Fertilization-promoting peptide (FPP) regulates the adenylyl cyclase (AC)/cAMP pathway to elicit capacitation-dependent responses, stimulating capacitation in uncapacitated spermatozoa and then arresting it in capacitated cells, thereby inhibiting spontaneous acrosome reactions. Like FPP, calcitonin and angiotensin II are found in seminal plasma and so might affect sperm function; this study investigated responses in uncapacitated and capacitated mouse spermatozoa to these three peptides. Both calcitonin (5 ng/ml) and angiotensin II (1 and 10nmol/l), like FPP (100nmol/l), significantly stimulated capacitation, assessed using chlortetracycline (CTC) fluorescence and fertilization in vitro analyses. Combinations of two or three peptides, at high and low, non-stimulatory concentrations, were more stimulatory than the individual peptides, suggesting that they may act on the same signalling pathway, plausibly AC/cAMP; preliminary data indicate that calcitonin does stimulate cAMP production. In capacitated cells, FPP and calcitonin elicited pertussis toxin-sensitive inhibition of spontaneous acrosome loss, suggesting involvement of inhibitory G proteins; angiotensin II had no detectable effect. When all three peptides were used, angiotensin II did not interfere with inhibitory responses to FPP/calcitonin. These results suggest that angiotensin II, calcitonin and FPP may somehow modulate the AC/cAMP signal transduction pathway, but the precise mechanisms involved have yet to be elucidated.


Background: Current patterns of practice relating to primary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in children ⩽2 years old in the UK and Ireland are investigated. Methods: National postal questionnaire surveys of consultant ophthalmologists in the UK and Ireland. Results: 76% of 928 surveyed ophthalmologists replied. 47 (7%) of the respondents operated on children aged ⩽2 with cataract. 41 (87%) of respondents performed primary IOL implantation, but 25% would not implant an IOL in a child under 1 year old. 88% of surgeons used limbal wounds, 80% manual capsulotomies, 98% posterior capsulotomies and 100% hydrophobic acrylic lenses. The SRK/T formula was most commonly used (70%). Exclusion criteria for primary IOL implantation varied considerably and included microphthalmos (64% of respondents), anterior and posterior segment anomalies (53%, 58%), and glaucoma (19%). Discussion: Primary IOL implantation in children ⩽2 has been widely adopted in the UK and Ireland. There is concordance of practice with regards to surgical technique and choice of IOL model. However, there is some variation in eligibility criteria for primary IOLs: this may reflect a lack of consensus on which children are most likely to benefit. Thus, there is a need for systematic studies of the outcomes of primary IOL implantation in younger children.


An InGaAs/GaAsP strain-compensated layer has been proposed as a base material for GaAs-based double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBTs). As known, decreasing bandgap energy of the base layer in heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) can result in a smaller turn-on voltage. Using InGaAs as a base material is one possible approach to achieve the aim. However, compressive strain induced by InGaAs diminishes the influence of indium-adding-induced bandgap energy reduction, and thus abates the advantage of turn-on voltage reduction. In this study, a 280 A GaAs0.81P0.19 layer has been inserted below the In0.054Ga0.946As base layer to compensate the compressive strain induced by the InGaAs base layer. The result shows that the utilization of an InGaAs/GaAsP strain-compensated layer results in a reduction of the turn-on voltage by 20 mV. A turn-on voltage reduction of 190 mV over a conventional HBT with a GaAs base layer is achieved by utilizing the In0.054Ga0.946As/GaAs0.81P0.19 strain-compensated base layer. This particular DHBT has a small offset voltage of 55 mV and a knee voltage of 0.6 V. A peak current gain of 58.98, a unity-current-gain cut-off frequency fT of 22 GHz and a unilateral power gain cut-off frequency fMAX of 25 GHz are also achieved for this particular DHBT.


Based on Eysenck's pioneering work, CNS arousal has long been considered an encouraging biological candidate that may explain individual differences in human personality. Yet, results from empirical studies remained inconclusive. Notably, the vast majority of published results have been derived from small samples, and EEG alpha power has usually served as exclusive indicator for CNS arousal. In this study, we selected N = 468 individuals of the LIFE-Adult cohort and investigated the associations between the Big Five personality traits and CNS arousal by using the low-resolution electromagnetic tomography-based analysis tool VIGALL. Our analyses revealed that subjects who reported higher levels of extraversion and openness to experience, respectively, exhibited lower levels of CNS arousal in the resting state. Bayesian and frequentist analysis results were especially convincing for openness to experience. Among the lower-order personality traits, we obtained strongest evidence for neuroticism facet 'impulsivity' and reduced CNS arousal. We regard these findings as well in line with the postulations of Eysenck and Zuckerman and consistent with the assumptions of the 'arousal regulation model'. Our results also agree with meta-analytically derived effect sizes in the field of individual differences research, highlighting the need for large studies with at least several hundreds of subjects.


Kaduwela has become a popular, urbanized and industrialized area in the recent past which has lead to increase in the amount of solid waste generated in the area dramatically. The local authority faced with a severe problem of the final disposal of waste generated everyday. To overcome the problem, the local authority has started a project with the aim of producing compost and bio gas by using solid waste and to reduce the amount of waste coming out from households. The overall objective of the project is to minimize final disposal of the waste amount by promoting community participation. The specific objectives are to minimize waste that goes for final disposal by treating twenty five tons per day by the end of 2011 and to minimize that comes to waste stream by introducing 3R practices to 5000 households by end of 2011. Under this project 4200 tons of town waste and market waste per year will be used for composting. 2160 tons of kitchen waste per year will be managed by introducing 3R practices. This includes conducting awareness programmes, distributing compost bins and storing bags, collecting sorted waste and finally selling. Waste from temple is sorted and used for bio gas production. There are many benefits as well as drawbacks of the project. Receiving mixed waste, no facility for final disposal and lack of public commitment are some of the problems faced by the composting project. Reducing environmental pollution, generating job opportunities and producing alternatives for chemical fertilizer are some of the benefits created by the project. Poor attitudes of citizens and negligence of workers are problems faced when introducing 3R practices. In addition to that lack of receiving bins continuously and poor maintenance of bins have also created problems. However, introducing 3R practices have many benefits such as improving scenic beauty and reducing health problems. It has the ability to improve social economy. Most importantly it can help to develop the public's discipline in waste management and to create relation between local authority and citizens. Receiving mixed waste leads to sending considerable amount of waste to final disposal and degrades quality of compost. Introducing 3R practices is less costly than that of composting. Hence local authority should pay more attention on promoting 3R concepts than composting. Composting is not the sole solution to solve waste problem. It should be a combination of composting, 3R and land filling


Abstract : Volume I details the methodology used to estimate and project Qualified Military Available (QMA) populations by race, sex, education, mental group, and geographical boundaries. The QMA is the population of 17-21-year-old persons who have no prior military service and who are physically and mentally qualified for such services. Volume II contains detailed program and file documentation. (Author)


In the current copyright law and technology environment, two prominent problems must be considered when enforcing and executing copyrights: (i) the difficulty of proving authorship/ownership of a copyright; and (ii) the difficulty of conducting copyright transactions. The invention of blockchain technology has made it possible to solve these two issues. First, the use of blockchain technology with the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is an excellent mechanism for copyright authentication and document preservation. This mechanism allows authors (copyright owners) to prove authorship of their works and copyrights ownership. However, this mechanism for copyright authentication and document preservation may not be applicable in the future primarily because the computer software currently used may be upgraded in the following years. Second, the combination of Ethereum Blockchain and smart contracts can reduce transaction costs and enhance the efficiency of copyright assignments and licensing transactions. However, many legal problems regarding smart contracts have yet to be addressed. These problems include identifying the contracting parties in the anonymous blockchain network, dealing with scenarios where both contracting parties want to amend the implemented smart contracts, explaining code-based smart contracts and setting up an internal dispute resolution mechanism. Unlike the traditional transmission control protocol/Internet protocol network, where any activity is traceable, users on blockchain technology remain anonymous and their activities on the blockchain are hardly traceable. Although the blockchain itself is unlikely to become a hotbed of copyright infringement, the combination of the Ethereum Blockchain, the IPFS and smart contracts may make the entire process a hotbed of copyright infringement. Therefore, this situation poses considerable worries regarding copyright infringement on the blockchain. When the decentralized and anonymized blockchain and peripheral technologies mature, they will have considerable influence on copyright protection. This problem must be addressed by the copyright legal system in the current wave of blockchain technology implementation.


Enterprise Resources Planning has become one of the business and management applications that are believed to be able to improve the performance of companies and or organizations to be more efficient and effective. However, based on much research, the success rate of ERP implementation is questionable. Although the success of ERP implementation is often published in research, the failure rate of ERP system implementation is relatively high. Therefore, this study is to find out the problems and challenges faced by organizations in implementing ERP, by reviewing the existing literature on research on factors that influence the success of ERP implementation. The approach taken is to review several related research articles published in the 2015-2020 period from several publishers, namely Emerald Online, Science Direct, IEEE, and SAGE. The sample size for the last 5 years is expected to show the up-datedness of the data taken from the research article. New ideas that will emerge from this discussion are the main factors causing the success of ERP implementation for organization, so that they can be used to reduce the failure rate of ERP implementation in the future by proposing an ERP implementation model.


Coronary Heart Disease is a disease that interferes with heart function due to narrowing that occurs due to fatty deposits or plaque in the coronary arteries that block blood flow to the heart. The existence of a non-surgical PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) procedure which dilates blood vessels with the installation of a stent, makes many patients with coronary heart disease choose to undergo this procedure. The high number of choices for PCI action and the lack of research that discusses the life experiences of patients who have undergone PCI, makes researchers interested in conducting this study. This study aims to determine the life experiences of patients with coronary heart disease who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention in Bulukumba Regency. The data in this study were collected through in-depth interviews on selected subjects (In-depth Interview) and analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Researchers found 4 themes from the results of data analysis. The themes are: (1) Lifestyle, sub-themes: diet, smoking, physical activity and medication adherence. (2) Psychological responses, sub themes: feelings of anxiety and worry, emotions and stress. (3) Forms of Support, sub-themes: family support, spiritual support. (4) Quality of Life for Post PCI Patients, sub-themes: feeling back to normal, changes in sleep patterns and pain. There are 4 themes found in this study. It is hoped that patients with coronary heart disease who have undergone PCI procedures will continue to increase their motivation to live a better life.


Background: Many therapeutic and diagnostic modalities such as intraarticular injections, arthrography and ankle arthroscopy require introduction of fluid into the ankle joint. Little data are currently available in the literature regarding the maximal volume of normal, nonpathologic, human ankle joints. The purpose of this study was to measure the volume of normal human ankle joints. Materials and Methods: A fluoroscopic guided needle was passed into nine cadaveric adult ankle joints. The needle was connected to an intracompartmental pressure measurement device. A radiopaque dye was introduced into the joint in 2 mL boluses, while pressure measurements were recorded. Fluid was injected into the joint until three consecutive pressure measurements were similar, signifying a maximal joint volume. Results: The mean maximum ankle joint volume was 20.9 ± 4.9 mL (range, 16–30 mL). The mean ankle joint pressure at maximum volume was 142.2 ± 13.8 mm Hg (range, 122–166 mm Hg). Two of the nine samples showed evidence of fluid tracking into the synovial sheath of the flexor hallucis longus tendon. Conclusion: Maximal normal ankle joint volume was found to vary between 16–30 mL. This study ascertains the communication between the ankle joint and the flexor hallucis longus tendon sheath. Exceeding maximal ankle joint volume suggested by this study during therapeutic injections, arthrography, or arthroscopy could potentially damage the joint.


Objective: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a globally common inflammatory disease that has a considerable effect on an individual's quality of life. It is estimated that AR affects 10% to 25% of the general population. Both gustatory and olfactory disorders affect the social activities and job performance resulting in impaired quality of life in patients suffering from AR. We think that these problems have not been sufficiently investigated in the past. We, therefore, decided to evaluate the smell-taste disorders in patients suffering from AR. Our objective is to evaluate the chemosensory perception in patients suffering from allergic AR. Methods: Fifty-four patients with AR and 34 healthy controls were enrolled for the current study. "Sniffin' sticks" test and taste strips were used for chemosensory assessment. Results: According to the "Sniffin' sticks" test results, patients with AR had significantly lower scores for odor threshold and identification subtasks, whereas there was no difference between the two groups regarding odor discrimination scores (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p=0.3, respectively). After evaluating the taste strip test results, we found that taste scores were significantly low in patients with AR when compared to controls for sweet, salty, bitter and sour tastes. Conclusion: This study showed clinically important deficiency of chemosensory sensitivity in AR patients. Since chemosensory deprivation in AR patients has tended to be overlooked in the past, these outcomes suggest that chemosensory disorders should be part of the standard evaluation of patients with AR.


Abstract Using quasi-geostrophic theory, equations are derived separating from other factors the contribution of release of latent heat to changes in the available potential energy. A synoptic case study of a major winter cyclone and an examination of the equation for the amplification of the vertical velocity associated with release of latent heat both suggest the same conclusion: in the lower and middle troposphere, the positive contribution of heating is normally significantly larger than the negative effect arising from the enhanced vertical motion. Thus release of latent heat should lessen the tendency for vertical circulations to destroy existing temperature contrasts.


Aging of asphalt binders is one of the main causes of its hardening, which negatively affects the cracking and fatigue resistance of asphalt binders. Understanding asphalt aging is crucial to improve the durability of asphalt pavements. In this regard, this study aims at understanding and differentiating the effect of temperature and oxygen uptake on the aging mechanisms of unmodified asphalt binders. For that, four laboratory aging procedures were employed. The two standardized procedures, rolling thin-film oven test (RTFOT) and pressure aging vessel (PAV), were considered to simulate the short-term and long-term aging of the asphalt binders, respectively. In addition, two thin-film aging test procedures, the nitrogen atmosphere oven aging test (NAAT) and ambient atmosphere oven aging test (OAAT) were employed to assess the effect of thermal and oxidative aging on unmodified asphalt binder properties. The NAAT procedure is based on the principle that the inert gas minimizes the oxidative aging. The rheological and chemical characterization showed that the high temperatures considered during the NAAT procedure did not change the properties of the unmodified asphalt binders. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that no significant thermal and oxidative aging was observed during NAAT aging procedure for the considered binders and that oxidative aging is the main cause for the hardening.


This study examines how secondary school plays its role as a custodian of moral values in society. What it takes to teach moral values in the school. What are the facilities, subjects, punishments, as well as teaching methods adopted by the school? All these are what the study set out to examine. This was verified using 15 purposively sampled secondary schools in the Sokoto metropolis. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A questionnaire with psychometrics properties of 0.72 and 0.81 for validity and reliability respectively, was used to elicit the needed data from the respondents which constituted both teachers and students of the selected schools. The findings reveal the current state secondary school Sokoto state lacks in its role to serve as a custodian of moral values, from its facilities, subjects, enforcing conformity, and teaching strategies. In conclusion, for secondary school to perform its role as custodian of moral values, it was recommended among others that there should be the provision of more facilities conducive to teaching and learning in the schools to enable the secondary school plays its role as a custodian of moral values in the society.


Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are good candidates to plastics because of their complete biodegradability and material properties similar to petroleum derived plastics. They can be synthesized by numerous bacteria as intracellular carbon and energy storage compounds and accumulated as granules in the cytoplasm of cells. In this study, PHA storage capacity of activated sludge were tried to increase under anaerobic/aerobic conditions and changing microbial community in the SBR has been observed by combination of molecular techniques. Polyhydroxybutyrate fraction of the inoculum sludge which was 0.23% increased to 8.1% after 5 months operation of the SBR. Corresponding values were 0.04% and 2.45% respectively for polyhydroxyvalerate. Bacteroidetes species dominated the sludge sample taken from the SBR after 5 months of operation, by 28%. Bacteroidetes followed by Proteobacteria by 17%, and Actinobacteria by 15%.


A learner brings to the classroom many characteristics which are relevant to predictions about his career as a language learner. These characteristics are the product of his membership of a community; he shares its language and its attitudes to, beliefs about, motivations for and traditions in, language learning in general, and in the learning of specific second languages. And he possesses particular features of personality as formed by his personal history of maturation and experience. I am concerned in this paper with the role of only two of these characteristics, both related to the community he belongs to: the nature of his mother tongue and any other languages known to him, and the beliefs current in his community, which he presumably shares, as to the nature, extent and probable success in the learning task which lies ahead of him.


Abstract Purpose To describe the innovative teaching practices, tools, and resources for remote learning developed by a school of pharmacy with a decentralized experiential program to empower and support preceptors in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Summary As the pandemic has continued, there have been significant shifts in pharmacy workflow, staffing, and patient care delivery. Pharmacy students are slowly being reintegrated into these learning environments. Although preceptors are willing and eager to teach, many lack the resources, tools, and support to create remote learning experiences at their facilities. The University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy has a decentralized experiential education model in which faculty regional coordinators with clinical practices and diverse expertise are disseminated throughout California. This model allowed us to collaborate and understand preceptor needs from a local level. We created a preceptor COVID-19 guidance document, introduced innovative virtual playbooks to pivot up to 100% remote rotations, and promoted the layered learning model to integrate pharmacy residents into the remote teaching space. Communication and flexibility are key to ensure student and preceptor safety while maintaining high-quality advanced pharmacy practice experiences and preserving patient-student relationships in telehealth. Conclusion Overall, we successfully created innovative solutions and leveraged our decentralized experiential model to meet the teaching and learning demands during an unanticipated crisis. We continue to adapt and plan to assess the effectiveness of the tools by administering surveys of preceptors and pharmacy students.


Obeah, which colonial ordinances defined capaciously as "any assumption of supernatural power," was a crime in Trinidad until 2000, and the law continues to make Obeah a punishable offense in most of the anglophone Caribbean. Scholars have noted that contemporary attitudes toward Obeah—a hard-to-define term—are largely negative, implying spiritual harm. My fieldwork in a region of Trinidad regarded as the island's capital of Obeah, however, revealed polyvalent, context-contingent attitudes toward the term. Using ethnographic examples, I offer alternatives to scholarly approaches that have explained away Obeah's harm as evidence of colonial false consciousness. My interlocutors took shifting, even contradictory stances toward Obeah that depended on tactical contexts of power. By examining attempts to intervene in the justice system through spiritual force, I argue that Obeah is a justice-making technology and that, like all systems of law, the potential for harm is part of its power. In the final part of the paper, I argue that rather than conforming to a definition of religions as mutually exclusive confessional communities rooted in collective avowals of belief, Obeah models a counterdiscourse on social relations that I call "altered solidarities," challenging regnant conceptions of religion as the basis for legal recognition in modern states.


In this paper, bending analysis of sandwich beams with functionally graded materials (FGM) core resting on Winkler foundation are investigated using first order shear deformation  beam theory (FBT). Material properties of the FGM layer change in the thickness direction according to power-law distributions. The governing equations and the related boundary conditions are derived using the principal of the minimum total potential energy. The Navier-type solution is used for simply-supported boundary conditions, and exact formulas are proposed for bending. The method is validated by comparing numerical results with the results obtained in the literature. Good agreement is observed. Numerical results are presented to investigate the influences the different material distributions and foundation stiffness on the bending behavior of sandwich beams with FGM core.


This paper decomposes the effects of the transition from an average cost distribution tariff to a cost causation-based distribution tariff, in terms of time and location, that uses nodal prices to recover losses and an "extent-of-use" method to recover fixed network costs based on use at coincident peak. Our decomposition is designed so that the effects of using coincident peak and location for fixed network charges, as well as using marginal losses under constraints recovering the exact amount of losses, and recovering exactly the cost of network service in total can be isolated and analyzed separately. We apply our tariff transition and decomposition method to an example network with data from Uruguay to isolate the various effects with and without a distributed generation (DG) resource. We show moving to coincident peak charges and to fully charging for marginal losses while rebating the merchandising surplus through the fixed charges have the greatest effects on changes in distribution tariff charges. DG provides countervailing cost changes to distribution tariffs for loads through loss reductions and the implicit "creation" of new network capacity for which it is paid. The interaction of all these effects may lead to outcomes that are counter-intuitive, which further supports the need to decompose the tariff changes to fully understand the reasons for the direction and magnitude of changes in tariff charges in the transition to tariffs based more on cost causation.


A glucose-inducible gene in S. pombe is rrg1+. Its mRNA level is rapidly decreased and increased by glucose-depletion and readdition, respectively. The previous study revealed that the rrg1+ expression was regulated by glucose-dependent mRNA stability control. To understand the significance of the glucose-dependent expression of rrg1+, the cellular function of rrg1+ was explored. Deletion of the rrg1+ gene from the haploid chromosome of S. pombe cells did not lead to cell lethality but brought about cell size reduction, which was accompanied by fast cell proliferation. In accordance with this result, the overexpression of the Rrgl protein under the control of the nmt1 promoter produced elongated cells of G2 delay, and consequently resulted in the slowing-down of cell proliferation. In addition, the rrg1+ mRNA level showed cell-cycle dependent changes, peaking at G2/M. These results demonstrate that Rrg1 might be involved in the negative regulation of cell proliferation and G2/M progression for cell size control.


Recurrence and metastasis remain the most common causes of lethal outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative resection. Thus, it is critical to discover the mechanisms underlying HCC metastasis. Forkhead box C1 (FoxC1), a member of the Fox family of transcription factors, induces epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promotes epithelial cell migration. However, the role of FoxC1 in the progression of HCC remains unknown. Here, we report that FoxC1 plays a critical role in HCC metastasis. FoxC1 expression was markedly higher in HCC tissues than in adjacent noncancerous tissues. HCC patients with positive FoxC1 expression had shorter overall survival times and higher recurrence rates than those with negative FoxC1 expression. FoxC1 expression was an independent, significant risk factor for recurrence and survival after curative resection. FoxC1 overexpression induced changes characteristic of EMT and an increase in HCC cell invasion and lung metastasis. However, FoxC1 knockdown inhibited these processes. FoxC1 transactivated Snai1 expression by directly binding to the Snai1 promoter, thereby leading to the inhibition of E‐cadherin transcription. Knockdown of Snai1 expression significantly attenuated FoxC1‐enhanced invasion and lung metastasis. FoxC1 expression was positively correlated with Snai1 expression, but inversely correlated with E‐cadherin expression in human HCC tissues. Additionally, a complementary DNA microarray, serial deletion, site‐directed mutagenesis, and a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down‐regulated 9 (NEDD9), which promotes the metastasis of HCC cells, is a direct transcriptional target of FoxC1 and is involved in FoxC1‐mediated HCC invasion and metastasis. Conclusions: FoxC1 may promote HCC metastasis through the induction of EMT and the up‐regulation of NEDD9 expression. Thus, FoxC1 may be a candidate prognostic biomarker and a target for new therapies. (HEPATOLOGY 2013;)


AIM
The aim of the study was to investigate stereotypes of occupational gender roles about male nurses, as viewed from both emic and etic perspectives.

BACKGROUND
Male nurses are a minority group in health institutions. Stereotypes have been questioned regarding these males' occupational role and presence in the nursing profession.

DESIGN
A qualitative description design was used.

METHODS
During 2016, semi-structured interviews (N = 30) were conducted with male nurses (n = 10) (emic group), female nurses (n = 10) and discharged patients (n = 10) (etic groups) from four public hospitals.

RESULTS
Seven categories with respective themes and subthemes emerged. Three categories were captured for emic groups, namely, existing stereotypes, experiences of stereotyping and the influences of stereotypes on work performance. Four categories emerged for etic groups, namely, treatment preferences, types of stereotyping towards male nurses, origin of stereotypes and effects of stereotypes.

CONCLUSION
Positive and negative stereotypes were reported by both emic and etic groups, with etic groups revealing more stereotypes. Effort should be made by both management in the practice environment and the media to counter the stereotyping of male nurses.


This paper describes the design of a compact C-band MMIC power amplifier. Intensive non-linear and electro-magnetic simulations with accurate table-based models allowed the chips to achieve very good performance. A linear gain of 28 dB, an output power greater than 6 W with 50 % of power added efficiency and 3°/dB of AM/PM conversion at 2.5 dB gain compression have been measured over production at ambient temperature in the useful bandwidth.


Abstract It is becoming popular to use fossil fuels efficiently since the necessary energy is mostly supplied from fossil fuels. Altough there are high lignite reservoirs, high sulfur content limits the efficient use of them. In this article, we aimed to convert combustible sulfur in coal to non-combustible sulfate form in the ash by oxidizing it with a hydrogen peroxide solution. The parameters affecting the sulfur conversion were determined to be: hydrogen peroxide concentration, reaction time, mean particle size at constant room temperature and shaking rate. The maximum desulfurization efficiency reached was 74% of the original combustible sulfur with 15% (w/w) hydrogen peroxide solution, 12 hours of reaction time, and 0.25 mm mean particle size.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associates with increased cardiovascular mortality. This appears to be predominantly due to ischaemic causes, such as myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. The higher prevalence of cardiac ischaemia in RA is thought to be due to the accelerated development of atherosclerosis. There are two main reasons for this, which might be inter-related: the systemic inflammatory load, characteristic of RA; and the accumulation in RA of classical risk factors for coronary heart disease, which is reminiscent of the metabolic syndrome. We describe and discuss in the context of RA the involvement of local and systemic inflammatory processes in the development and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques, as well as the role of individual risk factors for coronary heart disease. We also present the challenges facing the clinical and scientific communities addressing this problem, which is receiving increasing attention.


The strata-bound copper-silver-antimony deposit at Copper Hill, New Mexico, developed in a distinctive structural trap, here termed a "brittle-ductile trap," during regional retrograde metamorphism of Early Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks. The deposit is localized near the contact between massive orthoquartzite (Ortega Formation) and the overlying schists (Rinconada Formation). Peak regional metamorphism at 4 kbars and 500 degrees C occurred near the end of a regional shortening event that formed the upright, west-plunging Copper Hill anticline. At Copper Hill, late metamorphic, vertical, north-south-striking faults and fractures cut the Ortega Formation quartzite and terminate against folded Rinconada Formation schists. Synmetamorphic quartz veins, several centimeters to 1 m thick, fill many of the fractures and terminate against the overlying schists. At the quartzite-schist contact, many of the veins merge into mushroom-shaped bodies that project along the contact. Fracture-controlled and disseminated Cu-Ag-Sb minerals occur within the quartz veins and in quartzite near the veins. The mineral assemblage includes malachite, chrysocolla, stibiconite, cuprite, and minor chalcocite and covellite, but some of these are late-stage alteration-oxidation minerals derived from an originally sulfide- or oxide-dominated suite. A syn- to late metamorphic age for the primary deposit is indicated by: (1) the crosscutting nature of the mineralized veins, (2) local replacements of kyanite and staurolite by economic minerals, and (3) evidence for postmineralization annealing of the veins and quartzite. During retrograde metamorphism, the quartz veins and massive quartzite behaved brittlely whereas the overlying schists deformed ductilely. SiO 2 -bearing and then Cu-Ag-Sb-bearing metamorphic fluids migrated through the fractured quartzite and ponded below the folded impermeable schists. Although the Copper Hill deposit is not currently economically viable, it presents a model for retrograde metamorphic mineralization in rocks with varying mechanical properties that may be important in other regions.


Since a retroviral envelope glycoprotein, gp70, present in sera is prominently involved in the pathogenesis of murine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the detection of gp70-anti-gp70 immune complexes (gp70 IC) is particularly useful for the study of murine SLE. To facilitate the detection of gp70 and gp70 IC, we have developed a simple and sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Using an affinity column coupled with whole mouse serum proteins containing serum gp70 or with Rauscher murine leukaemia virus (MuLV), antibodies specific to serum gp70 or to Rauscher MuLV gp70 were purified from hyperimmune goat anti-Rauscher MuLV gp70 antisera. Only affinity-purified anti-serum gp70 fraction, but not anti-Rauscher MuLV gp70 fraction, was able to detect serum gp70 efficiently in the ELISA, because only a minor fraction of goat anti-Rauscher MuLV gp70 antibodies is cross-reacting with serum gp70. This procedure could be applied to other antigen-antibody systems, in which only antibodies to heterologous cross-reacting antigens are available, to detect free and antibody-complexed antigens in pathological sera.


Muscle structure and function were studied in the elbow flexors of 8 untrained control women and 9 elite female bodybuilders. Four bodybuilders had taken androgenic-ana bolic steroids (AAS) and 5 had not. The former had greater lean body mass, less body fat, greater muscle cross-sectional area, and greater hypertrophy of both type I and type II fibers. The ratio of type II fiber area to type I−1 fiber was similar in bodybuilders who used AAS and non-AAS users. Total concentric work accomplished by the elbow flexors in 25 reps was greater in women who used AAS. Similarly, there was less fatigue after 25 reps in women who used AAS. Nonmuscle tissue was similar in AAS users and non-AAS users. These data indicate that bodybuilders who used AAS had a greater hypertrophic response in both fiber types, resulting in greater muscle cross-sectional area and lean body mass. Although they did not have greater maximal isometric strength than their non-AAS counterparts, isokinetic torque was greater in AAS users.


Middle Eastern governments initially denied the AIDS threat. The Government of Kuwait sponsored the first regional conference on AIDS in February 1986, the first attempt to overcome this denial. The Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean has AIDS on its annual agenda. By 1986, 12 of the 22 countries had 41 AIDS cases with most of cases in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Blood transfusion and imported blood products accounted for most initial AIDS cases. By 1990, all 22 countries, except Afghanistan, had reported AIDS cases. As of the end of the second quarter of 1991, there were a cumulative total of 2542 AIDS cases and 471 cases of AIDS related complex. Under-recognition and under-reporting are likely to be common in these countries, so the actual cumulative number of AIDS cases is more likely to be 7000. Nevertheless, it is clear that the number of AIDS cases is increasing annually. HIV is now chiefly transmitted in-country. Even though most AIDS cases (75%) are males, the proportion of HIV infected females is increasing. 90% of all AIDS cases is in the 15-49 year old age group. Sexual transmission accounts for 90% of all cases. Asymptomatic HIV seropositivity is rather common in blood donors, people seeking work permits, and groups with high risk behavior. 14 countries are conducting sentinel surveillance, chiefly centering on sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients attending public clinics. These numbers are limited since most persons seek STD care from private practitioners. WHO has not been able to convince health authorities in the Middle East of the need to differentiate between case finding and surveillance. Saudi Arabia involves authorities from the Ministry of Health as well as those from the Ministry of Education, universities, industry, the media, and religious leaders. More than 100 nongovernmental organizations in other Middle Eastern countries are involved in AIDS prevention and control. The large prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection worries persons concerned about the AIDS epidemic.


Kota Tua area in West Jakarta, especially around the railroad tracks, is still inhabited by the poor of Jakarta. The cultural heritage-based revitalization of the Kota Tua Jakarta Area essentially requires the residents who live in the vicinity of the railway line area to be relocated to a safer place which will certainly have an impact on the surrounding residents. This study discusses whether Governor's Regulation No. 36/2014 is in line with the Gwangju Declaration in realizing the revitalization of the Kota Tua Jakarta area. Also, how is the fulfillment of the right to housing around the railroad tracks related to preventthe spread of COVID-19 in the Kota Tua Jakarta area? Hence, this can be answered through the urgency and priority scale of human rights implementation in the Kota Tua Jakarta Area, specifically in the vicinity of the railroads track, including during the outbreak of Covid-19. This research is a normative juridical with qualitative analysis of the legal norms of national legislation related to the implementation of human rights. The analysis is qualitative, and based on a systematic literature review over scientific journal database. The results of this research show that the protection of human rights for the residents living in the vicinity of the railway line is still not fully implemented. For this reason, it is necessary to implement regulations to ensure respect and guaranteed human rights to the residents, especially the right to health, the right to education, the right to food, including the right to a healthy environment.
Keywords: Kota Tua Jakarta, revitalization, human rights city


Background independence is generally considered to be 'the mark of distinction' of general relativity. However, there is still confusion over exactly what background independence is and how, if at all, it serves to distinguish general relativity from other theories. There is also some confusion over the philosophical implications of background independence, stemming in part from the definitional problems. In this paper I attempt to make some headway on both issues. In each case I argue that a proper account of the observables of such theories goes a long way in clarifying matters. Further, I argue, against common claims to the contrary, that the fact that these observables are relational has no bearing on the debate between substantivalists and relationalists, though I do think it recommends a structuralist ontology, as I shall endeavour to explain.


Background: Several taxane-based chemotherapy regimens are effective in the treatment of gastric cancer; nevertheless, their comparative efficacy and safety remain disputed. This network meta-analysis (NMA) was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of different taxane-based chemotherapy regimens against gastric cancer. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in multiple electronic databases. A Bayesian NMA was performed to combine the direct and indirect evidence and estimate the comparative efficacy and safety of different taxane-based chemotherapy regimens simultaneously by utilizing WinBUGS 1.4.3 and Stata 13.1 software. The efficacy outcomes included overall survival rate (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall response rate (ORR), and the safety outcomes were adverse reactions (ADRs), namely, neutropenia, leucopenia, vomiting, and fatigue. Results: A total of 37 RCTs were identified involving 7,178 patients with gastric cancer, and 10 taxane-based chemotherapy regimens (RT, T, TC, TCF, TF, TO, TOF, mTCF, mTF, and mTOF) were collected in gastric cancer therapy. According to the results of cluster analysis, compared with other taxane-based chemotherapy regimens, the regimens of TOF, mTCF, and TF were associated with the most favorable clinical efficacy in improving OS, PFS, and ORR. On the other hand, the regimens of T and mTF had the potential to be the most tolerable and acceptable therapeutic alternative in terms of ADRs. Conclusions: The current NMA provides the evidence that the combination of taxanes (paclitaxel or docetaxel) and fluorouracil is associated with the most preferable and beneficial option for patients with gastric cancer, although additional results from multicenter trials and high-quality studies will be pivotal for supporting our findings.


Exact solutions of the eigenvalue problem of two coupled harmonic oscillators related to the Sp(4, R) Lie algebra are derived by using an algebraic method. It is found that the energy spectrum of the system is determined by one-boson excitation energies built on a vector coherent state of Sp(4, R) ⊃ U(2).


We examine the statistical dynamics of learning in a single-layer network in the presence of noise using a Langevin model. The learning scheme is linear (the delta rule) and we add a chemical potential term to constrain the size of the couplings. For random uncorrelated input patterns the average relaxation time is calculated by linear response theory and we find the critical storage capacity. It turns out that noise reduces the learning time. Without the constraint noise has no effect on the relaxation time. Finally we study the case of unsupervised Hebbian learning and find that the relaxation time increases with noise.


After a short historical review of the operative methods concerning the varicotomy some principles of the modern varicotomy were pointed out which should be noticed in case of a so-called "standard operating technique". In accordance with the opinion of most of the authors it has turned out that the insufficient main trunk varices together with eventually occurring dobbled cords of veins should be extracted, whereby in the area of orifice of the long saphenous vein (venae saphena magna) all side branch veins are ligated after proper preparation. Larger side branches have to be post-sclerosed or interrupted by stab incision. The perforator vein (venae perforantes) in the area of the Cockett group (communicantes) and the arcade veins must not be neglected, otherwise real recidivation could be the result. Furthermore it is evident for the operation that the number of incisions has to be kept as minor as possible and even the length of incision should be reduced to a minimum, for short incisions normally heal up without any scars. The performance of such a satisfying cosmetic surgery is absolutely conditioned by corresponding instrument.


Abstract : This book is a compilation of papers presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Therapeutic Ultrasound, held in Seattle, Washington, July 29-August 1,2002. The Symposium attracted 200 participants from 14 different countries. A list of the author attendees (without the requisite photograph) is included in these proceedings. Approximately 100 abstracts were accepted for presentation at the conference. Invitations to the authors to submit articles for publication in this proceedings have resulted in this volume, which contains 73 separate articles. This volume has been divided into a number of topic categories, viz., Clinical Studies, Laboratory Studies, Simulation and Monitoring, Dosimetry, Engineering, Lithotripsy, Ultrasound-Enhanced Drug Delivery, and Sonodynamic Therapy. One can see from this topic coverage that the symposium was largely on HIFU (essentially the first five topics), yet also broad enough to cover most aspects of therapeutic ultrasound.


Abstract To understand the fate of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in a fly ash treatment plant that used the Waelz rotary kiln process (hereafter the Waelz process), the samples of input and output media were collected and analyzed. The most important PCDD/F source in input mass was electric arc furnace (EAF) fly ash, which had a mean PCDD/F content of 18.51 ng/g and contributed more than 99% of PCDD/F input mass, whereas the PCDD/F input mass fractions contributed by the coke, sand, and ambient air were only 0.04%, 0.02%, and 0.000002%, respectively. For the PCDD/F output mass in the Waelz process, the major total PCDD/F contents of 43.73 and 10.78 ng/g were in bag-filter and cyclone ashes, which accounted for approximately 69% and 17%, respectively, whereas those of stack flue gas and slag were 14% and 0.423%, respectively. The Waelz process has a dechlorination mechanism for higher chlorinated congeners, but it is difficult to decompose the aromatic rings of PCDD/Fs. Therefore, this resulted in the accumulation of lower chlorinated congeners. The output/input ratio of total PCDD/F mass and total PCDD/F international toxicity equivalence (I-TEQ) was 0.62 and 1.19, respectively. Thus, the Waelz process for the depletion effect of total PCDD/F mass was positive but minor, whereas the effect for total PCDD/F I-TEQ was adverse overall.


Abstract Background We re-analyzed data from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) trial to identify features of systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability that portend poor cardiovascular outcomes using a nonlinear machine-learning algorithm. Methods We included all patients who completed 1 year of the study without reaching any primary endpoint during the first year, specifically: myocardial infarction, other acute coronary syndromes, stroke, heart failure or death from a cardiovascular event (n = 8799; 94%). In addition to clinical variables, features representing longitudinal SBP trends and variability were determined and combined in a random forest algorithm, optimized using cross-validation, using 70% of patients in the training set. Area under the curve (AUC) was measured using a 30% testing set. Finally, feature importance was determined by minimizing node impurity averaging over all trees in the forest for a specific feature. Results A total of 365 patients (4.1%) reached the combined primary outcome over 37 months of follow-up. The random forest classifier had an AUC of 0.71 on the testing set. The 10 most significant features selected in order of importance by the automated algorithm included the urine albumin/creatinine (CR) ratio, estimated glomerular filtration rate, age, serum CR, history of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD), cholesterol, a variable representing SBP signals using wavelet transformation, high-density lipoprotein, the 90th percentile of SBP and triglyceride level. Conclusions We successfully demonstrated use of random forest algorithm to define best prognostic longitudinal SBP representations. In addition to known risk factors for CVD, transformed variables for time series SBP measurements were found to be important in predicting poor cardiovascular outcomes and require further evaluation.


Considering the problem of unified description of data modeling languages for computer network management, information specification ontology may be a prospective solution. However, basics of a unified mathematical theory are still lacking for ontology building. Delighted by the philosophical thinking of conceptual scheme for descriptive metaphysics, this paper tries to utilize Formal Concept Analysis to build management information specification ontology by means of concept lattices.


This study aims to explore the financial management practices ofsmall-and-medium-enterprises (SMEs) in the Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek). We investigate into 3 SME cases by conducting the semi-structured interviews with the owner-managers and using direct observations to know the practices of financial management of SMEs. Through the research, we have found six propositions related to the practice of short-term financial management. They apply bootstraps to ensure availability of working capital. They set aside cash reserves from retained earnings and minimize loans from financial institutions. They have the computerized system to track receivables facilitating working capital needs. They keep theirinventory control efficient to manage working capital. They screen customers using transactional records and reputations to minimize the risk of bad debts.


The large-signal RF operating principles of MESFET amplifiers are investigated using a circuit simulator that incorporates a physics based MESFET model which has been augmented with a new gate breakdown model. It is demonstrated that the main saturating mechanisms of the MESFET under large-signal RF operation are forward and reverse conduction of the gate electrode. Maximized RF performance of MESFET amplifiers is obtained by optimally positioning the dynamic load line relative to the RF-IV plane. The position of the dynamic v i characteristic is determined by device breakdown, bias, and circuit tuning conditions.


The ancient Greek philosopher Plato called movement as "salutary part of medicine", while writer and historian Plutarch – as "storehouse of life". Do we always apply efforts in order this "storehouse" be full? Today in the age of scientific-technological progress large-scale utilization of manual labour has been practically disappeared and there has been opened the door for the so called "diseases of the century". The analysis of the results of students' health and healthy life-style problems study has been presented in the article. The role of physical culture and of the department of physical culture in this process has been determined. The ways of university's educational environments resources stirring up for this problem solution have been outlined. Many people try to fully protect themselves against physical activity. They think that the less physical activity the healthier they become. Many students try to make their physical activity less thereby breaking their health. In any ways they try to obtain health certificates in order not to attend physical culture lessons and practically in all cases they get moral support of parents and what is the worst of doctors.


Criminal risk assessment has been intensively investigated over the last decades. Therefore, the four generations of risk assessment instruments have already been developed (Blomberg et al., 2010) starting from unstructured clinical judgment (first generation), via actuarial risk assessment (second generation), and leading to structured clinical judgment (third generation) and assessment-based risk management (fourth generation). The HCR-20 violence risk assessment scheme (Webster et al., 2007) is an instrument of the third generation, which recognizes the importance of both static and dynamic risk management factors as well as contains the elements of prediction, a specific assessment procedure, and risk communication. The HCR-20 can be applied in different settings: forensic, correctional, or community. Moreover, the research has shown (Dahle, 2006; Gray et al., 2008) that the HCR-20 is reliable for assessing the risk of general and non-violent criminal behavior. In Lithuania, risk assessment is relatively new. The Law of Probation, which came into force in July 2012, defines the concept of risk assessment as a standardized investigation aimed at determining both the probability of re-offence and possibilities to reduce it. The current study describes the psychometric variables of the Lithuanian version of the HCR-20 and measures its predictive validity in a correctional sample of violent offenders. The sample consisted of 74 male offenders from Vilnius, Alytus, and Pravieniskės correctional institutions. The mean age of the population at the initial stage of evaluation was 33.15 years. The number of convictions varied from 1 to 12; convictions for violence varied from 1 to 4. All participants were assessed with the HCR-20, and their data were analyzed in two ways: calculating the total HCR-20 score, and measuring the level of risk based on the weight of risk factors rather than on their quantity. The second stage of the research was conducted after 5 years of approaching the information regarding data on the further convictions of the research participants. The results have shown that within the period of 5 years, the AUC values for the HCR-20 final risk judgment can significantly predict the risk of both a general as well as a violent crime (respectively, AUC = 0.64 and AUC = 0.73). Therefore, it may be concluded that the HCR-20 is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the risk of future recidivism (both general and violent). However, it should be noted that a good predictive validity is related to the final risk judgment, while the total arithmetical score is significant for predicting the general recidivism only.


Ginger (Zingiber officinale.) Belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. The health-promoting idea of ginger is said to be rich in its phytochemistry. This study aims to review current evidence on the effects of ginger as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative. Gastrointestinal cancer (GI), a cancer of the various organs in the digestive system, is one of the most common cancers in the world. The mortality rate for some of these cancers is very high. Although many types of chemotherapeutic agents have been introduced in the last few decades to fight GI cancer, most of them are very expensive and have side effects. Therefore, compounds found in natural sources, which are considered safe and less expensive, are needed. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most widely used natural products used as a spice and medicine to treat nausea, diarrhea, heartburn, heartburn, diarrhea, anorexia, infections, coughs and bronchitis. Experimental studies have shown that ginger and its active ingredients including 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol perform anti-cancer functions against GI cancer.


The effect of white cell alloimmunization on patient outcome during gram‐negative sepsis treated with granulocyte transfusions was studied. Twenty‐five episodes of sepsis were observed; 19 were associated with resolution of sepsis and six with continuing sepsis and death. Compatibility testing included the granulocyte indirect immunofluorescence test and the lymphocytotoxicity assay. The number of compatible and incompatible granulocyte transfusions determined by the indirect immunofluorescence test compared with patient outcome was significant (X2 = 44, p less than 0.001). The same comparison with the lymphocytotoxicity assay was not significant (X2 = 3, p greater than 0.05). The duration of the granulocytopenia after the first positive blood culture was 10 days or longer in 13 patients, and 12 of the 13 survived. The duration of the granulocytopenia was less than 10 days in 12 patients, and five of the six deaths occurred in this group. These five patients died without evidence of bone marrow recovery and with persistent gram‐negative sepsis. Each had granulocyte‐specific antibody of broad specificity and none received five consecutive compatible transfusions.


This paper discusses the theory of the generation of sound by turbulent flow over a trailing-edge flap of an airfoil or guidevane. A narrow slot separates the flap from the airfoil, and the configuration is modelled analytically by a semi-infinite rigid plate that contains a slot at an arbitrary, finite distance from the edge. The aerodynamic sound problem is formulated in terms of a singular integral equation which can be solved in closed form when the width of the slot is small compared with both the acoustic wavelength and the chord of the flap. The theory is applied to examine (i) the influence of the slot on the noise generated as a result of boundary-layer separation close to the trailing edge of the flap, and (ii) the generation of sound by boundary-layer turbulence in the immediate vicinity of the slot. At low, subsonic mean flow Mach numbers the presence of the slot is shown to reduce the level of the radiated noise in case (i) provided that kd < 10, where k is the characteristic acoustic wavenumber and is the chord of the flap. Boundary-layer noise is predicted to be significantly enhanced by the slot in the range 0.1 < kd 10.


A system and method for establishing a virtual private network (VPN) between a client and a private data communication network. An encrypted data communication session, such as a-Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) data communication session, is established between a gateway and the client over a public data communication network. The gateway then sends a programming component to the client for automatic installation and execution thereon. The programming component operates to intercept communications from client applications destined for resources on the private data communication network and to send the intercepted communications to the gateway via the encrypted data communication session instead of to the resources on the private data communication network.


Nandi Sings is the story of a very little girl who doesn't speak much at first, and instead makes up her own songs without words but with many sounds. And because the adults and siblings in her household all tell her to keep quiet, she sings while feeding the chickens and drawing in the sand. It's only her Gogo who encourages her to listen to the sounds of different animals and to keep singing. Even as she grows up, Nandi continues to follow the music in her heart and sings her own songs ? even ones with words! Eventually, when she sings in the church choir, no one tells her to be quiet because they are all listening to her.


Lichens are understood to be symbiotic organisms consisting of mycobiont and photobiont partners. This mutual partnership results in the production of unique secondary metabolites, which are used in contemporary pharmacy and medicine. The purpose of this study is to explore the uses of lichens in a particular period of medieval pharmacology: it retraced the relevant Arabic terms for, and descriptions of, lichens in the Kitab al-Saydanah fi al-Tibb, the "Book of Pharmacy in Medicine" written by Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni (973-1048). It will be shown that al-Biruni used اشنة (ushnah) for naming epiphytic lichens and حزاز الصخر (hazaz al-sakhr) for saxicolous ones. The information about lichens transmitted in his text is in accordance with that of his contemporary Ibn Sina, the famous physician and philosopher. In that period, the study, transmission and updating of the legacy of Antiquity promoted and influenced the use of lichens in Arabic and Islamic pharmacology and medicine.


We use recent observations of Solar system orbital motions in order to constrain f(T) gravity. In particular, imposing a quadratic f(T) correction to the linear-in-T form, which is a good approximation for every realistic case, we extract the spherical solutions of the theory. Using these spherical solutions to describe the Sun's gravitational field, we use recently determined supplementary advances of planetary perihelia, to infer upper bounds on the allowed f(T) corrections. We find that the maximal allowed divergence of the gravitational potential in f(T) gravity from that in the teleparallel equivalent of General Relativity is of the order of 6.2 × 10−10, in the applicability region of our analysis. This is much smaller than the corresponding (significantly small too) divergence that is predicted from cosmological observations, as expected. Such a tiny allowed divergence from the linear form should be taken into account in f(T) model building.


We report the case of a 61-year-old woman who developed an anaplastic CD30+ cutaneous T-cell lymphoma during oral cyclosporine (CsA) therapy for recalcitrant psoriasis. Two months after CsA discontinuation, clinical and histological resolution of the lymphoma was observed. However, 3 years later extracutaneous involvement of the lymphoma could be detected. The association between CsA administration and the occurrence of the lymphoma may be casual, but a relationship with immunosuppression may also be hypothesized. We have reviewed all relevant data in the literature. To our knowledge, this is the first case of primary cutaneous CD30+ anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma in a patient treated with CsA for psoriasis.


Allergic rhinitis (AR) affects the individual's quality of life, psychological well being, cognitive functions and sleep quality. Patients often experience annoying symptoms, mood disorders, decreased work productivity and even loss of work. In pediatric patients undiagnosed or untreated/undertreated AR may be related with learning difficulties which may have an important impact on community's present and future life. AR medication, health care utilization, loss of productivity and work is also related with a cost which is also important for patients, their families and society's economic status. All these factors rendered the disease a social aspect. This article aimed to present the social problems generally related to allergic rhinitis.


Kinetic properties of Ca2+-ATPase were studied by means of the continuous potentiometric method. On the basis of heterogenous and kinetic ideas it is shown that the experimental data on the effect of ions CA2+ on the Ca2+-ATPase activity may be explained, assuming the chelate complex Ca-ATP2- to be a substrate of the enzyme. The results obtained show that if the chelate complex formed in the aqueous stage is a substrate, then, a competition for adsorption at the active centre is possible between Ca-ATP2- and ATP4- but not between Ca-ATP2 and Ca2+. If the substrate is the chelate complex formed directly at the active centre, then ATP4- and the enzyme must combine through ion Ca2+ according to the scheme: enzyme - Ca2+ - ATP4-.


-ALTHOUGH BUILDING THE COLLECTIONS is one of the most important tasks of librarians, comparatively little attention has been given to this aspect of professional work. The system in current use has been practiced for many years with little systematic scrutiny and with little discussion of possible alternatives. This applies to nearly all academic libraries, but the present article will address itself mainly to problems of the smaller institutions rather than those of the major university libraries. How are books selected for academic libraries? While patterns vary from one extreme to the other, in most institutions both librarians and faculty members participate in building collections. Many problems arise, for while faculty members play a major role in selection, librarians know very well that faculty selection is often of questionable merit. Among the most conspicuous deficiencies are: ( 1) many faculty members are already overburdened with other duties; ( 2) some of them lack acquaintance with the world of books; ( 3) some do not care ( the textbook is enough) ; ( 4) a few suffer from a constitutional inclination toward laziness; ( 5) some select books in their own narrow field of specialization without regard for the needs of students; and ( 6) some believe that only they are capable of selecting. While this list could be extended, these are some of the major shortcomings of


ABSTRACT This study contributes to the theory of gatekeeping by examining how community media journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa navigate through conflicting information. Using the case of COVID-19, the study examined how journalists from community media in Zambia and Tanzania reported government information that conflicted with what the local communities they served believed to be untrue. Drawing from interviews with journalists from community media organizations, we were able to demonstrate that there was a schism between what the editors thought as newsworthy versus what the reporters believed as possessing journalistic values relevant for their communities. Unlike the reporters, most editors aligned much with what the government wanted the media to transmit. This is especially true in Zambia where reporters indicated that most of their stories were flagged as irrelevant by their editors. These findings are then examined through the lens of gatekeeping, particularly a focus on various levels of analysis.


The aims of antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B are to sustain suppression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and to achieve remission of liver disease activity. Currently, interferon- and lamivudine have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. However, the efficacy of interferon- is limited to a small percentage of patients, and many adverse effects of the treatment exist. A major drawback of continued lamivudine therapy is the high incidence of drug-resistant mutant. Several antiviral drugs such as adefovir dipivoxil, entecavir, clevudine, and emtricitabine are under clinical investigation as the potential agents for mono- or combination therapy, which have been shown to be highly effective for chronic hepatitis B. Especially, some of them have a strong antiviral effect against lamivudine-resistant mutant as well as wild-type HBV. Long-term treatment with adefovir dipivoxil does not lead to the emergence of resistant virus. Combination therapy seems to represent the future treatment for chronic hepatitis B because of its antiviral synergistic effect and minimal incidence of drug-resistant mutant, but the choice of agents for combination therapy needs further study.


A general theory of nucleation for colloids and macromolecules in solution is formulated within the context of fluctuating hydrodynamics. A formalism for the determination of nucleation pathways is developed and stochastic differential equations for the evolution of order parameters are given. The conditions under which the elements of classical nucleation theory are recovered are determined. The theory provides a justification and extension of more heuristic equilibrium approaches based solely on the free energy. It is illustrated by application to the low-concentration/high-concentration transition in globular proteins, where a novel two-step mechanism is identified, where the first step involves the formation of long-wavelength density fluctuations, and the second step is the actual nucleation event occurring within the fluctuation.


The study of X-ray reprocessing is one of the key diagnostic tools to probe the environment in X-ray binary systems. One difficult aspect of studying X-ray reprocessing is the presence of much brighter primary radiation from the compact star together with the reprocessed radiation. In contrast, for eclipsing systems, the X-rays we receive during eclipse are only those produced by the reprocessing of the emission from the compact star by the surrounding medium. We report results from a spectral study of the X-ray emission during eclipse and outside eclipse in nine high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) with the XMM-Newton European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) pn to investigate different aspects of the stellar wind in these HMXBs. During eclipse the continuum component of the spectrum is reduced by a factor of ∼8–237, but the count rate for the 6.4 keV iron emission line or the complex of iron emission lines in HMXBs is reduced by a smaller factor, leading to large equivalent widths of the iron emission lines. This indicates a large size for the line emission region, comparable to or larger than the companion star in these HMXB systems. However, there are significant system to system differences. 4U 1538−522, despite having a large absorption column density, shows a soft emission component with comparable flux during the eclipse and out-of-eclipse phases. Emission from hydrogen-like iron has been observed in LMC X-4 for the first time, in the out-of-eclipse phase in one of the observations.. Overall, we find significant differences in the eclipse spectrum of different HMXBs and also in their eclipse spectra against out-of-eclipse spectra.


Evidence is given for wave acceleration of primary electrons in a 1 cm radius helicon plasma source. The second root of the dispersion relation is also seen at low B fields. Electrostatic confinement of primaries appears to be important at these small diameters.


N-Hydroxylacridinedione derivatives were synthesized by three-component reaction of aromatic aldehydes, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and hydroxylamine hydrochloride using triethylbenzylammonium chloride (TEBA) as the catalysis in water. The reaction has many advantages including good yields, easy to be separated and environmental friendliness.


Abstract. We employ the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) technique to investigate spatial properties of an oil reservoir. This reservoir is situated at Bacia de Namorados, RJ, Brazil. The data correspond to well logs of the following geophysical quantities: sonic, gamma ray, density, porosity and electrical resistivity, measured in 56 wells. We tested the hypothesis of constructing spatial models using data from fluctuation analysis over well logs. To verify this hypothesis, we compare the matrix of distances of well logs with the differences in DFA exponents of geophysical quantities using a spatial correlation function and the Mantel test. Our data analysis suggests that the sonic profile is a good candidate for representing spatial structures. Then, we apply the clustering analysis technique to the sonic profile to identify these spatial patterns. In addition, we use the Mantel test to search for correlations between DFA exponents of geophysical quantities.


Veterinary pharmaceuticals can reach the soil via animal excretions and cause impacts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In this work, we employed a standardized avoidance behavior test to assess the sublethal effects of antimicrobial sulfadiazine on the earthworm Eisenia andrei. Cultivation of red worms was based on an alternative substrate made of mostly household vegetable wastes and dry leaves. The bioassays were performed with tropical artificial soil spiked with the tests substance at five different concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 100 mg sulfadiazine kg-1. The outcome resulted in avoidance response of 30% (maximum) and a nonlinear concentration-response curve, differing from classical pollutant responses and correlating with those asymmetric responses over the environment caused by some rare xenobiotics. Avoidance tests were validated with reference substance, resulting in an EC50-48h of 819 mg boric acid kg-1 (628-1066 mg boric acid kg-1 95% confidence interval). We concluded that the avoidance test with E. andrei is useful as a standardized tool for a rapid ecotoxicological screening of soil.


Projects are a necessity within any competitive business, and as the execution of complex projects becomes the norm, so grows the need for advances in project management. The use of project management tools is key towards taming said complexity. There are many such tools available; the current challenge resides in picking the right one. In this paper, we evaluate three different tools - OpenProject, dotProject, and Odoo - using the OSSpal methodology.


Although, arsenic trioxide has been the subject of toxicological research, in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity studies using relevant cell models and uniform methodology are not well elucidated. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity induced by arsenic trioxide in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) using the MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] and alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assays, respectively. Human keratinocytes were treated with different doses of arsenic trioxide for 4 h prior to cytogenetic assessment. Data obtained from the MTT assay indicated that arsenic trioxide significantly reduced the viability of HaCaT cells in a dose-dependent manner, showing an IC50 value of 34.18 ± 0.6 μM. Data generated from the comet assay also indicated a significant dose-dependent increase in DNA damage in HaCaT cells associated with arsenic trioxide exposure. We observed a significant increase in comet tail length and tail moment, showing an evidence of arsenic trioxide -induced genotoxic damage in HaCaT cells. This study confirms that the comet assay is a sensitive and effective method to detect DNA damage caused by arsenic. Keywords—Arsenic trioxide, cytotoxixity, genotoxicity, HaCaT.


The volatility of the Scandinavian international future energy market is examined based on a well known intra-day range-based measure of volatility. The main purpose of the paper is to identify determinants of the energy market's intra-day volatility. Firstly, the investigation is a contract-by-contract, range-based volatility measure. The findings are (1) long memory in volatility the longest contracts (year), but not for the shortest (month), (2) the first difference contemporaneous and one-day lagged trading volume measures influences daily volatility positively and consistently over all contracts, (3) trading volume seems to dominate the Samuelson (maturity) and the open-interest hypotheses thus manifesting earlier findings of future markets. Secondly, the paper applies a relatively new methodology to cope with dynamic panel data models, where every contract in the market is organized as a panel. The GMM-type estimator for dynamic panel-data of Arellano [1] is therefore implemented. The results show appropriate specification residual tests and demonstrate firstly the importance of volatility serial correlation. This estimator also shows that the change in daily trading volume is the major determinant of intra-day volatility. In contrast to the segmented analyses, time to maturity shows increased intra-day volatility influence while the measures of bid-ask spread and open interest show decreased significance. The main GMM findings are therefore that the change in trading volume (including lags) and time to maturity are major determinants of intra-day volatility.


The NF-κB signalling module controls transcription through a network of protein kinases such as the IKKs, as well as inhibitory proteins (IκBs) and transcription factors including RelA/p65. Phosphorylation of the NF-κB subunits is critical for dictating system dynamics. Using both non-targeted discovery and quantitative selected reaction monitoring-targeted proteomics, we show that the cytokine TNFα induces dynamic multisite phosphorylation of RelA at a number of previously unidentified residues. Putative roles for many of these phosphorylation sites on RelA were predicted by modelling of various crystal structures. Stoichiometry of phosphorylation determination of Ser45 and Ser42 revealed preferential early phosphorylation of Ser45 in response to TNFα. Quantitative analyses subsequently confirmed differential roles for pSer42 and pSer45 in promoter-specific DNA binding and a role for both of these phosphosites in regulating transcription from the IL-6 promoter. These temporal dynamics suggest that RelA-mediated transcription is likely to be controlled by functionally distinct NF-κB proteoforms carrying different combinations of modifications, rather than a simple 'one modification, one effect' system.


* Contribution No. 146 of the National Institute of Genetics, Mishima shi, Japan. t Contribution No. 617. This work was supported by a grant from the University Research Committee from funds supplied by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. 1 J. F. Crow and M. Kimura, "Some Genetic Problems in Natural Populations," in Proc. Third Berkeley Symposium Math. Stat. and Probability, 1956 (in press).


HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Vibratory sensation, both the exploration of its nature and its clinical interpretation, has intrigued physiologists, neurologists, otologists and psychologists for the past one hundred years. Johannes Mueller, 1 in 1830, mentioned it briefly in his textbook of physiology, to adduce further evidence for his doctrine of the "specific energy of nerves." The first to analyze this sensation was Weber, 2 who, in his admirable monograph on sensation (1842), wrote in the chapter on the relationship of the sense of feeling to other senses: In the rapidly successive impulses falling on sensory end organs one has a transition from feeling to hearing. By their confluence, these impulses make up a sensation, which can be altered by the length of the intervals between them. These vibrations are felt as a movement, which is taken up by the auditory apparatus as a tone. It is subject to manifold modifications, such as,


This brief note addresses the historical background of the invention of the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). These assays were developed independently and simultaneously by the research group of Peter Perlmann and Eva Engvall at Stockholm University in Sweden and by the research group of Anton Schuurs and Bauke van Weemen in The Netherlands. Today, fully automated instruments in medical laboratories around the world use the immunoassay principle with an enzyme as the reporter label for routine measurements of innumerable analytes in patient samples. The impact of EIA/ELISA is reflected in the overwhelmingly large number of times it has appeared as a keyword in the literature since the 1970s. Clinicians and their patients, medical laboratories, in vitro diagnostics manufacturers, and worldwide healthcare systems owe much to these four inventors.


A low‐profile planar vehicle antenna for the roof of a car is proposed for use with terrestrial services. Despite its low configuration, the proposed antenna can realize a vertical polarization. To demonstrate its performance, the proposed antenna is mounted on the roof of a mid‐sized vehicle, and the radiation patterns are measured at three different positions. The omnidirectional patterns are observed in an azimuth plane with 2 dBi of peak gain at 2.3 GHz. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:91–94, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26513


It is a great privilege to be hosting this year's Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa (SEMDSA) Congress in Cape Town, to be held at the President Hotel, Bantry Bay, from Thursday 14 April to Sunday 17 April 2016.


Vessel size imaging was used to assess changes in the average vessel size of Shionogi tumors throughout the tumor growth cycle. Changes in R(2) and R(2)* relaxivities caused by the injection of a superparamagnetic contrast agent (ferumoxtran-10) were measured using a 2.35-T animal magnetic resonance imaging system, and average vessel size index (VSI) was calculated for each stage of tumor progression: growth, regression, and relapse. Statistical analysis using Spearman rank correlation test showed no dependence between vessel size and tumor volume at any stage of the tumor growth cycle. Paired Student's t test was used to assess the statistical significance of the differences in average vessel size for the three stages of the tumor growth cycle. The average VSI for regressing tumors (15.1 +/- 6.6 microm) was significantly lower than that for growing tumors (35.2 +/- 25.5 microm; P < .01). Relapsing tumors also had an average VSI (45.4 +/- 41.8 microm) higher than that of regressing tumors, although the difference was not statistically significant (P = .067). This study shows that VSI imaging is a viable method for the noninvasive monitoring of angiogenesis during the progression of a Shionogi tumor from androgen dependence to androgen independence.


Objectives: To compare the risk for cardiovascular mortality between bipolar I and bipolar II subtypes and determine correlates of cardiovascular mortality. Bipolar disorder conveys an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Methods: Participants with major affective disorders were recruited for the National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Depression Study and followed prospectively for up to 25 years. A total of 435 participants met the diagnostic criteria for bipolar I (n = 288) or bipolar II (n = 147) disorder based on Research Diagnostic Criteria at intake and measures of psychiatric symptoms during follow-up. Diagnostic subtypes were contrasted by cardiovascular mortality risk using Cox proportional hazards regression. Affective symptom burden (the proportion of time with clinically significant manic/hypomanic or depressive symptoms) and treatment exposure were additionally included in the models. Results: Thirty-three participants died from cardiovascular causes. Participants with bipolar I disorder had more than double the cardiovascular mortality risk of those with bipolar II disorder, after controlling for age and gender (hazard ratio = 2.35, 95% Confidence Interval = 1.04-5.33; p = .04). The observed difference in cardiovascular mortality between these subtypes was at least partially confounded by the burden of clinically significant manic/hypomanic symptoms which predicted cardiovascular mortality independent of diagnosis, treatment exposure, age, gender, and cardiovascular risk factors at intake. Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors seemed protective although they were introduced late in follow-up. Depressive symptom burden was not related to cardiovascular mortality. Conclusions: Participants with bipolar I disorder may face a greater risk of cardiovascular mortality than those with bipolar II disorder. This difference in cardiovascular mortality risk may reflect manic/hypomanic symptom burden. CDS = collaborative depression study; DSM-IV = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition; RDC = Research Diagnostic Criteria; PSR = Psychiatric Status Rating.


Background/Aims: Gastroprokinetic agents are used for patients with postoperative ileus (POI), and the Japanese traditional herbal medicine daikenchuto (DKT) is one such agent used in the clinical setting. POI is caused by inflammation. DKT and rikkunshito have anti-inflammatory abilities in addition to their gastroprokinetic effects. The efficacy of Kampo formulations, including hangekobokuto (HKT), in patients with POI has been reported recently. Several authors have described the efficacy of honokiol, the primary component of Magnoliae Cortex, in HKT in mouse models of POI. We therefore analyzed the effect of HKT on POI model mice to determine the similarities in the mechanism of action between HKT and DKT. Methods: HKT was administered orally to each mouse before and after intestinal manipulation was performed on the distal ileum. The gastrointestinal transit in vivo, leukocyte infiltration, and levels of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines and chemokines, were analyzed. Results: HKT significantly inhibited the infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages and led to the recovery of delayed intestinal transit. In addition, it significantly decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) as well as honokiol levels, suggesting anti-inflammatory activity. However, it did not inhibit the increase in levels of interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-6, which are related to iNOS induction. In contrast, HKT increased levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) and suppressed those of nuclear factor-κB (NFκB), which are related to iNOS induction, suggesting the possibility of a neuronal anti-inflammatory mechanism. Conclusions: HKT exerted a POI-relieving effect similar to DKT in a murine POI model, and findings suggest that it may exert its anti-inflammatory activity through NGF.


Pain is common in patients with cancer (33-64%) and can be divided into background and breakthrough pain (BTP). BTP is a passing, acute pain that occurs despite the use of analgesia to control background pain. BTP may arise spontaneously or be provoked by certain movements or activities. It lasts 30-60 minutes and is generally self-limiting and is often undertreated. We describe 2 patients aged 68 and 57 years with metastatic disease who were admitted for pain management. BTP was inadequately managed during their hospital stay. Both patients had to wait too long before they received their BTP medication, causing the BTP to have passed its peak. After consultation with their nurses, both patients were allowed to have one dose of breakthrough medication in advance, which resulted in better treatment of their BTP. Every hospitalized patient with BTP should have one dose of breakthrough medication ready for taking in advance.


Green Revolution technologies were developed and promoted to boost food supplies and foster development, both of which were expected to create "breathing space" for achieving demographic transitions in developing countries through lowered human fertility. Little comprehensive research, however, has been done on the effects of those technologies themselves on human fertility leaving unanswered the question of whether particular types of agricultural technologies were actually increasing, or decreasing, this demographic "breathing space." This paper uses District-level data from rural India on agricultural change (from 1961 to 1981) and changes in human fertility (from 1971 to 1981) to assess the impact of the former on the latter, with particular emphasis on high yielding (HYV) Green Revolution technologies. Modifying a conceptual framework derived from theory on the determinants of fertility, and estimating a reduced form model that explicitly accounts for endogeneity of real wage growth, we find that, while socio-cultural and demographic factors were the strongest determinants of fertility change: a) Green Revolution and related technologies did have an impact on fertility change; b) that the magnitude and direction of this impact was technology specific; and c) that the impact was only partially due to the effect of the new technologies on changes in real wage growth.


Three-step selective area metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is used to fabricate strained layer InGaAs-GaAs-AlGaAs single quantum well broad spectrum LEDs. We have fabricated a device with a continuous variation in quantum well thickness along its length by using a tapered oxide width mask for the active region regrowth. A spectral emission width of 80 nm is obtained.<<ETX>>


This document presents the deliverable D8.1 – the Data Management Plan (DMP) of work package 8 of the prodPhD project. It aims to present the plan for the management, generation, collection, security, preservation and sharing of data generated through the prodPhD project. The DMP is a key element for organizing the project's data. It provides an analysis of the data, which will be collected, processed and published by the prodPhD consortium. The project embraces the initiatives of the European Commission to promote the open access to research data, aiming to improve and maximize access to and reuse of research data generated by Horizon 2020 projects. In this sense prodPhD will adhere to the Open Research Data Pilot (ORD Pilot) fostered by the European Commission, and this DMP will be developed following the standards of data storage, access and management. This plan will detail what data will be generated through the project, whether and how it will be made accessible for the verification and reuse and how it will be curated and preserved. In this context, the term data applies to the information generated during the different experimental campaigns carried out in the project, and specifically to the data, including associated metadata, to be used to validate the computational models and the technical solutions to be developed in the project. This document is the first version of the DMP and may be updated throughout the project, if significant changes (new data, changes in consortium policies, changes in consortium composition, etc.) arise.


The Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) is generating a tremendous amount of multi-dimensional X-ray data of exceptional quality. Currently, astronomers analyze these data one X-ray source at a time, via model-fitting techniques, to determine source physical conditions. More efficient methods of spectral and temporal classification would greatly benefit analysis of observations of rich fields of X-ray sources, such as stellar clusters. A combination of techniques from the fields of multivariate statistics and pattern recognition may provide new insight into, as well as an improvement in the speed and accuracy of, the classification of stellar X-ray spectra. We are adapting and applying such techniques, in the context of analysis of CXO and X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) imaging spectroscopy of star formation regions, to group pre-main-sequence X-ray sources into clusters based on spectral attributes. An automated spectral classification technique for the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) population of greater than 1000 X-ray emitting young stars has been developed. As an initial test of the algorithm, deep CXO images of the ONC were analyzed. Clustering results are being compared with known optical, infrared, and radio properties of the young stellar population of the ONC, to assess the algorithm's ability to identify groups of sources that share common attributes.


Objectives: Molecular approaches to identifying resistance-conferring mutations suggest a revolution in the field of tuberculosis. The aim of the study was to determine the association between resistance-conferring mutations with fitness loss in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates and HIV co-infection in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Methods: A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2022 and June 2023. A line probe assay was performed on 146 culture-positive clinical isolates. Logistic regression analysis was used to measure the strength of the association between the drug-resistance-conferring mutations with fitness loss in M. tuberculosis isolates and tuberculosis/HIV co-infection. A p-value ⩽ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 11 distinct mutations at four genetic loci among 19 resistant isolates were detected. The frequency of rifampicin, isoniazid, and fluoroquinolones resistance-conferring mutations was identified in 12 (8.2%), 17 (11.6%), and 2 (1.4%) of the isolates, respectively. The most prominent specific mutations were S450L (5/9, 55.6%), S315T (11/11, 100%), C-15T (4/4, 100%), and D94G (1/1, 100%). Double mutations were observed in 10 (52.6%) multidrug-resistant tuberculosis isolates; the most common were detected in both the rpoB and katG genes (8/10, 80.0%). The HIV-co-infected tuberculosis patients carried a higher proportion of low fitness of non-rpoB S450L variants than those tuberculosis patients without HIV (80.0% vs 14.3%) and showed a significant association (cOR = 0.042, 95% CI: 0.002–0.877, p = 0.041), but not with the low fitness of non-katG S315T variants (cOR = 3.00, 95% CI: 0.348–25.870, p = 0.318). Conclusion: This study provides valuable information on the genetic variants with fitness loss associated with HIV co-infection, but requires further whole-genome-based mutation analysis.


In the Sahel, migration is of considerable importance. It permits the peasants to adjust to variable food conditions. In areas affected by food shortages, cluster sample studies of villages showed that, as the number of recently abandoned houses in a cluster increased, the prevalence of malnutrition decreased, and this linear trend was significant (p < 0.05). This phenomenon tends to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition in these areas, and it emphasizes the fact that the malnutrition rate is a late indicator when used for nutritional surveillance. The article provides also a brief description of the current migration patterns in the Sahel and underlines the effects droughts have had on them.


Introduction During fracture osteosynthesis, traumatologists may remove screws which are too long, cut the excess length from the screw tip, then reinsert the cut screw (CS) to minimize implant waste. The purpose of this study was to determine if this practice influences screw purchase. Methods Using an axial-torsion load device, the maximal insertion torque (MIT) required to insert 3.5 mm stainless steel cortical screws into normal and osteoporotic bone models was measured. MIT was determined in three different test conditions: (1) long screw (LS) insertion; (2) LS insertion, removal, and insertion of a normal-length screw (NS); and, (3) LS insertion, removal, cutting excess length from the screw tip, and reinserting the CS. Results In the normal bone model, mean (± SD) MIT of LS insertion was 546 ± 6 Newton-centimeters (N-cm) compared to 496 ± 61 N-cm for NS reinsertion and 465 ± 69 N-cm for CS reinsertion. In the osteoporotic bone model, MIT of LS insertion was 110 ± 11 N-cm, whereas the values for NS and CS reinsertions were 98 ± 9 N-cm and 101 ± 12 N-cm, respectively. There was no significant difference in MIT between CS and NS reinsertions in the osteoporotic bone analog. Conclusions Cutting excess length from a 3.5 mm stainless steel cortical screw did not decrease its purchase regardless of bone density. During osteosynthesis, orthopaedists may remove screws which are too long, cut the screw tip, and reinsert the shortened screw as a cost-saving measure without compromising fracture fixation.


Volume I, Syntax and Semantics of Asymmetry in Grammar brings to fore the centrality of asymmetry in DP, VP and CP. A finer grained articulation of the DP is proposed, and further functional projections for restrictive relatives, as well as a refined analyses of case identification and presumptive pronouns. The papers on VP discuss further asymmetries among arguments, and between arguments and adjuncts. Double-object constructions, specificational copula sentences, secondary predicates, and the scope properties of adjuncts are discussed in this perspective. The papers on CP propose a further articulation of the phrasal projection, justifications for Remnant IP movement, and an analysis of variation in clause structure asymmetries. The papers in semantics support the hypothesis that interpretation is a function of configurational asymmetry. The type/token information difference is further argued to correspond to the partition between the upper and lower level of the phrase. It is also proposed that Point of View Roles are not primitives of the pragmatic component, but are head-dependent categories. Configurationality is further argued to be required to distinguish contrastive from non-contrastive Topic. Compositionality is proposed to explain cross-linguistic variations in the selectional behavior of typologically different languages. The second volume, Morphology, Phonology and Acquisition presents evidence that asymmetry, as a property of linguistic relations, is salient in grammar. The papers in morphology bring further evidence for the centrality of asymmetry in word-structure. It is shown that asymmetry is part of the internal structure of functional constructs such as determiners and complementizers, as it is the case for lexical constructs. Further evidence is presented for the asymmetry of prefixes in verb structure. A typology of formal objects based on the distinction between maximal and minimal categories is formulated. It is proposed that Formal Complexity drives the change from synthetic to analytic expressions. The papers in phonology point to the fact that asymmetry is part of that linguistic dimension in terms of processes that eliminates symmetric relations, in terms of head-dependency relations, in terms of relative scope of the distinctive features in any inventory, in terms of universal principles in combination with certain language specific choices. Moreover, the papers on acquisition bring to fore experimental data that point to the same direction. The asymmetry of grammatical relations provides the form of the initial state of language that enables the child to cope with the poverty of the stimulus.