In health care, optimal collaboration between nurses and physicians is crucial in the quality of the care process – but not self-generating. Little is known about how health-care professionals cope with conflicts within their collaboration. This qualitative study investigates the way nurses and physicians cope with conflict and clarifies the determinants of conflict management styles. All respondents formulate clear expectations which in their opinion are essential to collaboration. When collaboration leads to disagreement, physicians and nurses choose between ignoring the conflict or engaging in it. Choice is determined by five factors: the influence of oneself, the influence of the other, the nature of the conflict, the context of conflict, and personal motives.


Rationale and Objectives:The objective of this study was to evaluate a 2-dimensional spoiled gradient echo (GRE) imaging approach using a very short in-phase TE for routine T1-weighted imaging of the brain at 3 T. Materials and Methods:Patient examinations were compared from a 3 T magnetic resonance (MR) unit located immediately adjacent to a similarly equipped 1.5 T unit. Pre- and postcontrast T1-weighted images were evaluated and compared at 1.5 versus 3 T with a 2-dimensional (2-D) spin echo sequence used at 1.5 T and a 2-D GRE sequence at 3 T. The 2 MR systems used are from the same vendor, use similar 8-channel coils, and use identical gradients. The T1-weighted GRE sequence, used at 3 T, relies on a short TE (2.4 ms) to limit flow-related and susceptibility artifacts. Region-of-interest analysis was performed on 16 different sagittal patient examinations at both field strengths (32 total) and similarly on 10 different pre- and postcontrast axial examinations (40 total). Four blinded neuroradiologists also evaluated these studies. Results:Using an off-midline sagittal slice depicting the caudate nucleus (signal-to-noise ratio [SNR] 163 ± 28 vs. 70 ± 7, 3 T vs. 1.5 T) and corona radiata (SNR 214 ± 35 vs. 82 ± 10), 3 T markedly outperformed 1.5 T in both SNR and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) (51 ± 14 vs. 12 ± 5). On axial imaging, despite a reduction in slice thickness (5 to 3 mm) and scan time (5 to 1 minute), there was no significant difference pre- or postcontrast in SNR and CNR comparing 3 and 1.5 T. On blinded film review, 3 T performed slightly better on sagittal scans than 1.5 T in regard to motion artifacts (reduced), gray-white matter differentiation, and overall image quality. On axial scans, 3 T performed markedly better in all 3 categories both pre- and postcontrast. In regard to overall image quality, 3 T was preferred 9:2 precontrast and 4:1 postcontrast. Conclusions:High-quality, thin-section (3-mm) T1-weighted imaging can be readily performed at 3 T using a short TE 2-D GRE technique. This approach offers superior SNR and CNR with reduced motion artifacts and scan time as compared with imaging at 1.5 T and is advocated for routine brain imaging at 3 T. It is robust (used in over 1500 patients to date) and does not experience significant specific absorption ratio limitations, poor tissue contrast, or accentuated motion artifacts like encountered with spin echo T1-weighted imaging at 3 T.


Small interference RNA (siRNA) is an emerging methodology in reverse genetics. Here we report the development of a new tetracycline-inducible vector-based siRNA system, which uses a tetracycline-responsive derivative of the U6 promoter and the tetracycline repressor for conditional in vivo transcription of short hairpin RNA. This method prevents potential lethality immediately after transfection of a vector when the targeted gene is indispensable, or the phenotype of the knockdown is lethal or results in a growth abnormality. We show that the controlled knockdown of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in human cancer resulted in growth arrest. Removal of the inducer, doxycycline, from treated cells led to re-expression of the targeted gene. Thus the method allows for a highly controlled approach to gene knockdown.


Previous notions of science as impartial and value-neutral have been refuted by contemporary views of science as influenced by social, political and ideological values. By locating nursing science in the dominant political ideology of liberalism, the author examines how nursing knowledge is influenced by liberal philosophical assumptions. The central tenets of liberal political philosophy - individualism, egalitarianism, freedom, tolerance, neutrality, and a free-market economy - are primarily manifested in relation to: (i) the individualistic focus of our science; (ii) our view of society as essentially egalitarian and equitable; (iii) our preference for politically neutral knowledge development, and (iv) an economy of knowledge development that supports rather than challenges the status quo. I argue that exposing, rather than ignoring, the liberal ideological values inherent in nursing science will render these assumptions open to debate, stimulate ongoing development of critically oriented knowledge, and increase our capacity to influence the social, political and economic determinants of health.


The need better understand the linkages and interdependencies of socio-economic and coastal environmental dynamics has taken on a more deliberate role in the development and assessment of Integrated Coastal Management on Batudaka islands. The DPSIR (driverspressures states impacts responses) framework was used in scoping biodiversity management issues and problems. DPSIR model is to analyze the causative factors of pressure on the ecosystem of small islands and recommendations for environmental restoration effort. Results of the study showed that population and economic (tourism and fisheries demand) driving forces causing ecosystem vulnerable. Land conversions, domestic waste, other pollutant was pressured this area, while increasing driving forces. The State environmental as waters quality is still relative well for tourisms and fisheries activity , physical impact as abrasion and sedimentation, habitat loss and biodiversity changes at 2000 until 2010 year at Batudaka Islands increase life coral and mangrove, decrease seagrass. Impact to environment i.e. water abstraction, sediment water fluxes across coastal zones, change of habitats and biological diversity can be caused decreasing of coastal ecosystem. Functional diversity can be defined as a variety of different responses to environmental change, in particular the variety of spatial and temporal scales with which organisms reach to each other and to the environment. The policy objective of maximum diversity maintenance serves to development plan sets region that involves society


Background : Ageing is the major risk factor for most non-communicable diseases. It occurs as a result of free radical damage to macromolecules in the cell, coupled with environmental stress assaults. In the quest to identify new anti-ageing bioactive compounds from natural products, and despite the therapeutic values of Ananas sativa , its anti-ageing activity has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to screen the crude, methanol fruit extract of Ananas sativa (MEAS) and its fractions, for anti-ageing bioactivity in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster w 1118 wild type flies. Materials and Methods : Flies reared on food supplemented with 5, 10, and 20mg/ml fruit pulp and juice extract were assayed for longevity, fertility and stress resistance according to established protocols. Phytochemical composition and scavenging activity of extract on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH) were equally evaluated. The crude extract anti-ageing activity was assayed through a successive bioassay-guided fractionation approach, with different extraction solvents; n-Hexane, Chloroform, Ethyl acetate and Acetone. Results : There was a dose-dependent effect of the fruit extract on lifespan, fertility and oxidative stress resistance, with a unique information on the anti-ageing bioactivity of Ananas sativa . The IC 50 values of the fruit extract and Ascorbic acid positive control in the free radical scavenging activity were 248.15µg/ml and 81.51µg/ml respectively. However, the bioactive fraction obtained from the Ethylacetate fraction F1, did not exhibit oxidative stress resistant effect in the model organism. Conclusion : The methanol fruit extract of Ananas sativa possesses anti-ageing bioactivity through oxidative stress resistance.


Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. In typical cases, the first symptoms of GBS are pain, numbness, paresthesia, weakness in the limbs. Autonomic involvement is common and causes urinary retention and ileus. Much of these symptoms overlap with those of lumbar spinal stenosis. Therefore, correct diagnosis of GBS in a patient with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis or in a patient with atypical manifestations of GBS can be difficult, especially early in the course of GBS. Here, we report on a case of atypical GBS in a 74-year-old previously healthy patient with lumbar spinal stenosis and discuss the differential diagnosis of the GBS and lumbar spinal stenosis.


This work was aimed at laboratory testing of beer (and model solution) dealcoholization using pervaporation. Four commercially available membranes from the Sulzer company were tested. The modes of performed pervaporation tests were into the vacuum and into the stripping gas (N2). Pervaporation into the vacuum was observed to result in the precipitation of resin-like matter on the membrane permeate side. The performances of individual membranes are discussed in terms of selectivity and pervaporation fluxes.


In summary, based on this review of the literature, the following conclusions are offered: Prognostication of survival for the terminally ill cancer patient is an inexact science. Utilization of a performance scale such as the Karnofsky scale may be helpful both in the initial as well as the ongoing assessment of prognosis.


Terbinafine, a widely used antifungal drug, is a challenging molecule for quantitative bioanalysis due to certain factors contributing assay variability. Despite previous attempts at human plasma determination of terbinafine, exhaustive stability of the drug or an internal standard was lacking. Internal standard stability with negligible variation throughout the analysis is an indicator of a reliable bioanalytical method as the majority of LC-MS/MS assays are based on analyte/IS response ratios for quantitation. A newly developed high-throughput simple LC-MS/MS method is described for human plasma determination of terbinafine using naftifine internal standard and eluting all compounds within 2 min. A solid-phase extraction of terbinafine achieving mean recovery of 84.3% (CV < 4%) without compromising sensitivity (limit of quantitation 5.11 ng/mL) or linearity (5.11-3014.19 ng/mL) is delineated in this paper. A heated nebulizer in positive multiple reaction monitoring mode was employed with transitions m/z 292.2 →141.1 and 288.2 →117.0 for terbinafine and naftifine, respectively, resulting in excellent chromatographic separation on a Hypurity Advance (50 x 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column. The developed method was successfully applied to clinical samples and for the first time demonstrated marked improved extraction efficiency and reliable long-term plasma stability results without any internal standard response variation during the entire course of study.


[1] A vertically one-dimensional ecosystem model was developed and applied to the southeastern Bering Sea middle shelf. The physical model includes a 2.5-level turbulence model. Tidal forcing was introduced to improve representation of tidal mixing in addition to wind stirring and thermal stratification. The simulated currents, thermocline and mixed-layer depth (MLD) agree well with observations. The biological model was adapted from Eslinger et al. (2001) with nine compartments. The onset, magnitude and duration of the spring phytoplankton blooms were realistically reproduced at 12 m, 24 m, and 44 m in the standard run. The spring phytoplankton bloom was dominated by diatoms, and the post blooms by flagellates, which agree with previous studies in the region. The peak phytoplankton biomass reached 8 mmol N m−3, or approximately 16 mg Chl m−3, comparable to that observed in the PROBES program in 1980 and 1981 (Eslinger and Iverson, 2001). The simulated primary productions were within the range of 60 to 200 g C m−2/yr estimated in previous studies. Sensitivity studies revealed distinct effects of tidal mixing, wind stirring, thermal stratification and their impacts on the timing and magnitude of the phytoplankton bloom and the gross and net primary production. Links of MLD with primary production and species were found. If a constant MLD is used in the model, there exists a maximum gross primary production (GPP) at MLD = 24 m. Model results reveals that the predominant phytoplankton species changes from flagellates when MLD 15 m.


The Poisson equation is the most studied partial differential equation, and it allows to formulate many useful image processing methods in an elegant and efficient mathematical framework. Using different variations of data terms and boundary conditions, Poisson-like problems can be developed, e.g. for local contrast enhancement, inpainting, or image seamless cloning among many other applications. Multigrid solvers are among the most efficient numerical solvers for discrete Poisson-like equations. However, their correct implementation relies on: (i) the proper definition of the discrete problem, (ii) the right choice of interpolation and restriction operators, and (iii) the adequate formulation of the problem across different scales and layers. In the present work we address these aspects, and we provide a mathematical and practical description of multigrid methods. In addition, we present an alternative to the extended formulation of Poisson equation proposed in 2011 by Mainberger et al. The proposed formulation of the problem suits better multigrid methods, in particular, because it has important mathematical properties that can be exploited to define the problem at different scales in a intuitive and natural way. In addition, common iterative solvers and Poisson-like problems are empirically analyzed and compared. For example, the complexity of problems is compared when the topology of Dirichlet boundary conditions changes in the interior of the regular domain of the image. The main contribution of this work is the development and detailed description of an implementation of a multigrid numerical solver which converges in linear time.


Acoustic cavitation is known to trigger ice nucleation in supercooled water. Several competing and still debatable mechanisms have been proposed in the literature and are related to the pressure field in the vicinity of the bubble at the end of its collapse. Numerical simulations of the bubble dynamics show that during the bubble expansions in the bounces following the main collapse, the bubble core temperature reaches values far below 0 {\deg}C for time periods of about 500 ns. The water vapour present in the bubble during these time intervals explores the liquid and the solid region of the phase diagrams before going back to the vapour region. On the base of approximate nucleation kinetics calculations, we examine to what extent liquid droplets could nucleate homogenously in the bubble core during these excursions. We also discuss the possibility that the nucleated clusters reach the bubble wall and trigger ice nucleation in the surrounding liquid if the latter is supercooled.


Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck organs occupies the 5th place in the structure of oncological morbidity in the world. The mortality from this pathology has not changed for several decades, despite significant successes and achievements in modern clinical oncology. In article are explored and analyzed: the etiological role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the development of oropharyngeal cancer; sexual and age specific features of HPV-associated cancer, various methods of predictive diagnosis, specific prevention. Conclusions: papillomavirus infection is the main cause of the sharp and continuing increase in the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer, mainly among men in many countries of the world; vaccination has positive expectations in the prevention of the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer.


The success rate of assisted reproduction techniques (ART) has long been less than satisfactory albeit the great progress made in recent years, demonstrating the need for alternative options in the ART cycles. Growing evidence correlates the effect of intrauterine platelet-rich plasma (PRP) infusion on the endometrium with reassuring reproductive results. Thus, in this review, we focus on the current clinical and mechanical evidence on PRP and its effect on endometrial receptivity, and assess the features, benefits and limitations of the current studies and potential risks of PRP in ART.


Mortality in acute renal failure (ARF) still exceeds 50%. However, while the outcome data for ARF in adults are readily available, similar data for pediatric population are scarce. Children survival rate varies between centres, particularly in regard to age and size of a child, and cause of ARF. Dialysis continues to be a major supportive intervention in severe acute renal failure. There are few data available that address treatment modality impact on ARF outcome. The youngest patients are usually treated with peritoneal dialysis, though sometimes hemodialysis is used even in children with very low birth body weight. We reviewed a 9-year experience with hemodialysis in children under 5 years of age. 33 children (13 boys, 10 girls) were treated with hemodialysis in the analysed period. Their mean age was 26.8 +/- 23.0 years, mean body weight 10.6 +/- 4.6 kg. Cardiac surgery and haemolytic-uremic syndrome were the major causes of ARF in the studied group. Dialysis duration, ultrafiltration rate, maximum blood flow, mortality and its risk factors were analysed. 232 dialyses were conducted in the studied group, mean 6 dialyses per patient. Mean dialysis time was 85 +/- 42 min for the first and 135 +/- 38 min for consecutive procedures. Urea reduction rates in the first and following dialyses were 50% and 58% respectively. Maximum blood flow was 7.4 ml/kg/min, i.e. higher than recommended. However, no adverse events were caused by that. Mortality rate was 38%. Hemodialysis may be used in small children, when indicated, with no higher death rate than standard peritoneal dialysis.


A simple and versatile route for industrial scale synthesis of adipicdihydrazide (ADH)/polymer hybrids with excellent performance of formaldehyde degradation is proposed in this paper. The ADH compound is uniformly dispersed in poly(methyl methacrylate-butyl acrylate-methacrylic acid) (P(MMA-BA-MAA)) latex, which is validated by UV and dispersibility tests. The results illustrate that ADH has excellent compatibility and dispersion stability without affecting the film formation of the polymer latex. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and mapping analysis of the hybrid films also demonstrate that ADH is homogenously dispersed in the polymer matrix. Compared with neat polymers, the thermal properties of hybrid films are improved, for example, T0.5 increases by 8.3 °C. According to qualitative tests of the 4-amino-3-hydrazino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazol-red/green/blue (AHMT-RGB) method, the hybrid films demonstrate high formaldehyde removal efficiency. On the basis of the semi-quantitative test of Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements, the rate of formaldehyde degradation can reach 1.034 × 102 mol/(h·m3) for the hybrid film with 5 wt% ADH.


Background
Veterans are disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV). Homeless veterans are at particularly high risk for HIV, HCV, and HBV due to a variety of overlapping risk factors, including high rates of mental health disorders and substance use disorders. The prevalence of HIV, HCV, and HBV among homeless veterans nationally is currently unknown. This study describes national testing rates and prevalence of HIV, HCV, and HBV among homeless veterans.

Methods
Using data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Corporate Warehouse Data from 2015, we evaluated HIV, HCV, and HBV laboratory testing and infection confirmation rates and diagnoses on the Problem List for nonhomeless veterans and for veterans utilizing homeless services in 2015.

Results
Among 242740 homeless veterans in VA care in 2015, HIV, HCV, and HBV testing occurred in 63.8% (n = 154812), 78.1% (n = 189508), and 52.8% (n = 128262), respectively. The HIV population prevalence was 1.52% (3684/242740) among homeless veterans, compared with 0.44% (23797/5424685) among nonhomeless veterans. The HCV population prevalence among homeless veterans was 12.1% (29311/242740), compared with 2.7% (148079/5424685) among nonhomeless veterans, while the HBV population prevalence was 0.99% (2395/242740) for homeless veterans and 0.40% (21611/5424685) among nonhomeless veterans.

Conclusions
To our knowledge this work represents the most comprehensive tested prevalence and population prevalence estimates of HIV, HCV, and HBV among homeless veterans nationally. The data demonstrate high prevalence of HIV, HCV, and HBV among homeless veterans, and reinforce the need for integrated healthcare services along with homeless programming.


Software systems have evolved from being 'stand-alone systems' to 'systems of systems' to meet the challenging needs of societies. Contemporary software systems such as socio-technical systems are composed of distributed and heterogeneous agents, the em- bedded environment, and software components. Addressing the disruptions caused by run-time changes in the environment while designing software systems remains a challenging task in practice. Ensembles enable systems with collective adaptability to be built as emergent aggregations of autonomous and self-adaptive agents. The phenomenal aspect of this type of systems allows agents (i.e, services, people and things) a ected by an issue to adapt collabo- ratively with minimal impact on their own preferences through a collective resolution process. In this paper we report the outcomes of the 2nd ACM SIGSOFT International Workshop on Ensemble- Based Software Engineering for Modern Computing Platforms (EnSEmble 2019), which was held as part of the 27th ACM Joint European Software Engineering Conference and Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering (ESEC/FSE 2019) in Tallinn, Estonia, on August 26th, 2019.


This study investigates antecedents to inquiry and creative decision making in situations characterised by unpredictable, rapid technological change; focussing on the kind of change witnessed since the advent of
massively interconnected 'Web2.0' technologies. How agents of business creation interact with such
technologies are viewed through the lenses of traditional theory, systems theory and process theory; each
of which leads to novel theoretical and practical conclusions relating to change and agency.
The 'high-tech' entrepreneur operating in the technologically dynamic setting of the technology start-up
was chosen as the agent of analysis. Grounded theory was used to effect a textual analysis of interview
narratives provided by fifteen such entrepreneurial respondents, each of whom responded to three research
questions relating to change, decision making and creativity. Three conceptually dominant core categories - sensemaking, structured inquiry and principled praxis -
emerged as analysis of the data advanced, suggesting a three-tiered, progressive structure to the inquiry.
Sensemaking centred around foundational concepts relating to the generation and early formation of
enterprise building such as narrative, structure-agency, and habitus; and in so doing exhibited synergy with
a number of existing sociological theories concerning group and individual action in organizational settings.
Structured inquiry focussed on concepts relating to individual and group inquiry and modes of learning in
high-velocity, technological settings; and Principled praxis emerged as a consolidated 'master conceptual
category', premised upon an aggregate/idealised mode of praxis where sense had been made and inquiry
was well-defined. The concept of Principled praxis therefore represented the cumulative emergent outcome
of the research endeavour, from which a theoretical construct of the ideal entrepreneurial mindset could be
advanced. The construct was applied towards the formulation of a set of best-practice decision-making heuristics.
Informed by a critical systems approach to the analysis, elements of practical reasoning as well as ethical
components guided by the philosophies of Kant and the pragmatism of Peirce contributed to the
philosophical justification of the emergent theory. An adaptive form of 'entrepreneurial inference' for the
new 'information' economy is hereby proposed; the aim of which is to encourage ethically sound decision
making according to a critically informed set of best-practice heuristics.


We report a case of a 64-year-old caucasian male who was transported to the emergency department (ED) after being found unconscious on the side of the road. On arrival to the ED the patient went into ventricular fibrillation and advanced cardiac life support was started at that time. Thirty minutes into the resuscitation, after multiple rounds of code drugs and defibrillation attempts, the patient was found to be severely hypothermic with a rectal temperature of 24.9°C (76.9°F). Through the use of passive and active re-warming measures the patient's temperature increased enough to allow successful cardioversion and stabilization. Within minutes of cardiac stabilization the patient regained consciousness and was able to follow commands, but was found to be paralyzed from the neck down. Subsequent CT scans revealed no acute fractures, subluxations or acute spinal cord injury. This case represents the rare finding of severe hypothermia secondary to occult spinal cord injury. Case report was taken from case at Bayfront Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida.


In this article the forecasting tourism demand. A model of elasticity, which shows the effects of reciprocal demand a variety of tourist preferences in relation to the Kabardino -Balkar Republic (KBR). The analysis of the predicted values obtained on the basis of the trend, which indicates a further increase in the flow of tourists in the KBR. And also shown to have a strong effect of seasonality and increased number of tourists growth while maintaining macroeconomic parameters. The analysis showed that innovative processes can be an important stimulus for the development of regions and lead to increased efficiency of the regional economy.


Two new desoxo molybdenum(V) complexes have been synthesized and characterized as models for the paramagnetic high-g split intermediate observed in the catalytic cycle of dimethyl sulfoxide reductase (DMSOR). Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data are used to provide new insight into the geometric and electronic structures of high-g split and other EPR-active type II/III DMSOR family enzyme forms. The results support a 6-coordinate [(PDT)2Mo(OH)(OSer)]- structure (PDT = pyranopterin dithiolene) for a high-g split with four S donors from two PDT ligands, a coordinated hydroxyl ligand, and a serinate O donor. This geometry orients the redox orbital toward the substrate access channel for the two-electron reduction of substrates.


Countries may periodically implement different policies with regard to the amount of their populations. While these policies sometimes aim at increasing the population depending on the countries' level of development, they sometimes restrict the population growth rate. Generally, it is possible to mention about two periods for Turkey in terms of population policies. Whereas pronatalist policy, in other words, reproduction policy (population-increasing) was followed in the first period, which lasted from the beginning years of the Republic until 1965 in our country, antinatalist policies, that is, policies for decreasing the population growth (restricting the population growth rate) were initiated in the second period after this year. Our population generally had a tendency to increase in the period between 1927 and 1965. The years of the Second World War (1939-1945) were a period when great population losses were experienced in our country just like the whole world. There were decreases in the populations and population growth rate because of the reasons such as: a majority of the male population was fighting at the front, family unions were dispersed and medical care and medicine couldn't be supplied sufficiently. In order to prevent the negative effects of this situation, population-increasing policies were followed between 1927 and 1965. As of 1960s, it started to appear that population-increasing policies, which had been adopted in the Republic Period, weren't valid any more under the circumstances of that time. Turkey had to produce various policies in many fields within the new system depending on the changes and developments that occurred in the world conjuncture. Especially after 1965, our country brought new initiatives with respect to population (Doğan, M., 2013:27). Peace and trust environment, psychological relaxing, increase in the national income, technology developing over time, improvement of health services, hygienization of nourishment and accommodation conditions and increase in the transportation and communication opportunities, which were caused by the adoption of multi-party democratic regime after the Second World War, had an effect on the population growth. Population policies implemented in Turkey after 1965 developed in a reverse way, because the population increased more quickly and a lot more than expected. From this year onwards, a policy was implemented to decrease the population growth rate.


In this thesis, spectral analysis techniques are generalized to process polarimetric multibaseline interferometric SAR data. These polarimetric array signal processing algorithms are described in a rigorous mathematical way and applied to urban areas. They permit the estimation of the reflector height, the scattering mechanism, and the polarimetric reflectivity. From single-baseline POL-InSAR observations, a digital elevation model of an urban scene is generated including the scattering types. Using polarimetric dual-baseline InSAR data, the building layover problem is resolved and three-dimensional SAR images are produced that reveal the reflection mechanisms.


By Anna Ottlinger, Biology
 Advisor: Daniel Buchholz
 Presentation ID: PM_D20
 Abstract: Hereditary hemolytic anemias (HHAs) due to hemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC) cytoskeleton and enzyme disorders are the most common genetic diseases. As the name implies, they are heritable conditions that result in RBCs prone to lyse, resulting in anemia. Genetic testing for these conditions is becoming more refined and more widely available. As new genetic variants are detected in individuals with HHA of unknown etiology, it is necessary to document changes in the corresponding proteins and correlate them with RBC characteristics and patient symptoms e.g., weakening of the cytoskeleton to create fragile RBC more prone to lysis. I tested RBC membrane samples from individuals with HHA and novel or rare genetic variants for protein anomalies (in quantity, size, etc.) that might correlate with the variants. Techniques used included standard protein electrophoresis with infrared imaging and protein capillary electrophoresis with immunodetection. Specifically, I evaluated the ratio of the cytoskeletal proteins actin and spectrin in the RBC membranes of an individual with a novel mutation in RAC2, a gene which codes for a RBC cytoskeleton modulating protein controlling actin polymerization and assembly. I also evaluated the protein ankyrin, which anchors the specialized RBC cytoskeleton to the cell membrane, in two patients with rare or novel variants in the ANK1 gene. The long-term goal of this work is to increase our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of HHAs and improve their diagnosis and treatment.


Animal models indicate that chronic relapsing demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) can be induced both by certain viruses and by sensitization to myelinic antigens. Epidemiological data (studies on emigrants and on so-called "Multiple Sclerosis (MS) epidemics") suggest that an environmental transmissible agent, acting on a genetic substrate, could play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. The transmissible agent could be a virus. Data to this effect are insufficiently indicative, but the hypothesis has been recently put forward that it could be antigenically related to the lymphotropic viruses (HTLV). The transmissible agent could act either by desegregating myelinic antigens or by inducing an alteration of the immune system with a reduction of T lymphocyte suppressor activity. There appears to be rapid and intense activated T lymphocyte "traffic" across the blood-brain barrier in patients affected with MS. Cells specifically sensitized to the unknown antigen find within the CNS other cells able to perpetuate presentation of the antigen (HLA-DR+ astrocytes and endothelial cells, not present in normal brain) and then activate the macrophages which in turn begin immuno-mediated phagocytosis of the healthy myelin. Aspecific immune cells are also recruited into CNS where seem to abnormally proliferate (possibly owing to reduced suppressor activity) producing antibodies against various viral or cerebral antigens which are not clearly related to the pathogenesis of the disease (production of intra-CNS "nonsense" antibodies and synthesis of the oligoclonal immunoglobulin bands seen at the cerebrospinal fluid electrophoresis.)


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

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by a robust stromal component termed the desmoplastic reaction. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) has been implicated in the activation of the cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) that leads to pancreatic desmoplasia and the increased deposition of extracellular matrix proteins. Desmoplasia and its effects are thought to contribute to poor drug efficacy in PDAC treatment. We therefore hypothesized that TGFβ receptor (TGFβR) inhibition may serve to improve the activity of chemotherapeutics in PDAC by reducing the effects of desmoplasia. Using the TGFβRI inhibitors, LY2157299 and SB431542, we assessed the effects of TGFβR inhibition on cell proliferation and collagen production in both mono- and co-cultured pancreatic tumor cells and CAFs. We found that although the TGFβRI inhibitors had moderate effect on the proliferation of PDAC cells and co-cultured CAF cells, they significantly inhibited collagen 1 expression in the co-culture of MIA PaCa-2 and SU86.86 cells with CAFs (2.3 and 6.0-fold at the mRNA level, respectively). Similar qualitative reductions were also observed in immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblots probing for collagen 1 protein levels. We also sought to determine if TGFβR inhibition would result in a reduction in collagen expression in the more biologically relevant in vivo model for PDAC, the LSL-KrasG12D/+;LSL-Trp53R172H/+;Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mouse. KPC mice were treated orally, b.i.d., with 75mg/kg LY2157299 and by i.p., with gemcitabine (q3dx4) at 80mg/kg. Tumors in KPC mice treated with the combination of LY2157299 and gemcitabine showed a marked reduction in overall stromal content when compared to vehicle-treated mice. Our results suggest that TGFβR inhibition may be an effective means of ameliorating the effects of desmoplasia in PDAC, which may in turn improve the efficacy of current PDAC treatment regimens.

Citation Format: Clifford J. Whatcott, Sabrina N. Dumas, Aprill Watanabe, Janine LoBello, Daniel D. Von Hoff, Haiyong Han. TGFβRI inhibition results in reduced collagen expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2135. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2135


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Specific allergen immunotherapy is the only treatment modality that might change the natural course of allergic diseases in childhood. We sought to prospectively compare the long-term clinical and immunological effects of sublingual (SLIT) and subcutaneous (SCIT) immunotherapy compared with pharmacotherapy alone.

METHODS
In this single-center, prospective randomized controlled trial, 48 children with mild persistent asthma with/without rhinitis, monosensitized to house dust mites (HDMs) were followed for 3 years. At baseline and years 1 and 3 of follow-up, patients were evaluated and compared for total rhinitis (TRSS) and asthma (TASS) symptom scores, total symptom scores (TSS), total medication scores (TMS), safety profiles, skin-nasal-bronchial reactivity, and immunological parameters.

RESULTS
A significant reduction was observed in TASS for both HDM-SCIT and HDM-SLIT at year 3 of treatment compared with baseline and controls (P<.05 for both), with significant improvement in rhinitis symptoms for both groups compared with controls (P=.01 for both). TSS decreased significantly in both HDM-SCIT and HDM-SLIT at year 3 compared with baseline (P=.007 and P=.04, respectively) and controls (P<.01 for both). A significant reduction in TMS was observed in HDM-SCIT and HDM-SLIT compared with baseline and controls (P=.01 in all cases), with a reduction in skin reactivity to HDM (P<.05). Finally, a significant increase in allergen specific IgG4 was observed in the SCIT group at year 3 compared with baseline, the SLIT group, and controls (P<.001 in all cases).

CONCLUSIONS
HDM-sensitized asthmatic children treated for at least 3 years with either SCIT or SLIT showed sustained clinical improvement.


Bioluminescence and chemiluminescence have emerged in the last decade as a major tool for biochemical and biological studies. Several very sensitive assays have been developed in our laboratory such as enzymatic assays, immunoassays and detection of nucleic acids. The use of a new instrumentation allowing to dimensional photon counting has permit the emergence of new investigations at the cellular level. In addition to the advantages of sensitivity and the real-time non-invasive nature of this detection system, the imaging potential of using low-light and photon counting video cameras has been particularly influential in establishing its ascendence over more traditional systems. This review provides a reflection in this field through several applications in life sciences.


Reliable, easy, cost-effective and reproducible ways of extracting microplastics (MP) from environmental samples remain important requirements for MP research. In this context, electrostatic separation is a new proposition, especially for extracting MP from mineral-rich samples and large sample volumes. However, there is little research evaluating the reliability of the technique. This study has evaluated the effectiveness of the Korona-Walzen-Scheider (KWS) system; a small-scale version of larger machines designed to sort recycling materials. Recovery rates of a variety of sizes of MP, spiked in beach sediments, were found to be highly dependent on the MP size. MP ≥ 2 mm achieved 99 – 100% recovery (with the exception of fibers: ∼80%), MP of 63–450 μm achieved ∼60–95% recovery and MP of 20 μm achieved ∼45% recovery. For particle-based analysis, additional density separation is still inevitable for the analysis of small MP after KWS separation and further reduces the overall recovery rates. Mass reduction rates of beach and commercial reference sand greatly differed, 93 and 17%, respectively. Mineral analysis using SEM-EDX suggested that lower reduction rates found in commercial sand was due to high presence of small (<50 μm) calcite particles. Tests based on environmental soil samples revealed comparatively low mass reduction rates (∼1%), suggesting that KWS treatment was inefficient for soils due to high levels of fine particulates. Sieving to remove fine particles improved mass reduction, though only to ∼15%. To specifically test for influence of fine particulates, recovery rates were determined for sand samples spiked with a defined amount of silicate dust, resulting in a reduction of certain MP recovery rates, especially medium-sized (450 μm) MP. Conclusively, several key influential parameters were identified, such as mineral composition and grain size, that can negatively effect sediment mass reduction as well as MP recovery rates. Given the variability in recovery rates, the use of internal standards is recommended when using the KWS, particularly for smaller MP (<500 μm). For large-volume (beach) sand samples, where interest is mainly in MP > 450 μm, electrostatic separation is a reliable and fast approach for MP extraction from the environment.


A15 Wnt signaling is involved in the normal development and tumorigenesis via epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), initiated by down-regulation of E-cadherin by the transcription factor Snail. Wnt signaling inhibits Snail phosphorylation through Axin2-dependent pathway that sustains nuclear accumulation of Snail by driving GSK3β nucleocytoplasmic export, then consequently increases Snail protein levels and induces an EMT. However, the roles of Wnt and Axin expression and their functional implication on Snail dependent EMT program are not clear during the multistep carcinogenic process. We examined that canonical Wnt signaling engaging multistep carcinogenic process of uterine cervical cancer through Wnt-Axin2-Snail axis. In normal cervical mucosa, Wnt1, Wnt3a, and Axin2 mRNA expression were localized in basal cell layer suggesting that canonical Wnt is required for maintenance of self-renewal program of cervical epithelial cells. With progression to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and carcinoma, Wnt1, Wnt3a, Axin2, and Snail expression were gradually increased in patient samples suggesting that canonical Wnt pathway is involved in early step of carcinogenesis in uterine cervix. LRP6 and Axin2 transfected cells showed the highly increased nuclear Snail resulted from decreased level of nuclear GSK3β, indicating that LRP6-Axin2 serves to stabilize Snail protein levels and sustains its nuclear accumulation by driving GSK3β. RNA interference of Axin2 and Snail on SiHa cells relieved E-cadherin proximal promoter activity and block the in vivo chorioalantoic membrane invasion. These results suggest the canonical Wnt signaling regulating Axin2-GSK3β compartmentalization may important for stabilization of E-cadherin repressor Snail during the multistep carcinogenic process of uterine cervix. It may lead to not only tracing the proper biomarker of cancer progression, but also the development of new targets for therapeutic intervention in cancer.


The leucine genes of alkalophilic Bacillus No. 221 were cloned into the HindIII sites of pBR322 and pGR71, and recombinant plasmids pHK101 and pHK111 were constructed. The cloned 7.2 kb DNA consisting of HindIII fragments of 4.0 kb and 3.2 kb could substitute for leucine genes (alpha-isopropylmalate (alpha-IPM) synthetase gene, beta-IPM dehydrogenase gene, and alpha-IPM isomerase gene) of E. coli and B. subtilis, but not ilvB gene of B. subtilis. The 4.0 kb HindIII fragment could substitute for alpha-IPM synthetase gene of E. coli, and the 3.2 kb HindIII fragment could substitute for alpha-IPM isomerase gene of E. coli. Both 4.0 kb and 3.2 kb fragments are necessary to substitute for beta-IPM dehydrogenase gene. The expression of beta-IPM dehydrogenase gene of alkalophilic Bacillus No. 221 was repressed by the addition of leucine in the culture medium of B. subtilis carrying the plasmid pHK111. These results indicated that the 7.2 kb fragment contains the leucine gene cluster and its regulatory region.


Editor, I t is encouraging that Harris (2011) – employing an entirely different approach – reached the same conclusion as Naeser & Hjortdal (2011), namely that a slight myopia without astigmatism is an optimal pseudophakic refraction. Harris has actually improved our theory by his use of exact, rather than numerical integration. In Harris¢ equation (12), the optimal refraction for any fixation range is described as the vergence of the arithmetic mean in the fixation range. This means that optimal refractions for any fixation interval are easily calculated. For example, for a patient mostly interested in reading at 33 cm and watching television at 2.67 m, the optimal refraction is: 2 ⁄ ()2.67 ) 0.33) = )0.66 D. As correctly stated by Harris, the described defocus model will yield a target correction of emmetropia for a distant fixation range approaching infinity. In theoretical optics, distances of infinity and close to zero may give problems. However, in clinical optics, we are used to solve theoretical problems in a pragmatic manner. In clinical refraction, incident light from 'infinity' is tested with acuity cards in distances of 4–6 m, and near visual acuity is tested in 25– 33 cm. Our group is currently developing a more generalized expression for binocular defocus. This study aims to optimize the distribution of refractions in binocular pseudophakia and following presbyopic corneal laser ablations.


Due to their great ability to parallelize at a very high integration level, Multi-Processors Systems-on-Chip (MPSoCs) are good candidates for systems and applications such as multimedia. Memory is becoming a key player for significant improvements in these applications (power, performance and area). The large amount of data manipulated by these applications requires high-capacity computing and memory. Lately, new programming models have been introduced. This leads to the need of new optimization and mapping techniques suitable for embedded systems and their programming models. This article presents novel approaches for combining memory optimization with mapping of data-driven applications while considering anti-dependence conflicts. Two different approaches are studied and integrated with existing mapping algorithms. The first approach (based on heuristic algorithms) keeps the graph transformation for memory optimization stage from the mapping stage and enables their combination in a design flow. The second approach (based on evolutionary algorithms) combines these two stages and integrates them in a unique stage. Some significant improvements are obtained for memory gain, communication load and physical links.


Genomic meta-analysis to combine relevant and homogeneous studies has been widely applied, but the quality control (QC) and objective inclusion/exclusion criteria have been largely overlooked. Currently, the inclusion/exclusion criteria mostly depend on ad-hoc expert opinion or naïve threshold by sample size or platform. There are pressing needs to develop a systematic QC methodology as the decision of study inclusion greatly impacts the final meta-analysis outcome. In this article, we propose six quantitative quality control measures, covering internal homogeneity of coexpression structure among studies, external consistency of coexpression pattern with pathway database, and accuracy and consistency of differentially expressed gene detection or enriched pathway identification. Each quality control index is defined as the minus log transformed P values from formal hypothesis testing. Principal component analysis biplots and a standardized mean rank are applied to assist visualization and decision. We applied the proposed method to 4 large-scale examples, combining 7 brain cancer, 9 prostate cancer, 8 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and 17 major depressive disorder studies, respectively. The identified problematic studies were further scrutinized for potential technical or biological causes of their lower quality to determine their exclusion from meta-analysis. The application and simulation results concluded a systematic quality assessment framework for genomic meta-analysis.


Management is the most important aspect in the development of a school. Good management and supervision at school level will lead education system to achieve their goals. The main responsibility of management is to ensure the institution and organisation achieve their goals. This can be achieved through the practice of efficient management and utilisation of the existing resources prudently. Additionally, if the leader is a Muslim, he should practise Islamic ethics in the school management based on the Quran, as-Sunnah and the practice of early generation of Islam (al-Salaf al-Saleh). The Islamic system and Islamic thoughts have the foundation and principles for creating a successful school management system. This chapter will discuss the main guidelines and school management from the perspective of Islam. School is an educational channel and a place where children acquire knowledge. Hence, we must refine the best method that can be used by schools in an effort of making Islamic education system a success. The fundamental responsibility of a school according to Islamic perspective is to implement Islamic education system successfully which includes the principles of morals, shariah and others.
Key words: Management, supervision, Islamic Education


Objectives Pre- and post-sedation effect of oral Midazolam to promethazine in2-6 yrs old fearful children for dental treatment Methods This randomized clinical trial was carried out on a group of 26 children aged 2-6 years referred to the dental school due to their fear and multiple dental needs. Patients were selected from ASA I or II classification and scored 1 in Frankl Behavior scale. Each patient was scheduled for two subsequent visits to receive one of the two pre medications before IV sedation. Each patient served as self-control and randomly assigned to either group A: receiving Midazolam oral as premed in 1 st visit or group B: receiving Promethazine oral as the premed in 1 st visit. Six hour NPO was instructed prior to sedation visit. Monitoring vital signs were conducted at every 15 minutes starting with base line before any drug administration. Sedation score was recorded using Houpt Sedation scale. Post sedation problems were recorded by operator. Data were analyzed using Student t test and Kruskal Wallis. Results No significant difference was noted between the patient perceptions at the two different visits. Children did not show a significant difference on symptoms such as Crying, Movement, Sleep and overall behavior in two visits at the first 15 minutes of sedative injection. Post-operative complications were having no significant difference. Lower sickness and vomiting were reported following promethazine intake. Conclusion Promethazine seems to be as effective and as acceptable premedication as Midazolam in pediatric dentistry.


Epitaxial growth, a crystallographically oriented growth induced by the chemical bonding between crystalline substrate and atomic building blocks, has been a key technique in the thin-film and heterostructure applications of semiconductors. However, the epitaxial growth technique is limited by different lattice mismatch and thermal expansion coefficients of dissimilar crystals. Two-dimensional (2D) materials with dangling bond-free van der Waals surfaces have been used as growth templates for the hetero-integration of highly mismatched materials. Moreover, the ultrathin nature of 2D materials also allows for remote epitaxial growth and confinement growth of quasi-2D materials via intercalation. Here, we review the hetero-dimensional growth on 2D substrates: van der Waals epitaxy (vdWE), quasi vdWE, and intercalation growth. We discuss the growth mechanism and fundamental challenges for vdWE on 2D substrates. We also examine emerging vdWE techniques that use epitaxial liftoff and confinement epitaxial growth in detail. Finally, we give a brief review of radiation effects in 2D materials and contrast the damage induced with their 3D counterparts.


Indeed, hunting, fishing and gathering food is central to all indigenous peoples' survival. It is perhaps felt most poignantly in the thousands of communities scattered across the northern Polar Regions of our planet. The threat that all of the Arctic's indigenous peoples feel to their culture, their language, to their heritage and to their environment is intimately connected to the fear we all have regarding our inherent rights to hunting, fishing, and gathering. – Aqqaluk Lynge (of Greenland), President, Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC); Remarks at the National Forum on the Future of Alaska Natives (1999)


The information on history of in-situ metal leaching method (ISL) was given. The role of Russian scientists and research organizations in research into ISL processes was shown. Examples of ISL application at the mines of the USSR, the CIS and non-CIS countries with the implementation features were given. The main disadvantages of ISL were formulated: low rate of metal production and difficulty in monitoring the completeness of metal recovery into pregnant solution. It was noted that underground leaching of even well-crushed ores lasts for many years. This, under otherwise equal conditions, decreases attractiveness of ISL in comparison with traditional methods of metal mining. Well-known and new promising methods of the leaching process intensification for increasing the rate of metal extraction into solution were described. As illustrated by the North Caucasian deposits of the Sadon group, the expediency of ISL use for extracting the residual reserves, which would not be extracted by the traditional methods, was shown. The role of Professor I. A. Ostroushko in development and implementation of methods for extracting metals remained in the mined-out space of mines, in particular, by extracting metals from the Sadon deposits wastewater. Information on the current state of ISL application was given. The conclusion was made about insufficient use of this promising method in mining in some regions. For the first time, the details of the ISL general concept were clarified: the feasibility of ISL use not only in favorable conditions, but also at non-continuous geology and mineralization; ISL applicability for not only substandard ores (non-extractable by traditional mining methods), but also for balance reserves; ISL (block leaching) was proposed as an alternative to traditional mining methods in specific conditions, for example, at the North Caucasian complex ore deposits.


We provide comments on "Meaning of Intimacy: A Comparison of Members of Heterosexual and Same-Sex Couples," noting that there are both content and methodological issues that should be addressed in the article. First, attachment theory, used by social psychologists as a major component of the study of relationships, is entirely omitted. Second, both qualitative and quantitative issues are raised by the ways in which intimacy categories are developed and participant stories assigned to them. Finally, none of the results are statistically significant. We address these issues in detail.


Objective To assess the prognostic roles of BAP1, PBRM1, pS6, PTEN, TGase2, PD-L1, CA9, PSMA, and Ki-67 tissue biomarkers in localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods Patients who underwent a nephrectomy during 1992–2015 and had a primary specimen of their kidney tumor were included. The nine tissue biomarkers were immunohistochemically stained on tissue microarrays of RCC, and the semi-quantitative H-score, including intensity score, was used to grade the sample. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate tissue markers significant for overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) after adjusting for significant clinicopathological parameters. Results Samples from 351 RCC patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 53.9 years; the rates of pathologic T1-2/≥T3 stage, Fuhrman 1+2/3+4 grade, recurrence, and death were 269/65(80.5/19.5%), 222/107 (67.5/32.5%), 6.6%, and 10.5%, respectively. Median OS, CSS, and RFS were 220.6, 220.6, and 147.1 months, respectively. The multivariable analysis showed that pathologic T stage and Fuhrman nuclear grade were significantly associated with OS and CSS. Pathologic T stage and tumor size were associated with RFS. After adjusting for these significant prognostic clinicopathological factors, Ki-67 was significantly associated with OS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.7), CSS (HR, 3.82), and RFS (HR, 4.85) and pS6 was associated with CSS (HR, 8.63) and RFS (HR, 8.51) in the multivariable model (p<0.05). Conclusion pS6 and Ki-67 are significant prognostic factors of RCC; however, BAP1, PBRM1, TGase 2, PD-L1, CA9, PTEN loss, and PSMA markers did not show this association.


This course introduces students to social science perspectives on the intersection of gender and health. In the course we will examine theoretical approaches to gender and health.


At a time when surface visibility is one of the key issues for archaeological surveys in the Mediterranean world, it is of interest to look more closely at the character of modern land use. In this case study of the Acconia area in southern Italy, the mapping of land use on a field-by-field basis was carried out in two different years (1980 and 1989). As part of the analysis, use is made of a transition matrix to summarize the patterns of continuity and change in the exploitation of fields between the two dates. The longitudinal study of land use at Acconia reveals the growing importance of groves of fruit trees at the expense of other forms of land use. The installation of a new grove commonly involves sub-surface intervention (the levelling of the ground, the digging of holes for planting the trees, the excavation of trenches for the irrigation system) which increases the chances that archaeological material at a buried site will be brought to the land surface, thus making it possible for the survey to discover a new site. In retrospect, much of the success of the Acconia Survey in recovering a dense pattern of Neolithic settlement is now to be linked with the dynamics of modern land use. In a final section, some of the broader implications of the case study for survey work in the Mediterranean are discussed briefly.


A Review of Catherine A. Nolan-Ferrell's Constructing Citizenship: Transnational Workers and Revolution on the Mexico-Guatemala Border, 1880-1950 (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2012).


Objective To compare the time taken by preterm infants with evolving chronic lung disease to achieve full oral feeding when supported with humidified high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) or nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP). Design Single centre randomised controlled trial. Setting Level III neonatal intensive care unit at the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. Patients Very low birthweight (birth weight <1500 g) infants born before 30 weeks' gestation who were NCPAP-dependent at 32 weeks corrected gestational age were eligible to participate. Interventions Enrolled infants were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive HFNC or NCPAP. Participants were monitored daily until full oral feeding was established and the baby was off respiratory support. Main outcome measures Our primary outcome was the number of days taken to establish full oral feeds (defined as oral intake ≥120 mL/kg/day) from the time of randomisation. We estimated that enrolling 44 subjects (22 in each group) would allow us demonstrate a 7-day difference in our primary outcome with 80% power and α of 5%. Results Forty-four infants were randomised (22 to HFNC vs 22 to NCPAP). The mean time to achieve full oral feeding was not different between the groups (HFNC 36.5 (±18.2) days vs NCPAP 34.1 (±11.2) days, p=0.61). Conclusions Preterm infants treated with HFNC did not achieve full oral feeding more quickly than infants treated with NCPAP. Trial registration number ISRCTN66716753.


The optimum solvent for Nb2Se9 dispersion, which is a new type of one dimensional (1D) material, is investigated. Among several solvents (16 solvents in total), strong dispersion was observed in benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, and diacetone alcohol, which have medium dielectric constants in the range of 10 to 30 and surface tension in the range of 25 to 35 mJ m−2. 1D Nb2Se9 chains, whose size is less than 10 nm, are well dispersed and it is possible to disperse mono-chains of 1 nm or less in a specific dispersion region. The 1D unit chain with dangling bond free surface and high volume to area ratio is expected to be used in applications that utilize the surface of the material. Such dispersion is an important first step towards various potential applications and is an indispensable scientific goal for the practical applications of Nb2Se9.


The early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is based on the detection of markers of renal damage in urine collection. These urinary bio-markers are measurable before the appearance of functional defect, which is diagnosed with a decrease of glomerular filtration rate. Albuminuria, preferentially expressed as urinary albumin/creatinin ratio, is one of the marker of CKD. But today, other urinary biomarkers, monitoring tubulointersticial damage, are of interest in early diagnosis of CKD. In acute kidney injury, these markers could improve diagnostic tests, since they increase faster than serum creatinin. We propose a review of the urinary biomarkers of renal dysfunction used in routine clinical practice in 2015.


Abstract From 1999 to 2007 Japan-Mongol joint archaeological expedition worked in the Ulaan Uushig site near the city Moron, Northern Mongolia. The purpose of our survey is to determine the date of the beginning of nomadic powers in the Eurasian steppes. In places where early kingship occurred, various sizes of tombs were often built. The tomb size reflected the social status of the dead. And a powerful "king" built a big tumulus as a symbol of power. However, elite tumuli were abandoned along with the maturity of power structures. We consider that such a phenomenon can also be seen in the Eurasian steppes. For this reason we looked for the earliest tumuli in Mongolia, the heartland of rider nomads, and studied the change of size and structure of nomadic elite tombs.


In this paper, the austenitization and homogenization process of Q235 plain carbon steel during reheating is predicted using a two-dimensional model which has been developed for the prediction of diffusive phase transformation (e.g. alpha to gamma). The diffusion equations are solved within each phase (alpha and gamma) and an explicit finite volume technique formulated for a regular hexagonal grid are used. The discrete interface is represented by special volume elements alpha/gamma, an volume element a undergoes a transition to an interface state before it becomes gamma. The procedure allows us to handle the displacement of the interface while respecting the flux condition at the interface. The simulated microstructure shows the dissolution of ferrite particles in the austenite matrix is presented at different stages of the phase transformation. Specifically, the influence of the microstructure scale and the heating rate on the phase transformation kinetics has been investigated. The experimental results agree well with the simulated ones.


To the Editor.— The specific answers for the points Dr. Rosenthal raises in his letter are as follows: The definition of urinary tract infections used during the prevalence studies is essentially as follows: Asymptomatic Bacteriuria.— This term is applied to those persons having colony counts in urine of greater than 100,000 organisms per milliliter without previous or current manifestations of infection; such asymptomatic urinary tract infections should be classified as nosocomial if an earlier urine culture was negative at a time when the patient was not receiving antibiotics. If a patient is admitted to the hospital with a urinary tract infection, subsequent culture of a new pathogen in numbers greater than 100,000 organisms per milliliter should be regarded as a nosocomial infection. Other Urinary Tract Infections.— The onset of clinical signs or symptoms of urinary tract infection (fever, dysuria, costovertebral angle tenderness, suprapubic tenderness, etc) in a hospitalized patient in


Background Ketamine has emerged as a novel therapeutic agent for major depressive episodes, spurring interest in its potential to augment electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Aims We sought to update our preliminary systematic review and meta-analysis, focusing on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving an index course of ECT, and testing the hypothesis that lack of efficacy is due to barbiturate anaesthetic co-administration. Method We searched EMBASE, CENTRAL and Medline to identify RCTs examining the efficacy of ketamine during a course of ECT. Data were synthesised from ten trials (ketamine group n = 333, comparator group n = 269) using pooled random effects models. Results Electroconvulsive therapy with ketamine was not associated with greater improvements in depressive symptoms or higher rates of clinical response or remission, nor did it result in pro-cognitive effects. This held true when limiting analysis to trials without barbiturate anaesthetic co-administration. Increased rates of confusion were reported. Conclusions Overall, our analyses do not support using ketamine over other induction agents in ECT.


Chronic inflammation is hypothesized to be associated with breast cancer development. However, data evaluating the association between C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, and breast cancer risk are sparse. In the Women's Health Study, 27,919 apparently healthy women aged 45 years and older who were free of cancer and cardiovascular disease had plasma CRP levels measured at baseline. During a mean of 10 years of follow-up, a total of 892 women developed invasive breast cancer. All statistical tests were two-sided. Baseline plasma CRP level was not statistically significantly associated with breast cancer risk (highest versus lowest quintile of CRP, multivariable hazard ratio = 0.90, 95% confidence interval = 0.71 to 1.16; P(trend) = .19; crude incidence rates: 273 versus 305 per 100,000 person-years). Our data suggest that baseline plasma CRP levels are not associated with the increased risk of breast cancer in apparently healthy women.


The k-means algorithm is widely used to design image codecs using vector quantization (VQ). In this paper, we focus on an adaptive approach to implement a VQ technique using the online version of k-means algorithm, in which the size of the codebook is adapted continuously to the statistical behavior of the image. Based on the statistical analysis of the feature space, a set of thresholds are designed such that those codewords corresponding to the low-density clusters would be removed from the codebook and hence, resulting in a higher bit-rate efficiency. Applications of this approach would be in telemedicine, where sequences of highly correlated medical images, e.g. consecutive brain slices, are transmitted over a low bit-rate channel. We have applied this algorithm on magnetic resonance (MR) images and the simulation results on a sample sequence are given. The proposed method has been compared to the standard k-means algorithm in terms of PSNR, MSE, and elapsed time to complete the algorithm.


The transformation of the innovation processes is a fact and new forms of cooperation and partnership among companies and research community emerge. The paper presents a model of concept design of Innovation platform, based on the 4 networked innovation models. Knowledge management is a common approach, providing opportunity for better knowledge exploitation in innovation life-cycle and considering new types of cooperation among innovation seekers and innovation providers. The Innovation platform concept design proposes unique opportunity for generation, exploitation and dissemination of innovation ideas and products, enhancing various forms of interaction and networking between different end-users. Finally, a link of the Innovation platform and organizational knowledge portal is discussed as part of one integrated knowledge management process.


Current/voltage characteristics obtained under dark and illuminated conditions have been examined for Al-p-Si M.I.S. solar cells. The results show that the voltage drop across the oxide is changed, owing to the increased surface concentration of minority carriers when going from dark to illuminated conditions. The inverse slopes nof the linear region have been measured and the interface-state densities NSS have been calculated. From the voltage changes and interface state densities obtained, the changes in the interface-state Fermi levels have been calculated to be about 0.05–0.1 eV for short-circuit currents of 25–30 mA cm−2


This paper proposes a new approach to model stability and security constraints in optimal power flow (OPF) problems based on a neural network (NN) representation of the system security boundary (SB). The novelty of this proposal is that a closed form, differentiable function derived from the system's SB is used to represent security constraints in an OPF model. The procedure involves two main steps: First, an NN representation of the SB is obtained based on back-propagation neural network (BPNN) training. Second, a differentiable mapping function extracted from the BPNN is used to directly incorporate this function as a constraint in the OPF model. This approach ensures that the operating points resulting from the OPF solution process are within a feasible and secure region, whose limits are better represented using the proposed technique compared to typical security-constrained OPF models. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed approach is demonstrated through the implementation, as well as testing and comparison using the IEEE two-area and 118-bus benchmark systems, of an optimal dispatch technique that guarantees system security in the context of competitive electricity markets.


The rate of disappearance from the plasma of intravenously administered I 131 -labeled fibrinogen was studied in six patients with classical hemophilia and in one patient with congenital afibrinogenemia. The six patients with hemophilia had radioiodinated fibrinogen half-lives ranging from 2.8 to 3.6 days, while the patient with congenital afibrinogenemia had a labeled fibrinogen half-life of 3.0 days. These results compare favorably with fibrinogen turnover rates measured in normal adults by others and were similar to the normal fibrinogen turnover rate determined in the patient with congenital afibrinogenemia in a previous study. This failure to demonstrate a prolongation of survival of fibrinogen in patients with hemophilia suggests that in vivo clotting, if it occurs at all normally, is not a major factor in the turnover of fibrinogen.


The topicality of the article is in studying pedagogical basics of formation of future philologists' professional competence by means of Internet technologies, which takes place during the process of computerization of education, and which is accompanied by making corrections in the content of learning technologies as a result of significant changes in the pedagogical theory and practice of the process of teaching and upbringing. The aim of this paper is defining and description of pedagogical basics of formation of future philologists' professional competence by means of Internet technologies. The article deals with highlighting of basic items of electronic linguodidactics, which helps to form future philologists' professional competence in the aspect of usage in the educational process Internet technologies. Attention is focused on principles and methods, which are the most characteristic of electronic linguodidactics.


Hydroxyalkyl)-6-oxazolyl-and 2-(1-alkoxyalkyl)-6-oxazolylpyridines serve as versatile ligands in the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution of rac-1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethyl malonate as nucleophile. The enantioselectivity of the reaction is dependent on the conformation of the ligands, as deduced by NMR, X-ray crystallography and DFT calculations of palladium(II) complexes of the ligands. The reactions are slow, requiring up to four days reaction time. However, with the use of microwave flash heating, reaction times are reduced to 2 min, with only minor loss in stereoselectivity.


We demonstrate novel Ge n-MOSFETs with raised source/drain (S/D) fabricated on high-quality single-crystal Ge selectively grown heteroepitaxially on Si. For the raised S/D, an implant-free in situ doping technique has been employed for low-resistance, abrupt, and shallow n+/p junctions. The novel n-MOSFETs show an excellent on/off ratio (4 × 103) with very high on current (3.23 μA/μm) and relatively high electron mobility on (100) Ge among the Ge n-MOSFETs. These results show promise toward monolithic integration of Ge MOSFETs with a Si VLSI platform.


Click-through rate (CTR) estimation plays as a core function module in various personalized online services, including online advertising, recommender systems, and web search etc. From 2015, the success of deep learning started to benefit CTR estimation performance and now deep CTR models have been widely applied in many industrial platforms. In this survey, we provide a comprehensive review of deep learning models for CTR estimation tasks. First, we take a review of the transfer from shallow to deep CTR models and explain why going deep is a necessary trend of development. Second, we concentrate on explicit feature interaction learning modules of deep CTR models. Then, as an important perspective on large platforms with abundant user histories, deep behavior models are discussed. Moreover, the recently emerged automated methods for deep CTR architecture design are presented. Finally, we summarize the survey and discuss the future prospects of this field.


The UV-vis spectroscopic behavior of dyes: 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl)phenolate (1) and 4-[(1-methyl-4(1H)-pyridinylidene)-ethylidene]-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-one (2) was investigated in solutions of methyl- beta-cyclodextrin (methyl-beta-CyD), using water, methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol, butan-1-ol, acetone, acetonitrile, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), chloroform and dichloromethane as solvents. In aqueous solutions of dye (2) the addition of M-beta-CD leads to a bathochromic shift (of the maximum absorption), showing that the probe was transferred to a microenvironment of lower polarity and suggesting the formation of a 1 : 1 dye (2) : CyD inclusion complex, with a binding constant of 128.5 +/- 3.5 dm(3) mol(-1). Data for dye 2 in alcohols showed hypsochromic shifts, which increased in the following order: methanol < ethanol < propan-2-ol < butan-1-ol. These observations appear to reflect dye-solvent interactions through hydrogen bonding. If dye-solvent interactions are strong, the CyD-dye interactions are consequently weak, but the latter increase in importance when the dye-solvent interaction becomes weaker. With hydrogen-bond accepting solvents, data for both dyes showed clearly increasing hypsochromic shifts following the order: DMSO < DMA < DMF < acetone < acetonitrile. This order is exactly the inverse of the increasing order of basicity of the medium. This indicates that the dominant factor for the observed effects in these solvents is the solvent-CyD interaction through hydrogen bonding involving the hydroxyl groups of the CyD and the basic groups of the solvents. These interactions diminish in intensity if the basic character of the medium is reduced, increasing the capability of the dye to interact with the CyD using its phenoxide donor moiety. The largest hypsochromic shifts were obtained in chloroform (66.0 nm) and dichloromethane (67.5 nm) with dye after addition of methyl-beta-CyD. In these specific situations, solvents display weak basic and acid properties, that enhanced CyD-dye interactions to such an extent that association complexes formed through hydrogen bonding could be detected (K11) values of 24.8 +/- 4.9 dm3 mol(-1) in dichloromethane and 66.1 +/- 8.0 dm3 mol(-1) in chloroform).


The subject of 'wavelets' is expanding at such a tremendous rate that it is impossible to give, within these few pages, a complete introduction to all aspects of its theory. We hope, however, to allow the reader to become sufficiently acquainted with the subject to understand, in part, the enthusiasm of its proponents toward its potential application to various numerical problems. Furthermore, we hope that our exposition can guide the reader who wishes to make more serious excursions into the subject. Our viewpoint is biased by our experience in approximation theory and data compression; we warn the reader that there are other viewpoints that are either not represented here or discussed only briefly. For example, orthogonal wavelets were developed primarily in the context of signal processing, an application upon which we touch only indirectly. However, there are several good expositions (e.g. Daubechies (1990) and Rioul and Vetterli (1991)) of this application. A discussion of wavelet decompositions in the context of Littlewood-Paley theory can be found in the monograph of Frazier et al. (1991). We shall also not attempt to give a complete discussion of the history of wavelets. Historical accounts can be found in the book of Meyer (1990) and the introduction of the article of Daubechies (1990). We shall try to give sufficient historical commentary in the course of our presentation to provide some feeling for the subject's development.


Both the National Academy of Science and the NCTM "Standards" recognize that successful scientific inquiry and mathematical problem solving require that students be critical and creative thinkers. Adams and Hamm believe that the best way to achieve these results is by integrating math, science, and technology in a cooperative learning environment. Their new book shows elementary teachers how. "Collaborative Inquiry in Science, Math, and Technology" offers a pedagogically sound vision of elementary classrooms in which students are encouraged to work together to construct meaning without the constraints of rigid subject matter. That vision is supported throughout by numerous inquiry-based, thematic activities specifically designed to promote reflective thinking. To make learning meaningful to children requires connecting the curriculum to questions they have about the natural world. Children learn best when they build knowledge from their own experiences. To that end, the authors have carefully chosen activities that focus on everyday phenomena and that highlight the many connections among science, math, technology, and the real world. The authors also provide guidance for fostering genuine collaboration in which students pool their thinking, giving and receiving help in a learning environment where it is safe to make mistakes. Preservice and inservice teachers as well as teacher educators will find that "Collaborative Inquiry in Science, Math, and Technology" not only enhances their understanding of how children learn best, but also provides them with practical support for designing lessons that capitalize on that understanding.


OBJECTIVES
To estimate the short-term efficacy and toxicity of methotrexate (MTX) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group trials register, and Medline, up to July 1997, using the search strategy developed by the Cochrane Collaboration (Dickersin 1994). The search was complemented with bibliography searching of the reference list of the trials retrieved from the electronic search. Key experts in the area were contacted for further published and unpublished articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials comparing MTX against placebo in patients with RA.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two reviewers determined the studies to be included based on inclusion and exclusion criteria (GW, MSA). Data were independently abstracted by two reviewers (EB, MSA), and checked by a third reviewer (BS) using a pre-developed form for the rheumatoid arthritis sub-group of the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group. The same two reviewers, using a validated scale (Jadad 1996) assessed the methodological quality of the trials independently. Rheumatoid arthritis outcome measures were extracted from the publications. The pooled analysis was performed using standardized mean differences (SMDs) for joint counts, pain, and global and functional assessments. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) were used for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Toxicity was evaluated with pooled odds ratios (OR) for withdrawals. A chi-square test was used to assess heterogeneity among trials. Fixed effects models were used throughout and random effects for outcomes showing heterogeneity.

MAIN RESULTS
Five trials and 300 patients were included. A statistically significant benefit was observed for MTX when compared to placebo. Statistically significant differences were observed for all measures except ESR. The standardized weighted difference (effect size) between MTX and placebo for the various outcome measures varied between -0.43 and -1.5. No differences were observed in the total number of withdrawals and dropouts (OR = 0.95), although patients on MTX were three times more likely to discontinue treatment because of adverse reactions (OR=3.47) and four times less likely to withdraw due to lack of response (OR=0.22).

REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS
Twenty-two percent of people on MTX withdrew due to adverse effects compared to seven percent of the placebo group. MTX has a substantial clinically and statistically significant benefit in the short term treatment of patients with RA.


Caesarean Section. Sir EDMOND S. STEVENSON read a paper on Caesarean section. He dwelt on the danger of the scar rupturing at a subsequent confinement, and spoke at length on the difficulties of sterilizing a woman at the time of section. The indications which he laid down for Caesarean section were accidental haemorrhage, eclampsia, and placenta praevia. As regards operation he favoured the lower uterine segment scar. Professor E. C. CRIceYTON congi'atulated Sir Edmond Stevenson on his courage and spirit in oontributing a paper in spite of his advanced years. The paper gave a true account of the operation of thirty years ago, but ideas had changed materially, and the indications laid down by Sir Edmond were no longer accepted in their entirety. He agreed as to the great importance of placing swabs in the abdomen before opening the uterus. Dr. C. W. CoMRIESHARP described his own technique. Dr. D. H. WESSELS agreed with Professor Crichton regarding the indications for operation. Contracted pelvis was rare in Cape Town. He thought that if placenta praevia was seen late, Caesarean section might be considered. He thought the personality and lengthy experience of the speaker had lent tremendous interest to a paper which had shown very clearly how much the conception of this operation had changed. Mr. C. C. ELLIOTT remarked how rarely Caesarean section was carried out in South Africa; in a very large experience he had only performed the operation three times. Sir EDMOND STEVENSON replied to the discussion, and the PRESIDENT thanked him on behalf of the Branch for his contribution.


Expression and pose variations are major challenges for reliable face recognition (FR) in 2D. In this paper, we aim to endow state of the art face recognition SDKs with robustness to facial expression variations and pose changes by using an extended 3D Morphable Model (3DMM) which isolates identity variations from those due to facial expressions. Specifically, given a probe with expression, a novel view of the face is generated where the pose is rectified and the expression neutralized. We present two methods of expression neutralization. The first one uses prior knowledge to infer the neutral expression image from an input image. The second method, specifically designed for verification, is based on the transfer of the gallery face expression to the probe. Experiments using rectified and neutralized view with a standard commercial FR SDK on two 2D face databases, namely Multi-PIE and AR, show significant performance improvement of the commercial SDK to deal with expression and pose variations and demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


Recent developments in computer vision and computer graphics, especially in such areas as multiple-view geometry and image-based rendering, are making it possible to generate 3D models of dynamic scenes from multiple cameras at video frame rates. The authors call this process 3D cinematography since it extends traditional cinematography from 2D (images) to 3D (solid objects that we can render with photorealistic textures from arbitrary viewpoints) at the same frame rate. The authors provide an overview of the field as well as introduce the articles in their Special Section on 3D Cinema.


ABSTRACT The pike-perch iridovirus (PPIV) was isolated in Finland from apparently healthy pike-perch fingerlings during routine disease surveillance. Our phylogenomic analysis revealed that PPIV is the first fish member of a clade of ranaviruses previously described from European and Chinese amphibians.


In this paper we investigate the effects of human and task integration with respect to the strategic orientation of target firms. This approach is necessary, as prior empirical research is not univocal about as detrimental or beneficial effects of integration depend rather on the target strategy, structure and culture than on strategic fit. We give empirical evidence from 101 transactions with acquirers from the German speaking part of Europe that if an integration strategy is beneficial or detrimental depends on the strategic exploration and exploitation strategy of targets. While human integration is most beneficial in cases of a solely high strategic exploration or exploitation orientation when the vice versa strategy is rather low, task integration is only beneficial in cases of a low and high combined exploration and exploitation orientations. We conclude that the creation of mutual trust and a shared identity is a precondition for resource sharing and capability transfer. Nonetheless, this transfer is not always necessary to create value.


In the past, "nonlinearity" has been used as the catchall phrase to describe processes in the geosciences that we could not understand, and is often used in this manner in current peer-reviewed literature and conference presentations. My graduate students often complain that their professors (me included) use nonlinearity to avoid answering difficult questions.

However, during the course of the past 20 years there have been significant breakthroughs in our understanding of nonlinear dynamics that have been enabled by advances in high-speed computing but that reach far beyond simply solving nonlinear equations numerically. Understanding how regime transitions are possible without a change in the governing law is perhaps one of the best examples of how nonlinear dynamics has improved our understanding of geophysical phenomena.


Abstract : Change is a word heard so often that it has lost its impact. Most of the attention to change in Asia has been focused on dynamic economic growth. It would be almost impossible to miss a shift as dramatic as that in the global economic axis reaching from the Atlantic to the Pacific basin. The world's highest growth rates are in Asia and huge markets are opening throughout the region. One must aggregate the member nations of the European Union to equate Europe with Japan or, increasingly, with greater China which includes both Taiwan and Hong Kong. No single nation in Europe, not even a reunited Germany, comes close. To Japan and greater China must be added South Korea and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which have a growing regional economy with more than 300 million people. If the region is expanded to include South Asia, India is added with almost a billion people and a growing middle class. Centers of international power and leadership have historically been aligned with the global economic axis. In the age of Greece and Rome that axis centered on the Mediterranean. In the age of European colonial dominance and the rise of America, it moved to the Atlantic. At some point in the late 1980s and without fanfare, the GNP of the Asia-Pacific region exceeded that of Europe. With Japan and America accounting for more than 40 percent of world GNP, the axis shifted again. But economic change is only part of the dynamic. It could be overemphasized while more significant strategic changes are ignored. Japan is grappling with a fundamental identity crisis that it avoided facing in the Cold War.


Translational research is a new and important way of thinking about research. It is a major priority of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States. NIH has created the Clinical and Translational Science Awards to promote this priority. NIH has defined T1 and T2 phases of translational research in the medical field, in order to bring the benefits of scientific results into communities. Current discussions focus on clarifying the subsequent phases of translational research necessary to achieve the intended social impact of research. This article suggests that T3 translational research could aim at getting research out of the highly controlled environment of the academic health center and into the real world. Likewise, it suggests T4 translational research could aim at policy development through policy analysis and evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, and surveillance studies. Translational research has challenges beyond definitions. Translational research is incomplete at any level unless appropriate steps are taken to communicate the results to relevant stakeholders. It appears that communication is currently suboptimal at all levels of translation. Translational research also faced challenges in research funding and training of researchers. Translational thinking should be a key part of research policy and research practice at all levels.


Objective:Comparative analysis of the results of phacoemulsification (FEC) with the use of developed and classic technologies for fragmentation of the lens nucleus in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES).Patients and methods.The proposed technology is gentle crushing of the lens nucleus in patients with PES, you can reduce the pressure on the fibers of the zonule, the probability of damage to the ligaments and posterior capsule of the lens based on the use of phacofragmentation original design. To determine the radius of curvature of the working part of the tool a morphometrical measurement of the curvature of the equatorial zone of the lens cores removed during extracapsular and intracapsular cataract extraction in patients with PEX subluxation of the lens was carried out. A comparative analysis of the operation and the results of surgical treatment of cataract in patients with PEX with the use of the proposed (n = 58) and standard (n = 56) technologies of the nucleus fragmentation in phacoemulsification was made. The following ultrasound parameters were estimated: the average capacity in % (AVEUS), the average values of the absolute time ultrasound (APT) and average values of effective (EPT) time of ultrasound, in seconds, during phacoemulsification; structural-morphological changes in the posterior epithelium of the cornea according to the endothelial microscopy; the frequency and nature of complications, the visual acuity.Results.Morphometry of the lens nuclei in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome allowed to determine the average radius of curvature of the nucleus equator, which is made up 2.89 ± 0.14 mm, according to the performance curve of the Gauss — 2.895– 3.530 mm. These data are taken into account when selecting the radius of curvature of the working part of phacofragmentation (the radius of curvature of 3.0 mm) used with FEC in patients with PES (Patent RU152761 from 25.05.2015). The proposed chopper due to the conformity of the working part curvature of the tool and the Equatorial zone of cataract kernel can reliably capture and grind it, thus eliminating excessive pressure on the ligaments of the crystalline lens in patients with PES. Developed technology contributes to significantly reduction of the energy performance of ultrasound: AVEUS — 2.64–10.00 %; APT — 3.38–14.00 %; EPT — on 3.76– 16.00 % by 6.76 % in patients with different of the lens nucleus density degree, decrease operative and postoperative complications twice, 1.5 times less cell loss back the corneal epithelium. Visual acuity without correction from the first days after surgery was higher than 0.5 (average of 0.70 ± 0.05) in all the patients and increased to an average of 0.91 ± 0.01 within 12 months in patients of the main and 0.85 ± 0.02 — control groups.Conclusion.The developed technology of fragmentation of the lens nucleus reduces the time of phacoemulsification, reduces the ultrasound load, causes a smaller loss of cells at the back of the corneal epithelium, reduces the possible complications of the iris and ciliary body, which increases the efficiency of surgical treatment of cataract in patients with PEX.


The aim of this study is to investigate the abnormal behavior of cell voltage in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack and a mitigation strategy. The proposed strategy is simple and requires only a three‐way solenoid valve to replace the direct way solenoid valve of the original system. It is applied to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack with a dead‐ended anode to verify its validity. The behavior of the cell voltages in the stack is discussed in detail, especially the cell reversal process. The results show that the proposed strategy can significantly reduce the severity of hydrogen starvation. And the maximum power of the stack is increased by 10.67%. It is a sudden increase related to cell reversal mitigation. Uneven hydrogen distribution is the cause of low cell voltage and cell reversal. This strategy increases the cell voltage by increasing the hydrogen content in the anode flow channel downstream. It also significantly reduces the fluctuations in cell voltage and improves the uniformity of the cell voltage. This experimental study contributes to mitigate hydrogen starvation in cells of proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks in application.


The accurate determination and quantification of H2O2 and glucose are necessary for diagnosis and bioengineering. Herein, we have reported a novel method for the rapid and selective detection of H2O2 and glucose using g-C3N4–MnO2 nanocomposite. In this method, the fluorescence of graphitic-C3N4 (g-C3N4) was quenched by MnO2, which was attributed to fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between g-C3N4 nanosheets and the deposited MnO2. When H2O2 was introduced, the MnO2 was reduced to Mn2+, which led to the elimination of FRET and the recovery of the quenched fluorescence. This H2O2 detection system was also suitable for glucose detection since H2O2 is one of the main products in the oxidation reaction of glucose catalyzed by glucose oxidase. Therefore, our method has a great application prospect in diabetes research and clinical diagnosis. Additionally, the fluorescence was linear with the concentration of H2O2 in the range of 0 to 130 μM, with the detection limit of 1.5 μM, and also showed a good linear relationship with glucose in the range of 0 to 150 μM, with the detection limit of 1.5 μM. In addition to a wide linear response, the proposed sensor showed advantageous characteristics, such as easy preparation, low cost, high selectivity, rapid detection, and turn-on fluorescence response. Therefore, our proposed strategy would provide a new general strategy to develop low-cost, sensitive biological and clinical diagnostic methods.


In 1640 Diego de Saavedra y Fajardo, one of the most influential seventeenth-century Spanish writers, made a remarkably explicit reference to the effect that images of kings had upon their subjects as he recalled his own experience of viewing a royal portrait by Velazquez. In it Philip IV appeared "full of grace, august in his countenance ... [and] I was overcome with such respect, [that] I !melt down and lowered my eyes." The importance of the king's representation within a monarchy like Spain's, composed of a number of territories where the king was an "absent" ruler, is also evident in royal ceremonies celebrated in kingdoms distant from the monarchy's political center. In 1621, for example, the elites of the viceroyalty of Peru took oaths of loyalty to the new monarch, Philip IV, in a ceremony replete with symbols of obedience, loyalty, and adoration for the king. In the absence of the monarch himself, a portrait of Philip, framed in gold and "seated" on a throne, beneath a canopy, presided over the ceremony. Disciplines European History | History This book chapter is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/history_papers/13 68 5 "Sacred and Terrifying Gazes" Languages and Images of Power in Early Modern Spain