Treatment of female infertility has been growing globally in recent years. In spite of improvements in medical strategies and the improved outcomes for infertile couples, treatment attempts remain largely unsuccessful. A growing number of patients pursue complementary and alternative medicine treatment options like Ayurveda that offers a variety of inpatient and outpatient treatments for infertility. Case Report: A case of a 38 year-old woman with infertility of unknown origin is presented. She received 18 conventional fertility treatments in 5 different fertility centers and 3 different countries. After several complications, the patient quitted conventional treatment and admitted to an Ayurvedic outpatient clinic where she received a complex Ayurvedic treatment, which included botanicals, dietary and lifestyle advice, manual therapy, yoga, and spiritual elements. The patient then became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy boy in 2012. Conclusions: Ayurveda may be a useful complementary option in the case of futile conventional treatment attempts in female infertility. Nevertheless, the evidence base for Ayurvedic interventions remains weak and requires well-designed clinical trials. This case raises some questions, such as whether the exposure to a large number of assisted reproduction procedures can lead to more health problems than health benefits. The Ayurvedic approach to fertility strives first to improve the health of the patient leading to a higher likelihood of pregnancy. As this is a case report, we are not able to exclude temporal factors stimulating the pregnancy. However, the chronology suggests that this approach might have been an important factor in the eventual pregnancy.